PINEAPPLE-CASHEW-QUINOA STIR-FRY

Yesterday I Made:

PINEAPPLE-CASHEW-QUINOA STIR-FRY for DINNER.

Recipe from Veganomicon.

A South Asian inspired dish with a South American Flair.

Quinoa cooked in pineapple juice.

Then stir-fried with green onions, pineapple chunks, peas, ginger, red chili, basil, red bell pepper, soy sauce, mirin, and toasted cashews.

Interesting mix of flavors that actually turned out quite tasty.

Sweet and spicy, with a hint of saltiness from the soy sauce.

This dish comes together in a flash, as long as you have all the ingredients set up and ready to go.

This dish would be great for a get together or just for a warm summer night.

Although, it sure warmed us up last night after a rainy day in Southern California.

*If you desire a less spicy stir-fry, remember to remove the veins and seeds from the red chili.

HASH BROWNS AND SALAD

Today I Made:

HASH BROWNS AND SALAD WITH ASIAN MIRACLE DRESSING for DINNER.

Interesting combination... breakfast and lunch?

Brunch?

HASH BROWNS and ASIAN MIRACLE recipes both from Vegan Lunch Box.

I make these hash browns at least once a week.

Husband can't get enough of them.

Neither can I.

GUACAMOLE PITA AND SOUTHWESTERN CORN CHOWDER

Today I Made:

GUACAMOLE PITA AND SOUTHWESTERN CORN CHOWDER for DINNER.

Simple guacamole recipe:

-avocado

-diced tomato

-diced onion

-roughly chopped cilantro

-diced fresh jalapeno

-lime juice

-salt and pepper

Mix until smooth and creamy.

I slathered it on a toasted whole wheat pita.

But make sure you cut the pita in half then toast.

This will prevent the pita from puffing up in the toaster.

The recipe for the chowder is from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE.

This is another example of a 30 minute meal with marvelous results.

Potatoes, carrots, onions, corn, chili powder, and oregano in a creamy soy milk based broth.

Simple ingredients yet full of flavor.

This chowder is pure heaven.

I think this might be one of my favorite meals ever!!!

PIZZA WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, AND CILANTRO

Today I Made:

PIZZA WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, AND CILANTRO for DINNER.

Recipe from THE VEGAN GOURMET by SUSANN GEISKOPT-HADLER AND MINDY TOOMAY.

Black beans, olives, tomatoes, green chilies, and avocados on whole wheat pizza.

The dough was homemade, which I think came out a little too doughy and a little too thick.

Interesting ingredients for a pizza.

But they actually worked out.

It was pretty darn good.

KABOCHA

Today I Made:

ROASTED KABOCHA, SALAD, AND BROWN RICE for DINNER.

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin.

I simply cut the squash in half , then into small slices.

I then added them to a bowl, along with olive oil, salt and pepper ( all to taste ).

Roasted them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Served them with a salad and brown rice.

*Skin not edible*

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Today I Made:

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD for DINNER.

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine.

Classic quick bread with a hint of orange.

Easy to make.

Long to bake.

But, unfortunately, husband didn't care for the hint of orange and I agree with him.

Next time, no orange in the batter.

WALNUT AND BROWN-SUGAR RUGELACH

Today I Made:

WALNUT AND BROWN-SUGAR RUGELACH for DESSERT.

Recipe from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE, Dec. 2007 issue.

I veganized it by using Earth Balance, vegan cream cheese, and soy milk.

Tasty, small morsels of walnuts, brown sugar, and perfectly browned dough.

Although we loved the end result, the dough was super hard to work with.

It kept falling apart, even after refrigerating it for more than 2 hours.

I blame it on the Earth Balance and vegan cream cheese in the dough.

I definitely will be making rugelach again, but I will using the vegan version found in The Joy of Vegan Baking Cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

CRISPY TOFU AND GARLICKY GREEN BOK CHOY AND ASPARAGUS

Today I Made:

CRISPY TOFU AND GARLICKY GREEN BOK CHOY AND ASPARAGUS for DINNER.

This is the third time I make this amazing tofu dish.

Crispy, sweet, and oh so sour.

You can find this recipe at VeganYumYum.

For the vegetables, I used my tried and true technique.

Heat olive oil on low and add red chili pepper flakes until fragrant.

Then add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add vegetables and saute until vegetables are al dente.

They taste best when they are slightly crunchy.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

I use this technique for spinach, green beans, sugar snap peas, green beans, and broccolini.

I recommend trying the tofu recipe ASAP!

It's better than anything you can ever order at any restaurant.

UDON

Today I Made:

UDON for DINNER.

Our new favorite emergency dinner.

Done in less than 10 minutes.

Udon are thick Japanese noodles usually served in a soy sauce broth.

All you need is water, light yellow miso paste, packaged udon, green onion, and sesame seeds.

You can find all these ingredients at your local Whole Foods or Japanese market.

Boil the water.

Turn heat off and add 1 tablespoon miso per cup of water and whisk until completely dissolved.

Turn heat back on, add udon and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve in a deep bowl and add sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Fast, easy, filling, and so yummy.

Total comfort food.