My Favorite Blogs Part Three: JL Goes Vegan

As VeganMofo comes to a close I wanted to fit in another shout out to one of my favorite blogs!

(Once again please note all the photos I share here originally came from JL's blogs and were not taken by me. You can right click each image to find its source)

JL Goes Vegan

JL is awesome, just awesome! I've mentioned her before when I reviewed Vegan for Her but before I read and loved that book, I was already following JL online.

I love JL's story and perspective. She went vegan post-forty and brings a really interesting and unique voice to the blogging world. She is also a really inspiring example of how to take your talents and skills and use them to help change the world for animals. Reading about her work has helped me consider how to use my own skills and career plans to do the same!

In terms of food, JL writes simple, practical, and delicious recipes! After browsing more of her recipes, I know I need to make some of them this fall. For example...

Cashew Cream Tofu

Hurry-up Red Lentil Soup

Stovetop Soy Curl and Sweet Potato Alfredo Casserole

Very Veggie Split-Pea Soup

Coconut-Ginger Infused Black Bean Brownies

Mmmmmm, yummy yummy! I have a lot of recipes to make! 

JL has also been video blogging for VeganMofo and her videos have been a treat to watch! Some of my favorites are JL's Tofu Scrabble video, Vegan Breakfast Ideas video, and Be a Joyful Vegan Dinner Guest video.

And as if I didn't already have a ton of reasons to love JL's blog, she also has many insightful, and truly helpful posts not necessarily directly related to food. For example, her post on having an omnivore husband and her post about vegan perfectionism.

Finally, JL runs Stop Chasing Skinny, a blog to help readers "find happiness beyond the scale." I very much support the aim of this blog and have found personal support in the stories and news shared there. 

Well there you have it, a brief run down of another blog (and blogger) I love!

My Favorite Cooked Veggie: Roasted Cauliflower

I love raw veggies, but I also love having cooked veggies and my favorite is this roasted cauliflower. It's easy to make and super delicious!

Roasted Cauliflower 

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp vinegar (I used red wine)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cut and prepare all veggies and mince garlic. Mix veggies with vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Roast in oven at 400 degrees until soft and starts to get crispy about 30-40 minutes. 

3. Serve and enjoy! 

My favorite way to enjoy this is with tahini sauce, although it tastes great by itself as well! 

Happy Tuesday! I hope you eat some great veggies today!

My Favorite Blogs Part Two: Choosing Raw

Happy Monday!

Today I thought I would add another installation to my posts about the blogs that I love! So I'm going to gush about Gena Hamshaw at Choosing Raw! So here we go! Favorite blog number two...

(Once again please note all the photos I share here originally came from Gena's blog and were not taken by me. You can right click each image to find its source)

Choosing Raw

I absolutely adore this blog. Not only does Gena share delicious recipes with stunning photos but she also writes beautifully and posts about more than just food. Here are some of my favorite things from her blog!

Chia Pudding

Gena is definitely the one that sparked my love of chia seeds and chia pudding. She has so many amazing recipes using chia seeds, such as: 

Matcha Green Tea Chia Pudding

 

Very Berry Chia Hemp Pudding

Basic Chia Seed Pudding

Salad Recipes

Gena also makes amazing salads. Her salads are what inspired me to play with kale and ultimately fall in love with it! Her beautiful salads always look amazing and inspire me to make a more interesting salad for my lunches. 

Mango Lassi

This drink definitely hits the spot. I have always loved mangoes and likely eat them every day. I also love a good mango lassi but most Indian restaurants don't serve vegan ones. And so I was thrilled to try this vegan version and have been making it often ever since. It is super easy to make and always turns out amazing! 

Beautiful!

There are many many more amazing recipes by Gena which you should definitely peruse through if you are looking for something tasty to eat!

Another one of my favorite things about Gena's blog is how she goes into other issues, and doesn't just talk about food. 

She has a great section explaining veganism and raw foods. Another great section of her blog is the Green Recovery Series. Gena explains "Green Recovery is my attempt to highlight stories of the many men and women who have moved beyond disordered eating patterns (at least in part) with the help of a plant-based diet." I always find these posts extremely moving and meaningful and love to read them. 

Gena also talks about things such as GMO labeling, the links between eating disorders and obesity, and cases of fat shaming, and is on her way to becoming a doctor.  

All and all I always find Gena's posts insightful and inspiring and whether they inspire me to make a delicious, healthful meal or to ponder an important issue, they are always amazing to read!

Well there you have it, some of the many reasons why I love Gena's blog Choosing Raw!

Cheezy Twice Baked Potato

The first night of my trip, my roommates' mom made me a delicious twice baked potato which inspired me to take my own crack at it!

Here's my version of a twice baked potato, cheezy style!

Cheezy Twice Baked Potato

Ingredients:

• Russet potato
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped yellow/white onion
• 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Bake potato until fork tender. (I usually bake mine in the microwave by poking fork holes and heating for 8-10 minutes)

2. Cut baked potato in half and scoop out insides into a bowl, making sure to save the skins in their original shape. 

3. Mix potato insides with non-dairy milk, onion, and nutritional yeast, adding salt and pepper until you get your desired taste. (You definitely want to add the salt and pepper, I'm sure other seasonings would be great too)

4. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until nice and hot, about 10-15 minutes. (I baked mine wrapped in tin foil)

5. Enjoy!

Yummy yummy! I can already tell I'll be making this a lot in the coming months! 

Happy Tuesday!

Monday Love List Number Thirteen!

Happy Monday all!

I thought I would get back to an old tradition and write a Monday love list!

There's a lot to love out in the vegan blogosphere, all the Vegan Mofo-ing is producing some great stuff!

1. Raw, Vegan Blackberry Cheesecake Bars by Gena at Choosing Raw

YUM! Just the name of these makes it clear that these will be delicious!! You can find the recipe, and a ton of mouthwatering pictures here.

2. Thought provoking articles

Gena also posted a really great article yesterday titled "New Inquiries Into Eating Disorders and Obesity" which I found to be not only excellently written but also really interesting.

Having studied both eating disorders and issues of overweight and obesity in various classes I was aware of issues with prevention programs for one potentially having negative impacts on those susceptible to the other, but most of what I have read has been largely based on theories and speculation, so it was really interesting to learn about the study Gena references which looks specifically at the concurrence between eating disorders and overweight/obesity.

I also really enjoyed Gena's take on it and as always, Gena speaks beautifully. I would highly recommend giving it a read!

3. A new breakfast to make!

Just this morning I checked out Angela's newest recipe over at Oh She Glows for a Jumbo Chickpea Pancake. I love chickpeas and chickpea flour and plus the ingredients are super simple and it looks easy to make! I will definitely be making this soon!

4. Time for some R&R 

For most of this week my roommate and I are hanging out at her family's beach condo just off the beach at Seaside, OR and it has been amazing so far. I love having the time to just relax and do whatever I feel like. It is also just the perfect vacation to take with school looming in the very near future.

5. A trip to Herbivore (finally)

When my parents and I were stopping in Portland, OR on the last leg of our road trip last month we stopped at the Vegan Mini-mall with the intention of going to Herbivore Clothing Co. Unfortunately they had closed early as Labor Day was the following day and we did not get to go! We did have a great time stopping in Food Fight and Sweetpea Baking Co but I was left longing to get a look at some vegan clothing!

Thankfully, this need has now been met as on the way out to the beach yesterday we got to stop in! I got my hands on a "Compassion is Invincible" t-shirt as well as an "Only kale can save us now" tote bag with some pins and stickers thrown in for good measure! I could have bought a lot more, but I guess that's what the online store will be for in the future!

6. A new web series 

On this week's episode of Our Hen House, Mariann reviews the new Weather Channel web series Brink in which short videos (about 4-5 minutes) highlight different animals that are on the brink of extinction and efforts to help prevent this.

I watched the first one, on jaguars, last night and really enjoyed it. I was really surprised at how much they could fit into such a short video, but I found it really informative and easy to digest.

7. Getting to say goodbye to a vegetarian restaurant

In my parent's neighborhood the vegetarian restaurant, Carmelita, which has been there for over 17 years will be closing at the end of the month. I was lucky enough to visit there one last time with my parents this past week and had a wonderful meal.

While they do serve dairy and eggs here, many items are already vegan or have a vegan option and they also have a large selection of gluten-free meals to choose from, leaving me with many options to choose from! Here's what I went with this time around:

A Hermiston Watermelon Salad with radish, baby arugula, pistachios, balsamic reduction, and a lime-ginger vinaigrette.

For my main dish I had a delicious Summer Vegetable Terrine made with marinated eggplant, summer squash, heirloom tomatoes, squash pitsou, hazelnut agodulce, and greens. It was amazing!

Goodbye Camelita!

Well with that I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a lot of fun things planned for the upcoming week!

My Favorite Blogs Part One: Oh She Glows

Happy Monday!

This may or may not be clear from the recipes I have shared thus far for VeganMofo, but I am not a chef or recipe creator. In fact, the recipes I have been sharing this past week I can easily say are the first recipes I have really "created." I certainly cook all the time, and like to create new food concoctions for myself, but as I learned last week, recipe creation is something entirely different!

Most of my cooking is taken either directly from some of my favorite blogs, or is at least inspired by some of these blogs. As such, I thought one thing I would do this month is share some of these blogs and my favorite things I have made and learned from them!

Oh She Glows

This was the very first blog that I really started to follow. I found Angela Liddon at Oh She Glows even before I went vegan and I can honestly say, she is one of the reasons why I was able to go vegan so easily. Even before I cut all animal products out of my diet, I knew that there was amazing, delicious, and easy to make vegan food and that being vegan was in no way about deprivation.

This is also the blog where I send my non-vegan friends and family if they are interested in making a vegan dish. I can really honestly say that I personally have never made something I haven't liked from her and everything I have made for, or with, non-vegans has been well received!

Here are just a few of my favorite recipes by her!

(Please note all of the pictures I share here are from Oh She Glows and are not taken by me. You can right click each image to reach its source)

Homemade Almond Milk:

I very much enjoy store-bought almond milk, but it really just doesn't compare to its homemade counterpart. Unfortunately for me, when I make homemade almond milk it is just so good that I drink it about five times faster than I would normally, and have to make it all the time! Thus, out of practicality, I make this as a treat for myself, and a very good one at that!

I have also successfully combined Angela's Almond Milk recipe with her Oat Milk recipe to make a delicious combo.

Overnight Oats:

This breakfast is amazing. As I mentioned in an earlier post, smoothies used to be my go to breakfast and I loved a smoothie in the morning (and still do) but overnight oats were what got me to switch it up! I love making overnight oats because it takes about 3 minutes once you know what you're doing, you can do it the night before, and when I'm rushing out the door grabbing my jar of oats to eat on the way to class is a life-saver!

I love this post about Angela's overnight oats, basically the possibilities are endless!

My staple normally ends up being the basic overnight oats recipe with some blueberries and granola which brings me to...

Lighten Up Summer Granola:

This is my favorite granola ever. This granola has effectively ruined all store bought granola for me! Not only it is substantially healthier than almost all store bought granola, it is just so much tastier!

Overnight oats with blueberries and topped with this granola? Sounds like a good way to start the day to me!

Super Power Chia Bread:

Moving onto lunch, I also love this bread. Needing to eat both gluten-free and corn-free provides me with limited (and often expensive) bread options and so when I can make something at home, I'm all for it!

I also love chia seeds, so having them in bread is another win for me!

Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad:

Another lunch favorite of mine, the Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad! I love chickpeas, love them! I also love this salad! The onions and lime (as well as all the spices) give it a great bite and I also like how easy it is to make a big of a batch of this (just double or triple the recipe) and how well it keeps in the fridge. It's a great recipe for me to make over the weekend and then eat for lunch throughout the week.

Quinoa Salads:

I have made a lot of quinoa salad recipes by Angela, but my favorite and most frequently made is probably her Red Quinoa and Black Bean Vegetable Salad, which I make without the corn kernels.

Quinoa salads are another go to for lunches for me since they are easy to make and keep really well throughout the week.

Thai Cucumber Salad:

This was one of my staples this summer. I love the crunchy-ness of the cooked chickpeas and the tartness of the dressing, and just all of it! Delicious!

Veggie Summer Rolls:

I love Thai food and I love summer rolls. So this recipe is a perfect match!

Rad Rainbow Pad Thai:

Another Thai inspired recipe, this was another salad I was constantly making this summer.

I also made this with my family and they enjoyed it as well!

Creamy Avocado Pasta:

Pasta is such a college staple and so whenever I find a way to make it a bit more interesting, I'm all for it! I am also a little obsessed with avocado, so it all sounds good to me!

Grilled Tofu with Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Rice:

This was another recipe I made with my non-vegan family and they totally loved it! Before making it I had never grilled tofu before and I was somewhat skeptical, but it turned out great!

Oil-free Chocolate Zucchini Walnut Muffins:

Let's finish off with some desserts! Although I suppose you could enjoy these for breakfast, when I've made these tasty muffins I treated them more like a dessert. I've always loved carrot cakes and zucchini breads and so I also discovered through this recipe that I love zucchini muffins!

Irresistible Chewy Trail Mix Cookies:

I talked about these cookies earlier this month but they're so good that they deserve repeating! These are definitely not something I want to have around all the time, because I know a diet of only these cookies would not be a good one, but if you are looking for a special treat, these would be awesome!

Summer Stone Fruit Crisp:

Last but not least, I love this delicious fruit crisp! This was another dish I brought to a gathering with non-vegans and it was well received! One thing I really loved about this recipe was that it wasn't overpoweringly sweet. Instead, the fruit spoke for itself and was beautifully complemented by the topping!

Well, as I'm sure you can see I love a lot of Angela's recipes! Whenever I'm wanting to make a new recipe Oh She Glows is the first place I turn to, and I have yet to be disappointed!

Angela is also coming out with a cookbook next year, which I could not be more thrilled about! Amazing recipes and stunning photography? Tell me where to send my money!

Have you made any delicious recipes from Oh She Glows?

Green Tea Banana-free Smoothie

I love that the name of this smoothie rhymes!

I also just love this smoothie, because well, what's not to love?

Once again, I have made a banana-free smoothie, as bananas are a fruit that cause me migraines. For more please check out my first VeganMofo smoothie post!

Green Tea Banana-free Smoothie

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brewed green tea, chilled slightly
• 1 cup mango, frozen
• 1 cup pineapple, frozen
• 1 cup berries, frozen
• 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1 tbsp flax seeds/flax seed meal
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)

All ready to go!

Directions:

1. Brew green tea, let it chill for a few minutes. (Today I used a mango green tea but when I made this smoothie yesterday I used a basic green tea, both were delicious!) 

2. Place all ingredients in blender. 

3. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Breakfast is served!

Happy Friday everyone!

Banana-free Breakfast Smoothie (and a Mention on Our Hen House!)

I have another vegan basic today, the smoothie!

I love smoothies. Up until six months ago I would have a giant smoothie for breakfast almost every morning, a practice I intend to get back to.

One limitation I encounter when making smoothies however, is my need to avoid bananas, which are a strong migraine trigger for me. This always seems to complicate my smoothie making as almost every recipe I see online or in a cookbook requires banana. So, I bring you the banana-free breakfast smoothie!

Banana-free Breakfast Smoothie

Makes 5-6 cups

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup pineapple, frozen
• 1 apple, diced
• 1/2 cup mixed berries, frozen
• 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1 cup mango, frozen
• 1 tbsp flax seed/flax seed meal
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 cups non-dairy milk (I used soy)
• water to reach desired consistency 

Directions: 

1. Place all ingredients except water into your blender. 

2. Blend until smooth.* Your smoothie should be thick and creamy. 

3. Add water and blend to reach your desired consistency (i.e do you want to use a spoon or a straw to enjoy your smoothie?). I added 1/2 cup water to get a fluid but still thick smoothie. 

* If you are opposed to little chunks in your smoothies I would advise peeling the apple and perhaps omitting the flax and chia seeds. Alternatively, really blend it for a couple minutes if you want to make sure everything is the same texture. I for one enjoy getting the odd seed or sip of apple pulp, but I know that is not enjoyable for everyone!

Can you see the little apple flakes?! Yum yum! ;)

Also, feel free to play around with the fruit involved. Feeling like a bit more mango than berries? Go for it! I love making smoothies based on how I'm feeling in the moment and enjoy seeing what I come up with! I hope to share some more smoothie recipes throughout VeganMofo, so stay tuned! 

On a different note, did you see me mentioned on Our Hen House?! 

I just started helping out Our Hen House (OHH) by doing some transcribing work, which Jasmin talked about today on the OHH blog!! Another volunteer and I have worked on one interview thus far and we will continue to transcribe the interviews from upcoming episodes, as well as potentially some older ones. I am thrilled to be able to help this incredible organization and to be honest I'm still a little star stuck that I've been mentioned on OHH (is that really MY name?!?). 

Finally, check out the RandomMofo generator! I've already whiled away a good amount of time on this, and I know I will be spending a lot more time here throughout the month! 

Happy Wednesday, and do you have any favorite banana-free smoothie recipes? If so I would love to hear about them in the comments!  

A Vegan Essential: The Bowl

Sorry this is so late! I had a very busy day full of unpacking and cleaning after getting back from my family vacation and I ended up making dinner much later than I had planned! Without further ado, enjoy!

Today I wanted to talk about a staple in my diet, "the bowl." Simply put this is an entree where a bunch of ingredients, normally a mixture of vegetables, grains, and legumes, are thrown into a bowl. There are lots of ways to make bowls and I have enjoyed many different types!

For example, on my recent road trip I enjoyed a delicious bowl at Savory Cafe and Pizzeria in Newport, OR.

This bowl was called the "Savory Bowl" with brown rice, black beans, steamed veggies, cilantro, and a tofu kelp sauce. Yummy!

Last night in Portland I enjoyed another bowl at the restaurant Prasad in the Pearl District. I had the "Urban Bowl" made with steamed kale, cabbage, sea vegetables, avocado, carrots, scallions, sesame and hemp seeds. I added some quinoa and had it with their peanut sauce. My Dad also enjoyed a bowl for dinner, the "Chili Bowl." Unfortunately I was distracted by the delicious food in front of me and so I didn't get to snap a photo, it was amazing though!

One of my most favorite bowls, at Chaco Canyon here in the University District of Seattle, is the hippie bowl, which is one of my staple orders when I visit this cafe, which is often. This bowl is made of quinoa, baked tofu, carrots, sprouts, sesame seeds and a garlic tahini dressing.

These bowls and other bowls I've had in the past have inspired me to make my own bowls at home! Here's the one I made today!

Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Tangy Peanut Dressing

This bowl is just what it sounds like and is pretty tasty!

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups veggie quinoa (recipe below)
• Tangy peanut dressing (recipe below)
• 1 cup sliced pepper
• 1 cup cucumber, sliced into half moons
• 1 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup shredded veggies (I used Trader Joe's broccoli slaw)
• 4 handfuls spinach

All the veggie toppings

Directions:

1. Prepare veggie quinoa. While it is cooking, wash and prepare veggies. 

2. Prepare dressing. 

3. Line plate or bowl with a handful of spinach, top with veggie quinoa, veggies and tangy peanut dressing. Mix and enjoy!

Yummy!!

Note: This recipe is easily customizable. Use whatever veggies you like and have on hand. I love making this bowl with green onions and avocado as well, which I did not happen to have on hand this time around. 

Veggie Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 oz. mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 cups water

Directions: 

1. Wash and dice veggies. 

2. Place veggies, quinoa, rosemary, and water into a large pot and prepare as you would normal quinoa.

Pre-cooking

All done and delicious! 

Tangy Peanut Dressing: 

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup vinegar of choice (I used raw apple cider vinegar and white balsamic vinegar)
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Maple syrup or other liquid sweeter, to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp)

Directions: 

1. Mix all ingredients except maple syrup together until they form a smooth sauce. 

2.  Add maple syrup as desired to reach desired taste.

Note: This sauce is definitely tangy, if you are looking for a more mild sauce replace all or some of the vinegar with water or more non-dairy milk to achieve your desired taste. 

All mixed up! Delicious! 

It's Here!! It's time for VeganMofo!

In case you haven't heard already, September is the vegan month of food (or VeganMofo)!

What is VeganMofo? Well, it is a bunch of bloggers all blogging about delicious, and of course vegan, food for the month of September! If you want to find out more straight from the source, go here! You can also follow all of the blogs that are participating on the VeganMofo website to see more amazing vegan food. Are you excited?! I know I am!

To start I thought I would showcase some amazing cookies! Who doesn't love cookies?! Especially vegan cookies! These cookies are also gluten-free and can easily be made corn-free. I believe these could also be made soy-free if you bought the right chocolate chips.

I found the recipe for these cookies here, at Oh She Glows, one of my most favorite blogs!

These cookies are titled "Irresistible Chewy Trail Mix Cookies" which I think it just the perfect name! They include all the things I always love to see in a trail mix and are indeed irresistible! I was thankfully able to share these with my family, otherwise I would have easily made myself sick eating too many!

I always love to make modifications to recipes and so I of course made one here, namely replacing the sesame seeds with raisins. While this habit of mine has on multiple occasions led me to take my tray of food from the oven straight to the trash or to suffer through a terrible dish, this time it was a simple one and it worked out well, making a delicious cookie!

To make things simpler I also started out with pre-made almond and oat flour and due to my corn allergy I used a baking powder made with tapioca starch as opposed to corn starch. I found I actually had almost all of these ingredients on hand and only had to pick up a couple things, like coconut and chocolate chips.

I knew these cookies were good when my non-vegan family kept demanding more! Check them out for a truly delicious treat!

Today I am finishing out a family trip by staying in Portland, OR for one night before heading home to Seattle and I have multiple fun things planned, which I hope to share with you next time! Until then, have you seen this video yet? I think it's so awesome!

Happy Sunday, I can't wait to see what amazing food other bloggers are sharing over at VeganMofo!

My Favorite Snack: Peanut Butter Cup Apple Slices

It is a rainy Friday here in Seattle which, for the second day in a row, ruined my plans to spend my free time getting some natural vitamin D. Luckily, I have been finding myself surprisingly productive on this rainy day and as such, I thought it would be a great time to share my favorite snack!

Now, I am really not one for favorites. If someone were to ask me what my favorite fruit is, my answer would probably be along the lines of "Mango, NO apple, NO blueberries...WAIT or watermelon." The same goes for essentially anything else. If people ask, I'll tell them my favorite color is purple, but actually? How could I choose among all the wonderful colors out there!

There's no way!

However, I can definitely say that this is my favorite snack, and that's really saying something!

Peanut butter cup apple slices:

Ingredients: 

• 1 apple of choice
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (other nut butters are also delicious)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon sweetener (my favorites are agave nectar and maple syrup)

Directions: 

1. Mix everything except apple together until it forms a creamy consistency, much like nutella. 
2. Slice apple, I like to slice it in really thin slices. It's so much fun!
3. Dip apple slices in spread and enjoy!

So much yummy going on!

I love having this snack at any time, it never fails to satisfy. It is also great because as someone with a real weak spot for chocolate, I can enjoy this with much less sugar and without that sick feeling I get when I've had just a little too much of those chocolate chips. 

What about you, do you have any favorite snacks?

 Happy Friday!