Pomegranate Mushrooms

I used pomegranate syrup for another recipe and decided to use the rest to saute my mushrooms. Turned out tangy and sweet. I LOVE sauteed mushrooms.

Ingredients:
Mushrooms of choice, sliced up
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 T. lime juice

For Syrup (borrowed from Food Network's Alton Brown, 2006): Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, approximately 50 minutes. It should be the consistency of syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

1) Heat up 1 T. evoo in a pan and put sliced mushrooms in the pan along with the oil. Let them marinate a few minutes. Add the Pom Syrup to the mushrooms and allow them to heat in the syrup for about 15 minutes until your shrooms have reduced. Enjoy as a side! Super easy!

Cool Barley Salad

I made this one up today as an alternative to the traditional wheat berry salad. It's sweet and a little salty, too. A great cool salad that is appropriate for Springtime vegetarian barbecues!

Ingredients:
1 cup hard barley
1 T. non-dairy butter
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 scallions, both green and white parts diced
3/4 cups raisins
1 T. dried basil
3 T. orange juice
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Cook the barley as it says on the package and season with the non-dairy butter.



2) Dice up celery and scallions and set aside. Meanwhile, roast nuts on stove top until fragrant.



3) Combine barley, nuts, celery, scallions, and raisins in a large bowl. Add oil, juice, and basil to the mixture and stir all together until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!



Other ideas: If you want a less chewy barley you can soak it overnight and then cook for 15 minutes. You can also easily do the same recipe using wheat berries, if you prefer. Use fresh basil leaves chopped up, if at hand (about 1/2 a cup). As an alternative to basil you could try mint, too.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

These are better than any candy out of a box. They're the BEST when they're fresh, but, last a few weeks as long as they're kept cool.




Ingredients:
10 ounces of 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (my favorite brand to use is Ghirardelli)
2 Tablespoons dairy free margarine (I like Earth Balance)
1 Tablespoon of maple syrup
1/3 cup of coconut milk (you can always use almond or soy if you don't have coconut)
2 cups vegetarian dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa powder for dusting

Steps:
1) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2) In a double boiler (or heatproof bowl) melt the margarine and 60% cacao chocolate, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is smooth.
3) In a saucepan over medium heat combine syrup and milk. Stir it together and heat until you see steam rise, but be careful not to burn it. Pour the hot liquid mixture into the chocolate and mix it all together.
4) After everything is well mixed place the chocolate into the refrigerator, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Remove it every 10-15 minutes and stir it well.
5) Place the other chocolate chips in a double boiler and melt down until smooth.
6) Once the chilled chocolate is able to be molded and worked with, take out of the refrigerator and using a fork scrape out some chocolate, forming somewhat of a ball, and cover with the melted warmed chocolate. Place it on the parchment paper.
7) Either dust with the cocoa powder or drop the whole ball into the cocoa powder if you like a lot of powder on your truffles. I have done it both ways and go back and forth.

Other ideas about these little tasties: If you want a more uniform candy you can buy a silicone candy mold from a craft store and use it for the 60% cacao mixture. While mixture it still warm pour into the candy mold and pop into the fridge for the 45 minutes. The silicone allows you to press the candy out of the mold and dip into the warm chocolate coating. I have done these truffles free handed and with a mold, but, it's up to you.

Red Quinoa and Garbanzo Pilaf

I made this last night for dinner. You can also use it as a side dish or even stuff peppers with it! The great thing about quinoa is it has the most protein out of every other grain, so, works well as a main dish for vegetarians. It's also gluten free. Bonus!



Ingredients:
1 large white onion, finely diced
1/2 Tablespoon of garlic powder
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon of coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
3/4 cup red quinoa
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons of vegetable stock

Steps:
1) Saute onion and garlic powder in evoo until soft. Add cumin and coriander and saute a few minutes. (see below)
2) Add salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir and cook a minute. Add quinoa and saute about 2 more minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), water, and veggie stock. (see below)
3) Bring all to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and stir occasionally. The goal is to thicken so all the liquid is soaked up by the quinoa. It'll be about 30 minutes or until you notice the quinoa is soft and the germ ring along the outside of the grain is showing. (see below)

Kiss Me I'm Truffle Cake

This decadent dark chocolate cake is super moist and sinfully delicious. Also, completely vegan.

Ingredients for the cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Steps:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until blended well.
3) Add the water, vanilla, coconut oil, and vinegar to the dry mixture and blend well.
4) Pour into a greased bundt pan (or 8x8 square pan) and bake for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup dairy free margarine, softened
1/4 cup sweetened almond or coconut milk
3/4 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Steps:
1) In a large mixing bowl cream the powdered sugar with the margarine until thick and well combined.
2) Add "milk" of choice, cocoa powder, and vanilla and mix until blended. Spread on the cake after it is completely cool. Sprinkle with cocoa powder to finish.

Inspiration

After having my child I started to see the world differently. I've always been compassionate and empathetic, however, becoming a mother has made be even more of a lover of all living beings. I had an interest in one day owning land with my husband and raising some farm animals as pets. I have been finding time to read while my daughter breastfeeds (the only time I can) and decided to choose a book about keeping farm animals. There are many books out there about caretaking of farm animals, but, I came across a book by Gene Baur that I decided to read. It's called Farm Sanctuary.


This book was just the cherry on the cake for me when it came to my guilt of eating pigs, cows, and other farm animals. I just couldn't take it. I felt like I was supporting an industry that paid no attention to the emotions and needs of the animals. Factory farming is so controversial and I understand becoming any form of vegetarian is difficult for people who are raised eating whatever they want whenever they want it, especially when the product is everywhere we turn. I don't expect for all my friends or family members to see these animals the same way I do or recognize the harsh reality of where and how their food ends up on their plates. I do, however, feel like I can make delicious food that is "guilt free", as I like to call it, and show them that you can have tasty and delicious treats even without animal products invovled. Maybe if I make enough of these dishes it'll change someone's mind. Who knows? Why not try.

For more information regarding these issues you can go to Gene's website:
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/index.html