as a jumping off point, but ground the beans in the food processor to make a smoother texture and adjusted the seasonings more to my taste. The chorizo came out great (although the first batch was a touch too spicy), and we ate it all week!Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Pepper, Grilled
I stuffed fresh poblano peppers with chorizo crumbled and sauteed, then Kirk grilled them just until the skin was scorched. Yum! I made a Mexican style red sauce and served it with over the peppers, which we ate with salad and grilled pineapple. I love having a barbeque! Grilled pineapple is seriously my favourite food right now.
Chorizo Jambalaya with Polenta and Salad
When my friend Stephanie came over for dinner, I used one of the packages I got in New Orleans to make jambalaya, which I served with polenta (because I suck at making corn bread), salad and young pickles. Now I need to learn how to make jambalaya from scratch!
Huge Salad with Chorizo
I did not feel like cooking tonight, so I made a HUGE salad with baby greens, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, green onions and chorizo. Definitely satisfying!
Pecan Pralines
I had a sweet tooth this week, and was craving the (non-vegan) pralines I had in New Orleans. I found this vegan praline recipe and, because I am obsessive about keeping my pantry well-stocked, I had all of the ingredients on hand. So I decided to give it a shot. I have never made candy of any kind before, so I was a little nervous about that. I did do a little internet research beforehand and came up with this handy site. One thing I'd recommend to anyone attempting candy-making is to invest in a proper candy thermometer
. I just have this kind
, and I had to rig it to the pot with a binder clip. Not ideal! But it did work out in the end and the pralines turned out fabulously. I totally overdosed on sugar for two days, and finally gave the rest to my mother today.
Here's a bonus shot of Jerry in her new bed, given to her by her Aunt Nova (Mum's cat).
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, fresh basil, bell pepper, jalapeno slices, sprouts, lime juice and 
hot sauce. Usually I have fresh limes and scallions, but I forgot to pick them up at the market. Mmm... I want pho right now! 
as a jumping off point, but I used less oil for frying the leeks and added some soy milk and margarine at the end of cooking for some creaminess. I pureed everything with my 
but I think next time I'll reserve some of the leeks and leave them whole.
(since we didn't have any flatbread on hand).
by Myra Kornfeld. It's full of rich, delicious recipes organized into menus. It's great for impressing your friends at dinner parties. This week I was craving carrot cake, so I broke out Voluptuous Vegan and used her recipe. I substituted pecans for walnuts, but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. The result was fabulous, rich and moist, more a spice cake with a bit of carrots. I only wish I'd had some coconut milk to make the accompanying coconut cardamom sauce. Next time!
(such an amazing book!). I iced them with a simple chocolate glaze, and my chocolate craving was satisfied!
