tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8616044094922656542024-03-12T16:58:41.703-07:00Vegan Cooking in ColoradoLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-54980026825663336862013-06-19T08:19:00.000-07:002013-06-19T08:19:57.488-07:00Lentil walnut veggie burgersHello, blog world! It's been awhile.<br />
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Michael and I spent 2 weeks abroad in New Zealand for a belated honeymoon and we had an amazing trip! Here are a few of my favorite photos...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-recKsOKY15s/UcHKE6bU6cI/AAAAAAAABF4/y5xzvRlLTdo/s1600/P5140788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-recKsOKY15s/UcHKE6bU6cI/AAAAAAAABF4/y5xzvRlLTdo/s1600/P5140788.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking in Abel Tasman.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LHV9VR7Sjj0/UcHJ2NT7bUI/AAAAAAAABFo/98sKLlOMgmI/s1600/P5151209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LHV9VR7Sjj0/UcHJ2NT7bUI/AAAAAAAABFo/98sKLlOMgmI/s1600/P5151209.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was super excited about seeing the Tasman Sea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9RrXmuGEeI/UcHJ_71vtyI/AAAAAAAABFw/QLSAglxo3UU/s1600/P5161572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9RrXmuGEeI/UcHJ_71vtyI/AAAAAAAABFw/QLSAglxo3UU/s1600/P5161572.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow over Franz Josef Glacier. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke81wZ_Azxc/UcHKYm0Ng8I/AAAAAAAABGA/iriXpQBCoQU/s1600/P5182043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke81wZ_Azxc/UcHKYm0Ng8I/AAAAAAAABGA/iriXpQBCoQU/s1600/P5182043.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael and me on a pull off point on the Queen's Crowne Road between Wanaka and Queenstown.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rl2UwrE3cXY/UcHKjJLD16I/AAAAAAAABGY/saoF5x9aYjY/s1600/P5192487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rl2UwrE3cXY/UcHKjJLD16I/AAAAAAAABGY/saoF5x9aYjY/s1600/P5192487.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ripple distorts the mirror image in Doubtful Sound. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY-I6YceR4M/UcHKi9aTbfI/AAAAAAAABGQ/ZkwAkCxqLnc/s1600/P5212671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY-I6YceR4M/UcHKi9aTbfI/AAAAAAAABGQ/ZkwAkCxqLnc/s1600/P5212671.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise in Queenstown.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgF4WRZ49Ww/UcHKrcKuD8I/AAAAAAAABGg/zJnqx8t-AF4/s1600/P5182092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgF4WRZ49Ww/UcHKrcKuD8I/AAAAAAAABGg/zJnqx8t-AF4/s1600/P5182092.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Remarkables. We also saw these with a rainbow from our plane on the last day.</td></tr>
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Everything was beautiful and I highly recommend a trip to NZ if you ever have the chance to go. We are already planning our next adventure there:)</div>
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But onto some food. When we returned all I wanted to do was eat some non-processed food. My parents were in town and we made a delicious dinner of recipes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Eat-Vegan-Plant-Powered/dp/0738215619" target="_blank">Let Them Eat Vegan!</a> and we sat outside and it was a wonderful spring evening. The recipe I'm sharing is Dreena's "Lentil Walnut Burgers". These burgers come together quickly once the lentils are cooked and are really savory and delicious. My beef with veggie burgers is that a lot of them try to imitate meat which just makes them taste rubbery and awkward. My favorite veggies burgers showcase the ingredients themselves and are not meat substitutes. This cookbook has a lot of wonderful options for burgers and after making almost all of them I still can't pick a favorite - they all have come out really well.</div>
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So here's the recipe:</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 Tbs olive oil (optional, omit by cooking onions and garlic with lentils)</div>
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1 1/2 c chopped onion</div>
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3 medium to large cloves garlic</div>
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1/8+1/4 tsp sea salt</div>
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Freshly ground black pepper</div>
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2 c cooked green lentils</div>
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1/2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce</div>
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1 1/2 Tbs mild miso</div>
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1 1/4 tsp dried thyme</div>
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1/2 to 3/4 tsp dried sage</div>
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1/2 tsp dried basil</div>
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1 c rolled or quick oats</div>
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3/4 c raw walnuts (toast to enhance the flavor)</div>
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1 c peeled and diced apple tossed with a squeeze of lemon juice</div>
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1. Pour the olive oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1/8 tsp salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 7-8 minutes, until the onion has softened.</div>
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2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, Worcestershire sauce, miso, thyme, sage, basil, and 1/4 tsp salt and blend. When the onion mixture is ready, add this to the food processor and puree again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the oats and walnuts, and pulse a few times to break up the walnuts. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the apple and mix well.</div>
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3. At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture until ready to fry (this will make it firmer and easier to shape). To cook, take scoops of the mixture and form into patties with your hands. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat some olive oil. Add the patties, flatten gently on the pan, and fry for 6 to 9 minutes on each side, until golden and a crust has developed, flipping them over only one or twice, working in batches as needed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TiDbcvUa6Lw/UcHKbbZFUPI/AAAAAAAABGI/vbuT_gO8gLw/s1600/Lentil+Walnut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TiDbcvUa6Lw/UcHKbbZFUPI/AAAAAAAABGI/vbuT_gO8gLw/s1600/Lentil+Walnut.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted butternut squash, Kale Slaw and Lentil Walnut Burger. Homemade ice cream for dessert. Yum!</td></tr>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-47401933837578833882013-02-26T12:24:00.003-08:002013-02-26T12:24:51.561-08:00Jerk chickpeasI'm procrastinating. I should be studying for my German test but I loved this recipe and wanted to share it with all of you today:) I've been meaning to make it for awhile- I love the mix of spices in jerk seasoning and also have been craving chickpeas lately. Michael was busy at work this week (and he doesn't love chickpeas) so I decided to finally make this for my lunches during the week. The original recipe is in<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Eat-Vegan-Plant-Powered/dp/0738215619" target="_blank"> Let Them Eat Vegan!</a> and Dreena shares the recipe on her blog "<a href="http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Plant Powered Kitchen</a>". <a href="http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipe-page/?recipe_id=6031364" target="_blank">Here</a> is a link to the recipe.<br />
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Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list - this dish comes together really quickly and once it's in the oven you can get the rest of your meal together. Jerk chickpeas would be really tasty over rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, sautéed greens or stuffed into a pita or tortilla.<br />
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You can use canned chickpeas but try it at least once with home-cooked chickpeas. They have so much flavor! Cooking your own beans is really easy, it just takes some planning with the soak and cook times but it is still doable even with a busy schedule.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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3-4 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice (see directions)<br />
2 Tbs tamari (I used Bragg's liquid aminos)<br />
1 Tbs olive oil<br />
1 Tbs tomato paste<br />
1 1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup<br />
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves (I completely forgot to add this and it was still tasty without it)<br />
1 tsp ground allspice<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />
1/4 tsp ground black pepper<br />
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger root<br />
2 large garlic cloves, grated<br />
Few pinches red chili flakes (the more the spicier)<br />
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas<br />
3/4-1 cup chopped or sliced red bell pepper<br />
3/4 cup green onions, sliced (white and green portions - reserve 1-2 Tbs for serving)<br />
2 Tbs fresh cilantro or parsley (for serving)<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<br />
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2. In a baking dish (I use an 8 by 12-inch), combine all the ingredients (starting with 3 Tbs of the lime juice) except the chickpeas, red bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Stir until well mixed. Then add the chickpeas, red peppers and green onions and stir again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G-Ra2Mm4E9E/US0YgCbueQI/AAAAAAAABEk/e9BYxfLvp0I/s1600/jerk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G-Ra2Mm4E9E/US0YgCbueQI/AAAAAAAABEk/e9BYxfLvp0I/s1600/jerk1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before stirring the sauce.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UsP8W3lKTrM/US0Yj01_4OI/AAAAAAAABEs/7qL0jQZd-VM/s1600/jerk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UsP8W3lKTrM/US0Yj01_4OI/AAAAAAAABEs/7qL0jQZd-VM/s1600/jerk2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before stirring the chickpeas, red pepper and green onion in the sauce. Pretty colors!</td></tr>
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3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, stir, and bake uncovered for another 5 to 8 minutes, stirring again about halfway through, until the marinade has partially absorbed into the chickpeas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urbYOZInUso/US0Yoj8ln_I/AAAAAAAABE4/lHpkj5u96Q8/s1600/jerk3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urbYOZInUso/US0Yoj8ln_I/AAAAAAAABE4/lHpkj5u96Q8/s1600/jerk3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our house smells so good right now!</td></tr>
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4. Taste - if you'd like more tang, add another 1/2 to 1 Tbs lime juice, and stir well, along with any reserved green onions and fresh cilantro. Serve with sliced avocados and with extra squeezes of lime juice, if desired.<br />
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I hope everyone is staying safe and warm with the snow!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-31542648541024145352013-02-20T07:14:00.001-08:002013-02-20T07:14:15.070-08:00Peanut butter banana oatmealA.k.a. "creamy, gooey, comforting oatmeal that's perfect on a cold morning"<br />
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I'm battling a cold and the semester is plugging along and there's snow in the forecast (finally!). That means it's time to bring back the hot breakfasts. I've been eating a lot of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Harvest-Quinoa-Organic-12-Ounce/dp/B001JJXDSC" target="_blank">hot quinoa</a> lately with a spoon of <a href="http://www.justins.com/products.php" target="_blank">almond butter</a> and it's been a nice way to get the day going. This morning I woke up and decided I wanted something more exciting so I went on one of my favorite blogs "<a href="http://ohsheglows.com/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a>" and found this recipe. It's a single serving recipe but very, very filling and you can probably share it with a friend with some sliced fruit on the side. Or if you're really hungry like I was you can just about finish it up by yourself. You might not even be hungry later for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevenses" target="_blank">elevenses</a> or "smoko". As you can tell, I'm getting ready for our upcoming trip to New Zealand:)<br />
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<a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2012/09/06/early-morning-peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal/" target="_blank">Here's</a> a link to the original recipe.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 very ripe banana, roughly chopped<br />
1 tsp non-dairy butter or coconut oil (I used Earth Balance)<br />
1/2 Tbs natural peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup rolled oats<br />
1/2-1 tsp chia seed (or ground flax)<br />
1 cup almond milk<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/8-14 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
toppings: heaping 1/2 Tbs peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon, pure maple syrup<br />
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1. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the banana and non-dairy butter or oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.<br />
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2. Stir in 1/2 Tbs peanut butter, add the oats, chia, milk, spices and a pinch of salt. Whisk/stir well until combined.<br />
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3. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.<br />
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4. Scoop into a bowl and top with peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon and maple syrup. I used crunchy peanut butter so I didn't add any nuts because there was already a nice crunch in the mix.<br />
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On another note- yesterday was Estes' first birthday!!! We got her a new collar and she spent the day doing what every 1-year old dog does- she slept and played with her new toys.<br />
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Grandma in PA sent her this sweet card:<br />
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She kept me company while I was reading:<br />
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We've been busy lately and trying to get outside as much as possible. Last weekend we went snowshoeing and it was beautiful:</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-24840944039295212802013-01-12T21:34:00.000-08:002013-01-12T21:41:20.065-08:00Tamales!Well, it's the weekend before classes start again. This means: filling the freezer with food to eat on busy days and nights when I have no time to even sit down for a cup of tea, let alone eat dinner. I know you are all busy too, so here's a great recipe for delicious food on the go. Tamales may take a long time to make, but future you will reap the benefits of your labor. You can freeze them and then reheat in a steamer or in the microwave. I bought the ingredients to make tamales (at least the cornhusks and masa harina) last summer with the intention of making them just for fun. That didn't happen. Don't wait to make these like I did! They're not as hard as you think, just time consuming.<br />
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I got the recipe for these is from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X" target="_blank">Veganomicon</a> and it's posted online <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/517748" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm not sure how "authentic" it is, but I think there are probably many ways to make the traditional tamales. These are the vegan version and they're not filled with lard and cheese but trust me, they are so tasty!</div>
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Here are my changes to the original and the commenter's recipe: </div>
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1. I doubled the entire thing. You really need a big pot and giant bowls if you want to double it but other than that it was easy.</div>
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2. I used regular beans instead of refried - I think the original calls for regular too, but you can definitely do it with refried. Keep in mind the spice and sauce mixture with the beans and veggies is pretty tangy and flavorful even with just regular beans.</div>
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3. Since I doubled the recipe, I used one can of pinto beans and 1 can of black beans, just for variety.</div>
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4. The original recipe calls for a clove of garlic, minced and can you believe I ran out of fresh garlic (I know!!!) so I used 1/2 tsp garlic powder x2 instead.</div>
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5. The original calls for 1 cup of frozen corn added to the mix. I don't love corn so I just did whatever was left in a bag I already had in the fridge - about 3/4 cup for the double batch. You can definitely omit the corn or add more if you really like it.</div>
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6. I have this weird problem where I don't want to eat something if it doesn't have any green in it. I added a handful of chopped baby spinach to the other veggies in the sauté and felt much better about the whole thing.<br />
7. I also added a diced carrot which is in the original recipe.</div>
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8. The original calls for 3 Tbs of tomato paste which I also added (6 Tbs for the double recipe).</div>
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9. I used kitchen string for most of the tamales and tried my last one with the corn husk ties. I have a blister on my finger from tying all those strings - the corn husks were more gentle on the fingers and look pretty neat. There are many ways to tie/fold these up but since it was my first time making them I just followed what the recipe said to do, tightly securing the ends with string or strips of cornhusk.</div>
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Some tips on tamale making:</div>
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1. Be patient. Put on your favorite Pandora mix and enjoy the process. Or better yet, make them with a friend or friends! This would also be a great kid activity because you can get your hands messy.</div>
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2. Feel free to experiment with the veggie/bean mix.</div>
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3. You can probably find cornhusks, masa harina corn flour and chiles in adobo sauce at your local grocery store in Colorado, or in an ethnic or specialty store.</div>
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4. A good way to test if the tamales are done steaming is to pull one out and carefully open it (caution - very hot!) and if the masa harina mixture doesn't stick to the cornhusk then it's done. If it sticks, wrap it back up and steam a bit longer, checking again when you think they might be done.</div>
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Pictures of the process and finished products:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uxu1rG-wU6w/UPJDFD8hr9I/AAAAAAAABBw/7_tlJ4SseOo/s1600/Tamale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uxu1rG-wU6w/UPJDFD8hr9I/AAAAAAAABBw/7_tlJ4SseOo/s1600/Tamale.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The masa harina mixture, ready to be put into tamales. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LWaxVAJUy0/UPJDHS2K1tI/AAAAAAAABB4/81Fcp6-H59o/s1600/Tamale3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2LWaxVAJUy0/UPJDHS2K1tI/AAAAAAAABB4/81Fcp6-H59o/s1600/Tamale3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cornhusks, soaking and ready to be made into tamales.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7VsS6I6FVg/UPJDJx62ZRI/AAAAAAAABCA/xTOdFeleibI/s1600/Tamale2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7VsS6I6FVg/UPJDJx62ZRI/AAAAAAAABCA/xTOdFeleibI/s1600/Tamale2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the ingredients that went into the veg/bean mixture, waiting to be made into a mixture to go in tamales.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjq1EI3sg5A/UPJDOce-h2I/AAAAAAAABCI/0iK2BjlOtcE/s1600/Tamale4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjq1EI3sg5A/UPJDOce-h2I/AAAAAAAABCI/0iK2BjlOtcE/s1600/Tamale4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking it all up. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNADYTwJhgk/UPJDRfLKzPI/AAAAAAAABCQ/0ydsPAPP86U/s1600/Tamale5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNADYTwJhgk/UPJDRfLKzPI/AAAAAAAABCQ/0ydsPAPP86U/s1600/Tamale5.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like it's almost ready!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XwXZVBZ5KqE/UPJDY2FJgWI/AAAAAAAABCY/RTOIWnpsmPE/s1600/Tamale6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XwXZVBZ5KqE/UPJDY2FJgWI/AAAAAAAABCY/RTOIWnpsmPE/s1600/Tamale6.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the stuff is in, ready to get rolled up and tied.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SYEEDB1zMjU/UPJDZRjgjaI/AAAAAAAABCg/vUKOa2uo03Q/s1600/Tamale8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SYEEDB1zMjU/UPJDZRjgjaI/AAAAAAAABCg/vUKOa2uo03Q/s1600/Tamale8.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cornhusk ties. Pretty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D2afwJ7tH8U/UPJDbuTevGI/AAAAAAAABCo/GgXb4LLPCfc/s1600/Tamale7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D2afwJ7tH8U/UPJDbuTevGI/AAAAAAAABCo/GgXb4LLPCfc/s1600/Tamale7.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys are almost ready to go into the steamer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TFBLkWl7k_c/UPJDc63lBfI/AAAAAAAABCw/NkY56SnDToA/s1600/Tamale9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TFBLkWl7k_c/UPJDc63lBfI/AAAAAAAABCw/NkY56SnDToA/s1600/Tamale9.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A batch of finished tamales! Success!</td></tr>
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I did taste test one before I put the rest in the freezer but didn't snap a picture. Sorry. It was pretty tasty though! A friend recommended <a href="http://laylita.com/recipes/category/all/by-course/sauces/" target="_blank">this site</a> for some good sauce ideas for serving with the tamales. Also, another friend spoke of sweet tamales - with pumpkin and spices in the mix. I think this is something I'll have to experiment with in the future. Please feel free to comment with any questions. </div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-23595279655817517292013-01-02T15:36:00.001-08:002013-01-02T15:36:28.728-08:00Blueberry oat barsWhat a crazy past few weeks! I was so busy staring at my computer screen and writing, writing, writing, as the semester wound down that the last thing I wanted to do was get back on here to write something else. I'm very happy to report that I've successfully finished my first semester of my program! I'm enjoying this short and much needed break by visiting with friends and family, baking stuff for the freezer, working on a knitting project, reading the Hobbit, and basically just hanging out with Estes in my pjs.<br />
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Today I left the house to pick up some groceries and something exciting happened - blueberries were on sale at Sprouts! Four packs for $5! This was hard to pass up, even though I know blueberries aren't in season. Of course I bought them and then came home to browse the web for good blueberry recipes. I quickly found this one and decided to make it this afternoon. I like the use of oats in the recipe because it's something that would be really good for breakfast as well as for snack or dessert. Michael and I have been trying to eat more oatmeal for breakfast and sometimes the regular bowl of oats just doesn't cut it, I get bored. This morning for example, I made Dreena Burton's "Breakfast Cookies" from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Eat-Vegan-Plant-Powered/dp/0738215619" target="_blank">Let them Eat Vegan!</a> and they definitely covered the wholesome oatmeal breakfast I was looking for but with the shape and taste of a cookie. Yum! I'm also trying to do more oat things or less flour things so I can pass along recipes to my gluten free friends! I like these blueberry bars because there is no flour, just oats and ground up oats. If you're gluten-free just make sure the oats are certified gluten-free. Anyways, here is the link to the original recipe, from <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/07/blueberry-oat-bars.html" target="_blank">FatFree Vegan Kitchen</a>. The nutritional facts won't stay the same for my version because I added and took away things - I tweaked the recipe based on the ingredients I had and didn't have at the house.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wZEhXrmGWc/UOTBDxYWCtI/AAAAAAAABAM/296nk9d2eFk/s1600/Blueoat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wZEhXrmGWc/UOTBDxYWCtI/AAAAAAAABAM/296nk9d2eFk/s1600/Blueoat2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a>1 pint blueberries<br />
1/4 cup agave nectar<br />
1/4 cup orange juice<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 Tbs cornstarch, mixed with enough water to make a smooth paste<br />
3 cups oatmeal (regular, not instant), separated<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 pack apple sauce<br />
3 Tbs olive oil (or oil of your choice - I really like the taste of olive oil in some sweet recipes. Give it a try!)<br />
1 tsp lemon zest<br />
6 more Tbs agave nectar<br />
6 Tbs water<br />
1 more tsp vanilla<br />
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Directions:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Oil an 8x8-inch baking pan (I think mine was 9x9 because the batter was a little bit of a stretch to fit in the pan but it worked out anyways).<br />
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2. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, agave nectar and juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, stir in the vanilla and cornstarch mixture. Continue to stair as the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.<br />
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3. Put 1 1/2 cups of the oatmeal into a food processor and grind it to a fine powder. Pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the remaining oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Mix well. Stir in the apple sauce, olive oil, agave nectar, water and vanilla, and mix well.<br />
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4. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing well to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon the blueberry filling over the batter, and cover the blueberries with the remaining batter. I did this with spoonful drops of the batter that I spread as I went so it stayed on top of the blueberry layer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The white in this picture is the sun shining in from the west. Another sunny day in Colorado:)</td></tr>
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5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.<br />
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You can enjoy these for teatime or for breakfast and they would also make a delicious dessert with some vanilla ice cream!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-59846553102580219392012-11-17T09:01:00.001-08:002012-11-17T09:54:47.301-08:00Stromboli!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well hello, blog world! It's been a long time! As you can probably guess I've been extremely busy with my PhD program and I haven't made the time to do any blogging (or even really a lot of cooking!) these past few months. I assure you, I'm not giving up on the blog. Just needed a break to get used to being back in school. Also, for an awkward amount of time I was only making recipes from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a> and I didn't want you guys to get sick of recipes from the same place (even though they are delicious and you should all try them anyways).</div>
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I have a new cookbook and I'm kind of obsessed with it. It is a little on the hippier side of the hippy spectrum but by that I mean it has a lot of wonderful, whole grain and whole food "healthier" recipes. Do not let this deter you from purchasing a copy. It is a fabulous cookbook and everything I've made out of it so far has been delicious. The cookbook is <a href="http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Dreena Burton</a>'s "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Eat-Vegan-Plant-Powered/dp/0738215619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353168820&sr=8-1&keywords=let+them+eat+vegan" target="_blank">Let them eat vegan</a>!". Really, just go out and buy it. It's one of the few cookbooks I would recommend with no hesitation. For those of you who are gluten free, nut free, and/or soy free she has a lot of recipes in the book that are friendly for you! Also, she gives a proper substitutes that would make the non-gluten/nut/soy free recipes that way. Before getting on with today's recipe, here is a list of what I've made in her cookbook: "Steel-Cut Oats in an Instant!", "Whole-Grain Chia Pancakes", "Cocoa Almond Jumbles", "Spinach Cashew Pizza Cheese Spread", "Beans 'n' Greens Soup", "Peanut Thai Vegetable Stew", "Corn Chowder Quinoa Casserole", "Festive Chickpea Tart", "Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake", "Chai Peanut Butter Ice Cream", "Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream" and maybe a few others I can't remember. I respect this cookbook because it has a substantial dessert section. Anyways, if you have any questions about it just shoot me a comment!<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrD1v_i71GQ/UKe8uwZMoHI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/Qmyv8nQ_taA/s1600/Stromboli6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrD1v_i71GQ/UKe8uwZMoHI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/Qmyv8nQ_taA/s1600/Stromboli6.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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So the stromboli recipe doesn't come from this cookbook, but part of it does, which is why I mentioned the cookbook. I actually made this one up and I'm pretty proud of it. Sometimes, on a Friday evening, after a long week of classes, right before vacation, magic can happen in the kitchen.<br />
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I was planning on making a pizza and using up the leftover red pepper we had from something else and I thought that maybe I should do something a little more exciting. I remembered the "Spinach Cashew Pizza Cheese Spread" from Dreena Burton's cookbook and thought that it would be a good base for the pizza. Then I thought, why stop at pizza when you could make STROMBOLI?? So I did a little research and found an <a href="http://www.vegan-pizza.com/Basic%20Vegan%20Pizza%20Dough.html" target="_blank">easy pizza dough recipe</a>* (I wanted a dough that had to rise just to test out a new recipe, sorry <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-pizza-dough.html" target="_blank">mom</a>) and a <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/stromboli-54691" target="_blank">how-to stromboli recipe</a>.<br />
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OK, here we go:<br />
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<b>Spinach Cashew Pizza Cheese Spread recipe (from "Let them eat vegan!")</b><br />
I halved the original recipe and added a few things so this is not the original recipe, just my version of it.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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- 1/2 cup soaked raw cashews plus 1/4 cup soaked raw almonds, drained (soak for about an hour, that's fine)<br />
- 1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />
- 2 cloves garlic<br />
- 1/4 tsp sea salt<br />
- 1 cup (packed) spinach leaves<br />
- 1 Tbs olive oil<br />
- 1/2 - 1 tsp oregano<br />
- 1/8 tsp onion powder<br />
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
- 1-2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)<br />
- a few spoons of tomato sauce of your choice. (I used my mom's homemade tomato sauce that was in our freezer from her last visit an we used the rest of the frozen batch for stromboli dipping)<br />
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In a food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. This will take a minute or two of processing, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor a few times throughout. Once smooth, use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. With the almonds, it has almost a ricotta texture.<br />
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<b>Stromboli recipe:</b><br />
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1. Get your dough ready. I made the recipe posted above and added some garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, just for extra flavor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dough, right before punching it down.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6c6bpGOBRY/UKe8dALNKsI/AAAAAAAAA-o/jKduanxHfyY/s1600/Stromboli11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D6c6bpGOBRY/UKe8dALNKsI/AAAAAAAAA-o/jKduanxHfyY/s1600/Stromboli11.jpg" height="400" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Estes got flour on her face awwww</td></tr>
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2. Since the dough has to rise for an hour, get your other ingredients ready, make the spinach cashew spread and hang out until the dough is ready.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSe0VlFQz8M/UKe8yNnjuKI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/RHnMaZRGUxc/s1600/Stromboli7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSe0VlFQz8M/UKe8yNnjuKI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/RHnMaZRGUxc/s1600/Stromboli7.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I chose caramelized onions and diced red peppers (and olives - not pictured)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etPKhdZiN2Q/UKe82Zz9_GI/AAAAAAAAA_g/i-IGNcBkgs8/s1600/Stromboli8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etPKhdZiN2Q/UKe82Zz9_GI/AAAAAAAAA_g/i-IGNcBkgs8/s1600/Stromboli8.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spinach cashew spread - it's not the prettiest green color but it tastes wonderful, so trust it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
3. When the dough is ready, put your pizza stone** in the oven and preheat oven to 450ºF.<br />
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4. On a floured surface, roll out/stretch the dough into a rectangle.<br />
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5. Spread the spinach cashew spread on the base, leaving a little room around the top edge. Then add your other toppings (again, we used caramelized onions, red peppers and diced olives).<br />
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6. Carefully roll up, pinching the seams and folding the sides under.<br />
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7. Place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza board (or pan if using) and brush with olive oil.<br />
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8. Pop in the oven and turn down the temperature to 400˚F.<br />
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9. Keep a close eye on the stromboli. It's done when lightly browned on top. This took us about 25 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes then cut with a serrated knife and serve with tomato sauce for dipping.<br />
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I was worried it would be too dry in the middle but it was so perfect. I promise you won't miss the cheese in this. Michael said that next to his favorite stromboli from Gettysburg High School (don't ask), this is a strong second. I'll take it.<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!<br />
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*I used 2.5 cups white all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.<br />
**I used a pizza stone, but you can use a regular baking pan- adjust the baking temperature and time as needed. If you have a pizza stone, definitely use that because it makes the crust nice and crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. Plus, your entire house will smell like a pizzeria and who doesn't want that!?</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-19176950539265899402012-08-04T14:27:00.001-07:002012-08-04T14:27:43.846-07:00Testing testing<div><p>1 2 3! Just trying out a blog post from my new smart phone! I have finally evolved with technology and jumped on the smart phone bandwagon:)</p>
</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-70823267340740998582012-08-03T11:41:00.002-07:002012-08-03T11:41:37.611-07:00Quesadilla sans quesoWe don't have much food in our house. It was a busy week. But, sometimes when the fridge and cupboards are almost bare, something magical happens in the kitchen...<br />
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Today I give you: quesadillas sans queso! Starring- leftover veggie refried black beans, a small avocado that fell through the cracks and a few other magical ingredients.<br />
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Here's what I used but feel free to play with the ingredients and get creative. Salsa would be great, as would some sliced olives or chopped cilantro (none of which we had). You can clean out your fridge too!<br />
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Ingredients (for 1 quesadilla)<br />
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2 whole wheat flour tortillas<br />
a few spoons of vegetarian refried black beans<br />
1 small avocado (or half a medium-large avocado), thinly sliced<br />
hot sauce<br />
lime juice<br />
garlic powder<br />
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1. Spoon on and spread the refried beans, covering one of the tortillas. Place the sliced avocados on top and then sprinkle these with hot sauce, lime juice and garlic powder.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMY-OokWbJg/UBwaxZSfK4I/AAAAAAAAA90/HBfZyY-Rge0/s1600/sans+queso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMY-OokWbJg/UBwaxZSfK4I/AAAAAAAAA90/HBfZyY-Rge0/s400/sans+queso.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before adding the avocado, lime juice and garlic powder (apparently I can't follow the order of my own instructions).</td></tr>
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2. Microwave for about 20-30 seconds, until heated through.<br />
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3. Enjoy!<br />
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I hope everyone out there has a fantastic weekend. We are busy preparing for a stream of August visitors and I'm starting a PhD program in 2 weeks so things are getting a bit hectic here! Keep your eye out for some new posts here though- I have a few in the works:)Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-5716285426061253292012-07-20T07:04:00.000-07:002012-07-20T07:04:12.765-07:00Banana soft serveMy friend Emily has been telling me about banana soft serve for months and I hadn't tried it until about a week or so ago. Let me tell you- it will change your life. Think: creamy, decadent, delicious soft serve ice cream. Made only from bananas. I didn't believe it until I tried it!! I really should listen to Emily more often.<div>
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There are so many ways you can eat this- just plain, or with cocoa powder and peanut butter, with vanilla, spices, etc. So many choices! You can also do some add-ins like chocolate chips, coconut, peanuts, fresh raspberries- the sky's the limit.</div>
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<a href="http://ohsheglows.com/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a> (yes I know I talk about this blog all the time) has some excellent blizzard posts with <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/03/18/chocolate-chip-cooke-dough-blizzard/" target="_blank">cookie dough</a> and <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/07/15/double-chocolate-brownie-dough-blizzard/" target="_blank">brownie</a> add-ins. I've made both and they are so delicious. I think I prefer the cookie dough but the brownie bites are also lovely- I just polished off a few this morning :p </div>
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I love healthier dessert options because you can enjoy a decadent dessert without feeling guilty or disgusting afterwards. Sorry there aren't any pictures in this post- I ate the ice cream before I could take a picture.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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bananas, peeled, broken into bite-sized pieces and frozen</div>
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splash of almond milk (if needed)</div>
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nut butter (optional)</div>
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vanilla (optional)</div>
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other add-ins as desired</div>
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Place the frozen bananas in a food processor and process until smooth and creaming, scraping down the sides as needed. If the bananas aren't breaking down add a splash of almond milk. Add whatever mix-ins you like and continue processing.</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-13923995355149805412012-07-03T11:29:00.000-07:002012-07-03T11:29:52.308-07:00July 4th cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrkCtqLNuKY/T_M41F8aHyI/AAAAAAAAA9g/5m6M6bVlCJs/s1600/july4th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrkCtqLNuKY/T_M41F8aHyI/AAAAAAAAA9g/5m6M6bVlCJs/s400/july4th.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made these last year for the 4th of July and thought I'd post a picture for this year! You can make them with any kind of cupcakes but I used the lemony variation on the vanilla cupcakes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739" target="_blank">Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World</a>. For frosting, I just did a basic vegan frosting but added vanilla extract. You can google recipes for these or just use any of the recipes in Vegan Cupcakes.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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15 cupcakes<br />
white frosting<br />
blueberries<br />
strawberries<br />
toothpicks<br />
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1. Prepare the cupcakes and let them cool entirely before frosting. Place the cupcakes in a 9x13 inch baking pan.<br />
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2. Cut the strawberries in half. Using toothpicks (broken in half) gently pierce the fruit on one side and then put the other end in to the cupcakes, forming an American flag pattern. It takes some patience and the result is an abstract American flag but people will get what it's supposed to be. Be sure to warn unsuspecting eaters about the toothpicks!<br />
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Happy Fourth of July, everyone!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-68609369669232535702012-06-27T12:13:00.002-07:002012-06-27T12:13:54.794-07:00Date nightWe had a date night last weekend and it was so much fun. Our date night happened for a few reasons: reason the first- things have been pretty crazy around here since we got our little puppy Estes. It's been much more challenging for us to get out of the house for a date or even just to spend time alone without her. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with our puppy but it's still important that Michael and I get some alone time!<br />
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Reason the second: I'm going back to school in the fall to work on my PhD and my schedule is going to be so crazy. We realized that I do most of the cooking (because I love to!) and I won't have that kind of time in the fall. So Michael is going to have to do more cooking which is great but not as fun for him to plan by himself so we decided to start trying out new recipes together.<br />
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So this post doesn't include any recipes but I thought I'd share some pictures of the food we made. By the way- whether you're in a couple or not a date night is something you should try. It would be fun with one of your friends or even just by yourself. The point is to try something you haven't made before and to take your time and enjoy the cooking process. We definitely took our time and enjoyed the process. It took us about 2 or 3 hours with all the prep and cooking but the meal was well worth it and it was enjoyable to spend the time together making something special we both could enjoy.<br />
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Our menu:<br />
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Potato kale enchiladas with mole sauce<br />
Mexican millet<br />
Strawberry plum crisp (all from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X" target="_blank">Veganomicon</a>)<br />
Vanilla ice cream (from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chloes-Kitchen-Delicious-Recipes-Making/dp/1451636741" target="_blank">Chloe's Kitchen</a>)<br />
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This took such a long time to make because I don't know if you've ever made it before but mole sauce takes some planning. It's easy to make and definitely something worth trying but I think next time we'd make it the day before or earlier on in the day so the meal could come together with less dirty dishes.<br />
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I'll leave you with some pictures:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqAKPZSaPD4/T-tZq0BnRPI/AAAAAAAAA8U/lnmReVaz7IU/s1600/Date+night+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqAKPZSaPD4/T-tZq0BnRPI/AAAAAAAAA8U/lnmReVaz7IU/s400/Date+night+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael, prepping the mole sauce</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v20xPzDxZ6g/T-tZwA93p3I/AAAAAAAAA8s/gjElEdKUcu0/s1600/Date+night2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v20xPzDxZ6g/T-tZwA93p3I/AAAAAAAAA8s/gjElEdKUcu0/s400/Date+night2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spice mix for the mole sauce</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXtq20r0JD4/T-tZsusR-7I/AAAAAAAAA8c/ulXtbAxsq_A/s1600/Date+night+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXtq20r0JD4/T-tZsusR-7I/AAAAAAAAA8c/ulXtbAxsq_A/s400/Date+night+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Millet on the left, potato/kale enchilada mixture on the right.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLPetU-Q3yY/T-tZ4e1aUnI/AAAAAAAAA9U/DUC1hkUknH4/s1600/Date+night9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLPetU-Q3yY/T-tZ4e1aUnI/AAAAAAAAA9U/DUC1hkUknH4/s400/Date+night9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished enchiladas! They don't look delicious but they were.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NyjHmjr_pdo/T-tZ2juJMuI/AAAAAAAAA9M/j84JSqQjpPw/s1600/Date+night8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NyjHmjr_pdo/T-tZ2juJMuI/AAAAAAAAA9M/j84JSqQjpPw/s320/Date+night8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Mexican millet.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dYoO2R42wXE/T-tZuK8nGCI/AAAAAAAAA8k/O1KV0V_JEY8/s1600/Date+night10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dYoO2R42wXE/T-tZuK8nGCI/AAAAAAAAA8k/O1KV0V_JEY8/s400/Date+night10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael, posing with our food.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpdjQ3HNX2g/T-tZ07qkerI/AAAAAAAAA9E/rhYyzBsyAp8/s1600/Date+night7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpdjQ3HNX2g/T-tZ07qkerI/AAAAAAAAA9E/rhYyzBsyAp8/s400/Date+night7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummmmm</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zpTX-M-jgYo/T-tZzWaHZaI/AAAAAAAAA88/IAOXEj9tY38/s1600/Date+night6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zpTX-M-jgYo/T-tZzWaHZaI/AAAAAAAAA88/IAOXEj9tY38/s400/Date+night6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget about dessert!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-10959749088788470062012-06-16T19:03:00.002-07:002012-06-16T19:03:25.231-07:00W.O.L.F. SanctuaryMichael and I stumbled across a neat organization on the Front Range called "<a href="http://www.wolfsanctuary.net/" target="_blank">W.O.L.F. Sanctuary</a>". It's a nonprofit that helps wolves and wolf dogs. We came across this group from a random email I received from a Fort Collins vegan group asking for meals via <a href="http://www.mealtrain.com/view/?id=nbhH8mWq6gI%3d" target="_blank">Meal Train</a> to give to volunteers from W.O.L.F. Sanctuary who were helping relocate and take care of the <a href="http://www.9news.com/news/article/272000/0/PHOTOS-Wolves-evacuated-from-sanctuary-in-High-Park-Fire" target="_blank">wolves</a> displaced by the <a href="http://www.9news.com/news/article/271999/346/Concern-over-wolf-sanctuary-in-Larimer-County-during-High-Park-Fire" target="_blank">High Park wildfire</a>. (As many of you know, since it made national news, there's a giant wildfire burning near Fort Collins. We're OK where we are- but we can see smoke from our bedroom window at night!) <div>
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So anyways. I got this email asking for food for the volunteers and I thought YES! Food! I can help! I didn't know anything about the organization but I thought it'd be a great way to help with the wildfire in some way. We've recently been devouring the "Best Garlic Bread in the World" from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chloes-Kitchen-Delicious-Recipes-Making/dp/1451636741" target="_blank">Chloe's Kitchen</a> (amazing- just Earth Balance buttery spread, nutritional yeast, minced garlic- our new "go-to" bread) and I decided to bring that with Chloe's "Ooh-la-la Lasagna". I hadn't made the lasagna yet so Michael and I made a double batch to try it out so we could have one too. Ooh la la! It was fabulous. The cremini mushrooms added a toothsome bite which was a nice addition. So glad we brought those helpful volunteers some yummy food.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOfL1f1dnqc/T906S72FwVI/AAAAAAAAA8A/8YG6kgi0eJs/s1600/garlic+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOfL1f1dnqc/T906S72FwVI/AAAAAAAAA8A/8YG6kgi0eJs/s400/garlic+bread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before going in the oven!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8H8FlMGIlR4/T906aqdRVqI/AAAAAAAAA8I/KDT8mB-l0GQ/s1600/lasagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8H8FlMGIlR4/T906aqdRVqI/AAAAAAAAA8I/KDT8mB-l0GQ/s400/lasagne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really bad picture of a really delicious lasagna!</td></tr>
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When we brought the food up to the people helping with the wolves one of the kind volunteers offered to give us a tour and meet some of the wolves! (!!) Michael and I actually got to get up really close to them and they licked Michael's hand! A lot of these guys were actually wolf dogs and we only got to see the calm and friendly ones (of course) but it was still so cool. They are huge and their paws are gigantic. It's so sad the fire got to where they live but from the sound of it they will get to go back once the fire has cleared. And apparently the fire is leaving some grassy patches.</div>
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So no recipes with this post but really, go buy Chloe's Kitchen- I haven't met a recipe in it I haven't liked! Also- check out the W.O.L.F. Sanctuary <a href="http://www.wolfsanctuary.net/" target="_blank">site</a>. Also- they are having a fundraiser the end of the month that looks like fun. <a href="http://www.wolfsanctuary.net/88-special/88-29-2012_Waltz_01.htm" target="_blank">Check it out</a>!</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-40697560045302172832012-06-09T06:14:00.002-07:002012-06-09T06:14:26.712-07:00"Mexican" style pizzaI think about food a lot. Yesterday I was thinking about how to use up the food we already have in our fridge before going on vacation. I had made Spanish rice with some salsa twice in the past week or so and had about 3/4 cup of salsa leftover so I thought hmmm I want pizza... but how can I use up the salsa.... !!! I decided to put the salsa on the pizza instead of tomato sauce. Really? I have no idea how I'd never thought of this before. I used my mom's pizza dough recipe but you can use whatever recipe you have. I'll do a dough recipe if I haven't already but here's what I did for the toppings at least:)<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 recipe pizza dough<br />
salsa, enough to cover the pizza like a tomato sauce<br />
a few cloves of garlic, minced<br />
vegetarian refried beans<br />
1 onion and 1 green pepper diced and sautéed<br />
about half a can of black olives, cut in half<br />
1 recipe <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/08/18/quick-dirty-5-ingredient-vegan-cheeze-sauce-recipe-challenge/" target="_blank">cheeze sauce</a> (or if you're not vegan, just use whatever cheese you like)<br />
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1. Preheat the oven and get the dough ready. I bake my pizza at 425ºF.<br />
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2. Prepare the toppings.<br />
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3. To assemble the pizza: Sauce, garlic, dollops of refried beans (to taste), onion and pepper, black olives, cheeze sauce.<br />
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4. Bake for about 15 minutes. This depends on the kind of dough you have and the method you choose for baking- just make sure the dough is lightly browned on the bottom and no longer doughy.<br />
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Really, you can put whatever you'd like on the pizza- I bet some fresh cilantro or some salsa verde or other kinds of peppers would be fantastic. I was just trying to use what we already had:) I'd post more pictures but I have to pack!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72ilderlOt4/T9NLmkx3IdI/AAAAAAAAA70/bVnRsPhOzv8/s1600/mexicanpizza2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72ilderlOt4/T9NLmkx3IdI/AAAAAAAAA70/bVnRsPhOzv8/s400/mexicanpizza2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed my slice with a nice bottle of <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/detail.aspx?id=84ea39a5-9587-4ff9-b178-28ee10cb5c0f" target="_blank">Somersault</a>:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-75373474138121587442012-06-02T14:41:00.002-07:002012-06-02T14:41:44.226-07:00Grilled pizzas with spinach, artichoke hearts and olivesEver since we made the grilled kale/sweet potato/pesto pizzas from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chloes-Kitchen-Delicious-Recipes-Making/dp/1451636741" target="_blank">Chloe's Kitchen</a> I've been wanting to try grilling other kinds of pizzas. Last night I got my chance! We just recently purchased a chest freezer for our basement (hooray for stocking up on foods!) and I was cleaning out our freezer and found some leftover naan dough- basically, pizza dough. I decided use it to make.... grilled pizzas! Michael and I are going away soon and I didn't want to get a lot of stuff at the store so I also checked out our cabinets and fridge and found some perfect toppings for this pizza. I pulled out another container of <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/05/moms-tomato-sauce.html" target="_blank">mom's tomato sauce</a> and we were good to go! I also found a great recipe for a cheesy sauce on <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/08/18/quick-dirty-5-ingredient-vegan-cheeze-sauce-recipe-challenge/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a> which we drizzled on top of the pizzas. Don't be afraid to try this sauce- it's so easy to make and it does add a nice cheesy topping for the pizza. We'll be using it again on pizzas and definitely over pasta for a quick and easy mac and cheese.<br />
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Ingredients:</div>
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pizza dough, rolled into individual-sized pizzas, about the thickness of a tortilla</div>
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toppings of choice- we used:</div>
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tomato sauce</div>
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minced garlic</div>
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sautéed spinach and onions</div>
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olives</div>
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artichoke hearts</div>
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<a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/08/18/quick-dirty-5-ingredient-vegan-cheeze-sauce-recipe-challenge/" target="_blank">cheeze sauce</a></div>
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1. Get toppings ready. </div>
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2. Pre-heat the grill. Roll out the pizza dough into thin, tortilla-like crusts and brush both sides with olive oil.<br />
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3. Be sure all your toppings are ready. Bring them outside with the prepared pizza dough. You might want to line the toppings up as on an assembly line. The grilling process is really fast!<br />
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4. Place each dough tortilla shape on the grill and grill for a few minutes on one side, until there are grill marks on the bottom. Flip over and quickly add the desired toppings while the uncooked side of the dough gets cooked. This happens really fast so do be sure to be quick but careful. I couldn't get a picture of this process but it's not difficult- just make sure all your toppings are ready to go on the pizza. We did our toppings in the following order: tomato sauce, garlic, spinach/onion mixture, olives, artichoke hearts, cheese sauce.</div>
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5. The pizza is done when the bottoms have grill marks on them. Really, they're probably done about a minute after you put all the toppings on. The dough was crispy and the toppings were gooey and zingy- a very nice way to enjoy a pizza!<br />
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The results were amazing! Michael even liked eating his as a pizza taco:)</div>
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And for the Estes fans out there- here's what she was doing while I was cooking: patiently waiting for her dinner.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jf_J2uNOgC0/T8qHWX3XVhI/AAAAAAAAA64/NZcJ9LI2nRw/s1600/grilledpizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jf_J2uNOgC0/T8qHWX3XVhI/AAAAAAAAA64/NZcJ9LI2nRw/s400/grilledpizza.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-59871269576087193372012-06-01T06:04:00.000-07:002012-06-01T06:04:34.716-07:00Hot millet and quinoa cerealI've been intrigued with millet lately. I love it in bread and have been experimenting with it in soups and other things. It's really yummy as a hot breakfast cereal and the quinoa here adds another interesting texture and flavor. The recipe was inspired by my google search which turned up <a href="http://flavordiva.com/2009/09/22/quinoa-millet-hot-cereal-a-yoga-inspired-breakfast/" target="_blank">this site</a>. I tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes and then halved the amounts so I could eat it by myself for breakfast. I was pretty hungry and prepping for a run this morning and could just barely finish the two servings. But, I also added a banana to the mix so that probably didn't help things. This would be great with some chopped nuts or dried fruit or different kinds of sweeteners.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1/4 cup millet<br />
1/8 cup quinoa<br />
1 1/4 cup water<br />
splash of soy milk<br />
splash of maple syrup<br />
1 banana, smashed<br />
cinnamon, to taste<br />
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1. Rinse the quinoa and millet and place in a small saucepan with the water and maybe a dash of salt.<br />
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2. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Add more water if it looks dry and cook longer if there's still water in the pan.<br />
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3. Add desired toppings and enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vMO8tHbGQWQ/T8i9PtTXMyI/AAAAAAAAA6s/lYfmC21OSkE/s1600/milletquinoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vMO8tHbGQWQ/T8i9PtTXMyI/AAAAAAAAA6s/lYfmC21OSkE/s400/milletquinoa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-87933582670143454702012-05-31T18:37:00.000-07:002012-05-31T18:43:48.654-07:00Clean-out-your-fridge fried riceIt's the end of my work week and it's been a week since our last grocery trip. This means that I'm tired and there's not a lot of food in the house. So, when looking through the cabinets this morning I decided to make some fried rice and clean out some of the older veggies and things from our fridge and freezer. I made the rice this morning (it's best if it's cold when you add it to the stir fry- this little gem of cooking knowledge is thanks to my friend Emily) and then popped it in the fridge for the day. All I had to do when I got home was press and fry the tofu and cut the veggies for the stir fry. So easy. Feel free to play around with the ingredients, especially the sauces. I used leftover homemade sweet and sour sauce from some skewers we did on the grill this weekend. I bet a simple soy sauce would be great too. I'll just put down the ingredients for what we had but again, feel free to play around with the recipe.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UiDvI9IFl_U/T8gbp-TdYcI/AAAAAAAAA6M/vwQv-dViiFk/s1600/fridgefried6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UiDvI9IFl_U/T8gbp-TdYcI/AAAAAAAAA6M/vwQv-dViiFk/s320/fridgefried6.jpg" width="320" /></a>Ingredients: (4 servings)<br />
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cold brown rice (from 1 cup dry)<br />
1 onion, cut in moon shapes<br />
a few cloves of garlic, minced<br />
a few handfuls of kale, chopped<br />
part of a bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas and corn)<br />
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into desired pieces<br />
sesame oil<br />
soy sauce<br />
toasted sesame seeds<br />
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1. Make your rice ahead of time and stick it in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.<br />
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2. When ready to make the fried rice, drain then press the tofu for about 10 minutes. Cut into desired shapes and fry in a bit of sesame oil until browned. Set aside.<br />
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3. Chop up the other veggies and heat up a splash of sesame oil in a wok (or a big pan, but really, a wok is fantastic).<br />
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3. When the oil is heated, sauté the onions until translucent or even starting to brown. Add the kale and garlic and heat until the kale is wilty. Add the frozen mixed veggies and a splash of soy sauce and sauté mixture until it's heated through and starting to cook. The kale should be all wilted by now.<br />
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4. Add the rice and fry for a few minutes, stirring and flipping it over as it cooks. Now add the sauce and stir until it's mixed in- add the tofu last and gently stir and cook for about another minute so it can absorb some sauce.<br />
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5. Serve with some toasted sesame seeds or soy sauce if desired.<br />
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This rice would also be great with some pineapple and cashews, maybe some beans instead of tofu, or with different spices and even non-asian influenced sauces. Go nuts!<br />
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Here's what Estes was doing while I was cooking:<br />
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Happy weekend!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-86425932312057795742012-05-30T07:25:00.002-07:002012-05-30T07:25:30.437-07:00Peanut butter and banana toastThis is a super easy and very filling breakfast (or lunch or snack). My cousin made something similar to it last year when we were all in Florida and it inspired me to make this version. I was prepping for a big jog (woo! I'm running again!) and wanted a good breakfast in me.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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2 pieces toast (I used Ezekial brand)<br />
1 banana<br />
1-2 Tbs peanut butter<br />
honey<br />
cinnamon<br />
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Make your toast. Spread peanut butter evenly over each slice. Then, thinly slice the banana on top of the peanut butter. Drizzle honey and sprinkle cinnamon on top.<br />
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So easy. I have a few other posts up my sleeves but have been having trouble getting them up because of our lovely little puppy and her crazy schedule. Right now she's sleeping on the stairs so I thought I'd get a quick post in. More to come!<br />
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On a running note- for you locals, there's a 5K at Grimm Brothers Brewery in Loveland on July 4th. Free pint after the race! Michael and I are running in it! This will be my first race post knee injury so I'm excited and glad that so far the running has been going well. If this goes well we'll see about the 10K I have on my wish list for the end of July...Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-66014830178843101412012-05-17T18:31:00.002-07:002012-05-17T18:32:16.524-07:00Creamy pastaToday was a long day and it's been a long week. I got home from work today and the only thing I wanted was to have take-out or a big gooey cheesy pizza or box mac n cheese. On days like today I try to take a step back and think about how I'll feel after I eat any of these things. I'm not saying I never have that food but when I'm already stressed the last thing I want to do is stress about how I feel after I eat. So instead of the tofu scramble we planned on having I decided to whip up a creamy pasta dish. Comforting, creamy, easy, and I already had all the ingredients on hand. I can't take any credit for the recipe- it comes from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/03/quick-and-easy-vegan-alfredo/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a>. Angela served hers with some sautéed greens and I served ours with sautéed garlic, onions, red pepper and spinach. Basically we used up the veggies left in our fridge. Don't expect alfredo sauce but it really is a nice, creamy sauce. I think I'll play around with the non-dairy milk and try something other than almond next time. Sometimes the almond taste comes through too much for me, even though we use just plain, unsweetened.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
16 oz or less of pasta<br />
1/3 heaping cup raw cashews<br />
3 garlic cloves<br />
3 Tbs nutritional yeast<br />
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs almond milk (as needed to make it as thin or thick as you'd like)<br />
1 Tbs lemon juie<br />
2 Tbs Earth Balance<br />
2 tsp soy sauce<br />
2 tsp Dijon mustard<br />
1/2 tsp miso paste (optional)<br />
1 Tbs tahini<br />
pinch of nutmeg<br />
salt, to taste (about 1/4-1/2 tsp?)<br />
1/2 tsp paprika, to taste<br />
freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
veggies or herbs of your choke to add into the mix<br />
<br />
1. Cook the pasta according to directions. Cook veggies.<br />
<br />
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<br />
2. Add all ingredients except for pasta and veggies to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.<br />
<br />
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<br />
3. When pasta is done, drain it and pour in the sauce and veggies and cook on medium heat until heated through.<br />
<br />
4. Serve with a nice glass of red wine, especially if you've had a long week!<br />
<br />
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<br />
With just a little teeny bit of work you can skip the processed crap and still have an easy and comforting dinner after a long week. This dish took all of 15-20 minutes. You could even skip the fresh sautéed veggies and add some frozen spinach or broccoli and garlic powder into the mix. Even easier!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-28612366816987032432012-05-12T20:33:00.001-07:002012-05-12T20:33:51.176-07:00My first tofu scrambleI've been wanting to make a tofu scramble for a long time and tonight was finally my night! It came up on our menu because we're going to Moab with some friends soon and are planning on making tofu scrambles for breakfast and I wanted to do some test runs before bringing the recipe there. This one is definitely a keeper. I've been to some breakfast places and ordered tofu scrambles before and all they do is crumble tofu (unseasoned) into a scramble of veggies. Not too exciting. I like this recipe because it has a lot of spices for flavor and nutritional yeast to give it a more eggy/cheesy texture and taste. For those of you who love scrambled eggs and are leery about tofu- still give this a try but it might not do it for you, unless you're trying to cut out eggs from your diet. If you're like me and never loved scrambled eggs but liked them then you might love this recipe. OK so anyways, this comes from the <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2009/10/tof-u-and-tof-me-scrambled-tofu-revisited/" target="_blank">Post Punk Kitchen blog site</a>. It's a great base for whatever add-ins you'd like to use. I added onions, red pepper, spinach and some fake bacon bits.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
Spice blend:<br />
2 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed with your fingers<br />
1/2 tsp ground turmeric<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
3 Tbs water<br />
<br />
2 Tbs olive oil<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 5)<br />
1 lb extra-firm tofu, drained<br />
1/4 cup nutritional yeast<br />
fresh black pepper to taste<br />
(+any other add-ons)<br />
<br />
1. Stir the spice blend together in a small cup. Add water and mix then set aside.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XdmpGV9ARo/T68ppzrAVNI/AAAAAAAAA4c/iP7Y_4sEOsM/s1600/tofuscram3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XdmpGV9ARo/T68ppzrAVNI/AAAAAAAAA4c/iP7Y_4sEOsM/s400/tofuscram3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
2. Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic (and onion if using) in olive oil for about 4 minutes. Here is when I sautéed the chopped red pepper, followed by the spinach.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-LqVl19eJI/T68qNiDI_KI/AAAAAAAAA4s/NZ0yOiFDdoo/s1600/estybesty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-LqVl19eJI/T68qNiDI_KI/AAAAAAAAA4s/NZ0yOiFDdoo/s400/estybesty.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's what little Estes was doing while I was cooking:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
3. Break the tofu apart into bite sized pieces and sauté for about 10 minutes, using a spatula to stir often. Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom and don't let it stick to the pan, that is where the good, crispy stuff is. The tofu should get browned on at least one side, but you don't need to be too precise about it. The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the ban. If that is happening, turn the heat up and let the water evaporate.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K36yYiGTaLE/T68prV00NYI/AAAAAAAAA4k/BqeoJUyyMuE/s1600/tofuscram4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K36yYiGTaLE/T68prV00NYI/AAAAAAAAA4k/BqeoJUyyMuE/s400/tofuscram4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before spice blend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tBztUALQ8Ik/T68poTQPy9I/AAAAAAAAA4U/J25MjzFvfV4/s1600/tofuscram2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tBztUALQ8Ik/T68poTQPy9I/AAAAAAAAA4U/J25MjzFvfV4/s400/tofuscram2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After spice blend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
4. Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.<br />
<br />
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<br />
We ate this for dinner but it would make an excellent breakfast choice too, of course!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-37737143303362901472012-05-10T19:53:00.002-07:002012-05-10T19:55:14.053-07:00Mom's tomato sauceI made this sauce on Sunday afternoon and for one of the first times our new house smelled like a home! I mean, it was probably a mix of the freshly cut grass from Saturday, the rain that was coming down and this sauce, but still! The sauce smells wonderful. But really, anything with sautéed onions and garlic smells amazing. It brings me back to my childhood when my mom often had a pot of this simmering on the stove.<br />
<br />
A key to this recipe is the quality of canned tomatoes you get. I like <a href="http://www.muirglen.com/" target="_blank">Muir Glen</a> because they are organic, good quality and the cans are now BPA free! My mom likes Red Pack. The point is- don't get the cheap store brand stuff. This recipe makes a lot of sauce but the good news is you can freeze it in small containers and pull it out as needed (which is what we did!). Feel free to play around with the herbs and spices in the recipe or to substitute fresh ones. I just pruned our basil plants and used them. I also added a splash more wine:)<br />
<br />
Without further ado...<br />
<br />
Mom's Tomato Sauce Recipe<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
2 cans (29 oz) Tomato Puree</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WfK35N8lf90/T6x9CJcxXhI/AAAAAAAAA4A/I_PkBB5sJcE/s1600/tomatosauce2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WfK35N8lf90/T6x9CJcxXhI/AAAAAAAAA4A/I_PkBB5sJcE/s320/tomatosauce2.jpg" width="320" /></a>1 can (29 oz) Whole Tomatoes (you chop or cut up)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>½ cup dry red
wine (or as much as you like)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Tbsp olive oil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 sm onion chopped well</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4 garlic cloves minced or chopped and crushed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
¼ cup green pepper chopped fine (you may omit this if you
want)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 tsp salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 tsp sugar (or agave nectar)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ground pepper (to taste)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 tsp dried Basil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 tsp dried Oregano</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I added some rosemary)</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Cook onions and garlic in oil just until tender (don’t
brown).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Add tomato puree, tomatoes
and wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring to just boil and
reduce to simmer.</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. Add rest of
ingredients and simmer for about 1 ½ hrs (stirring occasionally).</div>
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<br /></div>
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4. Taste to adjust spices (may need more).</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
See! It's really easy. Plan ahead and freeze a bunch of containers of it and then you'll have sauce on hand for whenever you want it!</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-6690090083755527702012-05-06T12:59:00.001-07:002012-05-06T13:00:00.078-07:00Banana walnut wafflesIf you couldn't already tell from my last two posts, we've had a surplus of over-ripe bananas in our house. Michael and I both really love banana nut muffins and so I was browsing through some breakfasty recipes in my cookbooks and found this one for banana nut waffles. Perfect, because we still have a bunch of bananas to use up soon. There are two left- maybe I'll throw together some banana bread to stick in the freezer. Anyways, the recipe comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-The-Ultimate-Vegan-Cookbook/dp/156924264X" target="_blank">Veganomicon</a> and I just changed a few parts of it to suit my tastes.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
2 c almond milk<br />
2 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />
2 average-sized bananas<br />
3 Tbs olive oil<br />
3 Tbs pure maple syrup<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 c all-purpose unbleached white flour<br />
3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1/4 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 cup walnuts, chopped finely<br />
<br />
1. Preheat your waffle iron. Pour the milk and vinegar into a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2. Mash the bananas very well in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk mixture, oil, syrup and vanilla and stir.<br />
<br />
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Use a fork to combine. Do not overmix, just mix until there are minimal lumps left. Fold in the chopped walnuts.<br />
<br />
4. Spray the cooking surfaces of your waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray and cook the waffles according to manufacturer's directions.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgKrs3WpvJc/T6bXM4RO0xI/AAAAAAAAA3s/-rMw3fyleaE/s1600/banwal6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgKrs3WpvJc/T6bXM4RO0xI/AAAAAAAAA3s/-rMw3fyleaE/s400/banwal6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep waffles warm in the oven!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Serve these with strawberries or other fresh fruit and lots of maple syrup. This is a perfect weekend breakfast dish that can carry over through the week- waffles freeze really well! Just pop them in the toaster and voilà, fresh waffles during the week. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IE-dTuWdJOg/T6bXFZ9zPlI/AAAAAAAAA3M/hNcflIFDpgM/s1600/banwal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IE-dTuWdJOg/T6bXFZ9zPlI/AAAAAAAAA3M/hNcflIFDpgM/s400/banwal2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RZDbISEdFY/T6bXDqkLjBI/AAAAAAAAA3E/94RR4aY0Q2c/s1600/banwal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RZDbISEdFY/T6bXDqkLjBI/AAAAAAAAA3E/94RR4aY0Q2c/s400/banwal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-22424943433034984322012-05-05T07:32:00.003-07:002012-05-05T07:32:54.151-07:00Banana cupcakes with lemon icingI've been busy! Busy with other stuff, not with updating my blog. But here is a recipe for a delicious dessert that can hold its own during any season. The banana cupcakes are fall-ish but with the lemon frosting they instantly become summery. They're easy to make and the recipe comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chloes-Kitchen-Delicious-Recipes-Making/dp/1451636741" target="_blank">Chloe's Kitchen</a>. You can make the cupcakes ahead of time and pop them in the fridge or freezer- just thaw before frosting and frost them just before eating. I think these cupcakes would also make a lovely cake with lemon glaze. Maybe I'll do that next time. The recipe says it makes 18 cupcakes but I just made 12 and then a mini cake which I snacked on while I was cooking other things. I also filled the cupcake liners more than normal so they were fuller cupcakes. Feel free to make 18 though.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cupcake Ingredients:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
<div>
1 cup sugar</div>
<div>
1 tsp baking powder</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
<div>
1 tsp salt</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp ground cloves</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp ground ginger</div>
<div>
1 cup mashed bananas, from approximately 2 very ripe bananas mashed on a plate using the back of a fork.</div>
<div>
1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring</div>
<div>
1/2 cup canola oil</div>
<div>
2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar</div>
<div>
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract</div>
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Icing Ingredients:</div>
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1 cup powdered sugar</div>
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3-4 tsp lemon juice</div>
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1 Tbs water</div>
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1/4-1 tsp lemon zest</div>
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1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake pan with liners.</div>
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2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. In a separate bowl, whisk together banana, coconut milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla.</div>
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3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.</div>
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4. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted int he center of a cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.</div>
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To make the icing:</div>
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Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, water and zest in a small bowl until smooth.</div>
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To assemble the cupcakes:</div>
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Spread a thin layer of the lemon icing over each cupcake. </div>
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<br /></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-44477616348033014162012-04-26T06:51:00.001-07:002012-04-26T06:51:22.370-07:00Artichokes with garlic and parsleyThere are a few dishes that remind me of each of my grandparents and this is one of them. It reminds me of my mom's mom, Josephine. She was born in Italy and came over to the U.S. when she was 2 years old. She grew up eating real Italian food and a few of the recipes were passed down to her kids and grandkids. I remember her making artichokes like this all the time when I was little at big family dinners. My grandmother was crazy about feeding people and there was always a full house with food for 3 times the number of people who were there. The taste of this dish will always bring me back to big family dinners at my grandparents' house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grammy</td></tr>
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These artichokes are really fun to eat- they're messy and you have to work for it but they are so worth it. Be careful of the little prickly hairs as you get to the heart- scrape these off and do not try to eat them. You will most certainly get them stuck in your throat. How anyone ever decided to eat artichokes is beyond me. BUT when you get to the heart, after you scrape off all the little hairs, you get to the most delicious and meaty part of of the artichoke. It's wonderful.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
artichokes, your choice on the number<br />
parsley, chopped (amount depends on how many artichokes you're preparing)<br />
garlic, minced- a ton of it<br />
olive oil- a few Tbs per artichoke<br />
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How to prepare:<br />
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1. Cut sharp tips off with scissors and cut the bottom stem so it lays flat.<br />
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2. Stretch out the leaves as best as you can and rinse out gently with water.<br />
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3. Stuff in between the leaves with parsley and garlic and then drizzle with olive oil in between the leaves. Add a pinch of salt.</div>
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4. Now, place in the prepared pot (about an inch of water, or at least so the stem is in the water) and steam for about 30 minutes or until the leaves can pull off easily. </div>
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How to eat:</div>
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1. Pull off the leaves and, holding the thinner end, put the larger end in your mouth and pull it out, scraping your teeth on the leaf to get the meat off of it. Discard the leaf on a plate. Repeat until you get to the center of the artichoke.<br />
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2. Once you get to the little hairs, scrap them off with a spoon and discard these. You DO NOT want to eat them. Trust me.<br />
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3. Eat your heart out with the heart!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-68597929719322166662012-04-23T18:42:00.001-07:002012-04-23T18:43:12.870-07:00Chickpea of the sea saladI've heard of this so many times and finally today I decided to try it: chickpea of the sea! It's supposed to be like tuna fish which of course it isn't exactly but it totally satisfies that tuna salady lunchtime craving. My mom loved it and she isn't a vegetarian so it passed the non-veg test. We sat outside and ate at our new table with the umbrella up and it was a perfect way to spend a relaxing lunchtime.<br />
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I got the recipe from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/vegetarian-lunch-chickpea-of-t-114022" target="_blank">this site</a> after doing a lot of online searching for recipes for the salad. I just googled "chickpea of the sea" and this was the first one that came up. After looking at the others I thought this would be a good fit. I was right! Feel free to add or sub anything you prefer. I added some diced dill pickles to it- yum! I bet it would be really good with some diced apples or raisins.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br />
1/4 cup vegenaise<br />
1 Tbs whole grain mustard<br />
1 1/2 Tbs umebochi vinegar (gives it a sea-like taste but you can use regular vinegar instead)<br />
2 tsp celery seeds<br />
1/4 cup chopped celery (about one rib)<br />
2 Tbs sliced scallions (about 2 scallions)<br />
1 slice dill pickle, diced<br />
cracked black pepper to taste<br />
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)<br />
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1. Place chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to roughly chop. Alternatively, you can put the chickpeas in the bowl and mash them until they are mashed but with still pieces left. Add remaining ingredients and pulse two or three more times to incorporate.<br />
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2. Serve however you'd like! We had ours over a piece of <a href="http://www.foodforlife.com/" target="_blank">Ezekiel bread</a>, toasted with a side of tomato and lettuce. It would be excellent in a lettuce wrap- maybe next time!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8L0jJ-qPtA/T5YEkkDqPPI/AAAAAAAAA2E/j-Fgmd56LxY/s1600/chickpea+of+the+sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8L0jJ-qPtA/T5YEkkDqPPI/AAAAAAAAA2E/j-Fgmd56LxY/s400/chickpea+of+the+sea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-861604409492265654.post-86694610223368089352012-04-23T08:47:00.002-07:002012-04-23T08:47:25.778-07:00Benefits of a weekly meal planThere are so many benefits of making a weekly meal plan. You know ahead of time exactly what you're eating and when so you don't have to worry about running to the store at the last minute or stressing about what to make for dinner, you save a ton of money because you can plan multiple meals around specific ingredients and you don't buy unnecessary items at the store, you plan what you're eating so you can make healthy choices ahead of time. Michael and I have been really good about making a weekly meal plan and then going to the grocery store about once a week. In a perfect world I'd do it the French way and hit up the local bakery and veggie market on the way home from work but we just don't have that luxury where we live.<br />
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When making a weekly meal plan, try to think ahead to your crazy weekly schedule. For example, on Wednesdays I work late and don't have time to make anything too homemade unless I do it ahead of time. So, this Wednesday we're having lasagna that I'll assemble in the morning and then leave in the fridge during the day, ready to pop in the oven when I get home. Don't be afraid to make more complicated things- you can always chop veggies or do other prep the night before. Also- try dedicating one day a week to meal prep. Today, for example, (with the help of my mom who is visiting which of course makes it easier) we'll be baking bread, pita pockets and buns to stick in the freezer for later in the week. You can also do this with casseroles or other easy-to-freeze items.<br />
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So without further ado, here is our weekly dinner plan! (I also plan some lunches and breakfasts but here is the dinner part at least) I'll try to add the recipes to it on the blog if I have time! Some of them are already on there:)<br />
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Monday: <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/02/mini-crustless-quiches.html" target="_blank">crustless quiche</a>, <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/01/lizs-dressing-and-lizs-salad.html" target="_blank">salad</a>, <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-wonderful-no-knead-bread.html" target="_blank">bread</a><br />
Tuesday: baked falafel, pita bread, cucumbers, tahini/lemon dressing, salad<br />
Wednesday: Roasted broccoli tofu ricotta and spinach lasagna<br />
Thursday: <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/01/perfect-veggie-burgers.html" target="_blank">Veggie burgers</a>, homemade <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/01/holy-whole-wheat-burger-buns.html" target="_blank">buns</a>, <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/02/kale-chips.html" target="_blank">kale chips</a><br />
Friday: Michael is on his own! My mom and I are going across the mountains:) But he'll probably have <a href="http://vegancookingincolorado.blogspot.com/2012/01/pasta-with-sausage-roasted-garlic-and.html" target="_blank">the staple</a>.<br />
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I hope everyone has a wonderful week!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00450035318161650326noreply@blogger.com0