THE ULTIMATE VT CARROT CAKE

Today I Made:

THE ULTIMATE VT CARROT CAKE for my sister's birthday.

But since she's not home from work yet, we're gonna have to wait to cut into it.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times.

The batter is full of carrots, crushed pineapple, and the secret ingredient, a 4oz. bottle of baby carrot puree.

The cake is covered with a vegan cream cheese frosting and then sprinkled with crushed walnuts.

SAUTEED PLANTAINS, VENEZUELAN RICE, AND SIMPLE BLACK BEANS

Last Night I Made:

SAUTEED PLANTAINS, VENEZUELAN RICE, AND SIMPLE BLACK BEANS for DINNER.

All 3 recipes from CookingLight.com.

Plantains slices are lightly browned and sprinkled with sea salt.

Brown Basmati rice flavored with red bell pepper, onions, and garlic.

Black beans with almost the same ingredients listed above plus brown sugar and cumin.

3 easy dishes that go so well together.

Use canned beans to save time and top with lime juice and salsa.

MINI BAKED DONUTS AND PENNE PESTO

Last Night I Made:

Mini Baked Donuts for Dessert.

Recipe from VeganYumYum.

Some were dipped in glaze then drizzled with melted chocolate and the rest were dipped in melted chocolate then sprinkled with chopped almonds.

The donuts I made yesterday didn't even last 2 days.

A friend of mine bought me a new MINI donut pan last week, so I decided to put it in use.

They turned great and they look so cute!

Only problem is, they are addicting and you can't just eat one!!!

(SIZE COMPARISON)

Last Night I Made:

PENNE PESTO for DINNER.

Whole wheat penne pasta with a basil-walnut pesto sauce.

To make the sauce all you need is 2 cups fresh basil, 1 garlic clove, 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.

Put all ingredients in food processor (except olive oil) and process until smooth.

Leave machine on and pour in olive oil until fully mixed (add more olive oil or water to make it more sauce like).

Add to cooked pasta and mix until completely combined.

DEVIL'S FOOD DOUGHNUTS

Today I Made:

DEVIL'S FOOD DOUGHNUTS for DESSERT.

Recipe from VEGETARIN TIMES Sep. 2009 issue.

Rich chocolate doughnuts dipped into melted chocolate and sprinkled with either roasted coconut or chopped almonds.

Delicious, addicting and so easy to make!!!!

All you need is the pan, which you can order thru Amazon.com.

Serve with coffee, of course!

CAULIFLOWER CAKES

Yesterday I Made:

CAULIFLOWER CAKES for DINNER.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times.

Steamed cauliflower, nut butter, green onions, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, mashed and formed into patties then browned on both sides.

TASTES BEST EATEN STRAIGHT FROM PAN! There's a slight CRISPINESS to each bite!

Topped with Chipotle sauce (Optional).

I've made these several times before!

They are amazing!!!

Even my little 7-year-old-McDonald's-eating nephew loved them!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES

Last Night I Made:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES AND BROWN RICE.

Recipe from Vegan A Go-Go.

Really simple recipe using butternut squash, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Baked until golden brown.

Mine didn't turn out too brown, but they were still delicious.

Eat as a snack or as a side dish.

PINTO BEAN SLOPPY JOE SANDWICHES

* Filling should look sloppier. This one looks more like a patty*

Today I Made:

PINTO BEAN SLOPPY JOE SANDWICHES for DINNER.

Recipe from The Vegan Chef.

Pinto beans, tomato paste, molasses, green bell peppers, onions, jalapeno, and spices.

Served on a toasted whole wheat bun.

Tastes very similar to what I remember eating in grade school.

Sweet and just a little hint of heat.

Yummy!!!

BETTER-THAN-TUNA SALAD

Today I Made:

BETTER-THAN-TUNA SALAD ON WHOLE FOODS WOVEN WHEATS for Snack TIme.

Recipe from The Vegan Table By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Chickpeas, red bell peppers, celery, carrots, vegan mayo, and dijon mustard.

Simple recipe requiring just a little bit of dicing.

Perfect for snack time, work lunches, potlucks, or picnics.

Also a great recipe to introduce a non-vegan to!

Goes great topped with salsa and lime juice!

LOST COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

*To add more color to pie, top with toasted coconut.*

Last Night I Made:

LOST COCONUT CUSTARD PIE for DESSERT.

Recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

Shredded coconut and graham cracker crust filled with coconut custard.

The custard is very light and goes perfect with the thick crust.

If you are a fan of coconut, you will love this pie.

I know my husband will, when he tries it tonight!

HORCHATA AND UDON STIR-FRY WITH TERIYAKI SAUCE

Yesterday and Today I Made:

HORCHATA and UDON STIR-FRY WITH TERIYAKI SAUCE for LUNCH.

Horchata recipe from Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm.

A refreshing drink made with ground up rice (I used brown rice), whole peeled almonds, cinnamon stick, lime zest, water and sugar.

The rice and the almonds need to soak overnight in water then strained and mixed with more water and sugar or agave.

Serve over ice!

And for lunch I made Udon Stir-Fry with Teriyaki sauce.

I boiled dry udon noodles until al dente.

*While waiting for the water to boil, I made a simple teriyaki sauce using tamari, water,freshly grated ginger, minced garlic and thickened with a cornstarch slury.

Then I stir-fried thinly sliced carrots, snow peas, red onion, and zucchini until lightly browned.

Added the noodles and sauce and mixed until everything was combined and heated thru.

For some heat, I added Sriracha hot sauce and black sesame seeds.

GRANADA PAELLA AND WHEAT-FREE SOFT PRETZELS

Yesterday I Made:

GRANADA PAELLA for DINNER.

Recipe from The Urban Vegan by Dynise Balcavage.

Super simple paella filled with vegan chorizo, red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, peas and of course SAFFRON (world's most expensive spice)

Paella is a one-pot meal.

Makes clean up a breeze.

Serve with lemon or lime juice to add an additional flavor.

And For Dessert:

WHEAT-FREE SOFT PRETZELS!!!

Another recipe from THE URBAN VEGAN.

Spelt flour pretzels sprinkled with a cinnamon-sugar mix.

This was my first time making pretzels and they turned out awesome!!!!

It does take time because the dough needs to rest for 40 minutes.

Then you form into pretzel shape and bake.

Next time, I'll make salty pretzels to dip in mustard!

PUMPKIN SPICE BABY LOAFS

Yesterday I Made:

PUMPKIN SPICE BABY LOAFS for DESSERT.

Recipe from THE URBAN VEGAN by Denise Balcavage.

Pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and toasted walnuts.

Topped with a sweet glaze.

Super tasty.

Super moist.

And the walnuts add a great crunch!

Makes a great holiday gift for a pumpkin lover.

Original recipe called for a mini bundt pan.

I didn't have one, so I used a 4 mini loaf pan instead.

ISLAND GUMBO

Yesterday I Made:

ISLAND GUMBO for DINNER.

Recipe from The Urban Vegan by Dynise Balcavage.

Thick tomato based broth filled with okra, red bell pepper, onions, corn, peas, celery,habanero, brown rice, and spices.

First time making gumbo using okra.

It did really thicken the soup!!!

This recipe is so delicious.

So many different flavors.

A little bit of heat.

A little bit of tanginess.

Lots of textures from all the vegetables and the brown rice.

If you like a little bit of heat in your gumbo, give this recipe a try.

If you prefer more heat, leave the seeds on the habanero.

Great for cold, rainy days.

Yesterday I Made:

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA for DINNER.

Recipe from BakeSpace.com.

Made up of two sauces, a roasted butternut squash and a Bechamel Sauce.

For the butternut squash sauce, all you do is peel and dice a squash and place it in a roasting pan with whole garlic cloves, fresh thyme,nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Roast until butternut is soft and tender and puree.

The Bechamel sauce is a little more involved.

Only because there is alot of whisking involved.

The ingredients are simple:

-Earth balance

-Flour

-Soymilk

-Salt and Pepper

-Nutmeg

Make a roux with the Earth balance and flour.

Then while whisking, add the soymilk and whisk until the sauce thickens.

Add seasonings and boil for a minute, just enough to blend the seasons.

Make sure to whisk continuously or else sauce will stick, boil over and curdle.

This lasagna is THE only lasagna my husband will eat!!!

It's super yummy and highly recommend making it ASAP.

Today I Made:

VEGAN COCOA-BANANA MUFFINS for BREAKFAST.

Recipe from ChooseVeg.com.

I had 3 overripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter, went on the internet and found this recipe.

These muffins were moist and full of flavor.

I'm definitely gonna make these again.

Even my husband liked them!

And as I said in a previous post, he's not a cupcake fan (cupcake/muffin-same thing).

APPLE STRUDEL

Today I Made:

APPLE STRUDEL for DESSERT.

Recipe from Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent by Lauren Ulm.

Store-bought Puff Pastry filled with thinly sliced apples and topped with melted Earth Balance and drizzled with sugar.

The apples were thinly sliced and mixed with cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and lemon juice.

Easy to make, but I recommend draining all the liquid that leaks out of the apples after baking and letting the strudel rest until cool enough to touch.

Serve with ice cream and of course coffee!

I would definitely make this recipe again.

But next time, I'll watch it a little better while it's in the oven, so the top won"t brown so much.

GIANT "CUPCAKE" PAN

My husband bought me one of these giant "CUPCAKE" pans for my birthday/anniversary!

It's funny because he doesn't care for cupcakes, but I do.

He prefers cake over cupcakes.

Actually, he would rather have pie than cake or cupcakes.

Either way, I can't wait to use it!!!

MY BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY!!!

TODAY MY SISTER-IN-LAW MADE ME AND MY HUSBAND:

CHOCOLATE CAKE with COFFEE GANACHE

TO CELEBRATE MY 37TH BIRTHDAY AND OUR 11TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!

She used the chocolate cake recipe from The Vegan Table By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

It was super tasty and so very moist!!!

THANK YOU J!!!

And for another Birthday Surprise, our friend made me and my husband individual Vegan RASPBERRY CHEESECAKES! She even made extra raspberry sauce, because she knew that I really, really LOVE it.

I would bathe in it if I could!

Thank you M for such a tasty surprise!!!

And to my Husband of 11 years,

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN EVER!!!

QUINOA AND CORN MEDLEY

Today I Made:

QUINOA AND CORN MEDLEY, SPICY GARLIC KALE and WHOLE FOODS BAKED WOVEN WHEAT CRACKERS for DINNER.

Recipe from The Vegan Table By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau .

A mix of quinoa, corn, orange bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and seasonings.

The taste was very mild, but really refreshing.

Goes great with the strong flavor of the spicy garlic kale.

For the kale, I heated up a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet on low heat along with a teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes until the oil turned slightly red.

Then I added the kale (or whatever green vegetable I have on hand).

Sauteed it until it wilted down a bit, then added minced garlic, salt, pepper, and cooked for about 30 seconds (be careful not to let the garlic burn).

TOFU COCONUT CREAM PIE

Yesterday I Made:

TOFU COCONUT CREAM PIE for DESSERT.

Recipe from Delicious TV.com .

I've made these many, many times and even posted it here.

If you're a fan of coconut, you have to make this pie ASAP!!!

Delicious, easy to find ingredients, and a cinch to make!

MULTEEPURPOSE

It has come to our attention that a NEW Vegan Raw Cafe has opened up in downtown

Los Angeles Little Tokyo area called Multeepurpose Concept Store & Café.

Serving Organic Teas, Organic Coffees, Smoothies, and Organic Vegan Raw foods.

We plan on visiting soon and will be posting pics!!!