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Apr 24, 2013

Milk and Honey Rice Krispie Treats


I’ve always been in love with the expression “milk and honey” meaning: all good things. It’s luxurious and nurturing. The phrase immediately takes me somewhere warm, soft and delicate.

Before going fully vegan I would drink steamed soy milk and honey regularly. It was comforting and lush. Luckily there are companies out there doing incredible things with vegan food. We’re seeing a rise in great vegan honeys which include Just Like Honey Rice Nectar, Sohgave Honey Flavored Agave Nectar and Bee Free Honee. Now I can enjoy steamed soy milk and honey all over again! Not to mention other great milk and honey treats.

These Milk and Honey Rice Krispie Treats are really good. The honey flavor is prominent and rich with the almond milk offering a subtle and mellow cushion for the sweetness. Almond milk also replaces most of the margarine normally used in Rice Krispie Treats. It makes for a lower fat, creamier and softer treat. All good things.

 Milk and Honey Rice Krispie Treats
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegan honey
  • 1 teaspoon vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
  • 10 ounces Dandies Vegan Marshmallows
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 cups puffed rice cereal
1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat up the milk, honey and margarine until the margarine is melted. Add the Dandies and stir constantly until the marshmallows are completely melted. Resist the temptation to turn up the heat! The lower the heat, the more workable the coating.
2. Once the marshmallows are melted, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. 
3. Add the rice cereal and stir to coat. 
4. Pour the mixture into a greased 8×8″ pan (or 9×13″ if you prefer thinner treats) and press into the pan. Let them cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into them. 
5. Savor each bite, count your blessings and listen:


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Apr 21, 2013

Ginger, Bacon and Honey Mini Pancakes



I finally saw Upton’s Naturals Bacon Seitan at Whole Foods and bought some to use for something special. While many might not consider pancakes special, I really feel like they can be. The flavor possibilities are endless.

I love ginger so I actually put in a little more than the recipe says. My Husband finds ginger a little too medicinal so I cut it down for the recipe. Adjust based on your preference!

 Ginger, Bacon and Honey Mini Pancakes
Adapted from Perfect Pancakes from Vegan Brunch
Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1-1 1/4 cup nondairy milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegan honey (Like Bee Free Honee or Sohgave Honey Flavored Agave Nectar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 strips vegan bacon (store bought or homemade), cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Just medium. Too hot will cause uneven browning.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. 
3. To the flour add the canola oil, water, milk, honey and vanilla. Stir until just combined. 
4. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon. Fold the rest of the bacon and the ginger into the pancake batter.
5. Spray the skillet with oil (or spread some Earth Balance to lightly coat the bottom.) and pour the pancakes onto the skillet using 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake. Once the batter touches the skillet, don’t touch it. Don’t spread it, don’t shake it, don’t point at it until you see little bubbles on the surface of the batter. Then you can flip the pancake and let it cook for about another minute on the other side. Repeat until you’re out of batter.
6. Serve these drizzled with vegan honey and topped with Earth Balance and the reserved bacon. 

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Apr 19, 2013

Asparagus and Cilantro Soup



Soup is painfully difficult to photograph.

 Spring is in full gear and my Husband and I have been taking advantage of the bounty. This soup from The Real Food Daily Cookbook is a fantastic use of asparagus. It’s creamy, incredibly flavorful and especially good on a rainy spring day.

 Asparagus and Cilantro Soup
From The Real Food Daily Cookbook
Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 6 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, tips reserved and stalks cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari (I used soy sauce)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic, and saute for 8 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. Stir in the potato, basil, oregano and cumin. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the potato is almost tender.
3. Add the asparagus stalks and simmer for 5 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the potato is very tender.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, puree in a regular blender until smooth. Stir in the tamari, salt and white pepper. Return the soup to a boil then stir in the cilantro.
5. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus tips in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain, then cut the asparagus tips in half lengthwise.
6. Serve garnished with the asparagus tips and a side of biscuits (my own addition!)



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Apr 18, 2013

Sriracha Vegetable and Ramen Stir Fry

First and foremost: Thank you so much to The Vegan Woman for listing House Vegan as a Vegan Food Blog to Keep an Eye Out For! With over 90 nominations, I feel really special that my lil ole blog was included on such a great list. Being next to blogs that I read regularly is pretty crazy and exciting. I feel very honored. Thank you!!!

Second only to that very exciting announcement: The Food.


 It’s near impossible for me to kick a noodle craving. I’m really more of a rice girl, but a piece of my heart will always belong to Asian noodles. Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying.

This dish doesn’t taste overwhelmingly like Sriracha, but it does have a nice touch of heat. Delicious.

 Sriracha Vegetable and Ramen Stir Fry
Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1-2 teaspoons vegetarian fish sauce (depending on saltiness and taste)
  • 3 – 4 ounces ramen noodles, cooked and drained (if using a ramen soup packet, just throw away the seasoning.)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 medium carrot, sliced
  • 2 shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro
1. In a small bowl, combine the Sriracha, soy sauce, vinegar and vegetarian fish sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of “fish” sauce and add more to taste based on your preference. Set the sauce aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly until fragrant. Remove the garlic from the oil and discard.
3. Add the carrot, mushrooms and bell pepper to the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until the veggies start browning and softening.
4. Add the cabbage, spinach and scallions to the pan and cook for 3-4 more minutes. The cabbage should softened but remain crisp.
5. Stir in the Sriracha mixture and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the noodles and toss everything with tongs or chopsticks to mix and evenly coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Salt to taste.
7. Serve with limes wedges, scallions and soy sauce. 
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