Taste of Aloha Part Three: Island Burger

Not too often we'll splurge on some faux meet and this time we
decided to go for some garden burgers, but I can't be satisfied
with just a plain garden burger.

So I took a tropical twist it this time.
Layered with some grilled bell peppers, fresh sweet pineapple and
topped with a delicious thousand island dressing it could not be
more satisfying. The pineapple and sauce play perfectly together!

Vegan Thousand-Island Dressing

1/4 cup vegenaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 small diced pickle
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp soysauce
1/2 tsp tobasco
1-2 tsp agave
salt and pepper

add all to a tight fitting jar and shake and pour!

Independence Day: Freedom from flesh

The fourth of July has never been on my favorite's list, but if I'm
heading up the party it can be. When we get invited to summer bbqs
and the parties of non-vegan friends, I am usually very tentative
to attend. Not that our friends and family are not good at providing
some vegan options.

I get physically ill at the smell of cooking flesh, so if there is
to be alot of animal grilling I would rather not go at all.
On the other hand...
I love being 'the vegan in the room'. The best way to positively
impact people is to offer excellent, delicious vegan grub.
This Fourth of July I certainly did that.

I started with some marinated veggie/tofu kabobs....
First remember to soak your skewers so they don't catch fire!


Marinate your veg before skewering them.


I used some green bell peppers, onions, zucchini, tofu, tomatoes,
and some mushy-roomie-rooms.


Veggie Kabob marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp agave
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
3 cloves chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp mustard

Marinade overnight or at least a couple hours. Brush the skewered
kabobs before grilling. Grill for about 5-10 minutes to perfection!
Plus stick to firm or extra firm tofu. Tempeh would be just as
yummy though.

Here are our cooked Kabobs. Mine atop a slice of pineapple
destined for my veggie burger. I had a boca burger. Not really
loyal to any kind of packaged veggie burger. I prefer to make my
own. You guys know that! But once in a while these things come up.


My evil little homemade bun is dastardly awaiting his burger.

Hot Diggity Dog!

I once read that in a study, 100% of women and only 70% of men
admitted to experiencing specific food cravings. I can definitely
account for my own sex, but really guys. 30% of you don't have
any kind of specific food cravings whatsoever?

You don't ever think... "Hey a pizza would be really good right now"
or maybe a coffee... Come one! A cold beer? Stereotypes!

I think guys just associate food cravings with women and are
weirded out by admitting that they get them once in a while too.
Or-- they just don't realize that what they are experiencing is a
food craving. Not all cravings are the female pregnancy level...
"I need pickles, ketchup, and hashbrowns right now or I'm gonna die!"

Obviously I get food cravings all the time and honestly I give in
pretty much every time. Not because I'm pregnant! And food cravings
don't have to be a bad thing My body has readjusted to a healthy
food grid. (well pretty much)

Basically, by eating a good range of healthy and wholesome foods,
I don't crave crap anymore. It was only when I was consistently
eating crap that I was craving crap. A total addiction.

Now I crave things like curry, toast with marmite, bananas, or
even dried fruits. I'll totally get hankerings for trail mix.
Dude! Salty raisins? What the hell, I'll pick those out of trail
mix like they're crack!

The last stand that still taunts me from non-vegan land is the
deadly 'little debbie cake'. Once in a blue moon I'll be stuck
with a bizarre wave of longing for those awful waxy cakes.
Who knows why, but if I must I'll grab a cookie or a chocolate
soymilk and wait it out.

So on this path of feeding my cravings I had to pick up a
pack of smart doggies. We rarely eat faux meats, so it was a
treat for me completing my 1st grad year.



I made some sesame seed hot doggie buns for the occasion.



Monkey-man made some sweet potato fries. Except he confused me
instructing him to use paprika with using cayenne. So, they
were a little 'flamin'!



To cut down on the amount we ate I made the buns on the small
side and we cut the doggies in half! Kind of like using smaller
dinner plates and tricking your mind!

I used to just eat cheese and ketchup on my hot doggies, but
I'll add a little bit of mustard like here and had a little of
Monkey-man's homemade pickle relish. Yummy! Of course he had to
have raw onions on his-- not so yummy to me.

Pizza Pizzaz Part Eight: BBQT Pizza

Finally, summer has begun for me. I can breathe freely for a few
months without the impending doom of 30-page papers, a thesis, or
massive exams hanging over me. Instead I have crying kittens, a messy
house and a big deadline for my cookbook.

First I have to set my place up to incorporate a more creative flow.
So I'm spending my day cleaning and rearranging my little place.

Beside that I want to start off my summer showing you another awesome
pizza. Summer is the time of bbqs and outdoor parties. But not all
of it has to include dead flesh or a grill. You can get the amazing
flavor and familiar sensations all with a little imagination.

Experimenting with different sauces got me to whipping up this pizza.
I wanted to do one with my delicious barbecue sauce (which will be in
the book) and also bring in the use of some baked/grilled tofu.





With a smaller, thickly rolled crust you have your favorite
barbecue sauce topped with sweet bell peppers, walnuts, roasted garlic,
baked beggin' tofu, olives, and some chedder daiya. I should have
added some sliced tomatoes.... I used to use this recipe for
'bacon', but now I use a marinade of more maple syrup, less water,
braggs instead of soy sauce, a little bit of salt, smoked paprika,
and a wee bit of garlic powder. Marinate at least a couple hours
before using.









This pizza is a little sweet, very savory, and its got a little kick
from some hot spice in the sauce. Its good to balance the sauce by a
thick crust and lots of toppings or else all you're going to be tasting
is bqq bqq bqq.

So now its officially summer for me I will be posting and updating
much more. You'll be seeing more of my book and getting lots of juicy
photos. If you're interested my tester site will be completed soon and
is invite only. I will be needing testers for book recipes, so I hope
to generate some help and interest. Happy eating!