Sweets Galore

I have been mostly slack about posting this season of MoFo. We have been cooking up a storm and eating a lot, but I have not been posting as I should. At least I have been eating though, right? 

While the nauseation is mostly gone, I have developed other unpleasant symptoms. I have a pain in my right side under my ribs. The midwifes/nurses have several theories of what it could be and I'm trying different solutions. What seems the most likely now is that it is reflux. I tried taking tums last night and threw up. This is the second time during my pregnancy that I have thrown up after tums. While they might not be the reason I threw up I can't help but think my body is rejecting them. So I am on to other solutions, mostly natural. 

My side rant here is to share something about myself. Before pregnancy one of my biggest fears (besides spiders) was throwing up. My fear skyrocketed during the time when I was sick before my Celiac diagnosis. I had a 12 year long streak of not throwing up. I'd be nauseated for hours after a gluten attack and prevented myself from throwing up each time. It was pure misery. When my nauseation set in for pregnancy, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was going to throw up. And throw up, I did! While it still isn't a fun activity for me, I allow myself to do the dirty deed if my body requires is. All of this was so say that my future little vegan one has changed me. This change I feel is for the better. I did not want to go through life being afraid of throwing up. I still get nervous when I am nauseated in public, but I have been dealing with it better than before. 

Now that I have gotten the grossness out of the way, I wish to share sweets with you all. I think I have mentioned that my love of sweets has upped since becoming pregnant. I do not eat them all of the time, but I eat them more often than I did before. In moderation, they are not horrible for me. In addition, they are vegan and gluten free, so they can't be horrible- right? 

For my Mom's birthday, I made a sponge cake with a pudding/creme, jelly, and strawberry topping. I found the recipe on another MoFo post and started salivating at the picture. My Mom likes all desserts, so I felt it was a good experiment to try for her. The cake was moist and spongy like what I remember of a sponge cake. I really liked the topping as well. The pudding was easy to make and is a recipe I will keep on hand for other uses. 

The next creation that I decided to whip up was a request from a special friend's birthday. She wanted a vanilla cupcake with a coffee buttercream frosting. I pulled out my Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for the gluten freedom cupcake recipe and made a vanilla cupcake with some coffee extract. The icing was a buttercream frosting flavored with coffee granules. I was impressed with both the cake and the icing. A non vegan tasted them and requested the recipe. I think she was surprised how good something vegan and gluten free could be. 

Those of you that have read my blog posts this MoFo have seen my asking, begging and longing for scones! After much hinting from me, John decided to make a delicious chocolate orange scone with an orange glaze that we found posted on Facebook by an animal sanctuary we follow. John got out the ingredients and the recipe and got to work! The scones were absolutely amazing! They were rich and chocolatey with a lovely hint of orange. I enjoyed them as a snack with a smear of vegan butter. I think I could eat these scones for every meal! I'm thankful to have such a caring husband and father of the future vegan little one.

The last sweet I will share is a chocolate cake with blueberry icing and blueberries in between the layers. This wonderful cake was made by Joie de Vegan for a birthday party of a special three year old. His parents were so kind to get a cake that we could eat. It was so beautiful that people lined up to try a slice and found it amazing. I had to agree with their assessment. The blueberry icing and the pops of blueberries in between the layers set this cake apart from others I have tried. 

Hopefully your taste buds have been tantalized enough to go make yourself a vegan and gluten free treat of your own.

Just Desserts

I have not been as diligent this year about posting as I have in years past. I am a little behind this week. I decided that I have enough to worry about, so I will post when I can. I might not meet the 20 posts, but I am not too concerned about that. 

My pleads and ribs last week finally prompted John to make the scones I've been begging him to make. Last Friday night he came home with the ingredients for the scones. Of course, I had to text him to tell them what we needed. He gave me the option of making scones or cinnamon buns. I want the cinnamon buns, but I think the level of baking might require 20 questions from him. Let's face it, I'm pregnant and tired- I sometimes just want dessert to appear without being involved. Call me crazy, but I'm making a life here! 

He produced an after dinner treat of scones for us and they delivered! He adapted a recipe from the Gluten Free Bible to be vegan. The recipe called for yogurt and John used soy yogurt. The end product was a success! They were dense and sweet, just like a scone should be. They reminded me of our time during college of studying abroad in Scotland. I remember in particular a breakfast place we went to where we enjoyed tea and scones. At the time we were vegetarian, not vegan, and had a breakfast of eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, and beans. We sat in a seat by the window and go to enjoy the view of a downtown Sterling street. That time will always be special to me. It was in 2000 and we were just starting off in our relationship as more than friends. 

Thank you John for taking care of me and my dessert wants these days. I will take any other sweets you want to throw my way!

Peanut, Pretzels and Party!

I already told the story of how I told John I was pregnant the day before he left for Turkey on a business trip. That whole week, I was by myself and this fresh news. I do not remember a lot of that week, other than the visit to my primary care physician. I do remember that I was not sick yet and was still interested in eating and cooking. That same week, I had one of my bi-annual clothing and accessory swaps with friends. As I was only five weeks when I had the swap, I was still keeping the news quiet. 

I thought it would be hard for me to keep silent, but I had no problem. I was not ready to start sharing because it was still so new to me and I had not had time to fully process it all. One friend knew, however, because she guessed based on my questions "for a friend". She also did a great job of keeping my news secret. There were even some kid items and maternity clothing that she helped me snatch up without anyone noticing. From the swap I came away with two maternity tops, a toy for baby, and two pairs of toddler/baby jeans. 

It was nice to be able to prep and plan for the party as my life still felt normal. Currently, I'd have a hard time making food, cleaning, and prepping all by myself. The next swap will have some serious modifications. The food that I made for that night turned out well and my friends make wonderful dishes to add to the food and festivities. One of the best of the dishes I made that night were peanut butter pretzel truffles by Minimalist Baker. The truffles took a little time, but the effort level and the number of ingredients was not at all daunting. The recipe is pretty simple for truffles, but the flavor is complex. They were a serious hit that night! 

Since I haven't had a lot of motivation to cook, I have not made these again. As soon as I get my baking/cooking motivation back, I will make these beauties! I would hint to John to make them, but I have already hinted at several other things that I'd like that he has not made (scones, cake, cinnamon buns, etc). I am not complaining, because he has been making dinner most nights....but sometimes a pregnant lady just wants her partner to make her some sweets. 

Ok, so maybe it was a hint! ;-)

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake- MoFo Post Seventeen

Post #17 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Cheesecake after baking, but before it set in the fridge

I have focused all of my recipes on savory entrees thus far. I am a fan of savory items, but I also enjoy sweets once and a while. Lately, I have been eating more sweets than normal because of all of the birthdays and the amazing friends that I have. In keeping with my sweet-eating month, I thought it was time to create a Latin inspired dessert. The thought of Flan went through my head, but I am not a fan of the consistency or the dessert in general. I know that it is a widely loved dessert, but it just is not my thing. Not to mention the large reliance on eggs in the dessert. 


As I pondered my options, I was reminded of two things. First was margarita pie that I had seen people eat at a previous job. It was not the most appetizing looking dessert as it was bright green and was made of sorbet. However, it was served with a pretzel crust and that was of interest to me. I am not a fan of sorbet either. I have not had a vegan sorbet, but before I went vegan I had tried it several times and felt was not worth the calories.

Cheesecake after it had set in the fridge

Second, at Paladar Vegetariano we were served a lime and avocado pie that was out of this world! The pie was raw and delicious and a perfect ending to that nice evening. I originally wanted to recreate the raw pie, but I made an attempt that I felt was a pure failure. I brought it as an experiment to dinner at a friends house and it was not edible to me. John and my friend ate it and said that they liked it, but I am convinced they were being nice. It was hard for me to stomach. I did not put in enough lime to avocado ratio left out a sweet element to the dessert. 

Thinking of the margarita pie and the pie from Paladar Vegetariano, I had the idea to create an avocado lime cheesecake. One of my first attempts at making a vegan dessert was a cheesecake and it was a pure success. I was able to fool carnivores with the dessert, thinking it was a cheesecake made from cows milk. The recipe is such a success, that I wanted to follow a similar structure. The difference was that in this creation, wanted to remove some of the vegan cream cheese from the recipe. Avocado is creamy and seemed like a good substitution for some of that cream cheese. So I set out to replace some of it with the creamy avocado to see how the cheesecake would turn out. 

I brought cheesecake experiment to a birthday dinner for a friend. Some people asked for seconds, so I think the recipe was a success. I would like to use the pretzel crust for other pies and plan to try a different crust with the cheesecake as well to experiment even further. The pretty green of the cheesecake was fun! I also enjoyed the creaminess of the avocado and vegan cream cheese. The lime was quite strong in the pie, but it felt appropriate. If you are not a fan of lime, I suggest cutting the recipe down to one lime juiced.  I plan on making this again! What fun desserts have you created lately?

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake

Crust:

• 2.5 c gluten free pretzels
• 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Pie filling:

• 1.5 avocados
• 1 tub of vegan cream cheese
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 c vegan sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c sorghum flour

For the crust, set the oven at 375 degrees. Crush the pretzels in to small pieces using a bag and the back of something flat (I used a measuring cup). Mix in the melted butter and brown sugar. Press into a large pie pan. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling. 

Place the avocados and cream cheese into a bowl. Use a mixer to make the filling smooth. Add in the lime juice, vegan sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix more incorporating all of the ingredients. Then fold in the flour. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust and bake 40 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Then place in the refrigerator over night to set. Serve as is or you can use whip cream or berries on top.

Plantains Two Ways-MoFo Post Seven

Post #7 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

One of my favorite cooked fruits is the plantain. It is enjoyable both salty and sweet and can pair well with many different entrees. They are also versatile enough to be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In Puerto Rico, we had fried sweet plantains for breakfast one day and another we had boiled green bananas with onions and oregano. Which reminds me, I have to get my hands on some green bananas. 

Plantains that are not quite ripe

John and I have enjoyed plantains for years. We made up our own recipe which we enjoy, but are not likely authentic. For this MoFo post, we purchased four plantains and made them in two different way. The first way was tostones or patacones. Tostones is the Puerto Rican word for the dish, while patacones is the Colombian word. I believe the recipes are similar, however; I followed a recipe for tostones. Tostones are traditionally fried in quite a bit of oil, but we are not a fan of deep frying food and only used a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons for two plantains).  

I did not mash them well enough after the first pan fry, so they are not as large as traditional tostones. I think in the future, I will make the plantain slices larger. Even though the shape was not what I expected, I enjoyed the taste. We usually make plantains sweet and I tend to prefer savory items for dinner. 

I should have used a spatula to smash the tostones

The second plantain dish that we made had a citrus and sweet element to it. We generally use water or olive oil spray to pan saute the plantains. The end result is a crispy and browned plantain. The sweet element is usually agave nectar, however; we were fresh out of it and used maple syrup instead. We often have this as a dessert or wait and enjoy it after dinner. It is a simple dessert and minus the sugar, is healthy. 

My attempt at tostones

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

• 2 plantains, ripened to a brown-almost black color, and cut into slices
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 2 tsp of agave nectar or maple syrup
• Olive oil spray or water 

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

Prepare a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil or with water. When warm layer the plantains in the skillet, do not overlap. Cook for about three minutes, flip over and cook three minutes more. When finished squeeze the lime juice over the plantains. Then drizzle the agave nectar. Let caramelize for about a minute and then flip over and cook for about a minute more. Serve immediately while warm.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies - Post 21

Hello my lucky MoFo friends! Yesterday I said that I might have another post and I DO! Not only is it another post, it is a post about a favorite combination- chocolate and peanut butter. This one of my favorite combinations and based on your comments, it seems to your favorites too.
  

Vegan chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. It could be heaven

One of the hardest things for me about gluten free has been missing baked goods. There are area bakeries and stores that carry vegan baked goods, but those baked goods are not gluten free. There are also places that carry gluten free baked goods, but they are not vegan. So, you can see my dilemma! In the past year or so a gluten free, vegan bakery named ZenCat has been opened and the baked goods are amazing. Unfortunately, they are in Greensboro and are not always easily available in Durham. When they are, I order up a storm! On the occasions when they are not in town, I have had to take matters into my own hands and make what I want. 

This is the melted product. I was very tempted to eat is straight

I was excited when my Mom came across a gluten free recipe in the newspaper for chocolate peanut butter brownies. The recipe was not vegan, but I knew I could easily veganize it and and in the process make it better than the original. Feeling ambitious, I made the brownies for a potluck with two of my favorite couples. As they were baking, I didn't think that they were going to taste good and I considered throwing them away and making something else. In the end, I decided to follow through with my plan and serve the brownies. The result was delicious! Our guests thought so too!

They are not pretty, but they were delicious!

I am not the best photographer by any means, but these photos are lacking even from my normal mediocre. The photos do not do these brownies justice. If you can, please ignore the quality of the photos and consider the deliciousness of the ingredients. And beware, it is easy to overcook these brownies as they stay moist when cooking. I have been unable to do the test where you stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean and have over cooked them until they hard as bricks. Start with 30 minutes and if you feel nervous cook a couple minutes more. Then remove them from the oven and let cool before digging in.

Since the recipe was changed so significantly, I think it is safe to call it my own.

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies

• Olive oil spray for pan
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of vegan, gluten free margarine
• 3/4 cup of vegan, gf chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup of oat flour
• 1/3 cup sweet brown rice flour
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg replacement (I used Enr-G egg replacer)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter, heated in microwave for 30 seconds to soften

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8or 9 inch pan with spray. Set a pot of water over medium heat in a double boiler and bring to a gentle boil. Place the butter and chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler and melt, stirring with a spatula until melted. Remove from heat and let cool.

Sift oat flour, rice flour, and xantham gum into a large bowl. Stir in baking powder and salt. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Whisk in egg replacer and vanilla, stir in dry ingredients until mixture is just combined.

Peanut butter dolloped over batter

Pour batter into prepared pan. Dallop the peanut butter all over the top of the batter and then swirl gently. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Close up of the finished product. It was delicious despite how ugly they look

WARNING: It is hard not to eat the whole pan at once!

Chocolate Cinnamon Scones- Post 20

Today marks my 20th post for Vegan MoFo. I have met my goal to post 20 blogs during the month of October. If you are lucky, you might even get more than 20 posts. I think you could be lucky.

I have been cooking and reading other MoFo blogs this whole month. I have been listening to vlogs, drooling over gluten free and glutenous confections, dreaming about savory entrees and sides, and enjoying all of the pumpkin and Halloween themes. This has been a highlight of my day each day. It is a nice way to escape. 

In talking about MoFo so much, I must have inspired John because he decided that he wanted to contribute. He found a gluten free scone recipe, purchased the ingredients, and made me chocolate cinnamon scones. I am very grateful for his delicious contribution. John and I share meal preparation, but I tend to do the baking and making of sweets. So, it was a nice surprise when John showed an interested in trying baking. Since knowing him, I can only think of one other occasion that he baked something.

Let me say, I think he has talent (and yes, this is an attempt to get him to bake more!). He knows how much I love scones and how I miss them in my life. There is something about a scone that makes it so much more appealing to me than other confections. I think part of it has to do with our study abroad adventure in Scotland during our undergraduate years. One of my favorite memories, is sitting in a cafe in Stirling, Scotland enjoying a scone and a cup of tea. 

The recipe is not ours to share, but I can tell you that it included soy yogurt, gluten free flour blend, chocolate chips, and cinnamon. I can also tell you that it is just as good, if not better, than any scone I remember from previous years. A big thank you to John-I cannot wait to see what else you bake! ;-)

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate- Post 19

Yes, you read the title right peanut butter hot chocolate. I was recently introduced to this heavenly treat at a local chocolate shop called Escazu. They make their own chocolate bars, truffles, and have a hot chocolate menu. It is pretty much heaven that chocolate shop. Most of their bars are vegan and many of their truffles are as well. If that is not enough, they offer soy or rice milk for their hot chocolate menu. That divine menu includes delights like chili hot chocolate and peanut butter hot chocolate. 

After having their chocolate bars, I decided that it was time to visit the shop in person. I went one evening with my family and when I saw the hot chocolate menu, I had to have the peanut butter hot chocolate. My mother got the chili hot chocolate and that was heaven in a mug, but I preferred the peanut butter hot chocolate. With each sip, I tasted the rich chocolate and peanuts. The drink was frothy, warm, and filling. 

The shop is in downtown Raleigh and I live in Durham and it is too far to drive there on a regular basis. I had a task ahead of recreating this if I wanted this treat regularly. I noticed that when they were making it, they steamed the soy milk. I do not want to pull out the espresso machine to froth the milk each time, so I decided to try an experiment. Enter the Vitamix!

The Vitamix stays on our counter all of the time because we drink smoothies every morning. After several times experimenting, I came up with a recipe that tastes very close to the original. The only difference is that I have not used a chocolate bar from Escazu. Do not worry, I plan on trying that soon! If you do not have a Vitamix or a high powered blender that has the ability to warm liquids, warm the milk on the stove and froth it with a hand beater or an espresso machine. You can, of course, also have this treat un-frothed.  

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup of almond, soy, rice or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mimic creme 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter (my tablespoons were not rounded, so feel free to go over this amount)

Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix, or high powered blender, and blend for 4 minutes or until steam comes out of the top of the lid. Check for desired heat level and blend more or pour into a mug and enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Cookie Heaven - Post 17

One of my favorite cookies from childhood were peanut butter cookies with the hershey's kiss in the center. I used to enjoy eating them when they were warm from the oven, right after the kiss was pushed in and it had a chance to melt. The cookies were always so rich in peanut butter and the mix with the chocolate made them a favorite treat of mine. Like many people, chocolate and peanut butter among my favorite sweet combinations. 

When fall arrives, I begin thinking of these cookies. I am not sure why I have an association of these cookies with fall. Maybe I ate them at Halloween parties or after school started. Whatever the reason, they usually pop into my head. Since I cannot go out and buy hershey's kisses any longer as they are not vegan, and from what I remember they were not that good, I decided to try a different route. Dark chocolate, or semi sweet, vegan chocolate chips proved to be a great substitute for the kiss. 

The recipe below makes about 20 to 25 small cookies. This recipe can be easily doubled to make more. For the peanut butter, the only ingredient is peanuts as I purchase it in bulk and grind it at the store. I have not tried this recipe from peanut butter purchased in a jar, but would be interested to know if anyone tries them with jarred peanut butter. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

• 1 c creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 c vegan sugar plus extra for rolling the cookies
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Egg replacer for one egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c vegan chocolate chips (make sure they don't have malted barley as it isn't GF)

Set the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking liners. In a large mixing bowl mix the peanut butter, salt, and 3/4 c sugar. Blend. Add egg replacer, baking powder, and vanilla- stir well. Place 1 tbs of dough in your hand and flatten, place several chips in the center and roll the dough into a ball so that the chips are in the center. Roll the ball of dough into the sugar and place on baking sheet. Repeat with the remainder of the dough. 

Using a fork and flatten the cookie then rotate the fork 90 degrees and make another indent in the cookies. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy warm or cooled!

Strawberry Tart With Coconut Whipped Cream - Post 2

Over the summer, my Mom returned to North Carolina from Buffalo with vegan, gluten free recipes in hand from the Buffalo newspaper. When she said it, I thought she was kidding. For those of you that have not had the pleasure of visiting Buffalo, it is a place filled with chicken wings, pizza, American style meaty sandwiches, and breakfast food. All of which are neither friendly to a vegan or gluten freer. When I visit family, I go to Wegman's and stock up on goods to make food at my Grandma's place. I don't bother venturing out very much as I have had some bad experiences. 

Enough of focusing on the negative, and getting back to the point.....I was delighted to see a recipe for a Strawberry Tarts with Coconut Whipped Cream. The tarts have a crunchy almond crust with a light and airy whip cream on the top. I have made the tarts on two occasions, one for a Labor Day vegan BBQ and for my Mom's Birthday. The first time I made this recipe, I put the tarts together and let them sit too long and the juices from the strawberries softened the tart crust. The second time I did not make them up ahead. 

These tarts were a winner on both occasions, but much better the second time around. The shells were crunchy with a hint of sweet and salty. The strawberries were mixed with balsamic vinegar and surprisingly did not taste like vinegar, but the flavor of the strawberry was enhanced. The coconut whip cream was rich and fluffy. From what I remember of fresh whip cream, this seemed to be quite similar. I had to stop my self from eating the whip cream on its own. 

I plan on using the tart shells and whip cream in another capacity as well. I have been dreaming up all sorts of savories and sweets that would pair well with the tart. I can also see topping pancakes, french toast, and ice cream sundaes with the cream. I think the writer of this recipe was on to something big!

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

It is the time of year when you start seeing Silk seasonal creations such as Pumpkin Spice and Nog. I like those well enough, but I'm crazy about the mint chocolate flavor! Facebook has been buzzing with talk about the new flavors in the store (ok, maybe only for those of you with lots of vegan friends). John was at Whole Foods and I asked him to pick up the chocolate mint kind. Much to my dismay, they were out of that kind and only had the pumpkin spice.

I am not a fan of the pumpkin spice. I always expect it to taste like pumpkin and it doesn't. I know it is just the spices from a pumpkin pie, but I want it to taste like pumpkin. Instead of sulking, I decided that I would make my own version of the minty drink. I looked through our cupboards and felt like I had the right combination and got to work. I must say that this recipe is as good as the store bought version. Although, I'll probably still buy it once and a while for a treat!

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

• 1 cup almond milk (soy or coconut would work too)
• 3 Tbsp vegan, fair trade chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Place the soy milk into a small saucepan and turn the heat onto medium. Whisk in the chocolate chips and cocoa powder and whisk until the chips melt. Add in the agave nectar and extracts and whisk again until warm.

Pour into a mug and serve warm!

Rich and Creamy Spiced Hot Chocolate

Post number 13 for VeganMoFo.

Hot chocolate is another one of things that I look forward to during Autumn. While it has been very warm during the days, the evenings have been cool. The colder air has put us in the mood for hot chocolate. My favorite element of our hot chocolate is the subtle undertone of heat. It is not very sweet and I have found that the beauty in this drink is the cocoa, vanilla, and cayenne. In playing with the recipe, I have learned the sweeter the drink, the less of the flavors that you taste. Have no fear, if you do not like spicy foods, you can leave out the cayenne.


So here is my take on hot chocolate.

Rich and Creamy Spiced Hot Chocolate
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c mimic creme (soy creamer would work here as well)
2 Tbsp vegan gluten free chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Mayan cocoa (includes cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. If you don't have this you could add in more cinnamon and cayenne pepper to your cocoa to taste.)
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Vegan marshmallows (Dandies or Sweet and Sara)


Place the almond milk and mimic creme into a small saucepan. Heat slowly on med-low heat. Add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Then add in the vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, and whisk vigorously until the cocoa dissolves. Add in the agave nectar and take a small taste to see if it is sweet enough to your liking. Don't forget that the sweeter you make it, the less you will taste the flavors.


When hot enough, pour into a mug and top with several vegan marshmallows. Enjoy your warm beverage!

Asheville Weekend- Firestorm Cafe'

Post number 8 for VeganMoFo.

Our weekend trips to Asheville are always focused on fitting in as many vegan/vegetarian restaurants as we can during our stay. The city has an abundance of all vegetarian restaurants and even if we ran out of options, many of the omnivore restaurants have vegan options. I am continuously amazed walking around the city and seeing so many restaurant boards that will have *vegan* highlighted.

In an effort to eat in as many of the vegetarian restaurants as we could, we prioritized the places we wanted to visit and it just so happened that we had to miss out on some places. High up in our priority list was Firestorm Cafe' & Books. The fare is mostly vegan with the only non-vegan option on the menu as a dairy milk creamer. Everything else is cruelty-free! They also can serve most of their menu gluten free because they make their own gluten free bread in-house. Yum!

The cafe' carries ome gluten free desserts and we ordered several of those. Oddly enough, we forgot to take pictures of them. Instead they were devoured! We ordered a blondie with chocolate chips and a blueberry coffee cake. They were just heavenly!

As for the meal, we ordered two sandwiches and split. We had the TLT- Tempeh, Lettuce & Tomato and vegan mayonnaise served with salt and pepper chips and the Maple BBQ made up of maple baked tofu, spinach, red onion served with a small salad with Goddess dressing.



They were both scrumptious, just like the menu said they would be! It is hard to say which one I liked more. I love a TLT and I also like baked tofu. The sandwiches were too different to compare. My recommendation would be to order both of them during your visit.

Plant- Vegan Awesomeness in Asheville

Post number 7 for VeganMoFo.

John and I decided to have a weekend away in Asheville, NC. We found a green B&B that understood vegan/gluten free food and was close to downtown. We booked a room and headed to Asheville on Friday morning. We took our time and left later in the morning. We were not in any hurry to rush. It was our weekend and we wanted to relax. Our first meal in Asheville was dinner on Friday night and we decided that it was time to try Plant, the new vegan restaurant that opened in Asheville in late summer. I had contacted the restaurant in advance and learned that many of their dishes were gluten free. With that confirmation, we were off to have a nice, relaxing evening of delicious cruelty-free fare. I could hardly wait!

The restaurant was easy to find and had a nice modern decor inside. The kitchen was open, so you could see the chefs working tirelessly on their vegan creations. Every seat in the restaurant was taken. We arrived right before the rush and avoided waiting, but I'd recommend reservations in the future. The hostess seated us and provided us with a one page menu and a corresponding drink list.

Now it was on to the good part- VEGAN FOOD! John ordered a local beer and I ordered an iced mint tea. As a starter we ordered the cheese plate. It was composed of the homemade almond cheese with herbs sprinkled on top served with black garlic oil and vinegar, apples, olives, pea shoots (or some kind of small green), and shredded carrots. We were both impressed by the cheese plate. The almond cheese was soft and spreadable. It was delicious on the apple or eaten with the olives. The cheese is versatile enough to be eaten with a sweet or savory accompaniment.

For dinner I ordered the black pepper tofu which came with a jasmine rice and kaffir lime cake and a saute' of zucchini, and exotic mushrooms with spinach on top. I do not know the name of the mushrooms, but I had never had them before. To date they are my favorite mushroom. They had a nice chewy texture and a smooth flavor that is hard to describe. I asked the waitress the name and of course forgot it since. The rice cake was crispy and flavorful and I could have eaten a dozen of them. Luckily, they only put three on my plate!

John had the sweet corn risotto. It was a grilled tempeh with a green chili cream sauce, and a zucchini, cremini, red pepper, and okra mixture (which they called risotto) with spinach on top. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors in his dish. The creme sauce was rich, yet not over powering. It worked well with the "risotto" mixture. He absolutely loved it and wished he had had a full other plate of the delicious entree. I wished the same for mine.

The portions were not large, but we left feeling satisfied and happy. We decided to pass on dessert as we had picked up raw, vegan, gluten free macaroons as the co-op that we wanted to try. We headed out to a local coffee shop and enjoyed a hot cup of apple cider and enjoyed our raw dessert.

The night was a delicious success. I will recommend Plant to vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores. It is a place for anyone who would like a bit of upscale dining with a lot of flavor and creativity!

Blueberry Almondshake

Post number 5 for VeganMoFo.

Lately, I have been in a mood for shakes and smoothies. Not the kind with ice cream, syrups, and a lot of fat. I want something healthy and nourishing that adds to my fruit and vegetable intake each day. I find myself getting bored with breakfast and I want a way to liven it up a bit.

We have been experimenting with different flavors and textures. Our experiments have shown me that our regular name-brand blender just isn't cutting the mustard any longer (or in this case, chopping the nuts/seeds/berries/etc). Sure, it is pretty with a silver base, but I need more than looks. I want something that will chop up ice without throwing a fit and scaring the dog. I want a blender than can handle turning seeds or nuts into a flour. I want to have a smoothie or shake without unpleasant chunks.

So, we find ourselves contemplating the Vita-Mix. It is way too pricey for a blender, but I have seen the magic that it can create and I want in! This is, after all, our health that we are investing in. BUT...it is still a lot of money to throw down for a small kitchen appliance. I'll save this debate for another day.

Even though we do not yet own a Vita-Mix, I have been making due with our current blender. This is a recent that I made that proved to be a satisfying and delicious breakfast. I enjoyed drinking a beautiful purple shake. It was delicious to boot!

Blueberry Almondshake

• 1 c raw almonds
  
• 4 dates
  
• 2 Tbsp raw sun flower seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cold water (used ice cubes to cool the water)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 quart of frozen or fresh blueberries (fresh are ok if you use ice)

Soak the almonds and dates overnight in water. Blend the almonds, dates, sunflower seeds, vanilla, and the water with ice. Once blended and the sunflower seeds are ground, add in the banana and blueberries. Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Chocolate Lavender Cake by Wholesome Chow

It is a new year and over the past four months, I have become a new me. More like an improved me. I hope to change my blog up a bit with a redesign, fresh image and logo, etc. One of the changes is to add a review of vegan and gluten free products. I am not sure a blog is the best place to do this. Maybe I should start a dedicated blog for this? Or maybe even a website?

I don't want to wait to make a decision before I highlight an awesome company that I came across last year. The company is Wholesome Chow and they make vegan decadent baking mixes. They use all-natural and organic ingredients. They are allergen friendly by excluding eggs, dairy/casein, and peanut/nut from their products. They even have a gluten free line of mixes!

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this company, but I am delighted that I did! During one of their sales, I purchased three gluten free baking mixes. Below is a picture of their new package design. I love the design and the best part is that their packaging is compostable!

John's birthday was in early January and I decided to make him a cake. Normally I would make a cake from scratch, but GF baking is still a bit of a challenge and an experiment. I have realized that it is ok to have help from mixes. Especially ones that don't contain chemicals, additives, coloring, high fructose corn syrup, and animal products. I can stand behind organic, vegan, and gluten free. So, why not?

I made the Chocolate Lavender cake and a homemade rich chocolate frosting. I served it to John (of course!) and my parents (who aren't vegan). My Dad would not try it because it was the dreaded v-word! That just meant more for me, John, and my Mom. Good thing for us because we all loved the flavor and consistency. The cake was light in texture, rich in flavor, and moist. The lavender was a perfect pairing with the chocolate. I had never had the combination before, but I most certainly want it again. The most exciting part was that the cake did not taste GF at all. Instead, it tasted like a normal and delicious cake! This may not seem like much to most, but many GF baked goods taste nothing like the original baked goods they attempt to mirror. They taste grainy, starchy, and crunchy. This cake was nothing like that and gave me hope. Maybe GF, vegan baking isn't so bad?

The only thing I would have changed was the flavor of the frosting, which was all my doing. It worked well with the cake, but a vanilla lemon icing would be perfect for this cake. I could see the chocolate, lavender, lemon, vanilla flavoring at a summer or spring gathering. I think I'll have to buy this mix again and try my icing idea.

Lucky for me, I have two more mixes to try. Now, I just need a special occasion to try them- OR- maybe not! :-) If you are looking for a GF, vegan cake mix (or just a vegan cake mix), I recommend stopping by the Wholesome Chow website and placing an order today!

Vegan Thanksgiving 2010

For the past three years, John and I have attended the Triangle Vegetarian Society vegan Thanksgiving at Cafe' Parizade in Durham, NC. It is the largest vegan Thanksgiving celebration in the country. This year, we welcomed over 800 guests.

We had the pleasure of sitting with 12 of our friends, including three omnivores! To my delight, the three loved the food. It was proof that one can have a cruelty free gourmet meal and truly enjoy the experience. This event didn't turn them into vegetarians, but I know that it raised their awareness of vegan food and compassion towards animals.

This Thanksgiving marked the first year that I would attend as a gluten freer. I contacted the organizer several months beforehand and learned that they planned to have many GF dishes. As luck would have it, they were also going to mark the dishes that were GF. I was touched by the care and concern that was put into the preparation and the marking of the food. I am truly thankful to Dilip Barman and Cafe' Parizade. Check out the lovely menu that they put together. As usual, the food was amazing and I had so many tasty options. I enjoyed everything that I tried and even went back for seconds. My favorite item this year was the collard chips. They were crispy, simple, and delicious! My second favorite dish was the quinoa stuffed mushroom caps.

We always follow up this meal with a trip to see my parents and sometimes other family and friends. The emphasis becomes less about a dead turkey carcass and more about family and giving thanks. Which is, after all, the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

This year I am thankful for living in a community that is open enough to have a cruelty free Thanksgiving, a family that supports me and John in our veganism and my gluten free journey, great friendships, my family, strong support system of vegan friends, many evenings of laughter and smiles, and a wonderful husband.

Sugar Free and Raw Cranberry Sauce

Blog #18 for the vegan MoFo 2010 challenge!

A friend told me about Dr. Furhman's recipe for raw cranberry sauce and I decided to give it a try the day after Thanksgiving. I watched the YouTube video, giggled a bit, and then made the sauce.




The preparation for the sauce made the house smell lovely and reminded me of fall. I love cranberry sauce and am always looking for a new recipe. I was enticed by this one because it has three ingredients, is raw, and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.

I got out all of the ingredients and put them into our food processor. Note that this can be a bit messy as some came out the top of the processor.

The end result was a vibrant and beautiful sauce for our family to enjoy. My Mom liked it but, felt that there was too much orange peel. John and I loved the sauce! It was fresh and bursting with flavor. I agree with my Mom's suggestion and plan to make it again with only using about half of the peel that I used. My niece, Helena, loved the sauce. She had several scoops of it. Upon first bite, she made a strange face, but then begged for more. It is a bit tart, but the tartness is what I love and expect from a good cranberry sauce.

This is the type of sauce you can feel good about. It is raw, has few ingredients, is sugarless, gluten free, healthy, and full of vitamins!