I’m so excited 🙂 This past weekend, I had planned a last-hooray-to-summer trip to the Cape since I hadn’t been all summer. I was thinking when I planned it that we may still be able to get some beach time in, or at least some pool time, but we ended up gravitating more toward the heated hot tub, hoodies and looking for an apple orchard (Note: the Cape’s 1 apple orchard not only doesn’t have cider donuts but is super, duper tiny and oddly enough, tucked behind a subdivision. We ended up turning around and going to Sundae School for pumpkin ice cream instead!). We did hit up Pirates Cove, where I may have, by just a little bit, sort-of-kind-of, beat Matt in mini golf. I’m pretty sure it was my lucky cowboy boots though!
(starting at top left: the Sundae School truck; Pirates Cove souvenirs; Matt and me; Pirates Cove!; a sand sculpture of a shark. It’s a small detail from this huge boat sculpture, which was awesome;Sunset at Gray’s Beach.)
I feel like the trip was my final goodbye to summer and now I can dive head first into my very short celebration of fall! I have the windows open as I write this, letting the crisp fall air in as I sip Pumpkin Spice Tea. My to-do list has very few To-Dos on it and then I’m pulling out those two cans of pumpkin I have and baking something. I don’t care what but they will be used! And I can’t wait!
But for now, here is a recipe for Three Pepper Hummus. My fridge was pretty bare when I came back from the Cape. Oddly enough, I had one cucumber. Just one. And some bread. So I whipped up this hummus in an attempt to have a more nutritious lunch then I had at the Cape (fried food and ice cream and bagels…oh my!).
1/2- 1 1/2 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce *
1 clove garlic
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 (7 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
5 pepperdew peppers, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
*start with 1/2 of a chipotle pepper and add more to taste. I love the taste of chipotle peppers and don’t mind the heat so I ended up using 1 1/2.
DIRECTIONS:
Place the garbanzo beans, water, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper, garlic, and cumin in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red peppers, pepperdew peppers, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill until ready to serve.
I should be doing something productive for my trip to Australia but I’m sure it can wait on some pumpkin bread/cookies/burgers!
I was planning to post a recipe for, you know, real food, no dessert/breakfast food, but this recipe actually came about out of necessity. My parents rolled into Boston Sunday with 1. boots which I mistakenly packed when I was moving locations. I can’t be in fall-like weather without boots, obviously! 2. a brown bag full of peaches fresh from my Dad’s trees. I’ve been waiting FOR-EVER for fresh fruit from my Dad’s trees and 3. pudding shots. Yeap, my mom made pudding shots for a concert and I got the extras. But not just any pudding shots- cupcake pudding shots. Let’s just say I’ve been having “shots” of cake vodka at really weird times of the day and it’s been glorious!
But back to the peaches! So, back in the day when I was in 1st-grade-ish and we were living in MA, my Dad planted some apple trees and I was stoked! Even at 1st-grade-ish, I loved me some fresh picked apples. But then we moved. To a house on the golf course. Down south. There wasn’t any space for gardening and I was bummed. BUT, then we moved back up north and my Dad plopped a few more fruit trees in the ground and I was stoked all over again! “4 years”, he told me. “You’ll have fresh apples by the time you graduate high school”. Then, “well…ok. Definitely by the time you graduate college”.
My college graduation was over 5 years ago (Oh My God! I’m so old!!) and the fresh fruit is just rolling in now. It’s not apples but I’m not complaining because these peaches are amazing! I’ve had about 3 today and the only reason I’m sharing with my roommates is because there were A LOT of peaches in the bag Dad brought me. I mean, clearly he must have felt guilty after the 9 years of promising me fresh-from-the-tree fruit. Clearly! 😉
* I used 1/2 cup of peach jam that my mom’s friend, Lu, made with my Dad’s peaches. I have not tried the 1 peach pureed.
To prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a cake pan and set aside.
Combine the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, Â salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Stir until combined. Add in vanilla, apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, non dairy milk, and peach jam (or pureed peach). Stir until dry ingredients are combined with wet ingredients. Pour batter into greased cake pan.
Arrange sliced peaches on the top.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Poke 10 holes in the top of the cake, scattered throughout.
To make the glaze:
Combine brown sugar and coconut milk in small saucepan over medium heat. Continuously stir sugar mixture until brown sugar has dissolved. Pour glaze over cake.
Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Yields 8 slices.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe. Cornbread and peaches are not two of my favorite foods and wouldn’t be something that I would normally choose to eat. This cake though is delicious. It’s not super sweet so you could definitely serve it along side your coffee or save it for dessert and serve it warm with some vanilla ice cream. It’s very moist and the glaze on top is oh-my-gosh-I-could-eat-this-with-a-spoon good. I would recommend making extras and putting in on ice cream, or pancakes, or oatmeal, or french toast, or basically anything that allows you to consume it regularly. You won’t be sorry!
I know I’m making peach cakes this week but don’t be surprised if I start whipping out the fall recipes next week. You’ve been warned!
I cannot believe that it has been two months since I posted somethings!! My only excuse is that this summer has been I-N-S-A-N-E!
So far I have:
– Quit my job
– Moved out of my apartment of five years in Brighton to new digs across the river
– Went to the Bahamas
– Acquired myself one of those boyfriend things that everyone is always talking about
– and am planning a (temporary) move to Australia!! (more on that later)
Like I said, insane! All have been really positive changes that I’ve been needing to make for a while but I probably could have spaced them out a little bit instead of doing everything in a month. What can I say? I got a little bit enthusiastic!
Last week was the first week I was unemployed and moved into my new apartment. I have to say, I LOVE it. I love sitting down each night and making a to-do list for the next day and then having time to check everything off the next day (ok, that’s a lie. I’ve had ‘Exercise’ on my list every day and somehow, keep forgetting to do that one…). I love having a full day ahead of me to bake and cook and try new recipes. I love being able to work on my new apartment, one little project at a time (wait until you see my coffee nook! Also, what did people do without pinterest??). Oddly enough, I just feel really productive without a job! I’m sure this will eventually fade and may possibly be replaced by boredom but for now, I’m loving it.
Last week was the first time in what felt like forever that I was excited to step into the kitchen. Most of this summer has been a struggle to carve out time to eat, let alone cook. When I did, it was rushed and often the results weren’t as good as I was hoping for because I was doing 10 other things while cooking.
The first thing that I made last week was this granola. My mom made it for me first and I loved it! I made it the second time and forgot the cinnamon (see! That’s what happens when you do 10 other things!) but it was still delicious.
Almond Granola recipe came from my Mom but there was no source information. Let me know if it’s your recipe.
Makes 8 cups.
1/2 c. of honey (or maple syrup. I used my Dad’s honey so I knew it was cool)
1/2 c. of canola oil
1 TBSP of Almond Extract
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
4 c. of old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. of sliced almonds (I had whole almonds and just ran my knife through. I actually really liked have a few larger pieces)
1/2 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 c. roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 c. pepita seeds
1 cup of sweetened dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line Cookie Pan with Parchment Paper. Combine honey, canola oil, almond extract and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until mixture begins to bubble; set aside.
In large bowl, combine oats, almonds, walnuts, coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Slowly pour warm honey mixture over oat mixture; mix to coat. Spread granola mixture evenly into prepared pan.
Bake 17-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Stir in cranberries. Store granola in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
I’ve been eating this with fresh fruit and almond milk (this morning I had it with a banana and a fresh peach from my Dad’s trees) or I’ll have it over some vegan vanilla ice cream with honey. Basically, I just can’t get enough of this stuff!
Ok, off to run more errands and check more things of todays To-Do list. Let’s see if I can actually get ‘Exercise’ checked off today, shall we??
Leave it to me to wait until the last minute to give you a 4th of July recipes. So, to make it up to you, I’m giving you a recipe round up of the last years recipes that would be appropriate for todays festivities. If you want even more recipes, click on the July 4th Popsicle recipe below for last years round up.
Appetizer:
Buffalo Hummus Courtesy of my friend, Amelia. It’s hands down my all-time favorite hummus
Blueberry BBQ sauce I made this with baked tofu but it would be great with grilled tofu and veggies also.
Sloppy Chicks:Â This was consumed at a Game of Thrones Season 1 viewing party. My friend’s boyfriend, Ben, went back for seconds and thirds and he is usually a carnivore!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers You can make extra of these and freeze them for later. These are also carnivore-approved. My parents and Grandma gave them thumbs up all around
Side dishes: Because warm mayo potato salad is so overrated!
Peanutty Noodles and Veggies Part 1Â These were non-vegan crowd tested at a pot luck and there was absolutely no left overs for me to enjoy! Big hit and no one took notice that they were vegan
Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad A light alternative to potato or pasta salad that is fresh and in season
Grapefruit Sorbet Skip the pies and cake drenched in vanilla ice cream and make this insanely refreshing sorbet. Top with fresh fruit, granola and or honey. This will be great on a hot day.
S’more Truffles Bite-sized s’mores delicious-ness without the mess…or bon fire…or the hunt for vegan marshmellows
July 4th Popsicles  The dessert that is currently blowing up on pinterest! There is also my 2012 recipe round-up in this link so take a look at those recipes, too!
Beverages:
Lemon Lime Margarita There is nothing patriotic about this. It’s just delicious.
Pomagranite Margarita It’s Red. It’s Tequila. What more could you want? Maybe throw some blueberries in it?
and here’s a new recipe for you, Â a vegan-friendly potato salad, sans the mayo. I brought this to a cook out a few weeks ago and then like a ditz, I forgot to put it out when we were eating. This means I’ve been eating this whole potato salad, by myself, for about a week. Trust me. I will not be eating potato salad today at any fourth of July parties. oi
1 1/2 cups sweet corn (about 2 or 3 ears of corn on the cobb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon safflower oil
salt + pepper
lime wedges + fresh parsley/oregano/cilantro, to top, optional (I didn’t have any so I skipped this step)
For the dressing:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce (found in the mexican food section in a little can. I only had whole chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, so I just pureed them in my nut chopper and they worked great)
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, or honey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
scant 1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt + pepper
Add dressing ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously until fully combined. Â Set aside.
Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Add chopped potatoes to the pot of boiling water and boil for about 8-12 minutes until just tender. Â Do not overcook. Â Taste-test a few cubes for doneness. Â
Pour potatoes into a large colander and rinse with cold water for ~1 minute to stop the cooking.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat a medium pan over medium heat with 1/2 tablespoon oil.
Once hot, add the onion and a large pinch of salt to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds then add the corn and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the corn starts to slightly brown and the onion is soft.
Remove from heat and pour onto a plate to cook for a few minutes.
Empty the sweet potatoes, black beans, bell peppers, and corn mixture into a large bowl.
Pour about 3/4 of the dressing overtop and gently toss to coat.
Place in the fridge [uncovered] until fully chilled and then cover until ready to serve.
Gently stir the mixture, then taste and add more dressing, salt, and pepper if needed and stir again to distribute.
Place in individual bowls or in a large serving dish and top with fresh parsley, oregano, and/or cilantro. Â Serve with lime wedges on the side.
This lasts upwards of 1 week.
Even though I’ve been eating this for over a week, I have to say, it’s still pretty delicious! I love, love, LOVE the lime chipotle dressing and actually only used about half for this recipe and used the other half on a different salad I will be sharing with you later. It’s super light and flavorful, perfect for summer. I think this recipe will be a great change for your picnics or cook outs and will keep things vegan without people even noticing!
Ironically, I have been going non-stop all week and have plans all weekend but today is looking pretty quiet! I’m hoping to lounge around all day and do a whole lot of nothin’! Maybe I’ll go purchase some sparklers to keep in the spirit but other then that, relaxation is the word of the day. Hope everyone has a great 4th and stay safe!!
It’s not the sweltering humidity that keeps me up at night. It’s not the fact that Boston is blessedly free of a ginormous number of students. And it’s not that the sun is blinding me at 5am because I’m faced with that weird dilemma of keeping the curtains open so I can actually feel the fresh air my fan is blowing in.
Nope. It’s that I’m crazy, insanely, busy! What is it about summer that makes our calendars fill up and has us going non-stop?
Anyway, that would be the reason that I haven’t posted anything in, like, 2 weeks!! And by 2 weeks, I just checked and actually mean 3! Wowza!
What sucks is that I’ve been making some pretty healthy and yummy summer meals that I’ve been wanting to share with you. With that said, you may find this blog relaxing a little more in the coming weeks. In an attempt to get some recipes up and keep on top of things, I may trade the staged, somewhat-edited pictures for cellphone, even-less-edited pictures, making this more of a food journal/blog thing. It’s just a thought. We’ll see where the summer takes us. But if the last few weeks are any indication, it’s going to be taking me to the pool/beach/bars/cookouts/social events and those places aren’t always update-your-blog friendly. So bear with me if things start to become a little more casual around here.
With that said, I did manage to get my crap together for Friday favorites, which ironically, is one of the harder posts to do since I have to pay attention to what I have been enjoying the past week (or three in this case!)
Favorite activity: lounging on the deck with friends and watching the storms come in
Favorite beverage: a nice cold beer. My favorite lately has been Shock Tops Raspberry Wheat
Favorite music (you knew it was coming!): Taking Back Sunday’s new acoustic cd. I know- it’s kind of a cop out since over the years, they’ve released some of these songs live SO many times AND they didn’t put the Ballad of Sal Villanueva. But it’s TBS. I can’t help myself
Favorite read, (definitely wouldn’t qualify as “beach read” I don’t think): Game of Thrones. So…I’m caught up. Watched all the seasons. Ranted to my one friend who watches it. Was left frustrated because seriously, how is one supposed to wait a whole year for new season?! So I picked up the third book, where the series left off, and just started reading the bloody thing! Image and book can be purchased from here
and last but not least, Favorite summer produce: Fresh strawberries. OMG. SO good. I can’t stop putting them in everything!
And this is where todays recipe comes in. Strawberry macaroons! It doesn’t have fresh strawberries but it does hit the spot without rotting nearly as quickly as the fresh ones.
1 bag freeze dried strawberries or raspberries (1.2 ounces), (I found mine at Whole Foods. Also available at Trader Joes and online
3-4 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, or coconut nectar, to taste
½ teaspoon vanilla extract, plus an added vanilla bean scraped (optional)
â…› teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.
Process the ingredients for 2-3 minutes until the shredded coconut beings to break down. Depending on how textured you like it, as long as the ingredients are well incorporated, the will hold together well.
Drop the batter, about 2-3 teaspoons worth onto a lined cookie sheet. If you find that the ingredients aren’t sticking together easily (mine didn’t), place them in the fridge to harden a bit. They will be more moldable once chilled a bit
Place in the fridge or freezer to harden for 10-20 minutes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
I find that once these have been chilled, you can keep them at room temperature for a bit without them melting all over the place, which is nice. I wouldn’t leave them in the sun or anything though.
These little things are light and not too sweet, two things I love when making dessert for the summer. Plus, they are no bake, which is huge! My house is a sauna as it is. No need to crank the oven to 350 also!
What are some things you’re looking forward to this summer? I have some summer concerts I’m pumped for! Also, lots and lots of relaxation (hopefully!)
I have a problem. (And it’s not that I ate about 800 of these cupcakes in one day.)
It’s hard to admit but, you know, I just have to come clean.
*deep breath* ok. here we go…
I’m addicted to the song Cruise by Florida Georgia Line. Like, addicted.
UGH! It’s just so damn catchy. I’m currently watching the CMT awards live on my laptop, which is literally slowing everything down to a crawl, in anticipation of seeing the song live. If I’m lucky and the Gods are smiling down on me tonight, Nelly will make a guest appearance. I mean, Ed Sheeran and Lenny Kravitz made appearances so why not Nelly??
I mean…I’m also watching it for Kirsten Bell, cause she’s awesome!
psst…but it’s really for Cruise.
Know who does NOT like Florida Georgia Line? My temp, Emily, at work who is going on week 3 of me randomly singing this at the drop of a hat. She must just love me getting this stuck in her head every other day. That’s a lie- she must have dreams at night about ending my life in an attempt to shut me up.
Know who else isn’t amused by my recent obsession? My friend, Melinda. We had a little picnic shindig for her birthday this past weekend and amongst bubble blowing and hoola hooping, I tried to whip out this song. I pulled this up on Spotify and tried to start a little dance party but I was met with hostile looks and head shaking. Come on guys!
Thankfully, these cupcakes were greeted with a whole lot more warmth then my country singing. As they should have been. Melinda requested them specifically for her birthday!
3 sticks unsalted vegetable margerine, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 Ener-G “Eggs” (or the egg replacer of your choice equivalent to 5 eggs)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (*this is mandatory–it really makes the cake that much better!)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I have used the Coconut milk that comes in a carton in the refrigerated milk section and Light Coconut Milk from a can. Both work great. I think I’m partial to the light coconut milk from the can. I have not tried the full-fat version of canned coconut milk)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350.Line cupcake tins with liners.
In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature margarine and sugar and beat on medium speed for about five minutes until the mixture is very light and very fluffy.
Next prepare the dry ingredients in a separate bowl–the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Next, mix together the egg replacer powder with the water. Now, add this to the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed for another two minutes. Add the extracts to this and mix well.
Now you add the milk and flour mixture in the following manner: first add a third of the flour and then a third of the milk to the sugar/egg mixture. Mix well after each addition–about fifteen seconds of mixing–then add another third of the flour mixture, another third of the milk and repeat this step until the flour and milk are all used.
Remove the beaters from the bowl and fold in the shredded coconut to the batter with a spoon. Don’t overmix it! (Note: if you use the canned coconut milk, your batter will be very fluffy).
Next, fill the cup cake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a knife/toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes. Move to cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting.
Melted Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
from Chow.com
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound vegan chocolate, finely chopped (about 1.5 cups) (I used a little more then 1.5 c. of 365 brand vegan chocolate chips)
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted nonhydrogenated margarine, at room temperature (I used Earth Balance)
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons coconut milk (I had a bit of Light Coconut milk from the can left over so I used that)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
optional: toasted coconut and toasted almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
Using a microwave or double boiler, melt the chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the margarine on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low, add the sugar and salt, and mix until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the cooled melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer and add the cocoa powder, coconut milk, and vanilla. Beat on low until incorporated, then beat on medium high until the frosting is airy and thoroughly mixed, about 1 minute, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
My roommate’s friends liked the left over cupcakes, too. I found this little message waiting for me on the fridge.
I’d say these cupcakes are winners. Unfortunately, can’t say the same for my singing. Sooo, I’ll just leave you with a little video…
Why do I love Nelly so much in this video?! I’m so wierd…
If I was a good little blogger, I would have given you this recipe last week so you were properly armed with some delicious grub for Memorial Day. But, I whined about the weather and gave you chocolate cake instead. I hope that’s ok…
Speaking of Memorial Day, how was everyones??
I have to say, my weekend was excellent. And so has this week. Friday and Saturday poured buckets. I had to break my ban on rain boots because I was sick of soggy flats. Grr. Friday, I took my temp, Emily, on a field trip in search of iced coffee with espresso ice cubes and chocolate croissants. It was kind of epic. We were given a sample of a smoothy that tasted like starbursts, I sang Florida Georgia Line’s Cruisin’ so much that Emily has begun to plot my death and the iced coffee and pastries were AH-MAZ-ING. Then I finished the night off at an all-you-can eat sushi place with those two munchkins below. Is there anything better then a cucumber avocado roll? Answer: Yes, a sweet potato tempura roll. (also, are you seeing how ominous that sky looks. eek!)
Sunday was the Boston Calling and the weather Gods answered my prayers by keeping the rain away. The cold was another story. I actually had on a jacket and a hoodie. At the end of May! Ra Ra Riots and Of Monsters and Men stole the show. The night was topped off with dinner and drinks at an irish pub with live irish music. Live music everywhere!!
And Monday the sun came out. SOO happy. I sat in it for as long as I could. Then grillin’ happened. Grilled pizza, veggies, corn on the cob and the best dessert every which hopefully I’ll share tomorrow. It did get chilly toward the end. Hence, Elena snuggling with the grill.
I couldn’t bring this recipe to the grillin’ party Monday, though. I believe Melinda’s reaction when I mentioned it was, “Blueberry BBQ sauce? That sounds disgusting!!” I hope you don’t agree because it was really quite delicious.
Baked Tofu with Blueberry BBQ Sauce sauce from How Sweet Eats
one block of extra firm tofu, pressed (I used this. Best. Purchase. Ever. Though I’m slightly devastated the purple option wasn’t around when I ordered mine…)
safflower oil
salt
pepper
For the sauce:
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (HSE’s used blueberry flavored but seriously? I can NOT buy another oil/vinegar. Regular works just fine)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven to 350.
While that’s heating, start your BBQ sauce. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add blueberries. Heat until they begin to bubble and burst, about 10 minutes, then mash with a fork. Add in ketchup, both vinegars, brown sugar, onion and garlic powder, ground mustard and worcestershire sauce. Whisk well to combine and break up blueberries and turn the heat up to medium. Heat until mixture bubbles, stirring every few minutes, then turn heat back down to low. Cook for 20 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Sauce will be slightly clumpy and thicker than regular BBQ sauce.
While your sauce is cooking, slice up your pressed tofu however you like. I decided to go a little crazy and do triangles. Brush with safflower oil (or alternatively, spray with some cooking spray). Sprinkle with salt and ppper. Bake for 20-45 minutes, depending on your desired texture. 20ish will give you a firm outside and soft center. 45 is denser and good for tofu sticks that you are going to dip. I went for 30. Nice and middle of the road.
When your tofu is done, brush with BBQ sauce. Or spoon it on like me because 1. I don’t own a fancy food brush and 2. IÂ really like BBQ sauce.
This sauce is also really excellent to dip roasted veggies in.
Ok, I’m off to be productive with Rachel. We are camped out in a cafe eating snacks, drinking coffee, budgeting and overall, gettin’ crap down! I know…we are such party animals!! Wish us luck 🙂
I don’t know where you are but here in Boston, the weather is not pleasant! We went for warm, sunny spring days to gray and dreary. Sometimes, it’s gray,dreary, cool and rainy. Other times, it’s gray, dreary, warm and humid… with the promise of rain. But always gray and dreary.
I’m sick of gray and dreary.
And guess what this weekend’s forecast is suppose to be?
Yeap. You guessed it. Â Gray and Dreary! and rainy. Which is going to be super fun during my outdoor concert! Oooor not.
Now, I’m not meaning to bitch here. I’m just setting the stage. I was planning on doing a spring friday favorites, complete with favorite spring shoes and drink and what not. Then, I was going to top it off with a nice very vanilla cupcake recipe with a nice spring twist- sorta.
But, the gray and the dreary are leaving me in a funk. So, I’m going to save the spring post until the sun is shining and the birds are singing. Instead, I’m going to do what any flood blogger would do in a funk. Post some yummy food to eat your emotions away with. Because it’s curl-up-in-bed-and-watch-a-good-movie-while-eating weather, not frolick in flip flops weather.
1. Favorite Store-bought snack: Hail Merry Strawberry Macaroons. Sorta tastes like a strawberry shortcake ice cream pops, minus the gross dairy and chemicals. Propylene Glycol Monoesters, anyone? I think I’ll nab one of these awesome macaroons, instead.
2. Favorite liquid: Metromint Water in Chocolatemint. Ingredients: water, mint, cocoa essence. That’s it. And it’s amazing. Have I talked about this before? I’m having deja vu…
3. Favorite Delivery discovery: Angora Cafe in Allston. They have soy fro-yo with pick-your-own toppings. But don’t bother. Just get Late Knight (soy fro-yo, coffee, oreo and cookie dough) and thank me later. “But Erin,”, your saying to yourself “there’s a $15 minimum delivery free and fro yo only costs $5”. Don’t sweat it, son. Order yourself a build-your-own salad for lunch tomorrow and then you have ice cream to eat during your movie AND you can sleep in late cause your lunch is already done. Your welcome.
4. And what goes really good with Fro-yo and snuggling in bed? Mug Cakes. Yeapers. This is my favorite:
3 tablespoons spelt flour (or white, or Arrowhead Mills gf)(I used regular all-purpose)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar or evaporated cane juice (I used 2 tsp of vegan cane sugar)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 stevia packet (or 1 tablespoon more sugar) (I used 1 TBSP palm sugar)
2-3 tsp of vegetable oil or coconut oil (I’ve tried it with oil and also with apple sauce, which CCK said may work. The cake comes out much gummier with apple sauce, though it’s still delicious)
3 tablespoons milk of choice (I used  unsweetned vanilla almond milk)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. Add liquid, stir, then transfer to a little dish, ramekin, or even a coffee mug. Microwave 30-40 seconds. If you don’t want to eat it straight out of the dish, be sure to spray your dish first (and then wait for it to cool before trying to remove it). Otherwise, you can just mix everything in a mug, microwave it and eat it straight from there. I opted to use my favorite mug 🙂
I’m definitely snacking on this while snuggling up and watching Les Mis. Is there anything better on a gray crappy day?
 5. and of course I can’t leave you without some tunes!
Of Monsters and Men- Little Talk. I’m seeing them on Sunday at the Boston Calling Concert. Fingers crossed it doesn’t rain!!
During the whole Team Lean Challenge I did with my friend, Rachel, I cut out a ton of bad food. I realized if it was in my house, I would eat it. I’m looking at you bread, pb and chocolate chips. I may not have cookies in the house but combined, you make an amazing 9pm snack.
At the top of my list was pasta. It’s just so easy! I mean, I could roast a ton of veggies which takes forever… or I could just heat up some noodles and dump some sauce on it/cook up roman noodles/pour boxed mac and cheese into a pot.
See. Pasta had to go.
But the week of the bombings in Boston, a friend of mine was planning a potluck for Sunday as a way to end what had been a very stressful week on a positive note. It was a great idea! I brought this and all the non-vegans ate it up. I had no leftovers!
Of course, it was so delicious, I was dying to make it again, fitness challenge or not! When I made it for just me, I pumped up the veggies significantly and added some tofu for an extra kick of protein. The result was a super creamy, veggy-packed noodle fest. So delicious!
Peanutty Noodles and Veggies
adapted from Chloe Coscarelli’s Peanutty Noodles recipe found in Chloe’s Kitchen and on line at KATU.com
serves 4 to 6
1 pound brown rice noodles
1 block of tofu, pressed and cubed
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup peanut butter, chunky or creamy
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup of edamame (no shells, thawed if using frozen, which I did)
1 red pepper, diced
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
½ cup peanuts, roughly chopped, for garnish
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add brown rice noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Return noodles to pot.
Heat some sesame oil in a skillet. Saute tofu in the pan until golden. (if you prefer your veggies cooked, you can also throw them in with the tofu at this time. I sauteed my edamame with the tofu but left my peppers and carrots raw). Set aside.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining coconut milk, water, maple syrup, soy sauce, peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic in a medium saucepan. (this will look so gross when it’s all going into the pan and you will definitely be thinking “eeew! this is going to taste weird.” It won’t. Trust me.) Let cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until sauce comes together and thickens.
Remove from heat and mix in lime juice and sesame oil.
Toss hot noodles with the sauce, tofu and veggies.
Garnish with peanuts and scallions and serve. Any leftovers can be served warm or cold the next day for a delicious lunch.
I had fro-yo three times last week and may or may not be planning to share some Game of Thrones-themed cupcakes with you later in the week. Yeeeah…clearly, the fitness thing is over. Good thing I haven’t given up on the exercise!
PS. This would be great for a memorial day cook out. It tastes good hot or cold and it doesn’t scream, LOOK AT ME I’M VEGAN! well…maybe leave out the tofu if your hanging with all carnivores…
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m pretty sure this week was extra long. I don’t care that the calendar says it had 5 days like every other work week. It. Was. Long.
With that said I feel like it’s too easy to focus on the negative and complain about my week so let’s do Friday Favorites as top 5 positive things from this week, shall we? That’s way more fun…
1. Saturday I partied it up with my friend, Rachel, and her very cool friends. It was a birthday/cinco de mayo party. I didn’t drink a drop of margaritas. I know! Who am I?? I did have two very large glasses of the world’s best sangria though. Seriously. I tried to get the recipe and Eric was not having it. It was also the first time I’ve had people who I haven’t met before say “Oh! You write Wicked Vegan? I read your blog all the time!” Or something along that line. It was a very cool moment. Hey, Deanna!
1. Rachel punched the Pinata open. Bats are for woosies and 2. it was filled with little bottles of liquor!
2. SOWA is finally open! I walked around Sunday in the sunshine with my friend, Lisa. She bought the world’s cutest teal dress that looked like it was straight out of New Girl. I bought an umbrella necklace and a cactus. It was a good day.
3. I received the following rant from my friend Melissa, via email, this week that made me laugh out loud in my cube. This comes AFTERÂ she sent me a dress from modcloth to consider for Lisa’s wedding this summer:
“Also, Modcloth is sort of evil because I imagine they must be bunch of tiny little Zooey Deschenel clones in colored tights and vintage cardigans. Manic Pixie Dreamgirls at their worst, not even realizing their power to destroy another girl’s self-esteem because they can’t imagine a dress size that accommodates for hips.
Evil hags.”
LOL! Well, ok then!
4. but that email couldn’t top my Dad’s discovery of emoticons. After he sent me some clapping hands (he’s partial to the animated ones), I firmly told him he was WAY too old for emoticons and he needed to stop. Immediately. This did not work. Instead, I got messages like this:
Note: The little dude in red dances..and the beer glasses clink…and the smiley face bounces… and the whale spurts water…yeap.
BUT, the cherry on top was when I found out that he sent Mom a “hive with bees buzzing”:
He’s firmly sticking to his bee hive story but clearly, I’m not buying it! He definitely sent my mom an animated emoticon of poop! My parents are hilarious.
and last but not least, 5. I made these cookies as a sugar-free snack for post-yoga. Rachel and I are still going strong with the hot yoga, even though the Team Lean Challenge has concluded. Well, I should say Rachel is going strong. I seem to be getting progressively worse. But silverlining- I get to chill in child’s pose and watch the very hot guy in yoga attempt Warrior 1. “mmhmm…it is really hot in here… I’m sure taking off your shirt would be a total improvement… Thank you, yoga gods!”
Yoga Cookies Adapted from recipe found in Chole’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli; and online at Love and Flour
Serves: 24ish
Ingredients
1 cup + 2 TBSP whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour)
2 scoops of your favorite vanilla or non-flavored vegan protein powder (2 scoops should be roughly 1/2 c, minus 2 TBSP. I used a pre-packaged serving size of Vega Sports Protein Powder in Vanilla)*
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup + 2TBSP of unsweetened apple sauce
½ cup maple syrup (or agave)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4Â cups rolled oats
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (I also tried flaked coconut and much prefer the texture of shredded. The cookie holds together better)
½ cup unsweetened craisins
½ cup cacao nibs or vegan chocolate chips (I used Taza Cacao nibs, which I purchased on a whim because I LOVE their Chocolate discs)
½ cup chopped walnuts
*You want your flour and your protein powder to equal 1 1/2 cups combined. Like I said, I used a pre-packaged Vega Protein pack and when I measured it out, it was just shy of the 1/2 c. mark. Hence, the weird flour measurements
Instructions:
Whisk together the flour, protein powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, stir together the apple sauce, syrup, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Fold in the oats, coconut, craisins, walnuts, and cacao nibs.
Scoop 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, then gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. Place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until firm and bottoms are golden brown
One of the hardest things I have found when attempting to eat healthy over the past year or so is that sugar and snacks are SO hard to cut out of your diet. I wanted to make these “cookies” as hearty and as healthy as possible while still fooling my brain into thinking it’s snacking. So I did my best to eliminate the extra sugar from this recipe by using unsweetened apple sauce, coconuts and craisin. I also tossed the chocolate chips and used roasted cacao nibs. I will be honest- these definitely aren’t going to replace chocolate for me, they definitely don’t taste like a chocolate chips and they aren’t that great plain. BUT, I found they gave enough of a chocolate hint when cooked into the cookies to fool my brain without over powering the other ingredients. Cooking them into the cookies took away a lot of the bitterness. I want to try the semi-sweet chocolate baking squares next time.
Alright, everyone. I hope you have a fantastic weekend! It’s rainy and gross here in Boston but try and stay positive this weekend. Get out and do something spring-y, meet some awesome new people or, you know, tell someone you love them with an animated poop icon. Whatever puts a smile on your face 🙂
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