VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM MUFFINS

Okay so these technically aren't cupcakes but I figured it was fitting with what I have been posting lately. These are my own crazy creations that I made because my boyfriend wanted some. I had no idea where I would find a peanut butter and jam muffin recipe so I figured I'd wing it and it was SUCH a success. These babies were amazing and had everyone wanting more! Not only do they look really neat.

 They are good for you and a perfect snack at any time of day. Great attraction for lunches with friends because they look so neat. If you love peanut butter and jam like me you will loveeee these !!!

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM MUFFINS

Recipe

makes 12

1 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup graham flour

1/2 cup sugar cane

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup earth balance regular buttery spread, melted

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup almond fresh coconut almond milk

12 tablespoons of jam

Steps

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Flour to baking soda. Create a well in the middle. Melt your butter and add the butter, peanut butter and milk to the mixture. Stirring while adding contents. Mix together well with a fork to make sure everything is incorporated well. Your mixture should look like this !

Its almost like a cookie dough but it bakes really nice and soft. It also helps hold the jam in the middle when you're filling it. Once your mixture is ready, oil a muffin pan or place 12 liners in muffin slots. Fill eat slot until about 2/3 of the way full. 

Now you're ready to jam!

Using either an icing tool, a butter knife or whatever kitchen tool you have for filling baked goods. I used a butter knife haha. I placed the knife in the middle of the muffin, being careful not to stab it all the way through, and spun it around in a circle a couple times to create a hole. Then I took a big scoop of jam on the knife and placed it back in the middle allowing the jam to drip off the knife into the middle. It worked great and was super easy! I bet it would be ten times easier putting jam into an icing tool but I don't have one. So kudos to you if you do! Haha. 

Once you have filled all your muffins, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!!! These are by far the best muffins I've created so far.

Don't they look cool!

VEGAN VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

VEGAN VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

w/ cinnamon glaze

I have been baking cupcakes like no tomorrow lately. I have another recipe after this that is crazy!! Anyways these are more on the simple side of things. I wanted to show an easy cupcake recipe since the last ones were a little time consuming. This recipe is really nice and moist. Great for storing, they taste even better the next day. The cinnamon glaze was just something I whipped up for fun because I wanted to use my sprinkles and it was a success! It soaked into the cupcakes a bit making them all gooey and soft. If you love baking like me, you'll love this easy vegan cupcake recipe. 

Recipe

Makes 12

1/2 cup organic brown sugar

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup almond fresh vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup earth balance , melted

1/4 cup camino dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together well with fork to beat out all the clumps. 

Next combine your milk, vanilla and margarine in a small bowl. Stir together. Make a well in the middle of your dry mix and add the wet mixture. Mix ingredients together well until there's no lumps. It should look like this!

Add your chocolate chips and stir one more time. Oil a muffin pan with coconut oil and fill each hole until 2/3 full. Sprinkle some coconut on top if you want and pop them in the oven!

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Test with a tooth pick to make sure they are done. It'll come out clean if they are.

This gives you the perfect amount of time to make your cinnamon glaze!

CINNAMON GLAZE RECIPE

1/3 cup earth balance buttery spread, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond fresh vanilla almond milk

1 cup wholesome sweeteners powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Steps

Combine butter , vanilla and milk in a medium sized bowl and stir together well. Start to gradually add your powdered sugar, beating it into the liquid with a fork. 

Add your cinnamon and begin to stir. You'll see your icing start to form so just keep mixing it! The longer the better. It helps fluff up the icing. Once your icing is thick and a little fluffy pop it in the fridge and wait for your cupcakes to be done.

Remove your cupcake from the oven once they are done (15-20 minutes) Take them out of the pan to allow them to cool. Let cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle your glaze all over your cupcake and throw some sprinkles on top! These are so fun to make and they look amazing afterwards. Have fun getting cupcake creative. Happy cruelty free baking!

VEGAN SEITAN PINTO BEAN ROAST WITH STUFFING

It was thanksgiving the other day in Victoria BC. Which gives me an awesome opportunity to challenge myself. My boyfriend and I usually buy a little field roast quarter loaves for the two of us but since they have ceased shipping to Canada (article will explain) I decided to finally attempt to make my own stuffed roast. WHAT A SUCCESS IT WAS. IM SPEAKING IN CAPS BECAUSE I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF. Making a roast vegan stylez is hard and this one I can confidently say you could feed your meat eatin' friends and they would love it. The stuffing really stepped it up a notch and made it seem like a real roast. 

This recipe also makes enough to invite friends over and have a big meal. I already took 8 large pieces off of it and I still have a quarter of the roast in my fridge. 

The stuffing was too good. It honestly tasted exactly like the kind I used to have back in my meat eating days. 

I used silver hills kings bread for the bread crumbs. If you want to turn your bread into bread crumbs just simply cut up your pieces into small cubes.  Around 1/2 inch in size. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Prepare a casserole dish with some olive oil and toss in your bread. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over top. Spice with whatever you would like. I used garlic powder, pepper and salt. Stir them around well so the oil is spread evenly and bake for 7 minutes or until bread is crispy and brown. 

RECIPE

Vegan Stuffing

5-6 piece of bread cut into bread crumbs = 3 cups bread crumbs

4 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/4 white onion, chopped fine

3 cloves of garlic, minced

half a shallot, diced

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon chili spice

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 drops liquid smoke

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

4 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

STEPS

In a frying pan on medium heat saute your onion, garlic, shallot and celery until soft. Around 10 minutes. Add your bread crumbs, spices, liquid smoke, vegetable broth, garbanzo bean flour and nutritional yeast. Turn to low-med heat and mix everything together really well. Your breadcrumbs should absorb a lot of your vegetable broth but not all of it so if its too dry add some more vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon at a time. Until everything is moist, not soggy. Fry until all your liquids are absorbed. Around 7-10 minutes. Once your stuffing is ready remove from heat and allow it to cool before stuffing your roast!

*This recipe is great for stuffing the roast but if you want to bake some stuff on the side heres the steps, 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Separate your dry ingredients of your stuffing mix into two even batches. One in a frying pan and one in a oiled casserole dish. Cut your liquid ingredients in half for each mix. Add vegetable broth, liquid smoke, garbanzo bean flour and nutritional yeast to your casserole dish. Stir together well and place in your oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until all liquids are absorbed. 

RECIPE

VEGAN ROAST

1 can pinto beans, drained, blended

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

6 drops liquid smoke 

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl combine all your dry ingredients and stir together well. Blend your pinto beans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until smooth. *the bigger the beans are the harder it is to mix it into the gluten

Make a well in the middle of your gluten bowl and add your vegetable broth, soy sauce and liquid smoke.  Start to mix together well and pour your beans in, mixing while stirring. Knead with your hands for 5 minutes. This helps really blend your beans in with the mix. Once everything is mixed together well and your ball of goodness has formed prepare a place on the counter with a large piece of foil. (I used one that was 18' wide) Place your roast on the foil and begin to roll it out forming a rectangle. Roll it out well. If any pieces break its really easy to make it stick back together with your fingers by pinching it. It should be around a 1/4' to 1/2' thick. Any bigger and it won't roll well!  

Once your seitan is ready place a couple big spoonfuls of the stuffing on half of your roast. Make sure theres atleast an inch left on each side of the seitan. Flatten your stuffing down with the back of your spoon. Begin to roll from the side with the stuffing inward. Roll it slightly tight so you can make sure it sticks together but don't squish it. 

Once your roll is all together begin to pinch the open end with a fork. Pressing it into your roast. Make sure its completely blended together. Using your fingers to pinch any loose ends. 

Wrap your roast in foil and bake for 1 hour. 

TWO VEGANS GO TO VANCOUVER

Last weekend my boyfriend and I hopped on a ferry to go to Vancouver. We went to go see Sebadoh and Norm Macdonald. IT WAS AMAZING. I will say, I got an autographed ep by two out of the three members of Sebadoh.  It made my life a little more complete. ANYWAYS one of the things I LOVEEE about going to Vancouver is how vegan friendly it is. Its almost impossible not to walk by a veg friendly restaurant there. Which is totally refreshing for me since I live on an Island. I wanted to take the chance to check out some new spots I hadn't yet as well as take pictures of the awesome vegan food to show all of you! The population of veg restaurants in Vancouver is just growing as we speak too. I hope we can get a Whole foods in Victoria, they are my favourite!! LETS START A PETITION. 

 First stop was Whole foods. Right as we walked off the skytrain we saw it so we thought why not! We were starving from our travels so we got the grilled veggie sandwich from the deli. It had amazing pesto sauce on it.

VEGAN CROISSANT!! Thats right. It had been so long. My boyfriend and I could not believe how buttery and light they were.  The burrito on the bottom is from BUDGIE BURRITOS. By far the best burritos I have ever had in Vancouver. So cheap and a really funky place inside. Had a total retro feel. Not to mention burrito flag shirts! I loved them. If you're a fan of hardcore punk you will probably know what I'm talking about ;)

Next stop THE BLACK LODGE. We decided we would go there for our pre show dinner. I was SO IMPRESSED. What a cool restaurant. Although very small, we didn't have to wait at all and when we got inside it was well worth it. The whole atmosphere was really cool. The design of the restaurant is simple yet awesome. They really were smart going with a TWIN PEAKS theme restaurant. Punk music was blaring through the speakers. All the servers were super friendly. Pretty much everything on the menu could be "veganized" and I just loveee punk owned businesses. The food although simple, was awesome! Ive been waiting for someone to open a comfort food kinda vegan place. 100% backed restaurant. I will be returning and telling friends about it. 

My boyfriend got the Philly Cheese Steak which I didn't even get a picture of before he started to gobble it up. Haha but it was OFF THE CHAIN. I got the B.A.L.T sandwich. Coconut bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato. I'm pretty sure they made the coconut bacon in house and it was the best part of that sandwich. I can still taste it. mmm. Oh yeah and thats a PULLED PORK POUTINE. So unique! So delicious. Bravo Black Lodge. 

Heres a picture of us seeing SEBADOH. Right up at the front. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday <3

The next night we went to go see Norm Macdonald. He was extremely intoxicated and extremely funny. One of my favorite comedians. The opener Sean O Connor was so hilarous too. You should check both out if you haven't already!

A little hard to see but you get the idea! 

After the show I was STARVING so we stopped at the Falafel Place just beside our hotel. It was in the 800 block of West Broadway st. Unfortunately I totally cannot remember the name and I feel silly for it because it was actually really good! For late night food i was really impressed. Only 6 bucks too. Well worth it.

Anyways that my Vancouver trip. I was hoping to go to EDIBLE FLOURS but I am going on the 16th for NAS so I will go to more places then and take more pictures and share vegan happiness. I hope this encourages you to go try different things and be open minded! Vancouver, you will always have a place in my heart <3

VEGAN CALZONES

VEGAN CALZONES

Veganmofo month has come to an end and I loved it! I can definitely say I will be doing it next year and I will be getting much more detailed in my posts! I got 800 views just in the month of September so thanks to everyone who liked or shared my blog :) Calzones are so expensive to buy and so easy to make! I bought a new kind of flour that has made my pizza crust 10x better. Its called caputo flour. A local vegan friendly pizza restaurant, FAMOSO here uses it and they are the best pizzas you can get in Victoria! Really authentic italian. Here's a picture of the store bought kind I got

Its much lighter and fluffier. Alot easier to knead the dough. Its really good for throwing in the air to thin it too. I highly recommend trying this pizza dough if you're really into baking like me:)  Here's my recipe for Vegan Calzones. I hope you enjoy them!

RECIPE

makes 2 calzones

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 cup warm water
1 package instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
handful of fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1 1/2 garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil



Filling:
Old newmans honey garlic barbecue sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 purple onion, diced
6 manzanilla olives, sliced
1 can of corn, drained
handful of artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 orange pepper, diced
1/2 package of yves ground chicken
Your choice of vegan cheese

Me and my boyfriend got to try this new kind it rules!!!

STEPS

Preheat your oven to 400 F

Get one cup of warm water in a measuring cup and sprinkle your yeast on top. Be careful to make sure your water isn't too warm or it'll kill your yeast. Let the yeast stand in water for 10 minutes.

While your yeast is mixing you can combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl for your dough. Mix together well and create a well in the middle. Add your yeast water mixture and your olive oil and begin to mix together to form dough. Once your dough is formed begin to knead fro 10 minutes. The longer you knead your dough the better. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

While your dough is rising you can prepare all your vegetables. My boyfriend and I made ours with bbq sauce but this recipe would work great with tomato paste! The nice thing about calzones is you can put anything you want inside!

Fry your chicken for 5 minutes before you put them into your calzone. I added a couple drops of liquid smoke to make mine even better. 

Once your dough has risen for 30 minutes it should be about double in size. If its not let it rise longer! Knead your dough for ten minutes and split into two equal halves. 

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface, nice and thin. It should be about a 1/4 inch thick. Its easier to make the calzones if you roll your dough into a rectangle rather than a circle. Once you've reached your desired size you can begin to add your toppings starting with the sauce and ending with the cheese. Add your toppings to one side of your dough so you can fold it over and seal it. 

Press the sides with a fork to seal your 

calzone completely. Place on a lightly oiled pan. Rub oil on the outside so the top browns and pop it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes:) I broiled mine for 5 minutes at the end to make the top perfect. 

BREAKFAST GRANOLA BARS

BREAKFAST GRANOLA BARS

So last night my boyfriend and I had a sweet tooth but weren't sure what to make. I had tons of nuts and peanut butter so i figured I'd make some granola bars. He had a weird request though, Cheerios! My boyfriend LOVES cheerios. So I figured I'd be able to make something good! This was definitely a "whatever you got in your pantry" kind of dessert but its great for taking to work and munching in the morning as well! Try experimenting by putting your favorite cereal in it or maybe some agave syrup instead of jam. Its basic, easy and good for you:)

Recipe

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup graham flour
1/2 cup cheerios
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons jam
1 tablespoon almond fresh coconut milk
2 tablespoons earth balance butter, melted
1 cup peanut butter, smooth

Steps

Preheat your oven to 325 F

Combine all ingredients (quick oats-sugar) in a large bowl. Stir together well. Once mixed, add your jam, almond milk, earth balance and peanut butter. Your mixture should begin to form into a big ball. If its too dry you can add more milk or agave syrup. The more sticky stuff you put in it the better they will stay together! Stir it together very well, pushing it down while you're doing this to help make the mixture stick together well.
Rub some earth balance on a baking dish so your granola bars don't stick. Pour your entire mixture into your dish and begin to press it down with a spatula. Continue to press your granola bars for 10 minutes.
 Make sure theres lots in all the corners and edges. The longer you press them the better your granola bars will stick together so keep going as long as you can! Once your granola bars are packed enough sprinkle something on top to finish it. I used coconut shreds. 
Give them one more push to make sure all the coconut will stay on your bars and put it in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before you eat. If its still steaming let it sit longer. If you cut it to soon your bars will fall apart! If you want them  to stay together really well don't cut them that night. Leave them in the dish and refrigerate overnight. Theres no way they will fall apart after that. Enjoy:)

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

I loveee me some peanut butter. I used to make cookies with my parents all the time when I was little so naturally it was one of the first things I made and mastered when I went vegan. These are a simple, quick, delicious recipe. I try to avoid using a lot of sugar and butter at all times when baking if I can. I like trying to make my desserts somewhat healthy. So I hope you enjoy these awesome peanut butter cookies.

RECIPE

Makes 9

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup organic quick oats

1/4 cane sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup natural peanut butter

3 tablespoons earth balance, melted

1/4 cup almond fresh coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* you can add coconut, raisins or almonds for extra flavour. I added 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

STEPS

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease a baking pan with butter.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well. Create a well in the middle and add your peanut butter, earth balance, almond milk and vanilla. Stir together with a spatula for 5-7 minutes or until completely mixed together. All your flour should be absorbed so if its not add tablespoons of milk one at a time till it is. Once your ball of cookie dough is formed use a large spoon to scoop out some of your cookie dough. It should be around the size of a golf ball. Roll it into a ball in your hand. This helps your cookies for forming better and not crumbling. Flatten it out with your hand into a round disc and repeat nine times. Place your cookies onto your baking pan and pop them in the oven! Bake for 10-12 minutes.

SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

W/ YVES GROUND CHICKEN

It was Mexican food night at our house! We went all out. These were amazing. The picture slightly does justice. I decided to add yves ground chicken for fun because I had half a pack from our pizzas the night before. The recipe is just as good with just beans and veggies. :) I even bought taco seasoning this time. I usually just make my own. Anyways happy vegan mofo!

Enjoy!

RECIPE

For rice

1 cup rice

2 cups water

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

2 tablespoons earth balance buttery spread

Sweet Potato

1 whole sweet potato, cubed

1 pot w/water to boil potatoes

Olive oil

Taco seasoning

Pinch of salt

Bean mixture

1 can black beans

1 can corn

4 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

Vegetable mixture

1/2 purple onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 crimini mushroom, diced

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 package yves veggie ground chicken

Combine 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Place lid on top. Bring to a low boil on medium-high heat then reduce to low-med and cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of earth balance buttery spread to add flavour and help keeping your rice from sticking once its done!

Now thats going its time to get your potatoes ready. Preheat your oven to 350 and get a baking pan. Oil the pan with olive oil. This is for baking your sweet potatoes. Prepare a small pot with some boiling water for your potatoes. Cube your sweet potato. Once the water is boiling add your potatoes and boil for 4 minutes. Drain your potatoes and place them onto your pan. Brush them with some more olive oil so the top get crispy and sprinkle some taco seasoning and salt on top. Pop those in the oven. Stirring occasionally. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until your sweet potatoes are crispy. 

Cut all your desired vegetables for your burritos. Get a frying pan on medium heat with some canola oil ready to fry your beans and corn. Once the pan is hot add your beans and corn and spices. Let them fry while your vegetables and potatoes cook to add flavour and make them nice and soft. Get another larger frying pan prepared with canola oil on medium heat. Add your garlic, onion, peppers and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add your ground chicken and spices. Fry for another 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Next cut up any toppings vegges. My boyfriend and I did kale, stuffed olives, cherry tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts. 

By this point your rice and potatoes should be pretty much done as well as your veggies. Heat your tortillas and BAM. Dinner is served! Happy vegan living everybody:)