What I Ate Wednesday (28)

I’m in somewhat of a rut at the moment—not only because I’m super busy, as per usual, but also because inspiration’s lacking. I need recipe ideas like crazy . . . nothing tastes “exciting” anymore, especially since I eat more or less the same breakfast and lunch every. single. day. Plus, there’s also the fact that, while I consider myself a foodie, food and cooking aren’t HUGE, all-consuming passions for me. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my culinary creativity, but I’d rather spend my time in the painting studio rather than the kitchen.

So, today’s WIAW (obligatory thanks to Jenn!) is pretty basic. Since learning about my (temporary) metabolism issues, I’ve been snacking a lot, but I was both busy and lazy yesterday, so I didn’t bother photographing all my noshes, just so ya know.

Breakfast

Oats cooked in coconut milk + water, cinnamon, nutmeg, organic brown rice protein powder from Nutribiotic, ground flaxseed, 1/4 an apple, 1 dried fig, and some pecans. I'm also loving the warmer, lighter mornings!

With Spring’s arrival, warm oatmeal has gone out of fashion, and a new season of overnight oats has made its debut. Thanks to Katie, I now enjoy never-ending bowls, too—huge helpings of dreamy-creamy oats prepared using this little trick.

Lunch

Steamed broccoli & spinach with pumpkin seeds; soup, recipe follows, with 1/2 cup chickpeas added; a generous slice of homemade bread; 1/4 an apple & dark chocolate from Chocolove.

I only have one more kabocha squash in the fridge, so Mission: Use Up All the Winter Produce is nearly complete. With the other squashes, the husband and I made a delicious soup for our weekly meal.

Curried Coconut Cream of Kabocha Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 kabocha squashes, peeled, de-seeded, & cubed

1 Tbs. coconut oil

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 large Vidalia onion, diced

2 carrots, coined

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 apple, chopped

1 14-oz. can coconut milk (lite or full fat)

1 vegan bouillon cube

1 tsp. quality sea salt

Black pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Toss cubed kabocha squash with olive oil with salt & pepper to taste. Spread cube onto a baking sheet and roast 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat coconut oil and sauté garlic, ginger, onion, and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder, stirring well to coat veggies. Add apple and squash cubes, coconut milk, and 1-2 cups of water (depending on the desired consistency, thinner or thicker).
3. Using a hand blender, purée the soup until creamy and smooth (or if using a food processor or blender, purée in batches, then transfer back to the big pot). Add bouillon cube, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes to develop flavor. Add salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

For a protein boost, add cooked chickpeas or lentils.

Dinner

Last night, we dined with good friends—it was originally supposed to be our monthly vegetarian potluck, but our usual group of 6 or 7 was reduced to just 4, so I don’t think it can necessarily qualify as a potluck, then.

Delicious Indian/Middle Eastern pilaf; raw veggies; and hummus.

I provided dessert--and a raw one, at that. I won't give any details yet . . . you'll just have to wait for the recipe, coming soon!

Question: How do YOU get out of a food/recipe rut? How do you make mundane meals more fun?

Happy Holidays to All!

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa! Yuletide Blessings! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are enjoying the company of friends, family, animal companions, and even yourself—because you are a special, sacred, living, breathing blessing.

This year, I celebrated Christmas with my boyfriend’s family. They know I’m quite the foodie, so I received a package of goodies:

Mixed nuts & seeds

GoNaturally Pomegranate Organic Hard Candies from Hillside Candy

Dried Turkish apricots

Organic Medjool Dates from Del Real

Original Ginger Chews from The Ginger People

Carob Spirulina Chunks of Energy from Chunks of Energy

Almonds & Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Bars from Chocolove

My boyfriend’s family is so understanding of my dietary preferences, and they always cook delicious, vegan fare for us. Tonight’s feast featured a wonderful, super-filling curry with coconut milk, cauliflower, yams, and beans alongside brown basmati.

And for dessert, we enjoyed a vegan blackberry pie from a local bakery.

I was quite impressed. So much so that, well, I went back for seconds, not gonna lie. I felt a little guilty, but hey, what’s one day? And besides, as I will be discussing in the near future, I’m embarking on another, potentially even deeper than usual detox tomorrow. For whatever reason, my digestive system is really struggling at the moment and needs some TLC. Hopefully, the next few days will sort it out, but today was a holiday, and I wanted to enjoy it to the fullest!

Here Comes Santa Claus

Lately, I’ve been über nostalgic and wishing to return to the idyllic days of childhood. The holiday season only exacerbates these feelings, as I recall the unrestrained excitement of Christmas Eve, striving to stay awake long enough to hear reindeer hooves on the roof and maybe even to espy Jolly Old St. Nick himself! Of course, I never forgot to arrange a pretty platter of cookies and pour a glass of milk for him, just in case he was a bit peckish when he arrived. And since I never was able to evade sleep, I would discover, much to my innocent amazement and glee, that the treats had been reduced to but a few sugary crumbs by morning (thanks to none other than my father).

Years later, I still find the idea of “cookies and milk” very charming, but traditionally, such fare obviously isn’t the healthiest, especially for an overweight gentleman such as Mr. Claus, so I began brainstorming some equally tasty alternatives he could enjoy, sans the butter, eggs, white flour, and refined sugar.

Tropical Pineapple Upside-Down Mini Bundt Cakes

Needing a tropical vacation in the dead of winter? These cute little single-serving cakes will transport you to the Caribbean with one bite! You will need a mini Bundt cake pan with 6 molds.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5 cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 14-oz can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

1 very ripe banana

½ cup coconut milk (or other milk alternative of choice)

¼ cup agave nectar or honey*

1 Tbs. lime juice

1 tsp. lime zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. coconut extract

6 Tbs. chopped pistachio kernels, cashews, brazil nuts, or a mix

6 tsp. flaked or shredded coconut

*I used a dropperful of liquid stevia, which also works.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mash the banana. Add coconut milk, pineapple juice, sweetener, lime juice & zest, and extracts. Stir well, then add to the dry ingredients, mixing just enough to form a moist batter.
2. Grease or spray the Bundt cake molds. In the bottom of each, add a Tbs. of chopped nuts and a tsp. of coconut. Then, evenly divide the pineapple chunks into each mold, followed by the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of their molds and the tops turn golden. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

You can tell I photographed these a couple months ago . . . they've been in my backlog for quite a while!

Peanut Butter-Butterscotch Balls

Adapted from this recipe (which, in its original form, is also amazing!) and also inspired by a favourite cookie recipe from my childhood.

Makes 24 balls

Ingredients

2.5 cups rolled oats

½ cup pumpkin seeds (raw or roasted)

½ cup raisins, vegan chocolate/carob chips, or a mix

½ cup peanuts (raw or roasted)

¼ cup sunflower seeds (raw or roasted)

½ cup peanut butter

1/3 cup agave nectar or honey

2 Tbs. brown rice syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. butterscotch extract*

*Be careful when buying butterscotch extract—some contain milk derivatives.

Directions

1. In a food processor, grind ½ cup oats and ¼ cup pumpkin seeds until powdery. Transfer to medium bowl, and set aside.
2. Combine remaining oats and pumpkin seeds, raisins, peanuts, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Stir in peanut butter, sweeteners, and extracts until the mixture becomes soft and doughy.
3. Moisten hands (I recommend re-moistening every few balls or so, or else everything will start sticking to your hands), and form dough into balls. Roll balls in oat-pumpkin seed powder before transferring to a separate pan, platter, baking sheet, whatever. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in the fridge.

Watch out--these will disappear before you know it!

Be back tomorrow to highlight my Christmas feast!

‘Tis the Season . . .

. . . for potlucks! Last night, I joined my fellow vegetarian/vegan friends for our monthly potluck, and as per usual, everything was delicious! The meal was a little, well, carb- and sugar-heavy, but that’s okay. I had nibbles, not heaping platefuls, of everything.

A spicy butternut squash chili.

No, that's NOT ground hamburger. It's faux taco meat. I tried a little and it was okay, but I'm not a fan of processed faux meat products.

Coconut-curried veggies

Udi's hamburger buns, as well as homemade rosemary rolls.

Vegan apple crisp

Dessert quinoa with apples, raisins, walnuts, and granola.

Vegan cookies from the company Liz Lovely

And of course, as always, I also brought a dessert, though this is healthy enough to be considered a breakfast bread as well.

Cran-Apple Cornmeal Cake

Veganized from this recipe

Serves 9-12

Ingredients

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + 2-3 Tbs. water

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 large apple (red or pink variety), chopped

2 Tbs. crystallized ginger

1 cup whole wheat pastry or spelt flour

1 cup cornmeal*

½ cup raw cane sugar**

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 cup milk alternative of choice

¼ cup + 2 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

*Healthy Tip: Make sure you buy cornmeal that hasn’t been degerminated. That way, it’s still a whole grain.

**I actually used 1/3 cup sugar + a dropperful of liquid stevia, which I added to the liquid ingredients in step 3 below.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. First, make your flax “egg” by combining the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Here is a more detailed tutorial.
2. In a saucepan, add cranberries and ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add chopped apple, cook for another couple of minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in crystallized ginger. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together milk alternative, flax “egg”, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract. Add to dry ingredients, and stir just enough to moisten everything before folding in the cooked fruit.
4. Pour batter into a greased 9X9 pan. Top with chopped pecans, pressing the nuts gently into the batter so they’ll stick. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

What I Ate Wednesday (7): Detox, Day 6

Well, six days into my detox, I’m feeling quite well indeed. My tummy hasn’t been torturing me at night, and my sugar cravings are nearly non-existent.

So, what exactly have I been eating on my detox quest? Well, let’s find out, shall we? Featuring my seventh What I Ate Wednesday, courtesy of Jenn.

Breakfast

One of my favourite breakfasts this time of year: Pumpkin Pie Oats! And the pumpkin wasn’t even from a can—I roasted it myself!

Mid-Morning Snack

When I visited Whole Foods last Friday, I indulged in a loaf of sourdough bread. It’s not whole grain, granted, but it’s fermented . . . and delicious! Even more so with a little homemade vegan pesto.

Lunch

I was craving Asian food, and this was what resulted:

A sort of "deconstructed" sushi bowl (recipe follows), alongside a braised daikon radish, and a pear.

Fruity Fusion “Deconstructed Sushi” Salad

This is sort of like lazy maki—no rolling necessary. A bit inspired by this recipe.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup shredded red cabbage

½ nori sheet, cut into strips

½ cup shelled edamame

½ pear, chopped

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

For the Dressing

1 tsp. brown rice vinegar

1 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 tsp. sesame oil

½ tsp. brown rice syrup (optional)

1 tsp. each minced ginger & garlic

Pepper, to taste

¼ cup dried shortgrain brown rice, cooked and cooled

Chopped walnuts, to serve

Pickled ginger, to serve

Directions

Combine dressing ingredients, and set aside. Toss together cabbage, nori strips, edamame, pear, and cilantro with dressing. Serve on top of rice, garnished with walnuts and served with pickled ginger.

You could also add some shredded carrots, chopped cucumber, red bellpepper, sweet potato, or even kabocha squash.

Afternoon Snack

Finally got around to trying a Blueberry Muffin Larabar. It was okay—not my favourite flavour, though.

Dinner

Whereas lunch was Asian-themed, dinner was delightfully Mediterranean.

An abundant spinach, roma tomato, cucumber, and parsley salad with hummus, whole wheat couscous, and a couple stuffed grapeleaves, otherwise known as "dolmas".

Dessert

Detox shouldn’t exclude occasional desserts . . . if they’re healthy, of course, and especially if they include HOMEMADE, low sugar vanilla soy yoghurt. Yes, my first attempt at making my own yoghurt went fabulously, thanks to this lovely machine. I will be posting a tutorial and recipe soon, I promise!

Homemade vanilla soy yoghurt, a little homemade granola, some pistachios & raspberries, and a chopped dried fig. Dried figs are sort of my weakness. <3

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Surprisingly, I’ve never mentioned here that I’m the founder and current president of a vegetarian club at my university. A couple years ago, one of my friends (and a fellow vegetarian) suggested I start an organization so fellow veg-heads could meet each other, eat together, and promote plant-based power on campus. And I did just that, and I must say we have quite a lot of fun!

Once a month, we host a potluck, and these are truly the highlights of our extracurricular calendar! Last night was our first potluck of the autumn semester—and I’m here to highlight some of the dishes we enjoyed.

Raw Cucumber-Avocado-Cilantro Soup & (Cooked) Butternut Squash-Leek Soup

Marinated Greek salad with feta on the side for anyone who wanted it

Roasted Butternut Squash-Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Perfectly roasted root vegetables

A spicy twist on traditional ratatouille, thanks to serrano peppers

Brown rice maki with tofu, carrot, and green beans

Finally, I provided dessert—a raw apple pie! I’m becoming quite the raw dessert enthusiast! After scouring raw pie recipes all over the blog world, I bravely concocted a recipe of my own, and may I say that it’s . . . RAW-mazing!

Raw Apple Pie

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

2 cups dried dates

For the filling:

3 red apples (such as red delicious, gala, or braeburn), cored and coarsely sliced

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbs. maple syrup or 2 dropper-fulls liquid stevia*

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup raisins

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed

Thin apple slices, for garnish

*I find that NuNaturals Vanilla Liquid Stevia is a wonderful sugar-free sweetener without that weird aftertaste common to some other brands. If you don’t have stevia on hand, feel free to use whatever sweetener you desire, such as maple syrup as suggested.

Directions

1. Soak pecans, walnuts, and dates for at least 3 hours. Drain, then blend all three in a food processor until a slightly chunky consistency is reached. Transfer to a pie dish, and press down firmly to form the crust. Chill in refrigerator.
2. Meanwhile, combine sliced apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetener, and extract in the food processor, and process until apples are very finely shredded, but not quite to an applesauce consistency. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in raisins and flaxseed, allowing it to sit for about 15-20 minutes before pouring filling into the crust, gently pressing everything down to compact it. Chill overnight, garnishing with apple slices right before serving.

Perfect autumnal flavours. <3

What I Ate Wednesday (5): Sick Edition

Ever since I became interested in healthy, wholesome eating 3 years ago, I’ve noticed a tremendous boost in my immune system—meaning, I rarely get sick, even when I’m surrounded by sneezing university students. Yeah, I have tummy trouble upon occasion, but otherwise, I’m generally able to elude cold and flu season.

Not this time, however. Yesterday, around lunchtime, I felt my nose running slightly. An hour later, my eyes began aching. And by afternoon’s end, I felt pretty tough and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed—which is precisely what I did around 7:30 last night.

Now, I’m not really that surprised about my condition. I should have guessed I would find myself a bit under the weather when my boyfriend started sniffling a few days ago, following by a fever and coughing. No matter how healthy and preventative I may be, there’s no escaping germs in such a close proximity—only luck could have spared me in this situation.

All the same, just because I wasn’t able to avoid this cold, I can still effectively treat its symptoms and heal myself naturally. One of the greatest strategies: diet. It’s common knowledge that certain foods treat colds better than others. So, today, I ate to cure. I’m a busy girl who can’t really afford to miss class or cancel commitments—I need to feel better, fast!

Breakfast

Woke up feeling pretty okay. Started the day with my usual lemon juice and liquid chlorophyll shot—both have powerful detox and antioxidant properties, and the latter has a whole sling of other benefits.

Not the best tasting drink in the world, but sometimes, even we health freaks can't like everything, right?

I’m no expert in in-depth nutrition, so when I was consulting The World’s Healthiest Foods, an incredibly useful site, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my standard breakfast is naturally a powerful cold and flu fighter. Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that boosts your immune system, and plums and prunes are good sources of vitamin C (as are most fruits and veggies).

Steel-cut oats, soymilk, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 plum, raisins, a chopped prune, and pecans.

After breakfast, I crashed in bed for another hour or so before I felt energized enough to start my day. Fortunately, I don’t have class on Wednesday mornings. So, I went outside for a breath of fresh air, a splash of vitamin D-infused sunlight (Indian summer!), and a cup of Yogi tea. Today’s featured flavour: Green Tea Goji Berry.

I seriously need to get some prettier mugs. This one (which I use all the time) actually belongs to my boyfriend's best friend, our other housemate.

Seriously, I would totally agree to be Yogi’s spokeswoman; I ADORE their products! I always have several of their teas in my pantry (and I’ve yet to try I flavour I didn’t enjoy), but today’s choice was influenced by the well-known facts that both green tea and goji berries are exemplary sources of antioxidants. It warmed my body, mind, and soul.

Lunch

On Wednesdays, my boyfriend leaves around 11:00 and I don’t have class until 1:00, so I usually like to make a special little one-serving lunch for myself. Today’s mix-and-match meal was very, very yummy.

Hummus-stuffed sweet potato (recipe to follow), seaweed salad, and a bowl of cantaloupe and raspberries for dessert. And no, it wasn't one of those listeria-infected Colorado cantaloupes--I double-checked! No worries!

I had a sudden craving for seaweed this morning, so I quickly rehydrated some and made a side salad with a little shoyu, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Sea vegetables are some of the healthiest foods of all . . . and some of the most delicious, too!

I also had my grown-up, vegan version of a baked potato. When I was a little girl, my mum would make me baked potatoes with cottage cheese whenever I wasn’t feeling very well, so this is major comfort food for me.

Hummus-Stuffed Sweet Potato with Orange-Balsamic Drizzle

Inspired by this recipe (which is fabulous, might I add!)

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, roasted for about 40 minutes until tender

2-4 Tbs. hummus

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

2 Tbs. chopped scallions

1 Tbs. dried cranberries

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

1 Tbs. orange juice

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. olive oil

Afternoon Snack

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

I also had a piece of my Basic Banana Bread—and this loaf was completely free of added sugars! Instead of 1/3 cup liquid sweetener, I used 2 dropper-fulls of liquid stevia, and it worked like a charm! No strange aftertaste whatsoever.

Dinner

A delicious Italian recipe that I’ll share on Friday—pumpkin-spinach pasta.

Dessert

I made Leanne’s amazing Raw Carrot Cake “Cheese”cake again last weekend. Delish! And no, I didn’t eat all four remaining pieces, hahaha.

And now, I’m off to indulge in a few bites of that delicious cantaloupe, followed by bubble bath before crawling into bed. I’m tired and looking forward for an early night and sweet dreams. Hopefully, all my efforts today will pay off tomorrow, and I’ll feel more energetic . . . energetic enough, at least, to roll out my yoga mat for a few asanas.

Autumn Detox + A Giveaway!

Late last week, I received an email from Yoga Journal announcing a 7-day autumn detox plan, and I thought that sounded like a fabulous idea! I’ve discussed my thoughts about detoxing before, and based on my criteria, Yoga Journal’s plan is very, very well designed, based largely on the ancient healing art of Ayurveda. And it’s very, very much needed after a weekend of, well, a little too much bread, unfortunately. But no matter! I’m gung-ho for a good cleanse! I’m going to try to follow the plan as closely as possible, tweaking a bit here and there for my weird university-student schedule, and I’m really looking forward to analyzing how I feel next week.

Today was the first day of detox. In addition to Yoga Journal’s recommendations, I listed some personal goals for supplementing the cleansing process:

• Drink a glass of water with fresh lemon juice, liquid chlorophyll, and a pinch of cayenne before breakfast.
• Daily cup (or two, or three) of Yogi’s wonderful Detox tea.

[Source]

• Chew food really, really well to ease digestion.
• Consume plenty of water to help flush toxins.
• Daily dry brushing.
• Daily Yoga practice (enhanced by these helpful videos).
• Early to bed, early to rise = deep, restorative sleep.

To my delight, several recipes were also included with the plan, and I jumped at the opportunity to make a big batch of kitchari, accompanied by cilantro chutney. Yoga Journal’s dosha quiz revealed I have a vata-pitta constitution, so I added ingredients as recommended for my bidoshic needs.

Obviously, I love Indian food. And I must say that the chutney is INCREDIBLE! I will be making it on a very regular basis even after my cleanse.

Even though I’m detoxing, I still believe in dessert—raw dessert, that is! This weekend, I finally got around to making Leanne’s Raw Carrot Cake “Cheese”cake, and let me tell you, folks, this recipe is a keeper! Everyone who sampled a piece was blown away by the flavour, the texture, everything. My only alterations were a) stevia instead of coconut sugar, and b) bars instead of individual little cakes since I don’t have spring form pans. Everything worked fabulously!

Dense and rich and wonderful. <3

Speaking of fabulous, I’m hosting my first giveaway, and TWO lucky readers will receive a container of Amazing Grass Original Green SuperFood powder, which is great for green smoothies and juices!

[Source]

Just leave a comment, and using a random number generator, I will select two winners later this week. Good luck!

Back to Basics, Part I: Oh So Sweet!

I love experimenting in the kitchen—it is but another means of expressing myself artistically. However, as an art student, I find myself far more often in the studio, without a lot of spare time for cooking. Of course, I still try new recipes on a regular basis, but for the most part, I rely on tried-and-true dishes and snacks that are easy, tasty, and nutritious. Today’s post is dedicated to a few sweeter staples in my pantry and in my recipe regime.

Now, generally, I am a savoury girl through and through. Sometimes, however, my sweet tooth begs for a treat—nothing overbearingly sweet, though, or else I’ll end up crashing shortly after indulging, and with my packed schedule, I don’t have time for sugar-induced naps. I’ve a weakness for dried fruit (especially figs, goodness gracious!), and I’ve professed my love for Larabars before (one of these days, I’ll get around to making my own varieties at home!), but I’m also quite a fan of Mrs. May’s Naturals, especially the Trio Bars.

[Source]

Snacks aside, every once in a while, I sincerely enjoy splurging on dessert! And by dessert, I don’t just mean an extra serving of daily dark chocolate. I mean a couple of cookies, a slice of pie, or, as popularized by the incredible Isa Chandra Moskowitz, a cupcake!

I’ve only tried a vegan cupcake once before, and let me tell you, it was one of the richest, most decadent desserts I’ve ever eaten—a moist chocolate cupcake smothered with melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter frosting . . . seriously, people, we vegans are not missing out when it comes to baked goods.

Last week, while I was visiting my boyfriend’s family, his mother made a fantastic batch of basic chocolate cupcakes for us—SO fantastic, in fact, that you’ll even want to lick the liners clean! I. One of these days, I’ll finally get around to purchasing Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, but in the meantime, I’ll be adding this recipe to my repertoire, and I look forward to experimenting with flavours when I have some extra time (someday, I hope!) now and then.

Not the prettiest picture in the world--cupcakes are hard to photograph! But oh, was it delicious! And this was my last one, too.

Another quickbread I’ve been making for quite some time (even before I was vegan) is banana bread. Of course, the recipe I’ve tweaked over the years is rather healthier than most versions, not only because it’s free of eggs and dairy, but also because it’s 100% whole wheat, low in sugar, and fat free.

Basic Banana Bread

Serves 16

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour (or a blend of both)

1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice*

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

5 overripe bananas

1 cup milk alternative of choice

1/3 cup liquid sweetener of choice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Nuts, seeds, or dried fruit as add-ins (optional)

*See my Carrot Cake Oats recipe for a homemade spice blend.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚. In a large bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking powder and soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mash bananas very well before adding sweetener, milk alternative, and extract, combining well. Mix with dry ingredients just enough to moisten everything. Fold in any add-ins, if using, and transfer batter to a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

So dense, so moist, so delicious! In this loaf, I added 1 cup chopped roasted walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins. This is seriously the best banana bread I've EVER made! I can't stop snacking on it!

One interesting topic that I still need to better research is the question of honey—should vegans eschew it? Technically, it IS a product derived from animals. In the loaf pictured above, I used honey for sweetener. I also had brown rice syrup and agave nectar on hand, but I still prefer the taste of honey for certain baked goods. Of course, a part of me also does indeed recognize that harvesting honey is, in principle, exploitative. According to Living Vegan for Dummies by Alexandra Jamieson, “Some bees may be hurt or killed inadvertently by beekeepers, and bees aren’t programmed to gather honey for human uses—they use it to raise their young.” Sort of sounds like dairy cows and their calves, doesn’t it? Here are a couple other articles on the subject:

Honeybees Might Have Feelings, Too

Why Vegans Can’t Decide Whether They’re Allowed to Eat Honey

I no longer burn beeswax candles, so apart from taste, what reasons do I have to continue utilizing honey, especially when it is so easily replaced by alternative liquid sweeteners? Perhaps after I finish up this bottle I just won’t buy another. Simple as that.

Stay tuned for Basic to Basics, Part II: Savouring Savoury!

Nothing But Crumbs!

Long time, no post! I’m soooooooo sorry for my long absence. I’ve been super busy with family and end-of-the-summer-preparing-for-university-again commitments—speaking of which, I can’t believe I start classes again in less than 2 weeks! A part of me is ready and eager, but then again, with every new semester, I’m quickly reminded of how little time I have for myself . . . and for experimenting in the kitchen, too, sadly. However, never fear! I do intend to continue posting on a regular basis. Cooking is my Zen, I think; it’s relatively mindless for me, so my brain can shut off for, oh, an hour or so and have a much-needed break from my studies.

During the school year, I very rarely have time for baking, which sort of explains my lacking skills when it comes to cupcakes, cookies, and other quickbreads. Not that I’m particularly bothered by that—I do enjoy baking, and I’m capable of following recipes and all, I just have trouble inventing ideas of my own. Every once in a while, though, I have a bit of success. Last weekend, my mother and I hosted a brunch for a group of family friends. I totally forgot to take pictures, unfortunately (I’m sorry! I was caught up in the rush of being a hostess), but I did manage to take one photo of the coffeecake I baked for the event.

All that remained . . . and I quickly finished that little morsel. I'll definitely be making this again, and when I do, I'll snap a proper photo--promise!

As you can see, it was demolished by the guests, who were all extremely impressed! I was so happy and relieved! I’m always a little nervous to cook for others—I always want to demonstrate how truly delicious vegan food can be, not cook something that will forever convince someone that vegans are fooling themselves. Considering the compliments I received and the above photo, there’s no doubt this coffeecake succeeded.

Gluten-Free Blueberry-Cornmeal Coffeecake

Adapted from this recipe

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup cornmeal

½ cup evaporated cane juice

1.5 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup non-dairy yoghurt

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

1.5 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup slivered almonds (or I used whole roasted almonds, which was also tasty)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and sugar, and salt. In separate bowl, combine yoghurt, vinegar, and extracts and about ½ cup water. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until everything is moistened (don’t over-stir, as is the rule with quickbreads!). Fold in the blueberries.
3. Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking oil. Pour in batter and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.