Friday, October 14, 2011

Vegan MoFo- Gardein Ultimate Beefless Burgers

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Jared and I both had an overwhelming urge for junk food, specifically a burger, so we stopped at the grocery store and decided to give Gardein's Ultimate Beefless Burgers at shot.  I am always pleased with what Gardein has to offer so I knew I wouldn't be let down.  We topped them with grilled onions, mushrooms and eggplant as well as sliced tomatoes, veganese, and barbecue sauce....  They were exactly what we both needed at that moment.  It was quick junk-foody pleasure!  These will definitely be my go to veggie burger from now on. They are pretty meaty.  I haven't eaten meat in well over 7 years, but they seems to be what I remember a burger tasting like. Yummy!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Vegan MoFo- Spicy-Buttery-Bliss Popcorn


One of my favorite snacks is popcorn.  You can make it many ways, but my favorite at the current moment is spicy-buttery-bliss.  Here's what I use to make it!


Popcorn..... of course....


A Whirley-Pop stove top popcorn popper. I found this little guy at a garage sale for $2.00 and it was the best $2.00 I've spent in my life.  It makes the popcorn super fast and my arm doesn't get tired from having to shake the pan back and forth like I used to have to do.  It makes making popcorn a breeze!


For the yummy buttery flavor, a little melted Earth Balance always does the trick.


Adobo all purpose seasoning with pepper is a great seasoning for popcorn. All has in it, is salt, garlic, black pepper and turmeric, but it seasons it just right!


Frank's Red Hot is my favorite hot sauce for popcorn.  It gives it just the right kick.


There you have it, Spicy-Buttery-Bliss Popcorn!  The perfect snack to enjoy over an episode of Dexter with Jared. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Vegan MoFo- Smoky Split Pea Soup



When I think about split pea soup I imagine a green mushy mass with rubbery pieces of ham inside.  Since Isa Chandra Moskowitz rarely lets me down I decided to hold back my prejudices and give the Smoky Split Pea Soup recipe a shot.


I am so glad that I tried this recipe out!  It was AMAZING!  It's nothing like the split pea soup I remember.  This soup had loads of paprika and carrots creating a truly delicious blend of flavors that wasn't mushy or rubbery at all.  This was hearty, smoky, and vegetabley joy!


Jared and I were super hungry, as we usually are at lunch time, so we made tofu sandwiches to go along with the soup.  I know I've already blogged about these delicious sandwiches, but we both thought that sharing this photo with the added avocado would definitely be worth your time!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Vegan MoFo- Cauliflower Pesto Soup


Whenever fall arrives, it puts me in the mood for soup. With extra basil on hand, I decided to try the Cauliflower Pesto Soup out of Appetite for Reduction.


I love a vegan cream soup that doesn't have soy milk or tofu in it, but is still creamy.  Instead of imitation ingredients, this soup had garlic, cauliflower, vegetable broth, salt, black pepper, arrowroot powder, and basil.  As suggested in the recipe, I used my immersion blender to get it suuuuuuper creamy and garnished it with toasted pine nuts.  This soup was light, creamy and surprisingly filling! I will definitely be making this one again.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Vegan Mofo-Brownies




Once in a blue moon Jared will get a craving for something sweet, and I can never turn down sweets, so I scurry into the kitchen and start poking around to see what I have on hand to make dessert.  This time I had everything we needed to make Bitchtastic Brownies from Vegan Bitch in the Kitch. They are supposed to be a healthier brownie recipe than the average so I felt good about my decision to make them.  I was out of vanilla extract, so I used coffee extract as a substitue and that worked out beautifully.  They also contained unsweetened vegan chocolate, sucanat, silken tofu, oil, whole wheat pastry flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt. They were SUPER chocolatey and rich, so one small brownie definitely satisfied our craving.  

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Vegan MoFo- Breakfast Smoothies



Jared and I have been working hard at adding nutritious treats into our diet.  Lately, Jared has been making some of the BEST smoothies that have ever sipped.  Each week we buy a healthy assortment of frozen fruit so that he can work his magic each morning.


strawberry-mango-pineapple-almond milk


raspberry-strawberry-pineapple


mango-pineapple-vanilla soy yogurt-orange juice

I often refer to these smoothies as slurpees.  They taste just as good as I remember slurpees tasting and you honestly can't tell that they aren't unhealthy.  Even though I can't take credit for making them, I thought that everyone should know about these fantastic healthful drinks.  I love my breakfast slurpees!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Vegan Mofo- The vegan family kitchen



Jared snapped some pictures of the kitchen so, here is a look at my favorite space in our flat...


Some of my spices


The side of the fridge





A few pictures of me in action...


Here is a view where you can see most of the kitchen.  Many of my cooking utensils are in canisters on the window ledge and we have a large stainless steal table for all my prepping needs....


A look inside the pantry... and yes,  there are produce stickers lining the shelves...


Jared made this amazing pot rack to free up some space.

A different spice rack.  I need loads of spices!