Quick and Easy Vegan "Coke-cakes"!

I'm going out tonight to a birthday celebration for a co-worker and very good friend and I'm bringing cupcakes. (:

I can't wait to share these cupcakes with them and of course you all. (: (: 

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Vegan Coke-cakes!

Ingredients: 

1 box of cake mix

1 8oz can of brown soda 

I'm using Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix & a can of Coca-Cola. 

Directions: 

1. Dump your cake mix into a bowl. 

2. Pour in you can of soda slowly, keeping in mind the carbonation will still cause it to foam up. 

3. Mix until you have reached one solid consistency and dish out into your cupcake tins!

When they come out, decorate them as you wish. I used Duncan Hines Frosting Creations and some colorful sprinkles! 

Enjoy!!

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Vegan Chili

Tonight’s recipe is going to use the Bocca Ground Crumbles that I talked about last night.

It’s great for throwing in a crock-pot on a cold morning, like this morning, and let it simmer all day.

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Vegan Chili

You will need:

A crock-pot

A ladle

Strainer

Ingredients:

1 can of light kidney beans

1 can of dark kidney beans

2 cans of tomato sauce

Chili Powder

1 bag of Bocca Ground Crumbles

Directions:

1. Open both cans of kidney beans, drain them, and pour them in your crock-pot.

2. Open the cans of tomato sauce and mix it in.

3. Add the desire amount of chili powder for your taste.

4. Mix in your desired amount of ground crumbles, adding more for the “meatier” you want your chili to be.

5. Let it cook in the crock-pot for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.

Enjoy!

As always, if you try this recipe out make sure to comment below and let me know what you think!

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The Perfect Baked Potato

Yesterday, I shared with you two vegan butter substations that I love. Today's recipe is going to use one of those butters and tomorrow's recipe will use the other. Today's "recipe" is really more of a meal idea, but none the less it is delicious. 

As I told you yesterday, if I am eating my butter on something (as opposed to in something) I prefer Smart Balance Light with Flaxseed Oil. 

Today was a very busy day for me, after working 9 hours and then volunteering for another hour, I hadn't really thought about dinner and I didn't haven't anything planned. 

Luck for me, my wonderful parents had a plate waiting for me. :) 

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes, especially cooked in the oven.

For the perfect baked potato (whether sweet or not) I cook 'em in my toaster oven for an hour. 

With this meal, I had grilled green beans and onions. 

This is a great example of a simple meal that is vegan and made complete by having a vegan butter substitute in the fridge. 

This is a great meal for someone transiting, because there are no mock products and it's simple; both of which are great! 

Meatless Monday: 4 Bean Soup

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for another meatless recipe. Now that fall is here and the whether is starting to get cold, it’s the perfect time of year for sweaters, hot beverages, and of course soup. This 4 Bean Soup is the perfect fall recipe and its super easy. You can make it in the morning and leave it in the crock-pot all day, while you go to work, run errands, or do what ever else.

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4 Bean Soup

You will need:

A medium or large crock-pot

A can opener

A strainer

A spoon

Measuring spoons

Measuring cup

Ingredients:

1 can of light kidney beans

1 can of dark kidney beans

1 can of black beans

1 can of pinto beans

1 can of tomato soup

1 cup of water
1 tsp of basil

¼ tsp of onion powder
2 tsp of garlic powder  

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Open the can of black beans and strain them thoroughly, using the strainer. Then pour them into the crock-pot. 

2. Repeat step on, using the can of pinto beans.

3. Open the two cans of kidney beans and strain the juice into the measuring cup. Dump the beans into the crock-pot; along with ½ cup of kidney bean juice.

3. Stir in both the tomato soup and the water.

4. Lastly add the basil, onion powder, and the garlic powder as well as salt and pepper to taste.

5. Stir in your spices and let your chili cook on high for 4 hours or on low 8. 

Enjoy! 

Note: If you are in a rush, you can also make this soup by bringing it to boil on the stove for five minutes and then turning down the heat and letting it simmer down for two minutes. 

If you try this recipe out, leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes were always a pretty big deal in my house. In fact, for as long as I can remember, Sunday’s were always pancake days. My dad would always make pancakes while watching Sunday morning talk shows and his pancakes were (and still are) the fluffiest most delicious pancakes that I’ve ever had; and I’m not just saying that as a ploy to get him to keep making pancakes for me. (:

Even though it wasn't Sunday, I was craving some pancakes and this time I had some extra special help in the kitchen. 

This little cutie wanted to help me pour all the ingredients in the bowl, but I think stirring was her favorite part. Cooking is a great activity to do with kids and because this recipe is so simple, it's a great one to keep on hand whenever you are looking for something quick and delicious. 

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Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

What You Will Need:

Large bowl

2/3 cup measuring cup

1/2 cup measuring cup

Spoon

Griddle or frying pan

Spatula

Fork

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of Heart Smart Bisquick Mix

1/2 cup of soymilk or other alternative milk

Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Pour the Bisquick Mix into your bowl and mash out all the lumps with your fork.

2. Pour the soymilk into the bowl and stir until desired consistency is reached.

3. Add the desired amount of vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed. 

With a little butter and syrup, these are fluffy and delicious. 

Can't you tell they were a big hit? 

As always, if you try out this recipe let me know what you think below!

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Meatless Monday: Grilled Mushroom Sandwich

After a slam packed weekend of work and fun, I woke up exhausted. It certainly didn’t help that today was Monday.

Therefore, tonight’s dinner is going to be super simple.

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Grilled Mushroom Sandwich

You Will Need:

A frying pan

A knife and fork

Paper towels

Toaster

Ingredients:

10-15 medium or large mushroom slices

2 slices of bread

Olive Oil

Sandwich Spread*

Lettuce, onion, tomato, or your other favorite veggies (optional)

Directions:

1. Toast bread.

2. Sauté mushrooms in olive oil, until they become dark brown in color and soft.

3. Smooth sandwich spread across bread.

4. Using your fork pull the sauté mushrooms from the oil, blotting the excess oil off with the paper towels.

5.  Put the mushrooms on your bread and add your other vegetables to you sandwich.

Note: I used Smart Balance Light, but you can also Vegenaise or your favorite dressing. I am using the Cobblestone Mills San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread, but any bread will do. 

If you like mushrooms, you will love this sandwich. I enjoyed mine with some Stacy's Whole Grain Pita Chips. 

As you can see, my sandwich lacks any vegetables. This is because I didn't have any fresh vegetables at my house and going to the store tonight was out of the question. (I told you guess I was exhausted).  Normally I like some fresh lettuce, a nice slice of tomato, and some red  onion. 

If you try this recipe, comment below and let me know what you think. 

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Enjoy!

Vegenaise, it's delicious and nutritious!

When I first became a Vegetarian and later when I became a Vegan, I was hesitant to try product substitutions because I was worried they wouldn’t taste exactly like the real things. It took me a while to venture out and be willing to try new things, but when I did I was surprised to find out how much I liked them.

A lot of these mock products taste so similar to the ‘real’ thing that you really can’t tell the difference.

One of my favorite mock products currently on the market it Vegenaise, which is a vegan alternative to mayonnaise that is made by a company called Follow Your Heart and available at most health food stores or grocery stores that carry vegan products.

Vegenaise comes in several different varieties including; original, soy free, grape seed oil, organic, and reduced fat.

This product has numerous health benefits, but I especially love that, because it contains no eggs, it is cholesterol free.

This is such a creamy and delicious dressing, that it is almost impossible to taste the difference. In fact, I’ve been substituting it in the place of mayonnaise in the dishes I take with me to group functions and family gatherings for years now and no one has yet to notice the difference.  

For more information, visit the Follow Your Heart website and make sure to add any of the five flavors of Vegenaise to your grocery-shopping list!

What is a Vegan!?! & A Little Introduction.

It always seems like the first conversation with someone, after they find out you are vegan, always goes the same. First they want to know what a vegan is. Then they want to know why. Finally they want to know how. These conversations usually end with an "I could never live with out cheese" or an "I could totally be vegan, as long as I could still eat chicken". The focus always seems to be on the short list of things that vegans don't eat, instead of the huge variety of foods that we can eat. 

Just to insure that we all start off on the same foot, I want to answer the what, the why, and the how. 

What does it mean to be vegan? 

To put it quite simply, being vegan simply means abstaining from animal products (meat) and their bi-products (milk, eggs, leather, etc..). 

Why do people go vegan?

There are two main reasons why people choose to be vegan:

1. Ethical Veganism

People who are vegan for ethical reasons object to the treatment of animals who are raised for food and other products, therefore they choose to abstain or boycott animal products and bi-products.

2. Veganism for Heath

People who recognize the heath benefits of cutting out animal products and therefore they abstain from animal products and bi-products. 

How do people go vegan?

What this question really means is: What can vegans eat?

When people think about a vegan diet they think about the few thinks that you have to cut out, instead of thinking about the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, etc... that are available.  

I want to use this blog as a way to show people that eating vegan is easy, fast, convenient, and affordable. Therefore, I plan on posting recipes that are easy to understand with ingredients that would be found in the average household. Cooking doesn’t have to be a challenge, in fact I believe it only has to be as complicated as YOU chose to make it.

To compliment these recipes, I also want to provide my proven methods of label reading. One of the biggest struggles for me personally when I made the switch to a vegetarian diet and then later to a vegan one was figuring out what I could eat. Several years later, I have learned ingredients and I can look at a label and know almost instantly whether or not something is vegan.

I also realize that everyone wants the freedom to go out with their friends and family to a restaurant and be able to sit down and enjoy a meal prepared by someone else; because of this I plan on including a guide to vegan eating out. This will be featured in two parts. The first will include reviews of restaurants both in the Richmond area and national chains that have vegan options. Lastly, it will include a guide to eating out at other restaurants including what questions you should be asking your server to ensure your meal is vegan.

I hope to make this an exciting venture for both of us, whether you are currently making the switch Vegetarianism or Veganism or whether you too are an old pro. Therefore, I welcome your feedback as well as any questions or concerns that you may have.

I’m looking forward to our journey together!

Catherine-Melissa