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Sweet Potato Brownies

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , on April 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In college, I liked to have writing paper cram sessions. Ok, I didn’t like having cram sessions but it was an unfortunate side effect of having Procrastination Disorder. I would start my paper at around 7 o’clock the night before it was due, work 12 hours straight, sleep for an hour or two, review my paper and go to class around 10.

It’s crazy, I know. But what can I say? This happened with almost every paper I worked on, especially my sophmore year.

So, needless to say I’m 1. an expert on procrastination and 2. an expert on cram sessions.

I had to tap into that well of knowledge this weekend because my friend Rachel from Rachel Robin’s Nest and I decided it would be a super awesome idea to sign up for a craft fair our work is having. We, of course, were super motivated for the first week, compiling a laundry list of awesome crafts we wanted to do. Well…that was a month ago. On Friday, we had very little to show for a craft fair that is next week.

You know what that means…a cram session was in order! Oh yeah!

So, we got together this weekend and cranked out some serious crafts. And no cram session is complete without sugary fuel. In college, my go to fuel was a ginormous french vanilla cappuccino, like the instant ones that you can get at gas stations. I was addicted.

That doesn’t really suit my taste now so I had to look elsewhere. Ladies and gents, let me introduce you to the seriously chocolaty, fudgy Sweet Potato Brownie.

Fudgy Sweet Potatoadapted from

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
  • 1/2c agave
  • 1  tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup pureed sweet potato (directions below)
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp milk of choice (I used unsweetened original almond milk)
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients, and mix. Combine wet ingredients, then mix into dry. Pour into a greased pan (it will fill up half an 8×8*). Cook for about 25-30 minutes at 330 F.

*These brownies come out very thin. You could easily double the recipe for a thicker, more traditional brownie. You will have to cook the brownies longer, though. If you follow the link above to CCK’s website, she also gives alternatives for a cakier brownie. Unfortunately, it calls for a lot of artificial sweeteners that I’m skeptical about and that I just don’t have in my house. That’s why I opted for the fudge brownies but feel free to pick the variation you feel most comfortable with.

Sweet Potato Puree

1 large sweet potato

about 1/3 cup water

Cook the sweet potato at 400 F for about 40-45 minutes until it’s soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Let cook completely. Scoop out the insides into a food process and process until smooth, adding the water when need a little at a time. You shouldn’t need too much water but the liquid helps with the pureeing process.

Add a little dairy free ice cream to make a sundae! I used So Delicious coconut vanilla bean. I have to say I much prefer the So Delicious Ice cream line that is made with soy and not coconut milk. But this sundae still hit the spot after a day of crafting! We are so going to kick that craft fair’s butt!

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Cucumber Avocado Sandwich

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on April 18, 2012| 2 Comments »

I told you I wasn’t over my avocado obsession!

Welcome to the week before payday! This is the 4 day stretch, Monday-Thurs, where I’ve squandered my paycheck over the last two weekends on sangria, celtics tickets and a general social life (oh yeah…and student loans) and am now attempting to feed myself on the odds and ends of my pantry.

For example, I found a pack of yeast from god-knows-when and was able to make myself a loaf of whole wheat bread. Of course, I added 2/3 cup of water instead of 1 2/3 cup and very nearly lost what has been my lunch all week. But my roommate, Bonnie, came to my rescue. She deserves a shrine or something.

Also, I’ve been eating A LOT of overnight oats due to the fact I bought rolled oats in bulk last time I went grocery shopping. I’m still convinced that’s the best breakfast ever.

For dessert, I’ve been eating these week old cookies and these no bake fudge balls. Except, this is my second attempt at making this ‘fudge’ and it came out all wrong again! Which is why I’m not sharing it with you. I’ll just link you to the original recipe so you can drool over what my lumpy bits of wannabe chocolate SHOULD look like.

Anyway, so here is my economic lunch I’ve been eating this week. I was craving sushi but that’s too rich for my budget this week. This is sort of the poor girls, practical take on a cucumber avocado roll (which is hands down one of my favorite foods) and something a little different from avocado toast:

Cucumber Avocado Sandwich
*all ingredients are approximate and will depend on the size of your bread*

1 slice of bread (free, since I had all the ingredients in my house)
1/4 c. hummus (free, since I had all the ingredients in my house)
1/2 an avocado (on sale at Whole Foods 3 for $2)
1/3 of a cucumber
a sprinkle of sesame seeds (free, had in my spice drawer)
sprinkle of soy sauce (free, had in my fridge)

Toast your bread. Slather on the hummus of your choice (I made garlic hummus). Top with sliced avocado, cucumber, sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of soy sauce.

I know it sounds weird but it’s so good! You can pair it with soup, such as miso soup which is suppose to be very good for you, or some raw carrot sticks. Or you can add another slice of bread and make it into a legit sandwich. Either way, it’s a pretty cheap lunch, even if you have to buy all the ingredients, such as bread and hummus. They will both carry you through the week.

What are some cheap meals you throw together when you’re on a budget?

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Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on April 13, 2012| 4 Comments »

I hate mornings.

I hate alarm clocks.

I hate having to pull myself away from my warm bed (and possibly that special someone…) to face the cold air.

I hate changing out of my cozy flannel pants and hoodie to put on work clothes.

I hate mornings.

So it goes without saying that pulling my half awake brain together to get myself breakfast never happens. Ever. Especially since I am chronically running 15 minutes late because I hit snoozed/cuddled in bed/picked out clothes for too long.

Because I hate mornings.

but… i LOVE this recipe.

I make it the night before. It comes together in 5 minutes and it makes 2-3 batches which means I don’t have to think about breakfast for 2-3 days. It’s convinent. It’s portable. It’s yummy. It’s my new obsession. Expect a new overnight oats recipe every week in a different flavor.

Because I LOVE this recipe.

Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats
from Oh She Glows 
makes 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 1 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cups non-dairy milk
  • 3 TBSP pure maple syrup
  • 1.5 tbsp chia seeds*
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 small bananas, peeled & mashed
  • 1/2 – 1 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • Granola sprinkled on top before serving  

Directions: Mix all the ingredients, except granola, in a small bowl. Divide into 2 or 3 small containers (I used glass mason jars) and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, give it a stir and enjoy cold with a sprinkle of granola on top. Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days.

*The chia seeds can be found in the health food section of most grocery stores and definitely at Whole Foods. They are really essential to the thickening process so without them, you will most likely end up with oats and blueberries floating in milk. Not so tasty. Or, you can get the online. What did people do without the internet?? Though be warned, depending on what kind you buy, they look a little more expensive on line then in the store. One package will last you awhile though.

Also, I used mason jars because 1. I had them around and 2. They have a lid and I can throw them in my bag without having to do a thing with them in the morning. Less work = more snuggling time= a less grouchy Erin in the morning. And that should make everyone a little happier.

By the way, Oatmeal is really hard to photograph. And also…Happy Friday the 13th!

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Whole Wheat Cherry Pecan Cookies

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on April 12, 2012| 7 Comments »

In case you haven’t realized yet, I go through phases where I’m obsessed with something, can’t live without it, then am over it a week later.

Past obsessions:

– Fun.- We are Young. I listened to this over and over again until I was sick of it. Then I went out and bought the CD. It’s not too bad!

–  Strawberry margaritas. Seriously, I couldn’t make another batch of strawberry simple syrup or I would be certifiably a lush!

– avocados. I’m. Still. Obsessed! I may even have another avocado recipe for you in a week or so if I ever stop shoveling my new favorite meal in my mouth and take a picture of it!

Current obsessions:

– This song. I don’t know why-I don’t even really like Pop music. It just gets stuck in my head and I need to listen to it. My roommate actually caught me listening to it really, really loudly and dancing around the kitchen while making peanut butter cookie dough cups. He’s a music major…I’m pretty sure he was judging my music choice.

– Cranberry Blood Orange tea by Republic of Tea. I gave up coffee for lent and pretty much had two cups of this tea every. single. day to help me get through. Now, I can’t say I miss coffee too much (as I sit drinking a cup…)

– I know I’ve mentioned this before but- Pineapple Chipotle Salsa from Stonewall Kitchen. Get yourself a jar…or barrel, and LOTS of chips. There’s nothing worse then running out of chips and having this jar of salsa taunting you in the fridge… which is my current life. 

– Dried cherries infused with apple juice. Best. Dried Fruit. Ever. I love how chewy and a little sour they are. Dare I say, they are like the healthier, adult  version of sour patch kids? I bought them on a whim at Whole Foods and…it led to this recipe:

Whole Wheat Cherry Pecan Cookies
adapted from Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) earth balance, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 flax seed “eggs” (2 TBSP ground flax seed, 6 TBSP water)
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix up your flaxseed eggs and set aside for 10 minutes.

Mix your flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cream the Earth balance, white sugar and sucanat together. Add the flaxseed eggs and mix until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Fold in the cherries, pecans, and chocolate chips. Drop by TBSP onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to roll them into balls). Bake for 9-11 minutes.** Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes then move them to a cooling rack.

* I subbed out the brown sugar for sucanat because that’s what I had in my cabinet and was pleasantly surprised with the results. Because sucanat has bigger granuales then white sugar and definitely bigger then traditional brown sugar which you usually pack into measuring cups, my cookie was less sweet. It worked well with the whole flour, nuts and dried fruit them. It made for a healthier tasting cookie.

** I like my cookies undercooked so I pulled these out after 9 minutes and then let the sit on the baking sheet for another 9 or 10 minutes. They continue to cook a bit and firm up but the center still stays soft. I love them like that! If you want yours a little more cooked, just keep them in for a little longer.

I was pleasantly surprised by these cookies! I’m not usually big into dried fruits in my baked goods but I love those dried cherries so much that I couldn’t resist trying them in a cookie! Like I said above, the combination of the whole flour, nuts, fruits and sucanat resulted in a less sweet, a little bit heartier feeling cookie. Plus, you can use whatever is in your cabinet for this recipe- almonds instead of pecans, raisins or craisins instead of cherries, etc. I should have just called this “the whatever is in my cabinet” cookie. =)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go put on Call Me, Maybe…again…and pretend I’m Selena Gomez. Dont judge…

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Fruit and Chocolate Dessert Pizza

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on April 10, 2012| 6 Comments »

This is my answer to the chocolate overdose I was suffering from last week. After making those cookie dough peanut butter cups (which I’m dying to make again with different flavors!) AND a vegan version of Reeses Peanut Butter eggs (which were ok,  but not great, which is why I didn’t post them here), I was so over chocolate. That’s apparently what happens when you make excuses to have peanut butter eggs for breakfast (I’ll just have a peanut butter egg instead of peanut butter on my toast. Same thing!). Infact, the thought of making something heavy for Easter dessert made me want to cry. But backing out of making a dessert wasn’t optional. If I didn’t bring anything then I wouldn’t have a vegan dessert and a holiday isn’t a holiday without a dessert…or five!

So I decided a light, fruity dessert would be perfect. It would be a nice change from heavy cakes, cheesecakes and chocolate that usually show up for our holiday parties. The one I made had a thin, chewy snickerdoodle cookie crust, a layer of creamy chocolate pudding (pudding technically isn’t a chocolate. It’s way too light for that!), and a layer of fresh fruit. Yes, please!

 

Snickerdoodle Cookie Crust
from Wicked Vegan

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temperature ( used Earth Balance)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Ener-G “egg”
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons milk replacer (I used unsweetened soy milk)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream vegan butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add “egg” and vanilla, mixing well until combine, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until dough comes together. Dough will most likely be crumbly at this point. Add in milk 1 TBS at a time until the dough comes together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, spread dough onto a round pizza pan. The dough will be thin. Cook between 10-15 minutes. Mine took about 12 1/2 minutes.

Let cookie cool 100%. Melt about 2 TBSP of vegan chocolate with  1/2 tsp of vegan shortening in the microwave. Spread a very thin layer of the chocolate onto the cooled cookie and let dry. This will prevent the pudding from making the cookie soggy.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding
 from epicdialogue.com

  • 1box (1.4oz) jell-o instant chocolate pudding mix*
  • 1 package (12.3oz) silken tofu, chilled
  • 1/2-3/4cup almond milk (I used 3/4 cup)

In a food processor, puree the tofu with the almond milk until smooth. Add the pudding mix and blend to a creamy texture. Put in fridge to set for about an hour. Spread on the cookie. I had about half the mixture left over.

*jell-o instant pudding is dairy-free but it has a few chemicals and weird ingredients that I wasn’t thrilled with but I couldn’t find an organic, more healthful instant pudding. I found the cook and serve kind but not instant. I wasn’t sure how the cook and serve would work so I opted for jell-o. If anyone finds a better instant pudding product or tries the cook and serve in this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

Toppings

  • strawberries
  • kiwi
  • banana
  • blueberries
  • raspberries

Slice up your fruit and layer as desired. Really, you could use any fruit you wanted, including mandarin oranges, apples or pineapple. Or you could use shredded coconut, slivered or sliced almonds or other nuts. I haven’t tried those but I bet they’d be great!

mmm…I want some of this right now. After all, if I can justify a knock-off Reeses egg for breakfast,  I should have no problem doing that with a fruit covered cookie!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on April 4, 2012| 2 Comments »

It’s Easter in less than a week. Let’s face it, Easter is a sad sort of holiday. The candy isn’t as good as halloween, the food isn’t as good as Thanksgiving and the Easter baskets aren’t as cool as presents under the trees. It’s a sad fourth on the list of major holidays.

This does not mean that it isn’t as big of a consumer holiday though. When I went to Target the other day in search of a cookie cutter, I stumbled into the holiday area and nearly died of shock when I saw how much candy they were selling. There was an entire aisle of jelly beans! Who even likes jelly beans?! I’ve never met a single person that lists jelly beans as their favorite candy. This didn’t stop me from having an urge to buy up every. single. Reeses product under the sun…but I managed to resist!

Anyway, when I left (with no cookie cutter, thanksfornothingtarget), I couldn’t get all that candy out of my head. I wanted chocolate peanut butter in the worst way! So many of the chocolates and candies have milk or gelatin in them, though, that I couldn’t resist the challenge to make my own.

Of course, I had planned to make one and then I looked down and found I was making two recipes at the same time. How did that happpen?!

So here is the first recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups
from How Sweet Eats 

2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips

1/2 cup Earth Balance Butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I would recommend Earth Balance or Teddy’s)(I used chunky because it’s what I had and it tasted great)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I couldn’t find vegan mini chip so I just ran a knife though some regular chips once and it worked fine)

In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, then let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. The mixture will be liquidly. Whisk in vanilla. Let sit and cool completely, about 20 minutes but not longer. If it sits too long (like while your making a batch of other candies…it will solidify and you have to start all over)

Line a mini muffin with with liners. Melt 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips (I do mine in the microwave, heating on full power for 20 seconds, stir, 30 seconds again, and stir until melted). Drop 1/2-1 teaspoon of chocolate into each liner, then use a pastry brush to brush chocolate up the sides of the liner. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. By this point the butter + sugar mix should be cool. Whisk in powdered sugar, salt and flour, until combine and few lumps remain. Fold in mini chocolate chips (if the dough isn’t completely cool, your chips will melt and you will be left will swirled dough…so don’t do that…). The dough will be wet, but pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to harden.

Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough (I somewhat rolled mine) into the chocolate cups. Place back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Melt the remaining chocolate chips, then cover each cookie dough top with chocolate, smoothing with a spoon. Freeze again for 15-20 minutes. These are fine out in room temperature for a few hours (they may soften a bit) but I like them best stored in the fridge.

This was the second candy recipe I had no intention of making. I had extra chocolate from my other candies and they were in the freezer chilling. All of a sudden I look down and I’ve lined mini muffin liners with chocolate. What?! well…ok…I might as well continue…

These were great. I love the fillings texture. They are also dangerous in the mini-size so my recommendation is eat like 4 in one night until you feel sick because they are so rich and chocolaty and then you will want to die and will give them all to your roommates…or spouse…or something…I imagine.

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Crispy Margarita Tofu Tacos with Strawberry Avocado Salsa

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on March 29, 2012| 4 Comments »

(Before I begin, please know that 1. my photo editor, which is free and does minimal things anyway, is not working and 2. the light in my kitchen is out so I’ve been using this tiny stand lamp to light the entire kitchen and my photos. So, we’re kind of lucky we have any photos at all but I’m sorry they are sort of flat)

Anyway, When I planned my menu for this week, I was soaking up the sun in 75 degree weather. I was wearing sunglasses. I was sipping strawberry frickin’ margaritas on my porch!

Currently, I am in two layers of clothes,under two layers of thick blankets…sipping strawberry margaritas…but it’s way colder!

they get all golden and delicious. yum!

So keep in mind that even though this is quite possibly my favorite dinner, when I planned on making it and sharing it with you, I imagined it going well with my cold margaritas and sunshine…and without the layers of blankets.

Crispy Tofu Margarita Wraps with Strawberry Avocado Salsa
 adapted from How Sweet Eats

4 lb of tofu, pressed*

8 4-inch tortillas (corn, whole wheat, flour)

1 cups panko bread crumbs

1 1/2 TBSP whole wheat flour

zest of 3 limes

1 teaspoon ground coriander

for marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup tequila

1/4 cup lime juice

zest of 2 limes

1 teaspoon ground coriander

for salsa:

1 avocado, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

4 large strawberries, chopped

juice of half a lime

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

toppings: shredded lettuce, vegan cheese, cilantro, lime wedges

12-48 hours before making the tacos, combine the marinade ingredients in a baking dish. Slice the tofu into strips and season with salt and peper. Add the tofu to the marinade and let sit in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine panko, flour, lime zest and coriander in a bowl. Lay a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Remove tofu from marinade and coat strips in panko mixture, pressing so crumbs adhere. then place on wire rack. Bake for 30 minutes.

While tofu is cooking, combine avocado, tomato, strawberries and onion. Mix with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Heat tortillas if desired, then serve with crisp tofu, salsa, and toppings. Spritz with lime wedges.

*You can also use some sort of meat substitute like Morningstar Farm or Quorn chicken patties. They absorb the marinade quicker than the tofu but many of them aren’t vegan. Make sure you check the package first. Also, I pressed my tofu too long so it didn’t absorb the marinade in the time I gave it (12 hours). I would recommend using the paper towel/plate method or pressing it in a tofu press just over night. I forgot mine and left it in the fridge for two days. Whoops!

Seriously, this salsa recipe is easily in my top 10 favorite foods. Anything you pair it with will pretty much taste amazing. You can serve it with tortilla chips if you don’t want to make the wraps and it will still be delicious. My wraps usually end up being 1 or 2 strips of tofu and then half the serving of salsa, or something like that. I should really have called this recipe a strawberry avocado salsa wrap…with some crunch tofu thrown in.

Best. Dinner. Ever

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find my gloves. I’m going to need them to finish off this ice cold margarita in my heatless apartment. Clearly, I have my priorities straight.

PS. How sticking cute is this little purple bowl I bought on vacation?? I wanted to buy them all but wasn't even sure I could justify purchasing one.

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Baked Blueberry Streusal Oatmeal Cups

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on March 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I haven’t adjusted well to the whole going back to work thing. In fact, I’m starting to think my future holds a man with lots of money and me staying home all day, cooking him a healthy vegan meals, scrapbooking and watching my stories. Except, my stories would be more like re-runs of Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls and not traditional soap operas.

This morning, I not only managed to sleep through my alarm clock, but I somehow also managed to reset my clock forward 15 minutes. So when I woke at 7:15, aka the exact time I’m suppose to leave the house, I had a huge freak out. At some point as I flung on whatever clothes where closest to me, I was able to calm down a bit because I realized I had 15 whole minutes instead of 0. But still, I have zero recollection of resetting my clock!

A little tip: Save all your glass jars from sauces, nut butters or jams and reuse them for storage. My ground flax seed is in an old tomato sauce jar and my spices are stored in tiny mason jars! You reuse, it helps with storage situations and it keeps nasty moths and bugs out of your items. Yeah!

I also managed to 1. forget my badge for work so I had to run back and get it, 2. wait 15 minutes in my driveway as my next door neighbor’s painter moved his van, 3. get stuck behind the recycling truck, 4. get stuck behind a school bus and 5. forget my much-needed, happily-caffinated tea at home.

At least I managed to whip up a batch of these last night so that I had a yummy breakfast…

Baked Blueberry Streusal Oatmeal
adapted from Healthful Pursuit

Wet

  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp freshly ground flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp warm water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before use)
  • 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 banana, mashed (yield about 1/4 cup mashed)
  • 1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened, original almond milk 
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp maple extract
  • Dry
  • 2.5 cups rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp  baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt  
  • One small carton of blueberries (roughly a cup)

Toppings

  • 2 TBSP vegan butter (I used Earth Balance), melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
  2. Place wet ingredients and mix with a mixer or beaters.
  3. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine. Pour wet into dry and mix. It will be runny, but don’t worry!
  4. Fold in blueberries.
  5. Pour mixture into muffin cups and top with desired toppings. The don’t rise so you can fill the liners almost to the top.
  6. Mix all the topping ingredients together in a bowl. Top the oatmeal cups with streusal mix (I forgot to get the pecans for this photoshoot so these are sans nuts. They work well this way too)
  7. Place in prepared oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine were done at 26 minutes.
  8. Allow to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes before removing onto a cooling rack.
  9. Microwave before serving for 30 to 45 seconds to get a hot oatmeal flavor. I served mine over half a carton of vegan vanilla yogurt to make it a little more heartier.

 When I made these, I was sort of expecting a cake like consistency but they really do taste like oatmeal! The applesauce and the banana make them super moist and give it that oatmeal consistency. I’m definitely a fan!

Plus, without the streusal topping, Leanne at Healthful Pursuit said these were only 102 calories! Not too shabby.

If you are looking to keep this sugar-free, some possible toppings that Leanne tried were:

  • cinnamon raisin: 1/2 tbsp raisins and sprinkle of ground cinnamon per cup
  • apple: 2 apple slices per cup
  • coconut: 1/2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut per cup
  • trail mix: 1/2 tbsp trail mix per cup

I haven’t tried any of those yet so I can’t vouch for their yumminess but the overall, the oatmeal cups are great so I imagine any toppings you like will be a great addition. Note: Leanne didn’t add blueberries to her oatmeal so those toppings were all added to a plain oatmeal cup.

Now, let’s see if I can actually eat my breakfast without dropping it on my lap or down the front of my shirt. I don’t have high hopes but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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Mushroom Gravy Rice Bowl

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on March 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

Greetings from vacation!

Before I start, I just want to thank everyone who checked out Wicked Vegan for my St. Patty’s Day posts. I had a record high number of hits Thurs, Fri and Saturday, tripling what I normally get in an average day. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and got to make some yummy St. Patty’s day food!!

I’ve left the city behind for a week and have gone up north with some friends to the mountains. I had expected loads of snow and cold weather and lots of comfort food but, temperature-wise,  it’s a record high up here and yesterday I went and sat in the sun for 2 hours. Of course, in true me fashion, everyone was in shorts and sandals and I was in boots, tights and a skirt. But, in my defense, I had packed for the mountains! Lots of hoodies and jeans and warm boots. Plus, my skirt had a floral print and my boots were suede ankle boots. It was practically spring gear!

Anyway, this weather is making me really glad I didn’t spend a boatload on a plane ticket to FL. It’s the perfect weather for shopping (which I’ve done a lot of!), not so good weather for holing up and scrapbooking/crafting (which was my plan).

It’s also throwing of my very rough idea of what I was going to be making food-wise. Plus, I’m in a strangers kitchen, which isn’t stocked like mine, so recipes this week may be scarce. I’ve already gone to the local smokehouse once and I’m contemplating going again tonight (they have a super delicious vegan burger with homemade hummus and BBQ sauce. I’ve already bought a jar to take home with me…).

I did manage to whip together this dish the first night I was here, when it was still cold, before I went grocery shopping and before I discovered where the smokehouse was so at least you’ll get one recipe this week!

Mushroom Gravy Rice Bowl
adapted from Oh She Glows

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked brown basmati rice
  • 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped sweet onion (1 medium onion)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (300 grams)
  • 1.5 tbsp minced fresh rosemary*
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1.5 tbsp low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 & 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt, to taste

Cook your basmati rice according to the directions on the package (should take about 15-20 minutes).

While your rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium size skillet. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms in and cook for 12 minutes. Now add the rosemary, nutritional yeast and tamari/soy sauce. Stir everything in and let that cook for one or two minutes.

While that is cooking, mix together your veggie broth and cornstarch and whisk with a fork or small whisk until there are no clumps. Add to the mushroom mixture, stir and let cook for another 5 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened to a gravy consistency.

Spoon your finished rice into a bowl and top with gravy mixture.

*My only complaint about this recipe was that the needles of rosemary really took away from the gravy consistency. I would suggest running a knife through the needles before adding them to the recipes or grinding them up. You could leave them out all together but they add a great flavor to the gravy.

This recipe originally called for Kale and millet instead of rice but my super market didn’t have millet and I forgot my kale in my late night, night-before-I-leave packing. I imagine kale would be a great addition to this and will definitely add it next time I make it.

Even without it though, the mushroom gravy was delicious and hunkering down on the couch with a bowl full while watching movies was the perfect start to my vacation.

Now…off to finish scrapbooking Day 1 of my Italy trip I took 2 years ago. I’ve managed to buy an excessive amount of condiments while here and even buy a purple polka dotted paring knife at an outlet kitchen store but I haven’t even made a dent in my scrapbook, which is why I’m here! Let’s see if I can remedy that today.

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Guiness-Glazed Potatoes

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on March 14, 2012| 3 Comments »

Now, let me be straight with you: I have some irish in me but I’m a pretty poor representation when it comes to stereotypes. For one, I can’t hold my liquor to save my life (I’m pleasantly buzzed after one beer or hard cider, my preferred drink of choice). It makes me a cheap date but you certainly won’t see me at the local irish pub going toe to toe with the big boys. In fact, I don’t even really like alcohol! I’m sure my ancestors are shaking their heads sadly right now. Secondly, I really don’t like their food. Boiled cabbage? Are you for real?? Yuck!

Well, we already solved the Corned Beef food issue, so let’s tackle the traditional irish sides and see if we can’t make it more edible. First thing first, we have to get rid of these boiled veggies. I will not be shoving boiled cabbage and onions down my throat. That is no way to treat vegetables.

My first thought when I thought cabbage was, brussel sprouts. They are the cute, little baby version of cabbage that is both tasty and versatile. My preferred way of eating them is roasting them. I figured throwing some potatoes and carrots with them couldn’t hurt! My second thought was, clearly I need to get some beer in here somehow!

The result is Guiness-glazed Potatoes and Roasted Carrots and Brussel Sprouts, both are insanely easy to throw together and both taste delicious.

 

Guiness-Glazed Potatoes
inspired by this recipe

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 4 or 5  yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 ” wedges. 
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion salt
  • 1/4 cup Guiness Beer (or other dark stout)*
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar

 Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the potatoes in the pan, season with salt, pepper and onion salt and let cook uncovered for about 25 minutes, turning the potatoes every once in a while so they brown evenly. After 25 minutes, add the beer, vegetable broth and brown sugar. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the beer reduces down and the potatoes are tender.

* It is my understanding that Guiness as a general rule is not vegan, EXCEPT the Guiness Extra Stout bottled in North America. See the emails from Guiness here . The Canadian Guinness brewery doesn’t use Isinglass. Make sure you are getting the Guiness Extra Stout brewed in Canada though, the one from the UK is NOT vegan.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
based off my brussel sprouts recipe

  • 1 lb of brussel sprouts
  • 4 large carrots
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1/4 tsp of pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the stem and out leaves of the brussel sprouts and cut in half. Toss with 1.5 TBSP of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. Spread out on a baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the carrot into sticks of roughly the same size and toss with remaining oil, salt and pepper. After 15 minutes, add carrots to the brussel sprouts and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your vegetables. Mine were done after 35, which is unusual since my brussel sprouts usually cook for 45 minutes.

Though the brussel sprouts and carrots were pretty simple, I really loved the carrots done like that. I have never tried roasting them before but they tasted delicious! The potatoes though, definitely stole the show, and I’m not even a potato person (another Irish stereotype down the drain)! The glaze was perfect and the potatoes get soft and golden cooking in the pan like that. I’m a huge fan!

And there you have it! Your main St. Patrick’s day dinner is all set. What are we missing? Dessert? Soda Bread? I’ll see what I can do for you the next two days… =)

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