Homemade Salsa

I've made salsa in the past but nothing like this!

This was really easy to make, you just open some cans, do a little bit of chopping, and then pulse the food processor a couple of times. This is the only kind I'm going to make from now on. 

I served this with nachos for the Super Bowl. Since then I've put it on my eggs, quesadillas, and just with tortilla chips to dunk in it.

Salsa
Source: Pioneer Woman
Yield: A lot.

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice

2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)

1/4 cup Chopped Onion

1 clove Garlic, Minced

1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin

1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)

1/2 whole Lime Juice

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I have a recipe for a "healthy" chocolate pudding that I'm pretty in love with. It is made with silken tofu and I love that I can eat it and have an added protein boost. I shared the recipe with a girl that I know that likes to eat healthy and she shared one of her recipes for chocolate pudding made with avocado. I was so intrigued! While the pudding I had been making called for sugar, this one called for agave or honey. I gave it a try today. Very good! Nice and rich and chocolatey.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Yield: 3-4 small servings

1 avocado cut into chunks
1/2 cocoa (I used the extra dark kind)
1/4 agave or honey
1/4 soy or almond milk
2 t. vanilla

Put all of this in the food processor and let her rip!

Vegan Peanut Butter Mousse

This is a quick, easy, and "healthy" mousse.

Tofu and peanut butter.

That's about it!

I swear it is good.

Do it. Do it now.

Vegan Peanut Butter Mousse
Source: Food Network Mag
Yield: 4 servings

Puree one 12.3-ounce package silken tofu and 1/3 cup each reduced-fat creamy peanut butter and confectioners' sugar in a blender until smooth. Divide among glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Top with a dollop of  Fluff and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and/or chocolate.

Tomato Overload

Last year my tomato crop was a bust. I ended up getting horned tomato worms and it was a very very wet season. I think I got just a handful of tomatoes and a big bowl of cherry tomatoes. So this year I bought 16 tomatoes plants. I am absolutely drowning in tomatoes. I have big beefy ones, small juicy ones, heirlooms, and cherry tomatoes. I'm not tired of them yet though!

This actually worked out really well because I figure that after the babe is born I'm not going to feel like cooking all the time. I've used my bounty to make various tomato dishes and freeze them. Then in November when I want to have a nice meal all I have to do is thaw something.

I've made 8 meals so far. I have no more room in my freezer!

This little tutorial is on making crushed and diced tomatoes to use for soups, chili, or pasta sauce. I hope you find it helpful.


What a silly little tomato this is.

To peel the tomatoes, score an X in the bottom.

Then put them in boiling water for one minute. Take them out and submerge them in an ice bath. This will peel back the skins for easy peeling.

We're in good shape!

If your recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, just crush them up in your hands. I really liked doing this.

You can also dice them.

From there you could can them, freeze them, or use them right away. I chose to use them to make pasta sauce and tomato soup.

Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip

I served this at a party and it was a huge hit. It was so simple to put together, it made enough to serve about 12 people and you could dip just about anything into it! Pretzels, carrots and other veggies, smear it on bread, or it would be great in a sandwich too.

Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip
Source: New York Times
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.

With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.

Making Baked or Grilled Tofu

I have had a ton of questions about this process. I make this at least once a month and I can't believe it has taken me so long to do a post on this.

It took me quite a bit of time to get pretty good at cooking tofu. At first it was terrible. The taste was bland. It was a bad texture, or it would just fall apart in the pan. Now I feel like I'm fairly good at it. And I get better each time.

My biggest tip for cooking with tofu is to press it which will release all of the water (or tofu blood as Seth would say). When you release that water you allow for your marinade or whatnot to come in and flavor it.

I'm going to take you through, step by step, the making of grilled Asian tofu. One of my favorites.

First off, when grilling always use extra firm tofu.



This is the pressing process. Take the block of tofu out of the package and dump the water that it was in. Wrap the block in a clean kitchen towel, put it on a plate, and put something heavy on top of it. I always use the top to my panini pan. You could use another pan, a plate with something on it, etc. The kitchen towel will absorb all of the water in the tofu. Let this sit in the fridge for a half a day or so. (if I'm making it during the week I will put in the fridge just like this and then marinate it when I get home from work...8 hours later)

Here is the marinade for the tofu. I have adapted this from Veganomicon. 3 T soy sauce, 1 T sesame oil (god that is good stuff), 1 T rice vinegar, 2 t "cock sauce"...that red hot chili sauce that is in Thai restaurants, 1 T grated ginger, 2-3 smashed garlic cloves.

I always slice my tofu in the same way. I don't know why. I just like it this way.

First down the middle.

Then into four.

Then into triangles. This will give you 8 pieces. This is enough for just me and Seth but it might feed three in your family.

Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour if not more. Flip or shake half way through marinating.

Grill on medium high heat (or you can bake it in the oven) for 5 or so minutes on each side.

Damn. That is goooooood.

Vegan Banana Bread

I've shared with you my banana bread recipe. I do love that recipe but I've found another that I will be making for my family. I found this recipe in Veganomicon and it is a much less guilt banana bread. Still very tasty. Very moist. Great with a smear of peanut butter.


Vegan Banana Bread
Source: Veganomicon
Yield: One Loaf

2-3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. If you're using chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in here.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (it took 50 for me). The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool!

Fresh Tomatoes!

My weekly grocery bill this week was $36. This is one of the many reasons I love this time of year. When it is suppertime I just walk out back, pick a couple tomatoes, a cucumber, a pepper and make a nice little salad.

This is the first tomato from the garden. I know it is an heirloom and I believe it is called Brandywine. Beautiful.

This variety of tomato is really meaty which means it makes a great sandwich!

My lunch staple in the summer, cucumber and tomato sandwich. Easy, cheap, and fresh!

Happy harvesting!

Veggie and Tofu Stack

The other night I asked Seth what he wanted for supper when he came home from work. He said, "Something light that I can eat a lot of." Erm. OK.

I get it. He wants to be able to get full and be satisfied but not be overloaded with heavy foods or fat (weekly cooking at 179 doesn't contain much fat...because of him.)

I decided on grilled veggies because you can eat a ton of them and not feel bad. Then tofu for protein. I found the recipe for this stack in my binder. Perfect. I made couscous for a carb. And then I made a little smashed caprese salad to put on a slice of sourdough bread. This was a fantastic meal!

Grilled Veggie and Tofu Stack
Source: Bon Appetit
Yield: 4 servings

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1 12-ounce container extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 8 slices, drained on paper towels
1 zucchini, trimmed, cut lengthwise into four 4-inch-long slices
1 red bell pepper, rounded ends trimmed, seeded, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces
1 Japanese eggplant, trimmed, cut lengthwise into four 4-inch-long slices
4 3-inch-diameter portobello or shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 small head of radicchio, quartered through root end

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place vinegar and minced garlic in large bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Stir in sliced mint. Season marinade to taste with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, add tofu to marinade and turn to coat. Transfer tofu to baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, mushrooms, and radicchio to marinade in bowl and toss to coat.

Place zucchini, pepper, eggplant, and mushrooms on grill. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until charred and softened, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Place tofu and radicchio on grill. Cook until tofu is charred and radicchio is charred and wilted, about 2 minutes per side.

Stack tofu and vegetables on plates. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Rainbow Bright Slaw!

We had a BBQ over Memorial weekend and I wanted to make a nice healthy slaw that Seth would love. He hates mayonnaise and he doesn't like cold potatoes and we had macaroni salad last week. I remembered having this really nice and bright slaw at a potluck lunch at my old job. I checked out the coworkers blog and found the recipe!

I looove this and plan on making it often. On her blog she referred to it as Asian Slaw but I'm naming my version Rainbow Slaw. I love all the colors...that means lots of vitamins and lots of flavors. I am listing her original recipe but I made a few changes and omissions and plan on playing around the the recipe each time I try it. Seth suggested slicing a bit of jalapeno into the slaw.

Oh. And I love the ginger flavor. Excellent!


P.S. Even my brother ate this!

Rainbow Slaw
Source: Keeley Kitchen Kapers
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 package of shredded cabbage (or shred your own)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, julienned into match-size pieces
1 celery stalk, sliced paper thin
1/2 red onion, in paper thin slivers (or 4-5 scallions, chopped)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (or peanut halves)
1 T freshly grated ginger (grated, not minced- use a microplaner for best results)
1.5 T canola oil
2 T white balsamic vinegar (can use regular vinegar but add a teaspoon of sugar if you do)
Optional: minced cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix the oil, vinegar, and ginger- set aside.
2. Mix all the veggies together. Add salt and pepper.
3. Pour on liquid and toss thoroughly.

Sweet Cheeks Guac

This is my own version of guacamole. It is chunky, flavorful, and versatile. I like to scoop it with chips but I also like to put it on my veggie burger. It is great in a burrito and the last time I served it I used it as a side with chips next to Cajun shrimp.

You can make this to your liking. My sister likes hers extra limey. I like mine with extra cumin. You could also had some hot sauce or chopped jalapeno for a bit of heat. I'm guessing on the measurements for the recipe below. I usually eyeball it and taste here and there. I'll do my best!


Sweet Cheeks Guac
Source: ME!
Yield: 2 servings

1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 T olive oil
Juice of half a lime
4-5 shakes cumin
Salt
5 sprigs cilantro, torn

Cube the avocado and mash slightly leaving large chunks. Add the onion and chopped tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. Stir. Add cumin and salt. Add cilantro last so it is nice and fresh.

Sweet and Sour Tofu

This, my friends, is an awesome and easy vegetarian meal.

Seth suggested that we have stir fry and I gave him a look like, "you've got to be joking me." I SUCK at doing anything to tofu but baking or grilling it. It always sticks to the pan and falls apart and tastes more like oil than anything else.

Not this time. I found this great recipe and it turned out perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing. The tofu was flavorful and stayed together. The veggies and sauce were perfect. This is going to be added to my list of recipes that I use often.

Sweet and Sour Tofu
Source: Adapted from (Never Home)Maker
Yield: 2-4 servings (we ate it all)

1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup vegetable broth
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ketchup (I used homemade with chipotle peppers)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 14 oz package of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes

In a large bowl, mix together the cornstarch and vegetable broth, then add the vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne pepper until well mixed. Add tofu and marinate an hour or so.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the garlic, onion, and carrots in oil about 5 minutes.

Add the pepper and mushrooms and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the sauce mix (NOT THE TOFU) to the veggies and cook until mixture thickens, approx 5 to 7 minutes.

Add tofu and allow to cook at least 5 more minutes.

Pumpkin Penne

I'm going to talk about copyrights for a second.

I'm lazy and didn't want to transcribe this whole recipe so I googled it so I could copy and paste. A few bloggers mentioned that they won't post recipes that come from published cookbooks because of copyright infringement. So, I went to the US Copyright Office and looked into the law on recipes. It appears that if you are just listing ingredients then you are fine. When a recipe goes into detailed directions then it gets tricky.

The purpose of a food blog, I think, is to share the love of food and recipe. So I am going to continue posting recipes even if they are from a cookbook. I own this cookbook, Veganomicon, and I think that ANY vegan or vegetarian would get a lot from it. Actually, you probably already own it because it is super popular. And awesome.

This dish is AH-MAY-ZING! The "ricotta" made of tofu, cashews, and garlic is so good I'd eat it as a dip. You would never know it was vegan...and not ricotta. Actually, it's better than ricotta.

Don't be scared that this has pumpkin in it. You can't really taste it...it lends sort of a sweetness to the dish. Plus nutrients!

Enjoy this one my friends! It is definitely a winner!


Caramelized Onion and Sage Pumpkin Penne Pasta
Source: Veganomicon
Yield: 8 servings

1 pound uncooked ziti or penne
2 onions, sliced very thinly
3 T olive oil
1 recipe cashew ricotta (follows)
1T brown sugar
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
White pepper and cayenne
2 c or 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
1/4 c. vegetable broth

Cashew ricotta (makes 2 cups):
1/2 c. cashew pieces (approx. 4 oz.)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1-1/2 t. dried basil
1-1/2 t. salt

Sage bread crumbs:
2-1/2 c. bread crumbs, preferably freshly made
1/4 c. olive oil
2 t. dried, rubbed sage
1/2 t. ground paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9×11 or 9×13-inch lasagna pan with olive oil. Prepare ziti according to package directions. Drain, rinse, drain again and set aside.

While ziti is cooking, make the caramelized onions: preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute onions in oil until some onion bits are very brown and caramelized, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.

Make the cashew ricotta: In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in batches if necessary, until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.

Place cashew ricotta in large bowl and fold in pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and vegetable broth. Add the cooked ziti and the caramelized onions. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and level with a spatula, pressing slightly.

Make the bread crumb topping: Melt margarine or heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs, dried herbs, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is lightly coated, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and spread over pasta mixture.

Bake 28 to 30 minutes, until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Garlicky Roasties

Do you like french fries but not the "fry"? How about garlic?

I've made oven fries before but they always end up limp and lifeless. I happened upon this recipe and loved that she added so much garlic to the recipe. I was excited to try it and thought Seth might like it since the potatoes are baked...not fried.

I love these and have made them many times since this first try. They are easy to make (although I warped a plastic bowl in the microwave...use glass...but be careful because it gets hot!) and are wonderfully crispy and flavorful.

Seth wanted to change the name from Garlicky Oven Fries to Garlicky Roasties. He didn't even want FRY in the title. I think the name garlicky roasties is cute and it stuck. We love these!

Garlicky Roasties
Source: Purple Foodie

Yield: 3-4 servings

8 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges
3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 225°C/440° F.

2. Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to the baking dish, coating it well.

4. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.

5. Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.

6. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.

7. Serve with ketchup, mayo or sour cream.

Tofu pudding

I am tsk tsking myself over this post. Do you want to know why?? I made this vegan pudding for Thanksgiving. That is how long it has taken me to upload this photo and write some text. Another reason?...this photo stinks! I'm so sorry readers. You can slap my hand if you think you need to. It wasn't that the pudding wasn't good enough to be here. I just got caught up in some of the other stuff...and I was so disappointed in this photo. This was pre-flash so the lighting really stinks.

I loved this pudding. I really did. I ate for days after it was made. One spoonful here and there. I actually wish I had some for my breakfast right now.

Don't be scared of the tofu, you can't even tell it is in there. It actually enhanced the pudding by making it extra thick and creamy. I love the little hint of spice with the chocolate. Extra yummy. I will definitely make this again!

Vegan Mexican Chocolate Pudding
Source: Stylish Cuisine
Yield: 4-6 servings

3/4 cup sugar
1 pound silken tofu
8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
Chocolate shavings (optional)
In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.

African Peanut Stew

Did you make the new year's resolution to eat more healthy? How about get fit? Or maybe just eat more vegetables. This dish will satisfy all of those in one. It is healthy, nearly fat free, full of veggies...hence full of vitamins.

Oh, and it is a cinch to make.

The first time I had this a coworker had made it in her crockpot. You could definitely do that. I chose to make mine in my cast iron pot which I use all.the.time. I served mine over rice but if you are cutting carbs for that resolution then you could just enjoy the stew itself.

And if you want to make your coworkers stomachs growl, bring the leftovers for lunch and heat it up in the community microwave. The smell of curry and ginger is really enticing!


African Peanut Stew
Source: Coworker
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion (about 2 medium)
1 1/4 cups finely chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 medium stalks)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
1/4 cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (onion through celery); sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not brown garlic). Add tomatoes and bay leaf; cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

3. Add broth and sweet potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 minutes. Add edamame and peanut butter; stir to combine. Add cilantro and spinach; cook until thoroughly heated and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

Here is another vegan recipe from the Candle Cafe Cookbook. (Can you tell that I like the book??)

Something that I have always been confused about is what wine to use in cooking. The majority of the time a recipe will call for "dry white wine". Well WTF is that?! I just drink what's cheap! I stumbled upon this thread on Chow and found it extremely helpful. The one that hooked me is, "Most often dry vermouth, Noilly Pratt to be exact. That is what Juila used and my mom." Julia and moms always know what to do. I had a hard time finding Noilly Pratt though. I'm still on the lookout for it.

What I did buy are those silly little bottles of wine that come in a four pack. I felt like a dork at the cashier but it is economical and practical! I used nearly one bottle for this soup and put the rest of the bottle (a screw cap which is good) in the fridge. About a week later a recipe I was making called for dry white wine. PERFECT! I love when things work out. (it's the little things in life that make me happy)


I thought this soup was awesome. A great flavor from the leeks and I think you can never go wrong with wild rice and mushrooms!



Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
Source: The Candle Cafe Cookbook
Yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup plus 4t dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 leek, rinsed and chopped
12 large mushrooms, sliced
1/2t thyme
1/2t oregano
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cooked wild rice
4t white flour
S&P

In large saucepan heat 1/2 cup wine to simmer. Add garlic, onion, leek and simmer 10 minutes until tender.

Add mushrooms, thyme, oregano and simmer 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add broth and bring to low boil. Simmer 20 minutes then stir in cooked rice.

Dissolve flour in remaining wine and add to soup. Bring back to boil.

Season with S&P and serve.

Cobb Salad...the vegan way

Get out the vegetable peeler! You are going to peel carrots...lots of carrots...then...even more carrots!! But I swear to you, it is worth it.

This recipe came from the Candle Cafe Cookbook that I received as a gift a year or so ago. I'm certainly cooking vegan much more now that I have a couple good cookbooks to reference. I love the tofu salad part of this recipe, it has great flavor and I took a scoop of it (no veggies or salad) for my lunch the day after making this. I think you could put that tofu salad in a wrap and be delighted with that lunch.


Candle Cafe Cobb Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
Source: Candle Cafe Cookbook
Yield: 2 servings

1 pound tofu, cubed
2T chopped fresh dill
2T chopped parsley
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4T white miso
1/2 cup tahini
S&P
1t fresh lemon juice
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
4 cup mesclun
1 large tomato, sliced
3 thin slices soy cheese
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup homemade croutons
1 cup shredded carrots
8 slices tempeh bacon
1/2 cup dressing (recipe below)

Bring pot of water to boil, add tofu and cook 1 minute.

Mix blanched tofu, dill, parsley, scallions, miso, tahini, S&P and lemon juice. Fold in celery and carrots.

Assemble rest of ingredients as salad and top with a big scoop of tofu mixture. Pour dressing over salad prior to serving.

Carrot Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup diced onions
2 cups shredded carrots
2T apple juice
1t toasted sesame oil
1 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Blend ginger, garlic, onions and carrots in food processor. Add apple juice, sesame oil, safflower oil and vinegar slowly until well blended.