Posts by admin:
- 3 carrots
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 orange
- 1 head of Romaine lettuce
- 2 inches of fresh ginger
Dark Chocolate Cake Truffles
February 12th, 2011
I tried something new this year and decided to make a quick recipe for cake truffles. When I came across Jessica’s post, from How Sweet It Is, for her Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake and Pink Velvet Cake Truffles, I knew I finally had to try making something fun like this.
How to make this vegan, you might ask? Well, I had some leftover Tofutti cream cheese and I had some Naturally Nora cake mix. If you are not familiar with this product, throw away your Betty Crocker cake mix, go the store and buy one of these mixes.
This particular mix is made with unbleached wheat flour and no artificial ingredients and it is vegan when you use non-dairy milk and an egg substitute to make the cake mix. Even though I like making my own cake, I like using this cake mix when I want something quick. I can rely that it will have natural ingredients with my added vegan ingredients. Simple!
What about the chocolate part? Super simple. I placed 2 bars of my favorite dark chocolate bars in a double boiler and melted them.
I finished the process at a friend’s house so she was my tester. I had already baked the cake and and cooled it, then I added the cream cheese and some vanilla extract.I refrigerated them and then finished the dipping and sprinkling at my friend’s house. She could not wait to try them and we both tasted them and we liked them alot!
I know some of you do not prefer dark chocolate but this did not taste as dark as it would taste if you were having a square of it. One was enough too! Well, 1 1/2! The rest go to my friend’s grandkids, which I am sure they will enjoy! I thank her for letting me use her Valentine’s roses for a backdrop too!
Hopefully you can find sometime to have fun making these with your kids or for a party. They are fun and easy. Some people even prefer to freeze thes cake truffles so try them half and half. Happy weekend!
Dark Chocolate Cake Truffles
makes 20 truffles
Half a 20.3-ounce box Naturally Nora’s cake mix (use any kind)
4 ounces Tofutti cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 -3.5 ounce Equal Exchange Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bars (about 71% dark)
sprinkles for decorations
Bake the cake with half the amount of additional ingredients it asks for. Bake in a round 9’inch pan according to directions. Cool cake completely after it has baked.
Leave Tofutti at room temperature while the cake is baking. Crumble the baked cake into a medium bowl and add the vanilla extract and cream cheese and mix with hands.
Form into 20 balls and place on a baking sheet and refrigerate overnight or freeze. If you want a softer bite then refrigerate, if not then freeze.
Line another baking sheet with parchment, wax paper or foil to be ready to place finished truffles.
The following day, break the chocolate bar into segments and place in a double boiler. Start simmering water and let the chocolate completely melt. Using a large fork, place one cake ball at a time into the melted chocolate, and remove when the ball is completely covered in chocolate.
Place each ball on the sheet and repeat the same process leaving about an inch between each ball the prevent sticking or mess-ups. Add sprinkles after dipping 4 cake balls as the chocolate quickly hardens.
Place balls in the refrigerator or freezer for 1 to 2 hours and then feel free to devour! ENjoy!
These were recently made by Erin at The Healthy Apron and featured on Tasha’s post for Valentine’s Day at The Clean Eating Mama.
Sharing is Caring!
Spicy Tomato Alfredo Pasta {Tex-Mex Style}
February 11th, 2011
I do not know if you are a little sugar-ladened with all the sweets being posted as ideas for Valentine’s Day but I thought it was time to post a meal idea for those staying home for Valentine’s Day.
Lindsay over at Cook.Vegan.Lover posted a great contest challenging her readers to come up with a special dish in either the appetizer, entree, or dessert category. Not only were we to come up with an idea, but it had to be Fiery and Vegan! Fiery? I thought of the word spicy, so I quickly had to come up with something.
Well I sure did wait to the last minute because tonight is the deadline! What is a girl with a day job have to do to get things done around here?? Do not answer that. he he he.
Did I use to eat that stuff? Yes. I know there are still many that eat that now but if you look at the ingredients, you will realize that there is a lot of fake stuff in that. Anyway, we would eat it on Sunday evenings over nachos. Why the heck did this come to mind? Why was I craving this cheesy crap?
I created a creamy tomato alfredo with a hint of cheeziness that quickly became like Mexican queso but more in a pasta sauce form. I normally added a can of Ro*tel to the Velveeta along with some green chilis so this is exactly what I did with the sauce. I blended up cashews and coconut milk to make the alfredo base and then added spices.
Do not be afraid of the spice factor. I do note how you can decrease the spice for those with sensitive palates but for those who still want to enjoy a Tex-Mex dish. How about stirring up the heat on the dinner table? {Get your heads out of the gutter} I meant, how about make each other’s noses run as you enjoy this delicious dish?
I really like brown pasta but if you or your loved one is like my Ryan, you can always substitute for a different non-gluten-free pasta. Make sure to add a big green salad to this dish. I also add 2 options for more protein to this dish but if you want simple, here you have it. Thanks Lindsay for a great contest!
Please go and vote for my recipe at Lindsay’s site Cook.Vegan.Lover Thanks!
Spicy Tomato Alfredo Pasta {Tex-Mex Style}
print recipe
serves 4-6
Tomato Alfredo sauce
1 cup raw cashews
¾ cup So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk, or non-dairy milk
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (about 6 pieces)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup nutritional yeast
3 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons miso paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper*
2 teaspoons Ancho chili powder, or regular chili powder*
Additional Ingredients12 ounces Lundberg brown rice penne pasta, or other pasta
½ cup cilantro, chopped
4 ounce can green chilis, chopped
12 ounces Ro*tel Original Tomatoes
1 10-ounce can blackbeans (optional)
*This amount of spice was spicy but bearable. This is perfect for those who like spicy! If you want a medium spice, then reduce the cayenne pepper to ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon.
Preparation
Cook pasta according to packaged directions. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
Add all the sauce ingredients to a high-powered blender (Vitamix or Blendtec) and blend until all the ingredients are blended and smooth.
Drain pasta, placing the pasta back in the pot . Add the sauce, the green chilis, the can of Ro*tel and cilantro. Heat on low until the sauce has heated properly so that this will prevent from pasta sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Enjoy with a big green salad.
Sharing is Caring!
Shredded BBQ “Chicken” Baked Potatoes
February 9th, 2011
Thank to those who helped me make a decision on what to post today. As I prepare recipes for the e-book, other recipes are piling up that I would like to share with everyone.
This past weekend, I really did not feel like cooking since my cold had taken a hold of my body. {Can you imagine that one?} I asked Ryan what he would like to eat and with a glimmer in his eye he told me he wanted BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes.
Did I mention my husband is not vegan? So, yes, if you did not know I cook meat for him at least 3 to 4 times a week because he then will eat everything that I prepare the rest of the time that is vegan. I have a supportive husband and while I have not had perfect vegan or veganized dishes, he will eat what I prepare.
So as I nodded at his request for BBQ Chicken, he then asked me, “What are you going to eat?” I thought about BBQ Tofu in potatoes and somewhat cringed and then I remembered I had a $1 off coupon to try one Gardein product. I promptly went to Kroger and looked around.
I know Gardein has been around but it takes me a while to warm up to packaged vegan meats despite the attractive packaging that Gardein has for each product. Having a coupon really helped me make up my decision since most of their products range from $3.99 to $5.69 from the stores I go to.
I quickly saw the BBQ Pulled Shreds and knew that that was the perfect thing for my Baked Potato dish. I really try to limit the amount of seitan that I eat so I knew this was the perfect time since it had been a while since I had eaten it. With the coupon, I paid $2.99! I could not wait to try it. While this product is NOT gluten-free, I know that it is vegan, so that is important. Here are the ingredients:
Ryan baked the potatoes and made a nice salad so that I could take a nap, since I had spent 3 hours running errands and buying groceries whilst being sick (not good). My husband is such a sweetie! He really makes the best salads and adds so many goodies.
I woke up and it was nearly time for the potatoes to be ready. I quickly warmed up the BBQ Chicken and the BBQ Pulled Shreds and took out some Earth Balance and Daiya Cheese. This meal was SO GOOD! I have not had BBQ Baked Potatoes since Texas and I was quite satisfied! The great thing about this Gardein product is that it is low in calories and high in protein.
BBQ “Chicken” Baked Potatoes
serves 2
2 large organic russet potatoes,washed and scrubbed
coarse kosher salt
olive oil
1 package Gardein Pulled Shreds
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar or mozzarella shreds
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
vegan sour cream (optional)
green onions (optional)
black pepper to taste
additional BBQ sauce needed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly.
Poke each potato numerous times with a fork (for potato to cook evenly)
Rub each potato with olive oil and rub kosher salt over the poato. Place the potatoes directly on the middle rack and a pan under that rack in order to catch drippings. Cook for an hour and 10 minutes or until a fork goes through the potato easily.
Heat BBQ Pulled Shreds according to packaged directions. Slice each potato lengthwise and add Earth Balance and 1/4 cup Daiya shreds. Add optional toppings if wanted and then add half the BBQ shreds.
The potatoes really do not need salt because the skins are salted and give the even seasoning, but salt your potato if you need it. Enjoy!
By the way! Remember this Electric Green Cocktail? It is MSU-inspired and part of a CONTEST. Please vote for me. Polls open until Feb. 15th! Thanks everyone! http://marxfood.com/szechuan-button-cocktail-recipes/
Sharing is Caring!
So Delicious Coconut Milk Giveaway [5 winners]
February 8th, 2011
As you know, I am a big fan of So Delicious Coconut Milk. Before they came on the scene, I was not really wild about rice milk, but I really enjoyed almond milk. I had removed soy milk because it seemed to exacerbate my migraines, so I was left with few options.
When it came to ice cream, I really enjoyed the Rice Dream treats that are individually sold at health markets but other than that, I really never indulged or was happy with the soy ice cream products. It was too much of an acquired taste and my tastebuds did not want to acquire them. he he he
In comes So Delicious Coconut Milk and I was convinced that there was something just as nice and smooth as milk. In my pre-vegan days, I enjoyed an occasional cup of milk, despite knowing I was lactose-intolerant. I suffered the consequences.
So what is my go-to product for a non-dairy substitute? Most definitely, So Delicious. I do keep a half gallon of So Delicious Coconut Milk and Almond Milk in my fridge at all times just to have variety, but I really enjoy using the coconut milk for my coffee, baking, cooking and smooothies.
Here are a few recipes I have made using So Delicious or that have included So Delicious products:
 |
| Mushroom Medley over Greens and Creamed Butternut Squash |
 |
| Ultra Fudgy Moist Brownies |
 |
| Apple Dumplings (Gluten-free) with Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream |
Feel free to check out my So Delicious tab on the side bar for MORE recipes!
The company has been generous to send me some more coupons for free products and I want people to have a chance to try this product, whether it is their ice creams, kefir, coconut milk, coffee creamer, or yoghurt, there are so many options.
5 people will have a chance to win a coupon for a FREE product of their choosing. Giveaway is only open to U.S. Readers. Sorry folks, forgot to add this!
Here are ways to enter:
Mandatory entry: 1. What So Delicious product would you buy that you have not tried yet? (check out the link for products)
Extra entries: (Leave an extra entry for each)
2. Follow So Delicious on Facebook. [Tomorrow they start 100 days of giveaways!]
3. Follow So Delicious on Twitter.
4. Follow Opera Singer in the Kitchen on Facebook
5. Follow Opera Singer in the Kitchen on Twitter
6. Subscribe by email or by Google Friend Connect.
7. Tweet the following message “Enter @singerinkitchen giveaway for a chance to win 1 out of 5 coupons for free @So_Delicious products http://bit.ly/hSJnOX “
The giveaway ends Monday, February 14th at midnight, EST. Good luck!
Sharing is Caring!
Mini Pomegranate Coconut Cupcakes with Pomegranate Frosting
February 7th, 2011
Hi folks. I know it has been pretty quiet around here when it comes to posting. I have been a little sick since last Wednesday adn really trying to get over it. I have not gotten sick over a year so I was suprised when this lower respiratory mess came upon me. Sounds like it is going around and it got to me.
This morning I enjoyed juicing a few fruits and veggies in order to heal. I juiced the following:
Frosting
