Farmer's Market Demo

Spring has sprung, and summer's just around the corner!

It was a gorgeous day in Portland on Tuesday, and a perfect one to be outside. I was invited to be the guest chef at the Farmers Market at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University), a weekly event designed to not only provide fresh food and produce to the community, but the whole OHSU family (the hospital, medical school, cafes and dining establishments) as well. OHSU is undergoing a sustainable transformation, to provide locally prepared food and products that can be delivered as naturally as possible with an emphasis on recyclable containers. No easy feat for such a large organization, but I applaud their efforts as they put their best echo foot forward.

I was provided with a table for the demo (sans electricity), and had to have samples for over 200 people. I immediately thought of the "Peanut Sesame Noodles" from Everyday Dish TV, as it can be made without appliances, and doesn't require cooking. I brought everything that I needed to assemble the recipe, chilled and pre-measured, threw everything in a bowl and mixed the dressing right there on the spot. Everyone loved it and I ran out of samples much sooner than expected. Not so surprising as the samples were free! I met a lot of really interesting people, which is one of the things that I love most about demos. I got the definite feeling that this dish will be showing up at many barbeques and potlucks this summer.

Sometimes I forget about past recipes that I've created. That is until I have to search for one, given a scenario such as this. After making the peanut noodles again I can definitely say that it was just as good as the first time I made it, maybe even better. Being a cookbook author I am constantly challenged to come up with new ideas, and I have to admit it's in my nature to nurture this development process. But it's always comforting to revisit forgotten favorites, and bask in the pleasure that they provide, in a satisfyingly prepared meal.

My daughter was so upset that there were no leftovers I had to make it again for dinner that night. A chef's job is never done. Just when you get the dishes done its time for the next meal.

A Few Ideas For Memorial Day Feasting

I couldn't help but throw out a couple of recipe ideas for Memorial day. First off, marshmallows! What better way to end a meal?

Okay, if homemade vegan marshmallows aren't your thing, how about Key Lime Cheesecake? This baby should do the trick, and is delish with the bright flavor of fresh lime.

Little Smoky links are another one of my favorites, and perfect for Memorial Day BBQs. These can be made large or small, and are absolutely perfect grilled up on a bun!

All of these recipes are up on the membership side of Everyday Dish. You really must give them a try. I'm not just saying that. They really are yummy!

A final suggestion, Peanut Sesame Noodles. These are so darn good! They would make a great side dish, or a main if you're not planning on grilling tomorrow (or need something to take with you to a BBQ). You can find the recipe here on Everyday Dish

Memorial Day weekend always feels like the beginning of summer. The weather is usually fabulous, and makes you think of all the fun things to come. When I was growing up, Memorial Day weekend was when the community would gather together for a crazy, weekend-long festival of sorts called Topanga Days. As a kid it was always loads of fun, especially the year that Robin Williams (who lived in the area at the time), was the master of ceremonies. That was certainly a parade to remember!

My husband and I also got married on Memorial Day weekend. We thought that it would be a fun weekend to celebrate every year. This year is our 20th anniversary. My how the time has flown!

I hope that everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Julie

Vegan Brunch

In case you haven't heard, Isa's new book (Vegan Brunch) is out and it's fantastic! I had a chance this weekend to try out some of the different recipes, and everything was fabulous! No more wondering what to serve for brunch when you have a houseful coming over to eat.

From quiches, omelets, scrambles and frittatas to Ethiopian Crepes, Brazilian French Toast, Smoky Shitakes, Jalapeno Garlic Grits, Blueberry Ginger Spelt Muffins, Smoked Almond Gravy and a plethora of coffee cakes. This book IS brunch. The last and final word, as far as I'm concerned. You can check out the book here, with some sample recipes too. With Father's Day just around the corner, shouldn't we all be thinking about cooking up an awesome brunch, vegan-style?!

Raw Tamale Filling

We have another raw recipe up on Everyday Dish. The filling was designed to be rolled up in the raw corn tortillas, but it would be delish in tacos and many other dishes too! I like that it isn't nut based. Although I love nuts, it's nice to see some raw recipes that don't rely on them. Anyways, go check it out here!

Below is a pic of chef Elaina Love, with her gorgeous raw tamale. There are more raw videos and recipes to come (including the cream and red sauce that you see as part of her tamale garnish).

Have a great weekend!

Julie

Cookbook Review

Being vegan in college doesn't have to be difficult, thanks to Peta's new college cookbook which hit bookstores this week. I was lucky enough to receive a review copy a couple of weeks ago, although before I even had a chance to look at it my college-bound daughter swept in and disappeared with the book. Let me just say that this is not a usual occurrence with my daughter and cookbooks.

A couple of days later I found her hunkered down on the sofa with the book (she was home sick with the flu), reading the book cover to cover. She was really excited (amazing, considering how sick she was...cough*cough*). "These recipes look so easy to make, and you can cook them all in your dorm room", she said. From vegan mac & cheeze, bean dips, ramen noodles, PB Bombs, Final's Week Fudge, Sloppy Joels and blueberry pancakes baked in mugs to Pizza Fun-Do, 'shroom dip, strawberry shake, No-Egg-Nog, Peach Cobbler and Fake Blondies. No stove needed. Of course you do need access to a microwave oven (and possibly a food processor or blender), although many of the recipes can be made with just a bowl and a spoon too.

My daughter has already said that she's taking the book to school with her. Apparently she also has her eye on my food processor and blender as well. I figure that this is a great thing though. Not only will she be cooking for herself, but I know that she won't go hungry. Now if I could only get her to start cooking before college, that would be cool.

Go check out Peta's Vegan College Cookbook, 275 Easy, Cheap, And Delicious Recipes To Keep You Vegan At School, by Sourcebooks, Inc. There's also a little companion video from the authors on You Tube.

Love Springtime!

I just had to share a pic from the farmer's market this weekend. I love the abundance of fresh produce and flowers. So much eye-candy!

Talking about produce, my friend Nancie McDermott (cookbook author extraordinaire!) just started a blog and has a great post about growing lemongrass in a jar on your windowsill. I'm going to pick up some lemongrass later today and give it a shot.

Also, before I sign off, I wanted to mention that we just put up a video for Veggie Bao Buns on Everyday Dish (Member's Login). We'll be adding a delicious new video & recipe every week!


I'll be back tomorrow with a new cookbook review.

Have a great day!

Raw Corn Tortillas

Thank you so much for the amazing and enthusiastic response to the call for recipe testers. I wish that I could use everyone who replied. Although I only need a handful at the moment, I will most likely need more to come, so I'll be keeping everyone's name on file. Thank you again!

We just put a new video on Everyday Dish for raw corn tortillas (with chef Elaina Love). They are really good, so go check it out! We've had a lot of requests for raw recipes, so we turned to a couple of experts to share some of their favorites. There are more raw recipes to come.

Also, I want to thank everyone who has subscribed to the membership side of Everyday Dish. By subscribing you are helping us to keep Everyday Dish and the cooking show alive and thriving. We love you guys and want to say a giant thank you for your support!

Have an awesome weekend!

XO Julie

A Call For Testers

I'm in need of a few good recipe testers for the new book. Right now I've got a handful of recipes that are almost ready to be tested, probably in the next week or so. This is just the first round, so if the timing doesn't work for you right now, not to worry. There will be other opportunities for testing to follow.

What I'm looking for in the testers: people who have the time to commit to cooking and testing recipes in the next couple of weeks, are experienced with cooking and baking (preferably with vegan recipes) and don't mind following the recipes to a T. Prior recipe testing experience is great, but not required. If you're interested in testing, just leave a comment here, and an email or a way for me to reach you.

Now, just in case you're wondering what the photos are of, the top one is a chocolate chip swirl bread and the bottom is a mocha java cake. Yup, both recipes are in the new book.

Thanks!!

It's Finally Up!

The membership area is finally up on Everyday Dish. Whew! I feel like a proud mama. Jay and I have been working feverishly on it since last winter, and are so excited to finally have it up and ready to share.

When you go to sign up, click on the "Member's Login" tab at the top of the page. Make sure to login first as a user on the site. Otherwise it might not let you register. The pictures above are from the new recipes (little smoky links and key lime cheesecake). Besides the pics above, and the marshmallows and chocolate cream pie, there's also chorizo sausages, chedda & nacho cheeses (that are soy-free and will knock your socks off!), curried coconut sausages, jambalaya... The list goes on and on.

I'd better get back to working on the cookbook.

Have a great weekend!

XO Julie