Raw Vegan Oatmeal Hemp Macadamia Cookies

Happy Wednesday Sweeties!

Today I am offering a hump day treat that is as delicious as it is healthful.  ATM and I were craving a little something sweet after dinner last night so with a dash of this and a pinch of that, I whipped up these adorable and yummy-licious raw cookies!  I love learning about raw foodism, and while I find eating 100% raw doesn't work for my body, I try to consume as much food in it's natural raw state as I can.  Raw food is so nutrient dense and full of enzymes that are destroyed through the cooking process so your body a favor and try to incorporate more raw goodness into your daily diet!  I throw two big handfuls of raw organic baby spinach into my morning smoothie and it gives me and instant POW of energy and positivity - no kidding! 

And since we're on the topic of changes to the diet that do a body good, I have been steering clear of gluten for a few months and I must say, I feel FANTASTIC!!!  I have way more energy, my skin has cleared up (V.V. is prone to hormonal acne, blahhhh), I am rarely bloated and my weight is super easy to maintain (which is good news for a lazy bones like me!).  Every now and then, when ATM and I go out for dinner with her family to Santa Lucia's on North Main St, I do indulge in their spaghetti with marinara sauce. . . but otherwise I am G-FREE babes, and feeling amazing :)  Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains like spelt, barley and rye.  Some people are very, very allergic to these proteins and can become terribly ill when they consume them.  Obvs, if this sounds like something you are experiencing, give your doc a call, okay honey?  

Okay, enough diet pep talk.  But before I get to the recipe, I just want to emphasize that diet is all about eating in the way that makes you feel your best!  It is a very subjective and personal thing, what works for Suzie might not work for Sherman, so listen to your body and do what is best for you!  For me, choosing a plant based diet is not only good for my body, but good for my animal friends, the Earth, and human kind, and that's something I feel wonderful about every day <3 

Now on to the eats!

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Hemp Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:

- 2 cups oats (make sure they are uncontaminated if you have a serious gluten allergy)

- 1/2 cup hemp hearts

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 cup raw agave syrup (or maple syrup)

- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nut butter (you could use any nut or seed butter!)   

- pinch sea salt

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together.  It should stick together easily but still be slightly dry.  If you find the mixture is too crumbly, add a little more nut butter.  If you find it is too sticky, add a spoonful of oats at a time until you get the right consistency.  Scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll into little balls then place them on a lined cookie sheet and flatten them slightly into a cookie shape.

Chill the cookies in the fridge for an hour and then NOSH!  

The addition of some cacao nibs and chopped, dried cherries would be so good!

XOXO

V.V.

Easy Vegan Soy Yogurt

Hey Friends!

I love soy yogurt.  I eat it topped with berries, I eat it in my granola, I eat it atop a spicy curry, I eat it when I'm in a hurry, I would eat it in a boat, I would eat it with a goat. . . you get the idea.  I'll tell ya one thing I don't love about soy yogurt:  It is expensive.  Today I would like to share with you a super simple recipe for soy yogurt that I whipped up the other day for brekkie.  ATM wasn't a fan, but I think she was turned off by the 'soy-ish' flavour.  Wussie.   

NOTE:  Technically, this isn't really a true 'yogurt' in the sense that it isn't cultured.  I don't see why you couldn't just stir in the contents of a pro-biotic capsule or two?  Would that be weird?  If any of you cats try it, let me know how it turns out!  

Easy Vegan Soy Yogurt

Ingredients:

- 2 454g pkgs silken tofu

- 1 banana

- 1 tbsp agave syrup (add an extra tbsp if you like it sweet, sweetie!)

- juice of 1 lemon (and zest if you wanna amp up the lemon flavour!)

- pinch salt

Put all ingredients into a blender.  Blend until silky smooth.  You can also use an immersion blender.  Put into a glass or plastic container with a lid and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour to chill out.  

Hey!  Why not try these variations???

-Omit the agave and add 2 tbsp of your favorite fruit preserves

-Add 2 tbsp organic cocoa powder

- Replace the agave with maple syrup and add a sprinkle of cinnamon

- Replace the lemon juice with lime juice and add lime zest and toasted, unsweetened coconut

Happy noshing <3

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan

  

 

Tofu Scramble!

. . .from a looonnngggg and busy week.
Helllooo my dears!

I used to scoff at scrambled tofu.  How could it even be the least bit tasty?  It should be said that I used to eat scrambled eggs almost every day, loaded with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and dill and cooked to perfection in lots of butter. . .   The idea that plain, crumbled tofu fried up with some veggies could make a comparable, let alone tasty, breakfast choice seemed outrageous. 

BUT I finally took the plunge.  Used up half a block of firm tofu that had been awaiting it's fate for almost a week and was SO impressed at how num num NUMMY scrambled tofu really is!

Served up with a pile of homemade hasbrowns, tempeh or tofu bacon and a bowlful of blueberries, I am sittin' pretty today, my friends!  Happy Sunday <3

Tofu Scramble
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp veg oil
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 block firm tofu
-2 cups (or more) of your favorite veggies (I used sliced mushrooms, broccoli and diced tomatoes)
-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-S&P

Heat the oil in a pan over medium high-ish heat.

Crumble the tofu up and add to the hot pan.  Brown the tofu a little bit and then add the garlic and veggies.  If you're using soft veg like tomatoes, wait to add them until a little later in the game, if you over cook them they will turn into mush. . .unless that's what you're into. . .Saute until the veg are nice and tennnder.

Sprinkle over the nutritional yeast and soy sauce and cook until they are absorbed by the tofu and veg.  Season with a teeny bit of S and a lot of fresh ground P. 

EASY PEASY!

Add what ever kind of herbs, spices, veggies, vegan cheeses, vegan sausage or diced vegan ham, hawt sauce, cooked beans, whaaaaaat evvaaaaaaaaaaaaa MUAH!

XOXO

V.V.

Vegan Benedict. Nuff Said.

Hello my darlings,

Happy New Year!  As it turns out, the holidays were a bit overbearing (physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially) and I had to take a brief hiatus from my bloggin'.  But I am back and armed with a pile of recipes that I can't wait to share with you!

I know tons of people who have decided to try a vegan diet as their new years resolution. Good on ya!!!  Even if you don't stick to it 100%, you'll be amazed at how good you feel eating wholesome, DELISH, and compassionate foods!

The Christmas morning breakfast tradition at my Dad and StepMama's house in Calgary is Eggs Benedict.  So this year, I whipped up an AWESOME Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Benedict WITH vegan Hollondaise sauce :)

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Benedict with 'Hollondaise' Sauce

Ingredients:
-one Roma tomato per person
-four asparagus spears per person
-olive oil
-one English muffin per person, halved and toasted
-1/2 cup vegan mayo
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tbsp nutritional yeast (or less, or even more, depends on your taste)
-cayenne pepper (again, according to your taste)
-1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp Dijon mustard
-S&P
-smoked paprika and chopped parsley (totally optional garnish)

Let's do dis:

Melt the Earth Balance butter in a saucepan over med-low heat and set aside. 

Pre-heat your broiler to 'high'.  Halve the tomatoes and place them cut side up on a baking sheet along with the asparagus.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with S&P.  Broil until the asparagus is tender and the tomatoes are oozy and soft...mmmmmm...oozy and soft tomatoes...this should take about ten - fifteen minutes.

Place the mayo, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard in a blender.  Blend on low speed while slowly pouring in melted Earth Balance in a steady stream until everything is well combined. 

Return the sauce to the saucepan and place over medium low heat to warm it all up.  Season the sauce with S&P.  If it's too thick, add a teeny bit of water until you get a thick but still pourable consistency.

 To assemble:  Place English muffin halves on a plate.  Arrange asparagus in an "X" on muffins and top with tomato halves.  Pour on as much sauce as you can handle - I'm a saucy gal myself ;)

Garnish with paprika and chopped parsley and STUFF YOURSELF!!!!!

XOXO
V.V.

Not A Morning Person

Hello Dumplings!


First and foremost, I just want to say thank-you SO MUCH for all the comments from you (on my blog and facebook too)!  One never knows what to expect when they begin a blog.  Will it bring people together, or disappear into the abyss of the world wide web?  I can't tell you how COOL it is to know that you are reading my little blog and enjoying it!!!    GREAT BIG CYBER HUGS TO YOU ALL!!! 


Anyhoo....Let's get to the FOOD and STUFFING OF THE FACE!


If I could, I would sleep in every day until ten.   Alas, the nine-to-five work day/school day doth not provide such privileges.  I really don't enjoy eating first thing in the morning (I don't think I'm alone here) but unfortunately, breakfast is the most important meal of the day (I wish dinner was.  I'm for sure not alone on this one).  Homemade granola beats storebought by a longshot and makes even the haterest of breakfast hater's into breakfast lova's.  I like it with almond milk :)

P.S. Just to be clear, I love brunch!  Eating breakfast at 11:30 a.m. WITH cocktails?  Heck YESSS!!  I will be sure to post some brunch recipes for you soon :)      

        
V.V.'s Fave Granola
Ingredients
4 cups oats
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, whatev combo you like)
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, currants, blueberries, figs, dates, apples, pears, so many choooiiiiicceeesss!!!)
1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 vegan sugar
1/3 cup safflower oil
2 tbsp maple syrup or brown rice syrup (honey is ok in a pinch in my books, though it's not technically vegan)
2 tsp good vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

On a rimmed cookie sheet, toast the oats in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 10 - 15 minutes or until very lightly toasted.  In a big ol' bowl, combine the oats, coconut, seeds, dried fruit, and nuts if you're using them.  Combine the oil, syrup, vanilla and cinnamon and mix into the oat mixture really, really well until everything is coated.  Spread the mixture in an even layer on a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake for another ten minutes or until dry and toasty, making sure to stir it around half way through baking.   Cool in da pan, store in a big jar or resealable container!

Until next time,
XOXO V.V.

Zucchini Carrot Latkes

Happy Weekend!!!


I was craving some fried food yesterday so I whipped up a batch of Zucchini Carrot Latkes.  For those of you who have never been exposed to Yiddish cuisine, a latke is in essence, a potato pancake.  I have been fortunate to attend many a Hannukah celebration and each time GORGE myself of these crispy, lacy little delights.  Be wary fellow vegans as latkes often contain eggs and milk...just ask the Baba who brought them!  I make latkes out of all kinds of veggies and I encourage you to do the same.  These ones are potato free, particularily rich and gooey on the inside while retaining a nice oily crisp on the outside...delish!

Served with a pile of homemade macrobiotic pickles mmmmm mmmmm



Zucchini Carrot Latkes

Serves one very hungry mongrel

Ingredients:

One medium sized zucchini, grated

One medium sized carrot, grated

One clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp shoyu

1 tsp seasame seeds (I used black ones!)

1/4 tsp chili flakes (or more if ya like em spicy)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Safflower oil for frying

Put grated zucchini and carrot in a paper towel lined strainer over a bowl.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let sit for ten minutes.  Squeeze to drain juices.  Drink the juices from the bowl, or you can discard them but you're wastinga crazy amount of nutrients, people!  Combine the grated veg with the garlic, shoyu, sesame seeds, chili flakes and flour.  You should have a nice thick batter.  Meanwhile, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat.  Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil and spread them into thin pancakes (don't over crowd your pan!).  Cook until browned, about 2 minutes and then flip and brown other side.  Keep the finished latkes warm in a 300 degree oven on a cookie sheet in a single layer while frying up the rest of the batter. 

STUFF YOUR FACE! XOXO