Pesto: Camera 1, Camera 2

One of my very favorite things about summer is fresh basil. I've been growing some in my garden and last week picked enough to whip up a batch of my Lemony Cashew-Basil Pesto from ed&bv.

This is my favorite pesto recipe. I love the intensity of the fresh basil and lemon juice balanced with the creamy raw cashews.

Of course, any of you that have ed&bv know this photo from the book:

Yes, it's a pretty photo. But, it's not how my pesto pasta looks. No, mine is adorned with much more sauce. I love my sauces, and this pesto is certainly no exception. So, my camera gives you a bowl of pasta more like this:

Oh yeaaahh, lots of pesto, and with a lil' extra dollop on the top. And, truth be told, I sometimes enjoy my pasta quite cooked through - past the 'al dente' point. I know it's against the pasta gods to overcook pasta, and 'al dente' is the proper way to serve it. But, when I want a real comfort food pasta, I go for the very cooked pasta. Along with lotsa' sauce, it hits the comfort sweet spot. And... truth be told again... I added even a little extra pesto to my pasta as I was working through it!

Now I need to make batches of pesto and keep in the fridge or freezer so I can recreate this pizza from last year. This was one of my all-time favorite pizzas and captured summer's bounty of heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil all in one perfect slice.

Ready to make pesto yet?

Chickpea Sensation Patties

Unlike my last post, these patties won't hold up on the grill. But that shouldn't keep you from making them, because these Chickpea Sensation Patties from ed&bv are really delicious.

They are a combination of chickpeas, brown rice, and oats blended with sauteed veggies and seasonings including thyme and a scattering of capers. And this is how I like to eat them - not in a bun, but served on their own, with warm Balsamic Maple Sauce (*get recipe through vegan.com link, scroll down after rolls) on the side. They are just so moist and flavorful, that for me, a bun (or wrap or pita) is just not needed. Instead, serve a side of spuds with these patties - like Lemon Rosemary Potatoes from Vive, and a salad. You can't go wrong with that.

Then, if you're needing to keep that sweet tooth happy, maybe a reminder that it's time to bake up a mountain of Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies like so...

Baby Bok Choy on the Grill

It's grilling season, and do you think that as vegans, we don't enjoy the bbq? Well, if you think that bbq = grilled meats, it's time to expand your culinary horizons!

This is actually the first summer that we have had a bbq. Before now, I used my small indoor grill, and even prop it outside during the hot months. But, there is no comparison to using a full bbq... and, since it really is an outdoor oven, you can grill and cook so many things!

Last week I looked at the baby bok choy in my fridge and thought... why not? It was the easiest prep, and the bok choy was just succulent! (btw, I generally prefer baby bok choy, pictured right, to regular bok choy. The leaves are more tender, and the flavor is much milder without a 'cabbage' flavor, and since the stalks are so tender, you can cook the leaves and stalks as one, rather than chopping the leaves away from the stems to cook separately.)

Here's what I did to grill those beautiful bok choy leaves:

- Of course, wash the bok choy before using. Separate the larger leaves from the inner core, and trim the thick white ends.
- As you get close to the small leaves, keep them intact with the core so they won't fall apart.
- Toss all the leaves in extra-virgin olive oil.
- Preheat your grill on medium-high heat, and place boy choy leaves on the grill, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (just a touch of pepper).
- Close grill and let cook for a few minutes. Open grill and turn leaves. At this point, they will need just another minute or two. If the leaves have wilted and have a nice bright light green color, they will be just about ready. Let a few grill marks set on the leaves or stalk.
- Ready to eat!

As you can see, when I grilled this baby bok choy, I also had other veggies that I grilled and served with pasta. I actually grilled the veggies in advance and then simply placed them on a pampered chef stoneware bar pan and warmed them through. You can do this in the oven, or again, on your bbq! (If you want to do the same, reheat the veggies until just warm enough to toss with the pasta... don't overcook).

The bok choy was irresistible, and my husband and I kept reaching for extra leaves to nibble on as we worked through our bowl of pasta. Try it, with pasta... or all on its own!

Also, a reminder that tomorrow morning (Wed, 8-9 am PST), I'll be on Dr. Melissa West's radio show with on Contact Talk Radio. We'll be doing a cookbook giveaway, so call toll free at 1-877-230-3062 with any questions or just to say 'hi'! :)

Radio Interview - Dr. Melissa West

On Wednesday, July 9th, from 8-9 am (PST), I'll be doing an interview with Dr. Melissa West on Contact Talk Radio. Listeners can call in during the hour toll free at 1-877-230-3062, so if you have any cooking or baking questions for me... pick up your phone and call! :)

We will also be doing a cookbook giveaway to a listener! Please visit Dr. Melissa West's show information to learn more.

I'll be back with food real soon, and will post a reminder about the show later as well.

If Julie Andrews were vegan...

Would she sing about her list of favorite vegan things? Well, just like 'silver white winters that melt into Spring'... these are a few of my favorite (vegan) things.

This list is certainly not complete, but it includes some of recent finds and faves that I've been wanting to share with you, so here we go.

(1) First, and most importantly, ice cream. I cannot tell you the delight I experienced when I saw Good Karma ice cream in our local health food store (Choices Market, for any BC'ers out there). Now, I had heard much raving about the 'Carrot Cake' flavor before trying any of the flavors. So, I picked up one of each flavor available in our store - Carrot Cake, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Swirl, Coconut Mango, and Mocha Mudd Pie. We still don't have the Banana Fudge or Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (bring 'em in Choices!). I had to try the Carrot Cake flavor first, though it wasn't my favorite. It was creamy and tasty, but I guess I was expecting more after the buzz, just like some of you no doubt experience with recipe hype! I still buy the carrot cake flavor occasionally, but my very favorites are the Vanilla and Coconut Mango. The Vanilla is the creamiest, most authentic vanilla flavor I have yet to try in a non-dairy ice cream. And, it isn't sickly or heavy as some ice creams can be. The Coconut Mango is creamy and refreshing, with a swirl of fruity mango through the frozen dessert. The Mocha Mudd Pie is also incredible, but I don't like the caffeine later in the day (though, I've been known to enjoy a morning ice cream treat, and this Mocha Mudd Pie is my first pick when the sun rises!) Overall, this is seriously excellent ice cream, and is also soy-free for those of you with soy allergies. You know, you folks in the US are lucky. You have the full offerings of this Good Karma brand, and also Temptation non-dairy ice cream, and Wheeler's brand, and others. (Sadly, I haven't tried either Temptation or Wheeler's brand, which is almost criminal given my deep affection for ice cream. For those of you that watch the Food Network, if you've ever heard Bobby Flay mention that ice cream is his favorite dessert - I'm entirely in agreement - I eat some ice cream every day). Let's move on from ice cream. I realize it doesn't excite some of you quite the same. (??!)

(2) Next up is Salba Tortilla Chips. Now, these are great tasting, crunchy tortilla chips that have Salba seed added to the corn in the chip! You don't know the salba seeds are there... you just munch and enjoy awesome tortilla chips. Now, let's face it, we're probably not getting a huge nutritional benefit from the Salba in a handful of chips... but, let's also face it, some of us eat much more than a handful! So, you may as well get some nutritional powerhouse Salba seeds into us while indulging!

(3) Parma 'vegan parmesan'. I love this stuff. There was a time I didn't like nutritional yeast. But I think any of you that want an introduction to nutritional yeast should first try Parma. It's the combination of raw walnuts and salt (and 'love') with the nutritional yeast that makes this product much more than nutritional yeast. And the whole is more than the sum of the parts (again, must be that 'love' in the mix that makes the difference). For some reason, this cheesy topping is tastier than you think it should be, the ingredients are so simple. One caution: I don't think it tastes like parmesan, for those of you thinking it will. It's not like dairy parmesan. (thank goodness) For me, it's something better, and cleaner tasting... and altogether addictive. I seriously can't get enough of this stuff! I order mine through cosmos or vegan essentials, and yes, I'm willing to pay the ridiculous shipping and sometimes custom charges to keep a regular stock of Parma. We use it daily - on salads, soups, sandwiches - and our girls love it mixed with Goddess Dressing for 'dipping'.

(4) Living Nutz seasoned raw nuts. These I also ordered from vegan essentials (again, maybe Cosmos might also carry them soon). One of our daughters is crazy about the Vegan Cheezy Almonds, pictured right. They really do taste 'cheezy', but don't include any nutritional yeast! They are such a healthful snack, and again, worth ordering online (at least to me). I also love the sweeter varieties of the Banana Bread Walnuts, and Cinna-Pecan-Bun - all three varieties are being regularly stocked in our house!

(5) Theo Chocolate Fig, Fennel, and Almond Bar. This bar isn't available in our area, I was lucky enough to try a sample. I am a huge fan of both fig and fennel, and so this bar hit my sweet spot. In fact, I would have enjoyed it without the almonds and with even more fig and fennel... but that's just me and how much I appreciate the fig and fennel flavor marriage... and the almonds certainly do provide a nutty balance to the fig and fennel flavor points. Theo chocolate is fair trade and certified organic. Not all varieties are vegan, but this flavor is. So, if you see this Fig, Fennel and Almond bar in your area - pick one up to try... it's a winner!

(6) Artisana Raw Cashew Butter. For a long time now, I've been searching high and low for a raw cashew butter. Not to eat 'raw', but for the taste of raw cashews in a nut butter. Regular cashew butter is tan in color, and has a distinctive roasted cashew taste. Not raw cashew butter. It is creamy white in color, and has a delicate buttery creamy taste - just like raw cashews. You'll see me playing with this in upcoming recipes. As a side note, Artisana also carries raw pecan and walnut butters (also fantastic), and raw coconut butter products, like their "Cocoa Bliss"... which when lightly melted (even in a warm room) is rich and cocoa-y... I've enjoyed it straight off the spoon! You can buy them online at vegan essentials (maybe cosmos will carry them soon as well). I also recently found them at our local Choices Market - but note that the label may be a little different than the one pictured.

(7) Simple Foods Soy Nut Butter. This is an organic roasted soy nut spread, and there are several flavor varieties. Two that I have tried and really like are the Cinnamon Sugar and Chocolate. Why I like this spread is that with all the peanut/nut allergies present with today's kids and the food restrictions in schools, this gives us parents an easy option for a 'pb&j' sandwich without the 'pb'. I recently found it, and it expanded my options from using hemp nut butter (with cinnamon/agave nectar) or sunflower butter (with jam) in our daughter's lunches. Now that we have just finished the school year, you may not use this too much, but when the school year starts again in September keep this product in mind. You can use it on sandwiches, or sandwiches in crackers for recess, or spread on celery in place of pb for the classic 'ants on a log'. Plus, if you use the chocolate spread, your kids think they are getting a special chocolate treat!

(8) Finally as I begin with ice cream, I must end with ice cream. With this ice cream, however, I'm unable to say I love it. Only because it's not yet available in Canada, and I haven't yet sampled it. I simply anticipate that I will dearly love this ice cream. Made without dairy, and without soy... made with coconut milk! And I had wondered why Turtle Mountain changed their line of ice creams from the 'Soy Delicious' branding to the current 'So Delicious'. Now I'm suspecting that this name change was part of their strategy for expansion into soy-free ice cream novelties. I'm not sure if that's the case, just my suspicion. Really, it doesn't matter to me. Turtle Mountain has been producing wonderful soy ice creams for years now, and I think this is a very exciting development in their product line. I can't wait to get my hands on this line of coconut ice cream - between the Good Karma line of rice ice creams, and Turtle Mountain's new coconut milk ice creams, I may never eat soy ice creams again. (but don't hold me to that) :)

Lemon-Caper Braised Tempeh

I know, for many of you tempeh is like the 'last frontier' of vegan cookery. You see those mysterious blocks of tempeh sitting in the freezer section of your store, and pass by those foreign objects for fear of culinary defeat.

No fears, my dear vegans! Tempeh can be delicious... and easy, like with this Lemon-Caper Braised Tempeh (new recipe). Now, with tempeh, I find it's important to infuse flavor... much like tofu. The beauty of tempeh though, is that it does have a natural nutty, earthy flavor. And while it's flavor (and texture) might take some getting used to for those accustomed to tempeh's better-known relative tofu, it is really very appealing when prepared the right way and with some of your favorite seasonings.

In this recipes, tempeh slices are first pan-fried to sear both sides.

<-- And just look at that golden-brown crust! That's flavah, flavah!

Then, the tempeh is finished by braising in a lemon-caper sauce. I add full slices of lemon as well as fresh lemon juice to the dish, since it infuses a lot of flavor (okay, and I think it looks pretty)! But, eating those lemon slices with your meal is optional, as they are quite bitter with the rind intact.

Now, 'spot the difference' in the photos! See here on the right, the lemon slices are part of the sauce... but in the large photos above, whoops, I forgot the lemon slices during that recipe trial. Which, of course meant that I then had to retest the recipe again to get a fully accurate flavor result.

Yeah, that's what happens to us cookbook authors that recipe test while multitasking mom duties! Had to start the recipe alllll over again another day....

not that I minded too much... it was delicious enough to make again!

C is for Cookie...

"that's good enough for me... cookies, cookies, cookies start with c"!

Well, technically, being vegan, these cookies start with V! Now, how long has it been since I've posted about cookies?! Shocking, as you know cookies are my baking passion. So... let's get nibbling!

These are my Jam-Print Cookies from ed&bv. I posted about these before when I was developing the recipe for the book. Of course, these are made wheat-free, using spelt flour. There are crushed walnuts in the recipe, but also an option to use hemp seed nuts instead of the walnuts if you have nut allergies. When I made this batch recently, I simply wasn't in the mood to crush the walnuts. You know those days - you want to get those cookies baked, but with as few steps and mess as possible! So, I opted for the hemp seed option, but used 1/2 hemp seed nuts and 1/2 ground Salba seed. See this post for more info on Salba. Worked like a charm! Though, if you have the gusto to take the extra step, walnuts do add a gorgeous nutty flavor to the cookies.

Next out of the oven are Walnut-Carob-Cranberry Clusters from eat, drink & be vegan. Also posted about these before when I was testing the recipe for ed&bv, check out another pic if you like! Now, these are a crunchy cookie. Crunchy with a buttery-sweet flavor (but no butter used obviously, and no margarine). They are chock full of walnuts, and just a touch of flour, which is why they form a clustery-crunchy cookie. When you form these cookies to place on your baking pan, it might seem that they won't hold together. Patience, my pretties. Just get them in purty little clusters on your sheet, rinse/dry your hands once or twice to minimize stickiness, and get all those delicious clusters in the oven. Don't overbake! The walnuts and carob can quickly get too toasty, then border on burned. Avoid that by not overbaking.

Of course, both of these cookies are treats you can feel good about eating. Healthier sweeteners, healthier flours... and, I give you healthy nuts and seeds in there too. Yet, they still deliver cookie indulgence.

Where's your apron? You should have it on by now. Get baking! Now I'm thinking I really need a cookie monster apron...