This weekend Neil and I went on an adventure to NYC for Neil’s 28th Birthday. We took the train from Vermont to NYC (Neil’s desire and the most affordable; however I have to admit it was nice to sit back and relax). We had to start our night off with a big slice of pizza from Two Boots at Grand Central Station . Having done a little (okay a lot) of research for our trip I had read that they always had at least one vegan pizza that you could get a slice of (there are a few others that you can order an entire pie). We got the Earth Mother Vegan slice that was topped with mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach and sauce. It was on a Sicilian crust and was very yummy!
Our first night, following our slice of pizza, we went to Chennai Garden a vegetarian Indian restaurant that specializes in Southern Indian cuisine. The menu was great it clearly identified which items had dairy in them so vegans or those who do not eat dairy could avoid them without having to ask which dishes include dairy (which is great). We started with some pakoras, they were nice and crispy and served with two different chutneys one tomato and the other cilantro. I dived into the cilantro chutney, my favorite, but we never have it unless the dish comes with it because Neil doesn’t care for cilantro. For our main dishes we chose the Chennai Rava Masala Dosai rava dosai with a hot and spicy potato filling and the Mushroom Onion and Garlic Utthappam Neither of us had ever experienced Southern Indian food so this was a treat to try something new. The dosa was spicy and filled with a potato mixture; it was served with sambar and a coconut chutney. It was so yummy and nice to just sit there and eat with your hands dipping into the different sauce and chutney. The utthappam Also came with the sambar and the coconut chutney but it also came with another chutney that was delicious! Overall this was a great experience and the food was amazing! The place is small and loud and crowded but it doesn’t take away from the dining experience rather it adds to the lively atmosphere and yummy food. Also I would like to note that all food is made to order so it is fresh! Neil would have eaten here all weekend had we not had a million other things to do and places to try. We almost didn’t even go here because we were hesitant on whether Indian would be too heavy on our bellies since we were doing Top of the Rock later that evening but we both are glad we did!
Top of the Rock was an amazing experience that gives you the opportunity to view all of the city. For those of you have experience the Empire State Building and are like done it seen it, over it. I would ignore all of those feelings and try Top of the Rock, it is a whole new experience (trust me I was one of those Empire State Building-done it over it people) but this was great. You have three different levels that you can visit and so long as it is a clear night (luckily for us it was) you will have an amazing view of the entire city. They also have four 4min videos that talk about Rockefeller Plaza and the history of the area. This place is great for families, friends, or couples (trust me at night it is so romantic).
Since work is slow….
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Got married.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t recall making any.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
my cousin’s wife had a baby girl
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, USA.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
travel.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 31- my wedding day.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
graduating. getting married. getting a job.
9. What was your biggest failure?
not getting a job in my field.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nope
11. What was the best thing you bought?
train tickets to NYC
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
my husbands- he is doing amazing at his new(ish) job and got a raise!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
a number of people.
14. Where did most of your money go?
moving. wedding. honeymoon.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my wedding.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
anything chuck ragan.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:_a) happier or sadder?_b) thinner or fatter?_c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier.
b) Neither: i have stayed the same but hope to get more fit this year and loose some weight
c) richer: i am no longer a student and have a full time job
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Travel. spent time with friends.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Surfing the internet.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
with my parents, grandmother, husband and cat.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
i am in love
22. What was your favorite TV program?
old episodes of Third Watch.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
no.
24. What was the best book you read?
The American Empire.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The What Cheer Birgade.
26. What did you want and get?
a honeymoon.
27. What did you want and not get?
a job in my field
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
um….across the universe.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i flew out of my honeymoon, 23
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
getting a job in my field.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
attempt to be stylish but lots of wear to work clothes and jeans
32. What kept you sane?
My husband
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jim Sturgess.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
All of them—the war in Iraq, the environment, the economy, healthcare, human rights, animal rights.
35. Who did you miss?
My friends who moved away and that we moved away from.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
um i have no idea. we haven’t met many people here yet.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
make time to relax.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
what?
For the holiday we had my parents and grandmother down and we had a huge feast the featured the various items from our CSA.
For Breakfast:
Whole Wheat Applsauce Pancakes with Homemade Tempeh Bacon
For Appetizers:
Spinach Dip with Veggies
1-12oz container of Sour Supreme
½ C vegenaise
1pkg of vegetable soup mix (I used Lipton)
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
Mix all ingredients and let sit overnight. Serve with veggies
Sausage Rolls with Assorted Mustards adapted from http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=902&Search=sausage+rolls
1 packet puffed pastry dough
Dijon mustard, to taste
2/3 package of Gimme Lean “Sausage”
• Roll out a packet of puffed pastry dough (like JusRol) to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rectangles and spread each with Dijon mustard.
• Wrap the pastry rectangles around “sausage” and bake at 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7 for 10 minutes, then cut each into several pieces.
For Dinner:
Roasted Celeriac, Cipolini Onions and Carrots (all produce from CSA)
2 small bulbs of celeriac, peeled and chopped into large chucks
4 large cipolini onions, chopped into large chunks
10 large carrots, chopped into large chucks
3 huge cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
Olive oil to coat
Mashed Potatoes with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Shallots
Toss the celeriac, onions, carrots and garlic with the salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake at 425F for 45 min.
Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales adapted from- http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/11/mushroom-lentil-and-wild-rice-timbales.html
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large slices bread
2 cups mushrooms, quartered (about 10 large)
1/2 cup light silken tofu
3 cloves garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon sherry2 tablespoons water
1 cup lentils, cooked
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 fresh sage leaves minced
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup wild rice, cooked
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make ahead: 1 cup wild rice (about 1/2 cup before cooking)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray 6 ramekins with canola oil or cooking spray and have ready a large baking pan that will hold them (9×13-inch should work). Place one nice-looking mushroom slice in the bottom of each ramekin, if desired.
Saute the onion in a non-stick pan until it begins to brown. Set aside.
Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until it turns to crumbs. Add the mushrooms, tofu, garlic, sherry, and water and blend until fairly smooth. Add the lentils and process again until smooth. Add the tomato paste, herbs, cornstarch, and salt and process until well-blended. Add the onions to the processor and pulse to include them but do not over-process (you want them to retain some texture.)Scrape the contents of the food processor into a bowl and add the cooked wild rice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.Divide the mixture among the oiled ramekins and smooth the tops with a spoon. Set the ramekins in the large baking dish and add hot water to the dish, taking care not to splash it into the ramekins.Bake, uncovered, until tops are brown and crusty and middles seem moderately firm when pressed with a finger–about 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert the ramekins onto serving plates. Serve with your favorite mushroom gravy
1/2 onion, minced
10 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
3 fresh sage leaves minced
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup plain soy creamer
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a medium-sized non-stick saucepan, saute the onion until light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of water, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the vegetable broth, herbs, nutritional yeast, sherry, and soy sauce. In a bowl, whisk the soy creamer and flour together until smooth. Add it to the saucepan and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole adapted from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/best-vegan-green-bean-casserole.html
Beans- I prefer to stick to what I had as a child, French style canned green beans however feel free to use fresh, frozen or regular canned green beans.
Sauce:
10 ounces mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth (I used Imagine’s No-Chicken)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup soy creamer
Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces. Spray a non-stick pan with canola oil and heat it. Add the mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms along with the sherry. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens. Add the soy creamer and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.
Topping- Again, I stick to traditional and use plain ol’ french fried onions which I mix some into the beans and sauce and use the remaining to top it.
To assemble:
Put the green beans into an oiled casserole dish, mix with ½ the French fried onions and top with the remaining French fried onions. Bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes.
Organic Spiced Cranberry Sauce– Recipe can be found at http://foodietots.com/2008/11/20/organic-spiced-cranberry-sauce/
Cranberries from our CSA
Ingredients:
1 12 ounce bag organic fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Instructions: Place all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Berries will pop and burst. Don’t worry if it is still slightly runny, it will set up more as it cools. Remove from heat and cool; refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes the equivalent of one can, but tastes infinitely better! Enjoy!
Herb Pull Apart Rolls– adapted from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/bread/herb_pull_apart_rolls_recipe.html
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup melted earth balance
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dill
In a mixer bowl add yeast, warm water and sugar until bubbles start to form around the edges.
To the bowl add salt, thyme, oregano and dill.
Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn to speed 2 and mix for 1 minute or until everything is well blended.
Now continue at speed 2 and add flour in 1/2 cup increments and mix for about 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover it. Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
Now punch the dough down.
Make sure you flour your work surface and rolling pin, and roll the dough into a small disk.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and divide each piece again into 6 equal pieces and roll those pieces into 36 small balls.
Put three balls into each greased muffin pan and cover and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.
Makes 12 rolls.
For Dessert:
Vegan Pumpkin Pie – Adapted from http://veganvisitor.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/good-gourd/
PUMPKIN “CUSTARD”
1 1/2 cups canned Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups Soy Milk
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
Pinch Freshly Ground Nutmeg
In a large bowl, whisk together soy milk and cornstarch until smooth.Add the pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices; mix well.
To make Vegan Pumpkin Pie:
1 Vegan Pie Crust
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.Roll out to a single crust, dock the pastry with a fork and blind bake for 10 – 15, or until light golden in color.Prepare the basic custard and pour into the crust.Bake at 350ºF for 50 minutes.Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing
Fruit Cake Muffins from VegNews
Gingerbread Cookies
