Green Cheeze Balls

They're cute, aren't they?

 These balls are weird.  They have no dairy butter, or animal ingredients whatsoever.  Everything in them is pretty much raw and unprocessed.  And yet... they taste distinctively cheesy.  They're loaded with protein, and a decent amount of fiber.  The fat in these balls is of the healthy, omega 3 variety...  So these cheeze balls are much healthier than regular old cheese balls.  However, at this point the flavor combination I'm giving you is a proof of concept - a proof that yes, a vegan, cheesey, easy to roll ball is possible.  And it should be very, very possible to easily make it, and to get it to taste good, and to fulfill all of your cheesy cravings.  But the exact makeup of the cheeze balls isn't there yet. 

I need some help getting things just right!  For whatever reason it is that you're avoiding cheese (or if, like me, you just enjoy the novelty of finding new combinations of ingredients to recreate some familiar flavors, with a twist), I hope this combination of ingredients inspires you to fiddle around in your kitchen.  Right now there is something kindof "off" about these cheese balls, but I'm not sure exactly what it is!  These cheese balls CAN be perfected.  And you, yes *you* can do it!  And when you get it to work, let me know! 

To start fiddling with the recipe, I recommend:

• Medium ripe avocado
• Lemon juice
• Nutritional yeast flakes
• Bran (I used rice bran)
• Protein powder (I used brown rice protein powder)
• Garlic, salt, and pepper

1. Mash the avocado to a pulp.  
2. Add some lemon juice.
3. Add remaining dry ingredients in sufficient quantities to get things to a more doughy consistency, and stir until everything is blended (use more bran or protein powder depending on what sort of flavor/nutrient profile you want.  Rice bran and brown rice protein powder both lend a nice salty/savory consistency to your cheezy dough).  
4. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
5. Sprinkle with additional nutritional yeast flakes.
6. Enjoy immediately, or chill in the fridge for a bit.

The Best Broccoli of Your Life, now Vegan!

Today I ate about a pound of broccoli.  In one sitting!  This roasted broccoli with lemon, garlic, salt, and pepper was just that good.  I think the nutritional yeast flakes on top (nooch) really sealed the deal here, and if you're unsure of the nooch or don't have a source available near you, feel free to substitute a high quality salty cheese.

My instant affinity for this "best ever" broccoli surprised me.  In the past, broccoli had consistently elicited a certain gag reflex from me-of all of the vegetables on the planet, I think our dear Veggie Wonder detested this particular green veggie the most.  I had had trouble eating more than a few bites in one sitting, even when the healthy green monster had been buried in fatty cheeses, etc.  Enter Adam of Amateur Gourmet and his post on the Best Broccoli of Your Life.  Given its stellar rating and ongoing popularity in the culinary blogosphere (over several years this site has been getting some heavy hit rates, Adam how did I only find you now?!!!), I decided to give the recipe a go.  But I decided to forgo the cheese topping and I prepared the dish with a vegan twist!  I also gave it a lazy twist (bottled lemon juice instead of fresh, powdered garlic instead of chopped cloves...).  If you are feeling ambitious, you can take the slightly more hardcore approach from Adam's site.  I imagine his version tastes even better, if that's possible.  This stuff is good!

You will need:

• Chopped, raw broccoli floret chunks (I used one of the bags of pre-washed broccoli you can get at most supermarkets - again, this recipe has a lazy twist!)
• Black pepper (freshly ground is nice, if you have it)
• Garlic powder (or fresh cloves, if you are feeling ambitious!)
• Salt
• Olive oil and olive oil cooking spray
• Lemon juice
• Nutritional yeast flakes

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Dry the broccoli floret chunks carefully, then toss them with a combination of olive oil and nonstick spray (depending on how much fat content is a factor for you; I used about 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a 1 lb bag of broccoli).
3. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste (you can add these spices pretty liberally).  Also sprinkle on a generous bit of garlic.
4. Put the broccoli on a baking tray and bake or roast for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli gets somewhat brown and crunchy on the outside (it will still be soft and tender on the inside).
5. Remove the broccoli from the oven, and toss it with some lemon juice and a few spoonfuls of nutritional yeast flakes.
6. Enjoy!  This stuff is good!!!

Finding vegetarian food in Texas

Aside from salad, pizza is a good option. These photos are from Barry's Pizza in Houston. Very attractive, if somewhat greasy, fare!  Let the photo shoot begin!