Different Size Pics

Pictures

Banner for Ebay!

Yay! I just bought a banner for my Ebay listings! Now I just need to figure out how to host the pictures. I'm going to post them on here and see if that will work.

Creamy Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Chickpeas

Tonight I was in the mood for something with spinach and chickpeas, but couldn't make up my mind about what, so after rummaging through my refrigerator and cabinets to see what I had to work with I decided to test out an idea for a recipe. It turned out great! My fiance went back for seconds and I'll definitely be making this one again.



Creamy Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Chickpeas

1 package firm tofu
2 tbls. nutritional yeast
4 garlic cloves
3 tbls. pine nuts
1 tbls. lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
pepper (as much as you like)
1/3 cup rice milk
2 tsp. italian spices
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tbls. canola oil
2 cups spinach
1 16 oz. box whole wheat noodles of your choice

Cook noodles according to directions on box. Meanwhile, blend tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, pine nuts, lemon juice, rice milk, salt, pepper, italian spices, and red pepper flakes together in food processor until smooth and creamy. Pour canola oil into a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat and stir in the can of diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir in tofu mixture into tomatoes and chickpeas and lower heat to medium. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile during last 2 minutes of cooking noodles throw in spinach. When noodles/spinach are done drain and combine with sauce. Then enjoy while nice and hot! Mmmm . . .

Macaroni and "Cheese"

Yawn! I don't know what it was about today, but everyone at work (including me) seemed to be exhausted. I felt so drained and barely had any energy. All I can figure is it must have been the weather since it was kind of dark and dreary outside. Strange how our environment can have such an effect on our moods. Anyway, on my way out from work I picked up some macaroni and some tofu to make a pretty simple meal I found on Your Vegan Mom's blog. This will be the third time I've made this one in the last couple weeks, it's that good! The first time I made it in cupcake tins like she did, but since we don't have any kids I figured it'd be quicker to just put it in a casserole dish. Here are the results and the recipe:

Mac 'n Cheese Bites

1 1/2 c. elbow macaroni, boiled in salted water, and drained
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar (I used Follow Your Heart)
2 T. minced green onion

eggy mixture:

1 package firm silken tofu
1/4 c. soy milk
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. corn starch
1 T. butter (I used Smart Balance Light)
1/2 t. salt

Heat the oven to 375. Grease two muffin pans with cooking spray.

Whir all the ingredients for the eggy mixture in the blender or food processor until smooth.

In a large bowl stir together the macaroni, the grated cheese, the minced onion, and the eggy mixture. Spoon into the prepared muffin pans.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned and the middle is firm.

When I got home I realized I forgot to buy green onions so I substituted them for a few cloves of garlic. It turned out to still be quite tasty! It also tastes really good with some organic ketchup. Mmmmm . . . Yum-o! :-D

Something Easy for the Night

I wasn't feeling super motivated today to cook up something from scratch today, so after some browsing some vegan blogs I found a real easy one from Crazy Vegan Mom for a grilled "cheese" and tomato sandwich and decided to roast up some brussel sprouts for a side. I added some tempeh bacon and spinach to our sandwiches to add a little more flavor. It turned out to be really good and hit the spot!

I just recently started eating brussel sprouts as I was a bit traumatized as a kid by the flavor of them and was not allowed to leave the dinner table until I was done eating. I've been reading a lot about them and their health benefits recently, so I've decided to give them another shot. I'm glad I gave them another chance because they turned out to be quite yummy when prepared the right way! Here are the recipes for the easy meal:

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich:

Ingredients:

4 slices of Wheat Bread
Tofutti Cream Cheese (I used Herbs and Chives)
1 large tomato, sliced
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
6 strips of tempeh bacon (or Smart Bacon)
Smart Balance margarine (or other comparable vegan margarine)
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Spread cream cheese inside one slice of bread, add 2 slices of tomato, 3 strip of tempeh bacon, a handful of spinach, and sprinkle with however much you like of salt and pepper. Add the other slice of bread and butter the outsides then place on a skillet on medium-high heat. Let each side get to a nice golden brown then they should be perfect.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Brussel Sprouts
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbls. Nutritional Yeast
Sea salt (as much as you desire)
Cracked black pepper (as much as you like)
1 Tbls. Herbes de provence
1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl combine all ingredients then spread out on a baking sheet. Place in oven for 35 min. or until brown and crispy on the outside. I hope you enjoy!

The Vegan 100

I came across this Vegan 100 list on a couple blogs and found the original on BitterSweet's blog. After following the instructions and putting in bold the things I've eaten I realized I still have so much to try! There were some items I have had only it was in my unvegan days so I couldn't count them. :-( I had to click on the links that were provided on the original blog because I wasn't even sure what some of the foods were! I'm definitely going to use this as a guide to give me ideas of different meals/snacks to make!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black Truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough