Savory and Sweet

Do you ever mix fruit into your savory dishes? We love doing so because it adds a ‘pop’ of sweetness that is just enough to take your meal to the next level. If you’re leery about adding blueberries (or other berries) to your dinner, don’t be! I have giant containers of Baby Bella mushrooms and blueberries and some tofu that needed to be eaten up so I decided to combine the three with some other ingredients to create a something that I did not want to stop eating! I really tried hard not to use nutritional yeast in this recipe because a lot of you may still not know what it is (shame, shame) so I decided to keep the ingredients pretty basic.

This concoction would go fabulously over cooked quinoa or millet or atop a bed of leafy greens. I had mine over romaine and kept adding more lettuce to prolong my eating enjoyment and to keep me from eating it all in one sitting (I want some for lunch tomorrow!).

By the way, I did have prep-pictures for this recipe but accidentally deleted them so unfortunately you only get to see the finished dish.

Blueberry Mushroom Mélange
[Serves 2]

• 1 tsp. Canola Oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 baby bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ package of extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
• 2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
• ½ tsp. rubbed Sage
• 1 tsp. dried Rosemary
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• 1/3 cup Almond Milk (I used unsweetened Vanilla and loved it!)
• 1/3 cup Blueberries
• 1 cup chopped Spinach (or kale or other dark leafy green)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

– Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, and then add the onions (they should sizzle when you add them). Sauté until translucent and then add the garlic and bell pepper.

– Add the cubed tofu and continue sautéing until most of the sides are browned.

– Meanwhile, in another heated skillet (medium-high) add the mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt. Let them cook until they release their juices and then flip them over.

– Once the tofu and mushrooms are cooked, add the mushrooms and spices to the pan with the tofu, then add the almond milk and blueberries.

– Continue to stir until most of the milk has evaporated, then add spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.

– Serve over cooked quinoa, millet, rice or over a salad.

What’s your favorite savory/sweet combination?

‘Running’ Errands and Baked Oats

Before I start talking about myself and the recipe that I have for you today, I just want to mention to those of you that live in the area, there is a Vegan Chili Cook-off this Saturday at the Seward Café! It’s free (with samples) and bound to be a ton of fun so you should definitely check it out.  I know I’ll be there! Here’s the site for more details: www.exploreveg.org/news/3rd-annual-vegan-chili-cook-off-this-saturday

As I have been unpacking my belongings there are random things that I didn’t realize that I have or that I forgot that I own. For instance, I have a lot of wine glasses and bowls, but no ‘regular’ glasses, and I could only find one dinner plate. I don’t have a problem with drinking water or almond milk out of a wine glass but I guess if people come to visit they’ll have to supply their own plates… or eat off of tiny appetizer plates that I do have. Oh well, at least I have a plate for myself! 😉

Other things that I have had to stock are kitchen essentials such as baking powder/soda, salt, cooking oil and a range of other items that I consider ‘start-up’ costs. I didn’t realize that I didn’t have baking powder until this morning when I wanted to make baked oatmeal (I’ve been having overnight oats lately since I don’t have any small saucepans or a microwave) so I decided that I would just pick some up on my run because there is a Walgreens nearby.

 

I ran first because I obviously didn’t want to carry baking powder in my hands the whole time and was surprised to see that Walgreens doesn’t have baking powder, just baking soda. Ugh. From there I ran to a small grocery store down the street since it was only a ½ mile longer, but I had no luck there so I continued down the street to Trader Joe’s. Well it turns out that baking powder is a ‘seasonal item’ there. Really? People don’t bake in February? Hm… Long story short, I ended up running back to my apartment, resulting in a couple extra miles for the day, and driving to Whole Foods where they of course were well-stocked. It was kind of a fun adventure (if you will), and I ended up making a delicious breakfast bake for all of you to try!

 

Raspberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal
[Serves 1]

• ¼ cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• ½ Tbsp Protein Powder (I used Nutribiotic Vanilla Rice Protein)
• ¼ tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Shredded Coconut (I used Let’s Do Organic Reduced Fat)
• 1 Tbsp. Chia Powder (or ground chia seeds. Ground flax would probably work too)
• 1 tsp. Cup-For-Cup Stevia or other sweetener
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (try Trader Joe’s!)
• ¼ tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)
• ½ tsp. each vanilla and raspberry extract
• ½ tsp. Coconut Oil, melted
• ¼ cup frozen Raspberries
  Topping:
• 1 Tbsp. Shredded Coconut
• ½ tsp. Coconut Oil, melted
• ¼ tsp. Sucanat
• ¼ – ½ tsp. Raspberry Jam
• Pinch of Cinnamon

– Preheat the oven to 375º F and oil a small baking dish (or muffin tin).

– Stir together the milk and vinegar; set aside.

– Excluding the topping ingredients, mix all of the dry ingredients together.

– Add the extracts to the almond milk, mix with the dry ingredients and then add the coconut oil. Fold in the raspberries.

– Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (the center should still be somewhat soft).  Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping.

– After the initial bake-time, spread the topping over the oatmeal and place it back into the oven for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you could also broil the topping in order to brown the coconut. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!

– Serve with additional melted coconut or vegan margarine and a drizzle of agave nectar.

What running adventures have you embarked on (whether planned or not)?