more awesomeness from yellow rose recipes (& vegan with a vengeance)!

don't 'cha just love how ideas & inspiration for meals come about?!? mine usually start with a craving that needs to be satisfied. last week when Bianca posted about all her deeeeelicious spring time eats the falafel cravings started! mmmmmmm! i mean, how can you not crave falafel after seeing Bianca's glorious food porn?!? ;) and i've gotta agree with Bianca, the falafel recipe from vegan with a vengeance is by far our favorite! we also love that it's not overwhelmingly herby - it's juuuuuust riiiiiight!

i thought we could make our meal even more awesome for dan & decided to break out joanna's yellow rose recipes and try the quinoa tabouli (topping ours with the last of an old avocado we found in the back of the fridge that was surprisingly still good! superw00t for a tasty find!). dan's had traditional tabouli a few times and really enjoyed it - as for me, eh... i've never really been a big tabouli fan, but joanna's quinoa tabouli is some damn fine tabouli! i'm so glad we made it! i'm actually superexcitedfaced that we've got leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

to round out our meal we made some easy-peasy flatbread using all whole wheat flour instead of half 'n half. we were pleased that the results were just as good this time around! hooray for whole wheat success! and since hummus goes best with falafely goodnesses we made a small batch of roasted garlic hummus to use up the last of the cooked chickpeas leftover from the falafels. of course we served our mediterraneanish meal with a little tangy tahini dressing to drizzle on the falafels! ooooh, yummers! this was one glorious monday night meal, fo 'sho!

thai bowls from yellow rose recipes = deeeeeelicious!

thursday night we made ourselves
super scrumptious nachos with the rest of our happy fiesta time rice mix - but forgot to snap a photo. it's all good though, just imagine big plates of tasty nachos smothered in cheezy sauce. yay!

this week dan & i have decided to take a little break from recipe create'n & cook from a few of the cookbooks we've kinda forgotten about. back in december we purchased joanna's cookbook,
yellow rose recipes - and sadly we haven't made anything from it! (**gasp!**) having a serious craving for thai yummies we made joanna's thai bowls for dinner last night. oooh my goodness, these were deeeeelicious! the sauce is absolutely AMAZING & we loved how easy the recipe was to throw together! it was one seriously tasty sunday night meal, fo 'sho! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! what are some of your favorite cookbooks? or some of your favorite recipes?

we hope everyone's week is off to a rock'n start! happymondayface!

mucho mas happy fiesta time rice mix!

waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in december we made a batch of our happy fiesta time rice mix - & we decided that it was time to enjoy some again! w00t! since we had a bag of tortilla chips about to expire & the last of some bulk chickpeas & navy beans to use up - happy fiesta time rice mix was fo 'sho in order. we roasted our tomatoes this time around and it made the mix all that more awesome. you can use any beans (and pretty much any grain!) that you love the most, and toss in other yummies like carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, greens, etc. if you want to change it up to what you've got on hand. this mix is deeeelicious, makes for a lot of food, and just plain rocks. you can even use this mix to make yourself some super scrumptious nachos if ya like (which is most likely what we'll be do'n this evening for dinner! hooray!). here's what we did this time around...

ingredients:
2 cups cooked navy beans
1 cup cooked chickpeas
10 small tomatoes, diced & roasted
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 fresh jalapeno, de-seeded & diced
1 batch o' soyrizo
2 cups cooked brown rice (you can also use bulghur, barley, millet, etc.)
1 cup salsa (your choice. we used 1/2 salsa verde & 1/2 tomato salsa)
5 big ass cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp mexican oregano
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tbsp sriracha (if ya like it a bit more spicy!)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp peanut oil

what you'll need:
- big 'ol skillet (we used the cast iron
- big 'ol mixing bowl
- a big 'ol appetite because this recipe makes for about 6-8 servings. you may want to halve it if you don't want to feed an army or have a bunch o' leftovers! ;)

what'cha gotta do:
heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat. saute the onion, bell peppers, and green pepper until the onion begins to brown. add in garlic, jalapenos & all the spices (including the sriracha). cook for another 3 minutes then add in the roasted tomatoes & cooked beans. reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so. remove from heat and place it all in a big 'ol mixing bowl. add brown rice, soyrizo, & salsa to the bowl & combine well. scoop up with tortilla chips, toss on top of a salad, roll up in tortillas, or smother some cornbread with all the yumminess! mmmmm!

sweet potato-red lentil-coconut curry!

i've been thinking about this recipe for a while now - just 'cause i love sweet potatoes, lentils, carrots, curry spice, and coconut milk. so i thought a combination of it all would be most delicious. at first this was to be a soup, not a curry - but we had all this brown rice to use up and we figured a curry to smother the rice sounded yummy. sure enough, it was! it was oh-so yummy - really, really yuuuuuuummy! mmmmmmmmmm! this recipe was easy to make, and rather inexpensive, too (gotta love that). we used up some more pantry items, and that always calls for a w00t!

ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked red lentils
6 cups water, divided
3 large carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/2" "coins"
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup coconut milk (we used lite coconut milk)
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided (use less if you like)
2" chunk 'o fresh ginger, peeled & grated
5 big 'ol cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
2 tsp fresh lime juice (optional. we just had 1/2 a lime kinda sitt'n around)
1 tsp peanut oil

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

what'cha gotta do:
rinse the red lentils until the water is clear. toss the red lentils into the pot with 5 cups 'o water. bring it all to a boil then reduce the heat & simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until the lentils are tender). drain off any excess water & then set aside. while your lentils are making themselves awesome you can start on all the other yumminess...

place the curry powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt, turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder in the dry skillet (dry meaning without oil). heat skillet to medium & toast the spice until they become fragrant - remove from heat & set aside. return the skillet to the heat & add peanut oil. heat oil on medium-high, add onions & the other 1/4 tsp sea salt. saute the onions until they just start to brown - add in the garlic & ginger and saute for another minute. add in all the toasted spices, carrots, and diced sweet potatoes. saute for 5 minutes then add 1 cup water, reduce heat to low, and cover with lid. cook until the carrots & sweet potatoes are tender (about 10-13 minutes). stir in the cooked lentils & lime juice - then add in that glorious coconut milk. cook it all for another few minutes (about 3-5), adjust seasonings to your preferred taste, and enjoy!

smoky 'n spicy lentil-potato-quinoa burgers

alllllright! the burgers turned out to be super tasty if we do say so ourselves! hooray! i'm thinking of adding in a little more garlic next time around (one can never have enough garlic, right!?!), and maybe a bit more sriracha (i'm pretty sure we're addicted to sriracha!) - but they definitely were smoky 'n spicy and damn delicious! in an effort to use up more pantry items we used both quinoa and lentils - and tossed in some fingerling potatoes that really were looking a little sadfaced. gotta love a burger that prevents food waste! huzzah! i think it's safe to say that one could pretty much use any potato, grain, and bean/legume for this recipe and it would create an oh-so delicious burger, fo 'sho! let us know if you change it up - we'd love to know about other rock'n combinations! superw00t!

ingredients:
10 fingerling potatoes, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup plain rice milk
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sriracha
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp tomato paste (ketchup would totally work as well)
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp peanut oil
olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp creole seasoning

what you'll need:- large mixing bowl
- large skillet + lid
- 9x13 baking pan
- potato smasher
- plate
- small mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
spray the baking pan with a little olive oil cooking spray. roast diced fingerling potatoes on 425 until tender (about 30 minutes). remove from oven & transfer to the large mixing bowl.

heat 1 tsp olive oil in the large skillet saute onion until it begins to brown. add garlic, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and onion powder. saute for another minute. add cooked lentils, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, vegan worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, garlic powder, dried parsley, black pepper, & sriracha. reduce heat to low & cook for 5 minutes. remove from heat. add rice milk to the mixing bowl with the potatoes & smash 'em all together until ya get mashed potatoey goodness. add in 1/4 tsp sea salt, cooked quinoa, & lentil-onion-spice mixture. combine well, adjust seasonings to taste & form 6 patties with your hands. combine cornmeal & creole seasoning in the small mixing bowl (adding in a little sea salt & garlic powder if you like). pour cornmeal mix onto the plate and coat each burger well with the cornmeal mix. wipe out the large skillet & return to heat. spray skillet with olive oil cooking spray & turn heat to medium. cook burgers until they just begin to brown on each side (about 3-5 minutes) then reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and cook for another 5-8 minutes (flipping them over half way through the cooking time). you can also bake the burgers in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes, flipping over after 15 minutes.


p.s. - we served our burgers with garlicky-ginger-maple carrots and more roasted asparagus.

p.p.s - and don't let those buns fool ya - we didn't make them - they're store bought. a super busy weekend left us with very little time to make breads for the week. i feel kinda guilty about it (and you better believe we'll be reusing the plastic bag from the buns), but i'll get over it.

testing out un-chicken 'n dumplins!

did everyone have a rock'n weekend?! ours was pretty darn busy, but much fun was had! last night we tested out Bianca's recipe for un-chicken 'n dumplins! this has gotta be the most deeeeelicious bowl of dumplins i've had in all my life! wow! when Bianca's cookbook comes out you've gotta get it for this recipe alone - it's absolutely awesome! dan & i used tempeh instead of seitan (since our tummies disagree with seitan. sadface!) - and we just couldn't stop ourselves from going back for seconds. oh-so yummers, indeed! we served our dumplins with a side of roasted broccoli for extra mmmmmmm! such a tasty sunday night meal, fo 'sho!

this evening we've got another burger recipe we're working on - i'm keeping my fingers crossed they're super tasty!

hope everyone's having a stellar start to their week! hugs & happyfaces!

just a snickety snack & a happyfridayface!

nothing much to post on for our thursday night eats. dan had a super late hockey practice so he grabbed some chipotle for dinner, and right after work i headed out for my bikram yoga class. when i got home i didn't feel like making too much for dinner so i made an easy tasty treat - a chocolate peanut butter smooooooooothie and popped some organic popcorn for a snacky dinner. (you better believe there's a handful of spelt pretzels buried under all that popcorn - it's a fun salty surprise underneath, 'cause that's how i roll! ahhaahahah!) earlier this week Jennifer was enjoying a relaxing night of munching and veg'n out and i thought that sounded like a super swell idea for a lazy evening after a warm workout! :)

what does everyone love to munch on for their snickety snacks 'n such?

and happy friday! may the weather be lovely, and your weekends filled with fun, happyfaces, and mucho awesomeness! superw00t!

more yum in bowls! garlicky-roasted tomato-kale-barley bowls!

we're kinda on a roll with the whole food in bowls thing here! :) it's just so much fun! since dan's all about some kale lately we decided to go crazy with some kale again! w00t! i roasted up a slew o' organic tomatoes on sunday afternoon with some big 'ol cloves of garlic for this recipe - and we all know that kale + white beans = a tasty combination. we also used up the last of our barley in making tonight's dinner. huzzah for getting to grab more bulk grains soon to replenish what we used up! this recipe will take about an hour to make due to the cooking times, but if ya make it in parts a day or two ahead of time it's easy-peasy to throw together once you've got the beans cooked (or you could use canned), tomatoes roasted, and barley done. but don't let that scare ya away 'cause these garlicky bowls are oh-so yummers! mmmmmmm!

ingredients:
2 cups cooked white beans
10 plum tomatoes, sliced super thick
10 cloves of garlic, peeled & left whole
2 cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup pearled barley
3 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large bunch o' kale, de-stemmed & torn into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp water
olive oil cooking spray

what you'll need:
- cookie sheet
- large skillet
- medium-sized pot + lid

what'cha gotta do:
place 3 cups of water in the pot, bring to a boil. add 1/4 tsp sea salt + barley, cover & reduce heat to low. cook on low for 30 minutes. remove from heat, drain off any excess water, and set aside (you can stir in a little margarine for extra mmmmmm factor if you like). while your barley is cooking spray the cookie sheet with a good bit of olive oil cooking spray. add thick tomato slices & 10 cloves of whole (peeled) garlic. roast on 425 (no need to pre-heat) for about 30 minutes. remove from oven. heat 2 tsp olive oil in the large skillet. add in garlic & saute until fragrant (just a minute or two). add in kale & saute for 3 minutes. add 1 tbsp water, cover, and let the kale "steam" for 2 minutes. uncover & remove the kale from the skillet. return skillet to heat & add 1 tsp olive oil. saute cooked white beans & 1/4 tsp sea salt for 3 minutes (on medium-high heat). add basil & add all of your roasted tomato slices - squishing them with your hands (if they're cool enough) as you toss them into the skillet (if they aren't cool enough to squish you can kinda mash them up a bit with a spatula as they cook in the skillet). reduce heat to medium, add black pepper & basil (and a splash of vegan white wine if you like) and cook for 5 minutes. place a little barley in your bowl, a handful of sauteed kale, then smoother with garlicky-tomato-white bean yumminess. dig in!

p.s. - this recipe makes for 4 bowls of yum. ;)

sweet 'n spicy adzuki buddha bowls

this evening we wanted something green 'n gooooood for dinner! we decided to put a twist on T's gloriously good carrot-ginger-cashew pasta. we liked the sweet 'n spicy sauce from our kung pao tofu & tweaked it just a tad, and added in some broccoli and adzuki beans for an extra mmmmmmmm factor. serving these oh-so awesome buddha bowls with wild rice was just the perfect touch! dan even exclaimed "man, i can't get enough of this kale - it's soooo good!" (dan's a former kale hater.) superw00t! this dinner was fantastical - sweet, spicy, and packed full of healthy yummies that'll make your tummy sing! to make these sweet 'n spicy adzuki buddha bowls here's what'cha do...

ingredients:
2 cups cooked adzuki beans
2 large bunches o' broccoli, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 large bunch o' kale, de-stemmed & torn into bite-sized pieces
2 large carrots, peeled & diced into thin coins
1/2 cup raw cashews (toast 'em up if ya like)
2 tbsp sesame seeds ('cause you know they're super good for you!)
3 tbsp raw agave nectar
2 tbsp liquid braggs
2 tsp sriracha
1 tsp rice vinegar (we used brown rice vinegar)
1.5" piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
a pinch of sea salt
1 tsp peanut oil
2 tbsp water
olive oil cooking spray

what you'll need:
- large skillet + lid
- small mixing bowl
- grain of your choosing (if ya like. we used wild rice, but quinoa or barley would be awesome, too!)

what'cha gotta do:
combine agave nectar, grated ginger, rice vinegar, sriracha & liquid braggs in the small mixing bowl. set aside. spray pan with a little olive oil cooking spray & heat to medium-high. saute broccoli & carrots for 3-4 minutes, add 2 tbsp water, cover skillet with lid & cook for another 2 minutes. remove lid, add kale, sesame seeds, & garlic. cover the skillet again & cook for another minute. remove lid & pour in just 1/2 of the sauce from the mixing bowl. combine well, remove veggies from skillet & set aside. return skillet to heat & add peanut oil. once the oil is hot (it should only take a minute or so) add in the cooked adzuki beans & a pinch of sea salt. saute beans for 3 minutes, pour in remaining sauce & cook for another minute (or until the beans are warmed up a good bit) - remove from heat. place a little of the cooked grain you love the most in the bottom of a bowl, add sauteed veggies, adzuki beans, & garnish with cashews. enjoy!

p.s. - this recipe makes for 4 servings.

inspired by deliciousnesses!

our meal tonight was inspired by some seriously tasty yummies we've seen around on the blogosphere lately. hooray for fellow vegan bloggers & all the awesome they create! i think it all started back in february when lindyloo posted about some rock'n spiced lentil tacos. i thought, "lentils for mexican yummies sounds gooooood" & we've got a bunch of bulk lentils to use up - perfect! then Ricki made our mouths water with her A Bowl Lotta Love post and last week Allularpunk's mexiawesomeness started a mexican craving that we needed to give in to! ;) so we thought something similar to our creamy polenta bowls would be fantastical, only this time around we really switched it up a bit with some lentils, peppers 'n onions, and cilantro-lime rice. these bowls were suuuuuper delicious! we can't wait for leftovers tomorrow. yay! here's what we did...

ingredients for the cilantro-lime rice:
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups water
juice from half a lime
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or fresh parsley)
1 tsp olive oil

what you'll need:
- large pot + lid

what'cha gotta do:
heat olive oil on medium-high heat in the large pot. add in rice and saute the uncooked rice for 1 minute. add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low & cook for 50 minutes. remove rice from heat, leave covered for 5 minutes - then stir in fresh cilantro, lime juice, and sea salt.

..............................................................................

ingredients for the spiced lentils:
2 cups cooked green lentils
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 slices jarred jalapenos, minced
1/4 tsp white pepper (or 1/2 tsp black pepper)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp water

what you'll need:
- large skillet

what'cha gotta do:
heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. saute onions until they become soft & the add in garlic & sea salt, saute until garlic becomes fragrant (about a minute). add in all the spices & saute for another minute. add in lentils, tomato paste, water, and jalapenos. reduce heat to low & cook for another 3-5 minutes. adjust seasonings to taste, remove from heat, and enjoy!

..................................................................

ingredients for guacamole:
1 large ripe avocado
2 tbsp very finely diced red onion
1 small tomato, finely diced
1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
a dash of black pepper
a dash (or two or three) of sea salt
juice from 1/2 a lime

what you'll need:
- fork
- large mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
peel & mash the avocado with a fork in a large bowl. add in the remaining ingredients, combine - and enjoy! simple & awesome! hells yeah! ;)

...................................................................

saute some peppers 'n onions if ya like, then fill your bowl with a little cilantro-lime rice, spiced lentils, peppers 'n onions and guacamole!

p.s. - this recipe makes for 4 servings.

p.p.s - we promise there's spiced lentils 'n cilantro rice in here - it just got kinda buried! ahhaahahahaa!

p.p.p.s - i just realized that today happyveganface is a year old! superw00t!

more white bean gravy (and super scrumptious tester biscuits)! hoooooray!

rain, rain, and more rain. i really don't mind the rain too much - but cold + rain isn't the most fun.
:(
so dan & i made some serious comfort food to keep us warm this evening. biscuits 'n white bean gravy - mmmmmmmmmmmm! we made a batch of Bianca's whole wheat butter soymilk biscuits (another rock'n tester recipe. you guys have GOTTA get Bianca's cookbook when it comes out. everything we're testing has been nothing short of fantastically awesome!) and smothered 'em with our white bean gravy. add in a side of roasted asparagus and we were two superhappyfaced people, fo 'sho!

we tweaked our old recipe a tiny bit to come up with an even tastier white bean gravy. yay!

ingredients:
2 cups cooked white beans (we used dried navy beans)
3/4 cup water (or veggie broth)
3/4 cup plain rice milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp liquid braggs
1 tsp yellow miso
1 tbsp margarine (we use earth balance)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp whole wheat flour

what you'll need:
- medium sized sauce pan

what'cha gotta do:
heat olive oil on medium-high in the sauce pan. saute finely diced onion until it begins to brown (about 5 minutes). add in sea salt & garlic. saute for another 2 minutes. reduce heat to medium & add in sage, poultry seasoning, & black pepper. cook for another minute then add water, rice milk, miso, liquid braggs, and margarine. bring to a boil and slowly whisk in whole wheat flour. whisk gravy until it begins to thicken up a good bit. reduce heat to low & stir in the nutritional yeast & white beans. let it all cook for about 3-5 more minutes. remove from heat & enjoy!

dan's night = pizza night!

i came home late last night from bikram yoga to dan making pizza. yeah, it was awesome! dan topped mine with sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, artichokes, roasted red peppers, bell pepper, onions, and spinach. (his was topped with everyone but the mushrooms 'n artichokes.) what a fantabulous thursday night! wahoooooooo! oh yes, and dan wants everyone to know that pizza sauce with sriracha mixed in = the best ever! i have to agree, it makes for a super spicy 'n zippy sauce that just rocks!
.............................................................................

here's the pizza dough recipe we've been using lately & really, really love...

ingredients:
2 ½ cups of whole wheat, all-purpose flour
½ cup of white, all-purpose flour (feel free to use all whole wheat flour if ya like)
2 tbsp wheat gluten
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ¼ cup very warm water
2 tsp of dry active yeast (we love the jarred "red star yeasties")
olive oil cooking spray
cornmeal

what you’ll need:
- 9x13 baking pan (if you’re making your dough now and enjoying pizzas a little later)
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl that will hold all the warm water
- a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel
- cookie sheet(s), pizza stone(s), or pizza baking tray(s) – whichever you prefer!

what’cha gotta do:
make sure the water you’re using is pretty warm. i usually run the water on hot for about 20-30 seconds to make sure it’s pretty darn warm, almost kinda hot (you can collect the water that’s just running and use it for your house plants. reusing grey water rocks!). measure out 1¼ cup of very warm water into the small bowl and add in the dry active yeast & sugar. give it a little stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes so your yeast can activate.

while your yeast is “doing its thing” put the flours, sea salt, & wheat gluten in a mixing large bowl and combine.

once 10 minutes passes – get back to your bowl of yeast & water and give it a stir. it should be pretty bubbly & that means your yeast is activated and ready to do its job! hooray! if it’s not ready: start over again with new warm water and yeast. you’re looking for the temperature of the water to be about 110 degrees. too cool and it won’t activate, too hot and you’ll kill the little buggers!

make a well in the middle of your flour mixture and pour the yeasty water into the well – add in the olive oil. mix it all up well with a wooden spoon. once your dough is formed and all of your flour is incorporated toss the whole shebang on your counter top and start kneading like a mofo. if you find that the dough is too sticky add a little more flour on top to get it just right. now knead, and knead it like you mean it, for the next 5-7 minutes (don't skimp out on the kneading time).

if you want to eat pizza NOW:
clean out that large mixing bowl and spray it with the olive oil cooking spray. put your dough in the bowl and spray the dough all over, too. cover the bowl with the damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm, dark place to rise for 1 hour (i put it in my oven and let it rise there). after about an hour your dough should be doubled in size. take off the towel, punch your dough down, and knead it just a few more times. hit it with a little more cooking oil spray and place it back in the bowl, cover, let it rise again for about 30 minutes and then (FINALLY) you’re ready to go! you can divide the dough half and make two pizzas (roughly 9 inches a piece) or you can make a biiiiiiig pizza – it’s up to you!

if you want pizza later:
divide the dough in half now if you want to make two pizzas or leave it be if you want just one. spray some olive oil cooking spray over your pizza dough(s) and spray the 9x13 pan, too. place your dough(s) in the pan and cover securely with plastic wrap. put the covered dough(s) in the fridge for at least 8 hours and it should be good for up to (2) days. when you decide to make your pizzas simply take the dough out of the fridge and place it all on the counter (leaving it covered) for about 30 minutes to take the chill off.

rolling out the dough:
preheat oven to 425 degrees to preheat while you get your toppings & dough all finished. if you have a baking stone throw it in the oven and let that preheat as well.

lightly dust your counter top with cornmeal and roll out your pizza dough(s) to the shape and thickness desired. if using a cookie sheet or pizza baking sheet you can go ahead and transfer your rolled out dough over (cornmeal side facing down) to them now! go ahead and add on the sauce & toppings! mmmmmmmmmmm! you can even brush the crust with a little olive oil, too! w00t!

once your oven is preheated, and the pizza(s) are sauced and topped with all those wonderfully delicious veggies, bake the pizza(s) for 11-13 minutes (make sure to keep an eye on ‘em).

remove from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes to cool a bit before you start cutting them up.
............................................................................

may you all have super stellar weekends - and happy friday! superdoublew00t! yay!

kung pao tofus! yay!

have you guys been over to Jenna's new blog good good things yet? (Jenna of B36 Kitchen) if ya haven't you need to go, go, GO! Jenna rocks hard & makes the most yummy looking deliciousnesses! her latest post, "greasy chinese", was no exception! after her post i had a serious craving for some asian style fried yummies - so last night dan & i made ourselves soe asian style fried yummies happen! w00t! we decided a spicy kung pao sauce was in order & combining it with bell peppers, fried cornstarched tofus, and onions was one helluva tasty combination! yay! (maybe next time i won't forget to add in the cashews - opps!)

ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed to remove all the water you can, & cubed (for soy-free "tofu" check out Vegetation's split pea tofu!)
1/4 cup cornstarch + 1 tbsp divided
1 tbsp peanut oil + 1 tsp, divided
olive oil cooking spray
3 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp liquid braggs (or tamari)
2 tbsp water
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili sauce (this is a lot - use less if needed)
1 tsp sriracha
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp sesame seeds (or maybe some chopped scallions, cashews, peanuts, etc.!)
(you can use whatever veggies you love the most!)

what you'll need:
small mixing bowl
large skillet
large saute pan + lid
large mixing bowl

what'cha gotta do:
combine rice vinegar, water, 1 tbsp cornstarch, liquid braggs, agave nectar, sesame oil, 1 tsp peanut oil, garlic, chili sauce, & sriracha in the small bowl. set aside.

place cubed tofu in large mixing bowl & sprinkle on the 1/4 cup cornstarch. toss the tofus around in the mixing bowl until well coated. heat 1 tbsp peanut oil in the large skillet (we used our cast iron skillet) on medium-high heat. fry cornstarched tofus until golden brown on all sides. remove from skillet & set aside. (while your tofus are frying you can totally start on the veggies!)

spray your saute pan with a little olive oil cooking spray. saute bell peppers & onions on medium-high heat for 3 minutes. cover with & cook for 2 minutes. uncover & saute until you've got 'em how ya like 'em (we love ours tender-crisp, so after uncovering they're usually good to go). toss the fried tofu in with the veggies & pour the sauce over everything. turn off the heat and gently combine everything together (the sauce should thicken up nicely within 30 seconds or so). remove from heat (we served ours over some long grain brown rice), sprinkle on sesame seeds (or scallions, peanuts, cashews, etc.) & enjoy! hooray for spicy goodnesses! mmmmmmmmmmm!

just a quickie!

for tonight's dinner we thought we'd try out some recipes that have been in our queue for a few weeks now, and we're so glad we did! crash hot potatoes + maple grilled tempeh + roasted asparagus = mmmmmmmmmmmm!

adding a little sriracha and chili paste to the maple grilled tempeh marinade gave it a nice little kick! and the crash hot potatoes are absolutely most fantastical! i think it's safe to say that i could easily eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! ahahhhahaa!

we highly recommend this scrumptious combination of awesome, fo 'sho!

tuna free salad 'n cheezy broccoli! (kind of a funny combination, yeah?!?)

we're still working on using up a bunch of yummies we've got stocked in the house and chickpeas are aplenty here (yay for bulk beans!). tuna-free salad is easy peasy & also uses up some of what we've got on hand so that calls for a doublew00t! we enjoyed another simple salad with our dinner & some cheezy broccoli (because Cyn had us craving cheezy broccoli - we just had to make some!)! mmmmmmmmm!

ingredients:
4 cups cooked chick peas (we cooked ours in the crockpot - you could used canned)
1/3 sheet nori
5 stalks of celery, finely diced
1/2 red onion, very finely diced
2 tbsp eden organic gomasio seaweed sesame shake (or just use a little more nori & 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds)
2 tsp kelp granules
1/3 cup vegenaise (use more if you like)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (we like a lot of pepper)

what you'll need:
- large mixing bowl
- food processor (or a potato smasher)

what'cha gotta do:
pulse cooked chick peas in the food processor a few times to chop 'em up a bit. transfer them to the large mixing bowl (or mash the chick peas with a fork or potato-masher until they're well smashed). mince (or crumble) 1/3 sheet of nori (use more if you want more "tuna" flavor) it into tiny pieces. add minced/crumbled nori and all the remaining ingredients to the bowl - mix well.

make a sammie, eat it alone, top a salad, or spread it on saltines 'n raw crackers! enjoy!
..........................................................................

ingredients for the cheeze sauce (we simply reduce & tweak susan v's recipe a little):
1/2 cup plain rice milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup raw walnuts (or raw cashews!)
2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
1 tbsp margarine, optional (we use earth balance)
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp miso
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp liquid braggs
2 tsp sriracha
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp corn starch

what you'll need:
- small pot
- blender (or food processor)

what'cha gotta do:
blend walnuts (or cashews - i bet brazil nuts would be yummers, too!) & sunflower seeds until fine. add in remaining ingredients and combine well. pour everything into the small sauce pan & heat on medium. stir every couple of seconds until cheezy sauce thickens. remove from heat.

Melody's eggplant quinoa soup of extraordinary mmmmmmm!

when lindyloo raved about Melody's eggplant quinoa soup i immediately printed off the recipe so we could try it soon 'cause we're all about enjoying some awesome soup! this evening we made Melody's eggplant quinoa soup and awesome it was! actually, it was beyond awesome - it was fantastically super stellar! yay!

we used roasted tomatoes instead of using canned ones & roasted our eggplant with the tomatoes as well. we also used twice as much rosemary, red pepper flakes, and marjoram - and added in a little paprika and a bit of garlic powder ('cause that's how we roll). oooooh boy, this soup is sooooo gooooood! we figured a small loaf of chewy whole wheat ciabatta would best soak up all the goodness in our bowls - and it sure was! what a fantastic start to a new week! with warm weather, plenty of natural light for food photos (superw00t!), and an ever so tasty soup 'n bread night - who could ask for more!?! ;)

if you all haven't had visited MELOMEALS be sure to get your cute buns on over there! Melody's blog is most glorious - she's a recipe rock'n, raw foods create'n, great photo take'n, budgeting queen! you're gonna love her blog - and her eggplant quinoa soup! fo 'sho!

dan's night! w00t!

yesterday was a super busy (but fun!) day! both dan & i got home pretty darn late so we thought something fast 'n awesome would be most rock'n!

last week Sal (of the fantastical & oh-so rad Alien on Toast) posted about (among the many deeeelicious dishes she always makes) veganyumyum's super quick tomato basil cream pasta & i just couldn't stop thinking about it! we've made it before, but i'd almost forgotten about it. how could i?! this dish is ridiculously gooooooood! so dan whipped up dinner in no time flat and we enjoyed the super quick tomato basil cream pasta with a big 'ol serving of salad topped with more pepitas and raw sunflower seeds. mmmmmmmmmmm! it was the most scrumptious dinner and having a quick 'n tasty meal gave us time to veg out & relax - gotta love that!

happy friday to you all - and may every one have a gloriously great weekend! (it's going to be warm here this weekend! superexcitedface!)

peanutty-coconutty udon noooooooodles

we had a little coconut milk leftover from liz's psuedo-jamaican stew and thought some coconut peanut noodles would be perfect! tweaking our recipe just a bit to spice it up this time - the results were so gooooood! we really love this dish because it's quick to put together and absolutely yummers!

ingredients for the veggies (feel free to change up the veggies!):
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 bunch of broccoli, torn into small florets
olive oil cooking spray
1 1/3 packages of udon noodles (there are 3 small bundles of noodles in each package - so just 4 bundles total)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp water

coconut peanut sauce:
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp plain rice milk
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp liquid braggs/tamari/soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp peanut oil
1/8 - 1/4 tsp toasted sesame seed oil (depending on how much you super love it!)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili oil (depending on how hot you want it)

what you'll need:
- food processor
- large skillet + lid
- large pot

what’cha gotta do:
spritz large skillet with a little olive oil cooking spary & heat to medium-high. once the oil is heated add in veggies and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. add in 1 tbsp water, cover the skillet, and allow the veggies to cook/"steam" for 2 more minutes. uncover, cook for another minute or two if ya like - then remove from heat, and set aside. while your veggies are cooking you can start on the noodles...

boil water in the large pot and cook the udon noodles for 4-6 minutes (watch them, as the do tend to boil over - we stir them up every minute or so to try and prevent this). drain, rinse well with cool water, and set aside.

place all sauce ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well combined, adding in more coconut or rice milk to get the consistency you prefer.

toss the udon noodles back in to the large pot (the one they were cooked in), add in sauteed veggies and stir in that delicious coconut-peanut sauce. mix well, transfer to your dishes & sprinkle on the sesame seeds. enjoy!

p.s. - this recipe makes 4 medium sized servings.

split pea barley burgers!

in going through our stock 'o food here at the house we found a lot of bulk pearled barley that we'd completely forgotten about. we haven't had barley in a loooong time & it's been a while since we've had burgers - it was time to change all that! originally dan & i were going to make these burgers with adzuki beans, but last minute we decided on green split peas (having just a little bit left to use up) - what a tasty idea! these burgers were easy-peasy (pun totally intended! ahahhaaaa!) to make and oh-so very deeeeeelicious! we served our split pea barley burgers on some of River's fantabulous i-don't-have-time-for-a-yeast-dough whole wheat english muffin-ish stove top buns and enjoyed some roasted asparagus & a tasty simple salad! superw00t!

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked green split peas
1 1/2 cups cooked pearled barley
1 russet potato, diced 'n roasted (or you can boil it up until done)
1 tsp peanut oil
2 large cloves of garlic, crush & minced
1 tsp coriander
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp sriracha
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika (we used hungarian paprika)
2 tsp liquid braggs (tamari or soy sauce will work just fine)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp - 1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup veggie broth (or water)
(i bet 1/2 an onion, diced & sauteed would be great in this recipe, too!)

what you'll need:
- blender (or food processor)
- large skillet
- olive oil cooking spray
- large mixing bowl
- potato smasher

what'cha gotta do:
combine all the ingredients in the large mixing bowl. smash everything up a good bit with your potato smasher and then transfer 1/2 of the mix to a blender. add water to blender and give it all a few pulses - you want the mix to break down a bit and become a pretty mushy. transfer the roughly blended pea-barley mix back into the mixing bowl and combine everything together. form 6 patties with your hands. spray the large skillet with a little olive oil cooking spray and cook the patties on medium heat until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). add on all the toppings you love the most (ketchup for us!) and dig in!

happymondayface!

dan was traveling this past weekend and didn't get a chance to enjoy a lot of tasty vegan yummies. i believe he pretty much ate mint-chocolate clif bars, hummus, and sour patch kids. eek! so i decided to fix him a few of his favorites for dinner this evening - welcoming him home & all that mushy stuff! ahahahahhaa! we enjoyed katie's unbelievably awesome tempeh wingz, roasted fingerling potatoes, and a tasty salad with pepitas, sunflower seeds 'n home grown sprouts. mmmmmmmmm! sorry it's such a short post - we're vegging out on the couch and watching a movie, but tomorrow we'll be back with tasty burgers! superw00t!

(i know i say this every time we make these tempeh wingz, but if you haven't made them yet you're really missing out on all the awesomeness! what are ya waiting for?!) ;)

weekend deliciousnesses!

dan headed out of town friday night and friday day i was away at an off-site for my job so we didn't get a chance to post then. but thursday evening dan made the most delicious lentil soup for us to enjoy - the best part was having rock'n leftovers friday night for dinner after a looooong day. hooray! when dan gets back in town i'll post his lentil soup recipe because he added a ton of tasty spices to create the best lentil soup we've had to date! :) it was so awesome 'n spicy - we both added in a bunch of green tabasco sauce to give it some heat (in addition to the sriracha dan used in the recipe, too)! mmmmmmmmmmm! hearty, spicy, awesome! hells yeah!

since dan's away i've taken the opportunity to enjoy some deliciousnesses that i know he's not overly fond of. yesterday for lunch i topped a toasted slice of ezekiel sprouted bread with half a smashed avocado and some home-grown sprouts. we're still sprouting things like crazy around here - this week i'm sprouting a tasty greens mix and some wheat berries. yay!

to accompany my avocado-sprouts-open-faced "sammie" i made a salad loaded with everything that makes my heart go squeeeeeeeeeeee: marinated & sauteed portobello mushrooms, roasted garlic-thyme carrots, raw shredded beets, toasted pumpkin seeds and a little grape seed oil & balsamic vinegar. oh-so yummers!

for christmas last year i gave my momma a subscription to vegetarian times - i thought she might find some of the recipes tasty and fun to make (veggies are the most fun to make yummies with!). turns out that my mom and my dad have been making lots of veggie & vegan meals with all the new recipes they've been reading about! wahooooooooooooo! last week my dad told me about a super spicy, but fantastically deeeeeeeelish meal from the latest (february) issue - smothered cajun-spiced squash. i really wanted to give it a whirl, as both my dad and my mom raved about it. last night i set aside a little time to try it out & le'mme tell you, it did not disappoint! the dish was amazing! i served the smothered squash on top of some red quinoa and topped it off with some more toasted pumpkin seeds (can you tell that they're my new favorite seed lately?! aahahahahaa!) - what a rock'n meal! this coming week we're kinda taking it easy & cooking up some old favorites: more of katie's unbelievably goooood tempeh wingz, coconut-peanut udon noodles, and i'm creating a new burger with beans, barley, and potatoes - we'll see how it goes.

oh yeah - Abbie from Foods That Fit is creating a blogger cookbook. dan & i submitted a few of our favorite recipes for the cookbook, and everyone should share a few recipes if ya like, too! details here. i hope everyone has a lovely sunday night! superw00t!