Sweet and Smoky Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar (or substitute with red wine vinegar)

Directions:

1. Prick the skin of the sweet potatoes and bake in a 350F oven for 1 hour.
2. In a medium heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add in the onions and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the carrots and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, chipotle powder and sweet paprika and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.
6. While the broth is simmering remove the sweet potato from the skin and mash together in a bowl.
7. Place the broth and sweet potato in a food processor or blender (you may have to do this in two parts depending on the size of your machine) and process until smooth.
8. Return to the pot and season with salt, pepper and umeboshi vinegar.

Giant Beans in Tomato Oregano Sauce

Ingredients

Yields 6-8 Servings

• 1.5 cups dried fava beans
• 2 cups water plus more for soaking
• 1-28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 garlic, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

One of my favorite snacks are almonds but not just any almonds, I love tamari almonds. As much as I enjoy them I don’t purchase them often because they are pretty expensive per pound so I usually just get regular almonds. Finally I decided that instead of spending $4 more per pound I’d make my own.

Wasabi Shoyu (Tamari) Almonds

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/4 cup shoyu or tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder

Since we get our CSA on Wednesday’s Sunday until Tuesday usually ends up being unplanned meals because we never know how much of things we are going to receive. Last night I decided to use up the remaining potatoes, bright lights chard, dill and a cayenne pepper. I also found one carrot, one beet and half an onion that all needed to be used, and so they were.

Garlicky Chard, Creamy White Beans and a Dilly Root Veg Mash

Garlicky Chard
Makes 2-4 servings

• 1 bunch bright lights chard (or any kind of swiss chard you like)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chard and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve!

Creamy White Beans
Serves 4-6

• Two 15oz cans of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons white wine, vegetable broth or water
• 1 cayenne chili, minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
• 3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
• salt and pepper

In a medium pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the beans and white wine, cook until liquid is gone. Add in the chili, dill, cream cheese and salt and pepper, stir until combined. Serve!

Dilly Root Veg Mash
Serves 2-4

• 3-4 medium sized new potatoes, washed and quartered
• 1 large red beet, peeled, washed and quartered
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 2 heaping tablespoons chopped dill
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes, beet and carrot in a pot and fill with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender. Drain and return to the pot; add the remaining ingredients mash together to combine. Serve!

Besides waiting for the rice and potatoes to cook, these bowls are super easy to toss together and taste amazing. Even your non-vegan friends will be amazed at how delicious and filling this meal is.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
• 1 bunch of fresh kale, cleaned and de-stemmed
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas,  or 1 15 oz. can
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks
• sea salt
• creamy peanut sauce, recipe below

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°, chop sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch chunks, sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 30 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, cook brown rice according to the instructions on the package.
3. Blanch kale in boiling water for 3 minutes, remove kale from water with a slotted spoon and place kale in an ice water bath so it stops cooking. Drain and squeeze the water out, chopped and set the kale aside.
4. Prepare creamy sauce (recipe below)
5. When the rice and sweet potatoes are done you can start compiling your bowls. Each bowl should contain 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup blanched kale, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato chunks.
6. Drizzle each bowl with some of the creamy peanut sauce and enjoy!

Creamy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1/8 cup tamari, shoyu or soy sauce
• 1/8 cup brown rice syrup
• a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• water, to thin

Preparation:

1. Simply put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend. Then add as much water as necessary to make the consistency that you like. It makes quite a bit so store any leftovers in the fridge for later. (It tastes good on everything!)

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my blog. I’m always posting new and delicious recipes.

Italian Almond Tart 

with Cashew-White Bean Cheeze, Sauteed Summer Squash & Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Yields 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• One large tart crust (recipe below)
• Cashew-White Bean Cheeze
• One medium summer squash, thinly sliced & sauteed in olive oil for 4-5 minutes
• Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Greens, for garnish

–
For the Tart

Good Morning! This morning I was in the mood for a tasty baked good and  to my delight when I went to the pantry I had everything to make muffins.  To go with the muffins I decided to try the Godiva coffee from Foodbuzz Tastemakers.

I tried the Chocolate Truffle, it was not bad hot but I had extra to try out a tasty iced coffee tomorrow.  I always find that to me flavored coffee is always better cold.  I guess we’ll see!

To go with my coffee I made up a batch of Berry Good Morning Muffins.

Inspired by Babycakes Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:

• 2 & 1/4 cups light spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking bowder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt (you can use regular)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted- however do not melt in the microwave; heat some water and place the jar in a hot water bath to melt)
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract or almond extract
• 2/3 cup frozen mixed berries (no sugar added)

Spicy Roasted Chilis Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, small dice
• 1 green bell pepper, small dice
• 4 garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• a mixture of 6-8 chilis (poblano, serrano, jalapeno, ect)
• 1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-15oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-150z can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
• 1/2 cup of water
• 8-oz tomato paste

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• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (mandolin is best for this)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & Pepper

Toss together and marinate while your preparer quinoa and pesto.

Cashew-Pea Pesto

• 2 cups shelled sweet peas
• 1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped (approx 1-1.5 cups)
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Process everything except olive oil together until small pieces. With the processor on slowly stream in the olive oil until smooth and blended together.

Quinoa- cook according to the directions.

Topping:

• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix together.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place one layer of zucchini in the bottom of a pie pan. Top with the quinoa. Top the quinoa with the 1/2 cup of pesto and then top the pesto with the remaining zucchini. Top the zucchini with a layer of the panko topping and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned.

• Bag of Mesclun Greens
• Beet Greens
• Napa Cabbage
• Sweet Salad Turnips
• Garlic Scapes
• Scallions
• Zucchini
• Easter Egg Radishes
• Sage
• Potatoes

Tonight is the first of many meals using these amazing organic and local ingredients. Enjoy- I know we did!

Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta with Zucchini

Yields 4 servings

Takes about 30 minutes total to make

Ingredients:

• Garlic Scape Pesto
  • 1 cup raw walnut pieces
  • 1 bunch of garlic scapes (about 1 to 3/4 cup), chopped
  • 4 cups basil leaves
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1t salt
  • 1T sesame seeds
  • 2T nutritional yeast

Place the walnuts and garlic scapes in the bowl of a food processor and process until small crumble. Add in the basil leaves, turn the processor on low and slowly stream in the olive oil through the feed tube. Add in the salt, sesame seeds and nutritional yeast; process to combine.

• Sauteed Zucchini
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
  • Cooking Spray
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/4t black pepper
  • 1/2t garlic powder
  • 1t nutritional yeast

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray and toss in the zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes just until they start to lightly brown.  Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutritional yeast; cook for 2 more minutes.

• 4 servings of pasta of your choice

In a large bowl toss the pasta, zucchini and 1/4 to 1/3 of the pesto together.  Serve warm, room temp or cold!

The pesto makes a lot more than you need for this dish so place any extra in a jar top with a layer of olive oil and seal tightly.  Store in the freezer until you need it again.  To defrost move from the freezer to the fridge 8 hours before using.

For dessert we shared one of these wonderful vegan, raw, gluten free tarts from Hail Merry.

It was one of the best desserts I have ever tried and I am looking forward to picking up the other 3 flavors over the next month.  It was so rich and the perfect balance of creamy chocolate, cookie crust and almond butter center- to die for.

Thursday night I had a crazy afternoon between a conference call, running, gardening and packing for our backpacking trip. So I decided to keep dinner quick and easy. I made veggie skewers with mini peppers, sweet onion and mushrooms; just toss with salt, pepper and olive oil and roast at 375F for 20-25 minutes. To go with the veggies I made a black bean and corn salad with mustard greens from my balcony garden.

Black Bean-Corn-Mustard Green Salad

• 1T olive oil
• 5 spring garlic, minced
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 serrano chili, minced
• 1-12oz bag of frozen sweet corn
• 1-15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch of mustard greens, shredded
• salt and pepper

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat; toss in the garlic, red onion and chili and cook for 3-4 minutes. Toss in the corn and saute until lightly browned about 5-8 minutes.  Stir in the black beans and mustard greens and cook until mustard greens are wilted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2T Canola oil
• 1t Mustard seeds
• 1t Fenugreek seeds*
• 1/2 cup Curry leaves*
• 1/4t Turmeric
• 1/2t Chili powder
• 1t Curry powder
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green chili, minced
• 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 3/4 cup Red lentils
• 1-15oz can Diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 1-15oz can Lite coconut milk
• 1/4t Ume plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/4-1t Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Servings of Orecchiette or other pasta, cooked according to directions

Directions:

In a large saute pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add in the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and toast until they start to pop, about one to two minutes; then toss in the curry leaves and cook for one minute. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and chili and stir to combine.  Stir in the onions, chili and cabbage and saute until the vegetables start to soften and are lightly browned. Stir in the red lentils and tomatoes and then the coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  While the lentils are cooking cook your pasta according to the directions.

Stir the vinegar and cayenne into the lentil mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 5 more minutes or until the lentils are softened.  Once the lentils are soft stir in the cooked pasta and serve!

*If you do not have curry leaves or fenugreek seeds you can omit them; the dish will not taste the same but it will still be delicious.  Feel free to add an additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of curry powder.

Reminder: I just wanted to encourage you to read my Yoga Aid Challenge post and donate any products (gently used or new) or services to my auction to raise money for Off The Mat.

With the change of seasons most people find their appetites turn away from the hearty, warming meals of winter to lighter, fresher fare. I consume a high-raw, vegan diet throughout the year but the bounty of local produce during the summer makes eating raw easy and incredibly delicious. Nothing saves a sweltering afternoon like a big juicy slice of watermelon. Salads, smoothies, and fruit slushies, sure say summer to me.

When the sun is shining I want nothing more than to be outdoors. Eating raw foods, means there is no need to heat up your house by turning on the oven. Putting together a salad, or blending up a smoothie takes a couple of minutes, leaving you more time to spend strolling through the city. Plus, raw foods are easier for our bodies to digest and provide plenty of energy to fuel a fantastic summer full of dancing at outdoor festivals, bike riding by the water and swimming at sunset.

Here’s a great recipe for an energy-packed snack bar to keep you full and satisfied as you tackle your 2011 Summer to-do list.

Sweet Lemon Fig Poppyseed Bars

• 1 cup of rolled oats (the old fashioned not the instant kind)*
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted (approximately 10)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 dried Turkish figs
• 1 TBSP poppyseeds

In a food processor, pulse the oats, cashews and salt until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Press into a parchment-lined 8X8 pan. Cut into 12 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Thank you to Lindsay for inviting me to share a recipe with all of you. I hope your summers are full of fun and fantastic food. Well, if you’re a regular reader of Lindsay’s blog I have not doubt you’re already eating very well! If you’d like more raw food inspiration I’d love for you to stop by my blog veganculinarycrusade.com.

xo VeganLisa

*It can be hard to find raw rolled oats. They are usually steamed during processing. If you’d prefer to consume only raw ingredients replace the oats with 3/4 cup of almonds.

This week’s recipe or should I say reci-pea? is inspired by Mama Pea’s Mmmm Sauce . I have read so many good times about this recipe I had to try it but I was out of almonds so I’m going to have to try Mama Pea’s true recipe when I get stocked back up. Until then however I think that this is a pretty tasty substitute.

Recipe(a) Of The Week: Cashew-Paprika Mmmm Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/2-3/4 cup water*
• 1/4 cup chickpeas, (if canned rinse and drain)
• 1/4 cup Parma! (raw vegan parmesan) or Nutritional Yeast
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

*start with 1/2 cup and increase as needed or until you have the consistency that you like.

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Dinner tonight was all about making a nice restaurant dinner at home. The Hubz and I have been trying to have more date nights in and I am loving it because that means more time in the kitchen; as the Hubz says “I have my groove back.” So tonight I decided to make a delicious Italian inspired meal of pesto manicotti, red wine and raspberry vanilla soygurt parfait.

Presto Pesto Manicotti

The Hubz and I enjoyed a dinner of grilled almond butter and bee-free honee with a side of veggies and hummus so this morning we woke up with nothing for lunches.  I did a little pantry shopping and found refried black beans which I thought would make the perfect burger.  In the fridge I found red cabbage and carrots for slaw and that is how Black Bean Burgers & Chipotle-Lime Slaw came to be lunch (and breakfast).

Black Bean Burgers

Yields 4-6 servings

• 1 (15oz) can of refried black beans (I like Bearitos)
• 1t olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1T shoyu, tamari or soy sauce
• 1t paprika
• 2t cumin
• 2t chili powder
• 1/2t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• dash of hot sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
2. Place the refried beans in a medium bowl. In a  small sauce pan heat the oil over medium-high.  Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Add to the beans along with the remaining ingredients.
3. Mash all the ingredients together until evenly combined.
4. Form the mixture into 6-8 patties and place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.

Chipotle-Lime Slaw

Yields 4 servings

• 3 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
• Slaw Dressing:
  • 3T reduced fat vegenaise
  • 1T lime juice
  • 1t red wine vinegar
  • 1/2t chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4t garlic powder
  • 1/4t salt
  • 1/4t pepper

1. Whisk the slaw dressing together. Taste for salt and pepper.
2. Place the cabbage and carrots in a bowl and toss with the slaw dressing.

I picked up my favorite whole wheat pizza dough yesterday when I was grocery shopping and debated for awhile what I would make with it. I wasn’t in the mood for your standard pizza and I contemplated calzones and then I decided why not a stromboli?

Then I began to reminisce over the Roli-Boli  that used to be at the mall a billion years ago when I was a child and I used to love to steal samples. Does anyone else know what I am talking about? Well here is my Roli Boli Redux and veganized.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole wheat pizza dough (1 large pizza)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, small dice
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 2 T tahini
• 2-4 T water

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450F.

Roll out your pizza dough to form a large circle about the size of a large pizza.  Top with the salsa and spread out leaving about a 1 inch border.

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add in the onions, sweet potato and garlic; saute for 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the corn, chili powders, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the sweet potatoes soften.  Stir in the nutritional yeast and tahini and enough water to incorporate all of the ingredients together.

Once everything is cooked and combined pour the sweet potato mixture onto the pizza dough.  Roll up the pizza dough tucking in the edges at the end and flipping the mixture so that the seam is on the bottom (this can be tricky so take your time and be gentle).  Cut 3 small slits in the top of the stromboli and if you’d like you can brush the top with a bit of olive oil to help it brown. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until browned; remove from the oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy!

Instead of making a BBQ Tempeh & Sweet Potato Sandwich I made a BBQ Sweet Potato and Black Bean Sandwich.  I baked the sweet potato and glazed it with BBQ sauce. I grilled the kale and red onion on our little George Forman Grill and I whipped up a variation of my smoked paprika aioli, I added roasted garlic and roasted shallot to the aioli- YUM!.  I then layered up the sandwiches and grilled them on the George Forman Grill to make them nice and toasty and served a green salad along side.

Q: Where do you find recipe inspiration?

Chorizo and Mushroom Stuffed Potato Skins

Yields 3 servings as a main, 6 as a side or appetizer

Ingredients:

• 3 baking potatoes, baked at 350F for 1hr 15 min and cooled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 package of Upton’s Naturals chorizo seitan
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/3-1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
• Garnishes: diced tomato, arugula, thinly sliced green onions and my smoked paprika aioli from my latest e-book

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Slice the cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides just enough to stuff with 2-3 tablespoons of filling; place on a baking sheet and set to the side.
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; stir in the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Stir in the chorizo, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes- vegetables should start to caramelize and everything combine.
3. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into each of the potato skins; using all of the filling.  Top with shredded vegan cheese- as much or as little as you like.
4. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil- making sure to tent the foil so that the cheese does not stick ot the foil. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese has melted and the potato skins are lightly brown.
5. Plate and garnish with your favorite toppings.

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Don’t forget to check out the details for my Fiery Vegan Valentine Contest

Beans can be a great source of fiber, protein and folic acid. For more information on beans and how to make them more digestible you can refer to this post – Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit…

Greens are a great source of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K; as well as fiber and folic acid. Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens are:

-Blood purification

-Cancer prevention

-Improved circulation
-Strengthened immune system

The best choices for greens are bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe and dandelion.  Other good options are green cabbage, arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are good as well but should be eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium from the bones and teeth; best eaten with tofu, seeds, nuts, beams, or oil to balance the effects of the oxalic acid.

*Whole Wheat Couscous is technically not a grain but rather a pasta product made from wheat and doesn’t require soaking.

Tonight I decided to try some new heirloom beans that I picked up at the health food store; I boiled them until tender and the sauteed them with garlic, shallot, olive oil and cremini mushrooms tossed with a little nutritional yeast and Braggs. I placed the beans on top of a bed of lettuce and a scoop of whole wheat couscous and topped with a little avocado.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 3 “eggs” (I used Egg Replacer)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup Chocolate Bock or other dark beer (stout or dark bock would work best)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cupcake pan and a 6 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric beater, cream together the margarine and raw sugar.  Beat in the “eggs” until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. In a another medium bowl combine the molasses and beer and stir to dissolve.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beer mixture alternately to the margarine mixture, beating after the addition of each.
6. Fill the cupcake liners until about 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned and when a tooth pick is inserted it comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and continue to cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, frost with vanilla frosting or glaze with my orange spice glaze (recipe below).

Orange Spice Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 box of lite silken tofu (I used mori-nu)
• zest and juice of 1 medium orange
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Chocolate Brown Rice Crispy Trees

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
• 1 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/2 cup barley malt syrup (or an additional 1/2 cup of brown rice syrup)
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line a a medium sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small sauce pan over medium low heat the brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup and a pinch of salt until thinned. Stir in the peanut butter until combined.
3. In a large bowl place the Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice cereal and gently stir in the brown rice syrup mixture until combined.  Let the mixture cool slightly and then stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the cocoa crispy mixture onto the making sheet and press into a 1/2 inch layer.  Let it set up for 1 hour and then use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes or just cut into squares.

TO ENTER: This giveaway is open until December 4th at 6am. This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents.

The Winner is: Megan @ Sweet On  sweeton.tumblr.com

1. What is your favorite holiday treat?  (required)

Additional Chances to win (PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY; also if you already do any of these ie. follow me on twitter/facebook, ect it counts so leave a comment).

1. Visit the Erewhon site and tell me which cereal you’d like to try.
2. Tweet about this giveaway “I want to win @cookveganlover #erewhon Giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-1jD”
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Like Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Facebook.

Don’t forget to enter the Oh Nuts Giveaway going on until December 7th! – Enter Here.

Serves 2

• 3 cups spicy tomato juice
• 3 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• carrot sticks, for garnish
• Celery Salt and Cayenne to garnish rims of glasses

Directions

In a pitcher, stir together tomato juice, horseradish, vodka, vegan worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, and pepper.
Wet the rim of 2 pint glasses with lemon juice and dip into a mixture of celery salt with a pinch of cayenne. Fill the glasses with ice and pour the tomato mixture over. Garnish with a lemon slice and a carrot stick.

I have made other spinach and artichoke dips in the past using sour supreme, vegan mayo and/or vegan cream cheese and I have been wanting to create something a little healthier but still just as tasty.  This recipe replaces the vegan dairy/mayo alternatives with navy beans.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 (6oz) jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 10 sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, sliced
• 1 (14oz) can of navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven 350F

1. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat; add in the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from the stove and place in a bowl; set to the side.
2. In a food processor or blender process the beans with the vegetable broth until smooth.
3. To the bowl of spinach add the artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, nutritional yeast and pureed beans; stir to combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Serve with vegetable sticks, pita or crackers.

Lemongrass Tempeh

with MungBean Sprouts

Basil Fried Rice

Garlic Broccoli

Don’t forget to enter the  Wasa Giveaway HERE!

Serves 6-8 with sides

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 stalks of celery, small dice
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 14-ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed (reserving 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons shoyu
• 1-1/4 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 9-inch prepared pie shell, thawed
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)
• 1 teaspoon shoyu (for brushing)

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for 7 to 9 minutes until onions soften and begin to caramelize. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, add white beans (except 1/4 reserved cup), walnuts, lemon juice, and shoyu, and pulse to lightly chop (do not purée). Remove half of chopped mixture from food processor and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Transfer sautéed onions to the remaining mixture in food processor. Purée until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Transfer purée to bowl with lightly chopped beans and walnut mixture. Add spinach, cranberries, thyme, and cup of reserved beans. Stir to combine and transfer to prepared pie shell, spreading evenly.
5. Combine oil and tamari, and brush on top of pie and crust.  Bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Lobster Mushroom Risotto:

Chipped Mushrooms On Toast:

Porcini Crusted Seitan:

Creamy Miso Morel Pasta with Peas & Leeks:

Now you can get all of these mushrooms in my OpenSky shop!

Also the first 10 people to order using the following coupon code will save 25% off their order (not over $100) Coupon Code: COOKVEGAN30PCT

The inspiration behind this dish was chipped beef gravy on toast something my mother used to tell me that they ate growing up.  Chipped beef is a salty dried beef that used to to be cooked up in a gravy and served on toast. Instead of beef (obviously) I used reconstituted wild mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons vegan non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4oz mix of dried mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes (I used chanterelles Buy Now and black trumpet Buy Now)
• 1/4t salt
• 1/8t white pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper

In a medium saucepan over low heat add the margarine and garlic and heat until margarine is melted. Whisk in flour all at once to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time and 3 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking liquid, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in mushrooms, pepper, salt and cayenne, heat through and serve over toast.

Well I saw that Mama Pea had come up with a wonderful pumpkin latte creation I had to try it. Unfortunately I only had the poser pumpkin (the good stuff is Libby’s) I decided to try it anyways.

My variation of Mama Pea’s Love In a Cup aka Pumpkin Latte

1 cup stove top espresso

3/4 cup non-dairy creamer

1/2 t pumpkin pie spice and more for garnish

2 T canned pumpkin pie filling

5 drops of liquid stevia

In a food processor blend the creamer through stevia.  Pour into a mug and then pour the espresso on top and sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice

It was decadent and delicious and the Hubz is crying at work because he doesn’t have one so I guess I’ll have to make him one later when he gets home. Thank You Mama Pea!

You can read why the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte ISN’T vegan here.

Traditionally tamales are made with a lot of lard or oil or vegetable shortening and it just wasn’t going to happen for me.

Low-Fat Black Bean & Corn Tamales

Ingredients:

14 dried corn husks, plus extra husks to make ties

2.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 cups masa harina
1/2 cup warm vegetable broth
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, diced small
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1t chili powder
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place the corn husks in a bowl of water to soften for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Pat dry and set aside.

In a food processor, process the 2.5 cups of corn kernels until pureed.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, masa harina, lukewarm water, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and oil and use your hands to combine into a dough.

Spray a medium pan with cooking oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion, black beans, corn chili powder and salt and pepper and saute until the onions are soft and lightly browned; remove from the heat.

To assemble a tamale, place about 3 tablespoons of masa mixture in the center of corn husk. Flatten with your hand until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Place 1 tablespoon of the black beans on the masa mixture. Fold the long side of the corn husk over the filling to cover, then fold over the ends, overlapping them. Tie with a thin strip torn from an extra soaked husk. Repeat to make 14 tamales in all.

Layer the wrapped tamales in the steamer. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and steam until the filling becomes firm and the tamales are heated through, 50 to 60 minutes.

After dinner the Hubz and I went for a walk down the bridge behind our house to watch the sunset and we got to see this guy fly in:

Now off to relax with the Hubz!

P.S. Don’t forget that Almond Butter is for sale in my OpenSky Shop from now until September 7th.  A $1 from each jar sold will be donated to The Lunch Box by OpenSky as well I will make a donation for every jar sold.

And now we say ‘GOODBYE’ to our old apartment:

Goodbye kitchen with no counter space and no hood over the stove….

Goodbye bedroom I will miss your wonderfully large his and her closets….

Goodbye double living room/dining room with your painted shut windows…..

Goodbye office; whoever claimed you could be a second bedroom was crazy….

Goodbye ridiculously small bathroom….

Goodbye porch with the gross carpet you served us well-for storage that is….

Goodbye big ugly blue house it was an okay 2 years but it is time to move on.

Now we are living with my parents until our new place is ready which is nice but it’s hard not having our own space since my parents downsized a few years ago when I moved out and their house is really meant for 2 people or a weekend visit but right now it seems it may be a few week visit.  One of the benefits however of living with 2 other people and a father who loves nutbutter is having a wonderful supply of jars for Oats In A Jar. This morning my dad made the coffee and I made OIAJ for the two of us.

OIAJ: (serves 2)

Requires 2 mostly empty nutbutter jars

• 1 cup of oats
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 cup water
• 1t cinnamon
• 2t chia seeds
• 1t raw sugar
• 2T maple syrup
• 1 banana, sliced

Bring the oats, almond milk, water and cinnamon to a bowl and then turn down to low until the oats are thick.  Stir in the chia seeds, sugar and maple syrup.

In the bottom of each jar put 1/6th of the banana and then top with oats do this 2 more times and you are ready to eat!

For the 1 hour oats:

• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 3/4 cup unsweetened hemp milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon Vega Vanilla Shake and Go
• 1 tablespoon vanilla hemp protein
• pinch of salt

Directions: Mix together the above ingredients in a bowl and place in fridge overnight.

To make this wonderful parfait I whipped up some banana soft serve (banana and hemp milk blended until smooth) and some almond drizzle (almond butter with warm water to thin out).  I layered the oats, banana soft serve and almond drizzle and topped with cacaco nibs.  DELICIOUS!

After our morning of oats, farmers market, post office and the selling of our portable washing machine we headed up to my little cousins graduation party.  We enjoyed some Tofurky sandwiches, veggies, strawberries, pita chips and hummus and BBQ Pop chips. After we socialized, ate and played a few “games” of ping pong we headed home to finally relax.  However before we are able to sit in relax I made soup and salad for dinner with yummy Sweet Potato Beer Bread and of course write this blog post.

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 vegan chicken bouillon
• 4 cups of water
• 4 cups of kale, bite sized pieces
• 2/3 cup of Westbrae  NaturalsSoup Beans, or use the beans of your liking
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper

Directions: In a pot heat the oil and add the carrots and onion until soft.  Add in the water and vegan chicken bouillon bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the soup beans and the kale and cook until the kale is wilted, then stir in the nutritional yeast.  Taste for salt and pepper and add as needed.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of green beans
• 2 cups of beet greens
• 1 cup seitan cut into small pieces
• 2T cornstarch
• oil for frying seitan
• Sauce:
  • 1T sesame oil
  • 1T soy sauce
  • 1T brown sugar
  • 2t sriracha, or hot sauce of your liking
  • 1/4t chili flakes

Directions:

Toss the seitan with the cornstarch, fry until crispy.

Mix the sauce together and set aside.

In a wok or large sautee pan add 2 tablespoons of water and cook up the green beans until tender.  Make a hole in the middle and stir in the sauce and beet greens.  Stir in the seitan to coat.

Serve with rice.

• 1 Frozen Banana, broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup original almond milk

Put everything in the blender or food processor until it is a wonderful and smooth blend.

Organic Bananas $2.57
Organic Broccoli $2.13
Organic Vidalia Onion $1.27
Organic Baby Spinach $1.48
Organic Garnet Yam $1.85
Organic & Local Kale $2.50
Organic & Local Red Russian Kale $2.50
Organic & Local Yellow Zucchini $2.60
Organic & Local Cucumber $3
Total: $19.90- That means I have 10 cents to spare!

The first dish of the week was Korean BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches with Sriracha Vegan Mayo, 5 Spiced Garnet Yam Fries and Garlic-Soy Sauteed Kale.

Korean BBQ Tempeh:

• 2T Presidents Choice Korean BBQ Marinade (purchased in Canada)
• 2T low sodium Shoyu
• 80z Tempeh, quartered

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the tempeh in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the tempeh.  Bake for 20 minutes.  In a pan heat a thin layer of oil and sautee the tempeh until it has browned a bit on each side. Serve on a bun with tomato, baby spinach and sriracha vegan mayo.

Sriracha Vegan Mayo

• 2 T vegan mayo
• 1t sriracha

Blend together and spread on a bun.

Five Spiced Yam Fries

• 1 Yam cut into fries
• 1/2T olive oil
• 1t 5 spice powder
• 1/2t wasabi spiced salt

Preheat oven to 400F.  Toss the yam with oil and spices.  Place on a sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Garlic-Soy Kale

• 1/2 Bunch of Red Russian Kale, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2T olive oil
• 1t low sodium shoyu
• 2t seaweed gomasio (Eden Organics)

In a large saute pan heat the garlic and oil over medium-high for 1 minute.  Add the kale and mix in the shoyu and gomasio. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it is wilted.

We headed towards Adamant VT because the Hubz has had this odd obsession with it here are a few facts about this village (via wikipedia):

• There is no true boundary to define the village, and as such there is great debate as to what constitutes residence. This is, however, purely theoretical as there is no legal, governmental or commercial status associated with residence.
• The village was originally known as Sodom from its inception in the mid-1800s as a granite quarry-town until 1905 when residents petitioned the state legislature for a name change.
• The village center is the Adamant Co-op, a general store and post office located at the junction of Haggett, Quarry, Center and Sodom Pond Roads. Founded in 1935, it is the state’s oldest co-operative.

The thing that interested the Hubz so much was the co-operative so we took a drive through back roads to this small, very pretty village and visited the co-op. Adamant’s mascot is the black fly so it is fitting that there was a huge sculpture of a black fly outside of the co-op/general store/post office.

After our stop in Adamant we headed down a back road to ….well we had no idea where…but we finally met up with a main road and stopped in Morrisville where we enjoyed our picnic lunch.

For our picnic lunch we enjoyed falafel chips with hummus, orzo salad and raw kale salad.

Q: What is your favorite dish to bring on a picnic?

By 4pm I was feeling hungry and I knew that if I went home and ate an early dinner that I wouldn’t be as motivated to workout so the hubby and I decided to have a light pre-workout snack.  I picked up some roasted Brussels sprouts and a corn salad for us to share.

After our 40 minute commute home (I can’t wait for them to be over) my tummy had settled and I was ready to take on Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.  I knew going into it I was guaranteed to get my ass kicked especially since I challenged myself to level 3, but I was pumped and ready to go.

Just as I predicted my ass was handed to me but it felt great! I can’t even imagine doing the P90X or Insanity workouts if this video challenges me- however I am interested in trying the P90X.  After my workout I took my jelly legs to the kitchen to heat up the curry I made this morning and serve it up with the brown rice that I put in the rice cooker while I did my workout.

Rootin’ Veggie Curry

Ingredients

• 1T olive oil
• 1 small celeriac, peeled and diced
• 2 kohlrabi, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1T tomato paste
• 1t chili powder
• 2t curry powder
• 2t cumin powder
• 1/2t paprika
• 1/2t salt
• 1/4t pepper
• 1/4t tumeric
• pinch of cayenne
• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

In a large pot over medium-high heat the oil and then add the onions and saute for 5-7 minutes until they begin to get slightly browned, but not burnt. Stir in the celeriac, kohlrabi and carrots as well as the tomato paste and add the spices.  Stir together until everything is evenly coated and then add the vegetable broth and lentils.  Bring the curry to a boil and then cover and turn down to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Check the vegetables and seasoning.  Serve with brown rice or naan.

After dinner we watched a little Modern Family and enjoyed a bowl of strawberry banana ice cream it was delicious!

• 2.5 frozen bananas
• 5 strawberries
• 1 cup chocolate almond milk

Blend to soft serve and top with chocolate flakes.

Q: what is your favorite dessert?

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 cup of quartered artichoke hearts
• 10 oz of frozen spinach
• 1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth mixed with 1T arrowroot
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1T favorite hot sauce

Directions

In a skillet over medium high heat the vegetable broth and add the onion and garlic; saute until soft.  Stir in the artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes and almond milk and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the nutritional yeast, vegetable broth/arrowroot mixture, salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Cook until the sauce has thickened and is bubbly- if you’d like it thinner add more broth or almond milk.  Serve over pasta, with bread, rice or crackers.

busymomto5- “our house eats sooo much hummus!”
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I know that in my last update I had said that I had given up on the challenge due to a lack of pantry items however after some consideration I decided that I could do at least another week however I would need to pick up a few pantry items (4 cans of beans and 2 cans of tomatoes).   Yesterday breakfast was leftover quinoa chili I just couldn’t wait until lunch to eat it.  For lunch I had noodles with chickpeas, earth balance and curry powder, simple but yummy.

For dinner I used my sample of Wildwood Organics Sprout Baked Tofu – savory flavored.  I threw 3 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic and the tofu into the food processor and pulsed to break it up.  I threw it in a pan with some vegetable broth and toasted in some nooch, paprika and chili powder.  I added a frozen mix of corn, onions, peppers and black beans and 2 handfuls of spinach.  I had some Ezekiel bread left in the freezer and toasted it up to have with our scramble- unfortunately I didn’t photograph any of this.

I’m going to do a mini giveaway- I have a bunch of coupons for free Cedar’s products including hummus, salsa and their new creamy hummus- If you would like a chance to win, leave me a comment by 8pm on January 21st.