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.

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! 

Banana Coconut Creme Pie

I've never really been a big "pie" fan. Generally, I don't like cooked fruit. But then someone told me about creme pies, and my life was changed!

John and I made this pie last night to celebrate Rowan's 6 month birthday. He didn't get to eat any, but it was the thought that counts.

Ingredients:

- 19 oz coconut milk
- 1/4 C. maple syrup
- 1/4 C. cornstarch
- 1/2 C. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. yellow food colouring (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 C. rice milk
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

1. Set aside 1/4 C. of coconut milk (about 2 oz). Combine the remaining coconut milk and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat.
2. In a new bowl, whisk together the reserved coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, food colouring, and vanilla.
3. Add egg replacer to the coconut milk/maple syrup, then add the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a simmer. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 4 minutes or until thickened.
4. Spread a small amount of the custard in the bottom of the pie shell. Place a layer of sliced banana on top of the custard. Repeat! Repeat again! Let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until ready to nom.
5. Nom nom nom.

You can do whatever you want for a pie crust. Store-bought, or home made, doesn't really matter. You're going to want to cook it, though, and let it cool completely before putting in the custard.

John and I tried out a random recipe I found online, and it FAILED. John's theory is that a bitter chef posted it online to screw with all the amateurs.

 

"Let's see them make delicious pie NOW! A-ha-ha-ha!"

And he's probably right. So don't trust random recipes posted on the internet! If you want to make your own pie crust, use THIS recipe! 

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 C. flour

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/2 C. coconut butter

- 3 Tbsp. very cold water

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut the shortening in the flour mixture until very well mixed, then add the water. 

2. Mix together until a dough forms.

3. On a lightly floured surface, knead for a minute or two and then roll into a ball. 

4. Wrap dough in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into a pie crust. (about 9")

5. Bake in oven at 450°F for about 15 minutes! 

Here's our pie with two generous slices taken out!

Bean Stroganesque

This delightful recipe was based off of a stroganoff, but since we changed a lot of the ingredients, it became something that was not quite a stroganoff, hence stroganesque.  This is definitely one of our favourite culinary creations to date!

Bean Stroganesque

Ingredients: 
1 tsp canola oil 
1 onion, chopped
8-10 medium sized mushrooms, quartered
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 C. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp dry red wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
2 C. cooked red kidney beans
1/2 cup rice milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
fresh ground black pepper
2 C. cooked noodles
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Step 1: In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook the onion for about 4 minutes, until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes until they are soft.  Meanwhile, add the lemon juice and vinegar to the rice milk, stir and set aside.
Step 2: Sprinkle in the thyme and paprika and cook for another minute
Step 3: Stir in the stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce.  Crush about a third of the beans with a fork, then add to the pan along with the other beans and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Step 4: Mix the milk with the cornstarch until smooth, and stir in to the bean mixture.  Cook, stirring continuously for another 2 or 3 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
Step 5: Spoon over noodles and garnish with the green onions.
Step 6: Om nom nom nom nom!

*Since we couldn't find any vegan and soy-free Worcestershire sauce, we made our own.  It went like this:

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt & pepper
1/8 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. blackstrap molasses
dash of liquid smoke

Combine everything in a small bowl and mix thoroughly!  It was quite yummy, the liquid smoke gave it that nice, savoury flavour, and it smelled wonderful when it went in the pot.


You may also recall - see the previous post if you don't - that we made a sort of mayonnaise to go with our fake tuna salad.  There was quite a bit left over, so we turned it into an herb and garlic alioli and had it over fried potatoes.  Here's the recipe:

4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cubed
1 C. "mayonnaise"
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Step 1:  In a small pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until they're just a bit tender, but not fully cooked.  Drain and set aside.
Step 2:  Put the mayo, garlic, basil, thyme, sage, salt and pepper into the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Step 3:  Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high, add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping the potatoes regularly until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Step 4:  Pour the alioli over the potatoes while they're still in the pan, then remove from heat.
Step 5:  Nom nom nom.

Aside from being a good day in the kitchen, today was also Rowan's 6 month birthday!  He celebrated it by cutting his second tooth.  An exciting event, to be sure, but one that he didn't find especially pleasant.  In spite of the pain in his gums, he still managed to spend most of the day being smiley and happy.  Next item on the agenda: learn how to crawl!

Here are two things you should know about me!

1. I plan on being a vegan for the rest of my life.
2. I love tuna.

When I was pregnant, I really craved tuna salad sandwiches, but I wasn't ready to give up my ethics for a night of tuna-ey goodness. So I made a vegan tuna salad, which turned out really well! I used vegannaise, which is a vegan soy (or grapeseed oil) based mayonnaise substitute. Lately I've been craving it again... But I can't have soy because of Rowan! So it was up to me to make my own "mayonnaise", and then make a vegan tuna salad. So it's not really a tuna salad at all. It's like... a bean salad.

Vegan Soy-Free "Mayonnaise"

Ingredients:
-1 3/4 cups drained cooked or canned white beans (one 15 or 16 oz cans) - I used navy beans!
-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or additional fresh lemon juice
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1/3 cup organic canola or safflower oil

1. Place the beans, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and dry mustard in a blender. Blend until very creamy. 
2. With the appliance running, drizzle in the oils in a slow, steady stream through the cap opening in the lid.  Continue processing until well blended and completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container as needed. 
3. Chill thoroughly before using.  Keeps about 7 days in the refrigerator

So you can use this as a substitute for anything you would use mayonnaise for. It's kind of like a mild hummus, I suppose. It doesn't really taste like mayonnaise, but it does the trick!

"Tuna" Salad

-1(15 oz.) can chick-peas, drained (or 1.5 c. cooked)
-1/2 C. vegan mayonnaise (I would start with about 1/4 C, and add more until it's at a texture you like)
-1/3 C. minced celery
- 1/4 C. radish
-2.5 T. minced dill pickle
-1/2 T. nutritional yeast
-1 green onion, chopped
-1/2 t. kelp powder (optional, if you like seaweedy taste. I don't.)
- pepper, to taste

1.In a medium bowl, mash the chick-peas coarsely with a fork.
2. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Use on sandwiches or on a bed of salad greens.

Everyone makes tuna salad differently, so this is just what I did. You can add more or less vegetables, relish, anything you want to make it delicious!

You don't win friends with salad!

... You win them with delicious cupcakes!

John and I haven't been doing too much cooking/baking lately. Everything we've made has been along the lines of "what do we have in the fridge?". A lot of stirfrys, and perogies.

But the other night I was feeling antsy, and had a bit of a sweet tooth, so I made some cupcakes!

This recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, which is the greatest cookbook (bakebook?) to ever exist. Even if you only make cupcakes once a year, you should buy this book.

I did edit it a bit though, so I will put my edited version on here. If you want the real version, buy the book!

Banana Cupcakes

1/2 C. very ripe banana, mashed well (you don't want any lumps. I mashed mine with an immersion blender)
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/3 C. canola oil
2/3 C. rice milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. In a seperate, smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, rice milk, vanilla, almond extract, and banana. Create a well in the dry ingredients and fold in wet ingredients, mixing to just combine.
3. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.
4. Cool completely before icing.

I haven't quite figured out how to make a vegan AND soy-free buttercream-style frosting. I didn't want boring cupcakes though, so I made a chocolate glaze... I put 1/4 C soy milk in a little sauce pan over the stove, until it was gently boiling. Then I took it off the heat, added 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and chocolate chips. I didn't really measure the chocolate chips, I just poured them while slowly stirring with a spatula until it was nice and thick. I probably used about 150 g. Then I poured in about 1/2 oz. of coconut rum! 

You can make the glaze while the cupcakes are baking, then set it aside, because you want it to be cooled down when you use it.

When the cupcakes are ready, spoon the glaze generously over top. I topped my cupcakes with a slice of frozen banana! (Fresh works too.)

These were really good. I made them at about 10 pm... They didn't make it through the night.

Cajun Night!

 

Chickpea Jambalaya
Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

- 2 large yellow onions, chopped

- 1 green pepper, chopped

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

- 3 cups uncooked white rice

- 6 cups water

- 4 green onions, sliced

1. Heat oil on medium heat in a stockpot. Add in onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, and cayenne. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until veggies are a deep golden brown.

2. Add in chickpeas, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and rice. Stir until rice is coated.

3. Add in water, cover, and cook on medium-low heat, covered, for about 30 mins until rice is soft and liquid is absorbed.

4. Remove bay leaves and stir in green onions. Serve.

5. Nom nom nom! 

Cajun Carrots

Ingredients: 

- 6 large carrots, thickly sliced

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- pinch of cayenne

- 1/4 C. chopped pecans

1. Steam or boil carrots until soft.

2. Add to remaining ingredients, mix together!

3. Nom nom nom! 

Cornbread

Ingredients: 
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups soymilk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° F, line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray. (I didn't, because I can't use cooking spray...and my cornbread stuck to the bottom of the pan.)
2. In a medium bowl, wisk together the soymilk and the vinegar and set aside.
3.In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).
Add the oil and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container. 

5. Nom nom nom! 

These recipes are from http://vegandad.blogspot.com ! Wonderful inspiration. I edited them a bit, because I like spicy, and I can't have soy! 

I think the jambalaya turned out pretty good. If I were to make it again, I would probably add more vegetables to give it more... substance. Or try making some fake sausage... The recipe also made a HUGE amount of food. Enough for dinner, and two lunches after! 

 In other news, Rowan cut his first tooth today!  He doesn't really want to show it off quite yet, but it's there and it's sharp!

Vegan Babies

 

I think I need a bigger pot. 

Step 1: Get pregnant. Keep in the bun in the oven for approx. 40 weeks.
Step 2: (And this is the tricky part!) Give birth.
Step 3: Fatten up your baby, until he/she reaches around 20 lbs. (Depending on how many mouths you have to feed!)
Step 4: Place baby in large pot with assorted veggies and spices. Don't be afraid to experiment!
Step 5: Nom nom nom.

No babies were harmed in the makings of this post.