My Foodie Kid's Favorites

This post is dedicated to my one and only baby girl Landry.  Eleven years ago this month I was blessed to meet her and have her become a big part of our family.  You all can thank Landry for me being vegan.  How did she do that?  Well when I was in my first trimester of pregnancy she made it clear that eating or smelling meat was not going to happen without consequences.

Over the next 11 years Landry has become quite a foodie and even cooks for the family sometimes.  So when I was lost for recipes to post she requested these both in the same week and now I share them with you; a couple of her foodie kid favorites that you can try with your little ones. Thanks again Landry for the inspiration.

First is Breakfast.  Landry has always, always loved hot breakfast.  While other kids are enjoying cereal she wants Grits with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Potatoes and her all time favorite, Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup of  all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. vegan sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2  Tbsp  Earth Balance melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp. vegan chocolate chips

pinch of salt

Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then combine all the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips and sift over the wet. Mix well until all the lumps are gone then add the chocolate chips.  Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes while heating a skillet over medium high heat.

Using a 1/4 cup scoop add the batter to well greased pan.  Flip when bubbles appear on the top and the edges look dry.  DO NOT PRESS the pancake down.  Cook for 1-2 minutes more.  Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve with powdered sugar and fresh berries.  The beauty of these pancakes is that they freeze well so make a double batch for the kids to microwave during the week.  

Her other go to meal is my vegan pot pie with homemade crust.  She loves this recipe so much that when she had to nominate someone to get an award and write a paper on them for school.  I was nominated for "Best Vegan Chef" and the paper was all about this pot pie.

Vegetable Pot Pie

For the Crust:

 2 1/2 cups of flour

1 cup Earth Balance butter cubed and cold.

1/2 cup ice water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Mix the salt and flour together and mix in the cold butter (butter must be cold). I put it in the freezer for 10 minutes after cubing. Add the butter and then add the ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. After a dough forms ( it will be crumbly but that's OK) cut in half and form into two equal balls. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours. Unwrap one ball and kneed for two to three minutes on a floured surface, then roll out with rolling pin to size of your greased 9x9 pan. And place in the bottom of the pan.

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons of Earth Balance butter

10 oz. bag of frozen mixed veggies.

½ cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of almond milk

1 3/4 cups of vegetable broth

Add the Earth Balance to a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the vegetables and cook until warmed through and add flour and stir well until all veggies are coated. Then add almond milk and broth. Bring to a boil and let thicken. Add the mixture to the pan and repeat the steps for the second dough ball as the first and top the pot pie. Once the top is on add a couple of slits with a knife so the steam can escape. Cook in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the crush is golden brown. This is also a great meal to make two of and freeze one before cooking it.

These are just two of Landry's favorites.  What are your foodie kids favorites?
Like the recipes here?  Share Brownveggiemom with friends.

Chocolate Truffles

I love to "veganize" recipes.  I, like you, watch the Food Network and search the Internet for recipes to Pin.  This next recipe was based on a recipe from the Pioneer Woman on the Food Network.  Not all of her recipes, heck not most of her recipes are easy to veganize but this one was very easy to translate and made with ingredients I always have on hand.  The original recipe made them into Brownie pops.  I however made them into a grown up chocolate truffle so my daughter wouldn't want them.  Boy was I wrong.

 

Chocolate Truffles

 2 cups of powdered sugar

1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup of all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of Earth balance butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 bags of Chocolate dream semi sweet chips

1 greased baking sheet

 

Sift together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt.  Drizzle in the melted butter while still hot, add the vanilla and stir to combine.  Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 20 portions and use your hands to roll them into balls.  Place on the baking sheet and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

 

Using the double broiler method from my last post melt the chocolate chips down and let cool slightly. pour the melted chocolate over the truffles making sure they are all covered.  Allow the truffles to rest at room temperature before serving.

Now that you have a few of my favorite chocolate recipes, share them with your friends.  While your at it share the blog too!

Chocolate Almonds

This

Plus This

 

 

Equals
 

 

This week's chocolate delight came out of desperation.  My family and I were on a spending freeze to prepare for an upcoming vacation.  During this freeze we would only eat what we had in the house and nothing was to be purchased not even snacks. So one night we were ripping the kitchen apart trying to making something yummy appear.  We found my three ingredients and were able to make up a dessert that will long live on our list of favorites. So here is how we made something out of nothing.  To do this recipe correctly you will need to make a double broiler A double boiler (bain marie) is used to heat materials gently without burning or scorching them. It has many applications in science, industry, and cooking. You can purchase a double boiler, or make your own as follows.

 

What you’ll need:

Small to medium-sized pot
Ovenproof (Pyrex) glass bowl that will fit inside the pot without resting at the bottom

Directions:

• Fill pot about 1/4 full with water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and fit the bowl into the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not reach the water (at least 2″ to 3″ space between the bowl and water is optimal). The intention is to heat the bowl with steam and not the water.
• Add the ingredients required and proceed as recipe instructs.

Something out of nothing Chocolate Almonds 

 

One bag of Chocolate Dream Semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup of Calfia Almond Milk

8 oz. of Unsalted Almonds or any nut that you have on hand

Greased Sheet pan

 

Over a Double broiler (A pot of boiling water and a bowl that fits over it) add the Chocolate chips and the Almond milk.  Once the chips melt add in the Almonds.  Mix well and using a tablespoon take scoops of the chocolate covered almonds and place them on the sheet pan in small piles.  repeat this method until all of the chocolate and almonds are used up.  Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens. 

 

They should look like this.

So if you have been following, you should have three of my favorite chocolate recipes.  I hope you've had a chance to try them.  If you have please send pictures to brownveggiemom@yahoo.com for a chance to be featured on my social media accounts.

My Love of Chocolate - Week 2

Cookies!

Who doesn't love a cookie?  Crispy ones, chewy ones, small or jumbo we all have our favorite.  Mine happen to be chocolate chip. Not just any kind but soft and chewy ones.  Trying to find a chocolate chip that was dairy free and delicious was a feat but alas I found them at Whole Foods.

These chocolate chips are dairy free, all natural and so yummy I can eat them right out of the bag.  One bag and a few other ingredients you probably already have on hand can get you 3 dozen of the dreamiest chocolate chip cookies ever.

 

Dreamy Chocolate chip Cookies

 

2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks of earth balance buttery sticks ( room temperature)

1/2 cup of vegan granulated sugar

1 cup of ( packed) light brown sugar 

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs worth of Ener-G egg replacer or flax egg

1 package of dairy free Chocolate Dream semi-sweet chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, whish together the flour and baking soda; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and both sugars; beat on medium until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla and egg replacer  Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute.  Add the flour mixture one cup at a time until combined.  Turn off mixer and pour in chocolate chips; using a wooden spoon gently fold in the chips.

 

 

Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

 

Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges about 8 minutes for chewy or 10 minutes for crispy. remove from oven and let cool for 1 to 2 minutes.  Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an air tight container.  They can last for 5-7 days but they won't.

My Love of Chocolate Month- Week 1

Chocolate.

What can I say about chocolate?  I can remember when chocolate and I became the best of friends.  It was during my freshman year of college when I came home for winter break with my friend Noah. My mother took us out to lunch at a place called the Italian Bistro.  I can't remember what we ordered to eat but I do remember Noah asking me to split the chocolate mousse with him for dessert.  At this time in my life I considered myself a salty snack lover preferring chips and pretzels and never ordered dessert.  But that day I agreed and let Noah order the mousse.  When it came to the table I remember frowning and looking at this brown blob and thinking "that could never be good" and boy was I wrong.  Smooth, creamy, sweet and delicious is what that mousse was to me and after that day I didn't see much more of Noah but chocolate and I have been together every since.

During my plant based journey I have been able to find some of the best dairy free chocolates from bars to chips to powders and can't wait to share them with you this month. 

My first pick is the Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder.  This dark rich powder makes a great vegan version of the chocolate mousse that started it all.  Paired with ripe avocado for creaminess and vanilla and maple syrup for sweetness you too will fall in love with this powder.

Ghirardelli Avocado Chocolate Mousse

1 large ripe avocado

1/4 cup or more to taste Grade B Maple syrup

1/4 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup vanilla flavored Almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Add the peeled and sliced avocado to a high powered blender and mix until smooth.  Next add the other ingredients and mix until blended well.  Place in an air tight container and let cool before serving.  I like to serve mine with fresh berries and slivered almonds. 

As always I dare you to try it, like it and send me a picture to Brownveggiemom@yahoo.com.  Enjoy!

Week Night One Pot Pasta

If you are anything like me you are busy during the week.  Working, taking the kids here and there or just taking care of you can be a full-time job. So when it comes to dinner, eating out or quick unhealthy foods might seem like our only option.   After scowling the Internet looking for inspiration to end this weeknight dilemma I came upon this great recipe on the site Budget Bytes called a Wonderpot.  This recipe is plant based, features my favorite food of all time-pasta, is an easy clean up and kind to your pockets.  I loved it so much that instead of putting my own spin on it I left it just the way it was.  This Spinach and Artichoke one pot pasta will be a great addition in my recipe rotation. 

Spinach & Artichoke One Pot Pasta

Ingredients

      8 oz. assorted fresh mushrooms

       1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts

      4 cloves garlic

        1 medium yellow onion

        5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

      12 oz.  Fettuccine

       1 tsp.  dried oregano

      ½ tsp.  dried thyme

      4 oz. organic frozen cut spinach

Instructions

1.       Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Drain the can of artichoke hearts and roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the onion and garlic (you can mince the garlic if you don't want large slices).

2.       Place the vegetable broth, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions, and garlic in a large pot.

3.       Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the oregano, thyme, and some freshly cracked pepper. Push the ingredients down under the broth as much as possible. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a rolling boil over high heat.

4.       As soon as it reaches a boil, stir the pot to evenly distribute the ingredients and prevent the pasta from sticking. Turn the heat down to low so that the pot is just simmering. Allow the pot to simmer, with the lid on, for 2-3 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Give the pot a stir every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking.

5.       Once the pasta is cooked through, add the frozen spinach. Allow the heat from the pasta to thaw the spinach. Stir the pot to help break up the clumps of spinach as they melt. Serve hot.

 

Do you have a favorite one pot recipe?  Share it with us in the comments below.

MY First Give-Away featuring 22 Days Nutrition

When Beyonce and JayZ went vegan a couple of years ago they were guided by the 22 Days Nutrition plan. The philosophy behind this program is that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit and by the 22nd day you are on your way.  

During my plant based journey my biggest road block was finding good alternatives to my eggs for breakfast and my yogurt and granola for my mid-day snack, in comes 22 Days Nutrition to the rescue.

 

What makes them different?  The answer is simple; they use real ingredients that you can pronounce, that are organic, non-gmo, plant based, gluten free and most of all delicious. These bars are not loaded with fillers and sugars that give you a short burst of energy then have you crash later but are filled with plants that give you long lasting energy.  Have I convinced you yet to try them?  Need more reasons?

Why not try them on me?  I will pick 2 readers to receive a case each of 22 Days Nutrition bars and one 22 days blender bottle.  Email me at Brownveggiemom@yahoo.com to tell me how this prize pack will help you on your plant based journey and I will pick two random winners by February 1st.

 

Rules:  By entering this contest you agree to receive further emails from Brownveggiemom

            Only one entry per email address

Happy emailing!