Snobby Joes and Roasted Carrots

I got the Snobby Joe recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook. They're tasty and really easy to make, but note that the recipe makes a lot, so you'll definitely have leftovers for lunch.
The roasted carrot recipe I got from Cooking Light. These were surprisingly good. The carrots get a nice, sweet flavor after being cooked, and that paired with the cilantro make for a really interesting taste combo.

Roasted Carrots Ingredients
-6-10 carrots, sliced vertically
~2 T olive oil
-1/2 tsp pepper and salt to taste
-1/2 tsp cumin and cayenne pepper
~3 T chopped cilantro

Steps
1. Slice carrots vertically.
2. Toss with other ingredients.

 
3. Cook at 450 for 25 minutes, stirring once after 12 minutes.
4. Top with cilantro.

Snobby Joe ingredients
-1 package buns
-2 tsp oregano
-1 C lentils
-3 T chili powder
-8 oz tomato sauce
-4 oz tomato paste
-1 onion diced
-1 green pepper diced (optional-I forgot this and don't think it's necessary)
-3 cloves garlic, chopped
-3 T maple syrup
-1 T mustard
-1/2 tsp salt

Snobby Joe Steps:
1. Add 1 C lentils and 4 C water to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft.









2. After lentils have been cooking for 10 minutes, saute onion (and green pepper) for about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute.
3. Add in cooked lentils, tomato sauce and paste, maple syrup, mustard, salt, oregano, and chili powder.

4. Stir well and let cook for about another 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
5. Let sit another 5 minutes to let flavors mingle.
6. Serve on top of toasted buns (I prefer open face).

Philly Cheese "Steak" Sandwiches

The "steak" is in quotes because this recipe calls for seitan rather than beef. I got this recipe and the introduction to seitan from my friend, Melissa. Seitan is pretty much awesome. It's made from the gluten of wheat. According to Wikipedia, "It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch dissolves, leaving insoluble gluten as an elastic mass which is then cooked before being eaten." It has a ton of protein (close to 40% of your recommended intake per serving) and is very low in fat and calories. The texture is definitely different from tofu; it's chewier and firmer. By itself it's not very tasty, but it seems to absorb flavors pretty well so I think it would be good in recipes with flavorful sauces.

Ingredients:
-1 package seitan (for Tally folks, you'll have to get this at New Leaf)

-1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
-1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
-1 package hoggie rolls
-1 C shredded mozzarella
Sauce:
(I don't have exact measurements for any of the ingredients because I was kind of making it up as I went along. I'll list what I used and approximate amounts. You will likely need to taste some pieces of the seitan as you go along and see if you think you should add more of something.)
-1/4-1/3C barbecue sauce
-several shakes Worcestershire sauce
-several shakes of liquid smoke (you can get this at Publix near the BBQ sauce)
-1.5 T brown sugar
-several shakes of soy sauce

Steps:
1. Slice your onion and green pepper.









2. Slice your seitan into strips (I patted with a paper towel after to absorb excess water.)

 
3. Saute onion and pepper with a little EVOO for a couple minutes.
4. Add seitan and sauce ingredients.
5. Cook over medium heat until onions and peppers are cooked down (~ about 10 minutes) stirring regularly.

 
6. Add 1/4 of seitan mixture onto a hoggie roll, top with shredded mozzarella.
7. Bake in oven at 350 until cheese melts (~5 minutes).

Note: This makes about 4 large sandwiches. If you don't use it all in one night it was good on a sandwich the next day.

Baked Ziti

This is probably Joanthan's favorite thing that we make. Although I generally make this vegetarian, Jonathan really likes it with sausage, so this time I added chicken sausage. However, it's still really good without any meat. Also, I call this "baked ziti" but use penne...go figure.

Ingredients
-1 jar tomato sauce
-2 zucchinis, sliced and chopped into bite size pieces
-2 yellow squash, sliced and chopped into bite size pieces
-1/2-2/3 red onion, diced
-2 tsp minced garlic
-2 T baslamic vinegar
-1 package penne
-3-4 C shredded mozarella
-pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
-3 links chicken sausage (optional)

Steps
1. Boil penne to be al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, brown sausage. (You'll need to remove the casings so you can crumble them up while cooking.)
3. In another pan, saute onion for 3-4 minutes with EVOO. Add zucchini, squash, garlic, balsamic vinegar, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes. (I like the veggies to still be a little crunchy).

 4. Combine noodles, sauce, 2 C cheese, vegetable mixture, and sausage  in a greased 13X9 pan. To do this, I usually kind of layer 1/2 of each of the ingredients, then repeat the layer and then stir everything up with a wooden spoon. (I've even used my hands to mix everything up before.)

5. Cover with foil and cook at 350 for 30 minutes.
6. Top with 1-2 C shredded mozarella and cook until cheese is melted. I turn the broiler on for about 2 minutes at the end to brown the cheese.
7. Let sit up for about 5 minutes before serving.

Homeade Guacamole

This is a fairly standard version of guacamole, plus the addition of salsa, which gives it a nice kick.
Note: I reserve the avocado seeds and put them in the guac because they help keep it from browning.

Ingredients
-3 avocados
-2 T lime juice
-1/3 jar hot salsa (such as Pace picante)
-2 T finely diced red onion
-pepper and garlic salt to taste

Steps
1. Cut avocados in half and score like in picture with a knife. Then, using a spoon, scoop out avocado section into a bowl. (My friend Jon taught me this neat trick.)

 

2. Mash avocados with potato masher or back of fork. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas

The hardest thing about this recipe is thawing and straining the frozen spinach, so really it's quite easy. Does anyone know if someone's invented a spinach presser to get all the water out of thawed spinach? If not, someone should get on that because I hate doing it.

Ingredients
-8 tortillas
-1 10oz package frozen spinach (I've used a bag of fresh spinach before too)
-1 can black beans
-1 can enchilada sauce
-3/4 C water
-1 C sour cream
-1 packet taco seasoning
-1/2 onion, diced
-2 tsp minced garlic
-1 1/2 C shredded cheese
-bunch of green onions, chopped

Steps
1. Saute onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic, beans, drained spinach, taco seasoning, and water. Cook for about 5-8 more minutes, or until the mixture is thickened.

2. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream.
3. Put about a teaspoon or two of enchilada sauce down the center of a tortilla. Add 2-3 spoonfuls of bean mixture and top with shredded cheese.

4. Roll enchilada up and place seam side down in a greased dish. Repeat until you make the rest.

 
5. Cover enchilada with remaining sauce.
6. Cover pan with foil and cook at 350 for 15 minutes.
7. Top with remaining cheese and cook until cheese is melted.
8. Top with green onions and sour cream (if you want).

Veggie "Quiche"

The quiche is in quotes because this is really only an approximation of a quiche, but I really like using stuffing for the crust instead of pie crust, and I think this uses fewer eggs than a normal quiche.

Ingredients
-5 eggs, divided
-1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix
-2 cups shredded cheese
-1 red pepper, sliced
-10 oz frozen spinach thawed and drained (I hate doing this, btw)
-1 onion, diced
-salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Steps
1. Make stuffing as directed on package.
2.After it's done, mix in 1 egg.
3. Press stuffing into bottom of a greased 9-inch casserole dish.

4. Saute onion for about 5 minutes.
5. Turn off heat and stir in spinach.

6. Sprinkle 1 C of cheese over stuffing.
7. Spoon half of spinach-onion mixture over cheese.
8. Layer with red pepper slices.

9. Repeat layers (cheese, spinach, peppers), and add spices.
10. Pour the 4 beaten eggs evenly over top.
11. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is my favorite Thanksgiving dish, and my mom and I have been making it for as long as I can remember. It's definitely sweet, but I don't think overly so. The cereal-pecan-brown sugar-butter crust is the best part. (Also, I accidentally deleted several pics, so I don't have one of the finished product. Bummer.)

Ingredients (makes enough to fill a 13X9 casserole dish)
-8 sweet potatoes
-1 ¼ C white sugar
-2 eggs beaten
-¼ C melted butter
-½ C milk
-½ teaspoon nutmeg
-½ teaspoon cinnamon
TOPPING

1 C crushed corn flakes
½ C brown sugar packed
3/4 C chopped pecans
¼ C melted butter

Steps
1. Bake or boil sweet potatoes until tender. (If you bake, 1 hour at 350 is usually enough time.0
2. Remove skins from sweet potatoes.

3. Cut up into smallish pieces in a large bowl.

4. Add egg, sugar, milk, and spices.
5. Mash/mix well.
6. Pour into greased casserole dish.
7. Cook at 400 for 25 minutes.
8. Make topping by mixing all of topping ingredients together.
9. Spoon on top of casserole. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes at 400.

Note: You can definitely make this a day ahead and reheat.

Posting tomorrow, promise!

Out of town till 11/17, but stay tuned for some Thanksgiving dishes!

I'll be in NYC for a week, but as soon as I get back I'll be working on a couple classic Smith Turkey-day recipes, including my mom's Sweet Potato Casserole and Jonathan's "Snickers Salad."

Better than Sex Cake

I believe my aunt Tookie is the woman responsible for the name. All claims aside, this is a damn good cake, and it's SUPER easy to make.

Ingredients
-1 chocolate cake mix + ingredients for cake (eggs, water, oil)
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-1 jar butterscotch ice cream topping
-1 package CoolWhip (thawed in fridge)
-2 Butterfingers

Steps
1. Make cake as directed.
2. As soon as cake comes out of oven, poke a bunch of holes (like every centimeter) in the cake (I use the back of a wooden spoon).
3. Immediately pour condensed milk and butterscotch topping into holes and over cake.
4. Let cake cool completely.
5. Top with whipped cream and crushed up Butterfingers.
(Note: I let the CoolWhip dethaw in the fridge for several hours so that it is spreadable)

Shepherd's Pie (vegetarian)

I got a craving for this, even though I had never had it or made it. It just sounded like something that would be warm and comforting on a cold night, and it was. The recipe I used called for beef or lamb, but we used faux veggie crumbles instead. However, I might try this with ground turkey at some point.

Ingredients:
Mashed potato topping
~2 lbs potatoes, cut into smallish pieces
-2 T sour cream
-3 tsp chopped garlic
-1/2 cup low fat milk
-1 egg yolk
-salt & pepper to taste
Faux meat mixture
-1 package veggie meat crumbles (such as Morningstar Farms)
-1 onion, diced
-2 carrots, diced
-1/2 C frozen peas
Gravy
-1 C broth (we use beef broth, but I'm sure veggie would be fine)
-2 T flour
-2 T butter (I used margarine)
-2 tsp Worcestershire

-Parsley or green onion garnish, optional

Steps:
1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (about 12 minutes).

2. While potatoes are boiling, saute your onion and faux meat with 2 T EVOO. After about 5 minutes, add carrots; saute another 4 minutes or so. Turn off heat, set aside.

3. Make your mashed potatoes by combining all ingredients under "mashed potato topping" and mashing with a masher.
4. Make the gravy in small sauce pan. Cook margerine and flour over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add in 1 C broth, whisking all the while. Add Worcestershire sauce and continue cooking until gravy thikens a bit (about 4 minutes).

5. Stir in gravy and peas (can still be frozen) to faux meat mixture.

6. Put meat mixture in a Pam'd casserole dish (I used an 8X9).
7. Spoon mashed potatoes over top.
8. Cook at 350 for about 10 minutes.
9. Turn on broiler and cook for about another 8 or so minutes on the lowest rack of oven (or until potatoes are browned on top).
11. Top with parsley or green onion if you have on hand and serve.

Hearty Vegan Veggie Soup

(Note: Bear with me on the pictures. Until I get a new camera, I'm having to use the camera on my cell phone.)

I got this recipe from my good friend Katie. Using V8 as the broth gives it a kick and also adds to the ease of the recipe. Also, I really like the addition of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients
-1 large bottle of V8 (I recommend the spicy kind)
-1 potato, diced into bite size pieces
-1 sweet potato, diced into bite size pieces
-1 19oz can of white cannelli beans (or whatever you prefer)
-2 handfuls of green beans, diced into bite size pieces
-3 carrots, diced into bite size pieces
-1 onion, diced into bite size pieces
-pepper, to taste
-2 tsp chopped garlic
-other spices, to taste (I threw in some oregano, thyme, and 2 bay leaves)

Steps
1. Put all of the above in a big pot (except maybe carrots and green beans), bring to a boil, let simmer for about 1 hour-1.5 hours (until potatoes are cooked). I put the green beans and carrots in after about 30 minutes so they're still a little crispy.

 Note: This makes A LOT, but it freezes well (thaw before reheating).

Atlanta engagement!

As many of you know, my boyfriend, or I guess I should say fiancé, and I got engaged this past weekend!
Aside from the "getting engaged" part, we had a wonderful weekend of eating and relaxing in Atlanta. I had taken some pictures of some of the delicious food we ate to post here, but alas, in my post-engagement-post-champagne-drinking dreamlike stupor I left my camera in a cab. Since I can't post pictures of the food, I'll list links to the restaurants I highly recommend you check out, should you ever be in the Atlanta area.

Hayakawa House
Best Japanese food outside of Japan. For real. From the all Japanese waitstaff who relay orders in Japanese to the sushi that is flown in daily from Japan, this place is 100% legit. No fru-fru rolls with mango pieces and schmancy sauces are served, just high quality sushi, nigiri, rice bowls, and udon.
http://www.atlantasushibar.com/

Flying Biscuit
http://www.flyingbiscuit.com/
Best breakfast place. Ever.
Get the Eggstravaganza: Two large farm fresh eggs served with chicken breakfast sausage, crisp turkey bacon, plus whole wheat french toast topped with raspberry sauce & honey creme anglais (and of course their signature homemade biscuits and apple butter). We ate here two days in a row.

Pura Vida
http://www.puravidatapas.com/
http://www.puravidatapas.com/tapasMenu.pdf
Amazing tapas (get the steamed coconut buns with fried pork belly) and authentic mojitos that come by the pitcher.


Holy Taco
http://www.holy-taco.com/menu.html
This is the place we went immediately after getting engaged. They have delicious margaritas and PBR tallboys, so it couldn't have been more perfect for the two of us. Also, their fish tacos were awesome.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

These are pretty much my favorite thing ever, and I have to thank my awesome Mom for the recipe. Also, big thanks to my friend, Joanna, for helping me make these last night.  These freeze really well (if for some reason you end up not eating them all).

Ingredients (makes ~25 shells)

-1.5 jars pasta sauce
~30 shells (some will likely break while cooking, so I make a couple extra)
-1 cup shredded mozzarella
-2 T basil

Veggie topping
-1 10 oz bag of fresh spinach
~7 oz sliced mushrooms (I use baby portabellas)
-1 medium onion, diced
-3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 T balsamic vinegar
-1.5 T EVOO
Cheesy bread crumb topping
-2/3 C Italian bread crumbs
-1 C Ricotta cheese (or you can use cottage cheese)
-1 C Parmesan or shredded mozzarella
-1 T fresh oregano, chopped (optional)
-2 eggs, slightly beaten
-salt & pepper

Steps
1. Cook shells al dente
2. While water is bowling/shells are cooking, mix all the ingredients for the cheesy bread crumb topping together in a medium bowl.

3. Saute onion w/ EVOO in a large pan for a couple of minutes, then add mushrooms, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Saute for another 5 or so minutes (you want the mushrooms to shrink a bit).

4. Turn the heat on the pan OFF. Add a couple of handfuls of spinach at a time to pan and toss with other veggies. Allow the heat from the other veggies to wilt the spinach, all the while adding more spinach and continuously tossing. (You want the spinach to cook down, but not be mush, which is why I turn the heat off and just let the heat from the other veggies slowly wilt down the spinach.)

5. Grease a 13X9 pan, and add 1/2 jar of sauce to the bottom.

6. Make your shells. Fill shell half-way with veggie mixture and top with a spoonful of cheesy bread crumb mixture.

7. Top shells with remaining jar of sauce.

8. Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350. After 25 minutes remove from oven, top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella and basil, cook for another 10 minutes (I turn the broiler on for the last couple minutes to brown the cheese).

BLOG FAIL

Don't be fooled. Although I think the pictures of these chickpea burgers turned out nice, the burgers themselves were pretty tasteless. As my boyfriend put it, "I feel like I'm eating nothing."

I got the recipe from Cooking Light, and even added more spices than called for, but alas, they "tasted like nothing."

However, I couldn't resist posting some pics, so should you desire to improve upon them, here's the link to the recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1932648