Boon Burger & Chocolate Coconut Sorbet

Hey Dolls,

I write to you alive and well and with a recipe for a very sweet and sexy treat!  But first: If you haven't already checked out Boon Burger Cafe here in 'Peg City, Manitoba, GET ON IT!!!!  It's Canada's very first vegetarian burger joint and even those of you who identify as omnivorous will LOVE it!  The vegan poutine made with oven baked sesame fries, homemade vegan gravy and Daiya cheese is MIND BLOWING (for real, my mind exploded.  It was such a mess on Sherbrook Street that day...).  Please go check it out, the staff are so cool and nice and the burgers, phenom! 

Speaking of MIND BLOWING (I'm beginning to think I have a problem...), I have a sweet and creamy and sexy, yes SEXY, recipe for you.  I believe that the world is made up of two kinds of people: people who hate coconut and people who love coconut.  I myself am of the latter persuasion so if you are too, it gives me great pleasure to present you with the following recipe for:

Chocolate Coconut Sorbet
(Honestly, it tastes more like rich creamy ice cream!  PLEASE use good vanilla!  Get someone to smuggle some back from their Mexican vacation for you!)

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup vegan sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (if you want it smooth, omit.  If you love the texture of shredded coconut, put more!  I used about a 1/3 cup.)
2 tbsp (about a shot) spiced rum (optional, but YUM)

Whisk all ingredients together really, really, really well in a rectangular plastic container that has a lid.  Seal the container and scrape ice crystals every hour or so with a fork until totally frozen.  Let the sorbet sit out on the counter for ten minutes before you try to serve it. 

I even gave it a sexy background...

Make this sorbet and while it freezes go to Boon Burger for dinner!  But bundle up, it's getting chilly out there...

XOXO, V.V.

Cauliflower "Steaks" with Cauliflower Puree

Greetings from my death bed...

...or at least it feels that way...  I have a terrible cold and have not been eating much other than soup and toast but felt I should share with you the delicious meal I made on Sunday for my beautiful sister/roomate, Boomer.  This is one of my favorite recipes to make for my non-vegan friends (and siblings) and they are always impressed.  All my life, I had experienced cauliflower two ways:  steamed or boiled.  Often drowned in melted Cheez Whiz (oh the HORROR!).  Until I tried roasting it, I never knew how good cauliflower could be.  And pureed, you would swear you were eating the most delicate mashed potatoes.  I served my cauliflower "steaks" atop the puree with sauteed green and yellow beans (from my Ma's garden) and brown rice gravy.  This recipe serves two generously.  Mmmmmmm...

Cauliflower "Steaks" with Cauliflower Puree  

Ingredients:

One head of cauliflower, washed and dried, leaves trimmed

Olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)

1 tbsp Earth Balance butter

Pinch fresh ground nutmeg

S&P

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Slice the cauliflower like a loaf of bread, creating two "steaks" from the middle approximately 1/2" - 1" thick.  Place the "steaks" on an oiled baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with S&P.  Roast the "steaks" for about 15 min or until lightly golden on the underside, flip over and roast for an additional 15 - 20 min.  

Meanwhile, chop the remaining cauliflower and steam until very tender.  Puree in a food processor until smooth and add almond milk (start with a little bit and add until you get to a consistency you like), Earth Balance and nutmeg.  Season with S&P and serve with "STEAKS".

Brown Rice Gravy

1/3 cup safflower oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup brown rice flour

2 1/2 cups water or veggie stock

5 - 6 tbsp shoyu

1 tsp savory herbs of your choice (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...)

2 tbsp red or white wine (totally optional but adds such a nice richness)

S&P

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add brown rice flour and cook until golden brown and fragrant, about five minutes (for those of you cooking experts, you just made a roux).  Whisk in water or stock, shoyu, herbs and wine if using until smooth.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened.  Season with S&P.  This gravy is good on everything that gravy is good on.  My friend Bud once ate a bowlful of JUST this gravy...

My beautiful sister/roomate Boomer, thoroughly enjoying the cauliflower FEAST!

I promise to get better quick so I can get back in the kitchen to create more delish dishes to post for your benefit, and mine.  Belieeeeve me, I am looking forward to something other than soup and toast...

Until then,

KISSES and happy compassionate eating!

Herbed Gnocchi with Tomato Lentil Sauce

Hello Lovers,

Making homemade pasta can be quite intimidating but it's actually so easy and SATISFYING!  I am kind of obsessed with dumplings of any kind and gnocchi is for me, the perfect Italian specimen.  Light and pillowy in texture but yet substancial and quite filling!  I used beautiful organic Yukon Gold potatoes from my Mama's garden but starchy baking potatoes like Russet work too.  It is extremely important not to over cook the taters otherwise they will require too much flour and will be far too dense.  Texture is KEY here, people!  Most recipes reccomend steaming the potatoes until a knife/skewer can be inserted but the tater is still firm.  I boiled mine, keeping a very close watch over them.  I kept the sauce nice and fresh to contrast the richness of the pasta.  This will serve two or three hungry peeps.

Herbed Gnocchi with Tomato Lentil Sauce

Ingredients:
for the gnocchi:
3 large Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and steamed or boiled until JUST tender 
1 cup flour
1 tsp dried oregano (I use freeze dried herbs, they taste just like fresh!)

2 tsp dried basil

½ tsp salt

for the sauce:
½ cup red lentils
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped basil

½ glass white wine

Pinch chilli flakes

Salt and peppa to taste

2 tomatoes

Using a food mill, ricer, potato masher or a fork and some upper body strength, mash the hot potatoes until fairly smooth (I think a few little lumps make the gnocchi more rustic).  Add herbs and salt and enough flour to make a firm, non-sticky dough (you may not need the full cup of flour, you may need more).  Knead dough for one or two minutes to ensure that it is well blended.  Roll the dough into logs that are about one inch in thickness and cut 1/2 inch pieces from the logs.  Gently use the tines of a fork to imprint grooves on the gnocchi (this helps hold the sauce).  Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted, boiling water.  As soon as the dumplings rise to the surface, they are donezo!  Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and drain well. 

Naked Gnocchi

Meanwhile...cover the lentils with just over a cup of water and bring to a boil in a large saucepan.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until lentils are very soft and water is completely absorbed.  While the lentils are cooking, cut the tomatoes in half and broil until soft and melted.  Chop said tomoatoes and add to lentils seeds, juices and all.  Use a fork to mash the lentils slightly with the tomatoes.  Add the wine, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and continue to simmer sauce for a few minutes so the flavours can meld.  Add chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste.  Gently add the gnocchi to the sauce and let them become BFF's for about two minutes.  Serve right away with extra chopped basil on top!   

Delish, delish, DELISH!
xoxo

Simple Autumn Supper and Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownies

I had a delicious and simple dinner the other night: pan seared seitan sausages with a mountain of roasted carrots and parsnips - so satisfying and comforting amid the chilly autumn winds that are blowing across the prairies right now.  I made these seitan sausages from scratch from my fave recipe found here: http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2010/02/street-food-veggie-style.html I add in whatever spices I am feelin' at the time, the most recent batch was full of garlic, fennel seed, chili's and oregano mmmmmm... I love them pan seared in a few tsp of safflower oil served with lots of grainy djon mustard!  As for the parsnips and carrots, I just scrubbed them and sliced them into 1/4 inch coins, tossed them with some olive oil and seasoned with good old S&P.  They took about 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven and were beautiful and caramelized.  You could add some sliced Yukon Gold taters for more substance too! 

I was craving something sweet after din din so I whipped up a batch of UNREAL pumpkin pie brownies.  I am a little crazy about pumpkin (and brownies for that matter...) and before I knew it, half the batch was GONZO...Luckily for me (and those of you incredibly smartie pants darlings who make these asap) they are pretty darn low in fat and full of beta-carotene rich pumpkin, yo!

This is my version of pumpkin brownies from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.  It contains less sugar and uses whole-wheat flour. 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Ingredients:
for brownie layer:

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegan sugar (maple sugar, evapourated cane sugar, etc)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp safflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp arrowroot flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

for pumpkin pie layer:

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

2 tbsp arrowroot flour
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I almost always use almond)
1/3 cup vegan sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp fresh gound black pepper (trust)

Preheat dat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Sift the dry ingredients for the brownie layer together and stir together the wet.  Combine wet and dry brownie ingredients and divide amongst the prepared muffin tin.  Using a spoon or thumb, make a little well in the middle of each brownie.  Combine all pumpkin pie layer ingredients.  Divide mixture amongst each brownie and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pumpkin layer has formed cracks and feels firm (though a little jiggle is ok!).  Enjoy...

Spicy Pumpkin Miso Soup

Spicy Pumpkin Miso Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp safflower oil
1/2 tsp chili flakes (more if you like it HAWT)
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 cups water
2 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce, darlings)
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tsp light miso (I always use aged barley miso)
2 sheets nori, crumbled
pinch fresh ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add chili flakes and garlic and cook for one minute.  Add water and shoyu, cover and bring to a boil.  Once the broth has boiled, reduce the heat to low and add the pumpkin.  Simmer for ten minutes then add the miso (take care not to boil miso as it destroys the enzymes), crumbled nori and nutmeg.  Add shoyu to taste.  This is so delicious and so easy, perfect on a fall afternoon!

I come in peace...

Hello Darlings,

I didn't start this blog to preach about how amazing it is to be vegan (many of you already know!).  I started this blog because I am completely and utterly obsessed with food.  I obsessively cook it, read about it, daydream about it, talk about it and (obviously) EAT IT!!!  Food fuels our bodies, people.  It can make us or break us!  Every single human being on Earth requires sustanance so it's something we ALL have in common.  

My decision to go vegan came after a lot of questioning the status quo of our North American diet.  I noticed how chemicalized our food was becoming.  So processed foods were the first to get the boot.  White flour and sugar were evicted from my pantry soon after.  I was deep down the rabbit hole when I finally gave up meat, eggs and dairy.  I care about my health, animals, the environment and mankind far too much to keep them in my diet knowing what I know now.  Rather than yak on about it here, please check out http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/index.html

While my posts are never meant to be preachy, they are meant to stimulate your thinker!  Before you put that Hungry Dude dinner in the microwave, why not read the ingredients?  Heck, why not Google the effects microwaves have on the molecular structure of your din din while you're at it?  Still hungry?  WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!!

I am committed to posting the most deeeeeeelish recipes that come out of my brain (and into my kitchen!) so that you my darlingest reader (vegan or not) have multiple foodgasms everytime you nourish and fuel your bod!

KISSES XOXO