Okay. So I went a little bit overboard with the zucchini buying this week. I have 1 large and 6 tiny (they’re adorable!) zucchini. I made some zucchini pasta last night to go with my RAWsome green smoothie (recipe follows). It was DELISH. I am going to use the rest of the zesty marinara to top some avocado crostini for breakfast. YUMMY!

Moving on. So. Zucchini surplus. What is it with me and an overabundance of vegetables this week? Not that I’m complaining. I love veggies. And fruit. It’s an equal partnership to keep my body happy. So. Too much zucchini (since I don’t like having pasta every night, and I’ve already made some wraps…). I’m going to make some crunchy zucchini chips.

Yes, you read that correctly. ZUCCHINI CHIPS. Spicy ones. If they turn out, I’ll share the recipe. I just have to wait for the kale chips to crisp before I spice up my zucchini and start dehydrating it.

Now for that recipe that I promised…

Green Sunshine Smoothie

2 ripe bananas (make sure they have brown spots)
1 kiwi
3 tangelos
3 kale leaves, stems removed

Place all ingredients in your blender, with the wettest (tangelos, everyone. NOT bananas. Don’t be like me.) ingredients on the bottom, kale on the very top. Blend away. ENJOY!

“What’s this?” said Ish. “It’s a parsnip,” I replied. “A what?” “A parsnip. Kinda like a carrot, only sweeter. They’re good.” Ish put the parsnip back and looked at me like I’d just stated that the sky was green (it wasn’t in case you’re wondering). I love parsnips. If you haven’t tried them, they’re great slow roasted with some carrots and sweet potatoes. Parsnips are also a great substitute for crab (if you have the inclination or miss crab salad) in the vegan world. I will admit that I’ve been missing my pre-vegan crab salad loving ways. It’s not the crab that I miss, though-it’s the creaminess and the contrast of textures. So I set out to replicate the flavors that I loved so much. I don’t have any kelp powder (just haven’t been able to find any locally and am absolutely against paying more in shipping than the actual jar is worth!), so what I came up with didn’t have that ‘fishy’ taste-but it was cool, creamy, and just what I was missing. I caught Ish stealing bites out of the fridge before it had chilled (I like to let it sit for awhile to let the flavors meld). Here’s the recipe:

‘Crab’ Salad

• 2  c  shredded peeled parsnip
• 1/4  c  finely chopped celery
• 1/4  c Veganaise
• 2  tblsp minced fresh onion
• 1-2  tblsp  soy or almond milk (coconut isn’t the best for this) for thinning
• a pinch of  kosher salt
• a pinch of  freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything well and let it chill for at least 1 hour. You can mix this recipe up by adding cayenne or hot sauce-it’s very open to interpretation. If you sub scallions for the onion and add some slivered almonds it’s really yummy, too!

I love sammiches (who doesn’t?!). They’re delicious, nutritious…AND very versatile. I also love when I’ve got a fridge full of good sammie stuff! I know that I did my weekly prep a few days ago, but I discovered a few mangoes that I ended up not eating (shocking, I know!) and decided to make one of my favs: Curried Mango Tempeh Salad. YUM. I added 3 mangoes (yup, I love mango!) instead of one, and it ended up being AWESOME. I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow! The recipe says that the longer everything marinates, the better it gets…and it’s TRUE! That’s why whenever I make it, I let it marinate for  at least 24 hours…the anticipation is KILLING me, though! I also love this recipe because it’s become a favorite in our house-and with our friends. I’ve brought it to a few functions (yup…everyone saw me coming and knew that I had my tempeh-mango mix with me!) over the summer. Needless to say, I never have leftovers (maybe I should start doubling the recipe….).

Since I’m on the topic…I actually have plans to make quite a few sammies this week: “tuna” salad with chopped banana peppers, tempeh ruebens, baked tofu, grilled veggies…I was so excited that I even made two loaves of whole wheat bread (and yes, the brioche is gone already…but I did give a loaf to my neighbor)! Now I’m off to halve the pitas so that I can get my sammie on just a little faster tomorrow!

Since my first attempt was SUPER successful, I thought ‘why not?’ So, I made another batch of brioche this morning…but this time, I baked it the old fashioned way. (I have to say that my house smells AMAZING!) It turned out wonderfully!! I did cheat a little and let the bread machine do the mixing-there’s really no nice warm spot in my house that I can use to let the dough rise since I live in Texas and it’s 70+ degrees in the winter. Since my recipe turned out so well, I thought that I would share (and I did promise Christina that I would post the recipe). I will warn you that this recipe is DELICIOUS, and may cause you gain a few pounds since it’s hard to have just one slice.

My Brioche:

And now…

I started preparing for our month of full-blown veganism (remember that I am vegan, but Ish is not). I have to start by saying that I am SO excited!! I went to the grocery store and loaded up on all of the good stuff: plenty of veggies, fruits, legumes, and some nummy soy products. When I got home, I got started prepping. I wanted to make sure that there were plenty of hubby-friendly snacks on hand (he doesn’t like to do much prep), so I chopped some veggies, cleaned some cherry tomatoes (YUM!), and made power balls and granola. I LOVE granola. My house smells heavenly, and now I can’t stop snacking! While the granola was baking, I also made a wonderful sushi salad. It was so yummy, I ate until my tummy hurt (in a good way). I stumbled on the recipe in my new cookbook Appetite for Reduction and was definitely not disappointed. Ish even thought it was particularly yummy-in fact, the salad tasted just like my favorite veggie rolls! I will definitely have to make it again. I wanted to be sure to share my recipes for the power balls and granola, as they have been snack staples for me (just not normally in the same week), and are great for curbing those holiday cravings for less than healthy snacks.

The granola is simple (I just eye the quantities): combine 2 1/2 cups rolled oats, 1/4 c almonds, 1/4 c walnuts, 1/4 c cashews and 1/4-1/3 c seeds (sunflower or pumpkin work well) with 1/4 c canola oil and 1/3 c real maple syrup in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add in a dash (about 1/8 tsp) of salt, and some cinnamon (taste it so you don’t get too much). Then, dump your mix onto a baking sheet and spread it out. Pop everything into a 350 degree oven. Set your timer for 5 minutes-the take the granola out and stir it…repeat another few times, until it turns yummy and golden. Be careful not to let it burn! I didn’t watch carefully the first time I tried to make it, and ended up with sadly charred bits. Normally, it takes a total of about 20 minutes to cook. Once it’s done, let it cool, then you can add in any dried fruits that you may want…I like cranberries and cherries. Enjoy!

And now for the powerballs…take 6-8 medjool dates, pit them and soak them in HOT water for about 10 minutes. While that is working, toast 1 1/2 cups walnuts (doesn’t matter if they’re chopped or not) either in the oven or on the stovetop. Drain the dates really well. While that’s happening, put your walnuts into a food processor and let them go until they’re near dust. Then add in your dates, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Blend until the whole thing looks like cookie dough. Now, form the dough into little bite-sized balls or press it into an 8×8 pan lined with waxed paper (if you choose to go this route, chill it down, pull it out of the pan, and then cut into bars). Chill tightly covered and enjoy! You can also vary the flavor by adding 2 tbsp of either cocoa powder, key lime juice, coconut, almond extract, etc. Get creative!

Okay…I am SO very excited (I’m actually having a hard time sitting still to type this…partially because I am SO happy, and partially because I have a massive amount of cookbooks spread out so I can barely find my keyboard!)!! Ish has decided that he wants to (wait for it…) TRY VEGANISM! Do you see why I’m doing the happy dance? He surprised me yesterday when he made the announcement that starting on December 7th, he is going to be vegan for 30 days. He knows it will be a BIG change, but I can’t wait to share my love of all things veg with him! And 30 whole days? What should I make?? He’s pretty set in his shake for breakfast/sammie for lunch routine…but dinner is ALL ME. So help me out. I obviously have my faves…black bean chili, stuffed eggplant, etc. But I am DYING to try some delish new recipes. I want to introduce him to the AMAZING flavors that are out there, and there are WAAAY too many! I realize that this is a GOOD thing, though…but the variety is killing me! So I’m turning to you for help. What are your favorite vegan dishes? This also means that I’ll be blogging a bit more (and hopefully posting pictures!) about our 30-day adventure. I can’t wait to get started. I’m going to the grocery store on the 6th and getting all stocked up. Are you as excited as I am?

I was working on getting my Thanksgiving dinner prepared (and we’re not eating until FRIDAY!), and realized that I was out of broth! EEK! With Tater it’s difficult to just pick up and go to the store. Thankfully, I had a myriad of veggies in my fridge (as always) and could spare a few to make some homemade broth. YUM-O! It turned out SO super delicious that I wanted to share. So…here you go:

Basic Vegetable Broth

THE FIXIN’S:

2-3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1 Large Onion
5-7 Stalks Celery, with tops
4-5 Whole Carrots, washed but unpeeled
3 Whole Cloves Garlic (or more if you like extra-garlicky goodness)
1-2 Bay Leaves
15 Whole Black Peppercorns
1/4-1/3 Cup Low Sodium Tamari (taste your broth, please)
1 Gallon Water

You can also add the following: Any fresh veggie scraps from other meals, Leeks, Parsnips, Potatoes, Peppers, Turnips, Mushrooms, etc. Use your imagination!!

AND NOW…

Roughly chop your (washed!) veggies.

Heat a large stock pot with some olive oil in the bottom. Add the chopped veggies cooking on high for about 5 minutes (until things start to soften). Add the water and bay leaf. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for approximately 1 hour. Now comes the easy part: taste your broth. Add your Tamari and you’re done! Strain it out, then freeze (ice cube trays work great for freezing) for up to 2 months, or refrigerate for up to one week.

I got inspired this morning to make some croissants. LOOOONG process, but SO worth it. I used the Shmooed Food recipe, but filled them with almond paste and semi-sweet vegan chocolates. All I can say is YUMMY! I am a bit embarrassed to admit that Ish and I ate ALL of them. Yup. Every single one. In my defense, They were small-ish…kinda. I’ve also developed a total addiction for pumpkin shakes…smoothies…whatever. They’re SO good. Before becoming vegan, I’ll admit that I looked forward to fall for one reason: Burgerville’s pumpkin pie shakes. Since they (obviously) are very NOT vegan, I set out this fall to veganize them. And (drum roll, please), I’m proud to say that I was successful! Not only do my pumpkin shakes cure my sweet tooth, but they’re actually good for me! Pumpkin contains beta-carotene, which not only helps your body fight off disease, but it may actually help stave off wrinkles, too (YAY!). So…I thought I’d share my recipe. It’s nothing terribly special, but it is SO amazingly yummy (I know, I know…repeating myself…but it’s TRUE!). So…here it is: in your blender/shake-maker, combine 1/2 a cup of pumpkin puree, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste), 6 oz almond milk (tried soy and rice, but almond tastes best for this smoothie), 7-8 ice cubes, and 1 tbsp raw agave nectar. Blend until nice and combined, then enjoy!! I promise you WILL NOT miss the crust.

Have you been looking for a good book? Have you read Skinny Bitch? If you haven’t, you should. Yeah, they’re crass (and yes, I’ve blogged about this before), but the girls have got it right. They provide a no-nonsense viewpoint about all that is good about being veg. I must say that I LOVE this book. It’s well researched, well written and a blast to read (even for the second, or third…okay, fine. Fifth time!!). Some of the ideas (fruit for breakfast…not eating until you’re ravenous) are a little much (especially as a mommy! I have to eat when I can!!), but the overall viewpoint and presentation are wonderful. Yes, they swear, but they also make a good point. So put on your big girl panties and read a copy. Even if you’ve been vegan for awhile, it’s always good to be reminded of WHY. In a nutshell, being veg is SO much better for your body, mind and soul! Kim and Rory (the authoresses…is that even a word?) did a great job, and got quite a few belly laughs from me. So…have you read it yet? Did it change YOUR life? You are probably wondering what prompted me to pull this out and read it again. Well, I’ll tell you. I was perusing for good veg cookbooks the other day, and discovered a BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW one! Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: I HAVE to say, it looked SUPER yummy, and went on my ‘must have’ list, along with Isa’s new book: Appetite for Reduction: 100 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes. All I can say is ‘yum!’

Ever get a craving for something that is sugary, crispy, chewy, and *slightly* bad for you? Well, tonight Ish and I both did. We were sitting on the couch, waiting for the Aggies game to come on (and, we TOTALLY ROCKED, by the way!), and both of us said, “what do we have that is sweet??” Ummm…nothing. BUT, I had turbinado sugar, vanilla extract, and a delicious recipe! So, off to the kitchen I went, and WOW did they turn out absolutely DELICIOUS! And somewhat guilt-free. So, I thought that I would share. Yes, they’re vegan. And SO easy. Go ahead…make them. You won’t be sorry.

ROCKIN’ Sugar Cookies