Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Sometimes I just really need a milkshake. Actually, I need one every day. I've been making these for breakfast daily for at least two weeks now and have yet to tire of them. They're really simple and quick and taste like heaven. Whether you need a milkshake for some 420 cravings or just for a delicious snack, this recipe is definitely worth making. It's so smooth and creamy and is perfect for those times when you miss going to the Burger King drive-through and getting some disgusting thing reminiscent of a milkshake (not that I ever miss that or anything). You can also add in some ground flaxseeds or chia seeds or hemp seeds or any sort of healthy addition that makes you feel happy, but it won't necessarily be as creamy; some nut butter could be good too, but I haven't tried that yet! 

Chocolate Banana Milkshake

• 1 medium banana
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• sweetener of choice (2 dates, 1 TBL syrup, 1 TBL sugar, or 1 packet of stevia powder)
• 1/2 cup nondairy milk
• 1 to 2 cups ice, depending on how thick you want it (I usually use as much as possible because I like thick smoothies!)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional (you can also try adding coffee extract ((to taste)) for a mocha flavor!)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender for several minutes until completely combined and no ice chunks remain.

Makes 1 big serving or two smaller servings (the yield amount really depends on how much ice you add though)

Four Ingredient Banana Bread Pancakes

This is probably one of the simplest breakfasts I make. While I do still love my other pancake recipe, this one is truly my favorite. Not only is it easy to make and incredibly delicious, it's gluten-free and totally healthy! The pancakes are soft and fluffy and taste remarkably like banana bread. Bananas are the sugar-free vegan's savior, because they're so sweet that you almost never need to use an additional sweetener (for example, banana ice cream - way better tasting than any non-dairy ice cream you can buy, and all naturally sweetened). I usually add chopped walnuts and occasionally chocolate chips, but feel free to add a spoonful of any nut butter, different types of nuts or candies, or really anything you can imagine - it's a good recipe to experiment with! Eating these pancakes is the perfect way to start the day! 

Four Ingredient Banana Bread Pancakes 

• 1 medium banana
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• optional: 1 tablespoon each nuts, chocolate chips, carob chips, etc.

1) In a small bowl, mash the banana with the back of a fork until it's as smooth as you can possibly get it. Stir in flaxseed, vanilla, baking powder, and optional fillings until combined.

2) Lightly oil a non-stick frying pan and warm over medium heat. Pour batter into three pancakes (or you could try cooking one giant one, but it won't flip well) and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the underside is cooked. Flip and cook for several more minutes. 

Date-Sweetened Apple Bake

This is another one of my go-to recipes. Whenever I'm getting tired of oatmeal or tofu scramble for breakfast, this is always a good replacement. It's mildly sweet, a perfect way to start the day (of course, if you want to eat straight up apple pie filling first thing in the morning, you can add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup). This also works as a dessert, if you'd like. However you eat it, I'm sure the hint of autumn will be a nice pick-me-up during this never-ending winter.

Date-Sweetened Apple Bake

• 1 apple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 tablespoons raisins, optional
• 3 medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup water
• dash of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon apple cider, apple juice, or water

1) Preheat oven to 375°. Spray with cooking spray or lightly oil a small oven-safe dish (mine is 380ml or 2/3 cup). 

2) In a small sauce pan, combine dates and water, and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until dates are soft and beginning to break apart.

3) In a food processor, blend together the dates and cooking water until smooth. Add salt and spices and completely combine. 

4) Combine apple pieces, nuts, and raisins in a small bowl. Add date mixture and mix until the apples are completely covered. Evenly pour cider over apples.

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until apples are soft. 

Post-Valentine's Day Crepes with Nutella

 

I had meant to post this on February 15th, when I made these crepes, but I never got around to it. I'm not much of a Valentine's Day person. I neither love nor hate it; for me, it really just seems like any other day, only with a better excuse for eating large quantities of chocolate (shout out to my lovely mother for buying me a chocolate bar on Thursday!). My Valentine's Day consisted of chocolate, a seitan roast, and a Lost marathon. Not too bad in my opinion! 

 

But the next day, I decided to make something sort of Valentine's-ish, and made some crepes. Actually, these crepes are really Ployes, which are a type of pancake. It comes as a pancake flour mix (the only ingredients are buckwheat flour, wheat flour, baking powder, and salt), sort of like much healthier version of Bisquick. To make the pancakes, all you do is mix in some water (no eggs or milk required!), and cook in a pan for a minute or two. It's almost ridiculous how simple they are to make. You don't even need to flip them while cooking! They're surprisingly low in calories, with three 5" pancakes equaling only 95 calores. Ployes are fantastic, not just for dessert, but for dinner too. I often serve them with curry dishes, as they soak up the flavors so well.  Anyway, to make the crepes, I added just a tiny bit of sugar to the batter, cooked them, and served them with raspberry jelly and some vegan Nutella, which I made using this delicious recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (actually, I used a mix of pecans and cashews because, let's be honest, no one just happens to have hazelnuts on hand). Ployes are made by a local company and probably can't be found outside of New England, but if you ever happen to come across some, I'd really recommend buying a bag (or order it online here).

Single-Serving Pancakes

I almost let another full week go by without posting anything here, but thankfully these fantastic pancakes I made this morning prevented that. I really don't know what's gotten into me. I promise I won't let my lack of blogging go on for much longer!

Anyway, this recipe is really pretty superb. As in, I would it eat every day if I could. Keep in mind though, this is not a particularly low-calorie food, especially if you're like me and you like to drown your pancakes in maple syrup. They brown a little better if you include the oil, but they won't taste drastically different if you substitute it for more nondairy milk. I served mine with syrup (of course!), strawberries, and a mixture of ground up walnuts and flaxseeds (which has a surprisingly good flavor?). 

Single-Serving Pancakes

• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons flour (white whole wheat, all-purpose, or a combination of both)
• 1 tablespoon organic sugar or stevia sugar substitute 
• 1/2 tsp Ener-g egg replacer (if you absolutely hate Ener-g, you can leave it out, but it's really much better if you use it)
• 1/8 tsp baking powder 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon canola or other mild-tasting oil (or more nondairy milk for a lower fat version)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• drop of almond extract

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add liquids and whisk until combined. Pour batter onto a greased non-stick skillet and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until bubbles appear. Flip and cook for several more minutes, until both sides are a nice shade of golden brown. 

Almond Butter

I suppose I should make up some excuses as to why I haven't made a post in almost two weeks - I've been busy with school, I've had an awful ear infection, I've been making meals out of my new cookbooks I got for Christmas rather than making up my own recipes to post, I've had a food blogger's version of writer's block, I'm actually just incredibly lazy, etc. I really have been cooking even more than usual lately, thanks to my newfound love, Veganomicon. I adore that cookbook and I have no idea what I used to do without it! There are so many fantastic recipes, with so many helpful tips and tools (the sections on how to cook grains and beans has saved me from much Google searching). Almost every recipe includes good ideas as to what would be good served with the specific meal you're cooking; there's even a menu section in the back with pre-planned meal ideas, with entrees, sides, soups, salads, desserts, and everything. This is definitely my favorite cookbook, and everything I've made so far has been great.

I've also been enjoying using my new food processor, and I use it at least once a day for something. Such as: 

Almond Butter

• 4 to 6 ounces/1 to 2 cups (really as much as you want) raw or roasted almonds

So this is what I did: In my food processor, I ground up the nuts on a high speed until it turned into a sort of powder. I changed it to a medium speed and let it go for 10 to 15 minutes — it will thicken, then turn into a ball, and, eventually, right when you're about to give up because you think you did something wrong, it will magically transform into a smooth butter. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

This is a pretty versatile recipe, and you can use most other types of nuts. You can also add salt (or just use salted nuts) or some syrup. 

Had I known I was going to post this recipe, I would have taken photos of each step in the process, but I didn't. Thankfully, someone else already did.

I won't be taking another long break for a while! I already have several chocolate recipes ready in time for Valentines Day. :) 

Orange-Banana Smoothie

I have to admit that, even though I live in Maine, I don't like winter. I mean, I enjoy cold weather and snow for a week or two, but by the time Christmas is over, I'm ready for spring. There's something about walking through the icy snow to get into a freezing car in the morning that just isn't pleasant. So on particularly cold days I usually end up subconsciously making summery drinks. Such as today, when I made this drink. I don't know what to call it. It's almost similar to an Orange Julius, but then again, maybe I'm wrong, since I've only had one once in my life and it was several years ago. It is just sweet enough and the lemon and vanilla add some nice subtle flavors. I was really pleased at how foamy it became after blending it for a minute or two. You can feel free to add ground flaxseeds or protein powder if you'd like.

Orange-Banana Smoothie

• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup nondairy milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup ice

1) In a food processor or blender, puree banana for one minute or until smooth. 

2) Blend in orange juice and nondairy milk until combined. 

3) Add maple syrup, lemon juice, and a vanilla and pulse several times to combine.

4) Add ice and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until no chunks of ice remain. 

Serves 2 to 3

Christmas 2012

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I had such a nice day.

On Christmas Eve, after church, we drove through the neighborhood to look at the luminaries. I went on a walk later to take some pictures. My neighborhood is the only one in my town that has luminaries, and it's always been one of my favorite things about this holiday. Ever since I was little, the first thing I'd do when I woke up on Christmas morning was look out the window to see the dim lights of the remaining luminaries (of course, I couldn't do that this year because it snowed overnight, but that's okay because snow is even prettier).

Christmas at my house is always very relaxed. Basically, we get up whenever we feel like it (9:30 this year!), and start the morning off with coffee, cinnamon rolls, and opening stockings. We didn't have stockings this year, since we now have cats who I'm sure would have loved to have pulled them down from the mantel. But we did have what may be the greatest cinnamon rolls! I used this recipe, and really, it was great. There's only a few changes I'd suggest. Don't use nearly as much margarine as it calls for in the filling and the pan sauce, because that's really disgusting and it doesn't need it at all. When you roll out the dough, it's going to be pretty huge (I don't have the measurements), but don't worry that you did something wrong. Roll it up so that's it's long, not short (I can't think of a better way to explain what I'm trying to say…..), and cut it into what looks like mini rolls. They will expand plenty once they rise and bake, and you should be able to get about 14 decent sized rolls from it.  I'd also really recommend baking them in a springform pan, if you have one, because that way you can pop the sides off and drizzle on the icing and have a very nice arrangement.

We got a Christmas present for our cats - a shelf for the window. Needless to say, they spent the entire day there, birdwatching.

After we ate our breakfasts, we spent most of our day sitting in front of the fire, opening presents, and eating snack food. We always keep out tray of crackers and cheese (and Daiya cheese), dips, and veggies, plus a pot of soup with some bread, to snack on all day, and I really like it so much more than planning a huge meal. It's such a relaxing day! We used this recipe for a spinach artichoke dip, and it was way better than I had expected it to be; even my brother (an omnivore) liked it! We also made a potato soup that was pretty fantastic.

I don't normally like to brag about what I got for Christmas, but I am going to mention that with a couple new vegan cookbooks plus a brand new food processor (!!!), you can expect some fabulous recipes in the near future.

Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful holiday, and that 2013 is a great year for you! :-)

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Single-Serving Tempeh Bacon + BLT Directions

I know it's not in season or anything, but I've been eating BLTs on a daily basis lately, ever since I figured out how to make this "bacon". It was inspired by the recipe for tempeh bacon in Vegan With a Vengeance,  but I changed it a bit as I'm incredibly impatient person and don't ever want to wait for an hour while my tempeh is marinating. Also I cut it down to a single serving and changed a few ingredients. You can omit the maple syrup if you want, but it does add a nice flavor.

Single-Serving Tempeh Bacon

• 1.75 oz/50g tempeh (should be about 1/3 of a package), sliced into thin strips (1/4" or thinner)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Bragg's, soy sauce, or tamari
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 2-3 drops of liquid smoke (be incredibly careful not to use too much!)

1) In a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, Bragg's, garlic, ketchup, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. Set aside.

2) Lightly grease a non-stick pan with oil or cooking spray. Place tempeh pieces in pan so they don't touch each other. 

3) Pour the liquid ingredients into the pan and heat over medium heat. When garlic begins to brown, flip tempeh pieces over to cook the other sides. Once both sides of the tempeh are a shade of brown, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Vegan BLT 

I think "recipes" for sandwiches are weird, especially for ones as simple as this. But I've seen BLT recipes in cookbooks before, so I guess recipes for them are commonly accepted. Basically, what you'll want to do, is toast two pieces of bread - I usually do this while my tempeh is cooking because I have what may be the world's slowest toaster. While your toast is toasting and tempeh is cooking, slice a few pieces of tomato, just to be ready. As soon as your toast is finished, apply a light layer of Vegenaise (or vegan mayo of choice, or margarine if you don't have any mayo) on the inside of both pieces. Add tomatoes, tempeh, and a handful of fresh spinach (you can use lettuce too, but I just love spinach). Close sandwich and eat.

Simple enough?

Single Serving Waffle

So last summer, my family and I picked about 9,000 pounds of blueberries, which we have kept frozen in order to make jam to send to relatives as Christmas presents. We've never made jam before, so this was a very interesting experience. The first batch never jelled, so I was left with 6 cups of a weird but good-tasting, liquidy blueberry mess. I blended half of it and have been using it as a syrup. It tasted fabulous with a waffle for breakfast this morning! I had a difficult time reducing the full recipe down to one serving, but I managed. It's a little crispier with the oat flour, but still very good.

Single-Serving Waffle

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or oat flour (I just take gluten-free oats and throw them in the coffee grinder for a few seconds)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• dish of cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoon vegan margarine or coconut oil, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 tablespoons nondairy milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds mixed with 1 tablespoon water

1) Preheat waffle iron.

2) In a small dish or glass, stir together nondairy milk and lemon juice. Set aside

3) In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. 

4) Add margarine, vanilla, nondairy milk/lemon juice mixture, and flaxseed mixture to dry ingredients. Stir well until combined (this may take a while, especially if you're using coconut oil, which doesn't blend as nicely as margarine).

5) Pour into preheated waffle iron and cook as iron instructs.

Pumpkin Muffins (Refined Sugar-Free)

 
So this morning - a Saturday - I woke up early without meaning to, and randomly had too much energy to fall back asleep. And this is weird because 1) I don't wake up early on Saturdays and 2) I don't have energy when I wake up early on Saturdays. But I thought I'd make the most of my time, so I baked these muffins, then cleaned the kitchen and some of the house, and painted a picture, and basically just had a productive morning. The muffins are really good. I'll admit it's pretty much the pumpkin muffin recipe in Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, just with a bit of tweaking to make it with unrefined sugars. The turbinado sugar is optional, so feel free to omit it and the molasses if you don't eat sugarcane products at all. I think if you wanted to add some chocolate chips or carob chips to the batter, it definitely wouldn't hurt.

Pumpkin Muffins (Refined Sugar-Free)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 5/6 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (okay, weird measurement, I know...just do your best)
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or other mild-tasting oil
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar, optional

1) Preheat oven to 375° and lightly oil a twelve-muffin tin.

2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.

3) In a medium bowl, mix together the agave, pumpkin, non-dairy milk, oil, and molasses.

4) Add pumpkin mixture to flour and mix until completely combined and batter is smooth.

5) Pour batter into muffin tins (fill each tin about 3/4 full). If using turbinado sugar, sprinkle about 1/2 to 1 tsp on each muffin.

6) Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. 

Serves 12

an update + a fabulous granola recipe

Well I am very disappointed that it's been so long since I've posted a recipe here, and that I was unable to finish the Vegan Month of Food. I'm actually pretty surprised that I managed to stick with it as long as I did. Hurricane Sandy hit Maine last Monday afternoon, and we lost electricity almost immediately. Obviously I couldn't cook anything until it came back on Wednesday. 

I made these on Tuesday when there was still enough daylight (still had the help of some candles though). Basically I chopped the apple into slices and cut out a chunk on the peel side for a mouth. Then I filled some of the mouths with peanut butter and some with jelly. I added some almond slivers for teeth and raisins for eyes (glued on with a bit of peanut butter). I made these with the general idea of this recipe, only I didn't have internet so I couldn't actually use the post as a reference, so mine turned out much differently (but I'm glad they did because they're much cuter than they are spooky). It was a nice Halloween snack.

On Thursday my parents and I left for a road trip to North Carolina, to go to my cousin's wedding. It was such a good week! The weather was perfect, I got to see all my cousins, and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. I met his bride at the wedding for the first time and she was so sweet, I'm very glad she's now a part of our family.

When I go on long car rides, I tend to get hungrier than usual and bring lots of energy-filled snacks to keep me going. I never travel without Clif Bars, or any energy bar, because you never know when one might come in handy (I'm not even joking though. When I went to Europe last summer I brought like 5 boxes of Clif Bars and my friends made fun of me at first, but eventually they were jealous). I also bring fruit and veggies, peanut butter, granola, and herbal popcorn (or whatever flavor popcorn is currently my favorite). I've found that at hotels, the breakfasts aren't usually vegan-friendly (or whole food-friendly), but if you know what to do, it's more than satisfactory. There's almost always oatmeal you could eat - add a little more water instead of adding milk and stir in some peanut butter (best to use your own since the hotel's PB will be filled with HFCS and other mystery ingredients) or syrup (if it's good syrup). Sometimes I bring a cooler with me with almond milk, which I use with the oatmeal or cereal (which, by the way, you can eat with orange juice if you really want). The hotel will also have toast or bagels, which you can eat with PB or jelly. Another idea is just to slice up an apple or a banana and eat it with peanut butter. I obviously like peanut butter a little too much.

On this trip though, I ate granola with orange juice for breakfast pretty much every day, and it was such a great way to start the day. Now that I'm looking at the ingredients, I realize it's actually pretty loaded with sugar, but oh well, that's probably why it tastes so fantastic. Haha, at least it doesn't have refined sugar! If you're gluten-free, just make sure the oats are too! :)

Energy-Packed Granola

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/4 cup chopped or sliced nuts (I used 3/4 cup sliced almonds + 1/2 cup chopped walnuts)
• 1/3 cup seeds (I used a mixture of sunflower and sesame seeds)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil or other mild tasting oil - or melted coconut oil if you want that flavor
• 3/4 cup liquid sweetener (I used 1/2 cup maple syrup + 1/4 cup agave nectar)
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 300°. 

2) In a large baking dish or a 9 by 12" baking pan, stir together oats, nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, and salt. Add oil and sweetener and stir until completely combined.

3) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Again, remove from oven and stir.

4) Add raisins and stir in (the granola will still seem sticky but don't worry, it will get crispy when it cools!). Once the granola is completely cool, you may mix in the chocolate chips, if using.

Makes about 6 cups