Today is my hubby's birthday. He doesn't generally like to make a big deal about it, and I've learned over the years that making him a nice supper and birthday cake is about all he really wants. Our favorite cake is carrot cake, so I decided to throw in a few surprises this time, just because it's a special day.
Mix the following dry ingredients in a medium bowl:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
Combined the following ingredients in a large bowl:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup raw white sugar
3 egg replacers
1 cup melted Earth Balance (or other butter alternative)
2 cups grated carrot
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
Grease a 9"x13" glass baking sheet with a little Earth Balance. Pour in cake batter and smooth the top.
Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy with your favorite icing, ice cream substitute, or just on its own.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Easy Thai Lettuce Wraps
We hosted a few friends for a games and appetizers night this past weekend. They're not vegetarian and I wanted to make something they would find familiar - and something they could eat without missing the meat. I came up with this easy recipe for lettuce wraps. Enjoy!
You will need:
1 head of butter lettuce
3 cups of assorted veggies (onions, carrots, red peppers, snow peas, etc...), chopped fine or julienned
1/2 cup chow mein noodles (cooked vermicelli noodles work well here, too!)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
For sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of one lime
juice of one orange
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Put all of the sauce ingredients into your blender, and blend until cilantro is chopped finely.
Saute all veggies in a pan with a little peanut oil. When veggies are warmed through, and have a little color, mix in the noodles and the sauce. As soon as all ingredients are mixed, remove the mixture from the pan so the sauce doesn't stick and burn.
Serve individual lettuce leaves beside the bowl of veggie filling. Garnish with chopped peanuts.
Delish!
You will need:
1 head of butter lettuce
3 cups of assorted veggies (onions, carrots, red peppers, snow peas, etc...), chopped fine or julienned
1/2 cup chow mein noodles (cooked vermicelli noodles work well here, too!)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
For sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of one lime
juice of one orange
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Put all of the sauce ingredients into your blender, and blend until cilantro is chopped finely.
Saute all veggies in a pan with a little peanut oil. When veggies are warmed through, and have a little color, mix in the noodles and the sauce. As soon as all ingredients are mixed, remove the mixture from the pan so the sauce doesn't stick and burn.
Serve individual lettuce leaves beside the bowl of veggie filling. Garnish with chopped peanuts.
Delish!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tomato-tato Soup
I had a soup similar to this at Stella's Cafe several months ago, and I just couldn't get the gorgeous flavor combination out of my head! I loved the extra spicy hit of black pepper, so I've been quite generous with it in my recipe for this delicious soup.
Start with the soup basics. Using your biggest soup pot on medium high heat, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil as you chop up 6-8 pearl onions (I leave them in big chunks. If you don't have pearl onions, use one large yellow onion), one large carrot, and 4 ribs of celery. Saute them for a few minutes until the onions begin to color.
At this point, fill up your kettle and boil 1.5 litres of water - you'll need it in a minute.
Dice 4-6 potatoes (I leave the skin on) fairly small (so they cook quickly) and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper at this point. Use at least a teaspoon of pepper - trust me. Add 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Saute for a few minutes until potatoes just start to soften.
Add two large cans of tomatoes and stir.
Add 1.5 litres of boiling water.
Check your seasonings, and add more salt or pepper as needed.
Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Serve with crusty toasted bread with pesto spread on it. Yum!
Start with the soup basics. Using your biggest soup pot on medium high heat, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil as you chop up 6-8 pearl onions (I leave them in big chunks. If you don't have pearl onions, use one large yellow onion), one large carrot, and 4 ribs of celery. Saute them for a few minutes until the onions begin to color.
At this point, fill up your kettle and boil 1.5 litres of water - you'll need it in a minute.
Dice 4-6 potatoes (I leave the skin on) fairly small (so they cook quickly) and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper at this point. Use at least a teaspoon of pepper - trust me. Add 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Saute for a few minutes until potatoes just start to soften.
Add two large cans of tomatoes and stir.
Add 1.5 litres of boiling water.
Check your seasonings, and add more salt or pepper as needed.
Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Serve with crusty toasted bread with pesto spread on it. Yum!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Sweet Potato Hummus
My friend Ashley and I planned a much-needed friend-date for this past Thursday night, and I wanted to bring along a healthy and light snack. I love hummus but I have a garlic intolerance so I can't eat most varieties out there. I've tried to make my own hummus at home and generally speaking, it hasn't gone well. But this time, I pulled out my good friend the sweet potato and... magic!
Start by roasting one large sweet potato in the oven. Easiest way to get this done: cut lengthwise so you have two long halves of potato. Spread on a baking sheet, skin side down, and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about a half hour - but you'll know it's done when the potato is tender. Pull it out of the oven and peel off the skin. Put the potato flesh into your food processor.
Add one can of chickpeas (rinsed), 2 Tbsp tahini, the juice of 1/2 a lemon (at least this much, maybe more to your taste), 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne (or more to your taste).
Blend it up until very smooth. Serve with lemon zest shaved on top. Dip carrots, celery or pita chips!
Start by roasting one large sweet potato in the oven. Easiest way to get this done: cut lengthwise so you have two long halves of potato. Spread on a baking sheet, skin side down, and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about a half hour - but you'll know it's done when the potato is tender. Pull it out of the oven and peel off the skin. Put the potato flesh into your food processor.
Add one can of chickpeas (rinsed), 2 Tbsp tahini, the juice of 1/2 a lemon (at least this much, maybe more to your taste), 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne (or more to your taste).
Blend it up until very smooth. Serve with lemon zest shaved on top. Dip carrots, celery or pita chips!
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