Kristen Suzanne's Sun-Drenched Sicilian Soup

Seeing as there are only 3 more weeks of summer left, I am determined to make as many raw soups as I can to enjoy the remaining bounty of garden-fresh produce. Not my garden, mind you. I gave up trying to have a veggie garden after 4 years of aphid-chewed crucifers, blighted tomatoes, sunburned basil, woody eggplants, and puny zucchini (hey, that sorta rhymes!) Now I enjoy the fruits of others' garden labors and save myself the agony of watering, mulching, and weeding a garden that fails me time and time again. Green thumb, I do not have. I can just imagine a little garden Yoda shaking his head at me.

As I've stated before, one of my very favorite summer foods is fresh, juicy tomatoes. I keep buying them by the bagful and they get used up in a variety of ways. Last night, I used 2 gigantic beefsteak tomatoes and some fresh basil from my Dad's garden to make Sun-Drenched Sicilian Soup from Kristen Suzanne's Easy Vegan Raw Soups.

This is my favorite kind of raw soup - just dump everything into the Vita-Mix...

And blend away! There are sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, fennel bulb (I subbed celery), EVOO, garlic, fresh basil, dried rosemary, oregano & cinnamon, sea salt & pepper, and apple cider vinegar in there. So fresh and tasty!

On the side, we enjoyed a simple spinach salad with chopped cucumbers, carrots, celery, pine nuts, chopped dates, lime juice, EVOO, and sea salt. I would have used lemon juice, but I only had fresh limes on hand.

We loved the soup! It was super thick and velvety, likely because there is no water added to the ingredients. It was full of fresh summer flavor and made a great meal on a hot night!

Summer Salad Slam!

If I had my way, I'd exist on smoothies and salads for the entire summer. I love their taste, nutrition, ease of preparation, flexibility, and portability. I also love the fact that I don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen any hotter than it already is!

Here are some salads I've been enjoying lately:

Roasted Portobello Salad (except I sub eggplant for the 'shrooms!) from Veganomicon, with a side of millet:

Roasted Cauliflower and Rice Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Lightened Up Protein Power Goddess Bowl from Oh She Glows, with a side of Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Arugula and Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing (1,000 Vegan Recipes), frozen Alexia fries, Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction), carrot sticks, and roasted chickpeas:

Umm...I can't remember where this recipe came from. It appears to be massaged kale, apples, carrots, and something else?? I'm sure it was tasty!

Raw Mediterranean Kale Salad from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen:

Romaine and Grape Tomato Salad with Avocado and Baby Peas (1,000 Vegan Recipes) and Forty-Clove Chickpeas & Broccoli (Appetite for Reduction):

A completely random salad made with baby arugula, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, celery, carrots, fava beans, roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, chopped green olives, pine nuts, capers, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Yummmm.

My new obsession - Purple Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing, Walnuts, and Apples from Choosing Raw:

I've been eating it by the boatload lately. Here it is with some brown lentils and more socca (my other new obsession):

This is the simple but tasty Chopped Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes), served with Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction) and a baked potato. The romaine lettuce was fresh from a friend's garden and it was so tender and delicious!

Creamy Curry Pasta and Vegetable Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes) with some steamed broccoli:

And, finally, another delicious smoothie creation. This one had spirulina, hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, spinach, pineapple, coconut water, and ginger. So tangy and refreshing!

What are your favorite summery salads?

Appetite for Reduction Blitz

Anyone who's ever read my blog knows that I am quite fond of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction. I have tried 79 recipes (and counting!!) from this cookbook, and it's the one that I reach for when I want something quick, healthy, and filling. Here are some things from AFR that I've made recently:

Tamarind Quinoa (left) and Curried Chickpeas & Greens:

Quinoa Puttanesca, arugula & tomato salad with white balsamic vinaigrette, and garlic bread:

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew, served over a baked sweet potato:

I substituted tempeh for the seitan, white onion for the red onion, and omitted the red pepper flakes. I wouldn't really call it a stew per se...it was more like what goes into a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. No matter, it was still tasty! Next time I'm going to add some banana peppers, Daiya mozzarella, and a torpedo roll and make a vegan Philly Cheez!

Finally, this was a dish I wanted to love, but it fell a little flat for me. This is Pasta de los Angeles (with brown rice penne instead of whole wheat angel hair pasta):

It's fresh jalapeno, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, black beans, shallots, lime zest, and lime juice tossed with pasta. It's supposed to have 1 cup of fresh cilantro in there, too, but I didn't have any on hand. Maybe that would have made the difference?? I don't know. I mean, I love Mexican flavors, and I love pasta, but I didn't love them together. Oh well. My hubby and son seemed to like it, though. And besides, there was bound to be a recipe or two that I wasn't crazy about!

If you have AFR, what are some of your favorite dishes?

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 :)

Penne with Marinara Puttanesca, Spinach, and Garlic Bread

There are some nights when I am just too tired, too unmotivated, too whatever to cook. These are nights when I should really just get some takeout. And then I remember something:

You're vegan.

And you're cheap.

The end.

Takeout just isn't on my radar anymore.

Fortunately, I always have some pasta, canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, and frozen bread on hand.

Voila, dinner is served.

The sauce is Marinara Puttanesca from Appetite for Reduction. It's simply canned crushed tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, and spices, and it takes mere minutes to make. Even a tired Mommy can throw this dinner together in 20 minutes.

While the sauce was simmering, I boiled the pasta (I used brown rice penne from Trader Joe's), cooked the frozen spinach, and broiled some garlic bread (whole grain bread, Earth Balance, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning). Easy peasy.

It's delicious, nutritious comfort food that you can whip up in minutes. Believe me, if it were any harder, we would have been eating cereal for dinner :)

White Bean Salad with Fennel and Avocado

I'm always on the lookout for a good main-dish salad recipe, so when I saw the recipe for White Bean Salad with Fennel and Avocado in 1,000 Vegan Recipes, my interest was piqued. The salad is composed of many of my favorite ingredients: cannellini beans, fresh fennel, grape tomatoes, fresh parsley, kalamata olives, fresh lemon juice, red onion, and avocado. These ingredients all bring something unique to the dish and combine to make one seriously creamy, tangy, salty, crunchy, and herbalicious salad. The author, Robin Robertson, suggests adding cold cooked brown rice to turn this into a one-dish meal, but I opted for (what else) some fresh baby arugula and a side of sauteed broccoli rabe.

Best of all? This salad came together in about 20 minutes. Now that's something else I can get excited about!

Valentine's Day Food: Quinoa Puttanesca, Salad & Raspberry Blackout Cake

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for Valentine's Day. I like the idea of cards, chocolate, kisses, snuggles, and telling someone you love them. I enjoy preparing a special meal for my hubby and me, topped off with a delicious and decadent dessert, which MUST include chocolate. This is a requirement!

This year, I decided to cut myself a little slack and not devote hours and hours to preparing a romantic meal. Instead, I baked a cake the night before and then made a simple but elegant dinner. Rather than dining by candlelight alone, we ate off trays in the living room with our son, watching The Sound of Music. It might not have been romantic, but it was fun :)

Our first course was a salad of baby arugula, sliced dried figs, and pistachios with an agave-apple cider vinaigrette. It was inspired by Gena's Fig & Pistachio Salad from Choosing Raw:

We enjoyed our salad with a glass of Cupcake Winery Riesling. I served it in a champagne glass to make it more romantical :)

Our main course was the uber-flavorful Quinoa Puttanesca from Appetite for Reduction. This super-saucy dish is studded with kalamata olives and capers, two of my favorite ingredients. Quinoa is a great alternative to the traditional pasta because it soaks up the sauce and makes every bite really scrumptious.

And, of course, the most important part of any Valentine's Day meal is the dessert. I decided to make something I've been lusting after for ages and ages...the Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting from Vegan with a Vengeance. Rather than make the full recipe, I decided to halve it and make half of a two-layer cake. It could not have been easier to do: I halved all the ingredients, baked one 8-inch round cake pan (rather than two), and just cut the finished cake in half. I frosted it as directed and ended up with a beautiful half-moon-shaped cake. The crumb is chocolate and raspberry-flavored, with a raspberry-preserve-and-chocolate-ganache middle layer and frosting. It was.....amaaaaaazing. My picture is totally crappy, but I didn't want to waste any more time taking pictures when this cake wanted to jump into my mouth.

You can't even really see the middle layer, but it's there, trust me. This may have been one of the best cakes I've ever eaten in my life, and there will be much more of this cake in my future. It was the perfect ending to a great Valentine's Day meal!

A Feast of Veganomical Proportions

It's no secret I'm sort of infatuated with Appetite for Reduction - I've been cooking (and blogging) about it pretty consistently ever since I got the book last Christmas. But before AFR rolled on to the scene, I was fairly committed to one of Isa and Terry's other cookbooks, Veganomicon. Billed as "The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook,"it is a treasure-trove of great recipes for every food occasion: breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks, appetizers, soups, salads, and everything in between. I've cooked a lot from this book during the last four years, but I realized there were some recipes I hadn't revisited in quite a while.

So, one night, I cracked open my copy of Veganomicon and made not one, not two, but three recipes from the epic tome!

First up: Escarole with Capers and White Beans.

This is a deceptively-simple-but-looks-rather-fancy dish that combines sauteed escarole, beans (I used cannellinis), garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes (which I omit). It takes just minutes and is pleasingly chewy and hearty. We love it topped with some nooch!

I also made some Tomato Couscous with Capers (but with millet instead of couscous) and some Marinated Italian Tofu. Millet is probably my favorite grain, and I substitute it all the time for the less-nutritious couscous. The couscous/millet is pretty aggressively flavored with ground cloves, which I found slightly off-putting. However, I think it would be really solid if one were to just omit the cloves.

The Marinated Italian Tofu is soaked in balsamic vinegar, white wine, broth, tamari, garlic, and Italian seasonings, then baked until the tofu gets firm and chewy. Isa has included her marinated tofu recipe   (Italian, Asian) in all of her savory cookbooks, and it's virtually fool-proof and guaranteed delicious!

It's fun revisiting an old friend like Veganomicon. I should really get back to making some old favorites!

Mushroom Risotto for Lazies

Question: why do restaurants charge $15 for a plate of risotto, which is essentially just rice, wine/broth, spices, and some veggies?

Answer: because you have to stir...and stir...and stir....and stir...until your arm wants to fall off.

Been there, done that.

I've made risotto from scratch twice, and it was good...but not great. Definitely not as creamy as ones I've had in restaurants. So, I decided that rather than slaving away at the stove for mediocre results, or shelling out $15 for a plate of rice, I'd sacrifice quality and authenticity in exchange for almost no time at the stove. No stirring and very little attention required here, folks.

I give you: slow-cooker risotto.

This recipe for Mushroom Risotto relies on pantry-staples (rice, broth, dried mushrooms, wine, garlic, shallots, spices) and just two fresh ingredients (fresh mushrooms and parsley). After a quick saute of the shallots and garlic, and a 30-minute soak of the dried mushrooms, the whole kit and kaboodle gets dumped into the slow cooker for 2 hours. Voila, nearly-instant risotto. Sorry for the crappy lighting in the picture, but hey, if you're too lazy to make risotto, you're also too lazy to turn on the flash.

Yes, you sacrifice some texture and definitely the creaminess, but you also get a tasty, filling dish with almost no effort. With a side of spinach salad, it was the perfect, lazy meal for an imperfect, lazy cook.

Vegan MoFo Day 18: Napoli, Part 2 - Pompeii

After our morning in Capri and Sorrento, we took a ferry back across the Bay of Naples. After we docked, we took a short bus ride to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Pompeii, as you may know, was destroyed and buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The ash and soot entombed and preserved the city until it was rediscovered in the mid-1700s. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, and with good reason - it is utterly unforgettable and almost indescribable. Like the Grand Canyon, you simply have to see it for yourself!

Once inside the walls of Pompeii, you can see the outline of Mount Vesuvius in the distance. It's a little eerie!

It is completely fascinating to me that this entire city was excavated - can you imagine how much work that must have been?

We were just in awe of the place, walking up and down the cobblestone streets of a long-buried city.

Check out the bakery! You can see the old stone ovens and millstones used for grinding wheat.

This amphitheater is remarkably well-preserved. You can just imagine the gladiator matches here!

I figured, if archaeologists can dig out the ruins of Pompeii, I can at least attempt to make one of my favorite Italian dishes. I don't know what it is about lasagna, but I've only made 4 or so in my entire life. And I love lasagna, so this is a shame. But after making the Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta & Spinach from Appetite for Reduction, I think all that is about to change.

I had no idea how easy this lasagna would be to make. There are several steps involved, but you can do several things at once, which makes it easy to pull off. While the cauliflower is roasting, you can boil the lasagna noodles and prep the red sauce.

After the cauliflower is roasted, you just mash it up with some tofu, salt, pepper, nooch, and fresh lemon juice.

Then the assembly begins! First a layer of sauce, then a layer of noodles, then a layer of the cauli ricotta. Sprinkle some freshly chopped spinach on top:

Then ladle on some of your red sauce.

Now repeat! You create another identical layer, then finish off with a top layer of ricotta and sliced black olives.

 Look at those layers! Yummmm.....

After 40 minutes in the oven, I pulled out this delicious-looking dish!

 It was a little messy to slice, but I finally got a good-looking piece:

The lasagna was devoured by all three of us. My toddler son loved it (except the olives :) and ate his entire plate. The leftovers were even better the next day! In fact, I might make this a day ahead next time. I think it helped the flavors to meld, and the layers "stuck" together better after a second baking. I'll probably also add even more veggies (zucchini, onions, mushrooms, eggplant) next time to really bulk it up. But I couldn't believe the nutrition facts on this dish - only 300 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving, and it makes 6 BIG servings! It also supplies 35% of your vitamin A, 150% (!!) of your vitamin C, 25% of your calcium, and 30% of your iron. This is a lasagna I can feel GREAT about eating and serving to my family!!