I'mmmm baaaccckkkk!!

Hey y'all!!!!!  I'm back from my trip to New Orleans.  I had such a great time!  I've actually been back a week now but it always takes me a few days to recooperate and get back in the swing of things.  It's so hard leaving family.

While I was there I had an easier time eating than I thought I would.  So don't worry, I never went hungry.  =)  Unfortunately I didn't eat a ton of true "southern" food but I was able to score a french fry po'boy!  yumm!  When we got there I went to Whole Foods and got some staples for the times that we ate at home.  It worked out great.  One memorable meal was in Houston at a restaurant that I can't remember the name of(nevermind remembered..The Yard House!  There is suppose to be one coming soon in Roseville, CA!).  They had a whole section of the menu filled with gardein meals!!!  A lot of them weren't vegan, but could easily have been made as such!  I got the "beef" sliders and they were delish!!

I have two new recipes to share with everyone!  The first is from my cousin who has an abundance of squash and zucchini in her garden.  You take a julienne slicer and julienne the entire squash and zucchini (one of each is about 1 large serving, two if your making it for a side) all the way down to the seeds.  When you're done you'll get a bowl that looks like the above photo. Chop some onions and garlic and saute them in some butter (a few tablespoons is good).  Once they have cooked down add in the julienne veggies and add some seasoning to taste.  I used Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning.  Saute that until it's heated through and that's all you need!  It's so tasty!  I also added some thawed green beans and threw them in with the julienned veggies.  So yummy that I forgot to take a photo of the final product! Thanks Becca for the awesome recipe!

Tonight I wanted something I could make with things I already had in the kitchen and I came up with this risotto soup.  My inspiration was from the asparagus soup I made and posted awhile back. This turned out with a completely different taste, and man was it good!!!  I will definitely make this again.  I didn't measure hardly anything so take the below instructions lightly and adjust to your taste:

A drizzle of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 small onion
4 large garlic cloves
a few squirts of lemon juice
a very small drop of mustard
a few squirts of agave nectar
enough rosemary to sprinkle the top of the pot
2/3 cup of arborio rice
4 cups of veggie broth (I used two bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups of water)
about a pound of green beans (I used frozen, then thawed in the microwave, and cut in half)

1.  Heat the oil and butter together in a large pot until the butter is almost melted.
2.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until soft and translucent. 
3.  Add the lemon juice, mustard, agave, and rosemary and saute about a minute to incorporate. 
4.  Add the rice and constantly stir for a few minutes to allow the rice to absorb the flavors
5.  Add the broth and bring to a boil
6.  Cover and lower the heat and let simmer 10 minutes
7.  Add the green beans and heat a few more minutes until they are heated through. 
8.  SERVE!!  No salt needed.  Would go great with a good bread, or even topped with some Parma!

I hope everyone missed me!  I'll post later with some photos from the trip for everyone to enjoy. Untill next time!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!