Natural Gingerbread House

I wanted to create a Gingerbread House without all of the fake colored hard candies...I never liked those anyway. The red and green everywhere reminds me of the red and green colored cherries in fruitcake, one of humankind's worst culinary creations.
Anyway, the mix comes from Dancing Deer. Since I never made the dough from scratch before, I thought we'd leave it to the professionals for the recipe and ingredients.
-After baking and assembling the house with the icing (not vegan, had some egg whites - oh well).
it was time to decorate. My 3 year old daughter helped and didn't even eat too many of the roof shingles (almonds).
The colors come from the India Tree natural food coloring kit. I still think it is too expensive, but worked nicely.
Here's what is on it:
Roof shingles:almonds
Star: Fennel Seeds
Door Frame: Panda Licorice stick
House Border: 365 White Chocolate chunks
Path: Sunflower seeds
Window and side of house: Raisins
Chimney: Goji Berries
Stones along bottom of house: Dates
Various gingerbread cookies decorated with colored icing

Next year I will probably attempt to make something else and get a correct icing recipe.

Vegetarians & World of Warcraft

Of all the things a mom could be doing....some of us like to waste a few hours playing the largest MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in history, the very violent and very addictive, World Of Warcraft.
Fortunately, my cooking skill is way better in real life than in game. As a vegetarian, all those recipes are geared toward cooking kills, meaning wild boar, wolf meat, spider legs etc, were a turn off. I have to admit that my character, Shakuntala, has not been a good vegetarian druid and has eaten an occasional ham shank for health. I do know someone who is veg in game which is quite noble actually.

Blizzard does have a holiday cookie contest and last year I won an honorable mention for my
Exodar ship cookie creation. It was a Cherrybrook Kitchen vegan sugar cookie mix with SeeLect blue (blueberry) natural food coloring along with various icings and gels (vegan but not natural). I was pleasantly surprised I was mentioned and also in awe of the 5 foot 3 Paladin someone spent hours making!
Will I enter this year? Probably not because we have just too many cookies and I still plan on making a natural gingerbread cookie house.
And I think I will try to get as many goodies from the Winter Veil festival on WoW.

2013 Update:  The link to my honorable mention no longer works :( so I had to upload my picture again manually.  I'm just remembering how fun it was to make this!

veganmoussaka

veganmoussaka, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

This isn't traditional I know, but it was so fun to make.
My husband had his company Xmas party held at the Barr Mansion here in Austin. The nice chefs there thought about the veggie people out there and came up with this dish-- Vegan Moussaka. Traditional moussaka is made with ground lamb, eggplant, and a tomato based sauce and sometime either a custard or mashed potatoes on top.
This version is sliced delicata squash, eggplant rounds, and a lentil tomato stuffing. The top is lightly herbed mashed potatoes with scallions and nutmeg. The sauce is a vegan bechamel sauce.

It turned out nicely, except I might need a new bechamel sauce, I'm still very partial to the dairy/butter variety.

Tofurkey Sausage

If you want the best tasting vegetarian sausage, Turtle Island Food's Tofurkey Sausages are the best. They aren't made with soy protein isolates, just tofu and wheat gluten.
We like to use them in pasta dishes, especially the Italian style that has sundried tomatoes and basil.
Here's just a simple penne pasta dish that has the sausages cut on the diagonal, artichoke hearts, kale, light tomato sauce, and Italian parsley.

Very Veggie Omelette

On a beautiful, balmy Texas winter Saturday morning, or more like brunch time, we made a breakfast favorite - Omelets!
These aren't your standard egg variety, but made with chickpea flour or besan.
Cooks in India have been using besan for centuries to create crepe-like batters.
The addition of turmeric adds the yellowish color and also helps in the digestion of the chickpea protein.
After making an egg-like liquid of besan, spices, salt and water, you pour it into a nonstick skillet or our favorite, a lightly oiled, well seasoned, cast iron one on medium heat. Cook until bubbles appear, then flip and then add your veggies. We like roasted red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini etc. We also added some organic white cheddar. Italian parsley makes a nice garnish.
It's served with tater pups and a Valencia orange slice.
A nice way to end your morning :)

Soup & Potato

On a cold day, isn't some soup and a baked potato a nice way to warm up chilled bodies?
Here's a healthy new way to have a baked potato without bacon bits and sourcream and scratch having Campbell's from a can.
Both don't require you to watch the stove so snuggle with a book and you'll have something nice and satisfying soon.

Pictured:
Curried Parsnip Soup
Baked Sweet Potato with Steamed Broccoli and Crumbled Feta Cheese

You'll love brussels sprouts!

If you want to like brussels sprouts...don't boil them. Roasting is what brings out the natural sweetness as the sugars caramelize. Pair them with fennel and you have a very tasty dish.
I was tired of looking at spaghetti noodles so I used these organic cascarelle shapes. They look like stretched out "S"s. Some toasted pine nuts top it off.

Red Beans and Rice is Nice

This red beans recipe is a compilation of various recipes online but mostly adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I did not have green bell peppers for what people have called the "Trinity" - (onions, bell pepper,celery) and I don't ever cook with onions besides spring ones.
I added some roasted red bell peppers instead.
The kidney beans were soaked overnight, drained and cooked for 1 1/2 hours until soft. Eventually the celery, garlic, and the spices were added. I added lots of thyme for its special flavor. There is also oregano, basil, bay leaf, , paprika, cayenne pepper, vegan Worcestershire, black pepper, sea salt and a drop of liquid smoke. It simmered for 2 hours.
If you have a slow cooker, this would be a great dish to try.
Some Tofurkey Kielbasa sausage was grilled on my cast iron skillet grill for 5 minutes.
Yes, I know Kielbasa is a Polish sausage, but I did add some hot sauce to the tops (not in picture) as an attempt a veggie chaurice. :)
Someday I'll post my veggie muffaleta!

No Injera Ethiopian Food

I made a couple preps of Ethiopian food but no Injera bread. So how is this Ethiopian you say?
I know I know, it's the injera that makes it authentic.
I have made it before and it's much like a South Indian dosa, spongy, sour and fun to make in a cast iron skillet.
Anyway, here's what's on the plate.
Gomen (spiced collard greens) with organic cottage cheese
Mesir Wat (red lentil puree)
Ethiopian Wat (my veggie stew version made with sweet potato, green beans, red potatoes, cabbage and home made niter kibbeh (seasoned oil) and freshly ground berbere spices)
If you like veggie Indian food, you'll like Ethiopian. Both are savory, spicy, and come with nice flat breads to scoop up all the delish dishes...that is, if someone takes the time out to make the flat breads!

Autumn Crackers

Looking for some replacements for goldfish crackers, Cheezits, and the other varieties of non-vegan crackers? Look no further!
You can make them at home and with any type of design you like.
I decided on "autumn shapes" to go with the numerous soups I had been making.
The cuteness factor is perfect for the kiddos.
There is a maple leaf, gingerbread person, apple, star, acorn, oak leaf, teddy bear, and fancy leaf. The hardest part is taking the time to cut out these small shapes and bake them. I baked 4 cookie sheets full of crackers and even rolled out the holey dough leftovers 3 times!
They are in a glass cookie jar now :)

Adapted from recipe: Vegan Lunch Box Goldfish crackers

Veggie Survey

Here's that survey that's been going around! Since you don't really know much about me, I figured this might be a fun way of introducing a few facets of my veggie life.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
I'm really just a water person and will use various non-dairy milks in recipes, but I must admit that Silk Nog is delish!

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Potato Fennel Soup, Veggie Bi Bim Bap, Thai Tofu Curry

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Popcorn brings back bad high school job memories so I do not partake in any version.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Probably gluten steaks...was only vegetarian for 6 months and tried to make fake meaties. I did not boil the gluten, so you can imagine how rubbery and inedible it could have been!

5. Favorite pickled item?
All glories to lime/mango pickle! Go to an India store and buy some authentic pickle or if you have a mango tree pick it green and make your own achar.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
TXT. files in a folder on my computer and a 3 -ring binder with some printouts in those nice plastic sheets so they don't get messed up.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Boo hoo, mostly trash and disposal because we live in an apt, but come January...HOUSE time and compost time!

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?
Puris (fried Indian puffed breads)

Kichari (rice/mung bean stew fit for peasants and kings)

Blueberry vegan cake donuts

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
This is more funny: My brother cried at his 10th or 11th birthday party because I mixed my ketchup and mustard together and swirled my corndog in it. Im not sure why it pissed him off so much, but it's still a really great way to eat them (if they are vegan). Try the Twinkie pan and the recipe from the Vegan Lunch Box

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Don't really like frozen cold desserts so I have to admit I haven't tried that many due to lack of enthusiasm. Carob Rice Dream Bar was tasty and I didnt get the choco buzz which I am not fond of.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Toaster oven and Vitamix tie

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Fresh cilantro

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
My mom gave me this cookbook as a college graduation gift with $500 because I told her I was now vegetarian. I think it is out of print now, but it has beautiful pictures of every recipe. Not a purist book as it does have seafood recipes in the back for those "flexitarians".
The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Blueberry

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Any Indian food

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tempeh is my least favorite, but I know its healthier.
I'm kinda going through an eat less soy desire thing, but I dont have much time to make my own seitan. Tofu is the most affordable of all 3, so I eat that the most.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
If everyone was home, I would say Lunch....everybody's digestive fire is burning the best then!

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Various glass jars Im saving for sprouting or storage or just because Im a cheapo and dont want to throw them away. Husband Whole Foods 365 Italian Sparkling Water

20. What’s on your grocery list?
Nothing now...too much food buying at Whole Foods this weekend

21. Favorite grocery store?
I like HEB Central Market because I can find almost everything I like, I like the layout because I can totally skip the meat/seafood depts and they carry a lot more ethnic/specialty items than Whole Foods.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.
Donuts!

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
What the Hell Does A Vegan Eat Anyway

Slashfood

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
LaraBar

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately
India Tree natural food color....DO NOT BUY this.
I bought it to make some orange crackers for my daughter's fall lunches...next time will just try to find some annato.
I spent $19 on a set of 3 (red, yellow,blue) and the yellow was turmeric water....bleh, I can make my own turmeric water. Still looking for the nice vegan colors that come separately and made with veggie glycerin.

Welcome to Veggie Bytes

I have finally found a decent name for a veggie food blog to accompany my personal chef business! All of you fellow veggies have been great about scooping up great domain names and coming up with some wonderful ones I could have sworn nobody would have thought of but me!
I was able to get www.veggiebytes.com and will soon get that set up.

Until I can get some pictures up, I hope that you will bookmark my blog.

Happy & Healthy Eating!
Cristina