VeganFabulous

the lowdown: One Crazy Year

After a few weeks of struggling with the notion, I have decided to take an official sabbatical from blogging. This was an extremely difficult decision as I have experienced great (and not so great food), met amazing people and lasting friends, and laughed (and cried) at the feedback. For the longest time I wondered where my personal threshold was for life activity, apparently I have figured it out.

I will be back when things slow down. In the meantime, thank you everyone for your support, friendship, and vegan love! You’re the best!

xxoo

VeganFabulous

these are a must make. they are quick and easy to prepare and they smell FABULOUS as you are pulling them out of the oven! be careful though, these can get expensive if you don’t shop around for the almond meal. Try looking in the bulk section (i picked mine up at Whole Foods)…

1 c. Oat flour
1 c. Almond Meal
1/3 c. + 2 teaspoons Agave nectar
4 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extra
1/2 c. slice almonds
cinnamon for dusting

preheat 300 degrees

sift dry ingredients (except almonds) in large bowl. In smaller bowl whisk wet ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix thoroughly. Add almonds and mix again. spoon onto cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. put in the oven for 30 minutes. eat dough!

This recipe was inspired by my favorite cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz,”Vegan with a Vegence”. It is an absolute must have! Do yourself a favor buy a copy rather then borrow from the library because it will be covered with cooking ingredients in no time!

1 cup cooked black eyed peas
1 lb tempeh, crumbuled
4 teaspoons tamari
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel
1/2 tablespoon oregeno
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 c. breadcrumbs (i just break up the heel of a piece of bread)

Crumble up the tempeh, place in saucepan, and almost cover with water. bring to a bowl, stir in tamari and let simmer for 15 minutes. saute garlic with olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. in large bowl mash black eyed peas with potato masher then combine tempeh and with your hands smash together. add remaining spices, tomato paste and breadcrumbs. continue combining with your hands. once spices are evenly dispersed, form into patties about 3-inches wide and 1-inch thick. Grill on the BBQ or in frying pan with additional olive oil until both sides are slightly charred.

I like to use Ezekiel 4:9 buns and vegenaise with mine!

When you are in need of a hearty breakfast whip up a batch of these. The batter is extremely thick so it makes only about 5 pancakes per batch.

1 c. almond milk (you can use soy or rice as well)
3/4 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. oat flour
1 tablespoon & 1 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
6 tablespoons water
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

nuke milk until hot and add oatmeal, let sit until cooked (about 5 minutes). in separate bowl combine baking powder, salt, and flour. simmer flax seed in the water until it appears sticky and egg like. mix oatmeal, agave nectar, sticky flax seed, and oil with dry ingredients until thick batter forms. with damp hands form into 5-inch pancakes. heat oil in electric skillet or frying pan and add pancakes, flipping until golden brown on each side. top with Earth Balance spread or 100% organic maple syrup.

This is a very simple recipe for meat and dairy free tacos and if you can go both ways and are cooking for your non-veg friends, the same seasoning recipe can of course apply to hamburger meat just add 1/2c. water. enjoy!

seasoning stuff

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

taco stuff

1 can (15oz) organic black beans
shredded lettuce
Ezekiel 4:9 tortillas (of course you can use any taco shells or tortillas but these are super healthy)
chopped tomatoes
chopped onions
shredded lettuce
grated non-dairy cheese
Please note: just because something is labeled “soy” cheese does NOT mean it is dairy free. Always look at the label and avoid casein (milk protein). Follow Your Heart is a great brand and can be purchased at Whole Foods or New Seasons.

dump beans including juices in saucepan over medium heat. add all seasoning ingredients and stir. let simmer until hot to taste. prepare your tacos as you would normally using taco ingredients.

My favorite thing about making cookies is overdosing on the dough when you are done! Last time I made these I couldn’t eat them because I was too sick from eating so much of the batter. The good news is I don’t have to feel guilty for being such a pig because I have replaced as much of the fattening stuff I could with natural ingredients. If you really want to scale back, replace the 1/2 c margarine with unsweetened applesauce.

preheat 325 degrees

1/2 c. nonhydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
1/2 c. unsweetened organic applesauce
3/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Agave Nectar
2 teaspoons molasses
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 c. oat flour (or any all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (make sure they don’t contain milkfat, look in the bulk section)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 c. oats

Mix the margarine, applesauce and agave nectar thoroughly. Mix in the molasses and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, flax seed, and mix. Stir in the oatmeal and choc. chips. Drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool. Eat leftover dough.