tempeh pasta with other awesome stuff in it

Happy Halloween, everyone.  I'm not feeling too awfully festive, but who knows where the night might take me.  Michael and I are carving a pumpkin in a little bit, so maybe that will trigger my spirit.  My dad got me a killer pumpking carving kit, and I have yet to use it since I've been sick.  Tonight is theeeee night!

Ok, so dinner last night was fucking amazing.  I'm not gonna lie.  And I totally made it up all by myself, so you get to see a recipe!  You are so lucky.  Also, Michael put together the recipe for the bars that you remember so fondly, so you, my dear readers, get not just one (no!), but 2 recipes today!  I spoil you, I know.  Enough of that, on to the food.

 feast your eyes on that 

Last night I wanted pesto.  I've been sitting on some basil for awhile and it needed using up.  But...pesto wasn't enough.  I had 2 blocks of tempeh in my fridge, awaiting the day that I got over my fear of eating the tempeh that has black all over it.  But then...  pesto and tempeh on pasta alone didn't sound that appetizing.  So I did some other cool things.  Anyway, here's the tempeh, sizzlin' away in the skillet after I marinated it:

sizzletastic

And then I added some stuff:

with the addition of fire roasted tomatoes and some artichoke hearts

Are you ready for this recipe?  Ok.

Pesto Tempeh Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

1 box whole wheat thin spaghetti

1 block of tempeh

1 15 oz can of artichoke hearts in brine 

1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 batch of basil pesto (of your choice, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup)

2 tsp capers, minced

1/4 cup plain soy milk

For the marinade:

3 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 1 medium lemon

1/4 cup bragg's (or soy sauce, or tamari)

a few Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp 'chicken' seasoning (your choice..mine's kroger brand)

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp oregano

First, cut your tempeh into strips.  Thin as you can make 'em.  Simmer them in boiling water for about 15 minutes, then drain.  While that's going on, make your pesto.  I made mine with: garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, basil, nutritional yeast.  Set aside.  Also, whip up your marinade.  Just put everything in a tupperware and stir.  Once your tempeh is drained, put it in the marinade and let it hang out for at least 45 minutes.  If you put it in a tupperware with a lid, shake it up every 20 minutes or so (the marinade won't be enough to cover, so shaking is key).  

Once you're getting closer to hungry for dinner, bring a pot of water to boil for your spaghetti.  Prepare that according to package, drain, set aside.  While your pasta is boiling, get a large skillet, pour in the marinade from the tempeh (including the garlic), and heat it up til the garlic is sizzling.  At this point, add the capers and the tempeh.  Leave that alone until the tempeh is brown on that side, then flip them and let brown on the opposite side.  Then add your cans of artichoke hearts (drained) and tomatoes (not drained).  Stir frequently until everything is bubbling nicely.

You'll probably need to rinse your pasta with hot water because it's stuck together.  Do that, and then add it back into the big pot.  Add the pesto and stir it in as best you can (it might clump, that's fine, it'll work itself out).  Then add in the tempeh mixture and the soymilk.  Stir until well mixed.

It's so good.  

tasty, hearty, basily, yummy, wonderfuly

It really is fantastic.  I had some leftovers for lunch and I'm still not hungry.  It's filling, kids.

And now for the recipe of Michael's bars:

Triple t(h)reat bar

Ingredients

4 cups oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar (I used sucanat )

2/3 cup melted butter, plus more for greasing pan (I used EB)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup corn syrup (I used agave nectar, molasses and maple syrup)

Frosting:

1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips (semi – sweet)

2/3 cup chunky peanut butter (I used creamy then added whole peanuts and lightly added salt before putting on the chocolate )

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan. In a large bowl, mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and corn syrup. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

For the Frosting: Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler and melt. Mix well. Spread on baked and cooled cookie bars. Refrigerate until frosting hardens.

Cut into bars.

Get it?  Triple Threat or Triple Treat?  He's clever.  Anyway, go make some badass pasta and finish it off with a decadent oatmeal peanut butter chocolate bar.  You might gain a couple pounds, but it's cold outside.  You  need more padding.  

So this is the end of Vegan Mofo, huh?  I'm pretty proud of my posting this month.  I learned that I really love to blog and I love sharing my ideas with the world at large and getting some totally awesome ideas in return.  Thanks for coming along on the ride with me, guys!

food that cured my sickness. and a contest, what!

First off - Georgia wanted to know how the loaf held up over the next couple of days.  The answer is: really well.  It didn't crumble or anything.  In fact, it stuck together remarkably well.  I used a potato masher to mush all the stuff together though, so maybe that made it more like a brick.  By the way, her blog has some totally awesome recipes and she lives in Australia (which is ultra cool) so you should go over there and check it out!

Second of all, I want to point out that I did not have the energy to cook while I was sick!  I made that loaf before I got sick in the first place, and the only thing I contributed to the spring roll meal was the beans (which is just putting stuff in a pot and letting it simmer).  Same with last night... I only made one component of the meal, because again, I felt icky.  Michael is the hero here!  I think some of you think I'm superwoman or something, haha...  No, I can't do anything while I'm sick.  

Anyway, as of today, I feel a lot better.  Still kind of blah, but I'm not achey, which is AWESOME.  I can deal with sinus congestion when my body doesn't hurt.  And my throat is less sore.  Yay!  I attribute it 100% to chocolate, oats, and nachos.  They cured me.  When I got home yesterday, Michael had made me some bars!  They were oaty and chocolatey and peanut buttery and so so so so good.  I think he got the recipe from food network, but he changed it around a lot.  The peanut butter at the top was the best...it reminded me of Reese's cups.  Oh..I miss those sometimes.  But these were way better! 

just look.  look at it!

 He also, per my request, made up some hot chocolate.  I sent him the recipe via text message: soy milk, cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla extract.  It was so good.  SO good.  I might make some here in a minute, actually.  I haven't had good hot chocolate in a long time, and it was perfectly hot and sweet and wonderful.

We decided to make nachos for dinner.  This is a relatively easy thing for us to whip up.  Michael makes the 'meat' and beans and chops the veggies,  I usually make the guacamole and cheeze sauce.  It took me too long to make the sauce last night though (I was dragging pretty bad), so he made the guac.  And it was better than mine.  Yeah, I said it.  He did an awesome job.  

mound of perfection

Anyway, chips piled high with tvp, corn, refried beans, olives, lettuce, scallions, cheeze (spicy style), salsa and guacamole is a sickness cure.  Who knew?  I went to bed after not even finishing my plate and woke up feeling refreshed.  

The moral of this story is, first of all, find someone to take care of you when you are sick.  Then, have them make you chocolatey things and nachos.  You'll be better in no time!

By the way, I only got 1 suggestion for a Halloween costume!  Come on, guys.  I really have no idea what to go as!  You have until tomorrow at like...8 pm to think of a costume that I will wear to a party for like an hour.  It's cold, here so...  no skimpy slutsuits, please!  Tell you what.  I'll up the ante a little bit.  The winner of my Halloween Costume Idea Contest will receive a box of cookies from me.  How's that for incentive?  Now lets get those ideas flowing, ok?