All posts tagged: Plant-Based

2016: Last Crumbs

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As we bid adieu to 2016 (don’t let the door hit you on the way out, stupid year), I’m doing a bit of housekeeping here in the Ovenbird kitchen. No crazy resolutions to proclaim, just a promise to myself to be kind, eat well and wisely, and amble more. So tonight I’m sharing a few random edibles I threw together since my last post, just to clear the decks–out with the old, in with the new, and all that. First, there were muffins (there are always muffins)–sweet, cakey, melt-in-your-mouth, mixed berry muffins from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan Brunch: And maple-sweetened, no oil banana chocolate chip muffins from Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Families: There were oven fries (sliced russets tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper) and gravy with mixed greens, leftover from Thanksgiving, an almost poutine: There was first-day-of-winter-break braided pizza, made with Immaculate Baking Company’s crescent roll dough and Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds: There was a lot of soup: And, in this last week of December, a lot of sweets. For New Year’s Eve I picked up a …

I Cooked Food!

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I know it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. People cook food all the time. But, to be frank, the past two weeks have been a struggle. I’ve all but forgotten VeganMoFo; honestly, I haven’t felt like cooking or eating, let alone photographing my food and writing about it. In an overall really sucky year, November has excelled. First, of course, there was the election and the attendant rise in hateful speech and acts. Two days later, Leonard Cohen, my most beloved musical artist, shuffled off this mortal coil. While most folks might see the Thanksgiving holiday as a welcome respite, I can’t take much joy in a holiday for which the centerpiece of most American tables is a dead bird, who in all likelihood lived a brutal, tortured existence. Add to the that the violent oppression of Native Americans that’s ongoing as I write this, and you have the ingredients for a major funk. As with most situations, there’s a Leonard Cohen lyric (in this case, co-written with Sharon Robinson) that pretty much sums up how …

Weekend Loafing: Warming Up with Happy Herbivore’s Hippie Loaf

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The autumn equinox is nigh and the weather here is warm and golden, perfect for woodland hikes and cozy suppers. I spent much of yesterday outdoors with my dog and haven’t gotten around to doing much cooking or planning for this week’s meals, which mostly likely will include cool-weather fare such as chili and lentil sloppy joes. So today I’ll report on one of last week’s entrees, Happy Herbivore’s Hippie Loaf. This dish is a hearty and flavorful gluten-free mix of black beans, quinoa, and vegetables. Knowing the loaf would require at least 45 minutes in the oven, I prepared it late Sunday afternoon, anticipating a day or two of leftovers. My husband and I really enjoyed it (my kid was, as with most vegetable-rich dishes, meh about it), so we dispatched it handily in two dinners. I confess, I love anything (vegan) in a loaf pan. The pan itself is the epitome of elegant simplicity. From pumpkin bread to vegan meatloaf, that congealed cuboid melange of flavors, turned out neatly onto a cute serving platter, …