Oh Guacamole!

The weather lately has been cold and damp and not at all spring-y. So what's a girl to do on a day like today? Make guacamole, grab some organic tortilla chips and create my own sunshine.

1 ripe avocado, juice from 1/4 of a lemon, chopped green onion, diced tomato, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne to add some spice.

Voila!  

Orange Cream Cupcakes

These citrus cupcakes are not only vegan but gluten-free too!

Modified from: Gluten Free Goddess

Makes 12

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup corn starch
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
zest from 1 1/2 oranges (remaining zest of 1/2 orange for icing optional)

Wet Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 egg replacer (mixed)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet to dry and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and creamy. Allow batter to sit for a minute as you prepare cupcake liners in tray.
Pour batter into liners and bake for 15 - 18 minutes, they will rise and darken slightly. Test with a toothpick. Once ready remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Leave cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

Orange Buttercream Icing:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter or non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 orange

Whip icing for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and ice with sprinkles (or garnish with fruits) if desired.

Each cupcake packs about 2g of protein, and about 200 calories!


Have a sweet day!

The Last of the Easter Egg Hunt

There seem to be 3 Easter egg cakes remaining... then on to the next holiday!

10 Minute Meal

After a day of running errands I couldn't spare more than 10 minutes to make dinner. I was starving! Despite how quick this meal came together, it's packed full of wholesome goodness!

In the time it took to boil the pasta, I cut up all my veggies and heated them up in the tomato sauce.

Here's what I added to my organic tomato sauce to give it an extra kick: shredded carrot - diced zucchini - diced eggplant - green onion - red onion - minced garlic - green pepper - red pepper - parsley for garnish - vegan parmesan cheese (which I bought for the first time since I usually avoid fake cheese).

This dish was bursting with flavour and only took about 2 mins to clean up after. Gotta love that!
Now what's for dessert?

Raw Lunch

One of my new year's resolutions was to eat raw more often and today I felt the desire to visit the Rawlicious Yorkville location on Cumberland. As I hummed and hawed over the menu (vowing to return soon so I could try everything) I selected the Pad Thai: A mix of kelp and zucchini noodles, romaine, carrots, and red peppers mixed together with a cashew sesame thai sauce.
Ohh and a Lean Green juice (celery, cucumber, spinach and kale).

Rating: It was good, very fresh and lots of flavours, the only thing I would recommend is to eat it fast as it got a bit mushy (could also have been because I took it to go...)

Vegan Loose in Montreal

Happy Easter!

Spending the long weekend in Montreal, we went for lunch Saturday at Aux Vivres. It was ah-maz-ing!!!

To start we ordered the Cornbread and Guacamole. We devoured it so fast I almost forgot to snap a pic.

I couldn't decide (because everything looked, sounded and smelled so good) and ended up ordering the Gyro. Wow, Seitan at it's best. The tzatziki was so flavourful and I was stuffed with this big bad boy.

Jim got the B.L.T. (coconut flakes were smokey and salty, very bacon-like) this was quite delicious.

The creamsicle smoothie contained: coconut milk, orange juice, carrot juice and vanilla.

Thick and creamy yet not too sweet. 

We didn't have room for dessert but I had my eye on this guy (uncheesecake)! 

Jim liked the name : Fauxmage

Their Menu (drool).

If I ever head back to Montreal this resto will be my first stop.

we also popped into the wonderful Vegan store for some items. I picked up Sweet & Sara marshmallows, lip balm and gum.

We grabbed breakfast smoothies one morning from Liquid Nutrition. I love it because they use Vega powder, it's a sure way to fill up on delicious protein. I got the one called "Very Vegan Good" it's where berries and chocolate meet!

Have you been to Aux Vivres or Liquid Nutrition? 

Sweet Tooth

Today I woke up with the urge to sink my teeth into something chocolatey.

So away I went and whipped up chocolate cupcakes

Some other goodies I baked this month:

Pina Colada  cupcakes (just in time for the warm weather)!!

Mini sprinkle donuts. Recipe from Oh She Glows.

Pizza a la vegan

Kale chips

Banana flax muffins (chocolate chip and walnut)

Don't worry I shared some ;)