Bamix workout

I whipped through a couple of cooking projects this afternoon. Having tasty, healthy food on hand for work lunches/quick suppers is a must, since I have such a weird schedule these days!

Cold Soba Noodle Salad:

I dressed cooked buckwheat soba, a cabbage/carrot slaw package, frozen thawed edamame, julienned red pepper, green onions, and tofu in "Sesame Miso Vinaigrette" (with optional ginger, of course,) from La Dolce Vegan. Even though the soba noodles are the slightest bit undercooked, this is SO yummy.

I also made a favorite of mine, Greek-style pasta salad:

Whole-wheat fusilli, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and feta, dressed with a couple of splashes of "Wolffie's Balsamic Vinegar Dressing," also from La Dolce Vegan. I cut the maple syrup called for in the dressing down a little bit, and I think it's still too sweet for me. Otherwise, this is also fantastic!

For snacks, some roasted red pepper hummus:

I made my basic, no-measure hummus, with a whole red pepper, roasted and peeled, thrown in for color, deliciousness, and extra nutrition.

AND, look what Dan brought home from the Asian grocery store:

LYCHEES! Yum. I think I've been sneaking one every time I've walked by the bag this afternoon. Juicy, sweet goodness.

My Bamix has had quite the workout this afternoon, making both dressings AND hummus. (And that's not including the smoothie I made for breakfast earlier today.) Woo! It's nice to know that if you spend a hundred bucks on a stick blender, it's going to kick it for years.

weekly shop & meal plan

I had sort of a strange, money-saving trip to the co-op today! It's a new quarter, so I had three member discounts to use, (a total of $7.50 off!), a birthday gift card to spend, and I was mysteriously not charged for the miso I bought. Looking over my receipt, I also noticed that the cashier majorly messed up the tare on my yellow bell peppers, and typed in ".71" instead of ".07," so I got about 1 1/2 yellow peppers for free, too!

The savings will make up for the fact that I neglected to put three items on my list, and will have to go back later this afternoon. (It's hard to make sushi without nori and sushi rice, eh? Where was my brain this morning?)

Anyhow, here's the loot:



BULK:
organic raw almonds
local slivered almonds
organic shelled hemp seeds
organic, whole-wheat fusilli
organic tahini
organic shredded coconut
locally-roasted, fair-trade, organic coffee
organic quinoa
organic dried apples
organic dried cranberries

CHEESE:
local feta

FROZEN:
organic orange juice
local, organic blueberries
local, organic corn
organic mangoes
sweet potato fries

HERBS & SPICES:
kava

PACKAGED GROCERY:
organic light brown sugar
Virgil's "Real Cola"
spinach and artichoke kettle chips
coconut juice w/pulp
organic marinara
Seventh Generation TP
Seventh Generation dish soap

PRODUCE:
organic carrot
organic bananas
organic avocadoes
organic nectarines
organic ginger root
local, hydroponic cucumbers
local, organic, white button mushrooms
organic red onions
organic yellow onion
organic green onions
organic yellow bell peppers
organic orange bell peppers
organic red bell peppers
jalapenos
local grape tomatoes
local, hydroponic slicing tomatoes
local, organic shredded cabbage package
organic fuji apples

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
organic white miso
organic superfirm tofu

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This week's meal plan . . .

Breakfasts: muffins and/or smoothies and/or granola with almond milk
Lunches: Greek-style pasta salad or soba noodle salad

Friday dinner: egg salad sandwiches, fruit, chips, beverages, cookies (we're going on a picnic!)
Saturday dinner: "Spicoli Burgers," homemade buns, green salad, sweet potato fries
Sunday dinner: sushi and miso soup
Monday dinner: leftovers (I work late)
Tuesday dinner: black beans and "Yellow Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn, and Feta Cheese"
Wednesday dinner: leftovers (I work late again)
Thursday dinner: leftovers or takeout, depending on what's in the house ('cause we'll be too busy packing for vacation to cook!)

~~~~~~~~~~

So, how do you feel when you are undercharged/given an accidental "freebie" from a store? Guilt? Excitement? A bit of both?

this week in my kitchen . . .

Sunday morning bread-baking:

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, shaped into a traditional French-bread type loaf, and also made into za'atar seasoned flatbread.

Sunday night supper:

"Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Sauce" from The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without. I would never want to live without this dish! Yummmmmm. (Side salad not pictured.)

Monday night supper:

"Tuscan Poached Eggs with Parmesan," from Fine Cooking, with kale and garlic toast on the side.

Tuesday baking:

Healthy and tasty muffins -- apple-cinnamon, made with whole-wheat pastry flour, rolled oats, agave, coconut oil, and almond milk, among other ingredients. (They have a surprisingly delicious, "buttery" flavor -- has anyone else experienced that when baking with coconut oil?)

And granola:


Tuesday night supper:

"Eggplant and Tomato Gratin" and "Saffron Rice," both from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. Side salad not pictured.

And last, my birthday present to myself:

Wee!

happy birthday to me!

I had a fantastic birthday yesterday! I began my day with my usual weekend trip to the Farmer's Market:

$36 poorer when I arrived home, but loaded down with all of this good stuff! Clockwise from top left: wholegrain sandwich bread, chives, hot salsa, two pounds of asparagus, wholegrain tortillas, basil, eggs, and pepper Jack cheese. YUM!

After the Farmer's Market, I met up with five of my girlfriends for lunch at Galactic Pizza! We chatted while we enjoyed salad, cheesey bread, pizza, and the awesome Chai Latte cupcakes Courtney made!! I received a couple of nice cards and gifts, too -- a great birthday surprise! Thank you Courtney, Ann, Christine, Tiffany, and Ashley! It was great to see all of you!

After lunch, Dan and I loaded up our CamelBaks, hopped into the car, stopped at the co-op for picnic supplies, and drove 45 minutes out of the city to Lake Maria State Park. We went for a six-mile hike, enjoyed our picnic dinner at the "Wildlife Viewing Area," and took one more short one-mile hike before heading back to town. Photos from the afternoon:






















On our way back into town, we stopped at Cheapo, where Dan encouraged me to pick out my birthday present -- two new CDs! We then headed home, where I pretty much collapsed into bed -- too much birthday fun, exercise, and busy-ness. (But I slept really well last night!)

Back to the grind for me today. But . . . less than two weeks until vacation time! Wee!

your opinion needed.

Got any favorite recipes in Eat, Drink, and be Vegan or La Dolce Vegan? If so, tell me about them -- I have so many new/library cookbooks right now, I'm having trouble focusing!! Aaaaaahhhhh!!!

(I guess I could have worse problems than this. But your help is still appreciated.)

:)

backlogged dinner, weekly shop

First, here's a pic from Monday night's dinner:



"Bare Bones Tofu Curry," with red peppers, asparagus, and mushrooms thrown in for good measure, from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. Dan loved this, I thought it was about a B+ -- nothing earth-shattering, but definitely a few notches above "edible."

~~~~~~~~~~

Next, the weekly co-op haul:



BULK:
local, organic "gold & white" flour
locally-roasted, organic, fair-trade coffee
local, organic rolled oats
organic bulgur
organic long-grain brown rice

DELI:
"Tempeh Tarragon" salad
"Wild and Crazy Rice" salad
"Greek Orzo" salad

FROZEN:
local, organic blueberries
organic mangoes

HERBS & SPICES:
organic vanilla bean (from a local company)

PACKAGED GROCERY:
artichoke heart quarters
chamomile tea
organic, diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
Seventh Generation kleenex
Seventh Generation TP
Seventh Generation laundry detergent

PERSONAL CARE:
NatraCare pantiliners

PRODUCE:
organic bananas
organic lemons
organic Packham pears
organic eggplant
organic dino kale
local hydroponic English cucumber
organic parsley
local, organic white button mushrooms
organic vidalia onion
local grape tomatoes
local hydroponic slicing tomatoes
organic strawberries

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
Earth Balance buttery sticks
local, organic half-and-half
local, organic plain yogurt

44% of my purchase was local today, and that's not even counting what I'll pick up at the Farmer's Market this weekend!

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Last, this week's meal plan is a bit more elaborate, since Dan's officially moved in!

Breakfast stuff: granola w/almond milk and/or smoothies
Lunch stuff: leftovers and/or quesadillas and/or bulgur tabouli w/homemade pita and yogurt cheese

Dinner Friday: homemade pizza and side salads
Saturday: lunch and dinner are both planned out, since it's my BIRTHDAY!
Sunday dinner: "Tuscan Poached Eggs w/Parmesan" (from Fine Cooking,) garlic toast, kale
Monday dinner: "Eggplant-Tomato Gratin" and "Saffron Rice" (both from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen,) and side salads
Tuesday dinner: "Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Sauce" (from The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without,) and side salads

(Wednesday and Thursday dinners will be leftovers, since I have to work late.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Off to work!

Daring Bakers Challenge -- Apple Strudel

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Vegan Apple Strudel:



I followed the challenge recipe fairly closely this month. I made a half-recipe, added extra cinnamon (per some brilliant Daring Baker's suggestion,) and used dried cranberries instead of raisins. The only switch for veganizing was using Earth Balance instead of butter. Very delicious! This reminded me of "Racine Danish Kringle," which I've never seen outside of southeastern Wisconsin -- a great throwback to my childhood. (I'm sure I've had apple strudel before, too, but nothing nearly as delicious as this!)

The most challenging part of this month's challenge was making and working with the strudel dough. I found the dough relatively easy to work with, and was able to get it quite thin. (I did let my dough rest for nearly three hours . . . time got away from me!) However, I cut off nearly a third of the dough around the edges, even though I had the right-sized rectangle according to the directions . . . hmm. Perhaps I'll keep stretching next time, so I have more than two layers of flakiness around my filling!

Thanks for a fun challenge, Linda and Courtney!

yum.

You might be wondering what I did with those morels from the Farmer's Market . . .

Lunch, that's what I did! Sauteed the morels and asparagus in olive oil, added garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and whole-wheat pasta. Topped with parmesan. Wee!

I'd never had morels before, and I think the thing that most impressed me was their texture -- very hearty, "toothsome," and savory. Mmmmmmm.

And, here's dinner:

Sorry for the blurry picture, but we had fajitas! Marinated, browned tempeh, peppers, and onions, topped with queso fresco, tomatoes, shredded cabbage/carrots, sour cream, salsa, and homemade guacamole! Yum, yum, extra yum.

P.S. I love the library:

morels!

And other good stuff:



The morels made for a spendy week at the Farmer's Market, but we also picked up two pounds of asparagus again, (this time for immediate consumption, as opposed to steaming/blanching and freezing, like last week,) two huge packages of salad greens (w/edible flowers!), green onions, rhubarb, mint, and mozzarella cheese. Wahoo!

We spent $32.50 this week, but it was TOTALLY worth it. I anticipate amazing pasta for lunch, when Dan gets home from band practice.

I also noticed folks selling homemade tortillas and homemade salsas, which I will have to pick up next week -- I've been buying both like crazy from the co-op lately, and I'd much rather buy direct from the producer if I can!

Did you go to your Farmer's Market this week? What did you find?

thank you, Crystal!

Dinner tonight came straight from Crystal, of Cafe Cyan. I made the recipe she posted for "Tempeh Nicoise," and I must say, this was one of the greatest meals we've had in a LONG time. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Crystal!

Here's the salad, in all of its veggie-riffic glory:

(And yes, that vinaigrette is guzzle-worthy. I found it tasted quite strong to me at first, but after an afternoon mellowing in the fridge, it's FANTATSIC!)

And I added a side to go with our salads:

"Za'atar Flatbread," from Artisan Bread, and yogurt cheese, topped with an extra sprinkle of za'atar and a drizzle of (really excellent) olive oil.

And of course, there was dessert, too:

Homemade strawberry-rhubarb crisp, with homemade vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. Yummy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Farmer's Market tomorrow -- weee! Until then.

food is expensive.

I should rephrase . . . healthy, organic, mostly local food is expensive. Alas! I guess it's cheaper than hefty medical bills, eh?

This week's loot from the co-op:



BULK:
locally-roasted, organic, fair-trade coffee
local, organic yellow popcorn

CHEESE:
local queso fresco

FROZEN:
local, organic strawberries

HERBS & SPICES:
local, organic vanilla bean

PACKAGED GROCERY:
organic Greek olive mix
coconut juice w/pulp
organic, lite coconut milk
organic extra-virgin olive oil ($5 off! woo!)
Seventh Generation TP

PRODUCE:
organic bananas
organic avocado
organic limes
organic apricots
organic white peaches
organic green beans
local, organic, white button mushrooms
organic red onion
organic shallots
organic green bell pepper
organic red bell peppers
local, organic red potatoes
local, organic coleslaw mix
organic fuji apples

REFRIGERATED GROCERY:
organic whole-wheat tortillas
organic tofu
non-gmo 5-grain tempeh
local, organic half & half

SUPPLEMENTS:
organic flax oil

~~~~~~~~~~

Holy moly, is flax oil expensive! I bought some to try out a new vinaigrette recipe, and I hope it's as amazing as it's supposed to be! (And I know I probably don't get enough Omega-3s on a regular basis, so a little flax oil every now and then will be a good thing.)

Here's our weekend meal plan:

Friday dinner: Tempeh Nicoise Salads, homemade bread
Friday dessert: strawberry-rhubarb crumble and homemade vanilla ice cream
Saturday breakfast: maybe pancakes again? or we'll just have smoothies or granola
Saturday lunch: pasta w/marinara and side salads
Saturday dinner: tempeh fajitas!
Sunday dinner: "Bare Bones Tofu Curry" from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen (My new favorite cookbook!)

Since I have to work Sunday AND Monday this weekend, (no three-day weekend for me -- boo hiss,) I'm not sure whether we'll have something fun for dinner Monday night, or just have leftovers. We shall see . . . !

busy bee.

I am thankful to have the day off today, and have been one heck of a busy bee with all of my free time!

First, many, many things happening in the kitchen . . .

Rhubarb for the freezer:


Asparagus for the freezer:


Oh yeah, more asparagus for the freezer:


12 cups of chickpeas for the freezer:


Pasta salad:

Caprese-style with tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella, coated in a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

AND, "Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango:"

Ah, VCON, how I've neglected thee lately. This salad ROCKS. Quick, simple, gorgeous, healthy, and delicious! I imagine this would make an amazing potluck offering at some point this summer. :) And maybe amazing camping food, too!

I also met my friend Ashley for coffee this afternoon, and ran a couple of errands. I spent a FORTUNE at Target . . . a few new summer tops, a dress for a wedding we're attending in a couple of weeks, camping supplies for our upcoming trip, dish soap, toilet bowl cleaner . . . it all adds up so FAST!

Can you believe, however, that the one thing on my Target list that I didn't get (because it wasn't available) was a black cardigan sweater? Weird. I guess I'll try the Gap? American Apparel? H&M? (Although, going all the way to the "Black Hole of Death" seems extreme just for one sweater.) Grumble. Target, why did you let me down!??!?!?

Off to finish up my to-do list for the evening -- I have tons of cleaning left to do.

baked oatmeal, revised.

Baked Oatmeal is something I'd fallen in love with over the years, but never really made. The recipes I have all call for insane amounts of sugar, melted butter, and eggs, which never seemed all that . . . healthy? (Plus, from all of that gunk, eating it usually made me feel a little ill!) I decided to revise my recipe this morning, and discovered a delicious result!



Revised Baked Oatmeal

Stir together:

1 1/2 cups oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (this could be reduced even further in the future)
3/4 cup milk whipped with 1 tbsp Ener-G
1/4 cup Earth Balance, melted
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries and blueberries)

After stirring, let the oatmeal sit for a few minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Pour into a greased 8-inch pan, and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

(I drizzled my portion with a wee bit of heavy cream . . . very decadent!)