Funeral Fog w/Dead on Vocals

This version, with Dead on vocals is so much better to the album version with Atilla singing. Atilla's vocals sound like how I would imagine someone would sound if they were trying to sing while severely constipated.

The Forest Whispers My Name

Wandered around the woodsy area in southern Orange County a few weekends ago and I brought my camera.....for once. A few more if you click on one of the pictures and go to my flickr page.

Shade Empire - Pain & Pleasure

This song rules.

Nibelungenlied

Last night was Wikinger Kino Abend (viking movie night) at my house. My cousin Kurt came over and we did our part to keep the fires of Midgard burning bright.

After a hearty feast (veggie burgers), we watched Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King, which is an English version of a German movie called Die Nibelungen. It was a great movie and very entertaining.

My cousin has an older German movie version of this saga from the 1960's and it was interesting to compare the two.

After the movie, we got into a long philosophical conversation about the evils of monotheistic religions (aka the top three). Much fun was had.

A few links for more info on this Germanic/Norse saga:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagen_(legend)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibelungenlied
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibelungs

1985 Newscast About Punk

Awesome punk documentary clip.

I love the goth radio dj at the end. He had cool hair.

I really want to see a "where are they now" clip. Would probably be disappointing though.

Ghoulash

Nothing reminds me of home like a good goulash. Its Hungarian, its hearty, and absolutely satisfying. It is the definitive comfort food for me. My Grandmother makes the best goulash, hands down. So, when I thought of making a vegan version, I went straight to the master. With a bit of help, this turned out every bit as delicious as the traditional version.

My cousin came over for a movie night, so we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate the end of another semester, and enjoyed a bit of spooky ghoulash with salad.

The ingredient amounts are very informal. This is one of those recipes that you can just eyeball, mainly to your own taste, but below is a guideline.



Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1-2 cups soy chik'n or other faux meat of your choice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon flour (thickens it up a bit)
• 1-2 tablespoons red paprika
• 1 onion, chopped
• pinch of sea salt
• noodles of your choice (traditionally egg noodles are used, but I used wheat)

Directions:

• heat the faux meat - I prefer to use a skillet
• heat the oil on medium, and sautee the onions until they are a nice browned color
• add half the water (slowly), bring to a boil momentarily, then reduce the heat to about medium-low to simmer
• add the chik'n, paprika, and sea salt
• let that simmer for about 10 minutes and prepare the noodles in the meantime
• when the noodles are finished, its time to dig in......enjoy!

Aphelion & Sirene

Awesome picture collage set to probably my favorite Tristania song. Posting this mainly so I can have a quick link should I feel like rocking out to music of the frozen north.


And a really awesome Tristania instrumental with somewhat cheesier goff photos, but I gotta save this one as well...

Whoa Yeah!!!!!

Last night, my friend Danielle and I drove out to Los Angeles to check out a book signing by Vinnie Paul, drummer of Pantera and brother of Dimebag, one the greatest guitarists EVAR!  When Dime was killed, I was seriously crushed, depressed, etc.  It happened on the opening night of Maschine, ironically.

So this was awesome to get to meet his brother, an awesome musician in his own right, and I also met their dad, who is a dirty old man.....he totally hit on Danielle!

Vinnie signing my book:


\m/

OC Veggie Meetup @ Veggie Grill

Sunday afternoon we had our monthly Veggie meetup. It was once again at the Veggie Grill, and it was, once again, very delicious! I got the bayou chicken sammich. Their steamed kale salad looked really good, and I was almost wishing I had tried that.

As usual, I forgot to bring my camera, so I have no pictures of what I ate, but fortunately someone else brought their camera and got some group shots.

One of the cooks came out and thanked us for having our meetup there and saying lots of good things, and he gave us a couple complimentary carrot cakes for dessert. That was the highlight!

As usual we had some great conversation. Next month will most likely be the last time I attend before I move to Washington, so I'm enjoying it while I can, but I've already joined the Seattle vegan meetup, so I'll be making new friends quickly :)

Omega Kale Salad

Inspired by Veg*Triathlete's Omega Kale Salad, I made this for dinner tonight. The ingredients I used are a bit different, but that's the great thing about salad.....you use what's on hand and its pretty much impossible to mess it up.

Simple. Delicious. Completely satisfying.

Ingredients I used:
* 1 head of kale - boiled to soften it up
* spinach
* pine nuts
* sunflower seeds (raw)
* hemp seeds
* lemon juice
* Miso Mayo - spicy red pepper (http://www.misomayo.com/)
* balsamic vinaigrette
* dusting of milled flax (for that omega boost)

iVoted

I love voting season. There always seems to be a "we're in this together" atmosphere at times like this, and its refreshing to get out of the house, mingle with your neighbors (if you voted in person, that is), and just enjoy the season and magnitude of the occasion.

I'd like to say "I hope you all voted!" but the fact is, there's a caveat to that statement. I think every citizen should vote, but I realize that not every citizen has the time to research and understand all the angles, and I'd rather someone not vote than vote incorrectly. Its a big decision, one that affects everyone, and if you aren't properly prepared, I see no shame in respectfully bowing out.

So while I am saying, "I hope you all voted!", I have to temper that statement with a bit of caution.

I always try to keep in mind that it is up to all of us, whether it be through votes, activism, or just setting a good example by living our values to be the changes that matter to us, every day of our lives.

With that said,

HAPPY VOTING!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Tonight will be a quiet night.  Going to pop in either Ghostbusters or Hocus Pocus, drink a glass of (organic vegan) wine or three, and enjoy the evening.  Tomorrow I am meeting up with some friends for Dia De Los Muertos (LA Day of the Dead) at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  Should be fun!

Pig In a Blanket

Rudimentary Peni's excellent song about animal cruelty; I don't have the stomach to watch the video but I thought I'd post it anyway....

Edgar Allan Po' Boys

Its my favorite time of the year....autumn. And my favorite day of the year is just around the corner.....Halloween! So to celebrate, I cranked up some classic Bauhaus records and got down to the business of making some spooky Po' Boys.

This was my first time making po' boys, so I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. But......they turned out absolutely spectacular. Seriously delicious. This will definitely become a staple in my kitchen.

Everyone makes po' boys differently, and everyone has different preferences. The key to a po' boy is the French baguette. One that is crispy on the outside and airy on the inside. Crunchy is key. Everything else kinda comes down to preference. Here's how I made mine.....

Ingredients:

• 1 package of seitan - thinly sliced (that's enough for 2 or 3 people)


• 1/2 onion, finely chopped


• 5 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 or 3 peppers, finely chopped


• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Bragg's Aminos - healthier soy sauce)


• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or whatever vinegar you like)


• 1 tablespoon garlic powder


• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Toppings:

• kale (I boil mine in water with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes to soften it up)


• miso mayo (or vegannaise will work)


• hot sauce (being a hot sauce addict, I used Tapatio and Tabasco)


• gravy

Directions:

1. Start the gravy. You can cook it up and let it simmer while you do the rest. My gravy recipe can be found on this page.

2. Sauté the seitan slices, onion and garlic in oil over medium heat (I used olive oil, you don't need too much, maybe 2 tablespoons)

3. After the onions soften a bit and the seitan starts to brown, add the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic powder and turmeric and sauté a little longer until the liquids cook off and the smell is so awesome you just can't wait any longer

4. As the seitan is nearing completion, toast your baguette

5. Once the baguette is nice and crispy warm, pile the seitan mixture on, add your toppings (miso mayo on the bread), slather it with gravy, find some suitably spooky music and enjoy your Edgar Allan Po' Boy!

Back Home!

Well, I am back at home from my week in Washington. I've been sick all week, so that's put a damper on things, but I still had a wonderful time and I look forward to moving there with much anticipation. Pictured above is the town of Renton, where I'll be working and most likely living.

Everyone is so nice and welcoming at the library. I've known them "virtually" for the past 6 months, so it was nice to finally meet the person behind the voice on the phone!

This is where I'll be working (was there Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for meetings)


The air is so clean up there, I felt so invigorated, and even when I hit the yoga mat, my breathing was much better, which led to a great set of asanas all around.

Upon arriving back in Orange County, I swung by Mother's Market (an awesome vegetarian grocery store) and picked up some essentials....a few ingredients for various dals, and a few bottles of kombucha. I got home, desperate for some rest, but I had to complete a test for my evil cataloging class, so I've been working on that for the past several hours, but thankfully I'm finished and now its time to rest and relax!

Listening to Inside My Mind (Blue Skies) by Groove Armada, and drinking a wonderful cup of tea. Such an improvement from the cheap 7-11 swill I've been drinking this past week!

On Friday morning, I woke up early and decided to take a walk in the morning chill before starting on yoga, and fortunately, I remembered my camera for once!

Seattle Vegan

I've been in the Seattle area all week for work. The food options have been dismal for the most part, but today I took a short trip up to the University District in Seattle and had dinner at a completely awesome vegan Thai restaurant called Araya's. I had the avocado curry dish, which is pictured above.....sorry for the poor picture quality, but I took it with the camera on my phone, as I forgot my real camera at the hotel. It was one of the best things I've ever tasted. So good. On my way back, I was treated to a wonderful view of Mt. Rainier. Quite lovely!

I've been sick with a cold all week, so this dinner was a welcome experience. I really loved the University District. It was very lively, and lots of cool people were about. I'd write more, but I'm trying to get a nagging headache to go away, so I'll cut this short. But once again I'll say, Araya's was absolutely awesome!

Moving To Seattle!

Yup, I'm moving up to Seattle. I am moving up there for my job as an access & interface librarian. I've been wanting to move up to Seattle for several years now, so I'm quite excited about this opportunity.

I'll be in Seattle all of next week for work, and while I'm there I'll be finding a place to live. I hear there are a ton of awesome veg*n restaurants in the area, and I'm excited to check them all out. And the hiking looks great.

I signed up to contribute to Vegan MoFo, but I've been so darn busy I haven't had a chance. I'm going to attempt to catch up this weekend, but with school work, getting ready for my trip, and various other responsibilities, I may not have time.

Supposed to attend a permaculture workshop on Sunday, but I may not even have time for that! I'm going to try to make it, because this'll be my last chance to do so, and the people who run Ars Terra are awesome. Fortunately they are in a fairly successful band and go on tour quite often, so I'll still be able to say hi when they are in Seattle.

An Evening with Robert Cheeke

This past weekend was another veggie meetup, once again at the excellent restaurant, Au Lac. Vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke was there to give a presentation on following your dreams and doing what makes you happy. I was initially skeptical about having a presenter, but his passion for life was refreshing, and by the end of his presentation I was glad he had made a stop on his speaking tour to talk to us (for free, no less).

The food was, of course excellent. I got a raw appetizer, the curry guacamole, which was unbelievable, and also the curry soy "chicken" dish. I also bought a DVD for my mom, who is really into bodybuilding (she's a bodybuilder herself....at age 56!).

The attendance was excellent, with about 40 people showing up. All in all, it was a really fun night!

Veggie Meetup

I've been enjoying my 2 weeks of vacation between the summer semester and fall semester. Last week, school started again, which was a bit of a bummer, but I have only this one class left, and then I'm finished.

I've been cooking lots, but nothing too adventurous. I've been busy with many projects. I do have a few items that I've been planning to make and share with you all. And I promise, its gonna be good!



So until I have anything more substantial to share, I thought I'd post a few pictures from last week's Veggie Meetup at the Fullerton Arboretum. It was very beautiful. I didn't take any pictures of the group, as I was a bit too shy, so I took lots of pictures of trees and birds and stuff.

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fond

Last summer when I was at a music festival in Portland, Oregon, I had the pleasure of trying some absinthe (well....it was quite the raging party, so I guess I had my fair share). The theme of the music festival was "A Dark Victorian Dream", so naturally I bought an absinthe glass and spoon while I was there.

I've been meaning to buy some absinthe so I could actually be able to use my glass and spoon, but being that I'm not much of a drinker, I just never got around to buying any until today. I had gift cards, which was probably the only way I could justify spending $60 on a bottle of alcohol. So I bought a bottle of Le Tourment Vert, which I'm excited to try it, although I'm not sure when that will be....the bottle is so beautiful I'd hate to ruin it by opening it. It is hand glazed and numbered.

They say Van Gogh was intoxicated with absinthe when he cut his ear off....lets hope I don't get to that point :)

Mexican Country Tofu Scramble

Ay Caramba! This is currently my favorite breakfast item. Its fairly quick to make (about 20 minutes) and will definitely satisfy you if you're hungry. It is surprisingly light, however. This is a variation on my normal tofu scramble, but the difference is enough to warrant its own entry.

This time I used silken tofu instead of extra firm (thought I had some in the fridge but I was wrong). I was apprehensive but it actually turned out great. The key to making this recipe awesome is.....the gravy! My grandmother is a gravy master, and she was nice enough to teach me a while back. Its pretty easy, you just have to be careful when mixing the flour and the hot bouillon water, or else you'll end up making dumplings instead of gravy (I know from experience).

The Scramble

• 1/3 block silken tofu (full block if you are cooking for more people, or if you have a REALLY big appetite)


• 1/4 onion, diced (again, 1/2 onion for more than one person)


• 1/2 tsp turmeric (this is what gives it the yellow color)


• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos


• curry powder, seasoned to taste


• garlic powder, seasoned to taste


• 1 soy breakfast sausage link


• Soyrizo (soy chorizo)

Added to this affair is a Tofurky chipotle breakfast link, chopped up and mixed with the scramble, and because I love spicy, I add a few shakes of Tapatio hot sauce and Tabasco. Also, can't go without the smoky tempeh bacon!

The Gravy

• 1/2 or 1 cube of vegetable bouillon


• 2 cups water


• 3-5 tablespoons flour

Directions

• Start off with 1 cup of water and the bouillon in a pot, and bring to a boil so that the bouillon dissolves; once dissolved, bring the heat down to medium


• Pour 1/2 cup water into a measure cup and add about 2 tablespoons of flour


• Whisk the flour and water until its evenly mixed, and slowly pour into the hot bouillon water, stirring as you do this


• I usually add another tablespoon or two of flour mixed with another 1/2 cup of water at this point, and this is the part where you can decide how thick you want your gravy to be

Let it simmer while you cook your scramble and you are ready for one seriously hearty meal....yee haw!

Yogi Bhajan's Onion Soup

I am a soup junkie. I've never met a soup I didn't love. So the other night I had a favorite...my beloved German Potato Soup, and still craving soup, last night I made this new onion soup recipe, which I found on the Yogi Tea web site.

If there is one other soup that gives the German Potato Soup a run for its money, its a good onion soup.....and this one delivers!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oil


• 3 onions, thinly sliced


• 3 tablespoons minced gingerroot


• 2 tablespoons minced garlic


• 1/2 teaspoon pepper


• 2 teaspoons turmeric


• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds


• 1 pinch of crushed red chilies


• 3 quarts water


• 1 tablespoon kelp powder


• tamari

Directions

• Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over a medium-high flame


• Add onions, garlic and ginger, allowing this mixture to soften and lightly brown


• Add the balance of the spices: garlic, pepper, turmeric, caraway seeds and red chilies


• Cook until well done


• Add water and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes


• Add kelp and tamari to taste

**to this recipe, I added some komis bread (sourdough-rye) from the local German bakery, and some vegan melting cheez (I didn't heat it enough though, it didnt' melt haha)

Family Dinner

Summer classes have been keeping me busy. Cooking has been limited to tasty but functional meals. Thankfully the summer semester is just about over, and then its a whole month off. I can't wait!

This past weekend was lots of fun! We had our monthly veggie meetup, this time at the beach. Sounds like fun, but it was really cold and overcast and windy. I LOVE weather like that, but not when I'm wearing shorts and a tank top and looking forward to splashing around in the water! It was a good time though. On my way home, I stopped by 118 degrees for one of their awesome raw chocolate smoothie shakes - chocolate supreme. It didn't disappoint!

Went over to my aunt and uncle's house on Sunday for a family dinner. My aunt cooked an AWESOME vegan meal. My aunt, uncle and cousin are omnis, so I was really surprised and touched that they went out of their way to have a really good vegan dinner for the evening. We had wheat pasta tossed with toasted pine nuts, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, oil and a few other ingredients. For appetizers we had 2 types of hummus - an olive hummus and an asparagus hummus, as well as an artichoke tepenade. I was really blown away with how good everything was, and to top it off, my aunt made a Spanish raspberry iced tea with tea that they got on their recent vacation in Europe.

While we were waiting for dinner to be ready, I played some Mario Cart with my cousin, on his Wii. That's a fun game, but its so strange to get my butt kicked by a 9 year old!

Our absolutely delicious dinner! I forgot my camera, so I used my uncle's, and he ended up taking the photos to a developer, so I had to scan the prints back onto a computer, hence the slightly lower quality of the picture!

On Tea

I just had a delicious cup of Masala Chai Tea. I'm not used to high-caffeine drinks, so when I have even a bit, I'm bouncing off the walls. I can barely sit still at work this morning. Thankfully, I'm sitting on my yoga ball, so I'm putting my energy to good use.

Ingredients to make the best Chai tea EVAR:

Chai tea (of course)

Silk vanilla soymilk creamer

Generous helping of raw agave nectar

Something to munch on....I've got almonds (this is optional!)

My most favorite tea in the whole world:



Jasmine Pearl Green Tea

I drink this pretty much every night. Just the smell of it puts me in a coma, its that good. I put a dab of raw agave in it to enhance the flavor, and that's all it needs. My family calls me Mr. Tea whenever I make a pot. I pity the foo who's never tasted this tea!

4th of July

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July, and a safe one! I drove out to my friend's house in Riverside to enjoy the holiday. We were treated to 2 different fireworks shows, all from the comfort of his backyard! Great conversations, great company and great food.....didn't leave their house till 2 in the morning.....late night for me, I'm usually in bed by 10 pm!

What does this statue have to do with 4th of July? Absolutely nothing, but I love it and had to share it =)


While my friend and his wife are omni, they were very considerate in providing vegan options for me and also for my friend Matt, and so I had a vegan boca chik'n burger (which Matt brought) with hummus, avocado, onions, and corn. Sooooo good! It was getting toward night time, so the pictures of the patties on the grill didn't turn out very well but I got some good shots of the condiments....and fireworks!

Festive Casserole

Festive Casserole......great for festive occasions! Today is indeed a festive occasion: I finally got a food processor! Yes, I've entered the 21st century. I made this recipe once before, about a month ago and let me tell you, grating/shredding the beets was HORRIBLE without my handy dandy food processor. It took about an hour to shred everything. With my food processor, it took about 10 minutes. Food processors really are cruise control for AWESOME.

So.....on to the dish. I found this recipe on the Yogi Tea web site. It is a fairly ayurvedic-friendly recipe (garlic is a no-no in the ayurvedic diet), but I veganized a few of the ingredients. The vegan cheez is what makes this dish so great. I pretty much use the Follow Your Heart brand exclusively. The key to making this cheez taste really good is to melt it till its bubbly.



Ingredients:

• 4 beets of assorted colors (I did 2 red beets and 2 white beets)


• 1.5 lbs carrots


• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped


• 3 onions (I chopped one onion normally and food processed the other 2 until they were minced)


• 3 cloves of garlic (I like mine fairly large, but you can mince the garlic if you want)


• black pepper to taste


• Braggs Aminos, sprinkled to taste (this is a healthy and low-sodium soy sauce)


• 1/4 cup olive or canola oil (for use when you sautée)


• 2 packages of vegan jack cheez

Directions:

1. Scrub beets and carrots, but don't cut off stems or roots.


2. Steam whole beets for about 15 minutes, then add whole carrots and steam until tender/firm


3. Rinse in cold water and remove the skins (I use one of those hand skinner tools)


4. Separately grate the beets and carrots (in your handy food processor!)


5. Marvel at how bloody your hands look from the red beets


6. Place in casserole dish, mixing lightly so the colors are distinct.


7. Sautée onions and garlic in oil until golden brown


8. Gently mix the onions and garlic with beets and carrots, layering cheez in as well


9. Sprinkle with pepper and Braggs Aminos (or soy sauce if you want to go the less healthy route)


10. Cover entirely with the grated cheez


11. Cook in the oven at about 400 degrees for around 5 minutes, then broil until the cheez is bubbly


12. Enjoy!

OC Veggie Meetup

Tonight was the June OC Veggie meetup. My friend and co-organizer, Alia, is in Guatemala right now, so I wanted to keep this meet low-key. Haha, nice try! Ended up having about 30 people attend. Great crowd and everyone was friendly and having a good time.

This meetup was held at Au Lac, a very popular vegan/raw restaurant in Orange County. Their raw menu is incredible, and the presentation is very artistic. I had the curry "chicken". I'm addicted to curry; I couldn't help but order it...again. Good times and good company! Next month, Alia will be back and we are going to have a potluck. That'll be a great opportunity for everyone to mingle a bit more.

Raspberry Chocolove

My latest routine has been to have 3 squares of chocolate after dinner. I'm not much of a dessert person, but this chocolate has me hooked. Its gotta be the best chocolate I've ever had. I especially like the Raspberries In Dark Chocolate. All organic, vegan, and fair-trade. And I love the added touches they include in the wrapping. It not only looks visually appealing, but on the inside is an excerpt from Don Juan, by Lord Byron. How cool is that? Being an English Lit major, I find it to be one of the coolest things I've seen on packaging in a long time.

So if you see this in the store and are wondering if you should try this brand, I have to highly recommend it!

Rustic Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Tempeh "Bacon"

I've been really busy with the beginning of the summer semester that I haven't had much time to cook. Well, I've been cooking plenty, but I haven't had very much time to actually take quality photographs of the stuff I've been cooking. But anyway......

These pancakes were really good! Rustic chocolate chip pancakes. The "rustic" means that they don't look too pretty, but they are very good, and they'll really stick to your ribs! I'm not sure where that expression came from originally, but I saw it on a Disney cartoon a long time ago and I always say that when I make pancakes. So anyway, they have chocolate chips in them, chopped hazelnuts and some grated and chopped almonds.

Ingredients:

1 cup pancake mix (I used Arrowhead Mills)

1.5 tsp. egg replacer (mix with 2 tbsp. water)

1 tbsp. canola oil (organic....the non-organic kind is very very bad, most likely genetically modified)

1 tbsp. agave nectar (the raw version is my favorite, as I've mentioned before)

2/3 cup soy milk (this is more like a minimum, I ended up using about a cup of soy milk, both the normal and vanilla variety for extra flavor)

1/4 tsp. sea salt (if desired)

hazelnuts, almonds, dark chocolate or carob chips (add as much or as little as you like; I tend to be fairly heavy-handed)

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients until lumps disappear


2. Let batter sit for one minute


3. Cook on preheated lightly oiled griddle or pan, turning when bubbles form on surface and edges begin to dry.


4. To ensure they cook all the way through, I usually use my spatula to poke a sliver in the center of the pancake, so that heat can move through a little better.


5. Enjoy!

Favorite Cereal

Hey everybody! I've been lazy these past few weeks! At least as far as posting any recipes. I've been cooking plenty, and experimenting with new recipes, but I guess I've just been a little too busy living life to stop and take a few pictures. Between juggling a job that I love, yoga, and cooking, I've been a very busy (vegan) bee. But I have been trying new recipes and I wanted to perfect them before photographing and sharing them. So, I haven't been entirely lazy! Upcoming recipes I'll be sharing are: Yogi Bhajan's Onion Soup recipe, Vegetable Beet Casserole, and some more German/Yugoslavian/Croatian traditional dishes that I've veganized. Can't wait to share!

My stereo was on, and somewhere between listening to The Cure and Depeche Mode, the idea of making a blog entry about my favorite cereal combination popped into my head. I love to mix Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus with their Organic Hemp Plus Granola cereals. So delicious! And the soy milk adds that extra zing that makes this my preferred breakfast item.

I hope everyone's Memorial Day weekend is going great!

OC Veggie Meetup @ The Veggie Grill

Saturday, May 17 was the first Orange County Veggie meetup that Alia and I have organized. This group was previously the OC Vegan meetup, but the meetings were lackluster and in the past month since the last meetup, 4 organizers came and went.

Alia and I jumped at the opportunity to take the lead and make sure things are done right. There was a lot of confusion about when and where the meetup would be taking place, but mostly due to Alia's work on this, everything was straightened out and I must say, yesterday's meetup was a HUGE success.

Everyone met at The Veggie Grill in Irvine, and the food and atmosphere, as well as the service was awesome! We had been hoping for 5-10 people to show up, but instead, 30 people attended! It seems there is a lot of latent veggie energy in Orange County. We met at 5:30 and everyone had such a wonderful time socializing, talking, hanging out, and eating that we didn't leave till 10:30 at night! And we would have been there longer if the restaurant hadn't closed. It was really a fun time, and I'm really excited for future meetups.

I was so hungry that I started eating my food, completely forgetting to take a picture! I remembered halfway through, so I got a shot of at least one half of my chick'n sammich. Once again, the food was absolutely phenomenal.

Celebration Roast

Another semester draws to a close. The rush of final projects is finished, for two blessed weeks until summer classes start. Haven't had much time to cook anything decent, much less post anything, but now that I'm on a bit of a break, I'll be cooking and posting plenty!

To celebrate the toils of the semester ending, I made a Tofurky roast, with mushroom "giblet" gravy, broccoli, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes. This is a favorite of mine, and so it is a fitting meal to celebrate with.

The recipe for cooking the roast can be found here.

Haitian Beans and Rice

This is a most awesome recipe that my buddy makes, and keeps me with a steady supply. It is really tasty and hearty, yet not too filling. It'll definitely hit the spot when you're hungry, though. Ask me what my favorite part about this dish is? The beans! The garlic! The rice! The cloves? Yes, even the cloves! Its all just so wonderfully delicious. This may very well be the one and only recipe that I post to this blog that I haven't cooked myself. The great thing about this dish is that a batch will last several meals, so its great to take to work for lunch, or nights when you don't feel like cooking. Obviously, this is a fairly simple recipe and I could cook it myself, but I had to give credit where credit is due. Thanks Matt!

Ingredients:

• 1pound dried kidney beans


• 3tablespoons vegetable oil


• 2cloves garlic, chopped or pressed(I love garlic so more is always better!)


• 2cups white rice


• several whole cloves

Directions:

1. Soak the beans for about 8 hours before cooking them.


2. Drain the beans and set the reserved cooking water aside.


3. Add the oil to the pot & fry the beans with the garlic for a few minutes. Try not to stir too much or the beans will get mushy. (Add more oil if needed).


4. Return water to pot of beans & garlic and bring to a boil. If necessary add more water to make 4 cups.


5. Add rice & cloves, and stir. Cover and simmer until rice is cooked(about 25 to 30 min).

**I add about a teaspoon of curry powder and Mrs. Dash seasoning when I'm about to eat it, but that's just how I like it, try your own favorite seasonings to get the perfect flavor, this dish is very customizable!**
Prep time:1/2 hour
Cooking time: 2- 2 1/2 hours
Soaking time: 8 hours

Ginger-Lemongrass Curried Asparagus Stir-Fry

I finally found the time to make this delicious dish! I can't remember who's blog I found the initial recipe on, so if it rings a bell, please let me know so I can give proper credit! I took many liberties with the original recipe, as its easy to do with stir fries. This turned out quite delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, cubed


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 2 tbs. rhubarb, diced


• 1/2 onion, chopped (as much or as little as you like)


• 6 or 7 stalks of aparagus


• 4 carrots, sliced


• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper


• 1-2 tsp. dried oregano


• 1 tsp. dill (fresh or dry)


• 1 jar Ginger Lemongrass Curry

Directions:

1. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped garlic and diced rhubarb, cook for two minutes.


2. Add in tofu, cayenne pepper, oregano, and dill; cooking until the cubes start to brown (8-10 minutes).


3. Toss in carrots and onions, cook for about 2 minutes.


4. Add asparagus and cook for another 10-15 minutes. The asparagus can go in sooner if you like it softer, I prefer mine crunchy so I add it last.


5. At this point I added the curry. You can add it a bit sooner if you like, and some curries (especially the simmering curry) should be added much sooner so it can "simmer".


6. Enjoy!

Kill Your Lawn! Ars Terra Permaculture Workshop

Ars Terra hosted their second permaculture workshop on April 20, and I was excited to attend, despite the 2 hour drive to get there! This time my friend Alia came along to join in the fun!

This was a fun and informal workshop: we started the day with a screening of "Gimme Green," a film on the water-wasting/ecologically harmful nature of the American Domestic Lawn. As the credits rolled, we were all charged up with purpose and ready to go.....

Alia and I rolling up a strip of grass while Geoff looks on:



We wrapped things up with a delicious Thai dinner and some good camaraderie.....and a lot of lovin' from the resident dogs of Ars Terra! Alia and I said goodbye and stopped at Animal Acres on our way home to visit all the rescued animals. They were lovable and adorable as ever, and this time I got to pet some Emus, a first for me. All the animals are just wonderful, but the turkeys will always be my favorite....they are SO happy to have some attention and a good scratch under their wings. I always have to fight back a tear when I see their clipped beaks and toes. All in all, it was another unforgettable permaculture experience!

The coos at Animal Acres enjoying the sod we tore up from the Ars Terra homestead.....cute overload!

Moo-less Chocolate Pie

This is from a very simple recipe from the Food Network, and it was soooo easy to make and really really good. I've already taste-tested this and it was a hit with vegans, vegetarians, and even omni's.

The ingredients are really simple and easy, and it was fun to make too. It only took 20 minutes, from the start of setting up, to finishing. So this is quick as well.


The recipe:
2 cups chocolate chips (dark chocolate is the best in my opinion, and almost a requirement if you are vegan)
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1 block silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon agave nectar (I prefer raw agave nectar,which is a delicious honey substitute)
1 prepared chocolate wafer crust

Preparation:
Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and coffee liqueur in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey (agave nectar) in the blender jar. Liquefy until smooth. If you find it is a bit too thick or rich, add a few splashes of plain soy milk to loosen it up.

Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the filling is set. Enjoy!

Roasted Stuffed Peppers with Kale & Quinoa

This is a favorite dish, and always a hit at family gatherings and other social events featuring food. It is fairly simple to make, and very rewarding when you are enjoying the fruits of your labor!

It takes me roughly 2 hours to make this, but that's because I'm not the quickest at chopping the ingredients, although I'm getting better! With more practice, it should only take around an hour and a half or slightly less.

Nutritional Information

• 1 serving: Calories 171; Carbohydrates 15g; Cholesterol 0mg; Dietary Fiber 3g; Fat 11g (Monounsaturated Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 2g); Potassium 285mg; Sodium 304mg

Ingredients

Peppers:

• 3 medium red, green, or yellow bell peppers (I prefer a mix!)


• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• Freshly ground sea salt & pepper, to taste

Filling:

• 8 ounces kale, (6 cups lightly packed), trimmed


• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 3/4 cup cooked short-grain brown rice, or my preference, quinoa (see Tip)


• 1/2 cup freshly grated vegan Mozzarella cheese


• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, divided (see Tip)


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

• To prepare peppers: Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving them attached. Remove the seeds. Lightly brush the peppers outside and inside with oil; sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until peppers are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Turn cut-side up.

• To prepare filling:

1. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil in a large wide pan. Stir in kale, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water; squeeze dry. Finely chop.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chopped bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until onion is golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the kale. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in rice (quinoa), vegan cheez, 2 tablespoons pine nuts and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the filling among the pepper halves. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts.
3. Add 2 tablespoons water to the baking dish. Cover the peppers with foil and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

• Tip: To toast pine nuts: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. (Or spread in a small baking pan and bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes.) Tip: To cook brown rice: Place 1 cup brown rice, 2 1/2 cups water and a pinch of salt, if desired, in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cover; cook over low heat until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes. Makes 3 cups.

**Please note this is an update from an older post, which I had originally posted on my other food blog that is no longer around.