There is so much to catch up on, but I think I know where I want to start for this post. Hmm… let’s see what part shall I rewind back to next? Aha!
In December I ended up going to Florida at the last minute!
My lovely mother really spoiled me this time. I think I barely cooked while I was there, which is unusual!
Have any of you tried cranberry beans?
It was my first time trying them, and I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the the shells were.
My mom's special recipe for the cranberry beans and eggplant, and I roasted some kabocha with brown sugar, spices, and coconut oil.
I’m going to share her recipe with you. First she sautés some chopped onions and garlic. Then add diced tomatoes and sauté for a bit. Add some bay leaves, the beans, sea salt, and pepper. Then cook it all in almond milk until the beans are thoroughly cooked. Lastly, garnish with cilantro!
We also spoiled ourselves with various chocolates!
I also finished up a jar of almond butter while I was down there.
And finishing up a jar translates to OIAJ.
I like to make the oatmeal in a pot and spoon it into the jar little by little while stirring so the nut butter is distributed evenly throughout–not just at the bottom.
And I finished another jar--this one being the cashew-macadamia nut butter I made for my mom last Christmas.
She obviously doesn’t use nut butters as much as I do! I don’t think it would take me a year to finish a jar.
Oh, look! And I found some of the royal crown jewels!
This cous cous dish was a team effort between me and my mom.
The cous cous was cooked in vegetable broth and ghee giving it so much more flavor. Seriously, ghee is a staple in my kitchen. When that was done cooking we threw in some chopped red onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, and other random veggies. Stir in some lemon juice, olive oil, spices (curry, cumin, and paprika), and salt to taste. Before you’re all done you can add some diced avocado and cilantro for that last touch of flavor. Cous cous is such a versatile grain to work with. You can make it sweet or savory. Cook it in juices, milks, or broths. Mix in whatever you’d like and voilà! A tasty dish.
While I was in Florida I was in the mood for colorful salads.
In Virginia I’m usually in the mood for soups. I know that’s usually weather related though. Anyhow, this salad was incredibly tasty! I tossed sweet potatoes, apples, brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, and onions in a mix of coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon. Then I roasted them till they were done, and tossed them over a bed of Tuscan kale, letting the kale wilt from the warmth of the other veggies and fruits. To seal the deal I topped it off with pomegranate arils, and the beans my mother had made bandeja paisa style (cooked with plantains) and vegetarian friendly!
I also made a few dishes with fava beans--roasting them was my favorite!
Egyptian style!
I made Ful Medames, a traditional breakfast in Egypt. Actually, fava beans are eaten at all times of the day over there, and it’s said that even the pharaohs enjoyed these beans.
I was also in the mood for spiced mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk while I was down there.
Christmas entailed high raw vegan goodies!
My step-dad loves peanut butter and raw vegan treats, so this seemed like a great gift for him!
I took Ani Phyo’s oatmeal raisin cookie recipe to another level by adding peanut butter. The idea for adding the nut butter came from Laury’s adapted recipe for no-bake oatmeal cookies. Here’s the recipe for the cookies I made for my step-dad!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookes (High Raw Vegan)
1 cup raw or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbl Creamy peanut butter (creamy is better for binding)
1. Process the oats and cinnamon in a food processor into small pieces.
2. Add dates and process till it’s mixed well. Throw in the raisins and pulse.
3. Place in a bowl and mix the peanut butter in with the batter.
4. Now roll them into balls and enjoy!
Easy, right?
We were invited to dinner on Christmas Eve!
They had us over for Christmas dinner last year too.
The delicious feast made completely out of scratch!
The chef!
I brought over this dish: pan-fried chickpea, sweet yellow onion, and pomegranate salad.
Remember “The Flexitarian Cookbook” I mentioned in a previous post? Well, this was another delicious recipe from that cookbook! Everyone at the dinner loved it, and the lovely host even asked me to share the recipe. Now that says something, doesn’t it?
Natural beauty
I’ll be dedicating a full post to “The Flexitarian Cookbook” featuring more recipes, and a review!
On Christmas morning my mom was greeted by some flowers that are just as refreshing as she is.
My step-dad was greeted by something he could thoroughly enjoy (and hopefully share, please)!
And I was greeted with a special sweater!
It makes me think of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
My step-dad had the same idea!
He made me raw vegan treats with figs, dates, walnuts, and gingerbread spices–very yummy!
Matilda guarded the tree.
My mom had picked this up at the health food store... interesting!
When I saw this it seemed familiar, and that’s because Katie once featured their pasta made out of black beans.
Makes one look forward to dinner.
I served the mung bean fettucine with a semi-homemade tomato sauce and parmesan.
This was actually yummy and had an interesting texture! I was very much pleasantly surprised.
And I ended my Florida "tour" with a bang!
We love you, World!
Don’t forget to participate in my giveaway, in case you haven’t already or you missed it! Click here to check it out. You have until Tuesday to participate, so my fingers are crossed for you!
