Making dinner healthier, one slow cooker at a time.
My friend Gail Davis from So Delicious reminded me that today is oatmeal day. I can’t believe it almost past me by!
Since we’re so close to Halloween I selected 13 of my favorites for you to warm up with. So stay toasty and dry, and eat your oatmeal! [Read more...]
Today is the first day of Vegan MoFo, also known as vegan month of food, and I’m so excited. Make sure to sign up for one or more of the rss feeds on their site to keep up with the best vegan month of the year!
I always think I’ll have a theme for this big, vegan event, but it’s hard for me to just pick one thing. I’m going to try the theme of fall with emphasis on pumpkin where ever possible. But I reserve the right to change my mind – a lot…
The pie pumpkin before cooking but after being thoroughly washed.
Last week the pie pumpkins were peeking out at me begging to join in on some cooking fun. I’ve talked about making pumpkin puree before, but today I’m providing some step-by-step instructions and pictures. Let’s hear it for trying to overachieve for Mofo!
It’s really easy to make, but you’ve heard that before. Plus if you’re like me, you want to see some proof ; ) [Read more...]
You guys know I tend to get on a tangent and now I can’t stop making frozen coffees. I guess it’s too warm to re-start my oatmeal obsession and they are so much better than you-know-who’s.
Since the CSA has been making veggies magically apear at my house so I haven’t gone to the farmers market every weekend. But I did go last Saturday and found a new coffee cart waiting for me, Cocoa and Cinnamon. Looking over their menu I saw my new favorite coffee combination – cardamom and rosewater. If you are in or near Durham you must try their coffee! to recipe →
Here’s another inexpensive coffee house frozen drink. When I’m super busy and a little stressed out I tend to get a frap on my way to work. It’s an expensive and unhealthy habit. Once I catch up a little I always go back to making my own.
It takes about 10 minutes, has less sugar than the one from the chain and can even be made completely sugar-free by using unsweetened So Delicious Almond Plus Milk. to recipe →
It’s beautiful outside and I have all the windows and doors open. We’re decluttering and if all goes well I’ll even have the deck ready for a cocktail night next week. Spring is my favorite time of the year. It makes anything seem possible.
I like a nice frosty drink as a reward for all my hard work and this was perfect. Years ago, before I was a vegan, Starbuck’s had a blackberry green tea frapacinno that I loved. Of course, the blackberry syrup is long gone. to recipe →
So this is what you saw if you came to see me Saturday. A Southern Season had a great set up for me and I met a ton of great people. I will be there again in May and I’m working on some dates with other local venues. [Read more...]
Yesterday I posted Quinoa Jambalaya with Tempeh and today we have a Mexican variation.
You can add in extra veggies, tempeh, seitan, tofu, or something yummy from Gardein if you want. Think of this as a base and see where your creativity takes you. to recipe→
I originally made this as a Valentine cocoa, but romance shouldn’t be limited to just one day. Surprise your someone special with the yummy dessert cocoa. The lavender and rose flavors blend together to form its own taste that’s not as floral as you think.
I used lavender extract which I got at Savory Spice Shop, but if you can’t find any you could fill a muslin tea bag or tea ball with 1 to 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender and add this at the beginning of cooking. This will infuse the milk with a great lavender flavor too.
I do use real sugar in this recipe, because it helps to thicken it up. The longer you cook it the thicker it will be. You can substitute stevia or agave, but the hot chocolate will be thinner.
Slow Cooker Lavender Rose Cocoa
soy-free, gluten-free
Serves 2 to 3
**Uses a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker**
Add all the ingredients and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
Stir once or twice during this time with a whisk to help the chocolate mix in well. Whisk a final time and serve.
This Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff is amazingly easy and full of great flavors. It has few ingredients, but the mushrooms combined with the bouillon create an amazing broth that becomes the base of the sauce.
I don’t use tempeh as much as I should. It’s a fermented soy product that’s originally from Indonesia. Most people agree that fermented soy products are better for you and easier to digest.
Tempeh has a reputation for having a bitter taste, but if you steam it for 10 minutes before adding to your dish it will take most of that away.
If you are lucky, like I am, you might have an artisanal tempeh maker in your neck of the woods. The triangle area has Tempeh Girl and I think there is one in Asheville, NC and Gainesville, Fl. (If there’s one in your area please share the info in the comments.)
I’ll be talking more about Tempeh Girl, but she uses a different culture than the mass producers do and her tempeh is not bitter at all. And it’s ready to use right out of the package, so no steaming needed!
(I don’t usually do before pictures, but I wanted you to see the new tempeh I’m using. See how pretty it looks?)
Slow Cooker Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff
gluten-free (with plain soy tempeh and gluten-free pasta)
serves 2 to 3
I used my 3 1/2 quart, but think this would be better suited for a 1 1/2 to 2 quart slow cooker. If you are using a 4 quart or more you can double the recipe or add even more extra water.
The night before: Chop tempeh and mushrooms. Steam tempeh for about 10 minutes unless you have a locally made tempeh and then follow their recommendations. (For Tempeh Girl tempeh no steaming is needed!) Store in fridge until the morning.
In the morning: Add tempeh, mushrooms, garlic, water, bouillon, and paprika. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.
20 minutes before serving: Add vegan sour cream and mix. Taste and add more paprika if needed, as well as salt and pepper. Serve over pasta (or mashed cauliflower, rice, quinoa, etc.) and top with dill if desired.
I’ve been meatless for so long that sometimes I forget to mention some of the simple things. This recipe is one of those. I made this last night for my sweetie and remembered just how much I love this stuff!
If you’ve already made a silken tofu mousse before, then you can move along. There’s not much new to add. However, if you’ve never made one before and are new to the wonders of silken tofu be prepared to be wowed.
This is my favorite impromptu dinner party dessert. It takes about 10 minutes and then all you do is stick it in the refrigerator for about an hour to thicken up.
You can make this mostly sugar-free by using grain sweetened chocolate chips, or use unsweetened chocolate and add your favorite sweetener like stevia or agave. There will be sugar in the liqueur, so you can use an extract instead to keep it sugar-free.
This is gluten-free with Amaretto, but it would not be if you choose another liqueur that has gluten.
Make sure to check out the rest of my Valentine’s dinner over at my post on Key Ingredient’s blog. I think my not-quite souffle turned pretty good too.
The Easiest Chocolate Mousse Ever
Serves 4
gluten-free (with Amaretto)
Puree the tofu in a food processor, stopping a few times to scrap down the sides. When you are finished it will be silky smooth.
Melt chocolate chips on the stove top in a double boiler (or in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds).
Add melted chocolate and liqueur to the food processor and process until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the sides and processing some more.
Put in serving cups or martini glasses and stash away in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let it thicken up.
The Virtual Vegan Potluck is over, but the virtual feast lives on!