So I realize it's been a long time and that I keep making promises that I will write more and I never do. I think the CSA has been wonderful, amazing quality vegetables and getting to try ones that I have never even heard of. It is also VERY overwhelming when you are a single gal working full time. I have had a lot of waste lately and it's frustrating. I work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday every week, second shift and it's starting to get to me. So, I am going to summarize some of the things that I have made over the past 3 weeks.

Corn, Soy Chorizo, and Sweet Potato Chowder

Roasted 6 ears of corn in the oven, browned the soy chorizo, added diced celery, onion, garlic and carrots. Put in a crock pot with enough vegetable broth to cover and turn on high. Once all the veggies are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree soup. Serve with a dollop of soy sour cream and lots of black pepper.

Bow Tie Pasta with Soy Chorizo, Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes in a Cream Sauce

Cook pasta according to box. Drain and reserve a cup or so of pasta water. Brown chorizo and add about 1 C. plain soy creamer, 3 T. vegan cream cheese, 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts and 3/4 C. sun dried tomatoes. Toss with pasta and add enough pasta water to make the sauce a little thinner. Season well with salt and pepper.


The Magical Loaf Studio

This is an amazing website. My loaf was delicious and I served it with vegan gravy and roasted red potatoes. Directions copied and pasted from the Magical Loaf Studio.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts
2 TB olive oil
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
2 cups mashed firm tofu
1 cup uncooked quick oatmeal or oat bran
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth, as needed
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a loaf pan or 8x8 square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside (an 8x8 pan makes a crisper loaf).

Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny (you may not need to add any liquid if the grains and protein are very moist). Add more binder/carbohydrate as needed if the loaf seems too wet.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of make a great sandwich filling.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Chop potatoes in to small pieces, they will cook while the loaf cooks and don't need high heat. Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook for 30-35 minutes.

Vegetarian Gravy

The gravy was amazing! Such a great compliment to the rest of the meal!

I probably won't be blogging weekly anymore, but I would still like to put up some recipies when I am feeling inspired. Fall is here and it's soup season!