FYI Friday

Bring that funky track back.  Ooh, bring it, baby.  If you haven't noticed by now, my thought process often involves songs.  I have no idea why that's so, but it's been like that for many years.  What's funny is that I wouldn't say I'm a big music fan.  I listen to the radio when I'm in the car but that's about the extent of it.  I guess the little snippets I hear form permanent wrinkles in my brain.  Now if I could just find a way to get my to-do list to form those same wrinkles!
Here are some things worth sharing.
** Get in my belly!  These bars will be made this weekend!
**  Sugar might not be all bad after all.  I'm not sure I could smear it on my face without licking it off, but perhaps that's a personal problem.
**  I love Indian food restaurants but the thought of making an Indian dish at home scares the bejeezers out of me for some reason.  This recipe might just lift those fears.  
**  New guilty pleasure.  I'm not even sure how I brought myself to confess.  What can I say, I like shows with pretty people and when there are pretty houses to boot?!  
**  Lexington friends, get excited for the first annual Crave Lexington Food and Music Festival.  Tons of local vendors, local music, and cooking demonstrations.  There will be something for the whole family!  By the way, that's my blonde head in the picture on their homepage.  That makes me famous, right?

Marinated Chili-Garlic Chicken with Roasted Veggies

It's been so long since I've posted a recipe, I'm not sure I even remember all that I used to do.  If I leave something out that you had gotten used to, please let me know.  I'm happy to oblige.   I wanted to kick off my recipe resurrection with a good one and this one totally fits the bill.  Sometimes I select recipes for the week on an empty stomach and that's not always the best idea.  When you're hungry, everything looks and sounds good.  Then when it comes time to actually make the dish (or prepare yourself mentally earlier in the day to make said dish), you are less than thrilled.  This was one of those dishes for me.  It's not that it didn't sound appealing, I just feared it would lack flavor.   Boy was I wrong!  The marinade for the chicken, with the chimichurri finishing sauce gave this dish more punch than DeAndre Liggins' girlfriend (a UK reference for all of you out-of-towners).  The garlic flavors were pronounced but not so in-your-face that you were left breathing garlic the rest of the day.  The chimichurri had just enough of a kick from the jalapeno that gave you that little boost of both flavor and heat.   The vegetables were tasty in their own right.  One vegetarian in the family may have had an extra dose of veggies with just a tiny bit of meat on the side.  I mean, the chef has to try what they put out, right?   One of the surprise highlights of the meal was the Israeli couscous that was intended to be a mere bed for the main dish to lay on.  This is such a fun food.  I don't care if you're 5 or 55, it's fun to pop these little pearls in your mouth and swirl them around on your tongue.  None of us could get enough of these little gems.  At one point, Sawyer had his plate turned up, trying to get the last morsel of couscous.  Poor thing, they're deprived.

Cooked with a little vegetable stock base, I can see this quick and easy side making it's appearance over and over on our dinner table.  Add all of these components together and you get a wholesome, satisfying dinner that looks like a rainbow on your plate.  As Wes said, "this is one of the best things you've made in a while."  Not sure exactly how to take that, but I'll take the compliment just the same!

Marinated Chili-Garlic Chicken with Roasted Veggies adapted from Yum Sugar
Print! Ingredients:

2 lb chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips

4 large garlic cloves

1/2 small onion, chopped

8 oz Greek yogurt (any fat content is fine)

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1-2 cups eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces

1-2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2 T. olive oil, divided use

salt and pepper

Chimichurri Ingredients:

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 of a seeded jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 of a lime, juiced

3 T olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together garlic, onion, yogurt, chili powder, soy sauce, oregano, and paprika.  Add chicken and stir to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

About 20 minutes before you're ready to cook your chicken, begin to prepare your vegetables and chimichurri.  Preheat oven to 400.  

For the vegetables, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread veggies evenly on top and top with olive oil and liquid aminos.  Toss to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.

For the chimichurri, mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

After you've tossed the vegetables, prepare your grill or grill pan for the chicken.  Heat pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Grill chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.  

To assemble, place chicken tenders atop a bed of Israeli couscous or rice, top with a generous spoonful of roasted veggies, and drizzle with chimichurri sauce.

**Linking up to What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns In My Oven.

Things You Must Try

During my hiatus, I haven't used my fancy camera one time.  Part of that is my frustration with not being able to quickly master it and part of it is just taking a much needed break.  As I tell my children, sometimes if you go away from something for a while, when you try again it's suddenly easier.  It's like clearing your brain, if you will.  I'm hoping that will happen with my photography skills.  I do know I don't practice often enough.  Again, something that I preach to my children almost daily.  Man this parenting thing sure does teach you a lot of what you're not doing as an individual!
Even though I don't have my own pictures, I've provided a link to the original photo to give proper credit.  Original pictures or not, I had to share some of our favorite recipes from the last couple of months.  There's a little something for everyone, I hope, so be inspired to try something new!
Let's start with dessert first, shall we?  I made this cake for my mom's birthday and it's one of my all-time favorites (and I've made a LOT of cakes!).  The only part I don't like is that you have to put the cake in the refrigerator to help set the whipped cream frosting in between the layers.  I just don't like the way the fridge dries out the crumb and makes it a little less moist, but even still the flavors of the cake make you forget about the texture of the cake.  She suggests Valencia oranges and after trying them, I second that suggestion. Navel oranges just don't have the powerful sweet orange taste like the Valencia ones.  She also talks about various butters and I used an Irish butter to give some extra richness to the cake.  Just don't use the cheap stuff and you should be good.  I didn't get a chance to do the fancy icing technique because I don't do artificial colors, but you should still watch her video of how she achieves such a beautiful pastel swirl.  It's almost too pretty to eat.  Almost.  

Orange Party Cake with Whipped Orange Frosting
via Sweetapolita

For a slightly healthier meal, might I suggest this BLT Chopped Salad with Corn, Feta & Avocado.  Seriously, it's everything I love all wrapped up in a giant bowl.  It's got both the crunch of the bacon and corn, as well as the creaminess of the avocado and feta.  Summer on a plate!

BLT Chopped Salad
via How Sweet It Is

Another delicious salad is this Thai Chopped Chicken Salad.  I omitted the edamame, but even without it was very filling and hearty.  I missed where the peanut sauce was supposed to be different from the dressing, so I just piled them all together in a mason jar and shook away.  I can't say what they taste like apart, but it's mighty tasty all blended together.

Thai Chopped Chicken Salad
via Taste and Tell

If you want to channel your inner-90 year old granny, this recipe for Homemade Chicken 'n' Dumplings is the way to go.  Seriously people, this is where it's at.  I have been dreaming of this big bowl of goodness ever since I made it nearly a month ago.  I made it as a surprise for Wes since he often feels our meals are too healthy (is there such a thing?!).  We were both pleasantly surprised how authentically awesome these dumplings were.  Now don't get discouraged that these are from scratch.  As Jenna points out, from start to finish this entire dish takes about 30 minutes.  You couldn't even park and get waited on at Cracker Barrel in that amount of time.  Plus as a bonus, you know what's in it (or not in it).  

Homemade Chicken 'n' Dumplings
via Eat, Live, Run

For a few vegetarian and vegan options, the next 4 are incredible!  I honestly couldn't pick a favorite because they're all great in their own right.  The French Onion Burger from the Curvy Carrot is full of flavor and one of the "meatiest" veggie burgers I've ever made.  It holds together well and doesn't smoosh into 100 pieces when you take the first bite.  The boys didn't even know it wasn't a traditional burger.  I served them on a pretzel roll from Trader Joe's and I'm now in love with those buns!  I'm a sucker for anything with caramelized onions, so this one had my name written all over it.  I couldn't lift the picture from her site.  Smarty pants!   
Wes requested a Bahn Mi type sandwich one week and even added that it could be vegetarian.  Not one to ignore a good challenge, I set off to find the best recipe.  And boy did I?!  There are many components to this sandwich, just as there are for a traditional Bahn Mi, but each one is an integral part of the overall goodness of the sandwich.  The mushroom pate would be great on a burger.  The only modification I'd make in the future would be to halve or even third the pickled vegetables.  They do keep for up to a month, but I had difficulties finding other uses for them.  I did enjoy the Daikon, as this was the first time I think I'd ever had one.  Crusty bread is another must to help absorb some of the wetness from the pate and veggies.  We went the egg route, as opposed to the tofu.

Vegetarian Bahn Mi Sandwich
via The Chubby Vegetarian

Another vegetarian meal that I would bet you wouldn't miss the meat is this hearty Chickpea Crockpot Pie with Biscuit Topping.  If you haven't noticed by now, we like bread.  Really it's me and I've passed on my affection to everyone else since I'm the cook.  These biscuits, although vegan, are the bomb!  I think the moisture from the crockpot helps a lot, as does the creamy broth and veggies sticking to the underside of each bite of the biscuit.  It's a match made in heaven.  Everyone was asking for seconds and were fighting for the leftovers.

Chickpea Crockpot Pie with Biscuit Topping
via Peas and Thank You

The last recipe may be a bit of a stretch for you.  Just trust me, it really it quite tasty.  Your kids will love that they get to eat a waffle and you'll love that said waffle is packed with nutrients.  Again, don't let the laundry list of ingredients overwhelm you.  Most of them are spices and all together it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare.  The cauliflower gets chopped up, so the mouths you are feeding are none the wiser that they're actually eating something healthy.  Honestly, I think I liked this one more than Wes, but he's funny on the texture of his food.  He needs some crunch in every meal and, well, this meal is lacking in that department.  He also doesn't like anything with the word "sloppy" in it because he said it automatically sounds unappealing.  I guess I see it.  The boys and I loved it though.

Cheesy Cornbread Waffles with Cauliflower Lentil Sloppy Joes
via Keepin' It Kind

Phew!  I'm hungry now.  Doing a big post like this makes me realize just how many meals have come out of my kitchen in the last 3 months.  Which one are you going to try first?  That is if you're not in a food coma by now!
 

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

It's been a while since I initially made these, but my children have not forgotten them!  Nearly every Saturday morning since then they have asked for "those donuts you made that time."  They were really good, as is just about anything sweet straight from the oven.  

I appreciate that Nicole reduced the oil and sugar from the original recipe and, like her, we didn't miss either.    I changed from her butterscotch icing to a simple sugar glaze, but I'm sure the butterscotch icing would be heavenly.  

Just seeing the pictures again makes me want to whip up a batch this weekend.  It's just as quick to whip up a batch of these as it is to get in the car and drive to our local donut shop, but these are definitely healthier!

Baked Pumpkin Donuts
adapted slightly from Prevention RD
{Print recipe}

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

For the glaze:

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1-2 T. almond milk or water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.  

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour through spices).  In a separate bowl, combine oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, whisking to combine.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.  Fill the donut pan with batter, filling each one 2/3rds full. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the donuts comes out clean.  Let cool while you make the glaze.  

For the glaze, sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl.  With a whisk or fork, whisk the almond milk (or water) until smooth, adding more liquid as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm donuts.  If you don't want it to absorb as quickly, wait until the donuts have cooled completely before icing.

Cowboy Coleslaw

Kids can be so unpredictable.  One meal they love everything on their plate, the next meal they're picking out pieces of who knows what and whining all the while.  Even though my kids are both good eaters, I assure you we are not exempt from this behavior.  My personal favorite is when you serve the same dish a second time and this time they suddenly don't like it and declare it "gross."  How could your tastebuds change in the matter of a few months?  Blasphemy!  

This coleslaw turned out to be one of those dishes.  That is until the oldest realized there were apples, grapes, and pickles, and that he did, in fact, love all of those things.  So just as quickly as he curled  up his nose, he was begging for more.  My day just wouldn't be complete without some unnecessary whining and protest.

Like the wee ones, the big ones enjoyed this coleslaw as well.  I love a good coleslaw alongside a burger or sandwich, but I'm not a fan of the boring, run-of-the-mill-mayo-laden varieties.  This one offers a little extra crunch with the fruits and a little tart with the pickle.  I don't really think a "cowboy" would make this, but I'm sure one would enjoy it if they tried!    

Cowboy Coleslaw

Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Veganaise (or regular mayo)

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T sugar

2 tsp grain mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 bag shredded cabbage or slaw mix

6 dill pickle slices (the big "Stackers" kind)

1/2 cup red grapes, cut in half

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, pickles, and grapes.  Toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth.  Pour over cabbage mixture and toss well to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours (or more).  Stir before serving.

Cinco de Mayo Inspiration

It should come as no surprise that I have a treasure trove of Mexican recipes.  We  have some variety of the cuisine nearly evey week and we frequent our favorite Mexican restaurant so often, the waiters all know and recognize us.  It's quick, inexpensive, and a crowd-favorite.  
In celebration of the upcoming Americanized holiday, Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd share some of our favorite dishes to get you in the festive mood.  Whether you whip one of these up to celebrate the holiday or just because, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!
From top left to right, starting from the top:
Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Nacho Potatoes
Grilled Stuffed Burritos
Taco Cupcakes
Farmers Market Salad
BBQ Beef Quesadilla Torta
Southwestern Egg Rolls
Shrimp Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Sauce
Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onions and Mango Salsa
Shrimp Cobb Salad
Mexican Chicken Pasta
Fish Tacos with Fruit Slaw and Avocado Cream

Crispy Creole Fish Sandwiches

While we're on the topic of sandwiches, I thought I'd share another one of our favorites with you.  There's just something about all the toppings that go on a sandwich that makes my little heart go pitter-patter.  I love the crunch of the lettuce, the way all the condiments blend together, and the way the cheese melts over and seals everything in place.  Yes, please, I'll have one now!

This fish sandwich is not for the spice intolerant.  But it can easily be tamed down (or up!).  My kids ate the fish, as is, but without the spicy remoulade.  I appreciate that the spice gives it flavor without having the extra calories and gunk from frying.  I hope you'll agree!

Crispy Creole Fish Sandwich

{Printable recipe}

Ingredients:

For the remoulade:

1/2 cup vegannaise (or regular mayo)

2 T. spicy brown mustard

2 T. dill pickle, diced (or relish)

2 T. shallots, finely chopped

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp creole/cajun seasoning

juice of 1 lemon

For the fish:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk 

1/2 tsp Sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 T. creole/cajun seasoning

4 large tilapia filets, or other mild white fish

1/3 cup canola oil

For the sandwiches:

8 slices whole wheat bread

1 tomata

Romaine lettuce

Pepperjack cheese, sliced

Directions:

For the remoulade:  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made up to 2 days prior.

For the fish:  Add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet or saute pan.  Heat over med-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the oil.  While the pan heats, mix the egg, milk, and Sriracha in a shallow dish large enough to hold a piece of the fish.  Then add the cornmeal, flour, and creole seasoning to a large zip-top bag.  Shake well to combine.  

Dredge each filet in the egg wash and then add to the zip-top bag.  Shake well to coat each filet.  Add each filet to the hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to blot some of the oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Finally, top with pepperjack cheese so it can start melting.

For the sandwiches:  To assemble the sandwiches, spread one remoulade on 4 slices of the bread.  Top with lettuce, tomato, 1 fish filet with cheese, and the other piece of bread.  

**Linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday and Whole Foods Wednesday.

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Now that spring seems to have finally sprung in the Bluegrass, my brain has totally switched gears and is in full on warm weather food.  Pasta salads, sandwiches, cold grain salads, and grilling just to name a few.  

We enjoyed this sandwich several weeks ago when I'm sure the weather wasn't so warm, but we devoured it nonetheless.  It's just simple and refreshing and allows each ingredient to be tasted individually.  We have become huge avocado fans, so anything with that luscious green melty flesh in it is a winner in our book!

One drawback is that the chicken salad is best enjoyed the day you make it.  As with most dishes involving avocados, they tend to brown the longer they're cut.  It's a shame really because I love leftovers!  With this recipe though, there weren't any leftovers to speak of, so this was not an issue.

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwiches {printable recipe}

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 ripe avocado
2-3 T. non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
8 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
romaine lettuce (optional)

sliced tomatoes (optional)

In a medium saucepan, boil chicken in enough water to cover generously.  Once boiling, add a teaspoon of salt and pepper, cover and reduce heat to low.  Allow to cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cool, shred chicken with your fingers or 2 forks, into a medium-sized bowl.  

Cut the avocado into cubes and add to the chicken along with the yogurt, lemon juice, and walnuts.  Toss well to combine and to "mush" up the avocado so that it mixes with the yogurt to coat everything.

Spread the chicken salad onto each of the rolls and top with the romaine and tomato as desired.

**Linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake and Happy Birthday, Wes!

As I mentioned in my FYI Friday post, last Monday was Wes' birthday.  He's now not only older than me (well he always is) but now he's closer to 40 than he is 30.  That one hurts.  Not as much as I bet the big 4-0 will though!

I have a coworker who's birthday falls 2 days before his and I almost always bake her cake as well.  Year after year, Wes says he doesn't want me to make him a cake because I had to make hers, blah, blah, blah.  But who can have a birthday without cake?  That's sacrilegious!  So I donned my Betty Crocker apron and whipped up 2 cakes in 1 day.  That's how the big dogs do it.  I guess I'm officially a big dog.

   

I went with the old standby, one of our family favorites, a Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake.  I've made this about a half dozen times and each time it tastes slightly different than the last.  The key is all in the caramel.  You have to let it cook until you think it's reached the point of no return.  If you think it's burning, that's ok.  You're probably just reaching the finish line.  I've made it in the past when I didn't cook the caramel long enough and the icing lacked flavor.  Just seconds before the burning point, when it's deep golden brown, that's where it's at.

A terribly fuzzy picture of the birthday boy, but who could write a birthday post without so much as a blurry shot of the birthday boy himself?! 

Without further ado, the cake of all cakes, the lick-the-plate-clean-if-you're-a-2-or-5-year old, the cake that will add 5 pounds to your waistline and you won't care, the...

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

{Print recipe}

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
For the caramel:
4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea
For the salted caramel icing:
1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
8 ounces or 1 package of reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2-3  cups powdered sugar
1 cup salted caramel

Directions:
For the cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer two minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.
For the caramel:

1. Combine the water and sugar in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

2. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.

3. Carefully and slowly pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly. Stir the mixture and add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.

4. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes. This recipes makes slightly more than 1 cup of caramel. You can reserve the rest for drizzling, like I did if you wish, or just eat it with a spatula!

For the caramel icing:

1. Bring butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.

2. Sift 1-2 cups of powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine. Sift remaining powder sugar, in 1/2 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire. I used somewhere between 2-3 cups. 

3.  Frost in between the layers and all over the top and sides.

Store at room temperature for optimal freshness.  When you store cakes in the refrigerator, they dry out.  This cake will still taste delicious, the cake part just won't be as moist.

And for a little extra birthday bonus, some good old rough-housing with 2 of his favorite monsters!

**Linking up to What's Cookin Wednesday.

Roasted Vegetable Pockets

This is an adaptation of one of our family's favorite carnivore dishes, Chicken Crescent Squares.  Since we've started the vegetarian lifestyle, I find it increasingly more difficult to look at, much less touch raw meat.  So on few occasions we do have meat, I have to take a deep breath and try to think about something else as I cut it up.  I've never been the world's biggest meat-lover, so this isn't all completely new for me.  I don't expect most vegetarians experience this same phenomenon when they initially make the switch.

So I wanted to be able to still enjoy this recipe that we loved so much.  Once I decided to remove the chicken, the cream cheese didn't seem to fit anymore either.  I basically decided I'd just roast some veggies, throw in some roasted garlic and then spoon it into the crescent squares before baking.  

It turned out great and no one even missed the chicken.  Now it was a completely different dish than the old one, but just as tasty, if not better!

Roasted Vegetable Pockets yields 4 pockets {Print this!} Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced

4oz button mushrooms, quartered

2 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 small red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tube of crescent rolls (I like Trader Joe's or Immaculate Baking Co.)

1 whole head garlic

1-2 T olive oil

1 tsp tumeric

salt & pepper

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.  

Remove the outermost layers of skin from the head of garlic, being sure to keep the entire head in tact.  Cut off just enough of the end (top) where you can just barely see the garlic.  Tear off a small piece of aluminum foil (enough to wrap around the garlic) and place the head of garlic in the middle of the foil, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, and gather the foil.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until it's squishy when you squeeze it.

Drizzle 1 T. olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Spread to coat with your hand.  Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on top of the oil.  Scatter the sweet potato cubes and cauliflower on top of the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with tumeric before baking for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and add mushrooms, pepper, and leeks.  Toss with additional olive oil and spread veggies into a flat layer.  Bake another 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are soft.  Remove from baking sheet to a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar.

Remove crescents from tube in one piece.  Divide along dotted lines to form 4 squares.  Seal the diagonal lines by pinching them together.  Flatten them out slightly with a rolling pin.  Spoon a heading tablespoon (or more) of the prepared veggies into the center of each square.  Bring each corner of the square to meet in the middle and pinch to seal each corner.

Bake, according to the crescent roll package directions, usually about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

**Linking up with Bloom Designs, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2 Day Wednesday, Healthy Vegan Friday, and What's Shakin'. 

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

There are few things better than breakfast foods.  Well, okay, maybe family, friends, and sunshine are a little better, but on the food spectrum I'll take breakfast over other meals any old day.

I'm a half and half kind of girl when it comes to sweet and savory.  I like to start with something savory that has some sustenance to counteract the sugar from the sweet.  I love going to breakfast with my mom because she's exactly the same (probably where I got it), so one of us orders savory, the other orders sweet and we split.  For a few sweet hours, it's perfection!

Last weekend I was in the mood to make something sweet for breakfast.  I pulled up some of my bookmarked recipes and let the kids pick which one looked the best to them.  Sawyer is easily swayed by his super cool, do-no-wrong, big brother, so really it was up to Colin.  These cinnamon rolls beat out donuts!  I have to admit I was surprised.  But I'm glad they did because they were delicious.  Just the right amount of sweetness, with just the right amount of dough.  These aren't going to be Cinnabon knock-offs, but I promise you'll feel much better after eating one of these than you would with one of those!

I opted for the icing because cinnamon rolls just aren't cinnamon rolls without a little glaze or icing.  The glaze absorbed right into the dough, making them even softer and moist.

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15-17 minutes
Yield: 8 rolls
{print recipe}

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup "buttermilk" (Mix 1 T vinegar with almond milk to make 1 1/4 cups. Let sit for 5 minutes.)
• 6 T melted vegan margarine
• 2 T melted vegan margarine
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T cinnamon
• 2 T water
• 3/4 -1 cup powdered sugar

Cooking Directions:

1. First, make your "buttermilk". Measure 1 Tbsp of white or apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill the measuring cup to 1 1/4 cups with almond milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Mix all of dry ingredients together in a large bowl; then add in the melted margarine and the "buttermilk".
3. Kneading it for a few minutes, it should become a bit smooth and more elastic than wet. If it still seems wet, go ahead and add some more flour.
4. Once it's a bit neater, roll it out into a roughly 12x9 rectangle, about a 1/2-thick. It doesn't need to be perfect. After that, top the dough rectangle with melted margarine and your mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll it up.
5. Cut the roll into 8 pieces. (A great tip: use some dental floss to cut the rolls. Just wrap it around the roll and pull the two ends across and it will cut the rolls very nice and neatly.)
6. Put your perfectly-cut rolls in a greased baking pan and bake at 425 degrees for about 15 - 17 minutes.
7. While they're in the oven, you can mix your glaze with however much powdered sugar you want, thinned with just a bit of water. Pour it over the rolls while they're fresh out of the oven, so it gives them a nice caramelized layer and absorbs into the roll.

**Linking up with Jam Hands, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesdays, and Healthy Vegan Friday.