A Great Video About Bottled Water!

Just double click on the video and it will take you to YouTube where you can watch the full size version!

P.S. Get rid of your expensive bottled water habit and buy a Brita filter!

VegWeb's Melty Cheese

My favorite cheeze sauce so far has been Melty Cheese. I love it on nachos and also I use it to make macaroni and cheeze.

Tips:

- If you find you need a bit more of a cheezy flavor, add more nutritional yeast flakes, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- When your cooking the cheeze sauce, whisk constantly, don't let it burn or your sauce will taste nasty.

***For my nachos, I topped my mound of tortilla chips with refried black beans, pickled jalapenos, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, Tofutti sour cream, homemade guacamole (mashed avocado+sea salt+lime juice), and melty cheese***

VegWeb's Veggie Manchurian

The Veggie Manchurian off VegWeb is fantastic! I had never tried Indian food before going vegan and it's amazing how much more variety I eat now... Food used to be kind of boring until I was forced to think (well cook) outside of the box a bit... Vegan cooks are so creative!

Notes/ Modifications:

- Instead of 1 Tablespoon each of garlic, chili powder, coriander use 1 Teaspoon (I think this was an error). I still use the full tablespoon of garlic.
- I double the recipe for the balls (First 8 ingredients) but leave the sauce amount the same, the first time I made this I remember having way too much extra sauce.
- Corn flour = Corn starch.
- I bake the balls until they look golden brown and use a mini muffin pan to cook them in so they will retain their shape more easily.

How the balls should look when they're done in the oven:

Bryanna Clark Grogan's Chinese-Style Vegan "Beef" and Asparagus

I found this recipe on Bryanna Clark Grogan's blog and it turned out great... My BF loved it! He especially loved the "beefy" flavored Soy Curls... I used the browning broth to brown an extra bag of Soy Curls for later use, and really liked the idea, I will definitely be using that idea again and again.

Notes/ changes I made:

- I used a whole 8 oz bag of Soy Curls (instead of 5.3 oz)
- I used 1 tbsp of regular sesame oil and 1 tbsp olive oil (Because I was using more Soy Curls)
- I used mirin instead of dry sherry (Didn't have any)
- I used 1 tbsp minced garlic (Out of a jar)
- I used maybe 1 tsp powdered ginger instead of the 1 tbsp fresh (Didn't have any)
- I used veggie broth instead of "chicken" broth (Laziness)
- I used store bought vegetarian oyster sauce instead of her recipe for it
- I accidentally used 4 tbsp + 1 tsp gravy browner instead of 4 tsp (2 extra tbsp... Because I screwed up!)
- I added about 1/2 lb baby carrots quartered (sliced top to bottom twice), 1/2 a large white onion sliced, and 1/4 cup frozen peas. I added the carrots and onion about half way into browning the "beefy" strips.
- I served mine with white calrose (sticky) rice

El Torito Style Sweet Corn Cake

This is soooo easy! I just veganized the recipe on the back of the El Torito Sweet Corn Cake Mix package, which didn't require much effort. I only had to substitute regular butter for vegan butter (I used Earth Balance stick butter for easy measuring). Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- 7.4 oz package El Torito Sweet Corn Cake Mix
- 15 oz can cream-style corn
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a bowl combine corn cake mix, melted butter, water, and cream-style corn. Mix until ingredients are combined.
- Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Mine took about 55 minutes but my oven is lame.
- Use an ice cream scoop to serve the sweet corn cake as a side dish or for dessert.

Kombucha

So my kombucha tea turned out perfect! Though next time, I'm going to use my newly acquired juicer to juice some smoother fruit juice instead of the chunky strawberry puree I used this time... My tea didn't taste bad, it was just a little chunkier than I would have preferred.

I'm already 4 days into my next batch and it's looking great! My new baby has already formed and I am looking forward to my next batch! Remember to keep your tea in a quiet, dim, undisturbed place (Mine is in a cabinet over the fridge I hardly get into).

So bottom line: This is sooooo EASY and CHEAP! If you love kombucha, save yourself a bazillion dollars and purchase a mother here (I purchased the first kit listed only $19.95 + S&H). The only other thing you need to get started is a huge glass jar (like a gallon) and a fine strainer. That's it! People make it sound so much harder than it actually is to make your own.

Easy Peasy Pasta Bake

So I kinda just threw this together and thought it turned out pretty good... My BF really liked it and said I should post it! Quick comfort food... Though next time I would add more veggies... Maybe even an entire extra bunch of asparagus or some broccoli. I will list exactly what I used this time, feel free to add more veggies if desired. Serve with salad for a perfect vegan meal.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends snapped off, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 white onion, sliced
- Garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
- 12 oz box medium pasta shells
- 10.75 oz can condensed tomato soup + 10.75 oz can worth of water
- 1/2 to 1 cup fried onions
- Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

- Prepare asparagus and onions.
- Preheat oven to 400 F and get a big pot of water boiling for the pasta.
- Once pasta water is boiling add pasta and cook until al dente, then drain in a colander (Save the pot).
-Meanwhile, put the asparagus and onions in a large rectangular caserole dish and season generously with garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper. Spray your seasoned veggies with cooking spray and mix the veggies around until everything is evenly coated. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender crisp (Save the casserole dish).
- Turn stove down to 350 F.
- Thoroughly mix condensed soup and water in the pot, add cooked pasta and mix until pasta is evenly coated. Add this mixture to the asparagus and onion mixture in the casserole dish and mix thoroughly. Once mixed, cover with fried onions (You can mix the mixture around again if you wish or leave the onions as a topping).
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tomato soup has thickened a bit.
- Generously season casserole servings with creole.

Makes: 8 Servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Kombucha Part 2

Okay, so I'm done with the brewing process... I let the kombucha brew for 10 days and a baby scoby formed so I did something right! Now, I'm going to let my strawberry flavored kombucha (I flavored it with pureed strawberries) ferment in bottles for like 3 days so it gets nice and carbonated... Can't wait to try my finished product it looks like it's gonna be tasty :)

Easy Chik'n Ranch Wraps

INGREDIENTS:
- Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips (you can use another brand if you can't find these)
- Shredded romaine
- Vegan ranch dressing
- Oil

DIRECTIONS:

- Fry frozen chik'n strips in oil until lightly browned, I like to cut them up further with my spatula as I'm cooking them. Once browned, dump the chik'n strips into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the same fry pan, heat up your flour tortillas. Once heated place on a plate and top with shredded romaine and vegan ranch.
Wrap up and enjoy! So simple and delicious :)

Preparation time: 1 minute
Cooking time: 5 minutes

VegWeb's Baha Tofu Tacos with Cilantro Coleslaw and Vegan Tarter Sauce

This recipe, by far, is my favorite recipe on Vegweb! It never disappoints, I promise... I'm going to post the recipe here so that I can break it down for you and make things easier :)

INGREDIENTS:

*I use 4 pie pans for this recipe, it makes things much easier*
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- 4 cups vegetable oil (or just use a deep fryer like I did)
- 10 corn tortillas
Pan #1 (Rub):
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp kelp or seaweed seasoning (optional)
Pan #2:
- 1/2 cup flour
Pan #3:
- 1 single serving container of plain vegan yogurt
Pan #4:
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Cilantro Coleslaw:
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 3 cups multi-colored coleslaw blend
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
Vegan Tarter Sauce (my recipe):
- 1.5 cups vegan mayo
- 4 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder

DIRECTIONS:

Make coleslaw the night before to let the flavors blend and absorb. To make the coleslaw dressing, place 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon cumin, and chipotles in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture over slaw mix, stir in cilantro, mix well. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Make vegan tarter sauce the night before as well, to allow the flavors to blend. Mix all tarter sauce ingredients (vegan mayo, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder) together. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
When your ready to make your meal, wrap tofu in paper towels, place a cast iron skillet or other heavy object on top of the tofu to press the water out (I use a tea kettle filled with water). Let it sit for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over after 15 minutes and replacing with new paper towels.

While the tofu is pressing, get your pans ready. Mix all tofu rub ingredients in one pan. Then get the yogurt, flour, and panko pans ready too.

Unwrap tofu, cut into 10 equal sticks. Rub all sides lightly with the tofu rub mixture, next dip each piece of tofu in flour covering all sides, then yogurt, then panko crumbs. Pat crumbs into the tofu to get them to stick well. Set on plate until all the pieces are breaded.

Pour the vegetable oil into a 10 quart sauce pan (or just use a deep fryer) and heat to 365 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat. Deep fry breaded tofu pieces in oil 3-4 at a time until golden brown.
Spray each corn tortillas with cooking spray or just use some oil, heat 1 or 2 at a time in a large fry pan. (You can also spray them and then place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Serve by placing one piece of tofu on top of a warmed tortilla, top with coleslaw and tarter sauce.

**This recipe could also be simplified to make "fish" sticks with tarter sauce, just skip making the coleslaw and tortillas**

Makes: 5 servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Sweet & Spicy Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups rice (I use Calrose)
2 cups water
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup julienned carrots (or frozen would work too)
1.5 cups frozen broccoli florets
Hot chili sauce (Sriracha), to taste (start with 1 tbsp)
Sweet chili sauce, to taste (I use Mae Ploy brand)
2-3 tablespoons Braggs/soy sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons oil (or enough oil to keep the rice from sticking to the pan)
*I added some white onion and red cabbage this time*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put 1 1/2 cups rice and 2 cups water in a rice cooker and cook (takes about 15 minutes). If you don't have a rice cooker or are using a different kind of rice just follow the directions on the rice package.
2. Let the rice cool completely. I usually cook the rice earlier in the day and eat it for dinner.
3. Scoop rice out of cooker into a large bowl and mix with 2 to 3 tablespoons Braggs or soy sauce to taste, be careful not to add too much!
4. Add the carrots, peas, broccoli florets, and corn to the rice mixture (you can substitute or add different veggies if you wish). Do not add the green onions yet.
5. Heat about 3 tablespoons oil in a large pan or pot and add rice and veggie mixture, cook for about 5 minutes on high heat.
6. Add green onions, hot chili sauce, and sweet chili sauce to taste, cook for another 5 minutes on high heat.

**I like to serve my fried rice topped with sliced avocado and scoop spoonfuls into seasoned roasted dried seaweed slices, but you can just eat the fried rice plain, either way it's delicious, enjoy!**

Preparation time: 5 minutes + rice cooking and cooling time
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Makes: About 4 big servings

Strawberry Milk!

I seriously loved strawberry flavored cow's milk as a non-vegan, so I just had to create a vegan version so I could enjoy this again! I think this version is even better: no cholesterol, no crazy chemicals, just sheer simplicity!

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 medium/large frozen strawberries
- 1 3/4 cups vanilla flavored vanilla or soy milk (not unsweetened)

DIRECTIONS:

- Place in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and dreamy!

Makes: 2 cups worth of heaven

My Veggie Kitchen's Sweet & Spicy Tofu Steaks

Recently, I made Sweet & Spicy Tofu Steaks from My Veggie Kitchen and they were tasty :) though I didn't enjoy the texture of the tofu since it was kind of mushy in the middle. I let the steaks marinate for a few days and followed his cooking instructions, to fry the tofu steaks, for half of my batch.

For the other half, I cut the tofu steaks into thin slices and baked them at 350 F for about 40 minutes, flipping half way. I used the tofu as a filling in spring rolls!


This was my first time making spring rolls and they didn't look as beautiful as I usually see them but they were delicious. I found that tofu and avocado are a must have in spring rolls so don't make spring rolls without them!

Thick and Creamy Vegan Ranch

When I first went vegan I never thought I would still be able to still enjoy RANCH! Thick and creamy RANCH! Thank God I can or I wouldn't be eating many salads because it's just about the only salad dressing I like and I have tried TONS. Here is my perfected version of this recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 1.5 cups Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
- 1/4 cup vanilla almond or soy milk (not unsweetened)
- 1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar*
- 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 10 cracks fresh cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Put all the ingredients together in a blender or Magic Bullet and blend.

* 2 tbsp gives you a really tangy ranch. I like it this way but you can taste the vinegar.

Strawberry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 can coconut milk (high in fat, mine has 14 grans per serving)
- 2 to 3 big handfuls frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour in an ice cream maker and let it churn for 20 to 30 minutes... Walla! Vegan ice cream :)

I like mine melted a bit and stirred around! Pic below:

Veggie Chow Mein

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 pounds (32 oz.) precooked chow mein like noodles (I have a picture of the kind I used below and watch out for non-vegan ingredients)
- 1.5 cups cauliflower, cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1.5 cups asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup carrots, julienned
- 1/4 cup cabbage, shredded
* You can add/ substitute whatever vegetables you like... this is what I had on hand*

Sauce:
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
- 1/2 cup Braggs or low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp crushed red peppers (or more to taste)
- 2 tbsp white sugar (make sure it's vegan)
- 3 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare all your veggies, set aside.

Make your sauce. First mix together corn starch and water until smooth, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix, set aside.

Add a half a cup of water to a big pan/pot/wok (I used my huge new wok!) to cook your veggies sans the oil. I cooked the cauliflower for a couple minutes. Next, added the asparagus, bell pepper, and onion and cooked for a few more minutes. Finally, I added the carrots, cabbage, and chow mein like noodles.


*I bought my chow mein like noodles in the refrigerated section of an Asian grocery store, they came in a plastic bag compacted into a big "wad" of noodles. If you cook your own chow mein noodles, make sure to cool them completely before using them in this dish*

Once noodles are in the pan separate them with your spatula/cooking utensil. Once noodles are separated, mix your sauce up again really quickly and add it to the pan. Mix the chow mein around until all your noodles and veggies are coated and heated through.

Makes: 6-ish servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Another Kombucha Update

So I got my creepy kombucha mushroom in the mail a few days ago and have been searching for a large glass container with a spout...


I found one at Target last night and started brewing today... It's going to take about 2 weeks so wish me luck :)

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

I have made this recipe from VegWeb a few times now, whenever I am feeling like a hearty breakfast, and it always turns out fantastic... This time I used cooking spray instead of olive oil to cut down on fat and it turned out perfect again!

I also made some scrambled tofu to go along with my potatoes, but didn't like the flavoring of that particular recipe... For scrambled tofu, I like this recipe off Vegweb much better (I would halve or even quarter the cheeze sauce though) or even this one. Scrambled tofu is the bomb... you should try it! Eggy-ness sans the cholesterol!

Kombucha Update

Above: Mushroom starter which I admit is kinda creepy!

Update: I am still going to brew my own kombucha though I have decided to get a starter kit from Happy Herbalist since it seems safer and inexpensive.

As soon as I receive the goodies in the mail, I plan to start brewing and blogging right away!

I'm so excited!

Vegan Dad's Veggie Lunch Meat

Vegan Dad's recipe for Veggie Lunch Meat is awesome! This is my second time making it and this time I had all the necessary spices! In my opinion it tastes like a meatloaf sandwich, so I enjoy mine with a little ketchup... Though I like ketchup on almost anything! I must admit, maybe the reason why it seems more like a meatloaf sandwich is because I can't seem to slice it as thin as Vegan Dad does... I wonder what his secret is?

The Witchy Kitchen's Beyond Easy Dinner Rolls and Vegan Caesar Salad

Dinner Rolls:

So I have been checking out this blog lately called The Witchy Kitchen and decided to make some Beyond Easy Dinner Rolls along with some caesar salad for a simple lunch. Oh my, these rolls turned out fantastic!

To make these rolls vegan, I substituted the egg using Ener-G replacer for 1 egg (1.5 tsp Ener-G mixed with 2 tbsp warm water). I also used black and white sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds because that's what I had on hand. Next time, I will use more "butter" to coat the top of the rolls since I skimped on it a little this time and buy some poppy seeds (the sesame seeds did not make the rolls taste bad or anything).

Caesar Salad:

I have to admit, I didn't whip up my own batch of caesar salad dressing because Follow Your Heart makes an entire line of salad dressings with many, if not most of them being vegan. I haven't tried all of them, but I can tell you for sure the Vegan Caesar, Vegan Honey Mustard, and Thousand Island Dressings are fantastic! I haven't tried a dressing from Follow Your Heart I haven't liked yet.

The additional vegan salad dressing flavors, besides the ones I just listed are: Sesame Dijon, Creamy Garlic, Lemon Herb, Sesame Miso, Organic Balsamic Vinegar, and Organic Italian Vinaigrette. Here is their website: Follow Your Heart the dressings are listed under the Organic Salad Dressings and Fresh and Naturals tabs.

Beginners Curry

So my step mom made some amazing curry the other night and I decided I must try to make my own! She gave me a list of ingredients she used but no measurements for anything. Some ingredients I actually measured out and the rest were to taste. Here's what I used:

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- Olive oil
- 1/2 of a small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup cauliflower, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1/2 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 a block of tofu cut into small cubes (don't bother pressing the water out too much)
- 1/2 a tub of mushrooms, quartered (4 oz total I believe)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Braggs or soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp thai red curry paste
- Cumin, ground coriander, ground pepper, and sea salt, to taste
- Cilantro, for topping your curry
- Rice for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Warning: I am not a professional... I just threw this together and it turned out great! I added kale to this creation but wouldn't really recommend it so I left it out of the ingredient list... Spinach would have been a better addition.

- Have veggies and tofu chopped and ready to go.
- Heat oil in a fry pan, add garlic, ginger, and fennel seed, cook for a minute.
- Add red bell pepper, cauliflower, and onions. Cook until onions are softened.
- Add tofu, mushrooms, coconut milk, Braggs/ soy sauce, brown sugar, and curry paste. Stir around until curry paste has dissolved.
- Add the additional spices to taste and cook until heated through and all veggies are cooked.
- Place curry on top of some rice and garnish with fresh cilantro... Yum :)

Makes: 3 to 4 servings (with rice)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Brewing Kombucha

So I've officially decided I need to jump on the kombucha brewing bandwagon! Quintessence of RHIW is starting to brew her own, which has inspired me to do so as well... I love the stuff but it is SOOOO expensive to buy bottled and ready to go (just like the picture above)!

I am starting from the beginning though, and growing my very own scoby... I found the instructions to do so here.

I'll start Monday once I obtain all the necessary supplies... I gotta find a big glass jar!

Once I have my scoby ready (this can take up to 3 weeks so be patient) I'll start brewing my very own... Here are the additional instructions on how to brew your very own kombucha.

I'll keep you posted.

***I just wanted to add: check out this website too, it has a ton of brewing information as well***

Vegan Dill Dip

Wow this recipe from VegWeb is great :) I left out the beaumonde seasoning and it was fine without it.

It's a little bit too salty, so maybe try halving the seasoning salt, otherwise it's perfect.

Grilled Avocado Sandwich

This is my new favorite sandwich! I got the idea here but changed the ingredients just a little.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 ripe Hass avocado, mashed
- Vegan cream cheese (Tofutti)
- Bread (I used potato)
- Vegan buttery spread
*You should get 2 or 3 sandwiches*

DIRECTIONS: (Repeat for each sandwich)
- Lightly toast 2 bread slices in a toaster to enable easier spreading.
- Piece 1: Spread cream cheese on the bread and layer some mashed avocado on top.
- Piece 2: Spread buttery spread on 1 side of the bread.
- Place piece 2 on top of piece 1 (buttered side should be showing).
- Heat frying pan. Place the buttered side of the sandwich on the pan. Grill until toasted to your liking.
- Pick the sandwich up with your spatula and add some more buttery spread to the pan and grill the other side of the sandwich until it's toasted to your liking.

I enjoy mine served with ketchup :)

Makes: 2 to 3 sandwiches depending on avocado and bread size
Preparation time: Few minutes
Cooking time: Few minutes

Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup water
1 white onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 14-16 oz can corn (including all the liquid)
1 14-16 oz can kidney beans (including all the liquid)
1 14-16 oz can pinto beans (including all the liquid)
1 14-16 oz can hominy (including all the liquid)
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco mix (watch out for animal products)
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced (optional)
1 7-8 oz can diced green chiles
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (including all the liquid)
3/4 cup TVP

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, on high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the 1/4 cup water until the onion is translucent.

Dump in the cans of corn, hominy, kidney beans, pinto beans, green chiles, and tomatoes. Add the diced jalapenos (optional), salsa, and taco seasoning. Stir occasionally, until all the vegetables are heated through, about 10 minutes.

Add the TVP and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes stirring almost constantly so TVP won't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips and garnish with vegan sour cream, avocados, and/or cilantro... or whatever else floats your boat!

Makes: 1 big pot, about 10 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Dijon Mustard Sauce

I love this recipe from VegWeb... It's magical... You could also coat the veggies with the mustard sauce before popping them in the oven (this is what I did) instead of coating them afterwords.

Roasting Veggies

Believe it or not, I had never had a roasted vegetable until going vegan, which probably explains why I despised so many veggies before... I'm talking to you brussels sprouts and asparagus... Now I always roast my veggies, it's the best way to eat them! I prefer to save on fat by coating my veggies in cooking spray instead of using oil.

A cookbook I own, called Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven, has a few pages (96-99) dedicated to veggie roasting times and temperatures for veggies of all types... So I am sharing a few of my favorites with you!

Zucchini or Summer Squash (sliced down the middle, lengthwise):

375 F for 20 minutes

Asparagus or Mushrooms (whole):

400 F for 5 to 10 minutes (you want asparagus to be tender crisp not mushy!)

Cauliflower (florets) , Broccoli (2 inch chunks, stems peeled), or Brussels Sprouts (small ones whole, larger ones cut in half lengthwise):

375 F cauliflower 15 minutes, broccoli 20 to 25 minutes, brussels sprouts 15 to 20 minutes (do not let them get mushy!)

Carrots (2 inches long):

375 F for 30 minutes

Coat all the veggies listed above with cooking spray and your favorite seasonings before roasting them... My all time favorite vegetable seasoning is Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning!

Banana Blueberry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:
- 13.5 oz can coconut milk*
- 1 cup non dairy vanilla milk
- 2 frozen bananas**
- 2 cups frozen blueberries**
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

* Get the fattiest coconut milk possible (mine had 14 grams of fat per serving!)
** Bananas and blueberries do not have to be frozen but this will help cut down the ice cream making time.

DIRECTIONS:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour blended ingredients into your ice cream maker and make according to manufacturers directions.
- My ice cream took 30 minutes to make.

Makes: 4 servings
Preparation time: Less than 5 minutes
Ice cream making time: 20 to 30 minutes.