Coconut Cowboy Coffee

Photo courtesy of Gretchen at Kumquat

Ciao Ragazzi!

As some of you might have noticed, I've been MIA for a stretch. It's been fun, but I've missed you.

Lots of craziness going on - some of which I look forward to sharing when I can - but the nutshell version is that I've been displaced by yet another international transition and separated from both my beloved kitchen and my tiny (but comfortable, familiar and organized) workspace and, as a result, have been in a bit of an uninspired funk.

In any case, I stumbled across this lovely little bit of heaven that snapped me out of said funk and bookmarked it immediately for that glorious day when I can finally make myself a decent cup of coffee again - and since I have been terribly selfish hoarding all my fabulous little finds over the past couple of months, I felt compelled to pass this one on because..well, someone should be able to enjoy it immediately.

Ironically, I don't even really LIKE coffee - but this simple but fabulous little trickeroo from Gretchen at Kumquat - one of my new favorite gluten-free blogesses - has me slapping my veins wanting to shoot it intravenously...

Alas, methinks I will wait until my moka is unpacked. Just another couple of weeks...

In the meantime, please indulge and enjoy...


Coconut Cowboy Coffee
recipe courtesy of Kumquat
Serves one

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup hot, brewed strong coffee
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Heat coconut milk in small saucepan until steamy. If desired, froth with a steam wand or aerator.

Combine coffee, chocolate syrup and coconut milk.

Yup, that's it. Sometimes the simplest things is life are all we need...

Enjoy =)

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

Ok, so I fully admit to being skeptical when I first saw the recipe - zucchini and oatmeal are two things I'd never expect to be in my mouth at the same time. But we've been so overwhelmed with zucchini this season that I've been putting it in just about everything. If you liked the Cherry-Zucchini Bread (we can't stop eating it), trust me when I say, you MUST try this!

It's the absolute most perfect warm-up for these unseasonably chilly fall-ish mornings. I'm not quite ready to let go of summer yet, but alas, if I must, this little bowl of heaven is going to make it a lot easier.

Buon appetito!

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
Recipe courtesy of Oh She Glows
Serves 1

1/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt & nutmeg, to taste
1/2 cup finely grated zucchini (packed)
1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax
1 tablespoon raisins, cranberries or the dried fruit of your choice
2 tablespoons chopped pecans (walnuts are good too)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Earth Balance (optional)

In a medium sized pot combine oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. Add milk and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes.

Stir in the grated zucchini, chia or flax seeds, dried fruit, brown sugar, and half the nuts. Cook over medium heat, adding more milk if/when necessary, for another 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to low. When cooked, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour into bowl and top with remaining nuts and butter. YUM!

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Maple BBQ sauce

Wow - what started out as a silly little snack attack turned into a full-blown production. I was looking for something healthy to nosh on and when my psychotic raid of the cupboards turned up nothing, I set my sights on the fridge. There were a few sweet potatoes left from some lofty menu plan involving a curry lentil stew that never materialized, so I grabbed some and pondered their fate.

I picked up the cookbook that has taken up permanent residence on the kitchen counter to find some inspiration and happened across this recipe. Quick. Easy. And way better than a bag full of chips! The best part was that the Bear - having never (seriously, never) tasted a sweet potato - was totally bowled over by these yummy little critters. Super score!!

Posted a quick snap on the Facebook page and the response was so overwhelming I had to share. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Maple BBQ Sauce
Recipe adapted from Easy Green Organic

4 medium to large sweet potatoes, cut into 1-2" strips (I leave the skin on for maximum nutrient value but original recipe calls for peeled)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
sea salt for sprinkling

3/4 cup barbeque sauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, olive oil and salt. Add the sweet potatoes and hand-toss until they're evenly coated. Add the parsley and mix well.

Lay out the potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned and the potatoes are cooked through.

While they're baking, mix the barbeque sauce and maple syrup together in a small bowl.

When the fries are done, sprinkle them with the sea salt and enjoy!! They're a great snack on their own or a perfect side for these BBQ Portabella Sliders.

Note: mine tend to come out kind of soft rather than crispy - which I actually like. You may need to make a couple of batches to come up with the consistency and texture that you prefer. If anyone manages to make them crispy, let me know how you did it! 

Chocolate Balsamic Cake with Red Wine

For those of you who don't know me, I'll let you in on a little secret - I don't really love chocolate. But put a glass of red wine in front of me and suddenly I'm prepared to take the most hard-core chocoholic to the mat over the last piece of whatever's in the house that even hints of chocolate.

So when I came across this recipe for vegan chocolate cake from Amy over at Fragrant Vanilla Cake, I just about flipped. For all you dedicated vegans out there, your karmic reward is this incredible recipe that non-vegans would likely never bother to seek out: chocolate cake held together not by eggs, but by red wine. Yes. Seriously. Oh, and with a cherry on top: a couple of tablespoons of balsamico that pull double duty for adding flavor as well as working with the baking soda to make this puppy rise.

I have to admit, having been raised on deliciously buttery eggy cakes, I was totally skeptical about how this was going to turn out. But I was determined to try a vegan cake and this one sounded way too interesting to pass up. Still, I braced myself for it to be totally dry or exhibit some other kind of weirdness and just kept my fingers crossed that it would at least be "passable"- lest I endure a resounding chorus of "I-told-you-so's" from my family. So imagine my joyous surprise when I took the first bite of this gobsmacking goodness...go ahead, imagine it. If you're picturing a cartoon character with eyes bugging out in tune with a fire alarm and passing out with little pink hearts and stars circling my head...well, you're obviously as weird as I am, but you'd be spot on.

Incidentally, as much as I'd love to, I cannot take credit for the awesomely awesome term "gobsmacking" - I shamelessly stole it from PeaSoupEats, a cheeky vegan blogger in Cornwall who if you don't already know, you absolutely must. In fact, I highly recommend pecking around her delightful little blog whilst stuffing yourself with this delectable cake!


Chocolate Balsamic Cake with Red Wine 
Recipe adapted from Fragrant Vanilla Cake
Makes one 9-inch single layer cake*

*if you want a double-decker - which, now that I've tried it, I highly recommend - double the quantities below to make two cakes and sandwich some yumm-o frosting in between

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (pastry flour works best, but naturally I didn't have any so I used regular wheat flour)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup sugar (original recipe calls for maple sugar - use it if you have it!)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Amy recommends lining the cake pan with parchment paper and coating the parchment paper (and pan sides) with nonstick spray. I didn't have any paper on hand (found out the hard way a few months ago that wax paper is NOT a viable substitute) so I just used non-stick spray on a standard 9" non-stick cake pan and it worked fine.

Anyhoo. Onwards...

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well. Next, whisk oil, wine, and vanilla extract together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended. And while the bottle is open, feel free to pour yourself a glass and toast yourself for endeavoring to bake something.

Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and stir quickly until fully combined. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

Cool cake completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter and peel off parchment paper (if you used it). Let your masterpiece cool completely before frosting.

Use your favorite frosting (there's a great one on the original recipe page that uses Tofutti cream cheese and tons more on Amy's site). You'll want to be generous with the frosting, not only because it's delicious but also because eggless cakes, whilst they can be surprisingly moist, do tend to be a little more delicate than their eggy cousins and will crumble more readily under pressure.

If you want to make it insanely decadent - go ahead, you deserve it - top it with some vegan caramel sauce to bliss yourself out completely.

Days later, I'm still seeing hearts and stars...

Sassy Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pumpkin Seeds

Sooooo here's what became of the two pounds of Swiss chard that we hauled out of the garden yesterday. Please excuse the sad photo - I was too lazy (and hungry) to set up a decent shot. I realize it looks like one big rendolent mess, but it was really quite yummy.

I've been getting quite bored of "recipes" featuring greens cooked in olive oil with some salt and pepper (can one really even call that a recipe??) so I pulled one from yet another new favorite book, Pretty Delicious by Candice Kumai - you might remember her from Top Chef's first season? Although this is almost as simple, it's got some nice nuances that make it look far more complicated than it is.

Anyway, I love this book because like me, she's not a fan of "diet" food, favoring "smart swaps" and delicious real food that keeps calories to a minimum without sacrificing flavor. Most (if not all) of her recipes can be easily "veganized", which is a big fat bonus.

Enjoy!

Sassy Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pumpkin Seeds
adapted from Pretty Delicious
Serves 6

2 pounds Swiss chard, stem ends trimmed
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used regular ones since that's what I had, but the golden ones will add a nice color contrast)

Cut the colorful stems from the leaves and slice them cross-wise into 1/4" pieces. Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Next, work in batches to cut the greens into a chiffonade: pile a few on top of each other and roll them lengthwise (think "thick cigar"), then slice them cross-wise into 1/4"-wide ribbons. Place them in a separate bowl, NOT on top of the stems - otherwise you'll have the dig the stems out from underneath like I did. That's what I get for not reading the recipe through first. Lesson learned.

Ahem...toast the pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until they're nice and fragrantly toasty, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small non-plastic bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large (really large) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and cook about 4 minutes, stirring often, until it begins to soften. Next stir in the chard stems and cook those for about 4 minutes until they, too, begin to soften. Then throw in the greens and - you guessed it - stir often. You'll really need to keep stirring to get the fresh stuff down to the cooking surface of the skillet. It looks like an impossible mound but it will eventually cook down. Just keep stirring...it should only take another 4-5 minutes.

Finally, stir in the raisins and remove from heat. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and turn everything out onto a serving platter. Finish by topping it with the toasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad with Orange-Lime Vinaigrette

I'm crazy for quinoa these days. Mom bought a monster-sized bag so I've been looking for good uses - and this refreshing salad with a fruity twist is definitely one of them. The sweetness of the mangoes, the brightness of the mint, the kick of the jalapeno and the crunch of the jicama make it a groovy little party in your mouth. Woohoooooo!!!

I've also been obsessed with Clean Food - one of my favorite cookbooks that I left for mom in the hopes that she might divine some inspiration. Alas, she enjoys eating food more than making it so I have reclaimed this little baby for myself. There's something about eating clean that seems to replace cravings for "comfort food" with a ravenous desire to eat loads of fruit and veggies, drink gallons of water and tea, and do insane amounts of yoga - a state of being that I sorely need to get back in touch with.

So far, so good!


Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Orange-Lime Vinaigrette
Adapted from Clean Food by Terry Walters
Serves 8

3/4 cup quinoa
1-1/4 cups water
pinch of sea salt
3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1 cup jicama, peeled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (optional)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Orange Lime Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Bring water to a boil and add the quinoa and salt. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until all water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Combine beans, onion, mango and jicama in a large bowl. Fluff the cooled quinoa with a fork, add to bowl and fold gently to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Fold in the tomatoes and seeds just before serving. Deeeee-lishhhhhh!

Vegan Cherry Zucchini Bread

If anyone has been wondering why the posts have been so sparse lately, here's the scoop: I've run into an unusual string of utterly average recipes that, whilst I managed to make them edible, I've not found to be post-worthy. [insert long string of crude expletives here]

Admittedly, many have been based on recipes that attempt to "veganize" something familiar and I'm sorry to say, some things just don't work in vegan form. And before anyone gets all up in my grill about my lack of kitchen skills, let me assure you that I always follow recipes with unfamiliar ingredients with obsessive precision to make sure I don't do them any undue injustice...and because there are few things I find more mortifying than watching someone politely choke down a bad meal that I prepared.

Having said that, this little string of failures has only increased my resolve to find some seriously kick-ass vegan recipes that will knock the smug socks off my family, who is always quick to say, "We told you so!" whenever a vegan recipe fails to transport them to culinary nirvana.

So trust me when I tell you that this next one is a real winner.

In fact, I was feeling so competitive that I also made Anna Getty's non-vegan version from Easy Green Organic and did a side-by-side taste test. Can you guess which one is vegan?

Buon appetito!


Heavenly Cherry Zucchini Bread
Adapted from this recipe at Hell yeah It's Vegan
Makes 1 loaf

3 tbsp ground flax seeds whisked into 1/4 c + 1 tbsp warm water
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup grated zucchini, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dried cherries (or raisins, or apricots or whatever you may fancy)

Preheat the oven to 350. (No, I still don't have an oven of my own. I've been visiting Mom this month!)

Grate your zucchini. Make sure to pack it before measuring.

Mix together flax seed mixture, oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla.

Add zucchini and stir till just combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together remaining dry ingredients. Add them to the wet ingredients and stir just until moistened and everything is incorporated evenly; some lumps are fine. Add the dried cherries (or any other fun extras) now.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of loaf comes out clean. I recommend checking it after 40 minutes.

Let it cool a few minutes before removing and slicing.

Crumble Topping (optional)

If you want to make this a really decadent treat, top it off with this sweet crumble. I don't have a snap of this as I'm really trying to cut out blatantly unnecessary calories these days but I just know it would be heavenly. If you make it, send me a pic and make me insanely jealous!

1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons unsalted [vegan] butter

Combine the dry ingredients and cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Set aside and sprinkle evenly over the batter just before baking.

Note: I was totally out of sorts yesterday and my process was totally out of order. I actually forgot the zucchini so that didn't get added until I was about to pour it into the pan. Oh, and the egg substitute - the flax seed mixture - yeah, totally didn't see it sitting in the corner until I had already poured the batter in the pan. Despite having made a huge mess remixing and re-pouring, it still turned out great. Curious to see what following the directions yields next time...

BBQ Portabella Sliders

Photo courtesy of How Sweet It Is

Let me first start off with a confession, lest I be stoned, flogged or otherwise ostracized for pulling a fast one: this is NOT vegan cheese in the photo.

Sorry.

Having said that, the reason I'm sharing this is because these scrumptious little suckers are a great example of a Sneaky Vegan meal (sans or substituting the cheese) that was prepared and posted by Jessica from How Sweet It Is: an awesome blogger who - as a self-outed vegetable hater - is about as far from vegan as one can get and still posts some really amazing vegan and vegetarian stuff.

It just goes to show that great vegan food can be found anywhere - even in the most unlikely of places, kitchens and blogs. So when you're looking for good vegan recipes, definitely check out the usual suspects, but stay open to other "omni-sources". You never know where more yummy nuggets like these might be hiding...

Thanks Jessica - I can't wait to try these!


BBQ Portobello Sliders
recipe courtesy of Jessica at How Sweet It Is
makes 6 sliders

6 baby portobello stuffing mushrooms
6 slider buns
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2-3 ounces gouda, sliced into squares (not sure vegan gouda exists, but any vegan cheese will do)
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup bbq sauce, for drizzling and dipping

Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and let caramelize, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.

While onions are caramelizing, brush mushrooms with remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with pepper, paprika, onion and chili powder. Heat a skillet ( or a grill) on medium heat and cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender – about 5 minutes on each side. With 1-2 minutes remaining, add a slice of gouda on top to melt.

Assemble sliders by placing the mushroom on the bun, then top with onions, avocado, and a hefty drizzle of bbq sauce.

Note from Jessica: if you can’t find slider buns in your local store, just buy dinner rolls. I did this for years before grocery stores actually started selling slider buns!


Update: made these for Mom and they were delish - even with vegan cheese =) Pair them up with these Spiced Sweet Potato Fries and use the Maple BBQ Sauce in that recipe. Heaven!

Raw Vegan Salted Chocolate Truffles

I'm a total sucker for salted chocolate and these little gobs of goodness are my new favorite obsession. They're a super-healthy sweet treat and so easy to make it's almost silly. The basic recipe is pretty versatile and just begging to be experimented with. I promise to get back to real food soon but I just had to share these with you guys.

They're the best weekend inspiration I can think of today.
Happy Friday everyone!!


RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
makes 16 1-inch balls of deliciousness

1 cup pecans or cashews or walnuts
1/3 cup cacao powder
1-2 teaspoons raw cacao butter (you can substitute any nut butter for a hint of extra flavor)
1-2 tablespoons coconut butter
1 cup pitted dates
1 pinch Sea Salt, plus extra for topping
splash of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Firstly, process nuts into crumbs. Add cacao powder, cacao butter, coconut butter and dates, followed by salt and maple syrup, into food processor. Process the mixture until it's smooth and forms itself into a ball.

Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. One tablespoon should yield a 1-inch ball.

Enjoy them as is or press them in a sprinkling of the topping of your choice. This time I used saffron sea salt, pink sea salt and organic orange peel with a couple of pumpkin seeds.

Pop 'em in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set, and keep them refrigerated for as long as they last in your house.

What I Ate Wednesday

Ok seriously, am I the only person in the blogosphere who's just now finding out about blog hops?

In any case, I was super psyched to find this one at Peas and Crayons through the awesomely awesome Lindsay over at Green Food Green Thumb and I've found a bunch of cool blogs (not to mention yummy recipes) that I can't wait to check out:




So far my favorite is Heather at Kiss My Broccoli - girlfriend cracks me up and her photos look delish!

Let me know what you guys think of this idea and if you join in, please share what you find.

As for my eats, here are some highlights from the past week. Through this little blog project of mine, I've managed to build up quite a stockpile of go-to vegan meals that are earning permanent slots in our menu rotation, some of which the Bear specifically requests. That's progress!!

Soy-milk cappuccino (finally learned how to make soy milk foam!)

Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast

Lunch: Simple Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Din Din: Grilled Pepper Fajitas with Aromatic Black Beans and Tequila-Spiked Guac

Thinking of starting some Sneaky Vegan blog parties here so shout out if you're interested.

Cheers everyone!

Sneaky Vegan BBQ Ideas

Photo courtesy of Amazon

Looking for some vegan BBQ ideas for the 4th of July weekend?

Here are some great options to enjoy in mixed company:

Start things off with some tequila-spiked guac and chips.

Give your sweet potatoes a cilantro-lime twist.

This black-bean and corn salad with tomatoes and avocados is a delicious protein-rich side dish.

Grill up some Portabello and Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers, these yummy Quinoa Burgers or even Gwyneth's veggie burgers.

Fire up some grilled peaches with ginger coconut caramel.

Make some strawberry-basil lemonade and serve it up in mason jars with paper straws.

Try making your own ginger and lemon beer

Or, if you don't have time to go the DIY route, stock up on these vegan beers.

Going as a guest? Bring this delicious vegan dessert!

If you need more ideas for this weekend (or the rest of the summer) find yourself a great vegan BBQ cookbook and have at it!

Anyone readers out there who have have some great BBQ recipes to share? Let us know!


Have fun and be safe everyone!

Balsamic Roasted Beets

Whenever I get to wondering whether there's a point to adding any more recipes into the overly-saturated blogosphere, someone sends me a recipe request.

Really, honestly and truly, I can't thank you guys enough for letting me know that this little blog of mine is actually useful to someone out there. Your comments, posts, and retweets are without a doubt what keeps me going. As Paul said to Julia, "You are the butter-like vegan substance to my bread."

Lisa, this is for you. It's my absolute most favorite-est way to prepare beets. I hope you like it!

Balsamic Roasted Beets

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced (red onion works as well)
1 tablespoon honey maple syrup
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium beets, cooked and thickly diced

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the vinegar, shallots (if ya got ‘em) and honey syrup in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Eat 'em straight up or toss them in a salad. Add some candied walnuts and orange slices and you've got heaven on a plate.

Incidentally, the Bear goes nuts for these! It's like catnip for...uh...Bears.

Warm Butter-Lettuce Salad with Green Garlic and Fresh Peas

This sweet little summer salad got so many lovely comments I wanted to share this super simple recipe:
5 ingredients. 10 minutes. And my salad-hating Bear LOVED it. Win.

Warm Butter-Lettuce Salad with GreenGarlic and Fresh Peas
adapted from Saveur
Serves 2

2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
1 small head butter lettuce, washed and hand-torn into large pieces
2-3 stalks green garlic, thinly sliced (or 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped)
1 cup of fresh or frozen peas
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, season with salt, and cook, (stirring often) until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium, add the peas and cook until they're bright green and tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the remaining butter or oil along with lettuce and 1 tablespoon of water, season with salt and pepper. Stir until lettuce is just wilted, about 1 minute, remove from heat and serve with breadsticks or some toasted whole-grain rolls.

Great on it's own or a perfect side dish to this pasta or these fritters.

Tomato-Spinach Tofu Skillet

The Bear was out of town for a couple of days so I took this opportunity to play with some of my vegan cookbooks.

My advice to Sneaky Vegans who want to encourage others to eat more vegan meals has always been this: test recipes that feature any kind of food substitute - soy, seitan, tofu, etc - and make sure it actually tastes good (and not just "good-for-vegan-food" good, I mean the "so-gobsmacking-good-you-want-to-stick-your-head-in-the-bowl-and-bathe-in-it" kind of good) before you try to sneak it past an omni. Sure non-vegan recipes can suck sometimes too, but those seem to be more easily forgiven and quickly forgotten.

Another thing I do when the Bear isn't home is work ridiculously long hours. So the other night I found myself starving to death after realizing that I hadn't eaten since the night before. I had pre-emptively purchased a block of tofu at the beginning of my little husband-holiday so I immediately pounced on this opportunity to use it. I don't use it a lot as I'm not a fan of processed food but the truth is, I actually like tofu. At least when it's in a recipe that's built around it rather than thrown in as a placeholder for something else. It's all about expectations folks.

This is one of the easiest dishes to make and it's wonderfully versatile as you can substitute all kinds of spice blends to vary the flavor. This is one I tried.

Scrambled Tofu
adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance
Serves 2 as a stand-alone meal or 4 for brekkie served with potatoes and toast

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped in 1/2" chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained but not necessarily dry
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, as I didn't have any but it was still good!)
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 handfuls of freshly washed spinach

Spice Blend
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed with your fingers
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (you can also substitute curry powder)
1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Then add the spice blend and mix it all up for another minute. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrape up all the garlic and spices. Yum.

Crumble the tofu and mix it in well. Don't crush or mash it, just fold it in until everything is well combined. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat a bit if you find the tofu is sticking. If you happen to have nutritional yeast (this is still on my list of things to get) this is where you'd mix it in. I'm told it's delicious, but I didn't miss not having it so up to you.

Throw in the chopped tomato and spinach, mixing well to get the spinach cooked down. I realize it's probably easier to saute the spinach first, but doing it at the end keeps it from shrinking into nothingness. Same for the tomatoes, to keep them somewhat in tact rather than reducing them to mush.

Depending on how much water the tofu was retaining, you may need to add splashes of water here and there if it gets sticky. When the veggies are cooked to your liking, serve it up and enjoy.

The bear saw this photo when he came home and wants me to make it for him. So for all the folks out there who think vegan food doesn't look appetizing...eat THAT!

Veggie Num Num: Pomegranate Lentil Tart

Photo and Recipe courtesy of Veggie Num Num

If only I had an oven.
Sigh...

For those of you who are lucky enough to have this masterpiece of modern invention in your kitchens, consider treating yourself to this mouthful of amazingness from the fabulous Trudy over at Veggie Num Num.

Lentils. Pomegranate. Mint. Swoon.

I can't imagine a more vivacious combination of flavors. It just screams SUMMER IS HERE!

You can find a printable version of the recipe on her guest post at this gorgeous blog.

Bookmark 'em both folks. They're keepers!


Spicy Lentil Tart with Pomegranate and Mint
Serves 4

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (thawed)
1 free-range egg lightly whisked or 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp salt flakes or rock salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 red chili, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 tsp sumac
1/2 pomegranate, seeds only

To serve
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 Tbsp water
Extra lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

Bring the stock, lentils, bay leaves and cinnamon stick to a gentle simmer in a large pot, allow to cook for 15-20 minutes over a medium/low heat, stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender and liquid absorbed. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and strain off any excess liquid, set aside.

Grind the black peppercorns, salt flakes or rock salt, cumin, paprika and coriander seeds together in a mortar & pestle or spice grinder to form a fine spice powder.

Combine the pomegranate molasses with the warm water until smooth, set aside.

Lay the thawed puff pastry sheet out on a baking tray, carefully score a 3cm (1 inch) border around the outside and brush with the prepared egg or non-dairy milk being careful not to brush over the score mark.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the pastry just begins to puff and golden, remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile fry off the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes over a medium heat in a large frying pan until soft, add the cooked lentils and prepared spice powder and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the pomegranate molasses & water mixture and the pine nuts, fry the lentils until they just begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, add the fresh herbs reserving half the mint and stir though.

Spoon the lentil mixture onto the prepared puff pastry sheet, sprinkle over the sumac and return to the oven for 15 minutes until pastry is golden.

Meanwhile whisk the tahini paste with the olive oil, lemon juice and water until smooth.

Remove the tart from the oven a serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and reserved mint. Accompany with the tahini dressing and wedges of fresh lemon.

If anyone makes this, PLEASE share the results so I can live/taste vicariously.

No-bake Brownies with Lemon-Date Frosting

I'm obsessed.

Admittedly I'm more of an avocadoholic than a chocoholic, but these brownies have totally won me over. I'm mostly amazed at the ingredient list because it is completely devoid of anything I would have thought a brownie properly consists of (dairy-free, butter-less, eggless) and a whole bunch of other stuff that I'd never expect. I mean, I've had brownies with fruit and nuts, but never one that was actually made from them.

Oh happy day.

The lemon-date frosting is the kicker. The lemon juice cuts the sweetness of the dates just enough to give it the perfect tang. The lightness is a bonus as well and since it's completely natural, you can pile on as much as you want without feeling like a psychotic sugar monkey. I usually have to make it when I'm alone or the Bear will slurp it all up before it gets anywhere near the brownies.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

No-bake Brownies with Lemon-Date Frosting
Recipe courtesy of Katrine Volynsky via La Vita Saporita

1 cup walnuts
3/4 cup plump raisins (make sure they're pretty fresh - if they're dry they won't stick)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon alcohol free vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw chocolate powder or finally ground cacao beans
1/2 teaspoon coconut butter*
1 teaspoon grated raw cacao butter*
* if you don't have these handy, any nut butter (peanut, almond, etc) will work fabulously

Guilt-Free Lemon Date Frosting
1/2 cup lemon juice (I use 2-3 fresh lemons but the bottled stuff works in a pinch)
1/2 cup soaked dates

*FYI - these quantities will not yield Starbucks-super-sized squares so if that's what you're looking for, you might want to double the batch. In a glass baking pan of 18x26cm (7x10in) they end up being about 2cm (1in) thick, which is actually fine because they're really dense.

For those of you who like step-by-step snaps, you can find them here.

Soak the dates for at least 30 minutes. You can remove the pits before or after - up to you.

Meanwhile, process the walnuts, raisins, chocolate powder, and raw cacao butter in a food processor.

Next, add the add vanilla, maple syrup, and coconut butter and blend until batter forms into a ball.

Spread the batter into a glass pan about 1 inch high and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

By now the dates should be gorgeously mushy. Remove the pits (if you haven't already) and blend them with the lemon juice until it's all smooth and creamy.

Spread it on top of the brownies and enjoy these little slices of citrusy-chocolate heaven!

Tangy Rhubarb Whips

Photo by Elinor Carucci, Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit

So I decided it was time to include some kind of pink dessert in my repertoire.

Don't really know why - but dessert sections just never seem quite complete without something pink.

Here's a little something I stumbled across just in time to enjoy the last rhubarb of the season. Similar to my Mascarpone Clouds but fruitier and...well, pink.

I'm partial to yogurt for the extra tang, but you can also use your favorite vegan substitute for heavy cream - here's a link to a cool soy-free recipe.

8 oz fresh rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (or 8oz frozen rhubarb, thawed)
1/4 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1/2 cup heavy cream (1 cup of vanilla soy yogurt)
1 teaspoon sugar

Bring rhubarb, sugar and orange juice to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Partially cover pan and cook until rhubarb is very soft, about 6 minutes. Mix in Grand Marnier. Refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes.

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Cover and chill up to 6 hours. If you opt for yogurt, just fold in the sugar.

To assemble, alternate layers of rhubarb mixture and whipped cream (or yogurt) in 2 large wine goblets or dessert dishes. Using small knife, swirl mixtures together. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour.

Happy Summer!

Pumpkin-Parsley Risotto

Photo courtesy of La Vita Saporita

The first runner-up to that other amazing risotto is this lovely bowl of deliciousness.

Although I normally reserve pumpkin-related stuff for the Fall, this weather has been so bizarrely autumnal recently, we decided to celebrate instead of curse it. It actually turned out to be a much lighter dish than I expected, so it's perfect for Spring as well.

I'm happy to report that the same taste-tester who stuck his head in this other pot of gooey goodness was caught sneaking the pot into the kitchen yet AGAIN. Super score!

Pumpkin-Parsley Risotto
Recipe courtesy of La Vita Saporita

1/2 cup olive oil
1-4 shallots (or 1 onion), chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small bunch Italian (flat) parsley, chopped
1-1/2 cups pumpkin, cubed (500g/1lb)
2 cups risotto rice (300g)
1 cup vino bianco (white wine)
5-6 cups (1.5L) vegetable broth
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup vegan parmesan (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable broth.

In a separate, heavy-bottomed saucepan, start by making your soffritto. This is the base for every good risotto. Heat the butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and the sea salt - this will help onion soften the onion without browning to keep the flavor delicate. Add the sugar and cook for 3-5 mins. Add the garlic and half the parsley and cook another 3-4 mins, stirring frequently.

Next, add the pumpkin and cook until fork-tender. This could take anywhere form 5-20 minutes, depending on the pumpkin. If it starts to stick, add a few spoons of stock to keep everything loose.

When you can cut through the pumpkin with the side of your wooden spoon, add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes until the rice is well coated and slightly toasted.

When the rice is slightly translucent or spotted turn up the heat to high and stir for about 30 seconds to keep it from burning before adding the white wine - it should make that great sizzling sound and begin to evaporate immediately.

Then turn the heat back to medium and continue cooking (and stirring) until the wine has evaporated. Add enough stock to cover the rice completely and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed.

Add one cup at a time of the remaining stock, and keep stirring until it is absorbed again. It is this act of constant stirring that gives risotto its creamy texture. It is also one of the things that makes risotto such a great group activity, as it permits plenty of time to drink and gossip.

Repeat until the rice is al dente, tender but still very chewy. The consistency should be slightly liquid, somewhere between solid and soupy. Then season with a bit of pepper and check the salt.

If you happen to have some vegan parmesan, you can toss it in at this point or sprinkle it on top for serving. However, don't let anyone, ANYONE (not even great Italian food writers) tell you that risotto gets it's creamy consistency from butter or cheese 'cuz it just ain't so. Master the simple art of stirring and you, too, can be a Risotto Queen!

Spoon it into shallow bowls, sprinkle with remaining parsley and enjoy immediately.

Sun-dried Tomato-Basil Risotto with Balsamico

Photo courtesy of La Vita Saporita

It was a close race, but this Sun-dried Tomato-Basil Risotto was the most requested this week. For those of you who voted for the Pumpkin-Parsley Risotto, stay tuned - it will get posted before the weekend. Promise.

But back to this ridiculously good risotto. The Bear was highly skeptical when he saw the ingredients on the counter and I have to admit, I wasn't expecting it to be all that interesting either. But I had just found this recipe (and I hadn't gone to the market to get anything else) so we tried it out.

Wow.

This risotto is amazing. I can't remember the last time we dropped so many F-bombs in the kitchen - and I mean that in the best possible way.

Sun-Dried Tomato-Basil Risotto with Balsamic Vinegar
Courtesy of La Vita Saporita
Serves 4

5 cups vegetable broth
2 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1-1/2 cups (250g) arborio rice
1 cup red wine
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 oz), cut into bite size pieces
1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
20 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Pour the veggie broth into a saucepan and add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to simmer and reduce to warm, but don't take it off the heat. It's important that the cooking liquid is always hot to facilitate the starch release.

While that's happening, warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion with a teaspoon of salt - this will soften the onion and keep it from browning. Then add the garlic and saute until soft.

Next, add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is thoroughly coated and becomes translucent. Nicely toasted rice is another secret to great risotto.

Add in a cup of red wine (and pour one for yourself while you're at it) and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Then add a cup of the broth and tomatoes and stir. And stir. And sip. And stir some more.

When the broth has been absorbed, add another cup and keep stirring until the liquid has again been absorbed. Feel free to pour yourself another glass of wine. Call your mom. Make out with your husband. But whatever you do, keep stirring.

Continue adding the broth a cup at a time. When the rice starts to soften (test a couple of grains after 2-3 cups), stir in the sun-dried tomatoes then continue adding rest of the broth (a cup at a time) and stir-stir-stirring until the rice is al dente (tender but slightly firm in center).

When the rice is nice and creamy, stir in the last cup of broth along with the balsamic vinegar. When these have been mostly absorbed, remove from heat, add the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. The traditional texture is all'onda (wavy). It should spread out easily, but not have a watery perimeter so be sure not to cook the liquid out completely.

Risotto should be served and eaten immediately or it will continue to cook itself in its own heat which will dry it out and make the grains too soft.

Spoon onto individual plates or bowls, garnish with the basil chiffonade (and a few crumbles of goat cheese if you like) and serve with the remaining red wine.

Buon appetito!

Eggplant Caponata with Bell Peppers

Photo & Recipe courtesy of La Vita Saporita

Food Photography.
Add this to the long list of things for which I do not possess any God-given talent.
But please don't judge the caponata unfairly as a result. It ain't pretty, but it's delicious!

Eggplant Caponata with Bell Peppers
Serves 6

It's worth mentioning that Caponata is a Sicilian aubergine dish normally made with celery, aubergines (eggplant), vinegar and capers. This regional twist substitutes the celery with bell peppers. Actually, this whole recipe is an exercise in approximation so be as creative with it as you like!

1/2 cup (100g) olive oil
2 large eggplants (1-3/4 pounds/1kg), diced or sliced in strips
1 celery stalk chopped (apparently optional, but probably good too)
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, sliced in strips (optional if you use celery, but why not both?)
1 onion, thinly sliced (I used two)
14oz (500g) ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced (fresh is best, but canned is ok too)
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (we used red, worked fine)
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup pitted olives (black or green)
3 tablespoons (50g) capers (we used a whole cup in lieu of the olives)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Freshly torn basil leaves, to garnish

Firstly, you must must must sweat the eggplant. Unless, as Rhea commented below and Savuer confirmed, you're using smaller ones that you know don't need it.

Cut it lengthwise in thick slices and rub them lightly with salt on both sides. Place them vertically in a colander and let them sweat for at least an hour. This will pull the bitterness out of the flesh and leave them delightfully sweet. Rinse them, pat them dry with a paper towel and slice them lengthwise in strips.

In a large skillet, fry the onions in the oil until golden. Add the eggplant and peppers and cook "until the colors are vibrant." Technically the eggplant is supposed to be cooked in a separate skillet and combined in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking but honestly, I couldn't be bothered. It still tasted great.

Next, add in the tomatoes (and celery if you're using it) and cook until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in the vinegar, sprinkle in the sugar, capers and olives and bring to a boil. Then simmer over low heat until the vinegar has evaporated, approximately 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve with freshly chopped basil. If you happen to have some vegan parmesan, that would be a lovely addition as well.

Nota bene: This doubles as a fabulous antipasto when served cold.
Buon appetito!

Update: a tablespoon each of pine nuts and golden raisins would be a great addition.
Add them in at the same time as the capers and olives.