HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We had a really rough 2010, so here's hoping 2011 is much, much better!
I will do all in my power to help it along and my first accomplishment towards this goal is making some Hoppin' John on New Years Day... The dish is said to bring abundance and prosperity into the New Year...Now, a ton of Hoppin' John recipes exist out there, but most of them aren't Vegetarian, much less Vegan.

So, here's my kludged-together veganised version for y'all....

Cruelty-Free Hoppin' John

2 cups dried Black-eyed Peas
8-10 cups prepared Vegan "Chicken" type Broth
1 package Lightlife Smart Bacon®
1 large Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1/3-1/2 cup carrots, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
large handful dried celery leaves & 1 tsp celery seed (or 1/2 cup diced celery)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 cups long-grain rice

Wash & sort peas. Fry the Smart Bacon until crisp, using spatula to cut into quarters. Set aside. Add vegetables, peas, broth and spices to pot. Crumble Smart Bacon into pot. Bring covered pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender. Add rice, cover, and simmer over low for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat, allow pot to sit covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve- optional garnishes include hot sauce, chopped scallions, Daiya Chedder-style Vegan Cheese. Serve with collards and cornbread for an awesome meal!!

Hoping the New Year brings all that you need and most of what you want XD

Happy Halloween (& Blessed Samhain)

We did our normal Samhain/My Mom & Dad's Anniversary Party......We had fun, food , family and friends.

I bastardized a version of squash chili, to make a yummy Pumpkin Chili. No pics, because it got all ate up...YUM!!

Pumpkin Chili

1 pie pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onion, chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoon mild chili powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
2 28-ounce cans kitchen cut tomatoes
1 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 15-ounce cans beans (I used black, kidney,cannellini,pinto), drained

Prepare the pumpkin, and set it aside. Heat oil in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables and "smoke" the seasonings. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, pumpkin, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer contents of pot into a large slow cooker and add the beans, and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Cook on High for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice, top with Better Than Sour Cream. :)

I also made cornbread from here.

We went trick or treating with all of the kids. We had good timing, because we were only one street away when the hail really started pelting down. We came back in and warmed up. I threw more food in the oven.

I cheated and used ready-made pizza dough- our local grocer (Tops Friendly Market)has the canned type (like Pillsbury) and theirs is vegan. I topped one with pizza sauce, Daiya "Mozzarella", and Yves "Pepperoni". The other I topped with my Olive Curry Wedge filling. And it came out *so* yummy. Everyone loved it (I wished I'd made more).

I also made a layered baked dip to serve with tortilla chips. Another one of my standard party fare recipes.

Baked Layer Dip

1 container Better Than Cream Cheese
1 can vegan refried beans (make sure they don't have lard)**(see note)
1 16 oz. jar of salsa (I use the kind that has black beans & corn in it)
1/2 bag of Daiya Cheddar
2 green onions, cut up
1/2 cup black olives, sliced

Pre-heat oven @ 350 F. Spread the Better Than Cream Cheese in an even layer in a 9"x13" pan. Top with refried beans. Spoon salsa over that, then sprinkle Daiya over the salsa. Top with green onions and olives. Bake until Daiya melts, about 15 minutes. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

** I did NOT use refried beans this time (I forgot to buy them, ugh!) I made some of frontier co-op's dried Fiesta Bean Mix (5 servings, prepared). It makes it a little spicier, but it was still very tasty!!

Dinner tonight...

We had some Glazed Tempeh, Stuffing (Dressing for any Southerners out there), Pureed Squash, and Asparagus w/Italian Seasoned Mustard Garlic Sauce.

The Glazed Tempeh is easy-peasy. You put oil (prob 4 TBP) in your pan, add equal amounts of tamari (or soy sauce) and sweetener (brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave) and some spices (chili powder or curry powder are my usual). Bolding what I used tonight...mix the liquids, they'll start bubbling up- that's when you add the tempeh (or tofu can be cooked this way). Coat it and let it brown on one side. Flip, let it brown....tonight I had to shove them in a 375* oven whilst I finished cooking the rest of dinner.

The stuffing was Arnolds, the squash was frozen (tsk, tsk!) - I sprinkled some Nutmeg on it, and the Mustard Sauce was a variation on this one, using maple syrup as the sweetener. I subbed Italian Seasoning for the Thyme, added a finely minced (huge) clove of garlic and a dash of lemon juice.

Tonight I need to do meal planning for the week (at least), 'cuz tomorrow is shopping day- alone with all four kids. Dh is working some overtime...while it's good for the budget, sometimes it's not so good for my sanity :p

Curry Addicts Anonymous

...I need to join, lol. I *love* curries...I usually make them with powdered spice, but do buy Patak's sauce sometimes (their lactic acid *is* vegan, so a few of their ready-sauces *are* Vegan). I have found a new sauce that I am now addicted to, and it may as well be crack at $12.50 a bottle. William Sonoma's Pumpkin Curry sauce is divine..and I only had a few Tablespoons of it to use...my friend saved that much for me to try (she's not veg, so she couldn't just save a portion what she made for it). I tasted it and knew I'd make use of the meager amount....I took that bit and added 1/2 cup of veggie broth to simmer some smoked tofu in...

I served it over brown rice with mixed veggies on the side (just leftovers of all the frozen veg in the freezer). I loved it and so did the kiddos (they all love curry, too). I am actually contemplating buying a couple of jars, divvying them into thirds, and freezing it in those proportions. Then I have 6 meals worth of curry :p This stuff is awesome, so if you've got the $$- get a jar :)