Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Saturday, February 20, 2016 - Brunch
Banana-Blueberry Muffins (Recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin)

These muffins sounded delicious, but they didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.  I think the oven temperature was too high, because the outside of the muffins (especially the blueberries) started to burn, while the insides were not fully cooked - even though I took them out 10 minutes early.  I made one tray of regular muffins (below), and a second tray of mini muffins.  For the mini muffins, I lowered the temperature by 20 degrees and watched the muffins closely to remove them when they were golden brown.  The mini muffins turned out much better (above).

Polenta Hearts and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Sunday, February 14, 2016 - Lunch
Polenta Hearts
Roasted Red Pepper Coulis
(Recipes from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

Polenta Hearts were a fitting meal for Valentine's Day. I used a cookie cutter to form the heart-shaped polenta cakes. The cooked polenta needed to chill for at least an hour to set up enough to make shapes, so I had enough time to clean up the kitchen, prepare the ingredients for the sauce, and go outside to run a couple miles in the snow. The recipe filled a 13x9 baking pan to half an inch deep, which yielded about 10 hearts (2-3 servings) plus another 1-2 servings of extra polenta. The finished product was delicious. The sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh basil added a good mix of flavors to the polenta - and the fresh herbs made my kitchen smell great.  I'm pleased with how well some of the photos turned out - the natural lighting must have been just right today.   

The coulis was very good. It was simple: put the ingredients into a blender, then warm the blended sauce for a few minutes on the stove.  It had a good roasted pepper flavor (without the sliminess of eating whole roasted peppers), and it was a little sweet and a little spicy. I would like to make this again to try it as a pepper-based pasta sauce.

Southwestern Tofu Burgers

Saturday, February 13, 2016 - Dinner
Southwestern Tofu Burgers (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These burgers were fantastic.  The recipe was one of the easiest homemade burger recipes I've tried.  The only hassle was having to freeze then thaw the tofu in advance, but it was worth it for the texture and consistency that it yielded.  These burgers were easy to form into patties, stayed together while cooking, and didn't crumble while eating.  They tasted great too - the mixture of tofu, peppers, corn, and spices was tasty, and a dollop of salsa on top was the finishing touch.

Oven-baked "French Fried" Yams

Sunday, February 7, 2016 - Dinner / Superbowl snack
Oven-baked "French Fried" Yams (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These fries tasted good, but they were too soft.  I adjusted the cooking time and temperature from the first baking sheet to the second one, but the fries still weren't as crispy as I would have liked.  A few extra minutes in the toaster oven helped a little.

The savory herb and spice mixture in this recipe was different than seasonings I've used on sweet potato fries previously.   It was a good flavor that went well with the sweetness of the fries.

Quinoa and Corn Medley

Sunday, Februray 7, 2016 - Lunch
Quinoa and Corn Medley (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This recipe was quick and easy -- it took less than 45 minutes, including prep time to chop all the vegetables and herbs.  The finished product was filling and tasted great, and since the recipe made 6 large servings, there are plenty of leftovers for lunch this week.  I really liked the mixture of Latin and Mediterranean flavors: the quinoa, corn, lemon, and parsley complemented one another well.  This is one of my new favorite quinoa recipes!