Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

I told you that I am all about seasonal cooking. Especially fall cooking--I love these flavors. Anyway--here is my favorite recipe that I have been making lately. Very simple but addicting. Plus it is good for you! This one is definitely a keeper (especially since both Randy and Wesley love it). I found this recipe on a Dannon yogurt advertisement actually. You can easily make this vegan by using soy yogurt. This recipe makes 12 servings, but I would say for a family of 4 it makes a good main dish with very few leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 TB canola oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 qt veg. broth
2 TB chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
In a soup pot heat oil. Add onions and cumin and saute 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 20-25 minutes.

Puree soup with 1 1/2 cups yogurt and parsley or cilantro. Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Side note: I skipped the pumpkin seeds and extra dollop of yogurt, because really when it comes to dinner and I have a little one in the high chair wanting both food and entertainment, who has time to be that fancy?

Where There's Smoke

Last night for Family Night we decided to take a little trip and instead of staying in, go out to dinner.

And so Wesley experienced his first campfire. A proud graduate of girls' camp, the fire took one match. No lighter fluid involved. Although the group next to us was having the darndest time with their fire . . . you should have seen the pyrotechnics involved in trying to get theirs going. But I digress . . .
My devious plot is really to get Wesley to love the outdoors, so that Randy will want to go camping more often . . . Randy has a thing about the bugs and dirt of camping. I'm really trying to win him over.
So far, I think I'm succeeding. Doesn't that look like the face of a baby that is having a good time?
He is a very serious baby when it comes to having fun. I love how hard he concentrates when something catches his interest.
He looks more and more like Daddy every day. And he gets in to things more and more every day. Daddy's influence? That's what I'll blame it on anyway! My funny, funny boys. I think I'm going to have my hands full with the two of them!

Now our dinner . . .
You can see the dutch oven in the first picture. I was too intent on eating by the time it was done that I didn't take a picture, but it was good, let me tell you. I made it up on the fly, with what I had in my kitchen, but here's the scoop:

Dutch Oven Veggie-ladas

Three medium potatoes, cubed (I left the skins on)
Three medium carrots, washed and chopped
One can cream of celery soup (next time I'd like to make my own if I have time, so that it is dairy free)
One small can green chilies, drained and diced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

I lined the dutch oven with foil, and sprayed it with cooking spray. Then in a bowl I combined the potatoes and carrots with the soup, and put the mixture in the foil lined oven. I sprinkled the green chilies on top, sprinkled some salt and fresh ground black pepper, and then the cheese.

It turned out very zesty and delightful. Definitely a keeper. Onions and broccoli would probably work well also--I just didn't have any on hand at the moment.

Frozen Chocolate Delight

I found this recipe the other day when I was organizing my recipe book. It was from a page photocopied out of a magazine years ago . . . I'm pretty sure I was living at Monticello with Melanie at the time . . . along with a slew of other delightful chocolaty wonders. Sadly at the time I didn't own an ice-cream maker, so I never tried it, and I forgot that I had such a recipe.

Well, guess who has an ice-cream maker now! It is a good thing that this recipe is fat free . . . I am really trying to lose that baby weight before Ashley gets married next month. But chocolate is an important food group that shouldn't be ignored, and this is rich enough that just a small bit will cure the craving.

It is a bit too heavy on the chocolate for Randy's tastes . . . Darlene you would be in heaven! I think that the only thing that could improve this treat would be some chopped hazelnuts thrown in, a little chocolate syrup on top, and some whipped cream. Yes--death by chocolate all the way. I have some hazelnuts in the freezer . . . hmm . . . .

Chocolate Sorbet

(makes about 1 qt)

1 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Add water (caramel with harden and steam vigorously) and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.

Add cocoa and salt, whisking until dissolved, then transfer to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla, then chill, covered, until cold (about 2 hours).

Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Seven Months Goes by So Fast When You Are Having THIS Much Fun!

Around our house lately, things have been good. School is going well for Randy, Wesley is growing like crazy, Che is hoppy and ridiculously cute as ever, and I'm hanging in there! Recently we have been introducing Wes to more and more foods, and I've been having fun making them myself. My beautiful cousin Sarise gave me a food mill when I had Wes, and it has been really fun to use it. Plus it saves so much money!! And seriously, these days we are all about saving money.

My sister-in-law Joy has been helping me in that department with her many coupon-shopping skills. This woman has amazing shopping skills, and the patience to do it. My best purchase in recent history? Today I hit Albertsons with some double coupons and got about $20 worth of Boca products for $3.15, including tax. Yeah, I was pretty happy with myself after that. Plus their "chick'n" nuggets are sooooo yum. One of these days I need to find a good recipe to make my own, because they are so delicious.

My little garden is coming along, and I am so proud of my little tomato plants! Their leaves have differentiated (one of the few things I remember from my ill-fated course with the deceptively easy name, "living with plants) and they look nice and strong. I'm lucky that Randy doesn't eat tomatoes, because when my little babies produce I get them all to myself!

And of course, my sweet Wesley. Grandma has been waiting for these pictures too long, so here you go! Here is my Seven-month old boy (tomorrow) in all his cuteness:

A sweet moment with Daddy.

Our laid back little guy.

I looked at him in his high chair the other day, and I thought, "when did you grow up?"

Sitting up by ourselves! Of course, the boppy is still good to have nearby in case I lose my balance . . .

How funny is this shot? I love Wesley's little diaper hanging out . . .

And last but not least, here is a recipe that I have been loving lately, especially with the hot weather. We drink a lot of smoothies around our house--they are good for you (as long as you are adding fruit and not ice cream!) and are a nice desert alternative. Especially for those of us trying to lose the baby weight, ahem. Anyway, I ran across this recipe for a green smoothie on the Passionate Homemaking blog, and decided to try it out. I'll be honest--I was a little nervous to take the first sip (Randy turned up his nose and wouldn't try it) but it is seriously yummy, and a great way to get your fiber, iron, calcium, and antioxidants. Really good. I don't always use coconut milk--just a combination of soy milk and fruit juice. And let's be honest--I use regular sugar instead of stevia, because I'm just that cheap right now.

Green Smoothie:

1 1/2 cups of liquids (you can use a combination of water, coconut/soy milk, or juice)
3 oz or more of fresh greens I (about two or three large handfulls--I used baby spinache)
2-3 TB orange juice concentrate

After these ingredients are thoroughly blended, you can add a sweetener like honey or stevia, and an assortment of fruit.

So far I have tried frozen raspberries, canned pears, and canned peaches. All delicious! I think a banana would be really great in there as well. Canned or fresh pineapple would make a yummy tropical one.

New Favorite Pasta

So my mom sent me this recipe about a month ago, and I am hooked. Like, it is a good thing Randy likes this for dinner but he still might get sick of it hooked. The artichoke hearts aren't quite as expensive if you get a jar at Costco--but beware, you will have enough on hand to develop a serious addiction. I will have to post my recipe for artichoke pizza another day.

Here is the original recipe, in all its non-vegan glory. I altered it by removing the meat, sauteing the garlic in a little of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, and then using veggie bouillon instead of chicken. Then at the end, I added a little Seitan--and even if you aren't vegetarian, you really need to try this recipe. It makes a healthy protein alternative to meat, and is seriously delicious. It slices like meat, and makes really delicious sandwiches!


Sausage, Artichoke & Sun-Dried tomatoes Pasta
Sweet Italian sausage
2 or 3 Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 small jar (6.5 oz) Artichoke hearts
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup (or more for desired consistency) Chicken broth
4-oz Angel hair pasta
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP chopped fresh basil leaves
2 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Brown sausage, set aside to drain.

Wipe excess grease from sausage from pan. To the pan add the artichokes and garlic, sauté over medium heat until garlic is tender (about 2 minutes).

Add broth and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes [I think this is too long]).

Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain pasta but do not rinse.

Add the pasta, sausage, Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley to artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve, topping with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Seitan O'Greatness:

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 c. vital wheat gluten


• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast


• 1 . salt


• 2 t. paprika


• 1/4 t. cinnamon


• 1/4 t. cumin


• 1-2 t. pepper


• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper


• 1/8 t. allspice (I skipped this)


• 3/4 c. cold water


• 4 T. tomato paste


• 1 T. ketchup


• 2 T. olive oil


• 2 T. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
  


• 1-3 cloves garlic, crushed well (I just sprinkled in garlic powder to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes.

Form into a log (6-8" long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.

You can seriously just throw all the ingredients in a kitchen-aid with a dough hook, let it mix- and then pop it in the oven. I take it as a great seal of approval that both my dad (who really likes meat) and Randy liked this.

My Adventures in Yogurt Making

When I decided to go vegan, I gave up most dairy. I will cheat on little things here and there (a slice of pizza with a bit of cheese now and again) but for the most part I try to avoid the milk products. So I haven't had yogurt in over a year. I liked yogurt--my parents had a yogurt maker when I was growing up, and I have wanted one of my own for awhile. I put yogurt-making out of my head until recently, when I saw this blog entry on how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker, in your crock pot.

Which got me to thinking . . .

If people are clever enough to make regular yogurt in their slow cookers, what if I could do the same with soy? So I went investigating. And I found this recipe, which uses commercial soy milk ( I haven't come to the point where I want to make my own yet--I like that the stuff I buy is organic and already vitamin fortified . . . I'll have to re-evaluate later on . . . )

So after much searching (my regular grocery store didn't have either the Agar or the tapioca starch) I acquired the necessary ingredients, and one night I gave it a go. With mixed results. I think that I need to break down and just buy a candy thermometer so that I can follow the directions precisely, because my yogurt came out the proper consistency, but without the tartness. So I don't know if my yogurt was too hot and it killed the cultures, or what. But it was pretty simple other than that--and I was able to use my slow cooker to let my yogurt warm overnight--so I think that after a few times through I should have the hang of it. Even though it was milder than I would have liked, it still tasted yummy, and should make some wonderful frozen yogurt! The recipe can be found on the same site as the soy yogurt recipe, but I will reprint it here for anyone interested. You can probably just use regular yogurt if you aren't vegan . . .

To Make Fruit-Flavored Frozen Soy Yogurt: in a blender mix 2 1/2 cups soy yogurt with 3/4 cup organic sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, lemon, almond or orange extract. Optional is 2 TB vodka or appropriately fruit flavored liqueur (alcohol keeps frozen desserts from freezing rock-solid). Blend well. Add 1/2 cups berries or chopped fruit (fresh or frozen). Blend until mixed. Freeze according to directions for your ice cream making machine.

As I didn't have any vodka on hand :o) I simply increased the vanilla extract from the half teaspoon to two TB since I wanted vanilla yogurt anyway and there is a little alcohol in the extract--it helped it not freeze so solid. I used the commercial soy yogurt the first time I tried this recipe, and it was DELICIOUS! So simple, fun and good for you. Well, as desserts go anyway!

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

I have been laying low the last couple of days. I succumbed to the cold that has been going around our house. Wes got it first and thankfully got the mildest case, the sweet guy wasn't even cranky, just a few more boogies than normal. Then Randy got it and I thought that maybe I actually escaped without getting sick this time . . . too bad it didn't last.

So I haven't had a lot of energy to put into fancy meals (we ate a lot of easy to assemble Mexican food this week and some delicious smoothies) but I saw this recipe on the Money Saving Mom blog, and decided to try it out. Randy loves his cold cereal and even though I always buy it on sale, it still is one of the more expensive menu items on my shopping list. So this is my provident living attempt for the week--as well as a new recipe. It turned out delicious, is really easy, and makes a ton. Since there are only two of us to plan meals for I am freezing the leftovers in smaller portions so we can just pop them in the microwave in the morning. This is way better than instant oatmeal, better for you (if you use the applesauce substitution), is very inexpensive to make, and is a great way to use your food storage oats.

Baked Oatmeal

1 cup oil (can substitute butter or applesauce)
1 ½ cups sugar (can reduce)
4 eggs (I used an egg substitute--worked fine)
6 cups oats
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups milk(I used soy)

Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. Can refrigerate overnight before baking. Serve topped with butter, brown sugar, and milk.

Yields: Approximately 8-10 servings

I just topped mine with a little soy milk (Randy used rice milk) without the extra butter and sugar, and it was delicious. I tried it both ways, and I couldn't tell enough of a difference to justify the extra calories :o)

A side note about egg substitute: even if you aren't of the Vegan persuasion, I recommend keeping a box of this on hand for food storage emergencies. It is very versatile, inexpensive, and works great for most recipes. It stores for a long time and I am a big fan. Even before I was vegan there were always times when I would run out of eggs or the eggs would go bad before I would use them all . . . Plus if there is some kind of emergency it is nice to know you can still bake things that need eggs.

My Favorite Cinnamon Buns

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I got this recipe out of a cooking magazine my sisters-in-law gave me a subscription to as a wedding shower present. It is quick, simple, and I have been able to easily convert it to a vegan recipe. I'll include both variations in case you aren't of the vegan persuasion :o)

For the dough: 3/4 cup tofu (non-veg variation: 3/4 cup cottage cheese), 1/3 cup soy or buttermilk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 TB butter/margarine melted, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 TB baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 baking soda

For the filling: 1 1/2 TB butter melted, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1 cup chopped pecans

For the glaze: scant 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, 2-3 TB cold soy milk, 1 tsp. vanilla

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9 to ten inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Make the dough: In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu/cottage cheese, milk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about ten seconds. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well and pour tofu mixture in the center. Mix to form a soft dough (don't overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4-5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12 x 15 inch rectangle.

Make the filling: Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2 inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture. Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don't worry if there are small gaps. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20-28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar, 2 TB milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 TB more milk if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand for 15 minutes and serve.

Brown Basmati Rice with Cashews and Raisins

This recipe has interesting, unusual flavors that really work well together. It is a wonderful side dish, or with some added nuts (or meat for non vegs) it transforms into a lovely main dish. We have had this a few times, and it has become a new favorite. Ingredients: 1 cup brown Basmati rice, rinsed 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric 1 tablespoon oil 1/4 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup toasted cashew pieces (350 oven for 12 minutes) 1 teaspoon Cardamom 1/3 cup coconut milk

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour

Instructions:

In a heavy saucepan combine water, salt, and turmeric and bring to a boil. Add rice, giving it a couple of stirs, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 50 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to "steam" cook another 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes, or until transparent. Add raisins, roasted cashews and Cardamom. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and cook another 1-2 minutes. Combine with the rice and toss gently until mixed. Serve immediately.

Family Moments Monday: Family Pizza Night

When I was little, I looked forward to Friday nights with my family, because they meant one thing: pizza, root beer, and movies. My mom made amazing pizza, and we would curl up and watch classic movies like Roman Holiday and Notorious. I think we pretty much made it through all the Alfred Hitchcock films, and a few truly awful ones (anyone ever seen Something Evil This Way Comes? Abysmal!) But even when my Dad, I mean someone, would choose a movie that was a real stinker, we ended up having so much fun anyway--because we were spending time together. It is a family tradition that look back on with so many good memories, and one that I definitely want to continue in my own family. As we have been able to afford it, Randy and I have tried to invest in some decent family films. Some of our favorites are Ratatouille (so much like our chinchilla--minus the whole chef thing), Second Hand Lions, and of course classics like The Little Mermaid.

If you have never tried homemade pizza before, you really should. It is surprisingly easy, and so, so delicious. This dough recipe is pretty foolproof, and you can top it with whatever you love. My parents are a big fan of the turkey pepperoni you can buy--way less greasy. My favorites are vegan taco pizza, veggie pizza with dill sauce (see below) and good old fashioned pineapple.

Pizza Dough

1 c warm water
1 TB yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tb oil
2 1/2 c flour

Dill Sauce:

8 oz pkg cream cheese (tofutti makes fabulous vegan stuff)
1-2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3-1/2 c mayo (veganaise is the only good substitute). Optional ingredient if you add more milk to even out the consistency.
2 TB milk

Cook the dough that has been pricked with a fork for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Add the dill sauce, and top with desired veggies. I like cucumbers, tomato, red bell pepper, red onion, avocado, and olives. Top with a little salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Thai Peanut Broccoli Wraps

This is one of my favorite dinners. The only thing that keeps me from making it more often is the availability of broccoli slaw--there is only one store in my area where I have seen it, and it isn't one I shop at regularly. If you have a food processor you could shred your own: The mix consists of shredded red cabbage, broccoli stalks, and carrot. Making your own mix would be much more cost effective, but sadly I wait for the day when I own a food processor :o(.
The sauce itself is fantastic over steamed brown basmati rice, with or without vegetables.
Oh--and for all you non Vegs, the original recipe did call for some chicken sauted in oil before you add the slaw mix to the skillet.

Thai Peanut Broccoli Wraps

6 8- to 10-inch plain, red and/or green flour tortillas

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ - ½ teaspoon pepper

2-3 teaspoons cooking oil (I like to replace with either sesame or peanut)

4 cups packaged shredded broccoli (broccoli slaw mix)

1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 recipe Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

1- Wrap tortillas in paper towels. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds to soften. (or, wrap tortillas in foil. Heat in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 minutes.)

2- In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, and ginger to skillet--season with garlic salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3- To assemble, spread each tortilla with about 1 Tablespoon Peanut Sauce. Top with vegetable mixture. Roll up each tortilla, securing with a toothpick. Serve immediately with remaining sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Peanut Sauce: In a small saucepan combine:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic.

Heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Recipe: Teryaki Peanut Sauce With Vegetables

This is one of my favorite quick meals. I combined a few sauce recipes, tweaked some things, and came up with this one day for dinner. I serve it over steamed rice.

Ingredients:

1TB oil
1/2 sweet onion (scallions are also yummy)
1/4 c. peanuts
1 can dole pinapple, juice reserved
1 large carrot chopped or julienne
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. ginger (or fresh grated is fabulous)

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high. Add onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add peanuts and carrot, and cook for another five minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and peanut butter--mix until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low, add the sugar mixture and drained pineapple, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add reserved pineapple juice as needed for the consistency you want. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Rice to Die For

On Saturday I needed a quick meal to take to Randy at work, and I didn't have a lot in the kitchen. Compounding matters, I didn't have a lot of energy to make anything too fancy or time consuming. So after about fifteen minutes of sitting on the couch like a beached whale, staring at the kitchen, I finally came up with something, and it turned out pretty delicious. (I base my deliciousness-factors based on how soon after I make something Randy asks for it again.)

I ended up taking a nine by nine glass pan and layering the bottom with refried beans, then adding a small layer of cheese (still trying to convert Randy to the soy cheese) and some salsa, then topping it off with some rice that I kind of winged--but turned out to be a keeper. We ended up eating half of the pan just with chips that night, and then I made the rest of the pan up into burritos the next day. So here's how I did the rice:

I took a cup of white rice, and placed it in a medium kettle with plenty of water and one vegan bouillon cube (it is like fake chicken bouillon, so if you aren't crazy like me I'd just use chicken). Then opened up a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo, and chopped up about three, and threw those in the pot as well. You want to make sure you get a little of the adobo in there, because it adds this great flavor. Then I just added a dash of salt and some fresh ground pepper, and let the rice boil down until the water had evaporated and the rice was tender--about twenty minutes. And voila! Smoky, yummy rice that works great as either a side dish or an ingredient in burritos etc. The next time I do it, I want to chop up some cilantro and green onion, a few roma tomatoes and squeeze lime over the top, mixed with a little salt and pepper and add that as a garnish on the rice. But in a pinch, the quick way like I did it still turns out surprisingly good!

Making Vegan Delicious

It has been interesting to me, the reaction I have recieved from various people on my decision to go vegan. Mostly I hear, "Oh, that sounds so hard. I could never do that," or some variation of, "I just don't know what I would eat! A lot of rice and beans I guess." Well, I do love well-seasoned black beans (see previous post) and I adore my mom's special homemade refried beans--but being vegan for me goes way beyond the beans. I love to cook, and I love to eat delicious food (I wasn't brought up in my parent's household for nothing!) so any serious lifestyle change for me could not exclude fine dining. I'm not much for the fake "meat" they market for vegetarians--I tried some veggie "bacon" a few weeks ago and was NOT impressed. What I have found is that I can add various combinations of fresh or frozen veggetables to recipes that I previously used meat, and the taste--in my opinion--is far better than the version I was used to.

Still skeptical? Well, I am going to share my favorite dish--what I made for my birthday dinner (Randy helped with the dishes). My mom is to credit for the origional, non-vegan version of the recipe. I just tweaked it to fit my needs :)

Taco Pizza

1 recipe pizza dough (see below)
12 oz. refried beans (vegetarian)
1/2 pkg shredded soy cheese
1 c fresh or bottled salsa
1 ripe avacado
1 head shredded lettuce or leaf lettuce
2 c. tortilla chips (preferably organic)
1 can sliced black olives

Mix up pizza dough, let rise until double. Roll out onto pizza stone or pan: prick with fork. Bake @ 425 for 10 minutes. Take from oven and spread refried beans on top, leaving 1/2 " around the edge. Spread salsa over the beans, crush the tortilla chips and spread over salsa. Top with cheese and bake for additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add lettuce, avacado, additonal tomatos, olives, etc. Cut and enjoy.

Pizza Dough

1 c warm water
1 TB yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tb oil
2 1/2 c flour

A Johnson Family Staple

I have had a bunch of people ask me for my black bean recipe, so I thought I would post it for anyone who is interested. While I served my Spanish-speaking mission several years ago, I picked up on some "native" recipes that I have enjoyed ever since. I have altered most of them to make them a bit healthier (lard isn't the most appetizing ingredient) but I love Hispanic cooking and we end up using these black beans in a variety of ways. I usually grill up a bunch of burritos on the George Foreman and freeze them for quick meals/snacks, the beans go great on taco salads, taco pizza (personal favorite), enchiladas, or as my brilliant and beautiful mom suggested, as filling for vegetarian tamales. So here you go:

2 cups dry black beans
2 bouillon cubes
chili powder
chopped garlic/garlic powder
onion
chipotle seasoning
cumin
fresh ground pepper
(You can add any other spices/flavoring you like: green chilies, tomatoes, etc)

Put everything in the slow cooker and add another 4-5 cups of water. Put it on high and let sit for 5-6 hours, or until the beans are tender and delicious. Thanks to those great food storage cans of black beans, this has been a cheap staple for a young married couple who likes to cook/eat!