VEGAN QUICHE

VEGAN QUICHE

This was my first attempt at making vegan quiche and it was such a success!! This recipe is amazing. I think the crust could maybe use some work but overall I was pretty pleased. It was even better the next day after we left it in the fridge. It seriously tasted/was the texture of a real quiche. I haven't eaten them in years but I can still remember because they were one of my favourite foods. Its got all the traditional veggies a quiche does and even with a little twist! I added leek and red pepper. Top if with your favorite daiya flavour and viola! Have fun baking my vegan quiche!

RECIPE

makes 1 quiche

For filling:

Olive oil

1 leek, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/4 purple onion, diced

4 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

a big handful of fresh spinach

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Handful of daiya cheese (I used pepper jack shreds)

For tofu:

350g package of organic tofu

4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

5 tablespoons almond milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

pinch of turmeric

For crust:

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons dried herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)

1 teaspoon black pepper

115ml water

2 tablespoons olive oil

STEPS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a round glass or tin foil pan. Anything around 20 cm works. First combine all your flour, herbs and pepper. Stir together. Add water then olive oil. Mix together until dough forms. If your dough is too dry add a teaspoon of water. Make a clean, lightly floured area for your dough to be placed on. Next knead your dough for 5 minutes. It should be tough and doughy but not sticky. It should be smooth enough for your to knead and mould though. Roll your dough out. It should be big enough to fit in your pan and create a crust around the outside. Place it in your oiled pan and press the edges lightly with fingers around the sides to form your crust. Make sure its tall enough that its to the top of your pan. Its okay if its not perfect but it needs to fit all your filling! 

Next is your filling. Cut, slice and dice all your vegetables. Get a frying pan and lightly oil with olive oil. Heat to med-low heat. This is to saute your vegetables. Once all your veggie are cut add to the heated pan Add them in order doing the spinach and basil last. Saute for 5 minutes.

 (This recipe is for one I just made two                                                                                                   anyways haha)

Next is your tofu mixture.
Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the tofu mixture into a bowl. Add your sauteed vegetables to the mixture and stir together well. Pour your mixture into your crust and smooth the top with a spoon so it looks pretty. Sprinkle a handful of daiya on the top. Put in the in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and crispy.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy:)

CARROT CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

CARROT CAKE

WITH STRAWBERRY

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Hello again! Vegan Mofo day 15 and I thought I'd post my carrot cake. I loved carrot cake as a kid and this recipe is just like the non vegan kind I used to have. I did originally just get regular white frosting mix to put on the first cake that you'll see but then I decided to get creative and make my own icing recipe! This recipe is good for making double layered carrot cakes or just two if you have tons of mouths to feed! I tried it both ways because I was decorating my cakes for fun. This is also the most sugar I have used in any of my recipes. If you don't like using alot of sugar in your recipes like me substitute 1/4 cup of your sugar for 2 tablespoons of agave syrup. Its more natural and healthy for you than regular sugar. Its also raw! I hope you like this healthy recipe:) See you mofos later.

CAKE RECIPE

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons flax seed, ground

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup organic white sugar (there's a link to the sugar I use)

1/4 cup of earth balance buttery spread, melted (theres a link to the butter)

1/4 cup of almond milk(theres a link to the milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups carrot, shredded

1 cup walnuts, chopped

FROSTING RECIPE

1/2 container of daiya strawberry cream cheese

1 cup of powdered sugar (wholesome sweeteners of course)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup earth balance buttery spread

*add cornstarch if your mixture is too runny

STEPS

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease two 8x8 pans with vegan margarine. Shred two cups of carrots. In a small bowl sift together all your dry ingredients (flour to salt). In a larger bowl whisk together your flax seed and warm water. Whisk until its completely mixed in. Add your sugar and oil and beat together well. Next add your shredded carrots and vanilla. Once everything is stirred together you can slowly start to add your dry ingredients. Stir it occasionally while adding. Whisk together until mixture turns into a batter. The consistency should be thin enough so you can pour it off into your pans so if its not runny enough add some more milk! Stir in your walnuts and pour the batter into two equal parts in your prepared pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Now while thats baking you have time to make your frosting. Combine the cream cheese and melted butter with a fork. Stir together well then add the cinnamon, vanilla and almond milk. Beat together until completely mixed together then begin to add your sugar slowly while mixing. Stir together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. You'll be able to tell when its ready haha. Pop it in the fridge until your cake is ready. Once your cake is ready take its out and test it with a toothpick. Make sure it comes off clean. Let it cool for ten minutes then have fun decorating!

I decorated my cakes with cut almonds, walnuts, strawberries and shredded carrot. Coconut or raisins would be amazing too. Get creative and make them look pretty thats the best part:)

  

MANGO COCONUT RICE PUDDING

MANGO COCONUT RICE PUDDING 

 I had this one night at my boyfriend bosses house. His wife is Thai so she made this amazing, beautiful dessert that was totally traditional. I loved it instantly and was determined to make my own with a little twist! So this is my mango coconut rice pudding recipe:) Hopefully its some what as good as traditional thai mango sticky rice pudding.

Recipe:
1 cup sticky rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
pinch of salt
6 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon cinnamon

STEPS

Soak your rice for 20 minutes in a pot. Do not drain. Add a 1/2 cup more water and 1/2 can coconut milk, pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir well together and bring a gentle boil on medium heat. Once it's boiling partially cover it with a lid to allow steam to escape and reduce to low-med heat (2-3). Simmer for 20 minutes or until coconut water is completely absorbed by rice. Once absorbed turn off heat and place the lid on tight. Do not remove this from the burner. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. 

To make the coconut drizzle you simply warm the other can of coconut milk in a pot on low heat. Add the 3 remaining tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir together well and allow to warm. 

Slice your mango in long thin slices or cube it! I will put this mango cutting guide here because I know how hard it is to get nice mango chunks. Im pretty awesome at it because I'm fijian and I've been eating mango since I can remember so its pretty easy for me.

Once your mango is sliced place a scoop of rice in a bowl. Make a little indent on the top to help hold the mango. Put mango chunks all over your dessert, pour the coconut drizzle on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar:) 

This is the best vegan powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

QUINOA SALAD

This is every healthy eaters favourite easy meal. Its versatile, simple, fun and yummy! Quinoa is an essential thing for a healthy lifestyle. Quinoa combined with nuts make a whole protein, just like rice. Its lighter and fluffier than rice though, making it easy to eat tons and use it for breakfast and light lunches. Quinoa can be sweet or salty. It doesn't have much of its own taste so have fun making it your own and use different toppings! I love cranberries and sunflower seeds in my salads. Theres a million different ways to do it though. Make it just like you would make a green salad but add two cups of quinoa to help boost the protein! Enjoy fooling around with this simple Quinoa Salad recipe :)...

RECIPE

Quinoa:

1 1/2 cups quinoa

pinch of salt

3 cups water

Vegetables:

Half a yellow pepper, diced

4 leaves of purple cabbage, sliced

1 handful of kale

1/4 purple onion, diced

handful of minced shallot

6 olives, sliced

8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 mushroom, diced

10 slices of cucumber

STEPS

Add 3 cups of water to a pot and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling add your 1 1/2 cups of quinoa. I use Bob Red Mills Organic Quinoa. (It tastes really good if you like plain quinoa like me!) Cover your quinoa and let it cook for 12 minutes. While thats cooking you can cut up all your veggies. Any taste great with quinoa. Get creative and color and add different things. I like using purple cabbage and kale. They have deep rich colors. It looks great if you're looking to impress.:)

I grew the cabbage and tomatoes from my backyard!

Once all your veggies are done your quinoa should be almost finish. You can stir it every once in a while just to make sure nothing is sticking. By 12 minutes most of the water should be absorbed. Lightly fluff your quinoa with a fork to ensure all the water is absorbed and to help add texture and body.

Add your vegetables and stir them in well. Add spices on top for flavour. I would recommend pepper, curry and nutritional yeast.

 Now is the fun part because you can get creative here. Hemp hearts are great for you and go awesome in salads. I pretty much put them on everything because they have such a light, nutty taste. These are my favourite :) 

I crumbled up some of the falafel that we had left over from the night before and put it on top. The perfect touch:) 

Simply Natural Organic Vinaigrette W/ Sundried Tomatoes

Finto. 

VEGAN DONUTS

VEGAN DONUTS!!!

It's dessert time! This is my speciality. Donuts may not be that healthy but these ones are much better than any store bought! This recipe does require a deep fryer but I do also have a baked donut recipe I will post at a later date:)(if you don't like using lots of oil) These donuts are very basic so add any spices or frostings to add flavour and be creative! I have so much fun trying to make different shapes and decorate them fancy. You can use vegan sprinkles , coconut, dried fruits, almonds or any other kinds of nuts. Even if they don't look amazing they sure do taste amazing!

Here you go!!

RECIPE

2 tablespoons active yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

Egg substitute 

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

3 tablespoons warm water

Dough

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons apple sauce

2 tablespoons earth balance vegan margarine, melted 

Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup vegan earth balance margarine, melted

1/4 cup vegan fair trade organic dutch processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

STEPS

In one bowl add 1/2 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir the water to mix the sugar in and add the yeast on top. Let set for 5-10 minutes.

In another bowl mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir the flax seed in with a fork until well mixed. This is the egg substitute!

Stir powdered sugar and cocoa together in a bowl. Add melted margarine and vanilla. Stir together well until all sugar and cocoa is mixed in and the icing begins to form. Put in the fridge until donuts are ready.

In a large bowl stir flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Create a well in the middle and add the apple sauce, vegan margarine(melted), flax mixture/egg substitute and yeast mixture. Stir well until it forms a dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes. Place the dough in a oiled bowl for 1 hour. *coconut oil works great for this!

Roll the dough with rolling pin until its 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 2 1/2 inch circles. Cover these and let them rise for 15 minutes. Heat your deep fryer to 370 degrees fahrenheit. Once your donuts have raised and your deep fryer is warm, fry the donuts. Fry 2-3 donuts at a time. Cook each side for 40 seconds. Have a plate with a paper towel ready for the doughnuts to help absorb excess oil. Lets them cool for 10 minutes. Put the icing on the donuts. Sprinkle with sprinkles or your favorite toppings and voila! You have donuts!!

WHEAT GLUTEN SWEET N SOUR BALLS

SWEET N SOUR BALLS

If you are vegan and you've never tried to make your own "meat" before you haven't even LIVED YET. Making your own faux meat isn't only rewarding but so much more versatile, way cheaper and most definitely healthier than processed vegan meats. Heres a simple sweet n sour ball recipe that rules with chinese food dinner. You can pretty much put any other kind of sauce and these would be amazing. Change the spices any way you want, theres no wrong way to make these! Marinate them for a bit to add more flavour. Its time consuming but again, SO WORTH IT! Here you go!!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons chili flakes

pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons soya sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4-6 drops liquid smoke

Broth:

4 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons soya sauce 

3 tablespoons vegetable broth

pinch of salt

4-8 drops liquid smoke

STEPS

Stir together gluten and spices. *Add according to your taste buds! Any kind of liquid smoke works. It just adds to the "meaty" taste. Add water and stir until dough forms and it becomes tough. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. To prepare brother combine ingredients in a large pot and stir together. Roll out dough on flat surface with rolling pin just so its easier to cut into even pieces. You can make it as thick or thin as you want but keep in mind they almost TRIPLE in size when you boil them. Divide dough evenly either with a knife or your hands. Pieces should be a little bit smaller than a golf ball. Roll them in your hands to help keep the circular shape. If you don't they will look like this !

Which is awesome but not for sweet and sour balls.

Bring the broth to a boil. Place balls into the water. Turn down to a low boil (around 2-3 on your stovetop) Boil for 50 mins. Once they are boiled they should be twice-three times the size. Place all your balls in a big bowl and drizzle with sauce to marinate before baking. Preheat oven to 375. Oil a large baking tray with vegetable oil and pour balls and marinate onto pan. Add sauce if needed and bake for around 10 minutes. This is just to make them extra crispy and delicious. Take them out once you have you desired crispness. Let them cool, add more sauce if needed and enjoy!

I use 

Everland organic sweet & sour sauce and it amazing! http://www.everlandnaturalfoods.com/

Check out their website for TONS of awesome organic vegan foods. They are located in Burnaby, British Columbia.