Market Vegetables, Sprouted Breads & more...

We finally got to the market this week! And we even played some music there this week (they were looking for musicians to play). We played a Cajun duo (video here) by David Rimelis (written for us) and a duo (Nocturne) that Scott (my husband) wrote. You can hear it here (#3).

So here's a list of what we got at this week's market: lemon cucumber, brown rice, golden zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, tomatoes, green pepper, celery, onions, pattypan squash, peaches, shiitakes, cucumbers, green beans, those tiny little eggplants (forgot the name), and yellow cherry tomatoes.

A while ago, I ordered some sprouted grain breads from French Meadow Bakery (they only ship one day a week, so get your order in early).  I got a bread, some bagels, and tortillas.  I LOVE bagels, so it's been rough for me without them (trying not to eat so much processed flour).  The bagel was very good, not the traditional kind I'm used to getting when I visit New Jersey, but still very good.  I think it needed to be toasted longer, because by the time I ate it, it almost was as if I hadn't toasted it at all!  Ate it with my Tofutti Cream Cheese.  Tried the tortilla out yesterday with leftover Sunburgers and Raw Ranch Dressing with raw veggies. The tortilla was very fresh tasting....good stuff.

Made some hummus the other day. Since I'd cooked up a bunch of garbanzos.....it was different. Not as moist as my usual hummus.  Made it with just a little tahini, lemon juice, salt, broccoli and roasted red peppers.

Also with the garbanzos......I found a recipe for Simple Chole, from VeggiePlatter's blog. It was really good and pretty simple. Next time I think we'll add some red pepper flakes to spice it up.

And here's a special picture of my grapefruit.....and it's alien:

Giveaway:
-LeslieLovesVeggies is giving away a copy of Ani's Raw Food Desserts, which looks like an awesome book.

Blogger of the Week: Kelly at Vegan Thyme.  Her posts are so witty and she's got some great recipes!

Eat smart,
T.

Sweet & Sour Chipotle Tempeh w/Sweet Potatoes and other eats.

I'm up way too early this morning.....so.....I thought I'd get some posting done.

Several days ago, I made a recipe from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan, by Dreena Burton.  (I found a copy of this recipe online here, but I don't know if they had permissions to post it-and it leaves out the chipotle)At the time, I really needed to find a use for all my sweet potatoes.  This recipe is amazing!  It's the Sweet and Sour Chipotle Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes.  If you have this book.....you MUST make this. It's really sweet though, so even though I already cut down on the sugars, I would do it even more next time.  I left out the oil and I used chipotle powder.  I also bought a fresh pineapple to use in it.....and eat the rest :) So good.

Then I made Ani Phyo's Raw Sun Burgers from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. (And I really want her new book....maybe one of these days!).  I didn't have a dehydrator, so for me, these worked better as a "spread" on my sprouted grain bread.  And, to top it off, I put some raw ranch dressing on top and it was sooooo good! The dressing is from Rawdawg Rory (click on his recipe videos). It's my new favorite thing! I had it on some salad the other day and then on some potatoes yesterday....you HAVE to try it.  The only thing is that it called for a bit too much salt for me, so I'll go light on that next time.  These "raw" people are so creative! If only I could come up with this stuff.

The Ranch Dressing:

The Sun Burger:

The meal:

Ok, let's move on to dessert.  Averie always has delicious stuff on her site, and so I made her Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Softserve .  This stuff is unbelievable!

And here's some more Zucchini Spiral pics, with raw marinara:

Ok, I think maybe I'm caught up???

Question:

Vacation planning.....which would you pick and why?
Portland, Maine or Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Thinking of doing a weekend at one or the other sometime this summer.

Eat smart,
T.

American Craft Beer Week Tasting & Brownies

Last weekend had us busy at the Avenue Pub with an American Craft Beer Week tasting event. We sat on their balcony for several hours, enjoying the beer and the view.

Here's what we tasted:

Abita Satsuma infused with Citra Hops(very tasty, as usual...and not too hoppy actually!):

Coney Island (Schmaltz) White Albino Python w/ginger (great gingery flavor):

Rogue Bitter IPA (cask):

Stone Sublimely Righteous Black IPA (hoppy nose, but very good):

Harpoon Leviathan Series Imperial Red Ale (too hoppy for me):

Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Sweet Potato Stout (Very good, Scott didn't like the nose, smelled like coffee to me!):

He'brew (Schmaltz) Lenny's RIPA aged in Sazerac Barrels, on cask (not my favorite, extremely hoppy):

Abita Select Imperial Pilsner (pretty good):

Unibroue Blanc de Chambly (nice, citrusy, refreshing):

Unibroue Chambly Noire (really nice):

Abita Jackamo, on cask (bitter, but good):

And last, but not least, Northcoast Red Seal Amber (very good, refreshing). Sorry, no picture! I got a "geaux" cup and took it on our walk outside....

Overall, I really enjoyed most of the beer. They had several casks available (which I don't think are vegan....sniff).

On to the food portion of my post....

BROWNIES! I love brownies.  I opened up my Sweet Utopia book again from Book Publishing Company and found a recipe to make:

Ultimate Brownies

from Sweet Utopia, by Sharon Valencik (published with permission from the publishing company)

(with my changes in noted)

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 ounces semisweet chocolate or 1/3 cup nondairy chocolate chips

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup turbinado)

1/3 cup vegan butter substitute

2 tablespoons soymilk (I used unsweetened)

1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup nondairy chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet baking chocolate)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and oil a 9-inch square baking pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl

Melt the 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate and all of the sugar and vegan butter substitute in a double boiler over gently simmering water. Alternatively, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 25 seconds longer and stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave for an additional 25 seconds.

Stir the chocolate mixture, the soymilk, and vanilla extract into the flour mixture using a wooden spoon. Fold in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the optional walnuts. Spoon and press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and optional walnuts over the top, pressing them in gently so they stick in the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Serve within several hours after baking.

Author's Note: To make the brownies easier to remove (and for easier cleanup), first line the baking pan with parchment paper and then oil it.

These were REALLY good, but....they were very very sticky trying to press them into the pan! Maybe it's because I added extra soymilk? The batter just seemed to dry to me.....hmmm......well, whatever, they were excellent :)

Giveaways: The Daily Raw blog is having a Matthew Kenney book giveaway!! I want one :)
-and check out their RAWVolution prepared raw foods to your doorstep giveaway too!
-and an Eden Organic Bamboo Sushi Mat and Untoasted Nori giveaway.

-and a Kaiya Foods giveaway for fruit leather, granola, sunflower seeds and kale chips!!
HURRY UP.....these end TONIGHT!!

Eat smart,

T.

Book Review: Vitamin D The Sunshine Vitamin and NOT meatloaf

A while ago, Rick over at Book Publishing Company sent me the Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin book to review.  My husband and I both read it and loved it.  I recently wrote a post about Vitamin D here and we both got ours checked and we were both deficient.  So now we are both taking a supplement every month.  That's the only supplement we take.  This book is written by Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc.  He first explains how Vitamin D works in your body and that, of course, the best source is the sun.  Not all of us live in a sunny location, so it's not so easy to get for a lot of people.  He goes on to explain the differences between D2 & D3 (which I also talked about in my post), one is vegan, one is not.  And of course he mentions sunscreen and the differences between UVA and UVB rays:

"It is important to realize that it is UVA light and not UVB light that is responsible for skin damage, aging, and wrinkles."

I love chapter 4!  He talks about all sorts of diseases that can be prevented/treated with Vitamin D.  It's really interesting and you can easily skim that part for particular diseases you may be looking for, from Cancer and MS to Acne and Autism! At the very end of the book he mentions a few concerns for women's health that can be helped by Vitamin D, including Preeclampsia and PMS.

Overall, this is a great read.  The book isn't too long and is not overwhelming at all....but gives really great information on this vitamin. Go out and get it!!

And now for my NOT meatloaf recipe!! (Don't get scared, but it looks like raw meat)

Tanya's NOT Meatloaf:


1 recipe of my black bean burgers with the following changes:
-add 1 small beet, cut in small pieces and a handful of chopped broccoli instead of mushrooms
-works better with cooked black beans that have been drained well & refrigerated, rather than canned.

Follow the directions for the burgers, but instead of shaping into burgers, put into a sprayed/oiled loaf pan and press down evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  (I have to admit, it tasted much better cold the next day!!)  Serve with BBQ sauce, or any other sauce.....or no sauce :)

We had it with a side of steamed green beans fresh from our friend's garden!

Question of the week: I'm saving up for one of the following two. Which one should I get?  I have a small 3 cup food processor that I use several times a week, and I have no blender, but the blender is a lot more expensive than the food processor.  Not sure which I would use more:

The Cuisinart Elite 14 cup Food Processor with 3 work bowls

OR:

The VitaMix TurboBlend 4500 Blender

Giveaway: Averie's having a Naturally Nutty giveaway on her blog...this stuff looks awesome!

Coming up: American Craft Beer Week celebration at the Avenue Pub!

Eat smart,

T.

Barley "Risotto" with Kale & Tomatoes

Ok, since I have the time, why not have two posts in one day??  And since this recipe is almost a week old by now....I thought I better post it already!

Tanya's Barley "Risotto" with Kale & Tomatoes:


1 cup hulled barley (rinsed)
3 cups broth (or water w/bouillion)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup packed kale
3 slices Teese mozzarella
garlic powder, black pepper


Put barley and liquid in a pot and bring to boil.  Turn to low, cover, and simmer about 1-1 1/4 hours.  Hulled barley takes longer to cook than pearl barley....keep this in mind if you're going to use pearl instead.  When the water is absorbed, mix in tomatoes, kale, and spices.  Let heat through for a few minutes, then mix in the Teese well until it's melted. Serve! 

Easy, no?

I recently read that hulled barley is better for you than pearl barley.....as in, it still has it's outer layer, or bran? I guess pearl barley is more like white rice and hulled is like brown? Is that right?  Anyway, it still tastes good, but it does take a lot longer to cook. But so does brown rice, etc....

Other things I've been eating:

Broccoli & Carrot salad with balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, & salt:

Pizza Potatoes (baked potatoes with Teese mozz & my red sauce: strained tomatoes, oregano, tomato paste, & salt):

Roasted asparagus with salt & pepper (roasted 15 min and added lemon juice when done):

That's it for today......

Eat smart,
T.

NOLA VeggieFest 2010

So we went to NOLA VeggieFest this past Sunday, even though the rain was awful.  It was flooded everywhere!  But then again....this is New Orleans.....we shouldn't expect anything less. It floods in a matter of minutes here.

We were a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived. Tables everywhere.....samples of foods.......lots of books.....t-shirts.....stickers....more food.....beer.....wine......WOW! They even offered free magazines when you entered....a Vegetarian Times and a VegNews. I am already a subscriber to both, so I didn't take any.  We each got a nice bag from Sublime restaurant to fill with all the good stuff.  My husband, of course, felt much more comfortable once he had a beer in hand, thanks to NOLA Brewing:

He got the Blonde, and I got the Brown......ales of course :)

They also had samples from Frey Vineyards in California.  There were lectures from several different people, including the one we heard from Josh Hooten, the co-founder of Herbivore Clothing Company in Portland, OR.  Very interesting guy. Other sponsors/tables included: Book Publishing Company (and I met Rick, who has been kind enough to send me some great books for review!), Vega, Bute Island (Sheese), Tofurkey, Daiya Foods, Field Roast, Primal Spirit Foods, Coconut Bliss, Parma, Sunshine Burgers, Mary's Gone Crackers, So Delicious, Amy's, Theo Chocolate, Bob's Red Mill, and so many others.  I can't possibly list them all.  Most had free samples for us to taste, and some had free stuff to take home, including some sample hot cereals from Bob's Red Mill, Parma, Soyatoo, and other magnets, stickers, and cool pamphlets from Farm Sanctuary, PCRM, and more.

We ate a ton!  In the back courtyard, we had some vegan jambalaya:

And there was an Indian family there with their own delicious food....we packaged it up to take home because my husband loves Indian food but we were so stuffed by that point.

Our own Hollygrove Market was there with food (our weekly farmer's market), as well as great coffee I got from Hey Cafe, with some So Delicious Coconut Milk creamer.

And remember my major SHEESE FAIL???  Well, they  were there, and we had to try something else from them, or I'd always hate them.  Unfortunately, they didn't have the block cheeses to try, but we tried their spreads and they were delicious!! YES.....that's right.....DELICIOUS! So, at least I can't avoid them completely now...and perhaps I just had a bad batch.....???

We tried a Gardein product.....I've never had it before and it was really good.  Then we tried the Sunshine Burgers, and although it didn't wow me, my husband liked it.  I don't think I can get any Gardein products locally without going to Whole Foods, which I'm trying to avoid.  Oh well.  At least I got to try it.  We don't really buy much in the way of pre-packaged processed foods anymore anyway.  We had Tofurkey deli slices with Nasoya dijon "mayo" on it....very tasty.   Sampled some chili from Amy's and that was really good too.

Another local restaurant (they're actually based in Louisville, KY) that was there, was J Gumbo's and we tried their White Bean Chili, which was vegan and it was awesome! And they have a location right near our house :) How convenient.....

For dessert, there was a local couple there from the Northshore (Mandeville, LA): KC's Babycakes.

The owners:

Red Velvet Vegan Cupcakes:

Cookies and Cream Vegan Cupcakes:

The marble cupcake with chocolate frosting that we brought home:

So good!

Here's the stash I brought home:

Couldn't go home without the awesome t-shirts!!

Now that I'm off work....I'll try to post more, and believe me, I need to catch up. Coming up next: Book review (Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin) and my Barley "risotto" recipe!

Giveaway: Check out Leslie Loves Veggies to win Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan!

Blogger of the Week: Cathy's Bread Experience Blog.  If you love baking your own bread, this is a great blog to check out AND she recently tested out a sprouted grain bread that I had requested!!

Eat smart,
T.