We'll be back soon...

Hello everyone!  It's me David just dropping a short note to let you know that we may not be posting much for next couple of weeks due to Jeri feeling under the weather.  Please pray for comfort, peace and a speedy recovery for her.

Our Hero(ine)

A quicky recipe from our young, full of life, on the go son of ours... lol, so much so that we didn't get to take a picture of his culinary masterpiece  =0)

Black bean soup with kale
Heat one can of Amy's Black Bean Soup
Add a handful of rough chopped fresh kale
Stir in and heat until kale is bright green and tender
Serve and eat!

Mui delicioso!  Totemo oishi desu ne! 

Quick, simple, hearty, vegan cuisine!

Wishing You a Happy and Spicy (Pumpkin Bread) New Year!

We just wanted to wish you all of God's special blessings this brand new year!!!  We want to thank you for being our friends... you probably don't really realize just how much that means to us. 

We hope you had a special holiday season and look forward to sharing this exciting new year with you!  For starters here is a pumkin bread recipe  =0)  ...

So one day I'm Facebooking and see The Blissful Chef's No-oil Pumpkin Spice Bread recipe.  Then I look at our kitchen counter and see this big ol pumkin pie pumkin that has been sitting there since October just waiting for me to cook it... and sitting rather impatiently I might add.  =0/

Anyway, Christy Morgan, The Blissful Chef, made it sound so easy that this "non-baker" decided to give it a whirl.  It was fun... especially since Jeri said it turned out delicious.  lol, btw, I did the little muffins 1st... then realized that I had forgotten the chocolate chips (just in case you noticed =0).

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad 3-Way Remix

It's me, David again... well, I made a batch of the sweet potato pasta salad for a work Christmas party potluck... of course extra was made for the home front.

Remix #1 and 2 - The next day 
Jeri warmed up the salad and added some lightly steamed broccoli for her remix.
For lunch, I kept it cold and threw in spinach and drizzled some oriental dressing.

Remix #3 - Night 3 dinner
With some heavenly help from Daiya mozzarella and a can of diced stewed tomatoes we came up with some nice comfort food.  The quantities of ingredients added as desired.  Stewed tomatoes can be added as is or blended for marinara sauce.

In a baking dish, spoon in a layer of pasta.
Add in a light layer of tomatoes.
Top with a generous amount of Daiya mozzarella.
Bake on 400F for 10 minutes or until warm and mozzarella is melted.

Other suggestions:  1) sprinkle fresh herbs to top cheese before baking. 2) add bread crumbs before baking. 3) fresh greens on the side. 4) with the holidays in mind, make a big enough batch for the original salad and the remixes.

um yeah... we took the picture after we ate it  =0)

Let us know if you come up with other ideas. Enjoy!

Cheesy Spinach in Pastry Shells

It's me David posting for the lovely Mrs Jeri...

Cheesy Spinach Shell, Maple Butternut Squash, Gardein Fillet, Field House Apple Sausage with Imagine Wild Mushroom Gravy... can you say yummo-licious?!  Yah, it was that good.  DT

Put on some upbeat Christmas music while you cook and remember to enjoy the process. It’s simple, saves time for enjoying meal time and each other. The Butternut Squash and Pastry Shells can bake in oven together to save even more time! Separate pans please ;-)

Cheesy Spinach in Pastry Shells

Pepperidge Farm Pastry Shells

Bake shells according to package directions. Prepare the cheesy spinach mixture while they bake. 

Cheesy spinach filling

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 bag of Daiya Cheddar Cheese

red beans (already cooked)

approximately 1/4 cup of unflavored rice milk

Directions:

Pour cheese, beans, and some of rice milk into a small saucepan. Heat on low stirring frequently to prevent sticking and burning. As cheese mixture combines and melts, you can add more milk if consistency is took thick. When completely combined turn off heat and fold in spinach. Should take about 5 minutes or so.

After shells cool according to package directions, pop the top open, gently spoon in cheesy filling until it oozes over. Replace top and serve.

Butternut Squash in Maple Syrup

1 Medium Butternut Squash (1/2 inch semi-circles)

Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut butternut squash in 1/2 length wise. Clean out seeds with a spoon. Be sure to clean out the stringy pieces well. Cut into 1/2 inch semi-circles. In a baking pan, place pieces in single layer. Drizzle well with maple syrup. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Plate and drizzle warm syrup from pan.

Restcipe: Kreamy Miso Kale Dip

Okay, my dry humor often requires translation so... rest (vacation) + recipe = restcipe.

Well, I'm finally taking a vacation from work (kudos to my patient wife =0).  So... we here at Gods Dreams for Me are gonna take a little vacay as well.  So... Happy Thanksgiving in advance to you, our family!  We are so thankful for you.  See you on November 30th!

Here is a little, simple dip we had for dinner...

Kreamy Miso Kale Dip

Ingredients:

Lacinato kale - 2 leaves, de-stemmed

Tofu - 1/2 a block

White miso - 2 Tbs

Vegenaise - 3 Tbs

Black sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Steam kale until softened

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the sesame seeds)

Blend until smooth

Serve in your favorite bowl

Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve

Chef Julie's Puree of Turnip Soup - Sweet Potatoes Too!

Root vegetables are very seasonal right now. They warm our digestion. Nutritionally, turnips provide fiber, potassium, C, and more.

The greens have high nutritional value as well and can be steamed and served along with the soup.


Chef Julie Morris graciously shares this delicious recipe with us today. Hop on over to her website to read how she came to create Puree of Turnip Soup.

We added this soup to David's homemade chili and it was awesome! We had some baby yellow carrots and added them to the soup the next day. We steamed the greens, sprinkled with beans we had cooked, Shoyu and Ume Vinegar. Just a little warm beans and greens salad.

INGREDIENTS:


2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3-4 turnips (about 1 pound), chopped into 1” pieces
1 medium sweet potato (about ½ pound), peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
2½ cup vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:


Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Melt the coconut oil, and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add the turnips and the sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the vegetable broth and almond milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until turnips and potatoes are tender.

Transfer soup contents to a blender, and puree until completely smooth (blend in a couple small batches, if necessary). Pour soup back into pot and reduce at a low simmer for 5 minutes longer. Add salt to taste and black pepper.

More ways to see Julie's recipes:

Julie's Cooking Show

Official Website

Free E-Cookbook by signing up for email updates (see her homepage)

Julie's Blog at her website

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Well here's a nice refreshing side dish for the picnic in the Playground.  

Stuff you'll need:
Medium pot with cover
Colander
Plate


Ingredients:
8oz Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
1 medium sweet potato/yam, cubed
1/2 med sweet onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed/rough chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground five spice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/2 cup cooked black beans
salt and pepper to taste


Cook pasta as per directions until al dente
Drain, rinse and store in the refrigerator
Line bottom of pot with sweet potato and pour enough broth to cover about half way
Sprinkle cinnamon, five spice, rosemary, salt and pepper
Cook on med high heat for 5-10 mins until broth has reduced about 1/2
Add in onions, garlic mix in with potatoes until broth is gone
Place/spread out on ceramic plate and allow to cool in refrigerator
Combine pasta, potato mixture, Vegenaise, black beans and paprika and mix well.
You can also add in peas, corn, red bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime (juice and zest), etc.

Spiced Mocha Latte featuring Endangered Species Dark Chocolates - Yum!

The weather is definitely cooling down and inviting us to warm drinks, warm foods, and warmer clothes. This homemade drink will definitely put a smile on your face and warm your tummy. 

Purchase fair trade coffees as often as possible. These can be found at most health food stores. Endangered Species chocolates can be found at Down to Earth (Hawaii) and Whole Foods Markets.

Feel free to call around and see if it is carried at a market near you. Also, be sure to read packaging for milk products in ingredients.


Spiced mocha latte
(makes 1-16oz serving)
1 cup of non-dairy milk (rice or soy tastes best)
1 Endangered Species Supreme or Extreme Dark Chocolate square (bar or individuals)
1 cup of strong brewed coffee
Cinnamon
Nutmeg


Note: Soy milk makes this drink creamier. Almond milk can add a nutty flavor. Unsweetened milk is healthier, but if you prefer they area sweetened milks. 


Directions:
Heat non-dairy milk and chocolate in small saucepan. Stir frequently to keep chocolate from sticking to bottom of pan. Pour into your favorite mug. Add brewed coffee and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Stir well and enjoy!

Variations:
Add cinnamon and nutmeg to grounds in filter for brewing.
Pumpkin Spice is also a great choice
Coconut/Palm sugar gives a caramel sweetness.

With all suggestions, start with less and adjust according to your personal taste. Especially with adding it straight to grounds, it might be a good idea to see how much you like in one cup and then, do the math for a full pot.

ENJOY!!! 

Do send over our own variations. I'd love to try them out.

(Adapted from my Examiner Article)

Vegan Polenta Cakes and Gnocchi Soup

Thanks to Organic Authority and The Healthy Voyager we had an awesome World Vegan Day dinner on Monday. We "veganized" the polenta cakes and did a soup version of the gnocchi. It was perfect!

Original yummy versions:

Lightning Fast Gnocchi at The Healthy Voyager

Halloween Polenta Bites (non vegan recipe) at Organic Authority

On the Taira menu: (recipes below)

Gnocchi Soup

Vegan Polenta Cakes

Gnocchi Soup

Serves 4-6

1 box of Delallo Potato Gnocchi (dairy and egg free)

1 bottle of organic Muir Glen Portabello Mushroom Marinara 

2 cups of spinach (break by hand)

Nutritional Yeast (for sprinkling) 

-Prepare gnocchi according to package and drain. Set aside. 

-Heat marinara to light boil then add gnocchi. Remove from heat and fold in spinach. Heat will cook it lightly.  

-Ladle into bowls and sprinkle nutritional yeast. Enjoy the warm yumminess!

Serving Suggestions:

Top with fresh herbs

Substitute Daiya Cheese for nutritional yeast 

Vegan Polenta Cakes

Makes about 4 dozen treats

1 cup no chicken stock (365 Organic Vegetable Broth) 

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cloves fresh garlic (finely chopped)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup steamed and puréed sweet potatoes

1 cup cornmeal - bulk bins at Kokua Market co-op

1/2 package (4 ounces) non-dairy cream cheese (Tofutti brand) 

-Lightly oil 9” x 13” baking pan (for setting mix - no baking involved)

-Steam sweet potato until tender, purée and set aside. 

-In large saucepan, saute fresh garlic in 2 tbsp vegetable stock until softened. Combine rest of vegetable stock, non-dairy milk, sea salt, and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Stir in puréed sweet potatoes; bring back to boil. Whisk mixture and slowly add in cornmeal. Whisk until the mixture is well-combined avoiding lumps.  Reduce heat, and continue stirring until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in non-dairy cream cheese until well-combined and smooth. 

-Pour mixture into oiled baking pan and let it set at room temperature for 1 hour or more. 

Serving suggestions:

If you have cookie cutters go ahead and choose your shapes. 

Cut into squares

Drizzle very little agave or maple syrup over cakes 

Enjoy and have fun making it your own!


(Adapted from my Examiner Article)

Seasonal and Local Foods (DYK)

Hello, it's me, David with another installment of Did Ya Know?!



DYK that eating seasonal foods helps boost your body's immunity in preparing for the change in seasons?  When a fruit or vegetable is "in season" it is at its peak for us to enjoy it in all its wonderful splendor.  It not only looks its best and tastes its best but... it is at its nutritional best!  Wanna do it one better?  Eat and buy local.  It will not only be fresher but the things grown from your area are most suited for your body.

kabocha from my mommy's yard

NYD.  Go forth and forage for seasonal, local foods... da-da-da-da-dada! charge!!!  We just enjoyed some yummy kabocha and butternut squash these past few days.  These foods cast the perfect starring roles in soups, stews and the like.  Warm it up with some cinnamon, freshly grated ginger, fennel ... get creative, have fun and share your recipes with us!




Here's a great resource from Sustainable Table to help you find seasonal foods in your local state.  



This what we did for dinner tonight.  Inspired by the recipe found in Jeri's Examiner article, Butternut Squash Soup: by Sarah Avant Stover via Huffington Post, this is what we made...


Butternut Barley Miso Soup

innocent little butternut cubes waiting for my caldron

Ingredients:
2 small sweet onions, wedge sliced
3 cups vegetable broth
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger minced
1 medium butternut squash, cubed
salt to taste
1 tablespoon barley miso
optional:  dash of cinnamon and/or ground allspice, top with scallions, basil or favorite herb.




On medium heat cook the onions in a small amount of broth until translucent
Add garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes
Add squash and salt (if using cinnamon, allspice add now)
Cover squash with the rest of the broth
Cover the pot and cook until skin is very soft (approximately 30 mins)
Turn off heat.
Blend into a creamy soup
Mix in miso

jeri's pretty presentation

Yu Lai Hummus

A little background to this recipe... Well we had an "Asian Pacific Heritage Month Celebration" for work and I was asked to come up with a dish for the contest.  So... I "Asian-ed" up the hummus concept ... oh and the name was inspired to subliminally persuade the judges. =0) 

As I "eyeball" my portions and adjust to taste, the following are approximate measures.  Feel free to adjust quantities and/or ingredients to suit your palate.

Equipment wise, you'll need a food processor or blender

Ingredient wise you'll need the following...

Group 1
2 cup soy beans (soaked overnight w/1" piece of kombu, next day: cooked until tender or frozen organic soybeans - prepare according to package)
2 tsp garlic
1/4 small onion

Group 2
1/8 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup miso
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1/8 cup tahini
1/2 tsp salt

Group 3
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 cup chopped, green onions
1 tbs black sesame seeds

Optional garnishes: green onions, parsley, lemon zest or black sesame seeds to sprinkle on top.  Be creative.  If you like add them all!

Process/blend in the 1st group until well chopped...process/blend in the 2nd group until well mixed ... time for group 3 also, until well mixed.

Serve as a dip for crackers, chips, veggie sticks, spread for sandwich, wraps etc.

Let us know if you try it or your own variation.  We'll be sure to credit you.  Send in a pic too.

MACH Smoothie, No Bake Brownies, and Julie Morris

Just before the detox/fast, I discovered this yummy no bake brownie recipe by Julie Morris and am addicted (sing "addicted" :D).  I'll include our tiny variation at the end of this blog.  I also concocted a smoothie recipe while enjoying the detox/fast and...you guessed it, I love it! So simple.  I'll post it at the end of this blog as well.  But first...


I met Julie in our Vega Community...Go Vega!  She shared her free e-recipe book download  and I've been bugging her every since at Vega and on Twitter :D  I've enjoyed being in contact with her.  She's such friendly person.

She is a natural food chef based in Los Angeles and an awesome writer as well.   Her cooking show is very informative and pleasant to watch.  In her videos, she shares nutrition information and extras on specific ingredients.  Julie is also a Navitas Naturals sponsored chef.  How cool is that?!  I had no idea of all I'd find out when I first contacted her.

David and I want to try so many of her recipes, but where to begin?  Right now, we have non-vegan neighbors asking to try the brownies.

Please enjoy visiting her site and share it with everyone you know. 



Jeri's brownie variation (see Julie's site for original recipe)

½ cup pitted medjool dates
½ cup raw walnut pieces
¼ cup cacao powder (¼ cup Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer in Chocolate)
pinch sea salt
(1 tbsp hemp seeds/nuts)
½ cup Navitas Naturals Sweetened Cacao Nibs, or regular raw cacao nibs

(after shaping, dust the brownies in the chocolate optimizer and top each with 1-2 Goji Berries)


Jeri's MACH Smoothie
(pronounced Mock - David came up with that name for it's energy boost)

8 oz. Coconut water
1 tbsp Hemp Protein Powder
1 tbsp Maca Powder
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tbsp. Almond Butter
1 Banana (I prefer apple banana for its taste)

Put it all together in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.  Tastes like Peanut Butter shake.

As always, be creative and do send us your variations.  We enjoy new.