This comes to us via Stephanie… an incredible Vegan who works at Williams Sonoma. She always remembers that we’re vegan… and shared this recipe … which sounds outstanding (though, I must admit, I didn’t have time to make it this weekend). Will do it this week! She says she makes it every week! From reading it, I can see why!!

Three-Grain Medley

Yield: 8 servings. 

Ingredients:
6 green onions, thinly sliced
5 1/4 cups Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-ounce jar diced pimentos, undrained
2/3 cup uncooked wheat berries
1/2 cup each, uncooked: hulled or pearl barley, wild rice
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Combine onions, broth, garlic, pimentos, wheat berries, barley, wild rice and oil in 3- to 4-quart dutch oven.
2. Cover; cook on low until liquid is absorbed and grains are tender, 2 hours (less if you’re using quick-cooking grains – follow time on package). Stir in parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe note: Taste the recipe before adding any salt, as the Better Than Bouillon can be a bit salty to begin with. This dish is wonderful hot or room-temperature and also can become a stuffing for bell peppers, eggplant or tomatoes.

Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories: 207, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Carbohydrates: 31g, Cholesterol: (not available)mg, Sodium: 182mg, Protein: 7g, Fiber: 5

I haven’t made this… but will be looking for some great butternut squash!! I already have the red quinoa! Looks fantastic! I won’t use honey… I’ll just sub that out with

Warm Quinoa Salad Link to LA Times

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

So I decided I was going to figure out how to make vegan cinnamon rolls this morning. After a drive to the grocer (that included a mile ON the beach… early, before people were there)… I set out to make it happen. Had to be fairly simple, fairly healthy (albeit with a lot of sugar)… and yummy.

It worked.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

So – the ingredients:
For the ROLLS
2 cups whitewheat flour (or white unbleached)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegan butter
2/3 cup plain almond milk

For the FILLING
3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

For the ICING
1/2 cup organic sugar
2 tablespoons plain almond milk

MAKING IT HAPPEN:
First… mix the dry ingredients for the rolls… sift if you have a sifter, no biggie if you don’t (I use a whisk if I don’t have sifter). Then add teh butter (cold)… cut it in with two forks until it has kind of a bread crumb consistency (or thereabouts).

Add the milk… and mix until you can form it into a ball of dough… some flour will remain. Put it on a floured surface… flatten it out into a rectangle shape… and put some more flour on top (not a lot… just a light dusting).

Cover the dough with the melted butter (the 3 tablespoons)… then the cinnamon sugar mixture… try to get it evenly distributed or you’ll have trouble evening it out after.

Roll it up … wide end… as tightly as you can. Then slice rolls less than 1 inch each, put them on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for about 12 minutes (watch them – you want them to be browned on top, but not too much).

Now – the icing. I didn’t have powdered sugar, so I improvised. And love the result. I use a vitamix and a blendtech. Today, it was blendtech. I took the healthy, organic sugar… and made it into powder by blendteching it for about 40 seconds. Added the powder to the milk… whisked it up… and wow. Worked really well.

So – rolls are done… plate them (I don’t wait too long, you want them hot)… and put a tablespoon of glaze… serve right away.

Warning: Adjust the recipe as needed, you will not have leftovers no matter how many you make.

Enjoy!!!

Thanks to VEGAN DAD for the basis of this recipe. It’s a family pleaser… and fantastic… and EASY!!

PREHEAT OVEN to 450 degrees f.

INGREDIENTS:
6 whole wheat wraps
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 cup TVP
1.5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Refried Beans (canned)
tomatoes
letuce
Vegan Sour Cream
Guacamole
Salsa (a bunch)

So – simple. Just brown the onion… then add the TVP, Spices, Water… cook for about 5 minutes.

Take a wrap… schmear it with 1/6 can of refried beans… dump a heavy tblsp of salsa and 2 of the TVP mixture… wrap it like a chimichanga (ends folded in)… place fold-side-down on a non-stick cookie sheet.

When you’ve got all six done… brush with oil.

Pop those babies in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

IN THE MEANTIME…

Make a salad.
Heat some refried beans.
Put out bowls of: Salsa, jalepenos, lettuce, tomatoes, vegan sour cream
Have a glass of wine.

Serve hot – mmmmm!!!

Serving idea: you can make it more like chimichangas… smaller… and do 12 with the same ingredients (just more wraps)… but we like them a little bulkier.

Okay… I haven’t made it… but it looks fantastic. The only Tortilla soup I’ve made since going vegetarian in 2008 is with my VitaMix … toss some veggies in and get amazingly healthy soup in five minutes. Not bad.

But THIS recipe… has some serious heart and soul. I know I’M going to make it soon – you should, too!

TORTILLA SOUP

And while you’re there… check out their awesome blog at VEGSLC

This is a link to a powerful yet simple presentation on our planet… and our connected-ness as a humanity.

Whether you’re vegan or not… it’s a fantastic look at the world.

Global Village

I haven’t posted an update in over a month. That’s WAY too long. Sorry about that.

I’ve been Vegan now for almost seven months, and I’ve never felt better. We found some amazing places in London… check out SAF if you’re there. Wow. They make cheese (vegan) that’s FANTASTIC! Even with crackers… wow. We actually went two times in one week because it was SO good.

We tried to go to Vanilla Black which also looks great… but they were closed. No sign on the door, but a call to their number revealed that they were out for the holidays. Will definitely try them the next time we’re in London.

I’m amazed at how easy it is to eat Vegan… and equally amazed at how easy it is to slip – on accident. I didn’t… but ALMOST did. I bought these MINTS have BEEF in them!?!?!? Mints… like Altoids… with BEEF GELATIN!?! I don’t know what to say. I brought them home because I wanted them… but now will have to give them away.

Anyhow… hope you’re having a GREAT start to a FANTASTIC year and decade – 2010 is the beginning of great things to come.

OH – and more vegan fun recipes and stuff WILL be coming.

Happy Friday!

Recipe for da biscuits:
From – The Joy of Vegan Baking Cookbook
Drop Biscuits – Vegan – Wonderuful _ SUPER FAST AND EASY

Servings/Yield

24 servings
lots. Depends on how big you make ‘em
1/2 plus 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 plus 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
(if you want – you can use all-purpose for all the flour, but the whole wheat adds a bit of extra healthy goodness)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup nondairy milk
⅓ cup canola oil or melted non-dairy non-hydrogenated butter
Method

PREHEAT OVEN to 475. (PVO note: this is the slowest part of the whole thing… including cleanup. It’s amazing).

Lightly grease a cookie sheet… (PVO note: spray with PAM for baking)

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.

Add the milk and oil and stir JUST until the dry ingredients are moistened. It will be veyr sticky and thick, not smooth like cake batter. Use one teaspoon to form walnut sized scoops of batter and another spoon to scrape the batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing the biscuits about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) apart.

Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 8 minutes (more if larger, just watch ‘em).

Serve hot.

Interesting!!!

I haven’t made this – yet – but it’s on my list! Check out this link to see the recipe. It’s on EAT AIR’S blog… some great stuff there.

Tangerine Seitan

From VITAMIX website… I haven’t made it… but will soon!

A quick, easy alternative to traditional fondues!
Spinach and Artichoke Fondue

Yield: 4 1/2 cups (1.1 l)
Speed: Variable to High
Time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 garlic clove, minced
6 canned artichoke hearts, drained and diced
3 ounces (85 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed “dry”
3/4 cup (180 ml) dry white wine
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces (340 g) cubed Monterey Jack cheese
3 ounces (85 g) grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces (113 g) crumbled feta cheese

Directions
1. Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, artichokes and spinach. Saute for 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Place rest of ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid.
3. Select Variable 1.
4. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
5. Blend for 3-4 minutes until mixture is smooth and warm.
6. Pour mixture into fondue pot.
7. Stir in spinach and artichoke mixture.

For Dippers
Cubed country French bread, mushroom caps, steamed or grilled asparagus spears, steamed or grilled broccoli and cauliflower

Health Classification: Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Meal Type: Fondues