Kitchen Fun!

Corn Chowder
I found another way to use silken tofu where you don't notice its texture! This is in creamy soups and chowders (used in place of dairy).

This soup is easy and absolutely delicious. I can't believe there is no dairy in it! 

The ingredients are as follows:
3.5 cups of vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium potatoes (chopped into 1 inch cubes)
3 cups of frozen (thawed) or fresh corn
package of 12.3 ounce silken tofu (the Mori-Nu brand is just the right size) pureed until smooth in a food processor or blender

First boil the broth with all the spices in it. Add potatoes, cover and cook on high until tender. Then turn down to low. Add tofu and corn. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Then enjoy. It taste amazing as a leftover too!

I will definitely be playing around with silken tofu in soups this coming winter!

A Delicious Stack

We had a bunch of extra red bell peppers that I was worried about going bad so I roasted them. They are perfect in this lunch of a simple stack with the pepper, tomato and mozzarella cheese. Topped off with a balsamic vinaigrette and dried basil. Yes, it completely fell apart when I ate it!

Freezing Fresh Carrots

I have frozen fresh carrots in the past, but never properly. So internet searching I went to learn how to help these orange guys maintain their flavor.

These were baby carrots that I chopped up. Then put them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then added the carrots to ice water for an additional 2 minutes. 

This blanching process takes care of natural enzymes and bacteria that can cause the carrots to lose flavor, color and nutritional value. So now I have 2 batches in freezer bags ready to be added to soups in the near future!

Thank you for stopping by! ~Val

Nakd Bars

So this is a different sort of post for me. I was asked if I would be willing to review Nakd bars.  These healthy treats are made by Natural Balance Foods of the UK. They are looking to expand into the US market, hence the review! 

The bars are gluten and dairy free. They are also vegan and 100% natural with no added sugar or syrups. As a health nut with both dairy and gluten sensitivities, I was excited to try these! In addition, they are also iron rich which we need. To learn more about iron rich foods, please click the link.

Nakd Bars

How cute is the box saying Hello Gorgeous?

The ingredient labels are easy to read on the packages and I have listed them below by bar. Dates are used in all. I suppose that is what give them all a perfect, soft texture that also holds the bar together. Besides great texture in all along with healthy ingredients, I love their natural sugar fix. Perfect for the afternoon pick me up!

So here goes with the 14 bars I sampled! These are listed in order of my favorites to least favorite. This would vary for others since we all have different taste buds, but these were my thoughts.

Cocoa Orange
40% dates, 40% cashews, 14% raisins, 5% cocoa with natural orange flavor
This has always been a favorite flavor combo for me and the bar was a win!

Caffe Mocha
55% dates, 26% cashews, 12% raisins, 6% cocoa, natural flavors
This one would be perfect with a cup of coffee. It has that delicious coffee chocolate flavor!

Berry Delight
47% dates, 31% cashews, 17% raisins, 3% raspberries
This was delicious if you love raspberries!

Strawberry Crunch
43% dates 17% soya protein crunchies, 17% raisins, 17% cashews, 4% apple juice, 2% strawberry
Strawberry has always been a favorite fruit for me and this bar was a win with it's strawberryness.  I do like those crunchies too which are also in a few of the other bars.


Ginger Bread
48% dates, 32% almond, 18% pecans, ginger, cloves and cinnamon to spice
Loved! If you love the flavors of typical baked goods at Thanksgiving and Christmas time, this is for you. I loved tasting the holidays!

chocolatey flavors to pick from

Cocoa Mint
48% dates, 29% cashews, 17% raisins, 6% cocoa, natural flavoring
This is very minty with minty after taste. Mmmm! Another thing I have always been a fan of is chocolate and mint together.

Cashew Cookie
51% cashews and 49% dates. Cashews are my favorite nut. I would say the dates overpowered here but I still enjoyed it. It is nice and sweet in a natural way.


Pecan Pie
52% dates, 28% pecan, 20% almonds
This was the most nutty to my taste buds. It has a great sweetness with the dates.

Cocoa Delight
48% dates, 29% cashews, 17% raisins, 6% cocoa
While this was chocolatey it was not like a candy bar. It would satisfy a chocolate craving in a healthy way.

Bakewell Tart
49% dates, 35% cashews, 19% raisins, natural flavoring
Didn't think I would like this one since I'm not a tart fan, but I loved it!
Anyone who loves tart would probably enjoy it. Plus it will wake you up with its sour ways!

fruity flavors to pick from

Rhubarb and Custard
55% dates, 25% cashews, 19% raisins, natural flavoring
Sweet with tart undertones! Another tart treat I liked. Tantalizing on the tastebuds.

Apple Crunch
43% dates, 17%  soya protein crunchies, 15% cashews, 14% raisens, 7% apple, 4% apple juice
I was anticipating a strong apple flavor didn't quite get it. The bar was ok.


Banana Crunch
43 % dates, 18% soya protein crunchies 15% cashews, 15% raisins, 6% banana, 3% apple juice
I'm not a huge banana fan which is why this is towards the bottom of my list. However a banana fan may love this one (my boyfriend did)! 


Cocoa Crunch
43% dates, 16% soya protein crunchies, 16% raisins, 15% cashews, 5% cocoa, 4% applejuice
I did not care for the taste of this one!

Interested in trying them for yourself? You can shop at Natural Balance Foods to have them delivered to your door. You can start with a sampler package to find out which ones you like best. Shipping is free within the U.S.

I hope you enjoyed this review. I certainly had fun with it! No I didn't eat them all yet. I sampled and froze the remainder of each one for later enjoyment. They are great out of the freezer too!

Have a great week! ~Val

Vegetarian Tacos

Jim came across these handy tofu packages that have inspired me to experiment in the kitchen.

I have always purchased tofu in a tub of water but these are in tidy boxes with no refrigeration required!

I have made a couple of things with them, but they weren't home runs. However, these tacos came out quite amazing! 

The "meat" is a combo of crumbled tofu and portabello mushrooms.

I used the following:

(1) 12.3 ounce package of tofu crumbled (any texture of tofu should work fine)
6 ounces of portabello mushrooms chopped into bite size pieces
1 green bell pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (I use canned since most of the time the fresh tomatoes lack flavor in the grocery store)

• avocado, shredded lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese for garnishing
• 12 taco shells (my shells are funny looking flat ones but they were the only ones without strange ingredients listed in them)

Directions:
Heat the oil then add the tofu, mushrooms and pepper cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the spices, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for another 3 minutes. That's it!

Then scoop the filling in the taco shells and top with avocado, lettuce and cheese.

Those who have been following me a long time know I leave out onions and garlic due to tummy issues but they would be amazing additions!

Thank you for stopping by! Wishing you a creative week ahead. ~Val

Fake Tuna Sandwich

Unisex Eyeglass Chain

Since my unisex eyeglass chains do so well I figured I would try this simple black chain in my shop. I love this painted lightweight aluminum chain. It comes in a variety of colors for the ladies. So if the black does well I may try making other colors. This is available in my Etsy shop.

Fake Tuna Sandwich
I'm really excited about this discovery!!!! 

I was intrigued watching an episode of Delicious TV which is a vegetarian cooking show that airs on the Create channel. The cook was making what she called a tunno sandwich (get it, no tuna!). Here is the original recipe.

I modified the recipe a little based on what I had in the house and had to leave the onions out due to my finicky stomach.

Now this may not sound possible, but it comes out tasting like tuna! I haven't eaten tuna since my teens but the first comment out of Jim's mouth when he tried it was that it tasted just like tuna! We both loved it!!! Best part, it doesn't stink like tuna.

It is easy to make by simply combining all the ingredients.

• 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained, squeezed and put through the food processor so that it is a tuna type texture
• 1 cup canned chickpeas rinsed and drained then also put through the processor until tuna like
• 1 stalk of celery finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar (I just used plain white)
• 4 - 5 tablespoons mayonnaise (use vegan for a vegan filling)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Here is what the texture of the artichokes looked like when I made it:

Here is the chickpea texture:

Here are all the ingredients mixed together!

I went lighter on the soy sauce, vinegar and mayo to taste it first since those condiments can be overpowering. It stayed perfect in the fridge for the 4 days it lasted in there!

Next time I'm going to try chopped walnuts in place of the celery. With the exception of celery, all the other ingredients are always staples in the house so this can be whipped up at any time!

This is worth a try if you are looking for a healthier alternative. I know tuna is very healthy but there is always that concern of mercury. This is perfect for a pregnant woman too! 

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy your week ahead! ~Val