Yes, we're still eating!

Dinners the last few days:

• Punjabi Dal – We love Mallika's recipe from Quick Indian Cooking. Made with mung beans, packed with spinach and I served it with basmati rice and extra tomatoes to sprinkle over top.
• Black Soybean Sushi Rolls - A favorite summer meal for us, perfect for making in advance and packing up to go.
• Cold Soba Noodle Salad with romaine, bell beppers, snap peas and spicy tahini-orange dressing. No seitan this time around, but also yummy with cubes of smoked tofu mixed in.

In site news:

So, the new site was expected to be up and running in spring '09, but various things (life!) resulted in the site being delayed more and more over time. All is well here, but things will remain quiet for a while yet and I will return to blogging as soon as I can.

Big thanks to all of you for your emails and comments.  Hope your summer is off to a great start!

• Adzuki and Celery Leaf Soup with Millet-Sesame Balls, from Lucy at Nourish Me
• Kale Chips from Dani Spies
• Pizza, from Vegan Dietitian, with recipes for Garlicky White Bean Sauce and Cashew Ricotta
• Walnut-Pecan Balls, a Dreena Burton recipe I've linked to before but so worthy of mentioning again. Had them for dinner again recently.  Served with kamut rotini and a little green olive tapenade mixed through, topped with herb-roasted cherry tomatoes and walnut-pecan balls.

Taking time today to do a little cooking for the coming week and making....

• Three Bean Dinner Salad with Apple Flax Vinaigrette, for some lunches
• Chickpea and Artichoke Stew from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home (p. 204), our dinner tonight and leftovers for another meal
• Mihl's Olive and Chickpea Seitan from Seitan is My Motor
• Blueberry Orange Muffins for snacking

Recipes marked for later in the week....

• Coconut-Curried Carrots with Peanut Millet (thanks to Sophie for passing this on)
• Japanese-inspired noodles with edamame by Yotam Ottolenghi (thanks to Kathryn for passing this on)
• Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes for a breakfast dinner
  

A few finds to share with you...

• A thorough, illustrated guide on growing your own sprouts at home from Simple Green Living.
• Warm and hearty split pea and barley stew, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, from Greens & Berries.
• Squash, chickpea and red lentil stew from Eating Well. Mentioned this one before, but have since tried it and do recommend it if you're looking for an easy, tasty slow-cooker meal.  A little note: I used a 6-quart slow-cooker and the recipe filled the crock about half full.
• Seitan made in a bread machine, from Vegan Cooking Club. This is just so very, very clever. Thanks to Celine for passing the link on.

I've got a pot of red lentil and tomato soup cooked and waiting on the stove for lunch.  This is a frequent go-to meal for me that calls for just a few basic ingredients, minimal prep work and a single pot to cook it all in.  Today I've made a variation with added corn kernels, a suggestion in a comment from Jill.  I just love it when others add their own touch to recipes and share their ideas.  Level 20 Bard recently made this with added cilantro and nutritional yeast, with the latter not something I've thought of myself but could see being quite tasty as well.

Recipe:  Simple Red Lentil and Tomato Soup - follow the recipe as is or use it as a guide and tweak to go with what sounds good to you!

• For the slow-cooker, Squash, Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew from Eating Well
• For a batch of saucy baked tempeh or seitan, Molasses Barbecue Sauce from Epicurious (vegan modifiable and using canned tomato in place of fresh)
• And for a dessert idea, Pear Ginger Amaranth Crumble from Domestic Affair

I'm a sucker for really simple food ideas and am quite taken at the moment by a recipe for jasmine tea poached pears with ginger.  A little something different from the usual pears I make with red wine and spices or Earl Grey and vanilla. And it sounds wonderfully fragrant and delicious.

Recipe:  Ginger and Jasmine Tea-Poached Pears from Whole Foods Market

• Gluten-Free Parsnip, Date and Banana Cake from Creative Recipes from Wandering Minds - The parsnip has me intrigued!
• Avocado Mac and "Cheese" from Eating Consciously - Love the idea of the sauce made with blended avocado and white beans.
• Vietnamese Noodle Soup with seitan from Your Vegan Mom - A beautiful bowl, warm and comforting.
• Dairy-Free Creamy Macaroni Bake from Best Health - Made this last night using veggie stock for a vegan variation and it was fab. Would be a great dish for potlucks.

For a Lunch to Go:  a variation of my Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Sesame Orange Dressing using edamame in place of the snap peas, some broccoli florets and julienned carrot, sliced red onion, and a pile of romaine lettuce.