Curried Split Pea Soup

When I left school I battled traffic, fought for a parking spot at Target, made my way through the crowds, and made it home incredibly exhausted. I am fighting off a cold and the weather was so dreary. I decided to make soup for dinner. I bought fresh ginger a while back and decided to make a Curried Split Pea soup with homemade croutons and oven roasted asparagus.

Curried Split Pea Soup

Compliments of Vegan with a Vengeance

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a stockpot

Add one small onion and 3 cloves of garlic and saute for five minutes

Mix together 2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander powder

A pinch of cinnamon 

2 tablespoons fresh garlic minced

Add mixture to onion and garlic

Saute for additional minutes

Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil

Add 1 pound rinsed and dried split peas

Turn soup down to medium heat and cook for 60 minutes

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 275

Cut off rough ends of asparagus

Rinse tops of asparagus and cut in half

Add to glass baking sheet

Mince 2-3 cloves garlic

Add pepper and salt to taste

Drizzle mixture with olive oil

Bake until asparagus is tender

Homemade Croutons 

Cut french bread (not crusty) into cubes

Add to a skillet

Drizzle with olive oil

Cook over medium low heat and turn often

Add any seasonings you wish-I added curry to compliment the soup. You could add pasta sprinkles, garlic powder, etc

The End Products....

I didn't add exactly 2 tablespoons of ginger because I was lazy and didn't want to peel it. I would have like some more in the final product, but John said it was good with the 1 1/2 tablespoons I added. He isn't that big on ginger, so skimping was good. The soup was a bit watery due to the fact I didn't have exactly 16 oz of split peas. Nonetheless, it was tasty and hit the spot. My cat Handel even tried to get the leftovers while we were rinsing dishes. Tonight's meal gets two thumbs up from John and two paws up from Handel.

Happy Cooking!

Super Quick Meal

John and I have been very busy with work and school. Both of us have been staying late at work. When I mean stay late, John would be at work until 10 or 11. So, needless to say, I ate a few meals alone this week.

I wanted a super easy meal that wouldn't take a lot of time to make. I had a Grand Masala patty from Trader Joe's in the freezer and decided to use it for my meal. I LOVE these patties! They are made with no soy and have so many wonderful flavors. I made one patty topped with cilantro and avocado infused olive oil, salad, and potatoes from Dominicks that had cannelloni beans, basil, olive oil, and some other yummy things.

Grand Masala Burger

Cook each side on medium high heat for 2 minutes on each side  

Cilantro/Avocado Infused Olive Oil

In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro that has been diced

Add 2 slices of fresh avocado

You can add garlic if you like

Add desired amount of olive oil (4-5 tablespoons)

Mix all together until the avocado is creamed 

Potatoes

I used a brand from Dominick's Grocery with basil, olive oil, white beans, garlic, and other vegetables. I simply had to heat it in a skillet. If I wasn't lazy, I would make my own my roasted potatoes.

Salad

I used fresh romaine

Topped it with the rest of the avocado and tomatoes

Added the extra infused oil as the dressing

Happy Cooking!

Smoky Tempeh

I can't believe how quickly Christmas is approaching. I have been extremely busy with school and preparing for Christmas. John and I will return to Indy to spend time with our families for the holidays. I'm excited for some time home to just relax and not think about school for a couple of days. My students are so excited for Christmas. I really hope I don't have "that one kid" that says Santa isn't real; it is never fun trying to tip-toe around that elephant in the classroom.

I have struggled to figure out what to make for dinner recently. I haven't had too many things on hand. My wallet was stolen and I really didn't have an easy way to buy food. I had to get cash from ATMs if I wanted money. I basically had to use what I had on hand this week until I receive my new debit and credit cards. I had to open brand new accounts, replace everything, get a new ID....no fun! Ladies, watch your purses! Do not hang them on your chair in a crowed Starbucks!

I had a block of tempeh I needed to use. I decided to make a smoky tempeh sandwich on a whole wheat tortilla with garlic aioli, salad, and oven roasted pub chips. This was actually a very simple meal.

Smoky Tempeh

1 package of tempeh cut into strips 

Soak tempeh in 3-4 tablespoons of liquid smoke for 20 minutes

When ready to assemble, cook on medium high heat for 2 minutes on each side

Before the Liquid Smoke soak

Garlic Aioli

1 can of white kidney beans

3 cloves of garlic

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor adding olive oil until you reach a creamy consistency. 

Pub Chips

Wash 2 russet potatoes

Slice into very thin pieces

Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray

Drizzle chips with olive oil

Sprinkle with whatever seasonings you wish- I simply used seasoned salt this time. I have used garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, etc.

Cook on 425 degrees (I don't really time them, when I seem them starting to brown, I flip them and back a bit longer)

Sandwich Assembly

Spread garlic aioli on a tortilla (a pita pocket would also work)

Add fresh lettuce

Add sliced tomatoes

Add smoky tempeh

Wrap and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Christmas Cookies

For some reason it just doesn't seem like Christmas yet. I don't know if the weather has just been better than usual or that I am in the same place as John for once and not looking forward to Christmas which was always our longest time together. Regardless of the reasons, I realized, John and I needed some of our own traditions. We decided to put up the tree (I should get him some ornaments considering every last one on the tree is music, teacher, or cat themed), drink wine, watch the Sunday Night Lineup on Fox, and bake Christmas Sugar Cookies. I found several recipes online and decided to give them a whirl.

http://www.chezbettay.com/pages/desserts1/drts_sugarcookie1.html

Festive with the bamboo is behind the tree.

I made sugar cookies with frosting. I stopped by our local grocery around the corner and was sad to see they didn't carry festive cookie cutters. Our cookies, thus, look a little sad.

Vegan Icing

Cream together: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup vegan butter:Earth Balance

You can add more of each as you go along

I then added food coloring

Sugar Cookie recipe

Cream together: 13 oz vegan butter and 2 cups sugar

Add 4 teaspoons baking powder

Add 1/2 cup almond/soy milk

Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Add 5 cups flour gradually while mixing

My mixture came out dry so I added more milk

Roll into logs (I had enough batter for three logs)

Wrap and refrigerate for an hour

Slice into circles or use a cookie cutter

Bake at 350 10-12 minutes

I over baked mine because they still seemed gooey....TAKE THEM OUT after the 12 minutes!

John said they were a bit crunchy..oops. He really liked the icing and noted that the cookies were very rich.

Yes, there are 2 cat cookies. We decided if we decorated two pumpkins for Max and Handel during Halloween, we had to decorate cookies for them.

Risotto

It is starting to cool down here in Chicago. My students are so excited about being able to see their breath now, but somehow think they don't have to wear their winter jackets outside? I am getting use to the common request, "Will you zipper me up?" and kids wondering where they put their gloves and hats. I have already had one kid put on another kid's jacket and go home with it on. Seriously, how do you not know you are not wearing your own jacket? Only in kindergarten do things like this happen.

Because it is cooling down, I wanted a warm dish. I decided to make a risotto recipe I found online. I bought asparagus on Monday under the pretenses I was just going to roast it with lemons, garlic, pepper, and olive oil. I'm glad I found another use for it.

Risotto Recipe

Blanche asparagus for 2 minutes in 3 cups veggie stock

Strain asparagus and save the stock and put on simmer

Cook 3/4 cup onion in 1 1/2 tbs olive oil for 3 minutes

Add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook for 3 minutes

Add 1/2 cup white wine and 1/4 teaspoon saffron

Add 1 cup rice and cook until rice is opaque

I then added collard greens for B vitamins

Add artichokes

Once liquid is absorbed, add 1/2 cup stock and stir

Once the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup

Do this until you only have 1/2 cup stock left 

Add asparagus into the pot

Add tomatoes (I used several stewed tomatoes that were in my fridge)

Add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

I served dinner with mixed fruit and salad. John ate all his meal. The wine added an interesting flavor when mixed with the nutritional yeast. I would add less onion next time. I am not the biggest onion fan. I have just recently started cooking with onions. All these years I had no idea why I hated onions. John and I were talking about McDonald's one day, and it dawned on me. When I was a kid, on occasion, I would have a McDonald's hamburger. On the hamburger were tiny, little minced onions. I remember thinking they tasted horrible. I think this is where my onion aversion originated. 

I need to brainstorm what to make tomorrow night. John will be at a work event so it will be just like old times; kicking it with the boys (my two cats, Max and Handel). 

Happy Cooking!

Fancy Pizza

I LOVE that I moved to Chicago and Indy is getting snow before the Windy City! If you don't know me very well, I absolutely loathe snow. I totaled my car in a ditch in high school on a two hour delay and every since, I have been a nervous wreck when it snows. I am content with the 60mph gusts in Chicago.

I wanted to make a quick meal tonight with minimal dishes. I bought a pre-made whole-wheat pizza crust at Whole Foods. I didn't want to do the traditional tomato sauce base with toppings. I used Toffuti as the creamy base for the pizza.

Pizza Sauce:

Toffuti: spread a layer onto the pizza

Drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar and stir together

Toppings:

4 cloves of garlic

1 roma tomato

marinated artichokes

half of an orange pepper

arugula 

fresh pepper

I baked the pizza at 425 for ten minutes. I served with a small salad and a glass of Merlot. John liked the creaminess of the sauce. If you are using a thin crust, the pizza can get weighed down and/or soggy while cooking. I tend to hide any leafy greens under the toppings so they don't get crispy while baking.

This was a super quick meal with minimal dishes...yeah! Also, Butler won tonight! Go Dawgs!

Happy Cooking!

Pesto Pasta Dinner

It is nice to be back in Chicago after spending several days in Indy. I love Indy, and it is my hometown, but I miss the "big city." There is just so much more to do and see up here!

I called John to see what he wanted for dinner. I rattled off a bunch of options like curry, pizza, couscous, and many others, but never mentioned pasta. What does John want....pasta.

I didn't want to make the traditions marinara type or olive oil/garlic base. I knew I had to stop by the store on the way home from school, due to our lack of fresh produce, and decided on a simple pesto pasta. I stopped by Whole Foods because I needed vegan butter and cream cheese which in not sold at Trader Joe's (my normal shopping destination). I am always blown away by how expensive things are at Whole Foods. I did find a bottle of wine for $2.47! I put down my $8 bottle of wine and casually, and excitedly grabbed the cheap bottle!

The recipe I use for pesto is from Vegan with a Vengeance. I, however, didn't use the recipe tonight. I just made one up that was based on the recipe from the book. I started by adding spinach to the top of the food processor, added 4 cloves of garlic, pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I then added a slice of fresh lemon along with several basil leafs.I processed this and added olive oil to the desired texture. I realized I didn't have enough for the pasta and added arugula which added a hearty and slightly tart flavor.

I used whole wheat pasta from Trader Joes.

In a separate skillet, I heated jarred roasted red peppers (lazy option), a roma tomato, and a can on cannelloni beans for added texture and creamy texture. I added some of the bean liquid to help spread out the pesto once added to the pasta. I realized I forgot my lunchbox at school which contained my can opener. I had to use a bottle opener to get open the beans. I tried to open the car in five, very close spot and then pry the lid open; it actually worked!

I combined all the parts together and made quite a delicious pasta dish that wasn't too heavy. John inhaled the pasta and had two servings. He noted that the arugula added a nice flavor of tartness. I don't think I processed the pesto enough because there were still noticeable pieces of garlic.

Dinner was served with a wheat baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce mixed with garlic powder and pasta sprinkles.

I chopped up organic romaine lettuce and served a small salad on the side.

For not wanting to cook pasta tonight, it was a good dish to make. It wasn't a "typical" pasta dish. It was really fast and easy to put together. I may try to add nutritional yeast next time for a nutty flavor and added B vitamins.

Happy Cooking!

Easy Meal

I came home from school needing an easy, easy meal to prepare. I had a long day at school...my kiddos are quite eager for Thanksgiving and having only a two day week, it was an exhausting day! I decided to do a simple go-to meal with little preparation.

A simple meal that is always good to make is some sort of Asian dish. I decided to make a simple stir-fry with peanut sauce and Thai Gyoza.

For the stir fry I just prepare whatever rice I had on hand. It wasn't brown rice, but I need to get rid of my white rice...I don't know where it came from??? I then added stir fry vegetables into a skillet with one tablespoon vegetable oil. I use green/red peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts, carrots, and sugar snap peas. I cook these over medium heat for about six minutes. If I was not in a hurry, I would add tofu. I also was out of tofu; I used it all last night in my scrambled tofu. I add the vegetables with the rice and pour over sauce. I mixed my peanut sauce with a bit of soy sauce to allow it to coat over the dish easier.

I like Trader Joe's Thai Gyoza. You can either steam these or cook in the microwave. I used the microwave tonight...lazy, lazy....You simply add two tablespoons water, cover in plastic wrap, and cook for 4 minutes. I serve these with a soy, ginger dressing for the dipping sauce.

This was a minimal effort dinner with few dishes to dirty...awesome considering I don't have a dishwasher. John enjoyed the dinner and ate a good amount of the Gyoza.

I will be back at home in Indianapolis for the holidays. I will do some light cooking for Thanksgiving, but I predict that I won't be cooking.

Happy Cooking!

Sunday Night Brinner

Who doesn't like brinner? I had a dream the other night about getting into a huge mansion. I was at the bottom, ringing the buzzer, when I smelled pancakes cooking. I woke up shortly after craving pancakes. I put it off when I overslept this morning, but figured brinner would be just as satisfying. 


I made quite a spread. I tend to overcook in anticipation of taking leftovers to school for my lunch. I made scrambled tofu, pancakes, oven roasted potatoes, and *Smart Brand* bacon.


I bought Eggo waffles for my boyfriend, John. He confessed that he didn't like the vegan pancakes I made years ago while still in college. While making the pancakes, he tasted a bit, and guess who didn't have any Eggo waffles?!?! 


I used the scrambled tofu recipe in Vegan With a Vengeance. I usually have a hard time getting the spice blend correct. I typically add more turmeric than the recipe calls for. I added one green pepper, half a red pepper, two handfuls of spinach, one tomato, and 1/4 a can of black olives sliced in half. The whole mixture got a bit soggy towards the end of cooking due to the tomato. John said it tasted slightly like an egg.


I make oven roasted potatoes quite often. I sliced seven red potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet. I drizzled them with olive oil, seasoned salt, pepper, cilantro, and onion powder. I cooked them for about 45 minutes at 425 degrees.  John said they were seasoned very well, and not too salty or overly seasoned. 


My pancake recipe came from Vegan with a Vengeance.  I didn't have any vanilla extract, but it didn't make a difference. My first two pancakes always turn out worse than the others. I find that the pan needs to be thoroughly preheated and the first ones will take a little longer to cook. I kept them warm in the oven with the potatoes. I lowered the oven temperature to 230 degrees. 


The Smart brand bacon is decent. I didn't have tempeh, so store brand is what I served. John described it as a large bacon bit.


Brinner was very filling and yummy! It is always nice having brinner and relaxing before the start of another week. I will update on vegan Thanksgiving food.

Happy cooking!