VegInDC

 I had some leftover kale from making my African Peanut stew this week. I was looking for recipes that would feature the kale and other pantry staples so I didn't have to get anything special. It was really delicious! 

  A few years ago I was looking for something different for dinner and my wife loves anything peanut AND she loves African food. I went down a rabbit hole looking for some sort of peanut stew. I ended up with this recipe, which is always a hit with everyone who tries it. The key Ingredients 1 small can of whole tomatoes (about 14 ounces) 1 small white onion 4 cloves of garlic 1 inch piece of ginger 1 tray extra firm tofu, drained/pressed 1 teaspoon paprika 1.5 teaspoons cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste) 2 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup smooth, organic peanut butter salt and pepper to taste 3 heaping cups chopped kale roasted peanuts, for garnish (my wife says, "Only Georgia peanuts!") lime wedges, for garnish (and squeezed for taste!) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cube the tofu into approximately 1 inch cubes then place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roast for 40 minutes or so, shaking pan every ten minutes or so to get the tofu to brown evenly.  Meanwhi...

It's hard to believe, but this is my fourth year doing VegInDC Thanksgiving post. Time flies!  You can see my previous Thanksgiving posts here: 2014 , 2013 , and 2012 . This year, I am planning on making the Tofurkey in the slow cooker which I did last year. It frees up the oven, and comes out really well. Besides that, I think I will be sticking to some of my standard Thanksgiving recipes. As I have said before, Thanksgiving is a time to meld tradition with adaptation, and I am so excited to share with you what I am truly thankful for: awesome vegan eats. Enjoy!

The beginnings of my container vegetable garden for 2015. There is nothing that says summer more than fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil. This easy and quick summer salad is derived from our local farm stand + our basil plant in the back! 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite, if not my very favorite holiday. ​ Thanksgiving 2014 will be the third Thanksgiving cataloged on VegInDC. As I said last year , I think people who cook love this holiday because it allows you to meld tradition alongside adaptation. For me, that adaptation means turning a meal that is linked with turkey into a compassionate (and mostly gluten free) gathering. 

In honor of my one year anniversary last year, I wrote about some essential ingredients that no good vegan kitchen can go without. This year, in honor of our second anniversary, I wanted to share some thoughts about essential tools that I use in my kitchen. So without further ado, and in no particular order of importance, here are my  favorite gadgets:

Anne and I recently discovered some new ketchups ('Chups). They are like ketchup except they substitute the tomato with other fruits. We weren't too sure how we felt about this at first. Doesn't everything need tomato something on it?! But we tried them recently and couldn't believe how much we loved them. We have been enjoying them with our chikn' fingers and tater tots as well as our veggie burgers. While we have just been using them as we would tomato ketchup, I am excited to use them as marinades for grilled tofu with veggies. (Warmer weather cannot come soon enough...)

I have wanted to join a food co-op ever since I lived in Minnesota. For some reason, Minnesota has a high number of local co-ops. I always wanted to be a part of one, but never did so because of the fee and commitment.

To celebrate VegInDC's one year anniversary, I thought I would put together this helpful guide to some essential ingredients. Over the course of my time in our vegan, gluten-free kitchen, I have come to rely on some stock ingredients in a variety of recipes. While you might not run out the door and buy all these items today; I suggest you acquire them as recipes call for them. Eventually you will have a pantry that is always stocked with these items.

A few weeks back I outlined by 2012 Thanksgiving Plan. Now that the big day is just around the corner, here are some links to the recipes (some modified to be Vegan friendlier than written) I am going to be trying this year: Tofurkey roast from Turtle Island Foods Mashed potatoes (garlicky, perhaps) Gluten free, out of the bird stovetop stuffing Roasted brussel sprouts Mushroom gravy Steamed green beans with almond slivers "Mama's" Cranberry jelly "Mama's" Applesauce Pumpkin pie with pecan crust Apple pie with streusel topping Skillet Cornbread I will be posting the recipes for the cranberry jelly and applesauce in the next few days! Stay tuned.

Ahh, November. The leaves are crunching beneath our feet, the weather is turning downright chilly, and apple cider is crisp and delicious. I have always had a soft spot for autumn, and November is really the peak of this fantastic season. With just a few weeks until my favorite secular holiday (Thanksgiving in case you didn't guess it), I am already well underway in planning the feast we will enjoy that afternoon. Last year we traveled to Durham and I cooked some items before we left, and made some other items upon arrival. It was an exercise in planning ahead and I had everything organized in a Google spreadsheet.

This is easily one of my favorite new cookbooks. We got it last month at Common Good Books  in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since then I have been referring to it daily for ideas and inspiration. It is a must have for any vegan/vegetarian cook. In addition to the great recipes, Moskowitz and Romero are just plain funny!

Anne and I recently found out that Pangea Vegan Store is based in Rockville, Maryland! Anne has known of Pangea for many years and was even more excited to find out that they had a store front open for limited hours on weekends. We took a trip up to Rockville today with our friend Natalie and enjoyed lunch at Yuan Fu Vegetarian , followed by some perusing.

This morning I was at Whole Foods looking for some breakfast sausages. I looked high and low in the cold case, but they seemed to be out of the links we usually get. Much to Anne's dismay, our usual brand, which Whole Foods didn't have today, are soy and wheat protein, so she can't eat them anymore. I didn't want to give up on the breakfast sausages because our friend Helen was coming over for brunch. I meandered over to the frozen section and spotted the box you see pictured here. Vegan and  gluten free, I thought it might be too good to be true, but SoL Cuisine's Veggie Breakfast Patties were amazing!

This recipe is adapted from the easy NY Times receipe found here . It is a helpful starting point to an easy, healthy, delicious summer salad. I enjoy making this for potlucks because it tastes even better the next day after chilling. This salad is filling enough to be served on its own, but it can also make an excellent side dish to your summer picnics.

Marshmallows are delicious. Most commercially available marshmallows contain gelatin, which makes them not vegetarian let alone vegan. Luckily, there are a few alternatives available. Our favorite are Dandies Vegan Marshmallows from Chicago Soydairy.  I am tempted to buy a case of these--because they are often so expensive and hard to come by! In order to make them super awesome, I also use a vegan marshmallow fluff.

Meals always feel more complete when they end with a dessert, right? I love baking great vegan treats, but tonight though we went a simpler route--some sorbet.

It is important to appreciate the ingredients that make up our food. Without fine ingredients our food would not taste good! It's that simple. As a vegetarian who cooks primarily vegan friendly food, I have come to rely on some great ingredients which I will feature occasionally.