Roasted Squash with Couscous

Is everyone else enjoying the slower post-mofo pace of November? I loved cooking up so many fun things, but it's nice to be able to have a little more time to plan my recipes and to also catch up on my blog reading! I feel like I've missed some great posts from some of my friends... don't worry, I will get caught up soon, I promise!

Last month, Kristy from Keepin' It Kind posted this amazing looking recipe for quinoa stuffed squash, and I was inspired to buy some squash. I loved her idea of creating a filling for the squash, so I did just that with ingredients I had on hand. It ended up being a really easy dinner, and one I would happily eat anytime!

Roasted Squash with Couscous
2 small to medium carnival squash
1 Tbsp vegan butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper
3 C vegetable broth
1.5 C Israeli couscous
1/4 C pine nuts
1/4 C dried cranberries
Few handfuls fresh spinach

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the squash in half using a strong knife, and scoop out the seeds and stringy center.
Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of a baking dish, and place the squash halves in the pan, cut side up. Coat the insides of the squash with the vegan butter, and sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp of brown sugar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper over each half.
Bake for 1 hour, or until the tops of the squash are lightly browned. 

When the squash is about halfway done, you can get started on the filling. Combine the vegetable broth of the couscous in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer 15-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a pan until golden brown. Careful not to burn.
Mix the pine nuts, cranberries and spinach into the couscous. Let sit until the spinach wilts.
Scoop some of the couscous filling into each half of your squash, then serve.

My husband really dislikes squash, so I was the only one eating these - but I'm not complaining! I will definetly be making this again. I had never tried these little carnival squash before but they were really good. I think next time I will add in some chickpeas like Kristy had in her recipe!

What is your favorite type of squash right now? What other types of filling would you add to your roasted squash?

Thanks for stopping by!

Vegan Food Swap: October 2012

It's time for the October vegan food swap reveal!

The vegan food swap is a wonderful idea created and organized by The Verdant Life.
You get matched up with a person and send them a box full of your favorite vegan foods. It's a great chance to try new things and meet other bloggers! Plus it is really fun to get a surprise box of food in the mail. :)

This month I sent a box to Jannifer, who doesn't yet have a blog. I hope you enjoyed your treats!

I received an awesome food swap box from Mary!

Here's a list of what was in my box:

• Can of Pumpkin
• Imagine Mushroom Gravy
• Dried Sour Cherries
• The Essential Bite Banana chip oat
• Blueberry Muffin Larabar
• Justin's Nut Butter: Vanilla Almond and Chocolate Hazelnut - my 2 favorite flavors!
• Fearless Chocolate Bar
• Adorable halloween cupcake liners

I loved the halloween theme, such a cute idea! She also included this fun card with a recipe for pumpkin mac n cheese which I will be trying soon.

Thank you so much for the great vegan swap box, Mary!

If you want to join in on the vegan food swap fun, you can sign up right here.

There will not be any swaps in November or December, but you can join in for January!

Friday Flashback - Philadelphia

I just got back from my trip to Philadelphia! I got to visit with 2 of my best friends and it was quite the adventure since we were not sure if we would be affected by Hurricane Sandy or not. We ended up still being able to go out and explore quite a bit before the weather turned bad, and we were lucky and didn't loose power. We tried out a few of the places on my list, and found some other great places as well!

Miss Rachel's Pantry offers catering and lunch delivery, and is open for brunch on the weekends. They also do a farmhouse dinner on Saturdays with a fixed menu for up to 12 people. We were able to go for brunch on Saturday, and everything we tried was great! I'm lucky my friends like to share food! We tried the wheatball hoagie, butternut squash soup, and maple-walnut french toast casserole. Everything was delicious but I think the french toast was my favorite. We also tried some of the coconut bacon (awesome) and grabbed a gooey brownie for the road! Definitely worth a stop in if you are near by!

On Tuesday after the storm had passed over and everyone was venturing out again, we walked to Rittenhouse and tried out Hip City Veg for lunch. If I lived there, I would be going to this place ALL the time! It is a small place with a focus on fast-food inspired fresh vegan food, and everything we tried was awesome. Pictured above is the Crispy Hipcity Ranch sandwich and the Jerk Caesar Salad. We also split some sweet potato fries which are great. I highly recommend trying this place out! It's perfect for a quick lunch while out sight seeing or wandering around.

Here are a few more random photos and food stops on my trip.

1. Vegan Brunch Wrap from Sabrina's Cafe with grilled seitan and mushrooms.

2. Black Bean Burger from Local 44 in West Philly. Fun place!

3. Risotto with Squash - homemade when we were camping out inside.

4. The Thinker - in front of the Rodin Museum.

5. Delicious sushi from Dasiwa in Fairmount.

Alright people. We now have to talk about Vedge. This restaurant was the #1 stop on my list, and one of my friends had been there for happy hour and was so excited to take me there. First of all, the inside decor is cozy and classy, which was perfect for the rainy night we went. Second of all, it's similar to tapas with the food coming in small plates sizes, which is great for sharing. Most importantly - every single thing we tried was AMAZING. I know there are already tons of rave reviews about Vedge, but I can't help but add mine. Pictured above is the autumn squash pierogies, fresh hearts of palm in a garbanzo crepe, grilled seitan with creamy parsnips and english peas, smoked eggplant & cauliflower, crispy brussels sprouts and spicy cauliflower from their "dirt list" (appetizers) and the dessert is the cheesecake with figs and pistachios. I can't even tell you which was my favorite because I couldn't decide. I kept declaring each new dish was the best yet. I think most of us at the table all agreed the pierogies were extra delicious. The cheesecake was probably the best I've ever tried too. It's a little pricey so it would be a great spot for special occasions, but if you are just in Philly for a trip, do not miss Vedge! Trust me!

Overall it was a great trip! I love visiting Philly and found some new favorite restaurants this time around too. Have you been to any of these places? Any other Philly faves I should try next time?

Thanks for stopping by!

Cranberry Almond Granola Cookies

Welcome Virtual Vegan Potluckers!

I am so excited to be participating in the virtual vegan potluck again. This time there are over 100 bloggers from all over the world sharing everything from appetizers to main courses to desserts.

If you've visited my blog before, you know that I'm no stranger to dessert, and so that is what I'm bringing to the pot luck today! Last time I brought a salad, and even though I do love a good salad, in my kitchen cookies totally win every time. Sorry brussels sprouts, I still love you.

Cranberry Almond Granola Cookies

6 Tbsp vegan butter
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C natural granola
1/4 C almonds, chopped
1/4 C dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Combine butter, sugar, applesauce and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add in the flour and baking soda and mix again. Gently stir in the granola, chopped almonds, and cranberries.
Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool and enjoy!

These cookies were delicious! I was almost out of ideas after all those vegan mofo posts, but I had some granola to use from the last food swap, and these were the perfect thing. I hope you enjoy them!

To see more amazing desserts, go FORWARD to: Balanced Living
To go to the blog before mine, go BACK to: Veganville
Start from the beginning at Vegan Bloggers Unite

Vegan MoFo 2012: Wrap Up

Well, Vegan MoFo is winding down to a close, and I thought It'd be the perfect time to do a wrap up post of all the things I blogged about this month. It was a little crazy, but I'm glad I participated!

1. Philadelphia
2. Maui
3. Paris
4. Denver

1. Caesar Salad Tofu Wraps
2. Alfredo Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
3. Corn Dog Muffins
4. Easy Vegetable Fried Rice

1. Pomegranate Vanilla Limeade
2. Soft Pretzel Bites
3. Vanilla Milkshakes with Hot Fudge Sauce
4. Maple & Sea Salt Popcorn

1. No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
2. Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad
3. Carrot Soup with Garlic Croutons
4. Tofu Scramble Toasts

Flashback 1
Flashback 2
Flashback 3
Flashback 4


I hope you'll check out the posts you may have missed over the month, and stick around for next month! On November 1st I'll be participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, and I have some more travel posts and fun recipes planned in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by!