Sarah runs an incredible blog, for those of you who don't know about My New Roots. It's not vegan but a lot of her recipes are really easily adapted. I added zucchini for extra veggitude. Here, served over spinach with local heirloom tomato. Have I mentioned already how much I LOVE using spices? It's so much fun! I feel like an alchemist, or a chemist, concocting some love potion or polio vaccine. I never know what will compliment food, or what will overpower it so I just forgo the spices. Bad move. She knows.
Also, yet ANOTHER co-worker is leaving (two other friends left in the last month or so) so I baked some banana chocolate chip muffins for him.
As he is someone who has always been super enthusiastic about any baked goods I've brought in, it would be remiss of me to not bring something in on his last day. Cheers, dude, onto bigger and better. The recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. People really raved about them. I threw in the last of some chopped pecans and used coconut oil (rather than canola) because that is what I have.
Funny aside: I brought the container into work (it is sort of translucently see-through) and a (different) friend stopped me in the morning, "Whatchu got in there? Fried chicken?" and I jokingly said yes, it was cold fried chicken that I brought in for breakfast but when he opened the container, he was like - "They're muffins!" I kind of find it hilarious that he actually thought I would be eating cold fried chicken at 9 am, but I guess that's the kind of dude he is. Either way, he enjoyed a vegan muffin as a substitute for chicken. "It's almost as good," he said.
So people are quitting the store and not being replaced? And you're using up all the food in your apartment in order to facilitate moving out? There is an under layer of meaning here, I believe.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the under layer of meaning? I am too dense to get it.
DeleteWill you be next to go? To a farm in NC? To the French Countryside, tending your garden and bicycling (scarf waving in the breeze)? ;)
ReplyDeleteThese muffins look way better than fried chicken, IMO.
my best friend at the store is the next to go! It is so sad. Now I have to come up with something ELSE to bake :(
Deleteooooooooh currents and capers!! that sounds like such a unique and delicious combo! and those muffins look awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe spices were really special too. I think the cumin and turmeric really did it!
DeleteI hear you on the spicing - one book I got at food school was the Flavor Bible, which is really useful to me because I tend to be really tentative with seasonings. The thought of ruining a meal with a bad choice is terrifying! But that book provides lists and chef's notes and stuff about which flavors compliment each other. It's really just an awesome tome.
ReplyDeleteAnd I definitely laughed about the cold fried chicken thing. I really want to get the joy of vegan baking!
Oh, yeah, I've looked at that book at work but there's always a request on it. It must be a good one!
DeleteJoy of Vegan baking is almost always my go-to baking book. Really good stuff.
those banana muffins could take fried chicken in a head-to-head any day - they looks wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jess!
DeleteWow, that salad looks and sounds delicious! I've been thinking about making banana muffins and chocolate chips would definitely be a perfect addition to them ;) That's so funny that your friend thought it was chicken! I feel like you are the last person in the world to be toting random cold fried chicken around in a plastic container. Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteIt was SO GOOD! It really did last a long time, though, and I got a little tired of eating it, haha but it could be worse.
DeleteYou're awesome for baking for your co-workers like that. They're very lucky!
ReplyDeleteMuffins take the cake over fried chicken anyday in my book. :)
mine too! I love muffins.
DeleteI love lentil salads for fall (and I too just so happen to be cleaning out my pantry), so I'll be checking this out to see if it is, in fact, the best lentil salad ever!
ReplyDeleteI've been really bad about baking for work because I find that for every one a co-workder eats, I eat 2.
I actually love baking for work because I want them to get as much as they can so I never eat any of them - I enjoy baking a lot but I need a reason not to eat them all.
DeleteDo check out the recipe!
Vegan muffins beat fried chicken any day--and that's coming from someone who eats fried chicken :)
ReplyDeleteLove that lentil salad--capers for the win!
Haha, I don't know if I've ever had fried chicken.. I'll stick with muffins.
DeleteYes, capers are so fun!
Ah! That lentil salad looks delicious! I have never purchased my own capers, but I adore whenever they are on things I order at restaurants. So yummy!
ReplyDeleteCapers are a little pricey but they really add a lot to a dish. Vegan picatta!
DeleteMmm... lentil salad! I guess they're not a very "sexy" food but I just love lentils and look forward to making a nice lentil soup when the weather gets colder.
ReplyDeleteLove the "Whatchu got in there? Fried chicken?" story! Ha ha! Nice of you to bring in muffins on your coworker's last day. On my last day (last year), I brought in cookies - ha!
No, not sexy at all. Haha. And yea, with everyone leaving the store, I'll have to bake for my own last day too...
DeleteHaha that made me laugh! Muffins look really good, I might have to try making some! :)
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended. Thanks for stopping by!
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