Last nights dinner...

Dinner with Robin

As promised, here is a picture of last nights dinner. We had Wild Rice, BBQ Tempeh, Asparagus (that a friend of Robin's canned recently), and Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Such a quick, easy, and tasty meal! Here are the recipes for the BBQ Tempeh and the Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

BBQ Tempeh

I left out the onion and green pepper when I made this batch, due to not having them on hand. Its great with or without them. You can serve this as is or on a bun as a Sloppy Joe.

1/2 a large White Onion, diced

1/2 a Green Bell Pepper, diced

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 block Tempeh, crumbled

1/4 cup Your favorite BBQ Sauce

Heat the oil to medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the onion and green pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add the tempeh and continue to saute another 2-3 minutes. Mix in the bbq sauce and finish heating another 4-5 minutes. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 medium Sweet Potatoes or Yams, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

4 tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

a sprinkle of Ground Cumin

Preheat oven to 350. Drizzle a cookie sheet with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and place the slices of sweet potato on it. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top of the slices and sprinkle them with the sea salt and cumin. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender in the middles and slightly blackened and crisp on the edges. Enjoy!

On the road again...

Hi Folks! Well I'm officially on my way to JCCFS for the winter. I've made it 2/3 of the way from Rapid City, SD to Brasstown, NC. That equals out to be roughly 17 hours of driving that I split between two days. I'm delighted to not have to drive today.

Friday night I stopped in Omaha, NE to stay with Carl's cousin. It was a wonderful evening filled with many a glass of wine. I had originally planned to stay in Omaha for the whole weekend and visit all the vegan hangouts, but decided to cut my time short, so I could spend an extra day in Illinois.

Robin and I celebrated my arrival in Decatur, IL last night with a Mexican fiesta. During my time in SD, I had really missed traditional Mexican food. TexMex and, what I've heard people call, Colorado TexMex just aren't the same as the traditional Mexican food that I grew up eating. Last night I gorged myself on Vegetarian Fajitas and Chips and Salsa. It was the "Welcome Home" that I needed after all that time spent in the car.

Tonight for dinner I'm making BBQ Tempeh, Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Wild Rice. If I can dig my camera out of my luggage, I'll post picks along with the recipes.

Vegan Love and Many Thanks for reading!

Jon Gorman's White Bean Soup

Here's another piece from Jon's series on cooking vegan as a non-vegan. This recipe sounds like the perfect early fall soup to be served with a hearty slice of toasted Sourdough. Give it a whirl, and tell us what you think. 

White Bean Soup

Ingredients
2 TB palm oil
2 small leeks or one large leek, sliced
2 shallots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 medium potato, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced (about two teaspoons)
3 cups white beans, cooked
6 cups vegetable stock
3 cups white beans
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Cook the beans ahead of time.  You can probably get away with canned beans, but since they’re the main focus of this dish I prefer to cook them ahead of time.  I just cook a 1 lb pound bag of white beans by putting them in the slow cooker to soak overnight and filling the slow cooker with water, then setting the slow cooker on low during the day while I work.  We have a cheap light timer we use with our slow cooker to set it to cook for about 8 hours.  The beans should have a bit of snap when you first bite it, but otherwise be soft.  I scoop out three cups for the recipe and freeze half-pound amounts of beans in sandwich bags for other recipes.

Chop up the leeks and shallots.  Put two tablespoons of palm oil into a soup pot.  I’d say at least an 8 quart pot is needed, but if you’re neater than me you might be able to do it with less.  Once the solids have melted and the pan is hot, add the leeks and shallots. If you don’t have leeks and shallots, two or three onions will do. Cook till the leek and shallots become translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.  And add the carrots and celery and a dash of salt.  Cook until the carrot starts to become tender, about another 5 to 8 minutes or.  Add the garlic for about 30 seconds.  

Then add the stock, another dash of salt, beans, and potato and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 40 minutes to an hour.  Make sure that the potatoes are soft.  Once they are, puree the soup with a blender and then add the lemon juice.  

This recipe is a merger of a couple of recipes I’ve seen for white bean soup.  One, from a cookbook I’ve mentioned before on Season of the Vegan, is “Extending the Table”.  The other is a cookbook I got recently from the library, “Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food”.  Both recipes are similar, but both use pork fat in the dish.

I didn’t want to use olive or vegetable oil, but I’d thought about trying vegetable shortening or palm oil.  I’ve had some packets of palm oil in ramen before, a curious thick shorting-like fat that I’d never think to call oil. In a moment of odd coincidences, a book I was reading had on a flight back from a recent conference gave me the motivation to get off my duff and try palm oil more seriously.

The essay that gave me the motivation was, ironically enough, “An Ode to Pig” by Bethany Ewald Bultman in “Corn Bread Nation 2: The United States of Barbecue”.  The essay mentions how lard ended up being a substitute in many African dishes for palm oil.  That lead me on a quest to one of our local international grocery stores, World Harvest Food.  They didn’t have the block form of palm oil, but they had a less refined and very red bottle of the lumpy red palm oil. It is a wonderful, slightly nutty and sweet fat that I’ve been enjoying.  I am now using it in many dishes instead of butter or pork fat and in some cases mixing it with another oil or fat. I’m curious to try it in an avocado-centric dish, but haven’t yet. You can probably use olive oil or shortening in this recipe, but it’s worth seeking out palm oil if you can.

                  
In Jon's professional life he combines a love of books and computers by working as part of Library IT for a large academic library. At home, he explores another love, cooking. Not a vegan himself, he's striving to become a conscientious eater, eating more vegetarian and vegan cooking in his normal diet. An avid cookbook reader, he'll share good vegan recipes he comes across on this blog.

Its alive....ALIVE.....

So, my laptop died a horrible death over the course of the last few weeks. Huge thanks to Carl, who was able to switch out my hard drive and bring my "sweet mathilda" back to life. I was able to save a text copy of my book, but I lost all of my pictures for the book, and the info for the three (yes three) posts that I was working on for here and the one for This Dish Is Veg. Hopefully, over the course of this next week I can rehash what I was working on and get some content up for you lovely folks.

I've only got three weeks left here in South Dakota. I'm hoping to post a "What and Where I'm Eating" log while I'm on the road. It'll be sort of along the same line as what Kristen over at Will Travel for Vegan Food is doing, but without reviews. I've managed to keep up with my travel blog My Journey Back To Me a little better over the past month. It's currently about how I'm in the process of preparing for my adventure to North Carolina. So, if I seem to have fallen off the face of the Earth, you can find me over there. I'll have another delish recipe from Jon's series of Vegan Cooking from a Non-Vegan for you in a day or two.

Have a fantastic week!

July Vegan Food Swap

I feel like a slacker, I haven't posted in almost a month. This heat wave and lack of air conditioning have left me feeling uninspired. I've spent most of the month hiding in the basement reading, since its the coolest part of the house. Luckily its the part of the year where a big fresh salad makes the perfect meal. This has saved us from further heating up the house.

I once again participated in the monthly vegan food swap put together by Cat over at The Verdant Life. This month my giftee won't be receiving hers until almost August, as she is currently on vacation. I didn't want to send it and have it languish in the heat as it awaited her arrival home. My box arrived about a week ago from Gina at Vegan Strong, filled with great stuff. Unfortunately due to some technical difficulties with my camera, I can't post any pictures right now. As soon as I get that fixed I'll post them in the comments. My box included an assortment of teas with a Cuppow to drink them from. I'm loving my canning jar to go cup! Gina also included a bag of Somersaults, which I'm now hooked on, and a couple of snack bars. Thanks so much Gina!

Getting it together....

Sorry I've fallen off the face of the earth this past month. Life has been crazy. I'm planning to get my July Food Swap post up later today and hopefully a recipe or two posted by the weekend. I have however been posting over at My Journey Back To Me, its my new blog about my upcoming trip across the US. I also have a new post up at This Dish Is Vegetarian, if you need a recipe fix. Thanks for reading, folks! Vegan Love!

June's Vegan Food Swap

Once again, I participated in the monthly Vegan Food Swap that Cat over at The Verdant Life has put together. I'm really enjoying sending and receiving boxes of great vegan products with other bloggers. I hope that I'll still be able to be a part of it while I'm at JCCFS. I'm not sure what my resources for tasty bits to ship out will be though. This month I shipped a box of citrus themed goodies to Shelby at Everyday Vegan Girl. My box of treats came from Veronica at Short Silly Vegan. Carl and I snacked on the Primal Jerky before I could get the picture taken. The Sweet Potato chips and Cinnamon Thin Cookies from Lucy's are two of my new favorite things. We still haven't tried the Hot Cereal, because we haven't wanted to eat anything hot for weeks due to the heat. We'll save it for cold South Dakota mornings this winter.

Weekly Ramblings and Pineapple Mango Salsa...

It's been a busy week thus far, which makes me even happier that I have a three day weekend to look forward to. This past Saturday's Bountiful Basket brought with it lots of amazing fresh fruit. We got bananas, a pineapple, and a watermelon from small farms in Mexico, and plums and apricots from California. We also received a five pound bag of potatoes from a small farm in Idaho as well as many other goodies. Though I know it would be better for the environment for us to buy local produce, there still hasn't been much at the farmer's market. I plan to go down this weekend and see if we've moved past the jams, meat, and crafts portion of the year and on into the veggies and fruit portion. It would be nice to buy local every other week and from BB on the off weeks, so we could support both while still getting good variety.

I started my travel blog that will document my journey to John C. Campbell Folk School. You can find it at My Journey Back To Me. I plan to try and keep up with both blogs while I'm working as the Student Host at JCCFS. I'm fairly certain that I'll be mostly posting on my travel blog though.

Since its summer time I thought I'd include one of my favorite salsa recipes. This Pineapple Mango Salsa is quick, easy, and perfect on a hot summer day.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1 cup Fresh Pineapple

1 cup Fresh Mango

4 cloves Garlic

2 Jalapenos, seeded

1/2 cup Cilantro leaves

1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped

2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until desired texture is met. Let set 1 hour and enjoy.

Beautiful day and what's to come....

It's a beautiful late Spring day here in Rapid City, SD. I'm getting ready to start my day with a hearty bowl of oats with crushed pineapple and a cup of coffee. What do you usually start your day with?

I'm getting close to finishing the Season of The Vegan cook book. All the recipes are loaded into the publishing software, the recipes that will be photographed have been chosen, and a great friend has volunteered to copy edit. Now I need to cook and photograph food and write the index and forward. Then its off into the world! I can't wait. I think the hardest part about the whole experience so far has been trying to do it in my spare time. But I suppose that's what makes it a labor of love.

I'm also getting very close to the end of this leg of my journey in life. In early September I'll be driving across the country to Brasstown, NC to work as the Student Host at John C. Campbell Folk School. At that time I'll continue this blog (with a bit less frequency) and begin a blog about my time there. As the SH there, I get three Silver Bullet classes (ones I can't get bumped out of or pulled away from for work). I've signed up for White-Line Printmaking, Kente Cloth Weaving, and Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Given I'm not really stepping too far out of my comfort zone with any of these, but they are classes that will allow me to further my skills. I'm also hoping to try my hand at Blacksmithing, Book Making, Forging for Mushrooms, and Danish Folk Dancing while I'm there. I'm still uncertain where I'll end up at the end of next January, but then again I'm never very sure where I'll be from year to year. I do know, that if I'm to put down roots it would have to be for a career and not just another job. I need to be working for causes that I care about. Either in the arts or for a company promoting veganism. If you know of any good leads in those fields, let me know.

Yum....

So a while back I posted my recipe for Vanilla Rum Banana Bread. I finally got around to taking some food photos the other day.

 

For this batch I added some semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips. So yummy!

Belated May Food Swap Reveal

So, I'm a little behind on posting this. It's been a very busy week both at work and at home. What with friends birthday parties and organizing a bake sale to benefit the local humane society and volunteering at the art's center and loading all the recipes for my cookbook into Lulu, I just haven't had time to blog.

My May Food Swap Box came from the lovely Miss Sarah of goodstorysarah.wordpress.com and heyimoverhere.com. I seriously feel like Sarah is a kindred spirit! So many wonderful things packed into this little box!

Cute Recipe Cards: one for Lemon Verbena Mint Tea, which I made and loved! And one  for Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Fudge, which I haven't had a chance to try yet, but will soon.

Earrings and Buttons: So cute! The earrings are admittedly one of my favorite parts of the swap box. She also sent me a Vegan Button, that I've placed on my bag for all to see. I love that Sarah thought to send some non-food goodies.

Mix CD: Her boyfriend had her include an awesome mix cd that he made. It's already made the cut for summer traveling music as I road trip this year.

Hurraw! Lip Balm: I have a hard time finding vegan lip balm in SD, so this was a great thing to see in the bottom of the box. Sarah sent me the coconut, which is one of my favorite flavors, it certainly does the trick for keeping my lips kissable. I give it 4 out of 5 Vs

Mighty-O Coffee:  We're big coffee drinkers here. Plus, I manage a coffee bar for a living. So, I was very excited to see a bag of coffee included. Mighty-O's Cave Dweller was a great cup of coffee. It made for a perfect start of the day. I give it 4 out of 5 Vs

Origins Tea from Teahouse Kuan Yin: Along with the recipe card, Sarah sent me Lemon Verbena and Peppermint teas from her favorite teahouse. Both are wonderful and will be quickly used up for summery iced tea. I give them 4 out of 5 Vs

Biscoff Spread: I was so over joyed to see this in my swap box! I love biscoff cookies, but can only get them when I fly (Delta has them as a snack option). I don't have a source for the spread here in SD and have really been wanting to try it. Let me tell you people, it is fantastic! It's like spreading your toast with a spice cookie. I think I've found a new food addiction. I give it 5 out of 5 Vs

Soy-go Coffee Creamer: This is another item I've been wanting to try for a while. I can see how it would come in handy on the go, but all in all I wasn't a huge fan. I do like a little splash of non-dairy milk in my coffee. This did a sort of weird clumpy thing instead of turning my coffee creamy. It did however taste fairly good. So I'm a bit torn on this product. I give it 2 out of 5 Vs


A big thanks to Sarah for all the wonderful bits and a big thanks to Cat for putting this swap together. If you're interested in participating visit: The Verdant Life or if you'd like to see what others received in their May swap boxes visit Cat's page that we all link to.

New Piece on TDIV

Here's the link to my Why I Went Veg piece over at This Dish is Veg. I hope you all enjoy getting to know a little more about my personal experience.

Oh what a beautiful day...

So far I've spent my morning writing and sipping amazing coffee that my new friend from Washington sent me. I'll have a new piece up at This Dish Is Veg shortly. This one is my personal story of why and how I went Vegan. I'll post a link when its up. I've also been busy today packing up this months Vegan Food Swap box to ship to Janna of nomvegannom as well as a box filled with teas for a friend from high school. The weather here is cool and calm this morning. It feels like the perfect day to just lounge and read a good book. Alas, I need to kick it into high gear and conquer the chores around this house as well as prepare for a Healthy Lifestyle coaching I'm doing this afternoon.

Bountiful Baskets & Lemon Loaf Cake

I volunteered with our local branch of Bountiful Baskets yesterday morning. What an awesome organization bringing fresh inexpensive produce to regions of the US that normally don't have any. While I do believe very heavily in buying as much from local farmers as possible, the growing season in Rapid City is only about 2 1/2 months long. Which leaves us without good quality produce for the majority of the year. I joined Bountiful Baskets to help us save money and so we could get fresh food from smaller farmers from the US and Mexico. Even if you don't pay the extra for their 100% Organic Basket, much of the produce is Organic. The breads they offer are amazing! And at $12 for 5 artisan loafs of Organic, small bakery produced bread, you can't beat it. We got some really amazing lemons in our basket this week, so naturally I awoke this morning ready to make Lemon Loaf Cake.

Lemon Loaf Cake

1/2 cup Earth Balance at room temp.
1/2 cup Cane Sugar
1 tbsp Cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp Water
zest of one large Lemon
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp fine Sea Salt
4 tbsp Soy Milk
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Cream together the Earth Balance and sugar. Beat in the cornstarch mixture and lemon zest. Slowly beat in the flour, baking powder, salt, and soy milk. Spread into the loaf pan and bake 45 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack and remove from pan. In a small sauce pan dissolve the powdered sugar into the lemon juice. Prick the loaf cake with a toothpick and pour the lemon juice mixture over. Enjoy!

Jon's Veggie Chili

This is a vegan version of a chili that I've been tinkering with for a long time, incorporating bits from various recipes and approaches, although the two largest influences have probably been the Betty Crocker's Cookbook that was a gift my parents and Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on chili.

A coffee grinder dedicated to being a spice grinder helps immensely. Spices that are as fresh ground as possible is the way to go here.

Also, I mention a slow cooker in the recipe, but you can do this over the stove if you like

Serves about 4.

Equipment

Frying pan

Slow-cooker (or largish saucepan)

Spice mix:

1 Tbs brown sugar

1 Tbs chili powder (I'm liking the Spice Island blend recently)

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp kosher salt

2 inches cinnamon stick (1 tsp ground, if you must)

1 tsp whole cumin seed

¼ tsp whole black pepper

Grind the cinnamon, cumin and black pepper together in spice grinder.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs canola oil

1 medium onion, cut into half-moons

4 cloves garlic (or be bold and do more), minced

¼ cup water.

1 -2 chipotles from chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped, along with a 1-2 Tbs of the sauce

1 can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted are good)

1 can tomato sauce (or 1 6oz can tomato paste & 24 oz water)

1 can red kidney beans

1 can great northern beans

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 bag yellow corn tortilla chips. couple handfuls for the recipe, the rest for eating ;)

Put the oil in the frying pan and put the heat on mediumish. Add the onions once the oil's warm. Cook till the onion has browned (about 6 to 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the chopped garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so. Put the onions and garlic in the slow cooker. Put heat on low, then deglaze the pan with the ¼ water.

Add diced tomatoes (drained), spices mix, beans, and the can of tomato sauce to the slow cooker and set on high. A note on the beans, the wife doesn't like pinto beans much and we've found great northern beans, although not traditional, adds a nice flavor.

Crush two or three handfuls of the tortilla chips and add to the slow-cooker.

You'll want to add the two deseeded and chopped chipotles and a tablespoon or two of the sauce that they come in. If you haven't used chipotle in adobo before, they're absolutely wonderful. I'd recommend using gloves. Open the can, take one out, cut it lengthwise. You'll then want to press it flat like you're opening a book and scrape out the inside and the seeds and throw them away. Chop up the pepper and add to the slow-cooker. Then take a tablespoon or two of the adobo sauce and add it.

If you really don't feel like dealing with the peppers, you can use a chipotle salsa instead. I've used this in the past as well. You can find a very small can of “chipotle salsa” frequently nearby chipotle in adobo sauce, and a few tablespoons of this stuff works pretty well.

I keep a glass canning jar around and put the leftover adobo and peppers in there and freeze them for later use.

After the chipotle is cleaned up, removed gloves (I just have some non-powdered latex ones in a drawer) and wash hands.

Stir the mixture in the slow-cooker periodically and let it cook for probably at least an hour. When you're getting close to serving, add the can of yellow corn. When it's hit a good mix and a consistency you like, serve.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Cheesecake

Last month I celebrated my 32nd birthday party. It was wonderfilled! We had a Mad Hatter's Tea themed party, for which I made some of my favorite tea time treats. Everything from Pineapple Cream Tea Sandwiches, to Asparagus & Onion Phyllo Wrapped Quiches, to my Somewhere Over The Rainbow Cheesecake. Not a crumb was left behind!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Cheesecake

1 14oz Package Mori-Nu Firm Silken Tofu
1 8oz Package Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
2/3 cup Cane Sugar
1/8 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Cornstarch
Assorted Food Coloring
1 9in Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat Oven to 350. Combine silken tofu and cream cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add sugar and allow to blend for 4-5 minutes. Whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch. Blend cornstarch mixture into tofu until very smooth.

Divide mixture into several small bowls and add a few drops food coloring to each.

Layer the cheesecake mixture into the crust and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Jon's longer bio and his Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes recipe

 Hi all. Ashley did a nice job introducing me, but I figured I would write a short post to explain a little more about myself and why I'm experimenting with vegan/vegetarian dishes.

In my professional work I do IT work for the University of Illinois's Library. I have degrees in both Computer Science and Library Science. (You can read more about that over at [my website | http://www.j-gorman.com]).

There's a couple of useful things to keep in mind when reading my recipes:

• I'm not vegan or vegetarian. Given the nature of this blog, I felt compelled to explain why I am not a vegan. I have never been a huge meat eater, rarely eating steak and usually seasoning any meat pretty heavily. However, I did discover as I cooked more for myself I could prepare meat in ways I liked. My wife Colleen grew up on an organic farm which did raise and butcher animals. She's well-versed in the cycle of raising and slaughtering in a more humane way than the factory farms. We have been trying to cut back on our meat consumption and buy from local farmers who actually provide pasture animals with pasture and don't cage their chickens. This means learning to have a greater part of our diet supplied by non-meat foods.
• No meat substitutes. Since we are still meat eaters, I don't tend to cook recipes substituting meat with ingredients like tempeh or tofu. I also avoid processed products like veggie burgers and tofu dogs. If we're craving meat, we just have meat. I'm trying instead to discover how to bring out the tastiness of actual veggies. That's not to say I won't use tempeh or tofu, but I'll likely end up using such ingredients in more traditional ways. I leave meat substitution to experts like Ashley. 
  
  
  I'm a home cook. I have little formal training. I did do a stint at Hardee's in high school where I often was the only cook in a very busy kitchen, but that's all. Cooking has always been enjoyable and the past few years I've been actively striving to to become a better cook. Being a book nut I frequently read cookbooks, seeking to build up some techniques as well as working recipes to suit them to my tastes.

I'm looking forward to sharing recipes that I find that are vegan in various cookbooks, or can be tweaked to be vegan. I loves spices, so you'll notice a variety of spices in my dishes. If you live in an area without any Indian or Mexican grocery stores, I think it's well worth ordering online through a dealer like Penzey's. Without spices, I find a lot of my dishes lack a sense of wholeness.

Now I'm off to page through my latest acquisition, 660 Curries.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes (Bhapa Phul Gobi)

I never was a huge fan of cauliflower as a kid, but this recipe taught me it was merely unadorned steamed cauliflower I disliked. Aside from me, this recipe hasn't had the greatest record converting cauliflower haters. Still, it is a hit with folks who like cauliflower and sways over many of the indifferent. I don't cook it as much as I'd like as Colleen remains staunch in her opposition to cauliflower.

The recipe comes from the cookbook Extending the Table. Extending the Table reads like a church cookbook with recipes from around the world rather than just one congregation. Not surprising, given the fact it is a compilation of recipes from Mennonite missionaries. The included stories of missionary work may turn off some, but I find adds an unusual charm to the book. The book does a good job of presenting samples of cuisines around the world with easy to obtain ingredients.

This recipe for cauliflower caught my eye for use of a garlic-ginger-onion paste in oil to form the base of the dish. This was my introduction to a technique I learned was common in Indian and Asian cooking. Nowadays instead of following the recipe as given in the book I ended up using a more general garlic-ginger paste that I try to keep on hand. It is wonderful for using in quick stir frys or veggie side dishes during the week.

Garlic – ginger paste:

• 1 cup ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• ½ cup garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

I use about a 1 to ½ ratio of ginger to garlic and it seems to scale up or down pretty well. Put the ginger and garlic with a little bit of water into a food processor and blend in bursts. The paste will creep up on the sides, so have a spatula ready to push stuff down. If it lumps and blending doesn't seem to be working, add a little water. I typically put it into several small canning jars and freeze all but one of the jars, leaving one for cooking through the week. Don't forget to leave some space for expansion while freezing.

Roasted Cauliflower:

• 3 Tbs Garlic-Ginger paste
• 1 cup chopped onions

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces

• ¼ cup oil
• 1 canned diced tomatoes (or 4 tomatoes, sliced)
• ¾ c. peas
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. Cayenne

• ¼ cup water

Put the oven on at 350 degrees.

Blend the onions and garlic and ginger paste in the food processor until the onions become incorporated in the paste.

Chop up the cauliflower and place into a casserole. You want something that will not spread out the cauliflower too much but also be deep enough to contain the tomatoes and water. You'll also want a cover or a lid.

Cook the oil in a pan at medium heat. Add the paste and cook till brown.

Add tomatoes, peas, turmeric, sugar, salt, and cayenne and cook till the tomatoes start breaking down.

Add this to the casserole dish, along with some water. Cover and put in the oven for about 20 minutes, till the cauliflower is tender.

Sometimes I uncover the dish for the last few minutes to dry out the cauliflower a bit so it doesn't get soggy, sometimes I don't.

Vegan Food Swap for April with Product Reviews

I recently joined forces with some other vegan bloggers to hold a monthly food swap. If you'd like information on it or to join up, visit The Verdant Life. My box was from Carol, who's blog I unfortunately don't have a link to, due to my inability to read it on the note she sent me. As soon as I hear back from her I'll post a link in the comments.

It included the following treats: Stacy's Pita Chips in Garden Veggie Medley, Fearless Chocolate Super Seeds Bar, Sleepytime Extra Tea, Maesri Green Thai Curry Paste, Justin's Maple Almond Butter, and Sea Snax Spicy Chipotle Flavor Nori.

Product Reviews

Stacy's Pita Chips

I buy and love the Simply Naked version of these pita chips on a regular basis to go along with hummus and other dips. This was my introduction to the Garden Veggie Medley flavor, and I have to say they are awesome! It just so happened that the day I received my food swap box, we were having friends over for game night. Carl and I were planning Falafal stuffed pita bread with veggies, vegan sour cream, and hummus for dinner anyway, and these were the perfect dipper to go along with it. I give these 4 V's out of 5.

Fearless Chocolate

It's usually about 50 degrees here in April. This year has been a record setting year for heat already. Who knew it would be nearly 90 degrees on the day my food swap box would arrive?! My chocolate bar arrived as a puddle. Luckily it was sealed well enough that we could pop it in the freezer and restore it to a bar. This was by far my favorite food swap item. Even though it arrived melted, the flavor of this chocolate is amazing! I'm serious about my chocolate, and this bar did not let me down. The flax, chia, and hemp seeds added a crunchy texture to the bar that I really enjoyed. I give this 5 V's out of 5.

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra

I'm well versed in the world of tea, so I was happy to receive tea from Carol. I do tend to be a bit of a tea snob and favor whole leaf teas over bagged. I will say though that Sleepytime Extra is true to its name. The herbs involved work to calm the system and allow for some serious relaxation. The flavor is that of mint with a hint of citrus, which I find appealing. I give this 3 V's out of 5.

Maesri Green Curry Paste

This is the one thing in the box that I haven't tried yet. I'll review it once I get the chance. I'm a huge fan of Thai Curry, and can't wait to give this product a shot. I'm planning a veggie and tofu dish to be served with rice for dinner next week that this should go amazing with.

Justin's Nut Butter

Our grocery stores only seem to carry Justin's Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Cups, so I was excited to see a packet of their Maple Almond Butter included in my box. It was amazing! I spread it on whole wheat toast for breakfast, and enjoyed it so much I'm going to order more online. I give this 4 V's out of 5.

Sea Snax

I was really excited to see these in my food box, because I had heard great things. But, I have to say even after trying them a third time, I'm unimpressed. These sheets of flavored nori are like eating air and left me wanting to snack on something else to fill me up and get the weird aftertaste out of my mouth . I'm considering using what I have left to make veggie sushi, in hopes of finding a way to enjoy them. I give these 1 V out of 5.

I look forward to what May's Vegan Food Swap might bring. I'm so glad Cat over at The Verdant Life had the idea to set this up.

Jon Gorman's Green Beans & Carrots

I announced not too long ago that my friend, Jon Gorman, would be a featured writer here at SoTV. Jon is a non-vegan, who is trying to cook more vegan and vegetarian dishes for health reasons and to reduce his household's dependency on animal products. He tries to stay away from meat substitutes and specializes in creating dishes that are great as sides or can be scaled up for a main course.  Here is Jon's first post, we hope you enjoy.

"I've been bringing this recipe for Green Beans and Carrots to various parties lately and gotten positive responses and questions on how to make it.

It's based off a recipe in "The Spice Merchant's Daughter", which is a bit of a fun read and has some interesting spice blends. The recipe itself is fairly amendable to substitutions and experimentation.

You'll want to do the veggie prep ahead of time, unless you're really quick in the kitchen."




Green Beans & Carrots

1 tsp Black Mustard Seed

1 tsp Cumin Seed

2-3 Dried Chile de Arbol (whole, unless you want the burn, then feel free to let those seeds loose. May want to start out w/ just one or two chiles till you know the heat of your bag o' peppers.)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Shallots, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 Medium Carrots, julienned

1 1/2 cups Fresh Green Beans

Kosher Salt to taste

Place the mustard seed, cumin seed, and chile de arbol in a small bowl. Heat the olive oil in a wok to medium. Put in the spice mix and cook until fragrant and the seeds begin to pop. This takes roughly 30 seconds. Add the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the carrots and beans and another pinch of salt. Cook until the carrots and beans are tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Cooking Class Schedule and Booking Information

It's been a very busy last week here at Season of The Vegan. Last Thursday night I taught a private cooking class in Spearfish, SD. It was a wonderful night filled with delicious food and great people. I love doing these classes as they incorporate two of my favorite things, sharing knowledge and feeding people. For anyone interested in hosting a class, here are the details:

Tofu 101

Learn the basics of cooking with tofu. We'll do an appetizer, main dish, and a dessert that all have tofu as their core ingredient. We'll also go over the different types of tofu and its nutritional value. Students will get to enjoy all the items prepared and receive a copy of the recipes. Cost is $15 per person.

Vegan Baking

Learn how to bake without animal products and never miss what's missing. We'll go over substitutions and how to make baked goods that everyone will enjoy. This class will have an assortment of recipes ranging from Cupcakes, to Breads, to Cheesecake, and from Savory to Sweet. Students will get to enjoy all the items prepared and receive a copy of the recipes. Cost is $20 per person.

Party Food

Learn tricks for perfect party food. We'll go over both hot and cold appetizers as well as quick and easy desserts. Students will get to enjoy all the items prepared and receive a copy of the recipes. Cost is $15 per person.

Meal Planning 101

In a rut with your meal plan? In this class we'll go over the basics of designing a vegan meal plan that incorporates variety and how to eat great on a budget. We'll make an appetizer, salad, main dish, side dish, and a dessert. Students will get to enjoy all the items prepared and receive a copy of the recipes. Cost is $25 per person.

Classes run 2 to 3 hours. Class size is normally 5 to 10 people depending on the size of the host's kitchen. Host is responsible for half of the grocery cost which averages $30 to $50 depending on the class. This cost ensures that I am able to cover all my costs and still make a small profit from teaching the class. Students often split this cost and add it to the per student fee.

Feel free to email me at seasonofthevegan@gmail.com for additional information. I can currently be booked to teach in the Black Hills region of South Dakota until the end of August. I will be available to teach in Central and Southern Illinois for the month of September.

Product Review: What A Jerky!! by Morels The Vegan Butcher

A few weeks back I won a bag of Yoko's Teriyaki Jerky from Morels The Vegan Butcher. It arrived in my mail box last Thursday. That night I was teaching a cooking class at a private home, so I thought, "Why not take this along and let everyone try it?". Though the little pieces aren't what I was expecting of "jerky", I can honestly say this is the first vegan jerky that I've liked. The flavor is amazing and the texture is good and chewy. The teriyaki flavor was just right, not too sweet and not too savory. If you're ever in Louiseville, KY be sure to search out the Morels Food Truck and try some of their other great vegan treats. They're launching a website later this Spring at morelstheveganbutcher.com, and have plans for an online store. I can't wait to be able to order this tasty treat and all their others via the web. I give Yoko's Teriyaki Jerky: 4 V's out of 5

Facebook Button...

We're working to fix an issue with our FB "like" button. The html that FB has posted to use doesn't seem to be working properly. We should have it back on the page and linking correctly soon. Thanks to, Jon how figured out the issue!

What's In Season, Early Spring Edition Part 2

I love watching the world awaken this time of year. The trees budding, the birds coming back north, little bits of grass bursting from the ground. Everything about it makes me smile. Here are a few more tasty dishes to create with what is currently springing forth from mother earth.

Creamy Kale Pasta

3 cups Cooked Pasta (any small noodle will do, but I like Bow tie for this dish)

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 bunch Kale, chopped into small pieces

2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino Acids

1/4 cup Vegetable Broth

1 cup Soy Milk

2 tbsp Earth Balance

1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Yellow Mustard

A dash or two of Hot Sauce

Saute the kale in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, being sure not to burn it. Kale needs to cook slowly. Add the amino acids and vegetable broth and let cook another 8 to 10 minutes. Toss the pasta with the soy milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, and mustard until well combined. Stir the pasta mixture into the kale and heat through. Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce when serving.

Rhubarb Short Cakes

4 stalks Rhubarb, rinsed and chopped

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Cane Sugar

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

5 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup Cane Sugar

1 tsp Salt

3 tbsp Coconut Oil

2 tbsp Earth Balance

2/3 cup Soy Milk

Place the rhubarb, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook down until the rhubarb is tender and the liquid is thick like syrup.

Preheat oven to 450 and lightly grease a cookie sheet. Blend together the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the coconut oil and earth balance with a fork or pastry blender. Add the milk and form a nice a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Drop by the tbsp onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle with a touch more sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Top the shortcakes with the rhubarb sauce and enjoy.

Samosas

1 cup All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Cold Water by the tbsp to form the dough

1/4 cup Coconut Oil, for frying

2 tbsp Coconut Oil, for sauteing

2 large Potatoes, diced and boiled

1/2 cup fresh Peas, par-cooked

1/2 a medium Onion, diced

2 hot Chilies, diced

1 tsp Ginger, ground

1 tsp Coriander, ground

2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Cut the 2 tbsp coconut oil into the flour and salt. Add the cold water by the tbsp until a soft dough forms. Let the dough rest cover with a damp cloth for at least 20 minutes. 

Saute the onion in 2 tbsp coconut oil for 5-7 minutes. Add the chilies, ginger, coriander, garlic, garam masala, salt, and turmeric to the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and peas and heat another 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat. 

Heat the 1/4 cup coconut oil to 350. 

Separate the dough into 1 inch balls and roll them out into small circles. Spoon the filling by the tbsp into the center of each circle and gather up the edges and seal them together. Fry each until golden brown, remove from oil, and allow to drain on a baking rack before serving.

Fava Bean Spread 

2 cups Fava Beans, shelled, soaked, and cooked

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 tbsp Garlic, minced

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Tahini

Sea Salt to taste

Place beans, oil, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini in food processor and blend until smooth. Add sea salt to taste blending as you go. Serve with warm pita bread, bruschetta, with veggies, or spread on your favorite sandwich.



I hope you enjoy this enstallment of What's In Season. Also, I'm running a contest over at the Season of The Vegan Facebook site. If the FB site gets 100 "likes" by April 16th one lucky person will recieve a Season of The Vegan t-shirt of their choice from my Cafe Press store. So, "like" SoTV on FB and then "share" SoTV with your friends so we can make it to 100!

New post up at TDIV

Hey Folks! Just wanted to let you all know my new post is up at TDIV.  It's a Top 5 Items for Every Vegan Kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Plus, later this week I'll have the next enstallment of What's In Season up here, so stay tuned.

Stay tuned...

Hey folks! Sorry I've been MIA as of late. We're in the middle of a big apartment makeover. Carl, ripped the carpet out of half of the apartment yesterday, if that gives you any idea how into Spring Cleaning we're venturing.

I'm hoping to add a second installment of What's In Season this weekend. Also, stay tuned for my Top 5 Kitchen Items Every Vegan should own over at This Dish Is Veg next week.

What's In Season, Early Spring Edition

VegNews' 10 Spring Produce Stars, is an awesome list of delish! I spend all Winter dreaming of the fresh veggies of Spring. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to create with the produce on the list.

Spring Greens Salad with Warm Asparagus Dressing

Mixed Spring Greens
8 spears Asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 Button Mushrooms, sliced
6 Black Olives, sliced
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 tbsp Vegan Bacon Bits

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Saute the asparagus for 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, olives, salt, and pepper. Continue to saute, stirring often for 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender and the mushrooms have begun to brown. Add the remaining oil and let heat for 2 more minutes. Pour the warm dressing atop the greens and sprinkle with the bacon bits.

Arugula Pesto

1 large bunch Arugula
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Toasted Pine Nuts
1 tsp Sea Salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste in achieved. Note: You may add more oil if you want a thinner texture. Serve over pasta or as a dip with vegan cream cheese and toasted pita bread.

Crazy Crunch Salad

1 bunch Radishes, sliced

2 stalks Celery, chopped in ¼ in pieces

1 cup Walnuts

½ cup Vegan Mayo

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Dill

1 tsp Sea Salt

Combine all the ingredients and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve chilled.

What are some of your favorite early Spring treats?

  

St Patrick's Day

Being that I'm part Irish, St Patrick's Day is near and dear to my heart. In fact the first time I ever made a vegan meal was for a St Patty's Punk Rock Celebration nearly nine years ago. Here are a few of those recipes.


Irish Stew

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 large White Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
4 Carrots, diced
3 ribs Celery, diced
6 large Russet Potatoes, diced
3 cups Seitan, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
6 cups Vegetable Broth
a couple dashes of Liquid Smoke
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat in an 8 qt stock pot. Add the carrots and celery and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least 1 hour before serving.



Colconnon

6 Russet Potatoes, chunked
1/2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 bunch Chives, diced
1 medium White Onion, minced
3 tbsp Earth Balance
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 head of Green Cabbage, chopped
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Boil your potatoes in a large stock pot until fork tender. When draining them, do not rinse the potatoes, you want as much starch to remain as possible. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes with the soy milk, chives, onion, and Earth Balance, until smooth and set them aside.  In a large skillet saute the cabbage in the olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper until tender. Mix the potato mixture and the cabbage together and enjoy.


If you have left over Colconnon the next morning. Make a batch of Bubble and Squeak for breakfast.


Bubble and Squeak

Leftover Colconnon
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
a few tbsp All-Purpose Flour

Depending on how starchy your Colconnon is you may not need the flour to hold the cakes together. Heat the oil to medium-high in a non-stick skillet. Form the Colconnon into cakes, if they aren't holding together add a bit of flour until you get a nice dough formed. Fry the cakes until golden brown on each side.
  
May the Luck of the Irish be with you throughout all your days! 
 
  

Spring is in the air...

This is a great article from VegNews about what is currently in season. 10 Spring Produce Stars. I'm planning a recipe dump for this Friday. There will be an amazingly hearty St. Patrick's Day Menu as well as some of my favorite treats to make with the produce listed by VegNews.

Quick Update

I'll be finishing up a great post filled with great St. Patrick's Day treats later this week. Keep an eye out for my Top 10 Vegan Food Product post on This Dish Is Vegetarian this week as well.

Mardi Gras!

Need a great recipe for this year's Mardi Gras party? Here's a Vegan Gumbo that will spice up your night.

Mardi Gras Gumbo

4 tbsp Earth Balance
6 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 tsp Gumbo File Powder
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Cumin
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 28 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 large White Onion, diced
1 large Sweet Green Pepper, diced
1/2 cup Carrot, diced
1/2 cup Celery, diced
2 cups Frozen Green Beans
2 cups Frozen Okra
1 bunch Collard Greens, chopped 


In a large stockpot, melt Earth Balance on medium heat. Once melted whisk in the flour. Whisk constantly until the roux turns a caramel brown, this can take up to 10 minutes or so. Whisk in the vegetable broth being sure the get any lumps out. Add the gumbo file, bay leaves, cumin, and chili powder and let simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Though you do want the gumbo to be more stew like than soup like, be sure to add a bit of broth if it becomes too thick. 




 

Of love and cookbooks...

If you're scrambling to figure out what to make your sweetheart for a romantic vegan dinner this Valentine's Day, give the menu I posted over at This Dish Is Vegetarian a shot. All the recipes are easy to prepare, taste delish, and are sure to inspire romance!

I've spent a large portion of the weekend editing the cookbook I've been writing. Its coming together very well and I'm once again excited about the project. I'm thinking of doing a Kickstarter campaign to help fund self-publishing. We'll see what happens as the day for publishing approaches.

Game Day

Sorry about my recent absence from the web. I've been sick over the past couple of weeks, and am just now getting caught up on everything. The winter hasn't been nearly as brutal here in South Dakota as it was the last two years. The temps have mostly been in the 40's, which has been lovely. Don't get me wrong though, we have had a few frigid days and nights. Just not nearly as many as usual.

Superbowl Sunday is approaching quickly, so here is a chili recipe that is sure to please at your game day party!

Superbowl Chili

3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large White Onion, diced
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Sweet Green Pepper, diced
2 Jalapenos, diced
2 15oz Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 15oz Can Corn, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp Chili Powder
3 splashes Liquid Smoke
2 tbsp Molasses
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
4 cups Tomato Juice

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onion, garlic, and green pepper in the olive oil. Once the onion is translucent, add the jalapenos, beans, tomatoes, and corn. Let cook for 5 minutes, then stir in chili powder, liquid smoke, molasses, cocoa powder, and tomato juice. Bring to a bowl, lower heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Serve with corn chips, vegan sour cream, and, vegan shredded cheese.


 

Breakfast Pizza

Carl and I have been on a pizza kick this week. We've even taken to making it for breakfast! So, here is our new favorite treat for a hearty winter meal, the Vegan Breakfast Pizza.

Breakfast Pizza

Crust

1 cup warm Water
2 1/4 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tbsp Cane Sugar
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
2 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour

In a large bowl stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Allow this mixture to set for 5-10 minutes or until frothy and bubbling. Slowly mix in the oil, salt, and flour. Knead the dough for 2 or 3 minutes, then coat the bowl and dough with a light layer of olive oil to keep it from sticking while it rises. Cover the bowl with a warm wet towel and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes.

Hashbrowns

4 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Potatoes, grated
1/2 White Onion, sliced into half moons
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil to medium high and saute the onion and garlic. Once the onions are tender, add the potatoes and allow to cook 5 to 10 minutes before flipping. Cook the other side for 5 to 10 minutes as well. You want crisp but not burnt hashbrowns.

Toppings

1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
Prepared Hashbrowns
1 or 2 Tofurky Italian Sausages that have been sliced and lightly browned in a skillet
1/2 a large Green Pepper, diced
2 cups Diaya Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Knead the dough another 2 to 3 minutes and spread it evenly on a 12 inch pizza pan. Spread the dough with the tomato paste and sprinkle it with the oregano and basil. Evenly spread the hashbrown layer and top with the sausage slices, green pepper, and cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is a beautiful golden brown.

The year ahead...

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the new year. Post below and let me know what your personal goals are for the year.

I always make a list of things to do during the year that is equal to however many years old I turn that given year.  I've got an amazing list of 32 things for the year of 2012. I usually manage to accomplish about half. So far, my year is getting better every day. Today, I found out that I won the Chicago Soydairy's New Year's Resolution contest on facebook! I can't wait for my 2 chubs of Teese (Vegan chreeze), and bag of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows to arrive. For my vegan resolution of the year I've decided to begin teaching private in home cooking classes for a sliding scale of $10 to $20 per person.

I'll be teaching here in the Black Hills of South Dakota until the end of August, when Carl and I set off on our adventure across the US to North Carolina. I'm hoping to teach along the way as we take the first 3 weeks of September to make the trip. Our first stop will be Sioux Falls, SD for the wedding of Carl's brother and his beautiful lady. We plan to stay there to visit family for a few days before heading down through Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois (for a week to visit my family), Kentucky, Tennessee, and finally North Carolina. I have to be in Brasstown, North Carolina on September 20th to start my stint as the Student Host at John C. Campbell Folk Art School. If you live along our route and would like to have an awesome night of awesome food, post below and we'll set something up. Also, Carl is a licensed non-denominational Reverend, so if you're looking to get married while we're on our way across the country and need someone to perform the ceremony, let me know. He works on a sliding scale of whatever the bride and groom can afford.

I'll be in the kitchen working on some new recipes this week. I'm planning to update on Sundays, so I should have a tasty post for you next week. Vegan Love to all in this beautiful New Year!

P.S. Can you folks let me know if the Facebook Like button is working. I'm not so sure I coded it correctly.