God, I love Daiya!!

Yes, its a little pricey and is defintely a luxury for us, but when we have a package of Daiya cheese in our fridge, I get oh-so excited to use it. Today was another cold, wet day here in San Francisco and I couldn't stop thinking about soup. As soon as I got home from work, I scoured the fridge to see what I had - 2 broccoli crowns, half an onion, a garlic bulb, a few potatoes, and a bag of "cheddar style" Daiya cheese. I knew immediately what I would be making for dinner tonight... Broccoli potato cheese soup... YUUMMMM!!

I started off by sauteeing the onion and garlic with a little Earth Balance in a pot. When soft, I added a little flour to make a rue. To that, I added a couple cups of veg stock and whisked it until it thickened. Then, I added the Daiya - and I was not skimpy here. I boiled the potatoes separately and when they were fork tender, I added them into the soup, along with the chopped broccoli. I generously salted and peppered the pot and let simmer until Stephen got home - probably about 30 to 45 minutes.

I served it up in big bowls with a sliced bagguette...

Our first Thanksgiving together!

Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays, as far as the food goes! And this year was extra special because it was the first one Stephen and I spent together (and sadly the first one we weren't spending with our families). Naturally, I wanted to make a vegan feast! Our good friends Chantz and Valerie (not vegans) joined us in our tiny apartment for dinner. We ate delicious food, drank wine, and had an amazing day!

On the menu...

Tofurkey from Trader Joe's

Mashed potatoes with rosemary mushroom gravy

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sauteed green beans with garlic, thyme and lemon

Apple walnut Stuffing (made by Valerie)

Bread and butter (Boudin, of course!)

And for dessert, an apple and pear crumble (made by Valerie)

Before...

And after...

Can you say food coma? Sadly, we were too full to even eat dessert...

Happy Thanksgiving!!