So what IS in the kitchen sink exactly???

Hey, folks. I'm back. For the most part been real busy, career path and personal alike. Ups and downs and around the corners...think you get the picture. A big focus of mine last and currently has (and IS) starting up my vegan, gluten-free artisan baking business lovingly called suecakes! My, how challenging - and rewarding - it has been along the way. But all good things are. At the moment, I am in conversation with a handful of businesses in the area about carrying my products. (keeping my fingers crossed) To keep up-to-date with those going-ons, please like my fb page (sorry non-fb'ers....universal web site is in the works).... And for more persuasion (needed????), how about some eye candy...

Lemon Poppy cakes! with Lemon Curd, topped with Fresh Raspberries and Lemon Zest

Irish Carbomb cakes! (pre-HOMEMADE Irish Creme Liquor Frosting). made with local Sexy Chaos RIS (yay Marshall Wharf Brewery ), filled with whiskey ganache, topped with said homemade Irish Creme Liquor Frosting. whoa good. and because everything comes in three's...

DAMN RIGHT THAT'S A DOUGHNUT!!! I believe this one was pumpkin with cinnamon icing. yup yup so yeah. been in the kitchen a lot, but unfortunately haven't made it to the kitchen sink as much as I'd like. TIL NOW!!!!!!! haha One more add-in....I've collaborated with some amazing folks to help host monthly tea parties in town. My wonderful friend Sarabelle () does the psychic readings, we provide a lovely atmosphere with organic teas of choice and refreshments (and yes, suecakes!). We had our first gathering a couple weeks ago which was a HUGE success, another coming up real soon. Sunday, February 17th to be exact. If you make you're way to Belfast and are interested in attending. hit me up! This upcoming party our awesomely talented friend, Mary, will be setting up for henna art (). To find out more about the tea parties, please frequent our page (again, sorry non-fb'ers)... Ok. gotta get on on. My intension was not to create a post of plugs, shout-outs, but eh....just take it. Back soon!!!! P.S. links are not working right (not even frickin' showing). need to tweek some things. fear not. will be repaired soon-ish. ;)

full moon rising...time for a soup

Nothing says an (almost) full moon like a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants soup. What does that mean exactly? You figure it out if you're so smart. And what does THAT mean exactly?!? I don't know.

moving on... (see....allowed to be weird tonight. hello, people. FULL MOON!)
Anyone that knows me...and/or can see a theme happening on this here blog knows that I have been borderline unnaturally obsessed with soups lately ("unnaturally" may be a smigg harsh...but we're just gonna roll with it). And you know...if THAT is my obsession, so be it....I'm thinking of 272 worse obsessions right now. I'm even writing them done just to prove my point later. Yes, soups. And how satisfying they are.

This one I made last night (and enjoyed just as much this night) was one of those "let's see what I got around the kitchen. and oh, hey! they actually go together" kind. Thee "oh my. totally forgot I threw that in the freezer" kind. I think you know what I'm talking about. if not...well........(insert witty comment here)

So. blah blah blah full moon. blah blah blah soup. Even inspired a friend to make a soup last night too. I just MENTIONED the words "I soaked and cooked some beans the night before" and "veggies"....he was sold pretty quickly. And then....dueling soups, made under the same beaming moon. I suppose it was kinda like dueling banjos. Actually, now that I think about it....not so much.

Moving on....


before the kale, seaweed, barley, and beans were added.

I'm really not going to do a fancypants ingredients lists and how-to's. 1) don't feel like it. plain and simple. 2) it's not that kind of soup. I mean OF COURSE there are various garnishes....I haven't gone completely crazy yet. Just...not dealing with rocket science here. Beans, veggies, barnacles....floating around in a watery tub. okay...that was a little weird. strike that, and don't even bother reversing it. What I MEANT to say is that... where in the Kitchen Sink, right?!?

These are the ingredients I used. Use 'em if you got 'em!!
half of a yellow onion
cauliflower
peas
potatoes
one sweet potato
garlic
kohl rabi
carrots
tomatillos
cucumber casserole filling (please don't ask. like I said...it's amazing what you find in the freezer. blended with the rest surprisingly well, thank you very much!)
1 frozen "miscellaneous" pepper (not bell, yet not a crazy hot one either)
1 link of Field Roast's Mexican Chipotle Sausage (vegan. and so amazing!)
home-cooked beans
seaweed
turmeric-enhanced barley
kale
basil
thyme
squirt of apple cider vinegar
Bragg's
potato and bean juice (meaning...somewhere in the middle of water and stock)
freshly ground black pepper

garnished with sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, and SRIARCHA!!
(those of you that don't know about Sriracha Cock Sauce...how dare you.)

and yeah. so....I was bragging about some after shots (or at least thinking about bragging). It seems that the blog device does not want to acknowledge the last set of images I imported onto the computer. They may appear at some point...they may not. Guess we'll see. Happy Full Moon!!

that's what I call throwing together a bit of magic

(luckily I was able to capture this one image before the battery in my camera was officially "exhausted")

Mondays are rough for me. Beginning of the work week, and to make matters worse, that particular day is 12 HOURS. yes. 12. hours. Needless to say, I'm a bit of a fried zombie by the time I get home. I really do try to plan ahead so dinner is not a crazy involved adventure Monday nights (you can guess why). However, just some Monday nights, I end up cursing myself while walking to the co-op for the deli special... aka, the easy way out.

Tonight was not one of those nights. I had made some sort of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, throw-it-together concoction the afternoon before. And honestly (and unfortunately) it didn't wow me. So after the infamous harsh day at the desk, I decided that tonight, I was going to be satisfied...with dinner, anyways. (please hold while I run for my Yogi Calming Tea with agave and coconut milk creamer. yup.)

"Bliss is a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss." Thanks, Yogi. I'll ponder that one.

So, anyway. While walking home through a gorgeous snow storm (seriously. zero sarcasm. no...I'm serious), I was trying to brainstorm on what my tastebuds wanted that was readily accessible (meaning, no co-op run), quick and yummy. Oh yes....falafel. Though I love me some made-from-scratch falafel action, the ready in 15 minutes boxed kind (which was already waiting for me in my pantry) is not that far behind.

I just so happened to have tahini ingredients. Oh and half of an eggplant, cauliflower, peas, artichokes, lemon juice and zest, capers, garlic (thanks roomie). I couldn't of planned it any better. way to go, Sue.

Sauteed up the veggies in coconut and olive oil. Added a bit of freshly mortared fennel and coriander seeds. I broiled the falafel (yes. i know. frying it IS the bomb. Believe me, I know.) and now to assembly: veggies, chiffonade fresh basil (whoo whoo...fancy pants), some falafel patties, tahini sauce, sesame seeds, and garnished with fresh pea tendrils. All I can say is wow. wow! A light, satisfying dish. buona notte.

who doesn't like a carnival?!?

Stuffed Carnival Squash with lentils, kale, balsamic vinegar, onions, brown rice, fresh local cranberries...wowed them all at the staff potluck! And aren't they the cutest things ever!!

and this is what I came up with

Just using up what I have....wanted to add some cabbage to a soup recently (remember the brothy noodley bit?!?) well, apparently the only cabbages grown in the area are MONSTROUS BEASTS!! seriously, I almost broke myself carrying that thing home. Needless to say, I had some leftovers.

So what do you do with a plethora of cabbage??? Make Asian Slaw, of course!


A very easy and mostly raw recipe. One thing is...man oh man, wish I had a mandolin for that job. Spent a lot of time cutting. oh well. We got some cabbage, carrots, apple in there, along with a marinade/dressing which consists of lime, scallion, Bragg's/tamari, and spices. I serve this dish (as you can see) with brown rice, fresh tofu (with a hint of sesame oil drizzled), and sesame seeds. very light and satisfying. chew chew chew!

I felt something needed to accompany the "salad" for those ultra-hungry moments. I figured just a simple pureed vegetable soup would do the trick. And what did I have around....oh yes, beets! I steamed a whole lot of beets...a parsnip also fell into the steamer...just happened to be hanging around the wrong crowd. Added minimal spices....good to go...or you're just made to believe that! Alright, not quite finished yet. I ended up adding a mystery cucumber casserole filling i had thrown in the freezer a while back. yes, that's right. A BEET AND CUCUMBER SOUP!

before you go all crazy leaving my blog, let me tell you, strangely and surprisingly good. Actually that's all I'm gonna say. talk amongst yourselves. good night!

it's all about the spacing

cold time, soupy time

A quick brothy, noodly, yummy soup I whipped up last night for my sick self.

8 tsp Better Than Bouillon Veggie Base
confetti of local veggies I had around (thanks New Beat Farm!), diced 'em up
carrots
rutabaga
onion
mushroom
cabbage
1/2 block local tofu, cubed
couple Tbs Maine seaweed
instant whole grain rice vermicelli
several Tbs of grated local ginger root (oh yes....local and delish)
sesame oil

Sauteed veggies (except mushrooms and cabbage) in large soup pot with coconut oil for several minutes. Add 16 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then add the veggie base. Amongst the boil and adding, get some separate water boiling in the kettle for the rice vermicelli. Soak it in a large bowl under boiling water for 4 minutes. Drop in the seaweed, mushrooms, cabbage. Let it all blend together for a couple minutes. Add the tofu, vermicelli, and ginger. Serve in a bowl with spoon and chopsticks. Add a drizzle of sesame oil for garnish. and enjoy!

Kale oh Kale....cracked out on KALE

It's that time of year. My internal clock must know that fresh local yummy produce's days are numbered. I cannot get enough of kale. Steamed kale, baked kale, kale casserole, kale stir fry, kale chips...yum! Last night, I was not too hungry. What did I want??? Steamed kale, little hint of salt and fresh squeezed lemon. Roasted some local sweet and blue potatoes on the side. Satisfying dish if i ever saw one!! (Miss Asha enjoyed the kale and potatoes too!) How do you like your kale crack?

I'll Wait for the Molasses Drip Any Day

Wanted something a little different for breakfast this morning...decided on Granola Pancakes. Original recipe comes from Joanne Stepaniak's "The Vegan Sourcebook" (Lowell House, 1998). I added Grandy Oats Maple Granola (local!), a little raisins, and a bit more soymilk to compensate for the dry fillings. Oh and look what's over there...a lonely bottle of molasses I got out the other day for some suecakes! (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tinyman#!/pages/Suecakes/128471837259660). oh molasses. you are worth the wait...

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbs flaxseed
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup nondairy milk (more as needed, I used soy)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

molasses (maybe 1-2 Tbs)
granola
raisins

Grind flaxseeds either by pestle and mortar (if you're cool like me) or a dry blender. Mix with water until a gummy mixture is achieved, about 30 seconds. put off to side. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Add milk, molasses, and vanilla to the flaxseed slurp, and process til frothy, about 1-2 minutes. Pour into dry mixture and mix just until everything is evenly moistened. Heat skillet over medium heat. Melt around a teaspoon of coconut oil and pour batter according to size of pancakes desired. flip pancakes, etc, etc....if you're unsure about proper pancake making procedure, just ask my grnadfather...kidding. he's an excellent pancake maker. hit me up, if you have any questions.

I topped these filling cakes with complimentary applesauce. oh yeah.

Apparently Tahini is Out to Get Me!

I'm in the kitchen...making a little dinner: heating up some Tuscan Kale Soup with Barley I had made the night before accompanied by steamed Brussel Sprouts in Tahini Dressing. Minding my own business, listening to NPR, stirring the ever-separated tahini when it all of the sudden the quick-as-a-ninja tahini lunged out of the jar, flying at the speed of light into my eyeball...as well as my sleeve, shoulder, over my shoulder and onto the floor. Have you ever had tahini oil in your eye????

So to counteract, I passively tranformed the tahini into a dressing with a few minced garlic cloves, fresh parsley, salt/pepper, water (to thin), and lemon juice. Ate it up before it could seige war against any other bodily part.

I do have to say Tahini Dressing and Brussel Sprouts were a marvelous marriage. yum!

One of These Days I'll Be As Cool As Cauliflower!

What beautiful colors! What divinely awesome geometric shapes! How art thou, dear cauliflower!! You continue to amaze me.

This week....needing to utilize this gorgeous head of purple cauliflower. I tried out a Curried Cauliflower Soup....secret ingredient...well, no oil - that's cool, yet the secret ingredient is...apple! How i love me some apples!

2 Tbs water, for sauteing
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 medium tart apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 Tbs curry powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lg head cauliflower, chopped into somewhat inform-sized pieces
4 cups vegetable stock
salt, to taste

Heat water in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent. Stir in apple, curry powder, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer or until the curry powder turns a deep yellow. Add a little more water as necessary to keep the contents from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add the cauliflower and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool a bit, then blend in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and serve.

I put various garnishes on this particular soup: fresh arugula, toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted cashews...pick your flavor. And enjoy!
Recipe came from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "Color Me Vegan" Fair Winds Press, 2010.

freaky 13th....and it's not a Friday

Well...hello again.

I has been an ENTIRE year since a post. how lame of me. However, I'm much the wiser...moved, shattered my wrist, lost two cats, laughed, cried, danced. Yup...still truckin'.

I just needed to mention the diggity bomb meal a "kitchen sinker" and I prepared the other night, complete with Dark n' Stormies and a travel Scrabble game....and Ween. lots and lots of Ween.

We both have a everlasting love for Silly's of Portland, Maine's Vegan Thai Pie Pizza...peanut sauce, tofu, scallions, optional vegan mozzarella. simple, yet yum. I have made many attempts to order this delicious meal from the restaurant recently with as many failures for diverse reasons. So....I made Sue's version.

Home-made whole wheat parsley crust, peanut sauce (from scratch), tofu, broccoli, roasted red peppers, fennel, "hen of the woods" mushrooms, local ginger!, carmelized onions. I do have to say....wow! was amazing...though I've got a little project which is called improving my pizza crust recipe.

I love me some appetizers to munch on while I'm cooking. Therefore, we roasted up some delicata rings and whipped up a roasted garlic creamy olive, parsley dipping sauce. Equally yum!

I'll hit you up with recipes in a few.
Viva la kitchen sink!!

On another note....interested in holiday vegan baked goods??? Coming your way to mid-coast Maine soon! give me a shout!!

Pear Tarts for All!!

It's pear season, and I mean it's pear season. juicy miniature reminders of exotic lushness. aka those wicked magical temptresses.

So, yeah. I had some. Then I had some more. Eventually, I got carried away and didn't know what to do with them all. And so....
there was a birthday, and a gathering, and a farm, and a festival, and another farm... and, some dogs.

Pear Tart with Toasted Almond Crust and Orange-Ginger Glaze
2 cups raw almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dates, pitted
4 pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 Tbs + 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar or natural sweetener
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

In a food processor, coarsely grind the almonds. Add the dates and process until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into a lightly oiled 9-inch tart pan (pie plate or springform will do). Toss the pears with 2 tsp lemon juice and arrange in the crust in a cute, circular pattern. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and ground ginger and bake on the center oven rack until the pears soften (about 30 minutes). Let cool to room temperature. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the marmalade, the 1 Tbs lemon juice, and the fresh ginger, stirring until blended. Brush on the pear slices and serve.
From "Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertson (Harvard Common Press, 2003)

The night got sloppy so unfortunately no pics were taken. However, when I say Pear Tarts for All... awww, yeah. Select few got to sample this eye-pleasing dish, and when you turn your back (or go hug a chiminea), a Rascal devours it. Need I say more.... dogs. love. pear tarts.

shift in season, shift in flava'

Yup. A short but a quickie.
That's what I got for you...

Crisp Autumn mornings makes my head spin and coffee steam. While the leaves change, I fantasize about Apple Crisp and fall goodies. Just the other night, I made a Roasted Veggie Savory Tart with Roasted Garlic Dip. Sure, roasting adds to the cooking time but what a better way to heat your home (though this time of year leaves me desperately missing my wood stove).

I haven't made many tarts YET!! (and I do stress yet. I feel it coming on. the tart explosion.) This one was a free-forming beauty (and sadly the battery died in my camera). I would say about 95+% of the ingredients were local AND organic (which is so sexy to me). The crust needs some improvement, which a-okay with me - just means that I will have to make more! It was super fragile, made with hand-ground walnuts, sesame seeds, flaxseeds along with buckwheat, whole wheat pastry flour, and sun-dried tomato oil.

The garlic dip I feel will be a staple of mine this season. Super delish, super easy. Roasted garlic, ground almonds, and balsamic vinegar... oh my.

For those of you who needs recipes (and I know who you are...) all I can say is, workin on it.
Happy Autumn.

Boo...

Anyone notice that I've been MIA this summer?!? Just checking... (while putting a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp in the oven)

Pesto is for the People

I LOVE pesto. Smother me in pesto... seriously.

So I'm continuing on with my CSA-friend theme here. As we were liberating the winter squash last weekend, we discussed her possible allergic reaction to walnuts. I, personally, was heartbroken by just the sound of this. Along with pesto and good music, I LOVE walnuts. My dog does too. Watch out!

The topic of pestos came up - with the smell of basil was in the air. She asked about nut alternatives: pine nuts, being a little pricey; walnuts, making her tongue itch. She mentioned almonds. and I thought.... hmmm, interesting choice, I suppose. And then it just popped in my head like alfalfa sprouts gone wild. (drum-roll please) Sage Almond Pesto. What a delightful idea. Ever since that afternoon, i have not been able to put it out of my mind.

So naturally I snagged a bunch of sage from her farm and quickly picked up some organic almonds from the co-op, toasted them up right and started grinding away.

The finiish product was (the obvious) Sage and Toasted Almond Pesto, using farm garlic scapes. I made a Penne dish with the last of the broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomatoes, beet greens and the magnificent pesto. Delish!

Specifically, in terms of the pesto: I found it to be a tad on the bitter side. Now there are multiple theories circulating in brain as the cause and what to do. Could have been the simple fact that I used it up right away. Pesto tastes oh so good when all the flavors have the time to marinate and get cozy together. Also, next time I might try cutting the sage with a little parsley - that always does wonders. And a few other tricks up my sleeves I wish not to mention at this point in time.

Bottom line is... I LOVE PESTO.

Tempeh... what?!?

My friend started a CSA this year, specializing in fermented goodness. As trade for helping at her farm, she gives me tasty samples from time to time. Ex. Soy Oatmeal Tempeh. yum!

Here's one of the many tasty dishes I've explored with the local tempeh from Proud Peasant Farm.
Thai Tempeh Pilaf with Kale and Basil.

description to follow. anticipation can be so much fun! :)

Enough is Enough... then there were Coconut Thai App Bundles

So.... A life of a socialite (meaning, I like my friend time) equals no blog time! I've thought about this spot for some time, and then some more. And low and behold - still no posts. I've decided that photo shoots are not mandatory for posts and just share my cooking... regardless.

I've got a lot of catching up to do. With that in mind, I'll just share my most current cooking delight. From now on, if someone (meaning YOU) is in dire need of a visual and/or a recipe i have not provided, let me know. That will get my ass moving to actually post pics and also let me know people are reading. :)

Yes, yes. Thai food! This refreshing appetizer dish was inspired by my wonderful, monthly potluckers. Thai was the theme, and Thai it was. ACTUALLY... it ended being Tie Night for Thai Night, but that's a whole nother story.

Leaf-Wrapped Coconut Cashew Bundles with Dipping Sauce.

Yup. I haven't eaten in over a month.

JK... though you would think that since there hasn't been a peep from the Kitchen Sink. (I really did not intend for that to rhyme.)

But just like my blog of a sister wrote... time to break the seal.*

Last night wasn't entirely vegan fare, which I can deal with, it's more about the process that goes in it and the people you're with. I've been visiting with dear, out-of-town friends in the past week or so. Ole Wool Socks Carey and I invaded a friend's kitchen with plucked-from-the-Kennebec-River-the-night-before smelt, roasted buttercup squash, asian greens stirfry, and balsamic marinated tempeh. And did I mention the 3 bottles of wine?!?

*Reference to this comment made possible by http://www.booknboob.com/my_blog

my Mexican friend

Alright, that's not true (but I'm sure I have a Mexican friend somewhere out here)... this post was requested by a personal favorite of mine who casually mentioned her husband being Mexican (which is also not true). Vague references to personal jokes... got to love them.

So, this is the truth. I was feeling like some sort of casserole when I was invited to a Mexican potluck (I know - casserole and Mexican?!?). However, I found this recipe in Crescent Dragonwagon's "Passionate Vegetarian" ginormous cookbook and tweeked it for my tastes. Everyone was pleasantly satisfied with the dish... and amazed that it was vegan (sorry no pics - I baked it at my friend's, cause that's how I roll, and was too embarrassed for a photo shoot). Enjoy, Sly and Kevin.

Calabacitas Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuit Crust

Calabacitas:
2 tsp veg oil
1 onion, diced
1 finely minced serrano or jalapeno pepper, may include membrane and seeds (but watch out!)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbs water or veg stock
1/2 to 1 sm butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-in cubes
3-6 sm zucchini, stems removed, cut into 1/4-in cubes
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in skillet over med heat. Add the onion and saute until onion starts to give aroma (2 min). Add the pepper and cumin seeds, and saute until onion begins to soften (2-4 min). Add the squash and water/stock. Cover and steam until the squash starts to soften (4-8 min). Uncover, raise the heat slightly, and add the zucchini. Saute, stirring often, until the zucchini is crisp-tender (5 min). Season with salt.

Salsa Verde y Blanca with Tofu:
1 10 1/2-oz box soft silken tofu
2 serrano chiles, stems removed, seeds included, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, quartered
1/2 cup nondairy milk

Combine all ingredients except the milk in a food processor and work your magic to make a chunky puree. Add the milk and buzz a few more times.

Cormeal Biscuit Topping:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbs veg margarine, veg shortening, or applesauce (if you're conscience of fat)
1 tbs veg oil (see line above)
3/4 - 1 cup sourmilk (1 tbs vinegar + 3/4 c nondairy milk)

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the shortening item and oil and cut the fats into the flour mix. Add the sourmilk and stir until mixture forms a ball (more milk may be needed if too crumbly). Knead 4-5 times... just a lil firming (so don't over knead).

So now to make a union...
Preheat oven to 425oF. Combine the calabacitas and salsa in a nonstick pan over low to med heat and cook slowly, stirring often. Spray 8 1-cup ramekins or an 8-in square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer the heated calabacitas mix into the ramekins or dish. Top with the biscuit mix and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the topping is brown and the calabacitas mix is fragrant and bubbling.