Farmer's Market Flatbread (Happy Vegan Pizza Day!)

Pizza and the X Games does a good friday night make.

Went to the farmer's market in Huntington Beach this afternoon, and since I have to work tomorrow, we decided to celebrate Vegan Pizza Day a little early.

Those of you who know me, you know I am a big fan of Daiya cheeses, and all kinds of fakey kind of stuff when it comes to my pizza toppings.  But, it's been so warm outside, and since I was at the beach earlier, I felt like making a healthier pizza, not heavy.  More like a flatbread, than a pizza.

This one has no sauce, and no fake cheese.  Just lots of fresh veggies.  I did come across a vendor selling almond based hummus, so I bought some of the tomato basil flavor and threw a few dollops of that up on top for good measure.  Drizzled with a bit of olive oil, and then I sprinkled the whole shebang with a blend of spices and nooch.

From Scratch Whole Wheat Dough
(I used this recipe and used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and molasses instead of sugar.)
Fresh Basil
Baby Yellow Potatoes, thinly sliced
Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
White Onion, roughly chopped
Asparagus, chopped
Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Tomato Basil Almond Hummus
Nooch and Spices

Vida Vegan Con 2013

Make your vacation requests and travel plans now!

The summer of 2011 marked the first ever Vida Vegan Con.   Hundreds upon hundreds of vegan bloggers took to the streets of Portland, Oregon.  We drank and we ate, we took pictures of what we drank and ate, we wrote about what we drank and ate, we taught each other how to write about what we drank and ate, we tweeted about what we drank and ate, we updated our facebook statuses with what we drank and ate... And between all that drinking and eating, we met some of the most wonderful people, that to this day, I consider friends.

I was lucky to have been chosen as a featured speaker then, and feel honored and excited to announce that I will be a featured speaker once again.

Imagine a whole weekend filled with classes and workshops, panels and discussions, covering topics from food photography to business, blogging tech to building your brand.  Basically, about what it is I love to do;  blog about being vegan.  If you missed out on the inaugural event, the amazing ladies behind the Con (Janessa, Jess and Michelle), are doing their darn'dest to make sure you don't miss out on the next one.

100 early bird tickets a go on sale over on the Vida Vegan Con website Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 12 noon PST for only $200.  After they sell out, the remaining tickets will become available at regular price.

I can't wait to see everyone again (and hopefully meet a whole slew of new folks!) in May, so turn in your vacation requests and start making your travel plans now.

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Farmer's Market Soup and Sandwich

Last Friday I headed out to the farmer's market on a whim, and with no plan.  I ended up buying a bunch of stuff that really didn't necessarily go together, but was cheap, and looked good. Anyhow, I plan on heading back tomorrow and needed to finish up what I had left from last week's haul so I made soup and a sandwich.

The Sandwich:

Farmer's Market Squaw Bread, Farmer's Market Red Leaf Lettuce, Farmer's Market Onion, Vegenaise, Tofurkey slices, and a sprinkling of my homemade Chipotle Ranch Dressing Mix (from Vegan Food Gifts coming out later this year.)

The Soup:

Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Red Onion, Farmer's Market Maui Onion, Farmer's Market Spring Onion, Farmer's Market Green Beans, Farmer's Market Yellow Beans, Farmer's Market Kale, Farmer's Market Celery, Better than Beef Base, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, sea salt, black pepper.

The end result?  Pretty dang tasty!

Easy Breezy Summer Afternoons (are perfect for mac salad!)

It can be found on page 100 of The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. 

Man, do I love a warm sunny day.  It begs for you to come outside and enjoy yourself instead of cooping yourself up inside and staring at a computer screen.  And when I spend the day outside, the last thing I want to do is go back inside to cook!

And the winners are...

#30 and #40!

#30

#40

Congratulations Charj and Melinda!  Please send me an email (to joni AT justthefood DOT com) with your mailing address so that I can send you your book!

My nephew, Dominic, is spending the weekend with us, and he randomly chose the numbers.

This is Dominic.

Dust off those BBQ grills! (and a giveaway!)

We are dangerously close to summer, and nothing says summer like cooking outdoors on the grill.  And what better to cook on the grill then....you guessed it....veggie burgers!   While companies like Gardein and Wildwood have taken amazing strides forward in making a great premade veggie patties that taste good unlike their former hockey-puck-like predecessors, there's still nothing quite like a home made veggie burger.

I thought I'd kick off this grillin' season with a veggie burger that celebrates veggies in all of their glory!  You know, contrary to the belief of some of the reviewers over on Amazon, my book, The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet includes many burgers that are soy free, wheat free, and some that are even wheat and soy free.  The recipe below is soy free.  And in addition to the recipe below, I am giving away 2 signed copies of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.  Just leave a comment in the blog comments telling me your favorite meal to prepare on the grill and I will choose 2 random winners on Friday, May 18 at 6 pm PST.  (Yes, I will ship internationally!)   THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER THE WINNERS ARE #30 CHARJ AND #40 MALINDA.  STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER GIVEAWAY SOON.

Mushroom, Asparagus and Spinach Burger on a whole wheat bun with spinach, avocado and Vegenaise.

Mushroom, Asparagus, and Spinach Burger

This recipe is a good one to make ahead of time and follow the directions all the way through the baking step.  Then freeze them in between layers of parchment.  Whenever you want a burger, pop one out of the freezer and pan fry or grill until heated all the way through.

Serving Suggestion: Chock-full of veggies, this one doesn’t need much. Place on a nice wheat bun with some crispy greens, some slices of ripe avocado, maybe a schmear of vegan mayo, and you’re good to go.

3 cups (705 ml) vegetable broth
8 ounces (227 g) mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 onion, diced
1 cup (108 g) shredded carrots
2 teaspoons (10 g) minced garlic
1 cup (190 g) uncooked brown rice
1 cup (134 g) 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) pieces asparagus spears
2 cups (60 g) chiffonaded spinach leaves
2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh dill
1 cup (80 g) uncooked oats
1/2 cup (65 g) ground cashews
1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (72 g) vital wheat gluten flour
Salt and pepper
Oil, for frying (optional)

To a large pot, add the vegetable broth, mushrooms, onion, carrots, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the rice. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.

            Uncover and stir in the asparagus, spinach, and dill. Continue to cook, uncovered, until most of the moisture has been absorbed.

            Remove from the heat, stir in the oats, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

            Mix in the cashews, whole wheat flour, gluten flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix very well until all ingredients are well incorporated. Use your hands if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to thicken up a bit.

            Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

            Form into 10 patties, place on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, until firm and warmed all the way through. If desired, you can fry or grill these after baking, to give them a nice crispy crust.

Yield: 10 patties
(Nutritional info does not include the optional oil for frying.)

Easter Eggs!

(This was originally posted in 2010 and is included in 500 Vegan Recipes. )

Cruelty free Easter eggs! These are fun if you have little ones or even for yourself. They are slightly reminiscent of those Cadbury ones, but the filling is not nearly as runny.

These also make a mean peppermint patty, so you don't have to wait until Easter to enjoy them! As a matter of fact, you can sub any flavor into the center and make a variety of chocolates.

Cruelty Free Easter Eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup (or clear agave)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
A few drops yellow food coloring (or a it of turmeric!) optional
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
12 ounces vegan chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix together corn syrup and vanilla. Begin adding in sugar one cup at a time. Work in the sugar until you get a dough that is the consistency of play-dough.

Divide into thirds. Add yellow food coloring to 1/3 of the dough. Divide that 1/3 into 12 even pieces and roll into small balls. Dust with extra powdered sugar as you work to prevent them from getting too sticky. Place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper and set aside.

Divide the remaining 2/3 into 12 equal pieces and form into small patties. Once again dusting with powdered sugar as you work.

Add one "yolk" into the center of each patty and wrap the patty around it. Form into an egg shape, Dusting as you work. Place on parchment or waxed paper and place in the freezer to stiffen up before you dip them in the chocolate, about an hour or so.

While your "eggs" are freezing, you can melt your chocolate, either on a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip each egg in chocolate and return to wax paper to cool and harden. You can place them back in the freezer to speed up the process if you'd like.

Yield: A dozen "eggs"

Variations:
Peppermint Patties: Instead of dividing into thirds, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peppermint extract to the corn syrup and vanilla before adding the sugar. Divide into 24 equal pieces and form into patties. Follow the recipe from there.

Lemon or Orange Candies: Get creative with the flavors! Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon or orange (or almond or anise or cinnamon...) extract instead of the peppermint. Add a touch of yellow or orange food color, or whatever color matches the flavor you use to make a variety.

All natural food colors can be made using a variety of ingredients...my favorites are turmeric (yellow), beet juice or powder (pink), tomato powder (orange), and spinach juice or powder (green), or you can buy all natural food colors from India Tree.

Vegan Bake Sale

(click on image to enlarge)

This year I decided that I need to represent here in the OC.    The owner of the Trabuco Canyon Country Store is graciously allowing us to set up outside and I am confident that the animal loving folks out here in the canyon are going to buy us out in no time!  Join us!  Either as a baker, seller, or buyer!

Date:  

April 28, 2012

Time:  

10 am until we're sold out!

Location:  

The Trabuco Canyon Country Store

31021 Trabuco Canyon Road

Trabuco Canyon, CA  92679

100% of the proceeds go to benefit

Barks of Love, Orange County.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!

Yes, I spent the entire weekend in Fontana at the Auto Club Speedway watching the NASCAR races.  The Royal Purple 300 on Saturday and the Auto Club 400 on Sunday.  I've been a few times in the past, but this last year we (my husband and I) got really into it and decided to really make a weekend out of it.  So this year we prepared.  I remember from last year, when all we did was bring ourselves, that there is not much besides french fries and alcohol for us vegans.   This year we made sure there was plenty to eat.

Dan and I enjoying our veg friendly eats on the tailgate.

Friday night we prepared everything for the weekend.  I made up a big batch of macaroni salad, a bunch of Soyrizo and tofu scramble breakfast burritos, and then we packed up some veggie dogs, buns, condiments, crackers, sodas, waters, and of course, some booze!  We had everything we needed to get our tailgate on in the parking lot!

Kurt Halsey + Celine Steen + Joni Marie Newman = AWESOME!

What is this crazy collab-o I speak of?  Vegan Food Gifts: Spread the Vegan Love DIY-Style with 100 Inspired Recipes for Homemade Edible Gifts, Baked Goods, Preserves, and More  Written by Joni Marie Newman with photos by Celine Steen and illustrations by Kurt Halsey.  A vegan triple threat of epic DIY proportions, if you ask me.


Now available for pre-order on Amazon with a tentative release date of September of this year.


To give you a little sneak peak of what's in store check out this recipe for infused Gin which will be included in the chapter appropriately titled: Last Call

GIN-ger Snap

This stuff is no joke. It's made with Gin and definitely has a snap!

10 slices (2.5 ounces, or 70 g) fresh ginger (skin on is fine)  

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

4 cups (940 ml) gin

Add ginger, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel to the bottom of a container with a tight fitting lid.

Pour gin into container, seal, give it a good shake, and let sit for one full week shaking once daily.

Strain out solids (I like to leave in the cinnamon sticks) and pour into bottles or jars with tight fitting lids

Yield: 4 cups (940 ml)

GIFT IT! 

Package in pretty bottles or mason jars affix a label to the bottle, and attach the recipe card below.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE!