Veggie Picnic Salad

This is a recipe I kind of threw together from other recipes and a salad my mom used to make for picnics or concerts in the park. (She made it with pepperonis... which... for obvious reasons... I have omitted!) It's quick, tasty and makes great leftovers for work lunches!!

Ingredients:
Tortellini pasta (if you don't eat dairy, rotini pasta or penne pasta also works well-- I like to get the colorful kind!)
Tomatoes (cherry or grape are best, but you can dice a whole tomato as well)
Broccoli
Red or yellow pepper
Kalamata and/or green olives
Mozzarella cheese (If desired- cut into chunks)
White beans or kidney beans (depending on preference)
Favorite Italian dressing

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to directions on package.
In the meantime, chop and combine tomatoes, broccoli, pepper, olives, cheese and beans in a large bowl.
When pasta is ready, run it under cold water and add to vegetables.
Pour Italian dressing into salad (enough to coat) and mix.
Cover and let cool in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Serve.

Num num nummers!

Sorry My Fellow Veggies!

I know I've been slacking on this blog. I've been working on my writing blog a little too much. I haven't forgotten about you though! I have 3 posts I'm working on for Less Meat, More Veggie and I'm going to make you this promise: I will finish them this weekend and get them out to you before Thanksgiving. Thank you for your patience!!

Some more s'mores please ...

A dilemma: Today I made rice krispee squares. Gooey. Delightful. Sweet. A delicious (but not very nutritious) snack. Then my co-author, sister-in-law and friend decided to remind me with a gentle nudge that marshmallows are made with gelatin. Know what that means kiddos? Animal by-products. (Which you may or may not be opposed to. For the time being, I am trying to stay away from by-products where the animal had to die: chicken/beef broth, gelatin, rennet.)

Good old Wikipedia says: "Gelatin ... is ... derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones." Mmm, mmm good.

Needless to say that I will finish eating the krispee squares I made because:

1. Let's face it, they taste damn good!

2. There's really nothing worse than wasting food, especially when there is an animal involved, however inadvertently.

I'm not going to beat myself up. That's not what this blog or the process of becoming a vegetarian is about. However, I have learned for next time and am now passing on the information to you. Watch for gelatin in marshmallows, jello, gummy bears and other random sticky, sweet, gooey treats.

"But wait," you say. "I love s'mores and rice krispee squares and marshmallows in my hot cocoa!!"

Good news!!! My other sister-in-law, friend and part time veggie, showed us this site: VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS!!!!!!!!




There are stores in Oregon, California and even Georgia that sells them. (Sorry Alisa... none in Idaho, but you can order online!!!)

And frankly after looking at the product photos ... they look delicious!! I haven't tried them so I can't do a product review, but next time I'm at Whole Foods, I'll have to pick some up and see how they taste!

Also ... for the more daring or patient folks out there ... I found this blog about making your own vegan marshmallows.

Let me know if any of you try the recipes or happen to taste the Sweet and Sara Marshmallows! I'd love to get a first hand opinion on vegan marshmallow goodness!

White Bean and Tomato Salad

A hearty main dish salad that can also work as a side dish. Good for summer/end of summer meals when the tomatoes are ripe, fresh and full of flavor.

Taken from "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" (with a few twists).

4 cups or 2 16-oz cans cooked cannellini (white beans)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or basil (you can also use 1 teaspoon dried, but I recommend the fresh herbs if they are available!)
4-5 tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Add feta or shredded mozzarella for added flavor. For added nutrition, serve on a bed of lettuce or spinach. Serve with baguette, french bread or your favorite artisan bread.

This recipe feeds 4, but is easy to cut in half for 2 people. Makes good leftovers as well. Yum yum, tasty. Easy to make, fresh flavor, lip-smacking good.



photo credit

Field Roast Vegan Sausages

I know, I know ... vegan sausage doesn't sound very appetizing. But I'm TELLING you -- if you're vegetarian or vegan and are in need of something sausage-like, look no further than Field Roast's vegan sausages. Field Roast calls itself a "grain meat" company, and, according to their website, grain meats go back as far as 7th Century China. So although Field Roast's unique blending of grain meat with European spices is new, this ain't no hippie-dippie west coast craze.

The sausages come in three flavors: Italian (made with eggplant, fennel, and garlic); Mexican Chipotle (made with chipotle chiles, Chiles de Arbol, garlic and onion); and Smoked Apple Sage (made with Granny Smith apples, sage, and Yukon Gold potatoes).

I personally have only tried the Italian, but thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I've grilled them and eaten them on a bun with kraut and mustard; sauteed them sliced with mushrooms to top spaghetti; and (my favorite) crumbled them under mozzarella, mushrooms, and bell peppers for a fantastic pizza topping.

Field Roast is based in Seattle, but their products are now sold in almost every state. A package of four runs just under $4 at my local grocery store.

Choose Your Own Toppings

Everyone loves pizza! But if you can't top it with greeeezy little pepperonis and spicy little sausages, then what's the point, right? Who wants to eat just a plain old cheese pizza?

One of the greatest things about changing what you eat is experimenting! My favorite veggie pizza right now consists of fresh basil, tomatoes and kalamata olives.



We buy pre-made sauce and dough, though you can easily find a recipe and make your own. The pre-made stuff is just faster! The thing I like about making pizza at home is that you have control over the amount of cheese you want to put on top. And it just tastes better!!

Some tips:

- take the dough out of the fridge 2-3 hours before you plan on flattening it into a pizza, it will be easier to work with
- cook the dough without toppings for 2-3 minutes so it doesn't get soggy
- scoop out the tomato seeds before dicing and putting on the pizza; again, it keeps the pizza from getting soggy
- about half way through the bake cycle slide the pizza off the pan and just let it sit on the oven rack so the bottom gets cooked really well

We usually cook our pizza at 400 degrees for about 13-15 minutes. This time around ours was a little overcooked, but tasty nonetheless!!



Other ideas for toppings:
- mushrooms (can be a little soggy)
- onions
- spinach
- sun dried tomatoes
- black olives
- red or green peppers

Mix and match! Don't be afraid to experiment! What's your favorite pizza topping?

A wintry seitan treat

With a dense, meat-like consistency, seitan (made from wheat gluten) is great for satisfying a vegetarian's longing for steak. This is an easy vegan-able recipe perfect for a cold, wintry night. Plus, it gives you an excuse to open a bottle of wine -- always a good thing!

Balsamic-roasted seitan with cipollini onions
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cipollini onions
2 (8-ounce) packages of seitan, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey (use raw brown sugar for vegan option)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

2. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the onions and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain the onions in a colander and cool under cold running water. Pull off their skins and drain.

3. In a large ovenproof saute pan, arrage the onions in a single layer. Add the seitan and rosemary.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the wine, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, and honey with 1/3 cup water. Pour the mixture evenly over the onions and seitan, place the pan over high heat, and bring to a boil.

*If you don't have an ovenproof saute pan, you can skip the step in which you boil the mixture on the stovetop and just put it straight in the oven.

5. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the seitan and onions for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning.

6. Serve over mashed potatoes and parsnips if desired, and garnish with parsley.


Garlic mashed potatoes and parsnips
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
freshly milled black pepper

1. Put the potatoes, parsnips, and peeled garlic cloves in a large saucepan with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add the salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables mash easily when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes.

2. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the potatoes and parsnips and return them to the saucepan. Add the butter or oil and mash to the consistency you prefer. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if the mashed vegetables are too thick. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


Taken from Fresh Food Fast, by Peter Berley.