First up was a loaf of this amazing No Knead Olive Bread from Macheesmo.
This bread was so amazing I actually made a second loaf to share with the extended family in Missouri this weekend. I could eat it every night. It could only improve if I learn how to slice it thinner.
The next night, I made up a Mediterranean pasta recipe to go with the leftover bread. The pasta was multi-colored artisanal pastas that looked hand-rolled. To the cooked pasta, I added garlic-sautéed kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers.
In case you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of obsessed with kalamata olives. (Maybe because they're the only kind I like.) A couple weeks ago I made my very first attempt at gnocchi, based on a recipe from Vegalicious. And guess what? It was kalamata olive gnocchi! Despite some technical difficulties, it was delicious.
Next I made a batch of nummies from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This time I tried mint chocolate cupcakes with mint chocolate frosting.
They were, of course, amazing!
For another dinner, I made this delish Veggie Pot Pie from MegKat.com. I found this recipe when our friend Will was going to make his beyond yummy chicken pot pie and I was tempted to give up veganism for the night. Instead, I found this recipe so I wouldn't feel left out.
The verdict? This veggie pot pie was so good that, after all the meat-eaters at the table tried a bite, we all agreed that it was just as good as the chicken version. (Note: This time I used up all the leftover veggie's from the kabobs we had the night before. It was just as yummy as ever, even if the filling was a little more runny--runnier?--than I'd have liked.)
Finally, I whipped up even more tasty cupcakes the take to the family get together. I made plain chocolate cupcakes, filled them with peanut butter frosting, covered them with a chocolate ganache glaze, and them topped them with a little swirl of the peanut butter frosting.
The filling didn't work out too well--the frosting is amazing, but it was too stiff to squeeze out very much. There ended up only being a tiny bit inside the cupcakes when we bit in. Next time I'll use less confectioner's sugar and see if the frosting stays lighter and fluffier. I'm definitely not giving up on the filled cupcake.
Are you hungry yet? See, there are lots of tasty and mouthwatering things in a vegan's recipe book. Happy (and healthy) eating!
Hugs,
TLC
