Basil Bonanza!

How did I not know how wonderful basil is until recently?

This easy-to-grow, fragrant, delicious herb adds such freshness to food! It is my new cilantro.  Not to say that I am giving up cilantro, just happy to have another delicious alternative.  Fresh basil adds the same kind of fresh-food flair to Italian food, that cilantro adds to Mexican or Indian food.

Roasted Tomato/Basil Pasta Toss

In a baking dish, toss together:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
1/2 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp sea salt

roast at 350 for 45 minutes or so, until veggies are well-cooked.
Toss in 10-15 large basil leaves roughly chopped.
Toss with pasta to serve. Add fresh ground pepper.


Pesto

Another delicious pasta toss, sandwich spread, pizza topping....

mix together in food processor:
1 1/2 cups fresh basil (I have used frozen, and it worked great, too)
1 cup pine nuts (apparently walnuts are good, too)
5 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 c. nutritional yeast

drizzle in:
1/3 cup olive oil

Harvest Time

Fall is a great time to be vegan!  Well, anytime is, I guess, but fall is easy!
Tara and I enjoyed a cooking/baking weekend with some of the fresh veggies from her first garden.

My friend Rachel has been bringing her version of this borscht to work the past few weeks. It is so delicious that since I tasted hers, I have been dying to make it.

Borscht

3 medium beets, peeled and cubed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly chopped
1 can kidney beans with juice
2 bay leaves
10 cups water and 6 cups broth to get 16 cups liquid total
5 Tbsp ketchup
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp chopped dill

saute onions in oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until veggies are tender. 

Delicious with some whole grain toast or garlic bread.

Zucchini Muffins - moist and delicious!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 3/4 t. baking powder
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1/4 cup soy milk (or other milk substitute)
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini

•  makes 16 muffins

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease muffin tins.

2. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon until well mixed. In another mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, soy milk, and vanilla extract for a minute or two. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with half of the grated zucchini. Mix until well combined, then fold in the remaining grated zucchini.

3. Fill muffin tins. Bake for approx. 20 minutes. 

Wedding Crowd Food

07-05-2014  Wedding Menu

Beef on a Bun

Black Bean Pasta Salad

Mustard Dill Potato Salad

Organic Greens with toasted almonds, sprouts, cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette

Mini Cupcakes

A beautiful summer day, on a beautiful wildflower-filled ski hill, was made even more beautiful by the gathering of friends and family to witness the exchange of vows between Tara and Travis. 

Many loving hands worked together to prepare the delicious spread for over 150 guests.

Except for the beef on a bun, of course, all of the dishes were vegan.... and multiplied to feed a crowd.

Black Bean Pasta Salad

1 900g bag of penne or other pasta, prepared, rinsed and cooled

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 Tbsp dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Mustard Dill Potato Salad

1 1/2 lbs new red potatoes

5 or 6 baby dill pickles finely chopped

1/2 small onion, minced

dressing:

1/8 cup grainy dijon mustard

1 tsp yellow mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

lots of chopped, fresh dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

Mini Cupcakes

Chocolate

stir together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp Cocoa cu

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

add all at once:

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup water

Vanilla

stir together:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

add all at once:

1 Tbsp vinegar

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup water

mix for a few minutes, then pour into mini muffin tins, lined with cupcake papers.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or so.

Un-Butter Cream Frosting

3 cups icing sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp vanilla

1 to 2 Tbsp soy milk

whip until smooth, pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Special thanks to Sue, Lauren and Jessica for assembling the pasta salad, Lynn and Diana for assembling the potato salad, Kailee for icing the cupcakes, MC and Jazz for slicing the buns, Bev for all the set up help, Brian and Trennin for the serving help, and Cyndi for all the clean up help! It really did take many hands!