Veggie Cooking Cheat Sheet

Another useful cooking image graphic!

This give approximate times for Boiling, Steaming, and Microwaving different types of vegetables.

Garden Time!!

It is time to start planning the garden for 2015!

So far we have:
Lettuce (five types, sowing over the next few weeks to maximize crops)
Corn (two types, also sowing over the next few weeks)
Potatoes (three types, using the tire tower trick)
Raspberries (planted three years ago)
Fuji Apple Tree
Bartlet Pear Tree
Bing Cherry Tree
Plum Tree
White Peach Tree

Garden at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Creative Commons License, by Alan Levine

To Do:
Rototiller up a 10x10 patch to plant wheat. First  year to do this so I'm looking forwards to grinding my own flour and making bread.

Plant Strawberries. These are going in pots along the deck.

Garlic - also in tires to keep them contained better.

We are also thinking of doing hops to experiment in some home brewing!


What are you planting in your garden this year?

50 Day Challenge?

Have you done a the 30-Day Vegan Challenge? I was looking to do this myself as it's hard to ween off dairy totally. Especially if you do not have a number of recipes to use. Also, the price is a bit on the high side for what is apparently just an eBook with a bunch of recipes in it.

I did find that BodyMindFreedom is in the middle of a 50 day challenge! Among the recipes are:

Vegan Stuffed Tomatoes!

Guacamole Stuffed Mini Peppers!

Romaine Salad with Raspberries!

And the totally decadent Roasted Asparagus with Lemon (Vegan) Creme Sauce!  (Which I've eaten about seven times in the past three weeks!)

It's hard to stay Vegan, but these recipes make it a lot easier. What go to recipes keep you on the vegan path?

Homade Vegan Dressing Recipes

From the people over at Sprouts Farmer's Market in Arizona is this incredibly useful info-graph detailing several good homemade vegan dressing recipes. I am a huge fan of the Orange Ginger and the Sweet Basil.

One tip, you can double, or more, the recipes to make bigger portions. I took the Orange Ginger to a client's picnic last summer where it was a huge hit among everyone there.You can also modify ingredients too. I prefer a lot more garlic and usually end up doubling it in those recipes that call for it.

How would modify these recipes to your tastes?

Vegan Chorizo Poppers

 Vegan Chorizo Poppers

I am obsessed with this recipe posted at Body Mind Freedom Since discovering this recipe I have made them at least once a week.

To follow them up, she just posted a round up of vegan Super Bowl Munchies, just in time for this weeks game between the Patriots and Seahawks.

Other great recipes are vegan Chili con Queso dip with vegan Chorizo and Vegan Jello shots for a bit of alcoholic fun

Vegan Banana Nut Bread Recipe

Vegan Banana Nut Bread Recipe

Banana Bread Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 over-ripe bananas (should equal at least 1 1/2 cup of mashed banana)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup unbleached cane sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Oil a medium size bread pan
3. Chop & measure the walnuts
4. Measure & mix the dry ingredients except for sugar
5. Mash bananas with fork
6. Mix the wet ingredients, including the banana, plus the sugar in blender or food processor
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix lightly with just a few strokes
8. Spoon the mixture evenly into the oiled pan
9. Bake for 45 min, on the middle rack of the oven, until browned & firm to the touch
10. Cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes
11. Remove from pan
12. Cool for at least half an hour before slicing.