Blog Awards

There's been cute posts floating around where people are awarding their fellow bloggers and every time someone gets awarded they must speak a little about themselves. My award was given to me by Rikki Cupcake, who writes an awesome blog called Seitanic Vegan Heathen. She was one of the first blogs I added when I first came on here. I love how she always posts great recipes with step by step pictures. Lately, she's been interviewing other vegans and posting their responses on her blog. I don't know about you, but I love learning about about why other people went vegan and how they feel about it. Such a great spin to your blog Rikki! Thank you for nominating me and I encourage everyone to go follow her blog!

Okay, so the rules of the Blog Awards is to first thank the person who nominated you, which I just did. And then second, share seven things about myself. So here it goes...

1. As you might already know I have one kitty named Taffy. He was a street cat that I used to see wondering my block and one day I decided to go up to him and see if he would let me pet him. And he did! Since then a friendship was born and I now consider him my own. His life has totally transformed...he's gained a little weight and now has only eats the best food. Although he does get mad at me sometimes, I think deep down he loves me back.




2. The only other country that I have traveled to, other than Mexico, is Japan. I am absolutely in love with Japan. Tokyo was one of the cleanest cities I have ever been too. But what was funny was that trash cans were so hard to come across. Japan also has some of the nicest people you will ever met. When asking for directions, people went above and beyond my expectations, Walking me all the way out the building, to the street to help point me in the right direction. Japan is definetly somewhere that I would love to visit again.




3. My favorite show is America's Next Top Model. I've been watching it since I was a senior in high school, seven years ago. It's funny because my boyfriend got into photography four years ago..which turned to specifically fashion photography two years ago...and within the last year has shot two of the top contensents from the show. Funny that the people I used to idolize are now being photographed by my boyfriend.






4. I believe in ghosts. Maybe its because of all the ghost stories my mom claimed happened to her when she was a kid in Mexico. But then even as a young child myself, I used to hear weird noises and footsteps in my house. It was really creepy..I just remember hiding beneath the blankets every night.But then thankfully one day, it all just stopped. I wanna just think it was my imagination but I really don't know. Makes me really think about this whole life after death thing and maybe there really is something on the other side. Sorry I hope I didn't creep anyone out haha




5. I started collecting Uglydolls and other Japanese dolls back in 2005. Im not sure exactly how many I have but I know it's a lot. Sadly, during the past two years, my collecting has stopped. I think it was because I ran out of room to display them all. If they must be kept in storage bins, I really don't feel the urge to buy them anymore. Hopefully, when I have more room, my collection will start up again.




6. I am a total night person. I love how the streets get so empty and the house so quiet late at night. When its possible, I love staying up until 3 am and just drawing or learning something new. If it was possible, I would probably be nocturnal, just like Taffy.




7. Lastly, I love tea...white tea to be exact. It can be 90 degrees outside and I'll still crave a cup. Been drinking tea and coffee since I was really young. Finally gave up coffee last year...which in turn, has increased how many cups of tea I drink. But hey, at least white tea is really healthy.



Now I am suppose to nominate 15 other blogs but instead I am going to nominate all my followers. I would really love to learn more about each of you and this post was really fun to do : ]

Pasta E Fagioli

Today I decided to make Pasta E Fagoioli, which when translated means, pasta and beans. The best part about this dish is that you get to make your own pasta sauce, and I don't mean buying a can of diced tomatoes and seasoning it. The taste difference between using a can of tomatoes and dicing fresh tomatoes is enormous. The time required to make this pasta is very little and it is also very filling. This would work great as a weekend dinner or something to serve to guests.

On another note, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July tomorrow! What's everyone's plans? I am not quite sure yet where I want to go. I wish I could have a little barbecue in the backyard but out here in Southern California, fireworks are not allowed in residential areas. Oh and I hear somewhere that the Fourth of July is the day that the most dogs run away from home. So if any of you have dogs, please make sure they are in a place where they cannot go wondering off. I think I am going to bring my cat in for the night..I don't know if it's a Siamese thing but he gets very jumpy to any little thing. But anyways, once again, I hope everyone has an awesome day tomorrow! : ]

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Serves 2-4

Ingredients - For the Sauce
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds plum tomatoes, diced medium
* 1/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* a few dashes of black pepper
* 1 tsp salt

Ingredients - For the pasta
* 16 oz can white beans, washed and drained
* 1/2 pound small tube pasta, like penette or tubetti, or even small shells

Directions
1. Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta and preheat another large pan over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic to the large pan and saute for about 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme, oregano, black pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat until the tomatoes are broken down and sauce is reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add pasta to the water and cook according to package directions. Once the sauce is thickened, simmer on low heat to keep warm. Drain pasta and set aside.

3. When sauce is finished, add the beans and pasta and use a pasta spoon to mix. Serve when pasta and beans are heated through, about 3 minutes.

Taquitos with Chorizo and Potatoes

We had a huge birthday party today at the house for my boyfriend's niece. There were probably close to 100 people here today..I think she invited all her classmates, their parents and family friends. There was so much food but it was funny how my boyfriend and I couldn't eat any of it. I've never really noticed what an important part food plays in gatherings until I went vegan. I did promise myself that I would never bother anyone with having to make a separate dish for me and that I would always bring my own food.

So for the event today I made about 20 taquitos that were served with guacamole and salad. These were so good and the Soyrizo tasted just like the real thing. Not something that I would make on a daily basis because I do hate the fact that you have to fry them. But they do work out great for family gatherings or whenever you just need a comforting meal.

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Ingredients
* 1 pound potatoes
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 Tb peanut or vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, diced
* 2 tsp dried Mexican or ordinary oregano
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 2 links Soyrizo sausages
* 2 Tb lime juice
* 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 Tb finely chopped fresh cilantro
* 12 to 14 corn tortillas
* Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
1. Clean and scrape any eyes or discoloration from skin of the potatoes, then chop into bite-size chunks. In a large soup pot, combine the chopped potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 3". Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 25-30 minute, until the potatoes are extremely tender and easy to mash when pressed with a fork. Turn off the heat, reserve about 1/4 of the potato cooking liquid, and drain the potatoes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry the garlic in the peanut oil until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender and translucent; stir in the oregano, cumin and Soyrizo, and fry for 5 minutes. Add the drained potatoes, lime juice, salt, and ground pepper, and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes with the vegetables and Soyrizo to completely mix them together. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 Tb of the potato-cooking water and the cilantro. Stir the ingredients well and taste the mixture; adjust the seasoning with more lime juice and salt, if necessary. The potatoes should be very firm but a little moist; if too dry, stir in additional potato cooking water to moisten. Let the potato filling cool just enough to handle but use while still warm.

3. Create a taquito assembly line by first heating a corn tortilla, then filling and rolling it, and finally frying it. First, preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated griddle for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla is hot, soft and pliable. It's important to keep the tortillas warm and moist, as they may crack if cooled while rolling the taquitos.

4. To shape a taquito, place about 2 heaping Tb of filling in a line down the center of the hot tortilla, patting the filling all the way to the edges. Over medium heat, fry the taquito in 2 Tb of vegetable oil in a large preheated cast-iron skillet. Place the taquito seam side down in the hot pan; it's important to fry the seam side first, as this will help hold the taquito together as it cooks. Cook on the seam side for about 2 minutes, or until golden and firm, then gently roll over the taquito and cook on the other sides for 1 to 2 minutes each, or until golden. Assemble and repeat with all the taquitos, frying up to 4 at a time. Add another Tb of oil to the pan whenever the taquitos need more browning. Transfer the taquitos to serving plates and eat immediately or to a pan in a 300 F oven and keep warm until ready to serve.

Potato Skin Tacos

I got the idea to make these from a great little restaurant in Eagle Rock, called Fatty's Cafe. Their potato tacos were to die for and I just had to try and make my own version. I included all the same ingredients that was served in theirs, except that I seasoned my black beans according to a Viva Vegan recipe. These tacos did take awhile to make, so I would save it for special occasions only. They are very versatile and can work great as a little appetizer or as main dish.

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Makes 16 tacos

Ingredients
* 8 russet potatoes
* 1 package of vegan cheddar cheese, shredded finely
* 1 15 oz of black beans, drained and rinsed
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 lb yellow onion, diced
* 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 Tb of sauce, or more to taste
* 1/4 cup vegetable broth or white wine
* 1 corn, roasted over the stove
* 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
* 1/2 pasilla pepper, diced ( or any other type of medium heat pepper, such as Jalapeño or Anaheim )

Directions
1. Rinse and scrub the potatoes really well until no more dirt remains on its skin.

2. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork, wrap in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, until they are soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife.

3. Meanwhile, start preparing the beans. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and fry until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles and their sauce and the vegetable broth, stir and simmer for 1 minute. Add the black beans, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed but beans are still moist, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow beans to cool.

4. When your potatoes are finished baking, remove them from the oven, unwrap, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, and let cool.

5. When potatoes are cool enough to touch, start scooping the flesh out of baked potatoes. Be careful not to break the skin. ( The extra potato flesh that you just scooped out will not be needed for this recipe and can be kept aside )

6. You can either start loading the potatoes now or return them to the oven for a slightly crispier texture. To bake again, spray a little olive oil on the outer skin of the potatoes. Return them back to the oven, skin side up, at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the skin is at your desired level of crispy-ness.

7. To serve the potato tacos, spoon a little of each filling into the potato ( black beans, corn, bell pepper and pasilla pepper ) and top with vegan cheddar cheese.

Optional - Top each potato taco with your favorite salsa.

Mango Custard

Hey guys, just wanted to share this quick recipe with you before I go off and make lunch. I noticed this recipe last week while looking through the current issue of VegNews. It sounded so good that I knew I just had to try it. It took me under 20 minutes to make and the custard was ready to eat within an hour. If you like coconut and mango as much as I do, I know you'll love this.

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Serves 4-5

Ingredients
* 2 mangos, peeled and chopped
* 1/2 cup ice
* 12 ounces of coconut milk
* 2 tsp agave nectar
* 2 tsp agar agar powder

Directions
1. In a blender, purée mangoes and ice until smooth. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring coconut milk and agave nectar to a boil. Lower heat to medium. Add agar agar and whisk for about 5 minutes, until powder has dissolved.

2. Add mango purée to coconut-milk mixture. Remove from heat, pour into serving dishes, and refrigerate about one hour before serving.

Black Bean-Sweet Potato Tamales

I've never made tamales before and honestly never cared to because the ones I've eaten were always dry and didn't appeal to me. But my boyfriend loves them and my Viva Vegan cookbook has several recipes for tamales. I figured I'd try to make them, even if I didn't like them, just to gain more experience in the kitchen. But to my surprise, these tamales were nothing like the ones I've eaten in the past! They were moist, a little spicy and sweet.

The only bad thing about them was that they are a lot of work to make. I wouldn't suggest making these alone and if you can, make the beans and potatoes ahead of time. I couldn't imagine doing it all at once but then again, I was only working with a two person team. Maybe if you have a bigger family, it will go a lot smoother.

Another problem that I had was with the steaming. I couldn't find a pot big enough to hold the steamer and tamales and be able to put the lid on. I watched a video on Youtube and found that you can put a wet towel in the center on a large pot, pour about 2 to 3 inches of water in and put your tamales in there to steam, without the steamer. Make sure to lean all your tamales against each other, making a sort of spiral. The tamales that I made, standing straight up didn't cook as well as the ones I had leaning a little to the side. I learned a lot from making these and I can't wait to make them again, ( but not anytime soon haha ) because I know they will turn out a lot better the second time around.

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Makes 2 dozen tamales

Ingredients
* 24 large dried husks, plus 6 to 8 more for tying the tamales and lining the steamer basket
* 1 pound sweet potatoes ( 2 small to medium-size are better than a large one )
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/4 tsp salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 2 Tb olive or peanut oil
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 pound yellow onion, diced
* 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced, plus 2 Tb sauce or more to taste
* 1/4 cup vegetable broth or white wine
* 2 cups cooked black beans
* 1 recipe Savory Vegan Masa Dough ( See Below )

Directions
1. Soak the corn husks in warm water. When you're ready to assemble the tamales, tear two or three long husks into 1/4 inch wide strips. Keep the strips in water until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork, wrap in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, unwrap, slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and let cool.
When cool enough to handle, remove the skins, place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl, add the ground cumin, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a fork, or potato masher to mash the potatoes to a chunky puree.

3. Prepare the black beans; In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and fry until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles and their sauce and the vegetable broth , stir and simmer for 1 minute. Add the black beans, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed but beans are still moist, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow beans to cool.

4. For each tamale; Spread a generous 1/4 cup of dough down the center of a pliable soaked corn husk, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches on either end. This will form an oblong shape 4 to 5 inches wide and 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Spoon 1 generous Tb of sweet potato down the center of the tamale dough, then top with 1 Tb of black beans.

5. Now grab both edges of the corn husk that are not covered with dough. Bring the edges toward each other and push the sides of the masa dough together to encase the filling. Gently press the tamale to form a firm, solid tube shape. Tightly twist each end of the tamale wrapper ( so it looks a little like a wrapped piece of candy ) and tightly tie each end with a soaked corn-husk strip. Some sauce may leak out of the dough into the interior of the corn husk wrap, but it will not have any effect on the steamed tamales. Repeat with the remaining dough, filling, and husks. When you're finally tired of making tamales, it's time to get the steamer basket ready.

6. To steam the tamales; Remove the steamer basket from the pot. Fill the pot with 2 to 3 inches of water, or whatever level will stay below the steamer basket. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, line the bottom of the steamer basket with some soaked corn husks. Set the tamales, unwrapped end upright, into the steamer basket, first layering them around the sides of the basket and working inward. Top the tamales with any leftover soaked husks, if you have them, place the steamer basket in the pot, and cover.

7. Steam the tamales for at least 55 minutes, up to 1 hour 5 minutes. Check the pot occasionally to make sure the water has not evaporated; add more hot water as needed. Test to see if the tamales are ready by removing a tamale and peeling back some corn husk. Fully cooked tamale dough will be tender but solid, not wet. Remove the entire basket from the pot, place in a dinner plate, and let stand, covered, for at least 15 minutes to cool. Handle the tamales carefully ( tongs are handy ) as they will be hot and steaming.


** Serve these tamales hot with any chile sauce plus beans, rice, or salad, if desired. To serve tamales, you can unwrap them for your guests or let them do the honors.



Savory Vegan Masa Dough

Makes 2 dozen tamales

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shorting
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
* 3 1/2 cups Mexican masa harina
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3 cups warm light-colored vegetable stock or "chicken" flavored vegetable stock

Directions
1. In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to cream together the shortening and margarine until creamy and light. If using a stand mixer, be sure to frequently scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Sift in the masa harina, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt then continue to beat for about 3 minutes, until a sandy-looking mixture forms. Pour the vegetable stock into the masa mixture and continue to beat until all the liquid is absorbed and a fluffy dough forms, about 5 minutes.

2. The tamale dough should have a moist but not overly wet consistency, similar to mashed potatoes, and be easily spread with a rubber spatula. If the mixture seems too wet, sprinkle in another Tb or two of masa harina. If too dry, drizzle a Tb of vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached. Use this dough right away for making tamales.

Spinach Linguine with Basil Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

There's something about basil that I just love. I don't know if its the unique peppery taste or that fact that its so healthy for you. Basil is loaded in vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and phosphorus. This will help in improving the health of the cardiovascular system, eyesight and help maintain healthy skin and hair. If you can find it, I suggest purchasing hydroponic basil, meaning that it was grown in water. I noticed that hydroponic basil tastes so much fresher and lasts a lot longer than basil that is grown in the soil. This is probably because it comes with its roots still in tack, allowing the plant to stay alive longer.

My favorite ways to eat basil is to add it directly to pizza with fresh slices of tomatoes or to create yummy pesto out of it. I never thought of adding cilantro to a pesto until I read this recipe from Veganomicon. The cilantro and the basil goes very well together and the sliced almonds help to give the pesto a little crunch. I would say that it took me 30 minutes to make this, not including the clean up time. So worth it, considering this dish looks and tastes like I spent much more time on it. I hope you all have a chance to try this recipe out. Its well worth it!

Printer Friendly Recipe Here

Serves 4
( Consider making the pesto while you wait for the noodle water to boil to help cut down on time needed )


Ingredients
* 1/2 lb spinach linguine
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 1 medium-size red onion, sliced into thin half moons
* 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 2 Tb white cooking wine, vegetable broth, or water
* 1/2 tsp salt
* Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
* 1 recipe Basil-Cilantro Pesto ( see below )
* 1 ( 15 oz ) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half ( don't use the jarred kind in oil, it's expensive and too oily for this; get the kind that comes in brine )

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Once you've added the pasta to the water, proceed with the recipe.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion in olive oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add the white wine, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute or two. Lower the heat to low. At this point, the linguine should be done.
3. When the linguine is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it to the pan in batches. This is a good method because you can use the pasta water to thin out the pesto and make sure that everything gets evenly coated. When you add one batch, add a bit of the pesto, too, and using the pasta spoon, saute to coat. Proceed with the rest of the pasta and pesto until you've added all of it. If it seems dry, add extra splashes of pasta water.
4. Add the artichoke hearts and toss to coat. Cook gently over low heat just until the artichokes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately!


Basil Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients
* 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
* 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
* 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 Tb fresh lemon juice ( from about 1/2 lemon )
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions
1. Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally.
2. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until relatively smooth and no large chunks of almonds are left. If you don't have a food processor and are using a blender, then just add the olive oil at the end, since many blenders aren't equipped with an opening to drizzle into.