Squiddy cooks: Pumpkin 'roni and cookies!

I've been way, way into cooking this year. Since returning to school -which I love, by the way- my number one method of escapism (read: procrastination) has been getting into the kitchen and cooking up a storm. I'll do it all, soups, bakes, stir fries, sweets! And my new penchant for farmer's markets and organic foods (thanks again, school!) has meant the fridge is always full of fresh produce begging me to hack it the hell up and expose it to high temperatures.

Also I got a machine.

This, boys and girls, is what is known in the overexcited housewife trade as a "Thermomix". It's basically a blender on steroids, in that it chops ANYTHING in seconds - be it breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, ice, mills grains...bla bla. It also can heat things up, make icecream/sorbet, knead dough and kinda sorta cleans itself. It has a timer, and also levels of chopping speed and intensity. I like it best for making soups because you dont need to transfer to a blender, and I also use it for things like dips, pesto, crumbling up tofu, chopping nuts, mixing up muffins/cake/cookie dough and what have you.

Yes, revolutionary indeed.

BUT this is not the homeshopping channel, so lets resume with last nights dinner!

First up

Pumpkin 'roni with sage breadcrumb topping and a side of kale with garlic and capers and white beans and zucchini

Basically, it's two Veganomicon recipes (oh god how I love it). The pumpkin ziti, well I had no ziti so (gluten free) macaroni it was! I also topped it with breadcrumbs made with rye caraway bread so they were extravagantly tasty!

The green bit is done by replacing escarole (whata?) with kale in one of the recipes. YES I FOUND KALE! After days that seemed like years of searching, I located it at a farmer's market yesterday (the brand new Docklands one, check it out!) It's a brilliant recipe, quick and so healthy, and I love kale so much I must get more. I also topped it with "Liquid Gold" dressing recipe from Becoming Vegan nutrition book. Apparently it supplies you with wonderful doses of Omega 3 fatty acids and B12, and is also wonderful!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Look at this little cookies all lined up like soldiers prepared to die for their country, ie MY STOMACH.

This recipe was from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan by Dreen Burton. YUM! Maple syupy, chewy, easy cookie goodness.

Yes. I'm going to end this post now, as its started to sound like I have multiple sponsorships from all manner of cookbooks and spaceship like cooking machines!

End now.