Gumboots&Cats&VeganSnacks

Gumboots&Cats is moving!

2011-10-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

I've decided to move the blog over to Wordpress. I have been having a lot of trouble staying signed in on blogspot and it's been super glitchy :(

Come join me!

Gumboots&Cats&VeganSnacks!

Loaded Quinoa Salad

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite salads, it's loaded with protein (Go Quinoa!) and it tastes great hot or cold! It's a crowd pleaser (omni approved) and super easy to make.

Quinoa salad, sweet chili tofu & corn

1 1/2 cups quinoa, dry
3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
2 sprigs green onion, chopped
1 small zuchinni, small cubes
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 part olive oil *(1/8 cup)
2 parts lemon juice *(1/4 cup)
pinch of salt
couple shakes of Italian seasoning

*I did not measure the dressing, amounts are approximate.

Rinse quinoa and combine in a pot with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 15-20 mins. While the quinoa is cooking, chop all your veggies. In a small container, combine dressing ingredientsm shake until mixed. It will seperate a bit so give it a good little shake before you toss it will the salad. Put all the veggies & walnuts in a bowl, pour warm quinoa overtop and stir. Add the dressing, serve warm or refrigerate to serve cold. Enjoy :)

Sweet Chili Sesame Tofu, Roasted Veggie Fried Rice & Grilled Asparagus

2011-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect end of summer meal, so fire up your bbq and get ready to enjoy some seriously good food! You can marinate the tofu overnight if you wish but 20 mins is usually all the time I have and it always turns out. I like to make a whole bunch at once and then I have deliciously flavoured tofu on hand for a few days, if it lasts that lonh before I gobble it up! I usually do not measure the marinade, I just huck all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and add the tofu but for your sake I will add approximate measurements. I love roasting veggies, it takes a little longer but that deep, rich roasted flavour is so worth it!

Sweet Chili Sesame Marinade

1-2 tbsps Sesame Oil

3-5 tbsps Sweet Chili Sauce

2 generous squirts of Braggs

1 175g package extra firm tofu, sliced into 8 pieces

Yep, that's it! Combine in a ziploc baggie, mix it around a bit and add in your sliced tofu. I have started pressing my tofu before I marinate as often as I can remember, it seems to hold in the flavour better that way. I wrap the slices in a dish towel and stack some heavy books on top for 15 mins. To save time, you can sandwich the tofu (wrapped in cloth) between two cutting boards and stand on it for a minute. I like to use extra firm tofu because I know it will hold up well on the bbq. How long you cook it on the bbq depends on how you like your tofu. I like to cook it on the top rack for maybe 5-7 mins on each side, just enough to get those nice grill marks.

Roasted Veggie Fried Rice

2 Carrots, quartered lenthgwise

1 cup Brocolli, chopped into florets

1 small Yellow or sweet onion, quartered and layers split

1 1/2 cups Bell Peppers, 1 inch pieces

2-3 tbsps Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Toss veggies in a large bowl with olive oil, salt & pepper to your taste. Cook in oven for about 30 mins, flipping at the 15 min mark. Remove any pieces that look cooked enough if needed.

1 cup basmati rice, dry

2 cups vegetable broth or water

2 tbsps margarine or olive oil

While the veggies are roasting, it's time to make the rice. I like to make my rice in a deep frying pan rather than a pot, that way when the veggies are done, I can add them right into the pan. The less dishes, the better! I also like to fry my rice until it is see through in a bit of margarine or olive oil before boiling. Just straight boiling will work just fine though. Add broth or water, bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 20 mins. It's that easy! Let the veggies cool down and roughly chop them up before adding to rice.

Lemon Garlic Asparagus

1 lb asparagus

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, juiced

salt

Wash the asparagus and trim the ends off. Arrange asparagus lengthwise in tinfoil, sprinkle with garlic, salt & lemon juice. Wrap it up and it's ready to toss on the bbq. I don't know about you but I like my asparagus just lightly cooked so it is still crisp but tender. Cook for 10 minutes at the most on the top shelf. Do not leave it on the bbq to stay warm, it will overcook and become too chewy. Remove when it is done and it will stay warm in the foil until you are ready to eat :)

Brocolli "Pesto" Dip

2011-09-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by Adam Crisis' Kale Pesto recipe that he posted on the Post Punk Kitchen forums. I simply subbed brocolli for the kale, used a bit less miso and added lemon juice. This dip has a decent amount of protein and is low in fat. It is super tasty, even omni approved! Goes well with crackers or pita, you could also use it as a spread in wraps or on a sandwich.
Brocolli "Pesto" Dip

1-2 large heads brocolli, chopped into florets and lightly steamed
1 1/2 - 2 cups walnuts
5 cloves garlic
3 tbsps nutrirional yeast
1 tbsp miso
1-2 tsp lemon juice (adjust according to tastebuds)
salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4-1/2 cup water (start with 1/4 cup & slowly add more to get the consistency you like)

Combine first 6 ingredients in food proccesor & blend. Slowly add water to get the consistency you like. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. Serve with warm pita or spread on toast, enjoy!

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup

2011-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

The cauliflower gives this hearty soup a thick, creamy base without the added fat of cream or nuts. Roasting the veggies adds a nice depth to the soup and brings out the sweetest of the onion but you could also steam the veggies for a subtler taste. Make sure to check on your veggies while roasting so they don't overcook or burn. The onions tend to cook a lot faster than the cauliflower and carrots so you may want to remove them at the 15 minute mark or you can leave them in for an extra roasty/charred flavor.

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup (makes about 6 cups)

1 medium/large head cauliflower, cut into 2 inch florets
4 medium sized carrots, cut lenghtwise into quarters or sixths if they are very thick
1 small yellow or sweet onion, cut into sixths and seperated
3 tbsps olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
2-3 tsps lemon juice
3 tbsps brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, coat cauliflower with 1 tbsp olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Toss the carrots & onions with 2 tbsps olive oil and spread out on second baking sheet. Sprinkle both sheets with salt & pepper. Bake in oven for 15 mins. Flip veggies, check the onions as sometimes they cook much faster and bake for another 15 mins. Once you veggies are done, transfer them to a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups vegetable broth and blend. You will probably need to do the rest of the blending in 2 batches. Pour out half of the mixture into a bowl. Add 1 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 tbsps brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ginger, blend well. Transfer mixture in blend to a pot or other bowl. Blend the other half of the vegetable mixture with the remaining 1 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 tbsps brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ginger. Add the blender contents into the pot or bowl and mix well. Taste and add salt & pepper to your liking. You may also want to add the other 1 tsp of lemon juice.

This soup freezes well, I like to do 1-2 cup portions. Let the soup cool, pour into freezer bags and lay flat on a baking sheet to freeze in nice thin, space saving shapes.

Cheese Onion Bread

2011-09-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is a super simple recipe that I found in the user manual for my Black & Decker, All In One bread machine. I can't say that I am 100% in love with this recipe as it as not as cheesey & oniony as I was hoping for, but it is good. I plan on playing with it a bit to see how much cheese I can get away with adding as well as, maybe next time I will try using fresh onion instead of dehydrated onion flakes. This recipe is for use with the Rapid Bake setting which only takes 70 minutes. There is also another cheese onion bread recipe but it take 3.5 hours, I think that one might actually work better with the fresh onion & more cheese. *I have no idea why there are different measurements for US & Canada in the second recipe.

Cheese Onion Bread (Rapid Bake setting)
1 2/3 cups water
3 Tbsp powdered soy milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups All Purpose or Bread Flour (US, use bread flour)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1/3 cup shredded vegan cheese (I used cheddar Daiya)
4 tsp yeast (rapid or bread machine)

Cheese Onion Bread (Sweet Bread setting)
1 1/4 cups water
2 Tbsp powdered soy milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt (1 1/4 tsp in US)
3 1/4 cups All Purpose or Bread Flour (US, use 3 1/3 cups Bread flour)
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh onion
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese (I used cheddar Daiya)
1 tsp yeast (rapid or bread machine)

*Make sure you measure the ingredients into the baking pan in the order that they are listed.

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes

2011-08-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is the same basic recipe as the Zucchini Pancakes, with chocolate chips and cherries in lieu of the zucchini. They are so sweet on their own, they require no syrup! Of course, if you are craving a crazy sugar high, go for it!

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes

1/2 cup flour (I used all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/3 cup cheries, chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp cooking oil or magarine

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Chop cherries into small chunks. Mix the cherries into the dry ingredients and coat evenly, then add almond milk and stir well. Heat oil or margine over medium-low heat in skillet. Spoon 1/8-1/4 cup of batter into pan. Let sit for a minute and the sprinkle a few chocolate chips into pancake. You could add them right into the batter, but I find that they sink to the bottom of the pancake and then you have a big chocolately mess on one side. Cook over low heat (3) until the pancakes bubble, flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve alone or with syrup if you dare!

Cheater Sauce n Meatballs & Hint of Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes

2011-08-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

I call this cheater sauce because I used a jar of Classico as the base, it's just too hot out to make a sauce from scratch. You could add any vegetables you like, I used carrot and zucchini because I seem to have an abundance on hand. I wanted to use walnuts as the "meat" in the sauce but wasn't sure how that would work out so I decided to try this recipe instead and they turned out quite well. I halved the recipe and froze what I didn't eat at dinner. Make the meatballs first, while they are baking in th oven you can start on the sauce. Hope you enjoy this simple meal as much as I do!

Cheater Sauce

1 16oz jar Classico, Tomato & Basil
1 large carrot, shredded or finely diced
1/2 large zucchini, cubed small
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 cup water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, zucchini and Italian seasoning. Stir and cover with lid for 5 mins. Add a 1/8 cup water to generate steam and speed up the cooking process. Let sit for 5-10 mins. Remove lid, turn heat down to low, add nutritional yeast and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve overtop your favorite noodle and top with meatballs.

Hint of Chocolate, Zucchini Pancakes
makes 4-5 small pancakes

1/2 cup flour (I used all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp cooking oil or magarine

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Shred zucchini and pat dry with a tea towel or paper towel. You want to get as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible so your pancakes cook through properly, otherwise they won't cook very well inside. Mix the zucchini into the dry ingredients and coat evenly, then add almond milk and stir well. Heat oil or margine over medium-low heat in skillet. Spoon 1/8-1/4 cup of batter into pan. Cook over low heat (3) until the pancakes bubble, flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup!

*If you wanted a deeper chocolate flavour, add 2 tsps cocoa powder or 1/8 cup vegan chocolate chips.

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

2011-08-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't have all the traditional ingredients for stuffed peppers so I decided to get creative and use what I had on hand in the pantry. This is what I came up with and it's delicious! *The filling makes quite a bit so you could halve it or make a ton of peppers and freeze for easy meals later :)

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

Pepper Filling
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 yam, cubed small
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large bell peppers, halved
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 1/2 cups mozzarella Daiya
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsps tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Almond Parm
1/2 cup almonds
1 tbsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine pearl barley and vegetable broth or water in a pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 45 mins. While barley is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sautee the onions & carrots with garlic salt & pepper over medium high heat. Microwave yams for 3 mins. Add broccoli & red peppers to the onion mixture, cover and let sit for 5-10 mins or until broccoli looks tender. Add the yams, garlic & garam masala, cover again for another 5 mins. If at any point the veggies stick to the pan add a bit of water and stir. Now add in the tomato paste, lentils, barley & Daiya. Mix well. Stuff the filling into your halved peppers and arrange on a deep baking tray. Sprinkle with almond parm and bake for 30 mins or until tops are browned. Let cool for 15-20 mins and serve.

Momo's Baby Gifts Wishlist

2011-07-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

Less than 5 months to go before baby ViMo arrives so I figured I should probably start putting together a list of things that I would like/will need upon his or her arrival. I'll be adding to this list as I find things I fancy. It is really important to me to use as many cruelty free/earth friendly products as possible, please keep that in mind when you are shopping for me. If there is something you would like to get for me that is not on my list and you are unsure if it is vegan friendly, please ask me, I don't mind doing the research :)

Baby Kanga Cloth Diapers
Baby Kanga Retail Locations in Victoria

Broody Chick , sold @ Thrifty Foods locations and are a local company! I pretty much want all of their products!

1. Fully compostable diapers- despite wanting to exclusively use cloth, I am sure there will be times when disposables make more sense/are easier!
2. Fully compostable wipes
3. Boody Balm - All natural diaper cream
4. Wonderbalm - Non petroleum jelly
5. Every Body Lotion
6. Every Body Wash
7. Bye Bye BooBoo
8. Sniffs & Snuffles
9. Bath Bar

Organic Wipes (not pictured)

Fisher Price Safari/Jungle Playmat- I saw these at the Walmart in Langford.

Safari/Jungle Crib Set

Rainbow Teething Necklace

Newborn Button Loafers

Green Elephant Loafers

Green Trees Blanky

Owl Hat & Diaper Cover Set

I love all the items PWC has to offer, especially the onesies. Any of them will do.
Panda With Cookie Etsy

Quick & Easy Shepherds Pie

2011-04-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Quick & Easy Shepherds Pie

2.5 lbs baby red potatoes
1 pkg Yves veggies ground round
1 pkg Simply Organic mushroom sauce
1 1/3 cup frozen (or fresh) mixed vegetables
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (I used 1/2 plain & 1/2 chive & garlic)
1 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cut potatoes into quarters and boil until soft.

While potatoes are boiling, prepare mushroom sauce according to package directions.

Heat veggies ground round, veggies and 1/4 tsp garlic salt in saucepan over medium low heat.

Once potatoes are boiled, strain & transfer them to food processor (or large bowl for mashing). Add garlic, cream cheese & salt to food processor and blend until smooth. Mix mushroom sauce and veggies ground round together.

Layer in bottom of large casserole dish, next layer the potatoes into dish and smooth out.

Sprinkle with cheese & pepper.

Pop in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes. That's it! Super simple and delicious!

Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Cream Cheese-Chive & Garlic Review

2011-04-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

First off, I have to say that this cream cheese by far, trumps all of the other varieties I have tried. Mind you, I have only evewr had Tofutti ;) It is smooth and creamy, tastes so similar to the real thing it is almost kind of eerie. Even my omni fiance likes it which is huge, because most vegan dairy substitutes just don't measure up for him.

To be honest , I did not come up with a recipe for this flavour like I had originally planned. It is so good, I don't want to cover up that awesome flavour, so I have been eating it spread on crackers or a bagel and I am okay with that! I think in the future, I would like to try and do an alfredo recipe as V suggested. Time will only tell.

If you have access to Galaxy Nutriotional Foods Vegan Cream Cheese at your local grocer, I highly suggest you give it a try. If they don't, ask them to roder it!...It is that good!!!

Cream of Brocolli Soup!

2011-04-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is by far the best version of vegan cream of brocolli soup that I have made so far, I loved it! I didn’t follow a recipe when making this, I made it up so all of the measurements are approximate…You can tweak to your liking. I like to think of this as a super awesome guideline rather than an actual recipe!

1 giant head of brocolli, thick bottom stems removed
1/2 medium yellow onion
1-2 tbsps olive oil
1 23oz Unsweetened Mimicreme
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic salt
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 pkg Daiya cheddar shreds

Heat olive oil in large stockpot, over medium-high heat. Pulse onion in food processor for a minute or two, you want nice tiny pieces. Remove onion & toss in stockpot. Now pulse the brocolli for about a minute, you will have mostly small pieces but some nicer large chunks are okay too. Toss that in the stockpot and season with a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Stir & put a lid on it. Let the veggies soften, this will take about 5 minutes. Now add you vegetable broth, stir and put the lid back on, wait another 5 minutes or so. The brocolli should be a nice bright green & should be tender but not soft & mushy. Add the Mimicreme, turmeric, garlic salt and stir. Let the soup come to a soft boil and turn the heat to low-medium. Taste & add any additional spices. I found that even the unsweetened Mimicreme is a tad on the sweet side so I added quite a bit of salt & pepper, keeping in mind that the Daiya will add a bit of saltiness as well. Once the soup has simmered for about 15 minutes or so, it is probably good to go. Toss in your Daiya shreds, stir and let them melt right in (takes about 5 mins). Your soup is now ready to serve…Let it cool first though so you don’t burn your tongue! This soup will keep for 5 days in the fridge. I didn’t freeze mine but I miagine it would be okay.

Galaxy Nutritional Foods Cream Cheese Review!

2011-04-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Galaxy Nutritional Foods has an awesome variety of delicious, vegan, cheese alternatives. With both soy & rice based cheeses, they have an option for everyone. Their newest product is the Vegan Cream Cheese, which comes in two flavors, Classic Plain and Chive & Garlic. Both are dairy, cholesterol and gluten free as well as Kosher certified.

Both flavors are nice and rich, with a smooth, creamy texture. Originally I had planned on making a cheesecake but decided instead, I wanted to make a citrus infused, cream cheese glaze for some carrot cake cupcakes! I used the Carrot Cake recipe from Vegetarian Times February 2009 issue and then my own spin on the VCTOTW Cream Cheese Frosting.

I am very pleased with this cream cheese, it worked out perfectly. I have a couple ideas for the Chive & Garlic flavour but would love to hear suggestions on what you guys would like to see me make next!!!\

Until next time,
xoxoxo <3 Momo

Giveaway at Vegan Planet Blogspot!!!

2011-03-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the Vegan Planet giveaway!!!

Spiced Steel Cut Oats with Berries

2011-03-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have never been a big fan of oatmeal. I like food with a bit more texture so when I tried steel cut oats, I was pleasantly surprised! They are a little chewier than traditional oatmeal, I like that they don't turn to mush. They are pretty simple to make, takes a little more time than regular oatmeal, but that gave me a chance to putter around the kitchen and get other things done like emptying the dishwasher and switching my laundry. You can cut down the time by prepping the oats the night before. Pour boiling water over oats and leave overnight...then in the morning you can cook them for about 10 minutes and season how you like! I am big on pumpkin pie spice (ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice) so that is what I used for mine. You can add any spices you like.

Spiced Steel Cut Oats with Berries:
serves 1

1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 1/2 cups water
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1 tsp sugar
2 tsps coconut flour
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup berries

Over medium heat, bring water & oats to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of any sticking oats. Turn heat down a bit and let simmer until it thickens, approx 20 mins. At this point I added the ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, sugar & coconut flour. Remove from heat, top with berries & soymilk. Enjoy!
* If you like your oats a little softer, you can add an extra 1/2 cup of water to start and cook a little longer.

Sweet & Sour Soy Curls

2011-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I entered a giveway on Vegan Food Rocks blog and I won some Soy Curls.

Pretty much the best thing that has happened this month. They are awesome and now I am on a mission to find out where I can get them. They arrived pretty quick after she let me know I had won and also included some recipes for me to try. The first one I decided to use was the Sweet & Sour; Great idea, so great. I cannot get the taste out of my mouth/head....I can feel it in my bones. I couldn't find the recipe on the Butler website but it is pretty simple. I opted to use pineapple in liru of the sugar since I like to use natural sugars whenever possible and when is pineapple a bad idea? Never, really. I really enjoyed the texture of the product and the flavour is really dependant on what you season with, like cooking with tofu. Of course, I didn't take a picture, what was I thinking? This dish wasn't really pretty....I was in a hurry, had to get to work, blah blah blah. You need to take my word for it, or you can go read the Vegan Food Rocks blog post, she has pictures.

Sweet & Sour Soy Curls
serves 2

1/2 cup wild rice
1 cup soy curls
2 tbsps Braggs
2 tbsps nutritional yeast
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 tbsps crushed pineapple
salt & pepper
olive oil, for cooking

Get your rice cooking since it takes forever, or you could use whit eor brown rice for shorter cooking times.
Rehydrate the soy curls in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. While those are soaking, heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Throw in your chopped onion & peppers, season with salt & pepper, cook until translucent. Add the soy curls, Braggs, nutrional yeast and pineapple. Cover pan and cook in the flavour for about 10 minutes. I turned my heat up a bit so everything got nice and crispy on the edges. Serve over rice.

This was one of the easiest meals I have ever made and I think I just may make it again for dinner tonight! Enjoy :)

Mixed Berry-Apple Crumble

2011-02-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Almost two weeks ago, I picked up a bag of delicious little gala apples for $3. I ate one or two and the rest of them sat untouched in a plastic bag on my kitchen floor. Oops. By the time I remembered I had them, they were a little bruised, my cats were probably using them as toys. I was going to make apple pie but didn't feel like fiddling around making a crust so crumble/crisp was the way to go. I also had a giant bag of mixed berries that I thought would go really well so I decided to use them too! Apples, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries....yum! This dish is not diabetic friendly. I could have probably done with a littler less sugar but I have a crazy sweet tooth. If you like, you could omit half of the suagr and yield similar results. The recipe below is from vegweb.com, I added some nutmeg and a bit more cinnamon....I also misread the margarine amounts so that was freestyle. For some reason I read it as 1 tbsp which made no sense so naturally I added enough for the mixture to "crumble". As well, I used 5 small gala apples.

Mixed Berry-Apple Crumble
4 large cooking apples
2 cups of mixed berries (I used frozen mixed berries)
1 cup of rolled oats
1 1/2 cups white flour
2 cups vegan brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 - 2/3 cups vegan margarine
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325'F (175' C). Peel, Core and slice the apples. Put the apples in a big bowl and mix in the berries. Mix one cup of sugar into the fruit along with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg; mix. Place the fruit mixture into a 12 x 9 dish. Mix the oats, flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add margarine, use your fingers to mix into oat mixture until it resembles a crumbly consistency. Pour evenly over fruit mixture. Pop in the pre-heated oven for 35 - 45 minutes. I checked mine at 35 and left it in for the remaining time. You want the top to be a nice golden brown and the edges will be bubbly.

Serves 8 or 3 ravenous roommates (with leftovers)
Preparation time: 10-15 mins to prep

Lemon Chick'n Scallopini wiht Steamed Asparagus & Garlicky Red Quinoa

2011-02-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Garden was on for super cheap at the grocery store, I decided to try the Chick'n Scallopini. I am a big fan of the Crispy Tenders as is my boyfriend, which is awesome because he is not vegan. Asparagus was also on sale, I had some red quinoa already and a giant bulb of elephant garlic. When I think chick'n filet dish, I want lemon and Italian spices which is just what I did. I found this recipe for lemon chick'n rub. Awesome. I tweaked with it a bit. Instead I did the zest of one lemon, 1 tbsp dried basil, 2 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp Italian spice, and a bunch of fresh ground black pepper. I didn't have any vegetable broth to do the quinoa in, which is coincedentally what is brewing away in my kitchen right now, so I opted for a large chunk of elephant garlic and some spices in water. Turned out wonderfully. The asparagus was super easy to do, steam and serve. For the scallopini, I brush each side with olive oil, rubbed with the lemon mixture and sauteéd on each side for 2-3 minutes. A very simple, low fat dinner that is omni approved! Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Pizza!

2011-02-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Something I find myself doing a lot is browsing vegan recipes. I think that is why I am hungry so often, I am always looking at food, I can't help myself. There are so many great blogs out there with pages and pages of fantastic vegan recipes. One of my favorites is Melo Meals, every single recipe I have tried is delicious, they are all low fat, most of them gluten free and super cheap. I just discovered she has started a recipe index!! Yes! Which led me to the chickpea flatbread. I got a great big bag of chickpea flour from a coworker a while ago to make pakoras and it never occured to me to do flatbread, thanks Mel! So now I have no excuse not to make the pizza! My fridge is full of awesome pizza ingredients at the moment; spinach, mushrooms, onions, elephant garlic, mozzarella daiya...If only I still had basil, I would do an edamame pesto base instead of tomato sauce. Next time! Unfortunately I also did not have tomato paste, so tomato sauce it is...not as good as paste but works in a pinch. Here is my pizza creation!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2011-01-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

I got the recipe from Vegetarian Times. http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10896 . I omitted the cheese, added corn, veggie ground round and used fresh spinach. I also topped them with spelt breadcrumbs and used double the garlic that the recipe called for. I think I will make these again but next time I will add more quinoa, they were pretty mpist. They are great served with a vegan cheesy sauce!

Bottle Drive for Justin!

2011-01-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

15 year old Justin was diagnosed on Christmas Eve with a rare form of Cancer. We are collecting bottles to raise money for the family's costs of traveling, accommodation, food etc to and from Vancouver while Justin undergoes Chemo and radiation treatment!

Saturday Jaunary 8th
439 Davida - right near Tillicum Mall
10 am - 3 pm

Thank you for the support!

Mini Spinach & Bell Pepper Quiches

2011-01-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

I really cannot take any credit for this recipe. I based it off of Isa's Broccoli Quiche found in this 2008 blog post from the PPK. I have made that quiche many times now with little subsitutions here and there, then I stumbled upon this recipe for mini crustless quiches which I tried and was not as pleased with. The form just wasn't there, even though their taste was spot on, I didn't want to make them again because they totally fell apart. That being said, I was still jonesing for a mini quiche. I do not have a huge amount of freezer space so for me, it is easier to make smaller dishes and kind of peice them in the freezer like a jigsaw puzzle. That's always fun when I overload it and forget, open the door and surprise! frozen treats everywhere!!! All I really did here is made the quiche with what I had on hand which is why it is not the same as Isa's but there is no way that I am calling this my own recipe, it's hers, hands down. She is an awesome chef, I cook from her blog posts 90% of the time and was lucky enough to recieve her newest cookbook Appetite For Reduction for Christmas. I highly suggest everyone run out and get a copy, even if you are not trying to lose weight, these recipes are super tasty, easy to make and of course, vegan. Win, Win, Win!!! So here you have it, my mini quiche rip off recipe ;) I didn't do any crust because all I had on hand was rice flour. I am not going to lie, I tried to whip one up and failed epically...I hate wasting but I would rather chuck the crust that have them just not turn out right...lesson learned! Ok, now here is the recipe for real this time.

Mini Crustless Spinach & Bell Pepper Quiches

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lrg red pepper, finely chopped
1 lrg orange pepper, finely chopped
1 tsps dried basil
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsps water
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1 tsp mustard powder
1/3 cup nutrional yeast
1 375g pkg extra firm organic tofu
1 cup spinach, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil for about 3 minutes. Add the peppers, basil, tumeric, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, until peppers are soft.

Meanwhile, process the almonds in a food processor into fine crumbs. I actually like to grind mine up in a magic bullet, I find it to work better. Give the tofu a squeeze to get rid of some of the water, then crumble it into the food processor along with the mustard and nutrional yeast. Add 2 tbsps water and process until relatively smooth.

Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the pepper mixture and stir throughly. Taste for salt, then mix in spianch. Use a rubber spatula and evenly distribute mixture into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 30 mins, if they still look a little soft in the middle, bake for an additional 10.

Once out of the oven, let the quiches sit for about 5 mins. Then gently use the dull side of a butter knife to seperate the sides of pan. Let them sit for another 15 mins or so before you try to take them out, that way they will have had some time to set a bit. They are not the prettiest dish to serve but damn tasty. I imagine if they had crusts, they would be much more beautiful and photgraphable!

Sugar Free Spelt Shortbread

2010-12-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

If you read yesterday's post than you have already seen the gluten free, sugar free shortbread. Well, I figured I would make a regular shortbread as well! While I do have a wheat sensitivity, I am not bothered by gluten so I thought spelt flour would make for a nice hearty shortbread and I was right! These bad boys are amazing!!! When they first came out of the oven I worried about them tasting a little too healthy for my omni family but once they cooled down and I had another bite, you couldn't even tell that they weren't made with all purpose flour. The recipe is pretty much the same as yesterday's post, derived from my Mom's recipe that she has used for years. I hope you enjoy!

Sugar Free Spelt Shortbread

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup xylitol (ground into powder)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable shortening*
1/2 cup vegan margarine*

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a magic bullet or high speed blender, grind the xylitol into a fine powder so it resembles icing sugar, this is what helps give the cookie that melt in your mouth texture. You will want to remeasure the xylitol after this step. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine & shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture becomes crumbly. At this point you can either roll the dough into 1 inch balls or roll out to 1/2 thickness and cut out using your favorite cookie cutter. I like to roll them into balls, place on baking sheet and press a pecan into each cookie. Bake for 20 minutes. You have to be very careful when you take them out of the oven, if you try to transfer them to the cooling rack too soon they will likely fall apart. Let them cool on the pan first and then transfer to cooling rack.

* You could also use 3/4 cup Earth Balance buttery flavoured sticks instead of the shortening/maragine combo.

Gluten & Sugar Free Shortbread Coookies

2010-12-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Shortbread cookies are my all time favorite Christmas treat. I love the buttery flavour and melt in your mouth texture. I used my Mom's recipe as a guide and really didn't change anything other than using rice flour instead of all purpose and xylitol in lieu of icing sugar. Most gluten free baking requires a binder such as xanthan gum but shortbread is known for it's crumbly texture so I would advise against it. I also wouldn't use any strongly flavoured gluten free flours such as chickpea or even the Bob's Redmill mix, rice flour is the perfect, light flour to use for these cookies.

Gluten & Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup xylitol (ground into powder)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable shortening*
1/2 cup vegan margarine*

Coconut Almond Sautee

2010-12-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest goals for 2011 is healthier eating. Upping my veggie intake and making sure I am eating a wide variety of foods. One thing I miss is being able to eat at a local Thai inspired restaurant, Noodle Box. My favorite was the Spicy Thai Peanut box with Tofu. When I found out it had fish sauce in it I was crushed, but luckily I came up with my own version which is also okay for anyone following the Anti Candida Diet.

Coconut Almond Sautee

1 cup brocolli florets
1/4 white onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 yam, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps minced ginger
1 can coconut milk
1/3 cup chunky almond butter
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsps olive oil
1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos
2 tsps lemon or lime juice
thin ribbon rice noodles

In a shallow dish, soak rice noodles in hot tap water for 25-30 minutes. While the noodles are soaking, heat the sesame & olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the carrots, onions & yams. Cover and cook until tender, approx 5-10 minutes. Add in the brocolli, ginger & garlic, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, almond butter, spices, Braggs & lemon or lime juice. Stir together, add rice noodles and simmer on medium high heat for 5 minutes.

I was really pleased with how this turned out. I will definitely be making future variations!

Sauteed Veggies & Roasted Chickpeas

2010-12-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

The last thing I felt like doing today was cooking. I lived off of toast & edamame hummus all morning and knew I just needed some good food to kick my butt into high gear. I didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I made do with what I had and I think it worked out pretty darn good! I give you a very simple, quick sinner that is gauranteed to please. Sauteed Veggies & Roasted Chickpeas! This took under 30 mins to make, prep and all.

Sauteed Veggies & Roasted Chickpeas!

Roasting the chickpeas is super easy and you can use whatever spices you like. I didn't measure anything so I don't have a recipe to post, but it is pretty straightforward. Preheat your oven to 425. Rinse a can of chickpeas and dry off in a tea towel. Throw beans into mixing bowl and add your favorite oil (I used sesame), give a few shakes each of turmeric, garlic salt & garam masala. Toss the beans so they are coated easily and transfer to a baking sheet. Cook for 10 mins, remove from oven and gentlty shake pan to flip beans, making sure not to spill them on the floor. Cook for an additional 10-15 mins. That's it!

While the beans are roasting, heat some olive oil (a tsp or two) over medium heat. Chop up half an onion and two medium size carrots into small-medium pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they cook. Stir and cover for 5-10 minutes. Once your veggies are tender, remove from heat and add two handfuls of spinach. Cover and once the chickpeas are done roasting your spinach will be nicely wilted. Toss the veg into a bowl and sprinkle with roasted chickpeas!

Knitting & Crochetting

2010-12-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

I am determined to learn how to knit & crochette after viewing this thread on the PPK. Last year my friend, Danielle, bought me this super rad book called Crobots!

It's been sitting on my shelf for quite some time, quietly teasing me. I think I need to learn a few basic chrochette patterns first before I attempt these. But they are so cute and the awesome scarves, socks, sweaters that PPKers have made are really inspiring me. I am not even sure where I can get synthetic wool but my guess is Walmart or Fabricland might have something. So, if there are any knitters/crochetters out there that have any tips for me, post a comment or better yet, come and teach me!!!

The good just keeps on coming...

2010-12-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

I've noticed quite a lovely trend in the past few weeks. I have been winning a crazy amount of shitake through MoFo blogs. I guess keeping a positive outlook and taking things as they come really does pay off; not to mention entering said contests also boosted my chances. I have always been into free stuff but since MoFo I have been really on top of entering for free swag and I figured I would share all of those lovely blogs with you folks so you could not only follow them but possibly win things in the future! I am sure those having had giveaways are likely to have more and have really inspired me to do my own little giveaway soon!

Let's start with the first winning care of Alicia A Simpson and her blog Vegan Guinea Pig. I got a copy of Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations and is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. As mentioned in a few posts before the Mac & Cheeze has been made easily 6 times since I got it. I highly suggest you pick up a copy or try Quick & Easy Comfort Food, another one of Alicia's books.

Second on the win list is a specially designed for me food care package. Thanks to Grey Eye Designs which is extra exciting for me because even though Victoria is a pretty vegan friendly city, a lot of the items are really expensive, there is no vegan gum and so many other items are not coherent to my Anti Candida Diet.

Third is a huge pile of awesome coupons from Vegannifer. This wasn't a contest but I still feel like I won something. She sent me coupons for Seventh Generation, Organic Valley, Earthy Friendly Products, Revolution Foods, Plum Organics, and CleanWell. Some of the products are not available here but there is still plenty of time to share so I will post soon what they are and if they are available in your city I will send them to you!

Fourth is an original Art Print from Boober The Fraggle. A really cool hand drawn rat mosaic style picture. I will post a pic when it arrives!

Fifth is from Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe. I will soon be the proud owner of Why Animals Matter and it's even signed by the author. Too cool!

Sixth is three e-cookbooks care of The Whole Gang. The main reason I entered this contest is for the Anti Candida e-book and was super stoked when I found out yesterday morning that I had won 1 copy of Sweet Freedom, 1 copy of Desserts without Compromise, 1 copy of Anti-Candida Feast Book from the Gluten-Free Holiday event.

So that's my loot so far, we'll see if my luck stays with me through to the new year and be sure to keep your eye out for a giveaway in early January!

Sugar Free Almond Butter Cookies

2010-12-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

*Edited to add: I am almost tempted to call these Marzipan cookies, they have that taste to them without the salt.

I am back on the sugar free wagon! No natural sugars or artificial sweeteners other than Xylitol and Stevia. I am not a huge fan of Stevia because it has a weird aftertaste and I also find it hard to figure out the proper ratios in some recipes. If something calls for 1/2 cup of sugar, that's maybe a tsp or two of Stevia but that is a huge difference, what will it do to the texture, moistness, etc...I just recently found Xylitol at the health food store as well as the regular grocery store so I this is my first recipe with it. It looks just like sugar and has the same ratios, it's not crazy swet like Stevia so I have high hopes. I chose Almond Butter Cookies because I cannot have peanut butter due to the Candida and I am still trying to rid my body of it naturaly rather than with antibiotics. It's taking a lot longer because I had a bit of a binge the past two months. I stray easily from routine when I have no obligations which is exactly what happened recently but back to the cookies.

I seem to have misplaced my recipe holder which had a great 3 ingredient recipe for peanit butter cookies, I figured I could easily convert it but I remembered it had egg and I'm not sure how flax eggs, almond butter & Xylitol would end up as a cookie so I googled "easy peanut butter cookies vegan" and found this recipe. I`ll just sub the pb for almond butter, Xylitol for sugar and use spelt flour.

After I made the cookies I realized the recipe had no salt in it, they were very sweet. I think partly because there was no salt and the almond butter (which I subbed for pb which is much saltier); I also used was raw and naturally on the sweeter side. The second batch got a sprinkle of salt on top so they weren't so overwhelmingly sweet. I would recommend adding a tsp of salt if you make these. Other than those few hiccups I would say these are a hit!

Jump start on Resolutions! Yaaay December!

2010-12-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I like to get a head start on my resolutions! I feel like if I get right to it in December I don't feel overwhelmed or bummed out that I haven't stuck with it come January. I am hoping, scratch that, I know 2011 is going to be way better than 2010. I had a lot of shit thrown my way and now that I look back it was a good thing. It gave me the opportunity to change a few things about where I was headed that I didn't like. Somewhere along the way, I got really lost and became a very angry, sad person which is so crazy because that is not who I am. People have always described me as fun, spontaneous, crazy, funny; that's who I want to be again. The 14 year old me ;) The one who did what I wanted and let no one stand in my way. I had ideas, most of them pretty out there but that never stopped me. This year I have a huge list of wants but I don't think that any of them are unacheivable. In fact I know they are all a lot closer than I think and I already have a few under my belt.

VOLUNTEERING being one of them. I have been volunteering at the SPCA for a month now and I absoluetly love it. I am working with the cats for now and hope that once I get my 3 month probabtionary perios under way that I can also do some dog walking and perhaps even work with the small animals (guinea pigs, bunnies, rats etc). It's pretty amazing having the opportunity to enhance the lives of these cute little furballs and of course I have a few favorites. I love going there, it gives me something to look forward to and I know that they look forward to seeing me and the other voluteers as well. I have only had a few incounters with unhappy kitties, usually when I brush them too much or try to get the mattes out but that is to be expected and certainly has not detered me from going back.

Cactus & Shelbey

Oliver, lounging outside

COUNSELLING is another thing new to me and I love it! I was lucky enough to have an amazing friend refer me to this woman who has been the best thing (next to Vince) for me through all of this. If you know me that I don't need to indulge or complain about all the crap I have endured. It has been a long time coming and I have known for a while that I needed to talk to someone knowledgable about what was going on with me but I have seen so many therapists/counsellors in my time that I just didn't mesh with, I was really nervous to give in another shot. It's awesome how much better I feel after just an hour a week with this woman. She has changed my life and given me so many tools to work towards my goal. As I write this I have a huge grin on my face and am laughing a little about be being such a "princess".

SCHOOL is number two on my list. I start in January, just doing some part time upgrading which is a great start that only took me 10 (yikes) years to get to the point where I felt comfortable and ready to go back. Math has always been fairly easy for me so I am not too worried but Englsh on the onther hand...frightening! I'm not terrible or anything but I am not good at writing essays or poetry and things. It will be good though, a chance for me to exercise my brain after so long. I need that. Then I can finally start to pursue my dreams of having a job that I love! Leaning towards working with animals (veterinary assistant or receptionist) or making even working with Mental Health & Addictions. Who knows where my school days will lead me but I know it is a good step!

I hope I look this good doing Math

Add caption

So those are the two I have my head start on, now for the rest of my list :)

Exercise & Nutrition- I want to start walking again and get back to my Anti Candida Diet
Positive Outlook- I really need to be more aware of my attitude and I really don't like being a negative nancy
Less Stress- This one goes hand in hand with the previous two as well as my counselling, I need to stop worrying about things out of my control and maybe if I am ucky my headaches will go away as a result.

I have more that I can't seem to think of right now but enough about me, I hope I inspire others to pre-resolute and get that little jump start so when January rolls around you've got it all under control.

MoFo is Over :( But that doesn't mean the fun has to stop

2010-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

December is here already and MoFo is over. Although I didn't blog everyday, I still think I did a great job for my first year. I posted more in the last month than I have in the lasy year. It was a lot of fun and I had no idea of how much work it would be but that aside I did enjoy sharing recipes, seeing new followers (still baffled by that one) and reading other's blogs. Next year I plan on being a little more organized, pre writing a few posts, stockpiling pictures and doing some giveaways. In fact, I may do one before the year is over granted that I can pull it off (don't hold your breath though).

I want to thank everyone that took the time to read my posts and those who commented as well. It means a lot that you guys actually enjoy what I have to say and like the recipes I have to share.

I hope to continue posting consistently throughout the new year and look forward to more feedback from you guys. Also, feel free to join my facebook fanpage for the blog, just click HERE!

Thanks again to all my readers, see you again soon!

Mofo Day 28! Thanksgiving Spread, Breakfast & Office Xmas Party Dinner!

2010-11-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Vince and I got up super early to have breakfast with our friends before they headed home to LA and Saskatoon. It was so nice to finally meet Asheligh after all the amazing things we had heard about her. Never have I met such a fun, sweet, honest, charming gal. I really liked her and she seems like a great match for our friend Dan. In the 5 years that I have known him, I have never seen him like this about a girl; totally smitten and real. It makes me so happy to see other people enjoying what Vince and I have; true love. Awwww, ok you can all quietly throw up in your mouths now while I get to the real goods. The Food.

I am going to back track a bit here because I realized I haven't yet posted our Thanksgiving feast! Well, it's actually just a realy crappy, dimly lit photo of my plate because I was the only one enjoying a cruelty free me. Let me tell yo, it was flippin' amazing. I out did myself, the seitan was to die for, the onion gravy was super delicious, the stuffing rocked and the roasted squash & rutabaga were seasoned to perfection. You know, not to toot my own horn or anything but I follow directions beautifully. I honsetly cannot take full credit for the meal since most of my recipes were found online, well I guess it was really only two, the seitan and the onion gravy (scroll down to Angie V's post). The stuffing I made a while ago and had it frozen in the freezer so I just thawed it for a bit, then cooked it for 30 mins with the seitan and the veggies were super easy, cubed them into 1 inch peices, tossed in some garam masala, garlic salt, extra cinnamon, ground ginger and olive oil and baked for 60 mins. Over all it was a pretty simple dinner but it really hit the spot and I cannot wait until morning because Kelly and I are totally making this for breakfast, smothered in gravy.

Turkeyless Thanksgiving Dinner!

Ok now back to our breakfast with Dan, Asheligh, Dave, Marijane, Myself and Vince. Shine cafe has always had a vegan option but they had changed their menu since I was there last. It was so much better, more to choose from and they all sounded fantastic. I had the Bean&Rice "sausage", sauteed spinach and garlic, sweet chili sesame tofu and hashbrowns. All of the flavours went so well together and aside from the sweet chili sauce it was totally candida friendly; yay! I am trying to get back to my diet since my body is ever so grateful when I follow it.

Shine Cafe; Karin's Brunch

Now for my office Christmas party dinner which we had at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort. I was kind of dreading going since I haven't been at work in 2.5 months and was really nervous to see everyone. I was also nervous to have to ask for my own special food even though my boss told me ahead of time it would be no problem for me to do so, I just get anxious about silly little things like that. Anyways, I decided to call ahead of time and notify the banquet staff that I would require a seperate meal. I explained to them that I was vegan, have some food allergies and other than that I am really not picky so whatever they could come up with, I would be alright with that.

I was pleasantly surprised with what I was served, it far exceeded my expectations. I thought I would end up with a salad or steamed vegetables. The rest of the party was buffet style so as everyone got up to get their food, I sat and waited for mine to be served to me. Kind of awesome, really. When the waitress came out with a tiny ass salad I had a moment of panic...in my head I am thinking "Are they for real, this is all they are going to serve me" (I have learned to not expect much in these types of situations) but as she set the plate in front of me I heard her say "Here is your appetizer, let me know when you are ready for the main dish". I squeeled inside a little.

Springs Green salad atop golden beets with a lemon, olive oil drizzle

I wanted more of that salad. It was so delicious and I could have eaten 3 or more platefuls. Onto my main dish, as I saw it coming all I could see was a bowl full of what looked like peas and was a little worried. I am not a huge fan of peas but they were sweet peas which I do quite enjoy. The dish had a lot of flavour and was very creamy, I was a tad frightened by that thinking maybe they had put butter or something in it but I think risotto is just like that naturally? At least I am hoping so. ;)

Sweet Pea Risotto garnished with Pea Shoots

Last but not least is my dessert plate. The one thing I forgot to mention on the phone was that I couldn't have any type of sugar, even natural sugars but I didn't want to say anything when they set the plate infront of me filled with fruit. The staff there were amazing, they did everything they could to ensure I enjoyed myself and had plenty to eat. I am so thankful that I was able to eat alongside everyone else and not feel the the weird girl who just drank tea all night ;) Even though I wasn't supposed to have fruit, I did anyway. I have been pretty bad at following my diet lately and figured some fresh fruit wouldn't kill me and I have missed it dearly.

Fruit plate with raspberry puree

There you have it, all this delicious food went in my mouth over that past 2 days. The best part is I only cooked one of the meals. One of my favorite things is when I don't have to cook for myself, I love making food but I hate cleaning up. The other day Vince asked me if I was super rich would I love to have a personal chef? While it does sound tempting, I would much prefer a personal assistant or dishwasher.

With only two more days of MoFo left, I am getting a mild sense of relief but also a wee bit sad. I have quite enjoyed blogging almost daily, acquiring more followers and reading so many other awesome vegan blogs. I even found another vegan blog in my city MyWholeDeal, so I thought that was pretty neat.

Mofo Day 26. 3 Raw Dessert Recipes!

2010-11-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Enjoying the leftovers I imagine. Tired of cooking and don't want to think about food? I know I would be if I has spent the day slaving away in the kitchen, then stuffing my face with a delicious turkey free dinner! I thought I would post some nice light recipes with no cooking required. These are I would typically classify as summer desserts but I thought I would share anyways.

Sunshine Bars

Ingredients:

1¼ cups cashews
1¼ cups almonds
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup flax seeds
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons agave

2 mangoes
2 lemons
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave
2 cups fresh coconut, shredded
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Base:
Blend the cashews, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and flax seeds in blender or food processor if you have one. Once it is a very fine consistency, transfer to a large mixing bowl,add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and 2 tsps of agave, this will hold the base of the bar together. Press evenly in the bottom of a pan.

Lemon Top:
Combine in blender, diced mangoes, zest and juice of 2 lemons, along with 1/4 cup of agave. Remove from blender, add shredded cococnut, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and warmed coconut oil. Mix together and spread evenly over base mixture in pan. Freeze and enjoy!!!

Rawcolate Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 tablespoon carob chips
1 pinch sea salt
⅛ cup raisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
1½ tablespoons flax powder

Start by chopping almonds in a food processor until finely ground, add flax oil and salt, continue to mix. Add in carob chips, process until they are smooth. Transfer to dish, fold in sunflower seeds, flax seeds, raisins and flax powder. Roll into small balls and place on a plate in the fridge. Once they set, they are ready to eat! Enjoy

These measurements are APPROXIMATE, as I did not measure anything. You may need more or less nuts depending on how well it is staying together.

Sugar Free Raspberry Pie

Crust:

1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1/2- 3/4 cup chopped dates
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of sea salt

Blend ingredients in a food processor until it clumps together. Then spoon out on a pie plate and press and spread to form a crust.

Filling:
1 bag of thawed frozen raspberries or 2 lbs of fresh raspberries
3/4 chopped dates ( I added some toasted coconut as well)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp psyllium husks (I used up to 3 Tbsp for a thicker consistency)
1/4 tsp vanilla

Blend in the food processor until well mixed, pour on top of the pie crust. Set in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh mint and fresh raspberries if desired.
*I make a strawberry pie following the same recipe

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Happy Thanksgiving American Friends! MoFo Day 25

2010-11-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Even though Thanksgiving in Canada has already passed, I still like to celebrate. I don't need an excuse to make a good hearty meal , but joining in on festivities is always fun! You won't get to see my goodies until Sunday since we are having dinner on Saturday night but I will tell you all about it! Since I am just cooking for myself, it's not a huge spread but there will be enough to share. Omni's seem to love my food, which is a ~~good~~ freaking great thing. So here you go, something to look forward to in my Sunday post, delicious food porn (and of course, some recipes too!)

Main Course

Seitan Turkey Roast

Side Dishes

Mashed Rutabaga
Roasted Baby Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Squash & Pecan Stuffing
Carmelized Onion Gravy

Dessert

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares
Coconut Macaroon Muffins

Well, there you have it. That is what I will be making for myself. I am really looking forward to it as this will be my first ever Thanksgiving dinner where I have cooked a whole meal for myself. Other years I have made do with having just side dishes that my mom made sure I could have; corn, my own stuffing, mashed potatoes sans butter/milk and maybe some yams. I cannot get over the fact that I just made seitan for the first time...it surely will not be the last! Bye for now ;)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares & Creamy Broccoli Soup. MoFo 24!

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

As Amercian Thanksgiving nears, all I see everywhere are delicious recipes. I am starting to think I will probably make myself a small feast when the day comes. I didn't really do much for Canadian Thanksgiving and I don't care where the holiday is celebrated, if it involves food, I am in! Pumpkin desserts are always a holiday staple, since I didn't want to go through the hassle of making a pie or cheesecake I decided to do a cookie or bar when I came across this recipe on the PPK forums. I said I was going to stop baking since I need to get back on track with my anit-candida diet but what the hell, the year is almost over and I want to enjoy some treats. Afterall, pumpkin is one of my favorite baking items and tis the season. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try, like...now!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

I also made the Creamy Broccoli & Cauliflower soup from Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations this morning. It was pretty good. Not my favorite as I like a true creamy soup and I think it could have used more salt. The not enough salt thing seems to be a trend with this cookbook in my opinion, but I guess you can always add more right? Next time I make this soup I think I will use 1/2 veggie stock, 1/2 rice or soy milk for a creamier texture and maybe even some almonds, cashews or macadamia nuts.

Creamy Broccoli & Cauliflower

Only 6 more days of MoFo. Can you believe it? I wish I would have done a post everyday but I think for my first year participating and my last minute decision to do so that I have done fairly well. Next year I plan on preparing for MoFo, I really had no idea what I was in for. I think I will do a theme of some sort or at least organize my posts ahead of time, maybe even bank or pre write a few things :) I also want to do some giveaways, I would have loved to this year but it's not really in the budget, although I might be able to make something happen. If anyone has any ideas of a special something you would like to win, let me know and I'll see if I can somehow pull it together in the next few days. See you all tomorrow!

Mofo Day 23. Macaroon Muffins!

2010-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been on a serious baking binge! So far this week I have pounded out 2 different types of cupcakes and these amazing muffins! I haven't even really cared to eat any of it either (which is strange because I have a crazy sweet tooth) but my boyfriend, roommate and family sure loved everything!

There are many things I don't know/understand about using gluten free flours...I used a mixture of spelt (I know it's not GF) & gluten free flour (both Bob's Red Mill Brand) for the macaroon muffins and they looked beautiful and puffy when they came out of the oven. I figured I would wait to photograph them since I hate it when my lens gets all steamy and I came back to these :(

All cracked and caved in :(

They were supposed to look like this.

Photo from http://seitanismymotor.com/

They still tasted amazing, I will be making these again, next time I will follow the recipe exactly and I will stick with one or the other; Gluten Free or Regular Baking...I am guessing the caving of my muffins had everything to do with the gluten free flour. Good thing my guinea pigs aren't picky ;) I'm not even sure why I have gluten free flour in the house...I think I may have been trying something out for my Mom because she has a wheat sensitivity and I always associate wheat with gluten. I think Iw ould like to try more gluten free baking but I need some solid recipes, I hate throwing things out. So if anyone knows a good blog or cookbook and could point me in the right direction, I would be ever so grateful.

Mofo Day 22. Mexican Bean Dip & More Cupcakes!!!

2010-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot about the Mexican Bean Dip that I made the other night. I meant to blog about it yesterday but I guess it slipped my mind. It is basically a lazy version of seven layer dip. I got the idea when my boyfriend spent two days eating a store bought omni version. I'm not gonna lie, I felt a little left out so I decided to make my own (with the secret agenda to make it better!). It's just as tasty, very simple to make and literally takes seconds.

Way better than store bought ommi dip

Mexican Bean Dip:

1/2 can Amy's Chili with Vegetables
1/2 tub Tofutti Cream Cheese or Sour Cream
4 tbsps Soy Yogurt*
1 tbsp Taco Seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 cup Daiya shreds (Mozza or Cheddar, I used Mozza)
1/2 avocado, cubed
*If using sour cream you can omit the soy yogurt

Pour half a can of Amy's Chili with vegetable into serving dish. In a seperate bowl, mix the tofutti, soy yogurt and spices. Layer the mixture over the chili. Sprinkle with Daiya Shreds and avocado. That's it! Serve with taco chips and enjoy.

Cooled, un-iced and ready for some action!

Now for the cupcakes! These smelled so awesome while they were in the oven, it was hard not to dive right in when they came out. I actually ended up butchering one as it came out of the muffin tin so I ate it, and burnt my mouth :( Once they cooled I iced them with what was left of the cookie n cream frosting and there was still some left! I'm serious, the recipe could frost 3 dozen cupcakes. Now I know for next time to at least half it, if not more.

Frosted and topped with crushed oreos :)

Stanley Chase...Chasing his dream. Watch this video.

2010-11-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Check out this super awesome video by Stanley Chase. It's really inspiring to see how amped he is about this project especially since it's something that I have been dreaming of lately.

MoFo Day 21. Macaroni and Cheeze!

2010-11-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

If you read yesterday's post than you know I was really excited to make the Macaroni and Cheeze from Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations by Alicia C. Simpson. Well let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Even though it has no cheese in it at all, its is super rich, creamy and oh so delicious. In fact, so delicious that I ate half of it before I realized I hadn't taken a picture. So the pic below is not mine but it's the same idea.

This recipe was very easy to make and everyone I shared it with loved it too. It is certainly one I will make again and again. I think next, I will try the Creamy Brocolli & Cauliflower Soup and hopefully I will remember to snap a pick first.

Currently I am baking the golden vanilla cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World and they smell sooo delicious! I had some left over frosting from the Cookies n Cream Cupcakes so that's what I will use to decorate these and maybe crush a few oreos overtop for added goodness. I will post those tomorrow along with...well I am not quite sure yet but there is always plenty to choose from in the wonderful world of vegan cooking.

MoFo 20! Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations.

2010-11-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

I left the house fairly early yesterday morning, checked the mail on my way out and to my surprise, my copy of Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations had arrived!

I couldn't wait to rip the package open and thumb through all the recipes to figure out what I would make first. A few things caught my eye, the Au Gratin Potatoes (Pg.124), the Tempeh Cakes with spicy Remoulade (Pg.34), the Creamy Brocolli and Cauliflower Soup (Pg.122) and the one I am most excited about making is the Classic Macaroni and Cheeze (Pg. 174). I promptly made a trip to the grocery store to make sure I had all the ingredients and also picked up a little extra so I could make the brocolli soup as well. It is getting really cold here, in fact we had our first snowfall last night so all that is on my mind lately is warm, comfort foods. I am so excited to make so many recipes out of this book and am very grateful to Alicia C. Simpson for not only writing such a kick ass cookbook but for allowing me the opportunity to win it! She even signed it for me :) Unfortunately I did not have a very productive day and didn't actually get to making anything but I will leave you with this droolworthy photo of the Mac n Cheeze I plan on making very soon!

Macaroni and Cheeze

Chick'n Caesar Salad. MoFo Day 19.

2010-11-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

I love garlic! One of my favorite ways to eat it is straight up, roasted with some margarine. Sooo good. My second favorite is in caesar salad. I like my dressing so garlicy that I have to tame it down if I'm going to share with anyone so unless you are a garlic fiend like myself I suggested starting out with half the garlic I use in the recipe. When I think of caesar salad I think of chick'n, be it nuggets, fillets, burgers or other form; they go hand in hand in my mind. The best chick'n substitute out there is Scheinder's Meatless Chick'n products.
Way better than Yves. This is a super easy side for dinner or small meal, very quick to make and very satisfying. I am always trying to find lower fat versions of my favorite comfort foods so for the dressing I use an almond base. Also very simple and a good support for the rest of the flavours. I find using plain soy yogurt, you can really taste the soy and even though it is plain, it has a subtle sweetness to it that I don't think belongs in a caesar salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing:

1 cup almonds, soaked and peeled (you can leave the skins on for a more textured dressing)

water

2-3 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

garlic salt

mustard powder

pepper

Soak almonds in water overnight. The next day the skins should pop off quite easily, just squeeze between your fingers. You can save the skins and dehydtrate them to make almond flour. Put the almonds in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until smooth, this can sometimes take a while. Slowly add water to get the right consistency. It all depends on how thick or thin you like your dressing, I usually use anywhere from 1/2 cup to just over 1/3. While the almonds are blending, finely dice up the cloves of garlic, if you don't like your dressing too spicy I would suggest starting with just one clove. Add to the almonds along with the lemon juice and a couple shakes each of garlic salt (or powder), mustard powder and pepper. If using garlic salt, start with just a dash, you can always add more but too much salt will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Keep running processor or blender (I use a magic bullet) until super smooth. Now it's time to taste your dressing and see if there is anything you would like to add. Nutrional yeast is always a nice addition, as well as avocado!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Soup n Burgers. I'm no food critic...MoFo Day 18!

2010-11-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

I'm no food critic but I know what I like! Being vegan can be challenging at times when it comes to pre-made and fast foods. There are a lot of "misses", luckily I have come across a few "hits". I have been on a search for a flavourful, moist veggie burger. I still don`t know why so many companies market the burgers with egg or milk or cheese in them. They would be reaching a much larger demographic by not including any animal products but I guess that just makes the vegan finds even more special.

Today I putting the Sol Veggie Burger and Amy's Lentil Soup under the microscope.

Let's start with the burgers. What I like about these most is the fact that there aren't a whole bunch of ingredients I can't pronounce. A nice simple, clean burger that has a nice flavour, not eerily tasting of beef and not your traditional, rice or mushroom based burger. I ate the burger on a peice of sourdough with a but of kethcup, while not very exciting, I felt the burger held it's own, not needing the typical burger dressings to make it edible. However, with all the fixings I think this could please veggie's and omni's alike.

Next up is Amy's Lentil Soup. I have always been a fan of their products, while some are still not vegan friendly it is the one brand widely carried in my city that has more options than the latter. I feel like this soup is a good start but could use a little something. Salt comes to mind, as does garlic and maybe some more vegetables. It is much better than a lot of soups out there but I still think my favorite is the Black Bean Soup, perfect with diced avocados on top.

Like I said before I am no food critic, I think that's apparent but I do know good food. I give the Sol Veggie Burgers a 7.5/10 and the Amy's Lentil Soup a 6/10. Not bad for a quick lunch when you don't really feel like putting any effort into it. I'll be back tomorrow with a chick'n caesar salad and possibly some sweet treats!

Happy Birthday Kelly! Let's celebrate with cookies&cream cupcakes! Mofo 17!

2010-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! On this fine day, 35 years ago, my dear friend and roommate was born! In honor of this momentous occasion I decided to whip up some cupcakes. What better recipe to use than one from VCTOTW! Oreo's were on sale for 1.49 so I went with the basic chocolate cupcake with cookies cream frosting. I even got all fancy and piped the frosting using the age old "cut hole in corner of ziploc baggie" technique. I know right! Pretty intense.

These are the first vegan cupcakes I have ever made and I must say I am very pleased. I was a little worried at first because the battery was quite thin and I thought maybe I had forgotten an ingredient. After double checking I knew I hadn't left a thing out and trusted in Isa's recipe knwoing it would be nothing short of amazing. Then I had a momentary frosting meltdown but thanks to the PPk that got sorted out real quick. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. I will be doing some product reviews. Amy's Soups & Sol Veggie Burgers. Thanks for stopping by!

Mofo 16. Cajun Chickpea Cakes from VeganDad

2010-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

I love chickpeas and am always looking for new ways to use them. Besides hummus (let's admit it, it's everyone's fave) this is the ultimate use of chickpeas. This recipe is from http://www.vegandad.blogspot.com/

* I omitted the parsley, used 1/3 each of green pepper & onion, 19oz can of chickpeas and add 1/2 tsp of garlic salt and you definately need more cornstarch than listed, I used approx. 3 tbsps.

To easily form patties, use a small square of saran wrap of wax paper inside a small shallow bowl, put in mix, fold over wrap and press firmly until your cake forms, remove and plop in pan!

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced green pepper
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 28oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce

- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- salt and peppper to taste
- oil for frying

The Finished Product

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper, and celery for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 12 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

YUM!!!!

.

Savory Squash Soup! MoFo 15

2010-11-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

I love making soups. I spent the day boiling veggie scraps to make vegetable broth. This was my first time doing it and I honestly don't know why I have never done this before. It's genius! Not only do you save money by not having to buy broth, but you cut down on waste by using veggie scraps that would otherwise be thrown out and you don't have to worry about recycling tetra packs. Win, Win, Win! Making your own broth is super easy. All you do is save all the scraps you would usually compost or throw out in your freezer. I'm talking EVERYTHING! Onion skins/nubs, carrot peels/ends, garlic ends, pepper seeds, caulfiflower stalks, celery greens/ends...you name it. The only things you don't really want to use in your broth is brocolli, cabbage and any other veggies that might overwhlem the flavour of the other vegetables. Cook on low heat, skimming the foam off the top as needed. This makes for a nice clear broth. The longer you cook it the more flavour you will get.

While my broth was simmering away I realized I had 1/2 of a squash and a lone carrot in the fridge that needed to be used up so I decided to make a nice creamy soup. First I preheated the oven to 375. Then I peeled the squash & carrot and cut into 1 inch cubes. I then cut a medium onion into quarters and split the layers up. Next I tossed them in olive oil, garlic salt, sage & thyme. I layed them all out evenly on a baking sheet, popped them into the oven and set the timer to 30 mins. Then I had the pleasure of watching episode 3 of The Walking Dead. Holy fork, I don't ever want this show to end...EVER! It is so good, if you haven't tuned in do yourself a favor and dedicated a few hours to watching it, you will not regret it. Ok, back to soup. Once the veggies were done roasting, I let them sit out to cool and finished watching my show. Once it was over I headed back into the kitchen, put the veggies into the food processor with a bit of water and added some salt. That was it. Soup's on!

Ingredients:

1/2 squash of your choice, cubed into 1 inch peices
1 medium onion*, quarted, break apart layers
1 carrot, peeled and cubed into 1 inch peices
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp crushed sage
1/2 tsp crushed thyme leaves

2-3 cups water or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Toss squash, onions & carrots in olive oil and spices. Roast in oven for 30 mins. Once veggies are cool enough to handle, put in food processor with 1 cup of water or broth. Blend on high until smooth and gradually add more liquid until it is as thick or thin as you like. Add salt & pepper to taste.

*You could use just 1/2 an onion as it does have a strong flavor in the soup. (I love onion!)

Maharagwe My Way! Mofo 14

2010-11-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

In my second MoFo post I introduced you to my friends The Vegan Police, now let me introduce you to my favorite recipe posted on their forums. MAHARAGWE!!! This is such a super cheap, quick, easy meal that honestly makes so much and last for days :) I vamped it up a bit and added some more spices but this here is the original recipe it is based off of.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 19oz chickpeas
2 cans diced tomatoes (reserve the juice for a sauce or stew, I put mine in the freezer to be used later)
1 can coconut milk
2 tsps turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Heat the oil in a deep pan and cook the chopped onion until it is soft and golden. Mash the beans with a fork(not too much, you want to leave som whole) and then throw them in with the onion. Add the chopped tomatoes as well. Now put in the spices. After that pour in the coconut milk and stir the ingredients*. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with quinoa & garlic naan.

*Another great addition to this dish which makes it really awesome is a few handfuls of spinach & cubed tofu.

Bakemania! Vegan Mofo 13 in which I use too many !!!

2010-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

I intended on getting up nice and early this morning but a bad dream kept me in it's trance for too long :( I finally dragged my butt out of bed around 9:30, the boyfriend and I hopped in the truck and headed to our friend's place! While the men worked on their trucks, us ladyfolk had a funfilled day of baking! It's been a long time since I did any baking since I am on this whole no sugar dealy, but I figured one day of fun with sweet treats in the kitchen wouldn't kill me. On the agenda, rice krispie Treats[plain & chocolate covered], snickerdoodles, chocolate peanut butter pillows and carrot muffins. We wanted to do oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as well but we ran out of time. First up are the rice krispie treats, originally the plan was to do a nice chocolate drizzle on one batch but we kind of failed at the drizzle aspect and ended up making a thin layer on top instead.

These are always a crowd pleaser and a no brainer since the recipe is right on the box! The only substitutions you need to make them vegan are dandies (or any other vegan mallow) and vegan margarine. With only 4 ingredients total and minimal time needed these are a nice quick treat! and here are the choco treats!

Next up are snickerdoodles, my favorite cookie of them all! I first discovered these when I was 13, my Dad's wife used to make them all the time! These too are super easy to veganize, we used this recipe.
Here they are all ready to go into the oven! I like to leave out the fork smush, I find they are fluffier that way.

All puffy and ready to eat!

Next up are the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows which I have made a number of times! We used Isa's recipe, pretty sure it is the only one (that matters anyway).

We also ended up making a chocolate peanut butter sushi type roll with the leftovers, it cracked and broke a little but still tasted great. Unfortunately the photo does it no justice so I shall leave that to your imagination :)

Last but not least our carrot muffins that turned into carrot, apple, pecan, raisin muffins topped with coconut! We used this recipe (omitting the oil, using 2 cups of applesauce, 6 rounded tsps flax powder for the egg replacer, 1/2 cup pecan peices, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 3 cups carrot, 1 large granny smith apple). They turned out beautifully!

Of course what baking date is complete without a picture of your fabulous bakers!!! That's me on the left and Kayla on the right :) Sweet dreams >.<

vegan and so forth: Vegan MoFo: Vegan Essentials Giveaway!

2010-11-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

vegan and so forth: Vegan MoFo: Vegan Essentials Giveaway!: "The winner of my $40 CSN giveaway is...#7: Heather from Where's the Beach?. Congrats; hope you get something fun! If you didn't win, here's ..."

MELOMEALS: $3.33 A DAY: $65 CSN Store Giveaway!!! Enter here to win!! and ...

2010-11-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

MELOMEALS: $3.33 A DAY: $65 CSN Store Giveaway!!! Enter here to win!! and ...: "I am happy to announce a $65 giveaway to the CSN store! CSN is comprised of over 200 online stores, where you can find everything from a fun..."

Who wants macaroons? (contest)

2010-11-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have a serious sweet tooth so this contest really spoke to me :) Head on over to Bitt of Raw for your chance to win some Emmy's Organics raw macaroons. OMG I am literally drooling just thinking about these delightful little balls of yummy coconut!!!

Chick'n Salad Sandwiches- MoFo Day 12.

2010-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

I just recently found out that Schneider's Oh Naturel line is now vegan! Can you hear me screaming, singing, rejoicing? The chick'n nuggets were a favorite of mine when I was vegetarian, they taste so close to the real thing it is almost hard to believe. I was really sad when I realized that I could no longer eat them but thanks to a friend I met on the Vegan Forum I was able to rekindle my love with these little golden nuggets of joy! They are amazing on their own, but since I discovered the awesome yeast free sourdough from Bubby Rose's Bakery I have been obsessed with sandwiches.

Chick'n salad was the first thing that came to mind. Instead of the traditional mayo base, I used plain soy yogurt for a lower fat version. I have also recently become obsessed with turmeric and find a way to incorporate it in almost every dish so that's why my mixture is a tad on the orange side.

Ingredients:
10 Schneiders Oh Naturel Meatless Chick'n Nuggets (cooked and cooled)
1 stalk celery
1/4 white onion
1 green onion
1/2 single serving size of plain soy yogurt (use 2/3 for a creamier mixture)
1 tsp flax oil
pinch of garlic salt
couple shakes of mustard powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
couple shakes of dried dill
pepper to taste

Cut up the chick'n nuggets into small peices. Mince the celery & onion (you can do larger chunks if you like, I prefer mine to be small). Put veggies in a bowl, add the flax oil, garlic salt, pepper, turmeric, mustard powder and dill. Toss in your chick'n bits, then add the soy yogurt and mix thouroughly. At this point, taste the micture and add any spices you feel it may be missing. Spread onto your favorite bread, toasted if you like.

You could also add dried chopped cranberries or pumpkin seeds to give it a warm, winter flavour!

MoFo Day 11- Shepherds Pie

2010-11-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

I spent my morning at the SPCA, hanging out with the kitties. It was a lot of fun, so much fun that it kinda wiped me for the day. I knew I needed some comfort food. Something warm, filling and full of flavour. What better to satisfy those needs than Shepards Pie. I came up with this recipe last year during a very cold Autumn/Winter. I am not a huge fan of potatoes unless they are mashed, garlicy, buttery and a top some veggies & faux meat. I think the mushroom cream sauce is the icing on the cake for this dish. The best part about this dish is it does not require baking, just throw under your broiler to crisp the top and it is ready to serve!

You will need:

Chopping Block
Sharp Knife
Frying Pan
Large Pot
Small Pot
Casserole Dish

Ingredients:

1 pkg Yves Veggie Ground Round
1/2 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 1/4 cup Mixed Vegetables

1/2 cup Mushrom Broth
1/2 cup Rice Milk (Almond or Soy will work as well)
1/2 cube veggie bullion
2-3 tsps cornstarch

6-8 Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 tbsp Earth Balance
1/4 cup Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Rice Milk
Garlic Salt to taste

Directions:

In frying pan heat Veggie Ground Round, add taco seasoning with 1/4 cup of water. Heat thoroughly.

Heat mixed vegetables in microwave or on stove top.

In small pot, bring mushroom broth, rice milk and veggie bullion to a gentle boil. Add cornstarch and stir unter thickened. Keep on low heat.

Chop potatoes into quarters. Boil in salt water until soft. Mash potatoes, add margarine, tofutti & rice milk and mix until creamy.

Add mixed vegetables and creamy mushroom broth to the ground round. Pour into casserole pan. Top with potatoes. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Stick under broiler for a few minutes to brown top. Serve and enjoy :)

The BATmelt...MoFo Day 10

2010-11-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I will apologize in advance as I am feeling rather lethargic today and this post will be short.

I love sandwiches. Everything about them is awesome. Bread! Yes, bread...oh so carby and delicious. Mayo! YES freaking please...slather that shit on there. Avocado! Tomato! Cucumbers! Pickles! Cream Cheese! You name it, I want to put it in there. My moto for sandwiches is the more the better. I like a good messy sandwich that you stuff so full things fall out and then you get mini meals. lol. One of my favorite pregan sandwiches is the BLT. Although it is not as complex as I like my sandwiches to be, it is the perfect combination of flavours! I have never been one for lettuce in a sandwich, I feel like it is just filler and really, who wants filler? watery filler. No thanks. Instead of lettuce, I prefer avocado. Creamy, buttery, subtle and delicious. So instead of a BLT, I am more into what I call the BAT, Bacon, Avocado, Tomato. Booyah! what better to enhance a sandwich than cheese and so the BATmelt was born. dundundun.

To start this sandwich right I used an awesome multigrain bread from Bubby Rose's Bakery, lightly toasted with a bit of margarine and Spectrum Light Canola Mayo a cheaper alternative to Veganaiise and also a little more mainstream. I like fatty sandwiches, so I butter and mayo both sides! Next up is Yves Veggie Bacon, I must say I am very impressed with this product, it reminds be more of turkey bacon. Then I add some mozza Daiya shreds and toast for about 30 seconds under the broiler, browning it slightly. Thick slices of avocado are next, followed by thinly sliced beefsteak tomato. Slap those suckers together and BAM! Sammich time. oh oh oh oh. (Sung to the tune of Hammer Time!)

Well ladies and gents, I hope you enjoy my version of a timeless classic. Enjoy :)

Cream of Brocolli Soup. Mofo Day 9

2010-11-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

So I am not quite sure what happened, it would seem the last 4-5 days vanished into thin air...Redemption time? Me thinks so. Cream of Brocolli soup has been on my mind for quite some time now. I made a version not too long ago using Rice Dream , it was a little on the sweet side but I kind of liked it. However, I was really craving that super rich, creamy, homemade soup that I grew up with. It was the only way I would eat brocolli as a kid.

I recently got the chance to go to Food Fight in Portland and I picked up some Mimicreme. I have been dying to try it and it just made sense to snatch it up because I don't even know where I would find it here. It is damn good, but super rich. I'm going to share my recipe with you but I would highly suggest halving the creme and using veggie broth otherwise you may not make it through a bowl in one sitting. What better to go with soup than a grilled Daiya & Tofurky sandwich!

You will need:

1-16oz (473mL) Mimicreme
2-3 tbsps vegan margarine
3 large heads brocolli, chopped (no stems)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 package Daiya shreds, I used mozzarella
1-2 cups Rice Dream or Veggie Broth
Turmeric
Mustard powder
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot, melt margine over medium heat, add brocolli, garlic & onion with a little salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat until soft. You can add a bit of water and throw a lid on to speed up the process. I was doing other things and lost track of time but I would guess it was around 10-15 mins. Turn head Pour in Mimicreme, and a bit of veggie broth or Rice Dream, I used 1-2 cups, you can use more for a thinner soup. (Rice Dream adds a subtle sweetness, veggie broth will keep it savory). Throw in your spices. I just sprinkled the turmeric in, probably a 1/2 to 1 tbsp. Go easy on the mustard powder unless you like it really spicy. Add you Daiya and let the soup simmer on low for 10 minutes to let the cheese melt and spices do their thing. The longer you leave it, the more the flavour develops. I like quick easy soups, I would say start to finish it took about 30 mins. The flavour was awesome but was really good the next 2 or 3 days that I ate it. More time=more flavor!

Beacon Hill Park

2010-11-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

This isn't a food post but something about the fall always inspires me to get creative in the kitchen. The fresh, crisp, clean smell of dew on the grass, the unsuspecting cold bite in the air...it reminds me of when I was young, coming inside after playing for so long that I could no longer feel my toes, eating warm sandwiches with homemade soup, my mom boiling cinnamon sticks in a pot of water to make the house smell nice.

These are the reasons I love Autumn. Vibrant colors reminisant of the seventies, looking at these photos bring me way back even though I took them moments ago. There is something nostalgic about this season. One of my favorite memories would have to be when I was living in my first apartment, I used to have a friend who would make me these awesome cds filled with funk, jazz, techno and all sorts of crazy beats. I would wander for hours around my neighbourhood, enjoying the scenery, jumping in piles of leaves, dreaming of one day living in the old character homes I passed each day.

xoxo...Momo

Cats & Pattycakes

2010-11-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Cute Cats playing Wing Chun Sticky Hands! @ Yahoo! Video

Day 3 of Mofo with a side of quiche

2010-11-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

I must say, I absoultely love Vegan MoFo. Such an awesome concept, I love reading other vegan blogs and am super stoked that I now have 16 followers! I know some of you are probably thinking 16 is not very many but I had under 5 when I first started the blog so it is really exciting to see that other people out there are interested in what I have to say.

Another thing I love about MoFo is the challenge of not only blogging daily, but creating new dishes and trying new recipes I may have otherwise pushed aside or overlooked. On the menu is Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Brocolli (why does this word never look like it is spelled correctly) Quiche.

Ever since going vegan I have struggled with recreating dishes containing eggs, be it cookies, cakes, omelets, custards or what have you and because of that I had never even entertained the idea of attempting quiche. It is one of my all time favorite pregan meals and was scared I would never again know the love that is that flaky, buttery, salty pastry filled with a deliciously spongy centre of savory goodness. I was pleasantly surprised with the recipe I used with much guidance from the PPK forumers. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner...I did in fact do that today! To go with it I roasted some beets, (a new found love of mine), along with brussel sprouts (also a new discovery for me) and some yams (a long time favorite)!

I think now that this eggless creation turned out so well, I will attempt a few more dishes I never thought possible. See you all tomorrow.

xoxo.......Momo

What Your Momma Didn't Know...: CSN stores giveaway, perfect for vegan MoFo!

2010-11-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

What Your Momma Didn't Know...: CSN stores giveaway, perfect for vegan MoFo!

My Vegan Story

2010-11-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

*WARNING, this post contains a link to adult content.

It has been almost 3 years since my first experience with cruelty free food and I never would have imagined the bridge between me and vegansim, would be porn. Once upon a time I had an account on GodsGirls.Com. It started out as me supported a friend and turned into something amazing, me becoming vegan. I was browsing the forums one day and someone had posted a link to Gone Raw with the header being "These people make Raw Pizza!!!" My interest was immediately sparked and I was dumbfounded by the meals these people were creating with raw food. Initially I tried it out for weight loss purpose but began to see so many other benefits. I signed up for an account and dove in head first, thus beginning by vegan journey. For a year or so I was 90% raw but I grew tiresome of constantly making food, planning out meals days, even weeks in advance and alienating myself from family functions or dinners with friends. I decided to abandon raw food and started looking more into veganism. I did some online searches and wound up watching the movie Earthlings, my life will never be the same after seeing that movie. It really opened my eyes and made me think about the decisions I was making daily. It felt great to feel like I was making a difference, even if it was a small one. That too was a challenge and I found myslef slipping here and there, that is until I discovered The Vegan Police

thanks to a post by Sarah Kramer on her Facebook page. These guys gave me the motivation I needed to keep things in perspective and stay on this path that I had dreamed of for what felt like so long. Always posting interesting articles, throwing down sick podcasts and having a great time doing it. They are so passionate, knowledgable and involved it made me really excited to stick with what I knew would be the best decision of my life. That my friends is my vegan story in a nutshell, I hope you enjoyed and I would love to hear your vegan stories.

xoxo...Momo

Vegan MoFo is here!!!

2010-11-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

Vegan Mofo is here!! For those of you who don't know what it is all about, it's basically where a whole bunch of vegan bloggers dedicate a whole month to posting as much as possible about vegan food. Neat right? I think so :) I found out about it through The Post Punk Kitchen and hummed and hawed about participating since I have been pretty bad about updating my blog lately, but after reading all the awesome threads on The PPK Forums , I got really exicted and totally wanted to be a part of it.

This morning we decided to go to Mo:Le for breakfast. It's one of my favorite places to eat since they have vegan food, raw food and regular omni food for the manfriend. My favorite dish used to be the vegan basic scramble but somewhere along the line the portion got really small and the flavour was super bland so I kind of abandonded it for a while, but today was a scramble kind of day. I was hesitant to order it because I have taken quite a liking to my own cooking...I was pleasantly surprised once it arrived in front of me and I took my first bite. It was nothing like the scrambles I make, not better, not worse, but different in a good way! It had a bit of kick which it never had and I am not usually into spicy food but this was all sorts of awesome.

Served with pesto hashbrowns, sourdough toast with a side of peanut butter, a roasted red pepper which I scored from my man's dish (I still don't understand how anyone can hate on a red pepper), garnished with pea shoots, red cabbage and carrots this definitely made my morning. I was so stoked on the comeback of my favorite dish that I made a scramble for dinner! Behold my version of a timeless vegan classic. The Tofu Scramble.

You will need:

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 175g package extra firm tofu, pressed of excess moisture
1/2 avocado
Braggs Liquid Aminos
spice combo: generous sprinkle of turmeric, pinch of garlic salt, a little mustard powder, pepper to taste
Olive Oil or Vegan Margarine

Over medium heat, sautee onion & peppers in oil or margarine until tender. Crumbled in tofu, give 2-3 squirts of Braggs, add your spices, stir and cover for 5-10 minutes. Plate and top with avocado. Yeah, it's that easy! Serve with hashbrowns, veggie bacon, and fresh tomatoes or avocado slices.

I did it! My first MoFo post. :)

16.09.10

2010-09-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here!

2010-09-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

It seems without fail that every year in Victoria, September 1st brings the rain. I like rain, the smell is fresh, it also means it's gumboot season and if you know me than my love for these fun rubber foot protectors is obvious!!! Where there is boots you're bound to find mittens, scarves & toques, just a few more of my favorite things about Autumn. Let's not forget the stunning colors this wonderful season has to offer. Crimson, Falu Red, Burnt Orange, Mustard Yellow, Amber, Olive Green, Sepia...I'm in heaven just thinking about it. Of course all these enchanting features must be accompanied by the inevitable, cold weather. Dun dun dun.....

What better way to keep warm then to do some baking and/or cooking. This afternoon I plan baking Kale. Stay tuned for the recipe :)

Sugar Free Raspberry Cocktails! ACD Friendly.

2010-08-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Tequila Cocktail

2 oz Silver Tequila
1/4 lime, juiced
small handful raspberries, fresh or frozen
Sprite Zero
ice

Put ice in cup. Add raspberries & lime juice. Pour in tequila & Sprite. Stir. Let sit for a minute to blend flavours or drink it right away like I did. Enjoy :)

Pickles, Pick Smoothie & Artemis Prime

2010-08-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't had pickles in what feel like ages because most store bought pickles are made with white vinegar which I can't have but these babies call for apple cider. I picked up the cutest little pickling cukes at the farmers market and couldn't wait to use them.

Pickles!

4 dozen pickling cucumbers
1 bunch fresh dill
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 cup pickling salt
16 garlic cloves, peeled

Wash the cucumbers and remove any stems. Cover with cold water and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Pack the cucumbers into pint jars as tightly as possible. Poke in 2 sprigs of dill per jar. Bring vinegar, water, salt and garlic to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and distribute evenly in to jars while the brine cools slightly. Pour hot brine into jars and seal. Makes 12 pints. Ready in as little as 24 hours or wait 2 weeks for super seasoned pickles.

Pink Smoothie

1 banana
1 plum
1 large handful strawberries
4-5 mint leafs
water

Put fruit in blender. Add water. (I fill mine to the 2 cup line and add more as needed. Enjoy!

Artemis Prime

Summer Rolls

2010-08-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

You will need:

rice paper wrappers (I used 12 inch but I would recommend smaller)
1/4 large white onion
1.5 apples
1 large carrot
3 tofurkey sausages(I used polish style)
2 tsps grated ginger
2 tsps garam masala
2 tsps thyme
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp olive oil(to cook mixture listed above)
1 avocado
1/2 cucumber, sliced lengthwise into small strips
10-15 apricots, finely chopped
Bowl of warm water
paper towel or small cloth

Combine onion, apple, carrot, sausages, spices and ginger in food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is reached (I like mine quite fine, you may prefer yours to be chunkier) In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and sausage mixture. Heat thouroughly. Transfer to bowl once cooked. Let cool down until you can handle the misture without burning yourself. This is very important...Please don't burn yourself!!!

Simple Summer Supper!

2010-08-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

The weather has taken a turn for the better. The sun is back in full force as is any air conditioner in my vicinity!!! Last night we decided to bbq, it just seemed right. All week I have been meaning to make terryaki tofu and of course all bottled terryaki has sugar so my plan was to make it from scratch. All the recipes I found called for brown sugar and a coworker suggested I try to do a polynesian style terryaki and use pineapple in lieu of the sugar. What an awesome idea, only problem is now all my pineapple is gone...hrmmm what to do. Improvise! As always, I never have the ingredients a recipe calls for (or just don't like them) modify, modify, modify it is! I had plums & peaches, it had to work...had to! This also gave me the opportunity to use some of the dried herbs that April and I did last week. Here it is folks, Plum Terryaki Tofu, Roasted Veggies and Quinoa!

Plum Terryaki

2 plums
2 peaches
1/3 cup Braggs
2 large cloves garlic
1 large chunk ginger
1/4 onion, finely sliced

Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, cook until thickened and sweet(ish). Set aside to cool and add tofu once it is dry fried. When tofu is done marinating, reheat in pan with marinade and serve!

Tofu

1 175g package extra firm tofu

Press out tofu and remove as much water as possible. Slice lengthwise into strips. Dry fry over medium heat until golden brown on each side. Marinate for 30 mins or more in Plum Terryaki.

Roasted Veggies

Asparagus ( garlic, vegan margarine)
Turnips ( garlic salt, vegan margarine, chives)
Peppers ( red, yellow, orange peppers)

Wraps veggies in foil with their corresponding ingredients. Throw on BBQ, check after 10 mins.

Quinoa

1 cup veggie broth
1 cup quinoa

Bring to a boil, reduce to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

Maharagwe courtesy of the Vegan Police

2010-08-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to rain. Really? It's August, why is it raining?? I'll be honest, I like the rain and since I am working today it really doesn't bother me. In fact, I like that it is a little cooler than usual because I tend to overheat easily. This dreary weather made me think of Maharagwe which was originally posted on the Vegan Police Forums. I would have to say about a year ago is when I first stumbled upon The Vegan Police! I was trolling facebook as usual and saw that Sarah Kramer had become a fan, of course I had to investigate. Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Dylan, Ryan & Crista are great people. I hope one day I can make the trip out to St.Catherines to meet them in the flesh. It seems like the ultimate Canadian city for vegans. I love their podcasts, always awesome indie music and so much information about being vegan that if you aren't already, you will want to be! Below is my jazzed up version of Maharagwe, I hope you all enjoy :)

Maharagwe

You will need:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 19oz chickpeas
2 cans diced tomatoes, strained
1 can coconut milk
2 tsps turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsps olive oil
1 pkg (175g) extra firm tofu*, cubed
1 handful of spinach*

Heat oil over medium heat in a deep pan and cook the chopped onion until it is soft and golden. Mash** the chickpeas with a fork and then throw them in with the onion. Add the chopped tomatoes, spices, tofu and coconut milk. Stir. Cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach, turn off heat and cover. Remove from element once spinach is slightly wilted and a nice bright green. Serve with quinoa & garlic naan.

* Optional, not pictured above. This makes the dish even more amazing!!

** I like some chickpeas still whole, it's up to you whether or not you mash them completely.

Tofu Tacos, Corn Elote & a Green Smoothie for good measure!

2010-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Friday is here and for most of you that means 2 days off, I work weekends so I will be enjoying my friday when Sunday rolls around. I'd like to apologize as this post has minimal photos :( The food was so good, everything was half eaten before I realized I had no pictures. I guess I will just have to make it again, poor me...lol. I love Mexican food, it is my favorite cuisine...always has been! So I give to you, tofu tacos and corn elote (pronounced: el-eat-o) a delicious, cheesy corn casserole. Corn Elote was something my family grew up on and I never thought to veganize it until last night, actually that is a lie. I had thought about it but I knew it would be an expensive dish to make and I wasn't quite sure how to succesfully complete it as all the ingredients are "melty" and usually the egg would hold it together. Anyways, enough of my babble, I made it work and decided I had to share it with you all, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Corn Elote

1 can cream corn
1 can corn
1 cup sour cream (I used tofutti)
2 cups cheese (I used Earth Island Monterey Jack)
6 tbsps eNerg egg replacer, powder only
1 cup cornmeal
Salt & pepper, to taste
Salsa or hot peppers *optional

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, fold gently, do not over mix. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish and bake for 60* minutes. *Because all the ingredients are "melty" and there is no real egg to bind everything together you may need to cook longer.Check the consistency of dish, if it is still a little wet, throw 'er back in for 15-30 mins.

Tofu Tacos

1 pkg extra firm tofu (175g)
1/2 medium onion
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
water
veggies (lettuce, tomato, cucumber and whatever else you like)
taco shells or tortillas
sour cream & salsa

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions until tender. Crumble tofu into pan, stir, add taco seasoning and a bit of water. Simmer until excess moisture is gone. Set aside.

Salsa

4-5 small tomatoes
3-4 basil leaves
1 large clove garlic
1/4 onion
pinch of sea salt
dash of lime juice

Put all ingredients in blender or magic bullet. Voila!

Green Smoothie

2 cups mixed fruit (I used graes, melons, peaches & strawberries
1 handful pineapple
1 handful spinach
1 chunk ginger
2 cups water

Blend and enjoy!

Quinoa Stirfry

2010-08-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

After our trip to the Farmer's Market yesterday, I had an abundance of fresh veggies that needed to be used! The only trick was to find a tasty marinade for my tofu that would taste good since all the store bought marinades have either sugar or vinegar. I did some searching online to see what homemade recipes were out there and came up with a simple recipe. I am not crazy about the marinade so I will definitely be doing some tweeking in the future, possibly omitting half of the cider vinegar used. Here it is in all it's glory, the Quinoa Stirfry!

Stirfry:

1/2 Red onion, chopped
1/2 Red pepper, chopped
5-6 Crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 lrg Clove garlic, minced
1 lrg Chunk ginger, minced
Handful of baby bok choi, chopped

Marinade

1/2 cup Braggs
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Red onion, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 lrg chunk of ginger, chopped fine
1 pkg Extra firm tofu

Quinoa

1 cup Quinoa
1 cup Veggie Broth

Start by combining all the marinade ingredients but the tofu and combine in a shallow dish. Micorwave for 60 mins to infuse braggs/vinegar with the essence of onion, ginger/garlic. Set aside.

Prepare the tofu by first pressing out all the water. This can be done a number of ways, the easiest way I find is to have a super absorbent towel that won't leave lint all over your tofu, wrap it in said towel and either press it out by hand or leave it under a heavy book while you cook your veggies. Once tofu is drained of all moisture, cut the block lengthwise into thirds and then cut little cubes or triangles. Over medium heat, place tofu in pan with NO OIL, the goal here is to dry fry the tofu so it has no moisture, this way it will suck up the marinade and retain more flavor. Flip and brown the other side, then set in marinade dish for at least 30 minutes.

Cooking times for Quinoa are very similar to rice. I like to soak the quinoa in broth for a bit before I start cooking. Add quinoa & broth to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 mins, lid on. Set aside.

Now, moving onto your veggies. Over medium heat, add 2-3 tbsps olive oil to your pan, let that heat up while you chop your veggies. First to go into the pan is your onions, red pepper and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 mins and then toss in your garlic, ginger and bok choi. Turn heat down to low and cover pan with a lid for about 5 mins. Add tofu to mixture, turn heat off and allow flavors to blend for a few minutes before serving.

Serve stirfry over a bed of quinoa and enjoy!!!

Farmer`s Market Tuesday

2010-08-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so, April and I have been talking about driving out to the Farmer`s Market to pick up some fresh produce do some dehydrating. I was dying for some dried fruit with no added sugar, these new restrictions keep me on my toes. We picked up all sorts of awesome goodies, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, apricots, turnips, bok choi, pickling cukes, onions, peppers, green onions, dill, sage, basil & chives. I can hardly wait for everything to dry. We stacked 15 trays so it may take longer than usual. Stay tuned for some new recipes this week...I`m thinking savory dinner muffin!

Bonus cats!! Joey and Joe Joe.

Artemis! Sneak peek :)

2010-08-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I came across http://www.catscradleanimalrescue.com/ and got the chance on Monday to go visit a special torti I had my eye on! This is Artemis, she is a super shy, calm, sweet little baby. Vince & I are excited to bring her home. She has a bit of a cold so they want to monitor her for the next week or so and then she can come home!!! Here is a sneak peek at the little muffin...many, many, many more coming soon!

Mini Spinach Empanadas

2010-07-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Earlier last week I stumbled across heathenvegans blog and found these: http://heathenandvegan.blogspot.com/2010/07/vegan-spinach-empanada.html
I couldn't stop thinking about them so I made them for dinner last night and again this afternoon. First time around I followed the directions exactly and altered the recipe slightly. I would advise not chilling the dough as I found it harder to work with. Make your veggies first and leave to cool as you make the dough. Below is my version of the recipe, the crust turns out super crispy and melts in your mouth!!!

Filling

2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
6 good size crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 leek, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dulse flakes
pepper
garlic salt
1/4 block FYH Monterey Jack, small cubes

Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup maragine
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
water

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions, mushroom and peppers, season with pepper and garlic salt, cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and leeks, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add spinach and dulse, cover and reduce heat to low. Let sit under spinach is wilted.
Take veggies off heat, remove lid and allow to cool. (add cheese to mixture right before spooning onto dough.)
While veggies are cooling mix flour, garlic salt, onion powder and margarine until crumbly.
Slowly add water until dough forms, add ing more fllour if needed.
Roll out fairly thin on counter and cut out circular sections. (I used a becel lid like a cookie cutter.)
Lay out circles on counter and spoon a large tablespoon into each.
Slightly wet the edge of one half and press together starting in the middle working outward.
Flatten the edge all around and then crimp between your fingers for a pretty scalloped edge.
Arrange on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Soup, Smoothies & Sugar Free Muffins

2010-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

I love ~~hot~~ soup! This cold soup is perfect for a hot summer day :)

Cream of Brocolli & Mushroom Soup

You will need:

4-5 large white mushrooms, chopped or sliced
2 handfuls broccoli florets
1/2 cup cashews, mac nuts & tamari almonds*
1/3 cup rice/soy/almond/hemp milk or water
1/4 lime, rind off
2 tbsps olive oil
dill
onion powder
sea salt
pepper

*soak nuts overnight for a smoother, creamier soup.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat, add mushrooms & broccoli, season with garlic salt & pepper. Add a bit of water and throw lid on to steam veggies. While veggies are cooking, throw nuts in the food processor & grind until fine,add a bit of water or milk to make a cream, blend until smooth. Check on the veggies, take the lid off when broccoli is a nice bright green, let some of the excess water evaporate but do not cook much longer. Add veggies & lime into processor, blend until smooth adding water or milk for your desired consistency. Add dill, onion powder & sea salt to taste. Serve luke warm or cold.

Smoothie!

use fresh or frozen fruit

Blend until smooth

1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 apple
large handfull spinach
1/2 lime
small chunk of ginger
2-3 cups water

Sugar Free Mulberry Spelt Muffins

You will need:

2 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cups mulberries
1 cup applesauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp EnerG egg replacer powder only
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To prepare muffin tins, spray indentations and rims with nonstick spray, or line with paper muffin cups. If using silicon muffin tins, spray as directed, then place tins on baking sheet.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Mix together wet ingrediets.
Combine wet with dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Fill prepared tins three-quarters full. Use additional greased tins or small, oven-safe, greased ramekins for any leftover batter, or reserve for other baking. Bake for 22 minutes, or until muffins are lightly browned with rounded tops. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
Set pan on wire rack to cool for ten minutes. Gently rock each muffin back and forth to release and remove from tin. Cool muffins for five minutes more on rack before serving. If storing or freezing, cool completely before sealing in airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bags. Muffins will stay fresh up to twenty-four hours at room temp. or up to one month in freezer.

Adapted from this recipe: http://vegliving.info/2009/07/26/recipe-spotlight-no-added-sugar-spelt-muffins/

May you rest in peace Finleigh, my dear sweet kitteh

2010-07-29T12:01:00.001-07:00

It has been 9 days since my dear kitteh Finleigh left this world. I miss her more than anything. She was my first pet and she meant the world to me. Although she seemed cold at times, she was the most loving cat when you needed her to be. She died doing what she loved, running around casuing a ruckus. I will never forget the first few days after I brought Wiley home, Finleigh resented me for bringing another animal home and would fall asleep growling at him. There is nothing cuter than a cat struggling to keep her eyes open, head bobbing and growling to sleep. My dear sweet Finleigh, you are always in my heart, remembered and loved by so many...

So Peaceful

Cuddles with Mom

First Bath

Finleigh, Finleigh
She opens the door with her triangle head,
She crouches, she pauses, she jumps on the bed...

Monster Crackers aka Nutty Spelt Crackers

2010-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Apparently it's been a while since I updated...sorry for the delay to anyone out there actually following me ;)

As most of you know I am vegan and recently have some new dietary restrictions come up; No Yeast, No Sugar, No Vinegar...This makes it increasingly difficult to eat out, let alone that most of my dining partners are omni's! I have been slaving away in the kitchen trying to keep a good rotation of different & interesting foods so that I don't become bored with what I am eating. After all, food is life! Without good tasty food and awesome people to share it with...where would that leave us? I decided I was really missing crackers. There are many yeast free crackers out there, but most contain modified milk products, honey or gasp....sugar! Really? Sugar in a cracker? Believe it! I did find a few crackers that met my criteria but they were pricy or bland so I set out to bake my own with a little help from the internet! I found a recipe on http://www.suite101.com/ that seemed like a good idea but definitely needs some tweeking. So here they are!

Ingredients

•2 cups whole spelt flour

•1/2 cup tamari almonds, ground

•1/2 cup flax seed, ground

•1 teaspoon each garlic salt & mustard powder

•2 tbsps dehydrated minced onion

•1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

•3/4 cup water

•sesame seeds or organic cornmeal for dusting

Directions

Grind seeds in a coffee grinder or blender until they become like a flour. Be careful not to over-grind as they will easily turn into nut butter.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, sift together the whole spelt flour, ground nuts and seeds, whole sesame seeds and salt.

In a separate cup, emulsify the oil and water by stirring rapidly.

Pour the oil and water into the centre of the dry ingredients and mix together until most of the liquid is incorporated, then begin to knead the dough with your hands until all of the liquid is mixed in.

Split the ball of dough into two.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the balls of dough to 1/4 inch thickness and either cut shapes with a cookie cutter or slice squares with a knife.

Repeat with the other half of the dough. Alternatively, split the dough into smaller portions and run the dough through a pasta maker until the dough reaches desired thickness.

Dust a baking sheet with organic corn meal or sesame seeds and place the cut dough pieces onto this.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes*, depending on the thickness of the dough. The vegan crackers will not turn golden brown when finished, but will be crispy and will crack easily when snapped.

*I cooked my first batch for 7 mins, checked them, did another 3 mins, then flipped and cooked for 2 more. They are nice and crispy!!

Read more at Suite101: Nutty Whole Spelt Flour Crackers: A Savoury Homemade Vegan Snack Food http://vegan-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/nutty_whole_spelt_flour_crackers#ixzz0uzwPXb6A

Also pictured is cashew cheeze!

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews (I like a mixture of Cashews & Mac nuts)
1/8 cup lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
2 cloves garlic
water to thin.

Grind nuts in food processor to fine paste, add garlic & lemon juice with a pinch of salt.
Slowly add water until you reach you desired consistency.
Serve with crackers & veggies!

**Cheeze will firm up when out in fridge

and just for fun here is a picture of Sir Wiley Styles

Happy Birthday wonderful man of mine :)

2010-03-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Hector

2009-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Dani

2009-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Willows Beach

2009-11-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Finleigh

2009-11-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

Beacon Hill Park

2009-11-13T23:17:00.000-08:00

Finleigh's Catch of the Day

2009-11-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

Goldstream Park

2009-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Lucille

2009-11-06T01:42:00.001-08:00

Glencoe Cove

2009-11-04T18:50:00.000-08:00