Giant Salad Night

I love embarking on big projects in the kitchen... and I can really enjoy being busy for hours in there... but sometimes I just need to eat dinner. Two nights a week I get home from teaching yoga at 9 pm. For years I was always struggling to come up with ideas for quick and simple dinners I could make in 30 minutes or so, while tired and starving. Finally, about a year ago, I came up with Giant Salad Night. So, at least two nights a week, we just have a big giant bowl of salad for dinner, and a little fruit for dessert. I throw in whatever I've got on hand: lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, hemp seeds, beans, nuts, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, avocados, red cabbage... it's a sea of colors and fresh flavors. It's perfect.

Terry Testers!

I'm sure most of you know about the glorious Ms. Terry Romero, author & co-author of so many esteemed vegan cookbooks. She's hard at work on another cookbook, and I'm one of the many folks helping out by testing her recipes. Sometimes I get jealous when I'm surfing the blogs and I read about people who are testing for cookbooks - it feels like they're in on some big exciting thing that I'm not a part of. I hope you won't feel that way! Testing is definitely fun, but it also really keeps you busy and sometimes the meals don't turn out perfectly because the recipe is still being adjusted or refined.

So, ever since VeganMoFo ended, I've been busy in the kitchen cooking up meals from Terry's tester database, and I call them "Terry Testers." As you know, I am a big fan of cooking foods from around the world, and that's just what Terry's new book will be. Here are some of my favorites so far:

Japanese Night:

Okonomiyaki - a Japanese savory veggie pancake thingee that was 5-star mega delicioso. I am in love with this tasty item!

Here it is without any of the sauce or garnishes on it... nekkid!

Along with the Okonomiyaki, we also had these delicious Japanese Greens with Sesame. So delicious, and cute too!

Moroccan Yumz:

Moroccan Butternut Squash "Salad," with jicama

I really fell in love with Moroccan food when we went to Morocco a couple of years ago, so I've made a lot of the Moroccan style dishes in Terry's tester file. I remember so many dishes like this one, and they were all called "salads." Basically, they were warm or room-temp veggie side dishes... using a vast array of veggies, spices and herbs. Moroccan food is definitely a cuisine that knows what to do with a veggie!

Moroccan Carrot "Salad" with whole-grain bread slices.

OH MAN, did we love this one.

Another Moroccan-y dish; sort of a Tempeh Tagine with Carrots and Preserved Lemons, plus delicious toasted couscous. I've always wanted to make my own Preserved Lemons, and Terry's recipe is totally easy and fool-proof. How fun! That's another thing we saw (and tasted) absolutely everywhere when we were in Morocco... so the flavor really made these dishes taste authentic (and nostalgic!) to me.

Salad with Fennel & Oranges.

We ate so many oranges in Morocco, so this salad really hit the spot. I think we were served fresh oranges at every meal we ate in Morocco... and we saw them growing on the trees everywhere. Lately the oranges at the farmers market here have been really delicious, so I was happy to have a reason to make this salad!

Other Yumz:

A Middle-Eastern style salad with quinoa and chickpeas and sprinkled with sumac. I made this one just last night and it was absolutely incredible. Everything you could want in a meal all wrapped up in one pretty dish.

Afghani Ravioli!

There used to be a really excellent Afghani restaurant here in Santa Cruz, and they had lots of vegan options on the menu. These "ravioli" were something I remembered so fondly, so I was really happy to learn how to make them. They turned out even better than the ones at the restaurant! Big Yums.

Some simple tofu (not a tester recipe) with Greek rice and greens recipes. I love simple and hearty dinners like this. The rice was so easy to make, but came out tasting so special and much fancier than it actually was to prepare. Perfect!

Bonus Furbabies!

I couldn't decide which sleepy cutie picture to share, so I'm sharing them both:

Little Snoopy spotted our guest comforter folded up on the green chair, jumped up, royally messed it up, and got himself all tucked in. So cute. I think he was there for about 2 1/2 hours!

A while back, while tidying the bedroom, I put down a red pillow in the corner (thinking it would just be there for a moment.) Yummers pounced on that pillow and spent about one month completely inseparable from his red pillow. Just the other day he discovered this pillow, and now I can put the red pillow away, but not this one.

Vintage Pyrex Super Score!

I really love vintage pyrex bowls and dishes. It all started back when I lived in Seattle, and there was a huge antique/thrift barn in West Seattle with a vast selection of bright, cheery pyrex. My kitchen in Seattle was a huge room with original black & white-checkered lineoleum floors, a 1940's oven, and a view of the Olympic Mountains. I really loved that kitchen, and the Pyrex were a perfect match... so I started a little collection.

Fast forward many years, and just the other day I was out walking the dogs, and spotted these three cute little bowls in someone's front yard... next to a "FREE" sign! Excellent! Except that we have 3 dogs, so my hands are pretty full of leashes. So I had to finish my walk, get home, hop in the car and drive back... hoping they would still be there. Success!

Do you have any fun kitchen collections?

Birthday Cake for Ed!

You know how it's super fun to cook for people who really appreciate your food? Well, my aunt's boyfriend Ed is a really sweet guy - and I'm not just saying that because he likes my desserts so much. Whenever we have family dinners, Ed is always a little coy about inquiring into dessert... trying to suss out what I've made this time. Once, in summer, I just made a big plate of watermelon - and poor Ed was so disappointed, especially since he's allergic to watermelon! Oh no. I felt so bad.

Well, not this time. When my aunt told me Ed's birthday was coming up, and that he really loves chocolate (smart man!), I got to work scheming right away.

Little Yummers, official inspector

I made a double batch of my favorite chocolate cake - which is the Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Cake from Joy of Cooking (of all places!). I sub out half the oil for applesauce, and then I usually add 2-3 extra tablespoons of cocoa powder. I also subbed out 1 tsp of vanilla for 1 tsp of chocolate extract - just to go overboard on this chocolate explosion experience.

Then, for the filling between the two layers I made the Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. Friends, that stuff is CRAZY GOOD. I love it so much. Especially because it also has hazelnut liquer in it, which gives the whole thing an excellent zip-iti-doo-dah! If you haven't tried it, please address that situation.

For the ganache, I used a recipe I really love from Simple Treats - it's got instant coffee granules in it, which I love - and I also find the texture really easy to work with. The combo of the coffee-chocolate in the ganache and the hazelnut-chocolate in the filling, and the chocolate-chocolate in the cake was absolutely glorious. Our friend Janet said "I think this is the best cake I've ever had." And of course, Birthday Boy Ed was happy too.

Book Review: Vegan Holiday Kitchen

Lucky me! Recently I was sent a copy of Nava Atlas' new book VEGAN Holiday Kitchen, for a chance to check it out, and blog about it. I've heard of Nava Atlas' many great cookbooks over the years, but I don't actually have any of them for some reason. So, I was happy to finally have a chance to investigate!

First impressions:
This book is crazy beautiful. I am a sucker for good aesthetics. The photos are by Susan V. of Fat Free Vegan, and they are truly gorgeous. There isn't a photo for every recipe, but there are many photos throughout the book. The layout is very nice with one page per recipe, great fonts, and plenty of space on the page for comfortable reading. Also, the cover is beautiful (don't you think?) and even the paper feels really smooth and classy. Ahhh...

The recipes:
The recipes are organized by holiday, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter... but there are also celebrations which are less often included in holiday-themed cookbooks - including a large chapter on Jewish Holidays, Potlucks, Brunches, and Summer Entertaining - which I think is really cool. Also, she doesn't just give you 4 recipes for each holiday. Au contraire! There are 38 recipes in the Thanksgiving section alone!!

First up, I made the Asian-Flavored Tofu & Cucumber Platter, from the Summer Entertaining section (even though it is totally not summer anymore). This was a really nice dinner. It's got tofu, cukes, red bell pepper, and mung bean sprouts... served over baby spinach with a sauce/dressing on top. It was a light salad and made a lot (many of the recipes in this book make 6-8 servings, which is appropriate for parties, but you may need to half them for regular home cooking). When I had the leftovers for lunch the next day - it was even better! The flavors of the sauce had really settled in more fully to the tofu and veggies.

I also picked two recipes from the Jewish Holidays section (specifically Rosh Hashanah): Moroccan-Flavored Tofu with Apricots and Olives over quinoa, and Turkish Eggplant Stew. I was really excited about the tofu dish, but I thought it was just okay. This recipe called for buying pre-made baked tofu... which isn't my favorite thing. First of all, there are so many different flavors of baked tofu - how can you guarantee what the final dish will taste like? Also, it's expensive to buy pre-baked tofu. I know many people will appreciate the ease and convenience of that step (especially at busy holiday times), but I'd rather be directed to make a delicious baked tofu just for the flavors in this recipe - or at least be given that option. I think I might try this recipe again, but I would tweak it around a little and definitely make my own tofu. On the plus side, the whole thing came together in less that 30 minutes, which is always nice.

The Turkish Eggplant, on the other hand was great. Easy, simple and delicious. I think it would be really great served with flat bread... and maybe even with a little bit of pomegranate concentrate to give it a hit of sour and pungent!

Lastly, I made a two-part meal... This is the Mixed Greens with Green Apples, Beets & Pistachios from the Christmas section of the book. Mmmm! Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats and I loved this salad. The toasted pistachios were a great combo with the roasted beets! Also there are fresh apples and dried cranberries in there - which provide a great tangy balance to the earthy beets and carrots. This was a really great combo of flavors.

To go with the salad, I also made Three Sisters Stew, from the Thanksgiving section. This is my favorite thing I've made from the book so far. So deliciously magically tasty! Roasted butternut squash, red bell peppers, corn, spices, all cooked together into a hearty and delicious dinner - which was even more delicious for leftovers the next day. Mmmm. I'm already considering making this for actual Thanksgiving.

My only complaint about this book:

The recipes have varying degrees of instruction. Some will say things like "3 cups cooked quinoa" or "cook the beets until tender," which is fine for me, but might not be enough hand holding for someone who is less experienced in the kitchen and doesn't know how to cook their quinoa. On the other hand, some recipes call for more pre-made elements than I am used to (like the baked tofu I mentioned above) which is convenient for a less-experienced cook, and feels a bit like an incomplete project to an experienced home cook.

Special diets:

Right under the title of each recipe is a really clear section saying whether the recipe is soy-free, gluten-free, or nut-free. In many cases it will say something like "Gluten-free, if you use rice flour" or whatever. I really like this feature, since we have gluten-free AND soy-free people in my family who I need to take into consideration when planning a celebration menu.

Final Wrap-up:

All in all, I really like this book and I am stoked to have it. I have already written down so many interesting looking recipes from this book that I am eager to try - including Grilled Eggplant Curry, Double Sesame-Roasted Asparagus and Cauliflower, Lentil & Tomato Salad, Black Rice with Corn and Cranberries, Sweet Potato & Poppyseed Coleslaw, and Sauerkraut, Potato & Apple Stuffing. The index is great, the layout is beautiful, and I love that so many recipes are included for each holiday/occasion - so that you are sure to find something that appeals to you. Personally, I really enjoy having a few holiday-themed books in the collection because I've found that it really does help with the brainstorming and menu planning... and this book will definitely be frequently consulted!

Happy Holiday Season and Happy Cooking!

Autumn Garden Harvest

Even though we're a few days into November, nobody seems to have told my garden that it's time to slow down. I've been happily harvesting all sorts of delicious bounty lately:

First thing to pick was this year's crop of Butternut Squash. I think my favorite squash is the kabocha squash, but I've never seen kabocha starts at the garden store, so I stuck with 2nd favorite Mr. Butternut. I've had good luck growing butternuts in the past, and I got a pretty good haul this year too.

Also, it was finally time to harvest my garlic! I've blogged about my very sentimental garlic strain before... and after a little scare when I was away from home for 6 weeks this summer and couldn't care for them, I'm glad to say that this year's crop looks great. In fact, I've already pilfered a few heads for culinary needs! Next up, I need to sort through and find the biggest heads of garlic, then find the biggest cloves, and get those in the soil for next year. What fun!

Doggies were investigating the garlic while I was trying to take pictures.

And - most miraculously! - I'm still harvesting amazing tomatoes. After a very cool summer, our autumn has been quite warm. So, the tomato plants just keep pumping out more and more delicious red orbs. I'm not complaining!

Last but not least, it's Apple Time! We have a great little apple tree out behind our garage and it makes the most delicious apples. I didn't plant it, so I'm not sure what variety they are. All I know is that they are super yum - great for eating fresh and great for cooking too. Two of those tubs have been peeled, de-icky-bit-ified, sliced and dehydrated. Two more of those tubs are still sitting outside awaiting action.

What does your autumn harvest look like?

Any favorite apple recipes you can suggest?

Baby Shower Fun!

Our friends Jake & Alana are about to have their first little baby, and I got to host a baby shower for them. It was a wonderful party - their friends were all really great, the weather was perfect, and we got to celebrate our anticipation of our future little friend. Oh, and also the food was great!

The theme of the shower was Children's Books - so everyone gave them a book instead of a card. To go along with the theme, I printed out little mini "books" on cardstock and taped them to toothpicks to decorate the mini cupcakes. I made the Vanilla Agave cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and our awesome friend Sophia made Raspberry-Lemon Buttercream Frosting, which was magically delicious. Sophia is so good at putting on the frosting too, don't they look amazing?

Here are the name tags I made

... and these were some of the little cards to write down the descriptions of the foods. I also made garlands of little mini book covers, and also of various characters from kids books. They both turned out super cute, but I didn't get a good picture of them.

Assorted crackers from Trader Joe's along with a big bowl of the Mediterranean Cucumber & Cashew Dip from Veganomicon. That dip is so good, and everyone was loving it and asking about it... If you haven't tried it yet, I really recommend it.

It just wouldn't be a party without hummus and veggies now, would it?

Sophia made mini-chocolate chip cookies which everyone was raving about (yeah!), and I made some mini peanut butter-chocolate cookies. On the right are some toasted baguette slices with Sophia's White Bean Balsamic spread, cherry tomatoes & fresh parsley. As you can see, Sophia totally helped me out with this party big time. She is awesome.

Jake found a bunch of these delicious Afghan Bolani at Costco and we heated them up on the skillet. Half were stuffed with spinach, and the other half with pumpkin. I served them alongside a big batch of my Afghan Cilantro-Mint Sauce. They were both good, but those pumpkin bolani with the mint sauce were pretty much a match made in heaven. SO GOOD.

Alana made her favorite Mushroom Pinwheels with Puff Pastry, which were a big sensation as always. Mr. Vegan Eats and Treats was going around telling everyone that he had licked them all so that he could have them all to himself, but this still didn't stop other people from eating them! ha!

Alana definitely wanted some pie at her party (smart girl!), so I made the Double Chocolate Strawberry Pie from Vegan Diner. HELLO! This pie was so easy to make and was so crazy delicious, I will most definitely make it again, and again, and again. Yumtown.

Gratuitous Doggie Shot!

Jake was serving up some tasty mixed drinks for people, and I guess it turns out that our little Snoopy likes the mojitos. He stole someone's empty cup out from under their seat and then ran around prancing like a fool with his cup full of smooshed mint leaves. Quite a rascal, that little guy!

Day of the Dead Salad!

Happy Dia de los Muertos! I know lots of people are into Halloween, and I had a great time checking out all the costumes last night, but c'mon - black and orange?? What a gross color combo. I love love love the beautiful, playful, colorful and elaborate aesthetics of Dia de los Muertos. Now, there's a holiday that really knocks it out of the park - beauty and meaning! In years past I have made fancy sweets & cookies, but this year I was looking for something not so sugary, but I didn't want to miss out on all the fun. A perfect time to celebrate the rainbow of joy to be found in veggies!

Also, one of my favorite things about Dia de los Muertos is the loving way in which people are remembered, including the idea of making food that the people you are remembering most loved. I usually think about my grandparents, who I loved so much and was very close to. Lucky me, they had really long lives and I got to know them very well. Part of why they lived so long is that they were super healthy eaters. In fact, whenever we had family dinners - from birthday parties to Thanksgiving - everyone always wanted my grandpa to make the salad. He made the best salads! So, in memory of him, I was sure to include cauliflower and avocado, two of his secret ingredients. In honor of my grandma, I ate a giant bowl of salad, and then had a few chocolate chips afterwards. :)

But, just in case you are in the mood for some sugary delights... here are links to some of my Dia de los Muertos baking escapades in years past:

skeleton cookies!

sugar skull cookies!

pan de muerto!

Happy Dia de los Muertos!

May you remember your departed ones with love.