Foodie Friday: If you've never cooked with arborio rice, you must start.

It's Foodie Friday! Foodie Friday is my weekly feature that gives you a window into my kitchen. I love to cook, I love to eat, I love to read cookbooks, and I love to inspire people to give vegan food a chance. Thus, Foodie Friday was whipped up and baked to perfection.

After making a "springtime" recipe two weeks ago, I finally embraced fall and made a savory roasted winter squash risotto from 1,000 Vegan Recipes that was totally worth the 45 minutes I spent doing battle with a kabocha squash. When I read the word risotto, in my mind I pronounce it riz-AH-to like Gordon Ramsay.


After my trip to Whole Foods last week I put my stash of Daiya cheddar style shreds to use with a plate of delicious nachos:


While Jason was gone, I took the opportunity to make something he probably wouldn't like--brussels sprouts. More specifically, brussels sprouts with shallots and dillweed from 1,000 Vegan Recipes. I am a fairly recent convert to them myself, having had them for the first time when I was home last Christmas, but I've found that I really enjoy them when they're done correctly. I also wanted to make that recipe because there's an insult built into the title.

The biscuits were inspired by Anika's Bisquick giveaway, which I didn't win. But since I made myself biscuits anyway, I still feel like I won. I rounded out the plate with some of the roasted kabocha squash left over from my risotto and some Gardein BBQ skewers. And yes, that's white wine in a juice glass. Sombody get me some wine glasses!

This week I've made things that catered more to Jason's tastes, like Sicilian penne with tomatoes and eggplant from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:


...and a seitan stir fry with mushrooms, pea pods, and green pepper:


Last night we had rice and pea soup (or risi e pisi if you're Italian) from 1,000 Vegan Recipes. This creamy, rich, risotto-like soup was just the thing for poor sick Jason's scratchy throat. I threw in a Daiya cheddar grilled cheese slathered with tomato paste for good measure:

Behold the cheesiness.