Brandon's Chana Masala

Just picked up a copy of Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life. She's one of my favorite food bloggers who, along with her husband Brandon (a vegetarian she met through her blog, Orangette), are living proof that omnivores and herbivores can live happily ever after in the same kitchen. Way to go guys!

So this is actually Brandon's recipe that Molly put in her book and it consistently gets rave reviews. Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list - this seriously simple and fabulously filling one-pot wonder is beyond bursting with flavor. It's even better the next day after the flavors have marinated.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional if you can't find it but sooo good if you can!)
3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup water
One 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (crushed or diced work as well)
1 tablesppon coarsely chopped cilatnro
Pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes, or to taste
Two 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3-1/2 cup plain (soy) yogurt
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven and carmelize the onion over medium heat. Stir occassionally but let it stew. Even a little charring is ok - the more color, the more flavorful the final result.

Reduce heat to low and add the garlic, cumin seeds, corriander, ginger, garam masala, cardamom pods and salt. Stir constantly until fragrant and toasty, about 30 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir. Scrape up the yummy brown bits from the bottom and cook until the water has evaporated completely.

Your kitchen should be smelling heavenly right about now.

Now pour in the tomatoes - if you're using the whole tomatoes, either break them apart with your hands as you add them or crush them in the pot with a masher. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add cilantro and cayenne and continue to cook, stirring occassionally, until the mixture reduces a bit and begins to thicken. Add the chickpeas, stir well, and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook a few minutes more until it is absorbed. According to the recipe, the process of adding and cooking off water helps to concentrate the sauce's flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender. Kind of the same concept as the secret to a great risotto. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Stir in the yogurt if you like (I used a dollop as garnish instead) or you can leave that out and serve with the lemon wedges instead. Either way, sprinkle with a pinch of garam masala and some chopped cilantro.

I found some delicious artisanal olive bread to serve it with, but any nicely toasted or crusty bread will do.

 Buon appetito!

Stylish Bloggers

WOW! My first award. Super YAY!

Thanks so much to the Vegan Mom who gave it to me!

I'm honored that my little blog is getting so much attention and would like to take this opportunity to pay it forward.

I always struggle with awards because there are so many great sites and I feel bad leaving anyone out, so for now I will focus my homage on seven other blogs that I follow consistently and are my personal go-tos when I need inspiration.

Drum roll please...

First up is Jennifer at Sweet on Veg - her delicious discoveries and magical inspirations always brighten my day and one of her photos helped to launch this blog.

Next is Isa at the Post Punk Kitchen. She makes veganism just plain cool. Just ordered her Veganomicon cookbook - can't wait!

Allyson's Manifest Vegan is a gorgeous site with great vegan recipes and for raw food fans, you will love Susan's Rawmazing site.

Another favorite site is All This Is Grace & Charm, with its witty writing and whimsical photos. You won't find many vegan recipes (Carly is one of my favorite omnivores) but then again, there's more to life than food!

I must also give props to Aine from PeaSoupEats - her blog is simple, but her style shows through - and her recipes are delish!

And last but not least, Amy's dessert recipes on Fragrant Vanilla Cake produce some of the most gorgeously decadent results you will ever see!

Bravissima ladies - very well done!

Vanilla Lavender Oatmeal

Photo and recipe courtesy of Healthy Slow Cooking

Perhaps this is just a futile attempt to push Spring along, but I seem to be on some kind of bizarre lavender kick. In any case, I can't wait to try this!

This recipe uses a smaller slow cooker that’s 1-1/2 to 2 quarts and makes 2-3 servings.

1/2 cup steel-cut oats (they have a gluten-free one as well)
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon culinary lavender (food grade)
1 – 2 tablespoons sweetener (vanilla sugar would be lovely)

Vanilla Creme Topping (optional)
3 tablespoons vanilla coconut yogurt mixed with the paste scraped out of 1/2 vanilla bean

The night before: Spray your crock with some oil to help with clean up later. Add oats, milk, lavender and vanilla extracts. Cook on low over night (7 to 9 hours).

In the morning: Stir your oatmeal well. It may seem watery at the top but if stirred it should become a more uniform consistency. Stir in sweetener. Top each serving with the vanilla creme topping. It will add sweetness and extra vanilla flavor. What a delicious way to start the day!

NOTE: whilst fresh lavender always looks lovely in a photo, personally I don't recommend it as an edible garnish. The flavor is a little too fresh and can taste a bit "soapy" if it doesn't have time to marinate a bit.

A Lovely Thought

What a lovely thought to warm up a cold winter day.

Photo and artwork courtesy of the beautiful Chandi Rose

Spicy Winter Vegetable Curry

Mom is totally on the program and this is one of her favorites. I made a few substitutions to help her ease up on the cholesterol but either way, this is a winner!

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I've been using water to saute and it works well)
1 small vidalia onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons garam masala (optional)
a 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons salt
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
15 oz can peas, drained (we forgot these  - and but I also recommend using fresh peas)
14 oz can coconut milk (for a lower fat/cholesterol version, we used vanilla soy milk)
Scallions to garnish

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. If you use water you'll have to stir more - just keep adding it until the veggies are cooked as you like.

Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and salt; cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, and potatoes.

Pour in the coconut (or vanilla soy) milk, and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with scallions for a touch of green - especially if you forgot the peas like we did!

Lavender Fudge with Vegan Vanilla Marshmallows

I'm not sure which I'm more excited about: the lavender fudge or the vegan vanilla marshmallows that make it possible!

This recipe calls for evaporated milk but I prefer condensed milk instead - both of which can be made dairy-free. Using condensed milk makes it impossible to strain the lavender but so far everyone loves it so I'm sticking with it. They turn out pretty sweet this way but you can cut the sweetness by using half light and half dark chocolate or use all semi-sweet.

I make these as a reward for getting through 30-day cycles of sneaky veganism. Definitely not the healthiest thing you'll find on this site so enjoy it in moderation. The last batch lasted us a month and that was after giving half of it away!

1 cup evaporated or condensed milk (here's a vegan recipe)
1 tablespoon dried lavender (be sure it's food grade - better yet, grow your own!)
1-1/2 cups sugar (regular or raw cane work equally well)
2 tablespoons "butter" (Earth Balance makes a good, non-hydrogenated spread)
a pinch of salt
2 cups vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups marshmallows (Sweet & Sara makes yummy gelatin-free vegan marshmallows)

Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add dried lavender and heat to simmering. Keep stirring and don't mind any caramelized bits that you scrape off the bottom. Remove from heat, cover and let sit five minutes.

Strain out lavender (unless you used condensed milk). Return to heat.

Add sugar, butter and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes to completely decrystalize the sugar. Remove from heat.

Add marshmallows, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir until thoroughly mixed. The marshmallows and chocolate chips will melt in the heated evaporated milk even though you've removed the mixture from the heat source. Mine don't when I use the condensed milk so just keep them on the fire with constant stirring.

Pour mixture into small greased baking pan. Do not bake! Instead, refrigerate the mixture overnight.

Cut into two dozen fudge pieces and enjoy!

Update: I just made these with evaporated vanilla soy milk (so I could strain the lavender) and semi-sweet chocolate chips. They turned out a little stickier than the condensed milk version with a more intense "cocoa" flavor but there is definitely still a hint of lavender. Try it both ways and let me know what you think - would be interested to know which version is more popular!

Vegan Aphrodisiacs

The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt

Valentine's Day is one of my all-time favorite holidays. I can't think of anything better or more beautiful to celebrate than love in all its forms.

Despite the fact that it's not normally a food-centric occasion, there are some foods known to have some wonderfully romantic aphrodisiac properties. Here are a few yummy vegan recipes featuring these inspiring ingredients. Try them for your next romantic dinner, today or any day!

Chocolate: Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Asparagus: Asparagus & White Bean Pesto Tart
Coffee: Mascarpone Clouds
Basil: Basil-Mint Pesto
Grapes: Red & Green Grape Granitas with Muscat
Strawberries: Strawberry-Banana Crepes
Artichokes: Globe Artichokes in lemon and garlic
Ginger: Ginger Snap Cocktail
Black Beans: Black Beans & Quinoa with Chipotle Raspberry Sauce
Rosemary: Oranges Poached in Riesling & Rosemary Syrup
Pine Nuts: Pignoli-Almond Cookies
Figs: Roasted figs with aromatic couscous
Libations: Vanilla Pecan Bourbon Balls 

and of course...

Avocados: Avocado & Mango Salad with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Whiskey & Stilettos

Evivva!!!!

I've been trying to figure out how to "Italianize" a whiskey cocktail for-ev-er and the fabulous Aine from peasoupeats has done it!

Her delicious twist on the classic Stiletto cocktail is simply brilliant. If you're curious about how she came up with it, check out her recipe post. Her blog is one of my faves.

What a great way to spice up your Valentine's night!

Salute!

Photo and recipe courtesy of peasoupeats

Whiskey Warmer

1 part whiskey
1 part di saronno
3 parts cider
2 parts ginger ale

Firstly, ensure your selected cider and whiskey are vegan friendly. Luckily, Jameson's has the vegan seal of approval. Whew!

Next up make sure the ginger ale and cider are nicely chilled.

Use a champagne flute - it will go perfectly with the stiletto's one should be wearing whilst preparing!

Measure out and pour in one shot of whiskey followed by the di saronno. Tip the glass slightly to pour in the chilled cider and then carefully (and slowly) top with the ginger ale.

Serve. Savor. Repeat.

Do What You Can

A little inspiration, courtesy of aardvarkonsea at Etsy.

Green & Black Hot Cocoa

Photo and recipe courtesy of Amanda at Easy Peasy Organic

Oooooh yum. What a perfect warm-up for a snowy day!

1 1/2 c water
1 green tea bag (the 'green')
2 Tbs fair-trade cocoa powder (the 'black')
2 Tbs coconut sugar* (or any brown sugar)
1 1/2 c vanilla soy milk
2 dashes of cinnamon

*if you're using unsweetened cocoa powder you might want to add a little more sugar

Heat the water in a small saucepan to just below boiling point. Remove from heat and add the green tea bag. Steep for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the tea bag and add the cocoa powder, sugar and 3/4 c milk. Heat again to just below boiling, stirring until the sugar and cocoa dissolve. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining milk.

Pour into two mugs and add a dash of cinnamon to each.

Just made some for breakfast this morning. It's like a cozy down comforter in a cup!

Thanks Amanda!

Veggie Pot Pie

Oh, how super cute is this?

I was obsessed with pot pies when I was a kid. This is a great one for the munchkins!

Photo & Recipe courtesy of Happy Little Vegans

2 frozen store bought vegan pie crusts (the kind in the pie tins)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
1 large sweet onion chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped into cubes
3 cups of water
1 veggie boulion cube
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1/3 olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
3 tablespoons faux butter
3 tablespoons unbleached flour
3/4 cup soy milk


Preheat oven to 400. Remove pie crusts from freezer and let them sit while you prepare the ingredients.

In a pot, combine the corn, peas, potatoes, water, bouillon, salt and pepper. Boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are soft.

Heat oil in a skillet, saute the garlic and onion until transparent and lightly browned – careful not to burn. Add the cumin, ginger and the 3 tablespoons of flour, stirring until flour is lightly browned and mixture is thick. Add in the soy milk and faux butter, and stir.

Pour onion mixture in the skillet into the pot of veggies, simmer for another 15 mins until thick.

You can also add a tablespoon of red or white wine for a bit of a kick, and if its still not creamy enough for you add a bit of cornstarch and more butter.

Roll your crust out flat. At this point it should be soft and workable. Then take your ramekins (or whatever baking dish you want to use) and turn it upside down onto the crust to make an impression. Follow the line and cut it out.

Fill your ramekins with the filling and place the cut out crust on top. If you want decorative pieces, now is the time to cut them out and place them where you like.

Bake on cookie sheets for approx 15-20 mins or until the dough is slightly browned.

Enjoy!

Larry's Sunday Buckwheat Pancakes

Yay! Mom is getting on board - look what SHE made me for breakfast yesterday!

She found this recipe in her new favorite book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (yes! the same one from Forks Over Knives) and wouldn't you know: it's from Larry & Ann Wheat who own the famous vegan Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco.

I love how small the world can be.

Enjoy!

Larry's Sunday Buckwheat Pancakes
makes 12 medium pancakes

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
2 cups oat, almond or non-fat soy milk

Mix buckwheat flour, outs, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Mash the banana in another bowl and add vinegar, maple syrup and milk. Stir and add to the flour mixture.

Heat a nonstick pan on medium high. When water sizzles on the pan, it's ready! Pour out the pancakes and cook until bubbles form. Flip and cook for a few minutes on the other side.

Enjoy them plain, with maple syrup or fruit.

Note: If you like thicker pancakes, use less milk.

Bonus: You can also make these into muffins! Just add raisins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Haven't tried this yet but if anyone does please let me know how they turn out!

Things I Covet: Cri de Couer

Anyone who thinks that vegan fashion is an oxymoron, think again. My veganistas are some of the most prolific shopping enablers on the planet. Thanks to Marla, the Vegan Feminist Agitator, for turning me on to Cri de Couer!!

I am gushing over this line of gorgeous vegan shoes. I think I will surprise the Bear with these pretty babies for Valentine's Day!

From their website:

Never before has being so eco-friendly been so stylish. Thanks to Cri de Coeur, a line of top-quality vegan shoes, ladies around the globe can create eco-luxe looks in no time flat. Pairing deftly with everything from cocktail dresses to skinny jeans, Cri de Coeur accessories embody effortless chic.

Cri de Coeur is a French expression that translates literally to
“cry from the heart.”

I love it.

For more info, check out their website here.

And if you just want to shop, here's a link to their current sale items.

This is the ultimate in guilt-free shopping! Go nuts girls!

Rustic Winter Stew Over Polenta

Photo & Recipe courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Post Punk Kitchen

The Bear love-Love-LOVES polenta! This hearty winter stew is so full of flavor he'll never notice it has no meat.

Plus, it doesn't fit in the bowl anyway. Enjoy!

Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons)
1 small onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green lentils
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
2 lbs plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 lb small yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
3 leeks, white & light green parts only, in 1 inch chunks (and washed well)
Fresh sprigs of rosemary or thyme

4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry polenta

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in olive oil, along with a dash of salt, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, celery seed, pepper and salt and saute a minute more.

Add the lentils, baby carrots, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally for about 20 minutes, until lentils are slightly softened.(now is a good time to start the polenta.)

Add potatoes and leeks. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender and lentils are soft. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to meld.

To make the polenta, bring vegetable broth and salt to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add oil. Lower heat to simmer. Add the polenta in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk for about 5 minutes, until polenta is thickened. Keeping heat low, cover and let cook for 20 more minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Serve the stew over polenta and garnished with fresh herbs.

For more amazing recipes from Isa, check out her book Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Homemade Cranberry Lip Gloss

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

For a deliciously kissable (and practically edible) kisser, check out this yummy recipe for homemade cranberry lip gloss by Cosmetics Diary.

It's loaded with natural emollients and anti-oxidants and it's good enough to eat!
(sans the optional non-petroleum jelly)

Homemade Cranberry Lip Gloss

10 fresh cranberries

1 tbsp almond oil
1 tsp plain (soy) yogurt
1 tsp honey - can be replaced with agave or maple syrup
1 tsp non-petroleum jelly like this one
(optional for shine)

Mix everything in a microwavable or heat-resistant container. Heat in a microwave or water bath until the mixture begins to boil (1-2 minutes in microwave).

Stir well and gently mash the berries and let sit for five minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove all the cranberry pieces. Stir and allow to cool completely. Spoon into a clean container.

To use, just spread on lips and pucker up!