Are You Smuggling Seitan Sausages or Just Happy To See Me?

I really bombed the last few weeks of mofo so I am going to try to make up for them. I am still on a budget and trying to make the most of the cookbooks and ingredients I already have. You should do it even if you aren't on a budget since wasting food is terrible and sleeping on your cookbooks can really bum you out when you realize all the awesome stuff you could be making.

I have been in love with seitan since some time last year when I finally switched over to the "steam team" and had great results. Even though its really easy and you can do a bunch of other things while you wait for them to cook, I don't make seitan as often as I should. I have been wanting breakfast/brunch type foods so when I flipped through Vegan Brunch I knew it was time to get of the dime and make the "Chorizo Sausages."

These came out great. I love that they have the flavor of chorizo but without all of the grease. I halved the crushed red pepper and avoided the cayenne because I didn't want them to be too hot. I'm building my spice tolerance but since I was planning on serving these to my niece I wanted her to be able to enjoy them too. Whenever I make seitan, we call it "meat log" so I asked her if she wanted to try the "meat log". She loved it. I asked her if it was too spicy and she said it had a little kick to it but it was really good. She had a few little slices while I was prepping and we made some chorizo/cheese cracker sammiches too. I really wanted to make a frittata but it was just too warm this week so I am going to make the "Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes" from Viva Vegan instead. There's a chorizo recipe in that book too!

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 16: Spice In Ya Life Is What You Need*

Wow! I can't believe we are halfway through mofo. It's going by much too quickly. I really need to step it up so I can end on a strong note, but honestly I am glad that I have been able to keep up and even happier that I've managed to be at least one day ahead most of the time. Maybe next year I will really have it on lock with themes and everything. We'll see!<br><br>I thought this was going to be my first entry on tofu, but I forgot I had fast food the other day. However, it is the first time I have cooked tofu this month. I love tofu and I know a lot of people think it is all we eat, but I really do not use it all that often anymore. I still love it, but it's a pain to get to the store that has the good prices and I refuse to pay what it costs at the closest supermarket. I think it's $1.79- no way, no day! I did a quick run to Sprouts the other day and only bought what I absolutely needed, otherwise it could get out of control. I had to pay $1.29 instead of $0.99 because they were all out of extra firm, but it was still cheaper than the other store. I also got some eb buttery sticks for upcoming baking. I have tons of shortening but not as much butter. I guess I have to make a lot of pies when the weather cools down.

Anyhow, I really love this recipe for Spicy Tofu from i eat food. I made a half-assed version of this before, just coating the tofu in cornstarch and improvising the sauce since I didn't have sweet chili sauce I used hoisin. I didn't have scallions the first time either, so I'm saying it didn't really count and this is a do-over, a delicious one at that. I double checked to make sure I had everything and got to work. This is going to be in heavy rotation forever. I didn't add any red pepper because I wasn't sure how spicy the chili sauce would be and I always add the tiniest bit of chili garlic sauce, so that ended up to be just right for me. I'm building my spice tolerance, slowly but surely. I sauteed some broccoli and mixed it in with the tofu. If you're smart you'll steam your rice while you cook everything else. Or if you are really sick of dishes and in a hurry to walk your dog, you'll make the tofu and veg, mix 'em together and worry about the rice another day.

*Huge points if you get this reference.

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 13: Use Your Noodle

When planning recipes I've been looking at what I have and making sure I only need to buy one or two items to make it. I also do not want to buy anything I won't use more than once. This is something I probably should have done from the beginning but now that my budget is a lot smaller I am definitely finding new ways to make it work. The really funny thing is that I am eating much better than I did when I had more funds available.

Anyhow, I always have flour, nooch, butter and more seasonings than anyone else in the house will ever use. I already had opened a soymilk to make fritters and I wanted to use it before the 7-10 day window closed. The "Best Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese" recipe from Chloe's Kitchen calls for 3 cups of soymilk, perfect! I only had to buy macaroni and breadcrumbs. I probably could have gotten by with plain breadcrumbs I had in the pantry but since I was able to find seasoned ones, I "splurged." I know I'll use them again for something else.

Macaroni and cheese is easily one of my top five favorite foods. I'm still searching for my favorite veganized version, though I've yet to find a replacement for the heart attack on a plate I used to eat 10 years ago. I want to say it involved a stick of butter, sour cream, and three or four different cheeses and the pan probably weighed ten pounds. Good thing I don't eat like that anymore, right?

Chloe's mac is pretty damn good, but I'm not sure it's the best I'll ever have, it's too early to make that call. I am always trying out new mac recipes so who knows when I will find "the one." However, this is definitely a runner-up after making a few small changes. I loved how creamy it turned out but I think it needed a bit more seasoning. I sneaked in some paprika and more garlic powder before adding the lemon juice and agave, but it still needed something more. Also my breadcrumbs did not get toasty so I had to throw it under the broiler for a bit. Maybe I need to spray the top before putting it in the oven? Doomie's Home Cookin' serves their mac with "bacon" bits on top so I tried that with the second serving I had after work. That might be just what it needs.

p.s. Tomorrow I am participating in AIDS Walk Los Angeles for my 6th year in a row. I'm late to the party but I plan on showing up as long as I can, even when I have to AIDS Roll. If you're a big spender and want to sponsor me, you can do so here. Otherwise send me a message about pledging another amount. Thanks!

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 11- I'm On A Roll!

Yesterday I was so excited about how rad my beans turned out that I decided to keep on going with another recipe from Viva Vegan. I made the "Whole Wheat FlourTortillas with Chia" and they are so delicious. If can eat wheat, I highly suggest you get down and make these.

They turned out so much better than the torts I made last week. I love how simple the recipe is and also that you do not have to wait very long for the dough to rest before you can move on with the process. I'm not a very patient person, so the less "inactive" time a recipe has, the better. Luckily, I had some dishes to keep me busy while I waited.

I usually shy away from buying wheat torts at the market because they are either too thin or too stiff, but these were not like that at all. They are super soft and have a lot of elasticity to them, so don't be afraid to give them a try. I love the addition of the chia seeds as well. I will definitely make these again and possibly double the recipe next time since 8 is never enough, especially when we're talking tortillas.

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 10: They're Basically The Bomb!

I love beans and I could eat them every day. Now that I have found a way to make them without forking them up, there is a darn good chance that is what is going to happen. The beans I cooked last week turned out okay, but the ones I cooked today were bomb!

I followed Terry Hope Romero's instructions for "Basic Beans From Scratch" from Viva Vegan. I was nervous about adding salt at the beginning of the cooking process, but apparently that is a myth. I trust anything Isa and Terry tell me to do in the kitchen. They've been my best teachers so far.

I soaked my beans overnight. After I walked the dog, I came home and got started. I rinsed the beans, and threw them back into the pot with fresh water, kombu, bay leaves and salt. After they got to a boil I lowered the flame and set the timer for two hours. I did my "Just Dance" workout, some dishes, flipped through cookbooks and watched La Bamba on cable while I waited. When the timer went off, my beans were done. I couldn't believe it!

In the past when I have checked my beans at the 2 hour mark, they were not done. Sometimes I would have to cook them for an additional hour and they still didn't turn out all that great. I always knew that cooking beans should be easy but I never got it right until today. You have no idea how happy I am.

After the beans were cooked I followed more of Terry's suggestions and made Onion-Flavored beans. I put a bit too much liquid so I just simmered them a bit longer. So good! I am going to have to make these again really soon. I might cook a pot of pintos for my niece tomorrow because she wasn't feelin' the bay leaves in the black beans. Anyhow, my shortening should be at room temp now so I can start another of Terry's recipes, "Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas With Chia." ¡Hasta Mañana!

Vegan Mofo VI - Day 6: Bowled Over

Let's recap this week's cooking: Monday - beans, Tuesday- Rice, Wednesday-Pancakes, Thursday- Taco Mix, Friday- Torts. What am I going to bring to work for lunch on Saturday? Take everything, except the pancakes, throw it together and make a Taco Bowl! From bottom to top: salad mix, rice, beans, taco mix, guacamole and salsa. Yummy!

I love to order these when I am out but almost never make them at home. Now I have taco bowls for days. I might bring extra tomorrow and see if my co-worker wants to share lunch with me. She likes most of what I have brought in to work, especially the vegan sweets! She usually brings a sammich for lunch. I would much rather eat this than a sammich, wouldn't you? Popcorn Tofu Po' Boys and Tempeh Reubens are huge exceptions!

I didn't plan it this way but I enjoyed making one component of a dish per day and building on that throughout the week. In the past I would cook a dish each day and end up with way too much food. Going forward I might continue with breaking the dishes down or I'll scale down recipes so I don't
overcook/eat. Even though it's almost been a year since my sister and my niece moved out, I haven't adjusted to cooking for one. Sometimes they stop by and help me out with my food surplus, but that's usually only for known favorites. So if I make a huge batch of something and I'm the only one who likes it, I had better love it because I am the only one who will eat it. I could start freezing things too, so long as I don't overcrowd the freezer or forget all the treasures that are hiding inside.

I'll figure it out eventually. I have to start planning for next week. It's going to be a tight month so I have to make the most of what I have and spend as little as possible. Good thing I love a challenge!

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 5: There's No Taste Like Home

 I had my heart set on making tortillas this week, but didn't think I could do it after all. Then I remembered how sucky it is to get caught up in limited thinking. Instead of taking a nap or lazing around in between my weekly volunteer hours and my work shift, I got in the kitchen and got down to work.

My maternal grandmother used to make fresh torts every day when all her kids were at home. I don't know how she did it, but I have fun memories of playing with a little ball of masa while she was making torts for us. Before I moved back east for five minutes in the early 2000s, I asked her to teach me how to cook beans and make torts, fearing that nothing in Boston could compare to what I had grown up with. Of course, nothing I made would be as good as hers, but at least it would be closer somehow.

I should have the notes I took that day, but today I could not find them. I was too embarrassed to call and ask for them again so I used a recipe off the internet. Do not tell Abuelita! They turned out pretty good, but not good enough for me to forget about finding my notes from grandma. Nothing is ever that good, right? My mom gave me an  A+ for effort, but we agreed I'll have to try again soon. I only made a dozen small torts because I was short on time, but the good thing is they fit perfectly in my tortilla oven. If you don't have one, I highly recommend you get one ASAP. I'm kind of bummed they don't have any more like mine but the Texas and L.A. ones are pretty rad too.

I wanted to try the Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas with Chia from Viva la Vegan, but I didn't have any wwf or time to wait for shortening to get to room temp. I plan to make them soon with pot of black beans. I can't believe I haven't made anything from that book yet. Please don't smack me with your chanclas!

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 4: You Taco'n To Me?

 After a brief breakfast interrruption, I decided to keep going with my improvised theme. Also because I talked to my sister and she told me today is National Taco Day. I had no idea and will have to add it to the calendar for next year so I can have a taco party. It wasn't quite "Taco Tuesday on a Thursday", but if I couldn't make tacos, I could at least make taco mix.

I've never made my own taco mix before. I usually just season a block of tofu with a packet from the store.  I knew I had some tvp hiding in the pantry so I searched the internet to find a recipe that sounded good. Luckily I found one, and it's from a fellow Mofo, even better! I used The Snarky Chickpea's recipe with a few small changes. Instead of vegetable broth I used BTB No Beef Base (also hiding in the pantry), brown onion, and some frozen bell pepper strips my brother left behind when he moved last month. I also added about 6 cloves minced garlic. I used this recipe for taco seasoning, but ended up adding 2 T instead of 1 1/2 T.

I hadn't planned on cooking this at all, so I think I made the best of what I had on hand and it turned out great. I packed a bowl with beans, rice and taco mix for my work dinner, yum! I will probably do this more often and just experiment with different seasonings until I find my dream taco blend. It didn't take that much longer than using tofu, especially since I didn't have to wait to press and cube anything! Plus I was able to get this all done while my tortilla masa was resting. Yay! I was super proud of my time management until I realized I still had a lot of dishes to do before changing clothes for work. It's only the first week, maybe I'll have it down by the end of the month. Here's hoping!

Vegan Mofo VI- Day 3: Brought to You By Bisquick

No torts yet! My mom has been home from work this week with allergies, and I absolutely cannot turn the kitchen into a floury mess on her watch. You want me to live to see the end of Mofo, right?! I was really hoping to continue my homemade Mexican food streak, but I'll have to come back to it another day. Maybe I'll make some tvp taco meat instead. I was hoping to make an element each day and then throw them all together at the end of the week, oh well.

Today we have the opposite of "from scratch,": Bisquick Blueberry Pancakes. I was really in a rush since I did not get up on time. Luckily, I always have Bisquick (do I sound like a commercial?). I bought frozen blueberries last week and had some soy milk I wanted to use before it was time to chuck it out so this is what happened. I read the directions wrong and made two flax "eggs" instead of putting 2 T of egg replacement, so I had to add more Bisquick to thicken the batter up. After that I was back in business and finished with just enough time to do the dishes and get changed for work. Speaking of work, I got a phone call this morning to schedule my interview for the Library Assistant position I applied for during the summer. It's a long process but well worth it. I really hope I get it. I'm glad I already had a haircut planned for this week. First impressions count, though I suspect I may be interviewed by some familiar faces. It's a step up and a bit more money I could really use, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Vegan Mofo IV - Day 2: Rice Rice Baby!

Even though frijoles will always be my favorite food, rice is pretty high on the list too. I like mine with lots of veggies in it to balance out all of the starchiness, or at least try to. This is another dish that should be really easy to make but that I will find a way to mess up.

Cooking teaches you a lot of things and one of the hugest lessons I am still struggling with is patience. One mistake I used to make was lifting the lid or stirring the pot. No, no, and no. Put the lid on and leave it alone. Today I did that and everything turned out great, plus I got to watch a bit of one of my favorite films, Volver. I know it's Spanish and not Mexican, but who cares?!

I remember my great grandma's rice would have huge slivers of onion in it, which as a kid, grossed me out since I had not yet acquired a taste for onions. Now, I love them and always put a whole one when the recipe calls for half. Same for garlic, two cloves? Let's put seven, no eight! Some people put veggies and and some do not. Most like to use chicken broth. I grew up eating rice this way and I loved it, having no idea how it all came together. Now I know, but still wanted to find a way to enjoy it, vegan style.

I know I can't ask anyone for a real recipe so checked the internet, and finally found one I liked at forkfingerschopsticks. I printed it out and got super excited about trying it. I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base for the "broth" and 2- 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce instead of one. I added 2 cups thawed frozen mixed vegetables, a whole onion quartered and sliced, and I think 8 cloves minced garlic. I love this recipe. I can't wait for my sister to stop by and try my rice later!

p.s. If you haven't read Michele Serros' Chicana Falsa there is a really great piece in there called "Attention Shoppers" that you will never not think about when shopping for frozen vegetables.

Vegan Mofo VI Day 1: Beans Beans, They're Good For Your ♥

I love Mexican food and since I am Mexican-American, you'd think I would be great at preparing it, right? I hate to break it to you, but I am not. My family has been in the states for quite some time now so there isn't too much that is done fresh and from scratch. Most of us do not have the time or the patience for that these days. Also, it's not like anyone will give you an honest to goodness recipe you can follow. "Oh I put the water to about here, then I just keep an eye on them". Where is "here" on my pot? I don't have the same one as you. I'm not an old school cooking genius, I need guidelines, measurements, time tables. I'm still learning to cook and I haven't got it down to where I just "know" something is ready. Although I am getting a lot better at eyeballing my measurements.

Since I do have quite a bit of time on my hands so I decided to give it another try. I say another, because I have had some bean bummers like you wouldn't believe. I think one time the beans were just too old and dry and another time I didn't have the flame high enough. Let's also factor in the hour or so it used to take me to sort them out!

This time I did a much better job, though not as perfecto as I would like. It takes practice, and most importantly patience. I sorted my beans a lot quicker than last time, yay! I did such a good job that I sorted through another two lbs. just in case I messed up and had to start over. I know that's not the best attitude to have, but given my past, it seemed like a good idea. I think I should have had the flame a bit higher, so I noted that for next time. They ended up taking about an hour longer than I would have liked but at least I didn't have to throw them out. I put a bunch of whole garlic gloves and some kombu since I heard both help to eliminate the musical element that most people associate with beans.

Today I refried them and added some salsa for un desayuno muy delicioso! I usually sauté some soyrizo to the pan before adding the beans, but that wasn't in this week's budget. Maybe next time!

I didn't make my own salsa, but I still think my grandma would be proud. Next up is Mexican Rice and maybe some torts if I get up early enough mañana.

M'damn Curry

I didn't drink a single green smoothie last week and began to worry about all the spinach that I was on the verge of wasting. I remembered I had copied a recipe from an Indian cookbook that sounded good, but while I was looking for that, I found the copies I had made from VWAV, which included the recipe for "Chickpea and Spinach Curry". Having had an imaginary and unfounded curry aversion in the past, I had not tried this recipe yet. It was the perfect thing to make use of all that spinach and help me get over my picky food past. For the record, I used to have a copy of the book, but I loaned it out and I have a feeling I may not ever see it again. I made a few copies to tide me over until I can buy another copy of one of my favorite cookbooks ever. You should buy it if you don't already have it!

I took a quick glance at the recipe and I seemed to have everything I needed, except for the asafoetida, which was optional, phew! It wasn't until I got further along that I realized I was missing something else, cardamom pods. I have whole nutmeg and cinammon sticks but no cardamom pods! I ran to the computer to see if I could use ground cardamom instead, even though it wouldn't be nearly as good, I had to try. I think it turned out well, but of course, will be even better next time when I have taken a better look at the ingredient list (and the cupboard!) before starting. Luckily I still had some basmati rice that I managed to cook without messing it up. I haven't cooked rice since college so it doesn't come quite as easily to me these days.

I can't wait to try more recipes like this, that push me out of my old comfort zone and give me more delicious options. I love Indian food when I am out, but I've not given much effort to making my own at home. I'd love to make my own naan, and even more than that, dosas. After I get enough practice it would be really fun to have a little theme dinner, hopefully with leftovers for lunch.

"We Are All Sausages" *

Pizza is one of the foods that I eat all the time when I'm out but rarely make at home. I hoard up a few Amy's and Tofurky pizzas for "special times", but that's as close as it usually gets. I don't know why I do it, pizza isn't that tough to make, you can buy sauce and dough at most stores. If you really are hard core, those shouldn't be too hard to do either, unless you are impatient like me, then the sauce might drive you crazy.

To feel like less of a lazy person, I did make my own sausage. Ever since I stopped being scared of seitan, thanks fo Julie Hasson, I have been wanting to make her recipe for Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages. I probably wouldn't have gotten around to it as soon as I did except that I had leftover bell peppers from when I made enchiladas the other day. I wasn't sure what to use them in until I thought of pizza. I love mine to have a ton of bell peppers so from there I decided to add some sausage in as well.

My steamer is not too large so I think next time I will arrange them better so they cook more evenly, but they still turned out great. I was a little off in my portions so I ate the little baby sausage with some mustard while I was putting the rest of the sausages away. I only used one sausage for the pizza so I have 5 or 6 more, which I could probably eat all by myself, but I'm going to offer some to my sister since she might want to make a pizza too. If I am really nice I will just give her half of the the new pizza I make with all the extra ingredients I have. I will go easier with the daiya next time since it got greasier and gooey-er than I intended. It was still really good, but I am notorious for overloading pizzas and need to have a lighter hand.

On a non-food related note, I got the best phone call ever today from my future boss. I am going to start my job on Tuesday. I am beyond excited. I was offered the job two months ago, but there was a lot of behind the scenes paperwork that had to happen between now and then. I am truly thankful to be working again and particularly happy that it's in a field that means so much to me. I'm starting at the bottom, but I'm not worried since I'm a quick climber. 2012 is going to be an amazing year full of changes for the better.

p.s. If you don't know what I'm talking about in the title, click here.

Scrambled Torts are Tops!

The more I cook from Vegan Brunch, the more I fall in love with it. I get into a bad habit where I have a few favorites I make over and over and forget that there are 40 or 50 more recipes in that book I can try. I'd been meaning to make the "Scrambled Tortillas" for a while, and actually bought all the ingredients to make it last week, but it was just too hectic and it didn't happen. This week I got back on track and put them back on the menu. They will definitely be on the repeat list.

As much as I love one-pot cooking, I will bust out three pans and a blender to make this. Even though it uses a few more dishes than I would like, none of the steps are too hard and it doesn't take very much time. And if you are a "clean as I go" person, you shouldn't have too much of a mess by the time you are finished. Or even better, you can sucker someone else into doing the dishes for you. Food is always a good bribe.

This dish reminded me of chilaquiles, which I love, but with potatoes thrown in to make it even more yummy. I tried to present it as prettily as possible, garnishing with green onions and avocado, but the next time I eat it, it's all getting piled into a bowl and heading straight for my belly. ¡Buen Provecho!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

so it should taste like Christmas too, right?

If you haven't made the Gingerbread Waffles from Vegan Brunch, now is the time. This was my second time making them but the first time I didn't let my ginger thaw out and they turned out okay but not nearly as awesome as they did this time. I was planning to have everything ready when my niece came over for dinner but I wasn't quite done when she came through the door. She took in a big whiff and told me how good it smelled in the house, but quickly backpedaled to say that she didn't want waffles for dinner...until she saw sausages cooking in a pan on the stove.

Since I wasn't done cooking and she wasn't sure of what she wanted to eat I told her she could have some leftover mac and cheese and a hot dog (one of her fave combos). After she tried the tester waffle, she decided she wanted some after all, so after her hot dog and mac she had a waffle and a sausage. She was still hungry so she asked if she could have another waffle/sausage plate. I hesistated for a moment because I still hadn't had my dinner and because I was afraid she'd stuff herself and feel sick later. Before I could answer her about her second waffle, she said, "or what? pie?". I couldn't stop laughing, but let her have a second helping of breakfast for dinner instead of dessert. She didn't feel so great after eating all that yummy food so hopefully she's learned a lesson.

If you decide to make these, double the recipe if it's for more than two people, or if you like a lot of leftover waffles. I forgot to do that and was kind of bummed that I only had three left for the next day. I warmed them up in the toaster oven so they could get a little bit crispy, and I honestly think they taste a little better the second (or third!) day.

Finder's Keepers

I found my copy of The Vegan Table last week, so you know I had to start cooking from it right away. Here's the backstory: I checked it out from the library last August and couldn't find it. I bought a replacement copy for the library so whenever I found "their" copy, it would be "mine". I kept thinking I left it in the extra room and tore that place apart a number of times. I looked in, under and behind my bookshelf. I even flipped up my mattresses to make sure it wasn't under my bed. Would you believe it was safely tucked in a back of Seattle souvenirs that was hanging on the back of my bedroom door this whole dang time?

We usually plan our weekly menus but sometimes we change out minds and don't end up making the food we say we will. I've had "chili dogs w/ mac and cheese" and "Waffle Wednesday" on the list for two weeks now. I knew I had to fit them in this week or we might never get to them. I picked a few new recipes I wanted to try that my niece might hopefully like as well. I have some end of week babysitting and I always struggle with what to feed her. I struck gold with the Masoor Dal from The Vegan Table. I made a batch Monday night and my niece ate most of that yesterday after school. I made more today so she can have some later in the week.

The ingredients and instructions are really simple. I don't think there are as many spices as in a more traditional recipe, but we're not experts so it's okay. Plus my niece has a really low spice tolerance so this is perfect. You can always add your own to taste.  If you time it right, you can cook the rice and lentils at the same time and serve 'em up together. I was just cooking the lentils and thought I'd eat them the next day, but I couldn't help myself and had to impatiently wait while the rice cooked. I could eat legumes/rice all day, every day if you let me, which is good since that might be all I can afford when I start my new part time job!

Not Your Papa's Tacos De Papa

I did a cookbook swap with a fellow ppk-er and scored Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I was super excited to get this book since I have been trying harder to incorporate new foods into my diet. If you haven't read my blog, I'll give the short version: I ate almost zero veggies growing up. My parents didn't eat them so they didn't feel compelled to make me do so either. I didn't try many "new" or "different" foods for a really long time so I was stuck in a rut of the same starchy/greasy food out of fear and complacency. Many years later I still love my starches and my grease, but I've learned to balance it out with green and the other yummy colors of the rainbow.

I love tacos de papa but I've never made my own. Whenever I have an extra few potatoes I always say I am going to make them but I always forget. They seem like they'd be simple to make but those are usually the recipes I pass on in favor of making a huge complicated mess of the kitchen instead. Since sweet potatoes were one of the foods I wouldn't try until college, I decided to go with this recipe first. I've only had them in fries and pies until now so this seemed like a refreshing change. It also involves peach salsa, which is something I've never tried. I have a leftover mental block that says fruit only belongs in sweet recipes, not savory. I know I'm totally wrong and I'm working to correct my attitude.

These were really easy to make. You could get all your other veggies chopped while the sweet potatoes are steaming. I have a 5 qt. pot that came with a steamer and it was the perfect size, but you could probably do batches in a smaller steamer or two small pots if you had to. I put the whole jalapeno instead of half, only because I took the seeds out. If the seeds were in I wouldn't have done that. I'm building my heat tolerance but I'm not there yet. I did take a few shortcuts: premade shells and storebought salsa. It all came together beautifully and I can now say I am a fan of fruity salsas, which are probably a million times better when you  make them fresh. I can't compare these to the other tacos de papa, but I will say I like them just as much, if not more.

I forgot to break out my new turkey plate a few weeks ago so this is his first appearance. Isn't he gorgeous? My sister bought him for me when we were shopping at Ross a few months ago.

Have No Fear...

comfort food is here! I've been wanting to cook something hearty for a while now, but the weather had not been cooperating. This weekend it's supposed to rain, so that was the green light I needed to get a stew going. I also could not wait to try another seitan recipe from Vegan Diner so I paired the "Chicken Style Seitan Roast" with the "Veggies and Dumplings". Total success! I am really in love with this book and I have the ppk to thank for it. I bought it purely based off their rave reviews and I am so glad I did. If you haven't already bought it for yourself or your favorite vegan cook, the holiday gift giving season is fast approaching!

I made the seitan first since that takes a little over an hour to steam. I should have started earlier since I forgot it also should cool and be refrigerated before it gets cut. I used the hour to chop all my veggies for the soup and get the remaining ingredients ready. What I really like about this book is that the ingredient lists are very short, but there is absolutely no loss of flavor. I am used to putting way more spices/seasonings in soups but this one only had salt, pepper and parsley and trust me, it was enough. I did not have to adjust this recipe at all, yay! The only thing I did cheat at was to add more veggies than specified. I do that on every recipe though.

I have only made a "chicken" and dumplings type stew one other time and while I did enjoy that one, this will be my go-to recipe from now on. I am so excited I can finally make my own seitan that I can't imagine using frozen "chicken" pieces instead. I bow to Julie Hasson in thanks. My days of seitan fails are way past me. Now I have to try all the other recipes that feature the steaming method. I may try baking as well, but for now I prefer to get steamy.

Vegan Mofo V Day 27: It's Easy Being Green

If you were traumatized by soggy brussels sprouts as a kid, I apologize. I never had them until I was an adult, and luckily they were quite scrumptious. That is largely due to Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks, which is one of my favorite blogs ever! Anyhow, if you've had them before and hated them, I beg you to try them at least one more time before you write them off for good.

Tonight I made the "Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic" from VWAV. I will duck and cover while admitting it's the first time I've made them. Can I make up for that by saying it definitely will not be the last time. Hot damn were these good! I ate the whole pan, minus one, by myself. My mom tried a bite but didn't really like it. Oh well, more for me! I finished roasting them and tried a few morsels before taking P for her nightly walk. When I got back I popped the rest in the toaster oven, planning to eat them during Parks and Rec.

It was a good plan, until I came back and saw the plate I toasted them on broke during the process. It's an old thrift store plate that my sister bought some years ago and it already had some cracks in it. Maybe it was glued back together at some point. I have no idea and it was not my smartest kitchen move lately, that's for sure. I'm glad she wasn't planning on taking the plate with her when she moved, but this is the second one I've broken this month so I do feel bad about it. However I found two really cute xmas plates for myself at  the thrift store today so maybe I was subconsciously making room for those? Probably not.

We have a new inhabitant I'd like you to meet. S/he doesn't have a name yet, but I discovered him/her some time last week and finally snagged a photo tonight. I'd never seen one before so I was super excited. My mom will be thrilled that the cricket population will be under control, but I am a little sad because I love those little creatures too.

Vegan Mofo V Day 16:Flippin' Fabulous

I almost never make pancakes for two reasons. One: my sister is the resident pancake maker. Two: my "flipping" skills leaving something to be desired, at least until now. I've never been great at turning pancakes, omelets, and or sandwiches, but I've been working to change that lately. I'm never going to get decent at it if I stop trying, so even if mess up a few, there may be a few that come out beautifully. Also, my sister is due to move out in the next few months and I'm not going to stop eating pancakes when that happens. I need to be prepared, right?

These are Banana Flapjacks from Vegan Brunch. We had some overripe bananas that I couldn't bear to throw away so this recipe was perfect. I think this is only the second time I've made pancakes from scratch. When my sister makes them she uses Bisquik and I try not to make my "I don't use box mixes" face or else I might not get to have any of the pancakes. As I started mixing these up I knew I would have to make another batch since it is only supposed to yield six 6" flapjacks. That would be enough for me, but I'm not the only vegan living here so it would be rude to not have some for sharing.

Other than bananas, I think my favorite part of this recipe is that you put maple syrup in the batter. There's syrup inside and on top, how great is that?! I nearly freaked out when I went to add the syrup because the jug was almost empty. I knew I had bought some recently, but couldn't remember whether or not it had been opened. If it had been opened and was all gone, I was ready to go through the roof. Luckily, I found it unopened on my "extras" shelf of the cupboard. Phew! That stuff isn't cheap. I am the one who buys it, but I hardly use it since it's mostly for baking, Snobby Joe's and the occasional "Waffle Wednesday". I am sure I sound crazy to get miserly about maple, but it's definitely not to be wasted.

I'm posting this ahead since we will be in L.A. for the AIDS WALK for most of the day. We do the walk, have brunch and do a Whole Foods run. Hopefully we get back in time for dinner, but I know I won't feel like cooking or blogging when we do. I have to plan my week and see what I can pick up at WF since I'm going to miss my regular Sunday market spree with my Dad. Hope you're having a great weekend!