Drunken Bananas

Level of Difficulty: supa easy
Pots/Pans Used: uno!


Ingredients

1 1/2 bananas, cut into quarters
1 TBL vegan margarine
1 TBL agave nectar
1/4 TSP vanilla extract
1 TBL spiced rum
1 1/2 tsp crystallized ginger, minced
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
garnish with shredded coconut

I LOVE bananas foster and although this is pretty close to the traditional dessert, I've changed it up slightly. I didn't have any ice cream, nor did I really need the added sugar so I left it out. However, if you want ice cream, I recommend it since bananas foster with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream is just about as close to nirvana as you can get. This was really more like a single serving, maybe enough for two not very hungry people. If you wanted to add more bananas I think that would be fine, there's definitely enough sauce for it. If anything it will just be more substantial and less soupy.



In a small saute pan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add the agave nectar and turn to high heat so that it begins to bubble, thicken and brown a bit. Once the color starts changing, turn the heat to low and add bananas. Add the vanilla extract and stir until the vanilla aroma begins to subside. Next add the rum and let it cook down for a few minutes. I tried lighting mine on fire so that the bananas would caramelize but it didn't work. Still, the alcohol wasn't too strong so it didn't seem to matter very much. Add the crystallized ginger and the pumpkin pie spice and stir up well. Garnish with shredded coconut and indulge your sweet tooth!

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Chickpea & Artichoke Salad

Level of Difficulty:EASY
Pots/Pans Used: 1!

Ingredients

1 13oz can Chickpeas, drained
1 can marinated artichoke hearts
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil
sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing:
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
s&p

You're not crazy, your are in fact experiencing déjà vu right now. This is a recipe I posted when VP just started that I revisited for dinner yesterday and decided to re-work. If I can, I like to change up recipes rather than just copy them and paste them in a blog. So this is a recipe from the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook that I decided to add a dressing to in order to mix things up. I'm not someone who normally opts to have a salad for dinner but this was so surprisingly hearty. It completely filled me up and I even had enough for leftovers. This could have really benefited from a squeeze of lemon, but I didn't have any on hand.



To start, put a large saute pan on medium-high heat with 1 TBL olive oil. Once hot, add the drained chickpeas to the pan. Move them around occasionally just to make sure they don't burn. You want them to be an even golden-brown color (will take about 10 min). Once they are golden, put them aside in a bowl. Next, drain the artichokes. Add another TBL of olive oil to the pan and then toss in the drained artichokes. Again, you want them to get a nice brown on each side. Once those are done, add them into the bowl with the chickpeas. Mix all the dressing ingredients together, pour over the chickpeas and artichokes along with the basil and toss up so that everything gets nicely coated. The original recipe calls for parsley so if your prefer that to basil, go for it. Top with sliced almonds for a nice crunch.

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Cinnamon Carrot Muffins

Level of Difficulty: easy
Pots/Pans Used: 2


Ingredients

2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown (or white) sugar
5 TBL vegan margarine
1 cup almond milk
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

I can't really take any credit for these muffins because my roommate, Rana Falahat, made them. They were so delicious that I had to put them up here for you guys to try. She adapted the recipe from one she found online. Rana added a lot of cinnamon which went along with the carrots perfectly. You can get creative too by adding walnuts or raisins or really anything that your heart desires ....Thanks Rana! :)



Preheat your oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat the margarine, vanilla and sugar separately until frothy. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the milk to this, alternating them. End with the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and thick. Finally, fold in the shredded carrots. Spoon batter into baking cups and bake 20-25 minutes. Perfect with a cup of tea for breakfast or dessert...

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Pasta Puttanesca

Level of Difficulty: easy
Pots/Pans Used: 2!

Ingredients

2 TBL olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
10 green olives, chopped
2 TBL capers
14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/2 tsp dried basil (fresh is best if you have it)
season with pepper and/or nutritional yeast

I had a version of Pasta Puttanesca a while back at Sublime restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Aside from the traditional anchovies, it seemed like a fairly easy dish to veganize. Plus, its a good way to spice up your pasta if you're tired of always eating spaghetti with tomato sauce. This recipe has a surprising amount of kick. I did add a couple chilies to it (not sure what kind) so that might account for most of it. Either way, if you hate spice, I recommend leaving the red pepper flakes out. If you love spice, this is the dish for you!



In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, olives, capers and red pepper flakes and let them cook a couple minutes for the flavors to combine. I got my olives from the self-serve section of Whole Foods. They were green and kalamata olives mixed with some chilies. So I also chopped up two of the chilies and threw them in for some extra heat. Next, add the entire can of tomatoes (don't need to drain). Add the basil to the sauce and then bring it to a simmer. Meanwhile, prepare your pasta. Since the pasta only takes 3-5 minutes to cook, the sauce should be done by the time your pasta is done. I cooked 1 lb of pasta but only ended up using about half of it because there wasn't enough sauce. So I either recommend doubling the sauce recipe or only cooking half of the box of pasta. Once you have drained the pasta, add it to the sauce and mix well. Season with pepper and nutritional yeast.

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OH YEAH, WE DID!

Yes! We finally meet...



So five of us Florida bloggers and our friends came together for a lunch at Trang Viet Cuisine in Tampa on Wednesday. The food was so/so but the company was beyond great. I really wish all of you could have come but I'm confident there will be another get together in the future.

The bloggers present were Krystina of Organically Me, Trinity of Haiku Tofu, Lindsey Mills of Soul Food and Blake Martin of Blake Bakes. So yeah, it kind of felt like a meeting of the gods.



Some of the food we feasted on...

(the appetizers were BY FAR the star of this meal)

Steamed bun and fried bun, both filled with veggies and imitation meat.


Just about the best spring rolls I've ever had


Vegan Noodle Pancake


Strawberry cheesecake




So we feasted and talked.
After all that action, it was clear what we needed... a nice nap


See you all at the next one! Recipes to come, I promise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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It's Official!

See you there!

*Your eyes are not playing tricks, it said June 14th and I fixed it

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Darbster Waterside Bistro

Onward to VP's second official restaurant review! And here we are with a new(ish) restaurant in my home town... Darbster!

loctaed at:
8020 South Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, Florida 33405

Darbster is a relatively new restaurant to the West Palm Beach area. One thing I will say is that they are constantly improving on their dishes and mixing up the menu. To be honest, when I first ate at Darbster (when they were fairly new), I thought it was just okay. Between my first and second visits, they had clearly been listening to customer feedback and tweaking the recipes because the second time I went (and every time since), I am always just gushing over the food.

One of my FAVORITE things about Darbster is their Sunday Brunch. Whenever I'm visiting home, I try and go every Sunday. I wish more places would offer vegan breakfast food! The atmosphere at Darbster is probably one of my most favorite things about it. The restaurant is technically all outdoors. They have a bar and some tables under a canopied area and then a patio area with tables overlooking water. Somehow it feels so relaxing and I truly feel like I'm on vacation when I'm eating there. They often have really nice live music and you can always bring your dogs! (Oliver loves Darbster too!) They were so nice and even grilled up some vegan chikn' for him once. In general, Darbster is just the kind of place you would want to become a regular at.

Now let's talk about food... All of my pictures are of dishes on the brunch menu.

Palm Cake Sandwich with Aioli, Lettuce and Roasted Red Potatoes. Oh god, where do I begin?!? The palm cakes are clearly one of Darbster's signature dishes and rightly so. If you go to Darbster and only get one thing... get the Palm Cake Sandwich. I believe this sandwich is only offered on the lunch menu or during Sunday brunch. However, palm cakes are always offered on the dinner menu as an appetizer or entree with a lemon pine nut sauce. Are you salivating yet?



Last Sunday, I got one of their specials, the Tofu Scramble Paired with a Hollandaise Sauce, Lentil Cake, Sausages and Roasted Potatoes. OH MY GOD. I have been waiting for a dish like this all my life. Nuff said.



My boyfriend got another one of their specials this week, the Spicy Orange Chipotle Chick'n Skewers with Corn Salsa and German Potato Salad. So light and flavorful. Yet again, another home run!



My mom had another special. I can't remember exactly what was on it it, but I know it was a Steak Sandwich. It had some kind of horseradish spread with veggies and German potato salad on the side. It was really yummmmy...



Lets not forget the French Toast with Fruit and Vegan Whipped Cream (a little melted but still delicious)!



And we HAD to finish with something sweet, The Bananas Foster. Bananas Foster is one of my favorite desserts so I'm easy to please. This was especially good because I think they used a scoop of coconut ice cream that really worked with the dish. I could be wrong, but I think it was coconut. I was so excited about digging in, that I forgot to take a picture... so this is halfway through when I realized...



I'm also partial to the Fried Chikn' Sandwich, Sliders, French Fries & Onion Rings, and Raw Tostadas!

In summation, go to Darbster if you live in the area... or even if you don't! It's moderately priced, the staff is always friendly, and the food is always good. They offer gluten-free and raw dishes as well so there's really something for everyone at Darbster. Here is a link to their facebook where they update often about specials and events going on. Let me know what you think if any of you visit...

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Summer Berry Crumble (Plus an Independence Day Feast!)

Level of Difficulty: quick and simple
Pots/Pans Used: two!

Ingredients

Filling:
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Crumble:
2/3 cup oats
1 cup ginger snaps, crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 1/2 TBL melted vegan margarine

I know, I know... leave it to me to do a 4th of July post on the 3rd. Late as usual, but yummy nonetheless. Hopefully, some of you have time to make some of these dishes for your get togethers tomorrow but if not... who cares. They taste good no matter what day of the year you make them on! This cobbler is really quick. I did make it in a rather small dish so I would say it might serve 4-5 people. You could always double it if you're making it for a large group. Good luck!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine filling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil so that it gets thick. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all the crumble ingredients except for the margarine. Finally, add the melted margarine last and mix up the crumble so that it is all well coated and begins to stick together. Pour the filling into your small glass dish, then top with the crumble. Place the dish on top of a baking sheet lined with tin foil (it WILL bubble over). Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool and serve with some ice cream!!




I've compiled some of my VP recipes that I think would make for a great 4th of July feast.

For a refreshing drink you could offer these "Pina Colada" Smoothies to your guests


As for some light appetizers you might try...

Broiled Stuffed Mushrooms


or Homemade Crispy Pita Chips with Guacamole


For the main dish, I would go with something simple like my Homemade Bean Burgers. You could always jazz em up with avocado, "cheese" and other condiments. French fries wouldn't hurt either ;)


This Strawberry & Spinach Salad would be PERFECT!


and of course, end on a good note with this red, white and blue Summer Berry Cobbler or even my Cheesecake recipe which you could decorate with strawberries and blueberries for the 4th of July spirit.


Enjoy and happy 4th!!!!!

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