Big Ole Update...and food!

As promised, the Pixiepine kitchen got warmed up this weekend. I had my fair share of soda, Soy Dream, and a big Chick-O-Stick during the move, so it felt really good to get back in the kitchen and make some good healthy food. I am so excited to be breaking in my new kitchen. The prep areas are a little smaller than in the old one, but really nice to maneuver in. We will prolly remodel the kitchen somewhere down the line, but for now we are enjoying it in all it's ranch style glory. There is even one of those openings under the cabinets between kitchen and eating area to serve food.

Here's a recap of the last several days:

Comical moving scene: I got lots of looks making this trip. I think a mannequin (minus her hair in this shot), a coffee maker, and a hula hoop are a pretty good starting to knowing what I'm all about. Teehehehe!! Sadly my Sigg bottle is still MIA, but this may be just the chance I needed to get one of those personalized ones from Cafe Press. Hmmm...

Secondly, here are some shots of the first meal from the new house. The recipe was Ultimate Shepherd's Pie, from Vegan Planet. I chose it because it's meant to be sort of a convenience recipe. It involves a quite saute, some crumbled veggie burgers, and mashed potatoes. It wasn't a culinary masterpiece, but it was perfect for some tired people who wanted a home cooked meal. I think I still prefer a version with faux meat crumbles and lots of vegan cheese, but this was tasty enough.

I planned recipes for the rest of the week out of La Dolce Vegan. I am so excited about our upcoming honeymoon, during which we will be getting tattoos at the shop owned by Sarah Kramer and her husband, Gerry Kramer. I guess my latest dishes are in an homage to my favorite vegan role model! I even got Sarah's 2010 calender for the new house, but it's a little early to hang it up yet...

I also wanted to pick recipes that would make use of my tomatoes and herbs growing. I got to use my new tomatoes, parsley, and basil.

I started with a homemade salad dressing recipe. I dunno why I haven't thought to make my own dressing before. I hate throwing away all those glass dressing bottles, and I especially hate how much they cost. I made a Dijon Vinaigrette from LDV and it was delicious!!

For our entree I made a delicious Roasted Red Pepper Pesto on pasta from LDV. Yum! I used whole grain spaghetti.

I am really proud of my little tomatoes!

Finally, this morning I got my Dr. Ben Kim email. I love these emails. They are always full of good recipes and interesting info. I was excited about the following recipe and hope to try it out soon.

Healthy Jambalaya Recipe
By Dr. Ben Kim

Though authentic jambalaya typically calls for sausage and/or seafood, this meat-free version is still big on flavor and is likely to be appreciated by vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice

14 ounces cooked kidney beans (rinse well if canned)

1 yellow onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

Kernels from 1 corn cob (about 1 cup)

2 cloves of

/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 to 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth

Extra virgin olive oil

Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped

Sea salt

Directions:
1. Drizzle enough olive oil into a large pan to lightly cover the bottom and set heat to between low and medium.
2. Add rice and saute for about 5 minutes, then add onion and cook for another 2 minutes - be sure to stir from time to time.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables plus garlic, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
4. Now the relaxing part: add between 1.5 to 2 cups of broth. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, lower heat and allow to simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes. You don't want the ingredients to get dry and burned out, so check on it at the 15 to 20 minute mark and add a little extra broth if you don't see any liquid.
5. Once it's finished cooking, add kidney beans and give everything a good toss to allow the kidney beans to heat through. Season with sea salt, to taste.
6. Just before serving, sprinkle a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro on top.

Yum! Have fun!