Category Archives: blogs i love

Tofu Omelettes, a success!

Posted on April 14, 2013 | 1 Comment

I finally found a tofu based omelette recipe that turned out! I used this recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, quadrupled it, and added 1/4 cup of chickpea flour to the batter just for the extra sturdiness- the idea to add chickpea flour came from a similar recipe on the PPK.  I also neglected to add tahini and soymilk, so it’s safe to say they aren’t crucial- or at least for my version. I also found that having the pan so hot that the tofu splattered a bit when added made for the best results, as did cooking the omelette until dry on top before adding the filling. Next time, I’d add even more chickpea flour to see if i can give the texture a little more bite.  I filled mine with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, grape tomatoes, and cashew cheese and enjoyed every last bite.

Edit: Just nuked one for lunch today, and it held up beautifully! I could even imagine making a big stack of these, and layering them between sheets of parchment to have ready for a brunch party. I’d even go as far as to suggest warming them in the oven at 300 for ten minutes before folding over a warmed filling, or just reheating them in a very nonstick pan!

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Posted in blogs i love, breakfast, Gluten Free

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Vegan Baby and Bridal Shower Menu Ideas

Posted on April 4, 2013 | 1 Comment

I’m not trying to throw hints out there for my own benefit folks, but damn if there’s anything that I don’t love more in this world than cute, tiny food, and cute party food in general. I was talking to some friends about showers and where they can go awry, and we decided that one of the foundations of a great shower shouldn’t be what cheesy games you play or how many people you can invite; showers should be an intimate gathering of the mom/bride to-be’s closest friends where you can treat her by splurging a little on beautiful food from your local patisserie, or creating a menu tailored to her favorite foods or cravings. When planning a shower for someone who’s vegan, or vegan and gluten free, it can be hard to find options at your local baker, or co-op depending on your area- I can’t find both gluten free and vegan treats anywhere in Minneapolis. In those cases, making a few treats and eats from scratch will not only save you money, but your guest of honor will feel extra special that you went the extra mile for her. You could even ask each guest as they RSVP if they wouldn’t mind making a recipe that you send to them, or keep a note next to the avid bakers on the guest list. Keep in mind that not everything needs to be ‘from scratch’ either. I’ve found multiple brands of gluten free and vegan crackers at Costco, and hummus, tapenade, and dairy- free pesto are easy finds in most any deli. For those who can get crafty in the kitchen, I scoured my favorite blogs and pinterest for summer friendly shower treats, salads, and snacks that look as beautiful as they taste. Some are more labor intensive, and some are as simple as cracking open a can of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and opening a loaf of bread.
* Not all adorable options are gluten free, (GF) options marked


These little raw lemon tartlettes from Fragrant Vanilla Cake look so refreshing! (GF)

Coconut Macaroons from The Vagabond Baker (GF)

Berry Creme Tart with Coco Olive Crust from The Post Punk Kitchen

photo: freepeople

photo: freepeople


Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Tarts with Whipped Coconut Cream (GF)
So sexy!

Easy Vegan Lemon Bars from 86Lemons.com (GF)

photo:sweet miscellany

photo:sweet miscellany


Lemony Macaroon Cups with Blueberry Compote (GF)
Can you tell I adore lemon?!

Vegan Yum Yum makes some awesome little finger sandwiches!

Chickpea Radish Hors Doeuvres from Vegan Yum Yum (GF)

Blackened Tomato Canapés from Vegan Yum Yum

Cute Cucumber Tea Sandwiches from Vegan Yum Yum
*Both could potentially be gluten free if you find or make an awesome gluten free vegan bread

Spring Chickenless Salad from Manifest Vegan (GF)

Photo: Alyson Kramer at Manifest Vegan

Photo: Alyson Kramer at Manifest Vegan

This looks filling, and totally inviting.

Gluten Free Focaccia from Manifest Vegan (GF)

Spicy Cilantro Crackers from Manifest Vegan (GF)

Melon salad with Mint and Lime from The PPK (GF)

Photo Credit: Isa Chandra @ The PPK

Photo Credit: Isa Chandra @ The PPK


Deviled Potatoes from The PPK (GF)
Ok, I’ll admit that I’ve been craving deviled eggs and potato salad like a mo-fo lately, and this essentially combines the two into a very delectable looking appetizer.
tempeh1-682x1024
Blackened Tempeh Wraps with Chipotle Ranch from Fork and Beans (GF) Would make a substantial nosh.

goat Raw Vegan Goat Cheese from Fork and Beans (GF)
Now, maybe grandma wouldn’t go for anything with the words ‘vegan’, and “cheese” in them, so just tell her it’s “awesome cashew pesto dip”. Everybody likes dip, right?

photo: Alyson Kramer @ Manifest Vegan

photo: Alyson Kramer @ Manifest Vegan


Lastly, Chocolate Covered Potato Chips from Manifest Vegan (GF), because the idea of chocolate covered potato chips sounds like the best thing to happen since peanut butter and jelly.

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Posted in appetizer, baked goods ect, blogs i love, bread, cake, can be Gluten Free, dips and such, Gluten Free, salad, sandwich, side dishes, snacks, sweets, Uncategorized, Vegan Pregnancy, vegetables, websites i love

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Thanksgiving countdown; Gluten Free Vegan Style

Posted on November 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’ve been scouring the internet for days trying to find gluten free and vegan friendly pie crust recipes. my mother was worried that this thanksgiving was going to be bleak for my sister and i as we are both vegans with gluten issues. and with how little i was finding on the internet (maybe i wasn’t searching hard enough?), i was beginning to fear that i was going to be stuck with something as depressing as a crust-less pie.

thankfully, it seems that the collective GFV masses have given forth a multitude of ideas today, hooray! here are some tantalizing links i found this morning:

Fork and Beans GFV Pumpkin Pie. i love the idea of making single serve mini pies- they’re so cute! (also, she veganized CHEEZE-ITS people!)

Gluten Free Goddess Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with Praline and Coconut-Pecan Crust. this looks and sounds heavenly! i think anything with praline will encourage my more conservative family members to give it a try.

I found this one on Yummly; another straight forward recipe with gluten free flours that i already have on hand!

and lastly, this one from Eating Appalachia, it has a few different flours, like chickpea, that gives it a deep golden color.

so far, i’m building my Thanksgiving menu around these counterparts:

savory pecan and sage crusted tempeh (such an easy alternative to hyper processed mock meats)

green bean casserole- my sister makes creamy onion soup from scratch as the base, and makes her own GF crispy onions. win!

creamy dairy free mashed potatoes

my amazing cashew-mushroom gravy

and if one of us has time, cornbread stuffing with apples and cranberries using this cornbread recipe as the base.

so far, my menu isn’t looking too shabby for one being free of animal products and gluten!

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Posted in 3 part epic!, blogs i love, bread, Gluten Free, Holiday, Uncategorized, whats for dinner?

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Aside

just made these babies and they are tasty as hell!

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Posted on March 22, 2012

today’s lunch! PPK’s Dilly Stew with Rosemary Dumplings!

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 1 Comment

i am so in love, love, LOVE with this stew!

vegan dumpling stew!

i’m not a huge dill fan so i used extra thyme and rosemary and put sage in the dumplings. the dumplings are so perfect! sometimes dumpling recipes can get soggy, or disintegrate after a night in the fridge, but these babies are big, fluffy yet dense, and are like tasty little clouds floating in your delicious stew.

 

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Posted in blogs i love, crockpot, stew, todays lunch, websites i love, whats for dinner?

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dinner pies!

Posted on October 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

pot pie is undoubtedly one of the greatest things to ever happen to casseroles, and last nights was no exception. it was my hubby’s first attempt at pastry dough, but did exceptionally well! we found the recipe on one of my fav blogs,  Vegan Dad. our pot pie wasn’t as saucy and think that can be contributed to my hubbys fear of accidentally making soup (i can be a scary teacher), and using cornstarch instead of flour to thicken. but, regardless of our methods, dinner was downright fan-fugging-tastic! i mean c’mon, it’s pie, for dinner. you can’t go wrong.

vegan chickpea pot pie!

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Posted in baked goods ect, blogs i love, casseroles, pie, sexay nom nom nom, whats for dinner?

vegan yum yum- notso busco

Posted on November 11, 2009 | Leave a comment

if you haven’t noticed, i’m a huge fan of the vegan yum yum blog, and have constructed yet another tasty creation from it’s archives. tonights pick was the notso busco; i was compelled to make it because a) i love tempeh, and b) the sauce is reminiscent of my favorite tempeh marinade: wine, braggs (soy sauce) and balsamic vinegar.

if you aren’t a big salt fan, cut the soy sauce in half, i used braggs which i find to be less salty, and i loved it. the saffron risotto was equally delicious;i made it in my dutch oven, and to up the creamy factor (since its baked), i stirred in another 1 1/2 cups of water after the initial baking (350 for 30 min) and dropped the heat down to 300 and let it hang for another 15 minutes. although it wasn’t a time-saving rice-ipe (lolbarf), it freed up my arms from having to stir endlessly!

notsobusco

notso busco, rosemary saffron rice, and steamed kale

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Posted in blogs i love, whats for dinner?

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Best Dinner. Evar

Posted on August 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

seriously you guys, i just had the best dinner ever! it was the spicy lemon pepper pasta with broccoli from one of my favorite blogs, vegan yum yum! now if some of you think“oh i can’t eat pasta, it will make my thighs fat ect ect” tell your thighs to STFU and go get some whole wheat pasta for f*cks sake cuz’ life is too short to deny yourself one of the best foods. evar. whole wheat pasta has a lower glycemic index than its white counterpart, and 12 grams of protein in one hefty jen sized serving! you can’t go wrong! maybe if you have celiacs disease but i wouldn’t consider that your fault. just get some brown rice or quinoa pasta and call it square. i would have posted a pic but 1. lolo’s pics on vegan yum yum are waaaaaay better, 2. i left the camera at work d’oh, and 3. i used a bunch of mis-matched remnants of pasta so it wasn’t as neat per se.

but, like i was saying, this is good. food-gasm in the mouf good. so damn good i want you all to make it this week and be happy with your awesome thighs full of yummy awesome pasta. kay? oh, and this only took about 15 minutes to make so if you’re like me and want to one-up rachel ray with her “30 minute meals” the recipe is found here:

http://veganyumyum.com/2008/01/spicy-lemon-pepper-pasta-with-broccoli/

the recipe made 1 serving so here are the amounts i used to serve 4. enjoy

3/4 lb whole wheat pasta

2 medium crowns broccoli and stalk, chopped

5 oil packed sun dried tomatoes, small dice

the juice and zest of one lemon, separated

1/2 heaping tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp cracked black pepper

3-4 tbs earth balance, melted (i was out of olive oil)

sea salt to taste

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley – toss this all over when its done cooking, its not in the original recipe but it added a great color and flavor!

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Posted in blogs i love, whats for dinner?

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