Coconut, Kidney Bean and Corn Stew

Ok so I am sure this combination sounds gross right? I am currently ADDICTED to it! I can't  find my original source for the inspiration or I would share. As always, I had drifted far off the path of following the recipe anyway. This is QUICK and EASY! I typically have these items on hand at my house at any given time, so that might be another reason I'm addicted.

Here we go...

Dice 1 red onion
Cut up 1 bell pepper (color of your choice)
1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained (or soak and cook the equivalent )
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1 Tbsp crushed garlic (I keep a container of trader joe's crushed garlic in the fridge)
1 can full fat coconut milk (If you count calories, use the light, it will just be thinner)
1 veg bullion cube (my is salted, so if yours is not, add salt to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Heaping Tbsp Dijon Mustard (I used the kind with the seeds in it)
3 shakes of red cayenne pepper


I cook the onions and peppers until tender
Add garlic, cumin, mustard, pepper and bullion. (stir)
Add coconut milk, beans and corn.

Cook until hot. Really....Easy.

You can serve this with crusty bread or even over rice. I just eat it like a soup :)

Mmmm warm and yummy

I like it hot, so I added some extra cayenne

A hearty healthy Dinner

Giving it a go at Owl Cupcakes!

So there was a birthday...and I needed to make cupcakes. I feel like I have done the rosette about a million times, as well as elmo, sprinkles, flowers Oh my! So I decided to try something cute. I had made cookies once before using almonds, but I knew the person I was making them for wants sugar and ONLY sugar. (hi mom!) haha. So here was my thought process...

I made the chocolate cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.
Buy here--->  http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739

I ran to my local 7-11 and grabbed a few "accidentally vegan" items
                   1. Mini Oreos for Eyes and Ears
                   2. Orange Slices to mold into a nose shape

For the Eyes I opened the mini oreos and placed a chocolate chip (whole foods brand) in the icing

For the Ears I cut the chocolate cookie of the orea in half

I piped the outside dark frosting using one bag, then the lighter frosting using another bag

Once I had what I thought looked like feathers, I dropped the eyes on, crammed the ears in and plopped the nose down.

I feel as though I was successful. I would probably make them again, maybe with more time and some fine tuning. Either way, these will be sure to be a HOOT at any party and for any age!

Hoot!

Gluten Free Soy Free Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

I was checking out some pins shared on the VegNews boards today, and I came across something that I had to make asap. I am a big fan of the classic pairing of Lemon and Poppy Seed. I can't help it! I love lemon and the crunch of little poppy seeds keep me entertained. So, I pull up the recipe and start whizzing in the kitchen. *sudden pause* apple puree??? Hmmm, I don't have that. So, I thought, apple sauce! *another pause* don't have that either. Looks around...rotting banana? Perfect! I never follow a recipe. It must be a disease. I was determined to follow this one, but it wasn't in the cards. Luckily I know my substitutions pretty well, and these turned out YUMMY!!

Here is the link to the original pin (gotta give credit where credit is due)
http://www.includingcake.com/2012/09/lemon-poppy-pancakes.html

And here is my version!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Bob's Redmill GF All purpose mix.

¾ tsp baking powder
Tiny pinch salt
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 Tbsp Smashed Banana

Juice and Zest of one whole lemon

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1/3 cup Almond Milk with 1 tsp chia seeds mixed in

Method:

Mix the chia seeds and the milk together first and let it get slimy (yum right?) 
Mix all the dry ingredients together
Add mashed banana and mix with a fork
Add in the rest of the ingredients


It makes a think batter, but don't worry, they puff up :)

I use a spray of olive oil on a hot pan and cook until they are done to my liking. I have to apologize to those of you who like a lighter colored pancake. I like when mine have a slightly crunchy skin to it, so they are typically a little darker.

Tada! Serve with whatever makes your heart flutter. In my case, too much earth balance and a ridiculous amount of maple syrup. 

Makes 4 medium sized cakes :)

Super Easy Apple "Pie"

Here I go again. Always falling off the wagon. I hope that I can stick with it again for at least a few months to get some new recipes up online. I find it really convenient when I am out visiting and someone asks me to bake something, I just go to my blog (that I neglect) and there it is!

Here is my latest.

Baked in Vintage Pyrex

Recipe:
5 Apples of your choice peeled, sliced thin
2 Tbsp Sugar of your choice
1 Lemon juiced
1/2 lemon zested
Dash Nutmeg

Toss this and let set aside while you preheat the oven. 375*

Crust:
Open a can of crescent rolls. (Pillsbury is accidentally vegan. I have also found some "off brand" rolls that are also vegan, your choice) 

Roll out into a long rectangle and allow to warm up a little.

The pan I used was exactly the size of half of the long rectangle{9x7} ( you know how they are separated down the middle). If your pan is larger, you might want to roll out the dough a little, or use more than one container. An 8x8 pan will probably work just fine with a little bit of rolling or stretching the dough.

Procedure:
Lay one piece of dough on the bottom of the pan. Add apple mixture. Put on second piece of dough. BOOM, done!! Haha.

I baked mine for 11 minutes at 375* As always, over temps vary, so just keep an eye on yours the first time around.

Layers of yummy

All I need is some vanilla IC!

I can see this as being Christmas or Thanksgiving breakfast. So quick and easy <3 br="br">

One World Cafe, Baltimore MD

I took a few trips to Baltimore this year, and of course, I ate at every veg place I could find. This cafe is not all veg, but very veg friendly! There is a large selection of items, including a few desserts and yummy beverages. Here are a few pics of my first visit. I didn't  have my camera ready my second time there. (shame on me right)

Vegan nachos covered in daiya and vegan sour cream!

Vegan hot dog with sauerkraut

Mmmmm messy goodness!

I love this place. The service is usually sloooooow, but it is comfortable to sit and hang with your friends. They also have a bar area if you want to skip table service and sit on comfy couches.

The details:

Site: http://www.one-world-cafe.com/

Addy: 100 West University Parkway Baltimore, MD 21210 (410) 235-5777

Mi Lah Vegetarian Restaurant, Philadelphia

Looking for brunch??? Look no further! My dear vegans this place has it ALL.

Let's start with french toast. Do you like yours deep fried? I do...

 

 

Drool...

Or how about a sausage biscuit???

Mmmm Sausage biscuit with gravy, homefries, and deep fried coconut mushrooms.

 I know now that you are in fact looking for the address for this place. Who can honestly resist? I have been twice and the only thing on the brunch menu I recommend you not getting is the Waffles. They are burnt and rock hard. No bueno.

Details:

Site...http://www.milahvegetarian.com/

Address: 218 South 16th Street.

Quintessence Raw Restaurant NYC

So once again I have been a Little Piggy in the Big City. In the past 2 trips I have made to NYC I have stopped by this super cute little spot and pigged out on raw food. I hope you are not thinking, raw euw! It really is amazing. They have also started offering slow cooked food for those who may not love raw, but also don't love the life cooked out of your veggies!

Here are some of the yum yums I indulged in.

Raw "Hot" Chocolate

View from our seat

Spicy "tuna" rolls

enchiladas

Some chocolate and Strawberry

pecan pie cookie

This was the pumpkin pie cheese cake

 

 

 

And this is just a few of the amazing items. They change their menu often, so don't worry about getting bored! Swing by and give this place a try!

Details:

Site...http://www.raw-q.com/

Address: East Village
263 E 10th Street
(btw. Ave A & 1st Ave)
NYC
(646) 654-1823