VEGAN IN VANCOUVER X 2

Hey everyone! I haven't posted anything in quite a while.. Im sorry!!! Life has been crazy, I'm working a ton and I'm about to move back to Campbell River! Im planning on helping my parents with their house because my mom is about to retire and hopefully get some down time to really focus on my baking/cooking. Theres an amazing farmers market up there every sunday in the summer time so my sister and I are going to start selling some of our baked goods there! I'm really excited. In other words stay tuned because there will be sooo much more coming up on my blog!! My sisters are great bakers too so it'll be awesome to have a team. Now just to think of a name for it.... Any suggestions?

Anyways my boyfriend and I just came back from going to NORTHWEST COMEDY FEST and it was INSANE. Every comedian was so good and we got to meet most of them. Todd Glass signed our book and Doug Benson was super nice and hung out for a long time. Rory Scovel even played a surprise set at Doug Benson's show so that was an extra big treat for Reece and I. Rory Scovel is one of our absolute favourites. In between all the shows I figured I'd make some documentation of the AMAZING vegan food I ate while in Vancouver. We stayed off of Commercial drive which is VEGAN HEAVEN in Vancouver. Most of the great spots to eat are around there just along the drive. If you haven't ventured down there before you must because it has such an awesome variety of different kinds of vegan food! We even managed to make it back to whole foods again, of course<3 In all the excitement I didn't get tons of photos but I went to some of my all time favourite vegan spots in Vancouver so I thought I'd share it with you! If you haven't been , please go. You will never want to leave. I never do. 

First stop! Deserts 905 Commercial Dr, Vancouver BC

http://vancityveg.com/deserts-the-falafel-oasis/

This is truly the falafel oasis. The food here is WAY TOO GOOD. Its so cheap too! You can see the two owners make your food while you're there. The wraps are the biggest falafel wraps I've ever had. They put pickles in them which is my FAVOURITE thing. They always have tons of veggie samosas and veggie pakoras ready in a glass case so you can stop in there if you're in a rush. Its pretty hard to spend over 20 dollars there and thats with two people. My boyfriend and I got one of these wraps each and two samosas for 15 bucks! If you buy 4 samosas its a deal too. The chutney is off the chain. Which is an absolute must for me while eating samosas. If you love indian food or you're looking for a cheap, healthy lunch this is the place to stop. The service is always good and theres a large menu with tons to choose from. I wish I got more pictures but I was so excited I kind of forgot! Hehe. :)

Second stop! Bandidas taqueria 
http://www.bandidastaqueria.com/
Now I know I have posted this place before but its seriously one of my favourite breakfast places in the world. Its a must go everytime I go to Vancouver. The breakfast there is some of the best you'll get ever. With so many different things to choose from and most can be made vegan or vegetarian. The prices are great. The inside of the restaurant is super funky and always has the best art on the walls. Everytime I go there I want to take a piece home hehe.

Coffee and their homemade salsa. That salsa is seriously spicy and its VERY rare I find things spicy.. I'm fijian haha

Reece had the "egg mcmuffins" Instead of using english muffins they use their own homemade cornbread buns and its the best thing i've ever had!! I want the recipe so bad. I could eat them every morning. When you make your meal vegan they automatically add guacamole, no charge and you can add some veggie bacon or sausage on the side:)

I got "the breakfast" made vegan. This is a lot better picture of their AMAZING cornbread muffins. I love some purple cabbage with my breakfast and a little apple salad on the side makes this the perfect meal. The hardest part is trying to eat it all! The portions are great! Thanks Bandidas.

Third stop! The Sweet Cherubim 
http://www.sweetcherubim.com/

I seriously love this place. It holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first vegan places I came too in Vancouver and I never wanted to leave. With an organic grocery store attached you could live there. Their baked goods are especially amazing. They have a huge glass case when you walk in that holds tons of different vegan treats including nanaimo bars, bird nest cookies(my favourite), raw bliss balls, muffins, chocolate carrot cakes. ANYTHING, you name it , they will have it. Not to mention they look absolutely amazing so well done Sweet Cherubim. Ive always wanted to work there. Its an absolute must go everytime I come to Vancouver. A little bit pricier than the other places I mentioned but really worth it! Their veggie rolls are to die for. They have one of the largest vegan menus to choose from too. Why not support a vegan restaurant/health food store that started in 1980? Id pay any amount to keep that going!

Is that not the best veggie roll you've ever seen!?

My lovely boyfriend drinking one of their raw vegan shakes :) 

While my boyfriend and I were there too we also stopped at Vandusen Botanical Garden. I had never been there before and we had lots of down time before our comedy shows so we thought it would be a fun adventure. Wow. What a beautiful place. I went there in February and it was amazing! I can't wait to go back in the summertime when everything is blooming. I really appreciate living in BC for the amount of nature I get to see. I think i would go crazy living in a city without any green. If you haven't been there before you need to check this place out. Its 7.75 to get in for an adult. Theres so many different sections to look at my boyfriend and I didn't even get to them all! All in all it was a magical place though. Even the building there is beautiful. Check it out.

Heres a couple snapshots from there. British Columbia will always be my home. THE WEST IS BEST. :)

VEGAN MAPLE PECAN SCONES W/ MAPLE ICING

Its December! I can't believe how fast November flew by. I barely had enough time to enjoy the fall and now its winter already! We had snow on Vancouver Island already. Of course since its extra chilly outside that calls for more baking inside! These are an awesome holiday recipe. They look great to serve at parties and they are perfect at any time of day. Super easy to make, cheap and quick! Plus it doesn't use a lot of ingredients up so you can make HUGE batches. You'll want to too because once someone eats one they are begging for more! Bake my maple pecan scones to warm you up on a chilly winter day!

Happy baking and happy holidays!

VEGAN MAPLE PECAN SCONES

with maple icing!

Scone Recipe

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup of toasted pecans, chopped fine

5 tablespoons of earth balance buttery spread

3/4 cup of bananas mashed = 2 ripe bananas

1/4 cup almond fresh coconut milk

2 tablespoons agave syrup 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup or flavour

Maple Icing Recipe

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon earth balance buttery spread, melted

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 teaspoons maple syrup or flavour

dash of almond fresh coconut milk

Steps

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Begin by putting 3/4 cup of pecans chopped fine on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Toast them in the oven for 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!

Next combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of your toasted pecans to the mix and stir together. Saving the rest to sprinkle on top afterwards. Once all ingredients are combined, create a well in the middle. Add your butter to the dry mix first using either a pastry cutter or a fork to combine it well. Once all of that is mixed in, mash your bananas in a measuring cup then add your milk. It should equal one cup now. If it doesn't, add more milk till it does!  Create the well again and add your banana/milk mixture to the middle. Beat all the ingredients in together for another 10 minutes. Once that's ready prepare a lightly floured surface to roll your dough out on. 

Roll your dough out until its about 8 inches long by 4 inches tall. It should be around a 1/2 inch thick. 

Begin to cut your scones out in triangles using a knife. Prepare a lightly oiled baking tray to place them on and bake for 15 minutes.

Now that the scones are baking its time to making your icing! The icing really adds to the scones so don't skip this step! It's well worth it and easy as pie. 

Begin by putting your powdered sugar in a medium size bowl and add your salt. Mix it with a fork to make sure all the clumps are broken up. Next melt your butter and add the rest of the wet ingredients while you're mixing it. It's important to mix it while you're combining it because it really helps the consistency! 

It should be looking like this after 5 minutes though :)

Once that's ready pop it in the fridge till your scones are done. 

BAM FINTO

Easy right?

Let your scones cool down for 15-20 minutes once they are done. The longer the better because the icing sticks to the surface better when its cooler. Spread lots of icing over the top of your scones and sprinkle your remaining 1/4 cup of toasted pecans over top of your scones. Enjoy:)

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:)