Whatever-You-Like Pizza

So the picture is not much to talk about, but the pizza is AMAZING. I made this for my parents when they came up for my birthday (along with a blueberry pie!) using my brand new pizza stone from my boyfriend. Holy moly it was good! The crust was crunchy without being burnt (probably due to my amazing new stone), and the crust rivaled the best I've ever had from a pizza parlor. The cool thing is you can really put whatever you want on top of it to get exactly the pizza you like. Enjoy!

Enchajitas

When it comes to Mexican food, Southern California has just about the best you can find, second only to... well, Mexico. There are the super authentic hole-in-the-wall places where you almost need to speak Spanish to order, the Americanized places that still serve authentic-tasting food, but with more of the American style, and the giant chains that really just say they are Mexican because they serve burritos. Whatever your preference is, you can find what you're looking for. So I naturally grew up with the love for Mexican food ingrained in me. But when I decided to try the vegan lifestyle, some of my beloved Mexican dishes went out the window. So instead of just leaving them in the dust and forgetting about them, I decided to try to combine two of my old favorites, enchiladas and fajitas, into something I could eat - and the result was amazing.

The picture shows some I made with cheese on top (for the boyfriend), but they are just as good without!

Whole Wheat Brownies

Brownies are intrinsically... unhealthy. Which is unfortunate. And when you try to make them healthier, it often ends in disaster. So when my roommate told me last night that she wanted to make brownies, I decided to take baby steps and start with whole wheat. So while these still have way too much butter and too many eggs for my liking, it's a work in progress. Fortunately, these weren't disastrous at all, but rather much too tempting. It's tough to stay out of them!

Armadillo Potatoes

These are really called Hasselback Potatoes, named after the restaurant where they were first served in Stockholm, Sweden. But my boyfriend, upon seeing what came out of the oven, dubbed them Armadillo Potatoes, and the name stuck. Because of the slices in the potato, they bake quicker than regular ol' baked potatoes and develop a different texture. Enjoy!

Tomato & Herb Pasta

The ingredient list for this dish is very short and general - you probably have all these things in your kitchen right now! The simplicity of the ingredients tastes so clean and fresh that you won't want to go back to your "sauce out of the jar." Serve with fresh steamed vegetables, such as string beans or broccoli.

Spicy Peanut Stir-Fry

I don't have a picture for this one yet (it disappeared before I had a chance to take one), but you can take my word that this recipe rocks. One thing I really love about stir-fry's is that they are so versatile - just take whatever you have in the fridge and throw it in there. Go ahead and be creative with this one. It's pretty hard to mess up. (Note: I threw this together without a recipe, so the ingredient measurements are not exact. Keep in mind - vegetables cook down a lot, so make more than you think you will need.)

No-Knead French Boule

 

This no-knead bread is so easy and sooo good! As it rests in the fridge it develops a mild sourdough taste, so there is no need to keep a starter alive. This works best when baked in a cast iron dutch oven, but a pizza stone or cookie sheet will work, as well.

Banana Nut Muffins

Let's start off with a simple, delicious recipe for low-fat and vegan banana bread muffins. I make these in the morning before class (they're actually in the oven right now!) and bring a few to work with me. Let's just say they don't last very long. They're very moist and chewy, and you honestly can't tell they're made with whole wheat!