The Valley Vegan

But, if you're a vegan blog, message me or the like because I'm always up for more vegans to talk to (and share recipes with!) and follow on here.  

4-5 large ice cubes+ a handful of your favorite fruit (I like to do a berry mix!)+ sweetener (I use mostly agave, then a little sugar at the end)= hella good smoothie

Today, I made a smoothie with ice cubes, a BUNCH of blueberries (most of the small container I had), ~5 strawberries with the tops cut off, a drizzling of agave nectar (I put a significant amount) and ~1/2 teaspoon of sugar at the end.  

Sorry I don't have a picture, but enjoy! :)

So, I'm instead going to have Summer Resolutions:

1. Go to farmer's markets weekly

2. Start exercising

3. Replace all my not cruelty-free cosmetics to cruelty-free and vegan

4. Learn more about fair trade and buy more fair trade products

5. Read, read, read :)

6. Buy fresh flowers often, and get succulents for my room.

My Quick (Emphasis on the Quick) Vegan Dinner

Ingredients:

Italian Sausage Tofurky

Fresh Tomatoes (amount s up to you and your preferences)

Black Beans from a can (I used Cuban Black Beans from Trader Joe's)

Polenta (I used Polenta from Trader Joe's, as it is pre-cooked; Making polenta from scratch takes a long time, I've heard)

Vegetable Broth 

Epazote a.k.a. best spice ever

Salt

Any other spices you like

1. Heat up an iron skillet on medium heat, with a tablespoon or two of olive oil

2. While this is heating up, cut off a slice of polenta and heat it in the microwave for 50 seconds.  When it is done, pour ~ 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (this is only an approximation), and mix with a fork until in somewhat resembles mashed potatoes (the instructions on the package of polenta literally said the "mashed potatoes" part.....)

3. Chop up 1 Tofurky sausage, and however many tomatoes you would like to use.

4. Drain the black beans of excess liquid.  Once again, amount of black beans is to your liking/preference.

5. Put Tofurky, tomatoes, black beans, and polenta in the iron skillet.

6. Then add epazote, as much as your prefer.  Me, personally, I prefer lots of epazote!

7. Add a dash of salt, maybe a little pepper.  Though I didn't use any more spices, some other ones that could taste good with this dish are: pepitas, cloves, Cajun salt, basil, paprika, etc.

8. Cook until all food is heated thoroughly.  This step may require a taste test.  It should take around 5-7 minutes too cook.

9. Put in a pretty bowl, and enjoy.  On the side, I had some corn tortillas from Trader Joe's. :)

I get bored with microwaveable dishes--really bored.  I felt like I was heading to my grave, making Trader Joe's Panang Curry for my dinner, despite its tastiness.

Photo from urbanafare.files.wordpress.com

So, just to keep things exciting, after I made it I put the veggies and sauce in a pan on the stove with some black beans from a can.  And then, atop a rice/quinoa mixture they went. And it was hella good!

Curry with Black Beans, Brown Rice and Quinoa

Cooking time: ~10 minutes

1. Cook Trader Joe's Vegetable Panang Curry with Jasmine Rice for 3 minutes 40 seconds.  (I wouldn't recommend the 4-5 minutes TJ's recommends--your food will most likely be overcooked.)

2. Take plastic wrapping off of Vegetable Panang Curry and let it sit for a few minutes, in which time you can put the jasmine rice in the fridge for another time.

3. Heat an iron skillet on the stove at medium heat with ~ 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Once the skillet is heated, put vegetable curry and black beans from a can (I used TJ's Cuban Black Beans) in the skillet and turn up the heat to high.  

5. Whip out Fresh n' Easy's Brown Rice with Quinoa and follow the instructions on the back, and zap in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.  

6. When curry in skillet is boiling, cover it with a lid.  (Do not turn down heat!  Also, once it is covered, check it ocassionally.)

7. Put microwaved Brown Rice w/ Quinoa in a bowl.

8. Taste test curry/bean mixture to see if it's hot enough for your liking.

9. Put curry/bean mixture atop brown rice w/ quinoa.

10. I know it's corny, but enjoy!

And that, my followers, is how to make a quick, Asian/Latin American vegan meal.