eat your books giveaway winner

the winner of the eat your books giveaway is MamaStephF! (determined using random.org) congratulations! :)

Bread Stuffing Casserole

Stuffing is one of my favourite things, so it's silly that I only eat it at Christmas and Thanksgiving. I've decided to change that so I recently tried out these 2 recipes.

(Geez what a difference night time and day time photos make!!)

This "bread stuffing casserole" was amaaaazing. It's my perfect stuffing. I love the flavours, love the herbs, it's moist but not too wet. It has parsley, marjoram, sage, thyme, rosemary and black pepper. That perfect combination of herbs is mixed together with delicious onions, walnuts, mushrooms, celery and cranberries. And bread of course. SO good.

This stuffing from ExtraVeganZa has red onion, celery, savory, mushrooms, olives, soy sauce, walnuts and kabocha squash. It was good and I'd eat it again but I didn't love it like I loved the other stuffing. Maybe the herbs weren't quite right and I think I just prefer the traditional stuffing ingredients, as much as I love kabocha squash and olives.

Here's Abby while I'm cleaning out our pantry. (Photos to come soon!) This is the container I kept sugar in and was cleaning out to use for other things (do not need that much white sugar in my house). Anytime I'd empty a container on the floor she'd be in it immediately. She is the owner of all boxes and bags.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Vegan Pot Roast and Gravy
Autumn Panzanella
Red and White Cauliflower Bake
Chuck's Favourite Mac and Cheese

Bread Stuffing Casserole
Adapted from Vegan Vittles

Serves 4

4 cups whole grain bread cubes (I used 5 pieces of whole wheat bread)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup boiling vegetable broth
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the parsley, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss to evenly distribute. Add the walnuts, onions, mushrooms, celery, and dried cranberries, and toss well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable broth, soy sauce and olive oil. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes and toss thoroughly to mix. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish, cover and bake for 35-45 minutes. (I baked mine for 45 but just watch yours and if it seems like it's getting too dry you can take it out earlier.)

Chesapeake Bay Snack Mix

I love the idea of snack mixes like this. I've never made one myself though until this one. And while I do still think that snack mixes are fun, and I love the mixture of stuff in this (though E picked out all the cheddar bunnies), it was insanely salty. In general we try to always reduce the salt in recipes, not add extra salt to our meals, and use reduced sodium products like soy sauce. So maybe for people who don't do this, it wouldn't be as salty? I'd never tried Old Bay seasoning until this recipe, and for those of you haven't tried it either, it tastes kind of like celery. So though I didn't love the recipe, I still think it's fun and maybe you guys can use it for inspiration or just try using less Old Bay seasoning (for less salt).

I was looking through this "cat breeds" book in Costco the other day and was reading about maine coons (which we believe Abby is). And reading the traits of the cat was neat because it completely describes Abby. It said how they have dog like behaviour and love to play fetch, and Abby always does that with her little balls, bringing them to us and being annoying until we throw them. And they love to play with water but don't like being wet, and will tip over their water dishes or dump their toys in water, which she also does. And how they like to grab things with their paws which she also tries to do, including her ball when we throw it for her.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheese Straws
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins
Garlic Cheese Bread
Pan-Fried Onion Dip

Chesapeake Bay Snack Mix
Adapted from Dana Treat who adapted from Everyday Food, June 2010

8 cups crisp corn, rice cereal, such as Crispix or Chex
3 cups thin pretzel sticks
3 cups Annie's cheddar bunnies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Preheat oven to 250F. In a roasting pan, combine cereal, pretzels, and cheddar bunnies. In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lemon juice, and hot-pepper sauce. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture and stir until ingredients are completely coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to two rimmed baking sheets to cool completely.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

The Cookbook Giveaway is closed! I used a random number generator and Genevieve of Vanilla & Spice won Appetite for Reduction!

I don't like cookies that are too soft and cakey, but you know what the best thing about these cookies is? They're soft. How do they get away with this being the best thing about them? They're also thick and dense. Soft, thick and dense. Is that a contradiction? Maybe, but it works. I can't say these are my favourite oatmeal cookies, as I do prefer ones that have crisp edges and spread out more, but there is room for these ones too. Other people who tried them really enjoyed them.

Abby loooooves her cube. She has two and I have another one in the closet when those ones have to be thrown out. She likes hiding inside and doing sneak attacks, diving through them, sleeping inside, and "pumping iron". (I should post a video of Abby pumping iron, which is basically her sitting next to the cube, with one paw on it, and pressing down repeatedly while staring randomly around the room.)

If these sound good, you might also like:
Detox Blonde Macaroons
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Ginger Molasses Cookies
Vegan Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1/3 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened plain soy)
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup oil (I used safflower)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

2. In a large bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together the soy milk and flax seeds. Add in the sugar and oil and mix until it resembles caramel, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Mix in the flour mixture with the wet mixture. Fold in the oatmeal and cranberries.

3. Drop dough in generous tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets. Flatten the tops a bit, since they don't spread much. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Blueberry Spice Spelt Muffins

These are supposed to be blueberry ginger muffins. But while I love ginger in savoury dishes, I'm not a huge fan of it in sweets. So I omitted the crystallized ginger. But the muffins still tasted strongly of ginger due to the 2 teaspoons of ground ginger. In the future I'd change the spice levels and combination. I'd probably use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves (my favourite spice) and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. I will definitely make these again, as I loved how nice and soft they were.

Abby looks either like she's about to fall off the pillow, or like I'm annoying her. Both are likely.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pineapple Carrot Ginger Muffins
Bakery-Style Berry Muffins
Double Chocolate Avocado Muffins
Coconut Banana Muffins

Blueberry Spice Spelt Muffins
Adapted from Vegan Brunch

Makes 12 muffins

2 1/2 cups whole grain spelt flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup yogurt (soy yogurt for vegan muffins)
1 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened plain soy)
1/3 cup safflower oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare muffin tins with oil or liners.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the yogurt, milk, canola oil and vanilla. Stir to combine. Fold in the blueberries.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tin; it should almost fill the entire tin. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Remember when I said that I have two new favourite vegan cookie recipes? Well this is the other one. I love that they're thick and don't spread much. These ones are softer and maybe a bit chewier than my other favourite. Having one or two after dinner is the perfect satisfying dessert, and they're great straight out of the freezer.

I've made them with whole wheat pastry flour and also with spelt flour - and I would definitely recommend only using whole wheat pastry flour. Spelt made them too soft and they spread more. I thought it would be a great idea to make them with cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips - bad idea!! I have a huge container of the spelt cacao nib peanut butter cookies that has been in my freezer for months. I'm trying to work my way through them (this is a clear indication that it was a bad experiment) but it's taking forever.

I love Abby's little pink nose.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Peanut Butter Squares with Milk Chocolate and Oats
Lazy Girl's Chocolate Chip Blondies
Dark and Dangerous Triple Chocolate Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks and (never home)maker

Makes 24

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking. Stir in the chocolate chips, but don't overmix. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently to flatten a bit, with a silicone spatula or the back of your hand (if the dough is sticky then wet your hand). Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Red and White Cauliflower Bake

I've tried various vegan cream sauces but I don't like most of them which is why I never post them on here. I think it's the nutritional yeast and the soy milk. I used to always drink Silk unsweetened plain soy, but have just switched to Silk unsweetened almond and am really enjoying it. (So much better than Almond Breeze, which I know tons of people love.) I'm hoping that in future vegan cream sauces, the almond will blend more smoothly versus standing out like the soy milk. Anyway, I made this cauliflower bake with soy milk and while I could taste the soy, it was a really nice homey dish that I'd happily eat again. I love when tomato sauce is combined with cream (or in this case tofu, cauliflower, soy milk and nutritional yeast). This photo was taken the day after, so it cut out a nice slice, but it'll be a bit of a soft (delicious) mess when you serve it hot from the oven.

Sunday night we were lucky to be invited to the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour! Cirque is my favourite and we always go when they come to town. I haven't been to Vegas but when we go I plan on watching as many as I can. I don't have any pictures of the show but it was amazing. They did such a great job given that Cirque is usually in small tents, and the venue they had this time was huge in comparison. I tend not to share a lot about myself and my life (aside from food related things) on my blog, but I always love reading random tidbits about other people's lives on their blogs, so I'm going to try and share more than just Abby photos. We'll see how it goes! :)

Abby likes to squish herself into any boxes we leave around.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Red and White Tortellini
Lentil Veggie Burrito Casserole
Cauliflower and Parmesan Cake
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Red and White Cauliflower Bake
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes 4 servings

Simple Marinara
1/2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, blended
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups cauliflower, chopped small and steamed

Herbed Tofu Ricotta
1 pkg extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

White Sauce
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp stone ground mustard
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
1 cup bread crumbs (I toast whole grain bread then grind it up in a food processor)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Marinara
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the herbs and saute for a minute or two, being careful not to burn. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, chop the cauliflower into very small pieces and steam.

Herbed Tofu Ricotta
Mix together the tofu, salt, basil, rosemary, marjoram, lemon juice, yeast, pepper and the cornstarch/water mixture.

White Sauce
Whisk the margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk into a paste. Add the tahini, lemon juice, mustard, and the yeast and whisk well. Slowly add the soy milk, whisking well to make a smooth sauce. Add the salt and pepper and whisk over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened; it should coat the back of a spoon thickly.

Assemble the Casserole
Place the tofu ricotta in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish - shallow and long works better than deep and narrow. Press it down to form an even layer.

Mix the cauliflower with the white sauce and spread it over the tofu in an even layer. Add the tomato sauce on top of the cauliflower, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Let stand at least 5-10 minutes before serving sot he casserole can set.

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with Hemp, Flax, and Chia Seed

My favourite nut butter is peanut butter - boring yes, but it's so good! Sometimes I buy almond butter, but I don't really like it. I've bought the big jars from Costco because it's so much cheaper, then I'm looking for ways to use it up. But I've never tried making my own almond butter before (or any nut butter for that matter).

I've seen people making different types of nut butters on their blogs, so I finally gave it a try with this maple cinnamon almond butter. And it was really good! Much better than the store bought one. I like having plain nut butter, but it's nice to have something more interesting like this one too. My only complaint is that it's a bit sweet for me. I really hate having sweet things in the morning (unless it's fruit) and so next time I would maybe cut the maple syrup in half, but that's just me.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Peanut Butter Waffles
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Energy Cookies
Peanut Butter Squares with Milk Chocolate and Oats

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with Hemp, Flax, and Chia Seed
Adapted from Oh She Glows who adapted from Edible Perspective

Yield 1 & 1/4 cup

2 cup raw almonds
2 tbsp whole flax seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat mat. In a large bowl, mix together the almonds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and maple syrup. Spread out almond mixture onto baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through.

2. Remove from oven and allow the almond mixture to cool for a few minutes before placing into a food processor with the cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Process for about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl every as needed (every minute or so). The mixture will be very smooth when ready.

Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale and Carrots

I am currently trying to make sure my brain is crammed full of all the information I need to know for my oral certification exam in a couple of weeks. This is no easy feat! I am making up random stories to try and help me remember stuff like how cows don't want to be the only one responsible for E. coli O157:H7 so they invited their ruminant friends (deers, sheeps, goats) to be reservoirs too, along with humans. Yea. Okay I'll stop talking about foodborne illnesses now and move onto food? Can you tell the studying is making my brain wonky. One thing I like to do while studying is have cat photo shoots.

So here is a delicious bowl of rice noodles in a lime peanut sauce with tons of kale, carrots and seitan. I love Asian noodle dishes and love peanut sauces, so you can understand why I really loved this dish. The original recipe called for 2 cups of kale - 2 cups of kale?? How about 5. I like lots of vegetables with my noodles. You know what else I like - nuts in my noodle (or rice) dishes. This one has peanuts but you could use cashews. Oh and can I just say that I love that the recipe instructs you to cut the noodles into shorter lengths. I often do this because everything can mix together more easily and you don't end up with noodles on your face, but this is the first recipe I've seen that actually suggests doing it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Last Minute Sesame Noodles
Vegetarian Pho
Pad Thai

Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale and Carrots
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes 4 servings

250 g wide, flat rice noodles
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp oil
5 cups kale, shredded
1 1/2 cups seitan, cut into strips
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup of peanuts

Begin by boiling water for your rice noodles. While waiting, make the peanut sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, sugar, chili flakes, and ginger powder until combined. Set aside.

Cook the noodles until just softened, then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles down to shorter lengths (run your scissors through the noodles until "chopped" or actually chop the noodles with a knife. Uniformly sized noodles make mixing everything together much easier). Set noodles aside.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the kale and stir until cooked through and browning in some parts. Add the seitan and carrots, and then turn down the heat a bit.

Add the noodles to the pan. Add the sauce. Stir until everything is well combined. Turn off the heat. Add the nuts and serve immediately.

Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets

I was so skeptical of this lentil dish. While lentils are my favourite legume, this dish seemed too simple to be good. Just some veggies, raisins, garlic, curry powder. But it's actually really good. Really really good. In a kitchen where I don't often repeat recipes, this one has already been made several times. It's easy to make, healthy, and super tasty (this appears to be the holy trinity for me). The addition of raisins might be my favourite part. I like eating it with some brown rice, but any other grain would be good too.

Abby time!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pumpkin Lentil Curry
Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Ginger
Sunflower-Lentil Pie
Spiced Squash, Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets
Adapted from Vegetarian Times May/June 2010

Serves 4

3/4 cup dry green or brown lentils
2 cups finely diced sweet potato (about 1/2 lb)
1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
Salt & pepper
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1. Cook the lentils in at least 2 cups of water for about 25-30 minutes, until soft but still firm.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Place 4 16-inch lengths of foil on work surface. Fold foil in half from short side. Unfold. Shape corners and edges of one half into semicircular "bowl" with 1/2-inch sides.

3. Combine sweet potato, bell pepper, peas, raisins, oil, ginger, garlic and curry powder in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide sweet potato mixture among packets; top with 1/3 cup lentils. Pour 1/4 cup broth over lentils. Fold other half of foil over ingredients, and crimp edges in overlapping folds until packets are sealed. Transfer packets to baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes.

Rainbow Rice and Beans

I made this rice dish with the idea that it could be a stand alone meal. And I didn't find it to quite be what I wanted, maybe not flavourful enough. But it is a great side dish. A great accompaniment to a larger meal, like a potluck. While it wasn't a favourite of mine, other people enjoyed it so I'm sharing it here. To make it again, I think I'd double the spices.

Miss Abby.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Quinoa Corn Salad
Greek Basmati Rice
Warm Roasted Pumpkin & Shallot Salad
Greek Barley Salad

Rainbow Rice and Beans
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum and Oh She Glows

Serves 3 as a main, or more as a side dish

1 cup brown basmati rice, dry

1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (about 15 oz or 1 3/4 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
2 medium carrots, shredded

Spices:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Start the rice with two cups of cold water.

When the rice is almost done cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add spice mix and saute until spices begin to bubble up a little bit, being careful not to burn.

Add beans, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer on low, covered, until rice is done. Add peas, carrots, and corn and for a few moments until defrosted. Add rice to pan, stirring well to mix in beans and veggies and coat with sauce.

Orange Sesame Tofu & Coconut-Lime Basmati Rice

I never do fancy things with rice, but after making this simple coconut-lime basmati rice it makes me want to more often! You can't really see the rice in this photo but it's there under some sauteed kale. I paired the rice with orange sesame tofu and kale, as suggested in the cookbook and really enjoyed the combination.

I couldn't choose between these 2 photos so I had to post both!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry
Pad Thai
Tarragon Pecan Asparagus

Orange Sesame Tofu
Adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 pkg (350 g) extra-firm tofu, diced into 1/2" squares
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400F. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combined cornstarch with 2 tbsp orange juice and stir until fully dissolved. Add remaining juice and ingredients, except tofu, green onions and sesame seeds, and stir to combine. Add tofu and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour or more, or bake it immediately.

To bake, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Turn over tofu, gently stir to cover tofu with sauce, and bake again uncovered for another 6-9 minutes, or until sauce thickens and is bubbling at edges (sauce will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from oven, sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve.

Coconut-Lime Basmati Rice
Slightly adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

1 cup dry brown basmati rice
1 can (400 mL) light coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (zest limes before juicing)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Zest of 1 lime

In a saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, lime juice, and salt. Bring to a boil on high heat, stir, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 35-45 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through. Turn off heat, stir in lime zest and let sit for 4-5 minutes.

Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake

We always have bananas in our house - one for everyday of the week for each of us. But rarely do they get brown enough to bake with, and rarely do I want to bake with them. But such an occasion occurred and I was inspired to make this rustic chocolate chip banana oat cake. Oats and oat flour are the base (I love oats!), with the addition of both mashed banana and diced banana. And chocolate chips (E was very happy about this). The cake was really moist and delicious. The only improvement would be to add walnuts next time, so I've included them in the recipe though I didn't add them to my cake.

Miss Abbyton

PS I am currently obsessed with jigsaw puzzles!! Growing up I used to do puzzles when visiting my grandma, or at Christmas time with my mom. Costco had puzzles a couple of weeks ago so I bought 2 and now have been searching on Amazon for my next puzzles. Anyone else a puzzle geek like me?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Coconut Banana Muffins
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Mom's Banana Apple Bread

Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cake
Adapted from Oh She Glows

2 cups rolled oats, processed into a flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Sucanat
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp safflower oil
2 medium very ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Fold in: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips; 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped; 1 ripe banana, cut into chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 8 inch (4 cup) casserole dish or 8” cake pan. Take 2 cups of regular oats and process them in a food processor until flour like in consistency.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (processed rolled oats, rolled oats, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt).

3. In another bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, soy milk, and vanilla. Add in the two peeled bananas and smash into the wet ingredients until smooth.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chips, walnuts, and chopped banana.

5. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake must be cooled for at least 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove.

6. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables

This kung pao sauce is extremely delicious and flavourful, which is no surprise as it comes from my most favourite Rebar cookbook. As you can see in the photo, I used spaghetti for the noodles. Such a silly idea it was. You really need to use fresh Shanghai noodles (or really any fresh Asian noodles would be good) - or even rice. Also, I found there wasn't enough sauce to coat the vegetables and the noodles, so either double the sauce, or start with less noodles than the recipe suggests. I'm a sauce fiend so I'll definitely be making extra next time. Some pan fried tofu would also be a nice addition.

This photo is kind of dark but look at how Abby is holding onto the stick with her little paws!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry
Thai Chick-Un Pizza
Pad Thai
Tofu and Broccolini in Peanut Sauce

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Adapted from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

Kung Pao Sauce
2 tbsp minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp wine
2 tsp sesame oil
1 pod star anise
2 tsp sriracha (hot sauce)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Noodles and Vegetables
1 lb (450 g) fresh Shanghai noodles
2 tbsp oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch broccoli (3 stalks), in florets
6 oz (180 g) snow peas, string and leave whole
5 carrots, 1/2" thick half moon slices
1 small can water chestnuts, drained
1 can baby corn, drained and sliced in half
1 bunch green onions, sliced into 1" lengths
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Begin by making the sauce, which can be done several days in advance. Combine all of the ingredients, except cornstarch, in a pot and gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce. Cook until mixture thickens slightly (10 minutes). Remove the star anise and set the sauce aside, or refrigerate, until ready to use.

2. Before beginning preparation of the vegetables, put a large pot of water on to boil the noodles.

3. Just before starting the stir-fry, begin cooking the noodles and have a colander ready in the sink for draining them. Heat the wok over high heat, swirl in the oil and add the onion. Fry, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the carrots and broccoli; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add the peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, green onions and the sauce. Stir well and cover until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp (about 5 minutes). Serve immediately over hot noodles and garnish with roasted nuts.

Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Ginger

I love making soup, and this one comes together so easily and quickly. I have some other favourite soups that are more involved, but for a tasty weeknight soup where you just throw everything into a big pot, simmer then puree, this one is perfect. I'm still pining for an immersion blender though!

I haven't posted an Abby photo in a while!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Rosemary and Feta Cheese
One Wild Chick Soup
Vegetarian Pho

Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Ginger
Adapted from Dinner with Julie

1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1 medium or 2 small dark-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tsp curry powder
4 cups vegetable stock
salt, to taste
1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional)

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add the lentils, sweet potato, carrots, curry powder and stock, along with a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover and simmer for half an hour, until the vegetables are very tender.

Season with salt, add the yogurt (if you’re using it) and use a hand-held immersion blender to puree it right in the pot. Alternatively, transfer it in batches to a blender and puree until smooth or mash it roughly with a potato masher.

Serve hot. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or cooled and frozen for up to 6 months. Serves 4.

Curried Chickpea Soup

Though I'm pretty picky with my soups, making soup makes me feel really happy and peaceful. I love that I can just quickly and unevenly chop up vegetables, throw them into a pot with spices and herbs, simmer away and have delicious smells emanate. I love seeing the floating vegetables and bobbing bay leaves. Ahh soup, why can't you always be as delicious as this curried chickpea one?


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Curried Split Pea Soup
Thai Coconut Corn Stew
White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

Curried Chickpea Soup
Adapted from Rebar

Serves 8

8 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
8 garlic cloves
3 tbsp minced ginger
1 jalapeno peppers, seeded (more if you like it spicy)
1 red pepper
6 ripe tomatoes
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
3 cups canned chickpeas
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add onion, 1 tsp salt and bay leaves. Saute until the onions are soft and golden. Meanwhile, place the garlic, ginger, jalapenos, pepper and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables form a rough puree. Set aside.

2. Add all the spices to the sauteed onions and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable puree and another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and simmer until small blobs of oil pool on the surface. Add the chickpeas and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook several minutes, then add the coconut milk. With an immersion blender or regular blender, puree a portion of the soup to thicken it. Simmer and season to taste with salt and crackked pepper. Add chopped cilantro just before serving.

Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones

I could eat scones everyday. However I try to mix them up with lots of healthy muffins. And then sometimes I try and take not so healthy scones like this one and make them healthier. Sometimes it fails, like this time. (Other times it doesn't, like with these dill cheese scones.) I didn't even change that much - I just tried to use half whole wheat flour. And the scones turned out dry.

So of course I had to make them again, the original way. And while the unbaked dough was still really crumbly and hard to form into mounds, the resulting scones were soft and moist with nice crisp edges. The flavour combination in these scones - pepper, pear, goat cheese - was wonderful. I love pepper in savoury baked goods. So while it all worked out in the end and I did like the scones, I won't likely be making them again because I don't know about you, but crumbly dough really aggravates me!

Abby's new favourite sleeping spot (the back of a couch cushion).

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Tomato Rosemary Scones
A Dilly of a Cheese Scone
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Apple Cheddar Scones

Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones
Adapted from Savory Baking

Makes 6 scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium pear, peeled, cored, and diced
4 ounces goat cheese, broken into large walnut-size pieces
1/2 cup 2% plain yogurt
2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir together. Add the butter and break it into pea-size pieces with your fingertips. Sprinkle the pear pieces and crumbled goat cheese over the top of the flour mixture and gently toss together, being careful not to break the cheese into smaller pieces.

Soften the yogurt by whisking in the milk. Pour the yogurt over the flour mixture and gently blend the ingredients together with a spatula, being careful not to break up the cheese. The dough may look slightly dry, but it will produce a moist scone. Divide the dough into six equal mounds on the baking sheet, leaving about a 1inch space between each to allow for slight spreading.

Place the baking pan in the center of the oven and bake until lightly brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the scones on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Maple-Baked Beans

I'm still not completely in love with beans, but I'm trying! Baked beans is one of the few ways I enjoy eating them. I've tried a few recipes and these two are my favourite. I don't have a photo of the second recipe but I remember really liking it, so I wanted to include it. They're pretty similar so you can't go wrong either way. The first recipe is from my new go to cookbook, Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection. The recipes in this book use easy to find ingredients for the most part and there's a really good variety of recipes. I usually try at least 1 new recipe from it every week. I just bought Cooking Light - Way to Cook Vegetarian, hoping that it would be as good as the Canadian Living one but I'm not sure it will be. Haven't tried anything yet from it though, have you guys?

Abby playing on the couch with her favourite cow toy.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon
Frijoles, Etc. Casserole
Refried Beans

Maple-Baked Beans
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection

3 cups dried navy beans
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (500 mL) tomato sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp molasses
1 1/2 cups bean cooking liquid, vegetable broth or water

Rinse and soak dried beans overnight in three times their volume of water. (Or for quick-soak method, bring to boil; boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain.

In saucepan, cover beans again with three times their volume of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, apple, garlic, mustard, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper until softened, about 8 minutes.

Stir in tomato puree maple syrup, vinegar and molasses; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Scrape into food processor; pour in bean cooking liquid and puree until smooth.

In bean pot or 16-cup (4 L) casserole, combine beans and sauce. Cover and bake in 300F oven for 2 hours. Uncover and bake until thickened and beans are coated, about 1 hour.

Baked Beans
Inspired by Dinner & Dessert & Lisa's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup boiling water
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt

Soak beans overnight. Drain, then cover with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be careful not to overcook the beans as they will turn to mush when you bake them.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Combine the beans in a casserole dish with remaining ingredients. Bake covered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours; uncover for the last hour of cooking. If they become too dry, add a little reserved bean water.

Dark and Dangerous Triple Chocolate Cookies

Wow it's been a ridiculously long time since I've updated! And I've been putting off updating because I feel like I have to come back with something super exciting, which I don't have. I've been debating whether to continue with my food blog or start more of a daily food/healthy living type blog where I'd still share recipes. Hm. I guess I'm not sure how much I'm comfortable sharing in such a public place. (Healthy living blogs seem to share a lot more just due to the nature of them though I know it's up to me how much I want to share.)

Anyway, so I'm married now! Hurray. :) Everything went really well. We get our official photographer photos back next weekend so perhaps I'll share some then.

I know I said I didn't have anything really exciting to share, but actually these cookies are stupendously delicious and that's exciting. I'm sure many of you have made chocolate dough cookies, and I usually don't like them, but there's something about these that is completely perfect. The 3 kinds of chocolate definitely help - cocoa powder, semisweet chips and white chocolate chips. Usually I give away most of my sweet baked goods but I kept a bunch of these for myself.

I have a ton of food photos back all the way to October that I've yet to post about, so I was thinking about challenging myself to post everyday for a couple of weeks to catch up. I'm not sure how that will go though. I've also stopped taking photos of everything I make, unless it's really yummy. Alright, onto the recipe!

Oh and I know this photo is totally out of season now but I have to share Abby with her reindeer outfit (antlers and a red collar with bells)!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Sugar Cookie Bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows
Cowboy Cookies
Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Dark and Dangerous Triple Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book: The Essentials of Home Baking

Makes about 50 cookies

1 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I ran out of regular cocoa so I used 3 tbsp regular, and 5 tbsp Dutch process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate

Prepare baking sheet; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in semisweet and white chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake in middle of 350F oven until firm to the touch and no longer glossy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Note: I baked 1 tray at a time for 8 minutes. If you do 2 trays maybe you'd need to bake them longer. The original recipe suggests 12 minutes.

Potato Salad Niçoise

Wow December has flown by!! Sadly I haven't had any time to do Christmas baking so I plan on making up for it in January after my wedding. Which is also when I hope to catch up on blogs, as I keep on saying. I hope you all have merry Christmases and happy holidays and happy everythings! I'm waiting for E to get home so we can go over to my mom's and help out with preparations then eat eat eat and play games. We have lots of family meals and visiting in the next few days which I'm really looking forward to!

I've also got a recipe to share with you today from a new favourite cookbook of mine - Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection. For some reason I was kind of skeptical of how the recipes would turn out but I've made a few things and have been quite happy with them so I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of the book. I've always wanted to try Niçoise salad and came across a vegetarian version in this cookbook so finally decided to try it! I really enjoyed it and will be making it again.

Abby in her new favourite spot.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Mediterranean and Couscous Lentil Salad
Pesto and Chickpea Pasta Salad
Greek Barley Salad
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon

Potato Salad Niçoise
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection

Makes 4 servings

14 mini new potatoes, quartered (1 lb)
2 cups trimmed green beans, cut into 2" pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups baby spinach (I like lots of spinach, you don't have to use this much)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
16 Kalamata olives, pitted
Half sweet red pepper, diced
4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes, covered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Add green beans; cook until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain.

In large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, basil, salt, and pepper. Add potato mixture, spinach, tomatoes, olives and red pepper; toss to coat. Top with eggs.