Spicy Pea Stew, Stuffed Tomatoes, and A Smoothie

I got a TON of pink-eyed peas from the farmer's market this week and last week, so I decided to go ahead and finally cook them!  Boiled them for about 1 hour.  Drain and done.

This week's market: pink-eyed peas, lima beans, baby shiitakes, peaches, nectarines, plums, fresh oregano, cucumbers, butternut squash, little eggplants, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

And that leads me to today's lunch!

Tanya's Spicy Pea Stew

1 1/2 cups cooked pink-eyed peas (or black-eyed)
1 cup strained tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels 
1 large bell pepper (any color), chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium/large tomato, chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp Creole seasoning (or a mix of cayenne & other peppers)
1 tsp salt
garlic powder & crushed red pepper flakes


Saute the onion in 1/4 cup water.  Add water as needed, so it doesn't stick.  When soft, add the celery and peppers.  Cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.  Add the corn and a little more water and cover.  Let steam for 2-3 minutes.  Add the peas and all spices, except the salt.  Stir and add the strained tomatoes.  Add in the chopped tomato and cook for another few minutes.  Just before serving, add the salt and stir.  Serve over couscous or brown rice.

I served mine over Near East couscous, as they were kind enough to send me a few boxes. I haven't had couscous in a while and it was very tasty :)

Speaking of couscous, they also sent me their Toasted Pine Nut flavored couscous, which went really well in the Sicilian Stuffed Tomatoes I made from Robin Robertson's 1,000 Vegan Recipes.

Some with a little Daiya on top, and some without:

One of the blog's I read is Mama Pea's Peas and Thank You blog.  You should check it out, especially if you have kids (her girls are so cute!).  And I've probably bookmarked a billion of her recipes by now.....so I decided I should finally make one. I made her Simple Black Beans and Corn and Millet Pudding. The only problem I had was that the millet would NOT grind up.  I still put it in, but I added in a few spoons of cornmeal to help.  Not sure why the millet wouldn't grind up in my food processor.  Maybe it would have, in the Vita-Mix?? Anyway, it was all delicious!  Now I have a ton of beans....I froze most of them :)

On to another smoothie recipe:

The "what do I call it?":

1/2 banana
1 peach, pitted
2 carrots
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup water


Blend. I think ginger might go nicely in there, but I haven't tried it yet.

Stevia:
Have any of you tried Stevia? I tried it (and spent a lot of money for the little container) and can't stand it.  I do love licorice flavor, but that was just toooooo much. Bleh.  I bought the powdered stevia extract.  But I also tried my mom's regular stevia powder (not extract) and still didn't like it.....I tried both in my oatmeal.  Maybe it's better in a smoothie?? Any other suggestions?

Other stuff I've eaten:

Nori rolls with Ani Phyo's "Sushi" Rice made from jicama:

My friend's eggplant dip:

Ok, that's all for today.  Glad we didn't get a tropical storm this week after all :)

Giveaway:

LeslieLovesVeggies is giving away 2 copies of "The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East" cookbook!

Look for a post Monday or Tuesday about my giveaway!!

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.

Book Review: Sweet Utopia and some Sweet Potato Lentil Chili

The book: Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts, by Sharon Valencik

Book Publishing Company sent me this book to review a little while back and I've only recently had time to actually make something out of it. The book itself is beautiful! Gorgeous color photographs by the author's husband, Milan Valencik, fill the entire book. The photos alone make you want to make every single thing in this book. And once you browse through it, you'll find yourself bookmarking every other recipe, because they look so good. I have way too many page corners folded over, just waiting for me to try my hand at these recipes, which although they look so gourmet, they don't actually seem too difficult to create. Thank you, Sharon! She has some good information at the beginning of the book on using different ingredients and how to substitute ingredients as well (which always comes in handy). I did finally try the Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins, because I had some leftover pumpkin I didn't know what to do with.  Let me tell you....you won't be able to stop eating them....just ask my husband :)  They're phenomenal! And just so you can try them yourself, I'm including the recipe for them below:

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
   from Sweet Utopia, by Sharon Valencik (with permission to publish from Book Publishing Company)

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 cup turbinado)
1/2 cup canola oil (I used water)
1/3 cup soymilk (I used unsweetened)
3/4 cup nondairy chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a standard 12-cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners.  Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Add the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and soymilk and stir until just combined.  Gently stir in the chocolate chips and optional walnuts.  Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Last night, I made some Sweet Potato Lentil Chili from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan.  I needed to use up some sweet potatoes and this was the perfect choice.  I'm definitely making it again soon.  I just happened to cook up some black beans yesterday morning, so I had some available for the recipe.  It took quite a bit longer to cook than printed, for the sweet potatoes, but that's ok...it was ready by the time my husband got back from his Houston trip.

And by the way, if you're interested in keeping tabs on the recipes in this cookbook, check out Ashlei's blog as she cooks her way through it!

Coming up: another book review (Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin) and my "barley" risotto recipe!

Again, don't forget NOLA Veggie Fest tomorrow! I'll be there. For info, click here.

Eat smart,
T.

Market produce and more tacos

Wow, I'm getting behind, aren't I?  Sometimes I just don't feel like blogging....I mean I do, but I'm not in the mood to crop the pictures, etc....you know what I mean?

Anyway, here's a list of what we got at Saturday's market: purple kale, lacinato kale, mixed greens, purple top turnips, radishes, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries (let's keep those comin'), collard greens, mustard greens,  and hydroponic tomatoes.

It wasn't a ton this time, but that's ok.  Not every week can overtop my box!  And can I say I think I have a problem?  I'm addicted.  Yup, addicted to kale and broccoli.  And there was no green curly kale or broccoli in this week's box....I almost panicked.  But I was able to buy a few bags of their purple kale and I got broccoli and green curly kale at the grocery store.  Phew.

I made tacos again this week, using what I had in the fridge, so here's the recipe:

Millet Tacos:


4 corn tortillas
1/2-3/4 cup cooked millet
3/4 cup cooked kidney beans, mashed up
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 yellow/white onion, chopped
2 tsp dried cilantro (or use fresh if you have it!)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup pureed/crushed tomatoes
chili powder
onion powder
chipotle powder
garlic
salt


Saute the onion in 1/4 cup water until soft.  Add the carrots and broccoli.  Saute another 5 minutes or so, adding water as needed so it doesn't stick to the pan.  Add the millet and mashed beans. Mix it up well and add 1 tsp of the cilantro, and the rest of the spices to taste.  It's done when it's heated through.  


For the sauce: Mix together 3/4 cup pureed/crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp cilantro, salt and chipotle powder to taste.  Heat the tortillas, fill them, and top with the sauce. Easy!

Blogger of the Week: Lindsay at CookingForAVeganLover blog.  She's got reviews, recipes, and giveaways galore!  Check her out.


Oh, and check out my little tomatoes growing! And my herbs:

Until next time....
Eat smart,
T.
PS-I was thinking: Mexican kidney bean burgers.....thoughts?

Quick Tacos

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY FOOD!!!

Ok, so we're excited because the Saints won.....GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!  What a game....phew......and the crowds were insane here in NOLA.  What a crazy night....

Anyway, I made some food for our game watching: Chili, party mix, and my marzipan balls. Along with some raw turnips and red peppers to snack on.

I actually cooked my own kidney beans that morning. Yes, I'm proud of myself. Is that sad??  I usually buy canned beans, so I was impressed with myself.  (Shhhh....I still used one can of beans in the chili)

Tanya's Bean Chili:

3-4 cups cooked kidney beans
1 can mixed beans (pinto & Great Northern, although most other beans are fine)
2 10-oz cans original Rotel tomatoes
1 cup crushed/pureed tomatoes
1 15-oz can corn (I used Fiesta corn)
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 pint white button mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tsp chipotle powder (or to taste)
3 tsp chili powder (ok, I kind of just pour it on...so I'm not sure of the measurement)
onion powder, salt, pepper
fresh cilantro

Put 1/4 cup water in a large soup pot/stock pot.  Add the onions and celery.  Saute until soft.  Add the garlic and stir. Let cook for a minute. Add the mushrooms and peppers.  Saute for another 5 minutes or so.  You may have to keep adding water (1/4 cup at a time) so it doesn't stick to the pot.  Add the cumin seeds and stir.  Add in the all the tomatoes and beans. Then add the spices and stir.  Let cook on medium heat for a few minutes.  Taste and season as needed.  Add the tomato paste and mix well. Add in some chopped cilantro if using. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or so...or longer if you want it a bit thicker.  Serve over brown rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.

My own tip for next time: add more crushed tomatoes and more cocoa (go ahead, try it).

I made some awesome party mix for snacking during the game, because well.......isn't that normal game food?? I guess I don't really know because I don't normally watch games :)  You can find the Party Mix here. It's a great mix of sweet and salty!

And for dessert, I made my Marzipan Balls, covered in chocolate of course.  They were eaten quickly.
Of course we can't forget the beer.  Our friend, Josh, brought some Sierra Nevada Kellerweis and it was so good.  Also had a Schlafly Coffee Stout: good stuff.

Wow ok....it's been quite a week with this big win and all.  New Orleans is just really crazy right now, between the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras!

Eat smart,
T.

Sweet Potato Kale Balls

I found a recipe online the other day that used up my sweet potatoes and kale, so yay!  It was from Cupcake Punk's blog: Sweet Potato Kale Balls.

I had 2 white sweet potatoes, so that's what I used.  I don't think I really caramelized the onions, since I didn't use any oil, but that's ok.  I also added about 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (could've used even more).  At first, after I baked the sweet potatoes, I thought it would be really difficult to mash them up.  Might've been easier if I'd boiled them.  But maybe it's a specific texture you're supposed to have...a little crunchiness here and there, from the crispy outsides.  It did take some effort though.  It was easier once I added the tomatoes, because of the liquid.  The flavors mixed really nicely.  It reminded me of my Mix N' Mashed Potatoes.  They were very good....we ate them alone.  Maybe they'd be better atop some pasta, but I'm trying to avoid as much flour as possible!  I'm eating very little pasta these days....although that was one of my favorite foods up until recently....so it's difficult.

Tonight is Mediterranean Veggie Burger night....so look for my blog post tomorrow! And.....I will be posting ways YOU can help Haiti.

And guess what? Yup, I bought dried beans today: garbanzo, black, and kidney.  Wish me luck on cooking them....I'd like to get away from buying cans whenever possible. (will be difficult because I love my canned tomatoes....I use them everyday) Here's a good recent post on chickpeas. That should help me get started.

Until tomorrow...
Eat smart,
T.

WHO DAT! and Vegan Burger Week.

Ok, first of all, I have to say GEAUX SAINTS!!  Off to the Superbowl....

Now that I got that off my chest, I can move on to the food portion of this post.

Today's Burger: Tanya's BBQ Black Bean Burger:


1 cup cooked brown rice
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 small carrot, sliced
~4 oz white button mushrooms (1/2 small container), sliced
1/4-1/2 yellow onion, sliced
a handful of kale
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (seasoned, if you want...I seasoned my own)
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
Creole seasoning (for the cayenne)
salt, pepper, onion powder


Put the rice in a food processor and process until it looks like millet.  Small, but not totally pureed (like the picture).  Put it aside in a medium mixing bowl.  Put the beans in the food processor and do the same.  You want it a little chunky still. Add that to the rice and mix.  

In a saute pan, put about 1/4 cup water and set it on medium heat.  Add the carrot, garlic, onion, and mushrooms.  Cover with a lid, so the carrots cook faster.  When they're almost soft, add the kale and recover.  Cook until the kale is wilted and bright green.  Let it cool for a few minutes, then put the vegetables in the food processor and puree until it's mostly smooth.  A few chunks are ok (I like to see my vegetables!).  Add the vegetables to the rice and bean mixture.  Add in the breadcrumbs. Mix well.  Add the rest of the seasonings until it's flavored the way you want.  Put the mix in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Shape into patties.  Spray a pan or skillet and cook the patties for about 5-7 minutes each side on medium heat.  Serve with BBQ sauce, and on a bun if you wish.  Makes about 6 burgers.  

I made the lunchboxbunch BBQ sauce and it's really tasty! I left out the liquid smoke, because I didn't have any and I halved the oil.  It didn't turn out very thick, so maybe I could've added a bit more arrowroot.  But the flavor is really great.

For the NOT meatloaf version, click here.

I served my burgers last night with a side of homemade baked french fries:

Take 1 med red potato for each person.  Slice them about 1/4" thick.  Then take each slice and cut those the long way.  You know, cut them to look like french fries :)  Spray a cookie sheet.  Lay the potatoes down and sprinkle with salt and paprika (maybe garlic).  Bake on 375 for about 30 minutes, turning them over after 15 minutes.  


Today for lunch (leftovers), I served my burgers on sprouted grain bread, with crispy kale on the side.  So good.

Look for my Mediterranean Burger later this week!


There's a new dessert ball in my life: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.  Yup, they taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I used to LOVE Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.....oh how I miss it.  But now I can just eat these and taste the deliciousness.

Quick recipe: 3/4 cup raw cashew pieces, 4-5 pitted dates, handful of chocolate chips, & a splash of peppermint extract.  Process with a little water until the right consistency.  Shape into balls (makes about 6) and put in the fridge.  Thanks again, CCK! She's the founder of these babies. Click the link to get more of her great fudge baby recipes.

Oh, and I found the ultimate food processor: Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-cup Food Processor.  Yup, it's amazing (and also very expensive).  Comes with 3 different sized bowls, which is so helpful.  I will be saving up.

And finally, another giveaway (nope, it's not mine...maybe one day): An Opera Singer in the Kitchen is giving away some great stuff, including coffee, agave nectar, and Larabars.  Check her out!

I can't forget the market on Saturday (almost didn't include it): satsumas, oranges, grapefruit, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli, brown rice, coffee(locally roasted, for charity), tomatoes, turnips, and white button mushrooms.

Yesterday, I made some tasty turnip slaw with the fresh turnips from the market.  Check out the recipe.

Until next time,
Eat smart,
T.

Brownies, Tamarind, Cabbage and Market Goods

I've been really out of it for a few days now....sleeping a lot and not in blogging moods.  I think I feel better today.  Our chamber music concerts are done, so there's a weight off my shoulders too. I can relax a bit now....although we still have "regular work"....meaning orchestra rehearsals and concerts.  This week is the Verdi Requiem.  Great piece! I recommend a listen, if you get a chance.

On to the food.  Here's what I got at Saturday's market: cabbage, cauliflower, cilantro, turnips, kale, green onions, grapefruit, satsumas, oranges, shiitakes, brown rice, tomatoes, meyer lemons, and broccoli. 

Today I made VeganYumYum's Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl.

Here are my alterations:

I left out the oil and the tofu.
I added an extra cup of rice and an extra cup of cabbage.
I used ALL the tamarind chutney in the recipe.

This is the first time I've ever used tamarind.  I found it in our Asian food store.  I think it had pits in it? Is that possible?  There were some very hard small pit-like things in my portion.  So perhaps next time I'll strain the sauce before it cools and thickens.  It was labeled as tamarind paste. The flavor was really nice and just spicy enough for me, although my husband poured on more red pepper flakes (he loves spicy).

And now for the brownies.  I was hesitant to blog about them, because I've seen sooo many great reviews of them and I was really looking forward to making them: HappyHerbivore's Black Bean Brownies.

Now let me just say, my husband loves them and we had a guest over and he liked them too.  My husband actually thought there was pumpkin in them (must be the cinnamon).  I just found the texture really weird.  Maybe it was my little 3 cup food processor that didn't quite process it well enough? Maybe I should've added the extra sugar?? I'm not sure.  I mean, I like them, but I won't be eating a ton of them (not to worry, my husband is eating them up). I really wanted to love them.  Maybe I'll try them again if I ever get a REAL food processor. And maybe I'll add the extra sugar too.  That won't keep me from trying out other HappyHerbivore recipes.....she's great.  And you should check out her daily online tv streamed recipes here.

On to other news.  Check out ChocolateCoveredKatie's Vitamix giveaway! I really want one, so I'll be entering too :)

And don't forget to check out her recipes for Fudge Babies.  I made some great Marzipan Balls....click for the recipe.  I also made her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies...amazing!

Eat smart,

T.

Pumpkin Cookies, Cabbage, and Toasty Potatoes

It's been busy around here.  Lots of work and lots of cold weather.  Yes it was 28 degrees this morning!  Brrrrr......it's cold.....for here.  It makes it harder to get things done.  I just want to stay inside and stay asleep, under the covers.  Is that so wrong??

Anyway, I thought I should post something.  I did make a couple of things.  I was just too lazy to blog about it.  So here they are:

I finally got my copy of 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson! So I made my first recipe out of it: German-Style Kool-Sla.  It's REALLY good.  I left out the oil and added some water instead.  As it turns out, it sure did make a lot of liquid, so I probably could've left out any added water as well. I cut down the sugar by about a third.  I think I could've cut it down even more.  It had a nice sweet and sour flavor, definitely worth making again.

It was a cold and wintery night (although there was no snow in sight) and I wanted some hot roasted potatoes.  So that's just what I did!  I added some green peppers and onions.  It was like having breakfast potatoes! They all went in the oven for about 30 minutes, with a little salt, pepper, and paprika.

Yesterday I made the most amazing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! You HAVE to try them. They're from HaveCakeWillTravel's blog.  Here are the changes I made:

I left out the shortening, and added that amount of water.
I used 1 cup of demerara sugar (I could've cut it down even more...they're VERY sweet)
I used 3/4 cup chocolate chips, but there were WAY too many.
I didn't cover them with plastic wrap (I didn't have any), I just laid them out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hours.
They needed to bake for about 4-5 extra minutes.

They are DELICIOUS!! (I even parted with some and brought them to work today...they didn't take long to disappear.)

Well, that does it for today's post.  It's still cold, and I may not blog again until Sunday or so.  We'll see how it goes, and if I get to the market tomorrow.  They say tomorrow's "box" will be the biggest one yet, so I really should go....and there's cauliflower to be had! I must!

PS-I forgot I made a tasty bean dip: 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup chickpeas, 1 tsp tahini, juice of 1 lemon (or more if you like it really lemony), and some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Put it all in the food processor!

Eat smart,
T.