Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hawaii, Seattle
Many mushooms--some (or all?) locally grown!
A Hawaiian feast
What is this? It's lovely. Didn't get a chance to try it out.
NOT vegan, but very Hawaiian.
Probably not vegan, but freakin' adorable.
Hilo Farmer's Market Veggies, including "wing beans"
Stir fry fixins'
Vegan friendly place in Hilo--good stuff
HUGE avacados
Wing beans
And now we're in Seattle--Pike's Place Market
The Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum. Maybe the coolest museum I've ever been to. "Science Fiction" from Rocky Horror Picture Show was playing on the speakers and it was super air conditioned and sort of spooky and fun, and the music side had a huge grunge exhibit and a lot of other great stuff.
A flight of beer at Pike's Brewery +1, not shown. I slept well on the flight home.
Back to Hilo--cute sushi pillows in a store front window.
Pretty ristras at Pike's Market
I must apologize for not making it to Squid and Ink in Seattle to take lovely pictures of food there, but I tried. There is just SO MUCH to do in Seattle and I only had a little time and I was totally out of it. I could have slept in the airport though, but thanks to Seattle's top-notch transit system, the Seattlist staff suggestions as well as some from my mom, and a lot of very friendly Seattle-ites, I got just enough of a taste that I am dying to go back for a week. As for Hawaii, I need a year. Volcanos, beaches, food, people, history, snorkeling, surfing--it's an incredible place. I am still wiped out and I can't believe it's over. A week went by FAST!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Fun recipe site
This is cool. Go to
http://www.google.com/base
click on "recipes," and then, into the keyword search, type what you want to use in a recipe (ie., whatever is in your fridge that's going to go bad soon if you don't use it).
http://www.google.com/base
click on "recipes," and then, into the keyword search, type what you want to use in a recipe (ie., whatever is in your fridge that's going to go bad soon if you don't use it).
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Peanut Sauce Heaven
I may have raved about the peanut sauce from VWaV before, but let me do it again. Last night, I needed a quick meal. I had some White Wave seiten, some wilting beet greens, some quinoa, and some chunky peanut butter. Doesn't sound like a meal? You obviously haven't had a good homemade peanut sauce! I can't post the sauce recipe as it is not mine, and also I don't remember it, but it includes sauted ginger and garlic, hot sauce, rice wine vinegar, real maple syrup, coriander, and of course, peanut butter, and it is really easy to make. I stir-fried my greens and seiten, cooked my quinoa in some veggie broth, and then drowned the whole thing in peanut sauce. SO. FREAKING. GOOD. And great the next day. You must buy Vegan With a Vengeance, even if you are a dyed in the wool carnivore. The homemade seiten in that book is also delicious, though as far as store-bought goes, White Wave holds its own. Enjoy!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Portabello Fajitas
I made some awesome fajitas last night. We had done portabello fajitas before, but we did a few things differently this time with delicious results. First of all, we scraped out the gills on the portabellos. Second, I baked the veggies instead of frying them, and third, I added some nice spices. Oh yeah and the marinated onions were just heavenly. I may never have known about this treat if not for Guerro's Taco Bar, but I have to say mine were better. Sorry no pictures again, but I assure you they were as lovely as they were tasty. As soon as my writing career takes off I promise to get a digital camera.
For the marinated onions:
1/2 a mild flavored onion, sliced as thinly as possible
1/2 an avacado, cut into chunks
1 good pinch of Mexican oregano
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper or two turns freshly ground
juice of one fairly big, juicy lime (3 T?)
Mix all ingredients and let them sit and marinate while you do everything else.
For the fajitas:
2 portabello caps
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 poblano pepper
1 sliced avacado
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small Russet or medium white wax potatoes
1 minced serrano pepper, with seeds (optional-wear gloves when mincing and when tossing into potato mixture)
2 T ground coriander
1 T. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
About 1/3 c. olive oil, divided
Arrange oven racks to sit in the middle of the oven but far enough apart to accommodate your baking dish. Cut two small white potatoes into cubes, toss with half the oil and a little salt and pepper and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you want the extra heat, toss in the serranos with the potatoes. Put on the top rack to bake at 350 until golden brown--stir around once about 15 minutes in.
Meanwhile, scrape the gills out of two big portabello caps and rinse well. Cut into strips and set aside in 9X12 baking dish. Wash, core, and slice half a red bell pepper, one poblano pepper, 1/2 an onion, and 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, and add to mushrooms. Drizzle top of veggies with other half of the oil. Sprinkle with coriander, cumin, a pinch each salt and pepper and toss to coat. Put veggies in oven with potatoes, on the bottom rack and bake until tender.
Warm your tortillas however you like to do it, and pile them up with veggies, potatoes, marinated onions, and fresh slices of avacado. Goes great with beer or a good Italian white wine.
For the marinated onions:
1/2 a mild flavored onion, sliced as thinly as possible
1/2 an avacado, cut into chunks
1 good pinch of Mexican oregano
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper or two turns freshly ground
juice of one fairly big, juicy lime (3 T?)
Mix all ingredients and let them sit and marinate while you do everything else.
For the fajitas:
2 portabello caps
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 poblano pepper
1 sliced avacado
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small Russet or medium white wax potatoes
1 minced serrano pepper, with seeds (optional-wear gloves when mincing and when tossing into potato mixture)
2 T ground coriander
1 T. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
About 1/3 c. olive oil, divided
Arrange oven racks to sit in the middle of the oven but far enough apart to accommodate your baking dish. Cut two small white potatoes into cubes, toss with half the oil and a little salt and pepper and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you want the extra heat, toss in the serranos with the potatoes. Put on the top rack to bake at 350 until golden brown--stir around once about 15 minutes in.
Meanwhile, scrape the gills out of two big portabello caps and rinse well. Cut into strips and set aside in 9X12 baking dish. Wash, core, and slice half a red bell pepper, one poblano pepper, 1/2 an onion, and 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, and add to mushrooms. Drizzle top of veggies with other half of the oil. Sprinkle with coriander, cumin, a pinch each salt and pepper and toss to coat. Put veggies in oven with potatoes, on the bottom rack and bake until tender.
Warm your tortillas however you like to do it, and pile them up with veggies, potatoes, marinated onions, and fresh slices of avacado. Goes great with beer or a good Italian white wine.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Lentil Burgers, Part 2
A while back I blogged about my own, tweaked version of the lentil burgers from How it All Vegan, which I had tweaked because I didn't have the correct ingredients on hand. I made the same burgers this weekend, but this time I followed the directions almost exactly, and WOW--so good. Even better than my tweaked version, and very easy.
2 cups cooked lentils or a little less than 2 cups dried
2 cloves garlic
1.2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t smoked paprika (optional)
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz-like crackers
3 T olive oil
3 T high heat oil for frying
3/4 c. wheat germ
Cook lentils with the garlic (leave the cloves whole), then drain the juice off and measure out 2 cups -or- drain your canned lentils and crush the garlic into them
Set aside 2 T of the wheat germ on a plate for coating.
Mix everything else, including the lentils, together and squish between your fingers until it's all well mixed and feels pasty enough that it will make nice patties without falling apart. Makes 4-5 patties. Lightly coat patties in wheat germ, adding more if necessary. Pan fry patties in a little bit of high heat oil (like safflower or peanut) on either side until golden brown. Serve like any old hamburger.
2 cups cooked lentils or a little less than 2 cups dried
2 cloves garlic
1.2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t smoked paprika (optional)
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz-like crackers
3 T olive oil
3 T high heat oil for frying
3/4 c. wheat germ
Cook lentils with the garlic (leave the cloves whole), then drain the juice off and measure out 2 cups -or- drain your canned lentils and crush the garlic into them
Set aside 2 T of the wheat germ on a plate for coating.
Mix everything else, including the lentils, together and squish between your fingers until it's all well mixed and feels pasty enough that it will make nice patties without falling apart. Makes 4-5 patties. Lightly coat patties in wheat germ, adding more if necessary. Pan fry patties in a little bit of high heat oil (like safflower or peanut) on either side until golden brown. Serve like any old hamburger.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Lovely Homegrown Cauliflower
We picked our first three heads of cauliflower last night, and lucky us we got one of each color! The purple was the best. Tender and flavorful, and a little more broccoli-like than regular store bought cauliflower. Friday, February 15, 2008
Bluebonnet Blues Festival!!!
It's Spring time again in Texas! Or at least, I'm putting my hands over my ears and going "lalalala" until you tell me it is. I am not a winter girl--I enjoy brisk weather, but cold just makes me grumpy, and I miss the sun. Fortunately, we have had a rather nice, mild winter so far, and I'm guessing Spring this year is going to be BEAUTIFUL. I know I'm looking forward to it, and for more than just the weather. There's a lot of great stuff going on in Texas in the Spring, but one of my favorites for the past few years has been the Bluebonnet Blues Festival--and not just because my folks put it on. There's blues, beer, sunshine, food, people-watching, and lots of art. Plus, as is partly the point of the festival, you can help support local businesses by enjoying some shopping along Main Street, or grabbing a drink or a bite to eat in one of the many cafes or fine restaurants. A new thing to look for this year is the Sculpture Walk--several dozen sculptures from various artists around the world, placed along Main Street and within walking distance of the square--everything from clockwork acrobats to giant pastel daisies, tucked away artfully all over the middle of town. It's a heart lifting experience to stroll around in the sun, take in the art, enjoy good fresh food, and fill yourself with the smells, sights, and sounds of Marble Falls in the Spring. So make your way out here March 28-30 and see what we have to offer. See you there!**Musicians Workshops at the Bluebonnet Blues & Fine Arts Festival, www.bluebonnetblues.com, are scheduled for Friday 5:00-6:00, and Saturday, 1:00-2:00. at Uptown Marble Theater www.uptownmarble.com, corner of 3rd & Main in Marble Falls. FREE ADMISSION. Dr. Barry Pearson, a professor from the University of Maryland, and author of Jook Right On: Blues Stories and Blues Storytellers, along with Roger Wood, will take the stage with musicians and tell stories from the book and talk and play with some of the musicians who will be performing at the festival.
See www.bluebonnetblues.com for band line-up, details, and ticket info.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Chicpea Strip Tacos With Corn and Black Bean Salsa
I made chic pea cutlets the other day and I made them too thick, so they were all gooey in the middle. To fix this I cut them into strips and baked them at 375 for about fifteen minutes, and they came out crunchy and nice. I tried the first batch with some cocktail sauce (recipe below), and they sort of reminded me of catfish, mostly because of the sauce though. The second batch I had with some black bean and corn salsa (recipe below) that I made up last night and they were REALLY good that way.Cocktail Sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1 t. horseradish
2 t. lemon juice
pepper to taste
(guessing here--you play with the proportions until it tastes right, but these are the basic componants)
Black Bean Salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
about 2/3 can sweet corn or Mexican corn, drained and rinsed
1/4 of a big red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of two limes
salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped fine and drained
1-2 serrano, veins and seeds removed and minced
1 c. cilantro, chopped fine
1 ripe but firm avacado, cut into small cubes
Place chopped tomatoes in a colander and toss with a little salt. Combine lime juice, onion, garlic, serrano, a little salt and pepper, and the cilantro in medium mixing bowl. Let these sit for a bit so the tomatoes can drain and the lime juice can "cook" the onions and garlic. Drain the corn and beans in two more colanders (or one together would probably be fine). When everything is prepped, combine all ingredients and mix gently with your hands or a wooden spoon. Serve with whatever you like--especially good on tacos and probably eggs.
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