Dining In - Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting

I made a quick batch of cupcakes to bring to a friend's birthday party. I found the cupcake recipe online on AllRecipes.com and chose it because of the high ratings. I was pleased to see it didn't have a ton of fat in it, just 1/3 cup of oil. They came out great! The taste and consistency reminded me of devil's food cake, moist and light, but not too sweet. I wanted to pair it with a vanilla frosting so I used a recipe I found in Chloe's Kitchen and halved it. I had plenty to frost all the cupcakes, so I'm very glad I didn't make the full batch. You can find the frosting recipe in Chloe's Kitchen in the Happy Birthday Cake recipe. 



Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water

Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons almond milk


To Prepare Chocolate Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a dozen-cup cupcake pan with liners and lightly grease.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Once sifted together add in wet ingredients: oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Stir until combined, don't overstire.

Pour into cupcake liners. I filled mine pretty high and that gave them the full dome shape versus the flat-topped cupcakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from pan and let cool completely before frosting.

To Prepare Vanilla Frosting:

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer smooth out the vegetable shortening for a couple minutes. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar, then add in vanilla and almond milk. Add more almond milk as needed, but not too much as it will make the frosting too thin. 

Using a bent icing knife frost the cupcakes, add sprinkles if desired.

Celebrating My One-Year Vegan-niversary!

Happy Veganniversary to me!

Time flies! It's been a full year since I decided to switch to a vegan diet. I can recall the moment clearly, it was at my cousin's wedding in North Carolina when I made a last minute decision to switch my meal to the vegan option. At that point I had already started incorporating a few vegan dishes into my daily menu, but I hadn't fully committed until that weekend. The vegan cake that was served at the end of the meal made me a true believer! It was the Wimbeldon cake from Sugarland Bakery in Chapel Hill.

I told myself that I would try the vegan diet, with no set end date, but if my health was ever at risk from the drastic shift I would make some changes and be more flexible. The first few weeks were a challenge. I had to take time to plan out exactly what I would eat at each meal in advance. My boyfriend at first was not excited about this major shift in my life, since it would most certainly impact his life, as well. We love dining out and trying new places, but the number of options, especially in Boston, is drastically reduced when you throw a vegan into the mix. After a month, he noted how great I looked (my skin was glowing, I had dropped a few pounds) and I noted how great I felt (more energy, lighter on my feet). Well, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I've stuck to the diet and have been very strict with it since. 

Even after a year, I'm eating or preparing new foods every week. There are probably a hundred recipes that I have stored up just waiting to create, and probably ten or more restaurants that I'm dying to try. 

Thank you for your support! I'd love to hear about your experiences with trying out vegan meals or transitioning to the diet. 

Dining In - Indian Buffet Trio - Saag Aloo, Chana Masala, Vegetable Biryani & Garlic Naan

Indian Buffet Trio - Saag Aloo, Chana Masala & Vegetable Biryani - Chloe's Kitchen

This dinner was a labor of love. I was feeling ambitious and decided to try a four-part recipe from Chloe's Kitchen. In retrospect I should have made this for a dinner party or a larger group, since I had tons of leftovers after my boyfriend and I enjoyed the meal. 

Indian food is generally veg-friendly, but you do have to make sure the food isn't prepared with yogurt or "ghee" which is clarified butter. For these recipes, canola oil makes a good substitute. I had never prepared Indian food before, but it wasn't too difficult. Many of the ingredients are repeated throughout the dishes - onions, curry powder, cumin, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. The rice dish, called Vegetable Biryani, was the favored one of the meal. 

I have to admit the garlic naan was a bit of a failure. I used store-bought whole wheat pizza dough instead of creating it from scratch. It didn't have the chewiness or softness that traditional naan does. Better luck next time. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

Saag Aloo
1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
5 oz. baby spinach, ripped or chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Chana Masala
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Sea salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large pinch cayenne pepper
15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup water
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Vegetable Biryani
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (I used jasmine rice and it worked out fine)
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Garlic Naan
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. pizza dough
Flour
2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

To Prepare Saag Aloo:

Boil potatoes until fork tender

Cook potatoes in salted water in a small saucepan. Bring water to a boil and then let cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain water, set cooked potatoes aside. 

Boil cashews in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them for 10 minutes, then drain. Put cashews and water in a blender and process until very smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin, and coriander. Cook a few minutes, while stirring. Add in spinach, garlic, cashew mixture, and potatoes. Let cook a few minutes, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add in tomato paste and stir. Taste test it and add more seasonings if needed. Serve warm. 

Saag Aloo - Chloe's Kitchen

To Prepare Channa Masala:

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat, add in onions. Season with salt and cook until softened and browned, 5-8 minutes. 

Add garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, cloves, and cayenne. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and water. Season again with salt and pepper. 

Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered. Add in cilantro, brown sugar, and lemon juice, stir to blend together. Serve warm. 

Channa Masala - Chloe's Kitchen

To Prepare Vegetable Biryani:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook onions until softened. Add in garlic, cumin ginger, curry powder, cinnamon and salt. Cook for a few minutes. 

Stir in dry rice, tomatoes, frozen vegetables, and raisins. Let cook for another minutes (it may seem odd to cook when rice is dry, but it works out by the end). 

Add in water and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until rice is cooked and most of the excess liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let the pan sit, covered for about 15 minutes. 


To Prepare Garlic Naan:

Preheat oven to broil and have a baking sheet ready.

Knead the minced garlic into your prepared dough until it's evenly distributed, do this gently and slowly otherwise the garlic pieces will pop out as you stretch the dough. 

Split dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a ball, then roll out until flat and very thin (this is the part I struggled with, my dough kept bounces back and became too thick).  

Place flattened circles onto baking sheet and brush with melted margarine. Broil for 2-3 minutes then flip, brush more margarine on other side and broil again for 2 minutes. You should see some brown spots and hear some sizzling. 

Garlic Naan - Chloe's Kitchen

Congrats, you're done! Serve the three dishes together with the naan on the side. 

Dining Out - Pret a Manger

Pret's Crunchy Wrap (Vegan) - Pret a Manger

Pret a Manger, or Pret for short, opened in Boston in November 2012. After the initial excitement and the crowds died down a bit I finally went today for lunch. Luckily I made it in and out with my lunch to-go in a couple of minutes. I've seen numerous locations throughout NYC, but this was my first time stepping foot in one. Pret is a London-Based sandwich chain that sells prepackaged sandwiches, salads, soups, and baked goods. It wins bonus points for a few reasons:

• They proudly share (it's even written on their packaging) that they donate leftover food to local charities to feed the hungry rather than sell day-old food to customers
• They use all natural ingredients and list out the ingredients and nutrition facts on each food item
• They label food items vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free

Vegan options include: Pret's Crunchy Wrap, Farmer's Market Salad, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Energy Bagel, Organic Popcorn, Winter Veggie Quinoa Salad, Oatmeal, Omega 3 Mix, Lentil & Couscous Salad Pot, Three Bean Chili Soup, Miso Soup, Moroccan Lentil Soup, Skinny Veggie Soup, and Carrot Ginger Soup - Quite the list!

Energy Bagel (Vegan) - Pret a Manger

Farmer's Market Salad (Vegan) - Pret a Manger

Pret's Crunchy Wrap - $6.25 - 370 Calories

I tried Pret's Crunchy Wrap. It was reasonably priced, albeit on the high side for being just vegetables, at $6.25, and the calorie count came in at a moderate 370. The tortilla wrap comes with avocado, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, hummus, red peppers, spinach, carrots, beets, tomatoes, and Pret's seasoning. It was fresh-tasting and satisfying. The seasoning, hummus, and avocado blended together nicely fooling you into thinking there was a cream-based dressing on it. I would definitely get it again. 

Pret a Manger

507 Bolyston Street

Boston, MA 02116

Pret a Manger Website 

Dining In - Low-Fat Veggie Muffins

Low-Fat Veggie Muffins - VegNews 

Vegan Muffin with Zucchini, Carrots & Apple

I've never been a big fan of muffins. For a breakfast food, they are surprisingly full of empty calories and fat. I would much rather indulge in a cupcake than a muffin. These muffins, on the other hand, sneak in vegetables and are low in fat! Don't expect them to taste like apple strudel, you will be disappointed. The subtle sweetness comes from apples, applesauce, maple syrup and agave, better sources than white sugar. Using flaxseed for an egg substitute, and adding in applesauce give the muffins a very moist dense texture. I ate these for a quick breakfast and a midday snack. If you choose to add walnuts, you'll get the added nutrients and protein. You can find the full recipe here on VegNews. 


1/3 hot water
1/4 ground flaxseed
1/3 cup agave syrup
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated apple
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts (for topping, if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a one-dozen muffin pan with liners or lightly grease.

In a liquid measuring cup combine hot water and flaxseed. Set aside and allow to thicken for 5 minutes. 

In a medium bowl combine agave, maple syrup, vanilla, and applesauce. Next add the grated zucchini, carrots, and apple and stir. 

Vegan Low-Fat Veggie Muffins

In a separate medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until combined. 

Scoop batter into the dozen muffin cups. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Dining In - Homemade Butterfinger Bars

Vegan Butterfinger Bars - Chocolate Covered Katie 

This was my first attempt at making a candy bar and I'm happy to report it was a success. The end result didn't last long, because it was so damn good! My boyfriend and I gobbled this right up. The inspiration was the Butterfinger candy bar, but the recipe author calls these Betterfinger bars for the cleaned up, better-for-you ingredients list. The recipe comes from a very popular dessert blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. Her recipes focus on a healthier vegan approach to incredibly delicious desserts, for instance this recipe sneaks in fiberful bran flakes. I'm now a fan. This was an easy and quick treat to pull together. I will be making this again! You can find the full recipe here on the website. 

1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tablespoon molasses (I used blackstrap)
3 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups bran flakes cereal
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (the Trader Joe's variety is vegan!)

Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan by lightly greasing or lining with parchment paper.

Combine agave, molasses, and sugar in a small saucepan. Boil on medium heat for about a minute, stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl. Stir in peanut butter and salt. Next add bran cereal. Mixture will be very thick but continue to stir until cereal is coated and crushed into small pieces. 

Press mixture into pan so it's evenly distributed and flattened. Give it a few minutes to cool and then score it into small bars. Freeze for about 15 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips. Pour chocolate over cooled candy batter. Use a spatula to evenly coat. Chill again then cut into bars, using precut lines as a guide. Store in refrigerator when not eating (if that's possible!). 

Dining In - Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls

Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls

I'm a big snacker. I probably eat every hour or two, yeah it's a lot. I like to have a supply of healthy snacks stocked in my kitchen and at work. Trader Joe's is an excellent spot to shop for things like this. 

These Crunchy Curls are addicting. My boyfriend and I can't stop eating them! I consider them a healthy alternative to potato chips, not to mention they are much more fun to eat with their curly q shape. The taste and consistency remind me of an old school vending machine option - Munchos! Do you remember those? See picture below for reference. Trader Joe's has labeled them with V (for vegan) so it is an easy find. While I wish the "tasty lentil and potato snack" was more nutritious I appreciate that they are low in calories, 130 per serving. The sodium count is tad bit high, but I can live with it. Give them a try, you won't regret it!

Remember These?
Crunchy Curls are the healthier "real food" version

Dining In - Herbed Polenta Cutlets with Marsala Mushroom Ragout

Herbed Polenta Cutlets with Marsala Mushroom Ragout - Chloe's Kitchen

What I enjoyed most about this recipe was trying my hand at homemade polenta. What I did not enjoy was all the mushrooms! I mentioned previously that I'm not a fan of mushrooms, so it may seem odd that I would make a recipe that is full of them, but I've been proven wrong before and the success rate of Chloe's Kitchen recipes is pretty high. Unfortunately though, this one just didn't do it for me. I liked the taste and consistency of the polenta cutlets, but the mushroom ragout was too much. I also wish the meal had more protein to fill you up. I don't want to discourage you, give this a try and tell me what you think! Now that I know how to make polenta I might test out some other toppings. Allow plenty of prep time - the polenta needs at least 3 hours in the fridge before you can really begin the recipe. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

Herbed Polenta Cutlets
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup yellow cornmeal cornmeal, plus extra for coating later
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Marsala Mushroom Ragout
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and shopped

8 oz. crimini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped

Sea salt
Ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

To prepare polenta, lightly grease an 8-inch square pan. 

In a medium saucepan boil water, then add cornmeal slowly, stirring as you add to avoid clumps. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Mixture should thicken. When done add in parsley and season with more salt and pepper if needed. 

Transfer to prepared pan, let cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. 

Once chilled, use a 2-1/2 inch cookie cutter or glass to make polenta cutlets. Using a small plate with a about 1/4 cup of cornmeal coat the cutlets. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook polenta cutlets until golden brown on each side. Remove from heat and set aside on a paper towel covered plate (to soak up excess oil).

Cook Polenta Cutlets Until Golden Brown

To prepare Marsala mushroom ragout, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and mushrooms, cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Marsala Mushroom Ragout

Add Marsala wine and broth and heat until bubbling. Turn down heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in chopped parsley. 

For serving, top polenta cutlets with mushroom mixture. 

Dining In - Vegan Meatballs

Vegan Meatballs - VegNews

These filling no-meat-balls are a great addition to a bed of pasta or as an Italian-style sub sandwich. It's not the mock meat approach for the tasty little bites, but rather soy-free with nuts and rice and lots of seasonings instead. I will say that these took a bit longer to prepare than I would have liked, given that the pasta and sauce can be prepped in a few minutes. The longest part of the process is baking them for a half hour at the end, so wait on cooking your pasta. The recipe came from a VegNews article, "Top 12 Vegan Recipes of 2012." I am slowly, but surely making my way through the list! So far my favorite has been the Vegan Potato Pancakes.You can find this recipe here on the VegNews website. 

Note: A large food processor is essential for this recipe. 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted
1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high, add onions and garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. 

Cook Onions and Garlic Until Softened

In a large food processor, blend together remaining ingredients: walnuts, rice, parsley, basil, oregano, sage, chipotle powder, salt, and chickpea flour. When smooth add in onions and garlic and continue processing. Try not to overblend as the mixture will get mushy and have less texture.

Roll Mixture into Balls
Place on Parchment-Lined Baking Sheet

Scoop out about a tablespoon or more of mixture and roll into balls. Place on parchment paper and repeat. You will end up with 20-26 "meat"balls. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes.

Add to bowl of pasta with desired tomato sauce or eat in a sub roll with some melted non-dairy cheese and tomato sauce, or eat plain - it's up to you! 

Vegan Soy-Free Meatballs

Update - Now Printer-Friendly!

Hi there!

I wanted to make a quick note about a recent update to my blog. I added a button to the post footer that allows you to print. You'll find it below in the far left top corner.

You are even able to adjust the font size and remove images to reduce the number of pages.

I know how important this feature is for recipes, so enjoy! 

Thank you for your support. Happy cooking and eating!