Liquid Gold Salad Dressing & Mmmmm, Chickpea Casserole

For the last two days I've been drinking straight from the jar, er... I mean, enjoying dressing my salads with the Liquid Gold Salad Dressing recipe found in Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina's Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy, Plant-Based Diet. Here, I enjoyed it with just a simple salad of Romaine lettuce and roasted portabellos. Today I devoured it mixed with Romaine again but also baked tofu and fresh tomato. wow!

When I first made the natural progression from vegetarian to vegan this book was invaluable (still is!), full of nutrition info given in clear explanations and tables, making for peace of mind to ensure that I'd be doing it right, eating as healthfully as I could. I still pick it up all of the time to kind of cement in my brain what I need and what nutrients both aid and hinder the absorption of others (confession: I'm a nutrition junkie who never retains what she's 'learned'), what foods to rely on for specific vitamins and minerals, and here and there a spectacular recipe packed with nutrition.

I typically don't share recipes from cookbooks, but this book is such a wealth of information that I think just trying the recipe might turn a few people on to purchase it.

'Just 2 tablespoons of this dressing (I dare ya to only drink, I mean use two!) provides 3.8g of omega-3 fatty acids (your days supply and then some) along with 40% of your B12 for the day (80% if you use the higher amount of yeast...and why wouldn't you?!). This creamy dressing is packed with riboflavin and other B vitamins - plus it's very tasty.'

Liquid Gold Salad Dressing

1/2 c. flax seed oil
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 T balsamic or raspberry vinegar
1/4 c. Bragg liquid Aminos or tamari
1/4 to 1/2 c. Red Star Nutritional Yeast Support Formula Nutritional Yeast
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. ground cumin

Blend until smooth. Dressing can be kept in a jar with a lid, refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 cups.

per T: calories - 78, protein - 1g, carb - 2g, fat - 7g, dietary fiber -0 .4g, sodium - 180mg

I tell ya I am loving this stuff!

I also finally tried out VWaV's Broccoli Chickpea Casserole. Heeding Isa's advice I made it just as the recipe called for...no subs, no extras.
This one is right on the money for me. I thought, at first, that the broccoli was a little more done than I like but the overall flavor is soooo good, I forgot about that entirely after just a few bites and look forward to the mounds of leftovers each day still in the 'fridge.

I love how something so simple can taste so amazing and comforting. I served it over a 1/2 c. of brown rice. Another winner from my favorite vegan cookbook to date. Thanks, Isa!

Easy Beans 'N Rice, A Loaf (of sorts), & More Biscuits 'N Gravy

Is there anything easier or more satisfying than Beans 'N Rice? Here, I just drained and rinsed a can of organic black beans (tho I'm thinking next time I'll double that, but that's all we had this time), put them in a sauce pan that I'd sauteed onion and garlic in olive oil, added a can of no salt added tomatoes with their juices, added some cumin and coriander, sea salt and black pepper and allowed to heat thru while the pressure cooker blasted some brown rice in minutes flat (i LOVE this thing!).

We topped it with some jarred Zapata fire roasted salsa verde, a bit of Tofutti BTSC, and fresh avacado.

A side of our favorite sauteed broccoli
(lots of garlic in a bit of olive oil, toss in the broccoli and allow it to unleash it's nutty aroma, sprinkling with sea salt, oregano, and basil...then, just before the florets start to brown toss in a T or two of water, cover, lower heat allow to steam until just perfect!) and dinner was served! And lunch today too, for that matter! ;)

One night I realized I had some leftover lentils (cooked in leftover mushroom broth) and leftover quinoa. What to do? I processed half the lentils in the food processor with some sauteed onion and garlic, oregano, and thyme, then mixed that in a bowl with the remaining lentils and quinoa. The idea was to make patties, but I was feeling lazy so in a loaf pan it went.
When I turned it out, the inside was still a bit mushier than I'd like so i sliced it, basted it with organic ketchup and baked it some more. A quick roasting of brussel sprouts and steaming of cauliflower that I'd later mash with a little EB and soy milk, sea salt and pepper made for a surprisingly easy and tasty dinner.
I think it's painfully obvious, my love for all breakfasts biscuits 'n gravy, no? I know this one looks much like one you've seen previously but it's a bit different. I made the Mushroom Gravy and Baking Powder Biscuits from La Dolce Vegan, and the usual tempeh fauxsage crumbles from VWaV.
I like these biscuits even better than the Fancy version (tho those are fab) I mentioned previously, I think because they're not in your face with flavor. There's a hint of oregano that gives them a nice savory taste without being a flavor you have to compete with.One more thing....I've been totally in LOVE with La Dolce Vegan's ease of seitan preparation and can't seem to stray from the faux chicken flavoring. I'm trying to help a friend in need of more protein discover a love for all things wheat meat as I have, so i ask all of you....what's YOUR favorite seitan preparation/flavoring?

Lazy Meals

I'm a big fan of tofu scramble, but some days? I just don't wanna wake up and start cooking first thing (this is rare for me as i usually wake up and wanna experiment in the kitchen, but it happens).

This is why I'm glad there's Amy's frozen entrees. Granted, very few are vegan, but the ones that are are really right up my alley.This one's the Tofu Scramble. I nuke it for four min, then stick it in a pan with some olive oil, add about 2T nutritional yeast, and stir occasionally as it gets nice and browned. I enjoyed this one with some diced avocado, a Banana Blueberry Muffin, and a sliced mango.

With the leftover pizza dough and basil tofu ricotta (I can't help but wanna call it 'riNOTta. hehe) from our Vday Anniversary dinner, I made a quick, very rectangular calzone for lunch.It contained some sauteed swiss chard with garlic and sundried tomatoes. I had enough dough for a couple knots on the side. This was great and lasted for days as it was about four servings. while it baked I broke out the Saladaccio and shredded some zucchini which I tossed with some of VWaV's sundried tomato/almond pesto. ( i used the jarred sundried tomatoes and just added water and left out the oil so this really is a quick easy version).I wanted healthy for dinner with little effort and both my bags of organic spinach* were looking rather iffy. I don't do iffy veggies so I cooked up some lentils in some mushroom stock I had left over from the bisque and cooked up some quinoa.

While that was cooking I sauteed some garlic, onion, carrot, and leeks, with oregano, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper, then tossed in a cup of frozen corn while roasing some portabellos in the oven. Lastly came the garlic broccoli, which is always easy and fast to prepare and POOF!
a healthy, hearty (easy!), scrumptious dinner was served!

*Vivacious Vegan: remember your question about spinach? sorry i never got around to ansering it. Spinach contains oxalate which can inhibit the absorption of iron as it binds with it and removes it from the body. It binds with calcium as well. Oxalate is also a contributing factor to kidney stones, which I've had a history of. To get the most folate out of spinach, it is best to steam it, not eat it raw or boil it for too long. I made the comment I did as I love to eat spinach raw in salads but think that, that way, it's not nearly as nutritious as once believed. Still very good for you and full of vitamins A, C, E and antioxidants. hope that helps!

Banana Blueberry Muffins 'n Stuff

Behold, my new favorite muffins, complements of La Dolce Vegan, fresh outta the oven...
I had a banana or two lying around that was browing quite nicely and just begging to be mashed into something worth baking. These muffins are totally just that. They're easy and amazingly delicious. Not too sweet, and fluffy as all get out.

I mean, just look at it! You know you want one (or three).

Yeah, I've made these three times now and they freeze so well. I usually leave six out and freeze six. Then, a few days later, when I'm sad that I don't have any muffins left? I just take out the frozen ones and put them on a plate. They're defrosted in no time, pop 'em in a warm oven for 10 min and they're good as new!


I think that same day I tried my hand at baked Nutritional Yeast tofu.
I was going for something I love at a restaurant in Gainesville (from the 43rd St. Deli's breakfast menu). I just marinated the tofu in some tamari, coated liberally with NY, and baked til I thought it was done. I think at the deli they pan sear it, but I didn't wanna bother. Still yummy if not a tad too salty. Next time I'll go easier on the tamari.

I'm not the biggest yogurt fan, but when I do want some I love Silk Live! with cut up banana and some almond granola.
Lunch was my go to salad of butter lettuce, cukes, carrots, tomato, green onions, and That Ginger Dressing. I could drink that stuff, I tell ya!
and the TuNot sandwich on vegan rye bread made fore a satisfying meal.
I don't have any idea what we had for dinner that night but I DO know that we ended things with a dessert I haven't had in ages. This vegan jell-o like dessert, cherry flavored with chopped strawberries in the bottom. YUM! I love that the date container I got recently doubled as the perfect mold!

Valentine's Anniversary Dinner

Ya see, 13 years ago on Valentine's eve, the Cap'n invited me to accompany him and some friends to the beach after work. We'd met and worked, back in the day, at a local college town pizza joint. I could think of nothing more fun to do than to drive the hour and a half with new friends to a beach i adored but had yet to explore much of. Long story shorter than it could be, everyone else bailed but us. We spent the day (after slumbering in the car upon our arrival) climbing rocks, collecting shells, and sharing life stories on a beautiful inlet. That Feb. 14 marked the day that each of us decided we would never settle for anything less wonderful, less spectacular than the friend we'd found in one another.

Thirteen years later we're the most blissfully married couple I know and spent this VDay with a quiet night in, a home cooked meal and a great movie/documentary, Who Killed The Electric Car* (nothing says I Love You more than putting a doc on your Netflix list that will spark in each of you a shared desire to stamp all out all things unjust. Thanks, baby!). hehe

On the menu? Vegan Planet's Thyme Scented Wild Mushroom BisqueThis may not photograph well but is my new favorite soup. Making the stock a day ahead is a smart move and the rest comes together easy enough. I really need to think about getting a hand blender tho since my last one just broke into pieces after being used just twice!

Also from Vegan Planet, Spinach and Asian Pear Salad with Warm Walnut VinaigretteNot my favorite salad dressing, but we LOVE Asian pears and spinach is always yummy

Next, to commemorate the thing that brought us together in the first place, PIZZA!I tried out La Dolce Vegan's pizza crust as it's herbed and easy and topped it with a simple jarred red sauce, VwaV's Tofu Basil Ricotta, quartered artichoke hearts (there's the obligatory heart in our meal! ;) and black olives. So good!

For dessert? from Veg. Times' March issue, Vegan Choc. Mousse (using mango and avocado and a splash of rum, yum!) in Ginger/Maple cups. I served with fresh blueberries and a strawberry and a sprinkling of toasted coconut on top! I love that you can eat something so decadent and rich and not feel crazy full and icky when you're all done!

So glad to see everyone elses' VDay creations. Hope everyone had a wonderful day/night! I've a bunch of other food odds and ends to catch up on, but thought I'd just share this one for now. Have a great weekend!

*Go rent this movie!