flax and carrot pulp crackers (gluten-free)

I wasn't going to post about these, but they came out so good. It is amazing that they are gluten-free, since they are so flaky and crispy and satisfying when you want something that goes "crunch."

A while back, I juiced a bunch of carrots and froze the carrot pulp that was extracted, since I heard you could use it to make crackers. So that's what I did. Here is the recipe that I used: Flax & Carrot Pulp Ginger Crackers. Basically, you grind the flaxseed (coffee grinder works well) and combine with the juicer pulp and some water and spices.

I also added sunflower seeds, some lemon juice, and salt. I baked them instead of dehydrating since I didn't feel like rolling them out in a doughnut shape. I used my classic technique of perforating the rolled out "dough" with a pizza cutter halfway through baking.

I have a lot more carrot pulp in the freezer, so I'll definitely be making more of these. I'll have to make a batch with amaranth seeds since I've found those to be really nice in crackers.

curried peas and carrots with a biscuit smothered in peppery vegan gravy

Pea season is over! I hope you had a plentiful pea harvest to shell and freeze! If not this year, maybe next year. I for one missed that boat...  We managed to keep pace eating what grew in our garden and what came from our CSA share.

I made this meal about a month ago when all I had in the fridge was peas and carrots.   I instantly thought of the all-too-common steamed peas and carrots preparation.  I nearly gave up.  In the end though I persevered.  I braised the peas and carrots and flavored them with a touch of curry.  On the side I made my usual biscuits recipe and Eric made this totally awesome black peppery vegan gravy (based on Julie Hasson's recipe).

2 c. plain soymilk
1/4 c. flour
3 T. nutritional yeast
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 T. margarine

Whisk together everything but the margarine.  Bring to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat while continuously whisking.  Reduce heat, add margarine, and continue to thicken until desired consistency,

honey glazed carrots and a november salad

We're starting things off easy peasy for the Dark Days Challenge. Though to be honest, my original plan was spoiled - literally. I had planned on making matang, a Korean candied sweet potato, but the sweet potatoes that Eric picked up last weekend from the farmers market did not survive the week. I was pretty bummed so I took myself on a walk.  During said walk I realized that I could just make honey glazed carrots instead.  When I got home I cut up the carrots, steamed them for about 5 minutes, then coated them in honey and cooked for a minute.  Since I steamed instead of fried, I didn't get the crispy matang effect but, hey, it was good anyway.

And as planned, we threw together a simple local salad of tender mixed greens, goat cheese, and homegrown counter-ripened tomatoes.  The only thing not local about this meal was homemade vinaigrette!

beet carrot juice

Sitting around enjoying fresh beet carrot juice and a library book...

potatoes and green beans in a mushroom gravy

Yay! A cold front came through Boulder! High of 67 and low of 49. Time for some kitchen intensive comfort food!

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
4 c. potatoes, diced
2 c. green beans, sliced into 1" segments
2 c. carrots, sliced into half circles
1 lb. tofu, pressed, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
canola oil

Gravy Ingredients:
2 c. white button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. water
2 T. canola oil
2 T. white miso
1 T. tahini
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 t. thyme
salt and black pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes with a little canola oil and salt and pepper in a frying pan with a cover over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Stir them occasionally. Add a clove of minced garlic near the end when the potatoes are starting to turn golden brown. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a little canola oil and salt. When the mushroom and onions are done cooking, set them aside for gravy making.

Reuse the mushroom/onion pan to steam the carrots and green beans in a splash of water over medium heat. Set them aside when they are cooked (not mushy). Reuse the frying pan again to cook the tofu in some canola oil and salt.

Onto gravy making! Grab half of the cooked mushroom, onion, garlic mixture and combine them with the remaining gravy ingredients. Use a blender to make a smooth gravy. Add the remaining mushroom, onion, garlic mixture to the gravy.

Mix everything together and eat! If you're feeling extra ambitious you could throw it all into a pie crust and you'll have a veggie pot pie. Or you could make some biscuits! Mmmm biscuits...

corned seitan and cabbage

Growing up, my mom made corned beef and cabbage every year for St. Patrick's Day. Corned beef is one of the few meats that I miss since becoming a vegetarian. Well, at least I can still celebrate St. Patrick's Day with some corned seitan and cabbage!

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
1/2 "corned beef" seitan from Everyday Dish, sliced
1/2 cabbage head, wedged or sliced in long strips
3 red potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, julienned
1/2 yellow onion, wedged
1 can of beer
remaining seitan cooking liquid
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

I followed the recipe on Everyday Dish for no-knead "corned beef" seitan. To achieve a tougher, less spongy seitan, Everyday Dish has you wrap the seitan in cheesecloth so that during the boiling process it cannot expand much. Overall, I was pleased with the results of their recipe.

As you finish with the Everyday Dish recipe, remove the seitan from the cooking liquid. Reserve the cooking liquid. Slice the seitan into strips 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick and 1 - 1.5 inches wide. If you want, you can make the seitan the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight.

In a large pot or crock, alternately layer pieces of cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onion, adding salt to each layer. Add in a bay leaf and a can of beer, any kind. Add some or all of the reserved seitan cooking liquid. Bring the veggies to a boil and simmer for about an hour, until the cabbage and potatoes are soft. Drain the extra cooking liquid. It can be frozen and used later to make more seitan, or for a soup base. Add the seitan strips to the veggies, mix up, and serve.

Cooking the seitan separately like this prevents it from expanding and getting more spongy. Next time I might try cooking the veggies while simmering the seitan in the cheesecloth.

Side Note:
The "corn" in "corned beef" refers to large grains of salt used to cure the beef. More info straight from Wikipedia: corned beef was never consumed in Ireland, but was picked up as a substitute for bacon by Irish immigrants in New York City from their Jewish neighbors. [source]