Veggie Punk Kitchen

Vegetarian cooking to a punk soundtrack.

Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake

October 21, 2016 by VPKDana

Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake is a flavorful and simple dish to prepare! Fluffy English muffin pieces topped with spicy soyrizo, potatoes, eggs, veggies, and cheese make a very filling breakfast.

Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake is a flavorful and simple dish to prepare! Fluffy English muffin pieces topped with spicy soyrizo, potatoes, eggs, veggies, and cheese make a very filling breakfast.Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake has become my new favorite dish for laid back brunches. It is so easy, and so delicious…especially with a few spoonfuls of salsa or some avocado slices to pile on top. You can prepare it the night before serving, too, to let you join in on the get together. Prepare ingredients as instructed. Cover baking dish and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Who doesn’t like a hot breakfast casserole on a leisurely weekend? But, not just any casserole! I’m talking a layer of fluffy, crisp Thomas Original English Muffins, spicy Trader Joe’s soyrizo, potatoes, bell peppers, onions and melty cheddar.

There are so many ways to serve this. Roll it up into a burrito or make a quesadilla and dollop some sour cream or salsa fresca on top.

If you have leftovers, you can freeze some burritos for a breakfast on the go. Some tips for freezing:

  1. Use fresh, room temperature burrito-size tortillas. Cold tortillas tend to crack when rolled. Since you want the burrito to hold the filling in a tight package, soft tortillas are a must.
  2. Choose any fillings you love as long as they aren’t too wet. Again, you want a tight, compact package, so drippy, wet fillings aren’t going to go over well.
  3. Assemble burritos with room temperature ingredients. It’s important to me not to let the burritos get soggy. If they are soggy before they even enter the freezer, they aren’t going to improve in the deep freeze. By using room temperature ingredients, I can avoid any steamy, soggy messes. Plus, they chill and freeze quicker, reducing the risk of freezer burn.
  4. Wrap them well. I usually make dozens of burritos at a time. As soon as they are rolled, I stack them in zip-top freezer bags. It’s rare that I’ve had them stick together. An alternative means of wrapping is to wrap each one individually in foil or plastic wrap and then store the whole lot in a freezer bag. This method is particularly helpful if you’re going to pack a few burritos for work or school.

Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake is a flavorful and simple dish to prepare! Fluffy English muffin pieces topped with spicy soyrizo, potatoes, eggs, veggies, and cheese make a very filling breakfast.I used a Potato Express to speed up the process. It’s like having a magic bag. 4 minutes in the microwave and out comes a perfectly cooked spud. I see a lot of late night ads. Knives that cut through tin cans AND tomatoes. Miraculous food choppers, ginormous cupcake molds, and various other seemingly useless objects. I saw the Potato Express at my local CVS, and I thought I’d throw caution to the wind and give this a shot. I’m SO happy I gave into the temptation for a cooking shortcut.

Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake is a flavorful and simple dish to prepare! Fluffy English muffin pieces topped with spicy soyrizo, potatoes, eggs, veggies, and cheese make a very filling breakfast.

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Soyrizo Potato Breakfast Bake
Author: VPKDana
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  35 mins
Total time:  45 mins
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • 8 oz. pkg. soyrizo
  • 4 Thomas’ Original English Muffins, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 medium to large russet potatoes - cooked then cut into rounds
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 large eggs or 7 medium eggs
  • 1 cup fat-free milk
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • ¼ Tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ¼ Tsp. cumin
  • ¼ Tsp. paprika
  • ¼ Tsp. sage
  • Dash of oregano
Instructions
  1. Cook potatoes and set aside to chop up when cooled
  2. Add olive oil to a medium skillet set to a medium-high heat
  3. Once hot, add garlic, bell pepper, and onion.
  4. Stir for 4 - 5 minutes or until veggies are softened.
  5. In another small pan cook soyrizo, crumbling with a wooden spoon as it heats.
  6. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add veggies to soyriizo, blend in spices except salt & pepper.
  8. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
  9. Place English muffin cubes in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
  10. Drizzle with melted butter.
  11. Add layer of soyrizo mixture
  12. Add layer of potato slices (I added some extra salt & pepper onto potatoes)
  13. In a large bowl, whisk shredded cheddar, eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
  14. Pour over top of casserole.
  15. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes
  16. Insert knife in the center and check that it comes out clean. Done
  17. Sprinkle with fresh green onions if desired.
  18. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving
3.5.3208

Cooking tunes: The Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks, The Ramones – We’re Outta Here, Misfits – Famous Monsters, Bad Religion – Recipe for Hate.

Writing tunes: New Order – Substance, The Specials – The Singles Collection, KROQ’s Flashbacks: Greatest Hits, The Replacements – Don’t Tell A Soul.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Breakfast/Brunch, Brunch, Vegetarian cooking Tagged With: baked, bell peppers, brunch, easy, garlic, omnomnom, onions, Potato, simple, soyrizo, spicy, vegetarian

Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds

October 10, 2016 by VPKDana

Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are a damn near perfect combination of crispy and creamy. When they cool down a bit, the texture is still a mouth-watering mix of caramelized flavor and cheesy goodness.

Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are a damn near perfect combination of crispy and creamy. When they cool down a bit, the texture is still a mouth-watering mix of caramelized flavor and cheesy goodness. Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are a great dish to bring to a potluck. Show up all the fools that bring that boring store-bought potato salad.  This comfort food is sure to be a winner. The crumbly, nutty, sharp cheese and the veggie bacon add a smoky flavor to these potatoes.

So delicious. And if you happen to have leftovers, they make the most amazing hash – just chop them up and sauté them the next morning with a few onions and scramble in some eggs, for a hearty, tasty breakfast.

Other than planning for the roasting time (just under an hour), these couldn’t be easier and make the most fabulous side dish for just about anything.
Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are a damn near perfect combination of crispy and creamy. When they cool down a bit, the texture is still a mouth-watering mix of caramelized flavor and cheesy goodness.There are around 670 types of cheese in the world. They may share similar origins and even geographical backgrounds, but each have their own distinct make, taste, flavor, texture, and aroma
I went with a crumbling cheese with a spicy edge om it. You can grate whatever cheese you like best though.

Manchego is Spain’s most famous cheese. Produced in La Mancha in Central Spain, true Manchego is made from 100% sheep’s milk. Cheeses from Spain are commonly made from sheep’s milk because most of the territory is rocky and dry– unfriendly to cows but suitable for raising goats and sheep. The abundance of wild herbs on Central Spain’s grazing lands gives Manchego a special taste and aroma. Its flavor is zesty and exuberant, while its texture is firm, but not dry.

Manchego cheese substitutes:

  • Asiago – It has a milky, mild, sharp, full flavor with a pungent aroma. This makes it a versatile cheese to be used for melting, slicing, grating, and is often used in enriching the tastes of soups, pastas, sauces, sandwiches, salads, etc.
  • Pecorino Romano – It has a sweet and aromatic taste with a rubbery soft texture. As the cheese ages, it gets crumbly, flaky, grainy, and dense, while adopting a salty, spicy, smoky, and sharp flavor, and a nutty and strong aroma. It might not be palatable for everyone because of its extremely salty taste. But it does go really well when paired with a good, bold Italian wine or in small quantities as a garnishing over pasta, breads, and casseroles.
  • Zamorano – Zamorano is a popular Spanish cheese that is made from sheep’s milk, and not just any sheep, but the milk of Castilian and Churra sheep. The cheese originated in the Castile-Leon, Zamorano in Spain. This cheese has a pale yellow color and a crumbly, hard texture. If it is health you seek, you should know that the Zamorano cheese has 45% fat in it!
    Zamorano has a nutty and buttery taste and is often paired to compliment Zinfandel wines.

Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are happy to host any cheese. I baked the cheese a little longer, so I had little crispy bits throughout.  Softer cheese that melts fast is ok too.

Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds are a damn near perfect combination of crispy and creamy. When they cool down a bit, the texture is still a mouth-watering mix of caramelized flavor and cheesy goodness.

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Blackened Manchego Potato Rounds
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: Side
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Prep time:  20 mins
Cook time:  40 mins
Total time:  1 hour
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes
  • 2 cups shredded Manchego cheese
  • 4 strips Sweet Earth Hickory & Sage Smoked Seitan Bacon
  • 6 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • ½ Tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tsp. salt
  • ½ Tsp. pepper
  • 1¼ cups vegetable broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Instructions
  1. Place oven rack in upper-middle position of oven and heat oven to 475 degrees.
  2. Combine melted butter, broth, garlic, thyme, in a medium bowl.
  3. Square off ends of potatoes and cut into 1-inch thick disks.
  4. Dip potato slices in broth mixture.
  5. Use a layer of foil and some cooking spray so the potatoes don't stick.
  6. Arrange in a single layer in 2 metal baking pans.
  7. Add salt pepper, & red pepper flakes.
  8. Roast for 15 minutes.
  9. Remove pans from oven and use a spatula to flip potatoes over.
  10. Drizzle on more of the broth
  11. Place back in oven for 15 minutes.
  12. Cook veggie bacon and set aside on paper towel to drain.
  13. When bacon cools enough to touch, crumble it up and set aside.
  14. Remove pan from oven and flip potatoes one more time.
  15. Add cheese & bacon.
  16. Place back in oven until potatoes are tender & cheese melted, 5 to 10 minutes.
  17. Use scissors to cut up some scallions over the top and serve.
3.5.3208

Cooking tunes: Best Of Soundtracks Tarantino & Rodriguez

Writing tunes: Best of Soundtrack vol.2 (Rodriguez, Tarantino, Lynch)

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Filed Under: Appetizer, Brunch, Vegetarian cooking Tagged With: brunch, dinner, easy, foodcoma, foodporn, Manchego cheese, omnomnom, Potato, seitan, thyme, vegetarian

Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado

September 17, 2016 by VPKDana

Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado is a quick and easy recipe for busy weeknights. It tastes great as a cold leftover too.

Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado is a quick and easy recipe for busy weeknights. It tastes great as a cold leftover too.Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado was just what I needed as the weather starts to cool down. it has been too hot for ages. I swear every summer seems hotter and hotter. I may have to start vacationing somewhere like Alaska or someplace that promises never to hit triple digits. I still love California weather overall though.

Traditionally the finished noodles are topped with a variety of garnishes, like seaweed that has been crushed into a powder, pickled ginger, katsuobushi (fish flakes), and mayonnaise. I avoid regular mayo when possible. I did find some So Good miso mayo that is pretty tasty. You could try some of these garnishes, or keep it simple with a sprinkling of thinly sliced scallions. I used avocados on the side since I wanted a sort of meaty flavor in the absence of chicken I normally see in this dish.

I used Hakubaku Organic Soba, Authentic Japanese Buckwheat Noodles. You can use any brand that’s available though. Just follow package directions.

Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado is a quick and easy recipe for busy weeknights. It tastes great as a cold leftover too.One of my favorite noodle dishes is yakisoba, Japanese stir-fried noodles. Soba means thin, spaghetti-like noodles made from buckwheat flour, which are stir-fried along with vegetables and tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. Hot or cold, these are a bowl of yum.

Chilled soba is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of a strong mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce and mirin. Using chopsticks, the diner picks up a small amount of soba from the tray and dips it in the cold tsuyu before eating it. Many people think that the best way to experience the unique texture of hand-made soba noodles is to eat them cold, since letting them soak in hot broth changes their consistency.

Hot soba dishes:

  • Kake soba: Hot soba in broth topped with thinly sliced scallion.
  • Haikara soba: Topped with tenkasu (bits of deep-fried tempura batter).
  • Tsukimi soba: (moon-viewing soba): Topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup.
  • Wakame soba: Topped with wakame seaweed
  • Nameko soba: Topped with nameko mushroom

Cold soba dishes:

  • Mori soba: Basic chilled soba noodles served on a flat basket or a plate.
  • Zaru soba: Mori soba topped with shredded nori seaweed.
  • Hadaka soba (naked soba): Cold soba served on its own.
  • Hiyashi soba Cold soba served with various toppings sprinkled on top.

I decided to whip up a version that includes carrots, red onion, savoy cabbage, garlic, and ginger, but instead of adding chicken or pork, I topped the noodles with fresh avocado & green onions.

Veggie Yakisoba with Avocado is a quick and easy recipe for busy weeknights. It tastes great as a cold leftover too.

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Veggie Yakisoba
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: dinner
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  20 mins
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 8 oz.packages fresh yakisoba noodles
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup mirin
  • 3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil, plus additional oil as needed
  • ½ medium carrot (about 2 ounces), peeled and cut into small strips
  • ½ red onion, vertically sliced
  • ¼ savoy cabbage (about 10 ounces), cored and shredded
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 ripe, avocados, seeded, peeled, cut into thin slices, then halved
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. Heat and separate the noodles according to the package directions. Set aside.
  2. Combine ketchup, mirin, soy sauce, & sesame oil in a small bowl, set aside.
  3. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large sauté pan or work over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the carrots and onions and stir-fry from 1 minute
  5. Add the cabbage and continue to stir-fry until the veggies have softened.
  6. While cooking, drizzle in additional grapeseed oil as needed.
  7. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  8. Add the noodles to the pan and toss to combine
  9. Add the ketchup mixture and stir constantly until everything is well coated,
  10. Stir until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  11. Remove from the heat, top with avocado slices and scallions, serve
3.5.3208

Cooking tunes:

V/A – Dope, Guns and F*^*ing in the Streets, Vols. 4-7

Rollins Band – A Nicer Shade of Red

DEATH – spiritual, mental, physical

Writing tunes:

The Misfits – Collection 1 and 2 – Box set

Swans – The Glowing Man

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

 

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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: avocado, carrots, dinner, easy, fresh, garlic, onions, scallion, vegetarian

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine

August 5, 2016 by VPKDana

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a splash of raspberry vinaigrette with some toasted macadamia nuts on top make this dish sinfully delightful.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is a great dish to serve at a romantic dinner for two. Go full out and cook it together naked! Lol, just watch out for the boiling water. Pop open the champagne and cut up some strawberries to go on the side. Whipped cream can also be utilised. (wink wink nudge nudge say no more).

I used Pappardelles Dark Chocolate Linguine & Alessi Vinegar Balsamic Raspberry. Trader Joe’s has the Alessi in a 3 pack that includes a chocolate and a ginger. Either one of those could be used for this recipe.

If you are put off by vinegar, I suggest giving the Alessi another try. This rich aged balsamic vinegar is bursting with the natural flavor of fresh, ripe raspberries. A perfect mixture of sweet and tart. Quite frankly, this vinegar is so good I want to drink it right out of the bottle! The aroma alone is enough to make me want to guzzle it down. I use it on all kinds of salads, for marinades, & for adding to roasted root vegetables.

I’ve seen recipes that use skim milk, but for the love of all that is holy, use a whole unhomogenized milk.  Milk may do a body good, but homogenized tastes icky (to me at least). When you buy homogenized milk, you’re buying a whole food that isn’t whole — it’s had it’s fat removed, evened out, and injected back into it in an amount less than what appears in nature. For the most part I use unsweetened coconut soy milk. I’ve tried almond and cashew milk which I find a bit odd.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is pretty fast and simple to put together. There is plenty of room to get creative with it. I paint when I can and the creative force that drives art can be applied to culinary endeavors.

In the realm of philosophy there is much debate as to the importance of food as an art form. Questions arise in defining art, the nature of an artwork and whether or not food can be considered art. The answers to these questions are complex and relate to human emotion. Food is an important part of everyday life and the emotional role that it plays in informing our reactions to what we eat makes it essential to consider food art just as we would art that is evaluated with any of the other senses.

There are two necessary components to art. The first is human emotion; it is in fact the basis of why art exists. Food ties closely into art because of the close cultural connections that we make with what we eat. The feelings of nostalgia, security, closeness, and comfort brought about by a meal are sufficient to make food art so long as it meets the second criterion which is intent. There must be some attention to detail in the preparation. This ties into the definition of art, if the preparation is not an expression by the preparer but is simply incidental the basic criteria for art is not met. So can food be considered art? If it meets these criteria, yes.

 

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Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: pasta
Cuisine: dessert
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  20 mins
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 8 Oz. chocolate linguine
  • 1½ cups light coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ Tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon agave nectar
  • ½ cup macadamia nuts - chopped
  • Drizzle generously raspberry balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, bring water to boil, add pasta, cook 10 - 12 minutes or until done
  2. Combine ½ cup of coconut milk & arrowroot powder in saucepan
  3. Stir until smooth
  4. Add cocoa, nectar, sugar, cinnamon, and .remaining milk
  5. Cook one minute or until sauce has thickened
  6. In a dry pan toast macadamia nuts - about 3 minutes - turn often
  7. Add butter to pasta then stir in the sauce
  8. Top with nuts and vinaigrette
3.5.3208

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Cooking tunes – Redd Cross : Born Innocent.  CH3: Fear of Life.  Rodney on the ROQ: Volume 1. Rodney on the ROQ: Volume 2.

 Writing tunes – Melvins : Ozma. Melt-Banana: Fetch

 

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Filed Under: Dessert, Dinner Tagged With: chocolate, cinnamon agave, cocoa, dessert, easy, foodporn, omnomnom, pasta, quick, raspberry vinaigrette, vegetarian

Summer Salad

June 30, 2016 by VPKDana

Summer salad is great for hot days. Crisp greens & cold fruit combine for a refreshing lunch or dinner side.

Summer salad is great for hot days. Crisp greens & cold fruit combine for a refreshing lunch or dinner side.Summer salad is super simple to put together and serve. Outdoor bbq friendly and easily modified to your taste. Choose in season fruits and veggies to keep it tasting fresh.

I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long. Getting my kitchen re-organized. Also, the temperature is too high here to be anywhere near a hot stove. The room where I write also feels a bit like a sauna right now too. Ugh. I have had to escape to the coolness of movie theaters and freezer sections of grocery stores to look for Otter Pops.

I’m also setting some time aside to think about the direction I want to go in. When I began exploring the ideas of sustainability, urban gardening, and permaculture my thought was to find a way to share affordable & nutritious food to food desert areas. I also want to find a way to get food to our homeless population.

There is still such a stigma attached to being without shelter. I watch the homeless being ignored or ridiculed pretty much daily and it is so disheartening. We should be helping the ones with less when we have enough, or too much.

Food desert:

Food deserts are defined  as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.

This has become a big problem because while food deserts are often short on whole food providers, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, instead, they are heavy on local quickie marts that provide a wealth of processed, sugar, and fat laden foods that are known contributors to our nation’s obesity epidemic.

If someone handed me a million dollars right now I would convert a bus into a rolling farmers’ market and travel to all these areas. Providing locally grown produce and fruit as well as nutritional information & tips on small space gardening to help people on a budget grow their own food.

SummerSalad(2Summer Salad can consist of any fruit or vegetable in season:

  • Beets
  • Bell peppers
  • Blackberries
  • Cantaloupe melon
  • Chayote squash
  • Grapefruit
  • Green beans
  • Limes
  • Peaches
  • Shallots
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelon

Imagine growing some of these for yourself? The difference in taste from store-bought is miles apart. Let’s say you have an overabundance of these healthy foods. Beyond friends and neighbors, there is a whole community around you which has a number of folks in serious need of healthy, nutritious food.

If you have no way to grow in your own space you may have community urban gardens that you can join. Seattle is working on a food forest, which I think is an amazing idea. Community coming together to create a viable permaculture.

” The Food Forest is set to include an Edible Arboretum with fruits gathered from regions around the world, a Berry Patch for canning, gleaning and picking, a Nut Grove with trees providing shade and sustenance, a Community Garden using the p-patch model for families to grow their own food, a Gathering Plaza for celebration and education, a Kid’s Area for education and play.”

The idea of this project excites me. I would like to organize something similar someday. Anyone out there have some acres to spare? Lol.

Save Print
Summer Salad
Author: VPKDana
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Prep time:  10 mins
Total time:  10 mins
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 half head butter lettuce - chopped
  • 2 cups kale - rib removed & chopped
  • ½ cup edamame - fresh - rinsed
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup jicama - chopped small
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • Dressing -
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine all salad ingredients
  2. For dressing -
  3. Whisk together grapefruit juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
  4. Gradually whisk in olive oil until well blended.
  5. Serve over salad.
3.5.3208

Summer salad is great for hot days. Crisp greens & cold fruit combine for a refreshing lunch or dinner side.

Cooking music: The Stooges – The Weirdness. Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers – Into the Void. Zero Boys – Vicious Circle.

Writing music: David Bowie – The Man Who Sold the World. The Replacements – Pleased to Meet Me.

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Filed Under: Brunch, Dinner Tagged With: dried cranberries, easy, edamame, fresh, garden, grapefruit, jicama, omnomnom, plant-based diet

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins

June 15, 2016 by VPKDana

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are one of my few incursions into baking territory so far. I was a little intimidated by all the fabulous dessert oriented blogs out there. I went a little overboard with the toppings on this. Toasted coconut, chopped pistachios, berries, and chocolate mint leaves from my garden.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Earth Balance has some great products that I use frequently:

Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Sticks – I used these for this recipe.

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Mac and Cheese – This really satisfies my mac n cheese cravings.

Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter (crunchy) – Just yum!

  • I’m not getting anything from Earth Balance this, I just dig their products.

K.I.S.S. stands for keep it simple stupid. I need to heed that acronym in the kitchen. I probably could have scaled back on the party on muffin top. Maybe blending the coconut, berries, and mint into the batter. While I really, REALLY liked the frosting, you can make these without it if you’re avoiding added sugar/calories. I made a double batch of the frosting so I could use it on other things.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Can we talk about flavor? As I spend more time cooking (and tasting) my palate is slowly becoming more acclimated to various flavors and more sharply refined. Things I used to enjoy no longer appeal to me and things that I thought I didn’t like are now some of my favorites.

When we were in grade school, many of us learned that there were four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Now there’s a new taste to learn and it’s called umami (pronounced “oo-mommy”). Actually, while the term is new to us, it’s not new to the Japanese, who have used the term to describe the “fifth taste” since the early 1900s. What exactly is the umami taste? Well, there’s no English word that’s synonymous with umami, however it’s most often described as a savory or meaty taste.

Salty, umami, sour, bitter, and sweet are my personal order of preferred flavors. That explains my lack of dessert cooking. Most sweet things are overwhelming to my taste buds. I’m not a fan of chocolate. horror of horrors right? I know.  I usually pass on most cake or pie offered to me.

Save Print
Blueberry Lemon & Pistachio Muffins
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time:  20 mins
Cook time:  45 mins
Total time:  1 hour 5 mins
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ Cups oat flour
  • 1 Cup shelled roasted pistachios (pistachios without the shells)
  • 1 Tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ Tsp. salt
  • ¼ Cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • ½ Cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery sticks
  • ⅔ Cup sugar
  • 1 Tsp. almond extract
  • ½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • ¾ Cup fresh blueberries
  • For the vegan lemon buttercream
  • ½ Cup Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery stick
  • 1 Cup organic powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • For garnish: 2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios
  • 2 Tbsp. toasted coconut flakes
  • Fresh chocolate mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a cupcake pan with liners and spray the inside of the liners with cooking spray.
  3. Add pistachios to a food processor or blender
  4. Process until pistachios are finely ground.
  5. Transfer to a large bowl and add in oat flour, baking soda and salt.
  6. Whisk together to combine.
  7. In a separate large bowl, mix together lemon juice, almond milk, melted butter, sugar, almond extract, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch until well combined.
  8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  9. Gently fold in blueberries.
  10. Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling ⅔ of the way full.
  11. Bake for 23-27 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  12. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
  13. Remove muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to cool
  14. Let muffins cool completely (at least 1 hour),
  15. Make the frosting:
  16. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest together until fluffy
  17. Toast coconut in dry pan for 3 - 4 minutes. toss often
  18. Frost the cupcakes however you like and garnish with coconut, pistachios and extra blueberries,
3.5.3208

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Cooking tunes: Concrete Blonde – The Essential. Veruca Salt – American Thighs.  L7 – Smell the Magic. The Donnas – Gold Medal.

Grrl power!

Writing tunes:  The Distillers – Sing Sing Death House. X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents. Bikini Kill – The Singles. Babes in Toyland – Fontanelle.

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Filed Under: Dessert Tagged With: chocolate mint, dessert, foodcoma, foodporn, fresh, omnomnom, pistachios, toasted coconut, vegan, vegetarian

Plum Dolmas

June 10, 2016 by VPKDana

Plum Dolmas are compact little party appetizers. Sweet, nutty, a little spicy, and very filling.

Plum Dolmas are compact little party appetizers. Sweet, nutty, a little spicy, and very filling.Plum Dolmas were kind of a pain to prep, but the end result was worth the extra effort. I have tried plenty of recipes for dolmas but I wanted to try something slightly different with this one. Brown rice isn’t my favorite, but I like the nuttiness it adds to this dish.

I love plum anything too. Plums are a beautiful fruit. I look forward to their growing season, so I can get the ripest and juiciest. California is the number 1 producer of plums in the United States. They ship plums all over the country, so there is a good chance you are finding California plums in your grocery store. The California plums start to ripen usually in late May. The season goes until around the start of September.

My backyard is bursting with ripening fruit and vegetables this time of year. Chiles, bell peppers, blueberries, limes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and mini lemons. I’m waiting impatiently for my blackberries and beets.

Plum Dolmas are compact little party appetizers. Sweet, nutty, a little spicy, and very filling.

You could also use a 16 oz. jar of grape leaves if you wanted to save some time. Grape leaves are a bit hard to work with too, being so slippery. You will get messy constructing your rolls. I may have washed my hands about 7 times before I gave up.

I served the Plum Dolmas with pita chips and tzatziki dip. You could set out some stuffed olives too.

Tzatziki recipe:

1/2 English cucumber, peeled
16 oz (2 cups) plain Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/3 cup chopped dill, fresh
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. The cucumber should be peeled, finely diced and strained of its juices. I squeezed it really tight by the fistful. You can use a cheese cloth if you wish. Getting rid of excess juice is important so that the tzatziki sauce isn’t watery the next day.

2. Combine the strained and chopped cucumber with greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, and black pepper.

3. Mix everything together and add more salt to taste if needed. It’s best to refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld. It tastes even better after refrigerating overnight!

Save Print
Plum Dolmas
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Prep time:  25 mins
Cook time:  1 hour
Total time:  1 hour 25 mins
Serves: 24
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 cups brown rice
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 8 cups water
  • 6 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • 2 cups diced dried plums
  • 2 cups diced Swiss chard stems
  • 6 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 6 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • 1½ Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 72 large leaves, Swiss chard
  • juice of 4 lemons
  • ½ cup roasted, salted sunflower seed kernels, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in medium saucepan over low heat.
  2. Add rice and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add water and salt and bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
  5. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  6. Transfer to a medium bowl
  7. Stir in dried plums, chard stems, sunflower seeds, parsley, lemon zest and spices.
  8. Season with salt and let cool completely.
  9. Rinse chard, pat dry and cut away stems.
  10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt.
  11. Cook 3 to 4 leaves at a time, until softened;
  12. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water.
  13. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
  14. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on the bottom half of each leaf.
  15. Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly to enclose filling.
  16. Spread a layer of Swiss chard leaf scraps on the bottom of a large and heavy pot.
  17. Lay dolmas, seam-side down, over the leaves.
  18. Drizzle with remaining olive oil
  19. Add boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the dolmas.
  20. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
  21. Transfer to a serving dish and let cool slightly.
  22. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and red pepper flakes.
3.5.3208

Plum Dolmas are compact little party appetizers. Sweet, nutty, a little spicy, and very filling.

Cooking music: NIN – Ghosts, The Dead Milkmen – Beelzebubba, The Cure – Wild Mood Swings.

Writing music: Gogol Bordello – performing live in the KEXP studio, David Lynch – The Big Dream, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – B Sides & Rarities – O’Malley’s Bar parts 1,2, and 3.

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Filed Under: Appetizer, Vegetarian cooking Tagged With: brunch, dolmas, foodcoma, foodporn, fresh, garden, omnomnom, rice, spicy, stuffed leaves, tzatziki, vegetarian

Bbq Baked Tofu

June 6, 2016 by VPKDana

Bbq Baked Tofu is an all around summer-time people pleaser. Pomegranate is the star here. Tart, tangy and delicious.

Bbq Baked Tofu is an all around summer-time people pleaser. Pomegranate is the star here. Tart, tangy and delicious.Bbq Baked Tofu is a simple meal great any day of the week. It is also good for a summer bbq. Share the spicy bbq sauce with your carnivorous friends too, I bet they will enjoy it.

If you want to make your tofu on and actual bbq grill, here are some tips:

1: USE FIRM NON SILKEN TOFU – Non-silken tofu has the added benefit of being more porous, allowing it to draw more flavor from sauces and marinades.

2: CUT YOUR TOFU WIDE – at least 1/3 inches wide.

3: DRY WELL – After slicing, press with paper towels.

4: SEASON WISELY – Tofu can be bland on its own, spice it up with a rub or a marinade that contains some amount of sugar, which helps the tofu brown and crisp better.

5: PREHEAT AND CLEAN YOUR GRILL – Preheat the grill with the lid on for at least 10 minutes in order to get those grates super hot, then scrub them down with a grill brush.

6: OIL YOUR GRILL WELL – Grill grates can build up a layer of seasoning when you rub oil into them. As the oil heats, it forms a polymer that makes the surface of those grates virtually non-stick.

7: SLOW, INDIRECT HEAT = CRISPY TOFU – If you want tofu that’s really crisp with concentrated flavor all over its surface, then low, indirect heat is where you want to be.

8: REAPPLY MARINADE AFTER COOKING – By saving some of your marinade and reapplying it after the tofu is done cooking, you double up on flavor.

I served these rib like tofu rectangles over a bed of my Coconut Lime Rice. The trio of pomegranate, lime, and toasted coconut blended nicely.

You know me, I go for the extra heat. I didn’t actually intend on adding so much sriracha. To be honest, what was meant to be a drop came out a dollop. I’m glad too, because the bbq sauce came out amazingly tasty. I’m going to make up a separate batch for use as a frequent condiment.

Bbq Baked Tofu is an all around summer-time people pleaser. Pomegranate is the star here. Tart, tangy and delicious.

Bbq Baked Tofu is enhanced by the addition of pomegranates. The seeds are juicy, tart, and sweet. The pomegranate molasses is not always easy to find in a big chain supermarkets though. I found my Al Wadi brand in a small Middle Eastern grocery.

You can make your own though:

Ingredients
4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat.

  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
  • Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low
  • Cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, about 70 minutes.
  • It should be the consistency of thick syrup.
  • Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes.
  • Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Bbq Baked Tofu is an all around summer-time people pleaser. Pomegranate is the star here. Tart, tangy and delicious.

Save Print
Bbq Baked Tofu
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  45 mins
Total time:  55 mins
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 14 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 3 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
  • 3 Tbsp. tamari, divided
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ Tsp. five-spice powder
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cubes Better than Bouillon No-Chicken base
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. sriracha
  • 2 Tsp. liquid smoke
  • ½ c pomegranate seeds (opt.)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Cut the tofu into eighths.
  3. Dredge tofu in 2 Tbsp. peanut oil and 1 Tbsp. tamari
  4. Place in a 9x13 pan..
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake another 15 minutes.
  6. Saute the shallots in the remaining peanut oil over medium heat in a saucepan,
  7. Stir, about 5 minutes.
  8. Add the garlic and five-spice powder and cook 1 more minute.
  9. Mix in the water and soup base and bring to a simmer.
  10. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
  11. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  12. Once the tofu is done baking, smother it with the sauce, return to the oven.
  13. Bake 15 minutes more. Top with pomegranate seeds if you'd like.
3.5.3208

Cooking tunes: The Clash – Super Black Market Clash, Fugazi – Steady Diet of Nothing,  Death – …for the whole world to see (1975) released 2009.

Writing tunes – Misfits – Static Age, Distillers – Coral Fang, HorrorPops – Hell Yeah!

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Vegetarian cooking Tagged With: baked, brunch, dinner, easy, foodcoma, foodporn, fresh, omnomnom, plant-based diet, pomegranate, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

Coconut Lime Rice

June 2, 2016 by VPKDana

Coconut Lime Rice is a great side dish for Thai or Indian inspired meals. The citrus fruit adds a sweet bright note.

Coconut Lime Rice is a great side dish for Thai or Indian inspired meals. The citrus fruit adds a sweet bright note.Coconut Lime Rice is something you can prepare quickly in a rice cooker while you are making a main dish. I paired this with my Bbq Baked Tofu and it was delicious. After I post this recipe, I will get to work on that one.

By adding a cinnamon stick to the coconut milk while the rice cooked, I made it taste a bit like horchata. You could even have this for breakfast or dessert.

This recipe is the ratio for white or jasmine rice. If using brown rice, you will need more liquid and cook it for longer. Follow your specific cooking directions, and replace water with equal parts coconut milk.

Coconut Lime Rice is a great side dish for Thai or Indian inspired meals. The citrus fruit adds a sweet bright note.

There is a vegetarian Thai restaurant near my house I visited when it first opened. The owner was cooking the food with the enthusiasm of someone who loves sharing recipes passed down across generations.

His Coconut Lime Rice was a thing of beauty. A perfect, citrusy summer dish. The sticky mango rice was a winner too. He could also bake tofu to an excellent blend of crunch and softness. Unfortunately, the next few times I went in, he was nowhere to be found and his new cook had not grasped the nuances of preparing delicate things like tofu.

The restaurant remains deserted besides the gum chewing cashier, the befuddled cook, and the sour faced waitress. Add an unfortunate smell that permeates the poorly ventilated space and I fear this place won’t be around much longer.

I guess I will have to try to re-create his dish at home. Here you go:

Save Print
Coconut Lime Rice
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: Side dish
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  25 mins
Total time:  30 mins
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups rice
  • 1 13.5 oz. can light coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
  1. Combine rice, coconut milk, water, cinnamon stick, and salt in rice cooker
  2. While rice cooks, add shredded coconut to dry pan and toast, stir, about 3 minutes
  3. Once rice is done add lime zest and juice, Fluff with fork. Let stand 10 minutes
  4. Sprinkle toasted coconut over each serving
3.5.3208

Cooking tunes: Mad Sin – Amphigory, Demented Are Go – Kicked Out of Hell, The Cramps – Stay Sick

Writing tunes: Punk 1977 / 2007 – disc 3 (Roots & Rarities), Stiff Little Fingers – All The Best 

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Filed Under: Vegetarian cooking Tagged With: Coconut, lime, rice

Pine Nut Pesto Pasta

May 27, 2016 by VPKDana

Pine Nut Pesto Pasta is a fresh & flavorful dinner choice for those in a hurry. Toasting the pine nuts made my kitchen smell wonderful.

BasilPinenut1Pine Nut Pesto Pasta has just a few ingredients and is a cinch to whip up any weeknight. It is bursting with flavor and it is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Serve some garlic bread on the side, add a bottle of wine and you’re all set.

Food & wine pairing can be tricky. I had to research the subject, being more of a beer snob. I found some useful info on the Undiscovered Italy homepage.

Pairing pesto with wine can be difficult. (For clarity, we are talking about a traditional pesto of basil, garlic, pine nuts, EVOO and Parmesan.) The sauce is both pungent, with assertive flavors from the garlic and cheese, and delicate, as basil has quite a bit of nuance. Generally, whether looking for white or red wine, young, fruity, aromatic wines are far better than anything aged, overripe, oaky, or flabby. Good pesto is bright and fresh, so you want to find a wine that exhibits similar traits. Of course, another key consideration is what you are serving with the dish. A simple pasta dish dressed with pesto, for example, will probably work better with a white wine, but the addition of heartier ingredients such as sausage or tomatoes make red a viable option.

argiolas-costamolinoAs is the case for most Italian food, the safest bet with any pairing is to follow the rule “if it grows together, it goes together”. Genoa, pesto’s homeland, is in Liguria, a small region on the Mediterranean coast just northwest of Tuscany. The indigenous white grape here is Vermentino, which makes lovely wines that offer rich flavors of tropical fruit but also bring great acidity, matching the dual personality of its sister sauce. Ligurian Vermentino is not exactly easy to come by in our area, but Sardinia’s Argiolas makes an excellent option –Costamolino ($14.99) – which is widely available and delicious for the price. Of course, other aromatic northern Italian whites can also work well, including Ligurian Pigato and Bianchetto Genovese, plus Arneis, Gavi and Soave.

 

Pine Nut Pesto Pasta is a fresh & flavorful dinner choice for those in a hurry. Toasting the pine nuts made my kitchen smell wonderful.Pine Nut Pesto Pasta was so simple to make. I’m always coming up with exotic dishes that take hours to prepare. So this was a respite from hot stove duty. I had plenty of leftovers too, that will be okay in the fridge for a few days. You could freeze it & pull it out when you just have no time to prepare a full meal.

You can use almonds, walnuts, or pistachios to replace the pine nuts if you fear the pine mouth. I had not heard of that syndrome until today, nor of anyone experiencing it. I should probably not even bring this up, but I find it a fascinating phenomenon. I’m a culinary adventurer, so I have no fear of puny nuts & seeds.

Pine nuts can cause taste disturbance. It’s known as pine nut mouth or pine nut syndrome. It causes everything you eat to have a bitter, metallic taste. Luckily it’s not permanent — it only lasts a couple of days. It’s hypothesized that the particular species of pine responsible for this is the Pinus armandii in China.

There are pine nuts you can buy from Italy, but they are hella expensive. Be brave. So what do you say? Let’s adventure boldly on to the Pine Nut Pesto Pasta recipe.

Save Print
Pine Nut Pesto Pasta
Author: Danaan
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  25 mins
Serves: 10 - 12
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound spaghetti noodles
  • 4 oz. prepared basil pesto
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ cup roasted pine nuts
  • black pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese - for topping
Instructions
  1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large stockpot
  2. Add spaghetti to pot - cook per package directions
  3. In a small skillet toast pine nuts over medium flame
  4. Shake pan frequently so all sides are golden and release aroma - about 3 minutes
  5. Toss noodles with olive oil and pesto
  6. Sprinkle with pepper, pine nuts, fresh basil, and cheese
3.5.3208

Pine Nut Pesto Pasta is a fresh & flavorful dinner choice for those in a hurry. Toasting the pine nuts made my kitchen smell wonderful.

Cooking tunes – Fugazi: Steady Diet of Nothing / UK Subs: Endangered Species / Peter and the Test Tube Babies: Pissed & Proud

Writing tunes – Wipers: Youth of America / Television: Adventure / Nurse With Wound: Salt

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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: dinner, easy, foodcoma, garden, garlic, omnomnom, pasta, pesto, pine nuts, quick, vegetarian

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Veggie Punk Kitchen

Veggie Punk Kitchen

Vegetarian cooking to a punk rock soundtrack. Along with vegetables and herbs from my own small backyard space, I'll collaborating with local urban farmers to create fresh, organic dishes with a think outside the recipe box flavor

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