Peach-Bourbon Compote

Saturday, July 30, 2016 - Dessert
Peach-Bourbon Compote (Recipe from Runners' World, August 2016)

This dessert was delicious!  I'm surprised it was featured in Runner's World, since it's basically fruit covered in syrupy molasses, sugar, and butter, with little bit of bourbon.  I made it even less healthy by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I made this dairy-free using almond milk ice cream and nondairy butter.

Falafel Burgers

Saturday, July 23, 2016 - Lunch
Falafel Burgers (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

These chickpea and parsley burgers were tasty.  I have made them before, and I usually cook them in a skillet with a little oil.  This time, I baked them in the oven according to the recipe directions.  I modified the recipe slightly, to use less onion and slightly less garlic than suggested.  I also added water to the mixture to help form it into burger patties - otherwise they would have been too dry.  Even so, they crumbled during baking and when I tried to flip them part way through the baking time.  The crumbly burgers were a little messy on a bun, but actually worked well in pita sandwiches, because they spread out in the pockets and allowed more room for veggies without ripping the bread.  

The recipe had an accompanying recipe for vegan tzatziki sauce (a cucumber / sesame yogurt sauce), but the store only had vanilla soy yogurt, instead of plain, and it might have been weird with the sweetness of vanilla.  I'd like to try making the sauce eventually.

Lavender Lemonade

Sunday, July 17, 2016
Lavender Lemonade (Recipe from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

This lemonade hit the spot on a hot summer day! The infusion of lavender with fresh-squeezed lemons was delicious and refreshing.
(It would also be tasty with a splash of vodka or gin.)

It took much longer than it should have to make, because I couldn't find my citrus juicer (or maybe I only imagined that I have one?), so instead I squeezed the lemons by hand. I also tried, with limited success, to use a spout-style 'juice extractor,' but it works better for larger fruits like oranges and grapefruit.
I will definitely make this recipe again, and I will make sure I have the proper tools next time.

As an added bonus, every time I make this, I'll be helping to keep my overgrown lavender plant from getting out of control.  And I'll get yummy lemonade as a reward.