Urban Vegan Tester – Spicy Udon Noodles

It’s the first food blog picture taken at Lando’s house!  With his black plates.    This definitely smelled good and I was able to snatch up some whole-wheat Udon.  I think Lando will like it and it was very easy to make. 

Desserts

Chocolate Cake from the Post Punk Kitchen Recipe Section (“Rich Chocolate Cake”), with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes, adapted from the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World recipe.

And last, but not least, from Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs from the same book, this time with ganache hearts!  (All shown in carrying cases for traveling tomorrow…..er, today, since it’s 2 a.m.)

Operation: Eat Kale

 

An easy way to incorporate kale into the diet is to serve it with noodles and peanut sauce.  The peanut sauce adds enough saltiness, flavor, and creaminess to provide a great base for the noodles and the greens.  I prefer to steam the kale for about 4-5 min. or just boil it with the rice noodles. 

Veganomicon – Spicy Eggplant & Peanut Soup

Veganomicon

I’ve been eating peanut butter or cashew-macadamia butter every single day like a madwoman, so I figured why not make the eggplant & peanut soup from VCon.  It’s legendary by now; all of the testers loved it!

I didn’t put the green beans in because I don’t like them very much and I added chives and sambal oelek because the soup wasn’t very spicy for me.  It’s very appetizing and creamy, with chunks of tender eggplant here and there. 

Have I mentioned I like eggplant? 

The First Step – Admitting you have a problem.

Just when you thought that the availability of all addictive substances would be highly taxed and regulated, Trader Joe’s saves the day and offers peanut butter, organic, creamy and chunky, for a decent price.

I’ve been using the nut butter all week, for sauces with noodles, dips with celery, poured over broccoli and brussels sprouts. 

What’s my rehab going to be – perusing the shelves of Whole Foods, catching a glimpse of the almond butter prices?

Peanut-Basil Noodles & Green Curry Tofu

www.ivu.org/recipes

This is one of my favorite Thai dishes, as well as Rich’s, because he requested it for his birthday!  It’s a coconut-peanut-basil sauce with kale, bean sprouts, brown rice noodles, topped with peanuts.  Also shown is a green curry tofu, made just using some coconut milk and green curry paste.  We had some sweet & spicy nori strips and chilled mellon for dessert.  Apparently, someone wanted a healthy birthday without cupcakes!  How will we take over the world now?   

Nothing Says Friendship

Better than Banana Peanut Butter Muffins…

 

WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS!  HOW ARE WE LIVIN’, SANCTUARY, GOERS?! 

———————————————————–

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins w/ Chocolate chips Vegetarian Times, March 2007 (Adaptation)Serves 6-12

1/2 c. whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. unbleached white flour

3/4 c. light brown sugar or raw sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 medium bananas, mashed

1/3 c. unsweetened crunchy peanut butter

1/4 c. soymilk, applesauce, or soy yogurt

1 egg replacer (as in Ener-G mixed with water or flax) (optional – these will hold together, as most baked goods, without it)

2 T. canola oil

3/4 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together bananas, peanut butter, soymilk, egg replacer, vanilla, and oil. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter evenly between the muffin cups (12).

Bake 18-20 min. or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 15 min.  GREAT EATEN WARM….you know, to test and make sure they taste good.

Cauliflower & Sweet Potatoes

Steamed cauliflower with peanut sauce

 

Boiled, then broiled sweet potatoes

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

 

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Have you succumbed to the undeniably best-tasting cupcakes ever yet?

Heart-Shaped Peanut Butter Bombs

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

So must of us already know that VCTOTW has magnificent chocolate cupcake recipes…what hadn’t been revealed to me until now was how delicious the peanut buttercream frosting was!

These are not necessarily for Valentine’s Day – they are for every single day.