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.

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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!

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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.

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