parsnip and sweet potato au gratin!

So a couple weeks ago, I found a recipe online for a Gratin dish--> here. So I went to the farmer's market, and bought a whole load of parsnips, I got home all excited to make the Parsnip Gratin, looked online for the recipe, when I realized it was RUTABAGA gratin! I got all grumpy and was like "what the heck am I gonna do with all these parsnips???" The hubby told me to calm down, and I reluctantly decided to make the dish anyways.

I had lots of second thoughts as I was preparing the sauce and the parsnips, I believe I even canceled dinner once or twice. When it started baking, it started filling up the house with a rich cheesey smell... Then we ate it, it had great texture, and the cashew cream sauce was fantastic as a "gratin." We did agree that parsnips are a pretty strong flavor, and this gratin would be improved upon by adding other veggies. So I decided to improve upon the gratin last night. Here's what I did and, by the way, it came out great!

ingredients:

1 3/4 c. boiling water
1 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. tahini
2 T chickpea (light) miso
1 big parsnip
1 big sweet potato
1/2 small red onion
salt
pepper
thyme
nutmeg

-cover cashews with boiling water, let sit for 20-30 minutes.
-using immersion blender, blend cashews (with water), tahini and the miso. this should be super creamy and smooth
-prepare veggies! i used the food processor to make thin discs of the parsnip and sweet potato. i also chopped up the onion into lil pieces
-coat baking dish with oil.
-then layer your gratin. i started with one layer of parsnips, then a lil salt, pepper, thyme. then a layer of sweet potato and a lil onion, then more salt, pepper, thyme. then added about 1/3 the cashew cream sauce. then more veggies, spices, etc... until you've used up all the veggies, and topped with the last of the sauce
-cover the dish, and bake at 400 for 50 min. use a knife to check for tenderness. if the dish is almost done, top with garlic breadcrumbs and bake for 10 more min until golden.

Buffalo "Chicken" Dip

Sorry for lack of blogging lately, December always gets so nutty and busy, and truthfully, I was a lil burnt out from Vegan MOFO, but I'm feeling inspired to share my food again, so here goes...

Today we were invited to a New Year's Day party at the hubby's Dad's house. I wanted to share a snacky..

I have never actually eaten Buffalo Chicken dip, but I've seen it brought to many parties, and it sounds like the type of food I'd like, you know.. creamy, spicy, salty. So I decided to attempt to make my own vegan version. Made with processed food, for sure, so not healthy at all.... but I wasn't really going for healthy anyways.

ingredients:
Gardein Frozen Buffalo Wings
Vegenaise
Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
Frank's Red Hot
powdered garlic
powdered onion
Chipotle Parma (vegan parmesan cheese)

-I prepared the buffalo wings, on the stove top, as suggested on the package. I ended up using about 1 and 1/2 packages of wings, as that's what I had in my freezer. Once the wings were all cooked, I added one of the sauce packets that comes with the wings to the pan, then coated the wings. I then put them in the food processor, and pulsed several times, until the "chicken" was shredded.
-I combined the shredded "chicken" with 1 tub of Tofutti, ~1/2 cup of vegenaise, a couple dashes of hot sauce, with garlic, onion and Parma sprinkled in.
-I put this in a baking dish, topped with a lil Parma, and warmed it up in the oven til hot.

So, this was amazing, maybe nothing like other versions of Buffalo Chicken dip, but yum yum yum!

Vegan MOFO day 24- Lentil Loaf and Acorn Squash

So it's officially the last day of November, and therefore last day of the MOFO. This is my first year of blogging, and I think I did a pretty good job during Vegan MOFO. I tried my best to blog everyday, and I made it 24 out of 30 days. I'm going to keep blogging, but definitely not at a MOFO pace :)

It was super fun to have so many more readers that I used to have, and I appreciate every one of you that reads this blog. I definitely loved finding so many other blogs, and reading about the amazing vegan food y'all are cooking. I love vegan cooking a lot, and it's so rewarding for me to share my ideas/food with other people.

Tonight I decided to make a lentil loaf, as I haven't had "meat"loaf in a long time. I discovered that smashing brown rice and cooked lentil creates a very meaty texture a few years ago, and I thought it was time to do it again. Alongside the loaf, I cooked an acorn squash. My parents bought a whole bushel of squash, so I got some to take home when I was over there the other day. For this squash, I cut it in half, put a lil EB on the top and baked at 400 for 1 hr.

The hubby and I were very happy with dinner, and looking forward to cold lentil loaf sandwiches for lunch tomorrow!

for the lentil loaf:
cooked green lentils (made from 1 cup uncooked)
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 shallots- chopped
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder
1 serious squirt of ketchup
1 splash of soy milk
salt and pepper
more ketchup for the top

-yeah, i didn't really measure much when i was making this, i just kept adding ingredients and tasting to see what else i thought it needed (serious perk of vegan cooking, uncooked food=not poison)
-i smashed the lentils and brown rice together with a potato masher, then added all the seasoning.
-i put it in a greased loaf pan, topped it with ketchup
-bake at 400 for 45 min :)

Vegan MOFO day 23- mofo survey time

What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?
ice cream. but then i discovered So Delicious, and its amazing. so im good.

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?
kalamata olives, coffee, and spicy food in general. i love spicy

What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?
um. this is hard, i like everything. oh i know, i don't really like swiss chard or kale... i feel like i should like them

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?
water :)

What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?
hmm, people like my hot spinach and artichoke dip, and my vegan mac is also oft requested

Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
umm.. i used to hate it when peas were stirred into dishes, but ive gotten over that. i really can't think of anything..

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?
pasta. i love pasta. if i have leftover pasta, i eat way more than i should.

What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?
tempeh bacon. we almost always have tempeh bacon marinating in the fridge. i like mine way better than the prepackaged stuff you can buy, and its way way cheaper

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?
earth balance, extra virgin olive oil, organic veggies (i try the best i can to buy organic on the dirty dozen)

Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks?
yep, im a snacker. i love tings. i also love crackers and hummus. or chips and guac.

What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
onion!!!!! im pretty happy with just about any other topping, but it's just not pizza without onion

What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit?
favorite veggie: brussel sprouts, favorite fruit: avocado

What is the best salad dressing?
olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, fresh cracked black pepper

What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
earth balance and nutritional yeast. we call it noochy toast :)

What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?
corn and potato chowder

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?
um. i don't think picky about cupcakes. i probably make the jelly donut cupcakes for veganomicon the most frequently, but thats cause they are easy. i'll eat any vegan cupcake put in front of me

What is your favorite kind of cookie?
choc chip and walnut

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?
whole wheat pasta with peanut sauce and edamame

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?
mushrooms. i really miss portobello mushrooms, but the hubby won't touch them, so i never buy them :( poor lil peggy

How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?
hmm.... i dunno. probably an hour. on weekends, it could be much much more