garlicky butter bean broccoli bowls!

i think i can say that butter beans are my favorite bean. well, perhaps they tie with chickpeas, but still - they're pretty darn awesome! mmmmmmmm! since we're all about dinners in a bowl it was decided that butter beans + millet + garlic + arugula + broccoli would = yum! sure enough, it does! hoooooooooray! this recipe took 30 minutes from start to finish. we used cooked butter beans (so much tastier than canned), and while the millet was cooking i sauteed the veggies. easy peasy & awesome! that's our kinda meals these day 'cause we're two busy bees!

ingredients:
1/2 cup millet
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 tsp peanut oil
2 medium bunches o' broccoli
2-3 handfuls of arugula (we used the last of ours leftover from monday's salads, but spinach, kale, beet greens, or swiss chard would be rock'n, too!)
5 big cloves of garlic, crushed and roughly minced
3 cups cooked butter beans
1 tbsp olive oil
a pinch or two of sea salt (& black pepper if ya like)
olive oil cooking spray
2 tbsp water
nutritional yeast (optional, but good for B12 awesomeness!)

what you'll need:
large skillet + lid
medium pot + lid

what'cha gotta do:
place millet in the large skillet (leave the skillet "dry"/don't oil it) & toast the millet on medium heat until it becomes fragrant (it'll smell kinda nutty). remove from heat. heat peanut oil on medium-high heat in the medium sized pot. add onion to the pot & saute until it just starts to brown. add water & toasted millet in with the sauteed onions & bring everything to a boil. cover with the lid, reduce heat to low, & cook for 25 minutes (you can start sauteing the veggies while the millet cooked). turn off heat & let the millet sit for 10 minutes, still covered. remove from heat, remove lid, and fluff with a fork.

spray the large skillet with a little olive oil cooking spray. heat skillet to medium-high and add broccoli. saute broccoli for 3 minutes then add 2 tbsp water, and cover with lid. let the broccoli "steam" for 2 minutes. uncover, saute for another minute or two (until it's "tender-crisp") and remove the broccoli from the skillet & set aside. return skillet to stove & heat tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. add in minced garlic & saute until fragrant (but don't let it brown). add butter beans & sea salt. saute beans until they're warmed up a bit then add arugula. saute until arugula begins to wilt. turn off heat, add broccoli & gently combine it in with the beans & arugula. place a little millet in a bowl, top with garlicky beans 'n veggies, and sprinkle on the nutritional yeast. dig in & enjoy!


p.s. - this recipe makes for 2 biiiiiiiiiiiig servings or 4 smaller ones.

pizza + running = doublesuperhappyface!

my friend emily & i are training for the cherry blossom ten mile run & yesterday we had a super fun running + pizza night! a pizza fusion just opened here in rva and we thought that a most fun evening would consist of running 8 miles (it was a "long run" day) and then gorging ourselves on vegan pizza yumminess! mmmmmmmmmm! yeah, it was the best plan ever! i've never been out & had the option of ordering a pizza with vegan cheeze - it was quite a delight! actually, it was downright awesome! this made us superhappyfaced! and what does superhappyfaced look like, you ask?! we'll show you:


(although my superhappyface is a little too enthusiastic, i just couldn't help myself! ahahahahahaa!)

our pizza consisted of FYH mozzarella, fresh roma tomatoes, sauteed spinach, and crimini mushrooms. mmmmmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmmm! (you better believe i topped each slice with a little garlic salt for extra goodness.) yay! the pizza was perfect & awesome, and oh-so deeeelicious! the best part: pizza fusion also happens to be next to trader joe's & just a quarter mile from whole foods, so i'm thinking i'll treat dan to some cheezy pizza & fun food shopping soon! superw00t!

p.s. - i apologize for the dark photos. the lighting was very soft & i didn't wanna break out the flash! ;)
p.p.s. - lunch yesterday was a big 'ol salad with caramelized pears, candied pecans, and unsweetened dried cranberries. we had a ton of spring mix salad goodness leftover from our monday night salads and i didn't want it to go bad. such a tasty, tasty lunch!

Lisa's super stellar chipotle roasted vegetables with avocado and mixed greens!

it's been a ridiculously long time since we've enjoyed salads for dinner. too long, fo 'sho! it's so easy for us to forget about tasty salads when it's so darn cold outside! (a low 30 something yesterday! brrrrrrrrr!) Lisa posted a rock'n chipotle roasted vegetables with avocado and mixed greens last week and i knew our salad-less streak had to end. this recipe couldn't have been more easy to make or more awesome! huzzah! the chipotle seasoning is absolutely perfect on the potatoes 'n red onions. we used olive oil & fingerling potatoes - this dish turned out to be soooooooo darn goooood! the roasted veggies paired perfectly with the tasty dressing, chunks of ripe avocado (such a tasty treat!), and toasted pumpkin seeds. oh-so mmmmmmmmmm! thanks, Lisa!

you guys should get on over to Show Me Vegan if you have yet to. Lisa's blog is full of wonderful recipes (try her spicy tomatoes, white beans and spinach on garlic bread, black bean hummus, & thai red curry soup), beautiful photographs (have you seen the black bean, sweet potato, and green zebra tomato stew with polenta & sesame tofu bowl with peanut dressing? enough said!), and she features some cute pooches who are up for adoption! while you're visiting Show Me Vegan be sure to take down this recipe & make it as soon as you can!

Kamutflake Girl's psuedo-jamaican stew! mmmmmmm!

when Liz, of the super creative & fantabulously fun Kamutflake Girl, posted her pseudo-jamaican stew it really peaked my interest (easy, inexpensive, 'n tasty!?! yes please!). i immediately printed off the recipe knowing it was soon to be made for another soup 'n bread night meal.

Liz's pseudo-jamaican stew is amazingly delicious! it's creamy, coconutty, spicy, and the combination of veggies go so well together! this soup 'n bread night was definitely a hit! mmmmmmmmmm! we added a tbsp of parsley, a tsp of coriander, and 1 tbsp of agave nectar to Liz's recipe - we also substituted butter beans for kidney beans (that's what we had on hand), fresh oven-roasted tomatoes for canned, and sriracha for tabasco. you should give Liz's pseudo-jamaican stew a whirl - it's so awesome! huzzah!

we enjoyed our stew oven brown rice and with a side of whole wheat potato rolls. while the flavor of the rolls was good, i'm still not satisfied with the texture - we'll post the recipe when we've got it just right! ;) i promise!
p.s. - you know this stew is oh-so delicious because dan isn't a fan of cauliflower or turnips and he kept raving about dinner last night. hells yeah!
p.p.s - these little guys started popping up in our front yard this weekend. daffodils always look so sunny & happyfaced! i just love 'em!

movie night! weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

dan & i decided to treat ourselves to a fun evening out yesterday! we ate at chipotle and then went to see The Wrestler (we totally snuck in sour patch kids, pretzels, and wasabi peas)! ;) what a super fun dinner + movie treat!

we don't have a recipe for today, but here's what we've got on our menu for the coming week: Kamutflake Girl's pseudo-jamaican stew with whole wheat potato rolls, Show Me Vegan's chipotle roasted vegetables with avocado and mixed greens, and more foods in bowls! hooray!

we hope everyone has a fantastically fun weekend! superw00t!

italian style oven baked tofus!

we have a bunch of local herbed tofu in the freezer and it was decided dinner was to be oven baked tofu as it has been a good while since we've enjoyed it. we had a bunch of organic tomatoes wanting to be used up and thought a nice marinara sauce would be most tasty to enjoy on top of our tofus. oooooh, yummers! the combination was super delicious! we served our tofu on top of some cooked bulghur (that had sauteed tomatoes 'n onions) with a side of roasted broccoli (my fav!) - sprinkling everything with some "parmesan" cheeze. what a fantastical meal (and a really filling one)! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

ingredients for tofu marinade:
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp liquid braggs/tamari/soy sauce
⅓ cup water (or veggie broth)
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sriracha (optional, but the sriracha gives it a little kick!)
1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mild miso paste

other ingredients:
⅓ cup plain rice milk (or any plain non-dairy milk)
1 block extra-firm herbed tofu (plain tofu would work well, too)

ingredients for the “breading”:
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup cornmeal
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning (or a little sage, rosemary, & thyme)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt

what you'll need:
- medium mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- 9x13 baking pan
- container + lid (large enough to marinate all the tofu)
- oil cooking spray (or a little olive oil)

what'cha gotta do:
drain & press the tofu, removing as much water as possible. while you're pressing the tofu you can start making up the marinade.

combine all the marinade ingredients in your "marinating" container; be sure to mix well. slice up the pressed tofu (we sliced ours into 8 thin-ish slabs) & add all the tofu slices to the container with the marinade; cover and chill for at least an hour (we marinate ours while we're at work or sometimes overnight).

once the tofu is all marinated place all the ingredients for the breading in your medium mixing bowl and dip each piece of tofu into the breading mixture, coating it thoroughly. pour rice milk into the small mixing bowl and quickly dip each breaded tofu slice into the rice milk and then return it to the breading bowl for a second coat of awesomeness (don’t forget to coat the ends & the sides of your little tofus). as you finish coating each tofu slice put them in the baking pan that's been lightly spritzed with a little oil cooking spray. once all your tofus are breaded bake them on 350 (no need to preheat) for 30 minutes, turning over half way through the cooking time. remove from heat & enjoy! (you can save them for later as they're just a tasty the next day and also really yummy in wraps or in biscuits or sammies!)

ingredients for the roasted garlic & tomato marinara:
6 medium sized tomatoes, sliced thick
10 cloves of roasted garlic (you can roast the garlic while you're roasting the tomatoes)
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water (or white wine would work, too. mmmmmm!)

what you'll need:
food processor
medium skillet
baking sheet
olive oil cooking spray

what'cha gotta do:
spray baking sheet with a little olive oil cooking spray. place slices of tomatoes on the sheet & roast the tomatoes (we roasted our garlic cloves in the oven while the tomatoes were cooking) in the oven on 425 for 40 minutes (no need to preheat). when the tomatoes are roasted remove from oven & set aside. heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. once the oil is heated add the spices & sea salt. saute the spice for 30 seconds then add the roasted tomatoes & garlic. cook for 5 minutes then transfer to your food processor (or blender) and pulse until saucy. ;) return sauce to pan & add in water (or wine), reduce it all to a simmer & cook for another 10 minutes. adjust seasonings to taste & enjoy!

p.s. - both the marinara recipe & the oven baked tofu recipe make for 2 servings.

T's super stellar carrot-ginger-cashew pasta!

if there's something we're really dig'n right now it's delicious bowls of food, greens, and garlic - we just can't get enough! T of Vegan Soul Power! posted the most glorious sounding recipe for her carrot-ginger-cashew pasta; i was so intrigued by the combination of flavors i knew we had to give it a whirl! her recipe calls for agave nectar, raw cashews, winter greens, garlic, ginger and carrots - what's not to love!?!

sweet jeebus, T's carrot-ginger-cashew pasta rocks so hard! oh-so gooooooood! we sauteed our kale and served our carrot-ginger-cashew yumminess over some red quinoa (here's that quinoa obsession sneaking in), as that's what we had on hand. yum, yum, yum! dan admitted he was skeptical when he saw this dish on the menu for this week, he claims he wasn't sold on the combination, but you better believe he is now! mmmmmmmmmm! this dish is a little sweet, a little garlicky, and gingery in alllllll the right ways. it's really something you all have got to make!

if you all haven't been over to Vegan Soul Power! you need to make a point to visit T's blog. she's a law student who takes beautiful photos, tells cool stories, and she makes some seriously damn good food! please try her carrot-ginger-cashew pasta as soon as you can - it's so good we don't want anyone missing out on all the awesome! ;)

p.s. - we served our meal with a side of tender 'n crisp sesame snow peas! huzzah!
p.p.s - T's recipe is casual with portions so you can make as much, or as little, as you like. here are the amounts we used: 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 large carrots, 1/4 cup whole raw cashews, 1 medium-sized bunch of kale, and 2 cloves of garlic. this made for 2 medium sized portions - just perfect for the two of us! superw00t!

garlicky kale 'n chickpeas with tangy tahini dressing

there's something to be said about bowls of kale & the ever-so tasty chickpea! they make for a combination of excellence! when i saw Cyn had made some scrumptious braised winter greens with chickpeas i knew we needed to make some for ourselves! have you all been to What The Hell Does A PinkHairedGirl Eat? yet? if you haven't - you've gotta get a move on! Cyn's blog is the best! she cranks out some amazingly awesome food & her food porn = most glorious!

for our dinner last night we sauteed some kale with a ton of garlic & served it with sauteed chickpeas, tahini yumminess, and bulghur. oh-so awesome, indeed! a while back we made Alice's black-eyed pea millet-kale stir fry & kind of combined the braised greens recipe with Alice's recipe to make these bowls of deliciousness! here's what we did...

ingredients for the braised kale, bulghur, 'n chickpeas:
1 large bunch of kale, rinsed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups cooked chickpeas
10 cloves of garlic, crushed & minced, divided
1/4 tsp sea salt, divided
2 tsp liquid braggs
1/2 cup bulghur, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup water + 4 tbsp, divided
1/2 not-beef bouillon cube

ingredients for the tahini dressing:
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
juice from half a lemon
1 large clove of garlic, crushed & very finely minced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt

what you'll need:
- small pot + lid
- 2 large skillets + 1 lid
- small mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
combine all the tahini dressing ingredients in the small mixing bowl. easy peasy!

place bulghur, 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water, & the 1/2 not-beef bouillon cube in the small pot. bring water to a boil. stir bulghur & cover with lid. remove from heat & set aside for 25 minutes. remove lid when done & fluff with a fork (season with black pepper if you like).

meanwhile, divide the olive oil between the two skillets & heat both skillets to medium-high. in one skillet saute the chickpeas until they start to brown just a tad. add half the minced garlic & 1/8 tsp sea salt to the skillet with the chickpeas & saute until the garlic becomes fragrant (do not let it brown). remove from heat. saute kale for 2 minutes in the other skillet. add 2 tbsp water & cover the skillet. let the kale "steam" for 2 minutes; remove lid & stir. add in the remaining garlic, 1/8 tsp sea salt, & liquid braggs. saute for just another minute & remove from heat. place a little bulghur in a bowl, add kale & chickpeas - then drizzle on the tahini goondness. we topped it all with a few toasted pumpkin seeds. hooray for a simple, tasty meal! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

p.s. - this recipe makes for 2 large servings or four smaller ones.

Heather's second day stew!

dan & i were in the mood for something different for our soup 'n bread night this past sunday, so we tried a delicious recipe for a sweet 'n spicy second day stew from Heather's fantastically awesome blog The Liberal Vegan!

the verdict: Heather's second day stew was downright deeeeelicious! both dan & i agreed that we're going to have to make this stew again - it's amazing! i've never cooked with plantains before (i love their texture!) & never would have thought to combine all the great flavors in Heather's recipe. her second day stew was sweet & spicy, thick 'n chunky - all around awesome! we enjoyed our stew with big thick slices of dave's killer whole wheat bread. i make a loaf of dave's bread every sunday afternoon for dan (he loves his pb&j in the morning for breakfasts) & we decided that it would pair perfectly with the second day stew - and it did. a hearty whole wheat bread for a wonderful hearty stew!

we ended up tweaking Heather's recipe just a tad, & part of the tweaking was accidental. i got a wee bit ahead of myself in the recipe - so after we sauteed the onions i added in the sweet potatoes, plantains, and spices (instead of the tomatoes 'n broth). i covered & cooked this for 10 minutes - then added in the tomatoes & veggie broth. it turned out to be a tasty mistake though. whew! we used cranberry beans instead of kidney beans, used some chipotle tabasco sauce (2 tbsp) instead of the dried chipotle (we didn't have any on hand), omitted the cinnamon & doubled all the other spices. we also added 2 tbsp of chili powder, and used some crumbled browned tempeh instead of seitan (our tummies + seitain = not a happyfaced combination). what a great stew, indeed! and the fact it's going to taste even better the next day is even more fantastical - 'cause Heather's second day stew was already rock'n the first day! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

tempeh meatlessballs with tomato-onion quinoa

dan made another super stellar batch of his tempeh meatlessballs for his thursday night dinner! he must be a mind reader - ever since i saw tahinitoo's birthday post i've had a craving for them that just won't quit! we're on quite a quinoa kick lately & dan whipped up quinoa with sauteed tomatoes 'n onions to serve all the awesomeness on. dan's dinner was amazing! i really loved the combination of tomatoes 'n onions with the quinoa & and how flavorful the tempeh was! mmmmmmmmmmmm! i had a hard time not stuffing myself! it was all so darn delicious!

here's what dan did for the his tempeh meatless balls...

ingredients for the tempeh meatless balls:
1 package of tempeh, steamed & grated
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp liquid braggs
1 tbsp peanut oil
olive oil cooking spray

ingredients for the quinoa:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 large white onion, diced
1/4 tsp sea salt

what you'll need:
- large skillet
- large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- medium pot + lid

what'cha gotta do:
rinse quinoa & soak it for 10 minutes in water. re-rinse quinoa after soaking & place in pot with veggie broth. bring veggie broth to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. (while the quinoa is cooking you can get a start on the meatless balls!) remove from heat, fluff with a fork. spray skillet with olive oil cooking spray; add sea salt & onion. saute onion until it just begins to brown. add tomatoes & cook for another 2 minutes. transfer sauteed veggies to the pot with the quinoa, add in a little more sea salt or black pepper if you like, and gently combine it all.

heat a little olive oil cooking spray in the skillet on medium-high heat. saute 1/2 the finely diced yellow onion until it begins to brown (about 5 minutes). transfer sauteed onion to mixing bowl and add the grated tempeh, all the spices, liquid braggs, tahini, nutritional yeast & flour (everything but the peanut oil). combine well & adjust seasonings to taste. form 12 meatlessballs. (dan forms the tempeh mixture into little cylinders first because they're easier to gauge size this way, making more evenly sized yummies. he then he rolls the cylinders into balls). heat peanut oil in the large skillet on medium-high. saute meatlessballs in olive oil until browned on all sides (turning over frequently so they don't burn). once browned remove from skillet & bake on 350 (no need to preheat the oven) for 10-15 minutes, turning them half way through the cooking time. (you can also bake them in your toaster oven if you don't want to heat up the whole oven. or try reducing the skillet heat to low, covering with a lid, and cooking them for another 5 minutes. this should work well, too.) remove from oven, place on top of a bed 'o tomatoey quinoa, and enjoy!

p.s. - this recipe makes for 2 large servings of yum. that's sriracha on top of dan's meatlessballs. mmmmmmmmm!

p.p.s - we hope you all have a super awesome weekend, too! yay!

malai kofta & triangle parathas

malai kofta was my favorite indian dish before becoming vegan - i'd order them every time when going out for indian yummies. dan's never had them before and since we're dig'n the indian food goodnesses lately i thought malai kofta would be a fun & tasty meal to create! in google'n around i found a wide vareity of malai kofta recipes, got a general idea of what they were all about, and then tried to recreate something just as tasty as i remember. our malai koftas were indeed a delicious, delicious success! yay! we both made many "ooohs" and "mmmmmmmmms" while enjoying this dish last night with some parathas. this meal was easy to make & took just over a half an hour to create (while cooking the potatoes we started the gravy). i'm so excitedfaced to be enjoying malai kofta again & so happyfaced that dan loves them, too!

malai kofta

ingredients for the veggie balls:
2 small russet potatoes, diced
1/2 cup green peas (we used frozen)
1/3 cup veggie broth
1 thick slice 'o gluten-free bread
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
a pinch of chili powder & coriander
2 tbsp raw cashews
2 tbsp peanut oil

ingredients for the gravy:
2 large tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, diced very finely
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp raw cashews
1" fresh ginger, peeled & grated
5 cloves garlic, crushed & minced
1/3 cup plain rice milk (or any plant milk)
2 tsp olive oil

what you'll need:
- 2 large skillets
- food processor
- large mixing bowl
- medium pot
- potato masher or fork

what'cha gotta do:
place potatoes in pot & cover with water. boil until the potatoes are tender (you can get a head start on the gravy while the potatoes cook!). add peas to water & cook for another minute. drain off water & set aside. place the thick slice 'o bread in the mixing bowl & add in veggie broth. smash the slice of bread with a fork until it's mush, add in cooked potatoes & peas, and all the spices. pulse cashews into a fine powder in food processor & add to the mixing bowl. smash everything with a potato masher & combine well (adding in more veggie broth if needed). form the potatoey goodness into 10 golf-sized balls. while you're making the kofta balls heat up 2 tbsp peanut oil in the large skillet on medium-high heat. once the oil is heated add the kofta yummies & cook until browned on all sides (turning frequently). remove from pan & set aside.

now onto the gravy: add all the spices for the gravy to the large skillet and heat on medium. toast all spices (except the bay leaf, but be sure to toast the sea salt) until they become very fragrant & remove them from the pan - set aside for later. pulse cashews into a fine powder using your food processor. set aside. pulse both tomatoes in food processor until they're pureed. heat 2 tsp peanut oil in the large skillet & saute the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion begins to brown. add in toasted spices & saute for another 2 minutes. add tomatoes, ground cashews, rice milk, and bay leaf. reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. adjust seasonings to taste, add in the koftas, cook for another 2 minutes & enjoy! we served our malai koftas over some brown rice with a few triangle parathas! yummers!

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onion parathas

ingredients for the dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour (+ additional flour for dusting the parathas)
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil

what you'll need:
- large skillet
- large mixing bowl
- rolling pin (or tall kitchen glass)
- olive oil cooking spray

what'cha gotta do:
combine the ingredients for the dough in a large mixing bowl to form a dough. knead on a floured counter top for about 5 minutes - or until the dough is smoooooth & elastic. divide into 8 balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. roll out a piece of dough to about 6" in diameter on your floured counter top. fold the dough in half onto itself to create a semi-circle. fold the semi-circle in half to create a triangle shape & then roll out the triangle just a bit. heat a little olive oil cooking spray in the large skillet on medium heat. cook paratha until brown on the bottom - then flip & cook until browned on both sides (a few of ours actually puffed up a bit! yay!). remove from heat & repeat with the remaining dough. enjoy! (this recipe makes for 8 small parathas & if you want a little extra yumminess baste a little melted margarine between the layers of dough as you're folding them over!)

vegetable korma & onion parathas

there are two things we love most about indian yummies: they're most delicious & inexpensive to make. superdoublew00t! a few weeks ago a i had dinner with a friend at a local indian restaurant and i made note to try making some vegetable korma for dan & i to enjoy. dan's not the biggest fan of what i call "spice overload" (large amounts of strong spices) - so when we make indian yummies at home we'll tone them down a bit so he can enjoy them, too (if you want more spice feel free to add a littl more). last night's dinner was wonderful! the spices mingled together so well - creating a rock'n coconutty-spicy-yumminess that we loved! here's what we did for our vegetable korma goodness...

vegetable korma

ingredients:
2 small russet potatoes, diced (we leave the skins on)
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup green peas (we used frozen)
2 large carrots, peeled & sliced thin coins
1" piece of ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crush & minced
1/2 tsp chili paste (optional. you can use sriracha if you like.)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt (use less if you like)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 small chili pepper, minced (we had 1/2 an anaheim pepper on hand)
2 tbsp raw cashews
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup veggie broth
2 tsp peanut oil
(feel free to switch up & add any veggies you love the most: green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, spinach, peppers, etc.)

what you'll need:
- large skillet (we used our cast iron skillet!)
- food processor
- medium sized pot

what'cha gotta do:
add diced potato to pot & cover with water. bring to a boil & cook potato until they start to become tender. add in green peas and boil for another 2 minutes. drain off water & set aside. heat large dry (no oil) skillet on medium heat. add in spices (including sea salt) and toast until they become very fragrant. remove spices from skillet & set aside. place cashews in your food processor, grind into a fine powder, and set aside. return skillet to stove top & heat peanut oil on medium-high heat. saute the onion, ginger, garlic, & chili pepper until the onion softens. transfer to food processor, add 1/4 cup water & pulse into a paste. set aside. return skillet to stove & reduce heat to medium. saute the carrots until tender, then add cooked potato, peas, ground cashews, & the spices. cook for 3 minutes then add in tomatoes & pulsed onion paste. saute for another 5 minutes. add coconut milk & veggie broth; simmer for 5 minutes & enjoy! we served our korma over brown rice and with onion parathas. sooooo delicious! (this recipe makes for 2 large or 4 small servings)

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onion parathas

ingredients for the dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour (+ additional flour for dusting the parathas)
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil

ingredients for the filling:
1 large yellow onion, very finely chopped
pinch of turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and cumin
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt

what you'll need:
- large skillet
- large mixing bowl
- rolling pin (or tall kitchen glass)
- olive oil cooking spray

what'cha gotta do:
combine the ingredients for the dough in a large mixing bowl to form a dough. knead on a floured counter top for about 5 minutes - or until the dough is smoooooth & elastic. divide into 8 balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. while you dough is resting you can make the filling: heat 2 tsp olive oil in the large skillet on medium-high heat. add onion & sea salt - saute until the onions begin to brown. reduce heat to low, add in spices & cook for another 2 minutes. remove from heat & allow to cool until your dough is all rested.

roll out a piece of dough to about 4" in diameter on your floured counter top. place a spoonful of the onion filling in the center and bring up the edges around the filling (some of the edges are going to overlap so that you can create a good seal) & seal the edges well. gently flatten the stuffed ball o' dough out with your hands (just a bit) - then add a pinch or two of flour to the top of the slightly flattened ball. very gently roll the dough out so you get a circle about 4" in diameter (our first two parathas we rolled too hard & some of the onion stuffing squeezed out - so go slow & roll 'em out gently!). heat a little olive oil cooking spray in the large skillet on medium heat. cook paratha until brown on the bottom - then flip & cook until browned on both sides. remove from heat & repeat with the remaining dough. enjoy! (this recipe makes for 8 small parathas)

p.s. - tomorrow we're going to try plain triangle parathas! mmmmmmm!

vegancowgirl's bean babies!

we're all about finding tasty ways to use our leftovers - so when we were looking for a way to use up the last of the black beans we cooked for Jes' sweet potato & black bean burgers i remembered VeganCowGirl's bean babies! it was about time we made these deliciousnesses!
VeganCowGirl's bean babies are not only easy peasy to make, but they're also super scrumptious! we added about a cup's worth of cooked quinoa (also leftover from last week's bean burgers) to the recipe & a little sauteed onion & scallions (also in need of using up). these bean babies were absolutely delicious - and we'll be making them again & again - fo 'sho! they're flavorful, filling, and garlicky gooooooooooood! :)

if you haven't been over to VeganCowGirl yet you need to go, go, GO! her blog is fantastically wonderful and full of amazing recipes! be sure to make the bean babies - they're too tasty not to! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
p.s. we baked our bean babies (400 for 25 minutes, flipping half way through) & roasted up some broccoli along with them. broccoli + bean babies = superhappyface!

butter bean potato-leek soup with garlic & chive potato bread

sunday was such a nice warm day, but it cooled off quickly in the evening - making it a great night for soup 'n bread! as it warms up we'll probably fade soups out a bit, but i'm thinking we'll still be making bread on sundays. there's something to be said about making your own bread. it's my favorite!

our soup last night was a take on dan's potato 'n butter bean soup. we added leeks and tweaked the recipe just a tad. accompanying our soup was an herby potato bread that was sooooooo scrumptious (and really easy to make)! sunday's soup 'n bread night was oh-so awesome! mmmmmmmm!

butter bean potato-leek soup

ingredients:
3 medium russet potatoes, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 leeks, sliced thin - just the white & light green parts (we saved the dark green bits for veggie stock)
3 cups cooked butter beans
10 cloves garlic, peeled (no need to mince!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp margarine (we used earth balance)
handful of chives, chopped
handful of parsley, chopped
8 cups veggie stock

what you'll need:
- large pot + lid
- blender

what'cha gotta do:
heat olive oil in the large pot on medium-high. add leeks, sea salt, garlic cloves, pepper, and onion. saute until the onion begins to soften (about 5 minutes) & add in chopped parsley, potatoes, & chives. reduce heat to medium & cover with lid. cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. add veggie stock, bring everything to a boil, then cover & reduce heat to a simmer. simmer until the potatoes become soft (about 15 minutes); add butter beans. transfer soup in batches to your blender & puree until smooth. return pureed soup to pot & stir in margarine - adjusting seasonings to taste (you may want to add more sea salt & black pepper). remove from heat & enjoy!

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potato bread with garlic & chives (makes 2 small loaves or one large loaf)

ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour, divided (+ some for dusting)
1 large red potato, cooked & smashed (we left the skin on)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cup very warm water (warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot enough to kill it)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped chives
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil cooking spray (or another tsp or two of olive oil)

what you'll need:
- large mixing bowl + lid
- clean, damp kitchen towel
- baking sheet
- small mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
combine very warm water & yeast in the small mixing bowl. stir in sugar & set aside for 5 minutes or so (give the yeast enough time to get good 'n bubbly). in the large mixing bowl combine sea salt, 2 1/2 flour, & mashed new potato. add activated yeasty water to the large mixing bowl & add 2 tbsp olive oil. stir to combine & form a very sticky dough. stir in garlic & chives. turn out sticky dough onto well floured counter top. sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the dough and begin kneading. the dough will be pretty sticky, but workable. knead in the remaining 1/4 cup flour (the dough will still be fairly tacky), but not overly sticky. if it's too sticky & you can't knead it without it sticking to your hands add another handful (or two) of flour. knead for 4 minutes. clean out the large mixing bowl and spray with olive oil cooking spray. place dough in bowl & cover with lid (if you're using more olive oil instead of cooking spray, drizzle olive oil over dough as you turn it a bit in the bowl so that it's evenly coated). let the dough rest & rise until its doubled in size (about 90 minutes). turn dough onto your floured counter top & divide the dough in half. shape loaves to your liking (we made 2 rounds) & place loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. cover loaves with a clean damp kitchen towel. let the loaves rise for 45 minutes. preheat oven to 425. place bread in oven & reduce the heat to 350. bake for 35 minutes & remove from oven. cool on a cooling rack & enjoy!

easy cheezy yummies!

last night we enjoyed the last of our super bowl 6-bean chili in an easy peasy & oh-so delicious way! dan made some super scrumptious nachos for himself and i decided on a tasty loaded baked potato - both smothered in loads of cheezy sauce (just the way they should be)! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

sorry there's not too much for today, but next week we’re making loads of new yummies! an herby potato bread for soup night, more beanie burgers, veggie korma, malai kofta & paranthas! superdoublew00t!

happy friday to you all & enjoy the weekend awesomeness! squeeeeeeeee!

coconut curry tofu over cilantro-lime basmati

last week Bianca posted about Hot Damn & Hell Yeah's coconut curry tofu on green jasmine rice & it looked so amazing i developed a serious craving for it! we googled around and found this recipe which we tweaked up a bit.

this coconut curry tofu was absolutely delicious & took just a tad over a half an hour to make. hells yeah! leftover for lunch today and going to be so glorious! we can't wait! mmmmmmmmmmm!

ingredients for the rice:
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed & drained
2 cups water
1 tsp peanut oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup lite coconut milk
juice from 1/2 a lime
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)

ingredients for the tofu curry:
1 block extra firm tofu - drained, & sliced into small cubes
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cornstarch, divided
1 bell pepper, diced (we used some leftover orange & red bell pepper)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp turbinado sugar
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/3 cup plain rice milk
1/4 tsp sea salt
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 tbsp + 1 tsp peanut oil, divided

what you'll need:
- medium pot + lid
- 2 large skillets
- large mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
combine 1 tsp peanut oil, rice, & water in the medium pot. bring to a boil, cover with lid, and reduce heat to low. cook rice for 20 minutes. remove from heat & stir in cilatro, lime juice, 1/3 cup coconut milk, grated ginger & sea salt. set aside.

while your rice is cooking go ahead and start the curry!

heat 1 tsp of peanut oil a large skillet on medium-high heat. saute onion until it becomes clear, reduce heat to medium, add in all the spices & bell pepper. cook for 4 minutes. add tomatoes & cook for another 2 minutes. stir in 1 tbsp cornstarch, rice milk, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice & reduce heat to a simmer. while the curry sauce is simmering get a move on the tofu yumminess...

in the other large skillet heat 2 tbsp peanut oil on medium-high. as the oil is heating up place the tofu in the large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cornstarch. gently mix the cubed tofu & cornstarch with you hands so that all the tofu is coated. once the oil is heated place the cornstarch coated tofu in the skillet & cook (turning the cubes over frequently) until golden brown on all sides. transfer the tofu to the skillet with the curry sauce, combine them all together & remove from heat. serve tofu curry over a pile o' lime-cilantro basmati. enjoy!

p.s. this recipe makes for 4 small servings or two large servings of curry goodness! w00t!

Jes' sweet potato and black bean burgers

you all know dan & i looooove a good bean burger. so when we saw Jes' sweet potato and black bean burgers we knew we had to make them!

we picked up some bulk quinoa (although they were out of red quinoa. disappointedface.) and made a bunch o' burgers for dinner last night and some lunches to take to work. dan's never tried quinoa before and now he's hooked - exclaiming that it's "better than couscous" & that we should eat quinoa all the time! i agree! so hopefully you'll be seeing more quinoa yumminess go'n on around here. w00t!

Jes' sweet potato and black bean burgers are nothing short of absolutely fantastical! they're savory, spicy, and the sweet potatoes give them the perfect amount of sweetness! they're amazing & oh-so awesome! did we mention that they're a snap to make, too?! you just can't go wrong! mmmmmmmmmm! dan enjoyed his burger with sriracha & ketchup, and i ate mine with just a little spinach - letting all the great flavors shine though. i can't wait for lunch today! wahooooooooo! so get your buns on over to Cupcake Punk and make Jes' sweet potato and black bean burgers. we know you'll love them just as much as we did! huzzah! ;)

p.s. we served our burgers with some olive oil & garlic roasted asparagus & some roasted new potatoes. mmmmmmmmmm!

lots of yummies to share!

wowzers, it's been a while! we've been busy bees lately (moved my sister into her new apartment, spent time with my family, celebrated dan's birthday, super bowl sunday fun, and fixing up the house a bit...whew!) we've been cooking up lots of breakfast yummies (chocolate peanut banana flapjacks, Bianca's tester tempeh bacon, hash browns, maple-apple oatmeal, etc.), some old favorites, and quick meals we've been just kinda throwing together. we have made a few things worth sharing though!

super bowl sunday we made a HUGE pot 'o 6 bean chili & 2 gigantical herby loaves of ciabatta for a get-together we attended. last week River (of the fantastically super stellar Wing-It Vegan) had made a glorious batch of Eat Drink & Be Vegan's You Got Peanut Butter In My Chocolate Cookies - i knew we had to make some to take to the super bowl party - so we did! yummers!

i've been on a quinoa kick lately and have been enjoying some "breakfast quinoa" in the mornings. here's what'cha do...(it's so easy & delicious! soooo gooood!)

breakfast quinoa (makes 2 small servings or one BIIIIIG serving)

ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup plain rice milk
1/4 cup water
4 dried apricot halves, finely chopped
6 raw pecan halves, chopped
15 raw almonds, chopped
a small handful of raisins
a tbsp (or two) of dried cranberries
1 tsp agave nectar

what you'll need:
- small pot

what'cha gotta do:
place the cooked quinoa, rice milk, and water in the pot. bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. stir in the raisins, cranberries, and chopped apricot halves & simmer (stirring every minute or so) for 5 minutes. stir in remaining ingredients & enjoy!

we've been making lots of River's I-Don't-Have-Time-For-a-Yeast-Dough Whole Wheat English Muffin-ish Stove Top Buns! Jes of the awesomely rock'n Cupcake Punk admitted being addicted to River's english muffinish buns last week and that was just the push i needed to make them sooner! oh my goodness, they're sooooo addictive & awesome - and awesomely addictive! aahahahaa! mmmmmmmmmmm! if you haven't made River's I-Don't-Have-Time-For-a-Yeast-Dough Whole Wheat English Muffin-ish Stove Top Buns you're really missing out!

p.s. we're also working on a pasta alla carbonara, but our recipe isn't quite ready for sharing. we'll post the recipe when we've got it right. excitedface!