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. 

Ronald's Doughnuts

Yes, I did it. I traveled through the barren desert for vegan doughnuts.

I cannot tell you how excited I was for these doughnuts. I'm sure many of you reading already know that Ronald's carries yeasted doughnuts which are in fact vegan. Are they purposely vegan, or just a happy accident? I don't know and I don't care. They are delicious, and so worth the trip.

So, my best, dearest, long time, childhood (and veg) friend and I were taking a trip to Las Vegas. Before we even had it booked, we knew the first thing we had to do was get to Ronald's and devour doughnuts.

It was surprisingly easy to get to Ronald's from the strip. Just walk to the Fashion Show Mall, and jump on the bus that stops in front (I forget the #). Then it's only a couple of stops until the little shopping center that Ronald's is in (you have to walk about 2 blocks from the stop you get off). Luckily we were there during a heat wave, so it was only slightly sweltering out.

We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the doughnuts are SOY FREE! So we ordered a few and sat down to enjoy the treats we journeyed across the country for.

jelly & boston Cream (my all time favorite)



plain sugar coated

YUM!



I'm in doughnut heaven!

We of course had to get a box to go, but it didn't last long...


 Later that day...

Well. That's one more thing crossed off my vegan bucket list...

I'm Alive...

Well, hello, y'all.

I deeply apologize for my extended absence. I am in the midst of a move from DC to NYC, and things have been a little hectic. Not to worry, I'll be in a new apartment with a brand new kitchen to break in this weekend. New material coming soon.

Stay hungry my friends.

Lunch time!

As I was packing up tomorrow's lunch earlier tonight, I thought it looked so pretty that I would share it with you.

This is an adapted version of Sushi Roll Edamame Salad from Appetite for Reduction. It's adapted only because I was missing a few ingredients, so I had to simplify. Basically you are looking at brown rice atop a bed of raw kale, topped with sliced nori strips and sprinkled with sesame seeds. On the side is shelled edamame also sprinkled with sesame seeds. Tomorrow I'll pop this baby in the micro for 1 minute then pour on the Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette (from said book). Only my vinaigrette is sans green onions (again, did not have any at the moment) and I replaced the agave with Bragg's.

It packs up nicely too...

Vegan Eggrolls, Continued...

Finally some delectable photos of my vegan eggrolls. For the recipe see this post. The only thing I believe I changed is that I used about 4 tablespoons of filling in the rolls. I still think these would be better (and by better I mean crispier) if deep fried, rather than pan fried. I'm just not feeling that ambitious with oil these days.

Cupcake Party: Tiramisu Cupcakes

 

Snack Time: Supreme Nachos!

I love snacks, and I don't hold back when it comes to snacking. My usual suspect is popcorn. Today I was scavenging for a snack, but knew popcorn wouldn't fill me up enough. Nachos to the rescue!

Supreme Nachos
serves 2 fairly hungry people, or 1 ravenous person

• 3-4 handfuls blue corn chips
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup of Daiya cheddar shreds
• 1/4 cup Daiya pepperjack shreds
• 1/4 cup salsa

Line a large plate with chips. Top with beans and onion, then sprinkle on Daiya shreds and salsa. Microwave for about 1 minute. Eat with a spoon. Or not, but I certainly did!