Vegan Caramel Maple Bon-Bons

Being a cook or baker means lots of experimenting in the kitchen. Plenty of dishes find their way into the dark depths of the trash can. But throughout those failures, there is bound to be something successful; something worth marking in the recipe books to save for the near future. Finally one of these creations stirred up inside my head.

Now, dipping my feet into raw foods led me to consume a large amount of bananas. This isn’t to say that my monkey aspirations started in result of this because I’ve always been peeling away at them. However, chocolate covered bananas have always been a favorite dessert of mine, me being vegan or not. This lovely duo of flavors inspired me for this new treat; vegan maple bon bons. Not only is this dessert delicious from the inside but the dark chocolate coating is the glue for an endless assortment of toppings. I decided to stick with classics; crushed pecans and coconut shreds.

Now I come from a family of harsh food critics. My sister is in culinary school, my dad’s hobby is cooking up a storm in the kitchen and my mom plays in the gluten-free field. They know their food and they will always give me their honest opinion. Not all of my creations end in a thumbs up, but these bon bons got not only a thumbs up but two hands out begging for more.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of raw cashews; soaked for 8 hours, drained, and blended*
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 TBL caramel syrup
• pinch of salt
• Dark Chocolate
• Toppings (coconut, almonds, toffee nuts, sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, marshmallows, Oreo crumbs..)

*The raw cashews will be the base for this dish. A vegan substitute for cream cheese, heavy cream or any thick dairy base is blended cashews. It sounds strange but the beauty of this is that when soaked and blended the nuts give a blank canvas. They have a neutral flavor that is willing to accept any type of sugars, spices, or sauces you want to combine with them. You will want to rinse the nuts thoroughly after allowing them to soak. They will give off a filmy coating on the outside of them that needs to be cleaned.

Directions

1. Follow the instructions above to create your cashew cream.
2. Blend all of the ingredients except the dark chocolate and your toppings together.
3. Pour the batter into the holes of a baking sheet and let freeze until hardened. I did this overnight but it should work within a few hours**
4. Place a stick in the middle of each bon-bon.
5. Melt your dark chocolate and dip each bon-bon in it, rolling it in the air to allow extra chocolate to drip off.
6. Sprinkle coconut and pecans on every surface of the bon-bon.
7. Experiment with toppings and layers of chocolate. Try dipping them first in dark chocolate, next in caramel sauce, sprinkle sea salt, and then finish them in another layer of dark chocolate.

**This process is much easier if you use a silicone baking dish like one in this link: http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/b/0/0/100/8/AAAAC8Z8chYAAAAAAQCFjA.jpg?v=1288552784000 It allows for perfect sized bon bons and an ease in removing the bon bons. They are fairly cheap and can come in all sizes. If you are feeling extra fancy, create two different flavors of bon bons and sandwich the two together flat sides touching. Place the stick through both of them and dip them in chocolate. An excellent combination is mint and chocolate. Have fun experimenting with flavors and toppings!

Dark Chocolate Espresso Vegan Ice Cream

 There are so many combinations for chocolate. Just chocolate by itself is a beautiful thing. However, this ice cream needed a side kick other than dark, rich cacao. I’ve tried mint in the past and for some reason I can’t make it work. Mint chocolate is one of my favorite sweet combinations on the planet. It just seems to flop whenever I try to create something with it. Chocolate and orange is a beautiful mixture, but it doesn’t do much justice when you have no oranges. Lemon? Hmm..maybe next time. I cross back and forth through the kitchen opening up cupboards and pulling out endless drawers in the fridge, meanwhile a lovely stainless steel espresso machine patiently awaits my arrival.

Ice cream is a fun dish to make. There are endless varieties you can create by adjusting any small ingredient. Nowadays, it isn’t rare to walk into a shop and find an olive oil or wasabi flavored ice cream. People are taking risks and putting a unique spin on a traditional dessert. I love it. Vegan ice cream can be incredibly easy to make. It sounds daunting and that there must be some crazy hippie ingredients in it, but it’s fairly simple. Frozen bananas. These suckers are the key ingredient to a delicious, healthy and satisfying dessert.

Ingredients:

• 6 frozen bananas
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 shot of espresso
• 2 Tbl whole espresso beans
• 1 Tbl almond milk
• 1 Tbl agave nectar
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Transforming the bananas from being whole, frozen fruits to an ice cream consistency is easy. There are two different methods that you can choose to use; sending the bananas through a juicer or putting them in a food processor. They both come out roughly the same consistency.

1. Juice or process your bananas into an ice cream consistency.
2. Melt dark chocolate chips with the almond milk and then add to the banana mixture.
3. Pull one shot of espresso and combine to the mixture immediately. The flavor of espresso changes quickly after being pulled. Typically you don’t want to use a shot that has been sitting longer than 15 seconds. Adding the espresso to another substance immediately will ‘save the shot’.
4. Process or mix the batter for 30 seconds.
5. Add the espresso beans and process for 1 minute.
6. Place the ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze until the mixture has hardened.
7. Pull it out when you feel you’ve waited long enough and scoop into a bowl. Try smooshing it between two cookies for a delcious treat.

 Baking is such a wonderful thing to be involved with. Not only is cooking and baking something wonderful to experience, but challenging yourself in those fields can be surprisingly fulfilling. Anyone can bake. I believe it. But not anyone can create healthy recipes that taste good. It’s a hard thing to accomplish a balance between valuable nutrition and delectable taste. I truly enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with new ingredients. I enjoy the satisfaction of mastering a dish with so many bountiful nutrients that can heal your body. I love the satisfaction of spooning a bite of food into my mouth and having my taste buds dance on the tip of my tongue. I love it all. That’s why I continue to do this. It’s enjoyable, it’s challenging, and it makes me happy.

rested.

Inch thick socks cuddle around my toes, the golden tips from the fire pit are slowly steaming up the room. Snotting fluids are jetting from my nose, salted tears have dried up from the sulken, exhausted face that I have beaten down, and my once bloated monthly dose of a stomach has pancaked down like a shriveled balloon. I’ve overcome the emotion filled, too hormonal of a month and now transitioned into sandpapered throat, 2 boxes of Klinex on the floor kind of week.

You would assume that my crystal clear urine, or sometimes purple haze (from drinking plenty of beet juice), means that my body is in top-notch condition, ready to strap on my red cape and spring through the doors. Apparently, not the case.

You see, as much as you take care of your body by drinking gallons of clean water, eating high raw, nutritious meals, and exercising your brain and body on a daily basis, you need your rest.

I’ve assumed I’m a multi-tasking energy bunny that can mark through a ‘hunny do list’ like nobody’s business. My two year absence from school, mindlessly lusting the european streets in search for exotic, intoxicating cultures, has begun again. Books, bells and obnoxious big mammas in the classroom have got me sprinting to the nearest yoga studio to release my inner zen. While not being the teacher’s pet or perhaps falling asleep in history class, I’m serving hot, black, steamy cups of coffee to the four-eyed student, the neighborhood bum, and the 20 group Christian bible study. As if school and work aren’t enough, I wake up religiously at 5am to slug on my slimy gym clothes; which I would hope when I become rich and famous, will not be slimy because I can afford to have hundreds of pairs and not need to do laundry on the daily, and stuff my face with a crisp, rosey apple and an equal flavorful banana. I burst out a hard caloric session of boxing; punching and kicking the bag, secretly wanting to be bruising my trainer instead. Once sweat, a slimmer body, and a wet t-shirt are out of the way, I start my day.

Oh yea I forgot. I’m training for a marathon as well.

Hmm. Well I must bump up my one-a-days to two and throw in a couple extra training days leaving me with Friday and Sunday off. In which Sunday should be my peace-minded, self loathing, Sex and the City watching day, but I have to earn my keep and weed the mountain side of a drive way slope and drag myself to work to close up shop. Friday is equally exhausting, working a shift from morning till evening, ending it in the routinely, memorizable gym that I could navigate through with my eyes blind folded.

What I’ve learned this week:

• Drink 4 shots of espresso directly before history class.
• Don’t ever EVER let Clif Bar Energy Gu sludge down my throat ever again
• Jody Gehrman is my idol, inspiration, and obsession for the current moment
• Get my rest!

With all this said and done, its nearly 7:15pm and I’m ready to hit the hay. My body is in a sleep anorexism state of mind and it needs it’s Thanksgiving feast. Let me leave you with a tasteful, salted snack, that will keep you going on the last leg of your weekday.

ROASTED POTATO FRIES

Ingredients

• Potatoes; your choice
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Rosemary
• Olive Oil

Directions

1. Slice your potatoes into inch sized wedges.
2. Take a medium bowl and drizzle in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add a teaspoon or two of kosher salt, a hefty crackle of fresh pepper, a generous amount of garlic and onion powder, and prick off plenty of rosemary leaves. Drop them all into the bowl and let marinade with freshly oiled potatoes.
3. Lay willingly on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven on 450 until golden brown.
4. Stuff your face or perhaps make a curried vegan dip to devour them with.

Enjoy the remainder of your week, watch plenty of entertaining Superbowl commercials, and get plenty of sleep. Goodnight readers.

PS: I received my first paycheck from my blog today. If you feel so enlightened to click on the FOOD BUZZ ad on the right hand corner of my site a couple of times, I would greately appreciate it.

Toodles,

Niki

Breakfast in bed

To tell you that I’m lounging in my satin white sheets, fire-place roasting my chilled toes, sex and the city playing on re-wind, and casually sipping the day away with lemon water and an occasional green smoothie; well..I would be lying.

It’s time to pull my head out of my ass passport and put it back in the books. Travel, fun, all hopes and dreams are over and school is back in session. Okay, maybe not all hope and dreams, and I might have a little bit of fun, but no international tickets will be stuffed in my wallet anytime soon. I’m back at school and like a good student, I’m an hour early.

Since we are in the lying, conniving mood, I will tell you all what I had for my delicious, relaxed, breakfast this morning.

Creamy, succulent soy yogurt laying on a bed of ice-cold, plump blueberries. Sweet, ripened bananas coat the next level in order to support another round of devilish goodies. A thick portion of chia seeds pave the way for crunchy walnuts and sweet cranberries.

To be honest, I had this yesterday for breakfast. Today I stuffed a banana down my throat while getting ready, barely managed to fit an apple between my post-wisdom operated teeth, and shoveled a greek style wrap between my chompers this morning. Alright, it wasn’t that hectic but definitely not breakfast in bed. The wrap was stuffed with pesto, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoncini, baked tofu and lots of spinach.

Well, I guess I should start reading the syllabus and massaging my hands; soon to be so severely tortured. Tata for now.

Devlish treats

I made these devilish creatures about two months ago and apparently I forgot to share them with you guys. How rude.

But seriously, these treats are deadly. Yes, it is a dessert but made a little bit healthier. I’ve had a few guinea pigs do some taste testing and they were giving a thumbs up, 5 stars and saliva may or may not have been dripping from their mouths. Either way, you must make these.

It’s my take on the classic turtle. I hope my pictures have progressed from two months ago. So I appologize for the bland, too dark, and un-attractive photos, but I promise these suckers are devine!

Ingredients

• Halved pecans
• Agave Nectar
• Smart Balance ‘Butter’
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Coconut shreds
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt

Directions

1. First off you want to start with your pecan layer. For each turtle, you want to take 4 halved pecans and point the tips towards each other.
2. In a small pot, add a couple tablespoons of agave nectar, a little bit of brown sugar and just the slightest amount of smart balance. Let meld in the pot until liquid golden.
3. Drizzle your agave caramel on top of the pecan halves.
4. Sprinkle with coconut.
5. In a small pot, melt your dark chocolate with a teaspoon of smart balance. Once creamy and liquidy, pour mixture on top of your turtles.
6. Top with another layer of shredded coconut and one more of melted chocolate.
7. Sprinkle with a dusting of kosher salt.
8. Stick in the freezer and let harden for 1 hour. If you can’t wait, 30 minutes will do.
9. Now, stuff your faces!

Finding moderation and balance in life

You know, going vegan has to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I was living a life with inconsistent balance, constantly living in extremes whether that be with food or exercise. Weekly obsessions took over and soon enough would be forgotten like a bad date. I have never been so confident with the way I eat and live my life as I do now. I can design an incredible meal, enjoy every bit of it and not feel bad about what I ate. When you eat highly nutritious food that tastes amazing, where can you go wrong? There is nothing to feel bad about and no reason to degrade yourself. After switching to high raw vegan, I never looked back. I eat until I’m satisfied, I eat great food, and I have a passion for sharing it all with you.

I’ve been through high protein diets, low carb, low-calorie, and the only thing it makes you lose is your mind. If only years ago I could see how useless that way of thinking is. The idea that taking a magic pill or living off sugar-free foods were going to cure my unhappiness. I see so many women nowadays partake on an unpleasent journey through low-calorie, processed ‘diet meals’ that are supposedly going to make them drop the weight. Sure enough they will, but after one month or so of eating 800 minus calories you will gain it all back and more. I see television commercials advertising the latest diet meal. Send them a waddful check and they will deliver boxes of unappetizing, unpleasant, and unhealthy meals to your door. Since when did packaged, microwavable meals sound healthy? Peoople, there is so much more to food than eating this way. I promise, you can feast among the best meals of your life and still drop the lbs.

I don’t mean to get so passionate about this subject but it holds so dear to me. I’ve seen the way my mind, body, and lifestyle has changed since I discovered veganism. I’ve discovered balance in my food as well as my lifestyle choices. From where I am now, you could possibly label me as a high raw vegan. I don’t eat processed foods, chemically enhanced sugar-free snacks, and meat. It’s balance and moderation that will allow you to eat healthy and happily.

With that being said, I would love to share with you my latest healthy obsession. Yes, it’s a salad but not your traditional iceberg lettuce, gobs of tomato chunks smothered in a creamy ranch dressing kind of salad. It’s much better.

This greek inspired dish is one that will take your palate to new levels, leave your tummy fully content and make you begging for more. A tabouli base is a great start to this veg filled meal. You will stock up on plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins and flavor.

Ingredients

• Tabouli
• Baked Tofu*
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Red pepper
• Black beans
• Pepperoncini
• Lemon-Garlic dressing

*This baked tofu recipe is best made one day prior to making this dish. If you don’t have time to wait, then dismiss the tofu and add in an alternative ingredient. You don’t need to let the tofu marinade over night, but the flavor intensifies dramatically if you do.

Directions

1. There should be instructions on the back side of the tabouli box. If you buy it in bulk, take a portion of dried tabouli, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and combine the ingredients together in a small bowl. Fill to the top with boiling water and let sit until the tabouli soaks up all of the water.
2. For the baked tofu, buy super firm tofu. Combine in a large bowl balsalmic vinegar, minced garlic, a generous pinch of salt, black pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Drain the tofu for a minute, then slice up into 1/4 inch pieces and drop into the marinade mixture. Lid the bowl and keep in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
3. Once your tabouli and baked tofu is set, add 3/4 cup of tabouli to the bottom of a bowl. Next, chop up the rest of your ingredients in amounts you like.
4. For the dressing, combine 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic, pinch of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
5. Drizzle the lemon-garlic dressing on top of your not so traditional salad. Mix the ingredients together and sit down to this deliscious feast of a vegan dish!

Enjoy.

Better than a burger

 

 

This is my better than a burger sandwich. I just discovered an amazing bagel cafe near my work. You can pick any type of bagel and fill it with whatever you want. My choice was The Hummus on a Galaxy bagel.

Two weeks later; I’ve dropped too much money but walked away with an idea.

I decided to start bringing my lunches to work. I went to the store yesterday to get the ingredients and this is what I’ve created. It was really simple but those are the types of sandwiches I like. It’s much like my pizzas’s; I enjoy simple ingredients.

The bread is sourdough. The filler is a mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, onions, sun dried tomatoes, and dijon mustard. I also spread some of the sun dried tomato oil on the bread and let it soak in.

I would say there is only one more thing that could make this sandwich better; avocado.

What is your favorite sandwich? What ingredients do you like to have in it?

Special Mint Brownies

Alright so not that special but they are quite unique.

I actually got this recipe from my grandma and adjusted it from there. It’s going to sound a bit strange and un-appetizing but don’t judge before you try them. I actually prefer them to ‘normal’ brownies. Plus, I can’t have normal brownies anyways because of the egg.

Ingredients

• 1 package of brownie mix
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 TSP peppermint extract

Procedure

1. Blend the entire can of black beans. Don’t drain the liquid.
2. Combine the wet ingredients (blended black beans & mint extract) with the dry ingredients (brownie mix)
3. Bake as normal.

That’s it.

They are awesome. I actually bake the brownies on a cookie sheet. The batter fits perfectly and I like how the brownies are a little bit thinner than normal. Also, after the brownies cool, I put them in the freezer. It brings out the mint flavor and provides an added freshness to the dessert. Just like after brushing your teeth and then drinking water. You can sub out the mint extract with nuts, chocolate chunks, and even a packet of VIA to make mocha brownies.

Not only are these brownies vegan (if you get a brownie mix without dairy) but they have a boost of protein and fiber and contain no added oil.

Don’t judge the book by it’s cover.

They might sound strange but you might get hooked.