Happy World Vegan Day!

I know, I know, I'm a few days late... But that doesn't mean I can't celebrate World Vegan Day everyday!

 World Vegan Day was officially on Monday, November 1st. John is at school until 4 on Monday, so that doesn't make it the best day for making exciting dinners. Instead we went to our favourite restaurant in Victoria, the Reef. The Reef is a Caribbean restaurant just downtown that is absolutely delicious. We shared chana salad, yam fries with mango chutney, and ital trini roti. Miam miam!*

On Tuesday, I had a bit more time for dinner prep and a leftover Jack'o'Lantern...

Smile while you still can, Mr. Pumpkin.

I was in a surprisingly ambitious mindset, so I decided to make homemade ravioli with pumpkin-cashew filling, and an alfredo style sauce!

Ingredients (filling)

-1 C. roasted pumpkin
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. cumin
-1/4 C. ground cashews
-salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add spices and ground cashews.
2. Stir in pumpkin, and cook until it's all mixed together and delicious smelling.
3. Set aside!
4. You should probably start boiling your water for your pasta. Big pot, bit of salt, bit of olive oil!


Here's the recipe for the pasta!

-1 1/3 C. all purpose flour
-2/3 C. amaranth flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp. dried basil
-1/2 C. water
-1 tsp. olive oil

1. Sift together the dry ingredients, then add the oil and water and knead until you get a stiff dough.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it out as thin as you can with a rolling pin! I did mine in sections, which was a lot easier.
3. Cut your dough into squares/rectangles, each approximately the same size.
4. Put about 1 Tbsp pumpkin filling in the center of a square, place another square on top, and then pinch together until sealed.
5. Drop into your pot of already boiling, lightly salted water and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice to make sure they don't stick to the bottom!

For the sauce, I made a soy-free alfredo, using this recipe
-1/2 C. cashews
-1 tsp. lemon juice
-1 to 1 1/2 C. boiling water
-2 cloves garlic (you might want to saute these in a bit of olive oil first to bring out the flavour)
-1 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
-salt and pepper to taste

It's super easy! Just process the cashews in a food processor first, then transfer them to a blender
2. Add in 1/2 the water, blend until creamy. Add in the rest of the water, blend again.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until really smooth.
4. Put on pasta!

Phew! That's a lot of typing. It was worth it though, very delicious. Although rolling out the pasta with a rolling pin is not much fun - I put a pasta maker on my Christmas list!

Rowan plans this pumpkin's demise.

*I recently learned that this is how the French say "Yum yum", and I am trying to be more European.

Promise to my son

So, it was Rowan's birthday last week.


It must suck to be a vegan kid sometimes. Obviously, Rowan is still too young to feel peer pressure, but I don't look forward to the day when some kid realizes that Rowan doesn't have a bologna sandwich in his lunch box.

So, I made a promise to Rowan - his lunches will not only vegan, and healthy, but also fun, and will cause all the other school children to want to be him.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Rowan just turned one, and won't be going to school anytime soon. So here is the addendum to my promise...

Rowan will always get delicious vegan cupcakes on his birthday!

I think he likes this idea.

The recipe I used is the chocolate and vanilla marble cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (my bible.) I wasn't sure it was going to work out, the chocolate batter seemed much runnier than the vanilla and I didn't know if they would cook evenly, but they did!

One tip is to swirl it a LOT more than you think you should. I swirled them together, and they looked pretty good from the top...

  

But once you opened up the wrapper, the effect was kind of lost..

                            

                                 Not very swirly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For icing, I just used my chocolate pudding recipe, and stuck it in the fridge til I was ready for it.

Rowan loved it! Yay!

Warning: Terrible singing ahead.  I know I'm tone deaf. Poor John.

Happy birthday, dear Rowan! Happy birthday to you!

Chocolate peanut butter banana pie!

Last week, we had our first dinner guests over. That really made it feel like "home" here. Not to mention, we had kind of gotten into a rut of the same stir-fries, curries, and sandwiches over and over again. Nothing like guests to inspire you to try something new!   (Not to mention it also encourages us to clean the house, something we really ought to do more often.)

Our meal was Ethiopian inspired. We made an eggplant stew, a lentil dish, and a sweet potato stew. Talk about ambitious! Combine that with the injera we picked up at a nearby restaurant, it ended up being way too much food! The sweet potato stew didn't even make it to the table, I just froze it to save for later!

So, keeping that in mind, I wasn't too upset when I was the only one to finish my dessert...

I need to stop eating food before I take a picture of it...

It's Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Banana Pie!

And it was super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust
2 medium avocados
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. cocoa powder
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegan milk (I used almond)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 bananas
2 oz. dark chocolate
2 tsp coconut oil

Cook pie crust according to manufacturers instructions.  You could always make your own, but I've had issues doing that in the past... it's hard to get a perfect vegan pie crust if you can't use soy! The WF brand pie crusts are vegan (at least the ones at my store are!), and they're actually really delicious. I've used them several times since discovering this...Anyway, cook, and then set aside!

Put everything in a food processor except 1 1/2 bananas, the dark chocolate, and the pie crust (duh). Give it a good processing! It should be thick, and there should be no chunks of avocado or banana left.

Scoop filling into the pie crust. Cut the remaining 1 1/2 bananas into slices and layer on top of the filling. Melt the dark chocolate in a small pot with the coconut oil, and drizzle over the pie.

Freeze for about 2 hours, or until you're ready to eat!

It made a really rich dessert. I originally planned on just a peanut butter and banana pie, but because of the avocado, the filling was green. And it weirded me out.

I guess I'm just not that kind of vegan.

Taco pizza, pudding, and Octodon!

Yesterday was such a delicious day.

For starters, we made a delicious "taco" pizza.

                                                           So close, you could almost smell it...
It was pretty easy to assemble. We used pre-made crusts, but you could easily make your own! 

Ingredients
2 pre-made pizza crusts
2. C salsa
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 12 oz can of corn (or you could use fresh!)
1/2 can of black beans 
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 avocado, cubed
vegan-rella 

Do I need to tell you how to assemble this? Really? Well, fine.

Preheat oven to 425! 
Caramelize onion and garlic in pan. Put salsa on crusts. Put everything except for avocado on crusts. Place crust directly on the rack, and bake for about 12 minutes (or crust maker's instructions). Remove from oven, top with avocado! EAT! You're so thin!

If you feel the beans don't add enough protein for you, you could always add some veggie ground round, or some actual ground beef (shame on you!). But I think there was definitely enough on the pizzas as it was. We all needed forks to gather lost pizza toppings off our plates!

While we were eating lunch, some hooligan came and vandalized our car!

Octodon!

                                                                      

Okay, not really. 

See, we've had this old Corolla sitting around in our parking spot for ages. No one would take it (not even the Kidney foundation!). John didn't want to get it towed since it had our brand new winter tires on it. So finally we got some old tires to put on it, then switched them... and then called our friend Adrian to come paint it! 

It was really sweet. He let me try out some paint on the back of it, but mostly I was content to just sit back and watch the master work! 

The beginning!

It's beginning to take shape.

Octodon! 

Close up of Octodon!

Rowan and I watching. 

 

 

 

  After a hard day watching Adrian paint in the sun, we came back in for some dessert!

I did take some pictures, but they aren't that nice looking... Hm. Anyway! This is a recipe I've made several times, changing it up a bit each time. This time, I realized I didn't have coconut oil after I had started. I think it turned out okay without it!

2 avocado, small (or 1 large!)
1 large banana
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend it all together in a food processor!

Didn't you already have pudding today? 

Looks pretty tasty, hm? But kind of sad and lonely there in the dish all by itself...

I mixed it with my friend Allysia's 2 Minute Vegan Icecream recipe, which you can find here!
http://super-vegan.blogspot.com/2010/04/speedy-vanilla-pecan-chip-ice-cream.html
although I left out the cacao nibs, pecans, and jam!

Rowan really loves this treat, and I'm glad!

A fine chocolate mustachio!

Moussaka & Cheesecake! Yum!

Notes on the process
This was definitely one of our most successful first tries.  Neither of us had make moussaka before, and we weren't entirely sure how it would turn out.  Fortunately, it was awesome.  As noted in the ingredients, we used crushed tomatoes, and we also pureed some of the vegetables, which made the finished product come out at about the consistency of a very thick stew.  If you wanted it to turn out more like a lasagna type of thing, you could leave the veggies in pieces.

This is definitely slow food, so unless you're a multi-tasking kitchen alchemist, it's probably best to give yourself at least 1.5 hours of prep time.  We were also making cheesecake simultaneously, which required some of the same equipment.  It was a fun afternoon in the kitchen!  Here's what we did:

MOUSSAKA!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked lentils (we used red, buy any kind is fine)
5 medium potatoes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 large portabella mushrooms (we pureed ours with the eggplant, but you could used them sliced also)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 400g can tomatoes (we chose crushed - if you use whole or diced, the finished product would be more structurally sound)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. greek oregano
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 package vegan-rella
salt and pepper

White sauce!

1 1/4 c. rice or soy milk
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. corn starch
1  tbsp. basil
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. oregano
egg replacer
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Step 1: Put the lentils on to cook - 1/2 cup dry makes 1 cup cooked.  1 cup water with 1/2 cup dry lentils, bring to a boil, stir in a pinch of salt and some oil, then turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 2: While the lentils are on, prepare the eggplant.  Peel and slice into small chunks.  Baste with a bit of olive oil, then place in the oven on a non-stick pan and roast for about 30 minutes until soft.

Step 3: Next, the potatoes!  It's not necessary to peel, just give the skins a good scrubbing, then slice into thin rings - these will be used as top layer of the moussaka.  Cover the rings with water and boil for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Step 4: Heat olive oil in a large pot or skillet.  Slice the onions, garlic and mushrooms (leave the mushrooms out if you're going to puree them) and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the lentils, tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, stir well and remove from heat.

Step 5 (optional): Remove the eggplant from the oven, and using a food processor, puree the eggplant with the mushrooms and a little bit of olive oil.

Step 6: Start assembling the moussaka!  We used a 9x13 baking dish, but if you leave all of the veggies intact, you could probably used a 9x9 dish.  First add the lentil/tomato mixture and spread evenly.  Then add the mushrooms and eggplant and top off with the potato slices.  If you pureed the mushrooms/eggplant, it's easier to add the potatoes first, then spread the puree over top of them.

Step 7: Grate the vegan-rella and spread evenly over the top.

Step 8: Make the sauce!  Slowly bring the rice/soy milk to a boil and stir in the spices, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Mix the olive oil and corn starch together to make a paste with no lumps, then whisk in to the sauce.  Finally, add the egg replacer - 1 egg's worth, according to package directions.  Then take off of the heat and stir until everything begins to thicken up.  Pour the sauce over top of the rest of the moussaka and then chuck it in the oven.

Step 9: Bake at 400F for 45 minutes.  Cover for the first 30, then remove the cover for the last 15 minutes of baking.  Let it cool for 10 minutes, then serve with fresh pita and hummus!

Step 10:  OM NOM NOM NOM!!!


Once you've finished that off, time for dessert!  We made ourselves a yummy "cheese"cake - no baking required.  We wussed out on the crust and used oreo crumbs and margarine, but if you're ambitious, here's a crust recipe that we've tried and loved from before:

Ingredients!

Crust
1 3/4 cups raw, unsalted nuts (almonds work well for this)
1/2 c. cocoa nibs
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cherry or vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa
3/4 c. raisins

Filling
3 cups raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup agave syrup
6 pitted dates
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. coconut oil
3/4 c. cocoa powder

Step 1: The crust!  If you're not lazy like us, grind the nuts, cocoa nibs (or just regular chocolate chips) and salt in a food processor until coarse.  Add vanilla extract and cocoa and pulse until thoroughly combined.  Add the raisins and pulse some more until blended and the mixture sticks together when you pinch it.  Press into the bottom of an 8-9 inch spring form pan, or just a regular tin pie plate, and put in the freezer while the filling gets made.

Step 2:  Soak the cashews in warm water for 1-2 hours and drain.

Step 3: Put the cashews, agave, dates, lemon juice and water in the food processor and blend until it's creamy.  Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to make sure you don't leave any chunks.

Step 4: Add the cherry/vanilla extract, coconut oil and cocoa powder, and continue processing until it's nice and smooth.  Pour the filling into the pan with the crust and put it back in the freezer for an hour to set.

Step 5: Remove from freezer and thaw until it's easy to slice - about half an hour.

Step 6:  Om nom nom nom...

Summer Heat!

Talk about inconsistency.  We're like the Oilers.  Hot streak for a few weeks, then nothin' doin' for 3 months.  That's pretty bad.  Well, here to make up for it, I have a recipe for the most delicious Southwest style Mexican soup.  This goes extremely well with cornbread, and all the other usual Mexi-fixin's - tortilla chips, guacamole and all the rest.  As with all soups, the longer you let it simmer before serving the better it'll taste, so give yourself a couple of hours at least before serving.

Ingredients!

6 c. veggie stock 
 1 c. crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c. black beans*
1 c. frozen kernel corn
1 med. onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 each of fresh anaheim, chili and banana peppers, minced
1 med. green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

6-8 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 dash liquid smoke
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. basil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. corn starch

Procedure!

Step 1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil until aromatic.  Add onion, hot peppers, bell pepper, celery and garlic, and saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

Step 2. Add crushed tomatoes, lime juice and all the spices/seasonings.  Saute with veggies for another 5 minutes.

Step 3. Add the stock, beans and corn and bring everything to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and leave to simmer for 1-2 hours.

Step 4. Whisk together 1/4 c. olive oil and 1/4 c. corn starch until there are no lumps.  Bring the soup back to a boil, stir in the mixture, then remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to thicken.

Step 5.  Garnish with cilantro, parsley or fresh dill.

Step 6.  Nom nom nom nom.

 This is one of the tastiest soups ever.  Adjust spices according to your own tastes.  The measurements given here yield a soup that is a bit spicier than your average medium salsa.

*Canned beans are fine, but as always, freshly prepared beans from dry are best.  To prepare black beans, soak 1 c. dry beans in 3 c. water overnight.  Drain, rinse, then cover the beans and bring to a boil.  Drain and rinse once more, then bring back to a boil in 3 c. salted water.  Reduce heat to min. and simmer for 1 hour, then drain and add to the soup.

Unstirfry with Cauliflower Rice

A new friend lent me some cookbooks, so hopefully we will have many recipes to post in the next few weeks!

Until then, here is a recipe we tried out a little while ago. The recipe is raw (although we had to substitute a few non-raw ingredients.) I like the idea behind eating raw foods, and whole foods in general, although my love for warmth keeps me from going raw. Maybe if I lived in a warmer climate, like Hawaii, but for now, I'll stick with my cooked food, thank you!

This recipe is from "Vegan Fusion", with a few changes.

2 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1/2 cup julienned snow peas
1 cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
3/4 cup cashews

Dressing

1/2 cup sesame oil
3 TBS agave nectar or pure maple syrup
2 TBS umeboshi plum vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
3 TBS Nama Shoyu **
1 small kaffir lime leaf, or zest of 1 lime
1 (1/2″-inch piece) peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
1 TBS dehydrated onion flakes
1 tsp seeded and diced Thai chile or jalopeno
1 TBS tamarind paste

Cauliflower “Rice”
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 cup macadamia or pine nuts
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 TBS dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Combine all of the vegetable medley ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Add to the vegetable medley and toss well.
2. Prepare the cauliflower rice by placing all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse-chopping until a smooth but textured consistency is reached. Do not over-process or it will get too mushy.
3. Serve the vegetable medley on a bed of cauliflower rice

** We didn't have Nama Shoyu, plus I can't have soy anyway, so we used BBQ sauce. This is our non-raw substitution.

This salad was delicious! I was a huge fan of the cauliflower rice... I think it would be a perfect thing to bring on a picnic, and eat lying in the sun. The recipe says that if you want softer veggies, you can leave them in the sun for about 30 - 45 minutes, stirring them occasionally.

I'd really like to try and lose some weight. I'm already down to my pre-pregnancy weight (and have been for a while), but I would like to try and get into better shape for the summer. I have some pretty bad eating habits, such as skipping breakfast, and eating big meals late at night. I don't really have much more to say on this subject, but I figure that now that it's out on the internet, it'll be harder for me to give up on it and slack off! Now all you readers can get on my back when you see me eating entire cakes. Only half the cake from now on!