We are officially living in the Canyon!

It's been a long two weeks, but we slept here starting Saturday night. It's definitely different. I wake up before the sun rises, and apparently, so do the roosters! I finally got the computer set up this evening so I thought I would say hi. I still have a bit of unpacking to do but we are 75% done. I will post pictures as soon as the place is presentable, and I will start cooking again as soon as I can figure out where to put all of the spices!

Top 10 things that have made this move a bit interesting:
10. Dan and I have completely different ideas of how to pack and move.
9. It has been over 100 degrees all week.
8. There are A LOT of bugs in the country.
7. Annie (one of my dogs) does not like Sara or Heidi (the neighbor's dogs.)
6. We have no hot water or shower until at least tomorrow, possibly Wednesday.
5. I will have to keep 85% of my clothes and shoes outside in the barn.
4. My nice big office is now a bookshelf.
3. The TV does not fit on the TV shelf. This is a very big deal.
2. Cox Cable salespeople are sneaky little "cocks."
1. This house is only 495 square feet.

Happy Father's Day! Have some Ribz!

I totally stole the idea from Tracy over at A Veg*n For Dinner. She has some amazing seitan creations. I admit that I am not as "careful" about my presentation of these ribz as she was, but I thought these ribz were fantastic. Although I did steal her method for using "bonz," I came up with my own recipe for the "meat." I baked mine on Saturday night and threw them into the fridge. On Sunday, I threw the whole rack on the grill to warm 'em up and give them an even smokier flavor.



Chipotle Barbecue Ribz on Cedar Bonz
Dry Ingredients
3 cups gluten flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp granulated onion
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp chipotle powder (This makes 'em pretty spicy, feel free to reduce the heat if you need to.)
6 1 inch cedar bones (optional)*
Wet Ingredients
+/- 1 cup veggie broth**
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Bragg's or soy sauce
1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used a chipotle hickory flavor)
extra bbq sauce for basting
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and knead about 5 minutes. Let mixture rest about 20 minutes. Pour a generous amount of barbecue sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. If using bonz, divide your "dough" into 2 equal pieces. Press one piece into the bottom of the pan, until it is in the shape of a large rectangle. Lay in the bonz equally apart from eachother, press the other piece of dough onto the top of the bonz, making sure to press in between the bonz so that the seitan sticks together. If you are not using the bonz, simply spread your dough into a nice flat rectangle. Spread another layer of barbecue sauce all over the top. Cover the entire pan tightly with foil and bake for about 75-90 minutes.

*If you can get your hands on a food safe cedar plank, cut it into 1" bonz uzing a saw, and then sand down the edges. Soak the bonz in warm water for at least an hour before use.
**If you find you mixture too dry, just add in a bit more broth.

Cheater Mac'n'Cheeze

When I want a real meal, I will take the time to make a full blown mac and cheeze. Whether it is the Cozy Inside recipe with its nutty crust or VCON's Mac Daddy with its tart and tangy noochy sauce, or any of the plethora of macs out there on the interwebs. BUT when I think back to my childhood, I have very fond memories of that flourescent orange stuff that took only a few minutes longer to make than it took to boil the pasta.

Enter "Cheater Mac'n'Cheeze." My quick, easy, cheater recipe for a creamy delicious bowl of kid-friendly mac.



Ingredients
1 pound of elbow macaroni, prepared in salted water
1/2 cup vegan sour cream (like Tofutti Better than Sour Cream)
1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance, of course)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp white miso
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare pasta. Drain and return to the pot. Throw in all of the ingredients and mix together well. Done.

Cedar Smoked Tofu and Pasta Salad in a Chipotle, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

In amidst the packing and cleaning and prepping for the move, I found time to fix a few quick meals that can be easily eaten throughout the week. This cold pasta salad is one of them. It is very hearty, very yummy and comes together in the amount of time it takes to boil the pasta.



Cedar Smoked Tofu and Pasta Salad in a Chipotle, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (I used penne)
1 lb block of extra firm smoked tofu (you can buy it already smoked, or make your own), cut into bite sized chunks
1 cup vegan mayo
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground chipotle powder
1 tsp chili powder
12 oz roasted red peppers, sliced thinly
14 oz spinach (drained if using canned, about 2 cups if using fresh, chiffonade)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare pasta according to package instructions. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients. When pasta is ready, drain and run cold water over it to cool it down quickly. Toss the pasta with the dressing. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Kick off the Summer with Cozy Inside!

Cozy Inside is ON SALE from now until the end of May!

Use the following discount code, W99G395B when ordering the Black and White copy directly from my e-store and get $2 off!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW!

Sorry...

...that I haven't posted in awhile. My husband and I are in the process of moving and our house in half packed in boxes and half in a mess. This is making it pretty difficult to be creative in the kitchen! So bear with me over the next few weeks. Once we've settled into our new place, I will have a beautifully organized kitchen, just calling for me to create!

Cinco de Mayo Burgers

Happy Cinco de Mayo! For most of us who celebrate this holiday, it's all about getting your drink on, so who wants to be strapped down in the kitchen with hugely elaborate recipes? This one is so easy, and quick, that you'll be able to get back to the party in minutes!

Serving Suggestion
Serve with tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole, or with spanish rice and beans. To garnish, think burrito fillings. Sour creem, avocado, salsa, peppers, onions...

Disclaimer: NEVER, EVER do I write recipes that require you to buy a prepackaged meat analog. This is my only exception. Soyrizo is one of the only processed foods that I buy on a regular basis. It tastes SO GOOD! It's available at most grocers now as well.

Uncooked:


Cooked:


Cinco de Mayo Burgers
Ingredients (makes 5 patties)
1 12 oz package of Soyrizo
1 14 oz can of frijoles negro (black beans), drained
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
oil or non-stick spray for frying
Directions
In a skillet, pan fry Soyrizo and beans until they are completely warmed through and hot. About 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the flour. Let cool until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, knead in the green onion and cilantro Until you get a soft, smooth mixture. Form into patties and pan fry on medium heat in a smidge of oil or use a nonstick spray, until a nice crispy crust forms on each side. Now go get your tequila on!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Because one cannot live on veggie burgers alone!



Do you shop at Whole Foods Market? If so, you have probably perused the deli counter, drooling over the amazing vegan salads that they offer, and then seeing the ones you can't have because of one stupid ingredient that makes it not vegan! This is one of those salads. At Whole Foods, this salad contains HUGE chunks of feta cheese. I replaced the feta with tofu, and voilla, a vegan version that tastes yummy hot or cold.

Truth be told, I wasn't planning on making a recipe out of this, so I didn't write down any measurements, but I can tell you everything I mixed in, and you can add or take out anything you like to make it your very own yummy salad.

Ingredients I used:
1 pound of Orzo, prepared in salted water according to package instructions
1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed and cubed*
Olive oil, I probably used about 1/4 cup for the whole thing
Sundried tomatoes, chopped up
Fresh Spinach, Chiffonade
Garlic
Onion powder
Basil
Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the orzo, drain, and then add in all of the other ingredients, and mix well. Serve hot or cold.

*If you have a favorite tofu feta recipe, use that.

The "You Outta Know" Burger

Somewhere in England, there is a restaraunt that serves a veggie burger that Alanis Morrissette really, really likes...a lot. This burger is inspired by that one:

Uncooked:


Baked, then fried:


On a roll with spinach and, you guessed it, vegenaise:

My Mom...The Queen and the Star!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

I sent her cookies for her birthday:



And she sent me an email, assuring me that they arrived in Tehachapi, only one broken:


SEE MOM! FOOD PORN IS ADDICTING! (Her plate even matches the cookies!)

Lemon Sand Tarts
Ingredients
2 sticks margarine (I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy yogurt (Vanilla, plain or lemon)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
With an electric mixer, cream together margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add yougurt, vanilla and lemon extracts. Sift in flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. Divide into 4 equal pieces, and refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough onto a well floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake on a nonstick baking sheet (or line with parchment or a silicone baking mat) for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes, transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Icing
Ingredients
3 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered)
3 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
Food coloring (optional)

Directions
Whisk or beat together until smooth. Add in color as desired. Apply to completely cool cookies, and let dry to harden completely before packaging.