BEANS N THINGS

I'm just full of quick and easy meals.  I like this one because not only is it easy, but it's great for protein with all of the beans.  I got the basic recipe from VegWeb, submitted by fypgitjies.  I adapted the recipe to come up with this:

1 can of beans, I used white but you can sub for black,kidney, black eyed peas, whatever.
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.  I didn't use a whole can but rather the left over from the other night, but a full can would be ideal
A few cloves of garlic minced
1 shallot chopped
oil for sauteing
A tablespoon or so of cajun seasoning (I used zatarain's red bean seasoning which comes in a box)
Prepared rice (I usually use brown, but I had some left over arborio rice so I used that and cooked it in the rice cooker)

1. Heat oil, add garlic and shallot and saute until cooked down and fragrant
2.  Add the can of beans, tomatoes, and seasoning
3.  Let simmer until the beans are cooked and to your desired texture. 
4.  Serve over a bed of rice
5.  Add salt/pepper and/or hot sauce if desired

So last night I had a craving for dessert.  Husband prefers cookies over cupcakes so I thought I'd make a treat for him to come home too...too bad I totally botched the recipe. I followed the recipe to a T, except for subbing maple sytrup for vanilla because I was out, but they turned into this:

LOL!!! More of a cookie cake.  There was WAY too much oil, and I shouldn't have used olive oil because it was way to strong tasting.  They tasted okay but not what I was going for.  I ended up cutting them with a pizza cutter.  =)  At least they didn't burn, which I was afraid of.  I guess it's all just a learning experience.  If I don't post before then, Happy Fathers Day to all the dad's out there.  I truly (not just saying it because I have to) have the best day in the whole world.  He has/does so much for me and my sisters, is supportive, gives the best advice, and loves everyone unconditionally.  I'm the luckiest girl!  I love you PAPA ♥ from your #1 daughter ;)!




That's me in the hat, and my dad to my left with my sisters and mom


Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Sweet and Spicy Broccoli with noodles

Another quick lunch/dinner recipe.  I've posted similar recipes that I cook for green beans, but I made some variations this time and felt it was worth posting about.  Forgive the photo...it just wouldn't photograph well for me. 

I've compiled a few recipes that I've found and pulled my favorites from each and came up with this.  It's a super easy, quick meal when your in the mood for something sweet and spicy and a little asian flare. 

3 Tablespoons of soy sauce
1 Tablespoon of agave nectar
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
2 teaspoons of garlic chili sauce
1 garlic clove minced very fine
Veggie of your choice (I used broccoli this time but I've used green beans or any other asian inspired veggie would work)  I tpyically use frozen, but fresh would work just as well, just adjust the cooking for fresh
Cooked pasta (anything will do)

Spicier variations of the sauce:
Add an additional tablespoon of agave (2 total)
Add 1 tespoon of dry mustard powder
Take out the garlic chili sauce and garlic clove
add a few shakes of seasame chili oil, and sesame seeds. 

1.  Add frozen broccoli to a pan and cover over medium heat.  Let steam until they are almost done cooking.  I don't like mushy broccoli so I pretty much cook until they are no longer cold and nice and crisp
2.  Meanwhile add remaining ingredients (except pasta) in a bowl and mix well.  Add the sauce to the broccoli once it's almost done
3.  Cook uncovered for about a minute or so, after the sauce slightly thickens and coats the veggie.
4.  Top the broccoli and sauce over pasta, and that's it.

Enjoy!  The sauce would go really well with a stir fry.  If you chop up any veggies of your choice (bell peppers, baby corn, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots, green beans, sugar snap peas, etc. are some good choices) and saute in a little oil in a wok, once they are almost done cooking add the same sauce, wait for it to thicken then add some noodles of your choice.  Rice noodles, spaghetti noodles, or even udon noodles would be yummy.  Mix everything together and cook a little longer so the sauce coats the veggies and noodles and you have yourself a yummy stir fry/chow mein!  =)

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Vegan Vegveeta Cheese Sauce

Believe it or not I haven't been to the grocery store since I've been back. Although my fridge is pretty sparse I have a ton of cuboard food that I'm trying to use up before going back to the store.  Pretty much because I'm lazy.  Although it's kind of nice to have a small selection of food because it gets me more creative.  I have a few recipes to post today from what I've whipped up around the house.  These are more meals that you need on the quick and easy with staples you should have in your cuboard (well at least things I have in my cuboard). 

First up is a recipe I found on a fellow vegan blog for vegveeta cheese sauce.  It sounded good so I figured I'd give it a shot.  My vegveeta didn't turn out as yellow as hers did but that's because I thought I had turmeric and turns out I didn't so it ended up being more greyish orange.  Works for me because it all tastes the same. =)  You can find the recipe here.  I've had that recipe bookmarked for awhile now and finally getting around to it. I'm so glad I did.  It was SUPER yummy.  It was creamy and thick just like vegveeta.  Some adjustments I made to the recipe:

I used probably 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (not fresh) because I ran out and that was all I had left

Cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder

Left out the turmeric

I used about 1 Tablespoon of vegan parma

I added 1/4-1/2 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (added once the cheese was on the stovetop)

A couple of jalapeno peppers (added on stovetop)

The tomatoes and jalapeno peppers made the cheese.  It was kind of like a queso salsa.   I was going to bake potatoes and top with the cheese but realized my potatoes had gone bad. =/   So instead I baked tator tots and steamed veggies and dipped it in the sauce!  It was perfect and husband loved it.  The next day I made a chikn sandwhich and topped it with the cheesel.  There are so many uses for it.  It would be good on top of a hot dog, or just as a chip dip.  Even to add to a sauce for pasta or casserole!  Great staple to have. 

I've made a few variations on the chikn sandwhich.  The picture above I put together a BBQ sauce (there are a million recipes online if your interested in making it home made) and grilled it with the patty over the stove.  Put mayo on a ciabatta roll with onion, relish and jalapenos.  You really can't go wrong with those toppings.  =)  I've done a few other easy meals, but I've been bad about taking photos.  One night I made dogs in a blanket dipped with ketchup and hot sauce.  For some reason they turned out really good.  Much better than past experiences. I used the croissant rounds and smart dogs.  I made sure to check them every few minutes to make sure they didn't burn and they turned out perfect.  I made a side of blackbeans sauted with onion, garlic and cajun seasonings.  Another night I used the left over black beans for a burrito.

Last night I made a YUMMY spaghetti.  I used jarred sauce again but added a few spoonfuls of vegan cream cheese.  Then I made a garlic butter to top on a ciabatta roll (mince a few cloves of garlic add to the butter with some italian seasoning and mix well, spread over bread of choice..voila!).  It was a yummy meal. 

Next time I hope to have more interesting meals to share...if I ever get to the store that is.  =)

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

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!

Okra "Gumbo"

Bet you are all surprised to see me back so soon!!!  I needed to make a meal that would last for the week.  I didn't want to make a bunch of things and have a ton of left overs, plus I was trying to get rid of what I already had.  I've had a can of lima beans sitting in my cuboard that I've been meaning to use but haven't gotten around to.  The weather has been really crappy, cold and rainy so I figured what better way to end this cold weather with a nice soup!  Hopefully this is the last of the bad weather and I can go on with my summer meals. 

I looked up a lima bean soup recipe and found one that looked promising.  It called for flour which reminded me of making a roux.  I got out all the ingredients and decided to go a completly different direction and just try and make a gumbo instead....well my version of a gumbo at least.  I wasn't sure if it would really turn out like a gumbo, or just a thick soup, but either way it should taste good...

The results were great!  I should have cooked the roux longer to get a darker color, therefore more flavor.  But at least I know for next time.  I feel great about this because I finally have a base to start creating my masterpiece!   Here is the recipe of what I made this time, along with some sub notes about changes I want to make. 

3 Tablespoons of oil
3 Tablespoons of flour
approximately 3 stems of celery
approximately 1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
4 cups of water
1 can of lima beans
1 can of chopped tomatoes
Rougly two cups of chopped frozen okra (I didn't measure, so just use to your own discretion)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
a bunch of slap ya mama cajun seasoning to taste.  I would start with 1 teaspoon and add more if desired
pinch of cayenne
A few dashes of hot sauce, I use Louisiana Hot Sauce
Cooked rice, depends on how many you are feeding

1.  Heat oil in large soup pot.  Add chopped onions, garlic and celery.  Cook until soft.
2.  Add flour and saute, constantly stirring (you don't want to stop stirring because it will burn, which you would then have to start over).  I cooked mine for about 30 minutes.  You want it to be a nice dark carmel color.  It can take awhile.  Mine wasn't quite ready after 30 minutes but my stove cooks very slow so times may vary.  Next time I would cook for longer.
3.  Add the water and make sure the roux gets completely disolved with the water.  It should be a dark tan color.  Mine was only a light brown, which wasn't dark enough.  It still turned out okay, but more like a soup than a gumbo
4.  Add the can of lima beans, tomatoes, okra, and seasoning.  Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or so.
5.  Taste and add more seasonings if desired
6.  Serve over rice

Suggestions:  I typically dont like tomatoes in my gumbo, I wasn't going to add them but after seeing I didn't cook my roux long enough I felt it was going to need something.  Next time if I get the roux right I would omit.  Like stated above you have to be patient with the roux, which I usually am not.  Which is why I'm having to try for a second time to get it right.  But don't be too pressured to get it right the first time, it was still yummy even if it wasn't exactly what I was going for. 

I don't know how much I will be posting while I'm away, so this is a little southern goodbye for now.  Hopefully I'll be writing soon! 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Getting Everyone Up to Date!!! Green Bean Risotto

I officially am the worst blogger ever!!!!  I'm pretty sure my last 3 posts have all started with...whooppss sorry it's been so long!  Well lets go for a record....Sorry it's been so long!!!  This time it was partially not my fault.  I accidentally left my laptop at my mom's house after Mothers Day and am just getting it back.  As always I've been doing a lot of eating...not a ton of cooking. 

When I think back I'm not sure exactly what I've been busy with...but I know I have been because I haven't been in the kitchen too much.  Just cooking things I've aleady posted about...or not interesting enough to bore you with.  =)  This is my last week in town before I leave for Austin and New Orleans for two weeks so I'm going to be cleaning out my fridge and busy with work and packing!  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures while I'm away!  I've already mapped out where the closest whole foods is in NOLA.  I'm pretty sure I'm planning on carrying around a cooler with essentials everywhere I go.  I'm hoping to still find some good down home southern cooking that is vegan.  It's my first trip back being vegan, so I'm not really prepared.  Wish me luck! 

Now on to what you really came here to read...vegan FOOD!  For mothers' day my dad was going to barbeque, which is always one of my favorite family time meals.  There is something about the grill that makes a veggie burger taste just perfect!  Add a little barbeque and I'm golden.  The weather wasn't all that great so we didn't go all out.  I typically like to add some potatoes or veggies but we just stuck to the "meat:" this time.  My mom had garlic rolls so I cut my veggie burger in half to fit, with some vegenaise, mustard, pickles and onions..the perfect veggie sandwich.  As you all know I've been wanting to make a risotto.  After making the risotto soup and getting the right type of rice I thought  I was ready.  I didn't follow any specific recipe.  I just looked up online how you generally cook risotto and took it from there.  It turned out really good!  I was pleasantly surprised! 

Green Bean Risotto:

1 Cup of Arborio Rice
3 1/2-4 cups of broth (use a nice flavored one)
1/2 to 1 onion depending on the size and your preference
A few cloves of garlic
A few tablespoons of butter
1 pound of green beans (I used frozen)

1.  Melt the butter, add chopped onions and garlic and cook until fragrant
2.  Add the rice and saute until the rice for about 3 minutes or so.  You want the rice to absorb the flavors of the garlic, onion and butter.  If you are modifying the recipe, put any of your fragrant flavors in with the butter and then add the rice last so it can take in those flavors.
3.  Meanwhile heat your broth in a separate pot and simmer.  You want it warm, doesn't need to be boiling.  Keep it on the stove, as you are going to slowly add the broth to the rice and you want it warm the whole time.  This is key!!  I didn't do this in my first risotto and it didn't work. I ended up slaving over the stove for hours with a goupy mess, and hard rice.
4.  Add the heated broth to the rice 1/2 cup at a time.  Once the broth has been almost completely absorbed add more broth until it is all gone.  You want to continually stir to keep the rice from burning.  The rice when done will be fluffy and soft but still have a bite to it. 
5.  Since I used frozen green beans I heated them up in the microwave (to save on pots) just until they were slightly cooked but were still crisp and bright green. 
6.  Once the risotto was done add the cooked green beans to the rice and mix well. 

VOILA!!!  This recipe was generally pretty easy, other then standing over the stove.  It only took me about 30 minutes to add all of the broth to the rice.  So not too bad.  It's been more than a week since I've made it so I'm hoping I didn't forget anything.  Honestly the recipe is super adaptable so you can add whatever you'd like! 

I do have one more recipe for you.  I made this on a whim with what I had in the fridge and it turned out pretty good and is super easy, adaptable as well.  I had the canned croissant rounds that had been sitting in my fridge waiting to be used.  I also had some cream cheese and daiya and decided to make a simple calzone!  Just open the can of croissant rounds, I made a square about the size I was looking for (one can made two calzones).  I spread half of the dough with tofutti cream cheese, topped with chopped kalamata olives and a little horseradish.  Sprinkled some daiya cheese, then folded the other half of the dough on top.  Sealed with a fork so all sides were closed.  Made a few slits in the top to let air escape and baked for about 10 minutes in the oven.  They were yummy!  Then you can dip in marinara or vegan ranch...super easy!  Just add your favorite toppings. 

Enjoy friends....I hope it won't be as long between posts but no promises with my vacation coming up.  I will be bringing my laptop with me so if I get a chance I'll post while I'm away!  Till next time!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Left Over Phenomenon

I cannot tell a lie...I have been completely absent in the kitchen since Easter.  I don't think I've cooked much but green beans on the stove, and the microwave to heat up left overs.  My fridge was full of good food to eat, and I've been totally satisfied with just that.  Plus I've been keeping busy.  Not that I don't love to cook, but it's been nice to take a break and just have food ready in the fridge to heat up.  I'm planning on making enchiladas for cinco de mayo, maybe some good guac and margaritas!!  So stay tuned for that.  My mom also gave me a pre-made pizza crust so I'll probably whip up a pizza in the next few days.  So don't worry I'll be back soon. 

One thing I did want to mention was that the etouffee was sooo delicious the next day...who am I kidding the whole next week!  I just finished the last of it today and it was soo yummy.  As any roux based meals it always tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to meld together.  So if you decide to make the etouffee make sure you have left overs to try the next day.  You won't be sorry! 

Sorry such a short post with no pics!  Till next time!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!