Another letter.

Dear Christmas Marketing Team,

Would you be so kind as to give it a rest already? We get it Christmas is around the corner, but let's not forget what that corner is...Thanksgiving! I love this poor holiday that is forever being steamrolled by your sparkly lights, bedazzled gift wrap, fat bearded men in red suits, holiday sales, sales on top of the holiday sales, and the ever frightening Black Friday.

Thanksgiving is a sweet time to come together, eat yummy food, and just enjoy people's company without the grand consumerism hoopla that has become the driving force of many holidays. I love eating food, and the only thing I love more that eating food is getting to eat as much food as my body can physically hold without any judgement from anyone else in the room as everyone else has done the same. So my not-so-friends on the marketing team if you could cool your freaking jets till at least the Monday after Thanksgiving that would be devine.

Thanks,
Casey

P.S. If you could also wait until at least December 1st to play your music that would more than ideal. I feel like a weird fish out of water listing to "The Little Drummer Boy" while shopping for my Halloween costume. <- Yes that is a frightening real story.

I saw this on Pinterest and you best believe I'm doing this on Thursday!

Happy almost Thanksgiving guys!! It is less than a week away!! How fast has this year flown by? I mean really??? It seems like only yesterday I was complaining that Hallmark makes to much money off of Valentines Day and here I am ranting about Christmas music. (I swear guys I really am a happy go lucky kind of gal, lol!)

In the spirit of all food Thanksgiving I pieced together an amazing Meal Plan for the day filled with vegan gluten-free recipes. And I wanted to take a moment to talk about it a little more in detail before we all go out food shopping this weekend!

• 10 Amazing recipes that are sure to make everyones mouth water
• Keep them Eating Greens, Brussels Sprouts
• Coconut Butternut Squash Soup
• Tahitian Squash Bites
• Spaghetti Squash Pesto Wraps
• Rosemary Red Potatoes
• Mashed Cauliflower w/ Miso Mushroom Gravy
• Easy Breezy Roasted Veggies
• Acorn Squash stuffed with Sweet Potato/Leek/Quinoa Stuffing
• Pumpkin Pie Churros
• Candy Caramel Apples
• Winter Squash health facts
• Pre-made shopping list

Here's some photos of the food!

Tahitian Squash Bites (as seen in last post)

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Wraps

Sweet Potato Stuffing topped with Mashed Cauliflower Smothered in Miso Mushroom Gravy!!

Stuffed Acorn Squash (cut in half so you can see the YUMMY inside!)

Pumpkin Pie Churros. Need I say more?

So my dear friends, if you are looking for some recipes to add to this years Thanksgiving Day table I have some options for you! Click on the "Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan" tab here on the blog and get one! I'm pretty darn sure you won't regret it! I mean, what's $5really... a coffee at an over priced cafe, or an entire Thanksgiving meal plan! :)

Happy happy happy happy Thanksgiving to you! Eat, drink, be merry, and try not to stress about Great Aunt Hilda's bad breath at the dinner table! :) Xoxo!

We Started Singing....

In my head right now I am singing that one song "The day the music died... they started singing bye bye Miss American Pie..."and I have no idea why, but I'm sure you will have it stuck in your head soon too. Just wait, its like a silent killer.... "Drove the chevy to the levy but the levy was dry..."

Perhaps it is stuck in my head as this has been the longest in between posts, and I feel like this song almost applies to me and the blog! But don't worry the reason I have seemed to be singing "bye bye" is because I have been working on TONS of recipes! So many that I have created a collection for this fine holiday we have coming up that is centered all around gratitude and food!!!! Check this out:

Its a mini cookbook all in honor of Thanksgiving!

So there are side, appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert recipes all rolled into this one awesome creation! I'm super happy with it, and it comes with some nutritional information and a shopping list. I hope hope hope you like it too!! As a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this (*side note, what an odd saying*) I am going to be selling it online for $5. So if you are in the mood this holiday season to eat right, and go about it the easy way then let me help you out! Click on the "Thanksgiving Day Meal Plan" tab and get yours today! It is 100% vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!

To entice you to check out the meal plan, here is a free-bee! 

Tahitian Squash Bites (or Butternut Squash)

serves 6-10 as an appetizer

gluten free

Ingredients:

1 large Tahitian squash (or butternut squash)*

½ cup green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons tamari (gluten free)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash into rounds (about and inch thick). Rub the pieces of squash with a little bit of oil and place in a large baking dish. Cook the squash for 40-45 minutes.

While the squash is cooking mix together the remaining ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Once the squash is finished and has cooled to a handling temperature peel the squash, and cut into shapes (I opted to make little circles); then plate on your serving tray. Using a pastry brush dip the brush into the sauce you made, and brush a little of the sauce on each piece of squash. Then using a fork or slotted spoon scoop out the green onion and place on top of each squash piece.

*Tahitian Squash looks very similar to a butternut squash but has a darker coloring on the outside, and has a sweeter taste. Making it ideal for these little bites. 

Craving Cheezy Comfort

So October turned out to be quite the eventful month! Vegan MoFo was in full effect on the internet, work got so busy I could barely participate in V-MoFo, the kitten was spayed (yes she is currently rocking the cone-o-shame), I get more political junk mail than a Beverly Hills Housewife gets botox, left and right political parties continue to battle, National Cupcake Day came and went, Halloween parties were attended, and the East Coast is under the wrath of Hurricane Sandy**. I can't believe this month has 31 days, as I can only really remember 4, and that is if I try really hard - my eyes are squinted and I am starring up to the ceiling thinking. **I am sending my love and support (via Red Cross) to those on the East Coast, stay safe. http://www.redcross.org/index.jsp**

With so much happening I have been craving comfort food like a crazed zombie craves human flesh! (Why yes, Halloween is tomorrow and I feel like the occasional zombie reference is warranted.) 

Mmmmm Mac-N-Cheeze

Enter the magical world of Mac-N-Cheese. We all have memories of our parents cooking up this warm, cheesy, comforting, less-than-healthy delight, and we all loved it. Then one day we learned that cheese isn't exactly what we wanted it to be... the "Milk, it does a body good" commercials were replaced with a simpler "got milk" ad campaign, as dairy doesn't really do our body all that much good. Scientist not afraid of the massive dairy bureaucracy stepped up with a lot of startling information about dairy! The more research you do about milk/cheese/dairy the more you learn this isn't something you want in your daily diet at all. This information is often suppressed, and I encourage everyone to do the research and make this decision for yourselves. Knowledge is power. <- Oh wow I went pretty 'cheesy' there! <- Oh crap I made a pun! There isn't any hope for me, I'm doomed. Someone just cue the damn rainbow from NBC's commercials "The More You Know" please. 

Cool Links:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html

http://www.forksoverknives.com/nutrition-faq/

http://saveourbones.com/osteoporosis-milk-myth/

Whoa, haven't jumped on a health soapbox in a while, that was intense. Tra, la, la I'm still fun and light hearted, la, la, la... Anyway, back to the good stuff. COMFORT FOOD and all the joy it brings me. I love Mac-N-Cheese, and want to share this vegan (can be gluten-free) version. So get ready to curl up with a blanket, a warm bowl of Mac-N-Cheeze, and take a time out from this manic October!

Mac-N-Cheeze

serves 8-10

*can be gluten free if you use Quinoa noodles (they are the best GF option out there in pasta town)

Ingredients:

1 pack of elbow or shell noodles (look for a box that serves 8 to 10)

8oz crimini mushrooms chopped

1/2 a large yellow onion finely chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic

2 cups firmly packed kale or spinach (or combo)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cheeze:

1 cup cashews

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 cups rice mik 

1/2 coconut oil

1/2 nutritional yeast

1/4 cup yellow miso paste (thank you RFD for this idea)

1/2 tablespoon guar gum

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon mustard seed powder

Add-Ons:

Avocado

Hot Sauce

Jalapeños

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

First things first, lets get your cheeze going! In a microwave safe bowl (don't judge me, its comfort food, and this speeds up the comfort) put your coconut oil in the microwave and heat just until it is in liquid form. Next pour in the rice milk into the bowl, and whisk the two together. Then place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until very warm (but not boiling hot). This can also be done on the stove if you hate the microwave like I normally do. Once very warm whisk in the guar gum until it is completely blended into the mixture. Set to the side. 

Next, in a food processor, or a very good blender, put your cashews, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and mustard seed powder. Blend together on pulse to mix in the flavors. Then on a slower setting pour in your oil/milk/guar-gum mixture. Once you have slowly poured it all into the blender/processor increase speed. Once it looks all blended together turn the blender/processor off and add in the yellow miso paste. Now blend on high until you have a nice think cheezy blend. Set to the side. 

Get your water on the stove, and let it boil. Once boiling throw in your noodle of choice and cook according to the package directions. 

While your noodles are cooking place a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large pan. Add in your chopped onion and pressed garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, and then add in your mushrooms (at this time you can also add in jalapeños if you want a little more kick, I'd say 2-3 tablespoons of diced jalapeño is enough). Cook the mushrooms with the onions for another 5 minutes. 

At this time your noodles should be about ready. Drain the hot water and return to the pot. Add in the cooked onions, garlic and mushrooms as well as your dark leafy green of choice. Stir all the veggies into the noodles. Then (here comes the fun part) pour your cheeze over everything!! Stir it all up and coat everything with your cheezy goodness. 

Once its all combined pout the Mac-N-Cheeze into a large baking pan, and cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes covered, and then 15 minutes without the cover. 

Once its finished cooking in the oven, take it out and let set for 5-10 minutes. Then serve, devour, and sit back. Comfort should kick in shortly.

Delish.

Yum Kale!

KALE!

There's been a lot of press around the wonder-green kale, and I have to say I am a fan of all the attention it is getting. However, not everyone is able to jump aboard the "I Love Kale All The Time" train as it has a tendency to come off a little bitter and sometimes hard to chew. As a supporter of said kale train, I try to find ways to make kale enjoyable for all folks. Here's a couple tricks to help you out:

• Massage your kale! No not like a Swedish or Thai massage, but when you are washing and tearing up the kale into bite sized pieces rub the leaves with your fingers. The more you massage the kale leaves the more you are able to break down that insanely firm cell structure, and that helps take away some of that bitterness. It also makes it easier to chew in that fabulous salad you are creating. 
• Heat up that kale! The genius of this very durable green is that you can steam it, bake it, cook it, and it will retain a lot of its nutritional value. This is wonderful as warm kale is easy to eat, tastes delicious  and opens up several new kale eating possibilities (hello kale chips). http://www.livestrong.com/article/540695-does-baked-kale-have-nutrients-left/ 

Recently my catering company was onset at a magazine stills shoot, and served some warm kale wraps that were the talk of the town! I cannot take too much credit as the raw ingredients themselves were from the local Farmer's Market, and I feel like there isn't a way to make those delicious veggies taste bad, lol! But since they were devoured so quickly, I thought to myself "Hey self, lets share this recipe and see what folks think about it." So here we find ourselves, me typing, and you hopefully reading this....

Yummy Peanut Kale Wraps

serves 4-6

**can be gluten free if you use lard chard leaves for wrap

Ingredients:

4 to 6 large lavash wraps

1 can of chickpeas

1/2 of a medium red onion (finely chopped) 

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

2 large bunches of kale

Other options to throw in the wrap:

1 large (preferably heirloom) tomato (finely chopped)

2-3 stalks of celery (finely chopped)

Sauce (adapted from lunchbox.com):

3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

1/2 warm water

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic (pressed)

3 teaspoons tamari

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons agave

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. 

Are you ready for operation awesomeness? I thought so, now pour the 2 cups of water and the cup of quinoa into a pot on high heat. Stir it around for a little bit to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once it starts to boil turn heat down to low, and stir occasionally. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is finished cooking set to the side. 

On to the next step, put all those sauce ingredients in your blender, and blend them all up until you have a lovely looking well blended sauce. Set this aside as well. 

Get your kale ready by washing it and tearing it to small bite sized pieces, and massaging it as you go. I like to tear off two pieces, rub them together, and then repeat. Once all your kale is all ready place it in a large bowl, and pour your sauce over the kale. Massage the sauce into kale with your hands until every leaf is covered. Then put the kale into a large baking pan, and place in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Just enough to warm the kale and cook the sauce into the leaves. 

While that is cooking take your cooked quinoa and add in the chickpeas (rinsed), red onion, and anything else you want in your yummy wrap. Once the kale is warm take your lavash wrap and spoon your quinoa mixture out onto the wrap, and then spoon out your kale onto the wrap. Be sure you don't over fill your wrap, as you will need to now roll everything up. And then tah-dah, you have a beyond delicious lunch time meal for you and your loved ones. Ah kale, you are a yummy treat. 

The List of 5.

And just like that, this month has flown by me too fast to even know what just happened! Holy not-enough-hours-in-the-day Batman, how is it already so close to the end of the year! I mean Halloween is pretty much directly around the corner (even though I can't see it through all the Christmas decorations that seem to be covering all stores) and I don't have so much as an inkling as to what to dress up as! Suggestions are welcome my friends in the comment section - let's keep them PG as that is how I will roll out this fine Halloween. In other news..... the kitty we found in July has FINALLY been named! Allow me to reintroduce Puma, named for her scratching skillz that killz:

So its a picture of a picture... but look at how cute the picture of the picture is!

How freaking adorable is this cat? I am so happy we found her (even though I am a dog person 100% lol). Ahywho... moving along as this is billed as a foodie blog, not a crazy cat lady blog... Or is it? 

It's a foodie blog, don't worry. And to prove it this particular post is dedicated to the 5 kitchen staples I as a vegan caterer MUST have at all times in my kitchen. I have had a lot of people ask me questions about what ingredients I use, and why I use them. It is time to talk ingredient shop, and get your pantries stocked with some healthy goodness. 

#1) Coconut Oil/Coconut Butter/Coconut Milk

image credit: google image search

Coconut is imperative to my overall happiness. Its health properties make me smile (and make my skin glow as it is beneficial to skin care as well!). Cooking with coconut oil is so important for overall health. Most oils you find in the supermarket (olive, sunflower, safflower, canola... etc) breakdown under the high heat you are cooking with, and create toxic compounds that in the end are harmful to your body. Coconut oil is the only oil that can truly hold up under high heat. Whether I'm cooking up a stir-fry, caramelizing onions, or other stove top delight I try to use coconut oil whenever possible. Some of you might not love the taste of coconut, so to keep the taste from permeating the dish use a little in your pan to start with, and then add in a little water as you cook to prevent sticking. I HIGHLY recommend you look into making the switch. For more awesome coconut oil info check out what this doctor has to say: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html

#2) Nutritional Yeast

image credit: google image search

I cannot live without nutritional yeast in my kitchens, professional and at home (this is partly because the manfriend eats this stuff like mana from heaven). For me as a vegan chef nutritional yeast is my best friend when making vegan cheeze. The nutty natural flavor lends itself magically to the land of vegan cheeze. It is also a fantastic snack option packed with TONS of nutrients. A favorite snack in my home is a piece of multigrain whole wheat toast, a little vegan butter, and then topped with nutritional yeast. If you have kids that you are trying to feed more B vitamins to this is your meal ticket, literally. I truly believe whether you are vegan or not, this is something you will need in your kitchen if you are looking to cook healthy. Here's a little more information about this amazing yeast written by an amazing woman who has been working in the natural food/health industry for 25 years: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast.html

#3) Quinoa

image credit: google image search

Quinoa has been getting a lot of press right now for its superfood ways, and I could not be happier about that if I tried. This amazing little seed (often called a grain by mistake) has a high protein content, high iron content, high in B vitamins, and the list goes on! The fantastic thing about protein found in quinoa is that the protein is considered a complete protein (meaning it contains all the essential amino acids). This is an important fact for vegans and vegetarians, as the media seems to like to tell us that we will never get all our protein without meat. *Suckers, we know better* I love eating quinoa as a breakfast option (cooking it in almond milk and stirring in cinnamon and maple syrup), as a lunch option in a salad, or as a side at dinner (you can cook it in veggie broth and use curry powder for an extra kick). It is the most versatile ingredient in my kitchen, and I love finding ways to use it! I often chose quinoa over rice and other grain options. For more fun facts about why you should have this in your kitchen here's more info from Whole Foods: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

#4) Ground Flax Seed

image credit: google image search

How do you cook without eggs? How do you cook without using a egg replacer powder that has gluten in it? -> Ground Flax Seed!!!! Oh my goodness I would be lost without these seeds. I sing their praises daily in my kitchen. I find that subbing eggs out with ground flax seed not only helps me keep my baked goods vegan, but also helps add a fluffy texture and keeps things moist. Let's be honest, when presented with a dry brownie and a gooey brownie the latter wins every time hands down. Flax seed helps us vegan folks keep our baked goods light years ahead of the lardy dairy/egg filled stuff. Plus flax seed is jammed full of nutritional value. So not only will your cookies taste like fluffy gooey joy, there is also a little health benefit. Win-win-win. These little seeds are a great source of omega-3s and fiber! Just be sure you ground them up when using them otherwise they are so small they will just pass through you, and you will miss out on the health benefits. I also like to add a tablespoon or so to smoothies for an extra health boost. Whole Foods has a great write up on flax seed for additional nutritional info: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81

#5) Any Sweetener thats better than White Sugar

image credit: google image search

So this last pantry staple is open to interpretation...lol! However, I think we can all agree that refined white sugar is not something we want to use often in our baking (or at all if we can help it!). It isn't great to the figure or high in health quality, so we need to brainstorm outside of the box. My favorite sweetener substitute is Powdered Maple Sugar or Maple Syrup. There are tons of options out there, but maple seems to be the best option for my kitchen. I love the taste it creates when baking, and have been known to use syrup in stir-fry sauce for a sweet and spicy mix. (Here's a good link to all the kinds of natural sweeteners out there: http://www.raw-living-food-success.com/natural-sweetener.html).   Maple syrup/sugar contains potassium, calcium, magnesium and other fantastic vitamins that make it light years better for you than regular sugar. So why not toss out that fairly terrible refined stuff, and opt for a healthy alternative??

Stay tuned to lear how some of the above listed ingredients help make these Pumpkin Pie Donuts :)