gnocchi and tomato sauce

did you know making gnocchi is super easy and fun? well it is. i made this gnocchi with whole wheat flour and butternut squash. you of course can make gnocchi with potatoes or sweet potatoes. 

recipe:

2 c flour

1 c cooked and mashed butternut squash, potato, or sweet potato.

-knead together and roll into long, thin ropes. 

-cut into about an inch rectangles and press into each with a fork. 
-add to boiling water, the gnocchi is done when they float to the top. 

-serve with your favorite sauce. 

easy tomato sauce:

1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

chopped garlic

2 tbl nutritional yeast (optional) 

dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes 

salt and pepper

i also added julie hasson's vegetarian italian sausage! 

the costs of factory farming

from the washington post: "Factory farming takes a big, hidden toll on human health and the environment, is undermining rural America's economic stability and fails to provide the humane treatment of livestock increasingly demanded by American consumers, concludes an independent, 2 1/2 -year analysis that calls for major changes in the way corporate agriculture produces meat, milk and eggs."

also: "In calling for a 10-year phaseout of intensive confinement systems such as gestation crates for pigs and so-called battery cages for chickens, the commission adds impetus to recent commitments from some corporate operators to drop, gradually, those controversial practices."

many national newspapers are running stories on this 2 and half year study from the pew commission. it certainly makes the california ban (on the ballot in novemebr) on battery cages, veal and gestation creates seem modest at best. but what can we do about it RIGHT now? go vegan, of course. 

way to kill amazing animals.

huge squid that was murdered in antarctica has soccer ball sized eyes. here. 

tofu scramble

breakfast!

what i love about tofu scramble is that it seems unhealthy, but it isn't! especially if you put the right stuff in it. to start with i use nasoya lite tofu...it has less than half the calories and fat and has more calcium and vitamin d. i always add spinach, tomatoes, and nutritional yeast so you get your vitamin a, lycopene, b12 and a whole lot more. you can always add whatever you want that day: mushrooms, okra, asparagus, basil, veggie sausage. what a good way to start the day!

tofu scramble:

about 5 crimini mushrooms chopped 

bell pepper (fresh or frozen)

1 yellow onion

1 package nasoya lite tofu

1/2 c frozen or 1 c fresh spinach

1/4 c nutritional yeast

1 tbl tamari or soy sauce

a little tumeric

garlic powder

pepper

red pepper flakes

dried basil and oregano 

1 tomato

1. saute onion, mushroom and bell pepper. 

2. crumble in tofu, add everything aside from tomato. 

3. once everything is heated though (about 5-8 minutes) add tomato. cook until tomato is slightly soft. 

awesome new spay/neuter ads from peta

check 'em out: here

sun-dried tomato basil fusilli

easy, simple and delicious!

for one:

1/2 c fusilli (i used brown rice pasta)

1 c cooked chickpeas (or maybe cannellini?)

two cloves of garlic

about 5 sun-dried tomatoes chopped up (i didn't use the ones in oil)

handful of basil

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

some red pepper flakes

some salt

1. cook pasta according to package directions

2. saute garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (i do this in water, but you can saute in oil if you wish)

3. when sun-dried tomatoes and re-hydrated add the basil and chickpeas. 

4. when the basil is slightly wilted and chickpeas are warm, toss with pasta.

5. add lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning. 

yum! 

Dolphin Dies After Collision at Sea World

here.

vote for the worst company in america

vote here for the worst company in america. in this round, hallmark/westland meat packing company (read: downer cows controversy) goes up against news corp. i think it is obvious who i voted for. also, in other rounds fun companies like dell and home depot go head to head. that one is tough! 

a sandwich fit for a third grader!

grilled cheese!

what was once thought to be a high calorie, high fat, unvegan food...now easy, healthy, and cruelty free! 

i got this idea from the ultimate uncheese cookbook. it seems like there are a lot of ingredients, but really it is very easy to 

make. 

1 1/3 c water (or non dairy milk to make creamier) 

1/2 c roasted red peppers

1/3 c oats

1/3 raw cashews

1/4 c nutritional yeast 

3 tbl lemon juice

1 tbl tahini

2 tsp onion powder

some salt, garlic powder, ground dill, dry m

ustard, paprika, and some cayenne (optional). 

blend in blender or process in food processor and voila! cheese! spread on bread with tomato and grill or fry. i put mine on my griddle with canola oil spray. 

1/8 of spread= 200 calories, 8 g protein, 8 g fat, 27 g carbs. 

nutritional information on eating dairy free: here

information on the treatment of dairy cows: here

fancy pearled barley olive stuffed bell pepper

in my opinion, stuffing anything makes dinner seem instantly fancy. and anything served with veganomicon's chickpea cutlets with a brown mushroom gravy is fancy as it is. 

pearled barley is one of my favorite grains. its a departure from rice and couscous. it is arborio-esque, so i frequently use it as a healthy, whole grain substitute for risottos. like arborio rice, pearled barley requires a lot of liquid, so watch it as it cooks... i estimated here. 

barley olive stuffed bell peppers:

1 bell pepper (i like orange)

1/2 yellow onion

1 c pearled barley

3 c vegetable broth

1 tsp red wine vinegar

some kalamata olives

pre heat oven to 350. saute onion in sauce pan. add barley and broth to sauce pan, add olives and red wine vinegar. you can also add some olive oil if you would like. stuff into bell pepper, and put into a lightly greased pan. cook in oven for about 35 minutes or until bell pepper is nice and soft. yum.

first post!

i'm stephanie. i'm a second year law student avoiding studying. i love food, vegan cooking, and occasionally making unnecessary fancy meals. sometimes i rely too much on cookbooks and not on my own recipes. sometimes i make things that aren't good. and i often take bad pictures (see below). 

quiche

plum cup pies (pies in a muffin pan)

despite this, my love for cooking and subsequently taking pictures and my obsession with other blogs drove me to create a blog of my own! sometimes i will post about food, recipes, other times i will post about other stuff.

also, i'm very health conscious, so regular day meals i often attempt to minimize fat, avoid processed food and avoid sugar. but other times i don't!