Two minute breakfast carrot cake (with banana ice cream!)

Hello!

Virginia is a rainy mess today. It has been for a few days now. It is kind of reminding me of fall time in Buffalo when it will rain for a week straight, so it has been oddly comforting. If you know me, you know that without fail, EVERY fall I get strep throat. Seriously. Last week I had a nasty flu, so I am hoping that I will skip the strep this year because I am in a different climate. *fingers crossed*

Because it is such a crummy day today, I really wanted a really good, hearty breakfast. Something warm with fall flavors to warm us from the inside out. While browsing pinterest, I came across a pin for a breakfast carrot cake. My husband adores carrot cake, so I thought I would take a stab at it. Boy am I glad I did. It is just what we both wanted. A little bit, sweet, warm, a moist and delicious little cake topped with a little bit of banana ice cream. Delicious! ( and totally vegan too! )
It was also not heavy, I don't like to start my day with something that is going to make me feel sluggish the rest of the day.

Anyway, the other day my husband and I went to Target. We just love walking around and looking at everything, pricing things out, browsing the grocery section, etc. It is no secret that I love  Giada De Laurentiis products. I have her ceramic bakeware, panini pan, wooden spoons, vegetable peelers, pots and pans....she makes a great product, PLUS all of her packaging is Robins egg blue and well, that color makes me melt. So, while browsing the food section, we decided to finally treat ourselves to a bag of her Italian Roast coffee....

                                       "rich and smoky with a hint of chocolate" YES PLEASE

 I am so glad we purchased this because it was the PERFECT companion to this little cake. The banana ice cream was a perfect topper. Banana "ice cream" has been a staple for vegans for awhile now, because it is literally 3 ingredients-banana, vanilla and salt. And it. is. delicious. So we will start there: NOTE: all of these steps, can and should be done the night before, so your breakfast will literally only take 5 minutes in the morning!

1 very ripe banana, cut into chunks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Place the banana chunks in the freezer until almost frozen. Put the banana, vanilla and salt in a food processor (or use a potato masher!) until smooshed up and smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and place it back into the freezer. It will be perfect by morning.

For the cake:

Dry ingredients:
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp sugar
1 packet of stevia (optional, but it adds the perfect amount of sweetness) 
1/4 tsp baking powder 
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp all spice or pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp shredded coconut (optional, but I would add it if I were you!) 

Wet ingredients:
1 tbsp oil (or applesauce if you want!)
3 tbsp vanilla rice milk 
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded carrot 

*Do these steps the night before!* 
Put all of the dry ingredients in one bowl, and all the wet ingredients in another, and stick both bowls in the fridge overnight. 
When you wake up in the morning, simply add the wet ingredients into the dry, stir until completely incorporated, and pour into a small ramekin (or mug if you are on the go!), and microwave for 2 minutes. It should be firm to the touch when it comes out of the microwave. 
Then, just top with a scoop of your banana ice cream, sprinkle with some cinnamon, and enjoy! 

(For anyone who is wondering, the cake with the ice cream is 350 calories, use applesauce in place of the oil for fewer calories :D) 

And there you have it! The cake pairs PERFECTLY with a cup of french press coffee! Voila! 

 

 
                                         

Gingery Peanut Noodles-perfect as a side, or as a meal!

Hello!

I have been getting into Asian and Thai flavors a lot lately. I have been experimenting with different kinds of sauces and fusions and things and I think I have a good one here. I love love love soba noodles with all my heart, there is just something about the size and texture-it really is the perfect noodle to me. I knew that these noodles needed a great sauce and my mind immediately went to spicy peanut noodles. I also wanted there to be some good veggies in there. I think I hit the nail right on the head!

This was seriously so easy to make. Now, I like making my own peanut butter because I love having an excuse to use the food processor, and I like knowing exactly what I am eating, but if you prefer store bought peanut butter, that will work fine too! If you want to know how to make peanut butter you can follow my tutorial on almond butter here. Just use peanuts instead of almonds :) OK ready to get started? You will need:

1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ginger (powdered or grated)
8 oz soba noodles (regular pasta, or brown rice noodles will work fine too)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 cucumber, sliced into strips
carrot shreds
red pepper flakes 
sesame seeds, or crushed peanuts for the topping

First off, cook your noodles of choice, drain, and return to the pot.
While the noodles are cooking, start the peanut sauce: In a food processor, combine the peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 1 cup of water and blend until smooth.
Slice your veggies and add to a skillet with a small amount of oil, and cover to "sweat" them (you can learn more about the reason behind sweating vegetables here!)
Dump the veggies in the pot with the noodles, pour in the sauce and stir to combine.  Top with a little red pepper flake, sesame seeds and peanuts. Presto! If you are looking for a more substantial meal-feel free to add some tofu, chicken, turkey or whatever you are in the mood for!

Happy eating :D

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oh so delicious!

Hey there!

I had fallen off the wagon a little bit, but now I am back and ready to make your mouths water! I have recently been experimenting with a lot of vegan baking. I know, I know, I bet you think that sounds awful and bland but I will tell you what- Most vegan baking, if done correctly, will taste incredible (sometimes even better than non vegan) Case in point: These cookies. Moving to VA was a blessing because I am now mere minutes away from Trader Joe's, and I have been able to find everything and anything I could need for vegan baking. Every time I walk in there I feel like a kid in a candy store-there is always something new to discover! So without further adieu, I present you with my vegan chocolate chunk cookies....

Now, you are probably wondering where I got this recipe from and the answer is quite predictable: Pinterest! hahaha This was my one "feeling sorry for myself" baking experience for the month and I am so glad I made them. Making them literally took a half hour and they were ready to eat in no time!

For these amazing, gooey cookies, you will need:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vanilla rice milk
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour (or any kind of flour you choose: brown rice, spelt, all purpose gluten free...)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
vegan chocolate chips or chunks (high quality chocolate does not normally contain any dairy though. You can read more about that HERE) I used Trader Joe's brand

It is really quite simple- Mix up all the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix up all the wet ingredients in another, combine and mix up until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Use a little coconut oil to grease the cookie sheet, drop them by the tablespoon, and bake for 15 minutes. You will LOVE how moist, and gooey and chocolately these cookies turn out. If you want my two cents, the whole experience is complete eating them with a tall, cold glass of vanilla rice milk-delish!

So give it a try, research some vegan recipes that would interest you and go for it. I think you will be surprised at how tasty it can be-and so much better for you too!