Roasted Radishes w/ Garlic & Thyme

At a recent trip to an Indian restaurant, I had a delicious dish of tomatoes, potatoes and radishes. I'd never had anything but raw radishes before (in fact, I'd never even contemplated cooked radishes), but they were really good; the cooking makes them a lot less bitter. After reading this article in the NYTimes about roasted radishes, I decided to try something new.

The result was awesome! After a slow roast in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, cracked whole garlic cloves, lots of thyme, and salt and pepper, the radishes were sweet but still a tad bit crunchy, and absolutely delicious. I could barely resist eating the whole batch at once.

Note: The first time I made this, I trimmed all of the radishes (the fuzzy tops don't appeal to me). The second time, I didn't feel like trimming them. I should have (the tops bothered me; weird, I know), but feel free to use your discretion. You can also substitute out 1 lb of radishes for 1 lb of quartered baby potatoes. They don't look too pretty but they taste great!

Tip for removing thyme from the stem: Drag your fingertips down from the top of the stalk down to the bottom so you are removing the leaves without breaking the stem at the same time; this works great for rosemary too.

Roasted Radishes w/ Garlic & Thyme

Ingredients:

2 lbs radishes, cleaned and trimmed
5 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
3 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Place radishes in a 9x13 inch baking pan (you can use 2 smaller pans if necessary, try and make sure they are roughly in a single layer).
2. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with spices, and toss to coat.
3. Roast at 375 degrees for 60-75 minutes until skin is wrinkled and radishes are tender.

The cost:
radishes: 1.98
thyme: 1.99

Grand total: $3.97

Spicy Coconut Carrot Soup

I wanted a cold soup for a first course over the past holiday, but AK isn't so into fruit soups so I needed something different. Both potato and carrot are great cold, but I decided on carrot since it's light, and the weather is getting warm (although this soup would be great hot too). I used a combination of coconut milk and soy milk for a silky smooth consistency, and the curry adds a spicy balance to the sweetness of the carrots.

I finished my soup with a dollop of sour cream (feel free to use dairy free or regular) to temper the spiciness of the curry, and in honor of the nice weather, a sprinkle of freshly chopped green herbs.

Spicy Coconut Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, scrubbed & chopped into large pieces
1 can coconut milk
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
dairy-free sour cream
chopped fresh herbs

Directions:

1. Roast carrots in the oven until tender, about 1 hour at 400 degrees.
2. With an immersion blender, blend carrots with coconut milk, soy milk and spices until smooth. Add additional liquid to achieve your desired consistency.
3. Serve chilled with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped fresh dill, cilantro, chives or basil.

The cost:
carrots: .89
coconut milk: 1.49
soy milk: 1.99
sour cream: 1.39
herbs: 1.99

Grand total: $7.75; serves 8

Easy & Delicious Baked Apples

[This isn't exactly my recipe, but since I have participated in the buying of ingredients and it was baked in my oven, I figure it counts :)]

AK first made these divine baked apples for me a few months ago (it's his mom's recipe, thanks JW!), and it's a great alternative dessert if you don't want to serve baked goods, or if you have vegan friends but don't want to just serve raw fruit.

AK's mom uses Rome apples, but I have also tried these with Braeburn apples and they were great. Whatever apples are good for making apple pie will work. Just hollow out the center, fill them with raisins, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with agave and them bake them in the oven until they are soft and sweet. Yum!

I like eating the apples as is, but I bet they would be great chopped and served over oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, or over ice cream for dessert!

Easy & Delicious Baked Apples

6 large apples
dark raisins
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup agave

Directions:
Core the apples so you remove the seeds and most of the core, but don't cut all the way through to the bottom. Place in large baking dish.
Fill apple centers with raisins until they are full (amount will depend on how big the apples are and how much you cut out). Sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with agave and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the apples are soft. Serve hot or cold.

The cost:
apples: 3.54
raisins: 1.99
agave: 1.99

Grand total: $7.52; serves 6-8

Sesame-Soy Tofu w/ Asian Mustard Greens

I was at Shoppers last week and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had expanded their Asian vegetable section! They had lot of different sizes of bok choy (including teeny baby ones the size of my thumb!), and Asian mustard greens which I just had to try. They are a lot more mild than regular mustard greens, and a lot of the bitterness cooks out. To go with the greens, I made a sesame-soy tofu and served everything over red quinoa (TJs just started carrying it, a lot more texture [similar to how brown rice has more texture than white] and really good).

Sesame-Soy Tofu w/ Asian Mustard Greens

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 onion, quartered and sliced
4 garlic cloves, cracked & peeled
1 block extra-firm tofu, cubed or sliced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 shots sriracha
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Asian mustard greens, cleaned & chopped
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and saute onions 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
2. Add tofu and brown 1-2 minutes on each side (if you cubed the tofu, don't worry about browning on all sides as that could take a while, just cook 3-4 minutes, stirring carefully).
3. Combine soy sauce, sriracha and rice vinegar and add to skillet. Stir to coat, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 5-6 minutes until tofu is heat through. Remove to a dish.
4. Place mustard greens in skillet and cook in remaining liquid 2-3 minutes until wilted.
5. Serve tofu and greens over red quinoa (or rice or pasta), topping with toasted sesame seeds if you like.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .10
tofu: 1.99
mustard greens: 1.99
red quinoa: 2.99

Grand total: $7.52; serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

Recipe Remix: Indian Spiced BBQ Tofu

For dinner a few nights ago I wanted something quick and easy, but also delicious. I've had some garam masala sitting in my cabinet that I've been using much more slowly than the other spices from my Penzey's purchase (smoked paprika, mustard seed, sesame seeds, spicy cinnamon, Aleppo pepper), so I decided to do another version of my Baked BBQ Tofu, this time with an Indian-inspired bbq sauce.

Indian Spiced BBQ Tofu

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garam masala
2 shots of sriracha

Directions:

1. Cut tofu to pieces of your liking (I cut it into 2 flat sheets then 6 equal sized pieces for a total of 12 pieces)
2. In a large bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together; add tofu, turning pieces to coat.
3. Pour tofu and sauce into large greased skillet. Cook over medium-high flame 4-5 minutes on each side until edges are just a bit crispy.

The cost:
tofu: 1.99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $2.99; serves 3-4 over rice or quinoa with a side of steamed veggies

Hearty "Beat the Head" Salad

Sorry I haven't been blogging, I've been on vacation in Texas and and Florida for the past almost 2 weeks! While the vaca was nice, I have missed blogging so it's good to be back!

On another happy note, thanks for all the well wishes about my blood test for Celiac Disease. I just got the test results back and I don't have it!!! I am very relieved, but still planning to go back to being mostly gluten free since I feel so much better when I am. Thanks again for all of your support!

I got home from work last night and my apartment was stifling; the weather has been unseasonably hot, and the apartment building is not turning on the air conditioning until next week (which may be a good plan considering the temperature dropped back down to the 40's at night). Regardless, I was not willing to turn on my gas stove or oven because it really heats up my apartment, so I decided to make a hearty salad that would serve as dinner.

This salad is big enough for one, but you can easily make it for multiple people as well. I haven't included measurements for the veggies because you should feel free to mix & match or subsitute as you please!

Hearty "Beat the Heat" Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:
lettuce spring mix
baby heirloom tomatoes
orange pepper
scallion
cucumber
hearts of palm
small red beans (or chickpeas or edamame)
dried cranberries
almonds

Dressing:
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp agave
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
shot of sriracha

Directions:

1. Combine salad ingredients.
2. Blend dressing and pour over salad. Serve immediately.

The cost:
lettuce: 1.99
tomatoes: 2.49
pepper: 1.29
cucumber: 2.29
hearts of palm: 1.39
beans: .69

Grand total: $10.14 (serves 4-6)

Creamy Edamame Dip

I had intended to make a cilantro chumus for my St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party, but a quick look in my pantry revealed I was out of chickpeas!

Plan B: I had a bag of shelled edamame from Trader Joe's in my freezer, and although I had never tried it before, I figured, how bad could it be if I substituted edamame for chickpeas?

It was delicious (pictures didn't come out so great but trust me, it's quite tasty). Unlike chumus, the edamame dip came out lighter and fluffier. Definitely a keeper.

Notes:

• I made this in my immersion blender attachment which is pretty much a mini food processor. I had to do it in 2 batches since not all of it fit at once, but you can also make this in a blender or food processor all in one shot.
• I used unsalted edamame; if yours are pre-salted, add salt to taste rather than the amount in the ingredient list.

Creamy Edamame Dip

Ingredients:

1 lb shelled edamame
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
2 Tbsp water, coconut milk or other dairy free alternative

Directions:

1. Cook edamame according to package directions and cool (not necessary if they are already cooked).
2. Blend together edamame, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add liquid 1 tsp at a time until mixture forms a creamy consistency (you made need only a few teaspoons). Add additional salt & pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

The cost:
edamame: 1.99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $3.99; serves 12-14 (makes about 4 cups of dip)

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Vegan)

When I went dairy free, I really missed scalloped potatoes. The kind where you make a thick, cheesy sauce, pour it over thinly sliced potatoes, and then bake it in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and the potatoes are crispy-edged. Mmmmm.

Instead of trying to create something very cheese-like to replace this dish (I would invariably be disappointed), I instead set out to create a new scalloped potato dish that would be just as creamy and rich, but dairy free.

It took a number of tries, but I think I figured it out! I make a roux (mixture of fat and flour), then stir in a combination of spices, soup stock and a milk substitute (coconut milk or soy milk). It's no cheesy scalloped potatoes, but it's still pretty darn good.

For my St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party, I also added a layer of spinach in between the layers of potatoes for extra flavor (fine, and color :)).

Note: For a delicious and filling dinner, saute the onion with 1 lb ground meat, then add (maybe with a cup of peas) in step 4! This recipe is also Passover friendly if you substitute the flour for cake meal and the soy/coconut milk for additional soup stock.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Vegan)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flour (regular or gluten free)
2 Tbsp white wine (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup milk substitute (soy or coconut milk work best)
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced thinly
1 small onion, quartered and sliced thinly

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add flour and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and watching carefully so it doesn't burn.
2. Whisk in wine (optional) and vegetable stock a few Tbsp at a time, making sure to incorporate all liquid before adding more. Once all stock has been added, bring to a boil and allow to bubble 1-2 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.
3. Remove from heat and stir in spices and soy milk (mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; if it isn't, return to a boil and allow to bubble an additional 1-2 minutes).
4. Add potatoes and onions, stirring to coat evenly.
5. Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (I spread a single layer of potatoes, then a layer of fresh spinach, then topped it with another layer of potatoes). Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes until potatoes and tender and the edges are crispy.

The cost:
stock/soy milk: 1.99
potatoes: 1.69
onion: .39

Grand total: $4.07; serves 6-8

St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party: Traditional Irish Soda Bread (Vegan)

This traditional Irish soda bread was so unbelievably easy to make. Between this and my beer bread, I don't think I will ever again make regular bread that requires kneading, resting and all that.

I did a lot of internet searching for a recipe for traditional Irish soda bread--I found a lot of variations, and stumbled upon a number of rants (like this one) that real Irish soda bread has ONLY 4 ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.

I hope this recipe won't spark any rants, but I cannot eat dairy so I veganized this recipe with a combination of soy milk and white vinegar to create the illusion of buttermilk.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 + 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup soy milk
1 Tbsp white vinegar

Directions:

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar, then add to dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough.
2. Spread into well-greased loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the bottom is hollow and a toothpick comes out clean.

The cost:
soy milk: 1.69
other ingredients: <0.99

Grand total: $2.68ish

St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party: Beer Bread

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I decided I wanted to make a beer bread. Having never made it before and finding a myriad of recipes online, I decided to put the question out into the Twitterdom. One of my Twitter buds, the Novice Chef, happily sent me her recipe. I made a couple of tweeks (made a bit of a smaller batch, left out the butter) and it was DELICIOUS. I should have made a loaf for each person :). It's so quick and easy to put together, but people will think you slaved for hours kneading, letting it rise, etc. Thanks @TheNoviceChef!

And stay tuned for the rest of the St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party recipes!

Note: This recipe is not gluten free; I am being tested for Celiac Disease in a few weeks and have unfortunately had to reintroduce gluten into my diet for an accurate result.

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp + pinch salt
11 ounces of beer (1 + 1/3 cups; I used a Belgian ale)

Directions:

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Add beer and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined (dough will be a bit sticky).
2. Transfer dough into greased 8-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the bread has risen and it sounds/feels hollow when you tap the bottom.

The cost: $2.00ish

Daring Cooks Challenge: Risotto (w/ Homemade Vegetable Stock)

I may just have a new favorite comfort food.

It used to be baked macaroni & cheese before I had to become gluten & dairy free. I hadn't been able to find something to replace it...until now! The host of this month's Daring Cooks Challenge called it a comfort food but I was skeptical. I mean, rice as a comfort food?

So last week, I made risotto for the first time, and it was a-mazing. So creamy, succulent, ridiculously satisfying. The best part is, it's easily made dairy free, and rice is always gluten free! Delirious happiness is putting it mildly.

The challenge was to make not only risotto, but also your own stock for it! I made vegetarian rather than chicken stock since I made extra to use at a later time. It's really easy--throw a whole bunch of vegetables in a pot (I sauted the onions and garlic first), add 8-12 cups of water, then let it simmer until it has reduced at least by half; I reduced it to 1/3 the original amount of liquid for a super concentrated flavor.

I kept my stock flavors really simple because I like to do a lot with flavor when I'm using it for other things--just a mirepoix, water, salt, pepper, & 2 bay leaves. A lot of stock recipes say to discard the leftover veggies, but they served as a delicious snack for me :) I used most of my stock, but I would have stored the remainder in 1-cup servings (either in a container or freezer ziploc bag) in the freezer.

Now the risotto. I was a little intimidated but it's actually not that bad! You just need to be careful about adding the liquid a bit at a time, and then waiting until it is absorbed to add more. I can't eat dairy so I didn't use butter, but it still came out nice and creamy. I think I shall be making risotto more often :)

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:

4 tsp vegetable oil
4 small onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
4 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
12 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot and saute onions and garlic until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook 4 minutes more.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 2-3 hours or until liquid has reduced by at least one half.
3. Pour through a fine sieve to strain out any vegetable pieces. Store stock in the fridge up to a week, in the freezer pretty much indefinitely :)

Vegan Onion Risotto

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in dutch oven. Over medium flame cook onions until soft and translucent.
2. Add rice and brown 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add white wine, stirring to combine. Allow a low simmer, stirring occasionally until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add remaining liquid 3/4 cup at a time, waiting until it has been absorbed to add more.

Note: I liked the creaminess of the risotto; if you like it dryer, add less liquid; creamier, add more!

The cost:
veggies: leftover, or about 5.00 to buy new
rice: 5.99
onion: .35

Grand total: $11.34; serves 4

Smoky Maple & Brown Sugar Candied Pecans (Vegan)

My sweet & smoky almonds were a huge hit last week, so I decided to experiment with a little more smokiness. I've also had a bottle of good quality maple syrup sitting on my counter (thanks for the gift AD!), so I used the syrup to help the sugar-spice mixture stick to the nuts.

I was really happy with how these turned out, certainly more candied than the last time I made the attempt (although glazed nuts are still great too!). I love the sweet, smoky, salt combination here. Let me know what you think!

Note: This is one of those times that since you want the maple flavor to shine, you should spend the money on a good quality maple syrup and not the fake, corn syrup reinforced pancake syrup.

Smoky Maple & Brown Sugar Candied Pecans (Vegan)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 lb raw pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine sugar, paprika, and salt; make sure there are no lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, coat pecans in maple syrup. Add sugar/spice mixture and toss to coat.
4. Spread in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cool.

The cost:
pecans: 6.49
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: 7.49

Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

I had a leftover bag of snap peas that I wanted to use in a salad, but frankly my fridge revealed very few other vegetables (I was going grocery shopping later that evening). One of my twitter friends had suggested a while back that blood orange and balsamic are great flavors together, so I decided to make a balsamic vinaigrette and top everything with some chopped nuts from the previous nights candied nut adventure.

Snap Pea & Blood Orange Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 bag snap peas
3 blood oranges
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp light olive oil
shot of agave
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
handful of chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Cut snap peas into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl. Segment and blood oranges
2. Squeeze blood orange juice from center/membrane and combine with vinegar, oil, and spices. Pour over peas, tossing to coat.
3. Top with chopped nuts and serve.

The cost:

snap peas: 2.39

blood oranges: leftovers (2.99)

other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: 3.39ish

Vegan Palak Paneer

I love palak paneer, but sadly have gone almost entirely dairy free so I can no longer eat paneer (homemade Indian cheese). I had the idea a while back to figure out a dairy free version; it took a couple of tries to get the seasoning and texture right, but I was very happy with the results :)

In order to replicate the consistency of the paneer, I cubed extra-firm tofu; definitely not the same flavor, but roughly a similar texture. I also found that frozen spinach worked better than fresh in order to get the texture I'm used to.

Vegan Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, cracked & peeled
1 block of extra-firm tofu
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
12 oz. frozen spinach
4 Tbsp vegetable stock or water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saute pan and saute onions and garlic slowly over low heat until onions are soft and caramelized, 10-12 minutes (it takes a while, but the flavor is worth it).
2. While onions are cooking, press tofu to remove extra water, then cut into small cubes.
3. Add tofu and spices to pan, stirring to coat (gently so as not to break the tofu).
4. Add spinach and stock/water and bring to a boil. Simmer 30-40 minutes over low flame, stirring occasionally.

The cost:
onion: .45
garlic: .05
tofu: 1.99
spices: <1.00
spinach: 1.99

Grand total: $7.47; serves 4-6 over white or brown basmati rice

Dinner Party Salad: Spinach, Heirloom Tomato & Blood Orange Salad

I am a huge fan of blood oranges. They add great color to any dish, and have a more robust flavor than many other orange varieties, so they are really good salads and salad dressings.

Because of the snow I couldn't get anywhere but TJ's, but I would have added some thinly sliced fennel to this salad, I think it would have rounded this salad out nicely.

Spinach, Heirloom Tomato & Blood Orange Salad

Ingredients:

6 oz fresh spinach
1 English cucumber, sliced
8 oz baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 scallion, chopped
3 blood oranges
1 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp light olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
1/4 cup candied nuts (optional for garnish)

Directions:

1. Place spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, and scallion in a large salad bowl.
2. Segment oranges (here is a nice little demo), and add to salad.
3. Take what's left of the orange (center and membrane and such) and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except nuts) and pour over over salad, tossing to coat.
4. Garnish with nuts (optional).

The cost:
spinach: 1.99
cucumber: 1.69
tomatoes: 3.49
oranges: .99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $9.16; serves 8

Citrus-Dressed Snow Pea & Tomato Salad

I had dinner at a friend's place a few weeks ago and was asked to bring a salad. I had originally planned on a Romaine lettuce salad, but my lettuce was yucky so I had to improvise. Evaluating the veggies I had on hand (I had already been to TJs once that day), I decided on a citrus-dressed snow peas & tomatoes salad w/ navel oranges.

Note: Segmenting a orange isn't too difficult, but it does make salads look really classy. Here's a nice little demo.

Citrus-Dressed Snow Pea & Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 navel oranges
1 bag snow peas
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp agave
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper

Directions:

1. Segment both oranges, placing pieces in a salad bowl with snow peas and tomatoes; take what's left of the orange (center and membrane and such) and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
2. To the orange juice, add remaining ingredients, whisking to combine. Pour over veggies and serve.

The cost:
snow peas: 2.49
oranges & tomatoes: 3.00
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $6.49; serves 6-8

Chocolaty Pecan Granola Bars (Gluten Free & Vegan)

My last adventure with gluten free granola bars went so well, I decided to try another flavor. After reviewing the various options, I decided on chocolate and pecan, with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla singing back-up.

Chocolaty Pecan Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1/2 cup rice bran
1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup agave
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Place oats, bran and nuts in a 9x13 baking pan. Toast at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Combine sugar, agave, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt in a small saucepan; heat over low flame until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Pour oats, bran and nuts into sugar mixture and stir to coat. Pour back into baking pan and spread in a thin layer, pressing firmly to pack it in (I stick my hand inside a plastic bag because a wooden spoon or spatula usually sticks).
4. Lower oven to 300 degrees; return pan to oven and bake 6-8 minutes (a little longer if you prefer more crunchy to chewy). Remove and cool, then cut into desired bar size (I usually do 16 or so).

The cost:
oats: 2.99
other ingredients: <2.00

Grand total: 4.99

Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts

This is an easy, filling and cheap side dish. You can really do this with any kinds of vegetables (sometimes I like to add cubed sweet potatoes) as long as they have relatively the same cooking time (i.e. don't use zucchini, it will be utter mush by the time everything else is cooked through). [pre- and post-oven pictures below :)]

Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb baby potatoes
20 brussel sprouts
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Slice baby potatoes and brussel sprouts in half and place in roasting pan with garlic cloves. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, mixing to coat.
2. Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until brussel sprout outer leaves are crispy and potatoes are tender.

The cost:
potatoes: 1.99
brussel sprouts: 2.49

Grand total: $4.48

Quinoa Salad w/ Curry-Ginger-Cardamom Vinaigrette

A few weeks ago, AK and I visited his sister (a fellow gluten-freenik) and brother-in-law; Saturday we had a pretty lazy morning (read: slept in very late :)) and decided lunch should be light fare, mostly salads. I whipped up this quinoa salad with chickpeas, chopped pecans, and raisins for lots of texture, and a simple vinaigrette of apple cider vinegar, curry, ginger & cardamom.

Quinoa Salad w/ Curry-Ginger-Cardamom Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 cup of quinoa, cooked according to package & cooled
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey or agave
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. In a salad bowl mix together quinoa, chickpeas, scallions, raisins & pecans.
2. Blend together remaining ingredients and pour over quinoa mixture, stirring to combine.

The cost:
quinoa: .99
chickpeas: .69
scallion: .10
raisins: .40
pecans: .40

Grand total: $2.58; serves 4-6 as a side dish (recipe is easily doubled for a larger group)

An Adventure in Vegan Baking: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I've been thinking for a while I'd like to try vegan baking (which mostly means no eggs). Last week when I saw a recipe from my Twitter friend, the Lazy GF Chef, that looked delicious and happened to be vegan, I decided to try it :)

I made a few adaptations: My cocoa looked yucky so I used chocolate chips instead; my vanilla and cinnamon are both very strong so I used half of what the recipe called for (learned from experience on this one); I used a bit less soy milk because my bananas were quite large; I added nuts because I like the texture they add; and I did muffins instead of a loaf because portion (read: self)-control is much easier when I have muffins with finite mass.

These muffins were great--moist and sweet (although a very different flavor with agave rather than sugar, I hadn't baked with agave before as a main sweetener; it also makes these significantly more expensive because agave by volume costs a lot more than sugar does).

Thank you, Lazy GF Chef, for facilitating my vegan baking adventure with your utterly delicious looking chocolate cinnamon banana loaf!

Vegan Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Adapted from The Lazy GF Chef

3 overripe bananas, pureed
1/4 cup light olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup agave
1/4 cup soy milk

pinch of salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix)

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Combine bananas, oil, vanilla, agave and soy milk. In a separate bowl, combine salt, cinnamon, BP., BS and flour. Using a whisk, stir dry ingredients into wet until well mixed.
2. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Divide evenly into greased 12-muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

The cost:
bananas: .57
agave: .75
soy milk: 1.79
flour: 1.25
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $5.36