The Vegetarian Who Hates Tofu

Homemade Soft Pretzels

2012-03-06T10:09:00.001-05:00

I was planning to post this yesterday but life got in the way. Both my kids are home sick again today but they're well enough to snuggle up on the couch to watch The Wizard of Oz and eat pop corn which gives me a bit of time to get a post up!

I made these pretzels over the weekend and they were a huge hit. I modified this recipe from V-gasm using whole wheat pastry flower instead of all-purpose. I don't own a stand mixer so I mixed the dough by hand, which worked just fine for me. I also made it a little easier and quicker by making pretzel bites instead of trying to form the dough into pretzel shapes. They came out really tasty and my kids loved them!

This recipe made three trays of pretzel bites. I did the first two with salt and the third I tried cinnamon sugar (1 Tbsp sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon). They both came out really good!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used quick rise)
4 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp earth balance butter, melted

10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda

Coarse sea salt, cinnamon sugar, or other topping for pretzels

Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for a few minutes. Add flour and butter. Stir till well combined and kneed a few times to form a smooth dough. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl and cover. I let my dough rise in a warm oven, preheated to the lowest temperature and then turned off. Just be sure it's not too hot or you'll end up cooking the dough! Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size. Using quick rise yeast my dough was ready in about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (If you are using the oven to rise the dough be sure to remove it before preheating the oven!).

Bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot, then turn heat down slightly to keep a gentle rolling boil.

Turn dough out on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into smaller pieces and roll out into a long rope. Use a knife to cut the dough into bite sized pieces.

Transfer pretzel bites to the boiling water (about 8-10 pieces at a time). Boil for approximately 30 seconds. Remove pretzels from water using a slotted spoon and transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet (I did not use parchment paper like the original recipe suggested, but I do recommend it since my pretzels did stick to the pan quite a bit). Repeat with remaining dough to fill the baking sheet. Sprinkle pretzels with coarse sea salt or other topping and bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove from pan & serve. Repeat with remaining dough.

Enjoy!

I will be posting my March giveaway this week (another post that was suppose to be up yesterday! Oops...) so be sure to check back and enter for a chance to win!

Vacation...kind of

2012-02-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

I'm not actually going on a vacation. I wish I was, I hate cold weather almost as much as I hate tofu! Haha :)
And that's not my dog, just a cute picture I found online and couldn't resist. But Frenchy is looking fluffier these days. Here she is in the snow a few weeks ago.

A big change from when we first brought her home!

Anyway, back to the point. I am going back to work. I haven't worked outside of my home in about 6 years, although I work in my home plenty! Raising two wonderful children, being a maid, a cook, a dog walker, you know all the basic stay-at-home-mom stuff. Too bad I can't get paid to do that, I'm pretty good at it! Oh well, getting paid in hugs & kisses is rewarding too!

The reason I am going back to work is because I want to go back to school. I took some college courses last semester (and made Dean's list! Yeah I'm bragging :D) but took off this semester to save money. I don't want to take out student loans at this point in my life so if I want to finish school I need to have the money to pay for it. It's just really hard to work that into our family's budget on a single income, so I've decided that I want it enough to go back to work and make it happen.

I'm still figuring out what I want to do with my life. There is a natural chef training program at a culinary school that I am interested in or I could continue with college since apparently I'm a genius! Just kidding. Anyway, I need to figure it all out, but I have some time. I'm hoping to have a plan in place so I can start back to school in September.

In the meantime, I will be back to work as a hair stylist. Not really my dream job at this point, but it will pay the school bills! Last time I worked as a hair stylist was in Los Angeles before I had my daughter. She's turning 5 this April, so it's been a while!

This is me at The B Shop in West Hollywood where I worked for a while when Phil and I first moved out to California.

We're back in New Jersey now so being a hair stylist is a lot less glamorous. Oh well.

So I start back to work tomorrow and I know this is going to be a big transition for me and my kids. Plus my husband who can barely make a piece of toast and will now have to cook dinner for himself and the kids a few times a week! And my mom who will be baby sitting a couple afternoons each week while I'm at work (Thanks mom! Your the best!).

While we are getting used to our new routine I've decided to take a couple weeks off from blogging. I just need to focus on making this new schedule work for our family. So I'm taking a small vacation from my blog. But don't worry! I'll be back in a couple weeks with a really cool giveaway on Monday March 5th, so be sure to check back then!

Valentine's Day Treats

2012-02-13T10:14:00.003-05:00

Although I'm celebrating Valentine's Day without sugary treats since I'm in the middle of a cleanse (really poor timing I know!), I still wanted to share some of my favorite sweet treats with you all in case you're in need of a special dessert recipe for tomorrow.

First off, check out this recipe I posted on Friday from Happy Go Lucky Vegan! So cute + no sugar = totally awesome dessert with no sugar crash! Thanks Jesse!

Last year I made these yummy Chubby Hubby Cookie Bars which were a huge hit with my hubby & kids.

I love chocolate & peanut butter! It's probably my favorite dessert combo. If you love it as much as I do, another awesome PB & Choc. dessert is Homemade Peanut Butter Cups!

If you're looking for something light & fruity, try some raw ice cream! I made this one a couple weeks ago and added a little extra fancy with the chocolate hearts. Just melt chocolate, pour it into a small ziplock & snip the corner. Then drizzle chocolate onto waxed paper in whatever shape you want! Once it's cooled, just peel off the waxed paper and voila! Fancy in a snap!

If you're looking for fancy and indulgent, try these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles from Chef Chloe! I saw this recipe on her site a couple weeks ago and made it for our game night. They were awesome and a whole plate of them were devoured in one evening! We seriously ate way too many, but it was totally worth it!

And if you love this recipe, I recommend pre-ordering Chef Chloe's book, Chloe's Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way. I just got my copy in the mail on Friday and I am in love! Everything in it looks fabulous! I think the recipes look perfect for pleasing veggies & omnis alike, and there are some awesome appetizers and desserts that are calling my name! I'm looking forward to cooking from this book at our next get-together and my husband has already started requesting some of the recipes for dinner this week! So I should have some photos of Chloes delicious recipes posted soon!

And last but not least, here is what I made for my kids over the weekend. So simple and made them so happy! I just used a heart shaped candy mold, melted some vegan semi-sweet chocolate and used a pretzel for the stick. I'm going to make more of these to send in to school for their Valentine's Day party tomorrow.

Hope you all have a extra sweet Valentine's Day!

Weekly Guest: Jesse Nattamai from Happy Go Lucky Vegan

2012-02-10T10:01:00.001-05:00

Happy Guest Post Friday!

Each Friday I feature I different guest blogger. It's a fun way to get connected to other bloggers and gives me an opportunity to share even more veggie goodness with all of you! For a full list of past guests go here. And if you're interested in sharing a guest post of your own, feel free to email me at VegWhoHatesTofu (at) gmail (dot) com for more details!

This week I am featuring Jesse Nattamai from Happy Go Lucky Vegan.

Jesse lives, writes, gardens and feeds her ravenous appetite in Tucson, Arizona with her spicy-food loving husband and adorable dog. She taught middle school history for five years, and currently runs her own food blog at Happy Go Lucky Vegan while freelancing for other related websites. On the side, Jesse enjoys leading tours and workshops at Tucson Botanical Gardens, and writing short stories.

Happy Go Lucky Vegan has lots of amazing vegan recipes, plus a really cool feature called Style Sunday where Jesse posts about her super cute cruelty-free fashion finds (I'm seriously jealous of her wardrobe!).

Now I'll turn the floor over to Jesse:

Hi, I’m Jesse from Happy Go Lucky Vegan! I’ve been a vegan for almost 2 years now, and started my blog to document the journey. In the beginning, I knew my bucket of chicken and cheeseburger-loving lifestyle was going to be tough to transform. Therefore, I transitioned slowly from reducing meat and eventually adopted a vegetarian diet. When I was ready, I eliminated dairy and eggs, and started incorporating cruelty-free clothing and toiletry choices soon after. On this journey, there have been many ups and downs, hundreds of recipe experiments, and plenty of label-reading at the grocery and clothing stores . Yet the days seem a little brighter and kinder when I know I’m doing good things for my body, as well as mama Earth!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner – I knew I wanted to make my favorite Orange-Scented Short Bread Cookies. I used brown rice syrup instead of sugar –because who wants a sugar crash after a romantic dinner with your valentine? So not sexy! Brown rice syrup is my favorite sugar alternative, as it has a lower glycemic index and is less processed than agave nectar and granulated sugar. These shortbread cookies are a real treat; with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor and a little crunch. I also have to ask, how cute are these mini-heart shapes?

Orange-Scented Short Bread Cookies

Makes 12-15 cookies

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup semolina flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons arrowroot powder

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

large pinch cinnamon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

grated zest of 1 orange

Orange Glaze

¼ cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, arrowroot, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the oil, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until a moist ball forms. Place the dough ball on parchment paper, and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. With a rolling pin, gently roll the dough until it’s about ¼ inch think. Remove the top sheet, and using a cookie cutter, cut-out shapes and place them on a slightly greased cookie sheet. (If you do not have a cookie cutter, slice the dough into 2 inch squares). Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, make the orange glaze by creaming the powdered sugar and orange juice. When cookies are a golden color, remove them from the oven. Using a rubber spatula, spread the glaze on each cookie, and allow them to dry. Serve with a warm cup of coffee or tea.

These cookies sounds & look amazing Jesse! Such a perfect Valentine's Day treat. Thanks so much for sharing!

Connect with Jesse:

Website: HappyGoLuckyVegan.blogspot.com

Twitter: @JesseHGLV

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/The-Happy-Go-Lucky-Vegan

Pinterest: pinterest.com/jessefsilver215

21 Day Cleanse- Day 5

2012-02-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

As you may have read in my post earlier this week, I'm doing a 21 day cleanse. I started this past Saturday and up until last night it was going great. Then last night after tucking the kids into bed, Phil and I sat down on the couch to watch TV. Seriously, TV is going to ruin me! I just can't sit down to watch TV without wanting to stuff my face!

I've been keeping pretty busy the past few nights and didn't feel like I needed a snack at all. Whether I'm finishing up some chores, doing yoga, reading, whatever; as long as I'm not watching TV I'm not hungry. Which means I probably wasn't really hungry last night either. I just wanted to eat because I was watching TV! Crazy. But not shocking really since pretty much everyone knows that watching TV leads to mindless snacking.

I'm proud to say that I was (mostly) able to stick to my cleanse and fought off the craving for junk food. I ended up snacking on cashews (too many) and a small bowl of fruit. And then I splurged on a handful of air popped popcorn, which is a pretty okay snack as far as I'm concerned, but I don't think it's a cleanse food.

I actually felt a little guilty after the popcorn, which made me really happy I didn't eat something worse. I actually started this same cleanse months ago and didn't make it past day three. At the time I felt really defeated. I mean it's only 3 weeks, how hard could it be? Turns out it's really hard, for me at least, when the cravings strike. But I really want to complete the cleanse this time around, to kick start a healthier diet and also just to prove to myself that I can do this. So I'm counting the popcorn as a minor set back, dealing with it and moving on. I'm not going to let a little thing like that make me give up!

I found this blog post on Tri and Live and Eat Better with some practical tips for mindful snacking. I often don't assess my hunger before snacking, and I certainly don't use proper portion control when snacking in front of the TV. All day for meals I do great, but once my butt hits that couch it's all over! I don't really watch too much TV, but the few shows I do watch end up leading to a lot of snacking. So I think my plan will be to assess my hunger before sitting down to watch TV and serving myself a snack based on how I feel then rather than how I feel once I start watching. Or maybe just skip watching TV. I could certainly do more productive things with my time! Either way, I am definitely going to be more mindful of my TV eating habits from now on.

Here are some of the things I've been eating and drinking on my cleanse so far:

Southwest Chop Salad with Cilantro Lime vinaigrette

Szechwan Cauliflower

Veggies with dip & almonds

Dehydrated Kale Chips

Green juice & lots of it!

Salad....

and more salad....

and more salad!!!!

Creamy Broccoli Soup from All-American Vegetarian (I used homemade vegetable broth for the liquid)

Fruit & veggie smoothie: 1/2 banana, 4 strawberries, blended with kale & cucumber juice

I had this for a sweet treat and it was delicious!

So that's my cleanse experience so far. I'll keep updating and hopefully have some new recipes to post soon. I'm perfecting a few dressings at the moment (since I'm eating a lot of salads!) so I'll probably have one or two of those to share soon.

I also have a wonderful guest post happening this Friday by The Happy Go Lucky Vegan with a Valentine dessert that you wont want to miss! It's not technically a cleanse food (according to the cleanse I'm doing) but it doesn't have any refined sugar which is awesome! And since I have done the gluten-free thing before and already know that gluten doesn't bother me, I may just splurge on one of these little whole wheat sugar free treats this weekend :D

21 Day Cleanse

2012-02-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

I've been in need of a serious diet makeover for months. The holidays really got the better of me this year (all those cookies & gingerbread lattes!). I thought I'd start fresh in January, but that didn't happen! So here I am in February, still eating way too much junk food, sugar, coffee, and wine. *sigh*

I finally decided I need to do something big to get my diet back on track. Little steps just weren't working for me, skipping a cup of coffee only to eat 2 (or 3...or 4...) doughnuts really isn't helpful (even if they are homemade)!

So this past Saturday I started the Crazy Sexy Diet 21 Day Cleanse. Basically I'm drinking green juice and lots of raw foods. I'm interspersing it with veggie packed macrobiotic recipes from Blissful Bites and some super hero recipes from The Kind Diet. So far (only on day 3) I feel great and I'm really happy to be getting junk food out of my life. I'm sure I will indulge in snacks occasionally after the cleanse, but my goal is to avoid getting sucked back into a junk food downward spiral and instead stay grounded in a healthy whole food diet.

Now when I say junk food I don't mean soda, doritos & fast food, the snacks we eat in our house are pretty mild compared to the standard american diet. But even vegan snack foods, and even homemade snacks and cookies (and yes even if they're made with whole wheat flour) can add up when you're going overboard. And that's what I've been doing, going way overboard on snacks and not eating nearly enough vegetables, which is weird for me because I love vegetables!

I've been kinda feeling like crap and getting lazy (and also getting a little chubby! Yikes) so I just need to get back on track with a diet that I know makes me feel good. I've also let my exercise routine slip, which brings me to my next point!

I signed up to run the Chicago half marathon in June! I am so excited about it! But I also know I have a lot of work ahead of me. Like I said, I've let my exercise routine slip, plus I've never been much of a runner. I usually prefer yoga or dance. I've considered the possibility of dancing the whole thing, but somehow I don't think that's very practical! :D

Anyway, I feel like this 21 day cleanse is a good start in the right direction. My lazy butt isn't going to be able to complete 13.1 miles jacked up on sugar and junk! So for February I am doing the cleanse and also focusing on yoga and core exercises to get my body ready to run.

I'll be talking more about my experience on the cleanse over the next 21 days, and about my training over the next few months, so stay tuned!

Also, if anyone knows any cool vegan friendly restaurants in Chicago let me know. This will be my first visit to the windy city!

Weekly Guest: Sarah Creighton From Veggie Kids

2012-02-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Guest Post Friday!

This year I have decided to feature a guest blogger every Friday. It's a fun way to get connected to other veggie bloggers and gives me an opportunity to share even more veggie goodness with all of you! If you're interested in sharing a guest post of your own, feel free to email me at VegWhoHatesTofu (at) gmail (dot) com for more details!

This week I am featuring Sarah Creighton from Veggie Kids!

Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sarah is the founder of Veggie Kids, a company dedicated to the health and nutrition of children and families, which offers hundreds of tried and tested vegan recipes focusing on healthy, whole ingredients. This former fashion designer turned self-made chef is currently raising her three boys to be vegan. You'll often find her in the kitchen whipping up some new creations with little helpers by her side!

Sarah recently authored a children's book, The Boy Who Loved Broccoli, with her artist father as the illustrator. This humorous fictional story is meant to encourage kids of all ages to eat their veggies! Because you never know when you'll need your broccoli super powers...

Sarah is working with a group advocating a hot lunch makeover in her kids' school district, promoting more fresh, organic and locally grown produce as well as less processed and more vegan choices. She's currently working on her next children's book, a book to promote veganism in kids, due out late this year.

I asked Sarah to share what inspired her to start Veggie Kids and write a children's book. Here's what she had to say:

The inspiration for Veggie Kids took root long before I began writing it. It started way back when I had my first child, who's now 7. He has rarely turned down broccoli (or many other veggies) so I wrote a book called "The Boy Who Loved Broccoli". After having two more children, ages 2 & 6, I got more and more involved in cooking and making sure they had plenty of healthy foods. I have found a new passion in coming up with plant-based recipes that my kids (and husband) will eat!
After being vegetarian for some time, I became a strict vegan about 2 years ago. Since then, I've brought my whole family on this plant-based journey. The knowledge I've learned along the way is incredible. Natural foods have healing properties, even in kids! I'm really into eating lots of raw fruits & vegetables throughout the day, making sure to get a good variety in my diet. I think it's important to make it fun and appetizing; no need to be fussy, just simple and pure.

Here is an amazing, kid approved, brownie recipe from Veggie Kids (be sure to check out the video on YouTube too!)

1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water for "flax egg"
2 cup flour (I use whole wheat for everything but it does make the brownie quite dense...use what you like)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup non-dairy butter (I use Earth Balance)
1 3/4 cup sugar (I used coconut palm sugar in place of white/granulated sugar)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup Canola oil (you could substitute unsweetened applesauce)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup purple puree*

*1 cup raw organic baby spinach
1/2 cup organic blueberries
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice

optional: 3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips, stir in last

Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray or line 9" x 9" baking pan.
Stir together "flax egg" and set aside to gel up.

To prepare purple puree, steam fresh spinach (or thaw frozen) and add that along with the blueberries, lemon juice and water to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, leaving no chunks.
In large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix together.
In medium microwave safe bowl, stir together melted butter and cocoa powder. Add "flax egg", sugar, milk, oil, vanilla and purple puree. Whisk together to combine well.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
Add optional nuts and/or chocolate chips (the mini ones work great and add another chocolate dimension!).
Pour into prepared pan, smooth out evenly with spatula.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Slice and eat!

Sarah was also kind enough to gift my kids a copy of The Boy Who Loved Broccoli, and they adore it! Now they like to show off their super cool muscles after every bite of veggies at the dinner table! It's a super cute book! And not only do I get to enjoy reading it with my kids, but I also get to share a copy with one lucky reader. That's right, Sarah is awesome and sent me an extra copy to giveaway!

To enter for a chance to win a copy of The Boy Who Loved Broccoli, here's what you have to do:
1. Follow Veggie Kids on Facebook and/or Twitter
2 Follow Vegetarian Who Hates Tofu on Facebook and/or Twitter
3. Comment below telling what your kid's favorite vegetable is :D

You can do one or all of these, just leave a separate comment for each entry. The giveaway will end at Midnight (est) on Monday February 6th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday February 7th.

Good luck!

Connect with Sarah:
Website: veggie-kids.net
Blog: veggie-kids.blogspot.com
Book: Amazon.com
Twitter: @VeggieKidsBlog
Facebook: Facebook.com/VeggieKids.Blogspot

Mini Doughnut Week- Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Chocolate Ganache

2012-02-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

Sadly this will be my last doughnut recipe for "Mini Doughnut Week". The good news is that it's my favorite so far! And I'm sure I will continue to experiment with doughnut recipes and post some new ones every once in a while. I am seriously in love with my mini doughnut pan!

These peanut butter doughnuts came out more dense than my other recipes. It's almost like a cookie bar consistency. But I like it so I'm sticking with it!

Peanut Butter Doughnuts
(makes 12)

3/4 unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
pinch nutmeg
1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water
3 Tbsp rice milk
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix flax meal with water and set aside to thicken. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan heat milk and peanut butter on medium low heat, stirring often, until peanut butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Add flax mixture, peanut butter mixture, and vanilla to dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon dough into doughnut pan. (This dough is thicker than the others so don't try to use a decorating tip!)

Bake for 8 minutes.

Let cool.

Drizzle with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Heat almond milk and vanilla to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Stir in chocolate and maple syrup. Remove from heat and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then drizzle over doughnuts.

Enjoy!

Peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite! If you are a fan of the PB & chocolate combo too, you might want to try homemade PB cups or Chubby Hubby Cookie Bars :)

Mini Doughnut Week- Chocolate-Banana Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze & Pecans

2012-02-01T09:52:00.001-05:00

This one is for the chocolate lovers! This doughnut seems to be the favorite so far with Phil and the kids. Of all the doughnuts I've made this one is the most cake like in texture. It's like a little mini cake full of yummy chocolaty goodness!

Chocolate-Banana Doughnuts
(Makes 12)

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or try whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup unsweetened rice milk
1 ripe banana
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend rice milk and banana in a blender until smooth. Add banana mixture and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon mixture into lightly greased mini doughnut pan (Or try using a large decorating tip to pipe the dough into the doughnut pan).

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let doughnuts cool.

Then glaze & decorate!

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp hot water

Whisk ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Dip cooled doughnuts into glaze, top with pecans or sprinkles if desired & set on waxed paper to set.

Enjoy!

Mini Doughnut Week- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

2012-01-31T09:13:00.001-05:00

These sweet little doughnuts are low-fat and under 50 calories a pop! (calculated on CalorieCount.com) I used apple sauce in place of butter but you'd never know it, they are simply delicious! Both my husband and my Mom were amazed when I told them that these little guys had no added fat.

Of course they still have sugar so I wouldn't recommend going crazy and downing a whole batch in one sitting. But one (or two) of these are a perfect sweet treat if you're watching your fat intake.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Doughnuts
(Makes 12)

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp flax meal mixed with 1 Tbsp warm water (let stand a minute or two to thicken)
2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flax meal with warm water and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add flax mixture and the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well.

Spoon mixture into lightly greased mini doughnut pan (Or try using a large decorating tip to pipe the dough into the doughnut pan).

Bake for 8 minutes & check with a toothpick.

Let cool.

Then glaze.

Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp HOT water

Whisk ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Dip cooled doughnuts into glaze & set on waxed paper to set.

Enjoy!

Mini Doughnut week- Basic Cake Doughnuts

2012-01-30T11:34:00.003-05:00

My Mom bought me a couple mini doughnut pans on Saturday and it is totally one of the best gifts I have ever been given. Homemade baked mini doughnuts are amazing! I spent the rest of my weekend in the kitchen testing recipes. I was hoping to come up with one good recipe to post this week, but once I got going I just couldn't stop baking doughnuts! So I decided to make it a whole week of mini doughnut recipes!

To kick off Mini Doughnut Week, I'll start simple with a Basic Cake Doughnut & Simple Glaze recipe. I used the recipe that came on the packaging of my doughnut pan, only I veganized it. I also cross referenced it with the recipe from Vegan Yum Yum (btw what ever happened to Vegan Yum Yum???) which seems to be the popular vegan doughnut recipe that's been floating around for a few years now. Mine is pretty close, just a few slight measurement & ingredient differences. Also my baking time is shorter, but that may vary depending on your oven and possibly your doughnut pan. The directions on my pan said 8 minutes, and so far every batch I've made came out perfect at 8 minutes, so that's what I'm going with. But I recommend testing with a clean toothpick to make sure they're cooked through, and adjusting your cooking time accordingly.

Basic Cake Doughnuts
(Makes 24)
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 Tbsp warm water (let stand a minute or two to thicken)
1/2 cup rice milk
1/4 cup Earth Balance butter, melted (use soy-free EB if you are avoiding soy)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix flax meal and water and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add flax mixture and the rest of the wet ingredients and stir till well combined.

Spoon mixture into lightly greased mini doughnut pan OR use a 6B (or similar size) decorating tip to pipe the dough into the pan. (I found piping the dough to be easier and less messy, but I was using a plastic ziplock bag and it busted half way through. If you have a better quality decorating bag on hand I think it's worth trying though.)

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool and decorate with glaze and sprinkles!

Glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp HOT water

Whisk together confectioner's sugar and water. Dip each doughnut in glaze, dip into sprinkles if desired, and set on wax paper to set.

I found this glaze mixture to work perfectly. It cooled quickly and set to a nice consistency.

And voila! Perfect little homemade doughnuts! They are so adorable & really easy to make. My daughter was totally thrilled when she saw these & so far everyone who has tried them is in love!

Enjoy!

Check back tomorrow for Low-Fat Cinnamon Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar glaze!

Weekly Guest: Rebecca from All-American Vegetarian

2012-01-27T10:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Guest Post Friday!

So far this month we've heard from Phil Bicking and Lindsay Haglund. This week's guest is Rebecca, creator and author of All-American Vegetarian. I love Rebecca's family friendly recipe style. Especially since her family dynamic is similar to mine, with two young children to please and a mix of plant-based diets to accommodate at one dinner table; I know I can always find a recipe my whole family will enjoy when I visit her blog!

Here is Rebecca's story:

I'm Rebecca, creator and author of the All-American Vegetarian blog. I want to graciously thank Michele for asking me to be a guest blogger. Michele and I have a love for The Kind Life, Alicia's Peanut Butter Cups and a strong passion for following a plant-based diet. We are also raising our children as thoughtful, kind, and compassionate eaters.

I have been a vegetarian for about 15 years. I was a vegetarian who included eggs and dairy on a daily basis and had fish every once in a while. My husband was on board with this diet because he was raised in a vegetarian home - so that always made cooking and grocery shopping quite easy.

Last year, I saw Kathy Freston, author of Veganist, on Oprah and I had a lightbulb moment. Why on earth was I still consuming vast amounts of animal products? Yes, I was proud that I didn't eat meat, but suddenly I realized I was still contributing to animal cruelty - even if we bought all organic products. I immediately purchased her book, devoured it, and then immediately stopped devouring eggs and dairy - just like that. My very first attempt at vegan baking was creating a chocolate chip cookie recipe - and I learned something new: the flax-egg. I was on my way and I was excited! I then read Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet and that confirmed everything I was feeling. I felt empowered and passionate.

Ever since those first vegan moments, my mental, spiritual, and physical body have become "clean". I love following this diet and am challenged and energized by it. I am also amazed by and thankful for the blogging community who has embraced vegans and those following a plant-based diet.

Today I am sharing two of my favorite recipes. The first is my child-(and adult-!) approved, Magic Granola Bars. The other is my current obsession, Mulligatawny Soup.
Enjoy and happy, healthy eating!

Magic Granola Bars

2 cups rolling oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup unhulled hemp seeds
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or currants, or raisins, or dried apricots, or dried cherries...)
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds (or walnuts, or cashews, or pecans, or pistachios....)
1/2 cup almond butter (or peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter...)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey, or brown rice syrup, or agave nectar...)
1/8 cup maple sugar (or raw cane sugar)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal (to sprinkle on after baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix oats, wheat germ, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, cranberries, and almonds.

Transfer to a large jelly roll pan, spreading out into a single layer. Place in hot oven and toast for about 8 minutes. Remove and let cool a bit. Return to large bowl.

In a saucepan, heat almond butter, maple syrup and maple sugar. Bring to a boil, remove from heat.

Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and combine well.

Transfer this mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish (I recommend lining baking dish with parchment paper for ease of removal once baked). Firmly press mixture down and together into baking dish.

Place in heated oven and bake 25 minutes. When removed from oven, immediately sprinkle ground flaxseeds, press lightly into granola bars. Let cool about 10 minutes, cut and remove from dish. Otherwise if they cool and harden, you might have a difficult time removing from dish (unless you used parchment paper).

Place individual servings into small plastic baggies or wrap in wax paper so you have ready-to-go snacks. I freeze my individually-wrapped bars and then remove a couple from the freezer in the morning.

*The beauty of these granola bars is you can change them up based on your preferences: the types of dried fruit, nuts, nut butter, sweetener. Also they are easy to grab-and-go for snacks on the run. I find they are relatively mess-free in carseats.*

Mulligatawny Soup

2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 TB turmeric
3 Tbsp curry powder
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1-1/2 cup dried red lentils
6 cups vegetable broth OR 3 cusp broth + 3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk OR water OR vegetable broth
Garnishes:
fresh lemon slices
chopped cilantro

Place chopped onion, celery, and carrots with olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Saute about 10 minutes, until tender. (Time-Saver Tip: I chopped my veggies using my food processor.)

While veggies are sauteing, place garlic and ginger in mini food-chopper and process. (OR mince garlic and ginger by hand.)

You can also prepare the spices while veggies are sauteing. I placed coriander, cumin and black pepper together in small bowl. And then put turmeric and curry powder in separate bowl. Don't forget the cinnamon stick!

After veggies have cooked, add garlic-ginger mixture and stir together for about 30 seconds. Add above spices and mix to coat well, about 1 minute.

Add canned tomatoes (with juice), lentils, and 6 cups vegetable broth. Simmer about 45 minutes until lentils have softened. Add salt and sugar.

After 45 minutes, allow soup to cool a bit. *Remove cinnamon stick!* Pour into blender and puree until smooth (You will need to do this in several small batches so have another pot handy to pour pureed soup into).

Return pureed soup to stove top and add 2 cups additional liquid. Allow to return to a low simmer to heat through.

Serve with slices of fresh lemon and lots of chopped cilantro.

*Add-In Suggestions: white or sweet potatoes, raw cashews, cooked rice (after pureeing).
*I serve this soup with vegetable samosas which I pick up already made in the freezer section. Naan is another good side, just read ingredients carefully. Some have butter.

Connect with Rebecca:
Website: AllAmericanVegetarian.blogspot.com
Facebook : Facebook.com/All-American-Vegetarian
Email: vegetarianforever@hotmail.com

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

2012-01-26T15:05:00.001-05:00

Phil was very skeptical when I told him I was going to make a stromboli this past weekend. According to him it's not a real stromboli if it doesn't have cheese. Guess I proved him wrong since he loved this roasted vegetable stromboli even though it doesn't contain cheese or even a cheese substitute! Instead I used a white bean spread which turned out to be quite tasty.

I actually used half the vegetables & bean spread when I made this, but next time I will use the whole recipe because even though it looked like too much originally, once it was cooked I realized it could have used more veggies. I also think a side of marinara would go nicely for dipping, but it's very flavorful on it's own so that's optional.

I also burned myself while taking my stromboli out of the oven (don't worry I'm okay!) and dropped it half off the pan onto the oven door. Luckily it didn't fall on the floor and I was able to salvage it, but I was disappointed that it looks a little sloppy in the pictures. I'll have to update the photos next time I make this. But despite being a little disheveled it was a really delicious dinner!

1 recipe pizza dough (or use your favorite recipe)

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables:

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp Italian seasoning

Pinch each fine sea salt and black pepper

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 small purple onion, roughly chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves

White Bean Spread:

2 cloves garlic

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp Italian seasoning

¼ tsp fine sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, oil, seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with vegetables in a roasting pan. Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

Add spinach and toss.

Lower oven to 375.

Meanwhile, in a blender, pulverize garlic. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

On a clean floured work surface, roll out dough. Place dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Pour bean mixture onto center of dough. Top with roasted vegetables.

Fold dough over on all sides and pinch closed. Lightly brush top with oil. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Dino Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing

2012-01-24T11:00:00.003-05:00

I think this is my new favorite salad! It has all my favorites; kale, chickpeas, and sun dried tomatoes, all drizzled with a creamy delicious homemade vegan caesar dressing! It was really tasty and light yet filling. I am looking forward to having it again for lunch today. Yum!

I also got a few new plates from Home Goods the other day so I could fancy up my food photos a bit. What do you think? I also got this one:

I'm still working on it, but it's fun to try to be artistic at least :)

This is how I really served the caesar salad:

Not as fancy but delicious none the less! And as you can see I set out some romaine too. I prefer kale, but my kids like romaine so I figured we'd try both. My son likes kale, but only when we're at Whole Foods and he's sitting in the cart with a bunch of kale on his lap picking pieces off and eating it. Weird right? Oh well, it makes for a fun shopping trip, everyone at Whole Foods thinks he's adorable!

The kids also ate some homemade pizzas that they made themselves. But sadly, somewhere between splatters of sauce and flour everywhere, I forgot to take pictures of that. *Sigh* Next time!

Here is my Caesar Dressing recipe:

2 garlic cloves

¼ cup raw cashews

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp tamari

1 (15oz) can cannellini beans

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried parsley

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp dried chives

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a blender, pulverize garlic. Then add cashews and all liquids, and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend to get a thick and creamy dressing.

Note: I like my caesar dressing on the thick side. If you prefer it a little thinner you can use less beans or add a little water to the recipe to thin it out.

For Cajun Roasted Chickpeas:

1 cup chickpeas (or a 15oz can), thoroughly drained

2 tsp oil (I used safflower)

1 tsp cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 425.

Place chick peas on a baking sheet. Add oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice during cooking to avoid burning. Serve warm or cooled.

To assemble Dino Kale Caesar Salad:

1 Bunch dino kale, stems removed, leaves chopped

1 head romaine (optional)

1 recipe cajun roasted chickpeas

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

2 green onions, chopped

Vegan caesar dressing, recipe above

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place a bed of kale on each plate. Top with chickpeas, sun dried tomatoes, and green onions. Drizzle with dressing and add pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Update: I'm eating this right now for lunch & added some kalamata olives. Oh so good! :)

Stuffed Zucchini

2012-01-23T11:20:00.001-05:00

I whipped up these stuffed zucchinis for dinner last night along with a small batch of hummus appetizer. It was a really tasty!

My husband & kids were surprised when I brought out this dessert, which was one of my Valentine's day dessert ideas that I wanted to try out. I was really on my A-game in the kitchen yesterday!

Isn't it cute!? Just a little raw ice cream and chocolate. Fancy plating makes all the difference!

Now back to the stuffed zucchini....

You can use left over rice for this recipe. I used long grain brown rice but you can try any kind of rice you like. You can also substitute yellow squash for the zucchini if you like. I added the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts to add a little texture and flavor. Here's the recipe:

Stuffed Zucchini

4 small zucchini

1 tsp Earth Balance butter

1 garlic clove, minced

5 small button mushrooms, finely chopped

1 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

2 Tbsp pine nuts

1 cup cooked rice

3 Tbsp tomato paste

Fine sea salt & black pepper

Fresh basil leaves, chiffonade or torn for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice zucchini in half longwise.

Scoop out insides and blend to puree. Set zucchini shells on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Meanwhile, heat Earth Balance over medium heat until melted. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender and golden. Stir in pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Remove from heat and stir in rice, tomato paste, and zucchini puree until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill each zucchini shell with rice mixture.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle fresh basil over the tops just before serving.

Enjoy!

Weekly Guest: Lindsay Haglund from Green Food, Green Thumb, High Heels

2012-01-20T09:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Guest Post Friday!

This year I have decided to feature a guest blogger every Friday. It's a fun way to get connected to other veggie bloggers and gives me an opportunity to share even more veggie goodness with all of you! If you're interested in sharing a guest post of your own, email me at VegWhoHatesTofu (at) gmail (dot) com for more details!

Last week we heard from Phil Bicking (my darling husband <3). This week's guest is Lindsay Haglund who writes the awesome blog, Green Food, Green Thumb, High Heels. You may remember Lindsay from her amazingly delicious stuffed mushroom recipe I posted last May. I've also guests posted over at Lindsay's blog, which is one of my very favorite veggie blogs!

Lindsay is also recovering from knee surgery right now which you can read about here, here, and here. Be sure to stop by and send her some love & encouragement!

Now I will turn the floor over to Lindsay:

Hi there, I'm Lindsay and I blog over at Green Food, Green Thumb, High Heels. A big thank you to Michele for having me guest post today. I've been following Michele's blog since I first started blogging, a little over a year ago, after meeting her through the fabulous online community The Kind Life. Michele and I share a love of healthy vegan recipes, and promoting a healthy and kind lifestyle for our bodies and our planet.

I first made the transition to a veggie lifestyle about two years ago when I decided to give up meat for good. Gradually over the next year I weaned additional animal products out of my life. I am not a perfect vegan, but I strive to follow a plant-based diet and cruelty-free lifestyle as best I can, and I've never felt better! I've loved to cook since I was a little girl, and these days, experimenting with vegan recipes is my ultimate passion!

One of the most common questions I get asked regarding my plant-based diet is "where do you get your protein?" I'm sure almost every vegetarian and vegan can relate to those words. It's frustrating, since the answer is so clear to me, yet not always so easy to convey to others. Protein is in almost everything! Not just animal products, but plants too! You just have to know where to look. Some of my favorite vegan protein sources include chic peas and hummus, lentils, black beans, quinoa, brown rice, spinach, tempeh (fermented soy products), nuts, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, nut milk, and my favorite vegan protein powder from Sunwarrior.

I like to keep variety in my diet to enjoy a maximum amount of nutrients, but I'm never lacking in protein sources! One of my favorite protein-packed recipes is vegan quinoa cakes. They are super easy to make, and make delicious burger patties, appetizers, salad toppers, or on-the-go snacks. Top them off with a sauce of your choice, and enjoy! I use ground flax seeds in this recipe to bind the patties in lieu of eggs. You can purchase flax seeds at health food and specialty stores, and many grocery stores. I just pop a few tablespoons into a clean coffee grinder and grind away; then I store my ground flax in a mason jar in the freezer to keep them fresh. I use it for baking, and add it in my smoothies for a nutrient boost.

I do take some nutritional supplements, but I try to stick to the natural ones. I take a vegan Vitamin D and B-12 supplement every day, to make sure I am getting an adequate amount of these vitamans that are more difficult to acquire on a daily basis through a vegan diet. I am also a juice-aholic! I invested in a juicer about a year ago, and it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I load up on nutrients through my daily juicing, and juicing is my go-to source if I'm ever feeling under the weather or in need a little energy boost. My favorite juices are green juice, because they are super energizing, alkalizing and nutritious. I use cucumbers and celery as a base, then add whatever else I have on hand including kale, spinach, swiss chard, apples, lemons, carrots and more.

The best part about following a healthy plant-based diet is the benefits I have received. Ever since adopting this lifestyle I've been able to keep my weight at a steady and healthy level, my immune system in stronger than ever, and I've kicked chronic allergies and fatigue to the curb. Sometimes the labels "vegetarian" or "vegan" can be very black or white, and frustrating for people trying to make small changes to their diet. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach, especially in the beginning. I remember the day when I said "I could never give up cheese! Pizza and nachos are my weakness..." but those days are behind me and these days I feel the same if you tried to pry kale or chia seeds from my tight lil' grasp. Your palate changes and adapts with time and dietary change. Never in a million years would I imagine that someday I'd enjoy going to the juice bar just as much, (if not more!) than I enjoy going out for a beer or cocktail, but it's true. I live a healthy life fueled by good real food, and I love to cook, so stop on over and check out Green Food, Green Thumb, High Heels for more healthy veggie and juicing recipes, and plant-strong living!

Peace, Love & Veggies xo

Recipes:

Lindsay's Daily Green Juice:

1/2 cucumber

3 stalks celery

1 gala apple

4 lg. romaine leaves

1 lemon

Juice all ingredients in a juicer & drink! :)

Quinoa Cakes: (Makes 6 quinoa cakes)
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (For gluten free, use garbanzo bean flour)
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 cups water
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp lemon zest.
1/2 tsp lime zest
juice from 1 lemon
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
fresh salsa to garnish
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook quinoa according to directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Combine 2 cups cooked quinoa with flour, ground flax seeds and water.
Add grated carrots, spices, lemon and lime zest, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Wet hands with water, and form 6-1″ thick quinoa patties. Pat edges of patties to firm up–rewetting hands with water if needed.
Place canola oil in stovetop pan and brown patties for 4 minutes on each side.
Transfer to baking sheet and bake for additional 15-18 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Remove from oven and serve. Garnish with salsa, vegan sour cream, and fresh avocado slices.

**Optional: for a lower fat version, skip the pan sear and put the patties straight into the oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until cooked through.

Connect with Linsday:

Website: GreenFoodGreenThumb.com

Twitter: @lovesveggees

Pinterest: lovesveggees

Pizza Flavored Crackers

2012-01-16T09:05:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to cut back on snacking recently. I normally do good all day but once the kids are in bed the junk food comes out! And I always regret it in the morning, it's a vicious cycle. I'm trying to do better though, limiting myself to a small serving and keeping a strict limit on how much snack foods we keep in the house.

One thing that has helped motivate me is making my own snacks from scratch. Not only is it healthier and cheaper then most packaged store bought snack foods, it also takes time and energy to make. That's not to say that these crackers are hard to make, they're actually quite easy, but it does obviously take more time to bake a homemade snack then it does to open a bag of chips and plop my butt on the couch! And because of that, I am less likely to eat the whole batch and more motivated to stick to a reasonable portion, although they are tasty enough to tempt me to eat the whole batch!

I was going for a pizza gold fish flavor and I think they taste perfect. Phil thinks they're mild, so if you prefer the "flavor blasted" style gold fish then you might want to increase the spices a bit. But I like them this way. If you want to get really fancy you can even use a little goldfish cookie cutter! But you may need to adjust the cooking time since I cut my crackers bigger then goldfish.

Pizza Flavored Crackers

1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

Pinch cayenne

6 Tbsp Earth Balance butter

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add earth balance and work it into the flour mixture with your hands until it's well combined and crumbly. Mix in tomato paste and water. Knead with hands until smooth dough forms.

On a clean, floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter to make shapes or use a pizza slicer to make squares or triangles. Place cut dough onto a cookie sheet. They can be close together but not touching. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned along the edges. Cool and store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Weekly Guest: Phil Bicking

2012-01-13T11:32:00.002-05:00

One of the new features on my blog this year is weekly guest posts. Last Friday I shared an interview and recipe from Lindsay Nixon of Happy Herbivore. This week's guest is Phil Bicking, my awesome husband and creator of WinterIsComing.net, a popular fan site for the HBO series Game of Thrones.

I asked Phil to share his experience transitioning to a plant based diet. Since I do pretty much all the cooking in our house, when I made the decision to switch to a plant based lifestyle Phil and our kids really had no choice but to come along for the ride. That's not to say that I forced them to eat vegetables against their will, I just stopped buying meat and eventually stopped buying eggs and dairy products as well. Although it was a challenge at first to come up with a whole weeks worth of plant based meals to feed my family, I eventually got the hang of it and now it's just the norm for us. But I still wonder sometimes what Phil thinks of the whole thing. So I asked him, and here's what he had to say:

It was over a year ago that Michele first told me that she wanted our family to be vegetarians. She had been eating a vegetarian diet for a while but was still cooking meat for me and the kids. At first, I didn’t know what to think. How was I going to give up eating meat? I was eating meat at least two meals a day, either chicken or beef. So this was going to be a major change. I agreed to try it out though. Michele is a great cook, so I had faith that she would come up with delicious meals. But I still was certain I would miss eating meat.
But you know what? I don’t! All the vegetarian, plant-based meals are delicious and just as filling as the animal-protein filled ones. The whole myth of vegetarians eating just salad, or tasteless entrees filled with rubbery faux meat, was blown right out of the water. I get delicious and healthy meals that are good for me, and also good for animals and the environment. What is not to like? I have even found some of the veggie meals to be better than their meat-filled counterparts. Cauliflower steak is delicious. And lentil tacos are out of this world. I also really love mac & “chee” and tostada pizza. But really, I've enjoyed all the plant based meals that Michele serves and haven't felt at all deprived because they don't include meat and dairy products.
Now, to be honest, I still eat a little meat occasionally, but it is far, far less than I ate before. Every once in a while on special occasions, like recent holiday parties, or out of convenience in a pinch. But I honestly prefer my wife's plant based recipes at this point. And I am much healthier as a result. I’ve even lost some weight. And, according to Michele, my skin looks better.
I’m really glad Michele decided to transition our family to a plant based diet. Especially for our kids, who are now growing up without having their bodies full of hormones, chemical pesticides, and who knows what else, and are learning to respect our planet and all the creatures on it. Plant based food is not only delicious, but our family is healthier and happier because of it!

So there you have it, even a previous meat-junkie can be happy and healthy on a plant based diet! Thank you Phil for sharing your thoughts, and for being so supportive of my vision for our family's health & wellness.

Connect with Phil:

Website: WinterIsComing.net

Facebook: facebook.com/WICnet

Twitter: @WICnet

Raw Cranberry Walnut Bites

2012-01-11T10:52:00.001-05:00

After a few failed attempts at another dessert I'm working on I decided to give up (just for a day) and try something else. I ended up with these yummy raw balls that remind me of cranberry-orange muffins. They definitely satisfy my sweet tooth without the guilt. So it's a win-win situation!

Cranberry Walnut Raw Balls

1 3/4 cups raw walnuts halves, divided

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp orange zest

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp agave nectar

Blend 1 1/2 cups walnuts in a blender until they are crushed to a crumb like consistency. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Blend the other 1/4 cup of walnuts and set aside in a seperate bowl. Place cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and agave in blender and pulse until cranberries are pureed, it wont be totally smooth but that's okay. Add cranberry mixture to the larger bowl of walnuts and stir till combined. At first it will seem dry but once you really work the liquids in it should come together.

Roll into bite sized balls then roll each ball in the remaining walnut crumbs to coat. Transfer to refridgerator and chill for 1 hour before serving to firm them up a bit. (or stick them in the freezer if you're in a hurry!)

Enjoy!

If you enjoy this recipe you might also like to try my recipe for Chocolate Covered Mostly-Raw Balls!

Winner of the Blissful Bites Giveaway!

2012-01-06T11:20:00.007-05:00

Just wanted to announce the winner of the Blissful Bites cookbook giveaway! I used random.org to pick the winner and it picked comment two, Jen456*. Congratulations Jen456 & thanks to all who participated in the giveaway! I loved reading all of your inspirational new years resolutions!

I highly recommend Blissful Bites, Christy's recipes are fresh, healthy & delicious!

*As with all giveaways on this blog, the winner must contact me at VegWhoHatesTofu(at)gmail(dot)com within 24 hours of the winner announcement. If I am unable to get in touch with the winner within 24 hours a new winner will be selected and announced via twitter & facebook.

Spa day

2012-01-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

I had all intentions of posting about my spa day birthday celebration yesterday. I had it all planned out, it was my kids first day back to school after the holiday break and I had big plans. I was going to get so much done, write up a post, do some yoga, maybe read a chapter or two of The Hunger Games, all in peace and quiet while my daughter is at school and my son is taking a nap in the afternoon. It was going to be glorious!

So I walk Nicolette to the bus stop and then get home to discover that I forgot to grab my keys on the way out the door. So Aidan and I are locked out and it's about 25 degrees out. I didn't bring my cell phone either and the neighbors I know well enough to invite myself in were all at work. So we ended up walking to the kid's school, which is just down the street, and I called Phil from the office. Of course it was his first day back to work from a holiday weekend as well, so he couldn't rush right out and we ended up having to hang out at the school for 2 1/2 hours! Nice beginning to my stress-free new year right?!

Luckily, Aidan is the kind of kid who can be joyful in any situation and he can always make me smile! So it wasn't all that bad. It did make me think about how much I rely on my cell phone though. I only have two phone numbers memorized, Phil's and my mom's, both of whom were at work at the time. I don't even have phone numbers written down in an address book nowadays. If my cell phone decides to die I wouldn't know how to contact anyone! So that is on my to-do list this week, making a hard copy of all the phone numbers in my cell phone. Of course it wont help me if I lock myself out of the house, but I think it's a good idea in case of an emergency.

Anyway, back to the spa day! On Monday my best friend in the world, Cheryl, and I went out to celebrate both our birthdays with an afternoon at the spa. What better way to spend a birthday than relaxing at the spa and getting a massage! It was wonderful and exactly what I needed!

Cheryl made up this amazing fruit tray for us to nibble on while we waited for our massages.

We just relaxed, ate fruit, sipped some organic wine, and enjoyed the tranquil setting.

We spent some time in the sauna, which felt especially wonderful in this cold weather. I wish I had a sauna in my house that I could sit in every day in the winter!

We spend some time relaxing in our "pod" which is were we chatted, drank a little wine and ate from our fruit tray.

Then we each had an hour long balancing massage, which was amazing! We came out feeling relaxed and refreshed. A perfect way to spend a birthday in my opinion!

I haven't been to a spa in years. My honeymoon was actually the last time, which was 6 1/2 years ago! It was really great to just have an afternoon to be pampered and relaxed like that. Not even being locked out of my house for 2 1/2 hours could shake my post-massage calm! I definitely need to do this more often!

Cheryl & I are thinking about making this a regular thing. Just to go have a girls day of relaxation every once in a while. Does anyone have any spa treatments to recommend for next time? I'm not a regular spa goer so I'd love to hear opinions of some of the different treatments, like body wraps & scrubs, facials, etc.

Marinated Portobello Steaks over Spinach

2012-01-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

I've been in a mushroomy mood recently, which doesn't make my husband very happy since he doesn't like mushrooms at all. I've been forcing him to try all my mushroom dishes hoping he will learn to like them since I love mushrooms and would eat them every single day if given the chance. But sadly that plan is not working.

There have been a few mushroom recipes that he's enjoyed, such as my recent White Wine Mushroom Sauce, but he left all the little sliced mushroom pieces on his plate, only eating the pasta and the sauce. Something about the texture of mushrooms bothers him. Oh well, I tried!

So this one was just for me! I made Phil & the kids some grilled cheez sandwiches and made myself this delicious portobello steak that made me feel like I was at a fancy restaurant. Mmmm I love mushrooms! Although it may have been a mistake to eat a whole head of roasted garlic the day before going to the spa where I will be sitting in a sauna. Oops... but it was totally worth it. Hopefully it wont be too bad. I'll post more on my spa day tomorrow.

Back to the portobello steaks! I made this recipe for one portobello, but you can easily double or triple the recipe as needed. It is very easy to make yet comes out looking a bit fancy, which makes it my favorite kind of recipe! The dried tomatoes add a pop of color and a sweet flavor. I can't wait to make this again!

Marinated Portobello Steak over Spinach

1 Portobello mushroom, stem removed
1/4 cup red wine (I used merlot)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 head garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
Few big hand fulls fresh baby spinach (or as much as you like)

Preheat oven to 350.

Place portobello in a small bowl, cap side down. Whisk together wine, mustard, agave, and black pepper. Pour marinade over portobello. Mine fit all neatly in the cup of the portobello.

Cover and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off the top of the head of garlic. Place it in a square of foil and pour 1 Tbsp of oil onto the cloves. Place the top of the garlic back on and wrap it up in the foil. Place in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes. Start checking after about 30 minutes. You know it's done when the garlic is soft and creamy. Remove cloves and set aside.

Heat remaining oil over medium heat in a small pan. Place the portobello in the pan, reserving the marinade to the side. Cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until tender and golden. Add the reserved marinade and cook an additional minute or two. Remove pan from heat.

To plate, place portobello on a bed of spinach. Sprinkle on roasted garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Drizzle with a little of the marinade from the pan and season with a dash of black pepper.

Enjoy!

And don't forget to enter the January giveaway to win a copy of the Blissful Bites cookbook!

Blissful Bites Giveaway!

2012-01-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

I have been enjoying my copy of Blissful Bites so much that I thought what better way to kick off the new year than to share this amazing cookbook with my readers! BenBella books has graciously offered to send a free copy of Blissful Bites to one lucky reader here at The Vegetarian Who Hates Tofu.

But first, a little about Christy Morgan, The Blissful Chef.

"[Christy] is a successful vegan macrobiotic chef whose business is changing people's lives through healthy cooking classes, lectures, personal chef services, and private instruction. Christy's mission is to help others make the connection between the mind, body, and spirit, so they may live authentic, healthy, happy lives free of physical pain and mental suffering. With her successful blog TheBlissfulChef.com, her cookbook Blissful Bites, and various online and offline articles, she is well-published in the world of natural foods."

Blissful Bites has over 175 healthy, unique, and exciting recipes and is filled with beautiful full color photographs of Christy's delicious creations. You can also check out Christy's website, TheBlissfulChef.com, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

And now for a sample recipe from Blissful Bites! This is one of my favorites. I've made it a few times already and it's just so good. These wraps are just like the kind you can get at Chinese restaurants, only better! And healthier too I'm sure.

Chinese Cabbage Roll-ups
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 cup carrots, julienne
1 cup zucchini, julienne
1 cup green cabbage, julienne (save big outside leaves for roll-ups)
1 garlic clove minced (optional)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp cilantro, minced
1 cup soybean sprouts
6 large green cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium flame. Stir-fry next 6 ingredients, adding one at a time in the order listed. Stir-fry until the vegetables are bright and slightly crisp. Add tamari and cilantro; toss. Remove from heat, then stir in sprouts. To assemble the wrap, fill cabbage or lettuce leaf and roll up, tucking in the bottom edge.

These are really tasty, my kids even like them! I make some of the peanut sauce (on page 82 in Blissful Bites) for them to dip their lettuce wraps in. It's such a fun family meal! The only thing I leave out is the sprouts because we don't really like them, but that's just our personal taste.

Now for the giveaway! Since it's January 1st and time for New Years Resolutions, I'd like to here what your resolution is this year. Share it in the comments below and you will be entered to win a copy of Blissful Bites. The giveaway ends at Midnight (est) on Thursday January 5th. The winner will be announced on Friday January 6th.

As for me, I have been spending way too much time being stressed out over the past several months. I've been overextending myself and not leaving enough time or energy to take care of myself and do the things that make me happy. So my resolution this year is to do less! I plan to spend this year focusing on my kids & my husband, cooking, yoga, and pretty much anything that brings me joy!

Wishing you all a happy & blissful year!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:51:00.001-05:00

Happy 2012!

To bring in the new year in style, The Vegetarian Who Hates Tofu has a fresh new look (thanks to my darling husband) and a new domain name, VegetarianWhoHatesTofu.com! So be sure to update your bookmarks.

I also have lots of new things planned for 2012. Some of the great things in store for this year include monthly giveaways (with the first one coming later today!), posts from guest bloggers, and of course plenty of new recipes!

I am also working on a new raw food recipe section and planning to include more gluten-free and soy-free recipes this year to make it easier for those of you with dietary restrictions.

Hope you all had fun bringing in the new year! I'm looking forward to all this year has in store.
Be sure to check back later today to enter the first giveaway of the year. It's a good one :)

New Year New Blog

2011-12-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

It's almost 2012 and time for this blog to get a makeover!

If you need any recipes for this weekend be sure to print them now because after 8:00pm est tonight The Vegetarian Who Hates Tofu will be under construction.

But don't worry! This blog will be back on January 1st with a new look & new content. Plus a giveaway to kick off the new year right! So be sure to check back next week!

Hope you all have a happy & safe New Years Eve!