Recipe for Corn Stuffed Peppers Rating check +++and photo

This is a fabulous recipe and believe me it tastes even better than it looks. Please try this and see how well you can eat on "plant-based diet". Instead of egg substitute I used Italian bread crumbs both in the mix and also sprinkled on top with a spray of Bragg's. I cut the peppers in half lengthwise and parboiled them to speed up the baking time.

Tuesday, we leave for ten days in Sweden so I won't be cooking except to make Bill's Spinach,Strawberry and Hearts of Palm Salad for the wedding at the request of the bride's parents. I served it to them while they were visitng in June and they loved it so much that they asked me to make it for the wedding reception. So "Dining with Bill goes to Sweden"!

Recipe 139 Asparagus wraps

These wraps (pg 2) make a great summer lunch. Sam especially likes horseradish so he rated them check ++. It think I would prefer them with Veganaise. I'll try it that way next time and let you know. We served them on the boathouse overlooking Lake Winnisquam and Belnap Mtn. We had a lovely vacation relaxing in the beautiful NH lakes region. My mother and father bought a cottage there in 1946 and I have been there every summer of my life. What a blessing it is to return there every year.

I have a wonderful recipe to share with you tomorrow along with a photo. Stay tuned...........

Recipes 136 & 137 Both check ++

Two more amazing recipes: Green Bean with Horseradish Pg 66 & Portobello Mushroom Fajitas (or pizza as I made it)pg 128. I can't encourage you enough to get Bill's book. I have never, in my life, found so many great recipes in one Cookbook. These two recipes are representative of the whole book.

The bean dish is very simple and a completely "out of the box" recipe.
2 lbs tender beans precooked for 5 min and then chilled in ice water
1/2 C Veganaise
4 T Horseradish
1/4 t cumin
Mix all ingredients and chill for 1 hour or more and serve!

Could it be more simple? I only chilled the dish for 1/2 hour and thought it was fantastic.

The portobello fajitas were going to be fajitas until I discovered that the tortillas I thought I had in the freezer were not there after all, but I did have two Boboli Whole Wheat pizza crusts. It made the best Vegan pizza I have ever tasted. Just follow the recipe and put all ingredients on top of the crusts and bake for 12 min at 400. Try it either way.

I will be away for the coming week and unable the blog, but I will be able to cook! I will get caught up with you when I get back on friday. Happy cooking.........

Recipe136 Eggplant Delight

I bet you thought I fell off the planet. Well, not quite. We have just had meals out for a few days and last night we had the pleasure of dining with some very health conscious folks who refer the the vegan diet as a "plant based diet" which I like. To say you are a vegan makes people look at you like you are from the planet "Vega"!
Vegan, Martian....it all sounds the same to them. So, I think I will start using this term.

We had an incredible plant based meal and a great time meeting other folks who have found this diet to be life changing. They had many great testimonies of the positive health benefits they had experienced.

Well tonight, it felt good to be back in the kitchen cooking up a storm. I made bill's recipe for Eggplant Delight and it was great and earned a check++ rating from young and old.....young, being my son, Loren and old being my mother, age 98!

I know many of you have the cookbook now so I really encourage you to try this one. Its on pg 85. I served it with sliced cucumbers mixed with Veganaise and dill and also tomatoes mixed with Veganaise and basil. Both side dishes were delicious and all straight from the garden. Not sure what tomorrow will bring to the table but I know it will be good...................

Sweet Potato Quinoa Couscous check++

Tonight, I came home to a delightful surprise: Dinner all cooked and spread out on a beautifully set table! What a treat and what a delicious meal Loren thoughtfully prepared. Here is his recipe:

1/2 lg red onion
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Lg sweet potatoes, cooked and sliced (julienne style)
2 med carrots julienned
1/2 pt cherry tomatoes sliced in half
3 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 t dried thyme
3 T grapeseed oil
2 T olive oil
Bragg's to taste
3 c mix of red quinoa and israeli couscous

Cook grains according to package instructions with veggie bouillon (watch out for brands with partially hydrogenated oils!) and plenty of Bragg's

Cook oil and onions on low heat for a few minutes then add remaining ingredients minus the carrots (which were added at the end so as to maintain some firmness).
Serve with homemade whole wheat bread or a dark bread and a salad.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe.

Got zucchini? Try Eggplant, Zucchini and Red Pepper Stew,Check ++, Recipe 135

This is a winner. My son, Loren, was here for dinner and he described this stew as great! Loren is a good cook so that compliment does not come without careful assessment.It's a colorful dish and thick enough to serve on regular plates with warm, homemade bread to sop up the juice.

Even though I have zucchini in the garden, I still accept handouts because there are any number of ways to use it. One of my favorites is a recipe I was given while we lived in Mexico City in the winter of 1991. We were there on a 2 month mission trip helping people build one room, cement homes after their cardboard shelters were swept away in earthquakes. We made many friends and enjoyed some wonderful meals.

Here is the recipe for my favorite "sopa": Slice 3 8"zucchinis and 1 large onion. Put all in good sized pot and cover with vegetable broth. Simmer till tender and run through the blender. Serve in bowls with small chunks of Vegan cheese sprinkled on top. This soup freezes well. So no need to do drive by zucchini shootings. Just soup it up!

Recipe 134: Gumbo

Today, we went to a wedding at Castle in The Clouds, Moultonboro, New Hampshire. If you have never been there, I highly recommend it. It has, perhaps, one of the most beautiful views in all the world. From the flower-filled terrace overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, you have a one hundred and eighty degree view of the surrounding mountains. It was a breathtaking spot and a beautiful day for a wedding.

So, when I got back at 6:30pm, I was scrambling through the cookbook to find something quick and easy to cook. I came across Bill's recipe for Gumbo, which indeed was quick and easy.

One of the main ingredients is okra, which, here in the north, is a vegetable you can only find in the freezer department. Don't let its gooey texture put you off, as it's great for thickening a vegetable stew.

More to come tomorrow, stay tuned for another heaping helping of "Two greenhorns (still) mastering the art of vegan cooking."

Recipe 133 Garden Salad pg 34

You will probably think I am stretching it when I say this salad was absolutely awesome. It is so different from any salad I have ever had and it is luscious to look at with its many colors. It even has a wonderful texture as you precook the yellow and green beans slightly before adding the red pepper and the delicious dressing. If you think you just can't eat another green salad, guess again.........

PS On the portobello mushroom burger recipe that I gave you, I used 2T of Balsamic vinegar in the marinade (Bill was not specific about that)

Recipe 132 Great Summer Treat

Last night, we splurged with big Milk Shakes (pg 179) and a movie. Who says Vegans can't have fun? Dairy Queen eat your heart out! Believe it or not this milk shake is made with frozen bananas, maple syrup, almond extract and ice cubes. I just popped it all in my heavy duty blender and WA-LAA! (not sure how you spell Wa-Laa, but you get the picture). Yum, Yum..........................

Recipe for portobello mushroom burgers check +++

 
Sam described tonight's meal as exquisite and Mom, Josh and I have to agree. These burgers are heavenly! One of the best parts is that I did the prep work and then Sam did the grilling while I made the salad (Its nice to have a little help now and then). For dressing, I made Bill's Creamy Cashew Dressing (pg 188). Let me tell you, it is finger licking good. When you make it you will know what I mean. After it is all made, you just can't keep your finger from swiping the side of the blender and licking off the spoon. That is one scruptious salad dressing! You have got to try both of these recipes.

I still have a few Cookbooks left at the reduced rate. Let me knmow if you want one.

We just had our annual family reunion over on Lake Winnisquam with the entire family (37 in all)! We had a great time. Saturday night we had a "rockin record hop" on the boat house with everyone dancing to beat the band. Sam had his Elvis wig on and I had my poodle skirt. Chubby Checker even made a personal appearance! Thanks to Ernie! Gee, we sure had great music back then. We had a cookout too with beef and veggie burgers. I don't imagine anyone would ever have dreamed of such a thing as a veggie burger in the fifties!!!!!!!!!!!