Even though the fall weather is over in Alaska (since most cities are covered in wet, white “termination dust,” as the locals call it), I’m still craving and enjoying meals inspired by the fall. Last week Jes posted about “Seitanic Pot Pie” and it looked so good that I just had to try it…

The pot pie topping should probably be called biscuits, because they were flaky, fluffy and very fall appropriate with the hearty, stew-like filling. I did adjust some of the ingredients (I didn’t have any seitan and used a few different veggies) and measurements (the soy milk called for in the biscuits reads 1.5, and I tried two different batches with 1/2 cup and then 1 & 1/2 cups…the 1/2 cup works better, but you end up using a bit more than 1/2 cup - hopefully that’s not too confusing). It was a great meal(s) - thanks, Jes, for the recommendation!

P.S. And you know Jes has to be alright since she’s a fellow English major. (: Be sure to check out her blog if you haven’t already.

I’m totally going to Australia for Christmas! That’s right, I’ll be spending three glorious weeks in the Sydney/Newcastle area…somebody’s got to do it, right?! My local friends there say that I won’t have any trouble finding great vegan restaurants, but if you’ve got a recommendation for places to go and eateries to visit - I’m all ears! I know this little news isn’t food related, but it’s too darn exciting to keep to myself!

And, here’s introducing another simple and delicious vegan dinner - the “anything goes” pasta bowl! Simply cook your pasta (whole wheat elbows were my choice), and while it’s cooking you sautee some veggies in a little bit of Earth Balance (mushrooms, zucchini, onion), add a bit of red wine and then finish it off with spinach (which I cook down for a minute or so). Mix the noodles and veggies together and - baddabing! - you’ve got pasta magic. Or at least a meal that only took you 15 minutes to make…

(The pasta bowl is also great when accompanied with homework. There’s no messy sauce to spill on your textbooks.)

For the busy student on the go, vegan meals can be surprisingly quick and delicious (even if the word on the street says that they’re time consuming and tedious to make). Tonight, for instance, I came home with a growling tummy and no interest in being creative in the kitchen. So, I grabbed a sweet potato from the fridge and popped it into the oven to bake while I threw together a few more ingredients to be the “baked potato toppers.”

I had just planned to use some canned black beans or refried beans on my sweet potato, but I happily discovered leftover veggie chili in the fridge that needed to be used up (chili=beans, onions, carrots, diced tomatoes, garlic, cumin and meatless ‘grounds). Add in some corn, salsa, veggies and lime, and you’ve got yourself a fiesta for dinner!

How do I love thee, Leafy Greens? Let me count the ways…

The salad is undoubtedly the star of a healthy, plant-based diet. In an attempt to eat better and shed a few pounds, I’ve been eating big, colorful salads for at least one of my meals almost everyday. But these aren’t your wimpy, iceberg lettuce-laden excuses for salad. No, we’re talking leafy green, antioxidant-packed, leave-you-stuffed-but-not-listless salads! I think the key to enjoying (and staying full from) salad consumption is to top your greens with a HUGE variety of your favorite veggies, nuts and fruit. Here are a few of mine:

• broccoli and cauliflower
• shredded zucchini, beets and carrot . . . shredding somehow helps me digest my veggies easier - thanks to Germany for the tip (:
• mushrooms (try a grilled portabello)
• corn (but not those mini corn on the cob thingies)
• tamari roasted chickpeas
• olives, artichokes and anything pickled
• sunflower seeds
• tomatoes and sometimes roasted potatoes (tomato, patatoh)
• dried fruit: currants, cranberries etc.
• lightly toasted nuts, especially walnuts or pecans
• garlickly whole-grain croutons (recipe below)

I know that when I’m busy, it helps to keep chopped veggies in the fridge so that I can put together a fulfilling meal in no time. And making your own salad dressing is easy (and inexpensive), too! Check out this crouton recipe from our Farmers’ Market recipe cache (ie Alison):

garlicky whole-grain croutons

5 slices hearty whole-grain bread (preferably whole-wheat sourdough)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press
¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the garlic with the salt in the bottom of a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the olive oil. Cut the slices of bread into ½” cubes and toss them in the garlicky oil until the oil is thoroughly absorbed and distributed. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes, until the croutons are crispy and golden-brown. Cool on the baking sheet.

**The VMF stands for Vegan Month of Food. While it’s true that October officially started last week, my VMF technically started this week since I was housesitting and unable to post earlier. Blah, blah…anyway, Happy VMF!

One of the most inspiring local chefs that I’ve had the pleasure of working with is Alison Arians, a fellow Alaskan and professional baker (as well as Anchorage’s very own Farmers’ Market Reporter). If you ever met Alison in person, you’d be instantly struck by her warmth, generosity and undeniable passion for cooking. I’m happy to admit that it was partly due to her influence several years ago that I began my own journey towards a plant-based diet and a healthier life. Plus, Alison gave me TONS of great recipes and cooking tips, and she became my biggest cheerleader in the kitchen. So, why did I tell you all of this? Because I just found out that Alison has started her very own food blog and I want you to go and check it out!

I recently tried a recipe that Alison recommended and it was delicious! I added farmers’ market tomatoes and cucumbers to this simple chickpea salad with kalamata olives and even my roommate (who doesn’t like olives) loved it. Success!

That’s it for now - thank God it’s almost Friday!

The cooler fall temperatures are making me hungry (hey, if I can blame my appetite on weather, I will). Okay, so what I really mean is that the coldness outside makes me crave hot, savory dishes inside. A few weeks ago, I was intrigued to read a post on Johanna’s blog about a shepherd’s pie with pesto in the topping. It sounded flavorful, warm and savory - a must have for my hungry fall appetite. Because my pantry was looking pretty paltry, I used up the mushrooms, onions, and spinach I had for the filling (along with garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, Italian spices and red wine), rather than the various other vegetables that Johnna suggests adding. I also threw in some meatless ground, which I’ve never used before, but was delicious (incidentally, I encourage the non-veggie blogging community to try meatless ground sometime - you probably won’t even know it’s not “real” meat). Annnyway, I topped my Italian-flavored pie filling with fluffy dollops of mashed potato goodness that had been mixed with pesto, and then I put the whole mess in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. In short, dinner (and lunch the next day) was hearty, not too unhealthy, and totally fall appropriate. Plus, I used enough garlic and Italian seasoning that my kitchen smelled like a pizzeria for the next 24 hours…yes!

On a completely different note, October is VeganMoFo. “Again?,” you might ask, or “What the?” you might wonder… Well, once a year the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) hosts VeganMoFo, or the Vegan Month of Food. The main idea is to spread awareness about vegan eating/living by blogging about it at least 5 days a week for a whole month. I’m excited to say that I’ll be taking part and sharing the vegan love with my non-veggie roommate, omni family and university classmates. I’m pretty good about doing this already, but I plan to step it up a notch with the creativity. So here’s a list of things I’m planning to tackle during October VeganMoFo:

1. Cook completely new foods (Lebanese anyone?)
2. Cook vegan staples that I’ve never tried before (i.e. cheese, ice cream, veggie sausages etc.)
3. Send vegan sweet treats to family, friends and the occasional stranger (and then give them space here to offer their thoughts)
4. Bake some awesome (and non-frightening) cupcakes for our university’s Halloween party at the Writing Center.

I’m sure more things will come up as I blog, but that’s all I’ve got for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and be sure to let me know if you have any more brilliant ideas for ways to highlight VeganMoFo.

Cheers!

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy is not only the fun and fanciful name of my new favorite pasta dish, but according to the urban dictionary, it is also a line in an odd nursery rhyme full of “puddin’n'pie” and references to book banning. Okay… And back to the pasta. I’ve slowly but surely been developing a food philosophy that believes simpler is better. Fresh, flavorful ingredients don’t always need a fancy sauce or special preparation to really shine. This easy-peasy pasta is a case in point with its short list of ingredients that include lemon, garlic, broccoli, pasta, olive oil and pesto. There’s not an exact science to the preparation, but I tossed lightly steamed broccoli (straight from my mom’s garden) with angel hair pasta, a big spoonful of pesto, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a heaping portion of chopped garlic (that had been quickly sauteed in a tablespoon or so of olive oil). I guarantee that this unpretentious and delicious dish will make your list of favorites in no time. **Rebecca, try this “recipe” - you and Joe will love it.

One of the benefits of living in Alaska = delicious (& big) golden raspberries:

The dog LOVES these sweet yellowy treats and always asks for his fair share…

What meal could satisfy after a busy day at school/work/life? Ricki’s Quinoa, Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad, of course! Beets are another hot item in Alaska right now, meaning that Ricki’s recipe was a must make. The salad’s flavors are amazing in their simplicity. The lemon and garlic complement both the soft, sweet beet and the crunch of the toasted walnut. Yum - definitely a great way to make use of your beets! (I hope Ricki doesn’t mind, but since my picture turned out so poorly, I borrowed her beautiful beet salad pic - be sure to visit her site for more delicious recipes and eye-appealing photos. Thanks, Ricki!)

Gee whiz - where did the summer go?! School started again last week and although it feels great to be a grad student (for a Masters in English), I’m a little confused as to how it’s possible that tomorrow will be September 1st…. Oh well, fall has always been my favorite season anyway, so I don’t know why I’m complaining!

I have to take a minute to introduce you to one of the best local farmers’ market websites ever. Check out our Anchorage Farmers’ Market page for awesome [and numerous vegan] recipes, community updates and even instructional Youtube videos. My friend and former co-worker, Alison Arians, is responsible for the site and its fabulous recipes. I bought some loaves of bread from her Rise and Shine Bakery this weekend and then drove home to try a few of her recommended meals. Using other goodies from the garden, I made cucumber salad with peanut-jalepeno dressing and the carrot & mint salad with currants.

Delicious! I served the salads with avacado toasts for dinner and everything was gobbled up right away. I can’t wait to try more of Alison’s simple, satisfying meals - be sure to check out her recipes!

And before signing off, I have to say a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Theresa and Andy on their recent engagement. I know I’ve been out of the blogging loop for most of the summer, but I couldn’t let this post slip by without acknowledging the awesome news - good luck, guys!

I hope everyone’s having a a wonderful summer/fall transition. Feel free to drop me a note so that we can catch up - and happy Labor Day!

Man oh man is my belly full! But boy oh boy did I enjoy every bite of the sweet and savory goodness in Ricki’s Tagine of Quinoa with Chickpeas, Olives and Prunes. A few days ago Ricki listed some of her favorite photos/recipes from blogging and I was immediately intrigued by the - if I’m honest - weird list of ingredients in her tagine. But I bought the few items I didn’t already have and set about testing whether such a combination could actually be tasty.
Whoa boy - this tagine was amazing! Tangy, sweet, salty, full of texture…I ate way too much (and I’m not apologizing)!

After the tagine I tried a new recipe from Mihl: Chocolate Coffee Cookies. In the words of my brother and sister-in-law, “Wow, Moni, these are unbelievable!” I only got about half of the cookies actually baked, since they ate so much of the dough, but I’d HIGHLY suggest that you give these slightly sweet and coffee-strong cookies a try. (The only change I made was to use dairy instead of soy milk/margarine, because my sister-in-law is allergic to soy.)

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