Penne with Caramelized Cauliflower...Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

I always love finding new delicious Brussels Sprouts recipes! This one was a winner for sure. The carmelized cauliflower pasta was also really yummy and super simple. Two definite make-agains! Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries (adapted from Everything Vegan) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted 1 1/2 T walnut oil (or other mild oil) 1 1/2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half 1 cloved minced garlic Salt to taste 1/4 cup craisins Heat oil. Add garlic and Brussels. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned but still crisp. Sprinkle with salt and cook just until crisp tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with nuts and craisins and toss. Penne with Caramelized Cauliflower (adapted from Everything Vegan) 4 T oil 1 small head cauliflower, cut into large florets 1 cup fresh parsley leaves 1 T freshly grated lemon zest 1 T capers, drained 1 lb penne pasta 1/2 t red pepper flakes sea salt Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and lay cauliflower over surface. Drizzle oil over cauliflower and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Roast at 440 degrees for about 15 min or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and set aside. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Set aside. In food processor, combine parsley, lemon zest and capers and pulse until chunky sauce forms. Toss cauliflower, pasta and sauce together. Sprinkle with pepper flakes. Serve.

Vegan Waldorf Salad

This simple salad was fabulous! Perfect as a spring or summer side dish! Classic Waldorf Salad (adapted from Vegetarian Times 4/12) 3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted 4 celery stalks, sliced (I didn't use these because my hubby doesn't like celery) 2 red-skinned apples, cored and diced 1 cup red grapes Dressing: 1/2 cup vegan mayo 1 T lemon juice 1 T chopped fresh parsley 1/2 t honey (not vegan - use agave if you would rather or omit) Stir dressing ingredients together. Mix salad ingredients. Toss with dressing. Serve

Vegan Camping!

Our family went camping on Friday night for a trial run with all four of us - we had a fun time but got no sleep at all. Cows mooing, loud and obnoxious other campers, and not enough blankets to keep us warm, the night was very rough but it was still a fun family time. I had a blast coming up with a vegan menu, though a few of my creations need work before we venture on a camping trip again!






We roasted our corn on the grill and it got a bit too done on one side but was still very delicious. We put our sweet potatoes in the coals and cooked them that way which turned out super tasty. The "hot dogs" I made were more like burgers in consistency - yummy flavor but really tasted nothing like hot dogs. I started out with a recipe but ended up improvising a lot because I didn't have the exact ingredients I needed. Unfortunately, it would be hard for me to duplicate the recipe. The marshmallows were nothing like marshmallows - again I had to improvise a bit with ingredients and equipment (I didn't have a candy thermometer) - there are so many recipe for them that I will just need to play with them and find a winner. These marshmallows ended up being like cream filling in a cookie (like oreo filling) and though they made good graham cracker cookie sandwiches, they tasted nothing like smores. I made graham crackers and they were yummy - I have made that recipe before. Breakfast was a winner. I browned potatoes and Gimme Lean Sausage balls before leaving home and then heated them in foil over the fire for breakfast along with bread to the side and fresh fruit. Super delish and loved by the whole fam. So, I have a challenge to create the perfect vegan camping food by the next time we go camping!