Baked Taco Ring

Another quick and easy recipe that's one of my kids' absolute favorites!
In fact this whole post was my Middle Sprout's idea!

Now, I realize the original idea for this dish (meat-wrapped-in-dough-in-a-ring-shape) probably came from some Midwestern Church Potluck and was not even remotely vegan or "taco"-like... then Pampered Chef cookware consultants grabbed the idea because the recipe went so well with their round stoneware baking pans - and was quick and easy to impress customers...
Well, you know me... give me any good ol' omni recipe and I'm gonna do my darndest to vegan-ize it. And this, I must say, turned out pretty good! And like I said, it's one of my kids' favorites, to both bake AND eat so...

My disclaimer: just know this isn't the healthiest thing in the world (oh, get over it!) and it only graces our table when my daughters are doing the cooking and menu-planning...

And another point to note:

The recipe uses Crescent Roll dough, the kind in the refridgerated, poppin'-fresh tubes tubes.
Don't freak out.

Several brands are actually vegan, believe it or not!
Yes, they have lots of artificial stuff and weirdness which I can't pronounce, (I said "vegan" not healthy!)
but read the label of your chosen brand carefully. You may be surprised. (I use the generic ones from our supermarket - they at least have LESS artificial everything than some name brands...).

If you WANTED (and were insanely ambitious), you could mix up your own whole-grain biscuit or bread-dough and use it to wrap the filling.
That would be awesome.... and require way more time and patience and bread-making expertise than I have at the moment.

I like this recipe just as it is though - because it's quick and easy and my kids can make it. No apologies.
SO...
Here's the recipe and (as you can see) step-by-step photos; because putting this together can be tricky, but it's also half the fun!

Vegan Taco Ring

1/2 Package Boca Crumbles or aprox 1 cup crumbled soy burger
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn (I use canned just cause it's more convenient)
1/2 cup pinto or black beans
1 cup shredded cheddar soy cheese
2 8 oz pkgs. refrigerated crescent roll dough

Garnish:
lettuce, shredded
1 med. tomato, cubed
small onion, chopped
black olives, sliced
salsa
Tofutti sour cream
Crumble the burger, rice, salsa, corn and beans into a frying pan.
Before turning on the heat, mash the mixture together well with a potato masher OR your hands (my kids use their hands!).

When well combined and a bit 'sticky', turn on heat and add soy cheese.

Stir over med. heat until cheese starts to melt and get sticky.
Set aside 'meat' mixture while laying out crescent roll dough.

To make a 'ring': Arrange crescent triangles in a circle on a 13" baking sheet, with dough triangle bases overlapping in center, and points to outside (there should be a 3-inch diameter circle in center). See pictures.

Spoon meat mixture in a circle over dough (as shown in our handy-dandy picture!)
Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under base at center (filling will not be completely covered).
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Pile lettuce in the center, and garnish with whatever other goodies you like -we have a tomato hater so we couldn't put those on for the picture, they sure look pretty when you DO have them, however...

Serve in wedges and add more toppings if you want. Yum!

Happy Memorial Day; and a recipe for Mahogany Seitan "Riblets"

Woke up this morning to 40 degrees and POURING rain and yet it sounded like someone mowing my yard... "WHAT THE HECK?" I thought in my sleep-befuddled state.

Turns out my Dad and my Uncle felt the need to surprise me with some yardwork (That was sadly LONG LONG overdue on my part!). Aren't they hilariously cute in their old-guy hats and plaid shirts? And isn't my yard a jungle!?!

Well, the weather wasn't co-operating, but being of hearty Russian stock, they decided to have a go, even in the miserableness of a Washington downpour. Needless to say, I was thrilled to get the three-foot-tall lawn mowed (but oh why so EARLY?).

The story behind this, my mower broke for the final time, last fall, and I kept saying I'll get a new one, after THIS bill is paid or THAT bill... you know how it goes.

Then, I thought I'd find some teen-age neighbor kid who'd like to make a few bucks, but do you think any of the perfectly nice, but I'm sure juvenile delinquent hoodlums in my neighborhood could be motivated by the measly pittance I could pay, or better yet, even knew how to MOW a lawn? Ha! Finally by the end of May, I wasn't sure WHAT I was going to do!

So that was my wake-up call this morning. Thanks Dad and Donnie. It's AWESOME!

<-- My Little Sprout was thrilled 'cause she got to spend the morning with her cousin while the guys mowed out in the rain and damp. (Who knew you could mow in a downpour!)

Anyway, we're going to a picnic this afternoon (the sky is clear now!) Hopefully it'll be a little warmer or we can bundle up...

I'm making my much-requested Mahogany Glazed Seitan "Riblets". These little things are addictive and people gobble them up like cocktail weenies! (Only, I never liked cocktail weenies and these are so much better for you!)

Mahogany Glazed Seitan "Riblets"

1/2 cup Chinese hoisin sauce (or Chinese BBQ sauce)
1/2 cup tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup honey (or molasses or agave nectar, depending on how intense you want the flavor)

1/4 cup Chinese plum sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry (or white wine)

1/4 cup cider vinegar
5 large cloves garlic
1 Lb. mild (like "chicken") flavored seitan cut into finger-size strips.

In a blender or food processor puree together all ingredients except the seitan.

Combine with seitan in large ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight if possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a large shallow baking pan with foil.

Set a large cake rack inside the pan.

Arrange seitan strips on the rack.

Roast 1 to 1 1/4 hours, turning often and basting with marinade.

Then turn oven up to 450 for about 10 minutes to crisp if needed - they may be chewy enough at this point, check one to make sure.

Serve warm or at room temperature with little toothpicks if you like.

These are SO yummy as leftovers (if you have any!).

They make a great BBQ pork substitute in fried rice as well!

And... it's a great way to use up that homemade seitan experiment that didn't turn out quite as you wished.

Happy Holiday Weekend everyone!

I Want To Go Here...

OK, so there's this place we passed on our way home from Saturday Market, we didn't stop because we were in a hurry.

But I was curious, and got some more information...

Chevy's Dog House Diner

If you're ever in Puyallup: 106 West Main Puyallup, WA 98371 (253) 770-0414

Look at me, I'm giving them a plug and I know hardly anything about them, but hey - I'm all about treating our doggy friends royally too, so why not?
They serve doggie treats (even doggie cakes!) for your dog, and hot dogs for the humans... Alas no vegan dogs here, but I still think the concept is cool, so I'm gonna stop by and talk to them next weekend when we're at Saturday Market...

Layered Bean Dip, and Confetti Corn Bread

Just a few ideas from today's lunch potluck with friends...

My version of "7-Layer Dip" always changes a bit according to what I have on hand, but today it turned out SO YUMMY!

Layered Mexican Bean Dip
In a 9 X 11 baking pan I layered:

• Tofutti Sour "cream"
• salsa
• drained canned corn
• refried beans
• Tofutti Sour "cream
• guacamole
• alfalfa sprouts
• vegan (FYH) cheese shreds
• chopped bell pepper and sliced olives

Chill over night and serve.

It was a huge hit, but I sorta thought the alfalfa sprouts made it a bit weird and "stringy"... must have been just me, 'cause the pan was almost licked clean!! Use whatever you have on hand though - that's the beauty of this dish!

Next up, cornbread.
My aunt, who lives in Iowa, and is NOT vegan in any way, shape or form, sent me a winning cornbread recipe from their state fair a couple years back. She was so excited (and I think amazed) that it was a vegan recipe... so of course I had to try it.

It was awesome, (those Iowa people sure do know their cornbread!) but being me, I had to tweak and play and change things around...

Here's my (renamed) version.

Confetti Cornbread

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1 Cup white flour
• 1 Cup fine ground cornmeal
• 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup vegan sour "cream" or soy yogurt
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 Cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green pepper
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
• 1 minced jalapeno
• 1/4 cup canned, drained corn kernels
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar-style vegan cheese
  

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease 8 X 8 glass baking dish lightly.
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, sour "cream, vinegar and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth (do not overbeat.).

Add peppers, corn and shredded cheese, stir well just to incorporate.
Turn into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve. (My kids like salsa on the side, so that's what we use - traditionally I think people prefer honey or butter?).

Bindi Masala, Pakoras and an Indian Restaurant too!

Froggy and I went to an Indian Restaurant a couple weeks ago, and it was SOO good.
Pabla Indian Cuisine is an all-vegetarian Indian restaurant, (it's certified kosher, even!) not far from here, in Renton, WA. Possibly one of my favorite places ever! Everything we've ever had there has been just wonderful! There are a few non-vegan dishes on the menu, but if you tell them "No dairy" they know EXACTLY how to do your dinner.

As you can see from the table-full, we couldn't decide, and ended up with PUH-LENTY to take home as delicious leftovers!!

At any rate, this delicious dinner inspired our Indian food tonight. (And more importantly, creative ways to use up some veggies.) My oldest isn't a huge okra fan, though she will eat it this way.


Both of the following recipes are originally from... somewhere... but over the past few years, I've added, tweaked, adjusted, strayed far from the original - to make them exactly the way our family likes them. They're super easy too, which is always a 'plus' in this house! I do tend to keep quite a few Indian spices around though, which makes these easy to throw together...

Bindi (Okra) Masala

2 tablespoons peanut or light olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 inches fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt
1 can chopped, stewed tomatos (*gasp!* or about 2 large fresh ones)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 lbs. fresh, small okra, rinsed well, patted dry and tops trimmed flat
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (I admit I buy this blend already-mixed, from an Indian Spice Market in Seattle- however, making your own is WONDERFUL and recipes abound on the Internet)

Grind ginger and garlic into a paste using a small food processor.
Heat oil in large skillet, over medium heat, add onions, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, okra, and green peppers.
If the veggies and seasonings appear dry, add 1/4 cup water. (I like mine a bit on the 'soupy' side) Add garam masala, and cooked covered, 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with rice. Yum.

Bengali Cauliflower Pakoras

1 head of Cauliflower, cut into small florets
Make the batter:
¾ cup chickpea (besan) flour
¼ cup rice flour (or half cornstarch and half wheat flour)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (again, I buy mine already mixed, but making your own is easy too!)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon Asafoetida powder (also known as "hing") this is optional - it's very authenitc and tasty but I can't STAND the smell of the stuff!
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 cup water, approximately

Sift the besan flour, rice flour and spices into a bowl. The rice flour gives an extra crispy result but you can use just besan flour or substitute part cornstarch and part wheat flour for the rice flour

Mix dry ingredients well. Stir in the water - you want the batter to look like thick cream. I estimate 1½ cups, but it will vary as all flours react differently.
Place a few florets into the batter and as you remove them, shake any excess batter from them - you just want a light covering.

The oil should be around 300°F but if you don't have a thermometer, that's OK, it'll be fine too.
Gently place the pakora into the hot oil, they should start to sizzle right away, then turn the temperature down a little to allow the cauliflower to cook without the batter burning.
When golden (about 1 - 2 minutes), remove onto paper towels to drain.Repeat the process until all the pakora are cooked. Serve while still hot - mint chutney (see below) is awesome with this!

Fresh Mint Chutney

2 ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 slice (1-1/2-inch) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ Jalapeno chili, minced
5 teaspoon tamarind paste (or lime juice)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice (omit is using lime juice above)

Blend everything in food processor until thick and well blended. Serve chilled, with Indian foods, especially the hot stuf!

ENJOY!

"Saigon Rendezvous" - Vietnamese Lunch in Olympia

Another oh-so-opinionated, narrow-minded restaurant review. :P I swear I do eat at home too - more recipes to come soon!

So, my friend, 'Froggy' and I had lunch today at Saigon Rendezvous, a Vietnamese restaurant (some reviews list it as Korean) a short drive from here, in Olympia, Washington. We'd heard it had a great selection (several pages!) of vegetarian and faux meat menu items, so we were pretty excited.

But sometimes the anticipation doesn't match the hype. I hate to say it, but we were very much disappointed. It's not a bad little place; clean, fast service, fresh veggies, lots of options for veg and omni alike - but I would classify the menu offerings as "generic 1050's-style Chinese", nothing that we saw on the menu even remotely resembled "Vietnamese" or "Korean" options that we've had at other places.

And maybe we ordered the wrong things or the kitchen was having an off day, but aside from a couple items, most of our selections were bland, greasy and overcooked.

All the faux meats were exactly the same; flat, chewy rehydrated TVP product, just covered with different sauces - and the tofu was small mushy flavorless pieces that seemed like they'd been added as an afterthought. Bummer!

If I sound like a disgruntled restaurant reviewer, I'm not trying to, I think you could get a decent meal here; we just didn't hit the culinary jackpot today. Such is life.

But all was not lost.

The company was great, and though it wasn't the best dinner I've ever had, it was edible and it was vegan! That's better than a lot of places I could have gone!

And you gotta love this - the fortune in my cookie made the whole dinner worth while! Sweeeeeet!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

My girls made me breakfast in bed this morning! Might not look like much, but I'm mighty impressed because we had basically NOTHING edible in the house (I was planning on spending Mother's Day at the grocery store! Yay me!).

Not only that, but they made this wonderfully tasty tofu-scramble (with no directions from me) and topped it with a drizzle of ketchup, JUST exactly how I like it! THEN they took this picture because they know I'm always taking pictures of everything food-like around here. (They wouldn't let me take a picture of THEM holding my yummy breakfast. Silly girls!) Anyway, it was a perfect breakfast, made by perfect kids and my Mother's Day was wonderful! I hope each of you spent it doing something special, whether you're a Mom or not!

In other news, I'd like to claim THIS as the reason why I haven't blogged (or commented) much lately... the cat has decided to try out the laptop as his new lounging spot. Now how could I possibly disturb him when he looks so content? Hmmmmm.....

Brunch last Sunday...

Wheeeeee!

Had an amazing and totally vegan brunch at Tacoma's Hillside Quickie Too last Sunday with my friend, Froggy. How I love going out with friends who enjoy vegan food as much as I do!

OK, Hillside is a little hole-in-the-wall "vegan soul food" restaurant that I just HAD to blog about!!! (They don't exactly have a website, but tons of rave reviews all over the web if you're interested... ).

Not sure how many of you from the greater Pacific Northwest read this blog, but if you're in the area, you GOTTA go!!

Hillside Quickie restaurants (Seattle and Tacoma) are run by siblings from Tacoma, WA. Their mother, a follower of the Rastafarian religion and diet, began a wholesale vegan food business several decades ago.

The menus mainly feature sandwiches and wraps filled with some sort of flavored tofu, tempeh or seitan. Some of the more interesting choices include the Mama Africa which is a quinoa millet burger, the Fire Roasted Yam which comes with smoked seitan and smoked yams, and the Big Fish, a mock fish burger made with breaded tempeh.

They are probably best know for their organic, gourmet vegan sandwiches, especially at the Seattle location(s? I think there are two in Seattle now). From reading reviews on the web, I don't think many people even know about their marvelous Sunday brunch...

Brunch isn't off the menu; you are seated, and served blueberry coffee-cake, juice, coffee and a plate FULL of dee-lish home-fried potatoes, grits, tempeh, spicy fried tofu, spiced apples and...um...other things I can't even remember but it was wonderful!! If it sounds like a lot, well, it is... *burp*

I didn't even THINK to take pictures until we were finished (doesn't Froggy look content and satisfied reading his Sunday paper?) Anyway, if you're into myspace, you can see mouthwatering pictures of many of their goodies here, and fellow blogger Candi visited and took pictures last fall too! There are also pastries, cookies and daily specials including their Macaroni & Yease (made with nutritional yeast. I've had it before too - SOOO yum!).

So, yeah, that's basically all - if you're ever in Tacoma, Washington, you absolutely MUST, MUST, MUST stop here and partake.

Gnocchi with Tempeh in Gravy

This gnocchi is so simple!
Basically, several years ago, I just took a regular recipe and omitted the eggs... and it still turned out fine! Which sort of surprised me.

It's now a standard "warm and cozy" comfort-food supper for us.
Here's all that's left in the serving bowl when I jumped up to go get my camera... (pout).

Gnocchi

(the best way to explain how it's pronounced is: "nyucky").

Peel, and then boil eight medium sized potatoes.
Drain and mash well.
Add 1.5 to 2 cups (12 to 16 oz) of flour, and mix gently until everything sticks together but does not stick to your hands.
(My Grandma says the more you knead, the more flour you'll end up needing, and the more flour you use, the more heavy the gnocchi become. You don't want heavy gnocchi)!
So take the dough and off hunks, and roll into 1/2" ropes.
Cut into half-inch pieces, and dust with flour. Roll each piece over the back of a fork to make ridges if you want them - I usually skip this, even if it is a traditional step...
(Besides, it's tricky. You smoosh the piece against the fork tines, then roll it down and off the fork).
Drop gnocchi into boiling salted water.
When they float to the surface (2-3 mins later) they're done.

Tempeh in Mushroom Gravy

Slice 15 med. size mushrooms and sautee in olive oil until cooked.

Take 1 package tempeh and cut into small cubes. Add to pan with mushrooms. Simmer in 1/2 cup white wine until liquid has absorbed and reduced. (About 10 min.).

Add 1 1/2 cups of "beef-style" brown vegetable broth (or vegan bullion powder mixed with 1 1/2 cup water) and bring to a simmer.

Mix 1 Tb. cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and pour into simmering broth/tempeh. Stir with wire whisk over med. heat until gravy thickens and bubbles. Taste and adjust seasonings if you want.

Pour over well-drained gnocchi. Garnish with chopped parsley if you want to be all fancy.

Asian Market Finds

We had to go into the city for a few errands this weekend, so we stopped by one of our favorite places; the Asian Market. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo. (Kidding! That was my kids' comment...) Anyway, I love the place because I always find all sorts of inexpensive, yummy - and vegan - goodies.

Just thought I'd post some pictures of our favorites...

Here's my daughter's first choice: Vegetable Dumplings (or steamed buns) filled with mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, leeks and TVP - just steam and serve... simple, low-fat and filled with veggies my kids will actually eat - always good in my book!

Next up: Look at these boxes!

They are Japanese, marketed just for tofu storage, and they were 50 cents each! It's a 3-pc. set consisting of box, lid and mesh insert to hold the tofu. They fit my bricks of fresh tofu nicely (which I also get at the market, in bulk). I'd always had a problem with decent storage for bulk tofu though; ziploc bags were drippy and a pain, and I hadn't found any plastic containers that were a good fit - but these are perfect - and reuseable! The insert helps you pick up the tofu up out of the water without fishing around breaking the tofu and making a mess with water draining all over the place. Yes, I have these problems sometimes, you probably don't. Anyway, as you can see, I immediately put them to good use. (I know, I get WAY too excited over simple things...)

Korean sesame candy - usually this stuff comes in a big bag; dry, crunchy and individually wrapped, but this stuff's made fresh! Chewy, nutty candy made primarily with peanuts and white or black sesame seeds, it tastes a lot like very nutty peanut brittle. Oh my gosh, I could eat this stuff long after it was good for me. (though sesame seeds are a great source of calcium and protein, so I figure that's a great excuse!!).

Canned mock meats and coconut milk. The mock meats seem weird in a can, I know, but they're surprisingly very good! Read the labels of course but these are just chunks of seitan in a broth - great in stir-fry or curry.

Then there's this: "Seattle Ramen". You gotta LOVE it!!

It's the store's own brand of "Top Ramen" noodle soup (which is just the model health food, I realize), but the 'Hot and Spicy' variety here happened to be vegan, so we couldn't resist picking up a few packages...

Vegetarian Potluck. Sweet and Sour "Meat" Balls. Yum!

Tonight the older Sprouts and I went to a potluck/BBQ farewell dinner, for our Youth Pastor.

He and his wife are wonderful and supportive friends to our family, and they will be greatly missed - especially by my kids who participated in so many awesome youth-group activities of which he was a part of, or had organised and planned...

Why is this in my Vegetarian Family blog? Several reasons. First - the potluck was vegetarian because Pastor W. and his wife are both vegetarian (and major "extreme-sports" enthusiasts, both of which my kids think are totally cool!). Yay!

Everyone who came brought vegetarian food! SOOO cool! Lots of salads and fruit - I know there were some people there who really had to stretch their imaginations to come up with something animal-free, but that's OK. I won't fault them for lack of creativity. There were also a lot of amazing vegetarian dishes and stuff too! (and I even had plenty that was actually, or accidentally, vegan to choose from too!) which was so great!

Before dinner, Pastor W. gave a short thank-you and farewell speech which sortof turned into a sermon, (he's a pastor, after all!) but that was OK with all of us - he's incredible to listen to, and what he had to say really impressed me tonight.

(OK, if you're not a church-y type person, I understand and you can skip to the end here, because I may ramble a bit...)

• We've heard it said that our bodies are a temple. This is actually something Paul said (1 Cor 3:16-17). A temple is a sanctuary or dwelling place for God, and if we want God in us, we need to take care of our bodies - watch what goes into our minds AND our bodies... He (the Pastor) went on to talk about keeping our lives clean and on the right track. He was of course talking to the kids about what they watched and listened to and not doing drugs, smoking and all that, but he also managed to get in a plug for vegetarianism, saying how much better he feels as a vegetarian.

Of course he said it better and much more interesting-ly. But all this in a short farewell talk! Yay.

The part about our bodies being a temple I liked especially though, even if I've heard it before. As a vegan, what I put into my body is such an important part of who I am and what I believe. I care a great deal about animals and how they are treated, but I am also interested in veganism for my health and because I care what goes into my body. Yes, there will be people who argue whether or not you're vegan if it's just about health - that's not what I'm getting at here - I just thought it was great to hear someone so many kids look up to and admire, casually integrate being vegetarian into his talk without being "preachy" or turning it into a religious thing...

So anyway, enough.
Here's what I brought:

Sweet and Sour Seitan Meatballs

2 cups cooked seitan - great way to use up whatever recipe you have!
3 slices bread made into breadcrumbs in food processor (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup green pepper, minced (in food processor is fine)

1/4 cup finely ground pecans
1/3 cup mushrooms, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 3 Tbsp. soymilk

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup apricot jam
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup minced onion
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Make meatballs:
Grind bread and seitan in food processor and put in mixing bowl. Place the minced green pepper, mushroom, onion, basil, nuts and oregano in the mixing bowl. Mix soymilk and flax into a goo and mix with other ingredients. It should hold together like firm playdough at this point - if needed adjust soymilk, or breadcrumbs or add a wee bit of gluten flour if you have it....

Next, take approximately 2 tablespoons of the seitan mixture and form it into balls. Place the balls on a platter. Fry the balls, several at a time, until brown and crispy on the outside. ***EDIT** (Or at this point, put in the oven and bake for 20 min. or so until firm.) Remove the balls and drain on paper towels. If you choose to bake them, keep an EYE on them - they can get VERY dry and hard quite quickly.
Do not put too many balls in the oil at one time, as it lowers the temperature of the oil and causes the balls to become soggy and fall apart. Continue until all the balls are done.

Place in a baking dish.

Make sauce:

Whisk together the vegetable oil, vinegar, apricot jam, ketchup, 1/4 cup onion, and hot pepper sauce. Pour over meatballs.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until meatballs are firm, and sauce is thick and bubbly.

(Mine got overdone in the picture above, but were still YUMMY!)

These were snorted down by everyone there, and I had so many requests for the recipe...

Scones for Supper!

We had a rough day!

I decided to just make some comfort food and everyone's favorite treat tonight for supper; Blueberry Scones and tea.

I know, not much of a supper but it's all we were in the mood for.

It also gave me a chance to use up some of last summer's blueberries I found lingering in the freezer.

I thought they turned out rather purdy...

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp vegan margarine

1/3 cup soymilk

egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup powdered sugar

juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in margarine.

Make a well in the middle, add soydrink and egg replacer.

Mix with a fork to form a soft dough. Add frozen blueberries.

Stir carefully.

Shape into 2 discs about 3/4" thick.

Cut each disc into quarters.

Put on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown.

Make glaze: Mix powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to form a medium thin glaze. (A teaspoon or two, but it doesn't take much)

Drizzle over scones.

Serve warm with vegan margarine and/or jam and of course, hot tea! :swoon:

Good-Bye Chelsie

Sorry for the lack of posts. Our little Boston, Chelsie, has been in poor health and gone rapidly downhill the last few days. She wasn't in any pain but meds to help her heart just weren't working any more...

She died this morning about 5: am peacefully in her sleep, right next to my daughter's bed where she loved to sleep.
At least she didn't have to go off to some scary, unfamiliar vet's office at the end; she was sleeping, she wasn't in pain and she was with people she loved...
Chelsie had been in our family for over 12 years - as long as my kids can remember, so even though we were somewhat expecting it, it's still never easy. Especially for my middle daughter. Chelsie was very much HER dog...

We had just gotten photos taken at a studio last week. I'm so glad! They'll be wonderful memories for all of us. (I purchased the negatives, just in case someone starts wondering about copyright permission and all...). If you have a chance, GO! Get pictures taken with your favorite furry friend! It's SO worth it!!

Hug your pets and your kids tight tonight. Life is too short!