Sunshine Award!

Thanks to Dudette for nominating this blog for the Sunshine Award! I know that her blog brings sunshine into my day, and I’m honored that she likes my bouncing baby blog! Please show her some love by stopping by!

Sunshine Award Rules:

• Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.

• Answer 10 questions about yourself.

• Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers.

• Link your nominees to this post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

• Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

1. Favorite color? Blue
2. Favorite animal? Rabbit
3. Favorite number? 9
4. Favorite non-alcoholic drink? Iced Tea
5. Prefer Facebook or Twitter? Neither.
6. My passion? Screwing around in the kitchen.
7. Prefer getting or giving presents? Getting.
8. Favorite pattern? The sky on a clear blue day.
9. Favorite day of the week? Saturday.
10. Favorite flower? Rose.

10 blogs I nominate, in no particular order:

1. Things My Belly Likes For her recipes!
2.An Unrefined Vegan For the Virtual Vegan Potluck!
3. VeggieKim For her garden!
4. The Healthy Frenchie For her positive outlook on health!
5. Nuddle2 For her photography!
6. Oh Mah Deehness! For her cute blog name & allergy/veggie perspective!
7. Personal Chef Grazia For her Italian food and lovely pictures!
8. Domestic Diva, MD For her stories!
9. Lots of Nice Things For her crochet & recipes!
10. Run, Nikki, Run For her recipes and healthy living!

(EDIT TO ADD: These run the gamut from vegan to omnivorous.)

Puréed Eggplant Parm

I LOVE eggplant parm. I think it was first vegetarian meal I was exposed to. When I go out to eat, there is a good chance that I will be having eggplant parm. (Many Italian-American dishes are safe for me, and I strongly favor Italian restaurants for that reason.)

I’ve only been making eggplant parm for the past couple of years, though. It always seemed too complicated for me: peeling, salting, breading- who has the time? I’ve been finding little tricks to make it easier, but I’ve accepted that certain elements are necessary if I want to replicate the taste I so love.

Some versions have been successful. Others, less so. I recently came up with this version when looking for an excuse to play with the processor. So far, I’ve made it only once. I apologize in advance for not remembering all of the specifics, but the fun of this, (at least for me), is the individual stamp of each preparation of the dish. I did not break this into two days for any particular reason. It was just that I had the eggplant on hand on a day I wasn’t craving it, and was trying to extend its usability by prepping & freezing it. Then, I got the processor, and just happened to be craving eggplant at the same time.

Puréed Eggplant Parm:

Tools:

Corningware: This a medium sized dish that yields a little over two servings.

Oven

Olive Oil Spray

Freezable storage container

Freezer

Fry pan

Food Processor

Cheese Grater

Freezer

Cutting Board

Large microwaveable bowl

Ingredients:

Eggplant

Olive Oil in a bottle

Italian Bread Crumbs

Garlic Powder

Oregano

Basil

Romano

Nutritional yeast

Smoked Gouda block

Mozzarella block

Day 1:

1. Cube the eggplant by using a knife and a cutting board. Shake a little garlic on top. If you want to do it right: peel the skin, shake sea salt on top & wait an hour or so.

2. Spray the pan with olive oil.

3. Fry the eggplant in bottled olive oil.

4? (I may have sprinkled some garlic powder in here)

5. When done, freeze eggplant in storage container.

Day 2:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put eggplant in large microwaveable bowl. Thaw in microwave.

3. Put eggplant in food processor. Make mush.

4. Spray corning with olive oil.

5. Line pan with thin layer of eggplant.

6? (Did I add basil, oregano, and garlic on that layer? Possibly…)

7. Add a thin layer of bread crumbs on top of it.

8. Grate some mozzarella. Add a layer of mozzarella.

9. Repeat this pattern: eggplant mush, bread crumbs, cheese, until you are on the last layer of cheese. Add some romano and nutritional yeast to the top layer, along with basil, oregano, garlic, and a pinch of shredded gouda.

10. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or so, keeping an eye on it.

 

Check to make sure it’s cooked all the way through, add leftover shredded cheese to the top, and enjoy!

Inner Peace in Aisle Three

This day…

It just hasn’t gone according to plan. We get so frustrated when that happens, don’t we? Should I say we? Maybe you don’t. If that’s the case, I envy you.

Generally, I am a pretty mellow person, but everyone has their limits, and I haven’t been sleeping well lately. But, I got my butt out of bed, had an uneventful breakfast & started my day. This particular day had driving in it. 15 minutes into the drive, on a two lane road east of nowhere, there is bumper-to-bumper, ain’t gonna happen, put it in park traffic. Huh. Ok universe, I’m cool. *Twiddles thumbs while looking desperately at other vehicles passing by*… After about 10 minutes of this, it’s clear that we’re not going anywhere, so people start turning around. Should I join them? Oh gee, the only other way involves doubling back. I’ll wait. *More twiddling, more smart people turning around*. Ok, I get it. I need to turn around. And I do.

Throughout the course of the morning, countless other unexpected changes of plan emerge. I smile outwardly while losing it internally, and I develop a headache. I try to be patient as loved ones start monologuing. I’m nice to random strangers. Meanwhile, I can feel my eyeballs throbbing in their sockets.

I decide then, to stop at the health food store.

As I walk through the aisles of beautifully colored organic juice, bottles reflecting the florescent lighting, I try to collect myself.: “Ooh, look at that… carob rice milk! I didn’t know they made that. Oh, those bins have nuts in them, can’t go over there, but cool textures! Ooh, tea! I got that great tea last time. OMG, they have a tea for sleep on sale. Mine!”

This goes on and on, until I’ve managed to successfully fill my little basket with not only the tea, but also the rice cream treat I was after, a honey chamomile iced tea, and everything pictured above. The thing is, I’ve been looking for these foods everywhere! I’ve easily found the nuggets, but I haven’t had the crumbles in years! I’ve never tried this particular type of soy-free vegan cheese, or the soy-free vegan mayo, but I’ve heard good things about both.

On the ride home, I enjoyed my rice cream sandwich with the delicious iced tea, and thought about sharing my little adventure. When I got home, I made this cute little sandwich with the vegan mayo, which I loved. And the headache? Nowhere in sight.

Thanks, Universe!

Virtual Vegan Potluck on May 12th

An Unrefined Vegan is hosting a Virtual Vegan Potluck on May 12th! This looks to be a fantastic event, with many food bloggers, including myself, already signed up.

Click the picture to learn more!

Cheesy Bagels

I made these the other day for lunch. Boy, were they good! This is another fast & easy one.

Cheesy Bagels:

1. Set oven to Broil/HI.

2. Line a cake pan with foil. (Unless you *like* cleaning cheese goop. If so, party on!)

3. Spray pan with olive oil. (Best invention EVER.)

4. Slice your cheddar bagel in half horizontally. (Be careful. A good friend of mine once took part of his finger off with a bagel knife. True story.)

5. Process some Campari tomatoes until they turn into mush. (This always makes me think of that scene in Goonies. RIP Anne Ramsey.)

6. Process about 3 scallions but only enough to chop them. (Or just cut them with a knife. I was on a roll with the processor that day.)

7. Shred some cheese. I used provolone and american, I think, with a touch of smoked gouda.

8. First, place the tomato mush on your bagel, then the scallions, then the pile of cheese.

9. Add some romano from the shaker and some nutritional yeast to the top of the pile. I may have also used basil, oregano, and garlic. Yummy!

10. Place in oven/broiler and keep an eye on them. I loved the little brown overcooked patches, but if I’d been much later, these would have been full-on burnt.

Enjoy!

Bell Pepper Prep

 

This is another staple. Multicolored bell peppers and onions.

Peppers are one of those things I can’t eat too many of at once. What you are looking at is several days worth of peppers for me. I like to do this to save time, but also for preservation purposes. Fresh veggies just don’t seem to last long enough to weather the whims of taste and desire.

I love the color and texture of bell peppers. They have such a satisfying crunch, and a sweetness to the red ones. I even love the shape. They are like little little edible sculptures. Their twists and turns remind me of the human body. I see why still life artists love to paint them. Sometimes I throw in a little onion, sometimes not. The onion gives it an extra dimension texturally and taste-wise, which works well on sandwiches. I never make just one color. Part of the beauty and enjoyment for me is admiring how the colors and tastes play off of one another. Mrs. Dash really just enhances the flavor, rounding it out.

Easy Peppers:

1. Dice the peppers using a cutting board and knife. I like to cut them with the inside facing downward. I don’t know if that’s the proper way to do it, but  I learned the hard way that otherwise you end up with pepper juice in your eye. No thanks.

2. Then, coat the pan with spray olive oil, and place the peppers in. Usually, I fill the pan with peppers. Really, to do this properly, I think it’s best to stick with one layer. But, in practice, I generally have two or three layers, and it works just fine, as long as you remember to stir them. (I don’t remember how many peppers I used in the photograph, but it’s nothing to stress over).

3. Then, coat the peppers with bottled extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Sometimes I use too much oil, which will definitely result in pepper juice/oil in your pan, so watch for that. Remember, you want to coat them, not drown them. But if you do, just strain when you’re finished, and save it for another project.

4. Fry over medium heat, remembering to stir. High would do, as well, but then you have to watch for oil splattering. Have you ever had oil splatter on your arms? It stings. You don’t want that.

*Neat little trick: I tend to undercook them a little, and then seal them up to let them steam afterwards. It’s yummy, and often makes more pepper juice for later.

Babybella Prep

Babybellas, the smaller version of the portabella… Whenever I think of portabellas, I think beautiful and portly. For a delicious sandwich, you can’t go wrong with the portabella, but for just about everything else, I use babybellas.

This picture was taken one of many times I’ve fried babybellas over medium heat, with a coating of olive oil on the pan, and a spoonful of imitation butter. Usually, this produces a gravy, which I then use on other dishes.

No Picture Nachos

Usually, when something turns out well, I take a picture. I also take notes. I did neither this time, but these are fast, easy, & good. Great if you’re short on time, but still want a yummy snack.

Tools:
Cheese grater
Cake pan
Oven Broiler
Mini processor

Ingredients:
Corn chips
Monterey Jack cheese square with Jalapeno Pepper flakes in it
Four Campari tomatoes
A pinch of smoked gouda to sprinkle on top
Olive Oil spray
4 scallions

Spices:
Mrs. Dash
Nutritional Yeast

1. First, set the oven to broil on HI. Don’t ask me to explain this for gas because I can’t.
2. Put the scallions and tomatoes in the processor. (Slice tomatoes first so they fit without jamming). Make tomato mush.
3. Spray the cake pan. I’m sure there is something better and more professional to use. This is just what I did, and it worked out fine.
4. Put some chips in the pan. Spray them.
5. Put the tomato and scallion mush on the chips.
6. Grate your cheese. Put the cheese on the chips. Sprinkle with the spices.
7. 10 minutes in the broiler at most. Watch them. When the cheese is melted, they’re done.

Chop! Chop!

Can you believe I’ve been a veggie for over a decade without owning a food processor? What was I thinking? My conscience tells me there is inherent laziness in owning such a thing. If you have a knife and a cutting board, you should be good to go, right? Well, yes and no. While chopping things by hand was good for the soul, it was not so great for my back. Maybe my posture is poor, or maybe, I’m just aging. Either way, it was time for a change. I enjoy prepping foods ahead of time, so that when hunger strikes, I have a quick and healthy option. This means that when I chop, I am generally chopping pounds of vegetables at a time. I buy fresh veg whenever possible, and for those of you cooking fresh, you know that prepping and freezing means having yummy foods at the ready. Conceding to using a machine for this will hopefully mean cutting prep time from over two hours to maybe an hour or less. A sound investment, in my opinion.

For my first food processor, I chose a simple pulse model with a two quart container in a vibrant magenta:

I was really just expecting it to do what my hand does, but faster. I discovered that even a pulse model can do much more than that. What a happy surprise! I also had purchased an inexpensive grater tower years ago, and promptly forgot about it. I recently unearthed it, and discovered the joys of freshly grated, rather than diced, cheese. Yum!

Needless to say, my most recent meals have been all about the chopping and grating. For some, this may seem pretty basic, but for me, this has been an opportunity to learn and explore the potential. Grate? Great!

Consideration

Consideration goes a long way with me. Show me consideration, and I’ll love you forever. Here is a list of ways you can show the veggie or allergy-prone person in your life some love:

1. Ask them all the questions you need to, and prepare them a meal where they don’t have to worry about accidentally eating something that will hurt their system. Every single time a friend has prepared a meal for me is ingrained upon my memory as a moment where that individual clearly expressed their love.

2. If a whole meal is out of the question, pick up a few of their favorite things before the visit. For example, a small container of rice milk, if they do not drink whole milk with their morning coffee. This shows you are thinking of them, and will be met with much appreciation.

3. Sealed containers are useful. Say you are a carnivore, and your loved one is not. Keeping prepared meats in containers is one way to show you care. You can also make use of your lunchmeat drawer, and the veggie crisper. Most vegetarians will not like meats on top of anything they will be eating, so these little considerations will go a long way.

4. If you have an allergy-prone house guest, I believe it’s best not to have the triggers in the cupboards or fridge at all (after all, who wants a nice visit turning in to an episode of ER?), but in a pinch, you can place them in sealed containers to minimize the chances of a reaction.

5. If you’d like to invite your favorite veggie or allergy-prone pal to your next shindig, check with them before planning the menu. Serving foods that could send them into shock sends a mixed message at best. While most veggies expect at least some meat to be present, try to avoid major gaffes like setting up an entire carcass, face and all, as the center of your meal. Your veg may love you, but love cannot compensate for prolonged nausea.

6. Utensils and cooking just require planning. If your washer has a sanitize function, I suggest using it.  Otherwise, using separate utensils is usually the best way to keep everyone happy and healthy. If you are hosting a BBQ, and have invited veggies, check with them first about sharing the grill, but always use separate tongs. For some, a separate, smaller grill would be ideal. They might even have one they’d be happy to bring over. For others, simply having a separate section on the grill and using foil will be enough. Some cannot tolerate the smell of burning meat, others will not be as affected.

7. That being said, try to cook meats when your veggie is not around, if you are omnivorous. Heating something up will generally not produce the kind of pervasive odor the original preparation would, and your veggie will love you for it. However, keep in mind, some veggies are so sensitive that preparing any meat may cause offense.

8. But if you’re talking allergies, it’s really best not to prepare these foods at all. This may sound dramatic, but consider the following: the molecules will remain in the air, affecting them for hours after you’ve had your meal. If you do consume an allergen in their presence, always brush your teeth after eating something your loved one reacts to. Understand that even so, the particles remain in your mouth for hours, and they may not be able to kiss you for a while. Not much fun for anyone.

In summary, even the smallest adjustments you make to show consideration will be met with deep appreciation. Speaking from experience, it can be difficult for others to adjust at first, but an open dialogue really does lead to better experiences for everyone. Once the conversation is over, you can focus on what you are there to do- enjoy!