Dining In - Chalupas & Salsa

Chalupas & Salsa - Engine 2 Diet

I first heard about the Engine 2 Diet when I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives (which I credit for opening my mind about nutrition and turning me into a vegan). I looked up a couple of recipes online and I gave this one a try for a quick dinner. Just a few ingredients and you have a very filling, flavorful meal. My non-vegan boyfriend really liked it and eventually I made this for his family. They thought it was delicious, too! It's perfect all year-round, but works particularly well in the summer. Find more recipes at Engine2.com.

6 corn tortillas (Trader Joe's, labeled vegan)
1 can fat-free refried beans (also available at Trader Joe's)
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 jalapeno, diced
1 avocado, sliced
2 cups shredded romaine
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salsa

Preheat oven on broil setting. Place the tortillas on a lightly greased baking sheet, broil for 2 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

Spread refried beans on tortillas, lay down tomato halves (I love tomatoes so I try to fit 6 on each tortilla). Sprinkle diced jalapeño on top. Broil for 5-7 minutes, remove when tomatoes look wrinkled.

Lay avocado slices on cooked chalupas. Top with lettuce, pour on salsa, and then sprinkle on cilantro.

Dining In - Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls - Chloe's Kitchen

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Heavenly, rich, sweet, decadent, delicious, mouthwatering - just a few words to describe these cinnamon rolls from Chloe's Kitchen. As much as you'll want to hoard these for yourself, they are heavy so be prepared to share and you'll automatically win over friends and family. I have fond memories of making Pillsbury cinnamon rolls on the occasional Sunday morning growing up. I remember popping that cardboard container and waiting not-so-patiently for the rolls to be done so I could enjoy the warm, sweet, soft breakfast dessert. These are SO much better! I felt proud to make my first-ever batch of cinnamon rolls from scratch, despite the hours involved. There was more satisfaction eating one of these bad boys than something I pulled off a grocery store shelf. 

Not to discourage you from trying this recipe, but just a disclaimer - I don't see how you could make this for breakfast unless you woke up at 5am to prepare it! That said, Chloe does leave a note in her recipe about preparing the night before. I will take her up on that advice next time, as this ended up being an afternoon treat for me and my boyfriend. There are a number of steps involved as you'll see below and most of the prep time is spent waiting on the dough to rise or rest. Stick with it though, the end result will make you smile! You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).  

Cinnamon Roll Dough:
1 cup plain almond milk
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, for later
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

Ingredients for Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 warm water
1 packet active yeast
4 1/2 cups flour

Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar 
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons melted Earth Balance
1 cup raisins

Icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons water

Stir together almond milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and margarine in a small saucepan and heat on low until the margarine has melted. Remove from heat and let cool until you can touch it without it burning. 

Stir warm water, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and full packet of yeast in a liquid measuring cup. Let sit for 10 minutes. The yeast will cause the mixture to rise to about the 3/4 cup mark. 

Combine yeast mixture and milk and margarine mixture with a stand mixer (recommended paddle or whisk). Beat for a minute on medium. Get your flour ready and on low speed add in 2 1/2 cups flour. Keep mixing for 2 minutes and add last 2 cups of flour. Beat for 1 minute to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Dough will be very thick and sticky. Remove from bowl and knead for a couple minutes. 

Pour a little bit of canola oil in a large bowl, place in ball of dough and move around so it's covered in oil. Cover bowl with a dry towel. Let sit for 1 1/2 hours, dough should double in size. 

Punch in center of dough so it deflates and remove from bowl. Lightly flour a flat surface and put the dough on it. Cover again with dry towel and wait 10 minutes. 

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin. You want to make a rectangle that is about as wide as the long side of your pan and about 20 inches in length. 

Using a pastry brush, cover dough with melted margarine. Mix together brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Now sprinkle this mixture and the raisins over your dough (see photo). 

Roll the doll into a log on the long side. Cut in half. Cut each half into 6 (will be about 1 1/2 inches). You want to have 12 rolls. Place the rolls into your greased pan. They will expand so leave some space in between if you can. 

Last wait time I promise - cover your pan with rolls for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Mix powdered sugar and water in a small bowl. Pour the icing over the cooked rolls. Give it time to set before diving in!

Dining In - Cinnamon Sugar Raspberry Cream Cheese Squares

Cinnamon Sugar Raspberry Cream Cheese - This Can't Be Vegan 

This dessert is amazing! You could even convince yourself it's a breakfast pastry, but as decadent as it is that might be pushing the envelope. I loved the tart, sweet flavor of raspberry preserves paired with velvety cream cheese. Topping if off with a cinnamon, brown sugar butter crust was a brilliant idea. For how gourmet and lovely this recipe is, it really doesn't take much time at all. I think this one will be added to my holiday recipe list!

There are a few links involved in how I found this recipe, so I want to give credit where credit is due. First I saw an image of this recipe on VegNews' Pinterest wall, which linked to a fantastic vegan blog with beautiful photography and creative recipes called This Can't Be Vegan. On that blog I noticed that the author gives credit for this recipe to another blogger who posted this as a non-vegan recipe (Averie Cooks). So there you have it, a lot of love went into this recipe and it deserves it. 

In reading the ingredients list I learned that Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are vegan, who knew? That actually makes me a tad bit uneasy since something like a "buttery" crescent roll I would have thought had dairy. I'm not a huge fan of processed foods, but hey it's perfect for this dessert. 

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
8 oz. vegan cream cheese (I use Trader Joe's This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

First Step - Roll out Crescent Dough to Cover Bottom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use half of crescent rolls (four triangles) to cover bottom of pan, try to press together the seams so you don't have any holes. Set other half aside for now.

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread this mixture in the pan over the crescent roll bottom. 

Spoon raspberry preserves over the cream cheese, covering it evenly so you have a nice top layer of raspberry. Use remaining crescent dough to cover, again pressing gently so you have no holes. Pour melted butter over the crescent dough. 

In a small bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle over the pan, covering dough evenly.

Bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes until the dough has puffed up and sugar topping has melted. Remove from oven and let cool, ideally for an hour before serving, the middle is melted so it will fall apart if you cut into it too soon (the ultimate challenge!). Keep leftovers in refrigerator and heat individual servings. 

Ready for the Oven!

Dining In - Straw and Hay Pasta

Straw and Hay Pasta - Chloe's Kitchen

Here's a fun, colorful pasta dish that incorporates two colors of linguine and three veggies. The creamy sauce is non-dairy milk based rather than some other vegan pasta recipes that use blended cashews. Tahini adds creaminess and a unique flavor to the mix. While not a huge fan of mushrooms, I actually enjoyed the sauteed shiitake mushrooms in this dish. This makes enough for 4 to 6 people. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here). 


8 oz. spinach linguine (vegan variety found at Whole Foods)
8 oz. linguine
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for seasoning
Ground black pepper
2 cups plain almond milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon onion powder
10 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) drained and chopped (I used Trader Joe's Julienne Sliced variety and added about 1/3 cup)


Cook linguine according to package in a large pot. With about 5 minutes remaining add in frozen peas and stir. Continue cooking then drain pasta and set aside. 

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, add in mushrooms and cook until browned and softened. Use salt and pepper to season. 

To prepare the sauce, add almond milk, water, cornstarch, tahini, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, and 1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt to a blender. Use high setting to combine ingredients. Pour into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium and stir constantly until sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes. 

Combine all ingredients! Toss the pasta with the mushrooms, sauce, and tomatoes. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Dining Out in New Hampshire - Cafe Indigo

Carrot Cake - Cafe Indigo

Carrot Cake Ingredients & Nutrition

While I prefer to bake for myself at home, I can't say no to trying new vegan desserts when I'm out and about. Unfortunately vegan baked goods are hard to come by in Boston. At the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival I was delighted by the variety of vegan desserts for sale and sampling. Cafe Indigo, a Concord, New Hampshire-based bakery, had prime real estate by the entrance. They had a poster up describing themselves and on it it stated VegNews recognized them for having the "Best. Carrot. Cake. Ever." (supposedly this was in 2007, so I'm curious if this is still accurate). Regardless, I immediately jumped at the chance to sample their carrot cake. 

It was delicious and tasted just like a regular non-vegan carrot cake, probably even better. The cake is moist and spiced and the "cream cheese" frosting was sweet enough to balance it out. I brought home a mini cake (for $3) to continue the cake bliss. You can order muffins, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes online from their website, but you have to buy a large quantity and pay shipping. I was glad to have the opportunity to taste test without a big purchase, but now that I know I might visit their site in the future, or even better visit My Thai Vegan Cafe in Boston where they sell Cafe Indigo cakes! You can read other Cafe Indigo reviews on Yelp. 

Cafe Indigo

128H Hall Street

Concord, NH 03301

Cafe Indigo Website

Dining In - Chocolate-Chip Brownie Bites

Chocolate-Chip Brownie Bites - Chloe's Kitchen

These delicious, chocolately treats remind me of the popular Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate Munchkins! They are a different consistency and much denser (and vegan!), but the flavor is certainly similar. At first when I read this recipe I wasn't totally bought into the idea of taking a perfectly good pan of brownies and smooshing the partially cooked batter into small balls. 

I get it now :) They are more like gourmet truffles than a plain ole pan of brownies, and unfortunately easier to eat this way, too! I will definitely make these again - the first batch disappeared too quickly. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here). 


1 cup vegan chocolate chips
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain almond milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (optional, I did not use these)
Powdered sugar for finishing touch!

Grease an 8x8 inch pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Heat chocolate chips in the microwave until fully melted (use medium power, so you don't burn the chocolate). 

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt). In a separate, small bowl mix milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together, don't overstir. Add in the melted chocolate and stir. If opting for the added mini chips, stir into batter. 

Pour batter into pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes, the middle should be soft, somewhat moist. Remove from oven and let cool until you can touch the brownies.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the brownie batter and roll into balls. Skip the more cooked parts, like the edges because this will make the balls fall apart. Roll balls in the powdered sugar. Done.

I stored these in the fridge when I was done. 

Dining Out in Boston - Deep Ellum

Vegan Burger with Fries - Deep Ellum

Situated along what some have dubbed "vegan row"in Allston, Deep Ellum offers only one vegan option on their menu, but it's a great one. The vegan burger is house-made seitan, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles on a warm bun. You can order it with cheese, but it is not vegan cheese so this add-on only works for vegetarians. The seitan burger has a nice, meaty texture and with all the usual toppings it's the perfect substitute for a real burger. Many of their menu items, including a long list of cocktails, are house-made. You can even order their amazing bloody mary without Worcestershire sauce.

This hipster spot is popular, particularly for Sunday brunch so be prepared to wait for a table or belly up at the bar if you come during peak hours. 

Deep Ellum

477 Cambridge Street

Allston, MA 02134
Deep Ellum Website 

Boston Vegetarian Food Festival

Tofettes

Dandies - Vegan Marshmallows
(Available at Whole Foods)

 The 17th annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival took place last weekend - October 27th & 28th, 2012 - at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. It's a free event open to the public. I opted to go on the first day at around noon. To describe it in one word I would say overwhelming! Now to describe it using more words.. :) Boy, was it crowded, but it was actually nice to see that so many other people are "veg-minded" like me. 

Sabertooth Vegan Bakery
Now Sold at Fomu

There were a ton of vendors set up at tables all throughout the gym, even spilling into the hall. Sponsors and exhibitors included vegan packaged food products, animal rights groups, vegan clothing and shoe retailers, book sellers, local restaurants and bakeries, and guest speakers. I was pleasantly surprised the majority if not all samples were vegan-friendly! With a sweet tooth like mine, I was even happier to take home a couple delicious baked goods from bakeries I wouldn't normally get the chance to try - including Cafe Indigo and Vegan Treats Bakery. My friends who came along were introduced to Daiya for the first time, and I finally tried Gardein. Both booths gave out coupons, which did the trick because we all went to Whole Foods within the same weekend to purchase our taste-tested vegan products. 

Vegan Treats Bakery - VeganTreats.com 

I'm glad I went - I was introduced to a number of new products and I plan to go again next year. I just wish the festival was held in a larger venue. There was not nearly enough room to accommodate tables and the huge crowd and it got hot fairly quickly. 

Learn more about this event on the Boston Vegetarian Society website.

Free Samples and Coupons Galore
Boston Vegetarian Food Festival

Dining In - Thyme for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Thyme for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes - Chloe's Kitchen

It's hard to believe this dish doesn't contain any dairy. It's so creamy, you can fool a non-vegan! I plan to make this for Thanksgiving to put the mashed potatoes to shame. This is a fairly easy recipe, with just a few simple ingredients, but the flavor sure isn't simple or bland. What gives it a dairy-like taste and texture are cashews, softened and blended into a cream. With a couple spices to season the potatoes, you've turned a classic potato dish into a much healthier vegan-friendly version. Share this with your friends and family and see what they think (you'll need to, as you can see it makes more than enough)! You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).  


1 cup raw cashews (boil for 10 minutes to soften)
2 cups water
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 scallions, rinsed and finely chopped
5 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
Smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Add cashews, water, garlic, salt to a blender. Blend well until all ingredients are combined and there are no large pieces of cashew remaining. Pour mixture into large bowl. Add thyme and scallions and stir into mixture. 

In a greased 9x13 pan, arrangle half of the slices potatoes to cover the bottom completely, overlap them as you go. Pour half of the cashew, thyme, scallion mixture into pan. Add the remaining potatoes and cover with the rest of the liquid mixture. 

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Sprinke smoked paprika over the top and cover with tin foil. 

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme, and serve!

Dining Out in Boston - FoMu

Cookies & Cream Pint & Carrot Cake Ice Cream - FoMu

I scream, you scream, we all scream for vegan ice cream! Okay, maybe only a few of us do, but I'm one of them and I was so happy when FoMu* opened up in Allston earlier this year. Prior to becoming vegan I was a huge fan of the frozen yogurt (fro-yo) shops that were popping up on every street in Boston. Once dairy was out of my life so were my options for a convenient, tasty cold treat. So I thought. Thanks to FoMu I have easy access to some delicious dairy-free ice cream flavors (which is certainly dangerous). 

On my first trip to the ice cream shop, located right next to Deep Ellum in Allston, I got the cake batter flavor and my boyfriend got the cookies 'n' cream. At the time all the ice creams were coconut milk-based. We both really enjoyed it and it was definitely comparable to real ice cream, but you could taste the subtle coconut base. The second time I went back and ordered a mocha bean smoothie with almond milk (made with espresso and chocolate ice creams. I would really call this a milkshake). It was creamy and yummy, but the guilt factor set in quickly because the large portion certainly wasn't "healthy". The third time, at the end of October, was the best, with fall flavors on the menu and newly added nut-based ice creams. I got the carrot cake ice cream and it was unbelievable. I got worried that it wasn't vegan because of how rich and delicious it was (I should know better by now...). There were generous chunks of actual spiced carrot cake in it. I inhaled my serving. 

I highly recommend FoMu. The owner and his staff are friendly and helpful. It's great to see that they've been revamping the menu options as they gain popularity. They even sell a few baked goods from nearby vegan bakeries like Veggie Galaxy and Sabortooth Bakery.

*Before the shop opened I heard it was going to be called NoMu ("no moo") but when I chatted with the owner he said there was a last minute issue with the trademark. Faux moo is still cute though!

FoMu

481 Cambridge St.

Allston, MA

FoMu Website