Pure Thyme

For a Balanced Life

Easy and Delicious Roasted Rosemary String Beans

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Something I like to have in the house at all times, are a few healthy and delicious sides that I can serve up to the family throughout the week. This is my new favorite side. I throw it over a green salad with a splash of balsamic and I’m good to go. It’s easy to make and comes out prefect every time. I love the addition of nutritional yeast in there for the flavor and the nutritional benefits. I gave the option in the recipe for folks that use oil in their cooking – but of course you don’t need to add it – the veggie stock does the trick just fine. Diced shallots and/or chopped walnuts are a nice addition to this side as well.

You cannot go wrong with roasting veggies in my opinion and a little maple syrup makes this side slighty sweet and oh so yummy. This makes everyone in my household very happy.

Easy and Delicious Roasted Rosemary String Beans
 

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Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 lb string beans, trimmed and washed
  • 2 tbsp no salt added vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp date syrup or pure maple syrup
  • 1½ tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp healthy oil like avocado (optional)
  • pinch onion powder
  • fresh black pepper, to taste

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toss the beans with remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Place string beans on non-stick baking pan.
  4. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender and slightly browned in spots, turning once.
  5. Serve.

Notes
The addition of some dijon mustard is also great in this recipe.

 

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to roast veggies?

Vegan Holiday Kitchen Giveaway and Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

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I know, it’s been the month of Giveaways, but I had the pleasure of receiving several complimentary copies of vegan cookbooks and couldn’t resist checking these amazing cookbooks out and sharing some wonderful recipes with you.

Up next is the fabulous Vegan Holiday Kitchen from Nava Atlas. Trust, me you are going to want to enter to win this fabulous cookbook. I made her Vegan Matzo Ball soup and I was overjoyed with the result. This is one recipe that was on my list to veganize, but I was a little wary of doing this. I mean I have in my memory traditional Mom-made perfect Matzo Ball Soup and wasn’t sure if I could ever recreate it vegan. Boy, was I wrong! Seriously, the only difference is removing the chicken broth, all the flavors are there from the vegetables, seasonings and fresh dill. Nava took care of the matzo balls falling apart with out the use of eggs by using quinoa flakes as a binder and it worked perfectly. This is a no-fail recipe and unbelievably delicious, my family absolutely loved it. Nava, thanks for this wonderful recipe, you nailed this one. =)

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This gorgeous and exciting cookbook by author Nava Atlas brilliantly fills the biggest gap in the vegan repertoire with more than 200 delectable, completely doable recipes for every festive occasion.  Atlas, one of the most respected names in vegetarian and vegan cooking, addresses everything from Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas –to celebratory brunches, lunches, dinners, potlucks, and buffets. Such mouth-watering dishes as Coconut Butternut Squash Soup, Green Chili Corn Bread, Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie, delicate Ravioli with Sweet Potatoes and Sage, and Cashew Chocolate Mousse Pie will convince even the most skeptical eater that vegan cooking is well worth celebrating.

Nava Atlas is both the author and illustrator of many well-known vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including Vegan Express, Vegan Soups, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and The Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet.  Her first book was Vegetariana, now considered a classic in its field. Nava is also a visual artist, specializing in limited-edition artists’ books and text-driven objects and installations. Her work has been shown nationally in museums, galleries, and alternative art spaces and is part of many museum and university collections.

I almost didn’t want to giveaway away this cookbook it’s so awesome.

PRINTABLE VERSION

Simple Vegetable Soup with Vegan Matzo Balls – Gluten-free (by omitting matzo balls), soy-free, nut-free

Vegetable Soup

8 Servings

This soup served at traditional Passover seders is very much akin to this one, except that’s made with chicken broth. In truth, the Passover soup course functions primarily as a venue for the matzo balls

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil or other healthy vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, diced

1 32-ounce carton vegetable broth

6 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced

6 to 8 medium carrots, sliced

Handful of celery leaves

1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning blend, or use a Kosher for Passover brand

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegan Matzo Balls (recipe follows)

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and sauté over medium heat until golden
  2. Add the broth, potato, carrots, celery leaves, seasoning blend, and 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Stir in the dill, then season with salt and pepper. If time allows, let the soup stand for several hours off the heat to develop flavor. It can also be made a day in advance.
  4. Just before serving, bring to a simmer. Adjust consistency with more water if needed be, and taste to adjust seasonings. Add warmed matzo balls to individual servings of soup.

Vegan Matzo Balls – soy-free, nut-free, can be made Gluten-free using gluten-free option

Makes about 24

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flakes

2 cups boiling water

1 cup matzo meal (see gluten-free variation, below)

1/4 cup light vegetable oil (such as safflower)

1/4 teaspoon salt

A few grindings of black pepper

Pinch of onion and garlic powder, optional

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, cover quinoa flakes with the water. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the matzo meal along with the oil, and mix until well blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Just before baking, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
  4. Roll the matzo meal mixture into approximately 1 -inch balls; don’t pack them too firmly. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, carefully turning matzo balls after 10 minutes, until firm to the touch; don’t let them brown.
  6. If making ahead of time, let the matzo balls cool completely. then cover until needed. Warm them briefly in a medium oven and distribute them among the soup bowls, allowing 3 or 4 matzo balls per serving.

Variation: to make these gluten-free, substitute 1 1/4 cups quinoa flakes for the matzo meal. Don’t add them to the original quantity of quinoa flakes; this is a  separate measure to use dry. A bit more is needed than the quantity of matzo meal for the purpose, as the quinoa flakes are less dense.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Vegan Holiday Kitchen © 2011 by Nava Atlas, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Learn more about Nava at VegKitchen.com, and navaatlasart.com.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky reader will win Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas!

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what’s your favorite recipe(s) to serve during the Holidays. Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

  • Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
  • Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama (@virtveganmama) on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas @virtveganmama”
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Stumble this giveaway
  • Pin it

***This Giveaway is now closed…thanks to all for entering!***

All entries must be completed no later than Monday, April 16th 2012,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 17th 2012, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Good Luck!!!

xoxo,

Jen

The Winner of 750 Best Appetizers Cookbook winner is…

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Barb from That Was Vegan? Blog. Barb said in the winning comment, “I’m starting to feel a little funny about leaving all these comments.” Guess what Barb, it was worth all those bonus entries because CONGRATS YOU WON!!

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I’ll email you today to find out where I can send this fabulous cookbook. Congrats again and thanks to everyone that participated. Don’t worry, the giveaways are not over, next one up is Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Get ready for Vegan Matzo Ball soup, I’m excited to try this for Passover!

750 Best Appetizers Cookbook Giveaway

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Vegetarian Vietnamese Fresh Rolls

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Photo credit: Colin Erricson/www.robertrose.ca

I had the pleasure of receiving this amazing cookbook for review. I couldn’t resist getting my hands on a book with 750 Appetizers to chose from. Yeah, it’s not all vegan, but if your household is like mine – my husband still eats meat on occasion – there are multiple recipes to suit every dietary preference. This cookbook does include tons of vegetarian and vegan friendly recipes like those beautiful spring rolls above. How can you go wrong with all those fresh ingredients and aren’t they beautiful to look at? I made these rolls and they were gone in a matter of minutes they were so yummy. I can’t wait to serve this recipe up to guests.

4.8 from 4 reviews

Vegetarian Vietnamese Fresh Rolls
 

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This is almost a two‑for-one recipe —the fresh rolls are wonderful all on their own but the leftover marinade creates the perfect dipping sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • Dressing
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce 30 mL
  • 2 tbsp sweet Asian chili sauce 30 mL
  • 1⁄2 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 mL
  • 1⁄2 tsp rice vinegar (see Tips) 2 mL
  • 1⁄2 tsp minced garlic 2 mL
  • 1⁄2 tsp finely chopped pickled ginger 2 mL
  • 1⁄4 tsp minced gingerroot 1 mL
  • 2 cups shredded baby bok choy 500 mL
  • 3⁄4 cup julienned blanched asparagus 175 mL
  • (see Tips, left)
  • 3⁄4 cup julienned peeled carrots 175 mL
  • 1⁄2 cup julienned English cucumber 125 mL
  • 1⁄4 cup julienned mango 60 mL
  • 1⁄4 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts 60 mL
  • 8 10-inch (25 cm) rice paper wrappers 8
  • 3 cups hot water 750 mL
  • Dipping sauce, optional (see Tips)

Instructions
  1. Dressing: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, chili sauce, oil, vinegar, garlic, pickled ginger and minced ginger.
  2. In another bowl, combine bok choy, asparagus, carrots, cucumber, mango and peanuts. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) dressing and toss well. Divide into 8 equal portions.
  3. Working with one rice paper at a time, submerse in hot water until pliable, about 30 seconds. Place on a work surface. Spread one-portion of the vegetable mixture in a strip across the lettuce leaf about one-third away from the edge closest to you, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) on either side. Fold the edge closest to you over the filling and pull gently toward you to encase the filling. Fold the sides toward the middle, then continue to roll up tightly. Place rolls under a damp cloth to stay moist because the wrappers tend to dry out quickly. Serve rolls immediately with dipping sauce, if using, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Serve whole or for a small hors d’oeuvre, cut in half on the diagonal and place on a serving platter.

Notes
Tips To julienne asparagus, cut into thin slices lengthwise and slice those slices into thin strips. For a wonderful dipping sauce, in a small ramekin, combine the remaining dressing with 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) soy sauce and 1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely chopped Agave and Ginger-Scented Peanuts (page 455).

There are 24 full page colored photos in the center of the book.  With 576 pages, it has every appetizer that you can imagine.  If you’re into entertaining, this is definitely a cookbook for you!

appetizers_coverThis Giveaway is now Closed, thanks to all who participated!

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky reader will win 750 Best Appetizers Cookbook.

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what your favorite appetizer is. Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

  • Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
  • Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama (@virtveganmama) on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win 750 Best Appetizers Cookbook from @virtveganmama”
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Stumble this giveaway
  • Pin it

All entries must be completed no later than Tuesday, April 3, 2012,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Good Luck!!!

xoxo,

Jen

The Winner of Chef AJ’s Unprocessed Cookbook Giveaway and Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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DSC_0002-001Before I announce the winner of Chef AJ’s Unprocessed Cookbook, let me tempt you with my new favorite hummus recipe using my new addiction – smoked paprika. Paprika is not only a colorful garnish, it’s loaded with vitamin C and has anti-inflammatory properties. I’m always adding paprika to my recipes to add color, depth and flavor. Now that I’ve delved into the wonderful world of smoked paprika, I am constantly thinking of new ways I am going to use it. I gave it a shot in one of my basic hummus recipes and was not disappointed with the results. This hummus has a wonderful combination of flavors that you can enjoy with cut-up veggies, spread on pita, toast or with some yummy falafel.

And we all know how important beans are to vegan and vegetarian diets and hummus is my favorite way to get in my daily allowance. Packed with iron, vitamin C, protein and dietary fiber and I seriously never get bored eating it. You can get creative and come up with different versions of it, just like this one.

Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
 

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Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer, Side
Serves: 1½ cups

Ingredients
  • 1 (15) oz. can no-salt added or low-sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
  • ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 5 kalamata olives, pitted
  • 1-2 tbsp sesame tahini
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • Handful of fresh parsley

Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding some vegetable stock if too thick and you reach your desired consistency.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy hummus?

And now…the winner of the Chef AJ Cookbook Giveaway is…

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Congratulations to Laura White for winning this fabulous cookbook! I have emailed you to confirm.

I had so much fun doing this and have two more giveaways coming up, so stayed tuned and thanks to everyone for participating! =)

xoxo,

Jen

 

 

Giveaway! Chef AJ’s Unprocessed Cookbook

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Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos

 

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I recently had the pleasure of receiving three cookbooks to host my first giveaways, which is something I’ve never done here before. Life has been hectic and these giveaways have been on the back burner. But, finally after much delay, I’m starting with Chef AJ’s cookbook Unprocessed, and what a great place to begin.

The cookbook not only has pages of amazing recipes, but it also details her personal story and how diet and nutrition can reverse and cure disease. It’s all about obtaining your ideal weight while creating easy, healthy and delicious recipes. This has been my main goal since I started this blog and I know it’s the goal of many. We want to eat healthy, but we also want recipes that won’t make us feel we are missing out on anything, me included. Well, that’s what you get with this cookbook. Chef AJ knows how to make incredibly tasty food and still make it healthy. Here’s a peek at some of the recipes you will find. How does Banana-Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Torte sound or Perfect Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms – oil-free and amazing. I have tried several of her recipes and have yet not been disappointed. Chef AJ’s Unprocessed is a great addition to any bookshelf.

Out of all the irresistible recipes I could have chosen to share for this giveaway, I decided to share Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nacho recipe. A very simple recipe to make, but my family loves nachos and the thought of sweet and spicy – a combination I can’t resist – was extremely appealing to me and I just had to try it. This recipe was easy to make and had all the flavors I love. My family pretty much licked the plate clean and I won’t hold it against you if you do the same – go for it. =)

Only recommendation that I have is to keep a close eye on the sweet potatoes so they don’t burn. Oven temperature and times vary as we all know so take that into consideration. These baked amazingly well on my non-stick baking mat and is a great investment if you don’t already have one. I highly recommend purchasing, it will save your trays and you money in the long run. =)

Printable Version

Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (one per person)

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut sweet potato in uniform slices, approximately 1/4″. Place on Silpat or non-stick baking sheet and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until done. These are “the chip” part of your nachos.

Assembly:

Place several sweet potato “chips” on a plate and fully load them with oil-free refried beans, chopped tomato, corn, cilantro, onion, olives, jalapeño peppers or anything you would normally enjoy on your nachos.

Chef’s Note: I like to create a “nacho bar” and let guests build their own nachos. If you use organic sweet potatoes there is no need to peel. Lots of fiber and nutrients in the skin.

* I topped our nachos with pan-toasted black beans, fresh salsa, jalapeño pepper slices (only for the adults), green olives, cilantro, some Daiya, drizzled with some fresh lime juice. The results were fantastic. =)

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky reader will win Chef AJ’s cookbook Unprocessed.

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what recipes or something new you would like to see on Virtually Vegan Mama. Don’t forget to leave your contact information so I can let you know if you win. =)

BONUS ENTRIES

You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

  • Subscribe to Virtually Vegan Mama
  • Like Virtually Vegan Mama on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall.
  • Follow Virtually Vegan Mama (@virtveganmama) on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win Chef AJ’s cookbook from @virtveganmama”
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Stumble this giveaway
  • Pin it

****This Giveaway is now closed****

All entries must be completed no later than Monday, February 27th 2012,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 28th 2012, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Good Luck!!!

xoxo,

Jen

Chocolatelove Bloghop: Vegan Chocolate Cake – Happy Birthday to me!

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Welcome to my first ever attempt at a vegan chocolate cake. What took me so long – I don’t know. But, what better time to make one than on my birthday. I enlisted the help of Nikki over at The Tolerant Vegan. If you know her already, you know she is an awesome baker with tons of fantastic recipes on her site. If you don’t know Nikki, get your butt over there to check out her blog. I think there are some Red Velvet Cupcakes over there for Valentine’s Day right now. =)

I enlisted the help of Nikki because she knows how to bake and honestly, baking scares the bejeezus out of me. I guess I can easily take a recipe that has sugar, oil and butter, make it vegan and make it work. However, I remove all that stuff which can make baking super tricky. I’ve had a few failures in the kitchen with experimenting, but as I become better at this whole vegan cooking thing, I’m starting to have more success. I really wanted this one to work and thanks to Nikki, I was able to make this happen.

The batter was very thick which made me nervous to bake it. My husband told me to just throw it in and see what happened. It only took 25 minutes to bake and that freaked me out a bit too. I think the whole wheat pastry flour and date sugar had something to do with that. Fortunately, with all my concerns, the results were better than I expected. Phew! It worked and it was fantastic. I definitely want to make this cake again and tweak it a bit to get more moisture into the cake, but it was still delicious the way it was.

The Ganache – now that came out amazing. I had to ward off the family to stop eating it – it is that good. Dates, coconut milk, how can you go wrong? I was a little short on the ganache while frosting the cake thanks to them. =)

This cake is definitely worth a try if you want to make it and I would welcome some recipe testers to perfect this one for sure.

Printable Recipe

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup date sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice

1/2 cup unsweetned applesauce

2 flax eggs – 2 tbsp flax seed meal mixed with 6 tbsp warm water

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks

Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch x 2 inch round cake pans.

Make flax eggs by mixing 2 tbsp flax seed meal with 6 tbsp warm water. Stir and allow the mixture to thicken by sitting for two to three minutes. Sift the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in date sugar. In another bowl, combine non-dairy milk, applesauce, flax eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 min utes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake pedestal. With a knife, spread the top with the ganache. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the ganache evenly on the top and the sides of the cake.

Chocolate Ganache

1 (15) oz can coconut milk

1 cup date paste

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut milk until it begins to bubble. Add date paste, cocoa powder and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until thickened.

February is #chocolatelove month!
Please join in on the #chocolatelove fun by linking up any chocolate recipe from the month of Februrary 2012.  Don’t forget to
link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #chocolatelove event!  The twitter hashtag is #chocolatelove :).
Cohosted by:

 

For all you wonderful people stopping by to check out this post, could you please take a minute a give me some voting love. I was recently nominated for Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms- 2012 Contest. I’m currently holding the #4 spot and would love to continue to remain in one of the top spots. I’m so grateful for everyone that has been voting for me, I’m overwhelmed that I even have so many votes. It only takes a second and requires no registration, it’s completely anonymous. =) All you have to do is follow this link HERE scroll until you see me, Virtually Vegan Mama and click the orange vote button to the right – voilà! Easy peasy. 😉

 

 

 

Salsa Verde

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Here is a fantastic green salsa recipe courtesy of my wonderful husband. Matt has been making this salsa for years and learned it from a friend who comes from Mexico. He makes it once a month along with his red salsa recipe that is super easy and delicious as well. We enjoy this salsa with quesadillas, tacos, and as a dip for vegetables. I love to use it as a no-oil dressing on my salad. We made a corn salad this past sunday with some mashed pinto beans heated up in a skillet with roasted poblanos and onions. I layered the beans and corn salad over a bed of romaine lettuce and topped it with salsa verde. Fresh, healthy and fully satisfying. You didn’t really think I ate those chips up there with it, did you? And don’t worry, I will share all these recipes. =)

This is a kid-friendly recipe in our house, as long as it’s not spicy. =) I don’t know about your kids, but mine love to dip and I always give them healthy choices like this one and they absolutely love it.

We usually add some fresh avocado to the mix for some healthy fats in there as well and it makes the salsa creamier. You can easily adjust the spice level for this salsa on your own, just add a small amount of the jalapeno, taste and adjust by adding some more. Matt boils these for one minute, but you don’t have too, it’s great either way.

This is a perfect salsa  to add to a nacho bar if you are planning on having one for your next party – which is perfect to have at a Super Bowl Party!

Printable Version

Salsa Verde

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

15 whole peeled tomatillos

1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, stemmed, 1/2 seeded and cut up (remove all seeds or add the all depending on desired spice level)

1 lime, juiced

1 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add tomatillos and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and drain. In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and blend until combined. Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Enjoy.

What’s your favorite mexican salsa and how do you enjoy it?

 For all you wonderful people stopping by to check out this post, could you please take a minute a give me some voting love. I was recently nominated for Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms- 2012 Contest. I’m currently holding the #2 spot and would love to continue to remain in one of the top spots. I’m so grateful for everyone that has been voting for me, I’m overwhelmed that I even have so many votes. It only takes a second and requires no registration, it’s completely anonymous. =) All you have to do is follow this link HERE scroll until you see me, Virtually Vegan Mama and click the orange vote button to the right – voilà! Easy peasy. 😉

Thank you!

Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you all. =)

xoxo,

Jen

I’ve been nominated for Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms – 2012!

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I received an email yesterday notifying me that I have been I nominated for Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms- 2012 Contest. Wow – what an honor to be recognized. I’m kind of blown away by this.

Thanks to all of you for constantly supporting my little blog here.  It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I’m looking forward to creating tons of new recipes and continuing to help others in their quest for delicious vegan cuisine.

And what have I been up to? I’m sure you’ve been wondering where I am – I know I’ve gotten several emails asking. I mentioned my family was moving and I’m glad to say the move to beautiful Georgia was a success and we are finally settled. The past several months were absolutely crazy though. Consisting of packing and unpacking, having three rounds of visitors, finding a new school for our daughter. What else? I needed a new computer – can you say crash? My biggest problem was finding a great spot to take photos. That completely failed – no photo-worthy natural light where I need it at our new house – bummer. I finally ordered two new tabletop lights and they arrive today. So, stay tuned for that Giveaway I’ve been promising. I’m cooking up some of Chef AJ’s Sweet Potato Nachos from her cookbook Unprocessed and trying out those new lights tomorrow. WOOHOO! I’ve been missing my blog so much and I can’t wait to start creating and sharing again.

Thanks to everyone who has voted and continues to vote once a day for me. How cool would it be if I actually one? I’m not saying I’m competitive – okay I am a little lot – so thanks again for voting. 😉

You can vote every 24 hours until Feb 14, 2012 until 5pm PST so please click here to vote for Virtually Vegan Mama. Feel free to spread the word. =)

Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support. You guys rock!

xoxo,

Jen