Oatmeal ATTTTAAAAAAAACK!

So, here's what I did... made a quadruple batch of Bottomless Oatmeal, and just reheated the stuff every day, with a different flavour each day!  It worked out great, and oatmeal tasted normal.  Saved sooo much time too!  I also added a splash of almond milk when reheating, to loosen it up a bit.

 

#1: Pina Colada.
Pineapple, cinnamon, stevia, reduced fat shredded coconut, sunflower seeds

#2: Mocha
Instant coffee powder, cocoa powder, banana (roughly mashed), vanilla extract, low fat shredded coconut

#3: Loaded PB and J
Granola (actually leftover oatmeal cookie crumbs!), frozen banana, frozen strawberry, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar free strawberry jelly, peanuts

#4: Banana Split
Frozen banana, frozen strawberry, fresh pinapple, cinnamon, stevia, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract

#5: Peach Pie
Cinnamon, nutmeg, frozen peach, mashed banana, cinnamon, walnuts, sugar free maply syrup, butter extract

#6: Banana Peanut butter
Banana, peanut butter, vanilla extract, dark cocoa powder, stevia

#7: Chai
Instant coffee powder, mashed banana, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla extract, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon

#8: Orange
Chopped glow orange, walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla extract

#9: Sweet Potato and Cranberry
Mashed sweet potato, dried cranberries, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar free maple syrup

#10: PB and J
Strawberries, banana, peanut butter, sugar free maple syrup, vanilla extract

#11: Blueberry and Chia
Frozen blueberries, chia seeds, walnuts, cinnamon, flax seeds, dried goji berries, sugar free maple syrup

Ricotta & Pesto Pizza

Mmm... pizza... pesto... mmm...

Adapted from HHL

Pesto: blend together 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 packed cup basil leaves, 1 hefty cup spinach leaves, 1/4 cup parsley, a bit of nooch, juice of 1 lemon, and enough mirin to make it a pesto consistancey.
Tofu Ricotta: Press and crumble tofu, and mix with lemon juice, Italian seasoning, nooch, and garlic powder.
Grill chopped red onion and mushrooms on a panini press, and wilt some spinach.
On a pizza crust, spread a layer of pesto, followed by spinach, mushrooms, and onions, and lastly the ricotta.  Cook/heat for a few minutes on the panini press.

Quinoa Salad

Erm.  Not much to say tonight.  I'm rather tired.. although the salad was pretty good and easy.
I totally meant to add tofu - had it in the micorwave and everything!  Then I forgot.  I had just finished my portion, and then I was like "Oh my gosh, the tofu!"  But it was super good, none the less...

Adapted from HHL

Ok, so:
Quinoa + finely chopped sauteed onion, cooked in half orange juice and half water, mixed with nooch and spicy seasoning + paprika
Shredded carrots, chopped oranges, sliced avocado
Walnuts
Tofu mayo (partially cooked silken tofu blended with lemon)

Lentil Loaf

Erm.. sorry about the weird font stuff going on in this post...

Loaf adapted from here.

Ok, so this one is rather complex… soak and cook 1 cup dried green lentils, then mash.  Toast ¼ cup chopped walnuts.  Sauté 1 cup chopped onion, garlic, a couple green onions, and 1 medium grated carrot.  Mix together 1 tbsp ground flax seed with ½ cup warm water.  Then all of these things get mixed in a pan, along with vegetarian chicken bullion, 1/3 cup applesauce, ¼ cup raisins, ½ cup cranberries, lots of dried thyme, 1/3 cup oat flour, and ¾ cup breadcrumbs.  All of this went in a loaf pan and was baked at 350 for 45 minutes.  The sauce on top was a mixture of ketchup, syrup, and balsamic vinegar.

I have to say that the first night I had this, it was not that great.  But I didn't bake it for the full 45 minutes - so that's esential to success.  Secondly, I like the outside bits the best because they were the crispiest, so I would maybe try spreading out the loaf in a thinner layer to get more crust and less inside. I'm pretty sure with these changes, this would be really yum.

Walnut Cabbage Stir Fry

This Christmas, M and I did presents kind of differently, because we just went shopping a bunch over the break.  No real wrapped things under the tree, but this way, both M and I agree it's better because we get what we want.

Which is actually kind of true, because most of the things that I recieved were rather unwanted.  Sometimes I wonder why people bother with all this present nonsense, because the majority of it gets returned anyway. 

So yesterday, while out shopping, we wandered into the purse section, because M needs a new one badly.  I think we actually found one that both of us like, and it's a really nice and simple purse.  And then I trotted over to the scarf section, because I have been wanting a scarf forever.  And then I saw this really soft, deep navy blue one, which I fell in love with immediately.  So I bought that.  It was kind of funny, because I wore it out of the store after buying it, because it was so cold outside.  It's soooo soft and warm...

And then we came home and I made this stir fry.  It's really simple to throw together, makes enough to last two people for days, and tastes amazing.  What could go wrong with cabbage and walnuts?  I love this stir fry.  It was kind of funny what happened to the tofu I was roasting though.  I think the cubes shrank to about half their size.  Poor things.  Oh well.  It tasted absolutely amazing, like every time I have made this dish.

Dijon Cabbage and Walnut Stir Fry

Adapted from The Vegetarian Bible

Serves 6-8

8 oz tofu, cubed rather smallish
A few tablespoons of mirin
1 very small purple cabbage, shredded
3 large cloves garlic, pressed

1 small bunch green onions, chopped into about 1 inch pieces

1 very small green cabbage, shredded (just a bit more than your red cabbage)
2-3 tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the broiler.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and spread the tofu onto it in a single layer.  Broil until browned nicely, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a wok coated with nonstick spray over medium high heat.  Add a bit of mirin, and then add the red cabbage.  Stir fry for a minute, and then add the garlic, green onions, and green cabbage.  Continue stir frying until almost tender, about 6 minutes. 

Add the remaining ingrients (don't forget about the tofu), and continue stir frying until tender and heated through.  Serve, with additional salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I feel like I have been a real runner recently. This potato casserole does not make that notion go away, either. Lots of bananas, potatoes, and other power foods for me... which is good, I guess, because all of these are cheap and healthy! I have never eaten so many baked potatoes in my life. I'm so grateful that there are so many things that a person can put on a potato- my personal favorite is barbeque sauce. Sometimes I like to add caraway seeds or pepper, but there's always bbq sauce. It's quite good...

The other day M and I wandered into a running store, looking for new shoes, and I really want a head band to protect my ears, and we saw this brand called Newton. They had the coolest shoes ever- bright neon colours, and the shoes were so light weight. M looked up the brand later, and saw that the shoes were a whopping $150, so I don't think I will be buying them anytime soon, which is quite depressing. But Brooks are still probably my favorite brand. I can highly recommend them, even though they don't look nearly as cool.

This casserole is something that M has been making for eons now, even before we became vegetarian.  It's so good, and satisfies a sweet tooth, no problem.   I love it to death.  I ended up improving a lot, because we still don't have all that many tools.  I ended up mashing them in a plastic container, which was weird but turned out fine.  And I added nutmeg, because we don't have vanilla extract.  It's still heavenly, though, and easy to through together (especially when you have all the tools). 

You might end up with a bit extra topping, like I did.  It's good on lots of things- or you could just make another casserole.  That's what I'm doing.


Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Adapted from All Recipes

Serves 8

4-5 large sweet potatoes
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup natural applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or silk
Nutmeg, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wash and prick the potatoes with a fork. Microwave until tender, and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar, walnuts, coconut, and applesauce in a bowl, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350.
When the potatoes are cool, remove the pulp and mash in a large bowl. Discard the skins.
Combine sugar, eggs, milk or silk, nutmeg, and salt with the mashed sweet potatoes. Optionally beat with an electric mixer (preferred), or mix well with a potato masher or fork.
Put the potatoes in a casserole dish coated with nonstick spray, and top with nut mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, until heated through.

Souffles- They're Not That Hard!

One thing I have to say about these.  Appearently they don't like the camera, because I didn't really get any good pictures of these soufflés.  And now they're all gone.  Which really stinks, because they were really good.

Yes, they are quite time-consuming, from all the chopping of the leeks so finely.  M was positively groaning by the time she had finished (I gave her that job.  I know, I'm so nice).  And then they have to bake for half an hour too.  But it's all worth it.  Both M and I loved these- the combination of flavours and textures made this such a unique culinary experience.  I got to use my ramkins, too, which is always a plus... One thing I have to say though.  These are a little higher in fat than something I normally make, from the eggs and walnuts, but are still very healthy and good for you (and a lot healthier than the original version).

This was both M and mine's first soufflé experience, both in eating and making.  I was surprised at how well ours rised, because soufflés are notorious for not turning out right.  This was not the case for that recipe, so I would highly recommend it to anyone who has never made a soufflé before. 

Walnuts, leeks, eggs... all really poofed up, in a lovely warm ramkin...

Leek and Walnut Soufflés

Adapted from the Vegetarian Bible

Serves 4-6

3 small-ish leeks, very finely chopped
½ cup broth
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped finely
2 tbsp chopped mixed fresh herbs (we used chives, basil, and rosemary)
2 tbsp vanilla yogurt
½ cup skim ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute the leeks for 3 minutes. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (I used an electric mixer).
In another bowl, beat the yolks. Add the leeks and remaining ingredients, and mix well. Working quickly now before the whites deflate, add the whites to the leek mixture, and pour all of that into ramkins or a large baking dish, coating them with nonstick spray.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until nice and poofy and golden brown on top.

Green Bean and Cabbage Dijon Stir Fry

This has got to be one of the most ad-lib dishes that has ever appeared for dinner.  The original recipes were a salad type thing.  This is a stir fry.  The originals have almost no ingredients in common... but whatever.  I was so surprised with how well this turned out. 

The sauce got all nice and thick, and the walnuts add a nice touch, as they seem to be so good at doing.  I honestly have no clue why dijon popped in my head, but I saw it staring at me when I was puzzling over what to make the sauce with, and voila.  I have had dijon and cabbage before, but nothing quite like this.  There is a tad of spiciness, a little zip, and the yellow bean sauce adds such a nice undertone- a deep salty goodness.  Not one of your prettier stir fries- but, to quote M, "I'd rather have it taste good than look pretty, if it had to be one or the other." 

And, I just have to say, this is something a person can whip up quickly on a Friday night.  Which was a good thing tonight, because, franlky, I'm exhausted.  But the food is delish, so it's all good.

Cabbage and Green Bean Dijon Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

Inspired by this and this recipe from 101 Vegetarian Cookbooks

1/3 cup mirin
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tsp yellow bean sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Chili paste to taste
1/2 a small cabbage, shredded
1 ¼ lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, diced
1/3 cup toasted walntus
1 ½ cups pink beans

Mix together the mirin through chili paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat with a bit of water. Sauté the onion for a minute, then add the green beans. Sauté for 2 more minutes, then add the cabbage. After 5 more minutes stir in the beans, and then add the sauce. Stir to coat, and continue sautéing until the veggies are tender, about 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts. Serve.

Sweet and Fiery Coconut Udon Stir Fry

Sheesh, I feel like I have been neglecting to post recently, but really M and I have been working hard on finishing off the various leftovers (mainly the Unfried Rice, which I still think was absolutely A-Mazing).  That, and what with school being so demanding, I think I am going to be stuggling with posting as often as I want.  But no worries there, because, hey, I will never stop cooking... until someone holds me at knifepoint, I will not stop chopping (no pun intended).  But here is my latest and greatest.

This is another takeoff on one of the recipes from my cookbook that I got recently called Wok.  The original is called Turkey Ragout with Coconut.  I guess you are wondering how a ragout turns into a stir fry, but it happens here, folks!  The sauce stayed basically the same, with a few additions, and I added a few more veggies.  And tofu knots made a great stand-in for the turkey.  In the version that I made, I decided to add some celery, but that did not really seem to fit in too well, so I have omitted it in this version of the recipe.  Other than that, I honestly think that this is a very interesting combination of flavours.  Make sure your green beans are actually decent quality, or just substitute something else, because I think that they could make or break this dish.
And, oh.... the loves of my life: udon noodles and tofu knots.  I can't seem to down enough of these things.  Either of them!  And I love coconut extract, too.  It really seems to be such a good toy in the kitchen for amping up the flavour of dishes. 

Oh, goodie, now I get to go look for similies and metaphors and such... my favourite.  Can't my teachers just grade my cooking, instead?

Sweet and Fiery Coconut Udon Stir Fry

Serves 4

Inspired by Wok

1/2 bag dried bean curd skin knots (75 grams total), soaked in water until soft
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup basil leaves, torn
1 bunch spinach
Just under 2 cups snap peas, trimmed
.7 lb shiitake mushrooms, chopped large
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tbsp coconut extract
1 1/2 tbsp yellow curry paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp agave nectar
1-2 tsp chili sauce, to taste
4 servings udon noodles, cooked and kept warm
Nuts for topping (I tried both walnuts and almonds)

Mix together the coconut extract through the agave, and set aside.
Heat a large wok coated with nonstick spray over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms, and cook for a minute.  Add the green beans and snap peas, and cook for 2 or 3 more minutes, and then add the bell pepper and green onion.  When the veggies are almost done, add the basil, spinach, and sauce.  When the spinach is wilted toss in the bean curd skin, and heat through.
Serve over udon noodles topped off with nuts.

A Heavy and (Of Course) Delish Stir Fry

Another one of those lovely clean-out-the fridge recipes.  I don't know who doesn't love those... I sure do.  Anyway, I was very pleasently surprised to see how good this one turned out.  So much better than I though it would.  And it took so much less time that I had predicted, too, which is always nice.  I know, this isn't the prettiest stir fry, but who cares when it is something that you just want to gobble up at lightning speed? 

Anyway, I really think straw mushrooms are growing on me.  And the balance of the bean sauce in the sauce (that sounds kind of weird) was perfect, so yay for this recipe.  The tofu knots are always something that both M and I really enjoy, and so are the walnuts, which I have just recently discovered as another nuts possibility for stir fries.  Hehe, I got to use another one of my monster onions in this recipe, too.  I love those babies!  They are awesome, and totally outdo any onions that you could ever find. 

Black Bean Sauce Stir Fry

Serves 4-6

Adapted from CookShareEat.com


• 6 oz soba noodles, or any other kind of noodle, cooked
• Veggie broth, as needed
• 3-4 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce (I just happened to have just over 3, so I usedit up…)
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• Chili sauce, to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 monster onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 heads baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 large portabella mushroom, chopped
• 3 cups shiitake mushrooms, cut into large pieces
• 1 can straw mushrooms
• 1 leek, tough green stems removed, chopped
• 1 large carrot
• ½ package dried bean curd knots (75 grams), soaked
• 4 green onions, sliced into ½ inch pieces
• Walnuts


1. In a small bowl, combine black bean sauce, soy sauce, mirin, nectar, chili sauce, and corn starch. Set aside for later.
2. Heat a wok coated with nonstick spray over high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for a minute, then add the carrot and leek, adding broth as needed. Cook for another minute, until heated up again. Then add Portobello and shiitakes, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until almost almost tender. Add the green onions, and cook for another minute. Add the bok choy, cook for another minute, and then add the sauce, bean curd skin, and straw mushrooms. Cook until it’s done to your liking.
3. You can either stir in the noodles, or serve them separately. Top with walnuts.

More Udon- with Walnuts!

I think M's favorite kind of noodle is udon.  I really, really do.  I can't say that myself, becauce I love all kinds of noodles, really, but udons are great!  I love their texture, and their thickness makes them seem so luxurious and rich.  The miso- based sauce in this recipe seemed to really do the trick for the veggies, and both M and I loved the walnuts.  The mixture of veggies is really quite vibrant- I love the look of this stir fry too- very photogenic!

We had never actually had walnuts on a stir fry before, but when I saw this recipe, I was inspired to take some of it's basic elements, change the veggies, and came up with this recipe. 

I added a little hot sauce to my bowl, but I just wanted a little heat tonight.  The noodles don't really need it, but it was an excellent addition, I thought. 

I created this recipe with veggies enough for 3 servings, because that is the amount on udon that needed to be used up.  Just increase the sauce a bit, and add a few more veggies, and this could easily become a four serving dish.

Ooooh!  I had a little project of placemats going on, and M and I finally finished them this morning.  On one side, they are neon yellow with flowers, and on the other they are black with big colourful circles.  I will try to post a picture soon.  They are quite nice, and they look great.  It's cool to be able to say they are homemade! 

Miso Walnut Udon Noodles

Serves 3

Inspired by  Gardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/23/udon-noodles-miso-walnutottolenghi

½ large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, coined
3 green onions
3 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
1 generous cup broccoli, cut into florets
6 oz tofu, pressed and cubed
Salt
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp miso paste
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp agave nectar
Water or broth, as needed
3 servings fresh udon noodles, cooked
Walnuts, for topping

Mix together the miso, mirin, soy sauce, and agave. Set aside

Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add a bit of water, and add the carrot and shiitakes, adding more water as needed to prevent sticking. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli and peas along with the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 2 more minutes. Then add the green onions and bell pepper. Cook until veggies are almost finished, then add the sauce and tofu. Heat through, add the udon, and stir until the sauce has coated everything. Serve, topped with walnuts.