Vegan Mofo V Day 13: Go Fish!

I ate a lot of fast food growing up. It didn't help that we had a McDonald's and a Del Taco side by side just down the street from us. My parents would often have to stop at both places because I didn't like McDonald's very much, so I got my "beans in a cup" from Del Taco instead. Sometimes I would get the Filet O'Fish sandwich, without tartar sauce. We would have to pull over and park with one of those plastic-cone type deals on the hood until someone could bring it out for us. Was I such a huge pain in the ass or is it more of a problem that the premade sandwiches were sitting there for who knows how long, waiting to be picked up? I'd say it's a bit of both since I am still a pain in the ass, just not as much as I used to be.

I was a really picky eater and ate almost all of my food "plain". Thankfully I've grown out of that and enjoy many tasty condiments and toppings I would have turned my ignorant nose at years ago. I'm looking at you- sauerkraut and cilantro. Now I hugely overcompensate that by loading up everything I make whether it's a sandwich, a taco or even an omelet. The reuben I made the other day broke the bread. Maybe I need to find a happy medium, but that sandwich was delicious so I make no apologies, only that it sucks you didn't get to have any.

Today I made "Filet O' (Tofu) Fish" from The Vegan Mouse. I prepared the sauce and marinade yesterday because I thought I would make it when I came home from school. It was super hot when I got back and I still had to do the dishes I didn't get to do before I left. Maybe it was the heat or tearing out all the science book pages in the hot classroom, but I was too tired to do much more than the dishes and a few loads of laundry. I even lagged when it came to taking P for her nightly walk. I like to leave by a certain time so we can get a good walk in before it gets too dark, but last night it was still too warm even though 20-30 minutes later than usual. I can't complain though, I do like only having to wear pants a few days a year (I hate pants!).

Back to the sammich! If you haven't made this before, you should get of the dime and do it. You won't be disappointed. I didn't have fresh ginger because I thought the ones I had in the fridge would still be good. They weren't. Now I know why Isa says to hurry up and peel, cut, freeze it as soon as you get home. I just put a bit more ginger powder, and they still came out great, but I'm sure they're a million times better with the fresh ginger. I added more relish to the tartar sauce because that's how I like it, but I'm sure you can do it to taste. I am normally horrible at breading and frying things but today I finally got the wet hand-dry hand down. I am so proud! I can't wait to make these again with some freshly baked french fries.

Vegan Mofo IV Week 4: Dip Baby Dip

Since I slacked on my Thanksgiving menu I asked my sister what else she wanted to eat and she said to make Spinach Artichoke Dip. I bought most of what I thought I would need and then I consulted the PPK for guidance. The most popular suggestion was the Vegan Mouse's recipe. I knew they wouldn't steer me wrong and luckily I only needed one more ingredient for the dip, plus some bread/chips to dip in it.

We picked my uncle up from the train station and on the way home stopped at the store for the last minute items. Then I hurried around like a fool chopping veggies for the dip and for stuffing. Everything for the dip smelled and looked so good, I couldn't wait to get it in the oven. Since my dad made turkey, I had to use the toaster oven, which was okay since my baking dish fit perfectly. I followed the recipe but also sprinkled a bit of daiya on top. When it was time to take it out of the oven, it was tough to pack it up and take it away without trying it.

As soon as we got to my aunt's we tore into it. We probably stood over the dish for about five minutes stuffing our faces before we offered it to anyone else. My sister was a better sharer than me, offering tastes to my mom, my aunt and my grandma. I just kept serving myself. I know we could have ate the whole thing between us, but everyone else who tried it agreed it was quite tasty. It's great to have another go-to option to bring to functions. There was a little bit left over so we brought it home, but as of this entry it's already been devoured. I can't wait to make this again. I'm thinking of making a mini happy hour at home pretty soon.