Cozy Meal for a Stormy Night

I was out of sandwich bread for school lunches, we were having a nor'easter, and I didn't want to drag the kids out to the store in it. I dug through my recipe pile and found this whole wheat oatmeal bread. (I can't provide a link because I don't know where I got it from - now I add the names when I copy recipes down!) I actually made it the old fashioned way - kneading and baking in the oven, as opposed to the bread machine. Wow, forget working out, just make bread! Great upper body workout. I can never get the shape quite right - it just doesn't rise as high as a commercial loaf. Maybe a smaller bread pan? Anyway, it tasted good and beat going out in the storm, and it didn't cost $4 for a loaf!

Since it was stormy and I was being domestic, I made Sicilian Split Pea Soup from Bryanna Clark Grogan. This was really yummy, especially perfect for a cold rainy day.

For the salad dressing, I made Cumin Cinnamon Vinaigrette from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan. It was outstanding! In addition to cumin and cinnamon, it also has my favorite, ground cloves. I used lime juice instead of lemon and olive oil insteaad of walnut, but everything else was the same as the recipe called for. Homemade dressings rock!

We had our first snow last weekend. We forgot to close our umbrella for the winter! The snow all melted in a day - we went from 22 degrees to 65 in 2 days! Crazy weather.

Food Waste

There are some food items that I buy that I consistently end up throwing out. I don't really know why - I don't buy stuff that I don't like, and usually I have something in mind to make with them. But there you have it. The common offenders are mushrooms, celery, scallions, and avocados. The first three I like okay, when they are mixed with other things. But I love, love, love avocados! So I was really annoyed at myself when I had to throw yet another one out yesterday. One I saved and made guacamole on Earth Balanced toast, one of my and my daughter's favorites. Another good way is sliced on toast with Veganaise. Now does anyone have a mushroom favorite?

This is "Holiday Portabello" from the Horizons cookbook. Isn't is beautiful and festive? It was also so easy and fast. Basically roasted portabellos with a flavorful (low in fat too) gravy, garnished with cranberries and pepitas. I served it over a bed of polenta. Here is my polenta secret: use regular old cornmeal! I know purists will scoff, but who has time to stir constantly for 45 minutes for the real thing? To me it tastes the same. Just use a ratio of 4:1 water to cornmeal. Boil water, add salt, and drizzle in cornmeal slowly (so it doesn't lump), stir for a few minutes, and you are done. Sauteed/steamed brussels sprouts: put trimmed sprouts, 1/2 c water and 2 T Earth Balance and some salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes covered, then take off the lid and cook till water evaporates. I added some Dijon and tarragon, but it is also good without. The whole meal was on the table in less than half hour!

Beanballs and Spaghetti

Here are the beanballs from VCON. I am probably the last to try them. They are pretty good. Nice flavor. Beanballs always have a kind of strange texture to me, but that is me, not the recipe! I fried them instead of baking because I love that olive oil goodness. They were tasty on a big pile of spaghetti. Yay, carbs!

A Pantry Dinner

In the spirit of all the posts about using up what's around, here is a yummy dinner of odds and ends from the pantry and fridge. My beloved frijoles borrachos (pintos simmered with beer, scallions, and tomatoes), guac, corn, and mangoes. Colorful, fast, and delicioso! My kids don't eat a lot of veggies, so I have started serving fruit at dinner. Anything to get those antioxidants in!





Look how chubby this cutie is. He has been snacking on our Halloween pumpkins. If you are wondering how I got this close, the photo was taken through my kitchen window. I think he was posing for us!

Another Use for Leftover Pumpkin

This is an attempt to re-create a canned chickpea stew made by Goya. It was good, although not as good as the original. I think some extra seasoning would make it better. Why try to duplicate it when it is so easy to open the can? Good question. It does contain something called "artificial ham flavor," which they also sell separately. I believe it contains MSG, which I am not sure is the best thing. Anyway, it's a good way to use up half a can of pumpkin!

Spanish Chick Peas

½ small onion, chopped
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½ green pepper, chopped fine
1 can chickpeas
½ can pumpkin
½ c chopped tomatoes
1 c water
½ t smoked paprika
½ t regular paprika
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t salt
pepper
5 shakes liquid smoke
Frank’s red hot sauce to taste

Saute onion in oil until starting to brown. Add garlic and pepper. Continue sautéing until peppers are soft. Add all other ingredients. Simmer until hot and flavors are blended.

Served with Fingerling Fries from Vegan Express:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Unfortunately I do not have pictures of my lovely vegan spread to share with you, because I did not have a vegan spread. This year was the first time I have ever hosted Thanksgiving. I never have because of the turkey thing. I have never cooked one, nor will I ever in the future. So someone else always hosts. Usually we all drive to New Jersey to visit my sister-in-law and her family. No one wanted to go this year, so we got elected to host. The Carn-in-laws brought the turkey and all the sides. So I made appetizers and desserts.


I made the Pumpin Cheezecake from Just the Food, which I can highly recommend. It was delicious - perfectly spiced, creamy, and fluffy. I also made the Gingerbread Apple Pie from VWAV. I didn't like it at all. I'm not sure why this one didn't work. I did enjoy the flavor from the gingerbread spices, but the crust was the wrong texture and the apples were dried out instead of juicy. I know it was not my oven, as I have a thermometer to check the temp. Oh well, by the time everyone gets to dessert, they are too stuffed to eat anyway! I guess it was a good holiday to be thankful for the people and forget about the food!