Cacao Coco Creamy Frosting

7/20/2013 0 Comments

Cacao Coco Creamy Frosting featured on the Chocolate Lovers Cake, vegan chocolate dreams really do come true!

Frosting:

Cream of 2 cans of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Agave, Maple Syrup, or Coconut Nectar
1.5 Tbsp Flax Meal with 4 Tbsp Water Mixed
1 Tbsp sifted cacao powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup sifted oat flour (ground oats)
2 cups shredded coconut (blended to a finer consistency)
1 tub vegan cream cheese (tofutti, homemade or favorite brand)
1 banana

Prep:

Carefully remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge, try not to shake or stir.
Carefully spoon out the cream into a bowl.
Add the vanilla, "eggs", stevia and syrup. Mix/beat until it begins to thicken.
Add the sifted oat flour, cacao powder and shredded coconut. Continue to mix allowing to thicken. Start with 1/4 cup oat flour adding more as needed.
Toss into a blender, add the vegan cream cheese and banana. Pulse until thick and creamy. Refrigerate to create a thick frosting consistency. Use as desired.

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Chocolate Lovers Cake! GF, Paleo and of course...Vegan!

7/20/2013 6 Comments

Last week I was craving chocolate.

I mean some serious chocolate, not chocolate for sissies. I wanted some savory, rich, deep chocolate that left me 100% satisfied. Sometimes you just have to itch that scratch. I thought I'd use ingredients that wouldn't leave me feeling guilty. The Chocolate Lovers Cake was born!

I started with a flour-less chocolate cake to start! Here are the ingredients:

Melt 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips with 1/2 cup or 1 stick of "butter" in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter melt.

Add 1/2 cup coconut nectar and 1/4 cup agave syrup and a 1/4 tsp sea salt. Reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in "eggs." The mixture will look smooth and glossy.

Use a mesh sieve to sift cacao into mixture. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the center of the cake is firm to the touch. Be careful not to over bake as it will firm up more as it cools.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and invert onto a plate. Set aside to cool.

Sprinkle with sifted cacao powder

Once cool top with frosting

The next Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake contains flour but it's made from gluten-free oats! To create we'll mix 1 1/2 cups sifted oat flour, 1/2 cup raw sifted cacao powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda and 3/4 tsp xanthum gum.

Then add in 1/2 cup or so of agave syrup, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tbl vinegar, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 "egg" and 1 cup of alternative milk (I used homemade cashew milk.)

Mix well until smooth and pour into a prepared 9" cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35+ minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wired rack, invert onto plate and cool.

Once cooled, place on top of the iced flour-less cake. Cover with more icing and sifted cacao powder!

Dig in!

and remember...

Chocolate Cake: Gluten-free, Flour-less, Paleo and Vegan!

6 oz or 1 cup vegan chocolate chips or cacao chips
1/2 cup or 1 stick earth balance vegan butter
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup raw agave syrup
3 "eggs" - I used potato starch mixed with water (flax or chia meal works well)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips :)

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9" cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray or grease the paper.
Melt 6 oz or 1 cup of (vegan) chocolate chips with 1/2 cup or 1 stick of "butter" (earth balance blend) in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted smooth. (To properly melt, place pot over larger pot with boiling water and stir to melt)
Add 3/4 cup sugar (I used a little over 1/2 cup coconut nectar + 1/4 cup agave syrup) and a 1/4 tsp sea salt. Reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk in "eggs" and vanilla extract. The mixture will look smooth and glossy. Use a mesh sieve to sift cacao into mixture to prevent lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix into the batter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the center of the cake is firm to the touch. Be careful not to over bake as it will firm up more as it cools.
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and invert onto a plate.
Sift cacao over the top once cooled and frost.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups oat flour (ground gluten-free oats)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp xanthum gum
5 tablespoons olive oil (vegetable oil..coconut oil etc)
1 tbl apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw agave syrup
1 "egg" (1 tbl potato starch mixed w/2 tbl cool water) (flax or chia meal works well)
1 cup cashew milk (or favorite alternative..almond, rice etc)

Prep:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9" cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray or grease the paper.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Add the wet ingredients and take a mixer or whisk and mix together until smooth.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 + minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

Cream of 2 cans of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut nectar
Dash of stevia
1 tsp brown rice syrup (opt)
3 "eggs" (potato starch or flax meal blend will work)
1 tbsp sifted cacao powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup sifted oat flour
2 cups shredded coconut (blended to a finer consistency)
1 tub vegan cream cheese (tofutti)
1 banana

Prep:

Carefully remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge, try not to shake or stir.
Carefully spoon out the cream into a bowl.
Add the vanilla, "eggs", stevia and syrup. Mix/beat until it begins to thicken.
Add the sifted oat flour, cacao powder and shredded coconut. Continue to mix allowing to thicken.
Toss into a blender, add the vegan cream cheese and banana. Pulse until thick and creamy. Refrigerate to create a thick frosting consistency.

The frosting is great by itself! I used the leftovers on top of homemade vanilla mango muffins! Recipe to come!

6 Comments

Fresh Fruit Pyramid

7/19/2013 0 Comments

I love fresh fruit for breakfast, a snack or dessert! It's so wonderfully refreshing in the summertime. Take some fresh watermelon and sweet and juicy cantaloupe, slice them into squares and make a pyramid of health! Grab some toothpicks and join in!

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Simple & Savory Couscous - Dinner in 15 min!

7/14/2013 0 Comments

This meal comes together in 15 minutes and only has 7 ingredients! Prep, cook, clean up and in 15 minutes you are eating! How fabulous is that?

Place all the ingredients less the spinach in a rice cooker.

Mix it together, place in rice cooker, place lid on top and press cook.

Place 4 leaves of red spinach in a bowl or your favorite green!

Before you know it, it'll be ready. Here it is!

Place the couscous on the spinach and serve hot!

Tadah!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup couscous
1 cup filtered water
1 cup broccoli - torn
1/4 red onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic - chopped
Bundle of red spinach
Soy Sauce
Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce

Prep:

Place ingredients in a rice cooker
Press cook
Place greens in a bowl, add cooked couscous and enjoy! It's that simple!

To good health!
Christa

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Sweet & Spicy Tacos Infused with Grapefruit & Jerry's Secret IceCream!

7/12/2013 0 Comments

Last night I made Sweet & Spicy Tacos Infused with Grapefruit, served in a fresh red cabbage roll on a bed of sprouts with homemade salsa on top. This meal is absolutely incredible. The flavor sensation is hard to beat. My taste buds were in heaven last night. As I write, I ask myself "why did I eat the extra one as a late night snack?! I want one!" They're so good, I'll be keeping this recipe handy for sure.

I honestly don't eat very much grapefruit, I bought one on a complete whim. It's been in the fridge and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Something told me to add it to the meal. I must have tried to put the grapefruit back 3 times, not trusting it would be okay, but I listed to my spirit and added it even as in my head I was very fearful it would ruin the meal. I came to terms that at worst, I could modify the seasoning. I added the grapefruit, I added 1 tsp of agave. I mixed it together for about a minute, tasted it and said "Oh my god, it really is good!" as if in disbelief! Faith is funny that way. I think we can learn faith lessons all the time, even in the kitchen. If you are ever cooking, and you feel inspired to add an ingredient you wouldn't normally add, give it a try, it be the best meal you've had in a long time. My best meals are created in that moment.
Want some? Here is how you can make them!

Take 1/4 of the onion plus an extra slice, 2 cloves garlic and a couple of serrano peppers and pulse in food processor until finely chopped.

Pre-heat a tbsp or two of oil in a medium-sized pan over medium high heat, add the chopped garlic and onion mixture and saute for 1 min or two.

Crumble the tempeh with the food processor or your hands and add to the dish.

Begin to add seasoning and mix throughout, reduce heat to medium-low.

Take 1/2 of the peeled grapefruit and squeeze the juice into your "taco meat."

For the salsa, take the balance of the onion, garlic, serranos, add in 2 ripe tomatoes, the juice of 1 lemon, handful of cilantro and add salt, cumin, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Take a head of cabbage, carefully peel back a cabbage leaf, place fresh sprouts or lettuce on the bottom, add the Sweet & Spicy Taco mixture, and scoop the fresh homemade salsa on top!

Serve hot, roll them up to eat! They surprisingly stay together very well and make a low-cal, corn free alternative!

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons oil (I used grape seed)
1/2 red onion
5 garlic cloves
2 Serrano peppers
1 package organic tempeh
To taste: Taco seasoning (about 1/4 package)
1 tsp cumin
To taste: red pepper flakes, dash of black pepper and pinch of garlic salt
1/2 grapefruit - juiced
1 tsp agave
2 large tomatoes
1 very small lemon - juiced
Few sprigs fresh cilantro
handful fresh sprouts (I used mung bean sprouts)
4 cabbage leafs

Sweet & Spicy Taco Mixture:

Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
Chop 1/4 of the onion + 1 slice, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 Serrano pepper in a food processor and place in the pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Crumble the tempeh and add to the onion and garlic mixture.
Saute and add the taco seasoning, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix through out. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Squeeze the grapefruit juice into the mixture, add the agave and mix throughout. Reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally and prepare the salsa.
Take a cabbage leaf, place a small handful of fresh sprouts on the bottom, cover with sweet & spicy taco mixture and top with homemade salsa. When you eat it, wrap it up and dig in! Serve with a napkin. :)

Homemade Salsa:

Take the 2 large tomatoes, dice into chunks and place in food processor.
Add the balance of the onion, garlic and Serrano pepper. Add the cilantro, juice of the lemon.
Sprinkle garlic salt, black pepper, cumin and red pepper flakes to your liking and then process until a salsa consistency is formed.

Makes a filling, healthy and low-cal dinner for 2! Increase quantity as needed.
For dessert my husband made the most amazing ice-cream! He even gave me his recipe and is letting me share! Here you go!

Best wishes for a fabulous weekend!
Christa

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Forbidden Brussels Sprouts

7/11/2013 0 Comments

I love meals that you can start and walk away from. I had some kale and mung bean sprouts that desperately needed to be consumed. I had no idea what I was going to make but I knew I wasn't in the mood to throw a lot of effort or time into it.

I started some forbidden rice. I love the color, texture, flavor and health benefits of forbidden rice. It really adds a contrast of color! I walked away and then about 20 minutes later thought Brussels Sprouts and Tofurkey sounded good so I tossed some in our steamer and off I went.

15 minutes later the kitchen had steaming hot food dying to be eaten. Keeping the kale and mung bean sprouts in mind, I spread them down to create a nice bed of health.

I had a cheese alternative in the fridge so sprinkled some on top. Yum!

The Brussels Sprouts and Tofurkey smelled wonderful. The cheese instantly melted and attached itself to the tofurkey. It was meant to be.

I took a 1/2 measuring cup, packed the rice in, and then flipped it over to make a beautiful mound of rice.

Add some ripe serrano peppers on top! I chose a "V" for Vegan!

Add a drizzle of soy or tamari sauce, a sprinkle of black pepper and red hot chili flakes and dig in!

Ingredients:

1 cup Forbidden rice - pre-cooked in rice cooker
2 Tofurkey links
1 cup or so fresh Brussels Sprouts
Handful - fresh mung beans
Handful kale - de-stemmed and chopped
Sprinkle vegan cheese
4 ripe sorreno peppers
To taste: Soy Sauce, Black pepper and red pepper flakes

Prep:

Begin Forbidden Rice in rice cooker w/filtered water
Place the tofurkey links and Brussels Sprouts in the steamer, allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
Spread fresh mung bean sprouts and kale in bowl, add "cheese", add the cooked Brussels Sprouts and Tofurkey links - slicing if desired.
Take 1/2 cup of forbidden rice and place on top. Decorate with peppers, sauce and spices. Dig in!!!

Ennnnjjjjooooooy!
Christa

0 Comments

Banana Berry Blast Smoothie

7/8/2013 0 Comments

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are bright-eyed about a new week! I woke up early this morning, started some coffee and made a Banana Berry Blast Smoothie that went down way too quickly.

Bananas, berries, chia seeds 'n greens create a creamy, sweet and invigorating smoothie to jump-start your day!

I followed up with some time out in the garden and even saw my neighbors kitties!

Ingredients:

4 oz raw almonds (or small handful)
2 cups filtered water
2 ripe bananas
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries
4 dates
Bundle of strawberry leaves (Or your favorite green)
2-3 tbsp vanilla hemp protein powder
3 ice cubes
Opt: dash of Chlorella or Spirulina

Prep:

Blend in high-speed blender on smoothie setting or blend until smoothie consistency is formed.
Pour and sprinkle chia seeds on top. Drink up!

Best wishes for a fabulous week!
Artistic Vegan

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Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes with Baked Soyaki Tempeh & Chili Peppers

7/7/2013 0 Comments

I love to make a delicious Sunday dinner. I have no idea why, I just naturally want to and love to. Tonight I made a gourmet feast for my husband and I. Before our hearty meal we went for a killer hike. Look at the beautiful sunset. I love the dark and light contrast.

As we were walking on the dirt path up, surrounded by dead grass, I spotted a hidden jewel. My husband climbed in and got the most picture perfect shot. Isn't that stellar? What a beautiful gift. It's the small things in life.

We headed home feeling refreshed. I picked some fresh herbs, a small red bell pepper, and some sorreno peppers from the garden and headed in to make a delicious homemade dinner. I didn't go to the market this weekend so my selection was low.

Perspective is everything. When I feel I have nothing, I create my most sensational meals. I just went with what I had and ended up with a "MMMMM" worthy meal! Try and taste for yourself! When it was baking my husband said "What herbs to you use to make it smell so good?" I love those moments. :)

Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes:

1 lb fingerling potatoes - sliced
1 small red bell pepper or 1/2 bell - sliced
Fresh herbs chopped (Combo: Rosemary, 1 leaf of sage, oregano, basil)
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tbsp Soyaki Sauce (or GF alternative)
Olive Oil to Drizzle
1 tbsp Hemp Hearts (Raw shelled hemp seeds)
1 tsp + cumin
To taste: Salt and pepper
Opt: red chili flakes to taste
1-2 Sorrano peppers
Sprinkle of vegan cheese

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with non-stick spray. (I used olive oil spray)
Place ingredients in a container, cover and shake! (Or a baggy)
Place on prepared sheet. Set aside and prepare tempeh.

Baked Soyaki Tempeh & Chili Peppers

1 package organic tempeh - sliced in half
3 tbsp Soyaki Sauce
1-2 tsp Sriracha Red Chili Paste
Small handful fresh Sprouts (Mung Bean)
Small handful fresh Kale
1 tbsp hemp seeds

Prep:

Prepare a glass baking dish with a non-stick spray.
Use the same container or bag as the potatoes were in and add the tempeh.
Add 3 tbsp Soyaki sauce and shake.
Place in the prepared dish. Using a spoon cover the tempeh with the red chili paste. Cover with aluminum foil.
Place the potatoes and tempeh in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle vegan cheese on potatoes, allow to melt.
Take the sprouts, kale and hemp seeds and prepare a bed in the center of your plate, place the baked tempeh on top. Surround with fingerling potatoes and dig in!

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Ginger & Garlic Soyaki Stir-Fry

7/5/2013 0 Comments

Ginger & Garlic Soyaki Stir-Fry creates an unbeatable flavor sensation.

I created this delicious meal last week while jamming to some didgeridoo music and cooking away. A little of this a dash of this, a little dash of that, a quick honk on the didgeridoo and before I knew it dinner! I tasted the meal and literally jumped up and down, the flavor was just right! Divinely inspired some may say.

Just follow your heart in the kitchen and in life. That is the best advice I received when I was first starting out and I still follow it. When I'm cooking sometimes I'll feel compelled to add an ingredient I may otherwise think is completely bizarre but I follow my heart and just trust that it will either be okay or at the very worst I'll have to readjust the seasoning. 9 times out of 10 it turns out better than I'd ever hoped. This is one of those meals! My husband and I practically licked our bowls clean, I hope you will too!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 package fresh rice noodles (I picked up a pckg at Trader Joe's, and used 1 of the 2)
2 tbsp grape-seed oil
1/4 red onion - sliced into big chunks
3-4 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 cup broccoli - torn in big chunks (slice stem into 1/4" pieces)
4-5 Brussels Spouts - quartered
4 tbsp Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce (or a GF sauce)
1 small lemon - squeezed
To taste: black pepper and red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
3-4 small tomatoes - quartered / chunky
1 cup fresh mung beans

Prep:

Cook noodles according to package and set aside.
In a wok, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and stir. Allow to cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
Add the garlic, ginger and broccoli and cook for couple minutes stirring periodically.
Add the Brussels sprouts, sauce, seeds, lemon juice and seasoning. Mix well. Add the noodles. Allow to cook until the Brussels Sprouts are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, mung beans top, mix well and serve hot!

0 Comments

Urban Garden

7/2/2013 0 Comments

I absolutely adore our little Urban Garden.

Each morning I start my day in the garden. I start the hot water and then step outside into my little slice of paradise. I find it is one of the best ways for me to start the day as I instantly enter into a state of meditation. I don't know which grows more, the garden or the gardener. It's always teaching me new lessons.
My garden has taught me patience. It's taught me to have faith. To have will and determination.

I've seen a plant look completely dead, literally not a green leaf to be found and a brown lifeless stem. Somehow, someway it had the will to live and was determined to fruit again. Sure enough, almost all of our plants survived a mild SoCal winter and are in bloom for their SECOND season! It never seizes to amaze me (or my dad!)

Life is so fragile, one moment the plant is strong and vigorous and then the next moment weak and frail. At times I lose hope and think all is lost, but then out of nowhere the plant comes back stronger than before! This can be true of humans too! What has your garden taught you?

Before the plant passes it flowers so it may spread its seed and multiply. I think the love we show people can be like spreading seeds. Do you?

The garden is a place to be still, quiet and just be. In that moment I've spent precious moments with nature. I've had a hummingbird come so close to me I honestly thought it was going to touch me! What special moments have you shared in nature?

One day I dream of owning a plot of land where I can garden until my heart is content. I want to be able to grow all of my food. A couple of years ago Jerry and I spent some time in the NW corner of Arkansas. I first cried when I learned we were staying longer than a week but soon fell madly in love with the state. They call it the Natural state. There is an adventure waiting around every corner. The wildlife is stellar and I can't wait to go back. While we were there some friends did a trade with us, our end was to build a garden. We'd only been dying to build one since we arrived so we jumped in full force. I didn't know what I was getting into. LOL! It was a lot of rocks! It was back-breaking labor but honestly worth every second of it! We started a bit late and it was getting cold quick. We gathered as much as we could before the frost came and enjoyed what we could.

The fall came and it with it 30 degree nights and decreasing!