*Quick and Easy* Fall Vegan Picnic

If summer and I were soul mates, then fall would be my secret affair. Anyone who knows me knows I love the sweltering temperatures of a hot summer day, but when the cool fall air begins to creep in I can't help but secretly get all giddy on the inside.

 For me, fall is the perfect time for picnicking. Yesterday we enjoyed our first picnic of the season, complete with a bike ride around Manhattan.

Tired bikes, resting up.

On the menu was a brown, wild rice salad with slivered almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries and a sprinkle of arame. This came together in a snap. I had a ziplock bag's worth of the rice already cooked and in the freezer. All I had to do was quickly warm up the rice (I popped it in the microwave for about 5 minutes). Toss in the cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes and almonds (all pantry staples around here) and there's a complete meal. All of the ingredients really complement each other well. You get the creamy earthiness from the rice, a burst of sweetness from the cranberries, a salty bite from the tomatoes and a little crunch with the almonds. This is especially perfect picnic food since you can enjoy the rice warm or cold.

Blue corn chips and Queso were perfect for snacking along with 2 macoun apples to round it all out. The last of the coffee cakes for dessert and 2 sample size Larabars as an extra treat/boost of energy. Have a look...

All packed up!

Queso... yummm!

So good, and soo filling!

It's not a picnic without a red blanket...

good company...

and a nice view makes it complete!

Easy Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

How is the weather where you live? Today is day # 2 of crappy, rainy weather in NY. Here's a quick soup that feels like a big warm hug on a cold day.

Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1 carrot, minced or grated
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious, unsweetened)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped

Heat oil over medium heat, cook onion 1 minute. Lower heat to medium low, cook onion 3 more minutes. Add garlic and carrot, I grated these both right into the pot. Add all of the spices, salt and sugar, cook about 2 minutes. It will look a little like a paste at this point. Turn the heat down all the way to low and add the coconut milk. Mix it all together, the color will be a beautiful golden yellow. Turn the heat up to medium again and add the can of tomatoes, plus 1/2 a can's worth of water. Bring it up to a gentle boil and toss in the spinach. Simmer just until the spinach is wilted and enjoy, perhaps with some crusty bread.

onion, garlic, carrot & spices 

add coconut milk...

add tomatoes, then spinach...

Yum.

Lasagna: A Layer by Layer Tutorial

I scoured the entire city today for some damn Daiya mozzarella shreds. Yes, really. Unbelievable, I know. To top it off, it's a crappy day today. Just pouring down rain, windy, muggy, nasty day. What a perfect night for comforting lasagna.

Everyone knows how to make lasagna, right? I don't know, maybe not. I'd like to give you a simply lasagna tutorial today. All while watching Extreme Couponing! (I am just bewildered by these people. It's crazy!)

Lasagna

• 1 lb lasagna noodles (not the "no boil" kind)
• 1 batch of pasta sauce (or jar sauce, if you must)
• 1 batch tofu ricotta
• 1 bag Daiya mozarella shreds
• ~1 cup fresh spinach (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. You'll prepare the noodles first, and no, you're not boiling them! I repeat, do not boil the noodles. Instead, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. I do this by filling a separate lasagna pan with about 2" of hot tap water. (Note: my tap water is extremely hot.) Then I layer 4-6 noodles in the hot water for 5 minutes. When the first batch of noodles are ready, begin layering.

Lay 3-4 noodles in a lasagna pan. Spread a layer of tofu ricotta over the noodles followed by a layer of sauce. Next sprinkle the spinach over top (if using). I just tear the spinach with my hands, no fancy chopping needed here. Last, sprinkle a nice layer of Daiya mozz. That's it! Now, repeat so you have 3 complete layers. Once finished, pour the remaining sauce over top and cover the top with a final layer of mozz.

Cover loosely with foil, and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes. When it's finished your Daiya will be incredibly melty and delicious. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it will hold together a little better when you cut slices.

Tofu Ricotta

I love(d) ricotta cheese. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it was with a sprinkle of sugar mixed in, on top of a big bowl of pasta. Those days are behind me but when a dish calls for a creamy ricotta like ingredient, it's easy to substitute with a quick homemade tofu ricotta. Here is how I make mine...

Tofu Ricotta

• 1 block firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Crumble the tofu into a bowl. (Tip: I use a potato masher to mash the tofu.) Your tofu should have the consistency of ricotta cheese (duh). Mix in the spices until completely combined. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Polenta Fries

Since the move, I have been working my way through some pantry staples, in an attempt to, well, avoid food shopping. At least it's making me be a little creative...

Exhibit A... polenta fries. Now children, I realize these are not new to veganland, but they are new to my kitchen. So here we go...

Polenta Fries
(should serve 4-6 as a snack, but the 2 of us easily finished off one batch)

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon dry Italian herb blend
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. When your water is boiling add the oil, turn heat down, then slowly whisk in the dry ingredients. Make sure no clumps form, and continue whisking until you have a very thick mixture. Spread your mixture out into a greased baking pan (I used a 9" round, just use what you have). Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Turn out the polenta onto a cutting board and cut into fry shapes, mine were just shy of about 1/2" thick.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet or cast iron pan (highly recommended) over medium high heat. Fry your, um fries, in a single layer, a few minutes on each side, until just turning a light golden brown.

It is absolutely essential that you devour these immediately out of the hot oil. It is the only way to truly savor these babies. Take note of the perfect bite... a light, crispy, salty crunch followed by a warm smooth, creaminess in the middle.

These are certainly delectable all alone, but I decided to whip up a quick little side dip. The sundried tomatoes really add a little extra salty kick.

Sundried Tomato Pesto

•  1 heaping cup, loosly packed basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 sundried tomatoes packed in oil

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until you have a crumbly mixture. Add tomatoes and process until smooth. Slowly add olive oil by the teaspoon if needed. 

Sunday Night Sauce

Hello my blogi's. I do apologize for my extended absence. I found myself quite sick, not with the flu, but something just as bad, if not worse, on Valentine's day. Luckily for me, this sickness lasted over a week. Now, let's get right back to things here.

We have a Sunday night tradition here. It's actually my family's tradition, which I happily brought along with me when I moved. Each and ever Sunday we have pasta with gravy. No, not the gravy you put on mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, gravy in this sense means tomato sauce.

Dinner prep on Sunday begins early in the morning. Before breakfast is made, sauce is being started.

Feel free to use this recipe as a guideline. You can customize your sauce to your owns taste and texture likes. For example, you can use two cans of tomato sauce if you want something a little thinner. Or, you can use two cans of crushed tomatoes if you want something a little chunkier. Experiment until you find the combination you like. Additionally, you can add whatever dried spices you prefer. I always use dried herbs, but if I have fresh herbs around, I use those also.

Gravy (aka Sauce)
Serves 2 (with some leftovers)

• olive oil to coat


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped


• 1 28 oz can tomato sauce


• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes


• 1 6 oz can tomato paste


• garlic powder, to taste


• dried Italian seasonings blend, to taste


• crushed red pepper, to taste


• 1 lb pasta


• Italian bread for dipping

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, cook until soft about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, cook until just barely browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, mix well. Bring to a rapid simmer, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Add the garlic powder, Italian seasonings and crushed red pepper, then cover. You can let the sauce sit like this, covered on low heat, all day. Once you are ready to eat, taste and season again if needed. Boil your pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, do not rinse, then mix pasta into the sauce until completely covered. Serve and top with an extra scoop of sauce. Dunk and scoop your extra sauce with the Italian bread. Serve with a nice side salad.

My favorite thing to do as a kid was to take a piece of Italian bread, spread it with butter and pile my spaghetti on top. Then I folded the piece of bread in half and voila! Spaghetti sandwich!

Now, seriously. Stop buying that jarred crap and make your own.