This recipe is completely inspired by my first, but hopefully not last, visit to Vedge restaurant in Philadelphia. The hubs and I were celebrating our veganversary and wanted to go somewhere special. Special does not begin to describe Vedge. From the minute I walked in, my vegan heart skipped a beat. As we were ushered past the vegan bar and into the main dining room, the ambiance and decor came together like magic. Minimalist in it's style, yet warm from the ample glowing ceiling lights, with every detail of this historic building thoughtfully restored... all with a neutral palette which quickly draws your eye to the gorgeous food on the tables. That is the real star of this place. We sit down and are given the menu and the day's "dirt list" which is the daily farm-to-table special collection of vegetables. We quickly order beer and begin the hard task of figuring out what food to order. Kung pao cauliflower with peanuts, black vinegar, and cilantro or asparagus & garlic mustard soup w/ preserved lemon and pepitas? How about both. So the food arrives and we dig in. Food orgasms begin. Sorry but seriously, those vegetables were that good. So we order two more plates of veggies. Brussels sprouts, shaved and grilled with smoked mustard arrives. We moan our way through it, savoring every delectable bite. It dawns on me that I have never had vegetables coaxed to such beautiful perfection before. It makes me want to cry tears of joy. I need to take a moment... Needless to say there were many more plates of food and of course dessert, which will require a whole post on it's own. I left Vedge so impressed and so inspired. The hubs and I set out to create our own version of those Brussels sprouts that would be quick, simple, and easy... but still taste special. And here you have it. This truly feels gourmet. It would be a great side dish to impress dinner guests with, or to make the foodie in you sing... or to just celebrate this gift of life. Peace!

Ingredients:

Smoky Mustard & Tahini Sauce:

• 1/8 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 TBS tahini
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste

Brussels Sprouts:

• 1 lb or more Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 TBS canola oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (depending on what saltiness you like)
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat a grill with a cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat. Next, make the mustard sauce. Pull all ingredients except the water into a bowl and whisk rapidly until combined. Slowly add water while whisking until the mixture becomes a thick creamy sauce. Add more water if needed to help thin it out a bit.

In a large bowl toss the Brussels sprouts with the canola oil, salt & pepper. Once grill and pan are heated, add sprout mixture and cook stirring and tossing frequently for 3 - 5 minutes or until the sprouts just start to get browned on the edges. Be careful not to overcook, you still want them to have some texture. Pile them neatly onto a serving platter and drizzle with mustard sauce and more fresh cracked black pepper. Makes 4 generous sides.

It's been awhile since I have been able to post. I hope life has been good to you It feels great to finally start reclaiming my life back after what seems like forever. Where have I been you ask? I have been helping close family members (yep, plural) battle serious illness. It's during this time you find out what you are really made of. I found out that my sense of humor never takes a vacation and that it might be my best weapon against the illness monster. The monster tried very hard to bring us all down... We didn't let it win. We aren't out of the clear yet so my postings will be a little sporadic, but as each week gets better and better I will be working on more recipes and posts.

This week's recipe is about simplicity. Time is precious. Now go hug your spouse, your partner, your kids, your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, your dogs, your cat, your iguana... you get the idea. Tell them you love them right now. Great, now back to the recipe. This is one of those recipes that you don't even have to get out of your jammies to make. We all have those days. This is about minimal time investment with a huge, delicious return. That sounds good right? Yep it sure is. So make this in the morning, after you have slept in, had your cup of coffee, and are functioning well enough to use a knife. Put it in your crockpot or slow cooker and just hours later you will have some amazing comfort food. This can be served with just about anything. I like mine with a baked potato or alongside rice with a kale salad. Let's see...you could stuff it into a pita, roll it into a wrap, or eat it straight up...Did I mention it's versatile? It also makes great leftovers. Over the long cooking hours the tempeh absorbs the bbq sauce, releasing it as you bite into the perfect juicy and meaty texture. It's easy, simple, comforting, delicious and most of all pretty healthy. My favorite combination Peace and good health to you and yours.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of tempeh, 8 oz each, I used plain soy tempeh
• 16-18 ounces of barbecue sauce, pick something healthy and tasty, mine was agave sweetened
• 1 large sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cup of water

Directions:

Turn your crockpot on high. Cut the tempeh into 3/4" cubes. I cut it lengthwise into 3 longs strips and then cut those strips into 9 equal pieces. Place tempeh and sliced onion into the crockpot. Add barbecue sauce and water. Stir gently with a wooden or silicone spoon. Place lid on crockpot and let cook for 5-7 hours on high. You can stir occasionally, but it's not really needed. Serves 4-5.

Sometimes life pushes our limits. Sometimes just when I think I can't take anything more, it deliberately sets out to prove me wrong. I could choose to be sad, to wallow if you will, to hang my head down and just suffer. And there are times I allow myself to do just that. Mostly though, I do my best to take it all in stride and roll with the punches. I am so fortunate to have such a supportive husband who holds my hand as we weather through life's storms together, a family who is always there for me, and friends who remind me that we all have our battles. Every single one of us, without exception. When I take a minute to remember that, it puts things back into perspective. Food is one of the ultimate ways to not only comfort yourself, but comfort anyone who may need it. It is also an escape. Nothing like diving into a special recipe to forget about life for just a bit. This recipe is perfect. With a little prep work to distract you in the morning, this gets slow-cooked throughout the day, making your house smell divine, and at the end of the day you and your loved ones get to sit down to a piping hot bowl of homemade vegetable soup. Does it get better than that? This also makes a decent amount of soup, so maybe you can deliver a bowl to someone you know who needs comforting, or better yet invite them over. It's the little gestures of kindness that mean so much. Wishing you all comfort when you most need it. Peace

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 TBS canola or olive oil
• 2 lbs of frozen mixed soup vegetables, includes corn, carrots, peas, green beans, etc
• 32 oz vegetable stock or broth
• 2 cups of water
• 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 2 TBS Braggs Liquid Amino Acids
• 1 TBS red wine or Balsamic vinegar
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/2 tsp salt, more or less depending on your stock
• fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet with deep sides, saute the onions, celery, and potatoes in the oil over medium-high heat stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the frozen vegetables and put a lid over the skillet, continue cooking another 6-8 minutes until the frozen vegetables are warm. Transfer to a slow cooker and turn on high.

Bring the pan back to the stove and add the stock, water, tomato paste, Braggs, vinegar, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and salt, cooking over medium-high heat. Whisk gently to incorporate the tomato paste. Continue cooking until the mixture is bubbling, about 5-7 minutes. Then add to the vegetables in the slow cooker. Using a silicon or wooden spoon stir in a generous amount of black pepper, I usually add between 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Add the lid and let cook for about 6 hours over high heat, stirring occasionally. Serves 6-8. Please note that you can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand. In the past I have used squash, peppers, cabbage, lima beans, etc. so feel free to improvise.