Monday, March 17, 2008


I didn't sleep so well last night, and by the time I got in from work tonight I was looking for a chance to be as cuddly and comfortable as possible. It isn't unusual that when I feel this way, I head straight for the kitchen. Rather than craving food to eat, I crave food to cook/bake. The systematic and creative combination of working with food, always help me separate a bad day or sick stomach or tired eyes from the rest of my world.

K was going to be later getting home tonight, so I knew I had time to just do my own thing - and I opted for a kitchen session that resulted in: a zucchini bread, stuffed squash, and a chickpea and spinach dish.

I decided to start with the bread - I knew it would need a while and I was looking forward to the cathartic destruction involved in grating the zucchini I picked up at the market yesterday morning. One of the interesting things about moving from single girl-hood into a boy's house that was once the home of a bachelor, is that certain things are missing. Yes, they have a wide range of frying pans, yes they have cereal bowls. But, no, they do not have muffin tins, loaf pans or proper Tupperware. I still need to get a banana bread loaf pan, so, the bread wasn't going to be uber-pretty, but, hey, its Monday. I played with a recipe in Vegan Planet and ended up with something that was a touch on the dense side, but satisfying.

The Quinoua Stuffed Squash was the next in line. I started by slicing the squash in half and throwing the two halves in with the bread - warming up the flesh while I was busy putting together the filling. After the filling was cooked through and mixed in with the quinoa, I added the lot to the deep holes of this cute little squash. I baked it, covered over with aluminum foil, for about 20 minutes after filling it up.

Ingredients:
-1 squash - halved
-1 cup of quinoa, washed, cooked and added to veg filling
-1/2 zucchini
-1/2 tomato
-4 spring onion
-1/2 apple
-mustard seed
-cumin
-cilantro

The Chickpea and Spinach dish was my attempt to capture K's perfection with the same ingredients.



Ingredients:

-1 can of chickpeas, washed
-1/4 kilo of spinach
-mustard seed
-olive oil
-onion
-tumeric




I did something pretty silly the other day. I bought peanut butter. Some of you might know that I have been cursed with a fat-sensitive tummy AND a fat-loving mouth. I adore avocado, peanut butter and cashews. The cruel fate of my life means that if I have even a smidgen too much of any fat I get the most agonizing tummy ache. So bad that I became good friends with the folks at Oakville Trafalgar hospital in the summer of 2005. Ouch. I bought the p.b. with the promise to K (who experienced a great round of sore tummy on the eve of our trip to Paris) that I would be sensible and not be silly with the p.b (it has never been allowed in the house before now). I admit that tonight the yummy nut butter caught my eye and I had a taste....and....the nut butter has now been placed a top the highest shelf in our house - one that this little vegan, even with my step ladder can not reach. argh.

15 comments:

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Those quinoa-stuffed squashes look soooo good and quite elegant, too!

Lori- the Pleasantly Plump Vegan said...

i feel yr pain with stomach/digestive issues! i suffer from IBS and eating a lower fat diet is suppose to help. unfortunately i have a huge fat tooth!!!
looks like you had a very successful kitchen therapy session.

J said...

Your meal looks fantastic, I love stuffed squash.

That sucks so much about fat, or maybe not, I don't know... No, it sucks! :-(

Veggie said...

I'm with pleasantly plump vegan, I have a difficult time staying away from high fat foods too.

Your stuffed squash looks yummy.

aTxVegn said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. I love yours! I have the same issues with too much fat, along with lots of other dietary restrictions. I'll have to try your pb trick with my luna bars!

Billy said...

Mmm, I love anything with squash! Great pictures btw.

VeganCowGirl said...

Thanks Billy. I have to admit that I am just discovering the joy of food photography. I am inspired by all the great blogs out there.

Unknown said...

The stuffed squash looks great. Chickpeas and spinach are also a good combination. As long as it's healthy (HDL) fat it's OK.

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

I only wished my husband like couscous. That chickpea dish looks amazing. I love chickpeas!

Billy said...

Thanks for your comment on my post about waffles. I replied over there on my blog.

BTW, we have the same astrological sign. Random fact. :)

VeganCowGirl said...

Hey CookieMouse, I don't mind eating fat...its my body that minds the fat - good (hdl) or bad.

VeganCowGirl said...

Thanks Jennifer...the whole fat thing DOES SUCK. I love love love avocado and p.b. and lentils and all things fatty and fun.

Abram said...

That Quinoa Stuffed Squash looks really delicious! And it's in Vegan Planet? We will have to dig it out soon and make that dish.

As for fat and its consequences, I've also begun to seriously work at getting rid of the excess padding around my midsection. See I have a thing for baked sweets... Was getting a bit worried about my weight. My office job doesn't help in that department. And, of course, people think vegans ought to be automatically skinny. Bah humbug!

You've done a very nice job, by the way. Anyway, I recently began working out during my lunch hour at work and watching my intake a bit more. Am making some progress. And I try, since I love food and its preparation so much, to be more conscious of making dishes that are not only vegan, but also healthy. As I'm sure you know, vegan and healthy are not necessarily synonymous.

My fellow vegan bloggers are a great inspiration. Keep up the good work!

VeganCowGirl said...

Abram -
I don't think the squash dish was from Vegan Planet - I think I took some inspiration from the cookbook and some other blogs - but the ingredients were pretty much 'let's use what I have'. A poor (but often) justification.

That's cool that you are trying to stay healthy. For me it is about being fit. There is nothing more exciting to me than having an awareness of my healthy/fit body and know that it is doing exactly what I want it to.
Plus - I like being a woman who can lift weights and do it well.....I am never going to be able arm wrestle the best of the boys I know, but, hey, who really wants to anyway?
Good luck with your tummy decreasing activities!! But mostly, just enjoy your body.

Anonymous said...

Yum... the addition of the apple to the stuffing must have taken it over the top! That sounds (and looks) so delicious. I never know what to do with the lovely squashes I buy... they just end up decorating my table until they go bad. Looks like I'm going to have to try your recipe now because it sounds very tasty, and every easy to make. Thanks!