Burnout on writing, but not on cooking

Sorry guys. The end of october gets RIDICULOUSLY busy for me. (Birthday and all)

So, I was supposed to go to a vegan potluck (organized via ThePPK) but something happened and it ended up not happening (but it will! At some point! Somewhere!). I'd spent a while thinking of what I wanted to make for this potluck-one person who was going to attend has a nightshade allergy so I was trying to brainstorm things to make that were friendly towards this person. I had Celery Root in my refrigerator from the farmer's market and I google searched to see if celery root went with Sweet Potato. Supposedly it did.

I remembered the Quesadillas I made previously (which I have yet to blog about. Whoops!) Yuca quesadillas from Veganomicon. They were incredibly good. So. Good.  So, I figured, if I could do a mash of that and put it in a tortilla and call it a quesadilla, why couldn't I mash Sweet Potato and Celery Root together with some spices and onion and garlic and call it a Quesadilla?

Well? Why Not?

I did:

Sweet Potato Celeriac Quesadilla with kale

I did half on a cast iron skillet on the stove and the other half in a George Foreman (can you tell which one this came from? You're very smart, so I bet you can).

I had to add a bunch of spices to the mash, but after frying, these babies tasted delicious-indian spiced but wholly my own creation.

Breakfast!

I've been... slacking recently. Posting pictures of food with no back story. As such, I have a wee little one for you today.

I've been dating a boy for a month. Back when we first met (from the internet, of all places), he would go on about how we ought to go to brunch sometime. It was not to be for our first date (turns out thankfully), but several weeks later. Overall, it sounded like a good plan to me, though I was slightly concerned with the places that he suggested. On one of their websites' however, the one restaurant claimed to be able to cater to any dietary preference/style. I figured that meant vegan-friendly. Or at least, there was probably something I could eat. I had high hopes that they might be able to make vegan pancakes. I knew I should have called ahead of time, but work was busy, so I didn't.

We get there and there is a [short] line and the boy was already waiting there. There's a man gladhanding (if I use the term correctly) and I asked him about vegan options. he said anything and if the server gave me a hard time, come to him.

So I ask if I could get vegan pancakes. Turns out, not really. SO! I had a bagel toasted with jam:

Bagel with strawberry preserves

And a giant plate of fruit with granola (I didn't actually really like the granola..I never really have, so I'm not sure what I was thinking-but the fruit was fantastic!):

Fruit Plate with Granola

As it turns out, something in this breakfast didn't agree with me as I started having...severe....digestion issues that lasted into the next morning. I think it was probably the amount of fruit I ate (almost the whole plate) plus the fact that I didn't let my body just flush it out. I had to eat more food later... But it tasted so good while I was there! :)

Soup and the accompanying awful picture

Ever since I moved in the beginning of September (and really before, in conversations my then-meat eater roommate and I had about food/sharing food), my roommate has been talking about this chili that he loves. He makes it with a base of peppers instead of tomatoes and sweetens it with honey (not this time!). I was vaguely intrigued but cautious. Chili is not my favorite in the first place, so it didn't seem like something I'd necessarily want to try..

It's quite good at first go, with some daiya on it plus some vegan sour cream. I learned in eating the leftovers, however, that it should be warmed up again and have more vegan cheez & sour cream in it, plus maybe some bread or something. Potatoes might go nicely in it..

One of my favorites

I'm a (veggie) burger kind of gal. I love making burgers out of beans/legumes/veggies. Stuffing my nutritional needs into one little patty? Best thing. Plus I can put ketchup on it. I like ketchup on my burgers, no matter what they're made of. So. Good.

Anyways. I made these a little while back with sauteed kale and tomatoes (I have got to find a better recipe for kale... Like peanut sauce or something!). From Color Me Vegan, the Cashew Red Lentil burgers. (Curried) They are to die for. (Well.... maybe not. But they're really good! I promise!)

And a little shout out to Occupy Boston! Love them. So well organized.

Chickpeas & Kale with Vegan Dad's pumpkin Rolls

It appears I have several days to make up for. Whoops. (for the record, here's what kept me from posting-Rock Climbing with a work friend + spending a night at the boy's, having work thursday night as well as during the day and being exhausted/forgetful when I got home)

So! Moving on! On Sunday night, after I was foiled by the local indian restaurant in my quest to have spinach and chickpeas as dinner (darn you ghee) the previous night, I made Isa Chandra's Chickpeas & Kale indian spiced dish from Appetite For Reduction. If you have AFR, I'm sure you can figure out the real title of the dish. If not... well, if you ever borrow the book or see it, I'm sure it will become obvious what I'm talking about-it's in the stews section.

Last week, when I saw Vegan Dad's Pumpkin pull apart rolls,  I lusted after them. Lusted, yearned for, and any other descriptors that you can think of along those lines. So, I made them on Sunday. YUM. I'd picked up Pumpkin butter from the same place I bought a bushel of apples and smeared it all over. So. Good. I can't recommend that recipe enough.

Indian Chickpeas & Kale

(PS, Sorry for the random elbow/dish in the background. I'm still figuring out photography and the boy hadn't moved his elbow in time.)

I know, I know.

Everytime I say I know, now, I have to say it twice. (I think it comes from listening to the Wicked soundtrack one too many times)

Mea Culpa. I know [I know]. I am incredibly incredibly lucky to have so many vegan/veg friendly restaurants in the near Boston area and that my whining the other day was taken the wrong way. I am sorry.

Anyways. I'm skipping a few days worth of food to give you last night's dish, which was... very interesting. As you may remember, I am following the Cookbook challenge from The PPK. This week is Vegan Soul Kitchen and it has quickly earned a place in my heart. I will probably be buying the cookbook at some point. Last night, I made a bbq tempeh over flat bread and topped it with the Apple Beet Currant salad instead of the Carrot Cayenne Coleslaw (somehow, cabbage didn't appeal to me-I've never really been a fan). Guys. The Apple Beet Currant Salad? SO. GOOD. Unbelievable. The flavors together were a little wonky, but tasted good over all.

Beets!

I love the way beets dye everything they touch.

(We had a beet and apple salad last night on top bbq marinated tempeh (both from Vegan Soul Kitchen) and homemade flat bread). Blog post to come on that.