Getting a quick fix

This Jamaican Red Bean Stew was the first recipe I tried from Quick-Fix Vegetarian. While it was a crock-pot meal, which means that it did take some time to cook, it certainly was a low-fuss meal. I made it on a Saturday, as I was in and out of the house running errands. It was always pleasant to come back to an apartment that was filled with the spicy-sweet smell of this stew--filled with kidney beans and sweet potatoes and other lovely veggies, and cooked in a base of coconut milk and Jamaican-inspired spices. I served it over whole-wheat couscous (another quick fix), and the entire batch was good for a whole week of lunches. The flavors became even more complex and interesting on day two.

I'll be looking to explore some other quick fixes this weekend!

Operation: Zucchini

I recently acquired some reduced-price organic zucchini at my local food co-op. I love zucchini so much, and I couldn't just pass them by, knowing they were in desperate need of a loving kitchen to make use of their potential. So I bought them and brought them home.... and Operation: Zucchini began.


The first zucchini dish I made was the Tomato-Zucchini "Frittata" from Vegan Planet. You may have noticed that there are no tomatoes in this picture. That's right; I just had to make do with what I had... which included zucchini, onions, and baby bella mushrooms. You know, I have made vegan frittatas before, but it still amazes me, every time, how nearly the silken tofu mixture can mock the firmness and texture of the traditional egg-based frittata. Anyhow, this was good. Very good. The only thing that could have made it better, I think, would have been to mix the veggies in with the tofu, instead of the layering technique that I used. Oh, yes... and frittatas are one of my favorite things to have left over. In fact, they are one of the few foods that I almost prefer the next day.

My mission was well underway at this point, but I thought for the rest of the zucchini that I would like to take a slightly sweeter approach. So next up were Dreena's Zucchini Spelt Muffins from ED&BV.


I loved these muffins. They were so soft and moist, and just sweet enough to be a delicious treat while still being wholesome and nutritious. I enjoyed these muffins for breakfast for an entire week, alongside a glass of almond milk. I threw a handful of raisins into the batter for a little something extra; some chocolate chips would be fun as well.

With that, Operation: Zucchini was just about over--the few stragglers I consumed in various ways, sautéed with garlic and red pepper flakes or raw as hummus dippers. I knew that with my busy work schedule, using up all the zucchini before they were past their prime would be a challenge. But it was a challenge I am glad to have risen to and succeeded.

Cheers!!

Thai Peanut Burger Wraps and a new blogging initiative

I have been in a funk over the past several months, as you may have noticed by my absence from the blogosphere. My whole life has been that way; I've fallen into a few unhealthy habits and given up on some things that I used to love--and it's time for me to get back to life as usual. Granted, work will be extremely busy until mid-April, but I can and must still find time to do the things I like to do--getting outside, writing, cooking, blogging, reading your blogs... So that's my new initiative. As far as this blog is concerned, I am going to try and update it at least twice a week. There's time for me to do that. There's also time for me to leave comments at your blogs a couple of times a week. And since there's not time for me to cook as much as I'd like to, I am going to start writing some posts about being vegan in Atlanta--no west-coast town, but a pretty good place for a vegan lifestyle if you know where to look!


These Thai Peanut Burger Wraps with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce are from Vegan Planet. I had a difficult time getting them to firm up--I think I used firm tofu whereas it would have turned out better if I had used extra-firm. But no worries... They still tasted delicious, peanutty with a spicy kick, and a satisfyingly crunchy coating. The sauce made a perfect accompaniment--I was worried that it would be a bit excessive on the peanut flavor, but to the contrary, it really helped to bring out the different flavors that were going on.

I had leftovers, which were actually not quite as tasty as they were when they were fresh. I'm not really complaining... Maybe that's just me, anyway. I can definitely be funny about leftovers, and there are certain foods that I just don't really like when they have to be reheated. Oh well--the simple solution is to halve the recipe next time. Problem solved!

Have a great week. I'll be back around soon!