Entries Tagged as 'tofu'

Chickpea Magazine Winter 2013 /// February Recap

2.28.2013

Good afternoon! Before I get to the monthly recap, I wanted to share my excitement with you guys about receiving the new Chickpea Quarterly in the mail yesterday. I have an article on DIY Kitchen Staples (Homemade Vegetable Broth, Vanilla Extract, and Almond Milk) in it. Also, It’s chocked full of vegan recipes, beautiful photography, and oh so much inspiration that I am grinning from ear to ear just looking at it. I thought I was ready for winter to be over but the magazine has re-sparked my cold weather senses. Here are a few highlights (and yes, those are BOURBON CHOCOLATE CAKE POPS pictured below…)

Chickpea Quarterly

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Okay, enough drooling over my favorite magazine – it’s time for a recap! No offense but I am SO glad that February is only 28 days long. With spring on the mind since January 1st, I have been having trouble getting through this month while still feeling present. Instead, my mind has been wondering to beaches, beeragritas, and long bike rides. Here are a few recipes that have helped me kick the winter [mind] wandering..

 

   

 

1. Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese with Gingersnap Crust – Comfort food with a fancy twist. And by fancy, I mean crumbling cookie bits on top of my already insanely indulgent dinner. Not bad…not bad at all…

2. Vegan Stuffed Brunch Biscuits – these were my ‘pride and joy’ of the month. One of those ideas that comes to you at a completely random time and you start to obsess over it until the recipe is executed. Veggie Sausage or Bacon? Scones or Biscuits? Cheddar or Tomato Scones? Southwestern or Indian Tofu Scramble? Mushroom or Pepper Gravy? So many combinations to choose from and the product was an irresistible combination of everything amazing that comes to mind when you think ‘Vegan Breakfast’.

3. Heart Shaped Polenta Crostini with Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese – Three of my favorite things all in one bite. And SO simple to make. How can it get any better than that?

4. Cinnamon Quinoa Granola – New breakfast go to. Chocked full of fiber, protein, and antixidents. The texture from the quinoa bring a whole new level of granola and this stuff keeps me filled all morning long.

 

Okay, well GOODBYE February and HELLOOOO March. I’m thinking [hoping] March will be filled with more outdoor adventures, road trips, and garden prepping. Yesss!

 

Song Pairing:

Vegan Stuffed Brunch Biscuits

2.04.2013

The title of this post is a bit misleading. These biscuits are not actually stuffed with real vegans…unlike how you probably read it the first time. There was just no easy way to throw a title together for this. I could have put ‘Stuffed Breakfast Biscuits’ but then people would have wondered where the eggs and sausage was? Or I could have wrote ‘Tofu Scramble Scones’ but that would have seemed like the tofu goes along side the scones… which is not correct either. What I really wanted to put was ‘Peppered Gravy & Tofu Hash Scramble Stuffed Biscuits That Are Vegan’ but oh goodness…look at how long that title is. I don’t think that title would have fit on one line…and maybe not even on two. So I settled for ‘Vegan Stuffed Brunch Biscuits’…I am sorry if it’s misleading and you conjure up thoughts of cannibalism instead of wonderfully flaky, warm biscuits oozing with peppered gravy and filling tofu goodness. See!? Do you see why it took me 20 minutes to settle on a title for this post?

I guess it makes up for the fact that it took about 20 seconds to know that I wanted to make these. I love the Morningstar breakfast sandwiches as a treat every now and then but couldn’t help but wonder…could I make fresh ones that are probably 10000xxx times better? After searching around on the web and failing at finding any recipes that matched the vision in my head, I decided to make it up myself. This recipe is a mutant product of my favorite tofu scramble recipe and tomato scones recipes found in Isa’s Vegan Brunch. And a simple peppered gravy recipe that we often times to turn when we need some thick and flavorful gravy in a hurry. And then I threw in some hashbrowns because…welll…what is breakfast without hash browns?

So…in turn, this recipe is Delicious? Yes. Freezable? Yes. Easy to prepare the night before? YES. Portable? YES. Everything you’ve ever wanted in a breakfast rolled into one pocket of deliciousness? YESSS. Why would you not make these for a vegan potluck or freeze a batch for a quick breakfast on the go?!

 

Vegan Stuffed Brunch Scones

 

Vegan Stuffed Brunch Biscuits

For the Gravy:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1+ teaspoon salt / pepper

 

For the Tofu Scramble:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 block extra firm tofu, drained
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/8 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • Salt / Pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, optional (because I like lots of veggies)

 

For the Biscuits:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

  • 1/2 russet potato, diced very small

 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the potatoes. Cook until they are soft but not mushy (about 10 minutes depending on how small you diced them).

To make the scramble: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add onions and saute until soft (about five minutes). Add garlic and saute for another minute. Next, crumble the tofu and add into the skillet along with the cooked potatoes. Saute until the tofu has browned and add in the water, tumeric, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and cumin. Saute for another five minutes or until the water has evaporated (if the tofu seems dry then add a bit more water and let it cook down). Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes.

To make the gravy: combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened (about ten to fifteen minutes). Season with more pepper (if necessary) and pour over the tofu scramble. Mix until everything is combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Vegan Breakfast Biscuits

To make the biscuits: Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add wet ingredients. Fold dry into wet until a soft dough has formed. Flour a surface and roll out half of the dough into an inch thick (make sure to keep everything very well floured because the dough is super sticky). Cut out desired biscuit sizes using a biscuit cutter and then flatten the dough to about 1/2 inch (you can use your rolling pin or your hands here). Place a heaping tablespoon of the tofu/gravy mixture in the center and fold the edges into each other until you’ve made a sealed round ball. Transfer to a greased cooking sheet. Roll out the rest of the dough and repeat.

[This is where you can wrap them in an airtight container and stick in the fridge overnight if you are preparing ahead of time]. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are firm and the insides are warm.

Enjoy hot or freeze for later breakfasts!

 

Vegan Brunch Biscuits

 

 

Spicy Orange Tofu

10.24.2012

Orange tofu! The name sounds kind of weird but it’s a spin off of the famous Orange Chicken that you can get at your local Chinese take-out. Chinese take-out is something I ate a lot growing up so the cravings for it are more frequent than I’d like to admit. Although I can’t get it at most restaurants anymore (they only serve chicken versions), I can make my own! Which is probably for the best because all that MSG makes me soooo sleeepy anyways….zzzzzzz

This recipe is super similar to my General Tao Tofu recipe but with a different sauce. As I’ve mentioned before, I make that General Tao a lot.. so sometimes it’s nice to mix it up and this recipe was the perfect answer to that. It’s a bit sweeter but the srihacha gives a lingering kick to leave you feeling oh so satisfied.

So there it is! Recipe number 2 on this “Tofu Adventure” was a success [although...was this cheating since this method of preparing is already my go-to tofu cooking method? Ah, whatever. Let's count it as a win]. If you’re into tofu like I am, feel free to check out the first part of “Tofu Adventure” where I made some delicious Pesto Tofu Scramble!

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Spicy Orange Tofu

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
  • 4 Tablespoons water
  • 1 pound of extra firm tofu (drained and cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons canola/vegetable oil

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  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • dash of ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of sriracha (more if you like it spicy!)

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  • Rice
  • Steamed broccoli
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish

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Start by making the sauce: Whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, ginger, garlic and sriracha. Taste test and add more sriracha is it needs more spice. Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer with 3 Tablespoons water. Dip tofu in this mixture until completely coated and then sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cornstarch over the tofu until it’s completely coated.

Next, In a large pan fry the tofu by added them to a medium heated pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in it. Flip the tofu after about 2 minutes or until it is browned on all sides. When done, turn heat down to medium-low and pour in the orange glaze. Fold the glaze into the tofu and cook down to desired consistency.

Serve warm over rice and with steamed broccoli. Top with sesame seeds and perhaps find some vegetarian crab rangoon to top it all off!

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Pesto Tofu Scramble with Roasted Tomatoes

10.22.2012

Morning, Morning, Morning! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was filled [again] with all my favorite things: friends, hiking, yoga[ing], cooking, and exploring. It’s been so beautiful here with the leaves changing that I’ve felt the need to get outside as much as possible before the cold comes in! We are going to Denver this weekend so I’ve been trying to get my Midwest Fall crammed into 3 weekends this year instead of 4. Here are a few pictures from the hiking /// Fire Tower adventure yesterday:

This weekend was also great because it felt like a bit of a staycation. On Saturday night, Wyatt and I skipped out on our usual bar spot and went drinking at a small Irish pub instead. I had never really drank there before and it was such a wonderful, new experience. The place is full of great lighting, has a rustic pub feel, and delicious cocktail combinations! Definitely my new favorite “date spot”.

And then on Sunday we spent most of the day hiking with some friends. On the way back from the hike, we went out to eat at this little touristy restaurant called ‘The View’. This place is down by the lake so it’s a ways away from Bloomington and we have passed it dozens of times but never thought to stop. It was a pretty good experience [minus some terrible music playing]. The atmosphere was laid back and they had some delicious homemade veggie burgers and ginger sprinter.

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And now let’s talk about food! I have a very love//hate relationship with tofu. I can make an amazing General Tao Tofu dish like no one’s business but then there are often times that my tofu comes out crumbly//mushy//sad when I step out of my comfort zone with it. And thus, I have decided that I love [when things go right] tofu too much to be discouraged about trying a new recipe out of fear it won’t come out. I am planning to try a new tofu dish at least one a week for the next month to hone in on my skills and figure out what works/does not work for me when it comes to this protein packed beast [and perhaps I'll try tempeh next month...and then seitan...etc].

I started my new ‘Tofu Journey’ [can we call it that?] with this scramble. I’ve made many tofu scrambles before and sometimes they turn out just right…but other times they turn out watery or dry or bland. I wasn’t going to let some bad attempts discourage me this time though. I thought about failed attempts in the past and what went wrong…the final verdict to making a good tofu scramble [I decided] was 1. watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t get dried out 2. Pick a flavor combination and stick to it so that it doesn’t end up bland or have too much going on 3. Don’t get impatient…make sure you let it get to the right consistency before taking it off the stove top.

Pesto Tofu Scramble with Roasted Tomatoes

Serve 3 (or a hungry 2!)

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 block firm (or extra firm) tofu
  • 1/4 cup prepared pesto (I used my frozen pesto)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • olive oil
  • salt / pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes in olive oil and salt / pepper and place onto a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes (I like my tomatoes to still have a bit of shape but feel free to roast for longer if you like them to be broken down).

In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another two. Next, squeeze the tofu over the sink and try to ring out some of the water. Crumble the tofu over the pan and saute for about ten minutes (this will depend on how moist the tofu is so this is the part where you watch it very closely…cook longer if it’s still mushy and add a tablespoon or so of water if it dries out). Add in the prepared pesto and cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat and top with roasted tomatoes.

Serve with soy yogurt and blueberries. Or with a big side of home fries.

Searchable Saturdays

10.06.2012

 

Tuko//Teekee//Taco and I waiting outside while Wyatt picked out a movie earlier this week. (ps- follow me on instagram: shellywest)

And here are a few things that inspired VV from around the web this week:

1. Made these tofu tacos for dinner the other night and they were FANTASTIC! The tofu was so flavorful and the avocado cream was smooth and filling!

2. This cute DIY on how to color dip your utensils is so adorable and simple! New weekend project? I think so!

3. This weekend we are sitting a cat who has more more instagram followers than Wyatt and I combined (x2). Totally weird.

4. Katrina did a store profile on a The General Store in San Fransisco and I want EVERYTHING in it. I LOVE the simplicity of the geometric wood blocks. How cool is that? And the abstract fruit and veggie posters? Yes, please!

5. One of my favorite recipe books ‘Homemade’ now has a sequel called ‘Homemade Winter’ which I CANNOT wait to get my hands on. I made these Gingerbread Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting from it last year and they were absolutely irresistible!

6. Not that I’ve started my Christmas list already but… I kind of have. I am dying to get my hands on this new iphone case and this jacket. Ah yeah, I’ve got the fall clothing bug.

7. And lastly, why is everything Joy the Baker makes so freaking irresistible? I’m not even that big of a donut fan…

 

May Wrap Up

5.31.2012

Woah, can you believe it is the last day of May already? This month FLEW by!! Luckily it was because I was having so much fun over here.

Here is a wrap up of my favorite recipes from this month:

 

1. Veggie Sloppy Joes. These brought a whole new meaning to what I thought a sloppy joe could be. They were flavorful, stocked full of nutritious ingredients, and oh so easy to whip up! This is becoming one of my new ‘go to’ recipes for sure

2. Cherry Beergaritas: It’s a bit embarrassing how many times we’ve whipped these up since discovering this cocktail. It’s ridiculously refreshing on a hot summer day and the simplest drink to mix up when you have a crowd!

3. Tofu Thai Lettuce Wraps: These wraps are as fun to eat as they are delicious. We ate them on the porch so that we didn’t make a mess but assembling them is half the fun!

4. Summer Pasta Dish: there is nothing better than fresh produce being the reason a dish stands out so much. This pasta dish is light, colorful, and packed full of flavor.

 

As for favorite adventure this month? Well, I would say it would HAVE to be our trip out West (or..well, maybe Graduating- that is kind of a big deal as well!)

My biggest lust this month? I am crazy about these Chasing Delicious posters that tell you when fruit//veggies//herbs are in season. Would those not be adorable//useful hanging in the kitchen??

Well, enough looking back! How about what we have in store for June?! I am very very excited for this month; Wyatt and I move into our new home (expect lots of pictures updates of the remodeling process!), my brother is graduating from Grad School (which means road trip to Chicago), and I am just too excited for all the new things I will be learning from the Blogging Your Way E-course which starts tomorrow!

Tofu Thai Lettuce Wraps

5.20.2012

Continuing with my “health kick” this week, I decided to whip up these lettuce wraps for a refreshing and light dinner. I use to live in Nashville, TN and would go to the PF Chang (sorry- I am USUALLY not a chain girl) just to get the tofu lettuce wraps appetizer. This is my version of those and it’s fantastic; stocked full of refreshing veggies and flavorful sauces and then wrapped in a light lettuce leaf. There is something about the kick from the chili powder followed by a cool down from the lettuce that counteracts each other perfectly.

And if eating these because they are delicious and healthy weren’t enough, they are so much fun to assemble and munch down on! It’s like you’ve been given permission to play with your food (for once!). Also, if you are feeling like these won’t fill you up, think about adding some Scallion Wonton Bites as a side.

PS Omit the egg if you’re vegan!

Tofu Thai Lettuce Wraps

  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 1 block of tofu, drained and cut into small “match-like” sticks
  • 1 carrot, cut into small “match-like” sticks
  • 6 small mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 a head of red cabbage
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
  • dash of chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • dry roasted peanuts, for garnish

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a minute. Next, add in the tofu, carrot, mushrooms, cabbage, and spring onions and saute another minute (if the pan gets try add a little water). Mix in the lime juice, soy sauce, chili powder and Teriyaki sauce.

Push ingredients to the side and crack the egg in the skillet. Stir quickly to break the yoke and then incorporate the egg with the rest of the mix. Once the egg is cooked, remove from heat and add in the bean sprouts.

Assemble by filling a whole piece of lettuce with 2 or 3 tablespoons of mixture and then sprinkle peanuts on top.

It’s probably impossible to tell because of the long hair but this is Wyatt munching down on some lettuce wraps! Mmmmm.

Scallion Wonton Bites

3.16.2012

I don’t want to elaborate too much because I feel like it’s so clique for every vegetarian to have their stories about the foods they miss. BUT…if we are going to go there… I absolutely love love love Chinese food! I’ve managed to fill the longing for General Tao chicken with this recipe (it’s just as yummy!) but I still craved the crab rangoon when indulging in this delicious dish.

I played with the idea of using imitation crab to try to tackle my own crab rangoon but I just don’t know if I feel comfortable preparing it since it’s not even the crab that I like in the pockets but the gooey cream cheese (To be honest, how often does Chinese take-out crab rangoon really taste like crab? Exactly).

So instead I turned to creating something with the parts of the dumpling I actually like and it turned out fantastic! I usually steer away from frying foods but this is super easy and did not take any longer than it would to prepare anything by sautéing or baking.

I’d suggest you try these the next time you decide to whip up a batch of General Tao Tofu!

 

 

Scallion Wonton Bites

  • 4 ounces of cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • 10 wonton papers
  • Peanut/Canola oil (for frying)

Blend together the cream cheese, scallions, red pepper flakes and ginger.

Place a heaping teaspoon of the mixture in the center for wonton paper and then twist to seal (see pictures below).

 

Heat the oil in a tiny (to conserve oil!) saucepan over medium heat (you can tell it’s ready by sticking a small strip of wonton in and see if it gets crispy).

Place one or two wontons in the oil at a time and cook for one to two minutes (you’ll be able to tell when it browns to your liking). Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Repeat with the rest of the wontons.

Enjoy with yummy Chinese dishes and your favorite movie.

 



Glazed Caribbean Tofu with Sweet Rice

2.03.2012

There is some sort of longing for summer (hence the pictures next to this text) that has been evoked because of these past few 60 degree and sunny days in February. My thoughts have started to drift off to roasting marshmallows and picnics on beaches. But since…it is still February (no matter how much I daydream), I am going to have to settle for whipping up summer type dishes in my home (instead of on my grill).

I was super excited about this dish (because I love making bland tofu flavorful!) but after I began cooking it…I realized I have had no experience with Caribbean food what-so-ever (Hey, Bloomington, it’s about time someone opened a Caribbean restaurant! Although…why would someone from the Caribbean ever have the desire to move to the Midwest to open up a specialty dinner spot?). I can tell you right off the bat that I probably did not use ‘traditional’ peas that they would use in the islands but it was delicious regardless. If all Caribbean dishes are like this, count me in!
It was light with a tropical/sweet flavor in the rice (this was most likely due to the coconut milk) and then the tofu had the slightest kick of spice that counteracted the sweet rice perfectly. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined and my favorite part about tofu is it’s even better as leftovers (because the flavors have time to sink in even more). So whip this up for your lover and don’t scarf it all down at once!
PS WHY IS TOFU SO YUMMY BUT SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH? Makes my skills look shameful. Sorry guys!

Veggie and Tofu Pot Pie

1.04.2012

Well, after enjoying 40 and 50 degree weather for all of November and December, the winter is finally here and we are officially in the jittery January months with 20′s and below temperatures. This means the excitment of wearing layers of sweaters and scarves has worn off and my day dreams are wondering to Florida beaches and porch nights. The only thing I am still excited for this winter is cooking winter things…you know, stews, chili, warm biscuits. And the time as finally come for me to stop denying that it is winter and start cooking.

So I started off my acceptance of January by whipping up some tofu pot pies. I made it a personal goal to make pot pies after eating Bloomingfood’s tofu pot pies at the farmers market over the summer. I also waited five months to actually make them because I had hoped to have stolen the Bloomingfood’s recipe by now but it seems that they keep those recipes on lock down and I am too much of a wimp to go snooping. Anyways, I decided it was time to make my own recipe and stop day dreaming about theirs. And it was honestly just as good (if not better- if you ask me!).

Anyways, so about the recipe: feel free to substitute whatever veggies you have on hand (because that is what I obviously did! I mixed canned, fresh, and frozen so do whatever you’re feeling). Also, I made the filling in the morning and stuck it in the fridge (because I’ve been working at the record label in the afternoons) so that when I got home for work all i had to do was whip up the crust and pop them in the oven. Yeah, the point of me telling you this is to let you know that you can make the filling ahead of time. Yup. Oh, and I made 6 mini pies with this recipe and froze 3 of them (but feel free to make pie size pot pies- I’d just recommend cutting the crust down).

 

Veggie and Tofu Pot Pie

Filling:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large potato, cubed
  • 1 carrot, cubed
  • 1 can peas
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 small can of mushrooms
  • 1 package tofu, drained and cubed
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

Crust:

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/3 cup shorting
  • 1 cup water

For the Filling:

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they become translucent (and start to have that amazing aroma smell. you know what I’m talking about!). Next, add the vegetable broth and cubed potato and cook for five minute. Finally, add everything else that is in the filling and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Make sure to check it after 20 minutes and if it seems dry then add a bit more water. After 30 minutes, remove from heat, take out the bay leaves, and set aside while you prepare the yummy crust!

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the flour, salt, and shortening in a mixing bowl with your hands or a pastry blender (I obviously used my hands because I’m a college student and things like ‘pastry blenders’ don’t exist to me yet). Next, add the water in parts to achieve the right dough consistency.

Divide the dough into six parts (if you’re making miniature pies- otherwise divide it in half). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough ball until they are long enough to fit into your pie pan. Layer the pie dough, filling, and then top with another layer of dough. Press the edges with a fork and cut a few slits in the top dough so that the filling can breath (yes, it needs oxygen too!) while cooking. Repeat with the rest of your dough and filling.

Cook for 20 to 3o minutes or until the tops have browned.

Serve warm while staying cozy and warm under a blanket with your kitty.

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