Must be something in the food, cuz once folks go plant-based they get inspired to share what they’re eating and what they’ve learned – and to then want to showcase what all of us other plant-based cooks and bakers are creating! Case in point is the new site, Our Vegitable, from Danielle at Baking Backwards. Danielle told me a few months back about this new site she was developing – and it sounded like a fantastic idea. I couldn’t wait for it to launch. Like Finding Vegan or Foodgawker, bloggers submit their food photos – but unlike those two sites, Our Vegitable digs a little deeper. Accepted submissions include a description of the recipe along with a blurb about the author. A link takes the reader to the source of the recipe, i.e., the blog or website. The other cool thing Danielle did was to break the submissions down into the following categories:
- WEEKDAY BREAKFAST
- WEEKDAY LUNCH
- WEEKDAY DINNER
- WEEKDAY SNACK
- WEEKDAY DESSERT
- WEEKEND BRUNCH
- SUNDAY SUPPER
- WEEKEND DESSERT
- PRODUCT REVIEW
See what she did there? It’s a full week of meals! And, yep, you can even submit product reviews! Our Vegitable really showcases the recipes and the bloggers who created them. Just like the other food photo sites, you can pick up a badge to add to your blog that will send your readers straight to your gallery of photos. Consider this your engraved invitation to submit your recipes! For the full details on how/where to submit your yummies, go here. Oh, and this soup here? I submitted it.
(Have you voted for your favorite dishes from the Virtual Vegan Potluck? If no, start here!)
Creamy Potato & Cauliflower Soup
Serves 6-8
splash of Bragg Liquid Aminos
splash water or vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large head cauliflower, chopped
ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan-style cheese (I used Go Veggie!)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
green onions, chopped, for garnish
coconut bacon, for garnish
Preheat oven to 450F. Coat cauliflower with the 1 tsp. olive oil and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once, until browned and tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large pot, saute the onions, thyme, smoked paprika, and garlic in the Liquid Aminos and water/broth for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, water, bay leaf and pepper. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
While the potatoes cook, put the roasted cauliflower in a blender with the non-dairy milk, vegan Parm, nutritional yeast, and process until very smooth. Pour this mixture into a large bowl. Once the potatoes are very tender, carefully blend in batches and pour into the bowl with the cauliflower mixture. Pour it all back into the pot and gently warm, adjusting the seasonings to taste.
Divide soup into bowls and top with green onions and coconut bacon.
I don’t really want to rush time along, but this year winter has rudely muscled its way into spring and I’m aching for sunshine and warm temperatures. This see-sawing act (hot…cold…hot…cold) is getting tiresome.
Gnocchis are pillowy-soft, plump little dumplings that love to soak up savory sauces – though the Italian translation, either knot, lump or knuckle doesn’t exactly make my mouth water. Gnocchi is a good pasta to make if you are like me and can’t seem to master the rolling out and cutting of typical pastas. I end up with goofy-shaped scraps, tangles of noodles and flour all over the place.
If cooking immediately, carefully drop the dumplings into the boiling water. They will sink, then rise as they finish cooking. Fresh gnocchi cooks fast. Scoop the dumplings up and drain them. It’s a good idea to cook gnocchi in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot.
I think I could eat one of these turnovers every day for lunch and be quite happy. I’d be grinning like the Cheshire Cat day after day after day. They have everything I love: beans, olives, sweet potato, smoky cumin and crust. Especially crust. I like to make a big batch and put half in the freezer.
One of my favorite “go-to” vegan-meets-non-vegan-for-dinner restaurants is Oasis Cafe in Salt Lake City. Their menu offers both meat, vegetarian and vegan entrees (clearly marked on the menu) and many other dishes can be altered to exclude meat and dairy. Kel and I went there the other day for lunch and instead of getting my usual tempeh gyro – which I normally cannot resist – I ordered the curried tofu wrap. I was delicious, but I kept thinking it could’ve been better. Not so much better, but more. As in more flavor. It was as if they got all of the parts right, but the complete package was lacking something. It became my challenge to try and make a better version at home. Here, tempeh replaces the tofu and I went with potatoes and cauliflower instead of yellow squash. I just like ‘em better. (Kristy, garbonzo beans would be good, too…)
