have you heard the hype?

Have you guys heard the crazy benefits of coconut oil? I was researching natural remedies for acid reflux (yeah gross) and stumbled across an article that talked about coconut oil and I couldn't even believe it. I mean it is a miracle, it absorbs fat, it fights viruses, it's anti-fungal, it boosts your immune system, it cures acid reflux, I could go on and on, look it up.

I am so sorry for my absence, I worked 9 days in a row (ughhh) and today was my planned day to do some baking (mixed berry oatmeal bars were on the agenda) but I woke up with a fever and vomiting (despite this being the internet I feel ok over sharing with you guys, very strange). This is an older recipe, but I will be sharing it with you because I feel bad I haven't been posting.

Vegetable Stir-Fry With Sesame Oil

Ingredients

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

3 or 4 cloves garlic

3 stalks celery

1 full carrot 

1 bunch fresh spinach (stems removed)

6 or 7 large mushrooms

6 spears of asparagus

1/2 cup baby corn

1 tomato

any other vegetables you're in the mood for

1 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Start some rice in a rice cooker, then begin to heat your sesame oil in a wok on low heat. If you don't use sesame oil because it can be expensive try checking an Asian market, it will be much cheaper, but either way it is worth the money, it adds really delicious flavor. Add the coarsely chopped onions to the wok, crush and finely chop your garlic and add it to the wok.

Coarsely chop the rest of your vegetables, starting with the hardest (the ones that take the longest to soften I usually add celery, carrots, and asparagus first) then add your seasonings, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce and cook until tender.

Serve over rice with soy sauce, it is also delicious with fried tofu! Enjoy!

mom's biscuits and gravy

This is an adaptation of my mom's gravy recipe, I grew up with this gravy and it's so delicious. So I have a huge confession, when I'm feeling lazy I use bisquick for my biscuits, it's vegan and it's easy, don't judge me. So make your biscuits and put them in the oven, while they're baking make your gravy.

Country Gravy Vegan Style

1/4 cup TVP crumbles

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 tsp soy sauce

3 tbsp earth balance

4 tbsp flour

2 cups non dairy milk (almond milk for whatever reason doesn't work in this recipe it doesn't thicken so I use soy milk)

1 tsp garlic salt (or more if desired, I use more)

pepper to taste

Add the boiling water to the TVP and set aside. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the earth balance, once the earth balance is melted add the TVP and soy sauce.

Cook over medium heat until the crumbles start to brown, about 15 minutes, they should look like this;

add the flour and mix it into the crumbles.

Add your non dairy milk of choice in one slow steady stream.

Add the garlic salt and pepper and continue to cook on medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens to desired consistency. Serve over fresh biscuits.

Special thanks to the boyfriend, who takes most of my pictures for me <3

let's talk breakfast

I'm back from vacation, it was lovely, after all of the time that went into testing and perfecting a carrot cake my boyfriend requested ice cream cake, I surprised even myself when I pulled off a home made 5 layer ice cream cake, that recipe will come eventually, it needs some fine tuning still. I'm going to post my breakfast recipes separately so they are easier to search, I hope you enjoy!

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal, I love it anytime of day, and I love visiting places like Chicago where brunch is served well into the afternoon. My early vegan days I pretty much gave up on breakfast, I thought I had to settle on oatmeal and fruit for the rest of my vegan days, but then I started doing some research and was relieved to find out how many options there really are, and to create a few of my own. Now I can enjoy oatmeal and fresh fruit instead of resenting it! Brekfast for the boyfriend and I is usually a feast including hashbrowns, tofu scramble, and biscuits and gravy. Isa Chnadra's tofu scramble is perfect as it is so I won't post a recipe.

Whatever you're making for breakfast always start with your potatoes, they take ages to properly cook.

Vegan Hash Browns (you can easily make breakfast potatoes instead, just chop instead of shred)

3 medium sized potatoes (this serves 2 if you have more use more)

1 tbsp earth balance

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Scrub your potatoes clean and toss them in the oven, no need to wrap them in foil or anything, this just jump starts the cooking process. Usually while my potatoes are in the oven I prep the other elements of breakfast. let your potatoes bake for at least 10 minutes and anywhere to 30 minutes, just don't let them get too soft. Pull them out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes, while they are cooling heat a well seasoned skillet over medium heat, add the butter and oil so that they can heat up as well. Use a cheese grater to shred your potatoes.

Add the shredded potatoes to the hot skillet and top with the chili powder, seasoning salt, and pepper, spread the potatoes into an even layer and don't touch them for the first 7 minutes, this is the secret to crunchy delicious potatoes. After the 7 minutes go by use a spatula to flip them over so that the uncooked pieces are on the skillet and the crunchy pieces are facing up, then let them sit for another 7 minutes. If you like your has browns crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle you can continue to cook them this way until they are hot all the way through, but if you like uniform crispiness you can mix them all up so the middle can crisp too. Serve with salsa!