Naan Veggie Burgers

What to do with left over naan?

Veggie Burgers!

J loves Amy's Bistro Burgers and I'm a traditionalist - I love my Gardenburgers.

I Heart Christmas (muffins)

Look!! There's a heart shape on the plate with the muffin.

Coincidence?

These muffins are an adaptation of Nigella Lawson's Christmas morning muffins. I substituted whole wheat flour for the regular flour and I used raisins instead of dried cranberries.

J loves these.

Stir-Fry tofu with vegetables and fried brown rice

tofu
green peppers
brown basmati rice
onions
carrots
garlic
ginger
tamari
grean peas

Friday Night Falafel Night!

I made some whole wheat naan and some falafels tonight. It was a hit!

Add some yogurt, peppers, tomaotoes, red onions and parsley and we're golden.

Soup for lunch (again)

Red lentil curry with cauliflower, potatoes and brown rice.

So satisfying and so ugly.

eggs chez robbins

This is pretty similar to huevos rancheros - but no cheese and no fried tortillas.

one egg
brown rice
pinto beans fried up with a little canola oil, cumin, jalapeno, red pepper flakes and salt
salsa
non-fat yogurt (better than sour cream here)
tomatoes
red onions
cilantro

One of J's favorites.

Delicata Squash is My Hero...

...and my favorite new veggie.


I picked up some delicata squash for the first time this year actually by mistake. I went to the market looking for spaghetti squash and blindly believed the labels the market had put up.

Lucky for me I had never bought spaghetti squash before, so I didn't know what to look for. I brought the squash home and roasted it in the oven. When I sliced the cooked squash in half I quickly realized that this was not spaghetti squash at all and I had to change the plan for dinner. I chopped up the squash and made a yummy mild curry with tofu and veggies. It was delicious. So the next day I roasted the rest of the squash and we had it as a side. What a lovely vegetable. Sweeter and firmer than pumpkin, but not as dense as butternut squash, and so easy to prepare.

Why do we not see more recipes calling for this yummy treat?

No offense to butternut squash fans out there, but butternut squash can be very dangerous.

Both my husband and myself have sliced our fingers handling that massive gourd.


But not anymore!


Delicata Squash has saved the day.


Monday I roasted up a couple of them beauties and smashed their sweet flesh along with some melted (vegan) butter, rosemary, nutmeg, brown sugar, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. I tossed this with some whole wheat spaghetti, put it all in a casserole dish and topped it with some more herbs, bread crumbs, a little olive oil and some caramelized onions. Baked it for 30 minutes and we were in heaven.(This is an adaptation of a Veganomicon recipe based on what I had in the house!)


I'll bet it delicata makes for a great pie too.

Something to try this Christmas :)

Eat Your Veggies! (and Happy Birthday Mom!)

So we ate, (gasp), just veggies tonight!

But they were incredibly filling. I didn't miss a thing.

Delicata squash, mushrooms and spinach, brussel sprouts, and roasted potatoes.

mmmmmmm...




Walrus loves brussel sprouts!

Tofu Marsala with Zucchini

Okay, so eating tofu and veggies is becoming a bit of a habit here. But, the thing is we're saving a ton of money AND it happens to taste pretty good too.

I've turned to legumes and beans and tofu lately because we're in the middle of recording a new record which happens to take up a lot of time - without (yet) yielding the big dough (figuratively) and literally.


But, I really can't complain because the food has been delicious.


This meal is from last night. I got the Tofu Marsala recipe from http://www.veganmenu.blogspot.com - These folks know how to use their veggies.

I did alter the flour a bit- I used brown rice flour(instead of wheat flour) to coat the tofu and it was SO delicious with a perfect light crust. I need to pick up some more of that fine flour.

The zucchini were simply cooked with a bit of oil and garlic.

yum, yum!

4 bucks tops for the entire meal.

Rawk on.

Simple Pasta Supper

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with tomatoes, onions, garlic and white beans. Yup, that's a whole clove of garlic just sitting there on the plate.


(and a very nice glass of red!)

Chocolate Chunk Goodness Cookies

Believe it or not these are good for you. And yes, they are delicious!

No butter, no eggs, low sugar and whole wheat flour turn these yummy goodies into something even better.

The chocolate chunks are 88% cocoa too. So you get your flavonoids-on.

I really was a bit experimental with this so my measurements may not be exact.

But here it goes:

1/2 cup plus 2 tspns of whole wheat flour
3/4 cup of rolled oats
1/2 of a 3 oz dark chocolate bar banged to bits - go for the higher % of pure cocoa type.
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of brown-sugar splenda blend
1/2 tablespoon of black strap molasses
1/4 cup of applesauce (no sugar added)
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the chocolate chunks to the dry mixture.
Combine wet ingredients together in another small bowl to blend.
Then add wet to dry and mix.
form small spoonfuls of batter and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Enjoy with your cold milk of choice!

Curry Tofu and Vegetables

This was pretty good last night. I was in an experimental mood.

The tofu were baked with a few tspns of curry spices and some orange juice for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.


The veggies are: onions, delicata squash and peas all simmered in a curry/coconut sauce with a bit of Sriracha for heat.

I cooked the brown basmati rice while the tofu and the delicata squash baked in the oven.

Pretty good.

Tonight we're frying again for Chanukah: Zucchini Latkes!!

Holy Whole Wheat Challah!

Rustic, but delicious!





















Here's the recipe:

I read a whole bunch of recipes for basic Challah(not whole wheat) and adapted it into my own. If I make this again I will probably brush the top with milk or egg wash.

I used good old King Arthur's "Traditional Whole Wheat Flour"


Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar blend (this was all I had in the house... you can probably use any type of sugar/sweetner here)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups of whole wheat flour
Canola oil for brushing the top (or egg wash)



Directions:

1. Mix the yeast and water and allow it to activate (5-10 minutes).
2. Add the sugar, oil, and salt.
3. In a separate large greased bowl (I used the Kitchen aid mixer bowl) put in the flour.
4. Add the yeast mixture and combine into a nice wet dough. Add flour or warm water if needed.
5. Knead (I used the handy kitchen-aid with the bread hook) until it forms a ball of dough on the hook. (2-3 minutes) Or knead by hand (will take a bit longer).
6. Cover bowl with a towel and allow to rise. 2 hours.
7. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
8. Shape each into 11-12inch(approx)long strips. Braid the strips together to form Challah loaf shape.
9. Cover the loaf and allow to rise for another 1 1/2 - 2 hours. It should double in size.
10. Brush the loaf with oil. Bake it at 375 for 30-35 minutes.
11. Let it cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy with butter or margerine.



*This is a small loaf and was quickly consumed by my husband and myself in a day!

Minestrone Lunch

How to eat 7 veggies in one meal?

SOUP.

Chanukah - the good and the bad of it.

Baked Spicy Tofu with Lemon Brown Rice and Garlic Broccoli.

(The good)







Deep Fried Pumpkin Donuts

(the bad...but oh-so-good!)

mmmmmmmmm........

Indian Food

Yesterday I decided to challenge myself and make a full indian food feast for us.

We had:

Whole wheat naan (sooooo easy and sooooo yummy)
red curry lentils (pictured)

saag paneer with potatoes (I made the paneer too - first time I have ever made cheese)

I got the recipes from a variety of sources online and adjusted them slightly.

I'm going to make some more naan today and try another curry dish.

Here's the Naan recipe:

Need:

2 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of sugar (I used light brown sugar because it was all I had and it worked out fine)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of warm water
1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons of milk
1 packet of yeast or 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast

Instructions:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water and let it activate (add sugar to help)

In a mixing bowl combine:
flour
sugar
salt
egg
milk

Add yeast and water mixture and combine.
Knead dough until it comes together nicely - it will be on the "wetter" side.

Leave ball of dough in a greased bowl to rise for an hour or so.
Punch down the dough and allow to rise another 3 hours.

divide dough into 8 balls.
roll out the balls into "small pizza" size.
Heat a cast iron skillet ot grill to med/high
Toast the flat breads on each side of the for 2-3 minutes.
Brush with butter(optional)

enjoy!

Triple A Pasta!

This is a recipe I put together last week and we loved it. It combines three Vitamin A (and C) packed veggies for a delicious light dinner, lunch or first course.

(Walrus waiting patiently at the top of the stairs for a sample!)

Serves 2

You'll need:

Fresh pack of Butternut Squash Ravioli (I LOVE Rising Moon Organics)
5-6 cups of baby spinach
1 bag of frozen chopped sweet potatoes (bite size)
1/2 cup of veggie or chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of salt
pepper
grated Parmesan cheese


1.Microwave the sweet potatoes according to instructions- but leave them just undercooked.
2. Saute the garlic in olive oil (med. heat) for about a minute.
3. Add the sweet potatoes to the garlic and saute for another minute or so.
4. Add spinach and saute for another minute to combine all flavors.
5. Add stock and season with salt and pepper - cook for another minute.
6. Serve over ravioli along with grated cheese.


Super easy and fast.

Great with a Pinot Gris or a nice local white wine.

Green Goodness Pasta

A twist on the usual pesto pasta dish.

As usual -I made it healthier with more vitamins/minerals than the usual fare.

I love whole wheat pasta and I love incorporating walnuts into the pesto in place of pine nuts.

The broccoli tastes great with the pesto and adds a great texture to the dish.

This serves about 3-4.

Have with a green salad ( of course!)


You'll need:
1 pack of whole wheat spaghetti
1 pack of frozen broccoli
Grated cheese for serving

Pesto:
1/4 cup Walnuts
2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of olive oil
pinch of salt


1. Put on a pot of water for the pasta - cook pasta as you prep the pesto. Add pack of frozen chopped broccoli to the pasta water for the last 4 minutes of cooking.
2. Chop the garlic in the food processor
3. Scrap down the sides of the processor and then add walnuts to the processor and chop.
5. Add Basil and cheese - repeat.
6. Slowly add oil - and blend until smooth but not watery.
7. Spoon pesto into the serving bowl and add about 1/3 cup of the hot pasta water to the pesto - blend.
8. Pour cooked pasta and broccoli into the pesto and blend with thongs.
9. Serve with grated cheese!

yum

My other blog is a blog

I post at feelthecomforters.com a lot more frequently. It's officially "The Comforters's Blog" but in reality it's all me.

The old man has to run a studio for crying out loud.

My blog posts range from studio and music happenings to thoughts on food(surprise) and daily life in Eugene.

Feel Good Blueberry Muffins

I love using local products and this recipe incorporates a few of my favorites.

It's a super healthy version of a Nigella Lawson recipe.

1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees -grease a small 12 muffin tin or use cupcake paper cups in the tin.
2. Combine 1 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour (I like King Arthur's), 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl beat 1/3 cup of canola oil, 1 cup of non-fat yogurt (I like Nancy's), and one egg.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix (with a light hand!) Lumps are okay.
5. Grate in the zest of one orange. This makes this recipe!
6. Fold in 1 cup of frozen blueberries (I like Willamette Valley Berries) Mix lightly and spoon into muffin tin.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden. Let cool slighlty and then enjoy with butter and local jam.

Delish and SO good for you!!

We have these for snacks and for breakfast all the time. Also great with yogurt or a big glass of milk.

Julie's Organic Ice-Cream Sammies

heaven

www.juliesorganic.com - - My new favorite snack and local too!




I could eat these all day. They are little morsels of perfection - from the soft chocolate wafers on the outside to the sweet, but not to sweet semi-soft vanilla ice-cream on the inside.

delish

amy's ...mmmm

Since moving up here to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I have falling in love with Amy's Burritos (the non-dairy ones).

They are amazing and simply delicious. Easy to cook up in the ole microwave - and greatly satisfying.

Funny thing is Amy's is based in Petaluma, CA. Not up here in Oregon. But I never came across their products in California. Not until my old man and I went veggie and explored the "health food" aisle in the grocery stores up here did we know about the yummy products from Amy's.


I just had one of these burritos, so this is why my first blog entry speaks of that mix of whole wheat and pinto bean goodness that is the Amy's non-dairy burrito.

So thank you, Amy's. I have yet to grow tired of your fine product. And the folks at Amy's even have a blog: www.amys.com/journal


(old man enjoys the 'rito...dog looks on)