la pure mama.

Vegan Banana Bread

2011-12-29T18:19:00.001-08:00

Im here! Sorry, I have been extremely busy stuffing my face with this amazing banana bread. Seriously. Amazing.
I actually have to be mindful of making it because I end up eating most of it before anyone knows it was made in the first place. The only trace is the beautiful aroma it leaves in the house. And my full belly.

Enjoy!

Need:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup earth balance spread
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup So Delicious coconut soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Do:
Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease a bread pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, mace and ginger. Mix to combine very well.

In a kitchen aid, or large bowl, cream together Earth Balance and both sugars. When fully combined, Add bananas, So Delicious coconut milk and vanilla and continue to mix until just combined.

Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture, mixing until just combined.

Add walnuts and raisins and again mix until just combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until golden brown.

Serve:
This banana bread is great topped with a little Earth Balance, or finished with some So Delicious coconut milk ice cream or all by its lonesome.

So. So. Good.

Enjoy!

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Oh, my dear friends I have been so MIA! The last few weeks have been cuh-razy around here and something just had to give. Temporarily only. I have some lovely things to post for you and I wanted to kick it off with some amazing cookies.

Gingerbread men, gingerbread women, gingerbread trees, sleighs, stars and more! The best part? Little five and three-quarter hands helped me the whole way through.

These cookies are super delicious too! Full of ginger and molasses, chewy yet crunchy and perfect with a little vegan frosting and colorful sugar. Oh, they're also great on their own. And, ahem... the dough is as well.

So get your kid(s) or borrow someone else's and make these fun festive morsels!

Need:
2 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Earth Balance spread, softened
3/4 cup molasses
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons So Delicious coconut nog (can use regular so too, but this is so much better)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Do:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Use a fork to combine well.

In your Kitchenaid or a large bowl, combine Earth Balance, molasses and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add So Delicious coconut nog and vanilla and continue to mix until fully combined.

With the Kitchenaid on low, gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture in about 1 cup increments until just combined. Turn off Kitchenaid and use a spatula to fold any remaining ingredients together.

Divide into two portions; place each on wax paper and roll into a log. Make sure the dough is wrapped so it is airtight. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to overnight.

When ready to roll and bake:

Preheat oven to 325.

Roll your first dough log into a circular shape that is about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick, depending on how thick you want your cookies.

Using cookie cutters, press out your cookies, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you go. When your dough is 'stamped out', simply bring it together and roll it out again.

When you have a full cookie sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how thick your cookies are and how crunchy you like your cookies.

Our cookies were between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick and I baked for 10 minutes because I don't like super duper crunchy cookies.

Remove from oven, let cool, then frost and decorate.

Repeat for all dough.

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

2011-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have so much to be thankful for this year:

Our amazing Noodle Nose, my outstanding (and devastatingly handsome) husband, a roof over our head, food to eat, my fantastic new business, our families who love us unconditionally and are always there, our friends who are like family in every sense of the word, challenges which make me stronger (yes, I"m even thankful for that), my extended friend list including everyone who reads and/or comments on this blog, the beautiful place we live...

The list goes on and on.

I am excited to share this year's Thanksgiving feast with you, though given the incredibly busy nature of our life in the last few weeks, I wasn't proactive enough to get them up early.

I do want to share with you many of my favorite vegan recipes, all of which I have tested and loved. Best of all? You can find them all here!

Thank you for your continued support and visits to La Pure Mama! I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. More than you know :)

xoxo

And now, on to the food!!

Some fun and fantastic appetizers, perfect for Turkey day, football watching and tofurky salivating:

Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction
Vegan Mushroom Pate
Vegan Almond Cheese
Sweet Potato Pita Canapes

Check out more on the La Recipes page!

Some salads, sides and other stuff:

Kale Quinoa Salad
Grilled Asparagus Salad
Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Cranberry Orange Pomegranate Sauce
Spicy Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Chickpeas and Collard Greens

And oh so many more on the La Recipes page...

The main event. Oh yeah!

Homemade Tofurky
Seitan Roast with Mushroom Gravy, Potatoes and Beans

And the other main event. I mean dessert...

Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Blackberry Apple Torte
Vegan Baklava
Vegan Pomegranate Cupcakes
Vegan Eggnog Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Cake

Now, this list is ridiculously long. Check out the La Recipes page. There are so many to choose from!

Happy Holidays my friends!

Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta

2011-11-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

Two things come to mind as this very behind the ball blogger writes:

1. Does anyone besides me continually forget whether broccoli has two C s or two L s?

I'm kind of a neurotic speller. I know how to spell a lot of things and unless I'm being lazy, things are usually spelled correctly. But I can't for the life of me ever remember. I'm hoping by posting this it will be forever ingrained in my brain.

2. Nothing. And I mean nothing sounds good to me lately. Nothing sounds good to eat and nothing sounds good to cook.

It's gotten so bad recently that Honey has taken over the kitchen. Two. Days. In. A. Row. On the menu? Geeze, I can't even remember what Saturday's dinner was. Last night was nachos. Yes. Nachos. Doesn't really matter to me because as I might have mentioned: nothing sounds good to me.

I'm hoping this affliction will cure itself soon. Especially because the impending 'food holiday' is a mere three days away. I am cooking. And I'm liking my menu.

I did poop out a little though and decided to go with a store bought tofurky rather than my usual Homemade Tofurky or Homemade Seitan Roast. Both are fairly simple but hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. Bear with me friends.

So for today I have a fun little recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times, one of my favorite magazines. It's a simple and tasty broccoli pesto pasta. I added a few tweaks here and there because I just can't leave any recipe alone.

Need:
6 Tablespoons raw cashews
3 large garlic cloves, quartered
2 cups organic broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained, optional
12 oz. medium sized pasta. I used shells
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 package tofurky sun dried tomato sausages, cut lengthwise then sliced
Fresh parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
Fresh lemon for garnish (optional)

Do:

Coarsely chop cashews and place in a food processor along with garlic. Pulse until you have a rough consistency. Note: you don't have to go overboard on this because you'll be adding more ingredients.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook about 2-3 minutes until just barely soft. Drain and shake to get most of the moisture off.

Add broccoli, parsley, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and capers to your food processor and pulse/blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper, blend again and taste. Add more salt and pepper as needed then set aside.
Bring another large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente then drain but do not rinse.

While pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes, sausage and pesto to a large skillet and heat on low. Cook stirring until pasta is done.

When pasta is done add to the skillet and stir to combine, ensuring pesto evenly covers everything. You're ready to serve.

Serve:
Portion onto a plate and add a bit of extra fresh parsley and a squirt of fresh lemon juice, if desired.

Perfect with a little green salad.

Enjoy!

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-11-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

On a wishy washy day that looks like it really wants to snow but it probably won't, it just seems right to make something to snack on that is equally oxymoron-ish.

Bananas equal healthy. Chocolate chips equal not as healthy.

I say that, except I'm forty-two percent sure 'they' are still advocating chocolate like they are red wine. Dear 'they', thank you for advocating chocolate and red wine. I appreciate your validation.

These muffins are really simple and turned out the perfect crumb and flavor. I 'guinnea pigged' several people and low and behold, they were winners with everyone who ate them. Especially me. Who may or may not have eaten two. In a row. I.... call it quality control?

Yield: about 18 muffins

Need:
4 teaspoons egg replacer
6 Tablespoons So Delicious coconut milk
3 ripe bananas, smashed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Do:
Preheat oven to 375 and line two muffin pans with liners. Alternately you can lightly spray them with a bit of oil or Earth Balance.

In a small bowl, combine egg replacer and So Delicious coconut milk. Using a fork, whip vigorously until fully combined and lightly frothy. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mash bananas together using a fork until you have a mostly smooth consistency with few lumps.

In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a fork to whisk together evenly.

In a Kitchenaid or another bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix on medium until combined then add egg replacer mixture and bananas. Continue to mix until fully combined.

With the Kitchenaid (or you and a spoon) on low, gradually add the flour mixture to your wet mixture. Immediately add chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

Scoop into muffin tins or prepared pan so each tin is 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Remove. Enjoy.

Serve:
These make a fantastic (mostly healthy) snack. They are also great with some So Delicious coconut (or other) ice cream.

Personally I like mine all on their own, washed down with some of that Yum-Mazing So Delicious Coconut Nog. Which happens to be my new favorite thing.

Enjoy!

Potato Kale Soup with Quinoa

2011-11-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Oh my I have been horribly distracted from my dear blog this last week or so and I have missed it terribly!

I have been feverishly working on wrapping up my final projects for school, which are many and detailed. On top of that I'm launching a new business that ties into my schooling, this blog and our general way of life.

Oh and then there's the usual laundry, dinner, house, animals, husband, kid, me (me??) whatnot that's always there. Whew! A heck of a lot of things going on.

But I have been cooking! Oh yes! And I will get the recipes up here because there are some fun ones.

And you know what I have learned? Summer is to salad as winter is to soup. Am I the only one who hated those damn things on the SAT test? Ugh. But it is true indeed...

Salads of Summer prevail for maybe three months out of the year... if we're lucky. Soup though? Soup gets a whole bunch of months. And that's good because I love soup.

This one combines several of my favorite ingredients including, yes it does: kale. I love kale. Like, a ridiculous amount. It's almost obscene.

To round it out I also included some delicious leeks and red potatoes. Think Vicchysoisse. And, of course, one of my other ingredient lurves: quinoa, for a little protein.

The soup was slightly spicy, very filling and perfect for leftovers.

Yield: about 6-8 servings

Need:
3 small leeks, halved and chopped
2 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
6-8 red potatoes, quartered (or halved if they're small)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 teaspoon oregano
pinch rosemary
pinch thyme
pinch marjoram
1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup dry quinoa
About 1-2 Tablespoons tamari
4-6 leaves kale, de-ribbed and chopped into bite sized pieces

Do:
In a soup pot, combine leeks, garlic and olive oil. Heat to med/high and cook, stirring until soft. About 2-3 minutes.

Add potatoes and stir then add broth. Reduce heat to med/low and add bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. Cover and let cook until potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Check every 8 minutes or so and give it a stir.

Meanwhile cook your quinoa by bringing the 1 1/2 cups water to boil in a separate pot. Add quinoa and stir, cover and gradually reduce heat as quinoa soaks up the water. Don't for get to intermittenly stir it.

When done, turn off heat, remove lid and fluff. Set aside.

Add tamari and kale to your soup. Stir, ensuring kale is fully immersed in the soup. This will help soften it.

Taste your soup and add more tamari (or salt, if you like) as needed. When the flavor is to your liking, you're ready to serve.

Serve:
Start by portioning quinoa into the bottom of your bowls. Ladle soup over top, ensuring an equal amount of ingredients and broth.

You can serve alongside a green salad if you like, or bread, if you want extra carbs.

This is the perfect healthy meal to warm you up on the cold winter evenings.

Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Tomato Soup

2011-11-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Rainy, freezing cold days, like the ones we have been having makes me crave my ultimate comfort food: tomato soup and grilled cheese. Or 'girled' cheese, if you're Noodle Nose.

Yes, the rainy days always make me want it. That and my cousin posted on Facebook that they were having tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner and that just tipped me over the edge.

Aside from being deliciously delicious, tomato soup is ultra versatile. You can make it into anything you want. You can go standard tomato, you can do coconut, pesto, spicy, chunky, the possibilites are endless!

I've made this one before, and if you look in the 'soup' section, you will see there are several other versions. It's a great way to play around in the kitchen. Even better if the rain is pouring down outside!

Need:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or smashed
2 cans (14 oz) organic diced tomatoes
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 can coconut milk
2-3 Tablespoons fresh basil, julienned and sliced down the middle

Grilled cheese... the caramelized onion grilled cheese is my favorite

Do:
In a soup pot, heat oil on med/high and add onions and garlic. Saute on high, stirring, for about 3-5 minutes, until translucent and soft. Reduce heat and add tomatoes, curry, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Mix to incorporate, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile.... prep your grilled cheese!
After about 10-15 min of soup simmering, uncover, taste and add salt, as needed.

Add coconut milk and basil. Stir and let cook, uncovered for another 8-10 minutes.
If you have a hand blender (best investment ever!!!) immerse it into the soup and give it a blend. Note: you don't have to completely puree it... let it have a little texture.

If you don't have a hand blender, transfer into a blender and roughly blend; again, texture. Then transfer back into the pot.

Serve:
Ladle soup into a bowl, arrange bowl on a plate, cut grilled cheese and serve. If you like, you can serve a fresh green salad alongside, for some fresh fiber.

Enjoy, and stay warm!!

Vegan Mediterranean Plate: Falafel Hummus and Greek Salad

2011-11-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

The mediterranean plate is one of my favorite meals. In fact, I have a tendency to make a ton of falafel and freeze them so they're just ready to go.

Because it's not only filling, it is bursting with flavor and texture. And both are very important, in my opinion.

I also really like food I can eat with my hands. And food that makes me think.

I like having choices. Do I eat my falafel by itself? With hummus? Stuffed in a pita with salad? Salad first? Salad in the pita and hummus on the falafel? The possibilities are endless.

That makes it fun. Fun for you. Fun for the kids. Fun for the big kids.

Enjoy!

Yield: about enough for a family of four. Maybe some leftovers

Need:

For the Falafel:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 sweet white onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon roasted garlic (you can use plain garlic too, it's just stronger)
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 teaspoon salt
Splash of pepper
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup plus about 1/4 cup panko breading

For the Hummus:
1 can large white beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1 large lemon
Zest of same lemon
About 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed and diced very fine
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Maybe a bit more

For the Greek Salad:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
About 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped very fine
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Salt
Pepper
1 english cucumber, quartered and chopped into about 1/4 inch pieces
1 carton cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 green bell pepper, de-seeded, quartered and cut into about 1/4 inch pieces
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into about 1/4 inch pieces
1 head (or bag) butter lettuce or other lettuce mix
About 1/2 cup kalamata olives, drained and halved

Vegan pita bread (optional)

Do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Prepare your falafel by combining chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper in food processor. Pulse to combine.

Put your mix into a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the panko breading and flour then mix to combine.

Form into about 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls then gently roll in panko. Place on baking sheet. Repeat for all falafel dough.

When your falafel is all formed, bake in oven for 8-10 minutes then rotate and bake another 5-8 minutes. Rotate again, bake and repeat until all sides of your falafel balls are toasty brown. Note: you can fry or pan fry your falafel balls too, I just like to bake when at all possible.

While your falafel is baking, prepare your hummus and salad.

For your hummus, combine white beans, tahini, lemon juice, zest, oregano, parsley salt and pepper in food processor. Put lid on and pulse to combine. While you are pulsing, gradually stream olive oil into food processor, creating a mostly smooth texture.

Taste your hummus, add salt and pepper as needed, pulse/blend again then transfer to a bowl when you have reached your desired flavor.

Prepare your salad by first making your dressing. In a lidded jar, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Seal and shake very well. Let sit.

In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, tomato, bell pepper and onion. Put your lettuce in another larger bowl. Just before service, shake your dressing again then drizzle on top of lettuce and vegetables individually. Toss to ensure even coverage.

Note: I like to toss them separately so when you plate, everyone is ensured an equal amount of everything.

Serve:
On a plate, arrange falafel, a dollop of hummus and vegan pita, if you want it. To arrange your salad, start by portioning lettuce onto the plate(s). Top lettuce with piles of dressing tossed veggies. Finish with kalamata olives.

You can also serve this all family style.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Eggnog French Toast

2011-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Woman of many hats is finding that her hats are so 'many' that they're falling off her head.

I have been so busy I haven't had time to sit down and tell you about the delicious new products So Delicious sent to me.

Coconut Eggnog, what? Oh yeah! And you know what else? Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk. Yes indeed. That stuff is so good I can't keep it out of Noodle's hands, straight up.

So this last weekend was another of those 'are you crazy?' physical challenge races. And when I say physical challenge, I am not referring to the Marc Summers 'you'll get slimed' if you don't finish in time. I'm talking about the climbing really steep walls, wading through drainage pipes, sliding down muddy mountains type of physical challenge.

Remember the Warrior Dash? Well, this weekend was the Gladiator Rock n' Run. Shorter mileage, more obstacles. Tough obstacles. And as if my back weren't enough (though it's much better), I now have bronchitis! So crazy me ran the race with bronchitis. And then, just for kicks, dressed up as Olivia Newton John so my Richard Simmons wouldn't feel left out. We're weird.

All that calls for a carb load breakfast. One featuring two of my favorite holiday items: pumpkin and nog. And So Delicious? You hit it out of the park with your coconut nog. Um. Yum. Not only is it great to drink ~~with rum~~ by itself or in your coffee, it makes a great addition to recipes because of it's thick consistency and deliciously nog flavor.

So I took a note from the gang at So Delicious and tried their eggnog french toast recipe included in my goody box. Except I took it one further and added pumpkin because I'm crazy like that. And it was equally as good. Crazy good.

Thanks guys!

Adapted from a recipe courtesy of So Delicious
Yield: about 8-10 slices french toast

Need:
1 ripe banana, smashed
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 1/2 cups So Delicious Coconut Nog
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
8-10 slices Dave's Killer Bread (The. Best. There is no other for us. Really.)
Earth Balance
Cinnamon Sugar (optional)
Syrup (optional)

Do:
In a bowl, mash banana really really well until you have a paste with very few lumps. Add pumpkin and Coconut nog and stir to combine.

Add cinnamon and vanilla and stir to combine again.

Heat your griddle to fairly high heat and add a pat of Earth Balance.

When griddle is hot. Dip the first side of your bread into your nog mixture. Flip and dip again. Before putting on griddle, gently shake/wipe some of the excess batter off. I found this helped with the cooking process.

Cook on one side until golden brown then flip and repeat.

Serve:
You can top your french toast with a light shake of cinnamon sugar or syrup, though I didn't think it really needed anything on top. Maybe a little more Earth Balance.

Serve with a little Smart Balance bacon and fruit and you're ready to conquer giant wooden walls, drainage pipes or taking your child to kindergarten.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Sunflower Stuffed Squash

2011-10-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

This week's CSA had to be one of my favorites. I love every week but this week was packed with all sorts of wonderful wintry veggies and two of my favorite recipes thus far.

Amy, our CSA maven, raved about the Quinoa Sunflower Stuffing recipe she included.

A recipe from 3 Bowls by Seppo Ed Farrey; and then she took it one step further and suggested stuffing the celebration squash with it. And when she said 'so yummy!' she wasn't kidding.

I made a few changes to the stuffing and roasting of the squash, but it's basically the same. And delicious.

It's a perfect vegan recipe for the upcoming holidays, or for simply enjoying on a weeknight.

Yield: 4 squash halves (with stuffing left over for eating)

Need:
2 celebration squash, halved and cleaned
About 2 Tablespoons plus 2 Tablespoons toasted seame oil
3/4 cup dry quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
10-12 oz shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
3-4 celery sticks, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, chopped fine
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
About 1 cup breadcrumbs
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup Daiya 'mozzarella' cheese

Do:
Preheat oven to 375.

Halve celebration squash and scoop seeds/clean the center hole. Drizzle a little toasted sesame oil onto the squash then evenly rub it all over. Place squash face down on a baking sheet and bake for about 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven but leave oven on unless you are prepping them ahead of time.

Meanwhile, in a pot, bring the water and tamari to a boil. Add quinoa and cook per instructions: Boil for about 1-2 minutes then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook until all liquid is soaked up, checking and stirring to ensure even cooking. When all liquid is soaked up, turn off heat and let sit.

While your squash and quinoa are cooking, prepare your stuffing:

In a large saute pan, heat sesame oil over med/high heat and add onion and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes then add mushrooms. Continue to cook, stirring until mushrooms are just soft. About 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add celery and carrot. Stir and cook another 3-5 minutes.

Add sage, basil, fennel, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir and let cook another minute or so. AFter a minute or so, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Add cooked quinoa and sunflower seeds to your veg mix and stir. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Flip your squash over and stuff the cavity generously with your stuffing, pressing stuffing down as you go.

Top with breadcrumbs and a little Daiya 'mozzarella' cheese.

Return to oven and bake about 15-20 minutes.

Serve:
This is a hearty and filling main dish but can also serve as a beautiful side dish. Amy was right... it's delicious!!

Enjoy!

Vegan Winter Veggie Egg Rolls

2011-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

As healthy as I cook (most of the time) I must admit that I do crave the bad stuff every once in a while.

I have a weakness for french fries, egg rolls, onion rings and other foods of the fried variety. I have considered, on several different occassions, purchasing a fryer to have at home.

On all occassions I have refrained because I just know that would lead to me becoming the next Paula Dean. I am sure I would love it so much I would have to have an even awesomer one installed permanently next to my stove.

I can just see it. I'd be frying everything. That would be a big mistake. My midsection would surely not thank me.

And so when my willpower wins and I absolutely must have something salty and fried, I bake it. Because it makes me feel better about eating it. Like it's healthier or something. It is.

So I had all this random veg in the fridge and my new favorite thing to do is to cuisinart it. And then I thought egg rolls sounded good so I picked up some wonton wrappers and rolled some up.

Once you have the veg processed, the meal is really quite simple. Especially when baking because they essentially cook themselves, with little babysitting by the chef.

They are crunchy and salty on the outside and soft and tender with the veggies on the inside. A perfect compromise.

Yield: about 8-16 rolls, depending on how large and whether or not you want left over veg. I had leftover veg and used it for another fun recipe... it's coming.

Need:
2 carrots, cut into about 1 inch pieces
1 leek, cut into about 1 inch pieces
2 sticks celery, cut into about 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
2-3 leaves kale, de-stemmed and cut into smaller pieces
1 red bell pepper, quartered
1 green bell pepper, quartered
1 large jalapeno pepper, quartered
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2-3 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons Bragg's amino acid
8-16 Large won ton wrappers (depending on how many you want to make)
For the sauce:
1 Tablespoon Bragg's amino acid
1 Tablespoon chili sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Do:
Place carrots, leek, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until all the veg is chopped into a very rough yet even consistency. Transfer to a bowl.

In the food processor, combine kale, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeno, ginger and parsley. Pulse until veg is the same consistency as the previous mixture. Transfer to another bowl. Note: if you don't want to dirty another bowl, you can also just leave it in the food processor for a bit.

In a large saute pan, heat toasted sesame oil over medium high heat. Add carrot mixture and stir. Let cook about 2-3 minutes.

After a few minutes of cooking, add the kale/bell pepper veggie mix and Bragg's amino acid to the pan, stir and continue to cook.

Cover mixture, turn the heat down just a bit and allow to cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every minute or so.

Turn heat off when veggies are just soft. Not mushy and not rock hard. Let veggies sit for a bit. Note: there should be liquid in the pan with the veggies.

Once lightly cooled, transfer batches of the veggies into a strainer placed over a bowl. Press liquid out of veggies, catching the liquid in the bowl.

Once you have pressed the liquid out, set it aside for the sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 and grab a little bowl of water. Put it next to your rolling station.

To roll, place one wonton wrapper on the counter, pointy side toward you.

Scoop about 4 Tablespoons of your veggie mixture onto the top third of the wonton wrapper.

Fold smaller top portion of the wrapper over the filling then fold the sides in.

From there, finish rolling, pressing and tightening as you go. When you get toward the end, dip your finger in the bowl of water and line the ending edges with water. This will make the wrapper to stick to itself.

Repeat for all rolls. Note: I made about eight rolls and had filling left over. And I made something simple and fun with the leftover veggie mix so if you have extra, don't worry about it. You can use it!

Place each finished roll on a baking sheet. When you have all your rolls on the sheet, drizzle lightly with toasted sesame oil then roll the rolls around, ensuring they are completely covered with oil. Sprinkle rolls with a little sea salt.

Bake in oven for about 8 minutes then rotate half way and bake another 8 minutes. Rotate again, to an unbaked side and bake for 5 minutes then rotate onto the last side and bake another 5 minutes.

While your rolls are baking, prepare dipping sauce:

In a lidded jar, combine the juice you pressed out of the veggies, 1 Tablespoon Bragg's amino acids, 1 Tablespoon chili sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar.

Cover and shake well. Remove lid, taste and add Bragg's and/or chili sauce as needed.

When rolls are done, turn off oven and transfer to a serving platter.

Serve:
Family style, with the sauce in a side dish or portion out individually on plates.

These are a great little appetizer or light meal. I served them with a simple tofu and green vegetable stir fry and it was just lovely.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Bars

2011-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

I really want to call these 'Boo Bars' or something really kitchy Halloweeny like that.

Because the black of the chocolate chips against the orange of the pumpkin really sets the mood for me. Makes me want to scare some children with a really creepy mask.

These bars are super easy to make and surprisingly not overly sweet. In fact, I find they make a healthy snack, served up with a little peanut butter.

Yield: About 18-24 bars, depending on how big you slice them

Need:
3 Teaspoons egg replacer
6 Tablespoons plus 1/4 cup So Delicious coconut milk
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon clove
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
15 oz fresh pumpkin (you can use canned too)
1 1/2 cups organic raw sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Do:
If you haven't already, cook and scoop your pumpkin. If you're using canned, disregard this.

Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a 15x10 ish baking pan by rubbing it down with a little vegetable oil or Earth Balance.

In a small bowl, combine egg replacer and the 6 Tablespoons So Delicious. Whip with a fork then set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, clove, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to ensure everything is evenly combined then set aside.

In your Kitchenaid (or another large bowl), combine pumpkin, sugar, applesauce and the remaining 1/4 cup So Delicious. Mix on low until fully combined then add the egg replacer mix. Continue to mix.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture then, before it is fully mixed, add the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

Transfer your batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Note: batter is a little thick so you will have to spread it.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Serve:
These are great by themselves or served up with a little So Delicious coconut ice cream.

It happened to be my mama's birthday when I made these so we enjoyed them with the ice cream... soo delicious!

Enjoy!

Veggie Hominy Stew

2011-10-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

I think hominy is pretty neat.

And I'm pretty sure we're all on the same page about my deep adoration for kale. (Much to Honey's dismay, I might add.)

So I put the two together last week. It was one of those crazy busy weeknights where I wondered if I would even get dinner on the table. We've been having a lot of those lately.

I added some other fun veg and my favorite faux meat: The porcini mushroom field roast made by Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Have you had it? it's absolutely delicious. Delicious! And great for a weeknight meal such as this one.

It adds protein and texture to this simple, no fuss stew and definitely adds to the full, fun flavor. It seriously tastes like you slaved hours in the kitchen. So when people rave, just smile and wave.

Need:
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon turkish curry (and maybe a little more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3-5 cups mushroom broth
About 1/2 teaspoon salt (and more to taste)
About 1/4 teaspoon pepper (and more to taste)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all
1 29oz can hominy, half drained
4-6 leaves kale, de-ribbed and chopped/torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 loaf field roast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 ripe avocado, sliced, for garnish

Do:
In a soup pot, heat a little extra virgin olive oil on med/high heat. Add garlic and stir/cook for about 1 minute. Add celery and carrot to your garlic and continue to stir/cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Reduce heat a little and add curry and paprika to your veg mix and stir. Add mushroom broth and salt and pepper. Stir then let cook about 10 minutes on low/med heat.

Add the rest of your ingredients: Diced tomatoes, hominy, kale pieces and field roast pieces. Stir well then cover and continue to cook another 15-20 minutes.

Taste your stew and add salt and pepper and/or a little more curry, if you like.

When the veg is soft, your stew is ready to serve!

Serve:
Ladle into bowls and top with fresh avocado slices.

You can even serve with a lovely green salad, for a little fresh fiber.

Enjoy!

Vegan Banana Coconut Pecan Muffins

2011-10-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a baking kind of weekend. Honey picked up our CSA on Saturday and in it? Two of the most adorable pie pumpkins I have seen at least since last pumpkin season. I'm working on some special ideas for those pumpkins.

Although it's sad to see summer gone; especially since summer was here for about nine minutes, there is something so lovely about these crisp, sunny fall days. Bright blue sky and all.

It makes me want to bake. And think about the delicious holidays that are coming up. And then be glad that the clothes are bulkier. To mask any potential 'changes' as a result of those delicious holiday foods.

So here is a little something for you because I love these muffins. I have made them before. Multiple times. Each time they turn out as delicious as I remember them being. That's why they are worth another post.

They are great for breakfast, an after school snack or even dessert. The coconut and pecans make for some great texture and the banana gives them just the right amount of 'squish'.

Yield: 19 muffins

Need:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup So Delicious coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole pecans and/or pecan pieces
1/2 cup coconut flakes

Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with muffin/cupcake liners. You can also lightly spray the pan if you don't have liners.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Stir and set aside.

In a larger bowl, mix sugar and oil together then add mashed bananas. Note: I didn't want to dirty another bowl so I peeled each banana and squished them individually with my clean hands right into the bowl. This 'technique' makes for a chunkier banana consistency, which I like for a breakfast muffin. If you do not like that, mash the bananas in a separate bowl then add to the sugar/oil mixture.

To your wet mix also add So Delicious coconut milk and vanilla, stirring until everything is thoroughly combined.

Add flour mixture to to wet mixture and stir lightly, then add pecans and coconut. Stir until everything is just combined. Note: the batter will be fairly thick.

Spoon batter into muffin tins about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are golden brown on top.

Serve:
These are fantastic for breakfast, served alongside a lovely fruit assortment and coffee.

They would also be an impressive addition to brunch or a playdate.

Or, if you want to get really wild, serve them for dessert alongside some So Delicious coconut vanilla ice cream. I love having muffins and ice cream for dessert.

Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

I am a pumpkin pie lover. A lover of the pumpkin pie.

And now there is clear evidence that it's genetic.

I have passed on my love of the pumpkin pie to Noodle Nose. I'm sure of it. There is clear evidence documented within this specific pie. The damage was done before I could get that perfect shot.

On the up side, he did declare it 'deeelicious!' before I sliced it. Oh, and now we have a different type of perfect shot.

Also? I find it forty-two percent acceptable to enjoy a slice or three for breakfast. Because it doesn't matter whether you reside in the 'pumpkins are a vegetable' camp or the 'pumpkins are a fruit' camp. Either way it's acceptable. And delicious. And it doesn't have any refined sugar.

I have made this pie before, but with the obviously fall weather, I felt it my duty to make pumpkin pie. It's super simple, using very little kitchen 'ware', which is a bonus.

So go, make pumpkin pie. And then give it to your kids for breakfast. And have some yourself too.

Yield: one delicious pumpkin pie

Need:

1 batch homemade vegan pie crust
12 oz ripe banana, smashed (about 3 medium bananas)
2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup corstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (preferrably freshly grated)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, ground fine
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Do:
If you haven't pre-made your pie crust, do that now.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll out pie crust to a thin 1/16 inch thickness. Gently place crust in pie dish, ensuring that it is pressed down into the corners. You should have crust hanging over the side of your dish. Cut most of it off then pinch the rest, creating a cute crimpy design.

Cover just the edges of your pie crust with thin strips of tin foil (this will prevent the upper crust from burning during the pre-bake.
Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes then remove, take off the tin foil and let cool. Note: you don't have to do this step but personally I can't stand pie crust that hasn't been pre-cooked. The bottom is soggy and mushy; I suggest taking the extra time. It makes a difference.

While your crust is baking and cooking, combine banna, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in a food processor and pulse/blend until very smooth.
Pour mix into your pie crust and smooth evenly.
Place pie in oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Note: your filling will be fairly solid but will also firm up while it cools so don't worry if it looks a little 'loose'.

Allow your pie to cool for at least 1 hour (or until pie is about room temperature) before serving.

Serve:
By itself or with some So Delicious coconut vanilla ice cream... either way is fantabulous!

Enjoy!

Vegan Curry Stackey Upppey

2011-10-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

We used to do a ridiculous amount of entertaining at our house. Like, basically every weekend we would have groups of anywhere from four to 20 and sometimes more. Insanity.

I have cut way back on our entertaining which is great because now when we do, it makes the process way more fun; though I must admit, I'm slightly out of practice in the timing department.

So this weekend we had two lovely families over for dinner and pumpking carving. For dinner I wanted something that would essentially cook itself so I could party like a rockstar instead of rooting myself in the kitchen.

And then I remembered my mom used to make something called Chicken Stackey Uppey. I have no idea where the name came from; my hunch though, is that she made it up. Because that's the kind of name that has my mom written all over it.

So I made my vegan version. And it was super delicious, easy and interactive. I love interactive meals.

Here's the basis: you make a large pot of rice and a large pot of curry. Like I said, my mom made chicken curry. I made a mushroom, tofu, tempeh combination.

Then you have lots of topping options. Guests get their base of rice and curry then go to town on whatever toppings tickle their fancy.

It's fun, it's delicious and everyone gets a dish they love. Except if they don't love curry.

Need:
La Pure Mama Curry Paste:

1 Tablespoon grated lime zest
1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 teaspoon ground coriander
4 garlic cloves
2 stalks lemongrass, coarsely chopped
1 oz shallots
1-2 thai bird chiles, coarsely chopped
1 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

For the rest of your currry:
1/2 large white onion, chopped fine
12-15 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 block extra firm tofu
1 package tempeh
4 cans coconut milk
1/2 carton So Delicious original coconut creamer
Salt and pepper to taste

For the rice:
2 cups dry brown rice
4 cups water
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance
1 teaspoon sea salt

And your toppings: (get creative!!)
Fresh broccoli, chopped fine
Red bell pepper, diced
Green bell pepper, diced
Shredded coconut
Celery, diced
Carrot, diced or matchstick
Water chestnuts, diced
Raisins
Those chinese noodle things
Cashews, chopped
Green onion, chopped

Do:
Combine all curry paste ingredients into a food processor and pulse/blend until you have a smooth paste. Note: Often, I make a large batch of this and freeze it in cubes, for future use. Like I did here.

When you have your paste, transfer into a bowl or jar and set aside.

In a large pot, heat a little olive oil on med/high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, about 2-3 minutes. When onions are barely soft, add shitake mushrooms, stir and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add tofu and tempeh to your mix. Stir then add curry paste and continue to stir until evenly distributed. Once evenly distributed, add coconut milk, stir and cover with lid.

Let cook 5-10 minutes then stir and taste. Add salt and pepper as needed. Note: I did have to add salt and pepper several times.

At this point, your curry will cook itself. Simply put the lid on it but check it every 5-8 minutes and stir.

About 1 1/2 hours before you want to serve your meal, turn the oven on to 375.

Place your rice in a large baking pan. In a pot, combine water, Earth Balance and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, pour water over rice then cover immediately with tin foil or a tight fitting lid. Place in oven and bake for 1 hr, 20 minutes. When done, remove lid and fluff.

While your rice is cooking, arrange your toppings in separate bowls and set out.

Serve:
To serve, simply place the rice and curry alongside bowls and spoons. You can either allow guests to dish their own portions, or you can do it for them, then let them choose their own toppings.

Serve a beautiful, fresh green salad alongside your curry and enjoy!

It's so fun to see what everyone chooses for toppings. And go back for seconds and try other combinations.

Enjoy!

Sesame Shitake Veg Rice Bowl

2011-10-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Alright... After starting and deleting several versions of attempted witty banter it occurred to me: I have nothing to say today.

And so rather than spewing out a bunch of random and mostly boring stuff like 'I still haven't emptied my suitcase from last week's vacation' and oh yeah, 'I have to vacuum up the protein powder mess in our bedroom, courtesy of Minni Pinni', I have decided I'll just give you the amazing recipe.

Brown rice paired with an ultra flavorful sauce and beautiful bright veggies.

When in doubt of what to cook for dinner I usually end up reverting back to my roots: when I was single, I ate a lot of brown rice and broccoli. Those are my roots.

I remember one time, back in the day, offering a friend to stay for dinner. A dinner of brown rice and broccoli. She later confessed that she ate it then left wondering what she was going to have for dinner.

So let's call this recipe 'my roots all grown up'. Definitely not boring or lacking in flavor. Or color. My meat and potatoes Honey was all over this Granola Mama's grown up brown rice dish.

Yield: About 6-8 servings

Need:
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry short grain brown rice
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed or diced
1/2 medium shallot, diced
About 12-15 shitake mushrooms, de-ended and sliced
2-3 stalks broccollini, chopped into about 1 inch to 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups shelled edamame beans
3/4 cup matchstick carrots
3/4 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4 to 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Do:
Wrap tofu block in a paper towel then wrap that in a kitchen towel. Place something heavy on top and let sit while you prepare your other items.

Preheat oven to 375.

In a pan, combine water, Earth Balance and salt and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place rice in an oven safe container with a lid OR you can use tin foil to cover it.

When water boils, pour over rice, give it a quick stir then cover and place in oven and bake for 1 hour.

In a lidded container, combine toasted sesame oil, Bragg's aminos, rice wine vinegar, agave nectar and crushed red pepper. Seal and shake well to combine.

Unwrap tofu from towels and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes. Put in a bowl and add half of your sesame oil mixture. Stir to combine and let marinate for anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes or even overnight if you're planning ahead.

In a wok, heat a bit of toasted seame oil on high heat, then add tofu cubes. Cook on high, stirring continually, until tofu cubes have a nice sear on them. Note: I find the wok works best to get the sear you want.

Once tofu is nice and crunchy, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Note: You can prepare the tofu ahead of time but start the rest of this recipe when your rice is almost finished baking in the oven, for the sake of timing.

In wok, add a little more toasted sesame oil along with garlic and shallot on med/high heat. Cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes then add shitake mushrooms. Reduce heat a bit and cook, stirring occassionally until mushrooms are soft.

Add broccollini and continue to cook on med/high heat another 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

When your rice is done, remove from oven and fluff.

Add edamame beans, carrots and cabbage to your wok, stir, then add then add rice to wok as well.

Add the remaining dressing then stir well to evenly combine ingredients and dressing.

At this point, taste your dish. If you feel it needs it, add a little more dressing ingredients, tasting as you go.

Serve:
Scoop into a bowl and top with several pieces of tofu. Finish the dish with a beautiful garnish of fresh chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve alongside a green salad, if you want a little more crunch, though this dish is intended to be al dente so you may not need it.

This dish is really simple, super flavorful and beautiful to look at. Guaranteed to be a winner in your home, like it is in ours.

Enjoy!

Beet Chips and the Giveaway Winner

2011-10-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

Oh being home from vacation. It reminds me of two things: the age old 'there's no place like home' is rightly true and also, laundry sucks.

Today is my catch up day for all things 'house' and 'business'; though my dear thoughtful mother came in and cleaned our house while we were gone so it's just the random 'we just go home from vacation' junk I have to deal with. Not sure what I did to deserve that but I tell ya... I'll take it. She rocks.

By the way... Thank you to all of you who commented for the So Delicious giveaway. I love spreading the word about products that I love and So Delicious is truly one of them. They're a daily staple in our diet, for sure.

I'll be listing the four giveaway winners after I talk to you about beets and how much I love them. Because I love them something fierce. I'm talking about a raw eating, multi-purpose using, roasting, bbq'ing, grilling, Killer Tofu Tour kind of love.

Beets are just fantastical no matter how you slice (or dice or chop or not) them. They are sweet, versatile, full of vitamins and minerals, simple to cook and also make a rockin' 'red dye' alternative.

And of course, since it's the tail end of summer, they are in great abundance around these parts. This time though, I wanted to do something a little different. Something I could store a little longer and heck, wouldn't it be nice to put some in Noodle Nose's lunch?

So I thought about making chips because that's fun. And I get to use my mandoline and despite the fact that my mandoline has it out for my fingers, I still love it.

These are super simple, a haven of crunch and flavor and super fun for your kids to share at school.

Need:
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
4-6 beets, washed and de-ended
Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 teaspoon per 2 beets)

Do:
Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt and pepper. Stir to ensure they are evenly combined.

Using a mandoline on the 1/16 inch setting, slice beets.

Toss beet slices in olive oil, ensuring they are evenly covered. Evenly sprinkle paprika mix on top and toss again, to ensure spices are evenly distributed.

Arrange beet slices on a baking tray (lined with tin foil, if you like easy clean up). Beet slices can touch but it's best if they aren't overlapping too much.

Bake about 15-20 minutes until edges curl up. Turn off oven and remove.

Allow beet chips to cool. They will crisp up a little more during the cooling process.

Serve:
All by themselves or alongside a killer PB& J in the cafeteria.

Crunchy and delicious... and good for you too!

Ok, now that you have put up with my amazing beet chip-ness, I'll list the four winners of the So Delicious free product coupons, chosen by random number selection courtesy of a hat and some slips of paper. Because we're all technical and stuff.

In no particular order:

1. Desiree
2. Karen
3. Eclairre
and
4. Teri

Congratulations and thanks again to everyone who commented!

Winners: if you could please email me your name and mailing address to lapuremama@gmail.com, I will get your coupon in the mail asap so you can start enjoying your product!

National Coffee Day and a So Delicious Giveaway

2011-09-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation just in time for National Coffee Day!

Because who wants to miss a day dedicated to the beautiful, gorgeous and energizing dark elixir that greets us in the wee hours of the morning and perks us up in the afternoon... and evening... and well, whenever?

Who doesn't love coffee? Yes, there are some and that's ok because what I have brought to you today, thanks to the amazing folks at So Delicious, is not just for coffee. No sir.

Now, if you've been reading for a while you know already that I absolutely lurve So Delicious products. I use them ridiculously frequently and in many varied recipes. To break it down, So Delicious is the bomb. The bomb dot com.

And so I am so excited to share their creamer AND SOME GIVEAWAYS!!!! with you today. On National Coffee Day.

Their creamer is awesome and as I have already said, it's definitely not just for coffee. I do use it in the am but I also cook and bake with it. It's thick, rich and full of healthy good things. Double positive!

So celebrate National Coffee Day with a cup o' the joe paired with one of the delicious So Delicious creamers: Original, which is great for replacing 'cream' in cooking and baking and hazelnut or vanilla are fantastic to add a little more 'oomph'.

And heck, we should all have a little oomph for National Coffee Day, yes?

SO THE GIVEAWAY....

Because So Delicious is so awesome, they have given me four, count them, four 'free product' coupons to giveaway to my loyal and amazing readers.

And entering? Well, it's a cinch... just leave a comment here telling us your favorite coffee beverage and perhaps an idea of what to use So Delicious creamer with other than just for coffee. I'm making it easy for you because I lurve you. Do it up and you're entered in!

Because of my sort of lateness slash on timeness (I'm blaming it on our vacay), I will have this giveaway end on Sunday. Because two days should be good AND Sunday happens to be my bestie and her hubs' one year anniversary. Happy one year A my darling doodles!

Enter for a chance to get a free So Delicious product... so easy. Have fun and off you go!

Lemon Dill Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad

2011-09-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

My Mom used to make this awesome salad. An awesome salad that oozed fresh lemon paired with dill. She put chicken in it so I felt it my dilligent duty to come up with a non chicken version.
So in honour of my Mom's amazing cooking abilities. Because let's face it: she's incredible in the kitchen and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. I have created an ultra flavorful and fantastic vegan knock off of her fun summer salad.

Equally as delicious minus the sweet baby chickens.

Need:
1 box orzo pasta
1/2 med/large red onion, diced
1/2 bunch tuscan kale, de-boned and finely chopped
1/2 medium romanesco, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into about 1/2 inch strips then chopped into tiny bites
4-6 ears corn, roasted or boiled, then shucked (about 1 1/2 or 2 cups?)
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 teaspoons dill
About 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

About 1/2 cup fresh cracked pepper
3 small-ish lemons, juiced
3 small-ish lemons (use the same ones from juicing) zested

Do:
Cook pasta al dente, according to instructions.

In a lidded jar or other lidded container, combine extra virgin olive oil, garlic, dill, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cover and shake well. Set aside and let rest for flavors to marry.

While pasta is cooking and dressing is resting, chop all veg (red onion, kale, romanesco, zucchini and corn) and combine in a medium/large-ish bowl.

When pasta is done, drain and let cool then add to vegetables.

Taste dressing and add salt and pepper if needed.

Drizzle dressing over veg and pasta and toss well to combine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve:
Serve after flavors have married or cover and refrigerate overnight before service.

This salad is bright, bursting with lemon and dill and a textural dream with the raw veg and orzo pasta.

Perfect for a picnic or evening dinner, served on top of some beautiful fresh spinach.

Enjoy!

Vegan Blackberry Pie

2011-09-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

Because blackberries are in season and I love pie.

And I secretly think it would be fantastical to throw a giant pie at somebody. A pie that I made. I would put extra love into the pie. And probably put it in a softer dish because it's not about the hurt. It's about the lurve.

Blackberries are in season! And this pie is lovely because it relies mostly on the beautiful deliciousness of the blackberries themselves.

Ah yes. I will stand for no canned blackberries or massive quantities of added sugar. No sir. All blackberry. Simply enhanced by a touch of the sugar.

The pie itself is pretty darn easy to make. A simple pastry crust, simple blackberries, simple bake. So delicious and natural I'd eat it for breakfast and I'd only feel 42% guilty.

Need:
For the crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold Earth Balance
5-6 Tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
4 cups fresh blackberries, washed well
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch

Do:In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir well to combine then cut in Earth Balance until you have a coarse crumbly matter.

Drizzle the first 2 Tablespoons ice water and stir to combine. From there, add ice water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.

Gather dough into a ball, wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare filling by combining blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss well to combine then sprinkle cornstarch in, stirring as you go to avoid lumps.

When dough is ready, prehead oven to 350 degrees.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll one half into a circular shape to about 1/8 to 1/16 thick. Lay into a pie dish and gently press into the edges of the dish. Cut excess and pinch to create decorative crimped edge.

Gently cover edges of crust with thin strips of tin foil. Put in oven and bake about 8 minutes, until pie crust is lightly golden. Remove tin foil and bake another 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the rest of your dough, again about 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick. Cut dough into even strips for topping.

Pull pie crust from oven and add filling to crust. Gently lay dough strips on top in a criss cross, or other design. Trim edges and gently press into existing edge.

Return to oven and bake for 30-50 minutes.

Remove and let cool.

Serve:
All by itself or with some So Delicious vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy this amazing seasonal dessert!

Vegan Lasagna Sandwiches

2011-09-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

I had a dream about a lasagna sandwich.

So it was no surprise that I woke up and declared loudly, 'today sounds like a good day to make a lasagna sandwich'.

Which, I guess, is an odd thing to say first thing in the morning. Or at least ~~Honey~~ some people might think so.

After my confident, albeit random, statement, Honey looked at me like I had a teeny tiny green martian co-chillin' on my head. Then, apparently he remembered that I frequently ooze randomness because he flopped his head back down on the pillow and went back to sleep with not much more than a grunt.

Sigh. You know you're in lurve when you don't need words to know exactly what your Honey means. Here is what he really meant:

'Wow. You. Are. A. Genius. And you're also gorgeous. I am sooooo lucky. Can I buy you a new handbag?'

Gosh thank you. Well, sure. And in return, I will make you a lasagna sandwich.

Need:
1 batch vegan ricotta
1 batch tomato sauce
1/2 large red onion, sliced into about 1/8 inch rounds
6-8 tuscan kale leaves, de-stemmed and cut into 3rds
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise, about 1/8 inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced legthwise, about 1/8 inch thick
1 loaf crusty artisan bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
12 or so, fresh basil leaves
1 pkg Daiya mozzarella

Do:
If you haven't prepared your vegan ricotta and tomato sauce, do that first. They are both very very simple and wont' take much time at all.

Preheat oven to 400.

If your bread isn't pre-sliced, slice it into about 1/2 inch thick pieces. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle lightly with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Arrange on a baking tray.

Arrange your vegetables on another baking tray and also drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Place bread and vegetables in oven.

Toast bread on first side until crusty and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Flip and toast another 3-5 minutes until very crispy.

Continue to roast vegetables in oven until soft and roasty. About 12-14 minutes or so. When done, remove from oven but keep the oven on.

Now it's time to prep your sandwiches for toasting:

Start your layering with a piece of bread. Liberally spread ricotta onto the bread. On top of that, evenly spread about 2 Tablespoons red sauce. Top that with kale, then roasted onion, then zucchini.

From there, sprinkle a bit of Daiya cheese. Cover the cheese with a slice of eggplant. Spread more ricotta on top of the egglant then add basil, a little more sauce on top of that and then finish with more Daiya cheese.

Repeat for all bread slices.

Note: while you are layering your veg, ricotta and sauce, gently press everything down. Gently.

Arrange each sandwich on a baking sheet and return to the oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until Daiya is just melted.

Serve:
Arrange on a plate and serve alongside a beautiful fresh green salad.

It seriously tastes just like lasagna. Because it is. Minus the pasta, add a piece of bread. It's healthy, quick, fun to eat and really pretty too.

Enjoy!

Raw Tomatillo Salsa and the burritos that served them

2011-09-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

And Black Bean Veggie Taco Burrito Type Things. That's an official name. They were super delicious too; a fantastic vehicle for this amazing raw tomatillo salsa. Yep, I have a two for one deal for you today. Read one get the other one too. It's all free so that's moot.

Tomatillos. The mysterious green thing that comes complete with it's own blanket. Kind of like a tomato. But not. Kind of like a pepper. But not.

I haven't worked much with tomatillos. My experience extends only as far as the standard roasted tomatillo sauce paired with enchiladas. Delicious but not terribly inventive.

To be honest, tomatillos are a mystery to me. So when I was greeted with a bag of them at our last CSA pick up, I immediately started thinking. I didn't get very far because Amy, newsletter guru and CSA queen had a recipe. A recipe for this delicious salsa.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about it because tomatillos are nothing short of tart. I made a few tweaks, incorporating elements from my most favorite and amazingly tasty salsa that I make. And I nailed it.

Super easy, super delicious, super necessary for you to make.

Need:
12 small/med tomatillos, husked
1/2 medium shallot, roughly chopped
1 serrano pepper, diced fine
2 cloves garlic
1 lime, juiced

1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)
About 1/4 teaspoon cumin
About 1/4 teaspoon salt
About 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Do:
Wash tomatillos really well with warm water. They have a naturally sticky coating and you want to make sure it is completely washed off.

Once fully clean, cut in half and/or quarters.

In a food processor, place tomatillos, shallot, serrano pepper and garlic. Pulse 5 to 8 times, until very roughly chopped.

Add cilantro, lime, cumin, salt and pepper. Blend again until all ingredients are combined and you have a finely chunky texture.

Transfer to a bowl, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve:
Garnish with a sprague of cilantro and pair with chips as an appetizer.

Use this salsa as a topper for tacos, burritos or any other food that needs a little pizzaz.

Enjoy!

For the Black Bean Veggie Taco Burrito Things

These are so easy I hardly think it deserves its own post. I definitely don't want to discount them because they are truly delicious. One of those 'cheater meals' that I so love on busy days when I just don't have time to be creative.

There's nothing better than being able to get dinner on the table in record time and still have it be fresh, healthy and tasty. That's winning in my book.

Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium shallot, diced
1/2 heald cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces (about 1/2 inch)
1 medium eggplant, chopped the same
1 red bell pepper, chopped the same
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
About 1 teaspoon salt
About 1 teaspoon pepper
1 ripe avocado, sliced
About 8 corn or flour tortillas

Optional add ins:
Fresh chopped tomatoes
Shredded cabbage tossed with a little oil and vinegar
Other leafy green

Do:
In a pan, heat olive oil to med/high. Add shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes then add cauliflower. Stir and let cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.

Add eggplant, stir and cover then let cook another 3-4 minutes.

Add bell pepper, black beans, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Stir well, reduce heat a bit, cover and continue to cook until all veg is just barely soft. Note: you don't want mushy vegetables. Keep them al dente.

Taste your mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.

Slice avocado and warm tortillas.

Serve:
You can serve this simple meal on the table family style, or individually.

To prepare individually, portion an even amount of your mixture onto one side of your tortilla. Add some shredded cabbage and amazing raw tomatillo salsa.

From here you can either place your avocado and other add ins on top or roll up and serve them on the side.

Consume.

Enjoy this simple, no nonsense meal!!

Roasted Corn and Peach Soup

2011-09-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's kind of summer. Or at least it was a few days ago. It's definitely leaning toward fall.

I have accepted (with a little kicking and screaming) that it's now time to resurrect my sweater collection. I wore a sweater to work yesterday. And I wasn't too warm.

Though I love summer and am desperately disappointed to see what little of it we had go, I have to admit there is something exciting about the onset of fall. I say that now.

The vegetables I have from our latest CSA pickup, though, are definitely still on the summer side.

So I think this roasted corn and peach soup is a perfect way to celebrate the fun combination of seasons. Yummy sweet corn, deliciously ripe peaches, a little heat from a homegrown thai chile. Perfect for a blustery, rainy evening.

It's relatively simple to make and will warm your belly with sweet summer flavors and spicy fall warmth. Pair it with a sassy red wine for perfection.

Yield: about 6-8 servings

Need:
6 ears sweet corn, husked
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
1 sweet white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 small thai chile, minced
About 1 teaspoon sea salt
About 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3 large ripe peaches, halved
About 12 leaves basil, chopped plus about 4 leaves for garnish

Do:
Preheat oven to 450 or turn on barbecue. Roast corn for about 8 minutes then turn and roast another 8 minutes until roasty and tender.

Turn off oven, remove corn and allow to cool then shuck kernels off corn cob.

Meanwhile, warm a soup pot to med/high heat and add Earth Balance. Once slightly melted, add onion and garlic. Sautee until just tender and translucent. About 2-3 minutes.

Add shucked corn kernels, corn cobs, vegetable broth, thai chile, salt and pepper to soup pot. Reduce heat to med/low, cover and let cook.

Meanwhile, peel, pit and finely chop peaches. Reserve about 3/4 cup chopped peaches for garnish. Add remaining peaches to the pot, stir, reduce heat to low and let cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove corn cobs and discard then add basil.

Using an immersion blender, roughly puree soup, leaving some chunks. Alternately, put about half the soup in a blender and puree then return to the pot.

You're ready to serve!

Serve:
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a few peach pieces and a basil leaf.

I served it alongside a simple tomato onion salad. You could also pair it with a lovely green salad and, of course, some delicious crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Fluffy Crispy Waffles

2011-09-14T07:01:00.001-07:00

I will figure out a schedule. I will follow that schedule. I will probably have to write it down and super glue it to my forehead. Or at least the back of my hand.

This week so far has been slightly crazy with the first few days of Kindergarten. I'm working a little more too, which means the house is a disaster and I really must get into the groove of making lunch at night.

Oh and the winning event of the week? I lost my 'life'. My 'life' a.k.a. my day planner. My day planner!! How on earth am I supposed to plan my day without it?

Not to mention it has all kinds of silly and unimportant information in it like flight confirmation numbers, frequent flyer info, important phone numbers, appointments; two of which I missed yesterday due to said missing 'life'. To avoid more of the same, I broke down yesterday and accepted that 'life' is apparently gone. So I bought a new one. We're still getting to know one another.

On another note, I apparently have to pencil out a new bloging schedule because as we speak I should be waking Noodle Nose up to get ready for school. How dare they make me re-arrange my blogging schedule for my child's education? The nerve.

So today I have waffles for you. And yes folks, they do have eggs in them. I got some happy chicken eggs from Auntie Erin (thank you!) so I used a couple to make these delicious waffles.

Now. I have made vegan waffles in the past, using my pancake batter but with this week the way it is, I needed a quick, simple something to start Noodle off right. So I used my mama's recipe.

I topped them with Earth Balance and agave nectar and as Honey said: 'They're really light. But fluffy. They're go-o-od.'

Yield about 6-8 waffles

Need:
2 organic happy eggs from happy chickens
2 cups whole wheat flour (make them gluten free if you like!)
1 3/4 cup So Delicious coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon organic natural sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Do:
Plug in your waffle iron and preheat to med/high, closer to high.

In a Kitchenaid (or bowl with mixer) beat eggs until smooth and slightly fluffy. About 1 minute.

With the Kitchenaid on low, add the following to your eggs, in this order, the flour, So Delicious coconut milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla.

When fully incorporated, scoop a 1/2 cup portion of the batter onto your waffle iron. Close lid and cook until brown and crispy. About 4-5 minutes.

Serve:
Spread with Earth Balance and drizzle agave nectar. These go really well with a little Smart Bacon (everybody loves fak'n bac'n?) and fresh fruit.

Enjoy!