Last of the Testers

Started off the day with a bowl of strawberries and a matcha "shake" made with 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup ice cubes, 1 tsp. matcha powder, and a few drops of stevia.

We had a play date at a playground that's become one of our favorites, thanks to the giant spider web...

...and the orbs, big enough to climb inside.

Chillin'.

After getting all hot and sweaty, we treated ourselves to some Lick ice cream. I love their unique and creative flavors. Clockwise from top: Jackson went with milk chocolate, Olivia selected strawberry basil, and I also chose strawberry basil along with a scoop of cilantro lime.

For dinner I busted out the deep fryer and made the last two recipes I'm testing for Tami and Celine.  

Eggrolls, filled with tofu, napa cabbage, carrots and other good stuff...I wish I had doubled the recipe! 

Sambusas, which are like samosas, but Ethiopian in origin. Lentil-filled fried dough pockets, served with a cinnamony tomato chutney.

I can't wait until this cookbook comes out -- I've had so much fun testing these yummy finger foods!

McKenna Museum

Today we took a little road trip to the McKenna Children's Museum down in New Braunfels. Jackson and Olivia were entertained for hours by the various interactive games and displays.

Jackson showing off some moves on the light-up dance floor.

Olivia and her friend taking good care of the baby.

Jackson responding to an emergency call.

Their favorite part was the outer space-themed area.

Ready for their first space mission.

Blast off!

For dinner I attempted to make the Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes from Veganomicon. I got overzealous with my potato scooping and tore some of the skins. So I decided to chop it all up and throw it in a casserole dish to finish baking.

Not the most attractive presentation, but totally yummy, especially with a dollop of Joni's Cilantro Chili Lime Sauce, a tester recipe for her new cookbook. Sarah suggested this awesome pairing. Thanks, Sarah!

Try It Tuesday - Mustard Greens

Hey guys, I'm starting a new thing where I try one new-to-me fruit or vegetable per week. The genesis is that I live in close proximity to Asian, Mexican, and Indian markets and I often wander the aisles, wondering to myself, "How do you cook that?" It's time to find out!

This week, I begin with mustard greens.

Mustard greens can be cooked in any of the ways you would cook kale or collard greens.  I thought this recipe sounded good.

Great results! Such a quick, simple, yet totally delicious way to cook greens. Who doesn't have a can of diced tomatoes hanging out in their cabinets? I served it over brown basmati rice. To me, the mustard greens tasted a lot like spinach. Yum!

I also made the Potato-Edamame Samosas with Coconut-Mint Chutney from Vegan with a Vengeance.  This recipe took ages to make, but I think I was zoning out and it shouldn't normally take that long. Do you ever find yourself moving in slow motion in the kitchen and realize you are taking for evvvverrrr to finish cooking?

I added a bunch of extra lime juice to the coconut-mint chutney to suit my taste. The samosas also paired well with my lemon-date chutney.

It was one of those perfect meals that leaves you feeling absolutely content.

Have you tried any new foods lately? Whether the experience was good or bad, I'd love to hear about it.

Cookbook Challenge Week 2 - Veganomicon

This week, I've decided to group all of my PPK Cookbook Challenge meals into one post. But don't let the fact that I'm not writing a novel over each of these recipes dissuade you from trying any of them, for they are all fantastic.

The Veganomicon is the cookbook I turn to most often, not only for recipes, but for information about how long and what temperature to roast certain vegetables or boil dried legumes. I'm the kind of cook who is always forgetting if you should bake a potato at 400 or 450, so it's extremely helpful to have a handy reference for that sort of thing. 

But the recipes are, of course, the main attraction of this book. I used the Veganomicon twice last week. Not for the challenge, just because Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding and Vietnamese Seitan Baguettes with Savory Broth Dip are awesome.  The Vietnamese sandwich is one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life, for real.

And what do we have this week?

Chile Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu Po'Boy
So messy, but so addictive.  The tofu's cornmeal crust provides a crunchy, spicy contrast for the cool, creamy coleslaw.  I topped my po'boys with hot sauce instead of the chipotle mayo, but that probably would have been delicious as well. Can't wait to eat these again.

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I love the spicy flavors of fried samosas served at Indian restaurants, and this looked like a healthier, homemade alternative.  I halved the recipe so we wouldn't have a ton of leftovers. I cheated by microwaving my baked potatoes, so these came together quickly. I thought they looked really appealing, with the bright bits of pea and carrot.  They also smelled lovely, from all the Indian spices. My only complaint was that they were on the dry side, and could have used a dipping sauce or chutney. Next time, I'll pair them with the 5-Minute Mango Chutney.

Tofu Florentine

This took an hour to put together, but it was worth it. I halved the recipe and it still filled a pie plate. First I layered in some home fries, followed by steamed spinach and broiled tofu. I doused the whole thing in cheezy sauce and sprinkled on some chopped tomatoes.  The spinach makes this dish taste "healthy," but in a good way.

Next week, we move on to Urban Vegan.  Although I've been busily testing recipes for the Urban Vegan's new cookbook, it'll be fun to go back and revisit the first book.

This week seemed to fly by! Have a great weekend!

Samosa Mashed Potato Pancakes

I’m chewing again! Hooray! 48 hours after getting my wisdom teeth out, I can eat solid foods that are on the mushy side. That’s something, anyway.

My temporary liquid diet did provide the perfect opportunity to try the Nutiva HempShake I picked up on my last trip to Whole Foods. I blended it up with some soymilk and a frozen banana. It tasted fine. It wasn’t super chocolatey; I could definitely tell it was a “healthy” shake rather than a decadent chocolate milkshake. I’ve never tasted hemp seeds but I’m imagining they taste somewhat like pine nuts? Because that’s what I got from this shake. Mostly, I was impressed that it provided 7 grams of protein and nearly half of my daily fiber. It gave me a boost of energy after a day of subsisting on popsicles and ice cream (not that I was complaining about eating ice cream for breakfast.)



When I woke up this morning, I needed some REAL food. What I wanted was Indian buffet…but what my mouth could handle was something along the textural lines of baby food. The compromise: samosa mashed potato pancakes from Vegan Brunch! I’ve made these many times and I love the depth of flavor that all the Indian spices bring to the table. To me, that is the number one sign of a memorable recipe that should be made again and again – when you take that first bite and the flavor is so powerful and complex, you have to go back for more.



Today my boys are having a birthday outing to the city (Tony’s birthday was last week and Jackson turns two in a couple weeks), while I am going to enjoy some peaceful one-on-one time with my Miss Olivia. I hope you all are having a fun, relaxing weekend!

P.S., Robin Robertson is giving away not one but two copies of Vegan on the Cheap. Check it out!