Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Quinoa Chocolate Cake Ⓥ

(sorry for terrible iPhone photos)

This recipe is based off a recipe from a friend of mine-- and I probably improvised as much as he did when he first made it, but it turned out so incredibly delicious! 

vegan / gluten free/ refined sugar-free/ healthy

Quinoa Chocolate Cake

1 large ripe avocado

1 cup cacao powder

1 cup date paste (easy to make overnight)

1 can coconut milk (full fat)

2 cups of cooked quinoa (or 1c quinoa + 1c millet)

1/2 cup grated coconut

Stevia to sweeten and/or Agave

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a blender, combine all the ingredients (except the baking soda and powder) and blend until super smooth. Add the baking powder and baking soda and blend until just mixed. Pour batter into a spring form pan or dish and bake for approximately 1 hour--checking with a toothpick to see when it is done. 

Once fully cooked, top with icing of your choice--I made a very simple but delicious raspberry chocolate icing for this one, it complemented very nicely. Recipe below… 

Raspberry Icing:

1/3 cup date paste

1/2 cup Raspberries

1/3 cup Coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp Cacao powder

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or other sweetener

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour over cake and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. 

This cake is also fantastic if you grate a chocolate bar onto the top--pure decadence! Soft, moist, melt in your mouth awesomeness! Plus, it's healthy! ;) 

Enjoy!

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♥ Buddha Chocolate ♥

What's funner than starting the new year with health in mind? Not much, I say! No doubt being healthy is on many of our New Year's Resolutions, and that means… no delicious desserts? Well! Not if I have something to say about it. The awesomeness of Raw is that Health is not sacrificed, AND you still get to indulge with yummy deliciousness. So, to start this New Year health kick, I introduce to you: Buddha Chocolate!  

Buddha Chocolates are an amazing Raw Vegan chocolate company that make raw "peanut butter" chocolate cups, but without peanut butter and, as I already mentioned, are actually good for you. 

Raw chocolate was not all created equally, just like chocolate in general was not created equally, and, so, my standards for chocolate mean no dairy, no animal products, no crappy sugars, no gluten, all while not compromising flavour. I have pretty high standards, and I'm glad that I do, because it means after indulging I don't feel awful afterwards, in fact, I feel great!

So, what about this Buddha Chocolate you ask? Well! Buddha Cups are handcrafted in small batches, with care and commitment. They are made from Organic, raw and unprocessed ingredients: Cacao, almonds, coconut palm crystals, mesquite pod, vanilla bean, and himalayan crystal salt. Pure plant foods. Simple! Delicious! Savory sweet almond butter slow-stirred to creamy perfection, coated with dark decadent raw chocolate. 

Why Buddha? 

Buddha means “awakened one.” Keeping the body healthy allows the mind to get quiet. Buddha Cups are our offering to you. In purity and simplicity. “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” -Buddha

Buddha Chocolates are a unique company because they are smaller scale, and because their name says it all. Their chocolates are made without sacrificing quality or integrity. They also bring meditation into creation, putting focus and intention into every product they make. Energy is such an easy thing to transfer so the thought of these wonderful people actually putting intention into their creations is so wonderful; no wonderful you feel good after eating these delicious treats!  

Slow-stirred. Hand poured. Individually wrapped.

Awesomeness of Buddha Cups:

• Handmade - Each Buddha Cup is made by hand. Hand stirred, hand poured, hand wrapped, hand packed. By continuing this tradition of handcrafting, we maintain the integrity of the process equal to that of the product. Each and every cup is perfectly unique.
• Raw - The raw scene may seem scenie, but the health benefits are real. We keep all of our ingredients in their raw state. They are slow stirred at low temperatures to retain their vital nutrients and deliver your body superior energy and enzymatic absorption. Mother Nature knows her stuff.
• Vegan / Dairy Free - Buddha Cups are Dairy Free and contain no animal products or by-products. No horse meat…for now. We hope each cup brings you a taste of the peace we put into it.
• Fair Trade - Our Arriba Nacional cacao is grown in Ecuador using sustainable & organic farming methods. It is harvested by local farmers who benefit from fair labor practices and a supported local economy. Our cacao is sun dried and stone ground to produce bold flavor and aroma and to retain the dense mineral content for superior health.
• Gluten Free - We are proud to offer a gluten free product for those who need it. Surprisingly, not all chocolates are gluten free. Some treats contain sweetened barley malt, which can agitate those with a gluten sensitivity.
• Soy Free - 91% of soy in the US is genetically modified. Processed soy contains phytates, which prevent the absorption of many vital minerals into the body. Your Buddha Cups are, and will always be, soy free.
• Free of Refined Sugar - The health risks linked to refined sugar are vast. We choose to sweeten with Coconut Palm Crystals, which are derived from the bud of the coconut palm flower. They are rich in the minerals your body craves and have a low glycemic index so your blood sugar doesn’t spike and crash. 

Best of all? These are the best damn chocolate cups I've had! Buddha Chocolate really does bring quality and taste together in this lovely fusion of tantalizing melt-in-your-mouth delicious chocolates. 

So, indulge and feel great about it! Chocolate was meant to be enjoyed with all the wonderful health benefits in tact, so enjoy, and treat yourself with Buddha Chocolates! 

Find Buddha Chocolates:

Website: http://www.buddhachocolate.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuddhaChocolate

Twitter: https://twitter.com/buddhachocolate

Instagram: http://instagram.com/buddhachocolate

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Ⓥ Apple Pie Smoothie #2 Ⓥ

Apple Pie smoothies are the greatest, aren't they? Well, here's another Apple Pie smoothie for you that is a little different and equally awesome than the last one I posted. 

Enjoy!!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ raw

Apple Pie Smoothie

1 Apple, chopped and cored

1 Banana

3 Dates, soaked overnight (to soften them up)

1 Tbsp Walnuts 

1 tsp of Cinnamon

¼ tsp of ground Nutmeg

⅛ tsp of ground Ginger

¼ cup ice

1 cup Water

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. 

Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Rice Pudding Ⓥ

I love this recipe as a healthy breakfast alternative. Of course, it makes a great dessert as well. ;) 

Super easy and healthy!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free

Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups cooked Brown Rice*

1 1/4 cups Coconut Milk**

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup Agave or maple syrup (or use a little less and use stevia as well)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg

*I like to make a batch of Brown Rice for a couple of days for rice bowls and, well, for this recipe. If you don't have rice already made then either make it the night before (since it takes about 50minutes to cook brown rice) or, if you have time, make it in the morning.

**Coconut Milk: use the liquid of a chilled can (I always like to store mine in a cold room or keep one handy in the fridge for recipes), and part of the thick part so that you get enough--store the rest for another recipe for your week :)

In a medium saucepan, add the rice with all of your ingredients. Stir well to combine, and cook the mixture over low heat until warmed and you get a nice consistency that isn't too watery but isn't too dry (add a little water or more coconut milk as necessary). 

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve warm--or chill in the fridge, both are delish! 

Serves 2-3

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Easy Pan-fried Potatoes Ⓥ

This is a super delicious side dish to a tofu scramble, a veggie burger, or even a starchy meal on its own. ;) Easy, quick, yummy! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free 

Easy Pan-fried Potatoes

2-3 large Potatoes, chopped into cubes 

1/2 tsp Salt

1-2 Garlic cloves, minced (depending how garlicky you want them)

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp the following spices: oregano, cumin, turmeric

1/4 tsp black pepper 

Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 

In a large frying pan, bring some water to a boil. 

Toss in your cubed potatoes and lit boil for a couple of minutes until the potatoes cook to a nice firmness--do Not overcook them, you don't want them fully cooked at this point, just enough so that you can poke a fork in them. 

Drain the water. 

Add your spices and the garlic and a touch of olive oil, sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Once the potatoes start sticking a bit, add your coconut oil and continue to fry until your potatoes are a lovely golden brown, stirring fairly frequently. 

The coconut oil adds a lovely flavour while also prevents the potatoes from sticking. I always make perfect pan-fried potatoes this method, though you do have to watch the first boiling step because if you overcook them at this step then the potatoes turn out a little more on the mushy side--though still taste amazing. 

Makes 4 small servings, or 3 larger portions. 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Vegan Nachos Ⓥ

Vegan Nachos for dinner?! Why the hell not? That's what me and hubby thought the other night anyways. It was super delicious, and of course I instagramed it ;p and was asked for the recipe, so I though to myself what a great idea for this week's sunday recipe post. :) 

So, vegan nachos, in all their cheesy dreamy delicious glory. Make them for supper like we did, or make them to snack on or to share with friends. Either way, you win with this yummy platter! 

Vegan Nachos

1/2 pound Tofu (anything from soft to firm works great)

1 Tbsp Tamari (wheat-free)

1/4 tsp each of these spices: Black Pepper, Cumin, ground Mustard

1/2 tsp Turmeric and Chili Powder

1/2 Tbsp Parsley

touch of oil or water*

1 Green Pepper

Sundried Tomatoes

2 Garlic Cloves

Daiya Cheese (or whatever your favourite vegan cheese may be)

Que Pasa Tortilla Chips

*I don't like cooking with oil if I can avoid it, so I use eco-friendly non-stick pans (never use carcinogenic awful teflon!) and a splash of water to prevent sticking--works great, no oil! 

Crumble your tofu and mince your garlic. Toss into a frying pan, and, on medium-high heat, sauté in tamari and spices until the tofu browns and absorbs all that delicious flavour, stirring fairly frequently to avoid sticking. Usually takes about 5-7 minutes.

Dice up your green pepper and add to your tofu mix for a minute or two. 

Preheat oven to 300℉.

Sprinkle a tray (or oven-safe plates*) with as much tortilla chips as you're hungry for. 

(* If you're making this for to snack on, to share, etc. then use an oven tray or something you can use once they're out of the oven. If you're making this for dinner then I prefer to make individual plates--because it's less messy and you just have your serving and can choose how much of everything you want. Just don't touch the hot plates when they come out of the oven (ouch!).)

Top your tortilla chips with your tofu mixture, sprinkle some sun-dried tomatoes on top along with however much daiya cheese you would like. 

Pop in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and bubble. 

Serve! And remember to be careful with hot plates! ;o

Makes 2 dinner servings or a lovely sharing plate with friends.   

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Ⓥ Apple Pie Smoothie Ⓥ

It's rainy, it's fall, it's cold, and all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket fort and enjoy cozy, delicious and healthy snacks, breakfasts, or even desserts! Or… combine all three with this amazing smoothie recipe! ;) 

This recipe makes a great switch-up in your usual smoothie morning recipes (if you're like me and have smoothies every morning for breakfast that is). Even though it's still a cold smoothie, it feels warm and, heck, if you wanted to you could even warm it up and it would be delish! Mmmmmmm!  

Apple Pie Smoothie

3 Tbsp of Gluten-Free Oatmeal (or sub for 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds!)

2 Tbsp of almond butter or sunflower seed butter 

1 apple, chopped

¼ tsp of nutmeg

1 tsp of cinnamon

½ cup ice

1 cup coconut milk (beverage, not canned -- or hemp milk, or almond milk, or any other non-dairy milk)

1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder (optional -- if you don't, then add a touch of vanilla extract)

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Cook the oats, or soak them overnight in the fridge--with 1/2 cup water. Wait until they've cooled if cooking them. 

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Creamy Lobster Mushroom Pasta Ⓥ

The husband and I went on a lovely hike the other day and we just so happened to stumble across our first lobster mushroom! Now, normally, mushroom picking scares me--what with the high possibility that you're dealing with poisonous mushrooms--but, fortunately, Cory had his iPhone handy (thank you technology) and we were able to google search lobster mushrooms. They have no poisonous look-a-likes, and unlike many mushrooms, they are very easy to identify. So we picked our very first ever wild mushroom. On the way back down from the hike (now that we were looking), we found a few more. How exciting! 

So we had several mushrooms, meaning it was time for a new recipe! 

While this recipe will be delicious with any mushrooms, lobster mushrooms really pack the extra incredible flavour--so if you can go wildcrafting or find some locally, I highly recommend it! 

Creamy Lobster Mushroom Pasta 

Enough Linguini Pasta for 2! 

1 large Lobster Mushroom (or two smaller ones), chopped and diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (+ 1 Tbsp)

1 heaped tsp Miso

1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Tamari

1 tsp (just under) Salt

dash Garlic Salt

dash of Black Pepper

3 Tbsp Rice Flour (or any other flour)

2 cups Water

1/4 cup Vegan Cream Cheese (I used Follow Your Heart brand)

Handful of Spinach

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. (depending how long your pasta takes to cook, start cooking accordingly ;)) 

Sauté the Mushroom and Garlic in oil for several minutes on medium-high heat -- the mushrooms will release a lot of water, so wait for some of the water to reduce so that they can sauté for a few minutes.  

Add the vinegar and tamari and sauté another several minutes. 

Add the rice flour and that last Tbsp of Oil, and sauté for a minute. Add the miso, salt and spices, and slowly add water; increasing the heat a little and cook until the sauce boils and thickens, stirring fairly frequently. This usually takes about ten minutes for the sauce to fully thicken up. 

Once the sauce has thickened, add the cream cheese and spinach, and continue to stir until fully melted and blended. 

Add more water if needed. Taste-test to see if it needs more salt or pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the pasta and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings. 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce Ⓥ

This recipe is super quick and simple to whip together. It's delicious and creamy and packed full of flavour. For the vegan-taste skeptics, no one will ever guess it's vegan. ;)

Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce 

1 pound Brown Rice spiral Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1 head Broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into small florets

2 cups plain unsweetened Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed

1 tbsp dried Basil

2 tps dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder (or to taste--optional, but it adds a nice flavour and kick)

dash of Black Pepper

1/2- 1 tsp Salt, to taste.

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

2 tbsp Tapioca Flour (potato or corn starch would work as well, or even any flour)

Other optional add-ins:

Chickpeas

Cauliflower, Zucchini, spinach, or other veggies 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. 

While the pasta is cooking, steam your veggies. 

While those are both cooking, make your sauce: 

Combine in a medium saucepan the soy milk, garlic, herbs and spices, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the tapioca starch, and stir thoroughly. Increase heat a little and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly, stirring every so often. Add more water if needed. Taste-test to see if it needs more salt or pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir gently to coat. If the pasta needs more moisture, add a little of reserved pasta water (from the water it was cooking in). 

Serve immediately.

Makes approx. 4 servings. 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Peanut Curry Creamy Pasta Ⓥ

This sauce is so rich, and creamy its heavenly! It's also super easy and quick to make, so double yay! This recipe is not too spicy but with a lovely little kick to it, while the flavour of the dish is subtle yet rich and delightful. 

This recipe came from a spontaneous whim of adding a little this and that while I wanted to make something I hadn't made before. I am super happy with the results and I think this will be another new favourite to my repertoire. 

As always: vegan, gluten-free, free of refined sugars and crap your body doesn't need. ;) 

Peanut Curry Creamy Pasta

1 cup tofu, crumbled

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 Zucchini, chopped

Kale, Swiss Chard (or other greens of your choice)

1 can coconut milk (I use full fat by thai kitchen)

2 tbsp rice flour (or other flour)

1/4 cup pb

1 tsp red curry paste

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Water 

2 cups gluten-free pasta (or whatever pasta you'd prefer)

In a large saucepan, crumble your tofu, add the tamari, vinegar, lemon juice and curry paste and sauté for a few minutes so the tofu soaks up the flavour. 

While the tofu is sautéing, chop up your vegetables. Add the vegetables to the pot and sauté another couple minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water so nothing sticks to the pot. 

Add your coconut milk and simmer on medium heat for a few minutes. 

Add the spices, salt, and flour, and stir occasionally. 

Your sauce will start to thicken so add a little more water as needed to get your desired consistency of the sauce. 

Add the peanut butter, stirring, and once again adding more water if necessary. Simmer on low-medium heat until cooked. 

Boil your pasta at whichever point depending on how long it takes to boil (this will depend on what kind of pasta you use). Entire cooking and prep time for this recipe takes approx. 30 minutes. 

Add your cooked pasta into the sauce or serve as is so people can choose how much pasta and sauce they'd like. ;) 

Enjoy!! Makes approx. 4 large servings.    

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Best Gluten Free Quinoa PB Chocolate Chip Cookies! Ⓥ

I've tried many different gluten-free cookie recipes before, all have been good but not amaaaaazing. These were absolutely positively amaaaaazing! Hands down the best cookies I've ever made. Unlike lots of gluten-free cookies, they were moist, they rose, they had a nice fluffy consistency, and were simply divine! 

I added a few too many chocolate chips (which I didn't think was possible ~_^) the first time making these, so don't mind the photo at the bottom of the chocolate pouring onto the pan--I've adjusted the recipe. ;)

So without further ado, the best cookies ever! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free

Gluten Free Quinoa PB Cookies

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa Flour

1/4 cup Tapioca Flour

1/3 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/4 cup ground Flax Seed

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Salt

1/2 cup vegan Chocolate Chips (or carob chips)

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 Banana

3/4 cup Peanut Butter

1/4 cup Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 tsp Stevia

1 Tbsp Agave (or other sweetener)

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly oil a baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. 

In a blender or food processor, toss in all of your wet ingredients and blend until frothy and smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until evenly combined. 

Form into small balls and place on your baking sheet and flatten into cookies. 

Cook in the oven for 20 minutes -- until you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean. 

Allow to cool and then try not to devour them all in one sit. ;)

Enjoy!  

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Chocolate Mousse with Rice Crispy Crust Pie Ⓥ

I think this may be one of my new favourite desserts. It's super simple and quick to make and is heavenly divine--not to mention it's also fun to lick the spoons after you're done putting everything together. ;)

Dairy free and vegan as always, gluten free, and soy free! 

Chocolate Mousse with Crispy Crust Pie

Peanut Butter Crispy Crust:

4 heaped Tbsp Peanut Butter (smooth is best. or sub Nut Butter of choice)

1 Tbsp Agave (or use Stevia like I do, about 1-2 tsp.)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 heaped Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 cup Crispy Brown Rice Cereal

1 cup Crispy Flake Cereal (I use Nature's Path Millet Flakes)

Chocolate Mousse Filling:

1 cup Dark Chocolate (72%)

Organic Coconut Cream (from 1 can of Chilled Coconut Milk)**

Directions:

Make the Rice Crispy Crust:

In small saucepan over medium heat, combine peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and coconut oil, stirring until melted together. Remove from heat and add cereal, stirring until completely coated. 

Press rice crispy mixture into a 9x13" pan, press flat, set aside to set.

Make the Chocolate Mousse:

**Without shaking, open the can of coconut milk and spoon out the thick portion at the top of the can (reserving remainder for smoothies). You must have refrigerated the can prior, overnight or longer so that the thick cream part separates from the liquid. 

Chop chocolate. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk coconut cream until heated (this takes several minutes, but keep heat low). Add the chopped chocolate and continue to stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour over your rice crispy crust, smoothing it over top evenly. 

Place in fridge to set, this takes about an hour but if you're hungry then you can always eat it sooner, the chocolate will just not be as settled and thick. 

Enjoy! 

Makes 6-9 servings, depending how big you want to cut the pieces. ;) 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Sunflower Pâté Spread Ⓥ

This recipe is super simple, easy to make, super delicious, and quite versatile. It is also a healthy and tasty alternative to cream cheese or unhealthy spreads. It's also mostly raw! Double the healthiness!  

Use it as a dip, a sandwich spread, in wraps or nori rolls, in stuffed peppers, or whatever your heart desires! I've used this in grilled cheese sandwiches before with a bit of daiya, which admittedly lowers the healthy part but is still a great alternative to anything else and satisfies that comfort food craving at the same time.    

Sunflower Pâté Spread

1 1/2 c raw Sunflower Seeds, soaked overnight and rinsed (and sprouted if desired)

1/2 c fresh Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Tamari 

2 small Garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Once your sunflowers seeds have been soaked and rinsed, throw all your ingredients into a food processor and blend until fairly smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides every so often so you don't miss any seeds or garlic.

Keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Easy "Cheesy" Potatoes! Ⓥ

This is a delicious, creamy, easy and quick recipe to whip up. It's the perfect comfort food and/or side dish to any meal and will leave any cheesy cravings satisfied. 

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free (and vegan of course), free of nuts, and free of soy--for those with lots of allergies like myself. ;)  

Easy "Cheesy" Potatoes

1 Large Sweet Potato (or regular potatoes)

1 Tbsp Earth Balance, or vegan margarine

1 Tbsp Rice flour (or other flour)

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

3/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Mustard, ground

1/2 tsp Garlic salt

1/2 tsp Turmeric 

about 1/2 cup "Milk" (I like to use coconut because it's a little creamier)

Chop up your potatoes and in a medium pot, boil them until almost cooked. Don't overcook them though, you want to be able to be firm but able to poke them with a fork but for them not to be mushy.  

Drain the water. 

In the same pot, add the earth balance, stock, and spices and stir for a moment. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice, and then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. The flour will thicken up the sauce so you can add more or less milk depending on how creamy you want it to be. Cook for a few minutes until your sauce has thickened up. 

Serve and enjoy! Super easy cheesy potatoes! 

Makes 2 servings. If you want larger portions just double up the recipe. 

This recipe has been shared at: Fat Tuesday

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Ⓥ Nutty Granola Ⓥ

I've been meaning to make granola forever now. I love granola, it's just so good and delicious and crunchy and wholesome. But… I can't eat cane sugar, which pretty much cuts out all possible buying options for granola cereals. So, I figured it was about time I made some! It's really easy and doesn't take that much time, which is why I have no good reason for not doing this sooner. This granola is super delicious, with a lovely coconutty-nutty flavour. Plus it's healthy and packed full of nutrition and gives you breakfast for the whole week--or longer.

Anyway, enough from me, let's make some granola! 

This recipe is vegan (as always) and can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats. :)

Nutty Granola

Dry:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup almonds or peanuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp flax seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup cacao nibs (or vegan chocolate chips)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp kosher salt

Wet: 

1/4 cup of agave nectar (or use a tbsp of stevia with a touch of agave like I do)

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup of hot water

Preheat oven to 300℉

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the wet ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a very large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Add the wet mixture (while still warm) over top the dry mixture and stir well. Stir until thoroughly combined (don't miss any!).

Spread onto a pan lined with aluminium foil (greatly helpful in preventing sticking) and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Make sure you give the granola a good stir every 7-10 minutes to ensure even baking. Keep an eye on it as well as the oats can catch quickly if you don't. 

Allow to cool for 30 minutes on the pan before serving. The granola will stiffen up as it cools.

Makes about 6 cups and will keep for 1 month in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Enjoy with some lovely almond milk for an extra nutty flavour!

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Ⓥ Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie Ⓥ

This is a rich, creamy, purely lovely breakfast smoothie for you!

There are a couple variations I've done of this recipe. Firstly, I use amanda vegan yogurt, it's delicious and amazing! Sometimes I op for the coconut flavour one for a more, well, coconut-y flavour. ;) I also sometimes add a serving of protein powder, just make sure it's a fairly plain tasting one so it doesn't mix with the flavours. And sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of chia seeds for a health boost (soak them for about 10 minutes or overnight with the oats).

Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie

1 frozen Banana

1/4 cup Oats (choose gluten free ones if you'd like)

1/4 cup Vanilla non-dairy Yogurt

1 cup Almond Milk

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

1 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)

1 scoop Vegan Protein Powder (optional)

Cook the oats, or soak them overnight in the fridge--with 1/2 cup water. Wait until they've cooled if cooking them. 

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.   

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Chickpea Fritters Ⓥ

First thing, these are not falafel, they are lovely crispy chickpea fritters. ;)

I originally found this recipe over at The LunchBox Bunch, with some very slight changes to my liking and to make them gluten free. Check them out anyways, they have a ton of amazing vegan recipes! 

Mine didn't come out as pretty as The LunchBox Bunch, but they still tasted incredibly delicious.

They are pretty easy to make though are a bit messy--but who doesn't have fun getting messy in the kitchen? They are super delicious! 

They'd be great as an appetizer or snack, or a side to a meal like we made them for. I think these would also be awesome in a sandwich or burger, though they are a tad on the crumbly side. 

Of course, these are vegan, and we made them gluten free. 

makes 12 small round fritters.

Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters

1 can Chickpeas, drained 

1/2 cup organic Pumpkin Puree (canned)

1/4 cup Hemp Seeds

1 tsp Garlic powder

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

a touch of cayenne or chili powder

1 Tbsp Brown Rice Flour (for binding)

1 cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs for coating

Olive Oil for frying. 

*baking note: you could also bake these instead of frying them if you'd prefer. Bake on parchment paper or a lightly greased baking sheet at about 350 degrees for about 20 minutes - or until toasty. BUT the panko bread crumbs are really made for a light fry. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and pumpkin. With a large fork or potato masher, mash the beans until at least 75% of them have been mashed together with the pumpkin.

Add in the spices, apple cider, hemp seeds and flour. Fold together until a moist mixture forms.

Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls and roll in your panko crumbs until well covered - pat down into flatter cakes. 

Preheat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil if hot, place the cakes in the hot oil - carefully!

Try to leave about an inch space between each cake for easier flipping--unlike what I did and mush them all together. ;)  

Cook on each side for a couple of minutes - until toasty brown. Try not to burn, although a bit of crisping is nice.

Let cool a bit, serve, and enjoy! 

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