Mumbo Jumbo lunch & Merlin Kitty B-day!!!

So it's been sometime since my last post. It's just been so busy with family and friends visiting and us visiting family. I can't believe school will be starting at the end of August. Wow summer goes by so quickly. Anyways, here is my lunch that I threw together. Wild rice, garbanzo, kale, and tomato that I lightly sauteed with some Bragg's liquid amino's and garlic. Then I threw some avocado and sliced almonds. This was just so earthy and good tasting. I love that wholesome taste and it makes me feel so good!

My kitty Merlin turned 14 this month!!! He is such a good cat, we call him our cat-dog because he comes when you call him and he is so good with dogs. Not that he really plays with dogs but he won't run when they are around, he just could care less about those who are beneath him. hee hee. Anyways Happy Birthday Merlin!

Thai Noodle Salad

When it's sizzlin' outside and you want something light and tasty for dinner, this is

it. It is one of my favorite summertime meals. No joke, I can't stop eating this stuff when I make it. No turning on the oven, no standing over a hot barbecue while the sun is beating down on your back, the only thing you need to do is boil some water to cook the rice noodles and saute up some thin slices of tofu(what you add to the tofu after you saute it on the stove makes it taste so yummy) . That's the only cooking you will do! Everything else is fresh and raw out of the fridge or garden. This recipe is called Paul's Thai Noodle Salad from the cookbook Extraveganza . You don't have to add the peanuts, that's optional. My son told me to make this dish for the Teacher's Appreciation Day luncheon a couple of years ago and everyone asked me for the recipe. That's how good this is! You must get the book and try this recipe.

Oats, oats and oats! Breakfast and gluten free cookies!

My son loves oatmeal, especially steel cut oats, which is my favorite as well. This has been our breakfast for the last couple of days. Trader Joes Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats, sliced bananas, walnuts, maple syrup and soy milk. It still takes a good 15min. to cook although the directions say 7 min or so.

Gluten free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 C. sorghum flour

1/4 C. brown rice flour

1/4 C. buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp. xanthum gum

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 C. gluten-free oats (or regular if not gluten intolerant)

1/3 C. coconut oil, melted or you can probably use any other oil

3 T. applesauce

1/4 C. organic sugar

1/4 C. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C. chopped walnuts

1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a med. bowl mix together flours, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oats. Set aside.

In another medium bowl whisk together, coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, maple, and vanilla.

Once thoroughly mixed, add in the flour mixture. Stir to combine then add the walnuts and chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookies sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until slightly brown.

Makes approx. 18-20 cookies.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes and a trip to a local organic farm stand

Some pickings from the organic farm. I picked the largest fennel at the stand. The blueberries pictured here are less than half of what we picked. We just couldn't stop eating them! The organic blueberry farm has 13 different varieties of blueberries. My son probably ate a good half a pound just while we were picking.

Check out these carrots! These weren't even the widest ones at the stand. They are called

Champagne Carrots and they thrive in rich soil so they don't need to grow as long as regular carrots, but they grow wider. I measured the middle one and it's 2 1/4inch wide. Crazy huh!

Buckwheat gluten-free pancakes, recipe from the PPK. These are topped with freshly picked blueberries and maple syrup. These pancakes are really really good and have now become one of our regular breakfast meals. Here is the recipe below but with my changes.

Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes
Makes 8 five inch pancakes

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (or flax meal)
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (cornstarch or arrowroot would be okay, too)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or organic sugar)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (they taste just as good without the vanilla)

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all flours, flax seeds, tapioca, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Create a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients. Use a fork to mix well for about a minute. Let the batter rest, and preheat a large, non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat.

When pan is hot, spray with a thin layer of cooking spray and use an ice cream scooper to pour batter and form pancakes. I did two at a time, but do as many as you can fit. The pancake should start to form little air bubbles, but not as much as “normal” pancakes do, so don’t worry. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Keep warm on a plate covered with tin foil until ready to serve.

Serve with Earth Balance, maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Savory Tart w/zucchini & roasted tomatoes

My inspiration for this meal came from 101 Cookbooks blog and the recipe is called a Lasagna Tart. It's a twist on lasagna but without the noodles. She uses ricotta as a filling then layers it with zucchini and a marinara on top of a crust. My version: First of all I didn't do any layering. I started with a pinenut crust, then I made the tofu filling I use for my savory tarts or "quiche." I grilled up some zucchini rounds and spread them on top of the filling then topped the whole thing off with roasted tomatoes. For the roasted tomatoes I chopped up quite a few roma tomatoes, threw in some chopped garlic, olive, sea salt and roasted until most of the liquid was gone. Then I mixed in some chopped basil. Next it went into the oven for about 35 minutes.

Wallah! A savory tart with grilled zucchini & roasted tomatoes. It was a nice change from a lasagna or the usual tofu tart. We all really enjoyed it, served with a large green salad. It also tastes really good the next day right out of the refrigerator.

Mushroom Pecan Burgers, Fireworks and Blueberry Coffee cake

Mushroom Pecan Burgers(focaccia bread), cole slaw, grilled sweet potato, yukon and corn. My husband set up the plate for the photo. hee hee. This burger recipe is sooooo tasty it's hard to stop eating the patties. You can use the extra patties in a wrap or pita, or crumbled on top of a salad. I'm not much of a mayo user but on this I make a basil, garlic mayo spread. The burgers are a bit delicate so be gentle when flipping them over. Here is the recipe by Compassionate Cooks and I don't change a thing in the recipe.

Mushroom Pecan Burgers

recipe by Compassionate Cooks/Colleen Patrick Goudreau

INGREDIENTS

1-½ pounds cremini mushrooms

½ cup fresh parsley

2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

¾ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped or lightly crushed

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon sea salt

ground pepper to taste

1-½ to 2 cups breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, mince the mushrooms with the parsley. Remove and set aside

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onions with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper in olive oil for about 5-6 minutes.

3. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least half an hour to help it bind. The mixture will be soft, but you will be able to form patties. Add additional breadcrumbs or tahini, if needed.

5. Using your hands, form the mixture into patties. In a skillet lightly coated with oil, fry patties over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until lightly browned and crispy on each side. Be careful to keep patties intact. Enjoy!

☺

Copyright © 2006 Compassionate Cooks, LLC – All rights reserved

Getting ready for the firework show. See the yellow rope/tape in the photo, well right below that is a field and that's where the did the fireworks.

Look how close we are to the fireworks. So cool! It was our first 4th in our new town and next year we know to dress a bit warmer. It was chilly! burrr. Luckily we brought our sleeping bag and a blanket to keep us warm.

This cake was so moist! This is the Coffee Cake recipe taken from The Joy of Vegan Baking ,

first time making this recipe and it is a keeper. I dropped fresh blueberries on top of the batter and instead of using the usual topping of flour, earth balance, sugar and nuts, I mixed together sugar and sliced almonds, sprinkled that over the blueberries. Once it was baked and cooled, I drizzled a sugar glaze over it. My husband and mother-in-law said it reminded them of a bear claw, but obviously a lot less fattening.

Chinese grilled tofu, veggies with brown rice

The other night when my husband asked what we were having for dinner and I told him a stir fry, his response wasn't very enthusiastic. Stir frys are so easy to make, especially when I don't really feel like cooking, but I do try to change up the veggies & sauce, spicy or sweet, depending on my mood. You see I shouldn't have said stir fry because it's really not what I was going to do, it's grilling the vegetables and tofu that have been marinating in a chinese sauce. I got the idea from, again, The New Vegetarian Grill by Andrea Chesman. When everyone sat down and looked at their plate and said "this looks good" and then they started eating making pleasant grunting sounds, I knew this was a winner! They scarfed it down and wanted more. I would definately make this one for company, it's a nice twist to chinese food.

Here are the vegetables I used and the ingredients for the marinade:

1 head of broccoli, trimmed and sliced

2 Lg. carrots, washed and sliced into long wedges

1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 bag of sugar snap peas, washed

1 block of extra-firm tofu,(the vacuum sealed kind), sliced into strips about 1/3 inch thick.

Marinade for tofu:

2 T. sesame oil

1 T. soy sauce

2 garlic cloves

1 T. fresh ginger

In a small casserole dish whisk together marinade then add tofu. Flip tofu every so often to completely coat.

Marinade for vegetables:

3 T. mirin

3 T. soy sauce, tamari or braggs

3 T. sesame oil

1 T. rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves

1 T. ginger

Whisk together marinade then add vegetables. Marinade for at least an hour.

Prepare barbeque on medium heat. Barbeque the tofu until you see nice grill marks. BBQ/grill the vegetables just until done, you still want them crisp not burnt. Mix together both left over marinades and set aside.

To assemble serve vegetables and tofu over brown rice, drizzle with remaining marinade and sprinkle with sesame seeds.