Sunday, February 28, 2010

Quesadillas on Spelt Tortillas


I made quesadillas with rice flour tortillas back in January. I have been able to find the rice tortillas again, but my friend Jessica told me that Whole Foods carries spelt tortillas and I wanted to give them a try. I hadn't seen them before, but it's probably just because I didn't look. I bought the last package they had at my local Whole Foods and decided to whip up some quesadillas again. I stuffed them with red, green and yellow peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and I used refried beans and a little Daiya cheddar cheese as the "glue" to hold the whole thing together. I served them with guacamole and sautéed kale. This meal was delicious and easy to make!


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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Asparagus and Kale Stir-Fry


Yes, asparagus is on the list of things I'm sensitive to. But I only had a vary mild reaction to it when I was tested, so I don't think this meal is going to do anything bad to my system. I had bought asparagus to give to a client, but she canceled her session due to Snowpocalypse 2. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I ate it!

This is another simple, yet delicious, stir-fry. To cook the quinoa, I used vegetable broth instead of water for some extra flavor. For the veggies, I sautéed a shallot, red bell pepper and the asparagus in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, wheat-free tamari sauce, rice vinegar and a little crushed red pepper. After a few minutes, I added some cashews, chopped purple kale and a sprinkling of seaweed gomaiso.

I did a 30 day raw food challenge last spring. It was easier than I thought it would be, I felt great, and I had tons of energy. But I found myself craving quinoa and sautéed kale a lot. This was the first meal I made when I went back to cooked food! I usually add tofu to it, but it's just as good without it.

Aspargus is a large perennial plant that can grow to about 40-60" tall. The young shoots of the plant are what we eat and know as asparagus. It has been used since early times as both food and medicine, and there's a recipe for cooked asparagus in the oldest known cookbook. It was cultivated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans who ate it fresh when in season and dried in the winter.

Asparagus is a good source of protein (yes, protein!), iron, vitamins A, C, E & K, niacin, folic acid, potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium. So it's probably okay that I had a little with my dinner today!

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Lebanese Eggplant Stew


Yesterday was another busy day, so I started up the slow cooker before I left for work in the morning. This time I made Lebanese Eggplant Stew, which is another recipe from The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. The dish consists of diced eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, garlic (I used shallots), cinnamon, allspice and red pepper flakes. I chopped all the veggies the night before so I wouldn't have much work to do in the morning. The recipe didn't call for any any liquid, which I thought was strange, so I added a little vegetable broth. I also added some chickpeas to make it more of complete meal. When I got home, I cooked up a brown and wild rice mixture in my rice cooker. I added a little olive oil to the stew and topped it with chopped olives and parsley.

This was a good meal, but next time I make it, I think I'll omit the cinnamon and allspice. I'd also like to try it with a tomato sauce base instead of broth.


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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Risotto with Lentils


I had to take my cat Schroeder to the vet for a check up last night. Last year I found a lump on his paw that turned out to be an aggressive tumor of the cartilage, and Schroe had to have his arm removed. He has to go to the vet every 3 to 4 months to have his progress checked (there's a slight chance the tumor could have spread), and he also needs his blood sugar checked because he's diabetic. (I should have studied animal health care!) He ran a comprehensive wellness blood test, which came back normal. The vet said Schroeder looks great and there's nothing to worry about!

Before I left for the vet's office, I started up the slow cooker with another meal from The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. This is Risotto with Lentils, and it's extremely simple. I added half an onion and a little bit of olive oil to slow cooker and let it cook for a few minutes. Then I added half cup of lentils, a cup of ariboro rice and four cups of water. I set the time for two hours and ran out with Schroeder. When I came home, I chopped and sautéed some kale. I garnished the rice mixture with a little olive oil, parsley and chopped olives. It was an quick and easy meal, and it was quite tasty!

Schroeder doesn't have extra appendages in the back, that's his friend Archie behind him!

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Take-Out Night


I was really tired and didn't feel like cooking last night, so Dennis was kind enough to get take-out from Veggie Heaven. We got spring rolls (made with rice flour), sautéed mixed veggies and eggplant in garlic sauce. The mixed vegetables usually comes with tofu, but I asked them to omit it. This meal was perfect and it was nice to have a break from cooking!

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Vegetarian Slow Cooker


The people at Ten Speed Press were kind enough to send me a copy of The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley. I was quite excited to find it in my mailbox, but disappointment set in once I remembered that I didn't own a slow cooker. Dennis solved that problem by buying me one for Valentine's Day. Most girls like getting flowers and chocolates for Valentine's Day, but I really like kitchen gadgets! (Last year he gave me a Vitamix!)

I had a really busy day yesterday and I knew it would be difficult to find time to make a good meal for dinner, so I decided to take the slow cooker on it's maiden voyage. I made Potato Artichoke Stew, which was super easy. The recipe called for a tomato sauce recipe from the book, which I didn't have time to make, so I used canned tomatoes. I cut all of the veggies up the night before, turned the slow cooker on in the morning before work, and dinner was magically ready when I came home! The meal was very tasty and I can't wait to try more recipes from the cookbook!

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Deep Dish Rutabaga Fennel Gratin


I saw the recipe for this on the Vegetarian Times website and it looked interesting enough to try out. It consists of slices of rutabaga, onions, potatoes and fennel layered in a baking dish and covered in cheese, flour, milk and spices. It was easy enough to make allergy friendly - I used Daiya cheese, rice milk and Bob's Red Mill's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour. I also doubled the recipe because I didn't know what I'd do with half a fennel bulb hanging out in the fridge.

This recipe was definitely an experiment. I guess it was because I doubled the recipe, but it took waaaay longer than an hour to cook. I should have turned the heat on the oven up higher. Because it was coated in flour, the cheese didn't melt. I put the dish under the broiler thinking it would help melt the cheese, but all that accomplished was burning the top. It was quite good though, and it was an interesting change of pace from the type of meals I usually cook. If I make it again, I will probably omit the flour because I don't think it was necessary.



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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Another Lasagna Tart


My friends Jessica and Deana were supposed to come over for a mini lunchtime potluck today but unfortunately, Jessica wasn't feeling well, so it was just me and Deana. I haven't seen Deana in about a month, so it was good to see her again, and she made a delcious chocolate cherry pie for dessert. I decided to make another lasagna tart, like the one I made back at the beginning of January. This time I covered it in Daiya cheese, which made it seem even more lasagna-like. Deana really liked it and she asked for the cashew ricotta recipe so she can make a veggie lasagna next week. The great thing about this recipe is that there are always leftovers, so I know that I'll have a yummy lunch tomorrow.



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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Another Pizza!


We made another pizza! This time we used Bob's Red Mill's gluten-free pizza crust. It takes a little longer to make because it uses yeast and needs time to rise. The package makes a large amount of crust, so we made a larger pizza and had leftovers. The crust was pretty good, except it tasted a little dry. We topped the pizza off with diced tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, red bell peppers, shallots and Daiya cheese. This definitely wasn't as good as anything from Pala Pizza, but it was good enough!




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Friday, February 19, 2010

Beans, Greens and Pasta


This meal was inspired by a recipe I saw in a magazine. The original recipe called for sausage and evaporated cane juice (why would anyone put sugar in pasta?), so I veganized it. It was a simple, easy and delicious meal - perfect for a busy weeknight!

While the rice penne was boiling, I sautéed a chopped red onion and a chopped shallot together in a little olive, then added a handful of chopped mushrooms and thinly sliced sundried tomatoes. I then added a bunch of chopped kale, a can of white beans and a can of chopped tomatoes. I sprinkled in a little sea salt, some red pepper flakes and a little balsamic vinegar. Once everything was cooked, I served the veggies over the pasta. Yum!

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Stir-fry with Quinoa


I decided to make some simple after spending so much time in the kitchen making Shepherdess Pie, so I made a quick stir-fry. And since I've been eating quite a bit of rice lately, I served it over quinoa.

In the stir-fry were shallots, onion, broccoli, red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, chickpeas, peanuts and mung bean sprouts. I added some spicy red peppers while the veggies were cooking, but just for flavor. I certainly didn't eat any of them! (But Dennis did!) I made a quick spicy peanut sauce by mixing together a little peanut butter, spicy Thai red sauce, wheat-free tamari, rice vinegar and lime juice. I didn't measure anything, so I don't have a recipe. Stir-frys are great, because you can add anything you want and it's pretty much guaranteed to taste good!



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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Shepherdess Pie




I decided to combine a few different recipes to make this shepherdess pie and I used cauliflower millet mash for the crust instead of mashed potatoes to add extra nutrition. I will admit that this isn't one of those quick and easy recipes that I'm so fond of. I think the prep time was about an hour, and I used quite a lot of pots and pans in the process. I had some rare free time and was up for a challenge. The lentils and millet both needed about half an hour to cook, so I was able to work on both the millet mash and the pie contents at the same time.

Millet is a very small, round grain with a history that traces back thousands of years. It was the chief grain in China before rice became popular, and continues to sustain people in Africa, China, Russia, and India, among other places. It is an extremely nutritious and hardy crop that grows well under harsh or dry conditions, both of which contribute to its widespread use and popularity around the world. Millet is gluten-free and contains silica, which helps keeps bones flexible in aging process. It is high in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, B vitamins and fiber. It also contains serotonin and help calm your nerves. Millet is soothing and warming, and can help indigestion and morning sickness. Millet can be used in porridges, cereal, soups and dense breads. It is delicious wheat-free substitution for couscous, as it has a similar consistency. In parts of Africa, millet is fermented to make beer.


Shepherdess Pie with Cauliflower Millet Mash Crust

Millet Mash
1 cup millet
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup plain unsweetened rice milk

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add millet and salt. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in another saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook for about 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and cook until very tender, about 12 minutes. Add millet, remaining oil and rice milk to the cauliflower and mash together with a potato masher or process with an immersion blender until creamy, adding more rice milk if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shepherdess Pie
1 cup lentils, rinse and picked over for stones
3 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup peas, frozen or canned
1/2 teaspoon savory
1/2 teaspoon thyme
a pinch marjoram

Preheat oven to 350.

Add lentils to water, bring to a boil and let cook until lentils are tender, about half an hour. Sauté onion in oil until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, peas and spices. Add lentils to the mixture once they are cooked. Spread the mixture in a 13" x 19" casserole dish and top with cauliflower millet mash. Sprinkle with paprika. Cook for half an hour.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute any ingredient you don't like for one you do. If you don't like lentils, you can use kidney beans. If you don't like peas, you can use corn.


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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Baked Ziti


This is actually baked penne because I haven't been able to find gluten-free ziti. I used multi-grain pasta. I had used it a few weeks ago and said I didn't really like it, but I had another box in the cabinet and didn't want it to go to waste. I must not have cooked it thoroughly last time, because it tasted really good this time and worked really well in this dish. I made up a batch of cashew ricotta and mixed it with chopped mushrooms and tomato sauce. I topped the whole thing off with Daiya tapioca cheese. There's no way to tell from looking at this dish that it was wheat, soy, dairy and meat-free. It looked like any other baked ziti and was absolutely delicious. And as always, I served it with a side of greens.


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Monday, February 15, 2010

Bok Choy with Chickpeas and Cashews


This is another recipe from Terry Walters' Clean Food, and it was super simple to make. The dish is made with garlic, olive oil, ginger, chopped bok choy, chickpeas and cashews. I added chopped red bell pepper for some extra color and I topped the dish off with seaweed gomasio, which contains sea salt, seaweed and seasame seeds. I served the veggies over brown rice medley. When I cooked the rice, I added a piece of kombo seaweed to the water. Sea vegetables, or seaweed, contain more minerals than any other food source. They contain ten times more calcium than milk and eight times more iron than beef. Sea veggies also contain protein, vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K and fiber. Adding kombu to cooking water adds extra flavor and nutrients to the rice. Simply add a small piece while the rice is cooking and remove it when serving!


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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dennis and I celebrated Valentine's Day a day early in New York City. We started out with a trip to Moo Shoes on Orchard Street. Dennis bought a pair of black Earth Shoes, and he treated me to cute pair of Madden Girl Mary Jane wedges. I'm a total sucker for Mary Janes, and have about 8 pairs of them!


Then we went to Pala Pizza on Allen Street, which was an amazing treat. Pala has a vegan section on their menu, and they have gluten-free pizza crusts and pastas upon request. The vegan pizzas are made with Daiya cheese. We started out with an appetizer of caponata which was absolutely delicious. We ordered two pizzas and split them. We had a patatosa pizza which had thinnly shaved potatoes, zucchini and rosemary, and a romana pizza which had mushrooms and tomato sauce. Both pizzas were incredible, but the patatosa was our favorite. Who knew that potatoes would go well on a pizza? I was so excited at the idea of getting a gluten and soy-free vegan pizza at a resturant - I had no idea the food would be so amazingly delcious! The restaurant is cute and quaint, our waitress was extremely kind and friendly, and strangely, Fred Schnieder of the B-52s was sitting right next to me at the next table. Unfortunately, they had vegan desserts and gluten-free desserts, but not vegan, gluten-free desserts. We were pretty stuffed from dinner anyway, so we just went to Starbucks and had some tea and Lucy's cookies.


We ended the evening at Theater Row on 42nd Street where we saw Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind directed by Ethan Hawke. Starring in the play were Keith Carradine, Josh Hamilton, Marin Ireland, Alessandro Nivola, Laurie Metcalf, Maggie Siff, Karen Young and Frame Whaley. The theater was really small and we were in the front row. I felt a little uncomfortable being so close to the actors at first, especially because Josh Hamilton and Alessandro Nivola were just inches away from me and when Alessandro knocked a bag of ice out of Josh's hands, the ice landed in my lap! I got more comfortable with our seats as the play continued, and was glad we had an unobstructed view of the stage. The show was excellent and I highly recommend it if you're looking for something to see.


Whatever you're doing to celebrate Valentine's Day today, I hoe you enjoy it!!

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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Butternut Squash Timbales


This recipe is from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. The first layer is steamed or roasted butternut squash (I roasted my squash) mixed with sautéed onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Then there's a layer of arborio rice, and it's served on a bed of sautéed greens. The squash mixture and the rice are supposed to be pressed into small ramekins to make the timbale shape. I don't have ramekins, so I just used medium sized bowls, and I added the greens to the bowl, rather than spread them out on the plate.

This was mush easier to make than it looks. And to make it even easier, I bought pre-cut squash. This was quite delicious, and Dennis said he felt like he was eating at a fancy restaurant!


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Friday, February 12, 2010

Artichokes, Fennel and Olives over Penne


This recipe is from Clean Food by Terry Walters, and I was interested in making it because it uses veggies I don't usually cook with. It's made with olive oil, onion, garlic (I substituted a shallot for the garlic), artichoke hearts, olives, fennel, arugula, diced tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice and then is served over penne pasta. (I used rice pasta, of course.) I was a little worried that the strong flavors of the fennel and arugula would make this dish taste really potent, but the lemon juice sort of neutralized the flavors and held everything together nicely. Dennis and I really enjoyed this meal, and I will undoubtedly make it again. I think next time I will add some chickpeas or cannellini beans because they will definitely go nicely with the dish and will add some extra protein.


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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Snowpocalypse Wow


Here in the Northeast, we've had a bit of a blizzard. News reporters are calling it "Snowmageddon" and "Snowpocalypse", but it's just your run of the mill snowstorm. We've seen them before and we'll see them again.

The roads were a mess and rather dangerous, so I wasn't about to go anywhere. I made a big pot of tea, grabbed a blanket in order to entice a kitty to lay on my legs and settled onto the sofa with Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals.

It was nice to be able to eat all of my meals for the day at home, which is rare. I had oatmeal loaded with fruit and seeds for breakfast along with a chocolate cherry smoothie, and a grilled rice cheese sandwich with split pea soup for lunch. For dinner I made marinated baked portobello mushrooms and eggplant, black eyed peas with red bell peppers and shallots, and broccoli and cauliflower with red onion. I marinaded the mushrooms and eggplant with balsamic vinegar, wheat-free tamari, grapeseed oil and dried herbs. Since I was home, I was able to start the marinade early and let the veggies soak it up for a few hours before I baked them in the oven, which really made them flavorful. The variety of veggies in this meal ensured that it was packed with lots of nutrients!

Broccoli and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables, which have a unique chemical composition that give them powerful anti-cancer properties. Cruciferous veggies are named for their flowers which have four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross. The word comes from the Latin word ‘crucifer’ which means ‘cross-bearer". Other members of the cruciferous family are kale, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, brussels sprouts and turnips. Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other veggies. In population studies, a 20% increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20% decrease in cancer rates, but a 20% increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40% decrease in cancer rates.





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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Mushroom Stroganoff


This recipe is from The Cancer Project. The recipe uses seitan, which is wheat gluten, so I can't have it. I substituted the gluten for large portabella mushroom slices. I really love this recipe because the "cream" sauce is just white beans and cashews puréed together, so it's loaded with protein. Tomato paste gives the sauce a nice tangy zing. I served the mixture over rice noodles with a side of sautéed red kale.

You may have noticed that I cook with mushrooms a lot. I used to think I didn't like mushrooms, but that's probably because on the rare occasion that my mom did buy them, they were in a can. Canned mushrooms are gross. But fresh ones are extremely delicious. Some people believe that mushrooms don't have much nutritional value, but that's simply not true. They are high in selenium, B vitamins, potassium, iron and riboflavin. Mushrooms are also high in glutamic acid, which is beneficial to brain and nervous system functions. Cooked mushrooms also have antibiotic properties and help the immune system.




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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

More Chickpea Croquettes



I made these chickpea croquettes a few weeks ago and they were so delicious that I had to make them again. They're super easy to make and don't take very long to cook. I found cute mini potatoes at Trader Joe's, so I brought them home and roasted them. I also roasted up some Brussel's sprouts. I also made caramelized leeks and green beans. This was quite the delicious dinner!

Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans and are one of the earliest cultivated vegetable. 7,500-year-old chickpea remains have been found in the Middle East. They are high in protein, zinc, folate, calcium and dietary fiber. Chickpeas are also very versatile - they can be puréed to make hummus, mashed to make mock tuna salad or just tossed into salads and veggie dishes. I've found that most people who aren't crazy about beans like chickpeas. So eat some chickpeas today!


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Monday, February 8, 2010

Gobo


Yesterday I met my friend Irina in NYC and we went to lunch at Gobo in the West Village. Gobo has Asian inspired food and they have many wheat-free dishes. I started out with a Liquid Live juice that was made with wheat grass, carrots, beets, celery and apples. I was feeling tired and a little "off" from the chocolate party the night before, and this juice was just what I needed to wake up and get myself going. I ordered Swiss Chard and Sun-dried Tomato Rice Lasagna for lunch, which was really tasty. I realized after I started eating it that it had soy in it, but I decided to keep eating and look at the experience as an experiment. If I woke up digestive problems on Monday morning, I'd know that the soy had something to do with it. If not, I'd know that it as really the wheat in the rum ball I ate on Saturday night that made me feel crappy on Sunday morning. Well, I woke up feeling just fine this morning, which means it really was just that one rum ball that made me feel sick. How crazy is it that one cookie can make me feel poorly?!

Irina has also gone wheat-free, so she had Singapore Stir-fry mai-fan, which was rice noodles and veggies.

After lunch, we went to see the play Time Stands Still starring Laura Linney, Alicia Silverstone, Eric Bagosian and Brian D'Arcy James. It was really good and I highly recommend it if you're in NYC and want to go to the theater.

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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Chocolate Party!


The vegan group I belong to had a chocolate potluck party for Valentine's Day last night. I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Cookies.

The recipe is from Manifest Vegan. I doubled the recipe, because it says it makes about 20 cookies, but I ended up with about 75 cookies and only about half were eaten, so that wasn't necessary. I used 4 bags of chocolate chips to dip the cookies in. Dipping the cookies in the chocolate created a huge mess! I made the mistake of placing the cookies back on the cookie sheet since I don't have cooling racks. The chocolate cemented the cookies firmly to the sheets, and I had to get Dennis to help pull them off. (Note to self: Next time use parchment paper!) Most of the cookies ended up losing their bottoms, but it didn't take away from their taste at all. These cookies are GOOD. They're really intense, so you only need one to satisfy any chocolate/peanut butter cravings. They were a big hit at the party!

I thought I'd put aside my elimination diet for the evening since I knew there would be tasty chocolatey baked treats at the party, but I didn't cheat too badly. I had some hot chocolate made with almond milk which was amazingly good, a few chocolate cover cashews, one rum ball that did contain some wheat, and a piece of extremely rich fudge. I don't know what the fudge was made with, but I'm guessing there was some soy in it. It was so rich that it ruined me for the rest of the evening and I couldn't eat anything else, which was a good thing because there were lots of cookies, brownies and cupcakes. I did wake up with some digestive problems this morning which I find crazy, because I ate such small amounts of offending foods yesterday. But now I know for next time!




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Saturday, February 6, 2010

Broccoli Cheddar Pizza


When I was in high school, I worked at the CVS in Fair Lawn. After work, my friend Irina and I would walk across the street and get something to eat at the Land and Sea dinner. My favorite dish there was the broccoli cheddar pita melt and it's sort of become a comfort food for me. I've recreated it many times with soy cheddar and whole wheat pitas. I decided to recreate it again in pizza form for dinner last night. Dennis and I made another gluten-free pizza crust with the recipe in The Gluten-Free Vegan. We wanted to make a larger portion than we did last time since it was so thin, but we didn't have enough flour. We baked the crust for a few minutes before we topped it, but still was a little doughy. We topped the pizza with chopped broccoli and mushrooms and then covered it with Daiya cheddar cheese. It definitely satisfied my need for comfort food!

When I first tried Daiya tapioca cheese, I didn't like it. But Dennis likes it, and it's soy-free, so I've been using it here and there lately, and I have to admit that the taste is growing on me, and I do like it now. I've been ordering it from Vegan Essentials and Pangea online, it's becoming more and more popular and I think it will be available in local stores soon. I just found out that the Whole Foods in Paramus carries it, so it's just a matter of time before other Whole Foods start carrying it too. Keep an eye out for it.


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Friday, February 5, 2010

Another Grilled Cheese and Heirloom Tomatoes


Yes, I know that I've already done a post about grilled cheese sandwiches. I'm doing another one for two reasons: this week I'm doing posts about how simple and easy wheat and soy-free vegan living is, and because I wanted to show off this gorgeous heirloom tomato!

This was a simple lunch of grilled cheese and soup. The grilled cheese sandwich is made with rice cheese, rye bread, soy-free Earth Balance and a few slices of tomato. The soup is a pre-made split pea soup I bought at Trader Joes.

When I sliced the tomato open for the sandwich, I was quite surprised at how gorgeous it was inside. Heirloom tomatoes are more expensive than the regular store bought varieties, but they taste much, MUCH better, and they've spoiled me for any other kind of tomato. An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of it's valued characteristics. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Heirloom tomatoes have become increasingly more popular and readily available in recent years, and I would encourage everyone to give them a try!


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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Hash Browns and Veggies


Here's another dish that proves that not all wheat and soy-free dishes need to be elaborate. This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes - hashbrowns and veggies. It's perfect for brinner too!

I start off with a bag of shredded hashbrowns, and I add chopped red onion, red and green bell peppers and mushrooms. I cook them all for quite a white - until the potatoes brown and get a little crunch in places. This dish is delicious and really simple and fits my four-colors-per-meal-rule!


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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Cheese and Crackers


That's right - wheat, soy and dairy free cheese and crackers! I was browsing around on one of my favorite vegan websites and I noticed that they had a new vegan soy-free cheese called We Can't Say It's Cheese for sale. So of course I had to place an order! The cheese is made with oats of all things. It's nice and creamy and has a mild flavor. I picked up some delicious purple rice crackers at the grocery store to go with them - it made for a tasty snack-time treat!


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