CONFETTI SALAD IN ORANGE-CUCUMBER DRESSING

Final Presentation

Ready to be tossed with the dressing.

Orange-cucumber dressing

Salad ingredients ready to be blended.

Salad dressing ingredients.

Salad ingredients

Today I Made:

CONFETTI SALAD IN ORANGE-CUCUMBER DRESSING for DINNER.

Recipe from ANY'S RAW FOOD KITCHEN by Ani Phio.

Romaine lettuce, Kale, Red Cabbage, walnuts, and dried cranberries with a light orange-cucumber dressing.

A very refreshing mix of vegetables and so colorful.

Great for a potluck or for a warm spring or summer meal.

VEGAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Yesterday I Made:

VEGAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH ARRABIATA SAUCE OVER ANGEL HAIR PASTA for DINNER.

Recipe from HAPPYHERBIVORE.

Thick slices of breaded and seasoned eggplant baked and plated over a bed of angel hair pasta and topped with arrabiata sauce.

ASPARAGUS AND POBLANO TAMALES, GUACAMOLE, AND COCONUT PANNA COTTA

Yesterday I Made:

ASPARAGUS AND POBLANO TAMALES, HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE, and COCONUT PANNA COTTA for DINNER AND DESSERT.

Tamales are stuffed with an asparagus, poblano, red kidney bean mixture.

Then topped with a lemony guacamole and roasted poblano chili.

The panna cotta is basically a thick coconut pudding served with a Berry Coulis.

The tamales recipe from THE ACCIDENTAL VEGAN by Devra Gartenstein.

The guacamole recipe is from here.

Coconut panna cotta recipe from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson.

Traditional tamales have lard mixed into the dough and are stuffed with meats or cheese.

This recipe called for canola oil and two of my favorite things in the world: asparagus and poblano chilies.

How could I pass this recipe up?

I didn't follow the exact directions for the actual assembly and steaming as the book instructed.

In my family, we make tamales for Christmas every year.

So, I just went by memory.

But I do have to say, that tamale making takes time and patience.

You first have to soak your corn husks in water for at least 6 hours to make them pliable for folding.

While the husks are soaking, you make the stuffing and let cool.

Then you make the dough, preferably in a Kitchen Aid.

Drain, rinse, and dry the husks.

Begin smearing the masa (dough) and stuff with the stuffing.

Steam in a steamer for about 1:45 minutes.

They turned out delicious and I would definitely make these again.

The stuffing possibilities are endless.

Before we went vegan, one of my all time favorite desserts was panna cotta.

But, since becoming vegan, I stopped eating it.

Traditional panna cotta contains cream, milk, sugar, and gelatin.

Thanks to SUPER NATURAL COOKING, I can now savour it again.

Only this time, it won't be an artery clogging dessert.

And it goes perfect with the berry sauce.

The sauce is a mixture of fresh raspberries, blackberries, agave (or sugar), and lemon juice.

Simmered to release some juice, cooled, and chilled.

SELF-FROSTING PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

The Day Before Yesterday I Made:

SELF-FROSTING PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES for DESSERT.

Recipe from My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky.

Moist peanut butter cupcakes topped with a peanut butter chocolate spread swirled right into the batter before baking.

No need for extra frosting!

These are THE best vegan cupcakes we've had.

Perfect for introducing a NONVEGAN to VEGAN baked goods.

None would guess that they contain NO chicken eggs, cow's milk, or butter.

They are so unbelievably delicious and so moist.

Great with a cup of HOT morning coffee!

PECAN-CRUSTED FRENCH TOAST

Today I Made:

PECAN-CRUSTED FRENCH TOAST for BREAKFAST.

Recipe from Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

Whole wheat La Brea Bread dipped in a soy milk, chickpea, cinnamon batter.

Then dipped into a mound of crushed pecans and then cooked in a slightly oiled skillet for 2 -3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Served with maple syrup and morning coffee.

This recipe is very similar to the "FRONCH TOAST' recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.,except for the pecans and the cinnamon.

It does take a little bit of work to keep the pecans to stick to the battered bread slices, but after a while it does get easier.

Next time I make these, I will chop the pecans into much smaller pieces.

Which would make it easier to coat and would add more crunch to every bite.

CHICKPEA SENSATION PATTIES AND BETTER BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Yesterday I Made:

CHICKPEA SENSATION PATTIES for DINNER.

Recipe from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan by DREENA BURTON.

These patties are made up of a blend of chickpeas ( garbanzo ), brown rice, oats, onions, celery, capers, and a few other seasonings.

Served inside a whole wheat pita, with heirloom lettuce, sliced cucumbers, and lime and salt marianated red onions.

This was a perfect recipe to use up a few ingredients I bought for other recipes.

*Capers- Veganomicon's Cesar Salad

*Vegan Worcestershire Sauce-Karina's Kitchen- Spicy Vegetable Soup with Lime

*Tamari-can't remember for what.

The process for making the patties is simple enough:

-Saute the onions, celery, salt and pepper.

-Process the chickpeas and garlic and a few other ingredients.

-Add the sautee veggies and pulse to incorporate.

-Add brown rice and pulse until just combined.

-Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

-Form into patties and fry in a pan with a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil and cook each side 5 minutes or until golden brown.

You can serve them alone with what ever sauce you want or serve them in a pita like I did.

The BETTER BANANA NUT MUFFINS were eaten this morning for breakfast.

Recipe from MY SWEET VEGAN by Hannah Kaminsky.

Bananas nut muffins topped with oats, sugar, and cinnamon.

So what makes these muffins so special?

DRIED BANANA SLICES!!!

Traditional banana nut muffins usually call for only mashed bananas.

This recipe utilizes dried and mashed bananas.

I made 2 substitutions:

-whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.

-walnuts instead off pecans.

Goes perfect with a steaming cup of morning coffee.

Next time, I might made this recipe into a loaf instead of muffins.

So I can slice, toast and spread with Earth Balance.

ASPARAGUS QUICHE WITH TOMATOES AND TARRAGON

Today I Made:

ASPARAGUS QUICHE WITH TOMATOES AND TARRAGON and KALE CHIPS for DINNER.

Recipe from Veganomicon.

A blend of cannellini beans, walnuts, tarragon, and asparagus with a flaky whole wheat crust.

Topped with bread crumbs, tomatoes, tarragon, and a few asparagus spears.

This is a dish to impress guests or even your family.

It's beautiful to look at and it tastes amazing.

The filling is smooth, while the crust is flaky and crunchy.

And the thinly sliced tomatoes add a nice mouth feel.

Unfortunately, by husband didn't really care for it.

"Too mushy and you can't really taste what it is."

PASTA DELLA CALIFORNIA AND TOFU CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Today I Made:

PASTA DELLA CALIFORNIA for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGANOMICON.

Whole wheat linguine, arugula, broccoli, lemon juice and zest, red chili pepper flakes, and avocado.

This was actually my second time making this recipe.

The first time, I used broccolini and spinach instead of broccoli and arugula, which I think makes a better dish.

The arugula was way too bitter for me.

And the broccoli doesn't add anything to the recipe.

The avocado was our favorite part.

It seems a little odd at first to eat warm avocado, but it actually does work.

So creamy and delicious.

Today I Made:

TOFU CHOCOLATE MOUSSE for DESSERT.

Recipe from marthastewart.com.

Chocolate chips, silken tofu, soy milk, and cacao nibs.

This is has got to be one of THE best desserts ever!

And not just because it's a chocolate dessert.

But because it's SO SIMPLE to make.

All you do is melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.

Add the tofu, warm soy milk, and chocolate chips into a food processor.

Process until smooth and pour into individual ramekins and refrigerate for a few hours.

Top with cacao nids or shaved chocolate.

I highly recommend making this dessert.

You will not be disappointed.

CHIPOTLE CHIPS AND GUACAMOLE

Another new snack that we've been indulging in these past few days:

CASA SANCHEZ REAL GUCAMOLE and their latest creation:

CHIPOTLE CHIPS.

These are THE best tasting chips we have ever had.

They actually taste like chipotle.

So, if your in California, buy these chips ASAP from your local Whole Foods store.

They are based in the bay area and only sell locally.

And if your in a different state, please request them at your local Whole Foods store.

They're that good.

KALE CHIPS

Last Friday I Made:

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, QUINOA SALAD, BROWN RICE, and KALE CHIPS for DINNER.

Plain roasted squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Quinoa mixed with corn, red pepper, cucumber, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, tomato, with a spicy lime and cumin dressing.

Normally I would place it over a bed of greens, but it really doesn't need it.

KALE CHIPS

All I can say is: THANK YOU KATH!.

Saw these on Katheats.com a while back and finally tried them 2 weeks ago.

This was my third time making them and I plan on making even more this week.

I can't get enough, they are so addicting.

The thing is that they are so simple to make and so delicious.

Preheat oven to 375*.

All you do is remove the stem and cut into small bite-size pieces.

Wash and completely dry them in a salad spinner.

Drizzle without 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes or until edges as brown and crispy.

And enjoy!

(Kath eats them with ketchup, but we eat them plain.)

We ended up topping the quinoa and brown rice with CASA SANCHEZ FRESH ROASTED SALSA. which we usually buy at WHOLE FOODS.

HOMESTYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Last Friday I Made:

HOMESTYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from VIVE LE VEGAN by DREENA BURTON.

I'm not much of a cookie fan, but after seeing Legally Vegan's: Chocolate Chip Cookie post, I started craving them.

I doubled the recipe and decided to make them into GIANT size cookies.

I placed 4 giant sized spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet and once out of the oven, they had turned into 1 gigantic cookie.

My first instinct was to throw them away, but I ended up cuting it into 4 pieces.

So for the rest of the batter, I made them into normal size cookies and they turned out fine, a little too greasy for my taste, but husband loved them.

If you have a well stocked pantry, you will have no problem making these on a whim.

BANANA AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

Today I Made:

BANANA AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES MARCH 2009 issue.

Whole wheat dough filled with black beans, onions, bananas, and spices.

Baked until golden brown.

Served with homemade GUACAMOLE.

Empanadas are the Latin-American version of calzones.

I've seen them stuffed with pumpkin, pineapple, and meat ( dead animal flesh ) of course.

This version was amazing.

The stuffing was both sweet from the bananas and spicy from the chili powder.

My only recommendation is to make a salsa or guacamole like I did.

Because the empanadas are little too dry on there own.

I'm definitely going to try making these again with different stuffings.

The possibilities are endless.

CARROT CAKE WITH TOFU CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Today I Made:

CARROT CAKE WITH TOFU CREAM CHEESE FROSTING for BREAKFAST.

Recipe from CANDLE CAFE COOKBOOK.

Today is my husband's birthday and I decided to make him cake for breakfast.

Who says you can't have birthday cake first thing in the morning?

I'm not a fan of carrot cake, but he is, and this recipe turned out great.

Spicy, sweet, moist, and full of color from the grated carrot, chopped fresh pineapple, raisins, and topped with chopped walnuts.

I made a slightly healthier version than the original recipe by using whole wheat versions of the flours.

And it's sweetened with maple sugar instead of refined sugar.

The recipe for the frosting was altered from the one in the book.

In the book, the directions call for silken tofu to be boiled for 5 minutes, then submerged in cold water, squeezed dry, and then blended up with Tofutti Cream Cheese, unrefined sugar, safflower oil, and vanilla extract.

Thanks to Green Earth Institute, I blended the cream cheese, sugar, safflower oil, and vanilla extract in my mixer until smooth and chill for 20 minutes.

No silken tofu required.

We both had one slice for breakfast along with our morning coffee.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY HUSBAND AND GRANDMA!!!

CESAR SALAD

Today I Made:

CESAR SALAD for DINNER.

Recipe from Veganomicon by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

This may be the third time I posted about this salad. It's just that good!

If you own this book and have never made this salad, you HAVE to put it on your MUST MAKE list.

The DRESSING is tofu based with lemon juice, garlic, dry mustard, and ground up almond slivers.

The recipe calls for capers, which give it its salty flavor.

No anchovies required!

And the CROUTONS are flavored with roasted garlic, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Baked not fried.

MMMMMM!.... looking forward to leftover salad tomorrow!

LEMON-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS AND PURE BARS

Today I Made:

LEMON-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS for BREAKFAST.

Recipe from COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE APRIL 2003 .

Small blueberry muffins with a hint of lemon zest then drizzled with lemon powered sugar glaze.

The original recipe is NOT vegan, but I used Egg Replacer and soymilk instead of chicken eggs and cow's buttermilk.

Perfect with a hot cup of morning coffee.
So my husband and I fell in love with Mojo Bars a few months ago.

Unfortunately they were affected by the peanut recall.

So we've been without protein bars since.

But thanks to VeggieGirl: Episode 6 of VeggieGirl TV: News & Reviews, were back!

We agree with Veggie girl, Pure Bars are by far superior than any other bar out there.

Cliff Bars are way too sweet,

Mojo Bars, recalled and are more like candy bars.

Kashi bars, no comment.

Larabars, too sweet and not organic.

Last week, we went to our local Trader Joe's and were lucky enough to find the CHOCOLATE BROWNIE and CHERRY CASHEW bars.

We tried both and instantly fell in love.

The texture was perfectly soft and full of flavor.

We both preferred the CHOCOLATE BROWNIE.

Then last night while at Whole Foods, we came across the CHOCOLATE CHIP TRAIL MIX .

So now we have a new flavor to try.

They also had the APPLE CINNAMON and CHERRY CASHEW.

But no WILD BLUEBERRY.

I urge everyone to try these bars.

Why?

Because they are ORGANIC, use all natural ingredients. use dates and agave nectar instead of cane sugar, and they taste delicious.

At $2.39, they are pretty pricey, but you do get what you pay for.

THANKS VEGGIE GIRL!!!

PUMPKIN PASTA

Today I Made:

PUMPKIN PASTA and BABY GREEN SALAD.

Pasta recipe from EVERYDAY FOOD Magazine, but I don't remember which issue.

The sauce for the pasta is made up of 5 ingredients:

-olive oil

-kale

-canned pumpkin

-vegetable broth

-jarred sun-dried tomato pesto

-sliced almonds

Mix the sauce with the par-cooked pasta and bake for 30 minutes.

The recipe calls for a 9x13 baking dish, I used small ramekins instead.

Perfect serving size.

The top is crunchy and the bottom soft and creamy.

Reminds me of macaroni and cheese.

Easy, tasty, and it looks beautiful too.

The salad is a mix of baby greens, julienned beets, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas, red onion, pumpkin seeds, and our favorite dressing, ASIAN MIRACLE DRESSING.

KOREAN RICE AND STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES AND SOY BEAN SPROUT SALAD

Today I Made:

KOREAN RICE AND STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES AND SOY BEAN SALAD for DINNER.

Both recipes from VEGNEWS magazine Nov/Dec. 2005 issue.

The stir-fry was super easy to make.

Canola oil, minced garlic, carrots, asparagus, spinach, and soy sauce.

Simple, clean , and delicious.

The soy bean salad originally called for bean sprouts but Whole Foods only had the soy sprouts.

The dressing is a rice vinegar, ginger, toasted sesame oil, and a few other asian ingredients.

Super crunchy and super fresh taste.

Personally, I would have preferred the bean sprouts.

But, husband liked it.

GARDEN PATTIES,GRATED RAW BEET SALAD, AND BROCCOLI

Today I Made:

GARDEN PATTIES, GRATED RAW BEET SALAD WITH JICAMA AND GRAPEFRUIT, and BROCCOLI WITH VEGENAISE SHOYU DIPPING SAUCE.

The garden patties are literally filled with vegetables,grains, and nuts.

Millet, quinoa, onions, red bell pepper, carrots, celery, spinach and tons and tons of nuts:

Almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews, and spices.

Overall, they turned out delicious, but they fall apart easily.

I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter, with one exception, I used cashews instead of sunflower seeds.

Once all the ingredients were combined, I ended up having to add vegetable broth to make it more pliable, because it was just too dry to come together.

I also refrigerated the patties for an hour, so they wouldn't fall apart on the skillet.

They turned out really tasty.

Savory, crispy, and crunchy.

I described them to my husband as being similar to a trail mix bar but savory.

I topped them with my mom's homemade salsa.

The raw beet salad added even more crunch to the mix.

Julienned raw beets, jicama, grapefruit sections, chopped cilantro, and a grapefruit dressing.

The original name for this recipe is GRATED RAW BEET SALAD WITH JICAMA, AVOCADO, AND ORANGE, from this month's VEGETARIAN TIMES.

But, I didn't have any avocado, oranges, or orange juice concentrate.

Even though, it was delicious, refreshing and very memorable.

The broccoli dipping sauce was actually a vegan adaptation of a sauce my mother-in-law introduced me to years ago.

Mayonnaise, shoyu ( Japanese for Soy Sauce ), and ground sesame seeds.

While busting my head trying to figure out how to serve this amazing broccoli from the Pasadena Farmer's Market, I realized that I could veganize my mother-in-laws dipping sauce by just using Vegenaise instead of mayonnaise.

Turned out just the same and even better since it was cholesterol free.

This entire dinner was made even more special because we bought all this week's produce from the farmers at the Pasadena Farmers market this weekend.

The quality of the produce bought at the farmer's market compared to what you get at Whole Foods or even a regular market is so much more superior.

Unfortunately, the market is on Saturdays and it's 25 minutes from our house.

It's also too hard to get up early on Saturday mornings.

So, this week's produce is a total treat for us.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE

Today I Made:

CLASSIC MINESTRONE and GARLIC TOAST for DINNER.

Recipe from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE.

Unfortunately I could not remember what issue it's from and I couldn't find it on their website.

Carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, green beans, cannellini beans, in a tomato based broth.

The broth has a hint of red chili pepper and rosemary.

Very clean soup and suprisingly full of flavor.

Lots of chopping, but well worth it.