Awesome Vegan Girl

I'm with COCO!

2010-01-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessed with hot cocoa this winter and consequently, I have also been obsessed with Coco (Conan O'Brien!) this winter too. Last night was his last Tonight Show, and I was on the brink of tears when he spoke about how touched he was at all the outreach and support his fans have shown. What a humble and gracious man! I had a revelation when I realized I was drinking cocoa while watching Coco... : )

I wanted to make my own hot cocoa instead of buying those packages of cocoa with 90 ingredients on the label. Please don't take my word for it, this is BETTER than the package, AND more importantly, EASIER (not to mention cheaper and probably healthier).

Here's the "recipe" - can it really be a recipe with 3 ingredients?

HOT COCO

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp (to taste) sugar
1 cup soy, rice, or whatever milk you love : )

Add the cocoa and sugar to the cup. Heat the milk on the stovetop (or microwave) and add in half the milk to the cup. Stir till cocoa dissolves then add in the rest and top with marshies (what my kids call marshmallows!)

Enjoy! You'll have to wait till September to drink whilst watching Coco though : (

Just Peachy Cheesecake

2010-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

I have made this 4 times in the last month.

I will start off warning everyone that this is obviously *not* a "healthy" food. Although it is vegan (no cholesterol, no animal fat or products) it is still high in fat and sugar.

I was extremely shocked at how good this dessert was, and how easy it was to prepare. I made it for the holidays, per my brother's request. He said he had a craving for something with peaches in it, and I simply didn't have time to make an extravagant buche de noel this year.

All of the vegan and non-vegans alike absolutely devoured it and I keep getting requests to make it again! So, in honor or my daughter's third birthday, I made it for the fourth time in the last month!

Just Peach Vegan Cheesecake

2 vegan cream cheese containers

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Vanilla Wafers (20 - 25 wafers)

1 to 2 cups frozen peaches

2 1/2 tablespoons egg replacer mixed with 1 tbsp water

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix well with fork.
Microwave the frozen peaches for 2 minutes, then puree in blender.
Add the pureed peaches to the mixture.
Mix egg replacer with water and add to mixture.

Using a 9 inch Springform pan (you can use a different pan, but the temp and time will change) coat the bottom of the pan with crumbled vanilla wafers so that you can't see the bottom of the pan. Slowly pour the cheese mixture on top of the wafers.

Bake on 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. This will vary depending on the type and size of your pan.

It is done when it starts to look slightly brown on top. Refrigerate.
You can make a "topping" mixture by just warming up peaches, adding a little sugar and water on the stove top.

Enjoy!

Vegan Red Kidney Bean Burgers

2009-10-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

My family just loves burgers (it's not often that everyone likes one thing). I can't buy them fast enough, and I had to try to make them today because I had the biggest craving. I was aiming to make lunch in 45 minutes, and this whole thing took less than 20 minutes!

Most recipes call for black beans, but since I just made a pot of red kidney beans...

I used those, and they turned out amazing!

Vegan Red Kidney Bean Burgers

2 cups red kidney beans (or one 15 oz can of beans)

1/2 onion diced finely

1/2 green or red pepper

4 tablespoons tomato paste or sauce

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt (omit if you're using the canned beans)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

2-4 finely chopped mushrooms (optional - I had a couple baby portabellas on hand)

Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl, use your hands! Roll into balls. Shape into patties.

Heat pan (or griddle), and instead of using oil to "fry" them, I used a couple tablespoons of water.

Just let the burger absorb the water.

Flip after 2 minutes and brown the other side.

They don't take long to cook!

Voila!

Apple Pie

2009-10-14T18:42:00.001-07:00

I've made apple pie so many times throughout the years, and I've never quite gotten it right. Today, it was as close as it will ever be! I didn't even use a recipe for it, I just used my intuition. It worked =)

Apple Pie

Crust

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup of vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum)

8 tbsp cold water (more or less)

Filling

4 golden delicious apples (the ones I used were small because they were organic)

4 granny smith apples (the ones I used were small because they were organic)

2-3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

juice from half of a lemon (about 1-2 tsp)

For the crust: Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine the shortening and the flour using your hands in a large bowl. Start adding the water slowly. When it looks like it is forming a solid, put it on your work surface and continue to add water until it is mostly one piece. Make it into a ball. Cut into 2 pieces. Using your rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle big enough to fit your pie plate. Fit the bottom crust piece on. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Roll out the top as well, and set it aside (preferably on a non-stick surface).

For the filling: Combine all the ingredients together till well mixed. Place mixture on the pie plate and cover with the top crust. Make three slices on top of the pie. You can glaze the top of the crust with rice milk.

Bake on lower rack at 425 F for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. Pie is ready when it lightly browns the crust. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup

2009-10-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research on trying to eat local homegrown food and I am really lucky to live so close to farm areas! When I go to the grocery store, I've been noticing that most of our fruit is exported from South America. Unfortunately, it's actually less expensive to buy than fruit grown locally. Less than a couple miles from my home is Creme de la Crop, which is a Community Supported Agriculture Farm. It has been certified organic, which means that they do not use chemical pesticides.

I am headed to visit their farm this afternoon, but this morning, I needed to make lunch. Luckily, my supermarket had locally grown organic tomatoes and I bought a bunch!

I completely made this recipe off the top of my head. I've done that before, but it has NEVER come out this good. I think when the ingredients are top-notch, it's hard to mess up =)

Roasted Tomato Soup

6 large on-the-vine tomatoes (Roma or Plum are okay, just make sure you double the qty)

1 red bell pepper

5 cloves of garlic

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

olive oil spray

1 large onion chopped

2 small stalks of celery chopped (optional)

1 tsp dried basil

2 cups vegetable broth

Turn the broiler on your stove to "High". Slice the tomatoes and red bell pepper. Add all of the garlic, sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Arrange on a large flat pan and put into oven/broiler. They will be there for about 5 - 10 minutes, depending on your oven. They need to be turned over once.

While that is in the oven, put your chopped onion and chopped celery (optional) into a large stockpot and spray lightly with olive oil. When they are cooked, add the 2 cups of vegetable stock. If you like the soup a bit thicker, add 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. If you like it more watery, add half a cup of water. I personally like mine more watery, so I added the water at this point.

When the tomatoes are ready, add them to the stockpot and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. You can transfer the soup to a blender if you don't have an immersion blender, it's just a little messier (but totally worth it, trust me!)

Bring the pureed mixture back to a boil and then simmer for one minute. Let it cool... enjoy.

P. S. Pictures coming soon!

Bread!

2009-08-09T18:19:00.001-07:00

It's been too long since I've posted, but I have made this bread several times this summer, and I gotta admit: I have such a huge weakness for bread! Like mother, like daughter though. I just adore the smell of any yeast bread, and my body doesn't seem to get enough of it. I usually make some kind of hot watery soup to go along with the bread (yes, even in the summer).

This bread is so ridiculously easy to make too. The upside is... that I've tried using part whole wheat fluor, and it turns out just as good.

I'll post the recipe soon!

Tatiana's Amazing Pizza!

2009-07-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Although I've made plenty of my own creations, I have never named anything after myself, and I must admit, I'm blushing a little. I would put my name on this pizza any day though. It is literally the most amazing thing I've ever tasted. I am a big pizza-lover.

There are a LOT of pictures in this recipe because I wanted to give you lucky people a "step-by-step" through pics. I am a very visual person and I refuse to make any recipe (online or in a book) if it doesn't have a photo. I know, I should probably loosen that rule up since I'm trying like a bajillion recipes for this blog. In the future, I'd really like to make a video recipe...

Tatiana's Amazing Pizza (makes 2 pizzas, only one is pictured in examples)

1 cup warm (almost hot) tap water
1 tbsp active dry yeast

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for kneading and rolling the dough
1 tbsp salt
1 tsbp sugar

Step 1: Combine the warm/hot water and the active dry yeast. Stir a little, but let it sit for 10 to 15 min. After it sits, it should look like so:

Step 2: Combine your flour, sugar, and salt. Make a "hole" in the middle of the bowl for the yeast mixture. Add the mixture and stir gently with a spoon.

Step 3: Combine them and then get ready to knead the dough a little. BEFORE you do, have your 1/2 cup flour "ready". Sometimes, if I the dough is really sticky, I ask my little helper (my 9 year old son) to pour 1 tbsp of oil onto my hands while I'm kneading. Also, a big thanks to my son for taking some of these pictures since my hands were all doughy. It should look kinda like a blob at this point:

Step 4: After the dough starts to come together and it's not super sticky anymore, put it back into the bowl and let it rest for ONE HOUR. Cover with a dark hand towel.

Step 5: After it sits, pre-heat your oven to 400. Important: Cut the dough in HALF. This recipe makes two pizzas. I made a cheese which is below, and a veggie, which is at the beginning. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into the right shape. Also, poke holes in it with a fork so that the air bubbles don't distort the pizza.

Step 6: Cook the crust at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Take it out, add the ingredients and put back into the oven. I usually raise the temp to 450 when I put it back in so it cooks faster. It takes 10-15 minutes to cook depending on how many toppings you have and what type of cheese you use.

Voila. Done.
Last picture is a shout out to the vegan cheese that I use. It's really awesome! Cheese was probably the only thing I felt really sad to give up as a vegan, but this has more than made up for it. It's delicious, and it's much healthier. Loves it!

Lemony Potatoes

2009-06-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Since I am obsessed with lemons all summer long, I decided to see what they would taste like with potatoes. I've heard of Greek-style recipes for potatoes using lots lemon and I can't believe how amazing they turned out. It's a great side dish and I couldn't get enough!

Lemony Potatoes

6-8 red potatoes
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest of 1 or 2 lemons
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil

Dice the potatoes and add them to a medium hot skillet. (You can definitely boil the potatoes for 10 minutes first to speed up the process). After they've been on the skillet for about 10 minutes, add the remaining ingredients. The potatoes should look slightly browned and be soft, check with a fork.

Such an easy, but flavorful recipe for potatoes! Definitely beats mashed potatoes in my book.

Easy Healthy Pancakes

2009-06-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that I must have been one of the most nieve new brides in the world. A couple days after getting married, my husband asked if I would make pancakes for him for breakfast. He knew that I didn't know how to cook yet and I was appalled that he would make such a difficult request! I remembered how my mom made pancakes, and since I didn't have a recipe, I was a little discouraged. Of course, my mom made everything from scratch. I'm not sure she knew any other way! I apparently didn't know any other way either because for the first time ever, I discovered that pancake mix existed. Then, I discovered instant potatoes. I was in complete shock that all these shortcuts were out there!

Thankfully, I found a really pancake recipe that is almost as easy to make as the mix, but much tastier.

Easy Healthy Pancakes

2 1/2 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup wheat)
2-3 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
soy or rice milk (add as much as necessary)

Instructions: Put all ingredients into a bowl, adding the soy milk slowly while stirring. Stir with a spoon until the preferable consistency is reached. If you like thin pancakes, the batter should be more runny. If you prefer thicker pancakes, use less milk.

As you can see, I love to add blueberries to my pancakes!

Baseball Cake and White Sox cupcakes

2009-06-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

If it seems like I am obsessed with cakes lately, I am. I do, however, have a good excuse. There are two birthdays in my family (within 2 days of one another). Believe it or not, the cake from a couple days ago is completely gone. That was a chocolate cake, and this cake is a "white" cake. I got the recipe from here, and it was truly one of the best cakes I've ever had. (I do have to admit though, that I was preoccupied and forgot to set the timer on the oven and it cooked a little too long.)
In my house, it is a rule that if you have a birthday, you get cake or cupcakes, no matter how old you are!

I used crumbled vegan Newman-O's on the cupcakes and then did a pretty bad job of drawing Sox on them. I need practice, I know!

Dessert for less than a dollar!

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

A year ago, I had never tasted a plantain. I have never been a huge banana fan, I'm more of a strawberry girl, but I now realize the error of my ways! I found a plantain recipe in a Mexican cookbook, and for some reason, even though it had no picture and wasn't even a vegan recipe, it stuck in my head. One day, walking through the grocery store, I saw that plantains were only 54 cents each. So, I bought some and have made this awesome dessert many, many times since then. Some small grocery stores will even sell plantains at 5 for a dollar when are black and ripe. This dessert is so good, it seems impossible that it's so cheap! Since my children love this dessert, it goes quickly!

Start with ripe black gross-looking plantains. Don't be afraid, they are supposed to look like this. (Also, be prepared to explain to people why you have rotten bananas in your kitchen if you have company over.)

Carefully take the skin off and cut into pieces:

Heat the griddle and rub the surface with the tiniest bit of butter. Place the plantain pieces on the griddle and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla on top. Turn them once and reduce heat. They are done pretty quickly, so don't walk away from them!

I usually add chopped walnuts and top with powdered sugar, but I didn't have either on hand. No matter, these yummy things are still just as good.

Vegan Buttercream Icing

2009-06-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

My daughter's birthday cake has been my anticipated project for weeks now! I have never actually decorated a cake before with anything other than a spoon, but this time, I got brave and used actual cake decorating tools. It was a lot of fun and a little stressful too.

I got my idea for the cake from a fellow blogger.

The recipe for the icing I got from another cool website.

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening (I used Spectrum brand)
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine (I used Earth Balance)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain soy milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. Make sure to add in the soy milk slowly so that you can stop when you get the right consistency.

Watch this!

2009-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is the trailer for Food, Inc... a documentary that is a must-see for anyone who eats food. We live in an age where we have the information right at our fingertips. Watch this movie!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2009-06-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

I've got to admit that homemade flour tortillas are one of my weaknesses in life. They rank right up there with other weaknesses like chocolate (mmm...), striking blue eyes (sigh...), and shopping (no comment necessary). My mom didn't make them very often when I was I kid, but the memory of smell of flour tortillas is forever imprinted in my brain. I know this sounds strange, but I actually used to beg my mom to let me eat some of the raw dough!
I knew it would take at least ten tries to extract the recipe from my mom because she never really uses measurements, she just dumps stuff into a bowl and starts mixing and then adds more and more and more of the same ingredients that I already wrote down measurements for, until I put my pen and paper down and give up. I'm usually not disappointed enough to care because I'm getting tortillas, yah!

Well, I finally got a recipe. They are really easy to make, I promise. I made this in about an hour yesterday and they were so delicious! The recipe makes a dozen so I had more than enough for today... although, they are better right off the stove.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour (I used 2 cups unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup wheat, but you can use any combo)
5 tablespoons butter (I use Earth Balance because it's vegan)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup hot tap water (may need a little more)

1. Dough - Combine the flour and salt thoroughly. Next add in softened butter using your hands to get rid of lumps. Add water in slowly and mix with your hands. Keep adding water until most of it is dampened. Then, get the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface where you can knead it and work on making it into a ball.

2. I usually knead about ten minutes before I get a perfect ball that is about medium-stiff consistency. Divide the ball into 12 smaller balls and let them rest covered for at least 30 minutes (45 is better if you're not in a hurry).

3. Heat a griddle to medium high heat. Make sure your work surface is lightly floured, and flatten out one of the dough balls. Roll back and forth on it and keep rotating it until you get about a 6-7 inch diameter circle. (**NOTE: Expect your tortillas to be shaped like Texas the first time you do this. 50% of my tortillas still do not look like circles and I've been doing this a while.) Lay the tortilla on the hot griddle. If your griddle is hot enough, it should only be on it for about 30-40 seconds each side. When it's done, remove and cover with a towel to keep in the heat.

Get creative with your tacos... the ones pictured at the beginning of the post have refried beans, Mexican-style rice, lettuce, and sliced avocados on top. Many times, I seriously just eat the tortillas alone, with nothing else. So reminiscent of the good ol' days! I hope you enjoy them half as much as I do!

Berry Eggless Crepes

2009-06-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

I was in the mood for pancakes this morning, but I wanted something that would incorporate some fruit too. I made eggless crepes last year with egg replacer, and I'll be honest, the crepe itself was pretty weird tasting. When I added the fruit and the toppings, it was fine. It wasn't something that I craved to make again though. So I went in search of a recipe and I found several without the egg replacer and they were all pretty similar:

Simple Crepe Recipe

1/2 c soymilk
2/3 c water (extra if needed)
1/4 c melted butter (Earth Balance brand)
1 c flour (unbleached all-purpose)
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla

There are no special directions, just put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate the bowl while you prepare the berries and toppings.

When you are ready, take a large saucepan and pour some of the batter. Using a spoon, spread the batter to make the crepe about double the size of what you poured.
Here is a picture of the size and color (5 - 6 inches in diameter):

For the strawberries, I took 12 or 13 frozen strawberries and cut them up. I used a small saucepan, added about a couple spoonfuls of water, 2 tbsp of sugar, and the strawberries. You can use fresh strawberries and it isn't necessary to warm them. That's the great thing about crepes, you can be creative and add your favorite fruit, whatever way you prefer to have it!

For the topping, you can melt some chocolate and drizzle it on top of the crepe, along with some powdered sugar. Since I had no chocolate on hand, I had to make my own chocolate drizzle with unsweetened cocoa powder, soymilk, and oil.

Enjoy!

Food disclosure - Beetlejuice?

2009-06-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

In January of this year, the FDA declared that any manufacturer that uses the food coloring referred to as cochineal extract and carmine, must disclose it on their label. It's almost impossible for me to believe what I am reading when I look up the definition.

By definition: A red dye made of the dried and pulverized bodies of female cochineal insects.

This article shows that the FDA has known about this problem since 1998. The problem surprisingly doesn't bother as much from a vegan perspective. Yes, bugs are animals but let's be reasonable, insects are around our fruits, vegetables, and soil. I can even be cool with the fact that we probably unknowingly consume a couple insects per year. It seems like a risk you have to accept when you eat natural foods.

What is shocking to me is how manufacturers can be allowed to put insects into food on purpose and it is only because people are allergic to these insects that this became a valid reason for disclosure.

I'm not sure what took the FDA eleven years to pass this ruling, but my guess is that manufacturers weren't super excited to put "made from bugs" on their labels. Manufacturers who use this type of food coloring have until January of 2011 to become compliant on this ruling.

Thoughts?

Super Simple Decadent Brownies

2009-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Dessert #2: Fatfree and Fabulous Fudgy Brownies | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

The link above is from Valentine's Day, but I was searching around for a good brownie recipe for my son's end-of-year picnic tomorrow. It includes tofu and while I've baked with tofu before (and found it delish), I like to find recipes that don't include it because I usually have to make a special trip to buy the right kind. However. I posted the link because the pictures on that blog are just amazing. Why don't my pictures look like that? =(

So...I made brownies last week (twice), once just as an experiment trying to "veganize" a set of two recipes that sounded good, and the second time, as a celebration that they turned out perfectly and to teach my little sister how to make them. I will post the recipe below (don't you love when recipes have short ingredient lists???) and some helpful, but not beautiful pics.

Super Simple Decadent Brownies

2 cups all-purpose flour (heaping)
1 1/2 cups sugar (1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar)
2 tbsp ground flax
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil*
1-2 tbsp oil3/4 cups water (this may need to be adjusted)
3/4 cup crushed walnuts or white chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

1. You only need one bowl! (You're welcome.)
2. Mix all the dry ingredients really well. Dump in (bad word choice, but it's staying) the wet ingredients. Last, you can add the optional ingredients.
3. The pan I use is 8 x 13, but it's deep.
4. Bake at 350 for oh... 20-25 minutes! (PS: Don't freak out if they look like they are inflating in the oven... they will "settle" when you take them out.)
5. I like to sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Cute, no?

*Ok, so I tried this recipe with applesauce and prune puree replacing the oil (the recipes show the oil results), and it came out way too cakey and spongy. It still tasted super delicious, but the texture wasn't perfectly brownie-esque. So, the oil stays. I'm thinking about making it with tofu to see if the texture will change at all... I'll report back. Till then, this recipe is king!

Above = Before I put them in the oven.
Below = Before I scarf them down.

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

2009-06-01T09:09:00.001-07:00

This article on orange juice got me thinking about how high we have processed juices on pedestals. I personally am guilty of making my family juice addicts. Due to the enormous cost of feeding my family, I have resorted to buying frozen juice concentrates to save a buck or two. The best thing about summer though, is being able to make lemonade all summer long... too bad it goes so quickly!

Making fresh-squeezed lemonade sounds like hard work, but it is so worth it! Also, when you calculate the cost of making your own versus buying juice at the store, making your own is less than half the cost of even the nasty cheap store-brand "fruit-flavored" drink that you can get.

This shouldn't really be considered a recipe, but I'll tell you how I make lemonade:

I take about five medium sized lemons trying to avoid the ones with lots of green on them:

Then, I cut them in half, and cut a smaller slice off of each lemon and put it the slices in a container of any kind (I like to use non-plastic ones because they are easier to clean). I squeeze the juice out of the lemons in a bowl, run it through a strainer, and add water to the container.
Last, I add sugar (the amount will vary depending on how much juice you got from the lemons and your personal preference). I recommend putting in like half a cup for a big container than adjust from there. I usually have to test the lemonade for sweetness a couple times.

Enjoy!

P.S. I have also made watermelon juice, cantaloupe juice, and orange juice... but it's been a while. Does anybody have any juice recipes/ideas to share?

Corn!

2009-05-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Oven-Roasted Corn-on-the-Cob | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

For those of you out there who live in a place where corn is abundant this time of year (I certainly do), well... how many of you knew that you can cook corn in the oven? I never knew that! It's supposed to give it a much richer flavor, I will test that theory out soon!

Corn was 10 cents each at my grocery store!

Choose Veg Video: Replacing Eggs in Baking!

2009-05-26T21:37:00.001-07:00

This video is so awesome, it's from Choosevegblog.com. My favorite thing to use is ground flaxseeds (which you can buy already ground). I also love using bananas. Even if you are not vegan, think about how much healthier it is to use these alternatives, and I promise, you are not sacrificing taste at all. In fact, with the bananas, my family loves when I use them because they add the extra flavor. Try it and leave a comment!

Simple Chocolate Cake (or Cupcakes)

2009-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many birthdays in the summer and I know everyone hates turning on their ovens... but trust me, the cakes they sell at the grocery store are so bad for you they should be illegal. The icing is mostly partially hydrogenated oil and the ingredient list is just plain scary-looking!

I have been making this cake since even before I went vegan/vegetarian because I am a big fan of simplicity. I have always hated looking up recipes online only to find that I didn't have three or four of the ingredients on hand. This recipe proved that making a cake can be simple, good for you, and best of all, DELICIOUS!

I'll post pics as soon as someone has a birthday in my house (which is pretty soon!)

Simple Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour (I use 2 cups wheat, 1 cup all-purpose)
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (you can substitute plain vinegar if you don't have lemon juice)
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups water

You'll need two mixing bowls. Mix dry ingredients (first 4) in one bowl, then cream the sugar (mix brown sugar and oil very well) in the other bowl, then combine into one bowl and add water, vanilla, lemon juice. At this point, mix to eliminate lumps, don't overmix. Pour the mixture into 2 cake pans or any equivalent.

Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes. Note, that if you are making cupcakes, it will take much less time.

Enjoy!

PS - I forgot the icing recipe!

I have like a dozen icing recipes (all of which I should post soon), but here is the one I made recently because my daughter wants an all pink birthday, so pink icing it is!

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of soy milk
1 tsp imitation strawberry flavoring

You can just mix it all together. You may need to add more or less soy milk until you get to the consistency you want.

What made me become vegan?

2009-05-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what made me stop eating meat. This question definitely comes up quite a bit. People want to to know why?

I can't say that I ever have a good answer (or the same answer for that matter). But I do know that there was one thing that made a significant difference in my view of food, exercise, and health.

Last year, Oprah was doing a detox diet and it made the news. Many doctors don't think that detox diets are helpful or safe, and were coming down on her for promoting one. Well, I have never done a detox diet before, but the thought has always been intriguing. I'm not even a big Oprah fan, but the book seemed to be about more than just a fad diet.

She got the idea from a book that she read and recommended:

Quantum Wellness: A Practical Guide to Health and Happiness

I ordered it from amazon.com, and I couldn't believe how much sense it made to me. It was like everything that I knew about health and dieting, but that no one had ever put into one book. I did try the detox and I think I have continued to eat according to the book's recommendations. It even has some recipes that I have tried in the back to help you do the the detox diet.

Check it out if you get a chance =)

Pineapple Popsicles and Pineapple Tea

2009-05-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

It’s Pineapple Season! Usually, in the months between March and June, you’ll find this tropical fruit on sale and at it’s peak perfection. It is good for your immune system (Vitamin C) and helps build strong healthy bones because just one cup contains 73% of the daily recommended amount of the mineral manganese. It is also known to help suppress coughs and alleviate cold symptoms.

Doesn’t pineapple always looks so tasty sitting at the grocery store? I usually can’t resist buying several pineapples every month when they are in season. When I finally get them home though, I usually realize that I’m pretty much the only one likes them and I have a tinge of regret. So I thought of some ways to get this super delicious and nutritious food into a form that everyone will love.

Last week, I used the pineapple rinds (yes, the rinds!) to make an amazing Pineapple Tea. Today, I made pineapple popsicles.

Here’s how to make them:

Pineapple Tea

Get a nice ripe pineapple (preferably organic since we’re using the rind) and wash it well. Cut off the top and throw it away. Cut off the rind in big chunks. Take the rinds and put them into a freezer-safe bag, you can freeze the for up to a few months depending on the temp of your freezer.

Take a big chunk of the rind (maybe about the size of your palm) and use a knife to carve some criss-crosses on the pineapple side of the rind. Combine it with about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat a little. Let it simmer until you can really start to smell the pineapple (about 10-15 minutes). Let sit for another 10 minutes.
When you serve yourself a cup, add sugar to taste. It usually only needs half a teaspoon. I usually refrigerate the rest and we can have tea anytime! Try substituting your morning coffee for some sweet tea.

Pineapple Frozen Pops

You can use frozen, fresh, or canned pineapple. The amount of pineapple will depend on what you are using for your Popsicle mold. If you don’t have Popsicle molds, you can use little disposable cups and Popsicle sticks. I used:

2 cups of Fresh Pineapple, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, and about 1 cup water. Put the ingredients into a blender, or into a quart-sized container if you own an awesome hand blender, like I do. Next, put the mixture through a strainer. Pour the mixture into your molds, freeze, and once they are frozen, enjoy!

Easy Oatmeal Cookies

2009-05-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

The link below is from last year, but it’s still super funny. Combine Stephen Colbert and cookies, and you get magic.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/174545/june-19-2008/cookie-monster

I personally need cookies to survive, so my life mission has become to make amazing tasting cookies while trying to make them healthy at the same time. Not an easy undertaking, I assure you.

This dilemma reminds me of some song lyrics from Shakira:

No todo lo rico engorda (Not everything delicious is fattening)

No todo lo bueno es pecado (Not everything good is a sin)

Too many people have associated low fat or healthy foods with tasteless. It doesn’t have to be that way! I’ve been working on a couple cookie recipes for a long time and I think I finally have something worth sharing. My primary goal is make them as tasty as possible. It’s so hard to find a recipe out there that tastes good and isn’t terrible for you. Without compromising tastiness, I’m trying to cut down or eliminate the following:

Sugar
Oil
Eggs
Milk

I promise that you won’t be able to tell! When you make these, see if people notice, I bet they won’t! First off, you’ll need one ripe banana. I’m talkin’ super ripe. Like it’s going-in-the-garbage-cause-it-just-squished-in-my-hand ripe. I managed to somehow save one banana in my house, and while it’s not at it’s super ripe perfection, it’s close:

My Super Ripe Banana

My Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies

Sinless Chewy Oatmeal Cookies (makes about 2 dozen)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat fluor

1 heaping cup brown sugar

2 tbsp oil and 1/4 cup applesauce*

1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
2 heaping cups of oats

1 mashed very ripe banana
a couple spoonfuls of water

1 cup raisins (optional, but very recommended)

*You can use just 1/4 cup oil if you don’t have applesauce on hand, or if you like your cookies a bit more crispy (as opposed to chewy). If you use the oil, remember to add 3 tbsps of white sugar. If you use the applesauce, experiment with different types of applesauce (strawberry, cinnamon, etc).

First off, you need two medium sized mixing bowls.

First Bowl: Mix the oil/applesauce, sugar, water, vanilla, and banana. Make sure to mix well, use a mixer if you have to. Add in your raisins (or any other extra you may have).

Second Bowl: Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Combine the two bowls into one, but don’t mix too hard, do it as gently as possible. Lastly, add the oats. If it’s too dry, add water until it’s manageable. Scoop the yummy cookie dough by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. I like to use parchment paper/waxed paper so that I don’t have to worry about a dirty cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on how large your cookies are. The best way to know is to sneak a peek at the bottom of the cookie and see if it is slightly brown. If it is, take them out immediately, because cookies tend to keep cooking even after you take them out of the oven! Let them stand for 10 minutes. If you can’t wait that long, then go ahead and burn your tongue =)
So good!

Enjoy!