HOME COOKING

Hello all,

As promised, I whipped out my culinary skills and cooked two meals this weekend! So, we made up for eating out the entire weekend last week!

On Saturday JJ and I planned to go chill out at the park and go over some H.E.L.P. for Youth, Inc. business (our non-profit) since it was due to be a nice day and it was beautiful! So, I decided to surprise him by making one of his favorite meals so that we could have a picnic. I made veggie wraps with artichoke and garlic hummus. I did not make the hummus myself, but I vow to do that next time! Anyway, I just sauteed some onions, mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini in some extra virgin olive oil until tender and seasoned lightly with sea salt. I then spread some hummus on soft tortillas and piled on the veggies. So, quick and easy. I apologize for not having pictures, but I was working alone and in a bit of a rush! I packed the wraps, some organic garden vegetable tortilla chips and some Newman's Own cinnamon raisin cookies (see below for the picture of these tasty treats) and it was off to scoop up JJ and head to the park to dig in and catch some sun!

Takin' in the sun with some good food

Newman's Own yummy cookies

On Sunday, after going to the grocery store to pick up goods for the week and Sunday dinner, we headed to a high school right by Piedmont Park to hit up the track and bleachers. Getting in there was definitely a feat. All the fences surrounding the stadium are locked but there is a broken fence that people crawl under to get in or people just climb the part of the fence where there is no barbed wire (another missed photo op, my bad). Whatever works! LOL! JJ enjoys running on the track while I opted to speed walk it (never been a long distance runner). I focused my workout on going up and down the bleachers which REALLY works out the lower body. Below are some shots of each of us taking the bleachers on! In the shots below, I took the picture of JJ closer to the top than he did of me, but best believe I made it to the top at least six times!

JJ

CWrites (had my hood on 'cause the wind was kickin')

So, after our workout we headed back to JJ's for me to start dinner. On the menu, Amy's veggie burgers, mashed potatoes and green beans.

So, I started by washing and then cutting the potatoes in quarters. I used the small red potatoes and kept the skin on. I then placed them in a pot of water and turn on the heat to bring them to a boil. Once the potatoes were fork tender, I removed them from the heat and drained them in a colander. I then returned the potatoes back to the pot to mash them and added soymilk, earth balance (the vegan variety) and sea salt to taste.

For the green beans, I sauteed onion and mushrooms ( I am a sucker for mushrooms) in extra virgin olive oil. Once they started to become tender, I added the green beans (I used the organic frozen variety) While everything was cooking, I added sea salt, a little bit of crushed red pepper and oregano (JJ's suggestion), a touch of fresh lemon juice, earth balance, red cooking wine (JJ's suggestion again) You of course could use any seasonings that you like. All of the seasonings we used, created a perfect blend and wonderful taste!

GREEN BEANS PART I

GREEN BEANS PART II

While the green beans were finishing up, JJ threw the vegan burgers in the pan to heat through.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT! DELICIOUS!

Lazy Weekend

Hey folks,

This past weekend was one of relaxation. On Saturday, there were still scattered storms in the area, but we did make it out to the park by my house for a bit after things cleared up and it was quite nice. On Sunday, JJ and I were supposed to go to an event hosted by the Black Vegetarian Society, but due to getting a late start we didn't make it.

We actually did not cook this weekend at all, so we will be coming back at ya with some more homecooked recipes next week, I promise. So, since I'm making the promise to you, I am making myself accountable to deliver the goods. It's my turn to cook this weekend. I haven't decided what I'm making yet, but it will be worthwhile to share. I would like to try something special for the holiday weekend, so be sure to check back for the great reveal next week!

As for our cuisine this weekend, we had fast and easy. On Saturday, we took a trip to Golden Krust. I LOVE jamaican but I believe I may have burnt myself out on it, so I will have to pull back for a while. We both had the rice and peas, steamed vegetables and plantains. I should have taken a picture, but it completely escaped my mind to do so! Sorry!

On Sunday, once I decided to forgo cooking this weekend we ended up at Chipotle. We both had the vegetarian bowl with black beans, rice, salsa, lettuce and guacamole and some chips. It was simple, good and filling. I picked up a slice of vegan cheesecake from Sevananda to have later for dessert and it was as fantastic as the last time. I swear, I had to keep checking the box to be sure it was vegan! JJ indulged in a vegan brownie from there that he enjoyed just as much!

So, the purpose of this blog is to let you know that you can find vegan options in most places when eating out. Most restaurants are very accommodating and it's becoming easier to veganize many menu options to create your own yummy meal.

Happy Vegan Eating Out!

Until next time,

C

MI PIACE

First, I must congratulate myself on receiving my FIRST official vegan cookbook. I've been hearing all the rave reviews, so I had to start my library. Viva La Veganomicon! I can't wait to start trying the different recipes. I will be filling you in, so make sure to check back and see!

Now, on to the weekend. Mi Piace is the name of an Italian restaurant that I LOVE in L.A. I was told by the servers there that "mi piace" means I like it. I figured it would be a good title for this posting because we are speaking of pasta! Veggie pasta that is! JJ makes this great veggie pasta that I love, so I guess I should have found out how to say "I love it" in Italian..anyway, you get the point!

Over the weekend we went to see some friends of ours and we brought along the meatless and cheeseless veggie pasta. They are both meat eaters but welcomed in the dish with open arms and it was a hit with them and their small children. See, eating vegan is not so bad after all! Please note that you can always "veganize" menu items at most restaurants, just specify no meat or dairy; that is how we're able to eat out at most establishments.

JJ'S VEGGIE PASTA:This is a very simple pasta to make. JJ includes onions, mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli and black olives. You of course, can use any variation of veggies that you choose and it will be just as delicious. First get a nice big pot to use. Bring some water to a boil for the pasta (be sure to salt the boiling water before adding the past in order to flavor it, we use sea salt). While the pasta is cooking, clean and cut your veggies. JJ uses one medium to large onion, two garlic cloves, mushrooms, yellow squash (skinned), zucchini (skinned), mushrooms and black olives in the pasta. JJ adds the onions, squash, zucchini and garlic first to a hot pan coated with extra virgin olive oil. After those items have cooked down and become tender, he adds the mushrooms. Once those have become tender, he finishes off with the broccoli. He periodically adds seasonings as the veggies are cooking down. Once the pasta has finished cooking, usually about ten minutes are so, he drains the pasta. Once the pasta has been drained of all the water, he returns the cooked pasta to the large pot. He then adds the veggies that have cooked tender (and the black olives) to the pasta in the large pot and then adds the sauce. He mixes all ingredients to get the pasta and veggies coated with sauce and then seasons to taste. There you have it, veggie pasta in a snap! Yummm...

THE PROCESS IN PICTURES:

I was so busy eating once we got to our friends' place, that I almost forgot to take a picture of the finished product! We brought along a side salad and bread to round out the meal. If you're going dairyless, don't forget to read labels and buy bread w/0 eggs or milk!

THE DELICIOUS END RESULT! MI PIACE TO THE TENTH POWER!

Fun in the Sun

Hey there-

This is the first official entry for our site and I'm very excited! Hopefully we can shed a little light on being vegan and dispel the myth that all we eat is beans and grass!

Little Five Points Wall of Peace

On Saturday we went to Little Five Points and had lunch at Planet Bombay, an Indian restaurant that gets rave reviews and JJ has been dying to try (Indian being JJ's favorite cuisine). We both had Chana Saag (Chickpeas and Spinach) over rice. It was very tasty, not as good as another Indian spot in Harlem around the corner from JJ's old crib, but still good nonetheless. The only thing we said was that we would try to go medium instead of mild (spice) the next time we dine there. The service was very pleasant and we will be back! However, that will be my next recipe to try to make at home though. It will definitely be posted here when I do, so be on the lookout for that!

On Sunday we ventured out to Piedmont Park to enjoy the beautiful warm weather. Spring and Summer can't get here fast enough! We were thankful for the preview!

Piedmont Park (Me trying to be creative with the shot, LOL!)

Anyway, after spending a few hours in the park walking around and people/dog watching, we ventured back to JJ's to make our dinner.

On the menu: VEGGIE FAJITAS:
This is such a quick and easy meal. All we used was a frozen bag of tri-colored peppers from Trader Joe's, Onion, Roasted Red Peppers in a jar soaked in olive oil and garlic and Portabello mushrooms. We sauteed the frozen peppers and onion in one pan with Olive Oil and grilled the mushrooms in another pan with Olive Oil. After all veggies were tender, we built the fajitas. We also bought some spicy black bean dip to put on the whole wheat wraps to add an extra zing. And voila, an easy yummy vegan dinner in less than thirty minutes! Add a side salad or mexican rice to round out the meal if you choose. JJ and I had some Garden of Eatin' Pico de Gallo chips.

Don't make me cry....

Colorful Delight....

Spicy and a little bit sweet...

Don't skimp on the goods...

The finished product......

EXCELLENTE!!

XO,

Cwrites