Dining In - Hot-Fudge-on-the-Bottom Cake

Hot-Fudge-on-the-Bottom Cake - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

This was a fun cake to make, especially since I had no idea what to expect and was making it out of boredom and a sweet tooth craving. No pressure to impress a bunch of guests for this one! I'm glad I gave it a test run, because it was one of the rare occasions that one of Chloe's recipes wasn't amazing, it was...well, just okay. 

The texture of the cake was moist and yummy per usual, and the bottom was just as the name suggests - hot fudge. Therefore it was difficult to serve like regular cake, because you'd leave behind all the ooey gooey hot fudge! A spoon comes in handy. What threw this one off was the chocolate flavor. Using unsweetened cocoa powder gave it a mild chocolate flavor, but by the looks of it you'd expect a rich chocolate taste, and that it was lacking. Possibly swapping the powder for dark cocoa powder or using melted chocolate chips would do the trick. I've read comments from other bakers that enjoyed this, so I'll leave it up to you to make the decision. Luckily it's an easy one to prepare. You can find the full recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 


Chocolate Cake
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Hot Chocolate Fudge
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water

To Prepare Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square pan. 

In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, stir together milk, oil, and vanilla. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined, without overmixing. Pour batter into pan.

To Prepare Hot Chocolate Fudge:

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, and cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the cake batter. Slowly pour boiling water over batter - do not mix!

Carefully move into oven and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for about 20-25 minutes before serving (tip: cut into squares, but use a spoon to serve to get the fudge).

Ready for the Boiling Water!

Dining In - Tiramisu Pancakes

Tiramisu Pancakes - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

I made these as a special surprise breakfast for my boyfriend. Pancakes are his most common choice when we go out for brunch so I was excited to test this gourmet vegan version on him. I'm not a big fan of tiramisu, but making a unique pancake flavor intrigued me. This was as easy as making regular pancakes. With a hint of rum and strong coffee flavor these were a more adult version. The added chocolate chips and whipped cream made them look even more mouthwatering and taste much sweeter. My only complaint is that they were a tad bit on the dry side, but that's where the syrup comes in! You can find the full recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Canola oil, for cooking
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Coconut whipped cream (I used store-bought "Rice Whip" by Soyatoo! found at Whole Foods)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. 

Pancake Batter

In a separate small bowl, stir together water, syrup, and rum. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined but do not overmix.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto pan. You can make as many as will fit on the pan or griddle. Watch carefully and flip pancakes when you see bubbles start to form in the center. Let other side cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and stack pancakes on a plate. 

Serve with powdered sugar and whipped topping, with maple syrup on the side!

Dining Out on Cape Cod - Green Lotus Café

RAWCO - Green Lotus Café

I was so excited to learn that a new vegan-friendly restaurant was opening on Cape Cod. With very limited options for vegan dining, it was a smart move for the owner to open up shop. Nate grew up on the Cape and spent time in the Marines. Living in San Diego he learned of the health benefits with the vegan diet. He moved back to the Cape and opened Green Lotus Café in Hyannis in March 2013. You can read more on his background here.

RAWCO Sandwich

The menu is entirely vegetarian, with vegan, gluten-free, and raw options available. All sandwiches can be made vegan with Daiya cheese and non-dairy mayo substitutions. With so many options it's difficult to make a decision, but I asked the staff what the popular sandwiches were and settled on the RAWCO. Raw foods usually come at a premium since the ingredients are more expensive, but I felt pretty good about paying $9.49 for this all raw sandwich - it's seasoned ground walnuts (that resembles ground beef like a taco filling), raw cashew cheese sauce, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and red onion served on crispy organic corn tortilla bread. It was delicious and very filling. If you've never had raw bread before, it's thin like a cracker and chewy, but it does its job at holding a sandwich together. The sandwich was a little too salty, but overall the taste and texture were pleasing, and I would be quick to order it again. My non-vegan boyfriend got the Roast Seitan, which comes with real cheese, but can be substituted to make it vegan. He admitted that it was really good. Soups and smoothies are also on the menu, along with a vegan-friendly breakfast menu. They also offer vegan desserts, which vary by day. There were two types of cookies when I was there.

I have a lot of sandwiches to get through to try them all, but I'm happy to report that my first visit was a success and I will be back for sure!

Sandwich Menu - Green Lotus Café

Sandwich Menu Continued! - Green Lotus Café

Visit their very active Facebook page for updates on daily specials and what's cooking (or not, if it's raw!) in the kitchen. 

  

Green Lotus Café

349 Main Street

Hyannis, MA 02601

Green Lotus Café Website

Dining In - Raw Kale Salad with Simple Sweet Tahini Dressing

Raw Kale Salad with Simple Sweet Tahini Dressing - Happy. Healthy. Life.

I found this simple and healthy "5-step raw kale salad" recipe on Pinterest. It's from a popular vegan food website I've visited before called Happy. Healthy. Life. You can find the full recipe here. Although I've tried to incorporate more kale into my diet, I have to admit I had not yet had it raw. It's much tougher than lettuce, with a slightly bitter taste, so I had my doubts on this one. Luckily I was mistaken. This salad is delicious! The dressing is the best part (as it often is) and I'm sure I'll be making it again to use on other salads. It was creamy, rich and tangy and still so good for you! This was a very quick recipe with little clean up, since you can easily make the dressing without a blender. The one note I will add is to make sure you have a breath mint around for after! Raw onions have a way of lingering on your breath. 

Kale Salad
4 cups raw kale, stems removed, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup carrots, shredded
1 small avocado, diced (I used half and it worked just fine)
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (or pepitas)

Simple Sweet Tahini Dressing
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 pinches of cayenne
Salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning

To Prepare Kale Salad:

Prep veggies by chopping, as much or as little as desired. Toss together in a large bowl. 

To Prepare Simple Sweet Tahini Dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Make salad by pouring dressing over veggies and toss together. If you are patient, chill the salad for an hour in the refrigerator to allow the dressing to set and marinate veggies. Enjoy!

Dining Out on Cape Cod - Earthly Delights

Fakin' Bacon Tempeh Sandwich - Earthly Delights

Tofu Scramble - Earthly Delights

I've been summering on the Cape my whole life. It's got a special place in my heart for it's natural beauty and fond memories of many fun summers. I'm lucky to still have a place to visit to escape the city on weekends and spend time at the beach. 

When I became vegan last year I "rediscovered" a great little natural foods eatery right next to my house called Earthly Delights. I knew it existed years ago, but never visited until last year because it seemed a little too healthy and too hippie (think sprouts and granola). I now go multiple times in the course of a weekend! It's very small and usually very busy during the summer, but it's worth the wait. You'll be entertained looking around at the enormous collection of quirky, humorous magnets, signs, and cards covering every inch. The owners, Tom and Mary are awesome! They work their butts off running that place all by themselves and I give them credit. You can tell that many people are fond of them by the Yelp reviews. I even ran into Tom at Trader Joe's stocking up after a long day and he recognized me right away, very good memory!

Menu at Earthly Delights

In addition to breakfast and lunch items they also sell some packaged natural foods. Though not 100% vegan, it is very vegan-friendly and many items on the menu can be made vegan in addition to the handful that already are (for instance, they only use non-dairy mayo). A couple of my favorites: Fakin' Bacon Tempeh, best when served in a wrap in my opinion, comes with tempeh lightly brushed with olive oil and cooked to golden brown, served with lettuce, tomato, and dairy-free mayo. Another is the Tofu Scramble, which isn't actually on the menu! My boyfriend went out and picked up breakfast early one morning while I was busy sleeping and came back with a delicious breakfast wrap filled with marinated tofu, tempeh bacon, tomatoes, spinach, and Daiya cheese in a whole wheat wrap. I ordered it again just a day later :) He also brought me back a yummy vegan Oatmeal Raisin cookie. It fell apart right away, but it didn't stop me from wolfing it down. I've also tried their smoothies, which are quite popular. The mango smoothie is so refreshing on a hot summer day! They also offer fresh juices and shots of wheatgrass, if you're into that sort of a thing. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie - Earthly Delights

It's very difficult to find vegan-friendly restaurants on Cape Cod, so I'm thankful to be right next to this gem! I recommend you give it a try and get to know Osterville a little bit better.

Earthly Delights

15 West Bay Road

Osterville, MA 02655

Earthly Delights Website

Dining In - BLT Baked Spaghetti

BLT Baked Spaghetti - That Was Vegan?

Pinterest delivers another successful vegan meal! I was scrolling through tons of mouth-watering vegan food pictures on Pinterest and found this comfort food recipe for a satisfying pasta dish posted by VegNews. It incorporates tempeh bacon, kale, tomatoes, vegan mozzarella, tomato sauce, and I opted for gluten-free spaghetti. There's something about a baked pasta dish that makes it so much better! Especially topped with melted cheese (the vegan kind works too!). I really enjoyed this dish. The tempeh fills you up fast and the sauce was so creamy from mixing it together with the cheese prior to baking, almost like a vodka sauce. My non-vegan boyfriend gave this a big thumbs up too! Only problem was we both had about 2-3 servings... oops.

You can find the full recipe here on the "That Was Vegan?" website. 

Ingredients for BLT Baked Spaghetti
 Everything is from Trader Joe's! (except the tempeh bacon and pasta)

12 oz. spaghetti (I used gluten-free brown rice spaghetti from Whole Foods)
1 cup kale, blanched
Pinch of garlic powder
8 slices maple tempeh bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups red spaghetti sauce
1/4 vegan shredded mozzarella (now available at Trader Joe's)
Oregano, for seasoning
Sea salt, for seasoning
Ground black pepper, for seasoning

Tempeh Smoky Maple Bacon

Cook spaghetti according to package in salted water, stop cooking about 1-2 minutes earlier. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare kale, boil water with a pinch of garlic powder in a small saucepan, add kale and cook for about a minute. Remove from heat. Drain. Rinse with cool water and drain again. Set aside.

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add tempeh slices and cook both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and slice into bite-sized pieces.

Put spaghetti in casserole dish, add in sauce, kale, tomatoes tempeh, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and a dash of dried oregano. Toss together. Top with vegan mozzarella, as much or as little as you desire. 

Cover dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and continue baking for an additional 6-8 minutes so cheese on top melts. Serve and enjoy!

Dining In - Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

These cupcakes were super light and fluffy! I made them for my boyfriend's family (not for a birthday though, like the name suggests). Everybody loved them. His dad, who has now taste-tested many vegan baked goods, said these were his favorite so far! The next day we got a call from his aunt, who got the leftovers, who said she loved them. I definitely enjoyed them, but I'd say my favorite vegan cupcake recipe is a tie between Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes and Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes. Give these a try and decide for yourself. They are quick and easy to prepare and you can get as creative as you want with the decorations. I kept the frosting white and used a thin piping tip - the end result reminded me of fluffy clouds. You can find the full recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 


Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Frosting
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons almond milk
Food coloring (optional - did not use)
Sprinkles (optional - did not use)

To Prepare Cupcakes:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill two 2-dozen cupcake pan with liners for 14-15 cupcakes.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and sift together.
In a separate medium bowl whisk together almond milk, oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
Pour wet mixture into dry and mix together until all dry clumps are gone, but don't overmix.
Pour batter into cupcake pan, filling about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.


To Prepare Vanilla Frosting:

Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat shortening on medium speed for about two minutes, until it is smooth.
Slowly add in powdered sugar. Alternate by adding in vanilla and one tablespoon at a time of the almond milk.

Dining In - Buffalo Tempeh Mozzarella Panini

Buffalo Tempeh Mozzarella Panini - Vegan Yack Attack

I found this recipe on Pinterest. The cheesy, mouthwatering sandwich looked too good to be true and when I clicked the link to the recipe I was pleasantly surprised that it was fairly simple to make. I'm not a huge fan of hot and spicy foods, but even with Frank's Red Hot sauce this wasn't too spicy. I made this for my boyfriend and I for a quick dinner and it was very well received - by both of us! It would be even better as a filling lunch. I'll be making this again!

Here is the original recipe on Vegan Yack Attack. I (almost) doubled it for two panini sandwiches, and made adjustments for prepping the tempeh:

4-5 oz. tempeh, cut into cubes
1 cup kale, ripped into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons buffalo sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot - check the labels when shopping, many contain milk!)
1/2 cup vegan shredded mozzarella (Trader Joe's now sells vegan shredded cheese, and it's cheaper than Daiya!)
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
4 slices wheat bread

Start by steaming tempeh cubes for 15 minutes using a steamer basket and a pot of water. This will remove the bitterness.

Spread Vegan Mayonnaise on All Slices

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add kale. After kale softens and starts to wilt add in tempeh cubes and buffalo sauce. Stir to coat cubes and kale with the sauce. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat. 

Spread vegan mayonnaise on all four slices of bread. Spoon half of the tempeh and kale onto 2 slices of bread. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of vegan mozzarella on top. Place other slice of bread on top. 

Heat a panini press and coat with cooking spray. Place sandwich on the press and close. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until you see nice browned grill lines in the sandwiches. Cut on the diagonal and serve!

Dining In - Healthy Chocolate Chip Blondies

Healthy Chocolate Chips Blondies - Chocolate Covered Katie

These aren't your average blondies. These are a much healthier version of the sugar-packed, high-calorie blondie - the secret is chickpeas! You would never guess that chickpeas could work in a dessert but this legume has a mild flavor and when processed has a creamy texture that lends itself well to dessert batter. This is actually my second successful dessert recipe using chickpeas (I will post the other one soon!). The mild flavor is disguised and you end up with a dessert that is more filling from the fiber and protein, and much healthier with a fraction of the fat. Instead of white sugar, it calls for brown sugar. As for a fat source to make them yummier, peanut butter is a tasty alternative to the empty calories of oil or margarine.

This recipe was super quick and easy to make with little mess to clean up! They came out a little mushier than I would have liked, so I highly recommend drying the chickpeas well and possibly adding additional flaxseed or quick oats. You can find the full recipe here, on the Chocolate Covered Katie site.

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed (or quick oats)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used the Enjoy Life mini chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8x8 pan.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except for the chocolate chips. Once all other ingredients are blended together and you have a wet, smooth batter, stir in chocolate chips.

Pour or scoop into the pan and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut up into squares before serving.

Wasn't that easy?

Dining In - Mandarin Peanut-Crunch Salad with Crispy Wontons

Mandarin Peanut-Crunch Salad with Crispy Wontons - Chloe's Kitchen

And the salad binging continues! This delicious, sweet, tangy salad from Chloe's Kitchen is another great pick for the summer. I've ordered this type of salad many times in restaurants so it was fun to recreate it at home. I've never used wonton wrappers before, and I must say the vegan version was pretty difficult to find! I discovered an Asian market near me and wandered the aisles until I found them and read the ingredients label to make sure they were egg-free. I also couldn't find red cabbage at Trader Joe's so I had to venture to an actual grocery store (gasp!) to get it. The salad itself was quick to prepare, once all the ingredients were hunted and gathered. I like sweet things so I'm a fan of salads that incorporate fruit. This was a win in my book! But those wontons sure are hard to eat with a fork. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here).

Dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Crispy Wontons
Egg-free wonton wrappers (I found these at a local Asian market)
Canola oil

Salad
4 oz. mixed greens or romaine
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 scallion, trimmed and sliced
11 oz. can Mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts


To Prepare Dressing:

In a blender combine all ingredients and blend together until well combined.

Frying the Wontons

To Prepare Crispy Wontons:

Using a sharp knife slice wonton wrappers into thin, 1/4 inch strips.

Heat oil, enough to cover the bottom, about 1/4 inch, in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat.

Carefully place wonton strips into hot oil. Gently stir while cooking wontons, they will get crispy in less than a minute. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and place on paper towels on a plate.


To Prepare Salad:

Toss mixed greens, red cabbage, carrots, scallion, Mandarin oranges, peanuts, and your desired amount of dressing together. Top with Crispy Wontons and serve.