Pimento Cheese Panini & Fried Green Tomatoes

I have to thank Kate at Southern Belle Simple for reminding me at how good homemade pimento cheese is. (none of that premade-comes-in-a-tub nonsense!) And Vegetarian Times for the suggestion  to add zucchini. Yum!

I bought a small loaf of ciabatta bread and sliced it up. I dug out the panini press I received as a Christmas gift (that I shamefully hadn't even taken out of the box until a month ago).  Putting a heavy skillet on top of your sandwich will get ya by if you don't have a panini press.





The recipe for the fried green tomatoes came from a vegan cookbook that focuses on local seasonal eating, Ripe From Around Here by Jae Steele. Even though she's Canadian I thought I'd give her recipe for the classically Southern food a try. They were yummy. Bonus points for this cookbook because of how it labels the recipes. People with fibro (like me) or other food allergies may appreciate the nightshade free icon. Or totally ignore it. Whichever.

What's in season in your corner of the world?

main squeeze inspiration

Did you ever have a meal at a restaurant that you loved so much you tried to recreate it at home? This meal was inspired by my favorite restaurant in Columbia, Mo. - a fantastic vegetarian place called Main Squeeze.

This dish isn't going to win any beauty contests but, it's easy on the budget and quick to put together. If you make your rice ahead of time that'll speed up the process even more.

You'll need:

Cup of cooked brown rice

Your favorite salsa

Extra firm tofu or seitan

2 Tablespoons of Green Goddess dressing

Optional: Sprouts, Mozzarella Cheese

Fill your bowl with brown rice. Warm up your salsa a bit. Cook your tofu or seitan as desired. I like to cut medium thick strips and cook it on our foreman grill. This way I don't have to take extra time to drain it. It also gives it a nice chewy, crispy texture.

Top your rice with the salsa, dressing, tofu, and anything else you might like. Hope you enjoy it!

12 Cookbooks: Recipe #4 Moroccan Chickpeas & Zucchini

yum!

I'm super excited to share the results of recipe #4 from my 12 Cookbooks Project (as I'm now calling it). This delicious dish is destined to be a classic in my house. It smells delicious while cooking and is a perfect low-fuss meal. Again, the book for January is Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast & Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes.  So far this book is really delivering on its promise of being "drop-dead delicious."