Garam Masala Lentil & Vegetable Squash Bowls

Spiced garam masala lentils combine with an assortment of savory vegetables, nestled in a roasted acorn squash half all topped with vegan sour cream and fresh basil.

Are you on Goodreads? Oh my lordy, I have discovered so many great books. My goal is to read 65 books this year and I'm already six ahead of schedule! If you're on Goodreads, add me as a friend! You can see what I'm currently reading on the right sidebar, with a link to my profile. A book of note I just finished was Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning and I really enjoyed it! I also read Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant, which was super interesting and I definitely recommend it as well. If you're looking for a wonderful, scientific book on eating for your health (which, surprise, happens to be plant-based), check out How to Not Die by Michael Greger, MD. Those have been my favorite books in the past couple of weeks. Do you have any good books to recommend?

“Food, Inc. is like a Disney movie compared to Earthlings... It’s inside footage of factory farms; 50 billion animals a year are killed. They’re in pain, treated badly, diseased, pumped full of antibiotics. I saw the reality and just couldn’t ignore it. And I’m happier and healthier. ”

— Ellen Degeneres

I really enjoy this dish, it's about my third time making/perfecting it. I adore lentils and am always trying to increasingly sneak them into pretty much everything. Broccoli and squash are two of my most beloved vegetables, so it's no wonder why I can't stop making it. I hope you enjoy it as much as Todd and I do! 

Garam Masala Lentil & Vegetable Squash Bowls

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Spiced garam masala lentils combine with an assortment of savory vegetables, nestled in a roasted acorn squash half all topped with vegan sour cream and fresh basil.

Ingredients

• 3 whole acorn squash, halved and de-seeded
• 1 large head of broccoli (florets only), chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1 large celery stalk, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1-2 tsp fresh chili paste, to taste
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• dash of ground black pepper
• dash of kosher salt, to taste
• 1 cup green lentils (or any other color, except red)
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• juice from 1 medium orange
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• vegan sour cream, for garnish
• fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the squash halves face-down on two baking sheets and bake for about 30-50 minutes until fork tender (depending on how large they are). Remove from oven when done and set aside to cool. Once the squash is done cooking, place the chopped broccoli on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly tender.
2. In a pressure cooker or large soup pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium low. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, garlic, and onion. Saute about 5 minutes until fragrant and the onions have softened. Add the celery, carrots, mustard, chili paste, thyme, pepper, and salt; saute about 5 additional minutes. Stir in the lentils and vegetable broth; bring to high pressure and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and allow to depressurize naturally. Alternatively, bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 40 minutes until the lentils are tender, stir occasionally.
3. Once the lentils are tender and the broccoli is done roasting, stir the broccoli, orange juice, agave nectar, and apple cider vinegar into the lentil mixture.
4. Place each roasted squash half on a plate and divide the lentil mixture evenly into each squash bowl. Top with vegan sour cream and fresh, chopped basil. Serve hot.

Yield: 6

As usual I've got my little sous chef to help me out. It was a wet and snowy day. It was fabulous while it lasted... it didn't stick.

If you need an environmental reason to eat less meat (or just go totally vegan?)... look to none other than our ice caps. Oh wait... they're all disappearing :( Read this terrifying 'Holy Shit' article to learn all about it. Sea levels rising!!!

Easy Pizza Gyozas

Easier than pizza, healthier than pizza, and way more fun than pizza, these baked gyozas are a super hit! They make wonderful vegan appetizers; your carnivorous Super Bowl buddies will love them. No cruelty necessary.

Did you all see how I broke my foot playing soccer? A testament to my skill (or intensity) I should think... buuut considering that it was like my 6th game ever, I think it really means that my dribbling is garbage and needs some serious work. Dribbling, wait, that's basketball. Footwork? Is that what it's called? I have no idea, but you can see my x-ray on Instagram or Facebook. It's no wonder I broke myself.

“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”

— Buddha's Little Instruction Book

Like most my meals, these Easy Pizza Gyozas arose from trying to solve a problem. Namely having half a used jar of pizza sauce that was aging in the fridge, fresh mushrooms that I wanted to stay that way before I used them, and a package of leftover gyoza wrappers. I confess, this is not my typical recipe. I'm not a buffalo wings, casserole, or tater-tot-loving type of lady. I didn't grow up that style of food and never really gained a taste for it. However, my homemade, little handheld pizza pocket type things are pretty darn tasty. Enjoy this outlier in my normal cuisine!

I was thrilled when I thought I had a small stroke of genius in creating these wanna-be miniature pizza rolls. The feeling was subsequently crushed moments later when it dawned on me that I was fairly positive this had to have been done before. To my surprise though, not really. Rejoice! For once; something my weird little brain conjured up had in fact not been straight-up popularized. Though, if you google "pizza gyoza" something regarding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comes up in the search results... forgive me, but I did not explore it further. I never really got into TMNT. I mean, enough to know the hip acronym, but not enough to know anything about them and their bizarre relationship with pizza gyozas.

These gyozas are really easy to make and I feel like they would be a lot of fun to do with kiddos too. Todd and I don't have any human children, but we do have the four-legged kind. Apparently cooking with dogs (Bailey is my sous chef) is frowned upon by some in our place of residence... I can't imagine why. He's the world's most adorable composter/swiffer sweeper! On that note, I'd actually like to get a couple baby goats. A major bonus would be when random people are always asking if you have kids when they're trying to connect and bond with you, you could finally just say yes and technically it wouldn't be a lie. You know how kids = baby goats but also kids = young humans? *Siri* Add baby goats to my shopping list. 

Easy Pizza Gyozas

Recipe by Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Easier than pizza, healthier than pizza, and way more fun than pizza, these baked gyozas are a super hit! They make wonderful vegan appetizers; your carnivorous Super Bowl buddies will love them. No cruelty necessary.

Yield: 42 gyoza

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil + more for brushing
• 1/2 red onion, diced small
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups diced small cremini mushrooms
• 1 link of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage, minced
• scant 1 cup pizza sauce + more for dipping if you like
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 package (42) square gyoza wrappers
• 1.5 cups vegan shredded cheese

Cooking Directions

1. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the 1/2 tbsp oil over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic; sauté about 5 minutes until the onion begins to brown. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms and sausage.
2. Add the mushrooms and sausage to the pan. Sauté over medium-low for about 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms have shrunk and browned and all the water has evaporated from the pan.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the pizza sauce and oregano. Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray two pans with nonstick cooking spray.
4. To assemble the gyoza, pour ¼ cup of water into a small bowl. Place ½ tbsp of the filling into the middle of one gyoza square and top with a pinch of cheese. Wet two adjoining edges of the square with water using your finger and then fold the other two edges over to make a triangle, pressing firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining gyoza and filling.
5. Arrange all the gyoza on the two baking sheets so they aren’t touching. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for about 12 minute until they are slightly crispy and the edges are golden brown; be sure to keep your eye on them! Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Eat plain or top with vegan parmesan cheese, green onions, and crushed red pepper if you like and/or dip into pizza sauce.

Below is a video that is obviously the best thing ever and makes me laugh out loud every time I hear it. A must watch. I must meet this genius. LOOK AT THAT GOAT! Omg.

P.P.S. - Thanks for your patience while we figure out the lighting situation in our new place. I promise orange tinted, shadowy photos won't be the norm.

Tempeh BLTs + Nom Yourself Cookbook Review

A scrumptious nod to the conventional BLT, but cruelty-free! Marinated strips of tempeh are fried in a cast-iron skillet forming a bacon-like, caramelized outside. Bacon flavored mayo enforces that mouth-watering flavor with zero cholesterol and 100% plant-based. Who needs any more reasons to make the switch to this compassionate sandwich?

I'm excited to share this new BLT recipe with you all but first...you guys, my cookbook collection is getting out-of-control. I'm doing all these reviews for you; you're welcome. Let's add one more to the stack real quick then shall we?

The book review de la semaine is on Mary Mattern's just released 100% vegan cookbook, Nom Yourself. I received an advance uncorrected proof from the publisher, Avery Books, so I don't feel qualified to comment on the photos (as the copy is in black and white) or the quality and feel of the book.

If you've never cooked before, Mary's chapter "The Essentials" should be of great assistance. She covers everything from baking powder to ground black pepper to avocado oil. She also covers mixing bowls and spatulas (in case the impending cook isn't sure what either of those are), along with a variety of other, commonplace kitchen utensils. Besides the plainly obvious, Mary features a quip about plating which I thought was pretty neat. Plating might not be something the average home cook thinks about, so I imagine many would find this bit at the very least interesting if not helpful. 

Nom Yourself is filled with recipes for homemade staples like almond milk and cashew cream, sauces such as pesto and tartar sauce, breakfasts like blueberry oatmeal squares and tempeh bacon spinach quiche, appetizers such as pie wheels and fried eggplant sticks, soups and salads like sweet sensation salad and kale noodle soup, and there's even a chapter devoted to sandwiches where she features her deviled eggless salad sandwich and shiitake mushroom po'boy with remoulade. Of course the pasta chapter has a baked macaroni and cheese recipe and cauliflower ricotta stuffed shells, entrees include sesame tofu tacos and mushroom chia risotto, sides like drunken potatoes and buttermilk biscuits caught my attention, and delicious desserts like whisky lady cupcakes and double trouble brownies scream, "Make me!" Most recipes include a full page photo, except the sauces and homemade staples. 

Her collection of recipes is filled with both the heavy (fried guacamole) and the light (balsamic garlic portobello chop). There seems to be a recipe fit for everyone and I think folks will appreciate her down-to-earth and easy narration. There's vegan renditions of classic favorites like french toast and burgers as well as more unique dishes like pickled beet stems and stuffed artichokes.  Most Mary's recipes are straight-forward and simple, with a few more complex ones thrown in. Overall, I think this would be a very pleasing book to a variety of diets as well as cooking abilities. Plus, you know everything in it is vegan so no substituting which can sometimes feel overwhelming and daunting. Find the brand-spankin' new Nom Yourself on Amazon.com and learn more about Mary on her blog at www.nomyourself.com.

I decided to make Mary's tempeh bacon for three reasons: it made an appearance in several of her recipes, I had never before made tempeh bacon, and I was craving BLTs. It appeared as if fate was on my side. A word of caution, especially to carnivorous folks out there. Tempeh bacon isn't bacon; so don't go in expecting a perfect bacon replica. As Todd put it, "It's kind of like a bacon patty." ...tastes baconish but the texture, obviously, isn't the same...all in all though, it's incredibly delicious and I highly recommend it.  

Tempeh BLTs

Recipe by Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

A scrumptious nod to the conventional BLT, but cruelty-free! Marinated strips of tempeh are fried in a cast-iron skillet forming a bacon-like, caramelized outside. Bacon flavored mayo enforces that mouth-watering flavor with zero cholesterol and 100% plant-based. Who needs any more reasons to make the switch to this compassionate sandwich?

Yield: 3 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz package of tempeh
• pure maple syrup
• apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• ground cumin
• dash of kosher salt
• 6 slices of your favorite sandwich bread
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• handful of lettuce or spinach
• 3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp coconut bacon (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Cut the tempeh into 6 strips, then cut those in half to make 12 strips. Whisk together the maple syrup through the salt in a liquid measuring cup. Pour the marinade into a 8x8 inch baking dish or large shallow bowl and submerge the strips in an single layer. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice the tomato and prep a handful of greens.
3. Once the tempeh is done marinating, reserve 2 tbsp of the sauce in a small bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh strips in a single layer and fry for 4 minutes, then flip and continue to cook another 4 minutes. The strips should develop a crunchy layer on the outside. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk the mayo into the reserve marinade. Toast the bread and assemble into 3 sandwiches, each with 4 strips of bacon, greens, and tomato. Add a bit of coconut bacon in there for some crunch if you like. Serve warm.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.