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4/1/13 7:10 A

This thread has been discontinued and the sticky has been removed. But because it has been so successful, it is continuing under the new more appropriate title "New Food Challenge" and a sticky will be attached. Try new recipes and let us know what you think.

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3/31/13 3:56 P

Great idea! We will rename it tomorrow and keep it going. I love the Snobby Joes recipe. Will try it this week.

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3/31/13 3:53 P

Hmm, I wonder if the name for this thread should be something like "New Food Challenge" now, since it's . . um . . April. LOL!

Ok - Today's adventures:
My first use of vital wheat gluten, and a true test of whether I am, truly, not gluten sensitive. Fingers crossed!
I made seitan mushroom roast on the Keepin It Kind site and had to make my own chickpea flour first. But it was one of the easiest recipes - put all the dry ingredients in one bowl, all the wet ingredients in another - no sauteing or pre-cooking required, mix them and fashion a loaf. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and bake. Easy! For my own tastes, I would use half the amount of cumin, or even none, if I make it again. But even so, it will be good on sandwiches. Instead of 3T soy sauce I used 2T Tamari & 1T Worcestershire, and had to substitute garlic powder for onion powder because I didn't have the latter. Other than that, I followed the recipe.

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3/31/13 7:54 A

Appetite for Reduction.... There are SO many sites I keep learning about here! I'd never heard about that one. Guess I'll have to check it out! I tell you, being vegan these days is SO much easier than it was 15 years ago without all the good Internet resources - and connections to fantastic like-minded people. I guess I'm giving gratitude for all of that this fine Easter morning!

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3/30/13 9:37 P

Sounds like a good Easter meal to me, Kate.

Our dinner tonight was a variation on the mushroom and cannelini bean paprikas(h) recipe from Appetite for Reduction: I did eggplant and chickpeas, and it was fantastic. We didn't miss the traditional butter and sour cream at all.

Edited by: RHEYNKLAW at: 3/30/2013 (21:37)

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3/30/13 8:34 P

I made Snobby Joes!! And it was easy! Unfortunately, I was too starving to wait so I ate something else while I was throwing it together, but the tastes indicated delicious! I used 1 instead of 3 T of chili powder and it's enuf heat for me, and I used 1 instead of 3 T of maple syrup. Other than that, I followed the recipe, and it tasted GOOD!

And the cashier at Earth Fare got a huge kick out of the name Snobby Joes when I told her about it. She said that made her day.

Hey, so I guess my Easter lunch will be Snobby Joes! Woot!

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3/27/13 11:03 P

I've traditionally never been the guy who cared about snacking on chips, but as I've gotten older I seem to want to snack now and then. I love salt and vinegar chips, and this sounds like a much healthier alternative to that! Thanks for the recipe!

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3/27/13 1:59 P

Thanks, that looks good. I'm going to try them without the oil and see how that works out -- I'll have to keep a good eye on them.

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3/27/13 1:26 P

Awesome! I'm going to try that. Like, NOW, lol. (OK, not now. I ran out of garbanzo beans. But, like, TONIGHT!)

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3/27/13 12:38 P

They were completely firm. Maybe even a little dry. But tasty.

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3/27/13 11:20 A

Using vinegar as part of the cooking liquid for dry beans is a great idea for that recipe. Did it help them stay a little more firm, too?

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3/27/13 7:50 A

I made Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas.
ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6002030

I made them from dry chickpeas (garbanzos) though, so after normal soaking, I cooked them in a cup of red wine vinegar (because that's the kind I had open in the cupboard) and the rest water. I thought all-vinegar would have been too much, and I think I was right. They tasted good and vinegary. Sometimes I just like to feel like I'm snacking, you know? This hit the spot!

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3/24/13 9:12 P

I didn't marinade them at all. I just sliced it up and sautéed it in some olive oil, onion and Italian spices. If you find a good marinade let me know.

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3/24/13 12:32 P

Kel, I had never thought of using a portabello to replace the meat in a Philly, but it makes total sence! I'm gonna have to try that! (Oddly enough, I was just this week looking at a picture of a Philly sandwich and was thinking "Gee....I miss my Philly's!" ...and was thinking it was one of those things that I just couldn't enjoy ever again as a vegan. So I was tickled pink to read your post!

I've heard mushrooms really absorb a marinade, so I might have to use some soy sauce or something to give it an even more meaty taste....but not sure that would work or not.

Anyway, thanks for the idea!!! I can have my Philly Cheesesteak sandwich once again!

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3/24/13 9:43 A

Last night I made my version of a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. I used a huge portabello, red bell peppers, zucchini, onion and chard (I can't do anything without greens.) I used one of Paul's hoagie rolls and some moz Daiya cheese. I found it in the back of my freezer and decided it was time to either use it or toss it. Once I had all the veggies sautéed I put them in the roll and put on some of the cheese. I wrapped it up in foil and put it all in the toaster over until Paul's dinner was ready. YUMMY!! I made extra veggies for a side instead of french fries.

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3/23/13 9:20 P

Congrates on the Vegan Zombie sauce, K8!

Ain't nothing like homemade, no matter what it is, it seems. I'll bet it was great!

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3/23/13 12:19 P

The 2 recipes I used for Shepherds Pie were the Engine2 and the SP. I didn't use the green beans at all. I put in peas & corn, thinking the peas, at least, are more authentic. What do I know?

And in keeping with the challenge, Thurs nite I made another recipe for the first time: The Vegan Zombie's pizza sauce. It was SO good, and really easy if I made it on a Thurs night. I normally can't do a thing on weeknights. I loved the fact that it was just garlic - no onions - because I have such a hard time chopping onions!

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3/20/13 11:00 P

Well, like you said, K8, at least you tried and learned how better to do it next time. My version was not flawless, either. I didn't have rosemary and used thyme...which made it more spicey than I wanted. And I used mixed veggies instead of green beans--and next time I think I'll just use the green beans. So live and learn.

But they say we cooks are the most critical of our "own" dishes. Had we in the group gotten to have a taste of your recipe, chances are we would have loved it!

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3/20/13 10:24 P

LO-freakin'-L, you have me totally nailed!

Which recipes did you use? I should probably try following one or more...

Nah, ours was pretty good, even if the potatoes should have been thinner. What's your stance on nutmeg?

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3/20/13 8:34 P

Macarooooons!! That looks like a great recipe!
BTW, my version of shepherds pie turned out ok. I was trying to channel "I can't leave a recipe alone Rheyn" as I combined 2 recipes and also used my past experience eating "real" shepherds pie. If I'd only used about half the amount of sage I used, I think it would have been more successful. But not bad for a first try.

Edited by: ASPIRINGVEGAN at: 3/20/2013 (20:34)

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3/20/13 1:37 A

Oh, don't tell me about macaroons, Boni--I could eat my weight in those! Ha!

I actually love anything with coconut in it. I'll have to save the recipe for a cold night when I'm craving an easy sweet treat! Thanks for sharing.

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3/19/13 1:34 P

I love microwave chips, too! I was female-shopping-peer-pressure-party'ed into buying something from Pampered Chef last year, and I got their set of silicone trays made especially for doing chips. (If Alton Brown were dead, he'd be rolling in his grave.) As obnoxiously mono-tasking as this product is, the trays work great because they're perforated to allow moisture to escape from the bottom, and footed, so you can cook multiple layers at once.

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3/19/13 1:24 P

Thanks Boni! You really can't go wrong with Angela's recipes. I though she posted sometime last year that she was working on a cookbook. I sure hope it comes out soon.

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3/19/13 1:10 P

or that potato chip recipe! I just tried the no-bake Macaroons that www.ohsheglows.com posted this morning. They are sooooo good!!! You have to eat them fast though, because they melt once you take them out of the freezer. My kind of treat. No cooking involved and at-hand simple ingredients. High in calories and fat though.
Kelly I am still hunting up the perfect Easter recipe for you.

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3/17/13 4:03 P

Nooooooooo, no turnips. The potato and leek patties sounded sooo so very good before you said that.

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3/17/13 3:50 P

No, I love potato and leek patties, Terry. The face was for any leek-haters out there: I know there are a few, but I don't remember who. (Maybe I should put TURNIPS in them, too...!)

Edited by: RHEYNKLAW at: 3/17/2013 (15:52)

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3/17/13 3:34 P

Can we keep our eyes crossed instead?

Hey, I might try that potato chip recipe. Maybe with a sweet potato...mmm

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3/17/13 2:10 P

I'm in the prep stages of my shepherd's pie, and I'm planning to make it a cross between the Engine2 & the SP recipes, so keep yer fingers crossed for me!

Another completely new "dish" I tried last night turned out spectacularly well! Microwave potato chips! Sounds awful, doesn't it? But I saw it on SP & decided to sacrifice one potato to the cause. VERY thin slices of potato laid out on parchment paper. I salted them & put on garlic powder. 4 minutes in the nuker and I couldn't believe that the chips actually tasted like they'd been fried. Boggled my mind.

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3/17/13 11:05 A

I take it that you don't like potatoe and leak pattys, huh Rheyn? I've never had them, that I know of.

But I do hope you enjoy your shepherds pie! (Makes me hungry just to think of it!)

Happy Saint Patricks day, everyone!!!!

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3/17/13 11:00 A

Hey vegan family, I did notice just now that the Engine 2 website has a lot of good looking recipes there, in case some of you are interested! A meatloaf recipe caught my eye just now! Ha!

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3/17/13 10:43 A

Thanks, Terry!

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3/17/13 10:37 A

Okay, here it is. It's from the Engine 2 Diet.

engine2diet.com/recipe/shepherds-pie/

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3/17/13 10:33 A

K8, I noticed you are on line now. I forgot to get you that recipe. I'll do a quick search and see if I can find it online now. Hang on!

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3/17/13 10:32 A

"So it's eye to eye when you watch something cook."

LOL!!! Yep, eye to eye! (Hey, you should be a detective! That's probably where it came from, those southern folk were "eyeing the pot" as it cooked...so, stove eye!)

"Stove eye is so expressive, I'm going to adopt it, Thanks"!

Cool! Glad to be of service!

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3/17/13 10:12 A

We're making Shepherd's Pie to have with my parents tonight, too. I hope mine is as successful as yours, Terry!

...Also, potato and LEEK patties.

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3/16/13 11:38 P

Terry,
Hope they love your Shepherd's Pie. Pie in the eye.

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3/16/13 11:37 P

So it's eye to eye when you watch something cook. Stove eye is so expressive, I'm going to adopt it, Thanks!

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3/16/13 10:40 P

Hi Shiva! Yep, I baked it for my parents, but as it turned out they were not able to stay long enough for a meal, so I put them a couple of heaping servings for each of them in some tupperware and sent them on their way...but I've yet to hear if they liked it or not. (Keeping my fingers crossed! Ha!)

Yes,when I say "stove eye" I mean the burner. That may be a southern thing....I just assumed everyone called it that! LOL!!! We sometimes can have our own language down here in the south! Ha!

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3/16/13 9:59 P

Terry, good job with the Shepherds Pie. Didn't you say you were going to share it with your parents? Did they like it? ohh...one other thing... did you say "stove eye"? I've never heard that before. Is that what you call the burner? I like it.

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3/16/13 8:55 P

I looked back through the posts to see if I could find which Shepherds Pie recipe you made, but couldn't find it. Is it the one on SP? Thx!

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3/16/13 8:09 P

Way to go Terry!

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3/16/13 2:29 P

Well, I made the Shepherds Pie today, and I was impressed! (Not with myself, but with the recipe. And yeah...a little bit with myself, too! Hehe!)

It really turned out great and tasted like the real thing!! The recipe was perfect as it is, but we all like to tweek recipes more to our own personal taste, so next time I'd probably only use half the soy and worstishier sauce (I would like it a little less salty). Might leave out the veggie crumbles (they get a bit chewy---the mushrooms and onions tasted great without it) and might even try replacing the tomato sauce with barbecue sauce (just cause I love BBQ sauce!) Not traditional, I know....but unique! Ha!

The recipe was kinda hard to make, in some way, and easy in others. I got confused a time or two about what procedure to do next, cause I had potatoes on one stove eye, veggies on another, and sautéing onions and mushrooms on another! Whew!!! I'm NOT a multi-tasker! Ha!!! But all in all, not too bad to prepare if it were to become a stand by dish.

And it's funny how this recipe is: there's literally no real need to bake it. All the filling ingredients are sautéed and cooked first, and the mashed potatoes are already cooked...so there's no real need to bake it. But I'm sure baking brings out the flavors even more...but still good to know in a rush that one wouldn't really have to, which would save time.


Edited by: GENTLEVIKING at: 3/16/2013 (14:32)

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3/16/13 1:51 P

Yes, I saw the avocado thread, K8, and I'm eager to try your green dressing/dip (it sounds good!)

One of things I had done in my attempt to make my own dressing was to try using avocado as the fat ingredient (taking the place of oil) in a ranch dressing. It works at first, but then the avocado taste seems to come through too much in a day or two (for me).

But for your green dressing I'll bet it really compliments the flavor! Maybe it would take the place of ranch for me!

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3/16/13 1:31 P

The pesto sounds good, Shiva! I think we all would have loved to take home the leftovers!

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3/16/13 9:13 A

Oh! And the avocado recipe is GREEN!! Make it this weekend!

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3/16/13 9:10 A

That sounds like a great pesto Shiva!

Thanks, Terry, I did try the checking & unchecking thing yesterday. Didn't work but I'm ok with going directly to the site for now.

Well, I tried the cauliflower crust again. This time I'm positive it was cooked enough, but it still didn't behave like a crust. That's ok, tho, since it turns out I'm not gluten-sensitive, after all. YAY!! I wrote this on another site, but not sure if I shared it here. Once I stopped coffee, all gastrointestinal issues went away. Since last weekend I've been reintroducing gluten & have not had any problems! I'm so happy, because frankly, it's much easier to go w/o coffee than it is to be vegan & have to avoid gluten!

Terry, you should look at the "Avocado" thread on this site for all your condiment needs. Grin. I posted my go-to recipe for the thing I spread on everything. Or dip everything in. It's really good.

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3/16/13 6:18 A

I made a lovely savory pesto and took some of it tonight to go with veggies for snacking during tonight's Irish concert. Yesterday I trimmed back the sage plant in my garden and had an aha moment... sage pesto! So gooood. For the greens I used about 1/3 fresh sage leaves and 2/3 purslane (which also goes by the unfortunate name of pigweed.) Purslane is both a weed and a nutritious vegetable. I buy it at the farmer's market pretty regularly. It has a very mild flavor, so doesn't fight the strong flavor of the sage. Next time I might try 1/2 sage and 1/2 purslane, though. I don't think that would be too much. For the nuts I used walnuts and pecans, then lots of fresh garlic, lime zest from one lime and the entire inside from two limes (seedless), a few squirts of Bragg's liquid aminos and a spoonful of almond butter for good measure. I blended it all up in my Vitamix. It makes a great spread on stovetop warmed pitas or tortillas, a great dip for veggies, and anything else you can think to use it for. My friend's face lit up when I offered the leftovers of it for them to take home.

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3/15/13 10:47 P

"I bought more cauliflower, so I'm going to have to try, try again."

That seems to be the thing with some vegan recipes, K8. Some recipes seem to work with us and turn out so nice, and others seem to want to fight us! Ha!

For example: for the past couple of weeks I've been trying my hand at making my own mayo and ranch dressing. Well, after two weeks of trying, I literally got frustrated and gave up, because none of them tasted right! But have I given up the war? Nope! I'm gonna try again sometime later. It's worth the effort, cause so many condiments have so much sodium in them, and I really should not be getting all that sodium.

So hang in there! The secret to the cauliflower crust may be just around the corner! Hehe! (I've yet to fix it myself, but am determined to bake one up one of these days!)

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3/15/13 10:35 P

"And Terry, what did you do when SP stopped sending you email notifications? I've had dead silence for a week"

K8, sorry I'm late today with answering your question. Well, people have responded to this common problem that Spark People has in different ways. I know it's irritating when you are getting emails from your group regularly, and then just all of a sudden--they stop! This has happened to me many times. Sometimes they will restart on their own...sometimes not.

I think it was Kelly who suggested once that they can log into the main Spark People group and go to their email notification settings and uncheck and then recheck where it says to get the groups post in your email...and sometimes that works to get the mail flowing again. This has worked for me before, too. Others have tried different ways.

But I finally just gave up on it. Nothing seemed to work for long. So what I do now is to log into the main Spark People site, and just check the posts from there. (The busiest topics will always be up at the top.) You can read the posts on a topic, and then just click "General Team Discussion Forum" and it will bring you back to the topics again. I've found that I never miss any posts this way--they are all always there. But, of course, I'd rather just get the posts in my email box if I could.

But what's so odd is that I finally got frustrated and unchecked all my boxes, so that I would stop getting the posts in my email box...and I still sometimes get them! Yep, Spark's website has some problems, for sure! Ha!

So you might try the checking and unchecking thing, and if that doesn't work, try just logging into the main Spark website everytime and read the posts that way. If you don't know how to find your group notification settings, just let me know by way of my Sparkmail and I'll help you figure it out.

Hope this helps.

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3/15/13 2:25 P

I used a 9 1/2 x 13 pan. Unfortunately, that's the smallest flat pan I have and it won't fit in my countertop convection toaster oven. Hmm. I bought more cauliflower, so I'm going to have to try, try again.

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3/15/13 1:15 P

I have a countertop convection oven, and the largest pan it can accommodate is about 11 inches wide. Maybe it would work better for mini pizzas. I also pressed the crust pretty thin and used the convection function to bake the crust alone, for more even cooking and less browning.

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3/15/13 10:30 A

Rheyn, I made the cauliflower crust last week, but mine wasn't as successful as yours. It tasted fine, but never cooked all the way through, which I only found out after I had put all the toppings on. So it was more of an eat-with-a-spoon meal than pizza. I preheated the oven, used the parchment paper you suggested, and after the 30 minutes called for the edges were brown and I didn't know what other indicators of doneness to look for, so I thought it was done. Yeah, not so much. I didn't think it was too thick, but what size pan did you put yours in? Any other ideas from Rheyn or anyone who's made it?

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3/15/13 7:47 A

Hey, Terry, dulse is a very salty seaweed, often used as a substitute for salt in soups & stews (and, apparently mock tuna). Again, maybe easier to find online than in rural SE areas. Or I could email you some!

And Terry, what did you do when SP stopped sending you email notifications? I've had dead silence for a week, but y'all have been posting as much as usual. How did you resolve that? Thanks!

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3/14/13 6:32 P

CC me on those tacos, OK?

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3/14/13 12:24 A

Sounds great, Kelly! And I'd love to have some of those tacos! (Been having a craving lately for some tacos!) So just email me a few tacos and I'll be happy! LOL!!!

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3/13/13 9:10 P

I love the mock tuna salad. The Dulse really gives it great flavor.

Tonight I cooked for the first time in a long time. I sautéed garlic, ginger, yellow bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and swiss chard with some turmeric. When Paul got home (earlier) he made brown rice and red quinoa in the rice cooker. It was really good! I need to start cooking again and bringing my lunches to work. So I made extra veggies and presto that's lunch!

Tomorrow we are using the left over rice and quinoa and making tacos. YUMMY!

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3/13/13 7:51 P

It's a cold night out, so I have a pot of vegetable soup on. Was in the mood for an Italian flavor to it, so I threw in some peppers and onions, a bag of froze veggies, some froze greens, and some barley and lots of Italian spices. (And of course, peanut butter! You know me!)

I have a video for you of something you probably already know how to make (but maybe not). It's your basic recipe for Vegan Tuna Salad, using chickpeas. He says to use some "Dulse" to give it a fishy flavor, and you guys have probably mentioned it as an ingredient before for dishes, but I can't recall ever hearing of it. I rarely crave fishy dishes, but this one sounds good. (But will have to locate some dulse, first, though!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqfKow0tWNU&featur
e=em-uploademail

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3/12/13 4:06 P

I'm on it, Terry, lol. Quick is good. Quick AND cheap? Even better!

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3/12/13 2:21 P

Hey thanks for the research, Rheyn!!! I need to hire you for my private vegan detective! Hehe! But seriously, thanks a lot for researching that for me!

It does sound do-able, then! Might have to think about getting me a copy of this book soon! I get lazy sometimes and just want to make quick dishes, so something like this book would help.

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3/12/13 1:20 P

Terry, I don't have the book, but based on the "Stocking Your Pantry" preview section and TOC, I think the person who complained of hard-to-find ingredients is probably out of the vegan loop. The most unusual items on the list, in my opinion, are miso paste and nutritional yeast, which, if you can't get them in a convenient brick-and-mortar store, are available online (Amazon, even.)

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3/12/13 8:57 A

Threw together a quick, no recipe meal last night of a frozen bag of california veggies, some veggie crumbles, some quinoa and spices. Turned out pretty good, but as usual with me I didn't add enough spices. (Why do I skimp on the spices? Ha!) But all in all it was pretty good. Just realized it was one of those "4 ingredient meals"--I like those! (Actually 3 ingredient--I don't think they ususually count the spices!)

By the way, does anyone own a book actually called "The Four Ingredient Vegan"? I have it in my "wish list" at Amazon, but read one negative review that some of the ingredients are hard to find if you don't have a speciality health store near you. So that could be a problem, since the little store near me does not carry much. Not planning on ordering it just yet, but was just interested in opinions on the book

Here's a pic of it: www.amazon.com/The-4-Ingredient-Vegan-Mari
beth-Abrams/dp/1570672326/ref=sr_1_1?i
e=UTF8&qid=1363092903&sr=8-1&keywords=
four+ingredient+vegan

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3/11/13 11:03 A

I love ginger, Boni, but it does not love me! Ha! I doesn't bother me in the amounts used in Chinese food...but with anything requiring a lot, man does it give me heartburn! Ha!

Hope your recipe turns out well. Gotta love slow cooker recipes! Being single, I really should be making those more than I do.

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3/11/13 9:13 A

Sorry, I should have included the link. Here is the snobby Joes link. LOVE THEM!! www.theppk.com/2009/11/snobby-joes/

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3/11/13 7:58 A

I am going to try the Slow-Cooker Dahl recipe from How to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. M.D. tonight. I will let you know how it goes. It calls for a lot of ginger and I am not a huge ginger fan.

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3/10/13 9:27 P

Simple split pea and barley soup for dinner. Cozy and hearty, but the funny thing is that we finally have a really pleasant, mild night here in Michigan.

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3/10/13 12:04 P

So, c'mon, Kelly.... You gonna share the lentils Snobby Joes, recipe? Huh? Please?

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3/9/13 11:18 A

Snobby Joes sound great. I bet I could substitute the tofu in my recipe for lentils.
I just drank the most amazing smoothie for breakfast. I know it's after 11:00. I've been to town and back and if I don't get going, I don't get going, so I didn't stop for breakfast before heading out. Here is the link... www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2013/03/pineapp
le-mango-vitamin-c-booster-smoothie.html
I noticed that Spark has a St. Patrick's smoothie. I will check it out. It can probably be veganized.

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3/9/13 9:52 A

That is cute! Great vegan name for a recipe!

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3/9/13 9:44 A

lol, cute!

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3/9/13 7:39 A

I have a recipe for "snobby joes" that is lentils. This just reminds me that it's been far too long since I made it.

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3/8/13 5:44 P

Those sound good, Boni. Pre-veg, I was never, ever interested in Sloppy Joes because they so obviously could have been made of any meaty thing that the "mystery" factor really turned me off. I'm definitely willing to try a tofu or lentil version, though.

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3/7/13 5:19 P

I had the Tofu Soppy Joes tonight for dinner from
www.savvyvegetarian.com and they were really good. I used chipotle instead of cayenne and omitted the mayo. Really good.

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3/7/13 3:48 P

The kids spend the week designing and building leprechaun traps, too.

Last night for dinner I made Mexican "themed" shepherd's pie using the refrigerated ground "beef" from Trader Joe's. It was a rare faux meat appearance in our house, but a nice treat and seemed authentic enough to me. I used onion, carrot, red pepper, spinach, and edamame (right, totally not Mexican) for the veggies, yucca (whipped in the food processor with garlic and a little soy milk) instead of mashed potatoes, and the appropriate herbs and spices to make it taste Mexican.

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3/6/13 4:40 P

LOL!!! I also love the story of the leaprechains being naughty and peeing green in the school toilets! When I was a kid I had such a STRONG imagination, that this idea would have delighted me...I would have been peeking around the corners to see where those little elves were hiding and really believing they were there in the school somewhere! (Don't ya just love childhood!)

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3/6/13 4:37 P

Thanks for that reminder about hummus, Kelly!! For some reason I keep forgetting that hummus can be flavored up to taste like cheese. I think I'll make me a batch pretty soon! Thanks!

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3/6/13 12:42 P

Way to go Terry! My husband is learning to use hummus instead of cheese. It's easy to make and change the flavor every week depending on what you put in it.

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3/6/13 11:35 A

That's delightful! I think I might start some new traditions. Love the green pee idea.

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3/6/13 11:16 A

OMG, Boni, those mint cups look insanely delicious! I was always a sucker for the (admittedly disgusting) Shamrock Shake, and I'm sure the CCK recipe will blow away even my fondest memory of that treat. I like her leprechaun story. Where I went to school, used to work, and my mom still works, the naughty leprechauns pee green in the toilets and forget to flush, lol.

Our family's St. Patrick's day tradition was setting the bread maker the night before, and coming downstairs in the morning to find that the leprechaun had turned our bread green.

Edited by: RHEYNKLAW at: 3/6/2013 (11:18)

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3/6/13 11:04 A

Your recipe turned out better than mine Terry. My rice and beans concoction had a nice bite to it thanks to the chipotle peppers, but it was missing a nice sauce.
www,chocolatecoveredkatie.com has a nice treat posted today guaranteed to catch leprechauns if you need some luck this month...

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3/6/13 10:45 A

This wasn't a special recipe, but last night I took some onions and peppers and chopped them up, sliced some carrots paper thin using a fruit peeler, and added some veggie crumbles and seasonings. I stir fried it and put it on a wrap that I'd smeared some homemade veggie mayo on. It was good! It was one of those times when you feel proud of yourself for fixing something that turned out to taste like a dish you'd get in a restaurant! (That can be rare for me! LOL!!!) So this was a new simple recipe for me and one I'll be trying again.

The only thing that would have made it even better was to have had some homemade veggie cheese of some sort to top it with, but I didn't. Maybe next time!

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3/5/13 7:21 A

Catching up on your posts with breakfast gave me a great morning laugh- MANY great morning laughs, actually! Thanks, everyone!

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3/5/13 12:13 A

And yes, that is so true that one can make any dish a tradition in their families just by having it every year during certain holidays! I like that idea!

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3/5/13 12:10 A

Kelly, a lot of times I use bacon bits to flavor foods (one brand is vegan--don't recall the exact name of it.) Cabbage flavored with bacon bits might be good alternative to the corned beef, at least "flavor" wise.

Cabbage is one of those foods I've grown to love more and more. (But yeah, it does smell up the house when cooked! Ha!)

I think the E2 Shepherds Pie calls for veggie crumbles as the meat replacement. (I might even have to throw in some vegan bacon bits, too! Ha!)

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3/4/13 2:23 P

that's the cool thing Terry. You can make anything a tradition. All you have to do is start one. Shepard's pie is definitely an Irish tradition as well as Irish Stew. You could just leave out the meat. Tradition for us used to be corned beef and cabbage. Since I don't eat fake meat products that one will be a bit tricky. But I was thinking of cabbage and potatoes and other veggies but not sure what yet. Unfortunately this will be something Paul won't even think of eating. I'll be lucky if I can cook cabbage in the house.

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3/4/13 2:10 P

Your right, Kelly--the recipe doesn't have to be "green"...it can just be a traditional dish for St Patty's, can't it? That would be more doable!

We don't celebrate the holiday much around this area, so I have no idea what the traditional dishes are for it??? Does anyone have suggestions?

I'm hoping Sherpherds Pie is one of them. I've had the Engine 2 Diet recipe for it for years now and have yet to make it. In the south here folks make Chicken Pot Pies, but never Shepherd Pies...but I always thought it sounded soooooo good!

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3/4/13 2:04 P

"Turnip your nose"! LOL!!! You gals are crazy! Hehe! I love it!

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3/4/13 2:02 P

"Terry, if you leave anything out on the counter right now, it would probably be "green" by St. Patrick's day."

Lady, you're a genious!!! LOL!!! That will be my recipe! And oh so easy to prepare! LOL!!!

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3/4/13 1:26 P

Oh Rheyn,
It sounds like you have some pretty handy cooking skills, but I still don't think I'd like your TURNIP dish. I know it's unbelievably rude, but I'll have to turnip my nose on that one. Take the turnips out and it sounds mighty fine.

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3/4/13 12:46 P

And here I'm thinking cabbage and red potatoes. I hope those aren't green. BLECH!!

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3/4/13 12:37 P

Terry, if you leave anything out on the counter right now, it would probably be "green" by St. Patrick's day.

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3/4/13 12:24 P

Yes, I'm okay with the food challenge going on, too. It's fun experimenting with new recipes.

But St. Patricks recipes may be "too" easy: I mean everyone's gonna make green smoothies! Ha! Isn't that cheating?? LOL!!!

But then again...what "else" would be green? A salad would work. A brocolli dish would work. Hmmm....this might prove interesting!

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3/4/13 12:19 P

Rheyn, you make that turnip dish sound good--so maybe even I would like it!

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3/4/13 9:54 A

Hey, buddies, guess what I had for dinner last night...









TURNIPS.

Well, not just turnips. Steamed turnips and carrots, sliced paper-thin, over Israeli couscous, lentils, spinach, and straw musrooms in a funky (GOOD funky!) mushroom sauce from my favorite Chinese grocery store.

Speaking of the Asian market, I also picked up some green jackfruit, aka "canned young jackfruit in brine." I've been eager to try some mock chicken recipes, since all the pictures look too delicious. (It also doesn't hurt that it's a bargain at $1.49 a can.)

Edited by: RHEYNKLAW at: 3/4/2013 (09:55)

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3/4/13 9:31 A

Cool! I just wanted to check. I love that everyone is getting interested in making new recipes. I need to do better at it myself. I haven't really been motivated.

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3/3/13 4:51 P

Yes, Kelly while you were away, it was suggested to continue your challenge (try new recipes) into March. Is that o.k. with you? We could focus on St. Patrick's stuff next week.

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3/3/13 1:19 P

I'll answer, even tho I'm not a team leader. There was a discussion earlier about extending the Feb try-something-new to cook challenge through March, as well.

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3/3/13 12:56 P

Any suggestions for March?

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3/3/13 9:12 A

What is March's challenge going to be? Fitness, cooking?