Parmesan crusted polenta

1 roll polenta
3 tbsp vegan Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375. Slice polenta dip into Parmesan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes each side.

Chanukah: the miracle of the oil

A Chanukah celebration would not be complete without latkes, which are potato pancakes fried in oil:

There is a great recipe I found here:
http://girliegirlarmy.com/nosh/20101201/recipe-vegan-latkes/

1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying

What You Do:

1. In a colander set over a large bowl, place potatoes. Using your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatoes. Pour off the liquid and place potatoes in the bowl. Add onion to potatoes along with parsley, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a thin layer of oil. Take a heaping tablespoon of batter and flatten it before gently placing it in the hot oil. Make three or four more potato pancakes this way, and add to skillet without crowding pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes total.

3. Repeat with remaining potato mixture, adding more oil as necessary. Remove the cooked potato pancakes to paper towels to drain, then transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are cooked.

Serve with applesauce & sour cream (vegan, of course)

Sugar Cookies...In Praise of Christmas

My son and I had the opportunity to spread some Christmas joy yesterday. Last Sunday, in Sunday School, we had decorated cookies and delivered them to various places (VA, shut ins, the Union Gospel Mission). Feeling inspired and warm and fuzzy, the Little Man and I decided to spread some joy ourselves.




We baked sugar cookies. We decorated them. We packaged them up. We went in our “sleigh” (actually, a Toyota Camry) and started to share the love. First up was the Union Gospel Mission. The Mission provides services to folks who are hurting economically.

Last year, during a retreat, our youth group wound up getting an impromptu tour of the Mission when our plans to feed the homeless under the 8th Street Bridge fell through…and we delivered our muffins and water to the Mission. I had no idea of the services that they offered, and since then, I have been a passionate supporter of their ministry.



A few dozen cookies, decorated by a child, may not seem like a lot, but the true smiles and joy on people’s faces when we brought them in was priceless.



We next went to the Ronald McDonald House (http://www.ronaldmcdonaldsouthdakota.org) ; I have been a passionate supporter of them for the last seven years. I have helped serve dinner there on several occasions, as well as in the past dropping off meals and baked goods. Before I became a mom, I volunteered there physically as well, teaching scrapbooking and being a greeter. My son wasn’t too sure about the whole McDonald’s thing (“Mom, I’m a vegetarian! They don’t have anything I can eat!”) until we walked into the house with the cookies. The lady that greeted us was quite happy to get them, and my son was quite happy to give them. He was excited that he could bring them the pop can tabs too…so I have a feeling that we are going to collect them compulsively now!






makes about three dozen cookies

1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread

1 cup granulated sugar

2 whole egg replacements

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (tofutti brand)

Cream together the buttery spread and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the “eggs” and the vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in two additions to the butter mixture and then add the vegan cream cheese and mix only until combined.

Chill dough for one hour (note that the dough will feel quite crumbly).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Work the dough with your hands so it’s less crumbly. Roll out to 1/4th inch and cut with cookie cutters to desired shapes and sizes. Bake for twelve minutes, until light brown around the edges. Store in tupperware containers or freeze for up to two months



Vegan Sugar Cookies

Potato leek soup

1 leek, diced white only
4 potatoes, chopped
2 c soy milk
1 c carrots
1 tsp sage
Salt & pepper

Put everything in a crockpot, cook on low 10 hours. Serve with rustic bread.

London Calling...for Fruitcake

I am an avowed Anglophile, which you can read more about here: London Calling on our sister site, The Mommydom Chronicles. I may have married an Italian, but I have maintained my cultural identity (somewhat) and it comes out in holiday baking. My go to easy peasy fruit cake recipe is actually from another web site Easy Fruit Cake, but worth sharing here!



Easy, Last Minute Christmas Fruit Cake by Jean


This cake has no added sugar or fat (suitable for a range of diets) but is still really sweet and rich. It should be stored in the fridge and eaten within one week.

8oz/250g/2 cups of cooking dates with the stones removed

10 fl.oz/300ml/1 and a quarter cups of water (you could substitute a quarter cup of brandy or sherry for a quarter cup of the water if you like)

6oz/175g/1 and a quarter cups of wholemeal flour

1 lb/450g/3 cups of mixed dried fruit of your choice - including lots of dried apricots works very well

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

4 tablespoons of orange juice

For decoration: You can either do a traditional marzipan and white icing topping or use rows of different nuts such as walnuts, pecans, brazils and almonds.

Heat the dates and water until the dates are soft. Remove from heat and mash with a fork. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a greased 2lb/900g cake tin and level top. If using the nut topping place rows of different nuts on top of the cake prior to cooking. Bake at 170C/340F for about an hour and a half until cooked. Once cooled the nut topping can be glazed with a little syrup (melt some sugar into hot water) or you can ice traditionally

Everyday I Write the Book

Are you looking for an easy way to go vegan? Some easy recipes that make cooking healthy for your family easy? Check out my brand new cookbook, Vegan Deelight, available as a download for your Nook today!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Vegan-Deelight/Dee-Di-Memmo/e/2940013875999

Check it Out

An interview with the Happy Herbivore at our sister blog:
http://mommydomchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-herbivore.html

Italian stir fry pasta

1 c cooked pasta
1 c stir fry veggies cooked
Handful each cashews & dried cranberries
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Dash red pepper

Sauté garlic in olive oil. Add pasta & vegetables and stir fry.

Serve hot, sprinkled with vegan Parmesan & mozzerella

The Spinach Song

I think spinach is my favorite vegetable. I could eat it at every meal and still not get enough! I'm always on the lookout for lunch ideas & I decided to combine some of my favorite flavors together for something super yummy.

1 tortilla
1 tbsp hummus
2 c spinach, cooked
1 tbsp daiya mozzerella shreds

spread hummus on tortilla, add spinach. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up. Microwave 1 minute.

I paired it with a baked potato and salad.

(pork and) Beans: soup is good food

It's getting colder on the Plains. The wind is starting to whip out of the north, bringing with it cold temperatures. In my eyes, that makes it soup season.
My favorite tool to cook soup is my crockpot. Put all the ingredients in, let it go and 10 hours later, dinner is served!
Tonight we are having bean soup and rustic bread:

1 pkg 10 beans for soup mix
1 box vegetable broth
1 c barley
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper
Dash thyme

Pour ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on low, 10 hours. 15 minutes before serving, remove bay leaf and stir in barley.
Serve with rustic bread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH_l3-CHaYQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Hen of the Woods

I spent the afternoon at my mother's today, helping her out with a few things and just generally visiting. As a result, my boys ate dinner without me. I needed something to eat, desperately, and needed it quick. I could pull out some chips or something that would allow me to eat. But would it feed me?
So instead:
Boca chicken nuggets
1 baked potato topped with pesto & tofutti sour cream.
Salad. Lots of it, with dried cranberries & wasabi peas.
Super easy. Super yummy. Super filling.

Breakfast Parfait

In order to not be starving during coffee hour at church, not to say grumpy with the munchkins all morning, I need to fuel my body with good, healthy foods.
One super quick, super easy option is a breakfast parfait. It's loaded with protein, has that "crunch" and just enough sweet to make it super yummy.
Oh, did I mention it's super easy too?

1 c fruit (I like my berries)
1 c soy yogurt
1/4 c granola

Place fruit in a bowl. Add yogurt. Top with granola.
Thats it!