On living with the omnis

On any given day my household can have anywhere from two to five inhabitants: Me and four male omnivores.  Our home is blended in more ways than one :) When it comes time for making tasty vittles, this usually means everybody ends up eating veg; although sometimes the guys go for the meat and I just have something.. um... else...  

... like tempeh in Jamaican Jerk sauce instead of sausages, with the same sides: Roasted herbed potatoes, peas and sauerkraut:

On other days, its a really full house complete with guests.  For this weekend meal, there were appetizers of crusty baguette and this new flavour of commercial hummus: Roasted artichoke & spinach - delicious and, hey, its summer, I'm not going to spend all day in the kitchen :).

Followed by local corn on the cob:

and chili with everything thrown in - tomatoes, onions, garlic, three colours of peppers, corn, carrots, broccoli, lotsa spices and Just-Like-Ground (I'm probably forgetting something here):

And for dessert - banana chocolate chip muffins:

All 100% plant and nobody noticed what they were "missing."

Hope you are all having a great, healthy week.  I'm off to the kitchen to make some lentil loaf and local fresh veggies :)

Dragon Boat Races = Chinese Vegetarian Food

My son and I took in Montreal's International Dragon Boat Festival today at the Olympic basin.  We showed up right around lunch time, so what better excuse to take in some tasty Chinese vegetarian offerings?

Greasy and salty but that won't kill me once in a while, will it? (My son thought the noodles were worms.. lol).

  Not much else to report today.  I took a chance by not applying sunscreen on this overcast day and now have an ouchy sunburn.  Maybe by my 44th year I will learn?

Raw vegan ice cream in Villeray

What a treat! And right here in my neighbourhood (Villeray)!  Cru Vitalié / Raw-Vitality has just opened a storefront operation at 151 Gounod, a few blocks east of Jarry Park.  My son and I dropped by and were treated to a detailed product description and taste test by Georgia, the outgoing co-founder and mother of five.

The purveyors of delicious Kale Chips, Parma-Veg and RawKaroons now offer a line of dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, live, raw, vegan frozen treats.  And they are FANTASTIC!  I've tried the Chia Vanilla, Rocky Road, and my son's favorite, Double Chocolate.  The whole process from start to finish takes place on the premises and can be topped off with raw nuts and raw chocolate sauce.. Yum! 

DIG IN!

You don't need to break eggs to make an omelette (but you do need to follow instructions)

Ok, so its not the weekend yet, but I woke up super hungry and eager to try my hand at making a tofu omelette that actually sticks together and doesn't end up like tofu scramble.  Susan's recipe over at FatFree Vegan Kitchen sounded easy enough so I gave it a whirl.  Only... I didn't exactly follow the instructions.  Result:  Omelette #fail :(  What didn't I do?  Well, I used regular soft tofu (not Mori-Nu) and I only mashed everything up with a fork - not in a blender to make it smooth.  I ended up with a soupier albeit very tasty version of a tofu scramble with what was to be a filling of sauteed onions, mushrooms and red peppers.  Moral of the story:  Follow instructions! :)

Warm comfort for a cool July evening

First off, a note of apology: 

Dear blog, 

Please accept my humblest apologies for abandoning you for nearly two months.   You see, I have been a tad stressed lately and all my creativity goes right under the window under those conditions.  I have missed you and will endeavor to pay greater attention to you.  Besides, the writing, cooking, prepping, research, thinking... its all great therapy! Sadly, along with the hiatus from the blog came some sliding off the plant-based wagon.  But lets not harp on these things, shall we?  Onwards and upwards I say :)

It was great to have a break from the unbearably hot weather we've been having lately in Montreal.  It was cool enough yesterday to consider making something warm and heavier.  I've had a craving for Vegan Dad's Creamy Kale and Potato Stew so I made this last night, only I used swiss chard instead of kale for a change.  Turned out great:  Hearty and satisfying... and plenty of leftovers I just had for lunch!