New York City!!

My husband and I recently went to New York City. This can be completely overwhelming for a mid-western vegan, all the options!! So many all-vegan restaurants, how does one decide?

Well after landing we went straight from the airport to BabyCakes (www.babycakesnyc.com) an all vegan bakery, spent $55, and then to the hotel to check in. As you can see, we had our priorities lined up and this was not going to be "the healthy vegan adventure"!!

Now I can tell you where we ate, but as you can see I do not have many pictures of what we ate. I could pretend it was because the lighting in the restaurants was not condusive to taking pictures of the food, but really it all looked so amazing we devoured without a thought of stopping for a pic.

For dinner we went to Blossom and Candle 79. For lunch we went to Terri's, both days-yes, it was that good. The sandwich you see below was from Terri's, it was a Bacon, Cheddar, Ranch, Chicken Sandwich!! Oh and I got a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake with it, yummmmmmmm!!

I can't wait to go back again and try so many other things that we didn't have time for!

Super Fast Mini Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is so easy to make you don't even need to measure anything!!

Rolls:
1 (8 oz) tube Crescent Rolls (I use Pillsbury, which are suprisingly vegan)
Butter
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar

Icing:
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1 TBSP soy milk
2/3 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven according to Crescent Roll directions. Take half the dough (4 triangles) and pinch the seams together, flip and do again on back side. Use a rolling pin to smooth out seams.
Melt about 2 TBSP of butter and brush onto dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, use a much or little as you like.
Roll into a log and cut into about 8-9 pieces. Place pieces into greased mini cupcake pan.
Repeat with other half of dough.
Bake according to package directions. While baking, mix up icing.
Remove rolls from oven, let cool for a few mins, and top with icing. Enjoy!

Mushroom Potpie

While this dish took a bit of time to prepare, it was worth the effort. My mushroom mixture made more than I planned filling up a 9x13 rather than an 8x8, so I had to roll out the top a little thinner than desired. It still turned out great but would be better with a "thicker" pastry top.

Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms (I used a combo of cremini and button) halved, or quartered
4 carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 celery stalks, sliced 1/4" thick
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
1/3 c all-purpose
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 c frozen peas
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (most are vegan, just check ingredients list)

Heat oven to 400. Heat 2 TBSP oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 12-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the broth and peas; bring to a boil.
Transfer the mushroom mixture to an 8x8 baking dish. Lay the pastry on top and cut several vents in it. Bake until the crust is golden 20-25 minutes (place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet incase of overflow). Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Dressing up a side dish of corn

Sometimes just dressing up a side dish can make it go from ordinary to extraordinary!! I took a package of frozen corn, cooked it and added:

1/2 c chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper

It turned out beautiful and tasted even better!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!!

I have been on the hunt for a chocolate chip cookie that tasted like the ones I use to eat. I have tried probably 4-5 recipes without much luck, but now have found one that taste better than I even remember!! I got the recipe from Chef Chole, she won Cupcake Wars with her VEGAN cupcakes!!! She is an amazing chef with a cookbook coming out soon that I can not wait to get my hands on.

The recipe is for Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches, but I just made the cookies. If you are feeling adventurous, go for the sandwiches and let me know how they turn out!

http://chefchloe.com/sweets/chocolate-dipped-ice-cream-sandwiches.html

Side note-this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so make sure to have some people over to share them with.....or not!!

BBQ Tofu and Onion Skillet

I love how tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. This recipe was so simple and delicious, my 5 year old couldn't get enough.

One special note about cooking with tofu, the more your press/drain it the more it can take on the flavor of what you are cooking it with. Take the time to properly drain your tofu and it's much more enjoyable!

2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced (Vidalia was delicious)
1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, well drained and diced
1/2 c BBQ sauce (you can adjust this amount to your desire)

Heat oil in skillet. Add the onions and saute over med heat until golden. If your not in a hurry, cook them over very low heat to caramelize them.

Add the tofu and BBQ and turn the heat up to med-high. Use enough sauce to coat the tofu. Cook for 6-8 minutes.

I served mine over brown rice with a side of roasted cauliflower.

Orange Glazed French Toast

My husband loves French Toast! Now you might think that we can not indulge in such a thing, it's made with raw egg!! I have found a recipe that we all love, and it's MUCH healthier for you.

1 c soy milk
1 c OJ
2 TBSP powdered sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 loaf of bread (I like italian or a french baguette pre-sliced and stale or slightly toasted)

Mix everything together. Melt butter on pan and place dipped slices of bread into pan, flip once browned.

Serve with powdered sugar, syrup, strawberries, blueberries, etc!!