Rachael Ray, take a seat!

We have our fair share of cookbooks around the house, but by far the best resource for amazingly delicious vegetarian and vegan food is the free e-newsletter of Amira Elgan, called Vegetarian Organic Life.

Two of my favorite recipes from this year have been suggestions from Amira. So easy, so tasty! She has a way of combining things that match texture and flavor in a way that you couldn't imagine. I look forward to each newsletter (which arrive on a semi-regular basis) and wonder how the hell Rachael Ray (may she sizzle into obscurity as soon as possible) has become imbedded in the American food/pop culture.

Anyway, back to the good stuff. First was the Luscious Lentil Salad, which truly lives up to its name. The dressing on this is so amazing that we always make a little extra so that we can use it on other stuff throughout the week. The Lentil Salad is good for lunch, but we double the recipe and eat it for dinner too. If only it'd fit in a syringe.

The recipes on Vegetarian Organic Life are good for beginners who've never experimented with THE grain of all grains, Quinoa. Once you taste this stuff, you will never want rice again. With each recipe, Amira provides health and nutrition information, cooking tips, and links to articles and research on healthy organic living. You can find the recipe in this newsletter, which also has an article about caffine and kids. (Fuckin' Starbucks!)

My second favorite Amira recipe is the Lemony Seitan and Kidney Beans. We made this for dinner last night, with a salad and some foccacia bread, and I had three gigantic helpings. I couldn't stop! It was so incredible and I've never tasted anything like it before. Oh and, Hon, if you are reading this...I just finished off the leftovers, sorry.