French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme

Mmm!  Few things make me feel more cozy and culinary-content than hearty soup on a cold day.  And I happen to love lentils.  So, as I was looking for a new recipe to try for the Vegaloca Weekly Vegan Cooking Challenge, I was excited to find the French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme recipe in Veganomicon by Moskowitz and Romero.  It was so easy to make and quite delicious!  I enjoyed the variety of herbs and the carrots and tomatoes added nicely to the dish without being overpowering.  I'll definitely turn to this recipe again when I'm in the mood for something easy, hearty and deliciously warm this season.

Cauliflower Poppers

Last night, I made Lee's Cauliflower Poppers.  I've seen so many tempting recipes thanks to participating in Lee's Vegaloca Weekly Cooking Challenge but this is the first one I've actually tried making myself.  It was really tasty!

I added a little less chili powder as I wasn't sure how hot it would be, but it ended up being quite mild and I think I will add the full amount last time.  This was also my first experience with nutritional yeast; I know it is great for vegans so I plan to cook with it more often.

I will definitely try this recipe again and am already thinking of ways to modify it for summer (it gets so horribly hot where we live that I try never to turn on the oven from mid-May to mid-October)  such as steaming the cauliflower and then mashing them and adding the sauce as a sort of "gravy" seasoning.

Thanks, Lee, for the great recipe! :-)

Tofurkey: To Gobble (it) or Not to Gobble (it)

I've known about Tofurkey for years.  It seems to be the staple cruelty-free centerpiece at veg*n Thanksgiving dinners... but I don't know if this is actually true, or just good marketing on Tofurkey's part.

So, what do you prepare instead of "the big bird" for your holiday meals?  Have you tried Tofurkey and what do you think?  (I've tried their "lunchmeats" which are pretty tasty, but only an occasional with me as they are so full of sodium and I try to avoid processed soy.)   Do you try to replicate the whole turkey-stuffing-cranberry sauce in some way, or just go with a variety of other side dishes to fill your craving for sweet and savory?

Fresh Rosemary Focaccia

Having decided that our hand-me-down breadmaker has finally baked it last loaf, my husband and I tried our hands at bread the old-fashioned way with wonderful results!  We selected the Fresh Rosemary Focaccia from Veganomicon by Moskowitz and Romero and happily munched the results all evening ;-)  So, I decided to share it for this week's entry in the Vegaloca Weekly Vegan Cooking Challenge

Our only variation was using whole-wheat flour instead of the all-purpose (or half all-purpose, half whole-wheat) the recipe called for.  My husband is pretty much a whole-wheat fanatic and, while I admit part of me longed for the empty calories and full-scale tastiness of the actual recipe, the whole-wheat did turn out better than I expected.  It was a little dense, of course, and I think the rosemary flavor would have been more robust without the whole-wheat flavor, but the bread was still delicious especially when paired with some EarthBalance "butter" ;-)  Mmm,  mmm!

Vegan Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Pie, etc.???

I relish the holidays and all the culinary traditions in our family but realize I'll have to modify some things this year; though, worth it for feeling good heart-wise for the animals! 

Just wondering if any of you have suggestions for items to add to a vegan Thanksgiving menu? 

I'm especially eager for a pumpkin pie recipe as that is one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving! ;-)
I found this one online that appears to have received positive reviews, Vegetarian Times Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Thanks!

Cauliflower and Mushroom "Potpie" (without the crust)

I was feeling under the weather, so my awesome husband made our new vegan dish for the week since we'd already got all the ingredients for it.  I'd been so tempted by the heavenly-sounding Cauliflower and Mushroom Potpie with Black Olive Crust in Veganomicon by Moskowitz & Romero but knew I wouldn't have the time to put the while recipe together and wasn't sure if my husband would like the black olive crust.  So, I intended to make just the "filling" for the Vegaloca Weekly Vegan Cooking Challenge and, ohmygosh, is it delicious!!!

As they say in the book, "Fresh cauliflower teams up with succulent mushroom in a velvety leek and herb gravy."  Mmm, mmm,  mmm!  The result is a sweetly savory side dish (or main meal if you're like us and can't help eating two bowls full at one sitting!)  with a consistency rather like a risotto.  

We will definitely make this again!  My husband said it was relatively easy to prepare and the hardest part was just stirring together the margarine and flour for five or six minutes into the gravy paste.  It really has a hearty, comforting consistency and warmth and the spices remind me a bit of the savory stuffings at Thanksgiving.  I think we've just found our vegan side dish to take to the family "turkey day."   Hooray!

Embarrassingly Easy "Rice Pudding"

It's been a crazy week with a car in the shop, subbing extra ballet classes, etc. so had little time to hunt for new recipes or go grocery shopping.  Thus, last night, when I was craving something sweet and comforting (too close to bed-time to crank up the oven), I had to get creative.  My result is a lightning-fast and super easy "rice pudding" that I actually loved (full disclosure: hubby was only so-so on it, though).  It is so simple, it should hardly count for this week's entry in the Vegaloca Weekly Vegan Cooking Challenge but I doubt I'll have time to come up with anything else given it's Halloween tomorrow, so without further excuses, here it is (this is for two servings):

Embarrassingly Easy Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked rice

5 TBSP* almond milk (unsweetened) 

3 tsp agave nectar

Stir and microwave appx. 2 minutes or until hot

Sprinkle with cinnamon 

*Or more, to taste, if you like a little more liquidity

That's it!!!  It's certainly not the most gourmet dish, but it's fast, easy and satisfying.  I love the sweetness and comfort-food warmth.