Vegan + Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

Vegan? Raw? Cheesecake?! What?! It's like an oxymoron. How? You ask. Hint: there isn't any cheese. 

The last five months of my veganism exploration have brought many surprises and new discoveries about food that I hadn't considered before. One of these things being the versatility of cashews. They really are able to morph into a cheese, a cheese sauce, a creamy salad dressing, and also cheesecake. 

Bonus? Super healthy in comparison to real cheesecake and most likely cheaper!

Ingredients

Crust

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup raw walnuts

2 medjool dates, pitted

2 tbsp almond milk

Filling

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours

juice from one lemon (more if you'd like it extra tangy)

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, but this is what gives it the 'cheesy' flavour)

Topping 

1 pint of strawberries, sliced thin

Directions

1. Line a loaf pan or a small cake pan (6") with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Using a food processor or blender, add all the 'crust' ingredients and pulse until it begins to stick together

3. Line the bottom of the pan with the crust mixture-- press down firmly. Place some of the sliced strawberries along the crust.

4. Using a food processor or blender, add all the 'filling' ingredients and blend until smooth-- this may take up to 5 minutes.

5. Pour the mixture over the crust and strawberries and smooth out the surface. Place in the freezer for minimum 3 hours to set.

6. Remove the cheesecake 20 minutes prior to serving and top with remaining strawberry slices.

Enjoy :)

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

Recently I've been cooking more and more vegan food at home, and am loving it. I haven't bought cheese since December… and if you're someone who knows me, you know how big of a deal that is.

Two days ago I attempted vegan baking for the first time and was extremely skeptical. It's just that I hadn't tried to make vegan cookies before so I wasn't really sure how well these would actually turn out. But in fact, they turned out great!

They are delicious… very soft, chewy and moist.

Here is the recipe if you'd like to give them a shot.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil (this replaces butter)
1/3 cup almond or soy milk
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp chia seeds (ground chia is better-- this replaces egg)
3 tbsp water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vegan (dark) chocolate chips
sea salt for topping

Directions

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or non-slip silicone mats and preheat oven to 350F.

2. If using chia seeds instead of ground chia, crush them using a mortar & pestle or a food processor. They may not look ground-down, but as long as you break a bunch open it should be good enough. Add the water and let sit for 5-10 minutes

      **Note: as the chia sits in the water, it will begin to form a gel that will resemble an egg-white.

3. In the meantime, with an electric mixer, mix together the coconut oil, milk, brown sugar and white sugar. Keep mixing for about 2 minutes.

4. Add in the chia mixture and vanilla, and mix well. 

5. Add in 1 cup of the flour, all of the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

6. Add in the remaining flour and the chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated.

7. Spoon the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets (the size of cookie is your choice) & sprinkle with sea salt.

8. Stick them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

9. Remove from freezer and bake for 8-9 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet before removing and storing in an air-tight container. 

Chickenless Noodle Soup

Something that many meat-eaters ask when unfamiliar with a vegetarian diet is "but what do you eat if you can't have meat??" or another common comment being "I couldn't give up all my favourite things"…Like chicken noodle soup? Well, meaties, let me tell you that you can essentially replace meat in almost any dish. You're right, it's not the same, it's different… but the dish doesn't suffer for it. With the right seasonings and spices, any meatless dish can be just as fabulous as what you're used to, if not better in some cases! If you're already vegetarian or vegan, you know this. But if you are a hardcore meat-eater (and on my blog, which is doubtful), I challenge you to try and leave it out every now and then. You might surprise yourself! And your cooking skills will only improve with added challenges.

(Original recipe from Produce on Parade)

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)

1/2 tsp rosemary

1 bay leaf

3 large carrots, chopped

3 large celery stalks, chopped

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 cup of tofu, pressed and cubed

1 cup of pasta noodles, your choice of what kind-- I used bow-ties 

Extras:

+ salt and pepper

+chopped carrot greens for garnish (just the top of your carrots!)

Directions

1. Over medium heat in a large pot, sauté oil, onion and garlic with thyme, rosemary and bay leaf until onion begins to brown

2. Add chopped carrots and celery and stir-well, let sauté for another minute or two

3. Add vegetable broth and pasta and cook for an additional 10 minutes over high heat

4. Add tofu cubes and reduce heat, simmer for another 5 minutes

5. Serve soup hot and sprinkle carrot greens on top! 

Note: The tofu tastes better the longer it sits in the soup and absorbs more broth. It might be even better the next day.

Baked Mushroom + Kale Wontons

I have been meaning to experiment with some wonton wrappers for a while now. You can essentially choose your favourite combination of veggies, dice them all up and sauté them before folding them into these little cute bundles. The possibilities are nearly endless-- I was even suggesting to my roommate that you could do a very non-traditional dumpling with butternut squash, caramelized onions and goat cheese (wouldn't that be fab?) But these were also crazy delicious. Recipe below.

Ingredients
Dumplings:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg of white or cremini mushrooms-- I bought mine pre-cut, and diced them up even smaller
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup kale, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp of ginger, finely chopped or grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white miso (not necessary, but adds a great flavour)
1 pkg of wonton wrappers (egg roll wrappers)

Sauce/Garnish:
1 scallion for garnish
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp honey

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Saute all vegetables with oil on medium heat until nice and soft

3. Add soy sauce and miso (if using) and stir around to incorporate well (add salt & pepper if desired as well)

4. Turn off heat and remove pan. Working with one at a time, on a clean work surface lay down a single wonton wrapper (should be a square) and add a heaping spoonful of the mixture to the centre of the wrapper. To seal the wrapper, dip your fingers in water and add it along the edges, then fold any desired way.
*Note: because I wanted these to resemble dumplings, not egg-rolls, I used a large circular cookie-cutter to make my wrappers round, and then proceeded to fold them up… Click here for a tutorial from pinterest for different ways to fold them.

5. Once sealed, place the dumplings on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

6. For the dipping sauce, I simply combined soy sauce with honey. Garnish with chopped scallion.

White Miso Sriracha Soup

This soup is insane good. All morning I've been craving something salty and savoury, so I went out on a mission to gather some ingredients to formulate something that was just that. Behold, this beautiful soup. It hit the spot and will be another recipe I make again and again. Additionally, it's vegan! If you're not vegan and feel like adding an extra je-ne-sais-quoi to it, a poached egg on top would do the trick.

This is my first time making anything with miso. If you don't know what miso is, it is a fermented soy bean paste that is used as a traditional seasoning in Japan. It's very salty and packed with flavour, so a tiny amount goes a long way. There are various kinds, but I bought a more mild version; white miso. You can also used it in stir-frys, marinades and (surprisingly) salad dressings.


Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil (or sesame if you have it)
2 tbsp sriracha
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 inch ginger, grated or diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp diced lemongrass
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white miso
3 pkgs ramen noodles (I literally used 3 packs of mr. noodles- just discard the soup mix)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup cilantro


Directions
1. Heat oil and sriracha in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and tomato and sauté for 4 min.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass and garlic powder, stir well and cook until fragrant; about 2 min.
3. Add the water and transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse until smooth. Transfer back to the pot.
4. Add the broth and miso, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the noodles and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft. Stir in the green onions.
6. Serve hot and sprinkle cilantro atop each bowl. :) Add more sriracha if you like it on the spicier side.

*Note: if you are adding a poached egg, place it on top of the finished bowl and slice open to incorporate the yolk into the soup.

Lemongrass Tofu

ANOTHER amazing recipe out of my recently purchased Salad Samurai cookbook. Something awesome about this vegan recipe book is that it gives a ton of recipes in the beginning for different vegan protein salad toppers, such as bacon tempeh, maple sriracha roasted nuts, and lemongrass tofu!

This was the first time I baked tofu, and I expected it to come out of the oven much tougher and chewy than it did. I was pleasantly surprised by how tender the tofu still was, while also retaining so much flavour. This tofu is great to make to top on salads, add to sandwiches, or even a noodle or rice dish. It's the perfect combination of zesty and sweet.

Below is the (slightly) adapted recipe:

Ingredients
+ 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
+ 1 heaping tbsp of finely chopped lemongrass
+ 2 tbsp maple syrup
+ 3 tsp soya sauce
+ 2 tbsp lime juice
+ 2 tsp olive oil

Directions
1. Grease a large baking dish with oil and set aside.
2. Cut the pressed tofu into thin 1/4 inch slices.
3. Add lemongrass, maple syrup, soya sauce, lime juice and olive oil to the baking dish and whisk together.
4. Add the tofu to the dish and let it sit as you preheat the oven to 400*F (about 15 min)
5. Bake the tofu for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven to flip the tofu, and then return the dish to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Voila :)

Vegan "Bacon," Kale, and Tomato Salad.

Hey guys.

So recently I've been on this let's-try-to-eat-more-vegan kick, and I have to say it's going pretty well. I tried this once before and was overcome by my withdrawal symptoms to lack of cheese. However, recently, I have made up new, less strict guidelines. I am not buying eggs or cheese or milk at home. But when I'm out, just the standard vegetarian diet applies. Another (large) exception is if I'm making birthday treats for friends (which I obviously help eat)-- those have been pretty dairy-packed.

My wonderful aunt bought be an Indigo gift card for my birthday and I decided to put it to use this weekend. I ended up purchasing a cookbook called "Salad Samurai" and I really, reaaaaally like it. So yesterday I hit up the grocery store and stocked up on some vegan basics: tempeh & cashews… and of course, liquid smoke.

If you're not familiar with liquid smoke, it is essentially a hickory smoke flavouring that is entirely vegetarian and when added to food, gives it a distinct smokey (BACON) flavour. Thus, it is a magical ingredient, as anything it touches turns to ethical & cruelty-free bacon, without all the animal fat that comes with it. I found it at a local grocery store, next to the barbecue sauce. If you can't find it there, it is available on amazon.

It took some time to decide which salad to make first, but the BKT (bacon kale tomato) looked like a good one to start with, and I switched it up a bit and made her cashew ranch dressing and smokey sriracha nuts. I made a few more changes to the recipes, making a couple substitutions for what I had on hand, so this is not the EXACT recipe from the book-- but pretty close.

The most difficult part of making this whole thing is just the trekking out for ingredients you may not have on hand, especially if you are a meat-eater. But I hope that you find it enticing enough to seek them out anyways. You will notice that several recipes go into this salad; dressing, nuts, tempeh, and then the salad assembly itself. Don't feel like it's a lot-- you can do several steps at once and the whole salad shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes.

"Back at the Ranch" Dressing
+ 1/2 cup unroasted cashews
+ 3/4 cup hot water
+ 1 tbsp olive oil
+ 1 clove garlic, peeled
+ 2 tsps soy sauce (originally calls for tamari)
+ 2 tsp dijon mustard
+ 1 tsp garlic powder
+ 1 tsp onion powder
+ 3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, tarragon, parsley, cilantro (I used dill & parsley)

1. Soak the cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes. Then pour them into a blender (including the water) and blend until very smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. Chill in a tightly covered container until ready to use, or at least 20 minutes for the flavours to blend.

Sriracha & Smoke Pecans (I used almonds, though!)
+ 1 1/2 cups raw nuts
+ 2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
+ 1 heaping tbsp sriracha
+ 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
+ 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. In a pan or casserole dish, combine nuts, syrup, sriracha and liquid smoke. Toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt

2. Roast nuts for 16-18 min, stirring occasionally until a sticky glaze forms. Remove from oven and immediately transfer the nuts to a lightly oiled sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil and if necessary, use a fork to break them apart.

Tempeh Bacon Bites (I halved this recipe)
+ 8 ounces tempeh
+ 2 tbsp maple syrup
+ 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
+ 1 tbsp ketchup
+ 1 tbsp vegetable oil (I just used olive)
+ 3/4 tsp liquid smoke
+ olive oil, for pan frying

1. Slice tempeh into small, bite-sized pieces.

2. In a baking dish, mix together the remaining ingredients. Add the tempeh bits and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes, or cover and chill overnight.

3. Fry the tempeh over medium heat, ensuring they are in a single layer. Cook until browned on one side, and them flip them (I let mine get really dark). After it is browned on both sides, pour the leftover marinade over it and simmer until it is absorbed.

BKT Salad!
+ 1 bunch kale (any kind)
+ cherry tomatoes (desired amount)
+ about half a red onion, diced
+ "Back at the ranch" dressing (about half of the recipe)
+ Sriracha & smoke pecans (about half of the recipe)
+ Tempeh Bacon Bites (about half of the recipe)

1. Wash the kale and remove the hard stems with a knife. Chop the kale into ribbons and add to a bowl.

2. Add the tomatoes and onion and dressing. Toss with your hands to coat.

3. Serve with nuts and tempeh bacon bites scattered on top.

Homemade Hot Sauce

I've been in Toronto for 4 months now and have become slightly fixated on the Fresh restaurants and their dishes. So extremely simple and healthy in their ingredients with an amazing taste. My favourite I order every time now is the powerhouse bowl. Recently, I've discovered that Fresh has cookbooks you can buy-- and I recently got my hands on one for just enough time to copy a few recipes down.

In my obsession with powerhouse, comes a curiosity-- with tahini. I actually have never cooked with it before, but  ever since it was brought to my attention I notice it in every magazine, blog and book I come across. It's like a magical, mysterious, intriguing ingredient that has been following me around begging me to make something with it. Turns out the powerhouse's sauce (which is what makes it so amazing in my opinion) is a mixture of tahini + their house hot sauce, and a few other additions. So, in my attempt at powerhouse, the first step was the hot sauce.

Because I skim details occasionally and fail to take them into account, this recipe is not the exact same as Fresh's-- I omitted a couple things, added in others and substituted for things I didn't have at the time. But it tastes extraordinarily similar, and while it looks a little different from your typical hot sauces, it is guaranteed to please.

Ingredients
+ 4 habanero peppers
+ 1/2 red onion, chopped
+ 2 cloves of garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp crushed chillies
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin

Directions
+ Puree peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme and rosemary in a food processor or blender (add a bit of water if not blending well)
+ Pour puree into a saucepan and add the soya sauce. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
+ Add balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and all spices-- simmer for 30 minutes.
+ Remove from heat and cool.

TIP: mix a few tablespoons of this sauce with tahini, lemon juice and chopped parsley to create the best, make-shift version of Fresh's spicy tahini sauce-- add to rice or noodles with various beans/tofu/chickpeas/lentils and fresh vegetables.

No-Fail Fluffy Buttercream

**Image: Birthday cake that I made for my good friend two years ago (ombre petal cake)

For those of you who ask, 'how did you make this frosting?' this post is for you.

It's extremely easy and no different from any other buttercream recipe, however it is a lot easier if you have a stand mixer (KitchenAid)

Ingredients

+ 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

+ 2 cups of icing sugar

+ 1 tsp vanilla extract OR any other flavour you would like to add

  (I like to use vanilla beans-- and I swear by this website for ordering beans/extracts) 

+ 2 tsp milk/cream 

Directions

+ Place the butter in a stand mixer fitted with an paddle attachment and beat at medium-high speed for about 8 minutes-- yes! 8 minutes. The butter will get very fluffy and lighten over this time. If you are doing with with a hand-held mixer, your arm might hurt a bit after, but it's still totally sufficient.

+ Add the icing sugar. If there are a lot of clumps in it, sift it first with either a sifter or by tapping it through a mesh strainer into the bowl. Beat for another 2-3 minutes.

+ Add your flavour of choice + milk + any colouring you want the icing to have. Beat for another minute or so (or until colour is uniform throughout)

Tip: If you need more icing, use about 2 cups of butter and 4 cups of icing sugar. This recipe is enough to frost just over a dozen sugar cookies. You would need to double it for a cake or cupcakes. 

Cauliflower "Hot Wings"

I've been meaning to try out this recipe for a while. So, when I found myself with a head of cauliflower in the fridge and not knowing what to do with it, this was the first thought that came to mind. I've got hot sauce (sriracha), and I've got flour-- that's about all you need!

I found this recipe on pinterest, but made some modifications. These babies could easily be made vegan (sub in a butter replacement) and would be an awesome party dish.

Ingredients
+ 1 head of cauliflower
+ 1 cup of flour (I used whole wheat! …trying to be healthy)
+ 1 cup of water
+ Seasonings of your choice (mine= salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder)
+ ~1/4 cup hot sauce (Frank's or sriracha work well)
+ ~2 tbsp butter
Optional: Ranch for dipping

Directions
+ Preheat oven to 450F & line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
+ Cut the head of cauliflower into individual florets, set aside.
+ In in a small bowl (I actually used a large mug to be able to dip the florets in deeper), mix together flour and water. Add in your seasonings of choice, and perhaps a splash of hot sauce.
+ Dip each floret into the batter, shake it off, and place on the baking sheet.
+ Bake for about 15 minutes. While it's in the oven, melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the 1/4 cup of hot sauce.
+ After the 15 minutes in the oven, remove cauliflower & brush on hot sauce mixture. Return to oven for an additional 10 min.
+ Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, and serve with ranch :)

Peanut sriracha tofu

So I found this tofu recipe on pinterest this week that looked amazing. And I had about 1/3 of the ingredients necessary… so I completely winged it. And ...! Amazing meal !… (I'm fairly impressed with myself). Honestly you are going to laugh because it is the most compromised recipe, salvaging random things in my cupboard and ignoring many of the important ones the recipe instructed to use. But I thought hey, sriracha will probably mask the taste of most of these things anyways, or at least subdue them enough to make it seem as if I used the proper substances. And it worked. It's actually so damn good.

Ingredients 
**(i.e. things I used-not things the recipe instructed me to use-- feel free to substitute my somewhat questionable items with fresher or more appropriate ones)

For the TOFU:
+ oil for frying the tofu (I used grapeseed)
+ extra firm tofu
+ 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
+ IF you have fresh ginger- use some of that. I did not, and substituted a sprinkling of ginger powder…
+ lime juice from that random wedge in the fridge you've been meaning to use in something for a week

For the SAUCE:
+ 2-3 tbsp of peanut butter- the recipe called for plain all natural… All I had was honey flavoured peanut butter, so yes, I used that-- it still tasted A-OK.
+ 2-3 tbsp of sriracha
+ 2-3 tbsp of water

Optional additions:
+ More lime
+ Chopped green onion

Things I did not use that the recipe called for:
- soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, agave nectar, vegetable stock

Directions
+ PRESS the tofu! This is an important step! One of the most important steps! If you do not press your tofu, it will taste like bean mush. I just wrap it in paper towel, set it on a plate and pile cookbooks on top. Leave it for about 10 minutes. Then cut it into thick strips.

+ Heat the oil, garlic, ginger and lime juice over medium heat and add the tofu. Fry the tofu until it is well browned on all sides and slightly crispy.

+ While the tofu is cooking, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

+ When the tofu has browned and is a good, appetizing texture-- add the sauce. Mix it around and let it cook for a minute or two more, before removing from heat.

+ Serve with lime and green onions. Cilantro would probably be good too.

Holy easy dinner.

Plum poppyseed muffins

Happy warm September Saturday. Today is a chill day dedicated to baking things to store in my freezer for on-the-go breakfasts for the next couple weeks. I started with these plum poppyseed muffins.

To be honest, plum & poppyseed wasn't the most enticing of choices to begin with, but it's by smitten kitchen, and I trust her more than you know. She has my food heart. Plus, they're more complex than just muffins filled with plums and poppy seeds; they also contain nutty browned butter, sour cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. These flavours unite to form something pretty spectacular. I'm impressed, as always.

Swoon over more of smitten kitchen at her blog.

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, browned & cooled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream OR greek yogurt (preferably full fat)
1 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp poppyseeds
2 cups of pitted & diced plums - any variety, but I used 'italian prune plums'

Browned Butter- Directions
+ Add butter to a saucepan on low-medium heat and stir to melt
+ Butter will melt, then foam, then turn a brown colour- this may take a bit, be patient
+ Be careful to continue to stir and do not walk away from it- it can burn fast
+ Take off the heat and allow to cool

Directions
+ Preheat oven to 375*F and either line muffin tins with papers or butter them
+ Whisk together eggs and both sugars
+ Add in the browned butter and sour cream and mix well
+ In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg & poppyseeds
+ Stir mixture well and stir it into the wet mixture
+ Fold in the diced plums
+ Bake for 15-18 min, or until slightly browned on top

Quinoa "Meat" Balls

Six months and no post. It's a record, but now that I am finally settled in my new apartment in Toronto, I thought I might utilize some of the natural light here and begin posting again! Here's to not living in a basement anymore!

This Spring/Summer have been packed with studying, travelling, packing, moving and lots of good-bye's. I'm settling into my new home, program, and campus quite well… and eating and drinking almost everything new and exciting within my reach. Slowly but surely I will discover the countless neighbourhoods Toronto offers, and every foodie-spot within (unlikely actually but I'm going to try).

This recipe is awesome and completely adaptable to exactly what you need. Here, it's paired with pasta and tomato sauce, but I've also eaten them on their own, or as a meatless meatball sandwich. You could easily alter the veggies and herbs to suit another dish as well (apple sage?… jalapeño cilantro?)

To be honest, I don't measure anything in this recipe. I eyeball everything and it always works out. If it's too wet, add breadcrumbs, if it's too dry, add more egg/some oil. The quantities below are approximate.

Ingredients
~2 cups cooked quinoa
~1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (any kind works)
1/2 cup diced onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp tomato paste/marinara sauce (whatever is on hand)
A sprinkling of basil and/or thyme and/or chill flakes
1 egg
~3/4 cup breadcrumbs

+ more tomato/marinara sauce to coat them in after
Optional: parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.


Preheat oven to 350*F

First, sauté the garlic and onions and mushrooms in a frying pan with the olive oil. Add in the tomato paste/marinara sauce. Add the herbs.

When the onions and mushrooms have softened considerably, take it off the heat and scrape the contents into your bowl of prepared quinoa. Mix well.

Add in the egg and breadcrumbs and mix-- adjust quantities so that you have a texture that is easy to work with-- you need to be able to roll them into balls and have them stick together.

Using your hands, roll mixture into balls (about 1-2 inches across) and place them into a muffin tin-- this keeps them from rolling around in the oven. Once the muffin-tin is full, bake them for about 15-20 minutes. They should be a bit browned when you remove them.

Proceed to put them back in your frying pan, add the tomato or marinara sauce and cook on medium heat until the "meat" balls are well coated and the sauce has had a chance to heat up and soak in a bit (about 5-10 min).

Serve over pasta! Or in a sub! Or by themselves!

Grapefruit Curd & Blackberry Filled Eclairs

Good morning, Saturday!

In my recent days (read: weeks) procrastinating, I have been doing so by baking more. I fell off the horse for a while but I've managed to pull myself back on, if only temporarily. The stress that comes with having two online courses you're falling behind in + waiting for responses from five grad schools would drive any normal, functioning person to some sort of madness. For Emily, that's usually baking madness.

I've had a recent fixation with pink grapefruits. They've become one of my favourite things these past couple months as I wait out this long, long winter of ours. They're perfect, because although they're a winter fruit, they're bright, and vibrant and sassy and PINK. You just can't beat that when everything else is so grey.

So I got to thinking. I've seen lemon curd; that's a classic. And I've seen lime curd. and cranberry curd. Why not grapefruit curd? ... So I made some. I have to say, the sugar to juice ratio might be a bit off, considering the sweetness is almost overpowering of any grapefruit. But, it's still there. Next time, I'd just take the sugar down a notch or two.

What better way to use grapefruit curd than to stuff some eclairs and lighten them up a bit from the traditional heavy cream and chocolate. This is my first attempt at eclairs and they turned out lovely. It's really much easier than it looks, and doesn't take very long. I suggest giving it a shot.

The recipes I used were both from SprinkleBakes (I have her book- you should too.)

Strawberry Vanilla Coffee Cake

I know I always mention how it's been so so long since my last blog post but this time really takes the cake (heh). It's been two months! I have my reasons. While I have been cooking and baking just as often as usual, I am rarely documenting it, because of how busy my life has become. Let me explain:

I am currently working full time, dog-sitting, taking two university courses online, just finished applying to five grad schools, have taken up hot yoga twice a week, and am also trying to maintain some resemblance of a social life. I think so far I am succeeding admirably, and to be honest- I do enjoy my life this way. I like filling every minute with being productive, whether that means memorizing all the bones of the human body for a test or baking a cake. I strive to be productive every day, and I feel like I need to be to feel accomplished after a day, or a week. So cheers to a busy schedule.

Today, however productive, has not been filled with the usual school work. In fact, my coffee shop friends are probably confused as to why they don't see me hunkered over my laptop for eight hours today. But sometimes your brain just needs these breaks. So cheers to breaks as well, and cheers to cake breaks specifically.

I took this recipe from Averie Cooks, and made a couple slight adaptations. Overall, it is very simple and very adaptable to suit your needs & cravings. I used strawberries, as did the original recipe, but I suggest (and so does she) that you could also use any other type of fruit you'd like, or a mixture. Blueberries, raspberries, peaches, etc. would taste great in this. I also recommend sprucing it up a bit with some vanilla bean if you have any kicking around. I'm all out, but otherwise I would have.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour*

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream** 

1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh strawberries, halved and loosely packed
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, for sprinkling

*Modification: The original recipe only called for one cup of flour, but the batter seemed too soupy to me, so I added 1/3 cup more.

**Modification: I used full-fat vanilla greek yogurt.

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
about 3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar OR about 1 cup confectioners' sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
2. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and hand mixer), combine dry ingredients until well mixed, add all wet ingredients except fruit. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 min. Scrape down sides of the bowl and continue to mix until well incorporated. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
3. Arrange strawberry slices uniformly over the top of batter (looks like a lot but they sink down and shrivel while baking).
4. Evenly sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.
5. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
6. Lower the temp to 375F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden and is set in the centre (use a toothpick or knife to ensure the batter is not wet still)
7. Allow cake to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and turning out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the glaze.
8. For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth, either with a whisk or a mixer. 
9. Drizzle glaze over cake in big ribbons, going up and back, over the surface. I did this, and then ate what remained with a spoon- trust me, you will too.

Modern Potato Salad

Is that not the most beautiful potato salad you've ever seen? "Plate-able and not scoop-able" as the Smitten Kitchen cookbook puts it, which is where I found this gem of a recipe. If you don't know Smitten Kitchen, you should. Every recipe I've tried is a winner. Last weekend, I made her "yogurt lime cake with blackberry sauce" that was perfect. Tart, sweet, moist. I will definitely be making that cake, and this salad again.

Here's her recipe:

Pickled Celery
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, minced

- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, boiled until fork-tender & cooled
- 2 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and cut into quarters

+ any additional other toppings (I used arugula and parsley)

FIRST,
Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together and add the celery, let it soak for an hour in the fridge (the longer, the better)

SECOND,
Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. You can add in any additional spices or herbs you would like.

THIRD,
Assemble. Cut the potatoes in half, lay the potatoes down cut-side-up on a plate and drizzle the vinaigrette overtop. Top with pickled celery. Push the egg quarters through a fine mesh sieve yolk-first, to top the salad with egg-fluff :) ... Add any other additional toppings you'd like.

London Fog Donuts

Sunday just seems like the right day to be in the mood for a London Fog. Which is why, right after yoga this morning, I headed straight to the nearest coffee shop to pick one up. It's perfect for when you're not in a coffee mood but would still like something [caffeinated] to sip on.

If you don't know what a London Fog consists of, let me break it down for you:

                          - Strongly steeped earl grey tea

                          - Vanilla syrup/flavouring of some sort

                          - Steamed milk

            All conveniently stirred into one delicious cup. 

And as it so happens, I was near a David's Tea today, and picked up some "cream of earl grey"- essentially earl grey tea with vanilla. 

And behold, I've taken my recipe for cinnamon sugar donuts, and transformed it (by merely omitting the cinnamon, steeping the milk in earl grey on the stove first, and drizzling a lemon & vanilla bean glaze over top).

**You do need a donut pan if you'd like actual donuts, but I wouldn't doubt that making these in a muffin pan would have a similar effect.

If you'd like some earl grey in your life, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk (I used almond milk)- steeped in about 2 tbsp earl grey tea (or about two teabags)

• I steeped mine for about 10 minutes in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, with a metal strainer of the loose tea leaves just resting in the saucepan. Try to make it as strong as possible.

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla

Glaze (Optional)

~1/2 cup powdered sugar

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 tsp lemon juice (fresh if possible)

1 tsp milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F

2. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

3. Pour mix into greased donut pan about 3/4 full.

4. Bake for approximately 15 minutes; remove from oven when toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

5. To make the glaze, simply combine all ingredients and drizzle over cooled donuts

Mac-n'-Cheese Stuffed Portobellos

Happy September, hello comfort-food.

I mean really, when don't we enjoy some heavy comfort food? But this comfort food has some funky twists to it. I used my mom's traditional macaroni and cheese recipe, but threw in some unexpected ingredients...

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

Sorry, I had to. But seriously, the cheese I used is extra old cheddar with whiskey hot mustard! WOAH. If I see something that incredible on the shelf in a grocery store, I can't help myself. Honestly it could have been $30.00 and I wouldn't have even cared (it wasn't though, thankfully).

So what goes well with whiskey, mustard, and extra old cheese? Macaroni noodles. And why not some mushrooms? Why not? I am definitely someone who has to have at least one vegetable in a dish, or else I feel hella guilty.

So here's the scoop:

You'll need...

2 cups uncooked macaroni (I opted for whole wheat)

White sauce
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
2 cups of a shredded cheese of choice + a bit extra for topping (my opinion= the stronger, the better)

Add in's
1 tsp hot dijon mustard
1 cup sliced mushrooms, lightly sautéed (I just used typical criminis)

& depending how many you want, portobello mushroom caps
--> you can just make a few if desired and cook the rest of the macaroni in a smaller baking dish.

So now what?

1. COOK the macaroni noodles. Drain & set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour (should be pasty)
3. Add in the 2 cups of milk, stirring well. Continue to stir (constantly) on medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken- this could take 5-10 min)
4. WHEN sauce thickens, add in your shredded cheese, and optionally your mustard & sliced mushrooms.
5. Stir in cooked macaroni & preheat oven to 350*F
6. Place your portobellos top-down on a baking sheet or dish, and spoon as much macaroni as you can on top of each, sprinkle with extra cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 min, until cheese is bubbling and browning on top.

...eat. the next step is always eat.

Strawberry Nesquick Cheesecake!

Excuse me for the crap photography! I had to settle for an iPhone snapshot today.

Hello Mr.'s and Miss's.. (and Mrs.'s and Mz.'s).... I hope your day has been beautiful. Mine definitely had it's up's and down's... it's down's being waiting for almost three hours in the police station for a record check, and then walking out after only 2 numbers had been called in ONE hour! (I was still six away, I would have been there all night), BUT my up was this. This, beautiful, thing. Strawberry Nesquick cheesecake.

Did you ever have strawberry nesquick as a kid? Well I still do. On a regular basis. But that's beside the point. Sprinklebakes is one of my all-time fav's and she always has the greatest recipes. However, this one stood out. I actually couldn't find the powdered nesquick anywhere when I was originally going to make it about a year ago! Luckily, I have friends in high places and the lovely Laura from NYC was kind enough to seek it out and bring me it! Skip ahead a number of months and here we are- about 15 nesquick drinks and a cheesecake later, and the container is empty.

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients

CRUST
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup jimmies or non-pareils... (the rainbow sprinkles- either the little sticks or the tiny dots)
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

FILLING
2 1/4 cups whipping cream
2 pkgs cream cheese (softened at room temp)
1 cup nesquick powdered mix
2 tbsp sugar

TOPPING
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
non-pareils (sprinkles)

DIRECTIONS
1. DO NOT PREHEAT YOUR OVEN BECAUSE THIS BABY IS A NO-BAKE! YAY!
2. Combine graham crumbs, salt, sugar & sprinkles in a medium sized bowl. Add melted butter and combine until fully incorporated.
3. Press mixture into the bottom & up the sides (using your hands) of a 8- or 9-inch spring-form pan. Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, mix the whipping cream until soft peaks form, then slowly add the cream cheese until all incorporated (there may be some little chunks still but no worries- no one even noticed).
5. Add (sift if possible) the nesquick mix and sugar and continue mixing until it is well incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust just until it reaches the top of where you've pressed the crust to.
7. Whip the remaining topping cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and then continue to whip until stiff peaks form. At this point, you can either 'dollop' some whipped cream on in any fashion you like, or pipe on stars around the outside and centre.
8. Sprinkle some non-pareils on top :)
9. Set in the freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight. You want the cheesecake to be partially frozen when you cut it, but not totally, so remove about 30 minutes prior to serving, or you can keep it in the fridge for an hour or two.

**For easy removal from spring-form pan, soak a tea-towel in hot water and wring dry, then wrap it around the sides of the pan to thaw the sides from the pan. This will help when you release the sides.

Enjoy :)

Protein Packed Veggie Chili

Not sure you could get more meat-free protein in this dish. This chili includes, as usual, a lot of beans. It also includes 'veggie ground' (a meat-free substitute for ground beef) and a ton of quinoa! Triple threat chili! This dish is also effortlessly vegan, provided you don't top it with a handful of cheddar. But I know you wouldn't, it's too good on it's own. ;)

Ingredients

1 red onion, sliced or chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 pkg veggie ground
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic if you have it handy)
1 huge can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 (small) can of tomato paste
1/2 cup red quinoa

Ok, here's where it gets tricky.

1. First, cook the onion and green pepper on medium heat in a large pot until fragrant & softened.
2. THEN add the spices & veggie ground and let cook for a couple more minutes.

3....THEN...literally add the rest in, one ingredient at a time (down my list). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

Optional to top with avocado, cilantro and green onion!

TIP: Even better consumed the next day. It continues to thicken overnight.