October 2011 - Rather than a recipe, I have some sweet news to announce this Sunday (don't worry, I have a sweet recipe for you tomorrow!) ... Attune Foods (the company behind whole-grain Uncle Sam cereals, Erewhon organic and gluten-free cereals, and New Morning Organic Grahams) has announced a Recipe Contest, and I want the dairy-free and vegan communities to be well represented. There are some big prizes being doled out that three of you could win!

Below is the press release from Attune outlining the contest (which starts now!), rules, and big prizes ... 

Show your cooking creativity with our three months of Cooking Challenges Contest. We have a hunch your oven will be working overtime getting ready for those holiday celebrations, family get-togethers and intimate soirees. Take the cereal beyond the bowl and show us what you’ve got for some sweet prizes!

Alisa Fleming ~ Oatmeal gets top billing on healthy blogs when it comes to breakfast, but I'm here to sing the praises of another oft forgotten whole grain, brown rice. Hearty, gentler on the stomach, gluten-free, and might I add, delicious ... brown rice makes for a warm and hearty breakfast that is easily addictive. Of course, there is that time issue; brown rice takes 40 minutes to cook, while oats are ready in mere minutes. But whole grain rice has one major thing on oats ... it works very well as leftovers and reheats beautifully, which makes recipes like the one below pure heaven in the colder months.

Rather than nuking the rice, I cook it hot cereal-style on the stove top for a warm and creamy breakfast that is somewhat like a sweet risotto. The inspiration for this recipe is from The 4-Ingredient Vegan, but my version adds some flavorings for a few more than four ingredients. At first, I defied her serving size and upped it to a full cup of brown rice. Wow, I quickly discovered just how filling brown rice can be! Though low in calories and fat, the recipe below provides ample morning fuel. Of course, if you want to "beef" it up more, you can add some chopped nuts, or even stir in a little protein powder.

Today, we have another great recipe from author Tami Noyes. She takes ordinary corn chowder to new heights by roasting the vegetables rather than boiling them. She also seasons them beautifully with fragrant ingredients (if you've yet to try smoked paprika, run, don't walk to the store to get some!), and tops it all off with a surprise garnish, barbecue sauce!

We are nearing the end of corn season, so I recommend squeezing in a batch of this warm and hearty vegan soup while you can still get the fresh stuff. In the heart of winter, you can use frozen in a pinch, but fresh will roast up so much more beautifully.

For a creamy twist, add a little coconut milk or cream while heating the blended chowder, or even use it as your final garnish if you don't have any barbecue sauce on hand or want to keep the dish sugar-free. Enjoy and thanks to Tami for this wonderfully healthy and nutritious recipe! ...

Today I'm hosting a WASA Crispbread Gift Giveaway. I received the gift package below from them, and they have offered to send this complete prize to one of you too:

• The Cooking with Crispbread full-color, hardback cookbook
• A cool WASA tote bag
• Three boxes of WASA Crispbread, assorted flavors

Honestly, I love these types of packages as they make trying the products that much more fun. I've loved all three flavors, but what I've enjoyed even more is getting to sample them in recipes thanks to all of the ideas in the Cooking with Crispbread cookbook. Thus far, I've created these Egg-Free Meatballs and a feature recipe on my blog today, Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Crispy Party Mix with fragrant rosemary to boot.