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."

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!

HERB- SCALLOPED POTATOES AND TIRAMISU

Today I Made:

HERB-SCALLOPED POTATOES AND BABY LETTUCE SALAD ( not pictured ) for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGANOMICON.

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy vegetable broth and topped with thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano ( didn't have any rosemary ).

This is the first time I've ever encountered a problem with a VEGANOMICON recipe.

The recipe says to bake the potatoes, covered in foil, for 35 minutes, then broil for another 15 minutes.

But they turned out completely undercooked.

(I accidentally used "baking potatoes." Probably should've used small red potatoes.)

I had to put them back for another 30 minutes, and they still weren't completely baked all the way thru.

I ended up microwaving the individual servings in the microwave for 1 minute.

It also lacked salt.

Today I Made:

TIRAMISU for DESSERT.

Recipe from The CANDLE CAFE COOKBOOK.

Moist sponge cake drenched in strong coffee and layered with a sweet tofu layer.

Then topped with cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Instead of using store bought ladyfinger cookies, which are obviously NOT vegan, you make a sponge cake.

To replace the traditional whipped mixture of eggs and mascapone cheese, a mixture of vegan tofu cream cheese, silken tofu, agar agar powder, and sweeteners are processed until smooth.

Overall I thought that it was way too sweet, but my husband loved it.

And to me, that's all that matters.

BBQ TOFU

Today I Made:

BBQ TOFU, SPICY GARLIC SPINACH, AND BROWN RICE for DINNER.

This dinner is a combination of having leftover BBQ sauce from last weeks BBQ BEAN PATTIES, and having a block of tofu waiting to be used in the fridge.

So I looked thru VEGANOMICON and found a recipe for BBQ Tofu.

SInce I already had the sauce, all I had to do was press and drain the tofu, bake it in a little bit of olive oil and soy sauce for about 30 minutes ( turning after 15 minutes on each side ).

Then I added the BBQ sauce and baked it for an additional 15 minutes.

I dislike savory tofu dishes.

I've come to love VeganYumYum's Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu.

But other than that, I'm not too crazy about the texture.

I think I might have finally become a tofu lover.

Biting into the BBQ tofu was like biting into a piece of heaven.

It's so incredibly delicious.

My husband said that tonight's dinner was one of his all time favorites.

( Big smile on my face ).

And the spinach was great as usual, garlicky and spicy.

The brown rice, also delicious.

Can't wait to have leftover's tomorrow!!!

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.