Party in Cambridge!

PARTY THIS SATURDAY!

no, i am not dead. this hiatus will lead to a huge, monster post about....

PARTY FOR FARMED ANIMALS!

Party to Help Abolish Battery Cages, Gestation Crates, and Veal Crates
Please join us in Cambridge for a night of vegan food, booze, and fun to help raise money for Proposition 2 to ban gestation crates, battery cages, and veal crates in California.

WHEN: This Saturday, August 23rd from 7 to Midnight.
WHERE: Karma Yoga Studio at Harvard Square. 1120 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.
WHY, Eat, drink, and abolish three of the most egregious assaults on the rights of animals.
Food generously provided by some of Boston and NYC's finest vegan restaurants, including Veggie Planet, TJ Scallywaggle's, Grasshopper, Grezzo, Vegetarian Paradise 2, Sweet and Sara confections, Hippie Chick Bakery and more.

RSVPs appreciated.
Please RSVP at http://www.party2win.com/humanecalifornia/parties/index.cfm? e=voteyesforfarmanimals8921

If you cannot attend, please consider donating to this critical and historic cause.

We hope to see you there!

salads!

ok, so my blog occassionally fails at the collective vegan goal of proving to the world that vegans dont only eat salad. but i LOVE salads! and these two were excellent:

1. sesame apricot salad

sweet snap peas

apricot baked tofu (below, cooled)

chopped carrot

sliced apricot

halved grape tomatoes 

diced avocado

your choice of greens

apricot sesame dressing (below)

-throw it all together! 

apricot baked tofu

2 tbl apricot preserves

1 tsp agave nectar

1/4 cup of soy sauce

splash of water

12 oz firm tofu

-preheat oven to 350

-combine all ingredients aside from tofu and mix well

-dice tofu in cubes and put in oven safe dish

-cover tofu with marinade 

-cover dish and bake for 30 minutes

apricot sesame dressing

take the remainder of the marinade and add:

1/4 cup of brown rice vinegar (or mirin)

-1 tsp of sesame oil

-1 tbl of sesame seeds

shake it all up!

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2. rockin' moroccan tomato salad

my boyfriend made this delicious salad all by himself. a critical ingredient in this salad is a tomato, green pepper moroccan salad that my boyfriend's aunt's mother makes. "nene" was a moroccan beauty queen in her day. 

nene's salad is made with canned whole pealed tomatoes, olive oil (a lot of olive oil) and some delicious seasoning. so yes! i do not know even how to make ALL of this salad, but thought i would share the picture and concept anyway. the liquid of this salad works as a salad dressing. im sure some sort of mediterranean tomato salad would work as well. i also think red grapes would work well instead of blackberries and the addition of kalamata olives would be fantastic. 

mixed spring greens

diced red onion

diced cucumber

blackberries

halved grape tomatoes

smoked tempeh (from this post)

canned artichoke hearts

tomato salad

-toss together! 

persimmon beat couscous

recipe

serves 2

1/4 cup couscous

a few dried persimmons

1 beet

1 carrot

1 tbl agave nectar or maple syrup

1. bring beet and carrot to boil 

2. mean while, cook couscous according to package directions

3. when couscous is done, fluff with a fork and add the agave or maple syrup

4. when beet and carrots are done, remove from pot. wash off skin of beet, and chop both. 

4. mix vegetables with couscous. the beet will turn the couscous pink!

5. throw a few dried persimmons on top so everything looks fancy.

best cake ever

not a great picture, but an amazing dessert. 

another vegan treats creation. chocolate covered strawberry shortcake. seriously, chocolate what was missing from strawberry shortcake. i had it for my boyfriend's brother's birthday, i'm so glad he was born! 

bulgoggi and cabbage salad

bulgoggi is a sweet soy sauce marinade used in korean bbq. you can use the marinade for tofu, tempeh, seitan, mushrooms, or other veggies. i got the idea from this month's vegetarian times. the salad was my own idea, and i was pleasently surprised. i served the meal with wild rice, but i think the rice would work well mixed into the salad.

cabbage salad
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 of red sweet onion, chopped
handful of toasted slivered almonds and sesame seeds
(to toast, i sprayed frying pan with non-sticky spray, and added nuts and seeds once pan was hot, cooking for a few minutes only)
-spray a frying pan with non-stick spray
-add cabbage and onion with a splash of water
-cook until cabbage has softened but not wilted
-toss with slivered almonds and sesame seeds and add dressing!

salad dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbl agave nectar
juice from 1/2 of a lime
-mix together in bowl

bulgoggi marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 sugar (i used stevia, a natural sugar substitute)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbl mirin
-mix together and marindade whatever you choose for at least 30 minutes.

if you live anywhere near this brownie

run, run to purchase and then consume it! 

this vegan treats brownie topped with peanut butter mousse topped with hard chocolate and drizzled with caramel is to die for. 

i got mine at dc's java green. it was otherworldly. 

ukrainian vinigret salad

 i first had this beautiful, delicious and nutritious salad at the wedding of my boyfriend's cousin and his ukrainian bride. when i learned the bride and her mother made the salad themselves, i requested the recipe. i added the avocado for a western twist. thanks nataliya!

2 potatoes
2 carrots
1 beet
1/2 red onion, diced.
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1 1/2 cup cannellini beans
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
1 avacado sliced

1. bring two pots of water to boil, place potatoes and carrots in one pot and the beet in another.
2. once vegetables are soft, wash off the skin and chop into small cubes.
3. let the vegetables cool, while mixing together the remainder of the ingredients except the avacado.
4. add the vegetables, and toss. add the avacado last.

summer tofu salad

another salad, i know. and also, not yet officially summer. but seriously, this salad was so satisfying. perfect for a hot day.  the picture really doesn't do it justice. 

yields 2 big ass salads

orange tofu

12 oz of firm tofu marinaded in:

1/4 cup of orange juice

1 tbl soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp liquid smoke

-marinade for at least 3o minutes

-bake in marinade on 350 for 20 minutes

orange dressing

1 cup orange juice

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

-mix it up!

salad:

mixed spring greens

normal salad stuff like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes etc.

1/4 cup  of corn

cup of black beans

avacado sliced

orange tofu 

1/4 cup of mango salsa

orange dressing

-toss all the ingredient together, top with dressing

chocolate covered cherries

i made these babies because they are my dad's favorite candy. they are making their way to california via fed ex for father's day. they are not as pretty as store bought ones, but what they lack in beauty they make up for in love! 

-jar of about 40 ish maraschino cherries (you can get non poison, high fructose corn syrup, artificial color ones at whole foods and health stores.) 

-1/2 cup of powdered sugar

-1/4 cup of non dairy butter

-1 tsp of vanilla extract

-bag of vegan chocolate chips

-splash of non dairy milk

1. drain maraschino cherries and dry them on a paper towel

2. combine the sugar, butter, and vanilla together to make a thick dough

3. cover each of the cherries with a thin layer of the dough

4. once covered put the cherries in the fridge until the dough has stiffened a little (at least 30 min)

5. melt chocolate with a splash of non dairy milk by microwaving in 30 second intervals (avoid burning, by stirring during intervals) 

6. dip the cherries in the chocolate mixture, covering completely

7. lay the covered cherries on parchment paper and refrigerate 

the cherries are best after sitting for several days. the one i thieved from my dad's gift box was fantastic! 

tofu stuffed portabella mushroom for one

when you're just cooking for yourself, but want to do something fancy.

balsamic marinade

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

splash of olive oil

dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper

-combine all ingredients

tofu mixture

1/3 cup tofu

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic

2 tsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp frozen chopped spinach

salt and pepper

recipe!

-poor marinade into a small over safe pan

-clean one portabella mushroom cap, and place it in pan, being sure to get marinade all over it

-marinade for at least 20 minutes

-preheat oven to 350

-with portabella cap side down, take the tofu and stuff

-cook for about 20 minutes

-serve over a bed of greens, and drizzle with the remaining marinade

too hot

to eat anything aside from ice cream...