Summer Grilling with Lightlife Smart Dogs!

It's very rare that I agree to do a sponsored post here on Just the Food. So rare, in fact, that this is the first one I have done in ten-plus years of blogging! Sure, I have received sample products and cookbooks to review over the years, but I have never done a completely sponsored post. Why? Because, for me, I have to REALLY be in love with a product for me to partner with them. When I was contacted by Lightlife Foods to participate in their summer grilling series featuring Smart Dogs, how could I say no?

I absolutely love summertime in the LBC. In sunny Southern California, and especially in Long Beach, summer means barbecue, hanging out with friends outdoors, and parties in the park. I barely cook inside, at all, from the minute the time change gives us longer days, in our house, we are all about the grill. So when Lightlife offered to send me a mini grill, tools, a cooler, condiments and enough moolah to grab all the Smart Dogs we would need to get through the entire summer...we were STOKED!

Three Salads that Won't Make You Sad

I know. I know. Salads aren't exactly something vegans tend to get excited about. Especially because we are so often left with iceburg lettuce and a squeeze of lemon juice at restaurants that don't have any other options on the table. But these salads are not sad! I promise! And with it being so hot outside lately, it's super nice not to have to actually cook dinner.

Fire Roasted Corn and Pepper Relish

You know what? Summer is my favorite season. Mostly, because I can do most of my cooking outdoors. Burgers, dogs, CORN, peppers, even watermelon tastes great on the grill. This relish is perfect to make alongside whatever else you happen to be grilling. It tastes great on its own with tortilla chips for dipping...but where it really shines is piled high up on top of your favorite veggie dog or burger!

Award Winning Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese

This past Sunday, I had the honor of being one of nine chef's competing in the first annual Mac Down LA! It was a super fun and super hot day in Pasadena, but the energy was on point! A few hundred folks came out to sample and vote for their favorite vegan mac and cheese...and there was some fierce competition. All of this, of course, for a good cause.

Sponsored by Vegan Outreach, the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, The Shumei America National Center in Pasadena, and hosted by Gwenna Hunter of Vegans of LA.

Vegan 'Surf and Turf' Taco Plate

'Surf" Tacos made with seaweed infused rice, dilly tartar sauce, and radish relish.

This weekend I had the privilege and honor to do a cooking demo and prepare lunch for 300 dedicated community activists at the Crisis in the Oceans event which led up to the People's March on Climate Change in Irvine, California. Speakers included Jonathan Balcombe, Kate Mackey, and Gene Bauer! What an honor to be feeding these fine folks!

Carving Board Vegan Pastrami (I promise it's not meat!)

Oh, Pastrami! You are so salty and savory and fatty and just a tad sweet and taste magnificent with a big thick smear of deli mustard and provolone on toasty sourdough. My husband and I used to travel far and wide for a giant pastrami sandwich in our pre-vegan days, and the both of us really had a hankering for nostalgia.

We set out to recreate this old favorite at home using seitan and traditional pastrami spices. It had to juicy. It had to be tangy. It had to have that peppered crust. And...it had to have that signature pink marbling. After all, we eat with our eyes first, and this had to look as authentic as possible. We wanted it to be like those artisan carving board sandwiches you see on all the food shows. You know, the ones they serve up at all the hipster gastro pubs.

Except ours, well, ours had to be vegan.

What Should I Get My Vegan Friends for Christmas? Vegan Cookbooks! Duh!

Read all the way to the bottom of this post where you can enter to win a copy.
I am giving away a copy of each of these books, so just follow the prompts in the widget to enter!

For many of us, the Holidays are no longer about presents, like they were when we were kids. As a grown up I really enjoy the opportunity to meet up with friends and family over a drink, or a meal, and really spend quality time together joyfully in the spirit of the season. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the holidays! The amount of decorations that adorn my 700 square foot home is ridiculous and Christmas music blares from my car stereo as well as my house all month long. It's just the buying of "stuff" for the sake of buying "stuff" that really gets to me.

Harvest Butternut Squash Stuffing and Seitan Roulade En Croute

Thanks to everyone who came out to Tanaka Farms on Saturday for the Plant Powered OC Vegan Holiday Cooking Demo and Talk. It was a great turnout and we had a super fun time!

A couple of notes about the following recipes. THEY ARE FLEXIBLE! Don't like pecans? Use walnuts. Don't like yellow onions? Use red ones. Don't like cranberries? Use raisins. Don't like wild rice stuffing? No worries, use your favorite stuffing recipe instead. Don't want to put the puff pastry on? Don't! It's all about making food that YOU like. Not me. So have fun with it.

Texas Hold 'Ems (BBQ Pecans and Ranch Salad Tacos) from Vegans Go Nuts!

Photo Credit: Susan and Ryan Asato of BigTentVegan.com

Over the last few weeks I have been cooking up a storm. Nope, not at home. But for people interested in learning how to cook vegan! Nothing warms my heart more than teaching people how to cook without animal products and then hearing them afterwards telling me how much they loved the food. Its the best feeling in the world.

Easy Pea-sy Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

Just a week ago I was denying the fact that summer was coming to an end. I was determined to enjoy the most sunshine and blue skies possible. I love summer. It's my favorite season. I love tank tops and sundresses, the feeling the sunshine on my shoulders, and wearing less make-up so my freckles can shine through.