April 2011
1 post
4 tags
Green Beans Amandine
Crisp, vibrant beans pair perfectly with toasty almond slivers in this easy springtime recipe! Green Beans Amandine Ingredients: 1 lb. green beans, washed with ends snapped off 1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds (or more - I like more!) 3-4 cloves garlic, minced lemon juice olive oil salt water Implements: large saute pan colander Procedure: Toast your almonds in a large saute...
Apr 8th
10 notes
February 2011
1 post
4 tags
party time!
Freshen up your old standby party dip with carrots, carrots, carrots! Carrot dip Implements: food processor; grater & processor blades knife & small cutting board Ingredients: 1-2 carrots, cut into large chunks (to fit into the food processor tube) 1 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled then grated with a microplane (or, 1/2 t ginger powder) 15oz cooked garbanzos (1 can), drained ...
Feb 23rd
2 notes
December 2010
1 post
3 tags
Dec 12th
November 2010
20 posts
4 tags
Simple Supper
Post-Thanksgiving exercise: getting a Xmas tree. We’ve been in our house 3 years, but this is the first season with a tree! We had to do a lot of prep work for this ritual… We went to 2 stores IN THE POURING RAIN to pick out the best tree, hauled it home, sawed off the trunk, and proceeded to rearrange the entire living room to accommodate said tree (oh yeah - this included...
Nov 30th
3 tags
Nov 30th
4 tags
Restaurant Review: Zeitgeist Arts Cafe
I took a little holiday & I’m a few days behind! On Wednesday I headed up to Duluth to spend Thanksgiving at my sister’s house. Mini-lesson for all the non-Minnesotans: Duluth is Minnesota’s 4th largest city, is located way up in the northwoods of Minnesota on the shore of Lake Superior, and is a major port for the iron & taconite industry of the nearby Iron Range. ...
Nov 28th
6 tags
Walnut Squash Bread
Thank you, Your Mom’s A Vegan, for your delicious, seasonal acorn squash bread recipe!  I’ve tried it twice now: the first time I used the original recipe to rave reviews (it was devoured in a day!!!); the second time I made some edits to satisfy my more nutty palate (see adapted recipe, below). Both recipes are quick & easy to whip up (15 minutes prep time max), but you have to...
Nov 22nd
1 note
3 tags
Cashew Sauce
Hectic before the holidays? There is a lot to do in the next two days before I leave town for Thanksgiving - and I have a bunch of veggies in the fridge that need to be used up.  I need a simple, flexible recipe that will last a few meals.  Enter Cashew Curry!!!  This sauce is spicy, satisfying, and works well with a variety of vegetables.  As with the Ginger Peanut sauce, you can make it ahead...
Nov 22nd
3 tags
Kale Patch Kid
Welcome to the kale patch! Today’s recipe features the lovely-tasting, nutrient-rich and easy to grow member of the cabbage family: KALE! Kale is so wonderful that shoppers are inclined to steal it. Just last week I saw a woman coming out of the Seward Coop with an armful of groceries. She stopped in front of one of the decorative gardens outside, and without even contemplating her...
Nov 18th
3 tags
Nov 18th
5 tags
Bread day
It’s my agave’s week to cook, so I can just sit back & relax as the food comes to me!  But after seeing this savory quick bread recipe referenced on the Vegan Mofo Roundup, I just couldn’t stay away from the kitchen today. I don’t usually refer to recipes, and when I do it’s often just for inspiration. I tend to cook on the fly and jot my own procedure down for...
Nov 16th
4 tags
Farmers' Market Week: Recipe 5
It’s the final day of Farmers’ Market Week, and I still have these veggies left from my trip last weekend: 1 head broccoli (1/2 of what I started with) several carrots (again, 1/2 of what I started with) parsnips fingerling potatoes beets 2 squashes (acorn & buttercup) $20 goes a long way, right? If you’ve never shopped this way, I hope you’re inspired to try it....
Nov 13th
Anonymous asked: Dear Herbivore,

I'm looking to bake a vegan dessert for a new coworker who has recently decided to eat vegan style. Do you have a good cookie recipe or cake recipe that might do the trick? Love from Piedmont. Ben
Nov 12th
3 tags
Farmers' Market Week: Recipe 4
I still have plenty of Farmers’ Market vegetables left in the fridge, and I decided to simmer some in my favorite peanut concoction. Homemade peanut sauce is so satisfying. This recipe is quick and convenient, too! You can make it ahead of time & keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Ginger Peanut Sauce Implements: microplane or fine grater knives & cutting...
Nov 12th
5 tags
Quick tip: freezing leftovers
Grandma Ruby was 15 when the Great Depression hit, and she has taught me some serious survival lessons when it comes to making things last - whether it’s stretching the autumn harvest throughout the long, hard winter, or saving a little bit of something for later because you’re not sure when you might be the one to fall upon hard times. In any case, I learned not to waste a scrap of...
Nov 11th
4 tags
Farmers' Market Week: Recipes 2 & 3
Recipes 2 & 3 are simple, spicy & sweet! My mustard greens really popped in the lasagna, though they were not the main attraction. I decided to bring the second bunch front & center to feature their spiciness. And, since contrast is the key to a satisfied palate, I chose sweet squash to complement the greens. These recipes are meant to last a few meals. We had large servings for ...
Nov 10th
6 tags
Farmers' Market Week: Recipe 1
I usually click away from TV chefs when they finish talking and actually get to the cooking. But I happened upon Rachael Ray’s “what’s for dinner” segment recently, and to my surprise, she was making a meatless meal. I had NOT expected this. So I made a point to tune in the next day, and guess what? Another vegetarian dish. ‘Easy’ lasagna with broken noodles and...
Nov 9th
4 tags
Farmers' Market Week!
Oh November, you are both the most joyful month (Scorpios rule!) and the saddest month (Thanksgiving, I STILL DO NOT LIKE YOU!). What’s sadder than a vegan at Thanksgiving? The end of the Farmers Market season, of course! After this month we’ve got slim choices here in MN for local produce until rhubarb, the harbinger of spring, pokes its tarty fronds out of the cold earth and we...
Nov 8th
3 tags
quick tip: steaming vegetables
Quick Tip: Steaming Vegetables When steaming vegetables use rice milk instead of water, and throw in some aromatics (onion, garlic, etc.). Doing this adds a depth that plain water just can’t provide (and some added nutrition). And, it actually eliminates the need for a steamer entirely - just throw the veggies in the pan with the rice milk & aromatics, cover it up, & let it do its...
Nov 5th
1 note
4 tags
Restaurant servers, please read this.
The other day I went out to a new restaurant with a friend. I had researched the menu ahead of time, just to check about vegan options. The online menu had adorable icons to help with food allergies/sensitivities/choices. Pictures of milk cartons & nuts & eggs. Fish & wheat.  Great! It seemed to be a conscientious place. Across the top of the menu it says: “Please note that...
Nov 3rd
my peanut butter cup indulgence
My favorite Halloween candy was always Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Every year after trick-or-treating, my siblings and I would spread out pillowcases full of treats on the family room floor to make our bargains and trades. I would have given up all the candy in the world for just their peanut butter cups in return. And now, here’s my secret, revealed: I have not eaten dairy products...
Nov 2nd
3 tags
Nov 2nd
6 tags
origin story
This is going to be my longest post, I suspect. But it is the foundation for everything to come. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy. I’ve spent Xmas Eve every year of my life at Grandma Ruby’s house. Grandma Ruby lives in a classic 1940s home in a modest suburb of Minneapolis. The best way to describe her? A no-nonsense, farm-raised, divorced Swedish Athiest. Kind. Live & let live....
Nov 2nd
2 tags
All Herbivores Eve
Happy All Herbivores Eve to everyone! Tomorrow I join 500 other herbivores for 30 days of food blogging. I’ll begin with a true story of how my love of lobster informed my herbivorous ways. Stay tuned…for the love of lobster!
Nov 1st