Thursday, November 8, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 16- Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

I happen to LOVE sweet potatoes.  They are sweet and delcious- what better way to enjoy them then to make baked fries with them?  This is exactly what I did a couple of weeks ago.  The CSA we get much of our produce from had given us a bag of sweet potatoes and I went searching for a recipe to use them up and found this one.  I have to start by saying that this is so simple there really is no excuse not to try them.  The hardest part was cutting the potatoes into matchsticks, but even that didn't take too long.  Once the potatoes are all cut up you simply toss them in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt.  Then you bake them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (flipping halfway through). I have to make a confession- I was a little scared about the balsamic vinegar and cinnamon- I wasn't really sure that these would go well together, but boy was I wrong!  These potatoes are delicious!  They are the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet- a homerun!  This will be my go-to recipe for sweet potato fries.  Sweet potatoes are in season right now- so go on- buy some and try out these fries! 

My rating- 9.5

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 15- Skillet Cornbread

Ahh, cornbread.  Who doesn't love cornbread?  It is one of my favorite foods to make this time of year and it goes especially well with soups and stews.  I have an abundance of peppers and fresh corn right now, so I decided to make this as the side dish for the Apple Squash Soup the other night.  It's very simple to throw together and bakes up in a cast iron skillet in about 20 minutes, so you don't have to wait long to enjoy it.  You follow the basic pattern for baking- first combine the dry ingredients (corn flour, cornmeal, unbleached all-purpose flour*, powdered egg replacer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).  Then, you combine all the wet ingredients and veggies (rice milk, maple syrup, extra-virgin olive oil, jalepeno, red bell pepper, and fresh corn).  Mix the wet into the dry and the batter is done.  This gets poured into an oiled and preheated cast iron skillet and baked for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  If you want to jazz it up a bit you can add in some cheddar flavor Daiya shreds too.  The batter comes out VERY thick- almost too thick.  I knew this was an indication that the final product might be a little off.  Unfortunately, it was.  The flavor in this recipe was good, and I love the pop of the fresh corn, but it was SUPER dry and crumbly in texture- not what you want in cornbread.  The texture really ruined it for me- it was just so dry that it really needed to be slathered in earth balance just to get it down- it was rough.  I think this recipe just needs some tweaking to add back some moisture- it just cannot be eaten as written.  For now, I think I'll stick with Alicia Silverstone's recipe for cornbread in The Kind Diet- that is DELICIOUS!

My rating- 4.5

*I used brown rice flour instead since I am currently avoiding gluten.

Clean Food, Recipe 14- Apple Squash Soup

My favorite time of year has arrived.  I love Fall.  I REALLY love the food in the Fall- squash, apples, pears, pumpkins, potatoes, etc...All so comforting and yummy.  This soup makes good use of seasonal produce (something I have an abundance of right now thanks to my CSA!).  It is also REALLY easy to throw together- another bonus on a busy school night.  To start, all you do is saute some onion in grapeseed oil until soft.  Then you add in some cubed butternut squash, cubed apples, a quart of vegetable stock, some rice milk, coconut milk, and ground nutmeg.  This just simmers in the pot for about 20 minutes, or until all the squash is softened.  Puree with an immersion blender, season with salt and pepper, and you are good to go.  I love the simplicity of this dish- it is crazy easy.  I also like the clean, simple flavor of the soup.  It isn't crowded with heavy spices- just a touch of nutmeg does the trick.  (Some of these kinds of soups can have curry, cayenne, cinnamon etc...I find that really takes over and clouds the pure flavor of the squash.)  The one thing I don't like about it- it's pureed.  I'm not a huge fan of pureed soups (it's a texture thing), but I did like this soup better than some other pureed squash soups I've tried.  If you have very little time to fuss with cooking and you have an abundance of Fall produce, this is the soup for you!

My rating- 7

Friday, October 5, 2012

Forgot my rating!

Totally forgot to write my rating for the Quick Brown Rice Breakfast recipe- I give it a 9!  Totally worth trying out and chances are you have everything you need to make this in your pantry right now- so go make it tomorrow morning!  Enjoy!

Honorable Mention, Recipe 8- Quick Brown Rice Breakfast

This was my breakfast yesterday and I am so happy to share it with you all.  This is from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook and it is vegan as well as gluten-free- a double whammy!  The fact that it only takes 5 minutes or so to whip up just makes it even better.  Think of this as a quick rice pudding- only it's WAY healthier and only subtly sweet.  For a single serving you start with 1 cup cooked brown rice (I just made mine the day before- this is also a great use for leftovers), and add to that 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, 1/8 cup sliced raw almonds, 1/2 tbsp. ground flaxseed, 1 tsp. pure maple syrup, and a pinch of ground nutmeg.  She doesn't say to heat it up, but I did since it was a chilly morning and I wanted something warm.  This could easily be eaten either way though and you can even make it all the night before and just grab and go in the morning.  Super fast, super convenient, super healthy, and super yummy!  You can't go wrong with that!  That's what earns this dish it's honorable mention- it had everything that I look for in a recipe, and as a bonus it's a great alternative for those who gluten intolerant.  Who says you can't have a warm bowl of goodness in the morning?  With this recipe you can!

Update

Just wanted to post a quick update about where I've been and what my thoughts are on a vegan lifestyle.  First, the last few months have been SUPER busy for me.  I have been away on vacation twice and my daughter just started full day kindergarten this September, so getting used to a new schedule has been pretty hectic, to say the least.  I have also been battling some health issues (nothing too serious, but enough to see the doctor about and enough to know that my body is out of balance), SO because of that I am trying to methodically go through my diet and pin down any food sources that may exacerbate my symptoms.  Because of eliminating other foods I have been eating more meat lately.  (I started this blog fully convinced I'd be vegan forever, but it just isn't feasible at the moment for me- I consider myself at this moment a flexitarian and I do eat vegetarian as much as I can.  I also only eat organic meat from a local farm when I do eat meat.)  This month I am eliminating gluten from my diet.  Next month will be dairy products (which won't be hard for me- the only dairy I ever consume is Greek yogurt, kefir, butter, and the occasional cheese), in December I plan on eliminating all meat again.  I'm hoping that going through my diet methodically like this will help me find some answers and maybe even some solutions.  Anyway, I will still be making delicious vegan meals, and I'll be here to write about them as usual.  I'll be focusing on my Clean Food book by Terry Walters and the Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.  I do have other vegan/vegetarian cookbooks- so there will be honorable mentions here and there as well.  I have to admit that I did feel a HUGE sense of guilt when I began eating meat again, however, I know now that each body is different and I have to trust and listen to my OWN body.  That being said, I've learned MUCH from all the documentaries etc...that I've seen and my perspective is forever changed- I do feel that I approach food in a whole new way now- if I don't know it's origin I don't want to eat it and I prefer things from my local CSA (whether meat, dairy, or produce) and my own garden.  I'll take a piece from Alicia's book and say that I may not be living the Kind Diet to a tee, but I'm definitely living KINDER and I plan on continuing to improve.  Be kind to yourselves and the earth everyone- enjoy life and find what works for you and the planet to the best of your abilities- no guilt, just enjoyment of life and respect for what we've been given.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 13- Lemon Berry Cream Pie

It has been quite awhile since my last post!  I actually made this pie about a month ago when we had some friends over for dinner, but soon after I went on vacation and then got wrapped up in the start of the school year, so I hope to be back to cooking and blogging now.  I'm excited to try out some yummy fall recipes in the near future!  For now though I will tell you about this pie.  I was super excited to try this pie because it has one of my all-time favorite combinations- lemons and blueberries.  To start you make the super simple crust.  Simply combine lemon snaps, canola oil, and maple syrup in a food processor and press it into a pie plate.  This gets baked for 12 minutes.  While the pie shell cools you make the lemon cream filling.  In a pot you whisk together apple juice, lemon juice, agar powder, and arrowroot powder.  This mixture gets cooked over medium heat until thickened and translucent.  When it's done you set it aside to cool.  The rest of the filling gets whipped up in a food processor (combine silken tofu, maple syrup, lemon extract, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and a bit of sea salt).  Once that is combined you add in the cooled apple juice mixture and whip that in until combined.  The best part is that the rest is NO COOK- simply pour the filling in the pie shell, cover the top with blueberries and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.  It's a pretty simple and straight-forward recipe.  I had really high hopes for this recipe because in the preface to this recipe Terry Walters says how much she tested this recipe and how she was obsessed with coming up with the perfect pie.  Unfortunately, I don't agree with Terry on this recipe!  For starters the crust was chewy and oily (not what I want in a crust!).  As for the filling- it was overwhelming with lemon extract!  It tasted almost medicinal.  The recipe uses a whopping 2 tablespoons!  That is WAY too much, in my opinion!  The filling would have been quite delicious if the lemon extract wasn't quite so overpowering, so that was a shame.  If I decide to make this again next year I will definitely be making some changes- using less oil in the crust and significantly reducing the amount of lemon extract in the filling.  Maybe I will be able to get the recipe to perfection myself, Terry's version just didn't do it for me this time.

My rating- 7

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 12- Fresh Fruit Tart with Almond Crust

Yet another delicious, but clean dessert from Terry Walters.  I made this dessert last weekend for a family gathering.  It was super easy to put together, yet elegant enough to bring to a dinner party.  To start you make the wonderful crust.  This is done by starting with some almonds in a food processor and processing them until coarsely chopped.  Next goes in some oats, oat bran, and sea salt.  This gets pulsed together until a coarse meal forms and then you add in some maple syrup, canola oil, and almond extract until a dough forms.  This yummy mixture gets patted down in a 9-inch tart pan and baked in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Once the shell cools you fill it with the most wonderful summer fruits- kiwi, peaches, and fresh seasonal berries.  The assembly was my favorite part- you can go nuts with the design and make it really pretty and elegant.  I used blueberries and strawberries along with the peaches and kiwi.  To finish off the tart you make an interesting glaze concoction on the stove top.  It consists of apple juice, fruit nectar (I used apricot nectar), maple syrup, agar powder (this is found in health food stores and acts like gelatin), arrowroot, and vanilla extract.  Once this mixture is thickened and cooled slightly you brush it over the fruit and then the tart chills for at least an hour before serving.  This whole thing came together in about an hour (not including the chilling time at the end).  It was so easy and actually fun to make- I felt so artistic making such an elegant and beautiful dessert.  I wasn't convinced I would like it though, I've never used agar before and I wasn't sure the tart crust would be up to my standards.  Boy was I ever wrong!  The tart crust was AMAZING- crunchy, nutty, and flavorful and it was a perfect compliment to the fresh fruit.  It gelled perfectly and looked gorgeous.  I absolutely adore this tart- it was love at first bite and with absolutely NO guilt!  Most tart shells are filled with butter and confectioners' sugar, which almost negates the goodness of the fruit, but not so here.  Nothing but wholesome goodness and this is a favorite now in my household- thanks Terry for such a fantastic clean take on an old classic!  LOVE IT!

My rating- 10!

PS- I had to make this gluten free since my brothers' girlfriends' Mom cannot eat gluten.  To do that I just simply used oats that are certified gluten free and I omitted the oat bran- it turned out perfectly!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 26- Peach Crumble

So last week I was given a HUGE bag of fresh peaches from my local farm CSA and I've been doing all sorts of things to use these up this week.  I still had a few left over today and decided to use them up in this recipe.  I've been waiting for peach season just so I could make this recipe, so I was really excited to try it out.  To start you simply combine fresh peach slices and some fresh blueberries in a baking pan.  Then you make a filling mixture on the stove top.  This starts by heating up some apple juice.  While that heats you mix some kuzu starch into a little more apple juice until it dissolves.  (Kuzu is basically used in place of corn starch in this recipe, so you treat it the same way.)  The kuzu mixture along with some lemon juice gets mixed into the hot apple juice and you bring this to a boil.  Let it simmer 2 minutes, then take it off heat and add in a pinch of sea salt and some vanilla.  Pour this over the fresh fruit and you are ready to move on to the best part- the crumble!  I really like the technique in this part.  You actually start off by toasting the oats, spelt/barley/or brown rice flour, sea salt, and cinnamon together in a skillet.  You do this until it's fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, you heat up some safflower oil, maple syrup, and brown rice syrup in another pan.  (The recipe calls for 3/4 cup brown rice syrup and 1/4 cup maple syrup.  I only had maple syrup on hand and didn't feel like going across town to get brown rice syrup, so I used 3/4 cup maple syrup in this recipe today.)  Once the oat mixture is toasted you add in the maple syrup mixture and mix them together.  Add 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts and you are ready to top the crumble and get it in the oven.  It bakes covered (at 350 degrees) for the first 30 minutes, and then uncovered for another 15 or so.  The end result is very pretty and very yummy.  This recipe has a THICK layer of crumble and I love that about it.  I also like the combination of peaches and blueberries- it breaks up the monotony a little.  The topping wasn't quite as crunchy as I hoped for, but it's really, really good (literally HALF the thickness of the dish!) and I know that I'll be making this every summer when peach season rolls around.  I just served this simply with a bit of soy whip on top- so pretty!  Another dessert from Alicia that I really like- this girl knows her desserts, they do not disappoint!

My rating- 9

The Kind Diet, Recipe 25- My Favorite Cupcakes

These little beauties were my splurge recipe last week.  I don't make cupcakes often because I simply find them hard to resist, and these were no different from any non-vegan cupcake I've made.  They are as easy as any cupcake recipe to whip up and they are SO worth it- you must give them a try!  To start you curdle some hemp milk with a little bit of apple cider vinegar.  Once it curdles and bubbles a bit you add in agave nectar, safflower oil, and vanilla.  In another bowl you mix the dry ingredients- whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.  Mix the wet into the dry and you're ready to make cupcakes!  (This recipe makes 12.)  My favorite part again is licking the bowl once I get the cupcakes in the oven- no eggs, no worries!  Once the cupcakes are done you cool them on a baking rack to room temperature (the cupcakes only need about 20 minutes in a 325 degree oven).  When they are cool you can make the frosting (the best part, in my opinion!).  This frosting is rich and fudgy- it is intensely chocolatey and I love it!  It's so simple too- just cream together some earth balance butter and some agave nectar with an electric mixture to begin.  Then goes in some vanilla and cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate cocoa powder- it added SO much chocolate flavor!).  Once these are all mixed well and the frosting is smooth you add in some soy milk powder. This gets whipped until fluffy and then you are ready to frost some yummy cupcakes!  These are simply delicious- my kids and my hubby gobbled them up and would never know they are vegan.  This recipe would be great for a party where you have vegans and non-vegans alike (they would be great for a kid party too!)- everyone will love these, they are a crowd-pleaser.  For an even MORE decadent dessert, serve these with some non-dairy ice cream!  WOWZA!  Alicia did it again with another wonderful dessert- thanks Alicia, I LOVE these!!!

My rating- 9.5

Clean Food, Recipe 11- Green Beans and Sweet Corn with Summer Vinaigrette

This summer has been my first summer that I have been a member of a CSA (community supported agriculture- see below to find a CSA near you!) and I am just absolutely loving it.  Every week I get unbelievably fresh ingredients that inspire me to find ways to use them up.  All my cooking lately is 100% seasonal ingredients and I just love cooking and living this way.  Last week I was inspired by the green beans, cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn from my local CSA.  I found this recipe and I knew that this was what I HAD to make!  It's incredibly easy and really yummy.  To start you steam the corn for about 5 minutes until tender.  While the corn cools you drop about 2 pounds of green beans into the steamer and steam those for 3 minutes.  When the corn is cool you scrape the kernels off the cob.  Then you toss the green beans, corn, and halved cherry tomatoes together in a big bowl.  Make a speedy vinaigrette that consists of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, lemon thyme, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.  Pour this over the veggies, toss and serve.  How simple is that?  This is a great usage of fresh, seasonal ingredients and it's a really refreshing salad.  A departure from plain old greens, that's for sure.  My favorite part of this recipe is the contrast between the sweet bursts of corn and the acidity from the vinegar and lemon- it's so good!  My advice though would be to make this salad a day ahead- the leftovers taste even better!  The veggies really marinate and soak up that vinaigrette, making them so flavorful, but they still stay nice and crispy.  It's the perfect balance!

My rating- 8 (it's not higher solely because I am not a huge fan of green beans, but an 8 for a recipe with green beans is really good for me!)

Link to find great farms and CSA's near you-    www.localharvest.org

Clean Food, Recipe 10- Grilled Cipollini Onions

I've got some catching up to do!  I've been cooking away these last couple of weeks, but just haven't had the time to sit down and write my reviews!  I made these grilled onions last week as a side dish to some stuffed zucchini.  These are so incredibly easy to make and they are sweet and salty and delicious.  All you do is throw the whole cipollini onions on the grill- skins and all.  (I skewered them first- this ensured they wouldn't fall through the grill grates and it was much easier to flip them etc...)  Grill until charred on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Set them aside until cool enough to handle and then you simply squeeze off the charred outer skin and the inside will just pop out.  It will be sweet, tender, and succulent.  These get tossed very simply with some olive oil, sea salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  What a simple side dish- it's elegant and delicious too!  I love simple food and this is the epitome of that.  So simple and easy and yet SO yummy.  Loved it!

My rating- 9

Monday, July 30, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 9- Gazpacho

This is the final recipe I have to blog about, for now.  I made this for a family reunion over the weekend.  It was inspired by the food I picked up from my CSA this week.  I came home with a bagful of tomatoes, green bell peppers, red onions, and cucumbers!  When I saw this recipe I knew right away that this was what I HAD to make!  It's SO easy too!  I love this cookbook- just can't get enough of it and the ease of preparation for the recipes is the best part.  So, for this one you start by blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and let them cool, then peel off the skins and dice them up.  Place the diced tomatoes into a large soup pot along with minced red onion, minced green bell pepper, diced cucumber, minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped basil, fresh chopped cilantro, tomato juice, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  Dump and stir!  That's IT!  It doesn't get any easier than that folks!  (The only thing left to do is chill it until ready to serve.)  This recipe was a HIT too, making it an even better investment of time.  Everyone loved this cold summer soup- I was getting compliments on it left and right.  I've had BAD gazpacho's before, but I must say that this was really, really good.  Not the best I've had, but definitely second place in my book.  A surefire winner and a great way to use up fresh summer veggies- love it!

My rating- 9

Clean Food, Recipe 8- Carrot Fruit Soup

This beautiful bright orange soup was our dessert last night.  Again this is simple to prepare and barely heats up the kitchen.  Summer's gorgeous bounty gets placed in a large soup pot- 1 whole diced canteloupe, 2 diced peaches, and 1 diced mango.  To this you add in 1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice (for best nutrition it's best to use fresh juice that you make right before you make this soup, if you don't have a juicer though, you can find carrot juice in health food stores and big supermarkets), the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, and a pinch of sea salt.  Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook it for about 3-6 minutes, or until the fruit has softened a bit (the time will depend on how ripe the fruit is when you use it).  All that's left to do is puree it with an immersion blender and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before servingWhen ready to serve simply ladle into bowls and garnish with blueberries.  I really liked this soup.  I'm not usually a big fan of fruit soups, but this was delicious.  I loved the hint of clove as a back note against the fresh fruit and it was cool and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day.  The blueberries are the perfect addition to this, don't leave them out- they make the dish.  I know I'll make this again- it's a great way to begin or end a summer barbecue- yum yum!

My rating- 8

Clean Food, Recipe 7- Pineapple Tempeh Kebabs

This was dinner for my family last night.  A great recipe for the summer because all the cooking is done out at the grill, so no heat is put into your house.  It's simple too, so it won't have you slaving in the kitchen all day either.  To begin you simply steam the tempeh for 5 minutes (you cut two 8 oz. pieces of tempeh into squares).  The steamed tempeh gets put in a sealable container with wedges of red onion, and triangles of green bell pepper, and pineapple.  Next comes the fantastic marinade.  I love this marinade- so flavorful and so easy.  Simply whisk together pineapple juice, olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, chopped fresh mint, and some finely minced red onion.  Pour this on the tempeh and veggies, put on the lid and shake it up.  Refrigerate for at least an hour and you give it a good shake now and then till you're ready to grill.  When you are ready to eat simply put the tempeh and veggies on metal or wooden skewers (soak the wooden ones first, if using these) and then grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side.  Now for the verdict on these- I will start with my favorite parts- the marinade and the pineapple.  I LOVE grilled pineapple, that was my favorite part of the skewer!  As for the veggies, they were good too, but didn't soak up the marinade like the pineapple.  Now for the bad part- the tempeh.  I really liked it crumbled up in the quesadillas I made last week, but just in hunks in this dish, not so much.  In fact, I sort of had to muscle it down- just not a fan.  Another disappointment?  The tempeh really didn't soak up the marinade like I thought it would (and mine marinated for over 2 hours), so it didn't really taste like much.  I'm pretty confident this won't be a recipe I revisit often.   :(

My rating- 5

PS- Even though this recipe didn't float my boat, the marinade did, so I will probably use this again on it's own when looking for a great, quick, versatile,  flavorful marinade.

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 24- Mixed Berry Cheesecake

This beautiful looking cheesecake was my latest endeavor.  I have tried other vegan cheesecakes in the past and I wasn't very impressed, not so with this one!  It was very easy to put together, though it does take awhile, so plan to make this on a lazy afternoon.  To start you make the crust- simply melt down 3/4 cup of earth balance in a sauce pan.  Once it's melted you mix in about 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs until it's all incorporated.  Pat this down in the bottom of a greased springform pan and you are ready to bake.  Just a quick 5 minutes at 350 degrees is all you need.  While the crust cools you assemble the cheesecake filling.  This couldn't get any easier- just process together silken tofu, nondairy cream cheese, safflower oil, maple syrup, soy milk, arrowroot, vanilla extract, and lemon extract in a food processor until it is smooth and creamy, with no lumps.  Pour this over the crust and bake about 45 minutes.  VOILA!  You've got vegan cheesecake!  How easy is that?  My favorite part?  I could lick the spatula and not worry about getting sick since there are NO eggs in this recipe- yum yum!  Now comes the hard part.........waiting!  You cool the cake to room temperature (this takes several hours), then you top with mixed fresh berries that you have tossed in a few teaspoons of maple syrup and chill until ready to serve.  I skipped the chilling part because I just couldn't wait- I had to try a piece!  I was so pleasantly surprised!  The crust had great flavor, but the filling is the stand-out in this recipe- SO creamy and refreshing- the lemon extract really accents the fruit and makes it so summery and cooling.  This is the perfect recipe to make if you are hosting a summer party and you have to make something for dessert that everyone will love- my whole family loved this!  My husband had 2 slices (which he shared with my 2 year old), my 4 1/2 year old ate one whole slice, and I had one slice too- just like that half the cake is gone!  Make two of these for a party- it will disappear quickly!  My only disappointment was that I like a really good crunch with my crust that it seems only butter can give, so I think next time I'll try to tweak it a bit (maybe pre-bake it a bit longer and/or add a bit of sugar?) to see if I can increase the crunch of the crust.  Other than that, this is a SURE winner!

My rating- 9.5

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 6- Tempeh Quesadillas

Another great recipe from Clean Food!  I made these exquisitely easy quesadillas last night for dinner.  These are completely vegan, I didn't tell my husband and he raved about how fabulous they were.  In fact, I think he liked them more than I did!  My two year old gobbled them up as well (and she's my pickier eater!)- so these are a real crowd pleaser.  So, here's all you have to do- cut 8 oz. of tempeh into pieces and steam for 5 minutes.  Once it's cooled you crumble it up and mix some salsa into it.  When you are ready to make the quesadillas you start by oiling a non-stick skillet and then you lay down a rice tortilla (found in the freezer aisle of your natural food store) on top of that goes some vegan cheese (I used Daiya cheddar-style shreds), then half of the tempeh mixture, some shredded romaine lettuce, and more vegan cheese.  Top that with another tortilla and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp and the cheese is melted.  Repeat that whole process again to make a second quesadilla.  It is literally minutes in the kitchen and you've got dinner.  It might not seem like this would feed many either- but this meal was a great bargain- I have a family of four and we had leftovers!  It was really filling and so satisfying.  If you are looking to make a meal that will please meat eaters and vegetarians, this is the meal to turn to.  It's also a great meal to make if you are new to vegetarianism or veganism and having a moment when you crave something indulgent- this recipe will do the trick- it's fantastic comfort food!  LOVED it!

My rating- 9.5

Clean Food, Recipe 5- Sprouted Quinoa Tabbouleh

I have been immersed in my Clean Food cookbook by Terry Walters this week- LOVE this cookbook and highly recommend it!  I'm working my way through the summer chapter and made this tabbouleh recipe a couple of days ago.  The beauty of this recipe is how simple it is.  The night before you plan to eat it you just rinse some quinoa and then cover it to soak.  In the morning you drain it and rinse it well.  Let it sit out on the counter in the strainer and rinse it a couple of more times throughout the day.  By the time you are ready to make dinner it should have sprouted!  This concept is SO cool to me- I love it!  What an interesting preparation for quinoa (one of my favorite grains).  To prepare all you do is toss the sprouted quinoa with some fresh mint, fresh parsley, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt.  That is IT- no cooking required!  This recipe is fantastic- it's super simple, really yummy, totally refreshing, and a great use of summer ingredients (I am just brimming with cucumbers and tomatoes from my CSA right now).  I know I'll make this again and it was a hit with my family- even my 4 1/2 year old liked it!  This one is a sure winner.

My rating- 9

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Confession Time

Well, I have a confession to make......I have to say that I am no longer vegan.  I know, I know (gasp!), but let me explain.  When I created this blog I had been eating vegan for about a month and I really thought that I was going to commit to that lifestyle forever.  However, as time passed I realized that vegan just doesn't conform to me or my lifestyle very well.  I admire anyone who eats that way 100% of the time, but that was just not right for me.  So, I call myself a "flexitarian"- which means that I mostly eat vegetarian (even vegan a lot of the time), but some of the time I may have a little cheese or meat (gasp again!).  I am selective though- we are part of a meat CSA in our area so all my meat is from a local farm that uses no hormones or antibiotics and the animals are well taken care of (free range and grass fed) and humanely slaughtered.  The way I eat is very important to me and I don't take it lightly- so I hope any vegans who visit my blog will not be offended that I occasionally might have a piece of organic chicken (or some organic eggs from free-range chickens at our CSA).  I do eat vegan a lot of the time though (probably about 60-75% of the time), so the reviews of different vegan recipes will continue.  I'm hoping to have more reviews coming your way this week, but until then it sure does feel good to get that off my chest, I wanted to be honest about where I am on my path and just put it all out there.  Have a fabulous weekend and no matter what you are (vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, omnivore), PLEASE think about what you put in your mouth very seriously- your body will thank you and love you for it!

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 23- Peach and Mint Iced Tea

So, it's been a very hot summer where I live and I was very excited to get some peaches from my CSA last week so that I could make this iced tea.  I have been waiting for peach season to start so that I could make this iced tea ever since I got this book.  So, I went home and made this iced tea immediately.  It's very easy- just steep some green tea bags in boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Remove the tea bags and then allow the tea to cool to room temperature.  Once it has cooled you add in 4 ripe peaches that you have sliced up, 1 small bunch of mint leaves, and some maple syrup to sweeten it up.  That's it!  Chill it and serve over ice.  I have to say that it wasn't as good as I was hoping for, I can't even really say what I think is missing, I just think my expectations were too high.  However, it was good and refreshing and a great way to use local peaches in the summertime, so I am sure I will make this again.  I'll just do a bit of tweaking to get it just right for me- but it's a good place to start!  A cool, refreshing drink for a hot summer day!

My rating- 8

Saturday, July 7, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 22- Pomegranate and Lime Iced Tea

Today I felt like I needed to make a refreshing summer drink.  It's been really hot where I live for the last couple of weeks and I'm just getting sick of drinking water on ice- I wanted something different, but still healthy.  So, I decided to make this iced tea recipe today.  All you do is take 6-8 green tea bags and steep them for 10 minutes in 8 cups of boiling water.  Then you add in 2 cups of 100% unsweetened pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 3 limes that are thinly sliced.  Then you chill it and serve cold over ice.  Super easy and a nice change of pace in the drink department.  I have to say that I love pomegranates and I love limes, so I was really excited about trying this out, but I think I had this grand vision of what it would taste like in my head, so I ended up being a bit disappointed.  It IS very refreshing and the flavors are good, but just not incredible- and that's what I was hoping for.  I like it though and I know it will get used up (we are big iced tea fans in this household)- definitely a nice, fresh, new alternative to plain old water- something I'm sure I'll make again and maybe next time I'll make some of my own additions to punch it up a notch.

My rating- 8

Clean Food, Recipe 4- Strawberry Custard with Fresh Berries and Lemon Peel

WOW!  This recipe is amazing- that's what I wrote next to it in my book- amazing!  I cannot say enough wonderful things about this recipe and I know that every single strawberry season from now on I will be making this.  Not only does it taste great, but it's also simple and easy to prepare.  It's all done in the food processor- so not a ton of clean up after either!  To start you simply take 2 pounds of fresh strawberries (de-stemmed) and puree them in a food processor.  This puree then gets passed through a fine-mesh strainer and you are left with a gorgeous pink, seedless puree.  After cleaning out the processor you add 24 ounces of firm silken tofu to it and puree this until there are no lumps and it's whipped and creamy.  To that you add in some vanilla extract, maple syrup, all-purpose unbleached white flour (or white rice flour or ivory teff flour, if you are gluten sensitive), and the strawberry puree.  This all gets pulsed together to combine and you are left with the most beautiful pink substance I have ever seen.  This is so pretty- it is the perfect dessert to make for a tea party, a girls night party, a little girl princess party, or any elegant dinner party- it's absolutely stunning to look at.  This mixture then gets placed into a serving bowl (I used a clear glass one so you can see the gorgeous custard through it) and then refrigerated for about 1 hour.  When you are ready to serve you place it in bowls or parfait glasses and top with some fresh berries (I just kept it simple and sliced up some fresh strawberries) and lemon peel.  So simple, so elegant, and so fresh.  No one will ever guess there is tofu in this recipe (my husband and kids loved it and are none the wiser!)  Just have a no-tell policy!  The lemon zest adds such a brightness and freshness to this dish- you simply cannot leave it out- if you make this (and you should!) make sure you have a lemon on hand- you'll be amazed at how adding one simple thing can punch the flavor up SO much!  This is one of the best dessert recipes I've made in awhile- simply delicious!

My rating- 10!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe 3- Grilled Vegetables with Pasta

This was dinner for my family tonight.  Another great use of summer veggies, easy to prepare, and the kitchen stays relatively cool too (you only need to cook pasta indoors, unless you have a fancy schmancy grill with a burner and then you can do it outside).  There's a lot of prepping veggies in this recipe, but other than that it is quick and easy to do.  All you do is toss some veggies (orange bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, and some cipollini onions- or whatever veggies you happen to have on hand that you can skewer) onto skewers and grill them for about 5-7 minutes.  These get tossed with some cooked fusilli pasta, 1 minced garlic clove, some extra-virgin olive oil, chopped fresh basil, sea salt, and black pepper.  Super simple, very easy- the colors let you know that this is healthy for you- another recipe that just screams summertime!  The flavor of the grilled veggies really adds depth of flavor, but it is still so light and fresh.  I know I'll be making this dish every summer- a great way to use up whatever veggies you have on hand and make them taste great!

My rating- 8

Clean Food, Recipe #2- Pesto Pasta Salad

I have to start this by saying that I am absolutely IN LOVE with this cookbook.  It revolves around eating seasonal, fresh, veggies and fruits and I have been diving into the summer chapter this past week and I LOVE it!  I am a member of a fruit and vegetable CSA in my area and this is such a great cookbook to go to when I need quick ideas on how to use up summer's bounty.  We went to a cookout at a friend's house yesterday and I brought this delicious pasta salad.  I absolutely ADORE pesto and I grow basil in my own garden, so it's always a great way to use it up, but I've never made a vegan pesto before.  It was just as easy and delicious as the original recipe.  Simply combine in a food processor the following: garlic, fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, soy or rice parmesan cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil.  That's it- SO simple and really yummy!  For the salad you simply cook up some fusilli pasta and then throw in some diced yellow bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, and some pitted black olives.  Then you take some broccoli florets and sliced carrots and you cover them with boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain and rinse with cold water and add those to the pot as well.  Then you add the pesto and toss it all together- dinner (or lunch) is served!  It only took me about 30 minutes or so to throw this together and the flavors are delicious and so fresh- it simply tastes like summer.  I had leftovers for lunch today and still have more for tomorrow (it makes a HUGE batch!)- I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!

My rating- 9

Monday, July 2, 2012

Honorable Mention Recipe #7- Ethiopian-Style Bread Salad

Well, I now have a new favorite salad recipe.  I made this salad for my dinner tonight and it made me so happy.  This recipe is from Tosca Reno's newest cookbook- The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook and I am really excited to share it with all of you.  There's lots to love about this recipe- it's simple, it doesn't heat up your kitchen in the summertime, and it's DELICIOUS!  All you do is toss together some green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, jalepenos, and cubed whole wheat sourdough bread in a big bowl.  Make an insanely simple dressing with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper and toss that into the salad and you are done.  That's it!  So simple and refreshing and so satisfying.  I made this about 2 hours before I wanted to eat it to allow the flavors to really develop and it was divine.  This will definitely become a go-to salad recipe- a nice departure from the typical tossed salad that we all eat in the summer.  I love it!  Thanks Tosca!

My rating- 9.5

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Clean Food, Recipe #1- Nuts over Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

So this is the last recipe I have to write about tonight.  I made this a few days ago for a special treat with the berries and rhubarb that we got from our CSA.  This recipe is fantastic for a few reasons- it's a great way to use up fresh, in season ingredients, it's healthy, but still sweet enough that it will fulfill a craving, and lastly it's gluten-free.  How awesome is that?  Vegan AND gluten-free- a great recipe to make for a party or gathering too since so many people are allergic to gluten these days.  It DOES have lots of nuts though, so not a good pick if you have friends or family with nut allergies.  Anyway, it's a cinch to put together and so tasty.  You start by making the crust.  This is super easy because it's done in the food processor.  You pulse together equal parts almonds, walnuts, and pecans in the food processor until they resemble coarse meal.  Then you pulse in some brown rice flour, maple syrup, canola oil, and sea salt.  This is your crust and also your topping- it serves double duty- so cool!  So, you take 2/3 of this mixture and pat it down into a pie plate and then bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  While the crust cools slightly you make the filling.  All you do is combine some apple juice and maple syrup in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Once boiling you whisk in some arrowroot and agar powder (the agar powder elluded me- I couldn't find it anywhere, so I just left it out and stuck with the arrowroot powder).  Once the mixture thickens a bit you add in some rhubarb and strawberries and cook it down until the rhubarb begins to break up.  Pour it into the pie shell and then top it with the rest of the crust mixture and bake for 40 more minutes.  One note- be sure to place the pie plate on a baking sheet while baking- it WILL overflow a little bit, so be prepared and don't destroy the bottom of your oven!  I love this pie- it's the perfect balance of sweet and sour and the nuts add a heartiness and richness that truly makes it stand out.  I have some friends that are allergic to gluten and this is now going to be a great recipe in my back pocket for summer get-togethers with them- now no one needs to feel left out at dessert time!  (And those of us who are not gluten sensitive can enjoy it too- it's perfectly delicious!)

My rating- 9

Honorable Mention Recipe #6- Breakfast Bake

This recipe is from none other than Kim Barnouin again (can you tell I've been browsing through her cookbook lately?).  I actually made this for breakfast this morning (another great recipe to make on a lazy morning) and I am SO glad I did!  You start in a skillet with some grapeseed oil and some onion.  Once the onion softens you add in some garlic, diced russet potato, some chopped up soy sausage, and some chopped mushrooms.  This all sautes for a bit and then you spice it up with a bit of salt, pepper, dried thyme, and fresh rosemary.  Once you let the flavors all get to know each other for a few minutes you take this mixture and turn it out into a 13x9-inch pan (I lightly sprayed mine with vegetable oil spray to prevent sticking).  Then you pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes (at 400 degrees).  The last step is putting a bit of shredded vegan cheddar on top and baking for an additional 5 minutes until it melts.  That's it- not difficult AT ALL- really simple, but yet it has complex flavors.  This was SO flavorful and everything was cooked perfectly- I adore the flavors in this casserole- it's hearty and comforting- perfect for a brunch and perfect to make for meat eaters as well- you won't miss the meat, this is just as satisfying and maybe even more delicious.  I know I'll be making this again, for sure!

My rating- 10!

Honorable Mention Recipe #5- Banana and Cinnamon Muffins

Well, Kim Barnouin has come through with another great recipe again, from her latest Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.  These muffins are SUPER fun to make and kids LOVE them (at least, mine did- especially my 4 year old- she couldn't get enough of them!).  I was definitely suspicious that a great muffin could be made with no dairy, no eggs, no butter- but I found out that it CAN!  These take a bit of time to pull together though- so make these on a lazy morning when you aren't in a hurry- they will be worth the effort, I promise!  First you have to curdle some milk, so you take some almond milk and add in some apple cider vinegar to curdle it.  In another bowl you mix together some unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  In yet another bowl (one of the negatives of this recipe- you need so many bowls!) you mix some earth balance with evaporated cane sugar with an electric mixer until nice and fluffy.  Then you add into that some soy yogurt, the curdled milk, and vanilla.  After you beat that for a bit you finally add in 2 large mashed bananas.  Finally you mix the wet ingredients into the dry and you've got your batter.  This gets poured into muffin tins and baked for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes you pull them out and top them with a crumble mixture (chopped walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon) and then pop them back in the oven to bake an additional 10 minutes (at 325 degrees).  The verdict?  Utter yumminess- I don't think that's a word, but that's what these are.  They are moist and flavorful and the topping is the PERFECT addition- it completes these and it's crunchy and sweet- OH SO good!  While these have the yumminess factor I do have 2 complaints (which knocked my rating down a notch)- number one- this recipe makes too much batter!  It makes WAY more than 12 muffins- so I ended up with just enough extra to fill up my mini-muffin tin as well.  If you happen to have one I suggest doing this, especially if you have kids- my kids loved seeing muffins just for them!  The other issue is that putting the topping on halfway through baking is SUCH a hassle and a MESS.  I understand why she does it (you don't want the walnuts to burn), but I think next time I'm just gonna take a chance and put the topping on from the start- eliminating a step and a messy hassle.  Don't let that stop you from trying these out though- they are really delicious!

My rating- 9

Honorable Mention Recipe #4- Lentil Tacos with Fresh Salsa

Wow!  Do I ever have some catching up to do!  I was sick again and then on vacation- so I've been doing some cooking, but not a lot of writing!  I'll be getting all caught up tonight.  First up is this honorable mention recipe from Kim Barnouin's latest book.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe!  It's super easy to make- takes a bit of time, but most of that time is walk-away time while the lentils cook.  All you do is start with some lentils and onion in some boiling water- these cook until soft, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Then half the lentils go in a food processor with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and tomato paste.  The puree gets mixed with the whole lentils and this is your taco filling.  To serve with it you simply make a salsa with cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, jalepeno, lime juice, cilantro, and a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  SO SIMPLE!  Then you serve this with some shredded lettuce and avocado (I actually just mixed the avocado into my salsa- delicious!) in either heated soft corn tortillas or crispy taco shells (we picked crispy this time).  These are perfect for summer- so fresh and delicious and great on the waistline too- you won't feel heavy or weighed down after eating one of these and you get a great amount of protein and good fats with this recipe too.  I know this will become a quick and easy go-to meal- perfect for days when you don't want to exert much effort in the kitchen.

My rating- 9.5

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 21- Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Dijon Glaze

It's good to be back!  Trying to get back into the swing of things after sickness is NOT easy!  I'm trying though and last night I finally got around to making this recipe.  I was VERY excited to try out this recipe.  First of all, croquettes are SO yummy- who doesn't like something that is fried?  They are shallow fried, but still- you get the brown, crispy crust on the outside and the creamy, savory filling on the inside- what's not to like?  At least, that's what I should have gotten.  Instead my croquettes disappeared into nothingness!  They completely disintegrated into the pan and all I was left with was crispy crumbs and crumbles, but no whole, intact croquettes.  It was a total bummer because the crispy bits that remained actually tasted excellent, so it was a huge disappointment that they didn't work out.  I think the main problem with these is that there is no binder (they consist of black-eyed peas, fresh parsley, sea salt, shoyu, and cumin all processed in a food processor and then formed into croquettes).  I'm not really sure how to fix that problem either.  Egg would be the perfect binder, but is obviously out of the question in a vegan recipe.  So, I don't think I'll be making these again- so sad since this recipe was really promising, it just doesn't work though- don't waste your time, energy, food, and money on it- you will watch it all disintegrate into nothing!

My rating- 3 (the only reason it has a 3 and not a 1 is because it actually would have tasted great and those crispy bits were very yummy- I just used the crispy bits to top our rice- at least all was not lost)

PS- This recipe also had a very simple dipping sauce made from barley malt syrup and Dijon mustard- ick!  Not my favorite by any means.  I think that I'm just not used to the taste of barley malt, it's a very distinct and strong flavor- it's not for me.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Update

Just wanted to post a quick update since I haven't done a post in awhile.  I have been dealing with sickness in my house non-stop for about 3-4 weeks now.  Right after the stomach bug ran through our family my daughter brought home a nasty cold virus from school.  It turned into a double ear infection for my one daughter and pneumonia for the other!  Then, my husband and I got sick too and are still struggling with this illness!  I've been sick for a week now and still feel crappy!  Anyway, because of all this sickness there has not been much cooking going on in my house AT ALL.  I will be back at it and going strong next week though (at least, that's the plan!), so stay tuned everyone, there are some great recipe reviews coming your way next week!  Here's a little teaser- how do these sound?

Mixed Berry Cheesecake
My Favorite Cupcakes (from Alicia Silverstone)
Rhubarb Cherry Berry Crostata
Ethiopian-Style Bread Salad
Green Thai Curry
Lentil Tacos with Fresh Salsa
Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Dijon Glaze
Breakfast Bake
Banana and Cinnamon Muffins

That's all to come in the upcoming week- I'm getting hungry just writing this!  YUMMMMMY!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Honorable Mention Recipe #3- Seitan Sweet Potato and Onion Hash

Okay, so I had a DELICIOUS dinner last night!  Thanks to Kim Barnouin and her new cookbook.  This recipe is so easy- it came together in 20 minutes and it was SO yummy!  My husband loved it too, so it will please vegetarians and omnivores alike.  All you do is saute some cubed seitan (this was our first time trying out seitan- we really liked it!) in some grapeseed oil for about 5 minutes.  The seitan then comes out of the pan and gets set aside.  In the pan goes more grapeseed oil and sweet onion and red bell pepper.  After that softens you add in some diced sweet potato and saute that all together for another 5 minutes.  Add some veggie broth, chives, rosemary, and thyme and you are practically done- this simmers for another 5 minutes or so and dinner is served.  This was absolutely delicious- I am having the leftovers for lunch as I write this- it fills your kitchen with the most amazing aroma too- the fresh herbs add a nice earthy flavor and the sweet potatoes were cooked perfectly.  I know that I'll be making this again- it's a perfect stand-by meal, so easy to throw together and you could easily adjust the ingredients to fit whatever you have on hand.  This one is a winner!

My rating- 9.5

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Honorable Mention Recipe #2- Strawberry Shortcake

So, I have stumbled across another blog-worthy recipe from yet another vegan cookbook.  (Who knew there were so many out there?!?!)  This one is from Kim Barnouin's most recent cookbook- Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. (For those of you who are familiar with her popular vegan book series, you know who I mean.  For those who haven't heard of her series- just google her name and you'll find it.  It has a swear word in it and personally I don't swear because I think it makes women sound trashy, so I will just refer to this book in the future as the Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.Despite the name of her series, she does have some fantastic recipes and this is one of them.  Who doesn't love Strawberry Shortcake this time of year?  It's a must have recipe, right?  Now I can eat it vegan style with NO guilt!  (Okay, maybe a twinge of guilt because it does have some sugar and white flour in it- but just a little bit!For me, this is a truly seasonal dessert that I have made year after year (usually by making Bisquick biscuits).  This recipe really isn't all that different from the norm.  For the berries you simply mix up some sliced strawberries with a bit of evaporated cane sugar (just 1 tablespoon sugar per 2 cups of berries).  For the biscuits you mix unbleached all-purpose flour with some baking powder, evaporated cane sugar, and salt.  Then you cut in some cold, cubed earth balance (this is a vegan butter substitute).  In a measuring cup you mix almond milk and some vanilla extract and then this mixture gets added to the dry and VOILA! the batter is made.  I have 2 qualms with this recipe- the first being this- she has written this recipe as a cut-out biscuit, so she tells you to roll out the dough and cut the biscuits out with a biscuit cutter.  NOT HAPPENING KIM!  This batter was WAY too wet to roll out, so instead I decided to make them like the good-old Bisquick biscuits and just do drop biscuits (the recipe makes 8).  This worked really well!  I was happy with the result, but just confused how they could ever be cut-out biscuits- oh well.  They taste GREAT, so who cares about the method of making them?  Plus, it turned out to be easier to just do drop biscuits- a time saver! Serve these up with the macerated strawberries and some vegan whipped cream and you have a heavenly dessert that will bring back childhood memories.  These shortcakes are perfect- absolutely delicious!  If you make these though- I would double the amount of strawberries that you use.  I like mine filled with berries and didn't find 2 cups to be enough for 8 servings!  (That was my second qualm!)  I loved this so much I may make this again next week since our local strawberries are rolling in right now.............yum yum!

My rating- 9.5

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Vegan with a Vengeance, Recipe 1- Lemon Corn Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

We had a bit of a lazy morning today, so I decided it would be fun to think out of the box and make some homemade waffles today, vegan style!  While I try to eat clean most of the time, sometimes you just need a fun recipe to spice things up a bit, especially when you have kids.  That being said, I certainly would not eat this on a regular basis, but boy was it worth the effort!  (And the splurge!)  For the waffles you mix sifted dry ingredients in one bowl (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornmeal), and wet in another (canola oil, soy milk, soy yogurt, zest and juice from 2 lemons, and some sugar- only a bit- 1/4 cup).  Make a well in the dry and then mix in the wet and your batter is done.  Heat up your waffle maker and make them according to your waffle maker directions.  While the waffles cook you make the blueberry sauce.  In a saucepan you mix 1 pound of slightly thawed frozen blueberries with some arrowroot starch (this acts like cornstarch, you could use that as well) and you toss it with the berries until it dissolves.  Then you put the mixture over medium heat and cook until the berries release juices and are heated through.  Lastly, you add in some maple syrup and vanilla extract and cook the mixture until it's nice and thickened up.  I have to say that these are a perfect combo of flavors.  Surprisingly, these have just the right amount of sweetness too- they are not cloyingly sweet, but just right.  The blueberry sauce is too DIE for- so yummy and perfect with the bright lemony flavor of the waffles.  The sauce thickens up just like the blueberry pie filling out of a can, but it's so much healthier for you and you control the ingredients- what could be better than that?  It is SO worth the 10 minutes it takes to whip it up!  A testament to how good these little beauties were?  My almost 5 year old ate 2 1/2 waffles and LOADS of the blueberry sauce!  My 2 year old wouldn't touch the waffles, but ate a bunch of the blueberry sauce.  Needless to say, I had quite the mess on my hands after!  It was definitely worth it!

My rating- 10!

PS- If you want to make these even more special- serve with a dollop of vegan soy-whipped cream.  YUM!

Honorable Mention Recipe #1- Italian Mariara Beanball Subs

So, I've decided to include honorable mention recipes- recipes from books that I am not going to cook my way through, but that are SO good that I just have to write about them.  (For me this means they rate a 9 or higher.)  This particular recipe is from Tosca Reno's new book- The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook.  I made these Beanball Subs for dinner a couple of nights ago and they were outstanding!  Everyone in my family liked them (except for my picky 2 year old), my husband couldn't get enough!  They are actually really easy to make too- it just takes a bit of forethought because you do use some cooked red quinoa in the recipe.  So, I simply cooked up the quinoa in the morning so it was ready to go when I was ready to make dinner.  Here's how the recipe goes- in a food processor you process onion, garlic, basil, and parsley until smooth.  Then you put that mixture in a bowl and add some cooked cannellini beans (about 1 can) to the processor and process until chunky.  Add the beans to the aromatics and add to that the red quinoa, Bragg's liquid aminos (these can be found in the health food section of your grocery store), nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, whole wheat bread crumbs, wheat germ, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  This all gets mixed up (it's fun to do with your hands!) and then you form it into golf ball sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about  35 minutes and your beanballs are done!  All that's left to do is assemble.  Cut up a whole-grain baguette into 5 6-inch sections and top that with 4 beanballs, 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I had homemade, but forgot to thaw it, so had to resort to store bought- just try to use a healthy sauce- I used Newman's Own Marinara), and sprinkle on some more nutritional yeast (this is also found in the health food section and is a great replacement for cheese- it has a similar taste).  If you have a family that is split- some vegan/vegetarian and some meat eaters this is a WONDERFUL recipe!  Meat lovers and veggie lovers alike will LOVE this recipe!  It's not lacking in flavor by any means- and it really hits the spot- it's a truly satisfying meal.  Serve it up with some greens on the side and you have one fantastic meal!  Thanks Tosca for this fabulous recipe!

My rating- 9

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 20- Crocodile Crunch

Okay, so I lied- I actually will be caught up after THIS recipe!  I decided to make breakfast for dinner tonight.  It's been hot outside and I don't feel like cooking, for starters, but it's also just me and my girls tonight and I thought this sounded like a fun thing to make for us all to chow down on.  What kid (or adult, for that matter) wouldn't at least want to TRY something called Crocodile Crunch?  You'll see why it's called that later (it's the secret ingredient!).  First things first- you start by chopping up any variety of fruits you want into bite-sized pieces.  I used kiwi, strawberries, banana, and apple.  She also suggests using avocados, pears, or mango.  Just make sure you choose sturdy fruits that can stand up to a sauce.  Mix up all the fruit in a bowl and then you make the sauce.  This is the secret- spirulina.  This super food powder is what turns this dish it's crocodile green color.  To start the sauce you mix the spirulina with some hemp milk.  Then you add in some almond butter, followed by some maple syrup and freshly squeezed orange juice.  This is your sauce and it gets poured down all over the fruit.  Mix it up to coat it all and then you top the mixture with some dried coconut and kamut flake cereal (I actually ONLY had some oat flake cereal on hand, so that's what I used).  Divide into bowls and serve it up.  What could be more refreshing at the end of a hot day then a bowlful of fruit?  Not much, and when it's a funky green color, it doesn't get much cooler than that!  Now for the taste test- WOW!  I have to say that with it's deep green color it does almost look more like a science project gone bad than food, but once you taste this you will be instantly IN LOVE.  It is SO good for you, but you wouldn't really know it- it tastes like a dessert and it's got crunchy and soft textures- the combo of flavors is superb.  I am in love with this and will be making it often this summer- it's also a great way to use up nature's bounty of fruits in the summer- make a big batch of this and watch it disappear!  AMAZING!

My rating- 10!

PS- My 4 1/2 year old really liked this recipe, but my 2 year old?  Not so much- the green color really freaked her out (plus she is my picky eater anyway).  I'll just keep trying!

The Kind Diet, Recipe 19- Basic Rice

I am happy to say that after reviewing this recipe I will be ALL caught up.  I made this last week in preparation for the Clean, Mean Burritos.  I STINK at making brown rice, so I was excited to see this basic recipe in this book, I was hopeful that it would solve my problem of mushy, stuck together brown rice.  To start, you rinse the 1 cup of brown rice (she says to rinse it once, but I rinsed it twice).  The next step is optional- you let the rice soak in fresh water for 1 hour or overnight.  I skipped this step since I didn't have that kind of time.  Whenever you are ready to cook the rinsed rice you simply drain it off and place it in the pot with 2 cups fresh water and a pinch of sea salt.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and then cover the pot, reduce the heat as low as it will go and let it rip for a full 50 minutes (no peeking!).  Let it sit a few more minutes off the heat with the lid still on and you are ready to eat.  Unfortunately, I have to say that I was still left disappointed- while I saw a marked improvement in the stickiness and mushiness in the rice, it still had MUCH more than I was hoping for- so I am still on a quest for perfect brown rice.  Perhaps next time I will soak it overnight- maybe that will do the trick.

My rating- 6.5

The Kind Diet, Recipe 18- Clean, Mean Burritos

I have to start by saying that we are not big burrito eaters in my house.  That being said, I think we'll eat them more often now that I have found such an easy, clean recipe for them!  These take a little forethought to put together, but are really very simple to do.  First you make a batch of brown rice.  (That's the forethought part- you can even make the rice the night before if that's easier for you.)  Once that's made you can start getting the burritos together.  I fancied them up a tad- her recipe just calls for cooked beans (I used kidney beans), but I decided to heat them in a skillet with a bit of water and mash about half of them up.  I also added a bit of garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper to the beans to spice them up a bit.  To assemble the burritos I simply put a little bit of the brown rice in the center of a tortilla with some of the bean mixture.  Then I added chopped cucumber, avocado, shredded lettuce, and chopped cilantro and rolled that bad boy up!  Serve them up with some vegan sour cream and maybe a bit of salsa and you have dinner.  I love this recipe because it's simple, clean, delicious, AND a complete meal in one cute little package!  You get your protein, carbs, and veggies all in one!  I love that!  These are also excellent as leftovers for lunches- so you'll be sure to use up all the leftover ingredients- no waste!  I know I'll make these again this summer- they are filling without being heavy- perfect for the nice weather.

My rating- 9

The Kind Diet, Recipe 17- Chorizo Tacos

So, I made these tacos before I got sick and forgot to write about them!  I just realized I left them out!  These should not be left out either, because they were delicious.  Even my carnivorous husband loved these- he ate a ton of them!  I did have to improvise a bit with this recipe though.  The recipe calls for sliced vegan chorizo or taco crumbles and I couldn't find either one of those.  So, I bought some smart ground and just sauteed it up in a pan with some olive oil and  taco seasoning and created my own taco crumbles.  SO good!  The only other thing you need to do for this recipe is heat up some corn tortillas in the oven in a damp kitchen towel and chop up the condiments.  We had some shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, hot sauce, vegan shredded cheddar cheese, and vegan sour cream.  This was such a fun meal to make (especially if you have kids)- everyone can choose their own toppings and assemble their own tacos, and it's even better that it tasted great!  This literally came together in 15 minutes- perfect for a busy weeknight, and great for the summer because there's very little stove time.  If you use hard taco shells instead of the soft you can cut out even more oven time- there's no need to heat those.  I know I'll be making this again soon- it was a hit!

My rating- 9.5

By the way- these taste JUST like the real thing- if you don't tell, they'll NEVER know it's smart ground instead of ground beef!  My husband asked me a few times- "there's really no meat in here?"!

The Kind Diet, Recipe 16- Rustic Pasta

Hello all!  I am so sorry that I haven't had any new posts in awhile, but I was dealing with sickness last week and just couldn't handle one more thing.  I am feeling MUCH better this week and started off the week great with this pasta dish for dinner last night.  It wasn't the best day to be making pasta (it was 85 degrees outside), but I had to make this since I had all the ingredients already.  So, despite turning my house into a sauna, I set to work on making this wonderful recipe.  I must say that this is a keeper.  I think this recipe is brilliant because you use only 1/4 pound of pasta, but you end up with this HUGE pot of pasta that will easily feed a family of 4.  The trick?  You add 1 full head of shredded cabbage!  The cabbage mimics the shape of the pasta (that is, if you use spaghetti like I did), and it really bulks up the dish.  It turns out that this was actually a great recipe to eat on a hot day because you end up eating mostly veggies and only a little bit of tummy-filling pasta- genius!  It ends up being filling, but light- I didn't feel stuffed after eating it.  So, all you do for this is saute some onions in olive oil to start.  Add in some garlic and celery and once those soften a bit you add in some shoyu (this is a type of soy sauce found in the Asian section of your market), garlic powder, sea salt, the shredded cabbage, and some marinara sauce.  That's it!  It was SUPER simple and so delicious.  We were in a hurry last night, so I just served this on it's own, but it would be great with a side salad and some fresh, homemade garlic bread.  I think that's what I'll do next time- YUMMY!  I cannot say enough about this dish- I just love it!  Oh, and even more important- it tastes fantastic!  Easy and it tastes great?  It's a no-brainer- this will be in my rotation!

My rating- 9.5

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 15- Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake

After a very rough weekend (I've been down with a stomach bug since Saturday night), I am finally getting back to the land of living again and ready to tell you about this recipe.  I actually made this on Friday, but couldn't even look at or talk about food for 3 days, so I finally feel well enough to write about it.  I have to start out by saying that I would not call this recipe "poundcake"- it definitely does NOT have the texture of poundcake.  These are actually fluffier and lighter, not dense and rich.  I think this is more of a cross between a muffin and an angel food cake.  (As far as the texture goes, anyway.)  Needless to say, whatever you want to call it- it's very yummy!  You can either bake these up in 3 mini loaf pans, a muffin tin, or 4 mini bundt pans- I used the muffin tin.  The recipe is easy to tackle- once again it's dry in one bowl (whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, maple sugar, egg replacer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).  Then, in another bowl you mix together some plain, unsweetened rice, soy, or nut milk with some lemon juice.  Once this mixture curdles you add in some safflower oil, maple syrup, and lemon extract.  Mix the wet with the dry and fold in some poppy seeds and you are ready to bake.  Once they are baked you let them fully cool on rack.  Once cool you top them with a terrifically sweet and tart glaze.  You simply cook some maple syrup and lemon juice together on the stove top over medium heat.  Then you mix in some diluted kuzu (this can be found in health food stores or grocery stores with health food sections) and let it come to a boil.  The kuzu acts like cornstarch and thickens up the sauce so that it forms a thick, syrupy glaze.  This glaze is SO good- I LOVE the tartness of it- it is wonderful.  Pour it over the muffins and you have a delicious treat.  She gives an optional glaze that is made with berries as well- that would be really nice to try out in the summer, I'll try that one next time.  I know I'll make these again- the cake is moist and tender and the glaze is spectacular- it's really delicious.  My kids and husband liked them too, so that is a HUGE bonus! 

My rating- 9

Note- Alicia lists this recipe in the dessert part of her book, but I really liked these as a breakfast treat with some fruit in the morning.  I prefer sweet to savory in the morning, so if you are like me, you will LOVE these as a special treat on a weekend morning- SO yummy!  Another thought- these would be wonderful to make for a brunch or a tea party- they'd be the perfect addition, especially in the spring and summer, the lemon is so light and fresh!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 14- Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

Last night I noticed that I had run out of my homemade treats and I decided that I better get to making some more!  So, I whipped up a batch of these crispy treats.  Another ridiculously easy recipe to make, I had a dessert ready in no time (especially since these are no-bake).  All you do is melt some brown rice syrup on the stove top with a bit of sea salt, then you mix in some peanut butter until it melts and combines.  This mixture gets poured onto brown rice crisps cereal and you toss to combine.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature (this is challenging to wait, but you really need to- so don't skip this step!), and then once it cools off you add in some grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate chips.  Stir and then press the mixture into an 8x8 or 13x9-inch pan.  Let sit for at least an hour to set up and you've got dessert!  I made these in an 8x8-inch pan and I think that next time I'll make them in the 13x9-inch pan instead- these are HUGE when in the smaller pan, and harder (I think) to control the portion size.  That being said, they are VERY good- really sweet, so if you have a sweet tooth you will love these and the peanut butter flavor is so yummy- just enough without being too overpowering.  I do have to say though, that I'm not a big fan of rice crispy treats (which these can be compared to), so these aren't my favorite dessert out of the ones I've made so far in this book.  I'd rather make a batch of the oatmeal cookies or peanut butter cups before these again.  Alicia includes a variation in the book for Almond Raisin Bars, so I'll definitely be giving these a try too- they would be a tad healthier since they don't have chocolate.

My rating- 8

The Kind Diet, Recipe 13- Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette

I have to say that while kale is my all-time favorite dark, leafy green, baby bok choy is a close second for me.  It is absolutely amazing and one of my good friends was kind enough to pick me up a bunch from an organic farmer at our local farmer's market a couple of weeks ago.  It was gorgeous- while I was wondering what to do with it I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to give it a try since I had all the ingredients on hand.  This is the easiest recipe from this book so far.  Simply steam the bok choy for 1-2 minutes and then pour on the vinaigrette (umeboshi vinegar, which you can find in the Asian aisle of your big grocery store or in an Asian market, and flaxseed oil- SO simple!).  She has an option of adding some Gomashio (an Asian condiment that I have yet to make or buy), but this was optional, so I left it out and instead just added some freshly ground black pepper and a little sea salt.  A note about the salt- I should have tasted the Umeboshi vinegar before I added salt- it is actually very salty on it's own, so I ended up with bok choy that was a bit too salty.  Lesson learned- NO salt needed next time!  I love this recipe though- the simplicity of it is great, but it also tastes great too.  I've already made this version twice, but she also has a variation with leeks and cabbage that I plan on trying out next time- that sounds SO yummy as well!  One more quick note on this recipe- it's so beautiful and elegant- it would wow guests at a sit-down dinner party and no one will ever know it literally only took you 2 minutes to make it!  Now THAT's a recipe!

My rating- 10! 

The Kind Diet, Recipe 12- Mom's Granola

Ok, I REALLY have a thing for oats because I love granola just as much as oatmeal cookies and oatmeal!  I used to make my own granola back in the day, but then started not to make it because of the calorie issue.  Yes, granola is caloric, but if eaten in moderation and made with healthful ingredients it can really be a healthy food to incorporate into your diet.  Make it from scratch and you'll always know what's in it!  The great thing about granola is that you can put whatever you want in it.  I followed the recipe this time, but next time I'll get a little crazy and switch things up a bit- switch the nuts and add some raisins or dried cranberries next time- you can really do whatever you want!  Another bonus- it's easy to make!  Simply toast some oats in the oven on a baking sheet for a few minutes, then mix them up in a big bowl  with maple sugar, wheat germ, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds (I used these, but she also suggests sesame seeds), chopped nuts (I used walnuts.  She also says you can use raisins, but I left those out this time.), safflower oil, maple syrup (or brown rice syrup, whichever you have on hand), and some vanilla extract.  This all gets tossed together, spread out on 2 baking sheets and put back in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Super simple and SUPER delish!  I have eaten this for breakfast everyday for almost a week now.  It makes a HUGE batch- enough to last up to a week, depending on how many people in your family will eat it.  Paired with some sliced banana or strawberries and some of whatever your fav non-dairy milk is- this breakfast is hearty and oh so good!  If you are a granola nut (or even if you aren't, for that matter), you MUST try this recipe!  I love it!

My rating- 9.5

The Kind Diet, Recipe 11- Whole Wheat Biscuits

I have to start by specifying what type of biscuits these are.  These are not dinner rolls, they are breakfast biscuits.  The kind that you roll out and cut out with a biscuit cutter and serve with jam and butter or in the South with sausage and gravy.  (Obviously, no butter, sausage, or gravy for me!)  Anyway, I served these up with some earth balance spread and homemade strawberry jam- yum!  They are very easy to put together- whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and sea salt get mixed together in a bowl.  Then you slowly add in some safflower oil until the mixture looks sandy and wet.  Then you gradually add in some plain rice or almond milk (soy would be fine too) until the dough comes together.  Knead it a bit and then pat it out and cut out biscuits.  Bake these in the oven for only about 10 minutes and you've got breakfast biscuits!  So easy- this could even be done on a weekday morning, it's that simple.  I liked these- they were good.  Not great, but good.  They were a little dense in texture and felt very heavy in my stomach, so next time I make them I think I'll do 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup spelt or unbleached all-purpose flour, in an effort to lighten them up a bit.  (The recipe calls for 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour.)  The denseness is my only complaint, otherwise I thought these were a great alternative to your usually VERY bad for you biscuits.  I'm sure I'll be making these again- they'd be great for a brunch or tea party with girlfriends.

My rating- 8

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 10- Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

So, I probably love oatmeal just as much as oatmeal cookies.  It is one of my stand-by breakfasts.  I probably have it 3-4 times per week, so I am always on the hunt for a new way to have it.  This recipe is really great because it comes together really quickly and you can assemble it when you first get up and let it sit while you do other things until you're ready to eat it.  All you do is take some oats, maple syrup, chopped walnuts, chopped apple, chopped dates, and sea salt and mix them together in a bowl.  Pour some boiling water over to cover and then cover the bowl with a plate or pot lid until the liquid is absorbed.  Right before eating you add some cinnamon and flaxseed oil.  This recipe is delicious- I've made it twice already and I know this will be a staple for me.  As with the oatmeal cookies, the flavor combinations for this oatmeal are endless as well- just pick whatever fruit, nut, and spice combination you would want and create your own flavors!  My one note about this recipe is that it's a HUGE portion!  I actually need to cut the recipe in half and it ends up being the perfect amount for me.  (The recipe calls for a whopping 1 cup of oats!  It's so much food I didn't know what to do with it all!)  So, unless you are really voracious in the morning, I suggest halving the recipe, unless of course, you are making it for two.

My rating- 9.5

The Kind Diet, Recipe 9- Oatmeal, walnut, and Dried Plum Cookies

I just so happen to adore oatmeal cookies.  There is something about them that is so comforting- even the smell of them baking in the oven seems to relax and calm me.  This was another recipe I was jumping up and down about because I couldn't imagine life without oatmeal cookies.  Again this follows very basic methods- mix dry in one bowl (oats, flour, maple sugar, baking powder and soda, and sea salt) and wet in another (maple syrup, safflower oil, vanilla, and molasses), and then combine the two.  Mix in some chopped walnuts and dried plums (otherwise known as prunes) and you are ready to shape into 10-12 BIG oatmeal cookies.  These bake up in about 10 minutes, super simple.  This recipe will not disappoint you- these are INCREDIBLE.  I would go so far as to say that they are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever had.  The best thing about these is that this recipe is just a springboard for dozens of different flavor combinations.  The versatility of this is fantastic.  I've already made this recipe twice (for dinner at my Mom and Dad's and for our family another time), and everyone who tries these loves them.  They are fantastic.  Some variations I've thought of trying out are: 1. Cranberry, orange, pecan.  2. Coconut, macadamia nut, vegan white chocolate.  3. Cherry, almond, vegan chocolate chip.  YUM!  I cannot wait to try these variations out and come up with some more to try out- the possibilities are endless!  I am so grateful for this recipe, and so is my family!

My rating- 10!

PS- I have to say that so far I have found that The Kind Diet really has it together with the desserts- every single one I've tried so far have been good and most are amazing!  Not to mention that they are made with cleaner ingredients than some other vegan cookbooks, so they are better for you too- eliminating the guilt!  So, if you have sweet tooth like myself, but want to keep your treats cleaner and healthier, I highly recommend getting this book!

The Kind Diet, Recipe 8- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I have to start this by saying- who doesn't LOVE peanut butter cups?  These used to be an obsession of mine and still remain a temptation so when I saw a vegan recipe in this book for them I was totally psyched!  These are SO easy to make that I've actually already made them twice!  The first time I made them for my family and last weekend I made them for dessert for a cookout with some friends of ours.  These will easily please vegans and non-vegans alike.  In fact, if you don't tell, they'll never know!  To make them all you have to do is melt some earth balance butter and crunchy peanut butter in a pan on the stove.  Add in some maple sugar to sweeten (this is found in the natural foods aisle of your grocery store, or at health food stores), and some crushed graham crackers and the filling is done.  (One note- if you like more of a salty/sweet contrast in your peanut butter filling, simply add in a pinch of sea salt.)  This mixture gets poured into muffin tins (with the liners in place) and then you make the chocolate topping.  It's SO simple- just melt some grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate chips with some plain soy, rice, or nut milk and pour on top of the peanut butter mixture in each cup.  If you wish, top them with some chopped nuts and then chill for at least 2 hours.  (I found that overnight is really the best way to go- if you can stand waiting that long to eat one!)  When I made these I did nuts on half (the recipe makes 12) and no nuts on the other half- this way you please the adults and kids, since kids can sometimes be weird about nuts on top of their treats.  My non-vegan husband and kids LOVE these- they disappear VERY quickly every time and our guests really liked them too.  This will be a staple treat in our home- this recipe is amazing, a true home run!  Thanks Alicia!

My rating- 10!

The Kind Diet, Recipe 7- Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

One of my favorite things in life right now are dark, leafy greens.  I could literally eat mounds of them everyday- they are SO good!  I don't normally pick collards though, so this was a departure for me.  (My favorite is kale.)  Anyway, I made this recipe on the same night I brought the Barley Casserole over to my parents house for dinner.  This was one of the fastest side dishes to make- it comes together in about 10 minutes!  It's just some collard greens, toasted pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, raisins, and balsamic vinegar.  So simple and rustic.  I have to say that collards are a bit bitter for me, I prefer the more subtle flavor of kale or bok choy, but it was good.  Not my favorite recipe for dark greens, but I'll give it a try again.  I wasn't a huge fan of the raisins in the dish, so I may omit those next time.  Alicia also recommends swapping out pine nuts for pumpkins seeds and the balsamic vinegar for shoyu for an even healthier side dish.  I might try it that way next time and omit the raisins, I just found them to be too sweet.  These greens weren't a huge hit with the family either.....bummer! 

My rating- 5.5

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Kind Diet, Recipe 6- Hearty Pinto Bean Stew

This is my most recent recipe from The Kind Diet.  This was dinner tonight at my house.  It was rainy and damp out (although not super cold), but I was in the mood for a comforting stew today.  I did cheat a bit and make this stew with canned pinto beans (the recipe calls for using dried beans and soaking them overnight, but I had canned on hand, so I figured, why not?).  Since I used canned beans this already simple recipe was even easier for me to whip up.  I made this in about 30 minutes this afternoon.  I was able to make it before I had to pick my daughter up from school, that way I didn't have the hassle of cooking when we got home, all I had to do was heat it up!  Anyway, this recipe is very easy and convenient.  Simply heat up some tomato soup (Alicia recommends the one by Imagine, that's what I used), with some water, and shoyu (found in the Asian aisle) and bring this to a boil.  Then add the beans and simmer a bit.  Then you add in some onion, garlic, fresh basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes and simmer for a bit longer, until the stew thickens up.  Season to taste with sea salt and you're done.  That is, if you want to be.  She also suggests adding in some chopped up tofu dogs for a beans 'n' franks effect.  It just so happened that I had some leftover tofu dogs from this weekend, so I chopped those up and added them too.  (Amazingly, it really did taste like beans 'n' franks!)  Served it up over wild rice with a big salad on the side.  It was really comforting and filling, the perfect meal for a rainy day.  However, I think the next time I make it I'll omit the tofu dog- the tofu dog seemed to take away from the flavor of the beans, and they were really good!  It was, however, a very nostalgic meal- brought me back to the flavors of childhood picnics and barbecues........

My rating- 7.5

The Kind Diet, Recipe 5- Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew

I love stews.  What better meal to make on a cold, damp day then a lentil stew?  (It just so happens that the day I made this stew it was cold and rainy out.)  And this one is even better because it also has sweet potatoes in it.  This is another easy meal that would come together really easily on a weeknight.  A one pot meal that comes together in less than an hour.  Easily accessible ingredients also make this recipe a winner in my book.  Simply saute onion, tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and sea salt in some safflower oil.  Add some sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, and lentils to the mix and you've got dinner!  This stew is hearty and satisfying and when you eat it you just know you are doing something wonderful for your body. It's really versatile too. I served mine over couscous one night and had the leftovers with the cornbread another night- both ways were delicious.  This isn't the best stew I've ever had, but it was really good and super easy to prepare.  I know this will become a winter staple in my home.

My rating- 8

The Kind Diet, Recipe 4- Eggplant Chana Masala

This was one of the first dinners I made from this book.  It's easy to prepare and the ingredients are easy to find, so that was appealing.  I'm not a huge fan of chickpeas (which are the main ingredient in Chana Masala), but I DO love eggplant, so I decided to make this one.  It only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish- great for a busy weeknight.  Garlic, onions, curry powder, and cumin all get sauteed in some olive oil to start.  This is SO aromatic and exotic- the scent of this dish will just take you away- it's a transport meal, I love those kinds of meals.  Anyway, eggplant, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, and vegetarian chili all join the party and simmer away for about 30 minutes.  Once it comes to a thick, stewy consistency, it's done.  Stir in some chopped cilantro and you're ready to serve.  I served this over some brown rice, to make a complete meal.  For some reason, I just wasn't digging this recipe.  I was so excited about it because it smelled amazing as it cooked, but the flavor was lacking for me.  I might make it again and add some extra levels of flavor- perhaps some hot sauce to spice it up?  I can't put my finger on it, but something was missing.  The eggplant was also very bitter in this- so I suggest salting it for about 30 minutes before using it in the recipe. 

My rating- 6

The Kind Diet, Recipe 3- Cornbread

I LOVE cornbread and I was very skeptical when I came across this recipe for it in Alicia's book.  How could cornbread be cornbread with no butter, milk, or eggs?  It seemed an impossible task.  I really wanted to try it though, so I gave it a whirl.  Once again this was a breeze to make, just mix wet ingredients in one bowl (maple syrup, soy milk, safflower oil) and the dry in another (cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, sea salt).  Combine the dry and wet and you are done.  I made these in a muffin tin- I like the idea of having a perfect little portion size, this recipe will make 12 muffins.  They only take about 20 minutes or so to bake up and they will fill your house with the most amazing aroma.  I was hooked from first bite.  BEWARE!  These are seriously addictive!  I found myself thinking about them all the time- they are absolutely delicious and thanks to the maple syrup, they are sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth.  They don't need any earth balance spread- they are perfect on their own, absolutely amazing!  Even the texture is spot on- they are moist and tender.  If you prefer your cornbread on the savory side, I'd recommend cutting down on the amount of maple syrup.

My rating- 10!  (These are all I've ever wanted in a cornbread muffin!  I actually liked these BETTER than any other cornbread recipe I've made, just writing this makes me want to whip up a batch.  YUMMY!)

The Kind Diet, Recipe 2- Barley Casserole

This recipe really intrigued me.  I haven't eaten barley very much in my life, so the thought of an entire casserole devoted to barley seemed very unique to me.  I actually made this to take over to my Mom and Dad's house for dinner a couple of weeks ago (my Mom is a vegetarian).  It was pretty easy to make and assemble- only took about 60 minutes of prep time.  Not too bad.  So, the way it works is you take pearled or hulled barley- whichever you can find, and you cook it in water for 1 hour until tender (it says to drain off excess water, but my barley soaked it all up).  While that cooks you saute some onion and garlic in some olive oil.  Then you add some grated carrots, diced celery, shoyu (a kind of soy sauce found in the Asian section of most big grocery stores), sea salt, dried basil and oregano, and garlic powder.  These get cooked until the veggies are tender (it won't take long).  Then the barley goes in and you toss it all together.  Next, you make the Tahini Dressing.  This is SUPER easy- just whizzed up in the blender.  You simply throw some sauteed onion, tahini (sesame paste), shoyu, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, and dried oregano into the blender.  Add some water and then blend it up until it has a creamy consistency- super easy!  To assemble you layer in half the barley mixture, then some Tahini Dressing, then finish with the rest of the barley mixture and Tahini Dressing.  This bakes for about 35 minutes.  Now, for the critique..........I am very sad to say that this did not go over well with everyone.  It did have a really good flavor, but that was about all it had going for it.  The barley was really dried out and chewy.  The texture was just ALL wrong- way too dry, I mean like Sahara Desert dry!  I'm not going to completely toss this one to the wayside though, the flavor was really delish, so I think I'll try adding some veggie stock next time when it bakes and see if this helps the barley stay moist and creamy.  This way just didn't work out, sorry Alicia!

My rating- 5

The Kind Diet- Recipe No.1- Coffee Fudge Brownies

Hello everyone!  I have a confession to make..........I already started cooking my way through The Kind Diet cookbook a couple of weeks ago- so these first few recipes were made in the last couple of weeks.  This brownie recipe was the first vegan recipe I made.  I figured if vegan brownies aren't good, then how could I be vegan?  I went into this with an open mind though- knowing that I couldn't possibly compare vegan brownies with regular ones.  These were actually a snap to make, simply combining the dry ingredients in one bowl (whole wheat pastry flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and the wet in another (soy/rice milk blend, brewed decaf coffee, canola oil).  Then, simply combine the wet with the dry and add some chopped walnuts.  This bakes in an 8x8 pan for about 30 minutes in a 325 degree oven.  So far, so good- this is easy!  The hardest part is that you have to wait after they bake and let them cool completely and then you make a glaze for them.  The glaze is just grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate chips and earth balance butter.  These get melted together in a double boiler and then poured all over the top of the brownies.  Now comes MORE waiting- in the fridge they go for at least 1 hour.  The hardest thing about this recipe is all the waiting you have to do before you can eat them!  When you finally get to dig in they are suprisingly good!  I accidentally used carob chips when I made these and it gave the glaze a slightly bitter and almost woody taste, but it was strangely delicious.  Next time I'll use vegan chocolate and see how they turn out.  The brownie part was delicious- it was not a chewy brownie by any means though (my favorite kind), it was actually a bit crumbly in texture, which was a bit annoying because it was hard to get it to stay together when serving them.  The only other complaint I had was that they tasted a bit salty to me, so I think I'll reduce the 1 teaspoon sea salt down to 1/2 teaspoon next time.  Overall, this recipe was a great way to kick off my new lifestyle- definitely good enough to ease a chocolate craving whenever it may hit!  My husband, who is not making the switch to a vegan lifestyle, and both my kids liked them too.  I consider them a hit- no one would ever know they were vegan if you didn't tell them- these are a great recipe to bring to a dinner party or get together.  You will know that there is a dessert you can eat and no one else will even realize they are vegan- PERFECT!

My rating- 7.5 (I rate on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest.)
I simply couldn't give a higher rating because of the crumbly texture- I'm still holding out hope for a chewy vegan brownie!  :)