Birthday Party

We celebrated my nephews birthday, my sister-in-laws, mine and my niece's today and a little bit of my husbands lol.

It's because both me and my mom have been in school and haven't had a chance to get together to do something so we decided to combine it.

My mom made this amazing potato salad that I will have to get the recipe and post.

I made a coconut carrot curry soup

and a raw chocolate cake with blueberry lavender frosting, the recipe came from http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/2014/05/little-raw-chocolate-cake-with.html

I did make some adjustments to it, it was good but I think it could have been better.

I had a bit of issues with the soup.  It was inspired by a quinoa and lentil soup, however, when I realized that the soup would have been only good for 2-3 people, I tried to double it. The mistake I made was that I also doubled the veggie bouillon amount, which made it entirely way too salty.  Maybe for some that would have been okay, but I felt like I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth, This soup serves 10, and you may need to do a few adjustments, below I'm writing what I put into it, but I've put in the adjustment of using less veggie broth. Also, the canned coconut milk could be preferably swapped with the meat and water of a young thai coconut blended.

Coconut Carrot Curry Soup
1/2 onion chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 celery stalk chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp all purpose herb mix
1/2 tsp oregano
4 tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp curry
juice of 4 limes
1/4 tsp lime zest
1 can coconut milk or better -- juice and meat of one young coconut
5 cups water
2 cups veggie broth
1 cup cilantro
10 carrots

Fry the onion until translucent.  Add the celery, garlic, lentils, quinoa, 2 cups of veggie broth and herbs. Let boil, turn down to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.  Or until lentils and quinoa are cooked.  If using a can of coconut milk, add to the mixture and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, turn off heat.

Blend carrots, cilantro, lime zest, and tomatoes with the rest of the water until pureed.  Add them to the soup along with the curry powder and lime juice.

If you prefer the carrots to be cooked it can be simmered for a couple of minutes.

Serve.


For the cake recipe, if I were to make it again I would make the following adjustments
1-I used coconut flour -- which was fine, but either I should have added more moisture to the cake -- or used some kind of fresh nut or seed flour maybe almond or sunflower seed instead of store bought coconut flour.
2-the lavender I couldn't taste in the frosting -- I put about 3-4 drops of essential oil but maybe it needed something like 5-6?  Not sure.
3- I think I forgot to put flax seed in it -- I mean it turned out fine and my family seemed to really like it, but I think having the flax seed in it perhaps would have made it less dry?

Raw Chocolate Cake with Blueberry Lavender Frosting Cake:
Makes 2 cakes, serves 10 or more if only serving 1 piece per person

1 1/2 cups carrot pulp + juice
1/2 cup dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them 20 minutes and drain)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/4 cups raw coconut flour (home made is preferred)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
4 soft dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them in water 20 minutes and drain)
a pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
5-6 drops lavender essential oil (or another brand, but make sure it is food grade)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter (not oil), warmed to liquid

Edible flowers and raspberries for garnish

For the cake, combine the carrot juice plus pulp, dates, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor and process until it is well combined.  Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and well combined.  On a cake pan, shape two cakes. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine the berries, dates, sea salt and vanilla in the food processor and process until smooth.  Add the coconut butter and process until smooth (if it is clumpy at all, it probably needs to warm up a little, so process until it is not lumpy).  You will be using the frosting right away before it starts to set up.

After frosting the cakes, arrange flowers and raspberries as you wish.  Pictures soon to come :)

Last but not least I made a strawberry rhubarb icecream which was amazing, and no adjustments need for it :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Ice-cream
2 quarts, recipe taken from the recipe book, Vice Cream
44 ounces of juiced rhubarb (I used about 7-8 stalks)
2 cups cashews
2 cups dates (soaked for 20 minutes and then drained)
2 cups strawberries

Juice the rhubarb.  Pour the juice into a blender and first blend with cashews (I have a vitamix and this whole recipe didn't quite fit into my juicer so I had to do a couple rounds of blending).  Then blend with the dates and strawberries.  Put mixture into the fridge to cool for 30 minutes before putting it into an icecream maker.  

One food fits all.

Have you ever wondered what goes into those feeding tubes, for patients at the hospital... or baby formula?

Okay, maybe the latter people have had more exposure to... but the former?

So my grandmother just had surgery on a tumor in her throat, so she can swallow a bit better.

The doctors gave her this liquid food... can I call it food?  Anyway, basically it was, corn syrup, cow's milk and soy with added nutrients-- calcium, and a few others.

It said 1 calorie on the label? But I have a hard time believing that.  Who knows.

Anyway, I wanted to make her another food choice that had just as much protein and nutrition.. without the sugar load, cholesterol and inflammation results other negative side affects of consuming milk.  eeeek.

This recipe makes 1 pitcher full of serious nutrition-- I wasn't going for taste, but it actually was very palatable.. could have had it as a soup or a sauce !!

Extreme Healing Smoothie Juice 
-- Designed especially for beating cancer

1 cup cooked white beans
1 cup cooked quinoa

1 brazil nut
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

3 carrots
4 leaves of kale
1 orange beet
1 lime with peel
1 handful of parsley
1" peeled fresh turmeric
1" peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
2 cups lettuce
3/4 cup cabbage
7 mini bell peppers
1 tomato

1 oz aloe vera juice
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp raw coconut oil
1 tsp flax oil
1 tsp spirulina
16 oz coconut water
8 oz sun tea (unheated water with herb diffused over 20 minutes-- I used a tsp mixed of alfalfa tea, calendula and spearmint)
1 tbsp of Organic Life Vitamins 
2 tsp Calcium Magnesium Citrate 

The day before, I soaked the white beans all day, and then put them in the crockpot overnight 4-5 hours -- it helps to plug it into a timed power outlet.
Soak the nuts and seeds in water while you juice the vegetables.

Prepare vegetables so that they can fit into a juicer.

Once vegetables are juiced, add them to a high powered blender.  Drain the nuts and seeds and add them, add the oils, spirulina, beans and quinoa.  Blend on high for 1 minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients, again blend on high for 1 minute.

After everything has been blended, strain the contents through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve-- only if it's for a feeding tube, otherwise it doesn't need to be sieved.

Voila, all in one magical food.  I was too afraid to try it after it was made, even though it smelled really good. My husband gave it a go, and thought it tasted like a thai curry! Go figure :)

'Paneer' Biryani and Coconut Curry Vegetables

Paneer Biryani/ Tofu Biryani
2 16oz packages (baked) extra firm tofu (I used sprouted)
1 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt (or other)
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
2 inches gingerroot minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 large onion chopped.
1 medium tomato chopped.
2 cups brown rice cooked with 4 cups of water (slightly al dente)

Cube the tofu, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F, flip them, and bake for another 15 minutes at the same temperature.  This gives the tofu a more of a paneer texture.

Put 2 cups of rice on the stove with 4 cups of water, cook for 30-40 minutes until slightly al dente.

In a bowl combine the yogurt, cilantro, ginger, masala, coriander, turmeric and salt.

Once the tofu is baked, combine the tofu into the mixture.

Let marinate while the rest of the ingredients are prepared.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, cardamom and fennel seed.  Let sizzle for a couple seconds and add the onion.  Fry until the onion has browned or mostly become clear, add the tomato.  Let fry until tomato has mostly broken down.  Add this mixture to the slow cooker.  Then add the marinated tofu, then add the rice on top.

Cook on low for 3 hours.  Serve right out of the slow cooker.


Coconut Curry Vegetables
2 heads of broccoli chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 package of button mushrooms chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 can of coconut milk
2 tbsp of tomato paste

Heat oil and garlic in a pan, add the broccoli, carrots and mushrooms.  Cook until the colors brighten and the vegetables slightly soften.  As soon as the pan seems to dry or it's starting to brown at the bottom, add some coconut milk, to keep some moisture.  Once the vegetables are at the desired consistency, add the rest of the ingredients.  I made this dish in the morning for an afternoon potluck, and since I don't like to cook my vegetables much before eating them, it worked out well, because the mushrooms even though they were hardly cooked they still became soft by lunchtime because they had that extra time to marinate, the dish was successful :)

Jambalayan Fry

It's seriously unfortunate my camera is out of batteries, because it looks absolutely amazing.

Tip ** never steam or boil your vegetables long enough that they lose more than 70% of their original crunch.  They should only ever be cooked enough so that their colors brighten and as much of their crispness is in tact.

I made a mistake yesterday and I overcooked my broccoli for the holandaise dish.  I know, seriously a pity.  I think it's the main reason why after a few hours the broccoli gave off that typical funny broccoli smell.. so sad.  Don't overcook veggies :):)

Unfortunately the chilled version of my dish yesterday was a no go.  So best advice, serve it FRESH or, make the amendments that I made today, and you got yourself a whole new thing!

Jambalayan Fry
1 to 2 cups of leftover Ultimate Hollandaise Veggie Toss
1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of mixed herbs
1 tsp of sriracha sauce

Mix everything together in a nonstick pan.  Fry for just enough time to get it sizzling and even a little crispy.  This is an excellent dish, in fact if you made the same mistake as me.. and made the veggie toss recipe to be served a couple hours later.. best is to make these amendments to it, so it can be a new exciting and flavorful dish for hours to come!

Ultimate Hollandaise Veggie Toss

I went to a potluck yesterday, as I am the only vegan that I know at my work/school I had to choose something that could work even if it was the only thing that I could eat.  I thought about bringing dessert too, I just didn't have that much time to do it as well.

I had a bunch of veggies in the fridge, but I wanted a really nice sauce to go along.

I wanted the sauce to remind me of a hollandaise sauce.

Surprisingly I did a really good job at getting that 'eggy' flavor and consistency.  Not quite sure how I did it, but the interesting this was, this sauce could also be made with a little less liquid and really tastes reminds me of deviled eggs! It would be interesting in future recipes to play with this recipe a little more.. and combine it with some kind of a tofu recipe to actually make vegan deviled eggs!! It would certainly be a fun experiment.

Ultimate Hollandaise Veggie Toss:
Serves 8-10

1 small head of broccoli chopped
1 bunch of kale chopped
1 small head of cauliflower chopped
1/3 head of purple cabbage chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 bunch of asparagus chopped

1/3 cup of tahini
1/4 cup of oil
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1tbsp of 1/4 tsp of agave
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of tapioca starch
1/2 tsp of mustard or powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of broth powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1-2 tbsp of smoked paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp of all purpose herbs

Steam the asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli together in a pot until a bit softer but still with a crunch. Put steamed veggies in a big bowl to stir.  Then steam kale for a minute, add to the other vegetables.  Steam the cabbage for a very short time, 1-2 minutes, it shouldn't lose it's dark purple color. Let the cabbage cool a bit before blending it with the other vegetables so it doesn't bleed its color onto them.

Whip the rest of the ingredients together, if it's looking anything but creamy, keep whipping :)

If it's still too bitter, you can always add more agave, salt, and apple cider vinegar.
If it doesn't have enough flavor, you can always add more smoked paprika, salt, mixed herbs and
cayenne.

mix the sauce with the veggies, and serve hot!

Unfortunately a couple hours had past before it was served at the potluck and it didn't hold up as well. I may have been overly judgmental of it, because I was very disappointed, but someone did still come up to me and complimented me on the dish... so it's possible that it was fine but I was too critical of it.
I will find out today, if chilling before serving would have improved it.  Some dishes are really incredible once chilled, so I am crossing my fingers on this one! I will let you know as soon as I eat this for lunch if chilling it prior is the best method for this guy.

Also, the hosts were so gracious and made the two main dishes vegan--- I'm pretty sure for me, because I'm the only vegan I know in that circle.  Amazing, it's these small -- to me big-- acts that really touch the heart!

Best!!

Esther

Tomato curry peanut pasta

I have to apologize before hand, because I know the pictures would have come out well, but my camera battery died... :/ Sad story.  

Tomato Curry Peanut Pasta

2 servings

Enough pasta for two

(boil some water, cook separately)

Tomato curry:

2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 carrot

2 tsp of oil

3 garlic cloves

1/8 cup of peanuts

1/8 tsp of garlic powder

1/8 tsp of onion powder

14 tsp of turmeric

1/2 tsp of garam masala

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp agave

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsp thai red curry 

1/8 tsp of powdered vegetable broth (or salt)

1 tbsp of nutritional yeast 

2 tsp sriracha sauce

While the pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables.  Heat oil, peanuts, garlic and seasonings up until garam masala until fragrant.  Mix in the rest of the seasonings and add the tomatoes and carrots.  Stir well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft.  Add the green peppers, and let simmer for an additional 2 minutes.  

Ready for serving :) 

Spicy Cabbage Goulash

This morning was my usual action packed chia apple cereal

For lunch I decided to make something with cabbage, peanuts, vegan chorizo, tofu and carrots

I wanted the flavors to burst, while still feeling like I was mostly eating healthy vegetables.

Spicy Cabbage Goulash
serves 2

2 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8-1/4 red pepper chilli flakes
1tsp mango powder (can use 1 tbsp of lime or lemon in replace of)
1 tsp ginger
1/8 cup of peanuts
3/4-1 package vegan chorizo
2 oz baked tofu cubed (optional)
4 cups chopped green cabbage

2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup of water
1tsp agave
1 tsp braggs (soy sauce)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp tahini










Heat oil in a pan, add from pepper to peanuts.  After a few seconds add the the tofu and vegan chorizo. Stir for a 30 seconds, and add the vegetables.  Mix well, and add 1/2 cup of water.









Cover with a lid and let steam/simmer for 5-7 minutes.  Or once cabbage is soft but still crunchy.  Add agave through the tahini, and it is ready for serving!

Spicy Plantain Cocoa Curry

So, my tendency is to use a recipe for inspiration, but it when it comes to the actual ingredients and methods.. I have a tendency to make it up as I go.

I guess the normal thing to do would be to plan out a weekly meal plan and recipes, and buy the ingredients for that.

I do the opposite.  I search the fridge for ingredients and find recipes that moderately match, if nothing matches sometimes I will combine 2-3 recipes to make it fit.  Sometimes it works.. and sometimes there are some pretty bizarro land creations.

This specific recipe, I semi thought that it was doomed, until the final ingredient was added and it came to life!  That is what I often find, most recipes when 'bad', they are just missing 1 thing.  And it's that one thing that turns terrible to amazing.

In some cases that one thing may not necessarily be an ingredient but a very out of the box action to bring it back to life.  One particular thing that can't be fixed though, is burning.  Sorry, hahah can't reverse that one.

Apart from that even, after baking a cake -- there can be other uses for that cake.  I have even taken a cake and reblended it with sugar and other missing elements  to only put it back into the oven!!! And you wouldn't believe but it was saved!  This is a pretty extreme example but it's totally possible.  Lol maybe it stems from my utter desire to not waste any food.  Who knows.

Spicy Plantain Cocoa Curry

I think to make this recipe easier, one can just use coconut milk instead of the base that I made.  But since I had no coconut milk,  made do with a very interesting combination that came out okay!

Ingredients
2 plantains chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 cups of green beans chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 cups of water
1/8 asafedtida powder (1/2 tsp of garlic powder would also work)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 shakes black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cocoa butter
1 tbsp tahini (optional)
1 cup dried coconut (or fresh coconut if you have)
1 cup warm water
1 tsp agave
1 tbsp dried tamarind (or tamarind paste if you don't have a powerful blender)
1tsp paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Soak the coconut in the water for 1/2 hour to an 1 hour.
-- If you have a vitamix or blendtec, you can get away with not soaking the coconut,
or if the coconut is fresh.  It just makes the consistency a little less grainy

In a pan, heat the oil add mustard powder, asafetida, and curry powder until sizzly.  Add the plantains, green beans, carrots and 2 cups of water, mix.  Add turmeric, nutritional yeast, and salt.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes (until vegetables are tender).

Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat oil for the sauce, add cumin powder, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, and black pepper.  Roast for a few seconds.  In a small blender, add coconut and water, cocoa butter, tahini, roasted seasonings, water, agave and tamarind.  Blend until smooth.

Once plantains are tender, add the sauce.

Add paprika at the end for color!



If the taste is too much of cocoa, add more red chilli flakes until desired hotness is attained.  The spice of the dish is what makes it come alive!


Some great side accompaniments:  Roti's or tortillas and Indian pickle, yesterday I had it with roti's and lime pickle... it was amazing!!