It's not all brown rice and broccoli...

As someone whose primary motivation for being vegan is ethical (and whose past experience with an eating disorder makes me wary of restrictive dietary rules), my cooking is guided first and foremost by the desire to prepare food that tastes good.  It just so happens that the meals that please my taste buds (and, just as importantly, are well-recieved by my body!) tend to be colorful and include (but not always exclusively) plenty of fresh and whole foods.  Here are some highlights from yesterday:

Blueberry Banana French Toast

1/2 banana, sliced
3/4 c non-dairy milk (my current choice is Edensoy Original)
cinnamon
2 slices bread of choice (I used Ezekiel's Sprouted 100% Whole Grain)

Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread
maple syrup
blueberries
strawberry fruit spread

1. Puree the banana, milk and a dash of cinnamon in a blender.  Pour mixture into a shallow bowl wide enough to fit a slice of bread.
2. Preheat a nonstick skillet on medium heat; lightly grease with oil (regular or spray) or melted Earth Balance spread.
3. Soak one slice of the bread in banana-milk mixture, turning once to fully coat both sides.  
4. Transfer soaked bread to skillet; if there is room for another slice repeat the previous step with the second slice of bread.
5. Allow bread to cook for a minute or two before flipping over with a spatula (you might need to add another light layer of oil in the middle of doing this if not using a non-stick skillet).  Repeat as needed until both sides are lightly browned and a little crispy.
6. Serve with desired toppings (I slathered on some Earth Balance and drowned in maple syrup heated with blueberries and strawberry fruit spread).

Nachos

Before...

I don't think this dish requires much of a recipe beyond the basics:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (note: you could also use the broiler but I'm a scaredy cat about such high heat!).
2. Prep and cook veggies of choice (I sauteed some garlic, red peppers and collard green ribbons in olive oil with sea salt, black pepper, chipotle powder and cayenne).
3. Add desired protein (I used black beans and homemade chipotle sweet potato seitan) and saute until browned/heated through (depending on what you use).
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper (this makes it easier to transfer the finished product to a plate).  
5. Arrange tortilla chips on foil and pile on some vegetable-bean mixture and vegan cheese (I used Daiya cheddar-style shreds).  
6. Heat in oven until cheese starts to melt (just a few minutes).
7. Remove from oven and transfer to a plate (or you can just eat off the foil/parchment paper).  Layer on toppings as desired-- avocado (tossed in lime juice), salsa, vegan sour cream/cashew crema, etc.

and after!

Culinary Ad-Lib

I can't tell you how many close calls I've had when adding cinnamon to oatmeal...today my reflexes weren't fast enough and I realized after the fact that I had sprinkled (quite liberally) cumin instead of cinnamon into the pot.   I decided to just roll with it and consider my breakfast Moroccan-themed.  I had already used orange juice for part of the water and mixed in some raisins, so this wasn't too much of a stretch.  I added some cinnamon to balance out the cumin, stirred in some coconut milk, ground flaxseed, walnuts, sliced bananas and blueberries and topped with a swirl of raspberry preserves-- and voila!

Moroccan Fusion Steel Cut Oats

The end result was delicious, proving once again that improvisation in the kitchen (and coloring outside the lines of recipes, which I often do), can yield very pleasant surprises...

Back in the Kitchen: Quinoa Creation and Comfort Food Bonanza

I pulled into town Monday just as a payloader and sand truck finally rumbled up our street to clear away nearly three feet of snow.  As exhausted as I was from the long road trip (the final leg of which entailed driving through unrelenting, heavy fog for six hours) I was excited to cook up some comfort food for my parents (and get some warm, wholesome nourishment after a day of nibbling on kale chips, a Lara Bar and Barbara's animal cookies in the car).  I kept it simple and whipped up some soba noodles, steamed broccoli and red pepper, maple-glazed tempeh and avocado, all smothered in miso-tahini sauce (tempeh and sauce recipe here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-brown-rice-bowl-recipes-from-the-kitchn-176915).  The food disappeared before I could take a picture, but since I make some variation of this at least a couple of times a month I'm sure it will show up again in a future post...

The roads around town were still pretty messy in the morning so I decided to put off grocery shopping until later in the day and work with what I had on hand to create lunch:

Mediterranean Quinoa with Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

1/2 c quinoa 

2/3 c vegetable broth (I like making this with Seitenbacher vegetable broth seasoning powder)

handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped coarsely

handful of pine nuts, toasted

olives, sliced (I only had pimento-stuffed green, but kalamata would be better!)

1 15-oz. can white cannellini beans (garbanzo beans would also be good)

2 T olive oil

juice of one small lemon

black pepper to taste

1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite-size florets (and, if possible, peeled and chopped stem)

baby carrots (I had about one cup)

1 large clove or several small cloves garlic, chopped

1 T olive oil

 sea salt

black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Rinse and drain quinoa and place in small saucepan over medium-high heat until most of the water from rinsing evaporates and the quinoa begins to smell a little toasty.  Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, then cover and reduce heat to low.  
3. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and the quinoa "rings" form (the germ separating from the seed).  Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then mix in the beans, olives and pine nuts.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, toss the broccoli, carrots and garlic with 1 T olive oil and sea salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet (I like to line this with parchment paper to ease clean-up!) and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.  The broccoli florets should be very slightly charred in a few spots and the carrots should be tender.
5. In a small bowl or measuring cup use a fork to blend the 2 T olive oil, lemon juice and pepper until emulsified.  Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir until well-blended.  
6. I then mixed in the roasted veggies but this would be just as good with the veggies served on the side or on top of the quinoa mixture.  

Notes: 

• I used whatever veggies were in the crisper, but the possibilities are endless...red peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, eggplant, asparagus, even winter squash would all be excellent in place of the broccoli and carrots (roasting time would just have to be adjusted accordingly).
• This made enough for several lunch portions; I prefer to heat the leftovers since I'm not a fan of cold foods during winter, but I think this dish would be just as tasty served straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

For dinner I was excited to make this hearty meal that I had seen posted on the Healthy.Happy.Life blog while I was on vacation:

 Rustic Tomato Rice Kale Stew. Comfort Soup. Oil-free.

I made some modifications to the original-- collards instead of kale (very slim greens selection at the local supermarket post-blizzard!), shelled edamame instead of frozen peas and carrots, and homemade chipotle sausage (using this recipe with mashed sweet potato instead of the beans, since I forgot to get them and didn't feel like braving the narrow, snowy streets again!).  This warmed me up from the inside (and cleared out my sinuses-- I am not shy with the spices!) and is definitely a keeper.

Into the snow...but not yet!

Fully-loaded oatmeal, courtesy of Hampton Inn, perfect for warming up after a chilly run around the lovely town of Winchester, Virginia and fueling up for the final leg of my journey back to blizzard-blitzed Connecticut.  Onwards...

Or, as it turned out, staying put for another day while the plows clear the roads in my hometown.  I tried to just enjoy the extra vacation day and spend enough time outside and on my feet to counter all the hours spent sitting in the car yesterday (and the additional time on the road tomorrow).  A recurring metatarsal stress fracture has limited my running lately but strolling around Old Town and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley was, to be honest, equally as satisfying as getting in a second run for the day (more evidence that I'm mellowing out with age!).  I was also able to walk to nearby restaurants for lunch and dinner, and as the pictures below attest, my experiences disproved the common assumption that maintaining a vegan lifestyle is difficult, if not impossible, while traveling:

Vegetarian Burrito Bowl at Chipotle, piled high with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, three different salsas, guacamole and romaine

Drunken Noodles with Vegetables and Tofu at Thai Winchester II

A quick tour of the local supermarket, Martin's, revealed an extensive "Natural and Organic" section that would have enabled me to whip up some fabulous meals if I had a kitchen at my disposal...[sigh].  As much as I enjoy eating out I'm really looking forward to being able to try out some new recipes, prepare some reliable favorites and create some unique dishes of my own.  And share the bounty with family and friends...

Home Cooking Away From Home

One week into my return to the mountains of North Carolina and it's now clear that this is a vacation rather than a relocation.  Gorgeous mountain landscapes, a relaxed pace, unconventional culture and, yes, abundant vegan-friendly restaurants can't make up for living 750 miles away from the people who mean the world to me.  Next week I'll return home and make another go at creating a life there, this time without always looking over my shoulder at what might have been had I stayed in NC.

In the meantime I plan to make the most of the vegan-friendly food scene here by doubling back to some of the restaurants I've already visited so far-- Rosetta's (my absolute favorite for its flavor-rich comfort food), Laughing Seed, Plant (a newcomer since I was last here; dangerously close to being too pretentious for my tastes but the seitan reuben and fancy fries were yummy), Green Sage-- as well as a couple that I've yet to revisit or try for the first time-- Nine Mile and VegHeads (a fast food drive-thru!).

Despite all these fabulous options for dining out (or taking out and dining in, which is sometimes just easier and more comfortable for a single introvert!), I've also been taking advantage of staying somewhere with a full kitchen (except, alas, for the oven, which is sadly nonfunctional) and easy access to two elaborately stocked natural foods stores-- Earthfare and Greenlife (unfortunately run by Whole Foods, which automatically makes it my second choice even though it's more conveniently located within walking distance).  Here are some of my recent creations:

Veggie Curry with Chickpeas

Veggie Curry with Chickpeas

(Inspired by “Chickpea and Spinach Curry” from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

3 T olive oil (or other vegetable oil)

2 t mustard seeds

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fresh ginger, minced

1 T curry powder

2 t ground cumin

1/8 t ground cloves

½ t ground cinnamon

1 t salt

2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

1 bunch kale, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces 

1 (14.5-oz.) can fire roasted crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained(**for a kick, try Muir Glen Adobo Seasoned)

2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained

1. Heat a large saucepan over moderate heat; add the oil and then the mustard seeds and cover immediately as seeds will start popping (and flying out of the pan, believe me!). Cook for about 1 minute.
2. Uncover (carefully!), add onion and turn up the heat to medium-high. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onion starts to brown.
3. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add spices and salt and sauté for 1 minute.
5. Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Add kale in batches, stirring until all the leaves are bright green and somewhat wilted.
7. Add tomatoes (and juice) and stir well. 
8. Add chickpeas and stir well. 
9. Add water (about ½ cup) if needed to achieve desired consistency (I prefer it a little saucy but not soupy).
10. Lower heat and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes, until carrots and kale are tender.
11. Uncover and taste; add spices and salt as desired. 
12. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 more minutes, until thick and stewlike.
13. Serve over brown rice or grain of choice if desired (or mix rice in before serving).

Smoky Tempeh and Carolina Slaw Sandwich with Sweet Potato Home Fries

I used this recipe for the tempeh (with chipotle powder as my chili powder of choice):

Smoky Tempeh Wrap!

smothered in Earthfare deli's Carolina Slaw and pressed between two slices of Trader Joe's Sprouted Flourless Whole Wheat Berry Bread slathered with Veganaise.   For a side I sauteed some red onion and sweet potatoes in olive oil with salt and more chipotle powder (I initially balked at the pricetag on this but it's now my go-to spice!).

Pumpkin-Cashew Creamy Pasta with Kale and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Inspired by this:

Roasted Butternut Alfredo | Post Punk Kitchen | Vegan Baking & Vegan Cooking...

My variations included using 1 can of pumpkin puree for the roasted butternut squash and adding kale and sun-dried tomatoes (I like the soft kind that come in a plastic, resealable bag at Trader Joe's) to the onion mixture.  I also used 1/3 cup of sherry in lieu of the wine just because it's what I had on hand (and I wanted to save the yummy organic monastrell I had for drinking!).

Happy cooking!

Always time for revisions...

This week's creation from the farmer's market bounty: pesto tempeh potato salad, perfect for steamy August evenings in the city...

The weekend's journey was a true gift.  I made up for last year's missed opportunity and finally got to experience firsthand the full power of Brandi Carlile's music.  A friend who is lucky to be a veteran of her shows asked if I was inspired to dance and cry; I did both, though much more of the former (we were, as she noted, one of the rowdiest crowds, which I think is awesome since women were in the clear majority).  My only regret is that I didn't bring my niece.  As someone who has fought (and continues to fight) her own way through plenty of darkness, both inner and circumstantial, I left the pavilion inspired by Brandi's ability to transform her struggles into something so beautiful because of, not in spite of, its honest rawness.

Before coming back I spent some time wandering (running most of the time, sliding down unexpected rock faces on my butt for the rest of it) through the woods right down the road from where I stayed.  By the time I pulled into my parking space back here in the Elm City I knew that something in my outlook had shifted.  Changes are underway, long-neglected dreams are being brushed off, isolation is softening into connection as I learn to accept and embrace where this path has led for now...

knowing that a place with more beckoning views and a deeper hold on my soul will always be down (albeit a long way down) the road...

Hot stuff

My arsenal for coping with winter's chill consists of long underwear, handwarmers, flannel sheets, fleece galore, and plenty of hearty one-dish meals prepared with warming spices.  This Moroccan/Indian stew gave me the chance to try out a new cast iron enameled Dutch oven (gracias, Santo Domingo!) and filled the apartment with wonderful aromas.  It made plenty for several meals but was versatile enough to prevent boredom from setting in-- I've had it with blue corn chips, millet/quinoa, and even for breakfast with oats and banana!  The dish was completely improvised, but here are the basic steps:

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a deep pot.
2. Add some minced ginger and garlic and saute briefly.
3. Add whatever spices appeal at the time (I used cinnamon, cumin, curry powder and sea salt) and saute for about 30 seconds.
4. Add vegetables-- I used carrots, celery, red kuri squash and lacinto kale-- in batches, mixing well each time to coat the vegetables with the spice mixture.  I added raisins, too.
5. Add one can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted provide a more robust flavor) and some water (I just fill the can once or twice), depending on whether you want a soup or stew consistency.
6. Add one can of beans (I used garbanzo) and stir well. 
7. Cover and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until all the vegetables are very tender.
9. Enjoy!