plain banana

sneaky chocolate cake.

2009-01-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

i call this cake sneaky because it has two cups of zucchini in it. my mom has been making it for years and years in an attempt to make us kids eat our veggies. it's kind of pointless, because really there's nothing healthy about this cake at all. of course, that's what makes cake fun.

the grated zucchini adds a nice texture and keeps the cake moist. i've always just used powdered sugar to top it, but i bet this would be amazing coated with a nice glaze or drizzled with chocolate. mmm, chocolate.

sneaky chocolate cake

1/2 c plus 1 T vegan margarine
2 c sugar
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
egg replacer for 3 eggs (i use bob's red mill)
1/2 c vanilla almond milk or other milk sub
2 t vanilla
2 c coarsely grated, unpeeled zucchini (about 2-3)
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

cream margarine, gradually adding sugar, beating until fluffy. beat in chocolate. add egg replacer, beat. beat in almond milk, vanilla, and zucchini.

in a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. add to creamed mixture, beat well.

pour batter into a 10-inch bundt pan. bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. cool in pan 10-15 minutes before removing. dust with powdered sugar.

oh, and i'd like to share some pictures my friend took. we recently spent a day in fort worth at sundance square and the modern art museum. the building itself is a work of art, it's incredible.

drinking black coffee... obviously

lovely. :)

meatless in cincinnati.

2009-01-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

well, i've finally gotten back into the grind after a very nice break and have officially started my last semester of high school. last semester! woo hoo! that thought is the only one keeping me from freaking out that i'm taking seven classes. jeeeesh.

this is some whoppin' good chili. and that's coming from a chili expert (aka a texan.)
it's very different from my traditional texas-style chili. what is texas-style chili, you ask? it's simple really: take any regular spicy bean chili, add rotel brand diced tomatoes n green chilies, and you've got texan chili.
like i said though, this is different. the addition of sweet spices and cocoa give it a wonderful depth and flavor.

cornbread as a side is a given. i always eat cornbread with chili. and when you cut it in half and drizzle agave all over while its still warm and it crystallizes, oh god... heaven.

cincinnati-style chili
adapted slightly from the complete idiot's guide to vegan cooking

2 1/2 cups water
2 T ketchup
1 T soy sauce
1 c TVP granules
1 medium onion, diced
2 t olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 T chili powder (or more, depending on how hardcore you are)
1 t cinnamon
1 t sea salt
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t cayenne
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) can great northern beans
4 t cocoa powder
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf

pour 1 cup boiling water over the TVP granules. mix in ketchup and soy sauce. let stand to rehydrate for 10 minutes.

heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onion until soft. add garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper, allspice, cloves, and cayenne. saute 2 more minutes.

stir in TVP mixture, remaining 1 1/2 cups water, tomato sauce, beans, cocoa powder, vinegar, and bay leaf. cover, reduce to low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes (mine needed way longer... like 40?) or until thickened.

the aftermath.

2008-12-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

christmas is over!! how very sad. i hope everyone had a good holiday filled with food and presents and all that mushy love crap.

what did *i* do on christmas, you ask?!

for starters, i made cinnamon buns for breakfast.

picture taken mid-drizzle... yum. the almondy icing went perfect with coffee.

as far as presents go, i got a bunch of awesome stuffs including clothes and a copy of my absolute favorite piece of music, a schumann piano concerto. obviously though, you guys are only interested in the food-related goodies, so here ya go:

vegan candy! newman's sweet dark chocolate x2, green and black's 70% dark, dagoba (i'm not sure if the name is a star wars reference or just a coincidence) mint chocolate x2, sunspire chocolate raisins and chocolate almonds, huge bag of candied ginger, and some random japanese fruity things hidden under there.

a DONUT PAN! so i can make delicious vegan donuts without the bothersome and artery-clogging deep frying.

a lovely recipe book so i can have a place other than my laptop to keep all of my favorite recipes from you guys ;)

a WWF sweatshirt. not food-related, but kind of vegan-related?

here is the cinnamon bun recipe:

cinnamon buns
veganized from baking bites

Dough:
1/2 cup water, warmed
2 tsp sugar
2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk, warmed
2 ener-G eggs
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp earth balance, softened
5 1/2-6 cups flour

Combine first three ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand for 10 minutes, until yeast is foamy.
Add almond milk, "eggs", salt, sugar, earth balance and 3 cups of flour. Mix until well incorporated and smooth. Add 2 more cups of flour. Mix until smooth. Add any remaining flour in smaller increments until dough comes together and away from the sides of the bowl. Dough will be slightly sticky, but very smooth.
Form dough into a ball and place in greased, covered bowl to rise until doubled, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Filling:
3-4 tbsp vanilla almond milk
Cinnamon
Brown sugar
1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Coat two 9×13 glass baking dishes with cooking spray or butter.
Remove dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide dough in two and roll each piece out into (roughly) a 10×14 inch rectangle. Brush each rectangle with milk, dust throughly with cinnamon and top with brown sugar. Sprinkle with raisins, if desired. Roll in a jelly-roll fashion beginning at a short end. Pinch seam shut. Repeat for second rectangle.
Slice logs at 1 inch intervals and place rounds in the baking dish so they are just touching.
Bake 15-20 minutes at 400F, until tops are golden brown.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut apart and drizzle with glaze.
Makes about 20 buns. (i halved the recipe and got 15, but mine were small)

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Enough almond milk to form a pourable consistency

Stir ingredients until smooth with a fork. Drizzle over cinnamon buns.

my life as of late: a photo essay

2008-12-17T18:43:00.001-08:00

okay, so i haven't blogged in a long time, obviously. so i decided that instead of boring you all with a painfully long post i'd simply put up a photo essay, because not only does that sound all sophisticated-like and artsy it's alot more fun. woo hoo!

pumpkin pie.

foam sculpture from 3D design class, cast in aluminum

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.. this wasn't vegan, but it's quite lovely anyhow

sporting my humane society shirt, although you can't see it.

cranberry pie.

my grandma's molasses crinkles, veganized!

creamy mac n cheeze from fat free vegan. actually by the time i took this photo it kind of hardened as saucy pasta is apt to do. but i promise it was creamy at some point in time and was very delicious.

bonus video: dr gradus ad parnassum! i'm playing it for part of my college audition. i've been practicing my ass off lately. around 3 hours a day. (does this video work? i'm not sure, i embedded it from facebook)

temporary hiatus.

2008-11-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

just posting to let you know i'm here and i'm not going to abandon my blog.
life has been too stressful to bother making nice and pretty food, let alone snapping pictures of and writing about it. not to mention i've been letting myself get distracted by reading all of your lovely blogs instead of writing papers and studying... bad alaina!

so for the foreseeable future (or at least until nutcracker is over and i have my college stuff under control) i will be taking a break from blogging. i'll be back probably in a few weeks with tons of pictures so expect a painfully long post!

maple-fig glazed acorn squash.

2008-11-10T20:14:00.001-08:00

i had two sad little acorn squashes that i'd been neglecting for a few weeks. every time i would open the fridge i could almost hear them pleading for me to cook them into something yummy. it was getting so annoying that i finally broke down. actually, i'd been thinking about what to make but with my busy schedule i can usually only cook on mondays and wednesdays and maybe one weekend day. needless to say, those are my favorite days of the week.

i know these photos are practically identical, i just couldn't decide which one was better so i'm posting them both. ;P

maple-fig glazed acorn squash
2 acorn squashes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup fig preserves
3/4 tsp ginger

preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
slice the ends off the cute lil squashes. if you're a weakling like me you may want to microwave them for about five minutes first so they're a bit softer and easier to cut. next slice the squashes into four rings each and scrape out the goop.
place the rings on a cookie sheet (line it with parchment paper, or spray with oil). bake for 15 minutes (around 10 if you nuked them first).
meanwhile whisk together the maple syrup, fig preserves, and ginger in a small bowl.
after squash is ready take it out of the oven and brush with the glaze. put it back in for 15 minutes. then take it out and brush it again, and bake 10 more minutes or until tender.

i scraped out the insides of my rings to eat it. i wasn't sure if you're supposed to eat the skin... yes? no? at any rate, this recipe is quite good if you basically want to eat candy for dinner.

p.s. i've been tagged by josie!

the rules are to write seven things about yourself, then tag seven other people to do the same.
so, here are my seven:

1. i've played piano ever since i can remember, and i've taught it since i was 13.

2. i've also done ballet since i was 3 1/2 and i used to be in a pre-professional company but i left this year since i decided i wanted to devote my time to other things.

3. i love, LOVE sweaters. especially the grandpa variety.

4. when i was little i thought it would be fun to put my arm on a conveyor belt at the wal-mart checkout counter and it got sucked under almost all the way. and yes, i was pretty traumatized.

5. if i'm not studying, i spend my weekends hanging out around coffee houses and bars with my friends. also, most of my friends are college-aged because i kind of hate highschoolers (hypocritical, yes?)

6. i have a weakness for tattooed and pierced boys... yummy.

7. my dream is to someday live in austin in a little hippie house and paint the whole thing in east indian-type murals.

i don't know who to tag... everyone's already done it! so if you're reading this and haven't filled it out yet, consider yourself tagged and get to it.

pumpkin cranberry scones.

2008-11-06T20:21:00.001-08:00

wow. what words are there that would adequately express my new love of veganomicon? i honestly can not think of any.

before cutting--scone pizza!! i made my circles a tad too thin i think :P consequently i got some impressively large scones. seriously, these mommas were big. not to mention freakin' delicious.

sorry for the poopy pictures. i decided that i am just not a photographer at 9 in the morning.

oh, by the way, can someone tell me why colin powell insists on having his name pronounced "colon"? did his parents seriously name him after an organ? that's like me naming my kids "spleen" or "pancreas." or, "small intestine." gross much?

(you don't actually have to tell me, this has just been bothering me for the past few days.)

lasagne marinara with spinach.

2008-11-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

quite an exciting election, yes?! this was cool for me because it was the first time i actually knew/cared about what was going on. i'm a libertarian and didn't really like either of the candidates. but i'm sure that even though i don't agree with alot of his views, obama will make a good president.

okay, so, FOOD.

veganomicon has been checked out from my library for FOREVER now and it finally came in!
my first thing to make was the lasagne marinara with spinach.

this is weird, but when i was little i somehow developed this psychological thing with lasagne where i was convinced it would make me throw up if i ate it. luckily since then i have become more open to eating different things. so, i think this is the first time in about ten years that i've had lasagne. ha!

it turned out FANTASTIC. the tofu ricotta was especially good. i was expecting it to taste, well, tofu-y, but it really was right on.

my brother had about three pieces and my dad had four.

there are too many yummy looking things in this book! what should i make next!?

halloween!

2008-11-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

october went by so fast! i'm sad, because it's my favorite month and i practically missed it. i didn't even get around to carving my pumpkin (my favorite halloween tradition) until the actual night of. and i don't have pictures of it either because i can't find my camera, but i promise it's cute.

since i don't have my camera i can't upload food pictures, but i can show you a few pictures from halloween night that my friend took!

i was molly ringwald from pretty in pink. didn't have time to thrift store shop for a pink prom dress so i settled for her grandma look. my friend went as an owl!

drinking coffee (what else?)

my night was fun but consisted of no illegal activity, unfortunately ;)

a food catch-up post to come soon, i promise.

hey, did you know it's world vegan day?!
yeah, neither did i. oh well, i'll celebrate the remaining 30 minutes.

vegan mofo, day 27: blueberry lemon poppyseed bread.

2008-10-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

this has been my favorite dessert bread since having some at the sentient bean, a coffee shop in savannah georgia with alot of vegan baked goods and stuff. i was down there in july for a workshop at savannah college of art and design and had seen it on happycow or something like that. i also had a mean bbq tofu wrap there, yum.

sweet breads are one of my favorite desserts. i think they may even top cookies! cake is also my favorite. and cupcakes. and... yeah, actually, i like all of them. nevermind.

this recipe is from the vegan chef. it was originally cranberry poppy seed bread, but obviously i used blueberries and also made a few minor other changes based on what i had on hand.

blueberry lemon poppyseed bread
from the vegan chef

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. poppy seeds
1 T. baking powder
3 T. water
1 T. Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 cup Spectrum Spread non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup soy milk
1 T. vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 T. lemon zest

Lightly oil (or spray with a light mist of oil) a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a bowl, place the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, and baking powder, stir well to combine, and set aside. In another bowl, place the water and egg replacer, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute or until very frothy (almost like beaten egg whites). Add the Spectrum Spread and whisk until smooth. Add the soy milk and vanilla, and whisk well to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan, and cool completely before slicing or storing. Store wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Yield: One 9x5x3-inch loaf

vegan mofo, day 24: cinnamon-apple french toast.

2008-10-24T11:07:00.001-07:00

sorry, veganmofo, i failed. i thought i could do 20 posts in one month but sadly didn't have the time. so far i've done ten, haha. that's really the best that i can manage though!

yummy breakfast today.

sorry for the bad photo; my camera died right after i took it and then um, i was hungry so i ate the food. :P

i had no cinnamon (woah!) so i had to use allspice. someone (aka my brother) ate all the rest of the delicious french loaf we had so i had to settle for regular sandwich bread. but here is the original recipe.

cinnamon-apple french toast
from vegetarian times

apple topping
4 large tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

french toast
2 cups plain or vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup apple butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
12 slices soft-crust French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

To make Topping: Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté apples 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar and cinnamon, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat.

To make French Toast: Blend soymilk, apple butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in blender until smooth. Pour into shallow bowl.

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Dip bread slices into batter, coating evenly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Place 2 slices bread on each plate, and divide topping among servings.

vegan mofo, day 20: back in dallas.

2008-10-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

i'm finally home after a loooong uncomfortable car ride. oh, how i love texas. seriously, i could never live anywhere else. louisiana was fun, though. the highlight of the weekend was going to crowley's rice festival where they had almost every meat on a stick--steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, alligator, crocodile. by the way, i have eaten both alligator and crocodile (pre-veg obviously!) while on other louisiana family trips and actually they were pretty good. ha!

i have no food pictures, but the only interesting thing i can think of anyway that i ate was a muffuleta-like veggie sandwich. lafayette is, unfortunately, not so veg-friendly.

oh, and good news--the date for my history midterm got extended and i only (pfft) have 3 chapters left to read, and my research paper is due later than i thought!

snickerdoodles are a good cure for post car-trip crankiness.

recipe from vegan cookies. i subbed 1/3 cup brown sugar for some of the white. they were too sticky to roll in the cinnamon-sugar mix like the recipe calls for, which probably also contributed to their texture being a little off. but wow were they tasty.

by the way, thanks everyone who tried and liked my banana bread. i think i will call it my plain banana bread. ha!

i will get back to commenting everyone's blogs tomorrow. i'm seriously due for a good gilmore girls marathon ;)

vegan mofo day 16: ahh sorry!

2008-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

i don't have time to make a long post. my life is crazy right now! i have a history midterm, a reading response essay, and a research paper; i haven't gotten any good piano practicing in, i'm falling behind on my french and physics, i have ballet rehearsal until 10, and i need to get started on filling out college applications. in addition to all of that i'm going to lafayette tomorrow for family stuff and won't be back til monday. unggghghh i'm stressed! so vegan mofo is having to go on the back burner until i get my life back together. next post i hope will be on tuesday after i get back but maybe monday night. i'm going to bed early tonight but i'm going to try and comment everyone's blogs!

here is the promised banana bread. this stuff is good, seriously. you can use pretty much any flour but i like whole wheat and i think it actually rises better with it.

alaina's so-simple-you-will-squeal-with-glee banana bread

2 cups flour
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
egg replacer for 2 eggs

preheat oven to 350 F.
put all ingredients in the food processor and blend.
pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.

vegan mofo, day 13: another go.

2008-10-12T11:25:00.001-07:00

i am not content to give up in the face of adversity.
today i made a second attempt at the strawberry pancakes. this time i used a griddle, as per vegan with a reason's suggestion. duh, don't know why i didn't do that in the first place!

they turned out lovely, and i even used some old pancake mold things to make a dino and teddy ;)

sorry about the lame post. i was planning on making (REALLY GOOD) banana bread, but i went shopping and got home too late. tomorrow, then!

vegan mofo, day 12: strawberry... pancakes?

2008-10-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

i am extremely bad at flipping and frying things. i was never able make eggs and my chicken fried tofu steaks always end up in a strange jumbled form.

so maybe it was the lack of sleep because i was out late last night. or maybe i just deluded myself into thinking it would be easy. for whatever reason, i decided to make strawberry pancakes this morning.

yes, i know. quite sad.

HOWEVER they were the best pancakes i've ever tasted. there is something nice about eating something extremely ugly that tastes really good. i will admit though that i get a little angry looking at the drool-worthy picture of "Fluffy Pancakes" from the vegan outreach booklet the recipe came from.

my little brother, who almost always magically "doesn't like" whatever things i make (ex. "andrew i'm going to make peanut butter cookies. want some?" "umm i don't like peanut butter." "what about chocolate chip?" "i don't like chocolate." "what about banana bread?" "i don't like those kinds of breads" etc) kept going back for more.

strawberry pancakes
adapted from vegan outreach

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk or other sub
about 3/4 cup sliced strawberries

mix the dry ingredients. stir in the wet ingredients & strawberries. add water if the batter is too thick.

pour onto a nonstick pan and cook over medium heat, turning once the edges begin to bubble and brown.

vegan mofo, day 10: blueberry muffins.

2008-10-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

blueberry muffins are so classic. easy to make, loved by all. i happened to pick up TWO pints of blueberries wednesday. so since i have extra time friday mornings it was obvious what needed to be done.

i don't remember where i got this recipe; i found it written on a scrap of paper and shoved in my cookbook shelf. they're wonderfully crunchy, lightly sweet, and healthy enough to have two if you want (which we all do anyway)! if it's your recipe, feel free to get angry at me and demand proper credit. ;D

crunchy blueberry muffins
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk or other milk sub
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg sub (i used ener-G)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup blueberries
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 t cinnamon

preheat oven to 400 F.
prepare your "egg" in a large bowl, then whisk in the almond milk, agave, and oil.
stir in both flours, salt, and baking powder until just moistened. or, if you are like me, completely forget the baking powder and salt and add them in after already mixing so you get a stretchy gooey blob.
gently fold in blueberries.
spoon batter into a prepared muffin tin (spray or use liners); muffin cups will be very full. mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over each muffin.
bake 18-20 minutes. use the toothpick test to see if they're done.

vegan mofo, day 9: brownies.

2008-10-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

i do not like brownies.

seriously.

is that weird? i mean, i don't NOT like brownies. i do not object to eating them. but they don't excite me much. cookies and cake are just so much better.

i decided to give brownies another chance with happy herbivore's recipe from her sneak-peek cookbook. i used half dark chocolate, half regular.

the results? tasty enough to please a non-brownie eater for sure. these might have almost cured me from my apathy towards the little brown goodies. hooray!

vegan mofo, day 8: eggplant thingy.

2008-10-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

wednesday is always grocery day. my mom always takes me to sprouts early-ish in the morning. it's like whole foods, but better because the food is not ridiculously priced, and they have free coffee.

... FREE. and it's tasty.
i think it's actually there just to sample but i always go back for more, oops.

today's trip we got a ton of veggies, including two lovely perfectly purple eggplants. way exciting because a few weeks ago the eggplants were looking a little sad and abused. so for dinner i threw together a stew-type thing. i don't know what you'd call it. it's kind of like ratatouille i suppose but without zucchini and not as liquidy. it is also amazing over brown rice.

eggplant thingy
1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cut into chunks
about 1/2 medium chopped yellow onion
as much minced garlic as you can stand (i've developed an immunity)
black pepper
garlic salt
olive oil

heat oil in a large skillet on med-high.
after oil is hot enough toss in eggplant and asparagus. cook until eggplant is slightly golden. add the garlic, tomato, and onion, and cook until everything is tender and yummy looking. season with black pepper and garlic salt.

*edit to add this survey from food snobbery is my hobbery!

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
lucy in the sky with diamonds. y'know, tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
easy and fast. doesn't require totally weird ingredients. stuff my family would eat.

3. What did you eat today?
umm alot! but the highlights have been roasted red pepper hummus and spinach wrap and the above mentioned main dish.

4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
tempeh (i KNOW, right?)

5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
nothing.. i would hate to be on tv haha

6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
cajun hot sauce

7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
vegetarian 15 (i think) vegan 16

8. Favorite vegan cheeze?
galaxy

9. Cutest baby animal?
bunnies. hands down.

10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
red raspberry.

11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
i never remember to.

12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
pumpkin pie.

13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
any kind of carb.

14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
coffee!

15. It's 10PM and you're starving. What do you eat?
pb & j

16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
wendy the golden retriever! she likes my popcorn that falls on the floor.

17. Worst injury you've gotten in the kitchen?
burned myself after dropping a pizza a la yeah that vegan shit

18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
mommy!

19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
zucchini

20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
i don't work anymore, thank god.

21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?
tomato.

22. What's your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
pineapple-orange-banana. but i don't like juice really.

23. Favorite brand of root beer?
eww

24. Make up your own question!
what is the first vegan thing you baked?
i think mine was banana muffins. and they weren't too shabby for my first try.

vegan mofo, day 5: pb&j muffins.

2008-10-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

yesterday was so tiring. i woke up at 5:45, chugged a bunch of coffee, had a bowl of power-oatmeal, then went and took the SAT. i think i did pretty well, and this time i left my phone in the car so the alarm would NOT go off. after it was over and i came home i proceeded to fry my brain with lots of hulu-watching to try to recover from all the mental strain from the morning, ha.

later i went out to eat (no food pics, sorry) with a few friends and roamed around denton.

our little alien friend :)

onto the food!

i've been wanting to make pb & j muffins for a loooong time. so last night when i was lurking around vegweb i found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. the jam in the middle definitely makes the muffin, in my opinion.

pb & j muffins
adapted from vegweb

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk or other milk sub
1 ener-G egg
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
your favorite flavor of jam

preheat oven to 400 F.
mix together whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and oats in a large bowl.
in a smaller bowl prepare "egg" then mix in peanut butter, almond milk, and maple syrup.
pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir til moistened.
spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray. for each muffin, drop in a tbsp of batter, then about a tsp of jam, then another tbsp of batter on top.
bake for about 15 minutes--use the toothpick test.

yum!

by the way, for those of you who might have noticed how much i post about baked goods and
might be wondering whether i actually eat them every day: yes. yes i do. :)

*edited because i just realized i didn't even put up the muffin photos? i think i need sleep.

vegan mofo, day 3: scones.

2008-10-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

didn't have time to post yesterday, but i'm making up for it!

these didn't have much of an apple taste, but they were really good. recipe adapted from river's version.

cran-apple scones
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of applesauce
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons apple juice

preheat oven to 350 F.
combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
add in applesauce (you might use a little less), stir well, then add in cranberries.
add in apple juice and stir til just combined.
bake about 14 minutes until golden brown.

i enjoyed these english scones american-style--with a huge mug of so-strong-it-makes-you-wanna-puke coffee, which, by the way, i probably have about 8 cups of daily. so sad that i've developed such an addiction at such an early age . . . oh well.

vegan mofo.

2008-10-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

for those of you living under a rock, today is the first day of the vegan month of food. hooray!
i will of course be posting as much as my busy schedule allows, and am already plotting what recipes to make and share on here. so let the fun begin.

pictured here is a sloppy joe san'ich, recipe from the new farm vegetarian cookbook.
this received rave reviews. my omni dad liked it better than "normal" sloppy joes!

this was tonight's dinner. the recipe is from a better homes and gardens vegetarian booklet i randomly came upon while searching my cookbook cabinet for something to make. it originally called for bulgur, but i found out after i'd already set my heart on making the recipe that we're out. so, i subbed quinoa. it was my first time eating quinoa, and i loved it!

cinnamon-spiced quinoa stuffed peppers
1 3/4 c water
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/4 t salt
1 t vegetable bouillon granules
dash cinnamon
3/4 c quinoa
1/3 c dried cranberries
2 large sweet peppers
1/2 c water

in a large pot bring 1 3/4 c water, onion, carrots, salt, bouillon, and cinnamon to boiling. turn down heat, cover, simmer for five minutes.

stir in quinoa and cranberries and simmer for about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes.

halve the peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes. spoon quinoa mixture into pepper halves then place them into a skillet. add 1/2 c water and bring to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for a good 5 to 10 minutes til peppers are tender but still slightly firm.

sorry sorry sorry!

2008-09-28T07:53:00.001-07:00

wow, it's been over 2 weeks since i last posted. jeez. but in my defense, i have been extremely busy! i'm trying to get caught up with my online english class (the bookstore didn't get my books in until a MONTH after classes started) as well as study for history tests and the SAT and practicing piano as much as possible, since i've decided to be a piano performance major at university of north texas. i have to get together a "portfolio" cd with six pieces on it sent in ASAP. basically, my life has been doing school and playing piano for the past 14 days. intense!

so i obviously haven't had much time for blogging unfortunately, much less baking. but hopefully things will calm down a bit soon and i can get back to semi-regular posting.

i bought the happy herbivore sneak-peek e-cookbook! i made the chocolate chip cookies with the suggested alteration of subbing 2 tbsp cocoa for 2 tbsp of the flour, as well as doubled the recipe. they turned out delicious! i didn't bother to try to shape them into nice circles though, i really just wanted to get them in the oven and cooking so i could eat them, haha. sorry about the bad lighting!

also, i made the pecan cinnamon buns, leaving out the pecans and icing because i don't like that stuff. i sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top though. these were great! next time i'll add a bit more sugar to the dough to make up for the icing.

this was all in one day. so with cinnamon buns for breakfast and a ton of cookies plus the REQUIRED licking of the bowl/spoons/anything with batter on it i'm a little sugared-out. this week i'll get back to my normal (kind of) healthy eating. ;)

chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies.

2008-09-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

cute and yummy cookies from the soy of cooking! actually they were supposed to be cranberry-oatmeal cookies but i really wanted chocolate chip ones :P i actually made no modifications besides that (for once), otherwise i would post the recipe. it's a book worth checking out though, it has a ton of great recipes.

my puppy--i say that, but she's really ten years old--was sitting in the kitchen the whole time, hoping i would drop something so she could have a little snack, but she eventually gave up to sit in the corner.

sorry wendy, none for you!

pocket pies.

2008-09-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

i actually had nothing to do this morning. no school and i didn't have to go into work till 11. perfect day for a special breakfast treat! so i made pocket pies, based on a vegweb recipe.

very simple; i just used 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup margarine and a bit of water, rolled them out, and filled them. two were filled with strawberry all-fruit spread, one had blackberry, and one had some leftover chocolate sauce i made for my chocolate cake!

this one is strawberry.
not very cute--i might have done better if i had been awake for a few more hours--but quite tasty.

bonus: a NOT-plain banana! dipped in the same chocolate sauce and coated in sprinkles.

awkward-looking picture :P those things don't photograph well.
the sauce also worked perfectly for strawberry-dipping. i had no idea it would be so versatile!

satisfying my cake craving.

2008-09-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

i finally got around to baking today! my aunt who evacuated from lafayette is staying with us for awhile so i decided to make the super moist chocolate cake from vegweb i've been dying to try. no, really, i think i have been dying from cake withdrawal. it's been two weeks since i last had some! thank god i had an excuse to make one.

basically the only change i made to the recipe was to replace about 1/3rd of the cocoa powder with dark cocoa powder. i am a huge fan of dark chocolate. if it was humanly possible to marry it, i would.

i made some frosting from a recipe i found somewhere (don't remember) that was basically a container of silken tofu, a few tablespoons of cocoa, some vanilla, and a lot of powdered sugar. it ended up like pudding. i tried adding more powdered sugar and it just got sweeter. i tried adding a bit of toffuti cream cheese but it didn't thicken up at all. so i just poured it over and topped it with some strawberries.

my cake presentation skills are severely lacking, but at least it tasted good. i am really nothing like my mother. she made me a chocolate treasure chest cake for my 6th birthday. literally, a treasure chest made out of cake. she filled it with chocolate coins and all this other stuff. insane.

i just realized how many food pictures i have with strawberries in them!

busy busy busy.

2008-08-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

this week has been hectic! i feel like i've barely had time to just sit down and rest, let alone bake anything :( i have a mad cookie craving and don't have time at all to make any! and of course i'm working the 6-hour closing shift every day this weekend. ughhh.

i really like my classes so far though. i'm making a wormhole out of various wires and a tree branch in my design class. sounds weird but it's really fun.

the one thing i will not skimp on when i'm short on time is breakfast! i picked up a couple packages of van's waffles at sprout's yesterday. they so beat eggo waffles, especially with fresh strawberries & preserves :)

yum.

and now . . . alien potatoes from outer space?!

scary, i know ;)

first day of school!

2008-08-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

i am so excited. i love school. and that's not even sarcasm.

this year i'm taking french III, physics, and british literature at home and design II, english II, and american history II at the college. i also made up a huge reading list that i want to get done. i've already read two--my antonia and the time machine (which seemed reminiscent of tripping on shrooms.)

today will probably be a simple day food-wise, as i'm trying to get a feel for my schedule. breakfast this morning was just a bowl of cheerios and kix (yes i am still a little kid) with strawberries and vanilla almond milk, and a piece of whole wheat toast with a blob of all-fruit blackberry preserves.

my grandparents weren't that bad after all. i think they're finally starting to get the concept of "vegan." that's not to say that they still don't mention it every five minutes, but oh well. i did end up mostly eating boca patties and salad like usual but my grandma made an ALMOST veggie dinner, with sweet potatoes, crusty bread, seasoned brussels sprouts and onions, and yellow hominy. with a small plate of sausage to make my grandpa happy.

this is me with my two cuzzies playing littlest pet shop ;D they're cute and all but there's still just something incredibly irritating about hearing someone say "i wanna go watch barney" in a hick accent.

and now for The Vegan's Hundred, courtesy of Bittersweet:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.
5) Pass it on!

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Vanilla ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Raw Brownies
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (as long as I wasn't paying for it. =)
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Sheese
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Whipped cream, straight from the can
76. Pomegranate
77. Fauxstess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Savory crepes
83. Tings
84. A meal at Candle 79
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and “cheese”
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and Tofutti
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

how sad! only 24. i need to expand my food horizon.

more food-related stuff coming soon!

cosmic goodness.

2008-08-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

today i'm going with my mom to east texas to see my brother off to engineering school. i'll be staying at my grandparents' til sunday, which means living off boca burgers and salad and my grandma asking me stuff like "alaina would you like some of this salad? it's just chicken." i won't be able to update while i'm there because my grandpa still thinks i'm going to crash his computer by touching it but i'll post on sunday.

i wanted to try to use up some veggies we had before leaving, so for lunch i made a copy-cat dish from my favorite restaurant, the cosmic cafe. it's this great little place near downtown dallas (i think there also used to be an austin location) made out of a house and decorated east indian-style. the food is all vegetarian, some cheese, but they're very accomodating to vegans and there are always vegan desserts. there's also a meditation room upstairs!

pretty :)

recreation of i hate eggplant

1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
3 small chopped white onions (probably about 1 medium)
1 medium yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
handful of soy mozzarella
4 whole wheat pitas
olive oil for sauteeing

heat oil in a large skillet. add eggplant, onions, squash, and garlic. sautee until onions begin to turn clear. add basil and thyme. remove from heat and serve over pitas with a sprinkle of soy mozzarella.

easy and tasty!

camera-less.

2008-08-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

well, this morning my family went to houston (i'm staying because of work) and took the camera. so, sadly, i have no way to show you my weekend's cooking adventures.

the cake i mentioned in my last post was east indian spice cake from soy of cooking. i didn't have any cardamom so i made up for it with a bit more of the other spices, and i didn't have prune puree so i subbed canned pumpkin. in short, it was like gingerbread. really. it did NOT rise at all. i decided to make a second one and layer it on top so it would appear to be bigger. i mixed up the creamy molasses topping and found it was too liquidy, so i added more tofutti. still liquidy. i ended up just pouring it over the cake. it was tasty as hell but severly lacking in the presentation department, because after getting so frustrated with the cake i didn't feel it deserved to be decorated. oh well!

prior to the cake escapade i tried cooking up some blueberry waffles. great idea, except i've never made waffles in my life and had no idea how to tell when they're ready. i lifted up the top of the waffle iron too soon and got a gobby (but tasty) mess of waffles. at least the stuff came off easily so it wasn't hard to clean up . . .

so, after describing my failures, i'd love to know: what are YOUR worst cooking experiences?

i am not dead! + a meme.

2008-08-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

poor blog, i'm already neglecting you.

i've been working every day this week though, so i really haven't been cooking anything fun. it's basically been soy nut butter sandwiches for dinner every day. not that i'm complaining ;)

next week will be better though, and tomorrow's post will include CAKE!

to make this post even more uninteresting, here is a meme!

1.If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
locally grown.

2.Favorite way to prepare potatoes:
hash browns.

3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
i squeeze the water out and usually freeze it.

4.Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
cajun gumbo. cajun jambalaya. cajun dirty rice.
yeah.. anything cajun.

5.Any food allergies?
nope.

6.When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
fancy is not my style ;) i like the cosmic cafe.

7.When you have a cold, what do you crave?
the office haha

8.What kind of water do you drink?
filtered water from my fridge

9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
i don't drink soda.

10.If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
dad's spicy cajun fire-mouth cookbook
or something like that.

11.If you were allowed to grow one food that can't grow in your climate, what would it be?
i really don't know! i grow figs though.

12.Favorite type of mushroom?
all of them. <3

13.Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
the dishwasher. it doesn't get run often enough to keep six people's-worth of dishes from piling up all over the place.

14.Last food you burned?
grilled cheeze

15.Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?"
beans, grains, and nuts.

16.If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
last time i did strawberry cream cheese. this time.. cookies n' cream!

17.Favorite brand of chocolate chips?
umm. i forgot the brand name.

18.You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma- What do you buy?
ha i really don't know.

19.Do you plan your menus in advance? Any tips to share?
nah. i really just eat whatever i feel like at the time.

20.You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
i grab a big apple.

21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray got into a fight, who would win and how?
martha stewart. come on, she's been in jail, she can kick ass.

22.If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
brown sugar and fiber one cereal.

23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence)?
france!

24.Favorite late night snack?
popcorn.

25.Favorite springtime food?
nectarines

26.Favorite food-related magazine?
don't really read them. i guess vegetarian times.

27.Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
bragg's

28.What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
i can't eat steamed yellow squash by itself.. i just can't :(

29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
green bean casserole! vegan-style, of course.

30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
ross perot... just because

peanutty goodness!

2008-08-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

i had the day off yesterday, so i decided it was a good day to make the good ol' classic peanut butter cookies i'd been craving for weeks. i was missing oil and brown sugar, so i subbed applesauce and added molasses to white sugar. the batter was very liquidy and the raw cookies refused to keep those cute fork marks, but i decided to pop them in the oven and just see how they turned out. they came out very light and fluffy, not like normal peanut butter cookies, but puffed up like little marshmallows. the fork marks stayed better after they were baked. my family DEVOURED these; i don't even think they lasted 30 minutes. so, i pronounce these cookies a success!

puffy peanut butter cookies
adapted from cookie madness

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purp flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

preheat oven to 350 F. beat together applesauce, both sugars, cornstarch, water, vanilla, and peanut butter in a large bowl. in a seperate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt, then add that to the peanut butter mix and beat until smooth. drop in spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. bake 10-13 minutes. when done, press a fork into the cookies.

makes about 30 cookies.

2008-08-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

cinnamon raisin scones

slightly blurry maybe, but i didn't realize until i uploaded it and it just so happens that i already ate all of them :) while i was mixing up the batter i freaked because it was so dry, so i added a bit of water. haha . . dumb. i didn't know scones were supposed to be that biscuit-y. oh well, they tasted fantastic. not too sweet, perfect for breakfast.

recipe adapted from the oatmeal experiment
3/4 cup all-purp flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/2 small banana
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
3 tbsp applesauce

preheat oven to 375 F. mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, wet in another. pour the wet mixture into the dry. put large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet (i sprayed mine with cooking spray, but this may not be necessary). bake for 20 minutes.

and as a bonus, a quick scramble i whipped up for lunch today:

firm tofu, gimme lean sausage, red onion, and mexican corn, seasoned with turmeric, black pepper, and seasoning salt. simple yet satisfying.

lazy hot days.

2008-08-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

i woke up this morning with the amazing sensation that i have NOTHING TO DO TODAY. seriously. no work, no shopping, nothing. and since today is something like the 11th consecutive over-100 degree day, i decided to spend the day watching movies and surfing the net.
at lunch i threw together an easy stirfry for my lazy day.

lazy cajun bbq stirfry
adapted from vegweb

1/3 block firm tofu (i froze mine to get a better texture)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 small bag frozen mixed vegetables
generous shake cajun garlic sauce
oil

heat oil in a medium skillet. cube tofu and add to the pan. fry for a few minutes until light golden brown, then add veggies. mix together bbq sauce, water, and soy sauce. turn down heat a bit and pour into pan, stirring to coat tofu and veggies. shake on cajun sauce and stir some more. serves one hungry teenage girl.

maybe later after my brain has turned into goo i'll try to finish a piece i've been working on . . .
probably not.

spiral diner and post-impressionism.

2008-08-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

i finally got around to visiting spiral diner & bakery, the winner of the 2007 vegnews veggie award. i went to the fort worth location, which is considerably farther from me than the dallas one, but it's 10 minutes from the arts district and i wanted to stop in at the museums.

the outside wasn't much but it was cute on the inside, bright aqua walls and elvis stuff everywhere. there was a little store at the front, selling everything from organic peppermint soap to nayonnaise to spiral diner t-shirts.

i have no pictures of my food, unfortunately, but it was delicious! i had the chopped bbq seitan sandwich, which had red onion, pickles, and mayo, along with the mint chocolate chip i-scream shake which was incredible. i also stole a bite of my brother's "ate" layer burrito and my mom's parmagiana wrap. yumm.

we had to wait a good while for our meals, but i'll forgive them because it's the only other place i've been to besides mr. natural and the cosmic cafe where i don't have to worry about sneaky animal products in my food.

afterwards we went to a museum. the rotating exhibit was on the impressionists. i'm not very into that style; it's not thought-provoking enough for my taste, but i always like the outside sculptures. we didn't have enough time for the modern art museum but i'll probably be going this weekend and hopefully to spiral diner again!

my first post.

2008-08-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

after spending hours reading other vegan blogs, i've decided to start my own. there won't be many recipes because i'm quite possibly the laziest vegan on the planet, hence the name plain banana, but i'm getting better! and i'll start off with a photo of today's breakfast (my favorite meal of the day) which was chocolate french toast.

i'm a painter, not a photographer, so please forgive my amateur photos.