One of my favorite aspects of Autumn is the desire to make big, comfy breakfasts. Among these dishes include pancakes or waffles, coffee cakes, or the always-favorite breakfast burrito (aka taquito)! Long-time Primate readers will know just how much Jo and I love our burritos – and it must run in the family, right Casey ! Anywho.. here’s some burrito porn for the breakfast burritos I posted On This Day In History.

Or for some delicious variations to include in your breakfast burritos:

3-bean Quinoa

Baked Rice

Lime and Cilantro Rice

And it wouldn’t be a Primate Burrito without Potatoes:

Green Chili, Sara’s Fav, or Papas Refritas

Happy Vegan MoFo!!!

Let’s all give a big thank you to Christina for requesting a Potato Leek Soup recipe…I hope it’s to your satisfaction

Here’s a classic Autumn/Winter soup that is sure to comfort your soul as well as warm your belly! You could also make a combo of this soup and the Potato Butternut Squash soup… mmm…Potato-Leek-Butternut Squash soup… Ok, I got lost in the delicious imagery for a moment. This recipe makes about 4 servings, so if you’re cooking for more than yourself, you should double it because you’ll most certainly want leftovers – guaranteed!

Ingredients:

2 TBSP canola or olive oil
2 medium leeks, rinsed and diced
1 tsp minced ginger
1 TBSP oregano
4 C diced gold potatoes (it was about 1 Farmer’s Market basket of potatoes for me, maybe 3-4 large or 12 small-medium golden potatoes)
4 C vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and chop the leeks. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add chopped leeks, minced ginger, and saute about 10 minutes – when the leeks begin to soften.
2. Add diced potatoes, oregano, and 1 tsp salt. Saute an additional 5-8 minutes.

3. Add broth and bay leaf, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 25-30 minutes - until the potatoes are soft and done.
4. Remove bay leaf. Blend until smooth with immersion blender or food processor. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with homemade croutons and fresh black pepper. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

On This Day In History: Oat Surprise Muffins

I love pasta, but as a veggie-lover it seems weird to just have noodles and sauce (whereas, in a previous/non-vegan life that’s exactly how I liked it). But now, the meal just doesn’t feel complete unless there’s a little onion or red bell pepper, perhaps broccoli and nuts. I don’t buy jarred pasta sauces that often, so I usually just make olive oil pastas – like you’ve typically seen here at the Primate. Sometimes, however, you just crave that thick red sauce that can be sopped up with some garlic bread…mmmm..mmm. So here’s a recipe for a simple chunky tomato sauce, that’s as quick as it is to boil the noodles! Promise! This recipe makes enough sauce for about 4 servings (1 typical package of pasta), plus a little more for those who like it ‘heavy on the sauce’ And for the garlic lovers out there, you know who you are, there is a double-shot of garlic!

Ingredients:

1 red onion, diced
1-2 red bell peppers, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, sliced (you can mince if you want, but I like a good slice from time to time)
1 jar strained tomatoes
1 TBSP dried basil, plus some fresh for garnish
1 TBSP + 1 tsp dried oregano
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP salt, or to taste – plus more for salting the noodle water
fresh black pepper, to taste-
1 4-serving bag of noodles – spaghetti, fusilli, bowtie, rigatoni, any noodle that can hold up to a thick and hearty sauce; which means no angel hair or capellini..

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil – that will fit a bag of noodles. In a large deep-sided skillet, warm a little olive oil (maybe 1-2 TBSP) over medium heat. Meanwhile, dice the onion and red bell, and slice the garlic.
2. Add noodles and some salt to the water, and onion, red bell, and garlic to the skillet. Saute until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in a bit of the salt and some pepper, toss in the herbs, and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the sauce to the skillet o’veg, and adjust the salt and pepper content to your liking. Warm and stir until noodles are ready. At this point, before draining the noodles check thickness of the sauce – if too thick for your liking, thin it out with a little of the pasta cooking water.
3. Plate out noodles, or toss them in the sauce, garnish with fresh basil or oregano, serve and enjoy!

**Note: There’s no actual chunks of tomatoes in this recipe, but feel free to add them if that tickles your fancy!

Happy Cooking!

On This Day In History: Jimmy’s Vanilla Cupcakes