An Oldie but a Fantastic-ie

i cannot/will not get over this song. beirut is going to be at the pitchfork music festival in July. oh oh :)

Tarts & Charts

School stinks. That's all there is to it. Consequently, I put off studying for exams tonight to make these little wonders. Veganomicon's heart shaped apple galettes! I didn't have the inclination to heart-shape them, so here they are in all of their circular glory. I'm dying to live in apartment with natural light so that these picture will not be so aesthetically DISpleasing. The weather has been so lovely and practically all the other universities in Chicago have been finished for weeks, why must the quarter (rather than semester) system torture me so? 2 weeks til freedom. Until then...

Memorial Day & Extries

Last night I had a dream that there was anarchy in the U.S. and it was every (wo)man for her/himself. Totally and completely freaky and I woke up pretty spooked, very Children of Men. So after getting ready, I hopped on my new bike, Cat Ballou, and I rode off to work. Because of the holiday, there was hardly anyone on the streets and I arrived at work only to find that it was CLOSED, argh! Really not a big probalum but the uneasiness leftover from my dream hadn't really lifted yet. The weirdness continues, there are about 100 gigantor plague-like mosquitos hiding out in the vestibule between the outside and the museum in my apartment building. Hopefully, this strange morning is not indicative of an even more disturbing week ahead.

On a different note--this blog called Cake Wrecks is highlarious & definitely worth checking out, see below. Happy Memorial Day, lovelies!

T-t-t-tacos!

About 20 days past due on Cinco de Mayo, but nevertheless, summertime food is finally in season! Things have been pretty busy around here lately, I recently purchased a new bike that actually fits me (woohoo) and I can't wait to ride it around town. Also, in a couple weeks I'm moving up to a new apartment, about 6 blocks north of where I'm at now in the Hemingway mansion. The kitchen is about 10x bigger and it actually gets natural sunlight :) so I can't wait to post some better recipes and prettier pics!

These tacos, or fajitas? I guess they're more like fajitas. But anyways, they're really not traditional with the main protein being Boca bits, topped with sauteed onions/pepps and some chunks of avocado in a spinach tortilla. I also served refried black beans on the side with some sweet potato fries. If you want, you could spread the RF beans on the tortilla and throw some of the fries into the taco. I bet it would be preetteeee good.

Ingredients:

1 3lb. bag of Boca bits (or another ground beef substitute)
1 packet of taco seasoning (I prefer La Preferida)
2-3 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper
1 ripe avocado
4-5 medium tortillas

Start by cutting the pepper and the pepper into about 1/4 in. thick slices. Sautee those in the olive oil for a few minutes, covered, until the onions are translucent. Then, follow the directions on the fake meat package, or for the Boca Bits just sautee them over med-high heat for about 1 minute then add about 3/4 c. water and the taco seasoning. Cook the Bits for about 5-7 more minutes then put a couple of spoonfuls on a tortilla. Follow with the peppers and onions then layer on some chunks of avocado! These would also be tasty with sour cream or cheese. Either way, they're pretty healthy and seriously delicioso. Espero que les gustan :P

Oatmeal + Blueberry Muffins

SO these aren't vegan. Yea yea I know, I'm a terrible human bean, but my Lenten vows ended with Easter. While I still eat ~mostly vegan, I have been eating dairy in moderation. The # 1 perpetrator has been yogurt--Fage is whats up.

Anyways, these little muffs could be easily veganized used 1 egg replacer or even 1/2 a mashed up banana may work. Oatmeal is my favorite grain, I love everything about it. From the Quaker Oats Quaker to the lovely texture it provides, ahh splendid. Plus, the addition of ze oats makes these energy packed bundles of breakfast joy. This recipe is slightly modified, but 100% based off of: http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/2009/03/oatmeal-blueberry-muffins.html, a cute blog I found via Tastespotting. The only changes that I made were to use rice milk + 2 t of apple cider vinegar instead of buttermilk, 1/4 t cloves, and I added about 1 t of vanilla. If you like your muffins to be sweet, you should up the sugar, but I think they are perfect just the way they are :P

I will leave you with Donatello...the muffin that closely resembles a Ninja Turtle...

=

It's that time

The worst part of going to a university with 3 terms rather than semesters is that I'm taking midterm exams while they finish up their finals. Rude! The weather has taken a turn for the beautiful and it's the perfect time for bike rides and love. However, I cannot enjoy this as I cram for tax, auditing, marketing....etc. The end is in sight, but I have had little time to cook this week. On a happier note....

CANNOT wait to see this:

Where The Wild Things Are



oOooo or this:

Paper Heart

Green Pizza

For all you Napervillains,



Check it! Green pizza delivery, compliments of http://napervilledummy.blogspot.com/ (Jay Jay)

Squash, Spaghetti Squash

Greetings Earthlings

May I introduce you to my most favorite member of the squash family: Spaghetti Squash. This guy is so fancy and fulfilling. I trust he will not disappoint you either. Sometimes I am in the mood for LOTS and LOTS of pasta. While I sometimes trust my instincts, I've paid the price of carbo-loading in the form of belly bloating food coma many a time. S.S. is a lovely, not to mention satisfying, way to curb your pasta needs with no sugar overload. Now I'll 'splain my most favorite way of preparation thus far, in life.

S.S. with Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes

makes 1 big serving or 2 side dishes

• 1 spaghetti squash (1.5-2 lbs ish)
• 2-3 T olive oil
• a big handful of cherry or grape tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic (pressed or minced)
• a couple of handful of fresh spinach
• 1/2 t dry basil
• 1 t red pepper flakes (don't add these if you don't enjoy ze spicy)
  
• salt & pepper to taste

There are a couple of ways to prepare the squash. I don't like to wait an hour for him to cook in the oven, so I prefer the microwave method. But if you're anti-microwave, you can Google how to bake them. Just poke about 10 holes in the squash with the end of a chef or paring knife. Then, place Mr. S in a microwave safe dish and nuke him for 6 minutes. Then turn it over or it will cook unevenly. **At this time you should start cooking the lil tomateys**

Cook for another 6 minutes then allow it to cool in the microwave for at least 2 minutes. Once to take it out, use a towel to hold one side as you slice it in half. Be prepared for steam mania! Once you won't get steam burns you can scrape out the seeds with a spoon then use a fork to extract the entrails! They will probably be really hot but just let them hang out on the side for a tad. This part is almost better than eating it, almost.

**Begin cooking the tomatoes in the olive oil over medium high heat. I like how they pop in your mouth when they're really hot, but many people don't like this so you can cut them in half if you please. >>Your sauce will be extra juicy if you do this. Cook for about 6 minutes then add the garlic and the spinach, cover for about 1 minute so the spinach is wilted. Add the spices and cook for additional 2-3 minutes before adding the squash strands to the pan to mix with the goodies and bring the dish together. Mix it up with some tongs or 2 forks if you're tongless.

You're now good to go! It's not the most attractive dish, so you can accompany it with a little garnish. The whole prep, eat, and clean-up time for this dish is under an hour! It's great for a lunch or casual dinner. It would be a great side dish for moussaka or eggplant parm for you non veggie pplz. Maybe it's just because I love this dish so much, but I always finish the whole thing. I hope you also love Sir Spaghetti Squash because he is all too often forgotten.