Hello Lovers! 

Today is Monday. (I hate Monday!)  It's also Reveal Day.  (I love Reveal Day!).    Getting out of bed this morning was no easy task and I definately have a case of the Monday blues.  However, I am feeling notably more chipper than I have the last two weeks, and the dense fog of misery  and self pity I found myself in has slowly started to clear.  Over the weekend, I gained some new perspective and this morning I discovered that the 5 day weather forecast looks fabulous.  Things are off to a great start!

          

_
My assigned blog for this month was Jane's Adventures in Dinner.  Upon receiving the assignment I browsed the site,  bookmarking recipes as I went along.  I generally try to make my assignment recipe at least a week before the posting date just in case I screw it up as this allows me the time to try again and/or select a different recipe.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case this time around and it wasn't until this past weekend that I selected, made and typed up my recipe.  It's safe to say that March didn't get off to a good start for me: the passing of my cat Lucy, fuckery from the narcissist ex, and feelings of general discontent (which I had been unsuccessfully ignoring for weeks) had me twisted and before I knew it, St. Patrick's Day was here, which ment reveal day was a mere two days away and I had work Saturday night, which ultimately left me with even less time. Feeling anxious, I grabbed my tablet and started re-browsing Jane's Adventures:  Pumpkin Pizza, Stuffed Cabbage, Tortilla Lasagna, Banana Rum Brulee....  As you can see I had an awesome selection to choose from.  Since I was short on time, I decided to base my recipe selection on the ingredients I had on hand.  I trotted downstairs to the kitchen and scanned the fridge and pantry.  Of course, I had the bare minimum in the house to work with which came as no surprise here considering the way things have been going, but then, in a sudden twist of luck (and just as I started to panic), I stumbled upon Jane's Irish Soda Bread post. Woo hoo, crisis diverted!  In addition to having everything I needed on hand, it was St Patrick's Day!  This couldn't have worked out any more perfect.

I've never made Irish Soda Bread, but I have eaten it before.  Every year my neighbor makes some and sends it over.   Its the only Irish Soda Bread I ever actually enjoyed, but due to the whole vegan thing, I haven't eaten any in years.   My lack of experience in the Irish Soda Bread area results in me having no recollection of its texture or taste, truth be told the first that comes to mind when I think of Irish Soda Bread is that it has raisins in it.  The second thing that comes to mind is green sugar sprinkles. My neighbor used some on hers. I liked that part best.  *chuckles*

Note:  I adapted Jane's recipe to make the bread vegan and gluten free.  I thought it came out delicious and I ate a considerable amount of it in one sitting *blushes*   I have no idea how close the taste is to traditional Irish Soda Bread and while the texture is slightly crumbly, I consider this recipe a keeper!  

_
Irish Soda Bread
Adapted from: Jane's Adventures in Dinner

2 cups gluten free flour *
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking flour
2 tsp guar gum
5 Tbs Earth Balance Shortening, cut small
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk + 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs worth Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer
2 Tbs Brown Rice Syrup
1 cup currants

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.   In a shot glass prepare the egg replacer and in a measuring cup combine coconut milk with the lemon juice. Set those aside. 

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare your baking pan (parchment line a baking sheet or grease and flour a cake pan). Set pan aside.

Cut shortening into the dry ingredients (I used my fingers to do this), until flour resembles a coarse meal.  Make a little well in the middle and add wet ingredients.  Mix until the dough just comes together, then gently stir in currants.   Scoop dough onto prepared sheet and with wet hands (to prevent sticking), shape into a loaf.  Then, using a serated knife, cut an X into the top of the dough.  Place pan into the oven and bake at 350F until golden and hollow sounding when you tape it, which was approximately 35 minutes in my oven.  When baking is complete, remove pan from oven and allow to cool before transpiring. 

Enjoy with ample butter and green sugar sprinkles!

_Thank you, Jane for the fantastic recipe,  and to the Secret Recipe Club for the much need fun in my otherwise lackluster month thus far.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend and positive vibes for a fantastic week ahead.

_Yippieeeeeee, I'm back!!!!

The hustle and bustle of every day life once again kept me away for far too long but things have seemingly simmered down (for now) and I'm super excited to be posting today as not only am I back but so it the Secret Recipe Club (woot woot!) and today is reveal day!! 

My assigned blog for February was The Ginger Snap Girl, which I must say is chock full of amazing-ness!  It took every ounce of strength not to lick the screen while I browsed her recipes -  Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars, Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting, Spring Time Pasta, Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak.....   Oh, oh - and the pictures - the pictures are epic!!!! 

As I browsed Gloria's blog, I was especially loving the diversity of the recipes as I have been finding myself in a bit of a food rut.  I've been eating mostly raw fruit salads, simple crock pot soups,and basic roasted or broth sauteed veggies which is fine by me but said delicious simplicity doesn't exactly translate into hot and exciting blog material.  I needed something new,  something different... and the second I saw it I knew I had found "the one", the most perfect recipe that had everything I was looking for:  Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Avocado Salsa.

Mahi Mahi is probably the only fish I would say that  I love and although I only eat it once or twice a year max (yes, I know, I'm a bad "vegan"....), I thoroughly enjoy it on those few occasions.  Along with this, I have never made Mahi Mahi so the prospect of making something totally new was an added bonus!  I quickly called Darin, who just recently discovered this yummy fish (I know, I know!), and set a date to convene for dinner.  For the fish, I followed the recipe as is but due to the frigid temps of New York Winter, I did my grilling on Cuisinart 5 in 1 Griddler .  For the salsa, however, I ran into some difficulty as my mangos and avocado weren't as ripe as they should have been (not only did I buy both way in advance but I tried every ripening technique in the book but to no avail), thus making it easier for me to chop instead of dice. and I skipped the zest.  
    
Grilled Mahi Mahi
from The Ginger Snap Girl

Mahi Mahi filets
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Drizzle fish generously with olive on both sides.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Grill on medium high heat with lid closed until fillet looks opaque on the sides (about 5 minutes depending on thickness).  

Note:  If using an actual grill, flip fillet and cook for additional 3 minutes with lid closed until fish just feels firm.  If you don't have a grill you could use a grill pan or simply pan sear the fish.

Mango and Avocado Salad
adapted from The Ginger Snap Girl

2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl and stir.  Gently toss in avocado so the juices fully coat the avocado pieces (to prevent browning). 

In a word:  DELICIOUS!  I will definiately be making this again (and may very well start eating Mahi Mahi more than twice a year as cooking fish was a lot easier than I anticipated in that I was able to tell when it was done.  We paired the dish with a salad (pictured above) which consisted of both raw and lightly steamed vegetables.  I later made Darin Banana Fosters (for one.... pictured below....) and I will post the recipe for that later in the week.

_ Big thanks to Gloria & her amazing recipes, which have helped me out of my food rut, as well as all the members of the Secret Recipe Club :-)  I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

Positive vibes to all for a fantastic week ahead

Say hello to my little friend ...

I picked up my newest love - in the form of a pan - at Target, while shopping for the upcoming holiday.  It was on sale for $13.99, thus making it an offer I couldn't refuse.  Excited to use it, but by no means a lover of pancakes (shhh! I already said it was an offer I couldn't refuse... Dont judge me!), I hit the kitchen with a few idea's in mind, all of which veered outside of the traditional pancake realm, but ultimately decided on making the beauties pictured below.

Gluten Free Pancake Poppers
For the actual pancakes I used Arrowhea Mills Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix.  Feel free to use your favorite mix or flour blend instead!

Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix
Coconut Milk, no sugar added original
Flax Egg (1 Tbs ground flax + 3 Tbs water - Mix & Let rest 10 minutes)
Pure Vanilla Extract
Fresh Ground Cinnamon
Applesauce (used this to replace the oil call for)

Powdered Sugar, for garnish, optional

Follow the directions as stated on the package.

Lookin' good if I do say so myself :-)  

The pan was a dream to use and I found myself thinking how delicious pancakes tasted in popper form.  That said, I made a few more, and kicked things up a notch via stuffing them with a vegan cannoli filling I had been testing.   One bite and "delicious"  turned to decedant!  Unfortunately I didnt get to snap a picture of the filliing as they were quickly gobbled up.  My (gluten free and vegan!) pancake poppers were a hit.

Vegan Cannoli Filling
Adapted from Vegan Thyme

1 Tbs Soy Free Earth Balance Butter
1 Tbs Earth Balance Shortening
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs vegan powdered sugar (maybe a little more, maybe less)
1/2 Tbs Follow Your Heart vegan sour cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbs Coconut Milk Powder
2 Tbs mini vegan chocolate chips

Add the butter, powdered sugar, sour cream, and extract to a large bowl and mix well either by hand or with an electric mixer.  Add the coconut milk powder and blend again until smooth, adding a little more if desired.  Now add the chips and mix again just to combine.  Use as desired.

Note: This is a scaled down version of the original recipe with very minor tweeks.  The amount it made was perfect for what I wanted to do with it but if you need a substantial amout refer to the original recipe.

Back at the stove I made a few more, although I was out of cannoil filling.  No worries though as a quick browse of the fridge yielded just enough winter fruit compote to wow my crowd of testers

And because I referenced it at the beginning, I couldnt not share the above clip!  But anywho, it's time for me to dash off as I have a few last minute errands to get done and then I am volunteering at the shelter as usual today.  Positive vibes to all for a fantastic holiday!

Hey kids! 

I'm short and time and want to squeeze several recipes into this post so I'm gonna skip the banter and hop right to it!  Ya see, I get to celebrate and feast more than once due to an annual work dinner, gatherings with friends, and then the traditional meal time with family on Thanksgiving Day!  While some might consider this to be a bit gluttonous I consider myself lucky because I can never decide on what to make and this allows me to make small portions of several different out of the ordinary dishes that I normally would make. 

YUM!

I hope your week is off to a fabulous start.  I'm fixin' to be back later in the week with a Thanksgiving Part 2 post, detailing the recipes I chose for meal time with family.  Until then, I present to you - Thanksgiving Part 1:

Adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

For the salad:
3 cups baby spinach, packed
1 green apple, cored & chopped
1 bosc pear, cored & chopped
1 chunk red onion, chopped
Fresh ground salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the dressing:
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil


Place salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss to mix. 

Combine dressing ingredients in a small cup or shot glass.  Pour over salad ingredients and stir (or cover and shake) until well mixed. 

Adapted from Eat to Evolve!

2 cups carrot & green apple juice pulp
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cup pure water
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp fresh ground sea salt
2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Food process sunflower and flax seeds together to make a gritty meal. Soak seed meal in water one hour.  Stir remaining ingredients into the soaked seed meal until a dough is formed.  Divide dough into two equal portions and spread out as evenly as possible onto 2 teflex sheets.  Score into desired size and number of squares.  Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 6 hours.  Then flip crackers onto mesh, peel off teflex and continue to dehydrate 6 more hours or until desired texture is reached.  Store in airtight container in the fridge.

For the meatless loaf:
I halved this recipe and altered it based on what I had on hand in the house.  It came out yummy. 

For the Socca:
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Onion & Herb

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to rest at least two hours.

Preheat oven 500F.  Oil a cast iron skillet and pre-heat in oven.  When oven and skillet are blazing hot, remove the skillet and pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, shake to evenly coat.  Place skillet back in oven and turn oven on broil.  Cook until the top begins to blister and toast but not burn.  Remove from oven and slide pancake onto a plate to cool.   Repeat with remaining batter. S
 
Set socca out to stale one day prior to making the stuffing.

To make stuffing:
1 large carrot, cut into coins
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 chunk red onion, sliced
Thyme, to taste
Sage, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste 

1/2 Tbs oilive oil, optional
1/2 cup + Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

Tear socca into pieces.  Prep veggies as directed.  Toss socca and veggies unil combine.  Sprinkle with seasonings and drizzle with olive oil, if using.  Stir and pour into a casserole dish.  Pour vegetable broth over socca veggie mix until well moistened.  Cover and bake at 350F approximately 40 - 60 minutes, adding vegetable broth as needed to prevent dry out.

Broccoli Rabe Saute

1 bunch Broccoli Rabe, washed, stems removed and torn into pieces
2 Tbs Diced Tomatoes
1/2 can white beans
1 chunk red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Italian Seasonning, to taste

Generously spray a skillet with cooking spray.  Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes.  Add broccoli rabe and seasoning, and cook several minutes, stirring continuously, until rabe begins to wilt.  Add beans tomato and cook an additional 3 minutes until beans and tomato are heated through out. 

2 cups carrot juice pulp
5 large dates, pits removed and soaked 15 minutes
1/2 cup raw pecans
Ginger, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste

Unsweetened shredded coconut, optional, for rolling

In a food processor, process the pecans until finely ground.  Add dates and process to make a paste.  Add carrot pulp and spices and process until a dough forms. 

Shape dough into balls and roll balls in shredded coconut. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week max.   

I have been meaning to post these for a few a weeks now but life got in the way.  These cheese stix are delicious and well worth the effort in my opinion although they are not something I would make often.  The ranch spread on the other hand is phenomenal and in regular rotation :-) 

Enjoy!

Sunflower Parmesan
Adapted from Frugal Raw

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp seasoning of choice* see note
1/8 tsp cayenne, optional

Grind sunflower seeds until fine.  Add remaining ingredients and mixed until well combine. Store in an airtight jar (If making cheese stix, set aside and continue as stated!)

Note:
In the batch pictured, I used a taco seasoning blend (it was delicious!).  For traditional mozzarella style cheese sticks, use an Italian seasoning blend.  Also, you can make this in advance, leave it plain, and then seasoning according to what you are making. 

Cheese Stix
Adapted from Frugal Raw

1 recipe Sunflower Parmesan

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked & drained
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2  Tbs olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt

Process seeds into a fine grind.  Add remaining ingredients and process until very smooth and creamy.  Scoop into a bowl and set aside.

Scoop portion of dry sunflower paresan onto a plate.  Scoop a 2 Tbs ball of moist sunflower cheese onto the dry cheese and roll until full coated and you can form into a soft stick.  Place on mesh dehydrator screened tray.  Repeat until all of the sunflower cheese is used.

Dehydrate at 105 for 16 - 20 hours.  Stix should be solid and ready for dipping.

Cashew Ranch Spread
(on Raw Veggie Flat bread)

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/8 - 1/4  cup filtered water (pending desired consistency)
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/8 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs coconut nectar
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 tsp garlic pwd
1/2 tsp onion pwd
1/4 t dill
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 t basil

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth & creamy, adding water until desired consistency is reached.

My assigned blog for this month was Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks.  The milisecond I got the assignment I clicked the link to see what deliciousness awaiting me and once again it was nothing short of amazing!  My sweet tooth was running amuk that day, so instead of starting at the first recipe link and working my way to the end, I headed straight for the desserts section.  I was approximately 3 pages in when the words CAKE BATTER BITES popped out at me.  I'm not even kidding when I say my heart fluttered and I all but wept when I read the words: "They taste just like Funfetti cake batter covered in chocolate."  Cake batter anything is my heart and it was a dark day for me when my non-dairy, wheat and gluten limiting lifestyle ended my 31 year love affair with the batter.  Come to think of it, I all but wept then too.  Hell, it's been years and I still find myself cycling through the stages of grief when I come into close proximity with cake batter deliciousness!  While I love my milk, butter (and cheese) free life, I can't deny my desire to swim in a vat of Ralph's (Ices) "Cake Shake". ;-b

After I reviewed the recipe, typed a message to Darin declaring Heather Lynne a genius and jotted down the ingredients list and instructions.  Fully prepared to (single handedly) put down an entire batch in one sitting, I made sure to log in extra daily cardio throughout the week.  Drunk with anticipation of my soon to be rekindled cake batter romance, I happily set to work in the kitchen.  I followed the recipe as written in terms of amounts but I made the standard vegan swaps (earth balance vegan buttery spread instead of butter, unsweetened coconut milk instead of cow's milk) and also used gluten free flour in place of regular all purpose flour.   That said, I'm not entirely sure why things went awry but it's safe to say the original recipe did not approve of my substitutions.  My dough was impossibly sticky despite trying every trick for working with gluten free dough in the book (it's notoriously sticky), which made it almost impossible to shape.  Almost....  I eventually wrangled into cute little balls.  I then chilled said balls in the freezer for about 25 - 30 minutes, using that time to make a chocolate ganache as tastebud pleasing vegan white chocolate is seemingly non-existent in my neck of the woods.  In regards to the ganache, I always go with Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World because it's knock your socks off delicious yet quick and easy to make.  This tiime was no exception but my cake batter bites did not approve of being dipped and began to flatten out into a disc shape at an alarming pace.  To say I was devestated would be a serious understatement and I couldnt bring myself to take a picture.  Hopefully that putting them back in the freezer would magically fix this culinary disaster, I stuffed them all into a container, placed it on my freezer shelf and went to my room to grieve.  Several days later, I opened the container.  They were nonetheless hideous but I ate one anyways.  In two words:  freakin delicious! As I proceeded to eat half the batch, I vowed to try again over the upcoming weekend.  Attempt #2 - as you can see from the above picture - was a success :-) 

Cake Balls Take 2
Adapted from

2 cups Glutino Old Fashioned Cake and Cookie Mix
2 Tbs melted coconut oil
4 - 5 Tbs unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbs coconut nectar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 packet sprinkles (purchased at Wild by Nature - I dont recall the brand)

 1 recipe Chocolate Ganache from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Extra Sprinkles for garnish

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Combine above ingredients in a medium bowl until a dough is formed.  If dough is sticky, place it in fridge for 5 minutes or so as this will make it easier to work with.  Otherwise proceed with shaping your dough into quarter sized balls.  Place the balls onto the parchment lined sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.  

While the dough is chilling, make ganache (or melt chocolate of choice) in a double broiler and allow to cool slightly.  Remove dough balls from the freezer, and either dip in the chocolate ganache, covering each ball completely. (You can also just spoon chocolate over the balls and top with sprinkles if you dont mind the bottoms not being covered)  Top with sprinkles and set tray back in the fridge to harden before devouring - YUM!!  As Heather Lynne said in her original post:  These are addictive!!
   

Shortly after my initial epic fail at making cake batter bites, I phoned Darin to vent my woes and we ended up making dinner plans for later in the week.  I had yet to sample one of my balls and thus stated I needed to cook something that I could post on reveal date.  I directed Darin to the website and he enventually decided on Buffalo Chicken Tenders.  I ended up using real chicken for him, Quorn Chik'n for mine - used Earth Balance instead of butter and Better Batter Gluten Free Flour - but followed Heather Lynne's instructions exactly as writen.  I was a little nervous about cooking the chicken in that I didnt have a thermometer on hand and always worry that I'm going to accidentially posion someone via undercooked meat.  (Highly plausible considering its been 15 years since I ate any kind of meat and overall  have limited experience preparing it!)  Darin however had a total faith and laughed when I asked where he kept his meat therometer.  In hindsight I am not entire sure I've ever eaten Buffalo Chicken but my lack of experience in the field had no impact on the outcome of the recipe.   Darin raved about his and I'm now officially obsessed with Buffalo Chik'n!  (No seriously - after eating it that once, I have since made two Buffalo Chik'n centered meals and it's only been a week and a half - pics foor your viewing pleasure below!)

On a final note, I want to thank Heather Lynne for her delicious recipes and awesome blog!  Positive vibes to all for a fantastic week ahead :-)

(details for both coming soon!)

Slow Cooker Veggie Lentil Soup
My first ever lentil soup.  I thought it was delicious but heavy on the thyme.  Mom said it was perfect.  
 
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, peeled, sliced and halved
1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced and halved
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

1 (32oz) container Trader Joes Hearty Vegetable Broth

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 10 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Pour broth on top of ingredients until almost full (you should still be able to stir without making a mess).  Cover and cook on high 4 - 6 hours, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. 

Enjoy!

Red Onion & Pear Gratin
Adapted from Eating Well

1 small red onion, cut into wedges
2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
2 heaping Tbs Nutritional Yeast

Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Halve and core each pear; cut each half into equal slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place in bowl.  Add pears to the bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil; stir to combine. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pear onion mix, and return the dish to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned (approx 20 more minutes).  Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach & Grape Salad w/ Spicy Sweet Mustard Dressing
Adapted from Addicted to Veggies 

For the salad:
3 cups Baby Spinach, not packed
1 cup mix of red & green grapes, sliced in half
1/4 chunk small red onion, chopped small
1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered

For the dressing:
2 tsp mustard of choice
2 tsp fat free nayonnaise
1 tsp raw local honey
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Water, optional, till desired consistency is reached

Place salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.  Mix dressing ingredients in a small glass and pour over salad ingredients.  Mix until well combine.  Enjoy! 

Zucchini, Onion, & One Pepper Stew
This recipe is the result of needing to use up a few vegetables that I found in the back of the fridge.   That said, the following measurements are all estimates as I just threw a bunch stuff into the crock and ultimately hoped for the best.  It came out amazing, thus me posting it.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 large onion, chopped small
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ground McCormick Italian Herb Blend
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
Fresh Ground Salt, to taste

1 Heaping Tbs Tomato Paste + enough water to make a saucy pourable consistency

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 9 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Mix tomatoe paste with water and pour into the slow cooker.  Stir to combine, adding more paste + water if needed.  Cover and cook on low 4 hours (or on high 2 hours) until vegetables are tender. 

Enjoy!

     “Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.”  
~  Max Lucade

1 small zucchini
2 Tbs bread crumbs of choice
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 Tbs Italian Seasonings
  Salt & Pepper, to taste

2 tsp nayonnaise
1 tsp water

Preheat oven 400F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a small plate, mix bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and seasoning. Set aside.  In a small bowl mix nayonnaise and water (it should mimic and egg white) and set that next to the plate bread crumb seasoning mixture.    Wash zucchini, pat it dry, then cut into sticks.  Roll stix one at a time in nayonnaise mix then into bread crumb mix. Lay stix single file on baking sheet and bake 30 - 40 minutes, flipping half way through.

1 Italian Tofurky Sausage, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small chunk red onion, chopped
1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup tomato sauce of choice
Handful mozzarella shreds, optional

Spray a small pan with olive oil and cook over medium heat.  Place sliced tofurky and cook 3 minutes.  Flip slices and cook another 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until peppers soften.

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups Better Batter Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
5 Tbs Orgran Gluten Free Gluten Substitute, optional
1/4 cup organic fair trade brown sugar
2 Tbs sunflower seeds
1 Tbs rolled oats (not instant)
1 Tbs Trader Joes Harvest Grain Blend
1 Tbs flax seed meal
1 Tbs millet
2 Tbs quinoa flakes
1 1/2 Tbs bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine as per the manufacturer.  Select cycle, crust color, and size.  Then press start :-)

Note:
Flour (2 cups worth) may be substituted as desired (example: half bread flour, half whole wheat)

I've got me a case of the sads due to having "lost" a piece of jewlery that was great significance to me.  The worst part is that by lost I actually mean somewhere in the house - I just don't know where (and help from my housemates is an understated lost cause).

The ring was last seen Friday morning in the kitchen.  Dreams of biscuits danced in my head ALL NIGHT LONG, which resulted in 5:30am cookery.  First order of business was the biscuits from my dream (Cheddar jalapeno) but I stumbled upon some left over vegan pepperoni while reaching for the jalapeno and decided to divide the dough in half and use it for something else (hence the Breakfast Biscuit Pull Apart Bread).   I had several errands to run that morning as well as had plans to hit the hamptons with a friend to pick up a bed so post biscuit making I made a dash for the shower and headed out right after I got ready.  I had taken the ring off while making the biscuits and placed it by the microwave.  (Yeah, yeah, I should have brought it upstairs and put it away but tis my house - you'd think it would have been safe).  Then in my haste I dashed out for the day w/o it.  By the time I returned, the ring was gone from where I had left and no one seemed to know a damn thing about it.  (Really people?!  Because the house is a freakin disaster 6 out of the 7 days a week and yet nothing else goes missing, or even gets moved - until Gloria, our housekeeper, comes.  Oh and we do have a housekeeper, mainly because the 3 other adults in the house and 2 children are seemingly incapable of keeping house but that's a whole other rant.)

For the biscuit dough:

1 1/2 cup Namaste Biscuits, Pie Crust & More
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pure water
1/2 tsp seasoning of choice
Pinch sea salt, optional

Pre-heat oven 425F and grease a baking sheet.  Set aside.  Then mix the above ingredients in a bowl.  Divide dough into 2 equal portions.

For the Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits:

Few Shakes Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning
1 Jalapeno, seeded & diced
1/8 cup Daiya cheddar shreds

Mix the above ingredients into the dough.  Shape into 6 small patties.  Bake at 400F for approximately 15 - 20 minutes. 

For the Breakfast Biscuit Pull Apart Bread:

1/8 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds
Handful of vegan pepperoni, diced
Few twist freshly ground Italian Seasoning

Mix above ingredients into the dough.  Divide dough into small balls.  Layer balls in a mini spring form pan.  Lightly spray with olive oil after each layer is made.  Bake approximately 20 - 25 minutes.

Fast forward to sunday and still no ring.  Saturday morning before heading out I asked my mother to keep an eye out to which she replied, "ok".  I attended an Integrative Nutrition sponsored conference in NYC all weekend, but managed to squeeze in a trip to the farmer markets sunday afternoon.  I then whipped up a batch of Oinks in a Cheez-It sunday evening, using this recipe and a pack of vegan hot dogs before returning home.

Returning home turned out to be a HUGE mistake as any cheer the market, oinks & social interactions brought was quickly snatched away by the case of the missing ring.  First my nephew tells me he saw the cat playing with it (but didnt see where she put it) and later on my mom tells me how she saw it, moved it, forgot where she put it (but never mentioned this to me saturday). 

But so it goes...

I'm trying to remain hopeful that the ring turns up (and that it's sooner rather than later), but it's not easy.  This week is off to a stressful start (never a good sign) but last night I squeezed in a medtation power hour and had a kick ass workout,  

Happy Tuesday
xo

Gooooooood Morning!!

So glad it's finally friday :-)   I have alot going on the next few days and a long list of things I want to get done this morning so I'll be keepin it short and sweet.   I somehow overlooked these two little gems, but after stumbling upon the pictures, I couldnt not post them immediately.  Both recipes are simple to make, quick to cook, and taste oh so delicious!  Even better is the small batch size, making them perfect when cookin' for two: ooh la la!

Positive vibes to all for a fantastic day!

xo

BLT Fritters w/  Chipotle Nayo
Adapted from this recipe, by Suzanne B

Serves 2

1 large tomatoes, chopped and drained
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs facon (or cooked bacon, crumbled)
1/4 cup Better Batter Pancake & Baking Mix
1/8 cup gluten-free pankos style bread crumbs

1/2 tbsp olive oil, optional

2 Tbs Nayonnaise
1 Tbs Chipotle Sauce

In small bowl, whisk together nayonnaise and chipotle sauce.  Set aside.  

In large bowl, stir together tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and facon (or bacon). Stir in Better Batter. Then stir in the bread crumbs.  Shape mixture into 8 patties.

If frying, heat oil in a non-stick skillet.  Place patties in the pan and cook on medium high heat, flip once when bottoms are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Make in batches, adding additional oil as needed. Put finished fritters on baking pan in 200F oven to stay warm.

If baking, pre-heat oven to 350F.  Place patties on a parchment lined (or greased) baking sheet and bake approxcimately 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown,  flipping half way through.

Serve warm.

Jalapeno Poppers
Serves 2

6 - 8 whole jalapenos

1/2 Tbs vegan cream cheese
1/2 Tbs cheese shreds
1 Tbs salsa of choice

Few Shakes of Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime
Fash of garlic powder
1/8 cup pankos style plain bread crumbs


1/2 Tbs nayonnaise
1 tsp+ water, as needed

Preheat oven to 400F.  Prepare a baking sheet w/ parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray).

Mix together the nayonnaise and enough water to mimic an egg white on a small plate.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and seasoning.   Set aside as well

Combine cream cheese, cheese shreds, and salsa in a small bowl.  Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise and crack open enough to remove the seeds, but don't pull entirely apart. Stuff each jalapeno with the cheese salsa mixture. Then roll each stuffed jalapeno in the nayonnaise mix and coat with now seasoned bread crumbs.   Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400F in oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.