Vegan Cookout Ideas

#whatveganseat #4thofJuly pic.twitter.com/PmC5gMCQ0G

— Catherine Gill (@theDirtyVegan) July 4, 2017

Just wanted to share what we ate today for lunch for some vegan summer cookout inspo. We grilled asparagus, veggie burgers, veggie sausages, boiled sweet corn on the cob, and had homemade ice cream pie for dessert. During lunch preparation we snacked on fresh watermelon, which was so refreshing because it was hot in New England today.

The veggie burgers were Dr. Praeger's (prepared with melted Daiya provolone cheese, Vegenaise, dijon mustard, ketchup, lettuce and natural pickles. The sausages were Tofurky (spinach pesto flavor) with relish, mustard and ketchup on them. The ice cream pie recipe was whipped up so quickly yesterday and topped with soy whipped cream.

Just a super easy lunch idea for some vegan cookout stuff that was put together without hardly any thought. Basically grab some cold, fresh fruit to snack on while grilling, some vegan protein to grill, buns, condiments, some veggies to grill or go along on the side, a dessert, beverages, and some snacky stuff like chips with hummus or guacamole is my go-to base for cookouts and then adding more, like fruit salad, other desserts and snacks, or more stuff to grill, if you like variety or are expecting more of a crowd. I get a lot of messages asking for inspiration and ideas for vegan meals, especially summer ones, so this is a simple way to approach cookouts or grilling without stressing out about it.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - Happy and safe Fourth of July!

Onion, Brussels Sprouts and "Bacon" Pizza with Teriyaki Malt Sauce Using Postum

I have been doing Postum recipes that are more on the sweet side, but wanted to play around with a savory recipe using this delicious roasted wheat-bran molasses product. I happened to have my favorite organic prepared pizza dough in the refrigerator, and thought of using Postum in the base sauce for pizza.

I am so happy that I tried this out because it came out phenomenal! The malty richness of Postum really adds something very special to this pizza. I absolutely love the flavor combined with the other ingredients.

Since Postum blends so smoothly, mixing it into the sauce was not only easy but worked so well and was totally seamless. I added a little brown sugar to add a touch more sweetness, to really give this pizza a sweet and savory feel to it. This has to be one of my favorite pizza recipes that I have made recently and I can absolutely see this being a new go-to dinner option for sure. Let's get started!

Onion, Brussels Sprouts and "Bacon" Pizza with Teriyaki Malt Sauce Using Postum

-16 ounces prepared pizza dough
-1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
-1 heaping teaspoon Postum (in either flavor, choose your favorite!)
-1 teaspoon brown sugar
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 small onion, thinly sliced
-2 teaspoons garlic, minced
-1 cup fresh brussels sprouts, cleaned and thinly sliced
-5 sliced veggie bacon, chopped or crumbled
-2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to desired thickness to form crust and place in greased and floured pan. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together teriyaki sauce, Postum and sugar; spread evenly on top of dough crust. In a large skillet on medium heat, saute olive oil, onions and garlic until slightly tender, then add sprouts, stirring frequently until tender; sprinkle this mixture on top of pizza crust. Next, top pizza with veggie bacon and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is thoroughly cooked.

Makes 4- 6 servings

Definitely grab yourself a jar of this amazing Postum product and try this recipe out! I am also giving away another Postum prize pack on Instagram very soon, so please stay tuned to my social media and be sure to follow me on there.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off - I hope your day is savory but of course sweet too!

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

Postum, the Cure for the Common Beverage

I'm sitting here enjoying my morning Postum. You're probably wondering what that is, aren't you? Postum is a delicious and delightful instant warm beverage made from wheat-bran and molasses that embodies coffee, without the jitters. Think about that. Many of us want to sip coffee or tea, that comforting warm beverage, all day long, but we can't due to the health disturbances we'd feel if we did so; we might get caffeine poison if we did that, who knows! But Postum is naturally caffeine-free!

 Let's talk a little about the Postum brand before we dive into the product. Postum is one of the world's first health foods, before the days of natural food stores and natural grocery. After switching hands from the Post cereal company and other larger companies, like General Foods and Kraft, the Postum product was sadly forgotten about until the fine folks at all-natural food company, Eliza's Quest Foods revived it! Back in 1895 C.W. Post created this "cereal beverage" and who would have known it would turn into a worldwide phenomenon? I think Mr. Post would be happy to know his product is back with a small family business who cares as much about the product and brand as he did. Postum is made in the USA and as it was from the start, focused on maintaining a quality natural foods product that is safe and healthy to enjoy. Let's talk about this product, I know you are all eager to know about it!

Like I said, I'm sitting here enjoying my cup of Postum. Upon my first Postum experience, I opened up the jar, which was filled to the brim, and my first reaction was to smell it. Oh, what an aroma! Sweet smelling and lightly roasted, almost caramel-like. I wanted to eat it - I'm going to be making plenty of recipes with it, so stay tuned for that! I noticed how much product you get in the jar and how you need very little to make a cup of Postum, only about 1- 2 teaspoons necessary per cup of boiling water, depending on how bold the flavor you'd like. There are about 75 servings per container, which is an amazing value. It lasts a long time, the expiration date is 2019, but I doubt anyone would be able to keep a jar in their cupboard that long without either drinking it or using it in recipes like baking or flavoring with it; I could never let this stuff go to waste.

When you add the granules to boiling water, they blend very well and look just like coffee. There is no grit when I make my Postum and it is completely smooth. I find that I can drink it black and it is very pleasant that way, no acidity or anything like that, but when I added my vanilla flavored soy creamer, it really kicked the experience up a notch. I can see myself drinking Postum black if I'm battling a cold because it has that comforting property to it, almost like how a broth or soup would, but when you add creamer it really is like any other warm beverage like coffee, tea or coffee alternatives. I really like the subtle malt taste, but it mainly tastes like coffee, especially the Natural Coffee Flavor offering, but the original is awesome too. Postum is very easy to enjoy. I'm hooked! And it is only 10 calories, 2 carbs and you get 1 gram of dietary fiber per serving. So you get a little energy from the carbs and adding on to your daily fiber intake is always a good thing. I also think it is a really neat thing to be able to sip this Postum and know that this is the same original recipe that C.W. Post created and sipped on himself. It feels very interesting and historic to be able to do something like that; not many companies have kept the same recipes from when the products were first created. This is from the Postum website:

"You’ll also like what’s NOT in Postum. There’s no caffeine to cause potential sleeplessness, high blood pressure or digestive problems. You won’t find any preservatives, sodium or genetically modified foods, either. Postum is proud to have earned the Non-GMO Project Verified seal from the Non-GMO Project.

By keeping to our original 1895 recipe, we’ve maintained a wholesome approach to coffee alternatives from a simpler time."

Also, for all of you history buffs and retro enthusiasts (like me!), check out this section of the wonderful Postum website (scroll to the bottom) that has nostalgic advertisements from the brand over the years. So cool!

Our days of caffeine overload and adrenal fatigue are over folks - we have a safe alternative right in the natural foods world! And it doesn't have to be one or the other. It doesn't have to be coffee vs. Postum. Think of Postum as another beverage to add to the beverages you like to enjoy. Maybe you've had too much coffee and like the coffee taste, but even another cup that's a decaf would overdo it. Enjoy a Postum. Maybe you are tired of the same boring and ordinary beverages and coffee-like products. Postum is the cure for the common beverage.

I'm really excited about this product and I'm so anxious to share recipes, giveaway some Postum prize packs to lucky readers, and dive more into the Postum world. Spoiler alert: I'm currently working on creating recipes (two special ones in particular) with Postum that are game-changers for vegans since they are foods that since turning vegan, are not available without animal products and Postum is the exact product I needed to achieve these dishes! You won't believe these recipes; coming up in one of the next posts, plus I still have so much to say about this amazing product, so stay tuned!

Also, make sure to check out Postum's social media. They share really fun pictures and recipes. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. I hope your day is warm and cozy like a mug of Postum.

This blog post was sponsored by Postum.

How to Veganize the Starbucks Drink 'Medicine Ball'

Photo: Starbucks 1912 Pike

If you haven't heard the news about the Starbucks secret menu, you may just live under a rock or something. Well, for all of you who do, in fact, live under said rocks, the secret menu is "off menu" stuff you can order and your barista knows what you are talking about 99.9% of the time. Secret menu items are really cool and fun. There's even a Razzle Dazzle frappuccino that you can order!

Practically any of Starbucks drinks can be veganized with only a few that are off limits to vegans. In fact, with the choice of soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk and lots of vegan-friendly syrups, being vegan at Starbucks is a breeze these days.

The latest secret menu item, the Medicine Ball, was so popular at the 'Bucks and is even rumored to cure the common cold, that Starbucks actually added it to their regular menu! One kink for us vegan folk, one of the ingredients isn't vegan. No fear! There's an alternative and I'm here to tell you how to veganize the drink with an easy substitution that Starbucks has right in store.

The Medicine Ball drink consists of:

• half steamed lemonade
• half hot water
• one Teavana Jade Citrus Mint tea bag (ingredients: Chun Mee green tea, spearmint leaves, lemon verbena, lemongrass, natural flavoring)
• one Teavanna Peach Tranquility tea bag (ingredients: apple pieces, candied pineapple pieces (pineapple, sugar, citric acid), rose hip peels, chamomile flowers, natural flavor, peach pieces, citric acid, lemon verbena)
• one packet of honey (<--- there's a substitute that is a million times better than this! Keep reading!)
• one pump of peppermint (optional)

The reason people are saying it cures colds is likely from all the soothing properties like lemon, mint, lots of great natural healing ingredients in both teas and the soothing warm beverage aspect of things. I'm really into natural healing, plus let's face it, when you feel better, you'll get better! Here's how to veganize it:

When you order an oatmeal at Starbucks, the available toppings include packets of agave nectar, so all you have to do to veganize this soothing drink is to ask for the Medicine Ball with agave instead of honey! If you don't want agave, you can just opt of of honey, or you can even add a different sweetener like Stevia or raw sugar.

All Starbucks locations that serve oatmeal with toppings should have agave. This is from their website:

"With a breakfast this good, your day is bound to be amazing. Our reinvented oatmeal features a hearty blend of rolled and whole grain steel-cut oats and a shorter steep time. Enjoy yours with blueberries, a medley of fruit, nuts and seeds, and a sweet touch of agave syrup. Or try our new Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal."

It might even be comforting to try this with steamed soy milk in place of one or both liquids. I get my teas soy misto and have been for about 12 years now, maybe even longer. So maybe doing a Medicine Ball with half soy misto and half hot water might be something to check out. I always love a soy misto tea when I'm needing a little piece of peace. This new Medicine Ball drink seems like it will be good for that and not just when you are feeling ill. 

I think it'll be a nice beverage to enjoy on a rainy day, reading a book, sitting in a cozy chair by the window while listening to the sounds of the rain. I personally would order a Medicine Ball Venti sized, whether you want that much or not, just so the drink isn't too strong in taste or concentrated. When I try this one, I would want that 10 ounces of hot water to kind of dilute the lemonade and 2 tea bags, which seems like a lot for, say, a Tall sized drink. It sounds like an interesting drink and I'm planning on giving it a try for sure. As soon as I do, I'll tweet about it, okay?

Tell me, will you be ordering a Medicine Ball any time soon?

Baby It's Cold Outside...Beefless and Tomato Stew

Brrrr! It. Is. Cold. Outside.

When the meteorologist said that the wind chill was 1 degree, I didn't believe her. It was just in the 40's a few days ago. But yes, I report that when the wind blew today, it was mighty chilly...right to the bones.

What do you need to soothe your soul (and stomach!) after a long, winter day? Oh, just this super comforting but also simple and easy stew. Trust me, after you try this dish, you will be wondering how you got by with this recipe in your life. Especially on these uber-cool January nights.

Cozy up with this 'Beefless and Tomato Stew' Recipe

What you'll need:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1.5 cups butternut squash, cubed

2 packages Gardein Beefless Tips

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth or stock

3 garlic gloves, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp dried parsley

What you'll need to do:

So easy...put all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

You can serve this delicious stew over brown rice or with hearty bread; your choice. I served mine over brown rice and it was a fantastic dinnertime experience. Enjoy! And stay warm as well.

Pumpkin Blondies a La Mode with Salted Caramel Sauce

The former newbie vegan that I once was, believed that vegan caramel was a myth, sort of like unicorns or gremlins. However, the seasoned vegan that I am presently, who has weathered out the storm of the first vegan foods - which let me tell you, were much different than the cruelty-free delicacies that we enjoy today - continues to be amazed by the fact that anything is vegan-possible. I continue to create recipes that not only shock my non-vegan friends and family, but also even surprise myself sometimes...pleasantly of course.

The other day I made a delicious pumpkin bread that was really screaming "I am more like a blondie!" So, a pumpkin blondie it is. It isn't super sweet, but the ice cream and salted caramel sauce takes care of that brilliantly. When this dessert is devoured as a whole, the warm pumpkin blondie, the scoop of creamy ice cream melting slightly on top, and the caramel sauce, feels like heaven in your mouth. You'll see.

Pumpkin Blondies a la mode with Salted Caramel Sauce

What you'll need:

Pumpkin Blondies:

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup vegan milk (I used vanilla soymilk)

1/3 cup vegan butter, softened

2 tsp Vegg egg replacer mixed with 1/2 cup water OR vegan equivalent of 2 eggs

Ice Cream:

Scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream of your choice. I used So Delicious creamy vanilla and it was perfection in this recipe.

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp creamy almond butter
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash of fine sea salt (or more to taste)

What to do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, dump all of the blondies ingredients in and mix. Let's not make things difficult on ourselves. Pour the batter into a greased pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.

While blondies are baking, make your caramel sauce by heating all of the ingredients in a small saucepan on low, stirring constantly, then let cool.

When blondies are done baking, allow them to cool enough to handle, then turn pan over onto a plate, and cut into whatever shape you like. I cut them into circles, just slightly bigger than my ice cream scoop.

Scoop ice cream on top of blondie piece. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Eat and enjoy!

Enjoyed these with the kiddo...and she LOVED them just as much as I did!

Breakfast Banana Bites: Toddler Approved!

Any parent knows that getting a toddler to eat, especially around that molar-teething phase, is a full time job in itself. If you have a toddler like mine, who yells "cupcake!" in poo-poo protest of my delicious and nutritious full course meals that I serve, you have to get inventive. I am betting that you'll appreciate this recipe for banana bites.

These breakfast bites are not just for kids... and not just for breakfast either. You can make these anytime, for anyone. Dipped in warm maple syrup, they are a delightful addition to your day. Toddler and mama approved!

What you will need:

• 2 large bananas 
• 1 cup all purpose flour (I used Target's brand this time)
• 1 tbsp cane sugar
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup vegan milk (I used Very Vanilla flavored soy)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To garnish and dipping:

• vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
• pure maple syrup

What you will need to do:

Slice your bananas in long horizontal slices, try to keep them thick enough to handle without breaking, but thin enough to warm nicely, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Then make your batter by mixing the rest of the ingredients.

Dip your banana slices into the batter and place on your preheated griddle. Grill each side for about 1 minute, or until you see tiny bubbles in the batter.

Keep doing that until all of your banana slices and batter are gone. Butter your bites when they come off the griddle and place them onto a plate while you're doing this. Once you are finished griddling, warm up some maple syrup for dipping.

Enjoy!

Edward & Sons: Review, Lactation Cookie Recipe, and GIVEAWAY!

I have always been a huge fan of Edward & Sons food company. If you don't already know, they are also the makers of Road's End Organics, Native Forest, Premier Japan Organic, Let's Do Organic, and The Wizards. The quality of their food products is outstanding, and with their slogan, Convenience Without Compromise, you can understand why. Edward & Sons aims at making healthy packaged food products, and it never misses the mark. Here are some of the new or popular products that I wanted to show you today.

Who doesn't love Chreese? What is Chreese, you ask? Well, it is Road's End Organics deliciously healthy, nutritional yeast based cheese, and I love it! Not only do I love it, but my 13 month old kiddo does too! And this is great for me because this stuff is good for her! Each serving of Mac & Chreese contains a whopping 13g of protein and tons of Vitamin B12 (the goodness increases when you mix it with vegan milk and butter)! This is important for vegans, and everyone, to be including B12 in their diets, making this product a slam dunk in the natural community. These are so super easy to make and pack a nutritional punch. My daughter definitely gives these her seal of approval. She especially loves the 123, ABC's & Chreese 4Kidz pasta; these are incredibly easy for older babies and small children to eat because of their tiny shape and size. Love this.

Edward & Sons are like masters in coconut. Their coconut is always amazing tasting. Their Let's Do Organic fine shredded coconut and toasted coconut flakes are so amazing, fresh, and delicious, that they taste like you harvested them right from the island yourself. You rarely come across a shredded coconut product that has that cool coconut taste that is completely saturated in tropical coconut. You can tell it is minimally processed and doing amazing things for your body as you're eating it. This is the only shredded coconut that I buy. And toasted coconut flakes save you time when you are going for that in recipes. Well done.

Speaking of coconut, Native Forest has amazing coconut oil. It is great quality and gets the job done. I can't say enough good things about it. We all have heard of the amazing benefits of coconut oil, and this particular brand has the quality and flavor that a consumer deserves. Love it! I use it for oil pulling, cooking, baking, on my skin, and anything else that I can use it for! 

I also really enjoyed the Native Forest canned okra. They are organic, whole pods, and I must admit that before trying this, I had only used fresh or frozen okra. It is refreshing to have the convenience of a canned product with the organic quality that Edward & Sons continually deliver.

My pals at Edward & Sons also make amazing soupy-type products. I love their bouillon, which makes the best broth around! They come in flavors like "Chicken", "Beef", and Vegetable, but I definitely enjoyed their new Red Curry bouillon. It would be fantastic in any Indian or Thai dish, or just on its own as a cup of yummy broth with a spicy kick. I recently made a great Thai soup and this bouillon perfected it. You know what else I love about these vegan bouillon cubes? Because I'm a freak, I love the packaging so much. The name of the broth flavor is on the side of the box, so I stack them up on top of each other in my pantry, and I can easily grab the flavor I need without sorting through all of them. I know, wicked nerdy... whatever.

I'm also a fan of their Miso-cup. It is not like using fresh refrigerated miso paste, so you're not getting that freshly made taste, I hate to admit, but it is the best in a packaged miso that you can get since it uses a packaged paste that mixes with the water. It is definitely tastier than the powder miso soup pouches, plus you get the convenience of taking this soup with you on the go. If you were to take freshly made miso soup, it would obviously spoil, however it is nice to be able to take this along with you to places like work, travel, camping, etc. Plus, it doesn't taste overly salty and has a really nice, balanced flavor.

Would you like to WIN a box full of Edward & Sons goodies, just like mine? The fabulous folks at Edward & Sons are generously providing two of my readers with their very own package of goodies! Stay tuned after the recipe...

RECIPE TIME!!!

I used Native Forest Coconut Oil and Let's Do Organic Fine Shredded Coconut in this cookie recipe. Technically, they are "Lactation Cookies", but my family has been eating them and they are not producing any breast milk like I am, so it is safe to say that these are also "regular oatmeal cookies". Wink, wink. This is an amazing oatmeal cookie recipe, the ingredients just so happen to be lactogenic and support a nursing mother in making extra milk.

Oatmeal, Coconut, Raisin "Lactation" Cookies

Makes about 56 cookies

What you will need:

2 cups oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

2/3 cup Native Forest Coconut Oil, melted

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup oat milk (or vegan milk of your choosing)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup Let's Do Organic Fine Shredded Coconut OR Toasted Coconut Flakes

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease about two baking sheets. In a medium bowl, mix oat milk and flaxseed, and set aside. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix you melted coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, yeast, and add in your flax mixture. Now, mix together your wet and dry bowls, then fold in raisins and coconut. Roll into balls about the size of a large tablespoon and bake for about 10 minutes. Enjoy these yummy cookies!

Now, I bet you're eager to know more about this giveaway that I mentioned earlier. To enter: 

• Follow me @theDirtyVegan on Twitter and also follow @EdwardAndSons on Twitter. 

• I will tweet a giveaway tweet and all you have to do is retweet that. I will be choosing two winners. Winners will be chosen and announced on Monday morning, 5/19/14. 

Let the tweeting begin!

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Go coconuts!

Vegan Lasagna Nests: Fun Spring Dinner!

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." -George Bernard Shaw

The inspiration for today's recipe, comes from something that my mother recently made. She made lasagna "cupcakes" using wontons and lasagna ingredients. The idea to even make this today, was when I was perusing the cupboard and refrigerator for dinner ideas to come to me. I had about half of a box of lasagna noodles, 5 noodles to be exact. What on earth do you do with that? I dislike wasting anything, especially food, so I decided to make something like my mother's lasagna cupcakes, except these will be called Lasagna Nests and be made with the noodles. Last year (big and waddly, and about to have a baby), I made Candy Bird's Nests, that were very make-with-your-kiddos friendly. So this spring, here are some edible nests that are cute, fun, and guaranteed to be a hit with your family.

Vegan Lasagna Nests

What you will need:

• 5 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente according to box and cut in half
• 1/2 cup pasta sauce
• 8 oz frozen spinach
• 1 16 oz container Tofutti Ricotta "Cheese"
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Litehouse Garlic
• 2 tsp Litehouse Italian
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 6 slices Tofutti Mozzarella, crumbled
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• GoVeggie vegan Parmesan "cheese", to taste
• Muffin Tin
• Coconut Oil to grease tin with

This is what mine looked like before baking them!

What to do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease 5 spots on a muffin pan with coconut oil. In each cup of the pan, place lasagna noodle half, crisscrossed. Spoon about a tablespoon of pasta sauce in each cup. In a large bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, oregano, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, Mozzarella, and flaxseed, then scoop it into each cup on top of the pasta sauce that you spooned. Drizzle remaining pasta sauce on top of each cup and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5- 10 minutes. Let sit in pan for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and serving. The longer you let them sit to set, the easier they are to remove from pan and the prettier they look. These would be great to serve with salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

The finished product! Yummmm!

SoDelicious: They Ain't Kiddin'!

I thought that I have tried all of the SoDelicious vegan products. From the beverages, creamers, frozen desserts, and other vegan dairy products, SoDelicious seems to always be coming out with something new. With that being said, there is always something new to try! Lucky for me, they sent me a couple coupons to try some of their new, or new to me, stuff. I perused Whole Foods and found a couple things that I hadn't tried before so that I can review them. Here it goes...

I decided to try SoDelicious Almond Milk Minis ice cream sandwiches in Vanilla. I have tried their other Minis sandwiches that are made with coconut milk and soy milk, so I was curious to try these. They were delicious but not as creamy as the coconut and soy ones. They tasted lighter than the others. If given the opportunity, I would definitely get them again, however if I had a choice, my favorite minis are their coconut milk ones. I'm a huge fan of their Coconut Milk Minis bars in Coconut Almond flavor. Aside from their Coconut Creamers that I use in my coffee and recipes, those minis are my favorite item in the line.

I then chose to try their soy ice cream in Chocolate Velvet flavor. I have had practically every ice cream of theirs whether it be soy, coconut, or almond, but haven't tried this flavor. I am a fan of their Chocolate Obsession and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavors, so I thought that this would be pretty similar. I thought wrong! Chocolate Velvet is hands down the best chocolate flavored vegan ice cream that I have ever tried. It is so smooth, creamy, and downright velvety! Even the look and texture is like frozen velvet, it is just beautiful! I had this by itself and also made milkshakes with it. Once I made a chocolate and vanilla shake and the next time I made a chocolate peanut butter shake. The peanut butter paired with this chocolate flavor was out of this world! This is my new addiction and definitely the only vegan chocolate ice cream that I will be buying.

SoDelicious has so many products out there that it is hard to keep up! I recently found out that their super new products are their Culinary Coconut Milk (I imagine would be great in Thai recipes), Mini Dessert Bars that are organic, Gluten Free ice creams, and Cashew Milk. All of which, I am extremely interested in trying! Hopefully I'll get my hands on those soon so that I can let you all know what I think of them.

On a side note, and a random one at that, I would love to see SoDelicious make a vegan cream cheese. I think that they would be great at that since they certainly have a way with vegan dairy.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Sweet velvety deliciousness to you my friends!

Hot Maple! Review, Recipe, & GIVEAWAY!

Hey Ya'll, recently I came across a really great vegan-friendly, made in the USA (based out of Portland), product called Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce from Hot Maple Foods and was lucky enough to get my hands on some. Hot Maple uses maple syrup instead of sugar. What I love about this company is that not only do they use the syrup for flavoring, but also for sustainability. The process of harvesting and refining maple syrup is much more environmentally friendly than other sugars. Also, what I love about maple syrup is that you know it did not go through a bone-char refining process that many white sugars and sweeteners do. With that being said, Hot Maple is a great hot sauce for us vegan folk! And one of you will be winning a bottle...

Hot Maple has a subtle maple flavor but is not overpoweringly maple flavored whatsoever. My husband and I love spicy and I'm somewhat of a hot sauce snob; I must say this is really spicy stuff. I really enjoyed the smokey, spicy, with a hint of sweet flavor.

The texture is really lovely since it is slightly chunky. I love a really delicious, textured hot sauce that is not watery and runny. This hot sauce would be great in any recipe but I think especially great in Mexican dishes like salsa, guacamole, tacos, etc. Here is the first of many recipes I will post using Hot Maple. I made this rustic potatoes and vegan sausage dish that can be served as a hearty side or alone as a meal. I chose to make this dish using Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce because I feel that the ingredients, especially the potatoes, compliment the flavors in the hot sauce, especially the warmness of the habanero and maple.

Rustic Spicy Potatoes and "Sausage"

What you will need:

6 medium potatoes, cleaned, quartered, and boiled

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cups frozen peas

1 14oz package vegan sausage, cut into chunks

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 vegan bouillon cube, any flavor

1/4 cup Hot Maple Smokey Habanero Sauce

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

What you will need to do:

Boil potatoes, drain and set aside. In a large pan, heat olive oil and cook frozen peas until thawed. Then add in sausage and cook for a moment or so. Next, add potatoes and remaining ingredients and cook until thoroughly warmed and combined. Enjoy!

Okay, I know you are all waiting for me to tell you how can win this 5oz bottle of Hot Maple Smokey Habanero sauce, right?! In order to enter my Hot Maple giveaway, all you have to do is:

1. Comment below and tell me what you will make with this Hot Maple if you win! AND
2. Follow me on twitter: @theDirtyVegan and Tweet about the contest (mention @theDirtyVegan to get credit)!

Tweet and comment as much as you'd like! Each additional Comment and Tweet after your initial entry are BONUS entries! 

I will choose the winner this Saturday, February 22nd at 8:00 PM EST, so until then, enter away! Good luck, this is a very spicy prize!

NEW Soy Curls and Yummy "Chicken" Pot Pie Recipe!

Imagine this. Imagine a vegan protein that needed no refrigeration. No need to keep it cold and it has a very generous shelf life, unlike tofu and other vegan refrigerated or frozen products. Now imagine, you can take this vegan protein anywhere. It is compact. It can travel with you and it is even great for camping. You can make elaborate meals with it or just cook up a quick snack or "chicken" salad. You can stock your pantry with it and it is easy. I bet you wish that this product existed. Now imagine that it does exist. Imagine that I tell you it exists, it is here, and it is available to us vegan folk.

I kid you not! I recently got my paws on some Soy Curls and Chik-Style Seasoning from Butler Foods and let me tell you, this is HUGE for us plant-based eaters. Now let's talk about this crazy-awesome new product, shall we?

Soy Curls are a textured vegan protein made from non-GMO whole soy bean. There are no additives and no other ingredients, just one simple and pure ingredient. Each serving has 10 whopping grams of protein and 15% of your daily value of iron. Each package re-hydrates to 1.5 lbs! Yes, that is 1.5 lbs of vegan protein for your recipe. These can easily be transformed to anything you'd like, but closely resemble vegan "chicken". Butler Foods also offers that nifty Chik-Style Seasoning that is pictured above and adds a "chicken" flavor to your curls, making for a lot of interesting vegan dishes. The picture above is a closeup of the Soy Curls in the package before anything has been done to them. In a moment, I am about to soak these protein-packed morsels for 10 minutes in warm water, drain, and transform them in a recipe that I created. Let's get to it...

Look at those chunks of Soy Curls!

What I made here is a lovely "chicken" pot pie using Soy Curls and Chik-Style Seasoning. Before I share this delectable recipe with you, I would like to say that this is the first in my recipe series using Butler Foods. I plan on trying some of their own signature recipes, which include BBQ Soy Curls, Curried Rice (I cannot wait to try this one!), Chik-Style Salad and Spread, and others. You can find these Butler recipes on their website and I will also be sharing them here as I make them. I will also be creating more recipes using these Soy Curls. I actually cannot believe that we lived without these for so long! We are also camping this year and Soy Curls will be in our camping bag for sure! I cannot believe how truly easy these would be to prepare while camping. All you have to do is warm a little water in a small pot on the fire or camping stove, soak the curls for 10 minutes, drain the water out of the pot, and your vegan protein is ready to use in whichever way that you choose.

Warm Up with My 'Soy Curls Chik-Style Pot Pie' Recipe

What you will need:

4 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp fine sea salt
1 & 2/3 cups canola oil
6 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp vegan butter (and some extra for greasing)
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can green beans, drained and rinsed
1 & 1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened and unflavored vegan milk
1/2 package Butler Soy Curls, soaked for 10 min in warm water and drained
2 tbsp Butler Chik-Style Seasoning
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking or casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt then add canola oil and mix. Add as little or as much of the cold water until you achieve dough consistency. Take half of the dough and to use for the bottom crust, and set the other half aside. Evenly distribute dough on bottom of baking dish and push it up the sides. Bake crust in oven for 20 minutes. In a sauce pan, melt vegan butter and cook corn, green beans, and peas for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Stir in broth and vegan milk and cook on medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Add in your soaked and drained Soy Curls, Chik Seasoning, salt, and pepper, stir and remove from heat. Add mixture to your baking dish and top with remaining half of dough. Bake for 35- 45 minutes. Let pot pie sit for a few moments to set and enjoy!

The Soy Curls transformed into a plump "chicken"-like strip. The curls were so tasty and the Chik-Style Seasoning gave the pot pie such a delicious and authentic flavor. The 2 tbsp of seasoning went a long way as well. What a delicious find! I am so glad that I found out about Butler Foods! 

YUM!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit, and Nuts with Veggie Burger Pasta Alfredo

This recipe has such complexity in it's flavors that you really need to make it to truly understand. My inspiration for this was the lovely flavor compliments of cheese, nuts, and fruit; the savory and the sweet. You will love this recipe! Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Fruit, and Nuts with Veggie Burger Pasta Alfredo

What you will need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups fresh brussels sprouts, halved
• dash of sea salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp mixed nuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp dried fruit, chopped
• 1 lb box of mini shells pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup vegan milk
• 4 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan
• dash of sea salt
• dash of pepper
• 4 veggie burgers, cooked according to package and cut into chunks

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 400 degrees. In a baking dish, toss olive oil and brussels sprouts, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, then bake for 35 minutes stirring once. Then mix in brown sugar, nuts, and fruit, and bake for 5 more minutes. Cook shell pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix with olive oil back in pan or in a large bowl. In a saucepan melt vegan butter and whisk in flour, then whisk in vegan milk, cream cheese, and parm and heat on medium until bubbly, stirring frequently. Once bubbly, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix well. Toss in brussels sprouts and veggie burger chunks and serve immediately, Enjoy!

YUM!

For the Love of Zevia... and Cola Cake Recipe!

I'm basically in love with Zevia soda now. See, way back when, I used to be a huge diet soda junkie. In fact, my girlfriends and I could polish off several bottles of diet cola while pulling all-nighters and playing cards. Oh, to be a teenager again. If I were a teenager in 2014, I would have done the whole soda thing a lot differently. I would have chosen Zevia. For anyone who has not heard of Zevia, it is zero calorie soda that is naturally sweetened with stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit extract (the monk fruit is a new addition to their product). These non-sugar sweeteners have no effect on your glycemic index and therefor do not trick the body that you are getting sugar or not getting sugar; there is just no effect at all. Zevia has 15 flavors of soda (sweet, right!?) and so far my favorites have been, cream, cola, ginger ale, and black cherry. I'm super excited to try their root beer, dr. zevia, orange, lime cola, and grape flavors; if they are anything like what I've already sampled, I can say for sure that they all taste amazing! 

Upon initial tasting of the cream Zevia, it was hardly noticeable that this was a "diet" soda at all. At first, it almost tasted like a cane sugar soda, but then after a few seconds you get the stevia aftertaste, which is similar to the diet soda aftertaste except this is not a chemical aftertaste at all like with aspartame or saccharin. The cream taste was crisp and delicious and the same goes for ginger ale and cola. I absolutely loved the cola because it tasted more like a regular cola than a diet one. With black cherry, you can taste it as soon as you open the can and bring it towards your mouth, that is how powerful the flavor is. The cool thing with these flavors are, that they are so apparent yet so natural and clean tasting. Some other sodas that are artificially flavored have that strong flavor but taste so disgustingly chemical. I love the fact that Zevia is naturally flavored and has that really delicious way of representing each of it's flavors. It is actually very difficult to choose a favorite flavor because of how much I enjoyed each one. Bravo to the folks at Zevia!

So, since I have all of these cans of Zevia handy, I wanted to do a recipe. Yes, a recipe with soda in it! I decided to do a cake and let me tell you, it came out freaking amazing! I tried this cake a few different ways while I was experimenting; I tried it once with cream and once with cola. Also, I made this in two variations; once with chocolate chips and once without them. In all variations this cake came out super delicious! It is very moist and easy to work with and tastes amazing without any frosting at all. Yes, it is that cake, you know the cake that you can eat without having to make frosting as an additional step. However, this cake would be perfectly yummy with whatever frosting or glaze you choose. I might be trying this recipe with frosting, but I truly did enjoy the cake just itself. So here it is, the only cake you will ever love!

Chocolate Cola Cake

(with variation to make it as Chocolate Cream Soda Cake or Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cola Cake)

What you will need:

• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup Zevia cola (or flavor of your choosing)
• 1/2 cup vegan milk
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, 3 tbsp for sprinkling on top

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees and grease your pan (I used an 11 inch round but you can use your favorite pan). In a small bowl, mix together flax and water and set aside. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) and set aside. In a sauce pan combine butter, cocoa powder, Zevia soda, and vegan milk and stir constantly on medium/high heat until brought to a boil, then remove from heat. Add vanilla to the sauce pan mixture then mix in your flax mixture. Lastly, combine your dry and wet ingredients and pour into your greased pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly.

To make this a chocolate chip cake, after combining dry and wet ingredients, fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips, pour into greased pan, then sprinkle 3 tbsp chocolate chips on top. Bake the same as above.

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Cake wishes and soda dreams!

What We Had For Dinner Last Night

Hungarian-Style Braised Mushrooms

This is my favorite PETA recipe that my hubby and I have been making for years and years. We absolutely love it! Tons of flavor and you can change the recipe up by using different types of mushrooms for variety. We served this over spaghetti, but we've had it over any grain like rice, quinoa, or different types of pastas. It is also delicious by itself as a type of soup or stew.

Fun DV Fact: PETA's recipes really saved my ass when I first became vegetarian and subsequently vegan. I also bought their recipe cards, that I still have to this day, and I spent a lot of time on their website and online learning everything I possibly could about animal rights. The reason I am the Dirty Vegan is because I watched an undercover PETA video that exposed animal cruelty at a factory farm. I started posting in the PETA2 forums and wished that I could be more of a voice for animals. I then started writing letters to companies, politicians, and law enforcement in response to action alerts. Every chance I could get, I would promote veganism and have been an animal rights activist ever since I became veg, which was the second I viewed that PETA video. Now, thousands of people from all over the world read this blog. I've received lots of emails from folks who were inspired to become veg after reading my work. Even if someone were to make my recipes, or go meatless sometimes in order to try them, we are still saving lives. Whether it is big or small, it is joyous to see the positive changes we are making for our cause and movement.

This is what this amazing Hungarian Mushroom dish looks like once you add in the cashew cream. Yummy! Definitely one of my favorite dinners ever! You should really check out the recipe.

What is your favorite dinner? You know, the type of dinner that if you had to choose only one dinner to eat for the rest of your life, you would choose it.

Cheezy Potatoes, Yum!

Last night we were looking for sides to make with our Field Roast dinner. I winged the roasted veggies to cook along with the roast, which was simply chunks of portobello mushrooms, onions, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, flax seed oil, Bragg's liquid aminos, and spices that I sauteed and added to the roast pan. However, we still needed one more nice side to go along with this roast. I noticed some potatoes that we had and that is when I came up with this cheezy creation. I can eat these potatoes all day, every day - they are so tasty! Here is the recipe...

Cheezy Vegan Potatoes Delmonico

What you will need:

• 8 medium potatoes, cleaned and cubed
• 1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
• 1/2 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour)
• 1 cup plain vegan milk (I used Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original flavor)
• 1 cup vegan cream (I used Silk Creamer in Original flavor)
• 1/2 cup Daiya Jack Style Wedge cheese, cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup Daiya Mozarella style shreds
• 1/2 - 1 cup breadcrumbs (depending on how breaded you like it. I made my own fresh breadcrumbs by taking 2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread and putting them in my Vitamix, which made about 1 cup)

What you will need to do:

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Boil potatoes for about 10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, make your cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, melt vegan butter. Whisk flour into butter and cook for a moment or two. Whisk in the vegan milk and cream until nice and smooth, then melt in the vegan cheeses and whisk until well combined. Simmer sauce on low for a few moments whisking often, then remove from heat. Drain potatoes and place evenly in a greased casserole dish. Evenly pour cheese sauce over potatoes in the casserole dish then top with breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 25- 30 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned. Enjoy!

And by the way, Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone! Hubby and I will be celebrating and I am told that I have a few surprises in store. I will fill you in on the details via Twitter. And let me know what romantic plans you have. How about the yummy sweet treats?

How to Make Awesome Nachos (Pregnant Person Approved)

Nachos have become my go-to food these days. Since I'm growing a baby, I must keep them somewhat healthy. Vegan cheese and sour cream doesn't add all that much nutritional value, so you can play around with adding nutrients through your nacho chip of choice, protein option, guacamole, and salsa. You can also add extras as I often do. Here are some vegan nacho options I've tried over the months and what exactly is in this drool-worthy picture.

Choose one (or more!) of each.

First start with chips...

-Whole grain
-Blue corn
-Flavored
-Plain

Then sprinkle on some protein...

-Beans
-Hummus
-Veggie-"beef"
-Soyrizo
-Veggie-"chicken"
-Cooke quinoa
-Veggie Refried Beans

Next is your sauce...

-Salsa
-Pasta Sauce
-Pizza Sauce
-Fresh tomatoes and onions chopped

Now your cheese...

-Vegan Cheddar Shreds (like Daiya or Galaxy)
-Vegan Mozzarella Shreds (like Daiya or Galaxy)
-Shred some of Daiya's wedges in Havarti, Jack, or Cheddar flavor
-Or one of the MANY vegan cheeses out there now

Heat for a moment or so in a microwave oven OR bake in an oven in a baking pan (usually 350 degrees for 15 minutes will do the trick, but keep an eye on it, ovens vary).

Next dollop stuff on top...

-Guacamole
-Vegan sour cream (I LOVE the sour cream by Follow Your Heart brand)
-Hummus

Now Enjoy! And make your friends jealous because your vegan nachos taste a million times better than their crap nachos ever will (and a million times healthier too!).

If you are wondering what is in the sinful nachos I enjoyed last night (pictured above), here is my secret ingredient list...

-Whole grain tortilla chips
-Cooked and seasoned quinoa
-Salsa
-Daiya cheddar & mozzarella shreds
-Sour cream (Follow Your Heart brand)

Simple and so delicious! And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Hope everyone has an opportunity to get some nachos in today.

Best Muffins EVER!!!

“A film is just like a muffin. You make it. You put it on the table. One person might say, ''Oh, I don't like it'.' One might say it's the best muffin ever made. One might say it's an awful muffin. It's hard for me to say. It's for me to make the muffin.” -Denzel Washington

Muffins are awesome, especially these! Using a small amount of pure maple syrup instead of sugar and the high fiber/ protein ingredients included, make these a healthier alternative that just so happen to be Naughty enough to strike my fancy. Serve these warm (or lightly toasted if having them the next day for breakfast) with a spat of vegan butter and you have a satisfying treat that was super easy to make.

Bake and Enjoy My Delicious 'High Fiber & Protein Trail Mix Muffins'

Makes 12 muffins.

1 cup flour (of your choice)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 trail mix
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 apples, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven 350 degrees and grease or paper line your muffin pan. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl. Scoop even amounts into cups. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until clean when pricked. Enjoy!