Hungry Girl Lunch

Starting last night, I have been a bottomless pit. Ladies, you know when TOM visits and it feels like you have a hollow leg? Luckily I had no junk food on the premises or it could have gotten ugly.

When lunchtime came around I wanted something more substantial and full of protein than my usual fare. After last night's visit to Planet Organic we had a package of tempeh to play with.

For those of you who have never tried tempeh, trust me you are missing out. It is made with a process of fermenting soy beans, something that may not sound appetizing but is surprisingly delightful. The taste is kind of nutty, and the texture is slightly more toothsome than a bean. Really, there is nothing to compare it to, so just try it.

In order to soften it before cooking, I generally steam it.

Tempeh-tastic Salad

1 Pkg of unflavoured tempeh
1 med dill pickle, minced
1/4 of a small onion, minced
2 short stalks of celery, chopped
salt and a generous amount of pepper
vegenaise

This is a recipe that is very much 'to taste'. Add more or less of any of the ingredients as you go.

Cut up the tempeh into chunks and steam for roughly 5 minutes to soften. While this is steaming, do the cutting of pickle, onion and celery and throw in a bowl.

Once the tempeh is softened, crumble it up into the same bowl. Add vegenaise, as much as you like (some like it creamier than others). Mix it up, arrange on plate with some veggies and Bob's your uncle! Really filling. I have decided not to eat my way through the cupboards anymore. Until next month, of course.

Birthday Bash, Part 1

Birthday Blog *** Denise

So, Denise's birthday is tomorrow (February 11th y'all! - Denise), but decided to celebrate today, as we don't want to start the work week feeling crappy from all the sugar and processed food we are gonna eat for the birthday dinner and dessert.

She wanted 'The Kind Diet' Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie, though we make it with cashew butter, because Denise is allergic to peanuts (I didn't want Suicide Pie - Denise).


For the dinner, it took her a long while to decide, but went with my lasagna. There is no recipe per se, but I'll tell you how I made this amazing ( if I may say so myself) dish.

Lovely Lasagna (Ooey Gooey Cheesy Lasagna is my name for it - Denise)

- lasagna noodles
- pasta sauce
- canned tomatoes
- 2 onions, diced and divided in half
- 7 garlic cloves, minced and divided in half
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 package veggie ground round *opitional
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 container tofutti cream cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 packages Daiya, one mozzarella and one cheddar

In a medium pan, sauté half the onion and garlic and veggie ground round with the canola oil. When ground round is mostly cooked, add the sautéed mixture to a large bowl and add pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, and spices. Stir it up and set aside.

In a food processor, add tofu, cream cheese, salt, the other half of the onion and garlic, water and lemon juice. Puree till smooth-ish.

Ok, time to assemble.

In a 13 x 9" pan, I like to line mine with parchment paper, as clean up is quicker.

Pop in a single layer of noodles. I use no cook noodles, cuz I don't have time. Then cover over with tomato mixture, then a layer of the tofu mixture and then 1/2 the Daiya. I use half of each.

Then another layer of noodles, more tomato mixture and then tofu layer. Add the last of the cheese. I add a bit of water in each of the corners of the pan, just a bit, to ensure the noodles are cooked.

Bake in oven for about 60 minutes at 350* degrees.

So good!

Denise enjoyed the meal a lot. She kept swearing, a good sign I'd say. (Oh my Fu**, so good - Denise)


What am I gonna have next week? We'll see... (She failed to mention her birthday is the 15th. It's our birthday season! - Denise)

- Melina.  :D

Forks Over Knives

Just saw the documentary 'Forks Over Knives', something that I should have seen ages ago. We've all heard of the celebrities who have decided to opt for a whole food, plant based diet after seeing the film - Eliza Dushku, Ozzy Osbourne, Russell Brand, Carrie Ann Inaba to name a few. Of course I was thrilled to hear this, but I guess I wondered what the film could do for me. After all, I'm already vegan, right? Sometimes it's easy to forget the basics.

I should point out that we have really busy lives. Work, Etsy shop, I write and Melina is trying to get back to painting. We sometimes find ourselves falling back on quick and easy and processed, simply due to lack of time.

Food should and can be healing. The evidence is there though many choose not to see it, and this documentary makes it impossible to ignore.  It is not an animal rights film. It is about nutrition, about lowering the risk of heart disease and cancer. About reversing illness and using food to heal. The whole food and plant based diet is the way to do it.

As a vegan I knew this but had gotten away from the whole food idea. I eat mostly OK, but could do a lot better. From now on the focus is on whole grains and veggies, legumes, fruit. When eating that way I felt the best I have in my life. I am excited to get back to that. And thrilled with all of the recipes I am going to try. :)

~ Denise

Well, what she said really. I love my sugars. Luckily, I love fruit too.

- Melina  : D

For the Love of Eggplant

Let's review. We love curry. If you've been paying attention you may know this. What you may not know, as it is a recent discovery for us, is how much we love eggplant. A year ago, all I knew about eggplant was that I liked the colour a whole lot.

As an aside, why are all vegetables called 'red' really purple?  'Red' onion, 'red' cabbage. Think about it and marvel.

Eggplant Curry

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, cut up
- 1 large eggplant, peeled, cubed and soak in water
- package Gardien beef tips (opitional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp garham Marsala
- 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cups basmati rice

Cook basmati rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, put olive oil in large pot, heat on medium low heat. Add onion, and sauté till beginning to brown. If using Gardien, put on with the onion, so both are browned.

Add garlic, cook about a minute, then add mushrooms and eggplant. Both will cook down. Add salt and spices, spice to taste, I just put what I used in this dish. And Denise likes it spicy, and I like it not too, too hot. This combo seems to work.

I usually simmer about 10-15 minutes on low heat. Then the rice should be about done too.

Serve curry over rice. Yay! You just cooked with eggplant! Look at you. Now go brag to your friends.

- Melina  : D

So eggplant. It's a scary vegetable. Had no idea what to do with it. It wasn't until our friend Janis, who spent much time in China and Hong Kong and came home with 2 of the cutest kids ever, gave us a tip that we dared experiment. You see, eggplant absorbs a lot of oil when it's cooked. Then it can get all slimy and icky. Eww. The greatest trick is to soak the cut eggplant in water first! GENIUS! Then it repels any oil used in cooking.

I want to find a million things to do with eggplant. Right now our favourite is this 'Beefless Tips and Eggplant Curry'. If you have feared the eggplant, or even if you haven't, you must try it. It is AMAZING!

Take it away Melina! 

~ Denise

Brill Banana Bread

So, I love banana bread. Some folks don't. Denise's mom thinks it's stupid to 'cook with bananas'. If you are like me, and come down on the side of pro banana cooking, read on, my friend, read on.

Have you always wanted to be a wizard? In the kitchen, I sometimes feel a bit like an old time alchemist, with my flours and sugars and potions. Ok, it's vanilla, not a potion, but let use some whimsy here, ok?

What follows is my first recipe. All mine.

Brill Banana Bread

- 3 bananas,over-ripe and mushed
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp vanilla
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup applesauce
-1/4 cup soy milk
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat over to 350*

In small bowl, mix warm water and flax meal well, and set aside to thicken.

In medium bowl, mash bananas. Add applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add thickened flax meal, mix well.

In separate large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Combine well.

Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine till ' just mixed'. Pour in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle Demerara sugar on top. I used 1/4 cup. This was nice because it was all crunchy on top, but if you want to use less, of course you can.

Bake for about 60-ish minutes. Make sure that a knife inserted comes out clean.

 Denise's comment was intermittent moaning, and observed it was more 'cake' like than 'bread'(which I meant as the highest of compliments! ~ Denise). I was most pleased with it and will be treating loved ones to banana bread soon. I think you know who you are!

Hugs, Melina.

Is That a Buffalo in That Salad?

Vegans are human, and wow has that human weakness been apparent in your favourite vamps for the month of December. Our usual supply of foodie goodness was replaced by the quick and convenient. Honestly, I am now to the point that all I want to eat are green things, or as Jennifer Saunders once said in a genius moment on 'Absolutely Fabulous', "Food with the dirt still on it."

I know that some vegans do not like the 'fake meat' products. We embrace Gardein as we do tofu, seitan and beans. In our kitchen there is a place for all deliciousness. One of our personal favourites is the Classic Buffalo Wings. Warning first: these are SPICY BABY! No wimpy vegans need apply.

I wanted a salad, I wanted wings, I made this amazing thing which I am convinced will be making a regular appearance in our food rotation.

washed baby spinach
3-4 mushrooms
1/4 of an avocado
2 tablespoons poppyseed dressing (it would also be good with a vegan ranch or blue cheese, but I was going for quick here and use a pre-made poppyseed)
5 Gardein Buffalo Wings

Salad assembly is pretty self-explanatory, right? Arrange your spinach, chopped up mushroom and avocado on a plate. Drizzle with the dressing. Prepare the wings as per package instructions. Put the wings and the sauce from the pan on the salad. Let the yummy flavours of the sauce blend with the cool dressing. Eat it. Thank me later!

* These instructions are the amounts for one salad. Multiply as needed when the people around you start begging for their own!

~ Denise

Super Scrambliciousness

Who doesn't love a yummy fry-up? Ever since Melina and I have lived together, brunch has been a big part of our lives. There was the Mother Tucker's brunch buffet, where I learned that my new bestie considered a buffet to be a challenge. It was there that I saw her take on our friend Luke in a competitive eating challenge. She lost, but in fairness, Luke was amazing. Another memory: the many Sunday mornings with full breakfast and Coronation Street. Good times.

The bacon and eggs are a thing of the past, and we don't miss them one bit. Every vegan has their own version of the tofu scramble. We have many. This is just one of the many we have tried.

Tofu and Sausage Scramble

1 small block of extra firm tofu (227 grams)

2 vegan sausages (we like Tofurky Italian. Mmmmmm!)

1/2 medium onion

2 Tbs canola oil

salt and pepper

Sauté onion in the oil over medium heat until browned. Crumble the tofu and continue to sauté until it just begins to colour. Then add the chopped up sausages and continue to cook until lovely and brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like lots of pepper. Mmmmmmm!

We served with yummy kale and toast.  Amazing and so easy!

~ Denise