Grating for Godot

Ready for a bread that is not so much bread but more of a molding of cheese, almonds, and egg? Get your oven's ready... This loaf is savory and one slice with a little flax butter is just right out of this world.

1/2 cup almond meal (purchase raw almonds and place in the food processor until they are corse) 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese  1/4 cup flax seed meal 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. thyme, rosemary, oregano 1/4 tsp. salt 6 eggs 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese 3 green onions (or more for taste) 1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a loaf pan.  2.) Measure out all of the dry ingredients and set aside. Measure the eggs, cheese, and green onions in a separate bowl and beat. 

3.) Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.

5.) Fill up the loaf pan about 3/4ths of the way. Bake at 345 for around 30 minutes. Check in the center of the bread with a chopstick. If the stick comes out dry then you are all set. Enjoy in the sun with a cup of coffee. 

Imagine a sunny day and you want to eat something crispy but don't want to feel sluggish and weighed down by dense corn tortilla chips? I prepped these crisps in about 10 minutes and they sit in the oven for about 45 minutes. I love spreading avocado/whole mustard and a splash of lime and pinch of salt on top of these. 

1 cauliflower (pulsed in the food processor will yield around 3 cups)

3/4 cup almond flour (you can either find almond flour in the Bob's Red Mill section of the flour/baking aisle or you can buy 1 cup of raw almonds and pulse them in the food processor)

3 flax eggs (place three tablespoons of flax meal in the blender with 9 tablespoons of water -- place in the fridge for 10 minutes when you are preparing everything else)

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together with a spatula. Wash your hands (if you haven't already, yikes..) and mix all the ingredients until combined with your hands.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the cauliflower mixture out onto the sheet (make it as even as possible). Bake for 40 minutes or until CriSppppYY.

If you are looking for a creamy vegan soup that contains the perfect blend of spices then you found the right recipe. Peanut butter, well nut butter of any kind really, is a severe addiction of mine. I am trying to cut back on the almond butter, sunflower butter, and peanut butter that I spoon feed myself everyday 2-7 sometimes 8 times a day. I adapted the recipe from snap food.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch of fresh ginger chopped 1 Tbsp cumin 1 Tbsp coriander 1 Tbsp mild curry powder 1 Tsp red cayenne pepper  1 whole cinnamon stick 1 quart vegetable broth 2 medium carrots, diced 1 bunch Collard Greens (Swiss Chard or Kale are good subsitutes) 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 can coconut milk

  1.) Chop the collard greens, dice the onions, press the garlic, peel and dice the carrots and set aside

2.) Heat the sunflower oil in a large soup pot, add the onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and sauté for another 10 minutes.

3.) Add the vegetable broth, collard greens, and carrots. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

4.) After 30 minutes, pour in the can of coconut milk and 1 cup of peanut butter. Take an emulsion blender and mix all the ingredients together until there are no chunks of vegetable left. The collard greens will leave little green specks. I used my food processor for this step.

Serve warm. 

In the morning when I am throwing ingredients from my fridge into my blender, I usually make the best decisions. I am barely awake and just stuff green foods into the magic bullet. Oscar Wilde, I think, has a famous quote that says only dull people are interesting in the morning. Well, that is true but by midafternoon after slurping down this green concoction you will be the liveliest smoothie drinker in town!

Add some spice and refreshing coolness to your lentils or any salad with cucumbers and peppers. 

1.) Heat olive oil and add 1/2 stick cinnamon, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 pinch cardamom pods, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 pinch garam masala

2.) Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the smell is fragrant 3.) Add 1 cup lentils and 2 cups water and place a lid over the pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the stove to low.

Are you having a vegan over this year for Thanksgiving? If so, take an extra five minutes and make them this awesome raw treat. So easy and I like this better than a baked brownie which can sometimes get too dry if not done just right. All you need to do is grab some raw pecans, dates (remember to take out the pits!), and raw unsweetened cocoa powder.

2 and 1/4 cup raw pecans 2 and 1/4 cup dates (I use Mejool) (1:1 ration of dates to pecans, you can choose any measurement) Pinch of salt 1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened, you can find this in any baking aisle)

Pulse all of these ingredients together until a ball of dough forms. Start with the pecans, then the cocoa, and finish with the dates.

Take the ball out of the processor and press into a pie pan and throw that in the freezer (minimum of 1 hour).

The dough will take a  solid form -- grab the brownies out of the freezer and wait about 20 minutes for them to soften slightly. Cut into whatever shape you prefer before you are about to serve them up. It might be fun to use the Turkey shaped cookie cutter if you have on on hand!

Not these Popcorn balls! Want to impress your next date at the movies? Show up with these vegan honey popcorn balls wrapped up in a brown paper bag and then stuffed somewhere deep inside your pants, bag, or sweatshirt. This recipe is super easy, deliciously healthier than movie theatre popcorn, and kinda sticky (but that is A-OK).

What you will need:

A pot with a lid and a steady hand Popcorn kernels Sunflower Oil Salt Honey Brown sugar Cinnamon

  1.) This first step will depend on how much popcorn you want to make. 1 tablespoon of oil for every 1/4 cup of unpopped kernels. If you do not know how to pop your own corn, here is a link to some good instructions. http://pinkrecipebox.com/homemade-popcorn-how-to-pop-your-own-corn-kernels-in-the-microwave/ It is too dangerous for me to handle my phone and my popcorn... I am not a great at multitasking with hot oil. 

2.) Use the same pan that you popped the corn in (the salt leaves a residue) and heat up 1/4 cup honey, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (for every 3 cups of popped corn). Once it starts to bubble pour it over the popcorn and mix. Do this quickly you only have a few seconds to mix.

3.) Let the popcorn sit for about 2 minutes and then form into balls. The honey will keep the ball from breaking apart. Let this sit for awhile and then bring them wherever you want to go!

Sunday is my day of roasts. I go to the farmer’s market every Sunday in Capitol Hill --- a short walk from my apartment up to Broadway and Pine. In the summer, I stock up on peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers and make beautiful raw salads. However, in the fall I grab vegetables that are great for roasting and baking (mostly root vegetables). The greatest aspect of roasts is they are SIMPLE. All you need is oil, salt, and pepper. Last Sunday, I saw a weird tuberous looking root called a Jerusalem artichoke – I was intrigued but too intimidated to purchase them. I went home and magically, as if this blog was reading my market mind, posted how to clean, chop, and roast these artichokes (they are actually the root of Sunflowers). Thanks to post punk kitchen, I was able to venture into a new world of root roasting.

I also roasted Brussels sprouts (one of my favorite foods); I learned from the farmer that these little balls of bitterness are the hardest vegetable to harvest and the most time consuming. Last but not least, I baked some tofu in a simple three ingredient marinade. These three items will last me the next couple days of work lunch – easy way to prepare meals for the week.

Jerusalem Artichokes: 2 tablespoons Earth Balance (or butter) Salt & Pepper

Clean and chop . Spread out artichokes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until artichokes start to caramelize.

Brussel Sprouts:

2 tablespoons sesame oil Shake desired amount of seeds 3 gloves pressed garlic Desired amount of salt

Wash and take off the outer leaves of the sprouts. Cut off the bottom stem and cut the ball in half. Mix with Sesame oil, seeds, pressed garlic, and salt. Roast in the over for around 20 minutes at 350 (or until soft).

Tofu: 2 tablespoons Sriracha (up to you…) 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Cut the tofu into desired bite-sized pieces. I tend to eye-ball the amount of sriracha/soy/sesame I put on the tofu but the above ingredient list is a good guideline. You cannot really mess up baked tofu by putting more/less on. Bake in the oven at 350 for around 45 minutes

Warning: You will need both a fork and spoon to eat this soup. 

As the rain picks back up and the grayness settles inbetween the cracks of the sidewalk --  my body, runny nose, and watery eyes all scream in unison for soup. A soup that can provide all of the following: a pleasant amount of spice, a whole lot of substance, a little bit of umami. 

For the past week, I have been saving certain veggie tops, stems, and roots instead of throwing them in the compost. It is easy to make your own veggie stock for free and way less sodium. How to make a stock: Place all your vegetable scraps into a large pot and fill to the top with water. Add spices (for this stock I used salt and cayenne pepper). Turn the stovetop to low-medium and let the stock simmer for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 4 hours. (You can also make a stock by placing the scraps, spices, and water in a crocpot and letting it sit all day.) 

(I added some roasted seaweed to the soup stock for the umami flavor)

Once the stock is done, take the amount you will need for a bowl of soup and either save the rest in the fridge (up to 4 days) or freeze in sections. 

Thai Spinach and Tofu Noodle Soup ingredients (for up to 5 bowls):

1 small head of cauliflower 3 bunches of Thai Spinach (if not available use Bok Choy) 2 Carrots 1 package Soba Noodles 1 package Shirataki Tofu Noodles (usually found right next to the packaged tofu) 3 Tablespoons grated ginger

1.) Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles at a rapid boil for 6 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. *It is very, very important that the soba noodles cook at a rapid boil for the entire 6 minutes.* 

2.) Steam the cauliflower for about 2 minutes. Just until it becomes a little softer - be careful not to over-steam or it will have a mushy texture in the soup. 

3.) Chop the carrots into thick pieces and pull the Thai Spinach off of the stem, and grate the ginger.

  4.) Pour the soup stock into a pot and drop in the carrots and cauliflour. Heat to desired temperature. Drop in the spinach, soba, and tofu noodles and heat for an additional one minute. Serve! *Make sure to only have the spinach heated for > one minute -- you can even mix in the spinach once ready to serve. You do not want the spinach to wilt*

I found awesome ramekins this past weekend. While standing in the store debating whether to or not to spend $1.00, I started to dream of baked eggs, mini mac and cheeses, and individual sized apple pies. Oh, how I dreamed! And like I do with most of my dreams (food, life, whatever), I made it come to life. This baked egg recipe is so easy for a quick nighttime dinner with less than 6 ingredients. Go out and find yourself some ramekins and make these individual sized baked eggs packed with whatever your heart desires... the possibilities are EDIBLY ENDLESS.

  1.) Chop your leek (the entire white part) and discard/compost the green top. Chop spanish red pepper.

  2.) Crack eggs directly into the ramskin and add the leeks, red pepper, desired amount of grated cheese (don't go too crazy), salt, and pepper. (save a little bit of cheese to sprinkle on top during the last 5 minutes of baking)

3.) Mix it all together and bake at 350 degrees for around 25 minutes (depends on size of ramekin). You will know the eggs are done if you stick a knife in the ramekin and it comes out clean.

Be careful taking this out of the oven. Remember the top is hot. Mix up some greens and you are all set.

Foggy ferry rides, misty dew mornings, highway peddling, vast stretches of farmland, and morning ginger chews. This weekend myself and three other adventure seeking friends packed 4 bicycles onto the back of a little sedan and drove northwest towards Port Townsend – camping for the night at a neat little spot on Wibey Island. While falling asleep on a rigidly flat surface, we listened to the sound of a fog horn off in the distance that made a soothing call consistently throughout the night. After what seemed like a small nap, all of us woke up to the 5am alarm clock on Saturday morning, packed up our tents, parked the car at the next ferry terminal, loaded our bikes with camping essentials and cycled onto the boat heading west towards Port Townsend.

While biking ten miles from the Port Townsend ferry terminal to the campsite, climbing steep hills and coasting down smooth declines, my excitement for the day seemed to course down through my inner thighs and exit my heels at each push of the pedal. As we approached our second campsite, the weight of the camping gear pulled us closer to the pavement. I swung my leg over my bike and as it dropped to the ground I shook off my pack and cherished that brief moment of lightness and was thankful for the dull aching relief in my shoulders.

Local guidance pointed us in the direction of a cozy restaurant called the Farm Stead. Our breakfast burritos and fried egg sandwiches, the eggs harvested from the chicken coop behind the restaurant, charged us with a food fueled liveliness that lasted throughout the day.We sipped our last drops of espresso and green tea, jumped back on the saddle of our rides and coasted down highway 19 towards a fiber farm. Ananda Hills Farm is home to a barnyard cat, rams, sheep, chickens, and a lazy white puff dog. The most incredible aspect of visiting this farm was witnessing all of the animals cohabitating a small plot of land. Chickens hopping in the sheep pen, the cat ruling the barn and glaring down the noisy hens, and the lazy dog soaking up the afternoon sun while hyper roosters pecked around him. We got to see big bowls of wool, handmade knitting projects, and talk with an herbalist about easing pain.

Back on highway 19, we shot off towards a cider farm. The map guided us onto a street called “Egg and I.” Although the name seems to predict a cute and simple road, it turned out to be one of the more arduous experiences of the trip. Extremely steep hills with very little relief and almost no shoulder on the side of the road, unfriendly for biking but very satisfying to slope down that final decline and return to flat road. Walking up the gravel dust path to Finn River Cider, we saw an adorable bed and breakfast, an interesting house with unique circular windows, and of course a large brewery that specializes in ciders. The four of us sat down for a tasting and enjoyed various types of hard cider including: pear, ginger, apple wine, blueberry brandy, hops cider (tasted similar to an IPA), and finally jalapeno cider. The woman leading the tasting referred to our group as expressing the same “sass” as the jalapeno cider. Once the tasting was over, we clapped which surprised the group of tasters and we all learned that clapping is not “refined” or “expected.”

4:00pm circled around and we hopped back on our bikes and rode to the pig roast/vegetable roast hosted on the land beside the local farm stand in Chicamum, WA. The winding day of riding came to an end with a huge plate of roasted rosemary potatoes, yams, beets, and zucchini with a side of homebrewed brown honey ale that when all combined calmed the churning of our eager stomachs.The farm roast gave us a glimpse into the lives of the people who live in the small community-centered town of Chicamum. Little barefoot kids ran around in hand knitted wool sweaters and the local Bluegrass band played throughout the night. The greatest part was even though we were only in the town for 24 hours we recognized people from our journey and they recognized us. As the roast came to a close, I sat with my new found friend Margot under a canopy of bright stars and drank what we called our last summer ale of the season.

Sunday morning we awoke to the lingering moistness of dew on our sleeping bags and the uncomfortable clumps of greasy matted hair that appears after two days of adventuring. My first move was to chew on some incredible ginger candies and start taking down the tent. We headed towards our breakfast spot and ordered cream scrambled egg burritos and headed on our way to explore Port Townsend. A town that is filled with Victorian architecture, tiny coffee shops, unique bookstores, and a cool little old theatre. The town borders the water and a thin layer of fog hangs out right above the buildings. Youth walk down the street screaming songs of rebellion and older couples wander hand in hand talking about boats, books, and rain. This is truly a town where you come to escape for a cloud filled weekend of writing, coffee drinking, and antique shopping. I can’t wait to come back! 

I want to reinforce my firm belief that anyone can eat locally sourced sustainable foods at a reasonable price. The hurdle for most people is understanding that cooking vegetables does not have to be hard or uncomfortable. Also, once you get a hang of incorporating vegetables into your daily meals you will learn that they do indeed taste great and are a crucial part of your everyday health and taste bud tingling. 

I made this Bok Choy fry that can serve up to four people for under 5 dollars. The ingredients are few, simple, and the instructions are easy breezy. 

    Before I jump into the nitty bits & gritty pieces of the recipe I want to share some really great ideas that will save you money and time at the grocery store. Did you know that when you buy green onions, you only EVER have to buy them once! Instead of throwing away the white stems of the green onions - grab a mug or a cup, put the stems inside and fill the bottom up with water. Place the stems on a sunny spot of your windowsill. If you live in Seattle, where the sun doesn't always shine they will grow slightly slower, but on days when the sun is shining you will have long yummy onions in under 24 hours. Give it a try, it works great and it is always a super satisfying feeling to know that you are getting flavor in your meal from something you helped create. Once you have some green, trim the tops whenever you want some onion in your meal. The stems will always re-grow more.

  Another quick and easy tip for you to remember when recreating this recipe is to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, the bok choy stems. Bok Choy stems make for an amazing broth! All I can think about at this moment is the Arrested Development episode when Carl Weather's keeps referencing making a stew... but he is right! All you need are a couple of veggie stems and baby, you got yourself a broth goin'! Next week, I will make a soup with the bok choy stew/broth. It will be killer, maybe some lemongrass.

What you will need for the Bok Choy Fry: Bok Choy Chickpeas Sesame Oil Coconut Butter Sesame Seeds  Lemon Cucumber Green Onions Packaged Seaweed 

1.) Chop the Bok Choy (remember, save those stems in an airtight container!)

2.) Heat up the Sesame oil and coconut butter together in a frying pan - throw around 2 tablespoons of seeds into the oil once it is heated. Toast the seeds until they are slightly brown.

3.) Once the seeds are brown, place the bok choy in the pan and stir. Let the bok choy cook for around 5-6 minutes or until it softens. Typically, I would have added about 2 tablespoons of ginger at this step but I did not have any on hand.

4.) Chop your lemon cucumber and green onion. I discovered lemon cucumbers this week! Such a cool and interesting find. These cool & refreshing snacks are shaped like a lemon and taste like a cucumber with a hint of lemon. I eat them like apples! 

5.) Once everything is chopped and the bok choy is done frying, mix in the chickpeas and crumble in some seaweed. If you go to your local asian market you should be able to purchase some dried seaweed.  I enjoy this salad cold and I usually let it sit overnight for optimal flavor. 

Slowly gearing up for week 2 of vegan mofo. Re-stocked at the farmer's market and day dreamed about how to turn these greens and brights into something your stomach can snap about. 

  Lettuce onto your plate, we are cool & crisp!

Tomatoes from all walks of life. 

Sorry - no fritos. I promise this still retains that wholesome & delicious taco taste. Corn is the belle of the ball in this dish, so I still consider this dinner All-American.  

I used leftover crust from my blooming flora pie to make this tonight. I changed the crust up just a bit. I added 1/3 cup pinto beans and an extra 1/3 cup of corn meal and pulsed it all together. I baked it for 45 minutes at 350 without any ingredients on top.  Once the crust is in the oven start getting everything else together. What you will need: 3 chopped heirloom tomatoes 1 cup pinto beans (soak the pinto beans or black beans in water overnight — cook in a large amount of water until bean is soft.) 2 corn cobs (shucked) 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 avocado (optional — but if you don’t like avocado then I would recommend a MRI) 3 green onions  Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup chopped red onion Salt & Pepper —> I know this looking like a long list of ingredients but it is actually VERY cheap; especially for someone who does not cook often. The only spice you need is cumin and the rest of the ingredients are around 8 dollars and this makes a TON of pie. 1.) Shuck the corn and cut it off the cob.

2.) Place the corn on a roasting pan with two cloves of chopped garlic, 2 Tbs cumin, and 2 Tbs olive oil. Place in the oven with the crust and let roast until corn turns bright yellow.

3.) While the corn is roasting, mix together chopped heirloom tomatoes, chopped parsley, chopped green onion, chopped red onion, juice of one lemon, salt, and pepper. Once the corn is done roasting, take out of the oven — let it cool a bit and then mix in with salsa.

4.) In the food processor, pulse together the cooked beans until they form a paste. Season with a little cumin, salt and pepper.

5.) When the crust is ready (it should look a bit cracked and unbendable) take it out of the oven and spread about a 1 inch layer of beans on top of the crust; next, a layer of salsa; finally, chopped avocado. Easy breezy.  Serve! Oh, and don’t forget the layer of Sriracha… 

Pizza is a term that gets thrown around without much repurcussion. Pizza’s core responsibility is to be cheesy, white, and doughy. Sure, sometimes there is spinach or a mushroom on top but the grease and shiny grime of the cheese covers up all that green. Pizza and vegan should not be confined within the same phrase, so get real don’t say “vegan pizza.” Just because something is circular and contains a type of crust does not mean it is pizza (and let me clear, that is OK!)! Let’s just call this almost as appealing alternative: Blooming Flora Pie, a name that is not misleading but still retains a sense of non-dairy phonetic deliciousness!

  What you will need for the crust: 1 cup raw almonds (processed into meal — you can also buy almond flour but buying your own almonds from the bulk section and then throwing them in a food processor is the cheaper option.) 1 cup oats (gluten-free if you prefer)

1 flax egg (grind 1 tbs of flax seed in a handheld blender, mix with 3 tbs of water, mix well, let sit in the fridge for up to an hour — this will make the flax egg gooey and this consistency will allow the crust to stick together *do this first*)

3 tbs cornmeal 

5 tablespoons of olive oil (or non-dairy butter) Process: 1.) Create your flax egg and let it sit in the fridge for an hour 

2.) Put raw almonds in the food processor and pulse until they resemble a flour. Next, add the oatmeal and pulse together.

3.) Add cornmeal, olive oil, 1 tps salt (optional) and process. 4.) Slowly pour in the flax egg as the above mixture is processing. You want to pour the flax in while the blade is pulsing. If the mixture sticks together then you are all set. If not, add 1 tablespoon of water (or more) until the dough can be handled.

5.) Brush the bottom of your pie pan with olive oil and sprinkle a little flour down; pat the dough into the pan until it forms a thin even layer.

  Once the crust if finished, clean out the processor and gather together the following items for the homemade pesto: 1 cup chopped basil 1 cup chopped parsley 1 cup chopped kale 1 lemon 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds 1/3 cup olive oil (or more to taste/desired consistency) 1 big clove of garlic (or 3 small cloves) —> as a side note I got this crazy elephant garlic at the farmer’s market. Look at the picture below - I placed it next to an apple for scale.

How to make the Pesto: (turn the oven to 350 at this point) 1.) Place the raw pumpkin seeds and garlic in the processor and pulse and squeeze the juice of one lemon.

 2.) Scrape down the sides of the mixer and pulse again. Drop in the basil, kale, and parsley. Get your 1/3 cup of olive oil poised and ready and as you are pulsing the 1 cup of basil, kale, and parsley pour the olive oil in very, very slowly. 

Now, you are ready to assemble the pie: 1.) Spread the pesto out in a thin layer  over the crust. Add toppings. For mine, I put on heirloom tomatoes and a couple pieces of spinach. 

2.) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for around 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Serve with kale or any type of green I massaged the kale with whole grain mustard and olive oil.