Gotta write this recipe out later:
Pasta with Pesto, Delicata Squash, and Chickpeas <3

Creamy Spicy Broccoli Grape Salad

Dressing:
2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (trader joe's)
2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon
0.5 tbsp habenero hot sauce or to taste

Salad:
2 cups raw broccoli, chopped small
1 cup red grapes, cut in half
about 3 oz extra firm tofu, cut into very small cubes
2 tbsp fake bacon bits

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, add to the other ingredients and stir.

Sweet Potato and Tofu

This needs refinement, but it was a great simple meal.  Just equal parts sweet potato and tofu cubes, baked with some cayenne and fake bacon bits.  Heat, sweet, spicy.  I like the taste of tofu on its own, but a marinade may improve the recipe a lot!

Arugula and Green Pea Salad with Sunbutter

I'm not sure I'm that crazy about this salad yet, but for posterity, it's pretty good and could be worked out, I think.

Dressing:
1 tbsp roasted sunbutter
1/2 tsp garam masala
Spritz of lemon juice
Splash of habenero hot sauce  (optional, just for heat)
Enough water to create a "dressing" consistency (mine took about 2 tbsp)
Whisk together, I just used a fork.

Salad:
About 2c arugula
About 3/4 cup green peas
Toss with dressing.

This is a little bit more unusual than I hope most of my recipes will be, but you can find all but the garam masala at any walmart.  Sun butter and arugula both have gained quite a bit of popularity and I feel are staples at most grocery stores.

Italian Sausage Tofu Salad

About 2 servings of the italian tofu
1/4 of a bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup california blend veggies, thawed (a blend of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
     -most veggies would probably work, really
1/4 cup corn kernels
     -add a nice sweetness without refined sugar, but extra carrot would work well too
1/2 tbsp vegan mayo, or more to taste

Combine.  Will update this later with more refinement.

A Thought on Spices

I wanted to make a list of things I feel have greatly improved my life as a vegetarian.  Most of them are spices, which you don't necessarily see on everyone's shelves, but really should be.  Even when I was still eating an omnivore diet, many of these greatly enhanced food.  And I feel they are well worth the investment.  So a little list!

• Smoked Salts.  Hickory and applewood are always around at my house.  I'm hunting for mesquite, but it seems harder to find.  These are great for adding a BBQ flavor, when you don't want to whip out a grill and wood chips.
• Smoked Paprika.  Smoky, earthy taste, and the quality of smoked paprika is often well beyond that of regular paprika.
• Different pepper sauces.  I enjoy many varying degrees of heat, and each different type of pepper has a subtly different flavor.
• Fennel seeds, which don't appear in many recipes, but have a nice flavor.  Some people even chew them to freshen their breath.
• Thai basil, while you must obtain it fresh, and will probably have to hunt down at an Asian grocer, is a really nice herb that makes things a little different.
• Thyme.  Aside from some holiday dishes, thyme seems to be under-utilized in modern cooking.  It's a shame, because it adds a deep, herbal note to just about anything.
• Gumbo Filé.  (Pronounced fee-lay.)  These are ground sassafras leaves.  It's difficult to explain the flavor without simply trying it yourself.  Great in most savory soups, particularly gumbo, where it is traditionally used.
• White Pepper.  Similar to black pepper, but has a sharper bite.
• Bay Leaves/ Laurel leaves.  A common but under-used herb once again.
• Nutritional yeast.  Everyone should know about this by now, but if you don't, it's got an almost cheesy taste.
• Molasses.  I try not to eat a lot of refined sugar, but in trying to replicate some dishes with stevia or fruit, I find they miss the 'brown sugar' flavor at times.  A little molasses can go a very long way, and provides that taste without having to rely on a much larger quantity of brown sugar.
• Homemade ketchup.  It's so easy to make from tomato sauce and paste, and a few seasonings, and it's so much better than that corn syrup gunk from the grocery store.
• Kala Namak, aka Black salt.  It's important to make the distinction between kala namak and other black salts, so I feel it's best for people looking for this to search for it as kala namak.  There are a lot of different "black salt" products that aren't this.  This salt has a little bit of sulfur in its mineral content, and can make a tofu scramble or a vegan mayonnaise taste "right".   In high concentration, sure, sulfur smells like a fart.  In low quantities in our food, it provides an egg flavor.  It might seem insignificant to some people, the difference between a jar of vegan mayonnaise that you've tossed a big pinch of kala namak into, but to those with sensitive palettes, or those who find that it just has something missing, you'll be surprised at the improvement.
• Garam Masala.  It goes in so many Indian dishes, that, even if you aren't sporting a full arsenal of indian spices, it's good to have this on hand.
• Tumeric.  Same reason as garam masala.  If you have both Garam Masala and tumeric, as well as other common spices you probably already have (cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, etc) this opens up a lot of potential for making Indian dishes on a whim.  Maybe not restaurant quality, but still better than the stuff you'll find in the freezer section.

This list will continue to expand.

Italian Sausage Tofu Crumble Version 2

So I am steadily trying to refine the Italian Sausage Tofu Crumble!  Having enjoyed it so much yesterday, I got up this morning to make some, and broke out the measuring spoons for experimentation.  It's not quite exactly how the first one came out, but still excellent.  I believe I may add a tiny bit of smoked paprika next time.

Italian Sausage Tofu Crumble

-1 package of extra firm tofu, crumbled.  (Mine was 14 oz, but I'm sure anything 12-16 oz will work fine)
-1 tsp EACH of garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper
-1/4 tsp of ground oregano
-1/2 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper
-1.5 tbsp of basil
-1/2 tsp of MSG*  (optional, but read below)
-2 to 4 tbsp of olive oil
          This depends on how strongly flavored your olive oil happens to be.  If it's regular,
          use 2, if it's light, use 4.  Do not use extra virgin!  Extra virgin olive oil should not
          be heated and often becomes bitter.  (If you want the flavor of extra virgin, cook it
          with 1 tbsp of regular olive oil, then add another tbsp of extra virgin when it's done.)

Makes 4 servings, 165 calories with 2 tbsp oil, 195 calories with 3 tbsp oil, 225 calories, per serving with 4 tbsp oil.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Crumble the tofu into the bowl, and mix well to combine.  Spread the mixture thinly across a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  This will have a texture not unlike well done scrambled eggs.  Serve on the crusty, toasted bread of your choice.  Pepperoncinis, bell peppers, fried peppers and onions, and tomatoes are all great toppings.

Things on an Everything Bagel

So recently, I had a pack of everything bagels.  I put a lot of things on them that were quite good and may appeal to others, as ideas for bagels that one may not have thought of.


#1 Peanut & Arugula

I put a layer of peanuts on the bottom of the bagel.  Then shove a handful of arugula onto the bagel, like as much as you can possibly balance and smoosh it all together.  Simple, but good.  Would probably work with a thin layer of peanut butter or cashew pieces, too.  (But probably not cashew butter, cashews being so sweet when ground.)

#2 Aged Cashew Cheese, Bell Pepper, and Bruschetta

Leaned heavily on the bruschetta and put only a little bit of cheese.  The bell pepper was very very thin slices so not to overwhelm everything.  I used treeline aged cashew cheese, but any cashew cheese, homemade or otherwise, would probably be great.  Want to eat this one open faced at some point.  Less bagel, more bruschetta!  Mmm.

#3 Vegan Cream Cheese and Chinese Cucumber Salad
Vegan cream cheese from Trader Joe's.  And Chinese Cucumber Salad.

Note to Self:  Invent more bagels!

Creamy Vegan Ranch Chickpea Peach Farm Salad. Peanuts Lime.

Creamy Vegan Ranch Chickpea Peach Farm Salad. Peanuts Lime.: Creamy Vegan Ranch Chickpea Peach Salad

This blogger seems to be making a lot of really good  recipes that are along similar lines to those I would like to see.  So I made this, with the variations that I used onion powder instead of fresh onion (housemate doesn't like onions), and instead of "mixed herbs", I used dill weed.  I mean, that's what's in ranch.  Ranch does not have Italian seasoning, and I was looking for ranch flavor... haha.

Otherwise, I tried the recipe as written.  There was more than enough chickpea mixture for several salads, and it seemed to go over very well with arugula.  But both me and the housemate agreed it was better with smoked almonds and avocado, than it was with peaches and peanuts.  Also, for as much as I like chickpea, wasn't too sure about leaving them whole.  I think the ranch flavor would penetrate the chickpea mixture better if they were lightly smashed.  Not enough to make a paste, just sort of a chickpea crumble.

It's a great salad and I will experiment with it a lot more in the coming weeks, no doubt.  I've also gotten my hands on some lactic acid (vegan, made from sugar), which I know is "exotic", but qualifies easily as the one exotic ingredient I'd be willing to put in.  Honestly, I'm not sure why it's not a vegan/ plant based staple, since it will make foods taste more like milk or cheese instead of... you know, nuts.

Italian Sausage Tofu

This goes great on an everything bagel!

Spicy Italian Not-Sausage

1/2 block of extra firm tofu, crumbled
1-2 tbsp olive oil, but not extra virgin
Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper
Oregano
Basil
Fennel Seeds
Garlic and Onion Powder
MSG (optional)
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 until the tofu is the desired firmness/ texture.  Serve or use as you would crumbled italian sausage.  Sorry this one isn't quite done, I eyeball everything the first time.  Will refine later.

Garlicy Eggplant Stew

Garlicy Eggplant Stew

• 1 TBSP oil of your choice; I used coconut
• 1 medium onion
• 10 cloves garlic (YES. TEN.)
• 1 bell pepper or 3-5 mini bell peppers (about 1/2 cup), chop small.
• 1 large eggplant, about 1.25 lbs before peeling/ cutting the top off.  Chop small.
• --Water**
• 1 medium zucchini
•  1/4 cup tamari (that's basically all-soy soy sauce, if you didn't know, soy sauce is also fine)
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (make sure no sugar is added)
• 1 cup dry textured vegetable protein (TVP) or 2 cups "beefless" crumbles or beef-like meat sub of your choice
• Cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, and white pepper to taste.  I use a small pinch of oregano, lots of cumin and paprika, and a tsp or two of cayenne.  White pepper just a pinch.  You may also like some parsley.  Chili flakes to your discretion.

1. In a large saucepan (at least 2 quarts), add your oil, and saute the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until the onions are clear.
   
   
2. Put the eggplant into the saucepan with the onions and garlic mixture, and saute until eggplant begins to soften, then put a lid on the pot.  Stir occasionally, and add water as necessary to keep eggplant from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    
3. When eggplant is fully softened, and falling apart, and none of the pieces feel "foamy" in texture when tasted, it is done.  This may take a while; the smaller you chop the eggplant the faster it will go.  But when it's done, add the tomatoes and TVP.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes on low.
    
4. Season to taste.  Makes 2 quarts of stew, about 130 calories per cup.

Unpretentious Vegetables

Hello blog world.  I am a foodie who believes in a plant based diet for optimal health.  Sometimes I still eat dairy, but it's fairly rare.  I strive as often as possible to eat food that can be described as "vegan", though I do not label myself this way as a person.  I am a vegetarian, though; I live in the first world, and I have the luxury of having the option not to eat something that has thoughts and feelings.  So I don't!  I don't think people who do are bad people, especially globally, where it may be necessary.  I'm just happy that I don't have to do so, and hope we can someday make a world where no human must rely on the flesh of another creature for sustenance.

However, I noticed there is a bit of a derth in the vegan food world, of recipes that are simple and accessible to a normal palette, without being dull.  90% of the time, any other recipes fall into pretentious territory.  I am trying to keep a log of foods that I make myself, that aren't like some overly complicated Creamy Macadamia Raw Kale Zoodles with Whole Wheat Specialty Gnocchi, Enoki Mushrooms, and Freely Given Unicorn Droppings.

My goal here is not only to log foods I enjoy for my own benefit, but to add to the body of recipes that are something that vegetarians, vegans, and people on plant based diets can make easily.  I know I'm not the only one who wants to see more recipes with well balanced and somewhat familiar flavor profiles, which aren't done to death, or full of exotic ingredients.  I will strive for no more than two exotic ingredients per recipe at most, and will lean heavily toward ingredients that most people on these diets have in the pantry, such as nutritional yeast or a specific variety of plant-based milk.

So yes.  Unpretentious Vegetables.  That's what you'll find here.