Artichoke and Bell Pepper Risotto

This recipe is super delicious! It was easy to make and very satisfying. I recommend keeping it in your arsenal for quick and yummy vegan dinners.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6-8

5-6 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 jars quartered, marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1 lemon, zested
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 oz. vegan cream cheese, softened
Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Heat broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low. Meanwhile, place artichokes in a skillet and saute over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from skillet.

Add oil, shallots and rice to skillet; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until shallots are tender and rice is shiny and translucent. Add wine; cook 1-2 minutes or until wine completely evaporates stirring frequently. Carefully add one cup of the broth to the skillet; cover and cook 2-3 minutes until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Repeat with remaining broth in 1 cup increments cooking 2-3 minutes after each addition until all the broth is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Add artichokes, red bell pepper, lemon zest, peas, and vegan cream cheese to skillet and stir completely. Garnish with fresh snipped chives if desired.

This recipe was veganized from its original version in a published Pampered Chef recipe book.

Vegan Cornbread Pot Pie

[Update: 4/8/14] I used a boxed cornbread from Trader Joe's and it was much better than the original! Now, this is a very good recipe and easy to make since it's in the crock pot.

The pot pie part of this recipe is delicious. The cornbread topping is a little less desirable and doesn't taste like any cornbread I've ever had. I will give this recipe another shot with a different cornbread topping and I'll update the recipe when I find something better. Don't hesitate to give this dish a try since the pot pie is excellent and it was easy to make.

Pot Pie
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, chopped and drained
3 cups cooked beans (your choice but I like black or pinto), or 2 cans drained
1 cup corn kernels, frozen works well
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup vegetable stock (you can use water in a pinch)
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (the secret ingredient)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Cornbread Topping
I used the boxed cornbread from Trader Joe's...it was excellent!

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot; cook until soft (about 5 minutes).

2. Lightly oil a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker and transfer the carrot/onion mixture. Add the green chilies, beans, corn, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir in the stock, tamari, cilantro, salt, and pepper; cover and cook on low for about 5 hours.

3. About an hour before you are ready to serve, make the topping. In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; thoroughly combine. Add the milk and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; stir to blend. Either roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a 1/4 inch and carefully place it on top of the vegetables or, for a more rustic look, just spoon it on top and spread it.

4. Turn the heat setting to high, cover it up, and cook until the topping is cooked through (about 1 hour). Try to serve within 10 to 15 minutes after the crust is finished cooking.

Source of recipe: Inspired from the cookbook "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker"

Recipe found at VegWeb.com

Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream "Cheese" Frosting

I feel like I've been posting a lot of sweet recipes lately, but it is birthday season in my world, so that's probably why. This carrot cake is made from an original recipe that is easily vegan-ized. It is so moist and tasty that even non-vegans had no idea that they weren't eating animal products. If you put enough sugar on anything, it'll probably taste good and this recipe isn't stingy with the sugar :)

Total Time: 2 hours (including cooling)
Servings: 8-12

Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Egg Replacer equivalent to 4 eggs
1 1/4 cups oil
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups grated carrots (it's easiest to use a food processor, a blender can do it little by little, or hand grating is possible as well)
1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts) optional
1 cup crushed pineapple (optional)

Frosting:
8 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (I use Earth Balance)
2 cups confectioners' sugar (this is "powdered sugar" for those of you that, like me, had no idea what confectioners' sugar is)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare two 9” pans or one 12” cake pan or one 9”x 13” sheet pan by lining with parchment or wax paper.

Mix together in a bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a bigger bowl, whisk together "eggs", oil, sugars, and vanilla for about minute or so.

A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix with an electric mixer.

Add the grated carrots. Then add nuts and pineapple if desired.

Pour batter in prepared cake pans and bake for approx. 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer, it should be dry when taken out. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the cream cheese frosting: in a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and beat for a minute. Add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another minute.

This recipe was adapted from CHOW.

Vegan slips and falls

If you are vegan (especially if you're a new vegan), you may find yourself from time to time slipping up with your vegan diet/lifestyle or even falling off the wagon altogether. I spent about a year eating cheese and eggs because I thought it would make my relationship easier with my omnivore boyfriend. What I found during that year, is that I didn't feel very well when I ate eggs or dairy, dairy especially.

I guess there is a new trend now for "naming and shaming" ex-vegans. I remember seeing/reading this when Natalie Portman reverted to vegetarianism (she didn't go all the way, folks) during her first pregnancy. As a vegan, I have no desire to force veganism on anyone else. Becoming vegan is an incredibly personal choice and no one can make that choice but you. I am, however fine with answering questions about being vegan or assisting someone who wants to add more plants and reduce the meat in their diet. I am in NO WAY okay with shaming people who have the occasional slip up or even decide to leave the vegan lifestyle. Each person needs to listen to their body and being vegan gives us a finely tuned station to listen to. If you're craving cheese or even meat and you decide to act on that craving, don't feel guilty, don't let others shame you. Do what you need to do and take note of how you feel afterward. Many people can't sustain the vegan lifestyle forever if they're not eating exactly what their body requires. Just like eating a diet of purely fast and processed food, the body will eventually give up, usually via heart attacks. Veganism isn't any different if the proper nutrients aren't being given to the body.

So remember, don't feel guilty, don't feel ashamed, just do what's best for you and be happy about the significant impact you're making on your body, the animals, and the environment by being vegan...most of the time ;-)

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes turned out so well that even non-vegans LOVED them (and ate most of them).

This recipe came from OhSheGlows.com

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used plain almond milk)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or distilled white)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (I think this totally makes the recipe unique)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• Cinnamon Spiced ‘Buttercream’ Frosting (see below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. With an electric mixer, beat together the following ingredients in a large bowl (non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, oil, vanilla) for a minute or two.

3. Now sift the dry ingredients (flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) into the wet. Mix well, until all clumps are gone.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake pan, about two thirds full for each cupcake. Bake for about 24-26 minutes at 350F, or until the cupcake slowly springs back when pressed with a finger. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups organic icing sugar (confectioners)
• 1/4 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2-4 tbsp non-dairy milk, as needed to achieve desired consistency
• Pinch of kosher salt, optional

Directions:

1. With an electric mixer, whisk the Earth Balance and vanilla until smooth and soft. Add in 2 tbsp of non-dairy milk and mix again.

2. Gradually, add in the icing sugar slowly, adding more milk if necessary. Mix for several minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add in your desired amount of cinnamon and salt to taste. I use a stand mixer and let it mix for about 5 minutes or so. Makes about 1 & 1/4 cup of frosting.

Early Acupuncture

This made me laugh and I decided to share :)

Have a pokey day!

Sesame Ginger Tofu (Whole Foods Recipe)

Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2

14 oz. extra firm tofu
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
3 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup cornstarch or flour
1 Tbsp canola/vegetable/olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
6 green onions, diced

Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place between two cutting boards for about 20 minutes to drain the water.

Put honey, tamari, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep warm.

Dry drained tofu with paper towels and cut into strips. Dust very lightly on all sides with cornstarch or flour. Fry tofu in a deep skillet with oil until a golden brown on each side. Toss fried tofu with sauce and serve with diced green onions and sesame seeds.

Serve with your favorite side dish like kale salad.