Rainbow Cashew Stir Fry

I love stir fry! So much in fact I make it all the time. This is one of my favorites. The cashews make it awesome and trust me when I say that you won't miss the meat. This is kind of my take on my favorite Thai Restraunt's Cashew Nut. It's not as good as Sala, but it's pretty darn good. Give it a try, here is what you need:

Olive Oil
minced garlic
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 clove of garlic
1 cup chopped carrots
4 pieces of asparagus
1 hand full of sugar snap peas

Start with a drizzle of Olive Oil. Once it is heated add in garlic, onion, carrots and bell pepper. saute until tender about 6-8 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and cook just a few minutes more. Be careful not to over cook the sugar snap peas or the asparagus. I like to serve it over Mahatma (no chicken pieces) Yellow Rice. The saffron in the rice gives the whole meal a great flavor. The only problem I have is not eating all of it at once.  Try it, trust me you'll be hooked. Who said eating veg can't taste awesome!

Pasta Salad

 

So I need to apologize to anyone that has been looking for recent posts, but hasn't seen any. I have no good excuses. I have just been lazy. I am working on getting better. I have been told that I need to work on my photography as well, so one of my New Years Resolutions will be to be a better blogger. I am not going to say that I will post every day or even once a week, but I will try very hard to be more regular. This Pasta Salad was amazing. Here is what you need:

 

1 red bell pepper

1/2 onion, diced

6-10 garlic stuffed green olives sliced

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup shredded cheese ( I used homemade Emmenter)

1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced

 

I cooked the whole wheat noodles. In a saute pan I put a drizzle of olive oil, onions, carrots, bell pepper, minced garlic. I added in some green and black olives and a little bit of the juice from my marinated garlic stuffed green olives.  Add in the cheese and tomatoes and toss it all together, the liquid from the olives makes this really spectacular. I prefer to eat it right away while the noodles are still a little warm, but is good cold as well. Enjoy.

Walnut Mushroom Soup ( this recipe requires a blender)

So my Mom's best friend came and spent the night with me last night and I made dinner, well sort of it was more like I made soup and reheated some pizza from earlier in the week, but it was some darn good pizza- kinda like this soup, you've gotta try it. Here's what you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 veg bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 c almond milk
1/2 c walnuts, toasted
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in a pan over med heat. Sauté onions and mushrooms, reserving one cup of mushrooms to blend with walnuts. Cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add a cup of water, bouillon cubes and basil to the pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Add remaining water, mushrooms, milk, walnuts and a pinch of salt to blender jar. Secure lid, if using a Blendtec select the "batters" setting. Pour walnut mixture into pan. Allow soup to simmer a few minutes before serving. Serves 2-3. Enjoy!

This recipe comes from my fresh blends cookbook that came with my Blendtec.

Trunk or Treat

Every year we have a chili cook-off. I didn't win a prize, but the missionaries were the judges, what do 19 year old boys know about good food?
I made Kale Chili and Faustess Cupcakes from Vegan with a Vengeance. Here is what you need for the chili:

1 large can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs chili powder
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 stalk of kale, washed and broken into small pieces
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Cook the onions in olive oil until translucent, add the mushrooms and the carrots. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Score!

I haven't gotten my swap box yet but also couldn't not share my shopping experience today. I went to Solomon's I go every Saturday that I can. They always have some deep discounts on groceries, just make sure you check the expiration date, it's that kind of place. Today I found veggie flavored Pirate's Booty 50 cents a bag, organic mushroom gravy ( good until December ) guess who's not making gravy for thanksgiving- this girl;) it was also 50 cents a container. I got some Dandies Vegan Marshmallows for 1.40 a bag ( insert happy dance). I got some better than cream cheese for a dollar and some falafel for a dollar and a half. They also had vegan hot dogs, I don't really miss hot dogs all that much but figured for a dollar a pack I would try them. I think I just may have to make my box of vegan Mac n cheese I've been hoarding and some vegan dogs for lunch. This just goes to prove that eating right doesn't always have to cost a fortune!

Lemon vegan cheesecake

A few weeks ago I saw a post from one of my Facebook friends for a raw vegan cheesecake, I had most of the ingredients on hand, but it took a while to get up the time to make it. I was babysitting for my brother two weeks ago and last weekend I went to visit my sister. So now that I'm home I figured I'd dig in. My crust was a little dry so I think next time I'll double the dates (no need for you to, I've already done that for you below).

The recipe is from the Roost blog who states they (tweaked from Emily Lee Angell's recipe)

For the Crust

1 cup raw almonds soaked
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup dates, pitted (if dates are really dry, put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, discard water)
1/4 cup non-sweetened coconut flakes
Place almonds and dates in a food processor and mix until chopped and well incorporated. Cover the bottom of a 9inch spring form cake pan with the coconut flakes (this prevents the cake from sticking the the pan). Pour the almond mixture on top of the coconut flakes , spread out and mold into the cake pan.

For the Filling

3 cups raw cashews
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup raw honey (you can use regular honey if you don't want to go 100% raw)
3/4 cup raw coconut oil (you do not have to warm it, just use it straight out of jar)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, coconut oil, vanilla/vanilla bean, and sea salt. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste. (For the best results you need to use a high speed blender!)
Pour mixture on top of the "crust" and carefully tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Place the pan in the freezer for at least three hours or overnight. Before serving place on counter to thaw slightly. I put a little chocolate syrup on top. Enjoy!

Ps my honey was kind of old and really dark, so it looks kind of caramel colored.

Mushroom Spinach Pasta

Looking in the fridge I found some cooked pasta, mushrooms and spinach. I started by cooking the mushrooms in some olive oil. I added the spinach and a splash of Tuscan Herb infused olive oil from the Olive Oil Store. Once the spinach was wilted I threw in some cubed Follow Your Heart brand Mozzarella flavored cheese alternative and a can of diced tomatoes, drained. Stir it up and cook until bubbly. Enjoy

Peanut Butter Pie

So I did not have the greatest day at work today. Lunch was awesome, but that is where it ended. After lunch we had a staff meeting and after the staff meeting I got broadsided. Apparently someone wants me gone bad. How they found the time is beyond me, but apparently everything I did while covering for someone a few weeks ago was put under a microscope and analyzed. Then I was presented with the evidence of my poor performance.. Needless to say some retail therapy was in store followed by some sweets. I couldn't spend much since I may soon be unemployed. Too bad I didn't know this before I spent a ton of money yesterday. Anyhow pie. This was awesome. I made the crust in my food processor and the filling in the Blendtec. This recipe is adapted from the Chocolate Covered Katie website.

Crust:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/16 tsp salt
scant 1/2 cup pitted dates
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Then transfer to a 7-in baking dish.or aluminum pan (as shown above). Using a piece of wax or parchment paper, smush into the pan.

For the filling:

1 cup peanut butter
3 medium bananas
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
3-4 tbsp sugar, or liquid sweetener

Place all ingredients in Blendtec. I used the sauces, dips, dressings, batter button. Pour on top of crust and freeze. Let thaw slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

So yesterday I bought a Blendtec. The heavens opened the stars all aligned. It was magical. This morning I made a smoothie for breakfast and realized I didn't have anything for lunch, so I decided to make some soup. This was amazing. It was like vegan nacho cheese sauce with black beans and tortillas. Here is what you need.
Blendtec blender
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 large carrot, I used 1 small carrot
1" slice red bell pepper
1/4 avacado
2 Tbs onion
1 oz vegan cheese, I used Mozzerella Daiya shreds
1 tsp taco seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2 c. Warm water

Place in Blendtec in the order listed, place the lid on and push the soup button. 90 seconds later you have a creamy soup. I added one can of rinsed and drained black beans. Add tortilla chips before serving. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipes looked awesome and the cookies taste even better than they looked. Soft and chewy, these will become a new favorite in my house what is not to love about the classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate. Here is what you need:

1 c. peanut butter
2 Tbs. oil
1 c. sugar
1 tsp molasses or honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. non-dairy milk
1 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together the peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, vanilla , and non-dairy milk.

Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined and add the chocolate chips. Roll into balls and flatten on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 9-10 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes after removing from oven before moving to cooling rack. Makes 2-3 dozen. Enjoy!

Olive Bread

The bread is good with or without the olives so if for some crazy reason you don't like olives its ok to leave them out, not advised but still ok, the olives make it awesome! Here's what you need:

5 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs salt
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten
3 1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. olive oil
1 c. black olives, diced

Place all ingredients in a kitchen aid and mix until combined with paddle attachment.

Place in a non airtight container and allow dough to rest 2 hours at room temperature until it rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used right away. Makes 3 loaves. If you don't want to make all 3 loaves refrigerate leftover dough for up to a week.

If using refrigerated dough let rise 2 hours on a cornmeal covered pizza peel before baking 30 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Place a baking sheet with water under the stone the bread is baking on in the oven for the first 20 minutes of baking. Remove pan for last 10 minutes of baking. Enjoy!

You can also make with 7 cups of whole wheat flour. Pictures is all wheat flour.

Potato, Leek and Mushroom Soup

I also made this soup for last weeks potluck. Here is what you need:

2 leeks sliced and washed
5 potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 Not-Chik'n Bouillon Cubes
1 cup non-dairy milk

Sauté the leeks and mushrooms in the olive oil. Once tender stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Check the next post for the bread pictured.

Turtle Brownies

I made these last week for the single adult potluck they were great! Nobody even guessed that they were flourless or that they were made from beans. Here is a link to the main recipe for the brownies since it isn't mine but Chocolate Covered Katie's. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/
Before baking I swirled in some chopped pecans and a batch of the caramel sauce from the caramel apple bars
http://wholesoulvegan.blogspot.com/2012/09/kelly-peloza-caramel-apple-bars.html?m=1
Bake 17 minutes in 350 degree oven. Enjoy!

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

Growing up I loved it when my mother would make cabbage rolls. Rice, ground meat, onions and tomatoes stuffed inside steamed cabbage leaves swimming in tomato sauce. What's not to love? Oh right I don't eat meat anymore, no worries this version is just as good and not so time consuming best of all you don't have to wait for them to bake! Here's what you need:

1 small head of cabbage, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 onion diced
1 pkg tempeh, cubed
1 pkg mushrooms, diced

Cook all ingredients until cabbage is cooked and everything else heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Enjoy.

Just as a side note, cabbage rolls bake for 30 minutes, but you could have this meal on the table in under 30 minutes.

Kelly Peloza's Caramel Apple Bars

So I didn't have the canola oil that it called for and I used 1/2 more applesauce than it called for because I didn't want to use a cup of grapeseed oil. I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached all purpose flour for the base dough it was amazing! I could have eaten it as is. I cut back a little on the sugar too. Here is the altered recipe.

Base ingredients:

5 c. Flour * see above
1/2 c. Grapeseed oil
1/2c plus 4 Tbs Applesauce
3 Tbs Maple Syrup
1 tsp Honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c brown sugar

Stir together the oil, sugar, honey, Maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until combined. Press dough into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

Apple layer:

3 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 c. Brown sugar
3 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the cornstarch and sugar dissolves. Cook until mixture thickens and apples are soft, then remove from heat and let cool. Pour over top of bass player and bake at 350° oven for 20 minutes.

Caramel Sauce ( make while bars are baking):

1/3 c. Almond Milk
1/4 c. Earth Balance
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs flour

In a medium saucepan, sir together the Almondmilk, Earth Balance, brown sugar, vanilla and flour. Cook over medium high heat until soft ball stage stirring frequently. Drizzle over bars. Enjoy!

September Food Swap

I got stood up in August so there was no food swap post. This month my box came from Rachel Pantos. If you want you can learn more about the swap here http://www.theverdantlife.com/p/vegan-food-swap.html

I got some things this month I haven't seen in the stores here. There were some vegan cookies and I was excited to see one was molasses. There was some granola and something called volcano rice I can't wait to try. All in all a good month.

Fig salad

Yum! All you need is some spring mix, a couple of figs and some balsamic vinegar. I also added some sweet onion, mushrooms and Follow your Heart brand vegan Mozzerella cheese.

Mushroom Risotto over Balsamic Swiss Chard

This recipe is easy and oh so good, and the best part is it can be made in under 30 minutes.

Here is what you need for the risotto.

1 cup arborio rice
2 shallots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs Earth Balance
2 oz shredded Vegan Mozzarella ( I like Follow Your Heart brand)
4 oz mushrooms, diced

Place half of the Earth Balance and all of the olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Once oil is heated add a little sea salt and the shallots and cook 2-3 minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender, add the arborio rice and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in enough water to cover the rice and cook uncovered about 17 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Add in the rest of the Earth Balance and the shredded cheese. Stir vigorously to combine and serve over Balsamic Swiss Chard.

Balsamic Swiss Chard

1 bunch of Swiss Chard, washed and cut into thin strips
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil

Place balsamic vinegar and olive oil in the pan, once heated add the garlic and chard. Cook until chard is to you preferred doneness. Serve Rissoto on top of chard. Enjoy!

Pioneer Day Vegan Quiche

This is egg free but oh so tasty. This is an easy clean out your fridge recipe. The one I made for the breakfast this morning had spinach, tofu, orange bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes and mushrooms. It was awesome and went kind of fast. Like I totally wanted there to be some left to bring home, but no such luck. So I decided to make another one. This time I used some daiya shreds and Tempeh smoky maple bacon in addition to the onion, spinach, garlic, tofu and red bell pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Here is what you do. Sauté the veggies, garlic, and tempeh in a little oil (I used grapeseed oil). Crumble in the tofu and add the cheese. Mix it all together to combine. Bake the pie shell ( I buy the organic ones that are also vegan ) for 10 minutes. Add filling and bake another 30 minutes. Enjoy.

One Year

One year ago today I started out with the goal of a 15 day juice fast. I may have managed to make it only five days, but something happened during those first few days that changed my life. In the last year I have had a few trips and slips along the way, but I have taken each one as an opportunity to learn what my body can and cannot handle.

As most of you know I am predominantly vegan, meaning I eat vegan 90 percent of the time or more. Eating out with friends can be hard especially when there are no vegan options on the menu. I have caved a few times and I admit it I ordered seafood, but I have passed up a lot of goodies at work. It is a process. I am amused at the quizzical looks from several waiters and waitresses when asking about their vegan menu options, but all along I have kept moving taking life one day at a time. I like to think that the changes in my life have been good changes.

One of my closest friends told me this week that I have become a weird hippie girl. When I asked for clarification she said “you eat weird and you dress funny, I mean who wears a skirt as a top.” I just shrugged my shoulders and said that I thought it looked cute. She assured me that it was, but that she would never wear anything like that. Apparently my sense of style is “unconventional” and I have no problem with being outside the box.

I have bought most of my current wardrobe used at thrift stores. Losing 50 pounds requires that pretty much everything in my closet a year ago needed to be replaced with smaller clothes. It has made shopping a lot easier. I fit into almost all larges, some mediums and even occasionally a small fits. It is awesome.

Have I come a long way, heck yes! But everyday holds the opportunity to learn more. Thanks for coming along for the ride. I will be going to the Pacific Northwest next week, so check out my other blog for details on the trip. Enjoy!

Whole Grain Rye Bread

A friend of mine recommended the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. While the title is somewhat misleading it is still a really awesome book and I am in love with this rye bread. I have made two batches so far.

Each batch makes 4 loaves. Which a week before going to Seattle for vacation may seem slightly foolish to make, but I am feeding the missionaries this week and my dad will be staying with me, so I think it will get eaten and worse case scenario I can always take a loaf to work.

Here is what you need:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups rye flour
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs salt
2 Tbs caraway seeds
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
4 cups lukewarm water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Slowly add in water until fully incorporated. Place dough in a non-airtight container and let dough rise 2 hours. At this point you can refrigerate dough to be used at a later date for up to one week, or you can divide into loaves to bake right away.

You will need to let refrigerated dough rise for 90 minutes before baking. Place dough on a pizza peel covered with cornstarch to rise. About one hour into your rise time, preheat oven with a baking stone on medium rack to 450 degrees. Place a broil pan on the bottom shelf of the oven. Before baking slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife and brush to paint the top of the loaf with water.
Transfer the dough from the pizza peel to the pre-heated stone and place 1 cup of hot water in a broil pan and close door. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove broil pan. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
If you don't have a stone you can bake the loaf on a silpat mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. If using this method you don't need the steam and the last 10 minutes of baking the bread should be baked directly on the rack.

Vegan Monster Cookies

I used to make these all the time before I went vegan. I will warn you they are not the healthiest treat you could choose. Traditional Monster Cookies call for M&M's. If there is a non-dairy equivalent I haven't found it yet. So I used some of the white chocolate chips I got in this months swap. I also added in some Craisins for additional yumminess. Here is what you need.
INGREDIENTS:

3 bananas
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar peanut butter
1 stick Earth Balance, softened (these are half sticks)
1 stick Earth Balance Shortening, softened (these are half sticks)
1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant!

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the bananas and sugars.


Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop enough dough to make a huge cookie. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. I use a jelly roll pan and it holds 6 cookies. They aren't called Monster cookies for nothing. Bake 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

July Food Swap

I hit the mother load this month in the vegan food swap.
Big shout out to Steffi Derobertis of www.dontfearthevegan.com
She sent me 3 different kinds of chocolate and only one piece melted. Which means I got to eat it right away:) and peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite!

I got a pound of vegan white chocolate chips. I have been searching unsuccessfully for these locally for a year now. I am so excited to have some and will definitely will be making some cookies check out the blog next week for something good.
I also got some local ( to Steffi) newspapers to keep me in the know for my trip to Seattle in 11 days oh yeah can't wait to nosh on some yummy vegan eats on vacation.

She sent me some bee free honee which I have seen in veg news but never tried.

The rest of the items are being hoarded until the end of the month for snacks for my flight. There is some vegan jerky, a box of non dairy cheese crackers, a Snap bar and a sweet & sara rice crispy treat. I can't wait to tear into the rice crispy treat. I have also been looking for this brand of vegan marshmallows to no avail.

Thanks Steffi, I hope your box is as awesome as mine. If you want more info about the swap or to join in the fun for next month check out: http://www.theverdantlife.com/p/vegan-food-swap.html?m=1

Lemon Blueberry Bunt Cake

Deliciously tart and sweet at the same time this cake makes a good finish to any meal. This recipe is adapted from the book "Have Your Cake and Vegan Too." Here is what you need for the cake:

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats ground in food processor
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
Zest and juice of one lime
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup organic blueberries
1 6oz cup of amande almondmilk yogurt

For the glaze:

1/3 cup organic powdered sugar
Enough lemon juice whisked in to make a thick glaze.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bunt pan. Combine the flour, ground oats, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine yogurt, milk, zest and juice and let sit for a few minutes to activate the citrus. Add in the applesauce and vanilla and mix to combine. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Fold in the blueberries and pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes to an hour. Once cooled invert pan onto plate and drizzle with glaze.

Kettle Corn

My friend Cory came over tonight to watch a movie and of course we needed popcorn! I should warn you though this recipe is highly addictive. Here is what you need:
1-2 Tbs coconut oil
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 popcorn kernels
1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a stovetop popcorn popper with crank. Put over medium heat and turn crank until popping stops. Enjoy.

Vegan Food Swap

This was my first month participating in the Vegan Food Swap it was really a lot of fun. I sent a box of goodies off to San Fransico, a place I have always wanted to visit but never been and got a box from Washington State, very near to a place I will be visiting in 5 short weeks. My box came from Sage. It was full of some yummy things, the Somersaults were my favorite. Can't wait to see what next month holds.

Gluten Free Birthday Bars

So one of my favorite people in Jacksonville had a birthday this week and didn't tell me so I missed it. But I decided to make a treat to make up for me missing it. The recipe is from the Chocolate Covered Katie blog that I follow. It is super simple and only requires 3 ingredients. I used my food processor and my Calphalon square baker pan as a mold. These are raw, so they don't require any baking.

All you need is 1/2 cup of raw cashews and 1 1/2 cups of dates. Put them in the food processor with 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla and process until sticky. I added just a splash of water to mine. I then lined the pan with birthday baking papers for easy clean up and scooped in the mixture. I wanted them to come out square, so I used the pan for a shape but you could free form them and wrap in cellophane. I refrigerated them overnight before moving them out of the pan. Super yummy and quick and easy. Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Nut Bread

Here is what you need:

2 ripe bananas
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. diced fresh strawberries
1/2 c. Lite No Sugar Added Applesauce



Place the bananas and oil in the mixer bowl and with the flat paddle attachment mix until banans are mashed. Add in the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, chopped walnuts and applesauce. Mix thoroughly. Stir in strawberries. Pour into an greased loaf pan. Bake 40 minutes

Avocado Potato Salad

This is so fantastic. I love avocados. This recipe is inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Creamy Avocado Potato Salad from her book Vegan Brunch. As soon as I saw avocado I knew I would be making this. I went to the local flea market to get avocados this morning. I am having lunch at a friend's house this afternoon and can't wait to take this to have them try it. I didn't have all of the ingredients so I improvised a little. Here is what I used:
2 lbs of potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
2 avocados
2 tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
2 green onions, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
1 ear of cooked corn, cut off ear

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and let cool. In a food processor add the avocado flesh, lime juice and salt. Purée, scraping down the sides as needed. Dice the pepper, green onion and cucumber. Mix all the ingredients together and chill. Enjoy.

Coconut shrimp

I made these a few weeks ago before starting "Eat to Live" they were so good. They may not be the healthiest thing to eat, but it sure was a nice treat.

Here is what you need:

Shrimp peeled, deveined and butterflied
Coconut milk
Oil for frying
Flour( I used unbleached flour)
Shredded coconut and breadcrumbs mixed together

Dip the shrimp in the flour to coat. Dredge through the coconut milk and roll in the shredded coconut bread crumb mixture. Fry about 4-6 minutes until pink. Enjoy.

Marinated Chickpeas

I started the "Eat to Live" diet on May 1. It has only been a few days but I am really liking it so far. I was away from the house all day yesterday, which went surprisingly well. I had two different social functions, but with a little bit of planning and a whole lot of willpower I ended up doing pretty good.

These are so amazing either as a side dish or on-top of salad.

Here is what you need:

2cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15oz can of chickpeas (I prefer organic)

Spicy brown mustard (to taste I use about 2 tsp)

Juice of one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. In a container with a lid, places all the ingredients, snap on lid and shake. Let sit overnight in fridge. Serve chilled

Vegan Béchamel sauce

I spent the day Saturday with my best friend. It was her birthday. I made us some awesome banana, coconut chocolate chunk pancakes. I don't have a picture but if you want the recipe here is is: 2 c. bisquick, 1/2 c. dark chocolate chunks, 2 mashed bananna's, 1 c. coconut milk, stir it all together and pour onto a griddle or warmed skillet.

For dinner Deborah made steak, which wouldn't have been so bad, but she cooked it in an entire stick of butter. I honestly think this is the unhealthiest thing I have ever been privy to witness being made in person. She decided to have some pasta as a side with Garlic Alfredo. I had some veggies left over from the night before's calzone, so I sauted them and made a Vegan Béchamel sauce. It is really easy. At least the way that I make it, it is. I use 1/2 c. Daiya shreds and 1/4 c. dairy free milk. I place the shreds in a pot and add the milk, continue stirring over medium heat until smooth, or most of the shreds have melted. I know it isn't the greatest picture but here is a comparison photo. On the right is a jarred Alfredo sauce mixed with pasta, not vegan. On the left is my vegan béchamel sauce mixed with pasta.
It was really very good. I used coconut milk, since that is what I had on hand at the time, so it had a slight coconutty taste, but I liked it.

Banana Dark Chocolate Pepitas cookies

I know what you are thinking bananas again, cookies again, doesn't this girl eat anything else? Well yes I do, but just because I cut out most animal products from my diet, doesn't mean I can't have sweets. You caught that hunh, the most thing. Here is the thing. I have started eating seafood again, but only once a week, unless you count last week. When did this start you ask, about 2-3 weeks ago. We had a company luncheon and the boss lady bought shrimp. I caved and ate 5. I guess I should back up and explain, the plan was to evaluate after 6 months of eating totally vegan to see if I wanted to add in seafood. Beacause a lot of research says it is really good for you. It also makes eating out a little easier. Heaven forbid I actually get a date. Ok enough babbling, here is the recipe.

Ok so I talked to my sister today [aka: the blog nazi] and she said to me, "Amie you need to blog TODAY!" So I am at the Library cause I am lame and got tired of paying a ton of money for internet, so I cancelled it. In my purse are some cookies, so I am going to blog them to appease her, or at least hopefully appease her :) Ps they are wrapped up becuase I plan to take them to a sister I visit teach that I have not visited yet this month. I know it is the end of the month, she cancelled our appointment yesterday. Right cookies here is what you need:

2 ripe bananas
2 tbs coconut oil, I used organic unrefined (smells amazing)
2 cups of flour. (I did one cup whole wheat and the other cup unbleached flour)
1tsp vanilla - ok I didn't measure it I just poured some in
1/3 bag of dark chocolate chunks
1 cup pepitas
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cane sugar (recipe called for 1 cup of each, but I always cut it down some)
3/4 cup brown sugar

Place banana and coconut oil in mixer and mix the banana and the coconut oil together for a few minutes on low. Add in the rest of the ingredients minus the chocolate chips and pepitas. Stir those in. Drop tablespoon fulls onto a parchment lined jelly roll pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. enjoy.

"The Happy Herbivore" Hippie Loaf

A few months ago I bought an awesome cookbook called the Happy Herbivore. It is an awesome book and I have tried some of the recipes with good results. So tonight I decided to try the hippie loaf. i enjoyed it and even my dad (meat eater) said it was good. It doesn't taste like meat, but that doesn't make it any less yummy. I decided to serve it with green beans and mashed potatoes. Here is what you need for the loaf:

1 can rinsed black beans

1/2 cup of diced onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

2 celery stalks, shredded

1 c. chopped mushrooms

1 c. cooked quinoa

1 tbs Italian Seasoning

3tbs whole wheat flour

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grase an 8 inch loaf pan

Mash black beans and combine the rest of the ingredients until evenly combined. Transfer to prepared pan and pat down firmly using a spatula. bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until firm and brown. Allow the loaf to cool 15-20 minutes before serving. I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow :)