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

Lemon Almond Biscotti

Hey everyone! It's been a while yes. I am terrible at keeping up with these things. But the good news is, the yummy desserts keep rolling in, and I plan on posting them (however sporadic). The inspiration behind this biscotti was my mother in laws backyard. There is a huge lemon tree and I had to make something! I came across a recipe on epicurious, and modified it a little.

Here is the original recipe...http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/VEGAN-LEMON-BISCOTTI-1233180

My modifications are as follows.
*For one of the egg replacers, instead of using 2 tablespoons water, use 2 tablespoons fresh squeeze lemon juice.
*Instead of zest from 1 lemon, got crazy and use the zest from 2 lemons (I am a rebel I know).
*Instead of dividing the dough, I made one long log, about 1 inch thick. It takes the same amount of time to bake, you just get longer biscotti's when you slice them.

And that is all! Next time I make it I am probably going to substitute all the water from the egg replacers for lemon juice. I really like to taste my lemons.

See outcome...

Crunchy Chickpea Snack

I don't know why these have intimidated me for years, but I finally gave them a shot. I love chickpeas and spices, all I needed to do was pop this love affair in the oven!

Here is what I did...

1) Lazily opened a can of chickpeas, rinsed and threw them in a bowl
2) Drizzled olive oil and dashed with cumin, garlic powder and salt (do it to your taste and play with spice options)
3) Placed them on a cookie sheet and tossed them in  @ 400 degree oven
4) Every 10 minutes, stirs those babies!

Bake for 40 minutes or until crunchy.

Yummy and packed full of protein! (How on earth do vegans get protein?????)

Juicing = Creamsicle Recipe

So I am slacking again. I feel it is the story of my life! The good news is, I just got a juicer! I was playing around with it today, and Steve came up with a great recipe! If you are a big fan of the creamsicle, you will love this.

Recipe:
1 large carrot
3 medium oranges
1/4 cup coconut milk (we use So delicious Vanilla)

It was so good! I bet it would be great in the summer if you froze them in Popsicle molds!

Quick Apple Butter

Hey everyone. Yes I slacked off again. With the holidays creeping up and school stuff getting in the way of fun, I have left you behind. I am sorry! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! I wanted to share with you a super easy and quick "recipe" for apple butter.

I love apple butter on my toast in the morning around the holidays. So, instead of buying one at the store (which can be pricey) I throw some of my own together. I used to make it with fresh apples, delicious yet time consuming. So now, I grab a jar of organic unsweetened apple sauce and my cinnamon and nutmeg shakers.

The how to...
1 jar of unsweetened apple sauce

1. place on stove top over medium heat (you are try to reduce it down)
2. stir occasionally to prevent burning
3. add cinnamon and nutmeg to your taste. I like a lot of cinnamon and a couple dashes of nutmeg. (yes it is this simple)
4. When you notice that the apple sauce starts to get thick, you are done. 

I do not add sugar to mine bc I like for it to remain on the healthier side. If you need it, add some to taste.

If you are into canning, this would make an awesome holiday gift. Throw a little piece of fabric over the top and some ribbon. Homemade love!!!

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls

So I have never made my own crescent rolls before, mainly because I make mine from scratch. My Mom had wanted some for thanksgiving, so I picked up a few packs. I had no idea they were vegan, but after reading the container and a few online sources, more votes were in favor of vegan. [Veganize that old standby, pigs in a blanket, using tofu hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry. (Pepperidge Farm brand puff pastry and Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are vegan.)] <---from the PETA website.

So, as I sat on my couch this morning, my sweet tooth hit me. I grabbed a can, popped it open and spread out the dough.

Here are the steps:

1) Roll out the dough so that it is a rectangle
2) Pinch the seams
3) Melt Earth Balance and brush a layer over the dough
4) Sprinkle enough brown sugar over the butter to cover the dough
5) Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar (use however much you'd like)
6) Roll the dough into a log
7) Cut into 8 rounds (less if you want really thick buns)
8) Place into a greased cake pan
9) Bake at 375* for 10 minutes

They were so good that I didn't need to make an icing for them. I did however, make a maple butter to add on mine when it was hot out the oven. (SO GOOD)

This is a great quick thanksgiving morning breakfast. No sense in slaving over breakfast when you have to slave over a huge vegan dinner!

Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Here is another side dish idea for the big T-day. I have always been a fan of these little miracle cabbages, but my Husband has not. I baked these up one night and begged him to try them. Now, we fight for who gets the bigger portion.

What I do:
Clean the BS, cut off rough ends and cut in half.
Tear off any leaves that do not look healthy and toss them.
Allow to dry for a bit, or towel them off with a clean towel.
Throw them in a large bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. (enough to coat but do not drown them, a Tablespoon or more if you are baking a lot)
Add a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar. (A little goes a long way. I use about a Tablespoon and a tad more)
Then do the whole...Salt and Pepper to taste thing.

Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up.
Oven at 400*
Bake for 15-20 minutes


Another way I have done it in the past is by omitting the vinegar and using a little bit of fresh squeezed oj.

Or

Leave out both and just use olive oil for the full taste of the brussels sprout!

Raw Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and that means trying to "fit in" once again. I have a few tested and approved recipes that I want to share with those that may not have a complete menu yet. I wanted to make cranberry sauce the other day, but didn't want the insane amount of refined sugar that comes with cooking it stove top. I decided to look online to see how popular raw cranberry sauce is. I got lucky! I modified it a little because I have an attitude problem and can't follow instructions.

This is the direct link http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/cranberrysauce.html

I did not throw in an orange or use water, instead I fresh squeezed about 3/4 of a cup of Tangerine Juice.

Place everything in your blender on the low chop settings. You can add more juice or water depending on how chunky you want it to be. I was worried that it was going to be very tart, but the dates really cut that down. I was really pleased with how it tasted. (and that it was healthy!)

The recipe:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 apple
1 cup dates
1/2-3/4 cup fresh squeezed oj/tangerine juice.

If you are looking for something that is better than the jell that comes from a can, this could be it!

The Loving Hut Philadelphia

Hey Loving Hut fans, I am here to give you a little insiders peak at the Loving Hut on South Street in Philly. I was first introduced to the loving hut when I lived in CA. I used to eat at their Vegetarian House in San Jose, then accidentally walked in to their grand opening of Loving Hut in Palo Alto, CA (it was my lucky day).  I personally love this vegan chain. The people are always super friendly and the food is cheap! (not cheap in a gross way, very yummy in an affordable way!). The menus are different at each location, which is fun because you get to try something new every time you visit a new spot. I have noticed that they always have a stack of Vegan Outreach literature in most of their stores, which is awesome. The Philly store has never said no to me putting info on the table. Just recently I placed a stack of cards and taped a flier to the wall and they were happy about it!

The food...is Gooooood. I have had everything on the menu and the only thing I would never buy again is the vegan burger. Don't even bother trying it. I have had their milkshakes, which will knock your socks off. Oh and they have bubble tea (tapioca tea), which is my fav drink. Everyone raves about the cheesy bread and I really love the spring rolls. You seriously have to stop by and show some love! Any place that is completely vegan needs our patronage!

The pics:

This is on the ceiling <3

The menu board. Mmm fall soup specials!

 

The store front

The details:
742 South Street | Philadelphia, PA 19147

****CASH ONLY****

The Menu:
Fooooooood

Miglet's Gluten Free Bakery, Danville CA

Sorry the posts have been few and far between. I had been on vacation for a week, then played catch up for a week! I went out to CA to visit family, and while there ate at some of my favorite locations. My mother in law introduced me to an awesome bakery. They specialize in cupcakes and are completely gluten free. She was so excited that they had vegan cupcakes that we went there straight from the plane!

It is an adorable store, all pink and pretty. They have cute t-shirts that you can take home and wear with pride. I noticed some of the kids in town were wearing them to school. They had 4 vegan cupcakes for me to choose from. I jumped for joy when I saw that they had red velvet! It was very good. I give it 4 bites and 2 thumbs up! I devoured it, but not before I took a photo!

Mmm vegan red velvet!

The details:

http://www.migletsgf.com/

Enjoy!

Vegan S'mores!

I seriously think MacGyver was a vegan. I say this bc vegans have a way of making anything they want to eat, vegan. Last night I went to a bonfire. What is a bonfire without s'mores right? As a vegan, marshmallows contain gelatin, which is the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. Yum right? So, tonight I grabbed my graham crackers, baking chocolate and (yet again), Suzanne's Ricemallow to the rescue!

Bc the ricemallow is already the consistency of melted marshmallows, I came up with a plan to melt the choc. I used an aluminum foil pie pan, placed one graham cracker on it, placed the chocolate on top of that and placed it over a hot spot on the fire. When the chocolate starts to melt, remove from the fire, dollop on some ricemallow, add the top graham cracker and enjoy! It may sound like a lot of work but I promise you it is not. You don't even have to go hunting around for sticks!

Here is my delicious proof...

I bet if I didn't tell you, you would never know they were vegan!

See you at the next bonfire!

Gene Baur's lecture at Georgian Court University

I finally met him! Gene Baur that is. A man who used to sell vegan hot dogs out of a VW bus at Dead concerts to raise money to help animals. Does it get any cooler than that? Through my journey to veganism, Gene Baur has been one figure that I have always admired. He is the president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. I have had the pleasure of visiting the Orland,CA farm and hanging out with some very special calves! (and pigs and turkeys Oh My!) I hope to make it up to the Watkins Glenn, NY farm in the near future.

Gene spoke of animal suffering. A topic that some people are passionate about, others ignorant. He covered factory farming, battery cages, gestation crates, veal, milk, downers and more. In his book,  Farm Sanctuary Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food, you can learn the details more in depth. Reading his book motivated me to become more active in helping animals.

Take a minute to look over the Farm Sanctuary website. There are a lot of great resources there. You can visit the farm too. Take your camera and go visit the sweet babies rescued from their death beds. They hold no grudges and look forward to the smiles and snuggles that they get! (you can't help it, they are so stinkin cute!)

Also, with Thanksgiving around the corner, Farm Sanctuary offers you a chance to adopt one of their cutie-pah-tooties! When you adopt a turkey, you get a super sweet photo that you can place at the center of your dinner table (or wherever you want!)  http://www.adoptaturkey.org/

Photos from Georgian Court University and Farm Sanctuary Orland, CA

The man himself!

My favorite animal

This goat loved Steve. Followed his every move <3

The sweetest face!

Excuse me, are you taking my photo? Let me pose for you :)

I love this!

The babies were taken away before the were weaned.

Blossom NYC

Before I had dessert at Lula's, my friends and I dined at the amazing Blossom Restaurant. I say amazing bc, well, by the sounds we all made after our first bites, it was. The spot has an upstairs and downstairs for seating. When we went, the top was reserved for a party, so we dined street level. It was a Sat, we didn't have a reservation and we were starving. The server was awesome enough to squeeze us in to a 45 min spot, allowing only one course. (on a budget that is all we could do anyway!) If you are a vegan, you know the pure excitement of staring down at a menu that you can pick ANYTHING you want from! So, I did! You had me at hickory...Hickory basted tempeh that is, with collard greens, potatoes and a horseradish cream sauce. Oh nom nom. The price for this plate of heaven, $18. (Did I mention this place is organic!!!!) Not bad at all. It was just the right amount of food. My girlfriends chose the lasagna and mushroom rigatoni. All of which I had a bite and were equally amazing. I cannot report on desserts as we quickly packed up and headed to Lula's, but I have no doubt that they quite the treat!

Equivalent to the Bible

The collard greens are peaking out

The gateway to heaven

The details:

Blossom Restaurant

187 9th Avenue (21st/22nd)
Telephone: 212-627-1144

Lula's Sweet Apothecary NYC

If someone said to you, "Would you like pumpkin spice or cake batter soft serve?", what would you say? Well, my answer was..."Twist Please!" That is how my evening went last night. After a day of vegan outreach in Union Square, me and my girls went on a vegan food rampage! We had am amazing dinner (which I will save for the next post) and killer (or nothing really died) desserts.

Lula's Sweet Apothecary is awesome. If you love the retro ice cream parlor atmosphere, welcome home! It is a tiny little spot with 4 stools and a window ledge on the inside, and a cozy wooden bench on the outside. Upon entering heaven, you will spot a book shelf to your left lined with jars full or candy bars (including Rescue Chocolate) and cookies. The menu has gluten free options made from cashews and soy options. They are all about sampling their flavors, which I was nice and only took one sample (the ginger molasses which was out of this world). They have 2 flavors of soft serve which changes. I lucked out and had pumpkin spice and cake batter twist. The staff were super friendly as were the customers. I am in love. I don't think I will ever be able to travel to NYC without stopping here now.

Cookies and Candies Oh My!

Next time, it will be a float for me!

Seriously...

It was kinda like licking the bowl of a pumpkin pie cheese cake <3