Weekend Fruit Bar

Avocado on the side for the main course

I love fruit; always have and always will. Since I always have fruit and enjoy having people stay over: breakfast is always needed and my favorite thing to impress them with is a colorful fruit spread. It's delicious, nutritious, and everyone can always find something that they like with the variety.







MY TIPS:
~Go seasonal with the fruit you use. It is less expensive and has a ton of flavor.
~Variety and color are key to making a dynamic spread
~Separate foods that run away. Things like blueberries go everywhere if you have them on the platter in higher amounts and become a hassle so portion out.
~Make the fruit manageable in size and if there are inedible parts, remove them before serving.

Fruit Ideas:

Apples ~ Berries ~ Pitted cherries ~ Kiwi ~ Grapes ~ Melon ~ Stone fruits ~ Something new?

Smoothie in a Jar

Stumbled upon this idea, tried it, and some how it worked! I love it since I can now portion my smoothies. I can't be the only one who goes to make a smoothie just for themselves and makes enough for two if not three people. These make for great customized and easy access breakfasts or snacks and are transportable.

These are super simple to put together too. Fill a small mouth mason jar with everything you want, cap and freeze. When you're ready to make the smoothie add vegan milk and blend. The base of most blenders should separate from the bowl and fit the jar.  Blending can take a while depending on how full the jar is and how good your blender is.







Tips and tricks:
~Don't fill too full. The milk needs to be able to go everywhere to aid in blending.
~Don't let the milk freeze. I don't know how I did it but it wasn't fun. I think the bottom was packed to tightly and wasn't being Incorporated well which allowed my milk to freeze next to the frozen greens.
~Yogurt drops work better than trying to add yogurt to the frozen jar. Simply lay out a lined sheet and make small drops of yogurt and freeze.

Beyond Burger!

It was all over the internet, the Beyond Burger. A vegan burger that mimicked actual hamburger meat. It sizzles, It drips and it tastes like meat. Or pretty darn close as verified by me, my carnist sister, and the rest of my family.


I've had it plain and as a LOADED burger.
Here's what we had loaded style. Spinach, sauteed onions, Sauteed mushroom, tomato, and avocado. Oh, and sweet potato fries on the side. By the end it was barely able to fit in my mouth but it was delicious!

Nadine's No Bake Chocolate Cookies

Long ago before she became a vegan Nadine made these cookies. I got the recipe from her and morphed it in to a vegan one my using non dairy milks. I like to make them when I want a simple chocolate cookie. They are super easy to make and aren't super crumby cookie so they are great for on the go.

2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 1/4 cup minute oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated coconut

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a 1 1/2 qt sauce pan. Add milk and bring to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and sample (see note below). Mix remaining ingredients. Drop spoonfuls on to lined cookie sheets and let set until firm and enjoy. Store in an air tight container.

Notes:
Only once has it ever happened to me but I have cooked it and then it turned in to a brick in the fridge There was no way to cut it and I had to throw it away and lost all of the ingredients. Remove a small sample of heated mixture and place on to a small piece of parchment paper. Place sample in the fridge to see if it remains soft after 10 minutes of longer. If hardened do not use the heated mixture, you will get hard cookies. If still soft continue making cookies.

Cooking with Nadine: Vegan Chik'n Pot Pie

  
Seeing as this is a meal most desired in the winter months, I am a little late to the game to discovering....Vegan Chik'n Pot Pie!

As I'm writing this, it's cooking in the oven and my mouth is absolutely watering! I tried a similar recipe before, but it was too soupy, the dough was too yeasty, and there was no flavor!
   But these ones, these one's I cannot stop taking a bite of the creamy, thick stew-y, flavorful filling! Plus, since I have extra filling, and since I usually have left overs: I totally make the left-overs into a Vegan Chik'n and Dumplings!

Best part? It's ready in an hour!


Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package Quorn chik'n cutlets (or 4 Vegan chik'n cutlets of your choice), diced
1/3 cup non-chicken seasoning
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 package frozen vegetables (I prefer a mix of corn, carrots and peas)
1 package of 2 pre-made Vegan Crusts (or vegan crust of your choice)

Instructions:
Pre-heat your oven to 400°F

1) In a large pot, drizzle oil in pot and add diced onions. Turn stove onto medium-high heat and saute onions. Add garlic and diced Quorn Chik'n.
2) Add non-chicken seasoning and mix, then add flour and mix together with mixture in pot. When no flour sticks to the pot, add vegetable broth and whisk until combined. Add in bay leaves and other seasonings.
3) Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add in frozen vegetables and let simmer for 10 more minutes.
4) While mixture is simmering, prepare crusts in a 9-inch pie dish or in individual pie tins.
5) Once mixture is ready, scoop a cup of the mixture into the prepared pie dish. Place in oven for 25-30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Customized Rice Bowls

Rice Bowls are one of my favorite things to make. There are so many things that can be added or subtracted to each person taste; making for a great get together meal option. Also, depending on what you put in it, can be taken to work or school with out worrying about refrigeration.

I haven't settled on a favorite sauce so I don't have and specific recommendations to give. Have fun building your bowl and adding flavors.



The rough order I follow to make my bowl is grain, protein, veggies, and extras. Some examples of what I use, but not everything is listed below.
Grain- rice, quinoa
Protein- beans, cooked tofu
Veggies- sauteed bell pepper, sauteed onion, roasted butternut squash,
Extras- avocado, sauces

Vegan Cooking with Nadine: General Tso Cauliflower

Sesame Tofu & General Tso Cauliflower

Well, I have a bit of a confession: I'm not a good fryer. I've worked in a deli and was never placed to actually fry the food... for a reason. But good news for those of you who are like me: this is pretty simple to make!

I first tried the cauliflower recipe a while back, and although it was my first attempt at frying food at home, it wasn't a failure at all! Which means it can't be too hard, right? It was good, but needed to be spiced up, so I added some the second time around.

A TIP for those who are just starting to fry or are not yet comfortable at frying food: don't add water to a pan of oil! THIS MEANS FIRE. If anyone has any tips for frying food (again, I am new to this), please comment below and leave how-to tips!

REMINDER: NEVER ADD WATER TO HOT OIL!!!

General Tso Cauliflower

For the sauce:

1 Tbs Canola oil
2 tsp ginger, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
5 dried red chili peppers (add more or less depending on how much spice you like)
1/2 Tbs Shaoxing wine (this is what gives it the flavor, try and buy the real thing)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 soy sauce
3 Tbs sugar
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbs cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally, optional

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce, hold the cornstarch mixture until ready to heat in saucepan. Don't combine before, otherwise the cauliflower will not get a good, thick coating. Directions continue below, after cauliflower has been fried.

For the Cauliflower:

1 head cauliflower
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 cup rice flour (It about $2.50/lb at the store)
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
3 cups of oil for frying (I prefer avocado, it gives me more flavor and has a higher burning temperature)

Pull apart the cauliflower into bite-size florets. In a large bowl, mix cornstarch, baking soda, salt, sesame oil, pepper, broth, and 3/4 cup of rice flour until a batter is formed. Toss the cauliflower in the batter until the cauliflower is coated. Toss the remaining rice flour in, until there's no longer batter on the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and toss again.

In a cast iron skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry the cauliflower, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown throughout, no more than 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, lined with paper towels to absorb the remaining oil left on cauliflower.

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce over medium-heat for 3 minutes. Turn the heat on low, letting the mixture simmer for a minute, or until the mixture resembles a thick sauce, like gravy.

In a separate bowl, combine the sauce and the cauliflower. Gently toss the cauliflower in the sauce until coated. Serve over rice and with other Chinese cuisine inspired sides.