Vegan Fusion World Cuisine

Otherwise known as Blossoming Lotus' beautiful contribution to vegan fare...or, one of the few amazing vegan cookbooks I gifted myself this year for Christmas. I'm totally wowed by the presentation of this book, the thoughtful quotes and messages that are strewn about, and the careful, loving way each thing is offered.

Jumping right in, I tried their version of a tofu scramble this morning (I know, I know, way to really get in there and try something new ;)I enjoyed their heavy hand in using turmeric and paprika, but also added a heaping tablespoon of mustard seed to mine when sauteeing the onions and garlic, went heavy on the nutritional yeast (they called for a teaspoon....a teaspoon! please!), and then followed their suggestion and topped mine with crumbled tempeh strips (a quick recipe also from the book, from their cool section in the back of their staff's easy favorites), then made it more my own by garnishing with some Toffutti Better Than Sour Cream, fresh avocado, and a little chopped fresh basil.

This was hearty and yummy (i'm a total sucker for trying everyone else's version of tofu scrambles), and I'm looking forward to enjoying the leftovers in wraps in the coming days.

Wanting more light fare in my diet after the holidays laden with sweets and starches, I threw together a 'what's in the fridge' salad of spring mix greens, cuke, carrots, mushrooms, tomato, chickpeas, and avocado and drenched it in their very light Green Goddess Dressing.
I'm a HUGE fan of making my own dressings and seldom like bottled varieties, but I often whip up a recipe only to be disappointed. This one? no disappointment AT ALL. There's no oil in this recipe (tho it does call for a cup of Vegannaise), but it's sooooo light and the basil and parsley are subtle yet flavorful. I went easy on the salt but also added a bit of agave which, I thought, really enhanced the flavor more to my liking.

I've been thinking of this dressing ever since and am excited to whip up a chickpea salad with it tomorrow for lunch, yum!

Happiest New Year, everyone!
A wish I failed to send out in my last post. I blame the fatigue. Seriously, all those books that tell you that the second trimester is a magical time of renewed energy? They so totally lie ;)
But I can't complain, I've just begun to feel her moving quite frequently. It's a beautiful and amazing thing, and I think it's what's inspired me to get my weary butt back in the kitchen so stay tuned!