We, my boyfriend in particular, love this dish. It’s another relatively simple dish to make. The combination of the tomatoes, orzo, and tofu feta work so well together. There are also so many personal touches you can put on this dish; use broccoli or asparagus bits instead of spinach or add a spritz of fresh lemon, or even use a different kind of pasta. The limit is up to your imagination :)




What You’ll Need

8 oz Extra Firm Tofu, Drained and Patted Dry
1/3 cup and 2 tbl Olive oil
1/3 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic, Crushed
Salt 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

8 oz Orzo
1 med Red Onion, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
6 oz Fresh Spinach, Chopped
1 can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1 can Chickpeas
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives, Pitted and Sliced
3 tbl fresh Parsley

(Makes 4 Servings)

I have a sweet onion pictured because I couldn’t find my red onion for the life of me…..that is, of course, until after I was done cooking the dish :x

What To Do

     We want to get the Tofu Feta out of the way first.
1) Pat dry the tofu then using your hand, or a fork, or something crumble it up until it resembles the consistency of cheese you want. Toss the tofu into a shallow bowl and add the Lemon Juice, 1/3 cup Olive Oil, Crushed Garlic, 1 tsp Salt, and the Oregano.

Toss to combine and let rest with as much of the tofu under the mixture as possible.


In the method picture above I used the cube method. If you want a less piquant flavor to the cheese simply cut your tofu into 1/2 in squares instead of mushing it. Both are very good though.

2) Let this rest for about an hour, tossing once half way through. Use a strainer to get rid of and excess stuff and there you go!

3) Once you sit your tofu out to rest go ahead and start your orzo. Simply put it in a pot of boiling salted water. Or, as my grandmother taught me, use veggie broth instead of water (or a mixture of the two). The broth with give it a wonderful hearty flavor.

4) In a large skillet heat about 2 tbl of the Olive Oil over MED heat. Add the Red Onion and give it a stir before adding the cover and letting it sit for a few minutes to get soft (~5 mins).

Stir in the Garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the Spinach and stir until wilted, then add the Tomatoes, Oregano, and Basil and let it simmer for about a minute.


That last one was a long step of remembering stuff to add (the next step is adding stuff too). While I’m waiting on my onions I like to go ahead and get my stuff set up in groups so I know when to add it. Makes life easier :)

5) Stir in the Chickpeas, Olives, Parsley, and Orzo and cook for about 5 minutes till heated through.

Serve hot with Tofu Feta on top!

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we do!

This is a really simple, yet filling, dish to make. It’s a creamy dish, with a perfect blend curry and coconut with just a hint of crunch. If you’re not a fan of curry just leave it out (along with the tomatoes) and you have a yummy tummy coconut rice meal! I’m not actually sure what else to say about it, so lets get cookin’!



Stuff You’ll Need:
Olive Oil (about 1 Tbl)
1/2 cup Minced Onion
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
2 or 3 Tbl Curry Powder (Mild or Hot)
1 cup Long-Grain Brown Rice
1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
1 can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
Salt, Black Pepper
1 1/2 cups Chickpeas, Drained and Rinsed
1/2 cup Thawed Frozen Peas
1/3 Unsalted Roasted Cashews


(curry powder not pictured- I forgot)

What to do:

1) In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cover. Let them cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and curry, cook for about 30 seconds.

2) Stir in the rice, stock, and coconut milk; bring to just over a boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat and add salt to taste. Cover and simmer for about 35-45 minutes.



3) Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and peas.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you want, more curry powder.

Cook uncovered for about 10 minuted to let the flavors blend,
serve hot sprinkled with cashews.

There you have it! I like to stir the cashews, but it really doesn’t matter. You can also add some ground red pepper for a kick. Enjoy!

So pizza is a regular fixture around here, homemade pizza that is. When I buy food for the week I buy for up until Thursday. Sometimes Thursday night’s ingredients end up mysteriously disappearing >.>

Anyway, tonight I was down to just a few ingredients for my pizza. I decided to just go for it and it turned out to be the best pizza we’ve had in a while.
(you usually need a knife and fork for my pizza)



Before the pre-bake I drizzled a bit of vegan butter on the dough and spread it around with the back of a spoon.
Then pre-bake and sauce~


I had garlic filled olives (sliced, of course), diced sun dried tomatoes, vegan peperoni, vegan bacon, vegan ‘parma’, more butter, and pesto (for the non-vegan boyfriend)

I melted a bit of the butter and ground up some fresh garlic salt and pepper into it before drizzling it around the crust (this is before baking).

And there you have it! It might not be the prettiest thing ever, but it was damn good!


This is more to inspire you to come up with your own delish pizza recipe.
Good luck for good cookin’! :)

This is a simple salad, perfect for a romantic meal ;)
All you need is baby spinach (I cut the stems off mine), strawberries, and a few raspberries. I topped mine with a raspberry vinaigrette after I took this picture.

Hey guys! It’s been 1,000 years, but I’m back! I spent most of the day yesterday making Valentine’s dinner for my boyfriend and I and thought I’d share a bit. This is what I made for dessert, and as my elementary school teacher use to say, “It’s deSSert because it’s ‘so, so good!’”

Stuff You’ll Need:

1 package of soft or silken tofu
10 ounces of Chocolate chips or baker’s Chocolate
3 Tbl Maple Syrup
Fruit/Mint, to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Blend tofu in food processor (or blender) just until smooth and melt chocolate over the boiler. 

2. Add maple syrup to melted chocolate and combine. Put chocolate and syrup mixture into processor and mix with tofu until creamy.

3. Chill and garnish

Tada! Quite literally as easy as 1-2-3! :)
Enjoy

The only problem with this cake is that it disappeared too fast! Everyone seems to love it~ and it’s a really filling cake.

Cake
3½ cups all- purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups soy milk

1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder(we recommend Hershey’s)

1 cup canola oil

3 cups real maple syrup

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coconut-Pecan Center
½ cup soy milk

¼ cup cornstarch

1 pinch kosher salt

2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

1½ cups coconut milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Ganache
½ cup soy milk

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate

¼ cup real maple syrup

What to Do:

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°f. Have ready two 8- inch round nonstick cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Heat the soy milk in a small saucepan to slightly bubbling, and then add the cocoa powder. Remove from the heat and whisk well.
(When I worked at Starbucks we would ‘make the mocha’ at night by combining chocolate powder and hot water. This is basically the same idea)

Now, while this looks like a tasty treat….its not. Remember that it has no sweetener, so before you snag a taste remember that! Its just bitter coco

4. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk well. Pour in the soy milk–cocoa mixture, and whisk until smooth.

5. Using a mixer or by hand, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth.

6. Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool thoroughly.

7. To make the coconut- pecan frosting, whisk the soy milk, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl.

8. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the brown sugar in the coconut milk. Cook, whisking, until the mixture comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

9. With the mixture on the stove still over low heat, pour in the soy milk mixture and stir continuously until the mixture is very thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Cool before using.

10. To make the chocolate ganache, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, and stir continuously until the glaze is smooth. Remove from the heat, stir for another 2 minutes, and then cool to room temperature.

11. To build the cake, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand, and spread a layer of the coconut- pecan frosting over the top (but not the sides). Place the second layer on top of the first. Using a spatula, ice the cake with a thick layer of ganache.

Now German chocolate cakes usually have a top layer of the coconut-pecan mixture. Feel free to add it, but I personally think it’s just too much. This is a REALLY filling cake as-is

The other night my mother came home with a beautiful new blender. She was so excited she got right to making “Smoothies”. The only problem is….they were afoul. I’m not sure why she thought you can throw whatever you find in a blender with some ice an it’ll just turn out great. So I decided to put this up for those people who need a little push in the right direction when it comes to making actually good smoothies. 

What You’ll Need

1/2 cup Frozen Strawberries

1 Frozen Banana (Sliced)

1 cup Soy milk

2 Tbl Agave Nectar

What To Do
Put everything into a blender and give it a whorl. :)

I think the important note here is that, if your fruit is frozen, you don’t need ice. Given, it will be colder with a few cubes. Just don’t use too many. Also, you’ll want to make sure you don’t over blend your smoothie, it’ll get aerated and make your tummy sad.

So! There ya go. Enjoy!

The first time I tired it I almost had a little food freak out its soooo good! I had to share. It’ll be perfect for the upcoming fall season, and it’s a really is a simple recipe (and cheap too!).  ;) 

What You’ll Need (Cake)

1/2 cup Soy Milk

2 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup Vegan Margarine (softened)

1 cup Lite Brown Sugar

1 can Solid-Pack Pumpkin

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Ground All-Spice

1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg

(Chocolate Glaze)
3/4 cup Vegan Semisweet Chocolate Chips (I use Ghirardelli)

2 Tbl Vegan Margarine

1 cup Confectioners Sugar

1 - 2 Tbl Soy Milk

I personally think that if you’re doing this for a Halloween get together a few Halloween themed sprinkles on top would be uber cute. Just an idea ;)

What To Do (Cake)

First thing, go ahead and grease a pan. For a nice presentation use a Bundt pan (and it’s easier to serve that way), but if you’re simple like me a regular 9x13 in pan gets the job done. Set the oven to 350d and get ready to cook!

In a small bowl combine the Soy Milk and Vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the Margarine and Sugar until fluffy (2~3 mins). Now, I know you might be thinking, “Fluffy?” But mix it until it looks close to the picture below. I put some flour on my hands and use them to mix. They are after all, your best tools in the kitchen!

Add the pumpkin and vanilla and beat until mixed. Stir in the Soy Milk Mixture and Beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, and Spices. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin batter, about 1/3 at a time (mixing each time), until everything is mixed together.

(I wish I had taken a picture of this, but alas I did not. Sorry. It looks just like normal cake batter at this point.)

Pour it all into a pan and bake for ~30 Minutes (or until a toothpick comes out *of the center* clean). Cool completely.

What To Do (Glaze)

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and margarine over low heat and stir.

Remove from heat and beat in the sugar. Gradually add the soy milk until the glaze is pourable. When the cake is completely cool, pour on the glaze.

—————————————————————————————————-

My favorite thing to do is heat a slice in the microwave for 5 seconds then put some vanilla ice cream on top. YUM!

Hope you like it! Enjoy! :)

Every time I tell someone what a vegan is or what vegans don’t eat I will almost undoubtedly be asked, “So what DO vegans eat?” Even having been vegan for six years now I’m never sure exactly how to respond to that question (Maybe because it comes off as ignorant almost every time). So. This is about to be a response to the question I’m sure all vegans hear. This is right off of my shopping receipt for one week.

60 Dollars Worth of Vegan

6 pk on-the-go V8 Juice

1 jar Blackberry Spread

1 pk Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagels

1 pk Roasted Edamame (YUM)

1 Slicing Tomato

1 Yellow Onion

1 Bell Pepper

1 6 pk Whole Wheat Tortilla Shells

1 thing of Fresh Salsa

1 box Fruity Pebbles

2 1/2 Gal. Silk Soy Milk

1 jar Pickles

1 can Hormel Vegetarian Chili

1 bottle Lite Pancake Syurp

1 loaf Natures Own Bread

1 bag McCormick Fries

1 bag McCormick Hash browns (I normally don’t do that, but it was buy one get one)

1 pk Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 box Baking Soda

1 box Baking Powder

1 bag Flour

1 lb Fresh Strawberries

1 Bundle of Bananas

1 12 pk Coke Zero (I only get soda once in a blue moon btw)

1 Smart Balance Lite “Butter Spread”

1 frozen Amy’s Cheese-less Pizza

1 box Luna Smores Bars

1 can Pumpkin

1 pk Gardein “Buffalo Wings”

Spices I also picked up: All-spice, Ground Ginger, Nutmeg

SO. Now you know what a vegan eats. Pretty normal? I think so