Comfort Foods

Some days you just need a hug.

Some days your tummy just needs a hug, too.

Here are some of my recent tummy-huggers :)

Soft Broccoli Polenta from Appetite for Reduction...it's warm, creamy, and oh-so-comforting:

Sometimes I like it along with a bowl of soup, like this Monkey Minestrone from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan:

Other days, comfort comes in the form of a bunch of healthy, raw ingredients I can just toss in the Vita-Mix, like Kristen Suzanne's Raw Moroccan Gazpacho:

Along with the soup, I served a quick Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad from Olive Trees & Honey:

A few days ago, I cooked some Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup (also from ED&BV), steamed broccoli, and Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary from 1,000 Vegan Recipes.

This "pancake" is actually socca, a savory flatbread made with chickpea flour. The unleavened batter is poured into a preheated cast-iron skillet and baked in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. It has a delightfully crispy-yet-soft texture that satisfies your craving for salty carbs :)

Finally, here's a big steaming bowl of Chickpea Rice Soup with Cabbage from the PPK. It's loaded with super nutritious foods (cabbage, carrots, chickpeas, onions, garlic) and it's a breeze to whip up.

I think I learned some lessons from this post:

Soup comforts me.
Chickpeas comfort me.

I think I'll go hug a chickpea today :)

Vegan MoFo Day 29: Washington, D.C.

Today we're going to take a trip to our nation's capital. Even though D.C. is only a 7-hour drive away, I'm ashamed to say that I've only been there a handful of times in my life. Let's just say I suffer from an acute case of Rhode Island-itis. This condition dictates that anything that is more than, say, 15 minutes away is "too far" (or, as we like to say, "too fah.") What do you expect from us? It only takes an hour to traverse our state. We can pretty much have all of our needs taken care of within our puny little borders. Why on Earth would we willingly drive halfway down the Eastern Seaboard? Hmmm...something to ponder.

But anyway...the last time we ventured to D.C. was in April 2009. We drove down for a few days to see the sights and visit my hubby's family.

We were very excited to visit the International Spy Museum:

But, I must admit, we were even more fascinated by the Crime Museum. We got to see the set of America's Most Wanted and shake hands with McGruff the Crime Dog. We also got to see lots of crime instruments and tools, like these:

Yeah, I know - not too exciting, but none of the other pictures came out too well :(

I think the highlight of our trip, though, was getting to visit Sticky Fingers Bakery:

I got a cupcake and a Cowvin, a vanilla cream-filled oatmeal cookie sandwich.

The cupcake was pretty good. But the Cowvin?

Ahhhh-maaaaa-zing! 

We also enjoyed lots of other yummy vegan fare: spicy empanadas at Julia's Empanadas; sandwiches and salads at Java Green; Ethiopian food at Dukem; and pizza with soy cheez at Ella's Wood Fired Pizza. We loved the melting pot of different cuisines available all throughout the city!

In honor of all the multicultural restaurants and foods we enjoyed in the city, I cooked up a pot of  delicious Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Figs, courtesy of the amazing Dreena Burton. This recipe will be in her upcoming cookbook, Let Them Eat Vegan! I can't wait to get it!

The soup is supposed to have a combination of black beans and chickpeas, but I used big fat fava beans instead. I think it worked really well, and I'll make it this way from now on. This stew was so awesome!

I can't believe MoFo is drawing to an end. I hope you've been enjoying it!

Moroccan Tagine with Spring Vegetables

My love affair with all things Moroccan has been well documented. I love movies set in Morocco (Casablanca and The Man Who Knew Too Much are two faves), I love Moroccan decor, and I love, love, LOVE Moroccan food. My infatuation with Moroccan food may, in fact, have begun when I first made the Moroccan Tagine with Spring Vegetables from Vegan with a Vengeance several years ago. Isa's deliciously spiced stew is one of my favorite meals ever, and it is, as she says, a veritable powerhouse of nutrition. The stew is an aromatic blend of veggies (zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, green beans, tomatoes, spinach, cilantro, mint), red lentils, and spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, pepper, and fresh lemon juice). That is a LOT of goodness in one pot! A smattering of raisins adds a slightly sweet touch, complementing the savory flavors.

I think it is traditional to serve tagine over couscous, but I opted for the more nutritious millet instead.

Every time I make this dish, I want to sit and watch Casablanca or The Man Who Knew Too Much!! With a nice ginger beer on the side. Mmmmm.....

Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup and Chilled Cucumber Salad

Today was a wet, rainy mess. It has been in the low 60's most of the day, and it has rained nonstop and often in sheets. My hubby came home from work and told me that he had to turn on his little space heater at his desk. It seemed like a good night to make soup!

I was craving something brothy, and I just love Moroccan flavors, so I was psyched when I flipped through 1,000 Vegan Recipes and saw an easy recipe for Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup. I just had to do a quick saute of some base veggies (onion, carrots, garlic, ginger) and spices (turmeric, cumin), add in some veggie broth, brown lentils, chickpeas, and crushed tomatoes, and let that baby simmer for an hour. I added in some frozen green beans, fresh baby spinach, and lemon juice at the very end. The recipe also calls for 1 to 2 teaspoons of Harissa, but I didn't want to make the soup too spicy for my son (or me), so my hubby just stirred a little Cholula hot sauce into his bowl.

I wanted something raw on the side to go with the soup. I had some beautiful English cucumbers in my crisper, so I flipped to the salad section of 1,000 Vegan Recipes and made the Chilled Cucumber Salad. Peeled and thinly sliced English cucumbers are tossed with minced scallions, fresh lemon juice, fresh minced parsley, olive oil, salt, and a drop of agave nectar. It was the perfect cool accompaniment to the hot soup.

Not bad for a soup and salad night! Best of all, my son ate his entire bowl, and that makes this Mommy very happy!

Raw Moroccan Gazpacho and Carrots with Moroccan Spices

I *heart* Morocco. I've never actually been there (YET!! YET!!), but I am just enamored with it. I love the food, the culture, the style, the landscape, everything. I want to go there and eat vegetable tagines and walk through a souq and buy spices and beautiful fabrics. Two of my favorite movies - Casablanca and The Man Who Knew Too Much - are set in Morocco. I turned my bedroom into a Moroccan-inspired retreat. I dreamed of actually going to Morocco this year to celebrate my 10-year wedding anniversary, but with a young son, it just wasn't going to happen. I told my hubby that he better plan on going for our 25-year anniversary!! :)

I'm just crazy about Moroccan food. So, you can imagine my utter delight when I spied this recipe on Kristen Suzanne's blog - Raw Moroccan Gazpacho! Hello!

Raw tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, and spices are blended up, then topped with some diced tomato, pine nuts, and raisins. Why on Earth didn't I discover this recipe sooner?? I loved it!!

I also made some Carrots with Moroccan Spices from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People:

Sliced carrots, lemon juice, carrot juice, olive oil, parsley, mint, and some dried spices.

Served with some lavash crackers, this was a wonderfully light, flavorful meal for a hot summer's night.

Question: What's your favorite type of ethnic cuisine?