Banned from the kitchen…

Well this week, I was literally banned from the kitchen.  Arthur’s stomach bug continued through Wednesday.  And yesterday he was in a bad mood.  Seriously bad.  I thought that I was not going to be able to cook for the co-op this week due to Arthur feeling like crap, so I let the ladies know.  They still brought us some awesome food anyway.  We have a “I’ve got your back” policy.  Meaning if there are  uncontrolled circumstances like a sick kiddo, we will still help out and bring food.  I love my dinner co-op.  Arthur is now on the mend and I was able to bring some food yesterday.  Now I just need to catch up from being MIA all week.  I have food to cook, packages to mail, etc.

Our Monday co-op meal was soba noodles with tofu.  It was so good. I love soba noodles.  Adam loved the tofu and noodles too.  When Arthur did finally request food on Wednesday, luckily we had some left over and he ate the noodles.

Tuesday we were delivered chickpea cutlets, mashed potatoes, gravy and a  side of broccoli.  Chickpea cutlets is a favorite for everyone.  You can’t go wrong with this meal.

Wednesday we were delivered a bulgar dish with a side salad.  The bulgar was good, it was full of beans and eggplant.  And the salad was a spinach salad with apples, raisins and pinenuts.  Delicious.

Thankfully I was able to cook for the co-op.  When Josh got home Wednesday evening, I put him on kid duty and I went to work in the kitchen.  I made avocado cashew enchiladas and a Mexican quinoa.  The enchiladas were stuffed with avocadoes, cashews, tofu, cilantro, spices and topped with a homemade tomatillo sauce and drizzled with a bit of FYH cheeze.  The Mexican quinoa is a new recipe I created.  We loved it.  I will be sending it to my testers to try it out and give a review.  By the way, if you want to be  a recipe tester, let me know.

This is crazy, but we actually had snow here in the Southern part of the States.  It was 80 degrees the day before and then snowed on Tuesday.  I showed Arthur the snow.  He was not impressed.  I think being sick had something to do with that.  Adam loved it.  Zeke our dog went crazy running around in it.  It lasted for the day, then melted.  We actually had big snowflakes falling.  It was pretty to see.

Last week I created two new test recipes.  Carrot maple muffins and blueberry “sour cream” scones.  We were pleased with the outcome.

As you can see, Arthur really enjoyed some blueberries.

Last night I went to the grocery store and when I got home, I found this little guy on our porch.  I gently picked him up and showed him to Arthur.  He asked about him/her.  I told him that it was a little gecko that lived in the plants on our porch.  He gently touched it on the head and asked where I was taking him. I told him he was going back outside where he lived.  Arthur said, “Oh, he needs to go night night with his mommy and daddy.”  So cute.  It seemed to please my oh so grumpy guy.

Tonite is pizza and movie night.  I am making a cilantro pesto sundried tomato pizza for me and Josh and the usual cheeze pizza for the boys.  And the movie?  Something kid-friendly of course.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys

P.S.  Find us on Facebook, under “Cooking with Two Vegan Boys”.

Weekend update…..

It was beautiful outside this weekend.  Unfortunately we did not get to enjoy it. Poor Boogie aka Arthur is sick.  He had a fever all weekend and now is on the barf train.  He is on anti-nausea medicine.  Hopefully little brother won’t catch this stomach bug. 

They had a blast at Sesame Street Live.  I was a bit disappointed because there was no meet and greet.   But the boys still loved it.  They both clapped their hands and shouted when Elmo came onto the stage.

Food glorious food. Since we went to the show Friday night, I opted to make a quick meal. I made a pineapple fried quinoa.  One of the co-op friend’s had made it in the past and it is delicious.  You just sub tofu in place of eggs and veggie broth instead of chicken.  I also made some kale chips to accompany the quinoa.  Such goodness.

Saturday was a lazy day due to our sick Boogie, so I made nachos for us. Simple yet tasty and no shredded cheeze was needed.  A nooch cheeze sauce with some guacamole, beans, salsa and faux sour cream made it complete.

Sunday I made pizza.  Cheeze pizza for Adam and a roasted poblano pizza with garlic and fresh thyme for me and Josh.  Yum. 

I also made biscuits with gravy and apple sage sausages for our Sunday morning breakfast.  The picture isn’t the best, but the breakfast was.  Here in the South we love gravy. Just ask Bianca of Vegan Crunk.  I’d bet she would agree with me.  And one of the best types of Southern breakfast is biscuits and gravy.

Over the weekend I created three new recipes.  Two are still in the works, which brings me to the question.  Anyone want to be a “two vegan boys” recipe tester?  If so, make a comment and I will put you on the super secret sassy sauce recipe tester mailing list.    I created a Avocado Salad Sandwich recipe this weekend.  You’ve heard of chicken salad sandwich, tuna salad and even egg salad.  Well, now we have avocado salad sandwiches.  Josh loved it and I thought it was quite tasty too.  The picture is crap.  Ugh.

Avocado Salad Sandwich

2 ripe avocadoes
1/2 package of 14oz firm tofu
1/4c vegan mayo
1/4t paprika
1t garlic powder
1/2t dried parsley
1/2t brown mustard
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, mash avocado and tofu together. Leaving some chunks. Stir in mayo and spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bread or toast with lettuce and tomato. Delicious.

Like the rest of the world, the two vegan boys have a cooking page on Facebook.  Join us there. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-with-Two-Vegan-Boys/331648581476?ref=nf

Hope everyone has a lovely week.

peas and love….

Krys and the boys

TGIF!!!!!!

Good morning.  How are you?  Any plans for the weekend?  We are going to see Sesame Street Live tonite.  Arthur is super excited.  He told me that when he sees Elmo he is going to shake his hand.  Then he changed his mind and informed me that he is going to give Elmo a hug.  So cute.  And Adam has been saying “Elmo” all week long.  Tomorrow we are going to a natural garden center to get some supplies to start our Spring garden.  I can’t wait.  I love gardening.  I hope to have a huge garden this year.  Such goodness.

Now, onto the food.  For our Tuesday co-op meal, we were delivered stuffed shells with polenta fries and seasoned green beans.  Polenta fries are delicious.  The whole meal was perfect.  Wednesday we were delivered a tofu and greens saute with pine nuts.  It was so good.  It was accompanied with a side of quinoa.  Tasty.  My co-op meal was a post Mardi Gras dish.  I made red beans with a vegan andouille sausage, dirty rice, sweet potato cornbread and coconut heaven cupcakes.  Terrific!

Stuffed shells

Tofu saute with greens and quinoa

Red beans & rice (ugly picture, tasty dish)

sweet potato cornbread

Since we will be gone this evening, pizza night has been postponed to tomorrow.  What’s on the pizza menu?  This week, I will be making a roasted portabello pizza with thyme pesto sauce.  I will let you know the verdict on Monday.

I forgot to mention, I did another half marathon last Sunday.  Before you get to excited, I did not run it.  I messed up the ligament in my wrist last week and have to sport a lovely wrist brace to immobilize it.  Ugh.  The doctor recommended I not do the race at all.  But seeing that I am stubborn, I did it anyway.  He said no running because the moving of my arm for 13.1 miles would make it worse.  So, I walked.  It is better than not going at all.  The weather was perfect and it was like going on a 13 mile stroll through the hills of our city.

Well I am off to eat some breakfast.  Hope you have a lovely weekend.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys

Sweet Utopia: A book review

Sweet Utopia is the latest dessert cookbook to grace the vegan world.

The title sufficiently fits the book. Not only are the recipes simple with easy to find ingredients. A picture is offered with each dessert. The author and photographer, a married couple, compliment one another perfectly. The pages are graced with mouth-watering desserts from simple yet tasty cookie recipes to decadent cakes and pies. The book also offers mousse, pudding, bars, granola and even ice cream. The options in Sweet Utopia seem endless.

The recipes tested were perfect. The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cup Cake was moist with a not to powering peanut butter presence and a chocolate peanut butter icing that will melt in your mouth. This cake will definitely become a quick favorite. The Chocolate Chip and Nut Streusal Coffee Cake was far from your average coffee cake. The streusal melted on top of the cake and dipped into the center of the cake when baked. Leaving a gooey streusal center delicious in each bite.

The cookies tested were the Green Speckled Oaties. Oatmeal cookies with spinach seem a bit far fetched for even the most dedicated cookie lover. The spinach was very mild and favored by even the pickiest of children. The Lemon Hearts were a simple cookie with a citrus punch. Refreshing and mild. The Almond Macaroons were a creation made in heaven sans the egg whites. The coconut lightly toasted during the baking process made these macaroons one of the better recipes out there. The Orange Burst Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cookies were the kind of sandwich cookies one might remember from their childhood, but on a much higher level. The orange gave the cookies a tanginess that was refreshing. A sandwich cookie made for the dog days of Summer.

The cheesecakes reviewed exceded expectations. A good vegan cheesecake is hard to find. Search no more. The Coconut -Almond Cheesecake Pie was a flavor combination. The cheesecake was smooth and creamy. And the dynamic duo of coconut and almond can’t be beat. The Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie is a must have for the holiday season. It baked smooth and left no crack in the top of the pie like most pumpkin cheesecakes and pies.

Sweet Utopia is one of the tastier dessert cookbooks published. As the cover states, “Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts.” This is a factual statement. A must have for any lover of dessert and vegan who has been searching for those long forgotten desserts that were once enjoyed only by the omnivores.

Weekend update…..

First off, I am going to announce the person’s name that was drawn for the Pay it Forward.  Drum roll please.  The name drawn was Vic of Haymarket 8.  “Vic, I will email you to get your address and send you out a package of local goodness from my fair city later this week.”  Please pay it forward.  Thanks.

Now for the food.  Wednesday for my co-op meal, I made the roasted poblano chowder recipe I had created a few weeks ago. I served it with homemade bread and a chocolate chip streusal cake.

Mmmm cake.

Thursday night for our co-op meal, we were served Punjabi peppers and tofu, Indian-style spiced basmati rice, and veggie filled flatbreads.  It was so good.  I love Indian food. 

Friday night was pizza night.  A  favorite around here. I made a cilantro pesto pizza with sundried tomatoes and carmelized onion.  Josh said this was his favorite by far.

Saturday we had a birthday party to attend for one of Arthur’s friends.  I offered to make her cake as part of her gift. I also made cupcakes.  Everyone loved it.  Especially the birthday girl.

I also made a mini cake for her little brother who shares the same day.  Simple but tasty.

Sunday evening I made tacos thanks to the awesome recipe on Lazy Smurf’s site.  I made the Escondido Tacos.  So good.

I also made mint chocolate chip cookies.  Yum!

We are not big on Valentine’s Day around here.   I will make cookies for the boys and they have fun making homemade valentines, but other than that, there is not much else happening on that day.  To my surprise, my BF Kirk, who I have known since junior high sent me a surprise in the mail.  He is the best.  He sent me a homemade valentine.  So cool.

Along with the very awesome handmade valentine was a little package.  Look what he sent.  I squealed with delight.

Well I am off to do my weekly baking.  I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys

Pay it forward….

Today I received a “pay it forward” gift from Mangocheeks of the Allotment 2 Kitchen.  If you have not seen her blog, please do so.  Her food pictures and recipes sound heavenly and she is just a lovely person.  I am glad to call her my friend.  I have a handful of friends in Scotland now.  So look out when we come to visit your country.  We will be making the rounds.  Back to the “pay it forward” package.  I swear she has been to my house, because the package was all Scottish which is what my kitchen is.  Seriously!  Josh asked ‘how did she know?”  I said, “I know.  It’s freakin’ awesome.”  She sent two Scottish tea towels, a porridge spurtle, and two wristbands that say ‘everyone is different’.   It is an anti-bullying campaign.  Which Arthur loved.  My boys are half Jewish and have Scottish and Irish ancestry.  Nothing makes me angrier than a comment about Arthur being a ginger.  I love his red hair and I love my sons.  They could have been born with purple hair.  I do not care.  I also get pissed at negative comments towards the Jewish race and religion.  Any negative comment towards any person because they are different pisses me off.  Sorry, but it does.  Anyway, I love my package, it is so me.  Now, it is my turn to pay it forward.  If you want to participate, please leave a comment on my blog.  I will randomly pick a name this weekend and if you are chosen, I will contact you and forward you some goodies that are from my fair city.  The person selected will then pay it forward to someone else.

Pay it forward goodies!

Sunday night was the Superbowl, which is a big footbal match here in the States.  I made tempeh hot wingz with roasted sweet potatoes and a homemade ranch dressing.  Wow!  This meal was terrific.  I have made the wingz in the past, but that was over a year ago.   These were so good.  We were sad to see the leftovers go.

Monday night we were served a West African peanut stew with wild rice, bread, a side salad, Texas caviar and lemon cupcakes with coconut icing.  The stew was terrific.  I love African food, so I was excited about this dish.  Now before you get in an uproar.  Texas caviar is not real caviar.  It has no fish in it nor any other creature.  It is pretty much blackeyed peas, peppers, spices marinated in a vinagrette.  It is tasty. 

Well I am off to cook for the co-op.  I am making the roasted poblano chowder I created last week.  I will be serving it with some homemade bread and a chocolate chip streusal cake.

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys

Weekend update…..

Well, how was your weekend?  Our’s was great.  Let’s get started with the food.  Thursday night’s co-op meal was stuffed zucchini, mashed potatoes with chickpea gravy, a side salad and pears for dessert.  I loved the gravy.  That was my favorite part of the meal, but then again, how can you not like gravy?!

 

Friday was pizza night.  The best night of the week.  I made the boys their usual cheeze pizza.  I made  a roasted eggplant and garlic pizza for me and Josh, sprinkled with fresh oregano.  This was by far my favorite pizza I have made to date.  It was so good.  Roasted eggplant is perfect when it is marinated in olive oil and balsalmic vinegar.  Wow!  And everyone loves garlic.  Well, maybe not vampires.

Saturday we spent the day at the Nature Center, went for a hike and then had a lovely picnic by a stream.  It was such a gorgeous day that we had to get outdoors.  The boys had so much fun.  When we got home, I cooked up some comfort food for our dinner.  I made “meat”loaf, mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.  Adam loved the broccoli. A rthur is still not friends with broccoli, so he opted for bread and “meat”loaf.

The boys enjoying the outdoors.

For our Sunday morning dance party breakfast I made tofu scramble with roasted potatoes.  This was so good and made a large meal.

Not another Tofu Scramble Recipe

1lb soft tofu, drained

1/4c onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2T nooch

2T tamari

1/2t black pepper

1/4t turmeric

1 serrano pepper, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

4-5 white mushrooms, chopped

spinach, handful shredded

oil

In a mixing bowl, mash the tofu with spices using a potato masher.  In a skillet, saute the onion, serrano and garlic in the oil.  Transfer to the mixing bowl.  Add the veggies to mixing bowl, mashing all ingredients together.  Once everything is incorporated, pour back into the skillet. add more oil if you need to.  Saute tofu scramble for 7-10 minutes over medium heat until veggies are tender and it the tofu is cooked all the way through.  Enjoy!

Well I am off to cook some Super Bowl food.  Yum! 

Here is a picture of Arthur tap dancing.  It was taken in his dance class last week. I love it!

peas and love….

Krys and the boys

Why does it smell when I pee?

Asparagus.  It’s the asparagus.  It should come with a warning label.  Hee. Hee.  For tonite’s co-op meal, I cooked a spicy tofu and asparagus stirfry. The recipe comes from Vegan Fire and Spice.  The meal was good, but I wasn’t blown away by it.  It wasn’t spicy.  I added more red pepper flakes to my serving.  I was glad the asparagus stayed crispy.  There is nothing worse than soggy asparagus.  The stirfry was served with noodles, a side salad and dessert.

Dessert!  That was the best part of this meal.  Holy tofu Batman!  I made a peanut butter cup cake for dessert.  Usually I do not make dessert during the week, but since I was sent a vegan dessert cookbook to review I decided to make this delicious cake.  It was moist and perfect.  I could not find one thing wrong with this cake.  The ingredients were simple and the cake tastes like the title.  You feel like you are eating chocolate peanut butter cups in cake form.  Heaven in your mouth.  I am going to make some cookies this weekend from the book and some type of cake or cheesecake next week for the co-op.  I feel I cannot write a proper review on the book without trying at least a handful of recipes.

Last night we were served Indian food.  The dish was Aloo Gabi and dry-cooked garbazo beans on a bed of sauteed mustard and turnip greens with a side of chipatis and brownies for dessert.  I love Indian food and this meal was cooked to perfection.  The mustard greens and chickpeas were a great flavor combination. The Aloo Gabi which is cauliflower and potatoes cooked in Indian spices were seasoned and sauteed to create a dish that would satisfy even the pickiest of palates.  The brownies were moist and dark with just the amount of pecans to enhance their taste without nut overkill.

Arthur informed me that his Decepticon was trying to steal the brownie. 

Monday night we were served spaghetti and “meat”balls with a side salad.  This was a great dish and I was even more impressed that it was cooked by one of the husbands in the co-op.  Not to say that men can’t cook.  It’s just that Josh can’t cook.  So, I am always impressed when a husband cooks dinner.  Actually, let me restate that one.  He can cook, but it takes forever and he sometimes forgets a step or two.  He is not good at multi-tasking and when he has tried to cook for us, the meal takes a good 2-3 hours before it is ready.  And these are meals that should take 45 minutes or less.  He will tell you that he is bad in the kitchen and that is why he leaves the cooking to me.

Well I am off to give the boys a bath and have storytime.  Hope you have a lovely evening.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys

Soup’s on…..

I created a recipe over the weekend.  That is the only downfall to the dinner co-op.  I haven’t created any new recipes in a while.  I am happy to say, this one was a winner.  A friend was making a poblano chicken chowder and I thought, “Poblano would be good.  Roasted poblano would be better!”  And believe me, it was.  It was delicious.  Spicy and creamy, a perfect soup for the cold weather we have been having here lately.  So, here you have it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Roasted Poblano Chowder

 

olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 poblanos, roasted and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 c carrots, sliced

1 jalapeno, chopped (optional, if you like it spicy)

1c pototoes, diced

1c corn

1t black pepper

2t salt

3t cumin

3c seitan, sauteed in oil until crispy, cut into bite-size pieces

1 bunch cilantro, chopped-use leaves only

8c veg broth

1-12oz container “sour” cream

1c flour

1/2c margarine

In a stock pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add celery, carrots, jalapeno, potatoes, and corn. Saute another 5 minutes. Add poblanos and spices, stir. Add broth, “sour” cream, cilantro and seitan. Bring to a boil, once it starts to boil, turn down to a simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. While the chowder is simmering, in a skillet, melt the margarine. Whisk in the flour, do not brown the flour/margarine mix. Remove 1 cup of broth from the chowder, whisk into margarine/flour mix. Once the cup of broth is incorporated, add another cup, whisk again until well blended. Pour into the stockpot. Simmer chowder for another 5-10 minutes until it has thickened. Serve with a crusty bread. **To roast poblanos, insert a fork in the poblano and hold it over the gas burner until the flesh of the pablano turns black. Enjoy.

Lucky for me, I was able to create another recipe over the weekend.  It is simple but tasty.  I wanted a frito pie.  They are so good.  If you have not tried one, you are missing out on a delicious Southern dish.  It is corn chips with chili and cheese on top.  Well in my case, vegan cheeze sauce or shredded vegan cheese.  I opted for a cheeze sauce.  It was so good and hit the spot.  The chili came together quickly and can be made spicy or mild.

Simple yet Satisfying Chili

1c dried pinto beans, cooked and drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1c corn

1-24oz jar tomato puree

1c tvp chunks

1 1/2c water or veggie broth

2T chili powder

1t salt

1t garlic salt

1/2t black pepper

2t red pepper flakes

In a pot, saute the onion and garlic in oil.  Add all the other ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.  Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until TVP chunks are tender.  Stir often.  Enjoy!

Frito pie covered in cheeze sauce and topped with chopped onion.  All that was missing is the pickled jalapeno slices.

I also made coconut chocolate chip cookies over the weekend.  Arthur wanted a picture of Batman holding the cookie.  How could I say “no”?

Friday night was our usual pizza night.  I forgot to take a picture.  I made a cheeze pizza for the boys and a sundried tomato artichoke heart pizza for me and Josh.

Thursday for our co-op meal, we were delivered a chickpea spinach curry.  It was served with a side of brown rice and baked pears for dessert.  The curry was so good.  Adam liked it as well.   And the pears were divine.  You can’t beat baked pears.  They are delicious.

Are any of you watching the Super Bowl?  I’m sure a few of you are.  Do you have a menu planned for it?  Josh put in a request.  Here is our Super Bowl Menu:   tempeh wingz, fresh veggies with a homemade vegan ranch dip, nachos, sweet potato fries and some type of unhealthy vegan dessert. 

Well, I am off to do my weekly breakfast baking.  This week I am baking mocha chip muffins, mueseli and carrot pineapple muffins for the boys.   

My two cutie pies.

peas and love….
Krys and the boys