Super-Simple Sweet Potato Soup

I'm what you might call a bit of a "late bloomer" when it comes to soup. Growing up, I ate three kinds, and three kinds only: chili (fits in the soup category, right?); my mom's homemade tortellini soup; and Dinty Moore Stew (my dad liked it, so, naturally, I did, too).

French Onion? An abomination. Cream-of-Anything? Not a chance. Tomato soup with grilled cheese? Don't even think about it. 

Which is why it's patently weird that I'm so in love with soup now... 

Super-Quick Black Beans & Rice w/ Avocado + Lime

I'm not what one might refer to as "pleasant" company when I'm really hungry.  Apparently this is an inherited trait.

Honestly, sometimes I get so wrapped up in whatever I'm doing that hours (and hours!) go by before I've eaten a single, solitary thing.  Then, suddenly, I'm famished.  Like so famished that I start picturing myself in one of those insanely guilt-inducing commercials about starving children in Africa.  You know the ones - where those doe-eyed children get like 10 grains of rice a day and have flies buzzing around their heads?  Flies!

Not good.  Which is why I thought I'd share my go-to solution for situations such as these, as a Public Service Announcement of sorts.  Ironically, the recipe involves rice.  It also involves canned beans, avocado, lime, and scallions.  What could be simpler?

Hopefully this will carry you straight past that dreaded hungry-angry phase with minimal effort.  And, if you're the kind of person whose temper isn't connected to his/her stomach, well...

{VeganMoFo} Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

There's a distinct possibility that I'm sitting on my kitchen floor, eating these pumpkin muffins in the dark right now, seeking cover from the "Frankenstorm" that's likely to hit NYC.  If so, thank heavens for auto-posting, otherwise I might not have been able to hold up my end of the MoFo bargain.  My fingers are crossed that that's not the case, but if so, let's just say these muffins are so amazing, they'll even get you through a hurricane.

 

Oh, pumpkin!  Why must you entice me so?

I mean, I know it's that time of year and everything, but seriously - pumpkin's in the air, and in our food, in a major way right now.  According to New York Magazine (my source for all important information), pumpkin drink offerings, alone, have increased 400% during the past 5 years.  Talk about an upswing!

The odd part is, many of the so-called "pumpkin" items on offer at restaurants and in coffee shops don't even contain actual pumpkin.  The secret of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte, for example, is that it's "just a latte spruced up with pumpkin-flavored syrup - connoisseurs cite cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove" as integral flavors, per NY Mag.

{VeganMoFo} The Perfect Bowl of Oatmeal

Blueberry, Walnut, Cinnamon Oatmeal

I'm a sucker for a good bowl of oatmeal.  Always have been, always will be.

And although I do have a bit of nostalgia for the old days - when making "oatmeal" meant tearing open a packet of instant Quaker Oats (maple 'n' brown sugar, represent!) - I'm quite enamored with the weekend ritual of preparing oatmeal from scratch.  The slow-cooking, don't-walk-away-or-the-pan-will-overflow cadence of breakfast preparation kinda feels good.  In my soul.

{VeganMoFo} Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

Bananas are a staple in our house (ahem... very small apartment).  If we don't have them, it's a pretty safe bet that something crazy has happened.  Yet, because they're always around, they sometimes get passed by for more novel fruit, which means that overly-ripe bananas occasionally plague my kitchen counter.

Whenever I notice said offender(s), my mind instantly flashes to an episode of 'The Simpsons,' where Marge says to Lisa, "We have black bananas, and you know what that means!"  To which Lisa gleefully shouts, "Banana bread!"

The Best in NYC: Dun-Well Doughnuts

coconut + vanilla w/ sprinkles

You know what I kinda hate? When I haven't posted in eons, and I (like so many other bloggers) feel compelled to apologize profusely before even attempting to get back into the game. 

Yea, it kinda sucks...

So, let's just skip over that whole thing, shall we?

On to the sweet stuff: Dessert at the famed Dun-Well Doughnuts. (Well, technically it's breakfast, but we all know that isn't quite true...)

Blizzard-Style Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Here, as was the case in much of the Midwest, blizzard conditions have created an almost unprecedented amount of snow, wind, and even thunder and lightning. (Umm... "thunder snow" anyone?)

As a result, nearly every single business, school, courthouse, library, and grocery store is closed.   

Vegan Pizza Obsession: Classic Slice Pizza, Milwaukee

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Cheese-less pizza is SO MUCH better than pizza with cheese!  No really, I'm being serious...

Don't roll your eyes - it is so true, but with one little caveat: the ingredients must be top-notch.  This means no wilted spinach, old sprouty onions, tasteless tomatoes, or scraps from the bottom of your fridge.  It also means that your sauce must be flavorful and - preferably - home-made.

VeganMoFo: Orecchiette Con Broccoli

It's official. I am completely in LOVE (or maybe obsessed is a better word) with broccoli! And it's all thanks to rain-covered basil leaves... and a phenomenal recipe by the Urban Vegan.

A few nights ago I was all set to make my famous pesto pasta recipe for dinner.  A Bulls game was about to come on TV, CH and I had both suffered through very, very long days, and all I wanted to do was sit down to a quick, easy, reliably-delicious pesto dinner.  Instead, what I got was a total recipe upset.

VeganMoFo: Creamy Dijon-Dill Pasta Salad

Sometimes, nothing quite beats a rich, creamy, vegan-mayo-covered pasta salad. I mean, I'm all for healthier versions of pasta salad (and I usually prefer them) but like I said, sometimes...

For this dish, I basically just subbed in some alphabet pasta for the potatoes in my Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad recipe.  It seemed kinda crazy at first - turning a potato salad into a pasta salad - but it's not that weird if you really think about it.

VeganMoFo: The Poor Man's Bruschetta

When it comes to mid-day snacking, sometimes simple is best. That's why I love nothing more than a couple o' slices of whole grain toast. And although there're several tasty topping options out there (think peanut butter, or vegan butter with nutritional yeast and garlic powder, or just plain old sliced avocado... mmm!), my current favorite is the one pictured here.

VeganMoFo: Whole Food's Favorites

I know, I know, pre-made foods are totally not the way to go.

But what if they're vegan, and not really processed, and, well... completely and utterly delicious? I'm talking so delicious that they'll have you slaving away, trying in earnest to replicate their perfection?

You buy them. In bulk. Each and every damn time you're at Whole Foods.

Hummus Smeared Faux-Dillas (aka Quesadillas)

These faux-dillas will really get your motor running. They're perfect for a quick, healthy lunch, and are ideal for using up random bits of goodness from your fridge.

They're totally carnivore-friendly, too. In other words, you won't hear any of that "Where's the cheese?" nonsense if you serve them up for a half-time snack during the NBA Playoffs. Or mid-way through The Office. Or while TBS is playing a re-run of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Or whatever.

Honestly, dairy-free quesadillas are the only way to go. You'll see, I swear.

Vegan Eats in Texas, Toronto, & Chicago

Despite all appearances to the contrary, I'm not attempting to capture the title of "most idle vegan food blog known to man." It just seems as though life occasionally (frequently) gets in the way of blogging - I know, I know, shocking stuff...

As a result of my long absence, I've decided to post a ton of food-porn pics from places that I've visited, like San Antonio, Texas (where I just returned from my younger brother's Air Force Basic Training graduation); Toronto (where CH and I spent a lovely vaca last summer); and Chicago (the place I nearly call home).

Hopefully all of these pics will make up for my lack of posting during the past few months. I mean, they do say a picture's worth 1,000 words right? So, this should pretty much cover it...

Top 10 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes, Featuring Pumpkin Cheesecake with Candied Cranberries

Ah, yes, Thanksgiving... perhaps the most anxiety-filled holiday for vegans (and turkeys!) alike. It's one of those days when your vegan/vegetarian values will likely end up on display, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. However, it's up to you to handle things in a civil, kind-hearted way - especially if you want to save the family arguments for topics like politics or Adam Lambert's recent AMA performance.

Perfect Potato Pancakes

Potato pancakes (aka: potato latkes) have held a special place in my heart ever since I first discovered them in a book my grandma gave to me when I was around 10 years old. Oddly enough, the recipe came from a food-based science experiment book, although I just preferred to think of it as a really fun cookbook.

Cheese-Less Flatbread Pizzas: They're Re-Vegan-Diculous!

So, here's the deal: I was never a big "cheese lover" when it came to pizza (even before becoming vegan). I always hated how the melted cheese got super-stringy, like an obnoxiously long strand of gum or something.

Basically (in my book) too much cheese = too much chewing + too many distractions, which does not make for an enjoyable pizza-eating experience.

That's why I always found it kinda crazy when people would go ballistic about vegans eating cheese-less pizza. ("No cheese, what's the point?" "You're ruining that pizza, ya know!")

Then I realized that all of this disdain had nothing to do with cheese-less pizza generally, but everything to do with BAD cheese-less pizza (and just the idea of cheese-less pizza for some) specifically. I will admit it, eating 2 or 3 terrible cheese-less pizzas will have even a stringy-cheese-hating girl like me reaching for the faux-cheese. Stat!

Cuban Black Beans + Rice

To say it's been a long time since my last post is clearly a gross understatement.

However, instead of trying to catch you up on all of my shenanigans (several cooking classes, a fantastic concert, mild food poisoning, and a brutal non-Swine-Flu-related-cold), I've decided to just stick to the recipe for this post. You see, I have a date with Flight of the Conchords in Milwaukee today, and I don't wanna miss it!

Portland: Part Deux

CH and I recently got back from Portland, OR (it was our second trip there in less than a year!), and I'm pretty sure that Portlanders are doing just about everything right. They have good food, delicious coffee, nice weather, beautiful scenery, laid-back attitudes...

I could go on and on.

However, since my love affair with Portland isn't likely to end anytime soon, I suppose the least I can do is try to share it with all of you!

Oscar (or Any!) Night Pretzels

Like many of you, CH and I spent Oscar night basking in the warm glow of the TV and consuming tons of delicious food. And, since we had seen (and loved!) most of the nominated films, we decided to celebrate our excitement regarding the ceremony by preparing one of our favorite snacks: home-made soft pretzels.

Two hours before the show started, we set all of the necessary supplies/ingredients out and got to work.