Quiche.

There is little to say except: quiche. This recipe is surprisingly easy and tastes great when you want to eat it for every meal days after you make it.

Soundtrack;

This might be really dorky, but I've recently been rediscovering my teenage love of John Mayer. Listen to this song first thing in the morning (say, while you're preparing or reheating a quiche for breakfast) and it will make your day better.

Recipe;

(Adapted from the incomparable Oh She Glows)

Serves 8, or 1 for a lot of days

1 vegan pie crust (store-bought or homemade)

1 block (14-oz) firm tofu

1 tbs coconut oil or olive oil

1 leek or sweet onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups (8-oz) sliced cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4-1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare pie crust as directed.
2. Wrap rinsed tofu in a few paper towels. Place a book or plate on top of it to lightly press out the water.
3. Break apart the tofu block and add into food processor. Process the tofu until smooth and creamy (add a bit of almond milk if needed).
4. Saute the leek (or onion) and garlic in a bit of oil over medium heat for a few minutes. 
5. Stir in the mushrooms, season as desired (I use my Trader Joe's truffle salt, so good), and cook on medium-high heat until most of the water cooks off the mushrooms.
6. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook until the spinach is wilted.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the processed tofu. Adjust seasoning to taste. 
8. Spoon mixture into baked crust and smooth out with a spoon until even.
9. Bake quiche, uncovered, at 375F for 33-37 minutes, until the quiche is firm to the touch. 
10. For best results, cool the quiche for 15-20 minutes before attempting to slice. 
11. Wrap up leftovers and refrigerate for 3-4 days, proceed to reheat for every meal because it is delicious.

<3

St. Patrick's Day Beer Bread!

Happy St. Patrick's! This is really the only bread I ever make because I'm incredibly impatient and can't deal with rising times. I tried to make Challah bread one time and it was kind of a disaster. Anyway! This recipe is so easy and delicious, and this morning I made it with kale, baked beans, and tempeh bacon. And beer...

Soundtrack;

Polecat: To The River

Polecat is one of the best bands to come out of Bellingham and they've become dear friends of ours over the last year. Cayley is an awesome fiddler and brings a gorgeous Celtic leaning to their eclectic sound. This video is from a couple years ago, but this is my favorite song of theirs so I had to post it.

Recipe;

Makes a loaf, maybe 4-5 servings

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp sea salt

2 tbs raw or brown sugar

1/3 olive oil, canola oil, or Earth Balance

1 cup brown beer (I used Ninkasi Vanilla Oatis Stout)

2 tbs melted Earth Balance or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sift together first four ingredients.
3. Add oil, then beer. 
4. Stir until just mixed.
5. Transfer into greased loaf pan
6. Brush the top with melted Earth Balance.
7. Bake for 50.
8. Eat with soup and things, or more beer!

<3

snow day comfort food (vegan mac & cheese)

The unseasonal downpour of snow here in the Northwest has not been kind to us, but we made the best of it today with a photoshoot, rehearsal, and mac & cheese.

Yes, it seemed only natural to feast on comfort food given the four inches of snow outside, and since Jillian (our cellist) is a new vegan, I took the opportunity to expose her to the glory that is vegan mac & cheese. There are a lot of ways to make a cheeze sauce, but this one is by far my favorite, and pretty great for you as comfort foods go! 

soundtrack;

Paper Bird: As I Am
I've been listening to a lot of Paper Bird lately, since we booked a show opening for them at Tractor Tavern in Seattle on March 19th. Their soul-infused folksy three-part harmonies make them a perfect fit for cozy days cooking indoors.

recipe;

(adapted from Vegnews' pseudo-famous recipe)

Makes about 8 servings. We made it for lunch and then another batch for dinner. Seriously.

• 8 ounces macaroni
• 4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (you can also use store-bought breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium yellow potato, cut into chunks
• 1-2 small-ish carrots, cut into chunks
• 1/2 a sweet onion, peeled & cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
  1 cup vegan broth (vegetable or no-chicken) OR butternut squash bisque
• 2 teaspoons sea salt (I got some truffle salt at Trader Joe's and I LOVE the flavor it adds)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  Paprika (optional)
• 1-2 drops liquid smoke (optional)
  1-1.5 cups shredded collard greens (optional)
  1/4 cup french fried onions (optional)

1. In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. If making bread crumbs: in a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, bring to a boil: water, salt, shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
4. In a blender or food processor, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and broth/bisque to the blender and process until smooth.
5. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, blended cheese sauce, and collard greens (also, smoked tofu? veggie dogs?) until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and/or french fried onion, and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.

<3

veg-couver bc

remember how i said i took the train up to vancouver to see the lumineers last weekend? well i thought it'd be nice to tell you guys about what i ate there! cause, ya know, that's what this blog is. just me talking about all the food i eat and how much i like it. still with me? there are pretty pictures, i promise.

the wallflower was a diner we spent most of our time is. like, literally two days in a row we were there. they serve meat & dairy but have a bitchin' separate menu for vegans. WORD. the first night we got a full dinner which included the best vegan mac & cheese i have ever had, and i have had a LOT of different mac & cheese's in my time. please note the cheese crust. CHEESE CRUST. it was incredible. i also got a black dahlia cocktail which was vanilla stoli, southern comfort and coke. i don't know if you guys know this, but i am a sucker for specialty cocktails. ugh, so good. highly recommend this place if you're in vancouver.

www.thewallflowermoderndiner.com

and here, to your right, is the best reason i can give you to go to the wallflower, and, indeed, to go to vancouver. this vegan creme brulee nearly killed me with its delicious. truly. we ate it both days we were there AND IT COMES IN A TEACUP. i don't know what else you need. also it goes well with whiskey (their $4 well whiskey is jim beam, too. can you tell i love this place?)

the concert was beautiful, the heroine addicts were
rampant, but i don't have pictures of those things and that's not really what you're here for, is it? we spent most of the next day (prior to crawling back to the wallflower for aforementioned whiskey + creme brulee) in the gastown district, which was super adorable and old time-y. we stumbled into the first coffee shop we found because i am incapable of function (without screaming) before i am caffeinated and OH MAN. it was good. parallel, it was called. to your left is a brownie, a mocha (pretty foam art and all, props to the barista, that shit's tough), my coffee with soy + cinnamon, and MAGICAL JOY IN VEGAN PASTRY FORM. pumpkin date coconut something with cashew butter and almond crust. holy god. i got two and had to stuff the second one in my face on the train before customs. all class, this girl.

before we got on the train we went to a kitschy cute cheap & veg-friendly burrito joint called budgie's. i got a chipotle tofu burrito with guacamole (not pictured) and it was AWESOME (i need some new adjectives). also we had some beers with jesus (pictured).
www.budgiesburritos.com/

also here's a picture of a rabbit girl in a fun antique shop we explored.

the moral of the story is, you gotta know where you're going in vancouver, kids. for multiple reasons. one is that if you go down a certain street (the street our hotel was on, in fact), you will be met with a city unto itself of heroine addicts. i have never seen anything like it. also, there are some really amazing places to eat, but you gotta do your research beforehand. in this case, i've done it for you! thank me later. 

xo m

chocolate peanut butter bunny eggs

well, it's that time of year again. the time when all the rite-aids are carrying chocolate peanut butter approximations of avian reproductive vessels and i drool all over myself despite my better judgment. i can't help it! they're so much better than regular reese's and everyone knows it. i used to wait for them all year and buy them in illogically large quantities, making myself sick and also a little crazy. now what i do is remind myself to make my own at home without using too much terrible stuff. don't get me wrong, there's nothing healthy about these, but hey! at least fewer chemicals and no animal secretions. ugh, anyway...

soundtrack;

the lumineers: ho hey

you guys can't know how infatuated i've been with the lumineers lately. i took the train up to vancouver to see them last weekend and they are just so full of love and light and passion for what they do. i'm serious, you want in on this. aside from that though, their whole album is great sunny springtime music and perfect for making & eating delicious chocolate to.

(please note the springy dress and freshly-painted fingernails)

chocolate peanut butter bunny eggs

makes about 16, i usually half it for my own safety

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (i like it salted)

1/4 cup earth balance

2-3 tablespoons almond/soy/rice milk

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons coconut oil (or more earth balance)

1. mix together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and earth balance. 

2. add the milk one tablespoon at a time until it becomes a nice workable dough. 

3. form the dough into egg shapes, and put them in the freezer for about an hour.

4. stir the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a double boiler (boil water in a big sauce pan, put everything else in a little one and put inside. you can also use a microwave if you wanna)

5. dip each egg in the melted chocolate. this is kind of a bitch with a fork, but you can make it happen. probably better if you have a skewer around though.

6. stick 'em in the fridge on some wax paper. they hold up best a little chilled, but having chocolate melting all over your fingers is really not the worst scenario in the world, is it.

xo m

i wish i was in new orleans (the best vegan gumbo recipe, ever.)

i consider myself a well-rounded person. i have several skills that i feel proud of. i have a good ear for music, i play a mean game of scrabble, do a great impression of a goat, and can maneuver myself around foreign airports very well. perhaps my greatest skill, however, is the ability to make the best vegan gumbo you have ever had. my intention is to move down to new orleans and open a gumbo truck, at some point. it's that important to me. i've scoured the internet, piecing together bits of others' gumbo adventures, and i think i've got a pretty solid recipe here. i guess we'll see when i make my venture down south.

soundtrack;

to prep your rice and drink to:

tom waits' i wish i was in new orleans. classic.

to dance to while you cook:

professor longhair's go to the mardi gras. 

get a pandora station going on this, you won't be sorry. 

also,

paul simon's that was your mother.

any zydeco, but this is a favorite homage. paul simon 4 eva.

(this is technically a picture of it over biscuits the next day. you will want to do this. biscuit recipe to come shortly.)

the best vegan gumbo recipe, ever.

serves...8? maybe 9? it's a big giant pot of gumbo.

prep time is about an hour and a half. totally worth it.

3/4 cup earth balance

1/2 cup flour (i use whole wheat pastry for everything, but you can use whatever you like)

1/2 a sweet onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

cajun spice, to taste (good if you can find a mix you like, otherwise use salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, and a little cayenne)

1 14 oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

7 cups vegetable or un-chicken broth (mix + match, it's great with either/both, also it's cheaper to use bouillon)

1 14 oz. can red kidney beans

1 bunch collard greens, i just tear them up in little pieces...

3 soy italian sausages (i like tofurkey, field roast apple sage is awesome too)

5 cups brown rice

1. melt the earth balance in a big giant soup pot, whisk in the flour till it forms a roux. stir continuously for 8-10 minutes, until browned (or until it smells awesome.)

2. add the vegetables, coat with the roux and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. add spices, cook another five minutes.

4. add the tomato, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. meanwhile, saute the collard greens and sausage in a frying pan with a little oil.

5. add broth to the soup pot, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

6. add kidney beans, rice, collards and sausage.

7. simmer, lid on, for at least a half hour. the longer it simmers, the thicker and more cohesive the flavors will be, but it's gonna be good now and it's gonna be good when you put it in the fridge and eat it for every meal for the next week.

you're welcome.

xo m

southern au gratin recipe.

so last night i graduated from yoga teacher training (yay us! what an unbelievably incredible experience, but i won't go into it here) and we had a big fancy potluck at the yoga studio. i wanted to make something really awesome (read: not salad (for the record, as a vegan, i don't even really like/eat salad)) to rep the veg community, so i made this, and everybody flipped out. it was very successful. so i figured y'all might want the recipe. here it is!

  southern au gratin

1/4 cup earth balance
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 pounds collard greens (or whatever greens you wanna use), leaves and stems separated and both cut into 1-inch pieces
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg/cinnamon/allspice)
2 cups full-fat coconut milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour (i like to use whole wheat pastry flour, in general)
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes (i looooove japanese sweet potatoes if you can find them), sliced super-thin (1/8 inch maybe)
Seasoning and/or fresh herbs of your choice (I'm obsessed with Bragg's Sprinkle seasoning)
Lotsa sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pack of mozzarella daiya
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional, but delicious)

Prep greens: sautee onion in 2 tablespoons of earth balance in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add chard stems, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and add chard leaves by large handfuls, stirring, until all greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper then transfer greens to a colander to drain well and press out liquid.

Make sauce: Combine coconut milk and garlic in small saucepan; bring to simmer; keep warm. Melt two tablespoons earth balance in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, whisking, one minute, then slowly whisk in warm coconut milk and boil, whisking, one minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease deep 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs and daiya. Distribute half of the greens mixture, then sprinkle more salt, pepper, herbs and daiya. Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and then the remaining greens, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, pressing the vegetables slightly to ensure that they are as submerged as possible. Sprinkle with daiya and bread crumbs.

Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden + bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let it cool before serving, or cover it in towels and shove it in a bag because you're no good with time management and you're late for your yoga potluck.


xo
m

p.s. i also made oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies (yes really), but i don't feel like i've got them quite right yet, so i'll hold off on the recipe till i feel more confident that i can fully express their magical wonder.