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vegetarian photography

spring asparagus soup.

by Amanda April 2, 2012April 2, 2012

written by Amanda

This months Lazy Susan was perfect for me. This is the first all-veggie (vegan or vegetarian) episode in celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd. Not only is everything veggie, it’s also based on local produce. I think we all know we should try to buy local when possible, but have you ever calculated just how much of an environmental impact your food really has? From production and transportation, to packaging, what we eat can have a huge impact on the Earth. While going vegetarian can certainly help, there are other steps you can take and check just how you, yes YOU, impact the environment every day. Check out this How Green Is my Diet widget for more info.

Spring in So-Cal is full of wonderful produce, but none quite as delicious and nutritious as asparagus. We have had a few battles over the last spear standing in out house so I decided to just load up on it this year.
If you haven’t tried grilled asparagus, you really should. Preparing it for the grill is quite easy and it tastes so much better than steamed. While you can certainly take this recipe and stop after grilling, if you happen to buy a lot like I did, this grilled asparagus soup is so freaking yummy and totally embodies the taste of spring! The most difficult part was not eating all of the asparagus as it came off the grill, but this soup keeps well in the fridge and can be prepared ahead of time for a party.

Ingredients:

for the grilled asparagus
3 pounds asparagus ( trimmed and cleaned)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

continued for the soup

2 cups vegetable broth ( low sodium) divided

medium yellow onion – diced

2 tablespoons earth balance
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup soy milk1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tofutti sour supreme (optional)

Method:

on a pre-heated grill or grill pan, grill asparagus until tender ( approximately 10-12 minutes) turning spears until all sides are lightly browned. cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces reserving a few tips for garnish. simmer onion in 1 cup broth for 3-4 min, add asparagus and simmer another 4 mintues. puree vegetable in blender or food processor until mostly smooth and set aside. in saucepan, melt earth balance and sprinkle in flour while stirring just until combined. add remaining 1 cup veg broth and then vegetable puree. simmer 5 minutes then whisk in soy milk, sour supreme and lemon juice. garnish with grilled asparagus spears and serve immediately.

Tips and tricks ~
snap fresh asparagus spears towards the bottom instead of cutting them, they break at their natural tender spot
with a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom 1/2 of the stalks for more even cooking time and tender spears
the sour supreme is totally optional, but it gives the soup a lighter and creamier texture
when blending or pureeing the onion and asparagus, I prefer mine chunkier and not like baby food ~ be sure to taste and adjust the texture to your preference
if you use a low sodium or regular sodium broth, adjust salt accordingly!

Now it’s time for some gluten-free vegan sushi by Amy Boring, come along with me to see how wonderful vegan sushi can be!

April 2, 2012April 2, 2012 0 comment

lazy susan main dish recipe recipes

black bean chili ~ with a secret

by Amanda March 1, 2012March 2, 2012

written by Amanda

Welcome to this month’s round of Lazy Susan!
For most of the country, and even here in So-Cal, there’s a chill in the air which lead us to slow-cooker or Crock Pot dishes.
I love a good veggie chili and this one is easy, delicious, healthy and perfect to throw together for a family get together or party.

and since I didn’t actually own a crock pot, a shopping trip was in order. I didn’t want to spend much and knew I didn’t need anything fancy, but something this cute just had to come home with me. 2 people in the store actually stopped me to comment on how cute my crock pot was! I left the store as a happy new crock-pot owner. (it’s only $20)!
cute patterned crock pot vegan recipe

Now for the black bean chili and it’s little secret. Some of you may have tried this in chili, and for those who haven’t, you may think I have gone a tad crazy. It’s cocoa powder, and while you won’t have even a hint of chocolate taste in the end, it does help to add depth to the chili and a few extra antioxidants.
This recipe is for a veggie chili, but my husband was used to a more traditional texture, and for him I added a little tvp. If you are used to veggie chili, I would keep the recipe as is. If you happen to be serving this to non veg-heads or recent converts, adding tvp or Boca ground crumbles certainly makes the texture more familiar. Use an additional 1/4 cup water if you decide to add tvp or crumbles.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans drained and rinsed

2 cans diced tomato, with green chilis if you like it spicy

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-3 green onions chopped

1 red onion diced

1/3 cup cilantro- roughly chopped
1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon chili powder * if you used tomato with chilis, use 1 teaspoon without chili powder

optional garnished:
Better than Sour Cream
cilantro
green onion
diced tomato

Method:

place all ingredients in crock pot or slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low.

serves 4-6
prep time – 10 minutes

Ok- I hope you remember that Lazy Susan is an awesome group, so glad to have you along for our virtual pot luck, so keep on clicking and see Sara Tegman’s apple crisp !

* just a warning, I am currently the only vegan in the group*

March 1, 2012March 2, 2012 0 comment

italian inspired kid friendly pasta recipe recipes

creamy vegan pasta with Barilla Whole Grain

by Amanda February 27, 2012

written by Amanda

It’s no secret that I love pasta. I really love pasta. The versatility of the shapes and sauces are so fun to mix and match, the variations are practically endless! Then there is the fact that kids also like pasta, better known as baby noodles in our house, and it’s easy to get them to the dinner table when pasta is being served. When I grew up, I actually didn’t know white pasta existed because it was all brown in my house. My husband, on the other hand, only had white pasta and was convinced that whole grain pasta was too chewy, kinda like cardboard. That all changed when we tried Barilla® Whole Grain! It looks and tastes great; he didn’t even realize I had changed from his regular white pasta — score!

Like you, I strive to provide my family with not only healthy, but also delicious and beautiful food. We all know what we should be eating, but making healthy food accessible and delicious is the key to keeping your family on board. Whole grains are shown to lower the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. They also contain protein, fiber, vitamin B and trace minerals such as iron and magnesium. But even they’re really good for your health, over 40% of Americans never eat whole grains! Most Americans eat less than one serving per day. Pathetic. So Barilla and I are here to make things easier for you.

You want your family to eat more whole grains, but labels can be confusing and misleading. This label is neither! You would like to add more whole grains to your diet, but where do you start? This is such an easy switch to make. Barilla whole grain is made with 51% whole wheat, providing three times more fiber than regular pasta. All these health benefits are wrapped up for you in a delicious pasta your family will love. If, for some reason, your family isn’t as thrilled as mine, Barilla has a taste guarantee. If you don’t love the taste of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta you can get a box of your favorite Barilla pasta for free. Simply visit trybarillawholegrain.com for guarantee details. The site also has more information on whole grain benefits, recipes, and a Dinner Kit to make it easier for you to get those whole grains into your family’s routine.

This recipe is for a creamy vegan mushroom sauce with seitan served over Barilla whole grain thin spaghetti. Seriously quick, beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients:

8 ounces drained seitan

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Earth Balance organic buttery spread

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/3 cups soy milk

2-3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons fresh herbs – basil, oregano or Italian parsley in a combination of your choice, along with salt and pepper

13.25 ounces Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti prepared as directed

Method: In a non-stick or lightly oiled pan, lightly brown seitan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and set aside. Boil water and prepare pasta as directed. In a large pan, heat a little olive oil and melt the margarine, add the mushrooms and saute until soft and dark in color. Turn heat to low and add the milk and flour, stirring until smooth. Add basil, oregano, seitan, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauce will thicken upon standing — you may thin it with water or soy milk as needed. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

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This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/31/12.

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February 27, 2012 0 comment