Mushroom Chik'n Recipe

See how tender and juicy that is? 

These are nothing more than broiled portobello mushroom caps. When I first made these I thought I tasted something familiar. It took me a while to realize that they tasted soo soo much like grilled chicken! Even the portobello stems resembled dried chicken breast! 

Ingredients:

* 2 portobello mushroom caps with stems, separated

* Olive oil cooking spray

* Seasonings of choice: poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast

1. Put your oven high on broil.

2. Use a damp paper towel to wipe off any dirt from the mushroom caps and stems

3. Remove the guilds from the caps with a spoon and split each stem in half, lengthwise.

4. Sprinkle seasoning(s) of choice. 

5. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet-cap side down-lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

6. Let them broil in the oven for 9-12 minutes or until tender. 

After you take them out of the oven, you'll see that the mushrooms look more like dark meat :)

ENJOY!

Snicker doodles Recipe

The cinnamon-sugar coating around the cookie makes it extra crispy on the outside, while the inside of the cookie remains soft. 

Ingredients:

* 1 stick of unsalted butter 

* 1/3 + 1/4 cup granulated sugar

* 2 tsp vanilla extract

* 1 1/4 cup of All Purpose (AP) flour

* 1/2 tsp baking soda

* Cinnamon-sugar mixture: 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a large bowl, combine first 3 ingredients with a wooden spoon or spatula.

3. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. 

4. Pour dry ingredients onto the wet and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

5. Spoon out 1 tbsp of dough and roll it in the cinnamon sugar before placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. 

ENJOY!

Red Velvet Cookies

These cookies taste slightly chocolate-y, just like anything red velvet should taste. And they're HUGE. 

Ingredients:
* 1 stick of butter
* 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 tbsp red food coloring
* 1 tbsp flaxmeal + 2 tbsp water
* 4/3 cup ww pastry flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 2 tbsp unsweetened coca powder

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients,mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
4. Pour dry ingredients into the large bowl and mix until the wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
5. Spoon out 1 tbsp of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
6. Bake for 10 1/2 minutes. Cool completely.

ENJOY!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Look how perfectly flat they are! And I love the chocolate chip "bumps"; they look way batter than the chocolate chips being completely visible. Here are the ingredients laid out for you:

From left to right: butter, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, flax-water mixture, vanilla,  flour mixed with baking soda, chocolate chips. 

Ingredients:

* 1 stick unsalted butter of choice

* 1/3 cup granulated sugar

* 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

* 1 tbsp flaxmeal + 2 tbsp of water

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* 1 1/3 ww pastry flour

* 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 cup any type of chocolate chip

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients, including the flaxmeal-water mixture.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and flour. Pour dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until everything's fully incorporated.

4. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Spoon out 1 tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie. 

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. 

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

ENJOY!

Healthy Cheeze Dip

So creamy and thick, it's an easy cheezy recipe!

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups of cooked cannelini beans

* 1 large clove of garlic

* 1/2-3/4 cup of milk of choice (I used almond milk)

* 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

* 1 tbsp of tahini

Blend all ingredients in a blender (I used Magic Bullet) or food processor until smooth. 

Serving suggestions: Dip with kale chips, tortilla chips, or drizzle on top of baked fries for Cheeze Fries. 

ENJOY!

Summer Rolls

Ingredients:

* 9-10 sheets of rice paper (they are also called Spring Roll Paper)

* 1 container of white button mushrooms, lightly stir fried. 

* 1/2 of a large green bell pepper (or yellow or orange)

* 1 long red bell pepper

* 1 thin carrot

* Water

Dipping Sauce:

* 1/2-1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

* Juice from the cooked mushrooms

* 1 tbsp of tahini or peanut butter

* 1 tbsp of mild soy sauce

* 1 tbsp of water

1. Thinly slice the bell peppers, making them no thicker than a french fry. Half the long red bell peppers.

2. Cut the carrot in half width-wise, then slice it as thinly as possible.

3. Cook the mushrooms on a pan with the lid on. Once tender, strain the mushrooms, squeezing out as much of the juice into a small bowl as possible. Set bowl aside. 

4. Fill a large bowl (at least as wide as the diameter of the rice paper) with water. Soak one sheet of rice paper at a time. Soak for 1-2 minutes. You'll know when it's ready for wrapping. 

 5. Lay the wet rice paper out on a cutting board. Wrap the summer roll like you would wrap a burrito. Pretend that the paper is a smiley face (or frown face, if that suits you :D), and place your veggie filling on the smile. Roll the summer roll from the bottom of the smile, tucking in the filling tightly without tearing the rice paper. Half way through rolling, fold in the rice paper from the sides and continue rolling. Set the roll on a plate and repeat this step until you run out of filling.

 

6. Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in the small bowl of mushroom juice and mix with a fork or a small whisk. 

ENJOY!

Pineapple Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is really really simple, and it makes a wonderful grab n' go breakfast. You taste both the pineapple and blueberries, which pop and bleed throughout the muffin if they get hot enough in the oven. The muffin also tastes almost buttery, even though there's no butter in it at all. 

Ingredients:

* 1 20 oz can of pineapple in 100% pineapple juice, blended (It should have the consistency of applesauce)

* 1 tsp of vanilla extract

* 1/4 cup of oil (or melted butter)

* 2 cups of ww pastry flour

* 1.5 tsp of baking soda

* 3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon

* 1/4 cup of granulated or brown sugar

* 1 cup of blueberries mixed with 1 tbsp of flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the wet ingredients (except of blueberries), including the sugar, in a large bowl. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

4. Pour dry mixture into the wet and mix with a whisk.

5. Fold in blueberries with spatula. 

6. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. 

Makes 16 muffins

ENJOY!

The Most PERFECT Carrot Muffins

These look so beautiful and taste even better! The oil, applesauce, and buttermilk work together to keep the muffins moist but not wet. The oil is especially used to prevent the muffin tops from drying. The applesauce adds a bit of sweetness, and the vinegar in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give the extra lift to the muffins, making them very fluffy......see the huge air pockets inside?

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups of ww (whole wheat) pastry flour
* 1/2 tbsp of baking soda
* 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp of ground ginger
* 1 tbsp of flaxmeal
* 1/2 cup of oil (vegetable, corn, canola, coconut, or safflower would work.)
* 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
* 1/2 cup of milk of choice + 1/2 tbsp of distilled white vinegar
* 1/2 cup of packed dark brown sugar
* 2 medium carrots, grated (makes about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to incorporate.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except for the carrots and whisk until fully combined.
4. Fold in the grated carrots with a spatula.
5. Evenly distribute 1/4 cup of batter for each muffin. Bake for 18 minutes and cool completely.

Makes 11 muffins.

ENJOY!

Dark Chocolate Mini-Muffin

These muffins are so chocolate-y rich that you'd think I added chocolate chips in there instead of carrots and zucchini......Wait, what?!

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup of mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
* 1 cup of milk of choice (I used almond milk)
* 2 tbsp of distilled white vinegar
* 1 tsp of vanilla extract
* 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar (or any dried sweetener of equivalent sweetness)
* 1 1/4 cup of Whole Wheat Pastry flour (same as white whole wheat)
* 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 tsp of baking soda
* 1 cup of grated carrot
* 1 cup of grated zucchini

Don't worry, you will neither taste nor see the veggies once they're baked and cooled ;)

Spongy and moist. 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray the liners with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine the milk with the vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (including the sugar) and mix. 

4. Add the mashed banana and milk-vinegar mixture into the large bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.

5. Add the grated veggies and, using a spatula, fold them into the batter. 

6. Bake for 22-23 minutes, or until you don't feel any mushy batter on the tops of the muffins.

ENJOY!

2-Ingredient Salad

This recipe is pretty simple. The only thing is that the preparation can be a bit time-consuming. The cherry tomatoes are sweet, so I didn't think that adding salt was necessary, but add a bit if you'd like. Besides the tomatoes and zucchini, the rest of the ingredients are optional. And if you want to make a meal out of this, I'd suggest adding beans, sliced avocado and/or slivered almonds with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (or dairy cheese if you want).

Ingredients:
* 1 medium zucchini, finely diced.
* 20-25 cherry tomatoes, finely diced.
* Optional: a pinch or so of salt, pepper; diced bell peppers; a few sprigs of parsley/cilantro, chopped scallions.

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until everything's fully incorporated.
2. Optional step: If you have the patience to do so, let the salad sit in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before eating. This will give time for the tomato juices to come out and let the flavors of all the ingredients "marry" together :)

This recipe serves only one person, so multiply the recipe if you're making this to share with friends and family.

ENJOY!

Potato Strips (Chinese Side Dish)

Ingredients: 

* 3 potatoes, very thinly sliced

* 1 1/2 Bell peppers (of any color), sliced. 

* 1 clove of garlic, minced. 

* 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt

* 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

* Cooking spray

* 1 tbsp of sesame/peanut oil. (If you're allergic to both of these, then just use vegetable oil.)

1. Soak the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 10-15 minutes, then rinse for a minute or so. This will prevent the potatoes from getting mushy.

2. Heat up the pan on high (everything will be a quick stir-fry) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the sesame oil. (even if you add a lot of oil, the potatoes would still stick without the cooking spray). 

3. Add the potatoes in the pan and stir, seasoning with the salt.

4. After 1 minute of stirring the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The potatoes should still have a bite to it once it's ready. 

5. Optional: Garnish with chopped scallions/parsley/cilantro. Serve warm or cold. 

ENJOY!

Molasses Cookies

Oh look, a tower of cookies!

This picture doesn't do the cookie justice. I couldn't capture the chewy, gooey, yet still kinda firm center of the cookie, so this is the best shot I've got.

Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup of molasses (you can use blackstrap molasses for more nutrition)
* 1/4 cup of vegetable/canola oil
* 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
* 1.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal + 2 tablespoons of water, combined.
* 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda
* 1-1.5 tablespoons of ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
4. Pour dry mixture into the wet and mix with a spatula.
5. Spoon out 1 tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
6. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Don't you just love the cracked tops of a cookie? XD

Hhhmmmm, speaking of towers...

Well, I tried. Don't judge me. 

ENJOY!

Easiest Gingersnap Recipe

This recipe is so quick and easy, that if I really wanted to sound corny I'd name this post "Gingersnaps in a Snap". Teehees Get it? :D

Ingredients:
*18 deglet noor dates (or any other soft whole date that makes up about 1 cup)
* 1/2-5/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Add everything into a food processor or blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and mix until smooth. The dates should be thick and cookie dough-like.
2. Slightly wet your hands, then roll the date and spice mixture into balls and flatten them with the palm of your hand to shape them into cookies.
3. Let them sit in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. If you freeze them overnight, thaw for 2-5 mins before serving.

Fun Tip: If you have cookie cutters, you can shape them into gingerbread men! (Who cares if it's not Christmas?)

I don't plan on sharing these.

ENJOY!

Tips on eating out on special diets

It's a lot easier than you think to find a restaurant that can cater to your diet. I noticed that every restaurant has at least one vegetarian/vegan option on their menu.

As a vegan, I never had trouble eating out. 2 weeks ago, for instance, was Chinese New Year and, to celebrate, I went out to dinner with my Mom and brother. My brother chose to have a hot-pot dinner. But since they're not vegetarian, we asked the waitresses to make our meals separate, so they used a divider to help avoid cross-"contamination" between the meat in their meals and the veggies in mine.

Left: My brother and Mom's dinner where they put their lean meats and seafood (not seen in this pic). Right: Me and my mushrooms :)

Hot-pot is used for instant cooking in restaurants where the customers can  cook their own meals.  

Here are some tips that you would find helpful whenever you're out with friends and family:
1. Go on the restaurant's website to check their menu before deciding to go there. This way, you'll be sure if the place has something that you can eat and you'll know exactly what to order.
2. Once you order, make it clear to the waitress/waiter about your dietary needs. 
3. Be careful when you go to ethnic cuisine restaurants or when you order vegetable dishes. I've noticed that sometimes different cultures have different definitions of "vegetarian". In some Asian restaurants, they put meat-based stock in what they call "vegetarian" noodle soup. I once ordered a dish that was labeled "vegetarian" on the restaurant's menu and noticed bits of bone marrow in the bowl. I spoke to the chefs about it and they said that all their so-called vegetarian customers still consider meat-based stocks to be vegetarian! When you go to such restaurants, don;t forget Tip #2  and make sure they either use veggie broth or water in your soup instead.
4. Make sure that the dishes are specifically labeled before ordering. Almost every restaurant nowadays would label their dishes.
5. Find something that caters to your diet that everyone can share, such as an appetizer or side dish. This would make your meal more enjoyable.

My favorite noodle, vermicelli. This thing literally takes just 10 seconds to cook in the hot pot.

I hope you found these tips helpful, and if you have any other tips that I've forgotten to mention, please share them!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free)

......

Wow, that was a mouthful!

These cookies just so happen to be gluten free since I decided to ground some of my oats to make oat flour. The flavor of the peanut butter is just there, and if you want a richer peanut butter flavor just take out as much butter as you would add in peanut butter.

Ingredients:
* 1 stick of butter at room temperature
* 1/4 cup of creamy or chunky peanut butter
* 2/3 cup of granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1 3/4 cup of oat flour (ground rolled oats)
* 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not grounded)
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda
* 1/4-1/3 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk until everything's incorporated.
3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients (except for the chocolate chips).
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix with a spatula until fully combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon out 1 tbsp of dough on to a baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie.
7. Press your palms against the dough to flatten the cookie.
8. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

This recipe makes 24 cookies.

And this is why you should use parchment paper.

ENJOY!

Naturally Sweetened Banana Bread Recipe

Soft and moist, this loaf is sweetened with dates rather than sugar. 

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Pastry flour
* 1/2 cup of wheat bran
* 1/2 cup of flaxmeal (ground flax seeds)
* 1.5 teaspoons of baking soda
* 1 1/2 cup of mashed bananas (about 3 large-measure after mashing)
* 1/2 cup of milk of choice
* 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar
* 1/2 cup of whole dates + 1/2 cup of water

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the first four ingredients. Set aside.
3. After soaking the dates for 5-10 minutes, blend them with the water until smooth and pour it into a medium bowl.
4. Add the mashed bananas, milk, and vinegar and mix until fully combined.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine first with a whisk, then switch to a spatula.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

Surprisingly (well, to me, at least), the almond buttermilk in this recipe really helps make the cake super moist without adding any oil. I also used a bit chocolate chips instead of the traditional cocoa powder.

As for the frosting, I know that it is traditionally made with cream cheese. The Tofutti brand tastes amazing, but in desserts it's just not the same. However, if you like the taste of Tofutti cream cheese in your frosting, then by all means replace half of the butter with 4 tablespoons of Tofutti cream cheese. If you choose not to make this recipe vegan, then use regular dairy cream cheese. Both versions are just as rich as the vanilla buttercream :)

Ingredients:

* 1 cup of Whole Wheat Pastry flour

* 1 tsp of baking soda

* 1 cup of almond milk (other milks would also work)

* 1 tbsp of distilled white vinegar

* 1 cup of dark brown sugar

* 2 tbsp red food coloring

* 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips (measure before melting)

* 1.5 tsp of vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. In a larger bowl, whisk the almond milk with the vinegar (the milk with curdle in just 5 seconds).

4. Add in the vanilla, sugar,and food coloring and mix until the sugar dissolves. 

5. Melt the chocolate in another small bowl with a few spoons of the wet mixture in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Add melted chocolate into the large bowl.

6. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk just until fully combined. (the batter should be slightly gloop-y)

7. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 19 minutes or until the top of the cupcake is firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed. 

8. Cool completely before frosting with the Vanilla Buttercream. 

Vanilla Buttercream: In a large bowl, beat 1 stick of butter until you see pockets of air develop (you can use Earth Balance buttery stick, but I use light Parkay stick since it's also vegan and cheaper). Slowly mix in 2 1/4 cups of powdered sugar, then add 1-1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract and continue beating for a few minutes until fluffy. 

I definitely could've done a better job with the frosting, I also have room for improvement in terms of food photography. Use a star tip if you have one; it'll make your cupcakes a lot more visually appealing. Or, of you wanna be romantic, make the frosting in the shape of a rose <3

The batter and buttercream together make up 12 cupcakes. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
* 1 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
* 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
* 1 cup of Whole Wheat Pastry flour
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
4. Dump the dry ingredients into the large bowl and mix with a spatula.
5. Spoon out 1 Tbsp of the dough and place on baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie. Sprinkle some water on your hands and use them to lightly tap down on the cookie just to get ride of the pointy surfaces.
6. Bake for 9 minutes and cool completely.

Or, if you don't feel like turning on your oven today, just eat the raw cookie dough!





Once you make these, please tell me how they turned out for you :)

Lemon Cookie Recipe

 Like every other recipe that I'll be posting, this one is vegan. They were so good that my friend's Mom asked for the recipe after I first made these. :)

They're crispy but still chewy, not too sweet, and the lemon flavor is just there. If you want more of a lemony flavor, then add more lemon zest. 

Ingredients:

* The juice and zest of 1 medium/large lemon

* 1 cup of sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

* 1/3 cup of canola/vegetable oil

* 1 1/2 cup of All Purpose flour 

* 1 teaspoon of baking soda

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.  

3. Then combine the dry ingredients and sift them into the large bowl. Mix with a spatula

4. Firmly press the cookie dough into a tablespoon and drop on baking sheet. Leave 1 inch of space between each cookie.

5. Bake for 7 minutes. 

6. As the cookies come out of the oven, carefully (since the cookies are still hot) press your fingers on the surface of the cookies. 

7. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Note: This cookie dough will be more crumbly than the average cookie dough. It's almost like the texture of a pie crust, and it is supposed to be that way. I've tried adding more liquid into the batter and the texture was just not the same.