Rainy Day, Pumpkin Muffins and so much more...

It is pretty darn "yuck" outside. Give me a huge thunder/lightning/pouring down rainstorm anytime, but this 1/2 rain 1/2 snow stuff....yuck! But....it is a perfect excuse to stay in and bake and cook!! I almost broke down last night and bought a dozen eggs, but a quick call to my vegan sponsor, my niece Courtney, put me right back on track. Lots of good food available is the best remedy to almost "losing it".

Oh yeah, a friend of mine just asked me to recommend some movies and these are the ones I watched just today while cooking/baking! You've Got Mail, Juno, and Before Sunrise. Another great classic is High Fidelity.

Pumpkin Muffins
Submitted by Isa from www.theppk.com

prep time: 7 minutes | cooking time: 27 - 30 minutes | makes 6 jumbo muffins

These are moist and fluffy, with a hint of molasses and warm spicy flavor. This recipes is for 6 jumbo muffins, if you want to make little muffins change the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.

Equipment:
Jumbo muffin tin

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
1 tablespoon soy yogurt
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin tins with vegetable shortening or spray on oil.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour through cloves). In a seperate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin through molasses). Pour wet into dry and combine. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way. Bake for 27-30 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Marinara Sauce by Veganomican
Isa says, the secret to a great marinara sauce is K.I.S.S. - keep it simple, stupid! hahaha
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
I added 1 cup sauteed thinly sliced mushrooms.
Add oil and garlic to saucepan which is heated over medium low heat. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and raise the heat a bit to bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Mustard Sauce over Baked Tofu by Veganomicon
Mix 2 T. cornstarch and 3/4 veggie broth, set aside
In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute 3 cloves garlic, minced and 1/2 t. dried thyme in 1 T. of olive oil for about a minute. Add 1/2 cup sherry cooking wine and 1 T. soy sauce, and raise the heat to high. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer, to reduce for about 4 minutes. Add the veggie broth mixture, 1/4 cup whole grain dijon mustard, 1 T. lemon juice, and 2 T. capers (with brine). Stir often, using a whisk. Once the sauce is bubbling lower the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes. The sauce should be on the thick side. Let cool a bit before serving; this sauce tastes great just above room temperature.

Then I cut a 1 lb. tofu steak in 8 slices widthwise, placed on a cookie sheet at 400F for 20 minutes. Turn over, bake for 10 more minutes.

And finally, the "Piece De Resistance" (waiting for a comment from HSV, Arkansas!)
4 carrots
1 apple
1" ginger
1/4 beet