Tex-Mex Chinese Pie

Did you know that what most of the country (world?) calls Shepherd’s Pie actually goes by the name Chinese Pie in parts of New England? It’s true! There are some differences (peas and carrots vs. corn for example), but they’re very similar dishes. There’s a whole story about how Chinese railroad workers back in the day cooked it for their fellow workers, who then brought the recipe home with them to NE and Quebec. I grew up calling it Chinese Pie, but when I say that around here no one knows what I’m talking about. And no, I don’t ever serve it with pickled beets

I’m not sure if those Chinese railroad workers or French Canadians ever imagined giving their pate chinois a south-of-the-border flair like this, but I sure hope you like it. In the past I’ve made this with a vegan “meat crumble” substitute, but for 2012 I’m going to try and cut out more of the processed stuff. Not that I’m going cold-turkey on the Daiya or anything crazy like that! It’s just that I’ve been wearing a %^*#ing walking boot for much of the holiday season, and all the goodies and nog plus the inability to get any exercise are taking their toll. Hence my desire to cut back a little. And besides, we could all use a little less “processed” in our lives, right?

So rather than a layer of hamburger (or boca crumbles!) and a layer of corn we have a nice jumble of beans and corn (along with their friends tomatoes, green chilies and onions), and the mashed taters have some wonderful (hot!) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce mixed in. Oh, and a layer of mexi-bread crumbs adds some crunch at the very top! This is a very hearty, “stick to your ribs” type of meal, great for a cold winter’s night.

Tex Mex Chinese Pie (6-8 servings)

This recipe will fill up a 3 qt baking dish. If you want to make the beans/corn mix ahead of time just add 30 minutes of baking time (covered with foil). And you should definitely feel free to prepare the mashed potatoes as you normally do, using as much EB and milk as you like. I just included my own measurements as a suggestion.

Ingredients:

5 medium/large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or diced
Oil or water, for sauteeing
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 14 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 packet ‘vegetarian chili’ seasoning mix
14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/4 cup water
4-5 T Earth Balance (amount based on preference)
1/4-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (amount based on preference)
2 good sized chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped as small as you can get them.
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 t chili powder
1/2 t paprika
1 T crushed red pepper

Directions:

Heat over to 350 degrees
Put your potatoes on to boil, and let them cook until they’re nice and mooshy. We want a smooth mash for this, no lumps!
In a large skillet or pot, sautee the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until they start to get soft.
Add both cans of beans, seasoning mix, tomatoes/chilies and water to the skillet and mix all together. Let them simmer until it thickens.
When your taters are done cooking, drain and mash with the EB and non-dairy milk. Once they’re nice and smooth, add the chipotle peppers.
In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the remaining spices.
Pour the bean/corn mixture into the bottom of your baking dish, the gently spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making sure to get full coverage.
Top with the bread crumb mixture.
If your bean/corn mixture and your potatoes are still warm, bake (uncovered) for about 20 minutes, then move to the top of the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, so the top gets nice and browned. If you made any of the components earlier and they need to be reheated, add about 30 minutes of covered backing before removing the foil.

Enjoy!

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Mexican Fettuccini

Mexican Fettuccini!

This might be one of those recipes where the ingredients list doesn’t grab you and scream “MAKE ME”, and you might be tempted to overlook it, but believe me when I say that once you try this dish, you’ll be a believer! It’s absolutely delicious, and my omni husband counts it among his favorites (as in, out of ALL dishes, both vegan and not), which tells me that it’ll appeal to a wide range of eaters. The layers of flavor in the sauce meld together to create a new “super-flavor”. I used a hotish salsa, so there was a little bit of heat which combined with the coolness of the sour cream, the crunchiness of the walnuts, the twanginess of the olives and earthiness of the spinach. The pictures don’t show it, but before devouring I mixed everything all together on my plate and WOW!

Seriously, just make this dish. You wont be sorry, I promise you.

The recipe comes from the fantabulous Epicurean Vegan, and the only changes I made were to use regular ol’ fettuccini and a (slighty) hot salsa. I also added some sliced avocado on top cuz why not, right? One change I wish I had made was to double the ingredients so that I’d have leftovers This is the second time I’ve made this dish, you’d think I’d learn my lesson! So go on, check out the recipe and don’t forget to double it!

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“Rum-nog” Pound Cake with Cranberries

Mmmmmm.... Rum-Nog...

I’m totally in the holiday spirit, but something was missing… this pound cake!

Yesterday was a snow day (according to me, when I called in to work), so I took that opportunity to do some baking, and… ta da! It was difficult to not just drink all the So Delicious nog, but I managed to save some for this scrumptious pound cake. And some rum, too The cake itself doesn’t taste overly rum-y, but boy oh boy can you taste the rum in the glaze! Rum = Yum in my book! My cake came out a bit dense, but that could be blamed on my lack of baking skills or even just the fact that I live at 6,700 feet. FYI, you wont find a ton of baking recipes on this blog for that very reason. Baking at this altitude will break your heart! Anyway, I know most of you don’t live waaaaay up here with me, so please make any necessary adjustments. I want this cake to turn our beautifully for you!

I hope you’re all enjoying your holidays and stuffing your faces with as much vegan goodness as you can get your hands on!

“Rum-Nog” Poundcake with Cranberries (15-20 small slices)

Recipe adapted from Technicolor Kitchen (non-vegan)

Don’t forget to make any altitude adjustments!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 ¾ cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup Earth Balance , room temperature (approximately 2 sticks, plus a little more)
2 cups granulated sugar
Ener G replacement for 3 eggs
1 cup So Delicious Nog (you could totally mix some rum in here, if you’re inclined!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup dried cranberries, tossed with 1 teaspoon AP flour

Crystal rum glaze:

¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup capacity ring or bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream EB on medium-low speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar then continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the side of the bowl.
Beat in the egg replacer, one third at a time, and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in four additions alternately with the ‘nog in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl again. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cranberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake is golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 10 minutes – in the meantime, make the glaze: place the sugar, rum and water in a small bowl and mix to combine.
Carefully unmold the cake onto the rack and, using a pastry brush, coat the top and sides of the cake with the glaze. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Check out this shot… you can see my cute little counter-top mini tree in the background!

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Slow-Cooker Bean and Cornbread Casserole

Bean and Cornbread Casserole

This recipe was actually inspired by one that I found online years ago, but now I can’t find it again. That used to happen a lot- I’d print out a recipe then never be able to re-find the source. Of course, now that I pin all the dishes I see online and want to try on my ‘Vegan Food To Make Your Tummy Growl’ board on Pinterest, that doesn’t happen anymore! Perfect solution! (BTW, if you’d like to get started on Pinterest and need an invite, let me know in the comments and I’ll send you one.)

I especially love making this dish on snowy or rainy afternoons- there’s just something so cozy about having my red crock pot going in the kitchen and knowing that I’m not going to have to make dinner. I know the ingredients list looks long, but I think you’ll find most are things you already have in your pantry and fridge.

Slow-Cooker Bean & Cornbread Casserole (5-6 servings)

As always with my recipes, the amount of beans are approximate, as I don’t use canned myself.

Ingredients:

1 large green or red bell pepper
1 large sweet or white onion
3 cloves garlic (or more, if you’re a garlic fiend!)
1 can (16oz) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can (16oz) pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can (16oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
8-10 oz tomato sauce
16 oz diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 can cream corn
2 t chili powder (I used a “NM” blend, but any kind will work)
1 t pepper
2 t salt
1 t hot sauce
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup AP flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 T sugar
3/4 cups non-dairy milk
1 egg replacer mix of choice
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 can cream corn

Directions:

Chop onions and bell peppers, and mince garlic cloves.
Spray inside of slow-cooker with non-stick spray.
Sautee onions, peppers and garlic in water in a pan until tender, then add to the slow-cooker.
Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1/2 can of corn, spices and hot sauce.
Cover, and cook on high for about 1 hour.
In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then stir in the milk, egg replacement, oil and the rest of the corn.
Ladle over the bean mixture in the slow-cooker, making it nice and smooth.
Cover again, and cook for about another 1.5 hours, but sometimes my cornbread takes a little longer to cook all the way through. (ETA: This could take up to an additional 30 minutes, but you can slice into the cornbread to see if it’s cooked)

Enjoy!

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7-Layer Dip

"Tom Brady" Dip

I made this bad boy yesterday afternoon, to nosh on while watching my Patriots trounce all over the Broncos. Technically it’s called a 7-Layer Dip, but at my house it’ll always be known as Tom Brady Dip. Half the dish contained green chilies, which I recommend if you want to bring the heat (sorta like Tom and the boys did). You could also add extra spice with a hot salsa or extra chili powder. Serve in a glass dish to show off the pretty layers! I served with my Agave-Toasted Tortilla chips, and the hint of sweet was perfect with the spice!

7 Layer Dip

You should definitely consider upping the spice a couple of notches if you like heat!

Ingredients:

10 oz vegan sour cream
1/3 cup taco seasoning blend
1/2 t chili powder
1 can refried beans
3 medium/large ripe avocados, chopped up and a little bit smooshed
1 t sea salt
1 small can diced green chilies (if desired)
2+ cups salsa (medium or mild)
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
2/3 cup sliced scallions

Directions:

Mix the sour cream, taco blend and chili powder well.
Layer the remaining ingredients as follows (bottom up): Beans, sour cream mix, avocado, salt, green chilies, salsa, lettuce, scallions.

Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato, Tomato and Quinoa Soup (and Happy Birthday Olivia!)

Sweet Potato, Tomato and Quinoa Soup

In the Rocky Mountains, Winter = Soup. Well, at my house anyway. This is one of our favorites and I think it’s a soup that will appeal to both vegans and omnivores alike (well, at least those who like soup!). I know this because I once made it for my stepfather who is not only not vegan, but is opposed to eating vegetables in general, and he liked it. He may have even uttered the phrase “That was vegan?”, so there you have it.

This is a very creamy soup, high in protein. I mix a lot of quinoa in mine, but to keep it smoother you could certainly use less. Either way, I highly recommend serving with chunks of crusty bread, slathered in Earth Balance!

Also, we have another birthday to celebrate at the TWV house! Our darling kitty cat Olivia turned 11 yesterday! Happy Birthday Olivia! Olivia, who also answers to “Squishie Kitty”, made her way into our hearts and home on December 15, 2008 after living in a feral colony for at least 4 years. Her age, like that of many rescue pets, is a guess, but what we know for sure is that she had a family before, because she’s been extremely affectionate since the day she arrived. The colony she was living in was made up of more than 100 cats (mostly abandoned by former residents of the trailer park, and their off-spring), a couple of pit bulls and (true story!) a fox or two! Well, the dogs had homes, and the fox lived in the woods of course, but they all came out for feeding time, and ate together nicely. This colony is actually pretty well known in our area for these kinds of stories. There are wonderful people watching over the colony, feeding them and doing TNR (our Olivia has the snipped ear to prove it!). One of them trapped Olivia and brought her to our house ahead of a nasty cold snap. She had noticed how affection Miss O had been, and couldn’t stand the thought of her being outside anymore. Once I heard about her, neither could I!

And though she’s the littlest member of our family, we don’t think she knows it. She has the biggest personality and makes sure every one knows she’s in charge!

Thank you again for indulging my sentimentality. I promise there are no more pet birthdays until February

Sweet Potato, Tomato and Quinoa Soup (makes 5-6 large servings)

You’ll want an immersion blender for this, although you could also use a regular blender in a pinch (I have!). If you go with the immersion method, you’ll also want to use a pan with high sides so you don’t get any splashing. The veggies can all be roughly chopped, just keep in mind that the smaller the potato pieces, the faster they’ll cook.

Ingredients:

1 large vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
3 large sweet potatoes, chopped
16 oz canned, chopped tomatoes
4 cups veggie stock or broth
4 cups cooked quinoa
Olive oil if desired
S&P to taste

Directions:

Cook the quinoa according to package directions
In a large soup or stock pan, saute onions and garlic in water or olive oil
Add tomatoes, potatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer until potatoes are tender
Blend until smooth
Add S&P as desired, then stir in the already cooked quinoa

Enjoy!

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Cheesecake Sopapillas

Easy? Check. So freakin’ good they’ll blow your mind? Check.

Maybe I keep saying this, but it’s true- put a plate of these out at a party, and don’t tell anyone they’re vegan… NO ONE will ever suspect. The Sopa is made out of Pillsbury crescent roll dough, so it’s got that yummy almost buttery flavor going on. The cream cheese filling tastes exactly like cheesecake, only softer. So creamy, so good. The cinnamon sugar on top makes it pretty AND gives it that extra layer of flavor.

These took me about 10 minutes to throw together, and then they baked for another 20. Almost as soon as they went in the oven they started filling the house with their fabulous scent. Jason was in the other room wrapping (my!) Christmas presents and kept yelling “What are you making in there? Bring me a plate!”

I’ll be bringing these to my next holiday party, you can count on it!

Cheesecake Sopapillas

Adapted from My Yellow Umbrella

The original (non-vegan, ewww! ) recipe that I looked at called for a cup of sugar which I think makes it too sweet, so I cut it down to 3/4. It’s still plenty sweet though! And just a note on the cream cheese… I used Galaxy Nutritional brand, but that’s just a personal preference. I know a lot of people love them some Tofutti!

Ingredients:

3 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
16 oz vegan cream cheese (softened)
¾ cup sugar
1 t vanilla
¼ cup Earth Balance, melted
Cinnamon & Sugar

Instructions

Unroll and spread 1 ½ cans crescent rolls on bottom of ungreased cookie sheet.
Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Feel free to taste, but for pete’s sake try not to eat it all! Sheesh! Spread this lovely mixture over the layer of dough.
Unroll remaining crescent rolls and cover the cream cheese mixture.
Use a brush to spread the butter evenly over the top, then sprinkle LIBERALLY with cinnamon/sugar mix.
Bake at 350 for 20 or so minutes. You want the top to turn a little golden, basically the same as if you were making the rolls.

Enjoy!

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Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese

After my terrible confession a couple weeks ago, I’ve really been trying to improve myself and be a better (m-n-c eating) person. The result? B’nut Squash (which I believe is the sexiest of the squashes) combined with some kickass vegan Mac n’ Cheese, creating an ooey-gooey deliciousness that actually has some nutritional value. Top that! And “deliciousness” doesn’t even begin to describe this dish. One of the main things that keeps Jason stuck in omnivore status is his love of “real” cheese, and he went just as crazy for this stuff as I did. Seriously. This is the dish you can serve to meat/cheese eaters and DARE THEM not to love it!

One trick I’d like to share with folks who roast their own squash- I like to cube and freeze my excess roasted squash in a zippie bag, so when a recipe calls for smooth (or mostly smooth) squash, I’ll just work the bag with my fingers until it’s the right consistency, then add it to the recipe! Easier and faster than transferring it to a bowl and mashing it.

If you love this recipe, check out my Mac n’ Cheese Bites!

B’nut Mac n’ Cheese (4-5 servings)

Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

I roasted my own b’nut for this dish, but if you choose to buy a package of frozen kind that’s cool too. If you roast your own, feel free to sneak a little extra in… I did Keep in mind though, if you roast your own you’ll want to make sure it’s pretty smooth. A few lumps are okay, but you really want the squash puree to meld with the cheese.

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta (I used shells)
2 T Earth Balance
1 small sweet onion very finely diced
3 T flour
2 cups vegetable stock
10-12 ounces of butternut squash, cooked and/or thawed
1 cup soy cream
1 bag Daiya cheddar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon Herbamere (or salt of your choice)
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put pasta on to boil, making sure you keep it a little firm, otherwise it’ll start to fall apart when you stir in the cheese sauce.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the Earth Balance, then add the onions, cooking for about 2 minutes. If you need more moisture, you can add a tablespoon of water or more EB.
Add flour, and mix all together- this is your roux. Cook for another minute.
Pour in veggie stock and squash, stir until completely blended. This is your chance to make sure there are no large chunks of squash swimming around in there! Make sure you’re constantly scraping the sides of the pan, I recommend using a rubber spatula.
Add soy cream and stir, letting it come to a slow bubble, then add the Daiya. Keep stirring (Don’t stop!)
Once it’s all melty and gooey, add in your nutmeg, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust. But don’t taste too much, or there wont be any left! Pour in your (slightly undercooked) pasta, and that’s it!

Enjoy!

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An Interview with the Happy Herbivore!

Spicy Orange Greens

Lindsay S. Nixon is a rising star in the culinary world, praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious. Lindsay’s recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women’s Health Magazine and on The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna, a luxury resort and four-star restaurant in the French West Indies. You can learn more about Lindsay and sample some of her recipes at happyherbivore.com

If you were in a room with a bunch of omnivores and could only say one thing to try and convince them to give veganism a chance, what would it be?

Eat this (hand over tasty food).

For people out there who are considering going vegan but aren’t 100% sold, obviously we think they should buy both of your cookbooks! What other tools/guides would you recommend to them, to help them get started?

It’s all in the mind. Take it one meal at a time. Focus on all the things you can have, not the things you are giving up.

What cookbooks do YOU have in your kitchen?

Only mine. Seriously! I do own a few others, but they’re in a box in my office. I swear I don’t have a huge ego — but I get so annoyed having to look at a recipe and change it. All the other vegan cookbooks I own use tons of oil and earth balance, and white sugar and white flour, all which I don’t eat, so I have to tweak the recipe to fit our diet… or they call for an ingredient I’ll never find in my tiny town so I have to Google for a substitution… and sometimes it doesn’t come out because I made changes, so I get even more aggravated. I love all my recipes, so I tend to circle around those.

I read that you took all your own photos for your first book, and they came out great! Food photography can be really challenging, but you seem to have a natural talent Did you do the same with Everyday Happy Herbivore?

Aww thanks and yes, I take all my own photos.

Steamboat Springs (where the HH currently lives) definitely has vegan dining options, but I wouldn’t say that they’re known for their “vegan scene”. What do you hope to do to change that?

I’m only here for a few months so I’m not sure how much change I can foster, but I do make a point to thank the manager at any establishment that offers vegan options. I find that’s a great way to get more items on the menu — and sometimes they throw in a coupon!

Thank you so much Lindsay for taking the time to answer my questions, and especially for sharing your recipe for Spicy Orange Greens! I look forward to getting a copy of Everyday Happy Herbivore. I asked Santa for one so if I’m good it should be waiting for me in my stocking on Christmas morning

Spicy Orange Greens | serves 2

The slightly spicy orange sauce in this dish is one of my favorites. You can serve it with any greens you like or have on hand, but collard greens are my favorite to use. For a complete meal, serve over or tossed with noodles.

1/3 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp orange marmalade or jam
4 cups greens (any)

Pour water, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes into a skillet. Turn heat to high and saute until the ginger is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in marmalade and then add chopped greens. Reduce heat to medium and using tongs, turn greens into the sauce. This will help cook the greens down; stop when your greens are bright green and have softened. Serve.

Chef’s Note: Cooked broccoli florets may be substituted for the greens. Toss cooked broccoli with the sauce once it’s been warmed and serve.

Per Serving: 156 Calories, 1.5g Fat, 32g Carbohydrates, 8.8g Fiber, 11.6g Sugars, 10.1g Protein

Get your copy of Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Low Fat and Fat-Free Vegan Recipes. Buy on Amazon.

After vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon wrapped up her popular cookbook The Happy Herbivore Cookbook last year, she went back to her kitchen in her new home of St. Maarten. Island living encouraged Nixon to come up with simpler fare, which led to a follow-up cookbook focusing on recipes that bring tasty back to quick-and-easy.

Now, in Nixon’s much-anticipated follow-up cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, readers will see, once again, that just because plant-based eating is optimal for health, it doesn’t have to also be expensive or time-consuming.

Everyday Happy Herbivore includes more than 175 doable recipes–recipes that are so quick and easy, you could cook three healthy meals from scratch every day like Nixon does.

Each of Nixon’s recipes are made with wholesome, easy-to-find, fresh ingredients and include no added fats. With additional notes indicating recipes that are ideal for preparing ahead of time and those you can whip up with just a few dollars, Everyday Happy Herbivore will be the must-have cookbook for anyone desiring a healthier, happier menu!

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Ramen Noodles (Make Your Own Pho!) and… Happy Birthday, Cooper!

Last night was one of those evenings when I didn’t really feel like cooking, and honestly didn’t have any idea of WHAT to cook. Enter the humble ramen noodle, friend to all and occasional life saver. Everyone is familiar with the Top Ramen brand, one of the only things you can buy at the grocery store for .20¢, but the little packets aren’t vegan. You could buy them and throw away the packet (the noodles themselves are vegan) but that option doesn’t really sit well with me, because even though there’s only a miniscule amount of animal product in that tiny little packet, I don’t like the idea that an animal suffered for it. SO, what’s a vegan ramen addict to do? Buy Koyo! They have many vegan flavors including Tofu & Miso, Lemongrass Ginger and Garlic Pepper, just to name few. Bonus: Their noodles are organic and the flavor packet is GMO-free! I picked mine up a few weeks ago at Sunflower Farmers Market, but you can also grab them at Vitamin Cottage and Whole Foods, according to their website.One thing to keep in mind, the amount of noodles you get in a Koyo package is smaller than what you get from Top Ramen, so you might want to double up.

I chose Tofu Miso for my bowl last night, and added just about every frozen veggie I had in my freezer along with some Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and of course some hot sauce! Was it technically Pho? Maybe not but it was darn close, and really good! I suppose this is less a recipe and more of an idea on how you can clean out your freezer when you don’t have the time to cook.

But, before we get to the food pics, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to. His name is Cooper and it’s his birthday!

Cooper came to live with us on December 7, 2007. Jason and I decided that year that, rather than buying gifts for each other, we’d each choose something we wanted and buy it for ourselves. Perhaps not the most romantic method, but certainly efficient. For my gift to myself, I adopted Cooper from the National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR). They’re a WONDERFUL organization who rescue, rehabilitate and rehome puppy mill survivors, and educate the public on the evils of purchasing puppies from pet stores and online. I had recently heard through a friend about the amazing NMDR- and I wanted in on the action! I looked on their website, and although every single dog looked adorable and loveable and everything else-able, I decided to wait until we could visit the rescue. I wanted to see if I had an instant connection with any of the pups. I wanted my new dog to choose ME.

Fast forward a few days, and Jason and I drove out to the rescue. I was sitting on a stool as they brought dogs into me one at a time to meet. Obviously I loved every dog that I saw and wanted to take them all home with me, but I never stopped her from bringing more dogs in. I wasn’t done yet. Then she came through the doorway carrying a little black bundle, and placed him on the ground at my feet. Not only was he covered in mud, but his fur was matted too- I really wasn’t even sure what breed he was. He was very shy (they called him “Timmy the Timid”) and although he wouldn’t approach me, he was doing this adorable little “commando crawl” on his belly back and forth in front of me. I knew immediately.

Some paperwork and an adoption fee later and Cooper was on his way to his Forever Home with us. He was about 5 years old, and had been rescued a few weeks before from a breeding dog auction in Missouri. That’s a story for another (longer, sadder) post, but suffice to say my sweet boy was minutes away from a cruel death when he was saved. But all that is in the past, and he’s now the happiest pup you could ever meet. He only has one eye, but that doesn’t stop him from scampering around the house begging for treats, or sitting on my lap watching while I watch TV. We’re best friends, totally inseperable!

Happy birthday Cooper! Thank you for 4 years of happiness and love and little doggie kisses- and I look forward to many more!

Okay… thank you for indulging me, and back to the food!

Ramen (Make Your Own) Pho (single serving)

Like I said, you can add anything to this, and the more traditional Pho accoutrements would of course be delicious- but don’t feel like you have to go that route. Be creative, have fun!

Ingredients:

1 or 2 package of ramen noodles, depending on how voracious your appetite is
2 cups veggie broth (or 2 cups water and 1 veggie bouillon cube)
2-3 cups frozen veggies of your choice (I used sugar snap peas, edamame, broccoli and cauliflower)
Pressed, sliced tofu, if desired
2 T, (more to taste) Braggs Liquid Aminos
Sriracha or other hot sauce

Directions:

Cook noodles and vegetables in broth according to package.
Add tofu (if using) along with Braggs
Remove from heat, cover, and let everything just meld together for a few minutes, and make sure the veggies are thawed/cooked
Ladle into bowl and apply as much hot sauce as you can stand! And probably more Braggs too, because why not? I like it salty!
Don’t forget to grab a fork and a spoon!

Enjoy!

Oh… and let me leave you with this one last picture of Cooper. Sorry for the blurry/bad lighting/cell phone pic … I had to share anyway. This is how he sleeps, with his tongue hanging out!

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That Was Vegan?

Recipes so delicious you'll never think twice!

Monthly Archives: December 2011

Tex-Mex Chinese Pie

Mexican Fettuccini

“Rum-nog” Pound Cake with Cranberries

Slow-Cooker Bean and Cornbread Casserole

7-Layer Dip

Sweet Potato, Tomato and Quinoa Soup (and Happy Birthday Olivia!)

Cheesecake Sopapillas

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese

An Interview with the Happy Herbivore!

Ramen Noodles (Make Your Own Pho!) and… Happy Birthday, Cooper!