Time Warp Salad

Way back when, in a land of 8 track cassettes, iron on band tee shirts and bands called Iron Butterfly...back when tiny sawdusted hippie granola stores were the only places this veggie kid could slop together something kind to eat... mostly fresh peanut butter and carob rice cakes... Yeah way back when, my sister Heidels and I turned orange. And No... our orange tint wasn't from some Timothy Leary- Jerry Garcia sunshiny thing either. And no one of those primordial QT tan tubes didn't do it either. Remember those things? My mom tried QT on her tennis tan- white feet first. This gave her George Hamilton tootsies. Boy oh boy fake tans have come along way. No sirree no QT for Heidels and me. And still one day we woke up looking like a couple of tangerines.
We put our two noggins together and explored our furnished Los Angeles apartment for the culprit. Hmmm- no radiation leak. We had traded our screwdrivers and "tango" in for tequila so orange juice wasn't the problem. Where were we last night anyway? Our detective work didn't last long. We needed some strong ass coffee fast. Besides we reasoned, maybe everybody looks like "Tang" in LA.  Grab your shades, Heidels, my heads pounding let's go get some Joe. We got in Heidel's bug with the sunroof and were off.

Breakfast
GiGi: We'd like a pot of the strongest coffee you got.
Heidels: And a couple of margaritas.
GiGi: Ooh look they have carrot juice.
Heidels: Oh yeah and 2 large carrot juices. We're dehydrated.
GiGi: And look this is the place with the best carrot salad ever. Lets get 2 quarts to take home.
Heidels: Here's to vitamin D.
GiGi: And A.
Heidels: Gotta stogey?
GiGi: Yeah. Here you go, you grub.
Wow I forgot how much I love carrot salad. Really. Let's reinvent the decade!

I paired the carrot salad with a kashi and bow tie recipe from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet,(great book), and topped the kashi with vegan sour cream. The flavors all really complimented each other. You're delicious, said the carrot salad. No, you are scrumptious, said the kashi. The bow ties remained mum. Yuk. Yuk.

Flashback Carrot Salad
Ingredients:
•3 cups grated carrots
•1/2 cup raisins
•1/2 cup vegenaise
•2T agave

•1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple

Add all ingredients except fruit to a large bowl and stir until combined well. Chill. I mean really. Just chill, man.

MoFo 28 the swan song

I realize that yesterday's post should have been my official MoFo wrap up party, but I just had to sneak one more post in before the official swansong. Or casual goodbye 'til I come back and post in December.

December you say? Surely, you want to stay away longer than that, GiGi.
Yeah, well I might, but I'm not real good at goodbyes. So MoFo must go on! Forever! I will post everyday for the rest of my life. I promise.
Crap, who am I kidding? I can't pull the hemp over your eyes. Getting to play and read with other vegans has been a blast, but yep I'm a teensy tired.
I'm so freakin tired that I thought tonight was the first night of the Festival of Lights. I even lit a tea candle, and made mock chopped liver and Israeli couscous. Of course, we had down home banana puddin' for dessert which kind of ruined the Festival of Lights vibe, but is kind of okay because my mom's a shiksa. Maybe I mixed up Festivus with Festival of Lights.
Feh. Dinner was quite good no matter what my blood line is.

Vegan Chopped "Live"

Israeli Couscous with Apricots,Cranberries and Pistachios

I really hope you will continue to hang with me here at Veganville. Hope I can continue to read all the blogs I've so enjoyed reading. Happy holidays everybody! xo

Hoops and Basmati Rice Pudding

My tummy is doing tricks and looks like a basketball. The Harlem Globetrotters want to recruit my tummy. Our dribble is very good too. I told the Harlem Globetrotters' scout that my tummy and me could not play every game. The tummy needs consistent carbs to be bouncable, specifically Basmati Coconut Rice Pudding and besides my tummy and me get somewhat drowsy after the first lay-up. Basmati Coconut Rice Pudding is an interesting dinner choice, even for me and said tummy. I must say it was very satisfying, (of course filling and comforting), and the aroma of Basmati Rice cooking is tantalizing. For all you raisin haters and coconut cringers out there you can just leave that stuff out. I hope my hubby doesn't roll us out with the garbage. Me and tummy are holding out for the NBA offer.
I've included a lovely side salad in case you want more sustenance and a drop of veggie before the playoffs. (My student Mo shredded those carrots for me and made the awesome dressing in cooking class)

Basmati Coconut Rice Pudding (serves 4 - 6 generous portions)
1 1/2 C  Basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
2 C  Water
2 T  Earth Balance
2/3 C Agave plus about 1/4 C more to sprinkle over the parfait glasses when filled

1 1/4 14 oz cans lite coconut milk - I like Trader Joe's brand
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 T non-alcoholic  vanilla
1 C Raisins
4 T Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Add rinsed and drained basmati rice and water to pot.  Add 2 T EB. Bring to a boil. Lower flame to a simmer, (low), and cover. Cook rice about 21 minutes more. No peeking or lifting that lid...it will screw up the rice big time. After your timer has dinged, now go ahead lift the lid... what are you waiting for? Stir in 1 can of coconut milk, 2/3 C of agave, vanilla and raisins and cinnamon. Let stand 20 minutes, or refrigerate. When ready, spoon into parfait glasses or fancy pants bowls and add 1 T of agave, a drizzle of coconut milk to each vessel, (Oh you know what I mean), pour a generous tablespoon of coconut milk over each "vessel, or glass or bowl". Add coconut if so desired.

Simple Asian Side Salad With Sesame Dressing

1 Package of Butter Lettuce

2 Celery stalks chopped

1 Carrot grated

TJ's Roasted Seaweed Snacks

chopped peanuts, or cashews (optional)

a handful of bean sprouts (optional)

Sesame Dressing

1/2 C canola oil

3 T toasted sesame oil

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

3 T soy sauce

1 T agave

Gomasio

Divide butter lettuce evenly amongst salad plates. Top with carrots, celery and other fixings.

Whisk all dressing ingredients in bowl. Drizzle dressing over each salad and sprinkle with Gomasio. Garnish with TJ's Roasted Seaweed Snack.

Now go shoot some hoops.

My Blog for "Life in Recipes" (carrot cookie sandwiches)

A while back, Janet and Rachel invited me to be a guest blogger. I’m really excited to be here at Life Told in Recipes. I just hope they remembered that I was coming. I noticed that other guest bloggers received some interview questions and a lead in. I flew all the way from Veganville too. Veganville is my place in cyber land. I’m a vegan food and fashion writer, sometimes irreverent essayist. I’m also the owner of Veganville a small vegan baking and cooking company in Berkeley, California. Hmmm wonder where they are…

Since I’m here, I’d like to mention that I never proselytize but merely expose some truths about certain industries. Today, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about my experience with Martha.

Martha is a thug! There was a time when Martha thrived on sustainable ingredients but that was before she did time in the pokey. I’m sure you’ve heard about her famous ketchup packets and cigarette butt gazpacho by now, but I bet you didn’t know that while doing time, Martha also made eyeliner from peas. She fenced a lot of local ingredients and always composted while in the yard. Martha stopped eating the green meat and slimy eggs and was one step away from Veganhood when she was released.

This was the first cake she asked for on the outside.

It’s made with 582 eggs. Think of the chickens Martha, they are not as free range as you think. There’s a lot of crowding and barbed wire going on in those places, Martha. Think of a prison for chickens. I think I might have heard Martha cackle “I don’t care GiGi - I’m out”.
I took the liberty to veganize some Martha cookies.


Martha’s in the Big House Carrot Sandwich Cookies
2 Sticks Earth Balance softened
1 Cup Organic Brown Sugar
¼ C Water mixed with 3 tsp egg replacer
2 C unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp allspice
2 C rolled oats
1.5 C grated carrots
1 C raisin
Preheat Oven to 350. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. Cream together Earth Balance and both sugars on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg replacer and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices in separate bowl. Add gradually to Earth balance mix and mix until combined. Mix in oats, carrots and raisins until just blended. Shape a T of dough (a small ice cream scoop works well) into balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely before filling.
Vegan cream cheez
¼ C Earth Balance (softened)
¼ C Tofutti (softened)
2 C vegan confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla
Cream Earth Balance with Tofutti. Beat in confectioner’s sugar a half a cup at a time. Remember to scrape down the sides in between. Add vanilla last.
When the cookies are completely cool, spread about 1 T of vegan cream cheese on the bottom of one cookie and then sandwich it together with another. Enjoy!