Review: Cinnamon Bakery (They Rule)

GUYS! I've been a ridiculously busy librarian and I've slacked on blogging lately. For that, I apologize. I've been setting up all sorts of programs for my library and attending conferences and stuff like that, so food has been on the back burner.

So, with that said, I'd like to introduce you to Cinnamon! Cinnamon is a vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free bakery based out of Portland, Oregon. My friend, Geanna, has rocked out a starter business and it is booming! Her donuts are sold around Portland, at places like Food Fight (the vegan grocery store in PDX), and she even has a Treat of the Month club. Seriously, you need to check out the site.

I asked Geanna to send me some goodies to review here, and she did. And they ROCKED!!!

Here's what she sent me (and, being the nice librarian I am, I shared with my husband):

Starting at the top left and moving clockwise:

• Cinnamon Sugar Donut
• Chocolate Donut with Chocolate Sauce
• PUMPKIN SPICED MINI DONUT!!!
• Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

DUDES! They were awesome. All of them. I was sad when they were gone, which took only moments for us to scarf them all down. I seriously can't even pick a favorite. My husband, on the other hand, said that the cookies were hands-down, his favorite.

The donuts were perfection. They were sweet, without being overly sweet. They were chewy and delicious. The pumpkin mini donut was perfectly seasoned. The cookies were absolutely fabulous. They had a classic flavor that brought back memories of my childhood. I loved all of it!!

Come visit Geanna at Cinnamon and check out the goodies. You won't be disappointed. 
Here's how you can contact her:
Phone: 971-258-2995
Email: geanna@cinnamonpdx.com
Twitter: @cinnamonpdx

Easy Weeknight Dinner - VeganMoFo #8

Recently, the fella and I discovered that Gardein has started making these Crispy Chik'n Filets, so (of course) we had to get them. I decided after a long day at work that I needed to make an easy dinner. I baked up the filets with some spices (poultry seasoning, garlic salt, pepper). I made some spaghetti with jarred sauce (again, I added some spices) and mixed in a boatload of Parmela (vegan parm). Add a bit of homemade garlic bread, and you have a super easy, quick meal.

Now, I'd like to do a quick review of the Gardein Crispy Chik'n Filets.

Flavor: Yummy. I thought it tasted better than real chicken. Then again, I haven't eaten an animal in years, so I don't know. My Mr. is an omni, and he absolutely loves them. Between these and the Gardein crispy tenders, I just may be able to convert him. I digress. The flavor is excellent, and the breading has a nice flavor. I do love adding some poultry seasoning to mine, along with a little pepper, but we also liked them without any additional seasoning.

Texture: Nice and crispy breading outside. Slightly flaky "meat" inside. The chik'n looks like white meat chicken. NO GRISTLE! Ahhh, the joy of meat replacements. No guessing about the weird chewy bits.

Sauce: We didn't use it. I stuck with my old standby sauce that we both like.

Ease: Basically, these are the easiest part of dinner. You just pre-heat the oven, cook these for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 8-10 minutes. So damn easy.

Now comes the obligatory message about this review:
I bought the product myself. Gardein has not asked me to do a review. I really like the filets and I highly recommend them.

HAPPY MOFO!!!

Two-Lentil Dal (a la Robin Robertson) - VeganMoFo #5

Perhaps you haven't heard of her, but Robin Robertson is an excellent vegan cookbook author. She recently (September 2012) published a cookbook titled Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker, and this is the first dish I've made. I'm not sure what it was supposed to look like, but I do know the dal tastes excellent with some rice and my homemade vegan garlic naan. The texture of my dal was similar to refried beans....thick, slightly lumpy, almost creamy. I have no idea if that's how it was supposed to be, but I did end up cooking mine 9 hours while I was at work, so that may be to blame. Regardless, we LOVED IT!!

If you haven't noticed before, I tend to always alter recipes, and this one was no different. I added in a few tiny carrots from my garden, along with a bit of my favorite curry powder. Because I started cooking this at 9:30 am and didn't get home until 6:30, It may have been slightly overcooked, but it was still 100% delicious. Like, insanely delicious. The recipe called for cardamom, and I will admit that I was skeptical. I'd only really ever used cardamom in sweet treats and zucchini bread. It turned out perfect, though, and I'm interested in adding it to other curries in the future.

I think the only other change I might make in the future is to add a little wedge of lemon when I serve it. Lemon is such a perfect complement to lentils, especially Indian-spiced lentils. Unfortunately, this isn't my recipe to share, but I do highly recommend that you check out Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker  from your local library (hey, I can't help it; I'm a librarian) or just splurge and buy it. I am so excited to try a ton of the other recipes now!

Happy MoFo, everyone!

Review -- Pacific Northwest Kale Chips

Recently, I received a request from Melisser at Vegan Cuts asking if I would be interested in reviewing Pacific Northwest Kale Chips, and I absolutely jumped at the chance. I've seen them on the Vegan Cuts website a few times, but, I kept putting off trying them out. So, apparently, it was some sort of magical intervention on behalf of the universe that I finally got to try them. There are 3 flavors of the kale chips, and all 3 are raw, gluten-free and vegan!! Can you even freaking believe it? The flavors are: Stumptown Original, Cheezy Crunch, and Glacier Peak Greens.

One day earlier this week, I got home from the dream job to find the box sitting on my porch. I'm pretty sure I actually squeeeeed when I saw it. Hey, I get pretty damn excited about food. I can honestly say that I was skeptical about kale chips in general. Hell, it took me years to even give kale a shot in my green smoothies. So, I was a little skeptical. Well, my loves, my skepticism was completely unwarranted. I liked all 3 flavors...but I emphatically LOVE the Glacier Peak Greens. They're spectacular! I crave them now.  On to the reviews!!!

Cheezy Crunch
These are definitely my least favorite of the kale chip trio. I still think they're good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy them again. I think that maybe it was just that they weren't cheesy enough. Or, maybe, what happened is that I tried the other two first and found them to fit my tastes more. It happens...people have different tastes. You may find them to be your favorite.

Ingredients: organic kale, organic cashews, organic yellow bell pepper, organic onion, organic lemon juice, nutritional yeast, organic turmeric, salt.

Stumptown Original
These chips come in a very close second place to the Glacier Peak chips. They are nice and crunchy, with a gentle spiciness and a mild nutty flavor. I can't get over how delicious they are!

Ingredients: organic kale, organic hazelnuts, organic red bell pepper, organic onion, organic garlic, organic lemon juice, nutritional yeast, organic turmeric, organic cayenne, salt.

Glacier Peak Greens
O.M.G. These things are incredible. You can see from the photo below that the GPG flavor has cilantro, lime and jalapeno. They're nice and spicy with a touch of tang from the line. Really, they are so freaking good! Don't just take my word for it, get some for yourself.

Ingredients: organic kale, organic cashews, organic yellow bell pepper, organic onion, organic cilantro, organic jalapeno, organic lime juice, nutritional yeast, salt.

You can order Pacific Northwest Kale Chips from their website, as well as from Vegan Cuts here.
You can also follow PNKC on twitter here, and Vegan Cuts here.

If you're wondering, Vegan Cuts is a website that offers special deals and great prices on 100% vegan products and services. I've made numerous purchases from their site for awesome products. 


Want something awesome??? You can get 10% off your next order at Vegan Cuts with the code "BLOGFRIEND" (does not count on your shipping...just the merchandise). This offer expires on October 31, 2012.

This is the first time that I've done a review in exchange for a product. But, I have been 100% honest and am not being compensated in any way for my review. I just happen to really believe in the Pacific Northwest Kale Chips and I truly think you'll like them.

Review: Cajun Chickpea Cakes a la Happy Herbivore

I was gifted a copy of Everyday Happy Herbivore for my birthday from my pal, Jenna. It landed on my stoop as a complete surprise and I started browsing immediately. I flipped right open to a chickpea recipe! How fitting, eh? But, really, I did open it right up to a dish called Cajun Chickpea Cakes on page 188. I pretty much hopped right up and made them.

They turned out very, very well. In fact, I'm made them again last night. I did, of course, alter the recipe a little bit. I just can't help myself! Mine seemed to be a little dry, so I added a TB more mayo, a TB of water and maybe a 1/2 tsp of soy sauce. I also substituted the poultry seasoning with my favorite, all-purpose seasoning from Simply Organic brand, because I never have poultry seasoning on-hand. These little buggers were incredible. I highly recommend making the cajun mayo to dip these in.

I made a double batch last night, which was a great idea because I had some leftover for lunch today. I love when meals make easy lunches. I reheated them in the microwave. I'm not sure if it was the nuking or what, but they were pretty crumbly today. I didn't have any of the cajun mayo left, so I used some steak sauce (A1) to dip in. It was awesome! They go really well with steamed and roasted veggies and even mashed potatoes.

These remind me a little of baked falafel in texture and consistency. I am obsessed with falafels, in case you didn't know. So, I'll probably use this recipe as a base and alter the tastes to fit my moods-- like substituting curry powder for the cajun seasoning. Who knows!?! I'm a wild woman in the kitchen. 

I haven't tried any other recipes from Everyday Happy Herbivore yet, but if they are as good as these chickpea cakes, I then this book is a keeper. Have any of you tried recipes from the new cookbook?

Chickpea Broccoli Casserole a la VwaV

There are days when you just need a hot, filling meal...something comforting for your tummy to devour and enjoy. Oh yeah, that was today. I woke up super hungry and I couldn't stop thinking about casserole. WTF? I am sooooo not a casserole kind of girl. But, whatever, I needed comfort food and I didn't know what to make. I saw somewhere online that people seemed to really like the broccoli chickpea casserole in the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook, so I whipped it out. The book, not "it." Get your damn minds outta the gutter.

Well, I have had my VwaV cookbook for a couple years now, and I have made exactly 1 recipe from it. I think there is something wrong with me. I really don't know why I never think to use it. Whatever. Anyway, I made the casserole on page 97 (you can also find it posted all over the internet), but with some changes, including making it a little bit smaller because I didn't have enough chickpeas. Here are the other changes I made:

• had no chives, so I added 2 cloves minced garlic instead
• more breadcrumbs, with some extra on the top
• added lots of pepper and some extra salt (my broth was low-sodium, so that may be why)
• added 1 cup Daiya cheddar into the mix, and will probably add a little more next time
• added about 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, but will add more next time
• added in a little garlic powder and onion powder- maybe 1/4 tsp garlic and 1/3 tsp onion
• I ran most of the chickpeas through my food processor instead of mushing with a fork. Saves time.

Hmmm. Seems like I'm forgetting something. Wait, I do have a suggestion: saute your onion before adding it to the casserole mix. Mine were still a little crispy, and I will be cooking them next time. I do, however, have some more ideas for future casseroles now. Perhaps I will be adding some shredded hashbrown potatoes into it, along with some mushrooms. Who knows. I'm crazy that way. This casserole was quite yummy, though. Especially as it cooled down. You should give it a shot, even if you don't think you're a casserole kind of person. 

Here's what my version looked like before I baked it:

Here's what I blogged this day last year: Review of Strawberry Basil Preserves <--Click me!

Review: Deep Brand Lentil Samosas

I am obsessed with trying and making Indian food. And, today, I discovered a new little Indian Grocer/Cafe near my house! It's called Chutney Bazaar, and it is awesome. It smells incredible when you walk in the door. There are so many awesome spices, about a million different kinds of naan, and some excellent-looking foods. I can't wait to try their cafe foods!!

When I went, they were out of the freshly made vegan samosas, so I snagged some frozen ones instead. They are by Deep brand, and they were $6.99 for 24. The box says that they could be deep fried or baked, and since I hate deep-frying at home, I baked mine. The box does have a misprint, though. It says to bake at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes. What it should say is 16-18 minutes. I cooked mine for 16 and they were perfectly done...soft around the centers and just a little crispy around the edges.

They, to me, had just the right amount of spice. Just enough to warm your mouth without burning your tongue. I dipped mine in a tamarind/ginger chutney and they went very well together. I'm curious to try more chutneys, maybe a mango or a mint will be next. Who knows. I'm crazy like that. Haha.

As for the texture, I loved that the lentils held their shape, but they weren't hard, either. They had a texture to chew on, see: 

And here's what they looked like served with the tamarind ginger chutney:

I served mine with some fresh naan. It was awesome. I definitely recommend these if you happen to stumble upon them anywhere.

Any recommendations for a good chutney to go with samosas?

Here's what I made/blogged on this day last year: Pineapple Smoothies & My New Vita-Mix! <--Click Me!

Hain Brown Gravy & Hot Turkey Sandwich...Vegan Style

I don't know about you guys, but I grew up frequenting coney islands and diners. My most favorite thing there (besides the always-classic grilled cheese) was always the hot turkey sandwich. It was a slice of white bread topped by cooked deli turkey, topped by another slice of bread. On the top was a heaping pile of mashed potatoes smothered in a boatload of brown gravy. So, recently, when I found these Hain brand vegan gravy mixes at my local HFS, I knew what I had to make...Vegan hot turkey sandwich.

Holy hell, dudes. It was just a blast from the past. I will definitely be making it again REALLY soon. I just need to hit up the health food store and stock up on that brown gravy. I snagged the chicken gravy kind, too, but I haven't tried it yet. I never was much of a chicken gravy gal, myself. But I do highly recommend the brown gravy. In fact, I'm getting hungry just writing about it.

The gravy packs look like this:

The gravy says you can either stovetop cook or microwave cook the gravy. I chose microwave as I was already busy making the mashed potatoes and lightly pan-frying the turkey slices. It came out weird at first, with a big clump in the middle of the gravy. I whisked for about 4 minutes non-stop and it broke it down with no problem. I would probably make it on the stovetop next time, so I can whisk throughout cooking and make it smoother and thicker. Regardless, the taste was excellent! I just added a tiny bit of pepper to the cooked gravy and it was good to go. I definitely recommend it! And, no, I'm not being sponsored or anything like that, I just found something that I really love and I think you might like it, too.

Saturday and Upcoming Vacation

Saturdays are a ritual. I go out to lunch with my mummy at Steady Eddy's, which is at the Flint farmer's market. I used to always eat the same couple of dishes that I knew were vegan and I really liked. Then, to my excitement, I found out that the diner we eat at (the only veg-friendly place around) has declared that all their soups from now on will be vegan. So, over the last couple of weeks, I've become obsessed with finding out what their soups are. Yesterday was chunky potato. It was very tasty. I am really starting to like non-creamy potato soups. They're filling, without being heavy and super fatty. Anyway, last week was a stellar 7-Bean soup. The week before was a cream-free potato leek soup. I'm in love! Their soups are always homemade and always so super tasty.

In other news, no recipes for the next few days. Sorry, I'll be on vacation and don't want to dirty any dishes before I leave town. No one wants to come home to a sink full of dirty dishes. Okay, maybe somebody out there does, but not me. I'm already lazy about doing dishes on a regular day and I know I won't be keen on it after my vacation. Call me a mega nerd if you want, but I am roadtripping down to Florida for my pal's wedding...and a day trip out to the Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando. It's going to be so rad. So, I will be gone from blogging for about a week. I'll probably have lots of photos to share when I get back. So, I hope you all have an awesome week and I'll see you again soon.

Oh, and before I forget, I spotted this in my backyard:

From what I have  been able to determine, I believe it is a Downy Woodpecker. Because it has the red on its head, I think it is a male. He was pecking on some sort of large weed in my yard. I'm so lucky to see so many awesome critters from my kitchen windows.

Gardein Burgers - Vegan MoFo #23

So much Gardein love lately. I stocked up yesterday because my grocery store had all Gardein frozen stuff for $2.99 (they're normally about $4.00 each). I had to try the burgers. How could I not, especially since I love the other stuff I've had lately?

You can cook these a few different ways, according to the package, and I chose skillet. I added a tiny bit of coconut oil to a large non-stick skillet. It was so easy. They tasted and felt like the old fast food burgers we all grew up on. Chewy with a little texture. They smelled a little weird when they were cooking, but they actually tasted pretty good.

I served mine up with a bit of vegenaise, some mustard, red onion slices, tomato and romaine lettuce on a store bought bun. I also baked some garlic potato bites and steamed some veg (cauli, broccoli & carrots). I'd definitely make the burgers again some time. They were a nice change from either the bocas or making my own. Maybe you should give them a shot. By the way, I bought these myself and no one has sponsored anything. It's just my opinion.

English Muffins a la Vegan Brunch - Vegan MoFo #22

I've never really much enjoyed English Muffins from the grocery store, and I'd never had homemade before. I feel like a gambler. Taking risks, reaping rewards and junk like that. I have loved absolutely everything I've made from Vegan Brunch thus far, so I took a chance and made the English Muffins (page 190). I was actually pretty nervous. I felt like the dough just wasn't rising enough (or fast enough), when it suddenly hit me: they're supposed to me discs, duh, not giant loaves of bread. I know, I know, seems obvious. But, understand that I have a rocky history with yeasted breads. Also, I never eat English Muffins. Cut me some slack, Jack.

Well, let me tell you, these buggers are AWESOME! I couldn't be any more in love with them than if they made themselves. They did take some time...about 90 minutes total, but I do believe they were worth it. I'm a little bummed, though, that I only made a half batch because I was worried I wouldn't like them. Big mistake. I ate 2 1/2 while they were still hot. Just slather on a little vegan butter and you're in muffin heaven. My only sadness was that I just didn't have the nooks and crannies that I was hoping for. maybe I didn't knead long enough or let my dough rise enough. Whatever, though, because they taste too awesome to complain for real.

You really need this cookbook already. Stop making me pimp it out. If only I got a dollar for every time I tell someone they need to buy it....I'd have a shit-ton of dollars.

Resistance is futile!! Get it. Make the muffins.

Chocolate Chip Scones a la Vegan Brunch - Vegan MoFo #20

Chocolate Chip Scones! OMFG! These are yet another reason that I absolutely must insist that you buy Vegan Brunch by Ms. Isa Chandra Moskowitz. We are completely in love with these buggers. They're perfectly crispy abound the edge and soft and flaky inside. They go perfectly with some vegan butter and a glass of cold almond milk.

I halved the recipe, making 6 huge scones. I used almond milk, butter flavor shortening, and coconut oil instead of the soy, plain shortening and canola oil, respectively. Mucho, mucho awesome.

Vegan Brunch is absolutely, hands down my most used cookbook. Do you really need another reason to buy this book already? I swear, I feel like I'm always trying to convince you guys. I'm like a crazed vegan cookbook pusher. Just do it.

Tempeh Helper - Vegan MoFo #11

I have been really sick the last few days, so I haven't really felt much like making anything fancy. I was really hungry today, for the first time in a few days, and wanted something easy. After a little searching around, I settled on making the Tempeh Helper recipe from Isa Chandra's cookbook, Appetite for Reduction. The recipe is also posted here on the PPK website.  Because I'm still feeling so crummy, I'm not going to blab on and on or give you the recipe, but I will tell you the changes I made to the recipe to fit my tastes:

• I used 1 cube of Not-Chik'n bouillon cube in the helper, and half a cube in the cheezy sauce instead of the broth powder in the original.
• I used mustard powder instead of prepared yellow mustard.
• Used slightly less thyme and oregano because I don't love them too much.
• Used about 1 1/2 cup dry pasta (mini shells).
• Added about 1/2 tsp cumin to the cheezy sauce.
• Used about 3/4 cup of frozen peas instead of the 1/4 called for.

It really was quite tasty with some bread & butter. When I was a kid, mom always served hamburger helper with a slice of bread and butter. Not sure why, but I couldn't resist doing it with this version. Funny, though, even as a kid, I hated the beef. I would pick around and eat only the noodles and sauce. Anyway, give the tempeh helper a shot. It's not fancy (or pretty), but it does fill your hungry tummy.

Steady Eddy's Cafe Review - VeganMoFo #8

My typical Saturday lunch? This sandwich at my favorite little vegan-friendly cafe called Steady Eddy's at the Flint Farmer's Market. They're only open 4 days a week, and there is almost always a wait to get in, especially in the Winter months since the patio is closed. Today, we ate out on the patio and it was lovely. Being Fall, one never can predict the weather, so we sat outside. Who knows, maybe next Saturday will be too cold to sit out there. Anyway, back to the sandwich. It's the Soy Veggie Melt on sourdough bread. I get it almost every single week. It's sourdough, tomatoes, soy cheese, soy mayo, sprouts, onion, avocado and I order mine with some mushrooms.

Please pardon the red tint on all the photos. We sat out under a rainbow umbrella, and it turned everything red. Anyway, Steady Eddy's is owned and run by a vegan, so she makes sure to have a lot of options for us! About half of the menu can be made vegan, except the meats. She doesn't really have faux meats unless you count the tofu and some tvp. Regardless, every single thing I've had there has been super tasty. On top of that, the servers are wonderful. They're always exceptionally friendly, even when the place is in utter chaos. They're very worthy of nice tips :)

I am especially grateful for Steady Eddy's because there are very few vegan-friendly places in my area. It can be kind of hard to eat out sometimes. So, Steady Eddy's is my go-to restaurant. If ever you're in the Flint area, the Farmer's Market is a must-see. They're open all year long Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Steady Eddy's is actually open Tues, Thurs, Fri and Saturdays all year. They're located upstairs across from the art shop. Dig it.

Avocado Basil Pasta

After work today, I didn't feel much like cooking. I had a long, busy day and I just needed to lay about and be lazy. But, alas, my tummy was growling angrily at me, demanding food. NOW! I haven't been grocery shopping in almost a week, so I didn't have much on hand, but I did have 3 things sitting on my counter waiting to be used:

• Basil
• 2 Avocados
• 1 Lemon

What to make? What to make? Google search time. There were a ton of salad dressings, but then I found this recipe from Oh She Glows. I was actually really skeptical, but I gave it a shot, altering it a bit, and it was hugely awesome.

The changes I made were simple little changes making it fit my tastes a little more. I added a bit more garlic, more basil and more avocado as I made more pasta. It would have been really good with some finely ground walnut (or pinenuts if you're a pinenut fan...I am very much not one). Also, if you have a good vegan parmesan, it would be pretty tasty, too. The sauce is sooo creamy and very vibrant. I'm seriously enraptured with the dish. I definitely recommend making it.


I'm not one to really rave here about other bloggers' recipes, but I love it so much that I just had to share with you. You neeeeeeeeeeed to try it if you love basil and avocados. They go together splendidly and you get a deliciously creamy sauce without the cream. It's vegan and tasty as hell. You can't go wrong.

Pumpkin Pancakes a la Vegan Brunch

Pumpkin pancakes, eh? Hmmm. I don't know about that. I'm not a huge pumpkin lover. I am, however, a huge pancake lover. Wait, that sounds like I'm huge. I'm not. I'm actually quite short. I think what I mean to say is that I love pancakes in a major way. Yeah, that sounds better...although a little pervy. Whatever. The point is that I wanted comfort food in pancake form. I also wanted something different than the basic pancake, so I grabbed Vegan Brunch, which just so happens to be my most-used cookbook ever. I flipped right open to the pumpkin pancake page. I was at first appalled, then curious, then obsessed. Adding pumpkin to a pancake seemed blasphemous and wrong, but I shun society's norms and flipped "the man" the bird. I made the pancakes. And they were heavenly.

These pancakes are yet another reason that you need to buy Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Every single recipe I've made has been a complete and total hit. I've never experienced that with any cookbook before. I'd love to share the recipe with you, but it isn't mine to share. Maybe you want to check your local public library before you take the plunge...Or maybe you are brave and adventurous and want to jump right into buying it. Either way, I don't think you could possibly be disappointed.

The only alterations I made to the standard recipe were:

• I was out of canola oil, so I melted 2 TB of Earth Balance instead.
• I added chopped walnuts to half of the batch, and I am so glad I did. I love me some nuts.

They were awesome plain. They were extra awesome with a smidge of Earth Balance smeared on top. I am told they are super extra awesome maple syrup, but I hate how syrup makes pancakes soggy, so I abstain.

As for eating the rainbow, I'll make up for the lack of colors later when I eat my salad. These pancakes only have 1 color:
Orange- Pumpkin puree

Now, buy the book already. I would lend you mine, but I know your type: you'd never give it back.

Sometimes You Make Other People's Food

I was in the mood for some chickpeas today. What's new, right?! What to make, what to make? So many options. Chickpea sammies, chickpea masala, curried chickpeas, stew, chickpea noodle soup, chickpea patties. The options are endless. I settled on some baked falafel from one of my favorite cookbooks, Appetite for Reduction. Of course, I altered the falafel somewhat, adding more garlic, sriracha, and some curry powder. This is totally one of my go-to recipes when I'm not sure what I want. And, it always gets eaten. All of it. The falafels are extra tasty with a little lemony tahini sauce.

---

My lemony tahini sauce recipe:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 TB lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or a tiny bit of minced fresh garlic
• 1-2 TB water

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Don't worry, it starts runny, but will get thicker as it sets. If runny, add a little more tahini and whisk again. If it's too dry, add a bit more water. Easy. Let set for 5 minutes so the flavors meld and the sauce thickens.

---

Settled on the falafel, I had to think of something to make to go with it. DOH! Of course!
I recently stumbled upon a recipe for Salt & Vinegar Potato Wedges on The Tolerant Vegan's website. Ever since I saw it, I have been obsessed with making the potatoes. I honestly can't believe it's taken me this long to make them. The wait was worth it, I promise. HOLY HELL. These buggers are fucking awesome! The only thing I changed was to use a smidge less oil. Otherwise, I made them exactly as the recipe calls for. They'll be getting a regular rotation in my recipe repertoire. For reals. You absolutely HAVE to make them. I even ended up dipping mine in the rest of the vinegar cuz I liked it so much. Why didn't I think of this brilliant recipe? I absolutely love salt and vinegar potato chips, and these wedges are a low-fat, healthier version of them.

I'm not posting The Tolerant Vegan's recipe, because I think you should definitely visit her site. Read her "About" page. You'll be a better person for it. And, oh my god, her photos are mouth-watering.

Dudes and dudettes, that was my exciting post. And a big thank you to The Tolerant Vegan for the awesome recipe. I'm seriously smitten.

Review: Happy Herbivore's Mushroom Burgers

I have a confession...
I've fallen in love with two cookbooks. I have barely been making my own dishes lately as I'm completely smitten with these recipes. My most recent cookbook love is The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon (aka- The Happy Herbivore, herself). Today's dinner was the clincher: HH's Mushroom Burgers (page 89 of the cookbook). WOW. They are absolutely, hands-down my favorite veggie burger EVER. You think I'm kidding? Well, my friends, you are sadly mistaken. I can't describe their glory. I never, ever eat 2 burgers in one sitting, but I did tonight. I couldn't resist; I'm weak against their power.

As always, I never follow recipes 100%, but I came pretty close with this one. The changes I made to the original recipe:

• I used white button mushrooms instead of creminis.
• Used 2 cloves minced garlic instead of garlic powder.
• I added about 1/3 tsp liquid smoke.
• Used freshly soaked & cooked kidney beans instead of canned.

The burgers held their shape really well, which doesn't always happen with homemade veggie burgers. I baked mine, per HH's instructions, and they got a nice crispness around the outer edges yet still stayed moist inside. Another magical feat that most veggie burgers can't accomplish. The addition of the BBQ sauce and steak sauce really gave the burgers a lovely depth of flavor. I was actually a little wary of using mushrooms in a burger, thinking it would just make it mushy and taste too much like mushrooms. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mushrooms a lot, but I don't want a burger to taste like a giant mushroom. I wouldn't have ever guessed there were mushrooms in the burgers if I hadn't made them myself. And, to top it all off, they were SO easy to make. I can't recommend them enough.

I could really go on and on about the burgers, but I'd rather you just made them yourself! I made some baked sweet potato fries to go with mine. And they make a magnificent combo, if I do say so myself. So, the moral of the story: Make the burgers. You won't be disappointed. Or, maybe you will be...but that's only because you're insane.

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Review: Chili Lime Tofu & Pasta de los Angeles

Ridiculously large collection of vegan cookbooks? Yup, I have one. And sometimes I occasionally let some slip to the bottom of the stack and forget them. Or, I read them in bed and forget that they're stashed under my bed. The latter of which is what happened with Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Oops. Now I feel compelled to make a ton of recipes from that poor neglected cookbook. I do. Don't mock me. I'm very sensitive. Not really. But a little.

As you may already know, I have been a bit of a tofu-phobe. I'm coming around, though. Cut me some slack. I have food texture issues. Having a the TofuXpress tofu press has helped a lot because I can press the life out of that tofu, making it have a chewier texture when it's cooked. I decided last night that I wanted to try a tofu recipe from Appetite for Reduction, and since I love spicy food, I chose the Chili-Lime-Rubbed Tofu on pages 155-156. Ms. Moskowitz recommends her Pasta de los Angeles (pages 177-178) to accompany the tofu, so I made that, too. And both were excellent!

I have a terrible time following a recipe exactly, but I came quite close with both of these. I only made a few changes, really, so it mostly still resembles the original recipe. As for changes I would make next time, I would add more chili powder and a some cumin to the tofu since I love spicier food. For the pasta, I would add more black beans (the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, and I'd up it to 2 cups). Believe me, these are some of the least altered recipes I've ever made. Usually, I need to add a ton more spices and garlic.

How I altered the recipes this time:
Tofu: added a smidge of garlic powder and some black pepper.
Pasta: had no WW pasta so I used regular spaghetti, used romas instead of plum tomatoes, less spinach, 1/2 the cilantro, added some garlic powder and onion powder.

I definitely recommend the cookbook, in general, and these recipes in particular! So very delicious. Dig it. Or not. Whatever.

Raised Waffles a la Vegan Brunch

One of my most beloved breakfast foods has to be the humble waffle. You can add all sorts of spices, nuts and fruits, and it pretty much always tastes lovely. You should know now, though, that I am a waffle outcast. I just can't bring myself to put syrup on my waffles. There is the rare occasion where I will dip a bite or two in some maple syrup. But, as I said, it is rare. But, feel free to drown your sorrows in syrup.

While we are talking about my favorite things, let me mention my most-used cookbook as of late: Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I've tried quite a few of the recipes and they were all a success! And, I never feel like I need to alter her recipes. That's where these waffles came from. They're called Raised Waffles because they use yeast for leavening instead of baking soda/powder. They do take a little time to let rise, about 45 minutes, or you can let them rise in your fridge overnight. I haven't tried the overnight rise yet, so I can't really comment on that. Today was the second day in a row that I've made these waffles. We absolutely LOVE them at my house. There's just something wonderful about them. They're nice and light inside with a bit of a crispy outside. SO SO SOOOOO good.

One of Ms. Moskowitz's recommendations is to add some chopped pecans to the batter just before cooking, so I tried that for part of my batch. It was really good. But, I like the plain waffle with a little vegan butter the best. Maybe next time I'll add some fruit. Who knows. But, I do know that this is definitely one of my all-time favorite waffle recipes ever. The recipe is on page 98 of the excellent Vegan Brunch.

For all of the recipes I've tried so far, I give the book a 4.5 out of 5. I love it. Snag a copy at your public library or local bookstore. And, by the way, no one has sponsored this post. I just wanted to share my love for my recent fave cookbook.