Coconut Cashew Almond Butter

Posted: August 9, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Gluten Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Out of peanut butter? Make your own nut butter in a jif.

(Rachel, the daughter)

There’s an old story in my family that gets told every Arnold Thanksgiving. When my mom was a kid, as the bird was being passed around the table, her cousin sweetly asked in his long southern drawl (or at least this is how it is always retold), “What kind of chicken is that Aunt Ruthie? Tuuurkeee?”

We get so used to eating certain foods, we sometimes forget there is more to poultry than chicken, more to milk than cows milk, more to breakfast than cereal, and more to nut butters than peanut butter.

This morning I reached for the peanut butter jar, but remembered I had served the very last spoonful to my special party guest, Avery, who then declared me the best cook ever (so she is welcome to finish off the peanut butter jar any time). I thought about running to the store to pick some up, but I always have some variety of nuts on hand. Why not make my own, I thought?

I pulled out some raw cashews and almonds and gave it a try, adding a little bit of coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla to sweeten it up. It tastes fresher and less oily, and feels lighter than jarred nut butters. The texture is a lot like the natural nut butters you find in the store (not super creamy like mainstream peanut butter). I can’t wait to try some different variations now. I definitely want to roast the nuts next time and maybe try a cinnamon maple almond version or a honey roasted cashew butter.

If Jackson could talk, he just might ask, “What kind of peanut butter is that Momma? Cashooo?” But since he can’t, he’ll probably just grab my face, turn it toward his to get my attention, then turn it toward the jar, over and over until I understand his message, “Mom, look at me! Now look at that peanut butter stuff. Now back to me. Now back to the jar. Got it? Me + jar, stat!” I’m calling this the whiplash stage.

Have you made your own nut butter? What’s your favorite recipe?

Coconut Cashew Almond Butter on a Muesli Morning Round with a drizzle of honey

Coconut Cashew Almond Butter

Makes ~ 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 c. raw or roasted almonds
1/2 c. raw or roasted cashews
1/2 t. coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
slightly less than 1/4 t. vanilla extract
2 t. water
2 t. coconut oil
1/8 t. salt

Directions

In a small food processor bowl, process almonds and cashews until they turn into a thick paste. Scrape the sides down as needed. I didn’t time it, but this probably took at least 5 minutes in my heavy duty Cuisinart.  Add coconut sugar, vanilla extract, water, coconut oil, and salt. Process another 2 minutes until it is creamy. Store in the refrigerator.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Coconut Cashew Almond Butter
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-BL
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Tri-Colored Pasta Salad

Posted: August 7, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tri-colored pasta, a classic party dish because it is so easy to make ahead of time, stores and transports well, and can sit at room temperature for hours.

Rachel, the daughter

This weekend we had Jackson’s first birthday party. I made a great big salad bar with every whole-foods, plant-based topping under the sun, plus pasta salad, three bean salad, corn bean salsa, an organic fruit tray, and even pb&j for the picky-eaters. At the snack table, we had homemade salsa, guacamole, regular hummus, white bean hummus, and cowboy caviar. And to top it all off, a two-tiered custom order cake from a vegan baker with both white vanilla cake with vanilla icing and carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Surely, there would be something for every guest with a spread like this.

As I sat down with my plate, my best friend’s 4-year old daughter asked me very kindly if she could have a spoonful of peanut butter. I’d forgotten she doesn’t eat jelly on her peanut butter sandwiches. Her mom and I laughed. I have fourteen thousand options and the girl wants a spoonful of peanut butter. I, of course, obliged and made a special “peanut butter lollipop” just for her. After she licked the spoon clean, she came up to me where I sat in my chair chatting with her mom, and leaned her elbows onto my knees, looked up so we were almost nose to nose and said “Rachel, you make the best food ever.”

Talk about humbling. In all the frenzy of worrying about what to serve, this sweet girl had it right. I could have served spoonfuls of peanut butter and if it had been served with love and made especially for my friends and family, it would have been received the same way.

It was a great party, but not because of the cute antique toy decorations…

My mom found the old train, blocks, and boxtop at estate sales. The rest I had or got unfinished from Hobby Lobby and painted myself.

not because of the organic salad bar…

Make your own salad with toppings like roasted red peppers in garlic oil, olives, sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, marinated artichokes, shredded carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, and roasted chickpeas.

or the fruit and pasta salads…

Pasta, three bean, and fruit salads add variety and substance to a meatless salad bar menu.

or the special order vegan cake…

A little hint, I wanted a stacked cake, but it was $25 more, so I just ordered two cakes. The bigger cake was supposed to say “Happy Birthday Jackson,” but it was blank….after I threw a little pity party, I stacked them myself and ended up with what I wanted in the first place!

not even because of the bounce house (though that was a hit)…

There is nothing like a huge blow up castle to put a smile on a child’s face!

or the presents…

or the color-coordinating family outfits…

It was a great party, because my house was filled with all nine of Jackson’s living great-grandparents, four of his grandparents, almost all of his great aunts and uncles, several cousins and our best friends. Though I got several sweet comments on the food and decor, it wasn’t the focus of the party…the birthday boy was…as it should be! He was fully aware that this was his party, and ate up all the attention. Jared and I are both shy-by-nature, but somehow we have a boy who loves being the center of attention. Forty sets of eyes on him didn’t overwhelm him in the least.

In church this Sunday, the message was on Matthew 18:1-5,

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

One of our other little 3-year old guests, held up every present Jackson opened for all to see and shouted “Look everyone! Look!”

This weekend was full of humbling reminders. Being a new food blogger and author may have put some imaginary pressures on me to throw a fabulous party with lots of delicious food that show a plant-based diet has plenty of options outside of tofu and carrots. But throwing the greatest party or cooking the best food isn’t really what it’s all about. Humbling myself to serve peanut butter on a spoon is what it’s all about. Throwing my hands in the air with the unrestrained joy of a child and shouting for everyone to look at how great a gift we have all been offered…that’s greatness.

I’m not saying I won’t throw big parties again or make cute banners again or make a big spread of yummy food again, I’m just saying I’ll remember that those things don’t make me great and don’t make a party great. People were having great parties far before pinterest came along!

The most complimented recipe I served was a simplified version of a classic recipe we’ve all had at one time or another, a humble tri-colored pasta salad. You’ve seen it so often because it is makes a lot for pretty cheap, is easy to transport, and can be served at room temperature, making it great for parties and potlucks or to pack for lunch on the go. I took some last night to a friend who just adopted a baby and my husband brought some to work for lunch today.

Tri-Colored Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 17 oz package tri-colored bowtie or spiral pasta
1/2 bottle of your favorite italian dressing (I used a combination of a bruschetta italian and a balsamic dressing)
2 T. olive oil
1/2 a red onion, diced
1 cup of sliced black olives
salt and pepper
(optional mix-ins: diced red pepper, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, shredded chicken, Parmesan cheese)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Don’t overcook. Drain.

In a large bowl, combine salad dressing, onion, black olives, any other mix-ins you like, and pasta. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Refrigerate for two hours or up to a several days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

(Note: If using meat as a mix-in, you’ll want to keep it chilled. I wouldn’t recommend saving leftovers with chicken that has come to room temperature.)

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Tri-Colored Pasta Salad
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-B5
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

An Evening at Sundown at Granada in Dallas

Posted: August 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Dining Out, Reviews | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve become accustomed to the typical vegan dining out experience at non-vegan restaurants. Look up the menu in advance, call to find out if the beans and rice are cooked with lard or chicken stock or if they are willing to make something off the menu for us, trust that the hostess on the other end is actually informed enough to answer correctly, show up and hope for the best. Most places are willing to make modifications for us if we explain what we can and can’t eat and I’m genuinely grateful for their willingness to take these extra steps, but dining out is still one of the most difficult parts of eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. Even a lot of vegan dining places can be difficult because they use so much soy and processed fake-products, which I try to limit.

Last week, I happened upon a restaurant in Dallas called Sundown at Granada Restaurant & Beer Garden. They were voted Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant on D Magazine’s 2012 Best of Big D list. I started my usual routine of checking the menu online and was immediately impressed.

They had me at A.N.D.I salad! Our regular readers should know my love for kale and it’s ranking as one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet by now. Any chef that names a salad after the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index has this health geek’s attention. The menu also had several other options, clearly marked vegan.  Jared and I called in the grandparentals to watch the little one so we could enjoy a dinner out that didn’t involve cutting our food into tiny pieces or chit-chatting with every stranger around us whom Jackson has befriended with a flash of his smile.

Sundown is nestled right next to the Granada theater in a cute/funky little part of town on lower Greenville. Though it was July, we sat outside on the covered patio; with shades and fans, we were quite comfortable. The hostess immediately brought us a chilled bottle of water, a nice touch for my water-chugging husband.

It was happy hour, so we put in an order for our $4 margaritas and perused the menu. Though the A.N.D.I salad was tempting, I had just eaten a big kale salad for lunch, and besides, there were so many other things I wanted to try.

The word that kept coming to mind as I looked at the menu was thoughtful. The chef didn’t just slap a pre-made veggie burger on the menu and call their restaurant veg-friendly, he included us in very thoughtful creative ways. Another thing I appreciated, even though I don’t eat meat, is that they use all grass fed beef and free range chicken.

We started with the Stuffed Avocados with Endive, a trio of avocado halves, each stuffed with a different flavor combination: Italian, Southwest, and Waldorf. I would never have thought to mix avocado, blueberry, and candied walnuts together, but it was delicious. We expected the Southwest to be our favorite, but the Italian actually took both of our votes. Again, I don’t think of Italian when I think avocados, but the sun-dried tomato, basil, and almonds married wonderfully with my favorite fruitable (fruitable: word I just coined for a “vegetable” that’s really a fruit).

Stuffed Avocados with Endive (the vegan version)

We decided to share the Quinoa Burger and the Vegatative State Wrap for our entrees. To our surprise, the chef, Patrick Stark, delivered our meals to us. He talked with us for a good bit about his health journey and the process for writing the menu (it took three months to complete). He’s a young and tatted up guy, but killer talented and incredibly kind. After meeting him, I could see his story and personality shine through the menu and was inspired to step up my own cooking game. Oh, and if talking A.N.D.I wasn’t enough, one of his specials that week was “The Liquid Dinner,” a super food “Green Drink” with kale, berries, mint, agave, pineapple, bananas. I’m telling y’all, green smoothies are fine dining!

Me and the chef, who delivered the food to our table personally. Nice guy.

Back to the food. It was delicious. We ate it all. I will be back for more. The end.

The Quinoa Burger topped with avocado and chile-lime slaw, served with sweet potato fries. A nice thick patty made with the super healthy grain. I was surprised how well quinoa worked as a veggie patty, it wasn’t mushy or crumbly at all.

Side of root bear onions. Oh my yum! I assume these are sweet onions slowly cooked in root beer and generously seasoned with cracked pepper. Whatever they are, they are good enough to eat right out of the bowl.

The Vegatative State (Technically not vegan as the wrap has milk in it. They did tell me though, but I already had my mind set on drunken mushrooms and decided to let it slide.) An interesting combo of sweet potato, drunken mushrooms, sweet potato, spinach, and sunflower seeds. Nothing here is run of the mill.

My hot date patiently letting me take pictures of our food at the table and even asking the chef if he would take a picture with me when I was too shy to ask. That’s why I love this guy!

Happy Birthday Jackson Ray! (+ Two Green Smoothie Recipes)

Posted: July 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: , , , , | 6 Comments

Rachel, the daughter

My little Jackson Ray turned one on Friday. Life has been sweet this year, very very sweet. Knowing deep, heavy, sorrowful years, I don’t ever take a sweet year for granted. Tears rolled down my cheek as I crawled into bed on Thursday night, a reel of sweet moments from the past year flashing through my head.

Feeling my baby’s little (and sometimes not so little) kicks and bumps in my belly.

40 weeks and ready to meet my son!

Holding him in my arms that first day and being so baffled that I actually grew him and that  just hours before he was inside of me. “So that was you kicking around in there this whole time?”

Kissing his perfectly squishy cheeks and pouty lips over and over again. Some things haven’t changed.

Spending hours and hours and hours rocking and feeding and staring and talking to this little wide-eyed wonder. I had no idea how easy those early days were. Ha!

The first warm spring day that we got to go outside and soak in the sun, feeling privileged to get to show the world to this little man, to be there as he he feels grass tickle his toes for the very first time.

The moment I realized my baby was turning into a little boy, as he instinctively made “vroom, vroom” noises while pushing his Tonka truck into the “rough terrain.” Shortly after, to my horror, he ate a rolly polly, driving it home that he was indeed all boy (and possibly not a vegan).

The first time our water-loving boy set eyes on the ocean, at the very same beach where Jared and I got married five years earlier.

Friday morning, Jared and I greeted our one-year old with his very first Happy Birthday duet. Then we moved the party into the kitchen to make a special birthday version of our morning green smoothies. (Jared and I have challenged ourselves to drink one green smoothie a day for a month. Jackson loves them, so he joins us most days too.)

Jackson loves “helping” so much that we got him this little step stool for his birthday designed to let little ones safely be a part of the action. Have you ever met a kid this exited over mixed greens and getting to wash their own dishes on their birthday morning? He is his kale-loving, neat-freak mother’s son! And I am a proud momma!

After Jackson cleaned up :), we went to the Dallas World Aquarium, where once again I was privileged to get to see the world through the awe-filled eyes of a child.

We just finished up week one of drinking a green smoothie every day and it has quickly become a fun morning ritual. I’ve been following my friend and realtor, Terri Camp’s green smoothie experiment for awhile now and finally decided to try it out for our family. Not only is Terri looking and feeling great, but her kids are loving it too. I’ve gone on green smoothie kicks before, but Jared never drank them with me and I never stuck with it on a daily basis. Now that he’s joining me and Jackson is old enough to enjoy them too, I’m having a lot of fun coming up with new concoctions every morning. Peanut Butter Banana, Spicy Tomato & Cucumber, Lemon Blueberry, and Tropical. If you’ve never tried greens in your smoothie, don’t be alarmed by the green color. I promise, you don’t taste the greens at all. I really like to add oats and chia seeds to my smoothies for the extra fiber, omegas, protein, and nutrition. I find they hold me over longer when I include them. You can find chia seeds online, at Whole Foods, or your local health food store. Feel free to omit them though.

Jackson’s Blueberry Birthday Smoothie

Serves 2 (and a baby)

3 T. oats
1 T. chia seeds + 3 T. warm water
1 1/2 c. greens (I used a Power Greens mix of spinach, chard, and baby kale)
1 organic apple, seeded
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
2 bananas, frozen or fresh
1/2 an avocado (makes it creamy)
Juice of one lemon
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as unsweetened coconut or almond milk)
ice

Directions

Soak chia seeds in warm water, stirring occasionally until all the water is absorbed and the chia seeds are soft.

Grind oats in blender into a fine dust. Add (in this order) chia seeds, greens, apple, blueberries, bananas, avocado, lemon juice, milk. Blend until smooth. Add a handful of ice if desired and blend again until smooth.

(Note: I add a little more milk to Jackson’s so it is easily sipped through a sippy cup.)

Tropical Green Smoothie

Serves 2 (and a baby)

3 T. oats
1 T. chia seeds + 3 T. warm water
1 1/2 c. greens (I used a Power Greens mix of spinach, chard, and baby kale)
1 date, pitted
1/2 organic apple, seeded
1 clementine, peeled
1 banana, frozen or fresh
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1/4 t. almond or vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
ice

Directions

Soak chia seeds in warm water, stirring occasionally until all the water is absorbed and the chia seeds are soft.

Grind oats in blender into a fine dust. Add (in this order) chia seeds, greens, date, apple, clementine, banana, pineapple, almond or vanilla extract, coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Add a handful of ice if desired and blend again until smooth.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Happy Birthday Jackson Ray ( + Two Green Smoothie Recipes)
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-zv
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Warm Stuffed Dates: Two-Minutes, Two-Ingredients

Posted: July 26, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Appetizers, Desserts, Gluten Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Fact #1: The attention span of a one-year old is approximately two minutes.

Which leads to…

Fact #2: Mothers of one-year olds do not have more than two consecutive minutes to think during their child’s waking hours.

The biggest miracle to me about motherhood, aside from the miracle of growing a human being, is a mother’s ability to adapt…to lack of sleep, to a house once decorated with soothing muted tones now full of loud primary colored toys, to a trail of constant messes, to being spit, peed, and pooped on, and to doing most of life in two-minute intervals.

Before I had Jackson, I could barely function without eight to nine consecutive hours of sleep. I was most productive when I had large blocks of time, doing one project from start to finish, rather than a little here and there. In college, I didn’t write a single report or study for a test more than one day in advance. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA in 3.5 years while working 25 hours a week. I say this not to brag, but to make the point that my mind functioned well that way. While other people need repeat exposure to learn or memorize something, I just need a big block of time to quietly focus. I often skipped classes that taught straight from the textbook since I couldn’t focus very well in a large distracted environment. I did better reading and studying the text on my own in my quiet apartment.

My life doesn’t lend to these habits anymore. Now, I work in spurts, never knowing when my spurt of free time will be over, when Jackson will wake up, throw a tantrum, wander off, or climb in my lap and give me a big mouth-wide-open kiss. Nothing is too important for that last one. Nothing.

I haven’t figured out how to perfectly balance being a wife, homemaker, mother, blogger, writer, friend, and MOPS volunteer…but I’m amazed how well I’ve actually adapted to all of these new or changing roles in the last year. It turns out, I can get a lot done two minutes at a time.

Put on a pot of coffee while Jackson plays with the rice maker at my feet.

Change a dirty diaper

Pour cup of coffee while Jackson pulls each piece of the salad spinner out of the cabinet.

Find Jackson putting my wallet into the recycling bin. Recover wallet and other miscellaneous items Jackson thinks we should give to the city to “repurpose.”

Make a quick two-minute snack while Jackson sits in his high chair.

Sing along to a slow, batteries-are-about-to-die (thank you Jesus) version of “Have you ever seen a Tigger bounce this way and that way” from Jackson’s songbook for the 14th time today.

Drink two sips of coffee and check email, marking ones that need a response while Jackson makes a loop with his push toy around the living room, kitchen, and dining room.

“Look” for Jackson who has magically disappeared by covering his forehead and one eye. “Oh there he is!”

Edit pictures for a blog post while Jackson pulls all the books out of their canvas box.

Wash dishes with Jackson sitting in front of me splashing in the sink. Dry his tears because all the dishes are clean and play time in the sink is over. 

Microwave cold coffee and change a load of laundry with Jackson’s “help.”

I wouldn’t trade a single two-minute interval. I’d rather adapt, adjust, and embrace what life is right now.

Right now, I have two minutes to make a snack that will give me fuel to keep up with a busy toddler.

Rachel’s Warm Stuffed Dates

Ingredients

Medjool Dates

Roasted Almonds (I love the oil roasted, unsalted ones from Sunflower Market)

Directions

Turn oven to Broil.

Cut a slit down the side of the date and pop the pit out.

Generously stuff dates with roasted almonds and reseal the slit (dates are sticky, so it just sticks back together)

Broil for 1 minute, flip them and broil for 30-60 more seconds.

Let cool slightly and enjoy crunchy savory almonds wrapped in ooey gooey rich dates.

Perfect for a healthy dessert, an energizing snack, or an elegant party appetizer.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Warm Stuffed Dates: Two-Minutes, Two Ingredients
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-yG
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Build-Your-Own-Gourmet-Sandwich Bar

Posted: July 24, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Sandwiches, Vegan, Veggies | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Build Your Own Sandwich bar is an easy way to please different appetites if you’ve got a house full of hungry picky eaters this summer.

First of all, a little giveaway business to take care of. The winner of Friday’s Cookie Butter Giveaway is Wen. (I swear we used a random number generator, but have to admit, there is a nice ring to Wen is the Winner!) Wen, we’ll email you to get an address where we can send your cookie butter. Congratulations!
********

Rachel, the daughter

It’s summer and many of us, either married to school teachers or with school age children, have extra mouths to feed at lunch. Most of the year, lunch is my meal, the meal that doesn’t have to make sense, or be well-balanced. It’s the meal no one’s going to comment on or scoff at because they don’t like what I’m serving. If I’m lucky, I even get to eat it alone while the baby is napping. It’s usually not planned and often just a plate of randomness, if I even actually put it on a plate. I like to have one meal a day that is mine, all mine.

Not that I’m even close to ready to send Jared back to work and into the dreaded long days of football season, but I admit sometimes during the summer I miss my lunch.

During these months, I get asked daily “What’s for lunch?” To which I spout off a list of things I know we have on hand. Somehow a handful of almonds, a bowl of leftover spaghetti, and a sliced avocado, does not sell well as a collective lunch offering. My well meaning husband will kindly decline and offer to make his own lunch instead, and by make, I mean open a bag of his jalapeno-flavored pretzels or serve up a plate of pistachios. I cannot, in good conscious, let this happen on my watch, so I either go in the other room and look away or pull a lunch together that the both of us can enjoy.

My go-to lunch this summer has been anything “Build-Your-Own,” sandwiches, pitas, salads, pizza, pasta. I can eat whatever I’m craving and Jared can choose to eat or not eat any or all of the toppings I’ve offered. Sandwiches don’t have to be boring and they are a familiar vessel to introduce your family to new ingredients and flavor combinations. Try offering roasted chickpeas instead of sandwich meat, avocados instead of mayo, lightly dressed dark leafy greens instead of romaine, hot peppers instead of pickles, roasted red peppers instead of (or in addition to) tomatoes, whole grain garlic toast instead of white bread. You can put out some of your favorite sandwich standby’s too, but my food philosophy with my family is to introduce lots of different foods and to keep trying until I’ve won them over (I’m persistent!). Jared didn’t eat a single thing on this sandwich bar when I first met him, but today he happily ate at least a little of everything except for the tomato (my work is never done around here.)

What are your favorite gourmet or out-of-the-box sandwich toppings?

Build-Your-Own-Gourmet-Sandwich Bar

Ingredients

  • Sliced Avocado
  • Roasted Chickpeas (see below), plain chickpeas work well too
  • Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, and/or arugula) lightly dressed w/ a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper
  • Roasted Red Peppers (storebough or see below to make your own)
  • Spicy Peppers
  • Bread, buttered (Earth Balance for vegans) and sprinkled with garlic powder

Other Gourmet Ingredients you might want to offer on your BYOGS bar:

Hummus, grilled tofu, grilled or breaded eggplant, caramelized onions, mixed olives, shredded roasted chicken, smoked salmon, basil, cilantro, fresh mozzarella, different breads: Ciabatta rolls, hoagies or pitas

Roasted Chickpeas & Red Peppers

Heat oven to 400 degrees (I use my convection oven’s roast setting and it works great if you have one). Either line a baking pan with parchment paper or coat with olive oil or cooking spray.

Drain & rinse a can of chickpeas. Pat dry with a paper towel. Put them on the baking pan and rub olive oil (you don’t need much, maybe 1/2 tablespoon), and season generously with your favorite seasonings. I like smoked paprika, seasoning salt, and a touch of cayenne, but any combo of spice works.

Seed and cut a red pepper in half or thirds and put on a separate baking sheet. Put both pans in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes (the convection oven will cook faster, closer to 10 minutes). The chickpeas should be crunchy on the the outside, but still have a little chew in the middle. The skin of the red pepper should be charred and bubbling up in places. You can stick them under the broiler for a few minutes to char up quickly.

Immediately put the red peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. The steam should loosen the skins and make them really easy to pull off.

Place roasted peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. The steam loosens the skin and makes it easy to peel right off.

To serve, put everything out on the table and let your family taste the ingredients and build their own combination. It could be super casual on a typical Tuesday afternoon or, with the right tablescape and ingredients, really elegant for a shower or reception. In fact, I think I just talked myself into doing a BYOGS bar for Jackson’s upcoming birthday party. There will be something for everyone from the pickiest of eaters to the snobbiest of gourmets.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Build-Your-Own-Gourmet-Sandwich Bar
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-ya
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Friday Giveaway – Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter

Posted: July 20, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Giveaways | Tags: , | 13 Comments

With a book deadline quickly approaching, we are going to try doing something a little different on Fridays to give us more time to write and create recipes for We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook the book. We’re still experimenting, but for now it will vary from week to week, from a featured guest blogger, to an all picture post, to an oldie-but-goodie recipe, to giveaways of books or our favorite foodie items like today’s giveaway.

Like creamy spreadable gingerbread. You’ve gotta try this stuff!

Yesterday, I (Rachel), shared a recipe for Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cookies, using Trader Joe’s cookie butter, a peanut-butter like spread that tastes kind of like gingerbread. Since Trader Joe’s isn’t available everywhere, I thought it might not be fair to rave about a product that some of you can’t get your hands on. My mom & lovely co-blogger just so happens to be heading to Portland tomorrow and is going to pick up a jar to give to one lucky blog reader.

You can enter up to three times by doing one or more of the entries below. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.  We’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner on Sunday at 9pm CST and will announce the winner on Monday.

1) *Required Entry* Leave a comment letting us know one recipe you’ve either tried from our blog, want to try, or just wish we would show up at your doorstep with it already made for you. Refresh your memory at our recipe page.

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NOTE: Trader Joe’s in no way sponsored this post or giveway. We simply like this product, paid for it ourselves, and want to share it with you. However, if Trader Joe’s wants to ship us a case to giveaway to our readers, we’d be open to negotiations!

Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cookies

Posted: July 19, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Desserts, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | 7 Comments

Cookies made with cookies, topped with cookies. Yes, yes, I did.

I know it sounds terribly excessive. But, I can explain, I swear!

So what happened was…

I went to Dallas Fort-Worth’s first Trader Joe’s last weekend while I was killing time before (okay, and during) Jared’s baseball game. As I was standing by a large display of Cookie Butter, reading a jar and trying to figure out what it was, a man walked by and offered his unsolicited opinion,”That stuff is amazing. Just get it. You won’t regret it.”

To which I replied, “Is it like gain-40-pounds-while-sitting-on-the-couch-licking-the-jar-clean, amazing?”

Pushing his cart on his way down the aisle, he hollered over his shoulder, “You might want to get some stretchy pants, but it will all be worth it.”

I was officially intrigued and a little nervous for my waistline. So in my cart the Cookie Butter went.

It turns out, this peanut butter-like spread is made from 57% crushed cookies (and, as one online reviewer put it, a collection of less than healthy natural ingredients…mostly oils and sugars). It feels like really creamy peanut butter with tiny bits of cookie in it, and tastes kind of like gingerbread. It’s hard to compare it to anything, because it’s just unlike anything I’ve ever had. (Though, I’ve heard it’s similar to Biscoff Spread, popular in Europe.)

In a week, I have indeed licked the jar clean, mostly just eating it straight from a spoon. Lucky for me, I wear stretchy pants most days anyway, so I didn’t have to run out and buy a pair.

I did manage to actually make a cookie recipe with the small amount of cookie butter I didn’t eat right out of the jar. In an effort to redeem myself, I even tried to make them a little bit healthier than average cookies, by using all whole wheat pastry flour, rolled oats, and pumpkin instead of oil. (Peanut butter definitely wins in the overall nutrition category, but believe it or not, peanut butter has more fat, sugar, sodium, and calories than cookie butter.)

Have I redeemed myself yet?

I had just enough cookie butter left to smear onto one cookie. It was heavenly. Then I shed a tear for the rest of the batch who would not get to experience the full glory of being cookies, made with cookies, topped with cookies.

If you can get your hands on some of this yummy spread, take a lesson from me and don’t let your cookies suffer because you couldn’t keep your spoon out of the cookie butter jar.

And if you can’t get your hands on Cookie Butter, stick around for tomorrow’s post. We’ll be doing a giveaway you don’t want to miss!

Note: This was post was not sponsored in any way by Trader Joe’s. Opinions and expenses were all mine.

Rachel’s Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cookies

Makes ~ 14 cookies

Ingredients

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 c. rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 heaping c. Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread (I’m sure you could sub a creamy nut butter and a little bit of pumpkin pie seasoning if that’s all you have.)
1/2 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. milk (I used unsweet almond milk)
1 t. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl or mixer, mix cookie butter, pumpkin, sugars, milk, and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet and combine. The dough will be little thinner and stickier than your average cookie dough.

Roll dough into golf ball size balls and place on cookie sheet two inches apart. Spray a fork with non-stick spray and press a criss-cross pattern into each cookie, respraying your fork as needed.

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Enjoy as is or with a smear of cookie butter on top.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cookies
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-xo
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Vegan Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Posted: July 17, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Red Beans and Rice, a humble, healthy, easy dish, high in protein, fiber, and iron–a perfectly satisfying meatless meal.

(Rachel, the daughter)

I used to be a firm believer that I needed a little meat, or at the least some cheese or an egg, at every meal to keep from getting the shakes and a headache. I’m sometimes still surprised that this wasn’t actually true. I obviously still need protein, but it turns out, my body happily accepts plant-based protein, like from legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and occasional unprocessed soy (like organic tofu or edamame).

For most of my young adult life I battled headaches almost daily. Recently, it dawned on me that I very rarely get headaches now, like maybe once every two to three months. I wonder if my old diet high in animal protein could have actually been causing it, rather than helping it. Hmmm… I don’t know. But you know what else dawned on me? I don’t have my old built-in excuse for getting out of certain activities anymore.

“Sorry, I have a headache,” can get you out of watching a loud shoot-em-up-bang-em-up boy movie, cooking dinner, going to your husband’s work banquet, paying the bills, and well, you can probably think of a laundry list of other things.

Because I genuinely did have a headache so often, I could pretty much throw it out there on any given day and it was believable. Who was to say just how severe my headache was? Now, I would probably have to put on a bit of a production to sell that excuse. I might have to throw myself on the bed with a damp towel over my head and moan and groan for awhile, stay off my computer (read: facebook), and go to bed early. It’s really more trouble than it’s worth.

Thank goodness, there’s always the go-to “Sorry, I’m so tired” excuse. Who’s going to question that from the mother of a baby?

This recipe for cajun red beans and rice, very high in plant-based protein (and fiber and iron!), is truly easy enough that you won’t need to come up with an excuse to get out of cooking dinner. It only takes about 10 minutes to make, but does need a couple of hours to simmer. With almost 20 grams of protein, 30% of your daily iron needs, 16 grams of fiber, and only 3 grams of fat, you might even feel energetic enough that you want to tackle that laundry list of to-dos.

Rachel’s Vegan Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves (I used 1 very large clove)
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped (could sub dry parsley)
2 t. smoked paprika
3 dashes liquid smoke
2 t. salt-free cajun seasoning (if yours has salt, add this at the end–salt can make beans tough)
1/2 t. brown sugar
1 lb dried kidney beans, sorted and rinsed (no pre-soak required*)
8 c. water
2 t. salt (use 1/2 smoked salt if you have it)
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne (optional–adds spice)

1 1/4 c. brown Rice & 3/4 c. wild rice, cooked per package instructions or in a rice maker**

Directions

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium heat, add onions, garlic, peppers (whole), and saute until onions are soft. Add parsley, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, cajun seasoning, and brown sugar. Stir for one minute. Add kidney beans, stir. Add water, stir, cover, bring to low boil, then reduce heat to med-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until kidney beans are cooked through. You can remove the lid for the last 15 minutes or so to thicken up the juices if you like. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne if desired. (I removed some beans for the little one before adding the cayenne.)

Slow Cooker: Saute onions, garlic, peppers, parsley and spices in a skillet as above. (You can do this the night before and just keep in the refrigerator until morning.) Put onion spice mixture, kidney beans, and hot water to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When you get home or the beans are cooked to your liking, season with salt, tilt the lid open and turn crockpot to high heat to let some of the liquid evaporate while you get the rest of dinner ready.

Serve over cooked rice.

*No presoak is required, though it could shorten your cooking time if you do. Some beans can be difficult to digest without a presoak and rinse. I’ve eaten two bowls today and have had no, ahem…flatulence or difficulty digesting. More than you wanted to know, right?!

**I combine the wild and brown rice together and cook in the rice maker with a little extra water and about a teaspoon of olive oil. Comes out perfect every time.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Vegan Cajun Red Beans & Rice
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-wQ
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Breakfast Oatmeal

Posted: July 12, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Breakfast Foods, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Oatmeal topped with Maple Cinnamon Coconut Milk. Scrumptious!

(Rachel, the daughter)

Jackson, my almost one-year old is becoming a little boy with a mind and will all of his own.

This morning while feeding him his breakfast of sweet potato oatmeal with coconut milk, he flat out refused to take a bite. He locked his lips, grabbed the spoon from me, sloshed his oatmeal around, then offered me a bite. I obliged with a convincing “Nom, nom, yumm, yumm,” lip-smacking display as I pretended to take a bite. Then I offered him a bite. He didn’t buy it.

Again, he held the spoon to my mouth. I took a little bitty nibble off the end of the spoon and offered him the same. He took one teeny tiny nibble, then lifted the spoon back to my mouth. “Fine, I’ll take a bite and you’ll see how delicious it is,” I told him. So I took a big bite and was surprised at how delicious it actually was. I smacked my lips and let out a genuine “Nom, nom, yumm, yumm,” and offered him another bite. He cleaned his spoon and proceeded to finish the whole bowl.

So Jackson, apparently, has decided, If she won’t eat it, I’m not eating it. I don’t blame him. Some things people feed babies are just offensive. Thankfully, I mostly stick to this rule anyway, often just giving him a serving of whatever I’m eating.

I liked the breakfast I had made for Jackson so much that after he cleaned his bowl, I went back to the stove and made myself a version of his sweet potato and coconut milk oatmeal.

This could be enjoyed in any of it’s three stages, 1) off the stove top as a bowl of warm oatmeal, 2) as a breakfast bake with a crunchy pecan pie topping, or 3) with a drizzle of coconut maple syrup poured on top. Any version will have you saying “Nom, nom, yumm, yumm.”

The casserole is perfect for bringing to a friend (everyone brings dinner, but what about bringing the most important meal of the day to a new mom or family in need?), or to a breakfast meeting. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free (if you don’t use soy milk and you use soy-free Earth Balance), and can easily be made gluten-free by using gf oats and omitting the wheat germ.

Delicious on it’s own, but taken to a whole new level of yumminess with warm maple cinnamon coconut milk drizzled on top.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Breakfast Oatmeal

Makes two large servings (as a main entree) or four smaller servings

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Oatmeal
1 c. water
1 c. milk or unsweetened nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 t. salt
1 c. old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 c. cooked sweet potato*
1/4 c. golden raisins (optional)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 T. maple syrup

Pecan Pie Topping
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 T. wheat germ (could omit or replace with a few more pecans if you don’t have on hand or to make gluten-free)
1 T. soy-free Earth Balance (or butter)
1 T. brown sugar

Maple Coconut Drizzle
3 T. Coconut Milk (full fat from a can)
1 T. maple syrup
1/4 t. cinnamon

*Next time you’re baking sweet potatoes, bake an extra one, mash it up and freeze it in ice cube trays. Pop them out and store in a plastic baggie to have on hand for recipes like this any time you need them.

Directions

1). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, bring water, milk, and salt to a boil. Stir in oatmeal, reduce to medium heat and add the remaining ingredients.Cook for about 7 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. (You could stop now and serve this as is and it would be delicious.)

Pour the oatmeal into either oven safe individual serving bowls (divided) or a small casserole dish.

2) In a small bowl, use your fingers to combine pecans, wheat germ, brown sugar, and Earth Balance. Sprinkle it over the top of the oatmeal and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy on top. (You could stop now and serve as is and it would be delicious, a perfect dish to bring for a potluck breakfast.)

caption

Creamy sweet potato oatmeal with a crunchy golden pecan topping. Serve it as is or jazz it up with a drizzle of warm cinnamon maple coconut milk.

3) Combine coconut milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds. Drizzle on top of oatmeal right before eating.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Breakfast Oatmeal
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-w9
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

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