I'm not a stuffed pepper virgin anymore!

So I was at the Farmers Market today, picking up vegan pesto, french bread, chocolate panini, kale, tomatoes, shallots and such, when I saw bell peppers 3 for $2 - just begging me to find the biggest ones possible! While foraging for a 3rd monstrous pepper, I wondered about what I would do with them. Just the usual tossing them in stirfry and salad and everything, or could I use them for something a little more special? Then it occurred to me - I have never made, let alone eaten, a stuffed bell pepper! Guess what I made for dinner tonight?

Here's my attempt at a recipe, complete with pictures (oh my!). You should include whatever sounds good to you, but the essentials are a sauce, a grain, a protein, and a few veggies.

For my stuffing, I started out by sauteeing tofu and a granny smith and a golden delicious apple in olive oil. Then I added some enchilada sauce and black beans. Next, chopped rainbow chard, yellow corn, and a handful of chanterelles. More enchilada sauce. Then, when it was just about done, I added yellow and red roma tomatoes, onion, cilantro, green onion, and cooked quinoa.

Cooking up some fresh and local deliciousness!

Cut the tops off your peppers, deseed, and put 'em in a baking dish

Stuff those babies!

Drizzle some sauce on the bottom of your baking dish and on top of your peppers, replace the tops, them pop 'em in the oven on 350 for about an hour!

Take 'em out of the oven and be proud of your beautiful creation! Losing your virginity can be a good experience! haha

Plate it and eat it!

Since I'm not really a recipe person, I threw in what sounded good to me. I did look at a few recipes online to see how long to cook them and at what temp (350 and 40 -60 minutes). I cooked them for about 45, and I think they could have used another 15 because they were definitely nice and roasty on the top and middle, but not quite cooked enough on the bottom. Still delicious, though!

I think I've finally accepted, and even began to embrace, the fall season :)

Yet another Veganmofo survey! Yay!

Jess of Get Sconed created this fun survey - thanks, Jess! I totally love surveys and I didn't take any photos today, so you saved this mofo!

What was the most recent tea you drank?
Hmmm... I don't really drink tea. I'm gonna guess it was the Organic Oregon Chai I bought last winter? BTW, OC has honey in it, except for the organic version!

What vegan forms do you post/lurk on? If so, what is your username? Spill!
I was on the Craigslist vegan forum for like 4 years until a few months ago. When it was published to the front page of CL it attracted lots of people - many of them trolls, and some were habitual trolls with a zillion differnent user names. It was just a pain to deal with so I left. The people on that forum really helped me go vegan and gave me so much support and lots of resources. I was BigEnchiladas. Now I post on the ppk as VavoomKitty.

You have to have tofu for dinner, and it has be an Italian dish. What comes to mind first?
Lasagna!

How many vegan blogs do you read on an average day?
10 or so.

Besides your own, what is the most recent one you’ve read?
Wing it Vegan. River has been doing a Halloweeny veganmofo theme and her creations are just amazing. She made the cutest falafel monsters ever earlier this week! Seriously!

If you had to base your dinners for a week around one of the holy trilogy – tofu, seitan or tempeh, which would it be?
Tofu for sure. I don't like seitan, and I think I would get bored of tempeh.

If you had to use one in a fight, which would it be?
Seitan because I'd be all "seitan is on my side, bitches!" and I'd go to pull it out of my pocket and they'd be all "omg, she's a witch! Run!!!" and I'd win.

Name 3 meals you’d realistically make with that tough protein of choice!
Oh shit, but I wouldn't make any! Honestly, I've only had it at chinese restaurants and I got some in a can at Food Fight and it looked like brains and scared the crap out of me. What the heck do you all do with seitan?

What’s a recipe in vegan blogland that you’ve been eyeing?
Pretty much everything from Vegan Dad's blog. Like this Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake... drool!

Do you own any clothing with vegan messages/brands on them?
I rock the red wings are for flying, not frying hoodie multiple times per week. I need another Herbivore hoodie! I also have a give peas a chance shirt that I got from Buffalo Exchange. And lots of AR/vegan message pins on my purse or sometimes clothes.

Have you made your pilgrimage to the 'vegan mecca' yet? (Portland, duh)
I've lived here all my life! What what! Holla!

What age did you first go vegan? Did it stick?
22. I was vegetarian from about 12, and started cutting dairy out at 19 (I refused to eat eggs after finding a bloody one when I was 4). It stuck and I wish I had just done it at 19 instead of eliminating things so slowly!

What is the worst vegan meal you’ve had? Who cooked it?
The lasagna I made last month was pretty bad... I ran out of sauce so it got all burny :(

What made you decide to blog?
I'd been thinking about it for awhile... I read a lot of blogs anyways!

What are three of your favorite meals to make?
taco salad, nachos, enchiladas, are you sensing a theme? haha!

What dish would you bring to a vegan Thanksgiving-themed potluck?
Tofu pumpkin pie, baby! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Where is your favorite vegan meal at a restaurant? How many times have you ordered it?
I love the vegan fajitas at Mazatlan. It's also a few blocks from our apartment! I've had that at least 20 times over the years. The live noodle bowl at Blossoming Lotus is another fave. I'd guess 10 times or so on that one.

What do you think the best chain to dine as a vegan is?
I despise chains! Not just for the lack of vegan options, but it makes me so sad how homogenized the US is... I just don't get that mentality. That said, I'll go with Subway.

My kitchen needs a………
Food processor! And of course, more space. Some counter space would be nice!

This vegetable is not allowed in my kitchen…..!
Brussels sprouts

What's for dinner tonight?
I had edamame, a veggie roll, inari, and sake. And it was $8! I love sushi happy hour!

For the Love of Vegans

That's the name of the vegan pizza you can buy at my local Whole Foods. I still wish they did soycheese (they will make you one if you buy the cheese separately, but it ends up costing more than it should because you don't get a discount for not getting cow cheese or anything)... anyway, it's pretty tasty! They use a base of roasted red pepper hummus, and pile on all the veggies (minus artichoke for me). Oh yeah!












P.S. This post counts for yesterday... another "oops I fell asleep on the couch" evening for me :)

9 layer dip for the last debate!

I cannot believe how close we are to the election! Less than 3 weeks! We Oregonians should be receiving our ballots in the mail in the next few days! It's all so exciting!!!!

I wanted something yummy to snack on while being glued to the television, and couldn't decide between nachos and taco salad. Then I got to thinking... why not go ultra-snacky? 7 layer dip it is! Mine actually turned out as 9 layer dip, but lots of the layers were veggies, so I don't know if that counts! I don't like fake meat for the most part, so I didn't put any crumbles or tvp in, but here's what I used from bottom to top:

Chelsea's Happy Vegan Awesome 9 Layer Dip Delight
refried beans
quinoa
spicy Tofutti Sour Supreme
spinach
tomato
cilantro
green onion
avocado
black olives

What a delicious debate it was!

Anatomy of a shopping run

Well... actually I was just stopping by Whole Foods after work to get fruit. Yeah right! I was way too hungry for that :) I only spent $30.05 though, so it could have been much worse!

Here's what I got:
3 bananas
3 Granny Smith apples
3 Bartlett pears
Naked Green Machine
1 firm tofu
1 extra firm tofu
2 lbs. red quinoa
miso soup
3 cashew Lara Bars
package of dulse seaweed
Tofutti Sour Supreme
1/4 lb. nooch
pecan sticky bun

I don't usually buy bananas because they are shipped from so far away and because of the labor issues associated with their production, but my Whole Foods just started carrying Earth University bananas, so I grabbed some. From the website, "For more than fifteen years, EARTH University faculty, staff, and students have been experimenting on EARTH´s on-campus banana farm. Together, they have developed new techniques to increase quality and reduce the environmental and social impact of commercial banana production. Several of the environmental management techniques developed at EARTH over the years have become banana industry standards." Pretty cool, huh?

Have a lovely evening, everyone! I can't believe I'm posting before it's dark out - now I can catch up on all of your fabulous blogs!

Another Veganmofo survey!

Thanks to Broke-Ass Vegan for passing along this survey!

1. If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
Honestly, most of the local stuff here is not certified organic, but the farmers use organic methods so it isn't much of an issue. I lean towards local in general, though.

2. Favorite way to prepare potatoes:
Roasted; but mashed with Earth Balance, Tofutti Sour Supreme, and garlic is a close second!

3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
Not really. I tend not to prepare or plan much before I cook something... but if I'm cooking for other people I do. I usually just open up the package and squeeze it with my hands over the sink. Does that sorta count?

4. Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
Sadly, we don't really have any traditional recipes. My Mexican grandma moved to Oregon when she was young to work in the shipyards, and changed her name to an America one, stopped speaking Spanish, and refused to cook Mexican food. My Mom cooked steaks and meatloaf and nasty stuff for her husband when I was a kid, and I mostly ate at my friend's houses. I'll have to start a tradition!

5. Any food allergies?
Not that I know of, though I have broken out in hives a few times in the last couple years...

6. When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
The Farm or Nutshell.

7. When you have a cold, what do you crave?
Hot sauce and onions.

8. What kind of water do you drink? (Filtered, spring, tap, etc.)
Plain old tap water. We have good water here.

9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
I don't like soda, but I'd have to go with chocolate! Maybe then I would like soda?

10. If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
Cheese pizza, ranch dressing, cheese enchiladas, and jalapeno poppers - how to have a coronary on a vegetarian diet. (This reflects my teenage years).

11. If you were allowed to grow one food that can't grow in your climate, what would it be?
Avocado!!!

12. Favorite type of mushroom?
I can't really taste the difference from mushroom to mushroom, but I love how big portobellas are.

13. Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
There is literally no counter space. We have a tiny bit under this big glass china cabinet, but it isn't very deep because the cabinet sticks out.

14. Last food you burned?
Garlic. It cooks so fast!

15. Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?":
"Actually, there's a lot of protein in veggies and even fruit! Not to mention beans and grains. I tracked my protein intake last year, and I had double the amount needed by an adult female. Protein deficiency in adults is really unheard of in the US."

16. If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
Chocolate. I wouldn't bake my own cake, though!

17. Favorite brand of chocolate chips?
Guittard semi sweet. They're always on sale at Fred Meyer!

18. You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma- What do you buy?
A Magic Bullet, a nice platter, some wine glasses.

19. Do you plan your menus in advance? Any tips to share?
No, but I aspire to one day. It's really not in my nature :(

20. You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
Bad habit, but I don't. My body knows not to get hungry early in the morning, though.

21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray got into a fight, who would win?
I'm gonna say Rachel. Her pearly white smile would blind them all!

22. If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
Nut milk, brown sugar, raisins and craisins.

23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence)?
India of Lebanon. That's a hard one!

24. Favorite late night snack?
A bit of dark chocolate.

25. Favorite springtime food?
I can't think of what becomes ripe suddenly in the Spring... I think most of it isn't ready until summer here...

26. Favorite food-related magazine?
Vegetarian Times is alright, I don't really read magazines though.

27. Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
Shoyu.

28. What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
Watermelon. I wouldn't eat it for $20, it's that yucky to me!

29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
Does soy eggnog with rum count? I also love pumpkin pie.

30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
My husband. I know that's selfish, but it would be awesome! Other than that... the President would be good.

Odds and ends enchiladas

I think one of my favorite things about enchiladas, besides how delicious they are, is how versatile they are. You can roll your tortillas, stack them up, or layer them casserole-style. You can whip up an individual serving in the microwave, or cook up a whole bunch in the oven. And what can you fill them with? Why, anything really! Tonight I made a casserole-style batch with what I had in the crisper - potatoes (ok those weren't in the crisper!), chard, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, corn, chilies, and onion. Oh yeah!


I just realized that I've been neglecting the kitties in my posts lately, so now I have to make up! :)

Zoey and Cookie sharing the chair! Awwww

I &hearts kitty cat feetsies

Check out that toe hair!

Not a kitty, but these are the super cute Vegan Earth shoes I was talking
about that I got so cheap on Ebay... :)