Recent Tester Goodies

Being a tester for cookbooks is soooo much fun!!! And tasty, too!

Almond Lime Cake with Rosemary Lime Frosting, from the upcoming Vegan Girl's Guide to Life by The Urban Housewife. One of the best cakes ever!!! And the most beautiful! Sweet Potato Pie, from the upcoming Vegan Bakesale by Carla of The Vegan Year blog! I loooooove me some pie, and anything sweet potatoes, too. Perfect combo!

And finally, Chocolate Cereal Squares, also from the Vegan Bakesale cookbook. So much crispiness and chocolatiness all in one!!! Yummmm!

Tasty Tester Roundup

I had a few days off this week, so I recipe tested my butt off!

First, the sweet stuff from Carla's Vegan Bakesale testing:

Rich Brownies...the egg replacer is pureed raw cashews! So decadent and genius! Gently spiced with hints of cinnamon and ancho chili powder. So nice! Malva Bundt Cake...a super moist, sweet, and comforting apricot bundt cake! It even got an Apricot Jam Glaze for extra sweet and stickiness!

Pineapple Mango Mint Upside Down Cake...something sunny and flavorful to make watching LOST even MORE enjoyable!! Mint and pineapple? Yes, yes, and yes!!!

Now for some savory stuff from Melisser's upcoming The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life!

Chipotle Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes....spicy, smoky, and just all around amazing!! Perfectly paired with some homemade veggie burgers. Also, holla for the great local sweet potatoes!

And then there's Austrian Potato Salad! How can you not loooooove potato salad?! I even got these yummy local new potatoes and chives for it! Similar to a German potato salad, served warm with tons of onions and dill pickles in it. Mayo free too! Potatoes are the bomb, and so is Melliser!

Chi-Town Treats!

I just got back yesterday from Chicago, where I went this weekend for a good friend's bachelorette party!! It was lots of fun, of course, but it was also great because of all the awesome vegan food Chicago has!!!

First and foremost, I got to try Go Max Go! candy bars!!!! The Whole Foods downtown had all sorts of treats that I can't get back in Kansas City, so I stocked up. I tried all the varieties of candy bars, and I just can't decide which is my favorite! Pictured is the Buccaneer bar, which is the Three Musketeers alternative. So. freakin. good. I hadn't eaten a candy bar in soooooo long, so this was quite a treat!Also from the downtown Whole Foods: Jerk Tofu Wrap, made by Soul Vegetarian East, a local veg restaurant that makes some prepared foods for sale at WF. Yum!! I got to try Wildwood's Soyogurt, which was seriously awesome. My second favorite soygurt, only after Whole Soy and Co. This was suuuuper thick, too, which was very nice!Since I really love yogurt as snacks, I also tried the Ricera Rice Yogurt! I've never had rice-based yogurt before, so I had to branch out. It was pretty good! I am definitely more of a soygurt fan, but if you have a soy allergy, this would be a great alternative!

Now for some restaurant food!! I got to go to Karyn's Cooked for the first time ever!! Yay for me :) I am in love with this place! So much that I went there twice over the weekend! haha

Our appetizer: the Mixed Basket...a basket of fried mushrooms, fried BROCCOLI, and fried tofu. Served with Creamy Garlic Sauce and homemade BBQ Sauce for dipping. OMG fried fooooooood! A rare indulgence, sure, but it is just so tasty! Fried broccoli might be my new favorite food!Our entrees: I got the Grilled Steak Wrap....thinly-sliced seitan "steak," grilled onions and peppers, shredded lettuce, and chipotle sauce in a grilled whole wheat tortilla!! Like a Philly cheese steak on steroids. Vegan steroids. (huh?!) It came with Coleslaw--yum!--and Potato Wedges! With more BBQ Sauce! I was so full and happy!A couple of the girls I was with got the Jerk Tofu Wrap...jerk-spiced tofu, jerk sauce, creamy garlic sauce, and shredded lettuce in a spinach tortilla. Also with the slaw and wedges. This was seriously spicy and delicious!!Also ordered: the Taco Salad Bowl!! This salad is not kidding around, guys. It's a deep-fried taco shell bowl filled with lettuce, seitan taco meat, pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapenos, creamy garlic sauce, and chipotle sauce. Holy freakin cow. Just salty, spicy decadence. So good!

We split some desserts, of course! Banana Cake!! Moist as heck! With a carob drizzle.And Coconut Bread Pudding! Warm, gooey, rich, amazing! Another night, I got take-out from Karyn's--I just couldn't get enough!! This time I got the Green Enchiladas: corn tortillas stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes and topped with green tomatillo sauce and soy sour cream, with a side of spanish brown rice and refried black beans, with some tortilla chips. Mex-amazing!!One great thing about Chicago is that they have Trader Joe's stores!! We don't have them in Kansas City, so I loaded up on snacks and such. I wish I could go there every day with those prices!!

Vegan Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats!
Joe-Joe's!!!!!!

Chile Spiced Mango!!

And I just couldn't leave Chicago without going to Chicago Diner!! It's my favorite place ever!!

It was a rainy, snowy, cruddy weather night, so I got to go food and the girls and I all stayed in and watched New Moon. What a great night!!

I got the Radical Reuben with Sweet Potato Fries! This is the best sandwich ever made. Ever!

The reuben going....

Going....Gone.Room for dessert?? Heck yes!! Cookies and Cream Cake. For when you really want a food baby and sugar coma all at once. My favorite cake I've EVER eaten I think I can safely say! Thank you, Chicago Diner!!!

Man, I can't wait to get back to Chicago soon for some more great vegan food!!!!

I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day...

It's been pretty cloudy and rainy here in Missouri over the past week or so, but my days have been brightened up with little ray of sunshine: Citrus Bundt Cake! This is a tester recipe for the upcoming Vegan Bakesale cookbook (courtesy of Queen V from the Vegan Year blog!). Let me tell you, this cake is absolutely perfect!!! So much citrus to make any day feel sunny, but not overpoweringly so to where it tastes like lemon cleaner! And this is truly the moistest cake I've ever eaten. Ever. The bundt cake got drizzled with an Agave Citrus Glaze, another Vegan Bakesale test recipe...for even more of a sweet and tart punch.Since cake and ice cream are made for each other, I did my culinary duty and paired this lovely, citrus-y cake with some simple vanilla soy ice cream (I used So Delicious this time). And it was just awesome!!

Food From the Heart and For the Heart.

Valentine's Day this year was filled with all the things I love: good food and amazing friends. What else could you want on such a holiday?? Nothing!

The day began with breakfast, of course. I had my girls over for a breakfast of heart-shaped biscuits and sage gravy. I made my usual biscuit recipe, but cut them into hearts with cookie cutters my mom gave me as a Valentine's present! Thanks, mom!! Seriously, check out those layers. mmmmmmm yeah.After church a few of us went out to eat at a local restaurant called You Say Tomato. This place is seriously adorable!! There are only a few vegan options, but the staff is really helpful and knowledgeable, and willing to make things vegan for you if you want. So nice! They use mostly local, organic ingredients and serve it all up in a cozy diner setting, which just happens to be my favorite of all time!

I got the Hummus and Pita Plate, which is a big bowl of homemade hummus, topped with a sweet chili sauce, and served with locally-made pita bread and fresh cucumber slices. The sweet, salty, creamy, chewy, crisp combo made for one tasty lunch for sure!
I also got a side of their Roasted Potatoes, which were made with local russet and sweet potatoes! Seriously, potatoes are the best food ever, perhaps.
Dinner was also with my girls (yes, we spend all of our time together!!) spent over candlelight and as a precursor to watching Romeo and Juliet, the Leo DiCaprio version, obviously.

I did the main meal: Rosemary-Walnut Crusted (local) Tofu, Caramelized Onions, Garlic-Roasted (local) Potatoes, and Raw Kale-(local) Beet Salad. Delicious. Raw Kale-Beet Salad (serves 3-4)
1 bunch kale
1 large or 5-6 small beets
1/2 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs cold-pressed olive oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

In a large bowl, combine the kale and olive oil. Massage the kale with the oil until it softens and takes on a delicate, wilted texture. Add the lemon juice and vinegar, then toss to coat the kale. Add in the onion, garlic, beets, and spices. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or (my favorite) let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and then serve!

The girls took care of dessert, which was awesome!

Emily made a Chocolate-Balsamic Cake with Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze and Fresh Raspberries. The chocolate-balsamic-berry combination is just sooooo gooooood!!! My mouth waters just writing about it! Chelsea made cupcakes, because cupcakes are absolutely perfect for absolutely any occasion!!! She made Vanilla Cupcakes (from VCTOTW) topped with Berry Jam and Coconut Frosting. Another awesome flavor combination! Perfect way to end a meal!

I was so blessed this Valentine's Day with love!!! Thanks everybody!!

This Week in Sustainability...

Yesterday's Sustainability Sunday was a HUGE success! Dane and I both had tons of people come out to our supper clubs, and the KC Vegan Crawl made yet another mark on the midwest! Yay!

At my place for lunch, I made everyone's favorite: Brunch!!

My Lemon-Ginger Scones! A big, big hit! The recipe is here...I highly recommend it. I even got the lemons at the Farmers' Market!For the main event, I served up cakes 'n eggs, vegan-style!! Awesome Whole Grain Pancakes, Scrambled Tofu with Local Greens, and Local Homefries, featuring both yukon gold and sweet potatoes.

To mix it up a bit, I gave my guests a choice of different pancake toppings: Plain (Earth Balance and Maple Syrup), Homemade Pumpkin Butter, Cinnamon-Baked Apples, Chocolate Chips, or, for those with a savory tooth, Spicy Seitan Chorizo!

Here's my plate-- I topped mine with both the pumpkin butter and baked apples, being the little glutton I am. Did I mention ALL the produce and tofu used were local? Well, they were! The savory option: Pancakes topped with homemade Spicy Seitan Chorizo Crumbles, drizzled with agave nectar and sprinkled with sea salt. Holy moly this was one tasty plate o' food!!Then, for dinner at Dane's place: Gumbo and Rice! Food for the working folks, for sure!! Tons of okra, Anasazi beans, tomatoes, garlic and more in a delicious, spicy broth, topped with fluffy white rice. I think all the vegan Southerners would be proud!!And there was homemade bread: Whole Grain and French Baguettes!! BREAD!!And, since no meal is complete sans dessert: Depression Cake!! Dane found a recipe for cake from the Depression era, when things like eggs and milk were scarce...so it was already vegan and tasty and cheap to make! Yes!! He jazzed it up a bit with a Cranberry-Orange Glaze, and it was just too good!
Thanks to everyone who has been coming out to the Vegan Crawl!! Hopefully we'll just keep growing and growing! There will be more delish food to come, ya'll!

Testa Fiesta!

My friend Anna had a birthday party last weekend that was "taco night" themed, so I had a wonderful excuse to whip up some tester recipes for Terry Hope Romero's upcoming Vegan Latina cookbook!! All of the recipes I have tried so far for this cookbook testing have been so flavorful and delicious, and they incorporate a lot of new ingredients for me to try....very exciting!

For my main dish contribution to the feast, I made the Chimichurri Baked Tofu, which uses the Chimichurri Sauce recipe, both Terry test recipes. This was awesome! I had never had anything with chimichurri....kinda like a Latina pesto....and the flavors just explode in your mouth and it is wonderfully spicy and savory and great! We put these in tacos/burritos/our tummies and were all very, very pleased! One guest at the fiesta said this was the best tofu she's ever had! Whoa!
(unfortunately, this didn't photograph as well as it tasted. wah.) For a condiment addition to the spread, I made the Pickled Red Onions test recipe! I love ALL things pickled and I love onions, so this was perfect for me! It is a quick pickling process, where the onions really just marinate overnight in a lime-infused brine....a cheater pickled onion is just as good as a regular pickled onion, folks! Since the recipe made a giant batch, I am still using these up by throwing them in/on just about everything I eat! so gooooood.

While the birthday cake was not a test recipe, it was still incredible! I made the Decadent Almond Cake from Hannah Kaminsky's My Sweet Vegan. The cake is a very moist and richly-flavored almond cake, made with almond meal and other tasties, with a ganache frosting. Since Anna is a big carob fan, I made the ganache with carob instead of the chocolate for which the recipe called. It paired so well with the sweetness of the almond cake! If you have not made this cake from MSV before, you must do so next time you have a cake to make! Everyone will love you. a lot.

Birthday Treats for a Birthday Girl

Birthdays are a wonderful reason to celebrate with delicious food...especially if you are a foodie, like me! My 22nd bday was a few days ago, so here's a few treats with which I was blessed on my special day!!

Even though it was my birthday, I did do a little cooking. One, because I love to cook, and two, because I really wanted biscuits and gravy on my special morning for breakfast...and there was no one else around who could make them like I like them! Anyway, I made up some whole wheat biscuits and herbed tofu sausage gravy (still working on this recipe! I'll put it up after it's perfected.) for my mother and myself. It was a great morning!

For my birthday lunch, my mom took me to one of our favorite restaurants in Kansas City, and the world, Eden Alley! I had my favorite menu item: the Sweet Potato Burrito! It is a big flour tortilla stuffed with roasted rosemary sweet potatoes, homemade hummus, and brown rice, topped with fruit salsa and served on a bed of organic baby greens. This is such a refreshing meal on a warm summer day!

My mom had the Falafel Platter, which is their homemade baked falafel patties with brown rice, homemade hummus, and warm local pita bread! She loved this dish, and I loved the bite I snuck from her plate!For dessert, we split a piece of their Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Icing and Candied Walnuts...I love carrot cake so much!! This was delish!We also split some of their homemade vegan ice cream! You can't have your birthday cake without ice cream! We got the Coconut-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and it was mind-blowing! I love the creaminess of the ice cream interspersed with crunchy bits of frozen chocolate chips!!
For my birthday dinner, my dad and his family took me to Waldo Pizza in Kansas City. I adore this place! They are one of the few pizza joints that carry vegan mozzarella and they have tons of veggie toppings! They even have a special vegan menu. So sweet.

For my pie, I got vegan mozzarella, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and roasted red peppers. This was amaaaazing! Sweet and salty and savory and wonderful.
Aaaaaand they even had vegan cupcakes! My dad and I both got the Cappuccino Cupcakes. I have to say that this was one of the BEST cupcakes I've ever eaten....and that's been a lot of cupcakes! He thought it was amazing, too! It was just sooooo moist and rich yet light and had the most intense cappuccino flavor! I want one now just thinking about it!

While I was visiting my family in KC for my birthday, I also had to hit up the all-vegan restaurant, Cafe Seed! This place has food that would make anyone want to go vegan!

My mom and I each had our respective favorites: I had the Chik'n Sandwich on a Biscuit (which IS what I will eat in Heaven everyday.), served with an awesome side salad... And my mom got the Veggie Burger on a sprouted wheat bun, served with awesome homemade thick-cut fries. This burger has caramelized onions on it, folks! These people are NOT playing around!!

And, since it was my special week, my mom even surprised me with some sorbet! This is the Pomegranate-Blood Orange Sorbet made my Archer Farms, one of the Target gourmet store brands. OMG this sorbet tastes like a push-pop from my childhood!!! And it is beautiful! Tastes really good topped with some frozen berries, too! Aaaaah, summer is here!!