Comments (20)

By kilax, March 20, 2010 6:32 am

We used to always share food with our neighbors (who moved), and they would often say, “we feel less guilty eating your treats since they are vegan!”

Believe me – you can make UNHEALTHY vegan food. Oh yes. Like Vegan Apple Fritters!

My sister and her boyfriend are visiting, so we took this as the perfect opportunity to try making Vegan Apple Fritters yesterday. They turned out amazing – just like the ones you buy in a donut shop, just not as thick – we will probably make them thicker next time.

Steven modified a recipe from recipezaar.com to make it vegan (we also modified it to work with the ingredients we already had).

Warning: this recipe takes a long-ass time to prepare (we made the apple filling in advance and got up at 6:30 yesterday… so these would be ready by 10:00!). And it is one LONG-ASS recipe, so click “continue reading” to read on…

Continue reading 'Vegan Apple Fritters'»

Comments (6)

By kilax, March 17, 2010 7:45 pm

Tonight when I was making roasted chickpeas and following our own recipe I realized I made a mistake when I posted it- it should be one tablespoon of garlic powder, not two!

I apologize to anyone who used the recipe like this! I corrected it here.

Comments (37)

By kilax, March 16, 2010 4:35 am

Being vegan, I choose legumes as my main source of protein. And lucky me, there is a huge variety to choose from – and I’ve never met a legume I didn’t like (to consume, ha!).

Since we have been cooking so much with legumes lately, and loving it, Steven and I decided to do a series here sharing some of our favorite legume recipes!

Before I get in to the first recipe though, I have to ask, do you know how to prepare dry beans? That is what we will be using in most of our recipes (instead of canned beans, but I will give the equivalent), and I would be happy to write a post on it, but only if want to read it! I put in a little poll below if you want to answer.

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On to the recipe!

Roasted Chickpeas

If you like crunchy, filling, slightly-salty snacks, you are going to love these! And guess what? They taste just like Corn Nuts!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c. prepared dry chickpeas or 2 cans chickpeas
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder (updated to fix typo)
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Turn oven on to 425°.
2. Rinse and pat dry chickpeas.
3. Mix olive oil and spices in a bowl and whisk together. Add chickpeas and mix together with a spatula.







4. Evenly spread chickpeas on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper.





5. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Once you hit the 30 minute mark, watch them to make sure they don’t burn.

These are such a satisfying treat! I love taking them to work to have as a snack. My only advice? Bring some gum to chew afterward!

Kate has an almost identical roasted chickpea recipe on her blog, but uses different spices and tosses them with the chickpeas after roasting.

Do you think you would like roasted chickpeas? What spices would you put on them?

Comments (23)

By kilax, February 13, 2010 6:35 am

What do you think the secret ingredient is?

Can you tell from this photo? Probably not…

I can’t keep it a secret any longer…

It’s potato chips! Ha ha. Steven and I saw a special on Unwrapped about potato chip cookies in November or December and have kind of been wanting to try them. My grandma had a recipe, so we got to work!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. margarine
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs or 2 tbsp. flaxseed with 6 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. coarsely crushed potato chips
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 package (6 oz.) butterscotch chips or 1/2 c. peanut butter

Directions:

1. Cream together margarine and sugars. Add eggs or flaxseed mix and vanilla and beat well. Add crushed potato chips and butterscotch chips or peanut butter. Sift flour and soda together. Stir in creamed mixture.
2. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375° F.

Muchos simple, no?

We made one half of the batch without butterscotch chips or peanut butter, and I do not recommend that – they are not sweet enough. We all really liked the peanut butter ones.

The potato chips only leave a slight crunch in the cookie, so it’s hard to distinguish they are in there! The most fun is telling people these are “Secret Ingredient Cookies” and trying to get them to guess what the secret ingredient is.

These are fun cookies. Definitely not my new favorite or anything, but fun.

What is the strangest thing you have ever baked?

Comments (24)

By kilax, February 8, 2010 4:43 am

Ever wonder what to do with all of those vegetable scraps?

Broccoli, carrot and celery scraps.

Make your own homemade broth!

This is something Steven and I had been talking about doing for a long time. We use a lot of broth, and one can of Swanson Vegetable Broth is about 79¢*. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but believe me, when you cook as much as we do, it adds up!

So long Swanson! I never really liked your “Natural Flavoring” anyway!

We finally got a kick in the butt and started making it when Morgan posted “Make Your Own Broth” (Thank you, Morgan!!!). Steven made some the same day and we loved using it. It had great flavor, and of course, I felt so much better knowing what was in it.

I thought I would document it this time, so you can see how easy it is!

Ingredients:

• Whatever veggies you like – we used scraps of broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, celery, and tomato (well, technically a fruit)
• 1 big onion – whatever kind of onion you want
• 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
• Whatever spice you like – we used pepper, sweet basil, thyme, parsley flakes, and a couple of bay leaves
• Salt
• Water – a big pot, 2/3 full (about 1 gallon)

I know the ingredients are pretty vague, but really, you can just put in what you like.

Directions:

1. Fill the pot of water up 2/3 full and turn heat on to high. Clean your veggie scraps, chop them up a bit and throw them in, along with the chopped up onion and smashed garlic cloves.



How much water we started off with.



Rinsed and cleaned veggie scraps.



Chopped Red Onion.



Smashed Garlic.

2. Add your spices and salt. Stir it up and bring it to a boil.







So pretty and smells so good!

3. Simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Really, you can simmer it for however long you want – the longer you do, the stronger the broth will be. We simmered it until the water was reduced by half. Taste it every once in awhile to see if it needs more salt.



4. Let the broth cool (until it stops steaming).
5. Strain the broth out (see photo below – set your colander in a large bowl). Smoosh the veggies with a spatula to get extra the extra broth out. Throw away the veggies.



Strain out the broth…



… smoosh the rest of the broth out!


6. Put it in storage containers (we ended up with 8 cups, so we used two 2-cup containers and one 4-cup container) and store it in your fridge! We also put some in the freezer to use later (we are gone this week).

This is so easy! You just leave it on the stove and let it go. The only requirement is that you have to be around the house for a few hours.

Do you use a lot of vegetable (or meat) broth when you cook? What dishes do you use it in? Would you ever make your own broth?

Since I am talking about food (again, what is this?!) I thought I would show you these cute measuring spoons my Aunt Sue gave Steven – a Smidgen, Pinch and Dash!

*It’s virtually free to cook it at home, since we have the veggie scraps. We just don’t know how much it costs to run the burner!

Comments (57)

By kilax, February 4, 2010 4:49 am

I love Wheat Thins. I do. But check out the amount of sodium in them:

230mg? That just seems like a lot to me! (According to this article, “Some 75% of dietary salt intake comes from processed foods.” The recommended daily salt intake is 1,500 mg, but the average adult American male consumes almost 4,000 mg a day!)

And what is up with all of the ingredients?

Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, CORNSTARCH, MALT SYRUP (FROM BARLEY AND CORN), SALT, INVERT SUGAR, LEAVENING (CALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND/OR BAKING SODA), MONOGLYCERIDES, WHOLE GRAIN BARLEY FLAKES, WHOLE GRAIN MILLET, WHOLE GRAIN RYE, WHOLE GRAIN TRITICALE, VEGETABLE COLOR (ANNATTO EXTRACT, TURMERIC OLEORESIN). CONTAINS: WHEAT. BHT ADDED TO PACKAGING MATERIAL TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.

Ugh. What the hell? Why does the list of ingredients have to be so long? I’d much rather make MY OWN wheat thins…

(Brilliant segue, no?)

Steven found a recipe for Homemade Wheat Thins from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cookbook on this blog, and set out to make them last Sunday.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 4 tbsp. margarine
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• additional salt for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika. Melt the margarine and mix it all together. Combine the water and vanilla, then add to the dry mixture, mixing until smooth.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Divide the dough into four pieces (see below – this just makes it so you aren’t rolling out A TON of dough). Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/16th thick. Trim the edges with a pizza cutter (see below) and cut dough into squares.





4. Put the squares on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Repeat steps 3-4 with rest of dough.



5. Bake the crackers one sheet at a time, until crisp and brown, 5-7 minutes. Watch the oven LIKE A HAWK! You want the crackers crispy, not chewy, but not burnt either! Remove and cool on a plate or cooling rack. They will stay crisp for several days in an airtight container.

Looks just like a Wheat Thin, right?

Perfect for taking to work!

Nom.

We* were impressed. The ones we baked just right, tasted JUST LIKE Wheat Thins! It would be cool if we started making these every week, along with our granola bars.

And I think you could add cinnamon and they would be SUPER tasty sweet treat!

Have you ever felt like a processed food had too much salt or too many ingredients and tried to make your own version?

*And so were my coworkers that I shared these with! They both immediately asked for the recipe.

Comments (30)

By kilax, February 2, 2010 5:05 am

How would you feel if you found out you were destined to end up with your mother’s body? Would you be happy? Ambivalent? Hysterical?

Check out my guest post on Linz’s blog and leave your answer over there!

A few months ago I saw these Yogavive Apple Chips on Gelareh’s blog. I was intrigued that they are apple chips, but flavored like other fruits! I left a comment stating my curiosity and they sent me some to review (My first review ever! How cool!).

I received the small 35-calorie packs* in four flavors – original, peach, strawberry and caramel. Each pack contains the equivalent of one apple, and lists apples and natural flavors as ingredients. The first time I tried them, I snuck a strawberry and caramel pack into the theater – shh! The rest I ate as quick snacks in the car, or at work. Here are my likes and dislikes:

Likes:

• thin + crispy, like a potato chip
• fun to eat – a satisfying crunch
• low in calories
• a light snack
• portable
• organic
• no artificial taste

Dislikes:

• small packaging is wasteful
• not very filling

I have had apple “chips” before that were more chewy, so I was pleasantly surprised by these. If I decided to buy them in the store, I would get the large package, and put them in my own reusable containers. I think these are a fun snack for being on the go, but I am more likely to eat a real apple, which are also portable and tasty!

If you are interested and want to find out where to get Yogavive Apple Chips click here to find a store near you! They are also on twitter and facebook.

Do you like fruit chips and dried fruit? Do you think you would like Yogavive Apple Chips?

I definitely like the way banana and apple chips taste, and dried apricots, but I have a problem with overeating them so I stick to the fruit in its natural form.

*Yogachips™ are available in 1-apple / 10g and 5-apple / 50g packs.

Comments (45)

By kilax, February 1, 2010 5:01 am

Yesterday Erin asked me what recipe I used for my homemade granola bars. I looked through my recipe archive, ready to send her a link, then realized, even though I talked about them, I never posted the recipe!

So, with Steven’s permission (since he developed the recipe), I’ve posted the recipe below! Please note, these are chewy, and dense. They won’t sit in your stomach like a rock, but they are not light and airy.

Ingredients:

• 2 c. oats
• 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c. wheat germ or wheat bran
• 1/4 c. milled flaxseed
• 1/4 – 1/3 c. sweetener (honey, imitation honey, agave nectar, molasses)
• 1/2 c. + apple sauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. raisins or whatever dried fruit/nuts you like (I used raisins and dates in these)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F, grease bottoms of two (2) 8.5″x4.5″ loaf pans very well (you can use metal or glass loaf pans, really, any size you want – it just determines the thickness of the bars).
2. Mix all dry ingredients, add in all wet ingredients. Cut up dried fruit/nuts to small sizes and add in. The mixture should mostly stick together, but add more applesauce if it is super crumbly.
3. Divide half of mixture into each loaf pan and smooth down with a spatula.



This is a photo of Steven’s bars from last year. I just wanted to show them to you in the pan. His look a bit different because he uses different ingredients (puffed rice, baking soda and powder).

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Let cool in the pan. Tip them out upside down onto a cooling rack, let cool a bit more then cut into whatever size you want on a cutting board.

Easy, right?

I like to store them in a container, then put them in a plastic bag when I want to take one to work. That way I can reuse the same bag over and over. Another option is to individually wrap each in saran wrap. These granola bars last about 1.5 – 2 weeks.

Do you make homemade granola bars?

Since I am talking about food, I might as well tell you that I added pearled barley to my oatmeal this weekend (after cooking for 45 minutes, of course) and LOVED it! Yum! I love how chewy it is. Any other ideas for things I can do with barley? We also have some couscous to use. Any favorite couscous recipes? Erin already recommended this one, which I cannot wait to try!

Half eaten oatmeal with barley, milled flaxseed and brown sugar.

Okay, and since I am still talking about food, check out these two pizzas we made last night. Yes, two.

One SUPER thick one and one SUPER thin one. Muah ha ha.

Would you want a piece of the SUPER thick pizza or the SUPER thin pizza?

Thank you for all of your entries on the My Favorite Things Giveaway! I had fun reading what you would put in your hypothetical giveaway!

And now, for the big weiner winner…

I used a handy-dandy holiday box my sister gave me for the drawing….

Steven did the honors and…

The winner is Lynn from The Actor’s Diet! Lynn said:

my list would include 18 rabbits granola bars, justin’s maple almond butter, peanut ginger chews, tootsie pops, sunshine burgers, and newman’s own’s ginger hermits

Damn, I have been wanting to try those 18 Rabbits Granola Bars!

Congrats, Lynn! Send me your mailing address and I will skip the goodies your way!

And to everyone else, thanks for entering, and please continue to do so! I have some other giveaway ideas!

Comments (41)

By kilax, January 14, 2010 5:07 am

A coworker made this celery root soup recipe* over the weekend and wanted to share it with me and another coworker (who recently became vegan). Apparently, the recipe takes quite a bit of work, and she knew we would appreciate it.

The problem? She ran out of veggie broth and had to use some chicken broth.

She was kind enough to “disclose” this info to us. I felt awful turning her down when she told me. “You’re that strict?!” she asked? Yes, I am.

I try to follow a vegan diet as closely as I can – avoiding eggs, dairy and honey.** Of course, I know there are going to be slip-ups. We were using Fleischmann’s margarine for awhile until we realized the D3 listed as an ingredient was from FISH (yeah, it’s not even vegetarian – D2 is okay, D3 is not). I just realized the Morningstar crumbles are not vegan, so I have been using TVP instead (worked well on pizza this weekend!). I am learning as I go.

However, if I know a food item has eggs, dairy or honey in it, I will absolutely avoid it. Especially if it has something like chicken broth in it.

I feel like there is a difference between choosing to ignore something and ignorance.

I do cut myself some slack, but yes, I try to be 99.9% vegan (as Lacey wrote in a recent comment). I think I can call myself a vegan, even though I have made these “mistakes.” I cannot be perfect.

This incident got me thinking about the unpublished post I was referring to in this post. It was about being labeled as vegetarian or vegan, and what that label means, and if it is valid. Should you call yourself vegetarian if you occasionally eat meat? (In my opinion, no). Should we have labels at all? I fear that post will never get published. I am not eloquent with words, nor a good debater, and I just can’t get my thoughts together.

Anyway, so I feel kind of bad turning down this person’s offerings… but at the same time, I kind of don’t feel bad. I have made a decision for myself, and at this time, it is important that I stick to it.

Do you ever feel bad turning down food that someone is offering you? What makes YOU turn down food?

*Ironically, this is a recipe from Tal Ronnen. I really want to check out his book – The Conscious Cook. Has anyone been using it?
**And other animal products (like leather) and products tested on animals (like shampoo).

Comments (33)

By kilax, January 6, 2010 5:40 am

What’s better than arriving home to a fresh cooked meal?

Nothing, really.

When I arrive home and Steven has a warm dinner on the stove, ready for me to eat, I feel like a pampered princess.

Do you like it when someone else cooks for you? Whose cooking is your favorite? Or do you prefer to make your own food?

Last night, Steven made a modified (because we were missing a few ingredients) version of Anna’s (newlywednewlyveg) Black Bean Fiesta Soup.

Here are the original ingredients, crossed out with what we substituted. Check out her site for the full recipe! I hope you don’t mind that we changed it up a bit, Anna!

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 3 clove(s) garlic, chopped
  
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 1/2 T. Dried Red Pepper, 1 1/2 T. Dried Green Pepper
  
• 1 4. oz. can green chilies, chopped 1 1/2 Tsp Dried Jalapeño
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. Ancho Chili Powder and 1/4 tsp. Chipotle Chili Powder
  
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. lime zest
• juice of one lime 1 Tsp. Lime Juice
  
• 3 2 15. oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ADDED: 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 3 cups 2 cans vegetable broth
  
• 1 15 oz. can corn
• ADDED: 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  

Also, our favorite cornbread made a guest appearance. It went deliciously with this soup! I recommend trying the soup (either the original or our version). It was so tasty – perfect for a cold evening, and not too spicy!

Crap. I better be careful. I don’t want to turn into a food blogger. Stop making such tasty eats Steven! (no really, please don’t stop)

Time for another meme! Ayla (dainty vegan), Leah (why deprive), Kim (Adventures in Wanting) and Trayn Harder all gave me the Happy 101 award. Thank you! I am supposed to list 10 things that make me happy. Making this list was fun (I could have kept going past 10). I think I could do this everyday! Give it a try! Click “more” to read on.

Continue reading 'A twist on Anna’s Black Bean Fiesta Soup / Happy 101 Meme'»