Green Tea and Almond Cupcakes Part 3 of 3

Green Tea and Almond Cupcakes

inspired by Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

 

For Cupcakes:

1 bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Vanilla Mix

3 fake eggs (I used Ener G Egg Replacer)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup almond milk (Plain, unsweetened)

3-4 tsps of matcha tea powder
1/2 tsp of almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Line cupcake pan

2. Mix the fake eggs and set aside

3. Mix cake mix, coconut oil until combine, add almond milk, matcha powder, and eggs.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way (I think the mix made 18 cupcakes for me)

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check with toothpick. 

6. Cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

For Green Tea Glaze

3/4-1 cup powdered sugar 

1 tbsp Earth Balance or coconut oil (I used earth balance)

1-2 tsp almond milk

1-2 tsp warm water

1/2 tsp matcha powder

dash of almond extract

marizipan for decoration 

more powdered sugar for decoration

1. Time for the marzipan decorations! I rolled out the marzipan in powdered sugar, cut the shapes out with a cookie cutter and set aside. (There are tons of how tos, videos and blogs around. This is a more complicated route, but I think Vegan Yum Yum is amazing so check this one) I added red food coloring to half the flowers.

2. Cream half the sugar and margarine until crumbly.  

3. Add in almond milk, water, and matcha powder, and beat in remaining sugar.  

4. Adjust consistency if needed, it should be pretty soupy.

5. Dip each mocha cupcake top into the frosting and roll until covered. While frosting is still wet, add the marizpan decroations. 

Mocha Almond Fudge and Devil's Food Cupcakes Part 2 of 3

Mocha Almond Fudge and Devil's Food Cupcakes

inspired by Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

For Cupcakes:

1 bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Mix

3 fake eggs (I used Ener G Egg Replacer)

1/2 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance (I used Earth Balance)

1/4 cup hot water with 1 tbsp of instant coffee mixed in

1/4 cup almond milk plain unsweetened

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (I use enjoy life mini chips)

2 tsp of cocoa powder

1 tsp of almond extract

1 tsp of vanilla extract 

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Line cupcake pan

2. Mix the fake eggs and set aside

3. Mix cake mix, Earth Balance until combined, add eggs and mix well.

4. Split batter in half, to one half add the hot water with coffee and almond extract. To the other half add the almond milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way (I think the mix made 9 of each flavor or 18 total cupcakes for me)

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check with toothpick. 

6. Cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

For Mocha Glaze:

3/4-1 cup powdered sugar 

1 tbsp Earth Balance or coconut oil (I used earth balance)

1-2 tsp almond milk

1-2 tsp warm water

2 tsp instant coffee

dash of almond extract

marizipan for decoration 

more powdered sugar for decoration

cinnamon for decoration

chocolate chips for decoration 

1. Time for the marzipan decorations! I rolled out the marzipan in powdered sugar, cut the shapes out with a cookie cutter and set aside. (There are tons of how tos, videos and blogs around. This is a more complicated route, but I think Vegan Yum Yum is amazing so check this one)   

2. Cream half the sugar and margarine until crumbly.  

3. Add in almond milk, water, and coffee, and beat in remaining sugar.  

4. Adjust consistency if needed, it should be pretty soupy.

5. Dip each mocha cupcake top into the frosting and roll until covered. While frosting is still wet, add the marizpan decroations. I made flowers and put a chocolate chip in the middle. Then I sprinkled cinnamon over everything. Yum!

For Chocolate Frosting:

1 3/4- 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar (I used a looooot)

1 tbsp Earth Balance or coconut oil (I used earth balance)

2-4 tsp almond milk

1 tbsp of cocoa powder

dash of vanilla extract 

1. Cream half the sugar and margarine until crumbly.  

2. Add in almond milk and cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, and beat in remaining sugar.  

3. Adjust consistency if needed.
4. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes, I made it tall, swirly and wonderful, then I took chocolate chips and sprinkled them over everything. You'll note from my photo I did NOT wait the proper amount of time to frost the cupcakes. Haha.

EDIT: Due to the controversy surrounding Bob's Red Mill products right now, I'm unsure I want to promote them. There are other gluten free mixes (I've used Betty Crocker's which was pretty good) you can use, just adjust the liquid ingredients to what the mix you purchased asks for.

Cupcakes! Part 1 of 3

I love cupcakes, but what girl doesn't? They're cute, small, and delicious. Recently I house-sat for my friend Allie and as a thank you, she bought me this amazing book:

The book was intoxicating, not a lot of gluten free options, but the ideas in this book blew my mind!
Anyway, it came in very helpful when Doe Deere asked me to bring a vegan/gluten free dessert option to her housewarming party. I immediately started scouring the book looking for Asian style recipes. I came up with Green Tea Almond and Rosewater Pistachio. Neither of these recipes were gluten free so I decided to improvise with a Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Vanilla Mix. And OH MY GOSH the combo of everything was so decadent, I had to make an extra batch (The second batch I did mocha fudge and chocolate truffle) because Brian, myself, and friends ate a ton of them the night before the housewarming.... oops. These cupcakes were the best gleegan cupcakes I have ever made, Brian swears that they are too moist to be really gleegan. So here we go. Over the next three days I will be posting the three dolled up cupcake recipes I did, and if you like them I strongly suggest you get Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. It's an amazing read, I'm super impressed. Let me preface I USUALLY don't eat processed sugar, but these are a treat, and I am not feeling bad about eating them. So there!

Let's start with my favorite, and the most requested recipe:

Rosewater and Pistachio Cupcakes

inspired by Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

For Cupcakes:

1 bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Vanilla Mix

3 fake eggs (I used Ener G Egg Replacer)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup almond milk (Plain, unsweetened)

1/4 cup rosewater (I got mine in the beauty section at Whole Foods, make sure that it doesn't have perfumes and is edible!)

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Line cupcake pan

2. Mix the fake eggs and set aside

3. Mix cake mix, coconut oil until combine, add liquids and eggs.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way (I think the mix made 18 cupcakes for me)

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check with toothpick. 

6. Cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

For Frosting:

21/2- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used a looooot)

2 tbsp Earth Balance or coconut oil (I used earth balance)

2-4 tsp almond milk

1-2 tsp rosewater

dot of red food coloring (I promise. A DOT is all you need)

chopped pistachios for decoration

1. Cream half the sugar and margarine until crumbly.  

2. Add in almond milk and rosewater, and beat in remaining sugar.  

3. Adjust consistency if needed.
4. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes, I made it tall, swirly and wonderful, then I took pistachios and sprinkled them on the ugly parts. 

VOILA! Beautiful cupcakes!

Check back tomorrow for the Mocha Fudge and Devils Food Recipes!

EDIT: Due to the controversy surrounding Bob's Red Mill products right now, I'm unsure I want to promote them. There are other gluten free mixes (I've used Betty Crocker's which was pretty good) you can use, just adjust the liquid ingredients to what the mix you purchased asks for.

Vegan Yack Attack's Protein-Packed Dessert for Breakfast Smoothie!

Thank you Vegan Yack Attack for putting together several of my favorite things! Smoothies, chia seeds, chocolate, and frozen bananas. This was the perfect quick snack while I was busy crafting all afternoon! It reminds me of a shake my parents used to make with bananas, icecream, and slim fast powder: but WAY healthier!

For the recipe I used almond butter instead of peanut butter and about 3/4 cup of almond milk. YUMMY

Here's the recipe

Indian Food (Explorations in Tofu: Part 2 of 5)

I love Indian food- it’s delicious and super easy to get vegan. Although Palak Paneer (or Saag Paneer? I think Palak is a type of Saag...) is one of my favorite dishes. After going vegan I missed those chunks of cheese. Yummmm. 

Anyone so last night I decided to make a vegetable curry because I had leftover veggies from a party platter I made last weekend. While I was cooking the curry, I forgot I had some long lost frozen spinach and a block of tofu, and decided to try a vegan palak paneer, for my explorations of tofu series.

Vegan Vegetable Curry

1 can of light coconut cream

1-2 tbsp of curry powder (I love a ton of curry, but start with a little and work your way up to taste)

2 tsp of garlic salt (Use more if needed)

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

A vast array of vegetables (I used broccoli, snap peas, and carrots)

1.              Heat up the coconut milk over medium.

2.              Add all the spices and stir till combined.

3.              Add all the vegetables; stir till vegetables are all covered.

4.              Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. I like my vegetables still a bit firm so do this to taste. 

Palak Tofu

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 cups frozen spinach (next time I’ll try fresh)

1 medium tomato

¼ package medium-firm tofu (optional)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp vegannaise (or coconut milk + sprinkle of salt)

1.              Heat up half the olive oil with the onions over medium

2.              Right as the onions get glassy add the spinach and stir. Let simmer.

3.              Chop the tomato up and throw it in the blender or food processor till pureed. Add to the spinach.

4.              Add all the spices and vegannaise and stir till combined. Taste it- add any additional amount of spices to get to the right flavor for you.

5.              Chop the tofu into bite size pieces. Add to the spinach, stir till covered and reduce heat to low medium. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve both dishes over rice and enjoy!

Gluten Intolerance

I get headaches. I thought they were migraines, my doctor said, “NO, they are not migraines, are you pregnant?” After several negative pregnancy tests, disappointing appointments, bad reactions to medication, and no end to them in sight I gave up. I figured it was time to live with them. Okay- let’s that that aside and get along with my story.

So, a few years ago a dear friend told me that she not only was allergic to gluten but it was terrible for anyone to ingest. I shrugged it off- I was a die hard “carbavore” and was addicted to French toast and sandwiches. But it was always there, especially as other people were starting telling me that gluten was bad. Gluten free items started popping up in stores.... but alas, I loved my bread.

A couple months before my 10-day-turned-no-end-in-sight vegan/gluten free adventure began someone asked me what I was allergic to. I was very confused because I didn’t feel at all like I was having an allergic reaction. (Side note: I’m allergic to peaches and my whole mouth and throat breaks out and I have a hard time breathing if I accidentally eat them.) I laughed it off- my skin gets weird bumps sometimes it’s something I had also learned to live with.

A month into my 10-day-turned-no-end-in-sight vegan/gluten free adventure I wanted to eat my favorite non-vegan/gluten-free veggie burger at my favorite restaurant. The next morning I had a raging headache.

I looked at my hands.

They were blotchy.

I thought...

I have NOT had a headache in a month.

Oh.

It all made so much sense. So that’s how I discovered I am intolerant to gluten.

Yay for no more headaches!

Explorations of Tofu: Part 1 of 5

I love edamame. In my opinion it is the best soy form. That said- Tofu is definitely not my all-time favorite food, I used to eat and drink a lot of soymilk and tofu. But as I discovered almond milk I also realized that tofu wasn’t my only option in vegetarian cooking. That aside, I’ve been getting some twitter requests for some tofu recipes, so I’d love to share a few of my favorites. Maybe while I show you how versatile it is, I’ll remember why I loved this forgotten food in the first place. Expect 5 recipes over the next week and a half, in between, I'll be mixing in a few vegan/gluten free/sugar free/soy free recipes too!

Breakfast

I used to be a firm believer in when I give something up; I needed to give it up. I didn’t like meat, so why would I want meat substitutes? Dairy replacers didn’t bother me because if you have an allergy- why would you give up French toast? But as I’ve started to give up gluten, dairy, and eggs I do find myself missing certain things.

I used to eat scrambled eggs and Greek yogurt every breakfast, I always felt great with the burst of protein right in the morning. Now that I’m not listing that as an option I usually go for smoothies and granola. I’ve been interested in the idea of scrambled tofu, but I never found a recipe that quite made it taste enough like eggs.

Then it hit me: I’m not TRYING to make scrambled eggs. I’m making scrambled TOFU so it WILL taste different and I need to get a handle on that.

So ladies and gentlemen, please step forward and this scrambled tofu recipe:

Spiced Scrambled Tofu

1 package of soft or medium tofu

2 large leafs of kale torn into small pieces

1 small zucchini diced

2 tsp of turmeric

2 tsp of mustard seeds

1 tsp of paprika

2 tsp of onion powder

2 tsp of garlic salt

2 tbsp of coconut or olive oil

1.              Puree tofu with spices.

2.              Heat up oil on skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini.

3.              Saute for 2 minutes then add tofu.  Stir and let cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.              Once the tofu starts to brown, add kale and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
5.              Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper.

Gluten Free "Lasagna" recipe

I recently tried a new spaghetti squash recipe, and although it was nice- I always return to this recipe. I was trying to figure something new for dinner and my coworker, Lisa, just rattled off this recipe off the top of her head. It sounded great so I added a few things and Brian and I loved it.

If you’ve never cooked spaghetti squash before, you are in for a treat! It’s very easy, very fun, and very interesting. The texture is amazing for being a squash! I found this great page with easy directions on all the different ways to cook the squash. This website gives very easy step-by-step directions on how to cook a spaghetti squash. I prefer the boiling method.

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti squash cooked and scooped out

2 cups of tomato sauce

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves crushed garlic

Olive oil

1 large zucchini, sliced very thin (I use a vegetable peeler)

1 cup of Daiya mozzarella “cheese”

Directions

1.              Preheat oven to 350. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic. Sauté till translucent.

2.              Add sauce and tomatoes and continue cook on medium low.

3.              In a 12”X9” baking dish evenly lay about half the cooked spaghetti squash out. Spread a cup of the tomato sauce mixture over. Then sprinkle half the cheese over the sauce.

4.              Next lay out the thinly sliced zucchini out over the cheese like lasagna strips. Spread the rest of the squash over the zucchini, the rest of the sauce over the squash and the rest of the cheese over the sauce.

5.              Bake for about 30 minutes.

Smoothies!

We all love those smoothie places, right? Why is it that at home we can’t match the flavors? I found 3 reasons.

1.              I don’t use ice cream in fruit smoothies

2.              I was using ice.

3.              My blender was crap and I have bit of floating ice and fruit.

The last problem I fixed a few summers ago when I was at the county fair and I learned about the Vitamix. I went home did a ton of research. That week I received the best commission paycheck I’d ever had, so I decided to splurge. My smoothies instantly got better but were still watery. As result of the Vitamix cookbook I started using a lot of frozen fruit instead of ice. Yum!

What I started recently was actually a result of ready “The Sneaky Chef.” The book suggests blending up fruits and vegetables ahead of time and adding them to recipes for added nutrition. What I soon found was that these purees made fabulous instant smoothies! A few fruit/veggies cubes and some juice and the perfect smoothie in seconds.

It’s really easy and takes very little time. Here’s what you do:

Gather a bunch of fruits and vegetables. You can use fresh or frozen. If you want to use fresh, this is the perfect thing to do when the produce starts getting a little soft and right before they go bad. I like mixing fruits and veggies in every puree.

 

I’m starting with kale and blueberries. I added about ½ a cup of pomegranate juice to a package of blueberries and a small bunch of kale in the blender. Puree until smooth. I then fill up 2 ice cube trays with the puree and freeze. After pop them out and save in a big ziplock bag.

The next puree I did today was 1 package of strawberries, one package of raspberries, five whole carrots, the juice of half a lemon, and ½ a cup pomegranate juice.

The last thing I do on smoothie prep day was chop up all my browning bananas and put them in another ziplock bag.

Other combinations I love:

Strawberries, fresh beets, and raspberries

Carrots, sweet potatoes, and bananas

Spinach, blackberries, and lemon

This makes smoothie making so easy in the morning. You can grab a few “cubes” and just add some juice or almond milk. If it’s thin enough to drink through a straw go for it, and if it is super thick it’s great with a little granola on top.

YUM!

Sick Day

Ugh. Woke up the other morning super nauseas! Now this is when I would used to pound some ginger ale and pepto bismol but now that I’m cutting down on added sugar- I thought I’d try a new approach.

Cranberry Kombucha Tea

I started with Kombucha because it is carbonated and figured it would do that thing that makes grandparents force-feed you 7-up when you don’t feel well. The kombucha tea I drank has only 3g of sugar for 8 fluid ounces. It also has folic acid, tons of B vitamins, and a ton of live cultures. Now what about 7-up? Not only almost eight times as much sugar but three times as many calories and carbs.

Miso Soup

I chose to eat miso soup instead of chicken noodle- because... come on, I haven’t eaten chicken noodle since I was nine. I just discovered miso soup recently- and let me say YUM. The tofu and bean curd gave me protein and helped me feel full without feeling gross or icky. For a little extra filling feeling I add some cooked rice. (Working on my recipe- check back soon!)

Blackberry Hibiscus Mama Chia

I’m working on a whole piece on why chia seeds are amazing. But in a nutshell, the protein, omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber, and calcium make me feel great and the texture is super fun! Here is Mama Chia’s article on chia to hold you over till I finish mine.

Anyway, after all of this, some rest, and some brown rice cakes I felt a lot better. What do you guys do when you have a sick day?