Honeydew Melon in Coconut Milk

Saturday, May 30, 2015 - Breakfast
Honeydew Melon in Coconut Milk (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)



This was a tasty way to eat honeydew melon - with coconut milk and lime.  I made this for breakfast while we had house guests, and everyone enjoyed it.  I would definitely make this again, and it gave me ideas for other combinations to try, such as cantaloupe with coconut milk and lemon or orange.

Kale Chips

Monday, May 25, 2015
Kale Chips (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

I've made this recipe once before, and I decided to try it again. I liked it much better this time. It's very important to ensure that the raw kale is evenly coated in oil before baking, otherwise some chips will burn while others are too greasy. This batch turned out great. I'll have a healthy snack to eat this week at work.

Mango Hot Sauce

Monday, May 25, 2015
Mango Hot Sauce (Recipe submitted to Runner’s World magazine reader comments, May 2015, by runner and chef Allan Grossman)

This hot sauce is deliciously sweet and spicy (with the addition of habañero peppers, not called for in the recipe).  It is tasty on tortilla chips, and it would be good on a variety of foods: tacos, burritos, potatoes, tofu, breakfast sandwiches, etc.

This recipe made a large amount (about 3 cups) of hot sauce, so I plan to enjoy it for a while!

Thai Curry with Veggies

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - Dinner
Thai Curry with Veggies  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

I was really excited to try this recipe, because I love thai curry, and because the pad thai recipe from this cookbook is probably my favorite meal.
However, I was a little disappointed in the results. The food was good, but a little bland and not at all spicy. After trying the dish and noting the lack of flavor, I went back and mixed in more red curry paste. I ended up using about 4x the amount of curry, and the result was a hint of curry flavor, but still no spiciness.
So I don't know if I got a "dud" jar of curry paste (it was still way before the expiration date), or if it just still needed more. The recipe said that it should yield 2-4 servings, and it actually made 6 servings. So perhaps the curry was overwhelmed by the amount of coconut milk and vegetables.

For the leftovers, I added crushed red pepper, and that elevated the spice level a little. (It also seemed to bring out the curry flavor.)

This dish was good, but it has potential to be even better. I want to try this recipe again - I will buy a different brand of curry and add hot peppers.  This dish would also be tasty with any variety of vegetables, in addition to or instead of those in the original recipe.

Kale and Cauliflower Salad

Monday, May 11, 2015 - Dinner
Kale and Cauliflower Salad  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This was an easy recipe, and it was a refreshing springtime dinner salad. It was pretty quick to make, including the lemon-vinegar dressing.
I wasn't sure if I would like this recipe, because I don't particularly like cauliflower or vinegar, but it was pretty good. The vinegar taste wasn't overpowering, and the cauliflower blended in with the rest of the salad. I don't know if I would make this again, but I enjoyed it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sunday, May 10, 2015 - Dessert
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins were a great way to use the overripe bananas I had in the house.  The muffins turned out very well, and made a delicious dessert!  The recipe suggested adding walnuts as a variation, so I made some with and some without walnuts.  I prefer the nutty version, but both were very good.

Indian Chickpea Basmati Bowl

Saturday, May 9, 2015 - Lunch
Indian Chickpea Basmati Bowl  (Recipe from Runner’s World magazine, May 2015)

This dish was an easy post-workout meal: cook rice, then top with tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and scallions. The sauce is a yogurt-based curry. I only had vanilla flavored coconut milk yogurt, so the sauce was a little sweeter than the recipe probably intended, but it was a good flavor and a light yet satisfying meal.

The recipe for this dish is available on the Runner’s World website: http://runnersworld.com/recipes/whole-grain-rice-recipes-for-runners-0

There are a couple other rice bowl recipes in the same article that also look good.

After mixing the ingredients together

Not-just-for-breakfast Banana Split

Saturday, May 9, 2015 - Breakfast
Not-just-for-breakfast Banana Split  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This tasty treat is a healthier version of the traditional dessert - it's basically a yogurt parfait with fruit and granola. I used coconut milk yogurt to make it dairy-free.  This was a sweet and filling breakfast meal.

Red Lentil Artichoke Stew

Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Dinner
Red Lentil Artichoke Stew  (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This stew was very hearty and tasted great. It was very filling. The recipe said to serve the stew over rice or pasta, but I think I would have liked it even better in a bowl by itself.

It took a little longer for the stew to cook than the recipe suggested. In the future, I would probably start cooking the lentils separately while making the base for the stew, so that the lentils would soften earlier without the veggies getting too soft. I would definitely make this recipe again!

Served over Israeli couscous, with fresh-baked Italian bread.

Strawberries and Wine

Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Dessert
Strawberries and Wine (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This cool strawberry treat makes a great dessert on a hot day!

When I was a kid, I remember picking strawberries at my grandparents' house, coating the berries with sugar, and putting them in the fridge overnight. The next day, we would eat the syrupy berries as a yummy summer dessert.

This dish is a grown-up version of my childhood treat: just drizzle white wine over the sugared berries, refrigerate, and enjoy!

Balsamic Strawberries

Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Lunch
Balsamic Strawberries (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This dish sounded strange, but tasted delicious. It tasted just like berries on a salad with balsamic dressing, but without the salad. It was a great springtime side dish!