Pod and Bean Dinners: Fajitas, Pumpkin Chili and Quinoa

The paint palette of spring sometimes requires a boost. And in my particular case, the colors need to be vertically boosted away from the hungry beaks of my backyard chickens. KP and I re-purposed these pallets into flower beds. Really enlivens what was otherwise a chain link fence with all the usual vines.

Spring usually finds me in the mood for Hispanic cuisine, and The Cocoa Exchange with Pod and Bean had a few spicy Mexican and Caribbean spices to add to my flavor palette.

Fajitas

Adapted from The Cocoa Exchange

2 lbs. flank steak or ribeye or chicken breast, sliced thin

1 cup orange juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ MEXICAN SEASONING BLEND

2 yellow onions, halved and sliced

1 red and orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced

8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 limes, cut into wedges

POD & BEAN™ GREEN CHILI HOT SAUCE, for garnish

Sour Cream, for garnish

¼ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

In a medium bowl, mix orange juice, garlic and POD & BEAN™ MEXICAN SEASONING BLEND.

Add beef or chicken and mix to thoroughly coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

While beef or chicken is marinating, sauté peppers and onions in a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat. Remove vegetables and set aside.

In same pan, sauté beef over high heat. Do not crowd the pan or overcook beef.

Add vegetables and toss together. Remove from heat and add all to serving platter

Serve with warm tortillas, POD & BEAN™ GREEN CHILI HOT SAUCE, sour cream, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.

Spicy Pumpkin Chili

Adapted from The Cocoa Exchange

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 lb. andouille sausage

2 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ MEXICAN SEASONING BLEND

3 cups chicken broth

1 can fire roasted tomatoes, diced, drained

¾ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can, solid-packed pumpkin puree

1 pound of cooked red beans

POD & BEAN™ CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, heat oil and cook onions and red bell peppers until onions have become translucent.

Add the meat to the pan and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.

Add POD & BEAN™ MEXICAN SEASONING BLEND to the meat and stir gently.

Stir in the chicken stock, corn, tomatoes, pumpkin puree and beans.

Transfer to a slow cooker crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours-5 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add POD & BEAN™ CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE to desired heat level.

Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Toasted Quinoa Salad with Green Chili

Adapted from The Cocoa Exchange

1 cup quinoa

1 ½ cups water

Salt and pepper

½ red bell pepper, small dice

½ green bell pepper, small dice

2 Tbsp. red onion, small dice

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ GREEN CHILI HOT SAUCE

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY HONEY MUSTARD

1 garlic clove, grated

Rinse the quinoa is a bowl with water, strain through a sieve and spread on paper towels to pat dry.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add quinoa to dry (no oil) pan, constantly stirring until quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Add water and pinch of salt to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until the quinoa has absorbed most of the water (about 12 minutes).

Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet and set aside until it is cool (about 30 minutes)

Once cooled, put quinoa in a large bowl; add bell peppers, onion, and cilantro.

In a separate bowl, whisk lime juice, hot sauce, olive oil, honey mustard, and garlic together; pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

This Place is Worth Saving Salmon Eggplant Panzanella and Guest House Kale

A meditation from the newspaper early on a Sunday morning: from an article on Lafitte, Louisiana, a Gulf South town of about 4,000 people with homes built on stilts just outside the flood protection zone twenty miles south of where I type into this screen. A supplication from a man who has chosen to live in this place doomed to drown within the century:

“‘I hope that people will see that, hey, not only are we fighting hard to exist, but, you know, maybe this place is worth saving.’ The sky began to dim over the bayou.”

Walker Percy couldn’t have written it better. Or maybe David, as it occurred to me as something like a psalm. Waters are rising; are always rising, I suppose; but those who have their ankles in the mud know better the truth of it.

Here I am cooking like there is no tomorrow again. What better way to end a meditation than with a meal?

Crisp Salmon with Sesame Cumin Eggplant Panzanella

Adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Pepper

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 ounces sesame bread, torn into small pieces

Four 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chopped dill, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425. In a small bowl, whisk 6 tablespoons of the olive oil with the tahini, lemon juice and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Place the eggplant in a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the eggplant. Toss to coat and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse and gently squeeze the eggplant to remove the excess water; pat dry.

Transfer the eggplant to a rimmed baking sheet. Add all but 1/4 cup of the tahini dressing to the eggplant along with the onion, 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds and the cumin; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a medium bowl, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then toss with the eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bread and eggplant are golden brown. Spoon the salad onto plates and drizzle with half of the remaining tahini dressing.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon to the skillet skin side down and cook over moderately high heat until the skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip the fish, add the butter to the skillet and baste until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Set the salmon on the eggplant and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Garnish with dill and sesame seeds and serve.

This serves as a nice hearty side salad. When I eat it by itself, I add the bacon. When it accompanies something meaty like the above, I omit the bacon and top instead with a lovely lemon or limey vinaigrette.

Guest House Kale with Corn

Adapted from Penzey’s Spices

4 oz. bacon, finely chopped (freezing makes it easy to chop fine)

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 lb. kale, thick ribs discarded (or use for making stock), washed and finely chopped

1 Cup corn kernels

1 TB. Brady St. Cheese Sprinkle

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 325°. Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat until slightly crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Wipe the bacon drippings from the pan. Heat the olive oil in the pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the kale and cook until wilted. Stir in the corn and cook another minute. In a casserole dish, combine the contents of the pan with the Brady Street Spice, pepper and bacon. Mix well and bake at 325° for 15 minutes.

I know what it is to tread water and believe, forever will believe, this place with its bamboo and hibiscus and magnolia blossoms and jasmine dripping from rot iron and icy mint juleps and jazz riffs and bead-bedazzled live oaks and the bells and booms from street cars and second lines is worth saving. Happy Sunday, holy place.

Easter Brioche for Bostock and Grilled Salmon Burgers

Easter will heretofore be marked by the ritual making of brioche. Tartine brioche. There was a recipe in Char Broil the Great Book of Grilling for salmon burgers and the suggested bun was a brioche roll. I walked to our local grocery on the lookout for some fresh made brioche buns and found only processed, probably month-old, hyper-preserved Hawaiian and otherwise basic buns. Uh, Nope. I stormed home empty-handed and decided to begin the day-long process of making my own brioche.

Where to turn but to Tartine for guidance? This recipe has been adapted for use with sourdough starter.

Brioche

Pre-Ferment

¾ cup nonfat milk

¼ cup sourdough starter

1 ¾ cups bread flour

Dough

½ cup sourdough starter

5 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

3 ½ cups bread flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup sugar

1 TB salt

1 cup + 2 TB unsalted butter, chilled

Egg Wash

4 egg yolks

¼ cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan, warm the milk to barely warm and then remove from heat and add the sourdough and flour, mixing until smooth. Cover and place in a cool place for 1-3 hours. Ahead of making the dough, cut the butter into small cubes and then return to the fridge to remain chilled.

If you want to make your bread a touch more healthy, consider adding a tablespoon or two of Probiotein, which is a supplement powder with concentrated nutrients like omega-3 from flax and prebiotic fibers. Nutrients definitely not normally found in the while bread flour and butter-mania that is brioche.

When you are ready to make the dough, transfer the preferment to a mixer and add the sourdough starter. Then start to add the eggs one by one, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add 1 cup of milk, then the flour, sugar and salt. Increase speed until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Let dough rest for 15-20 minutes. Take the chilled butter out and moosh a little until the edges are soften. In the mixer, get it going, then squeeze the butter through your hands so it falls into the batter in ribbons. Be sure not to add the butter too quickly, and after it is all in, mix for another 2 minutes so it is well-incorporated. You can add a touch more milk now if needed. Otherwise, oil a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and spread the dough evenly on this prepared pan. Dust the top with flour and cover. Put the pan in the freezer for 3 hours, then transfer to the fridge overnight for a cold rise.

The next day, pull out and let warm on the counter for an hour. Then cut away two thirds and role into loaf pans that have been lined with parchment and buttered. With the last third, take a glass and cut out 10-12 rounds. Cover and let rise for 2-3 hours ( should double in size). Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, just before you bake, make the egg wash and coat the burger buns and loaves with wash.

Let dry for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake the loaves for another 40 minutes, and the burger buns for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and firm. Set the loaves and buns on a rack to cool.

Easter is also marked by other important traditions in New Orleans, like the Crescent City Classic which celebrated its 40 year anniversary this last weekend. KP and friends went for a retro run.

Also SO appreciate the opportunity to gussie up some backyard eggs to look royal. Thanks, Mom.

And now that you have delicious brioche buns, you are ready to make salmon burgers!!! This cookbook comes out in May 2018 from Fox Chapel Publishing. Check out their site for more goodies!

Asian Salmon Burgers

Adapted from the Char Broil Book of Grilling

1 lb salmon fillet

1 TB minced ginger

1 TB minced garlic

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 TB chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp kosher salt

1 TB fresh lemon juice

½ TB soy sauce

½ cup panko bread crumbs

2 large eggs, beaten

In a food processor, lightly pulse the salmon until coarsely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, salt, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Mix to combine. Then add bread crumbs and eggs. Divide salmon mixture into 6-8 patties. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat your grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on brioche buns with a slice of Jarlsberg cheese and your favorite spicy mustard.

KP made Bostock with orange marmalade, jam, whipped cream and almonds for Easter morning with one of the loaves of brioche, and I made myself French toast. Ah, the decadence of a post-Lenten season! Always good to pair these miles with a 10K race.

Thanks immensely to Probiotein, Char Broil and Jarlsberg for inspiring and sponsoring this post!

Frittatas and Bean Cakes and Cauliflower Pizza, Oh My! Everyday Vegetarian

Page after page, the pictures of meatless dishes lure me to go vegetarian meal after meal. Everyday Vegetarian by Cooking Light initially sucked me in because I had three to four dozen surplus eggs from the prolific ovaries of my backyard chickens endlessly spawning yoke after cased yoke into existence. And this cookbook had so many frittata recipes.

I substituted plain yogurt for the ricotta cheese in the recipe above and it tasted delicious. The tomato topping in particular is divine. I’ve made this like four times (due to egg surplus). But then I had the remaining surplus of beans from decorating my Red Beans parade costume to put into something edible. Black bean cakes!

With sauce I doctored up with Pod and Bean green chili sauce (2 or 3 tbsp) added to plain yogurt substituted for the sour cream. Delicious.

Another tasty vegetarian dish with Pod and Bean products is this quinoa dish:

1 cup quinoa

1 ½ cups water

Salt and pepper

½ red bell pepper, small dice

½ green bell pepper, small dice

2 Tbsp. red onion, small dice

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ GREEN CHILI HOT SAUCE

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. POD & BEAN™ WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY HONEY MUSTARD

1 garlic clove, grated

Rinse the quinoa is a bowl with water, strain through a sieve and spread on paper towels to pat dry.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add quinoa to dry (no oil) pan, constantly stirring until quinoa is lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Add water and pinch of salt to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until the quinoa has absorbed most of the water (about 12 minutes).

Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet and set aside until it is cool (about 30 minutes)

Once cooled, put quinoa in a large bowl; add bell peppers, onion, and cilantro.

In a separate bowl, whisk lime juice, hot sauce, olive oil, honey mustard, and garlic together; pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

And then my CSA with its cauliflower and kale and leeks and peppers and tomatoes. Pizza crust from cauliflower! This cookbook delights.

I have come to realize that I am surrounded by vegetables and pulses and ova and I should just surrender and declare that I am basically a vegetarian. And the heart goes wild. Mr Okra lives on, RIP.

Crab and Corn Waffles with Bulldog Manatee

International Waffle Day is March 25^th and if you need some inspiration to whet your iron, look no further than 150 Waffle Maker Recipes by Haugen and MacKenzie. Waffle it up for breakfast, lunch, dinner, birthdays, March Madness appetizers. This particularly delicious seafood concoction was a delicious porch treat—with this on my tongue, it was as though ocean waves lapped just beyond our porch rails from my deck chair. Chicken squawks sounding from the yard like more sonorous gulls.

Izzy beached on sandy slats like a manatee. The view from atop a couch bluff. Porch brunch as staycation. Treat yo self.

I give you, for the coming weekend, Crab and Corn Waffles.

So simple, so classy, so delicious. Thank you Robert Rose Publishing! #sponsored and bulldog approved.

St. Patrick’s Day Ginger Whiskey Cider and Green Pasta with Cilantro Kale Pesto

Wearing and eating only green on St. Patrick’s Day seems right.

Took a Ginger Whiskey Cider ala Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer down to Finn’s today to celebrate in the world’s smallest parade (out the front door of the bar, around the side, in the back door).

Ginger Whiskey Cider

2 oz. Hard Cider

1 oz. Whiskey

Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer Mini in Traditional, to fill

Crushed Ice

In a 12-16 oz. high ball glass, combine the hard cider and whiskey. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top with Brooklyn Crafted.

This Brooklyn Ginger Beer is Top Notch. Delicious and comes in all kinds of spicy flavors. Can’t wait to try them all!

As for tonight’s proceedings at Finn McCool’s Irish Pub, an 85 year old woman named Louise sang Sister Christian by Night Rider karaoke. I held an obese pug. Those were the highlights. May I one day age as fine as Louise. May I not age as Ed (pug featured below) has… although in a daily bath of his own adipose he is delightful to snuggle.

Then, we then came home to eat this delicious pesto and green pasta. Green for the coming of spring.

Edamame Pasta with Kale Cilantro Pesto

Adapted from Explore Cuisine

1 cup of kale, tightly packed

1 cup of cilantro, tightly packed

¼ cup оf slivered almonds, toasted (or cashews, that’s what I had on hand)

1 garlic clove

1 serrano chile

1 tbsp lime juice

Dash of salt

¼ cup of parmesan, grated

½ cup of olive oil

1 knob ginger, sliced into shards

olive oil

2 carrots, sliced into ribbons

¼ cup of shredded coconut, toasted

1 box (8 oz) Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti (All these gluten free pastas are DELISH)

Blend first seven ingredients in a food processor. Add cheese. Stream in olive oil. Sauté ginger in oil until crispy.

Boil 8 cups of water and pour in Organic Edamame Spaghetti. Cook for 8 minutes. Drain.

Toss together Edamame Spaghetti with carrots and pesto. Top with ginger and toasted coconut.

Enjoy! This post was sponsored by Explore Cuisine and Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer– which are just top of the muffin, in my opinion.

Citrus Tart, Basil Pecan Pesto and Chicken Cacciatore for Spring

Spring is here. “Men thatch the roof. The dogs bark. The rooks, rising in a net, fall in a net among the elm trees. The wave of life flings itself out indefatigably.” Virginia Woolf, in her essay on illness, somehow incensed me to live with vigor and vim… As I read her in Spring, she reminds me that the Sun will burn itself out. “Even so, when the whole earth is sheeted and slippery, some undulation, some irregularity of the surface will mark the boundary of an ancient garden, and there, thrusting its head up undaunted in the starlight, the rose will flower, the crocus will burn.” O, how TS Eliot and Dante and Shakespeare swirl and fairy-step like sugar plums in her prose.

Thank you, Virginia Woolf, for letting your pen, like a rebel crocus, burn.

I’ve been up to something in the kitchen of late. I’m taking my cues from the sprouting lime behind the house.

Citrus Tart

For the tart:

14 whole graham crackers

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 batch curd

Whipped cream, for topping

For the curd:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime zest, plus 1/2 cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)

Pinch of salt

3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Make the curd: Whisk the sugar, zest, lime juice and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl, then whisk into the lemon mixture. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it’s thick like pudding, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

Make the tart: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the graham crackers into pieces, then pulse in a food processor with the sugar until finely ground; drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to combine.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Pour the curd into the prepared crust and gently press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Remove the springform ring and transfer the tart to a platter. Top with whipped cream.

Basil Pecan Pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pulse basil leaves in food processor. Add garlic, salt, pecans, and cheese and blend well. Drizzle olive oil while blending to form a thick paste.

Cook up some tasty gluten-free Explore Pasta—so many types!—and put this delicious pesto on top.

THEN. The Chicken Cacciatore on top from Fix It and Forget It cookbook by Phyllis Good. Guh, the recipes in this book are nearly infinite (700!) –so many soups and roasts and delicious ways for a busy person like myself to treat myself to a noseful of dinner aroma when I finally bust back through that front door. The smell of dinner already done is even more welcoming than the wagging tail of a lovesick bulldog.

If you need a little costume to get into the spirit of domesticity, might I recommend figure skater Tonya Harding?

Or Frances McDormand’s character from 3 Billboards?

Hidden Heart Cake from Beautiful Bundts

Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother AND to my beautiful bulldog. This year they are the same age (adjusted for dog years). Izzy got her own chocolate-free version of a hidden heart Bundt cake featured in Beautiful Bundts by Julie Hession. Happy 9th, dear Izzy! She wasn’t very interested in the cookbook, but perked up when she saw the cake! I, on the other hand, LOVED this cookbook– great photography and solid recipes.

That’s kibble between the layers of hearts. Essentially, you make a flat layer of cake and freeze it, cut out heart shapes or whatever shape you want, then embed the cake inside fresh batter and cook again.

I like to use coconut oil for my vegetable oil. In this case, the heart was hidden inside a dark chocolate bundt, and the final product was used to celebrate my wonderful mother!

We celebrated with a costume party a la Academy Awards in which Mom and I decided to attempt Lavonna and Tonya Harding from I, Tonya. So fun. Thanks to Robert Rose Publishing for the opportunity to review this delicious cookbook!

Breakfast Night with Krusteaz and Cooking Light

The house smells of cinnamon and maple. Breakfast may as well be a candle scent. Nothing smells more like home. This last month was Breakfast Night month, and Krusteaz inspired me to make breakfast for dinner time and time again. Waffles have always been a go-to meal for me since I have a sourdough starter and because I tend to let milk expire on the regular.

I used Krusteaz buttermilk waffle mix to make Pecan Buttermilk Waffles, adapting a recipe from Cooking That Counts by the editors of Cooking Light. This cookbook features meals with calories made clear to help people achieve 1,200-1,500 calorie meal plans.

We hosted a lovely Breakfast Night party, sponsored by Krusteaz.

Also, great thanks to Carrington for providing healthy butter alternatives– in particular this coconut cooking spray was delicious with the waffles!

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

I’m not a vegan. But, almost like a sport, I enjoy finding vegan recipes that are delicious. The Edgy Veg by Candice Hutchings is a treasure trove of fabulous vegan hacks of more traditionally carnivorous dishes. I pry open every vegan cookbook with severe skepticism, because so many disappoint. The Edgy Veg does not disappoint. To all those doing vegan for Lent, those who enjoy food magic tricks, and to those who just want to eat healthier—please give this one a try. The narrator is as spicy as the dishes.

One lucky reader who comments in the next week will win a copy of this lovely cookbook!

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from the Edgy Veg

1 recipe of Fake Cheese (below)

¼ tsp black pepper

1 lb macaroni

2 tbsp soft vegan butter

Sea salt

3 tbsp melted vegan butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Boil water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than should. Drain and transfer to a bowl, add softened vegan butter and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pasta into baking dish and add cheese sauce, spread evenly.

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter, sprinkle on top of macaroni dish. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until crust is browned.

Whaaaaaaaat? Fake Cheese? This is not fake news. I’ll say, it doesn’t taste like cheese (nothing but cheese should), but it does taste delicious and it looks EXACTLY like Velveeta so there is likely a strong psychology cheese placebo effect while you eat this. I also found this tastes amazing with hot sauce. You can also put peppers in this and turn the cheese dip into queso. And it’s made with CARROTS. I love it. Just love it.

Fake [Vegan] Cheese

Adapted from The Edgy Veg

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

¼ unsweetened soy

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 tb potato starch

¼ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp mustard powder

½ tsp paprika

In a small saucepan, combine potato and carrots, cover with water and bring to a boil for 20 minutes, until soft. Drain and reserve liquid elsewhere. In a blender, combine the potato, carrots and soy milk and blend until very smooth. Add all the rest of the ingredients and blend again. If you need to, add some of the reserved liquid until it achieves a cheesy consistency you recognize. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper if you like!

Thanks to Robert Rose Publishers who continue to put out wonderful culinary/literary publications!

And Thanks to my husband and Izzy the bulldog for last week’s vacation to the East Coast.