Ain't it Funky Nah?

Hello Foodies!

Life has been exciting/unexciting/and tiring as usual. Thanksgiving I was sick with the flu & an ear infection, so I didn't get to make the lentil loaf I had dreamed of. However, I am feeling better now, so that is definitely something to be thankful for. I haven't posted for a couple of moon's now so I have a bit of catching up to do.

For Breakfast a couple of days ago, I had this



I bought the cereal at Eastern Market in Detroit. It was made at the Buddhist Monk center in Hamtramck. All raw, and all natural- and I can assure you, that's exactly what it tasted like. HA



For lunch last week I had the most amazing sushi made at my favorite little vegetarian shop named Goodwells in Detroit (which also happens to be the only vegetarian shop in Detroit!)



It's made with mock salmon (made from carrots) and other assorted vegetables. Alas, I have never seen this since... I hope they make it again. 

 a couple of weeks ago I made some stuffed pockets, three different types.



Samosa stuffed crusted with poppy seeds, Vegan griller stuffed crusted with flax seeds and Dr. Pregers burger crusted with black sesame seeds



I also made this bad boy, something I like to call "The Sloppy Elvis"



Peanut butter/ banana goodness, that's what's up!

For dinner a couple weeks ago I made 2 different soups, a hearty tomato vegetable and a cashew chowder



The soup contains *fresh* Roma's, corn, cabbage, carrots, yellow/green squash, green beans and some chick peas. It was perfect for the approaching cold weather.



The cashew chowder tasted amazing, It was a big hit. I didn't measure my reciepe as always, but if I could guess I think this would be around what I used;

6 cups water
2 1/2 table spoons of vegetable stock bouillon ( I love Better than Bouillon)
1 cup of chopped carrots
2 cups of chopped mustard greens
2 ears of corn (kernels cut off)
3 medium russet potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 cups of raw cashews
1/2 cup of unsweetened nutmilk
1/2 a large sweet yellow onion

First I sauteed the onion in the soup pan with olive oil. I then added the water and veg stock bouillan. When that came to a boil, I added all the vegetables except the mustard greens (to make sure they weren't over cooked by the time the soup was done). When the vegetables were done cooking, I blended the cashews in a food processor with the nut milk, then added the mixture and the mustard greens to the soup. Lastly, I seasoned it with some garlic powder, salt and pepper. It was just lovely.

For my birthday, my dad made me a beautiful gluten free cake





I love my family, and you too :) Happy Eating Ya'll!

IT'S A BOY!

Annnnd back to the food!

My typical breakfast

spelt bagel with peanut butter, flax seeds, coconut, banana and honey.

For dinner a couple days ago I whipped up some blue corn tacos


They contain brown rice, mixed vegetables, lentils, black beans, & corn- topped with fresh spinach, carrots and guacamole. The sauce is made of tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, mustard powder, nutritional yeast and vegetable stock... with a smear of salsa.

For dinner 2 night ago I made some sort of okra dish with a bean/meatball on top


Having never cooked okra before, I had no idea what I was in for. The slimy/sticky substance that oozed out when I cut it totally threw me through a loop. I cooked it with fresh roma's, fresh garlic and corn. I then made yukon gold potato mash, topped it with the okra mix and topped that off with a meatball filled with kidney beans. It was good to everyone that ate it but I was less than thrilled, it was probably the hormones talking again.

A Very Happy Birthday 2 Me, Indeed

On October 30th of this year, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Laughingly enough in Detroit, My date of birth is also known as Devils Night.

Devil's Night in Detroit

"In Detroit and much of Michigan, the night is known infamously as Devil’s Night, a moniker now eternally linked with widespread arson. Devil’s Night was once, however, just a different name for more of the same: mischief. In spite of the notoriety of Devil’s Night, Detroit is not the only region to experience an escalation from pranks to arson on October, 30th. Camden, New Jersey had its own period of Mischief-Night-related arson in the 1990s that easily rivaled Detroit’s."

It just so happened that the two went hand in hand this month, and it was very exciting. Most importantly, I was presented a magnificent cake and was surprised with two of my favorite Detroit performers.

(i'm the funky skeleton)

The cake tasted amazing, and it was made by my very sweet friend Amber 

who runs the only award winning vegetarian restaurant in the metro area. 

She made it vegan & gluten free just for me, it was a beautiful surprise!

mmmmm..... turntable shaped cakes taste extra yummy.

The party was so much fun I had to share, It was a blast for all that attended. 

Now, on to the FOOD :)

For my breakfast of champions, I had this simple yet GREAT start

It's just some fresh cooked steal cut oats, with a thick maple, banana sauce.

This dish was really easy to make, I just put some nut milk, grade B maple syrup,

raw pecans, and a touch of arrowroot in a sauce pan, and cooked it til' it became

a saucy texture. I lastly added fresh banana and topped it off with raw coconut. 

SO GOOD, can't wait to make it again!

Why the funk do you eat steel cut oats?

Well, for some it's just matter of time and preference. Steel cut oats take around 30 minutes

to cook, where regular oats take about 4 minutes. The longer cooking time endured however,

yields dramatically different results than the rolled oats. I prefer steel cut to rolled because

a) they are less processed

b) they have a great nutty flavor

c) the texture is firmer, chewier and more enjoyable for moi

d) they take longer to digest so you stay fuller, longer!

For Lunch I made what I like to lovingly call, THE BIG FAT UGLY

Teese stuffed soy burger on top of a samosa patty, garlic mushrooms, and a spinach/garlic 

spread on spelt bread.

You're probably asking yourself, What in the hell is that!?!

The soy burger patty is made from the soy ground round, formed into two patties- 

then pressed together with a thick layer of cheddar flavored Teese in the middle. 

I pan fried the burger for a long time to ensure it cooked all the way through. The

spinach/ garlic spread is just Mediterranean garlic spread with spinach & carrots.

WHAT THE FUNK IS SPELT?

"Spelt is an excellent substitute for wheat. It is rich in proteins, which can represent up to 15% of its constituents, as well as in fibre, Vitamin B complex and other vitamins, and minerals like magnesium and iron. Spelt is nourishing, energizing and is easy to digest. It is generally tolerated by people who are sensitive to gluten. In 1098, Hildegard von Bingen, the famous intellectual, artist, mystic and healer, wrote: “Spelt is the best of grains. It is rich, nourishing and milder than other grains. It strengthens the body and purifies the blood of those who eat it; it lifts the human spirit and lightens one’s mood.”

For dinner a couple days ago, I made a gluten free lasagna that tasted exactly like the real sha-bang.


I made it with brown rice lasagna pasta, tofu ricotta, vegetables & sauce. The ricotta was mind numbingly easy. I just used tofu that had been frozen, thawed and pressed- nutritional yeast, fresh garlic, basil, sea salt and pepper. That was it, and it tasted like the real deal. I then added fresh chopped kale, collards & spinach for some green power. I squished it all together with my hands. I layered it by placing tomato sauce on the bottom, pasta noodles, fresh zucchini, then ricotta- and repeated the process over and over.

on a side note, please enjoy this cunning picture of guard dude- taken at the outdoor Detroit market!

Ay-Yo kids, Eat Yo Veggies!

Hello fellow foodies & potential stalkers!

The other day for breakfast I had something I like to call, cheezy broccoli tofu. Served with some spelt bread & "sausage". mmmm.... baby likes.

with a blueberry shake


On Monday night I created a savory veggie tart, if you will - or if you won't.

Teff crust veggie tart with a rich dill cream sauce

First I made a quick teff flour crust made of water, oil, salt and teff. I then pressed it into a pie pan. I layered seasoned cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, celery, and baby portabella mushrooms. I used a small amount of bread crumbs to bind it all together. I finished the top layer with more potatoes and bread crumbs with spices. I also drizzled a small amount of vegetable stock over it to help add flavor while it cooked.

The sauce is super easy. I first started with a roux, consisting of cooked down earth balance and flour. I then gradually added barley/brown rice/amaranth milk, dill, miso & garlic.

Lastly for dinner tonight I made a big ol' stir fry, with lots of ginger, cashews & lots of brown rice miso

topped with Detroit grown sunflower sprouts


and here's a picture I took today of my baby belly, 17 weeks in the making.

"Fight the power, (soul power!)"

Sometimes, all you really want is mac & cheeze. There's no way around it, and nothing else can satisfy a mac & cheeze craving but simply mac & cheeze. So what's a pregnant hormone infested girl to do? Well, make some damn mac & cheeze before someone loses an eye!


Macadamia mac & cheese with roasted Brussels sprouts and BBQ tempeh.

I made this mac using blended macadamia nuts. I bought a big bag of roasted macadamias a while back that I never got around to eating as is, so i decided to turn them into a nut cheeze. It turned out really well! As usual I was too lazy to weigh out all the proportions, so I don't have a receipe for how I did it. I can tell you however that I used:

nutritional yeast, nuts, garlic, cumin, salt, turmeric and amaranth/brown rice milk for the sauce. I blended it in my food processor until it was a super creamy consistency- this took about 12 minutes.

I cooked up some of the glorious collard greens my neighbor brought me and folded them into the sauce. The noodles I used were brown rice noodles- and I topped it with a mixture of bread crumbs, basil, salt, pepper and fresh crushed garlic. What would of made it perfect was a tad bit of crushed red pepper flake, *note to self*. I then baked it at 425 for 17 minutes.

Bell's Two hearted pale ale battered onion rings (served with veggie burrito's Nicole style)

(recipe for beer batter taken from Vegan appetite) http://www.veganappetite.com/

1 cup soymilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 large onion (sweet)
1 cup flour (divided use)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
few grinds of pepper
3/4 cup beer
oil for frying

Combine the milk with the apple cider vinegar. Stir together and set aside.

Peel the onion and slice into rings about 1/2 an inch wide. Separate them and add to the milk/acv mixture. Let sit for an hour or so, stirring them every so often so they all get a dip in the liquid.

Heat your oil to about 350 degrees using whatever you normally use to fry. Even though you don't normally fry foods, of course.

Combine 1/2 cup flour, salt, pepper and the garlic powder in a pie plate. Then combine the beer with the remaining 1/2 cup flour in another pie plate.

Take the rings, one at a time, and dip them in the dry flour mixture, then in the beer/flour mixture. Drop in the oil and fry until golden. Drain on a brown bag then serve those golden rings of o's.

Homemade veggie chili & fresh pressed corn tortillas always hits the spot

And here is a crazy creation I came up with on the way home from yoga, very hungry indeed!
Tempeh latkes!

These turned out so well, I will be making them again and writing down a recipe to share. I just shredded potatoes into a bowl, added crumbled tempeh, mustard powder, garlic, fresh chives, salt and pepper. I bound them together with a small amount of tortilla flour and just fried them. They were so good, our friend that was over the day we made them actually came over the next day and asked if we had any left from yesterday because he couldn't stop thinking about them. LOL.

wakie-wakie, eggs and bakie!

ahhh Yes, eggs in a basket. Ever since I saw the movie V for Vendetta I always wanted to make a vegan version, so I did this morning.

Now I know what your thinking, egg yolks aren't that big! I didn't realize how off it looked until I made it, and if I were to make it again, I would use a smaller circle for the "yolk" center. Aside from the slight blunder I must say they were really delish.

I used local 100% spelt bread (because I am allergic to wheat but not spelt-yippie!), and cut out a hole. Then I cut slices of organic tofu the same size, then cut smaller circles inside of the large circles. First I pan fried the "yolks" and colored them with turmeric, garlic and salt. Then I put the whole thing together and lightly pan fried it in earth balance (in the movie they use butter). Lastly I set the oven for 350 degrees and baked for 10 minutes. While I was baking I shredded the potatoes, drained them till they were totally dry (if you have a ricer, it is a great way to get the water out) and I pan fried the hash browns in olive oil with some simple seasonings. WA-LA!

The other day my very sweet neighbors gave me some king kale from their garden. The greens were beautiful, so it was only fitting I made something beautiful to accompany them.



So I created this bad boy: Baked maple glazed pumpkin stuffed with dill pan fried tempeh, wild rice, carrots, yellow squash and local Detroit king kale in a savory brown rice miso sauce. Topped with home made candied pecans.



First I cut a pie pumpkin in half, scooped the guts out and saved the seeds. I used a pinch of salt, olive oil and cinnamon on the pumpkin. I put it on a baking sheet face up and baked for about 50 minutes at 425 degrees. 10 minutes before it was done i basted it in maple syrup.

I pan fried the tempeh and used fresh dill, garlic a small amount of soy sauce and nutritional yeast. I set that aside.

I then made the wild/brown rice mixture and cooked it in veggie stock and a bit of earth balance.

I chopped up the carrots and yellow squash and cooked them down in a brown miso soup stock. Lastly I added the kale, not to over cook it, and then added the pan seared tempeh last. When the rice was done I mixed it all together.

In a small pot I took 2 table spoons of a sugar, 2 table spoons of water and 1/4 cup of pecans. I cooked it down to a soft boil and until all the water was gone. Be careful they don't burn, it happens to the best of us. I then put them on a plate and separated them with a fork to cool.

when everything was said and done I put the dish together. Cooking time, 2 and a half hours. The taste, priceless.

Lastly, I made this dish a while ago. ..

Ham & cheeze baked sandwiches


I pan fried the crap out of thinly sliced smart dogs, then wrapped it all together in a pizza crust with some cashew cheese.

Well that's all I got for today, happy Friday ya'll!

I'mmmmmmmmm baaaaaaccccckkkkk!

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending"

WOW!  I can't believe it has been sooooo long since I have blogged!  There is no good excuse, so I won't even bother.

If you are wondering whether or not I have continued cooking, I can assure you I have been... but definitely not as much. Perhaps a bout in confidence and lack of will power to blog created my over half a year hiatus, but I can only focus on the present and let go of the past.

With all this being said, I better jump into the food before you all forget this is really a food blog and not just all about me!

First off, the raw massaged Kale salad with sprouted quinoa and pecans. 

Massaging kale is essential if eating the vegetable raw. Massaging breaks down cell walls and helps your body to digest it better when eaten. It also makes the green less tough and gives it a lighter texture like lettuce.

For the dressing I used nama shoyu, lemon juice, Kenzoil (a local herb olive oil containing fresh basil, fresh garlic & spices), tahini, and a touch of maple syrup. It was amazing!

another great dish to be had is this special creation
Magic Hat beer battered coconut tofu served with a coconut curry papaya sauce....mmmmmmm!

The batter turned out so light, airy and crisp is was stunning. I used flour, coconut, a touch of salt and lots of magic hat beer. The sauce was off the hook too, I used coconut milk, yellow curry, a touch of gram masala for heat and ground up dried papaya for a kick. :)



and here we have some kick ass "meat balls" that can fool just about anyone 


I made them with vegan sausage, bread crumbs, fresh basil & garlic. Super easy, then I threw them in the deep frier for a couple of minutes until they are brown. They are atop a fresh made tomato sauce with minced squash. On the side is herb roasted potatoes.

Next we have some fresh rolls. Stuffed with assorted vegetables, a whole-lotta avocado and fresh sunflower sprouts. With a side of homemade peanut sauce.

Lastly I have a raw desert. One of the first I have ever made, and it was fantastic. I didn't use a recipe, just my intuition.

It is a raw mulberry torte, made from mulberries picked right outside my house and raspberries from my mother in laws house.  The crust is made from ground raw pecans, maple syrup, steel cut oats and a touch of young coconut. 

the sauce is made from young coconut pulp and a touch of maple syrup & cinnamon- it was soooo good :)

                * * *

In closing my first blog back, I would like to thank my new friend Megan for inspiring me to start back up.

Thank for reading, much love to you all!

Dance, too much booty in the pants

MMMM... Tofu scramble. I haven't made one in a while, this one was awesome (and gluten free too)


buckwheat tofu scramble

1 (12 oz) block firm organic tofu - pressed & crumbled
1 large carrot chopped
5 baby bella mushrooms chopped
1/2 medium size sweet onion chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper chopped
1/4cup corn
a couple handfuls of fresh spinach

1/2 cup dry buckwheat groats
1 cup veg stock

One of my most Delicious, gluten free inventions to date. First I cooked some buckwheat groats, exactly 1/2 cup buckwheat groats in 1 cup of veg stock. The groats are surprisingly mild in taste, similar to a rice.

I then pressed a block of tofu(to get the water out), and crumbled it into a hot pan with olive oil. I then added mushrooms, onion, green pepper, carrots, and corn. Once that was cooked good and proper, I seasoned with celery salt & nutritional yeast, turmeric, & mustard powder.

Lastly I added the cooked buckwheat groats and added fresh spinach. It was really, really good.

For breakfast I had my usual, just a little spiced up

Almond butter, brown rice cracker, banana, dried blue berries, hemp seeds, coconut & agave

And then I made this

Apple fritters with walnuts, cherries, & hemp seeds

But I HAD to try it! Ever had a apple fritter doughnut? These taste just like them, only wayyy better for you.


Here is how I made it (makes the amount shown in the picture)

3/4 cup flour (I like King Arthur flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup soy milk
2 table spoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup walnuts
1/6 cup dried Michigan cherries
1 table spoon hemp seeds
1/3cup chopped mackintosh apple

Garnish:

1/4cup chopped mackintosh apple
1 table spoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons turbinado organic sugar

I took the dry ingredients and mixed them together. Then added the wet ingredients, mixed those together then added them to the dry ingredients. Pretty easy, huh?

Lastly I added the nuts and cherries. I let it sit in the refrigerator for 15 min. Then I fried it up in olive oil.

I garnished it with a cut up apple I let sit in lemon juice and sugar- With drizzled maple syrup on the cakes, it was the perfect touch.

What the funk are hemp seeds?

Hemp seeds are the shiznit.

"Cannabis hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source provides complete protein in such as easily digestible form, not has the oils essential to life in as perfect a ratio for human health and vitality.

Hempseed is the highest of any plant in essential fatty acids. Hempseed oil is among the lowest in saturated fats at 8% of total oil volume. The oil pressed from hempseed contains 55% linoleic acid (LA) and 25% linolenic acid (LNA). Only flax oil has more linolenic acid at 58%, but hempseed oil is the highest in total essential fatty acids at 80% of total oil volume.

“These essential fatty acids are responsible for our immune response. In the old country the peasants ate hemp butter. They were more resistant to disease than the nobility.” The higher classes wouldn’t eat hemp because the poor ate it. - R. Hamilton, ED.D., Ph.D. Medical Researcher-Biochemist U.C.L.A. Emeritus.

LA and LNA are involved in producing life energy from food and the movement of that energy throughout the body. Essential fatty acids govern growth, vitality, and state of mind.

LA and LNA are involved in transferring oxygen from the air in the lungs to every cell in the body. They play a part in holding oxygen in the cell membrane where it acts as a barrier to invading viruses and bacteria, neither of which thrive in the presence of oxygen.

The bent shape of the essential fatty acids keeps them from dissolving into each other. They are slippery and will not clog arteries like the sticky straight shaped saturated fats and the trans-fatty acids in cooking oils and shortenings that are made by subjecting polyunsaturated oils like LA and LNA to high temperatures during the refining process."

Excerpted from Hempseed Nutrition by Lynn Osburn

Soooo yea Kids- eat your seeds, plz!