Product review: Amy's Kitchen Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Here's a photo of a cooked Amy's Kitchen Roasted Vegetable Pizza, which was available at our Safeway grocery store.  It is great to have a vegan option in the frozen pizza section and I really like that the box announces "NO CHEESE" in bold letters.   My review is: not too bad for frozen pizza.  Rather sweet flavor with agave as a main ingredient.  Too bad they don't do a whole wheat crust.  It did seem small for two people, but I'm used to mammoth portions with home cooked pizzas.  And it is pricey compared to making your own pizza, around $8 I think.  You could probably freestyle a baguette pizza for less cash.      

Cookies and brownies

Here is my return to food blogging with two baked goods photos.  The chocolate chip coconut cookies are a recipe of Sarah Kramer, the punk rock vegan version of Betty Crocker.  I've made this super easy recipe to great success many times now.  Here is the recipe and video link with Sarah Kramer in action.  This video also inspired me to buy an oven thermometer, which is a godsend invention and has greatly improved my baking experiences.  

Meanwhile, the brownies are from the latest May + June VegNews Magazine, the recipe of Sweetpea Baking Company in Portland, OR.  I can't travel easily right now due to an epic foot injury but have decided to travel in recipe form.  Portland tastes sweet.      

  

New Year's Day eats

We spent New Year's Day at the farm in PA with lots of good food. Here are photos of blueberry pancake breakfast, tofu pizza lunch, and a huge dinner spread that included mini rosti (cleverly baked in muffin tins), sauerkraut, chickpea curry on toast, roasted cauliflower, and apple sauce. My mom has set the bar high for good luck foods.

Biggest salads of 2008

These were some of our biggest salads of 2008. The one with the baby corns was huge. I resolve to eat even more dark leafy greens in the new year.

Nachos

These are dinner-style nachos with refried beans, chipotle peppers, banana peppers, broccoli, carrots, and garlic. Nachos really don't need cheese or cheese imitations to be tasty and filling. Guacamole is another favorite topping but you can really throw just about anything savory or vegetable on top.

Lentil Soup recipe

Lentil Soup
This is my favorite soup, excellent comfort food. Mung dhal can be found in Indian grocery stores. We score ours at the Fair Price Market on 14th Street in DC.

Ingredients:
lentils, split yellow mung dhal works best
potatoes, peeled
onions, chopped
jalapeno, chopped
canola oil
turmeric
asafoetida
cumin
lemon juice
cilantro, chopped finely
salt & pepper to taste
touch of sesame oil

Boil lentils and potatoes separately. Saute onion in large stock pot with canola oil. Add water, turmeric, and asafoetida to the stock pot and cook. Mash or puree the cooked lentils and potatoes, making them as smooth or chunky as you like. Add these mashed items to the soup with chopped cilantro. Season with lemon, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Add a small amount of sesame oil at end. Serve with bread, pitas, or chapati.

Holiday Tofurkeys

These are Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas Eve meals featuring Tofurky. Tofurky has become our holiday splurge. Roasted veggies and mashed potatoes with gravy aren't everyday eats for us either. So it is a great treat. The roasted veggies included yams, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, garlic, mushrooms, and onions. Mushroom gravy with local portabello mushrooms that appeared on our salads.