Some Surpirsingly Pleasant (meaning GREAT) Food

I have been waiting to try the Corn Chowder from VWAV since winter but held out until summer (okay, so it's still spring, but I'm impatient!) to make it with some fresh, sweet corn. And boy, was it worth it! My family loved it and was super impressed by how creamy it was. I had never had corn chowder, vegan or not, before trying this recipe so I was not sure what to expect. I was worried that it would not be salty enough, or that the rosemary and thyme might make the flavor a little off. Well, now I love corn chowder! All my doubts were completely unnecessary and I may even have a new favorite way to eat corn. Even though it's a hot soup, this recipe is perfect for summer and I'll be making it often within the coming months!

*Just a side note for those who do make this chowder- make sure it is no longer steaming before you blend it if you are using a blender! I know that many of you already know this and I did as well, but I sort of disregarded it. I had been able to puree fairly warm liquids before in my blender before without any problems- but this was a different story! The chowder went EVERYWHERE!! My hair, shirt, pants, floor, blender, and kitchen counter were covered int the stuff! I'm sure if I had taken a picture of the mess it would have been rather amusing, but I was way too pissed off to think of it then. It was easy to clean up, but be sure you don't make the same foolish mistake!

To go along with my first experience with corn chowder, I also made biscuits for the first time! I used this recipe because flaky biscuits are definitely the way to go when it comes to dipping in soups, stews, or chili! These were super flaky and could not have been easier- I have no clue why I was so intimidated by making biscuits before. As the recipe mentions, the trick to getting lots of flaky layers is to fold the dough in half, roll it out, fold it in half, roll it out, etc. several times (I probably ended up doing it 5-6 times). My family has been requesting that I make these again because they taste way better than canned biscuits (I shudder thinking about those nasty things- so gross....) and don't require too much extra work. Below is a picture of my delicious, soft biscuit slathered in melted earth balance- soooooo goooood.


I also finally got around to trying the Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf from Vcon that everyone has been raving about. I didn't think the recipe seemed very interesting or flavorful when I read it, but decided I'd go with it anyways. I mean, not that many people can be wrong, right? RIGHT! Though it may not be the least bit photogenic, this pilaf is surprisingly full of spice and flavor. I was gobbling it up before I could wait for it to cool and all four servings were eaten within about a day and a half of making this!