Taco Island at the Rhythm & Joy Festival

I'd like to invite all you locals to the Rhythm & Joy Festival on Saturday, August 30th from 11:00 am to 8:30 pm at the Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Woodland Hills. Don't miss out, admission is free. 

Taco Island will be serving vegan street tacos & nachos at the fest.  Don’t forget to leave room for dessert.  We'll have yummy vegan baked goodies from Pastry Chef Kristi Descher. 

The Rhythm & Joy Festival is a celebration of music and transformation.  This all day event will have “Do-It-Yourself green presentations, eco-friendly educational activities and inspirational presentations that will address the need for sustainable living and promote the importance of protecting the environment. In addition, attendees are invited to participate in a full day of yoga classes offered free and explore the amazing properties of alternative healing modalities at the Wellness Healing Oasis including Reiki, Prana healing, cranial sacral therapy, acupressure, reflexology, Sweedish and shiatsu massage and much more.”

Fun, fun, fun!!!

Craig & I would love to meet you all.  Stop by and say hi.

Mario’s Fast & Easy Pomodoro Pasta Sauce (vegan)

My garden has started to reward me with some beautiful tomatoes.  I have some heirlooms, romas, and sweet cherry tomatoes.  Now, what to do with them?  Pomodoro sauce… a simple pasta sauce made with garden fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs.

Romas, Sweet Cherries, & Heirloom Tomatoes 

My friend, Dennis, shared an almost foolproof recipe for making homemade pasta sauce with these same ingredients, courtesy of his dad, Mario, who is a retired Italian chef.  So, I made a batch the other day.  I forgot how fresh and flavorful this sauce is.  I enjoyed it so much, I got a few more tomatoes from my garden and made some more.  Now, I’m hooked.  I can’t wait ‘til my babies are ready to be picked again.

Reduce Pomodoro Sauce

I love the freshness of this sauce and the best part is that it's ready in minutes.  If you have some garden tomatoes ready to go, give this recipe a whirl. 

Vegan Fresh Pomodoro Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta

Mario’s Fast & Easy Pomodoro Sauce Recipe

Chopped garden fresh tomatoes (I used my heirlooms and romas)

Chopped garlic

Olive oil

Fresh chopped herbs (I used basil from my garden)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add chopped garlic and a little salt.  Cook about 1 minute (not too long – burnt garlic isn’t tasty).  Add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes soften and thickened  (Reduce sauce down to about 1/3).  Add chopped herbs.  Serve over cooked pasta.  Craig likes to top it with vegan parmesan (he likes Go Veggie! brand)

Dreamy, Creamy Vegan "Cheese" Quesadillas

Vegan creamy, cheesy quesadillas… do they exist or is it just a dream?  Flashback… pre- 2009 I wasn’t so sure.  Years ago, I used to love the “cheese” quesadillas at Green Leaves in Los Feliz.  My friend, Sheri, and I used to go there and I’d die over them.  At that time, I didn’t know about any vegan “cheeses” that would make the grade.  People were even questioning whether or not the “cheese” Greenleaves was using was truly non-dairy “cheese”. 

Since 2009, things changed.  Daiya came up with vegan “cheese” shreds that melt and taste pretty darn good.  Vegans were ecstatic!  Finally a product that resembles cheese.  Wait a minute… can things get better?  For sure, for sure, for sure.  Daiya now has a “cheddar” wedge with magic for turning into a saucy consistency.  I melt it with a few choice ingredients and there you have it… the foundation for vegan quesadillas. 

Vegan Cheese Quesadillas 

Dreamy, Creamy Vegan “Cheese” Quesadillas Recipe

Daiya block cheddar-style

Jarred or homemade red salsa or Ro*tel’s

Unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy or almond)

Flour tortillas

Oil

Cut Daiya block into smaller chunks.  (I purchase mega blocks of Daiya especially made for food service, so I don’t know exactly how much to use.  I’d try a good portion of the 8 oz. package to start.)  Put chunks in a small saucepan with some of non-dairy milk.  I use the milk to help the Daiya melt without burning and for creating a spreadable consistency.  You can also try using a double boiler to melt the “cheese”, but I’d still add a little “milk”.  After the “cheese” melts, add the salsa or Ro*tel’s to the saucepan and stir.  Remove from heat.

Spread the “cheese” mixture on one side of the flour tortilla and cover with another tortilla.  Heat a large oil-coated skillet.  (I use a good amount of extra-virgin coconut oil.)    Place the tortilla in the skillet and cook until slightly golden brown.  I cooked mine until they become golden and have a delicate, slightly crisp texture.  Turn and repeat on the other side.  Remove from heat.

Cut into 8 wedges.  Serve with vegan “sour cream”, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, green onions, or anything else your mind comes up with. 

*You can add other yummy ingredients to make your quesadilla unique.  Try some jalapenos for pop, seasoned vegan “chicken” or “ground beef”, soy “chorizo”, thinly sliced grilled bell peppers, onions, etc.

Congrats to the VeganTemptress - The First Time a Vegan Chef Wins Cutthroat Kitchen

Cutthroat Kitchen is Craig and my favorite show on Food Network. It is one of our Sunday night staples.  Last night was the first time a vegan chef won on Food Network's show Cutthroat Kitchen.  In fact, it's the first time we ever saw a vegan chef on the show.

Cutthroat Kitchen is different from most Food Network cooking competition shows, where 4 contestants cook their version of a chosen dish and are judged by celebrity judges. The twist in this competition is that sabotaging your opponent isn't only encouraged, but is for sale.  Contestants can purchase sabotages to hinder and at times destroy their competition.  Love it!

On last night's show, Chef Kristina, the Vegan Temptress, showed her vegan cooking chops with plant-based versions of corn chowder, gyros, and ginger snap cookies.  I thought she was done when she had to use pickled sushi ginger as her only form of ginger in her cookies (one of the many sabotages doled out her).  She came through like a champ and used her cunning culinary knowledge by pouring coconut milk over the ginger to soak up the pickled flavor and concealing the overbearing taste. Great job!

Congrats to the Vegan Temptress and thank you for making a good name for vegan food.
Good luck - hope to hear of your vegan restaurant opening soon.