Mardi Gras King Cake goes Vegan!

This year Mardi Gras begins on March 4^th, which happens to falls next Tuesday. To help you prepare, I’m gong to share with you this awesome recipe for a King Cake!

For those of you who don’t know the story, the King Cake, or Three Kings Cake, is said to take its name from the Bible. Fat Tuesday, which is another name for Mardi Gras, falls on the day before Lent.

These cakes are made differently around the world, based on the traditions of the country of origin. In the United States, these cakes are most popular in the Gulf States as they are closest to New Orleans.

Often times there is a plastic baby, said to represent baby Jesus hidden in the cakes filling. It is believed that who ever gets the slice containing the baby must host the next party or bake the next King Cake.

I had a hard time finding a little baby for my cake, though I did find them here in bulk. I have to admit, I was a little leery of  baking a small plastic baby in my oven. 

So, instead I used a dry bean. This wasn't a totally random choice, as beans are used in lieu of babies throughout Europe and in Mexico! 

If you are planning on celebrating, I couldn't think of a better way, then with this delicious cake!

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Vegan King Cake!

You Will Need: 

2 packages of Crescent Rolls (12 individual rolls)

1 cup packed brown sugar 

1 T cinnamon 

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar 

1 T vanilla

3 T soy milk

Food coloring or sprinkles 

Directions: 

1. Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and chocolate chips. 

2. Pour in the melted butter, and stir until crumbly texture is formed. 

3. Set this mixture aside. 

4. Un-wrap the crescent rolls and lay them out to form a circle. Be sure to press the seems really good! 

5. Place the filling in the middle and roll the dough around it. 

 6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

7. Mix the vanilla, soy milk, and powdered sugar together, this will be your icing.  

If using sprinkles, drizzle icing over whole cake and top with sprinkles. 

If using food coloring, split icing into 3 bowls. Color them green, yellow, and purple (by combing red and blue), then drizzle over the cake. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Don't forget who ever finds the baby (or the bean) is on the hook for the next cake!

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A Vegan Review: Burger Works!

Over the weekend, me and my special someone tried a new restaurant called Burger Works. The location by our houses is relatively new to the Richmond area restaurant and neither of us had ever been there before.

Having never heard anything about the food we thought we would give it a try. Actually, he picked it because he thought they might have options for both of us and they did.

Burger Works sells made to order burgers customized for each person. You can pick everything you want to be on your burger or for that matter everything you want left off.

They start with the type of burger that you want; the vegan option is a grilled portabella mushroom cap.

Next, you choose the bread that you want. Unfortunately, all of the bread options contain eggs but they do have 2 bread free options. The first is a bed of mixed greens and the second is a bed of iceberg lettuce.

Then you can choose all the veggies that you would want to add on. These include all of the usual options; onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, pickles, etc..

Then you can choose your toppings, I choose a Balsamic Port Wine Glaze, which is vegan, but it is also kind of sour. Lucky for me I tasted it before I put it on my food and decided to leave it off.

Check out the Burger Works menu for the complete list of what they offered. 

Here is my order: A your way burger, made with a marinated mushroom cap over a bed of mixed greens. I added onions, avocados, and tomatoes.

The marinade on the mushroom cap was plenty to flavor the whole ‘burger’.

This was a delicious meal and it paired great with their fries, which are also vegan and cooked in vegetable oil. 

I'd also like to give a big shout out to my waitress, who answered all my questions. I believe she said her name was Katie, but she is a vegetarian and was super thorough about checking every ingredient list for me. She was great! 

You can check out there website to find out more information. 

Give them a try and then join the conversation on facebook! 

Meatless Monday: DIY Vegan Bean Burrito

It’s another Meatless Monday, which means it's time for another meatless recipe!  

Tonight's recipe is Mexican inspired, to be more specific I'm talking about a meatless burrito. 

This is super delicious vegan DIY alternative to a fast food burrito. 

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DIY Vegan Bean Burrito

Ingredients: 

1 flour tortilla 

1/3 cup of refried beans*

1/2 cup of mixed greens

1 T of sliced fresh tomato 

Directions: 

1. Put each tortilla between a single layer of paper towels & microwave for about 10 seconds, or until warm. 

2. Put in the scoop of the beans.

3.  Rip up some mixed greens (or lettuce if you prefer) and add to the top of your beans. 

4.  Top with tomatoes. 

You can add any other veggies that you want. I recommend onions or peppers. 

Roll it up and enjoy! 

*Make sure you grab a can of vegetarian beans or check the label of your beans for "Partially Hydrogenated Lard" or "Pork Lard" or lard in general. 

5 Vegan Spices Every Vegan Should Have On Hand!

Tonight I want to share with you the 5 seasonings that I think are the MOST important to have in your vegan kitchen. 

Here we go! 

1. Chili Powder

It is perfect for seasoning beans, tofu, and mock crumbles. Plus it is full of flavor and gives any sauce a full flavor kick!

2. Onion Powder

While adding sautéed onion to a dish will always be a better option, this spice comes in hand when that is not an option. 

3. Garlic Powder

Once again, cloves of garlic are always better this spice is great on vegetables. 

4. Cinnamon 

It comes in handy when adding a little kick of something sweet and savory to smoothies or even your bake goods. 

5. Fresh Ground Table Pepper 

I know this sounds simple, but it works wonders to add spice to any number of things, especially steamed veggies. 

Vean Chai Tea Latte

Tonight’s post will be a little different from week’s prior, because this week no recipes were submitted.  Remember that you can submit your favorite non-vegan recipes to andyesitsvegan@gmail.com  to see them turned vegan right here every Wednesday!

 These even I'm going to share with you my dupe of the Starbucks 'Chai Tea Latte'. 

First, start with your favorite chai tea. I love the Twining's Ultra Spice Chai. 

It is described as "Fine black tea perfectly balanced with more of the sweet and savory spice flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger", which is a fancy way of saying that it is AMAZING. 

Steep the tea of your choice in 1/4 cup of  hot water, for an extra strong brew try adding two tea bags. I recommend 8 minutes steeping time for the best flavor.

Mix in 1 cup of soy milk or other milk substitute. For a frothier drink, use a Latte Frother, like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond. 

If you don't have one, you can hand whisk the milk for a similar taste. 

Add in two tablespoons of sugar and heat the mixture for 1 minute in a microwave. 

Enjoy! 

A Vegan Review: Toster Waffles

Tonight’s vegan review is going to talk about one of my favorite pre-packaged food, rather then a restaurant.

I want to tell you about Van's Waffles. They have a delicious new waffle that is both egg and dairy free. As a bonus, they are also gluten and GMO free. 

The best part?!?! They are readily available at your local average grocery store. 

Each box contains 6 waffles, while a serving is 2 waffles. 

Each waffle is a mere 100 calories, with only 3 grams of fat, and of course no cholesterol. 

I like to eat mine with butter a syrup. 

If you are looking to mix things up, try adding peanut butter instead of butter. It's amazing! 

 

Meatless Monday: Vegan Eggplant 'Meat'balls!

There have been very few times in my life, since becoming a vegan, when I feel like I’m missing out on something or like I can’t have something that I use to enjoy.

So many companies are making mock products and of course there are a ton of recipes on the web for just about anything.

That being said, I have recently been craving meatballs. I’m not sure where this craving comes from, but I’ve been trying to find vegan meatballs at the store with no success.

Most of the meat-free prepackaged meatballs contain eggs, milk, or both. The few that I have seen that were vegan, they were gross and not to my liking.

I searched the internet for a recipe that was vegan and struggled to find a quality vegan meatball recipe, so I’ve played around in the kitchen and come up with this delicious recipe that I want to share with you. :) 

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Vegan Eggplant 'Meat'balls 

You will need: 

1 large eggplant

2 T olive oil

Salt and peper

1 T cornstarch

2 T flour

1 t oregano 

1/2 t onion salt

1/2 t garlic powder

A pinch of parsley 

3 or 4 pieces of toasted bread

Directions: 

1. Cut the top of the eggplant and then cut it half. Place on a cookie sheet, drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

2. Bake at 450* for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  

3. Slice the cooked eggplant into small pieces and put it into a food processor. Blend until creamy. 

4. Blend in the  cornstarch, flour, oregano, onion salt, garlic powder, and parsley. 

5. Place this mixture in a bowl and use a clean food processor to crumb the bread. 

6. Still in the bread crumbs. Adding enough to make the mixture thick enough to roll into balls. 

7. Roll into balls and place on a oiled cookie sheet. 

8. Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes or until cooked though out! 

Taa-daa! Delicious vegan friendly meatballs! 

The combination of eggplant and spices is fantastic. Not to mention how much healthier they are then their meat-y fried alternative! 

Give them a try and let me know what you think! 

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Vegan Store Bought Vegan Treats!

If you are looking for something a little more-prepackaged to give your vegan Valentine, I’ve come up with a list of my top 3 favorite store bought vegan options!

1.  Twilight Dark Chocolate from Godiva

They come all wrapped in these adorable little squares. Which really isn't important, because they taste amazing. These are a must for all dark chocolate lovers! 

The best part, is these are available at Wal-Mart for less then $5, which won't break the bank regardless of weather you are buying this chocolate for yourself or someone special! 

2. Go Max Go! Candy Bars

Unfortunately Whole Foods, or at least the Richmond location, has stopped caring these. If you can find any of the 7 dupes they make for America's most loved candy bars, you should buy them. 

Honestly all of them are delicious and they make an awesome treat for anyone in your life! 

They are not only vegan but they are also made with no artificial ingredients, they have no cholesterol, are GMO free, and contain no hydrogenated oils. 

Did I mention they were delicious!?! Check out their website here.

3. Those adorable little Valentine's given out in school. You know what I'm talking about. They are usually pink, red, and covered in glitter. Sometimes they had little candies inside of them. 

Going old school is definitely trendy, so check out some of these awesome pre-made Valentine's with vegan candy!

 

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries go Vegan!

Valentine’s Day is only two short days away.

That probably isn’t news to most of you; especially if you have watched TV, listened to the radio, or been to any store. Seriously though, Valentine’s Day merchandise is EVERYWHERE.

I keep seeing and hearing advertisements for delicious-looking chocolate covered strawberries for the low-low cost of $94.99.  Now if you want them delivered to the address of your choice on Valentine’s Day you have to pay standard delivery fees plus and additional $19.98. That’s well over $100!

For those of you who are still looking for something to give that special person in your life or even looking to spoil yourself this recipe for you!

The greatest part about this recipe is that all of the ingredients cost less then $20.

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Vegan Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries

You will need:

8-10 'pretty' strawberries

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

5 Oreo cookies

1/3 cup of chopped nuts (I'm using my cashews)

1 T of vanilla icing

Directions: 

1. Wash the strawberries thoroughly, gently dry them, and set them aside for later. 

2.  Take the cream out of the Oreos and place the cookies in a plastic bag. Using a large spoon or rolling pin, break the cookies in to small pieces. Place these cookies in a bowl for later. 

3. Place the nuts of your choosing and chop them. I recommend using a food processor, but if you don't have one available a rolling pin will work to break the nuts up as well. 

4. Melt the chocolate, being careful not to burn it. I recommend microwaving the chocolate for 15 seconds and stirring until all the chips are fully melted. 

5. Dip the strawberries into the chocolate, roll them around until they are fully covered, and twist them as you pull them out of the chocolate to help with the excess chocolate. 

6. Lay them out on wax paper or roll them in one of your toppings and then place on the wax paper. 

7. When the chocolate dries, melt the ice-ing and drizzle it over several of your berries. 

I'm serving mine on a pretty plate, but let's be honest they won't last 2 days in my house. ;) 

A Vegan Review: Subway

When I was a kid, my family vacations often involved long road trips to our destination. In fact, my Dad was never really keen on flying, so our yearly trips to my grandfathers house in Florida often involved long trips down Interstate 95.

While my Mom always had a cooler with fresh fruits, veggies, and lots of snacks in the car, we always stopped and grabbed something fast (who doesn’t want to get out of the car and stretch their legs every so often).

After I became a vegetarian the obvious choice of McDonalds was out, because there is literally nothing vegetarian on the menu. So, we started stopping a Subway and it quickly became our favorite place to eat.

Now, many years later and even as a vegan I still like Subway.  In fact they are basically everywhere and have quite a few vegetarian and vegan  options on the menu.

Here is my order: A Veggie Delight on Italian bread, toasted, with no cheese. I add my favorite veggies, which on this sub include: lettuce, spinach, onion, tomato, pickles, onions, green peppers, and cucumbers. I like to spice it up with a little oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and even some oregano. 

You can mix up this sandwich by interchanging any of the parts, in fact there are quite a few other vegan options at Subway. 

When it comes to the bread, you can interchange the Italian bread for any of the following;  9-grain wheat bread, ciabatta bread, hearty italian bread, roasted garlic bread, and the sourdough bread. The honey oat bread is also milk and egg free, but it obviously contains honey. 

You can also mix up the spices by substituting the oil and vinegar with the deli brown mustard, fat-free sweet onion, or yellow mustard. 

Keep in mind, any sub can be made into a salad! 

Give this delicious sandwich a try and let me know what you think! 

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Cheap & Easy Vegan Pad Thai

Somehow Monday’s always feel like the busiest days of the week for me. I never feel like doing a whole bunch of cooking and I usually like to keep my meals pretty simple.  Therefore tonight’s Meatless Monday recipe is going to be a super easy, quick, and delicious.

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Cheap & Easy Vegan Pad Thai

You will need:

1 packet of Ramen Noodles*

2 T of peanut butter

1 T of Siracha sauce

3 T of crushed peanuts

*The flavor on the noodles doesn't matter, because only the noodles are vegan and the flavoring packets all contain animal products. 

Directions: 

1. Open the noodles, throw away the flavor packet, and cook the noodles per the instructions on the package. 

2. Mix together the siracha and peanut butter. 

3. When the noodles are done cooking, stir in the siracha/ peanut butter blend. 

4. Top with crushed peanuts. 

Serve and enjoy! 

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Vegan Popcorn!

More winter weather is headed to the East Coast and I’ve got the nowhere to be this weekend. So, I’m foreseeing a nice at home movie night in my future!

If you are anything like me, there is nothing like curling up on the couch with a pile of blankets, your favorite junk food, and a really good movie.

So, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite popcorns with you!

This kettle corn from Kettle White. It comes pre-popped in a bag & it is sweet and delicious. It only has 4 ingredients; corn, sugar, oil, and salt which make it healthy and relatively guilt free. 

I also love to make popcorn on the stove! It is super easy and it always makes me feel quaint. :) 

Using a large soup pot, I melt a large spoon full of coconut oil. 

**I drop a small number of kernels in the oil and wait for them to pop. When they pop I know the oil is hot enough for the rest of my kernels.**

When the oil is hot, I pour in the desired amount of kernels. 

As they begin to pop, vigorously shake the pot while still keeping it over the heat. 

When they are popped, I remove from heat, mix in some salt, and serve. 

YUM. 

This is actually the popcorn that I make the most frequently, as I have been unable to find a good microwave popcorn that ins't loaded with butter. 

Know of a vegan microwaveable popcorn?!  Join the conversation on facebook and tell me all about it! 

Hummus and Crackers, a Vegan treat!

Tonight is the start of the Olympics, which I am super excited about. While watching the ice-skating tonight, which is by far my favorite event at the winter games, I ‘made’ this quick snack.

If you are looking for a great, super easy, and perfect for TV snack try this great hummus and cracker combination.

My favorite store bought hummus is by far the Sabra Classic Hummus. It has a really great constancy, somehow being both thick and creamy.

It contains just a few ingredients, including chickpeas, tahini, soy, garlic, salt, and a few others just to maintain freshness.

A serving, which is 2 table spoons, contains 70 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 0 grams of cholesterol. 

I love to pair a nice cracker with this hummus and my cracker of choice is the Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. 

A serving, which is 16 crackers, contains 130 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 0 cholesterol. 

This delicious snack is 200 calories and had less then 10 grams of fat. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

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