Tomato Cream Pasta with Zucchini Fries

Thank GOD!!!  I wrote this entire blog post and tried to post it earlier and thought I lost it.  I was about to start typing again when I remember to look in the saved posts and there it was.  That's exactly how you make Brittany's day.  =)  I present to you Tomato Cream Pasta and Zucchini fries!!  I'm not sure how I stumbled onto this recipe but I'm lucky I did because it was SOOOO good.  It was lick the bowl (and spoon, and pot) clean good!  Follow this link to the recipe.  I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except for a few minor changes:

I added 1 anaheim chili, seeded and cut in small slices.  I think adding the chili really made this recipe shine.  As you all know I like a little spice.  The chili wasn't very spicy at all, but it flavored the sauce sooo nicely. 
No chicken or faux meat was added, it didn't really need it
For the basil/thyme/oregano I just used a pre-mix italian seasoning total to all three
I used rice milk because that's what I had in the fridge
Agave nectar for the honey
and only 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast.

Like the intro said, don't be scared because of the ingredient list.  This was pretty quick and so easy to make and if I haven't said so already sooooo delicious.  Definitely a keeper.  The only change I would make next time is using fusili pasta to "hold" the sauce better.  The picture on the link looks so much better than mine.  I also like my sauce's a little chunky so I wouuld sub one can of tomato sauce for a can of chopped tomatoes. 

I had more than half of a pretty large zucchini left over from my parents garden and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it.  I found a recipe for zucchini fries and they paired it with spaghetti.  Once I started making the cream sauce it was like a match made in heaven to make the "fries".  They were super easy to make and baked pretty quick.  My only complaint was the breading didn't stick to the zucchini very well.  I'm not sure if it had anything to do with it but I was out of lemon juice so I subbed half the amount for vinegar.  They were still super declious and I felt better about eating them.  I also didn't have breadcrumbs so I toasted a piece of bread and put them through the food processor until they were fine.  I also used regular paprika and garlic powder not salt.  All in all a pretty fab meal that came together soo nicely, even considering I cut my finger pretty bad trying to slice an onion.  I thought my zucchini fries were a gonner.  Husband wasn't home to get them out of the oven and I had to hold my finger with a towel to stop the bleeding.  I was able to be Mrs. Mcguiver and rig the towel to stay on my finger while I saved the "fries".  Pretty miraculous if I do say so myself.  =)

For dinner last night I made a stir fry with all kinds of yummy veggies like green beans, snap peas, carrots, red bell pepper, water chestnuts, baby corn and broccoli with my sweet and spicy sauce on top of quinoa.  Those are some of my favorite meals, the quick, easy, nothing fancy...just a bunch of veggies over quinoa.  Perfection really.  Not much else to share today.  I hope everyone has been creating awesome meals in their kitchen.  If you ever have a great recipe I'd love to hear about it. You just might be featured in a blog! 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

BURGERS AND BIRTHDAYS



Happy Birthday to ME!  Watermelon Margarita

 Last week I celebrated my 25th birthday!  Because I have such wonderful friends and family I was able to stretch it out for the whole weekend.  That is me on my birthday, getting ready to go out for dinner and drinks with the hubby.  =)  For dinner I didn't want to cook so we went to Chevy's.  I'm a pretty big fan of Chevy's.  Their chips and salsa, margaritas and burritos are YUMMY!  I get the veggie burrito with no sour cream or cheese.  They chop up a ton of different veggies with black beans rice and this spicy red sauce.  It was nice to get out of the kitchen.  Over the weekend we went to the river with some friends and then to my parents for dinner on Sunday. 

Since my birthday fell on a weekday I was stuck in the office until 5.  My wonderful co-worker brough me home-made vegan carrot cake cupcakes!!  They were sooooo delicious!  I took some leftovers to my family and they all loved them.  She even made homemade "cream cheese" frosting.  I'm pretty sure I've eaten like 50.  LoL.  She is going to get me the recipe so I can share with y'all. 

My dad let me choose what I wanted him to cook for dinner.  I was in the mood for some grilled veggies.  We don't have a grill at my house (although I'm looking into getting one of those small ones I can fit on my porch) and my dad doesn't grill them very often either.  I chopped up some red bell peppers, fresh zucchini and cucumber from the garden, an Heirloom tomato, onions and garlic.  I should have done more garlic because it was sooooo delicous.  ALL of the veggies were perfect.  I chopped them pretty big, drizzled olive oil, salt/pepper and some cajun seasoning and my dad threw them on the grill with a veggie patty (covered in BBQ sauce).  I topped my buger with all of the veggies and a slice of lettuce and it was perfect.  We cooked some corn, a salad and chips and salsa as a side.  The perfect summer meal.  Thanks mom and dad for the wonderful food! 

As a bonus I made some delicious vegan sloppy joes last night.  I found the recipe from a blog I follow quite frequently, you can find the link here.  I pretty much followed her recipe to the T.  I added red bell peppers to the red onion and jalapeno.  I didn't have cabbage so I just used a lettuce leaf.  They were really good.  The only thing it needed was hot sauce.  I'm kind of addicted to hot sauce though, so I kind of put it on everything.  It was hilarious, I went to the grocery store the other day and had to buy Tapatio hot sauce, Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce, and Chipotle Tabasco Hot Sauce.  We were out of each of them.  I use each one for something different, totally different flavors.  =)  For the side of veggies I cooked green beans, red bel peppers and zucchini with salt/pepper and cajun seasoning.  I drizzled some of the vinegar from the onions on top.  All was perfect! 

I hope you enjoyed! 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Tostada and Peppered "turkey" Sandwich

A few months ago when we went to Texas my sister's boyfriend's mom made me an awesome tostada (knowing I was vegan and all).  She topped it with homemade guac and texas caviar.  It was delicious!  I've never made tostada's at home, albeit it's pretty much the same as a flat taco.  So the other day I figured that would be a perfect summer time meal!  If you haven't noticed almost everything that I'm making has none to very limited cooking time on the stove or oven.  It's been too hot to heat up the whole house with the stove. 

I used my famous refried beans recipe (Okay..Okay..It's not famous and yes it uses canned beans but...It's yummy), guacamole, fresh salsa and lettuce.  I used lime, cilantro and the works in the guacamole and salsa so I didn't feel it needed more but you can definitely top with more of your favorites.  This was sooo easy and tasty and my house was still nice and cool for me to relax in. 

Refried beans:
1 can refriend beans
Chopped onions to taste
Chopped jalapeno to taste
About a tablespoon or two of green and red taco sauce
* Mix all ingredients and microwave until hot

Guacamole (You will need to adjust amounts to taste/amount you need)
1-2 Avacado depending on how much you want to make
1 Lime, juiced
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro
Chopped tomato
Chopped Jalapeno
*Add everything in a bowl then mix together to desired consistency. 

Salsa:
2 Large vine tomatoes
Chopped cilantro
Lime juice
salt
Jalapeno
Onion
Garlic
*Roughly chop everything and put in a food processor.

Because I'm feeling fancy I'm making this blog a two-fer!!  This is more of a review/recipe.  I follow another blog for vegans (see the link here) and she has talked about tofurkey peppered turkey slices a few times.  I always strayed away from the tofurkey slices because I didn't think it would be something I would like.  I've eaten the tofurkey sausages and their good when ground up in spaghetti or something like that, but I don't like it whole.  I can't get use to the flavor.  I thought I'd give the slices a try since we all know there are plenty of things I thought I would like and now love as a vegan.  I decided to make a generic sandwich which I haven't had in forever...well since being a meat eater.  I toasted some sourdough bread, spread with vegenaise, louisiana hot sauce, a few tomato slices salted, peppered and seasoned with some cajun seasoning, chopped onion, lettuce, pickle and a slice of peppered turkey.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This will definitely become an easy staple for lunch or dinner when I'm on a bind and need something quick.  I don't like to base my recipes on processed fake meats but it's really convenient to be able to have them as an option when I'm in a bind.

My husband and I had a late dinner and we were craving potatoes so I ventured out and made some delicious potatoes.  It was worth the heat.  I chopped the potatoes, spread with olive oil, cajun seasoning and a little rosemary.  Mixed together to coat all of the potatoes and baked for about 25 minutes or so.  If you are looking to keep your house cool a nice salad or corn on the cob heated in the microwave would be a good side as well. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post.  Till next time! 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Cajun Fried Green Tomatoes Po'Boy

I've tried this recipe before but I could never find green tomatoes in my area so I always used regular tomatoes.  It tasted good but it was hard to work with because they were always so juicy and not as tough as the green tomatoes.  My mom found some green tomatoes for me the other day and I'm finally getting around to making this again.  I'm SOOOO glad I did because it's amazing.  More amazing then I even remembered.  The recipe is very similar to the BLT I made the other day but it has a totally different taste.  BLT with a southern flare! 

Ingredients:
1 Green tomato
bread crumbs (I was out so I crushed some multi-grain wheat thin toasted chips I had on hand)
Lettuce Leaf
Cajun seasoning
Hot Sauce (I recommend Louisiana hot sauce for this)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Roll
Soy Mayo
Fake Bacon* optional

Directions:
1.  Heat your skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil
2.  Meanwhile slice your tomato, you don't want them to thin, but not too thick either
3.  Salt and pepper the tomato slices.  Crush the crackers if you don't have breadcrumbs, and mix in a shallow bowl with the cajun seasoning.  I didn't measure so I just eye balled what I would need for one tomato.
4.  Dip the tomato slices in the mix until covered.  Add to the heated skillet and brown on each side
5.  Toast your roll, spread with mayo, add hot sauce to taste, Put tomato slices in a row, top with a lettuce leaf and you have yourself a magnificent cajun sammy!
* you can heat up some bacon to add, but I didn't have any on hand and it tasted fine without it.

EDIT!!

I made a tasty side for the po'boys!  I took some broccoli (I used frozen but fresh works too) and heated it on the same grill I cooked the tomatoes with.  I didn't add any water or oil to the pan, just cover the broccoli and let it steam for a few minutes until it's heated through.  Once it was heated I uncovered and crushed some more of the same multi-grain wheat thin toasted chips over the broccoli, added the same cajun seasoning from the tomatoes and a little salt/pepper.  Let that heat and the crushed crackers brown a little.  It was perfect! 

Enjoy!  Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

GREEN BEANS!!!

I know I probably post about green beans more then any other veggie but I wanted to show you all my fresh farm beans!  I didn't do anything different this time, the same ole sweet and spicy soy sauce beans that I make all the time.  I love these so much that I ate the whole pound of beans all by myself.  LOL.  At least they were fresh and organic right? 

That is all....short, sweet and to the point!  Enjoy your saturday!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

The best vegan sandwich ever! THE BLT!

As you all know I still had some heirloom tomatoes left over after the pizza for the beginning of this week.  After finishing the left overs I knew I would want to make a BLT.  I always surprise myself when it comes to tomatoes.  I sometimes like them..sometimes I don't.  Just raw tomatoes aren't my favorite, and I typically don't like them on my burgers or sandwich's but then I like a good BLT.  I know I make no sense!  So even the folks that don't like tomatoes might like this sandwich. 

It's SOOOO easy to make and it is SOOO delicious!!!  Husband loved it!  I could eat them every day.  I took a slice of sourdough bread and toasted it.  Once toasted spread one side with vegan mayo, the other with vegan cream cheese.  I added a few drops of Louisiana hot sauce to both sides of the bread and topped with two slices of tomato.  Sprinkle the tomato with salt and pepper, then top with a slice of lettuce and two strips of vegan bacon (cooked over course!  They heat up super quick on the stove, just a few minutes on each side).  That is it!  It's amazing that something so simple could taste so superb!  =) 

We ate our sammies with a side of corn fresh from the farm.  We eat ours with butter, salt and tapatio hot sauce.  Perfection!  If you see in the second photo I posted a few slices of cucumber.  I've also had the same BLT but instead of lettuce I added some cucumber.  Both were tasty.  Husband wants to try the same sandwich with some pepperoncini's.  So you can easily adapt the recipe.  ENJOY! 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! 

Happy Birthday Hubby: Birthday Dinner

Yesterday was my husband's birthday so I planned a meal I thought he would enjoy, plus the heirloom tomatoes from my CSA were finally ripe and ready to use.  This was a really easy meal to put together.  I just bought the pre-made pizza dough, you can find plenty of vegan ones in the store and topped with our favorite toppings.  What made this meal ultra awesome was Daiya has a new flavor of cheese...PEPPERJACK!!! You should have seen me when I went to the store planning on getting plan mozzarella and I see the new flavor.  I about died!  My favorite cheese as a vegetarian was pepperjack.  I could literally eat a whole block by myself.  I put it on everything!  Hence I was a very excited vegan...kind of like a kid in a candy store.  =) 

For this pizza I used the store bought dough
Storebought pizza sauce
Pepperjack Daiya cheese (The second half you see in the picture is real cheese for hubby...it being his birthday and all)
1 Heirloom tomato sliced however you like
1/2 onion chopped very small
fresh basil, I used the one from my thai basil plant.  Washed the leaves and put whole leaves on top of the tomatoes.  I was afraid I was over doing the basil but after it cooked I realized I could have added a lot more
I was out of garlic (not sure how that happened) so I was stuck using garlic powder instead of the real thing
Red pepper flakes
After I cooked the pizza I added some italian seasoning because I didn't put enough basil.

That is all...A perfect tomato and basil pizza using fresh produce and seasoning straight from the garden!  I made some garlic bread for a side, since I was out of garlic I spread some butter on toasted bread, sprinkled the top with garlic powder and italian seasoning.  Not as good as it could have been but it worked in a bind.

For dessert I bought some cookies for hubby.  He doesn't really like cake so I stuck a candle in one of the cookies and sang him happy bday!  *insert awww here*  I'm bummed I didn't get a picture.  If you have any doubt that the food was good, here is a photo of Bella and her big fat tummy.  Not only was her stomach twice it's normal size, but she weighed twice what she did that morning!  I'm not sure how she did it but I guess since it was Rich's birthday, he decided to share all of his goodies.  You would have thought it was HER birthday!  So spoiled!

More meals to come, I have more tomatoes to use.  I'm thinking a nice BLT, side of green beans, or corn!  Stay tuned!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!