The Smoking Vegan



Shrimp Fajitas ~ Wednesday's Dinner


A typical day for me consists of two good rounds of cooking meals, maybe some menu planning, fraternity shenanigans, some warm comments regarding meals, and then moments such as the one I experienced this week, meeting The Smoking Vegan.
This semester we have a new pledge...Sydney. 
Our first encounter began with an introduction,  names, etc. and then the worst news I, a former bakery owner, could ever receive.  Aubrey was equally dismayed at this announcement.  Mr. Sydney is a full on vegan.  No dairy, no meat, no eggs, no no no!
I am sure the look on our faces was one of stupified bewilderment.  We felt jilted, abandoned, forsaken.  It's our life's work, the concoctions of butter, flour, cream, sugar, sprinkled with bacon that he has rejected.  Well, how can I question a young man's resolve?  How can I be the cause of his demise?  So we proceeded with a small kitchen interview to see, what in fact, this new recruit would be eating here.  We came to the conclusion that we do have some things he might enjoy, that are free of any animal products...rice, beans, rice with beans, rice and salsa, beans and chips, any fruit or veggie void of the lusciousness of a buttered saute skillet, but food nonetheless.
So as I was leaving for the day, pondering my new challenge.  I take a double take behind me to what...? What do I see, but the committed, unwavering, solid as a rock Vegan?  SMOKING!  Oh how did I want to just take that cigarette and fry it up with some good bacon and a pound of butter, topped with cheddar cheese.  Don't think I just walked away.  No. I confronted the smoking scoundrel and simply stated, "A Vegan? Right!"  Well, okay I guess he is entitled to correct part of his life, but Vegan?  I mean really! For every puff I just see that big soy dinner blow up in smoke.
I am so mean.  No, I'm sarcastic.  And if this isn't a better opportunity for sass and sarcasm, what is?  I am still a softie when it comes to my 'boys'.  So, Aubrey and I made our little grocery trip to buy the hungry pledge some Silk soy milk.  We also had enough heart to make him his own batch of chili, his very own bowl of butterless veggies, and his portion of rice which was free of any of the fajita shrimp or chicken. 
Come on, this is his home away from home.  Who else is gonna cook food for him?  It's gotta be me. Sydney, as long as you're here, we'll feed you.  And when you decide you can't stand by watching your future brothers indulging in homemade biscuits that are 3 inches tall, we won't judge, we'll just fill up your plate.

Food Crusade



I have it in my mind to change school lunch forever at my child's school.  I have done the research, and what surprised me, is when checking out the school lunch info for Kansas, there I found a full PDF recipe book for scratch made food, yet none of the schools are using any of it.  It isn't gourmet, but it sure as heck isn't a *&%$# Crispitos!  Well, guess what, the Food Crusade has begun!  My child attends a small private school, so my mountain is not quite as steep as the behemoth of the local public school.  But I am determined to get my way.  My crusade is for the greater good.  It's just not that hard to cook real food each day for hungry kids.  How did this ever become optional? I am not the only one fed up with poor food choices at schools. Check out these websites... http://www.fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/ and http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition !  And when you check out Jamie Oliver's site, wave your mouse over your state and you might be very surprised to see how many people have voted for change!  Make sure you cast your votes! Spend some time on that site, it's so worth it.   I am so impressed by his commitment to this issue.  He isn't from the US, yet he is here trying to fix probably the one thing that is a central part of our nations health breakdown.  FOOD!  SUSTENANCE! The most basic need of all humans. And the single largest element in our childen's daily life, school, is feeding them something not suitable for animals.  Can you hear me yelling?  Okay, I'm simmering down a bit.

Well, tomorrow I will be meeting with our school Lunch Lady, with high hopes that we will develop a new and beautiful relationship, changing the meals at my son't school from something that tastes and looks like cardboard to something flavorful, colorful, healthy, and made with love. It certainly is not my intention to hurt anyone's feelings, but we are all grown-ups here and I am real tired of grown-ups making excuses for doing less than their best for our children. And I don't feel bad calling the food cardboard, because no one there is cooking anything.  How can a box be insulted?
So, friends say a prayer for me.  I will let you know how it goes tomorrow! In the meantime, while your perusing over the links I mentioned, you will find that they will connect you to lots and lots of success stories.  No more excuses, it's not a question of "if it's possible", but a question of "when do we start?"

Right now!

More Phi Phood!

Hello Bloggers...
Well our Slacker Monday corn dog lunch went off without a hitch! Pretty sure you don't need a recipe for that.  And we made some homemade chili for the guys last night.  The recipe is down below!  It was nice seeing all the guys and beginning to get into my old routine.  I can honestly say I had an entire month of slacking while we were on winter break, but it was sprinkled with some great highlights, such as the little Christmas Party we held in Kansas City.  It was Nicholaus, my Phi Delt right hand man, Miss Aubrey, my Chef Assistant, and Hayley, my ever wonderful darling daughter.  We braved some bitter cold to venture all the way (2 hours) to Kansas City to eat lunch at Room 39, then divine desserts at Andre's.  Room 39 is absolutely my fave! It is this quaint little urban cafe in the KU Med area, on 39th Street.  For me, it's not just the food, but the entire experience and this little place that abounds with atmosphere.  Hardwood floors, old tin ceiling, small, cozy, and espresso made the right way!  Mix that with the wonderful company of my young friends and it makes for a perfect day.  Be sure to check out http://www.rm39.com/.  They have a second location in Leawood, Kansas as well.  After filling up on fab food and coffee, we trekked across town to make our way to a special little place near The Plaza called Andre's.  I am originally from KC and spent lots of time on The Plaza, but never once went to Andre's.  "Confiserie Suisse" is Andre's. They hand make every chocolate, torte, candy, tart, etc.  Until you check out their website, nothing I can say here will do justice to the talented work done there.  http://andreschocolates.com/. By the end of our little party we were quite content having had delicious food, great coffee, amazing chocolate, and great company. 
But, back to the grindstone....
Here is our recipes for the chili and cornbread. Don't worry, we scaled them down a bit to feed about 4-6 hungry people.

Chili
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground sirloin ~ I use 90/10 so I don't need to drain the meat.  If you want to drain the meat, cook it separately first, then add it to the sauteed onions & garlic. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
2 cups corn
2 cans Rotel
2 cans petite diced tomato
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can green chile
1 can each - pinto, kidney, black beans Drained & Rinsed
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Brown the onions & garlic in the olive oil, add the beef and cook until done. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cook until bubbling.  Then reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. 
Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips or cracker and Corn & Green Chile Cornbread. Enjoy.

Corn & Green Chile Cornbread
Oven 400
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 can rotel undrained
1 can green chile
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, mix egg, milk, rotel with juice, green chile, and oil.
Add liquid ingredients to dry, stir until moistened, not too much. Pour into a greased 8 inch square pan or 9 inch round pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes.While still warm, drizzle honey over the top making sure to spread over the entire surface.