Category Archives: snacks

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.
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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, can be Gluten Free, dips and such, Gluten Free, salad, sandwich, side dishes, snacks, Uncategorized, Vegan Pregnancy, vegetables, websites i love

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Crispy Bean Curd Rolls

Posted on March 29, 2013 | 1 Comment

Since going gluten free, I often find myself wanting a crispy egg roll- sans egg of course. Since wonton/eggroll wraps are wheat based, they’re off the table. Rice paper wraps are delicious, but they don’t fry well and don’t come to mind when I think of something to encase cooked shredded cabbage, garlic, carrot, and other savories with. Then it hit me: Bean Curd “Skin”!
Similar to Yuba, bean curd skin is essentially paper thin sheets of tofu, made from skimming soymilk as it cooks. When it’s purchased in super thin, dried sheets its generally Yuba, whereas the fresh/frozen sheets I have been stumbling upon are more often thick and called Bean Curd Skin. Regardless of which you dabble with, the sheets are full of protein, and can be used to make all sorts of fun culinary delights. If you find dried yuba, be sure to carefully pull the sheets apart, and moisten them with a damp paper towel rather than soaking, as they tear very easily.
While they don’t get as sinfully greasy and crispy as their wheat based counterparts, the bean curd sheets fry up lightning fast, leaving the exterior lightly crispy, and the interior delightfully chewy and tofu-y. Dip these babies in hot mustard, sweet and sour sauce, or a little brags mixed with chile garlic paste.

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These are the Bean Curd sheets I found

Crispy Bean Curd Rolls

1 package of bean curd sheets- 24 total
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
2 veggie burgers crumbled, or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups veggie crumbles
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
salt and pepper
oil for pan frying, and simmering veggies

for wrapping you will need a cup of warm water mixed with cornstarch to make a slurry

Place the cabbage in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté in a tablespoon of oil until beginning to soften. Add the carrot, garlic, and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the cabbage has softened and the veggies are fragrant. Mix in the veggie crumbles and set aside.
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Take a bean curd sheet and place in front of you so that it’s in a ‘diamond’ versus a square. Brush the sheet with the cornstarch slurry. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the bottom third, and fold the bottom corner up and over the filling.
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Fold the side corners in before rolling up. Place each finished roll seam side down on a plate and continue until all of the rolls have been finished.
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Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan until a small piece of wrapper bubbles instantly wjhen dropped in, and turns golden within 30 seconds. Fry 6-8 rolls at a time until golden brown on both sides, and place on a clean paper bag to drain while you finish the rest.

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Aren’t they cute?!

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Posted in appetizer, cabbage, Chinese, Gluten Free, snacks, Uncategorized

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Avocado ‘Egg’ Salad, Chickpea Style

Posted on January 25, 2013 | 1 Comment

I’m still obsessing over summer foods in the midst of this arctic tundra I call home. I saw this pin on pinterest for avocado egg salad and I immediately thought, “Ooooh, I should veganize that!”. The only caveat; I’m currently sick of eggy tofu anything. I can’t stomach the idea of another tofu scramble, quiche, omelet et for a hot minute. Mashed chickpeas are usually reserved for the more faux-tuna types of salads, but they have such a nice creamy flavor I thought i’d give them a go! I ignored the original recipes suggestions for curry and yogurt (been there, done that) and decided to shoot for a traditional, creamy, slightly tangy ‘egg salad’ flavor- complete with a little sweet pickle brine because thats how I loved it growing up!* For the die hard tofu lovers out there, substitute about  a pound of medium tofu- well pressed.

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Avocado Egg Salad, Chickpea Style

3 1/2 c cooked chickpeas, cooled

1/2 c or to taste, Veganaise

1 tsp Nala Kamak- Indian Black Salt.

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 tbs or more, sweet pickle brine

1/2 tsp plus more, paprika

2 large avocados, pitted and cubed, tossed with a little lemon juice if eating later

 

In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas until chunky and set aside. Whisk together everything else but the avocados. Mix into the chickpeas, and season to taste. When you’re satisfied with your chickpeas, fold in your avocado and sprinkle with more paprika. Spoon into pitas, eat with crackers, make a sandwich- it’s all good!

*Turns out my mom put pickle brine in her potato salad, which sometimes had hard boiled eggs in it, but damn if it’s ever tasty- so try it anyways!

 

 

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Cherry Lemon Chia Yougurt. OBSESSED

Posted on January 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

lately i’ve been obsessing over all things lemon. lemon soda, lemon bars, lemon sorbet, etc. it must be because its -37 in Minnesota and lemons taste like sunshine, right?

well, i’m a also a huge fan of Amande lemon almond yogurt but shelling out $1.50 for a teeny container seems so expensive. so, i bought a large container of the unflavored variety made my own fancied up yogurt so that i can indulge daily! yay for cheap thrills!

Zesty Lemon Yogurt

1- 24 ounce tub unflavored soy/coconut/almond yogurt

the zest of one large lemon, roughly 1 1/4 tsp

2 tbs agave nectar, or 1 packet stevia if you’re looking to keep it ultra low glycemic

mix well in the tub, et viola easy lemony yogurt!

i like to put 1/4 c of frozen cherries and 1 tablespoon chia into the bottom of clean jam jars, and top with my yogurt for a snack at work. it’s so delicious!

 

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Posted in Gluten Free, snacks, Uncategorized

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Ch-ch-ch-chia!

Posted on October 30, 2012 | 2 Comments

i have a new obsession; CHIA SEEDS! i scored a huge bag of them at costco and i’ve been finding tons if great uses for them. chia seeds are the same goopy little pellets that you adhered to terra cotta heads as a child- who would have thought to eat them back in the 80′s? so far i have found them to be an amazing egg replacer in pancake batter (1 tbs chia + 2 tbs water = egg), a nice snack suspended in coconut water, and a super nutritious breakfast pudding when mixed with fruit, nuts, and unsweetened almond milk. to make a pudding, combine roughly 1/4 c chia with 1 c of any liquid- coconut milk looks divine as it reminds me of tapioca.

Breakfast Pudding

3 tbs chia seeds

3/4 c almond milk

1 tbs pure maple syrup

1 banana, sliced

1 handful walnuts

mix the chia with your milk and let stand for 15 minutes. top with virtually anything, and enjoy! each 1/4 c of chia packs 20g fiber, 12g protein, and roughly 240 calories making it super filling and sustaining.

maple banana walnut chia breakfast pudding

maple banana walnut chia breakfast pudding

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Posted in breakfast, can be Gluten Free, Gluten Free, health and well being, snacks

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OMFG Polenta Fries!

Posted on October 20, 2012 | 1 Comment

have you heard about these?! polenta is already an amazing use of cornmeal as is, but spicing them up and sending them into a bubbling cauldron of hot oil makes them downright sinful. i make these often because of how simple they are, and recently discovered how much more simple life is when you slice and freeze them for a later use! honestly, you can spice these however way you like, and you can skip the second bath in the deep fryer if you’re not into ultra crunchy snacks. but i figure, if a girls gonna deep fry, she’s gonna deep fry. knowmsayin’? i dip mine in a mix of sriracha and ketchup, or chipotle tabasco sauce- but you could sauce them in just about anything!

Cheesy Polenta Fries

1 c cornmeal grits

2 -3 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp salt

1/4 c nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 c daiya shreds- optional.

start by bringing 2 cups veggie stock to a boil over low heat. whisk in the polenta and spices and cook until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. if the texture gets too hard to stir, start adding more stock to compensate- the goal is to make a thick porridge. once the polenta is cooked through and no longer ‘crunchy’, stir in the nutritional yeast. let rest on the counter for 15 minutes before folding in your daiya, if using, otherwise spoon your polenta into a lightly oiled 8×8 brownie pan and pop it in the freezer to chill down.

now for the frying!

fill a pan with at least 2″ oil and heat until a piece of bread browns in 60 seconds, or turn your deep fryer to 365. while the oil is heating, remove your polenta block from the fridge, and slice it into fries. grab a paper grocery bag and lay it out on the counter, and make sure you have a ‘spider’ spoon, or slotted spoon for pulling your fries out of the hot oil. place about 6 pieces of polenta into the hot oil at a time so that you don’t overcrowd them, and fry until golden brown. remove from the oil to your grocery bag, salt lightly, and proceed to the next round. serve immediately!

for extra crispy fries. for extra crispy fries that don’t go limp when cool, fry them once until pale gold, and once you’ve gone through your whole batch- fry them again until golden brown. this makes them deliriously delicious.

baked fries. place your fries about a half an inch apart on a cookie sheet, and broil

cheesy polenta fries

cheesy polenta fries

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Fat Elvis Ice Cream

Posted on July 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

greetings! i’m on an ice cream kick over here! seriously though, i have 2 flavors in the freezer, and one in the ice cream machine as we speak. i have some tweaking to do on one of them before i share it, but last nights was pure gold. if you’re feeling sassy, you could easily top each bowl with pieces of faux bacon, but that kind of weirds me out. this recipe is comprised of a few small, simple steps that really come together to create a big flavor. smooth, banana ice cream gets studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and generous swirls of crunchy, salted peanut butter ‘caramel’. we ate our little reserve so fast last night that i forgot to take a picture!

Fat Elvis Ice Cream

aka ‘banana chocolate chip with salted peanut butter caramel swirls’

4 small green-ripe bananas- they should be ‘just ripe’ with no brown flecks

2 15 oz cans regular coconut milk, chilled

1 tsp vanilla extract- you could do 1/2 banana 1/2 vanilla for more of a pronounced banana flavor

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 c + 1/4c agave, divided

3/4 c chocolate chips

1/4c natural peanut butter- chunky preferred

coarse sea salt

fine sea salt

first, we’ll prep and chill all of the ice cream components.

start by slicing the bananas into coins and arranging them in a single layer on a baking tray and pop them into the freezer. next, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove top, or in the microwave at 30 second intervals until completely smooth. place a large piece of parchment paper onto another baking sheet. once smooth, pour the chocolate out onto the parchment paper and spread into a thin layer. place the chocolate into the freezer to firm up. finally, mix together 1/4 c each of peanut butter and agave until nice and smooth, and add coarse sea salt to taste. pour the ‘caramel’ into a plastic baggy, and push into one corner.

to assemble. combine the frozen bananas, vanilla, remaining agave, xanthan gum, a pinch of salt, and the coconut milk in a blender and process until smooth.  process this mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. while it’s freezing, remove the chocolate from the freezer, and roll up the parchment to shatter the chocolate inside. you may need to use a dough scraper or metal spatula to break up any large pieces. when the ice cream is about to be finished, add in 1/2 – 3/4 C of the chocolate pieces, depending on your preference.

once everything is combined and the consistency of soft-serve, you are ready to add the peanut butter caramel! i found that the best method was to pipe swirls of peanut butter in between layers of ice cream, rather than adding it into the ice cream machine while running; grab whatever container you plan on freezing your ice cream in and fill it 1/3 of the way with your banana-chip ice cream. now, grab your makeshift pastry bag that you made before and snip off the corner. pipe one big swirl from the center of the ice cream out to the edge and cover with another layer of ice cream. repeat until you’ve filled the container to within an inch of the lid. now, grab a chopstick and drive it through the center of your ice cream, and make a zig-zag motion through to break up large deposits of peanut butter. tap the container on a counter to release any air bubbles, cover, and freeze for 4-6 hours before eating!

Fat Elvis Ice Cream

Fat Elvis Ice Cream

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Posted in Gluten Free, ice cream, snacks, Uncategorized

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Coconut Sticky Rice Dessert Rolls!

Posted on June 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

here is the other half of the post i did for the high plains thrifter! you can tell i wrote it for someone else because i went out of my way to capitalize sentences. lol.

Mango sticky rice is always heavenly after a spicy meal, but impossible to take with on a picnic, until now! These are best eaten the day of, without refrigeration so that the outer wrapper does not harden, but by all means, wrap these gems in a little saran wrap and toss them into the top of your cooler! *note, some rice paper sheets are thicker than others, i used blue dragon brand from the co-op and had to double them up to make rolls that were sturdy enough to be held without tearing. if they soften in less than 15 seconds in hot tap water, you may need 2 per roll!

Makes 8 rolls

1 package rice paper wraps (16 sheets)

1 c glutenous rice- i used alter-eco purple sticky rice from the co-op

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 c sugar

2 cups ripe fruit such as ‘atulfa’ mango, strawberries, bananas, etc cut into 1/4″ slices

rinse the rice in a mesh strainer for one minute to wash away any extra starch. bring 1 1/4 c water to boil in a saucepan. add the rice, reduce to a simmer and cook until the grains have expanded and are soft, but not mushy (this is not a traditional method, in case you were wondering). While the rice cooks, open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the cream from the top of the can. mix this with the sugar in a heatproof bowl and microwave until almost boiling- about 2 minutes. Once the rice is done, pour the coconut sauce over the rice, mix well, and let stand, covered, until cooled to room temperature. Once the rice is cool, stir it well and add any extra coconut water if needed to thin to a spoonable consistency. *You can make the rice a day in advance! Just bring it to room temperature before using in your rolls.

Now, for the assembly! Take a 9×13 cake pan and fill it 1/2 way with hot tap water. Get a flour sack towel (any non-linty towel) and get it damp and lay it out on your work space. Now, soak 1-2 rice sheets until very soft and lay out on the towel. Blot the rice paper with the damp towel until sticky. Place a layer of fruit across the center of your sheet, leaving an inch or so on each side. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sticky rice over the fruit, and fold up. To fold bring the top of the paper over the filling before folding in the sides, and lastly, rolling into the bottom. This is just like making a burrito! Place seam side down on a plate before filling and rolling the rest. Wrap individually in saran wrap before packing into your cooler, or enjoy immediately.

mango sticky rice spring rolls- for dessert!

mango sticky rice spring rolls- for dessert!

isn't the purple rice lovely?

isn’t the purple rice lovely?

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Cinnamon Glazed Donut Holes

Posted on April 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

i’ve been under the weather for that past few days, but today i was feeling well enough to pad around the kitchen. i had a hankering for scones, but somehow i found myself baking donut holes. same difference, right?

i followed the batter recipe, swapping 1 tsp xanthan gum for the egg replacer, banana for the applesauce, sugar for the sucanat, and coconut oil for the safflower oil to suit what i had on hand.i also tweaked the topping to make a rich, syrupy glaze. a dollop of white icing, or cream cheese frosting would undoubtedly turn this into “cinnamon roll donut holes”. divine.

cinnamon sugar glaze. 

1/2 stick earth balance

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c white sugar

3 tbs cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla

almond milk

melt the earth balance in a small pan over medium heat. add in the vanilla, sugars, and cinnamon. stir until the sugars are melted completely and starting to bubble. slowly whisk in enough almond milk to make a thick glaze that runs in thick ribbons off of your whisk. cool while the donuts bake.

gluten free vegan donut

gluten free vegan cinnamon glazed donut holes

gluten free vegan cinnamon glazed donut holes

gluten free vegan cinnamon glazed donut holes

gluten free vegan cinnamon glazed donut holes

gluten free cinnamon glazed donuts

adapted from adashofcompassion.com

  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour
  • 1/4 cup potato starch
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flaxmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup nondairy milk
  • 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp  pureed banana
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Lightly oil two mini doughnut pans and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sugar, flaxmeal, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and baking soda.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk,  oil, banana, xanthan gum and vanilla.
  5. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine, making sure there are no more large clumps.
  6. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared doughnut pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a doughnut comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. For the cinnamon sugar topping, simply dip each doughnut in the warm cinnamon syrup and allow excess to drip off. place on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the topping.

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Posted in baked goods ect, breakfast, Gluten Free, snacks

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Aside

just made these babies and they are tasty as hell!

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Posted on March 22, 2012