salsa verde

fresh tomatillos = fresh salsa verde. yumsh!

1 small onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (diced)
25 tomatillos (husk removed - halved)
2 jalepenos (diced, seeds removed)
1 bunch cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
salt

1. brown onion, garlic, jalepenos. add tomatillos and cook until soft.
2. add mixture to blender or food processor. add cilantro and blend until smooth.
3. add juice of lime and salt to taste.

we used the sauce for tacos and i added about 4 tbsp to the rice water to make verde rice. deliciousness!

creamy spinach deliciousness

i've been traveling for the last few weeks, so i was extremely happy to be in the kitchen cooking yesterday. eric and i went to the farmer's market were we were given an extremely long neck squash - something i've never seen before.

i decided to make a potato quiche with a squash/spinach stuffing. it was awesome.

1 large potato
3 cups squash (cut into small bite size chunks)
5 cups spinach (steamed, water removed)
2 tbsp sour cream (i used tofutti vegan sour cream)
1/8 cup plain soy milk
bread crumbs
1/8 cup cheese (i used a vegetarian pepper jack)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1. brown onion, garlic, and squash in pan - set aside
2. slice potato into very thin circles (mandoline works best)
3. spray pam in pie dish, arrange sliced potato around edges and bottom
4. mix onion, garlic, and squash with spinach, sour cream, cheese, and soy milk
5. add bread crumbs (i added enough until it was slightly stiff - maybe 4 tbsp)
6. mix in salt and pepper for taste. add mixture to pie dish.
7. cook at 350 for 30-35 minutes. during the last five minutes, brown with broil.

our friend jamie came over and the quiche was gone within 10 minutes. it was really tasty!

easy spicy asian sauce

i'm a big fan of stirfrys and love this sauce.

1 tbsp vegan bbq sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp plain yellow mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha or sweet chili sauce
1 tsp corn starch

mix wet ingredients first, then add corn starch with fork. super yummy and super easy.

spicy vegan sausage stirfry

* 1 vegan brat (I used yves)
* assorted veggies (I used onion, yellow squash, tomato, and red bell pepper)
* 1/2 of cooked lentils (I used black beluga)

1. cut veggies in bite size chunks and cook for five minutes (you could use oil - i used pam)
2. cut brat into bite size chunks and add to veggies and cook until brat pieces are cooked through
3. add a few tbsp of your favorite spicy sauce or dried chili flakes
4. add the cooked lentils
5. enjoy

** i ended up adding a little bit of catsup to the mix after it was done. very tasty and filling.

and now it's done

I graduated with a Masters of Science (with Distinction!!!!) in Instructional Design and Technology...

now what?

Oyster Mushroom Risotto

I made this for a dinner party Eric and I had last night and there was none left over *so sad*. Typically, risotto is made with rice, but I was running low so I added orzo to the mix as well. I think this is the recipe -- kind of threw it together last night, so you might need to add more liquid if you find rice/pasta sticking or it is not creamy enough.

Oyster Mushroom Risotto
1/4 yellow onion finely diced
1/4 purple onion finely diced
6 garlic cloves finely diced
1 pound oyster mushroom (or any other mushroom)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
2 tbsp olive oil (I used garlic flavored)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup orzo
1 1/2 cup short grain rice
2 1/2 cups no-chicken broth (after reducing, it was slightly more than 2 cups)
3 cups water
5 asparagus (cut into bite size pieces)
1 cup frozen peas
parmesan cheese (or vegan)
seasoning (I added salt, pepper, and italian seasoning at the end with the parmesan)

|:: | :: | :: | :: | :: | :: |
I prepared the mushroom mixture a couple of hours before the risotto

* heat olive oil. brown onion and garlic for 5 minutes on medium heat.
* add sugar and lid mixture for 10 minutes.
* clean and chop large chunks of mushroom.
* remove lid and add mushrooms to pan to brown.
* add butter, wine, soy sauce to deglaze pan.
* add 1 cup of water.
* reduce mixture by half on low heat.

* heat no-chicken broth in pan. boil and reduce for 10 minutes, set aside.
* add mushroom mixture to large skillet on medium heat.
* add orzo and rice to brown.
* add 1 cup of no-chicken broth and 1 cup of water. stir until most liquid is absorbed
* add asparagus and peas.
* add 1 cup of no-chicken broth and 1 cup of water. lid mixture and simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.
* uncover and stir. taste rice/pasta. cook until tender.
* once ready, uncover and mix parmesan (or vegan) into risotto. mixture should be creamy and delicious!

it's been a while...

yea yea i know i know...

been up to a lot of things:
- in the middle of my project
- working on finishing my last classes
- worked at our first user's conference (rave reviews)
- still working on yummy recipes

i'll update later with more info!