Stuffed Portobello Cap: A Real Fungi!

I recently entered a contest over at the Veracious Vegan's blog and although I didn't win, Angela listed my recipe as one of her favorites! It made my day! So, for those of you who are sitting on the edge (edge, edge) of your seats, I bring you:

Stuffed Portobello Caps!

For this adventure you will need:

• 4 Portobello Mushrooms
• 1 bunch of fresh spinach (chopped coarsely)
• 3 Roma tomoatoes (or a package of cherry tomatoes) (cut into chunks)
• 1-2 shallots (I used 1 shallot and 1/2 an onion that I had in my fridge) (finely chopped)
• 1 cup Panko (or the breadcrumbs of your choice)
• 1-1 1/2 cups of Balsamic
• 3-5 cloves of garlic (you know how I am, I think I put in 14 or something) (minced or chopped)
• 1 cup Mozzarella Daiya
• 2 Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast Sausages (finely chopped)
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• Aluminum Foil

As a side dish I couldn't resist Susan V's Roasted Yellow Squash with Onions, with fresh garden squash! For the side dish you will need:

• 2 yellow squash per serving
• 1/2 a small onion per serving
• Canola or Olive Oil

There is nothing I love more than traipsing around the garden with a colander looking for vegetables (and gnomes)! It makes me feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder or like I live in Maple Town.

Garden squash and tomatoes

Daiya: Another Grate Dinner

Dinner has been really excellent lately. Part of this is because the Safeway, a mere stone's throw away from my house, now carries DAIYA! Finally.

With Daiya within arms reach I can make macaroni and cheese EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK! Except, I don't have to because one batch generally lasts a whole week.

Is anyone still reading?

Portland Queer Music Festival (and so much more!): The Cymbal of My Portland Weekend

Last weekend involved a road trip, a barbecue, live music and pirates. It was GREAT!

Jared and the other members of Noddy were set to play at Portland's 1st Annual Queer Music Fest. The weekend promised to be fun-filled and over the top, and Portland is home to some of my favorite people of all time, so the decision to go was a total no-brainer.

I arrived in Portland around 10:00 PM on Friday night and spent the rest of the evening watching episodes of the Office and  figuring out where we were going to eat the following morning. Super important stuff. The next morning I woke up early, ate a nectarine and waited for Joyce and Jeremy.

The first stop of the morning was Beaterville. This cafe was awesome and the staff was even awesomer (seriously, it's a word). Every scramble had a tofu option and they even asked if I wanted Smart Balance on my toast! I chose the Supernova Scrambler which included tomatoes, fresh spinach, green onion, garlic and mushrooms. It came with toast (I opted out of the Smart Balance and went with jam) and home fries!

At first I screamed because the tofu looked like chicken BUT IT WASN'T! Phew. 

We spent our breakfast leisurely people-watching, as there also happened to be a street fair going on that day. There was also plenty of dog-watching, too.

Sadly, Samson was unable to participate in the Dog Parade. 

Planet of the Crepes

Sometimes I like to imagine that I live in France. I use my limited French speaking skills around the house (usually directed at the dog), pour myself a glass of wine and sit on my back porch to read Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I have a dream of vegan-izing the most non-vegan recipe in that book but it's a tough choice. There are so many options! So, the other day, instead of figuring out how to make Sauce Beurre Blanc for my roasted duck I decided to keep things simple and make some crepes!

I am a huge fan of the savory crepe and also a huge fan of perfecting my crepe-making skills without the use of a crepe pan. Then came the dilemma of sweet or savory. It didn't matter that it was for dinner; sometimes I eat cake for breakfast. Crepes always surprise me by being shockingly filling, so I decided to make 8 savory crepes and serve them with a simple salad, hopefully have leftovers and save the dessert crepes for weekend brunching!

Of course, this whole idea came to me at the beginning of what ended up being a really long day. I was lacking motivation and the thought of even venturing to the store seemed devastating. Then it dawned on me that even though all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and eat a ring pop, at least I have all my limbs and I know how to cook and I have a job that means I can actually purchase groceries and why am I whining about making dinner when some people can't even boil hotdogs? So, I went to the store.

On the menu: Mushroom Medley Savory Crepes with Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce and a green salad.

All Fired Up: Bazooka BBQ 2011

Do you remember how junior high was the most awkward and devastating period of your (my) life? Your elementary school friends dumped you because you were pretty uncool (yeah, I didn't get the memo that high-waisted KMart jeans and men's bowling shirts weren't "in"), you spent most lunch periods in the library reading up on Tarot and practicing ESP on the librarians, and your locker was sandwiched between Mikey, the bully with a Napoleon complex who called you fat to your face, and that girl who kept a bowl of melted M & M's on her top shelf that somehow managed to spill all over your English book.

Ugh. I need a drink just thinking about it. 

Luckily, in 8th grade I met the amazing Kimberly Martin who made the end of my Junior High years much more tolerable....even sort of fun. (And, bear in mind, I did manage to make some awesome friends in 7th grade as well; don't worry, I wasn't a complete outcast).

Kim has been a constant in my life since we were 14; some years more constant than others thanks to college, crazy 2-year relationships (ahem, ME) that somehow manage to isolate you COMPLETELY from your friends and loved ones, and distance. Now she lives in Brooklyn and last week she came for a visit! SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE! Again, this post promises to be picture-heavy and longer than most, but it's definitely worth it!

In keeping with the summer theme, we threw a Bazooka BBQ to honor Kimberly and re-unite the fearsome foursome (high school was so much friendlier than junior high).

Excerpt from a note written by Kimberly to me in high school, circa 1996 (used as the image for the BBQ invite)

THEN (circa 2000 or 2001?) Me, Kim, Jared and Craig

NOW (circa last Wednesday) Kim, Jared, Craig and me

Those outfits were unplanned. I think it's all those years of practicing ESP...we just sort of knew what to wear. I would also like to mention that I am much happier without orange hair.

Mar(r)yland: A Wedding Post

I recently returned home from an amazing trip to the Washington DC area, hence the posting hiatus. I was more than a little excited for several reasons:

1. Cousins that I hadn't seen in EONS were going to be there (and one was the groom!).
2. The weather promised to be the opposite of Seattle's 78 minute summer.
3. It was the first trip I've ever taken with just my mom! (and she is really awesome).
4. On my list of sites to see were the stairs that were filmed in The Exorcist!

So, this post is going to be a little longer than most. I considered splitting it up into two, but then I thought NO! It's mostly pictures anyway. And it's Friday; take a break, read a longish blog post.

We stayed in the resort town of National Harbor, Maryland and although it was not exactly a mecca for vegan dining, it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

The atrium roof in our hotel.

Statue (or is it?!?) on the waterfront.

Our hotel as we approach--in style--on the water taxi.

In spite of the resort-y -ness (yes, it's word, now) of National Harbor, there were two restaurants that hit the spot! We were also lucky that much of the food served for the wedding festivities was Indian and therefore extremely vegan friendly.

So, without further adieu, I bring you:

Ellen's Tour of Vegan DC Land! (No, it's not catchy and I don't really mind.)

It's that time of the month!

Girl's niiiiight!

Brandi and decided that a Girl's Night was long overdue. She and I have been getting together pretty frequently to drink beer and make delicious things, like stuffed pretzel rolls, but we hadn't really done the whole Girl's Night adventure.

We picked a night, we chose a venue, we created a menu. Fin.

(Clearly, I should have been either a theater major or a poet).

(Also, am I the only one who wants to spell theater like this: THEATRE)?

Our theme was simple. Black and white. And not even fancy black and white, just black and white. Because nobody (except maybe me) wants to go to the trouble of re-creating an accurate costume depiction of a 1930s French hooker.

Because it has been sunny for three (3) consecutive days this year we decided to RISK IT ALL and throw a barbecue. Luckily, the weather cooperated.