Brownies and Roasted Tomatoes, etc.

I've been so behind.  I'm really trying to catch up, but work was so busy for a while and now I finally have some time off to catch up on everything, from cleaning up, to taxes, to my beer blog, to this blog....it never ends!

They look good, don't they? They are! I got the recipe here. Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies! I changed it up just a bit by using whole wheat flour, MUCH less sugar, and more applesauce with just a little oil. To me, this was more like half blondie, half brownie because the cookie part was so thick.  Maybe I should've added more liquid so that I could've spread it more easily on top.  Nonetheless, still delicious :) I highly recommend it for that special once-in-a-while dessert (I can't make stuff like this very often, unless I want to put all my weight back on!).

I slow roasted tomatoes! Yup....so easy and so tasty.  Never done that before.  Here's how:

Take a pound or two of roma tomatoes and slice them in half.  Spray two cookie sheets (or however many you need) with some oil and lay the tomatoes on them, cut side down.  Put a few cloves of garlic in between them and cook in the oven on 250 degrees for around 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Watch them and make sure they don't burn.  They are absolutely amazing done this way!

They go in like this:

And come out like this:

I had some with a few other roasted veggies alongside this Lemony Yellow Split Pea dish. The split peas were awesome....I cooked them a bit longer, because I like them soft and mushy. But maybe that's just me :) But I actually got the idea from this blog....

Other stuff I've eaten recently.....

Raw Marinara with zucchini/carrot spirals:

A sandwich of my own sprouts, salad, and kale, with sweet pickles and Vegenaise on sprouted grain bread:

Hey, does anyone know of a good "standalone" vegan cheese? One you can just eat a piece of by itself? I like to put Dr. Cow on crackers...I don't think I could eat it by itself though. And I use Daiya, Teese, and Rice Vegan slices to melt onto things.  But I've got nothing to just eat plain, or in a sandwich. Any ideas?

And don't forget to give me your travel ideas on my last blog post!! It's very important.

On another note, if you love beer, please let me know if you'd be interested in this book at all. I'm trying to decide if I should do a giveaway on my beer blog.....if there are enough people that want it.

Eat smart,
T.

Tasty Stuff

Last week we got a HUGE amount of produce at the market: lettuce, mixed greens, radishes, turnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, shiitakes, kale, swiss chard, satsumas, sprouts, mustard greens, broccoli, green beans, and cucumbers.

I sort of made Robin Robertson's Fusili with Potatoes, Green Beans, and Lemon Basil Creme from her cookbook, "Vegan On the Cheap". I made noodles...udon noodles.  I left out the potatoes. I left out the oil & used almond milk instead of soy. Basically, I made her sauce and spooned it over the udon noodles with steamed vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, & carrots). Then I had leftover sauce spooned over a baked potato with steamed veggies. Both were delicious! I'll definitely make this one again.

The other night, we had a friend over and I needed something quick for a starter, while I finished cooking my main meal. I found a recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus in "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen."  I thought I had sun-dried tomatoes.....I KNOW I have them.  I couldn't find them. Oh well, it's basically made from zucchini, which I DID have.  So I made the recipe, and just left out the tomatoes.  It was pretty good....perhaps a bit too much tahini for my taste. Next time I won't put in as much, and will add maybe a bit more salt or lemon juice.

Then for the main meal I made two parts: my mix 'n mashed potatoes and one of my Indian dishes. You can find them on my recipes page.

(the curry is in the front, the potatoes in the back)

BROWNIES! I've been craving something sweet and chocolate for a while now. I hadn't baked anything in a while, so I finally made some brownies the other night.  Found a recipe in Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" for Coffee Fudge Brownies.  They're excellent! And I just happened to have some decaf coffee from the morning, still around. How convenient :)

I used whole wheat flour only and used raw cane sugar (1 1/4 cups).  I did add oil (what??). I mean, the recipe called for oil and I used some, but not all. I usually leave out the oil entirely. I also left out the nuts & glaze. Didn't really need the extra calories on top of the brownies themselves. The brownies were very cake-like. So if you like dense brownies, these are not for you. They are delicious though!

Remember when I went to NYC and brought back Murray's whole wheat everything bagels??? I finally pulled one out of the freezer the other day and smothered it with Tofutti Cream Cheese.  The fine folks over at Tofutti sent me some coupons for free products so I thought I'd pick up some of their cream cheese and sour cream.  They both use NON-HYDROGENATED oil! I don't use these products all that often, but for once in a while use, like my 'once every couple of weeks'  bagel n' cream cheese, it's really delicious!

(my half bagel with Tofutti Cream Cheese)

And for the sour cream, I made my Sour Cream Dip! So good!

Coming up: My CSN Store item review. It's a very cool item!

If you missed it, check out my own recipe for Vegan Queso.

What are your thoughts and experiences with these stores? Which are your favorites? (I've only shopped at Pangea & Cosmo's so far)

Pangea Vegan Store
Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe
Vegan Essentials

Eat smart,

T.

Cold Cucumber Soup, Raw Butternut Squash, and Brownies!

Wow was it hot today.  96 degrees with a heat index of 107.  Tried to walk as much as I could, considering.  Drank lots of water.  I think it's going to be the same tomorrow, but at least tomorrow is technically my "day off" but I'll be doing weights instead of cardio. Bought myself some heavier weights, thanks to Averie's post and I'm looking forward to it, although I know my muscles will be burning for a while afterwards :)

It was so hot, I needed to make something cold for dinner.  Here's my recipe for cucumber soup.

Tanya's Cold Cucumber Soup
(serves 2, medium bowls or 1 large)

2 large cucumbers, peeled & cut into chunks (you can leave in the seeds!)
3 tbsp vegan sour cream (or you could use yogurt)
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 tbsp dried dill plus a little extra for garnish
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Blend all ingredients together until creamy.  Pour into bowls and top with extra dill. (If your ingredients are not cold, you may want to chill this before serving)

The other day I wanted a recipe using butternut squash, since I'd gotten one at the farmer's market.  It really wasn't big enough to put into an oven to bake and for some reason, baking/roasting squash/eggplant, etc, annoys me.  Hahaha....I don't know why.  Anyway, I found a recipe using raw butternut squash! I didn't even know you could eat it raw.....and it was really good (except next time I would use half the salt...seemed quite salty to me).  Thank you, Ani Phyo.  It's the Walnut Cranberry Squash "Rice" recipe from her book "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen". I just keep finding amazing recipes in the two books I have of hers.

BROWNIES! They have to be my absolute favorite dessert.  And last night, I just needed some.  I know they're not the healthiest dessert in the world, but I've been doing pretty well as far as that goes.  So I thought I'd splurge.  I made the Double Chocolate Brownies from Robin Robertson's "1,000 Vegan Recipes".  I used mostly spelt flour, with a little whole wheat thrown in (ran out of spelt), cut down the sugar to just under 1 cup and ended up adding a good amount of extra water.  They were really tasty.  Perhaps a tad dry, only because I used whole grain flour, but still really good and cured my craving.  Thank you, Robin!

Today was market day: watermelon, peaches, golden zucchini, shiitakes, bell peppers, tomato, herbs, lima beans, limes, cucumber, baby eggplant, sprouts, and rice.

My indoor gardens: mizuna and swiss chard!

GIVEAWAY!!!
Don't forget to enter my $40 CSN Stores gift card GIVEAWAY!!! You only have a few days left and so far, your chances are lookin' pretty darn good.

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.

Mediterranean Veggie Burgers and Help for Haiti

Ok, I finally made those mediterranean veggie burgers I've been talking about.  The only problem was that they tended to want to fall apart a little when eaten as a sandwich.  My husband ate them with a knife and fork, only because he didn't want the bread.  The flavor is really good though!

Mediterranean Veggie Burgers:

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 jarred roasted red pepper
2/3 cup artichoke pieces
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours
1 cup cooked millet
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, etc.)
garlic powder
salt & pepper


Put the chickpeas in a food processor and process just until still a little chunky.  Put aside in a medium bowl.  Put the roasted pepper, sunflower seeds, and artichokes in the food processor and puree until pretty smooth. Add to the chickpeas.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. The mixture will be pretty wet.  Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Shape into patties and fry until browned on both sides.  Makes 6-8 burgers.

I had mine on sprouted grain bread with kale, tomato, and some Vegenaise.  Tasty! If you want, you could try brown rice instead of the millet.....it might help it keep its shape better when cooked.  I'll probably try that next time.....and maybe more breadcrumbs?  The artichokes, tomato, and roasted pepper are pretty moist ingredients, so you need something to dry it out. Any ideas?

UPDATE: I just had them as leftovers (no bread) with some brown mustard and they are delicious! If you make sure you brown them almost until burnt on both sides, they'll mostly stay together.  I ate them tonight with kale chips...great combination :) I LOVE KALE!!!

UPDATE #2: So I just had the last of the leftover burgers.  I added some whole brown rice (cold from fridge) and baked them.  I could've baked them a little longer.  They did turn out a bit crispier because of the rice, which was nice.  So you could try replacing the millet with whole rice and bake them about 12 minutes on each side on 375.

On to dessert! I made some tasty vegan brownies.  You can find the original recipe here.
My changes: I replaced the oil with water, I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of oats (I ran them through the food processor first), I used 1 1/2 cups of turbinado sugar,  and I didn't add nuts.  So this is my fat free version I guess.  They didn't rise very well, probably because I left out the oil.  Perhaps I could've added in a banana to help?  But they are still really good.  Next time I might try them  in an 8x8 pan.

And of course I went to the market this morning in freezing cold weather.  It was 40 degrees! Brrrrr.  The wind chill was around 33 or so.......so cold.  This is what I got: meyer lemons, grapefruit, oranges, kale, collard greens, mizuna, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, turnips, rice, white button mushrooms, and strawberries.

How YOU can help Haiti:

Check out the list of vegan bake sales going on around the country. There's probably one near you.  There's even one here in New Orleans on February 6th near the uptown Whole Foods on Magazine Street from 11-3 pm. I'll update this info as I get it.UPDATE: the vegan bake sale will be rescheduled due to Mardi Gras and the SuperBowl....stay tuned for a new date!

There will be a concert here in New Orleans to benefit Haiti as well.  Click here for info.

And you can always text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.  The charge will be on your next cell phone bill.

Eat smart and stay warm,
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.

A different kind of falafel

I found a recipe for Sunflower Seed Falafel on Hannah Kaminsky's blog: BitterSweet.  It's incredible.  I made it today (remembering to soak my sunflower seeds last night) and served it with some collard greens.  The flavor reminds me of another spread I used to make for sushi rolls.  I ended up eating some it raw, right out of the food processor, because it was soooo good.  In fact, I may prefer it that way.  It sort of reminds me of tuna salad, even though I haven't eaten the stuff in years (so maybe my taste buds are way off).  You could just serve it raw, by the scoopful on top of a salad or something.  And I think it would be great spread on nori sheets, with vegetables on top, rolled up and cut into rolls. I think I might use it for the latter the next time around.

The way I made them only made about 14 balls, but perhaps they were bigger.  Still, we only each ate 3, and with the greens, it was the perfect lunch.

Collard Greens:

Put a little water in a saute pan and add half an onion (chopped), some minced garlic and a little salt.  Cook about 5 minutes until the onions are soft.  Add the greens (chopped) and cook another couple of minutes, adding water as necessary, if it's too dry.  Add about 2 tbsp Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce and cook another couple of minutes.  Pretty easy.


I was going to make HappyHerbivore's Black Bean Brownies today too, but I've made too many sweets this last week.  I better take a break if I want to keep losing weight :)  But, I will make them....eventually.

I realized that I now use my little food processor almost every day! I have a Cuisinart 3-cup processor, which really isn't enough.  It works great when I want to make hummus or another dip, or maybe a small amount of sauce.  But for the falafels today, I had to do it in two batches.  And I know for the black bean brownies, I'll have to do it in 2 or 3 batches.  Am I lazy?  I'd rather do it in one, if I could.  I don't have a blender either.  I'm saving up for a Vitamix.....hehehe....no, I'm kidding.  That won't happen.  And sometimes I use the food processor twice in a day and I get annoyed having to wash it out so often.  I wonder if I could just get another container and blade for it.  Or maybe I just need a bigger processor.  Ok, I've done my complaining for the day. Well, at least online :)

Eat smart,
T.