Drunk on Brownies

It’s a heat wave!

I think I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel that is the deep-freeze of January and February. It reached 30* today, and isn’t supposed to be below 20* (during the day) all week.

I am a happy girl.

Who had a wonderful ride on a happy pony.

Life is good.

And so is BBQ spinach and tofu.

My white balance, however, is not so good. Just pretend otherwise for the time being, m’kay? Please?

So remember how I’ve been saying I was now only going to buy the Vermont Soy tofu that I’ve proclaimed my love for?

Well, I guess I lied. For the sake of convenience (as well as the fact that I’m cheap and had a $1 off coupon thanks to the heads-up from Matt) I picked up some Nasoya Plus on my shopping-trip-gone-wrong yesterday.

I’m not gonna lie. I think I’m a Vermont-Soy-only kinda gal. Nasoya just doesn’t hold a candle. I’m not sure if I’m just spoiled or what. But the Vermont Soy tofu is so much easier to work with. I’m not sure that the taste is a huge difference, but at least I don’t need to press it for about five hours with my body weight in paper towels. And it gets a better “crust” and has a better texture all around. I’ll step off my soapbox now. One last thing, though, since every story has a moral…

Moral of the story: Vermont Rawks.

But I made do with what I had.

I hate to make a big deal out of a sandwich, but this simple combination is stupid good. And with it having a combination of onions and enough garlic to kill a cow, it lets you see who really enjoys your company enough to still hang out with you after eating it.

For one sandwich:

• 1/4 of a small yellow onion, sliced
• olive oil, for sauteeing the onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 “serving” (a.k.a. however much you want) tofu
• salt and pepper, to taste
• hefty handful spinach
• 1-3 t. barbecue sauce, to taste
• 2 slices bread
• earth balance/butter/whatever for grilling the bread

For maximum efficiency, you can do everything pretty much all at once: preheat a small pan over medium heat, adding enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and sautee, stirring occasionally, about 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown/beginning to get carameliz-y. Or just a little burnt if you’re like me…anyways. Meanwhile, preheat another large pan or griddle over medium heat. Place the tofu on the pan and spread a little earth balance/butter on one side of each of your slices of bread. Add to the pan with the tofu. Cook the tofu until it gets a little bit of a crust on it, and the bread until golden.

When the onions are done, transfer to a dish and add the spinach and garlic to the same hot pan. Cover and allow to wilt, stirring in the BBQ sauce. Once good and sloppy (trust me, it will be) assemble your sandwich by layering the onions on top of the bread, followed by the spinach and then the tofu.

After eating this, you’ll be a greasy grimy mess, but you’ll still have the satisfaction of knowing it’s really not all too greasy and definitely not grimy.

And because I wanted to be really stinky when I start sweating tomorrow, I decided to polish off the day with onion rings in which I used garlic salt in the breadcrumbs instead of regular salt.

And thanks to L, I even had real breadcrumbs to complete this mission with! I was as happy as a kid in a candy shop.

Who’d-a thought this turned out to be way easier than crushing a bunch of pretzels.

Oh, and by the way – cutting that onion totally reduced me to tears. I have been so sensitive to cutting onions lately. I don’t remember always being this way but I guess I should just be happy that I’m getting pretty skilled at slicing onions with my eyes clenched shut. I even got them nice and evenly sliced!

I’m kidding.

I am now proclaiming myself an onion ring fiend.

It’s just a shame I can’t find them this good anywhere else.

Badoom-chh!

Luckily for you guys, this is a recipe that Isa chose to share on her website.

Second on the plate: no, I will never tire of sweet potatoes.

I’d call it a rut, but I prefer to call it a groove.

That gross looking yellow plop?

Curry hummus. Oh kale yes I went there.

I can’t take the credit for this genius, though – I saw it whilst flipping through Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. I did simplify it, though:

• 1 can chickpeas (I used a 19 oz. can which I think is a little larger than most?)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 t. curry (the curry powder I have is a sweeter curry, I think. I’m not a curry connoisseur, though.)
• pinch salt
• hefty pinch dried chives
• handful raisins

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid in a cup or bowl. Add all ingredients except raisins to processor. Blend until smooth, adding in the reserved liquid as necessary. At the end, add the raisins and pulse a few more times to combine.

The “reserved-chickpea” trick is from Appetite for Reduction. I am a cookbook fiend lately, obviously.

By the way, try to stop eating this by the spoonful after your tenth spoonful straight from the processor. It’s really good on sweet p’s or onion rings and does deserve to show you that.

And since I was on a pieces-parts theme for dinner, tofu also made an appearance. Kind of.

Most of it was eaten before it made it to the plate. Sorry. I was waiting for the onion rings to finish cooking and it was right there! I couldn’t resist.

I followed the concept of this recipe for the ‘fu, but basically just reduced it to a combination of cashew butter, lime juice, salt, pepper and dijon mustard. It needed a hint of honey, but was otherwise just as good.

Rounded out by a spot o’ wine.

Okay, so maybe not quite. This cabernet brownie was in the Foodzie box I received yesterday. As you know, I’m usually saying I’m not a brownie person, but lately I’ve come to appreciate chocolate rather than feel it’s overrated.

See guys, there’s still hope for me!

I was surprised to discover I actually really liked it! Probably because it uses a weird flour. I’m a sucker for any  kind of different flour.

Like most things like this, though, it was so sweet after a couple of bites! Mreh, well.

At least if you have it you can say your drunk on brownies, whether you are or not. It’s got a ring to it, don’t you think?

What’s a simple sandwich combination that you love?

*****

DON’T FORGET! You have until tomorrow to enter my giveaway!!

Rye Peanut Butter & Banana Pancake Sandwich

I don’t think I’ve ever before finished a meal and thought “oh-my-gaw that was so good I need to go blog about it STAT.”

In fact, I feel a little geeky admitting to this, but that is what just happened. And hence, what I’m doing.

Maybe it’s just an unusual day. I mean, I also don’t usually have breakfast for lunch as often as I admit it to be a good idea, and I also don’t usually have not a veggie in sight by now.

I also don’t usually have a beverage other than water with meals, but apparently since I was already having something sweet for lunch, I decided a sweet beverage was necessary, too. Hey, it’s all or nothing, right?

Another oddity? I usually have some idea as to what I want for lunch. Today I had none. Zero, zilch, nada. I have no bread, my oven is in use rendering me sweet potato-less, and not many vegetables. I didn’t feel like a grain.

And gosh darn it, the more I thought about it, the more I just wanted some pancakes again.

So I compromised.

I’d make pancakes. But! It wouldn’t be such a bad thing because, I’d just be using it as my bread.

Yes, I do realize that this is essentially the same thing as what I would eat every morning, but I’m telling myself it’s different because it was eaten in more of a sandwich-form.

Yes, I do realize my logic is flawed.

Due to an ongoing project with rye flour which you will soon see, my plan hatched rye “bread” with peanut butter and banana. If I had caraway I would be in heaven – how cool would that be?

Alas, I don’t. I made do.

My peanut butter was Jenny’s peanut butter and jelly sauce, a sauce I’ve been having a pretty steady love affair with but have neglected to blog about. I’ve actually been gathering pictures for a full on devotion to it, but I guess this came first. Such is life.

Rye Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey Pancake Sandwich

for one

For the Pancake “Bread”:

• 1/4 c. rye flour
• 2 T. oat bran
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 T. milled flaxseed mixed with 2 T. warm water
• 1/4  c. almond milk
• earth balance/butter/cooking spray, for greasing the pan

For the Bananas:

• 1/2 a banana, sliced in half lengthwise
• earth balance/butter/spray for greasing pan

For the Peanut Butter & Honey sauce, adapted very slightly from Jenny’s Peanut Butter Jelly Sauce

• 2 T. (heaping) peanut flour
• 2 T. almond milk
• 1/2 – 1 t. honey, depending on your tastes
• pinch of salt** (see note)

Preheat a large nonstick pan and a small nonstick pan over low-medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, bran and baking powder. Add in the flax egg and almond milk. Grease your preheated non-stick pan lightly and bump up to medium heat, and divide the batter into two pancakes. Spread out a touch, and cook until the sides are starting to firm up. Spray the tops lightly with spray and flip. Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until lightly golden. While the pancakes are cooking, grill your bananas: place in the smaller non-stick pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.

For the peanut butter and honey sauce, whisk all ingredients until smooth. Note: I didn’t add salt when I mixed my sauce, but as I was eating, found myself looking for that pinch of salt that classic peanut butter has. I ended up sprinkling salt on my sandwich (try that for feeling weird) and found that salt was juuuust the ticket to what I was looking for.

To assemble, place one pancake on your plate and spread the peanut butter sauce. Place the grilled bananas on top of that, followed by the other pancake. If desired, spread a dab of fig jam on the top pancake.

As you know, I desired. When don’t I desire fig jam?

Caraway, here I come.

A sneak peak at some things in progress:

hmmmmm!!!

Same-Old Same-Old

This weekend went by too fast.

I want it back.

I want weekends like this all. winter. long.

Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen and I doubt we’ll have weather this beautiful again for many more moons. It’s already back to rain starting tomorrow.

That said – I spent nearly every daylight minute outdoors this weekend. I found a little bit of “kitchen time” at lunchtime today to play – but other than that, I’m still in my low and slow sweet potato rut.

You think I’m kidding. I’m not.

And I’m still swearing by these cornmeal pancakes. I keep forgetting to try it as a waffle – remind me to do that on Tuesday!

I know I’ve said I’m going to start eating more environmentally friendly  – but I couldn’t pass up these strawberries at Hannaford’s! And I mean…I’d get a little bored eating apples all winter. This is Vermont, you know. I am nothing without bananas.

And yes – I’ve still been loving buffalo tempeh! Is it weird that I equate hot, spicy food with bad for you, though? And pickles. Pickles make this sandwich, though. And hummus. In light of Vegan MoFo, of course – it was my ranch dressing

Speaking of which – why do these pickles need to be called hamburger pickles? Honestly. It’s not like they’re made of hamburgers.

I really needed to make another loaf of bread, and while you might think “how do you find time for bread making when you’re outside all day?” it’s the easiest thing to fit in, really!

…with a minor backfire.

First, let me say that the hardest part of baking bread has come to be actually picking out the recipe. I spent all night last night deciding on a recipe! In my exploration, though, I read Matt’s explanation of a bit of the science behind dough and whole wheat, which was helpful I my baking expeditions.  So then I really wanted to make this bread, but only have active dry yeast. Could I sub that for instant yeast, anyone know?!

Anyways – I ended up baking this, but veganizing it with molasses, earth balance and almond milk. It was super easy to get the dough ready this morning and let it rise while I was at the barn. I asked my mom to punch it down and put it in a loaf pan in an hour or two…and therein lied the problem.

I’m not complaining, because it was sweet of her….but she also decided to bake it. She didn’t know what to bake it at or for how long…but she did. I still haven’t asked because I don’t want to know, but I think it was definitely underbaked. The top was still really soft, much like a sandwich bread you buy in a bag from the bread aisle. It’s really hard to cut because of this, but still tastes really good. I was afraid the molasses would have too bold a flavor, but it’s surprisingly not. I did cut back on that a bit, though.

I’m not complaining because I had the best ride on Teddie. Both yesterday and today he was amazing, though….our best rides yet! He was cantering like an old pro!! Transitioned right when I’d ask with no little hop/buck like he does in the indoor, and actually maintained it for full 20m circles – something he can’t do in the indoor yet. And correct leads [nearly] every time! I’m seriously … well, walking on sunshine right now. I’m so proud of my little boy!

I also quickly made some muffins – a hybrid variation of my gingerbread muffins mixed with my carrot-spice graham muffins.

And blackened tofu – from ED&BV. I’m still limiting my non-fermented soy intake, but it was $1.99 at Hannaford and after disliking/avoiding tofu for so long, really just wanted to give it a try.

I think the real reason I’ve got a bone to pick with tofu is because everytime someone asks me what I’m eating (well, okay, not so much anymore), it’s along the lines of”what’s that, tofu?” or if I talk about what I’m making, it’s obviously tofu something. It makes me just want to scream “I don’t even eat tofu!” Which, I don’t. Today reminded me of that. I just don’t care for it. I’d rather have tempeh or seitan, especially because those are either a fermented soy product or soy-free.

It wasn’t terrible – but nothing to write home about. If I’d have done the same thing with tempeh, I bet I’d have loved it, though.

Hopefully it’ll be good in sandwiches.

Either way – the kale ad s.p. so picked up for the lacking tofu. I feel like all I’ve done lately is eat kale and sweet potatoes. And I’ve hardly eve made a dent in my kale supply. You’ll be seeing it very often, I think.

Tofu – yay or nay?

Guilty

I’m guilty of never really doing anything with tempeh. I think I remember brushing it with barbeque sauce and baking it a time or two before – but never really giving it the attention it deserves. Most often, I’d just pan fry it and call it done.

The other day, while flipping through ED&BV I read Dreena recommend boiling it before doing anything with it to remove any bitterness.

Well, I’ve never thought tempeh was bitter, so I just found it intriguing and moved on.

Yesterday, while wanting something a little different for lunch, I found hot sauce glazed tempeh in Veganomicon and decided to give it a go.

Franks: my weapon of choice.

I saw that they, too, started off with boiling the tempeh, though also explained that it helped tempeh to better absorb the marinade. I was far too hungry to actually marinade for any length of time, but I went with it anyway.

I am definitely still on pre-daylight saving’s time, by the way. I’ve been having lunch at 11:30 and dinner at 4:30. Well, today I just wanted dinner at 4:30. I wasn’t about to leave work because my body’s clock is an hour ahead of the actual one.

Anyways. Back to the tempeh at hand. I boiled my tempeh, and don’t know if I can ever go back. It is so tender, succulent, and…well…buffalo-y!

Although – I also tried a new brand of tempeh. A local brand called “Rhapsody.” So maybe I’ve just been eating sub-par tempeh and I’m finally having really good stuff? But we’ll just say it’s a really good recipe and technique, because I’m sure it is that, too.

I, like every other college student on campus, used to be a major buffalo chicken freak. I’d say fanatic, but that’s putting it too lightly. I still don’t know whether I actually just wanted to go with the flow of things (since I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy things) or if I appreciated the burn back then.

There was something about pretending a certain restaurant’s buffalo chicken pizza wasn’t spicy, even though it was burning your tongue off as you lied through your straight white teeth. Having people admire your spicy-buffalo-chicken eating abilities was just the cool thing to be. I can’t say I get it, I’m just explaining it.

The Veganomicon recipe is easy, too. Simply boil the tempeh and then mix it with your hot sauce of choice, some garlic, spices, oil, and fry/bake/broil – your choice. And the results are impeccable. I only made a half batch, but I already know what I’m doing with the rest of the package of tempeh tomorrow. I had a buffalo tempeh sammie yesterday and today, and a buffalo tempeh bulgur salad for dinner tonight.

buffalo tempeh (& marinade), bulgur and red onion

Not only that, but – when it’s as bitter and blustery outside as it was today, I appreciate the speecey-spicey! I thought I was going to blow away. No lie. We have snow on the ground. Even a little bit is too much at this point, ad this is even more than a little bit.

I worried about my poor Teddie all day long – I didn’t think it was supposed to be snowy and blustery all day, so I just left him with his rain sheet instead of a blankie. When I pulled him out of his pen to blanket him on my way home, he was a little confused as to what his momma was doing with him in the pitch darkness, but really eager to find out, too!

goober.

Other things: sugar cookie sleigh ride overnight oats. I went there. That’s Chelsey’s homemade sunflower butter crumbled over top (doesn’t it look like brown sugar?!) – I love how crumbly it is – makes every bite perfect!

Do you like spicy things? What is your hot sauce of choice?

And do you ever “do” a lot with tempeh or just leave it be?

Peanut Buttah And…

I’m going to be quick, since I just fiddled around with the site and have a quick business assignment to finish! So – just do this for me.

Pretty please? You’ll thank me later.

Go ahead and grab some bread and some peanut buttah. Homemade bread. That is accidentally a lot smaller than you intended. Trust me, it really lets you get a thiiick layer of p.b. 😉

Then snag a fresh local apple, and a dried fig. That fig is funky lookin’, non?

Now plug in your panini maker.

Glomp (yes, glomp) a bunch of peanut butter on the bread, and slice your apple and fig. Layer on some apple slices, then some fig slices, and sandwich to-gedder.

And then panini away.

Just don’t do like I did, and walk back upstairs to finish a project.

You’ll burn it…but the sandwich will be just that good that it doesn’t even really matter.

What’s your favorite Peanut Butter & ______ sandwich?

p.s. Chocolate chip cookie dough larabar…

…not as good as I was hoping. Bummer. Too much chocolate chip, not enough cookie dough.