G20 Weekend

Well this last weekend has been a kind of shitty one for Toronto. The downtown was turned into a police state where people could be searched or arrested without cause. Windows were smashed, a few cars burned, several protesters and bystanders arrested and detained, along with some guilty parties, and idiots threw rocks at cops. Civil rights were violated, and a few people behaved like solid gold douche-bags.
Hosting the G20 meetings in down town Toronto when there are plenty of beautiful, difficult to reach parts of Canada where you don't have to shut down a whole city and hire an army of cops just to get together was psychotic.

Going back to Friday, it was Pride themed Rocky Horror, and I think it was one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Come out to the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live shadow cast at Bloor Cinema on the last Friday of every month.
Right next door is Ghazale, one of my favourite places in the city of Middle-Eastern food. The last picture above is of the box of take out I got after the show.

Above the picture of the take out is a shot of one of the Tempeh Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches (or a "TLT")I made for myself and Aaron on Saturday. I used Marinated Tempeh Smoky Maple Meatless Bacon, which is a product I don't think I've used before but it was really really good. Looking at/tasting these strips right out of the package I was doubtful, but after frying they're sweet and savory and delicious.
You can also see some of the chocolate chip cookies with orange zest I made with a friend, in the background.

On Sunday I made Curried Split Pea Soup, but I don't have a picture of that one because I couldn't find my camera on Sunday. The recipe was from 'Vegan with a Vengeance' but I added cauliflower and carrots to the soup to make it more substantial. Very tasty.

Finally, today I had my friend Nick over for lunch, since he's going to China on Wednesday and I will miss him. I made curried vegetables and chickpeas with couscous. It was based on a recipe from 'Vegan with a Vengeance' called Spinach and chickpea curry, but I added carrots, cauliflower and celery, which I think totally worked. It was a delicious tomato-based curry dish and we really liked it.

We had a small earthquake today in the T dot. First one I've ever felt. It was pretty awesome, especially since the crappy old apartment building I live in didn't even fall over. (The apartment I inhabit within the crappy building is actually quite cherry.)
The G20 is also going on, and last weekend the Much Music awards were going on right outside where I live, so I've pretty much decided to hide inside as much as possible.
Better than the garbage strike we had last summer.
Currently looking at a very bright moon on a very pale sky, next to the C.N. Tower. Pretty.

I've been improvising my way through a lot of left over ingredients lately, to varying degrees of success.
The first picture up top is of Herbed Potatoes and Fried Tofu. The potatoes turned out great. I chopped up about 4 potatoes (skins left on, scrubbed), and mixed them with Omega Oil (Grape seed, extra virgin olive and flax seed oil), a whole lot of roughly chopped garlic (like practically a whole bulb's worth), a chopped onion, and a package-full of halved champagne mushroms on two baking trays, then baked them at 450 degrees C until the potatoes pierced easily with a fork (maybe half an hour? I forget).
The tofu somehow ended up really really salty even though I'm sure I didn't put that much salt on it. It was still okay but I'm going to consult a recipe next time I try to do something like this dish.

The next picture down is of a peanut butter, jam and banana sandwich which Aaron made the other day. Super yummy.

Finally, yesterday I made some pretty quality Ginger brown rice just by sauteing one chopped onion, about 7 cloves of chopped garlic (I really really like garlic), and a left over chopped up chunk of ginger in some of the Omega Oil, then added 2 cups of brown rice, stirred to coat it in oil, added 6 cups of water (this turned out too be a bit too much, go with 4 or 6), a bay leaf, and around a teaspoon or two of vegetable broth powder, and let it cook. Served with corn on the cob and Chick'n Nuggest (I threw out the package so I don't remember the brand.) The fake meat was delicious, a great dish for kids. Like most fake meats, it was high in sodium, so you don't want to be eating them everyday. But they taste really good and so I think can be worked in to a healthy diet.

Well, I graduated

I've been done school for a few months already, but my actual graduation ceremony was yesterday. It was really long and boring and my mom through a fit, but whatever. I've got my diploma now. Plus a bunch of pictures of me looking dorky.

To celebrate I made myself and Aaron each a little celebration cake. Photo featured above. Mine said "Hooray for Me" (it was going to say "Hooray for Stephy" but I ran out of room) and his said "Aaron = Sex".
The recipe was Chocolate Orange Cupcakes from 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. The icing was Wilton brand Sparkle Gel icing.

Today my friend Rena came over and we made Jasmine rice with Gardein brand Classic Style BBQ Skewers.

The other day I was volunteering as a community steward with the city, cleaning up garbage, watching for pollinators, and removing invasive species at the Spadina Quay wetland, and I found a raccoon skull. It is freaking boss. I put it on my shelf, but I feel like it should be attacked to a hat or something.

Stuff I have eaten recently:

• Vegetable and tofu chow mein from King's Cafe in Kensington market
• A chocolate vegan cupcake from Wanda's Pie in the Sky, also in Kensington
• Peas from the pod
• Baby carrots
  
• Lots of coffee with Silk brand soymilk.
  
• Chocolate Monkey Smoothie made with soymilk from The Hotbox Cafe, once again in Kensington market. (I'm actually not sure that the chocolate sauce used in this is vegan, unfortunately.)
  

Vegetable Noodle Soup with Chickpeas

Well, I've done it. I've discovered the best tasting soup ever.
I based it off a recipe I found on the internet (Here: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=25698.0), but I changed it a lot.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
  
• 1 large onion or two small onions, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
  
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 large potato, chopped
  
• 1 tomato, chopped
  
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 6 cups of water (or three cups of water, three cups of vegetable broth)
• 1 cup of pasta (I used shells. Bowtie would also work well.)
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 bunch of spinach, chopped (or baby spinach un-chopped).
  
• Salt to taste, pepper to taste, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried sage

- In a stock pot over medium heat, saute the onions, garlic and leek in the oil for 5 minutes
- Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the water, tomato and potato. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer (covered) for 35 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, pasta and dill, and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Add the rest of the spices and the spinach.

I hope you end up liking this soup as much as I did.

Hey look I'm back.

I've been lazy about updating lately, but I've got two great entries comin' atcha, so stay tuned.

First news: I have invented possibly the best way to cook rice and lentils ever. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (that means chopped)
• 1 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 4 cups water or vegetable broth
  
• 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp tumeric, dash of peper, 1 bay leaf
  

- In a large sauce pan or small pot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes.
- Add the rice and lentils and stir to coat with oil.
- Add the water or broth, tomato, and spices. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice and lentils are fully cooked.

I served this with Garlicky Kale.

I also made a super yummy Veggie and Hummus Sandwich at some point. This one had sliced cucumber and tomato, hummus, and garlic salt on toasted flax bread. Can't really beat a good hummus and veggie sandwich for lunch, in my opinion.

Okay I've got a delicious soup to blog about, but it's so amazing I'm going to make its own post.
Peace.