They're Taking over my Cookie Jar!!!

My Mum got me "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar" for Hanukah! What more appropriate way to commemorate this amazing gift than making "Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies " from the book? Of course we did this after having order-in Chinese food (true story). They were easy and fast to put together, and there's no worry if you don't have any of the "add-ins" (chocolate chips, cherries, raisins, etc.), you can just put in what you have (We put in cashews, cranberries and some chocolate chips).

They are chewy, not-too-sweet and all around awesome!

Isa Chandra is my obsession!

I am obsessed with the Post-Punk Kitchen's Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has been my vegan guardian angel since day 1 of my vegan life ( going to be 3 years in the spring). She and her co-author Terry Hope Romano have come out with "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar". I haven't purchased the book yet, but made these Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles, the recipe of which is posted on her website (www.theppk.com). just don't eat too many ! (to late for me...I already have a stomach ache. and there's about 21 more sitting on my counter...)

Thai pita

1 whole wheat pita

1/2 cup baby spinach

4 sliced white button mushrooms

4 cucumber slices

1 0z smoked tofu, diced (just to add some flavor)

6 tbsp Thai peanut hummus (from Dreena Burton's Eat, Drink and be Vegan)

cut pita in half, and split each half open (tip: microwave the pita in a paper towel for 20 seconds before doing this, it will make it soft and easy to handle). spread the hummus in each half, then fill each half with the vegetables. Enjoy!

* this stores well, I like to eat half when I make it and then save the other half for later.

Greek style Fava beans on quinoa polenta

I got home at 11:00 pm and decided for a study break that I would make some food to last me through the week (I've been living off of cliff bars and "phyllo pockets" which are the vegan equivalent to pizza pops, seriously would like to eat actual food). Gotta love No-fun-vember!

Quinoa Polenta (full of calcium and vitamin B!)

1 and a half cups cooked red quinoa (or white, if you want)

2 cups corn meal

1 tbsp salt

4 cups water

1/2 cup soy milk

bring water to a boil, add corn meal in a stream, string as you pour it in (this prevents lumps) cook until thick and porridge-like. stir in soy milk and quinoa. let simmer on low, stirring as needed.

Greek style fava beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

1 zucchini, chopped

4 broccoli stumps (I'm a student, I waste nothing) peeled and chopped

8oz button mushrooms, chopped

2 cups fava beans, cooked

1/4 tbsp nutmeg

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

fresh pepper

1 vegetable stock cube

2 cups water

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

sautee onion until translucent, add salt and garlic. cook for 30 more seconds add vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes, until tender. add stock cube and water. stir until the stock has dissolved. add fava beans and spiced. bring to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar at the end.

Moroccan-fava bean soup

This has fava beans, dried fruit and spices. sounds weird, but is really good. I got it from Vegan Planet by Robin Robinson.

Vegan T.V. dinner!

Here is a home made vegan t.v. dinner! It contains: Cashew-ginger tofu, green beans and almond-lime quinoa.

california hash

mmmmmmm.....

1/2 block smoked tofu cubed

8 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 avocado

1 portobello mushroom

1 potato, sliced thinly, then diced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soy sauce

1) put potato in a hot cast iron pan (oiled). Toss for a few minutes until browned. add mushroom, tofu, salt and soy sauce, keep slinging, until mushrooms are cooked. 

2) put has in bowl, top with avocado and tomato, top with some tahini if desired. 

Japanese Hummus

I figure that Japan likes hummus... 

2 cups red (adzuki) beans

1/2 cup miso paste (yellow)

2 tbsp tamari 

juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup sesame oil

3 tbsp laver or dulse seaweed

blend in food processor( adding water as needed), enjoy!

In photo: served on multi-grin rice cracker with slice of avocado. would be good with cucumber also. 

Spelt Blueberry Ginger Muffins!

These are from "Vegan Brunch" They have candied ginger and BC blueberries in them... heaven with almond butter....

Banana-flax smoythie

This one reminds me of a muffin, kind of. 

2 tbsp ground Flax

1 frozen banana

1 serving banana flavor tofu dessert

1/2 tsp banana extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup vanilla soy milk

3 ice cubes

put all ingredients in blender and blend. enjoy!

high protein potato salad

Well, since I have no more studying to do, I have been filling a lot of my free time with more training. We all know what that means: more eating. Protein is especially important when trying to increase muscle mass. This salad is a twist on an old summer standard, as it delivers a lot of the protein that regular potato salad may lack. Also a great way to use the extra baked potatoes form last weekend's BBQ. 

3 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard 

3 tbsp vegan mayo

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp red wine vinegar

a few twists ground black pepper

2 baked potatoes, diced

7 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 lb green beans, cut into inch pieces and flash boiled (3 minutes, then douse in cold water)

1 cup white kidney beans (cooked)

fresh dill to taste

mix together mustard, mayo, salt, vinegar and pepper. add other ingredients and stir. garnish with dill.  

greek Island hummus

1 clove garlic

10 kalmata olives

5 sun dried tomatoes

2 tsp capers

1 tbsp kelp granules

juice of 1 lemon

1 cup white kidney beans

2 cups chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup of water

process all ingredients. enjoy!

plum cherry smoythie

This is a great, cool summer treat. very refreshing.

1/2 frozen banana

juice of 1 orange

1 pack "dessert" tofu (original)

15 fresh cherries, pitted and halved

1 and a half frozen black plums

1/4 cup water

blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Return of the smoythie!!!!!!

I had this after a run + scramble up a dirt slope (I got to a set of stairs that I like training on, but they were broken and blocked). The colour reminded me of a certain Mc Donald's character.

Grimice Smoythie:

8 cherries, pitted and cut in half

1/4 frozen ripe pear

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/3 cup plain soy yogurt

3/4 cup light vanilla soy milk

agave nectar or honey to taste

blend all in blender. enjoy. 

Mexican Pumpkin hummus

this was really good...

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup black beans

2 cups red kidney beans

1 tsp chipolte hot sauce

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

you know what to do!

Southwest chili

2 cups millet

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp salt

1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced

4 staks celery, sliced

1 red pepper, cubed

1 onion, cubed

2 can black beasn (drained and rinsed)

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups of water

dump all ingredients into slow-cooker. set on low for 8 hours

Pistachio apricot hummus

Turkish inspired via Veganomicon.

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup pistachios 

8 dried apricots

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp corriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup olive oil

1 can chickpeas

process garlic first. then add pistachios and process. add the water while the pistachios are processing. add chickpes, process, then add all other ingredients. 

$9.00 my ass!

You know when you go into a cafe for lunch, and all you want is a sandwich with salad on the side, and costs about $10.00? you aren't even that full after. 

I knew that I could do better than that. 

This is a avocado sandwich on whole wheat. I used half an avocado, 4 tbsp. roasted red pepper hummus, some baby spinach, and a sprinkle of flax seed (this thing, loaded with omega 3's btw).

I paired with with a quinoa chickpea salad, which I am perfecting and will post soon. 

but in the mean time, it cost about 1/4 of what it would be at a resto. 

Dreaming of spring...

We had a few "springy" days, but then, there was snow :-(. Pretty as it is, I would like winter to show some signs of letting up...

so, I made this hummus, it is light and fresh. Goes great with sugar snaps!

Minty lime hummus

1 clove garlic

1 can white kidney beans

1 can chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 2 limes

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried sage

1/4 cup water

Process garlic in food processor. add all other ingredients. add water until desired consistancy is reached. 

BBQ Black Eyed Pea hummus

This one is really exciting. I made it while listening to some Jenn Grant, which reminded me of Halifax...I think that is what made me so creative with this one. Odd that I grew up in Montreal but feel homesick for the Halifax landscape...

1 clove of garlic

1 can Black eyed peas

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp hot sauce

3 tbsp BBQ sauce (vegan, duh)

1/4 cup tahini

4 tbsp water

Process garlic clove first, then add all other ingredients and process again.

Baked Pumpkin Kale Penne

1 box whole wheat penne, cooked according to package directions.

3 yellow onions (thinly sliced)

1 bulb roasted garlic

8 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)

1 can pumpkin pure (18oz)

2 tbsp sage

2 tsp salt

1.5 cup cashews

2 cups original, unsweetened almond milk

2 cups bread crumbs

1 bunch kale (de stemmed, cut into pieces)

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp. corriander

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram

1 cup sliced almonds

directions:

caramelize onions in a cast iron pan. next put garlic and tomatoes into the food processor and process. add cashews and 1/3 cup water. process until smooth. add everything else except for breadcrumbs, caramelized onions, kale and penne.  process again. 

put pumpkin mixture into bowl, add the kale, caramelized onions, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, and mix until well blended. 

put penne and mixture into a prepared 9 x 13 pyrex baking dish and mix until combined. sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs and slivered almonds on top. cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. 

Fava-mushroom hummus with roasted garlic

I dreamed about this one... so good... Even Peanut is trying to snag some!

1 can fava beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup tahini

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp sage (dried)

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup water 

16 oz sauted mushrooms (leftovers are fine here, I made them fresh because mushrooms don't survive long in my place)

1 bulb roasted garlic 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

place all ingredients into food processor and process. for a chunky, more rustic hummus, add 8 0z more cooked mushrooms at the end and pulse until desired texture is reached.

Note: to roast garlic: cut the top off of the bulb. fill with olive oil, wrap in foil and put into oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes. I like to toss a few wrapped bulbs in the oven while I'm cooking other stuff, then store them in the fridge. 

peanut eggplant soup

This is in Veganomicon. It is not too diet friendly, but worth the calories. 

Blueberry Pancakes

When I don't feel like standing in line at Sugarbowl, I make brunch. Brunch is my favorite meal of the day, mostly because I have the rest of the day to burn off the calories...

These are cheaper to make than your average pancakes that have eggs. they are also lower in fat. 

1 1/4 cup whole wheat all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cardamum

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp lemon zest

2 cups frozen blueberries

1 1/4 cup soy milk

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp. canola oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

mix dry ingredients (omitting berries) in bowl.

mix wet ingredients separately.  combine the wet with dry ingredients and combine. let stand 20 minutes (this makes the pancakes fluffy). fold in blueberries. 

heat cast iron pan for a few minutes on low-medium heat (oiled). use 1/4 measuring cup to portion batter onto your skillet. cook on each side for 4 minutes before flipping. to keep warm, put in oven, covered in foil. 

Enjoy!

tofu stroganoff

This is a bit pricey (there is a whole tub of toffuti "sour cream" in it), but it is easy to make and good if you want something "creamy".

1 container vegan sour cream

1 can tomato paste

1 pound green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

16 oz sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp salt

1 lb extra firm tofu (drained, cut into cubes)

2 cups almond milk (unsweetened, original flavor)

4 tbsp of hungarian paprika. 

blend together all liquid ingredients (including tomato paste) in slow cooker. add saltand paprika. add mushrooms, green beans and tofu, blend so vegetables and tofu are coated. cover slowcooker and set on low for 8 hours. add liquid if needed (more almond milk preferable). 

sun dried tomato-roasted red pepper hummus

This is my version of a popular favorite.

5 sun dried tomatoes

1/4 cup roasted red peppers

1/4 cup tahini

juice 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chickpeas

1 cup white kidney beans

1 tsp summer savory

1 tsp salt

1 clove of garlic

put all ingredients into food processor. process, enjoy or put in fridge overnight. 

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Okay, usually, I am not this demanding, but seriously, you need to make, and then eat this. 

Yes. it is that good. Rice casseroles are great for several reasons, the first being that no one really likes the taste of re-steamed rice, and this is a much nicer way to have leftovers. 

Second, it is a great, low cal grain that greatly increases the nutritional content of any dish.

I put grated veganrella over this, but you could use what ever vegan cheese you like. you could even skip the cheese altogether, if you prefer. 

Broccoli Rice Casserole

8 cups broccoli florest, cut into small pieces

2 cups cooked brown rice (I used basmati here, but plain would work too)

2 potatoes, peeled and grated.

Sauce:

1 clove garlic

1 14 oz can navy beans (rinsed and drained)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp summer savory

3 cups unsweeted, original almond milk, divided

1 tbsp corn starch

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed

1 pkg. veganrella (Cheddar flavour)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 9 x 13 inch pyrex casserole dish. 

process garlic in the food processor. add all other sauce ingredient (omitting 2 cups of the almond milk) and process until smooth.  Add the spinach and process once more.

place broccoli florets, rice and grated potato into casserole dish. mix well. Add sauce and mix until everything is amalgamated (um, is that even a cooking term?). cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour. 

Remove foil, and spread grated veganrella over the entire casserole. set oven to broil and set casserole under broiler for about 3-4 minutes (keep a close eye on this)

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.   

Sun dried tomato-orange hummus

This one is a little different...good for days when you are feeling adventurous.

7 sun dried tomatos (in oil)

1 cloves garlic

juice of half an orange

1 tbsp. tarragon

4 fennel seeds

1 tbsp. thyme

1 can white kidney beans 

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp. almond butter

2 tbsp. walnut oil

fresh ground pepper to taste

process garlic, sun dried tomatoes and fennel seed. add other ingredients and process. serve with sliced fennel and celery. Also nice with baguette.

Gluten Free lentil Crock pot

Thinking of a friend of mine who can't eat gluten:

Gluten free lentil crock pot

2 cups lentils (brown)

2 stalks celery (cut up)

4 carrots (sliced)

3 parsnips (sliced)

1 potato (cubed)

1/2 green cabbage (diced)

1 onion (Diced)

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1 tsp. dried Thyme

8 cups vegetable stock or water

1 tbsp salt

Combine all ingredients into crock pot. Set on Low for 8 hours.