Weird stuff I eat when no one'e around

Today was HOT. Really hot. Really really hot. 103 hot. BLAH. I worked at home messing around with a paper for resubmission. I finally left the comfort of my air-conditioned house at 6:30 to go to the gym and I guess the word OPPRESSIVE was the only way to adequately describe the heat and humidity that accompanied my jaunt outside. It was like walking into a dragon's mouth.

WO today was back to square one on the Fitnessista's summer shape-up. I went through the 4 weeks, loved it, saw great results... and now I'm going for round 2. I move up north after week 3, so it will be a little disjointed this next time (well, I guess taking a week off to turn on my dissertation disjoints things quite a bit as well).

Well anyway - today was Monday, and workout one, and the gym, like the terrible outdoors, was also a million degrees. I was so hot afterwards I came home and laid on my floor. Yes I have air conditioning. Yes I was that warm and uncomfortable. Yes my dogs were confused.

When I finally felt as if I were back to my 98 degree homeostatic set point... I was craving fat. Not like burger and fries fat - I wanted goat cheese and avocado. Mmmm couldn't stop thinking about those two things as I "walked" the dogs (Bella pulls me, and I pull Dylan). So I made this weird food:




I drained a can of black beans and diced an avocado. I whisked together the juice of a lime, a minced clove of garlic, some cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of olive oil, and Na++ and pepper. I then proceeded to add the avocado and black beans to the little liquid concoction and had a pseudo salad. I was thinking of Kath's salads, where she generally throws leftovers on top of lettuce. That sounded like something I could manage, so I dumped the bean/avocado mixture onto arugula and magically had a real green salad. Magic!

On the side are what I like to call little polenta cupcakes. Three 1-inch polenta rounds topped with thin slices of goat cheese. Oh yeah. Nice healthy fats that I was craving. I'm stuffed. Yay cooking for one! Yay not having to wake up at any specific time! And yay True Blood back on the air. That is all.

Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos & mashed yucca

Whenever I get a new cookbook - I tend to gravitate towards the food portrayed in pictures. I have a hard time picturing how a food will look - especially if it's a little strange - but put it into a photograph, and I want to eat it. For Christmas I received Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz - and have finally gotten around to cooking from it (now that I am actually cooking on a regular basis).

I made the mango BBQ baked beans for a cookout, and they were TO DIE FOR. I didn't get a picture because I was too busy playing Angry Birds, most likely. I will make them again and show them to you.

The other night I made the black bean, zucchini and olive tacos, which came together in no time at all! I paired them with mashed yucca and some guac. My husband did NOT like the mashed yucca - but the latin place by us serves it fried, and he doesn't like that either - so I should have guessed. More for me!And I had just enough left over for one taco for lunch the next day. How delightful!

Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos
1 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Zucchini, diced
2 jalapenos diced ( I left seeds in)
1/4 tsp Na++
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 oz. salsa verde
16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced scallions
8 corn tortillas (I used 6 small flour... 6 because my husband put so much filling into his two they were impossible to eat)

Heat oil, and saute zucchini and jalapeno with the 1/4 tsp salt for about 7 minutes over medium heat. When the zucchini is nicely browned, add the garlic, olives, cumin, coriander and saute for two more minutes. Add salsa and black beans and cook for 5 minutes more. Serve with tortillas (obviously) scallions, and guacamole.

Mashed Yucca with Lime and Cilantro
2 pounds yucca, chopped into chunks (use potatoes if you can't find any)
2 Tbsp lime juice (from limes, not a bottle)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp Na++

The yucca comes looking like a sweet potato covered in leather. I had no problem peeling it with my nice peeler and chopping it with my nice wusthof knife. If I had used my cheaper stuff, I'm not sure how smoothly it would have went. Peel and chop the yucca, cover with salted water and boil for about 20 minutes.

Strain the Yuca over some sort of mug or measuring cup so that you can catch about a cup of the starchy water - which you will add back in (rather than using oil or cream). Add yuca back to pot, add lime, cilantro, oil and salt. Mash and then add the hot water bit by bit. I used maybe 1.2 cup. It is like gloppy mashed potatoes, with a less earthy taste. I love yuca and you will too.

Stuffed Poblanos with Bean, Spinach and Avocado quesadillas

I bought poblanos maybe 2 weeks ago to stuff with something. Sadly, working nights got into the way and I haven't made dinner more than twice in two weeks. As my husband doesn't cook - this had meant A LOT of meals out (besides breakfast and lunch) - so although my schedule is tight this week I am making it a point to make dinner each night. I looked for a recipe online for stuffed poblanos, but couldn't find one that sounded appealing - so I threw a bunch of stuff together and luckily it tasted great.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
2 poblano peppers
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove elephant garlic (or two cloves regular garlic), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 can black beans
1/3 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 Tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cream cheese (or tofutti better than cream cheese)

Preheat broiler. Slit open peppers and remove seeds. Char in broiler for about 5 minutes per side, until nice and charred.

Meanwhile, saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add spinach and cook for one minute, then add cilantro, black beans and tomatoes. Season with all of the spices, and if you so desire, add the cream cheese. This makes it into a great consistency that will stay together. Stuff the peppers with the mixture, put oven down to 350, and bake 5 minutes longer.


I served these with what Nava Atlas calls a "big quesadilla." These ones are based on a recipe from the Vegetarian Family Cookbook. They are so simple and you don't miss the cheese at all.

Bean, Spinach, and Avocado Quesadilla:
2 wheat tortillas (I use fajita size)
1/3 can fat free vegetarian refried beans
1 cup spinach
1/2 avocado
salsa, hot sauce

Heat grill pan (or just plain old saute pan). Fill 1/2 of each tortilla with a few Tbsp of the refriedd beans. Top with spinach. Fold in half. Cook on a oiled grill pan until brown on each side- about 2-3 minutes. Top with avocado/salsa/hot sauce. That's it!

Snow and Hummus

I am happy to have a few hours to relax by myself tonight (read: watch more David Duchovny). I already went to the gym, my husband is at his Monday night hockey league, and the whole state is in a state of emergency because of snow. Growing up in Western New York- snow was either exciting or kind of a bummer (depending on whether or not you ski or if you are in grade school or not). Well, here, it incites sheer, unadulterated panic into the hearts of all citizens. Schools close before a flake even falls, bread and milk fly from the shelves, and EVERYONE must stay in. Well, yes, I can get haughty with my tales of heading to school in four feet of snow... but sometimes you must embrace the feeling... and just hole up with a bottle of wine and a fire and not do anything!

I just finished a serving of Polenta, Black Beans and Greens (that I made with the leftover collards from THIS recipe) a recipe from Vegan Express that I make often.

I also decided that I wanted some hummus and a baked good for the week. I haven't decided on a baked good yet - but I did decide on a hummus. I saw THIS recipe on Oh She Glows. It is absolutely delicious and very, very thick. The tabasco gives it an awesome extra kick. And look how pretty!

Now I may make some muffins... or just lay down for the rest of the night!

Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies and Orange-Glazed Tofu

I was having a Lazy Saturday yesterday - watching old Californication episodes (marry me David Duchovny... Hank Moody doesn't trump Fox Mulder for me obviously). Mmm David.




Anyway- I was perusing some food blogs, and saw this wonderful post on Carribean-themed recipes on Love Veggies and Yoga. The recipe for Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies has caught my eye before, and since I had the basic ingredients in the house I decided to go for it. It was incredible! The original recipe can be found here, my changes are below!


Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies:
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 can full fat awesome coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped and steamed until soft and bright green (this takes two minutes in the microwave- just put in a closed tupperware container with some water and nuke)


Bring rice, coconut milk and spices to boil. Cover and simmer until rice is done (we all know this takes a bit, maybe 40 minutes. Check your bag of rice for exact cooking times). When done, add peanut butter, beans and asparagus. OH MY GOODNESS. It is so creamy, delicious and filling (going with my David Duchovny theme for the most part).

I served it with some orange flavored tofu I made using a wonderful gift of Chinese marmalade from my dear friend in Macau.

Orange-Glazed Tofu:
1 black extra-firm tofu
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 Tbsp honey (or agave to make it vegan)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
(some soy sauce would be good, but I was out)

Slice tofu into cute little cubes. Line a baking pan with tin foil (unless you want to ruin your pan with burnt marmalade mess) and preheat oven to 450. Set out the tofu on your pan and cover in 1.2 the marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip over, cover with remaining marinade and cook ten minutes longer (or longer if you really like it crispy five minutes longer than that). Done. It was delicious. What a good meal. I talked about the deliciousness for a little bit too long during the Sabres game last night!




Now a nice day of spinning, swimming, sauna, Black Swan, and dinner with friends. Eventually I will decide what to cook for the rest of the week!

Some Vegan Southern Cooking

The week after vacation is always a struggle. It takes me awhile to get accustomed to being productive for 8-ish hours a day. My sickness finally subsided today (Sunday) - meaning that I really wasn't in the mood to cook or eat all of this week. Early in the week I managed to move off of the couch long enough to make this emergency-type dinner:

BBQ Seitan:
1 package seitan
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup good-tasting BBQ sauce


Saute veggies, add seitan, add BBQ.... DONE. Dave wanted some rice with it, but I just stuck to a serving of protein and veggies.

Let's ignore the fact that the photo is upside down and I can't figure out how to turn it right-side up on my P.O.S. Thinkpad.




BBQ Black-Eyed Peas Collard Rolls
After taking a full day off of work on Tuesday- I was ready to take on some serious cooking on Wednesday. My friend from work had made these for a Louisiana-themed dinner party before and I really enjoyed them. I spotted a huge pile of collards at the grocery store and decided the time had come to make them. However, I used almost EVERY pot in my kitchen, and made a gigantic mess. I would definitely not make this on a weeknight again. The BBQ sauce is pretty good - but doesn't come close to my favorite Sweet and Stick BBQ sauce devised by Vegan Dad.

The original recipe comes from Veganomicon, and can be found on this site. There's very little ingredients other than the BBQ sauce. Collards, cremini mushrooms, and black eyed peas.. all rolled up with some chopped collards in some steamed collard leaves. Try it out if you want to get dirty Southern faster than saying "why come ya'll ain't eat no meat?"

I served this with some whipped mashed potatoes. Red skinned potatoes, smart balance, better than cream cheese, parsley and salt and pepper. Yum.

Fridge and Pantry-emptying chili

My husband and I are going to NY for almost two weeks - so I am trying to empty out our fridge for the exptended period away. I haven't been grocery shopping, needless to say. As I was leaving the house yesterday - to work pretty late- it dawned on me that I never use my slowcooker, and I probably should. So I took about every can I had and threw some stuff together for a chili that was ready when I got home, perfect.

Ingredients:
1 LARGE can diced tomatoes (28 oz. I think)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 package cubed seitan
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can diced chiles
1 can black beans
2 Tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Throw in your slow cooker and put on low! I garnished with some cilantro, avocado and cheese (for shame)

*ULTIMATE* Vegan Chili and corbread muffins. om nom nom nom

I'm sure everyone has had the experience when you are sick of having the "worst" day. That is- the day you feel your absolute worst out of all the crappy sick days. Well, hopefully today was the worst of this stupid sickness. I slept 12.5 HOURS last night- right through to 11:30 am this morning. Holy crap. I guess I needed it. I went into work for a few hours, and still had some energy to stand up when I got home, so I threw together tonight's dinner and placed it gently into the slow-cooker and laid back down. Below are my variations on recipes from Vegetarian Times' past February issue.

I added a few things to the chili, mainly sweet potatoes and tomatoes- both of which I love. The seitan added a wonderful meatiness to the dish. I would highly recommend this for a fall dinner! My tomatoes:



Ultimate Vegan chili: Original recipe
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, microwaved until soft (about 5 minutes)
1 chipotle chili in adobo, drained and minced
8 oz. mushrooms
1 quart cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 package seitan
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. herbs de provence
1.5 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp celery salt
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vegan Worchestershire
1 tsp cinnamon (trust me, it makes a big difference)
cilantro to garnish
sriracha for each serving

Heat EVOO, saute onion, chuck into slow cooker. Add mushrooms to pan with some H2O, saute until brown, add to slow cooker. Add the rest of the veggies and seitan, spices and everything else to the slow cooker. Put on high and let sit for 4 hours (ish). Garnish each serving with cilantro and sriracha.



Cornbread muffins: Original recipe
1 cup plain soymilk
1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
2 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup if you are made of money)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Pre-heat over to 375. Melt margarine in mixing cup. Add soy milk and the remainder of the wet ingredients, and mix with fork. In large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add wet to dry. Put the corn kernels right back into the mixing cup and thaw in microwave. Add to remaining ingredients.

Pour ingredients into muffin pan. I don't use those little muffin cup things- I think that they make everything taste funny. So I just grease the pan and ladle the batter right in. Bake for 20 minutes - and let sit for 10. When they are done, it's time for chili. Then you can eat and go pass out on the couch, like I am about to.

BBQ flavored white beans and sausage and spinach... and raw chunky cheesecake

Today I stayed at home to write.... I spent all day sitting and typing up my reference section and expanding on my results. How fun! At 5 I decided to do some yoga so that I would feel as if I had moved a little today. I always feel guilty going to yoga class and hearing them talk about our "home practice." I don't have a home practice. But it was kind of nice, just doing what I wanted to do for an hour. Anyway- when the husband came home he was wet and tired and hungry. I whipped up one of my favorites from Nava Atlas' Vegan Express (I've been on a kick lately). This is a meal I've made a few times, it is so simple and unbelievably filling.


BBQ-flavored white beans with and spinach:
1.5 Tbsp EVOO
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 cans white beans, drained1 14 oz. package tofurkey sausage (I like the Italian variety best)
1 cup BBQ sauce (I usually make my own, but not today)
As much baby spinach as you can fit into the pan.

Warm EVOO, saute onion and garlic - add sausage until nice and browned. Add beans and BBQ sauce - then spinach. Cover the pan until spinach wilts, then stir it all up and serve. So easy!


The whole:


The product:



After dinner I decided I would try making a Raw Vegan Cheesecake that I had seen On Love Veggies and Yoga. I had everything to make it and started soaking my cashews the night before.
Here is my crust:



I was a little bummed that my cheap-o food processor could not make the filling smooth. However, it still tasted okay. It is in the freezer now - so I will know how the final product tastes tomorrow. My blender has broken, and I think it may be time to upgrade to a bug girl Vitamix... and tonight's cashew filling has me convinced.... but to spend the actual money? That is stressful! We shall see.


The chunky cheesecake for now:

Back to "writing"! Yay!

Asheville and Bean and Corn Lasagna

I spent the weekend in Asheville North Carolina for a girl's weekend. If you've never been to Asheville, you have got to check it out. It is a vegetarian wonderland. Not only is half of every menu vegetarian, but there are even Vegan options as well. We dropped by LAB - where I had a seitan philly cheesteak sub. Then we swung by French Broad Chocolates - for some wine and vegan truffles (including a fig and port truffle rolled in sliced almonds. To. Die. For.) Breakfast was at Mayfel's - the cutest little restaurant- complete with a hostess and a potty attitude. I did have eggs and not tofu (though I could have had a tofu scramble). I had the "karma" benedict - a split BISCUIT (the best I've ever had, seriously. And I am a biscuit connoisseur) topped with a slice of ripened tomato, spinach, veggie sausage and poached egg with hollandaise. This was accompanied by cheddar jalapeno grits. It was truly the most amazing breakfast ever. Great company and great food. Now I am completely exhausted. I wanted to throw something together that would last me a week for leftovers and ready-made lunches.

I flagged this recipe awhile ago after I saw it here, on This is Vegan. It turned out great - though lacking in spice. I had left my sriracha at lab - so I was without heat. The full recipe can be found here.

Here it is hot out of the oven.



And the final dish.... garnished with cilantro and a side salad.

Quick taquitos and "taco" salad

Yesterday I did end up going into work, though I vowed not to. I had updated comments from my advisor at home - and they could be easily addressed from my desk. However, I got an email around noon that said

"come to lab. See items on bookshelves. Take what is yours. Everything not taken I will throw out at 5pm."

Ok, time to go in. I get in, and what do you think is sitting there - ready to be chucked into the bin??? Mine and my labmates coffee cups and tupperware. You see, we have a sink and drying rack in our lab. Every day we WASH our dishes and set them out to dry, before taking them home later that day. Apparently that is no longer acceptable so I have to hide my fork at my desk.

I was annoyed about some other things as well, so I tried to convince the husband to go out for margaritas and tacos to celebrate his "last day at school before the students start." (Yeah right, I wanted tequila on a week night). He had a departmental meeting at Buffalo Wild WINGS (what a jerk, wings and beer for work? I can't even have a coffee cup). I tried to go for a swim - but my Y CLOSES the pool when it storms. Really? It's INSIDE.

So I was on my own - which meant I came home and cleaned (my favorite past time) and made a super quick dinner.

Here: the before



Here - the after. I made some quick taquitos - put some leftover gazpacho in a bowl, and made a chopped salad. Start to finish - 10 minutes.



The taquitos - made into a recipe of things I had:
2 corn tortillas
4 Tbsp refried beans (I used whole foods chile and lime)
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp salsa

Mix together, put about 2 Tbsp of filling in each tortilla- roll up. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. The site I saw these on said to broil them for 1-2 minutes for crispiness at the end - and 2 minutes was too much!

The salad - romaine lettuce, black beans, tomato, corn, avocado, scallion, salsa. Topped with some of my home made strawberry vinaigrette. It was quick, and by the time I finished up, the husband was bouncing into the house - happy from all the beer he had consumed in the name of special education. I wasn't really in the mood for alcohol anymore, but I poured a glass of Round Peak's fiddle's red. It's a red blend of cab franc, cab sauv, and merlot. Very tasty. I sat down to watch Teen Mom, only to discover it wasn't new this week. So I had to read instead! Damn.

Jamaican rice and beans (quick)

My advisor is not only a scientist- but also an actor. He does community theater. I guess it is a good thing to have someone in science support having outside interests. Sometimes your life had to revolve around science, and you can never leave the lab. The environment I work in now is pretty laid back work-wise because of that - which really means I have to motivate myself.

Back to the acting, way back before I was a vegetarian - some then co-workers and I decided to go see my advisor perform in a play in a small town about an hour away. We figured we'd grab dinner out there- expecting no more than BBQ or friend chicken. Lo and behold, there was a Jamaican restaurant - right there in the middle of nowhere. The food was great, and my vegetarian coworker went nuts over the rice and beans- which were made in a thick, delicious coconut base.

Now that I am a vegetarian, I realize what a go-to rice and beans are. So simple! Following is the recipe I made, from the suggestions of both the restaurant owner and my coworker. This was easily made from all pantry food- I love emptying out my cans - and didn't have time to soak any beans.

Brown jasmine rice (enough for 4) - I stick mine in the rice cooker.
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp jerk seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Make rice. Dump beans (juices too) into large pot. Add coconut milk and seasoning. Simmer. After about 20 minutes, I take a potato masher and mash a few of the beans to get them to break down to thicken the sauce further. It was awesome - and I am having some of the leftovers for lunch. Start to finish - 1 hour!

Quick Quesadillas and vampires

Sunday is True Blood night... obviously. After drinking way too much wine and staying over AT the winery (problem?) - Sunday was a rough morning. I felt bad melted into my couch, watching RELIGULOUS. So I ventured out to a friend's pool, to lay in the sun there, and felt pretty good about myself! I left the house - hooray! Pool time was followed by a quick Sunday gym session - leaving me very little time to make dinner and head over to another dear friend's house for our precious TRUE BLOOD viewing! (What is Bill still doing there? Come on Eric, move!)

I threw together a recipe from Vegan Express- mushroom, broccoli and black bean quesadillas. (Pool friend said she was making them and I got jealous). They are supposed to be on huge 12 inch tortillas, but I just used standard whole wheat fajita size ones.

Basically, mix some black beans together with some salsa (I mashed the black beans). Meanwhile, steam the mushrooms and broccoli in a little water. Fill up a tortilla with your nice little mixture and fold over - bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Nava suggests topping the quesadillas with a roasted red pepper sauce, which I will definitely try next time. I added a simple green salad and I made it in time to see Bill return to Bon Temps.