"Bacon" Wrapped Asparagus

I always see bacon wrapped asparagus on Pinterest and wonder what it would taste like. I figured it would taste good..salty and smoky...so I made up my mind to make some. I envisioned somehow wrapping tempeh bacon around the asparagus- but that clearly would not work. Then I remembered the eggplant bacon from Appetite for Reduction. I couldn't do it the same way as in the cookbook. Here's how I did it. I made long slices of eggplant with the thinnest setting on my mandolin. I stacked them on top of each other and loosely wrapped them in foil.

 I put it in the oven at 350 for 15 min. or so until they were soft. 

While the eggplant was in the oven, I boiled the asparagus for 3 min and then plunged them in an ice bath. 

With the cooked eggplant slices, I sliced them long ways and dipped them in the bacon marinade from Appetite for Reduction: 2TB soy sauce and 1tsp liquid smoke.

Then I tightly wrapped the eggplant around the asparagus spears. 

I spread a little olive oil on my cast iron griddle and cooked all sides until they were brown and slightly crisped. When you do this, turn the asparagus the same direction you wrapped them. Otherwise they'll become unwrapped. 

These came out really good. We both loved them. It took a awhile though, so have some thing easy and familiar to serve these with. I served mine with stuffed mushrooms. Details about the complete dinner coming soon!

This is what they look like before cooking them.

BBQ cauliflower salad...YUM!!!

This was the best salad I've eaten in a long time. I made Herb-Roasted Cauliflower and breadcrumbs from Appetite for Reduction. I left out the dried thyme and basil and drizzled BBQ sauce on top 5 minutes before the cauliflower was done cooking. 

While the cauliflower was roasting, I prepped the rest of the ingredients: red leaf, romaine, red cabbage, black beans (I made a big batch and have been using them throughout the week) roasted corn, avocado, tomato, red onion, carrots, and cilantro.

For dressing I used follow your heart creamy garlic. It's my favorite store bought dressing, very mild garlic flavor, I use it like I would ranch.

Everybody enjoyed the salad, but not as much as I did (probably because I had a Moscow mule with mine).

Peanut-Lime green goodness bowl

Wow! This clean out the fridge bowl is my new favorite thing to eat. A mix of brown rice and quinoa topped with steamed kale, edamame, burnt broccoli (from Vegan Brunch), dry fried tofu, and peanut-lime dragon dressing (both from Appetite for Reduction). The red dots are sriracha and I used every bit. It was so yummy! Ryan loved it too. The kids didn't hate it and with that many green vegetables I call it a success!

Pasta Primavera

I made this for dinner last night. Sean and I both loved this! While the pasta was cooking I cooked up some mushrooms and zucchini. When they were done, I added some julienned sun dried tomatoes. I also threw some asparagus into the boiling water near the end of the pasta's cooking time. I tossed it all with fresh pesto.

On the side I served some left over breaded cauliflower from my sanctuary salad a few days ago.

Pesto:
(Sorry I didn't measure)

2 handfuls of fresh basil

I handful of pine nuts

3 smallish garlic cloves

1 Tb miso (mild yellow)

About a 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Put the ingredients in a food processor or blender. I pour the olive oil in a little bit at a time until it gets to the consistency that I like.

Super Green Bowl

This came from Appetite for Reduction. In the back of the book there are a bunch of suggestions for bowls and sandwiches. I love love love bowls. I also love the goddess dressing this bowl called for. I really like all the components to this bowl. However, as I was eating it I really felt it was lacking some heat and something crunchy to contrast the other ingredients. As I was solving this in my mind, I glanced over at Sean's bowl and saw that he too had been craving heat and crunch. I knew this without even asking him because I saw broken ruffles and jalapeño in his bowl. Hahahahaaaa it was funny.

#341 A collection of repeats...

Since you've seen all of these before, I'm posting 4 at once.

Tacos filled with beefless grounds from TJs simmered with some tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder. Served with a side of vegetarian refried beans.

Veggie Potpie Stew with Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits from Appetite from Reduction

Chickpea Piccata over Caulipots with spinach from Appetite from Reduction

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with baked meatless meatballs, organic mushroom spaghetti sauce (both from TJs) and the world's best garlic bread from Chloe's Kitchen.

I'm having a hard time straying away from tried and true favorites. I guess it's due to the busy, holiday season.

#335 Mexicana Kale Bowl

This was the best bowl of leftovers I've ever had!

In the very back of Appetite for Reduction, there's a section on, The importance of eating sandwich and The element of a bowl. One of the suggestions is the Mexicana Kale Bowl: Brown rice, black beans, red velvet mole (from Monday) steamed sweet potato, steamed kale and cilantro. I added avocado too. It was heaven. I have such a love affair for kale and cilantro, it was wonderful to enjoy them together. The yam hit the spot since I skipped them at Thanksgiving. I missed them.

#333 Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

Yum yum yum! This is a new one for me, from Appetite for Reduction. Portobello pepper steak stew served with caulipots. I also made the surefire seitan (from AFR) so I tried 2 new recipes. It's so exciting to keep discovering great new meals from my favorite cookbook. This was a total stick to your ribs, meat and potatoes meal that everybody loved. Mia and Finn especially grubbed on the seitan. Mia rarely likes faux meat so this is kind of a big deal. Bonus: The stew is made in one skillet. Yay!

#331 Black beans in mole with Broccoli Polenta

These 2 recipes (soft broccoli polenta & black beans in red velvet mole) are from Appetite for Reduction. It was yummy, quick, and easy! Ryan and the kids liked it too.

#320 Caldo Verde with Crumbled Tempeh

Another new one from Appetite for Reduction. I used to make the Native Food's version of caldo verde all the time and got burned out on it. So glad I was in the mood for it tonight, it was delicious! The fennel seeds and tempeh gave it a nice, smoky, sausage-like flavor. I halved the salt and crushed red pepper and it was still a bit salty (and spicy according to Mia). I made a note of that in my cookbook already so next time will be perfection. I used chard this time but I'm excited to try it with kale also.

#319 Corn & scallion cornbread

Technically this Soul Bowl post isn't a repeat because I used a new cornbread recipe. This one is from my favorite, Appetite for Reduction. Ryan really liked it, he said "this biscuit, or whatever, is amazing! The rest is the same old stuff but the bread thing is new." Oh man, sometimes he surprises me. But usually he's oblivious. Which means this cornbread must be good!

#315 Mason Jar Salad

We are in Solvang this weekend celebrating our friend's 30th birthday. Today we went wine tasting, which included a stop for lunch. Since we weren't sure if there would be vegan options for us, I packed our beloved goddess nicoise salad in mason jars to bring along. I love everything about mason jars and have been wanting to try this out for awhile now. I packed them pretty tightly and had to pour it out into a bowl. I can't believe how big this salad was!!!! Now I know I don't have to stuff it so full and will have room to shake the salad up and eat it out of the jar.

#299 Southern Plate

I'm trying to think of a better title for this. Please send suggestions! This meal was so delicious, cozy, and no faux meat in sight. All of the recipes came from my favorite, Appetite for Reduction. Grilled Portobellos (using the Tamarind BBQ Sauce and broiler variations), Cheesy Caulipots with Silky Chickpea Gravy, and steamed kale. It was only 446 calories for the entire plate! I guess because it was all veggies, I got more bang for my buck! That means I can have more wine! This was a huge hit and next time I'll make mac n cheese too...I'll just have less wine!

#297 Mushroom & Cannellini Paprikas with Scarlet Barley

These are 2 new ones from Appetite for Reduction. It was really filling, wholesome, and earthy. Surprisingly the kids were alright with it. I'm trying to embrace the dill! So colorful!

#291 Japanese Soup & Salad

This dinner was so delicious! I felt so healthy eating it. The soup recipe is from The Real Food Daily cookbook (I forgot to tell Lynzie that I took it back when she was out of town and I was feeding her zany zoo of animals :) I guess I'll find out if she reads my posts....anyhow, the Country-style miso soup is a heartier version of the miso soup you're used to. Full of chunky vegetables (shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, daikon radish, celery, carrots, and onions) and wakame seaweed, no tofu. I finally made the Sushi Roll Edamame salad from Appetite for Reduction! I think Lynz has posted it before but I've been stupidly passing it by. I used to make sushi salad a lot a few years ago so I just wasn't excited by it. I was so wrong. Not only is the Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette amazing (my mouth watered just thinking about it) but the seasoned edamame was a yummy addition that my salad never had. Seriously though, that dressing, SO good! I also unpacked my magic bullet and gave it a second chance. I only purchased it because Isa raved about it in Appetite for Reduction and she's a genius. I did not love it...until now! Yay for kitchen gadgets!

#290 Quinoa Puttanesca

This recipe came from Appetite for Reduction. I made the puttanesca with chopped tomatoes instead of crushed. I like having lots of tomato in every bite! I also added quartered artichoke hearts at the end. I poured the sauce over quinoa. I topped the quinoa with sauteed kale and baked portabella mushroom. I served a little asparagus on the side. Super yumm! 

#279 Butternut Apple Soup & Warm mushroom salad with cranberries

You know I love Appetite for Reduction. Not every recipe can be a winner though. I don't think I'll ever bother to make either of these again but they weren't horrible. The soup was just too sweet for my taste. Sean's lovely butternut squash was lost, overpowered by the apples. Ryan said it tasted like thin, warm, applesauce. I totally agree. Again, not horrible, just not what I want in a soup. The salad might get a second chance if I ever come across chanterelle mushrooms. I used cremini instead. I did discover that we enjoy mache (aka lamb's lettuce). The creamy horseradish dressing didn't wow me as I'd hoped. Oh well, I have plenty of winners destined to be repeated from that book. It's still my favorite!

#275 Dinner Tacos

Once again, Lynz and I were on the same wavelength. Tacos!! I made the
Unfried Refried Beans from appetite for reduction, stuffed them in TJ's taco shells (you must heat them in the oven for 2-3 minutes!! Amazing), avocado, lettuce, tomato, and some verde salsa. It was perfect!

#274 Sauteed Kasha and Mushrooms with Dill

Another dinner from Appetite for Reduction!!!

Let me start off by saying...Wait for Winter Weather to make this dish!! This was a yummy, earthy dinner. This was my first and second time making kasha. The first batch I made cooked WAY faster than I was anticipating and I ruined it. oops! It's ok though. I used a smaller sauce pan the 2nd time and I cooked it to perfection. Yay! The kasha was stirred into the mushroom and onion mixture. Near the end of the cooking time, you add the absolutely necessary dill. Michelle isn't crazy about dill but I told her if she makes it-- to not reduce the amount of dill. The dill adds a much needed brightness and fresh flavor to the kasha. 

I served this with baked tempeh and steamed kale. I drizzled a little of the tempeh marinade on the kale when I served it. This was a great dinner. It just felt too hearty for a such a hot day. 

#273 Thankgiving Testers

These are 3 new ones from Appetite for Reduction. Tamarind BBQ Tempeh and sweet potatoes, polenta stuffing, and shaved Brussels Sprouts. I would be totally happy having these at my Thanksgiving dinner. Save the calories for rolls, pie and green bean casserole!