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!

Caramel Delights!

The Girl Scouts' Caramel Delight Cookies, aka Samoas, were my favorite cookie to eat (and sell!) when I was little. It would just be a crime if I couldn't eat them anymore just because I'm vegan now!! I still have yet to try the Lazy Samoas in Isa and Terry's Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but I think these are pretty darn good! They are based on the Scout Cookies I had at Watercourse Foods when I was in Denver--I kind of asked a worker what was in them and made up the recipe from there! It worked out perfectly, too! The addition of sweet potatoes give these a really lovely flavor, some added natural sweetness, and a great texture. I made these with whole wheat pastry flour, but they would totally work with either brown rice flour to make them gluten-free. You seriously have to try them for yourself! Vegan Caramel Delight Cookies (makes 3-4 dozen cookies)
3 cups shredded (raw) sweet potatoes
3 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 Tbs sea salt
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 Tbs coconut extract
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup Ener-G egg replacer (ground flaxseeds would also work)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup warm water

16 oz. vegan chocolate chips
2 Tbs soy creamer

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, coconut, nuts, flour, sugar, egg replacer and salt. Stir to combine. Add the extracts, oils, molasses, brown rice syrup, and water. Mix well with your hands to completely combine.
Scoop dough by 1/2 cup measurements and form into 3" rounds. Slightly flatten the tops to make into disc shapes. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely before adding chocolate.
While cookies cool, set up double boiler to melt the chocolate chips. Melt chocolate chips and whisk in the soy creamer. Drizzle over cooled cookies (in whatever pattern you like), or spread over the tops of the cookies like a frosting, and allow to set before serving. If you would rather have the chocolate on the bottoms, like the Girl Scout cookies, dip the bottoms into the melted chocolate and set on parchment paper to cool until set.
These are super fantastic with a big glass of soy milk!!

Long Time, No Test....New Tester Treats!!

Not that you were keeping up, but I have been slacking on one of my tester projects, Bianca's (of the Vegan Crunk blog) Cookin' Crunk cookbook! It's all vegan Southern food, all the time! So goooood! With the holidays and some new cookbooks and my supper club, I have not been on the ball with testing out some of the recipes. But, I'm making up for it now with cookies! Yay! Specifically, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip-Praline Cookies! They are chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and pralined pecans (which you make yourself)...a delicious combination of salty and sweet, crunch and chewy, nutty and chocolaty! I'm in!

Can't wait to do some more crunk testing!

And btw, I just became a tester for another cookbook, Vegan Bakesale, by QueenV (of The Vegan Year blog)! I have a lot of cooking to do!!

Hazelnut Toffee Ice Cream!

So I am pretty convinced that summer=ice cream. After trying to come up with some cool/new/delicious vegan ice cream creation, I finally figured out a flavor combo that is just ridiculously good: Hazelnut Toffee Ice Cream!! I had some hazelnuts and some butterscotch chips, and it just made sense! If you are wanting to give this a whirl and can't find vegan butterscotch chips, try using extra chocolate chips, another type of nut, or even white chocolate chips...go crazy! I hope you try this and like it as much as I did!
Vegan Hazelnut Toffee Ice Cream (makes about 2 qts)
2 cups soy creamer
1 cup soy milk, or non-dairy milk of your choice
1/2 cup organic sugar
2 Tbs arrowroot powder whisked with 1/4 cup cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups chopped and toasted hazelnuts
1 cup vegan butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the creamer, soy milk, and sugar. Heat over medium flame until just boiling, then remove immediately from heat. Whisk in the arrowroot slurry and stir until slightly thickened. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and almond extract until well mixed.
Pour into your ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer's directions. During the last 5 minutes of stirring, slowly add in the hazelnuts, butterscotch and chocolate chips. Serve immediately or freeze for later service. Either way, make sure you enjoy it! I'm picturing lots of hot fudge on top.... mmmmm.....


Now, just for a little food porn treat, here's a little delight I had at the Uprise Bakery here in Columbia, which has lots of vegan options and occasionally make a vegan baked good! With all the yummy zucchini in season around here, they made Zucchini Walnut Bread with a Chai Tea Glaze! It is so gooooood! Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee for a late night snack attack or a light breakfast. And it is made in a little mini-loaf pan! Who doesn't love an individual loaf of local zucchini bread?? You would have to be crazy! Or allergic to zucchini....that would be sad.

Isa and Terry's Peanut Butter Pillows

It was one of my co-worker's birthday this week, so I naturally felt compelled to bake her a delicious treat in celebration! One, because birthdays are fun and special and ought to be celebrated and, two, because I want everyone to know how wonderful vegan food can be...particularly vegan baked goods! Soooooo, I made the Peanut Butter Pillows, from the upcoming Vegan Cookies cookbook by Isa and Terry! When Isa posted these on the PPK blog, I instantly knew these must be the birthday treat of choice! I LOVE chocolate and I LOVE peanut butter even more, and these cookies were perfect! In Isa's picture, the peanut butter filling is much taller and puffy-looking, but mine are shorter and wider, as I flattened my cookies a bit before baking. They were still amazing, and I'm sure would be delightful either way. I really just wanted to see what it would be like this way, but I will probably try the non-flattened kind next time. These cakey and chewy little devils just beg for a glass of cold soymilk to be had with them!

Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day!...yeah, 3.14, nerdy, I know. I had to celebrate with a pie, of course! I opted for cherry pie, with a whole wheat crust from scratch. This was my first cherry pie, so it wasn't perfect. I thought the filling didn't come out quite as gooey and sweet as cherry pies I've had in the past, but it was still pretty good! I mean, come on, it is a pie!

Here is the topless pie, brimming with big cherries...

And here is the pre-bake pic...A peek inside, post-baking...The final masterpiece....any day can be a holiday, or an excuse to make dessert!

Also, I have another tester recipe for you, courtesy of lovely Vegan Crunk Bianca's upcoming cookbook! This week was a Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits with Gravy...a southern staple that is just delicious. The twist on the recipe was that it is a Chocolate Gravy! It may sound kind of weird at first, but I trusted Bianca and gave it a shot...and it is so good! It is kind of like the down-home version of the European tradition of Nutella with pastries for breakfast! It reminded me a little of a thinner pudding, but it wasn't too sweet or anything. I'm thinking it would be even better to put a little raspberry jam on the biscuits and THEN pour some chocolate gravy over the top of everything...now I've just gone too far!

Noodles and a Taste Test

I have been really in the mood for cooking lately, which makes me really happy! Also, I have been doing this thing where I plan the meals for the next week and make a grocery list to match, which has been saving me a TON of money, time, and stress for cooking...and that makes cooking all the more fun!! Here's a few dinners from the past week...I have been craving noodles, so we've had them several times! mmmmm. nooooooooodles.punk-in pasta...with my home-roasted pumpkin, from La Dolce Vegan (with greens added!) and a side of baked apples! the pasta is whole wheat and made LOCALLY! bonus!
mugwort soba noodles with baked tofu, veggies, and a homemade peanut sauce

freaking amaaaazing tempeh reubens!!! ok, it's not noodles, but sauerkraut is noodl-y looking i guess :)

Okay, now on to the chocolate taste test! Our local natural foods market, Clover's, starting carrying this limited edition Chocolove chocolate that is single-origin, fair-trade, and from a 2007 vintage cacao bean crop! I adore chocolate in all ways, so when Steven and I saw that there were four different varieties, he had the genius idea of doing a taste test! We are now well on our way to becoming chocolate connoisseurs!! The four varieties were: 76% cocoa from Tanzania; 72% cocoa from Ecuador; 70% cocoa from the Dominican Republic; and 60% cocoa from Grenada. They were all some of the best chocolates I have ever tasted...perfectly creamy with a good bite, and a wonderful balance of sweetness and bitterness. We did a side-by-side comparison of the four and here were our results (we cleansed our palates in between, of course!)

(Steve took this picture! how cute :) )

Steven's Picks:
1. Grenada 60%

2. Tanzania 76%

3. Dominican Republic 70%

4. Ecuador 72%

My Picks:

1. Tanzania 76%

2. Grenada 60%

3. Ecuador 72%

4. Dominican Republic 70%

You should give these wonderful chocolates a try...even if you don't do a taste test! Or try doing a taste test with a different favorite food...it is a ton of fun!!!!

Cooking for One...

Well I will be cooking for just myself for the next few days, because Steven is away on a camping/climbing trip to Alabama. I feel like I almost forgot how to cook for only one person, since I am always cooking for two! I have still managed to eat well, though :) Here's a few things that I have enjoyed over the past few days...yay alone time! Homemade Seitan Brats with Leeks and Apples,

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

BBQ Tofu (Veganomicon), Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sauteed Kale
My Perfect Meal: Quinoa, Tofu, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and

Tahini-Miso Sauce (Veganomicon)

Earlier this week, a bunch of my friends, all of whom happen to be roommates with Steven, had birthdays...Since they all live in the same house, I made them all one batch of cupcakes to share. With the recent COLD weather I wanted something "warm"feeling, so I made the Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from VCTOTW. I whipped up a Cocoa-Cinnamon Buttercream to top them off...and they also got a little kiss of powdered sugar!

These cupcakes are soooooo good! I absolutely love the combination of chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne....it makes you feel all warm and happy inside. The coconut milk and cornmeal make them have an awesome texture, too! Make these! I might go so far as to say they trump an actual mug of hot chocolate...but maybe I would just like to enjoy them together :)

Even though I am appreciating this alone time, I think I am ready to cook for two again!

Belated MoFos!!

I have been quite the lazy blogger for the past two days! My apologies...after I got back from my long week in Chicago, I was too lazy to cook (and I had no food in my fridge!), I was tired, and I really just wanted to hang out with Steven. Needless to say, I was less than motivated to cook or blog! I am now refreshed and ready to cook, though, starting with last night!
Yesterday was not only Halloween and the last day of Vegan MoFo, it was also me and Steven's nine month anniversary! yay! So, I had to make a really delicious dinner for us, and I wanted it to be something he loved a lot...but not more than me :)
I went with Homemade Bratwursts, inspired by Julie Hasson's recipe for Spicy Italian Sausages, served with Bubbie's Raw Sauerkraut on top, along with Braised Cabbage and Local Apples, and Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes. This meal was perfect! Warm and satisfying...perfect for a long night of Halloween fun! And there's even orange in the sweet potatoes! So clever.When I was in Chicago, I picked up something locally-made to make for Steven and myself, because I think it's really important to try local items wherever you go to appreciate the culture and tastes of the places you are visiting. When I saw this Upton's Naturals Chorizo-Style Seitan at Whole Foods, I knew that this is the item I had to bring home with me!! It seemed like a lot of the veg-friendly restaurants there in Chi-town had something featuring Seitan Chorizo on their menus, so I wanted to try using this tasty ingredient at home as well!

I wanted to use the chorizo in a Mexican/South American-inspired dish, so I made this:
Seitan Chorizo with onions, garlic, jalapenos, red peppers, hominy, greens, and avocado over quinoa....with lots of citrus, cumin, chipotle, and cayenne, this was really flavorful, and was a great way to celebrate the chorizo! I haven't had hominy in a long time, and I had forgotten how much I love it! yum!!

This precious little skull is made of chocolate (obviously) and was another cool thing I bought in Chicago! This was made by the gourmet chocolatier Vosges, who is famous for creating innovative and wonderful chocolate concoctions. This particular Hot Chile Chocolate Skull, in celebration of The Day of the Dead/Halloween, was made of solid dark chocolate, ancho chiles, chipotle chiles, cinnamon, and black sea salt...this skull was so warm and spicy and sweet and flavorful! This is probably the only time I will rave so much about eating a body part (unless they make more body parts out of chocolate)!

On some side notes:
Happy end of Vegan MoFo...I'm already looking forward to next year!
Happy belated Halloween
Please do whatever you can to support/volunteer for/encourage Barack and Joe over these next three days! We are so close...don't give up now, people!!

Fronch Toast and Cinnamon-Baked Apples. For Dinner!

Today is the 8th day of Vegan MoFo...I can't believe we're in the second week already!
Tonight, Steve and I needed some breakfast for dinner...go figure! I made Fronch Toast from VWAV, using some tasty baguette from Uprise Bakery here in Columbia. I had never made this before, so I wasn't quite used to making this with baguette instead of sliced bread, but it turned out pretty good! Not perfect, but everything's good with lots of maple syrup :) I served it with Scrambled Tofu, with onions, garlic, peppers, spices, local purple cherokee tomatoes (my absolute fav tomatoes! ) and cilantro. Screw you, eggs! Scram'fu will kick your butt! We also had some Cinnamon-Baked Apples, which I based on some baked apples I've had from Germany, to tie it all together. I am almost certain I will still be eating these apples we picked for all of my days. oh well! These are so fall-y and delicious...it's like the filling of apple pie, but quite a bit healthier! I will give you the recipe, I suppose! Cinnamon-Baked Apples (serves 2)
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 tsp Earth balance, cut into little cubes
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c chopped yellow onion
1 Tbs cinnamon...or more, if you're naughty
1 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves
dash of salt
2 Tbs maple syrup
pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all of the ingredients in an oven-proof pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir the apples, and bake for 15 more minutes. Serve over toast or pancakes for a tasty breakfast! Or eat them by themselves, as they are super delicious!

We, of course, had to have a treat, too!
Introducing: German Chocolate Cake! This is simply the Basic Chocolate Cupcake recipe from Isa and Terry's VCTOTW, turned into a cake, with the Coconut Pecan Fudge Frosting, also from VCTOTW. I looooove German Chocolate Cake, and this is seriously amazing! I added a teaspoon of almond extract to the cake batter, and it made a really nice addition! Almond extract really brings out the flavor of chocolate, plus adds a little something extra for your taste buds. I think you should make this...if that's what you're into.

Breakfast for Dinner!!

My favorite meal in the world has got to be breakfast for dinner!! It is genius, because breakfast food is the best kind of food and you get to make and eat it when you aren't all tired and cranky! Brilliant.
So for dinner tonight, I made Blueberry Pancakes, Gimme Lean Sausage, and Roasted Potatoes. Not the most veggie-filled meal, but it's still healthy :) I promise! For the sausage links, I just used the tube of sausage from Gimme Lean and formed it into links, then pan-seared them in a skillet. To make the roasted potatoes, I diced russet and sweet potatoes, then tossed them with oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and roasted them for about 30-40 minutes. Super easy, but super tasty!! These pancakes are simply perfect: fluffy and light, yet hearty and not overly-sweet. Plus, they are all whole grain, so you can feel good about eating them for dinner! I used locally-grown organic blueberries in mine, so they were absolutely divine!

Blueberry Pancakes (serves 4)
1 T flaxseeds
1 1/2 cups rice milk, or milk replacer of your choice
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn flour
2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup organic sugar
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, thaw first)

In a blender, blend all of the wet ingredients together until the flaxseeds are completely ground. In a large bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Gradually pour the wet mix into the dry mix and gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix!
Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. When skillet is nice and hot, measure 1/2 cup of batter and pour onto the skillet. Spread out the batter to make pancake about six inches in diameter. Drop 10 to 15 blueberries evenly on the pancake as it cooks. Let the cake cook for a few minutes, until it starts to bubble on the surface, then gently flip pancake over to cook the other side for a few more minutes. When browned on both sides and not doughy in the middle, transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat the cooking process seven more times until all the batter is gone, making eight pancakes total. Serve warm topped with maple syrup and more blueberries. WWWOOOOOWWWW!

Here's a nice stack of nekkid blueberry pancakes, ready to be dressed with warm syrup!

For the grand occasion of the first presidential debates, I thought I should celebrate by baking a yummy dinner and eating some delicious baked goods! I made the Date Crumb Squares from the Candle Cafe Cookbook. Ever since I ate at the Candle Cafe when I visited New York in May, I often think about that restaurant and how amazing the food is! I finally broke down and ordered their cookbook online! Thank goodness I did, because there are so many great recipes in this, you should definitely check it out!! Anyway, these bars are really tasty! A new way to use dates is always good...underused for sure! The crust is sweet but not too much, and crumbly in a way reminiscent of a nice apple crumble. They are actually quite healthy, so make up a pot of hot tea...perhaps Earl Grey...and dig in!

Date Crumb Squares (makes 12)
1/2 cup dates

4 cups oat flour

4 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup safflower, or canola, oil

1 cup maple syrup

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

The day before making these bars, soak the dates in a cup of warm water to soften. Drain, put the dates in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, and walnuts and mix well. In a separate bowl, blend together the wet ingredients and salt. Combine the two mixes together and mix well. Press half of the mixture into a greased 12 by 6 pan. Spread the pureed dates over the dough, then top with the remaining half of the mixture and press down to make an even surface. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Let cool, then cut into squares.

That's not all I baked this week....

I also baked a batch of lavender chocolate chip cookies!! God I love these cookies! They are even more perfect dipped in vanilla hemp milk!! This picture is Steve's hand doing just that! To make these beauties, make the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the Joy of Vegan Baking, and add 1 cup of dried lavender flowers to the batter when you add the chocolate chips. Holy crap! Whoever first thought of combining chocolate and lavender deserves a kiss on the mouth.

Yay for Potlucks!

On Tuesday night, my friend Kat had a bunch of people over for a vegetarian (and mostly vegan!!) potluck! I love the idea of potlucks: everyone sharing their great food and talking and spending quality time together and eating that great food. What more could you want?? Plus, Kat works for PETA, so you know she's a cool girl!

I made my FAVORITE tofu salad recipe...I'll share the recipe some other time...and it was all eaten by the time Steve and I left! I'd say that's a good sign! Here was my potluck plate, sans dessert:I had (clockwise from the top) a teriyaki noodle and broccoli dish, an Indian dal with jasmine rice cooked in with it, quinoa tabouli, whole wheat pita wedges with hummus, my tofu salad, and some slices of baguette I brought from our local Uprise Bakery! (There were also some chips and homemade salsa and guacamole, as well as some local melon, but those were just nibbles....) Then there was dessert! Kat made a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, and another guest made this amazing peach crisp that we ate warm! I cannot remember the last peach crisp I had, and I have never had a vegan one before, so I was supremely pleased needless to say! Plus, she used local peaches! DUH!!

A few nights later, some friends gathered for art night (a weekly artsy fartsy gathering among some friends) where we made paper mache things that will be turned into pinatas next week (I won't say what I made, but it's not PG.) For our gathering, I had to bake something, because that's the kind of weirdo I am. So, I went with my favorite thing pretty much ever: Raspberry Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars from Isa's Vegan With A Vengeance!! You seriously can't go wrong with these. Crowd pleaser and mouth pleaser. Cakey and gooey and fudgy and sweet and fruity and chocolately and vanilla-y. Too many "y's" to mention, really.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars (makes 12-16)
For Raspberry Layer:

2 cups frozen raspberries

3 Tbs tapicoa starch

1/4 cup cold water

1/3 cup sugar

For Blondie Layer:

3 3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz. vanilla or plain soy yogurt

1/4 cup milk substitute (I used Silk creamer. damn!!!)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs canola oil

2 cups sugar

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Make the raspberry layer: In a saucepan, combine all of the raspberry layer ingredients and stir until the tapioca starch has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a low boil, stirring often. do this for about 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and gooey. Remove from heat and make the blondie layer.

To make the blondie layer: In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, in batches, until a dough forms. Set aside 1 cup of this dough. Spread the rest into the greased pan. Spread he raspberry goo layer over the blondie layer, then sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over the raspberry layer. Drop the remaining blondie dough over the raspberry/choc chip layer...spread out so it covers a lot of the top, but there is still some pretty pink goo showing through. Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips over the top of everything. Bake for 35 minutes, then let cool and serve. Be careful, though...these are so delish that they pose a hazard to your health. From Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan With A Vengeance

Why don't I just eat these for every meal???

Also, I tried a new food last night: PawPaws! These JUICY fruits have a more tropical origin, but the ones that Steve and I ate were locally grown here in Mid-Missouri of all places! I didn't know what to expect, but I was freakin floored by these things!!! The taste is almost like halfway between a mango and a banana, and the texture is like a really soft papaya or mango, without the stringy bits. They are soooo sweet and have almost a vanilla-like flavor. In the words of Joey Lawrence: whoa!!! :) Here's the inside of the pawpaw....so gooey and yummy.
Here are the pawpaw seeds...they were stuck in the fruit randomly throughout, and were easily removed. They were the size of big kalamata olives, but felt like buckeyes. weird.
And here they are all innocent and ready to be eaten. You know you want one!

Chili and Cornbread--and other stuff, too!

Today being a rainy, dreary day put me in the perfect mood for making one of my favorite comfort meals: chili and cornbread! I love the combination of the sweetness from the cornbread and the spiciness of the chili. it's perfect.Tempeh Chili (with some Tofutti Sour Supreme)

Tempeh Chili (serves 8-ish hungry peeps)

2 T canola oil

2 yellow onions, minced

1 green pepper, minced (reds work here, too!)

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 jalapenos, minced

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 cup tomato paste

1 can red kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

2-8oz. packages tempeh

1 T hot sauce

1/4 cup Bragg's or tamari

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup chili powder

2 T cumin

1 T paprika

2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 cup cocoa powder

In a large pot, heat 2 T canola oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and peppers until softened, then add the garlic, jalapeno, and spices, then reduce heat to low. Saute for 10 minutes. Add in the crumbled tempeh, return heat to medium, and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the cans of tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, Bragg's, hot sauce, and cocoa powder. Bring this all to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve piping hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a chunk of cornbread!

A slice of cornbread with Earth Balance and agave...

Whole Grain Cornbread (serves 8 to 12)

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tbs sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup applesauce

2 cups soymilk

1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water (to rinse out blender left-overs)

1 cup corn

1 jalapeno, minced (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9 by 13 pan. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Fold in the corn and jalapeno. Blend the wet ingredients, except the water, together in a blender. Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour water in blender and swirl around to get all the leftover batter, then add to bowl. Combine everything until just mixed, but do not over mix! Bake for 2o to 25 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm, slathered with lots of Earth Balance and agave nectar!!

My slice of whole grain cornbread, served with some roasted local squash and breadcrumbs!

A few days ago, I made my favorite Thai Peanut Noodles for dinner, and it was really pretty...but I forgot to post about it! I used mugwort soba noodles, baked tofu, and a saute of garlic, ginger, onions, cabbage, carrots, and broccoli, then topped with my creamy, spicy peanut sauce that I have posted about before. If you've never had a good peanut sauce, give this one a try! For reals.

Thai Peanut Noodles

I have also made some delish desserts this week. I think frosting may be the most important part of a good treat, I must confess! Earlier in the week, I made the Toasted Coconut Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Holy Moses I loved these! I even made my own chocolate-covered espresso beans for the garnish...I was proud :) These are wonderfully paired with a nice mug of Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut Yogi Tea with some Silk creamer and agave!!

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans

Thursday night, I made an AMAZING batch of Banana Brownies with Peanut Buttercream Frosting, based off of a recipe that I like to make at work. Probably the best brownies I have ever made. The peanut butter-chocolate-banana combination is HEAVEN. Yay for over-ripe bananas! And frosting!!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Brownies with Peanut Buttercream Frosting

Banana Brownies (makes 12)

2 large bananas

1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c canola oil

1 cup soy milk

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9 by 13 pan. Blend bananas, sugar, vanilla, oil, and soymilk in blender. Pour into a large bowl. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into oiled pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, then frost with PB frosting!

Peanut Buttercream Frosting

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T soy milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Cream the shortening and margarine together until well combined. Add in the peanut butter and combine some more. Sift in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, adding in the soymilk between batches. After mixing the second cup of powdered sugar, add in the vanilla and whip for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use, then spread on cooled banana brownies.

Steve's hand, getting ready to put his brownie into his hungry belly...

White Chocolate Chips!!!

Now I've seen it all (ok, maybe not "all," but a lot)! I recently received a box of goodies in the mail that I ordered off of the Pangaea Vegan Superstore. In this happy little box was: a bag of VEGAN WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS! It has been almost 3 years since I have had white chocolate, folks!! Too long. I have only found these on one other website, but the ingredients in the kind I bought on Pangaea seemed much better. But if you like another brand, holla at me so I can try them! When I was younger, my favorite kind of cookie was white chocolate chip macadamia nut, because it has a perfect balance of salty and sweet and rich and chewy...and because it has a ridiculously long name! So, this bag of yumminess went straight into a batch of Vegan White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies. I took the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking, but swapped out white chocolate for regular chocolate chips, and added roasted macadamia nuts. These might be the best cookies I have ever made. ever. They were so chewy and moist, but not too soft so they could fully support the insane amount of chips and nuts in the dough! And they were so buttery...God, they are so buttery and salty and good!! They just scream for a glass of soymilk :) Here's the original recipe and the pretty bag o' chips (empty bag...yeah, I snatched a few before putting them in the cookies. can you blame me?)
And here they are all baked up and huggin on each other, waiting to be consumed by my hungry vegan belly!

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies (makes 12 big fat cookies)

4 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer

6 Tbs water

1 cup Earth Balance vegan margarine

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use sucanant)

3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups vegan white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Whip the Egg Replacer and water together in a small bowl or with your food processor, until all combined and foamy.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla together. Add the "egg" mixture from above and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the wet mixture until it forms a dough. When almost completely combined, fold in the chips and nuts and stir to distribute evenly. Roll into 12 evenly-sized balls and place about an inch or two apart on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown (or until you can't stand it anymore and HAVE TO eat these freakin cookies!!!) Let stand for 2 minutes after removing from oven. Transfer to wire rack to let cool completely. Pig out.

(Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

No, seriously. Make these.

Black Forest Cake!

Yesterday was a big day: my dad's 50th birthday and father's day...on the same friggin day! How lucky, right? So, I decided he needed an awesome cake to celebrate! What could be better than cherries and chocolate teamed up to make....


A black forest cake!!! yuuuuum!

I used the recipe for chocolate cake from The Joy of Vegan Baking

with the chocolate buttercream frosting from VCTOTW..but I

used almond extract instead of vanilla extract--so flavorful and delicious!!

Then I drenched the cake with the saucy cherries recipe from VCTOTW and

topped the whole thing with shaved dark chocolate!!

This was decadent and soooo moist and perfect!

Now that's how I say happy father's day :)