Baked Mac 'n Cheez

Super Ultra Comfort Fewd Nomz achieved! This took less than 45 minutes to prepare and cook and was so wonderful. It was even enjoyed by a cheese-addicted friend of mine. Win. I used my Supa Simple Mac Sauce and two cups of macaroni. For the topping I sprinkled a handful of Panko breadcrumbs and about a teaspoon of both paprika and pepper. Also, if you have taste buds are even remotely similar to moi, you'll throw in an onion. Just for good measure.

Tofu Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This was completely fantastic. I used the recipe found in How it all Vegan! for my tofu ricotta and kind of free-styled everything else. This recipe calls for about 16 shells. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. I opted to throw some soy mozzarella slices on top. NOMZ! I advise you do this after your shells have finished baking otherwise they will pretty much just disintegrate. This made 2 large servings. (4 small servings)

Tomato Sauce

1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
water, add as needed in tablespoons
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbs tomato paste
1-2 tsp oregano
3 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, on medium-high heat, stir in mushrooms, onions, and garlic with a tablespoon of water and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add tomatoes and another tablespoon of water if needed. Allow the tomatoes to dissolve a bit and add the spices, then add paste and sauce. Continue to add water if necessary in tablespoon increments. Reduce heat and cover until ready to serve over pasta.

How it all Vegan! Tofu Ricotta

1 lb medium tofu
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp oregano
3 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
2 tbs lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped


In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients other than the spinach. Blend until the mixture achieves a consistency like cottage cheese. Add water if needed. Stir in spinach and set aside until ready for use.

On the Grill

This past weekend I went up to my mother's. The prime objective every time I visit her is to make use of both her awesome kitchen and her even more awesome garden. The menu: grilled tofu, grilled squash, roasted sweet potatoes with red onions, grilled portabellos, and bread. The tofu was marinated with soy sauce, olive oil, a hefty amount of minced garlic, and fresh thyme and lemon basil picked from her garden. The squash was marinated in a simple garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar mixture. The potatoes were roasted with red onions and cilantro, also fresh from my mom's garden. And, finally, the mushrooms were coated with olive oil and garlic. Simple, but oh, so satisfying.

And, for dessert, I made my favorite banana nut bread recipe and sprinkled chocolate chips atop the batter. Leave it to me to figure out a way to add chocolate to EVERYTHING.

Bean Burritos with Spanish Rice

Hai frandz. Long time no post. I haven't been doing a lot of cooking lately mainly due to the fact that I have been in the process of moving/settling into a new apartment. On with the fewdz.

I developed a love/hate relationship with these burritos. I loved them because they were forking delicious and simple to make. I hated them because I stuffed my face so hard that it made drinking later that night miserable and damn near impossible. :(

These burritos were completely improvised which means the measurements aren't exact, but rough estimates. I initially intended on making black bean burritos, but after realizing I had failed to buy a can of black beans during my most recent Kroger excursion, I resorted to that pound of pintos I had sitting in the back of my cabinet. Still. So. Good.

Bean Burritos with Spanish Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb pinto beans
6 cups water (for hydrating beans)
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbs paprika, cayenne, ground cumin
tortillas of your choosing
salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste

If you are planning on making these burritos, I recommend preparing beans the night before. In a medium saucepan, boil the water and add the beans. Let boil uncovered for about 30 minutes. Add garlic and spices. Reduce heat and cover. Let beans cook for another hour. I prefer to let them sit over night in the refrigerator so they build up the right consistency. After they have sat, add the bell pepper. What you do next with them is entirely your choosing. You can either mash them with a potato masher for refried beans or you can add about another 1/2 cup water and reheat them on the stove top.

For the rice:

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 tsp turmeric, or a thread of saffron if you're fancy like that
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin, plus more for the rice
black pepper to taste

Prepare basmati rice as directed on packaging, (usually 4 cups of water to 2 cups of rice with 1-2 tbs of Earth Balance, plus 1 tsp cumin.) After you uncover the rice when it is nice and fluffy, turn of heat but leave saucepan on burner. Add spices first because the tomato paste makes it more difficult to work with and incorporate the spices well. Enjoy!