Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 19: Oh Balls!

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If you look on the internet, it seems like there's billions of recipes for vegan raw (and almost raw) energy balls. Snow balls. Bliss balls. Budda Balls. Yoga Balls. Whatever ya call 'em, they're of the same family. I have some recipes that are a little more complex which I use for people who guest here, but for my own preferences, I'm a simple gal. After the basics of organic nuts, dates, organic unsweetened flaked coconut and cocoa powder, it's free-for-all and ends up as a "what do I have in the pantry" party in my food processor. You can add cacao nibs, seeds of choice, Matcha green tea powder, vegan protein powder of choice (especially nice for people who workout if you want to amp up the protein a bit more), peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, or anything else you think might work. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, I don't typically omit that tiny bit of oil, coconut oil is a wonder food (in my opinion). Sea salt is optional, but I never use that in any of the energy ball recipes I make. Ever. Simply unnecessary.

If you're looking to keep the fat content lower, you can choose organic powdered peanut butter (here I use Just Great Stuff organic), which is just like PB2, but organic. If cocoa isn't your thing, try carob. If carob isn't your thing, make them vanilla…. no cocoa at all. Switch up the nuts (walnuts? hazelnuts? almonds?) If you're allergic to nuts, how about substituting seeds instead of nuts as the base (mmmm., pumpkin seeds and tahini sounds great about now!) Also, if you run low on dates, raisins will work as a substitute just fine, probably a few other dried fruits would be nice mix ins…. cranberries come to mind. I tried to make versions of these commercially available down here in the Keys under my own label, but it's cost prohibitive for me to do so, even buying the materials wholesale. Organic nuts are a pricey item, but they are NOT a luxury in my opinion. Pecans (conventional) are one of the most heavily sprayed crops around, ugh. You can find energy balls in almost every health food store, and yes I do buy them pre-made from time to time. I don't always have time to make every single thing around here from scratch, so I'll reach for the pre made ones in a pinch. Mostly, if I just plan ahead, I can have a stash in my freezer all year round, they freeze so well (up to a month or more) and certainly keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. They won't last that long, trust me.

This is a short video. Drag out your food processor and get going.

Recipe (my variations)

1 cup organic pecans

2 cups dates (unpitted!)

1 cup organic unsweetened dried coconut flakes

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

1/4-1/3 cup raw organic cocoa powder or carob powder (raw, if you want them  "officially" raw)

1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract or some scraped organic vanilla bean (optional, but nice)--try other extracts to if you'd like

sea salt (optional, I never use)

optional spice to try: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg (not all of them, just 1, if any)

water

Optional mix ins: tahini, powdered peanut butter, cacao nibs, vegan protein powder, Spirulina, super greens powder, Matcha green tea powder, chia, flax, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds… you are getting the drift….)

Place all ingredients into food processor (except water). Pulse or run the processor for just a moment, it will crumble very fast, add water to get the mix to bind… start with 1 tablespoon, and add more 1 tablespoon at a time, I find I usually eyeball this at about 3-4 tablespoons. Don't overdo the water, just enough to make the hold together. Form into balls, roll into topping of choice (coconut, cocoa powder, seeds, blah blah). Eat or hold in fridge til ready. These freeze nicely.

Mad vegan love til next time.

xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 18: Pumpkin Gnocchi, Recipe

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It's pumpkin time. The world goes mad for pumpkin every year come September. Not me, I'm not a fan, but you already knew that anyway.

Today I share a recipe for vegan pumpkin gnocchi. I took an order for vegan pumpkin cookies, and had leftover pumpkin. What to do … what to do. Then I remembered I have a recipe for vegan pumpkin gnocchi that's super simple. It's not traditional, obviously. It's also not my recipe, but I cannot give credit where credit is due as when I took this recipe off the internet so long ago, I did not preserve the source. My apologies to the writer of the recipe.

This is a more delicate dough than regular gnocchi. Be gentle with your dough. Do not over mix, you do not want to develop the gluten because then you'll end up with tough gnocchi. I see no reason why you could not make this recipe gluten free, by using your gluten free flour (or flour blend) of choice. Omit the xanthan gum or guar gum (if you use it), doubt you'll need it here with all that pumpkin anyway. This recipe is, I think, easy to "personalize" if you'd like. Maybe mix in some fresh basil? Some red pepper flakes? Any type of sauce preference will do… the original recipe had some kind of vegan butter sage sauce, which I remember as being really awful, I didn't save that part. Then again, if that's your thing, go for it.

I talk a bit about my Italian grandparents. Grandpa was a chef, but only cooked at restaurants… grandma cooked at home, I clearly remember this, as cooking at home was "women's work." They didn't speak a word of English when they arrived in America, and worked hard to learn English very quickly. They actually forbade my dad from speaking Italian in public while he was growing up. I wish I had more memories of them. Hard to believe I had a professional chef in the family, and I never, ever, nope not once, discussed food, recipes, nor do I even have a single recollection of any family food traditions with either of them. They passed when I was quite young. I have a rolling pin that was either his or my grandmother's; that rolling pin is HUGE, I'd say about 4 feet long. What in the world did they ever do with a rolling pin that size I cannot help but wonder. I do like that I have this rolling pin though. Even though I have no idea what to do with it, I have this connection, sort of like the missing link from them to me. Maybe.

Here's the video, and then the recipe.

Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi
Credit: I do not know. Sincere apologies, I took this off the internet a long time ago, and did not preserve the author. This is not my recipe, I am not claiming it as my own.

1.5 cups organic pure pumpkin (or other squash)
1 cup all purpose flour (organic here)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp spices (I used 1/4 tsp allspice and 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir til mixed. Once combined, knead til smooth, about 3 minutes. Don't over handle the dough, otherwise you're gnocchi will be tough.

Roll into tubes on floured surface. Cut into little pieces, coax the little pillow pieces into curly curved pillow pieces.

Get a pot of water on a rolling boil. Then add a few gnocchi at a time (don't want them to stick together, and you want them to have lots of room to fly around in the water). They'll float to the top when ready (2-3 minutes). Remove gnocchi from water with slotted spoon, place on plate and either keep warm til ready to serve, or serve immediately with sauce of choice.

Get your pumpkin on, if you must.

xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 17: New Product Review (Luke's Crackers) a FANTASTIC recipe and…. apparently I'm angry again

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Ut oh… it happened again. I got angry. My lovely black wig must be jinxed. Last time I wore this hair on MoFo was the day Annie's Homegrown announced it was acquired by General Mills. Today? White Wave gobbled up So Delicious Dairy Free. All I could do when I heard the news was cry "nooooooooooooo!"

Sadly, it's all true. Here we did purchase some products of the So Delicious line, a few were for use at the inn, and a few were for my personal consumption (how will my life move forward without So Delicious french vanilla coffee creamer?!!! HOW???????)

Does this mean that the Purely Decadent line is next in the cross hairs? Does this mean I'll never again allow myself the luxury of Purely Decadent's pomegranate chip non-dairy ice cream? That stuff is my Kryptonite…. absolutely my most favorite ice cream EVER. EVER EVER EVER! So…. will that be on the chopping block too? Time will tell.

I am hopping mad (hopping?) over this, really saddened that my choices dwindled again, really getting scared about how many BIG companies are gobbling up these small(ish) companies. I'm not against progress! I'm all for companies doing well, for employees furthering their careers and blah blah. However…. White Wave threw massive amounts of money against Prop 37 in California. Obviously White Wave has a hardcore stance that labeling GMOs should not happen. So…. if I buy So Delicious, technically my very hard earned money is going directly to fund a campaign I'm so desperate to fight against. Which equals the obvious conclusion that here, we must also dump the So Delicious line.

Parent's cover the kiddies eyes…. my shirt drops the "f" bomb (thanks Compassion Company, 2 thumbs up on this shirt, perfect for my angry hair!)

Buh-Bye So Delicious.

On the up side of things, while we were at Food for Thought, Ellin suggested I try a new line of crackers she's now carrying, by a company called "Luke's" This company is made in the USA, non-GMO, organic, vegan, soy free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free. Hm…. ok, I'm in.

While I was surfing the net, somehow I came across an onion dip recipe from Hannah Kaminsky (oh Hannah, you don't even know how much I adore you…) who has a blog (bittersweetblog.com) and also has authored several vegan sweets books (I have none of her books…. the horror, the shame, how is this possible?!!)  Her recipe for caramelized vegan onion dip is absolute perfection. DO NOT CHANGE A THING! The dip has a mellow flavor, and rich depth, that I really love. The crackers? Delicious! I'm actually surprised how much I really like them. I'm not one to grab many processed foods, however these seem to be a pretty good choice is a sea of very bad choices. The sodium content is actually manageable, and even the carbs (I'm not anti-carb! I merely mention this for those who look at carbs with concerns for their sugars…) aren't bad for a boxed food. As I said, these are gluten free, organic & vegan. They are small crisps… actually flips would be a better description. As for the flavor (I tried the garden vegetable variety) they remind me of a cracker my mother was mad for when I was growing up call "Sociables." Anyone else remember them? No idea if they even exist anymore, and if they did I wouldn't buy them as I'm sure they're made by some evil GMO food company. These Luke's crackers are really good, and definitely something I will pick up and have on hand when company is expected. And you can bet your a** I'll be serving them with some of Hannah's caramelized onion dip. Her recipe is an absolute keeper… going into my personal "go to" collection. I also think this recipe would be fantastic as a spread on sandwiches with some shredded veggies and lettuce, or stuffed in a pita pocket with your choice of veggies as well (plus kalamata olives anyone?!!!)

Here's the video. Enjoy. Recipe below.

Caramelized Onion Dip
Courtesy of Hannah Kaminsky
www.bittersweetblog.com

3 medium onions, diced
3T vegan butter of choice
1T canola (I used olive, this was the ONLY modification I made)
1/4 tsp cayenne
1tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste (I used just a pinch)
1 box ORGANIC Mori-Nu silken tofu
1tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Preheat a large skillet on low heat, melt the vegan butter, add the olive oil, and then add the onions, toss to coat. Keep heat low, continue to cook, gently 40-45 minute (mine were ready in exactly 44 minutes!), stirring occasionally. Incorporate the spices and salt when caramelized, cook gently another 10 minutes or so until amber brown/nicely caramelized (take your time, this is the key step to this recipe!)

Allow onions to cool.

Drag out your big ol' food processor…. puree the tofu completely, NO LUMPS, scrape down as needed. Blend in the mustard, garlic powder and nutritional yeast.

Finally, add the caramelized onions, pulse to combine, don't over do things, you want to have some texture with nice chunks of onion.

Transfer to container. Best to allow to set in the fridge overnight for the flavor to fully develop, but it's delicious straight from the food processor.

Serve at room temperature.

This is a GREAT recipe!

See ya next time!

xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 16: Food for Thought! Marathon, Florida … Wowza!

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Today I'm showing you video of a fantastic health food store and cafe' in the Florida Keys (Marathon to be precise) called Food for Thought. Last Year during MoFo I blogged about them, but this time we've got video!

There's so much I can say about Food for Thought, I LOVE them! Marathon was a desert for healthy food options until Ellin (owner) took the place over a few years ago, installed a commercial kitchen, scrubbed the place upside down, and breathed new life in. Now the place sparkles and shines like new, even though it's been up and running for years. Food for Thought specializes in organic (yay!) and gluten free (the REAL deal, yay!), plus they have a small thoughtful selection of books, some gift items (especially salt lamps, really beautiful salt lamps at such wonderful price points), and of course brings us the goods on organic fresh produce.

Of special note, which I really wish I mentioned in this video, is that they carry CBD Hemp Oil. Food for Thought has had many health focused presentations and guest speakers through the years, and we've been fortunate enough to attend several. Their most recent presentation just weeks ago was on CBD Hemp Oil, which of course we attended. I'm not sure that anyone else is even offering the CBD Hemp Oil in the Keys yet. 

During the shoot I also forgot to mention some of the eco-initiatives that are in place, including reusable silverware and dishes for those of us who choose to dine in ("to go" items are packed in bioboxes), recycling is on site, water is offered free from a dispenser in the cafe with reusable glasses, and most customers that I observe anytime I'm in there bring their own bags. Food for Thought also sells a really nice selection of reusable bags, including Chico Bags and string bags, all of which withstand MANY years of use (I can personally attest to that!)

My favorite thing at Food for Thought (other than the people… always the people…. they are ALL gems in there, trust me!) is the smell of food when I walk in. Their cafe menu is small, and excellent. It's almost 100% gluten free, all organic, and vegan. The store offers some non-vegan items, but honestly vegan items far outnumber non-veg based upon my observations and shopping experiences. There are some items I can't get anywhere else in the Keys except at Food for Thought. In small towns like where we live down here, cultivating a relationship with others in the community is the key to a happier life experience. Sue, who works at FFT, has transformed into a true animal advocate, and is one of the only people that I feel is a kindred spirit when it comes to animals, animal rights, and activism. In fact, Sue is doing the Farm Sanctuary's South Florida Walk for Animals this year (in October!) and Anna, who also works at Food for Thought, is now joining Sue on the walk. It makes me VERY happy to know there are advocates such as them in my backyard too, I can share thoughts and feelings with them that I wouldn't normally share with others…. basically a safety zone, but you already knew what I meant, right?

Ellin isn't on the video, I'm sorry to say! I wish she was. After we did the shoot, she magically appeared and sat in the cafe with us as we ate our lunches. We talked about Vegan MoFo, Thai cabbage salad that she's presently making by the mountainfuls to feed her addiction to same, and also touched on the health care industry (as far as the scary situation with the food offered when we get sucked into the vortex of medical care, yikes yikes yikes!)

Lunch was divine, I had a panini which I've been known to drive up and over that gosh darn bridge just for their paninis (if that's not devotion, then I don't know WHAT is!) Here's the video, I hope you love it. 

I'm sorry I couldn't take you with me up and down all the aisles. We tried… we actually shot a video that way for you, but it was painful on the eyes to watch, the aisles are a little skinny (so much product for us covering the space!) and there were too many people in the store to make it anything other than so jumpy (too many customers, LOL?!! happy problems!!!)

Thank you Food for Thought for having faith in this community…. for putting your money where your mouth is (literally!) and for bringing us some of the best stuff in the entire Florida Keys. We're fans for life, and look forward to every day with you in the heart of Marathon! Veg on, gluten free style!

See ya next time! xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 15: Food Delivery, and a Community Action Hero/Activist

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Today our bulk food delivery arrived. Here in the Keys, we don't have too many options for natural food suppliers, and as a very small business Deer Run has even less options for wholesale delivery than larger businesses. I refuse to purchase from Sysco. Down throughout the Keys, Sysco trucks are a common sight. I practically cringe when I see them; it's doubtful they carry many (if any) organic options. Deer Run is fortunate to be included on an independent bulk route that comes through the Keys once a week. Included in their offerings are case lots of packaged organic and natural foods, as well as fresh organic produce. The sheets come through once a week for the fresh stuff, and I can decide if I need anything or not. Most everything is identified on the advance sheets with a country of origin (important to me, and I'm sure many others too), but if they're not identified, a simple email or phone call and secure that information. The route is currently being driven by a local community activist hero by the name of Patrick Garvey. Patrick is the CEO of the Growing Hope Initiative, which currently has a massive project right here on Big Pine Key of restoring something called the Grimal Grove. Later this week we're going to make a visit to Grimal Grove and shoot a MoFo video for you.

Today's video introduces you to Patrick Garvey. I cannot stress enough how important Patrick is for this community down here. He truly has a "what it takes" attitude and drive to accomplish his mission. He's got a very long road in front of him, but he knows this and is doing everything possible to get the job done in the bigger scheme of things… including driving a truck to make deliveries.

It's with a great amount of blood, sweat and tears that Patrick is revitalizing the Grimal Grove. Growing Hope is a non-profit, and accepts donations; you can read all about his project at www.growinghopeinitiative.org

This is the face of a local community activist, and hero……

See you next time with more MoFo love!

xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 14: Two GREAT Recipes and…. some REALLY bad bagels

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This video pretty much speaks for itself.

The fruits of my labors. NOM!

Recipe #1

Marinated Kale Salad

(from: www.katherinemartinelli.com)

Ooooo, this is soooooooo good……

Make ahead at least 1 hour to allow the kale to relax and absorb the great flavors

Juice of 2 lemons

1/3 cup olive oil (I reduce mine greatly, you do as you please)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (whole grain preferred, but not necessary)

salt and pepper (add as you please… for lower sodium people, omit the salt, you really won't miss it)

1 bunch kale (original recipe calls for laminate kale, however I prefer curly kale) … roughly chopped

1/4 cup Veggie Parm (Parma! or whatever brand you please) 

Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and mustard in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the kale, toss with your hands, and massage the vinaigrette into the kale.

Add the vegan Parm. This is optional, but it does make the recipe "pop." I typically do reduce the amount, but do as you please.

If possible (if you can stand waiting!) allow 1 hour prior to serving. Keep leftover (LEFTOVER?!! YOU KIDDING ME?) in a container in the fridge. Marinates well.

Recipe #2

Mustard Crusted Tofu w/kale and sweet potatoes

(from www.Food52.com)

So, when I made the video, we hadn't eaten this yet. As soon as the video was done, we got to business of eating… holy heck, this recipe is delicious.

1 pound extra firm tofu (pressed or drained; here I used my Tofu Xpress)

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

4T oil

1/2 onion, sliced

1T garlic (I used 3 large pieces)

1 bunch kale, chopped (I used curly)

1 small sweet potato (I doubled… I really like sweet potatoes, plus I had a giant head of kale)

2T lime juice (locals… use Key lime. I like lemon juice, so I used that)

Press and drain tofu. Cut into 8 slices. Spread with mustard. Heat 2 T olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, add onion and ginger, sauté 1 minute (note: the ingredients do not list ginger… but its in the text of the recipe. I didn't use ginger, I don't think I'd like the flavor with these ingredients…)  Add the sweet potato, kale and lime juice. Cover, lower heat, and cook about 10-12 minutes, til wilted.

NOTE: I did things differently… I heated the oil, then added the sweet potatoes because they take longer to cook. Then, when they were almost ready, I added the onion, sweated that out, and then added the kale and garlic, which I pressed. When it was almost all ready, I added the lemon juice.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat the remaining 2T oil (I used water). Add tofu, and cook a few minutes on each side til brown. Note: the recipe also says "mustard seeds" although that's not in the ingredient list. Don't worry, that's just another extra you don't need/won't miss. I didn't use them, and wouldn't want to anyway. So, as the tofu browned, I did brush a little bit more mustard on the tofu.

Arrange the kale/sweet potatoes on your plate, and place tofu slice on top.

Feast!

xo

Vegan MoFo 2014 Day 13: Easy Peasy

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I like to stay in bed and breakfasts as much as possible when I travel. Being that I'll be traveling, I reached out to a few inns to see if they would be able to accommodate vegans. I was exceptionally disappointed with the responses I received; they were so bad that so far we haven't found ANY conventional bed and breakfasts that we're willing to stay in. As a fellow hotelier, I feel food is part of the experience. I've been at this game a while now, and I've accommodated hundreds, if not thousands, of people with special needs. And, quite frankly I do NOT consider "vegan" a special need.

Today I was aggravated enough to google a few key words and see what came up on the internet for easy vegan items. To really prove my point, I picked one of the very first muffin recipes that popped up and decided to make it exactly as written, and see how it came out. I chose this recipe (given below) because other than a muffin pan, measuring spoons and the ingredients, the only other thing I needed to make the recipe was 1 fork and 1 bowl. The recipe had enough options to substitute that other than chia as maybe an "odd" ingredient (which really isn't that odd an ingredient, but regardless the comments had enough substitutions noted for chia if someone didn't have if, you could use applesauce for crap's sake) the stuff was probably things that most people would have lurking in their pantry. The muffins puffed up nicely, have a decent crumb, and aren't too cloying sweet. Totally do-able!

To put it bluntly: innkeepers if you cannot spend 5 minutes googling a recipe, and then another 10 minutes mixing ingredients you don't deserve my business.

I'll be staying in places that either have small kitchens or are located within striking distance for vegan cafes and restaurants. It's really a shame, and pretty pathetic in the hospitality industry, that this is where things stand as of right now on the vegan food issue.

Once I stayed at a bed and breakfast on the Jersey shore that was conventional. The innkeeper knew I was vegan, and said she could accommodate me. She completely blew me away with her grace and hospitality. She thought outside the box and served foods that were more "brunch" style, including Mediterranean plates. Things like tabbouleh, hummus, red peppers (that she roasted herself!), were plated with nuts, seeds and fruits alongside non-dairy milk. She also bought some of the most divine sugared olive oil Italian crispy flatbreads I've EVER had in my life. The effort she made has earned her MANY referrals from me since then.

How dare someone in the hospitality industry who is about to charge me several hundred dollars a night to stay in their beautiful inn think that unwrapping a banana and opening a box of orange juice will be acceptable. It's not, it's REALLY not. One of the points of Vegan MoFo (in my opinion) is to share with vegans and non-vegans the joy of vegan food. The joy of vegan living. The joy of living with compassion for our fellow creatures… unwrapping a banana and opening a box of juice is something I got used to at the hospital…. but I will not pay for that on vacation as part of an alleged upscale lodging experience.

Here's a video that all conventional innkeepers should watch. It's also pretty good if you're not vegan because you get a simple recipe, AND you find quite a nice assortment of things you can serve for breakfast when vegans (oh the horror!) stay with you. And, trust me, someday someway you WILL find yourself with a vegan in the house. Bake these muffins, and toast up a sprouted English muffin with a (non-dairy) schmear.  Kiss kiss, hug hug…. we'll love you forever darling!

Easy Peasy Banana Muffins
(recipe credit: www.sugarandcinnamon.com)

2 bananas, mashed

1/3 cup BREWED black coffee (yup)

3 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons water

1/2 cup vegan "butter" (i.e.: Earth Balance) OR 1/2 cup MINUS 1 TABLESPOON vegetable oil of choice (i.e.: canola, coconut, safflower, blah blah…)

1/2 cup maple syrup OR 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup white flour

1 cup wholemeal flour (or do as I did just use all white flour)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp each cinnamon and allspice (I didn't have allspice)

You can also add in mix-ins of choice: nuts, coconut flakes, vegan chocolate chips, blueberries, shredded apple, chopped pumpkin seeds, whatever rocks your world…)

Preheat oven to 325. Line muffin tin with liners OR spray with non-stick spray (don't use butter flavor, likely NOT VEGAN). You can use a stand mixer, but I used a fork and a bowl: mash vegan butter/oil with sugar til combined. Add in the chia mixture. Stir in the coffee and bananas. Add in the dry ingredients, and mix til combined. Add your mix-ins if using. Spoon into prepared tin, and bake about 25 minutes.

The original author used this recipe as a banana bread recipe. You can do that, obviously, simply prepare a loaf pan, spoon the batter in, and double the baking time. I'm partial to muffins, so much quicker!

xo