“And now leave me in peace for a bit! I don’t want to answer a string of questions while I am eating. I want to think!” “Good Heavens!” said Pippin. “At breakfast?” ― The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkein

Hot and hearty Potato, Tempeh, & Tofu Scramble, from Betty Goes Vegan, page 33. I love this breakfast because everything’s in one dish, so it’s easy to prepare. The tofu, red potatoes, tempeh bacon, bell peppers, green onions, and spices are all whipped into a truly yummy scramble that takes about 10 minutes to cook. Served with English muffins, fresh strawberries, and ketchup.

This breakfast is Kitchen Kitty approved!

This MVP Avocado sandwich recipe from Betty Goes Vegan (page 83) is a stroke of genius! Served on a toasted baguette with melted dairy-free cheese, avocado, and an herb vinaigrette, this delicious little number will make you very happy. We added some heirloom tomato slices and butter lettuce to ours because we had some that we needed to use up.

Served with tasty, tasty Classic Deli Potato Salad, also from Betty Goes Vegan, page 114.

Sandwich Fact: It is named after the man credited with creating the first sandwich, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Legend has it that he was unwilling to free up both hands during a 24 hour gambling event in order to eat. Instead, he asked his servant to put the meat from his meal between two slices of bread so he could hold it in one hand and continue gambling.

“Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.” — George Carlin

Keith and I recently got out of town for a couple of fantastic nights of cabin camping on the coast. We always like to prepare our food in advance before we go camping so it’s easier to relax and enjoy ourselves while we are there. Then we just have to fire up the old camping stove, heat, and eat! This was our menu this time around…

Breakfast: Some sweet-tart Cran-Apple Muffins from 1,000 Vegan Recipes page 410, served with fresh fruit, tea and espresso.
Lunch: Smoky Mac and Cheese from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 115. This is our go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. It is so cheesy and melty you wouldn’t believe it. We added some roasted broccoli & red peppers for good measure.
Dinner: Thick and savory Seitan Beef Stew from Cookin’ Crunk, page 78. This stew is amazing and was just what we needed on those chilly evenings by the fire.
Dessert: Chocolate Banana Walnut Brownies with Holy Chocolate Icing from ExtraVeganZa, page 228. Yum, yum, yum! And for second desserts, some toasted vegan Dandies Marshmallows.

Camping Facts: Camping has been a recreational sport for over 140 years. However, the roots of camping go back hundreds of years. It can be traced back to Native Americans, the first settlers of the United States.

“Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.” — Chinese proverb

I regularly crave chow mein and this great recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, page 256, definitely satisfies that craving.

This recipe is made using vegan chicken and a plethora of veggies, and the sauce is rich and thick. You can serve it over rice or noodles. We used udon noodles, which was delicious, and we served it with a side of store-bought spring rolls and kombucha.

Chow Mein Fact: Chow mein literally means “fried noodles.”

“Everything I do, I do on the principle of Russian borscht. You can throw everything into it beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, everything you want. What’s important is the result, the taste of the borscht.” — Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet

This slow-cooked “Seeing Red” Borscht from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, page 53, is so tender and flavorful that it really justifies the Russian proverb, “Better fed than taught.” This earthy soup was a steaming cauldron of chopped beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and spices.

We topped it off with some Sour Dressing from Vegan Deli, page 123 and fresh dill.

The crusty, warm, buttery beer bread on the side was from Cookin’ Crunk, page 140. I can’t tell you how simple this bread was to make. The beer and baking powder give it it’s lift, so there’s no need to add yeast and let the dough rise. You just mix the few, simple ingredients in a bowl, pop the dough into your bread pans, and bake. About an hour later you’ve got the freshest, tastiest bread ever! We used a nice hoppy, organic German beer for ours, but you could use whichever brew you prefer.

Borscht Facts: Borscht is a soup made mostly from beets. It began as a specialty of Eastern European cuisine, primarily of the poorer people (beets were inexpensive). The soup dates at least to Medieval times.

“And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.“ — William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

These little ginger gems are from the incredible new cookbook Betty Goes Vegan, by Annie & Dan Shannon, page 260.

This recipe conjures up dozens of soft, chewy gingerbread cookies that are so spicy and delicious you seriously cannot stop eating them once you start. Iced with Apple Vanilla Glaze, page 398.

We cut ours into stars, iced them, and added sugar sparkles. Then we wrapped them (some of them, heh!) up in compostable baggies, tied them with some vintage ribbon and gave them to friends.

Gingerbread Facts: Queen Elizabeth I is believed to be responsible for the first gingerbread man as she had them made to resemble visiting dignitaries and then presented them to the dignitaries as a gift.

“NO kitty, this is my corned beef and cabbage.” — South Park’s Eric Cartman as his cat tries to eat his food

I have some Irish blood in me, but I’d never tried corned beef and cabbage, until now that is! Cartman’s cat (in the quote above) isn’t the only kitty who’s fond of such a dish. Leonard couldn’t even stay away from the plate long enough for me to take a picture.

This Corned Beefless Brisket & Cabbage recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, page 147, was the heartiest, savoriest thing I’ve had in a while. The brisket was laced with whole juniper berries from the pickling spices added to this dish and the cabbage and potatoes were melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Corned Beef Facts: The First Mention of “Corned Beef” goes back to an English Book by Richard Burton in 1621, Anatomy of Melancholy…Beef ..corned young of an ox.

“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This strawberry bombshell was made with a homemade whole wheat pie crust, oodles of fresh strawberries, sugar, and with cornstarch as a thickener instead of the bovine gelatin that is traditionally used in these pies.

We used the Fresh Strawberry Pie recipe from Cookin’ Crunk, the fantastic new vegan Southern cooking cookbook by Bianca Phillips, page 147.

This luscious pie was remarkably easy to make and even easier to eat… all you need are seasonal strawberries and a few pantry staples. That being said, this is definitely one to make in late Spring or early Summer.

Serve as you like with fresh cashew cream, Mimic Cream, or your favorite vegan ice cream.

Strawberry Facts: Strawberries are a member of the rose family (they are not “technically” berries).

“What does good in bed mean to me? When I’m sick and I stay home from school propped up with lots of pillows watching TV and my mom brings me soup – that’s good in bed.” — Brooke Shields

Another scrumptious recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, by Annie & Dan Shannon, page 62.

This is the quintessential, comforting “chicken” soup, made from Gardein Chick’n Scallopini, wild rice, carrots, celery, onions, peas, and spices. This certainly did the trick on some cold days and we will be making it again soon. This is so easy to prepare that even a sicky could make a big pot of it, eat some, and then get back in to bed for some more rest.

Wild Rice Facts: Wild rice are four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China. Wild rice is not directly related to Asian rice although they are close cousins. The plants grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams; often, only the flowering head of wild rice rises above the water. The grain is eaten by dabbling ducks and other aquatic wildlife, as well as humans.

“To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.” — Bette Davis

Each of these recipes are from the wonderful new cookbook Cookin’ Crunk, by Bianca Phillips. The Country Fried Steak with Soy Milk Gravy are on page 94, and the Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits are on page 136.

This meal was just too decadent and delicious! What says “comfort food” more than batter-fried tempeh steaks with a creamy sage gravy and warm, buttery biscuits?

Served with a side of pureed, roasted turnips topped with dairy-free butter. You could also serve this with pureed, steamed cauliflower or mashed potatoes.

We added a bunch of chopped chives to the biscuit dough because we had some in the fridge. We also substituted hemp milk for soy milk in the gravy recipe.

Country Fried Steak Facts: The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the 19th century, who brought recipes for Wiener Schnitzel from Europe to the USA. Lamesa, the seat of Dawson County on the Texas South Plains, claims to be the birthplace of chicken fried steak, and hosts an annual celebration accordingly. John “White Gravy” Neutzling of Bandera in the Texas Hill Country also claims to have invented the dish.

“With Fellini, the fear dropped out of my work because it was such a happy experience… hanging out with Fellini, having pasta on the set with Fellini, and going out with Fellini!” — Terence Stamp

If you are craving some really good home made pasta then I highly recommend this delectable recipe from Great Chefs Cook Vegan, by Linda Long, page 90.

These tasty pasta pockets are filled with shallots, peas, tofu and served over a bed of pea cream made from peas, asparagus, baby spinach and soft tofu.

Then we drizzled them with a spicy, garlicky chili oil, and sprinkled caramelized shallots on top.

We made extra large raviolis using a 3″ cutter.

Ravioli Fact: The literal translation of  the word ravioli derives from the Italian verb ravvolgere, meaning ‘to wrap’. So ravioli is a form of the Italian verb ‘to wrap’ as the filling is wrapped in pasta.

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll

These recipes are from The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook, and they are both easy to make. The Veggie Breakfast Scramble is on page 31, and the Tempeh Sausage Patties are on page 35.

The scramble is bursting with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, summer squash, chard, and spices. This is such a healthy, delicious scramble filled with yummy veggies and no tofu!

The savory sausage patties were rich with flavors of onion, fennel, and sage, and honestly the best I’ve ever had. They were extra tasty with some hot sauce.

We ate these dishes with an English muffin on the side, but you could wrap the scramble up in a warmed corn tortilla for a gluten-free version.

We also doubled the recipes so we’d have gourmet breakfasts for a few days. We almost always double recipes, as this way we actually end up cooking a lot less that we would otherwise and we always have healthy food ready to eat.

Breakfast Facts: Breakfast (literally means to break the fasting period of the prior night; in Old English the term was morgenmete, meaning “morning meal”) is the first meal taken after rising from a night’s sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day’s work.

“Chew slowly.” — A note scrawled on a big bag of pretzels that President Bush sent back to the press cabin on Air Force One, a day after he fainted after choking on a pretzel

Hot, soft, salty goodness! From The Joy of Vegan Baking, page 174. Keith substituted spelt flour for the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe when he made these phenomenal baked goodies. He also used a combination of coarse plain sea salt and smoked sea salt on top. We enjoyed these hot with dijon mustard. This pretzel recipe is amazing!

“It is easy to halve the potato where there is love.” – Irish Proverb

This clever recipe combines two American picnic classics, fakin’ bakin’, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and potato salad all in one big tasty bowl. This recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, page 95, is sure to be a big hit at your next vegan potluck.

BLT Factoids: The abbreviation ‘BLT’ first appeared in print during the early 1950s, but had already entered into common usage during the late 1940s.

The BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich) became popular when fresh lettuce and tomatoes became available year round with the rapid expansion of supermarkets after World War II.

We made this wholesome, nutritious, and deeeelicious dish from Quick-Fix Vegan, page 60, for our lunches this week. We used black-eyed peas instead of the white beans that the recipe called for and we substituted millet for the quinoa, because that’s what we had in our pantry. We also substituted shiitake mushrooms for creminis because shiitakes are incredible immunity boosters and they are oh-so-delectable. Sometimes you have to improvise, you know?

Quinoa Factoid: Quinoa is native to the Andes, and was a staple of the Incas (who called it the ‘mother grain’).

“The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.” ― Paul Cezanne

From 1,000 Vegan Recipes, page 406. This moist, wonderful bread is chock full of carrots, cranberries, and walnuts.

We decided to go “carrot cake style” and top this with some dairy-free cream cheese, which complimented the bread nicely.

We substituted hemp milk for soy milk for a soy-free version, but you could substitute any of your favorite dairy-free milks here.

Carrot Factoid: In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots.

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder

Biscuits and Creamy Sage Gravy, served up Little House on the Prairie style in our dining room with some meat-free sausages, hot sauce, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

From Vegan Diner, page 47. We substituted hemp milk for soy milk for a soy-free version.

These cutout biscuits were so light and flaky, and the creamy sage gravy was to die for! Easy to make and even easier to eat. Such a tasty, savory breakfast.

“Love is like seaweed; even if you have pushed it away, you will not prevent it from coming back.” ― Nigerian Proverb

I know some people aren’t big seaweed fans, but the flavors of nori in this recipe are subtle and refined. It is so good for you too; full of thyroid-protective iodine as well as vitamins A & C and iron.

If you can’t make it out to world-renowned vegan restaurant Candle 79 in New York City tonight just use their cookbook as a guide to prepare your own fantastic foodstuffs! Lay out a tablecloth, light a few candles, make this dish, and transport yourself there from the comfort of your own home (Note: you will have to wait on your own table and wash your own dishes, but I promise it will be worth it!).

Nori & Sesame Crusted Seitan w/Gingered Sugar Snap Peas, Soba Noodles, & Edamame-Mint Sauce, from the Candle 79 Cookbook (which I am eternally grateful for), page 84.

Simpler to prepare and even tastier than it looks, this is going to become one of our regular “fancy” meals.

Both of these healthy and scrumptious recipes are from The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook, by Melissa Costello. The stuffed peppers are on page 161 and the kale salad is on page 117.

The peppers were nutritional powerhouses, stuffed with quinoa, beans, tomatoes, spinach, celery, carrots, and onion, and spiced with cumin and coriander. They were really tender and juicy, and quite meaty, actually.

We soaked and cooked some dried black beans in advance instead of using canned beans. Fresh, home-cooked beans always taste better than canned and they are much more nutritious.

We made extra stuffed peppers and froze them to heat up later.

They paired nicely with the raw kale salad, which was alive with flavors of chipotle, tahini, and lemon, and tossed with cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds and hemp seeds. What a great way to eat your raw greens! We will definitely be making both of these dishes again.

Thanks for the EXCELLENT cookbook, Cheryl and Joe.

Kale Factoid: Kale is on the menu for the adult hippopotamuses at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Each hippo eats 10 pounds of kale, 3 gallons of high-protein cereal pellets, and ¼ bale of alfalfa hay a day!

“If it be not ripe, it will draw a man’s mouth awry, with much torment, but when it is ripe, it is as delicious as an apricot.” ― Captain John Smith (who’s life was twice saved by Pocahontas) on persimmons

From the inspiring cookbook Vegan Desserts, by Hannah Kaminsky, page 151. This “best-blondie-everrrr” recipe uses hachiya persimmons, five-spice powder, chocolate chips, and walnuts. We ate these every day for both breakfast AND dessert until they were gone because they were so yummy. I only wish persimmons were in season year-round so we could make these more often.

Captain Smith’s quote above is true, too! Hachiya persimmons should be eaten when they are very soft. If you’ve ever taken a bite out of a crunchy one you will know what starchiness and bitterness are all about, but if you let them ripen in a paper bag until they are nice and mushy you will taste pure heaven.

“Animals do not ‘give’ their life to us, as the sugar-coated lie would have it. No, we take their lives. They struggle and fight to the last breath, just as we would do if we were in their place.” ― John Robbins

The recipe for these bursting-with-pure-sunshine muffins is from the incredible book May All Be Fed, written by one of my greatest heroes and the reason I became vegan, Mr. John Robbins. This recipe is named after his son, Ocean.

If you like blueberries and oranges and oats then these are the muffins for you (and me!). We poured some of the batter into our Le Creuset heart ramekins and made giant lovey-dovey versions. We also substituted spelt flour for regular wheat flour for lower-gluten muffins. Keith enjoyed these with an espresso made using his coveted Alessi espresso maker.

Blueberry Facts: Blueberries contain significant quantities of both antibacterial and antiviral compounds, and have a reputation in northern Europe of fighting infections. They may also help protect against heart disease.

“The sailor said Brandy you’re a fine girl, what a good wife you would be, but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea (dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit).” — Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) lyrics by Elliot Lurie, circa 1972

Apples, brandy, and seitan all in one place — savory, boozy, sweet and absolutely delicious! We’ve actually made this dish a few times already because it is that good. It’s also one of those easy-to-prepare recipes from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 128. Served here with roasted sweet potatoes and toasted bread.

“Brother Ben, this is the best damn sandwich I ever ate, it’s a baguette, with brie and butter, had four of these damn things every day I was there. (he reaches in and finds another one) Got a couple left – here, try one.” — Jerry from David Lynch & Mark Frost’s masterpiece, Twin Peaks

Even the mice loved the vegan brie that we made using Miyoko Schinner’s inspired recipe from her newest cookbook Artisan Vegan Cheese, page 12.

This smooth and creamy cheese is made using cashews, coconut oil, and rejuvelac, which is full of probiotics. We made two big wheels of cheese but we ate most of it before we got around to taking this picture because it was truly tasty and went down nicely with some bread, apples, and kombucha.

We followed Miyoko’s recipe advice and made one wheel of peppercorn and one herb wheel (in our case, fresh marjoram).

Because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake. — Hedy Lamarr

This is the hands down the tastiest cheesecake that I have ever had, besides my Mom’s! From the very talented chef Tal Ronnen’s book The Conscious Cook, page 198.

The rum sauce is pure heaven, the filling is a cheesy-banana-rum delight, and the crust is made using spelt flour and ground pecans, so it is low in gluten. This was really easy to make, and it was fun to roast whole bananas with their skins on in the oven for the filling.

We love this cabbage roll recipe from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, page 160, not only because these tender & tasty rolls literally melt in your mouth, but also because they are so easy to make it seems like little elves are doing the work for you while you, say… read a book, go for a walk, or take a nap!

We served these with some carrots that we’d peeled, steamed, and then whipped up with some dairy-free butter using our immersion blender, as a more nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes.

Cabbage Roll Fact: According to Wikipedia, Poles (Keith’s people) call cabbage rolls gołąbki (gaw-WOHMP-kee), which literally means “little pigeons.”

I’d rather eat one of these cabbage rolls than a little pigeon any old day!

“From a man who’s eaten his fair share? I think it’s all about the… Jesus, what’s the secret to a good meatball? I have no idea. I like a lumpy ball, personally.” —Daniel Holzman, Meatball Chef

When we saw the recipe for Blueberry-Balsamic Meatball Sauce with Rosemary in The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook, page 170, we just had to try it! This is like a slow-cooked, blueberry and red wine sweet-and-sour sauce. What could be better?

We made sandwiches from Nate’s Meatless Meatballs sauteed in the sauce and served on toasted ciabatta with a side of garlic mashed potatoes absolutely drowning in Mushroom Gravy, from The Real Food Daily Cookbook, page 69.

We also had a ton of fresh pumpkin left over after making Fall Harvest Fruit Butter, so we filled a store-bought graham cracker crust with the yummy Pumpkin Pie filling recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, page 104, and we baked ourselves a pie.

Picture this… layers of buttery toasted English muffins, braised spinach, grilled Canadian bacon (vegan style, mais oui!) golden heirloom tomatoes, and a tarragon-white wine hollandaise sauce to die for. Topped with smoked sea salt and cracked black pepper. From the beloved cookbook Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson, page 48. What a scrumptious breakfast!

This recipe is pure genius… truly the most heavenly pound cake to ever grace one’s plate. From Veganomicon, page 254. We sprinkled shredded coconut on top because we’re cukoo for coconuts. We also used rich and creamy coconut milk yogurt, which is the cat’s meow!

Served with a Caffè Americano made from Blue Bottle organic beans, the finest coffee in the land.

As the skull candle reminds us, memento mori, or “remember your mortality” and eat cake while you still can!

We cannot take credit for the creation this masterpiece, we got it “to go” from a Hella Vegan Eats popup at Dear Mom in San Francisco.

What you see pictured above is the Meen Deen Doughnut burger Supreme. Hella Vegan Eats describes this as a “Freekah-beet burger patty sitting pretty between two sugar doughnuts with heirloom tomatoes, kale, secret sauce, & pickled red onions.” Hella Vegan Eats is truly festive vegan cuisine! I haven’t stopped thinking about this heavenly burger since I quickly devoured it. Apologies for the less than stellar photo. To be honest we didn’t have time to set this shot up properly as our number one priority at that moment was eating that burger!

Many thanks to the glorious blog Vegansaurus for always tipping us off about great vegan events in the Bay Area.

Doughnut Factoid: People know a good thing when they eat one… the doughnut has existed since the dawn of time. To this day archaeologists continue to unearth fossilized pieces of what look like doughnuts in prehistoric Native American settlements.

“I won all the blue ribbons for canning at the state fair.” –Loretta Lynn

This is a festive fall treat made from seasonal organic pears, apples, home roasted pumpkin, agave nectar, and warming spices. Another great recipe from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 33.

This scrumptious fruit butter contains all of the flavors that you associate with autumn. It is the perfect accompaniment to crumpets, English muffins, toast, or even a humble pb&j.

The recipe also says that this can be frozen for future enjoyment, but we decided to go old-school and can this in jars to preserve it. Canning is so easy, fun, and rewarding!