Monday, December 3, 2012

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
 
 
               perfect for an emergency chocolate fix!!!!!!!!!
 
Ingredients:                                                                                     Makes 9 to 12 cookies
1/2 tsp flax seed or flax seed powder
2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp brown or cane sugar
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 very ripe or frozen banana
2 1/2 tbsps. crunchy natural peanut butter
2 tbsps. water or rice/almond/hemp/etc. milk
2 tbsps. quick oats or granola or muesli
1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. chick pea flour
 
Method:
Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Use a spoon or fork to mash banana and to blend mixture into your vegan cookie batter. Keep adding whole wheat flour until consistency is gooey but not dry and sticky. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil of your choice and bake on 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, checking on consistency. You may choose to flatten the cookies slightly half way through baking so that ingredients get fully cooked. Serve immediately with tea, milk or coffee!
 
This is a yummy and quick recipe when you need a dose of chocolate or when you want to serve up some simple yet flavourful vegan cookies. Ingredients may be altered or adjusted to accommodate your kitchen! ENJOY!
 
 
 
 


Thursday, September 6, 2012

Farmer's Market Rhubarb Scones

 

3 large stocks rhubarb, chopped into one inch chunks
3 cups whole wheat and/or spelt flour 
3 tbsp vegan butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup hemp milk
handful of waluts and sprinples of walnuts for topping! 

bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees

ENJOY in late summer weather delight!





Friday, July 27, 2012

Raw Summer Salad!

1 cup uncooked spinach
1 small-med sized red beet, shredded
1/3 yellow or orange pepper,vut into strips
fresh chives to taste, chopped
2 tbsps tahini (sesame seed paste - high levels of calcium and protien!)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste 
1 tbsp sesame seeds






Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Coconut Quinoa w/ Veggies & Peanut Sauce!

 1 cup cooked quinoa
-rinse first, boil on medium heat for approx 15 minutes (or until the ancient grain expands!)
***2 parts water to one part quinoa 

in a frying pan:
1/4 spanish onion, chopped
3/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 orange pepper
1/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro (garden fresh, mmm!)
ginger/garlic stir fry sauce OR freshly choped garlic and giner to taste 
sprinkling of freshly ground pepper

fry in coconut oil

mix cooked ingredients with quinoa

add 1/2 tomato, chopped

serve hot or cold

yummy with peanut sauce on the side

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Om Energy Balls!



Energy Snack for Festival Gatherings! 
A great boost when low on adrenaline, excellent for gifting small amounts in large quantities!   

Recipe for 
Om Energy Balls

1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut 
100g of 100% chocolate nibs
1 tbsp ground flax seed
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup hemp seeds/hearts
1 tsp cinnamon

*recipe does not require cooking/baking! mix the contents and form into small palm sized ball-like shapes. let them sit to harden up a little - this process is completed faster if they are separated 1/2 inch and placed in the fridge.

* ingredients in this recipe can easily be substituted for chia seed instead of quinoa, any other kind of vegan butter,  agave nectar instead of maple syrup, raisins instead of pure chocolate. there are a few sites that have some dynamic recipes for energy balls! 



ENJOY and remember to distribute widely!


Herb& Garlic Savoury Pancakes w/ Shredded Beets & Chickpeas!

MORTAR & PESTLE

1 cup flour
1 small beet, peeled and shredded (using a cheese grater)
1/2 cup chick peas, mashed (using a mortar & pestle)
1 large clove garlic, mashed (using a mortar & pestle)
herbs & spices of choice:
(parsley, thyme, basil, cumin, coriander, etc)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup rice milk

Cook in a frying pan with oil of choice until golden brown! 
Serve with maple syrup and/or savoury sauce (such as chimmichurri!)



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Vegan Hawaiian Pancakes!

MMMMMMM! eating these for brunch right now and they are such a sweet morning treat. the exotic pineapple feels like an ideal fruit for the AM hours in these Vegan Hawaiian Pancakes! Ever try a pineapple on the bbq or over the fire? Dynomite party favour and delicious alternative to bbqing meat products or roasting marshmellows! They also contain healthy vitamins that we need, especially as vegans!


VEGAN HAWAIIAN PANCAKES

Makes about 4 pancakes:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flax meal
1 tbsp cane sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pineapple in small chunks 
1 cup coconut milk (or rice/soy/almond milk)

Fry in a pan adding 1 tsp coconut oil each time!
Serve with maple syrup and top with fresh pineapple.

Here is some information about the vitamineral benefits found in pineapples!



Vitamin C

Vitamin B



Monday, June 4, 2012

Water Celebration, Conservation & Security Station: Anti-Fracking at Car Free Fest 2012 London, ON

Hope to see you at this incredible event in London, Ontario put on by OurStreetLondon ! I am pleased to help offer a family, health and eco friendly station this coming Saturday from 11am-4pm on Dundas St. between Richmond St & Talbot St. Look forward to an afternoon of positive fun as we reclaim urban space for the purpose of community enrichment!

The "Water Celebration Station" will include educational water displays, craft materials for make-and-take-home water themed collages, as well as a chance to "Hoop For Healthy H20": get ready to hula hoop with your friends in the downtown core! Sign the anti-fracking petition and find out more about how this environmentally destructive practice of "hydraulic fracturing" can be stopped locally before it happens. Looking forward to celebrating water, learning  how to conserve and protect it for our local and global community!

Friday, May 4, 2012

viva la coconut!


In a frying pan on medium heat:

1 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 tbsp veg oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red onion, chopped to desired size
1/4 eggplant, cut ito disks
1/2 yellow zucchini, cut into disks, then quartered
freshly ground peppercorn to taste
1 tbsp chopped leeks (or green onion/chives)
1/4 med size cauliflower
4 small stalks asparagus, chopped into one inch pieces
approx. 1/2 cup red beans or lentils
2 big spoonfulls of currypaste!!!!!!!!!
dashes of mustard powder, cumin and tumeric!
 add 1/4 398ml can of coconut milk
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp tamarind chutney


Monday, April 16, 2012

Sweet Potato Black Bean Wraps & Carrot Cake Cupcakes w Vegan Creamcheese Icing!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Wraps with Kale and Mushrooms
as inspired by this recipe for Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

serves three to four

vegan

alter to taste

(garden fresh kale!)

Ingredients:

>whole wheat pitas

For the Sweet Potatoes

  • 1 med size sweet potato
  • 1 Tablespoons vegan butter
  • salt & pepper

For the Mushrooms, Kale & Beans

  • 1/2 large spanish onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 or 2 portabello mushrooms
  • handful of green kale leaves
  • 1/2 large can of black beans
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cajun spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • a pinch of oregano
  • ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and chop sweet potato and boil until soft. Add the vegan butter and salt and pepper then make it into a mash! Meanwhile, in a frying pan, add onions and garlic until soft. Continue to add the rest of the ingredients for frying. The whole wheat pitas can be warmed by placing them on top of the ingredients frying near the end of cooking. Serve the sweet potato mash and veggie/bean mixture as seperate dishes for the table so that warmed wraps can be assembled individually. As with many of the dishes I've been making lately, offer Chimmichurri sauce on the side!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w Vegan Cream Cheese Icing!

vegan

makes twelve cupcakes

Ingredients:

4 large carrots

1 banana

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

dash of cardamom

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp almond milk

1/4 cup nut mix or pecans or walnuts

Icing:

1 small can coconut milk

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese

pineapple or citrus fruit juice (1 bloodorange, squeezed)

1 tsp vegan mayo

1 tsp wheat germ

1 tbsp oats

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp hemp hearts

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Boil or steam 4 large peeled carrots. Blend with banana andd small amount of water for consistency. Add to large mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl add cake ingredients together. Mixture should have a wet, maleable consistency without being runny. Pour into oiled cupcake pan and make for 25 mins at 350 degrees in the oven.

ICING:

In the meantime, cream together icing ingredients, stir to produce a lightly frothed liquid. Put the vegan icing into the freezer until the cupcakes are finished baking. This should produce a thicker icing like texture. Take the carrot cake cupcakes out of the oven and let cool for several minutes. Remove carefully, top with generous portions of icing and serve!

I've converted the original recipe to a vegan one, and it would have been nice to have the toasted pecan, crushed pineapple and white chocolate for the icing! Yet I think you will find these a crowd pleaser and people will be amazed that this is a vegan recipe! ENJOY!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Personal Pizza Vegan Yummyness!

Personal Vegan Pizza

Ingredients:
pita bread
oil
tomato sauce
vegan pepperoni or zucchini
green pepper or other vegetable
vegan mozzerella
romano beans
garlic cloves
parsley
basil

Method:
On a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 20 mins:
On a fresh whole wheat round pita bread, add oil and tomato sauce to start. Add vegan pepperoni or zucchini . Add chopped green pepper or any other vegetable of choice! Top with 1/4 shredded vegan mozzerella cheese, handful of romano beans, freshly chopped garlic, parsley, basil and cracked pepper. Try it with zaatar sprinkled on the crust!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Polenta: It's Whats For Dinner!


It's great when you try something new and it just works! Just came up with this dish that has a polenta/yellow cornmeal base and it is so tasty. It has a nice rose-creme like sauce which is a refreshing feature in a vegan dish!

Serves 2

In a saucepan on the stove (medium heat):

1/2 cup cornmeal/polenta
2 cups water

add desired amount of chives, thyme, basil, parsley, oregano or 1 drop of oregano oil (add spices as desired such as chili, salt and pepper or any fresh herb such as cilantro!)

In a frying pan on the stove (high heat):

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can beans or chick peas
1/4 cup vegan cheese, grated (mozzerella or cheddar style)
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup tomato sauce

garnish the dish with halved cherry tomatoes and a generous helping of cut up fresh green sprouts!

You may choose to serve this meal as two seperate parts or mix all of the ingredients together at the end et

fin.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Cumin Asparagus & Tamarind Chutney

APPROX 10 STALKS ASPARAGUS, CUT IN HALF
1/4 ONION, CHOPPED
LOTS OF CUMIN
A DASH OF TAMARIND (PASTE/CHUTNEY)
GARLIC (POWDERED OR FRESHLY MINCED)
SALT & PEPPER


FRY IN OIL UNTIL COOKED AS DESIRED

SERVE OVER RED OR WHITE QUINOA, RICE, LENTILS OR POTATOES

WITH A SPOONFUL OF TAHINI, CHUTNEY, CHIMICHURRI ON THE SIDE!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Mum's Vegan Lasagna

VEGAN LASAGNA JUST THE WAY MY MUM MAKES IT FOR ME!


Ingredients:
2 packages (of 340g) veggie ground, added to sauce mixture
spices (basil, oregano, pepper, garlic & onion powder), added to sauce mixture
2 tall jars of tomato sauce (add 2 tbsp brown sugar)
1 package mozzerella soy cheese, shredded
1 package Daiya mozzerella (tapioca/pea protien) shredded cheese
1 large stock of broccoli, steamed
1 small head of califlower, steamed
2 cups of carrots, shredded, steamed
1 package of cooked lasagna sheets (vegan)
*enough for 3 layers


Directions:
Steam carrots (separately) until soft, steam broccoli and califlower together until a fork goes through. But not mushy! Create sauce mixture by adding veggie ground to tomato sauce, reserving 2 cups of sauce for bottom and top. In a large deep baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Layer lasagna noodles (slightly overlapping), then veggie ground sauce, cooked/shredded carrots. Add half of both types of shredded cheese. Proceed with the next layer of noodles, veggie ground sauce, broccoli and carrots. Add other halves of remaining cheeses. Layer the top with the lasagna noodles. Then spread the last cup of sauce over noodles. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, covered with tinfoil. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Vegan Poutine!

VEGAN POUTINE!
Serves 3-4
On baking sheets:
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into fries
dressed with :
oil (mustard, grapeseed, olive, etc.)
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
paprika, cumin, sea salt and pepper,
dash of cayenne pepper/chili powder
Bake at 350 for 25 mins

1 large zucchini, cut into halved disks
1 can of white beans
1 large beet, shredded or cut into small cubes
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
Bake at 350 for 15 mins

Prepare a bowl of 5-6 med-large carrots, shredded
Serve as topping or mix with creamy curry sauce and serve as "gravy"

Creamy Curry Sauce
4 tbsp vegan mayonaise
1 tbsp rice milk
1 avocado
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp curry powder
add crumbled tofu for desired consistency
mix in a blender, especially for larger portions!

Serve with option of balsamic vinegar dressing, chimichurri sauce, or ketchup!

Serve sweet potato fries as the base, the zucchini and bean mix as a "cheese curd replacement" topping and the creamy curry sauce with carrots as the "gravy". I suppose another option could be to use vegan shredded cheese and vegan gravy of some kind. Of course, not the traditional French Canadian poutine you'll find available to your average Francophone! This is a dish my friend and I experienced in Nova Scotia at the annual Evolve Music Festival. They serve a vegan poutine dish which inspired this one, in a place in the green hills dubbed "Sunflower Valley": hence, "Sunflower Valley Vegan Poutine"! Find another variation from my blog here. Thanks so much for reading about this dish which is very special to me to serve. Can be made as a small side dish or cooked in large quantities, like for London Food Not Bombs! It is a great option for festivals and camping in nature, as ingredients can be easily accomodated and
CAN BE SERVED ENTIRELY RAW!

Thanks to Reduce Footprints for helping to share this glorious feast for veggie eyes!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Vegan Suet: Baking for Birds and Squirrels!

My yard is full of beautiful creatures mowin down!

I cannot hide my exitement in this early morning post, as trying out a suet recipe for the birds is proving fruitfull....at least so far for the squirrels! This is the recipe that I found which has been altered as shown. I threw a few cubes out the window into the yard when I got up and the squirrels have gotten to it with speed! SUPERCUTE to see them chowin down on amazing peanut butter suet thats vegan! I had to resist the stuff myself....hmmm maybe I'm a little deprived in the sweet snack department!

Homemade Peanut Butter Suet from 10000birds.com

Melt 1 cup shortening. Add 16-20 ounces of crunchy peanut butter.
Heat and stir until melted.
Add 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of black oil sunflower seeds, 6 cups of cornmeal and 4 cups of flour.
Spoon into a 13X9 pan. Chill until it is hard. Cut into chunks for suet feeders (or stuff into cracks and crevices in logs).

BECOMES

Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Suet

Melt 2-3 sticks or 1 cup of vegan shortening
Add 8-10 ounces crunchy peanut butter
HEAT AND STIR UNTIL MELTED TOGETHER
Add 4 cups of cornmeal
Add 1 cup black oil seed for wild birds or any other (bird)seed to the brew
Slowly stir in 2 cups of whole wheat flour
Pour into pan(s) or casserole dish(es) and chill in the fridgidare
Cut into cubes and put into bird feeders, specific suet feeders, in the cracks of trees and benches, wait and enjoy as the animals do too!

*use organic ingredients if possible to make things critter friendly

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Creamy, Lentil and Vegan!

Creamy, Lentil, and Vegan!
with tamarind chutney and za'atar

In a skillet with grapeseed or olive oil:

1 cup previously cooked lentils
2 med. sized carrots, chopped into disks
5-6 large radishes, grated
1/2 onion or 2 tsp onion powder
1-2 lare garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry paste
1-2 tbsp tahini
1-2 tbsp almond (or rice) milk
juice of one lemon wedge

garnish with Za'atar and (tamarind) chutney!

Zatoun Za'atar Ingredients: Traditional Palestinian recipe made in Jenin

  • Ground Dried Thyme
  • Roasted Sesame Seeds
  • Sumac
  • Sea Salt

New Food Not Bombs Blog London, ON

ALL TAKEN FROM THE NEW LONDON, ON
FOOD NOT BOMBS COMMUNITY BLOG:


http://www.londonfoodnotbombs.blogspot.com/

Here is the link to the first amazing London, Ontario Food Not Bombs newsletter! Find out more about the international movement of Food Not Bombs here.

UPCOMING SERVING:

"January 14th Dundas & Richmond Serving"

"Thanks to all of the wonderful help we had today the whole process today ended up being a lot of fun and less stressful than we anticipated. We were able to get a lot of donations from the Covenant Garden Market and Nicole was able to drop off two boxes of tomatoes, some peppers, leeks and potatoes off to us from the Western Fair! We had a lot of help in the kitchen and were able to make a salad, pasta, lentil and vegetable curry, TVP sloppy joes, rosemary french fries, avocado butter-bread and bruschetta, and Laura brought muffins and a sweet potato mash! It was mighty cold out at Dundas and Richmond but we had many people who were interested in having a warm meal and some free groceries. Most of the food got eaten and what did not actually froze! We received some grand donations and one of our vendors actually came by and got to see what we do! It was a lot of fun. For next time: lettuce freezes easily. "

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Winter Solstice Quinoa

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE, HOLIDAYS & NEW YEAR!
WINTER SOLSTICE - DEC. 21st

DEC. 22nd 2011- 12:30am Southern Ontario, Canada EST


Many happy tidings of the new cycle, whenever it is you celebrate it!

clean!

give things away
honour the four directions, the elements and seasons

rejoice in the winter solstice as it begins of the new cycle towards light (summer solstice)

ceremoniously set your intentions

light candles and burn a yule log in honour of the coming sun's ascent

meditate on gratitude in the darkness

cook, share and feast with friends and family!

Solstice Quinoa Vessel

Fill a special vessel/bowl with these ingredients and offer in celebration:

1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 avocado, cubed
2 small sprigs of wormwood, chopped
handful of dates, halved
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
fresh grated ginger or ginger powder to taste

*WORMWOOD is a sacred herb often used medicinally that is also symbolically used for protection and also to make absinthe and vermouth. Brewed as a tea it aids digestion, it can be garden grown or specialty store purchased. It is spiritually useful for celebrating pagan holidays and rituals. It has a pleasant and fragrant aroma! It should not be taken during pregnancy and used with sensitivity as it should not be taken in large quantities! The oil of this perennial herb is actually poisionous! In my experience of growing it (below) it is generally easy to tend to, can handle direct sun light and likes lots of water.

(below) wormwood (left)