vegan

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

July 29, 2013 by Erica

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Good morning!

Just like last week, I am drowning in lettuce.

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Well actually, I am on the beach, freed of my usual self-imposed responsibility to use up fresh produce as quickly as possible. So when I say I am drowning in lettuce, I really mean that my fridge at home is… probably very wilted lettuce at this point, because I’m sure no cooking is being done while I’m gone.

Fresh Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Good thing I used up some lettuce last week by making these wraps! I am planning on wrapping everything in lettuce in the near future. You want pasta? Gotta wrap it in lettuce. Ice cream? I bet it will taste good with crunchy green exterior. Use that stuff up!

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Caramelized Banana Ice Cream (Dairy-Free)

July 26, 2013 by Erica

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

I have another dairy-free ice cream for you. And – hallelujah – it doesn’t require an ice cream maker.

Have you ever made banana ice cream? If not, it’s like magic – you slice up a frozen banana, throw it in the blender or food processor, add some nut butter and cocoa powder if you want, and a minute later you have a sweet frozen treat that you won’t believe is just a banana. The first time I tried it, I was vegan and missing ice cream terribly. I was so excited that I called my mom and babbled to her about it for minutes before realizing that it was past 11 pm her time, and I had definitely just woken her up from a deep sleep. Oops. Banana ice cream is just that exciting.

Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

Well, this is taking banana ice cream to the next level by caramelizing the bananas before pureeing them, and then freezing the mixture. The result is a wonderfully indulgent-tasting frozen treat that, once again, is just a banana. Well, OK, this time the banana has coconut oil and honey added to it (or maple syrup if you’d like to make it totally vegan). But it is blissfully lacking any cream, eggs, or refined sugar… and forget all the stirring, straining, and tempering. Just a few simple ingredients, and no fancy equipment except a blender (and even the cheapest blender will work here – I would know).

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Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

July 24, 2013 by Erica

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Remember my CSA bounty I told you about on Monday?

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Well, hidden in there were also some adorable summer squash.

Lebanese squash (I think?), pattypan squash, green zucchini, and yellow zucchini.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

I only ever really buy zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, so I was really excited about the prospect of trying some new kinds. I mean, they all tasted the same, but I loved the colors. And that little pattypan squash is just too cute to be allowed!

Admission: I’ve been afraid to buy pattypan squash, despite their cuteness, because I didn’t know how to cut them up. This forced me to try, and it was super easy: just slice off the stem on top and bottom and chop into wedges. Duh.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

So I got a multitude of squash, but no turnips. I actually planned this meal before I picked up the box, assuming we’d get turnips again. Then, when we didn’t, I just bought some anyway. (Buying turnips… who am I?) They are definitely trying to give us a variety in our CSA box – cherries one week, apricots the next, etc. – which is nice, except when you’re learning how to cook with something new. I’m like, helloooo, now I’m brimming with turnip recipes! Bring on the turnips! Then nothing. But that’s OK, because I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of turnips and squash during the rest of the summer, and now I know the perfect dish to use them all up.

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Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

July 22, 2013 by Erica

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

Meet my perfect simple summer salad.

You two should be friends.

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

This salad is certainly no culinary breakthrough, but when it comes to summer produce, sometimes simpler is better. And there is about to be a LOT of summer produce up in here, because this past week’s CSA box was packed to the brim:

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

I have more lettuce than I know what to do with, along with zucchini, beets, carrots, garlic, green garlic, spring onions, green beans, apricots, and the season’s first corn. Foooooood.

I think the boxes are only going to get more stuffed from here on out. Come August and September, I have no idea how we’re going to eat it all!

For now, I think I’ll try to stuff as much of it as possible into a salad.

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Coconut Almond Fudge Crunch Ice Cream (Vegan)

July 19, 2013 by Erica

Coconut Almond Fudge Crunch Ice Cream

Behold my first vegan ice cream!

I should have shown you this ice cream a while ago. It’s a little unforgivable that I haven’t, actually. But you see, some things got in the way.

First, I needed to work on the recipe.

Next I needed a batch that could actually stay in my freezer long enough to be photographed.

Then I needed my friends to try some.

Last, I needed to take some good pictures… you know, before the subject of my photographs disappeared from the bowl.

Coconut Almond Fudge Crunch Ice Cream

It’s actually a wonder that this whole post isn’t just empty bowl pictures like the one above. But, four batches later, despite my best efforts, I am finally showing you this ice cream.

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