{VeganMoFo} Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter

JD and CH are currently on vacation in the Finger Lakes region of New York - sampling lovely vegan food, visiting adorable animals at Farm Sanctuary, and enjoying the wine trails at Seneca Lake (with limited internet access).  As a result, this Monday's VeganMoFo breakfast post will revisit an oldie, but goodie:  Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter (now including the recipe!).

Dear reader, let me introduce you to the most fabulous breakfast that you'll ever meet. His name is Apple Chowder, and I have no doubt that once you see him in person, it'll be love at first sight.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"I worked so hard to snag Mr. Popularity (aka: "Johnny Cereal"), and now that our "routine" is down to just 5 mins, why in God's name would I wanna leave him?"

or

"But Old Reliable (aka: "Oatie Oatmeal") and I have been kickin' it since the days of middle school, and he's always been so good to my heart - I'm not taking a chance on someone who might break it!"

Don't worry, I completely understand. You and your breakfast already have a great relationship going, right? I mean, it's not like you get hungry before noon is it? And you're certainly not getting tired of having the same thing over and over again, are you?

{VeganMoFo} The Perfect Bowl of Oatmeal

Blueberry, Walnut, Cinnamon Oatmeal

I'm a sucker for a good bowl of oatmeal.  Always have been, always will be.

And although I do have a bit of nostalgia for the old days - when making "oatmeal" meant tearing open a packet of instant Quaker Oats (maple 'n' brown sugar, represent!) - I'm quite enamored with the weekend ritual of preparing oatmeal from scratch.  The slow-cooking, don't-walk-away-or-the-pan-will-overflow cadence of breakfast preparation kinda feels good.  In my soul.

VeganMoFo: Sweet, Sweet Sunday - PopBar

Psst...  

Hey you! 

Yes, you! 

The one sitting there smugly, rolling your eyes, acting like you've already heard about every, single, damn, delicious, vegan treat out there. 

You know - the gluten-free cupcakes, coconut ice creams, raw oatmeal cookie sandwiches, vegan pies, strawberry soy milkshakes, blah, blah, blah...  

Yea, yea, you've heard it all before.  

Road Trip Trail Mix

Veggie Terrain will be on a short hiatus while JD and CH go on a much-needed vacation. Our trip will take us (on the road) all the way from Chicago to Toronto, Ontario. But don't worry! When we return, I anticipate posting lots of delicious food, wine, and beer pics. Hopefully this quick trail mix post will tide you over until then!

If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that road trips present the perfect opportunity to throw together one of the easiest (and healthiest) snacks you can make: trail mix!

Plus, it's almost impossible to go wrong while making it, which is particularly helpful when you're running around trying to pack your bags at 2am the morning before your trip! (Not that I would know anything about that, mind you!)

Smoothies 101

This post is lovingly dedicated to my dad, who hasn't stopped asking me smoothie-related questions for approximately 6 months. Dad, if the recipe isn't provided here/your query isn't answered in this post... well then, God love ya!

It's that time of year again: the sun is starting to shine and the heat is picking up a bit (every few days, anyway!), which means that cool, fruit- and veggie-filled smoothies are cropping up almost everywhere.

So, what's a thirsty guy/girl to do? Should you succumb to the temptation of Jamba Juice, or even Dunkin' Donuts? Should you give that old 7-11 gas station "smoothie" a try? Should you buy one of those instant-smoothie mixes from your local grocery store? Or, should you take a chance and try making a scrumptious, healthy drink all by yourself?

Holy Michael Phelps, It's Been a Long Time!

It's official: my nearly 3-month-long hiatus from Veggie Terrain (coupled with a recent 4-day "complete blog shutdown") has finally ended!

But as much as I've truly missed blogging, I'm proud to say that I accomplished a lot during my absence. During the past few months, I graduated from law school, completed an undeniably hellish Bar-prep program, and ultimately sat for the Bar Exam, itself. And although I won't know whether I passed until the 2nd week of October (talk about traumatic), I'm trying to be as positive as possible, and to take comfort in the fact that I've never worked so hard at anything in my life...

So, with that little bit of Bar Exam talk out of the way, let's get to the new - and hopefully improved - Veggie Terrain!

Brighten Your Day Salad + Vegan Poppy Seed Dressing

You know how sometimes when you're feeling down, just seeing something that's bright and sunny can make you feel a little bit better? Well, as silly as it might sound, that's exactly what creating this salad did for me...

Last night, my mom called to tell me that she had finally decided to put our cat, Natasha, to sleep. We've had Natasha (or "Tashie," as we liked to call her) ever since she was a kitten and I was about 8 or 9 years old. She was a Seal Point Siamese cat, with blue eyes, beautiful white fur, and the typical black legs/ears/face that're associated with Siamese cats.

Tashie was a sweet and affectionate, yet calm and sophisticated pet. She was the kind of cat who could even make sworn "non-cat people" want to pet her, and was the envy of my friends when I was growing up.

Apple Chowder with Maple Cashew Butter

JD (of Veggie Terrain) and CH will be on vacation in Portland, OR for the next week. Their flight leaves early tomorrow AM, so they'll be out of touch for a bit. However, they will be sampling lots of beer and veggie meals - and are planning to share the tasty details (and visit your blogs!) when they return.
Dear reader, let me introduce you to the most fabulous breakfast that you'll ever meet. His name is Apple Chowder, and I have no doubt that once you see him in person, it'll be love at first sight.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"I worked so hard to snag Mr. Popularity (aka: "Johnny Cereal"), and now that our "routine" is down to just 5 mins, why in God's name would I wanna leave him?"

or

"But Old Reliable (aka: "Oatie Oatmeal") and I have been kickin' it since the days of middle school, and he's always been so good to my heart - I'm not taking a chance on someone who might break it!"

Don't worry, I completely understand. You and your breakfast already have a great relationship going, right? I mean, it's not like you get hungry before noon is it? And you're certainly not getting tired of having the same thing over and over again, are you?

Pink Lemonade Birthday Tartlets

"You know how I remember what day your birthday is?" my uncle asked me, fourteen years ago today.

"No, how?" I inquired, curious and excited about the fact that my uncle cared so much about my special day that he had actually developed a method for remembering it.

"You were born on the same day as Elvis," he announced. "So, when it's his birthday, that means it's yours, too."

Yea, it was a bit of a let-down - especially from the perspective of a slightly self-involved, 13-year-old girl.

Starry Vegan Blueberry Pie

Well, I was shopping at Whole Foods a month ago, and they were sampling an amazing looking blueberry pie. Usually I'm not a big dessert lover, but that pie was totally calling my name. So, I tried a small (and scrumptious) sample, and as soon as it hit my mouth, my hand instinctively reached for a pie to place in my cart. However, upon reading the ingredients - and looking at the $15 price tag - I balked. Thus, instead of eating something so disappointingly unhealthy, I decided to make a pie of my own...


Although I will admit that the crust isn't homemade, everything is still vegan. I created the starry scheme myself, which was actually really fun. Also, I used fresh blueberries, and very little sugar. (Next time, I'll definitely sprinkle some sugar on top of the pie crust - that might have been what was missing.) Although it didn't turn out as delicious as I'd hoped, my beau certainly enjoyed it. And that's all that counts, right?

Green Drink

That's right, I TiVo Oprah everyday. So sue me.

Thanks to her show, I've become acquainted with my favorite Doctor in the world - Dr. Oz (whom I don't, in fact, actually know). Anyway, I really like Dr. Oz because he practices both Western and Eastern medicine, which means that he promotes yoga, meditation, and even (gasp!) improving one's health through a diet rich in fruit and veg. Thus, he recently shared the following recipe to encourage people to incorporate healthy smoothies and juices into their daily lives. As for me, I'm pretty adept at blending up the former, but when it comes to the later, uh...notsomuch.

Actually, the meager breadth of my "juicing" experience extends only to squeezing the juice out of lemons, limes, and oranges for various recipes. If that's not bad enough, I don't even have a juicer. And my blender has been decidedly uncooperative lately, resulting in this being a much more time-consuming recipe than it should've been.

Raspberry Lover's Smoothie + Peanut Butter Delight

Alright, I'll admit it - I'm that little girl who used to carry a peanut butter sandwich to school in her Strawberry Shortcake lunch box (which eventually gave way to a Ghostbusters lunch box) every single day of the week. And by "every single day of the week," I, of course, mean "5 days a week for almost 6 years." Furthermore, a "peanut butter sandwich" sadly refers to two pieces of white bread (with the crusts, please) filled solely with creamy peanut butter (no jelly!).

If my mom felt like being creative while making my lunch, she'd use crunchy or extra crunchy peanut butter, or alternate between Jiff and Skippy brands, which added a bit of interest to my self-inflicted sandwich regimen. She'd also occassionally press large sandwich stamps onto the bread so that my beloved PB would be graced with pictures of Halloween pumpkins and witches, or the phrase "I love you." (Truthfully, I think my mom was more bored with making the same thing everyday than I should really have been with eating it.)

So, with that small confession out of the way (and the surprising revelation that limiting my food options in grade school may have lead to my current cooking obsession), it's time to share a couple of new smoothies.

These two drinks make an interesting pair: one is fresh, juicy, and slightly tangy; while the other is rich, creamy, and almost dessert-like. Additionally, the Raspberry Lover's Smoothie is perfect as a morning drink or as a midday pick-me-up, and tastes great when you're craving something healthy. On the other hand, the Peanut Butter Delight is delicious as an afternoon treat, or as a sweet, high-protein snack after a long day at work. It also does the trick when that little bit of nostalgia creeps in, because we both know that I wasn't the only kid who brought peanut butter sandwiches to school every day...

Recipe: Raspberry Lover's Smoothie
(printer-friendly version)
(pictured on left)

1 fresh, ripe banana
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen black cherries
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 (6 oz) container raspberry soy yogurt
1/4 cup vanilla (or plain) soy milk
1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (optional; adds Omega 3s - essential fatty acids)
1 tsp. psyllium husks (optional; adds fiber)

1.) Place all of the ingredients into a blender, adding the flax seeds & psyllium husks last.
2.) Blend until smooth, stopping to push ingredients down the sides, if necessary.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Delight Smoothie
(printer-friendly version)
(pictured on right)

1 fresh, ripe banana
1/3 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 cup vanilla (or plain) soy milk
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
7 ice cubes, crushed*
1 Tbsp. flax seeds (optional; adds Omega 3s - essential fatty acids)

1.) Place all of the ingredients into a blender, adding the flax seeds last.
2.) Blend until smooth; serve immediately.

*Tip: Crushing the ice before adding it will help the smoothie to blend more quickly, & will also extend the life of your blender. First, place the ice cubes inside a large zip-lock bag, squeeze the excess air out, & seal the bag. Then, place the bag on a flat, solid surface (kitchen counters work great), & use a rolling pin or heavy pan to crush the ice into smaller pieces.

Fruit Blast Smoothie

My love for smoothies began ages ago, long before shops like Jamba Juice were seemingly popping up everywhere. However, I always had a tough time drinking them because my teeth just didn't agree with their achingly cold temperature.
Luckily though, several years and a few root canals later, I can finally enjoy a smoothie with the best of 'em.

Following is my super-healthy, breakfast smoothie recipe. Please be sure to use frozen fruit without any added sugar/syrup when you make it - the fruit is definitely sweet enough on its own. Also, I like to include "nutritional add-ons" like flax seeds (for the Omega 3s), psyllium husks (for extra fiber), and soy protein powder (for an added boost), but you don't have to, of course. I've marked the optional add-ons with an asterisk, in case you want to keep things simple. This smoothie tastes great either way!

Recipe: Fruit Blast Smoothie
(printer-friendly version)
(makes 2 gigantic servings)

10 frozen strawberries
12 frozen cherries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana (broken into 3 pieces)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (non-cooked)
1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds*
1 scoop vanilla-flavored soy protein powder*
1 tsp. psyllium husks*
1 3/4 cups vanilla soy milk

1.) First, place all of the frozen ingredients in the blender, followed by the banana, oatmeal, add-ons (if using), & soy milk.
2.) Press the smoothie/blend button on your blender, & allow the frozen ingredients to break down & mix with the rest of the ingredients.
3.) Remove the top from the blender periodically, & use a spatula to scrape the ingredients down the sides.
4.) Continue blending until the mixture is as smooth as you'd like. Add additional soy milk, if needed.

Tip: Allow frozen fruit to sit at room temperature for a few mins before starting, which helps the smoothie blend more quickly.

vegan fruit smoothie

C's Fruit-Fest

This delicious, healthy breakfast was invented by my lovably cheap boyfriend, CH.

When you live with just one other person, who also happens to love food as much as you do, the inevitable line in the sand is typically drawn over perishable food. I'm one of those people who won't even blink at food that's considering becoming moldy (see: things I despise). My bf, on the other hand, will eat questionable fruits, veggies, and cheeses without even thinking twice (read: stinky moldy cheese; black bananas).

As such, CH put this breakfast together simply to prevent my bi-monthly raid through the refrigerator for "food gone bad." The nicest thing is that when CH makes this breakfast for me, he gives me all of the "good" berries, and saves the "iffy" ones for himself. Love that.

Recipe: C's Fruit-Fest
(printer-friendly version)
(serves one)

1 banana
8 strawberries
1 handful raspberries
1 handful blueberries
1 tsp. flax seeds
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

1.) Slice the banana into rounds, dropping them into a bowl as you go along.
2.) Rinse the strawberries, slice off the tops, & cut into halves & then quarters. Add these to the bowl of bananas.
3.) Rinse the raspberries & blueberries. Continue adding the berries to the bowl.
4.) Pour the soy milk over the fruit, add more/less, depending upon your preference.
5.) Sprinkle the flax seeds on top of the dish.
6.) Serve with a spoon, & enjoy!

Tip: Wait to rinse the berries until right before serving, as they will turn mushy if you complete this step ahead of time. Also, feel free to vary the types/amounts of berries that you use. Surprisingly, the bananas are actually what make this such a decadent breakfast!

breakfast fruit bowl