Hot stuff

I'm back this season with a change of direction. Although I am still an avid vegan home cook, my enthusiasm for documenting the results waned over the course of my year spent blogging consistently. Posting in 2011 has been sporadic. I've more and more felt compelled to share things other than recipes, but aside from the spring mix, have refrained. Since the intention of this lil thing is mostly about increasing spiritual nourishment broadly, I feel like it's possible to transition from posting strictly about the stuff I eat to including other forms of soul food as well.

So I'm gonna give it a go. If you check in sometime, expect to see more music, and perhaps some film-, lit- and cat-related material in addition to the usual vegan recipes. This...is...the soulmill.

And in the spirit of summer, here's a burst of seasonal inspiration.



top row: Unknown Mortal Orchestra (I love this band!! Full-length pending release; in the mean time, track down the EP); what is purported to be the most convincing vegan pulled pork out there, executed by Jessica over at Clean Green Simple; Georgia peaches (duh).

bottom row: Vena Cava x tenoversix platforms (very leather, out of my price range, also sold out--I'm in the market for a look-alike); The Body Shop sustainable lip colour in Coral Splash; F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise.

Listen...

I've been makin' some pretty insane smoothies/mylkshakes lately. They're, like, all I've been eating. Drinking. Here's this awesome one that just came together in my blender five minutes ago:



Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard
serves ONE

1/2 tray ice cubes
6 medjool dates, pitted
1/3 cup raw cashew pieces
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2/3 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a dash of cinnamon

Blend until smooth-ish with chunks. Like a blizzard, ya know?

Apples to Apples, Squash to Squish

On a hot late-summer evening, sometimes soup really does the trick. Not sure how many of the folks at my house last night expected to be fed, but this big ol' pot of squash satisfied 'em all through a long round of Apples to Apples, and I still have some leftover! In fact, I'm going to go eat some more right now...

Thai Squash Soup
serves 10

1 large butternut squash
olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato puree
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2-3 tablespoons peanut or almond butter
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
sliced green onions
cashew pieces
toasted coconut

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half and lay cut side down in a baking sheet filled with about a 1/4-inch of water. Bake for 45 minutes.

Once the squash is done, commence sauteing the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. As soon as they've softened a bit, add the peeled squash, tomato puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, curry paste and peanut or almond butter. Simmer for 20 or so minutes.

Blend the soup well (whether with an immersion blender, food processor, whatever), then sprinkle with green onions, cashews and coconut.

Easy Livin' Summertime

Summertime evokes a lot of food memories for me. Deciding what to make for the small potluck dinner party I went to last night, I discovered some long-forgotten black-eyed peas and was quickly reminded of my grandmother's recipe for Southern Caviar, beloved by all as an appetizer on hot summer evenings at her house.



For the party, I opted to bring a pint of homemade ice cream, saving my grandmama's glorious cold salad for my own consumption this evening. It's so simple to make, but goes fast with company! Once you start dipping, it's tough to stop until dinner is served. Here's my variation on her classic recipe.

Southern Caviar
4 cups canned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno, de-seeded and chopped
1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
the juice of one whole lime
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, toss and chill. Serve with corn chips for an appetizer, or hoe cakes for supper.

Everyday Soul

This Everyday Soul is all about summer. Summer hasn't officially begun yet, and neither has hurricane season, but Florida has always tended to ignore such designations. It's been hot as Hades here lately and potentially the first named tropical storm of the year is already a-brewin' over in the Atlantic Ocean.

So last night, in true Floridian fashion, I ignored the generally accepted start of outdoor grilling season (Memorial Day) and made some killer shish kebabs. Just marinated this gorgeous array of veggies and some tempeh in lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce and LOTS of garlic for a couple hours, then skewered 'em and popped 'em onto the grill.

Grilling is so easy and so versatile that I just know it's going to be a frequent occurrence for me in the lazy days ahead. Go ahead, break the rules! Start grilling tonight! Heck, wear white if you want to! And maybe mix up something I like to call an Arnold Calmer: one cup brewed minty green tea mixed with the juice of one whole lemon and sweetener to your taste, iced down.

Trying my best to embrace the raging humidity, partially by staying inside and playing music! Made this new little page on a site called bandcamp as a way to make my tunes more accessible. Maybe give it a look.