Veggie-Packed Napa Cabbage Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recently, as a thank-you for the friends who renovated our kitchen, we made food for 100 guests at a party that traditionally has been all about BBQ. We wondered how our dishes would be received by people who might not usually gravitate toward vegetarian food. It wasn't like we were going to serve “a bunch of tofu or something,” we reassured the hosts. That might be too crazy to do for this crowd.

But we ended up doing just that when we made these cabbage wraps! Tofu has a great, meaty texture when it's cooked correctly, and it just makes sense here in an Asian-inspired dish. These wraps are packed with vegetables, and the peanut sauce that accompanies them is awesome even on its own. 

We want everybody to be surprised by how amazing healthy food can be, so go on and make these for your next party or have them for dinner one night this week. We think they’ll win you over, too. 

Veggie-Packed Napa Cabbage Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 head of napa cabbage

1 8-ounce package crimini mushrooms

2 medium carrots (roughly chopped)

1 red bell pepper

1-inch piece of fresh ginger

3 large cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1 8-ounce package extra-firm tofu (drained, cubed)

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Cut napa cabbage in half; reserve leaves for the wraps. Cut the root end off of the cabbage and discard. Place the remaining cabbage in the food processor and pulse 5 to 6 times until finely chopped but not mushy. Place chopped cabbage in a large bowl and set aside.

Place mushrooms into the food processor and pulse 5 times until finely chopped. Add them to the bowl with the cabbage. Place the carrots and bell pepper in the food processor and repeat the process of pulsing 5 times. Add this to the vegetable mixture. Place the ginger and garlic in the food processor and pulse. Add this to the vegetable mixture along with the five-spice, black pepper, and salt.

Put a wok or large frying pan over the highest heat on the stovetop, and let it heat up until wisps of smoke rise up from the hot metal. Carefully pour in one tablespoon of olive oil and wait for it to start to smoke. Now, put the tofu into the wok and give it a shake--be aware that it may pop and splatter. Let the tofu rest in the hot pan without being disturbed for 45 seconds before tossing to redistribute it. Flip the tofu two additional times; after each flip, allow tofu to cook for 1 minute or until nicely browned. Remove tofu from the wok and place it into the food processor along with the peanuts. Pulse the food processor 5 times until mixture is finely chopped.

Add the remaining olive oil to the hot wok. Repeat the same stir-frying process with the vegetable mixture. Once the mixture looks dry, add the tofu and peanut mixture and toss to incorporate. Spoon mixture onto a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve alongside the reserved cabbage leaves and the sauce.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 tablespoon Bragg’s (or soy sauce)

1 tablespoon mirin

1/2-inch piece fresh ginger

2 to 3 tablespoons water

Into the work bowl of the food processor, add the peanut butter, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, Bragg’s, mirin, and ginger. Blend until smooth. Add enough water to form a thick but pourable sauce.

Brunch for Valentine's Day: Croissant Egg Casserole for Two + Asparagus “Fries” with a Simple Aioli

Thank you to Sprouts Farmers Market for partnering with us for this post! We have been compensated for our time, but as usual, all opinions are our own. 

  You can do this! Yes, we’re talking to you -- well, especially if you’ve been unfairly labeled as ‘the one who doesn’t cook’ at your house. You’ve got this. And your sweetie is going to be so surprised! Here’s your guide for Valentine’s Day.

      It falls on a Sunday this year, and if you’re super last-minute like us, it's okay because there’s still plenty of time to prepare, and if you’re super romantic, you get a whole entire day to be sweet. Expectations can be a little high, sure, but it’s better to start the tone off right from the first moment. And the plan really should include cooking for your sweetheart! 

  While checking out all the boxes of cute mini pastries in the bakery at Sprouts in Germantown this week, we noticed the tiny croissants, which sparked an idea for this brunch egg casserole just in time for Valentine’s Day. It’s kind of reminiscent of a croque monsieur but with our own spin, which includes Montchevré goat milk brie and Sprouts Private Label marinated artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. It’s rich but not too heavy, so hey, feel free to indulge a little on this special day. 

      On the side, we added some asparagus “fries” with a simple aioli for dipping. All of this is really easy to put together ahead of time, and the cool thing is that all you have to do in the morning is place the prepared casserole and asparagus in the oven. They’ll be ready at the same time, and you look like a hero. (And if you make coffee for the both of you while you wait for it all to cook, seriously, then you’re golden.)

      Shop for your ingredients this coming Saturday and knock all of it out in one trip: go on and pick up too many flowers and grab that nice chocolate you always talk yourself out of buying. Because we all know that even those cynical people who claim Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday secretly want all the attention that comes with somebody thinking of them and only them. 

Croissant Egg Casserole for Two

5 Sprouts mini croissants (split lengthwise)
3 large Sprouts Private Label cage-free, organic eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 6.5-ounce jar Sprouts Private Label marinated artichokes
1 11.9-ounce jar Sprouts Private Label roasted red peppers
1 4.4-ounce wheel of goat milk brie (sliced)
1 tablespoon Sprouts Private Label dijon mustard
1 recipe Asparagus ‘Fries’ with Simple Aioli (follows)

Place the bottom portion of the croissants in a 9x6 inch pan and set aside the top portion of them for now. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour egg mixture over bottom portions of croissants. Place 9x6 pan in to the refrigerator overnight or for at least 20 minutes. Spread dijon mustard evenly over the inside of the reserved top portions of the croissants and place into the fridge separately.

Once you’re ready to serve, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drain artichokes and peppers. Top each bottom portion of each croissant with an artichoke heart and a roasted red pepper. Top each with sliced brie. Place pan in the oven for 20 minutes. Top with mustard-spreaded tops and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve along side Asparagus ‘Fries’ with Simple Aioli. (Makes two servings.)

Asparagus “Fries” with a Simple Aioli

1 pound asparagus (bottom 1/3 trimmed off)
1 1/2 lemons (divided)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the asparagus, juice from 1 lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tips are slightly browned. 

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice to make a flavorful aioli. Serve roasted asparagus alongside small bowls of aioli and the croissant casserole. (Makes two servings.)

Vegan Elvis Oatmeal: Banana, Peanut Butter, & Smoked Coconut Bacon

We subscribe to Better Homes & Gardens, 
and one of their really creative oatmeal recipes from this month's issue inspired us to try out a vegan version of peanut butter, banana, and bacon oatmeal this morning. Sweet and savory always makes for a great combo, and we love to find any excuse to make smoked coconut bacon, which has actually fooled non-vegetarians in the past. 

Vegan Elvis Oatmeal: Banana, Peanut Butter, and Smoked Coconut Bacon

1/2 cup Smoked Coconut Bacon
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup peanutbutter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana (sliced)
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Make the Smoked Coconut Bacon according to the recipe. It'll make more than you need, but you won't be sad to have more of this amazing stuff around for salads and to go with BLT or pimento cheese sandwiches.

Into a saucepan place oats and almond milk. Bring to a boil over hight heat while stirring to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, for five minutes or until thickened. Stir in the peanut butter and salt. Divide cooked oatmeal between two bowls and garnish each with 1/2 of the banana slices, 1/4 cup of Smoked Coconut Bacon, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

Asian-Inspired Taco Bar for the Big Game

Thank you to Sprouts Farmers Market for partnering with us for this post! We have been compensated for our time, but as usual, all opinions are our own. 

We love football. (Y’all, you know we just love it for the food!) So we’re not making seven-layer dip, we won’t be throwing down a platter of homemade wings, and we’re obviously not baking up any team-color-frosted brownies; however, you can depend on us for something: we’ll certainly sign up to provide the Mexican-Korean-Japanese fusion taco bar.

We stopped by Sprouts Farmers Market in Germantown this past Saturday afternoon to pick up all the ingredients, and once we landed back at home, we set about turning our ideas into a little trial-run dinner. The Wildbrine Japanese Miso Horseradish Kimchi we'd never tried before was the item that kickstarted our idea to take our tacos on a non-traditional route. Pan-seared half-moons of Japanese eggplant coated with spicy Bibigo Gochujang handily stand in for the meat, and Sprouts Private Label mini sweet peppers and organic romaine hearts make up the cold and crunchy raw component of the dish. 

Everyone can probably agree that selecting the exact ingredients one wants is pretty interactive and satisfying, and this serve-yourself spread works well on something as crazy and unpredictable as game day, when continuous grazing is the key. We just know your own crowd will welcome something unexpected that packs a spicy punch this Sunday as we all gather to watch, celebrate, and most importantly, eat a bunch of great stuff.

Asian-Inspired Taco Bar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

3 medium Japanese eggplant (sliced into half moons, about 6 cups)

1 bunch organic green onions (discard root end; reserve dark green tops for garnish) 

1 lime (juiced)

3/4 cup gochujang

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

On the side:

1 Sprouts Private Label romaine heart (chopped)

1 avocado (sliced)

6 ounces kimchi

5 ounces queso fresco
2 limes (quartered)

3 Sprouts Private Label mini sweet bell peppers (thinly sliced)

1 bunch organic cilantro

3 serrano peppers (seared in a hot pan)

12 organic corn tortillas (heated in a dry skillet)

Put your seasoned wok or large frying pan over the highest heat on the stovetop and let it heat up until you see little wisps of smoke rise up off of the hot metal. Pour in the olive and sesame oils and wait for it to start to smoke. Now, put your eggplant and green onions in and give the pan a little shake. Let the mixture rest in the hot pan for 45 seconds before tossing everything to redistribute it by pushing the pan forward and then jerking it back just like you’d do to flip an omelette or just use a spatula. Allow the vegetables to rest for another 45 seconds to 1 minute before flipping them again. Flip the vegetables one last time and allow them to cook for 1 minute. At this point, add your lime juice and gochujang and cook for one more minute. Remove the stir-fry from the wok and place it on a serving platter. (The whole cooking process takes less than 4 minutes.)

Serve alongside chopped romaine hearts, sliced avocado, kimchi, queso fresco, thinly sliced mini sweet bell peppers, cilantro, and seared serrano peppers. Each guest can build their own masterpiece atop one of the 12 organic corn tortillas. (Makes 8 to 10 servings.)

Sweet or Savory Ebelskivers

We are excited to have been selected by the International Housewares Association to contribute to their Inspired Home blog. We've been compensated for our time, but our opinions are, of course, our own. 

Round, filled pancakes, a.k.a. ebelskivers, are pretty cool. We made some recently for the Inspired Home blog when we tried out a specially-made-for-ebelskivers skillet in our kitchen, and of course, you know we had to procure the very specific wooden turning tools as well to make the whole process even easier and so official.

So check out how making our ebelskivers went and also find recipes HERE for our pimento cheese version -- or go for the chocolate and ginger ones for a killer dessert. 

We think you'll have fun trying these out, too -- maybe for your sweetie's surprise Valentine's Day Sunday brunch?

Vegetarian Dips & Spreads

Hey, check out our dips and spreads article in the Memphis Flyer from this past week! We have the Hoppin' John Bean Butter recipe from us two rascals here at TCV, Tex-Mex Corn Dip from Jennifer Chandler, and Spicy Pimento Cheese with Crispy Green Tomato Corncakes from Whitney Miller.

We had a great time writing this one and are so happy that our friends and fellow cookbook authors wanted to contribute their favorite game-day recipes. We also can't believe the big day's going to be here a week from now. So, what snacks are you planning to have on your coffee table next Sunday?

Oat, Banana, & Chia Silver Dollar Pancakes (GF)

We always make pancakes on the weekend! There's not much tradition going on otherwise around here because that's so boring, but we stick to this one. With these for breakfast, you work in a few nutritious ingredients (chia, oats, coconut oil, berries) and with that good of a start, you can just eat whatever later on.  They're gluten free and they're delicious, an amazing combination that doesn't feel like a compromise as GF foods sometimes do.

Oat, Banana, & Chia Silver Dollar Pancakes (GF)

1 cup rolled oats
2 large eggs

1 ripe banana

1 tablespoon chia seds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil (more for cooking)
1/4 cup milk (almond, soy, or dairy)

1/2 teaspoon salt

berries, bananas, and honey or maple syrup (to serve)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or large, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Into the work bowl of your food processor place the oats and grind them into a fine flour. Add the eggs, banana, chia, baking powder, vanilla, coconut oil, milk, and salt and blend until smooth. (Unlike traditional flours, you really can't overwork them because there's no gluten to activate.) The mixture should be thick but pourable like a traditional pancake batter. Add more milk if needed.

Place about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil on the griddle and brush to coat. Place 1/8 cup of batter on the griddle. It should fall into a 2-inch circle. Repeat. Allow pancakes to cook for 4 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the surface and the underside is golden. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for another 3 minutes or until pancake is golden and set all the way through. Repeat until all batter is used. Makes about 1 dozen small pancakes. Serve warm with a drizzle of honey, maple syrup, bananas, and berries. (Makes 1 dozen; serves 2.)

(Check out more of our go-to nutritious pancake recipes, Paleo Power Pancakes and Banana Pancakes from How it All Vegan, too!)

Logan's Edamame Hummus from People Magazine

We are always so happy for Memphis folks who are making a name for themselves in our city and beyond it. Logan Guleff, the young Memphian who won MasterChef Junior last year, has been steadily cooking and creating ever since his awesome victory.

Last fall, his favorite lunch recipe, Edamame Hummus, was featured in People, so we immediately tore out the page and just had to make it as soon as we had the chance.

Well, now that we've continually used this recipe over and over again -- so much so that we eat it all before we photograph it every time -- it's clear that it's going to be a keeper around here. It's a good high-protein snack that's flavored just right with a little garlic and parsley. We like having it after work with these sea salt almond crackers.

As usual, we can't wait to see what Logan does next! Maybe we'll have something to share with you about that very thing here soon…

Dirty Chai

So we've been curious about this stuff. Hearing about dirty chai here and there lately, we couldn't imagine how it would taste. It's basically just chai tea with a shot or two of espresso, but what a weird combo.  

This week, we set aside a couple of extra minutes one morning to put this drink together so we could see what the big deal is, y'all. The espresso takes a little detour through the spice cabinet with notes of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, clove, star anise, and ginger, and it just works. Hey, don't skip adding a little sweetener even if it's not usually your thing; we really like maple syrup for this since it balances out some of that cinnamon bitterness.

Of course, nothing will replace the usual cappuccino and cortado we make every morning at home -- oh my gosh, that sounds so, so annoying to even type out, yet it is true -- but this was pretty fun to finally try.

Dirty Chai

1/2 cup water
1 chai tea bag (We used Tazo organic chai.)
1 double shot dark roast espresso or strong coffee
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 drops vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Boil water and let chai tea bag steep for 3 minutes. Remove tea bag and discard. Add espresso or coffee, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir and enjoy. (Serves one, but recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled.)

Coconut Creamed Greens from Whitney Miller's New Southern Table (& her book signing in Memphis today!)

Whitney Miller's second cookbook, New Southern Table (Nelson Books 2015) was released this month, and we are so happy for her! Justin took the photos for the book, which is filled with re-imagined Southern classics and so many creative dishes we can't wait to make during the holidays. Whitney won MasterChef in season one, and soon after her victory, she wrote her first cookbook, Modern Southern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm, and traveled all over the world cooking up a storm and speaking about topics close to her heart.

Whitney, a native of Southern Mississippi, is currently in Memphis for the holidays with her awesome husband Ryan, and she's speaking and signing books today, Saturday, Nov. 28, at 4 p.m. at Booksellers. So come on out with us and meet our friend, get a book signed, and take care of a little holiday shopping at the best bookstore in town this afternoon!

We wanted to share a recipe from the book with you -- one that's representative of Whitney's modern take on Southern food. We already had a bunch of frozen blanched greens from the farm, so this was the perfect thing to make as a side dish today for lunch. (Except it looked so good that we actually ended up having it with tofu scramble and stewed tomatoes for breakfast!)

Whitney Miller's Coconut
Creamed Greens

2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil
12 cups packed, chopped turnip greens or kale, ribs removed
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
6 cloves roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
honey (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened shaved coconut, roughly chopped

Place the oil in a large sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the greens and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until slightly wilted, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and roasted garlic. Stir until well mixed. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the salt, and cook uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the greens to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the greens are broken down into chunky small pieces, about 30 seconds. Do not puree. Stir in the honey to cut any remaining bitterness from the greens. Pour into a shallow 8-inch casserole dish. Season the creamed greens with additional salt to taste. Sprinkle the coconut in an even layer over the greens.

Preheat the broiler. Broil the greens until the coconut is golden brown. Serve warm. (Makes 4 servings.)

Recipe courtesy of  Whitney Miller and Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. 

Thanksgrilling on IHA's Inspired Home blog

We are excited to have been selected by the International Housewares Association to contribute to their Inspired Home blog. We've been compensated for our time, but our opinions are, of course, our own. 

Check out our new post on the IHA Inspired Home blog. Last week, we did a test run for an outdoor Thanksgiving celebration, and we overcame both the meager Sunday night flower selection in Memphis and an all-night downpour in order to take some photos and help the story come to fruition. We included 3 recipes that are Thanksgiving mainstays around here: Smoked Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Pecans, Roast Beast, and Cast-Iron Brussels Sprouts and Apples. Good stuff! Hope you are excited about your plans for the holiday this week and also hope you're inspired by our low-key, non-crazed, and slightly contrary take on the whole deal. 

Vegetarian Thanksgiving: Chanterelle and Apricot Stuffed Acorn Squash with Miracle Mushroom Gravy

This is the perfect vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving. Check out this great link: it was even featured HERE in The New York Times!

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced white onion (about 1 small)

1 vegetable bouillon cube 

1/4 cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)

1 cup chanterelles, torn into strips

1/4 cup finely diced dried apricots 

Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)

2 cups brioche or good-quality white bread, torn into pieces

2 large eggs (beaten)

1 large acorn squash (or two small)

1 tablespoons olive oil 

Miracle Mushroom Gravy (to garnish; recipe follows)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter and then sauté the celery, onion, and bouillon cube until lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the chanterelles and apricots to the pan and warm through. Add salt and pepper. Chill the mushroom mixture thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the bread, eggs, and the cooled vegetable mixture

Using a sharp kitchen knife (and plenty of caution), trim the stem end off of the squash and cut the squash into 3/4 inch rings. You should be able to get 4 rings out of a large acorn squash. Discard the stem end and bottom piece. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds and membrane out of the squash and discard. Lay the squash rings out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet drizzle slices of squash with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove squash from the oven and press the stuffing into the center of each squash ring. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the stuffing has set and starting to brown. Add Miracle Mushroom Gravy to garnish. 

Miracle Mushroom Gravy

1 (10-ounce) package crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup diced shallot

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

scant 1/8 teaspoon ground clove 

1 tablespoon soy sauce (like Bragg’s)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

smoked paprika (to garnish)

Slice mushrooms about 1/4-inch thick. You will blend them later, so there’s no need to be overly precise. In a medium frying pan over hight heat, sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the shallot to the pan and continue to cook for another minute until the rawness has been cooked out of the shallot and it's translucent. 

Place the mushrooms and shallot ino the work bowl of your food processor and add the sage, red pepper flakes, clove powder, soy sauce, and maple syrup. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk mixture until fragrant (about five minutes.) Whisk in the whole milk and heat mixture until slightly thick. Add milk mixture to the food processor that contains the mushroom mixture. Pulse until mushrooms are finely chopped and well incorporated into the milk, but leave some chunkiness for a nice texture. Return the mixture to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. If gets too thick, add some milk or stock to thin it out.

New TCV Kitchen Update #2

Thanks so much to Uhlhorn Brothers Construction Co. here in Memphis (see their Insta here) for everything that's happening these days to put our kitchen back together in record time. 

We figured it's time for another update as we head toward the last couple of 

weeks -- some new stuff has been done since Update #1.

Something great happened in the kitchen: the new cabinets were installed! We've never before chosen cabinets for any previous apartment or house and were kinda not so sure what the big deal was about them. Look at us, growing up and adulting -- we understand the cabinet thing a little better now. Guess they frame the whole kitchen and such.

At Stone City, we got to help design the cabinets. A lot of the kitchens in all the pretty pics everywhere right now are white. We went with the trend and chose a plain Shaker style. All of the lower cabinet drawers are going to be really helpful to have.

The drawer and cabinet pulls we were dreaming of were kind of hard to find. Cool Knobs and Pulls came through with better options and better prices than anyone else. Through this reno process, we've been finding out the actual names of things we like, and these are called bar pulls or appliance pulls, oversized and in antique bronze.

We went with the American cherry butcher block countertops that were in stock at Floor & Decor on Summer Avenue here in Memphis. We doubled up on the lengths of butcher block to make the top for the island/bar that'll house the sink and the dishwasher. We're left the tops unfinished and oiled them with Clark's -- the citrus oils they use smell amazing -- and will wax them with stuff from the same company for the next step.

Finish carpenter Josh Wyatt and his crew are amazing. We had cedar barn doors added to the bookcases that frame the fireplace. They also built us a bar/locker with 2 x 4s and chicken wire; that'll be in the next update once it's painted. The counter stools also arrived today.

The vent hood was the repurposed top of our old living room coffee table, ordered from a carpenter on Etsy a few years ago; we had it framed out and mounted to fit the space.

Tomorrow, there'll be lots of paint and wood stain on the rustic wood-wrapped beam, floor molding the same color as the walls, and a pickled ceiling. Maybe a sink and -- coming full circle -- a new dishwasher to replace the horrible broken one that necessitated this whole project in the first place.

So this week is gonna be fun! We may even get to start cooking in here very soon. What do you think should we make first?

Pumpkin Marshmallow Cereal Bars

We received free marshmallows from Chicago Vegan Foods in exchange for developing this recipe here on TCV. As always, all opinions expressed are our own. 

This one is by request from our nephew G3. At dinner at Swanky's one night, he said we should make   crispy treat-type cereal bars for him soon and launched into great detail about them and how we should put them together. When we asked, puzzled, how he knew so much, he shrugged and said he read a recipe off his cereal box every day, and it sounded like a good, easy thing to make.

Love that kid! We got him hooked on our crazy style of trying-to-be-a-little-bit-healthier desserts at a young age. He really is the best dessert tester there is.

So we'd been talking to the folks at Chicago Vegan Foods this summer about their Dandies vegan marshmallows, and they recently sent us many bags of regular and tiny vanilla marshmallows to use; they'd seen our s'mores bar and shout-out to them here and realized we were fans of their marshmallow work. Many vegetarians are careful to avoid foods with gelatin since it's made from fish, so vegan marshmallows are a great thing for us.

Well, they also sent us an unmarked bag of their new pumpkin-flavored mini-marshmallows set to make it to shelves this fall, and Pumpkin Marshmallow Cereal Bars sounded like the best thing to do. G3 gets a few dropped off at his house this week for sure. 

So on Sunday, we borrowed a kitchen from a family member who gave us free reign while she's out of town. Then we got back to our house and put waxed paper on top of a magazine as a makeshift cutting board. We washed our one knife under the water from the bathtub faucet so we could cut these squares all pretty. Counting the days until our new kitchen is complete -- maybe as soon as next week! 

Pumpkin Marshmallow Cereal Bars with Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows

1 package (10 ounces) Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows
4 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Kosher salt (to taste)
4 cups sprouted O's
3 tablespoons roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Place butter, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a saucepan and heat mixture on medium-low until it's melted and bubbling a bit. Add marshmallows, stirring constantly so they do not burn. Once the marshmallows become one smooth mass, add the cereal and take the sauce pan off of the heat while mixing. Butter the bottom and sides of a square or rectangular pan. Once fully combined, press the mixture into the pan; you can use wax paper to press down. Press the pumpkin seeds into the top. (We like to sprinkle an extra hit of salt and pumpkin spice on top as well.) Let them cool and then cut them into squares.

New TCV Kitchen Update #1

On July 3, we stepped down hard on a tile in the kitchen, and water came up to the surface. It has been rather interesting around here since we found out about that stealthy dishwasher leak in our midst. You can probably tell from the lack of new posts here that we haven't been cooking -- really cooking -- much. But we sure have been microwaving a lot! We might have even mastered that at this point. More about that soon maybe...

So we were overjoyed that our friends Walker and George at Uhlhorn Bros. Construction Company here in Memphis didn't hesitate to jump in right when we needed them this summer; they're helping us figure out the new space even though they're already crazy-busy doing gorgeous new builds all over Memphis these days. (Seriously, look at their Instagram. Check out their site -- we helped them create it and handled the photos. These two are just so talented. We'll keep our own future dreams involving their creativity under wraps, but you can probably guess.)

This is how our kitchen used to look for the past year or so. Overall, we really can't complain about the situation now, not one bit; it's all going to be okay pretty soon. However, we never would have remodeled our just-right-for-us old kitchen if we'd had a choice. So here's what has been happening at our house (and a glimpse of where we are today toward the end of the post).

The first step after seeing that water damage happened over the July 4th holiday weekend: we had to have industrial fans and a dehumidifier around on full deafening blast for days to try to salvage some stuff. That wasn't too successful, even though we could still cook a little bit if we wore earplugs and didn't feel moved to converse outside of exaggerated expressions and miming key things.

Very soon after our fruitless holiday weekend of attempted drying, we had to give in to the inevitable and have layers of tile, linoleum, and even subfloor removed. We decided to take out the old cabinets and the walls and ceiling as well. Why not? It was already a mess, and we wanted to tile under everything so this water-trapped-under-layers thing wouldn't happen again, to us or whoever might live here next.

We found some crazy things on the walls (and in them) during the demo stage!

We had to get the washer and dryer out of the kitchen for more space and made a closet into a laundry room. We cleaned out every other closet because everything had to shift to another place during the first stages of construction. For two people who purport to travel light in this world, we sure have a lot of stuff we never use.

We've been microwaving or grilling most of our meals for a while now. We know a lot about surprisingly good convenience foods (like some really good microwaveable Indian food in a pouch) and have tried a slew of new snacks and chips.

Everything was removed from the kitchen and the dining room to make way for the new floor. The wall between the kitchen and dining room is no longer there since now there will be an island with a sink, dishwasher, and a few low bar stools. Now folks can talk to us while we cook. 

Figuring out whether to do wood floors or tile like we had before was a tough choice, but we love what we decided on (basically through text message!) thanks to the the gracious help from Amanda at Acme Brick and Tile in Memphis. The floor just got finished last Friday, and it's charcoal gray wood-look ceramic tile, LEED-certified, and at a reasonable price by the foot. We got it grouted with the darkest shade and put down in a herringbone design for a little interest.

This week, we got a ceiling, which is very exciting. It was made with random-length 1" x 4" wood planks, which might soon be painted haint blue or pickled. Josh Wyatt, the trim carpenter who made Sweet Grass and Next Door look so good, did the finishes.


Something like this happening right in the middle of other unexpected family crises popping up really does put things into perspective. We all can have a lot changed or taken away in a short amount of time, and the only things to do are pray, stay positive, and hope that it'll all turn out all right. This unexpected project might have cured us of a bit of perfectionist tendencies as well.

One of the best moments during all of this was when our niece Amelia was visiting. The only decent place to sit was outside in the backyard, and she was tired of that and wanted to hang out inside. "It's so gross and junked in there!" we told her. "We don't want to look at it!" She said, "Look this way, and you won't see it. It's not that bad if you do that." Ten-year-olds are often the smartest ones in the room.

The next couple weeks' progress just might include cabinets, a wrapped beam, new plumbing, and oiled butcher block countertops. We'll keep you posted as we move closer to the finish line by October. Can't wait to cook again because we've missed that comforting and entertaining part of life a whole lot. So what shall we make first?

Demystifying the Dehydrator

We are excited to have been selected by the International Housewares Association to contribute to their Inspired Home blog. We have been compensated for our time, but our opinions are, of course, our own.

Most methods of preserving in-season food from your garden or your local farmers market are super time-intensive and take a fair amount of know-how in order to make sure everything will be good when you go to use it later in the year. Dehydrating, however, is about as simple as you could possibly imagine. Slice, place on a tray, and set a timer to capture a bit of that summer sweetness that you can access all year long.

We wrote a story for the IHA Inspired Home blog called "A Summer Without End: Saving the Season with Your Dehydrator"; it outlines four simple recipes for preserving food. You'll learn simple tricks for saving tomatoes, herbs, figs, and peas along with suggestions for using each ingredient in a recipe.

Click HERE for the full story.

10 'til 10 at Majestic Grille: Vegetarian Dinner Recap

We were happy to be invited to attend this amazing 5-course meal last week on Tuesday evening at The Majestic Grille in downtown Memphis. After chatting with Chef Patrick Reilly beforehand about his ideas and learning more in this interview, we knew it was going to be a great experience for all involved. We are so grateful that chefs bring their culinary chops and creativity together to put these type of dinners on in our city. It's even better when they have a vegetarian option, or like this one, go completely vegetarian...from nose to tail.

The evening started with passed appetizers including tomato bruschetta, corn and jalapeño hushpuppies, apple jelly and goat cheese rangoon, and berbere-spiced okra. We had the honor of helping to brainstorm with chef, and two of those dishes are his amazing riffs on recipes we love.

The first seated course was sweet potato gnocchi with roasted shiitake mushrooms and grilled artichokes. That list of ingredients alone had us floored. Chef Reilly made a killer stock that brought everything together so beautifully. I'm going to try that idea in my own kitchen really soon.

The second course was a simple salad with some really special components. The locally-sourced, jewel-hued baby lettuce featured a rich avocado dressing. It was topped with house-made pickled carrots, fresh radish, and thinly-sliced cucumber.

The third course was right up our alley these days. It was all roasted vegetables, beans, and wilted greens. It's how we eat at home, so we loved it. It's our kind of comfort food and led perfectly into dessert, which was a summer berry crumble with custard that was served on the side in gravy boats.

Just goes to show yet again that Memphis isn't only about BBQ, y'all. We're looking forward to what's coming next for vegetarians around here.