f.u.d.g.e.

Ok, so this really isn't fudge, but it IS a fudge-pudding hybrid. And it's delicious. This dessert is right up there in my top five all-time favorite desserts, and it's so easy to make that I want to make it nearly every day, which is bad. It's so decadent, we usually end up in chocolate-comas shortly after consuming, or at least I do, because I never know when to say 'when.'

C started making this a few years ago, shortly after we moved to Kansas City. I remember coming home from a long day of work, and he had a delicious dinner waiting for me (this was the first time this happened; I believe I got a little teary-eyed). At the end of the meal he produced this, and I fell in love with him all over again. Clearly dessert is one of the fastest ways to my heart.

All it is is chocolate chips, peanut butter, soy milk and sometimes sugar stirred in a pot on the stove until it's all melted together. That's it. You can adjust the amounts of any of them depending on how you're feeling that day, and whether you want it to be thick and fudge-like versus more dippable; we usually go the fudge route. It's nothing fancy, but it's damn delicious. And it's the perfect night-cap (along with Bananagrams) to a long dreary day.

sausages o'plenty

One of my newest obsessions is the Italian Feast Sausage recipe in Vegan Brunch - the first time I made them, they were so delicious I quickly made a second batch to keep in the freezer (they froze really well). We didn't have some of the spices on hand that the recipe called for (I'm looking at you, fennel) so I added my own combo of spices to make up the difference. They were a.maz.ing. One of C's friends tried them, loved them, and determined to make his own. He found a pre-packaged 'sausage seasoning' at the grocery store that contained all the spices listed in the recipe, plus a few extra for good measure. He oohed and ahhed over them and brought us a small baggie containing some of this precious spice blend, and it sat on our spice shelf waiting for me to make another sausage batch.

That day has come, and the spices were a great find. I do wish I had the label for spices to know exactly what was in there, but they were the right blend of savory and spicy (there was a little hot kick). C suggested next time we play around with even more spices, particularly this great set of hot chili spices my dad sent us for Christmas; I think he may be on to something.

The sausage recipe calls for navy beans, but both times I've made these I've used pinto beans (we buy them in bulk) and they were great. This time I made a few beans too many, so I threw together a really easy (and yum-o) bean gravy that I'm feeling rather proud about.

2 cups pinto beans

1 cup water

1/4 cup Braggs

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

unmeasured spices: sage, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, pepper, salt, a pinch of chili pepper

Blend everything together and then simmer on the stove.

I was a little worried about how the gravy would turn out because we're out of veggie broth (something I usually use in gravies) but it didn't matter. It was perfect on top of the sausages, and so easy to make. I'll definitely keep this in the back of my head for the next time I need to make a quick accompaniment to a 'meaty' main course.

C's Amazing Vegan Patties

One of my favorite treats used to be Boca's Spicky Chik'n Patties, which a few years ago were one of my dinner-time staples when first transitioning to being vegan. They were quick and easy to fix myself, which was essential to being the only non-carnivore in my house. When I moved to Arizona with C I was presented with my first real life example of budgeting (What do you mean I can't stop at the salad bar every lunch break? Why can't I get a soy mocha every morning?) and no-frills approach to stocking our pantry. Trying to be as thrifty as possible, 'treats' were trimmed from our food shops, so it was buh-bye chik'n patties, hello ramen noodles with frozen veggies.

Eventually we loosened our budget around food shops as we each advanced with our careers, but somewhere along the way I noticed that the Spicy Chik'n Patties went from vegan to non-vegan, and I was crushed. Here was a treat that I had been eagerly anticipating bringing back into the fold, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. We tried other patties, and they were enjoyable enough, but nothing was ever as fun as those spicy chik'n patties.

Cue this past summer, when C and I were walking through a Cape May, NJ Acme looking for vegan burgers to grill for our vacationing family. In reading the ingredient listings for the freezer offerings, C noticed the Spicy Chik'n ones now had VEGAN printed on the side of the box. I could hardly believe it! Upon returning home we promptly purchased a few boxes to keep on hand in our freezer, and I relished that first patty like it was the first time I had tried one.

Sadly, it took just a few months for these chik'n patties to wear out their welcome. In truth, they're not very filling, and considering how rarely they were on promotion, we decided they just weren't worth the expense (although our food budget is not as tight as it used to be, we're definitely still thrifty with our spending).

I was sad about the loss of such a dear early-vegan friend (again) so to cheer me up, C proclaimed he would make me a new vegan patty, one that is filling, super healthy, and amazingly cheap. And he did just that.

From the first experiment to the current incarnation, they've been amazing. Only once, when C added in quinoa, did I not like them (C, however, thought they were dee-lish). We finally decided to write down the recipe, but still tweek it here and there; C is fervently anti-recipe, preferring to create his own masterpieces, which he certainly does here.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup prepared tvp

1 cup cooked lentils

1/2 cup tahini

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup Braggs

1 habanero

1 tbsp vinegar

spices to suit tastes (we use garlic, salt and coriander)

Blend everything together except the whole wheat flour.

Slowly add in the flour until the batter consistency is sticky, but make sure it sticks to itself more than it does to you. You might need to add a bit more flour (or water if it's too thick) until this happens. Start pre-heating a pan with canola oil on medium-high heat. Form the batter into balls and fry in the oil.

Cook them for about 3-5 minutes per side, you'll see the edges starting to brown. Flip the patties over and use your spatula to flatten them into a 'patty' shape.

Ta-da! This will make about 14 patties and they freeze really well. C usually makes a big batch that we keep in the freezer to have on hand for quick dinners or a mid-day snack. We just bake them in the toaster on 300 degrees for 10 minutes, and they're heavenly. The perfect combo of crucnhy outside, soft inside, habanero spice, and protein punch. Tonight we had them with some coconut milk brown rice (one of my fav side dishes) and homemade goddess dressing (I'll have to go over that favorite another night). So who needs those store-bought vegan patties when you can make something as healthy and yum-o as these? Spicy Chik'n patties are so 2000.

chocolate chip peanut butter cookies

These were AMAZING cookies that I was able to whip up last week (a double batch, of course) because I was so happy to realize that I had all the ingredients on hand. I was feeling the need to have something peanut butter-y (when don't I?) and chocolate-y, and these really hit the spot. C went crazy for them, and we almost got into a fight one evening when I got home from work and there was only one lone cookie left. I again used applesauce as my egg substitute, and my Whole Foods brand chunky peanut butter was made for these. In fact, just looking through my pictures of them right now is making me realize how much I need to make another batch of them, possibly as early as tomorrow.

now for something savory

This was our dinner on Monday: Seitan cutlets (from Veganomicon), sliced and sauteed with peanuts, mustard greens, broccoli and a large onion, served over wheat couscous. C suggested adding in the peanuts, and that was a great call - they gave the meal just the right amount of crunchy. This was a great quick dinner whipped up with some odds and ends from the fridge, and I love how they all came together in one easy meal. And I'm in love with the seitan cutlets - the texture is amazing! Next time I make them, however, I'm considering mixing in some wheat flour with the wheat gluten, as I've seen on the ingredient listings for various grocery brand seitan packages. I'll let you know how it goes!

easiest cookies ever

I distinctly remember learning the spelling rule to help distinguish the difference between dessert and desert - dessert was the one spelled with two S's because you always wanted more than one! I should have realized that this trick wasn't just a handy mnemonic device, but also a valuable life lesson; there's always room for one more piece of dessert. Which brings us to this quick entry on the Easiest. Cookie. Recipe. Ever.

It's a quick recipe for peanut butter cookies that only uses three ingredients: 1 cup of peanut butter (chunky is my new obsession), 1 cup of sugar, and one egg substitute (I always use 1/4 cup of applesauce). Mix all together, drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets, bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, and voila, enough peanut butter and sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth craving. I usually double the recipe so we have enough to last at least two days; we tend to consume our sweets in large amounts (we always want more than one).