FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Look Out Weekend!

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Isn’t this how it always pans out?  You’re exhausted all week and you promise yourself a nice quiet weekend and then…  You get an invite to something too fun too pass up?  Oops?

My friend Kelly emailed me earlier today about a non-touristy sunset cruise that she and the other Kelley are going on tomorrow and asked if I’d like to join.  I hesitated out of pure sleepiness, but knew this was something I couldn’t turn down.

You see, both Kell(e)ys are moving soon: one to Jacksonville and one to Spain, so I need to get as much Kell(e)y time in as humanly possible.  And there are about a gazillion cherries on top of this cakey invite, some of which include:

1.  The cruise is BYOB

2.   Kelly is kind of a big deal at a local wine rep and will, for sure, bring the best bubbly ever.

3.  Kelley is famous for her veggie trays.

4.   I’ve been looking for an excuse to make this vegan layer dip

5.  FULL MOON!!

So party, party it is, because I don’t see myself making my way back over the bridge after boating.

Now on to the dip…  that I totally jacked from my college roommate, Emily, and modified to be dairy free.

Mix one package of dairy-free cream cheese with taco seasoning to taste.  I used about 1/2 of a large packet, but it’s important to sample periodically because it can get super salty, super fast.  Then layer refried beans, taco seasoned cream cheese, and salsa in a casserole dish (or pie plate).  Top with olives and sliced jalapenos (that I forgot and have to pick up at the grocery store tomorrow on my way to St. Pete).

Serve with tortilla chips or health it up by toasting sprouted corn tortillas.

Oh and hoping to bring FoodFash mashes back stat!

Emergency Cookie

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What do you do when you’ve got the ‘I still want to be on vacation’ blues?  Bake emergency cookies, obvi!

I used to make shortbread cookies all the time when I was younger because a.) they’re delicious and b.) all of the ingredients are solid pantry staples.

I decided to mix things up by using the almond meal I hadn’t touched since the world’s most expensive brownies.  And then I erred on the side of caution by using an almond meal/bread flour mix.

FoodFash Almond Shortbread Cookies

1/2 Cup Almond Meal

1/2 Cup Bread Flour

1/2 Cup Earth Balance

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Dash of Salt

Mix all of the ingredients together until all of the Earth Balance is evenly distributed.  Roll the dough into small balls and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Fresh Carrot Salad

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The first recipe that caught my attention as I was browsing through EveryDay Feasts was the Fresh Carrot Salad.  This recipe screamed simple and fresh, which define a good summer recipe in my mind.

Fresh Carrot Salad

1 TBSP White Wine Vinegar

1 TSP Dijon Mustard

1/2 TSP Salt

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

2 LBS Carrots, Grated

1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds, Toasted

Combine the vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl and whisk until blended.  Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.  Combine the vinaigrette with the carrots in a large bowl and toss to mix well.  Spoon into a serving dish.  Sprinkle with almonds when ready to serve.

I made a couple tiny modifications in the interest of time, calorie reduction, and my one person household.  The most notable changes were using the only available bag of shredded carrots ( 10 oz rather than 16 oz) and reducing the olive oil by 1/4 cup.

After sampling a small portion, I shook the remaining salad in a ziploc and let it marinate as I packed it in a picnic basket to bring with me to Rock The Park.

This was my first experience with a carrot and almond combo and I was very impressed!  I would have never thought that carrots and almonds would compliment each other so well.  This recipe was also ideal for a picnic dish because it tasted even better after sitting and all of the ingredients were outdoor temperature friendly.

I passed the salad around as a side and then plopped the rest on a whole wheat pita with homemade hummus and cucumbers as my main course.  The addition of the carrot salad was a game changer and I highly recommend adding this burst of color to your favorite summer sandwich!

Sick Of Sriracha Yet?

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I really hope that the answer to ‘Sick Of Sriracha Yet?’ is a unanimous ‘Heck No!’.  Cause I can’t stop, won’t stop.

I’m just kidding, I’ll stop, but only when I run out of inspiration.  Right now I have dreams of creating my own version of The Sriracha Cookbook, some kind of vegetarian edition.  A virtual vegetarian edition.

FoodFash Sriracha Deviled Eggs

5 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 TBSP Mayo or Vegenaise

1/2 TBSP Dijon Mustard

3 TSP White Vinegar

1 TSP Sriracha

Salt to Taste

Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, and hope for mostly good looking eggs and one or two ugly ducklings.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stuff some of the mixture into an ugly duckling egg half and… Eat it.  The ugly ducklings are taste testers, you see.  Adjust spice/seasoning in the remaining mix and then stuff the rest of the egg halves.

Oh and make them pretty with a pearl of Sriracha, which adds a little extra kick!

I will never be able to live up to my mom’s deviled eggs, she’s the queen.  But this is a really good rendition of a classic dish and a fun way to use Sriracha.  So good that I ate all ten halves.  Ten!  For those of you that struggle in the math department, that’s FIVE WHOLE EGGS!  Something about that sounds so creepy…