Scott's Broccoli

What could be better than strolling through the farmers' market and picking out some beautifully local gown veggies? I'll tell you! Getting vegetables out of your (or your friend's) garden. While our garden is still trying to grow up and mature, some of my friends' gardens are producing crazy amounts of gorgeous vegetables.

My good friend and co-worker Scott and I chat often about our gardens. I love our garden chats and the advice he shares with me. His thumb is very green. He has been picking bunches and bunches of broccoli every day. He and his family can't eat it fast enough. He was sweet enough to share his mother load with me the other day. He brought in a super gigantic bag of tender, dark green, fresh broccoli. There was so much in fact, that both my office mate and I were each able to take home a healthy amount. Look at how pretty it is!!

I took a taste of it just raw and man was it tasty. I wanted to prepare it pretty simply so that the natural flavor of the broccoli would shine through. I also wanted to do some roasting. It's going to be hot here before we know it, and the oven will be the last tool I will want to use over the summer. Roasting also brings out the beautiful natural sugars in the vegetables; giving them a richer flavor than steaming or even sauteing. With these goals in mind, here is what developed:

Scott's Roasted Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic

Makes 4 servings (maybe 2 if you love broccoli as much as I do)

1 lb fresh broccoli

6 large sun dried tomatoes (in oil) thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

t tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash broccoli. Some varieties of broccoli have very thin stems. This is the kind I had for tonight. This makes it very easy to prep. You just break it up into little trees, no stem trimming necessary. If the broccoli you have is the type with thick stems, slice off stem about 2-3 inches down from where the florets start separating from the stalk. Cut off individual florets and part of the remaining stem.

Place broccoli in a very large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat completely. Spread in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Roast for 12-15 minutes until broccoli is cooked but still a bit crunchy. Enjoy!!

Don't have friends with awesome gardens? This time of the year here in AZ, you should have no problem finding some great fresh broccoli at the farmers' markets. Click here for a nice list of local farmers' markets.

Sometimes Simple is Best

If you've been following the blog for a while or you know me personally, you are probably aware that my recipes often contain a load of ingredients. In my defense, they are often just spices that (hopefully) you have on hand. Last night I was in the mood for simple, wholesome food with very few ingredients; something that I could whip up without having to depend on my great dried herb arsenal. 

The herb barrel is doing quite well now. Those fresh herbs were calling out to me to be used. In addition, the fridge was stuffed full of produce quickly coming to the end of its prime. I bought lots of fresh goodies at the farmers' market the week before with good intentions of cooking up a storm. As my busy schedule would have it, cooking was not to be on the agenda after all. 

After a quick trip to cut the herbs and sort out the mess in the fridge I found the makings for a lovely, fairly light dinner. The smells of roasting rosemary, oregano and garlic were heaven to the nose. I don't know if it is even fair to call these recipes, but I will anyway!

Greek Lemon Tofu

4 servings

1 - 12 oz package extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 8 triangles

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, measured after chopping

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon or so lemon pepper seasoning

2 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

spray olive oil

In an 8 x 8 baking dish stir together lemon juice, olive oil, vegetable stock and garlic until well combined. Place sliced tofu in a single layer in pan. Marinate for at least two hours, preferably overnight, turning about half way through marinating time. Remove tofu from pan and reserve marinade. 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Lightly oil parchment lined baking dish (you can use the same dish you used for the marinade, rinsing first). Place tofu in single layer in baking dish and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. Brush or drizzle with reserved marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle other side with lemon pepper seasoning. Brush or drizzle lightly with reserved marinade. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon panko bread crumbs. Spray generously with spray olive oil or canola oil. Bake for another 20 minutes until panko is nicely browned. Remove from pan with spatula. Serve immediately with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes (recipe below).

Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

Make 4 servings

2 pounds small red potatoes, with peels, quartered

3 sprigs fresh rosemary (approx. 2 tablespoons), removed from stem

3 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large saucepan, add enough water to cover potatoes. Over medium heat bring water and potatoes to bowl. Reduce heat to low to simmer until just barely fork soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well. 

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Turn the potatoes and roast for 20-25 more minutes until potatoes are starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Winter Vegetable Wonderland

Root vegetables. They spend their growing days in the dark like a bear hibernating for the winter. That is until the day they are released from their earthy cave by the scruff of their stems. After a good scrubbing, they are ready for some love and oven time.

There has been a mother load of root vegetables at the farmers market for the past few weeks. It's so that time of the year. I grabbed some beautiful, bulbous, colorful magnificence in the form of golden and red beets, sweet potatoes, turnips and parsnips (ok the last two aren't so colorful, but whatevs).

To me root vegetables scream "roast me!". I love to roast them until they are golden and caramelized giving them that earthy sweetness and nice slightly chewy texture. Oh man, that is winter cooking at it's finest.

We had lots of people coming for Thanksmas and I thought a root vegetable roast would be a fabulous way to show them how much I love them.

Root Vegetable and Fennel Roast

2 lbs golden beets
2 lbs red beets
3/4 pounds turnips
1/2 lb parsnips
1 lb orange sweet potatoes or garnet yams
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
6 cloves garlic, one minced, 5 thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel beets, turnips, parsnips and sweet potatoes. Cut into 1/2" dice. In a very large 1 inch or deeper pan, toss all ingredients together.

In a very large baking pan lined with parchment toss all ingredients together. Roast uncovered for about 40 to 50 minutes turning once or twice until softened and caramelized. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mediterranean Influenced Bean Salad

Fred is embarking on a new health and fitness journey. Part of his plan is to up his protein intake. In an effort to do all I can to support him (and to limit the possibility of meat being suggested) I am whole heartedly getting on the bandwagon to find veg sources of protein rich dishes. I find my body is happier on a higher protein regimen, so this should be a very good thing for both of us.

After our Mediterranean themed Easter dinner, I am still feeling the glow of love for things Med. Before work yesterday, I needed to throw something quick, filling and healthy together. (I was hoping for Easter leftovers, but there were none to be had). I have to say, working with what I had in the fridge and the pantry, this salad came out quite nicely. It is just perfect for the warm weather here and our eating goals. This one could be easily doubled for a big pot luck too! It screams of spring and of picnic fare. If you are looking for a quick cool treat, this is a great option! I hope you enjoy this one.

Mediterranean Influenced Bean Salad


2 - 14.5 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, about 1/2 inch dice
2 medium sized tomatoes seeded and diced
1 large cucumber, unpeeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup tightly backed fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Get yourself a big old bowl. Throw all of the goodies in and stir to distribute ingredients evenly. This one is best if you let it marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

Serve with sliced baguette. You could also use this as a wonderful bruschetta topping.

Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op

Summer always brings such wonderful things: no school for the kids, fire works, fireflies, picnics, vacations. But the thing I love most about summer is all of the summertime produce! Growing up in the midwest, summer was always a great time to pick sweet corn, berries, asparagus and all sorts of other seasonal wonders. Here in AZ it is actually a bit sparse in the summer. But thankfully Fred has devised some great shading for our garden. I love going to the farmers market for veggies too. This time of the year the farmers sometimes bow out of our market because it is located in a hot asphault parking lot. I needed to find another alternative to fill my summer produce desires.

I really try to eat mostly organic produce from the US. I don't know if it is true, but someone told Fred that all produce that comes out of Mexico gets fumigated before it can cross the border, which pretty much negates the "organic" labeling in my mind. It has been getting more difficult to find US grown produce at Whole Foods. My good friend Daphne told me about Bountiful Baskets co-op. I sure am glad she did. The co-op offers produce boxes. The regular box is $15.00 plus handling ($1.50). The organic box when available is $25.00 plus handling. They also offer an option to purchase bread. There are times they will have other special purchase. For example this week they had a screaming deal on flats of blueberries. You must place your order online with a credit card by Tuesday of the week you want to pick up.

The down side is that you have to be there at a specific time and on time to get your goodies. It's really no big deal, but some people are a bit more spontaneaous in their shopping habits. I find it completely worth it. I'd love to see an option for and all fruit or all vegetable basket. I know a lot of juicers like this option as well. I'm not a huge fruit eater myself, so an all veggie option would be perfect for me.

Fred picked up our first basket this week. I was bummed I was working, because I find getting produce baskets/boxes a bit like Christmas. He said the pickup was very quick and organized. I made him call me when he got the box home to tell me all the goodies that were in the box. It was loaded with organic fabulousness. There were fresh green beans, a bag of sweet potatoes, spinach, romaine lettuce, a zucchini, a cucumber, a giant cantaloupe, a huge bag of grapes, gorgeous strawberries, apples, and plums. I think I got it all. It was really a bargain for $26.50. I know I would have paid a lot more at the market or Whole Foods!

I have tried other co-ops, CSA's, and other produce delivery services. What stands out about Bountiful Baskets in my mind is that you do not have to take an order every week or every other week. You only order when you want to. This is huge for me as I often travel or need specific items for recipe testing. The quality of the produce is excellent. They have lots of pick up locations.

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the whole kit n kaboodle, but I started using things up before I thought of it. It was an impressive take! I did get a picture of these beauties.

Zucchini Bites (based on this recipe from Webly at the PPK) and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

The zucchini bites are easy breezy to make. You don't have to measure things out here. Just slice zuchs to about 1/4 inch thick. Spread a very thin layer of Vegannaise on one side of each slice. Place slices, mayo side up, in a single layer on cookie sheet sprayed with oil. Sprinkle Vegan Parmesan, panko crumbs and Italian seasoning on each slice. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Eat and enjoy. I'm going to try a variation next time by turning the slices half way through and sprinkling the other side with the panko and parm.

The sweet potatoes are pretty basic. Slice unpeeled sweet taters into thin matchsticks. Toss in a bit of canola oil and seasonings (I love to use Penzey's Northwoods Fire Seasoning). Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350 until crisp on the edges, turning once.

Food Network Friday - Guy Fieri's Spicy Cherry Ribs

I don't know why, but I really love to watch Guy Fieri's shows. Especially Diners, Drive In's, and Dives. He makes me want to take road trips to little divey gems all over the country. This weeks FNF challenge was to veganize his Spicy Cherry Ribs recipe. I had a lot of fun with this challenge. I decided to go way outside of the box and do an Asian/Southwestern infusion plate. I strayed a bit from Guy's original recipe by replacing Sriracha hot sauce with chipotles in adobo to give it a Southwestern flair. After all we do live in the heart of the Southwest.

I figured my cohorts and I would probably do similar sauces, so I wanted to attempt to make this remake shine with some interesting accompanying components. There are a lot of different components and flavors going on in this dinner. I started off with the Chipotle-Cherry Glazed Smoked Tofu and Tempeh. Then things really got interesting.

To run with my Asian/Southwestern vision I decided to try a really cool variation of tamales. First I wanted to make a tamale type filling without spending a load of time or adding all the shortening and fat to the filling. I made an interesting polenta filling complete with shiitake mushrooms and hatch green chilis. The polenta can be enjoyed on its own, but man is it good as eggroll filling! To round out the flavor and heat profile, it seemed a good idea to do a creamy sauce for the eggrolls to tame the chipotles down a bit.

Now we can't have dinner without some veggies. I'm totally in love with baby bok choy (Asian) these days. Today at the farmers market there was some kick booty sweet corn (Southwestern). I made a simple glaze by using an all natural jarred hoisin sauce. I used 1/2 cup of the hoisin, 1/2 cup veggie broth, 1 teaspoon tamari, and about 1/2 teaspoon Sriricha. The corn was sliced into 1/2 inch wheels and par boiled. Then both the corn and the bok choy were grilled and brushed heavily with the hoisin mixture just long enough to get the bok choy to el dente stage. Make sure not to over cook. It should still have a bit of crunch.

Chipotle-Cherry Glazed Smoked Tofu and Tempeh

8 servings

1 - 12 oz. package tofu

1 - 8 oz package tempeh

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

dry rub:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 recipe Cherry Chipotle Glaze (recipe below)

Chopped scallions for garnish

Sesame seeds for garnish

Slice tofu into equal rectangles. Cut tempeh block in half. Take each half and slice it down the middle to make thin rectangles. Cut each rectangle on a diagonal to make 8 total triangles. Steam tempeh for 10 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Place tofu and tempeh in smoker with pecan chips. Follow smoker directions. It should take around 15 minutes to smoke. You can buy pre-smoked if you'd like.

Make rub by mixing all dry spices. Reserve 1 teaspoon rub for East Meets Southwest Tamale Eggrolls (recipe below).

Once tofu and tempeh are cooled, brush both sides with mustard. Coat each side of tofu and tempeh with dry rub. Place on a deep rimmed baking sheet. Let sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.

Brush each side of tofu and tempeh with Cherry Chipotle Glaze. Pour remaining evenly over tofu and tempeh. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes and remove foil. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven. Plate 1 piece of tofu and top with 1 piece of tempeh on each plate. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with East Meets Southwest Tamale Eggrolls (recipe below)

Cherry Chipotle Glaze

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup diced red onion

3 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

2 cans red cherries in water, drained

1 tablespoon blue agave

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons tequila

2 chipotles in adobo chopped (do not remove seeds)

1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from chipotles)

1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar

4 tablespoons low sodium tamari

In medium saute pan over medium heat saute onion ginger, cherries, agave, and garlic in sesame oil until mixture thickens. Deglaze with tequila. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Put in blender or food processor until pureed. Return to pan and let cool to room temperatre. Can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days.

East Meets Southwest Tamale Eggrolls

8 eggrolls

1 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

3/4 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon low sodium tamari

2 roasted hatch chilis, seeded and chopped small

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon reserved rub mix from recipe above

1/2 cup coarse corn meal (polenta)
8 Vegan egg roll wrappers

1 recipe Creamy Coconut Eggroll Sauce (recipe below)

In a medium saucepan heat toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add mushrooms and tamari. Saute until mushrooms are soft. Add hatch chilis. Saute for 2 more minutes. Pour in vegetable broth. Turn heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Slowly pour in polenta whisking constantly. As mixture thickens switch to a wooden spoon and stir until polenta  thickens and get fairly stiff but not hard. Immediately assemble eggrolls. Using vegan eggroll wrappers, take one wrapper putting corner closest to you. (it will look like a diamond). Spread about 3 tablespoons of polenta mixture across the wrapper as pictured. Fold both sides over the end of the mixture. Take bottom of the diamond and wrap over the filling an roll egg roll style. Put in glass baking dish covered with a damp cloth. Repeat with remaining 7 egg roll wrappers. If you have never made egg rolls before, click here for a really nice pictorial on how to do it.

Heat canola oil to 350 in 10" iron skillet. Test with eggroll wrapper. It should bubble and cook very quickly. Carefully place 4 eggrolls at a time in the oil. Drain on paper bag topped with paper towel. Keep warm in warm. Fry the remaining  eggrolls. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons sauce on plate. Cut each eggroll in half diagonally and place over sauce. Serve immediately.

***The polenta/tamale filling is also excellent on its own***

Creamy Cocunut Eggroll Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon arrowroot

1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder

3 tablespoons hot salsa

1 teaspoon mellow white miso

In a small saucepan over medium heat whisk together all ingredients until miso is dissolved. Heat until sauce reduces by about 1/4 and thickens a bit, whisking frequently. Turn heat off and start assembling eggrolls. Sauce is best served at a little above room temperature.

For dessert I decided on something simple and summery, but still taking on kind of an Asian theme. I made Terry's Favorite Almond Cookies from Veganomicon. They are similar to those yummy almond cookies you get in Chinese restaurants. I made them into ice cream sandwiches using Coconut Bliss Maraschino Cherry flavor. Perfect for the summer heat. 

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK VEGAN APPETITE TO SEE MORE AWESOME VERSIONS OF GUY'S RECIPE!

Mushroom and Chickn Fried Rice with Spicy Asian Greens

Fred had surgery on his knee this week. I wanted to make him something tasty, healthy, and full of veggies. I had some leftover rice from the other day. The farmers market has had some excellent produce. Put them together and you've got some great stuff to work with. I've been craving some fried rice, but most don't have enough veggies for my taste. I thought I'd get to work and create something we'd both enjoy. Here's what transpired.

Mushroom and Chickn Fried Rice

4 servings

2 tablespoons low sodium tamari

1 tablespoon mirin

2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

4 ounces chicken Gardien or Chicken Seitan, diced

1 large carrot brunnoise (small diced)

1 cup snow peas, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

 1 - 8 oz package cremini mushrooms sliced

3 cups brown rice, cold

1-2 additional tablespoon low sodium tamari

In small bowl, mix tamari, mirin, ginger, sesame oil. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to marinade. In wok or large deep saute pan on high heat, pour chicken and marinade into pan. Saute for 2  minutes. Add garlic and carrots. Saute until "chicken" browns. Add snow peas and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms release their liquid. Add additional tamari. Heat until rice is heated through.

Spicy Sauteed Asian Greens

8 cups Asian greens

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon mirin

2 tablespoon low sodium tamari

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

In large saute pan or wok over med high heat, heat oil. add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add greens, mirin, and Tamari. Saute for a couple of minutes until greens start to wilt. Add sriracha and saute for another minute. Serve immediately.

Navy Bean, Sweet Potato, and Kale Bake...Bonus New Camera!!!!

I was under the incorrect assumption that Fred and I had agreed to refrain from gift giving on this, our first Valentine's Day as married folk. When will this girl learn? Last night when I got home Fred was very excited and said there was something for me in the kitchen. Hmmmm. I thought maybe he made dinner. Oh no! There was a pretty good sized box wrapped up on the table for me. I opened it up and much to my great surprise was a brand new camera!

This happens to be the second camera he's gotten me since we met. The first one he felt obligated (silly!) because he dropped my old camera and the door to the battery would not close. It still works, but it drove him crazy. The last one he bought has been used and abused. They just don't make them like they used to I guess, because after only 1 1/2 years of use it is on it's last leg. Boo for planned obselescence.

Anyhow the new beauty is a Sony DSC-HX1. It is really cool. Way more fancy pants than the last one, which was pretty awesome as well. It has lots of special functions for all different shooting conditions. I was super excited that it has a "gourmet" mode. Seriously. It is a mode specifically for photographing food. Is it just me, or are the colors in the picture below really vibrant. Hurrah gourmet mode!!

Today as always I am always thinking of more ways to get my beans and greens for extra iron. I took a look around the pantry to see what I could come up with at 5am for lunch today. Here's what developed. It is a warm homey simple dish. It only requires one pan for easy clean up. Enjoy in good health!

Navy Bean, Sweet Potato, and Kale Bake

4 servings

2 large yams, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced in half then thinly sliced
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Blend seasoning (I like Penzey's)
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (again Penzey's 4S is recommended) or to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch lacinto kale, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water

Preheat oven to 350.

In 9 x 13 glass baking dish toss all ingredients except for kale. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until sweet potatoes are just barely soft. Remove from oven and toss in kale and water or broth. Bake for 10 more minutes or until kale is slightly wilted.

I am Ironman!

Today we have two posts for the price of one. I have plenty of other things to do, but I wanted to get this down before I forgot (as I often do when creating things). I've been having a few nutritional/digestive issues lately that I am trying to get under control. My belly has been all kinds of bloated and unhappy for months. I am suspicious that I may have some issues with gluten...but I'm not sure, so I'm going to try eliminating it for a few days and see how I feel.

My doc told me that my iron is low and my cholesterol is high. The cholesterol part doesn't shock me after the feeding frenzy I've had the past year. I'm not hip on taking any medication and I'm not totally sold on supplements. I feel it's better to try to get what you need from the foods you eat. With that in mind, for lunch I was starving and wanted to grab the closest easiest carb I could find. No bueno...no gluten! So instead I checked the fridge for some nutrient dense goodies that might have iron, but no gluten. The result was a very quick, very flavorful and healthy lunch.

Spicy Blackened Style Tofu and Citrus Chard

The tofu can be altered to whatever spices you have in your pantry. Here is what I used:

Serves two if you have no starch

1/4 teaspoon Penzey's Northwoods Fire Seasoning

1/8 teaspoon Penzey's 4/S Special Seasoned Salt

A dash of Arizona Habanero Seasoning (this shit is hot!!!) from Anthony Spices

Salt to taste

1 (12 oz) package firm or extra firm tofu pressed

Canola Spray

Mix seasonings on a small plate. Cube tofu into about 1/2 inch cubes. Dust cubes in spice mixture. Heat medium sized iron skillet (large enough so that tofu can be in single layer) sprayed with just a bit of canola spray over high heat. Sear tofu for 2 minutes over high heat and reduce to medium high heat. Brown tofu on both sides until chewy and firm (crispy if you like) about 7-10 minutes per side. Serve while still hot.

Citrus Chard

2 large servings

1 bunch of rainbow chard (any type will really do) washed trimmed and chopped into bite sized pieces

Juice of 1/2 an orange (about 1 tablespoon)

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic*

salt and pepper to taste

Heat non stick skillet and a spray of spray canola over med-high heat. Add chard and citrus juices. Saute until they just barely start to wilt. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Saute until wilted and reduced to about 1/2 its original size. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with something spicy. The orange juice is a great complement to spicy food.

No gluten and chard has lots of iron. This is super easy to throw together and doesn't leave you feeling like a bloated mess.

*I usually prefer to use minced fresh garlic and you could sub a large fresh clove, but sometimes a girl/guy is just in a hurry and shaking something out of a spice jar is just the ticket.

New Recipe - Raw Sweet Potato and Zucchini Salad

I don't have a great picture of this, but it was a nice side for Julie Hasson's Rockin' Reuben! The reuben is a test recipe for her upcoming Vegan Diner cookbook.

The dressing for this gets it's creaminess from raw cashews. It is gluten and soy free too!

Raw Zucchini and Sweet Potato Salad

2 1/2 cups shredded raw sweet potato (approx 1 large sweet potato)
3 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini
1/4 cup cashews
2 Tablespoons warm filtered water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup cold pressed canola oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste

After shredding zucchini, gently squeeze excess liquid from zucchini with a towel or cheesecloth. In a large bowl mix zucchini and sweet potato. In a food processor or blender blend cashews and water until smooth. Add vinegar, mustard, and thyme and pulse a couple of times to blend. With processor running, slowly add oil until it is emulsified. Toss dressing with veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste.

**this is best eaten fresh. The texture gets a little odd if it sits in the fridge.

Vegan MOFO - Day 25 - Grandma's Potato Salad

The original recipe for this was handed down from my grandmother to my mother. I'm not sure how many generations before that it was born, but it was my all time favorite. The original recipe called for both mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. I was never a big fan of Miracle Whip, so I did take the liberty of changing the original a bit by adding mustard. This would have been cause for being ousted from the family cooking library had it not resulted in an even better version. I didn't think it was possible to make it taste any better. But lo and behold! This is an outstanding dish to take to a potluck or a picnic.

Germany Meets Poland Potato Salad (Lower left hand corner of the plate)

10-12 Servings

2 lbs baby red potatoes quartered

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, diced to same approx size as red potatoes

4 tablespoons vegan French dressing, separated

1 ½ tsp celery salt, separated

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 med white or yellow onion, finely diced

2 tbsp pimento, finely diced

¼ cup German-style mustard

1 cup Vegannaise, separated

¼ cup tightly packed dill,

Salt and pepper to taste

In two separate pots, boil the potatoes, reds in one and Yukons in the other. I recommend this as they may have different cooking times. Cook until just soft, being careful not to over cook. Drain but do not rinse potatoes. While still hot stir 2 tbsp French dressing and ¾ tsp celery salt into each potato pot. Let potatoes cool completely, this may take an hour or more. Once the potato mixture is completely cool, you can transfer all of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

Vegan MOFO - Day 9 - Durty Rice Cakes

I'm doing tomorrow's post a little early. I am going to be on the road and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get online. I also didn't want to forget how I made these. The flavor is really good. I still want to tweak the cooking method a bit to get the perfect texture, but they are pretty good as written. Give them a try and let me know how they came out.

I made these to go with the stuffed okra. They still need a little tweaking to make them perfect, but they were damned tasty.

Durty Rice Cakes

Makes 10 cakes

1 cup uncooked short grain brown rice
2 cups filtered water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 green pepper, diced fine
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons catsup
2 teaspoons Tony C's Creole seasoning
6 oz seitan bacon
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
1 Tablespoon unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs

Place brown rice in small saucepan with water. Bring water to a boil and cook rice 45-50 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Let rice cool completely.

In medium sized iron skillet or saute pan, saute pepper, onion, an garlic until softened. Add catsup, creole seasoning and saute for about 3 more minutes. Add seitan bacon and black beans. cook until most of the liquid is gone. Take half of the mixture and puree in food processor. Add back to saute pan. Saute for 3 more minutes. Turn off heat.

Mix flax meal and soy milk together in small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes until flax seeds start to thicken. In a large bowl mix black bean mixture, cooled rice, bread crumbs, and flax mixture (flax egg). Stir until completely combined.

Form into 3-4 inch patties about 1/4 inch thick. Put on baking sheet lined with parchment. Let patties chill for at least an hour or they may fall apart when you cook them. Before cooking, coat both sides with bread crumbs.

Here is where they need a little tweaking. I baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes per side. They were still not quite the texture I wanted them. After baking, I sauteed them in a small amount of oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I haven't tried just sauteeing them yet. They are delicate, so make sure to use caution when flipping. Cook for about 4 minutes per side. Gently remove from pan and drain on paper towels or paper bag.

Vegan MOFO - Day 7 - Piot's Cheezy Potatoes

Day seven and I'm wishing my friends and family had low fat favorites. It just is not the American way. My Biggest Loser challenge is very challenging with recipes like this one.

This recipe is busted out regularly during our combined family get togethers. My friend Piot sent me her recipe for Cheezy Potatoes. Her daughter Rachel loves these and requested them for her birthday dinner last weekend. This is a very quick and easy dish to put together. It packs a very high-cal punch, so proceed with caution. Whenever these are busted out, there are never many leftovers.

The original version includes lots and lots of dairy and butter. The butter is replaced by Earth balance, the cheddar is replaced with Daiya cheddar style, and the dairy based cream of mushroom soup is replaced with this vegan recipe.

Piot's Cheezy Potatoes

1 pound frozen hash browns, partially thawed

1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup

4 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted

1/2 onion, chopped

4 oz. shredded vegan cheddar (I highly recommend using Daiya for the right texture)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Plain potato chips to crumble on top

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in small saucepan. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for potato chips. Pour mixture into oiled 8 x 8 pan. Crumble potato chips over the top. Bake for 35 minutes.* Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

****Version Dos****

My friend at work is very allergic to onions. But I didn't want her to miss out on potato goodness. I decided to modify the cheezy taters so she could enjoy them. As a bonus I think this version is just as good or better!

1 pound frozen hash browns (preferably O'brien style, chunks rather than shreds)

1 1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Cream

1/4 cup strong vegetable broth

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 oz vegan cheddar (again I recommend Daiya)

4 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste.

Plain potoato chips to crumble on top.

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in small saucepan. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well except for potato chips. Pour mixture into oiled 8 x 8 pan. Crumble potato chips over the top. Bake for 35 minutes.* Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

* cooking time will vary slightly depending on how frozen the potatoes are. Begin the professional that I am, I use the finger test to see if it's done. You can also use a thermometer inserted into the middle most portion of the taters. They should be at about 150.

**As another side note, this recipe doubles nicely. Just use a 9 x 13 pan and up the baking time 5-10 minutes.

Vegan Bridal Shower Brunch and Hawaiian Quinoa Salad

I had the pleasure of coming out of catering retirement and catering a lovely bridal shower this weekend. The hostess (and a very dear friend) agreed to keep the fact that it was all vegan a secret from most of the guests until after everyone had a chance to try the goods. It was a great success. There were many happy tummies and requests for recipes. It was fun to serve food to such a nice bunch of people, who were very open minded about the vegan menu. The lovely bride seemed to enjoy the food too, which is the most important thing!! So for those of you who asked for the Hawaiian Quinoa Salad recipe, I am posting it here for you.

Hawaiian Quinoa Salad

Makes 8-10 Servings

1/2 medium white or yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 cup red inca quinoa (if you can't find red use regular)
1 1/4 cup quinoa
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup light coconut milk

1 1/2 cup large red bell pepper, diced approx 1/4 inch
1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced approx 1/4 inc (can sub canned but fresh is much better)
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely choppped
6 green onions, sliced thinly

Dressing ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons white mellow miso
1 1/2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned rice or sushi vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

In medium size saucepan saute onion and garlic in sesame oil until onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add quinoa and saute until just toated. Add vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through (about 25 minutes). Make sure all liquid is absorbed or the salad will have quite a bit of liquid at the bottom. Let quinoa cool completely. While it is cooling dice the red pepper and pineapple. Chop the macadamia nuts. Slice the green onions. They look very pretty if you slice them at an angle. Fold these into the cooled quinoa until evenly distributed.

Stir together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour dressing slowly into the salad Let chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Just a little FYI: The Coffee Chip Muffins, Toasted Coconut Mango Muffins, East Coast Blueberry Coffee Cake and both the Broccoli and Cauliflower Quiches were from the Vegan Brunch cookbook. The Mushroom and Leek tart was a recipe from the Voluptuous Vegan cookbook.

Southwestern Rice Salad

Southwestern Rice Salad
Originally uploaded by kdc4breastcancerfree
This isn't very photogenic, but it was really tasty. This is one of my original creations. It is a great hearty salad for any outdoor get together. It travels very well and makes a ton.

Southwestern Tempeh Rice Salad

2 cups brown long grain rice (measured before cooking)
4 cups water
1 8 oz pkg tempeh
1 t canola oil
1/8 t coriander
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t hot chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 C Vegan Ranch (I used homemade)
1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (depending on how hot you like it
1 can black beans
1 fresh jalepeno roasted and peeled
1 fresh anaheim chili roasted and peeled
1 red bell pepper roasted and peeled
1 bunch cilantoro chopped
4 green onions sliced thin (both white and green parts)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t hot chili powder
1/4 t coriander
1 1/2 t salt
black peper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved

Prepare your rice (this can be done ahead of time).

Now would be a good time to roast those peppers. When they cool, peel and dice them.

Blend the ranch and chipotles until smooth.

To prepare your tempeh:

Boil tempeh for 15 minutes. Drain. After draining, saute the tempeh and spices in oil for about 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

In the mean time get yourself a very large bowl. Mix together everything but the cherry tomatoes until well mixed. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes. Salt and pepper further to taste if needed.

This is best if it sits overnight. It makes a ton. It lends itself very well to variations.