A Non-Dairy Life

Vegitarian Fajitas

2012-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

1 small sweet potato (cut into match sticks)
1 small zucchini ( cut into match sticks)
1 large onion (cut into strips)
1/2 cup bell peppers (cut into strips)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 the juice of a lime
Oil for frying veggies
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oil in a pan, cook sweet potato first because it will take the longest to cook. After a about 4 minutes add the onions and bell peppers. Cook for 2 minutes then add the cilantro, garlic, and zucchini. While the zucchini finishes cooking mix all the spiced together in a bowl then sprinkle over the veggies. Once all the veggies are cooked to tender but not mushy squeeze 1/2 a lime over the veggie mix. stir to combine all the flavors.

My husband was not looking forward to fajitas that didn't have steak or chicken, but he loved them . He even said he wanted to make them again and here the kicker "I wouldn't change a thing!"

We only ate half of the mixture and were quite full. I would defenestrate say this would feed 4 people. If you were to add rice, black beans, or corn it could feed up to 6 people.

All in all I am really happy with how this turned out. I hope to make this again soon.

Pumpkin Spiced Crepes with Pumpkin Butte

2011-11-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

Recipe can be found http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/pumpkin-spiced-crepes-with-pumpkin.html

Mac Cheese... Well not cheese but awesome!

2011-11-08T17:09:00.001-08:00

I took the wonderful Alton Brown's Baked Mac and cheese recipe and made it lactose free. I replaced his milk with lactose free milk ( You could also use soy milk or almond milk), I used an eight oz package of Daiya cheddar cheese flavored cheese, and as usual I did not use real butter... I used equal amounts of olive oil. I also deviated from his recipe by adding 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. If you do not want to use diced onions or can not chop the pieces small enough I would also recommend using onion powder.

Moosewood restaurant Fudge Brownies

2011-10-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

I look through cook books all the time and I found the line of cook books from the Moosewood Restaurant, and so far they are awesome! I have been trying to make brownies that taste better than the box mixes for about a year now. My dad thinks I'm crazy but I really like baking things from scratch, makes me feel more accomplished.

1/2 cup butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup AP Flour

preheat oven to 350
Butter an 8x8 inch pan
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl. Let cool.
Stir in brown sugar and vanilla
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and then whisk into the chocolate mixture.
Stir in flour until combine.
Pour into 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pictures to come!

Ricotta cheese ( lactose free)

2011-05-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have not had real stuffed shells in... 7 years. I have tried to use fake cheese and tofu... and it was not the same. But I have found that 1 year aged Parmesan cheese, 1 year aged provolone cheese, and home made ricotta with lactose free milk = the best stuffed shells ever! And no tummy trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy I ate like 3 servings.

If you do not over dry the cheese you get about 2 cups of ricotta for 2 quarts milk and 1/4 cup lemon juice. This really took no time at all. Including draining it through the cheese cloth it took 15 minutes.

Heat the milk to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (stirring to prevent scorching).

Stir in the lemon juice, stir for 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Place cheese cloth in strainer over a bowl, and slowly poor in what is not milk and whey.

Let drain until you get the dryness you want. I over dried it so I took some of the whey I captured in the bowl and re added it to the cheese and fluffed it up with a fork.

Than I made my favorite cheese stuffed shell recipe, and it was amazing. Everything I had been missing. And I plan on using this to make cannolis as soon as possible.

Boston Cream pie

2011-05-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

I love Boston cream pie! This recipe is from the joy of baking. Be very careful with the pastry cream. I normally freeze egg yolks and whites to use them in recipes later instead of waste them when I am only making meringue or something. But when I thawed them in the fridge over night they were way to dried out for the step where you make the "smooth" paste.

Pastry Cream:

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large egg yolks

1/8 cup (20 grams) all-purpose flour

Scant 3 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sponge Cake:

5 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (60 grams) plain cake flour (not self-rising)

1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:

4 ounces (120 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream ( Glaze can be made without dairy using the one below)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. (Do not let this mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. (Watch carefully and remove from heat just as the milk starts to foam up.) Pour the milk slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.)

Place the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick.

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line the bottoms of two - 8 inch (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.

While the eggs are still cold separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in one large mixing bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the two remaining eggs. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the whole eggs and yolks and 6 tablespoons (75 grams) of the sugar on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are thick, fluffy and light colored (when you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract.

In another clean mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, at low speed, until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until soft, moist peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites folding just until incorporated. Sift half of the flour mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Do not over mix.

Make a well in the center of the batter and pour the melted butter/milk mixture into the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the butter mixture into the batter. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until light brown and springy to the touch. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Immediately run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pans and then invert the cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and re-invert. Cool completely.

When the cakes have cooled and you are ready to assemble the Boston Cream Pie, make the Chocolate Glaze: Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and butter just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a 3-5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it has thickened to pouring consistency.

To Assemble: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, bottom side facing up. Spoon the pastry cream onto the cake, spreading to make an even layer. Place the second cake layer (bottom side up) onto the filling. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread the glaze, with an offset spatula, to the edges of the cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. Let the cake sit until the glaze sets, about one hour. Serve. This cake is best eaten the same day it is made. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Serves 8-10

Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/BostonCreamPie.html#ixzz1MvVTNQT4

Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/BostonCreamPie.html#ixzz1MvUneMgp

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Warm all ingredients (except the powdered sugar) in a small pot on the stove under low heat, until thoroughly mixed and warm.

2. Remove from the heat and add powdered sugar.

3. If you need to thicken it a bit more, add a little more powdered sugar. Pour glaze on cake or other dessert while still warm.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Potato Skins

2010-06-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

Daiya Cheese again is amazing

Sweet potato black bean burrito

2010-06-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

1/2 red bell pepper
2 pre-cooked sweet corn cobbs
1 small onion chopped
1/2 can black beans
1 sweet potato cut into thin half moons
1 glove garlic minced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
dash of red pepper flake
sale and pepper to taste
whole wheat tortillas for wrapping.

In a pan heat the oil and cook the potatoes first for about 7 minutes

Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until veggies are tender

Roll into tortilla and eat.

I just realized I haven't eaten meat in two days... I might be able to be a week day vegan, and only eat meat on the weekends not just 4 days a week.

Lemon Cheese Cake!

2010-06-10T17:25:00.003-07:00

Okay its not vegan but it is lactose free. I got the recipe out of a book called 200 best Lactose-Free recipes by Jan Main.

Preheat oven to 350

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

2 packages silken tofu
4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Prepare crust: in a small bowl stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, oil, cinnamon. Press into the bottom of the pan forming a crust. Make sure to work the crust 1 inch up the spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

2 Prepare the filling by draining the water from the tofu using a sieve. In a food possessor beat together drained tofu, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

3 In a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into the lemon batter. Turn into prepared crust.

4 Bake for 60 t0 65 minutes or until almost firm in the center. let cool before cutting into wedges to serve. (I baked using a steam bath like normal cheese cake because I didn't want it to crack on top, even tofu pies crack)

Right now I am waiting for the cheese cake to cool, I have yet to try the cake.... but the batter tasted really good, and not supper tofu tasting.

2010-06-10T17:25:00.001-07:00

Daiya Strombolies!

2010-06-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

I used the pizza dough from earlier in the blog. I divided the dough in half and let both rise in a greased bowl. I then took one of the balls and cut it in half and rolled each half into a 10 by 8 rectangle. Then I filled with with some marinara sauce, basil, spinach, and DAIYA CHEESE. Vegan cheese that melts like gooey mozzarella.

I let the dough sit for about 10 minutes then I baked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. It tasted really good even for having a ton of spinach in it.

Kabobs

2010-06-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

You know what doesn't have dairy in it? Beef and veggies. This is also a great way to make a little meat go along way. I used a pound of Rib eye, I wanted to use sirloin, but they only had 2-3 pound steaks which was expensive. I did get lucky though, bell peppers were on sale only $1 for yellow, orange, and red. Unheard of where I live.

I just seasoned the meat and veggies with garlic salt, and pepper but the real flavor came from the peppers and onions. So Yummy.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

2010-05-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

This was the best chili I have ever had, meat or not.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 Yukon Gold potato chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

1 sweet potato chopped in 1/2 inch pieces

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups frozen corn

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

1 can red black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

A dash of dried oregano

1 can tomato sauce (Then fill can with water and empty in pot)

1 can tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Rinse and divide the fresh vegetables. Chop the veggies into small pieces.

2. In a large skillet, saute the garlic, bell pepper, celery, and onion in hot oil until they are almost soft. I add just a little salt in the saute to make sure the veggies are well seasoned.

3. While one is stirring the vegetables in the skillet, the other needs to be opening the cans of beans and sauces. Drain and rinse all the beans.

4. In a large pot, mix together the chopped, cooked vegetables with the can of diced tomatoes,corn, beans, tomato sauce, can of water, tomato paste, cilantro, bay leaf, and spices. Save some of the chopped onion to use as topping.

5. Cover and cook on the low heat setting about one hour. I like to let chili simmer for hours because the longer it sits the better it tastes. But the flavors should be well mingled after an hour or so.

I have amended this recipe from one I found online, in hopes to recreate the Delicious vegan chili they make at Evos, which is a healthy fast food place in St. Pete Florida that offers really great fast food options for people who want to eat well for a good price and it tastes amazing. I added the potato because I have seen it in chili recipes before and have been unsure about adding it in, but I am experimenting with this recipe so I though why not add my favorite Yukon gold potato, and my newly discovered sweet potato. Well new to me, I had no idea they could be used in savory applications.

I also really wanted to try this recipe because Mike and I have been trying to eat vegan or vegetarian every other night or as much as possible. Its really hard to give up meat all together even though I know its better for people to eat less meat and its a hell of a lot better for the environment. It also keeps me in my skinny jeans. And my oven is broken so I could not make the veggie pizzas I made in an earlier post http://anondairylife.blogspot.com/2010/04/pizza-night.html

Eat the rainbow

2010-05-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

If I have learned anything from my nutrition classes and reading, is that we don't get enough orange in our diets. One of the main reasons their is not a lot of orange foods for Americans to eat other than carrots. Let face it carrots are the cheapest and most abundant orange veggie. Cantaloupe is delicious but is really only good in season so like 2 months of the year, orange bell peppers are at time 2-3 times more expensive than the green bell peppers, and mangoes are quite the challenge to prepare. I have always looked at the sweet potato as one of those horribly sweet gloopy items at the end of the table on Thanksgiving. That was until I went to the North Star restaurant and had a wonderful vegan breakfast burrito with black beans onions bell papers and yes... sweet potatoes. Thats right the sweet potato is out of the marshmallows and brown sugar and into the salt, pepper, and onions. I don't want to say mind blowing, but it has really opened my eyes to the sweet potato and all it has to offer. So I give you....

Rosemary Potatoes and Asparagus

2 large Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled)
1 even larger sweet potato (peeled)
1/2 lb of asparagus (woody bottom pieces removed by bending the spear and letting it snap off, discard bottom.)
8-10 pearl onions
1 sprig of rosemary
2 gloves minced garlic
salt and cracked pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Oil to toss veggies in 1/2 cup divided maybe more

Chop the potatoes into 1 in sized bites, combine with prepared asparagus, pearl onions, and coat in oil.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, and Italian seasoning. Add garlic and mix seasonings over veggies with your hands. I like to do this in a 9x13in pan that I use to bake the veggies in. When well coated remove asparagus to be added back to pan 30 minutes later. Asparagus only need 8 minutes to bake while the potatoes need 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Blackberry Cobbler!

2010-05-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

Thats right folks summer is here. That means blackberries, and blackberries mean cobbler. Oh how I love cobbler of any kind.

Blackberry Cobbler recipe from

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/blackberry-cobbler/97b86fd2-7588-497b-866d-8a1bd8b2e491?WT.mc_id=paid_search_200100_636117&WT.srch=1&esrc=11151

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blackberries (do not use blueberries)
1 cup sugar
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (lactose free milk)
1/2 cup butter, melted (Vegan butter)

1. In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.

3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden.

Vegan Cheese that actually is like cheese.

2010-05-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

I know they all claim to be "just like real cheese" and it never is. I have been wanting to try this new Daiya Vegan Cheese, but its really hard to get your hands on. I have thought about ordering it online for like $20, but that is more then I want to spend if I end up not eating it because most vegan cheeses are really disappointing. But after a long wait a Whole Foods store in my city has finally started carrying the stuff. Weird that they all do not. I am sure they all will soon. And Daiya Vegan Cheese is getting their products in restaurants and pizza places. I can't wait to eat pizza with friends again.

I am telling you right now Daiya Vegan Cheese is the best vegan cheese I have ever had. It makes me wonder if they are trying to get by with sneaking in real cheese just to see if the vegans will notice. I didn't get sick so it must be true, a really good alternative to cheese. Cheese my love I have missed you and now I no longer have to go without you.

I made whole wheat bagel pizzas with those new thin bagels the have come out with, Marinara sauce, basil, and the Daiya Vegan Cheese Italian style. It was almost as good as a bagel bite. It was a really great margarita style pizza though.

Pancakes!

2010-05-08T11:05:00.001-07:00

I do work a lot of Saturdays, but when I don't have to work in the morning I really love making pancakes for me and Mike. They taste great, are cheap to make, and take about as long as it would take to drive to Perkins. Yes it would be fatser to buy one of those pre-made just add water mixes, but they have powdered milk in them so they are not an option.

2 cups All Purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups of non dairy or lactose free milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Sift together dry ingredient, then stir in wet ingredients. Cook on hot greased griddle until golden brown and yummy.

South West Salad

2010-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

I work at a very well known restaurant... and lets just say our salads are really good looking and tasting, but the calories are insanely high. And I am always tempted to eat one, but all of our salad dressings have dairy in them. So I took a bit of inspiration from what I can't eat and made it something I can eat.

First step was to find a salad dressing that went with my south west salad theme. The one that follows worked out really well. It did take a little time to make, but it was really good. I will definitely make this salad again. Even take it to work to snack on.

For the salad I combined baby Romain lettuce with 1/4 cup of corn, 1/4 cup of black beans, and 1/4 cup of black bean salsa. Then I ate it with some crushed up corn chips. Then I drizzled on some of the Lime Chipotle Vinaigrette.

http://www.bigoven.com/163428-Lime-Chipotle-Vinaigrette-recipe.html

Lime Chipotle Vinaigrette

Ingredients

* 2 each chipotle chile canned in adobo
* 3 tablespoons cilantro
* 1 teaspoon garlic
* 1/2 cup red onion roasted
* 1/2 cup Rose's Lime Juice
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 5 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/16 cup black pepper
* 1/16 cup salt
* 1 cup olive oil blend Arrezzio Olive oil B

Preparation

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Source: "Moab Brewery"Yield: "2 cup

Hibachi Steak Night!

2010-05-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

I am using the ideas from the Sandra Lee recipe from food network. www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/hibachi-steak-recipe/index.html

Now I used
4 small zucchinis
6 small carrots
1 yellow squash
2 small to medium white onions
1/2 a package of baby Bella mushrooms.

And a little more than a pound of sirloin steak.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
* 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
* 1 1/2 pounds top round steak
* 1 pound egg roll wrappers
* 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add half of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are almost done, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, heat a second skillet over high heat and add the remaining oil.

Cut the steak into small cubes, and stir-fry until browned on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Separate the egg roll wrappers into 2 piles. Roll each pile up into a log. Slice the log into thin strips about 1/4-inch thick and separate them into individual noodles. Put half of the noodles into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and add to a serving bowl or platter. (Reserve the remaining noodles for the Online Round 2 Recipe, Japanese Noodle Bowl.)

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch and set aside.

Add the steak, along with any accumulated juices, to the pan with the vegetables. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the vegetables and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter. (Reserve 2 cups for the Online Round 2 Recipe, Japanese Noodle Bowl).

I also tried my hand at making that amazing soup they serve before your meal at a Japanese steak house. I used the following recipe

So the steak was the most amazing part of the meal! The veggies I still haven't perfected, squash still alludes me. It still turned out good enough for me to make it instead of going to the steak house. I think next time I am gonna cut way down on the veggies and use half the meat because it made a lot of food, even for left overs.

With the soup and all the ingredient this meal came in at 20 dollars but I bought a whole bag of onions and green onions I will be using for other recipes, I also bough beef flavored bullion that I didn't have but will use for other things. This will also feed 4 people not just the one if I went out to eat it. So sorry dude I don't need you anymore.

Cinnamon Rolls!

2010-05-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

So I am not a big fan of the Pillsbury canned cinnamon rolls, but they are so quick and easy so I make them for Mike and eat one or two. But everything has changed now. I bought some frozen bread dough thinking I would make a loaf of bread some time, but I haven't used them instead I have been making my own bread from scratch but last night I thawed out the dough, and this morning I rolled them out into thin squares and brushed them with 1/2 stick of melted butter ( I don't use real butter). Then I mixed 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 2 table spoons of butter and sprinkled over the dough, and then sprinkled 1/4 cup of chopped pecans over the dough. Then I rolled the dough into logs, sliced them in 1 inch pieces and placed them into a greased pan and I let them rise 30 minutes, and then I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then I made an icing with powdered sugar, vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon mixed with a few drops of water. I have eaten three so far... 2 frozen loafs make 30 cinnamon rolls.

Cupcakes

2010-05-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

I made the cupcakes from a mix and made some chocolate icing. And then, and then I got out my piping bag.

Meatballs

2010-05-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb beef
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
salt, black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning.

Have your boyfriend mix all the ingredient together so you don't have to get your hands dirty. Form into balls and bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until perfect. You can also brown the meatballs in a pan before baking. I plan to eat these tonight after work. 2nd shift makes it so hard to have dinner at a normal time when you work through dinner and can't grab a snack until 11pm. I have some left over ciabatta bread and pasta to make these meatballs a real meal.

Beef Stuffed Shells

2010-04-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

Imagine the taste of meat balls stuffed into a shell. I make 1/2 a box of shell noodles and let them cool. Then I fry 1/2 lb of beef with 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper. Then I scoop the mixture into the shells and layer them in a baking dish with marinara sauce and soy cheese. Then I baked it for 30 minutes. It tastes a lot better than it looks. But I love taking pictures of food.

Banana and Wheat Germ Muffins

2010-04-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Combine all of the following in a large bowl and set aside.

1 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup wheat germ

Now combine in a medium bowl

2 large eggs
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup milk (soy or lactose free)
1 1/2 cups mushed very ripe bananas (I used two)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well and then pour the liquid bowl over the dry bowl and combine. Then fill 1 muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. And bake at 400 degrees (my oven runs too hot so I did 350) for 20 to 25 minutes.

This is one of the few recipes that I make that really does make 12 good size muffins and not 10 good ones and 2 tiny ones. I also added a few things like my dehydrated banana slices that taste of like eating fresh banana bread

And I have some walnuts in the freezer I need to eat before they go bad so I chopped up a big handful and sprinkled them on top of the muffins before baking. I left some with out nuts to compare.

Right now they are all cooling in the window, but I'm hoping they taste great. I will be sure to let you know.

Irish Cheese Cakes

2010-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

I made these with my niece for her multi cultural night at school. And they were amazing! Almost enough to knock the lil girl down and keep them for myself! But I would never do that I'm a nice aunt.

The cheese cakes:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
rind and juice of 1/2 a lemon (zest)
2 eggs, beaten
8 tablespoons self-rising flour
8 oz pie crust
8 table spoons raspberry preserves
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time.

Sift the flour and add to the butter mixture.

Push the pie crust into 12 cupcake tins. Spoon in the preserves and fill 3/4 full of batter. Bake until brown about 25 minutes.

Let cook and ice with powder sugar and lemon juice mixed together to make a yummy lemon icing.

The recipe for the pie crust I got from
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
* 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 4 to 8 Tbsp ice water
Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

Pierogies

2010-04-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

The filling I made from 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, and boiled them with 2 smashed cloves of garlic and salt. This gave them a hint of garlic. Then I smashed the potatoes with some salt pepper and butter. Needless to say the filling was amazing. The dough was from a recipe.. they would make great dumplings but I couldn't get them thin enough so the pierogies weren't what I expected. Mike said they were just like all the other pierogies he has had, then he ate 6 of them.

Pizza night!

2010-04-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

So I am on this make my own food kick, and when it comes to pizza its more of a necessity because of the no cheese thing. But I was buying par-baked pizza crusts from the store for as much as $5 for me and Mike. Turns out its super cheap and easy to make your own. I think my 5lbs of bread flour was about $3.50 and everything else you normally have in the pantry. The olive oil is the real pricey part of this recipe and its only 3 table spoons, not bad at all. Now the first time I made this I used all white bread flour but it really is better with a little wheat flour. I used the recipe off recipezaar. Here is the link http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Pizza-Dough-and-Sauce-1005. I do not use the sauce recipe.

Ingredients
Pizza Dough

* 3/4 tablespoon yeast
* 1 1/2 cups warm water
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 4 cups flour (we prefer half white, half wheat)

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water (I add a pinch of sugar) and allow to set until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes.

Stir in salt, oil and half of flour. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing well.

Knead 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and let rise until double (1/2-1 hour) Punch down and let rise again until double. Punch down and divide. Pat out on two pizza pans.

Top with pizza sauce & toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

This dough turns out great, if you want more flavor let rise for 30 minutes. Then let it have a slow 2nd rise in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Then you can dress up the pizza any way you like it. Tonight I made an everything pizza with vegetarian Italian sausage, black olives, mushrooms, green bell peppers and soy mozzarella cheese.

Ciabatta

2010-04-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Okay I just started venturing into the world of bread making and today I tried Ciabatta. I looked on youtube to see how to make it and this was the best video on there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX_6l2bmvQI&feature=fvw. The guy is really funny and it helped a lot, because its more of a goop than a dough.

The time for a whole loaf is about 35 minutes but I made a small loaf and some rolls so mine was like 20 minutes for a loaf and 12 minutes for the rolls. They are full of flavor but do not taste like the ciabatta I bought at the store, but I did give them 20 hours not the 18. Watch the vidoe its reall helpful. I am just glad my first try ended up edible for one and Mike has eaten 5 rolls so I guess they are more than okay.

3 1/2 cups of white
1/2 cup of wheat [ wheat flour]
1/4 teaspoon of yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of warm water

Fried Rice Lunch

2010-04-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

So Mike and I have tried really hard this month to only go to the store once every two weeks and only eat out once a week. Its been going well, except when my brother and his kids came over for pizza I had everything to make yummy pizza from scratch, but I realized they prob wouldn't want my vegan cheese, so I did have to run out and get some mozzarella and pepperoni.

Yesterday I saw a fried rice seasoning packet I bought months ago and I decided that I would try to make fried rice again (it doesn't always turn out good so I haven't made it in awhile). The only thing that is really important about fried rice is that you make the rice the day before and store it in the fridge. If you try to use fresh rice it will just get all mushy and paste like.

So yesterday I made 1 cup Brown Rice like the bag said, but I added 2 chicken bullion cubes for extra flavor. Then I stored it in the fridge.

So today I threw together:

1 Tbsp oil
1 cup brown rice
1 tsp soy sauce
4 drops of sesame seed oil (this stuff is strong be careful)
1 cup frozen peas and carrot mix
3 Tyson grilled pre-cooked frozen chicken breast
1/2 a packet of store bought fried rice seasoning.
1/4 cup green onion (I didn't have any so I used 6 frozen pearl onions and it did great on adding that yummy onion flavor)
4 cracks of black papper ( white pepper is better but again I didn't have any)

Heat Tyson chicken thro and set aside.
Add oil to the pan until hot (medium high heat) then add rice and onion and fry for a few minutes.
Combine soy sauce and sesame seed oil in a small dish then add to rice and stir.
Then add seasoning and stir for a few minnutes.
Then add the chicken from before and the carrots and peas.
Continue frying a few more minutes to let all the flavors comebine.
Then eat.

This turned out better than when I normally make it. On the table I added a little cracked black pepper and stired it all together.

The Potato Problem

2010-04-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I was poking around the pantry today and I looked into my potatoes and realized that not only did I have a ton (there was a sale...) they were also starting to grow. I caught the little buggers just in time before they really got crazy or mushy. Now I'm not saying I can eat the 6lbs of potatoes in my pantry in one day but I'm gonna have to start eating them before they go bad. So for a snack before work I thought about how yummy hash browns are and how easy they have to be to make. And after giving it a try I will never go to IHOP or Perkins again to get my hash brown fix. They were so good and took like 10 minutes to make.

3 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb Russet baking potatoes, peeled and grated
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp of chopped red onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Mrs Dash Chipotle seasoning.

Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat.

While the pan is heating, squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes. It's easiest to do this with a potato ricer, using it much like you would a garlic press, except you don't force the potatoes through the ricer. You just press out the moisture. If you don't have a ricer, use tea towel to squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes.

Next when the oil is hot throw in the onions, mix for a few minutes then throw in the garlic (be careful not to burn the garlic). Wait till the room smells amazing! Like 2 minutes. then add the potatoes to the pan and spread out so they can get nice and brown. Season with salt and pepper. If you want more flavor add the Mrs. Dash.

Then flip the hash browns over (my flip didn't go well so I just cut them into small batches with the spatula). When nice and brown on both side flip out onto a plate and ready your ketchup!

French Toast!

2010-03-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

It has been years since I have had french toast, and I think the last time I had it was in high school at Burger King.... I know pretty low standards for french toast. Today I thought I would try my main man Alton Browns recipe. I didn't use half and half just my lactose free milk. I thought that the toast was a little flat in flavor, but the texture was great. I might try to put some vanilla and cinnamon in the batter, and I may also swap the honey for maple syrup. Because we all know that I am gonna put the syrup on top of it anyway, so it can only add to the final flavor.

I would defiantly recommend this recipe to all of the 3 ppl who follow my blog. <3

Ingredients

1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Peanut Butter PIe

2009-12-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Peanutbutter Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 pound firm tofu
about 1/2 to 2/3 cups of melted vegan chocolate chips
1/2 to 2/3 cups peanut butter
soy milk to desired texture
your favorite pie crust, a vegan graham cracker crust is usually the best

Directions:

Serves 8.

Put to tofu in a blender with the melted chocolate chips and the peanut butter with about a 1/2 cup of soymilk to start. Blend the ingredients together until very smooth, this may take a while if your blender is not super high powered. Then the fun part comes in: taste the mixture and see what else it needs. Add more chocolate and peanut butter to your liking. It may be necessary to add a little more soy milk if you are having trouble blending the yummy mixture. Put the mixture into a baked pie crust and smooth out the pie surface. You can make fancy designs in the surface if you want. Place the pie into the refrigerator for about 1 hour until it is firm to the touch. Cut and serve to the chocolate and peanut butter fans in your life. Yum Yum!!!

Source: A collective venture of sweet tooth friends.

So I didn't mix the tofu with the chocolate because I wanted to have a chocolate crust peanut butter center and chocolate ganache top. But the problem is that the tofu peanut butter part wasn't very sweet, but I am hoping the chocolate ganache makes up for that. Oh and as if I need to say this, the half and half isn't mine.

Crepes Anyone?

2009-12-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

I used Alton Browns Crepe recipe as the base to my delisous breakfast.

Crepe Ingredients

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

Crepe Directions

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

As a filling I would love to be able to use cream cheese and jam, but I can't. So I used some of my homemade yogurt that I made with lactose free milk, so I can eat it. Then I made a sauce with blackberries. I put about 1/2 pint of black berries in a small sauce pan with a 1/2 cup of sugar and enough water to come 1/2 way up the berries, then boiled the lot for about 20 minutes, until a syrup formed. Needless to say it was amazing. After cooking the crepe batter I put about 1 tablespoon yogurt down the center of the crepe with 2 teaspoons of the blackberry sauce and then I folded it and repeated until I had enough for my niece and I. I then topped them with more berry syrup.

It was amazing, I plan to eat more tomorrow. If you want to know how to make your own yogurt I suggest Youtube.com, it was very helpful.

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

2009-12-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 (16-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar or sucanat (or 1/2 cup maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu
1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Blend the pumpkin and sugar. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. Chill and serve. Don't use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu. This pie is soooo yummy, it will fool almost anyone. I made it last Thanksgiving for my whole family, I am the only one, and everyone asked for seconds. They begged me to make another one for Christmas dinner. Top with non dairy topping and it will fool any pumpkin pie lover.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: about 1 hour + chilling time, Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

I got this recipe from Vegweb.com its was amazing! I made this for Thanksgiving and instead of making one big pie I put the filling into those appetizer filo dough shells you get in the freezer section. There were two other pumpkin pies made with the typical evaporated milk and eggs, and there were left overs of their typical pies and mine were all gone. Thats how you know they are good.

Apple Turn Overs

2009-09-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

1 t orange zest
3 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 lb tart apples (I used Granny Smith)
3 T sugar
1 T flour
1/4 t cinnamon (I used about 1 t)
1/8 t nutmeg (I used about 1/2 t)
Pinch of kosher salt
1 egg, beaten and a little water to make a wash
Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mint Gelato

2009-07-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

2 cups whole milk ( Lactose free milk!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup torn mint leaves
4 large egg yolks

Place the milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside until the milk is strongly perfumed with mint, about 30 minutes or up to an hour. Check occasionally until the mint presence is strong but not overpowering. Remember that when frozen, the flavor will lose some of its intensity

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until the mixture thickens and turns pale yellow.

Strain the milk mixture into a medium bowl to remove the mint leaves, letting as much milk as possible drain from the leaves. Measure the milk and add more if needed to make 2 cups.

Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk half the milk into the egg and sugar mixture. Whisk in the remaining milk.

Pour the milk-egg mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour into a bowl and keep stirring until the mixture cols.

Freeze in an ice-cream machine following the manufacturer's directions.

To serve, scoop the gelato into chilled metal or glass goblets. Shave the chocolate over the top.

Yield: 1 pint

This was hands down the best ice cream I have made! It was more work than normal ice cream because its really a frozen custard. I added Andes mint pieces to the gelato and it was perfect I will definitely use this recipe when ever I want mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Mint-Chip Vegan Ice Cream

2009-06-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

1/2-1 C fresh mint, preferably peppermint, leaves washed, dried and torn in half, stems discarded
1/2 C nectar
1 C hemp milk
1 C Coconut milk, chilled
1/3-1/2 C vegan chocolate chips or shaved/chopped chocolate bar

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, on low heat, warm the hemp milk, peppermint leaves, and nectar just until steaming (but not boiling), for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep approx. 20 minutes to 1 hour. Chill the covered mixture about 1 hour (or overnight).
2. Strain mixture; discard solids. Stir in chilled coconut milk
3. Freeze in an ice cream makes according to manufacturer’s instructions. Just before the ice cream is done freezing, add chocolate chips/shavings until blended. How much you add is totally up to you – I added about 1/3 C for mine, but I also topped my serving with more shavings.
4. Transfer to an airtight container, and freeze about 30 minutes. Ice cream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to 1 week.

I substituted soy milk for hemp, and I use chopped Andes mints instead of vegan chocolates. Texture was great and the mint flavor was perfect, but you could really taste the coconut milk which really detracted from the over all flavor. I am going to use soy creamer next time.

My First Rack of Lamb

2009-05-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Roast Rack of Lamb With a Rosemary-Parmesan Crust

Servings
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup bread crumbs, preferably panko
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 8-rib racks of lamb,
trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs thyme

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together butter, bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, onion, and rosemary, until they come together to form a ball. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Brush the racks of lamb with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Set a sauté pan over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and thyme. Sear the lamb, one rack at a time, for 1 minute per side or until golden brown, and transfer to a baking sheet. Roast the racks for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue cooking until the lamb’s internal temperature reaches 130 degrees (medium-rare; start check-ing after 5 minutes at 350 degrees).

Preheat broiler.

Transfer the racks of lamb to a work surface, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before coating the meat with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil the racks for a few minutes, watching carefully, until the crust turns golden brown.

I made this recipe without the thyme and Parmesan cheese subbing a little for bread crumbs. It turned out pretty good, next time I will extend the cooking time so that it doesn't come out medium rare I really would rather a medium chop. I also think the crust would stay better on each individual potion, if you cut the chops in peaces before adding the crust. When you cut into the whole rack after the crust is on a lot of it falls off. All in all it was rather good. And not as hard to make as I thought it would be. Probably a bit easier without kids and family running in and out of the kitchen.

Non-dairy Tacos and Shortcake

2009-03-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

To make tacos a little more friendly to my stomach I use lots of salsa, guacamole, beans, and soy cheese. And I sub lactose free milk instead of whipped cream for the shortcake. Just give the cake a splash or two and the cake will soak all of it up leaving it moist and yummy!

Good non dairy Breakfast choice

2009-02-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Wow its been too long!

2009-02-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

Worlds Best Italian Meat Sauce!

2008-11-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

A romantic dinner for two doesn't have to be an expensive evening out. You can make a great meal for the one you love at home. And to all you guys out there trying to impress that girl you like, nothing is more impressive than a well cooked meal.

Start by making this amazing sauce:

1 cup chopped onions
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried crushed basil
1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ( I used Mrs. Dash)

In a large pot combine onions, beef, and garlic;cook till meat is browned and onions are tender. Skim off the excess fat; and add remaining ingredients and 2 cups of water.

Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer uncovered 3 hours or until sauce is thick, stir occasionally. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and serve over warm pasta. I know 3 hours sounds like a lot of time, but you don't have to watch it just be home so the house doesn't burn down or anything crazy.

Cooking whole wheat pasta:
Fill a large pot with water and about a tablespoon of salt. Bring water to a boil and add 2-3 cups of whole wheat pasta. Cook till al dente, there should be a slight resistance to the pasta when you bite into it.

Garlic Bread:
French baguette (bread)
clove of garlic
butter

Cut baguette in half and place on cookie sheet. Place in the oven under the broiler and toast bread. Cut clove in half then rub against the toasted crusty bread. Then spread a thin layer of butter over bread and then cut the bread into pieces.

Arrange the whole wheat pasta on the plate and top with the meat sauce, place bread on the side and arrange a small salad on the side of the plate ( I just use the pre-washed stuff from the store). Eat and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-11-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

I was feeling kinda sickly today so I made some chicken noodle soup. The can stuff is ok in a pinch but when you or your loved one feels really lousy its time to break out the bigs guns, Homemade Chicken Noodles.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast
2-4 carrots cleaned and chopped
2 stalks of celery cleaned and chopped
1 tps garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
14 0z chicken broth
2cups water
3-5 cups dry egg noodles ( I like a lot of noodles with little broth so I add a lot of them)

Boil chicken, water, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and shred into bite size pieces and add back to the pot. Then add carrots and celery, cook till tender. Then add noodles and when they are soft add the black pepper and serve.

Asparagus !!!!!

2008-11-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried asparagus I was 14 and my French club went to the Refactory. The Refactory is a beautiful French Restaurant in Columbus. It was the first time I had ever experienced fine dinning, and it was amazing! I had among other things a side of white asparagus in a cream sauce and it was delicious. Now that my lactose intolerance has become so severe that I can't eat any dairy products I have not been able to eat asparagus, because it always seems to be in a yummy cream sauce. Last night I decided to try and make asparagus without cream sauce, and it turned out to be really good.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh asparagus (asparagus usually comes in 1 pound bundles but I was only making enough for two so I only used a 1/2 a pound)

Tablespoon Olive Oil (or Canola Oil depending on what you have)

1 to 2 cloves minced garlic ( I love garlic so I use two but for more mild flavor use 1)

1/8 teaspoon salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Dash of Italian seasoning ( I used Mrs. Dash, but what ever you have on hand will work)

Give the asparagus a good wash under the tap and then trim off the not so tender part of the stalk. The easiest way to do this is to grab the asparagus below the tip with on hand and at the stalk end with the other hand. Give it a gentle bend making the asparagus into an arch until the bottom snaps off. Place the large top piece in a 8x8 glass baking dish and continue till all the asparagus is cleaned and trimmed. You can throw away/ compost the small tough ends of the asparagus or save them to make a vegetable stock later.

Drizzle the oil over the asparagus, add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Using your hands rub the oil, garlic, and spices all over the asparagus until coated.

Put in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the asparagus to be fork tender but not mushy and over done. It should be tender enough to skewer with a fork but still have a crunch or crispness when you bit into it.

Serve along side with meats, poultry dishes, or a vegetarian meal.

LEEK AND THYME SOUP

2008-11-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

This recipe should really be called Potato Leek Soup. No matter what you call it it tastes great! I was really excited to try this recipe because its in one of my favorite Irish cook books.

Ingredients:
2 pounds leeks
1 pounds baking potatoes (I used two large baking potatoes, which ended up being closer to 2 lbs)
1/2 cup butter (non dairy soy margarine for us lactose free people.)
2 large sprigs of thyme
1 and 1/2 cups low-fat milk ( I used my Lactaid Milk because it is lactose free)
Salt and ground pepper and thyme to garnish. ( I put in about 1 table spoon of salt in the pot with the leeks and potatoes and then used salt on top of each portion)
Large bowl 1/2 full of water

Step one: Trim your leeks cutting away the tough top leaves. Then cut leeks into think slices. then place leeks in the bowl of water. This is the easiest way I have found to clean out all the grit in the leek layers. Just swish them around until they look clean. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Then drain the leeks.

Step two: Peal and chop potatoes into 1 inch cubes, and dry on a paper towel.

Step three: Melt butter in a large sauce pan and then add leeks and thyme cover and cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Then add potatoes and just enough water to cover the top of the veggies. Re-cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Step four: Stir in milk and add seasoning (about 1 table spoon sea salt and a few grinds of pepper) cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Step five: Remove thyme stems (the leave will have fallen off into the soup) and serve.

I added a little more salt at the table as well as pepper. This would also be great with some soy cheese or bacon bits if you go for that sort of thing, anything you would put on mashed potatoes would be great in this soup. This makes about 4 servings, my boy friend and I skimmed off most of the broth and ate the veggies, and it only made 3 servings. This would make a great soup for lunch in the winter. Being that its full of potatoes like a chowder I find it to be very filling. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A veggie burger full of flavor!

2008-10-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Chickpea burgers

Ingredients
Makes 20

410g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about a 15 oz can)

410g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about a 15 oz can)

1 carrot, trimmed, peeled and finely grated

1 small onion, peeled and finely grated

50g sunflower seeds ( 3 and 1/2 table spoons, I use the shelled sunflower seeds)

2 tbsp tahini, drained of any excess oil before measuring (you can find this in the peanut butter area of the store )

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

1 handful chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder (you really need this or it really bland)

You should also add Salt and pepper to taste. Paprika would also be great to spice things up.

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas 7. 428° F

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 5-10 seconds, until the mixture is fairly coarse (you can use a hand-held blender). Push the mixture down with a spatula and blend for a further 10 seconds.

Remove the blades from the processor, wet your hands under the cold water tap and shape the mixture into 20 small balls. I made them the size of a meatball and then flattened them a bit into patties. This only made about 8 balls.

Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Place the balls on the tray and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly coloured. I cooked them on one side for 10 minutes then flipped them over and cooked the other side for another 10 minutes. They are not the most firm so be careful when you take them off the baking tray and place them on the bun, lettus wrap, or tortilla. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Serve with sweet potato wedges and a crunchy raw salad of mangetout, radishes, grated carrot, sliced celery and fennel dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

2008-10-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

As an Irish girl I can't help but love Shepherd's Pie! Its great you just throwing in what veggies you have on hand with mashed potatoes and lamb. Its just a great dinner to share with the family as the weather starts to cool. Now in the current economy you might not be able to buy lamb because it is more expensive than beef, but thats fine because beef tastes great in place of lamb. I will tell you though this is not really a "Shepherd's Pie" its called a cottage pie. But most Americans don't know the difference so we will just call it Shepherd's Pie.

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef (I use 1/2 lbs of beef in an 8x8 baking dish, for 4 people. If you use all the beef use a 9x13 baking dish)
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Method

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins) (I can't eat dairy products due to my food allergy so I use olive oil or vegan margarines.). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked ( I over load on the veggies because I cut back on the beef. you can use other veggies if you like. I used the holly food trinity onions, carrots, and celery. And at the very end I add frozen peas because they cook very fast.).

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink (I personally use less beef because I'm only cooking for three, and if you uses an 8x8 baking dish you can get away with 1/2 lbs of beef). Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce (I didn't have this when I first made this recipe so I subbed 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and two dashes of hot sauce, and I think it tasted better thanWorcestershire sauce) . Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist (Freeze the other half of the broth can or rest of the broth you don't use.).

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mix in the baking dish. Then place the baking dish under the broiler until the potatoes get golden on top.

Happy Vegetarian Day!

2008-10-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Not all my dishes are vegan or vegetarian but they are the easiest to work with since they do not usually contain milk ingredients. And since today is World Vegetarian Day I thought Dinner should be sans meat, and I have been looking forward to trying quinoa. Quinoa is one of those "new" super foods everyones been talking about recently. I say "new" because its new to the American supper market, but it was a staple in the Inca diet... So its not so new to the world. Its know as a super food because it beats all grains when it comes to its protein content. I got the following nutritional info from wikipedia.org Quinoa's "protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.^[5] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. " But enough about nutrition lets get to the recipe!

Quinoa and Black Beans

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped (I think a red onion would taste best)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

This turned out amazing! I think that it would be great if you used Chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth. I think I will also be using a red onion next time instead of the yellow one I had on hand. Its also important that you wash the quinoa because it has a bitter outer coating, and make sure there are no non-quinoa items or you might have a split pea soup chipped tooth. I am also considering other vegetables I can add to the dish perhaps some jalapeños or bell peppers.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Till my next non dairy kitchen adventure good bye