EPIC SHOJIN CHRISTMAS DINNER

For Christmas this year, my husband and I had THE greatest dinner ever!!!

We went to our favorite restaurant, SHOJIN!

We're still craving it.

My husband even asked Mr.Morishima (the owner) and Chef Kimiko to add all the courses to their regular menu.

They truly are geniuses!

The entire meal meal was perfect and their service was excellent as usual.

Love this restaurant!!!

They truly care about their customers.

They even gave each table a CD filled with traditional Japanese New Year's Day music.

(Above photos taken straight from their blog.)

Sorry, had to use flash for all pictures.

(Blueberry Apple Sparkling Cider)

Everything we ate was epic and made with so much love.

We're so glad we only live 15 minutes away!

CREAMY POTATO SALAD

Yesterday I Made:

CREAMY POTATO SALAD.

Recipe from Skinny Bitch by Kim Barnouin.

This is THE best potato salad I've ever had!!!

And so easy to make!

All you need is a pound of small red potatoes, vegenaise,dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, green onion, salt and pepper.

Simple, delicious, and so comforting!

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Meet my new toy:

I'm trying to include more RAW VEGAN food into our diet.

So, I decided to buy a Spiral Vegetable Slicer.

The first thing I wanted to play with was zucchini.

Enter last night's Dinner:

ZUCCHINI PASTA.

Simple, easy, and so delicious.

For the zucchini, wash and dry.

Cut the ends and spiral with the slicer.

Keep spirals in a bowl at room temperature.

No need to cook, just serve as is.

For the sauce, I used the marinara sauce recipe from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson: Books.

It's sweet and super thick.

To plate, just top the zucchini with the sauce and dig in!!!

*Make sure not to mix zucchini and sauce until ready to serve.

If the zucchini sits in the sauce too long, it will become soft and limp.*

I can't wait to play with more vegetables, especially potatoes!!!

Any suggestions on what to do with the leftover zucchini?

WISDOM TEETH

So this is the reason why I haven't been blogging.

I had my 2 lower wisdom teeth removed yesterday morning.

I feel like a chipmunk.

Gotta recover then back to blogging.

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY AND CURRIED PAKORA PUFFS

Last Night I Made:

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY OVER BASMATI RICE AND CURRIED PAKORA PUFFS for DINNER.

Recipes from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson.

Colorful carrots,onions,cauliflower,green beans,peas and kidney beans seasoned with curry powder,coriander,and cumin in a coconut milk broth.

The CURRIED PAKORA PUFFS are made with mashed potatoes,onions,serrano chile,spinach,curry powder and baked until lightly browned.

Full of flavor with a little kick from the minced serrano.

CREAMY NOODLE AND VEGETABLE BAKE

Last Night I Made:

CREAMY NOODLE VEGETABLE BAKE for Dinner.

Recipe from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson.

Whole Wheat Fettuccine noodles,onions,carrots,celery,mushrooms, and green beans mixed with a rich and creamy gravy sauce.

Then topped with bread crumbs and paprika.

Baked until golden brown and served with a simple romaine salad (not pictured).

TOTAL COMFORT FOOD!!!

It was delicious and I really can't wait to make it again.

FIG TARTLETS

Last Night I Made:

FIG TARTLETS for Dessert.

Recipe from Clean Eating Magazine Nov/Dec 2010 issue.

Whole wheat hazelnut crust frilled with thinly sliced figs and chopped walnuts.

Then drizzled with agave syrup.

I made 2 substitutions:

-Whole wheal flour instead of spelt.

-Agave syrup instead of honey.

The crust turned out a little too crumbly, but very tasty.

The fig topping too dry.

Maybe next time, I'll add a vegan custard base or more agave syrup.

CINNAMON BUNS

CINNAMON ROLLS for DESSERT.

Recipe from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Simple cinnamon buns made with half whole wheat flour, half all purpose flour.

Filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and earth balance.

So yummy, I ate 4 in less than 2 hours!!!

VEGAN BIG MAC???

Last Night I Made:

VEGAN BIG MACS.

Recipe from Devin Alexander.

I've made these before and they always turn out amazingly good!!!!

You almost want to lick the sauce off your fingers!!!!

I highly recommend making these ASAP!

COWBOY COOKIES

Last Night I Made:

COWBOY COOKIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

I've made these before many times, usually with chocolate chips, pecans and finely shredded coconut.

This time I used dried cranberries instead of chocolate chips.

Which I preferred because they added a hint of tartness...yummy!!!!

My husband's coworker James Burks,drew and wrote Gabby and Gator.

The cool thing about this book is not only is it a great and unique story, but the main character, Gabby is a vegetarian.

I highly recommend it to anyone of any age.

It's a beautiful book, hardcover and almost an inch thick.

Makes a great Christmas/birthday gift!!!

Just in case any readers are from Los Angeles, James will be doing a signing at the Glendale, Ca. Borders bookstore this Sat. Oct.9 at 2pm.

QUICK WALNUT PATE SANDWICHES WITH PEARS AND ARUGULA

Last Night I Made:

QUICK WALNUT PATE SANDWICHES WITH PEARS AND ARUGULA and ROASTED CHAYOTE for Dinner.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times OCTOBER 2010 issue.

Gourmet style sandwich slathered with a walnut cannelloni bean pate,roasted red bell pepper,thinly sliced Bartlett pears and baby arugula.

So many interesting and complex flavors.

But it all works so well.

This was by far, one of THE best sandwiches I've ever eaten!

For the chayote, I simply peeled it, diced it,added olive oil, salt and pepper and placed on a cookie sheet.

Threw it in the oven for about 30 minutes (or until lightly brown).

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD

(DONKEY KONG GUARDING THE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD.)

Last Night I Made:

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD for Dessert.

Recipe from COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2010 ISSUE.

Super moist and tasty.

With tons of banana and peanut butter flavor.

I did make 4 substitutions to the original recipe:

-Whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.

-Used soymilk and apple cider vinegar instead of the yogurt.

-Egg replacer instead of eggs.

-Mixed in chopped pecans to the batter instead of dry-roasted peanuts.

The glaze is easy to make.

All you need is powdered sugar,soy milk, and creamy peanut butter.

Delish!!!

I would definitely make this bread again and again.

If you love slathering peanut butter on sliced banana, you will definitely love this bread!!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE-CREAM FROSTING

Last Night I Made:

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange-Cream Frosting for Dessert.

Recipe from Whole Foods Market.

Cupcakes made with whole wheat pastry flour, grated zucchini, mini chocolate chips, and topped with rich vegan cream cheese frosting flavored with orange zest and orange juice.

Super moist and tasty.

Perfect for parties or when you want to impress.

Kids won't even notice the grated zucchini!

Who knew chocolate and zucchini taste so good together???

BROWN RICE VEGGIE SUSHI

Last Night I Made:

BROWN RICE VEGGIE SUSHI for Dinner.

Flavored brown rice,yellow bell peppers,shredded carrots,julienned cucumbers, roasted sesame seeds, all wrapped up in high-quality nori(seaweed).

Serve with Soy Sauce and wasabi.

RIGATONI WITH CREAMY ARRABIATA SAUCE

Yesterday I Made:

RIGATONI WITH CREAMY ARRABIATA SAUCE for Dinner.

Original recipe from Muir Glen..

To make it creamy, I added 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese.

Rigatoni is our new favorite pasta shape.

Whatever sauce you add gets inside the rigatoni and you get a burst of sauce with every bite!!!!

Highly recommend it!!!!!!

KITCHEN SINK BISCOTTI

Last Night I Made:

KITCHEN SINK BISCOTTI for DESSERT.

Recipe from VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR.

Double baked chocolate cookies with whole hazelnuts,dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.

I've made these many times (using different mix-ins)and they always turn out crispy and super super good!

Easy to make, but very time consuming.

Since you bake, cool, slice, bake, then cool completely.

Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate!

POSOLE VERDE

Last Night I Made:

POSOLE VERDE for Dinner.

Recipe from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop.

Posole is a mexican comfort soup made with hominy.

This version is made with a thick green broth using cilantro, jalapenos, fresh oregano, and tomatillos.

Topped with romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes and lime wedges.

Super simple to make yet so full of flavor.

One of our all-time favorite soups!!!