Housewarming Party!

Remember that GIANT tomato I posted a picture of?

I turned it into Bruschetta.

Lots and lots of Bruschetta. Along with the mass amount of basil and peaches from Hood River, it was probably the best bruschetta ever.

I had the opportunity to make this bruschetta (as well as hummus, pita chips, chocolate covered strawberries and guacamole) for Colin's housewarming party this past weekend!

He has done an absolutely stunning amount of work on this old house in NE Portland. It truly looks beautiful. Check out his progress (with photos!) on his blog: http://skybridged.wordpress.com/

Anyway, back to the food.

Pretty, huh?

Wait! There's more.

 

 The hummus and lots of fresh veggies.

 

 Chocolate covered strawberries (melted Trader Joe's chocolate chips with about 2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a double boiler and strawberries promptly dipped).

The real show-stopper was the Bruschetta, though. 

It was fresh, well seasoned and so darn pretty!

Told you.

It's super simple too! Best if made with locally grown veggies and fresh baked baguette bread.

Tomato-Peach Bruschetta

• 2-3 cups diced heirloom tomato, (seeds removed)
• 1 large peach, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced or pushed through a microplane grater
• 1 large handful fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 large handful fresh basil, finely chopped + 20 or so whole leaves

Note: Don't worry about over-doing the fresh herbs. When in doubt, do more rather than less, especially if you have a garden full of them :0

• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp high quality balsamic vinegar (I used a light balsamic, but feel free to use dark too!)
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Baguette, sliced and toasted (I did mine for about 8 minutes at 350 in the oven)
•  Toffuti (or other non-dairy) cream cheese

Mix first five ingredients together.
Stir in olive oil and balsamic and then finish with salt and pepper.

Spread cream cheese on each slice of toasted baguette.
Place a basil leaf on top of the cream cheese and then top with bruschetta mixture!

Be prepared to amaze your friends.

Thanks again to those who came out to the housewarming party!

Live long and prosper. And love your last few weeks of summery garden beauty :)

Biggest Tomato I Have Ever Seen

Something has been steadily growing in my garden for the past several weeks.

I would like to call it a tomato, but really it is more of a tomato-pumpkin hybrid.

I have no idea how or why it decided to grow to such an outrageous extent; maybe it was just happy.

But in case I haven't shared with you already, may I present, the biggest tomato I have ever seen:

 

 

IT IS MASSIVE.

It's so big, I really don't even know what to do with it.

Suggestions are welcome (if I like yours, who knows, maybe you can even get in on some - it's a large enough tomato to feed a small village after all).

I mean, really. What an absurd tomato.

Live long and prosper. And go Timbers!

Simple Seasonal Quinoa Base

 

Quinoa is trendy for a reason. Healthy, filling, versatile, protein packed, gluten free and DELICIOUS, it is by far my favorite grain. It's a wonderful base for all kinds of other dishes and I use it so much that I am always adapting it in different ways.

This particular take on quinoa mixes it with a smorgasbord of simple, seasonal ingredients to form a beautiful base for any meal (leftovers make great lunches too!)

I like mixing veggies and herbs straight in with my grains because the mixture adds flavor, vitamins and allows you to have a bigger portion without the same caloric density :)

I used this base for some baked tofu and sauteed mushrooms and green beans, all drizzled with a simply spicy coconut sauce. It looked roughly (and darkly) like this:

(Sorry for the bad photo quality and Christmas plate - I was hungry!!)

But the point is the quinoa. See how much color and prettiness it adds? Plus it tastes delicious. If you don't believe me you should really try it out for yourself.

Seasonal Quinoa Base

• 2 cups red quinoa
• 2 cups water and 2 cups veggie broth
• 1 head of lettuce, chopped
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 2 large handfuls or basil, chiffonaded
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp balsamic or other vinaigrette

Bring water, broth and quinoa up to a boil.

Allow to boil for about 15 minutes, and reduce to a simmer until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is translucent and fluffy.

In a big ol bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes and basil.

When quinoa is done cooking, toss it right into the bowl and mix it all up.

Add in nutritional yeast and balsamic and toss until combined.

Use as a side dish, base, main dish or lunch. Will stay in the fridge for up to 4 days!

Live long and prosper! And give into the trend that is quinoa!

Pho Noodle Soup

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late. Law school and back to back weddings will do that to you.

I'm cooking most every night but mainly it has been repeat dishes - lots of jackfruit tacos, salad rolls, and homemade pizzas. Old news.

THIS on the other hand. This is pure gold. There is almost nothing that I love more than Pho soup. There are a couple places in Portland that offer kick ass vegan options (Pho Green Papaya in SW is awesome) but I've never been brave enough to try making it on my own.

Really, I'm still not brave enough.

I kind of cheated.

Kind of.

Pacific just released a new line of Soup Starters and, included in the mix, is this Veggie Pho Starter!

I went to two different New Seasons to find it and lemme tell you, it was SO worth it.

It's super easy - just heat the broth up in a big pan and add in your fixins! The flavors are awesome and super satisfying.

I added the following things to my version

• Noodles
• Tofu
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Lots o' Basil

You want to add the noodles, tofu and zucchini first as you bring the broth to a boil (I boiled it slowly over medium heat).

After about 6 or 7 minutes at a low boil, add in the broccoli, tomatoes and spinach.

Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, and then remove from the heat.

Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes and then divide into bowls, top with fresh basil and enjoy!!

A wonderful, easy and extremely healthy weeknight meal. We also cooked up some edamame beans and snacked on those. Feel free to add in Sriracha, plum sauce and soy sauce as you see fit.



Live long and prosper :) And never stop cooking!

Garden Fresh Homemade Pizza

There is something so inherently satisfying about pizza. It's just good - in almost any form and there's no better way to make it better than to make it good for you too :)

This pizza is the epitome of good for you. Plus, if you are anything like me and you have basil and various other vegetables overtaking your garden, it is a great way to use a bunch of fresh ingredients in one hit.

I may not even need to give you an explicitly laid out recipe for this one -it's that easy.

Take one part Trader Joe's herb pizza crust, one part Trader Joe's pizza sauce, and one part fresh garden vegetables of choice and viola - a beautiful and healthy dinner that anyone can enjoy.

(In case you are wondering, I used about 2 cups packed spinach, one GIANT handful basil, one yellow and one green zucchini, six halved cherry tomatoes and one green bell pepper and to top my pizza - in that order).

Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!

Try to squeeze as many colors as possible in there to assure you are getting the max variety of veggie-based vitamins!



Live long and prosper! Healthy comfort food style :)

Jackfruit Tacos with Cashew Cream Sauce

Magical jackfruit makes its mark yet again!

The last time I experimented with jackfruit, I used it in my BBQ Pork Buns. And even before that it made a center stage appearance in my Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

In this interpretation, I flex jackfruit's versatility by using it to imitate shredded chicken in these delicious soft tacos!

Topped simply with shredded green cabbage, cherry heirloom tomatoes, and a tangy cashew cream sauce, the complex flavors of the jackfruit really shine through (which is great because it was seasoned perfectly!)

Shredded Jackfruit Tacos

• 1 can jackfruit in brine
• 1.5-2 Tbsp vegan taco seasoning OR homemade taco seasoning blend (recipe to follow)
• Wet ingredients blend (recipe to follow)

Taco Dry Seasoning Blend

• 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients Blend
You have some flexibility with the wet seasoning blend. The tomato paste and veggie broth are both crucial for the right color and moisture, but the rest is kind of up to you! Choose your own hot sauce, sweetener (I use BBQ sauce!) and other additives. I call this the "whatever is in your fridge" adaptation.

In addition to the tomato paste and broth, this is what was on my line up:

Sriracha (SHOCKING, I know), Ketchup, Salsa Verde, BBQ Sauce

The wet ingredients breakdown looks something like this:

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup (plus more as needed) veggie broth
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1 Tbsp Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Salsa Verde
• 1-2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce

Start by rising, draining and cutting the core of the jackfruit off so you are left with the washed stringy pieces.

Add the jackfruit and the entire dry seasoning blend to the pan and slowly toast them together over medium-low heat (about 7-8 minutes).

Then add the wet seasoning mix, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Using a fork, break apart the softened jackfruit pieces until they have a stringy, "shredded" type consistency. Adding veggie broth as necessary, continue to simmer over low heat for another 10-15 (as many as 30) more minutes.

While the jackfruit is in simmer stages, begin on the cashew cream sauce!

Cashew Cream Sauce

• 1/4 cup RAW cashews 
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp cold water

Start by soaking the cashews in a bowl of water for a minimum of 20 minutes

They will look something like this!

Soaking Away!

Mmm soggy cashews...

When they are done soaking, combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (about a minute)! Easy peasy!

As your jackfruit is finishing up, prepare your other toppings. Also you might want to think about heating up your tortillas - if that's your thing of course. I heated my "Food for Life" sprouted corn tortillas in the oven on 300 for about 10 minutes!

Compile your tacos, top with cashew cream sauce/any other hot sauce and munch!

So good and SO good for you :)

Live long and prosper! Jackfruit style!!

Smokey Mango Black Beans

 

Black beans have got to be one of the most perfect foods on the planet. Great source of protein, fiber, and phytonutrients -- even the World Health Organization utilizes them as a good "bang for your buck" food when distributing resources to impoverished nations.

They are good for your colon and your blood sugar and your cholesterol and even your cardiovascular system. They are filling and inexpensive and have little to no risk of contamination or spoilage. And if that weren't enough, black beans also have a healthy dose of antioxidants (i.e. they may help prevent cancer).

I mean, my goodness, there are few foods in the universe that can make all those claims AND still taste delicious.

And they are even better with mangoes!

Admittedly, I didn't come the black bean and mango flavor pairing on my own, but I liked the sound of it and wanted something easy to add a little variety to my already delicious and well loved black bean.

Plus mangoes are chock full of Vitamin C (which black beans lack) as well as A and E! What a beautiful and nutritious pairing.

I added some liquid smoke, a touch of agave and some spices (and Sriracha of course) to really give these black beans some kick.

Smokey Mango Black Beans

• 1 can black beans
• 1 large, ripe mango, diced
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (use less to reduce spice)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke

Add black beans and mango to a small sauce pan over low heat and cover. Allow to warm for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the remainder of the ingredients.

Cook over low heat (again, covered - stirring occasionally) for anywhere from 10-20 minutes to allow flavors to combine! 

So simple and yet so good. Use as a stand-alone side dish, in a burrito or to top a salad (like the one pictured). You could also possibly do this dish or some modification of it in a crock-pot and make a delicious side dish for a BBQ!

They store beautifully and can be eaten for days - if you can keep them around long enough!

Live long and prosper! Black bean style.