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...

Lemon + Cranberry Kale Salad

I'm feeling a little sheepish about this recipe.

You see, I recently declared my borderline obsession with kale, which means I'm probably crossing the line by revisiting the topic again so soon.  (Also, who am I to force yet another 'effin kale salad upon the internet?)

Furthermore, publishing a "recipe" for something void of any actual measurements makes me feel like I'm copping out somehow.  (I mean, what makes a recipe a recipe?  Are ingredient amounts clearly one of those non-negotiable prerequisites?  Is "to taste" an antiquated term?  Does Ryan Gosling even bother reading recipes this simple?)  

Instead of succumbing to pangs of self-doubt, I'm choosing to share this with you.  It's my favorite kale salad - a stunningly simple combination of sweet and bitter flavors, elegantly disguised as health food.

So, go ahead and roll your eyes about my kale overload/recipe rule infractions.  Just do it while shoving this glorious salad into your mouth.

{VeganMoFo} Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter

JD and CH are currently on vacation in the Finger Lakes region of New York - sampling lovely vegan food, visiting adorable animals at Farm Sanctuary, and enjoying the wine trails at Seneca Lake (with limited internet access).  As a result, this Monday's VeganMoFo breakfast post will revisit an oldie, but goodie:  Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter (now including the recipe!).

Dear reader, let me introduce you to the most fabulous breakfast that you'll ever meet. His name is Apple Chowder, and I have no doubt that once you see him in person, it'll be love at first sight.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"I worked so hard to snag Mr. Popularity (aka: "Johnny Cereal"), and now that our "routine" is down to just 5 mins, why in God's name would I wanna leave him?"

or

"But Old Reliable (aka: "Oatie Oatmeal") and I have been kickin' it since the days of middle school, and he's always been so good to my heart - I'm not taking a chance on someone who might break it!"

Don't worry, I completely understand. You and your breakfast already have a great relationship going, right? I mean, it's not like you get hungry before noon is it? And you're certainly not getting tired of having the same thing over and over again, are you?

{VeganMoFo} Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Creamy Avocado Sauce

I know, I know, I just did a post about a raw zucchini pasta two weeks ago.  But come on!  That was fourteen whole days ago!  And it's not like you can ever have too many zucchini pasta recipes... right?

Also:  CH and I are headed off on a mini-vacation today (we're going to upstate New York to visit Farm Sanctuary and hit the wine trail, if you must know).  As a result, I'm gonna keep this post short and sweet.

{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} Raw Zucchini Pasta w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce

I absolutely love the way that eating raw foods makes me feel.  It's kinda my equivalent to that feeling some people describe when making the leap from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one.

Since my path to veganism essentially started at birth (my mom can attest to this fact), and I was a long-time vegetarian before becoming a vegan, I didn't experience an overnight change in my mood and energy when I altered my diet.

Honestly, my changes have been much more subtle (but nonetheless magnificent), which sometimes makes me envious of people who have a different story.  Fortunately, however, I've been able to cultivate that missing feeling through raw foods.

Super Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce

I've never met a person who didn't like pizza.  It's basically the great uniter as far as food is concerned.

Oddly, some of my most vivid childhood memories revolve around it: saving up my "Book-It" reading coupons to earn a free personal pan from Pizza Hut (cheese and sausage!); visiting the mall with my family, specifically to devour delicious pizza-by-the-slice at Luca's (from the guy who always pretended to add anchovies - ick!); and drooling over "pizza night," when we made individual pizzas on Pillsbury dough crust (cheese, sausage, black olives!), just they way we liked 'em.

Ahhh... pizza.  The perfect food.

But what's a good pizza without a good sauce?  For this girl, nothin'.  Especially since becoming a vegan, I've noticed that sauce is immensely important on a pizza - even more so if you forego vegan cheese all together, as I do.

VeganMoFo: Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Okay, okay, so I haven't quite kept up with my end of the VeganMoFo bargain, so to speak. Posting every, single, day was a pretty lofty goal (especially since I'm already 3 posts shy of blogging more during this month than I did during all of 2009 or 2010!). Plus, that whole MoFo schedule thing, well... it kinda went out the window, too!

Thus, I'm back at square one, in a way.

VeganMoFo: The Best Roasted Cauliflower Ever

You know what drives me kinda crazy? When people say call-E-flower, instead of call-i-flower.

Yep, I'm picky like that.

VeganMoFo: Orzo Con Confetti (AKA Orzo Salad)

If you're anything like me (and I know I am), you find it almost impossible to watch shows like "The Sopranos" without being overcome by the sudden urge to inhale a huge batch of pasta. 

"If we're outta nooch, someone's gettin' whacked."

VeganMoFo: DIY Croutons in 5 Easy Steps!

Store-bought croutons can be filled with scary ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, MSG, artificial flavors, and even icky preservatives. Moreover, lots of the croutons sitting around on your grocery store shelves are completely un-vegan-friendly.

In order to remedy this situation - and because almost every salad benefits from a few croutons - I've decided to provide a DIY post dedicated solely to these tasty little morsels.

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: Vegan Black Bean Tostadas with Corn Relish

It's safe to say that I'm more than a little irked about last night's election results. And while I really don't wanna turn into a self-loathing Democrat, it's pretty tough when my beloved blue state has turned red on most electoral maps.

However, I refuse to wallow in negativity - I did that all night.

VeganMoFo: Shaved Asparagus Disaster

It's that time of year again! The time when just about every single vegan blogger (except me) participates in the very tantalizing, very delicious, very hard-core, Vegan Month of Food (aka VeganMoFo).

In case you haven't heard, the idea of VeganMoFo is to "write as much as you can all month, about vegan food. The blog entries can be about anything food related - your love of tongs, your top secret tofu pressing techniques, the first time your mom cooked vegan for you, vegan options in Timbuktu..."

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.

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.

Road Trip Trail Mix

Veggie Terrain will be on a short hiatus while JD and CH go on a much-needed vacation. Our trip will take us (on the road) all the way from Chicago to Toronto, Ontario. But don't worry! When we return, I anticipate posting lots of delicious food, wine, and beer pics. Hopefully this quick trail mix post will tide you over until then!

If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that road trips present the perfect opportunity to throw together one of the easiest (and healthiest) snacks you can make: trail mix!

Plus, it's almost impossible to go wrong while making it, which is particularly helpful when you're running around trying to pack your bags at 2am the morning before your trip! (Not that I would know anything about that, mind you!)

Smoothies 101

This post is lovingly dedicated to my dad, who hasn't stopped asking me smoothie-related questions for approximately 6 months. Dad, if the recipe isn't provided here/your query isn't answered in this post... well then, God love ya!

It's that time of year again: the sun is starting to shine and the heat is picking up a bit (every few days, anyway!), which means that cool, fruit- and veggie-filled smoothies are cropping up almost everywhere.

So, what's a thirsty guy/girl to do? Should you succumb to the temptation of Jamba Juice, or even Dunkin' Donuts? Should you give that old 7-11 gas station "smoothie" a try? Should you buy one of those instant-smoothie mixes from your local grocery store? Or, should you take a chance and try making a scrumptious, healthy drink all by yourself?

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!