Friendship

Warm Bok Choy and Roasted Veggie Couscous Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing. Guest Post from Kristy Turner at Keepin’ It Kind

I’m so delighted Kristy from Keepin’ It Kind is sharing a recipe with you today with this guest post. We’ve been blogging buddies from the very beginning (as she mentions below). If you haven’t all ready met Kristy, you need to head over to her site. The food and the photography will dispel any myths that vegans can’t eat a first class gourmet diet. All while using healthy and simple ingredients. This recipe today is one that I know I’d love, since bok choy is one of my favorite vegetables! Keep reading and I’ll share some links to my favorites from Kristy’s site at the end of this post.

•••••••••••••••

Firstly, I want to thank Somer for inviting me here today. I have admired Somer since BVO (Before Vedged-Out). As I’m sure you all already know, Somer’s passion is inspiring, her enthusiasm is contagious, and her food is delicious. I know that Somer hasn’t been her normal self due to an unfortunate injury so it is my pleasure and an honor to help her out today.

I’d really like to say that in the summer, all of my meals are filled with an abundance of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables but that would be a lie. The truth is, in the summer, my laziness is at an all-time high.

This laziness creates a little bit of a back-up in my refrigerator’s vegetable drawer. I belong to a CSA and have a weekly box of organic, seasonal, and locally-grown produce delivered to my door. I love this delivery and look forward to it all week, but with my case of summer laziness, a lot of this produce just sits in my refrigerator until I can muster up enough ambition to do something with it.

Normally, I use produce from this delivery throughout the week, spreading it out over several meals. A couple weeks ago, however, I realized that I had barely used any of my produce and I had another delivery coming the next day. My dislike for wasting food trumps my laziness any day of the week so I pulled all of the unused produce out and created a super-easy meal packed with seasonal veggies. I roasted up some mushrooms, summer squash, broccoli and green beans. I briefly sautéed some baby bok choy with red cabbage and shallots. I tossed all of the veggies, along with a grain, with an incredibly simple, ridiculously delicious lemon caper dressing (seriously, it comes together in less than a minute). My husband and I could not get over how good this meal was. We even loved it as leftovers a couple days later. We loved it so much that I had to make it again.

Originally I made this dish with freekeh, a grain similar to barley, but for recipe-creation purposes, I chose to use something a little more common. This salad would be great with quinoa, millet, farro, barley, or freekeh (if you have some on hand) but for this version, I chose israeli (or pearl) couscous. I love this chewy little pasta/grain and it worked beautifully in this dish.

The star of this meal, though, is the lemon caper dressing. As I mentioned before, it’s stupid easy and this salty, tart dressing adds quite the little “zing” to every bite. If you wanted to add a little bit of protein to the meal, you could easily incorporate some chickpeas or another legume. You could also add/substitute other veggies if these don’t float your boat- roasted eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower or even asparagus would all work really well here.

This, my friends, is a perfect summer meal because a.) It’s packed with healthy veggies, b.) it’s delicious, and c.) it’s easy to make and comes together very quickly so ~~you~~ I have plenty of time to be lazy.

warm bok choy and roasted veggie couscous salad with lemon caper dressing

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

for the roasted veggies

1 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and chopped into 1/2 inch-thick half-moons
1 pound fresh green beans (or purple or yellow beans), ends trimmed and chopped in half
3 cups small broccoli florets (stems can be included if desired)
olive oil spray
2 teaspoons tarragon
2 teaspoons thyme
salt and pepper to taste

for the bok choy and cabbage

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4-5 bunches baby bok choy, bulb end trimmed
1/2 head of red/purple cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

for the couscous

2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup israeli couscous (or other grain)

for the lemon caper dressing

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

roast the veggies

Preheat the oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the veggies out over the two baking sheets. Lightly spray them with olive oil (or drizzle with olive oil) and sprinkle the herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to fully coat.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside.

cook the couscous

Once the veggies are in the oven, you can prepare the couscous. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Once it is boiling, add the salt then the couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for about 15 minutes before checking. At this point, the water should have cooked away and you can fluff the couscous with a fork. If there is still water, cover and let sit until water has cooked away (You may have to drain some of the water at the end). Let sit until ready to use.

prepare the dressing

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a cup wide enough to fit an immersion blender. Use an immersion blender to puree the capers and blend all of the ingredients together until it is mostly smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a blender, but you will likely have to scrape the sides several times until it is mostly smooth. Chill until ready to use.

cook the bok choy and cabbage

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the bok choy and cabbage and sauté until just beginning to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

assemble the salad

Combine the veggies, the couscous, and the bok choy/cabbage mixture in a large bowl. Give it a couple stirs to incorporate the ingredients a little more. Pour the dressing over the salad (You may need to re-stir the dressing if it has separated at all) and mix until it is all fully combined. Serve immediately. You can make this a day or two ahead of time but you may want to reheat slightly before serving. Enjoy.

Photography by Chris Miller

Thank you for having me here, Somer, and thank all of you for stopping by and reading! Have a great day! 🙂

To view more of Kristy’s incredible creations (these are just some of my favorites), click on any of the following links.

Clockwise: Sweet and Salty Ice Cream Layer Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Waffles, Jackfruit Enchiladas, Sunflower Cheddar, Seitan Mushroom Roast, S’more Cookies, Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches, Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Pizza, Butternut Wild Mushroom Lasagna with Pecan Parmesan, Chickpea Caulipots with Miso Mushroom Gravy

Tuscan White Bean and Basil Pizza, Guest Post from Shira at In Pursuit of More

I’ve got the lovely Shira from In Pursuit of More guest posting here today. I’ll be honest, I probably cook more off Shira’s blog then I do out of any of the cookbooks in my house. That may have something to do with the fact that we’re a mere 5 days apart in age, us Virgos must have some very similar taste. Today she’s brought you this incredible Tuscan White Bean and Basil Pizza. Meet me again at the end of this post for more of my favorites from her site.

Howdy Vedged out readers! I’m super thrilled to be sharing a post with Somer’s amazing readers today and hope you guys enjoy this yummy recipe! When a friend reaches out and asks for a hand, there is really only one thing you can do: offer both of yours up and see if there is anyone else out there with a few to spare. I’ve been re-inspired of late by the amazing opportunities we have everyday to make other people feel special, and to literally make their day, or their week, or their year.

Of all the good deeds I’ve seen in the past few days, there is one that struck me as particularly potent, especially if we are looking to make a difference in the life of a stranger, and perhaps someone a whole lot less fortunate than we are (on the surface anyway). The other night, me and a girlfriend were ending an evening of wonderful food and drink at a friend’s new restaurant, when, as we walked to my car, we passed a woman about our age pushing a grocery cart.

It was raining, the first rain since the start of July, and she was well bundled in fleece, with a hat, and didn’t look like she had anywhere to go. She saw us walking past as there was no one else on the street, and her eyes caught mine. Used to walking past people asking for money (I regularly hand out 5 dollar bills – it just makes me feel good), I naturally assumed she might need/want some cash. But somehow her look that night was different.

“Hi”, I said, as I interrupted our chirpy girlfriend chatter, “Is there something you need?”. I rifled through my bag, searching for what I didn’t know. Did I have a bar? A snack? A bill I could spare? She didn’t answer but looked down as if embarrassed and waved both of her hands like she was sorry to interrupt us. We stood there for a split second in the dark night before my gorgeous girlfriend (inside and out) broke the silence with, “Do you need a hug?”.

With that, my girlfriend approached her, without giving her the option to decline, and gave her a giant hug. A long hug, the kind you settle into, and the kind that passes energy between two people the way nothing else really can. They both wrapped their arms around each other and shared. It wasn’t a fast hug, or a false hug, or the kind that passes between acquaintances and family as part of obligation, along with all the awkwardness that often goes had in had with those exchanges too. Afterwards, it was my turn, and I nestled into this woman’s fleecy softness and was filled with gratitude for such a sweet, simple exchange of love & kindness. It felt good. Pure. So simple. And so real.

A reminder that we are all human, born not of our choosing, and given the freedom to choose our actions every moment of every day no matter what our lot in life.

Afterwards, I was on such a high for the gift my friend had given not only the woman we saw on the street, who carried on into the darkness with her cart and hopefully a full heart, but to me too.

To realize that human need is so much more than just material, and that those all around us need love & kindness, and the kind you can’t buy with all the spare change in the world. Feeding the heart and soul is every bit as important as keeping our tummies full, and I was reminded of the power we all hold with just a simple extending of our arms.

I hope you’ll enjoy this beautiful pizza as it wraps its hearty arms around you, as this rustic Tuscan recipe conjures up images of old grandmothers & sunny countrysides. Simple, easy & good. Like a hug from a stranger, well maybe not that good, but you know what I mean 🙂

Tuscan White Bean & Basil Pizza:

(1.5) cups white kidney beans, drained & rinsed
(2) cloves garlic, minced
(1) tbsp olive oil
(1) cup vegetable stock (divided)
(1/2) tsp salt
black pepper to taste
(1/4) cup fresh basil, cut in ribbons or minced
(3) roma tomatoes, cut in rounds
olive oil for baking the crust
(1) recipe pizza dough (my recipe here Basic IPOM Pizza Dough, Somer’s recipe here Vedged Out Pizza Dough)

First, prepare the pizza dough in advance according to directions, or use your favorite pre-made dough (I have a fave Italian deli I buy from and keep ’emergency’ dough in my freezer).

To create this simple rustic pizza, complete the following steps. This is a wonderfully simple yet totally fresh take on pizza that I find simple yet still sophisticated.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium low until warm and add the minced garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring often to keep the garlic from burning. Cook the garlic for 2 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Add the drained beans, about (1/3) cup veggie stock to start and the salt & pepper. Cook this mixture for a few minutes until the stock has evaporated, adding more to achieve a creamy consistency. Do this for 10-15 minutes until all the stock has been used and the beans are hot and creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in half the basil.

While the beans are simmering, prepare the pizza crust (enough for one pizza). Oil a round or rectangular baking sheet and stretch the dough over the pan. Lightly brush the crust with olive oil and prick here and there with a fork. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 4 minutes. Remove, prick the crust again all over with a fork, and cook for another 4 minutes.

Remove the pre-baked crust, and when the beans are ready, spread them evenly over the entire pizza. Place the tomato slices over the top and drizzle with a little more olive oil and black pepper.

Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is brown on the edges. Top with the remaining fresh basil and the Parmesan cheese or vegan cheese topping of your choice.

This pizza makes a wonderful first course to a dinner party and offers folks a chance to try something new and delicious over a glass of wine and good conversation. It is beautiful to look at and showcases a good crust and the beautiful flavors of fresh garlic & summer basil.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge and make the perfect on the go lunch. Particularly if you like cold or room temperature pizza as much as I do 🙂

Love and hugs to all, particularly to my dear blogging friend Somer, who asked me so kindly to be here today (insert gratitude here). We all need hugs, whether virtual or otherwise, so do reach out and hug someone today. You never know what’s around the corner, so don’t wait, not ever. The time is now, so reach out and grab it, squeeze it hard, and don’t ever let go.

Yours in Less,

Somer’s Note: Feeling so much love from this post. Do you have an extra hand to lend to others in need? Visit Shira at her charity site, Not So Fast. Oh, and don’t forget to check out some of my very favorite recipes from Shira. I’ve made each of them more than a handful of times, and each one feels (almost) as good as I imagine a hug from the woman herself would:

Clockwise: Cashew Rice Loaf with Red Pepper Sauce, Spiced Lentils & Indian Chapatis, Almond Chocolate Rice Crispie Squares, Fiesty Fried Cumin Hummus, 3 Ingredient Soy Balsamic Dressing, Chuffed and Roasted Potatoes, Incredible Cranberry Orange Dressing, Sunny Day Orange Date Shake

Vegan Madeleines with Citrus and Raspberries! Guest Post from Alexander Willow Harvey at In Vegetables We Trust.

Since I’ve spent most of my time this summer on vacation, hanging out with my kids and in Doctor’s offices for my injury, I haven’t been spending as much time as I’d like in the kitchen. So, I’ve asked some of my blogging friends to lend a hand and guest post here.

My first guest post is from my friend Alexander at In Vegetables We Trust.

At the tender age of 21, he’s more talented in the kitchen than most people ever will be. He’s a bread maker, cake baker and everything vegan extraordinaire. For just some of my favorite posts from Alexander view the photos and links below:

(Clockwise) Rainbow Salad, Apple and Parsnip One Pot, Cupcakes with Vegan Honeycomb, Whole grain Pflaumenkuchen – Yeasted Plum Cake, Pumpkin Seed Oatcakes, Coconut Courgette Cake, Olive and Caper Bread, Slow Cooker Chili, Chocolate Chestnut Pies, “Beefy” Lentil and Portabello Stew, Rocket Pesto Cookie Sheet Pizza, Nanaimo Bars.

Now for these beautiful Madeleines, they are a small French sponge cake baked in a pan that has shell like depressions. To purchase your very own Madeleine pan, click here. Alexander has been preparing recipes with lots of edible flowers as of late, lucky you!

Vegan Madeleines with Citrus and Raspberries

Ingredients:

For the Madeleines:

1/2 cup plain white flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
4 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup canola oil/ rapeseed oil
1/3 cup golden unrefined castor sugar
Zest of half a lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
10- 12 raspberries

For the glaze:

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup icing sugar
Edible petals for garnish/ decoration (optional)

Method: Preheat the oven to 180c/ 360f. Grease a 12 hole madeleine pan and dust with flour, turn upside down and tap out the excess flour. Sift together the four, soy flour and baking powder into a bowl. In a separate bowl beat together the flax-seed, soy milk and lemon juice with a hand mixer for a few minutes until you have worked in some air, add the oil, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla and beat again for a few minutes. Sift in half of the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Sift in the other half and fold together until fully incorporated. Scoop the mix into a piping bag, snip off the end and pipe into the madeleine pan (this is the quickest and easiest way) filling them up about 3/4’s of the way. And carefully press a raspberry into the top of each one. Bake for about 10 minutes, turning during baking if your oven is uneven. Once baked remove from the oven and carefully use a spoon to place the hot madeleines on a wire rack to cool, raspberry side up. Allow to cool completely before glazing. To make the glaze carefully combine the lemon juice, soy milk and vanilla with the sifted icing sugar in a bowl, mix nice and slow so as not to get icing sugar every where (I always seem to spill some). Dip the cooled madeleines in the glaze and place back on the wire rack, sprinkle with edible flower petals and allow to set. Serve with tea.

Smoothies, Cinnamon Rolls and That’s a Wrap.

So, my new friend Katie over at Well Vegan is on a Smoothie Train, check out this Super Green Smoothie, her Blackberry Cashew Smoothie and her Peanut Butter Smoothie. Y’all know how I feel about smoothies, so of course I hopped right on board. The Super Green Smoothie is featured in the photo below. Pure love.

For many of you Vegan Richa needs no introduction. The girl is a baking, Indian food making vegan fool (in such a good way). I’d been drooling over her cinnamon roll recipe from the get go. I just can’t believe it took me so long to make it. It’s one of the “best I’ve ever had” moments… and that’s not one I say too often. Just. Do. It. It’s healthier than it looks.

Shira at In Pursuit of More really got to me in her Food Bloggers Against Hunger Post. She knows how to speak from right from her heart and it makes her whole blog glow with love.

I don’t think I’ll ever buy flour tortillas again after making the Indian Chapatis, and the Spiced Lentils are simply gorgeous. Yeah, she never steers me wrong.

What food bloggers are you loving at the moment? What’s the best recipe you’ve tried off a favorite site recently?

Mini Chocolate Cashew Cheesecakes

I’m guest posting over at In Vegetables We Trust today in a fun little collaboration where I’ve created a recipe, Annie at An Unrefined Vegan photographed it and now it’s been cyber-transported across the ocean landing on the table at Alexander’s place in the UK.

If you haven’t met Alexander, you need to get going and follow this favorite blogger of mine, I swear he’s like a young Jamie Oliver gone vegan. I seriously drool and fawn over every recipe he makes. Epic stuff. Plus you need to send him some birthday love! (He’ll be 21 tomorrow) I’m positive you’ll adore him and his recipes just as much as Annie and I do (we kinda want to adopt him).

Get the all the glorious deets and recipe

here.

All photos in this post Courtesy of Annie at An Unrefined Vegan

Celebrating 100 Posts!

It’s a good day all around, this post marks my 100th post since I started this blog in September 2012. I’m feeling all kinds of love and support! Thanks to all of you. Today I got twitter follows from Forks Over Knives, Dr. McDougall and a Hospital!?! I also got featured on the brand new site, Choose Veg. Feeling happy and blessed. Here’s a look back at 99 posts, in no particular order.

Healthied Up Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/05/healthied-up-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/

Quinoa Tabbouleh: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/25/simplest-quinoa-tabbouleh-salad/

Insane Chocolate Layer Cake: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/21/insane-chocolate-layer-cake/

Vedged Out Lasagna: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/19/a-very-vedged-out-lasagna/

African Peanut Stew: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/17/the-ultimate-ratbag/

Happiness in a Cookie Bite: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/17/the-ultimate-ratbag/

20 Reasons Why Going Vegan Sucks: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/11/20reasonswhygoingvegansucks/

Super Soft and Snappy Ginger Cookies: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/27/woohoo-mofo-plus-extra-snappy-and-soft-ginger-cookies/

The Bear 100, Curtis: https://vedgedout.com/2012/09/28/the-bear-100-curtis-823/

Black Bean Veggie Burger: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/01/black-bean-veggie-burger-with-guac-on-a-pretzel-bun/

Pretzel Rolls: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/02/whole-grain-pretzel-buns-or-rolls/

Somer & Erika

Forks over Knives publishes my testimonial: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/02/holy-freaking-crap/

Vegan French Toast: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/09/vegan-french-toast/

Dad’s Cowboy Beans: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/08/dads-cowboy-beans/

Sriracha and Olive Salsa Fresca: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/12/sriracha-and-olive-salsa-fresca/

Forks Over Knives Cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Cookbook-Plant-Based/dp/1615190619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368043207&sr=8-1&keywords=forks+over+knives

Plum Tart with Apricot Crumble: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/16/layered-plum-tart-with-apricot-crumble/

Vegan BBQ Sandwich: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/17/vegan-bbq-sandwich/

Smoked Coconut Gouda: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/22/smoked-coconut-gouda/

Pomona’s Pectin, vegan cheese’s best friend : http://www.pomonapectin.com/

George Monroy!

Vedged Out Calzone: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/23/vedged-out-calzone-and-a-welcome-party-for-george-monroy/

Cozy Roasted Butternut Soup: https://vedgedout.com/?s=cozy+roasted+butternut+soup

Not Beef Stew: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/10/not-beef-stew/

Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/28/vegan-monte-cristo-sandwich-vegan-mofo-iron-chef-challenge/

Vegan Aebleskivers: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/29/vegan-aebleskivers/

Macadamia Nut Brie En Croute: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/31/virtual-vegan-potluck-spooky-vegan-macadamia-nut-brie-en-croute/

Virtual Vegan Potluck Baby: http://virtualveganpotluck.com/

Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/09/double-dark-chocolate-coconut-pecan-cookies/

Buttery Vegan Pan Rolls: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/14/butterypanrolls/

Moroccan Lentil Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/03/moroccan-lentil-soup/

Happy Herbivore test session: https://vedgedout.com/?s=happy+herbivore

Oil Free Banana Muffins: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/07/oil-free-banana-muffins/

Mini Vegan “Meat” Loaves: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/10/mini-meat-loaves/

Vegan Dog? https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/18/v-dog-review-and-sample-giveaway/

V-Dog! http://v-dog.com/

Truck Stop Jo Jo Potatoes & Vegan Ranch Dressing: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/14/truck-stop-jo-jo-potatoes-with-vegan-ranch-dressing/

Mom’s 9 grain granola: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/21/moms-9-grain-granola/

Creamy Satay Soup with Tasty Baked Tofu: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/30/creamy-satay-soup-with-tasty-baked-tofu/

Toasted Sesame Tahini: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/02/toasted-sesame-tahini-pictorial/

Green Smoothie Challenge: https://vedgedout.com/green-smoothie-challenge-2/

Traditional Green Smoothie: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/07/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-1/

Green Julius: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/08/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-2/

Razzleberry Lemonade Green Smoothie: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/07/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-1/

60 minutes of torture!

Apple Pie Green Smoothie: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/10/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-4/

Cauliflower or Parsnip Tabbouleh: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/10/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-4/

Cheesy Smoky Spicy Black Bean Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/10/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-4/

Veggie Stir Fry: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/11/vedged-out-green-smoothie-challenge-day-5/

Endless Winter

Vegan Hot and Sour Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/12/vedged-out-green-smoothie-day-6/

Abe’s Hearty Lentil Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/13/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-7/

Vegan Laksa: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/31/vegan-laksa/

Vegan Pani Po’ Po: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/29/vegan-pani-po-po/

Creamy White Bean Potato and Kale Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/22/creamy-white-bean-potato-and-kale-soup-with-vegan-sausage/

Vegan Stock Powder: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/19/vegan-stock-powder/

Vegan Peanut Butter Cup, made with Annie’s Chocolate: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/15/blogging-and-friendship/

Pepita Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/13/pepita-oatmeal-raisin-cookie-bars/

Chocolate Ginger Ice Cream: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/04/chocolate-ginger-ice-cream/

Annie’s Miso Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/15/blogging-and-friendship/

Frugal’s Apple, Walnut and Black Treacle Cake: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/27/featuring-frugal/

Chow Down Film Review: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/04/chow-down/

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/06/vegan-cream-of-mushroom-soup/

Vegan Cheez-It’s: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/08/vegan-cheez-it-crackers/

Foxy Moxy Debut: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/11/individual-vegan-margherita-pizzas-with-homemade-fresh-moxarella-cheese/

Sesame Orange Seitan: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/14/meaty-cravings/

Almond and Pistachio Ice Cream: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/16/vegan-almond-and-pistachio-ice-cream/

Celebrating with Morgan: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/19/death-by-double-dark-chocolate-killer-fudge-pie/

Death by Double Dark Chocolate Killer Fudge Pie: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/19/death-by-double-dark-chocolate-killer-fudge-pie/

Kittee’s Vegan Pudla: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/21/vegan-pudla-omelet-thingy/

Scott Jurek’s eat and Run Review: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/17/scott-jureks-eat-run-review-and-giveaway/

Sunwarrior’s Liquid Vitamin Mineral Rush Review: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/29/sun-warrior-liquid-vitamin-mineral-rush-review-and-five-bottle-giveaway/

Doterra Love: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/30/doterra-essential-oil-giveaway-lemon-lavender-and-peppermint-intro-gift-set/

Vegan Cherry Garcia: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/01/vegan-cherry-garcia/

Heart Healthy Pizza’s Spanakopizza: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/03/heart-healthy-pizza-review-recipes-interview-giveaway/

Heart Healthy Pizza’s Mad Cowboy Pizza:https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/05/heart-healthy-pizza-review-recipes-interview-giveaway-part-2/

Frosted Minty Stawberry Lemonade: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/11/frosty-strawberry-lemonade-with-mint-and-a-virtual-vegan-potluck-crash-course/

Vegan Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich:https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/12/caprese-vegan-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-with-vegan-tomato-basil-bisque/

Tomato Basil Bisque: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/12/caprese-vegan-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-with-vegan-tomato-basil-bisque/

Juice Feast + Ultra Green Juice Recipe: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/22/juice-feast-basics-ultra-juice-recipe/

Savory Spicy 8 Juice: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/24/savory-spicy-8-juice/

Curried Brown Rice and Ultimate Lentil Salads: https://vedgedout.com/2013/05/02/myfootisadesert/

My Foot is a Desert MFA exhibition: https://vedgedout.com/2013/05/02/myfootisadesert/

Fluffiest Maple Buttermilk Pancakes: https://vedgedout.com/2013/05/06/fluffiest-maple-buttermilk-pancakes/

Food Bloggers against Hunger: Simplest Chickpea Salad: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/08/food-bloggers-against-hunger-simplest-chickpea-salad/

Somer Goes Raw for 30 days: https://vedgedout.com/2013/03/27/somer-goes-raw-month-of-giveaways/

Frugal’s Hasselback Potatoes: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/27/featuring-frugal/

Frugal’s Roasted Sweet Potato and Parsnip Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/27/featuring-frugal/

Frugal’s Mushroom Orzotto: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/27/featuring-frugal/

Brookie Grasshopper Squares: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/27/keepin-it-kind-holiday-cookie-exchange-brookie-grasshopper-squares/

Quinoa Minestrone: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/26/breaking-a-fast-quinoa-minestrone/

Vegan Thanksgiving: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/19/vedged-out-thanksgiving-menu/

Dad’s Holiday Stuffing: https://vedgedout.com/2012/11/19/vedged-out-thanksgiving-menu/

Vegan MOFO! http://www.veganmofo.com/

Smoky Vegan Split Pea Soup: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/04/smoky-vegan-split-pea-soup/

Cashew Horchata: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/19/raw-vegan-lite-cashew-horchata/

Pepita Maple Butter Dressing with Carrot Ribbon Salad: https://vedgedout.com/2013/02/25/pepita-maple-butter-salad-dressing-with-carrot-ribbon-salad/

VaPOOrize: https://vedgedout.com/2012/12/05/vapoorize/

Tofu Feta: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/08/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-2/

Tropical Colada Green Smoothie: https://vedgedout.com/2013/01/09/vedged-out-2013-green-smoothie-challenge-day-3/

Pepperjack Cashew Cheese: https://vedgedout.com/2012/10/23/updated-pepper-jack-cashew-cheez/

Frosty Strawberry Lemonade with Mint: https://vedgedout.com/2013/04/11/frosty-strawberry-lemonade-with-mint-and-a-virtual-vegan-potluck-crash-course/

Vegan Pudla (Omelet Thingy)

Vegan Pudla (Omelet Thingy)

I’m having a love affair with the Vegan Pudla. I can’t stop making them. I was introduced to these babies by Kittee at Cake Maker to the Stars. Girl knows her stuff, she’s been vegan for more than 2 decades.

I thought it was supposed to be some sort of a vegan omelet replacement, but after more research, the pudla comes from Indian origins and is probably more identifiable as a pancake. Whatever it is, it’s delicious, and you need to make it, NOW. I followed Kittee’s guidelines here and then used them to make this recipe. Then I added lots of spinach, some nooch and some mustard powder… Eggs Schmeggs.

To see all of Kittee’s pudla’s she’s featured on her site, click here. I’ve also made these with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. Believe me, more vegetables = better pudla. Try using about a cup of your favorite diced veg, spices and seasonings in yours. Enjoy!

Just in case you need a closer look….

This post is featured on Allergy Free Wednesdays

Featuring Frugal

Have you ever seen a cake that made your knickers get all in a bunch?

This post started out a long time ago, with this cake, however it was a dare last week that made me pull it out of the draft archives. Nick at Frugal Feeding made a fantastic Mushroom Orzotto, and in his post, taunted me thus: “If you are food revellers of vegan ilk, it may prove a little tricky to create a genuinely satisfying orzotto – without the presence of starch or dairy fat thickening without altering the flavour entirely could prove tricky.“

Mushroom Orzotto

Tricky? Um, I simply subbed 1/2 C. cashews blended with 1 C. water and 1 T. nutritional yeast (cashew cream) and used a “knob” of homemade vegan butter instead of the dairy variety. Oh and I used whole wheat Orzo. Pretty sure I wasn’t missing anything flavor-wise. In fact, these are the sort of dishes that makes my husband ask if we’ve gone off the vegan diet. Fantastic recipe Nick! Next time I’ll be doubling it.

Nick’s Hasselback Potatoes.

The first time I ever saw Hasselback potatoes was on Frugal Feeding. Lets just say, I was more than impressed with the sexy rendition of my favorite root vegetable and have made these several times since.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Parsnip Soup

Then there was the time that I arm wrestled Frugal into participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I don’t think he or his readers ended up disappointed, especially since Nick ended up taking home the prize for best soup with the lovely Roasted Sweet Potato and Parsnip Soup. I knew you had it in you my friend 🙂 Besides, how can you not win everyone over with all those lovely roasted veg? Even the PPK thought the Virtual Vegan Potluck was cool enough to put it at #28 on their top 100 list for 2012! I hope you’ll join us again in May.

Roasted Veggies Lovely Roasted Veg!

Now back to that cake. As I said before, this is exactly the type of cake that makes me swoon.

Frugal’s Apple and Walnut Cake with Black Treacle (Molasses) Icing

I made a double layer 9 inch cake instead of using the 20cm cake tins. I didn’t have any batter leftover for cupcakes like Nick did in his recipe.

Demystifying Metric Measures & Vegan Substitutions: If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I’ve weighed the ingredients on my kitchen scale and then measured them to take the guesswork out of it for you. Normally I wouldn’t include a blogger’s full recipe, but the online measure substitution tools weren’t entirely accurate and caused me to make a mess out of my first cake. I don’t want the same to happen to you. (Don’t worry, I asked Nick for permission). Go to his recipe for the method, but do preheat your oven to 150° celcius (302° farenheit) before starting and give your 9 inch tins an extra five minutes in the oven.

Apple and Walnut Cake with Black Treacle (Molasses) Icing

Ingredients for the Cake:

300 grams organic all purpose flour = 2 cups + scant 1/2 cup (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
140 grams dark brown sugar = scant 2/3 cup
50 grams golden caster sugar (I used organic unrefined sugar) = scant 1/4 cup
250 ml sunflower oil = 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (I used half the amount and subbed 1/2 C. applesauce for the rest, because, as my daughter said when I was measuring it out “mom, you don’t use that much oil in a whole year’s worth of cooking”)
To substitute for the 4 eggs in the recipe: use 1 cup silken tofu, 2 t. apple cider vinegar and 1 t. baking powder blended all together in a blender, (vinegar and baking powder mimics the rise that eggs give in baking)
3 grated apples (leave skins on)
100 grams chopped walnuts = 1 cup
2 t. Mexican vanilla (addition) because I simply have to put it in everything I bake at the moment

Ingredients for the Icing:

100 grams homemade vegan butter or earth balance = about 1/2 cup
50 grams dark brown soft sugar = about 1/4 cup
1 Tablespoon black treacle (molasses)
1 t. Mexican vanilla
200 grams vegan cream cheese = about one 8 ounce container of vegan cream cheese OR or 2/3 block extra firm tofu, pressed overnight to remove extra liquid. If you are using the pressed tofu (like I did) instead of store bought vegan cream cheese, add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to the recipe.

Combine all in food processor until silky smooth. To the tofu haters: if you make the icing in advance and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before icing the cake, the tofu flavor in the icing becomes completely indistinguishable as it absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients. I swear it tastes just like I used real cream cheese.

Do you follow Frugal?

Blogging and Friendship

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, using Annie’s base then adding in the middle: 1/2 cup each: vegan graham cracker crumbs, melted peanut butter and vegan powdered sugar stirred together.

Blogging is a funny thing. At first you start posting your recipes, hoping to garner some sort of recognition, then you start reading other people’s blogs, then joyfully and inevitably some lovely friendships form. Sometimes, you get lucky enough to actually meet and get to know these friends. Pure love. So, I’m apologizing now to all my blogging friends whom I haven’t been by your sites to read or comment on your posts lately. In the last month I’ve sustained two different injuries that have left me mostly couch bound, reading the classics, and drinking lots of tea and trying not to feel sorry for my sad self. My cooking skills have gone down the proverbial toilet (as evidenced by THREE batches of failed cupcakes for a Valentines party yesterday). You may have noticed I haven’t been around, I’m not feeling inspired and I’m sorry to say that the last thing I’m interested in right now is reading about food. I’m sure when I recover I’ll be back with a vengeance, but in the meantime I hope you’ll forgive my absence. It’s not you, it’s me.

Annie’s Whole Wheat Nectarine Pancakes (except I used apples) and a blob of her Cocoa Coconut Butter. The best invention ever.

It hasn’t helped my mojo that one of my best blogging buddies jumped ship and moved back to her home in Oklahoma after being here in Utah for the better part of 2012. I’m feeling forlorn and I miss her like I miss my right arm. I thought you might enjoy a post about her food since I’m not creating anything wonderful. At least you can get some inspiration from Annie at An Unrefined Vegan.

Assembling the chocolates.

Flavors to try: coconut, chopped crystalized ginger, roasted almond and raisin, orange (using a couple drops essential oil), mayan (cinnamon and chili), peppermint (using a couple drops essential oil), pecan, and of course peanut butter cup.

Annie’s Miso Ginger Soup with mushrooms added in. Nearly as comforting as a hug from the girl herself.

I’ll miss our lunch dates my friend.

The big funny: Emergency pit stop with Annie at the always fabulous Cafe Rio Mexican Grill after a lunch date at another restaurant we were reviewing left us famished and disappointed (minuscule portions, average food).

Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies

all photos in this post courtesy of Annie at An Unrefined Vegan

So I made an incredibly delicious batch of cookies a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t even attempt to photograph them for the blog because quite frankly, I thought that they looked like poo. Sometimes when I have a great recipe like this that doesn’t end up here, I’ll email it to my best friends because I want them to have it to enjoy, even if I can’t make it look pretty.

Would you believe Annie at An Unrefined Vegan baked some right up AND then photographed them for me? Now that’s what you call true blogging buddy love. Somehow she managed to make the cookies look a lot prettier and a lot less like poo than my batch. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that she didn’t have a scrap of coconut in the house to add to them.

Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies

1 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 C. cocoa powder
1/4 C. chopped pecans
1/4 C. shaved dried coconut (not the itty bitty kind, and toasting the coconut makes it even more delicious)
1/3 C. dark chocolate chips
1/2 t. baking soda
1/3 C. agave
1/4 t. sea salt
2 T. coconut oil
2 T. almond butter
1/4 C. non-dairy milk of choice
2 t. vanilla

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together. Cut in almond butter and coconut oil (solid) until crumbly. Add soy milk, vanilla, agave, coconut, chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Form 12 big cookies, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before eating.

Have you subscribed to our blog over at the Virtual Vegan Potluck yet? If you haven’t, head on over there now! We have some awesome giveaways coming up over there! And don’t forget to vote for your favorite entry in each course before the 13th!

warm bok choy and roasted veggie couscous salad with lemon caper dressing

Share this:

Tuscan White Bean & Basil Pizza:

Share this:

Vegan Madeleines with Citrus and Raspberries

Share this:

Share this:

here.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Apple and Walnut Cake with Black Treacle (Molasses) Icing

Share this:

Share this:

Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies

Share this: