Made two really yummy soups last night: carrot, lentil and squash (inspired from Mollie Katz) and a 'throw it together' Leek and Broccoli. They both turned out quite fantastically. Just had the Leek with some tomato, basil and olive oil goodness. Lunch was eaten with Richard Hawley crooning in the background. He kicks Nick Drake's ass lyrics wise - and his voice is a little less weezie when compared to Leonard.

Friday night was a superfabulous food festival. I made a couple of new dishes, which turned out wonderfully - (let's ignore setting the sweet potato fries on fire. We didn't need them anyway...right?).

The thai-curry squash and walnuts were inspired by late night cookoffs compliments of Oakville's one and only midnight food fairy - who just happens to be a pediatric nurse by daylight. The pallenta covered tofu steaks, where an inspiration from last months Vegetarian Times magazine *(thanks mom!).

The squash started with some olive oil and thai curry paste in a heavy pan, with the heat on a lowish setting. I added a handful of sliced onions and let it cook down until the onions were brown. I cut the squash into chunks and threw them in. The squash cooked quietly on their own for about 15 minutes, before I added some walnuts and covered the pan with a tight led. I left them for about another 20-25 minutes - turning only when I smelled the potatoes, which were in the oven, smelled a little funny (what can I say? I was marking Travel Guides).

The tofu steaks were dead easy and super good - though, if you are a mild mouthed mamma you might want to avoid the heat I added to the marinade. In a large bowl I added diced garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, pepper, a bit of sea salt and a whole load of chillis. I sliced some really firm and organic tofu into 2 inch thick slabs and dredged them through the marinade - once coated, I left them to sit for about 5 minutes. Oven was turned up to just before max and I hassled K into finding the pallenta for me (it was somewhere in the recesses of the high shelves that this five foot lady never explores). After the five minutes I pulled the steaks through some pallenta and slammed the four steaks onto a cookie sheet (note - cover with a tiny bit of oil or you might get a bit of stickage). I cooked them for about 30 minutes and oh my! They were crispy, spicy and oh so yummy. We ate the squash and tofu with some avocado and raisin salad...and enjoyed some organic wine.

To top of the gastro delights of this vegan friendly weekend we managed to pick up a really great juicer! I have used it twice since yesterday afternoon - the purchase was worth the trip to sticking City 2. The St. Gilles market was made rich from my juicing dreams, we escaped with apples, pears, carrots, ginger, a silly amount of passion fruit, and of course tulips (who doesn't love tulip juice?) Oh...and I picked up a Sigg bottle, which, despite its aluminum insides, is apparently much better to sip from then the dreaded Nalgeen.....hmmmmm.

I love Sunday afternoons - they are always so full of surprises!