Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

chocolate peanut butter popcorn….balls?

it must be obvious by now that i’m addicted to chocolate and peanut butter.  it’s bad.  and this super simple, super cheap dessert popcorn is legit.

possibly even more important than the whole chocolate peanut butter thing…

did you know you could pop popcorn in the microwave using just a plain paper bag…like the kind you used to bring your lunch in in elementary school?   well, i didn’t. at all. and now i’m pumped.  buy the kernels in bulk, slap em’ in a paper bag, nuke em’ for a bit, and boom…perfect popcorn.   no oil. no butter.  delicious.

ok ok….here’s the recipe for the corn with the yummy stuff added.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup un-popped popcorn kernels (i buy mine in bulk at the local co-op…it’s super cheap too! around $.60/lb)
• 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 2 big tablespoons creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Tools

• a paper bag (or as my sexy boyfriend would say,  “the bag you would get a 40 oz. in”)
• microwave (or an air-popper, or fire, or stove-top, etc.)
• small sauce pan
• glass bowl
• spoon
• heat pad
• big mixing bowl
• saran wrap

Directions:

1. simmer some water in a small sauce pan, and (double boiler style) melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl over the simmering water, stirring often until melted.
2. add the peanut butter into the melted chocolate and stir until combined.
3. put half of the kernels (1/4 cup) in a paper bag. fold the top over…making sure it’s sealed…and microwave on high power for 2 minutes 30 seconds.  stay by the microwave and make sure you take the bag out when the popping slows to 2-3 seconds inbetween pops.
4. put the popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
5. repeat step one with the other half of the popcorn kernels.
6. put the rest of the popped popcorn into the mixing bowl.
7. at this time i sift through the popcorn and get out as many of the un-popped kernels as i can…and use them in another batch.
8. pour the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and sprinkle with salt.
9. saran wrap the top of the bowl and shake until all of the popcorn is well coated with the melty stuff.
10. put in the fridge for at least a half an hour to firm up.
11. and then…. EAT IT.

make some for you. make some for your neighbors. make some for your friends and family.  it’s the giving time of year…and everyone will love this stuff.  it’s like popcorn crack.  

 

happy happy winter time.    think snow. 

eat more veg

-kristen

vegan? during the holidays? yep!

i started my vegan eating revolution right before the holidays last year.  and let me tell you…i was FREAKING out about it.  not only were my parents and brother not vegan, they weren’t even remotely vegetarian either.   i knew this would probably cause for some drama in the kitchen (which happened)…but also i saw it as a chance for me to show them just how amazing vegan food is!

so…i started researching…which just so happens to be one of my favorite things.  i hustled on over to the good old public library, checked out around 15 vegan cookbooks, came home, brewed a strong pot of coffee, and started reading.  once i started, i couldn’t stop. for a month i was seriously always reading a cookbook.  vegan cookbooks are RAD.  not only are they full of amazingly delicious recipes, but they usually start off with an explanation of the vegan diet, lifestyle, FAQ’s, how to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need, where to get your protein (although if you’re already vegan, i’m sure you get this question a lot, and probably already know the answer), and much much much more.  they’re addicting as shit to read. i seriously couldn’t stop. i felt like i was finally learning the truth, not just some bullshit lies that the meat and dairy industry make up to fuel their profits. knowledge truly is power.  

after reading what felt like 97 cookbooks, i felt like i had gathered a shit ton of knowledge.  but not many recipes for my holiday feast plans.   yes, i found plenty that sounded good, but i had no idea if they were or not.  the only proof i had was that the author loved the recipe enough to put it in the cookbook, which sounds promising, but i’ve made so many shitty meals that sounded delicious in print, but turned out to be ick.

enter the interweb. 

not only was it easy to search for any kind of recipe i wanted, but there were real human reviews at the bottom of each.  which is awesome!!!  “this recipe was good…but would be even better with ________.”  “we made this for thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it…even more than the turkey we made last year!”   “mine turned out a little bit bland…maybe add ____  or _____  to make it even more flavorful.”        ————-   you get the point.  i love reading the reviews and comments below the recipes.  and that’s how i gathered my bitchin’  holiday recipe plan.   

• thanksgiving mini pot pies with roasted mushroom gravy  (<—– click the link for the recipe!)

• homemade puff pastry (for the pot pies)

• high protein garlic mashed potatoes (with extra roasted mushroom gravy on top)

• cranberry, apricot, and pecan wild rice pilaf 

and for dessert…

• bomb ass chocolate pumpkin pie 

dinner turned out to be far more amazing than i could have imagined.  even the family loved everything i made.  and i’m happy to say that my parents are now much more aware of how much animal product they put into their body.   they eat less meat and dairy, then they ever have before…and that makes me smile inside.  🙂

our delicious christmas dinner

being vegan during the holidays can definitely be hard.  going to parties and not being able to eat a damn thing.  telling people over and over and over, that you definitely get enough protein.   everyone scared to try your new “plant based pie”.  but i promise it’s worth it.  having a compassionate, healthy, thoughtful holiday season is not only good for your waistline, but for our lovely little animal friends too.  oh,  and the environment thanks you a whole shit bunch as well!

we can’t forget about the booze though!!!  wine is always perfect for those chilly winter nights, but if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous check out 13 boozily delicious vegan holiday drinks from VegNews mag! the hot-buttered rum sounds damn good.  so do the vegan jello shots!  ooo…and pumpkin-infused vodka?  count me in.

if you want even more yum yum holiday recipes…then i would:

1. definitely buy the November/December 2012 issue of  VegNews magazine.  they give you recipes (and pictures!)  for “the traditional table”, the “gluten-free feast”, and “a decadent dinner”. this magazine is the best.
2. check out my rad friend amber’s blog (Vegan4One).  her recipes will blow you away.
3. browse my vegan Pinterest board.  you know those pumpkin-pecan cinnamon rolls, with a ginger cream cheese glaze sound amazing for christmas morning!
4. spend hours upon hours of time (that should be spent cleaning, or working out, or… oh, fuck it…) surfing the internet for recipes.  there are so many amazing vegan blogs out there.  here are a few of my favorites:

• oh she glows
• the healthy happy life
• vegan yack attack
• the post punk kitchen
• vegan dad
• the vegan stoner
• the kind life
• crazy sexy diet
• chocolate-covered katie
• happy herbivore

i could go on and on.

see…the holidays don’t have to be a big bummer for us vegans out there.  now go get your cook on!   🙂

love you all!  and happy happy happy happy holidays.  give plenty of hugs, and be thankful for everything you have.  (oh, and try to sneak an extra work out or two into your usual routine.  it’ll help you stay balanced during these crazy, food-filled times.)

-kristen

the best tofu I’ve ever had

just wait…it gets better…and better…and better….

tofu is confusing.  a big white block. spongy. firm. slimy. weird. but…it turns out..it can be fucking DELICIOUS!  oh my goodness. this shit is so good.  my sexy bearded vegan man couldn’t get enough.  he even said “it’s so meaty”!  ok…maybe not those exact words…but something along those lines.  its chewy, and firm, yet soft, and slightly crispy, and smoky, and salty, and kinda reminds me of jerky, but in a good way.  overall, it’s just plain yum.

oh, and did i mention it’s easy? and quick? and uses a grand total of 4 ingredients (including the small amount of olive oil i used to keep the tofu from sticking to the pan after i realized that wax paper couldn’t be put in the oven and i almost burnt the house down…oops).

🙂

after you make tofu this way, you’ll probably want to put it on everything.  but it’s especially good with the creamy quinoa curry dish i made with the crispy delish tofu on top.  

The Best Tofu I’ve Ever Had

makes enough for 2-3 servings of crispy tofu cubes

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (i definitely recommend the tamari here!  it just gives it a better taste. smokier maybe.)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger (i used a microplane grater to get it real real small)
• half of a block of extra firm tofu (drained, rinsed, and patted dry) cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. preheat broiler.
2. stir together tamari and grated ginger in a medium bowl.  add the cubed tofu and toss gently with hands to evenly coat the marinade.
3. let sit for at least 5 minutes.
4. brush olive oil onto a baking sheet.
5. spread the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer.
6. place under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until browned and crispy. (make sure you have a window open, or a fan going, it get’s kinda smoky!)
7. flip the tofu and broil for 5-7 minutes or until fully browned.  (i like mine extra crispy, so i let it get good and crispy)
8. take out of the oven and let cool on pan.
9. enjoy this delicious tofu atop curries, salads, pastas, etc.!

 

the texture is so damn meaty that next time i’m going to make them exactly like this, but toss them in Franks Red Hot sauce with a little bit of melted earth balance.  put that on top of a salad with some bomb-ass vegan ranch and you’d have yourself one amazing lunch.  YUM.

this is what i did with mine this time:  

creamy quinoa curry with “the best tofu i’ve ever had”

 

recipe for that bad boy to come soon!  it was so good i made it last night for dinner and then again today for lunch.  just can’t get enough of that tofu, i tell ya!

loves,

kk

eat more veg! it’ll do your body good. real good.

 

 

savory lemon dressing

this salad dressing is the bomb. seriously. super healthy. plant based. and DELICIOUS. i had it on lightly sauteed kale last night as a side to my pasta dish. and i liked it better than the pasta!!  if you’ve never had nutritional yeast flakes before, you’re missing out! they impart a cheesy, nutty flavor, without the fat or cholesterol! yum yum. this dressing is low in fat and extra rich in B vitamins

Savory Lemon Dressing (yields about 1 cup)

1/4 cup olive oil or flaxseed oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (or tamari…or soy sauce…or sea salt) to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed

1. place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. use immedietly or refrigerate in a covered container up to a week (it won’t last that long…promise).

Source: Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen by Vicki Chelf (pg. 151)
 
it’s creamy, tangy, nutty, cheesy, delicious stuff.

sorry for the lack of pictures…i seriously ate it all up before i could remember to snap a few.  next time…i promise.  instead, i’ll leave you with one of the inspiring pictures i have for tattoo ideas.  i can’t stop thinking about getting more tattoos.

somethin’ like this…

happy vegan month of food!

-loves and eat more veg!

perfect pumpkin pancakes (with a secret ingredient!)

fall is finally in full swing.  i find myself saying (probably 97 times a day) how this is my favorite time of the year. and how i love fall. and boise. and seasons in general…but fall for sure…  i’m probably driving everyone crazy. but it’s true. seriously. the smoke has finally cleared from the hazy summer sky and waking up to a bright blue sky with fall colored leaves waving at me is making my life amazing.  speaking of semi-annoying yet scrumptious…now is the perfect time to make pumpkin EVERYTHING. seriously…if you haven’t realized on your own yet that it’s fall, which would be weird, you have at least been bombarded with pumpkin coffee, pumpkin scones, pumpkin candles, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin EVERYTHING. it’s a bit annoying, but fuck it, its fun and delicious to get in the seasonal mood!

i recently checked out a book from the library entitled “Tofu 1-2-3” by Maribeth Abrams, and i’ve got to tell you, it’s changed my view on tofu for damn sure.  not that i didn’t like tofu before, i love tofu. but the only way i ever use it at home is in tofu “egg” scramble. other than that i’ve had it fried and smothered in peanut sauce, or tossed in a salad, or in curry, but this book has so many amazing new ideas that i never would have ever even thought possible…..

por ejemplo (that’s spanish for “for example”. see i’m educated too! ha)

•  stuffed mushrooms with sun-dried tomato pesto (the tofu is blended with pine nuts, basil, sauteed mushroom stems and sun-dried tomatoes before being stuffed into the mushroom caps and baked)
• creste di galli in butternut creme (which is a fancy way to say macaroni and butternut-tofu cheese sauce…holy shit)
• chocolate frosting (which looks bomb, btw)
• and a tofu reuben that sounds so good i want to eat it right now. for reals.

but…fitting with the fall pumpkin theme sweeping the nation…i chose a simple but delicious sounding pumpkin pancake recipe.  tofu in pancakes??? what?? yeah, i know, that’s exactly what i was thinking too….. but yum.  really yum.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES (from “Tofu 1-2-3” by Maribeth Abrams, pg. 4)

You don’t have to wait until autumn to make pancakes with the quintessential orange squash. After all, pumpkin is high in powerful vitamins known as antioxidants, and readily available in cans year-round.

dry ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch o’ salt

liquid ingredients

2 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup soft silken tofu

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (it’s worth the $$)

Directions

1. combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wire whisk.  combine the liquid ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined (DO NOT OVERMIX).
2. mist a nonstick skillet (or a griddle) with nonstick cooking oil spray and set over medium heat. Drop the batter into the skillet using a 1/3-cup measuring cup. cook until small bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes. flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is golden, about 2 minutes. remove from pan, repeat with remaining batter, and serve with pure maple syrup (i heated the syrup up…it’s my fave).

pumpkin pancakes on the griddle

well…now i’m starving and i must go eat.  i started back up at the gym today, after a month or two hiatus of laziness and end of summer fun, but…i’m back.  i feel SO MUCH BETTER when i spend an hour or two out of my day to exercise.  it’s hard to remember how important that is, but once you get into the groove it’s amazing.  it’s easier to eat healthy too when you’ve already busted your ass at the gym.  it’s also my favorite time of the year to run outside.  the leaves crunching under feet, while blasting atomic mama or brother dan on my ipod = heaven.  if you haven’t heard of atomic mama or brother dan (a solo project of one of the atomic mama members), then you’re missing out on some fucking amazing music. seriously..brother dan “the orb” is my favorite album of all time.  a mixture of acoustic, synth, rad harmonies and beats (all done by one person).  it’s like pink floyd meets led zeppelin meets ghostland observatory meets …ahhh i can’t even explain it it’s so good.  check it out and you’ll know what i mean…

http://brotherdan.bandcamp.com/

http://atomicmama.bandcamp.com/

anyway…  i’ll leave you with another cute animal picture… i’m obsessed.

i can’t handle the cuteness

loves and happy fall.  enjoy your pumpkin everything this month…make those pancakes though.. you’ll be glad you did.

adios!!!

-kristen

remember…animals are friends not food.  make a cruelty-free meal today and you’ll feel better in so many ways.  🙂

market fresh eggplant and heirloom cherry tomato pasta with cashew parmesan cheese!

i love living in boise. especially during autumn.  it’s definitely my favorite season for so many reasons…the trees, the weather, the clothes, the food.  mmm food.

i’ve been craving cozier foods already…pastas, pizzas, soups, mashed potatoes, etc…. but it’s still fairly warm out and i’m not quite ready to let go of summer yet.  so finding meals to fit with the mood has proved to be a lot of fun.

we have this amazing little market down the street which has turned out to be so perfect for us.  not only do they have local, quality, organic fruits and vegetables, but the prices are unbeatable.  what normally would cost 40 dollars at the co-op, ends up being at least half the price at this little market.  plus, it’s cute. so all summer we’ve headed to the market a couple of times a week to gather veggies for our feasts. and we fucking feast….there’s a reason they call it the “eat more, weigh less” diet.  because it is exactly that.  since i’ve become vegan (which is almost a year, by the way!)  i’ve easily lost another 20 pounds.  it truly just went away. and i eat a lot. there is hardly a time where i don’t clean my plate. but with a healthy, plant-based, whole foods, vegan diet you can eat a lot. a lot of delicious food.  it’s worth it.  for so many reasons.

anyway….down the street, little market, blah blah blah.

a few days ago they happened to have these beautiful little eggplants. i’ve honestly never even purchased an eggplant, let alone cook with one, but i decided to give it a try.

they’re always delicious in indian food, and eggplant parmesan, etc….so i figured i could whip something up that tasted at least semi-ok.  and wow….it turned out to be bomb as shit.  seriously. i was sad when it was gone off of my plate…and i’ll definitely be making this again soon.  plus, with the addition of those cute little heirloom cherry tomatoes and some homemade cashew parmesan cheese, this dish is sure to be a hit with vegans as well as those who haven’t seen the light yet.  serve this with a salad and some bread and you have yourself a perfect dinner for those last few warm fall evenings.

Market Fresh Eggplant and Heirloom Cherry Tomato Pasta with Cashew Parmesan Cheese

serves: 2

Ingredients:

for the pasta:

(recipe for the cashew parmesan cheese below)

• a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (or veggie stock if you’re trying to cut back on the oils)
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• half of a small yellow onion, diced
• eggplant (i used the one in the picture above for 2 people) sliced thin
• 1 container of heirloom cherry tomatoes (cut a little bit more than half of them in half and leave the rest whole)
• salt
• pepper
• splash of white wine (optional)
• whole wheat angel hair (or thin spaghetti) pasta
• flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1. heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat
2. heat olive oil (or veggie broth)
3. add onions and garlic
4. sautee until onions are translusent
5. add sliced eggplant
6. let cook until eggplant has softened a bit
7. add heirloom cherry tomatoes
8. add salt and pepper
9. sautee until the tomatoes are soft and flavors have had time to get to know each other
10. serve over whole wheat angel hair pasta and top with cashew parmesan cheese (recipe below)
11. sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley
12. enjoy!

Cashew Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup raw cashews (i found mine in the bulk section of the co-op, but they shouldn’t be too hard to find)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (these can also be found in the bulk section.  they add that cheesy flavor!)
• 1 small clove garlic, diced
• 1/2 tablespsoon lemon juice
• salt

Directions:

1. add ingredients to food processor and process until it has reached the texture of parmesan cheese.

i first made this parmesan cheese to top bruschetta i made earlier this summer for my parents.  and my dad, who has cut back on meat and dairy, but is by no means vegan, loved it! he even said he liked it better than “regular” parmesan cheese.  and it’s so much healthier for you too. after i make a batch, i find myself putting it on everything…salads, pizza, sandwiches…so many options!

i can’t wait to head to the market soon and find more delicious veggies to experiment with!

happy eating!!!

loves,

kristen

p.s. eat more veg!

p.p.s. check out this cute kitty picture! my sexy vegan man and monkey love to cuddle.

p.p.p.s. i want this shirt!!!

more to come…i promise!

not having a computer has definitely made it hard to try to blog as much as i want.  and it’s making me sad.  every night i’m just sittin’ at home, drinkin’ some wine or a beer or a martini or… you get it…anyway… just sittin’ at home wishing i could blog blog blog.  i have SO many ideas and recipes and all that good shit that i need to share, but have no means of sharing.  it’s driving me semi insane.  but…staying positive.  i’ve been taking shit tons of vegan food pictures, and writing ideas down in my little vegan journal book thing, and eating a lot, so i have things to share…i just have be patient…and so do you!  the whole lot of you. the thousands upon thousands of you who check my blog every day waiting for new posts… ok.  so maybe just the three of you who check it just to see if i drop another fuck word or post more cute sweatshirt photos (more of both of those to come!)…

the point of this is…

is that soon, hopefully very very very soon, i’ll have a computer that i can blog away upon to my hearts content.  and i can update you on the salt lake city trip to see yeasayer. which was absolutely amazing, by the way.  the whole trip, not just the concert.  veg news was right, salt lake city is definitely an up-and-coming vegan city. we went to a vegan diner (with milkshakes, and burgers, and fry sauce, and ranch!) and a vegan bakery too!  ahhh i can’t wait to post the pictures.  i almost died.  i serioulsy had to sit down when i found out all of the pastries were vegan.  i even shed a small tear of joy (i really did).

the end of summer is always super busy. and this one was definitely busy as shit.  but awesome. and i can’t wait to share more food!   fall is my favorite time to cook and i’ll be posting many a recipe!

in the mean time…i hope you’re all cooking wonderfully delicious vegan foods!

and remember… eat more veg!

loves,

kristen

p.s. i guess it’s about time that you meet my cat. his name is monkey and he is insane.  he claps. a lot.   and you’ll definitely be seeing more of him…so get ready…he’s cute as fuck.

told you!   🙂

insanely delicious breakfast burritos

first things first… i want this:

ok…now that that’s been taken care of…

back to the foods… 

introducing a delicious breakfast burrito… that i can’t get enough of.  (seriously, i think i dream about these burritos.)

these burritos make for a perfect breakfast or brunch or lunch or dinner or snack or … you get the point.

pair these with some hashbrowns and fresh fruit and you’ve got yourself one hell of a brunch.

Insanely Delicious Breakfast Burritos

• serves 2
• time: 20 minutes
• fairly easy

Ingredients:

• whole wheat tortillas

for the tofu “egg” scramble:

• extra firm tofu (with the water pressed out). i used half of a package.  as far as brands go… i tend to stick with Nasoya. but any kind will do. 
• 2 small-medium sized cloves of garlic (diced)
• 1/4 of a medium sized yellow onion (diced)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or low sodium soy sauce, or tamari if you’re gluten free)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (or more…or less…whatever your little taste buds desire)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or veggie broth if you’re trying to be a bit healthier)

what is nutritional yeast? i know i know…it sounds weird..and kinda gross. but it’s not. it’s absolutely grand.  it makes              everything you add it to taste cheesy and oh so good.  it’s perfect for creating vegan mac and cheese too!  if you don’t have it on hand, you can definitely find it in bulk at most grocery stores.  there are both flakes and powder…i prefer the flakes.  it’s also a good source of vitamin B12!!!  yum yum.

• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• a pinch or two of turmeric (mostly for that yellow egg-like color)

other possible burrito ingredients:

• vegan sausage crumbles
• asparagus, kale, spinach, tomatoes, green onions, etc. (whatever kinds of veggies you love or have on hand will do)
• vegan cheese (i used the Daiya brand pepperjack shreds.  they melt. they stretch. it’s good.)

• salsa
• tapatio
• vegan sour cream

Directions:

• heat a nonstick, heavy bottomed, skillet on medium heat.  heat olive oil, or veggie broth, in the skillet before adding the garlic and onion (this is my favorite smell in the world). next, take your drained and pressed tofu (to do this, you can use a fancy schmancy tofu press, or just put the tofu in between some paper towels and press with a book or something else heavy) and crumble it into the garlic and onion mixture.  make sure you don’t crumble it up too much, it’ll get crumblier as you cook it.  big chunks = good chunks.  after this has sauteed for a few minutes, add in your soy sauce, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and turmeric.  taste, adjust spices, taste.
• this is about the time i would crumble some vegan sausage crumbles into the tofu eggs (i use gimme lean…it’s good. i promise). 
• next, add any veggies that you would like cooked into the skillet, and heat throughout.  i’ve been trying to do mostly raw veggies lately, but it’s totally up to you.  you could also roast your veggies in the oven before-hand if you’d like.  that sounds yum.
• finally, it’s time to assemble the burritos: take a whole wheat tortilla and sprinkle some of the vegan cheese on it.  heat it in a skillet or griddle or microwave.  after the cheese has melted, put half of your tofu “egg” veggie mixture on top of the cheese, add any extra goodies you choose, roll it up, and eat it.
• boom! 

lately, i’ve been adding avocado on top, along with vegan sour cream, and extra cheese.  it’s seriously SO GOOD.  a really great option to serve to all of those non-vegan friends of yours. they’ll never know the diff.  it’s hard not to just eat all of this scramble up before it goes into the burrito. it seriously tastes like sausage and eggs.  for real.

some friends and i are heading to salt lake city this weekend to see yeasayer!!!  we’re staying at a rad condo and i’ll probably be making this for everyone for breakfast.  it’s a crowd pleaser…

looking forward to trying out some vegan/vegetarian restaurants in SLC too!  updates to follow for sure!

happy vegan eating.

loves,

eat_more_ veg 

follow me on instagram: @eat_more_veg

and on pinterest :  http://pinterest.com/eatmorevegan/ (my vegan board is full of only the best recipes around)

and keep an eye out for the up and coming eat more veg facebook page!  🙂

easy, yummy, quick (chilled) noodle bowl

so this turned out to be much more delicious than i would have thought…considering i only used three, simple, common ingredients to make the sauce.

i came home from the gym today around lunch time, as usual, and i was starving.  that TRX class i took seriously kicked my ass.  if you haven’t tried TRX and you go to a gym that has it, take the class.

TRX is basically a suspension training tool, a specially designed set of straps and handles that allow for portable, body-weight based training that can help in building strength, balance, flexibility, core and joint stability, all while preventing injuries for people working within a wide spectrum of fitness levels.

it’s weird at first, and you definitely feel like a huge idiot trying to pull off the moves that instructors make look easy, but it’s worth it.  i’ve worked muscle groups i never even knew existed.  it’s the shit.

back to the part about the food…  

being super low on groceries, i had only a few ingredients in the fridge to work with.  i was tempted to say fuck it and just go grab a lovely sandwich from the local co-op down the street, but decided to save some $$ and make something at home.  i took at look at what i had, decided to make an asian inspired noodle bowl, and it actually turned out to be AMAZING.  i’ll definitely be making this time and time again.  not only is it easy, but it’s relatively cheap, uses common ingredients, and is delicious.  even the boyfriend was like “dayyuummmm what did you put in that sauce???”  well here’s the answer:

Easy, Yummy, Quick Noodle Bowl

• serves :2
• time: 15 minutes
• effort level: easy

Ingredients:

• whole wheat pasta
• shredded cabbage, carrots, radishes (use whatever you’d like here, get creative!)
• peanuts, cashews, almonds (basically whatever kind of nut you’d like to use)
• soy sauce (low sodium. this is highly important or it’ll be way too salty. if you don’t have low sodium, just add a little water to dilute the soy sauce a little)
• peanut butter (the real stuff)
• sriracha

Directions:

1. make the sauce first. that way it has time to meld together in the fridge before you pour it over the pasta and veggies.  simply whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter, and sriracha until smooth (ish). taste it. adjust the amounts to your liking, and put in the fridge.
2. make whole wheat pasta. run the pasta under cold running water after it’s been cooked to end the cooking process and cool down the pasta. this makes for a chilled salad effect. yum! especially during those hot summer months.
3. shred your veggies
4. now just mix it all up together in a bowl and serve.  enjoy!

it’s really that simple.  add what you want, omit what you want, use low sodium soy sauce or tamari instead of regular soy sauce, etc.  play around with it. it’s your food. 

talking about it already has me craving it again….i know what i’m having for lunch again tomorrow!

happy vegan eating.

loves,

eat_more_veg 

bomb ass chocolate pumpkin pie

yes. that is vegan. and it was good. damn good.

of course i became vegan right as holiday season was about to be in full swing.  and i had NO idea what i was doing.  thanksgiving dinner? christmas dinner? what was i going to do? my family is going to think i’m insane. they’re going to hate me and the food i make. stressed out. stressed out. stressed out.

think. think. think.

what can i make to please my newly found vegan tastebuds as well as my omnivorous families?

answer: dessert! everyone loves dessert. especially dessert involving chocolate.  so i searched vegan chocolate pumpkin pie (thank you google) and found more than a few recipes.  some sounded like they would take hours upon hours, while others sounded easy as pie  (yes, i’m a dork).

the result:  a little bit of this and a little bit of that and a lot of hope.  i think the hope helped a lot since i never ever ever ever bake.  seriously, this may be the first thing i have ever put together and put in the oven without the help of my mom.  and guess what…it worked!  and it was delicious. and i wanted to eat the whole thing for dinner.  i also ended up making a completely vegan christmas dinner for my mom, dad, brother, grandma, and grandpa (without anything having to do with tofurkey)…and they LOVED it. said they didn’t miss the animal parts at all.  happy me. (more to come on vegan holidays later…i promise. the pot pies with homemade puff pastry were too good not to share! ooo and the garlic mashed potatoes with roasted shallot and rosemary gravy..mmm. shit. now i’m hungry.)

ok ok. i’ll shut up now… here’s the recipe for this bomb ass pie: 

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Pie: 

Filling:

1 1/4 cups non-dairly chocolate chips

1 can (14 oz.) organic pumpkin pie mix (make sure it’s the mix and not just the pumpkin)

2 tbsp. unrefined sugar (i used turbinado)

2 tsp. arrowroot powder

1/8 rounded tsp. salt

1 vegan crust ( i purchased the one in the picture at our local co-op, but the pie i made for christmas was even better with a homemade chocolate crust)

2 tbsp. non-dairy chocolate chips (to garnish)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Either in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl over simmering (not boiling) water, melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.   While that’s all happening on the stove, in a food processor, add the pumpkin pie mix, sugar, arrowroot powder, and salt.  Puree until very smooth.  Make sure to scrape down the sides as needed.  Once the chocolate is melted, add that to your food processor and puree with the pumpkin pie mixture until smooth and creamy.  Pour the pie filling into the crust, jiggle it around a little to make sure it’s evenly distributed and sprinkle on the final 2 tbsp. of chocolate chips.  Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes until the pie is set.  The middle may still be a bit soft, but no worries, it’ll set as it cools.  Remove from the oven and set the pie on a cooling rack, or in the window to make all of the neighbors jealous. 🙂   Let the pie cool completely before snarfing the whole thing down.  Enjoy!

easy, delish, and they’ll never know it was vegan.  perfection.  

happy vegan eating!

loves,

eat_more_veg

p.s. follow me  @eat_more_veg  on instagram for more delicious food pictures…and other random pictures of my weird ass life.