Zucchini Pancake Recipe

Sometimes it's the simplest things that turn into the best meals. After noticing an abundance of zucchini in the fridge, whipping out the electric griddle and mixing these up seemed like the perfect way to start the day!
First one side....then the other...then a decadent smidge of Toffutti Better Than Sour Cream and some fresh black pepper and YUM! So good!

I believe I swiped the following two recipes from Recipezaar, but can't be sure. I found the pancake recipe first, then hunted down a homemade sub for Bisquick, and here ya have 'em!

Bisquick Clone (makes enough for the first batch and refrigerates well for the second and possible third)
1 and 1/8 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 T canola oil

Mix first four ingredients well, then add oil and cut in until crumbly texture is achieved.

Zucchini Pancakes (makes about eight)
1/2 c. Bisquick Clone
1 c. shredded zucchini
1/4 c. shredded vegan cheese (i like FYH's monteray jack)
2 T. chopped green onion
1 egg replacer (i used enerG egg replacer, but i imagine flax would work well too and taste heartier)
salt and pepper to taste
couple pinches coriander
healthy dash of paprika

oil for the pan/griddle (i used grapeseed oil)

mix together all ingredients. oil hot pan or griddle and drop globs of batter onto it. the mix is reeeally sticky so be ready to get your hands dirty with this one. so worth it! heat about five minutes per side or until golden brown. serve plain or with topping of your choice. we tried these the first time with applesauce and that was yummy too!

Christmas Spoilers Ahead....

For anyone who knows me personally, you may wanna back away from this blog til after you receive your Christmas gifts from me. Here, let me distract you with a gratuitous belly shot from a week or so ago, then you can leave....

Now, for everyone else.....LOOKIT WHAT I MADE EVERYONE! ;)

Every year I try to come up with something I can make people, partly to save some cash, but mostly because I take so much joy in putting time and energy into a gift to really give them something that's all about giving and less about buying. Last year, as my first year as a full-fledged vegan, it was a home made cookbook of all my favorites that they'd each enjoyed and home made vegan chocolate chip cookies.

this year I wanted something more personal for them so I counted on using this company to make these for me...


Personalized photo calendars. Each person got their own with different pictures and captions for each month, various designs for the calendars for used. This company even allows you to insert all the birthdays, anniversaries, due dates, and other special occasions on any days of the year, including little graphics. The quality is out of this world and they are quite competitively priced. I just knows these will be a hit.

But I couldn't stop there! Almost everyone we know has dogs. I decided that home made dog treats were necessary. I packaged them in glass jars with name tags made from recycled veggie burger, pasta, etc. boxes....just cut out circles and decorated the backsides before attaching to jars with a hole punch and rubber band treatment. I'm also including the recipe on cute little xmas cards I'm printing up as I type this.While there are vegan varieties all over the net, I've never been one to think that my dietary choices are ones to be made for naturally carnivorous canines and felines. Sure, I think it would be amazing if all dog and cat food and treat companies would use more humane practices to truly make an effort to eliminate suffering, but I don't know that I can keep meat from my truly meat lovin babies. You should have seen the total fur frenzy in my kitchen when I was whipping up dozen upon dozen of these puppies! (the cats loved 'em too!) they do include powdered milk and jarred baby food. I used chicken and beef and a chicken/veggie combo for mine, but you could certainly use the same recipe and sub out soy milk powder and only veggie baby food for yours, if you so choose. I'm sure they'd still win over all the canines you know. There's also a great vegan recipe on the ppk for oatmeal peanut butter treats somewhere, but i was going for more lo fat for this one, and hope to try that one soon.

I also plan to make up some kitty treats for our felines and for my mom's but will be making those up the day after xmas when my fam visits. I'll certainly let you know how those turn out, too!

In my usual fashion...once I get started, there's no stopping me....so of course I had to make everyone a little something else.....

Vegan Oreo Truffles! Wow. These are incredible (just sub out tofutti cream cheese for the dairy version and stick to semi-sweet vegan chocolate and vegan white chocolate). So rich and sweet and decadent. Here you see some with semi-sweet coating and white chocolate ribbons and then white choc. coating with semi-sweet ribbons. I boxed up eight per person in cute little xmas tins and they are currently residing in a cooler (my 'fridge just can't take all that Christmas confection craziness!) awaiting being dispersed to family tomorrow and the following day.

Now, finally, I can finally say that I am officially done and can enjoy the rest of my Christmas eve creating some yummy food for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I think tonight I'll be toting along Dreena's Phyllo Broccoli Mushroom Walnut Pie and tomorrow my job is my totally wheat free vegan shiitake gravy.

Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. This Christmas day marks the halfway point of my pregnancy! I've just begun to feel little Taylor moving around, you know, when I actually sit down for a moment, and it is the most surreal and amazing experience. Thanks for all of your kind words after my fall. I have recovered mostly but am still nurturing a horrible bruise to the bone in my ankle, it may even be a sprain....but overall I'm doing really well and enjoying food again, even if I'm too busy scarfing it down to take pictures of it and share them here. hehe.

so much love to you all!
Happiest Holidays!

As Promised....

It's a girl!

Beautiful little Taylor Louise will arrive some time in May. Our 18(ish) week u/s was surreal and amazing and we couldn't be happier. Thanks for all of your concern about my fall (i'm bruised but fine and learned my lesson!) and all of your well wishes about the baby. You are all truly the best bunch of people I've never met! ;)

Be back soon with some foooooood, promise!

For Those of Us Who Like it HOT

A quick and easy meal of canned seitan patties, crusted with panko (i freaking love these things), herbed roasted potatoes and collard greens can only be made better by the addition of this on your greens. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, love it.

Side note: I took a nasty spill two days ago and aside from a scraped up and swollen shin, a bruised ulna, and nasty knot on one knee, and both my triceps aching like i've been training for some kind of weight lifting championship, both me and the baby are just fine. they did an ultrasound to be sure and I may have a pretty good idea of the baby's gender....but I'm not gonna tell you 'til I get those pretty lil' pictures in my hot lil' hands tomorrow. ;) don'tcha just love a good suspenseful post? hehe

oh...and....Susan had asked about my Superior Caesar Salad Recipe that I'd love to share with anyone who wants it. It's truly a crowd pleaser and those I've made it for happily request it again and again. You can find the recipe for the dressing here, and those sprinkles of kelp powder are three good, long dashes, if ya know what i mean. I love that it's not tofu based and that it tastes remarkably like the real deal. You can thin it out a bit with some water to extend how much you have (you're so gonna wanna have it a couple more times after you try it!)

For the salad itself (and i never measure) it's just the following:
romaine lettuce
chopped sundried tomatoes (the type packed in oil)
roasted brussel sprouts (a la VWaV)
hemp seeds
nutritional yeast
and topped with some sliced roasted portabellos

quantities are just to taste. I tend to go a bit light on the tomatoes so that they don't overpower, i load up on the brussel sprouts (you will not believe the perfection they lend to a caesar salad!), and go heavy on the hempseeds and generously dust with the NY, then toss it all up with the dressing. I promise you, it's superior to any vegan caesar creation you've had before....if i do say so myself!

Until tomorrow!!!

Eat, Drink, & Be (wheat-free!) Vegan!

I love Dreena's Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive! so I knew that I had to try her version using amaranth flour in ED&BV for Thanksgiving so my sister would have something sweet when we were all indulging in pies.
The texture of the flour makes these the teensiest bit grainier, but I found that, once they sit in tupperwear over night? Matters not! They're entirely too tasty to notice!

I know I promised that I'd be back with all I feasted on for Thanksgiving, but it turns out I simply made things I've done before which, while still made for a looong day of cooking in the kitchen, provided me with tried and true recipes that everyone enjoyed. Not only that, but I seem to have lost the pics!!!

I dazzled the otherwise turkey-eating bunch with Native Food's Tempeh Pate and La Dolce Vegan's Easy French Bread with Millennium's Tofu Spread as appetizers, then Vegan'con's Chickpea Patties smothered in my own quick brown gravy and my beloved Superior Ceasar Salad as part of the meal. They made me my own pot of vegan green beans and there potatoes galore. Entirely too much food was enjoyed by all.

I've been cooking pretty easy things lately. While the pregnancy goes swimmingly (literally, it feels as though there's a little fish swimmin around in my belly!), I have suffered from frequent headaches and a ton of ligament pain which keeps me off my feet a lot of days I'd rather be in the kitchen. So, no new stuff to share so much...but I'll see if I can't whip up something blog worthy soon.

I'm in my 18th week now and have my second ultrasound this Tuesday. You know even if the new food is lacking I won't be able to help myself in posting pics of that amazing event! I hope to get some time to visit and comment on everyone else's blogs soon! Seems the holidays and this little one have kept me away from the computer.

Til then!!!!

Turkey Day, Indeed!

Say hello to Juniper!Inspired by Candi on this eve of giving thanks, I've decided to commemorate each Thanksgiving from now on by Adopting A Turkey from Farm Sanctuary.

I had no sooner read her blog and posted that I think it would be amazing if everyone who did not eat turkey on this day each year took it a step further and supported the care of a deserving bird, when I clicked over to the turkeys to sponsor and Juniper here gazed right into my very core.

I knew it was meant to be when I went back and actually read the quote under Juniper's adorable picture, "Start an evergreen tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one.” How cool is that?! My sentiments exactly!

I haven't eaten meat in over ten years, but donating to Farm Sanctuary and helping them to give the animals there the best life possible gives that decision renewed meaning for me. So, thanks Candi, for being such an inspiration...thanks to FS, for all they do to actively make the world a better, more compassionate place....and thanks to Juniper, for giving me that look and clinching the deal.

Happiest Holiday, everyone! I'll be back soon to share in the goods I bring to the family table this year.

MillenniYUM, his and hers

His...Hers...
For my birthday last year, the Cap'n surprised me with The Artful Vegan after our trip to San Fran. While an amazing and inspiring cookbook, it's chock full of ingredients I've either never heard of or can't get my hands on, and many of the recipes are pretty involved. I did make Seitan Skewers that were divine so I know it's worth the effort....it's just not getting much use just yet in our kitchen.

He also ordered their first cookbook, The Millennium Cookbook, but it took until just last month for it to get to me! It has a bit more of their 'basics' in it and I can see me relying on this cookbook a whole lot more than the other. Knowing I wanted tempeh, I just had to try their tempeh marinade. Knowing, also, that the Cap'n loathes all things tempeh, I decided to improvise. The marinade calls basically for two packs of tempeh. Having only one anyway, I made the whole marinade but dumped in a half bag of soy curls to fill up the rest of my baking dish before putting it in the oven. The recipe calls for cooking the soy in their marinade in the oven for an hour and a half. This was more than ample time to clean up the kitchen, chop some spinach and garlic, whip up some rice, and convince my pregnant self that all the alcohol would cook out in both the marinade (it calls for nonalcoholic red wine but i opted for cooking wine, as that's what we had) AND the marsala sauce I so love and haven't had in ages. I boiled the heck out of it so I'm sure it was okay to consume, right? ;)

The verdict? BEST DAMN MARINADE EVER. Seriously, I opted to thin out the tempeh by slicing it in half to make it two long thin versions of the original block then cutting it in thirds. All the bitterness of typical, store bought tempeh? Gone! (even the Cap'n tasted it and admitted it was the best flavor he'd ever experienced from tempeh!) And the soy curls? Oh. My. Dog. Fantastic. I took them out of the marinade, coated them in cornstarch, and browned in grapeseed oil before topping with the marsala. I should admit that not all of them even made it to his plate as I snatched up a ton and ate them right out of the pan, sans marsala. Soooooo good!

The tempeh, I did the same but with flour rather than cornstarch. I cannot wait to try some of their other ideas. This cookbook was definitely worth the wait, even for this one amazing recipe, and I'm sure it won't be the last I dive into anytime soon.Don't let my five month wait put you off ordering it, tho. I just ordered it for my sister and have already received confirmation that it's on it's way!

And yes, this meal was so tasty, so delicious that each of our plates deserved more than just one pic a piece! Best add the Millennium Cookbook to your Giftmas Wish List!!!! ;)

Po' Boy Goodness

This was the first recipe I intended to try once I got Veganomicon, but it's taken me til now to get to it.Chile Cornmeal Crusted Tofu Po' Boys....or at least a Po' Boy much inspired by the original recipe. The tofu is made as is called for in V'con, but all my cabbage had since been eaten (mmmmm, coleslaw!) or gone bad since buying it for this recipe, leaving me with an improvised shredded carrot and spinach slaw, all on a store bought vegan hogie bun.

I so meant to heed Isa's cry for pickles on this one but totally forgot about them til I was halfway through my sammich. Ah, well....tomorrow then! The leftovers are plenty and that will make a superb lunch tomorrow!

This is reeeeeeally good, but I think letting the tofu get to warm and not eating super hot makes the flavor stand out much more than it would if you devoured one pipin hot right outta the pan. just sayin. ;)

Perfect Pumpkin Pregnancy Cookies!

Or, as Isa likes to call them in VWaV, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.I'd bought some pumpkin a while back, knowing I wanted to make something but not sure, exactly, what that something would be. A recent discussion with my aunt about where my iron comes from spurred these delicious, chewy cookies.

In consulting Becoming Vegan, I refreshed my memory as to what the best sources of iron are for a vegan. This recipe is loaded with just such sources:

walnuts, 100g = 2.4 mg iron (also high in omega-3's and protein)
blackstrap molasses, 1 Tblsp = 3.6 mg iron (an iron powerhouse!)
raisins, 1/4 cup = .9-1.1 mg iron
oats, 1/2 cup = .8mg iron
even pumpkin has more than most meat sources! 1 cup cooked = 1.4 mg iron
(granted, the myth that meat is the best source for iron is surely not lost on anyone reading this, but i was a little shocked to find that only liver and organ meat (ew!) contain substantially more iron than non-meat sources. things like milk, cheese, chicken, and salmon each contain less than 1mg of iron per serving!)

So there ya have it! Want to put a little more iron in your diet? Make these amazingly good cookies and be sure to eat more than one! Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem ;)

Spicy but not Tempeh from Veganomicon

Oh wow, if you haven't made this one already, what are you waiting for?!?!
We don't have access to fresh tempeh where we live and the Cap'n is adverse to putting anything remotely resembling packaged tempeh near his mouth so I opted to make this mouth-watering dish with these,trusty Soy Curls! (kinda gross, how like chicken they look, no?) Good thing they taste amazing (and have a great texture) when cooked in a great sauce and this is a fantastic one indeed!

I followed the directions exactly, but did to rehydrated Soy Curls what was called for for tempeh. Oh, and I did back of the red pepper flakes, only adding a teaspoon rather than one and a half because the Cap'n always calls me out for making things too spicy....and...I did sprinkle the top liberally with Nutritional Yeast as I do all pasta dishes, but I didn't mix it in as I like to have it full flavor in a bite here and there but not necessarily flavor the dish throughout. We devoured this and I'm already salivating thinking of my lunch today....leftovers! YUM!

This one is truly a winner and I cannot wait to make it for fellow vegans and omni's alike. The flavor is unmatched, and it's really easy to make. Food aversions be damned, this one will certainly be made again and again!

Next Up, White Bean & Leek Cassoulet!

My second Vegonomicon venture and TOTAL success...Living in FL, I'm used to hearing about everyone else's fall days inspiring cool weather fare full of autumn vegetable and warm tasty goodness far before I join in the fun. Typically? I actually savor every last hot day we have....but ever since my copy of Veganomicon arrived and I littered it with bookmarks of recipes I'm just dying to try I've been hoping for even a hint of fall to make this dish.

Today I got it. It was sunny and beautiful AND cooler than it's been all year. Sitting out on our porch reading and taking in the breeze got my butt in the kitchen to throw this one together. It's super easy, the biscuits are light and soft and the stew totally satifying, and it's simple enough to let the true flavors of its ingredients shine.
From all the Mmmmmm's heard from both myself and the Captain while enjoying this dish, I'd say Veganomicon must be chock FULL of home runs!

As you can see, my copy of V'con is already warped on a few pages. Good thing this one's hard cover.....my copy of VWaV is so battered and splattered it's a true testament to just how much vegan yummy is found within it's pages.

Chickpea Cutlets

I had no sooner posted last night about not really having much desire to cook when I was struck with a need to crack open my Veganomicon and whip up a comfort food meal to end all comfort food meals. The Chickpea Cutlets come together in a flash (we opted to bake them, and they were incredible...you know what that means....they'll be even more sensational when fried! ;) I mashed some yukon potatoes, roasted some brussel sprouts with tons of garlic, and threw together my go-to gravy (flour, nutr. yeast, olive oil, soy milk, tamari, gravy masters, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. amazing every time!), and served it all with a potato roll, 'cause comfort food is only made better when you throw in extra carbs.

oh, if only blogger had smell-o-vision! Mmmmmmm.... let's hope that between Veganomicon, ED&BV, and the two new cookbooks I currently pre-ordered (Vegan YumYum and Yellow Rose Recipes from Herbivore), I'll be blogging more regularly again in no time!

the White Bean and Leek Cassoulet is already calling my name!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. Honestly, my daily visit to other blogs has also been slacking what with all the food issues I've had of late.

Even looking at pics of food has been suddenly stricken from the list of Things I Love To Do. Not only have certain foods been less than desireable, the actual act of preparing foods (usually, one of my MOST favorite things to do in the day) has become seriously tiresome. when I have found the energy or desire to cook something I haven't been taking pictures of it, just glad I had something I was willing to choke down. well, there was this...VWaV Fritatta, anyone? I always opt for a sun dried tomato and zucchini version.

and roasted tamari pepitas, those have been a great snack.

oh, and i'm glad I could virtually live on pan-seared oatmeal because as least it's good for me!

otherwise it's fruit, easy veggie patties, and shells 'n chreese with peas galore!

what could be the culprit? I'm sure you're wondering. Well, today, on my most favorite day of the year (i tell ya, i love this day more than giftmas!) we got to take a peek at just what's draining me of my typical time in the kitchen...or should I say who.... Yup, this is our 12 week ultrasound of the little goblin I've been growing. I've been bursting at the seams to say something here but wanted to wait til now to do so. While the nausea is a bit better than it was, I'm finding great comfort in comfort foods that I've made and blogged about numerous times before or convenience foods that go from freezer or box to my oven or stove then my plate.

so much for turning this blog into a whirlwind of amazing healthy vegan pregnancy meals for expectant moms! ;) while I hope that my new copy of Veganomicon (which I've already tagged in a ton of places the recipes I just can't wait to try) will revamp my blog soon, I think I'll be blogging only when the energy (or appetite!) strikes me for a bit. Tho, with chompers like we're seeing on this kid.... there's bound to be a LOT more vegan fare for the blogging in our future! ;)

Until then, have a safe and happy Halloween!

My Kinda Easy Dinner

A How To:

After a breakfast of Wheatabix (I've only just discovered these, yum!) with dried cranberries, dried blueberries, and soy milk, chop some garlic and saute in olive oil.

Open a 28 oz. can of organic crushed tomatoes and toss them in with that fragrant garlic (mmmm, garlic in the morning).

Add tomato paste, oregano, basil, sea salt, black pepper, and sugar to taste. Allow to simmer on med heat while you clean up the kitchen.

Stir and cover sauce, lower the heat, and go about your business for the day, making a stop over now and then to stir the sauce and appreciate the aroma.

At lunch time, enjoy leftover Spicoli Burgers on a homemade roll with a flax oil and balsamic slurry for dipping.

Some time later in the afternoon, succumb to the dreaming you've been doing from too many trips to the ppk where all the amazing vegan folks are porning their vegan prowess, and make these. oh yeah, they are insanely good! You can find the recipe here. I used spelt flour and MAN, they're magically delicious! oh...don't forget to ice 'em!Eat not one but two of those cinnamon buns and realize that dinner will be later than you'd originally planned. No matter, the sauce just gets better and better as the day wears on.

Finally when the tummy starts growlin and those cinnamon rolls are long digested, toss two pkgs of Boca Crumbles into the sauce, stir, cover, and jack up the heat just a touch. Boil water for pasta (we enjoyed whole wheat angel hair) and toss whatever veggies you have (we had zuke and 'shrooms) under the broiler with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Viola! Easy dinner is served and satisfying. So filling, in fact, we're pretty glad we had dessert first! ;)

Dude, Spicoli Burgers Are, Like, Toootally Awesome!

Yup, got Dreena's newest amazing book, Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan and couldn't wait to try something from it. Her tasty concoctions couldn't come at a better time, what with all the aversions I've had to the same ol' same ol' as of late.

While I wanted to go crazy with baking, I have no maple syrup in the house, so I jumped to something savory for dinner. Spicoli Burgers are easy to whip up, use hemp seed (one of my favorite food items), and taste great! Actually, they've become my new fave burger of all time. They're even better leftover! (I tried leftover ones with a slurry of flax oil and balsamic vinegar as she suggests.....LOVE IT!)

I also was lacking the fresh red pepper for the burgers but omitted them and opted to use jarred ones I had in the pantry to make a fast roasted red pepper mayo (inspired by Veg. Times a few months back). With a side of organic fries this was a really tasty meal. I only wish I'd been a little less excited about it and remembered to roast my green beans to balance out my dinner!

Dude, you guys must, like, totally try these rad burgers, like, immediately!

Mmmmmmmmmuffins!

Not the healthiest muffins, but soooo good. I'm thinking next time I'll sub out agave for the sugar and use part unbleached flour and part some other flour. Even trade out the oil for applesauce. That oughta do it!

For now, here's what I threw together

Mmmmmm Morning Muffins
makes 12

2 c. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. Florida Crystals
2 med. bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. soy milk
1 tsp. vinegar
raspberry All Fruit
1/8 c. ground walnuts
1-2 T raw sugar
walnuts (for putting on top)

350 oven.
mix vinegar with soy milk to 'sour'. set aside.
in a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
mash bananas well and add vanilla, then add to dry ingredients. now add sugar, oil, and soured milk. stir until just mixed.
line muffin tins with paper cups.
fill each cup with one T batter
gently spoon in about a teaspoon of All Fruit in the center.
top with another heaping T of batter.
combine raw sugar and ground walnuts in small bowl.
sprinkle mixture atop each muffin and place walnut in center.
Bake for 35 min or until knife comes out clean.
remove from tin immediately and allow to cool entirely on rack.
Try to let them cool all the way before digging in. I found that not doing so meant that the liners stuck to the muffin and the All Fruit inside was steamin hot! Best to let cool on a rack entirely before enjoying their yummy goodness.

Crispy Orange Soy Curls

When nothing else seems palatable? Chinese Food!
Here is Chris's Tangerine Seitan but with a big ol' juicy navel orange and Soy Curls instead of seitan over brown rice. This recipe is soooo easy and fun to trade out tangerine for orange or lemon. Good stuff.

And speaking of good stuff, is there ever a bad time to make Dreena's Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vive to make one feel better? I say nope! I add a 1/2 tsp of almond extract along with the vanilla for a super tasty version. Good thing that the recipe only makes 8-10 or my tummy'd be aching due to overindulgence for sure!

Sorry that pic stinks. That's what happens when you've waited for them to cool enough to eat them and you just can't wait any longer! (and by 'you', I mean me!)

Easy Comfort Foods

I've been experiencing some serious food aversions lately (more on that.....eventually), which has caused my time in the kitchen to become minimal. I've relied pretty heavily on things you've seen me make countless times....my comfort foods:

Biscuits and Fauxsage Tempeh GravyPizza (Publix pizza dough is vegan and wonderful, thank you ppk'er from FL who reminded me of this for when I'm feeling expecially lazy): marinara sauce, VWaV's tofu basil ricotta, mushrooms, and zucchini.
Road's End Shell's 'n Chreese with a side of my favorite green veggie of late, Roasted Green Beans!
and Pizza Toast with Seitanroni and FYH Mozarella on Millet BreadI've been eating a lot of Fruit and Silk yogurt and the occasional bagel with almond butter and blueberry All Fruit, but that's pretty much it.

Hopefully, I'll get this under control and be back soon with some fun new stuff worth digesting! ;)

The Best Dinners Are the Ones I Make Up

On the fly with whatever is in the 'fridge.Oven Roasted Herbed Tempeh with Zucchini and Sun Dried Tomato Creme Sauce over Linguine Whew! How's that for a name!

As this was on the fly there's no formal recipe but I'll try to wing it. It could use a little tweaking to be perfect but it's sure damn tasty as is!

For the Tempeh: 350 oven. Cube and steam 8 oz. tempeh. In a bowl, mix 2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tablespoon oregano, 2 tsp. marjoram, 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. sea salt, some cracked black pepper, and enough oil (i used grapeseed) to mix in and create a paste. whisk together. add tempeh and toss. put coated tempeh in oiled baking pan or sheet. cover and bake for ten min. remove foil and roast for another 15-25 min or until desired crispiness.

For Sauce: mix 1 1/2 c. soy milk, 2 T. nutritional yeast, few pinches coarse sea salt, 1 T cornstarch or arrowroot, and about 1/8 c. sun dried tomatoes packed in oil with blender (i used my handheld...and I'll spare you the details about my reaching for salt, the blender standing in the glass measuring cup and me knocking it over and spilling half my sauce EVERYWHERE!).

Cook pasta.

Heat 1 tsp. oil in skillet on med heat, add one chopped zucchini (and whatever you have, i only had zukes) and some sea salt, add about 2 T. sun dried tomatoes and saute until zuke is crisp tender. Add sauce and stir constantly, once it comes to a boil it will thicken. you can then turn to low or remove from heat. Plate your pasta, top with tempeh, and cover in sauce. bon appetit!

Edited to add: this was even better for lunch the next day, just store each component in the fridge separately (tempeh, veggies in sauce, pasta). I'm making it again tonight with more veggies. YUM!

Two More Reasons....

Celine of Have Cake Will Travel is my culinary heroine....Her Cheezy Quacker Crust is, hands down, the BEST crust imaginable for all savory pies, quiches, whatever savory thing you fancy filling your pie plate with! I didn't use the pastry flour cause I was out, just unbleached flour and opted for the added paprika.

I did make her Broccoli Fakin Quiche....but I messed it up two ways (and thus never took a picture). I used store-bought fake bacon bits (vegan) and I made it two days in advance and let it sit in the fridge before finally cooking it up for Sunday Brunch. The nasty store-bought Fakin Bits bloated over time and overpowered the whole thing with their chemically bacon-ness. Ew. But I think that it's totally something I'll make again either with her suggestions or subbing sun dried tomatoes for the Fakin altogether.

and then there's heaven for my sweet tooth...I was drooling over her Oreo Cookie Cookies when I was struck with genius of my own. Using her 'healthier recipe', I subbed Newman Ginger O's (my absolute favorite) for the Oreos, added about 2 heaping Tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger, and went with more soy milk than using whiskey. They were a bit more cakey than I like my cookies (think the original version may be what I'm really after?) but they were scrumptious and devoured in record time all the same.

YUM!

Tofu Omelet & Other Success!

Susan's Omelet for one is amazing. I filled mine with tons of broccoli and mushrooms. I think I need to adjust my heat a little (the inside wasn't as set as I would like but still wonderful, honestly) and I think i need to add something like sun dried tomatoes to mine next time to add a little more saltiness but wow, great job, Susan!

I finally tried the homemade buns that Chris has been whipping up for a while. The recipe always seemed so involved but it's actually quite easy....and the results?

perfection! Now, if I could just top toasting them and eating them with Smart Balance and actually throw a patty on there! (I did make the tempeh pecan burgers the first night but the pictures are awful. the patties are good , but I think I'd back off the Liquid Smoke a little next time as it's a bit overpowering for my palette).

With my new love for all things cashew/nutritional yeast encrusted tofu (just dip in a mix of soy and maple syrup, then crust with cashews, nutr. yeast, salt, and pepper), I decided to try baking them instead of frying them first thing in the morning. The verdict?Still super scrumptious AND better for me!

From our football Sunday, I'd forgot to mention that I'd made, easily, the best potato salad I've ever made to go alongside my Tofurkey Deli Sub.New red potatoes, green onion, celery, salt, pepper, Vegannaise, homemade agave mustard, and dill. That agave mustard really gave it a flavor that sent me right over the edge!

Hadn't made sweet potato fries in forever, but had a huge spud in the pantry just begging to fit the bill. I've never had huge success in my baked fries not being a bit mushy so I tried an online trick of baking them w/ sea salt and black pepper first, coating with a bit of brown sugar, then upping the temp, hoping to caramelize and crisp up the outside a bit.All in all, it wasn't entirely successful, but I'd dusted them with some five spice powder just before chowing down and they were reeeeally tasty if not entirely mush-free. the pic sux but I was in a hurry to devour them ;).