My Veggie Table

Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms

2012-01-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

My Veggie Table had been nominated for the Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms. Please take a minute to vote for me. You may vote daily, and I would love to be in the Top 25.

Here is the link, http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012?trk=t25_top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012

Or you can click on their lovely badge in the left hand column of my blog. You'll have to scroll down a bit to my blog, but please vote. The more the vote, the less scrolling you'll have to do!

Thanks,

Amy

The Veggie Mom

Split Pea Dal

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dal is a traditionally a thick stew made with peas, lentils or beans. Split peas were a natural chose as my husband is a huge fan of anything containing peas. I also like that split peas need not be soaked overnight.

My children were mixed on this soup. Truth be told, my oldest son hates soup of any kind. In fact, when recently asked what he did not like, his first response was SOUP. I love to make soup, so the poor kids is usually out of luck. This soup at least peaked his interest because he felt it looked like Shrek. My youngest, at least tried the soup, and appears to be taking after his father when it comes to his culinary tastes. If I make this soup again, I think I will add more curry and garam masala to it.

The Ingredients

1 pound dried green split peas

2 quarts water

1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

The Tools

large stock pot

blender

The Cooking

Add the peas to the 2 quarts water

Add the onion

Add the minced garlic

Add the salt, curry powder and the garam masala

Stir to completely combine and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 1 hour.

For a creamier texture, puree half the soup in a blender

Add the puree back to the soup

Serve the soup with some Naan and enjoy!

recipe source: The Grit Restaurant Cookbook

Spicy Nuts

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing hits the spot like a some spicy, salty nuts. They are just the right thing for a Super Bowl party, even if the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers are NOT in the Super Bowl (insert heavy sigh here). Regardless of sporting events these are a lovely snack, low in sodium and high in delicious nuts.

These spicy nuts can also be added to salads for an extra crunch. I used an assortment of nuts, but you can use whatever kind of nuts your heart desires.

The Ingredients

2 cups mixed nuts

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

The Tools

a small saucepan

a small bowl

a foil covered baking sheet

The Prep

Preheat the oven to 300°

The Cooking

Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat

Add the spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds

Pour the flavored oil over the nuts

and stir to mix

Pour the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes

Yum!

Spinach Lasagana

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have posted this recipe before, but this is my step by step version. This recipe is a classic and all time favorite in our house, and it was originally my mom's recipe.

While making a lasagna from scratch may seem daunting, it need to be. You can use any type of vegetables in your lasagna, just swap out about the same amount as I have here for the spinach. Of course you could also replace the vegetables with a vegetarian/vegan sausage or vegetarian meat product.

The Ingredients

8 ounces lasagna noodles

15 ounce package ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 ounces marinara sauce of choice

1/4 cup water (sorry, I forgot to include it in the photo)

The Prep Work

Preheat the oven to 350°. You will need aluminum foil and a 98x13 inch baking dish for this recipe

The Cooking

Boil the pasta for 12 minutes or until al dente

Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach, and herbs/seasoning together in a medium sized bowl.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish

Top the sauce layer with three noodles

Spread 1/3 of the filling on top of the noodles

On top of the filling, add a layer of sauce

Repeat the layering

And repeat, again

Top with the last cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Pour the 1/4 of water around the edges of the lasagna and top with aluminum foil. Bake for an hour.

My Veggie Kitchen is now Re-Open

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

We recently had some work done on our kitchen. It started with a new refrigerator and dish washer in December and ended with new hardwood flooring in January. Getting the appliances went off without a hitch, but the flooring was much more involved then anticipated. First there was the choosing, the measuring, the waiting and finally, the installation. Of course for the installation one must move the three tons of stuff one keeps on ones furniture and in ones furniture. This took at weekend. I must say, the installers did an amazing job, but it was a harder job than anyone anticipated. The problem was that our floor was all cock-eyed. We knew this as the previous owners of the house told us the floor was cock-eyed when the disclosed that they could have fixed, but decided that doing things correctly was simply not something they enjoyed. We did not know what would be involved in correcting it. The correction process involved sanding down the concrete sub floor in some areas and adding more concrete in other areas. This was a dusty and stinky process and I am eternally grateful that the installers from Carpet One did it for me.

I had hoped that I would able to take this time with the kitchen closed to upload photos and update the blog. Unfortunately it was too noisy and dusty in here for kids or me. And let's face it, we would have just been in the way. So we spent most of out time at parks, or in the car or at the Lego play place.

Before

After: Please note the lovely new flooring, Fridge and dishwasher. The stovetop and oven are still holding steedy, but one day I will replace it with an all black version.

Now I have to decide what to do about the cabinets. They are looking pretty this 80's House with the granite countertop and those new floors. What to ya'll think? We will reface them, but what would work better: the painted look or a stained look???

Beer Bread

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Every open a beer and not drink it? No? Me either. But over this past holiday season, the Veggie Dad did just that. He opened a beer and took only the smallest sip of said beer before abandoning it opened to the refrigerator. Not being one to let a good beer go to waste, but not being one to be able to tolerate flat beer, I decided to make a Beer Bread with the left over beer. I did a quick search and found a yummy and easy looking recipe on Food.com. Food.com is a basically a database of recipes submitted by home cooks, think allrecipes without all the annoying upgrades. Plus in my experience the recipes on Food.com seem to turn out with a higher rate of success then to those I find on some other sites.

This bread was hearty, but not too heavy. The beer takes the place of the yeast, so it needs not time to rise. Of course a bread without traditional yeast will be a bit heavier than a yeast-ed bread, but this one was not too heavy at all. The addition of melted butter to the top of the bread makes for a yummy, crispy, top.

The Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1-12 ounce bottle or can of beer

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Prep Work

Move you over rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a loaf pan unless you are using a truly non-stick loaf pan.

Measure your flour, and then sift it. Unless otherwise noted always measure first and then sift.

Shifting is fun!

Add the baking powder

And the salt

And then add the sugar

Mix them together

Add the beer and stir until well incorporated.

Press the dough into a greased loaf pan

Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough and bake the bread for 1 hour at 375°.

Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/Beer-Bread-73440

Vegetarian Gravy-The Step-by-Step Edition

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have posted this recipe before, but that was before I started doing step by step instructions with pictures. You are going to see me re-post a lot of my recipes with the photos and with step-by-step instructions. The change to a step-by-step with photos format is very much a work in progress and I am still getting everything figured out. I appreciate any and all feedback, so if you see that I missed something or feel that something is not clear, please let me know. As always I can be reached via email at theveggiemom@gmail.com.

And yes Mom, I know the print feature is no longer available, that went tango uniform some time ago. Of course with the new format, it would make for some very long print outs, so I am trying to figure how to create a printable version. Mom, this is about the time you should be lamenting not sending me to private school.

This recipe is from the Grit Restaurant cookbook and as if often the case I have made changes to the recipe. So, if want the original you will need to purchase the cookbook. Heck, you should purchase the cookbook anyway. In fact get, two because you'll soon wear out your first one.

The Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 cups milk

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 3/4 cups hot water

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

Melt the butter in a heavy, large saucepan and add the flour

Stir to combine

And begin whisking. It is very important that you whisk constantly, as this will help avoid burning the flour and you do not want that burnt flour taste in your gravy.

Add the nutritional yeast flakes

Whisk and whisk

And whisk and whisk

Whisk it for four whole minutes

Slowly add the milk, a little at a time. After each addition, whisk until the milk is completely incorporated.

Combine the soy sauce, hot water and worcestershire sauce. Slowly add the soy sauce mixture to the roux, whisking after each addition until completely incorporated.

The gravy should be well combined and thickened. If for some reason you add the soy sauce mixture too quickly just keep whisking and cooking until the gravy thickens up.

Source: The Grit Restaurant Cookbook

Eggplant

2012-01-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Some of my readers were willing to contribute some of their eggplant recipes for my blog. Not being an eggplant fan, I am going to make any of these recipes, but I will do is share their links.

Aubergine and Feta Dip from Faceless Food

Eggplant Cacciatore from Dancing Veggies

Israeli Eggplant Stew with Poached Egg from Dancing Veggies

Eggplant Etouffe from Dancing Veggies

Thank you so much ladies!

Eggplant: The Confession

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-08:00

Dear Veggie Lover,

Now is the time for the Veggie Mom to confess. I hate eggplant. That is right, I hate eggplant. It is my shameful secret as a vegetarian food blogger. Because of this strong dislike, I have zero eggplant recipes on my blog and I feel that I need some. I could find some, but the Veggie Dad does not like eggplant either, so there would be no one to eat the meal.

So, it is with toque in hand that I ask for your help. I would love to have some eggplant recipes to share with my readers. So, I am asking if you can help me out. I would love to include your recipe on my blog. I require only that you love it and that you have a picture of the finished product.

This is not a contest, and you won't get anything but my love and many mentions of your blog, if you have one.

So, help a Eggplant hater out and send my your favorite eggplant recipes.

xoxo
The Veggie Mom

Hashbrown Casserole

2011-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

2lbs frozen hashbrown potatoes (the shredded kind)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside
Combine the soup, melted butter, salt, pepper, onion powder and cheese in a very large bowl .
Gently mix in the hash browns. until well coated.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 35 minutes.

Serves 8: 299 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber

Cornbread

2011-12-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

2 cups self rising cornmeal
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup melted shortening or vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons white sugar (optional)

Mix corn meal with sugar (if using) buttermilk and egg. Add the melted shortening or oil. Pour into greased skillet or 8X8 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 425°

Black Eye Peas

2011-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe was created according to the specifications of my pressure cooker. All pressure cookers are different, so please familiarize yourself with yours.

2 cups dry beans, soaked overnight (instructions to follow)

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons my versions of The Grit's Vegetarian Gravy

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

To soak the beans: place beans in cooker. Add to beans, enough water to cover, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of salt. Allow beans to soak overnight. They should be their normal size after the soak. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before the next step.
Place the soaked beans, back into the clean cooker. Add the broth, water, gravy and seasoning to the beans. Place the lid on your cooker, lock it, place the rocker on top.
Over medium high heat bring your cooker to a nice steady rock. Adjust your heat to maintain the steady rocking for 20 minutes.
Remove the cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Please check the instructions on your cooker for the best way to achieve this.
Serve warm with cornbread or rice.

Serves 8, 1-cup servings: Calories 115, 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of fiber

Collard Greens

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Over the next three days I am going to share with you our standard and traditional New Years Day dinner. First you must serve greens so that you have plenty of money in the New Year. Second you must have black eye peas so that you will have plenty of luck in the New Year. Third you must have cornbread, so that you can soak up the pot liquor from the greens!

This recipe is lock, stock and barrel from The Grit Restaurant Cookbook. The only changes I made were to the Grit Yeast Gravy which I posted yesterday, simply as Vegetarian Gravy. Again, I highly recommend this cookbook. It is amazing and for the record I am not getting anything for saying this. My mom collects cookbooks from GA restaurants, churches, civic organizations, etc. She got this one, but being intimidated by the tofu recipes passed it on to me. I have never even been to this restaurant. Heck, as a non-UGA fan (Go Tech!), I as a rule have spent my life avoiding Athens. But I might have to amend that rule next time I am home just to eat at The Grit. I will however be wearing White and Gold when I do go (it is a Southern college football thing...don't worry if it makes no sense).

1 large bunch (about 3 pounds) fresh collard greens, well rinsed
Water
3/4 cup Vegetarian Gravy
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Strip the stems from the leaves of the greens. Roll handfuls of leaves as if rolling a cigar and cut into narrow strips, then chop the strips as needed into smaller pieces.
Place greens into a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover the greens when the greens are forced down by hand to the bottom of your pot. Then add 3 cups of water.
Place pot on the stove over medium high heat, stir in the remaining ingredients, and cover. Bring to a vigorous boil, stirring occasionally.
Cook the greens for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the desired tenderness.
Serve warm with some fresh cornbeard to soak up all that pot liquior!

Serves 12, 1-cup servings: 39 calories, 1 gram of fat and 3 gram of fiber

Crepes with Lemon Ricotta Filling and Strawberries

2011-12-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

This was one of the first recipes I ever posted here on the blog. This is our favorite holiday breakfast. The crepe mixture can be made in advance as can the filling, so this makes for an easy Christmass morning breakfast. I have also added the calories to this dish.

For the crepes:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the pan
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling and topping;
1 qt strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Blend all of the ingredients for the crepes together in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 4 seconds. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate the batter for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Mash half of the strawberries to a rough pulp with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the Grand Marnier, then gently stir in the remaining strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.
Gently stir the crepe batter to combine if it appears separated. Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet (or crepe pan) over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Brush the pan bottom and sides very lightly with butter(it should sizzle when it hits the pan). When the butter spots sizzling, remove the pan from the heat, tilt the pan slightly, and pour 2 1/2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan. AS the batter is poured, rotate the pan to swirl the batter evenly over the face of the pan before returning it to the heat. Cook until the first side is spotty golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Use a thin spatula to flip the crepe and continue to cook until the second side is spotty golden brown, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer the crepe to a paper towel lined plate and let cool (you can stack the crepes on top of each other). Repeat with the remaining crepe batter, brushing the pan with butter as needed after cooking several crepes.
Stir the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, the egg, lemon juice, and salt together until smooth. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Working with one crepe at at time, spoon 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto the crepe and fold as desired (roll it up like a cigar or fold into quarters) and place onto baking sheet. Once all the crepes are rolled or folded, cover lightly with foil and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Spoon the strawberry topping over the crepes as served.

Serves 10: 244 calories, 8 grams of fat and 3 grams of fiber
Recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Favorite

Holiday Cut-Out Cookies

2011-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

The cookies pictured below may be of Halloween shapes, but that is just because I was too lazy to photograph them again at Christmas time. You can use whatever cookie cutter you desire to make these cookies. They are easy to make and great for the Santa.

I always make these cookies for Halloween and for Christmas. As I have not done my holiday baking just yet, I only have the photo from Halloween. This recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, using and electric mixer on medium-low speed, then continue to beat until the mixture is crumbly and slightly wet. Beat in the cream cheese and the vanilla until the dough just comes begins to form large clumps.
Knead the dough in the large bowl by hand a few times until it forms a large, cohesive mass. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, divide it in half, and pat into two 4-inch disks. Wrap disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (FYI: you can make you dough ahead and keep it in the frig for 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks--if you freeze it allow the dough to defrost in the frig)
Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 375°. Line the bottom of two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness on a clean surface. I have granite counter tops, but if you do not have a good smooth cool surface you might want to invest in a roll mat. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes. Press the cookie cutters into the dough and remove the excess dough from around the cutters before removing the cutters. Then, using a spatula move the cut out cookies from the counter to your parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Place each cookie 1-inch apart.
Bake the cookies until a light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet half way through the baking time.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes and then transfer them using a spatula to a wire rack. Cool cookies completely before icing them.

Glaze
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoons cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk and the cream cheese together until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth, adding the remaining milk as needed until the glaze is thin enough to spread easily. You can divide the glaze amoung separate bowls and add food coloring as desired. I use Wilton gel food color for dying cookie icing.
Decorate the cookies with the glaze and with sprinkles. Allow the glazed cookies to dry completely before touching them or they will be covered with finger prints

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

2011-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here is another great recipe from the archives. This is a classic recipe perfect for sharing or saving for Santa.

For the Cookie
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
For the Coating
1/3 cup sugar
For the Garnish
48 kisses(unwrapped)

Cream the butter. Add the peanut butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until combined. Then add in the milk and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Cover and chill the batter for about 1 hour.
Move the oven racks to the center of your oven and preheat you oven to 375°. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the batter into 1 inch balls and coat with sugar. Place each ball of dough on your prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, place an unwrapped kiss in the center of each cookie and press down.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and enjoy your holiday baking.

Brown Sugar Cookies

2011-12-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another cookie recipe from the archives. These have got to be some of the most delicious cookies I have ever baked. I have made them both with light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, it all depends on how you want the final cookie to look.

These are the cookies I used at the base for my Pumpkin Pie Cookies. I assure you that they are just as delicious without the kiss in the middle.

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust the oven rack the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together the 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar together in a shallow bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside for later.
Melt 10 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan constantly until the melted butter is a dark golden brown that gives of a nutty aroma, this should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter stirring until they are also melted. Set aside for 15 minutes until cooled completely.
Stir the remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and the salt into the cooled butter until evenly combined. Stir in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls with your hands wet and then roll them in the sugar mixture. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Baking one sheet at a time bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for about 3 minutes on the cookie sheet until moving them to a wire rack.

Pepperming Kiss Chocolate Cookies

2011-12-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello all, Sorry I have not posted lately. I have been dealing with a bad case of vertigo. For those who have never experienced vertigo, it causes one to be too dizzy for most day-to-day activities. BUt I thought this might be a good time to pull out some cookies recipes from the archives and let you have a chance to see them again just in time to do some holiday baking.

The base for these cookies is the Chocolate CrissCross Cookie, which is a Hersey's recipe and of course the kisses above are also a Hershey's product. I assure you that these two fact are purely coincidental. I am not blogging for Hershey, nor are they compensating me in any way. However, Hershey if you wish to compensate me don't hesitate to drop me a line. I also need to note that these particular kisses are seasonal and therefore will not be available all that long in the stores.

1 cups unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Hershey's cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Hershey's' Peppermint Kisses, unwrapped

Heat the oven to 350° and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, combine with a whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually (and slowly if using an kind of motorized mixer) add the flour mixture into the butter mixture; beating until well combined.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the parchment paper lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a measuring cup or a glass that has been dipped in water (to prevent sticking).
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, top them with the kiss. Cool slightly on the baking sheet and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mirepoix: The Trinity of Cooking

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

A sure fire way to add flavor to a recipe, especially a soup recipe, is to start with a Mirepoix. A mirepoix is a fancy way to saying onion, carrot and celery. Regardless of what you call it this practice is a great way to infuse a vegetarian recipe with a ton of flavor.

I am going to start by showing you best I can how to easily and safely dice the onion, carrot and celery. You can also purchase these items pre-diced at stores like Trader Joe's, but I highly recommend dicing them your self. If nothing else the practice will help with your overall knife skills. First you need a sharp knife and a non-slip cutting board. I use Pampered Chef cutting boards and I swear by them. They have rubber around the edges and they do not slip while you are cutting on them.

Ingredients

onion

carrots

celery

Start by cutting the onion in half, remove the out skin (save it to use later in broth) and cut off the top of the onion were it tapers, but keep the bottom intacted so that the onion stays together while you cut it.

Hold the onion, with you fingers well clear of the blade, and slice the onion horizontally upwards towards what was the bottom of the onion

Again, while keeping your fingers well out of the way, now cut the onion vertically.

Now cut down into the onion towards the cutting board, leaving a nice diced onion. Repeat with the other half of the onion if your recipe calls for the entire onion.

Cut the peeled carrots (save the peelings for broth) into strips and then turn and dice

Cut the tops and bottoms of the celery (save for broth), cut the celery into strips and dice.

Saute the onion, carrots and celery in melted butter or olive oil

How to Make Cheese Garlic Biscuits

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

As part of my new constant photo taking I have decided to revisit some of my old postings/recipes. These are my classic and often manipulated Cheese Garlic Biscuits. I've made them with White Cheddar Cheese, Smokey Cheese, Parmesan Cheese and with Herbs. The recipe is virtually no different, only now I am giving you look into all my biscuit makin' secrets.

As with my basic biscuits, I use all-purpose flour and unsalted butter. You can use self-rising flour and leave out the baking soda or I suppose you could use something like Bisquick, but I don't know how to use Bisquick so I am not help with that. As I said with my Homemade Biscuit recipe you can use a variety of fats to make biscuits. If you use a salted butter or a butter flavored shortening, you may not want to not add any additional salt to the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

Add the flour to a large mixing bowl

Add the garlic powder, salt, and baking powder to the flour, and stir with a whisk.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it resembles.....

a pebbly, coarse mixture

Add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the flour mixture

Make a well in the middle of the flour, cheese mixture and add the milk

Gently combine until a dough is formed

Using your hands, shape the dough into biscuits

Place the biscuits on a baking pan, about two inches apart. Bake at 450 degrees for 12- 15 minutes or until gold brown on top.

Spinach Sauteed with Dried Cranberries, Pomegranates and Pecans

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

When you serve something like yesterdays, Tater Tot Casserole is best to pair it with a nice leafy green vegetable. Some might call this denial, I call it balance.

The thing about sauteing spinach or any green is that it always seems like you have a ton of greens which will never fit into you pan. Never fear, they will wilt down quickly and nicely and you will find that a large bag of spinach will barely feed a family of four. Use more if you have a larger or hungry family, but I went with only one bag. Of course you can use fresh spinach, but I detest cleaning fresh spinach. I never seem to be able to get all the grit out, so I stick with the pre-washed bag product.

You can just saute spinach with a little olive oil and garlic, but I like to add some dried fruit or nuts to liven things up a bit. Using dried fruit is also a good way to get children to eat a dish like this. They attempt to eat only the dried fruit, but they always accidentally get some spinach (insert evil laugh here).

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dried cranberries and pomegranates

1 ounce chopped pecans

5 grinds of fresh black pepper corns

3 grinds of pink salt

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

9 ounce package of spinach

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and cook on medium heat until warm

Add the pecans to the pan and saute

Add the dried cranberries and pomegranates to the pan and saute

Add the light brown sugar, pepper and salt and continue to saute until the nuts and dried fruit are well coated with oil and seasoning.

Add 1/2 of spinach to the oil, nuts and dried fruit, and saute until wilted.

Add the other half of the spinach and repeat.

TaterTot Casserole

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is another down home Southern classic. Really there is nothing we won't do with frozen potato products in the South. We also fry everything. I swear I would eat fried dirt. This recipe can be served at a breakfast, brunch or as a side at dinner. We served it as a side for the meat eaters and as a main dish for the Veggie Dad.

Now, I am not going to lie to you. This is not a low calorie meal, however if could be worse. I guess? Anyway, I will include the caloric information at the end of the recipe. As always, I use myfitnesspal.com for the calculation of my calories and the calculation is based on the specific ingredients that I used. If you put something drastically different in your dish you will need to re-calculate the calories. Myfitnesspal.com is free to join and use. I highly recommend it for anyone wishing to track their caloric intake for whatever reason.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

14 ounces vegan ground sausage

2 pounds frozen tater tots

Melt the butter in a saucepan. While the butter melts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the onion powder, the salt and the ground pepper to the melted butter.

Cook until the seasoning is slightly browned

Add the Cream of Mushroom soup, stir until well combined and the soup is warmed through.

Place the frozen tater tots in a large bowl

Add the soup mixture to the frozen tater tots

Stir until well combined

Vegan ground sausage tends to be a bit sticky, so you'll want to brown it a bit before using it. This will alleviate the stickiness.

Add the shredded cheese and stir to combine

Once the vegan ground sausage is browned, add it to the tater tot mixture and stir until well combined.

Press the tater tot casserole into a 9x13 in baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until the casserole is a golden brown.

Serves 8 ample portions.

Calories: 411

Homemade Biscuits

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Biscuits are a mainstay of any meal in the South. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, biscuits are on the table. Add some cheese and you have a savory biscuit, which is the perfect addition to a soup or pasta dinner. Pop them on top of a vegetarian pot pie for a one pot meal or you can use them as a dough f or some delicious kid friendly tiny pizzas. Last but no least, pour some honey on them and you've got breakfast. In short, biscuits are insanely versatile, but like some many baking projects people are afraid of making biscuits from scratch. This is simply need not be the case, as anyone can make biscuits. With only five ingredients, and about 5 minutes time anyone can make biscuit dough. While I chose to do so, you don't need to roll and cut out the biscuits, you can instead pat them into shape or simply drop them onto the baking sheet. However, you do it, biscuits are a wonderful addition to any meal.

The one question you do need to ask about biscuits is regarding what kind of fat you want to put in them. Yes, fat. I said, fat. There are no two ways about it, you need fat to make biscuits. This being a vegetarian blog, lard and bacon fat are out of the question. However, you do have several choices as a vegetarian. I use unsalted butter and add salt to the recipe. This is primarily because ALL I ever use is unsalted butter. Other options are salted butter, margarine, shortening or butter-flavored shortening. If you chose to use salted butter, margarine or butter-flavored shortening, you are doing to want to reduce or eliminate the salt from your biscuits. Of course, if you like saltier biscuits then do not reduce or eliminate the salt.

The Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Place the all-purpose flour into a large bowl

Add the baking powder and salt

Whisk together with a wire whisk

Add the unsalted butter

Using a pastry cutter, two dinner knives or a fork, combine the unsalted butter with the flour mixture until the mixture is pebble-like in appearance.

Make a well in the middle of the flour/butter mixture and pour in the milk. You will need between 3/4 to 1 cup of milk. Start with only 3/4 of a cup and go from there.

Using your hands combine the flour/butter mixture and the milk until a dough is formed. Do not over mix the dough, once it is combined, it is done.

Place the dough on a floured or non-stick surface

Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough

Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick

Use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut out the biscuits

Place the biscuits about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Tzatziki and Feta Cheese Dip

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is my take on the traditional Greek Tzatziki sauce, which one commonly sees as a sauce for Gyros or Souvlaki. Around the Veggie household we use a thicker Tzatziki sauce on Fallafel, however this dish is meant purely to be enjoyed as a dip for vegetables, crackers, pita chips or flatbread. I started with my favorite 0% fat Fage Greek yogurt and added to it garlic, shredded cucumber, kefir, herbs, feta cheese and lemon juice.

By now, you may have ascertained that I have an affinity for Greek yogurt, but this is really just the tip of iceberg when it comes to me and fermented dairy products. I am also mad for kefir and buttermilk. For those unaware, kefir is a fermented milk drink, not that dissimilar from the more American buttermilk. The fermenting of milk allowed for the easy transport of the product, thus allowing nomadic and agrarian people alike to have access to the protein of milk without worrying about spoilage. These items are the soul reason why I could never even partially be a vegan. How can one live without yogurt, kefir or buttermilk? Okay, most of you could live without kefir or buttermilk, but you don't know what you are missing.

Now for the disclaimer: As a selected blogger, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway.

Ingredients

1 cucumber, peeled and grated

Raw minced garlic to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup 0% fat Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons kefir

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 medium sprig of dill, leaves only

5 leaves of fresh oregano, minced finely

3 chives, minced finely

Grate the peeled cucumber into a small bowl.

To the cucumber, add the minced garlic. I started with about three cloves worth of minced garlic, but I added another 2 cloves worth later. It all depends on your personal taste.

Add the 0% fat Greek-style yogurt

Stir to combine and then add the salt and pepper to taste.

Add the kefir and stir to combine.

Add the crumbled feta cheese and stir to combine.

Finely chop the herbs. I find it easiest to chop a small leaf like oregano but rolling them into a tiny cigar-shape and then cutting them.

Add the freshly chopped herbs and stir to combine.

Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pineapple, Mango, Greek Yogurt Smoothie

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Smoothies are often made in this house. Let's face it, they are the healthy milk shake. I love to keep frozen fruit on hand: strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, mango, whatever I can find. As with most of my smoothies, I prefer to use frozen fruit as it alleviates the need to add to ice to the smoothie. For sweetness I added some organic apple juice and some almond milk. For creaminess, I used 0% Fat Fage Yogurt. This is where I inform you that, as a selected blogger, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway (look FCC, I did it in red!). Again, Fage did not require that I use their product and save for the legally mandated statement avoid I need not even mention their product, but I'm gonna mention it anyway, because I love Fage yogurt. Honest and for true, I do.

This recipe was inspired by a story someone told me about a trip they took to Greece. This person and some friends had been on a tour of Crete and after a long day of sightseeing they were hot, and thirsty. On their way back to ship (they were on a cruise of the Greek Isle) they came upon a man selling yogurt and fruit smoothies. My friend chose the mango flavor and her description of how wonderful this drink was on that hot, tiring day has stayed with me over a decade. The tang of the yogurt and mango was perfectly balanced with the sweet of the fresh fruit juices the vendor used to make his beverages. Of course the chill from the frozen fruit was exactly what was needed to combat the heat of this summer-time Mediterranean location. It truly must have been an amazing drink to transcend both time and translation. I can only hope that I came close to re-creating it. Even on this relatively cold November day, my youngest son was more than willing to sneak up behind his most beloved mother as she cleaned up the kitchen to steal this drink directly from it's photo shoot location. Of course in doing so he became part a prop in the photo~more on that below:

Ingredients

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup organic apple juice

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup 0% fat Greek-style yogurt

Place the frozen mangoes and pineapple into a blender.

Pour the apple juice into the blender.

Pour the almond milk into the blender.

Last, but not least add the 0% fat Greek style yogurt.

Blend until completely incorporated and smooth.