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.

Burritos, Tacos and Spring Rolls, among other things...

First, Saturday's market share: cucumbers, spaghetti squash, shiitakes, watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, herbs, sprouts, mustard greens, peppers, eggplant, okra, and local black bean salsa!

After our trip to Texas, I was inspired to make burritos and tacos :)

Tanya's Veggie Burritos:
(makes ~4-5 burritos)


4-5 tortillas (I used sprouted grain)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 avocado
~1 cup coleslaw/shredded cabbage/broccoli slaw
diced dried jalapenos (or fresh)
taco seasoning
lime juice & salt to taste


Saute onion & celery in about 1/4 cup water until soft.  Add peppers, carrots, and jalapenos.  Cook about 5 minutes more. Add the cabbage/coleslaw mix and cook about 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cooked rice and taco seasoning.  I also added tomato powder (optional).  Mix well.  Add salt & lime juice to taste.


Scrape out the avocado and mash up.  Spread on the tortilla, top with veggie mix, and fold!

Tanya's Pea Tacos:
(makes ~5-6 tacos)


5-6 corn tortillas
1 cup cooked pink-eyed peas (or black-eyed)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 tbsp minced garlic
Creole Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
diced dried jalapenos
crushed red pepper flakes


Wrap the tortillas in tin foil and put in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes to heat up.  Saute the onion, garlic, & celery in 1/4 cup water until soft.  Add the peppers & cabbage.  Cook another 5 minutes, then add the peas and seasonings, including the jalapenos & red pepper flakes.  Stir well. Add more water if sticking to pan.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Try to mash up the peas a bit in the pan so the mixture sticks together a bit more.


Remove tortillas and fill. Top with guacamole (recipe follows).

Tanya's Guac:

1 Hass avocado
1/2 tomato, chopped
1 tsp dried diced jalapenos (or use fresh)
juice of 1/2 key lime (or use from a whole lime, if you like it)
1 tsp dried cilantro (or use fresh)
salt to taste


Mix all together.

Other stuff I made:

Mama Pea's Gazpacho:

Averie's Crackers:

Pink-Eyed Pea salad:

Golden Zucchini Bread:

Marinated veggie spring rolls (turned out to be a bit too soggy):

I also made the Peanut Passion Sauce from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan.  I used almond butter instead of peanut butter.  I left out the lime zest, and I only used a tiny drop of sesame oil.  It was quite good...I used it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.

My one year bloggiversary is almost here!  Look for a book giveaway as a celebration!!

By the way, I'm thinking of changing my blog name. Any ideas?  My husband likes "Cooking With T" so I may keep that as a subtitle.  I also would like my blog title to match the url.

Oh, and if you're interested, there was an article on trying to be vegan in New Orleans here.

Eat smart,
T.

Market Goods and a couple of easy recipes

Wow, I'm getting more and more behind in my blogging....I know I still have to post about our Disney trip.  I promise I will this week.

At least we got back to our market this week (we missed last week, since we were out of town).  Here's the stuff: baby spinach, red mustard greens, oranges, green onions, cauliflower, brown rice, cabbage, hydroponic tomatoes, parsley, Hakurei turnips, baby carrots, mizuna, green curly kale,  and red russian kale.

I found a great recipe for chocolate chia pudding, based on a bunch of different recipes online.  I bought the chia seeds (after reading all about them on other blogs) and thought it was time to use them.  It was really good....a bit crunchy and not too sweet.  It took about 40 minutes total, between the stirring and waiting for the chia seeds to plump up. Check out Love Veggies and Yoga's blog for the recipe.

I needed a snack last night, and so I made up a really great small salad with miso dressing.  Here's what was in the salad: mizuna, green onions, celery, carrots, parsley, and curly kale.

Tanya's Miso Salad Dressing:


2 tbsp miso paste, white
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar


Mix with whisk.  I used half on my small salad, so you can double or triple the recipe for larger salads or more servings.

Here's another Quick and Easy Taco recipe:

2 corn tortillas (or however many tacos you want)
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup cooked brown rice or barley (I had a mix of sweet rice and barley)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, grated or chopped
chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper
salsa


Mash the beans and rice together, set aside.  Heat 1/4 cup water in saute pan and add the onions, celery, and carrots.  Cook until soft.  Add the spices to taste, then add the bean/rice mixture and mix together well. Cook until heated through.  Heat the tortillas and spoon the mixture onto them.  Top with salsa.


New this week: Recommended Blog of the Week! I will try to recommend one blog each week that I find really interesting and hopefully you will too.

Today's Blogger of the Week: Love Veggies and Yoga

Until next time....
Eat smart,
T.

Quick Tacos

Chipotle BBQ Tofu and Quick Tacos

I'm doing this in 2 blog posts today, so stay with me.

The other day I made a great recipe from the FatFreeVeganKitchen: Chipotle Barbecued Tofu.  I don't make tofu very often, but this recipe looked delicious and it sure was!  I threw some vegetables in the pan to bake with the tofu and served it with brown rice (which I sprinkled lemon pepper on).  I used only 1 package of tofu for the recipe, but still made the whole amount of sauce....mmmmmm.....and I didn't have actual chipotle chilies, so I used my chipotle powder.  This was really a great sauce for the tofu....I'll make it again for sure :)

Today I worked until 12:30 or so, and didn't have much time to make a lunch when we got home, but I was starving.  I defrosted a couple of corn tortillas and created some tacos. Take a look:

Tanya's Quick Tacos:

2 corn tortillas, warmed
1/4 cup cooked red beans (kidney)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tomato, chopped
~2 tb chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder, if you don't have the chipotle)
1 tsp garlic powder (1/2 tsp for tomato mixture, 1/2 tsp for bean/rice mixture)
salt & pepper


Heat up the rice and beans together.  (I put them in the microwave for a minute) Mash them up well.  Add the chipotle powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  Mix well and sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste.  Mix.  Spread the mixture onto the 2 tortillas evenly down the middle.  In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and cilantro and mix.  Add the 1/2 tsp garlic and salt & pepper to taste.  Top the bean/rice mixture with the tomatoes.  Eat!


This is a great recipe when you're in a hurry and you have leftover cooked rice and beans in the fridge.


I bought some Vegan Gourmet Cheddar vegan "cheese" at the store the other day.  It's ok.  It says it melts right on the front, but I've been unsuccessful so far.  It didn't melt on my hot chili and it didn't melt when I mixed it into rice in the microwave.....does anyone have any suggestions for that?


Stay tuned for my next post: SUPERBOWL!!!

Eat smart,
T.

Quick Tacos