tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33706878573914978202024-02-06T18:31:16.602-08:00VeggieKnifeMy life as a wife, mom, vegetarian, and traveler.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-3347380881703469892011-02-01T18:50:00.000-08:002011-02-01T19:12:29.103-08:00Oh yeah baby, it's strawberry time!<p class="mobile-photo">Oh, happy day! The CSA had strawberries today! I almost caved last week and bought a $7 pound of the jewel-toned fruit at Jimbo's, but I settled for the organic Chilean blueberries later on at Joe's.</p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJyCgqb4H-WM9-yexRMyUg5-x03m_jzfhr0bC-6UOCTsYvWgElZQgvrEUittxls-YX_xqMGVT3khmDZHNVZ9TWj5WjeP267xkUvaTZdpodIVzmzaplucI1qxiT0vIW9jZXp3ZXugXO6gY/s1600/photo-724062.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJyCgqb4H-WM9-yexRMyUg5-x03m_jzfhr0bC-6UOCTsYvWgElZQgvrEUittxls-YX_xqMGVT3khmDZHNVZ9TWj5WjeP267xkUvaTZdpodIVzmzaplucI1qxiT0vIW9jZXp3ZXugXO6gY/s320/photo-724062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568920420355248978" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo">But if I hadn't bought the blueberries, I wouldn't have this lovely picture of my baby! <br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2gu_vnx6qhl5ubM6G7kjiHXkz6rtTRNnPMTAGEYL4lmWLkIG2QhSqXIisrkbI3z6ee3-VvKUnQdshkj7cANKTQUFlIYVdnPCaDXhED8hs_ExeP_PPNwYYGS9s1ipEX6j4TmZ6FlffpNL/s1600/photo-745759.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2gu_vnx6qhl5ubM6G7kjiHXkz6rtTRNnPMTAGEYL4lmWLkIG2QhSqXIisrkbI3z6ee3-VvKUnQdshkj7cANKTQUFlIYVdnPCaDXhED8hs_ExeP_PPNwYYGS9s1ipEX6j4TmZ6FlffpNL/s320/photo-745759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568920507329295090" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">That's not a gunshot wound, it's a blueberry stain. Here's to the next few months of abundant, local, and of course, organic, strawberry goodness!!!</p><p class="mobile-photo">This fave fruit also ties in nicely with February being the month of love. Strawberries even look like hearts. (Picture me all starry-eyed***) For the happiness project, this month I am supposed to focus on:<br /></p><ul><li>Not nagging. Poo, I love to nag</li><li>Not expect praise or appreciation. Dang, I love for others to sing my praises, and there are just so darn many to sing<br /></li><li>No dumping. Is there another way to greet your loved one after a long day at the office besides unloading all your many issues from the day?</li><li>Give proofs of love. Man, I love these kids and my handsome man. Can't imagine telling them even more how much I love them. Guess I could try to show them by not nagging, expecting praise or dumping...</li></ul>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-82125749256410716392011-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:002011-01-07T16:17:57.238-08:00Hoppin' JohnIt's well into the first week of the new year, but not too late for Hoppin' John. Mmm beans and rice. It's supposed to be good luck to eat this dish on New Years, but we've established that I'm a procrastinator. I'm happy that I cooked the beans before they got too old and hard to cook. I'm so happy to try a new dish, have it turn out delicious &amps even use an older unused pantry item (the black eyed peas).<br />I made an amalgamation of Joy of Cooking & Vegan Soul Food recipes. Most directions from Joy, seasonings from VSF. In addition, I never have parsley on hand so I regularly omit it. However last week I got a huge bunch of the curly stuff in the CSA box. It really added some lovely color to a very beige dish.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hoppin' John, in the pot</span><br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjY1d5z91t3SIEYgop728Ml004IOtmFVxS1wZbcWMLpfMwjLZmjE1s8xQn0xIKW9sCM3ynZdssI5HP54Bq6H1O3-Luklw43TIvOJZpcXzHxLu-POlx6Vw0_RQzHG4otZrQ2IMLI0yybDm/s1600/photo-737133.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjY1d5z91t3SIEYgop728Ml004IOtmFVxS1wZbcWMLpfMwjLZmjE1s8xQn0xIKW9sCM3ynZdssI5HP54Bq6H1O3-Luklw43TIvOJZpcXzHxLu-POlx6Vw0_RQzHG4otZrQ2IMLI0yybDm/s320/photo-737133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559254647704588226" border="0" /></a><br /></p><ol><li>Put 1 1/4 cup dried black eyed peas in saucepan with enough water to cover by 1"</li><li>Bring to a boil, allow to boil rapidly for 1 minute</li><li>Cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 1 1/2 hours before draining and rinsing.</li><li>Over medium heat in dutch oven, cook 1 1/2 cups chopped onion and 2 chopped celery ribs in 1 T. olive oil, just until translucent.</li><li>Add spices and cook until the veggies start to brown: 1/2 t. onion powder, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. paprika, 1/2 t. chili powder, 1/4 t. cayenne, 1/2 t. dried thyme,<br />1/2 t. dried oregano</li><li>Add beans and 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes to an hour.</li><li>Reserve cooking liquid when drain beans. Drain beans ;)</li><li>Preheat oven to 325, with rack in center of oven.</li><li>Cook 1 cup white rice in 2 T butter (or alternative) and 1 t salt until well-coated, 3-4 minutes. Add scant 2 cups of bean cooking liquid (try to leave sediment behind). Add extra water as needed to get 2 cups total.</li><li>Bring rice and liquid up to a simmer, stir and cover and put in the oven.</li><li>Bake 20 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid. Sprinkle the beans over the top and return to the oven for 3 minutes.</li><li>Sprinkle with 1/4 cup minced parsley, toss to combine.</li><li>Cover and let rest for 30 minutes before serving.<br /></li></ol> My CSA items: celery and parsley.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-88966075440018955182011-01-05T22:25:00.000-08:002011-01-05T22:35:21.001-08:00Hilarious kids and staying on trackOk, first the fun; this may only be funny to me and my husband. <br />On our way out of my daughter's preschool classroom...<br />4 yr old boy #1 is waving a babydoll at me: "I'm Police baby here to arrest you" <br />Followed by 4 yr old boy #2 hitting me with something brown: "look out for police challah ready to arrest you"<br />Man, every time I thought of this I had to laugh.<br />So, I haven't gotten up before 8 am once this week. Last night I was up with the girls from 1-2:30 am. Then an OWL kept me awake for another half hour. What the heck was an owl doing outside my window? And we had Mexican takeout last night instead of healthy home cookin'. BUT I did a bunch of paperwork and other small officey tasks I've been procrastinating in forever. Yeah! Most notable,I did 4 months of bank statements in Quicken. Next is to tackle a year's worth of goodwill donations for taxes. Ick ick ick.<br />I defitnely felt happy about accomplishing those things. and I'll be happier still when that 3-tiered inbox on our desk is EMPTY.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-84510103729477014042011-01-03T21:32:00.000-08:002011-01-03T21:50:10.936-08:00Is it 5:30 or 8:30?To continue with my resolve to follow my resolutions (happiness project); I planned for a 6 am yoga class routine. I would exercise and be home before my husband left for work. Nice trick, if you wake up at 5:30 am as planned. And definitely not by waking at 8:30 am. I did have a rough night's sleep and was coming off a very lovely holiday break, but 3 hours late? How does that even happen?!?!?<br />Well, apparently there is a bug in the apple network or whatever and my iphone alarm really didn't go off this morning. And I'm sure I'm not the only one to end up with that excuse. Also, I grabbed my mat to bring in the house for tv yoga and YIKES it smelled terrible. Two back-to-back trips in the washing machine terrible. That would've been beyond miserable at 6am. So I caught a break today and I did still follow along with the tv yoga. It was pretty good, too. I still look forward to the real class for the invaluable input from the yoga teacher.<br />There was a speedbump, but I kept my resolve. For one more day;)<br />I am also happy to announce I made a delicious dinner enjoyed by all and did not cave to my desire for a tasty delivered pizza. <br />I made fettuccini with corn, red peppers (CSA) herbs and fresh arugula (CSA). When I make it again I'll post a pic and recipe. I also served a fresh green salad (getting more lettuce from the CSA tomorrow, better eat it before it takes over the fridge!)veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-5299664218921762072011-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:002011-01-01T20:16:36.362-08:00Happiness and ProcratinationLast month my book group read the happiness project. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to implementing some ideas into my own life. <br />So I begin my quest for self-improvement and being happier, coinciding nicely with the start of a new year. <br />Here are a few of my resolutions: (in no special order)<br />Stand up straight<br />Eat healthier<br />Start exercising <br />De-clutter<br />Decorate<br />Stay on top of messes...keep kitchen table clean<br />STOP PROCRASTINATING <br /><br />I am so proud of myself in this 1st day of 2011. I apparently love to procrastinate since I do it so frequently. However, today I took down and carefully packed up all of my holiday decorations including all the ornaments off the tree. I really wanted to be lazy and at least put it off until Sunday, but I didn't! And it already looks more decluttered in here. 2 resolutions in 1! I also did some hard-core branch pruning & sawing for an hour so there's my exercise. I'm shooting for starting back at the gym for Monday. It shouldn't be too crowded ;)<br />Now off to clean off the kitchen table...veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-83307022407145983642010-11-12T10:35:00.000-08:002010-11-14T07:38:05.905-08:00Asparagus Pasta and Asian Pear Tempeh SaladI was wary of asparagus at the market, since it is early November, but according to the CA Asparagus Commission, California asparagus growers harvest a small crop in September/October. I guess early November isn't that far off. Oh, and it was really inexpensive, so it must have been "in season". I learned recently that seasonal produce is usually cheaper since it doesn't have to travel far, or something like that.<br /><br />Well, anyways, underneath all that freshly grated Parmesan cheese is one tasty pile 'o pasta.<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">jamie’s italian’s asparagus fettuccine</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHL7CiNMmiAWdyYqEwFx9nmGR4Q9mmqJOnBGMtYuvTJYsymVOFxD3kZxdYFkY9UOcByT5FJNZiUYA9tE-Sfyti8r2NYLg2XkPD2WpVnOAoPw6EANuYHUThBhBwMoJC9BjCUvJb87eODV-/s1600/asparagus+pasta.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538736937051785826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHL7CiNMmiAWdyYqEwFx9nmGR4Q9mmqJOnBGMtYuvTJYsymVOFxD3kZxdYFkY9UOcByT5FJNZiUYA9tE-Sfyti8r2NYLg2XkPD2WpVnOAoPw6EANuYHUThBhBwMoJC9BjCUvJb87eODV-/s400/asparagus+pasta.jpg" /></a></span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Courtesy of Jamie Oliver's website, I followed <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/jamie-s-italian-s-asparagus-fettuccine">his recipe</a> almost exactly. My only alterations were to omit the leeks (didn't have any) and used a tablespoon of dried basil in lieu of the fresh. Oh, and I didn't garnish with<a href="http://www.peashoots.com/"> pea shoots</a>. Um, what? I'm guessing they aren't readily available at Trader Joe's or Henry's. I'll look next time I'm shopping.<br /></div></div></div><br />I served the lovely green sauce over Buitoni fresh fettuccine, which was very tender & a reasonable substitute for homemade. My husband had 2 servings, a good sign that he liked it. It also made it into his lunch this morning, so that is definitely a seal of approval. He doesn't wax poetic about food (unlike me, ha ha ha) so it's hard to figure out what he likes a lot of the time. It was a very quick recipe and we'll be making it again. The girls were too hungry to wait for the sauce, though and just had plain fettuccine with asparagus and parm. I did have to call the asparagus tips pinecones so my little squirrels would eat them. They ate all of them, so we weren't able to garnish our plates with them ;)<br /><h3 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class="post-title entry-title"><br /></h3><h3 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class="post-title entry-title">Asian Pear & Tempeh Salad with Wasabi Dressing</h3></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZFL2v-r-rbAdjW15yva3kETc0dj1wPT2obWRNfecOSBqeuf9aufcARMdhkA7yIpCbbW4QQYlr4PbcHRmVQFAhI0gXdSZOxM1YMoUygjQiwswa-0mFm2WgYI7wT3SQUgMy5dywnZjbWh0/s1600/wasabi+tempeh+salad.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538736955644171298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZFL2v-r-rbAdjW15yva3kETc0dj1wPT2obWRNfecOSBqeuf9aufcARMdhkA7yIpCbbW4QQYlr4PbcHRmVQFAhI0gXdSZOxM1YMoUygjQiwswa-0mFm2WgYI7wT3SQUgMy5dywnZjbWh0/s400/wasabi+tempeh+salad.jpg" /></a></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcGpZT1yzQrYoXcS3dO0msE1O4dEvGvVKYVgEI8MjGREKFq8x4wzI_4iKIw63Y8XuSrnuCIz_MynVkuS1j0qnHIKhlOA68cw0aObjXrVH-ISVmirdzhVKsRwHN6u4tiXvFdTZ_HA59Ayg/s1600/wasabi+tempeh+salad-2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538735485602324242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcGpZT1yzQrYoXcS3dO0msE1O4dEvGvVKYVgEI8MjGREKFq8x4wzI_4iKIw63Y8XuSrnuCIz_MynVkuS1j0qnHIKhlOA68cw0aObjXrVH-ISVmirdzhVKsRwHN6u4tiXvFdTZ_HA59Ayg/s400/wasabi+tempeh+salad-2.jpg" /></a>Another winner from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganomicon-Ultimate-Isa-Chandra-Moskowitz/dp/156924264X">Veganomicon</a>. Man, this is one of my favorite things to eat. I don't know why I don't make it weekly. The baby pestered me all throughout my lunch wanting more and more tastes. This was after her own giant lunch. She saw my leftovers in the fridge later and wanted some, but by then the wasabi had gotten more spicy and she spit it right out!<br /><br />CSA items used: zucchini, white onion </div></div>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-83174057605382068652010-11-11T09:48:00.000-08:002010-11-11T10:01:57.537-08:00"weird" stuff in my pantryThese items from my pantry are at least 6 months old because a.)I haven't figured out what to cook, b.) I'm intimidated by the ingredient, and/or c.) lazy<br /><ul><li>Hijiki. I was off seaweed for awhile because this type seems so, um, fishy.<br /></li><li>Canned lychee. They just look so unappealing from their picture on the can. Why did I buy them?</li><li>Jarred hearts of palm. I never seem to have a coordinating ingredient to actually make a recipe.</li><li>Some sort of jarred thai soup base. The ingredients are in english, but there are no directions so I'm afraid to try to make something.<br /></li><li>Tiny jar of pimentos. The idea of pimento cheese sounded good before I OD'd on cheese in Switzerland. Other ideas?<br /></li><li>Kidney beans. The girls hate them. Maybe make chili for the grownups?<br /></li><li>Wild rice. Super long cooking time.</li><li>Lots of dribs and drabs of miscellaneous dried pasta<br /></li></ul>I challenge myself to use these ingredients by the end of the month!<br /><br />Last night we had green salad, homemade mac and cheese, sauteed zucchini and leftover squash.<br /><br />CSA items used in last nights dinner: lettuce, yellow bell pepper, grape tomatoes, butternut squash, zucchiniveggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-10594026717750631662010-11-10T15:42:00.000-08:002010-11-10T15:56:54.841-08:00BeWise CSA Week of November 8th<div style="text-align: center;">Here's what was in our "small" white box of goodies, followed by my intended purpose for each.<br />Yellow cauliflower * will make a gratin<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzbE7f9dVziLmMWxYP9zsiga6NBVLUseW0o9V6wbYdUZ70yP_EFD8JQR1BN3VpkuQzw6wAkiwCa_SMMS3URDNkf5oIfoUl2dYAmYj6z413dhJvL3XU9kPFKUJDSvOEz7BYdIUt6vD-QCR/s1600/IMG_0531.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzbE7f9dVziLmMWxYP9zsiga6NBVLUseW0o9V6wbYdUZ70yP_EFD8JQR1BN3VpkuQzw6wAkiwCa_SMMS3URDNkf5oIfoUl2dYAmYj6z413dhJvL3XU9kPFKUJDSvOEz7BYdIUt6vD-QCR/s200/IMG_0531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538072035217532802" border="0" /></a><br />Zucchini * girls will eat sauteed<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgHwpujKzgk1WzAj1WHo1-8FuUlwGQYqr8QUN7oUUSPt_QiDxi1s-PlGCdN2hSOlNOMaF00GG3QZwIxjZG9XrXWdbb928SYp7nak1RriyFIgiZXJTP1znumZxE03Mwf39c0JUGxKKkMkr/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgHwpujKzgk1WzAj1WHo1-8FuUlwGQYqr8QUN7oUUSPt_QiDxi1s-PlGCdN2hSOlNOMaF00GG3QZwIxjZG9XrXWdbb928SYp7nak1RriyFIgiZXJTP1znumZxE03Mwf39c0JUGxKKkMkr/s200/IMG_0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071905806798626" border="0" /></a><br />Yams * Red flannel hash. I also have a billion beets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojbMxeiaGO7M88DDqdW3CMnJDV1lNvm-orKOhU5Py8P9oxXsDqivi02dBCcRUVUl16w_IQoKy0N7FKqoV6HZAkD5jxkCPZVVaycG4Hy6xqmiNMpK3QIfbBt0ou_yXnbFhd0q4UpJSoDWi/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojbMxeiaGO7M88DDqdW3CMnJDV1lNvm-orKOhU5Py8P9oxXsDqivi02dBCcRUVUl16w_IQoKy0N7FKqoV6HZAkD5jxkCPZVVaycG4Hy6xqmiNMpK3QIfbBt0ou_yXnbFhd0q4UpJSoDWi/s200/IMG_0524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071903417534482" border="0" /></a><br />Red delicious (?) apples * lots of snacks<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQmgQYxa4h054n3T34m5M_E3pVUW6zqeSImBB2C29ncJ2szRtcnS9fEzkY8yxQDED4ok7iCq8geSi_NFFLK1arjT-nQz48jDckBquwKjgk-am_UO3RaN8SA6xrVRfzKmjGCYZbPUSdb-9/s1600/IMG_0522.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQmgQYxa4h054n3T34m5M_E3pVUW6zqeSImBB2C29ncJ2szRtcnS9fEzkY8yxQDED4ok7iCq8geSi_NFFLK1arjT-nQz48jDckBquwKjgk-am_UO3RaN8SA6xrVRfzKmjGCYZbPUSdb-9/s200/IMG_0522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071896035057026" border="0" /></a><br />Green beans * steamed for the girls<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh00uNHyyB5-zBeuiOk61TfpFS39jWEgJw5zlLysVEiLcRDUKNJkLH07YI8bGh8YwtaMrZB0D9O74rdTcNI21bw4FY3lOnldJTZJt98fvO2c9z0brvJrnFMHEP4qq7uReRmhFTqoxR44Nf/s1600/IMG_0515.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh00uNHyyB5-zBeuiOk61TfpFS39jWEgJw5zlLysVEiLcRDUKNJkLH07YI8bGh8YwtaMrZB0D9O74rdTcNI21bw4FY3lOnldJTZJt98fvO2c9z0brvJrnFMHEP4qq7uReRmhFTqoxR44Nf/s200/IMG_0515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071891362334242" border="0" /></a><br />Sahuaro peppers * Rajas con queso tacos<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuhs4fg1SKPBEtWQlQoR4gG8VpAulNQQdfPEPFE89kLRRrQLB2sJAp27yD4KgW2ocVLQMLPQzh-OUoyvTW3dXqf9P_cHrzL_XEGQQ9yS_l2QQRRe4RQ5Zmgmc337eOqrsISCXprULCo_k/s1600/IMG_0512.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuhs4fg1SKPBEtWQlQoR4gG8VpAulNQQdfPEPFE89kLRRrQLB2sJAp27yD4KgW2ocVLQMLPQzh-OUoyvTW3dXqf9P_cHrzL_XEGQQ9yS_l2QQRRe4RQ5Zmgmc337eOqrsISCXprULCo_k/s200/IMG_0512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071889165957762" border="0" /></a><br />Grape tomatoes * snacks, the girls can't get enough<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSQyLryJbobgxsuHo4dLizhALFKqiojV7fK0g3ouZKdTRqhADdZ59PSNsaZUBLiqEKAb4rWX2XMMn_7XCOEStHO05MUC4khRqyGYSpaH01997RSBAOxVIy1RBXiXO6_x7fO7OYU8ceQxP/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSQyLryJbobgxsuHo4dLizhALFKqiojV7fK0g3ouZKdTRqhADdZ59PSNsaZUBLiqEKAb4rWX2XMMn_7XCOEStHO05MUC4khRqyGYSpaH01997RSBAOxVIy1RBXiXO6_x7fO7OYU8ceQxP/s200/IMG_0510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071124170735698" border="0" /></a><br />Limes * margaritas!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg2SD0rpLWYdwlDmdoBTN-MNG8YgvyVaqQaTvTgPDDaC-8b9wZxsxWFpeZ-ZBqHbl59bpU6j1-GdXxnFKjAEstnVEvrzWnvRJdCrboDAal2uUxnhctCEUgVB3UqQ6uz9U2ge0c3Dh05Nj/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg2SD0rpLWYdwlDmdoBTN-MNG8YgvyVaqQaTvTgPDDaC-8b9wZxsxWFpeZ-ZBqHbl59bpU6j1-GdXxnFKjAEstnVEvrzWnvRJdCrboDAal2uUxnhctCEUgVB3UqQ6uz9U2ge0c3Dh05Nj/s200/IMG_0509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071117509796610" border="0" /></a><br />Carnival Squash * now I have 2. What to do? Something with latin flair?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeXkFc2VbMb3OB8r_q3KLZz13uBCk4WncPCz6JYkBHezxgDTfMV7eRcHnri-05A-u5IPAt7TGVnXCog1626ZTVnUNpuZXqHN8JdtHeZewASsymVj1b9-Wv1GV8sISJBU-YuiKsrPC5yYJ/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeXkFc2VbMb3OB8r_q3KLZz13uBCk4WncPCz6JYkBHezxgDTfMV7eRcHnri-05A-u5IPAt7TGVnXCog1626ZTVnUNpuZXqHN8JdtHeZewASsymVj1b9-Wv1GV8sISJBU-YuiKsrPC5yYJ/s200/IMG_0508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071110348103970" border="0" /></a><br />Fuyu persimmons * snacks, maybe in a salad?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFsdlmVh6sByKwbNZ4oCU7EIWnMe3LRS1Da4PV2GJGFHW7oEbm-yufFY3ASVmhrl0nRL8PUING8pWVlvRHzalWPPwRPU5dBjauIcRh7ifbchXakGA2N2UkVvIfI152f90N7t1WeluVoLl/s1600/IMG_0507.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFsdlmVh6sByKwbNZ4oCU7EIWnMe3LRS1Da4PV2GJGFHW7oEbm-yufFY3ASVmhrl0nRL8PUING8pWVlvRHzalWPPwRPU5dBjauIcRh7ifbchXakGA2N2UkVvIfI152f90N7t1WeluVoLl/s200/IMG_0507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071110726415458" border="0" /></a><br />Double head of red leaf lettuce * um, a billion salads?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAWrAXP2JZLaKoCWshNFBy5zeTRkGceeDKrHVRPNe7vsPqBO4C1-n-_rcXw3Y9jC3yqU2Mh-KzEY7joFlagJsdIJ_a1kZON6xQvoUw-B1KBdy-p3P8L4xDyO0Vzlae3yMCEOi3F6Zi7N-/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAWrAXP2JZLaKoCWshNFBy5zeTRkGceeDKrHVRPNe7vsPqBO4C1-n-_rcXw3Y9jC3yqU2Mh-KzEY7joFlagJsdIJ_a1kZON6xQvoUw-B1KBdy-p3P8L4xDyO0Vzlae3yMCEOi3F6Zi7N-/s200/IMG_0503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538071109024823698" border="0" /></a><br />Check back to see what I actually make!</div>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-40744681235502657812010-11-09T10:33:00.000-08:002010-11-12T11:13:48.109-08:00Roasted butternut squash pizza and Waldorf Green SaladYes, preparing a giant butternut squash is sort of a pain. OK, not sort of, it is a pain. The one I started with was 2 1/2 pounds. It was a beast. Nice and solid inside, not too many seeds. You gotta have a super sharp knife and a great peeler to get this done. I roasted 2 pans, one plain for the girls, and one seasoned. <div><div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 333px; display: block; height: 266px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537624598037915122" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr4KB-6Sc2ZX6wgMeyiSIdWHLr9E3zlz-sD6DNY_NQgAW5qy_-HQXR63i0HbWsgxGm6HxTV4VwORSuWNmJqrx6Tx5kkng7Pe0_PdvkG75TYZl5hk5CJBjhFW45b0ZtC7x4UMpDG3EKQWH/s400/IMG_0493.JPG" border="0" /> </span>Toss 1 1/4 pounds diced squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a couple teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon eensy-weensy minced fresh rosemary. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast on parchment lined baking sheet at 425 for 25 minutes, don't need it overly-carmelized since it's gonna be a pizza topping. I also cooked down a small onion over low heat while the squash was roasting.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIapbZBAjtLaDpr6ugcbstguB3g-_gOuabi1PXiew_BrsNbo1rZ-hKTdacDR00dcbjqK77_BJAvYJqk3u7yBAuF7PUFId8NV0ggyZ2DJK01ZQkbAFR4NXQPjAlmViELoFtCpgRlNl-LJS/s1600/squash.jpg"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 337px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537620691507029218" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIapbZBAjtLaDpr6ugcbstguB3g-_gOuabi1PXiew_BrsNbo1rZ-hKTdacDR00dcbjqK77_BJAvYJqk3u7yBAuF7PUFId8NV0ggyZ2DJK01ZQkbAFR4NXQPjAlmViELoFtCpgRlNl-LJS/s400/squash.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>How was I able to hack into a giant squash with a preschooler and a toddler running around the house? Well, the older one was zoned out on Dora, and the other one was NOT watching Dora. She was doing this:<img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; display: block; height: 273px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537622669141566002" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYqospPAccWCoGYfbHbmxR36mmw0ZqjlOVUf-e5u8OnIi1c71wJj8GTrySRNV4uKXCQ-8ih-AghT-kMK4aUZcSUvifYSRA9vfC7tQw5rpU4ky3_GQKEXBkHeiW5nT5febjmqFuv0K5NfX/s400/IMG_0478.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>Well, at least she stayed out of the kitchen.</div><div>The finished pizza: Roasted squash, cooked onions, 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and topped with a couple tablespoons freshly grated parmesan. Baked at 450 for about 20 minutes to get good and toasty (used a preheated pizza stone with cornmeal). Man, oh so tasty! I can't wait to experiment with homemade pizza dough. I'll get there...</div><div>I also threw together a salad, we have a ton of lettuce from last week and we're due for more tonight!!! Yikes! </div><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Waldorf Green Salad</span></div><br /><div>Mixed greens, sliced celery, sliced apple, dried cranberries, feta cheese and Trader Joe's Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing.<img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 346px; display: block; height: 260px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537623351204353154" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggKWKeeiyVrQ4yF2H6LUoDxPk5sdjpKnO0oCrMDvMzExNLfn5p6m2_pfCrRP5FMLzqnt_pNrXMSV7g2qtMBOd3CX-I4IKG_-ep-9SpKniwCn0nJzvDRSw7WKObgcceVz93y3EIUmvKYC1/s400/IMG_0497.JPG" border="0" /></div>CSA items used: butternut squash, onion, rosemary, apples, lettuce </div></div>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-80325213060973588232010-11-09T09:58:00.000-08:002010-11-09T10:22:22.969-08:00Really tasty veggie burgerSo I'd never actually made a veggie burger from scratch before. As a young vegetarian, I was introduced to Morningstar Farms veggie burgers by my aunt. They served me well for many years, until Gardenburgers came to Costco. Before that I could only get them at restaurants, but they were my favorite for a long time. I moved on briefly to Boca to increase my protein, but they were really just too heavy for me & don't actually taste very good. The last few years my husband have enjoyed the Morningstar Prime Grillers, which have a higher fat content and are a reasonable substitute for hamburger for omni-husband. But we're trying to move away from processed foods, as well as creatively incorporate more of our CSA haul every week.<br />One day I was watching the good old food network and Guy Fieri had his mom and sister on the show, and they were making veggie burgers. It seemed like there was a million ingredients, but the result sure looked tasty. I promptly forgot I ever knew they existed. Fast forward a couple years and I found the recipe during a random search. The recipe was accompanied by a 5 star review. (Granted the 89 reviews were bolstered by a ton of duplicate entries, but I went for it.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIAdfx8qfaDgIA7hkkiODte8T8PXkoLtc2GzUEjP7ujgTa4gs0Om2OArVFEJLvlh7KQZ5O-SKkMEJXJnOodDDaxmcT6b1M9hJjRyh75OAKjHqV6jPbRl7BEIIC8C3P7zc43UFPNKzqgW-/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIAdfx8qfaDgIA7hkkiODte8T8PXkoLtc2GzUEjP7ujgTa4gs0Om2OArVFEJLvlh7KQZ5O-SKkMEJXJnOodDDaxmcT6b1M9hJjRyh75OAKjHqV6jPbRl7BEIIC8C3P7zc43UFPNKzqgW-/s400/IMG_0027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537614129040445138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/morgans-veggie-patties-recipe/index.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">Morgan's Veggie Patties</span></a><br /><br />My only change: mash half the beans to help the patties stick together.<br />Garnish with red onion, horseradish mayo, avocado, lettuce and tomato. How can you go wrong?<br /><br />CSA ingredients used: onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, tomato, avocado, lettuceveggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-67574981856165441262010-11-08T11:38:00.001-08:002010-11-08T11:52:57.312-08:00Blog RedesignTime to freshen up this old blog and get motivated to write! I need to create and share with friends and family and I want it to look good. I just reviewed my template and color choice and I guess I'm channeling a bit of Mondo (project runway, 2nd place, so unfair). My photography skills have improved exponentially due to the purchase of a new camera (thanks, Babe). Plus, it's been nearly a year since we signed up for the BeWise CSA and I really have made some tasty meals from their fabulous produce. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is our pickup day, and I'll be reviewing our haul for the week, making an intended list of meals and then I'll post the actual results. I'd also like to start adding my travelling with kids tips as well as pop in some of the girls' hilarious antics. Here's wishing myself luck!veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-72337259864051734822010-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:002010-03-31T19:15:25.493-07:00Veggie veggie veggieWe are consuming mass quantities of veggies, no excuses since we get a mega box every Tuesday from our lovely CSA. I am proud/still embarrassed that since early December when we started the CSA we have only thrown out: 1 head of lettuce, 1/2 stalk of broccoli, 1 box of mushrooms (they were left out of the fridge & smelled AWFUL), and a couple tomatoes.<br />So if we are eating all these veggies, how am I preparing them? Well, we got a ton of broccoli 2 weeks in a row and although the girls love plain old steamed broccoli, I wanted something different. The weather dropped like 2o degrees since the weekend - down to 60 today, which meant: Soup Time!<br /><br />This is the broccoli potato soup from Veganomicon. We sometimes unvegan it by stirring in a spoonful of plain yogurt at the table. Used 4 cups of broccoli, 2 pounds of potatoes (non local, but organic), 1/2 an onion, garlic (from the store), mint (from my patio), dill and tarragon. Totally yummy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Hq4C7LVukMnVnetAHLMhvGrxfThvwH8CLNGTRj6Puy2kVyKTPOlYaOr0AoGd71znzHPh7ZQKZPIALuDeA46PPUbKvFgeFDed0pFKtrkShfnQuwCYPtqRqN92cnL2tI4ozD7zojrrzfT/s1600/IMG_2849.JPG"><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454983048228126722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_Hq4C7LVukMnVnetAHLMhvGrxfThvwH8CLNGTRj6Puy2kVyKTPOlYaOr0AoGd71znzHPh7ZQKZPIALuDeA46PPUbKvFgeFDed0pFKtrkShfnQuwCYPtqRqN92cnL2tI4ozD7zojrrzfT/s400/IMG_2849.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Soupy soup</span></strong></p><p>Next we have massaged kale salad. What the heck? Yep, I literally massaged the kale to create this gorgeous and unbelievably tasty salad. I mean, it was really super great. And I love kale, and this would make anyone into a kale lover. The purple curly-leafed kale had the thinnest stems, so I didn't even take out the center rib before chopping. The whole head went into a bowl, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I think I can reduce this next time) & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then my hands went in the bowl and massaged it and son of a gun: the kale got all wilty! Magical massage. I added 1/2 of a small red bell pepper chopped up real small, one minced scallion, 2 teaspoons of brown sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Except for the sesame seeds & olive oil it all came out of the CSA box. So awesome.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUymX1ULDbTxx32JQHWDqvIh3XuyFn4Gfal_71bIJvHrkiRLsnB_W7nH8Wze1XkYIiEGs0IYmRe1yP8xi_99STRbOhzgqhzhWQ2rO2j_axZMGDA4xvjSjxR4c4DRrzgPbesyGFiPXqMur/s1600/IMG_2855.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454982442242492082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUymX1ULDbTxx32JQHWDqvIh3XuyFn4Gfal_71bIJvHrkiRLsnB_W7nH8Wze1XkYIiEGs0IYmRe1yP8xi_99STRbOhzgqhzhWQ2rO2j_axZMGDA4xvjSjxR4c4DRrzgPbesyGFiPXqMur/s400/IMG_2855.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>G-Rated Massaged Kale Salad<br /></strong></span><span style="color:#000000;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">And next time I'll get back to talkin' bout our awesome camping trip!!!</span></p>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-57925378577640629002010-03-22T10:35:00.000-07:002010-03-22T10:37:03.115-07:00You are taking your baby camping?????Yep, a few weeks ago my girlfriend and I decided we wanted to take our families camping. My mom had gone camping with a group in January to a place called Agua Caliente in the desert in far eastern San Diego county. The attraction to this particular campground is the hot springs. With our other friends included, there would be 3 families total. Each family has a 3 year old girl and a baby. 2 of the dads have camping experience (we would later learn one was an eagle scout) and one hadn’t been camping in 20 years. After some quick phone calls to check our spouses’ work schedules, we hopped online and grabbed the last 2 campsites available. The weekend we picked was 3 or 4 weeks out, and considered ourselves extremely lucky we got spots when we could all go.<br /><br />The weather outlook looked like low 80s in the day & low 50s at night. That wouldn’t be too scorching during the day and not too cold at night for babies in tents. We had taken our 3 year old to Yosemite over 4th of July when she was 19 months and she woke up freezing the first night before I put her in my sleeping bag with me. I triple-checked the weather reports pretty much daily that the temps weren’t going to drop too low in the desert. <br /><br />My other concern was the distance to the campground. It is about a 2 ½ hour drive, including a pretty windy section heading up to the local mountain town of Julian. The little bean gets SUPER carsick. I mean, this kid puked a ½ mile from our house once. I’ve even gotten sick on the way back from Julian (that could’ve been from all the aplle pie I ate, but that’s another story). The other route is flatter but goes south so takes 20 minutes longer & would have possible Friday traffic, delaying us further. Since we were leaving after preschool got out I wanted as much time for setup as possible. Hmmm, deal with a pukey kid or end up cooking, etc in the dark. I decided to risk puking…veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-74792881367903256502010-03-04T20:44:00.000-08:002010-03-04T21:03:33.016-08:00RantOK, after an hour-long trip to Von's with both girls, pushing the giant grocery store "car cart" and simulataneously feeding the baby as-yet-unpaid-for crackers, and after picking up our CSA share, and after sending my lovely husband to Joe's on his way home from work last night, and having Grandma here to distract the youngins', you would think I would be ready for a couple hours of serious make-ahead meal makin'.<br /><br />You would be oh so wrong. We had vietnamese sandwiches for dinner last night, yep had all the ingredients for that one, even had nice leftover rolls and seitan for sammies for lunch. Well, I gets to cookin' this afternoon. <br />My plan: Spicy tempeh and broccoli rabe with bowtie pasta (dinner for tonight)<br />Steam broccoli and serve to kids with some of the pasta<br />Lentil soup<br />Vegan lasagna <br />Tempeh bacon<br /><br />I get 2 bunches of broccoli rabe washed and chopped, about 1/2 head of garlic minced (all the recipes need garlic!), 2 bunches of kale washed and chopped. Cooked down both batches of greens. Washed, chopped and steamed a small head of broccoli. Made cashew/tofu ricotta (freakishly good), & pulled my favorite marinara from the pantry. This is round about when things went in the pooper. Realize that I've cooked teeny baby-friendly pasta and not the bowties I meant to. Oh, and I'm missing fennel seed for the sausage-flavored tempeh for the broccoli rabe pasta dish, I don't think I have enough lasagna noodles for the lasagna (the kale and ricotta were for this), no tomatoes fresh or otherwise for the lentil soup (didn't even get REMOTELY close to even starting this one), likewise for the bacon. At this point I TOTALLY threw in the towel. And picked up the phone so someone so nice would bring home thai food for dinner on his way home tonight.<br /><br />He did and it was yummy. And the little bean and the mini bean ate a ton of steamed broccoli with their pasta. And I did find more lasagna noodles and put that together afterall (ONE make ahead meal complete!) And tomorrow I will go back to the store. And I'll start this process where I left off. Maybe after a beer.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-41094687846712112132010-02-15T20:50:00.000-08:002010-02-15T21:05:52.099-08:00What the heck do you do with a half dozen parsnips?You make parsnip cake! I followed the recipe from <a href="http://epicurious.com">epicurious</a>, using four of my CSA parsnips. Only major problem was the requested 13 inch pan was way too big for the batter. I was too lazy to scrape the batter out of the prepped pan, so I just planned for a mighty flat cake. Made just plain cream cheese frosting and it turned out great! Ugly as heck, but yummy. The little bean loved it and doesn't even know she ate some parsnips.<br />What else have I made from our CSA box in the last couple days? Baby bok choy and tofu stir fry over red quinoa. Really tasty, the little bean only wanted the tofu. Man, she's missing out :). Tonight was a crazy cabbage casserole, which was surprisingly good. Just a clean-out-the-fridge thing: mighty old tempeh goulash sauce from the freezer, leftover quinoa and the end of a jar salsa layered with shredded cabbage and baked an hour. Really quite grody sounding even now, but my lovely husband even had seconds.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-23534433879916581772010-02-15T20:47:00.000-08:002010-02-16T21:23:09.653-08:00Csa hooray!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-89Bzb0ODZ6fdEcwvwSwLl2hDt5nOzMD_7mHFnrPQfb6U6I9dMvgzKaz0bXhjHDsUj6z9oey8U7Y9wTUKcP1Dew7nvhK20DBZ3FfBAX8Keg5yNM37137SK_GwSm-P4PUpfmgM7mahj2l/s1600-h/photo-798594.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-89Bzb0ODZ6fdEcwvwSwLl2hDt5nOzMD_7mHFnrPQfb6U6I9dMvgzKaz0bXhjHDsUj6z9oey8U7Y9wTUKcP1Dew7nvhK20DBZ3FfBAX8Keg5yNM37137SK_GwSm-P4PUpfmgM7mahj2l/s320/photo-798594.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438726099344180818" /></a></p><br />This is a shot of last weeks CSA haul. And other than a few limes that have been stacking up we ate all those veggies & fruit :)<br />Tonight I made the mixed greens and potato gratin from Vegan Soul Kitchen. I used a mix of collard greens and some mystery greens (some sort of broccolli?) and roasted sweet potato, with a macadamia nut and breadcrumbs topping. We even got the little bean to eat it, the more "growing foods" the better. That makes up for cake for breakfast and soft serve after lunch...veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-44429394219003934272010-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:002010-02-03T15:10:39.731-08:00Tamale PieNow this is another recipe with unlimited options and possibilities. I have never had tamale pie, vegan, vegetarian or otherwise, but for some reason I just had to have some! My base recipe was from <a href="http://www.blisstree.com/bakingdelights/comfort-food-awesome-vegetarian-tamale-pie/">here</a>. I also wanted to incorporate some tempeh, so here is my final result:<br /><br />For the filling:<br />1 package tempeh, grated<br />1 Tbsp soy sauce<br />1 cup of vegetable stock<br />1/2 onion, chopped finely<br />1 red bell pepper, minced up so the bean won't see it or she won't eat it<br />1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed<br />1 cup frozen corn, rinsed in a colander to get that yucky freezery taste off<br />handful of chopped cilantro<br />5 fresh from the CSA tomatoes, seeded and chopped. Sub a big ole can of tomatoes if you gotta.<br />1 tsp cumin<br />1 Tbsp chili powder (mine isn't too spicy)<br />some salt<br />1 cup of shredded jack cheese<br /><br />For the topping:<br />1 1/2 cups corn meal<br />1/4 cup flour<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp salt<br />2 cups buttermilk<br />2 Tbsp canola oil<br />1 egg, beaten<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Marinate the tempeh in the broth and soy sauce while you chop up everything else.<br /><br />In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, saute the onion for about 10 minutes over medium low heat, or until just getting brown. Add in the bell pepper and garlic and cook until soft. Add the tempeh (drained if it looks too soggy) and cook 10 minutes until brown. Dump in the rest of the ingredients through the salt. Sprinkle the cheese over the top in a nice even layer.<br /><br />Mix up the cornmeal, soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl mix together the egg, oil and buttermilk. Stir into the cornmeal mixture until smooth, then pour over the filling in the cast iron pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cornbread top is browned and a knife comes out clean.<br /><br />Makes for killer leftovers, and the little bean thought this was a great "pie", even if it wasn't sweet :) Oh, and it isn't too attractive so no picture for this one.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-2499437886306764112010-01-04T17:24:00.000-08:002010-01-31T13:42:20.642-08:00Going back in time...I started this post about a month ago. Guess I'll finish it...<br />We started our CSA share pickup 2 weeks ago and that makes for the ingredients for lots of easy quick veggie/salad dishes. Not really "cooking". However, we got two pints of grape tomatoes last Tuesday and I was afraid we'd get more tomorrow (we did)...so here's what I found: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pasta-with-Kalamata-Olives-and-Roasted-Cherry-Tomato-Sauce-106310">Pasta with Kalamata Olives and Roasted Cherry Tomato </a>from Epicurious. So super quick and Delicious. My only changes were to omit the capers, use 1/4 cup feta, and toast the pine nuts. Not bad for me, usually I tweak things a lot more. This was really really tasty. Unfortunately I discovered a horrifying result from eating certain pine nuts...for a week afterwards everytime I ate ANYTHING I had a terrible bitter taste in my mouth. Somewhat common, as I found from a quick google search. No one else in the family had the same reaction, but now I am pretty gunshy from pine nuts. These were Trader Joe's brand, guess I'll try another type if I ever get brave again.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018080386428786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeGBIuiRAkNIDvsan1myrS7SiiOg1m_RpE6gOo5kBG0BNuCvieTPOX6N8m-8Leohrpx-GurtFwQH2tSZKTPcTV87EnpGj_mUU7Wp-zNnxVwqmXfSkF-hhwxA0SFIjYMhugpvsTonaf-Ji/s400/IMG_2073.JPG" /> <p align="center"><em>The roasted tomatoes with plenty 'o garlic</em></p><em></em><p align="left">Last night (this is back in early January) my dear husband made a Spicy Peanut Dressing from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Low-Fat-Favorites-Flavorful/dp/0517884941">lowfat Moosewood cookbook </a>that was really tasty. It is a basic recipe and made in the blender so it is super easy. I made it again a week or so ago, & I made a few changes because I had a specific flavor I wanted. So here we go:<br />1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped<br />3 T creamy, salted peanut butter<br />1 tsp agave nectar<br />3 T lime juice<br />1 T soy sauce<br />1 minced garlic clove<br />handful chopped cilantro<br />splash of rice wine vinegar<br />The salad was composed of red leaf lettuce and scallions.<br />This was one of my first veggie cookbooks and I am having fun going back to this. However, I still get put off by the number of fish recipes. Ah, the vegetarian fish tree, where I pick all of my fish to eat ;)</p>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-59674832197975016992009-11-12T18:39:00.000-08:002010-01-31T13:40:50.407-08:00Indonesian Style Fried Rice<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478slY61PZl151rbvyz_CfI2pAhxp8ALEAy-qGgep6Wu-Rq4lxJIRNT440VYOmq_1uns8xuFPW2vayR7IH8PRlIhpMsjNG8Zkefl2JV45efbtwR4bbpnt59ZNBBU8U2urWr85ogAIgGI7/s1600-h/IMG_1437.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433021812409710210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478slY61PZl151rbvyz_CfI2pAhxp8ALEAy-qGgep6Wu-Rq4lxJIRNT440VYOmq_1uns8xuFPW2vayR7IH8PRlIhpMsjNG8Zkefl2JV45efbtwR4bbpnt59ZNBBU8U2urWr85ogAIgGI7/s400/IMG_1437.JPG" /></a>This is adapted from a recipe out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Planet-Irresistible-Recipes-Fantastic/dp/1558322116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264973795&sr=1-1">Vegan Planet</a>. I had the cookbook checked out and renewed from the library for about 6 weeks total, it is HUGE. I read through it totally but didn't have time to actually make much from it. I made some notes on this dish & cooked it after I returned the book. It was really tasty, but unfortunately didn't stick with me long. I was ready for a serious snack before bed.<br /><br />Saute 1/4 red onion, minced in 1 Tbsp peanut oil over medium heat. When soft (2 minutes or less) add 2 grated carrots, 2 cups small diced napa cabbage, and 1 minced clove garlic. Fry up for about a minute or two, it should all soften quickly.<br />Add 1 packaged crumbled, steamed tempeh with 1 T soy sauce and 2 1/2 tsp sugar. Let the tempeh get a little brown while stirring, a couple minutes. Dump in 2 cups of cooked basmati rice and 1 T soy sauce. Stir over heat until heated through. Serve with diced cucumber and chopped peanuts, and for me...a <strong>serious</strong> dosing of Sri Ra Cha. And a digestive enzyme so my tummy cooperates with all the chili sauce ;) So tasty! But probably best as a side, even with the protein from the tempeh.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-90523091635267731792009-10-14T10:45:00.001-07:002010-02-03T15:14:58.324-08:00Couple a dinnersThis first meal is called, cook WAY too much food for 2 people. Upper left, good ole standby Beijing style veggies from Trader joes, to the right, Moosewood vegetable tofu dumplings, cooked pot-sticker style, middle is brown rice, then bottom is tempura zucchini. 2 small zucchini's made an obscene amount of tempura.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSWydba6QplBwCnQsV8v1QiLrAPkGKJWUlfXqY7AeigqKvV_bRvkFzS_JsG9inkjXk7mYsgRcmbz1m1DA2JmVdxZ4l4oishkmZz7Cx8brK3a7FjvZ7xcdaXfj64bobt56wbifEnUCpZQW/s1600-h/IMG_0812.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392513817816511858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSWydba6QplBwCnQsV8v1QiLrAPkGKJWUlfXqY7AeigqKvV_bRvkFzS_JsG9inkjXk7mYsgRcmbz1m1DA2JmVdxZ4l4oishkmZz7Cx8brK3a7FjvZ7xcdaXfj64bobt56wbifEnUCpZQW/s400/IMG_0812.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Because neither the dumplings or tempura would keep, I really stuffed myself. I also made a quick ponzo-style sauce, with soy sauce, veggie broth, mirin, and a squirt of lime juice. Much better than straight soy sauce, which is what I usually would have done.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpnsFqfYaH6LSzMGaC9djwmceEHOSzP2OWLUMV6HMRLCcfxaCafly4pwUDhxCCIENMbzN9olsCz917Ymc-i2m80OFjLsIfa1zm473rGApu-SoBTUmV8htuesOj3NXkGyiSK1_PEPRkzPX/s1600-h/IMG_0772.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392513810192836386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpnsFqfYaH6LSzMGaC9djwmceEHOSzP2OWLUMV6HMRLCcfxaCafly4pwUDhxCCIENMbzN9olsCz917Ymc-i2m80OFjLsIfa1zm473rGApu-SoBTUmV8htuesOj3NXkGyiSK1_PEPRkzPX/s400/IMG_0772.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then, this one is fake summer style pasta. Fake, in that only the cherry tomatoes & basil were the fresh summer veg. Frozen corn and green beans rounded out the veggie count. It was a quick saute of 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, then cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes, then stir in the corn and green beans until warm through. Toss in the minced handful of basil and handful of crumbled feta and there you go. I oversalted the penne cooking water, so the little bean only ate the tomatoes and green beans. But it was also darned tasty to the adult eaters...veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-19677217385071261332009-09-01T20:59:00.000-07:002009-09-01T21:08:40.971-07:00Sort-of breakfast for dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZaVcDIRbqc0Ztet38bORgBNZ92gohelfLWHt9KDcDj3MUyRPe7b-iOdO1D5a9bkNd4YX1c-RdfBuvYkEuFphaFiT9hOwMbk_KGCpjJ0a08mjwmmawNixqiRCXRT6N5IIX0kcMFQTa4F_/s1600-h/IMG_0415.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZaVcDIRbqc0Ztet38bORgBNZ92gohelfLWHt9KDcDj3MUyRPe7b-iOdO1D5a9bkNd4YX1c-RdfBuvYkEuFphaFiT9hOwMbk_KGCpjJ0a08mjwmmawNixqiRCXRT6N5IIX0kcMFQTa4F_/s400/IMG_0415.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376716887472948770" border="0" /></a>Many times, too many to count, we enjoy breakfast for dinner. Usually pancakes or scrambled eggs with english muffins, tonight I had a ton of potatoes and corn tortillas to use up. So I whipped up breakfast tacos: tofu scramble with roasted potatoes and jalepeno salsa (El Pato, from a can. Cheap and darn tasty). The tofu scramble is from Vegan with a Vengeance, but the recipe is posted <a href="http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=110">online</a>, I omit the mushrooms of course, and lately have been adding a couple chopped up leaves of kale with the garlic and cooking it down. Yummo. Due to the super-savory nature of the meal, it isn't so breakfasty and is quite dinnery. It is just that I usually eat the scramble for breakfast because it is so quick and easy. I also make a bunch of the seasoning mix up ahead of time, better than measuring out the cumin, thyme, paprika and turmeric each time. Mi esposa le gusta los tacos. Bien.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-3054764518525742462009-08-31T22:11:00.000-07:002009-08-31T22:13:43.540-07:00The little bean's first recipe creationThe little bean is quite an accomplished kitchen assistant, she knows the basic ingredients for oatmeal cookies and pancakes and enjoys setting everything up. She can crack an egg surprisingly well, loves the egg beaters and stirs like a madwoman. But now she has graduated to recipe creation: simple but apparently good.<br /><br />Plain yogurt with chocolate syrup. Snack, dessert or any old time, she and her dad enjoy a nice bowl of plain yogurt drizzled with Trader Joe's chocolate syrup. What a pair they make!veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-25810060608189946932009-08-04T19:58:00.000-07:002009-08-04T21:23:07.374-07:00The little bean loves kale?!?!?!? and fettucini with lemon cream sauceSo I check on her dinner consumption progress, and she is devouring the fresh fettucini with butter and parmesan (Duh) and all of the kale has been removed from her plate and set on her table. She ate one bite under duress, and pronounced it "yucky". No surprise there.<br /><br />Hubby and I are finishing our fresh fettucini with lemon cream sauce and he has to pick up the little honey who is crying. His seat at the table is usurped by the little bean, who proceeds to SHOVEL IN his remaining kale. About a 1/4 cups worth at least. "I'm eating daddy's kale" "I'm eating kale for dinner" is announced between mouthfuls. And during.<br /><br />What!?!!?!? I mean, I go crazy for the stuff, but what toddler would? (Her dad thinks she might have scurvy) (just kidding).<br /><br />The lemon cream pasta wasn't picture worthy, very bland looking, but super tasty...<br /><br />2 cloves minced garlic<br />1 tablespoon earth balance<br />1 tablespoon flour<br />1 cup low fat milk<br />zest from one lemon<br />1/4 teaspoon nutmeg<br />1/4 grated parmesan cheese<br />fresh ground pepper, a few good cranks<br /><br />Soften the garlic in the margarine. Add the flour, stir over low heat until well blended. Pour in milk, lemon zest and nutmeg off the heat, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for a couple minutes. Stir in the cheese and pepper well and remove from the heat. We don't usually mix the sauce in the noodles ahead of time. This was about enough sauce for 1 pound fresh fettucini.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-16696356647941877732009-07-21T20:32:00.001-07:002009-07-24T20:26:24.060-07:00Stuffed grape leaves & German-Inspired DinnerMy mom fell madly in love with these homemade grape leaves when a young guy (Sekou)brought them to church. This isn't a real recipe, just the important ingredients. I would imagine this is a very flexible recipe.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDeTmaA23hA8C8KUydihbsYc28JZ0vNtz2F2pl7ye04fzzuPuENnEmCx8GSaqubk_EoP0hMcZzB4koOS4PJMNOC5Qv_C09ud4rhKepgCVbj1h5t3yNuLhNMd6snSJ_VcMYFcqnQMdzv7z/s1600-h/IMG_9684.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362232947535503282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDeTmaA23hA8C8KUydihbsYc28JZ0vNtz2F2pl7ye04fzzuPuENnEmCx8GSaqubk_EoP0hMcZzB4koOS4PJMNOC5Qv_C09ud4rhKepgCVbj1h5t3yNuLhNMd6snSJ_VcMYFcqnQMdzv7z/s320/IMG_9684.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div>The stuffed grape leaves </div></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHwD2FZhDyAQXxAYgA3nrJV1i0gpOf0-YI6oJWkFHQ4kHfkPQDjTYNO0hcLv8iO9hdgyE7PSFHhFFvLP-Pa3bNjdZMDwhcj69hJRWHf2MXoJqFdeoYdSXoBKwDHSLSm6OStXdfqs-6lW6/s1600-h/IMG_9687.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 216px; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362232956056087698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHwD2FZhDyAQXxAYgA3nrJV1i0gpOf0-YI6oJWkFHQ4kHfkPQDjTYNO0hcLv8iO9hdgyE7PSFHhFFvLP-Pa3bNjdZMDwhcj69hJRWHf2MXoJqFdeoYdSXoBKwDHSLSm6OStXdfqs-6lW6/s320/IMG_9687.JPG" /></a></div><div>The filling<br /></div><div></div><div>Chopped toasted pine nuts and almonds</div><div>Cooked brown and wild rice</div><div>Scallions and red onions sauteed in olive oil</div><div>Fresh zest and lemon juice</div><div>Fresh mint and italian parsley<br /></div><div>Stuff into Mezetta's grape leaves, available at Ralph's grocery store (I'm sure lots of other places, too), roll up grape leaves like a egg roll.</div><div>Stuff stuffed grape leaves into your mouth. Man, soooo good.</div><div></div><div>Tonight I made the german-inspired dinner. Sausage, cabbage and potatoes.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362232386675640610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpIuuQlyS1lou0HSMU6fHL4ez8vMQa5IdDP4fBHQhV210NrWb9JRnLDm8P5HZ-8ZP_RsCnWHCoXvXlJQ8B93HNkDeXW_97fLTFJFFx_nspt3_L5a_qLZ6Ju6rw70BOe6YIYE5hDSKq2Ar/s320/IMG_9746.JPG" />The sausages were Cherry Sage Sausages from Vegan Brunch, the cabbage was from 1001 Vegetarian Recipes and the potatoes were no recipe. The sausages looked so much like meat it was scary, but of course Mr. Veggieknife let me know they did not taste like meat. Tasty, but not like meat ;) I did boil the pot dry steaming them, but they were still moist. I might even add more oil next time, to make them "juicier". I was just stoked that everything turned out, scary when you are trying new recipes. If I haven't mentioned it enough, Isa is a genius and I LOVE cooking so much more due to her cookbooks. Yay!</div>veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3370687857391497820.post-53123703242041961742009-07-18T18:45:00.001-07:002009-07-18T19:01:34.802-07:00Greek Farfalle Pasta and VegetablesThis was adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Main-Course-Vegetarian-Pleasures-Jeanne-Lemlin/dp/0060950226/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247968469&sr=8-1">Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures</a>, one of the very first vegetarian cookbooks I ever owned. The recipes are simple and basic, and helped both me and my parents make some great meals for our whole family. Greek-Style Bulghur and Vegetables with Feta Cheese. We have a nice stockpile of pasta (it was on sale), so I wanted to substitute. This was really great on a warm summer evening. It will definitely be in heavy rotation in the next few months.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359983270040694802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3guT4U7wqxqVJAkZfQYyVWDqVS0KOZibsoVjgShPFtNjcXoSQV3OPVzDowvhQoFAIiWkofEjO5Frn1VycVBhuCeTV-e6N7YeI5KJmoOPWzkmA5H_0dkUIHDXnRSkTW1qaVkUaE5NkbAb/s320/IMG_9629.JPG" />1/2 package farfalle pasta, cooked according to the package<br />2 Tbsp olive oil<br />1 medium onion, diced<br />1 cup seeded, diced tomato<br />3 medium zucchini, diced<br />1 red bell pepper, diced<br />1 1/2 tsp dried oregano<br />1/4 tsp thyme<br />Lots of ground pepper<br />~ 6 kalamata olives, chopped<br />~ 3 oz feta cheese, diced<br /><br />Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add veggies, oregano, thyme and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender yet crisp. Stir in olives, and cheese until warm. Stir in cooked farfalle pasta.<br />This should serve 4 people, but we didn't have any side dishes so there wasn't much left over after me and the Mr. chowed. The little bean liked it as well, but she doesn't eat enough to really count ;)<br /><br />To get the little bean to try a new combination, I placed the plain pasta, the cooked veggies, feta and olives all in separate sections on her plate. Each one was a hit, so her next serving was the mixed up dish that her dad and I were eating. Awesome! She is really an adventurous eater. Last night I made indian-spiced chickpea cutlets, potato curry and quinoa. The cutlets were her favorite, but she cleaned her plate. That is just too cool.veggieknifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453615549694619463noreply@blogger.com2