Lazy!

What with the holiday travel and cooking and a now 1 year old baby… who you callin’ lazy?

No one but the Vegan Month of food Mini MoFo challenge with this topic. 

I’m thinking what do I do that could be construed as lazy? 

Chocolate Goo comes to mind: when a sweet tooth hits, I grab nut butter, cocoa powder and liquid sweetness like brown rice syrup or agave mix it up in a bowl and dig in with a pretzel or cracker or even a spoon.

Or Freezer Cookie Dough, because I also tend to get distracted when making cookies in multiple batches. So, instead of forgetful burning, I make one batch then freeze the remaining dough in ziplock bags: flattened for eazy sliced bar cookies to satisfy my cookie cravings.

I’m also thinking about the baked goods I shop for when I don’t have time to make my own- ready made pie crusts always; puff pastry and polenta for easy appetizers; the cornmeal crust, Trader Joe’s tahini sauce and frozen mushrooms that work well when I run out of fresh veggies or Daya cheese for pizza.

Then there’s my friend, Alicia Casas who just started Jaguar Baker, I’m reserving a pie for the next party!

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Edamame Mac n Cheez

I love making different versions of macaroni with creamy sauces.

This version uses three types of noodles:  wheat twists, wheat elbow macaroni and corn elbow macaroni.

Basil and edamame brings bright flavor, calcium and protein.

1/2 cup each: wheat twists, wheat elbow macaroni and corn elbow macaroni.

1 1/2 cups organic soy milk 

1 boullion cube

1/2 cup raw cashew pieces

Basil 4-6 frozen cubes or 1/2 cup chopped fresh

1 cup frozen, shelled edamame 

4 T extra virgin olive oil 

Cook pasta according to directions- the times may differ so stagger them. Combine all ingredients except edamame in blender, process until smooth.

Combine cooked pasta with sauce and thawed edamame.

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Vegan Month of Food 2016 Week 1

  

posting a preview here of what is to come…

Week 1: 1st-6th November 2016 Treat Yourself (and others)!
1st: Your favourite food – What is your favourite food? Make it and share!

Macaroni and Vegan “Cheese”– this week with Myoko’s Creamery nut and seed spread.

2nd: How to make friends – What’s your go to “impress me” meal?

For breakfast- Soy Chorizo and Scrambled Tofu

For lunch- Dolmas, Falafel and Hummus 

For dinner- Kabocha Soup, Local Sourdough Bread, Lemon and Creole Roasted Seitan Skewers

3rd: Treat yourself…to a break – What’s your “easy cook” meal? That you make when you can’t be bothered to cook much?

Baked Potatoes with all the Fixings: that way I can take a walk before dinner and not work too hard cooking.

4th: Eating out – Where do you eat when you want someone else to cook for you?

Charlie Hong Kongs (a local place) or Veggie Grill

5th: Late Night Snack – Tell us what you’re midnight snacking on!

Orange Almond Granola 

6th: Comfort food – Something that always cheers you up.

Panini Sandwiches with fresh Basil, Tomatoes and Zucchini 

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Vegan Month of Food

Is coming to my blog in November! I’m so excited to participate for my third year. I’ve been a vegan since high school – I wanted to do something for the planet, later after two of my grandparents died of cardiovascular disease, I knew I was also eating vegan for my health.

I’m considering the prompts and also have a tendency to crave vegan mac and cheese but make a different version eery time- always noodles witha “creamy” sauce. I’m considering a month of experiments in vegan mac and cheese evolving  from more traditional elbows with bright orange colored sauce to shells with a white “cheddar” like sauce to the vast shape world of pasta combined with creamy craving satisfying sauces based on chickpeas, cashews, pumpkin etc…

Let me know what you think in comments below. Would you like to see a month of mac and non dairy cheese?

  

Footnote: In keeping up with the memes- my Vegan MoFo blog will be Mac and “Gary” aka (vegan cheese).

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Linguine with Walnuts and Heirloom Tomatoes

I recently attended a BLT party and brought along my own vegan bacon like strips. Who are we kidding? It tastes nothing like bacon. 

Nevertheless, I do love the three ingredient sandwich: especially when it is served with Gayle’s local bakery sourdough bread, red oak leaf, butter and Romain lettuce varieties and seven different kinds of farmer’s market heirloom tomatoes.

  
Heirloom Tomatoes, photo by Daniella Woolf.

I got lucky after the party and came home with leftover tomatoes. Kim says, “Daniella invites fifteen, but prepares food for fifty.” I am the same; I like to feed people and send them home with leftovers. 

I ate a few more three ingredient sandwiches until the ingredients dwindled from two to one. I still had lots of tomatoes. Then, a friend plucked some wide purple blue kale and I knew what to do with the remaining tomatoes. I pulled out walnuts, kale, the delicious tomatoes and linguine. 

Roasting a 3/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts in olive oil to release their aroma, I mixed in 3 Tablespoons of Stonehouse Farms Napa Valley Blend spices, and about two cups diced tomatoes. Sautéing them briefly, I added about 16 ounces of my favorite marinara sauce: Mezzetta Italian Plum Tomato flavor. While the salted pasta water was coming to a boil, I deveined the kale and cut it chiffonade style, into ribbons. Then a quick blanch, tossed with balsamic vinegar and truffle olive oil, I had a healthy colorful addition to my pasta. 

  
I cooked the linguine al dente and tossed it together with the kale. From my garden, I picked fresh basil, thyme and Italian flat leaf parsley, to mince and fold in at the end.

Buon appetito!

  

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German Apple Cake

  Cake ingredients:

3 apples, cored and sliced

1/2 cup Earth Balance non dairy butter

1/4 cup liquid sweetening: like agave, brown rice syrup or honey

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 

2 Tablespoons non dairy milk

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, cinnamon and coriander 

Topping ingredients:

1/4 cup liquid sweetening: like agave, brown rice syrup or honey

Zest and juice from one small orange

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup toasted pecans or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, grease a 9 inch springform pan

Cook the apple slices briefly in a little water till soft, but not mushy.

Cream together butter and honey, add applesauce and milk. Add flour and baking powder, stir until just combined.

Using a spatula, spread the batter in the pan, arrange the slices around the top of the cake, drizzle with blended topping.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool 15 minutes before removing from the cake pan.

Serve with cashew cream. 

 

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Chocolate Orange Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Good cocoa matters, this recipe calls for Dutch cocoa which I first discovered in France. Whisk together:

1/4 cup Droste cocoa powder

8 ounces vegan cream cheese 

1 orange worth of juice and grated orange zest 

1/8-1/4 cup of liquid sweetening, raw agave or honey 

Spread chilled frosting on cooled cake or cupcakes.  

 Top with minced cacao nibs.

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