Dandelion Fritters!

Did you know that all those dandelion blossoms outside have so many health benefits for you and they're free! Just don't pick them from mowed lawns- pesticides and gasoline from lawn mowers are not beneficial to your health, in case you didn't know. But there are plenty of other areas where these abundant "weeds" can be picked. Here's a site with information about this amazing wild edible: http://www.leaflady.org/health_benefits_of_dandelions.htm.

The trick to foraging for wild edibles is to pick the part of the plant that is currently growing. That's where you'll find the vitamins and nutrients you're seeking.

Okay so the way to make dandelion fritters is pretty straight-forward. Pick the blossoms in full sun when they're open (you have to fry them up promptly because the blossoms will close when not in the sun). Make sure you remove the entire stem by pinching it off. You don't want to eat any of the white latex. For vegans just mix up some powdered Ener-G Egg Replacer (http://www.ener-g.com/) which you can find at your local health food store. Dip the blossoms in the liquid and then mix them in a bowl of cornflour with your choice of dried seasonings like parsley, oregano, basil, etc. Have fun experimenting!

Wild Mushroom Stroganoff

Source: Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Wild Mushrooms: Dryad Saddle from local woods

One of my favorite activities in the warmer months is wild foraging. I recently discovered a patch of dryad saddles a short bike ride from my home and I've been returning on the weekends to replenish my supply. These are so tasty! They're firm and hold up well in meals because they don't get slimy. I don't recommend mushrooming unless you have an experienced guide with you. Just sayin'.

So this dish is fairly easy- just make the pasta, then the sauce and voila! Dinner is served.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!

Source: Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

I've made both of Isa's chocolate chip cookie recipes (one in Vegan with a Vengeance and the other in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar) and I have to say the one in Vegan with a Vengeance is easily the tastiest, most mouth-watering chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever had (vegan or non). The secret is in the generous serving of 1 cup of Earth Balance (or other dairy free margarine) and 1 1/4 C sugar. The result is a satisfying chewy outer layer and moist, melty sweetness in the middle. They remind me of Chips Ahoy but wayyy better. There's nothing healthy about these, but that's probably what makes them taste soooo good.

Grilled "Cheeze" and Homemade Tomato Soup

Source: "Just-Like-Canned-Tomato-Soup" Soup
Vegan Grilled "cheeze" Sammiches! Recipe - Food.com - 249076

This is one of my favorite comfort foods. If I'm not feeling up to it I'll just heat up a can of soup, but making it from scratch is always so much better. The ingredients list for the grilled cheeze recipe can appear daunting at first, but most of the things listed are pretty standard for most vegan pantries. Which reminds me, I should post a blog listing the essentials all vegan pantries should include so you can make things like this on the fly. But anyway, the recipe only makes about two sandwiches, so I usually double it. You can always keep the leftover "cheeze" in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch.

I should warn you that the tomato soup recipe is on the spicy side, so if you're sensitive to hot stuff, hold back on the red pepper flakes. I don't recall ever having spicy canned tomato soup, so I'm not sure why that's included in the recipe at all. Regardless, this tasted great. I substituted tomato paste for the ketchup (for whatever reason I really don't like the stuff). I also used canned diced tomatoes and extra tomato paste until I got it to the right consistency rather than using tomato paste. And voila! You've got tomato soup goodness.

Curry Scrambled Tofu with Cabbage and Caraway with Red Flannel Hash and Toast

Source: Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

There are always a few veggies that I struggle with in my Farm Share. These include rutabaga, turnips, radishes (especially daikon!), cabbage and beets. So when I come across a new and inventive way to use one of these more challenging vegetables and the recipe is a success I am always more than pleased. This is one of those recipes. Plus, it's always nice to find a new way to make the standard tofu scramble. The flavors in this dish are well balanced and don't require much ingredients and you'll knock out a cabbage in the process, so yayy!!

The red flannel hash is another favorite of mine when it comes to using up beets. It takes some time, but worth it. If you have a large enough cast iron skillet I recommend doubling the recipe because it's simple and you'll be happy the next morning when you've got leftovers greeting you in the fridge. The recipe basically is a process of frying up some cubed beets and potatoes with a few seasonings and onions until they're soft.

I don't have much to say about toast other than that my toaster is very bad and tries to burn my bread when I'm not looking. Also this happens to be one of my favorite snacks. Crispy textures make my mouth happy, what can I say? I use Earth Balance for a butter substitute and vary my toppings from nutritional yeast, jelly, avocado (on rare occasions), nut butters, and apple butter.

Shepherd's Pie

Source: Vegan Shepherd's Pie Recipe - Food.com - 336777
Tempeh Crumbles: Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

I prefer to minimize the amount of processed food that I consume which is why I substituted the online recipe's meatless ground beef. It's a really simple recipe that works anytime I need to substitute ground beef (especially in tomato sauces). That being said, this dish does take some time because you have to make mashed potatoes, filling and the tempeh crumbles if you decide to tackle that task as well. Definitely worth the hard work if you're craving some comfort food.

Red Lentil Dahl & "Cheesy" Flatbread

Source: Dahl Recipe - Red Lentil Daal Recipe - Spicy Lentil Dahl Recipe
Cheesy Flatbread - Dairy-Free Cheesy Flatbread Recipe 

This recipe was really easy and SO GOOD! The lentil recipe was straightforward and simple (as lentil recipes tend to be) but I was thrilled to find a quick and easy way to make flatbread. Originally I was going to just have regular bread with this dish but since I had a little extra time on my hands I decided to give it a shot. All you do is mix the ingredients together, roll them out into rounds and fry each side.