Vegan MOFO 2013

Day one of my first vegan MOFO, aka September 2013. Blackened tofu with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. We wanted to use up food we already had in the fridge and cupboards this week, before buying new groceries. Made from pressed tofu and fresh blackening spice, the blackened tofu is spicy and moist. Accompanied with cajun-dijon roasted potatoes and grilled zucchini, bell peppers, mild-spicy peppers and red onions; the meal was deceptively simple, but yummy.

Re-Inspired Cooking

One of my co-workers told me about a Sushi Salad with Thai dressing she saw on a morning talk show last week. i googled it looking for a recipe, but none of them sounded particularly appetizing (and most had shrimp or bonito).

i decided to figure out the salad on my own and wow did it work out. i cooked sushi rice for the base and mixed it with black sesame seeds. i used the vegetables i normally use when making sushi - and cut them "the sushi way". i thought about what i would want for a dressing and the thai dressing just seemed overpowering. i wanted something light to complement the rice and veggies, so i started by seasoning some rice vinegar with sugar and salt, then added sesame oil, thinly sliced pickled ginger, some of the juice from the pickled ginger jar and a squeeze of wasabi. i whisked it together and stirred it into the rice and vegetables, then topped it with a sheet of nori cut into thin diagonal slices. jay and i thought it captured the essence of sushi without the work of rolling.

i have been pretty un-inspired in my cooking lately but the thought of posting this creation to my blog has made me want to try more yummy foods - just to post them :) (and eat them of course).

i watched Waitress pie

i went to see the movie "Waitress" today. It was a really fantastic movie and i highly recommend going to see it. It inspired me to want to make a pie and what better pie to make than Isa's "Black Bottom Peanut Butter Silk Pie" from Vegan with a Vengeance. The pie turned out really well - i have always thought that peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect pair. i made a few modifications to the recipe, nothing major though - more crust, less oil and more soymilk in the crust, more agar (mine didn't boil down to 1/3c.) and crunchy peanut butter in the filling, and of course - i used all organic ingredients. i called it - "i don't know what i want to do with my life organic pie".

i will definitely be making this one again. i always try to stick as close as possible to the original recipe the first time i make something. Next time, i think i will make a much thicker crust and pour 1/2 the peanut butter filling directly in the crust, then add the chocolate layer, then the other 1/2 of the peanut butter filling.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Inspired by Michelle, i decided last night to create the Cookies and Cream Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. They turned out amazing, all chocolatey and cookie and cream, although i'm quite sure the frosting is a heart-attack in a bowl. i brought them into work for my coworkers, to save myself from them.

Happy Vegan New Year!!!

Week 1 of veganism down. Still going good. I don't have to deal with as much temptation as I thought. I have switched to Silk creamer for my morning coffee, and substituted my afternoon coffees for fair trade or organic teas. I made a couple of meals to freeze over the weekend: a black bean "neat"loaf and a hungarian goulash, both of which are good tasting, full of protein and vegetables, and vegan :) Last night I made a nacho cheese sauce with nutritional yeast which I thought was horrible tasting, but I have another nutritional yeast cheese sauce recipe to try which has more spices in it and will hopefully turn out better.

Today is the 10th anniversary of my decision to become vegetarian. I am celebrating by taking the next step: I am becoming a vegan. Although I don't currently eat alot of eggs or milk, I do make and consume a fair amount of products with eggs and dairy products in them. I also love organic sour cream and cheeses. I will have to be very diligent with my meal plans and figure out a number of different products to make ahead and freeze. This is going to be hard, but I already feel good about my decision.