Poutine

When I was living in Montreal,  there was poutine everywhere, those who are not familiar with it, basically its fries with gravy and cheese curds. This is my vegan version of it.

Potatoes cut into wedges, drizzled with sunflower oil, sprinkled with sea salt, pepper, dried basil, and garlic powder.
Baked in a 425 oven for 25-30 minutes

Mushroom Gravy:

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 onion- sliced
• 5 mushrooms- sliced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

In a small pot, heat oil, add onions saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms. saute until soft. Sprinkle flour over top mixing it in with a wooden spoon, Slowly add water, so that it thickens. Adding water as necessary to control thickness. Add tamari and vinegar. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Use whatever vegetables you enjoy eating and saute.

Love Your Lentils

Winter is here to stay, for at least another couple of months. Buying fresh local produce is hard this time of year. I often find myself making soups and stews with dried legumes.  I love lentils because they are easy  to cook (they don't need to soak), full of iron, and I think... are pretty tasty.This is one of those inventions, I served it with mash potatoes.

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium sized onion-small diced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
• 2 stalks celery-small diced
• 2 carrots- peeled and small diced
• 1/4 turnip- peeled and small diced
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 cups lentils-washed
• water- to cover
• 3 mushrooms-chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt- to taste
• freshly ground pepper- to taste

In a large pot, heat oil and add onion saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic, celery, carrots, and turnip, saute for another 3-4 minutes
Add the basil and lentils. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Add mushrooms and paste. Turn the heat to medium and let cook until lentils are soft.
About 40 minutes.
Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Honest Scrap Award

I have been nominated for the honest scrap award from fellow bloggers Vegan Thyme, and Give me some spice. After I read the rules, I realized that this would  required some thought, and so I put this post aside.

Ten interesting things to post about myself...hmmm? I do not write long posts, I am a short and sweet kinda gal. I thought I should honour the award, after all its called the Honest Scrap Award :P 

The rules state that you have to thank your fellow bloggie friend for the nomination, and link back to their site.Then you must post 10 things about yourself that nobody knows and make them interesting, and  pass the nomination on to 7 to 10 blogs you enjoy reading. 

So here goes...

10 Things Nobody Knows About Me.(in the blogosphere) 

1. I move around a lot...by that I mean I have lived in 21 homes in my 31 years on earth.
2. When I was sixteen I hitchhiked from Vancouver BC, to Santa Cruz, CA.
3. My dream is to own a little vegan cafe.(kid friendly of course:)
4. Reality shows are my guilty pleasure.
5. The next place I want to visit is Thailand.
6. I love finding things in people garbage, painting it, fixing it, giving it a new life.
7. When other people cook for me, I feel loved.
8. My favorite thing to eat is, breakfast for dinner!
9. Someday I hope to own a few acres of land to build a home (off the grid).
10. I don't like to eat hot peppers

In no particular order, or relevant to vegan cooking, these are the blogs I enjoy and have nominated.

1. Eat it Kid
2. Sweet Water
3. Vegan Crunk
4. Swell Vegan
5. An Opera Singer in the Kitchen
6. have cake, will travel!
7. Tofu for Two

 

 

After School Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After school my kid has one thing on her mind...SNACKS!!
Who doesn't love coming home to the smell of  freshly baked cookies?

I feel very lucky to stay home a watch my kids grow up.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed-mixed with 6 tbsp boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup raisins

Mix flour, soda, salt together.
In a separate bowl mix oil, milk, sugar, flax goo.
Add the wet to the dry mix well, add the oats and raisins.
Mix well.
Roll into balls and squish flat. Bake at 350 oven for 13 minutes

Peanut Buttah Bars

Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate? When I go to the store I avoid the junk food aisle like its the plague, everything I use to enjoy when I wasn't vegan has milk product in it. So when I came across a recipe that put my two favorite things together...I had to try it! Are they good for you, probably not, and they good to eat, OH-YEAH!

• 3 cups rice cereal-crushed
• 1 cup natural peanut butter-smooth
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup earth balance-melted

• 1 cup dark chocolate- melted
• 1 tbsp earth balance-melted

Crush the cereal in a food processor-or in a ziplock bag using a rolling pin.
In a large bowl, mix together, cereal, peanut butter, sugar, and butter
Don't be scared to get you fingers dirty, mix it up well.
In a square pan, press the cereal mixture down until its firmly together.

Fill water in a small pot 1/4 full. Place a small bowl on top of the pot and fill it up with the chocolate.
Bring water to a boil, melting the chocolate. Add melted butter.

Pour Chocolate over the rice cereal, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate is hardened.