Swim Class

Jackson has been taking swim lessons for the past few months. Tony usually takes him while I go to yoga, but tonight I went as well so I could see how he is progressing. We have nearly come to the end of his class. It was awesome to see all the new skills he has learned. He loves to be in the water and we want him to feel confident and safe. 

For dinner I made a recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, Tempting Tofu Dippers with Pineapple-Pomegranate Dipping Sauce. We love these crispy little tofu tenders and their sweet and sour sauce.

We also had a quinoa salad with tomato and feta, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, baba ganoush with smoked paprika, and pita bread.

Off to the park to enjoy a sunny, warm afternoon!

Appetite for Awesome Food

After the "holiday indulgence" (i.e. constantly stuffing food in my face) of November and December, January is a time to scale it down a bit. But, I refuse to exist on iceberg lettuce and yogurt. Here a couple of this week's dinners, both from Appetite for Reduction.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili. This is my new go-to chili recipe. The flavor is spot-on and I love that it contains way more vegetables than your standard chili. Hello, corn, carrots, green pepper and zucchini! Get in my tummy now. As I'm allergic to black beans, I substituted chickpeas. The Fresh Corn & Scallion Cornbread was a perfect accompaniment.

Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower & Spinach. Again, amazing flavor. Making your own sauce instead of using store-bought makes all the difference, and it takes only a few seconds to stir garlic and spices into a can of crushed tomatoes.

 

The spinach goes in raw, absorbs the sauce while the lasagna cooks, and turns all velvety and yum.

Blackberries are certainly light and healthy, as well as being cheap this time of year. Which makes a certain little girl very happy!

Spicy and Sweet

On Saturday we had lunch at PhoNatic, a Vietnamese cafe. We started out with a couple of appetizers. The veggie eggrolls with sweet chili dipping sauce were deep-fried perfection. I could have made a meal out of them.

The crispy salt and pepper tofu had a nice texture, but could have benefited from a dipping sauce. I dipped it in the sauce that came with the eggrolls.

You'll find a multitude of pho cafes in North Austin but, as far as I know, PhoNatic is the only one that offers a vegan pho -- the Pho Chay.

I'm really pleased that there is a non-meat option. However, the broth was lacking the complex depth of flavor one looks for in pho broth. I use anise, ginger, and other spices to attain that rich flavor when I make pho at home. PhoNatic's version basically tasted like vegetable broth with a little sriracha stirred in. 

It was fun to use the little plate of add-ins that was served with the soup -- basil, lime, sliced jalapeno, and sprouts. There's also a self-serve fixins bar where you can grab additional toppings such as scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, and plum sauce.

After lunch, Tony took the Jackson and Olivia to run some errands, giving me a couple hours of precious me-time. That evening, to repay the favor, I took the kids for ice cream so Tony could watch football in peace. We headed to Sweet Ritual, the awesome little vegan ice cream parlor.

The kids had vanilla cones with gummy bears.

I had a butterscotch shake. I love butterscotch! The shake was perfectly blended and delicious, with a caramel, almost coffee flavor to it. 

First they gave me a makeover. Now, face masks! Exfoliation is so important.

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year!

We had a very tame New Year's Eve, hanging out with the kids. I tried out some recipes from The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe, which I received for Christmas. So far, I am really enjoying this cookbook.

For an appetizer, I made "EscarNo," a vegan take on the classic French escargot, which features snails. I'm not sure why anyone would want to eat snails, vegan or no. Mushrooms are substituted in this recipe, filled with diced shallots and sauteed in a rich, buttery wine sauce. They tasted like super-decadent stuffed mushrooms.

I also made Creamy Chickpea Soup, or revithia as it's known in Greece. I like how half the chickpeas are pureed, and half are left whole. It gives the soup a nice texture. I like my soups to have big flavor and this one certainly delivered, kicked up with plenty of lemon juice and balsamic.

Well, I don't do resolutions, so I'll leave you with some pictures of my New Year's makeover, courtesy of Jackson and Olivia. Jackson said I looked "like an angel." I personally would substitute "juggalo" for "angel" in that description, but you know what they say -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The make-up artists.

This color will really highlight mommy's cheekbones undereye circles.

"Hold still and let me get this lipstick juuuuust right."

"Mommy so pretty!"

Last Day of 2012

Are you ready to ring in 2013 tonight? We don't have any big plans. We will be making our usual New Year's Eve snacky feast and, as usual, Tony will be laughing at me as I try not to fall asleep before midnight.

Last night I tried out a new cookbook I received for Christmas, The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe. I made the Gazpacho, which I guess is kind of an odd soup to make in December, considering how it's served chilled. But we had a roaring fire going, so we were okay. The recipe worked out great. I used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh. I also doubled the amount of diced avocado, which never hurts. I love a soup that can be made entirely in the blender. The fewer dirty dishes, the happier I am!

This morning I used up the very last of our Christmas leftovers, from my giant sweet potato casserole. I was excited to try out my new waffle iron. Sweet potato pecan waffles, anyone? I just mashed up a cup of the leftover casserole and added it to a standard vegan waffle batter. Delicious! I froze the leftovers, so I can pop them in the toaster for the kids' breakfast all week.

Olivia is ready to party like it's 2013! Happy New Year!

Review: Tarka

Today is a chilly, drizzly day and we have spent most of it in our PJ's. Olivia and I are getting over colds, which makes staying inside and under blankets even more appealing!

 

Before Christmas, we stopped in one afternoon at Tarka, a new-ish Indian restaurant in our hood. We placed our order at the counter and helped ourselves to mango lemonade. 

 

 

We were impressed with how quickly the plates of food flew out to our table, yet it all tasted fresh and was presented quite nicely.

 

We started with vegetable pakoras, served with mint chutney, and dusted with a bright red spice blend that added an extra layer of flavor.

 

 

 

We also shared an order of vegetable samosas, filled with potatoes and peas.

 

The garlic naan bread was a highlight for me. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but this naan had minced garlic stuffed into every little crack and crevice. The more garlic the better, as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

For my entree, I ordered the Dhingri Mattar Paneer. Paneer cheese, mushroom, and peas in a tomato cream sauce. I may have moaned aloud as I dug into this rich, savory dish. Fabulous.

 

We typically choose Indian buffets so that we can get in and out in a hurry, before our two little monkeys reach their "sitting up straight, using indoor voices, and eating with utensils" limit. But Tarka's food tastes fresher than a buffet, and the food appears in front of you almost as quickly. Can't wait to go back!

Pinterest vs. Cookbooks

Since I joined Pinterest, I've come across so many recipes that I'm dying to try. The other day I had a realization...thanks to Pinterest, I could pretty much stop buying cookbooks.

 

That doesn't mean I will! There's something about a new cookbook. I read them like novels, sitting down with a cup of tea to pore over them. I like the little anecdotes that make a cookbook personal.

 

However, I'm referencing my cookbooks a little less often these days. What about you? Found any "must-make" recipes via Pinterest?

 

Speaking of "must-make," please try this Buffalo Style Tofu, with vegan ranch dressing. So addictive.

 

 

Here's another find, Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin and Carrots. Currants aren't listed in the title (too many C's?) but they are the surprise star of this dish, adding a lovely sweetness to this Morroccan-inspired stew.