Hot and cold.

I apologize for what I am about to show you. This is by far the least healthy thing I have made in ages, just because of the amount of vegan butter in it. >.< However, since we only eat like this every once in a while, and defiantly watch the portion sizes, I actually didn’t feel too bad about it. (Even though while I was cooking it I was working out the amount of calories from fat I had added per serving >.<)

Anyways, here you go. A completely vegan, completely comforting Shepard’s pie. Like damn near everything else I make this was a seat of my pants recipe so the measurements are approximates. Maybe one day I will have presence of mind to write down what I put in as I cook….

Vegan Lentil Shepperd’s pie

For the potatoes

2 large russet potatoes

1 tsp garlic powder

2 t vegenaise

2 T nutritional yeast

1/2 stick of Earth balance or any other vegan butter substitute

1/4 c (about) vegetable stock

2 T soy milk

salt and pepper

For the filling

1 c brown lentils

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups water

2 carrots diced

1 c frozen peas

1 small onion diced

most of a can of corn

1/2 a pint of baby bellas sliced

1 1/2 t each of sage, thyme, oregano and marjoram

2 cloves of garlic

1 t Earth balance

1 c vegetable stock

1/2 c water

2 T cornstarch

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan add the 2 c stock and water along with the lentils. Set to medium high heat and cover. Allow to cook until the lentils are soft, around 20 minutes. If there is some liquid remaining its no big deal, hold on to it for later.

Peel, dice and steam or boil potatoes until soft. Drain in sink and return to a still hot but dry pot to help some of the water evaporate out.  Combine all ingredients except the stock and soy milk and mix until very smooth. Use about half of each the stock and the milk and judge weather or not it needs more. When they are a smooth consistency set aside.

In a very large, deep saute pan, sweat out onions and garlic in the butter. Add carrots and allow to cook until almost tender, about 5 min. Add remaining vegetables and seasonings. Simmer for 5 min, and then toss in lentils. In the same pot you cooked the legumes in, add the remaining 1 c veg stock and the bay leaf. Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1/2 c water and pour in to the pot. If you have any stock left over from cooking the lentils put that in as well. Bring to a steady boil and allow to thicken up a bit. When it coats the back of a spoon, remove the bay leaf and pour over the vegetable mixture.

Heat your oven to 350.

In a well oiled casserole dish (pretty good sized one) add the vegetable mixture, then top with the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and bake until bubbly, about 30 min.

We all loved this. Matt had 2 servings and called dibs on the leftovers. Liam ate as much as I did lol. I covered mine in agave ketchup though lol. This is a little labor intensive, but is totally worth it to me :-).

Now for something you couldn’t feel guilty about if you tried. My new obsession, cucumber and red onion salad.  I have made this, no joke, 6 times in 2 weeks. I ADORE this salad and it’s stupid easy.

Cucumber and red onion salad

1 large cumber sliced very thin

1/2 or less red onion sliced very thin

2 T rice wine vinigar

1/2 t agave

1 t white vinigar

1t sesame oil

salt

pepper

sesame seeds

Thats it lol. Put everything in a bowl, toss, and refrigerate until ready to eat. Or pick out pieces throughout the day…. you know … whatever. The longer this sets the better it gets. I actually ate left overs for breakfast one morning, and it was fantastic lol.

Making something pretty special tomorrow, so it will probably take me another week to get anything written about it, but one word….samosa. That is all ❤

 

Super slacker

With Liam and I back in Oklahoma and Matt still in Florida, I have little desire most days to do much more than roast a giant pan of vegetables for dinner. I am the type of person that can eat virtualy the same thing every day for a week and not get tired of it. My personal criteria for food.

1. Is it tasty.

2. Is it good for me

3. Does it take more than 30 miniutes before I have food to shove in face.

That is pretty much it. All of those things considered, I have not felt the urge to take pictures of 2,472 avocado and black bean roll ups, or 75,000 kale salads. You should probably be grateful. Those are the actual numbers. Its lunacy. And while our grocery bill is quite a bit lower, it does get a bit old after a while.

This is my excuse for zero posts in over a month. It’s a weak one, but its pretty much all I got.

Yesterday Liam and I went to the grocery store and inspiration was throwing large boulders at my head as I meandered up and down the isles. By the time I got home there was no less then 7 things that I couldn’t wait to make. Only problem is I’m not very good at cooking for 1.5. Lucky for me, my favorite Katie ever was coming over for dinner.  I gave her options, but wound up deciding for her, mostly because I had to get the tofu marinading.

This dinner was not only super yummy, but wicked fun to make. Some times I like things that have lots of steps, easy small steps….kinda like the little kid slide at the park.

Balsamic glazed tofu

1/4 c soy sauce

2/3 c balsamic

2 T agave

2 smashed cloves of garlic

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/4 t pepper

1 block extra firm tofu sliced and pressed

Combine all ingredients and pour over tofu. Allow to marinate for at least an hour.  Make sure your grill is well oiled and set to med high. (because of the sugar content in balsamic, this tends to char a bit if cooked on too high a temp) Cook about 4 min on each side, longer if you like a firmer texture ( like I do).

While the tofu is on the grill, and if you have an awesome friend to watch it so it does not burn, pour the marinade in to a small sauce pan and simmer until it has reduced by about half.

Edamame and roasted corn salad

1/2 bag frozen shelled edamame

2 ears of corn

1/2 bell pepper

2 green onions

dressing

2T olive oil

1 t agave

2 T rice wine vinegar

1t sesame seeds

Soak corn (in husks) in water around 30 min. Throw them on a med high grill and turn frequently. I actually have no idea how long this takes, when you can smell it, it is done.  Put the bell pepper skin sided down on the grill to blister.

While corn is on grill steam or microwave edamame and put in large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients.   When the pepper is charred, peel away the majority of the skin, dice. Cut corn from cob, and combine everything together.

Sweet potato fries

1 large sweet potato cut in to french fries

2 t olive oil

1 t smoked paprika

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 425

Put everything in a ziplock and toss to coat. Line a baking pan with parchment or tin foil and arrange fries evenly.  Bake for 20 min, turn the fries, raise oven temp to 450 and bake about 20 min longer.

I know I say this a lot, but I really, truly, honestly, loved this dinner. I had not experimented much with different glazes for grilled tofu, and pretty much just stuck with barbecue sauce. This is way better. And the salad! Just make it its stupid good.

I will indulge you with one of the things I have been eating very nearly every day. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you whole wheat toast, with almond butter and CHILI AND GARLIC CHOLULA. I eat this, no lie, every freaking day. It sounds so strange, but is just wonderful.

Hopefully my cooking day yesterday will give me the boost I needed to quit with the redundancy (Roasted broccoli and kale chips do not an interesting blog post make)

By for now! ❤