My favorite lunchtime treat was always soup, salad and bread sticks at Olive Garden. I could eat endless bowls of Zuppa and basket upon basket full of bread sticks. So after reading through tons of recipes online, I have figured out how to make my favorite soup VEGAN! I promise this dish delivers flavor and will satisfy any hungry soul! Enjoy!!
Zuppa Tuscana!
5-6 potatoes – cut into small squares
4-6 cups vegetable broth (I use 3 cubes of vegetarian broth
and water)
1 cup chopped onions
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
2-3 Cups of chopped greens – Kale or spinach
1 package Italian tempeh (Upton’s Naturals or season your
own sausage style tempeh)
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Boil potatoes, onions, garlic and spices in vegetable broth
until potato is soft. Add tempeh and coconut milk and let simmer ten minutes.
Add chopped greens and simmer another ten minutes and wha-la! Delicious and
wholesome tasting Italian soup!
This year for Easter I had a
few friends over for dinner. One of
my friends enjoyed the dish below so much she had seconds and thirds and took
home a container of leftovers! I love rocking a vegan dish that satisfies a room
full of carnivores
Ingredients
1 cup of quiona
1 ½ cup water
2/3 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2 small apples – finely
chopped
1 blood orange
2 TBSP sugar or agave nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1.To prepare quinoa:
Soak grains for
5-10 minutes and rinse well (this helps to remove the small outer rim that can
sometimes make quinoa bitter). Heat water to boiling and add quinoa. Cover and
turn heat down to low. Steam for about 15 minutes. It will cook up and look similar to rice - the water should be completely evaporated.
2.Prep other
ingredients while the quinoa is cooking.
3.Once quinoa is
ready, add fruit, nuts sugar and cinnamon.Stir ingredients together.
4.Squeeze the
juice from the blood orange – this provides flavor and a bit of color. Stir well to incorporate juice.
I LOVE potatoes. Cook them any way you want and I will eat
them. When I was a kid my mom made scalloped potatoes as a side dish, or added
vegetables and meat and made it a meal. It is one of those comfort foods from childhood that I have missed since going vegan. Up until last night, I had not been able to master a tasty vegan recreation. I searched through different recipes for inspiration and then looked
at my fridge to see what I had. The result: a creamy, perfectly seasoned,
“cheesy” potato heaven. Coconut milk for baking is my favorite thing in the
world and it is perfect in this recipe.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
4 medium potatoes
1 can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
1 bunch of fresh spinach
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast
2 TBSP Corn Starch
1/3 cup vegan sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried cilantro
½ tsp thyme
1 cup vegan cheese (I use Daiya)
½ cup or 1 stick vegan margarine
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and oil a 9X9 or 8X12 baking
pan
2. Cut potatoes in thin slices. Layer potatoes, spinach and
Daiya in the baking dish. Save some cheese for the top layer.
3. In a mixing bowl combine coconut oil, corn starch, sour
cream, nutritional yeast and spices. Blend well to get out any lumps.
4. Pour liquid mixture evenly over potatoes. Sprinkle
remaining cheese, a bit of cilantro and salt and pepper on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Use a fork to test if
extra time is needed.
6. Remove from oven and let set for 15 minutes before
serving. (A burned tongue did not take away from the enjoyment, but I don’t
recommend it to anyone else.)
Additions:
Feel free to add other vegetables, broccoli, corn, etc.
Also, add in a protein of your choice, it should bake really well. We added
some of Upton’s Italian Sausage Seitan and it was really delicious. If you add
anything else, share to let everyone know how it works!
Fresh Café is a breath of fresh air. Literally, when you
walk through the doors it smells like a fresh spring garden with a few spices
blended in. This is because they specialize in wheat grass and so everything smells fresh! They have modern seating, with a light and comfortable atmosphere.
What a fabulous hidden jewel in Des Moines! I have bemoaned the fact I couldn’t
get fresh baked vegan goods in Des Moines and it was right by me all this time!
My co-worker Sara ventured out with me for a wonderful
lunch! In case you have not been to Fresh, it is tucked behind a few shops off
of University and 25th. (The road across from Toys R US). Kerri Rush, the owner of Fresh
Café, greeted us and told us about the background of the restaurant. Fresh Café
has been around for seven years, and has been vegetarian/vegan/raw for about
three years.
The menu features sandwiches, entrees, drinks and of course
dessert! All of the menu items can be made vegan and there are a few raw dishes
as well. Their vegan black bean brownie is a hot seller and sounds like it may
not be a dessert but it is phenomenal! YUM! All of the baked goods are vegan,
and you will also be able to pick up raw treats as well. There was a very
steady lunch crowd and everyone complimented their food.
For lunch I tried the raw pasta dish and Sara had the apple
melt. Admittedly, this is where I am mad at myself for losing the take home
menu – because I can’t remember the name of the actual dishes – but at least
the essence is here. The base of the pasta was a zucchini “noodle” served on a
bed of spinach with a tomato and pesto sauce on top. This is the perfect cool
down dish for a hot summer day, and it worked just fine on a winter day in
January as well. Delicious!
Sara's sandwich served
on honey wheat from Big Sky Bakery, was topped with melted cheese, spinach and
apples. This sandwich can also be made vegan – they sub my favorite vegan
cheese, Daiya.
Sara is a meat eater with a teenage daughter who has become
vegetarian. She took home some ideas for meals with her daughter and was already making plans to visit again while we were eating.
Then came dessert…
This is the whole reason we were there. We got to taste test a few cupcakes, the black bean brownie, a chocolate chip truffle and WOW! The
cupcakes are the lightest, fluffiest vegan baked cupcake I have EVER had. It
was melt in your mouth good. We tried three flavors, chocolate, vanilla and
apple cinnamon. I’m a sucker for chocolate and it did not disappoint. The apple cinnamon had great flavor and would make a good fall cupcake. They were a
teeny bit crumbly but made up for this by being so delectable. Fresh Café does
cater cupcakes for parties, weddings, or any special day!
In case you were wondering, the black bean brownie does NOT
taste like black beans. It tastes like a really fabulous soft chocolate brownie
treat, and the fact it is healthy and vegan is a huge bonus. They are sized
very generously and are pretty much guilt free in my book.
We left with more goodies, full stomachs and huge smiles.
Sara got a treat for her daughter and another co-worker. Let’s just say our
co-worker finished off the cupcake in 3 bites with a HUGE smile on her face.
Yes, it was a good cupcake even for non-vegans!
Kerri is considering expanding, so we may see another Fresh Cafe pop up locally and this will only spread the goodness through the metro. Visit Fresh Cafe and enjoy!
The holidays are hard on vegans. We are surrounded by gigantic turkeys, tubs of whipped cream and desserts filled with butter, milk, eggs and tons of additives. This irresistible fudge recipe is the cure to holiday dessert envy.
Bring these sweets to your family Christmas or New Years party and it will blend in with all of the other desserts - no one will ever know the difference, except you!
Psssst…it also makes a great gift!
Ingredients:
¾ cup Canned
coconut milk
2 ¾ cups Sugar
¼ cup Earth
Balance (or vegan butter)
1 cup Chocolate
Chips
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Almonds,
pecans or nut of choice (optional)
3/8 cup *Dark
Cocoa
2 TBSP *Olive
oil
*(You can substitute the cocoa and olive oil and add another
cup of chocolate chips.)
1.Use nonstick spray to coat an 8X8 pan
2.Mix Coconut milk and sugar in saucepan – stir
slowly until mixture comes to a boil.
3.Stop stirring! Lower heat and continue boiling
for 5 minutes. Mixture will turn clear and begin to get candy like after 3-4
minutes.
4.After 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in
chocolate chips, butter and cocoa. The top should have a nice sheen to it. Mix cocoa and olive oil so cocoa is dissolved and stir into pan.
Okay, these cupcakes will satisfy any chocolate or sweet
cravings you may have. They are rich, moist, fluffy, and melt in your mouth
delicious.Not to brag too much –
but these are the best cupcakes I have ever made. I have been sick and finally had my
taste buds back and after looking through dozens of recipes, I struck out on my own and came up with this.
Warning: If you don’t like your chocolate cake to taste too
sweet, or do not enjoy actually tasting the chocolate in your cake then these
are not for you. But…If you are a chocolate lover who needs to satisfy a
monthly craving or chocolate fix of any kind then these are for you!
Cake:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1tablespoon
apple cider vinegar
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a cupcake pan with nonstick spray.
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt thoroughly.
2. Combine the chocolate almond milk, apple sauce, sour cream and vanilla in
another bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend thoroughly. (The vegan sour cream is
sometimes a little thick and needs to be mixed in well)
Create a well in the bowl with your dry ingredients and
combine your wet ingredients. Use a hand mixer to blend.
3. Scoop immediately into cupcake pan – distributing evenly and bake for 25-30
minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (if you find a spot without
chocolate chips). Be careful not to bake too long or you will get a chewy
outside layer (which does not taste bad at all) If you can wait…allow to cool
before adding frosting. If not – have at it!
4. For frosting, use your favorite flavor…whatever it might be (chocolate perhaps?!)
5. Decorate your cupcakes and ENJOY!!
Frosting
There are TONS of great frosting recipes I use – and since
none of them are my own I will direct you to www.vegweb.com
where you can find just about any recipe that has been made vegan. So you can
top this with a chocolate butter cream frosting or whatever fits your mood.
Baking Tips
Here are a couple of baking tips I picked up from the
Cupcake Queen: Christine Alexander, former owner of Fairgrounds Coffeehouse, in
Iowa City (where they have the best vegan cupcakes on earth - outside of these
of course).
1.Always preheat your oven and have your bake
ware ready ahead of time.
2.Make sure you combine your wet and dry ingredients
quickly and are ready to immediately get your dish in the oven. Once the baking
soda or baking powder combines with the wet ingredients it is activated and the amount of rise and
fluffiness is improved with quick turnaround to the oven.
3.When combining wet ingredients, always have a
rubber spatula on hand to get all of the wet ingredients mixed into the dry.
Recipes calling for a certain amount of moisture are relying on the full amount
of wet ingredients. If you have a good layer of wet ingredients in your bowl
then you are shorting your recipe by a couple of tablespoons of wet goodness!
There are many stories of people losing weight when they
change their diet to reflect a vegan lifestyle. I’m one of those people who
defies this scenario and have actually gained 30 pounds over the past couple of
years.
There are many factors for gaining weight, and most smart
diet plans call for cutting caloric intake and increasing exercise. I have
given up many times while looking to lose weight and implement a
consistent exercise plan in my life.
As stress in my life increased, so did the weight! YUCK!
What I have found is that there is very little support or
information out there for people who are ALREADY vegan and are trying to lose
weight. So I thought I would begin to blog about my weight loss and what has
worked for other friends who are vegan and looking to lose weight.
First Step:
Nutrition has to stay a top priority. I want to make sure I
am taking in the vitamins and minerals that are needed to keep me healthy! I
found a good resource online from a vegan nutritionist who has helped to
develop a vegan food intake guide.
Increase exercise. This is one of those areas that I
struggle with constantly. I currently try to do Yoga for at least 15-30 minutes
a day but other than that, exercise happens in spurts. Usually after 2-3 weeks
of a great routine life happens; I go on vacation, have to travel for work, get
sick…or any number of things that will throw off a routine.
Aerobic exercise can be really intense for me as well, and
when I do heavy aerobic exercise I end up getting short of breath or wheezy
which does not motivate me to keep exercising.
Third Step:
Motivation. Here is where I need a little help! Ready to
have some motivation just drop out of the sky. Since I know this is not likely
to happen, I am going to work on motivating myself by setting a goal of putting
up a weekly blog update. Hopefully I will be motivated to show results and
update everyone through the blog.
My goal is to lose 30 pounds by February 1, 2012 and get
back down to my favorite weight ever, 125. Any motivational tips you have are
welcome! Anyone else looking to do a little weight loss on a vegan diet is
welcome to join me – just leave a note in the comments below!
Strawberry Shortcake is my all time FAVORITE summer treat. As a vegan, the question becomes what do you put those sweet red berries on that will taste as good as angel food cake? In case you were not aware - angel food cake is packed with lots, and lots of eggs!
Before you get the cupcakes started, wash and cut your strawberries then sprinkle 1-2 TBSP of sugar over the top. Put these in the refrigerator and let the magic begin. I added some vanilla soy ice cream on the side of my dessert for the perfect addition!
Also, we have a new Des Moines area veg-friendly Facebook group, Des Veg Life. Vegetarian meet up plans in the works and much more!! (as soon as I figure out how to put a facebook link button on here I will.)
Also, as an update to the Des Moines food list you need to try:
Tacopacolypse - http://www.tacopocalypse.com They feature a vegan chorizo taco - get one this weekend at the Farmer's Market!
This Easter my sister found a really yummy bread pudding recipe. The challenge was how to make it vegan? Vegan baking is an art. If you live in Iowa and you want to see this art in action, visit Fairgrounds Coffee House in Iowa City, www.fairgroundscoffeehouse.com. I worked at this coffee shop for a summer a few years back. They have a full line of vegan bakery items. While helping to bake bread, muffins and cupcakes each day, I learned to look at the baking process differently.
The question comes up a lot from people. “How in the world do you bake without eggs?” The answer is “I substitute the egg for something healthier!”
The first thing to know about baking without eggs, is how the egg is acting or reacting in a recipe. So when you go to substitute an egg you want to make sure you use an egg substitute that will react similarly in a recipe. For example, when baking light items like cookies and muffins, substitute ¼ cup of soft silken tofu. I like using ground flaxseed with water in brownies…because then I can pretend like the brownies are really healthy. The flaxseed acts as a binding agent and helps give rise to the batter.
A great resource for anyone baking without eggs or dairy is a book by Celine Steen & Joni Marie Newman: The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions – Veganize it! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite. This book has non-vegan recipes where the authors have highlighted the eggs, dairy, yogurt, etc. and wrote in the vegan substitutions you can use to make it healthier! The book also goes into how to make recipes that are soy free, gluten free, etc. A must have to any cookbook collection!
For your reference here are some common egg substitutions:
Ener-G Egg Replacer
Tofu
Applesauce
Ripe Bananas
Ground Flaxseed
Vinegar
Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
Coconut Milk
Okay – now onto the good stuff! The recipe below originally called for 4 cups heavy whipping cream and 4 eggs. I think my recipe is MUCH healthier…and it came out tasting divine! (We didn’t want to stop eating it!)
Spring Bread Pudding
1 Package Soft Silken Tofu
1 largeor 2 smallRipe Banana (brown bananas are best for baking!)
2 Cups Sugar
1 tspVanilla
2 tspBaking Powder
2 CupsFresh or frozen blueberries
1 CupChocolate chips (dairy free)
1 loafFrench Bread
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9X13 baking dish with oil or non-stick cooking spray.
2.In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer or blender to whip the first four ingredients until smooth and thoroughly blended. Add baking powder and mix well.
3.Stir in the blueberries and chocolate chips
4.Cut or tear French bread into small 1 inch pieces and add to wet ingredients (my 4 year old nephew loved tearing the bread apart with me!) Let French bread sit in wet ingredients for 5-10 minutes to become saturated.
5.Pour pudding mixture into oiled baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (if you can find a spot that does not have a wet chocolate chip!)
After the dish cools you can add vegan whipped cream to the top and it tastes extra yummy. It is good with or without a topping!
One of my all time favorite dishes is Chili Rellanos. This is a twist on the traditional Chili Rellanos using polenta and some vegan cheese to stuff the peppers. The first time I made this dish, my husband said it was the best meal I had ever made! For this dish I usually have things going in more than one pan to get things prepped a bit faster.
Prep Time 1 Hour/ Cook Time 45 Minutes
Ingredients: 6-8 Fresh Poblano Peppers, washed 1 Cup polenta ½ of a Large Onion 2 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp chili powder (or chili powder to taste-mine is super spicy & only takes a dash) Vegan Cow Nacho CheeseVegan Cow Swizz or Brie2-3 Cups of Enchilada Sauce
Step 1 Turn your oven onto 475Wash poblano peppers and place on a baking sheetPlace in oven for about 10 minutes. The peppers will begin to brown and the skin will start to puff up a bitTurn peppers over and cook another 10 minutes. The outer skin should be pulling away from the peppers, and peppers will begin to brownRemove peppers from oven and allow to cool slightlyWhile still warm peel away the outer skin (the stuff puffed up on the outside) from all of the peppers. Cut off the ends of the peppers and remove the seeds, carefully so as not to tear the peppers
Step 2 While the peppers are cooking make your polentaIt takes about 20 minutes, patience, and attention to make polentaHeat 4 cups of water to boilingAdd 1 cup of polenta corn meal (the think grainy looking corn meal)Reduce heat to a medium low. Once the polenta begins to thicken add the onion, garlic and chili powderIf you don’t keep stirring bubbles will form and pop in your face, so STIR AWAY!Continue stirring…Greg gets really impatient with this and begins to eat it after about 15 minutes…But if you are patient the polenta will thicken even more and begin to pull away from the sides and forms a mound in your pot. You will want to use the polenta while it is still hot because it will begin to firm up as it cools.
Step 3 Add 1-2 cups of Vegan Cow Nacho Cheese (or vegan cheese of your choice.) Stir in the cheese so it is mixed in well. If you do not have vegan cheese, never fear, this recipe is delicious regardless.Using a small scoop, (I use a small melon ball scoop) fill each poblano pepper. I also add some creamy Vegan Cow Brie or Swizz cheese to make the inside of the peppers creamier.Cover all of the stuffed peppers with enchilada sauce. At this point if you have a mexi- topping you like, or want to add more vegan cheese of choice, it is an option that makes it look pretty when coming out of the oven when guests are over.
Step 4 Cover glass baking dish with aluminum foilBake at 400-425 (depending on your oven) for 40-45 MinutesRemove from oven and let cool for 15 minutesServe as a main dish! We don’t usually need anything else to go with this ☺
Enchilada Sauce Just in Case You Want To Make Your Own – 2-4 Cups Water – 1-2 Vegetable Bullion Cubes – 3 TB Onion Powder – 3TB Garlic Powder – 3 TB Corn Starch – 1 jar of tomato paste (the organic glass jarred tomato paste has almost no sodium!) – 1 Tsp chili powder (if you use mild chili powder you might need up to ¼ cup but again I use super HOT stuff where a little goes a long way
Mix in all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch and tomato paste. Use about ¼ cup of the water in a small glass or dish. Add the cornstarch to the ¼ cup of water and mix in completely. Then pour this mixture into the pot, stirring constantly. Once it thickens a bit add the tomato paste, stir and let simmer! This is my favorite recipe adapted from a couple of different recipes I found online. I like to make a big batch of this and then freeze it so I just have to thaw it out the next time I make a Mexican dish!
For Lunch today we got creative and ended up eating brunch. It turned out fabulous (of course) and so I thought I would share.
Vegan Egg-Less Scramble 1 block extra firm tofu Veg "sausage" (or potatoes or any other yummies) 1-2 TB Olive Oil 1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar 1-2 Tsp Turmeric 2-3 small Sweet red peppers 1 small onionSalt & Pepper to taste Your Favorite Bread
Drain any moisture from tofu by pressing firmly between two paper towels or a small hand towel. Heat frying pan on medium heat. Add olive oil, rice vinegar, turmeric. Mix in spice so it dissolves into oil and vinegar. Crumble in tofu and cook on lower heat until the tofu soaks up the vinegar and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook together. Very simple, quick and easy meal!
