Friday Links

1. It's Friday! And these ginger beer margaritas sound prettttty good right about now.

2. I always look forward to seeing Megan's valentines day brunch post every year. Hopefully one day I can throw a brunch just as adorable as hers!

3. I'm currently eyeing these delicious looking baklava muffins or anything with pistachios lately. 

4. What happens when two of the most delicious vegetables get cross-pollinated? The answer is BrusselKale. I am so curious to know what it tastes like, but I highly doubt I can find them anywhere around here.

5. If I can sub fruity pebbles for froot loops, I am totally making this Momofuku inspired cereal cashew milk cake! 

6. After word got out that 'True Detective' was heavily influenced by this book and this one, both of their sales have shot up on Amazon. And we definitely bought the first one to read. Can't wait to read them over spring break! (More info on the mythology here)

7. It's been storming all morning, so these earl grey tea latte pancakes look absolutely perfect right now.

8. I've decided to make these GF V everything bagels over Spring Break because oh my gaaad. 

9. One of my favorite little bloggers wrote a post about changing dreams, which really resonated with me. Recently, I've really been struggling with this problem and this post was incredibly comforting to me. Thanks, A Beautiful Mess! 

10. Top with Cinnamon is writing a cookbook! Which is insane because she's only 18! She takes some of the most beautiful photos of lovely baked goods, so check her site out if you haven't already!

January Favorites (Happy New Year!)

Apparently my mind gets blown by how fast time passes on a regular basis. Like, it's February tomorrow? Next week is my fourth week of classes? Where is this year going, already?? Anyways, this was a great month of food and it was hard for me to pick 10 recipes to share (as you can see, I added a couple more). For a couple of weeks, I stuck to the meal plan I made for the month. Then I got bored with it, and found myself actually spending more time re-adjusting my monthly plan than I did when I planned by the week. So, obviously, that monthly meal planning thing went out the window due to our erratic schedules etc. Starting next week, I will be blogging a little differently. I am going to start doing Friday posts with food links etc. and then one weekly post about food that I've made and other things in my life. So get excited!

1. Apple-Miso Tofu with Rice + Orange-Scented Broccoli

One thing I've really been enjoying lately is marinating tofu/tempeh and roasting it in the oven with other vegetables. It's so easy and always delicious. I've done this many times now, using different recipes, and they've never disappointed. Apples and miso may not sound like they go well together, but trust me. The soft sweet apples pair perfectly with salty miso and sweet mirin. The broccoli was also a delicious side to everything. Both recipes are from Appetite For Reduction but I found the tofu recipe online too//Rainy Day Veggies

2. Pasta Con Broccoli
This could be my new favorite pasta dish. Broccoli is cooked with a TON of garlic, plus white wine and vegetable stock, then tossed with pasta. I, of course, doused mine in nutritional yeast, which made it even tastier. I don't think I'll ever get tired of how amazing Isa's recipes are. This is also from Appetite for Reduction (see above), but I found this recipe online too//Food

3. Arroz Con Tempeh
I remember making arroz con pollo a few years ago in a Dutch oven, and I remember it being very flavorful and delicious. When I saw this arroz con tempeh in my new cookbook, I immediately had to make it. It completely exceeded my expectations and I couldn't believe how flavorful it was. I will definitely be making this again and again. Mike hates olives and I caught him eating a few from this dish! Plus it has a ton of vegetables in it, which is always a good thing! //One Dish Vegan

4. Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Do you have those long, awful days where you just want to fall over? That was me on my first day back to classes, which spanned 11 am - 630 pm with a doctors appointment squeezed in between. I kinda forced myself to put this soup in the slow cooker before I went to class, and I did not regret it. I was always intrigued by the idea of baked potato soup, but hooooly crap it's amazing. Don't skip the cashew cream, green onions or nutritional yeast toppings either//Fresh From the Vegan Slow-Cooker

5. Miso Sesame Winter Squash + Tofu
Here's another example of my new obsession with roasting/marinating, except this one doesn't have to marinate! This combination of citrus, miso, molasses, soy sauce, etc is so incredibly comforting. My squash wasn't quite 2 pounds, so I just made up the difference by using a whole package of tofu. I highly recommend serving this over quinoa with lemon wedges and sriracha!//101 Cookbooks

6. Brussels Sprouts Tacos + Guacamole + Fixins'
So Mike never gets food cravings, which is still kinda weird to me. So for our one year anniversary, I begged him to have a preference. Just this once. Just pick something you want for dinner! So he said: "Brussels sprouts." I ransacked my archives (aka 100+ paged recipe word doc) and pulled out 6 brussels recipes. He settled on this brussels sprouts taco recipe. I made a lazy version of it by making my own guacamole (I despise blender guacamole), using hard corn tortillas instead of pan frying soft ones, and using leftover homemade pintos. Let me just say, these were the best tacos I've had in a looong time. Oh my goodness. Just trust me. Don't skimp on the guac, chili lime Cholula, cilantro and green onions. It really makes it//See You in the Morning

7. Christmas Lima Stew
So it should be clear by now that I love beans. Like, I really really do and I don't care if it sounds weird. There's a bean club from Rancho Gordo that is pretty much a dream come true and I daydream about it often. Enough weird talk. This soup was incredible. My mom had us over for dinner and she made this with these beautiful purple Christmas lima beans. This soup has two whole heads of celery, a ton of olive oil, and it's garnished with lemon juice and black olives. Oh, and did I mention there are caraway seeds and celery salt involved? So yes. This is the soup of my dreams. Also, how pretty is mom's wedding china?//101 Cookbooks

8. TLAT (Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato Sandwich)
This sandwich was a revelation. Seriously. I have very few words to say about it, except make it right now. The tempeh doesn't taste like real bacon, obviously, but it still makes a damn good sandwich. I highly recommend lettuce, tomato, avocado and vegan mayo. If you're feeling really fancy, use miso mayo. And serving it with homemade split pea soup wouldn't hurt either//Vegan Peace

 9. Black-Eyed Pea + Kale Curry with Potatoes
This could be my new favorite winter curry. Black-eyed peas, kale, potatoes, perfectly sauteed thin red onions and two sliced jalapenos. The base is simpler than most curry recipes, but it creates a subtle flavor profile for the vegetables to really shine. We had it with avocado mango salsa on top (as the recipe suggests) on the first night, and that created a very interesting addition to the curry! But it's amazing on its own too. I wanted to use collards but mine were sad looking, but kale was and always is a tasty substitute//The PPK

10. Banana Snacking Cake
We FINALLY had a snow day. I seriously think we get one a year. Whenever it snows, I have to bake something. Even if I have real life stuff to do (i.e. homework). I had some bananas I needed to use up, so I settled on this snacking cake. This cake was so easy to make, delicious, and moist. You cover the cake for an hour, which helps the cake absorb more moisture. This is definitely one of the most moist GF cakes I've made. And it's perfect for snacking, obviously, and isn't laden with vegan butter or a ton of sugar. I'm also proud to say I made homemade brown sugar for this cake and I'm almost convinced it made it taste better. For conversions, I used: 1/4 C sorghum flour, 1/4 C tapioca starch + 1 tsp xanthan gum in place of the 1/2 C spelt flour. It really doesn't need the frosting, but I'm sure it would be amazing with it!//Sprouted Kitchen

11. Buffalo Chickpea Burgers 
I've realized that vegan burgers are awesome. They're quick to prepare, filling, and they're basically hands-free. I've had my eyes on these for a while now and finally made them. You guys, they have four ingredients. That's crazy. I made a double batch so that we could have extras and I'm glad I did because they're AMAZING. The buffalo sauce is seriously the only spice you need, but of course I added more on top. They take about 5 minutes to prep, chill for 20, then they bake for 30. I highly highly recommend them. You can also freeze the leftovers, which is awesome! I topped ours with vegan mayo, hot sauce, and green pepper (red onion is also good) then wrapped in lettuce//Fo Reals Life

12. Broiled Grapefruit Oatmeal
Finding a new favorite food blog sometimes feels like finding a new really good friend who just gets you on so many levels. Right now, that blog is Oatgasm. I saw this recipe on Foodgawker and was intrigued, so I clicked on the link to see the name of her blog. Then I scrolled through the entire blog. By the end of it, I was drooling and my eyes were wide. Also, the author is only 15 years old, which is mind boggling. Her writing and recipe creativity exceeds anything I could pull out of my head at that age. So expect to see more recipes from her because I plan on making pretty much all of them. Oh and this grapefruit broiled oatmeal is incredible. I felt like a Queen eating it at my sad little desk this morning, but it will seriously keep you full and make you feel super cool for broiling your oatmeal (and eating warm grapefruit)//Oatgasm

December Favorites

It amazes me that December will be over tomorrow! And it scares me that school will be back in two weeks. This will possibly be my hardest semester yet, since I am taking 5 classes, and one of them goes until 6:30 PM. That being said, I am trying a new method of planning a month of recipes instead of by the week, to cut down on time I spend during the semester planning meals. We'll see how it works out! Next month I am cooking from: Appetite for Reduction, One Dish Vegan, The Great Vegan Bean Book, Fresh From the Vegan Slow-Cooker, and 101 Cookbooks Blog. Stay tuned for tomorrow when I post my Top 13 recipes from 2013!

1. Quinoa Caesar Salad with Chickpeas + Super Briny Dressing

It's funny how many things I never dreamed of eating when I wasn't mostly vegan. The thought of a caesar salad was enough to make me gag. But now, I daydream about a vegan caesar dressing made with briny capers, mustard served over crunchy cold lettuce. This dressing is amazing, but incredibly garlicky. Like vampire-slaying-worthy-garlicky. But I seriously can't recommend it enough. This comes from Isa's latest book (aka my bible), but the recipe can be found here.

2. Tofu, Kale + Red Rice Bowl with Curried Peanut Sauce
What was my life before peanut sauce? Or more importantly, before this peanut sauce with curry powder? Nothing. That's what it was. This sauce is the star of this amazingly easy dish that comes together in 30 minutes or less. //Isa Does It

3. GF Tagliatelle with Slurpy Spicy Spaghetti Sauce
Okay, so I'm obviously a little obsessed with Isa's new book, but this spicy slurpy spaghetti sauce is stupidly easy and delicious. You caramelize the onions in a little brown sugar, then add lots of red pepper flakes, which creates the most perfect sauce. We tried these GF egg noodles, which were incredible, but definitely only for special occasions because they're not cheap. //Isa Does It

4. Wonder Fries with Miso-Mayo (side of Bourbon Pumpkin Spice Apple Toddy)

If you take anything away from this post, read this: make these fries as soon as possible. I can't even explain how delicious these were. They take a little effort, but believe me, they are worth every penny and second you spend on them. The process creates the most perfect, crispy, yet fluffy fries. Oh, and the miso mayo is life-changing. Plain and simple. //Food 52

5. Breakfast Kale with Eggs Over Easy, Avocado + Hot Sauce

This has become a well-loved staple for breakfast in our house. It comes together quickly, it's nutritious and sooo flavorful. The ingredient list is short and the possibilities for additions are endless! //here! 

6. Chipotle Soyrizo + Potato Hash with Tahini-Miso Sauce 

One thing that drives me crazy (in a good way) about Isa's recipes, is every time I try a new one, I always claim its "her best recipe yet". But I say this about every single thing I've made from her...but this, might take the cake. Miso apparently makes every sauce instantly incredible, so don't skip it. The potatoes don't need to be boiled beforehand, which is shocking because they get cooked so perfectly. So yes, make this as soon as possible. //Isa Does It

7. Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup

There is nothing better than a big pot of soup on a cold day. The red lentils cook down into the basmati rice, making a thick and delicious soup. The arabian spices and lemon tie this soup together in the best way possible. It also comes together quickly, with plenty of time to rest while it simmers on the stove! The recipe originally comes from this book, but I found the recipe online too: here.

8. Chickpea Piccata with Caulipots + Sweet 'n' Salty Glazed Carrots

I've never had chicken piccata before, but this chickpea piccata was incredible! We served it with cauliflower mashed potatoes and these delicious roasted carrots. The sauce is made with lots of garlic and white wine, creating a delicious meal to be served on these caulipots. I loved how fancy this meal made me feel, but it took only an hour to pull everything together! //Appetite For Reduction

9. Golabki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)

I never thought I would ever be able to make vegan stuffed cabbage. But it was so easy and delicious! The filling is made of TVP, lentils, pecans, and other delicious and simple components. They take a little effort, but if you prep the lentils and tomato sauce in advance, these come together quickly! I was surprised at how authentic the filling tastes, despite not having any meat. //Vegan Yack Attack

10. Caramelized Cauliflower Soup with Croutons

This soup sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple. You basically roast a head of cauliflower, then make a simple broth with some garlic and other ingredients, and then blend everything together. It makes a perfect soup for a winter day, especially topped with croutons and toasted almonds. Also, don't skip the white balsamic. It truly makes this soup perfect. Plus you will put white balsamic on everything once you taste it. It's regular balsamic's lighter, less-syrupy cousin. //Sprouted Kitchen

What is Tempeh? + 10 ways to cook it

Tempeh. One of the things I like to include in "the vegan holy trinity" (i.e. tofu, tempeh, and beans). I have been eating tempeh since I was a kid, and never really knew what it was. But now I am cooking it more than ever! It costs about the same as tofu, but is quite different from tofu. So what is it?

Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans. Unlike tofu, tempeh has a mild nutty flavor on its own that some people steam to get rid of before cooking. So what can you do with it? Pretty much anything. It's firmer than tofu, but absorbs flavors just as well. Chop it, shred it, dice it, bake it, fry it. There are so many wonderful ways to cook tempeh! 

For any fellow gluten-free folks, fair warning: not every brand of tempeh is gluten-free. Be sure to read labels carefully. If it says "five-grain tempeh", it is most likely not GF due to barley or spelt. On average, 8 oz of tempeh racks up 48g of protein, so this is why I include it in my vegan holy trinity. I usually buy westsoy but soyboy is also great. Sometimes tempeh looks darker than other packages, but this is perfectly normal. It is not mold, that is just how tempeh looks sometimes. 

So what do you do with this stuff? 

 

 

 

1. Tempeh Chili Mac (Everyday Happy Herbivore)//2. BBQ Tempeh Kale Pizza (VV)
3. Tempeh Cacciatore (me!)//4. Buffalo Tempeh & Vegan Ranch Salad (PPK)
5. Sweet & Sour Tempeh (Everyday Happy Herbivore)//6. Buffalo Tempeh & Vegan Mozzarella Sandwiches (Vegan Yack Attack)
7. Smoky Tempeh & Peppers (Greens & Seeds)//8. Summer Tempeh Sandwich (TK)
9. Sriracha Tempeh & Green Beans (FoReals Life)//10. Orange Glazed Tempeh (101)


Hungry for more? Here are some saved recipes that I haven't tried:

- 10-minute brussels + tempeh stir-fry
- Potato + Tempeh Curry
- Tempeh + Broccoli Stir-Fried Noodles
- Tempeh Reuben Club Sandwiches
- Tempeh Chili Con Frijoles

August Favorites

How is August already over?! I feel like time has been going by way too fast. I've also somehow already survived two weeks of school! So here are my favorite recipes from August, that I highly recommend making! If it's from a cookbook, leave your e-mail and I will gladly send it to you! 

 1. 6-ingredient Sriracha Tempeh + Green Beans

This dish marinates for 30 minutes but only takes 5 minutes to actually cook. The main ingredients are: water, sriracha, tempeh, GF soy sauce, and green beans. It sounds simple, but the outcome of the dish was incredible. I will be making this over and over again. I highly recommend this for any night that you are short on time but want something good and spicy!
//FoReals Life

2. Black Bean Summer Squash Enchiladas

In the summertime, I eat as much zucchini and squash as possible. What better way than to use them in enchiladas? These enchiladas are spicy, packed with flavor and so delicious. I highly recommend using a homemade enchilada sauce for these (see here; sub vegan sour cream + vegetable stock). Just be sure to make these before summer is over and zucchini is no longer in season! 
//Fat-Free Vegan

 3. Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I recently discovered that Mike can eat cauliflower (!!!). So after this amazing discovery, I have been cooking with it once a week. And I know what you're thinking: cauliflower in a pizza crust? But trust me. This is may be the best GF crust I've ever had. The ingredients and process are incredibly simple. The recipe I used isn't vegan but can easily be made so by using egg-replacer. 
//Love & Lemons

4. Lemon-Blueberry Bars with Coconut Crust 

Who doesn't love lemon bars? These are studded with blueberries and are on top of a delicious, "buttery", coconut shortbread crust. The lemon flavor is bright and amazing! These are not vegan, and I'm not sure if there is a suitable substitute for eggs in lemon bars. However, I used vegan earth balance sticks, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca starch. 
//La Phemme Phoodie

 5. Lemony Chickpea Kale Stir-Fry

Apparently I'm on a lemon kick lately! This "stir-fry" is quick and satisfying. It has chickpeas, tofu, zucchini, lemon, and caramelized onions. I never thought I would like chickpeas and tofu together, but this lemony stir-fry is great for a quiet night in. Serve it with brown rice or quinoa with earth balance, garlic, and salt. 
//101 Cookbooks

 6. Easy Weeknight Curry

Every time I make curry, I feel like I get better at it every single time. I'm constantly saying "this" is the best curry, then I quickly change my mind to another recipe. So I'm doing it again: this is the curry of the summer. It has an incredibly buttery undertone that comes from cooking the vegetables in coconut oil and coconut milk. The lime juice, fresh basil, and sriracha toppings also tie the dish together. Make this before the summer is over and you will not regret it! Serve over jasmine or basmati rice. Leave your e-mail for the recipe!
//Super Natural Everyday

7. Buffalo Tempeh + Vegan Ranch Salad

I actually hated ranch dressing when I wasn't mostly vegan. I sat with kids at lunch in middle school who put it on their pizza, which disgusted me to no end! (no offense to any ranch lovers). But this ranch is vegan, healthy, and tangy. It pairs perfectly with the spicy hotness of buffalo smothered tempeh. This salad is great for lunch and also doesn't take too much effort to prepare.

//The PPK

(956) feuille de basilic

Spring break is only one week away! I am really excited to have a week to not have to worry about classes, even though I will sadly have to read a lot over break. I also have a trip to the beach planned which is exciting! Needless to say, I'm ready for this week to fly by already. 

I've been on a huge Saturday/Sunday brunch kick lately. I made this very delicious mexican tofu scramble with added frittata starter that I got from William-Sonoma with fire-roasted corn, onions + peppers. It was amazing and full of protein! I feel like I've been making tofu scramble pretty often here lately, but it's always easy to pull together. //happy herbivore

Everyone knows that I loooove potatoes. These paprika rosemary roasted potatoes are my absolute favorite now. Especially slathered in ketchup. //vegan brunch

I don't feel like I've made soup in a long time. This chickpea rice soup with kale was absolutely perfect. It also includes a cashew cream, which pulls everything together and adds protein. The onions are thinly sliced which caramelize lightly and are a great contrast to just regular chopped onions (may not seem like a big deal but its great). I would seriously consider making this. //post-punk kitchen

I've been trying to cook every night this week, even when I am tired and don't feel up to it. I am really trying to pull myself away from relying on processed foods unless it's an emergency. This arroz amarillo was easy to pull together. I decided to add black beans, green peas, kale...and a lot of hot sauce, obviously! //happy herbivore

I also don't feel like I've made hummus in a while, and since I've been trying to eat healthier snacks, this was an obvious choice. This particular hummus is flavored like buffalo wings, which I obviously can't eat haha. It perfectly mimics the flavors and ends up being healthier (and vegan!) This may be my new favorite hummus //butter me up brooklyn!

This night was a big deal for me. I got to meet: one of my my biggest food idols, the first food blogger I ever read, and someone I really look up to. Deb of smitten kitchen manages to cook elegant food that is easy, affordable, and written out so well that anyone can make it. She also manages to make the most complicated looking things sound easy. I have cooked the most recipes from her blog than anyone elses because of this reason, and also because of the wide array of recipes she posts. It's easy to make her recipes gluten and dairy free, even though almost none of her recipes naturally are. So this is the first big celebrity I've met, I mean, she's on the NY times best-seller list and any foodie has heard of her. Deb is incredibly down to earth, a great speaker, and very humbled. She asked if I liked cooking or baking better, and of course admitting to both, adding that I do all of her recipes gluten and dairy free. She was very intrigued to know what flours I use, what difficulties I find with baking GF, etc. It was so awesome! And I'm obviously blushing in this photo. 

We went to fiction kitchen in Raleigh this past weekend. This restaurant is an all vegan, mostly local food. I got an amazing spicy peanut smothered tempeh with broccoli and brown rice. This dessert pictured above is a gluten-free vegan chocolate truffle pie with a salted caramel crust. I was in disbelief that it was gluten-free and vegan! It was so decadent. I can't wait to go back to this place and I definitely recommend it! They also have vegan chicken and waffles, and plenty of gluten free options!

I was generously given a gigantic eggplant this weekend, which is something I never cook. Eggplant doesn't always agree with my stomach, but I am always eager to cook with new things. This also involved my grill pan, which I finally got to use! This is essentially grilled strips of eggplant, stuffed with a Italian basil tofu ricotta, then topped with cabarnet marinara sauce on top. It was so easy and delicious! If you love eggplant and Italian food, you should definitely make this! //the passionate parsley

A better picture of the leftover eggplant rolatini over vegan buttered + red pepper flake polenta.

I seriously debated even cooking tonight. But I had basil, tomatoes, and tofu ricotta nagging me in the fridge and I had to force myself to make something. Despite my apathy, I ended up making something absolutely delicious and protein packed. I have been trying to eat less carbs with every meal, just for the sake of being healthy, so I chose this over pasta. First you slow cook tomatoes in garlic, oil, and bay leaf. Then add eggs with vegan butter and seasonings. I then stirred in leftover tofu ricotta; so this has a ton of protein! //in pursuit of more