Writer’s block--can’t concentrate.  Could be the sun and the 50 degree temps outside.   But I can’t get too hooked on the nice weather.  It is, after all, only March in New England.  Check out the date on this older post, and don’t forget to scroll all the way down.   See?  It’s just a tease, this nice weather.  It’s ok, though--I love the snow, remember?  I know, I know--I’m a freak.  I love everything about it.  Everything--the boots, cool--or rather--warm mittens (yes, I also have a thing for mittens--love them!), jackets, how quiet it is when it’s snowing…I could go on and on.  But I won’t!

Since it’s still fairly cool outside, I’m still up for soup.  Well, I’m always up for soup, really.  Even in the summer.  Thank you, air conditioning!   I think I was supposed to be living in Alaska or something, come to think of it. 

The soup of the day today is Soba Noodle Soup.   This is the first time I’ve made it!  We had Soba noodles in the pantry for quite a while, and I kept saying “I’ve really got to use these.”  Finally got around to it!  I can procrastinate with the best of them, seriously.  I should have written and published this post on Monday, but there’s that “putting things off” thing again.   Even now, I keep looking at my playlist and picking out songs to listen to (today feels like a Berlin day), and checking Twitter to catch up with my friends.  Someone stop me!

Soba Noodle Soup.  It’s good.  Damn good!  Easy, too.   I found this recipe at In a Vegetarian Kitchen, and I changed it up a bit.   I just about doubled it, so it makes quite a bit, and made a few other small changes.  Doubling it was great, because I love soup leftovers! 

I used Quorn Chik’n Tenders in this, too.   I haven’t talked about this before here on the blog, but if you’re looking for a good meat replacement in some dishes, their stuff is so good.   Sometimes you just want to have that feeling that you’re still eating meat, even if you normally don’t.  Their “Chik’n Tenders” are a lifesaver when you’re doing something like a stir fry or a soup.  Their “Grounds” are great anywhere you’d use ground beef or turkey--tacos, burritos, chili, meat sauce for pasta, etc.   Now, I’m not one to use a lot of processed ingredients--in fact, I usually avoid it.  But I make an exception for Quorn’s products.   Check out their site and what they’re all about.  Here’s some info on Mycoprotein, the main ingredient.   Despite the name, their stuff isn’t made of corn.   We use something from them at least once a week. 

*Feel free to use the broth of your choice in this. 

Soba Noodle Soup
adapted from In a Vegetarian Kitchen
serves 4-6

10 oz Soba Noodles
64 oz vegetable broth
2 cups bok choy, sliced
6-8 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 TB soy sauce (low sodium)
3 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp agave
3 tsp fresh ginger,  minced
5 thinly sliced green onions, green and white parts!
8 oz Quorn Chik’n Tenders, sautéed till golden brown
8-10 oz fresh spinach, torn
fresh cracked black pepper
sesame oil for adding to bowls

Break the Soba noodles in half, cook according to package directions, rinse with cool water and set aside.
In a large soup pot, combine the stock, bok choy, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, agave and ginger.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. 
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Uncover, add green onions, sautéed Quorn Tenders, and spinach.
Cover and cook 3 more minutes.
Remove cover, and add the noodles.
Season with black pepper.
Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil in each serving.

Hmmm…

• Easy
• Delicious
• Makes a lot, good leftovers
• Nice veggies in this
• Will make again, for sure!
• I was not paid or compensated in any way from Quorn, I just like their stuff.

My husband bought me this super popular vegan cookbook last weekend.  It’s full of great sounding recipes!  One in particular caught my eye right away.  For--you guessed it--vegan raspberry chocolate chip blondies.  Since I’ve been sick for over a month, yes--over a month, I decided that would be a good and easy place to start cooking again.  My two favorite pastimes while sick were sleeping and doing absolutely nothing on the sofa.  Thankfully I have an understanding family.  I think while I was sick, that the only thing I “cooked” was canned soup.  And tea, haha!  I also completely lost my voice for about two weeks.  I could only whisper, and I wasn’t even supposed to do that.   Do you know how hard it is to yell at kids when you can’t even talk?  It’s very difficult, and they know it.  ;)

But I digress!   The blondies, which, by the way--spellchecker thinks I should capitalize.  But it doesn’t want me to capitalize brownies.  Hmmm, not fair to the brownies, in my opinion.  I’m an equal opportunity capitalizer.   All or none, I say. 

I bought the few things I needed for the recipe, and then looked it up online.  I wanted to see if the author had posted it already, so I could just link back to it instead of posting the whole thing.  I didn’t find that.  What I did find, though, were mixed reviews.  Sigh.  Some said too cakey, which as you know, for the perfect blondies or brownies, isn’t right.  You want chewy and gooey.  Some said the cooking times were wrong, too.  I didn’t want to risk it and waste ingredients, so I decided to find another recipe for blondies and dress them up with the raspberry and chocolate myself.

I went right to King Arthur Flour.  I feel like their stuff is tried and true.  They never steer me wrong!   I used this recipe and veganized it--very easy to do.   Then I added the raspberry and chocolate to it.  You don’t have to make them vegan if you don’t want--just use eggs and butter.   My egg substitute of choice this time was 1/4 cup of coconut milk in place of each egg.  

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Blondies

2/3 cup Earth Balance Sticks, melted
scant 2 cups brown sugar, light or dark
scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cups chocolate chips (divided into 1/2 and 1/4 cups)
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves
kosher salt, for sprinkling over the top
pecan halves, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

Combine the melted Earth Balance, sugars, salt, and vinegar, and stir well.
Add the coconut milk, vanilla, and baking powder, mix well again. Stir in the flour, mixing thoroughly, then the 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Set aside 1 cup of the batter.
Spread the rest of the batter into the greased pan--a rubber spatula makes this easier, or slightly wet hands. 
You can soften the preserves in the  microwave for a few seconds if you wish, but I didn't see the need to.  Just drop it in dollops around the pan and carefully spread to within an inch or so of the edges.
Take the 1 cup of batter you've set aside, and drop that in dollops, about a tbsp at a time, around the pan.  Don't spread it out, you're going for a cobbler-ish type look.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top, and if you're using the pecans, gently press those in over the top. 
Sprinkle the entire pan with a bit of kosher salt--this helps offset the sweetness.
Bake for about 38 minutes.  The top should be golden brown and sort of shiny, and the center just barely cooked through.  A knife inserted in the center (in a spot where you've got a dollop of blondie batter) should be damp but not raw.  
Resist the urge to over bake, or you'll have dry, rock hard blondies--and oh, what a waste that would be!  You want them still sort of chewy and gooey in the center. 

Will I make these again?

• Hell, yes!  They’re everything I want in a blondie.  Chewy, gooey, a bit of chocolate and salt, and some crunchy nuts on top, too.
• They’re even better the next day.  Of course, a warm blondie straight out of the pan is great, too--but the flavors really developed overnight.

Sorry about my absence and lack of posting lately!  I’m feeling better everyday and actually have recipes in a queue to get posted here--just a few yet, but still, a step in the right direction.  Thanks for sticking with me! 

Stacks of blondie goodness…

I don’t know about you guys, but I love munchy, crunchy snacks.  Snack mixes, with all of my favorite things already in there?  Even better!  I can often be found in the snack aisle at Trader Joe’s, looking at every single snack mix/trail mix they have.  I love having them on hand, because they’re great to enjoy while I’m online or writing a blog post and editing photos.  They also make great on-the-go snacks!

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Michelle at Arcade Snacks.   I’d never heard of them before, but I’m so happy I have now!  They’re right in Auburn, MA, so they’re a local New England company, and they specialize in quality nuts and dried fruits.  They’re family owned, have been in business since 1986, and serve hotels, restaurants, bakeries, country clubs and retailers.   They also have an online business--so even if you’re not in the area, you can enjoy their awesome snacking goodness!

Not only do they have the biggest selection of nuts and dried fruit all in one place--seriously, check them out--they have tons to choose from, and not just the regular, run of the mill stuff--but they also have these amazing snack mixes as well as chocolate and candy!

Their things are available in smaller, retail size amounts (such as 8 oz, 14 oz, 1 lb, etc), and you can also purchase their snacks in bulk amounts.  All prices and quantities are right there on the website. 

Now, we may have missed the Super Bowl already, but why not try some of these mixes at your next party?  There’s basketball going on right now, baseball coming up, and before you know it, we’ll be grilling and having backyard parties!  And don’t underestimate the power of a small bag of snack mix when your kids are stuck in the backseat of the car, and complaining that they’re hungry every two minutes.  (Yes, I speak from experience.)  Don’t forget those Easter Baskets coming up soon, too!

Michelle was awesome and packed a box FULL of samples.  It was like  Christmas when we opened the box!  I’m going to show you photos of all of the samples that she sent me, minus two of them that didn’t make it long enough to be photographed.  One was the Vegetable Chips, and the other was Honey Berry Crunch.  The Honey Berry Crunch includes Honey Roast Sesame Sticks, Honey Roast Peanuts, Cinnamon Apple Chips, Pineapple, Cranberries, and it’s incredible!  You’d think it may be sweet, but it’s the perfect blend of salty and sweet.  The Vegetable Chips--if you think you’ve had good ones before?  You haven’t had these.  They include: Sweet Potato, Squash, Carrot, Green Bean, and Taro.  The chips are thickly cut and packed with flavor!  We’ll definitely be ordering some of these soon. 

Michelle also included a bag of their Super Colossal Cashews (YUM!) and an assortment of some of their candies. 

And now for the photos.  There are a lot, but I wanted you to see how great everything was.

Honey Mustard Snack Mix

Fiesta Mix

The 19th Hole

Pub Mix

 Super Colossal Cashews

All The Right Stuff

MaJuKa Fruit

And the candies:

Kopper’s Almond Jewels (Those aren’t paper wrappers, they’re just pretty!

Kopper’s Chocolate Covered Gummi Bears

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Malt Balls

Kopper’s Spanish Olives (Chocolate covered almonds)

Will we be ordering from Arcade Snacks in the future?  YES!  Everything is super fresh and crunchy, not to mention deliciously satisfying when you have the munchies.  I’ve linked to all of the individual products, except a few of the candies, which must be fairly new and not on the site yet.

Shipping was fast and everything was packed with care.  Also, how can  you go wrong with a family owned company that takes pride in what they do?  Easy--you can’t.

Thank you to Michelle and Arcade Snacks for supplying us with such an amazing variety of snacks.  It’s very much appreciated, and we’ll be back for more--that’s a definite!

I was contacted a short while back from Annie, who works for MamboSprouts.com.   Their site is packed with all kinds of information, so I urge you to check then out, as well.  One of their clients is Equal Exchange, a fair trade company that offers organic coffee, tea, chocolates, nuts and berries, and a great assortment of gift baskets.   You can read more about what makes Equal Exchange Fairly traded products so special by clicking here. 

Annie wanted to know if I would be interested in sampling a free sample coffee and chocolate gift bag, and then provide a review.  I don’t think I know one woman on Earth that would turn down chocolate.  Then to sweeten the deal with coffee?  Yes, please! 

Included are 4 (3.5 oz) bars of organic fair trade chocolate--two milk, with a hint of hazelnut, and two Panama extra dark chocolate bars, with an 80% cacao content.   The chocolate is deliciously creamy, like good chocolate should be.  As a bonus, you can feel good about giving it to anyone, as it’s fair trade, organic, and helps out small scale farmers in developing countries. 

Also included are two large bags of organic fair trade coffee!  You get 12 oz of Organic Love Buzz, and 12 oz of Organic Mind, Body & Soul, both for drip coffee makers.  Plus a card that explains how to have a chocolate and coffee tasting.   The coffees are rich and full bodied, just like you’d hope them to be.

How fun is that?  Now, not only would this make a wonderful Valentine gift, but imagine handing this to your boss (an office chocolate and coffee tasting would be fun!), bringing it to a party as a hostess gift,  a gift for a neighbor that helped you out in some way, your child’s teacher or school office staff--anyone, really!  Let’s face it, nearly everyone loves chocolate and coffee.  And again, you can feel good about supporting the small farmers!   I’ve also heard good things about their drinking chocolate, and it’s very reasonably priced!  Seriously, you can’t beat that price.

Here is the link to the gift bag page:  Click me for caffeine and chocolate heaven!  Equal Exchange chocolate bars are on sale until February 14th. They also have a “free shipping” code running until February 14th as well. The code is “chocolatelove”. Free shipping is for UPS ground within the contingent USA only.

So make someone happy, and order them some Equal Exchange organic fair trade things, whether it be coffee, chocolate, teas, nuts, berries--you can earn brownie points, and feel extra good about it all at the same time. 

Some of you may remember that I’ve decided to work my way through Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm.  It’s a gorgeous book, and so far--the recipes don’t disappoint.  It’s loaded with recipes, and I  figured that to get through all of them, I should commit to doing at least one a week.  So a small group was formed, and it’s official.  One recipe a week from the book.  The first week is members choice, because I know that some of my friends already had their eye on a couple of the recipes.  After this week, we’ll do one recipe from each consecutive chapter until we’ve made it through the book.  If you’d care to join, you’re more than welcome!  Just let me know in a comment, or email me using the Contact Me link at the top of the page.  Vegan Yum Yum is available on Amazon at a very reasonable price, too.

Here is our official badge, graciously made for us by Heather at He Cooks…She Cooks…  Obviously, Heather’s the “She” in the title.  Her and Jeff make some freaking amazing food, so please go check it out!  And a huge thank you to Heather!

It’s a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, and also--to cut out some of the meat.  Meatless Monday is a worldwide movement!  Going meat-free once a week is good for you.

My choice for this first week is the Pan Seared Tomato and Rosemary Artichoke Sandwich.   This one is so flavorful, that you don’t have time to miss any meat.  I’ll warn you--it’s messy--at least a “two napkin” sandwich.  But it’s that “Oh my god, is this GOOD” messy that you can’t stop eating.  Trust me. 

The recipe is for 1 serving, so keep that in mind and multiply if you’re serving more people.  I just went ahead and sautéed the whole can of artichoke hearts, and 2 large tomatoes.  About the tomatoes?  Obviously, I don’t have access to fresh tomatoes because it’s 29 degrees outside.  I used the pretty vine-ripened ones you can find in all the stores.  Lauren also suggests that you can add fresh spinach or basil leaves to the sandwich.  The basil isn’t looking that great lately--it’s that winter thing!  So we added some pesto to one side of the rolls.  Technically, that’s not vegan because it has cheese in it.  It was a perfect addition, though, so I’ll leave that up to you to decide. 

Speaking of the recipe!  Since we’re going through the entire book, we won’t be posting the recipes on our blogs.  That would be sneaky, and not cool with the author!  If you really want the recipe, you’ll have to take the (inexpensive) plunge and buy the book.

I used the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day Master Recipe for the rolls.  Very simple and so tasty, and who doesn’t love fresh, still warm bread for dinner?

Will we make this again?

• YES!  It’s quick, easy, and delectable. 
• My husband practically inhaled his, and wanted to go back for a second! 
• Great for those busy nights when you don’t have a lot of time.  Keep the artichoke hearts on hand, and make a quick stop for some tomatoes, and fresh rolls, too--that is, if you don’t have ABin5 dough in your fridge.    Either way, you’ll be having a great dinner in no time at all.

***Check out what Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch made!  She even got Grumpy to eat tofu!  Looks great, Shelby, thank you!

And here is Renee's entry over at Flamingo Musings.  Not her favorite so far, as she's tried several others from the book that she loved, but I'm sure it can easily be changed up.  Looks good, anyway!

Soup--it’s what’s for dinner!  I’ve never met anyone that didn’t like soup.  Well, maybe a couple of my super picky kids, but we’ll leave them out of this discussion so I can keep my sanity.  There are hot soups, cold soups, thick and hearty soups, clear brothy-type soups…the list goes on and on.  They can warm your bones on a cold day, or give you a cool, refreshing snack when the temperature is rising outside.  Not only that, but they’re a great way to stretch your budget!  Make a big pot of soup, and you can eat for days.  Add a simple green salad and some crusty bread, and it’s on!

I was recently given a copy of The Culinary Institute of America’s The New Book of Soups to review.  It’s a second edition that’s been updated and expanded to include 30 new recipes and more than 130 new gorgeous photographs.  You all know I love photographs in cookbooks.  Not only do I want to read the recipes, but I want to see how things are going to look.   Mouthwatering photos?  Yes, please!

This is a beautiful hardbound book that you’ll get so much use out of.  There are 249 pages that are packed with not only the recipes, but also things like Soup Basics, which covers ingredients, options for finishing soups, thickeners, soup/stock pots, time-saving tips, tools for straining, adjusting consistency, flavor and seasonings, and much more.  Plus a chapter called Accompaniments that is seriously packed with everything you could ever want to serve alongside a bowl of soup--croutons, dumplings, crackers, cheese sticks, vegetable sticks--and the list goes on.

Chapters include:

• Soup Basics
• Broths
• Hearty Soups
• Stews
• Cream Soups
• Pureed Soups
• Bisques and Chowders
• Cold Soups
• Accompaniments

Some of the recipes are already vegetarian/vegan, and many of them can easily be altered to fall into those categories.  There’s something for everyone in this book!

Deciding on one soup to try (to start with) wasn’t easy--there are tons to choose from.  But we narrowed it down to Minestrone, which I’ve never made.  It’s always been a favorite of ours, so it seemed like a natural place to start.  Minestrone literally translates to “big soup,”  and as mentioned in the book, there’s no one correct way to make minestrone.  They also encourage you to use what you have on hand, or go by what your favorite veggies, beans and pastas are.

I didn’t make this vegan, or even vegetarian--because in reviewing a book, I want to try the recipes as-is.  Here is the recipe:

Minestrone

2 tbsp olive oil
1 oz pancetta (if you can't find this, you can use diced bacon)
1 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup peeled, diced potato
1 piece Parmesan rind
3/4 cup vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into 2 inch pieces
1/2 chopped plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if using canned
1/3 cup cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup pesto
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add pancetta and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the fat melts. Don't brown it.
Add cabbage, onions carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook 6-8 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add broth, potatoes, and Parmesan cheese rind. Bring to simmer and cook about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
While the soup is simmering, cook the vermicelli according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
After the 30 minutes are up, add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, chickpeas, and kidney beans.
Remove the Parmesan rind.
Stir in the pesto, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve sprinkled with the grated Parmesan.

_________________________________________________________________________________

• Did we like the soup?  We loved it!  It was hearty, but light--all at the same time.  The flavor was also light, but just right.  Delicious!  The recipe was easy to follow, and the directions very clear.

• Would I recommend The New Book of Soups?  YES.  There are many more recipes in the book that I can’t wait to try.  If they’re all as heavenly as the Minestrone, we’ll be happily enjoying new soups, no matter the season.

Side note:   The rolls you see in the photos are from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  They’re from the Master Recipe, simply formed into rolls and baked for about 18-20 minutes.    If you haven’t tried this book and it’s follow-up, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, what are you waiting for?  You can enjoy fabulous fresh bread every single day, with very little effort. 

What is Chimichurri?  I know, it’s a burning question that a lot of you may be wondering about.  Today, I’ll try to give you a little background from information that I’ve found.

Chimichurri is a green sauce, but can also be red.  It’s very popular as a marinade and sauce in Latin and South American countries.   The stories say that the sauce was first invented by an Irish man named Jimmy McCurry, who was fighting in the Argentine War of Independence.  Apparently, his name lost a little something in the translation, and Jimmy McCurry became Chimichurri.  Is this the honest truth?  I don’t know, but it makes for a good story.  

Chimichurri is based on parsley, garlic, oil and vinegar--and then from there it has many variations.   Onions, shallots, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, cilantro, and lemon are common flavors added to the sauce.

It’s very simple to prepare, and is made from common, easy to find ingredients.  It keeps in the fridge for a week or so.  You can use it on so many things, too!  From marinating meats for grilling, to using it as a sauce to serve with cooked  meats, on potatoes, you can dip crusty bread in it, have it on burgers, sandwiches, wraps--the possibilities are almost endless.

The recipe we always use is in my post for Vegan Bean Burgers, and we even added an avocado to that batch.  Not traditional, but it sure did make it nice and velvety!  I can’t take credit for that one, as it’s Zen Chef’s recipe, but I can tell you we use it on all kinds of foods. 

Today’s recipe is from Vegetarian Times.  It’s a great magazine, loaded with wonderful recipes--whether you’re vegetarian, vegan (they do include lots of vegan recipes, too), or just trying to cut some of the meats out of your diet.

Basically, it’s cubed avocados tossed with a flavorful Chimichurri, and served on toasted baguette slices.  It makes a delicious snack or appetizer, or if you’re like us, a light dinner.  I only made two changes: instead of adding 3 minced garlic cloves to the sauce, I took the warm, toasted bread slices and rubbed them with garlic cloves, and I also omitted the 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes. 

Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta

 Serves 3, 2 slices each

 
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro,  minced
1//4 cup chopped fresh parsley, minced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
6 slices of toasted baguette, rubbed with garlic cloves

Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, oregano, and black pepper in small bowl.
Whisk in the oil until thoroughly combined, then stir in the herbs.
Gently toss the avocado cubes into the sauce.
Spoon the avocado and sauce mixture onto toast slices.

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe, and also--give Chimichurri a try!  There are so many ways to use it, and it’s packed with flavor.  I’ll bet you can even find uses for it that I haven’t mentioned.

My inspiration came from Eating Well…Living Thin.  Check it out--her photos are gorgeous!  The photos of her bean burgers completely drew me in.  I wanted them.  STAT.

Using that recipe as a base and method, I set to work.   I decided to totally change up the seasonings and use the flavors from these Argentine Style Burgers I’d made a while back.   We loved those!  The flavors all came together beautifully and the bean burgers were packed with flavor.  The only issue we had was getting them to feel “set” inside the center.

We originally added 2 TB quinoa flour and let it sit in the fridge, but after 20 minutes or so, the mixture was still pretty soft.  We decided to add 2 TB of vital wheat gluten--and this seemed to do the trick--they mixture set up nicely.  When it came time to cook them, though, we still couldn’t get them to completely set up on the inside.  The outsides got nice and crispy, but stayed a bit soft in the centers.   Also?  The original recipe from Eating Well…Living Thin uses one egg white.  Since we were aiming for vegan here, we used 1 tsp of tahini stirred into 1/4 cup of almond milk.  Maybe I’ll try another vegan egg substitute next time.

Maybe partially cooking them on the stovetop, then tossing them in the oven to finish would help?  I’m not entirely sure, but we will try this next time.  Also, I found this recipe at jugalbandi that uses oats in the recipe--this may do the trick, so we’ll also see if that helps.

Even though they were a little softer in the center than we’d have liked, they were absolutely delicious!  I can’t wait to make these again--and I’ll try the things I mentioned above, then report back here.  Don’t let the slightly soft centers stop you from trying these if you’re looking for a good vegan burger.  The flavors in these are wonderful together.

Topping off the burgers is this amazing Chimichurri from Zen Chef.   We love this recipe and make it often.  It’s great on so many things, so don’t feel limited to the rib eye steaks in that post.  Though, we made those, too, way back, and they’re outstanding!  Since then, we’ve used the chimichurri on so many things, from chicken to pork chops to burgers, and on smashed potatoes and sandwiches, etc.  It’s insanely easy to make, but it’s packed with flavor.  This time, my husband had a genius idea.  While we were making the sauce, he thought it would a great idea to add an avocado to it.  He was right!  It made the sauce nice and creamy--it was a perfect addition!

The  homemade buns are simply the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day Master Recipe, shaped into smallish buns and baked. 

Vegan Bean Burgers
(makes about 4-5 patties)

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely diced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 small jalapeno, diced
2 TB flour (I used quinoa flour)
2 TB Vital Wheat Gluten, or more flour
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning (I use Goya Adobo Light All
Purpose Seasoning)
1 tsp tahini, stirred into 1/4 cup almond milk (use the milk you like)
3 TB fresh cilantro, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Mash the beans (we pulsed them in the food processor), then add the pecans, set aside.
Heat a bit of oil in a small sauté pan.  Sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno until soft, about 3 minutes or so.  This is so you don’t have harsh tasting crunchy raw bits in your burgers.
Add this mixture to the beans and pecans.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well, then chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
After the chill time, form into patties.  I found it easier with wet hands, and we got 5 patties total.
Heat some oil in a pan on medium high, and cook the patties for 3-4  minutes on one side, then 3-5 on the second side.
If you notice them getting too dark after you flip them, turn the heat down.

Top with your favorites--here we've used fresh spinach, sliced tomato and the avocado-chimichurri sauce.

I was contacted right before the holidays by Bill Geronimo at Eat Smart Products.  He wanted to know if I’d like to test drive one of their kitchen scales and give it a review.   Since I had a horrible scale to begin with, I very graciously said “Hell,  yes!”  Or something like that.  Let me say right here that I am not being paid for my review, but did receive the scale at no charge.  Ok?  Ok.

I’ve always wanted a really good kitchen scale that would measure accurately, but didn’t want to pay a fortune for it, either.  Eat Smart Products enters the picture, and--you guessed it!  Accurate, easy to use scales at extremely reasonable prices.   Bill sent me the EatSmart Precision Pro - Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale w/ Extra Large LCD and 11 Lb. Capacity:

It is just that--precision, multifunction, with an extra large display--and the 11 lb capacity comes in very handy!  It’s very easy to use, and comes with an instruction book--plus a book that helps you calculate calories in tons of foods.  Turn the scale to “grams” mode, place a plate on it and tare to zero, multiply the weight of the food by the “Calorie Factors” listed in the book, and there you go--that’s how many calories are in the food you just weighed.  How great is that?  There are 16 pages of foods listed for you to calculate.   You can also choose from white, red, silver, black/chrome or white/chrome for your scale.  One more thing?  It doesn’t take up a lot of room, so it’s great even for those of you with tiny kitchens.  I’m looking at you, Heather…

It’s got a very stable base, and don’t  let the light weight of the scale itself fool you--it’s a hard worker!  It takes regular batteries, switches from English to metric, and can weigh in ounces, pounds, grams, and kilograms.  We’ve been weighing all kinds of things.  For some reason, the kids think it’s very cool to weigh stuff. 

With so many people having made New Year’s Resolutions, and trying to start the new year off by eating healthier, this is a great way to be sure you’re eating well and not overdoing it on portion sizes. 

So would I recommend the EatSmart Precision Pro?  Just like I said earlier, hell yes!  A huge thank you going out to Bill and EatSmartProducts.com for the complimentary scale and the chance to review it!

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Project #1:

Project 365

What is it?  It’s simply taking a photo a day for 365 days.  It’s been going on for a few years, but it’s my first year doing  it.  There are some Flickr groups you can join to add your photos to.  Or you can start a simple photo blog to record your year in photos.  I have been uploading mine to a set on Flickr, and to a photo gallery here on my blog.   So far, it’s a lot of fun--and it’ll be great to look back at the end of the year and remember what I was thinking or doing on a particular day.  What a great diary! 

It’s not too late to start, if any of you are interested. 

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Project #2:

My new favorite cookbook: Vegan Yum Yum.  It’s packed with recipes.  Packed!  A gorgeous photo of every recipe, too.  I was looking at it the other day thinking “How am I ever going to make everything in this book?”   (You can see a bit more about the book here.)

Right then, I decided I’d make at least one recipe per week from it.  I’m not going to try to jam it all into one year--that’s silly.  One recipe a week.  If I miss one, no sweat.  If a main ingredient is seasonal and not available at the time, I’ll go to the next one and then return to that recipe when it’s more feasible. 

I put the word out on twitter and Facebook, and have a small group of minions to go through the book with me. 

Would anyone else care to join?  Just let me know--either in a comment here, or email me using the contact form here on the blog. 

There are only two rules:

1)  You must get a copy of Vegan Yum Yum.  It’s very reasonably priced at Amazon.

2)  No recipes will be posted on our blogs.  If anyone wants one of the recipes, they’ll need to buy the book or find the recipe elsewhere.  It’s not my intention to post someone’s cookbook online, recipe by recipe. 

I’m thinking a good start date would be Monday, February 1st.  So let me know of you’d care to join--it’s a great way to get some healthy recipes into your diet, and also--if you’ve never eaten vegan foods, you may find out it’s not so mysterious.  And it can be delicious!

Click on the photos for links to the recipes.

Way back in January ‘09, I started the year with macaroni and cheese.  The creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese.  The Velveeta makes it extra creamy, but if you’re dead-set against that, use another cheese.  I’ve made it with a three cheddar blend and Monterey Jack, and it’s still creamy and dreamy good!  This is still one of my most looked at posts, almost a year later!

Another reader favorite that still gets lots of hits?  Easy Teriyaki Chicken Wings.  This was one of my mom’s recipes--she always made a ton when we had parties.  And there were never any left!  I’ve seen grown men practically inhale these.  The marinade is very versatile--take a look and change it up, if you like.

These sandwiches were the start of our “less meat” lifestyle.  Even if we didn’t know it at the time, we’d soon be giving up meat nearly entirely.  I had a lot of you fooled when you first saw the photos--some of you thought it really was steak!  These Portobello “Cheese Steak” Sandwiches really hit the spot and are so satisfying.

Bucatini with Tuna and Baby Peas is still one of our favorites!  We’ve been having it without the tuna lately, and it’s still delicious.  So easy to prepare, too.  Great for a busy day when you get home late and don’t feel like a huge production.  Also good for company, as long as you’re not hanging out with vampires--I like a lot of garlic in this!

We really love these Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins!  And so do a lot of you--it's still always in my top viewed content.  It's amazing what a craving for a donut can do. 

The Stuffed French Toast was a fun post.  I'd never made it at home, and it was a fun experiment.  Tasty, too!  Writing the post brought back a lot of memories for me, as well.

Browned Butter Blueberry Maple Muffins.  Blueberry pancakes you can hold in your hand.  I don't think I have to say anything else.  Except--damn, these are good!

Raw Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake.  We knew that eating raw didn't mean sacrificing taste, but did we know that a completely raw cake and raw ganache could be this decadent and sinfully good?  Hell, no!  If you try anything raw, this will convince you that eating raw foods can be amazingly good.

Roasted Veggie Pizza with Pesto is a great pizza, any time of year!  It's incredibly easy, too.  Still a favorite!

Mock Sushi.  Not only could I eat sushi every day?  But I could easily eat this every day.  It's just the perfect combination of flavors--all cool and  crisp on your taste buds.  I love you, mock sushi!

Vegan Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Also consistently in my top viewed content.  And don't feel confined to doing these vegan-style.  Go ahead and use eggs and butter, if you wish.  I was super excited about these, because the egg substitutes I discovered (that are listed in the post) changed vegan baking for me.  It helps that they're delicious!

Brownies and Lemon Bread, both made with Xagave brand agave.  You guys loved this one, and so did I!  Incredibly rich and moist baked goodies, made with agave instead of sugar.  I'd been unsure of how to incorporate agave into baking, and Xagave helped me figure it out.  My kids actually fought over those brownies!

These are just some of the favorites that were made in my kitchen this past year.  Also in the past year, I left one blog platform and got my own domain and website.  That was so much fun for me!  A lot of work, but so worth it when it's done.  If any of you are considering it, I encourage you to go for it.  Squarespace offers me everything I could ever want, with great customer service, if you're interested. 

Here's to another great year, and many more to come!  Thank you all for making it such a great year.  You guys are the best!

The winner of the Omaha Steaks is Stephanie in comment #6!

"I heart Elle's New England Kitchen AND Omaha Steaks! Here is the link to my tweet.
http://twitter.com/tuffystales/status/680728380"

Congratulations to you, Stephanie!  I'll pass your info along to Omaha Steaks as soon as I hear from you with your mailing info. 

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Mmmm, meat.  We haven’t seen much of it in my house lately.  This past Spring, we’d decided to (for the most part) give up meats and dairy.  I was so thankful that my husband had grilled gorgeous steaks for us right before that decision was made.  Now, I say for the most part,  because that’s exactly what our situation is.  Most days we eat all vegan foods.  Some days are a mix of vegan and vegetarian.  Some days are cheat days.  You know, when you just need that burger to satisfy your craving.  Or a gooey, cheesy pizza from the local pizza joint.  Or filet mignon.  Yeah, the good stuff…

Last week, I was contacted by Kristen and Mandy at Omaha Steaks.  Did I want to participate in a giveaway for my readers?  I said “yeah, sure!”  I love being able to give things to you guys--it makes me happy! 

They sent me some Filet Mignons from Omaha Steaks to sample and review.   We haven’t had any beef in a long time, so it was a welcome treat.  You know it was! 

The frozen filets arrived in the next couple of days all tightly packed in a nice sturdy foam box, which was wrapped in plastic.  Inside the box were the individually sealed steaks along with a “packaged by” slip that has a cooking chart on the back, and a bag of dry ice to keep them frozen.  There’s no way those babies were going to get too warm!  Also, as I’ve mentioned before, dry ice is a lot of fun on it’s own…but be careful and have an adult supervise you--if you’re not already an adult, that is.  ;)

Since our filets were 1 1/4” thick (yes, we measured--we weren’t taking any chances on messing these up), we did a high broil of 7 minutes on one side, and 6 minutes on the other.  Perfectly medium rare, folks!  First, we’d seasoned them with Oxford Falls London Dry Seasoning and a bit of kosher salt.  Then quickly broil them like I mentioned above.   Before serving, we added some herbed butter, which, if you’ve never made--is easy and delicious.  Fresh herbs of your choice + softened butter.  Roll into a log in plastic wrap, freeze.  Use as needed.

The MOST important part is next:  let them rest for 5 minutes before cutting into them.  If you cut into them right after cooking, all of the delicious juices will pour out of the steaks and right into your plate.  Or your cutting board.  Disaster!  Let them sit and rest so the juices can be reabsorbed back into the meat, and you’ll be so very happy.  How were they?  Perfect!  Tender, juicy, flavorful--just what you’d expect in a filet mignon, and more.   We served them as-is.  No sauce, just in all of their beefy glory, with a simple salad on the side.

Not only would these make a great gift, but if you’re planning on using the certificate yourself, how about for New Years Eve?  What a special treat!  Either way, you can’t lose.

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I have a $50 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks to give to one lucky reader!  I’ll make this a fairly quick giveaway because of the holidays.  The rules are simple, but you have to follow them for a chance to win.  This one’s open to US residents only, sorry. 

1)  You MUST follow Omaha Steaks on Twitter.  They are @Omaha_steaks <--click there to get to their official twitter page.   If you don’t have a twitter account, it’s easy and free to sign up.  After you do, click on the link to their page and click the Follow button.  Simple!

2)  You must tweet this text:

              Win a $50 Gift Cert. from @Omaha_Steaks & @elleskitchen:  http://tinyurl.com/yz3n8zb   #OmahaHoliday Pls RT

3)  In your comment here, leave a link to your tweet so I can see that you participated.  How do you do that?  Easy!  After you tweet the above message, look at your tweet.  Underneath it in smaller text, it will say how long ago you tweeted it:  5 seconds ago, one minute ago, etc.  Click on that, and it will take you to a page that shows just your tweet.  Copy the url link at the top of that page and add it to your comment here.   If you’re really having trouble, email me and I’ll help you with it.  Make sure you leave a valid email address where you can be reached, or I’ll have to choose another random number.

If you’re randomly chosen and you haven’t left a tweet link, I’ll also have to choose another random number.  The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, December 23rd. 

Good luck, and thank you to Omaha Steaks, Kristen, and Mandy for the opportunity!

I'll be sending Vegan Yum Yum to Heather and 500 Best Sauces to Erin this week.  Thanks to all of you for entering!  Stay tuned for more fun giveaways!

I love cookbooks!  I know, shocking, right? 

I was recently given two cookbooks to review that I absolutely fell in love with.  One of them is all about sauces.  Sauces for any dish you could ever think of!  I’ve always wanted a book just like this, because sometimes, all you need is a nice sauce to perfectly finish a particular dish.  The other one is the best vegan cookbook I’ve seen so far.  Seriously!

First up is 500 best sauces, salad dressings, marinades & more, by George Geary.   Who is George Geary?  He’s a cooking school instructor that teaches at over 200 schools every year.  He’s also a food journalist and has authored six cookbooks.

This book isn’t just about sauces, it’s about:

• Tools & Equipment
• Common Ingredients

And includes chapters on:

• Salad Dressings
• Complete Salads and Accompaniments
• Mayo & Other Condiments
• Stocks and Brown Sauces
• White Sauces and Warm  Butter Sauces
• Pasta Sauces
• Marinades, Barbecue Sauces and Rubs
• Savory and Fruit Salsas
• Butters and Cheese Spreads
• Sweet Sauces, Coulis and Dessert Fondues

I haven’t even scratched the surface with this book.  But I sure have tons of pages earmarked!  You may remember the Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Sauce I served up with breadsticks.  Fabulous and easy!  I’ve also made a couple of salad dressing recipes in the book, including the Balsamic Vinaigrette.   There are some mouthwatering photos--of course if I had my way there would be one for each recipe, but that would be 500 photos!  I completely understand the need to keep costs down, and truthfully?  The 500 recipes more than make up for it!  I can’t wait to try more of these fantastic recipes, and it sure feels good knowing that when I need a recipe for any kind of sauce my heart desires--I only have to look in one book to find them all.

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Next up is Vegan Yum Yum.  Of all the vegan cookbooks I’ve looked at and have on the shelf, this is my favorite and most used.  Some of you may know Vegan yum Yum, the blog by Lauren Ulm.  This is her book!  We’ve tried so many recipes in it, and not one has disappointed.  I’m not kidding!  I’ve got at least 80% of the recipes marked to try, and many of them we’ve already had more than once.  All of the recipes have at least one gorgeous photo, and each one has an introduction--I love that!   It’s a beautiful book.

Lauren’s recipes don’t leave you feeling like you just ate vegan food--they’re full of flavor and so satisfying.  They’d be a great way to introduce yourself or your family to cutting out meat a couple times a week.  The book would also be a wonderful gift for your favorite vegan!

Chapters include:

• Introduction
• Breakfast and Brunch
• Main Dishes
• Appetizers
• Salads
• Side Dishes and Light Meals
• Soups
• Pasta
• Desserts

This book is seriously packed with recipes.  And she has “under 30 minute” recipes clearly marked in the chapters, but so far, every single one we’ve tried has been quick and easy.  To date, we’ve had the Breakfast Sandwiches, Italian Rice and Beans, Caesar Salad, the Picnic Sandwich (twice already!), Smoky Miso Tofu Sandwiches (also twice), Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup (twice--it’s such a thick, hearty, comforting soup), Hurry Up Alfredo, and Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Kale and Carrots.  And we have tons more we can’t wait to try!

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And guess what?  I’m giving away one copy of each to you guys!  This one’s open to everyone, everywhere!  I’ll choose two random winners on Friday, January 1st, 2010. 

To enter:

1.  Leave a comment here--easy, right?

2.  You can tweet and earn unlimited entries, just be sure to leave a comment for each tweet, ok?

3.  If you're on Facebook, feel free to post a link to this giveaway, and come back here to comment for your extra entry. 

4. BE SURE to leave an email address where you can be reached, or I'll have to choose another winner.  And trust me, I hate doing that--it's not fun.

That’s it!  You have three ways to enter.  And like I said, this giveaway is open to everyone, no matter where you live.   Good luck!

The Random Number Generator has spoken and we have a winner.  It's comment # 50, by Josh.  Congratulations!

Josh, I'll be emailing you for your mailing info, and thanks to everyone for entering! 

Stay tuned for another giveaway post coming this week!

My name is Elle, and I have a confession to make…

I love Chex Mix!   Doesn’t even have to be homemade--just toss a store bought bag at me and I’ll go to town.  And to make it even better?  I toss some peanuts and chocolate chips into the mix.  Because yeeeeah--that hits the spot!   Sweet?  Salty?  Crunchy?  Got it all covered--in one bag.

While at the store the other day, I saw a box of Chex Mix Bars and thought…”Well, geez, I can do that.”  So I bought the stuff to make them and headed home.  I knew, without question, that my add-ins had to be included.  So far?  We have Chex Mix (Traditional flavor!), peanuts--lightly salted, and chocolate.  To hold them together?  Marshmallows, all melty and gooood. 

Don’t leave anything out of the Chex Mix when you make these!  Those little crunchy toasts?  The ones coated in salty goodness?  Leave them in--just break them up a bit.  So easy, too.  I just followed the recipe for Rice Krispies Treats, using Chex Mix and peanuts instead of Rice Krispies. 

Chex Mix Bars

3 tablespoons  butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40)  regular marshmallows
   OR  4 cups  miniature marshmallows  (I used these)
5 cups  Traditional Chex Mix
1 cup lightly salted peanuts
about 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (save these for later when the bars are cooled and cut)

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat.
Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add Chex Mix and Peanuts.
Stir until well coated.
Press mixture into lightly greased 11x7 pan, set aside to cool. (To make this easy, spray your hands with a bit of cooking spray.)
When cool, remove from pan and cut into squares.
Melt chocolate chips and pour into small zip top bag, snip off a tiny bit at the corner.
Drizzle chocolate over the bars, and set them aside for the chocolate to set up.
(I drizzled the chocolate on the bars over parchment, for easy clean up.)

How do they taste?  So good!  There’s crunchy from the Chex Mix and peanuts, a bit of gooey from the marshmallows, some salty goodness, and some sweet in there, too.  I think it’s the perfect snack bar.  It’s got it all.