We'll be eating raw, for one week, starting in January. It's part of our New Year's resolutions......
Thursday, December 28, 2006
let the post holiday dieting begin....
After gorging ourselves on lots of tasty vegan holiday food, Mark and I are settling back into eating simple food. For example: a quaint dish of homemade Mexican rice and beans garnished with green onions, cilantro, black olives, and avocado. So delicious and filling.
We'll be eating raw, for one week, starting in January. It's part of our New Year's resolutions......
We'll be eating raw, for one week, starting in January. It's part of our New Year's resolutions......
Success: vegan cinnamon rolls!
One day, while browsing various sites, I came across a recipe for vegan bread. Apparently, you could easily adapt it to a cinnamon roll recipe, as well.
On Christmas Eve, Mark thought it would be a good idea to try the cinnamon rolls as it has always been a Christmas tradition in his family. Unfortunately, the recipe was written confusingly so Mark tweaked it and the results are shown below. The unfrosted cinnamon roll was from his first batch. The one sprinkled with walnuts and pecans was from the second batch. Which, by the way, was much better than the first :)
The frosting was made of powdered sugar and Tofutti cream cheese.
sans nuts
with nuts
On Christmas Eve, Mark thought it would be a good idea to try the cinnamon rolls as it has always been a Christmas tradition in his family. Unfortunately, the recipe was written confusingly so Mark tweaked it and the results are shown below. The unfrosted cinnamon roll was from his first batch. The one sprinkled with walnuts and pecans was from the second batch. Which, by the way, was much better than the first :)
The frosting was made of powdered sugar and Tofutti cream cheese.
sans nuts
with nuts
Christmas cupcakes
I've made these cupcakes before, using the cupcake recipe from Vegweb and the buttercream frosting from VCTOTW (Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World). However, I decked them out in festive Christmas nonpareils and candy canes. Yum :)
Monday, December 04, 2006
chocolate chip cookies and veggie burgers
Mark had been pestering me to find a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe and I kept putting it off, thinking that any recipe I would find might taste heinous. Finally, I caved and was searching online late one night and stumbled upon this site
There was a video that accompanied the chocolate chip cookie recipe and it was very helpful. I especially love the fact that the recipe is simple and free of the artsy-esoteric ingredients that are usually found in vegan cooking. I used the suggested products, as well, such as Earth Balance margarine (which we always use) and Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also used an equal combination of nuts: 1/2 cup of toasted pecans and 1/2 cup of walnuts. Since I used a 1/4 cup to form the cookies, they only made 24 cookies as opposed to the 40 the recipes says it should make. These cookies were definitely delicious. I'm always pleased whenever I find a tasty vegan alternative to the usual animal by-product laden original. A success! My compliments to the creator of this recipe. It's a keeper ;)
After eating salad for a couple of days, Mark and I felt like eating some veggie burgers. We prefer Amy's brand over any other as it has less sodium than the rest. Our particular favorite is the Texas flavor. Mark basted the patties in barbecue sauce and cooked them in the oven. He normally grills them, propane-style, but it's been too cold. Then he baked the fries in the oven and made a tangy dipping sauce of veganaise, dijon mustard, and agave nectar. The burger and fries were accompanied by veggie chile and our favorite condiments. It hit the spot but I think I'm ready for salads again, lol.
all ready for the oven (measured at 1/4 cup)
There was a video that accompanied the chocolate chip cookie recipe and it was very helpful. I especially love the fact that the recipe is simple and free of the artsy-esoteric ingredients that are usually found in vegan cooking. I used the suggested products, as well, such as Earth Balance margarine (which we always use) and Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also used an equal combination of nuts: 1/2 cup of toasted pecans and 1/2 cup of walnuts. Since I used a 1/4 cup to form the cookies, they only made 24 cookies as opposed to the 40 the recipes says it should make. These cookies were definitely delicious. I'm always pleased whenever I find a tasty vegan alternative to the usual animal by-product laden original. A success! My compliments to the creator of this recipe. It's a keeper ;)
After eating salad for a couple of days, Mark and I felt like eating some veggie burgers. We prefer Amy's brand over any other as it has less sodium than the rest. Our particular favorite is the Texas flavor. Mark basted the patties in barbecue sauce and cooked them in the oven. He normally grills them, propane-style, but it's been too cold. Then he baked the fries in the oven and made a tangy dipping sauce of veganaise, dijon mustard, and agave nectar. The burger and fries were accompanied by veggie chile and our favorite condiments. It hit the spot but I think I'm ready for salads again, lol.
all ready for the oven (measured at 1/4 cup)
Friday, November 24, 2006
our first all-vegan thanksgiving, part deux
More pics from our Thanksgiving meal. The only food item I was disappointed about was the pumpkin pie. Though I followed the directions, it had a bitter aftertaste. The pecan pie was suprisingly delicious. It's a keeper!
Mark's version of "jellied" cranberry: real cranberries mixed with lemons, oranges, and pineapple. Not usually my cuppa but I admit this was tasty.
fresh sautéed veggies (my personal favorite) including: spinach, corn, carrots, onions, celery, and porcini mushrooms
my plate, heaped with tasty vegan vittles. No animals harmed in the making if this meal!
pumpkin pie and pecan pie
yes, we always have a slice of each, with a dollop of non-dairy whip cream
Mark's version of "jellied" cranberry: real cranberries mixed with lemons, oranges, and pineapple. Not usually my cuppa but I admit this was tasty.
fresh sautéed veggies (my personal favorite) including: spinach, corn, carrots, onions, celery, and porcini mushrooms
my plate, heaped with tasty vegan vittles. No animals harmed in the making if this meal!
pumpkin pie and pecan pie
yes, we always have a slice of each, with a dollop of non-dairy whip cream
our first all-vegan thanksgiving!!
Except for a few mistakes, this Thanksgiving meal was a delicious success!
fresh green beans with fried onions
roasted butternut squash soup (from VwaV)
creamy rosemary garlic mashed potatoes
celebration roast garnished with thyme and sage
A view of the feast: mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, yams, butternut soup, green beans with fired onions, field roast, and gravy
See next entry for remaining photos.
fresh green beans with fried onions
roasted butternut squash soup (from VwaV)
creamy rosemary garlic mashed potatoes
celebration roast garnished with thyme and sage
A view of the feast: mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, yams, butternut soup, green beans with fired onions, field roast, and gravy
See next entry for remaining photos.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Mushroom Barley Soup & Pumpkin Spice Cake
I had a few things in mind when I spent Saturday afternoon scanning VegWeb for inspiration and....
I knew I wanted soup with barley and/or wheatberries and something like a spice cake for dessert.
I lurve this time of the year! The changing leaf colors, the brisk chill in the mornings and night, the layering on of clothing. Yes, 'tis the perfect weather for hearty soups, spicy cakes, and french-pressed coffee!
This is what I ended up cooking yesterday:
Mushroom Barley Soup and Pumpkin Spice Cake. With only a few simple modifications, they both turned out fabulous!
With the Mushroom Barley Soup, I used 15 mushrooms instead of the 10 the recipe calls for. I think I used well over a cup of the pearl barley, too. Oh, and I added an extra potato, 8 oz of vegetable broth, a few dashes of vegan worcestershire sauce, and used an entire head of cabbage. I forgot to add the turmeric but no big deal. Mark made some pan-toast and served along with the soup.
With the Pumpkin Spice Cake, we didn't have enough pumpkin purée nor maple syrup so I supplemented 1/3 of a banana with the pumpkin. For the maple syrup, I used 1/2 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw to equal the 1-1/2 cups the recipe called for. Other than those two improvisations, I realized I had forgotten to add the apple cider vinegar to the batter after I'd put the cake in oven. There were several good hints on the VegWeb page regarding this recipe. I followed the one about the extra leavening by adding up to 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and baking powder. Maybe that helped save the cake without the apple cider vinegar? One more comment: I preheated the oven but I still had to bake the cake for an additional 10-15 minutes. I checked every five minutes til the toothpick came out clean. When it was done and had cooled off a bit, I served a slice to my hubby, after dusting it with a light coat of powdered sugar and he loved it.
The pics:
Wholesome veggies, prepped and ready for the soup
The finished product, served with Mark's pan-toast
Pumpkin Spice Cake with a dusting of confectioner's sugar
I knew I wanted soup with barley and/or wheatberries and something like a spice cake for dessert.
I lurve this time of the year! The changing leaf colors, the brisk chill in the mornings and night, the layering on of clothing. Yes, 'tis the perfect weather for hearty soups, spicy cakes, and french-pressed coffee!
This is what I ended up cooking yesterday:
Mushroom Barley Soup and Pumpkin Spice Cake. With only a few simple modifications, they both turned out fabulous!
With the Mushroom Barley Soup, I used 15 mushrooms instead of the 10 the recipe calls for. I think I used well over a cup of the pearl barley, too. Oh, and I added an extra potato, 8 oz of vegetable broth, a few dashes of vegan worcestershire sauce, and used an entire head of cabbage. I forgot to add the turmeric but no big deal. Mark made some pan-toast and served along with the soup.
With the Pumpkin Spice Cake, we didn't have enough pumpkin purée nor maple syrup so I supplemented 1/3 of a banana with the pumpkin. For the maple syrup, I used 1/2 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw to equal the 1-1/2 cups the recipe called for. Other than those two improvisations, I realized I had forgotten to add the apple cider vinegar to the batter after I'd put the cake in oven. There were several good hints on the VegWeb page regarding this recipe. I followed the one about the extra leavening by adding up to 1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and baking powder. Maybe that helped save the cake without the apple cider vinegar? One more comment: I preheated the oven but I still had to bake the cake for an additional 10-15 minutes. I checked every five minutes til the toothpick came out clean. When it was done and had cooled off a bit, I served a slice to my hubby, after dusting it with a light coat of powdered sugar and he loved it.
The pics:
Wholesome veggies, prepped and ready for the soup
The finished product, served with Mark's pan-toast
Pumpkin Spice Cake with a dusting of confectioner's sugar
Saturday, November 11, 2006
saturday breakfast
We haven't had a savory breakfast in some time. It's been sweet the last 3-4 week ends. So, for a change, Mark got creative and whipped this up. I'm still trying to figure out what to make for "linner" or "Dunch", a combo lunch/dinner, today. I'm not that much of a morning person and Mark works early on the weekdays and half of Saturday so we usually have one day to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Which is why he usually prepares it for us. This week end, Mark was given nearly 3 days off (woot!) so we're excited to try some different culinary choices. I'm happy with what he chose today :)
The dogs liked their breakfast, too. Only because I'm a soft touch and added a bit of what we ate into their usual kibble-broth-wet food mix.
Here are the pics:
A scumptious morning feast: Orange juice, fresh pineapple with maple-syrup-toasted walnuts, English muffins smothered in Earth Balance margarine, fried potatoes, and Tempeh Scramble (from VWaV)
The Tempeh Scramble, up close and personal
The dogs liked their breakfast, too. Only because I'm a soft touch and added a bit of what we ate into their usual kibble-broth-wet food mix.
Here are the pics:
A scumptious morning feast: Orange juice, fresh pineapple with maple-syrup-toasted walnuts, English muffins smothered in Earth Balance margarine, fried potatoes, and Tempeh Scramble (from VWaV)
The Tempeh Scramble, up close and personal
Thursday, November 09, 2006
food pics, part trois
Last entry chronicling the archived food photos:
Yummy Falafel in pita with soy tahini dressing and served with rice pilaf (Mark's creation), dolmas, hummus, and kalamata olives
Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes (from VegWeb) topped with Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting (VCTOTW). Sublime :)
Notice the festive coloring? Orange for Halloween ^o^
Mark was in the mood for pasta this past weekend and this is what he came up with: angelhair pasta tossed with basil, garlic, and tomatoes served with balsamic-glazed portabello mushrooms and kalamata olives. The soup is one he made from scratch, as well. The meal was topped off with Rosemary-Olive Oil bread with an olive-oil-balsamic vinegar dip.
Yummy Falafel in pita with soy tahini dressing and served with rice pilaf (Mark's creation), dolmas, hummus, and kalamata olives
Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes (from VegWeb) topped with Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting (VCTOTW). Sublime :)
Notice the festive coloring? Orange for Halloween ^o^
Mark was in the mood for pasta this past weekend and this is what he came up with: angelhair pasta tossed with basil, garlic, and tomatoes served with balsamic-glazed portabello mushrooms and kalamata olives. The soup is one he made from scratch, as well. The meal was topped off with Rosemary-Olive Oil bread with an olive-oil-balsamic vinegar dip.
food pics, part deux
Five more pics of delish vegan food!
Coconut Heaven Cupcakes (from VWaV). These were tasty but I wasn't happy with the way the frosting looked
A typical Sunday breakfast feast, prepared lovingly by my hubby. In this pic, there is fresh OJ, a ricemilk mocha, oatmeal with all the fixin's, fresh fruit, and pecan-raisin toast.
Gingerbread Apple Pie (from VWaV)
A creation of Mark's: angelhair pasta tossed with basil, garlic, and tomatoes served with balsamic-glazed portabello musrooms, sautéed veggies, and french bread with homemade vegan pesto. It was so delectable.
S'mores Cupcakes (from the upcoming book, "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero). These were absolutely divine. I totally need to buy this book!
Coconut Heaven Cupcakes (from VWaV). These were tasty but I wasn't happy with the way the frosting looked
A typical Sunday breakfast feast, prepared lovingly by my hubby. In this pic, there is fresh OJ, a ricemilk mocha, oatmeal with all the fixin's, fresh fruit, and pecan-raisin toast.
Gingerbread Apple Pie (from VWaV)
A creation of Mark's: angelhair pasta tossed with basil, garlic, and tomatoes served with balsamic-glazed portabello musrooms, sautéed veggies, and french bread with homemade vegan pesto. It was so delectable.
S'mores Cupcakes (from the upcoming book, "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero). These were absolutely divine. I totally need to buy this book!
first entry
Ok...so lately I've been on a kick where, whenever we cook or bake something new and/or delicious, I take a picture of the meal before I eat it. In starting this blog, I thought I would start posting the pics and recipes accompanying it. There is a slight backlog of pics that I'll post today but, after this first post, every entry will have a separate meal. These next few post will be the glut of pics I've been saving :)
In the Le Creuset casserole dishes are the beans and vegan enchilada casserole my hubby made for my sister's baby shower. The stuff in the aluminum containers were non-vegan Mexican food my mom brought from Castillo's Mexican Restaurant. Not to be biased, but our stuff was tastier.
My first vegan birthday cake. Taken from Vegan With a Vengeance. The cake is Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting. It was devilishy delicious :P
My attempt at baking Carrot-Raisin Muffins (VWAV). Note for next time: don't rush it and peel the carrots!
I made the soup, Bean Soup, from Ultimate Vegetarian Recipes. Mark made the "Not-Chicken" pot pies from scratch. Very delicious.
The Bean Soup, again, with Grilled Ricemilk Cheeze Sandwiches. The sandwiches taste best when served hot.
In the Le Creuset casserole dishes are the beans and vegan enchilada casserole my hubby made for my sister's baby shower. The stuff in the aluminum containers were non-vegan Mexican food my mom brought from Castillo's Mexican Restaurant. Not to be biased, but our stuff was tastier.
My first vegan birthday cake. Taken from Vegan With a Vengeance. The cake is Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting. It was devilishy delicious :P
My attempt at baking Carrot-Raisin Muffins (VWAV). Note for next time: don't rush it and peel the carrots!
I made the soup, Bean Soup, from Ultimate Vegetarian Recipes. Mark made the "Not-Chicken" pot pies from scratch. Very delicious.
The Bean Soup, again, with Grilled Ricemilk Cheeze Sandwiches. The sandwiches taste best when served hot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)