Since we became vegetarians 3 weeks ago, this was our first Thanksgiving without a turkey! I used to think that the idea of Thanksgiving without a turkey was not much of a Thanksgiving at all, but keeping my priorities in order, I thankfully washed all of the vegetables and proceeded to make our Thanksgiving dinner: confit byaldi, Remy's take on Ratatouille.



His looks a lot better than mine.


But ours tasted absolutely amazing and left us wanting more!





Confit Byaldi

INGREDIENTS
FOR PIPERADE
1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12oz. total weight), peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 a bay leaf
Kosher salt


Piperade:



FOR VEGETABLES
1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper




FOR VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

DIRECTIONS
1. For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.

2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.

3. For vegetables, heat oven to 275 degrees. Down center of pan, arrange a strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.

4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

5. For vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

6. To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

I am a lucky girl, that much is for sure!

Yesterday, I went to the mall to shop for some jeans, and to see New Moon (more on New Moon later) and I came home with a few extra things from Aero due to some awesome deals and a 30% off coupon, of course.

When I got home, this delicious stew was waiting for me, along with my two favorite people in the world. I made some Irish soda bread and we had a delicious dinner together.



Recipe by my husband David

combine:
1 brown onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 Tbs olive oil
in a skillet over medium high heat. saute until onion is soft.

then add:
16 oz baby portabello mushrooms, sliced thick
1 bottle stout beer (we used Samuel Adams Cream Stout)
6 red potatoes, diced
and water to cover potatoes + 1 inch or so.
simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

add:
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp peppercorn pepper
1/2 tsp soy sauce

In a separate pot over low heat, melt 6 Tbs butter. Add 1 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C flour and stir. Quickly add up to 2 cups of broth from soup pot, and stir until smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer back to the soup and allow to simmer until well blended.

Makes 8 servings.

Serve with White Irish Soda Bread

Give Thanks and Enjoy!!

Last night, I went to the ER for what I thought might be appendicitis.

I had been feeling pain in my lower abdomen for the last couple of weeks, but didn't really think much of it since I had just been to my OB and everything came back normal.

Until yesterday... when we were walking in the grocery store and the pains started in a different area and were so bad that I couldn't walk without feeling like I was going to tear something inside of me.

When we got home, I made the obligatory call to the Tricare nurse advice line and was approved (after 2 hours) to go to the nearest hospital ER as soon as possible. Gotta love Tricare.

At the ER, I was given an IV, some painkillers, a pregnancy test (-), and a lot of time to think by myself. After that, I was taken to radiology for an ultrasound, then back to my room to wait for the results, which were expected to be one of the following:

1) appendicitis
2) ectopic/tubular pregnancy
3) ovarian cysts

The doctor came in shortly after and informed me that my right ovary has a blood filled cyst on it about 3 cm long. Gross, but what a blessing. The other 2 options would have meant emergency surgery (and possible loss of a little one who implanted in the wrong place).

I was given more pain meds and sent home with orders to rest and follow up with my OB. I'm not sure what to expect, but I am hoping that this will take care of itself. Apparently, if it does not burst or go away on it's own, or if it grows above 5 cm, surgery is recommended to save the ovary.
The pain comes and goes within the day, but when it is present, it is awful!

Please keep me in your prayers, praying for healing and a non-invasive, speedy recovery.

We recently tried Amy's Organic soups and were highly impressed with the quality and flavor, but at $2.15 a can (1 serving per can), I was determined to make my own organic soup at a much lower cost.
I found this recipe on one of my new favorite websites for environmentally friendly living called The Daily Green and found it to be easy pea-sy! ;)
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family did!


Vegan Split Pea Soup

SERVINGS
4 to 6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups (450 g) green split peas
6 to 7 cups (1410 to 1645 ml) water or vegetable stock
1 medium-size yellow onion, diced
2 creamy yellow potatoes (such as Yukon gold or fingerlings), diced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Rinse split peas, checking for any impurities, such as stones or residue. Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover loosely and cook until peas are tender, 1 hour or longer. Check occasionally to make sure water has not completely evaporated. Heat should be low-medium.

The resulting soup should be thick and creamy, with the split peas quite broken down and mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS AND VARIATIONS
For creamier soup, puree in a food processor or blender. This is also a great soup for a slow cooker; add all ingredients, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

COMPASSIONATE COOKS' TIP
The liquid smoke (found near the barbecue sauce in your local grocery store) takes the place of the ham (!) that people have been known to add to their soup. Because it's the smoky and salty flavor that we desire (not pig!), the liquid smoke does the job perfectly! (Yes, I needed to use that many exclamation points.)


This soup was delicious! I used almost all organic ingredients, and it still cost less than $4 for 6 servings! We'll be enjoying leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Did you know that this soup is also great for your heart? It tastes good and it's good for you! Dried peas are packed with fiber, B vitamins, protein, manganese, potassium and molybdenum, a trace mineral that has detoxifying properties.

For more information on the health benefits of split peas, visit The World's Healthiest Foods.