Reduction Medley

I also found these on my camera that I need to report...

This is Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta & Spinach (179-181) and a side of Garlicky Mushrooms & Kale (89-90):
The lasagna was just alright compared to the lasagna I usually make, but the lasagna I make wouldn't fit with the reductive lifestyle. However, I do like the roasted cauliflower in the ricotta. I would almost rather just have it on the side of the lasagna I usually make. I even made it a second time, using a mix of my usual lasagna with this, but both my husband and mother said I should stick with my original. Why mess with a good thing? Those of you wondering, I usually use this lasagna, but I make my own sauce. My sauce changes each time, but here is a rough recipe of my sauce:

1 large can of tomato sauce
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (the kind that has basil & oregano already in it)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
basil & oregano to taste (fresh is preferable but dried will work)
crushed red pepper to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Just fry the onion in a little olive oil, add the garlic, add the rest, and voila! Although I should measure out my seasonings for you. I'll try to do that next time.

This is Goddess Nicoise (25) with Green Goddess Garlic Dressing (26):

This is my favorite of this bunch - Black Bean, Zucchini, & Olive Tacos with Garlic-Lemon Yogurt (131-132):
I have a confession. I don't like olives. I couldn't bring myself to eat the olives in this dish, so I made his and her tacos. These were super spicy... like to the point where you feel intoxicated from the endorphins released when consuming super spicy food... It was awesome!

This is Soft Broccoli Polenta (77) with Black Beans in Red Velvet Mole (134):
This was not my favorite dish. The polenta was too bland and the mole was too sweet. Steven certainly enjoyed it and ate up all the leftovers.

Until next time...

Sushi Roll Out

I remember my first experience with sushi. It was prior to becoming a vegan, and it was at some little restaurant my friend took me to in Coeur d' Alene. I felt grown up and brave trying raw fish for the first time, but I also experienced some of my first convictions about eating animals. Those same convictions later lead me to become a vegan years later. I guess something about grinding up animal in its raw form made it clearer to me that I was harming something that had once experienced life, just like I am experiencing life. Nevertheless, I had a positive experience with sushi. That is why I was excited at my realization a few years ago that not all sushi had to violate my animal friends. Shortly after becoming a vegan, I discovered a show called The Post Punk Kitchen where I fell in love with Isa Chandra. On the first show I watched, the ladies were making sushi, and it was then that I coveted Isa's cooking ability and her ability to look so cool doing it. I also started desiring to make sushi. Being the coward that I am, I never tried.

A few days ago I slipped my big toe into the water. I made Sushi Roll Edamame Salad.

Do you see the shelled edamame? They're green and look like beans.... Oh, that's right, I forgot to put them in the salad! Ugh, this was the second time in two months that I forgot to serve edamame I prepared. Why am I so spacy sometimes? To my own credit, I re-read the recipe, and it never spelled out the "put the edamame in with the rest of the salad" step. I prepped it like it said, but when I went to clean up dinner, I found it still sitting on the counter screaming "What about me?!" So I ate several large spoonfuls, added the rest to the leftovers, and it was super yummy.

Other than that, I had a fabulous experience with the sushi salad. I had fun chiffonading the nori sheet. Actually, I had a rough time at first because I didn't roll it up tight enough. Steven also recommended using a serrated knife, which seemed to work much better. It was worth the trouble to have that added fishy seaweed taste. I have a feeling I will be repeating this recipe several times this summer... if the weather ever improves... and maybe one day, I will dive in head first and make real honest to goodness vegan sushi rolls.