Vegan BLT with Bruschetta Bean Spread

A stormy day in Atlanta = lots of kitchen experiments here at FTMS!

We were heating up some leftover Creamy Cauliflower Soup for lunch, and my hubs was making a little sandwich to go with.  I decided I was also in the mood for a sandwich, so starting getting creative... And came up with this yummy BLT concoction.

A BLT was always one of my favorite indulgences in my non-veg years, but the thought of switching out tempeh "fakin bacon" just didn't really make me drool.  However... this sammy is definitely drool-worthy thanks to my Bruschetta Bean Spread.

Here's how I made it:

Vegan Bruschetta Bean Spread:

-1 cup prepared dry cannelloni beans (soak overnight, bring to a boil in a small pot with water, reduce to simmer and cook 1 hour, then drain) OR canned (but be mindful of the salt)

-2 tbsp. GOOD olive oil (Read about Olive Oil on NPR)

-1 tsp good balsamic vinegar

-4-5 ripe cherry tomatoes 

-basil (I only had dry basil, but fresh would be best) - as much as you like

-garlic powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.  Best served cold with crackers, or spread on sandwiches.

Vegan BLT with Bruschetta Bean Spread

Ingredients

-3 pieces tempeh "fakin bacon" - prepared as directed on package 

-organic mixed baby greens

-Bruschetta Bean Spread

-toasted good bread (I used Ezekiel Sprouted Sesame Seed Bread)

Assemble and enjoy!!

Served with La Croix sparkling water and Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup!  

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup

Yesterday I was all like "I'm going to write a blog post about how discouraged I'm feeling this week."

Then I came home, got in the kitchen, and changed my mind.  (Who wants to read that crap anyway?)

Bad days/weeks/months/years are normal.  It's life.  It happens.  But it's okay.  Life goes on.  And times like these give us the best opportunity to focus, adjust, and DECIDE to be great.

So here I am.  And I made a freaking GREAT soup.

 (Excuse the quality of this iPhone photo... I was being lazy.)

This soup evolved from veggies I bought with the intention to cook all week long, but never did.

Here's what I used:

-1 tbsp olive oil
-3-4 cloves of garlic (doesn't need to be minced, but cut it up a little)
-1/2 large red onion chopped
-1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
-About 1/2 head cauliflower (cut into pieces)
-2 large zucchini squash chunked

-2 veggie bouillon cubes (crumbled)

-1 1/2 tsp Bell's salt-free onion and herb seasoning 

-1/2 tsp coriander

-kosher sea salt (to taste)

-1 package soft tofu

Here's what I did:

1.  Large stock pot.  Oil, onion, garlic.  Boom.  Let that stuff get translucent. (8-10 mins on high-ish heat)

2.  Add the rest of the chopped veggies & potatoes, cook for a minute or two. (stir so the taters don't get stuck)

3.  Add all the seasonings and bouillon cubes.  Add water (don't totally submerge all the veggies, leave like 1/2-1 inch sticking out).  Bring to a boil.

4.  Reduce to simmer, cover, cook for like 30-40 minutes.  Make sure everything is mushy.

5.  Add the soft tofu.  Cook another 4-5 minutes (so the tofu is heated through).

6.  In a food processor, puree the cooked veggies & tofu in batches (unless you have a GIANT food processor that can do it all at once, but I don't think that exists).

7.  Return to pot, continue to simmer for an hour or so until you're ready to serve.  (FYI - I topped mine with a pinch of dry oregano.. yum!)

It's like creamy cheesy cauliflower soup, without any cream or cheese!  Definitely FTMS!

PS.  If you're feeling frisky you could top this with some vegan cheddar cheese or nutritional yeast.

Enjoy!!

Smooth and Creamy Guacamole (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Guacamole is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite foods!  I especially love making it myself.  I've figured out a basic "formula" that can be tweaked and adjusted depending on what's in the fridge and what I'm craving:

Basic Guacamole:
-You need some avocados
-You need something for flavor (onion, garlic, spices, what have you)
-You need some acidity (lemon or lime juice usually works for me... I've considered playing with vinegar too)
-You need salt and pepper

Optional Additions:
-Beans
-Tomatoes
-Jalepenos
-Something awesome I haven't thought of yet

Just adjust according to your taste preferences and you can never go wrong with that formula!

The guacamole pictured above was my first experiment with two of my food loves:  Avocados and my Kitchenaid Food Processor.

Ingredients:
-2 ripe avocados
-1/4 of a large sweet Vidalia onion
-1/4 cup cooked black beans
-1 jalepeno pepper
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-juice of 1/2 lime
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-1 tomato

1.  Seperate the onion layers and place in food processor.  Cut the jalepeno in half and place in food processor (remove seeds and ribs for less spice).  Add the peeled garlic & process until finely chopped.
2.  Add beans and lemon/lime juice.  Pulse until chopped and combined.
3.  Add avocados and tomatoes.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with chips or veggies!  Some of my favorite chips are:
Xochitl blue corn chips
Trader Joe's Veggie & Flaxseed chips (pictured)