For Fun Food Friday, I made a holiday themed vegan Oatmeal cookie using dried cranberries instead of raisins based on this recipe from About.com Vegetarian. This oatmeal cookie is not only fun, but is allergy-friendly as it is egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
For Fun Food Friday, I made a holiday themed vegan Oatmeal cookie using dried cranberries instead of raisins based on this recipe from About.com Vegetarian. This oatmeal cookie is not only fun, but is allergy-friendly as it is egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
For a softer cookie, bake for 12 minutes, and for crunchy cookies bake for 15 minutes. These cookies are so easy to make, and great to take to a holiday party or give as a gift.
When I took this pizza out of the oven my parents thought the pie was made with real chicken and dairy cheese. Nope, it's vegan! I'm kinda proud of myself for finding a way to make the cheese look like real melted mozzarella. I shall share my secret in a moment.
One of my beefs (no meat pun intended) with most vegan pizza I've tried or seen is that the cheese doesn't look melted or tastes like you would imagine vegan cheese to taste. I've been doing experiments with different vegan cheeses, and this experiment proved successful.
This is only the second time I've ever made pizza at home. The first time was a disaster because the baking pan I used burned the outside of the crust and left the inside a bit gooey. This time I bought a pizza stone, and what a difference. I bought my stone at Cost Plus World Market for $12.99, and what a great investment.
My crust turned out fat because I didn't roll out the dough thin enough, but that's okay. We can be creative and call it fat crust versus thick crust like we did it on purpose. I like my pizza topping heavy, so as you can see I loaded up on the stuff. The crust is a darker brown because it's made with whole wheat.
This entire pizza is made with pre-made ingredients I purchased from two stores: Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.
Daiya also has a Jack Wedge which is another nice looking cheese that is white like mozzarella, but it doesn't have as much flavor as the Havarti. If you like mild, try the Jack. Although the Havarti has Jalapeno, the heat is really mild to almost non-existent, at least to me.
If you don't have a Whole Foods nearby, Trader Joe's also has pre-made pizza dough and vegan chick'n strips. I really like the Beyond Meat Chicken because it shreds like real chicken. With the barbecue sauce, the Beyond Meat Chicken comes very close to the taste and texture of real chicken. Remember my Beyond Meat chicken salads?
I used the coconut flour instead of wheat flour to help roll out the dough and to make shreds with the Daiya Havarti wedge because loose wheat flour can burn. Cornmeal is also recommended.
Here's the secret to making my melty looking vegan cheese. I combined two different vegan cheeses, the Trader Joe's vegan mozzarella and the Daiya Havarti wedge which I turned into shreds. Daiya does make mozzarella shreds, but I do not care for the taste and I don't like how it melts. The Trader Joe's vegan mozzarella by itself doesn't melt that great in my opinion and is not that tasty.
When you mix the Daiya and Trader Joe's cheese together some magic happens!
The trick to making Diaya Havarti shreds
I tried making shreds with the Daiya Havarti wedge straight on a handheld cheese shredder and it was a disaster because the havarti is too soft and clumps so you end up with a sticky ball. What works better is to cut about a 1/4 of the whole wedge, coat it with some coconut flour or cornmeal, and put the wedge into the freezer for about 90 minutes so the cheese hardens but is not rock solid.
The semi-frozen havarti will now make some nice shreds that won't stick together. As you shred, periodically stop and sprinkle some of the coconut flour on the shreds and mix them around so the shreds coat with the flour. This will help prevent the shreds from clumping together. In a bowl, blend the Trader Joe's vegan cheese and Daiya Havarti together.
An important point about the cheese
Save the shredding of the Daiya Havarti until the very end. Rolled out your pizza dough to your desired pizza size, and top your pizza with the BBQ sauce, Beyond Meat Chicken, mushrooms, red onion, and basil. Blend the TJ cheese and Daiya Havarti together and top at the very end because the Havarti will warm up fast and start clumping together. The key is to keep the Daiya as frozen as long as possible.
I baked my pizza on the stone for 15 minutes at 450 degrees rotating the pizza about 90 degrees every five minutes. Another good tip is to pre-heat the stone for about 10 minutes before you put your pizza on top of it.
Now that I have discovered a cool way to make melty looking vegan cheese on pizza, I cannot wait to try other flavor combinations. Are there any tricks you've used to make melty and better tasting vegan cheese for pizza?
If you are tired of baby carrots or celery sticks to nosh on, sugar snap peas are great! I like to dip the snap peas in hummus or muhammara dip for a fun snack.
This week, eat something with sugar snap peas in it. This fun vegetable adds some crunchy with your nutrients. To get you pea inspired, here are some delighful meal ideas from terrificly delicious food bloggers around the noshosphere:
Turkey, Cranberry, Sugar Snap Peas, and Cream Cheese Pecan Wrap. Use neufchatel cheese to make a lower fat version. [Coupon Clicking Cook]
Tender Sugar Snap Peas, Mint, Almonds, and Caramelized Onions [Lick My Spoon]
For Meatless Monday, go spicy garlic eggplant at your favorite Chinese restaurant. I usually get my dish mild to medium, but if you are feeling adventurous go for the heat. At one of my favorite local Chinese restaurants, I'll ask them to add tofu or broccoli to my eggplant for some additional protein or veggies.
There are basically three foods I eat almost everyday, and kale is one of them. According to the ANDI score, kale is one of the top 3 most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! So, if you're going to go big, go kale!
Kale comes in several colors and varieties. Try as many as you can for some green diversity. I really love the purple kale.
To get you kale inspired, here are some fabulous kale dishes from fantastic food bloggers around the noshosphere including one from us!
Vegan Kale and Spinach Gratin with Jalapeno Garlic Havarti [Noshtopia]
One of my favorite pre-made salads in the deli section of Whole Foods is their Autumn Couscous salad made with Israeli couscous.
I love the pearled Couscous as it reminds me of Asian pearl tea drinks. I also love the butternut squash and dried cranberries for a sweet flair. I couldn't find a recipe online but the ingredients are basic so you could easily make up a version at home.
This is a guest post by Keas.com, an Employee Wellness Program that combines the best of social media and online games to create happier, healthier, more engaged employees.
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Ever heard of the freshmen 15? It’s a term coined for those
first year college students who gain 15 pounds due to over-indulging.
How about the Corporate 15?
Same idea, except now we’re talking about your office
instead of your dorm room. It’s really quite simple. One of your co-workers brings
in a dozen donuts, and you have just one. The boss brings in a box of
chocolates, and you have just one. Suzy in HR brings in her famous Double Dip
Chocolate Carmel Cookies and you have…just one.
You keep telling yourself, “I’ll just eat one,” and quickly
the calories add up. Before you know it, you’re 15 pounds heavier than you ever
were before.
You’re not the only one. Eating too many “just ones” can
happen to the best of us. To help you along the road of a happier, healthier
you, here are 5 ways to avoid
over-indulging at work:
Take a walk during your lunch break.
Drink a glass of water before you dive into any
meal.
Ask if your co-workers are willing to bring in
fruit or nuts instead of calorie-loaded sweets.
At those holiday parties, reach for the veggie
platter instead of the cheesy casserole.
Bring in a healthy appetizer, like some yummy
cherry tomatoes topped with pesto crumbs (recipe
here), to share and inspire your co-workers.
Typically, we think of grapes as juice or as a scrumptious snack right off the stem. This week try using grapes as an ingredient in a dish. I like chopping up grapes and adding them to chicken or turkey salad with walnuts to add sweetness and crunch.
Your classic green grape is a typical choice, but be adventurous and try a new varietal of grape. In the photo above, I saw these Autumn Royal grapes at a local farmer's market that would be perfect for roasting because they are big and juicy.
To get your creativity going, here are some grape dish recipes from fruitful food bloggers around the noshosphere:
Honey Chicken Salad with Grapes, Wheat Berries and Feta [Pinch of Yum]
Roasted Grapes With Pomegranates, Walnuts and Goat Cheese Salad [Cook For Your Life]
Sweet and Savory Brussels Sprouts With Grapes, Bacon and Quinoa [Inspired RD]
Carrot and Fennel Salad With Fresh Grapes and Almonds [Veggie Num Num]
What's one of your favorite dishes with grapes in it?