Thanks for the comments on the new layout. Much appreciated. I am pretty content with it as well.

Content is one thing. But, overjoyed and ecstatic are totally different. These exuberant emotions filled me last night as I munched on my dinner last night. I implore you all to make this little VeganCowGirl-experiment-gone-right. Please.



I was feeling a little funny last night, looking around the shop, filled with thoughts about today's presentation (which is but an hour away) and couldn't quite focus on what I was buying, or what I had hidden in the fridge. About the only thing I had nailed down was that I wanted some tofu and I was feeling like a salad. My brain hopped onto an old favourite - 'the single girl's salad' - which I love. I adore. I pine for. And would have gladly eaten. However, given aforementioned mental state, I didn't think to buy anything but the tofu and the lettuce - and I had not much more fresh and summer-salad stuff hanging around. I had a moment of raw carrot consideration (if it was good for a mid morning snack there is no reason why I can't eat it for dinner), but then I decided to be wild and make a Warm Salad with the rest of the vegetables laying to waste in the fridge (maybe not waste, that is an exaggeration of sorts).

My Wild and Warm Eggplant Salad

Ingredients

-eggplant
-white mushrooms (i used a lot. in fact, maybe an actual lot's worth)
-garlic
-canned tomato (just a small bit).
-fresh crushed black pepper
-one cutlet of (shock, horror - but sorry they were out of the usual plain fu) flavoured tofu
-organic boston lettuce (I used about half a head)
-a few green olives
-balsamic vinegar
-juice of 1/2 a lemon

I started with warming up about 3 tablespoons of the tomatoes and adding some basil, fresh rosemary and the pepper. I added all of the mushrooms, and the lemon juice, letting it all simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes. The tofu was very firm and didn't really need to be in the pan for any practical reason - accept to heat it up, but I decided to throw it in quite early - and I am glad I did, the fu had a great coating of the sauce when it was laying on top of the lettuce. I added the garlic and eggplant to the mix, and moved it all around so that the eggplant was flush on the pan with the mushrooms/fu a top. Here, I added a dash of Balsamic, I wanted something heady and rich - and it did the trick.

I washed and ripped the lettuce, adding it to one of my favourite green bowls, finally, placing the warmed fu/veg to the top. A few more splashes of vinegar and I had my masterpiece ready for munching. It was amazing, satisfying and had a surprisingly large depth of flavour. Overall, one of the best vegan experiments yet!

I also had another great discovery last night - I listened to the Czars. Really great band. Impressive C.D. called goodbye. Get it.