Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Finally...

I'm not going to pretend that I have a great excuse for not blogging over the past week or so. Granted, Marzie did make off with my memory card reader, but I replaced it several days ago. I just have not blogged because... I have enjoyed not feeling like it was my responsibility to blog. I've been hanging out with friends, going for long walks and enjoying the gorgeous autumn that we're having, cooking when I felt like it, and enjoying every minute of it.


See what I mean about the gorgeous autumn?

That's not to say I'm quitting this blog. I enjoy it too much. But when blogging goes from being a hobby to a full-time job, it loses its appeal. Maybe some of you have had this experience before. So, you may see less of me around the blogosphere, but I'm not going to disappear. I promise!


Starting off with some Seitan O'Greatness. This batch didn't last very long--it was too tasty! I made the Mostarella Cheeze from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook to go with it, because I ran out of agar and didn't feel like trying to hunt some more down. The cheeze was okay. It was better heated up with refried beans and salsa... yum.


On my last visit to R. Thomas, I tried their Hearty Breakfast Stew and loved it so much that I wished I had the recipe. Well, since I didn't, I decided to make one up. This soup was like a "souped-up" potato chowder (hee hee), and it was so good that I decided to share the recipe with all of you. It's not just like the soup at the restaurant, but it's darn close and maybe tastier. I've posted the recipe at the end.


This post by Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan! came back to me one day when I wanted to make a pie and could not decide what kind I should attempt. I'm glad I tried the Key Lime Teasecake; it was delicious, and I felt much less guilty knowing that it was made of millet and sweetened with maple syrup. I only wish the key lime flavor had been a little stronger...


I loved DGMGV's kiwi topping so much that I copied her! Of course, original credit for the recipe goes to Jo Ann Stepaniak.


The credit for this blackened tempeh goes to Eat Air. It spent a day marinating in the refrigerator, and then it was a snap to blacken it on the stove for dinner after work. Sautéed kale and potatoes accompanied this meal, and it was all delicious.

I guess tomorrow's Thanksgiving. To tell you the truth, I had kind of forgotten about it this year. You see, we're not really celebrating in the traditional way this time--we're going to Disney World with my sister and her fiancé instead! But I wish each of you a wonderful, safe, and compassionate holiday. Until we meet again...

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Potato Quinoa Chowdah

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 large carrot, diced small
3 cups water
6-7 small potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks (about 2 pounds) - Peeling is optional
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup quinoa
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup kale, chopped
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt
Kelp granules and/or nori strips, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large soup pot and sauté the onion until it starts to brown. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes. It's okay if the veggies try to stick to the pot a little. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the little bits of veggies off the bottom. Add the potatoes and spices and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are pretty tender. Add the quinoa and cook for another 15 minutes, until the quinoa is done. The soup will get pretty thick at this point.

Spray another pan with cooking spray, and sauté the chopped kale just enough to take the bitterness off. Set aside.

In batches, purée about half the soup, then return it to the pot over low heat and add the milk, corn, and kale. Heat slowly, until the corn is done and the soup is hot all the way through. Add the salt. Serve, garnishing each bowl with kelp granules and nori strips, if desired. Makes about 6-8 servings.

Monday, November 12, 2007

I have stuff to post!!

I just can't post it right now! You see, I somehow lost the memory card reader for my camera that transfers the photos to my computer... I've turned the house upside-down looking for it. I'm thinking Marzie probably made off with it, sneaky little feline. But I have a recipe to post, and some pictures, and in the next couple of days I'll do it even if it means replacing the little gadget.

Just in case you thought I had abandoned this blog...

Take care!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Inspiration-swapping

As I was reading blogs this weekend, a couple of posts jumped out at me: First Diann at Eat'n Veg'n, and then over on Boo's Veg-a-Nut, I saw that bloggers had been inspired by a recipe I had posted awhile back for black bean patties, only they made it into harvest loaves (or bean loaves, or meetloaves, or whatever you'd like to call them). I thought this was very clever, so I decided to be inspired by their inspiration.


A few tweaks to the recipe made a very good loaf--a little crumbly, but I can fix that next time I make it. I served it with steamed kale and mashed potatoes, and a heavy drizzle of Dreena's Miso-Good Gravy from TEV. Very comforting food indeed. Thanks for the idea, ladies!

Also from Diann, a great big bowl of Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup. Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while probably knows that I'm crazy about pumpkin, so it was inevitable that I would try this soup as soon as I saw the recipe.


I really love the combination of spices in this soup. I highly recommend stirring some cilantro into each serving--it just adds one more layer to the already deep levels of flavor. So good. I can't wait to take my leftovers to work with me.

I made breakfast for Bob (well, and for myself too) this morning. His favorite breakfast is pancakes. For fun, I decided to try the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pancakes from VWaV.


Though chocolate is not exactly a critical part of a healthy, balanced breakfast, my instincts told me that Bob would still really like it. I was right--I guess I know my man. Warmed raspberry preserves are the best accompaniment I can think of to a chocolate breakfast.




I thought I would be remiss if I didn't mention that November is now, offically, Vegan Month of Food! I've noticed that many of you are participating--fun! I am excited to see an explosion in great vegan food posts this month, and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with all of your blogs a little better. As for me, well, I'll be cooking and posting just like always... but it looks like it might be a busy month for me, and I probably won't be posting every day. Nevertheless, I'm all for setting aside a month to revel in the wonderful, nutritious, and cruelty-free foods that make being vegan rock!

Until next time, peace!

(And by the way, if you're wondering what is going to be keeping me so busy this month, look here to find out...)