Taking NY by Storm: A Vegan's Tale

Check out that view! I also have in hand the BEST smoothie I've ever had: Squaw Valley!!

Last summer I was lucky enough to have volunteered for and attended an amazing four-day Yoga & Music festival in the middle of beautiful Tahoe. Wanderlust was such an enlightening experience and I hope to return again soon; being among such spiritual power and creativity was inspiring, advocating everything environmental protection to compassionate eating.

Among the many big names to play the music scene among the looming majestic mountains was old school DJ Moby. His DJ set was epic, totally killed it (in a good way!) and his afternoon acoustic set was harmonizing. But it is his speaking event that was of utmost interest for purposes of this blog: on vegan living.

Moby was promoting a new book he has out and spoke briefly on it, taking questions and engaging people on the real issues of vegan living. Imagine my delight when, after a few internet clicks, I find out he owns a vegetarian restaurant in NYC.

Delicious cakes, almost 100 different types of free leaf teas to choose from, and owned by a techno god? Yes, please!

Teany Cafe can only be described as cozy. At 10pm the lighting was dim, all but blinding bar the gently flicking tea candles. Sleek, modern, and white, it reminds me of vegan cafes of Brighton (UK). And what could go better with this English feel than plenty of properly prepared teas and homely sweets (think whoopie pies and coconut cake).

T & I actually discovered Teany after looking for a gift for my Brother for Christmas; we just got back from London and thought the tea-for-two deal at Teany was appropriate for him & his girlfriend. Him having raved about the club--and me being the sandwich fiend I am--my choice was probably already made before arrival (as tempting as the lasagna sounded).

I opted for the blt, even though I *always* get the blt as T reminds me. On the side a cup of honey roobios with steamed almond milk (again, England had entranced me with their London Fog). T & Adam both got the half chili/half "turkey" club.

The drink was fantastic, as it ought to be, creamy and with just a hint of sweetness. The salad greens crisp and dressed with a lovely thick balsamic. But it was the sandwich that stole my heart. Not the biggest around for its price, nothing too fancy, but simple and classic, and perfectly toasted (a must!).

The chili, sadly, was just a bit lacking. I think T & I may be biased from our constant chili making contests but I had made a better lentil chili days earlier (thicker, more robust). But still, tasty.

Our biggest mistake, which I beg none of you to make!, is to have left without dessert. I guess I felt the impulse to explore, being in NY and all (I have a list of about 30 possible vegan havens to check out). But for the rest of that weekend, I could get those luscious looking cakes and pastries out of mind and I'm still sure that I had made the wrong choice and that those desserts (as Adam also told us they would be) was what I was searching for.

In conclusion, if you're in NYC, please visit Teany, sip some tea, and don't let the city rush you out... get that slice of cake you're eyeing!

Oh yeah, and go to Wanderlust if you get the chance... besides amazing music, great people, fun vendors, beautiful artwork, breathtaking views, and tons of yoga... we get free pool & spa access at the site of the Olympic Village :) Do it (and let's meet up there!)

9am Fiesta Cookies: Feel the Churro Love!

Looking for something to spice up your morning? Want to party but don't have the energy? Well, I wouldn't necessarily recommend these cookies for breakfast, but they'll make a great addition to your early afternoon fiestas!

Infused with coffee & walnuts, and rolled in decadent Cinnamon Sugar, these cookies are some of the most airy vegan cookies I've had (not to give myself too much credit, of course). I recommend eating them shortly after baking to keep them from becoming too dense. Recipe loosely adapted from chooseveg.com (awesome site, check it out)!

A good sign: As I was baking them, Toni came into the room, his nose hot on the trial. "It smells like Disneyland". I suppose this could be a bad thing (giant turkey legs? dirty water??), but he meant churros--and boy did these taste like a mini-version of our favorite Mexican treat! Plus, you get to skip the whole deep fried bit & enjoy your dessert knowing its cruelty-free.

Oh, and I just knew I had to post these when I found out I won the DailyMeal & Flour Bakery Contest! Flour Bakery is this renowned Bakery with three locations around Boston, MA (one right by my house); unfortunately, they only have a few vegan items (though at least they clearly label them!) but, since I got their cookbook for free as a prize, I can't wait to try out some of the recipes and veganize some others :D (I will the vegan counterparts to them). Check out my cookies that won!

9am Fiesta Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
  
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. apple sauce (I used one with apple cider in it)
  
• 2 cornstarch eggs (2 Tbsp. cornstarch + 2 Tbsp. water)
• Cinnamon, brown sugar, and turbinado sugar, to coat

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and get out a large ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Prepare the coating mixture by adding cinnamon, brown sugar, and turbinado sugar together in a small flat bottom bowl to your likely (I did a ratio of 1:1:2, about 1/2 cup total)
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl (up to salt). Add together the wet ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using your hands form the dough into a big ball. (If it sticks together well, then it's the right consistency. If not, add a bit of water and mix it well.)
5. Form the dough into small cookie-sized balls and roll them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. 6. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball a little bit. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, or until the top is cooked (no longer sticky or wet) but it is still very soft (if in doubt, take them out; they will continue to cook a bit when you take them out. Enjoy!

Peace&Love

PS. Just in case you forgot, here's what the winning cookies (Happy Cow Cakey Peanut Butter Cookies, a mouth full--of cookies that is), looked like:

Breakfast to LIVE For: Banana Bread Cookies & The Best Coffee EVER

Monmouth Coffee & Warm Banana Bread to fight the cold!

My friend is having a party to raise funds for their annual Christmas party in support of the charity ATD Fourth World. While Toni's doing the DJing for the night, I'm joining the girls in the kitchen: gotta love bake sales! Having just recovered from cake-overload after this weekends trip to Brighton (fantastic vegan haven!), I opted for a more subtle option: banana bread.

Not just any banana bread though, Sweet Potato Banana Bread COOKIES! These little treats are great for breakfast on the go; baked with a sprinkle of sugar on top they satisfy your morning sweet tooth, but are still tame enough to go well with some Earth Balance on top (or better yet, coconut oil!).

One of these warm cookies, paired with a pipping hot Monmouth Coffee (Costa Rican blend), was the perfect breakfast to combat the freezing temperatures outside.

On a quick side note, if you're ever in London Monmouth Coffee is a MUST. Even if you think you don't like coffee, this place may change your mind. The baristas tend to be the best in their field and have been great in assisting me about the differences in their single roast origins beans (all fair-trade & organic). I go for the filter because you can really taste the unique flavors and appreciate the subtleties; unfortunately, I think my standards are a bit too high now for returning to Boston.

Sweet Potato Banana Bread Cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup, steamed & mashed sweet potato
• ½ cup, mashed banana (or little less)
• ¼ cup, vegan white sugar (or turbinado)
• 1/3 cup, maple syrup
• ½ cup, light brown sugar
• 1 cup, veggie oil
• 1 cornstarch "egg" (mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon water)
• 2 t, vanilla extract
• 1 t, lemon juice
• 2 cups, all-purpose flour
• 2 t, baking powder
• 2 t, ground cinnamon
• 1 t, ground nutmeg
• ½ t, salt
• 1 ¼ t, baking soda
• ¼ cup, pecans, crushed (optional but highly recommended)
• ¼ cup, caramelized orange rinds (optional)
• 2-4 T, turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugars, maple syrup, vegetable oil, cornstarch "egg", lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to liquid mixture and mix well. The consistency should be doughy and a bit sticky to work with: it may be easier to lightly oil your hands and “kneed” the dough lightly until combined. Don’t overmix.
4. Add in crushed pecans and orange rinds, mixing well to combine.
5. Using about a tablespoon worth of dough, roll dough into a ball with oiled hands. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least two inches apart. Using a lightly oiled fork, flatten the cookies out a bit (as they won’t expand sideways much in cooking). Again, this mixture is a bit sticky, but the end result is so worth it!
6. Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of turbinado sugar and bake approximately10-15 minutes or until just firm. I found it best to take them out just over 10 minutes once the dough is formed and more longer sticky since they continue to cook a bit once out of the oven (and no one likes overcooked bread!). Enjoy!

This is closely adapted from my Pumpkin Cookies recipe, though the result is quite different. Next time, however, I'd like to adapt the recipe using whole wheat flour (we just ran out!): if anyone tries this let me know it goes

Peace&Love

Sweet & Sticky: Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

Everyone knows that no holiday season is complete without the smell of warm cinnamon and freshly baked pie wafting through the house. The good people at Earth Balance and Whole Foods seem to agree, and have create this Holiday Bake-Off Contest for all the bakers out there: $400 shopping spree at Whole Foods and a year supply of Earth Balance products.

Now what vegan baker wouldn't want a year supply of Earth Balance or their choice of expensive organic fruit and jars of nutritional yeast? I, for one, can hardly afford Whole Foods on a normal day; so I figured I could satisfy my desire for a delicious fall dessert and apply for the contest all in one go. Plus, it gives me something to bring to our Thanksgiving potluck this Thursday in seminar (our British TF seems amused about it).

So here's a simple recipe I whipped up for one of the entries: an amalgamation between a cinnamon roll, maple pancakes, and yellow cake... a breakfast cake, if you will. I figure its 9pm somewhere, so dessert in the morning can be acceptable.

Ingredients

Cake
1/2 C, Earth Balance Margarine, softened
1 1/2 C, light brown sugar
2, cornstarch eggs (1 egg=2 T cornstarch + 2 T water)
2 1/4 C, flour
1 t, salt
4 1/2 t, baking powder
1/2 t, baking soda
1/2 t, fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 C, unsweetened soymilk
1 t, vanilla extract

Topping:
3/4 C, Earth Balance margarine, softened
3/4 C, brown sugar
2 T, flour
2 T, cinnamon

Glaze:
1 C, powdered sugar
2 T, unsweetened soymilk
1 T, pure maple syrup
1/2 t, vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan with a little bit of Earth Balance margarine.
2. In a small bowl, cream together the Earth Balance margarine and brown sugar for the topping. Add in the flour and cinnamon for the topping and mix well. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl (or electric mixer) mix the softened butter and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy.
4. Then add cornstarch eggs, flour, salt, and baking powder, stirring thoroughly between each new ingredient.
5. Add the liquid ingredients, stirring thoroughly between each new addition.
6. Pour immediately into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
7. Pour the topping mixture evenly over the cake by the spoonful and swirl it throughout the cake with a knife.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean. (I found that even in my small oven, it took closer to the 35 minute mark, potentially longer in a larger oven)
9. As the cake is baking, mix together, in a small bowl, all the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. (If the mixture is too dry, add more soymilk. If the mixture is too liquidy, add more powdered sugar)
10. Once the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven. Immediately add the glaze on top of the warm cake. (This cake is best served after setting for 15 minutes) Enjoy!

Peace&Love

Happy Cow Cakey Peanut Butter Cookies

Edit: Just another reason to try these bad boys out, just found out they won the DailyMeal + Flour Bakery Contest! Now to try to veganize the free Flour Bakery Cookbook they sent me... :)

Christmas was always my favorite time of year as a child. Not because of the presents--no, the best part of Christmas came in the days before, where my mum, my aunt, and I would get together and make tons of cookies all day! This is my (loose) rendition of the peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies we made, veganized! They cookies have a cakey texture, but are nice a crispy on the outside (whipping the margarine with sugar is key!) Cornstarch is the perfect binder in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoons vegan non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup vegan granulated sugar (or turbinado sugar)
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water (mix only right before usage)
• 2 cups (about 12 ounces) vegan chocolate chips
• A good dollop of peanut butter, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the margarine with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. (If you do not have electric mixed, beat well with whisk by hand). Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and cornstarch mixture. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Vegans make better lovers (& cookies!)

Vegan Rosewater & Pistachio Cupcake w/ Fluffy 'Buttercream' Frosting

So last weekend the Harvard vegetarian society (VEGITAS) had our semi-annual vegan baking workshop. Contrary to popular belief (including my own belief a few months ago when I started down the vegan path), vegan baking is not only easy but its soooo delicious. Honestly: my boyfriend is obsessed with sweets & the second best cookie he said he's ever had in his life was a vegan chocolate chip (from Other Side Cafe in Boston). Now this is second only to the compost cookie from Momofuko in New York, and really, it's hard to argue with that place.

So my own first experience with vegan baking were kind of boring & bland... since I just became vegan I was also very health-conscious; I still am, but I realize now that to make a good cookie or cake--vegan or not--you can't expect it to be that good for you (I attempted only fat-free vegan goods, but have since expanded my horizon). But I'm okay with that; we all need to indulge once in awhile and if we are going to do so, we might as well be compassionate about it.

I used to hate baking but the ease of adapting recipes into vegan recipes (ex. soy milk = milk, flax seed or cornstarch + water = an egg) & plethora of vegan baking recipes on-line has gotten me into the mood & so you can always expect I'll make a cake or cookies or some ice cream after a dinner party.

Back to the event: the baking workshop went great. In less than 2 hours we baked 6 different goodies, everything from muffins to cupcakes to cookies. All were delicious, all were different, and everyone who came to learn seemed to have a great time & lively conversation about the important ethical & social implications of vegetarianism & veganism (many of the people there had just turned to a veg life or we're very interested in it).

Here are some more pictures from this amazing event:

Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Peanut-Butter & Flax Seed

Chocolate & Peanut-Butter Pillows

Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond-Quinoa Muffins

Banana Maple Cookies (naturally sweetened, no white sugar added!)

Tex-Mex Dinner Party

So we threw a Tex-Mex Dinner Party with some friends this last weekend. It went great; so great in fact that the food was gone before I could take a picture of it all (I was busy cooking :x). I did snag a quick picture between it all of our dessert though:

Mexican Chocolate Cake Topped w/ Bananas Flambe

So I adapted the recipe from here. It's vegan & delicious (don't know about health). I made it for our anniversary a month ago and I thought I'd switch it up this time. The whole cake soaked up some of the rum flavor... yum!

Give the gift of sustainability this Valentine's Day!

Chocolates and roses may seem like a great gift on the surface... but if give your sweetie a product that uses exploited labor from other countries, inhumanely treated animal products, and chemical processing really going to send the right message?

Here are some places to get great Valentine's day gifts that will send the right message!

1. Organic Consumers Association has compiled a list of places to buy organic for gifts such as flowers, chocolate, cards, and even wines. All gifts are listed as fair-trade.

2. Sticky Fingers Bakery: located in Washington, DC, this all vegan bakery offers as wide array of sweets from chocolate strawberries and sugar hearts, to customizable cakes and they will even send them to you anywhere in the US. This company has one numerous awards for their products; I'm planning on grabbing a desert myself here on Valentine's Day!

3. Farm Sanctuary is offering a Valentine's Day gift package for your significant other by adopting a farm animal in their name. You can pay monthly and you receive an adoption certificate with a color photograph of the adopted animal, an adoption card, invitation to schedule a VIP tour to meet the sponsored animal and other benefits. I already told my boyfriend that this would be the only thing I'd want for our anniversary.