i'm in love!

with this blog. holy crap. the recipes that have most amazed me:

sweet potato tempura

quinoa and black bean salad

apple upside-down cake

un-peanut soup

apple pomegranate kanten

becky's my hero.

i'm a lightweight lush.

this cannot be denied.
i'm a teetotaler; a sipper of alcoholic beverages, if you will.

and, because of that, i'm always looking for new/ different ways to enjoy booze.

today's recipe is for something totally warm-weather inspired and awfully tasty: red wine sorbet.

3/4 cup raspberry sorbet
1/4 cup lemon sorbet
red wine (i used cabernet sauvignon) to taste

you can blend the ingredients in a blender if you'd like -- i was lazy and used a spoon inside the wine glass.

it's good.

i'm enjoying it despite having taken some allergy meds earlier today (i forgot!). . .

happy sippin!

un-chicken salad

1 package of fake chicken

(i used trader joe's "chickenless strips", but there are morningstar "starters", your fave TVP recipe, whatever...adjust for allergy considerations)

1-2 red bell peppers (you're going to roast them, so keep 'em whole)

1 lg. green pepper, finely chopped

2-3 scallions, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed

1-2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped OR sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for about 20-30 min

olive oil

(sea) salt / pepper to taste

basil

dill

mayo or nayonaise

celery seed

parsley

sage

pinch of thyme
braggs liquid aminos (optional...but great flavor enhancer)

*poultry seasoning also works well in place of the sage and/or thyme

• season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, sage/thyme or poultry seasoning. set aside.
• chop your green pepper, garlic, and scallions. season w/ salt, pepper, basil, dill and bragg's aminos to taste. set aside.
• roast your red peppers. you do NOT need any fancy equipment for this. cut the top off the pepper & remove the seeds. if you have a gas range, turn one of the metal things (what are those called??? lol) upside down and put the pepper directly on the burner. use a medium flame. let it blacken, then rotate. once it's blackened all around, take it off the heat.
• let cool until you can handle it. scrape off as much of the blackened skin as possible, then chop the peppers.
• chop your tomato(es) and add them to a bowl with the roasted red pepper. sprinkle liberally w/ celery seed. set aside.
• in a nice sized skillet, heat up just enough olive oil to coat the pan. when it's hot, toss in the scallions/green pepper/garlic. saute until softened, then add the chicken strips. cook until strips are heated through. adjust seasonings as necessary.
• remove the chicken & veggies from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• add the roasted peppers and tomatoes to the cooled chicken/veggies. fold in mayo or nayo and taste/adjust again, if needed. chill before serving.

enjoy!!

chick pea & chard soup

with garlic and couscous.

this recipe was made up on the spot, inspired by the chick pea hot pot recipe at 101 cookbooks. i'm feeling a bit under the weather so i decided i needed some sort of soup; this is really the product of my need for comfort & a desire to use a bunch of random stuff from my cabinets.

here goes:

1 bunch swiss or rainbow chard, stems chopped off, cut to your desired width
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 medium red onion, diced
16 oz vegetable broth (i used trader joe's, of course)
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1 can chick peas, undrained (trader joe's again)
a splash of olive oil
3 tbsps lemon juice
3 tbsps orange juice
cayenne pepper
sea salt
cracked black pepper
adobo
thyme
parsley
oregano
bay leaf

saute spices, onion & garlic in olive oil until the onions turn translucent.
add vegetable broth, orange juice & lemon juice; bring to a boil.
add chick peas and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. simmer for about 15 minutes. add chard and couscous. remove from heat. allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes.

enjoy!

unconventional breakfasts

sometimes, oatmeal isn't gonna get it. freshly made waffles can be a really dramatic endeavor. so what's a broke foodie to do?

easy.

make a home fry hash out of 1 trader joe's vegetable masala burger, diced red onion, and spinach. serve with scrambled tofu or eggs.

if you're feeling indulgent and like a sugar rush won't kill you: smear nutella on your waffles, french toast, or pancakes. serve with bananas or other sliced fruits.

make a smoothie, or use your juiceman jr. to bring some greatness to your beverage game. apple + cucumber + ginger. lemon + orange + ginger + grapefruit. blueberry + strawberry + apple. raspberry + apple + lemon.

(more later)

black eyed peas with brown jasmine rice

(i meant to make this post days ago, but i've had a series of internet issues that have resulted in my becoming comcast's bitch as opposed to verizon's or earthlink's again)

if you're a person from the african diaspora or live in the southern united states, you probably know about the new year's day tradition of eating black eyed peas & collards to bring in a new year of wealth & prosperity.

so, here's my recipe. late as hell (i forgot to publish it after adding photos) . . .

ingredients:

one 1-lb bag of goya frijoles caritas (it says in english somewhere on the bag, black eyed peas), soaked & rinsed
one carton of trader joe's vegetable broth
diced bell peppers (assorted colors)
olive oil
1 small red onion
sofrito
garlic, crushed (to taste)
salt, pepper, adobo & whatever spices you like (to taste)
bragg's liquid aminos (for the smoky taste)

instructions:

1) saute veggies & sofrito in olive oil, in the same stock pot you're going to cook the peas in.
2) once the onions are translucent, add veggie stock, braggs & spices.
3) add peas. bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
4) cook the peas to your desired consistency.
5) serve with the rice of your choice. enjoy!

note: i cooked my brown jasmine rice with bay leaf. YUM.

the best veggie sandwich ever:

avocado, sliced thin
plum tomato
red onion
alfalfa sprouts
cucumber
trader joe's goddess dressing or other condiment
toasted whole wheat, rye, or other bread

arrange the sandwich according to your vegetable hierarchy. make sure both bread slices are adequately slathered in the condiment of your choice.
slice the sandwich in half, and serve with pickle, chips, soup, salad, popcorn, or other delicious item.

it's hot toddy season!

here's my own recipe:

8 oz boiling hot water
1 shot southern comfort 100 proof (that's the black label)
the juice of 1 lemon, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
honey, to taste
1 bag tazo wild sweet orange tea
1 bag tazo calm tea

brew the tea; allow it to steep for about 3 minutes.
add southern comfort, lemon juice, ginger, cayenne, & honey.
nuke the tea for about 30 seconds or add more hot water to it, to ensure that it's hot enough.

enjoy!

also, feel free to add a dash of black seed oil to make it extra serious for those colds & other winter ickies.

it's turkey day, kid!

or tofurkey day, or meat loaf day, or lasagna day . . . or maybe chicken pancit day?

anyhow, enjoy it!

i'll be back later w/ recipes.

crispy eggplant w/ curried tomato sauce

(courtesy of omi)

an improvisation with yummy results. one of those "i can't believe it's (almost) vegan!" type deals.
all spices are to taste--if you want a truly curried sauce, use more powder. if you just want to hint at curry, use less.

1 medium eggplant or 2 small eggplants, cut into 1/2" slices
3-4 whole tomatoes, diced (or 1 can whole tomatoes)
1 can tomato sauce (probably 1/2 can if using canned tomatoes)
1 can coconut milk
1 medium or small red onion
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, peeled & diced (use appropriate substitution for powdered)
2-3 cloves garlic
1.5 cups jasmine rice*
egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 1/2 cup water)**

olive oil
vegetable oil (optional--for frying i usually use a mix of soybean & olive oil)
kosher salt (optional)***
plain breadcrumbs
curry powder
sage
basil
thyme
bay leaves
salt & pepper
honey or vegan sweetening agent (approx. 1 tsp)


1. dice the onion, ginger, and garlic. season with curry powder, salt, pepper, sage, basil and thyme. set aside.
2. if using fresh tomatoes & tomato sauce, dice the tomatoes and set aside. if using canned tomatoes, you can open the can later.
3. cook rice according to package directions, adding a bay leaf. remove the leaf from the rice before serving.
4. time to fry the eggplant! heat about 1 cup olive and/or vegetable oil (enough to almost cover the eggplant slices) in a pan. the oil should be almost smoking before you add the eggplant.
5. pour the egg wash (or vegan version) into a dish. in a separate dish, pour out some breadcrumbs and stir in salt, pepper, and approx. 2 tsp curry powder. dip the eggplant slices in the wash, then the breadcrumbs. fry the eggplant until it's golden brown, about 3 min on each side. drain using paper towels and set aside.
6. reserve enough oil from eggplant frying to sautee your onion/ginger/garlic mixture (about 2 tbsp).
reheat the oil in the same pan (don't wash it! keep that flavor!) and sautee the mixture until onions are translucent.
7. reduce to medium heat and add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and a bay leaf. bring to a boil.
8. add coconut milk to taste, and adjust seasonings. if there is any bitterness, add honey SPARINGLY until it fades, stirring well after each addition.
reduce heat to simmer and cover. bring to a second boil (about 5-7min).
9. once sauce is boiling, taste again and adjust seasonings as needed. REMOVE THE BAY LEAF!
10. when you like the sauce, puree it in a blender or food processor until smooth.
11. make a bed of the jasmine rice, place several slices of eggplant on top, and pour the sauce over it all. enjoy!!

makes approx. 3-4 servings

*depends on how "indian" you want this to taste. you can probably use plain white or brown rice as well, but nothing tastes like jasmine rice cooked with bay leaves.
**or whatever vegan concoction makes breadcrumbs stick to food. :-)

***some ppl salt eggplant before using it. i find it doesn't matter, but you can try it.
after slicing the eggplant, put it in a colander with a plate underneath. layer the eggplant in the colander, sprinkling each layer with kosher salt. after about 30-60 minutes, the water will come out of the eggplant. pat dry with paper towels, brushing off any excess salt. cook as directed.