I Can Finally Eat Basil. Life is Good.

Look at those lovely, waxy leaves. They smell and taste as good as they look!

I have been waiting patiently for weeks and weeks to eat the fresh basil I planted in my garden. The crazy-deliciousness of fresh basil is just beyond compare. I've been regularly sniffing the leaves (I admit, I am a chronic leaf sniffer), my mouth watering, just hankerin' for the time I could snip off a few and put them on something - anything - edible, to throw it's flavor profile right out of the ballpark. Normally, my thoughts might hint toward spaghetti or whatever is saucy and of the Italian variety. But it's already blistering hot here in North Texas, so I'm trying to use the oven as little as possible.

Instead, I found some gorgeous tomatoes at Aldi, for super cheap. Big flavorful fatties in a four-pack, for a buck and some change. So, I sliced them up, spritzed them with a generous helping of balsamic vinegar, put a fresh basil leaf on each one, then topped them with a slice of cucumber and some black pepper. They were AMAZING! Light and full of the fresh flavors of summer. I am planning to serve these at every dinner party I throw from now until the end of time. Give it a try!

P.S. If you're not already growing your own basil, it's not too late!
Here's a great website with all the info you need to get growing.
http://www.growing-basil.org/

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Never Pay For Vegetable Broth Again!

A gallon jug of vegetable broth made from scraps previously destined for the compost bin.

I tell ya, if I'd ever had even a teeny clue how easy it is to make vegetable broth at home, I would never - NEVER - have paid a dime for the stuff at the grocery store. Plus, now that I see how simple it is, and how little it costs (just the price of water from my tap, and the gas I use on the stovetop), I know I've been getting royally ripped off all these years!

Seriously, never buy vegetable broth at the grocery store again. If you do, you might as well bend over and put a "welcome" sign on your butt, because the store is going to be "puttin' it to ya good," if you know what I mean... and I think you do...

First, you just start collecting your veggie scraps in a bowl in the freezer. I don't even keep a lid on mine. I just leave an open bowl in there and, every time I peel a carrot, or cut the tip off a green onion, or clip off cilantro and kale stems, I just chuck my scraps into the bowl in the freezer. When it starts looking kind of full,  I take it to the next level.

Dump the scraps into a large stock pot and cover with water. There are no exact measurements in this process, just make sure they are covered. Don't put in too much water, though, or your broth will be thin and flavorless.

Next, you bring it to a boil, give it a good stir just to make sure everything's mingling well, then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for at least an hour.

Allow the broth to cool completely before straining. Once it's cool enough to handle, use a fine mesh strainer like this one...



... to pour the broth through, catching the vegetables and dumping them to another bowl (destined for your compost bin) as they overfill the strainer.

You can store your broth in the fridge for several weeks. Or, better yet, freeze the broth in ice cube trays! You will never run out of the stuff, unless you stop eating or cooking with vegetables. And that would be a tragedy all on it's own...
Enjoy!

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That's So Corny!!

Corn gets a bad rap - and rightly so when it is consumed in its most notorious form, high fructose corn syrup. But straight-up corn, shucked right in your own kitchen, then boiled, grilled, or roasted, makes a fantastic side for a meal, or even a great snack.

Right now the price of corn is hitting it's spring and summer low. Just like my beloved avocados (which are 3 for a buck at Sprouts this week, by the way)! This is the perfect time to get to know corn. I'm seeing fresh ears for sale as low as 5 for a dollar. Experiment with roasting and grilling. Try swabbing on some butter and nutritional yeast, or some vegan mayo and paprika. Get crazy!

The best part is that it comes in it's own packaging, no waste! Just stick those shucked leaves and corn silk threads into your compost and let nature do the rest.

Or, if you're so inclined, you can make a corn-husk doll!

How about a corn cob pipe?

Now, don't even get me started on popcorn. Seriously, do NOT get me started. Oh dang, it's too late. I'm going there...

Homemade popcorn is the best stuff on earth, packed with fiber, antioxidants, and even a vitamin or two or three. Don't bother with that microwave junk. If the processed ingredients don't give you cancer, the chemical crud lining the bag sure as heck might.

The best way to cook up your popcorn is in an air popper, such as this.

But, if you don't have one of these bad boys, you can just pop it up in a large lidded pot with some high-heat oil (I use canola, but grapeseed would work too).

Here's a great instructional video about getting the perfect pop.

Oh, and let's not forget about the awesomeness of corn grits! Mmmmmmm...

Quinoa with Roasted Corn and Cilantro

My husband, believe it or not, does the majority of grocery shopping for our family. My daughter goes with him and they make it a fun outing, which gives me a nice little break every week. But it also means that I sometimes wind up with weird stuff, and missing some key items too. No offense to my shoppers, they are great! There's just a gap in the way I shop and the way my husband shops. He has to have a definitive list, with every detail on it, or he will not pick up what might be missing in a future recipe. Like, I might see quinoa on the grocery list, and I will immediately know that I want to make quinoa-tabouleh salad and, even if the remaining ingredients aren't on the list, I still know what else to grab. He doesn't shop like that. But that's okay because, really, the wonderful thing about it all this shopping business is that it often forces me to be creative, and it is this exact thing that most often helps me to create new recipes. Like this southwestern version of my quinoa-tabouleh salad. I wasn't sure that cilantro was going to taste good with quinoa, but when I found three full bunches of cilantro, which is easily my favorite summer herb, in my fridge, I knew I had to find more ways to use it than just slapping it into my homemade pico de gallo. That's where this new quinoa salad comes in. It was really light and delicious, oil free, and perfect for any end-of-summer shindigs you might attend.

2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup quinoa
1 large ear corn, roasted (I roast mine right on the gas burner)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Big handful of cilantro leaves (about half a bunch), coarsely chopped
Juice from one large lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add quinoa. Stir, reduce heat and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) until quinoa is soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Use a sharp knife to saw the kernels off of your corn. Don't cut yourself!
• Add all ingredients to quinoa. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate.
• Enjoy! 

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Stringy Zucchini and Squash Pasta

1 pound of your favorite stringy pasta (I used fettuccine in this batch), cooked
2 Tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance preferred)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium yellow squash, shredded
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 to 1 C nutritional yeast, to taste
(Any combination of your favorite Italian seasonings will work. Here's what I used...)
1 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper

• While your pasta is boiling away merrily, heat your olive oil in a large skillet. When it's nice and hot, but not so hot that it's smoking (big no-no!), toss in your garlic and saute for a minute or two, until it starts to just barely change color. 
• Add your squashes, lemon juice and seasonings (except the "nooch") to the skillet and saute until squashes are soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 7 to 10 minutes. 
• When your pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot you cooked it in. Add the butter and toss to coat the pasta with it.
• You can either toss the "nooch" in with your pasta and then ladle the zucchini mixture on the top when you serve, if you like the main ingredient to be visible (hey, some people dig that - nothin' wrong with it). Or you can just chuck everything into the large pot and stir it up. Salad forks work great for this.
• Enjoy!

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Whole Wheat Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu "Ricotta"

I am a slave to my cravings. I really am. And when I desperately crave something that I cannot generally find vegan-style at a restaurant or the grocery store, and I don't know how to make it, I have no choice but to experiment. Sometimes it works out and sometimes I'm left disappointed, with only my unsatisfied craving to keep me company.
Today I was craving Italian food. Chewy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, piping hot, carb-rich Italian food. As usual, I'm broke, so restaurants are out. Plus, not many Italian food joints cater to the veg crowd. We have a great vegan restaurant here in town, but they don't really have what I'm looking for with this particular craving anyway. And none of the vegan Italian offerings at the grocery store are up to snuff compared to their price. So, I went into the kitchen and started playing around. And, I'm happy to report that the result was delicious!
My methods may be weird, but try it for yourself. Here's the recipe...

TOFU "RICOTTA"
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained, squeezed and crumbled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning, or any blend of your favorite Italian herbs
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 C nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
1/4 C olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

•  Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is mixed and tofu is well-coated. Set aside.

LASAGNA 
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
5 or 6 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 can of regular tomato sauce (I used plain ol' Target store brand)

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer ingredients in the following order (or mix it up if you want), from bottom to top, in a medium casserole dish
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• 3 noodles
• half of the tofu "ricotta"
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• squash
• 3 noodles
• the rest of the tofu "ricotta"
• the rest of the marinara sauce
• zucchini
• mushrooms
• 3 noodles
• all of the tomato sauce
• Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast all over the top, or splurge and use veggie mozzarella!
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until veggies are cooked and the whole thing is hot and bubbly. 
• Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. 
• While lasagna is cooling, heat the plain tomato sauce in a small sauce pan.
• Enjoy!

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Coconut Curry Quinoa

 

That's fun to say, huh? Coconut. Curry. Quinoa. Coconut Curry Quinoa. Now five times fast!

This dish is so easy, amazingly healthy and delicious in the extreme. Give it a try. You'll love it!

2 C water

1 C quinoa*

1/8 C oil (I used sunflower)

1 block firm tofu, drained and cut into small squares

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks fresh kale, chopped

1 large carrot, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

1-2 large cloves garlic (to taste), minced

1 can coconut milk

1 Tbsp red curry paste

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp fresh or dried parsley

2 tsp fine sea salt

1-3 Tbsp fresh or bottled lime juice, to taste

• Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until soft and water is not present at the bottom of the pan. Usually about 15 minutes.
• In a large skillet or saute pan, place oil and carrot. Saute over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the onions. After one or two minutes add the zucchini. Once it's moderately soft, add the kale. Kale only needs to cook about 30 seconds. The idea is to add the longest-cooking veggies first.
• Add tofu, coconut milk, curry and all spices except lime juice.
• Add cooked quinoa and stir. Allow to simmer only a few minutes, until everything's nice and hot.
• Serve it up in a bowl and sprinkle bottled lime juice over the top, or squeeze the juice of one or two lime slices over the top. Delicious! And it feeds an army, so get ready for leftovers and midnight snacks too!
  

Here's my daughter enjoying the batch I cooked up this afternoon...

 So good you don't need a spoon. Just use your hands!

*Bankrupt Vegan Tip: I've noticed the little one pound bag of quinoa that Target sells runs at almost $12. WOW! That's expensive. But my local health food store sells organic quinoa in bulk for only $4.49 per pound. Nutritional yeast is a lot cheaper in bulk too. If you haven't already, I suggest you look around in your town for a health food store that supplies dry goods in bulk (most of them do). You will save a ton of money!

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Veggie Rainbow Salsa

I was looking for a "snacky-type" recipe that makes a TON of food, doesn't cost a lot and is super healthy. When a friend of mine brought Black Bean Confetti Salsa to a Labor Day Potluck party, I loved it and knew this might be the one. I made a few adjustments based on what I actually had in my pantry (and the fact that I love to put garlic, lime juice and tomatoes into everything). I also left out the oil to save on a bit of fat. So, here's my version...

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
4 bell peppers, a mix of colors, diced (green are the cheapest)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Super easy to prepare. Throw it all in a very large bowl and stir it around. Then get out some tortilla chips, or veggie slices, and start dippin'. 
• Makes 12 servings.
• Enjoy!