More Good Eats

Busy playing the opera, Turandot, this week. But I can show you some of the good stuff I've been eating!

Barley "Risotto" with mixed vegetables:

Raw Buckwheat Groats for breakfast:

Pretzel Rolls!

Cashew Tomato sauce on top of steamed potatoes:

Spaghetti Squash!!

That's all I can give you today. More posts to come tomorrow!

Eat smart,

T.

New Kids on the Block

Nope, not the band. It's all about two new cool places that opened up in New Orleans: Cafe Carmo and Poeyfarre Market.

Both are in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Within blocks of each other. It was hot, but we walked it anyway.  First we stopped into Cafe Carmo for lunch since we'd heard about the awesome vegan options there. We ordered the special, in its vegan version:

It was some sort of Egyptian dish with lentils, chickpeas, vegan meatballs, with a little rice and pasta in there. It was pretty good! The tomato sauce had a great flavor. For me, I could have done without the pasta (white flour) and wish it had been brown rice instead of white.  But, still, it was good. I had to get the vegan dessert, which was some sort of banana cake:

REALLY moist and overly sweet. But, very good! Had to split it three ways :)

I will definitely go back. Everyone in there was really nice. Good service (though you order at the counter) and nice (but small) ambience.  It looks like they could be expanding next door...???? I saw some new French doors leading to construction. That would be great. If you're in the area, you should definitely check this place out. They did have a vegan potato salad too, which I didn't try. There are many other things on the menu that can be veganized as well. Go check it out!

Then we headed over to the new Poeyfarre Market.  Maybe not in the best area, from what I could tell, but still, quite a nice market.  There are a lot of warehouse condos here and so I'm sure this new addition will be great for the local residents.  It was very clean and nicely laid out.  Not at all crowded and cramped. They had some vegan cheese, including a vegan parmesan, lots of vegan/raw protein powders & bars. They even had kale chips!! I saw hemp milk and almond milk, and some gluten free products too, like brown rice pasta. There's lots of wine, and a big walk-in beer cooler in the back with a decent collection. Really nice market (wish it were in my neighborhood).

Other things I've been eating:

A variation of my Barley Risotto:

I made Ani Phyo's Love the Chicks Pate with some Red Enchilada Sauce:

And finally, we tried the Alexia Sweet Potato Fries. I had a coupon for them, so I purchased a bag a while back. I've gotta say....they were ultra greasy. The flavor was really good, but they were just too oily for me. It's probably just because I don't use very much oil anymore and I just wasn't used to it. Oh well. I won't buy them again. But....the flavor WAS very good (Chipotle):

That's all for now folks!

On another note, my husband and I are now teaching viola lessons via Skype! If you or anyone you know is interested, please check out the details here. Feel free to share this information with your friends :)

Eat smart,
T.

Vegetable Barley Stew

We were recently on a trip, which I'll be blogging about in a few days, and I had the most amazing barley stew ever! Ok, it was in an Irish pub and it was called a mulligatawny, but still.....it was awesome! And I knew I had to try and reproduce it. So I did, with a few more vegetables :) So for those of you who are still in winter temperatures, this will really warm you up!

Vegetable Barley Stew:

1 1/2 cups hulled barley (aka hulless barley, NOT pearl)
4 cups vegetable broth


1 TB minced garlic
1 yellow onion, chopped
4-5 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 TB dried jalapenos
1/2 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces
1/2 zucchini, cubed
1/3 cabbage head, sliced into small pieces (not shredded, that's too small)
8 cups vegetable broth

To cook the barley, put the barley and broth into a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours or so, until cooked, but still chewy. 


While the barley is cooking, add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery to a large stockpot, along with 1/4 cup water. Heat on medium until onions are soft.  Add the broth, jalapenos, and cauliflower. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, covered. Then turn it down to medium-low and add the zucchini. Let slowly boil (covered) for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are mostly cooked, but not mushy. Add the cabbage and cook for another 3 minutes. Salt to taste. Spoon into a bowl and top with a large spoonful of barley.


*Note-you can use pearled barley, but it will take less time to cook (follow directions on the package).


Enjoy! I still have leftovers and will be eating them for dinner tonight, even though it's 80 degrees outside.


Eat smart,
T.

Risotto for the Fall and upcoming Vegan Queso!

First off, here's what I got at the market this week (I know, I'm going again tomorrow...I can't seem to catch up!): apples, turnips, kale, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, green beans, satsumas, mixed greens, mustard greens, and yellow squash.

Next up, a great recipe for this time of year, especially with all the sweet potatoes I've been getting at the market!

Sweet Potato Barley "Risotto":

1 cup hulled barley
3 cups water (or broth)
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large bunch of kale
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 TB Creole Seasoning (less, if you add salt)
garlic & onion powder
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
some extra water, possibly

Put the the barley and water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer until chewy (1-1 1/4 hrs). It will take less time if you use pearl barley-follow package directions for that.


Put the cubed sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft (30-40 minutes, depending on size of cubes). When done, drain and set aside.


When the barley is done, add in the sweet potatoes and stir well, mashing it up. You may need to add a bit of water so it doesn't stick to the bottom and to make it a bit creamier. Add in the seasonings and mix. Add the kale, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. When done, add the lime (or lemon) juice.  Add salt if needed at this point. Serve!


Other stuff I've been eating:

Amazing salad dressing from Ani's Raw Food Essentials: Asian Greens with Lemon-Tahini Dressing-

(goes great with hemp seeds on top!)

Made my whole wheat pizza again, with Daiya, of course:

Sometimes I crave mac n' cheese, so here's my version:

1 cup cooked brown rice
2 TB almond milk, unsweetened
1 slice Galaxy Nutrional Foods Vegan Cheddar
1 TB nutritional yeast
1 tsp each garlic powder & onion powder
salt & pepper


Heat up the rice (unless you just cooked it)
Mix in the almond milk. Tear up the slice of cheese and add it in. Stir well. It may take several minutes for the cheese to melt in.  Then add in the rest of the ingredients. Add more almond milk, if you like it creamier. Enjoy!


And I am currently addicted to Robin Robertson's Tahini-Miso Sauce. Yup, I've been making tons of brown rice and steamed veggies with that stuff all over it! Delicious. It's in her 1,000 Vegan Recipes cookbook.

And last but not least.....who wants VEGAN QUESO??? ME!!! Ok, so I ran out of the best stuff ever: Nacho Mom's Vegan Queso. That's a disaster right there. I had to think of something. So I made my own! Yup. But it still needs another test, so I'm not putting up the recipe yet.  Now, it's not going to be nearly as delicious as Nacho Mom's, but I'm doing my best. And as soon as it's available here, I will buy it up :) But here's a sneak peek:

Eat smart,
T.

Butternut Squash "Risotto" and Tortilla Pizzas!

Boy do I feel lazy.  Haven't felt like posting a whole lot.  But I keep taking pictures of the stuff I make....and they pile up!  So here we are...lots of pictures ahead.

But first, don't forget to enter my Bloggiversary Giveaway! Win Dr. Neal Barnard's "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook". Click here to enter.

Farmer's market purchases: tomatoes, turnips (with greens), mustard greens, brown rice, limes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, okra, peaches, white button mushrooms, and fresh basil.

I made some Butternut Squash Barley "Risotto" the other day. It was really good and so here's the recipe:

Butternut Squash Barley "Risotto":

1 cup hulled barley (you can use pearled, but the cooking time will be shorter)
3 cups water/vegetable broth
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 cup almond milk, unsweetened
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sage
1 tbsp curry powder
salt/pepper

Steam the cubed squash for about 30-45 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.


On medium heat, saute the onion & garlic in a little water until translucent.  Add wine and cook ~5 minutes.  Add the barley & water/broth. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 1-1 1/4 hours until the barley is mostly soft (still chewy).  

Mash up the steamed squash with: almond milk, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, sage, curry & nutmeg. When almost all the water is absorbed by the barley (there can still be some left, it will make it creamier), add the mashed squash & tomatoes, and mix well.  Add 2 tbsp more nutritional yeast and salt/pepper to taste. Cook another 5 minutes.


Yesterday, we wanted pizza and I wanted to use up these awesome sprouted grain tortillas we had (you should freeze them if you're not going to use them within a couple of days):

So I laid out 2 tortillas on parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread some of my tomato sauce on it (pureed tomatoes, minced garlic, onion powder, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes), followed by sliced peppers, mushrooms, onions and fresh basil & chard. I sprinkled on some Daiya mozzarella shreds and topped with a little more sauce.  Put them in the oven for about 10 minutes on 375 or so.  They do get a bit soggy in the middle, whereas the outer edges are VERY crispy.  You could try spraying the bottom of the tortillas with oil before you put it on the parchment paper (I didn't).  They were pretty darn good!

Next up, a Tafajito:

Thinly slice up red & green bell peppers and onions.  Saute the onions in a pan on medium heat with a little water.  Let the water run out and continue dry-frying them.  They will start to burn. Keep mixing them every few seconds while they burn.  After doing this for a minute or two, add in a little water.  It will sizzle, so WATCH OUT!  Then add the peppers.  Do the same thing....let the water run out, dry fry them. Let them burn. As you mix, add in some cumin powder/seeds, coriander powder, chili powder, black pepper, and salt.   Finally, add in a little water and let sizzle again.  Turn off the heat.

Lay out 2 sprouted grain tortillas.  Spread guacamole on them. Then, spread on some of Ani Phyo's "Taco Nut Meat" (awesome stuff!), then the veggies.  Wrap how you want...taco style, burrito style, fajita style.....it's up to you!

Then I tried to make Ani's Basic Flax Crackers from Ani's Raw Food Essentials.  I think they were way too thick...I should've spread them on 2 baking sheets.  They never really crisped up except for a few edge pieces.  I baked them on 300 degrees for at least 45 minutes per side. Still good though.  I added garlic powder & onion powder. Note to self: buy Excalibur Dehydrator, when I can afford it and have space!

Since I still had plenty of butternut squash, I decided to make the Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup with Chard from Robin Robertson's "1,000 Vegan Recipes". Delicious!! I left out the oil and used pureed tomatoes from a jar, instead of the crushed.

Other stuff I've been eating:

My black bean burgers with BBQ sauce and a side of my mashed potatoes(mash up some cooked potatoes, add a little almond milk, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and Creole Seasoning)

I tried a Gardein product for the first time and it was really tasty. I try not to eat/buy too much in the way of pre-packaged foods, but I had a coupon and finally broke down and went to Whole Foods:

I bought up a bunch of bulk items: oat groats, buckwheat groats, raw sunflower seeds, raw cashews, and sweet brown rice:

Also got some essential seeds: flax and hemp (plus my favorite falafel chips!)

Ok, I think that's quite enough for now, don't you? Tired of looking at millions of photos yet?

Another giveaway: Chocolate Covered Katie is giving away a TON of Larabars!!

Eat smart,
T.

I got a VITAMIX!!!!

So here I was......wandering into Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up a 50% off Aerogarden (yes, it's my third one) and what do I see out of the corner of my eye????  A VITAMIX! Sitting on the clearance rack.  I thought it couldn't be.....no way....just when I had decided to go for a smaller blender and buy a big fancy food processor.....yup, there it was.  Sideways.....piled on top of other items.  I thought to myself, "Oh no! The 20% off coupons I have with me say NO VITAMIX!!!" So I snatched it up and brought it immediately to the customer service counter to see if they could hold it.  Sure enough, they said they could, for 24 hours.  I went and picked up my Aerogarden, and asked at the cashier if you can use a 20% off coupon even if it says you can't use it on that brand. You know what her answer was??  You can use it on anything. ANYTHING!  So I   pushed my cart all the way over to the customer service desk and asked to check out there, with my Vitamix. It was on clearance for $319.99! AND I used the 20% off coupon, so I got it for around $256!!!  OMG! Yes, it's the 4500, but that's ok.  It's still a Vitamix :)

Then of course, I brought it home thinking "I'm sure it won't work.  That's probably why someone brought it back."  I tested it.....3 times. It works!

Test one: cleaned it out with warm water and soap, as per instructions.




Test two: green smoothie

1 cup cold filtered water
1/2 apple, cored
~3/4 cup broccoli florets
~2 oz spinach
1/2 carrot, sliced
BLEND. Much better after you put it in the fridge and drink it cold.

Test three: fruit smoothie

1 banana, in chunks
1 cup blueberries
1/2 apple, cored
4 large ice cubes
BLEND. Really good!


Was so excited to share this great news with you guys! I've wanted one of these forever and didn't think I'd ever be able to afford one.

Our first farmer's market back home: baby okra(I knew the season would come), blueberries, nectarines, peaches, cucumber, plums, speckled butter beans, yellow squash, bell peppers, baby pink eggplant, & baby shiitakes.

Stuff I made recently:

"Tuna" salad sandwich out of the raw falafel recipe.  I just added celery, onions, and dill! So tasty:

Same thing, but without the celery and onions, stuffed in a pepper:

My Indian curry dish, with lots of veggies (no potatoes or chickpeas this time):

Cold barley salad (cabbage, broccoli slaw, red pepper, celery, cucumber, & balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic):

Isn't she pretty??? (see below)

Giveaway:
Check out LeslieLovesVeggies for a Pomi tomato giveaway!! I love that stuff :)
MamaPea is giving away a chance to win a cookbook! (can't turn THAT down)

Ok, I believe that's it for today's post.

Eat smart,
T.