The simple things

As you all know, I just celebrated my birthday. Today my son's godmother (and one of my beffies since high school) came over, and brought me a couple gifts.

She got me a Diva Cup - not of interest to you gentlemen, I know, but I've been thinking about getting one cause it's more ecologically friendly.

She also bought me one of my most fave goodies - a Terra Nostra Rice Milk Choco bar. I know, a chocolate bar? But when you're vegan you eat a LOT of dark chocolate, and milk chocolate is verboten - and even if it weren't, it bothers my tummy. So the Terra Nostra bar is rice milk, and easy on my tum. And the kind she bought, they don't sell at my local health food stores. I can get the plain bar and then fight the Sithling for it. You know it's good cause Mr Picky loves it, LOL.

The final thing she got me, which I thought was very thoughtful and very her, was a National Geographic magazine, from April 1975. *G* I am reading it now. I'm gonna have to take some pics of the ads, omg. I wish my scanner wasn't dead, or I'd scan samples for you.

Norwegian Herb-Nut Bread

Now veganized and suitable for bread machine.

2 & 1/4 oz active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110F-115F)
1/2 cup soy milk, scalded
1 t of ground flaxseed whisked into 3 T of water as egg replacer
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, dried, crushed
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand in a dark place until it is spongy.

While the yeast is proofing, get a bowl and assemble the dry ingredients.

Whisk together ground flaxseed and water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. It will become thick and fluffy, like egg whites.

Heat your soymilk.

Once your yeast are thick and spongy, place them in the bread machine.

Add flax.

Add soymilk.

Add oil.

Add dry ingredients and set machine to "wheat" cycle.

Makes 1 loaf. Cooking time: 3:30

This recipe makes a nice, soft, slightly sweet and nutty loaf. I know I should post pics of the baked goodies but Mr K has not yet unloaded all his Vegas trip pics, so ...honestly I'm not sure where the camera is, other than "somewhere amidst all the gaming swag."

Tempeh Bruschetta

I made a nice tempeh bruschetta for dinner. And had sauvignon blanc. Whee!

Ahem. For my first experimentation with it, I think it came out pretty well. Unless that's the wine talking...

Ingredients:

8 oz tempeh, marinated (see below)
1 lb baby bella mushrooms
1/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
crusty bread, such as Italian, French, baguette, etc
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped coarse (can sub one can of diced tomatoes if fresh isn't on hand)
1/2 t rosemary
2 t roasted garlic
1/4 olive oil, for sautéing of veggies and to brush bread with
1/2 c veganrella or other veggie/vegan cheese of your choice (optional)
wine, more for the chef than the dish

Tempeh marinate:

1/4 c soy sauce or tamari
1 t roasted garlic (reserve the rest to add to main recipe)
2 T balsamic vinegar
8 oz tempeh, sliced thin

Place tempeh in shallow pan and add marinate ingredients. I marinated it for an hour before I started the rest of the food, and I turned it once midway through the hour.

Sauté onions on medium-high heat until they just start to become translucent. Add baby bella, reduce heat to medium and cover till they cook down a little, about five minutes. Uncover and add tomatoes, rosemary, the rest of the garlic and marinated tempeh. Add wine to food and the chef. Stir and cover again, for ten minutes. While it's cooking, get your crusty bread out, slice some nice chunks and brush them with olive oil. Add the finished tomato mixture to the slices, along with vegan cheesy goodness, if desired. Pop into the oven on broil for 5 min, or just long enough to get your cheese to melt and bubble and put some nice grill marks on your bread.

And have some more wine. :D