Eat Peace Please Recipe Collection

So, I did the dirty work and managed to compile a years worth of my "new" recipes along with corresponding photos.

You can get to this page from my "about me" page, or you can simply follow the link.

http://eatpeacepleaserecipes.blogspot.com

I will try to be good and update frequently.

Note: These are only my own recipes. I adapt many from cookbooks, but these are either 1, completely my own, or 2, completely adapted.

I hope you all find this useful (I even have had to google my own recipes). Oh, and they are all labeled accordingly.

Behind the Apron

Welcome to Behind the Apron, presented here by me, Leslie. "Behind the Apron", was created by Fiber at 28 Cooks and is a compilation of bloggers faces, not just photos of our food. This photo of me was taken 1 mile away from the Grand Canyon (the South Rim).

A bit about me: I'm almost 26 years old, I was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Arizona when I was 18. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition (slash Food Service Management) from Arizona State University in 2005 and I love food, cooking and food science. Oh, and eating too. I care passionately about my impact on the world, hence my vegan diet and just my ways of life. I love animals, and all things and people of good nature. I enjoy music, particularly live music, and more specifically jazz/funk and music from around the world (like African drums and music from India). My favorite color is brown, but I don't have a lot of favorites. I like the simple things in life, yet complexity fascinates me too. Oh, and since you can't tell from the photos (unless you know me in real life), I'm barely 5 feet tall.

The photo above is at a music festival selling jewelry and organic aromatherapy pillows, all designed and handcrafted by me. I would love to learn how to crochet/knit one day soon.

And here you have my super cuteness below, Killian. What a guy! Killian is about 4 1/2 years old and about 16 pounds. He is the ultimate fatness and here he is, as per usual, hangin out in bed all day. There you have it... a bit about me.

Back on the Blog Wagon

I'm here. I'm alive. I'm just being a terrible blogger, oops. I have so much to post about!

Because so many of you have been wondering and asking, I am just letting you all know I am still alive, still in AZ, still waiting for spring to come, still cooking (and doing the dishes), still doing alright, and well... just "busy". Busy is in quotes because some of my busy-ness is laziness as well. I know I'll make up for it real soon... just you wait and see.

Happy, healthy and a peaceful New Year too.

African-Inspired Quinoa Peanut Soup

I thought I'd share this recipe today since I made it for the second time last night and really enjoyed it once again. This is African-Inspired (but not) Quinoa Peanut Soup from Nava Atlas' soup book. I seriously love this book, I have the newer all-vegan version. I tend to modify from it, but come on, what cookbook don't I do that from (maybe Dreena's?!). Anyway, this soup is more like a stew or a hearty protein-filled all-in-one bowl of goodness.

I created the soup the first time with a few modifications, specifically the following: I added paprika to the recipe, about a teaspoon. I also added a bunch of red pepper flakes to oomph up the spice. I didn't have zucchini and I didn't care, so I subbed one green thing for another, using a small bell pepper. I also had a yam instead of sweet potato, but at this point I am so confused as to what's what, I don't care what it is called... they are good, both yams and sweet potatoes. Finally, the last and what I think is the most important modification, is that I used a lot (like, a real lot, for me) of salt and pepper. I probably used at least a teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper (maybe more?) and at least 1-1.5 teaspoons of salt. The boullion I use is low-sodium, so that could be the reason I added more salt. Anyway, I swear, it's the salt that perks it up, which is weird because I usually don't say that about salt and spices. So, those were my modifications and it came out really earthy and good.

I like how this soup is creamy from the peanut butter and not runny because of the quinoa and at the same time it has a nice kick of spice. I like peanut butter with spicy foods, sort of reminding me of a Thai dipping sauce, but not. It is more like a regular veggie soup, just with a hint of pb kicked in. Vicki posted about this soup one time and said she didn't really care for it. I wonder if it was the spices (or just not a soup for her). She posted about this around the time when I first made this. I was hesitant during the cooking because it was a different recipe by a longshot than what I am used to... stirring peanut butter into a stew that seems to be "done" already? But that was the best part, seriously, this soup rocks! I made this soup again last night and used pretty much the same modifications:
I didn't have as chunky peanut butter. I grinded my own at the co-op yesterday and it was pretty smooth. I enjoyed it better the first time (peanut-wise) with more chunks. Yesterday I didn't add a green bell pepper, instead I added red and yellow and a few local green chilis. Yum! I also think I had a yam again, but I am still confused. All of these photos you see are from round one. I took photos last night but they pretty much look the same... just with more red and yellow. I highly suggest trying this soup. The flavors are unique and interesting and very tasty.

5-A-Day My Ass

These are crepes again along with maple butter cream that I can't seem to get enough of. The crepes and creme are from Dreena's upcoming book, and wow, they are good. They are made of whole wheat spelt and have 5 types of fruits to go in and on them. I want to mention that simply pureeing foods, such as fruits and veggies, offers a person to cram so much more good stuff into the diet without eating more bulk or at least it mentally seems so. For example, what you see here is more than 1c of each type of fruit, simply pureed down for faster and easier consumption. Plus, that type of presentation goes well with crepes. And don't forget hiding greens in other meals, simply chop them super fine so they are mixed in.

Thinking about people counting and cramming in fiber and good stuff, made me think of that one ridiculous commercial where the woman wakes up in the middle of the night and chomps into a raw bunch of broccoli and then goes back to bed. Come on, after all, she needs at least 25 grams of fiber in her diet daily. Then she wakes early before the alarm, and continues to eat raw veggies while getting dressed and driving to work. She is desperately trying to squeeze in some raw carrots while at her desk at work. Then this crazy lady is even eating raw veggies while walking on the treadmill later in the day. Doesn't she eat meals? Or is it assumed that she is not eating any good foods (drive-thru burger and fries on her way home from the gym?!) and that she needs to spend free moments (and not-so-free) gorging away at raw produce?!
Wait... the point of the whole commercial... there's a pill for all that. Just take a few pills a day because after all, it is "so hard to get fiber in the diet" and continue to eat a bunch of crap instead of eating whole colorful, and fiber-containing, among other things-foods.

I decided not to rant about this (politics, obesity, socioeconomic issues, NSLP, etc), so here I am providing you with my "more than 5-a-day" from a vegan with a nutrition degree. And all in one meal, all on one plate (smoothies take care of this too!). All organic, some of it local: I present to you, Dreena's wonderful spelt crepes with maple butter creme (coming up in her 3rd book), and I served it with local gala apples, peaches that were frozen, frozen strawberries, a fresh banana and always-frozen-blueberries. All more than 1c of fruit each, pureed and gobbled up (divided by two servings). It is so simple and quick and easy to get so much fruit/veggies/good stuff if you simply puree it (starting from whole form not adding anything. Agave nectar is ok, but not necessary).

Weird Fondue

For some weird reason, a couple of weeks ago, I made the "Vegan Lunch Box" Fondue recipe for my first go at the cookbook. It's weird because I don't care for cheesy things (except the artichoke dip at Green) and I had no idea what I was going to dip in it. It's also weird but more on the stupid side, that this recipe has been posted on her blog for months and I never had a desire to make it then, so why would it be the first thing I made with the book?! Weird. Anyway, I made this fondue and modified it a lot. I didn't take notes because I wasn't that thrilled in the first place. I know I added garlic and made it spicy, added more nutritional yeast and a few other things. Basically, I made it as-is from the book and it was too bland for me (and weird) so I doctored it. Let's just say this needs work. I can understand how a child would like this dip because it is creamy, simple and bland, but Ray grossed me out by saying (at the end of the "meal") that it reminded him of either cafeteria cheese or the cheese that pours out of those metal square boxes at gas stations. When he said that my whole opinion of the meal went downhill. I am willing to give this another go, just modified a lot more and possibly by having it not as thick. It was sort of dance-y and wiggly. It was a weird meal that I quickly threw together. I served it with way too old bread, some purple potatoes (aka smooshies), raw carrots and raw green bell peppers. It pretty much wasn't the best but the idea was good (yet at the last minute). Then, about an hour later I wasn't feeling so grossed out, so I ate half a pint of Turtle Trails. Then I was happy.

PS... Sorry for a crappy "disaster" post.
PPS... I don't have a fondue maker/set. This was made with a saucepot and consumed with a regular fork.

Soup of the Gypsies

This is one of the best soups I have ever consumed in my whole life and where I got it from it's called Gypsy Soup, but I prefer to call it Soup of the Gypsies. Same difference. It is up there with Tofu Noodle Soup and Sloppy Lenties and VwaV Corn Chowder (my variation, anyway). By the way, tonight I made tofu noodle soup for the 9th time. Yes, I'm keeping a tally. I felt something weird coming on and decided to kick it early. Back to the Gypsies... I got this recipe from Kris who adapeted it from someone else. So that means I adapted an adaption of an adaption that most likely was already adapted. Anyway, this soup we all created (like the "telephone-game") by passing it on, has turned into something that is going into the routine. At least the fall-winter routine. I have made it three different ways, but with the same basics.

This is my version of the recipe. I hope you all like it. If you are going to modify, please at least keep the spices, it really is a nutritional party in a bowl.

Leslie's Soup of the Gypsies
~serves a lot (use a 6qt pot)~

2T (or less) olive oil
1 large onion, chopped small
3 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, diced small
1 large or 2 small yams, peeled and diced small
2t paprika

1t ground tumeric
1t basil, dried
1t sea salt
black pepper to taste
1/8-1/4t cinnamon, ground
1/8t cayenne pepper, ground
1 bay leaf
5-6 cups water
1 bullion cube or stock equiv.
1T tamari
2c chickpeas (or a 25oz can)
15oz can great northern beans (or white beans)
1/2 can diced tomatoes

My variations include: one time I didn't use northern beans, just a lot of chickpeas, the next time I also didn't use any tomato, which I prefer. The second time I made this I also used 3 purple potatoes which made the soup even more colorful along with a jewel yam and garnet yam, both locally grown at the co-op. My green bell pepper was also locally grown at an aquiantance's home.

Method: Heat olive oil in the soup pot over medium to high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, celery, green bell pepper and sweet potato (or equiv) for about 10 minutes, until semi-soft. Season with paprika, tumeric, basil, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper and the bay leaf. Stir to blend and then add the water, bullion and tamari. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add beans and tomatoes if using and simmer for another 10 minutes, uncovered, until all the veggies are tender. If they aren't close to being tender, keep the lid on for a bit longer. Remove the bay leaf and consume.

This soup makes the house smell amazing and it is even better the next day once the flavors have married. I highly recommend trying this very soon, it leaves lingering flavors that seem exotic, but are not (see simple ingredients). Enjoy!

Amazing Snacks!

Featured above is a spread of soy ice cream, local granny smith apples and homemade creamy caramel sauce from Vive le Vegan. I made this once before with turbinado sugar and decided to have a go at it again, but with darker, muscovado sugar. Oh, yum. This had strong accents of molasses from the dark sugar. At first, I wanted to sweeten it with agave but decided to let it do it's thing, and I'm glad I did. This was wonderful, having apples, ice cream and caramel all in one. Plus, plenty of caramel sauce for apple dipping. I also topped it with Soyatoo whip, not pictured.

This was a nice, dark, creamy caramel sauce. And easy, hence the name.

I didn't know what to do with myself one day, it was late afternoon, I had only consumed a small amount of food that day and needed something substantial- fast. Good fats, protein, veggies and carbs (and more)... I pulled out two processed items (aka, pre-made, not homemade leftovers), crackers which are light, yet super crunchy and heavy duty at the same time. They are made with everything from quinoa to flax and sesame with a nice japanese-style-cracker-crunch. I also had some pita bread leftover from falafel delivery (yes! vegetarian delivery!) a few nights ago. I whipped up some creamy hummus from one of my favorite books, Vive le Vegan, peeled and chopped a few carrots and took raw cashews out of the freezer. I think it may have been between 5 and 10 minutes, this snack was complete. I ate so much hummus, I'd call it lunch.

It's been a while... I love ice cream pie. I love just taking pre-made whole wheat non-bake pie crust, and filling it with a food-processor-mixed blend of ice cream, nut butter (in this case cashew), sunspire chocolate chips, pecans, maple syrup, tons and tons of blueberries and a lot of love (and probably other things I'm forgetting and anything you want). I topped it with Ahlaska chocolate syrup and the Easy Caramel Sauce from Vive le Vegan. Oh, yum.

I usually eat most of this pie myself. This time was no exception. I could probably have 2. Notice how blue it is from all the blueberries... my favorite.

Warning, if you thought all of the above looked awesome (or not), check this stuff out...

...This creamy cashew dip is courtesy of Dreena Burton. I can't get over how quick, easy and awesome this dip is. I could go on and on about all I'd dip in it, but I just ate it with some local organic granny smith apples. This dip has 4 or 5 ingredients and is going to be featured in her upcoming third cookbook. I however, have a subscription to VegNews and within 24 hours of reading the recipe, this fabulous, creamy, healthy, addicting yet filling dip was created. The main ingredients consist of vanilla soy yogurt and cashew butter. Yep- killer. Go make it now. Go get the magazine. Seriously people, this is some intense, wonderful stuff she creates!

The Best Stir-Fry I've Ever Made (Twice)

I randomly came up with my own spicy stir-fry the other night. It was quick and easy. The spices lingered the rest of the night (most likely the red curry paste) and the thought lingered in my head a few days later. I decided to make it again with the same spices, except the second time I made this I served it over quinoa. I can't decide which way I like better. They are both spicefully fabulous. It's the curry paste that ties it together. I get the Thai red curry paste kind, it's about 2 dollars and lasts for many many uses.

I recommend using firm or extra firm tofu, pressed well and marinated for as long as possible.

Leslie's Special New Stir-Fry
Serves 3 hungry people (probably 4)

Marinade:
5T tamari (or soy sauce)
2T rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1.5t red curry paste (this is the part that gives it spice and ties the recipe together)
*red curry paste ingredients: red chili, garlic, lemongrass, thai ginger, salt, onion, kaftir lime, coriander, pepper*
2t agave nectar
1t fresh ginger, grated, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1T olive oil (optional)

Stir-Fry:
1/2c edamame
1c thin sliced bell peppers
1/4t red pepper flakes
14oz rice noodles
2-3 carrots, peeled, cut
1/2 small onion, cut
1t arrowroot
2 more cloves garlic, minced
10oz firm tofu cut into triangles

Method: In a container with a lid, combine marinade ingredients and place pressed and cut tofu in the container. Let sit for at least an hour, shaking or stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, fill a saucepot with water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and add rice noodles. Soak for 10 minutes then rinse and drain with cold water. Set aside for later.

Heat a wok with olive oil and add stir-fry ingredients, minus the arrowroot. Cook on med-high for a few minutes and then add the tofu. Keep the marinade in the container and add the arrowroot, stirring to dissolve. Add arrowroot-marinade mix to the wok and heat until it is a thicker sauce and veggies are cooked and heated through. Serve over rice noodles or quinoa.

I like to mix up the sauce with the noodles on my plate, not before hand. Plus, I think it makes the presentation better and the noodles not soggy. The second time I made this I served it over quinoa. Eating this with quinoa made me 100 times fuller, faster (duh).

Edit to Add: I finally responded to all the comments in the post below.

Whole Fennel, Cranberry Almond Bark & Coconut Chocolate Pudding

This is fennel. I always used to just pass it by in the produce section having no idea what it was like or knowing what on Earth to do with it, until the day I needed it for some nasty potato leek soup. As you know, that went to shit, and I still had a fennel bulb in the fridge. Surprisingly, I do like fennel, just not the first way I prepared it. I decided to make these and I like fennel now (or at least prepared a certain way). So here's a photo for all of you (in whole form) who have always passed it up like me. You can save the little hairs and dry them and use as dried herbs.

What you sort-of see above (sorry, this is around when I messed up my camera) is some Cranberry Almond Bark from La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer. It only has dried cranberries, raw almonds, cocoa powder and maple syrup. All organic and all yum. They lasted in the fridge for about 10 days. They were easy to make and you don't need a double boiler or anything fancy. I already have variations lined up in my mind...

Above is some very wiggly chocolate coconut pudding from VwaV. This is nothing like I have ever made before, hence me using tofu for pudding all the time. I'd say this is more like a real pudding and my regular recipe is more like a mousse, so it is unfair to compare- they're different categories. I enjoyed this because it is made with soymilk, coconut milk and arrowroot to make it wiggle. I think I had more fun wiggling it like a child would do (holding it upside down above my head and all), than making it and eating it.

And lastly, another photo of moroccan chickpea patties... I made them for a second time only a few days later, but served it the same way both times with the ginger dipping sauce and raw cashews. I forgot to post about this last week, so here's a look.

Also, if you haven't noticed yet, I've been posting more often. I plan on keeping it up...