lately, i have found myself craving sweets. normally, fruit would shake these cravings, but for some reason, this just has not been the case. last night, i stumbled upon a "three-ingredient vegan ice cream" on peta's website - i was curious. here is what i ended up with:
ashley's take on vegan ice cream
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp all natural peanut butter
splash of vanilla rice milk
handful of almonds
peel the banana, and place it in the freezer - it should be completely frozen. combine the first four (all but the almonds) ingredients in the blender. then, pulse on high until a creamy texture is achieved. the peta version does not call for rice milk, but mine would not come together for the life of me, so i added it out of necessity. top with fruit, coconut or nuts, and enjoy. i found this as satisfying as a bowl of ice cream - which i would not lie about, i loved ice cream.
ashley's sweet hummus
1/2 can chick peas (garbanzo)
1 tbsp brown or raw sugar
1 tsp all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut
splash of vanilla rice milk
handful of carob chips
place the first four ingredients in the blender, and pulse until a dry doughy texture is achieved. add rice milk, until it just comes together. fold in carob chips, and enjoy with animal crackers or other substantial "dippers." i imagine this would even be good with apples.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
cravings for sushi, muffins and puff pastry
hello all, my week has been ridden with sniffles and headache. it seems about this time every year i finally get the "winter bug" that everyone else has already gotten over. anyways, i am feeling a lot better today - and i think this is partly thanks to my new diet! i'm now at 33 days and i've never felt better (minus the whole head cold thing)! anyways, i thought i would share a few of my favourite meals from the week - most of these are eaten "out."
first, sushi. this is my one love. although i cannot partake in the actual "sushi," i find myself craving kappa rolls almost everyday. this night, my best friend and i indulged in: kappa rolls, kappa and avocado rolls and vegetable rolls (dynamite for her). we also had a bit of vegetable tempura, but i was afraid of egg content, so i quit early. i find that i never crave meat, but instead i crave baked goods that can only be created with plenty of milk and butter.
i had my first bad restaurant experience. after perusing the menu, i asked about their pan bread - it contained eggs. so, i ordered the cliche mixed greens with oil and vinegar.. when it came, i was greatly disappointed. the greens that i had asked for came with apples on top (which i don't oppose, but i specifically asked for "just" greens), and the oil and vinegar came in a little bowl. anyone with experience knows that the oil merely sits on top of the balsamic, which results in a very oily dressing. i ate it anyways, and clenched my jaw as i paid the $8 bill.. really? jeeze.
on a brighter note! i came across (and altered) an awesome recipe for fibre-rich muffins:
sunny boy vegan muffins:
1 flax egg (mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp warm water)
3/4 cup rice milk
2 tbsp canola or veg oil
1/2 cup organic sunny boy cereal
1 1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup raw sugar (this came out a bit too sugary for me, but i like my muffins fairly wholesome, not sweet)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
soak the sunny boy cereal in milk for about 20 minutes (or overnight if you do not want texture in your muffins). combine liquid ingredients in a medium bowl, and dry ingredients in another medium bowl. add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. place batter into greased muffin tin and bake at 375 F for 18-20 minutes. you could add dried fruit into this recipe as well - i didn't this time, but i will probably try cranberries next time!
note: the ingredients for sunny boy claim it "may contain traces of milk and eggs" due to the nature of the company - this is due to the use of these products in the factory, not in the processing of this specific product. i have not been that specific in my veganism.
take care, animal-friendly followers
xx ashley
first, sushi. this is my one love. although i cannot partake in the actual "sushi," i find myself craving kappa rolls almost everyday. this night, my best friend and i indulged in: kappa rolls, kappa and avocado rolls and vegetable rolls (dynamite for her). we also had a bit of vegetable tempura, but i was afraid of egg content, so i quit early. i find that i never crave meat, but instead i crave baked goods that can only be created with plenty of milk and butter.
i had my first bad restaurant experience. after perusing the menu, i asked about their pan bread - it contained eggs. so, i ordered the cliche mixed greens with oil and vinegar.. when it came, i was greatly disappointed. the greens that i had asked for came with apples on top (which i don't oppose, but i specifically asked for "just" greens), and the oil and vinegar came in a little bowl. anyone with experience knows that the oil merely sits on top of the balsamic, which results in a very oily dressing. i ate it anyways, and clenched my jaw as i paid the $8 bill.. really? jeeze.
on a brighter note! i came across (and altered) an awesome recipe for fibre-rich muffins:
sunny boy vegan muffins:
1 flax egg (mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp warm water)
3/4 cup rice milk
2 tbsp canola or veg oil
1/2 cup organic sunny boy cereal
1 1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup raw sugar (this came out a bit too sugary for me, but i like my muffins fairly wholesome, not sweet)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
soak the sunny boy cereal in milk for about 20 minutes (or overnight if you do not want texture in your muffins). combine liquid ingredients in a medium bowl, and dry ingredients in another medium bowl. add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. place batter into greased muffin tin and bake at 375 F for 18-20 minutes. you could add dried fruit into this recipe as well - i didn't this time, but i will probably try cranberries next time!
note: the ingredients for sunny boy claim it "may contain traces of milk and eggs" due to the nature of the company - this is due to the use of these products in the factory, not in the processing of this specific product. i have not been that specific in my veganism.
take care, animal-friendly followers
xx ashley
Monday, February 27, 2012
easy dill pickle dip
since making the change from vegetarianism to veganism, all that i crave is dill pickle dip... unfortunately, most are made with sour cream or cream cheese - in fact, i could not find one dip without milk ingredients. so, i headed to the kitchen..
easy dill pickle dip
1 can mixed beans (i used unico)
1 cup chopped pickles (i used homemade)
1/4 cup pickle juice
1 scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried dill
place the beans, pickle juice, garlic and spices in the blender and pulse until you reach desired consistency. if you have problems getting the blender to mix, add a bit more pickle juice - the beans are extremely starchy and can cause blenders to "give up." when i made it, i added a lot more pickle juice to get that vinegary punch - this could be achieved with plain white vinegar as well. once the mix has come together, fold in the chopped pickles and scallion. voila.
note: i realize that this dip does not taste exactly the same as its milk-filled counterpart; however, it is an easy way to get a bit more protein in your vegan diet, and it satiates salt/sour cravings. depending upon the type of pickle you use, the amount of pickle juice and salt may change. make sure you taste it prior to adding more salt/spices.
this little dip also doubles as a spread - i use it on crackers, and even sometimes similar to a hummus on a sandwich.
xx take care, animal-friendly followers
ashley
easy dill pickle dip
1 can mixed beans (i used unico)
1 cup chopped pickles (i used homemade)
1/4 cup pickle juice
1 scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried dill
place the beans, pickle juice, garlic and spices in the blender and pulse until you reach desired consistency. if you have problems getting the blender to mix, add a bit more pickle juice - the beans are extremely starchy and can cause blenders to "give up." when i made it, i added a lot more pickle juice to get that vinegary punch - this could be achieved with plain white vinegar as well. once the mix has come together, fold in the chopped pickles and scallion. voila.
note: i realize that this dip does not taste exactly the same as its milk-filled counterpart; however, it is an easy way to get a bit more protein in your vegan diet, and it satiates salt/sour cravings. depending upon the type of pickle you use, the amount of pickle juice and salt may change. make sure you taste it prior to adding more salt/spices.
this little dip also doubles as a spread - i use it on crackers, and even sometimes similar to a hummus on a sandwich.
xx take care, animal-friendly followers
ashley
Monday, February 20, 2012
this is my final plea with my body - i am tired of constant aching and illness
i recently decided to make "the switch" from not-so-strict vegetarianism to strict veganism. i have suffered from stomach aches and discomfort for the past six or seven years - so far, the pain seems to have subsided. i am currently on day 14 and i have yet to sneak or cheat.
the main benefits i've found:
when i initially adopted the diet, i underestimated the change that it would have in my life. because i had barely eaten meat for the past four years, i figured there was little change in giving up other animal byproducts (which, by the way, is a disgusting word). the first day, i made cookies. cookies are my weakness - i started out with an oatmeal cookie, and finished with a carob chip - these two easily made it into my cookbook.
ashley's vegan oatmeal cookies
1/3 cup all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup rice/coconut milk (can use soy)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup shredded coconut
whisk together peanut butter, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla. mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl. mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients - voila. drop onto an oiled baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 8-10 minutes (until tops are golden brown). remember these are oatmeal cookies, so they will seem undercooked, but they will continue to cook once out of the oven - and they will harden up.
ashley's vegan carob chip cookies
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola/veg oil
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
3/4 cup carob chips
in one bowl, stir together dry ingredients (other than carob). in a second bowl, stir together syrup, oil and vanilla. combine oil mixture with flour mixture and stir until combined. fold in carob chips. drop onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
i would have included a picture of the cookies (and i plan to in the future), but there are none left.. i've just put another batch in the oven, so hopefully later on i will be able to present a picture. if you are a vegan with a sweet tooth (as i am) - these are for you! these two recipes got me through the "snacking times" at which i would usually have prepackaged sweets.
xx take care, animal-friendly followers
ashley
the main benefits i've found:
- a lot more energy
- much better sleep
- higher degree of concentration
- a lot more organized
when i initially adopted the diet, i underestimated the change that it would have in my life. because i had barely eaten meat for the past four years, i figured there was little change in giving up other animal byproducts (which, by the way, is a disgusting word). the first day, i made cookies. cookies are my weakness - i started out with an oatmeal cookie, and finished with a carob chip - these two easily made it into my cookbook.
ashley's vegan oatmeal cookies
1/3 cup all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup rice/coconut milk (can use soy)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup shredded coconut
whisk together peanut butter, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla. mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl. mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients - voila. drop onto an oiled baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 8-10 minutes (until tops are golden brown). remember these are oatmeal cookies, so they will seem undercooked, but they will continue to cook once out of the oven - and they will harden up.
ashley's vegan carob chip cookies
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola/veg oil
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
3/4 cup carob chips
in one bowl, stir together dry ingredients (other than carob). in a second bowl, stir together syrup, oil and vanilla. combine oil mixture with flour mixture and stir until combined. fold in carob chips. drop onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
i would have included a picture of the cookies (and i plan to in the future), but there are none left.. i've just put another batch in the oven, so hopefully later on i will be able to present a picture. if you are a vegan with a sweet tooth (as i am) - these are for you! these two recipes got me through the "snacking times" at which i would usually have prepackaged sweets.
xx take care, animal-friendly followers
ashley
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