Guacamole Fettuccini

Because I grew up in Minnesota back in the 40s and 50s, the word "avocado" was unknown to me, as was the fruit itself. Then came the day when an aunt and uncle visited us from The Golden State and nestled inside their suitcases were several large green things they called avocados. I was fascinated with the odd looking produce and even more astonished when I was told they grew on trees.

My aunt cut one of the dark green fruits in half to reveal a seed the size of New York--or so I thought. I was used to berry seeds or even citrus seeds, but nothing I knew came even close to the giant residing inside that light green mass.

My aunt removed the seed and scooped out some of the soft innards. Without any adieu, she slipped the spoon into my waiting mouth. To me, child that I was, it felt slimy and nasty and so mushy I quickly swallowed it. When asked if I wanted more, I shook my head no and escaped to another part of the house.

To my mind, an avocado was the armpit of produce world.

When I was sixteen, my family moved to California. And to my dismay, my mom discovered avocados. I remembered not liking them "way back when" and refused to eat them. Even the rest of the family considered them less than a perfect food. Looking back, I know that mom just didn't know what to do with them. Then one day a neighbor showed her how to make guacamole. Mom bought some tortilla chips and put the two products together on the table.

My sisters and I ate up every last scrap.

Thus began my love affair with the avocado and while there are many brands of the green spheres, the only one I really like is the Haas. These days I can slice an avocado onto fresh bread, add salt and pepper and tomato and sliced onions and eat my way through what I consider to be the perfect sandwich. I slice this lovely fruit into salads or serve it inside my vegan tacos or smear the creamy stuff on a flour tortilla and gobble it up without batting an eye.

So it was one day when I was looking through a vegan cookbook searching for dinner ideas, that I came across a pasta dish with an avocado sauce. I was intrigued. As usual, I tweaked the recipe to suit my own taste buds and served it to my carnivore company. We all had seconds. I guess that means it turned out pretty good. It looked so pretty, I even took its picture.

GUAC-A-CINI

1 lb fettuccine

2 avocados, pitted and removed from skin

1 big bunch of fresh basil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

4 sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup toasted nuts, any kind

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 dashes of hot sauce, whichever is your favorite brand

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted water, according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

Into a food processor bowl put everything from the avocados to the salt and pepper. 

I love one dish meal recipes. They make
being the kitchen bearable.

Pulse until the mixture is well blended, but not so much that it is an indistinguishable mess. There should still be some minuscule chunks visible as in the photo above.

I prepared a few ingredients that might be added, should the guest wish to add them to his plate: a small bowl of finely minced sweet onion, minced tomato--flesh part only, vegan Parmesan cheese for those who wished to sprinkle it on top of the pasta dish.

My guacamole. I changed the recipe
around to turn it into an avocado pesto.

I gave serious thought to using cilantro instead of basil, but came to the conclusion that it may be too spicy to go with the pasta. If I had been making true guacamole, I'd have used cilantro only.

Because the main course was a meal in itself, I served only garlic bread alongside.

Serves 4-6

Depending on how many you're feeding, cook the fettuccine accordingly as
this recipe does not keep well. I had a lot leftover and it quickly went to
a muddy color that was most unappetizing. Since I was feeding only
three, I should have cooked only a half pound of pasta, though I
would have still made the whole recipe of avocado pesto. It would
have made the fettuccine all the more flavorful.

Taco Salad--Vegan Style

My air conditioning broke--right in the middle of a horrid heat wave that rolled across the Southwest and decided to stay, albeit very much unwelcome. I don't know what the humidity is, but let's just say that the air is so moisture-laden I find it hard to breathe. I'm supposing a lot of AC's have gone out by now, having run 24/7 for almost two weeks because when I called my service contractor, I was informed that he was super busy and would get to me as quick as he could. I'm still waiting.

Now all of that to say that I could no longer even think about standing at the stove, let alone turning on the oven. Even if I had put something in the crock pot first thing this morning, there was no way I wanted to eat anything hot and steamy. That's why I racked my brain to come up with a cold supper. Thus it was that I thought of taco salad. It has always been a family favorite. But could I turn it into vegan and still have the taste I wanted?

You know me. I just had to give it a try. Doggone good if I do say so myself. I had company coming to dinner, so I made enough for four and there was even a little leftover. Does it taste like it has beef in it? Not really. But it's so tasty, my carnivore company ate with relish and even went back for more.  I'd call that a successful swap.

VEGAN TACO SALAD

1 lb. veggie crumbles or seitan, food-processed to look like crumbles

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. Montreal steak seasoning

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. onion powder

1 sweet onion, chopped

10 cups lettuce, any kind, cut into bite size

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the veggie crumbles or chopped seitan in 2 Tbs. olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic, onion powder, and steak seasoning. Allow the mixture to sit off the heat while you prepare the rest of the dish. This will give it time to absorb the seasonings.

In a very large bowl, put the onion, tomato, lettuce, vegan cheese and salt and pepper. Mix together as you would a salad so all the ingredients are dispersed. Add the crumbles. Add the crushed tortilla chips. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with an array of sauces on the table. My favorite is taco sauce, but salsa or any hot sauce would be good, depending on personal preferences.

Serves 4

The recipe above is my standard taco salad. You can add anything else
you wish: avocado, beans, black olives or whatever floats you boat.

Chilly Enough For Chili

Okay, okay, okay, so maybe it didn't snow,
maybe it just felt like it was going to. Do
you buy that?

Even Southern California gets cold. Stop laughing. Believe me, when your blood gets as thin as ours does, what with living in a temperate clime, when that thermometer hits sixty something, it's time to turn on the furnace and put on another sweater. Now add pouring rain into the mix, skies as dark as dusk, and clouds hovering low, and you have perfect chili weather. Just like today.

Wouldn't you know, my favorite recipe for this thick, watch a spoon stand up in the middle of the bowl, concoction isn't vegan. Yet I wondered if I could change things around a bit, delete a  little of that and add some of this. So I gave it a try. Doggone, it's every bit as good as my non-vegan recipe. I kid you not. I served the heady mixture in big, steamy bowls and sprinkled the top with vegan sour cream, minced green onions and Daiya cheese shreds. Corn muffins hot from the oven were my only side. I ate two. Since I was now too full  to move, I rolled myself into the living room, covered up with a favorite afghan, and laid on the floor to watch the Movie Channel.

Life doesn't get any better than that.

Vegan Chili for Chilly Weather

No vegan sour cream left for this photo-op.
We used it all during the actual eating.

Into a soup pot put:

2 Tbs. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small jalapeno, minced, seeds and ribs removed

Cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.

Add to the pot:

1 14 oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 14 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. paprika

2 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

pinch of cloves

salt and pepper to taste

Cook everything together over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn it to low, cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. I let mine simmer an hour. If the chili is too soupy, remove the lid and continue cooking till the mixture thickens to your liking.

Serve with vegan sour cream, minced green onions, and vegan cheese shreds.

Yummy.

Perhaps I ought to warn you that this is a spicy chili. It won't make your mouth burn to eat it, but it you don't like any heat at all, leave out the jalapeno and the cayenne pepper. But be warned! You'll be turning a GREAT chili into a mediocre one.

Acorn Squash or Pod People?

I wasn't sure anything would come of the rotten acorn squash I tossed out into what used to be a small flower bed, but to my amazement, things were happening underground.

The acorn squash, stored over autumn on my cold back porch, had turned bright yellow-orange and was so soft my fingers squished through it. The week-long winter rains were still pouring down in solid sheets and since I had no desire to venture outside, I simply opened the back door a couple of inches and tossed the yukky thing toward the section of my backyard I laughingly refer to as a garden. Then I forgot about it. Bad memory, I suppose.

The next time I noticed the rotting mass, it was in my raised flower bed. I didn't want it there, so I moved it back to the garden area. A few days later, it was in a different spot. Spooky. But most likely the culprit had been my dog, Bonnie, thinking she had some new kind of toy. Still, memories of the 1950s movie called "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" where aliens take over most of a small town via Pod People who had hatched beneath the large-leafed plants that were now growing everywhere teased my mind. One day there was an unexpected  knock at my door. I froze. What if.... What if.... But it was only my gardener.

"What do you want me to do with that squash?"  he asked. I told him to leave it in the garden. I was hoping some of the seeds would sprout so I'd have squash the coming summer. He shook his head in seeming disbelief, said O.K, and went back to work. The squash lay exposed to the elements all winter--a time of more driving rain than we ever see in S. California. Then the thing just disappeared. I figured the gardener had grown tired of looking at it and sent it off to veggie heaven. Truth be told, the carcas had melted into the soil and disappeared. Oh well, I says to myself, I gave it a good try.

It was a sunny spring day when I noticed something odd over in the garden. Two large seedlings had sprouted nearly side by side. I recognized the leaves. Squash. I had squash growing. And growing. And growing. Overnight it would stretch another foot or more, sending feelers in every direction. The plants grew larger and larger, taking over not only the garden area but a good portion of my grass. The thing was taking over my small backyard, bit by bit.

The squash plant has become unweildly and is taking over my grassy lawn a couple of feet at a time. There is no way to move it and I don't intend to cut it back. I'm learning to live with it. Besides, I have other vegetaables that have reseeded in strange places and I'm leaving them as is also. Anywhere food wants to grow on my property, more power to it.

In all my years of gardening, I've never tried growing acorn squash. It's one of my favorite vegetables, but I know how much room they need to fully spread out, so I'd simply purchased them at the grocery store. I began thinking of what I'd do with my supposed bounty. In the mood to experiment, I purchased a couple of acorn squash. Then I hit the internet for  recipes. I found one that sounded tantalizing and had more than 40 recommendations. It wasn't vegan, but I figured I could change it to fit my vegan lifestyle. The end result was so packed with flavors, I declared the dish good enough for company. I'm thinking you'll like it too. Oops, there's the doorbell. Who on earth could be here this late on a Friday night? I peek through the window. Oh my gosh, it looks like Pod Peop........



The dish was a meal unto itself.  It was supposed to be a side, but I couldn't even finish the whole squash. I bought medium sized squash, but should have purchased small ones. If you want a full meal, go big. Whichever you choose, you'll like the finished product.



STUFFED ACORN SQUASH SUPREME

1 package broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix

1 pound turkey sausage

2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/2 cup chopped apple

2 tsp. crushed coriander seed

1/2 cup shredded white cheese

Prepare the rice mix according to package directions. Cover and set aside.

Place squash halves onto a baking sheet and roast, uncovered, for at least 1/2 hour for small; longer for large ones.

In a medium skillet, cook the sausage until evenly browned. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, sausage, apple, and coriander.
 Stuff each squash with 1/4 of the mixture.

Place the squash back in the oven for another 30 minutes to finish cooking.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Then back into the oven for a few minutes.

Addendum: I read all 42 comments concerning this recipe and more than a few reviewers said the brocolli and rice boxed mix was not good choice. They had switched to Uncle Ben's White and Wild Rice mix,  so I did too.

Everyone seemed to agree that the coriander seeds were an absolute must, so don't leave them out.

 I switched out the turkey sausage for two tofu Italian Sausages cut into small cubes. It was an excellent exchange.

The recipe doesn't recommend any certain apple so I used a Granny Smith for its ability to bake without falling apart. Good choice. The apple still had a bit of crunch and went really well with the sweetness of the squash and the tang of the spices.

Since I can't stand the taste or mouth feel of vegan cheese, I simply left it off.

I've already decided that the cooked rice mix doesn't need 30 minutes in the oven. When I prepare this again, I'm going to roast the squash till it's almost ready to eat, then stuff it and reduce the oven time to about 15 minutes.

Although the finished dish was delicious, it appeared dried out, which it wasn't. A cheesy top would have improved its appearance. Next time I'm going to add some flour to 2 Tbs. of olive oil and make a rue, then thin it out with vegetable broth and drizzle it atop each squash. With the cheese verboten, the dish just needs something to dress it out.

P.S. I took the opening photo two days ago. Today there is nothing of the planter showing. That's just how fast squash grows. Amazing.

Endings and Beginnings.

Well, it's official. I am unemployed. Saturday was my last day at work and I managed to avoid working on Valentine's Day for the first time in over 20 years. Time to load up and move to Arkansas but not before tying up lots of loose ends and saying some adieus.

Today I met my dear friend Mendi for lunch at the Spiral Diner in Ft. Worth. She is a fellow florist but it's not her first love and she is pursuing her degree in the fall. A new beginning for her as well. We have been horrible about keeping in touch although we only live an hour away from each other. I have been trying to rook her into blogging with us one day a week but she has a husband and two kids and the logistics of it would not work for her. And I don't think her intro to vegan food today impressed her much. Although, she is too much of a lady to say so. She had a burrito that did not look very appealing but my curried noodle dish was excellent. The Ft. Worth location seems to be much more grounded and consistent than the Dallas one. But I think that of the the city as well, less flash but more substance. She will be one of the things I will miss. We have some shared memories and she has had a few nice things to say about me lately. Flattery doesn't even have to be true to feel good.


I feel spring in the air after our heavy snowfall of last week and made my favorite "take to the picnic/potluck" dish. I veganized it by making a vegan "feta" from a recipe I found on recipezaar. The original recipe is from epicurious. It is one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Use full fat feta if you are not vegan.

"Feta"

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 lb firm tofu, herb flavored, cubed or crumbled

Whisk together all ingredients except the tofu to make a marinade. Crumble the tofu into the marinade and marinate a few hours or overnight. Drain before adding to the orzo.

Orzo

1 pound orzo
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/4 cups "feta "(6 ounces), crumbled
1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, then add hot orzo and toss. Cool orzo, then toss with pine nuts, feta, and scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper.


This recipe is one of those that you can modify according to your tastes. I added dried cranberries. If you have access to nice tomatoes, toss em in. Chopped basil would work nicely if you added them just before serving.The "feta" has the taste if a somewhat wetter constency. Mr. Carnivore was even impressed!

Springtime in Dallas!

Well, maybe not. But it did get to 73 degrees here today and should again tomorrow. Nice since we have been quite cold for the past two months. Having lived here for 12 years, I know not to complain about cold . 73 seems like a nice compromise. So, we are having vegan picnic fare tonight, French Potato Salad and Vegan Reubens.



French Potato Salad is often made with beef consomme but that is the only animal product and is easily left out. The key to a good salad is to marinate the potatoes while they are hot in white wine. The wine permeates the potatoes and adds a nice flavor. There are tons of Vegan Reuben recipes out there. I have been following a site dedicated to Vegan Reubens by a guy in Portland. He searches out restaurants and does reviews. Some of them sound pretty tasty. Some not so much. The thought of a Reuben made with tempeh makes me want to gag. I did make vegetarian Reuben's a couple of weeks back with Russian Dressing and Swiss Cheese that turned out nicely. I substituted VERY thinly sliced portobello mushrooms that had been sauteed first. They turned out great. The mushrooms gave them a meaty taste. Tonight we try with Vegan Mayonnaise and soy cheese. I have been warned about soy cheese but rumor has it that Daiya Vegan Cheese is best sub for dairy cheese. Can't seem to find it here in Dallas though. The soy "cheese" I did use tasted great and melted nicely.



French Potato Salad



3 Russet Potatoes

3 Cloves Garlic minced with the back of a French knife with sea salt

1/2 Teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

1/4 Cup No Chicken Broth

2 Shallots finely minced

7 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar

Chopped Herbs to Garnish



Cut potatoes into 1 1/2 " chunks, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until just cooked. Drain and peel, or not. Place in a bowl with the garlic and ground pepper and pour over wine and stock. The potatoes will absorb the wine and stock within a few minutes. Shake or whisk the olive oil, vinegar and mustard and stir GENTLY into the potatoes. Add shallots and herbs and serve warm or at room temperature, not cold.



Reubens



1/4 cup drained Sauerkraut

2 Portobello Mushrooms

4 slices Pumpernickel slathered with margarine or olive oil on one side

4 slices vegan cheese



"Russian" Dressing



1/2 cup Vegan Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish



Blend "Russian" Dressing ingredients and set aside. VERY thinly slice mushrooms and saute until they have given off all of their liquid over medium heat and are browned. Place 2 slices cheese on dry side of 2 slices of bread, layer with drained sauerkraut, mushrooms, and a good slathering of dressing. Top with the other slice of bread and saute in a well seasoned HOT cast iron skillet or griddle for about 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned and the cheese is melted.It helps to weigh them down with a plate with a weight on top



Close your eyes and imagine it's spring. Imagine you are at Wolfies or the Carnegie Deli. I know from Wolfies!



Serves 2