Vegan Food Swap: May 2012

I am so happy that I got to participate in the Vegan Food Swap, organized by Cat at The Verdant Life.
Such a great idea! I had so much fun shopping for vegan treats to send to The Radioactive Vegan, and then a box of goodies appeared at my door!

The blogger that sent me food this month is Theresa, from Using Coupons to Decrease Debt.
She sent me some delicious snacks, including a few things I hadn't seen before!

 Here is a list of what was in my package:

• True North almond pecan crunch nut clusters
• Ginger chews
• Surf sweets gummy candy
• Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (love these for baking!)
• Primal seitan jerky strips: thai peanut and teriyaki

What a fun idea! I can't wait to participate again next month. If you want to join in on the fun, go sign up at The Verdant Life!

Thanks again for the vegan treats, Theresa! :)

Crockpot Potato Tikka Masala

Quick and easy Indian food in the crock pot? Sign me up!

Crock Pot Potato Tikka Masala
vegan, serves 4, adapted from simply life

1 can (15 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 green bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 c coconut milk
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups basmati rice, to serve with

Combine all ingredients except rice in your crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, until potatoes are tender and everything is cooked through.

About 30 minutes before your tikka masala is done, prepare your rice. I made mine in a rice cooker.

Serve tikka masala over warm rice (with some naan on the side)!

*Note on spice level: I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so this recipe is pretty mild. If you like the heat, feel free to add in more of the spices!

Hope you enjoy it. :)

 

Friday Flashback

 

 

1. Lemon Quinoa and Butternut Squash

2. Delicious potato and veggie tacos
3. My awesome new vegan wallet from cotton purr!
4. Amy's chocolate cake, plus strawberries


If you are in Colorado, don't miss Udi's vegan supper club on Monday night!

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Coconut Whipped Cream

 

These cupcakes are great on their own without any topping, but if you feel like adding something, the coconut whipped cream is perfect.


Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes, adapted from vegan cupcakes take over the world

1 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 roughly chopped chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips



Preheat the oven to 350 and line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk together the milk and the apple cider vinegar and set aside for a few minutes so it will curdle.



Beat the milk mixture, oil, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix everything together until smooth.
Add in your chopped chocolate and mix.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 way full, and bake for 20-22 minutes.

For the Coconut Whipped Cream topping, I followed this recipe over at Happy Healthy Life.

Yum! These are very light cupcakes, perfect for summer time.

Hope you enjoy them! :)

Chili Smothered Baked Potatoes

This is the meal to make when you have company over or need some warm comfort food.

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Black Bean Chili and immediately wanted to try it. I changed a few things in my version, but the addition of beer totally works and is delicious (even though it sounds a little weird)!

Chili Smothered Baked Potatoes
vegan, serves 4
adapted from the ordinary vegetarian

4 medium to large russet potatoes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained and rinsed 
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 cans (15 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup beer (or vegetable broth), I used a wheat beer
3 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne 
salt and pepper to taste


Optional toppings: vegan sour cream, chopped fresh chives


Poke a few holes in your potatoes with a fork. Coat with a little bit of vegan butter or vegetable oil, then bake at 400 degrees for about an hour.

While those are in you can make your chili.


Heat 1/4 cup water in a large stock pot and add onion. Saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add in the spices and stir to coat the onions, saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in beer and simmer about 2 minutes. 

Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
Once everything is ready, spoon some of the chili over top of your baked potato.
Garnish with vegan sour cream and chopped chives, or anything else you'd like!

Enjoy!
 

Friday Flashback

Top row: I finally made it to City O City in Denver! My friend and I shared their City O veggie burger and savory waffle. Both were delicious!

Bottom row: I threw a can of kidney beans and some frozen butternut squash into my spaghetti sauce and called it dinner!
Chili smothered baked potatoes - I'll post the recipe for these soon!
Made this yummy pea and sun dried tomato fettuccine from oh, ladycakes.


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Zucchini Chickpea Fritters

Zucchini Chickpea Fritters
makes 10-15 small patties, adapted from whole living

1 zucchini - grated or finely diced
1/2 onion - finely diced
1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
1 cup panko crumbs
1 flax egg (1 T flax + 3 T Water)
splash non-dairy milk

Smash the chickpeas in a bowl until they are mostly smooth. Stir in the panko cumbs, zucchini, onion, and flax egg. If the mixture is too dry add in a splash of non-dairy milk. Mix well and then form into small 3 to 4 inch patties.

Saute the patties in oil over medium high heat until they are slightly browned and crispy.

These are similar to falafel, so I served them with some hummus and pita. Yum!

I also tried putting them on a salad which was also very good, and makes a easy lunch.


Thanks for stopping by!

Mango Banana Bread

 

This was one of my contributions to Mother's Day brunch. Everyone loved it!


Mango Banana Bread
vegan, adapted from the sweets life
makes 1 loaf

3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 ripe mango, sliced into chunks







Preheat oven to 350F.

Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (or 2 mini pans) and set aside.

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.
Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt, mixing just until combined. Fold in mango pieces.
Pour batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top if you'd like.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing.
I let mine cool for another 30 minutes or so wrapped up in a clean kitchen towel. 

Mango is one of my most favorite fruits, so I really enjoyed this bread. I hope you'll like it too!

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Brussels Sprout Citrus Slaw

Hello Virtual Vegan Potluckers! 
This is a virtual potluck that connects like-minded foodies and bloggers for a worldwide eating and drinking celebration.
I hope you enjoy this side dish I made for the occasion.

Brussels Sprout Citrus Slaw
vegan, serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
adapted from la vida saporita

12-16 raw Brussels Sprouts, chopped (toss the cores)
1 pear, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
A handful of raw walnuts
A handful of raw pumpkin seeds
A handful of pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste










Wash, peel and chop all your fruits and vegetables
Steam the brussels sprouts for 2 minutes (either in a steamer or in the microwave with a bit of water)
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and toss
Chill until ready to serve

That's it! Pretty easy. I had this with a peanut tofu wrap. I may or may not have had a chocolate chip cinnamon roll for dessert, too!

Thanks to An Unrefined Vegan for organizing this fun blog event! Be sure to click through to see the other exciting recipes from appetizers all the way to desserts.

Check out the rest of the potluck by clicking the links below!

<< GO BACK           GO FORWARD >>

Start at the beginning at Vegan Bloggers Unite

Friday Flashback: Minneapolis Edition

This week I thought I'd talk about my trip to Minneapolis! I actually found some great places to eat there.
 
The first place we tried was Galactic Pizza. They are very vegan friendly and even had a special note in their (awesome 3D) menu! I had a tasty vegetable pizza with vegan mozzerella. I also couldn't pass up trying their vegan garlic bread.

The next day we went to French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. This place is really awesome! I wish we had one in Denver. They have a huge menu with several vegan options. I tried some black bean chili and a great salad with tofu. I also had some lemonade (sweetened with maple syrup) and grabbed a peanut butter carob chip cookie for the plane. :)

 I stopped at a few other places for a quick bite over the course of the weekend. The falafel plate was from Mim's (in Saint Paul) and this delicious vegetable and hummus sandwich was from Tao's Natural Foods.

Don't forget to check out the Virtual Vegan Potluck tomorrow! I'll be contributing a side dish, and you can jump through the whole potluck to see tons of great recipe ideas from all the blogs that are participating. You can start at the beginning of the potluck at Vegan Blogs Unite.

I'll meet you back here tomorrow!

Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

  
I am SO excited to share this post today. I think these cinnamon rolls are the best vegan sweet treat I have made yet! These were amazing, and I don't joke around about cinnamon rolls.

I found the recipe for the dough from this post by Kathy from Healthy. Happy. Life. I added in my own chocolate twist and was so happy with the results. This was the first time I had ever attempted home-made cinnamon rolls, and now I will never go back to store bought!

Cinnamon Rolls with Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
vegan, makes 8-9 rolls
adapted from healthy happy life.

Dough:
3 1/2 – 4 cups white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stick vegan butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
plenty of flour for kneading surface

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a few drops of vanilla extract
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Topping:
2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
2 Tbsp brown sugar
 
Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, melted
1/2 tsp cocoa powder



 Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Combine the dough dry ingredients. Add in the liquids and knead into a ball.
Dough should be soft but thick enough to roll out into a one inch thick piece.
Too dry? Add a splash of almond milk
Too wet? Add more flour

On a floured surface, roll out dough to a loose rectangle shape. About 3/4″ – 1" thick.

Brush the melted butter over top dough. And a few drops of vanilla.

Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar over the top. Evenly distribute the chocolate chips.

 Roll dough up from one end into a spiral tube.

Slice your rolls. About 1 to 1 and 1/2 thick.

Tightly place the rounds in a lightly greased dish. I used a 9 by 9 pan.

Add the topping layer of butter and brown sugar on top of the rolls.

Bake for 30 minutes.

While those are in the oven, you can make the icing.

In a small bowl melt the vegan cream cheese. Stir in the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.



Once the rolls are done, let cool for a few minutes and then drizzle the icing on top and serve.
 

If you aren't a big fan of icing, another variation would be to just serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top!

 
These would be great for a Mother's Day brunch! Hope you enjoy them. :)

Friday Flashback

Spring has officially arrived in Colorado!

I also bought some vegan nail polish finally. I need to get some more colors for summer! :)

 

I am heading to Minneapolis today for a short weekend trip. If you have any restaurant recommendations or must see places near the twin cities, please let me know. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Vegetable and Tofu Sushi

 
We first made our own sushi a year or 2 ago, and now we do it all the time! It's really not as difficult as it might look.


Vegetable Sushi with Tofu
makes 4 rolls
Sushi Roll

2 C cooked brown rice - use freshly cooked and still warm for best results
1/2 cucumber - sliced into thin strips
1 avocado - sliced into thin strips or small pieces
Sushi Nori Seaweed sheets (similar to this)
Optional - For a more authentic tasting sushi rice, you can add the following into your cooked rice:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt


Tofu
I followed this fantastic peanut tofu recipe from Healthy Happy Life.
Slice the tofu into thin strips.



 Step 1 - Prepare your work surface. We use a bamboo sushi mat to make it easier to roll. We also found that putting a piece of plastic wrap in between helps to hold it together while cutting it, and also you can store leftovers for a day or two in the fridge. Lay out your Nori sheet on top of the mat.

Step 2 - Add the rice. Sticky and still warm rice works the best. Press it down flat.

Step 3 - Add your vegetables and tofu on one side. Don't overstuff or it won't roll up nicely.
 

 Step 4 - Roll up your sushi! Take your time and start over if you need to. If your Nori isn't sticking together at the ends you can put a little water on it to get it to stick.

 
 Step 5- Remove the bamboo mat, slice into pieces, unwrap and serve!

Try it with soy sauce or peanut sauce (my favorite)!

Happy sushi making!