Fire Brigade Stuffing

Fire Brigade Stuffing 

Changes I made:  I didn't use Granny Smith apples, because I didn't have any.  I think I used Macs or some other kind of red apple.  Also, I left out the cranberries, and didn't put in quite as many slivered almonds as called for.  Additionally, I only used whole wheat and pumpernickel bread, no rye.  And, let's see, I didn't make it in a pumpkin, because there were none to be seen at the grocery store.  Bummer.  I should have gone to the produce stand yesterday for that.  But for all those changes, it still looks to be pretty good.  It sure does smell good.

I'm also making vegan mashed potatoes.  I really should make some vegan gravy, because, well, I like it.  I will make the Brussels sprouts at my mom's house.

Update:  The stuffing was horrible.  Of course, it was cold when I finally ate it.  But it was really bad.  I didn't make any Brussels sprouts because Amy had already made squash and carrots.  She didn't get the squash quite done, but the carrots were very good.  I liked how she added yellow peppers and onions to the carrots.  The mashed potatoes were better when I heated them up in the microwave.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Tarragon Sauce

Another recipe from Isa Does It.  I'm not tired of that book yet.  I did make so many substitutions that I'm not sure the author would recognize her recipe.  (Blasphemy, I know, but hopefully the vegan food gods will forgive me.  It's still vegan, after all)  I used twice the amount of cashews called for in the sauce.  I used canned yams instead of baked fresh sweet potatoes.  I used sparkling grape juice instead of the white wine (I really need to find some non-alcoholic wine)  Anyhow, it still tasted pretty good.  And I learned that I MUCH prefer fresh tarragon to dried.  The licorice aroma/taste is nowhere near as harsh.

In fact, I've discovered I really like fresh herbs.  They really make food taste fresher.  And they are easier to measure and much more difficult to mess up.  I will have to try my hand at growing an herb garden in the kitchen.  If I can keep the cats out of it.

Nirvana Enchilada Casserole

Even though Amy was away last night, I still cooked from Isa Does It.  Last night, I made Nirvana Enchilada Casserole .  And yes, I DID watch the video before I actually made this dish.

Fast forward to the results I got:  My blender did not break down the roasted cumin and coriander seeds as well as I would have liked.  And I ran low on tortillas.  Other than that, it came out fabulous.  The cashew cheese is amazing when it is baked on top of the casserole.  In fact, I think I prefer cashew cheese without the nutritional yeast in it.  When it's baked on top of something, it becomes really cheesey.  My mom complained about the seeds, but Chris really liked it.  I also changed up what went into the filling.  I did not use mushrooms, because Amy doesn't like them.  I used up some roasted vegetable I'd kept on hand, hoping to do something with them.  The filling was really delicious.

Vegetable Miso Soup

Another recipe from Isa Does It is a big hit with our family!  Tonight, Amy made the Vegetable Miso Soup.  Now, we didn't have any scallions or cauliflower (we used that up earlier in the week), but she added carrots and peas and tofu (seared in olive oil) and just a few drops of Sriracha, and it was delicious!

In other news, I took Moomoo the cat to the vet, because he's too thin and seems to be depressed.  The vet is trying him on a high calorie diet (only for him; the other cats are already jealous of the extra feeding time), and will see him back around December 20th to see if he's gained any weight and is feeling better.  I hope the change in diet does the trick.  Otherwise, then the vet will have to order some blood tests, which are expensive.  But can you put a price on life?

Mom and Amy do it!

We are having a fabulous ISA CHANDRA MONTH OF FOOD!!!

Saturday, I made the Roasted Red Pepper Mac and Cheese.  Tonight, we made Creamy Potato and Leek Soup AND Roasted Vegetable Romesco Sandwiches.  Man, this stuff tastes so good that it HAS to be fattening just thinking about it.  (Actually not so much, though cashews and almonds make appearances, and I used almond milk in the soup instead of water)  Amy loved the sandwiches, and amazingly enough, there is enough sauce that all we need are veggies and rolls to have this again tomorrow night.  I even have enough soup to take to work, if need be.  For breakfast, I made Chickpea Scramble and roasted potatoes which were delicious.