On Halloween night, we held our first vegetarian potluck in Washington DC. The theme: Halloween/Fall Spooktacular. For starters, I made some fig, pecan and goat cheese tapendade served with spooky halloween pita crisps as an appetizer. (This dish has now been deemed “Figgy Crack” because once you start eating it, it’s really really hard to stop.) I altered the recipe a bit and used crumbled goat cheese in the mix rather than spreading it on the pitas. For the pita crisps, I ... Read Full Story

Halloween brings out witches, ghosts and goblins and lots of creativity. As with any holiday, there are always plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes we can make. With a quick internet search, I found several great recipes that will satisfy the even most ghoulish of our carnivore friends. Faux Stuffed Intestines – This dish isn’t for the faint of heart (especially one of a vegetarian). But, if you’re looking for a high gross out factor, these “stuffed intestines”... Read Full Story

DC Vegans were all abuzz this morning when the following Facebook status appeared on the Chipotle fan page: “Today at the Dupont Circle restaurant in Washington, D.C., we will start serving Garden Blend. Garden Blend is a vegan blend of plant proteins, grains and vegetables marinated in our chipotle adobo, then grilled. D.C., now you have breakfast at Dulles and Garden Blend at Dupont. Enjoy! – Colin” According to this great review, it sounds like the burrito is pretty durn... Read Full Story

I haven’t had a chance to get all my thoughts down about the DC Green Festival. I’ll work on posting them in the next couple of days. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the event. There were lots of exhibits, great food, informative speakers and a variety of free samples. I call it a success! Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer Read Full Story

A few months ago, I mentioned that I submitted my Spinach Stuffed Shells recipe to the BloggerAid: Changing the Face of Famine cookbook.   The proceeds of the cookbook will go to  the WFP School Lunch Program. I’m pleased to report that the cookbook is on the brink of being sent to the printer…so keep an eye out for details here. In the meantime, the fine folks at Cookbook People, have made an offer I can not refuse. For every BloggerAid member post about Cookbook People, they wi... Read Full Story

In 2007, the New York Times wrote an article called Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less. I’ve held on to the article (yes, from the actual newspaper) and just came across it again in a massive desk clean-up. So, rather than hiding it back into a deep dark drawer, I figured I’d list some of the ideas here. In the original, the majority of the dishes included meat (mostly fish), but there were many on there that are vegetarian or vegan. I’ve also incl... Read Full Story

Tucked behind an unassuming strip mall in the heart of Franklin Street, Butternut Squash is a new vegetarian restaurant in Chapel Hill that is worth the search. The food is fresh, the menu is diverse and the service was great. I went to this restaurant with my favorite carnivore curmudgeon. He was a little grumbly about the prospect of eating at a vegetarian restaurant, so I promised that if he walked away hungry after eating here I’d take him to go get a burger… The restaurant i... Read Full Story

Happy World Vegetarian Day! October 1st marks the kick-off to Vegetarian Awareness Month. I’ll admit, I have many carnivorous friends that have found that they can go a day without eating meat. In fact, some even have even done it without realizing it. Vegetarian and vegan food options are interesting, exciting and, best of all, delicious. Go through my site and find some new dishes and recipes. Try them, and let me know what you think. If you’re still eating meat try going a day... Read Full Story

I have yet to make it to Cava Restaurant in Washington, DC but had a chance to sample their take home items at the Local Foods event in Arlington. After a free sample, in no time I had loaded my cart with both a container of their harissa and their hummus ignoring the $6 price tag for an 8.5 oz container. (Unfortunately, the hummus was consumed before I had a chance to take pictures of this review. Perhaps, however, that will attest to the deliciousness of it.) The harissa is hot hot hot but... Read Full Story

This recipe appeared in the February 2009 issue of Prevention magazine. I have never been motivated to make my own macaroni and cheese, but after my mother made this recipe, I was convinced. What makes this recipe unique is using a bit of chopped chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you don’t want the macaroni and cheese to be super spicy, pare down the amount called for in the recipe. Macaroni and Cheese Prevention Magazine – February 2009 3 cup... Read Full Story