Strawberry Midnight Cake-in-Mug (Vegan and Gluten Free)

This recipe came from a midnight (okay it was 10 pm) craving for cake. All the mug cake recipes I've seen have been for chocolate cake and I have to be in the right mood for chocolate cake. Last night was a strawberry cake kind of mood. 

Ingredients

• 10 Tablespoons flour (I used gluten free all purpose flour, but you can use whichever type you would like)
• 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 6 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 plump strawberries
• 1 mug :)

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients directly in the mug with a fork (no need for extra dishes, it is midnight after all)
2. Stir in oil, vanilla and water and mix thoroughly.
3. Cut up two strawberries into small chunks. Stir into the batter.
4. Microwave on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, checking every 30 seconds after the one minute mark. You don't want to over-bake.
5. Cut up the remaining two strawberries into slices. Place on top.
6. Enjoy your midnight snack! 

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Red Bell Pepper Tofu

This was an experiment that occurred when I was cutting up a red pepper and it was really juicy. I thought "You know what would be good? Red pepper sauce with my tofu." So this recipe was born.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces medium or firm tofu
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil for frying
• rice vermicelli

Ingredients for the sauce

• The other half of the red bell pepper (kept whole)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup

Directions

1. Put a pot of water on to boil (for the rice noodles). Cook as directed on the package.
2. Heat up a pan on high with about half an inch of oil on the bottom.
3. Drain the tofu and cut it into cubes
4. Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu until golden brown (2 to 4 minutes on each side). Let drain on a paper towel.
5. Pour the oil into a jar and set aside.
6. Saute the bell pepper, onion, and garlic in the same pan. Set aside.
7. In a small pot, boil the other half of the bell pepper. 
8. Once boiling, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir until incorporated.
9. Turn the heat back on under the bell peppers and onions. Add the tofu to heat it up (it'll most likely be cold).
10. Once hot, add half of the sauce to the pan.
11. Pour the other half of the sauce onto the vermicelli.
12. Serve with the tofu/veggies on top of the noodles.
13. Enjoy.

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Veganized New Joe's Special (Tofu, Mushrooms, Spinach)

Have you guys ever heard of New Joe's Special? It comes from a restaurant in California called Joe's.  Joe's became New Joe's after it burned down. The special at New Joe's was a dish with lots of spinach and ground beef and egg. My mom figured out the recipe, and made it all the time. I grew up eating it. But ever since I've gone vegan I've craved it. Not in the OH I NEED MEAT kind of way but in the "this is a comforting food from my childhood" kind of way. So I decided to veganize it. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces tofu
• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Mix the flax seed and 6 tablespoons water in a bowl. Put in the fridge to gel.
2. Drain the tofu by putting it between two paper towels and pressing out the water. 
3. Chop the tofu into cubes. 
4. Fry the tofu in the oil in a large pan on high heat.
5. Once it has browned, add the mushrooms and garlic.
6. Stir until brown. 
7. Add spinach and stir.
8. Take the bowl of flax seed water out of the fridge and add the nutritional yeast. Stir in the rest of the water slowly until the nutritional yeast/flax is dissolved. 
9. Move the spinach/tofu/mushrooms mixture to one side of the pan and add the nutritional yeast to the other side.
10. Slowly incorporate the two sides of the pan. 
11. Stir until the nutritional yeast is no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper and serve!

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Tofu Scramble on Toast with Avocado

This recipe is a result of having soft tofu and not knowing what to do with it. I normally cook with firm, so when my mom came back from the grocery store with soft, I had to make the most of it!

Ingredients:

• 8-10 ounces soft tofu (you can use firm, but soft tends to "scramble" better
• handful spinach
• handful broccoli
• handful, yellow squash
• small tomato
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 pieces of bread, toasted
• half an avocado
• olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare tofu by draining it of any excess water. Break into small pieces. They don't have to be even. 
2. Chop broccoli, squash, and tomato.
3. Combine cumin, thyme, salt, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Slice avocado, set aside.
5. Preheat a pan over high heat. Add a little oil to the pan once heated.
6. Place tofu in pan and begin "scrambling:" Stir the tofu with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure it doesn't stick to the pan.
7. Once the tofu is golden brown, add broccoli, squash and tomato.
8. Stir until broccoli is bright green, but not brown.
9. Add spinach and mix well. It will drastically decrease in size.
10. Pour water, cumin, thyme mixture over the tofu and vegetables.
11. Pour the nutritional yeast evenly over tofu and vegetables. Stir until coated.
12. Toast the bread.
13. Once the bread has toasted and the tofu mixture is sufficiently coated with spices and nutritional yeast, prepare your plate by putting the tofu mixture onto one slice of bread. Add sliced avocado. 
14. Can be eaten as a sandwich or with a fork.
15. Bon appétit! 

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I'm back!

So I haven't told any of you guys this, but when I first started this blog I was in New Zealand. I had a lot of free time, so I decided to use up my time by making delicious food! 

I took a sort of hiatus from blogging when I started my journey home, to Baltimore, Maryland. The hiatus wasn't supposed to be this long. But almost as soon as I got back, there was a mishap wherein someone (not myself!) spilled water on my computer, which has made blogging a little difficult. I still don't have my computer back, but my sister has so graciously let me borrow hers so that I can continue bringing delicious recipes to the masses (I think I have what, one follower? Hi follower!). 

All this to say, I'm back! More recipes to come! Now that I'm home, you'll see more American brands like Daiya cheese and Earth Balance vegan margarine. Stay tuned for delicious noms!

Here's a picture of me and my baby the day I got back. I missed this little guy!

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Curry Chickpea Burgers

This recipe is very similar to the vegan meatballs I made the other day, but they taste completely different. Simple, quick, and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 cups bread crumbs 
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 6 tablespoons water
• Olive oil
  

Directions:

1. Mix flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Place in the fridge to gel while you make the burgers.
2. In a blender, blend chickpeas until smooth. It's okay if it is a little chunky.
3. In a bowl, mix together chickpeas, bread crumbs, garlic, and curry powder.
4. Add flaxseed mixture and incorporate with your hands.
5. Form patties.
6. Preheat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
7. Fry patties until golden brown.  

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Vegan Meatballs

I've never made vegan meatballs before, but I was really craving spaghetti so I threw some things together and voila! They turned out so well!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 cups bread crumbs 
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sage
• salt, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• half of a tomato, chopped into small pieces 
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 6 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 345 degrees fahrenheit. Start water boiling for pasta. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Place in the fridge to gel while you make the meatballs
3. In a blender, blend chickpeas until smooth. It's okay if it is a little chunky.
4. In a bowl, mix together chickpeas, 1 cup bread crumbs (set aside the other cup), garlic, and spices.
5. Mix in tomato pieces. 
6. Put the rest of the breadcrumbs in a separate, smaller, bowl. Get the flaxseed/water from the fridge.
7. Form chickpea mixture in to golf ball-sized pieces (or smaller, if desired).
8. Coat balls in flaxseed/water, then breadcrumbs, and place on the baking sheet.
9. Bake for 15 minutes. Halfway through, roll the balls over to bake the other side. 
10. Heat pre made spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan. 
11. Serve meatballs over pasta with tomato sauce.

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