A pie half eaten

A better title for this entry may be "A pie half eaten...then fully eaten". Once again, I forgot to take any photos until the pie was halfway to my belly. I don't have much to compare this pie to, since pumpkin pie always disgusted me as a child (thank goodness your taste buds change every 7 years!) but I would have to say that this vegan pumpkin pie was just as good if not better than the original! I got the basic idea for it from vegetarian times (VT vegan pumpkin pie) but then really made the recipe my own. Thanksgiving has come and gone and my boyfriend's mother was so sweet as to make vegan versions of several of the dishes, love her! I brought along this pie and I swear no one even realized it was vegan! Until I told them of course...gotta spread the word :) Anyways, here is the recipe, this recipe makes a perfect 10 inch deep dish pie, reduce by 1/4 for a 9 inch regular pie:

Decadent vegan pumpkin pie:

Ingredients:

Crust -

1 1/2 sticks earth balance margarine, chilled then cut into cubes

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 c. white pastry flour

1/2 c. wheat pastry flour

3 Tbsp sugar

Filling -

3 c. pumpkin puree

3/4 c. regular coconut milk (reserve the rest of the can)

1/2 c. vegan cane sugar

1/4 c. maple syrup

2 Tbsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 Tbsp arrowroot

Directions:

For crust, pulse together flour and salt in a food processor, add earth balance and pulse until just combined. Add sugar, and water and mix until a smooth dough forms. Remove from processor to a board and knead it with flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Wrap in plastic and freeze for one hour. Remove from freezer and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness then put into your pie shell and crimp the edges, that I cannot tell you how to do but here is a tutorial, see step 7: Real Simple Guide to Pie Crust

For filling, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Pour into crust and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake until pie is set, about 45 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate over-night. Whip the remaining coconut milk in a mixer with the whisk attachment, then fold in 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and a few Tablespoons of powdered sugar and you have the perfect whipped topping for your pie!

Vegan cooking for the soul

Yesterday was yet another beautiful fall day in the Midwest and one of the first times I have relaxed in months. My cooking revelation occurred when I had a little faith in my taste buds and allowed them to dictate what was on the menu. Man, those taste buds are smart because this meal rocked! I visited the farmer's market over the weekend and ended up with several root veggies (sweet potato, turnip, beets) and some Mizuna, a subtly spicy green (the guy at the booth basically told me this green would change my life, how could I say no?). Several days later the meal just came together in my mind after hours of involuntary starvation and I stopped at the store to pick up the rest of the ingredients. Here is a delicious vegan fall meal that will fill you up and leave your conscience clear! I bring you polenta with herbed mushrooms and mizuna served with orange-herb roasted root vegetables.

Polenta with herbed mushrooms and mizuna:

Ingredients -

1 cup medium-grind cornmeal

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Earth balance margarine

1 small package fresh "poultry" herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)

4 medium portabella caps, sliced into small pieces

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 large handful mizuna, stalks trimmed off, leaves chopped (if you can't find mizuna, arugula works fine)

Directions -

Finely chop herb leaves and set aside, each part of the recipe calls for some. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepot, add salt, reduce heat to medium. Very slowly shake in cornmeal, stirring with a whisk. Simmer while whisking for a couple minutes. Reduce heat to very low, simmer covered, stirring every ten minutes or so with a wooden spoon until polenta has a mild flavor (35-40 minutes). Stir in a couple teaspoons earth balance and a couple teaspoons oil. Add about a Tbsp of the chopped herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms, heat some olive oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and saute one minute. Add mushroom pieces and another Tbsp of the herbs and cook until browned and juices release, salt to taste.

Serve polenta topped with mushrooms and a handful of mizuna. The mizuna will wilt beautifully into the polenta, mmm...

Orange-herb roasted root vegetables:

Ingredients -

5-6 small beets

1 medium sweet potato

1 medium turnip

1 large parsnip

1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

zest of 1/2 orange

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

1-2 Tbsp chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions -

Heat oven to 415 degrees F. Peel the root vegetables and cut into 3/4-1 inch pieces.Toss with remaining ingredients. Spread on a baking sheet (I used nonstick foil) and roast for about 30 minutes. Stir and roast for 10-15 minutes more.

Serve these two together for an exciting comfort food experience that could very well heal your soul!

Summer Harvest Panini

The farmers finally have produce! I'm leaving town for the weekend so I tried not to go too crazy at the market this week, but I picked up some small red potatoes and some baby zucchini from one of the stands. I really can't help myself around tiny things, these were just too cute to pass up!!! Anywho, I had no idea what to do with my veggies so I made some hummus last night figuring that the hummus would be my muse. Of course, I accidentally added too much tahini and oil and not enough liquid to the hummus which left me with a kind of paste (ew) so I went to the store and got some more chickpeas and somehow salvaged my creation into some very tasty hummus! Cue the inspiration (only tasty hummus can act as a muse :P), I decided to grill up my baby zucchini and then add some fresh mint and basil from the garden and make some delicious panini with the free french baguette I got from Panera yesterday (yes free!). Also see below the panini recipe for a recipe for some really tasty dippers for the leftover hummus, yummmmm...

"Summer Harvest Panini"

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Hummus -

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drain reserving 1/2 cup of liquid then rinse

1 garlic clove

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp Tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved chickpea liquid (to desired thickness)

salt to taste

Panini -

1 cup hummus

French baguette (About 16 oz)

Garlic

~1lb baby zucchini, stems trimmed but left intact!

1 tsp EVOO

salt and pepper to taste

Large tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

16 basil leaves, kept whole

A dozen or so mint leaves, sliced

Directions:

To make hummus, process drained and rinsed chickpeas with garlic clove until finely minced, add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

To make panini:

Heat balsamic vinegar in a small saute pan until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until it has thickened to a syrup consistency (don't do it for too long because it thickens upon standing!) Slice baguette in 4 pieces then cut in half lengthwise to make sandwiches. Rub both sides of baguette with a cut garlic clove and toast for 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Preheat grill and toss whole baby zucchini (cut any large ones in half lengthwise) with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill, turning until brown and tender. Remove and toss with mint leaves. Assemble baguettes by spreading 3-4 Tbsp of hummus on both sides of each sandwich, layer a few tomato slices, 4 basil leaves, and the baby zucchini. Drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar and enjoy your sandwich! Try not to get too messy with this one :)

"Crispy potato slices" For dipping in hummus!!!

Ingredients:

6 small red potatoes, thinly sliced

~1 Tbsp EVOO

salt and pepper

1 sprig fresh rosemary chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Toss potato slices with the olive oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and crispy on the edges. Drain on paper towels and dip in hummus, it may sound weird but it tastes amazing!

Master Chef here I come!

So after feeling pretty defeated the other day about my ability to make vegetarian food taste good without dairy, I was rejuvenated by a trip to Whole Foods. Something about the rows and rows of delicious treats and friendly ladies in aprons handing out samples of sweets (vegan ones!) made me feel like maybe I am not doomed to a life of tasteless meals. I picked up some Follow your heart vegan cheese (more on this later), So Delicious coconut milk yogurt, and a ton of bulk stuff for really good prices (~1 1/2 lbs of arborio rice for $5!). So I've been craving some good comfort food lately and what better than a meal my father used to cook for me all the time when I was little! He always called these little fried rice balls "suppli" and until now I thought he just made up that word because I've only ever seen risotto balls called "arancini," but it turns out that suppli or "suppli al telefono" is just the roman version and the telefono part is because the cheese looks like sagging telephone wires when you pull apart the risotto cake. When I was little my dad would take any leftover white rice and mix it with some simple spaghetti sauce, stir in some egg, then add some cubes of mozzarella to the middle, roll the suckers in some bread crumbs and fry em up! He would let me help put them together and I would often sneak in an extra cube or two of mozzarella when he wasn't looking. Nowadays cheese doesn't agree with me and often isn't too friendly to cows either :( but that definitely doesn't mean that I don't still crave it or just wither a little when I see someone else biting into a slice of cheesy pizza. Now imagine my surprise when I order some lactose free cheese on my pizza at a restaurant and my pizza arrives and is virtually indistinguishable from the cheese-laden one next to me in both appearance and taste! In walks Follow Your Heart vegan cheese, a deliciously melty gift from above. So if you have followed all of my many tangential stories, I decided to make some suppli that would be delicious and not make me feel awful afterwards! :)

"Nearly vegan suppli al telefono"

Makes about 20 croquettes (isn't that a fancy word?) or ~5 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

2 large shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

1 28oz-can whole tomatoes with juice, tomatoes chopped

No-chicken stock (3-4 cups)

Handful basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil to fill a skillet about 1/2 to 1 inch

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 oz Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 cups breadcrumbs

Directions:

Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat over Medium. Add shallots and saute for about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook another minute. Add rice and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add wine and cook over medium until it is absorbed. Add a cup or two of tomatoes with juice, cook until absorbed, then repeat until all tomatoes are added. Start adding liquid a cup at a time and cook until absorbed. Do this until almost all the liquid is gone and rice is tender. Stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat and let cook about 15 minutes. Stir in 1-2 of the beaten eggs until mixture is moistened. Heat oil over medium-high until shimmering. Place about 2 Tbsp of mixture in your hand and put 6-8 small cubes in the center then top with another Tbsp of mixture and shape into croquettes. Roll in bread crumbs.

Add to oil and cook a few minutes per side until browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes to avoid burning your mouth (believe me, they are worth the wait!) and then enjoy!!!

These suppli filled up my tummy void and my cheese void all at once, so happy!!! I did use eggs in this recipe, but honestly don't know if they are needed as the rice sticks together pretty well on its own, so if you are going totally egg free, try them with no egg and let me know how it turns out!

Hungry for more...

Do you ever have one of those days where no matter what you eat you just never feel full or satisfied? I know there's not really anyone listening, but seriously, don't those days suck? Anywho, today I was called into work (yay $!) and quickly threw together some egg salad to take with crackers. I had a big breakfast so this lasted me pretty much to dinner. When I got home I had some leftover pasta, good but not really exciting, I was looking for more of a punch in the mouth from my food, the kind of taste that makes a day full of chasing young children just melt away. So I whipped up some vegan queso from my new cookbook, the queso was not bad tasting by any means, but left a deep cheese void in my nacho-shaped heart, sigh. So I moved on from this (yes, I was still hungry!) and used some of the leftover avocado, some tomato, vegan sour cream, olives, and chili peppers to make a layer dip with some stale tortilla chips on the bottom (chilaquiles, anyone?) which was actually quite good but disappeared quickly and then that massive tummy void was back. Tapeworm? So, I've had big plans to veganize (and make healthier) my famous zucchini bread recipe. After all was said and done the loaf came out looking fantastic with a crispy outside and amazing smell!!!

and then I cut into it, dense mushy zucchini bread. Too much liquid? Too much baking powder and soda? Not enough baking powder and soda? Too low of heat? Oh, why didn't I heed your warnings Alton Brown! So my dense zucchini bread came to fruition during a viewing of the most recent episode of Master Chef where the 3 chefs auditioned amateur cooks for the reality show. I had a brief fantasy of myself standing before these 3 chef idols, with Gordon Ramsey just swearing loudly, Joe Bastianich choking and spitting zucchini bread onto the floor, while I sob and Graham Elliot pats my shoulder and smiles while he chokes it down. Thankfully this fantasy is not reality and I am the only one who had to spit zucchini bread on the floor, we all have bad cooking days right? What's the worst thing you've ever cooked?

"Panera, eat your heart out creamy vegan tomato soup"

After a long day of walking around in the sweltering heat, I was really in the mood to come home and enjoy some nice hot soup, wait...what? Yea, you heard me, HOT soup. Thankfully, this recipe didn't require too much cranking of the AC. I stopped at the bookstore on the way home from a lovely art festival and happened upon a very non-vegan magazine that provided a basic recipe for soup. I love soups but I often find myself following any recipe I use to the tee without any room for creativity, but this formula is perfect for just that! All you do is sautee about 1.25 cups of aromatics (onions, garlic, celery, etc) in some oil, add some salt and spice, then add about 1.5 lbs of veggies and 5 cups liquid and simmer until cooked and flavors are melded. Puree the soup then add some final touches like cream, lemon juice, or herbs and you are done! The magazine suggested pairing tomatoes with fennel seed so I went with that combo as the basis for this recipe...I added some really neat touches though which I think turned out great! I popped into Kroger on the way home and picked up everything I needed for the recipe which came to a grand total of $11, not too bad considering I still have some ingredients leftover to use later. This soup would be fantastic for dipping in a panini, which I did a half-a$% version of with some leftover baguette and daiya cheese, yummmmy!

Here is the recipe:

"Creamy" vegan tomato soup and herb croutons

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for croutons

1 cup sliced leeks, washed well to remove grit

1 minced shallot

2-3 cloves minced garlic

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds, I used a mortar and pestle, how fun!

1 orange, zest and juice

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

~ 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup so delicious coconut milk creamer

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. chopped basil

Multigrain baguette

Directions:

Slice multigrain baguette in half then cut half lengthwise like you are making a panini. Rub each side with a cut garlic clove, then cut into slices and cut these in half to make croutons. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt, half sprig chopped rosemary, and about 1/4 of the orange's zest. Bake for about 10 minutes, tossing once, until toasted.

While croutons are baking, heat olive oil over medium-low heat, add leeks, shallot and garlic and saute on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add salt, fennel seeds, half of the rosemary sprig and the zest from 1/2 of the orange. Add crushed tomatoes and broth, then squeeze in the juice of half the orange (squeeze the rest into your mouth :)). Bring to a simmer and boil for about 15 minutes until flavors come together. Remove from heat, let cool for a few minutes then puree in batches in the blender (make sure to leave the lid vented to avoid a hot tomato volcano!), then pour the pureed soup into another pot. Once all of the soup is pureed, stir in the creamer, vinegar, and basil. Serve with croutons.

Where have all the farmers gone?

The farmer's market started here in town last week, and I showed up with reusable bags in hand just itching to get my hands on some fresh produce, but found only plants and freshly baked breads. I had high hopes for this week, perhaps all of the fresh fruits and veggies were just days away from being ready to harvest. Unfortunately, the farmer's market in town was rained out yesterday, or should I say "sirened" out, gotta love spring in Ohio. So today, I made the trek up north to the neighboring town's market, driving straight into black rain clouds against my better judgement! And it paid off, I beat the rain and picked up some asparagus from a lovely gentleman with very few teeth who promised me that his plants were never graced with the presence of pesticides or chemical additives, what can I say, I trust these country folk. The asparagus and some bunches of lettuce were about all that was to be had, so I picked up a baguette and some hummus from the Mediterranean place downtown (which specializes in healthy organic food!) and headed off to Kroger to round out the meal with some tomatoes and avocado, yum! Unfortunately, the rain was coming down in sheets and by this point the grocery parking lot was flooding so I watched my avocado, tomato, and asparagus dreams float by as I headed straight home. Fortunately, my currently impoverished state has taught me how to be resourceful, so I plucked some fresh basil from the garden (got a little drenched but so worth it!) and grabbed a few other ingredients from the fridge, and voila, a delicious summer meal for just $2.25 a serving, am I winning or what?!?! Sorry about that, got a bit carried away, moral of the story, the sandwich was delish so here is the recipe:

"Vegan Recession Panini"

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

Olive oil and salt for grilling

1 french baguette

1/2+ cup hummus

16 fresh basil leaves

8 sun-dried tomato halves (not in oil), thinly sliced

16 kalamata olives, halved

2 thin slices red onion

Directions:

Heat up grill pan to medium-high, brush with oil. Trim asparagus ends and place on grill, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook, turning until tender and has grill marks. Heat up oven to 400 degrees F and bake baguette for 5 minutes. Cut into four sections and cut these open lengthwise. Spread each side of the sections with a generous Tablespoon of hummus, add

4 basil leaves, 2 sliced tomato halves, 4 halved olives and a few slivers of red onion, as well as 1/4 of the asparagus spears. There you have it, delicious local fare on a budget!

Vegan Drumsticks!

No, I don't mean the chicken kind, though I sometimes miss those too. I'm taking about my childhood obsession, those crunchy cones filled with chocolate, then ice cream,then dipped in chocolate, could there be anything more worthy of chasing the ice cream man down the street for? I have been craving one of these ever since I found out that dairy and I are not friends. SO Delicious brand makes pretty much the best ice cream treats imaginable, but no drumstick knockoffs yet! I chose their Turtle Trails ice cream pint to go into this cone, but you can pick any flavor or brand you like!

Ingredients:

One pint SO Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream

4 organic sugar cones

1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (I used Sunspire's Semi-sweet variety)

3-4 teaspoons coconut oil

Directions: First melt about 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil, I microwaved the two in a bowl at 3o second increments, stirring regularly until mostly melted, then stirred the rest of the way. Scoop a tablespoon or so of mixture into each cone and using the back of spoon spread the chocolate up the sides of the cone. (This is the messy part!) Thaw ice cream for 10 minutes or so then fill each cone with about 1/2 cup, refreeze until solid. Then melt the remaining chocolate chips and coconut oil the same way. Use a spoon to quickly spread chocolate onto each cone, it will harden quickly! Lay on parchment or wax paper and freeze until solid. Enjoy!

Here is what the finished product looks like: (Yes I am using my leg as a backdrop for this photo)

Here is what it looks like when I rotate the finished product, I just couldn't wait to dig in!!!

A blog half vegan?

It has been a couple months since my last post and I have an explanation for that...or an excuse, is there really a difference? I was doing very well with maintaining the vegan lifestyle until the middle of March when I hit a major slump and started craving all of my favorite foods again, or as I jokingly called it my "mac and cheese night sweats." I also began to feel somewhat marginalized in my community and even in my group of friends. A friend of mine when speaking about another vegan stated, "they are imposing their extremist lifestyle on those around them." I had no intention to impose on others when I began this journey, and in fact have not done this intentionally. However, it became apparent that others were placing impositions on themselves that I had not put there, like my boyfriend lamenting that we could no longer go to certain restaurants (where there were vegan options for me), or friends apologizing profusely for putting cheese on the salad they had brought to a potluck (when there was plenty of other food for me to eat), or my father throwing out suggestions for any food that I could eat or make myself when I went home for the weekend (when I had already eaten and was not even hungry).

I also noticed that something about using the word "vegan" demands perfection unlike other self-identifiers that allow a little room for...say, humanity? If you say you are on the Atkin's diet, no one jumps down your throat for enjoying a bagel every once in a while. If you say you are trying to stop drinking caffeine, no one gasps when you have a sip of a friend's latte. So why is it that people feel the need to scream "aha!" every time I dip the corner of my finger in a cheese sauce to try it or take a bite of a scone that may have been made with eggs? I am still not sure why this is the case, perhaps it has something to do with the area I call home or perhaps there is something about the nature of veganism that breeds a certain hostility in others? I do know that at this time, I no longer want to call myself a vegan...

What types of changes has this meant for me since I came to this realization? Honestly, not many, except feeling free to eat whatever I want makes me feel like every time I choose a vegan meal over a non-vegan one that I am making a choice that is better for me, animals and the environment. I am still eating at least 80% vegan, but now I will occasionally eat something with eggs in it or enjoy some tuna or salmon rolls at my favorite sushi restaurant. Yes, I understand that I could do better at this whole vegan thing, but I also know that by eating such a small amount of animal products I am doing a hell of a lot better at reducing my eco-footprint and reducing animal suffering than most people out there, including those pesky "aha!" people. So I have changed the name of my blog to reflect my new direction (and to reflect the fact that I cannot seem to take a picture of anything without devouring at least some of it first :P) and I hope that you continue to tune in! Here are a few vegan recipes from this week, enjoy!

Ooey Gooey mac and cheese:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8oz whole wheat penne pasta

2 1/2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine, divided

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cups rice milk

1 package Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds (About 2 cups)

2 cups chopped broccoli

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:

Salt pasta water and bring to a boil, Add penne. During last few minutes while pasta is cooking, add broccoli to cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large saucepot over medium heat, stir in flour and cook for a couple minutes. Add nutritional yeast, then very slowly whisk in rice milk. Bring to a boil and stir a few minutes until thickened. Reduce heat and add daiya, stirring until melted and thickened. Add pasta and broccoli to cheese sauce, stir and pour into casserole. Top with 1/4 cup bread crumbs mixed with remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter (melted) and sprinkle over top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until browned and bubbling.

Nutritional Information

Calories = 311, Fat = 14g, Carbohydrates = 40g, Fiber =5g, Sugars = 5g

Healthy cherry pocket pies:

Makes about 10 servings (1 pie)

Ok, maybe these pocket pies aren't exactly healthy but they are definitely a step up from the mcdonald's apple pie...

I used my awesome mold that my boyfriend's mom got me from Williams-Sonoma to cut them into these fun shapes and although they are shaped like apples they are filled with cherry pie filling, yummmmm! Also, the crust is borrowed from the wonderful book Babycakes by Erin McKenna.

Ingredients:

Crust -

3 cups spelt flour

7 Tbsp organic coconut oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar

Filling -

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet dark cherries

3 Tbsp. agave nectar

1 Heaping Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

To make filling: Mix 3 Tbsp of agave nectar with the cornstarch in a sauce pot, add frozen cherries and a splash of vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool.

To make crust: In a large bowl, stir flour with coconut oil (melted on low in microwave), vanilla and agave nectar until well incorporated. Add 2-3 Tbsp cold water slowly until dough is moist. Shape dough into ball and wrap in floured plastic wrap, refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Roll out to 1/16th to 1/8th inch thickness on a floured board and cut out the two halves of pocket pie using your cutter. Place bottom of pie (without hole) on cutter and top with 2 Tbsp of filling. Place top of pie (with hole) on cutter and sandwich the two pieces together (the cutter flutes the edge). Freeze pies for about 20 minutes, then brush with rice milk and dust with large crystals of sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information:

Calories = 315, Fat = 11g, Carbohydrates = 50g, Fiber = 6.5g, Sugars = 23g

Veganetarian Valentine's Day

So I had a wonderful (almost) Vegan Valentine's Day with my sweetheart. We drove up to Ann Arbor for the day and made a stop at our favorite sandwich shop Zingerman's. Seriously, I could write a love song to this place, it's that good! When you first walk in to your left is a smorgasbord of organic and local cheeses, meats, and smoked fish and to your right hang freshly baked breads and stacks of pastries, yum! Straight ahead is a wide array of house-made salads and traditional jewish treats like potato latkes and blintzes, mmmm...If you can make it that far without falling to your knees, the sandwich board has nearly a hundred sandwiches along with salads and sides. I chose the #5 Rodger's Big Picnic with oven-roasted asparagus, grilled portabello mushrooms, cheddar cheese (I got avocado spread instead!) and Dijon Vinagrette on grilled farm bread, it tasted amazing and was totally vegan!!! Plus, when I told the guy I was trying not to eat dairy, he asked me about any food allergies and went back to the chef to make sure the dijon vinagrette was vegan, have I mentioned that I love this place! Notice in the picture that the sandwich is half gone...I should have named this blog "half-eaten blog" because I can't seem to take a picture before taking a bite, it's like my brain shuts off and the primal instincts kick in, "rrr...food...arrr."

After that, I bought some gourmet chocolates from their cafe and sweet shop, which we feasted on later in the car. One of those was a vegan ginger pear truffle and there was also an aztec heart flavored with chiles and coriander, mmmm. We walked around town and my valentine picked me out a fair trade bracelet made in Ecuador from the Tagua nut, a renewable resource often called "the vegetable ivory!" I couldn't have asked for better Valentine's Day jewelry!

We walked around some more and then made a stop at Whole Foods Market to pick up a few last things to cook dinner (and as always, I "needed" to buy a bunch of extra stuff). When we got home, I whipped up some Kale Lasagna Diavalo (this is where the vegetarian part comes in!) from Vegetarian Times Magazine and some Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup (totally vegan if you sub veg broth for the chicken and leave off the parmesan shavings) from Whole Living Magazine. We threw in some premade vegan garlic bread which I picked up from whole foods, just their french bread topped with oils, herbs and garlic, and some wine (he had red, I had white as usual). Finally, the meal was topped off with some lemon bars from Veganomicon which turned out amazing! They were so rich I needed a glass of almond milk to wash them down. See recipes for the soup and lemon bars below (I will leave the lasagna out to keep this a vegan blog ;)). If it makes you kind-lifers feel any better, the cheese in the lasagna totally ravaged my sinuses afterwards, guess there is something to this vegan diet!

Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup (Veganized) From Whole Living Magazine

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli (1 lb), cut into florets, stems thinly sliced

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

15-oz can cannellini beans, drained

2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

Vegan parmesan, for topping if desired

Directions:

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, reserve 1/2 cup florets to garnish. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 6 minues. Add beans and stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add broccoli and puree in a blender in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender, I want one of these!!!). Season with sea salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with broccoli florets, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan.

Veganomicon Lemon Bars

Recipe reprinted here: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegan-lemon-bars/

I'm a souperhero!

If I could choose one food category to eat for the rest of my life it would probably be soups! I'm not kidding, there is something so wonderful and nostalgic that happens when you take that first spoonful of a soup. A good soup has an array of flavors and textures and nourishes you, both body and soul. You can eat soup when you are old, young, sick, healthy, and yes, even Vegan! Thankfully, most of my favorite soups don't require meat or cheese, not that I haven't enjoyed my fair share of chicken noodle and wonton, but I can still have miso and mushroom barley and broccoli and chili and white bean and minestrone and tortilla and even vegetable wonton! I love soup!!! Ok, now that you understand that, there is nothing like not having to chew your food when you are sick, I mean who has the energy for that anyways? I went to Qdoba yesterday for lunch and had a bowl of their Mexican gumbo (totally Vegan!) with rice, pinto beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and tortilla strips. The soft rice, guacamole and beans, with the spicy broth and crunch of the tortillas was a fantastic combination! I also made a more nourishing soup yesterday that could fit in with anyone's souperhero, ahem, I mean superhero diet. Here it is:

Ingredients:
4-5 cups water
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic, optional
1 tsp minced ginger
2 good pinches wakame flakes
1-2 cups chopped bok choy (or cabbage or spinach or whatever sounds good!)
8 sliced shitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp brown miso
1Tbsp white miso
3 sliced scallions
3 oz udon noodles, optional

Directions:
Cook udon noodles according to package directions, set aside. Bring water to a boil in large soup pot. Add wakame, onion, garlic, and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, add bok choy, then mushrooms, stir. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove about a cup of soup broth to a large measuring cup, add miso and stir with a fork until dissolved. Add mixture back into pot, and heat through making sure it doesn't boil. Stir in scallions and noodles, if desired.

This soup can heal you! I'm serious, my cold from hell came on just Thursday night and when I woke up today I actually felt way better! It just HAS to be the soup...and the rest, hydrating, zinc, and vitamin c :) Seriously people, don't mess around when you are sick! Or when you aren't sick too for that matter."Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live" -Jim Rohn (and now me)

No vegan diet! No vegan powers!

So a few days of being a junk food vegan finally caught up with me, I have been overtaken by the cold from hell. It feels exactly like the flu, yet I don't have a fever. Honestly, I don't have a clue where I got sick from, all I can think of is that I went to a new yoga class the other night where we did a self-lymphatic massage to "release toxins." Perhaps I am just too "toxic" at the moment and my body couldn't handle it, damn you Qigong! Cooking a meal for myself last night was the last possible thing I wanted to do so my boyfriend and I went to eat at the restaurant where he works. I was feeling a bit like I was fading into nothingness so I ordered a piece of grilled salmon, sorry Nemo! I half expected the vegan police to come and haul me away right then and there:

Milk and eggs, bitch! Anywho, after a trip to Kroger last night I am all stocked up for the recovery process. Made some quick vegetable noodle soup (w/ kroger egg-free soup noodles!) for lunch and plan to throw together some Miso tonight, yum! If anyone reads this and has more ideas for healing vegan recipes, please let me know!

Wrap on the run!

Ive been feeling like a bit of a junk food Vegan for the past few days, eating a lot of processed foods and way too much dessert! Today I got called in to work, but woke up way too late to make myself a decent meal. Thankfully, I thought of a really quick healthy meal to make mid-shampoo. Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
15oz can white beans (I used great northern)
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 portobella mushroom, sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Some torn fresh basil

Directions:
Steam broccoli and mushroom together until softened, 5-8 min. Rinse and drain beans, toss with veggies, oil, salt, pepper, and some chopped fresh basil. I heated a sprouted wheat tortillas and wrapped up half the filling for lunch! It was so good, I wrapped the rest in a couple of sheets of nori later, yum!

The lazier thin mushroom pizza

So the pineapple cashew quinoa stirfry and hot and sour soup didn't go over as well as I hoped last night. I loved the stirfry but the hot and sour soup was well, hot and sour...not sure what I was expecting there. The taste of the soup kind of overpowered the stirfry last night so I didn't really get to enjoy it much! Thankfully, I ate some leftover pineapple cashew quinoa stir fry for dinner tonight which tasted much yummier! However, 2 hours of studying later, it was as if I hadn't eaten. I still had the ingredients for the Vegan Pandemonium's lazy version of the Kind Diet mushroom pizza (VP's Thin Mushroom Pizza). That pizza was SO good, but after eating it two days in a row I was looking for something a bit different. The variation I made tonight is the same basic idea, I sauteed one sliced portabella in just a little olive oil, seasoned with some sea salt and threw in a Tablespoon of chopped sundried tomato at the end. I loaded it into a sprouted wheat tortilla with just a tablespoon or the tofutti cream cheese and some chopped scallions and basil and browned it up on the griddle. Tasted really good, but next time I might use two mushrooms and it would be perfect! Had a Kind Diet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup after dinner part 1 but now that I had dinner part 2 I am craving dessert part 2...s'mores perhaps?

Vegan S'mores!

This isn't exactly a recipe, but I made some FANTASTIC Vegan s'mores last night. I just put one square of endangered species dark chocolate on a graham (use grahams without honey if you are abstaining), then I roasted two Dandies Vegan marshmallows over the gas stove. It tasted so close to the real thing I had to double check my ingredients to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong!

Going to try my hand at this blogging thing again now that I finally figured out how to post pictures. So I'm officially moving into week 6 of being vegan, well at least trying to be vegan, or as Alicia Silverstone of The Kind Diet would call it "flirting" with the vegan diet. I would say I'm doing pretty well so far, given that my diet is now about 98% vegan. I've noticed some positive changes like more energy, clearer thinking, and as Alicia says, "smoother elimination." However, I've been somewhat moodier and I'm a lot hungrier! Also, in spite of the smoothness of the aforementioned eliminations, there have been some other gastrointestinal consequences that make my boyfriend want to get a separate bedroom...all a part of the detox process though right. Now assuming that my boyfriend is still here after the air has cleared (haha), I think he will turn out to be at least somewhat supportive of my new diet. I was vegetarian when we started dating so its not a huge change, and other than sneaking giant turkey legs into the house and screaming "You expect me to eat this? What am I, a rabbit!?" he appears to be adjusting just fine. My friends from back home have no idea how to react except to brand me as "crazy" and ask me repeatedly "but, where are you getting your protein?" to which I reply "food... usually" and wink... My mom is actually the most supportive thus far, telling her friends "oh, Michelle is 'Vay-gen' now," love it! I've made some super yummy recipes so far from Alicia's book and from others like Veganomicon! Tonight is pineapple cashew quinoa stirfry with hot and sour soup, will let you know how that goes!