Curry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Sadly, I didn't get to dress up this year but what's even more sad was that I had NO trick or treaters. Guess that's just what this world has come to these days.

Oh well.

One of my other favorite Halloween past times are carving pumpkins (while watching scary movies and eating yummy food). The only thing that gives me more satisfaction than a finished pumpkin, is a tray of roasted pumpkin seeds. And yes, I enjoy digging the guts out of the pumpkin.

What? It is Halloween after all.

On to the seeds. Generally, I roast them with salt, pepper & maybe some garlic powder. This year, I wanted something better. I'd recently eaten some curry roasted cashews and fell in love. If you know me, you know I love curry. I was out of raw cashews and decided pumpkin seeds would be just as good.

And I was right.



Curry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
1 T canola oil
1 t cumin
1/2 t curry powder
1/4 t garam masala
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 425. Mix pumpkin seeds with spices & oil. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 25 minutes turning once. Allow to cool on tray before devouring.

That's it. It's really that easy to make roasted pumpkin seeds. Mystery debunked? Hope so.

If not, throw the seasoning on raw cashews. Mmmmm. Next time.....next time.


(Note, the other 1 1/4 c of seeds was used to make a sweet version....didnt quite turn out as I had hoped. So next time...next time).

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

It's been a yearly tradition that on Halloween (or close to it) I make Rachel Ray's Chipotle-Pumpkin Black Bean Soup while we carve pumpkins and watch Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street and pass out candy to whom ever dares come near the door thanks to some pretty vocal pups (Wow. Run on sentence much?).

Ferocious.


Anyways, while in Denver I started thinking that the base of the soup, plus a couple other ingredients, would make an amazing chili. Let's forget that i've been home for a month and am now trying this recipe for the first time, shall we?

And let's forget the blurry camera phone photo I am about to show you...use your imagination ;)




Pumpkin Black Bean Chili, serves 4-6 (Vegan, Gluten Free--although i'm no expert on that subject)

2 T canola oil
1 med yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 T chili powder
1 T oregano
1 T cumin
3 t garlic powder
1 t smoked paprika
1 1/2 t chipotle powder
1/2 t cinnamon
2 t Braggs liquid amino
12 oz Negra Modelo
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can water (I just measure it in the tomato can)
2 c. pumpkin puree

*In a large soup pot heat 2 T canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 2 min until slightly translucent. Next, add diced bell peppers and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Once soft, add spices and cook for about a minute while stirring (I like to do this to "wake up" the dried spices). Add in remaining ingredients and simmer until desired thickness~about 25-30 minutes.

Couple side notes:
~Feel free to add fresh minced garlic instead of the powder. I'd say 3 med sized cloves minced would be perfect.
~No chipotle powder? Remember you can order it here. If you don't want to do that, sub in 1 chipotle in adobo minced finely and maybe about 1 T of the adobo sauce.
~Don't like it spicy? Omit chipotle and double the chili powder. But, seriously, who doesn't like some spicy~ness every now and again? :)
~Don't have Negra Modelo? Sub in any dark beer. I use it because I love it. So there.
~No need to specifically by the bell pepper varieties I used here. Green would be just as fine I just got all 3 of the peppers for $2.88. Score in my book.

**Garnish with sliced scallions, cheese, sour cream (vegan or not). More pumpkin puree...why not? :)

Now, this may not turn out quite like you expect a chili might be. It's a tad creamier thanks to the pumpkin puree. It's delicious nonetheless. Next time I may up the Braggs & the cumin. I simply can't get enough cumin. I've gone through 2 jars in probably 4 months. Yup, goes with/on everything!

Now, what goes better with some chili? Some may say corn chips...I say cornbread! mmhmm



Beer & Cheddar Cornbread serves 9...maybe
Inspired by Ashley's cornbread recipe.

1 c finely ground cornmeal
1 c all purpose flour
3 T ground flax meal
3 t baking powder
1 t garlic powder
1 1/4 c Negra Modelo (why not?)
1 t Braggs liquid amino
3 T canola oil
4 T agave nectar (can sub honey, brown rice syrup or maple syrup)
1 c + 1/4 c Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9 x 9 baking pan with canola oil (or spray with cooking spray).

In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, flax meal, baking powder & garlic powder. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine beer, liquid aminos, oil & agave (in that order--oil 1st makes agave come out so easily). Add liquid to dry and stir until combined. It may look really liquidy. Keep whisking! It will eventually come together. Mix in 1 c. cheese. Pour batter into an oiled baking pan (mine was 9 x 9 I believe). Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Side notes:
~Wanna make it vegan? Swap Dairy cheese for Daiya cheez.
~Scallions would make a nice addition mixed into the batter. Cumin would be good too.
~Gluten-Free? See Ashley's recipe. I'm a firm believer in the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it".

This was pretty delicious. I cooked it for 25 minutes and the knife came out clean. I think it could have cooked a few minutes more. It was a bit doughy to start. Also, was told it resembled banana bread....less agave next time for sure! Not bad for my first vegan cornbread. I have plans for version 2. Oh yes.



All I have to say is thank goodness my food is better than my photos.

Happy Halloween!

Chili Cheez Kale Chips..Take 1

SO, its been a while. Anyone who may have been reading in the past has probably forgotten all about me. I did, sort of.

I have excuses...you will probably not care but here goes.

Vacation in Denver. Amazing. Got to meet a super sweet girl you may know while there. Will share photos in the near future.

Fall cleaning. Lots of it...Need. To. Sell. Stuff. Going back to Denver in January. I did say it was AH-MAZ-ING!

Work. Too much of it.

Been visiting a friend of mine in the hospital. Prego with 1st baby, hasn't been the easiest road.

And lastly, laziness. Been feeling uninspired. Well, not so much uninspired. I have ideas, but I can't get them to come together.

Enter today's recipe. Notice I said "Chili Cheez Kale Chips..Take 1".

While delicious they didn't quite come out as I had imagined. They are good enough to make in the meantime though...fo sho.

PS do not be scared by the length of the ingredients...it's just spices people.



Chili Cheeze Kale Chips (Vegan, Gluten Free)

*1 head Kale~ de-stemmed, washed, dried and torn in slightly bigger bite~sized pieces (they shrink, of course)
*2 T Nutritional Yeast
*2 t Chili Powder
*1/2 t onion powder
*1/2 t garlic powder
*1/2 t cumin
*1/2 t salt
*1/4 t dried cilantro
*1/4 t oregano
*1/8 t chipotle powder (if you do not have this, sub cayenne pepper. I got mine from this store in Denver-LOVE)
*1/8 t black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix spices in a small bowl and set aside. Place cleaned kale in a single layer on a baking sheet (or 2, or 3) sprayed with cooking spray. Spray kale lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with spice mixture. All of the spice mix (It looked like a lot but it's necessary). Bake for 18~20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet before transferring. Store in an airtight container and enjoy.

**Now, it has to be said, the chipotle powder packs a serious punch. You can omit it if you don't like it spicy and just add extra chili powder or sub cayenne as mentioned above.

**I honestly can't tell you how long kale chips last simply because they usually are eaten with 1-2 days of being made. Who would want to let them sit?

**Feel free to sub dried minced garlic or onion if you have it. Omit the dried cilantro if you don't have it..I do and don't use it for much so I threw it in.

**If you didn't add the nooch, and doubled the amount of the other spices this would be a pretty good blend for tacos, roasted chickpeas, chili or even taco soup. Mmmm. Decisions.

Hope to not be so neglectful in the future. I've really missed you guys!

Saag Tofu...Take 1

I finally have an oven....YAY! It has felt like I was missing a limb not having an operable oven (yes, I am that attached).

Anywho, back to cooking!

This is a wink & a nudge to saag paneer. I was inspired when watching "Aarti Party" a few weeks ago and was going to try to make my own paneer but had some tofu I needed to use up hence tonight's recipe.

I happen to love any indian flavored food. Well, anything vegetarian these days. I've been eating a lot of curry dishes lately so I thought I would branch out and try another indian favorite.

This is my first run...it was good. But it will get better. Couldn't wait to share though (since I got a new oven!!!).

You will need....

For the "paneer"
1 Package Extra Firm Tofu

Marinade:
3 T canola oil
1 t turmeric
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t paprika

Drain Tofu and cut into 32 squares. On a baking sheet, layer squares between a clean dish towel. Top with another baking sheet and cover with a couple heavy objects that you may happen to have lying around....I used a gallon of water. Allow to press for at least 30 minutes to remove all extra moisture. In the mean time, in a small bowl (preferably one with a tight fitting lid), mix together marinade ingredients and set aside. Once tofu is pressed add to marinade and toss (lightly) to coat. Place in fridge and allow to marinate for at least an hour (I left mine in for about 5.5).

Preheat oven to 375. Place tofu squares on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Cook 20 minutes, turning halfway.



Next comes the "Saag"
2 T Unrefined Coconut Oil
1 t coriander seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1/2 medium (or 1 small) onion, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded & diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t minced ginger
1 10 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 c coconut milk
1 t salt
1/2 t garam masala
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg

In a large saute pan, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Once heated, add cumin & coriander seeds~allow to "cook" (and by cooking I mean popping in the hot oil until you start to smell them--will be very quick). Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, ginger and some salt and saute until tender~about 5 minutes. Next add spinach breaking apart to separate and allow to warm through about 1 minute. Pour in coconut milk, garam masala, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining salt and allow to come to a boil. Let cook for a few minutes. Next, add in tofu and toss lightly to incorporate with the spinach.



Doesn't it look just like paneer?!?! So delicious. Serve along side grain of choice (I cooked up rice in the rice cooker with some coconut milk & water) and/or (whole wheat) naan {why not have both}. And feel good knowing that although this seems really intense, it took me about as much time to cook this as it did for my rice cooker to lazily cook my rice...about 25 minutes.



Enjoy!
Do you have any favorite indian recipes besides curries? Please share...I am always looking for new Indian food to make :)

Romesco's

So, first things first. Let me just share my sob story. My oven is broke. We had a temporary replacement for a while but that had to go back to it's rightful owner. So I have been without an oven for about 2 weeks now. So cooking has gone to the side and in it's place we have cooked on the grill a couple times, went out to eat lots of times and ate foods that needed no cooking (i.e. raw veggies & hummus, cereal & salads). All those are fine and dandy..but honestly, who wants to live like that. Needless to say, I am ready for a new oven to come my way...and fast.


Ok, now that i've got that off my chest, let's get on to the real reason i'm here.

Food.

There used to be this fabulous little restaurant and wine bar about 15 minutes south of where I lived called Romesco's. I loved the vibe, the decor and, of course, the food. Anytime someone wanted to eat? Let's go to Romesco's! I brought anyone who had an appetite there because I loved it so much. And as unimaginative as this may be, aside from 1 visit, I ordered the same thing everytime. Grilled vegetable panini with romesco sauce. Oh, and a peach tea :)

It was worth every visit.

Romesco sauce, by definition, is a sauce originating in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) that is typically made from almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil and nyora peppers, a smaller, sweet, dried variety of red bell pepper. Other common ingredients include roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar and onion.

And it's vegan too~something i'm trying to eat a little more of these days.

Unfortunately, the restaurant closed when it's neighbor (a furniture store) caught on fire and burned half of the building down including some of Romesco's. I prayed and prayed that they would reopen but to no avail.

I'm not sure what made me think of it as it's been closed now for about 4 years but I started craving that sandwich it was soon all I could think about.

So, here we are. Tonight's dinner. My way.

Grilled Vegetables with Romesco Sauce
Serves 4

Veg:
1 large Eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 large Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
2 large Portabella Mushrooms, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices

Marinade (for the veggies)
3 T canola oil
2 T lemon juice
2 t dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt & cracked black pepper

Mix marinated ingredients in a large bowl. Add veggies and toss to coat. Let marinate for about 15~20 minutes stirring often. Set aside

Preheat grill. I found I needed no oil to grill my vegetables but lightly oil the grates if you'd like. Cook about 3~5 minutes per side until tender. Time will vary based on the type of grill you use.

Cheater's Romesco Sauce, makes 1 c sauce
1 roasted red pepper (jarred, in water)
1/2 c fire roasted tomatoes (from the can)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T red wine vinegar
3 T whole almonds
3 T whole hazelnuts
1 T ground flax meal Normally, bread is used to thicken. I have no bread in house so there you go.)
2 T water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor on high stopping every so often to scrape down the sides of the processor. Continue to process until it forms a smooth sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste (I needed no salt~something I am trying to use less of). Refrigerate until ready to use.

This sauce was made for veggies but would be equally delicious over fish if you are so inclined. I would even go so far as to dip raw veggies in this (but i've had my fair share the last 2 weeks thank you very much).

I served mine over brown rice but obviously this would be great on a panini (Duh! Did you read the beginning of this post?) in a wrap, or even over greens. No salad dressing needed :)



Please excuse my sorry excuse of a photo. I was hungry and light was minimal thus flash was used. No bueno. I blame it on the oven.

*5 Ingredient Friday*

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all had a lovely *quick* work week :)

It's time for another round of 5 Ingredient Friday! If you missed last weeks post, you can click on the link here & read all about my new series.

This Friday, I figured there was no better way to end the work week than with a dessert. A Granita to be exact. If you are unfamiliar with what a Granita is, it is a Sicilian semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings.

The only thing with granita's are that they tend to be a bit time consuming. So make this on a day off..when you plan to spend your day at home :)


Coconut Chai Tea Granita



1 can coconut milk, preferably full fat
4 chai tea bags
2 +1 c water
1 c sugar

*Place 1 c water + 1 c sugar in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside & allow to cool.

*In a medium sauce pan bring 2 c water to a boil. Once water has reached the boiling point turn off the heat & place tea bags in water. Cover with lid & allow to steep until cool.

*Place glass baking dish in freezer while everything cools. ***Size DOES matter :) I would choose a bigger dish~More surface area=quicker freezing time!

*Once simple syrup & tea are cool, combine with Coconut Milk in baking dish and place in freezer.



*Check after about an hour to see if ice crystals have started to form. If so, rake through mixture with a fork to help separate.

It will start like this...


And eventually look more like this...


*Repeat this process every half hour to 45 minutes for about 4.5-5 hrs (depending on the size of the dish). I believe mine was 9x13 and I felt like it took FOR-EV-ER! Eventually, it will resemble what we know as italian ice..When it has reached this stage, it's ready :)

*Scoop it into your dish of choice and enjoy!


Slightly Creamy. Coconut~y. With a hint of chai. Mmmm

Definitely cooling and palate cleansing!

This will stay good in the freezer for a couple days, just rake it through with a fork before serving.


What's your favorite frozen treat to keep you cool during the summer?

My 7 Links

The lovely Diana at Veggie Next Door tagged me to participate in the newest blog tag "My 7 Links" :) This is my first time hearing about it and I am so excited to be asked to participate! So thanks again, D.

Here’s some info on the game if you haven’t heard of it yet!

THE GOAL
To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

THE RULES
1) Blogger is nominated to take part

2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.

3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.

4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers

5) And so it goes on!

6) They’ll be sharing the best posts from participating bloggers on our blog and everyday on Facebook and Twitter at #My7Links

Let's get started!

Most Beautiful: My much needed mini-getaway


Honestly, if being surrounded by nature isn't beautiful I don't know what is?!?

Oh wait, maybe this....also featured in this post :)



Most Popular: 4th of July Eats (pt 2)





I can't blame anyone, I love carbs just as much as the next person :D

Most Controversial: Watch This Video

Sadly no one saw this video...or at least noone commented on it. Watch it. Tell your friends too.

Most Helpful: Finding Mama Pea


Now, while this post isn't really dedicated to her, It was the first time I tried any of her recipes. And I was completely shocked that vegan food could taste good. And should. If you've been living under a rock and for some strange reason don't know who she is you can check out her blog here. Or better yet, take my word for it and buy her *new* cookbook here.

Surprise Success: Homemade Veggie Burger


It was so easy, I don't know that i'll ever need to buy the frozen ones again!

Not Enough Attention: The BEST "bolognese" EVER!


Who doesn't love a hearty, comforting bowl of Italian goodness?

Most Proud: My very first blog post

I don't consider myself a writer. At all. So making a choice to start a blog was not an easy one. But I do love food, love to cook, and love to *meet* new people :)

So thanks for stopping by and I hope to *see* you again soon! Feel Free to link your "7 links" in the comments below :)

Here's Diana's post!

Who I tag:
Jenny @ Fitness Health & Food
Danielle @ Weights and Measures
Danielle @ The Scoop By Danielle

And anyone else who reads this that would like to participate. Still working on building my Blog Friends list but I honestly would love for anyone who stops by to share :)

*5 Ingredient Friday*

I love Claire Robinson from Food Networks "5 Ingredient Fix". She makes such amazing food using 5 ingredients (or fewer!). Salt, pepper & water are "free" ingredients i.e. they don't count towards the 5 ingredients in the recipe.

Can you see why I love it?!?

As we all know, it's so easy to get carried away & spend far too much to add this or that to a recipe.

So, in an effort to save desperately needed money (who doesn't need to do that?), I decided to start a series of my own.

Starting with dinner. Tonight :)

I have had this delicious beauty sitting in my fridge for far too long.

Tonight we end that :)

Beans & Greens (keep it simple~in all areas of recipe creating)
Serves 2-4
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
1 bunch of swiss chard, removed from stems & sliced* (about 2 cups)
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, whole
1 T minced garlic in olive oil

*1 c water, salt & pepper (to taste)

Heat large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 T minced garlic & some of the garlic oil to the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Add chard & toss with garlic. Add diced tomatoes, whole rosemary sprigs, beans, water, S&P to pan. Cover pan and cook over medium high heat for about 25 minutes.

Serve with a hunk of crusty bread & call it a meal.

My meat loving man did :)

It was seriously SO good. It honestly tasted like Olive Garden Minestrone soup. Phil should know, he used to work there :)

I am seriously so excited about this series...and I hope you will be too :)

Now, for some more ideas....
~No chard? Sub in (fresh or frozen) spinach or kale.
~No fresh rosemary? Use 1 T dried (or to taste..I really love rosemary)
~Sub black beans for the cannellini beans, spinach for chard & dried cumin for the rosemary OR kidney beans & chili powder. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.

*Note~the stems are perfectly edible..I just let my chard sit too long & they were too soft so I added them to the compost pile*

Have you ever watched "5 Ingredient Fix"? Do you have a favorite 5 ingredient recipe?

What I ate Wednesday

Join the party!


Cherries


Leftover Indian Spiced Roasted Vegetables w/Couscous & Sunflower Seeds
Carrot Chips
Sundried Tomato Hummus


Peach


Diet Pepsi (Bad Habit)
Nuts (mmmmmm)


MEXICAN!
Spinach Quesadilla
Cheese Enchilada
Rice
Refried Beans
*note-I did not eat this entire plate of food haha*


Chips & Cheese Dip


MARGARITA (in my official margarita plastic cup :D )

Truly a phenomenal day of eats :) Hope you all had a good day too!

Better late than never....

I’ve had a busy (3 day!!!) week. I have a friend in town from Canada. Haven’t cooked much since they’ve been here….SLACKER ☺

Anyways, here are my long overdue (Grilled) recipes from 4th of July.

First up is the Grilled Corn with Basil Garlic Compound “Butter”
Serves 2
2 ears of corn-husks still on…just remove the stringy things (don’t know the real name of the fibers)

Compound “Butter”
1/3 c softened earth balance
1 T chopped basil (about 12 leaves)
½ T minced garlic
cracked black pepper
sea salt

This is SO simple. Hardly a recipe.

In a small bowl, mix ingredients for compound “butter”.


Spread 1/3 of mix on each ear of corn.


Cover with husks and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until grill is ready.


Heat grill on high. Oil grates lightly and place ears of corn on grill. Cook for about 20-25 minutes turning corn every few minutes to get even cooking. When finished cooking, remove husks and spread remaining compound butter on corn. Enjoy!

Grill-Baked Italian Sweet Potatoes ala Ashley
1 lg sweet potato, scrubbed & cubed
1 T EVOO
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
¼ t red pepper flakes
Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Mix oil and spices in a medium bowl. Add sweet potato cubes & toss to coat~allow to “marinate” for about 15 min or until grill is hot. Place cubes on foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Crumple up edges to “mirror” a baking sheet.



Once grill is hot place sweet potatoes on and cook 30-40 minutes until tender stirring every few minutes to avoid over/under cooking.



Hope everyone is having a fabulous Wednesday!
Buon Appetito!

Happy Independence Day!

Hope everyone had a fun (safe) 4th of July!

A burger is undeniably one of the best 4th of July eats. So what does one do when they aren’t eating meat? Buy frozen veggie burgers? Nah, make your own! Because the holidays are all about experimentation aren’t they?

Well, mine always are anyways.

Initially I wanted to try making a gluten free burger. However, my local health store had gluten free breadcrumbs at an outrageous price and I decided I’d just use regular breadcrumbs and skip the bun.

Brown Rice & Veggie Burgers, makes 8 patties
3 c cooked brown rice
1 ½ c mixed veggies (I used: 1 med carrot, 2 med portabella mushrooms, 1 green bell pepper, ½ c cooked chopped spinach & 6 sun-dried tomatoes)
3 T soy sauce
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T minced garlic
1 ½ T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 ½ c fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 c golden flaxmeal
1/3 c nutritional yeast

~Pulse veggies (except spinach) in a food processor until finely minced.
~In a small bowl mix soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary & pepper.
~Mix brown rice & veggies in a large bowl until incorporated.
~Add soy sauce mixture & toss to coat.
~Next, add breadcrumbs, flax meal & nooch.
~Form into 8 patties and chill until ready to cook (or pop in freezer for at least 30 minutes).

Preheat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once heated, place patties in 4 at a time (or in 2 different sauté pans) . Cook 8 minutes, flip & cook another 8 minutes.



At this point they are done. Add your fave toppings and eat.

But I took them a bit farther.

Balsamic Onions (recipe to follow) & Gorgonzola Cheese. Oh Yes.



Preheat oven to 400. Place patties on a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with balsamic onions & cheese and cook until cheese starts to melt.

Since I had to pan cook these I HAD to grill the side items. The 4th of July is all about grilling!

(oops, didn’t get a chance to photo the sides on the grill).

Here they are all together.

“Burgers” + grilled corn on the cob w/Garlic Basil Compound “Butter” + Italian grilled sweet potatoes (both recipes to follow).



Not bad for my first homemade veggie burger. The BF did not ask “Where’s the meat?” I think he is finally getting it!

Easy Vegan Recipe~Cream of Broccoli & Spinach Soup~

Now, I can certainly appreciate that when the temps in the next few weeks will certainly be well into the 100's in some places (ahem, Florida) soup not be your go to meal of choice. However, I am the kind of person who enjoys soup all year long. The rest of your meals can be hot, so why not have a delicious bowl of soup? I have often heard that soup is merely a vessel for a warm & crusty baguette. I'm game.

I had some broccoli in the fridge to use up and so I decided to make a cream of broccoli soup. It is my FAVORITE soup to order at Panera Bread! Spinach was an addition merely to do the same-use up food in the fridge. This soup is so simple to make, I really don't know why I don't make it more often. Anyhow, without further adieu......

Cream of Broccoli & Spinach Soup *Serves 2~4*
1 T Canola Oil
1 T Earth Balance
1 leek, cleaned* & sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled & chopped
3 c broccoli florets and stems (stems peeled & chopped)
3 c water
1 t vegetable base
1 bay leaf
3 c loosely packed spinach
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c nutritional yeast
S&P to taste

In a large stock pot, heat oil & margarine over medium heat. Add leeks and saute about 2-3 minutes until they start to get translucent. Add garlic and saute for about another minute. Be careful to not burn the garlic or it will get bitter! Toss carrots in the pan and saute for about a minute to start softening. Add broccoli to the pot and season veggies with salt and generous amounts of pepper as well as the bay leaf. Next, add water and veggie base, stir to combine. Cover and cook about 15 minutes until broccoli is tender. Add spinach to wilt~about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat & remove bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy..be patient this will take some time. About halfway through blending, add almond milk to help move the rest of the veggies along. (You can also puree this in a blender, just be sure to do it in batches!). Once pureed, add nutritional yeast and salt & pepper to taste.

Voila


You could definitely adapt this recipe by leaving it a bit chunky or adding fresh herbs (thyme would be lovely), subbing some or all the broccoli with cauliflower, puree peas in to the mix instead of spinach (i'd add mint too). Melt in some daiya cheddar cheez or swirl in some pesto.

So I encourage you to not turn your nose up at a delicious bowl of soup simply because it's summertime. This a great make ahead meal, perfect for those long work days when you are too hot to slave over the stove :)

What is your favorite soup? Is there any soup that you'd like me to recreate? Leave a comment below :)

Saturday, Saaaaturday

That was my attempt at Elton John singing my blog title. :)

Anywho, what a great saturday it was. Gorgeous, sunny. I'm really enjoying biking in this weather :) I started out with a quick 30 minute ride. Decided to ride up to my office to pick up something I left there and made my return journey along the river. The water was sparkling despite being murky blue :)

After my walk, my pups were anxious to get outside too so I had two quick walks as well. Taking the two together is impossible. For me anyway. They are only this big...

...but they are strong little stinkers and when they try to run towards something, it feels like they are about to pull my arms out...so, ya. I will walk them one at a time. Plus I get more activity :)

After I ate and showered, I headed out the buy the BF a birthday present (his birthday is Tuesday~which will remain a secret until then in case he happens to read) and headed down to see my friend Dani (who just found out she is having a baby boy in the near future~congrats!!). She had some clothes she was getting ready to donate and was kind enough to offer first dibs to me :) Got some new-to-me workout gear out of the trip so I was a happy camper! She and her fiance has just purchased a new harley which was shipped since my last visit. I've only been on a motorcycle once and really enjoyed it so I casually mentioned i'd like to ride :) Clay came home from work before I was planning to head home so he agreed to take me out (yippee).

I will now insert some nerdy photos of my very biker friendly outfit (complete with flip flops) and the massive & heavy head gear Dani gave me to wear....




It was so much fun..I can't wait to do it again. I unselfishly offered to be Clay's riding buddy as Dani can't ride due to being prego ;)

I had my heart set on making a curry dish this week but things get in the way so it got pushed off until today. This is in no way an authentic curry but it turned out delicious just the same....

I'll call this one, Cauliflower Curry :)
2 T Canola oil
2 t minced garlic
1 t minced ginger
1/2 t coriander seeds
1 T cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 t fennel seeds
1 T dried cilantro
2 T turmeric
1 t sea salt (to taste)
2 T curry powder
1 T ground cumin
1 T garam masala
1 can coconut milk
1 can no salt added fire roasted tomatoes
3- 3/1 c Mixed veggies (I used cauliflower (mainly), carrots, green pepper & asparagus)

In a saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add garlic, ginger & spices through fennel seeds. Allow them to "fry" in the oil until fragrant. About a minute or two. Add veggies and toss to coat. Next, add remaining spices, tomatoes & coconut milk. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 20-30 until veggies are tender (I like my vegetables "al dente" so I cook on the shorter time frame).

Don't mind the color, it tastes good :)


Garnish with lime wedges & serve with Naan bread or rice. Enjoy.

Question, can anyone recommend a good salt substitute? I don't mean something like Mrs. Dash but an actual salt substitute. I would like to cut back but I really feel it makes food taste better.

I have a problem.

I am a hoarder.

Of recipes. Cookbooks. DVDs/DVR'ed cooking shows. Some say it's an obsession. I think it's perfectly normal. I have a medium sized library of cookbooks. Buuuuuut my e-folders are overflowing with "to be tried" recipes. So what that I have a least a half dozen regularly pre-set cooking shows to be recorded throughout the week? Or that I enjoy spending my Sunday mornings curled up on the couch enjoying some down time with Giada, Nigella or Aarti? Nothing wrong with this..

At least I don't think it will get me hauled off to the loony bin or aired on TLC. Right?

I've been *attempting* to check off two of the many recipes in my e-folder for the last two weeks. Each time I open my laptop, there they are. Staring at me. Begging to be made. Since I had to bake a cake tonight, I figured 'hey, kitchen will already be a disaster, why not make more mess?'

Two down. One million to go.

I chose these two recipes as I will be going camping in a few weeks and while i'm no novice to camping, I AM newly vegetarian. Read: Camping meals of the past included burgers, hot dogs, eggs, bacon, sausage, chips & pretzels. No, i'm not joking. So, i'm starting out now, so I won't be scrambling at the very end. Packing, for me, is hard enough lol.

1) Mama Peas Baked Oatmeal Squares



I followed her recipe exactly EXCEPT I subbed golden raisins in for some of the cranberries. Mine did not seem to set as well as hers. I did bake them at 375 degrees for 30 minutes though instead of 350 for 45 min (was baking recipe #2 and I didn't want to waste electricity by having to bake yet another item). Perhaps that made the difference? Either way, will be trying these at least 2 more times before camping--1) I will make the recipe, refrigerate overnight & then bake & 2) Follow her baking instructions :)

2) Ashley @ Edible Perspectives Buckwheat Bread

I did adapt her recipe some as a) I didn't have millet & B) I was craving pizza when I started baking :) The spices need a tad more tweaking but delish first time 'round!



"Pizza" Buckwheat Bread
1/2 c + 2 T raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw buckwheat in a blender – not Kasha or toasted buckwheat]
1/2 c + 2 T whole wheat pastry flour
2 T chia seeds
2 T ground flax meal
3/4 c nutritional yeast
2 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t sea salt
LOTS of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c +2 T unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c water
1/2 t baking powder
1 T unsweetened apple sauce
1 T olive oil
Sesame seeds, for topping

1) Preheat oven to 375* and grease bottom + sides of a 9×9 square pan.
2) Stir together buckwheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, chia seeds, flax, baking powder, nutritional yeast, and all spices in a medium sized bowl.
3) Add in water, nut milk, applesauce + oil and stir until just combined.
4) Pour into pan, and evenly spread. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds.
5) Bake for about 42-46 min, until golden brown + cracked all over the top.

Perrrrrrrfect with a schmear of tomato paste.


All in all two very successful yummy trial recipe runs. Very pleased to have 2 checked off! What are two recipes you have been wanting to check off? What's stopping you?

Morroccan Magic

Sometimes I get these great ideas that I can do "X" amount of things on my 1 hr lunch break. Like make lunch....and dinner. *Magic*

Yea.

I had all these poor veggies that were waiting to be used and so I decided i'd try to make some kind of morroccan inspired dish~specifically a take on a tagine. I've always had a sweet tooth and the thought of adding dried fruit to a savory dish had always intrigued me..until now.

I'm undecided on how I feel about this addition to the dish. I either cooked it too long or need more fruit. They certainly did plump though...

Personally, I loved it. I think it was tasty as is...may work on balancing the spices a bit more though.



Side Note: As i'm writing this post, I think..wait, I need the recipe. I then realized I forgot to write it down..oops. Good thing my food memory is better that my regular memory :)

The ingredients list may be long..but it is seriously so simple!

Morroccan "Magic" Tagine
2 T canola oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 t minced garlic
1 t minced ginger
2 t cumin
1 t turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
1 t red pepper flakes
2 c chopped broccoli
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large zucchini, diced
2 c fresh spinach
1 can diced tomatoes
3 oz tomato paste
2 c vegetable broth (I used 2 c water + 2 t vegetable base)
1/4 c golden raisins
6 dried apricots, chopped

1. In a large pan, heat canola oil. Add onion. garlic & ginger and cook 2 minutes.
2. Add spices~cook 1 minute.
3. Add vegetables, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste & dried fruit. Simmer 20-30 minutes until veggies are tender.

So good. And it took me 15 minute to make (minus cooking time). You could use just about any vegetable in here (would probably either decrease the amount of broccoli & sub in another vegetable or use something different--tends to get a little overcooked the second time around). Served mine over couscous topped with sunflower seeds (I am REALLY loving these lately!) along side of roasted chickpeas. mmmm.

If I am going to be making more morroccan inspired food, i'll be needing one of these in my life. Don't you agree?? :)