Fresh Cafe - A Vegan Paradise

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!

Fresh Cafe

1721 Twenty Fifth Street Suite 110 

West Des Moines, IA  50266

515-440-4700 

http://www.freshcafeandmarket.com/

Chocolate Heaven

Chocolate Heaven...

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
1 tablespoon 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!  

Time for Strawberry Shortcake!

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!

So, with a craving for my favorite dessert, I whipped up my favorite vegan cupcake recipe and it was the perfect substitute. http://shmooedfood.blogspot.com/2006/01/fluffy-white-cupcakes.html

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!