spovegan

Daily Archives

2010-07-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've been terribly absent from this blog recently and have decided to put my focus elsewhere. For vegan-specific blogging, please follow spokanevegans.wordpress.com. I'll also be blogging about more personal matters and non-vegan topics at my new blog, dailyarchives.wordpress.com. Thanks!

One World

2010-04-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Spokesman Review published an article last week about One World, one of my favorite places to eat in Spokane. I was interviewed for the story and was happy (and flattered!) to share my thoughts on this great organization. I'm quoted in the article, but those quotes are not accurate, so I'd like to set things straight.

“I think if you’re used to eating food that comes out of a box or your standard dining out fare is at one of the chain restaurants or fast food you might not like One World,” says Crystal Clark, organizer of Spokane Vegans, a social group for vegan eaters.

“I think this kind of dining experience is intimidating to people, but I also think some of the fun of dining at a place like One World is the surprise. You don’t know what you’re going to get.”

I would never suggest that people would not like One World. When I spoke to the journalist, I suggested that the unique dining experience at One World may be a little intimidating to some less adventurous eaters, but that it didn't have to be. I explained that the model that One World uses - cooking with whole, local, in-season foods is not as predictable as eating at one of the many chain restaurants in Spokane. It's a bit of a surprise every time you eat there – it's always good, but the menu is never the same – and I like that! The friendly volunteers and chefs are knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. They might even share a recipe with you!

I think everyone in Spokane should eat at One World and I can't imagine anyone not liking it. The food is delicious, creative and gives a real sense of place because you know exactly where it came from. Spokane has a lot of great local restaurants serving delicious food and One World is definitely one of them. They always have vegan options and do fun things like tapas nights and guest chef nights. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more. (Hint: They'll have vegan meatballs tomorrow night.)

Spokavore Challenge Round 2

2010-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

I really had the best of intentions when I signed up for round two of the Spokavore challenge. Round one was a lot of fun–even though I didn't make it to the end–and I was looking forward to giving it another shot. However, as the first day dawned, I found my self completely unprepared. I could give you all sorts of excuses about how I've been busy with this and that and how challenging it would be for me to limit my diet even more, considering I'm gluten-free and soy-free (more on that another day) this time around. But really, I just wasn't prepared.

So yeah, I was out before the challenge even started. But I wish all the other contestants luck! I'll be following everyone's progress as the week goes on.

Pasta with White Bean Sauce

2010-01-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'm broke. I get paid at the end of the week, but until then I'm being very thrifty and getting to know the contents of my kitchen cupboards. At the request of my son, tonight's dinner was originally planned to be one of our favorite soups, but I realized I was missing a couple of key ingredients. And since I'm determined not to go shopping this week, a special trip to the store for only two ingredients was out of the question. I had the white beans and the pasta though, and thought a white sauce would be nice. I did a Google search for recipes and soon found my inspiration. I added a few ingredients, increased the recipe, and in less than 30 miuntes dinner was on the table with a side of red kale.

This was really easy to make, calls for simple ingredients and is surprisingly satisfying. The flavor is delicate and just slightly "cheesy" with a nice smooth texture. I hadn't made a bean sauce before tonight, but now I'm a huge fan. I know I'll be playing around with this one some more. With a little adjusting, I think it would make a great base for a Stroganoff, too.

You'll Need:

6 T Earth Balance
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 C or 2 15oz cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
2 C soymilk
1 t Spike seasoning
2 t nutritional yeast
splash dry vermouth or dry white wine (optional, but recommended)
salt and pepper to taste

Your favorite pasta–I won't try to guess ounces this time. Plan for 4 - 6 servings.

Method:

While pasta is cooking according to instructions, get started on the sauce. In a deep skillet, melt margarine and saute garlic for 2 minutes. Add a splash of vermouth and cook another minute or so. Put beans in food processor and add margarine and garlic, soymilk, nutritional yeast and Spike seasoning. Puree mixture until completely smooth, adding more soymilk as needed to reach desired consistency. Return mixture to the skillet and simmer on medium-low, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Food I've Been Eating Lately

2009-12-28T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have a few posts that are still in draft form and a couple of recipes that need to be refined before sharing, so I thought I'd offer you some food porn today. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2009 - We followed this recipe for the tofu and gravy. Yum!

Rachael Ray Redux

Off-the-cuff Mexican-type casserole with a mole-like sauce - I'm going to play around with this one some more. I really liked it and the kid LOVED it.

I used to love eggs in a basket and my son still does. We had tofu in a basket for breakfast on Christmas Eve and plan on making it a tradition.

Christmas dinner 2009 - My sister and I made potato kale burritos with mole sauce, and as she so astutely proclaimed, chocolate is always a good choice for dinner! (Or something like that.)

Have you heard of the Texan "treat" called armadillo eggs (or atomic buffalo turds)? My dad recently told me that he had made a ton of them over the summer and I immediately started worrying about his blood pressure and general coronary health. I told him I would try and come up with a vegan version of this truly offensive dish. I'm not there yet, but I did make these. Mini sweet peppers halved, seeded, filled with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, topped with an olive or mushroom and sprinkled with some Spike seasoning. I put them in a 325 degree oven for about 12 minutes. They tasted even better cold the next day.

Response: Is Vegan the New Locavore?

2009-11-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Veganism seems to be getting a lot of attention lately, locally and nationally. One of Spokane's prominent locavore bloggers is even pondering the idea. Craig, of Year of Plenty, has a recent post in which he references a New York Times Op-Ed piece about veganism. Craig seems to be approaching the idea of veganism from an environmental view point, whereas the Times contributor takes an ethical stance using some rather polarizing language. There is some obvious discomfort between these two philosophies and my humble input has been requested. I'm very flattered (and surprised!) to be consulted on this topic. I'll try my best to address this heady issue.

A lot of the arguments used to promote veganism can be off putting — the use of words like "murder" often seem extremist. It's unfortunate that some people choose to use such hyperbolic language when discussing veganism in broad terms. Ultimately, veganism comes from a place of compassion — for animals, human beings and the environment.

The raising of animals for food and clothing has an undeniably detrimental effect on the environment — beyond that, it also induces human rights and social justice issues (Read Fast Food Nation or watch Food, Inc., neither of which promote even a vegetarianism lifestyle, to get a better idea of the human cost of raising animals for consumption). The moment we start talking animal rights or welfare, though, tensions rise. The question of whether or not to eat meat (or any animal products) triggers something deep within ourselves and can cause us to question exactly what it means to be human. For many people this can be a very uncomfortable experience.

The author of the Times piece that sparked this discussion makes some good points, but overall I have to disagree with his approach. I am a vegan for ethical reasons, but my convictions don't end there. I also choose a vegan lifestyle for health and environmental reasons. I just never cared much for meat and like 75% of the world's population, I'm lactose intolerant. There are many different reasons one may choose to be vegan. As we are all individuals, each person chooses to approach the subject differently. Steiner chooses a more hostile and decidedly philosophical approach than I do.

Little more than a year ago, I founded a social group called Spokane Vegans. The impetus for this group was my selfish desire for a vegan community in Spokane. I had been vegan just over a year at the time and didn't have relationships with any other vegans in the area. I just wanted to have some friends to share food with and hoped we might also serve as a support network for each other. With the help of my co-organizer, this little group has grown quite a bit the past year, both in membership and scope. It may be surprising to know that not all of our members are vegan.

The approach that Spokane Vegans takes is very much in line with my own philosophies on veganism. We strive to foster a dialogue on veganism in the community while promoting respect for all earthlings and have fun doing it. To me it just doesn't make much sense to talk about compassion for animals if that same compassion and respect is not extended to the intended audience. I feel very strongly about my reasons for being vegan and I will not apologize for them, but I also won't force my beliefs on anyone. Sometimes we need to be confronted with facts, but when an idea is presented in a confrontational manner it may often do more harm than good.

Veganism is a broad idea with many talking points. Trying to address them all could turn this blog post into a something more akin to a treatise, so I'll try to get back to the topic at hand. Steiner's op-ed piece should not be read as an introduction to veganism. For someone considering their carbon footprint, the adoption of a responsible vegan lifestyle would certainly lessen one's environmental impact and should be considered if this is the ultimate goal. Fact-based readings would prove to be more convincing and beneficial in this case. Vegan Outreach has a page devoted to the environment on their web site. The Vegan Society also provides some great information on the many environmental impacts of animal production. For an unbiased look at the issue, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production has made their full report available online.

Regardless of dietary preferences, I invite the Year of Plenty family and the whole of Spokane to join the Spokane Vegans at our next vegan potluck for some good conversation and great food! We love to talk about and eat food, and the only fights we have are over who gets the last cupcake.

Free!

2009-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

We all like the word free, but when is something really ever truly free? Not often. But this Sunday at the Peaceful Valley Community Center, a small group of community-minded individuals will be hosting the Really, Really Free Market. The idea is to give away want you don't want or need anymore and take what you do need - for FREE. This isn't a swap or a sale. It's simply free. What a great answer to our throw-away consumer culture that is even more rampant this time of year!

Besides offering tables of free stuff, the market will also include workshops and a vegan potluck. So if you're in Spokane this Sunday, get together your old winter coats, too-tight jeans, extra chairs and your favorite vegan dish and get down to the Really, Really Free Market! See you there!

What: Really, Really Free Market
When: Sunday 11/22 @1pm - 6pm
Where: Peaceful Valley Community Center 214 N Cedar
Tentative Schedule of Events:
1:00 – Doors Open
2:00 – Vegan Potluck
3:00 – Creative Writing Workshop
4:00 – Crocheting Workshop
5:00 – Singing and Dancing
6:00 – Doors Close

For more info or updates about the RRFM, write to spokanefreemarket@gmail.com

Black Beans with Roasted Pumpkin

2009-10-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can eat those mini pumpkins that often end up as seasonal decoration? I received those two little cuties pictured above in my produce box a few weeks ago and had no idea what I'd do with them. I was a little upset to think that they'd just serve as knick-knacks for a few weeks before ending up in the trash. (I don't compost. I know...) I couldn't believe that Fresh Abundance would throw ornamental food into one of their weekly produce boxes, so I did a little research. A friend told me that she was told our particular variety is a mini jack-o-lantern. Doesn't sound very appetizing, but then I came across this post over at The Kitchn. I thought stuffed pumpkins would be cute (sans egg, cheese and meat, of course!), but I wasn't really in the mood for cute. I wanted something hearty. Something satisfying. I remembered seeing this recipe for black beans on the same website and suddenly I had my inspiration!

I peeled and cubed the pumpkin and tossed it with olive oil, cumin, nutmeg and salt and pepper and roasted for about 15 minutes. In a large pan I sauteed some red onion with pickled garlic, added some black beans and drizzled in a little tamari, balsamic and sake. When the pumpkin was tender, I added that to the pan also and threw in a little bit of fresh sage. I served the beans and pumpkin over jasmine rice. (We usually eat brown basmati rice, but sometimes I just crave jasmine!) I was so pleased with how this came out. I hadn't even finished eating my first helping and I was already looking forward to making it again. My son loved it too and specifically requested leftovers for lunch the next day.

I love autumn!

A Face for Radio

2009-10-22T20:41:00.001-07:00

In little more than an hour, I'll be on the radio with Leah talking about Spokane Vegans. One of our group members, Lindsae hosts a show called The Dreadful Show every Thursday on KYRS and she's invited us to join her this week! If you're local, tune in to KYRS at 92.3 or 89.9 FM. You can also stream online at KYRS.org. See you on the radio!

Curry Thing

2009-10-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

I could live the rest of my life eating nothing but curry. I prefer Indian curries, but never make them because they require ingredients that I'm either not familiar with or am intimidated by. Most of the curries I make at home utilize one of those bottled pastes or powders and coconut milk. Knowing that I love curry so much, I don't know why I hadn't made it in such a long time. So when my son asked for curry last night, I eagerly obliged. Yesterday we picked up our bi-weekly produce box. I used the potatoes, carrots and lovely red onion from the box along with some curry flavor Small Planet tofu. Yum. I had leftovers for lunch today.I don't know what I had planned for dinner tonight, but when Ben asked for curry again, how could I say no? Again I looked for inspiration in the vegetable crisper. This time I found celery, carrots and onions. (What's that French term for the trinity of these three aromatics? I've watched enough cooking shows in my life to know that these ingredients mean something together, I just can't remember what it is.) I threw in the rest of the tofu, more coconut milk and this time added a little tahini and some garbanzo beans. Looks like I'll have leftovers for lunch again tomorrow. There really aren't any major flavor differences between these two (or four) meals, but I don't care. That's how much I love curry.

I served a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA a few years ago and I had to go to a few three or four-day training conferences where we stayed overnight in another city. They always had the meals catered and much to my surprise, always had vegan offerings. On one of these trips, the first veggie meal served was a delicious peanut butter curry that was subsequently used in each of the following meals for the duration of our stay - even as a topping for baked potatoes! After day two, everyone was complaining, but I was in heaven. Food at a catered event like that can be iffy, even if it is vegan. But I feasted on delicious curry for the better part of that week.

Cheez Ball

2009-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

I made a vegan cheese ball. And it tastes good! Seriously. I fed it to omnivores and vegetarians and they all liked it. It doesn't really taste like cheese, but really, do you want it to? I don't. I posted the recipe over on the Shrinking Violet Society's blog. Enjoy!

More Soup!

2009-10-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my mom's birthday on Sunday. Her has back was giving her trouble (she's not that old!) so we stayed in and made soup! We took the idea of Vegan Dad's Creamy Chunky Cauliflower Chowder and used it as a base. My mom wanted curried cauliflower soup, but my step-dad really doesn't like curry, so we made two batches. We added coconut milk to both, curry to one and went super savory on the other with lots of Dijon mustard. Vegan Dad's recipe is great to play around with and build on. The chowder takes a lot of prep, so it probably isn't a weeknight dinner, but it's totally worth the effort!

I had a great time cooking with my family and the soup was awesome! (In fact, I was so busy enjoying my dinner, I almost forgot to take a picture until it was almost gone.) My mom said it was better than anything she could have ordered out and was happy we stayed in. And it was all vegan! After dinner, we had some GF vegan chocolate cupcakes (a Cherrybrook Kitchen mix - meh) and watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Happy birthday, mom!

Soup Season

2009-10-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

This is the year of soup! Until recently, I never really got too excited about soups or stews. I don't know what changed, but all of a sudden I'm crazy about the comforting ease of making and eating soup. I've been eying a recipe for pasta & bean soup from Maxine Clark's cookbook, Italian Kitchen that was printed in October's issue of Woman's Day magazine and finally decided to give it a try. Once again, my co-worker's abundant magazine subscriptions and my employer's frugality inspired my dinner. Who knew?

(Please forgive the poor picture quality. Soup tends to be a little camera shy and photographing steaming-hot food is a bit of a challenge.)

The original recipe calls for dried beans, but I used canned and adjusted things accordingly. I also used a Not Chicken veggie bouillon instead of the broth called for in the recipe. The bouillon added more salt and oil, I believe, so I adjusted the oil and did not add any additional salt. The soup turned out really well! We'll happily be eating leftovers for lunch the next two days. Another great thing about soups - leftovers!

You'll Need:

2 cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 C vegetable broth or equivalent prepared veggie bouillon
1 C short pasta (I used Ancient Harvest quinoa elbows)
4 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped (thanks, Keena!)
1/4 C Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Add broth (or prepared bouillon), reserving 1 cup, to a large soup pot with garlic and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. While pasta cooks, puree 1 1/2 cans of the beans with reserved liquid and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Stir bean puree and remaining whole beans into pasta and broth, simmer until pasta is tender. Remove pot from heat and stir in tomatoes and parsley. Ladle into individual warmed bowls and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper. Bellissimo!

Food Porn

2009-10-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little lazy today, but I want to try and post most days this month for Vegan MoFo so today you're getting pictures. Pictures of some vegan food that I've eaten over the past year. I looked through some of my early posts and those photos were horrendous! The following are a little bit better, I think.

Rice Milk Chocolate: Super tasty, but $5 a bar.

Breakfast: Quinoa with blueberries.

Love: Tofu and peanut butter were made for each other.

Father's Day Dinner: My sister and I made mole lentil chili. Yum!

The Easiest Banana Bread: I need to try and make this one gluten free. I miss banana bread already.

Benniditto's Alternative Veggie: Goodbye pizza! Anyone know of a place in town that makes a GF vegan pie?

Comfort Food: Mushroom soup with quinoa, chickpeas and bok choy.

Hyperlocavore: I want to try and make these potato cakes again; they were so tasty. Even without salt!

My First Time: When I got a fennel bulb in my first produce box from Fresh abundance I didn't know what the heck I was going to do with it. Obviously, I roasted it like you would do with anything weird that's round-ish and hard. It was pretty tasty.

Mmmm: Waffles with huckleberry syrup and EB. I miss you too, waffles!

Now I'm hungry.

Everyone is doing it...

2009-10-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Vegan MoFo III survey (Because I know you're just dying to read my answers.)

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
I've been making my own soymilk lately, but I really like hazelnut milk.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Chili, GF scones (I hope to perfect these!) and something with potatoes (I'm really not good with recipes - I just wing it).

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
I rarely eat popcorn, but if I do, I like some EB and salt on it.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
I tried to cook some kind of zucchini noodle peanutty sauce thing for a boyfriend once and it was almost inedible. (So much for making a good impression.)

5. Favorite pickled item?
Okra. Yum.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
I don't.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash and recycle.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?
Rice, avocados and tomatoes.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
I remember food being a big deal whenever we were with my (maternal) grandparents, whether it was for the holidays or not. My grandfather was a bit of a gourmand and always had something tasty on the table.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss, any flavor (except that strawberry lemon crap).

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
My wine key. (What's good food without good wine?)

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Cilantro - I don't care what you say!

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two by Anna Thomas (1979 edition). I received this cookbook when my grandfather passed away. I believe it was given to him by one of my aunts.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Marmalade.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
My own quinoa chili.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tofu!

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Dinner.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Cookbooks, a bottle of vermouth and (vegan) dog food.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Liquor (I'm not a lush, I swear), tempeh and green beans.

20. What’s on your grocery list?
Apples, onions, coconut milk... I don't usually make shopping lists, I just grab what looks good. Dangerous, I know.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Fresh Abundance.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet
Custard.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
vegandad.blogspot.com, veganyumyum.com, 101cookbooks.com (not vegan)

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Endangered Species chocolate bars.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
An $8 gluten free baking mix.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Whole artichokes, hot peppers and fresh okra.

I've been seeing other grains

2009-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Wheat and I have one of those on again off again relationships. Right now we're on the outs and this time maybe for good. I've never been diagnosed with celiac disease (the inability to digest gluten), but I know that my body doesn't like it when I eat a lot of foods containing gluten. Lately, my body has been screaming at me not to eat gluten. Following a gluten free diet is challenge enough, but throw in the commitment to a vegan lifestyle and we're talking hardcore diet restrictions. I've experimented with a gluten free (and vegan) diet a few times the past couple of years. My downfall is always baked goods.

I've found a really good GF mix for chocolate cake/cupcakes and a decent mix for a GF pizza crust and I've even seen some GF vegan veggie burgers out there (gluten is used in almost all faux meats). But trying to find a palatable GF bread that is also vegan is near impossible. And baking anything not from a mix requires investing in a dozen different kinds of GF flours and, it would seem, a degree in chemistry. (I have neither.) Dining out? Dinner at a friend's house? Family get-togethers? Good luck.

Despite this seemingly implausible diet, I'm giving it another try. From here on out (actually, since yesterday), I'm gluten free. Knowing that I was going to make this commitment when I was craving scones on Thursday, I set out to find a recipe for vegan and gluten free scones. I came across this recipe. Intrigued by the use of coconut milk, I decided to give it a try. I tried the recipe twice the past two days, using two different GF flour mixes. Here are the results:

For the first batch, I followed the recipe and used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Mix. The scones came out with a nice texture and good crumb, but the use of garbanzo and fava bean flours in the mix gave the scones a decidedly "beany" taste. I wasn't satisfied and decided to give it another go.

For the second batch, I deviated from the original recipe a little. This time I used Bob's Red Mill GF Pancake Mix. I omitted the lemon zest and added vanilla. I also topped the scones with cocoa powder and cinnamon. The flavor of the second batch was definitely more pleasing, but the texture was too heavy, grainy and dry.

So both experiments were a bust, but I haven't given up yet.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-10-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

I made these a while ago after seeing Lauren Ulm's recipe over on Vegan Yum Yum . I'd never had fried green tomatoes before, so I was anxious to try them. My friend, Monique generously shared some tomatoes from her garden.

The result? Yum! The cornmeal I used was a little coarser than what Ulm apparently uses, but it worked just fine. I only had the chance to make these the one time this summer, but I'll be looking forward to trying them again next year. If you make these, don't skip the balsamic reduction. The reduction was also a new recipe for me (so easy!) and it's now a regular part of my repertoire. My son asks for a balsamic reduction on almost everything.

Lauren Ulm has a new cookbook called Vegan Yum Yum that just came out a couple of weeks ago. You can bet that it will be on my wish list this holiday season!

Also, it's Vegan MoFo! That's right. I'm going to try and post most weekdays and maybe a little on the weekends for the entire month of October. Wish me luck! And be sure to check out the other participating blogs.

Mushroom Dip Sandwiches

2009-09-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

The past month has kept me pretty busy and because of that, I've neglected this blog. But I'm back with a recipe to share!

Growing up, French dips were my favorite sandwich. It was always a special treat when my dad took us out for lunch at the little cafe next to the repair garage that my mom and dad owned and operated. I always ordered the French dip. I loved the combination of textures, the warmth of the au jus and the act of dipping the sandwich that made the sandwich so much fun to eat. Something got me thinking of all that the other day and inspired me to come up with a vegan version of this forgotten love.

My step-dad and step-brother were working on my car yesterday and a home-cooked lunch seemed like the perfect thank you for their help. My mom helped me with the shopping and in the kitchen while the guys did their thing outside. Mushrooms were the obvious stand-in for the traditional roast beef, but the au jus took a little more thought. I wanted a mushroom broth, but the store we went to didn't carry any. I ended up getting a creamy portobello mushroom soup (Imagine brand) and it worked well enough. I realized today that one of those Not Beef bouillons would have been great, but there's always next time. Going beyond the traditional recipe, I spread some aioli on the rolls and melted some mozzarella (vegan for me, everyone else had the real stuff) over the mushrooms just before serving.

The sandwiches turned out great. My omni family loved them, even my veggie-suspicious step-brother and my step-dad insisted that I make them again. We made up a simple salad to accompany the sandwiches and we all left the table satisfied. This ones a keeper!

Aioli

You'll need:
(All measurements approximate)

4 T Vegenaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 t lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. This has a very strong garlic flavor, adjust if needed.

Mushroom Dip Sandwiches

You'll need:

1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, sliced (I used 1 lb cremini and 1/2 lb portobello)

1 recipe aioli

4 oz. vegan mozzarella (I like Follow Your Heart)

4 French rolls (this is a great use for any leftover baguette!)

1 t olive oil

4 C your choice of broth for dipping, heated

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat a large pan and coat in olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute until just brown. If using portobellos, grill slices (George Foreman or panini grill) until tender, about 8 minutes. If using fresh French rolls, slice them open and put them under the broiler until just brown while mushrooms cook - don't leave them in too long! To assemble the sandwiches, spread aioli on the rolls, divide mushrooms among rolls and top with mozzarella slices (top and bottom). Return rolls to broiler until cheese starts to bubble and brown (yes, FYH mozzarella will do that!). Portion broth into individual warmed bowls and serve alongside the sandwiches.

Locavore 100 Mile Challenge: Day Three

2009-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today's menu (sorry, no pictures):

Breakfast - rolled emmer with honey and blackberries and mint tea with honey

Lunch - leftovers from last night's dinner

Snack - two peaches, apple cider

Dinner - spelt berries with tomatillo, roasted garlic and jalapeno (not so good), chard sauteed with onion and mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, savory herb and (gasp!) salt and Earth Balance

That's right, I'm out. I made it until about 7pm today. I had just spent another hour and a half making dinner when I realized that although this has been a fun and very educational experience, I just don't have the time to do it. I can't spend over an hour making dinner every night. I'm driving down to Richland on Saturday for my best friend's wedding and I still need to finish making the 200 paper cranes I promised her. I have some long days ahead of me and I'm going to need that coffee. I was a total zombie today at work, not just because of the caffeine addiction, but general exhaustion.

So as I finished cooking my 100% local dinner tonight, all of this was going through my mind. I decided I was done and threw some salt and Earth Balance on my mashed potatoes. It was so good. I missed salt.

I wish the rest of the contestants luck - I know you are stronger than I am!

Locavore 100 Mile Challenge: Day Two

2009-09-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today's Menu:

Breakfast - spelt berries cooked in apple cider with blackberries and honey and mint tea with honey

Snack - acorn squash seeds toasted with camelina oil and savory herb with roasted red and yellow cherry tomatoes (from Fresh Abundance)

Lunch - a combination of leftover spelt berries and carrots from last night's dinner and leftovers from yesterday's lunch of zucchini, tomato, etc.

Snack: 2 peaches, apple cider

Dinner - mashed baked potato, roasted garlic, corn and savory herb mixed together and rolled in emmer flakes and fried in camelina oil over a bed of sauteed onion, purple sweet pepper, green beans (FA) and bok choy (p.e.a.c.h.)

Another day is coming to an end. I'm pretty sure that if I can make it to the end of Wednesday I'm golden. As I mentioned before, I'm going to need some more cider and fruit. I've been eating two peaches a day and feel like I need more variety. I've decided to forgo picking up any legumes (at least for now) because I feel like I'm getting enough protein from the spelt, emmer and veggies (yes, veggies have protein too!). I'm really having fun in the kitchen! I'd been in a rut recently and haven't been too creative with my meals. This challenge was just what I needed to get me thinking beyond tofu. My mid-morning snack was so good. I left the squash seeds in the oven a little too long and some of them got a little charred, but surprisingly that made them taste better. And the tomatoes I roasted after reading about Monique's breakfast yesterday were fabulous. Little pockets of sweet juicy flavor. Tonight's dinner was an experiment that paid off. The flavor of the roasted garlic really came through and played well with the sweetness of the corn. It was just fine with out the salt, but I couldn't help but long for a drizzle of something like a balsamic reduction. Again, this meal was kid-approved. I'm so thankful my son isn't nearly as picky as I was at his age.

Foods I'm craving:

chocolate
coffee
bread of any kind
good vegan pizza
balsamic vinegar

Locavore 100 Mile Challenge: Day One

2009-08-31T19:11:00.001-07:00

Today's menu:
Breakfast - rolled emmer with honey and blackberries and mint tea with honey
Snack - peach
Lunch - rolled emmer with zucchini, onion, garlic, comfrey and tomatoes sauteed in camelina oil
Snack - apple cider (I drank about three glasses through out the day - I may need more!)
Dinner (above) - garlic rubbed roasted acorn squash stuffed with spelt berries, carrots, garlic and onion sauteed in camelina oil with savory herb, drizzled with honey and a baked potato drizzled with camelina oil

Overall, my meals have been satisfying but I did wish for salt several times today. My son is not following these restrictions, but he did try some of my breakfast and liked it. He really enjoyed dinner too, but of course, he added salt and pepper to everything and had Earth Balance on his potato. While I was removing the seeds from the squash as I prepared dinner, I paused just long enough before throwing them out to consider saving them to toast. Can you toast acorn squash seeds? The internets tell me yes. I have those in the oven right now with some camelina oil and savory herb. Snacking is going to be my biggest challenge after caffeine, but at least I'll have toasted squash seeds tomorrow! I also roasted a garlic bulb and will probably throw in some tomatoes since the oven is already on. Looking at Monique's breakfast tomatoes earlier made my mouth water!

And Go!

2009-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

The challenge has officially begun! For the next five days I will only be eating food that was grown within a 100 mile radius of Spokane. I spent the week preparing by researching local food, buying said food and weaning myself off coffee. That's right, like many other participants of this challenge, I have a nasty caffeine addiction. I realized early on that it could be my downfall, so I limited my consumption leading up to the contest. I have to be at work at 7am (so why am I up writing this?!) and coffee is my constant companion, but this week I'm having an affair with the local dried mint tea that I picked up at the Roots Market at Fresh Abundance on Sunday.

After stopping by the market on Sunday, my friend Amy and I drove up to Green Bluff where I picked up some apple cider, onions, peaches and honey. Add to that the carrots, acorn squash, dried mint, blackberries, comfrey, jalapenos and bok choy from the Roots Market and the zucchini, tomatoes, corn, chard, bell peppers and rhubarb from the Perry Street Farmers' Market and potatoes and garlic from the Spokane Farmers' Market, I'm in good shape so far. I only wish I'd known about the hazelnuts up at Green Bluff. The only allowable grain I've found so far is rolled emmer (farro) and have not yet identified a source for beans/lentils. Fresh Abundance carries camelina oil, grown and processed in Marlin, WA that is safe for the challenge. I picked up a bottle of that for almost $17. The price seems a little steep, but as a vegan, that will be the only fat in my very limited diet this week.

For breakfast, I'll be replacing my usual cereal of quinoa, hazelnut milk, fresh fruit and cinnamon with rolled emmer, honey and blackberries. I combined the remainder of the emmer I cooked up with some sauteed zucchini, onion, garlic, comfrey and heirloom tomatoes for lunch and packed a peach for a mid-afternoon snack. For dinner, I think I'll roast some of that squash.

There are still a few things I need to work on acquiring: more rolled emmer, China Bend wine (after much debate about yeast, this item has officially been added to the allowable list), more fruit and hopefully (fingers crossed), a legume.

Another Vegan Bake Sale!

2009-08-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

The Spokane Vegans are at it again! This time we're supporting KYRS, Spokane's only community radio station. Stop by the Community Building tomorrow between 11am and 5pm (or until we run out of treats). All the usual suspects will be there, including evildoodles, cupcakes and fudgacado with some new friends like muffins and double chocolate almond cookies. See you there!

Vegan on a Budget: Gardening and Gleaning

2009-08-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to cut your food bill is to grow your own fruits and vegetables. There are many great resources on the web and at the library about backyard gardening and small space/container gardening. Unfortunately, some of us don't even have a balcony to grow tomatoes on. That's where gleaning comes in. Talk your neighbors, friends, family and co-workers and let them know you'd be happy to help them out with their over abundance of X fruit or vegetable. Anyone who has a garden usually has one crop that they can't keep up with and are more than happy to share the wealth with you. Even if you have your own garden, why not trade some of your extra tomatoes with your neighbor who has an abundance of zucchini? Or maybe you could talk to your friend with that big backyard but no time and work out a deal where you garden on their land and share the bounty? Either way you go, you're saving money and participating in the local community!

Home Gardening links:

You Grow Girl
Anarchy in the Garden, formerly known as Victory Home and Garden
Your Small Kitchen Garden
Small Green Garden
Food Not Lawns Inland Northwest

My First 7vs7 Challenge!

2009-08-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

The people over at Spokane Food Blog are organizing a challenge between local bloggers. The contestants will commit to eating only food that is grown or raised (but in my case only grown!) within a 100 mile radius for five days. That means no coffee, salt, olive oil, chocolate, tea or even tofu! I'm in, but I'll be honest, I'm scared. No tofu? No quinoa? No sugar?! I have a few ideas in mind, but this is going to be tough. Thankfuly, this area has a lot to offer agriculturally. It's time to do some research and probably cancel my produce box from Fresh Abundance for that week. It would be terrible if I lost because of a pluot from California!

A list of the other participants can be found on SFB.

My New Project

2009-08-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about food lately. More than usual - but maybe that's a good thing. With the releases of movies like Food, Inc. and various authors like Mark Bittman talking openly, albeit not comprehensively, about our current food crisis, it seems almost everyone is reconsidering their relationship to the industrial food chain. Including me. Like everyone else, I've also been thinking about money and budgeting lately. Specifically, how my spending habits impact my community, my bank account and my family's health.

I know that a vegan diet is the healthiest way my family can eat. But how healthy is a Gardenburger? What impact does that processed vegan cheez have on the environment and our community? Am I really getting the most out of the money I spend on food? When presented with the idea, a lot of people will say that they can't go vegan or vegetarian because it costs too much. By offering simple tips such as avoiding processed foods at the grocery store, I hope to dispel that myth in a series of posts about eating Vegan on a Budget. I'll cover topics ranging from local shopping to making your own tofu and non dairy milks. I will keep a focus on eating local, seasonal whole foods, local shopping and above all, creativity and thriftiness. This will be a regular series for the foreseeable future and you should see the first related post within the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I'm going to see Food, Inc. at the end of the week. I'm very excited to see the movie that's been getting so much attention lately and even more excited to start discussing it!

Midnight Baker

2009-08-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's hot! With temperatures at or nearing 100° for weeks now and no A/C in my apartment, the only time to bake is late at night to early morning. My best friend had a bridal shower on Saturday and one of my co-workers had a baby shower today. I volunteered to bake cupcakes for both events. For the bridal shower, I used the basic chocolate cupcake recipe and buttercream frosting recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (VCTOW). I added blue food coloring, because blue is her wedding color. I wasn't happy with the finished product though. I felt like I was molesting a smurf when I ate the frosting. No good.

For the baby shower, I made gluten free cupcakes using Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix and topped them off with the chocolate buttercream frosting (I used Dutched cocoa, yum!) from VCTOW. My son loves this mix and you'd never know it's gluten free. The cupcakes came out really moist and fudgy. My new manager is gluten intolerant and she really appreciated the cupcakes. As a vegan, I know how it feels to be surrounded by all kinds of food at various gatherings and not be able/willing to eat it. I always like to share something that everyone can eat, no matter their dietary restrictions. Food should bring us together, not separate us!

It looks like I'll be doing even more baking in the near future. The Spokane Vegans have been asked to do bake sales for two different benefits this month. We're still working out the details, but they should be great community events. I'll share the info once we have the details down.

Potato Salad with Tempeh

2009-07-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

I made this potato salad for July's vegan potluck. Apparently, it was a hit! Head over to the Spokane Food Blog to check out the recipe and be on the look out for a growing alliance between the Spokane Vegans and Taste Everything Once.

Vegan Cupcakes at the Rocket Market!

2009-07-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

Before today, I hadn't been up to the Rocket Market on 43rd in a long time. But I saw an ad in the Inlander on Thursday advertising vegan cupcakes. How could I not go? I had two cupcakes and an Americano for breakfast. The cupcakes were so tasty! I tried the Raspberry Grand Teton and Peanut Butter and Jelly. The ganache was rich and decadent and the peanut butter frosting wasn't overly sweet and actually tasted like peanut butter. This was a wonderful breakfast, if not terribly healthy. I was also pleased to find a considerable variety of vegan deli items available. I think I'll be making the trek up to the Market more often now!

You should definitely go get some of those cupcakes! Did I mention how good they are?

Review: Lazy Bones Barbecue

2009-07-05T20:10:00.001-07:00

Vegan Barbecue in Spokane? Oh, yes! I've been hearing a lot about Lazy Bones the past few months. At first I just ignored the place, but then a friend told me they have vegan offerings. In addition to the usual fare, they serve Small Planet tofu. They cook all vegetarian items on a separate grill, so you needn't worry about your bean curd hangin' out in pork juices (gross!). The veg*n menu also offers a nice variety of vegan sides, like mac-n-cheese.

After much anticipation, we finally made a visit to the Upper South Hill restaurant today. The atmosphere is very casual, but inviting, with counter service. My son and I both ordered the Tofu Plate; he chose a side of vegan mac-n-cheese and I ordered the sweet potato fries and a bottle of Fat Tire (which according to Barnivore.com, is vegan). The north side of the building is lined with garage doors. Since it was a lovely afternoon, the doors were open and we decided to dine on the patio.

I suspect they cook the tofu to order, as it took a little while for our meals to arrive. But it was worth the wait. The Tofu Plate came with two slabs of tofu (with a dry rub and BBQ sauce slathered on top), a side of vinegar slaw, a slice of grilled bread with olive oil and a choice of side. The tofu was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a slightly sweet and spicy flavor. The slaw had a lot of flavor and was great when combined with the tofu. My sweet potato fries were delicious, but had maybe a touch too much salt. My son loved the vegan mac-n-cheese. I haven't found a recipe yet that he likes, but he loved this stuff. I thought it was pretty good myself, although it is definitely not mac-n-cheese. The sauce was more like an alfredo than the traditional yellow cheese. And with a lot of visible oil, it is not a healthy side dish.

All in all, the meal was wonderful. We'll be going back soon to try more of the menu items. The Lentil Apple Salad, Grilled Veggie Kebab and BBQ Tofu Slab Sandwich especially caught my interest. My only regret is that I didn't have my camera with me. Oh well, next time!

**Update: The in-store menu does not jive with the online version. If you go, you'll want to spend some time getting yourself familiar with the menu before ordering.

SpoVegan Bake Sale: Because Factory Farming is Shitty

2009-06-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Spokane Vegans will be selling cruelty-free goodies this weekend to benefit One World Spokane!

Friday: @ the Community Building/KYRS 35 W Main from 7 - 9pm

Saturday: @ Caterina Winery 907 N Washington & the Community Building/KYRS 35 W Main from 7 - 9pm

Cookies $1
Brownies $2
Cupcakes $2
Fudgacado $2

*Poster design and screen printing by Joe Preston - Thanks, Joe and Leah!

Waste Not...

2009-06-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

What do you do with week old brownies? Top them off with Cappuccino flavored Coconut Bliss and fresh strawberries! I made brownies last week for some unknown reason. (I'm currently helping plan a vegan bake sale and have had so many goodies around me it's ridiculous!) Half the pan of brownies have been sitting uneaten on the counter wrapped up, but have gone a little stale. I hate throwing food out, so stale brownies were the perfect excuse to pick up some Coconut Bliss at Fresh Abundance today. Actually, my son has a sore throat, so the ice cream was really for him... At any rate, this was a perfect combination! The ice cream softened the brownies and the strawberries were simply delightful. I love summer.

Update: food-related goals for 2009

2009-06-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

In February, I set some food-related goals for myself this year. Four months later, I've accomplished one goal, am working on another and have let one go. My first goal was to grow my own soybeans. This didn't happen for a couple of reasons:
1. I don't have any land, or even a balcony to use for a container garden.
2. I have a black thumb, and from what I've read about growing beans organically, they can be tricky.

OK, so I really didn't even try to meet that first goal. I need to do some research on organic gardening and secure a place to grow these little gems of protein. I really would like to have a small garden next year, even if it's just a container garden.

My second goal was to find myself a soymilk maker, and that I did! I had done some pricing online and was a little surprised to find out just how expensive soymilk makers can be. Then I remembered I have a membership to our local Freecycle. Last week I posted a request for a soymilk maker in the group and had a response within hours. It seems that a local family had purchased this little appliance and only used it a couple of times. This was a win-win-win situation. They got a little more space cleared in their closet, I saved money by not having to buy the soymilk maker and we kept another perfectly good appliance out of the landfills! I haven't made any soymilk yet, because I'm still finishing my store-bought stuff, but I'm sure I'll be writing about my first attempt.

Number five on my list of goals is to eat/buy more local and organic produce. Thanks to my bi-weekly Fresh Produce Variety Box from Fresh Abundance, I'm keeping good on this promise. I started getting my variety box every other week in May and am so thankful I finally did this! I've always struggled with keeping fresh fruit in my house and I tend to rely on the same three or four favorite veggies in my kitchen. Now I get a variety of fresh (and seasonal!) fruit and am introduced to new vegetables. At just $35 a box, this is not only a cost-saving arrangement for me, I'm also helping support a local business and local farmers. Again, win-win-win!

My other goals include:

Make my own wine
Experiment more with gluten-free baking
Get myself some good kitchen knives
Make my own tofu

I'll let you know how I do accomplishing these other goals. On that note, does anyone know where I can get some wine grapes this fall?

Dinner, as usual

2009-06-07T10:21:00.001-07:00

Dinner at my house on a week night is usually a variation of this simple idea and is based on whatever I have in the fridge and cupboards. Since I started getting my bi-weekly Fresh Produce Variety box from Fresh Abundance, I get a good selection of fresh veggies every other week. It also keeps my meals season appropriate and helps me avoid getting stuck in the ruts of relying on the same two or three favorite veggies. Actually, I picked up all the ingredients here but the olive oil at Fresh Abundance. I have a tendency to not only find myself using the same vegetables again and again, but also the same herbs and spices. Last fall I fell in love with oregano and used it in almost anything. Lately, I've found myself using gomasio on everything. The combination of sesame seeds and seaweed is a nice addition to veggies or tofu and reduces the amount of salt needed.

Here's the basic recipe for one of our dinners from last week. Use whatever veggies are sitting in your crisper, grains you have in the cupboard and your favorite seasonings. I use quinoa and rice noodles a lot because they are much quicker to cook than rice.

What you'll need:

1/2 box stir-fry rice noodles
1 package lemongrass ginger Small Planet tofu, drained and cubed
2 small heads broccoli, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 t sesame oil, or to taste
gomasio to taste
tamari (or soy sauce) to taste
olive oil, to coat pan

Method:

Bring large pot of water to boil. While waiting for water to boil, heat large frying pan (or wok, if you have one) and coat with olive oil. Add rice noodles to water, stir, remove from heat and cover. Let noodles sit for about five minutes, or until soft, but not squishy. When noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer back to pot, or serving dish and coat with sesame oil and gomasio, set aside. When frying pan is heated, add onions to saute for about a minute. Add tofu to pan to brown slightly and then add broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender, but still crunchy and has that nice vibrant green color. Serve veggies and tofu over rice noodles, add tamari and gomasio to taste. Enjoy!

Spokane Vegans

2009-05-23T16:31:00.001-07:00

About a year ago, I started organizing monthly vegan potlucks for Spokane Vegans and am so encouraged by the growth we've had. When I started the group, I only knew one other vegan in Spokane and now I've made friends with several other veg*ns through out the Inland Northwest. It's nice not to feel so alone, but most importantly, we're building a community and developing a vegan culture in a place that didn't really have one before. I admit that the idea of starting the group was daunting at first, not knowing what kind of response there would be, but the results have been so rewarding! We have such a unique opportunity to really build a vegan community from the ground up and connect with other conscious eaters. The Inland Northwest has so much to offer in the way of sustainable agriculture and is something we veg*ns can encourage and support. Businesses like Fresh Abundance and restaurants like Picabu and Mizuna already serve the (growing) Spokane veggie community well. Now it's time to encourage other area business owners and restaurateurs to do the same - and I hope to see Spokane Vegans start doing this.

I'm really excited about the future of our group. We've just made the switch from Meetup.com to a mailing list format with a supporting group blog and Facebook group. There is talk of starting a vegan/food-conscious reading group and a pet-sitting network. I'd really like to see the group develop some visibility within the community at large and become more active in making Spokane a decidedly veggie-friendly city. I know we've all heard it a thousand times, but this quote from Mahatma Gandhi still inspires me: "Be the change you want to see in the world."

*For more information, or to get involved, please email spovegan [at] gmail [dot] com

distracted

2009-05-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

i haven't been so creative with my cooking lately, but have been doing some vegan-related things. i'll share those in another post. but for now, here's something mildly related to veganism, if only because i'm vegan and it was my flub...
that used to be a Pyrex 9 x 13 in. glass baking pan. yes, Pyrex can break.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ganache - Two Ways

2009-04-19T16:28:00.001-07:00

I've had a couple of requests for this recipe, so here it is! The first time I made these I used flax "eggs", but found the cookies to be a little dry. However, they came out softer and were my favorite. The second version uses a banana as the egg replacer and imparts a subtle banana flavor. Those came out crispier and a little flatter, but still tasty. These are easy cookies to make vegan even if you don't keep a vegan kitchen because they don't require any special ingredients (except maybe the chocolate ganache).

You'll Need

1 1/4 C AP flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 C (1 stick) veg shortening (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 C creamy peanut butter, plus a few teaspoons
1 C brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 flax egg* or very ripe banana

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream shortening, peanut butter and sugar (and banana if using). Beat in vanilla (and flax egg if using) . Mix in flour mixture, blending well. Shape mixture into 3/4-inch balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork, sprinkle with coarse sugar or sea salt if desired, and bake for 6 - 8 minutes, or until lightly brown. (The banana version bakes quicker and should be checked after 6 minutes.) Let cookies set for one minute and then transfer to a cooling rack. Once cookies have cooled, finish with drizzle of ganache**.

*Flax egg

(This is a great way to add some of those important omega-3's into your diet!)

1/3 cup of whole flax seeds 1 cup of water

In a food processor or blender, grind the flax seeds until they are a fine flax meal. Slowly add the water until the mixture becomes gooey and gelatinous (like an egg white). 3 tablespoons of flax mixture is equal to 1 egg.

Makes a total of 6 "eggs". Keeps 3-6 days, refrigerated.

**Chocolate Ganache

1 oz (1 square) semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken
1/2 t margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 vanilla
1 - 2 T rice milk

On low setting, heat chocolate, margarine, vanilla and 1 T rice milk. Stir constantly adding more rice milk to reach desired consistency. (You want the chocolate thick enough to coat the spoon, but thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle over cooled cookies and allow the chocolate to set before serving.

Cucumber Melon Soup with Mint

2009-04-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

My best friend and I have a tradition of sharing Easter Breakfast together. This year I made a delightfully refreshing cold soup. I also made sweet potato pancakes (with Field Roast sausage on the side), but those didn't turn out so well. In fact, I was so disappointed with them I didn't even take a picture. And I take a picture of almost all of my food. Thankfully, the soup was great. I have a potluck at work this Friday and I think I'll be bringing this soup - the theme is "Spring".

You will need:

1 1/2 C soygurt (plain or vanilla)
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and rough chopped
2 C ripe honeydew melon, rough chopped
1/4 C fresh mint
pinch of salt

Method:

Combine cucumber, soygurt, mint and pinch of salt in food processor or blender and puree. Pour into a bowl. Puree honeydew melon and add to cucumber puree. Stir to combine. Chill. Serve in individual glasses or bowls and garnish with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!

Vegan in Seattle

2009-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I made a short visit to the Emerald City. I return with a full belly and inspired to start soliciting local restaurateurs to better provide for Spokane's vegan community.

And now, some of the delicious food I enjoyed:

Veggie Groundnut Stew from Pan Africa Market

Vegan Cinnamon Roll and Soy Hot Cocoa from Cinnamon Works

Vegan Chowder from Pike Place Chowder

Mighty-O Donuts

Not pictured: the terrifyingly realistic mock meats from Bamboo Garden and vegan pizza from Vic's Pizzeria in Olympia

Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

2009-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is again, my favorite grain, quinoa (keen-wa). With eight grams of protein per one cup serving, this is a great way to start the day!

You will need:

1 C uncooked quinoa
1/4 C crystalized ginger, chopped
1/4 C dried currants
nutmeg, to taste
cinnamon, to taste
non dairy milk, to taste (I used rice milk, but soy creamer works well and adds an extra richness)
agave nectar, to taste (optional)
fresh berries (optional)

Method:

Combine quinoa with two cups water and bring to boil. Add ginger and currants, stir to combine, cover with lid and turn off heat. Quinoa is done when all liquid is absorbed and the germ has separated from the grain. Fluff quinoa and transfer to individual serving bowls. Add non-dairy milk to taste and finish with cinnamon, nutmeg and agave nectar. I had some beautiful red raspberries hanging out in the fridge, so I added those as a garnish.

Vegan Pets

2009-03-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

Can our companion animals be vegan? Yes. There are many reasons to feed your dog or cat a vegan diet. Most obviously, if you're buying Kibble and Bits for your pup you are supporting the meat industry, but your pets' health is another factor you should consider. Pet food is made of animal byproducts that is considered unsuitable for human consumption. Until just last year SpokAnimal was sending the remains of euthanized animals to a local rendering plant. Horrifyingly enough, byproducts from the rendering process are used not only in livestock feed, but also in pet foods. In 2007 there was also the incident of pet food that was found to be tainted with melamine.

We all choose a vegan lifestyle for various reasons. Whether it's for health or animal welfare reasons, feeding your pets a vegan diet seems like an obvious decision. However, there are some things you need to consider before starting your pets on a vegan diet. Proper nutrition is very important and cats especially need a good source of taurine in their diet. I'm not an expert in this area, but there are some helpful resources online. The Mad Cowboy website has a great list of resources, including shopping and more information on pet food.

I feed my dog, Skippy, Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula from Petco and we haven't had any problems.

My Favorite Tofu

2009-03-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have always loved tofu. As a kid, my favorite way to eat it was just like this: fresh from the container (pressed just slightly) with some fresh grated ginger and soy sauce. Actually, when I was little it was teriyaki sauce. I was addicted to Kikoman's teriyaki - I even put it on french fries. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it (if not, it should have been implied), but I was a strange kid. When I was in sixth grade I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian. I took this little dish to school for lunch one day. (I should also mention that I used to prefer to mash up or scramble my tofu when I ate it this way.) One of my class mates looked at my lunch suspiciously and then accused me of eating cat food. And that was the last time I brought a vegetarian lunch to school. Of course I still eat my tofu this way, but now I slice it, isn't it pretty? It's very light and refreshing. My son loves his tofu this way too. He's takes after his mom.

Slightly Embarrassing Anecdote About Spinach, And A Salad

2009-02-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

I love spinach and always have, even as kid. Embarrassingly enough though, until fairly recently (sometime in my adulthood, < 23) I had the subconscious and illogical idea that spinach is a seaweed. I didn't talk about spinach as a seaweed, or consciously make the connection. It was just a subconscious association I had. I can't explain why - blame Popeye. I know it's something from early childhood (but really, what falsely held beliefs and complexes don't date back that far?). Anyway, thinking of spinach as a seaweed made it more exotic and seemingly tastier. I think that maybe my parents weren't too keen on correcting my misunderstanding because I was actually eating the nutritious leafy green and they didn't want to undo a healthy food obsession. Well, today I know the truth and that is that spinach is a wonderful vegetable rich in iron and calcium and it makes a great salad. Pictured above is one such delicious salad. I made this as a late night snack recently and was quite satisfied. Upon a bed of baby spinach, I sprinkled some fried onions (found on the Asian/ethnic isle of the grocery store - not the French's variety) and on top of that drizzled Annie's Naturals Papaya Poppy Seed Dressing. The salty-savory flavor of the fried onions played well with the sweetness of the dressing and earthiness of the spinach. This is a new favorite salad.

A Compassionate Commitment

2009-02-16T21:03:00.001-08:00

My little sister decided to go vegetarian recently after watching "Earthlings". Of course, I have completely supported her decision and am so proud of her! We celebrated her 15th birthday yesterday. I made vegan cupcakes, but she made this: tofu inari. She found the recipe online and adapted it a little to use what was available in the house. The tofu is deep fried and then little bowls were scooped out of the tofu chunks and filled with the rice mixture and then it all goes in to the oven. Isn't it pretty? It was really tasty, too!

It can be so challenging to go veg*n as a teenager; you're dependent on someone else to provide your food and often can't be too "picky" about it. And then, there is the issue of school lunches. The schools are required to give each student a serving of meat on their tray if they eat a school lunch - even if that student requests not to have it and ends up just throwing it away or giving it to someone else.

However, if you have the desire, determination and compassion, you can go veg*n at any age. There are a ton of resources on the web (I won't list them here, as a quick search of the key words will generate numerous information), and several books on the issue. I heard about a book called Generation V on a Vegan Freak Radio podcast a little while ago. I haven't read it, but it is all about going vegan as a teenager. And it was written by a teenager.

I'm just so proud of my sister's compassionate commitment - and her cooking skills!

Curried Split-Pea Soup

2009-02-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

I love soup. I also love curry.

So, one of my co-workers subscribes to about five different magazines. She brings them to work and leaves them in the lunch room with a few of those trashy celebrity magazines that someone else likes to read. What's my point? Well, since the mega-corporation that I work for decided that a subscription to the newspaper is an extravagant expense for our office, I end up reading a lot of home and garden magazines on my lunch breaks. In the Jan/Feb issue of Country Home, I came across this recipe for Curried Split-pea Soup. I was so excited to find a recipe in a main stream magazine that was already vegan! We tried it a week ago at my mom's house and it was a big hit. I changed things up a little because I don't follow directions well. I have a problem with authority. But that's OK. Baking is a science; measurements and method are important. Cooking, on the other hand, is an art. So be creative!

Here is a comparative list of ingredients called for in the recipe and my substitutions. (Follow the cooking instructions found in the recipe.)

Recipe/Substitution

2 14oz cans vegetable broth/32oz vegetable broth (Imagine aseptic package)
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk/SAME
2 1/3 C dry split peas/SAME
1 bay leaf/2 T dried sweet basil
2 medium sweet potatoes/SAME
1 LB shiitake mushrooms/1 LB cremini mushrooms
1 medium red sweet pepper/SAME
3 green onions/SAME
1 T soy sauce/omitted
2 t curry powder (add more to taste)/SAME
1/4 t crushed red pepper/1 bulb fresh roasted garlic
1/4 C fresh basil/1/4 C fresh cilantro

food-related goals for 2009

2009-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

1. to grow my own soy beans

2. to procure a soy milk maker

3. to make wine - my step-dad is in on this one!

4. to experiment more with gluten free baking (from scratch!)

5. to eat/buy more local and organic produce

6. to get myself some good kitchen knives

7. to make my own tofu!! (and soy milk, of course)

i'm a little nervous about the wine and tofu making. i'll keep you posted as i work toward my goals. (also, i promise not use a wine necklace when drinking my homemade wine. promise.)

mark bittman on what we eat

2009-01-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

like michael pollan, mark bittman offers a nice reminder that it's not an "us vs. them" battle when it comes to what we eat. we're all in this together and for myriad reasons the world needs to lessen its consumption of animal products. i'm really looking forward to reading bittman's book, food matters.

earthlings

2009-01-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

local markets

2009-01-27T18:01:00.001-08:00

so, i've been sick this past week. and whenever i'm sick i crave fresh fruit and vegetables! the combination of being sick and this frosty weather has me looking forward to spring and the return of our local farmer's markets - especially the two (!) that are within walking distance of my apartment. but i need not wait for the sun to show its golden face to enjoy local produce. no! spokane offers a few special winter markets to help us get through these dreary months.

Fresh Abundance - not really a farmer's market, but a market nonetheless offering local (within 200 miles) produce at three locations

Millwood Winter Market - for those of you on the eastside [of spokane]

Spokane Winter Market - in the community building, of course

C d'A Winter Market - thought i'd better include this one, too

happy [local] shopping!

GF Vegan Pizza

2009-01-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

First off I need to start by saying just how much I love my mom's camera! I took this amazing shot using my mom's fancy Nikon, thanks mom! Also, I love my step-dad's oven. Yes, it's his oven - a shiny new convection oven. I made this spinach and mushroom pizza on Christmas day for lunch. I'm the only vegan in the family, but I wasn't the only one eating this pizza! I used a mix for the crust. It's not the best crust in the world, but it is gluten free and it isn't bad.

You will need:

Namaste Pizza Crust Mix (gluten free)
pizza sauce, you decide how much
1 C fresh spinach, washed
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
5 oz Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet mozarella style "cheese", shredded
olive oil
pizza pan or stone

Method:

Preheat oven according to package directions and prepare crust according to directions. The rest is pretty straight forward: Spread the pizza sauce on the crust and follow with toppings. I like to put the cheese on last so it melts nicely. Be sure to brush the exposed crust with olive oil to prevent it from drying out! Bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust has started to brown. I like to put the pizza under the broiler for a minute or two after baking to brown the cheese a little. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes then slice and enjoy!

Change: Vegan School Lunch

2009-01-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

Change.org is taking votes on the Top Ten Ideas For Change to be presented to President Obama and you can vote for Vegan School Lunch Options to be among those included. You didn't think you were done after casting your ballot back in November, did you? Go ahead, participate in democracy! It feels great!

Dear Omnivore

2008-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Each day I make the choice to live vegan. I read labels before I buy: food, clothes, cosmetics, etc. (Well, at least 99% of the time – sometimes I get too comfortable.) I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide I wanted to deny myself more, be a radical or make my life or anyone else’s more difficult. For me the decision to go vegan was the result of a lot of research and thought. I don’t feel at all burdened or deprived. If you ask me, I will gladly share my reasons for being vegan, but I’m not going to badger you if we share a meal and you chose to eat a cheeseburger. I’m just not a fan of proselytizing, religious or otherwise. I will respect your omnivorous decision and expect the same consideration for my choice.

So why do some people feel the need to badger me about my meals? My decision to be vegan is not a criticism of you or your lifestyle. Veganism represents the vast majority of my values and ideals. It covers everything from human welfare to animal welfare and the environment. When you criticize my food choices, you are in fact criticizing some of my most deeply held thoughts and beliefs.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a sense of humor and can take a little teasing. But don’t start throwing outright falsities at me in attempt to convert me and presumably make you feel better about yourself. Case in point: today a co-worker was prodding me for the umpteenth time about drinking milk. She tried suggesting that by my choice to not consume dairy, I was causing cows’ utters to become unnecessarily engorged and thus causing them very great discomfort. Wrong - on so many levels. My support of the dairy industry would in fact encourage the meat industry (research veal) and create more demand. This idea is like suggesting that livestock would overrun the world if everyone stopped eating meat. Such comments, as is the case here, are often not intended to insult; but they do.

All I’m asking for is some respect and consideration. Let’s keep an open dialog. I won’t criticize you or feed you hyperbole, but I ask that in return you not criticize me or feed me any animal products. Thank you.

You're Invited!

2008-11-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow at 1 pm at the Downtown Spokane library (room 1A), the Spokane Vegan Meetup Group will be hosting a screening of Porch Life Production's documentary, "Seeing Through the Fence", which takes a critical look at factory farming. The film will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker and a vegan potluck. A $5 donation to the filmmaker is encouraged.

the who farm

2008-11-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

i think this is a tremendous idea! i signed my name; will you?

Fudge Balls

2008-11-10T18:45:00.001-08:00

These delicious morsels of chocolate are rolled in coconut and have a hidden ingredient: avocado. Yes; avocado and chocolate. I swear it is amazingly good and you cannot detect the slightest taste of avocado. Omnivores love this treat, too. I came across this recipe last year and adapted it slightly for a Halloween treat. Follow the recipe, but instead of spreading it in a pan, place the fudge in a bowl. Refrigerate for about half an hour, or until the fudge is the consistency of playdough. Using your hands, roll a tablespoon of fudge into a ball and coat in shredded unsweetened coconut. Return finished fudge balls to the refrigerator until hardened, then devour!

Curried Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2008-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

We visited my friend and her boyfriend in Richland a few weeks ago and my friend's boyfriend made us stuffed peppers for dinner. I don't know that I'd ever had a stuffed pepper before and if I did, I probably didn't like it. But my taste buds have developed a lot over the years and I really enjoyed the classic stuffed peppers with rice, tomato sauce and veggie sausage. I enjoyed it so much that my mind started racing with variations on this humble classic. So here is my take on the stuffed pepper, with some of my favorite flavors such as coconut milk, cashews, curry and cilantro. (Sorry about the poor picture quality - I really need a new camera.)

You will need:

4 green bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 C quinoa
1/3 C currants
1/3 C cashews, roasted, unsalted
1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 t cumin
1 t ginger powder
1 T curry powder
1 C coconut milk
salt to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°. Add quinoa to 2 cups water and bring to boil. Cook covered at a simmer until all water is absorbed and the germ has separated from the grain. Stir coconut milk, spices and garlic into quinoa and combine thoroughly. Toss in mushrooms, cashews, currants and cilantro. Fill peppers with quinoa mixture and place in a deep baking dish filled with 1/2 inch of water. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until peppers have softened but are still firm. Let sit for 5 minutes and enjoy!

shopping vegan

2008-11-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

i found these primal strips at the rosauer's at the north division "Y" in the natural foods section (actually, i found all of these snacks there). they carry the mesquite and hickory smoked flavors. these make a great snack. my son loves them!

these taste just like cheetos, but they're vegan and they don't have that gross orange powder! even non-vegans like these.

vegan GF french bread pizza! i was really happy with these. the bread was toothsome, the soy cheese didn't have much flavor, but added a nice texture and the sauce was good and garlic-y. this is a new quick meal favorite in our house.

vegan mascara

2008-10-27T19:35:00.001-07:00

i don't wear makeup much, but every now and then i feel the need to add a little something to my face before i head out the door. i haven't used mascara in a while, so i was pretty excited when i found Larénim Mineral Mascara. it's all natural, vegan and gluten free! i found it at Super Supplements, which happens to be my favorite place to buy shampoo and the sort. i've never tried any other vegan mascara, so i can't compare it to another brand, but i'm satisfied with the results. (it cost about $15 at SS.)

school lunch

2008-10-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

i always feel so bad when my son eats a school lunch.

best. ever.

2008-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

this stuff is amazing! with few exceptions, i've always been a little disappointed with soy and rice based ice cream alternatives. tofutti and good karma's carrot cake rice cream are always good, but most non-dairy ice creams just don't satisfy the craving for me. i need something rich and creamy. something fattening: an indulgence. then i found luna & larry's coconut bliss. they use coconut milk so it is dairy and soy free. i'm always looking for ways to diversify, as soy is a major staple in my diet and i don't like eating too much of any one food. but there are so many other reasons to love coconut bliss. the flavor is incredible and the texture is so smooth and creamy. they offer a handful of flavors, but my favorite is probably good old chocolate.

where you can find it in spokane:

fresh abundance
rosauer's
huckleberry's

Soup & Waffles

2008-10-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I stumbled on a match made in heaven. It was a Sunday afternoon and I really needed to do some grocery shopping, but I was just too comfortable in my pajamas to even think about showering. I needed to come up with lunch, but it had to be simple and quick because that's the way I like my Sundays. I had picked up some Pacific Cashew Carrot and Ginger soup a few days earlier and I had just enough (GF) Namaste Waffle and Pancake mix left for one more batch. I'd never thought before to eat waffles with my soup, but really they're just another form of bread, right? Taking a cue from the soup, I added a teaspoon of ground ginger to the waffle batter. The combination was brilliant. The meal was quick and simple and oh so delicious! My son loved the unlikely pair and we found a new favorite. Soup and waffles: try it!

Quinoa Crusted Quiche

2008-10-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Growing up, quiche was one of my favorite breakfast dishes. So I was very excited to come across this recipe from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen. I made a few substitutions to the recipe based on what I had at hand. Instead of brown rice for the crust, I used my favorite grain, quinoa. I subbed broccoli for the asparagus, added some Italian seasoning and topped it off with tomatoes. It turned out pretty good. I think the tofu mixture needed a little more seasoning and the crust would be better with a quick pre-bake, but I will definitely make this again. I took left-overs to work for lunch and got compliments on the smell. That's unusual. Most days my food just gets suspicious looks from my tofu-fearing coworkers.

silk nog

2008-10-17T17:04:00.001-07:00

it's back on the shelves! i just picked some up the other day. i love silk nog; i feel so inspired when i drink it. i wonder how i can use it in my cooking? maybe in cupcakes, or pumpkin pancakes...let the creativity begin!

green bluff

2008-10-16T17:04:00.001-07:00

just north of spokane, green bluff is a grower community celebrating harvest season through out the month of october. my best friend through elementary school lived on the bluff (although her family weren't growers) and i spent endless days with her walking around the bluff and checking out the festivities during harvest season. several of the farms offer u-pick fruit through out the growing season and boast impressive pumpkin patches in the fall. one farm in particular goes all out and builds a corn maze (admission is a little steep) and even brings in other vendors, such as funnel cake and the sort. (unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the vendors are not vegan-friendly.) we celebrated my mom's birthday on sunday and it happened to be a gorgeous crisp autumn day. on my son's suggestion, we headed to green bluff. we stopped off at Sundown Brown's Place and picked some beautiful apples and found these amazing asian pears (pictured above). i'm really only familiar with the pears you find in the grocery store and they don't impress me much. but these fresh picked asian pears were delicious! i have never tasted anything quite like it. never again will i settle for pears from a chain grocery store. we picked a total of 9 1/2 lbs. of apples and asian pears, costing us a whopping $6! there is no better way to buy fruit. green bluff: support your local growers!

Autumnal Inspiration

2008-10-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. The leaves change, the skies are overrun by cotton ball clouds, we pull sweaters from our closets and we eat warm rich foods. One of my favorite foods to eat when the mercury drops are potatoes; any kind will do. I love the warm and exciting color of yams and the sweet rich flavor is a real treat. This dish was inspired by the earthiness of fall's colors and flavors. Although it's perhaps a tired denomination for foods of a certain taste, I like to call it harvest quinoa. The nutty flavor of the quinoa really shines here and compliments the sweetness of the raisins and yams.

You will need:

4 small yams, peeled and cubed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Italian seasoning
1 C quinoa
1/3 C raisins
1/4 C dry roasted pumpkin seeds
2 t olive oil
salt to taste

Method

Quinoa:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and bring water back to boil. Turn off heat and let sit 5 minutes. Add raisins and pumpkin seeds and stir. Return lid and let sit until all water is absorbed.

Yams:
Boil yams for 3-5 minutes, until just soft. Heat olive oil in large pan or wok. Sauté garlic for minute. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. When yams are just soft, drain and add to pan with Italian seasoning and cook until yams start to brown. Combine quinoa and yams in pan and salt to taste. Serve warm.

Variations on a theme: Add 1 cup mushrooms with yams, substitute cranberries for the raisins and/or use walnuts in place of pumpkin seeds. Add 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro before serving.

double cheeseburger, or hummer?

2008-10-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

i was reminded the other day of a study conducted by the u.n. in 2006 that explored the impact of an animal based diet on global warming. for me, the decision to go vegan was greatly influenced by environmental concerns. fish was one of the last animal foods i gave up, but the more i learned about the state of our oceans and the threat of extinction to so much aquatic life, it was a gimme. when considering how much energy is used to feed, medicate, transport and ultimately process livestock, it's hard not to see how the meat industry overwhelmingly contributes more to greenhouse emissions than even transportation. but there are still too many people - voting people - who don't "believe in" global warming. you and i (assuming you believe the "liberal media") can look at the numbers and realize serious steps need to be taken to save our planet and that we can make an impact as individuals on a daily basis, by choosing a vegan diet. but considering some americans will be going to the polls next month denying global warming with notions of natural climate cycles and end times, Time Magazine got it right when they suggested that the next administration may have a greater impact on climate change than my choice of a vegan lifestyle. although, whatever the outcome this november, you can be sure i'll keep making my compassionate living choices.

Obama
McCain
Nader
Paul

Veganagna

2008-10-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite cartoon character growing up was Garfield the cat and one of my favorite foods was lasagna. I remember watching Garfield eat pans of lasagna in one swift gulp and admiring him for his good taste. Lasagna is one of those classic comfort foods that so many of us vegans crave and one that tends to make the omnivores cry foul if done incorrectly. I assembled this veganized version of the classic recipe on the fly a few weeks ago when I needed to come up with an easy dinner option to take to my (omni) mom's house. It turned out well and even got compliments from my tofu-suspicious steak-eating step-father. I was really pleased with the recipe but did a little tweaking of the tofu "ricotta" mixture and voilà! Here, then is my recipe for GF vegan lasagna, or what I like to call veganagna:

You Will Need:

1 box GF lasagna noodles* (I like the rice variety)
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 C water
1 T lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 14 oz package extra firm tofu
1 C fresh chopped parsley
3 t Italian seasoning
3 T vegan parmesan style rice topping
1 C vegan mozzarella style soy cheese, shredded (I like Follow Your Heart Gourmet Cheese Alternative)
13" x 9" baking pan (I use glass)
foil

Method:

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Drain and press tofu. Using a fork, crumble tofu in medium sized mixing bowl until crumbles are uniform in size. Add parsley, lemon juice, 2T "parmesan", garlic and 2t of Italian seasoning to tofu and combine. Mix water with marinara sauce and coat bottom of baking pan in a thin layer. Add a layer of noodles** and top with marinara and tofu mixture. Repeat layers, leaving the top layer of noodles without tofu mixture and instead top off with remaining marinara sauce and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle "mozzarella" and "parmesan" on top. Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Remove foil and brown under broiler for 1 - 2 minutes. Bon appétit!

* There is no need to boil the noodles if you add water to the marinara sauce. Add more water if your sauce is very thick.

**I like to break a couple noodles and use the pieces it to fill in any gaps in the layers.

a new name for the color of my favorite sweater

2008-09-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

canned peas, for some unknown reason i picked up a can a while ago. i was searching my cupboard for inspiration last night and came across this lowly can with a label of emerald green. i thought to myself: i love green peas; they would be good in a thai peanut sauce with zucchini and mushrooms over rice. my suspicions began after i opened the can (note: that is not an actual picture of my canned peas, but an exact likeness). the little balls of protein waiting patiently in that tin were not of fresh emerald, but sickly yellow-green. i tried not to give this disappointing color much thought and continued to drain and rinse the peas. then the smell hit me. you know the one, every canned vegetable possesses this scent that is most akin to salad mix that has started to go and is all brown and slimy. again i gave the humble peas the benefit of the doubt. i heated up a pan on the stove and added the peas to warm up. at this point i was starting to lose my confidence in the green goodness. the peas seemed only to be getting soggy and gooshy in the pan. a taste was in order. and then the peas were in the garbage and i had decided i would never again waste my money on canned peas. the taste was completely offensive and the texture was worse. i realized the color of those canned peas was what is referred to as pea green, which has always confused me. delicious fresh green peas are the color of summer and grass and freshness. no, that color we call pea green should actually be called canned pea green. gross.

lovitt restaurant

2008-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

housed in a re-purposed old farmhouse in colville, wa, lovitt restaurant serves up some scrumptious vegan fare. the restaurant takes up the first floor of the house and the owners live out of the second floor. lovitt is not a vegan, or even vegetarian restaurant, but with a menu that utilizes fresh herbs from their own garden along with produce from local farmers, the chef is happy to accommodate a vegan appetite. upon my second visit, i was excited to see a vegan offering on that week's menu*. the atmosphere is elegant, but also casual and down to earth. they have outdoor seating available on the wrap-around porch that looks out onto the garden. after two visits, lovitt restaurant has become a favorite.

* the haystack with pickled veggies and chickpeas on lentil "griddle cakes" topped with vegan pesto and fried chard, pictured above - delicious!