Happy 3rd Anniversary Chef Veggie

After a tumultuous Sunday with fires on my street, I'm very thankful and grateful to have been unharmed and still have a place to cook meals for my family.
If you would like to support some of my neighbors who lost their homes, there will be a bake sale/lemonade stand on Saturday, April 23rd at 8007 Landsman Drive Austin, TX 78736.
Jack Allen's Kitchen on HWY 71 is also having a benefit buffet (2:30pm to 4:30pm) on Saturday.   Please RSVP if you can on Jack Allen's Kitchen Facebook page.
You can also donate to the Red Cross.

Now on to my happy announcement.  In addition to it being Earth Day tomorrow, Chef Veggie is turning 3!  There are lots of fun events in town to help you celebrate Mother Earth and rediscover ways to have a more harmonious relationship with her.  Now that I'm in my fun toddler phase, I'm continuing to see growth and changes in my business.  I'm working on a cookbook that I hope will be in some finished form in the fall.   To celebrate, I also wanted to offer all new and existing clients 30% off any cookdate in May!
So if you wanted to try my services, this would be a great time.  Spring produce is so beautiful and fresh and great to get before more of the Texas heat comes in.  Is there anything you would like to see Chef Veggie do this year?

Here's a great Spring Salad Recipe to celebrate Mother Earth's bounty:

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Texas Pecan Vinaigrette

1 lb organic baby spinach
1 pint organic/local strawberries, sliced

Dressing:
(makes about 3 cups)
1 cup Texas pecans (you can toast them but I like to leave them untoasted to get the most nutritional benefit)
Extra pecans for garnishing
1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (can also use apple cider if you prefer)
1 TBSP tamari/shoyu

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Place spinach on individual plates, top with strawberries and dressing.  Garnish with extra pecans.

私たちはビスケットを食べみましょう

Let's eat biscuits!

That's what happens when your gluten-free baking adventures come up short due to very hot water!
Please recipe writers: mention how hot the water can be, otherwise if it's too hot, your cupcake batter cooks in the bowl.

Anyway, for Austin's Bake Sale for Japan here's what Chef Veggie brought....a known yummy standard she's made dozens of times - Scallion Biscuits.  A vegan version with Daiya and a cheese version with smoked Gouda.  These should balance out all the sugar out there today :)

Here's what I picked up with my donation!

Cupcakes from Sugar Skull and a chocoholic cookie from Vegan Lazy Smurf.

There will be more goodies out at the west location (The Shops at Mira Vista - 2785 Bee Cave Road, 78746) until 5pm, so if you haven't had a chance, stop by there now.

And a big thankyou to Kathryn - The Austin Gastronomist  and all the volunteers who made this all possible.

Austin Bakes For Japan

On Saturday April 2nd, the Austin food community is gathering together to support Japan with sweetness!  Come on out to one of the various locations around town and make a donation to the relief efforts in Japan by consuming a super tasty treat.  We'll have you saying "Oishii!"

As someone who spent part of her youth in Japan (3-4  and 10-14 years old), I have a special place in my heart for Japan.  I cannot remember happier memories.  The respect they have toward each other is beyond words.  My own father resides in Tokyo so I know this will go to help all his neighbors.

I plan on having some gluten-free/vegan goodness at the South Congress location - Hotel San Jose

To learn more about  Austin Bakes for Japan, the locations, and view some the awesome treats that will be available check out: http://austinbakes.wordpress.com/

I'll update here tonight once everything is baked and ready to go for tomorrow!