Buffalo Chickpeas
Quick, Easy and Leaves your mouth burning.
Not always the best description.
But in this case, it makes a great meal!
Buffalo Chickpeas
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbl olive oil
1 c Green and red pepper strips and onions (Hanover makes a frozen mix that cuts prep time)
1/4 to 1/2 c hot sauce, I use Frank’s
2 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl onion powder
In a medium saucepan, combine all over low heat for 15 minutes. May need to add a small amount of water to keep things from sticking.
There are many different ways to eat this:
~ plain
~ over flatbread
~ over pasta or rice
~ topped with sour cream, parmesan, ranch, cheddar. Whatever suits your fancy!
Fried Grits – Ultimate Comfort Food
I’ve always had a thing with grits. There’s just something about a bowl full of them with stringy cheese as you go to take a bite that i find extra comforting.
Well, the version i made today us vegan, but feel free to add cheese if you’d prefer.
Fried Grits
2 cups water
1/2 cups grits*
1/4 c cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/4 c TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein)**
1/4 c nutritional yeast **
1 Tbl hot sauce (I used Franks)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos **
1Tbl onion powder
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp baking soda
For frying:
1/4 c flour
1/4 c canola oil
Bring water to a boil. Add grits, cornmeal and salt. Cook down a bit, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in TVP and nutritional year, stirring well.
Add hot sauce, soy sauce, Braggs, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne and baking soda.
Remove from heat. Grease a 8×8″ pan and press grits mixture into pan and allow to chill for at least one hour.
Turn out onto a cutting board and cut into 8 squares.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Cover both sides of grits patties with flour, and then put into pan, frying each side about 5 minutes. Remove and dredge on paper towels.
These taste wonderful topped with sour cream and served with baby spinach!
New Years
My list of new years resolutions goals.
> To post at least 3 times per week
> To have at least one craft and one cooking post
> To attempt to network with other bloggers. I start to feel like I’m 90 years old with this whole “inter-web” thing…
> lastly, although I’ve tried, and subsequently failed, I an going to make an effort to do a photo 365 project. With r things like Instagram, do I have much if an excuse?
Hope everyone has a happy new year!
Vegan Taco Pasta and Taco Seasoning Recipe
So… I went on hiatus for quite awhile, but I’m back, and I’ve got an interesting vegan dish up first.
I’ve been doing the ‘vegetarian’ thing for awhile now, i used to be, back in high school. I just feel so much better without meat in my diet. But, I’m not the type to get preachy, and to each, their own.
What has also happened, as a result, I’ve been delving further in to cutting all animal products out of my diet, and I’ve been cooking quite a lot of vegan foods. Funny enough, I don’t even seem to miss any of it. I’ve even kicked my cheese-dependence!
In short, you’re going to start seeing a lot more vegan posts coming up!
Kicking this off, I have something that is quick and easy to pull together, and I’ve included the recipe for my family’s taco seasoning! Bonus!
Vegan Taco Pasta
1/2 cup whole wheat macaroni
1/2 cup texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbl taco seasoning
1 Tbl Garlic powder
1 Tbl onion powder
2 Tbl Nutritional Yeast
1/2 – 1 Tbl hot sauce
1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes with green Chiles (like Rotel)
1/2 cup canned cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup salsa of your choice
Boil pasta according to package directions and drain. Set aside.
In a saucepan over med heat, combine water and tvp, stir until excess water is absorbed. Add in taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast and hot sauce. Stir regularly to prevent it from burning to the pan, cook 3 minutes to slightly brown. Add in tomatoes, beans and salsa, and continue heating and stirring until beans are warmed through, about another 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cooked macaroni, and cook a little longer if macaroni needs rewarmed.
Optional: you can top this with vegan sour cream, daiya shreds, or even lettuce, whatever suits your fancy.
Enjoy!
Taco Seasoning
Un-tie-dye
Saw this in a post on honestlywtf , and knew i had to try it… Super easy and the bleached color looks stellar!
Supplies
2 c bleach
1/2 c water
Deep, narrow container
Gum bands to tie
Black article of clothing
Tie off shirt. I used a fan fold. Combine bleach and water, and dip shirt until it starts to look very rust colored. Rinse well with cool water, and let dry.
Wash in cold water and dry.
See, easy!
Rainbow Bright Treats
Rainbow Brite would be so jealous…
Rainbow Bright Treats
3 Tbl Butter
1 Tbl instant banana pudding mix (if you don’t like banana, you could try it with vanilla)
1 (10 oz) package regular marshmallows
6 c Fruity Pebbles (I used Malt-O-Meal’s version)
Grease a foil-lined 9″ x 13″ pan.
Melt butter over low heat, and stir in marshmallows. Continue stirring until completely melted. Add pudding mix and stir well. Stir in cereal and turn into prepared pan greasing hands or spatula to assist in spread mixture to the edges of the pan. Allow to set up, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares.
Pulled Pork Monkey Bread
Romancing the loaf…
Sometimes two foods get together and breed. And they produce lovable, tasty offspring.
This is an example of such happening.
Pulled Pork Monkey Bread
1 tub Curly’s Pulled pork (or which ever brand you prefer)
3 tubes canned biscuits
barbeque sauce
1/2 c shredded cheddar
Heat oven to 350.
Spread a layer of barbecue sauce in the bottom off a bundt pan.
De-tube biscuits.
Flatten biscuits and put 1 Tbl of pulled pork in center of each, and ball up the biscuit around it, place one layer over barbecue sauce. Spread more barbecue sauce over first later of biscuit balls. And make a second layer, using up remaining biscuits.
Bake for 20 minutes until biscuits on top are golden brown.
Invert onto serving plate, and top with cheese while it’s still warm.
Allow to cool slightly to set, then serve!
Broiled Grapefruit
We’re going to go ahead and call this a breakfast food
Broiled Grapefruit
1 grapefruit, cut in half against the segments
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Heat oven to 350.
Place grapefruit halves in oven-safe ramekins. Divide brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg between the two halves, and put in the oven until the brown sugar is mostly melted and caramelized. Approximately 7 minutes.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Bread
Adapted from: Big Bears Wife
This takes lazy baking to a whole new level… Let ice cream soften, add one ingredient, and *bam*, you have bread! I didn’t find it sweet enough, so i added a glaze and topped that with powdered sugar.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Bread
1- 1.5qt pint container butter pecan ice cream, softened
3 c self-rising flour
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp caramel extract
Heat oven to 325.
Spray mini loaf pan with cooking spray. (you can opt for a whole loIaf)
In a mixer, combine softened ice cream and self-rising flour. Combine. Scoop batter into pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Allow loaves to cool. While cooling, combine sweetened condensed milk and extract.
Reese’s Obsession Cake
Fact of Life: Occasionally You have to go to Hell with the Joke.
I suppose it’s going to be kind of hard to convince anyone that I don’t really like chocolate or peanut butter now… this starts looking less like a cake and more like an obsession. It was a birthday cake for someone. And sometimes, you just have to go a little overboard…
When it really comes down to it, it’s a chocolate layer cake, that has peanut butter fudge in the middle and on top…
Reese’s Obsession Cake
1 box Chocolate Cake mix, prepared to package directions (Yes, I used a mix. No, I am not a purist)
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 pkg Peanut Butter Chips
1/4 c butter
Chocolate syrup, Reese’s Pieces and Mini Reese’s Cups for decoration.
Prepare cake mix to package directions. Let layers cool.
Melt Peanut butter chips on low power in microwave. When melted, mix in peanut butter and butter.
Spread peanut butter mixture between layers and again on top, using it to anchor down decoration.
When serving, top with chocolate syrup if desired.
