Ali's Messy Rice

I made this rice, with the help of Carrie :o), the other week for a dinner party we had with some friends. It turned out quite yummy! The combination of veggies, rice and spices was a feast for the eyes and the stomach. My friend Hannah even used it as a filling for some spring roll-ish creations (sorry! no picture of those, but you can imagine!).

I love that my friends are always so excited to make dinners together-vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike! We all combine our skills and make food that is delicious and even more so because we can share it together. I plan to do a bunch more dinners with friends for Spring Term...which starts TOMORROW!! AH!

I have a pretty full course load this term, so I will be very busy to say the least. I have some AMAZING opportunities though. For one of my classes, I will be planning a journalism public relations conference up in Portland for the UO School of Journalism and Communication. Another class is FLUX, which is the journalism school's annual magazine, which just so happens to be honored with national awards in college journalism every year. We are changing the face of the magazine, and with that came the Business Staff on which I am Marketing Assistant. It's a pretty big deal because FLUX has never had any public relations work, so we have a big responsibility to sell this magazine like never before! We want all of UO to know about it as well as many people as possible. So, definitely check out the website, which will be updated for the new 2008 issue soon! On top of those classes I have a Mass Media Ethics class and Advanced Public Relations Writing...all journalism classes this term! I am also taking 6 hours a week of yoga, which will be so invigorating and rejuvenating after all the school!! In addition to all this, my group, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, for the student-run Allen Hall Public Relations, holds its annual event this term...The Mike Bellotti Silent Auction and Golf Classic. The events should be amazing and plus, they are to raise money for an amazing cause!

OKAY! So, back to Ali's Messy Rice!



2 cups brown basmati rice
1 1/2 cups lentils, steamed
3/4 cup mushrooms (I used button and portabella)
Half an onion
1/2 cup snap peas, halfed
3/4 cup cauliflower
1 cup carrots, cut in small pieces
a couple handfuls of spinach
2 tsp (or to taste) of the following:
Hungarian Paprika
Cumin
Turmeric
1 tsp Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Cook rice until tender. Set aside, but keep warm.
Saute the onion and mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil.
Steam the lentils and the other vegetables besides the spinach.
Once everything is all cooked, combine into one large skillet excluding the rice. Add the spices and flip with a spatula to evenly distribute the spices. Add the spinach and allow to wilt a bit, about 3 minutes.
Serve over a bed of the brown basmati rice, and enjoy!

Check back to see my spring break adventures with Tilly and Tofu, the dogs!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

I absolutely love carrot cake. It is by far my favorite of all cakes. The moist, heartyness of the cake pairs perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. I wanted to make carrot cake for Easter, but because I made the cookies I thought I'd hold off a couple of days. Carrie and I have eaten almost all the cupcakes. They are just so delicious.

The grating of the carrots furthered the evidence that I NEED a food processor. The blender is just not making the cut. I added a bit of cinnamon to the frosting for an added spice. I definitely want to try making this in the cake form, but the cupcakes were definitely a success.



Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking's Carrot Cake

3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cupcake tins or use paper cupcake liners.

In a food processor or blender, whip together the ground flaxseed and water until it's thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and blend until combined. Transfer them mixture to a large bowl, and add the carrots and walnuts. Stir to combine.



In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Add the wet mixture to this dry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined, but do not overmix.

Fill the muffin tins evenly with the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges of the cupcakes



Once cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting
From The Joy of Vegan Baking

8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese, cold (Tofutti brand is good, but make sure to chose the non-hydrogenated variety!)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Tilly and Me on top of Spencer's Butte!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

After I got my wisdom teeth out, I realized how lucky I am to have Carrie, my best friend/roommate, and J, a sweet and vivacious love. Carrie drove me to and from the appointment, bought me extra gauze and brought me flowers and a lovely card. J came over the first night, made me soup and kissed my swollen mouth, made me fruit salad and yogurt the second day, drove me to classes and gave me good company.

With all the love surrounding me, I couldn't help but want to give it back...And I thought what better way than cookies!! Especially vegan cookies, which in my opinion are 150 million times better than not. Of course I couldn't sample them before I delivered them to my fabulous friends, but I was assured that they were DELICIOUS. I am happy to report, I am all recovered, and I tried one last nite...They really were DELICIOUS!

Love and light.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
From The Joy of Vegan Baking


1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
Equivalent of 1 egg (I used flax seeds - 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds with 3 Tbsp water mixed in blender or food processor)
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (I used creamy)
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter (Earth Balance Whipped)
3 Tbsp non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Line 3 cookie sheets with wax paper or use 3 non-stick cookie/baking sheets.
In a small bowl, combine the first three ingredients. Set aside. Grind the flaxseed and water in a blender/food processor until thick and creamy (looks almost like gelatin).
In a larger bowl combine all other ingredients except the chocolate chips. Beat at a medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended (I did it by hand...Good for those muscles!). Add the flaxseed/water mixture. Beat just until blended. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and mix just until blended.


Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.
Back for 10-12 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake. Remove from oven, and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to let cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Pasta with Cheezy Sauce...mmmmm!

I have been interested in making a vegan version of macaroni and cheese, and finally, last week I made one! I used the Cheezy Sauce recipe from Veganomicon, and shared the results with Carrie and my new roommate, Tara. We all absolutely lovvvvvvvvedddddd this recipe! The spices and nutritional yeast provided the perfect taste combination for a substitute to real cheese. Since the recipe turned out so well I plan to try making the Macaroni and Cheeze recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen in the coming weeks...I'll keep you posted. But until enjoy this recipe and definitely try it out and share it with some friends!

Cheezy Sauce
From Veganomicon

2 cups vegetable broth or water (I used water)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Combine the broth or water and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved (a couple of lumps are okay)
Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.
Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt, turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm

Note: I used whole wheat penne from Trader Joe's, but it might be more authentic to use macaroni! Enjoy!

Live with intention. Lead with the heart.

Through my practice of anusara yoga, I have learned to live with intention, and to lead with my heart. Over the past few weeks, these mantras have held particular relevance in my life. I have decided that I want to be certified as a yoga teacher once I graduate this summer. I have always thought it would be a wonderful thing to be a yoga teacher, and now with intention, I have decided to make it part of my reality.

My lovely roommate/best friend, Carrie, has been with me for most of my adult growth, and this term we have been taking anusara yoga together on Mondays and Wednesdays. We have the most inspirational, uplifting, beautiful, teacher who is full of laughter and grace. Her name is Michele. I think she has had such a positive influence on Carrie over the past six weeks and on me over all three terms that she has been my teacher. She has inspired both Carrie and I to live with intention and open our hearts and let our excellence radiate. And she is definitely one of the best reasons I want to become a teacher. I hope someday I will be able to have such an influence over my students.



Living with intention inspired Carrie and I to finally go grocery shopping, stop eating out so much and explore our talents as young chefs. As I began to prepare to make whole wheat bread from scratch (look for the blog post in a couple of days), Carrie made us a delicious soup to close the weekend and make Sunday extra special.



Carrie's Green and Yellow Vegetable Soup

2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 purple onion, diced
1 large head broccoli, chopped
1 cup snap peas, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 tsp dill
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp Court Bouillon Bio (X-mas present from my Aunt Alison who lives in Paris, but we think it's a mixture of thyme, coriander, marjoram, laurel and lovage)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
pepper, to taste
1 cup bow tie pasta
1 cup wheat spiral pasta
1 can whole pinto beans

Chop carrots and broccoli into manageable chunks. Cut several of the broccoli chunks close to the heads, so the buds separate in the liquid. In a large pot, boil a cup of water and cook carrots over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Bring water to a boil for pasta.
In a separate pan, saute diced purple onion in water for about 4 minutes or until translucent. Add vegetable broth, broccoli, and snap peas to large pot of carrots and stir in spices, salt and pepper. Add onions and cook at a medium heat while pasta is cooking.
Cook pasta until al dente then add to large pot. Stir in whole pinto beans and let cook on a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until all vegetables and pasta are tender.

Carrie says, "The turmeric gives this delicious soup its golden color, and the broccoli buds make the soup thick with a lovely deep color. GO DUCKS!!!"

Birthday Cakes Galore!

On the 26th of January it was a certain J.’s birthday. 22!! A magic year. And this lucky man got two birthday cakes. One when we were on the coast celebrating with his family, and one when we got back to Eugene.

The first one was the legendary vegan cheesecake from Sweet Life. I was thrilled because I had only ever had one piece placed in front of me, and all of a sudden there was an entire cheesecake. We could eat cheesecake till we die!! It survived the trip to Waldport, but the berry topping got a little displaced along the way. Well, it didn’t matter one bit! The cheesecake was delicious on the night of J.’s birthday and the next day as well!



The second cake, made by moi, was a Raspberry Chocolate Cake. I got the recipe off FatFree Vegan Kitchen. And as always, it did not fail to impress. I was particularly impressed by the chocolate buttercream! It tasted and looked perfect. I decorated it with some left over raspberry preserves and some dark peppermint chocolate. I think, and hope, J. really enjoyed his birthday!

Sweet Morning, Sunshine!!

I am typing this post from the depths of my house which because of a broken heater is currently an igloo. Eugene is covered in frost and when I went to run an errand this morning I thought, "Hey! It's colder in my house than it is outside!!" I have been waiting around all morning (not going to class...sorry!) for the repair people to come, but still waiting...

I have a big announcement! On Friday....I'm getting a PUPPY!! I am so, so, so excited. She's about 12 weeks old. I named her Matildae (the Italian form of Matilda), and she's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I'm picking her up in the late afternoon on Friday, and could not be more happy! Pictures to follow...

So before I head off to PetSmart to gear up for my new addition, I thought I would blog about the vegan pancakes I made Sunday morning. It was a big day for football fans, and to my surprise, and my Dad's delight, over this past fall I have become one of them. My brother and my Dad are the biggest sports fans ever, so I figured it would rub off eventually. So Sunday morning came along, and realizing that I was penniless because of my M.O.C. shopping spree I decided to opt out of the trip I was going to take to the Newport Aquarium, and watch football with a certain J. instead.

Pancakes just seem like a Sunday morning delight, so I was happy to make them! I used the leftover blueberries from the pie I had made, and the leftover carob chips from the muffins, and we had a real sweet morning!

Sweet Vegan Pancakes

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons orange juice (or other sweetener, like maple syrup)
Cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves to taste
Fun additions: fresh or frozen fruit, carob-chips, walnuts (or any nuts for the matter), raisins

Cook like regular pancakes. When top side starts to bubble a bit and you can easily lift up the center, the pancake is ready to flip. Don't be scared! The first flips are always the hardest :o)
Serve with maple syrup, soy yogurt or fruit jam/syrup.



I ate mine with maple syrup and strawberry syrup from Emandal.