The Kitchen &The Garden Patch

Just wanted to show off my “new” (Vintage) ceramic...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:04:42 -0500

Just wanted to show off my “new” (Vintage) ceramic enameled cookware set. Excellent condition (doesn’t look like they have ever been used). Found on eBay by my lovely husband.

Can’t wait to use them!

Banana Coconut French Toast

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:05 -0500

I used the recipe from yesterday’s Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread to make this french toast. This is one of my new favorites.

BANANA COCONUT FRENCH TOAST

1/4 cup raw cashews, ground
2 bananas, mashed
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut milk (canned)*
6 thick slices Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

Blend together first 5 ingredients, and pour into a shallow dish. Dip each side of each slice of bread in the mixture, and cook on a greased skillet on medium heat until golden on each side. Enjoy with Coconut Whipped Cream (see recipe below).

* Refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight. In the morning, scoop out the cream on top, and reserve it. Use the rest of the liquid here. Mine turned out to be about 3/4cup, but more is okay. Use the cream to make Coconut Whipped Cream (below) to put on top of your French Toast! :)
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COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM

The cream you scooped out of the can of Coconut Milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 TB non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla

BLEND at a high speed. (I used the whisk attachment on my immersion blender.) Chill until serving.

CINNAMON SWIRL RAISIN BREAD (for Bread Machine)

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:00:06 -0500

No picture this time; it was eaten up too quickly! I also used some to make French Toast. (I’ll post the recipe for that tomorrow.)

CINNAMON SWIRL RAISIN BREAD (for Bread Machine)

In this order, add to bread machine:

Egg replacer for 1 egg + 1/4c almond milk + 3/4 c warm water (enough to make 1 cup total)

1/4 c vegan butter, softened

1/3c sugar

1 packet yeast

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 c flour

SET BREAD MACHINE TO “DOUGH” CYCLE

At the beep, add:

1/2 c raisins

Remove dough +

Roll into 10” x 12” rectangle

Brush on dough:

2 TB vegan butter, melted

Sprinkle on dough:

2 tsp cinnamon + 2 tsp sugar

Roll (tightly) from the short side and pinch where the dough meets. Roll ends underneath. Place in a loaf pan. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place in the oven and bake for 35 mins.

My wonderful mother sent me out a surprise box of homemade...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:29:44 -0500

My wonderful mother sent me out a surprise box of homemade canned goodies last week.

From left to right: Apple Butter, Applesauce, Pickles, Tomato Sauce, and Strawberry Jam

It brought back memories of sitting around the kitchen with my family, preparing all kinds of fruits and vegetables for canning purposes. My mom would be washing and boiling the jars and lids, and preparing the spices; always taking reference from recipes handwritten in pencil on aging pieces of paper that throughout the years had seen a fair amount of unintentional spills and stains.

Us kids would be sitting in a row at the counter, helping my dad peel and cut the fruits and vegetables from our garden. He would hand us slices of freshly harvested produce to eat, and insist that we must try it, because it was indeed the most delicious fruit/vegetable he had ever eaten.

At the time I didn’t appreciate the experience and joy of growing, harvesting, and preserving homegrown produce. And now I treasure each one of these jars. I almost don’t want to open them, for fear of never having them again. Silly, right?

I’m looking forward to the day when I have my own garden and I can pass these skills and experiences onto someone else.

VEGAN CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP (easy)

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:40:06 -0500

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

olive oil

1 onion , chopped

2 cloves garlic , chopped

4 stalks celery , chopped

salt & pepper

4 cups broccoli

4c veggie broth

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups almond milk (plain, not vanilla)

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until tender.

2. Add salt & pepper, broccoli and broth; cover and cook for 20 minutes.

3. Let soup cool, then purée *

4. Return to heat.

5. Mix together flour & almond milk, then add to soup.

Serve warm with bread!

* I used my immersion blender, but in the past I’ve transferred it in batches to the food processor, left the chute open and covered with a towel while blending.

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Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:28:45 -0500

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MEXICAN CASSEROLE

1 pkg ground vegan crumbles (in the freezer section of your grocery store)

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 TB paprika or chili powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

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1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

vegan sour cream (see recipe below. it’s quick.)

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

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6 flour tortillas (Cut tortillas into a half-moon shape. For each layer, overlap two moons on each side of pan, and one on each end)

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3 c vegan cheese, grated/shredded

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1 can Hormel Vegetarian chili

Directions:

1. Brown ground crumbles with onion, garlic and spices.

2. Mix enchilada sauce, vegan sour cream, and chiles together in a bowl.

3. Cut tortillas into triangles.

4. In a greased 9x12 pan, layer 3 of the tortillas.

5. Then a layer of ground crumbles mixture.

6. Then a layer of enchilada/sour cream/chiles mixture.

7. Then a layer of Chili.

8. Then a layer of cheese.

9. Repeat layers 4-8.

10. Bake in a 375°F oven uncovered for 30 minutes.

Make this recipe soy & wheat free:

1. Use beans instead of ground crumbles & vegetarian chili. Use a combination of 1 can (2 cups) of black beans (in place of the crumbles) and 1 can of vegetarian refried beans (in place of the chili).

2. Use salsa instead of the vegan sour cream.

3. Make sure your vegan cheese was made with rice milk. OR use an assortment of chopped veggies! Suggestions: tomatoes, peppers, black olives, avocado, or corn.

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VEGAN SOUR CREAM (use 1/2 of this for above recipe)

1 container medium Tofu, drained

5 teaspoons Lemon Juice (fresh Is Better)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt to taste

Directions:

BLEND & CHILL

good man i like it when people keep an open mind, and change...

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:33:57 -0400

good man

i like it when people keep an open mind, and change their lifestyle for the better

Bill Clinton

#famousvegans

Today I learned some high-priced cuts of meat are just scraps...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:34:58 -0400

Today I learned some high-priced cuts of meat are just scraps glued together with ‘Meat Glue.’

Have you heard? Silk Almond Milk has 50% more calcium per...

Tue, 17 May 2011 07:00:05 -0400

Have you heard?

Silk Almond Milk has 50% more calcium per serving than dairy milk. My favorite choice for chocolate milk.

Yum!

I changed my water filtration system today.

Mon, 09 May 2011 23:58:00 -0400

The filters were absolutely disgusting. I’m so glad all of this junk ends up here and not in my glass of water.

Also, long story short, I’ve been living without power today (and using my laptop battery sparingly). It’s like pioneer times. I’d like to have a wood stove and a couple of oil lamps.

We are long overdue for one of these. And just in time for...

Fri, 06 May 2011 16:02:54 -0400

We are long overdue for one of these. And just in time for Mother’s Day:

Mister Rogers:

“I don’t want to eat anything that has a mother.”

#FamousVegetarians

I made some delicious Chick’n Parm, using my favorite...

Thu, 05 May 2011 07:00:06 -0400

I made some delicious Chick’n Parm, using my favorite chicken substitute, Gardein Chick’n Scallopini.

How to:

Sautée the chick’n scallopini, and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Coat the bottom of a glass casserole dish with marinara, and place the chick’n on top. Cover in sauce, and shredded vegan cheese. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until all the cheese is melted. Done! I served this on top of pasta, and with a side of sauteed greens.

I used to make my oatmeal with water. It was always okay, but I...

Tue, 03 May 2011 07:00:06 -0400

I used to make my oatmeal with water. It was always okay, but I would end up adding maple syrup or sugar to sweeten it up. Even then, it was just mediocre.

Last month, I went home for my grandfather’s (step-grandfather, but he was a big part of the family) funeral. The first thing I did was go to my aunt’s house to see my grandma. I ended up making them both breakfast. She had asked for oatmeal and I found that she makes her oatmeal with milk. I hadn’t used milk for a few years, and it was strange to cook with it.

One thing I did notice was how creamy the oatmeal was, and that it smelled so sweet. It completely inspired me. The next time I made oatmeal, I tried using almond milk. It was the best oatmeal I’ve ever had. And I’ve been eating it that way ever since. (Sometimes when I’m being conservative, I’ll use a half almond milk - half water combination, and it’s still pretty tasty.)

When you make it at home, make sure the heat is low. (On high heat, it is very easy for the almond milk to boil over, and it becomes sour as well.)

So here’s my favorite breakfast: oatmeal with fresh squeezed OJ. Yum!

Making nachos with my little sis! She had a lot of fun shredding...

Mon, 02 May 2011 12:13:26 -0400

Making nachos with my little sis!

She had a lot of fun shredding the cheese with my mom’s Pampered Chef Cheese Grater.

Then she decided to be brave and try to eat a lime. Of course I had to get pictures of that. Her face reminds me of those videos of babies eating lemons.

My goodness.

Mon, 02 May 2011 11:39:23 -0400

I have been away for a long time. My apologies. There has been lots and lots going on; my business (design) has been.. well, busy. It takes up all of my time. And on top of that, the past few months I’ve been planning my wedding, going back home for a death in my family, and many other things.

The good news? I’m getting back on track. Which is great news, because I have lots to share with you.

Now that I’m here, does anybody have a question for The Kitchen and The Garden Patch?

thekitchenandthegardenpatch.com/ask

Buy One, Get One FREE Sale in March! Get a book for yourself and...

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:17:18 -0500

Buy One, Get One FREE Sale in March!

Get a book for yourself and a friend.

With Love,

The Kitchen & The Garden Patch

Just sent out February’s Recipe of the Month; Chocolate...

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:24:09 -0500

Just sent out February’s Recipe of the Month; Chocolate Covered Cherries!

This is a good one; a new favorite in my house. Hurry up and get a copy of The Kitchen and The Garden Patch so you can get free new recipes every month.

In fact, if you order by the end of this month, I’ll be sure to send you February’s recipe so you don’t miss out.

chemicalfreeskinny: GENERAL INTEREST: HOW TO COOK LIKE...

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:36:37 -0500

chemicalfreeskinny:

GENERAL INTEREST: HOW TO COOK LIKE GRANDMA

.

Tips: Eat Healthy, Save Money, Avoid Waste

COOKING LIKE GRANDMA

By Carol Thompson, thedailygreen.com

Being thrifty in the kitchen, just like grandma used to, will cut down on the amount of waste you produce. Nobody expects you to make a pie every day like she did, but taking a few pointers will help you be as green as possible.

Use up leftovers. Try incorporating them into new recipes instead of letting them sit in the fridge. Leftovers today are opportunities for tomorrow.

Cook instead of going to restaurants or ordering take-out. You’ll save money cooking for yourself, and you’ll avoid the waste from extra take-out packaging.

Don’t just cook. Cook from scratch. Whole, natural ingredients are better for you. Avoid the pre-packaged stuff, and you’ll avoid preservatives, additives and the wasted packaging material.

Be thrifty. But don’t be thrifty by buying cheap stuff. Try to pick things (like appliances and furniture) that are durable and will last you a long time. You’ll go through less stuff, and less will be sent to the dump. It’s a win-win!

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(photo-George Mark / Getty Images)

ecofriendlyhealth: Once you go Cloth you never go back! Green...

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:00:07 -0500

ecofriendlyhealth:

Once you go Cloth you never go back!

Green tip of the day:

Switch to cloth napkins! Not only are they eco friendly, but they are cute and fun to pick out! Once you get used to cloth napkins you will wonder why in the world you ever used paper! They are much more absorbent and clean up better. It feels better against your skin and saves so many trees! A one time cost (or ask for them for a birthday or Christmas present =) and then you no longer have to purchase napkins and paper towels! Score!

yummyvegan: Watermelon Juice by far the best and most...

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:00:07 -0500

yummyvegan:

Watermelon Juice by far the best and most under-drunk juice.

(photo via cattylife)