comatose ovens & crunchy crackers.

Those of you who follow me on twitter may have seen me whining about my oven being, well, defunct. It is true. And you can only imagine my devastation.

My best friend chalked it up to an overuse injury. But I told her that the prolonged periods of rest followed by short spurts of activity were meant to be interval training! And besides, it wasn’t anything I baked that caused the problem… You see, my oven took up smoking, and you know, smoking kills…

My mom baked a little tray of Trader Joe’s cinnamon bun-things for a get-together the other day and for one reason or another it left some residue at the bottom of the oven. I went to preheat it the next day to bake some cookies & I realized that my oven was smoking.

The logical next step was to try to make my oven come clean. But the clean cycle sadly left my oven nonresponsive, in a coma, if you will. It’s still displaying a little red “FO” (maybe for “eff off?”) and a sadly incorrect time, and NONE of the buttons work.

Fortunately there is another oven in my life… my toaster oven.

Hooray for the convection bake setting!

So when my dad scoured through the pantry and found nothing with which to eat his hummus (we’re clearing the pantry/fridge for a 10-day vacation), I was still able to oblige with some socca crackers courtesy of the lovely Ashley.

Actually, I first made these last week with my real oven, but had to make a batch today to use up the hummus… difficult life I lead.

Mine were a little different as I’m kind of stingy with my raw buckwheat groats… So I just used 1/2 cup of chickpea flour, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and mixed it all up and sprinkled it with sea salt, then baked for awhile. Head to the real recipe here for better directions & pictures. :)

The recipe is delightfully simple and while mine aren’t as pretty as Ashley’s (but really, that’s damn near impossible) they were crispy and delicious and psuedo-cheesy. And I may or may not have licked up the batter. I have a thing for nooch. It’s a problem.

I was kind of curious about the nutritionals on these babies and found that if you make a half-batch with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (extra nooch = love), it’s about 150 calories and 13.6 grams of protein and 6.4 grams of fiber. Not too shabby! I’ll definitely be stocking some garbanzo flour in my kitchen next year. :)

Oh, and the hummus?

Mission accomplished. :)

What do you do when you’re trying to clear out your pantry, etc? 

Ever dealt with a broken oven? 

arts, sciences, & banana muffins

I’ve never considered myself to be all that creative. Sure, hand me some kind of problem and I’ll probably come up with some “out-of-the-box” solution (remember my “oven mitt”?). But set a canvas and some paints in front of me and I’ll agonize for years and possibly come up with some deep philosophical justification about the blankness of my soul as portrayed on the blank canvas rather than paint anything. Or I’ll put smiley faces and hearts.

Even photography, which I do enjoy, can be a struggle when I have to fabricate some sort of scene or idea. Candids? Sure. Staged artistic pieces? Not so much. I tend to like working with something that already exists rather than “creating from nothing.”

Enter baking. Combining some semi-scientifically-precise amount of fat, flour, & leavening to yield hopefully-delicious results. Certainly not all of my flavor combinations are unconventional or unique, but there’s still something decidedly gratifying about making up a recipe on a whim and having it work perfectly. Obviously the actual writing of recipes is not exactly creative in and of itself; there are only so many ways to write “bake at 350 until lightly golden”.

So when I was feeling an itch to get a little creative, I found my way into the kitchen and started grabbing things. Banana. Almond extract. Sliced almonds. Whatever I could find in my pantry. The result? Not a particularly outstandingly unique concoction, but decidedly delicious nonetheless, and the perfect marriage of art, science, & sugar. Just my kind of mixture.

Banana-Almond Muffins
Created by moi :)
Makes 6 muffins 

1 over-ripe banana
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (more if desired)
3/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons sliced almond (divided)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a muffin tin (if using a 12-cup tin, put a little bit of water in the empty tins to prevent warping)

In a medium bowl, mash banana and combine with almond milk, oil, almond extract, and sugar. In a separate bowl sift together dry ingredients (except almonds). Make a well in the center and pour in wet ingredients; stir until just mixed. Gently stir in 2-3 tablespoons of sliced almonds. Divide batter between 6 muffin tins and top with remaining almonds.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite form of creativity? 

fearful cinnamon rolls

I’ve mentioned before that I’m kind of a fraidy-cat... remember my story about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Obviously I have other fears. Like zombies (my friend somehow talked me into watching The Crazies with him last night… not sure how I managed to sleep). Or my somewhat hypochondriacal fear of stress fractures in my shins (though it’s not a totally unfounded fear, nor did it prevent me from running 6.1 miles on the treadmill today… I’m a slowpoke but I was excited I could run for that long!).

My biggest kitchen fear? Yeast. It’s unpredictable. I usually have to go through two packets to get one to come out right. I’m always afraid it just won’t work.

Luckily Mama Pea is here to help… and thus I made cinnamon rolls.

Admittedly, these are from a few months ago. Admittedly, I wanted to post these either on my brother’s birthday or right after, because he is a cinnamon roll addict and I definitely made these for him. (I’m just kind of behind on… life).

Tell my teachers to stop assigning me papers and tests and then maybe I’ll do half the things I intend. (Aka… sorry for the prolonged silence, I’m alive, I promise! And summer is just around the corner and then you won’t be able to get rid of me).

In the meantime, let’s dream of comforting, carby cinnamon rolls sans fear and copious amounts of homework.

You can find the recipe here. Since my brother is a growing teenage boy I made them with half oil instead of the pumpkin (also because I wanted the pumpkin for myself, let’s be honest) but otherwise I made it by the brillliant recipe by Mama Pea. And they were good. I don’t even like cinnamon rolls and I liked them.

Tell me about your fears, culinary or otherwise. :) And your weekend plans for the long weekend! I’m sleeping. And trying to stay afloat in my last week and a half of school this year… IthinkIcanIthinkIcan!

mother’s-day muffins [cappuccino muffins]

It seems that most mother’s day gifts I’ve given are things that only a mother could love.

Only a mother could love the paint-spattered excuses for “artwork” I proudly handed to her in the first grade.

Only a mother could love being ordered to return to bed for “breakfast in bed” consisting of lightly-burned toast, yogurt, & cereal.

Only a mother could love mug after painted mug of uncreative, polka-dotted ceramics.

Only a mother could love the “gift” of my high school’s dangerously delicious Cappuccino muffins, conveniently charged to her credit card account.

But anyone could love my at-home replication of those muffins. I searched far and wide, and it took a variety of different recipes, but when I finally stumbled upon this gem in Vegan Brunch by Isa Moskovitz, I knew I’d found my winner.

Perhaps not the greatest sacrifice on my part, but it did take some work… And a few less-than-perfect muffins. ;)

Vegan Cappuccino-Chip Muffins
adapted slightly from Vegan Brunch; also found here

1c almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)

1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee crystals

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or more canola oil for a better “crust”)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a muffin tin.

In a small cup, mix coffee granules with half of nondairy milk; add in the rest of the milk and the vinegar, and set aside to thicken.

In a small bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in oil, applesauce, vanilla, and thickened milk. Stir together until just combined, taking care not to overmix, then gently fold in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in tins for a few minutes before removing and letting cool on a plate.

While I’m not actually at home to make my mom a special breakfast, I’m hoping that sharing her favorite recipe and sending some cyber-carbs will help fill the void until I’m home in a month (!).  I wish I could do more, as this seems like even more of a cop-out than usual.

Only my mother could put up with my incessant chatter, constant whining, the perpetually dirty kitchen & ever-dwindling supply of flour and sugar. Only my mother would make me breakfast in bed almost every day, & make my bed when I “forget” to. Only my mother thinks I’m the coolest thing since sliced bread so I should write a book/open a cookie shop (ah, delusions). Only my mother magically receives telepathic messages when I’m not feeling okay, and knows how to put a smile back on my face.

And most of all, only my mother loves me, hugs me, & listens to me when I need it most.

Love you, mom!

What are you doing for mother’s day? What about you could only your mother love/understand? 

salty [cornmeal cookies & roasted chickpeas!]

Oh, the joys of Urban Dictionary. I think I heard the term “salty” as meaning upset once about a month ago and had to investigate… Because otherwise I definitely just thought it referred to food.

Remember last month when I got to try some delicious mustard as part of the Foodzie Tasting Panel? This month I had a delightfully local treat: salt. Lemongrass & Basil Salt by Woody’s Gourmet, to be exact!

It was really cool to see that this product came from Campbell. As in, less than 20 minutes away from me. And while I’m definitely a sweet-toothed girl, I do love salty stuff too. This salt was amazing! It’s a Lemongrass & Basil flavor, though they sent me a couple smaller samples too that I forgot to photograph.

I wound up basically adding this to everything. On top of veggies. On my salads. On tofu. With nooch. With everything. I had about a million ideas of things to make (like socca crackers, perhaps?) with it and ran out of time to make some of them, but still wound up with two “recipes”. One sweet, one savory. ;)

Roasted Chickpeas for One

1/2 cup chickpeas
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
~1/4 teaspoon Woody’s Salt (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet (or you can use aluminum foil!). Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Spread evenly on sheet and sprinkle with extra salt if desired. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove, stir, and bake again until crispy.

Enjoy as a simple, healthful, flavorful snack!

And now the sweet… I couldn’t quite resist attempting to make some kind of cookie. These are certainly unconventional, but they’re not overly sweet and play on the sweet-and-salty taste. I rather enjoyed them! The edges were slightly crispy and the middles were nice and soft. Also, if you don’t have access to coconut oil, I’m pretty sure butter will work.

Salted Cornmeal-Cookies
Makes about 10 cookies, easily doubled! 

1/2 tablespoon ground flax, microwaved for a minute with 2 tablespoons water and whisked until gummy
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons oil
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup cornmeal
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon Woody’s Sea Salt, plus more to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Microwave and whisk flax egg in a mug or small bowl, then let sit for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together oils and sugar. Add in flax egg and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients until well combined; if it seems way too dry, add water by the tablespoon.

Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet and flatten with fingers, or the bottom of a cup. Sprinkle with extra salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Enjoy the cornbreaddy taste and the subtle hint of herbs!

What’s the weirdest flavored cookie you’ve ever eaten? These were kind of a stretch, but I liked them…

study snack: chai-chia oats

The word of the day today: unkempt.

oh hi… given the bags under my eyes I really cannot believe I’m posting this picture on the internet…

Let’s just say I have a million and one parts of the brain to memorize by Monday… And ironically, my brain doesn’t seem to want to function. I’m peeking out from behind my neuropsych textbook to show you the anatomy of a successful (well, kind of) study session.

Ordinarily, my dear friend coffee would make a prominent appearance. But I have given him up for a little while… We needed some space. Instead, I’m stayin’ hydrated!

With plain old water and also Hansen’s Fruit Drink Stix. I know it’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s better than diet soda, sweetened with stevia, and it makes my Mickey cup look even cooler.

I got this for free when I pre-ordered Tangled… You’re jealous, don’t lie.

Of course I’m also eating a ridiculous amount of carrots, because that’s what I do when I’m stressed.

Here’s the overall spread…

However, as much as I love carrots, they don’t tend to satisfy me for the long term. So I broke out my oatmeal bowl for something comforting that would keep me full for more than five minutes. I also decided to take this opportunity to try out something new: CHIA SEEDS! I realize these are usually used in overnight oats, but I wanted oats now. I’m a little instant gratification. I’m sorry.

I made this bowl of goodness with left-over chai tea instead of water, to make chai-chia oats (say that five times fast…)

Chai-Chia Oats

1/3 cup oats
dash of salt
dash of cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
~3/4 cup pre-brewed chai tea
1 packet stevia
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Combine all ingredients except protein powder and microwave for about 1:45.  Stir and let sit for a few minutes, preferably covered. Add more water to thin as necessary. Microwave for about another minute, then stir in protein powder. Add peanut butter on top if you desire (I used my new bff, Peanut Butter & Co’s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. Holy yum.) Voila! Delicious, spicy, healthy oats.

I liked the little bits of crunch the chia seeds provided as well as the added thickness… Definitely need to get on that overnight oats bandwagon in the near future.

Now that my belly is full I have no excuse… back to the books for me! (brainstem, brainstem!)

What are your favorite study snacks?

schoolhouse rock

Anybody ever watch that? That whole “conjunction junction” bit?

I actually didn’t. So sue me. Though the idea of memorizing things with music is really appealing to me… I tend to get things stuck in my head easily. Maybe Rebecca Black’s Friday can be considered a teaching tool as well, for four year olds learning the days of the week (because otherwise it definitely shouldn’t exist). But I digress…

The “rocking” schoolhouse I’m really talking about is Schoolhouse Kitchen. I was fortunate enough to be invited to join the Foodzie Tasting Panel by the lovely Jessica at Healthy Exposures (side note: I almost died I was so flattered). So every month, I get to try one item from the Foodzie box and try to come up with a recipe for it. This month? Schoolhouse Kitchen’s Horseradish Dill Mustard.

I love that Schoolhouse Kitchen is based on the notion of giving back. Proceeds go to education, specifically farm-based education programs. And the top of the jar is just too cute/wonderful for words.

The mustard itself was awesome. Tangy and sweet and just slightly spicy. I’m not a huge fan of mustard or dill but somehow I loved it. But what, you ask, did I make with it?

Well, seeing as it arrived today and our submissions are due tonight (silly me forgot to e-mail them my address in a timely fashion), I went with something quick and easy but still delicious: veggie burgers.

Black Bean Mustard Veggie Burger
Makes two patties

1/2 cup black beans
2 tablespoons Schoolhouse Kitchen Horseradish-Dill Mustard
1 egg white
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt (more to taste, depending on whether your black beans are salted)
1/4 cup diced veggies of choice (I used onions and bell peppers)
1/2-1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
2-4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking sheet quite well.

In a small bowl, mash black beans very well. Add in mustard and continue mashing. Add egg white and stir until well mixed. Add in cornmeal, flour, salt, veggies, and nutritional yeast (if using). Stir together well (this will be a kind of goopy mess). If desired, add in breadcrumbs. If your mixture is far too liquidy (it should be pretty wet, but should kind of clump together pretty decently) then add another tablespoon of flour or cornmeal. Add more salt to taste.

Spoon mixture into two separate “patties” on baking sheet (as shown in photo above recipe). Bake for about 5 minutes, then remove and let set for 2 or so minutes. Flip patties over (they’ll be kind of delicate, so watch out) and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until relatively hardened.

Let cool and serve up on a bun of your choosing. I was unable to obtain lettuce and tomatoes, but I imagine that would be amazing.

Of course, you can also serve it up with some more mustard. Just to give it a little extra creamy kick.

As for me? I’m studying neuropsychology and I’ve never seen so many terms in my life… to the tune of “geniculostriate pathway” or “oligodendroglia” or “ventromedial system”.

Too bad there’s no song for that.

Did you actually do the whole Schoolhouse Rock thing? I was a Magic School Bus girl myself ;)

wiaw: weekend waffles.

Glad you all enjoyed my randomness yesterday… we will continue with a variation on that theme with my random eats last Saturday for the next installment of What I Ate Wednesday.

“Brunch” (What happens when you wake up at noon…)

Actually, I’m probably going to cheat a bit and pretty much just focus on breakfast. For which I made waffles… Probably the first time I’ve had waffles in months, actually (though my school does have a belgian waffle maker thing… I’ve never actually gotten it, not entirely sure why!).

I remember when I first got my waffle iron. I think I used it every day for a solid week. Lately it’s been rusting, needing so much more than dusting, needing exercise, a chance to use its skills… (If you know what Disney movie I just quoted you earn 20 brownie points, just sayin’).

This batch of waffles was also because I had half a banana laying around and I wanted something healthy. It wasn’t exactly light; the oats and wheat bran gave it a heartier texture, and the lack of fat meant it wasn’t quite as crisp (a bout in the oven would probably have helped solve this but I am notoriously impatient). At any rate, it scored pretty high on the nutrition factor and when topped with some frozen berries and sugar-free syrup was a delightfully easy, ever-so-slightly decadent, and wonderful breakfast. I adapted the recipe from one on Fitting It All In, a really fun blog, go check her out! :)

Whole Wheat, Vegan, Sugar-Free Banana Waffles
Adapted from here.

1/2 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons hot water (or 2-3 tablespoons liquid egg substitute)
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons wheat bran
2 tablespoons oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet stevia, or to taste
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or nondairy milk of choice
additional water as needed

Preheat your waffle maker according to instructions.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together flax and water and let sit until thickened. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Stir in almond milk and “egg” until just combined. If the batter seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water (this may also change the texture of the waffle). Add extra sweetener to taste, but make sure not to over-mix your batter!

Spray waffle maker with nonstick spray and cook waffle according to instructions.

Put some berries on it, or some syrup, or some chocolate, or some peanut butter, or whatever your little heart desires.

Without toppings, this has 264 calories, 10 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber. Not too shabby.

Dinner

I kind of snacked for awhile so dinner was low-key. And by low-key I mean I ate half of a butternut squash because it was my last day at home. The pictures aren’t the best and I put too much salt so I didn’t get the delightful sweetness, but that’s okay. It was still butternutty and delicious. ;)

I also put some of it in a wrap, because I’m minorly obsessed with wraps. In case you didn’t remember.

And because I was in a sweets-loving mood I had a late-night snack of pancakes. Again not super photogenic. But that’s okay.

Eat anything good lately? What’s your favorite waffle topping?

Can you guess the Disney movie? It’s my favorite ;)

what i ate wednesday… & bell pepper deliciousness

**Notice: For some reason a lot of the comments I make on other people’s blogs are going to spam. I think it’s the WordPress gods telling me to get off of blogs and start studying developmental psychology… but it’s still obnoxious. Check your spam folder!

Also, I love you guys for liking my grandma & Harry Potter references… :)

So this is my first “What I ate Wednesday”. And I don’t intend to post everything I ate, because a) I’m too lazy to photograph my snacks b) I don’t want any judgment about the exact quantities I eat. BUT I will post my major meals. :)

Here’s how my morning started:

I straightened my hair. Because I could. And because I felt like actually putting some semblance of effort into my attire…

Look ma, NO JEANS!

I actually generally prefer my hair wavy, but it’s fun to switch things up a bit. And after wearing jeans + a t-shirt for the past… oh, month and a half?… it was fun to actually put on real clothes. Everyone kept complimenting me for looking cute… Clearly I set the bar pretty low for myself…

Some myspace shots ensued.

 

I promise I am capable of making normal faces…

There’s a smile!

Then ’twas time for breakfast!

Breakfast: PB-Nana-Java Oats

Basically take Java Oats and add in 1/2 of a banana “whipped” into it and 1/2 sliced on top… along with 2 tbsp of peanut flour (some of it made into paste), because everybody LOVES peanut flour! I ended up adding some real peanut butter on top but was too lazy to photograph.

Do excuse the state of my bowls. I eat oatmeal so frequently that I don’t always wash it thoroughly in between…

Lunch: Eggplant Hummus Wrap! And lots o’ broccoli

Oh no all gone! :(

Ingredients: Whole wheat tortilla, salad bar salad, lots of Trader Joe’s eggplant hummus, alongside steamed broccoli (and more salad, which I ate before photographing…)

Sometimes when they have certain specials at my school the side is steamed vegetables. I discovered on Sunday that I can get just the steamed vegetables sans the main meat dish. This to me is heaven. I also discovered that when they run out of the main meat dish, they will happily give me free refills of bowls of steamed broccoli… Because otherwise it would be thrown away. Needless to say I took it and put it in my fridge.

Then after hours of studying/procrastinating it was FINALLY dinner time. I’ve been planning to try this dinner for at least a week…

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers!

Stuffed peppers are SO in right now. Gotta love those roasted red bell peppers…

Here’s my “recipe”. All the veggies came from the salad bar, except the whole pepper which I bought at Safeway. I forgot mushrooms on my first round so I had to go back to the salad bar for just mushrooms… Good thing the lunch lady already thinks I’m insane… You could really vary it up on the veggies, this recipe has LOTS of room for variation!

1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup couscous
3 tablespoons salsa
~1/4 cup spinach leaves, chopped
2 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup Daiya vegan cheese (optional)

Cut pepper in half lengthwise and remove stem. Set oven on broil. Place pepper on lightly sprayed cookie sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes (and try not to set the fire alarm off… nearly happened…) or until it has just a few black spots (or as much as you’d like). Meanwhile, mix together everything else for your filling.

If you’re not in a dorm kitchen with super finicky smoke detectors, just plop the filling in and broil it for a bit until the cheese is melty and the insides are warm. It could also be roasted for a  bit longer at maybe 350 or 400… It’s really up to you. My veggies weren’t entirely cooked but I was being paranoid about aforementioned smoke detector…

Dig in and enjoy!

Also, this was my first time really trying Daiya. It didn’t melt quite enough because I didn’t get to leave the pepper in there long enough, but when it DID melt it was definitely stretchy. Kind of oily when you take it out of the bag, though, and not super rich nutritionally, but definitely a good vegan cheese substitute!

Dessert: Cookies.

I baked cookies. Go figure, right? I’m gonna blog about them another day though… Because now I need to go back to learning about inhibited children and how they become anxious adults (story of my life?…)

And I will probably have more oatmeal later. I’m kind of predictable like that.

What’s the best thing you ate today?

Evolution & Brussels Sprouts

Reason number one million why I’m bizarre: I am craving Brussels sprouts like no other. Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. What normal person craves such things? I can only imagine what I’ll be like when I’m pregnant…

Reason number two why I’m bizarre: I was inordinately excited when we learned about Brussels sprouts and broccoli in biology today. And I whispered unwittingly, “I love broccoli.” And the poor frat boy next to me gave me a bemused look and shook his head.

Here is a biology lesson for you today!

For those of you who did not know, my beloved Brussels sprouts, along with my even-more-beloved broccoli, and other favorites such as kale and cabbage, are all derived from the same plant (wild mustard, or brassica oleracea) being selectively bred for different traits. Such as wide, delicious stalks for broccoli. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Incidentally, I hate mustard. Just saying.

In honor of applying this knowledge, I bring you roasted vegetables (very poorly photographed ones, alas…)

This is what I took to Christmas Eve dinner, then made again for dinner during the week (this time featuring tofu), then prepared again for my New Year’s Eve dinner. It’s not fancy, it’s not particularly gourmet, but damn is it delicious.

Well, if you’re addicted to vegetables as I am.

Nicole’s Roasted Vegetables
Serves… Well, I have no idea, because I usually eat more than half…
It’s also not really a “recipe”, more like guidelines.

Pick whatever vegetables you like to roast… here are some of my faves!
Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
Butternut squash, cubed
Yam or sweet potato, cubed
2 onions, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms (they shrink a LOT!)
4-5 cloves of garlic (or to taste!), sliced
2+ tablespoons chopped ginger
Tofu, cut into triangles (optional)

Marinade:
~2-3 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
~2-3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
~2-3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
~1/3 cup water
Sea Salt

*You could also add some maple syrup, I did so the first time, but my dad doesn’t like ‘sweet’ things, so…

Directions

**If using tofu, it’s delicious to slice it up and let it sit in the marinade for a few hours. But I usually make this without tofu, so, up to you, as are most things about this “recipe”

Preheat oven to 375 (hotter if you want it to cook faster, it’s really up to you!)

Spray a large metal baking pan with cooking spray. Spread vegetables liberally around the pan and drizzle marinade mixture over the top. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and let bake for around 25 minutes. Open, stir, and check on the cooked-ness of the vegetables (I like to add the onions in here, so they don’t get too mushy after the full time). If desired, add a sprinkling more of salt or Bragg’s. If there seems to be too much liquid (which can make the potatoes and squash mushy), drain some of it into a separate bowl.

Return to oven for another 20 minutes, uncovered. Continue checking and roasting until you feel the vegetables are adequately cooked.

Basically, play it by ear, and do what you want. But roast some vegetables. And eat them. They’re delightful. These are, quite honestly, what I have been missing most about eating at home. I would kill for a roasted butternut squash.

Instead I’ll just take my bowl of packaged oatmeal and sit in a corner and cry while poring over phylogeny & Brussels sprouts.

Oh, college.