foods in bowls.

i really super love foods in bowls - they're pretty fun and you don't have to chase any of your eats around on a plate (which can be less messy too). this past week we enjoyed some bowled yumminesses that rocked socks & wanted to share with you all. w00t!

first up is an absolutely delicious fall flavored soup which we adapted from T's curried sweet potato lentil soup recipe. i used a butternut squash that's been hanging around for a good bit now, and some leftover pumpkin from all the pumpkin pie smoothies we've been sucking down lately. this soup is fo 'sho my new favorite - inexpensive, easy, full of fall flavors, and filling. yay!

butternut red lentil soup (adapted from T's curried sweet potato lentil soup recipe.) (makes 6 medium sized servings)

ingredients:
1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cut into cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup pumpkin puree (optional)
1-1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed well
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 veggie bouillon cube
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt (less if you like)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp turmeric
5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lime
enough water to cover the onions & squash + 2 inches
red chili flakes, diced scallions, and pepitas (optional for toppings)

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

what'cha gotta do:
heat olive oil over medium heat in the large pot. once heated add in the onions and squash. saute for 4-7 minutes, stirring every now and again. add garlic and all the spices and saute for another 2 minutes. add enough water to cover everything + 2 inches. add the veggie bouillon cube and combine well. bring it all to a boil, then cover & simmer for 10 minutes. uncover & add red lentils. cover again and let this cook until the lentils (and squash) are tender (about 10 minutes for us). transfer the soup in batches to the blender & puree with the raw cashews and pumpkin puree. return to pot & stir in lime juice, adjust seasonings to taste. top with scallions, crushed red pepper, and pepitas if you so desire. enjoy!


now on to chickpea tahini bowls - a simple spin off of Alice's black-eyed pea bowls. we cooked up lots of brown rice and sauteed a big bunch 'o chopped kale. cooked up some chickers and sauteed them in a little olive oil & seasoned 'em with sea salt, pepper, dried mustard, cumin, a little lime juice, and lots of paprika (smoked and hungarian) & garlic powder. place a little brown rice (or grain of your choosing) in a bowl, add in sauteed kale (or any greens you love the most) & seasoned chickers - then drizzle on the tahini awesomeness. here's what dan did for the tahini dressing...

tahini dressing

ingredients:
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1/8-1/4 tsp cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp paprika
sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
a little water for thinning if you like

what'cha need:
- small mixing bowl & a fork

what'cha gotta do:
combine everything but the water in the small bowl. combine until smooth, add water as you see fit, and adjust seasonings to taste. drizzle on everything. :)

Lazy Smurf's mexican lime noodle soup & lots o' fun!

oooooooh, yay! this weekend was full of so much awesome and so much yumminess! saturday morning i was up early to walk the ladies and get my booty on down to the farmer's market to pick up some csa goodnesses (kale, radishes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bell peppers, green beans, collards, cucumbers, and the last of summer's tomatoes were snagged). after the market was my saturday morning yoga class (which always kicks my ass. w00t!) followed by an absolutely amazing therapeutic massage. i haven't had a massage in forever and was ever-so grateful for it! after dan returned from the station we had ourselves a glorious date night complete with pizza at pizza fusion (we split a large "very vegan" on a their gluten-free crust as it's now vegan!), drinks, and a comedy show (i hadn't laughed that hard in a long time!)! :)

sunday was spent mostly in pajamas and on the couch, and we made Lazy Smurf's scrumdilliumptious mexican lime noodle soup for dinner.
(we used tinkyada's "little dreams" brown rice pasta (fun shaped pasta!) and those are some gluten-free chive-onion corn crackers from trader joe's in there.) Lazy Smurf's recipe couldn't have been any easier and couldn't have been more fantastical!!! i think dan said it best when he stopped mid spoonful and stated, "this soup is incredible!" thank you, Lazy Smurf! now go get your soup on 'cause your bellies need this soup!

here's my new fun food obsession - collard wraps. both Lauren and Bianca inspired me to start making these little bundles of yumminess. while they're not entirely raw, the are most excellent - and a great way to enjoy a bunch of veggies.
i just mix up 1 tbsp tofutti sour cream with 1 tbsp tofutti cream cheeze and a little shallot salt, peppa, and chopped chives - spread it on some collard leaves and top with cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, scallions, and sprouts! i'm thinking next i need to make one of Gena's delicious spreads to enjoy in these wraps! mmmmmm!

it's tunaNOT casserole time again!

last week was a busy one and this week's been as well. we've enjoyed thai foodz, picked up chipotle, and fended for ourselves (dan loves 'cause he eats lots of ramen and road's end mac 'n chreese and i'm not around to fuss about the lack of veggies he's not eating. ah ha ha!) as we've both been tied up most evenings. last week dan had lots of band practice to get ready for the dragonship show (the heavy metal band he's a part of) this past friday, we built a little bridge for jasmine (my family dog who's staying with us for a while, she's not a fan of stairs at the age of 17. who can blame her?!), squeezing in some time on the couch to watch a football game, running, yoga, and a super relaxing walk in the park along the river with julie. we did manage to sit down together and enjoy one of my all time favorite childhood dishes (veganized, of course) this past sunday night (before dan headed out for his hockey game) - tunaNOT casserole! we've posted the recipe many times before, but have tweaked it even further to make it even more awesome. here's what we did this time around....

tunaNOT casserole

ingredients:
1 package uncooked brown rice pasta (we love spirals the mostest 'cause they hold the most yum!)

3/4 cup tsp (textured soy protein – or tvp will work as well – just make sure it’s gluten-free if you are)
1/4 sheet nori, toasted & minced
1/2 veggie bouillon cube (or use a not-chicken cube or water)
3/4 cup water

2 slices 'o gluten-free bread
2 shallots, finely minced (or 1/2 a yellow onion)
1 green pepper, finely diced
3 stalks of celery, finely diced
1/4 cup diced pimentos (go ahead and add in 1/3 cup if you super love pimentos!)
1/3 cup vegenaise
1-1/2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (any unsweetened plain plant milk will do)
1/4 cup chickpea flour (plus an additional tbsp or 2 if needed to help the gravy thicken more)
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt (more if you like)
1/2 tsp white vinegar

what you'll need:
- large pot (for 'da pasta)
- medium saucepan/pot (make'n gravy)
- small pot + lid (for tsp times)
- whisk
- 8x8 pyrex dish or a medium-large sized casserole dish

what'cha gotta do:
take 2 slices of your favorite gluten-free bread and whiz 'em about in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. set aside.

combie the 3/4 cup of water with the minced nori & bouillon cube (or veggie broth) and bring it all to a boil. once boiling, remove from heat, stir in the tsp, cover with a lid & set aside.

get some more water boiling and cook the brown rice pasta for just 7 minutes. drain & rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

in a medium saucepan sprayed with cooking oil, saute the shallots until they begin to soften on medium heat, then add in the green pepper 'n celery and cook for another 3 minutes. add in the chickpea flour, sea salt, and black pepper. saute for another minute then stir in the almond milk. whisk until it thickens & gets to be a nice gravy; stir in the white vinegar, remove from heat and set aside.

toss the undercooked pasta, tsp, and gravy in the large pot you used to cook the pasta. add in the vegenaise & pimentos. stir to combine, transfer to your baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.

bake on 400 degrees (no need to preheat) for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes then enjoy!


monday night after practicing yoga i baked up some salt 'n peppa 'fu with a side o' peas 'n mushies and smashed delicata squash (my favorite!). no real recipe - just baked 'fu with a smidge of olive oil and lots of salt 'n peppa. simple and yummy! this coming week is going to be just as busy, but i think this sunday we're gonna make Lazy Smurf's mexican lime noodle soup, which i am most excitedfaced to try out!


here are some silly pups pictures - ms. julie crossing over the little bridge we built, and a slurp from jasmine!:) happy almost-friday to you all and enjoy the weekend!

comforting soups.

the past couple of days have been cool, rainy, and the perfect time for warm comforting soups to return. my soup craving all started last week with Lauren's souptacular post. Lauren's always creating the most comforting soups and i found myself wanting some, too. last thursday it was raining like crazy - dan was a super sweetie pea and cooked up a new version of his butter bean potato soup while i was practicing yoga - coming home to a delicious bowl of warm soup was the absolute best! here's what he did.....

creamy butter bean-potato-kale soup

ingredients:
3 small russet potatoes, diced into cubes
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cups of cooked butter beans
a big 'o handful (or 2) of kale, destemmed & chopped
1 tsp yellow miso
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp divided (or a good "glug")
2 big cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp earth balance margarine
enough water to cover the taters 'n such (not too much more, maybe an additional inch)
a cup or so of plain, unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp white vinegar
sea salt 'n peppa

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

what'cha gotta do:
heat 1 tsp of olive oil in the large pot and saute the kale on medium heat until it begins to wilt a smidge & turn bright green. season the kale with sea salt, remove it from the pot and set aside.

using the same pot, saute the onion on medium heat in 1 tbsp olive oil until it begins to soften (don't let them brown!). add in some sea salt 'n peppa. make a some space in the middle of the onions; add in 1 tbsp earth balance (or a good spoonful of it) to the well & place the minced garlic into the well. let the garlic cook until it becomes fragrant (about 30 seconds - 1 minute, just don't let the garlic brown), and give it a good stir. add in the potatoes & enough water to cover them + an inch or so. increase the heat to high until everything begins to boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and partially cover the pot with the lid. simmer the soup for about 15 minutes then check the taters for doneness. once done, stir in the butter beans & miso and let it all cook for another 5 minutes.

blend up the soup (or half if you like it kinda chunky), return the blended soup to the pot, and add the almond milk & sauteed kale. season with lots of sea salt 'n pepper, stir in 2 tsp of white vinegar and enjoy!



today was another wet and cold day and having seen orangette's post about her
red lentil soup with lemon i decided to make some this evening. this is indeed a "quiet soup", but one that is gloriously delicious on many a level. it's unbelievable easy & inexpensive to make and i'm gonna suggest everyone gives it a whirl. your tummies will thank you. i promise!

oh yes, other yummy times - baking! i made Celine's oreo-cookie cookies for dan to take to the firehouse tonight to share, and a few weeks ago i sent him there is with vegan chef's marble cake (topped with her vanilla buttercream frosting). mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

well hello there! agave lime tofu wth jalapeno-peach salsa

ooooooh, it's been a while. a looooong while. sorry guysers. i would start to go on and on with the list of excuses i had for being away for months, but it really all boiled down to just being burned out. these past few months have been delicious ones, but we hadn't been creating many new recipes were just sticking to old 'n easy peasy favorites. but i'm coming around again, finding my awesome, and getting back to my happyfaced self (and practicing lots of yoga to help stay balanced). i'm sorry for abandoning happyveganface while i worked on some things - i missed you all sooooooo very much and it sure does feel gooooood to be back!! oh yeah, and it's october - and that is also very, very glorious. as i like to say, superw00t!

now it's recipe time.... squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

agave lime tofu with jalapeno-peach salsa (this isn't exactly a fall dish, but we wanted to share the recipe. this was enjoyed few weeks ago it was one helluva fresh 'n fantastical dish.)

ingredients:
for the 'fu:
1 big 'ol block of firm tofu (we used some local 'fu)
2 tbsp cup agave nectar (you can always add more if you like it sweeter)
2 tbsp water
2 limes, juiced
1 heaping tbsp cornstarch

for the salsa:
2 peaches, finely diced (no need to peel 'em)
10-15 (depending on how hot ya like it) slices of jarred jalapenos (i bet fresh would work as well)
a handful of cilantro, well chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 a cucumber, finely diced

what you'll need:
- small bowl + a cover (we used a lid to a pot)
- a dish for marinating 'fu (we used an 8x8 baking pan)
- large skillet (we used a 10" cast-iron skillet)

what'cha gotta do:
combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl, cover and set it aside in the fridge so it has a little time to let the flavors shake hands. while you're salsa is veg'n out get the tofu marinade go'n. combine the juice from 2 limes, agave, and water in your marinating dish. slice the 'fu anyway you like it and let it sit in the marinade, refrigerated, for at least an hour (we let ours hang out while we were at work). heat a large skillet on medium heat get your tofu ready for action. genlty shake some of the liquid from the slices of tofu as your move them from the marinade (save the marinade!) to the skillet and place each slice of 'fu in the skillet, letting the marinade drip off each slice before so that it's all lying flat in one layer. (we're "dry-frying" the tofu.) after about two minutes grab your spatula and gently press down on the tofu. the liquid will start seeping out and after a few presses flip all the tofu over & repeat this method of "dry-frying" until all the tofu is browned up to your liking. stir the heaping tbsp of cornstarch into the marinade and once the tofu is all browned up, turn off the heat and pour in the cornstarched marinade, moving the 'fu around in the pan as the sauce thickens. you can place your tofu atop of whatever you love the most (for us it was brown rice), or just eat it as is (this might also be yummers on a sammie with caramelized onions, a slice o' grilled pineapple, & spinach). just be sure to top your 'fu with lots and lots of jalapeno-peach salsa. enjoy!