Chicken, Chorizo Enfrijoladas (Sugar-Free, High Protein)

The lesser-known sibling of the enchilada is most definitely one of the tastier variations, especially for those that aren't a lover of even mildly spicy foods. Even lesser known are the encremadas - but that's a different story. No, our hero today is the simple black bean - full of protein and barely any of the fat you might get with typical Mexican dishes. The dish, while made up of quite a few components here, is  actually quite simple and so very addictive - I even enjoyed the vegan cheese from Galaxy. Something about this dish just speaks to me, and my family enjoyed it so much that they've been asking for leftovers for lunch and dinner consistently. These are best fresh and fresh made tortillas from your local market make these even more tasty. Chicken seitan mixed with spicy chorizo wrapped in a soft yellow corn tortilla and topped with a lightly murky black bean sauce then baked to a crisp perfection with vegan cheese before being served simply with a thick and acidic salsa or your preferred toppings.

The baked sauce in the casserole after the tortillas are plated is something that could seriously be made a meal on its own. Its like the best type of refried beans that you could ever eat and you'll just want more of it. I honestly almost ran out of tortillas and totally ran out of black beans while making this, I may have even hoarded some of the leftovers for myself. This is a dish that absolutely needs to be crafted and shared on a regular basis, like many Mexican dishes this is one that will help everyone gather around the dinner and have an amazing meal. Its quick to make and you can take a shortcut with pre-cooked, canned beans but it still won't hold as much water as freshly cooked and heated beans from the crockpot. That's not to say that it isn't alright to do this, but take some time out of your morning to just place the beans on "low" on the crockpot and cook until dinner time.

(Enfrijolada Ingredients)

• Soyrizo
• Chicken seitan(recipe follows)
• Corn tortillas(as many you have to fill dish)
• Enfrijolada Sauce(recipe follows)

(Enfrijolada Sauce Ingredients)

• 1 Pound of Dried Black Beans
• Salt, Pepper, Oregano (to taste)
• 1 Red Chili (optional)

(Enfrijolada Sauce Directions)

• Wash your beans and place into your slow cooker with the water for about 8 hours until fully soft.
• Let cool until room temperature then add in your other seasonings until you enjoy the taste.
• Set aside

(Chicken Seitan Ingredients)

• 1 cup of Vital Wheat Gluten
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tbl Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder and Pepper
• 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

(Chicken Seitan Directions)

• Mix your dry together, then the oil and knead in the broth. Knead about 35 times then boil for 25 minutes
• slice into pieces and cook in a non-stick skillet with extra seasonings and chorizo.

(Assembly Directions)

• Heat your tortillas if they are more than a day old.
• Fill with chicken seitan and soyrizo, roll like a taquito.
• Nestle into a casserole dish that has been pooled with the bean sauce. Top with more bean sauce.
• Top with some vegan cheese mounted on top to make the sauce even more delectable.
• Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is browned.

Serve with some nice tomato salsa, white onions and a smile - everyone will enjoy! Be sure to scoop out the leftover bean sauce and cheese from the baked casserole dish because it is pure heaven! 

Apple Pie Larabars (No-Added Fat, No-Added Sugar)

To be honest, I'm not a fan of most bars - whether it be Lara, Luna or Cliff (although I prefer the latter). Normally they're too high in sugar and calories and quite low in the protein that I want after an intense workout - plus they rarely taste like the description. Although the sugars are normally natural from dates and the like, its still quite a lot of ingredients for me - and so I've chosen to make my own variations of things that I loved both as a kid and now. This truly tastes like an apple pie - and its very quick to make with no added oils!

(Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup of Homemade Date Paste
• 1 1/2 cups of Old-Fashioned Oats (replace with Walnuts if you wish)
• 1/2 Chunked Green Apple
• 2 tsp of Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of Cardamom and Coriander
• A few Squeezes of Agave Nectar
• Vanilla Rice Protein Powder (optional)

(Directions)

• Place your oats in a blender with your spices, blend but allow some oat pieces to remain whole and then combine with your date paste and agave nectar in a bowl. If it has not come together and stuck, slowly add water to it and then fold in your apples.
• Place into a dish lined with parchment paper and dehydrate at 150 degrees for about 15 min to one hour but do not allow it to become like baked oatmeal.
• Cut into squares, serve and enjoy - add some stevia around top for texture!

Raw Mint Chocolate Ice Cream (No Added Sugar, Gluten-Free, Raw)

I was in the middle of making my favorite avocado smoothie and some beet pancakes when I noticed that I had way too big of a smoothie for it to be fresh. Instead of saving it or waking someone else up to eat the other half I instead decided to  freeze it, and oh boy was I happy that I did. The next day there was a slight heat wave but I was prepared! This is more similar to chocolate ice, unless you use an ice cream maker, but the mint and chocolate flavors are really fantastic, and can help your kids out with a sugar-free way of eating more fruits and veggies.

(Ingredients)

• 1 Large Ripe Banana
• 1/2 Large Ripe Avocado
• 1/4 cup of Cocoa
• 5 tsp Stevia
• 3 drops of Food-Safe Mint Oil
• About 1 & 1/2 cups Non-Dairy Milk

(Directions)

• Blend the ingredients until fine and then freeze, taking it out every three hours or so to scrape and mix it to your liking. Skip the step if you are churning and let it thaw for five minutes or so when you are ready to eat.
• Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Guest Post: By Susmitha Subbaraju

Susmitha is perhaps one of the friendliest people that I have encountered online and has accepted me into the group "Vegan Temptivists" on Facebook, which is truly an honor - especially since she is my first guest blogger! She is an extremely talented artist in practically all of the mediums and makes amazingly mouth-watering recipes. Her blog, http://blog.veganosaurus.com/ is full of delicious, stunning and unique recipes - she isn't afraid to veganize and is most definitely outgoing when it comes to the things that she loves. Check her out because you won't regret it! ^^

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Before I became vegan, 9 years ago, I was never interested in baking and barely interested in cooking. But turning vegan opened up a whole new world of ingredients and possibilities to me and I couldn't help but be inspired to get creative in my kitchen. That's when the baking bug bit me and ever since then there's been no looking back.
Since I'm vegan for ethical reasons, for the longest time I had the attitude that I'd rather use a few less than healthy ingredients in my baking (all purpose flour, processed oils etc...) than compromise on the taste and texture of the finished goodie. My main focus was to have people taste my cakes and pastries and be blown away by the deliciousness of vegan desserts.

When my more health inclined vegan friends spoke of using date syrup or whole wheat flour in their cakes, I used to turn up my nose and say, "those healthy cakes won't impress non-vegans into turning vegan so what's the point?" I even tasted a few of those healthy cakes and cookies with an open mind but was left unimpressed which further strengthened my belief that good cakes had to be made of all purpose flour and contain a generous amount of oil.

Then a few months ago, my friend Arun kicked that attitude right out of me by bringing this amaaaazing chocolate cake to our monthly Vegan Bengaluru potluck. I thoroughly enjoyed it. He told me that it contained absolutely no oil, was made of whole wheat flour and was made without an oven! My jaw would've dropped hearing that last bit except that I was busy gobbling up the cake.

Since I associate Bou Shin's blog with healthy eating as much as the cute bentos, I figured a healthy cake recipe would be perfect for my guest post here. :)

I made a bunch of changes to Arun's original recipe based on the ingredients I had at home.

(Here's my version of the Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe)

• 1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 C Jaggery Powder (can use Sugar if you can't find jaggery but it's less healthier that way)
• 1/3 C Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 Small Mashed Bananas + 2 tsp Flax Seed Powder+ 1/4 C Water (whipped together for a few minutes)
• 3 tsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 C Water
• 1/2 C Walnuts - broken into little pieces
• 2 Small Mashed Bananas + 2 tsp Flax Seed Powder+ 1/4 C Water (whipped together for a few minutes)

(Directions)

• Bring 3 to 4 C of water to boil in a large pan/pot/steamer (the baking dish should easily fit inside).
• Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease with a few drops of olive oil.
• Mix dry ingredients (except sweetener and walnuts) and sieve a few times to make the flour airy.
• Mix jaggery/sugar with wet ingredients and whip for a few minutes to create air bubbles.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients quickly until there are no large lumps (do not over mix).
• Stir in the walnuts and transfer to baking dish.
• Place an upside down the plate or bowl inside the steamer pot (to add height) and place the baking dish inside it.
• Cover the pot and steam on medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and continue steaming for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the pot and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Gently lift the cake along with the foil out of the dish and place on a cooling rack.
• After the cake has cooled completely, peel off the foil.
• Slice and serve plain or with melted chocolate poured over it.
• Enjoy!

Thanks Bou Shin for having me over on your blog.

Rice Waffles (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Wheat-Free, Fat/Oil-Free)

I haven't had wheat flour in the house for about a month now, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm able to get out of the whole "dry wheat toast for breakfast with fruit" and instead moving on to other carbs. These are great for those that can't have gluten or wheat, and thankfully they have stevia to make them slightly sweet without rotting your teeth. These are toothy, crispy and absolutely delicious with a  great texture. They're very similar to hand-pounded mochi waffles and are, infact, half-hand pounded to give them that nice texture. Cinnamon sprinkled throughout, topped with fruit and agave nectar makes this an amazingly cheap, quick and fun breakfast.

(Ingredients)

• 2 cups Cooked White & Brown Rice
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 2 & 1/2 tsp Stevia Powder
• 2 tsp of Cinnamon

(Directions)

• Cook your rice according to the directions and once it has steamed for about 15 minutes (after full cooking) you can take half of the rice and put it into a large metal bowl.
• Use a crab mallet, mortar and pestle or whatever you can and start to pound the grain. The goal here is to let everything get mashed together so that the grains stick. Once it has gotten into a sticky paste, fold in your dry ingredients and pound them in, stretching and pulling the rice across the bowl as you pound and mix.
• Then, take an electric mixer and continue to beat the rice down until only a few half-shaped grains are left.
• Preheat your waffle iron and spray heavily, then place a big dollop in the middle and cook until crisp - you may need to "cook" it twice. Be sure to watch out for the steam.
• Serve with your favorite toppings, a big glass of non-dairy milk and enjoy!

Paranorman Pizza

It came from the graaave! Are you as excited for the new movie "Paranorman" from the makers of "Coraline"? We all know how much I love Coraline, and so when I found out about the new movie almost a year ago I became very ecstatic and waited for the right time to come. I didn't want to make a bento but I also didn't want it to be complicated - so a dark beet pizza sauce with a unique flatbread crust was the way to go! Its full of veggies so that everyone can get their nutrition and their "spooks" in.

Beet Marinara Sauce Recipe:
1 Beet Quartered and Roasted
1 Roasted Tomato
3 Roasted Carrots
5 Cloves of Roasted Garlic
1/2 tub of Vegan Cream Cheese
2 Minced Green Onions
Italian Seasonings
A touch of Vinegar
A heavy pinch of Salt


Blend your ingredients together, and place onto your preferred (pre-baked) pizza crust. Assemble with cheese and bake once more to melt the cheese. Top with vegan egg sheets, extra veggies or masa sheets and everyone will enjoy!

Coraline Bento http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2012/03/coraline-bento.html

The Other Mother Bento

http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2012/03/coraline-other-mother-soboro-bento.html

Mr Bobinsky Bento http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2012/04/mr-bobinsky-bento-coraline-bento.html

Ms. Spink & Ms. Forcible Bento

 http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2012/04/miss-spink-and-miss-forcible-bento.html

 The Other Father Bento

http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2012/05/other-father-bento-coraline-bento.html 

Baked Kinako Rice Pudding (Gluten-Free)

Have you ever been making a rice dish, be it casserole, onigiri or stir-fry, and found that it was too mushy to be used as is? Don't fear - if you just have some sugar, organic soybeans and peanut butter you can have an absolutely mouthwatering and addicting, enjoyable dessert. This sweet and salty treat is traditionally served on Japanese new years in squares after being broiled in the oven until puffy in crispy, then it is quickly dipped in hot water and rolled in sugar, salt and roasted soy beans. It is so delicious and, in my opinion, the best type of mochi there is - even besting my coconut mochi

(Ingredients)

• About 1 cup of cooked Mixed Rice (Brown + White)
• 1/4 cup of Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup of Raw Sugar
• 4 tbl Vegan Margarine
• Toasted and Ground Soybeans
• Water to Mix
• Salt to taste

(Directions)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Take about half of your mushy rice and place into a blender with some water. Blend until it is a thick paste and mix with your rice and other ingredients other than the soybeans.
• Pack into a parchment-paper lined baking dish and then coat liberally with more sugar and a bit of salt, being just as liberal with your beans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, take out and see if it is done - if it is still sticky but has started to brown then you are at a great place.
• Using a large and clean knife, cut into sizable squares and crank the heat up to 400 degrees. Continue baking until it has finally started to crisp and finally be fully cooked.
• Allow it to rest slightly but keep it warm, and give a slice to everyone with a nice small scoop of vanilla ice cream or to add more fun to it. You could also put each slice on a stick and let everyone (under careful supervision) toast their mochi pudding to their liking in a nice toaster oven.
• Enjoy!

Powerpuff Girls Bento "Beat Your Greens" (BBTB #3)

This bento was super fun to make - I even enjoyed adding the broccoli and hot dog heart more than usual. I guess that's because I was so proud of making another Powerpuff Girls bento, based upon the episode titled "Beat Your Greens" where all of the children of Townsville refused to eat their vegetables until plantoid-type aliens invaded and froze their parents. It was up to the kids (and a few goats) of Townsville to eat their vegetables and save the day - and I'm sure that it's helped quite a few other children eat their own greens. This bento was extremely simple, and one of my favorite pieces is the Bubbles Hair lemon peel.

Beat Your Greens Bento Ingredients:

Lemon

Sweet Potato

Orange

Veggie Dog

Broccoli

Masa Sheets (Chlorophyll & Pandan)

Whole Wheat Bread

Enjoy!

Vegan Italian Beef W/ Homemade Hot Giardineria (Fat-Free Option)

This has got to be the best "slow-cooked" seitan that I have ever had - its so tender and juicy from the broth I made, with little to no chew so it literally melts in your mouth. The juiciness helps reactivate more of the creaminess and meltiness from the flavored cream cheese (chive and garlic)  that I spread upon the buns before toasting them to an utmost crispness. The light spice from the peppers and the kick from the salt and vinegar make this an extremely addicting sandwich that anyone could love.

(Italian Beef Ingredients)

• 1 cup of Vital Wheat Gluten(Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp of Basil
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3 tsp Italian Seasonings
• 1 tsp Olive Oil or Chilled Chickpea Broth

(Broth Mix Ingredients)

• 5 cloves Crushed Garlic
• Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Salt and Italian Seasonings
• Molasses to darken the broth
• 1 gallon of Cold Water

(Italian Beef Directions)

• Mix your dry and your oil together and slowly add in your cold water. Knead lightly about 30-35 times and keep whatever liquid comes out in the bowl with the seitan.
• Combine your broth ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then add in the seitan and leftover liquid. .
• Place a pot top on the seitan and turn the heat on low, then check about 20 minutes in to see if it has expanded, if it has you can spoon a little broth on top and make sure that nothing has over boiled. Let this cook for about five more minutes until well-browned and it looks cuter.
• Remove the pot lid, then turn the heat to the highest degree and cook for exactly one minute.
• Return the pot top and cut off the heat, letting it sit from two hours to the whole night
• When you are ready, place your large piece of seitan on a plate and squeeze the water out of it - but do not drain your broth at all.
• Take a fork and a knife and cut the seitan in half, then scrape the "skin" and "meat" off from each other, away from you. If a piece gets bigger than your thumb, chop it up.
• Place into a nice pasta drainer or fryer net and allow for your seitan to warm up in the broth as you turn the heat on medium. Once it has warmed, you can get some of the extra liquid out by cooking it in a dry, non-stick skillet.
• When the seitan has come to your liking, place atop two well-toasted buns that have been schmeared with cream cheese or vegan margarine and then delicately lay on your giardineria.

(Homemade Giardineria Ingredients)

• 2 stalks of Diced Celery
• 1 small Diced Carrot
• 1/2 Diced Green Bell
• 1 (half) De-Seeded Jalapeno Pepper
• 2 cloves Diced Garlic
• 1/4 Diced White Onion
• Diced Green Olives and Cauliflower
• Oregano, Black Pepper and Salt
• 1 cup of White Vinegar
• 1/2 cup of Olive Oil (add none if you want fat-free)

(Homemade Giardineria Directions)

• Pour boiling water on your vegetables, dip them in cool water then combine all of the ingredients in a jar.
• Let it sit in the fridge, untouched, for 2-6 days or until you believe it is ready. Serve atop your Italian beef and enjoy!

Vegan Haluski & Seitan Pork Steak (German-Inspired, Sugar-Free)

This is an easy to love dish - you have thick, homemade rye noodles covered in the warm juices of pan-fried cabbage and collard greens. Mixed with it are caramelized onions, garlic, mace and sweet, sticky rutabaga. On top of that is fennel-spiced seitan "pork" that has been lightly fried with garlic powder, salt and all sprinkled with a light touch of mace and nutmeg. This is the perfect family dish that can be made into a casserole or each item eaten on its own.

(German Pork Seitan Ingredients)

• 1 cup of Vital Wheat Gluten(3/4 Arrowhead Mills 1/4 Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Fennel Seed
• 1/4 tsp Mace
• Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Ice Cold Water)

(German Pork Seitan Directions)

• Mix your dry together, including the oil, and then slowly pour the water in until all of the Vital Wheat Gluten flour is gone
• Knead lightly so that the dual-flours and spices can come together, but don't let them become too strong.
• Boil for about 15 minutes with the top on, then remove the top and boil for 15 more minutes.
• Place onto plate to let cool, slice into steaks and pan-fry in a small amount of oil after patting dry.

(Rye Noodles Ingredients)

• 4 cups of Dark Rye Flour
• 6 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Salt
• Water to mix

(Rye Noodles Directions)

• Mix your dry and then knead your water in until it is a durable dough and no longer soft.
• Knead lightly so that the dual-flours and spices can come together, but don't let them become too strong.
• Place through a pasta roller then roll it through a dye-cut part of the pasta maker (or slice it yourself).
• Coat in flour and boil until they float.
• Pan-fry with your cabbage and serve under your seitan.

(Fried Cabbage Ingredients)

• 3/4 Cubed Rutabega
• 1/2 Sliced Large Cabbage
• 2 thinly Sliced White Onions
• 6 Minced Cloves of Garlic
• Salt, Pepper, Fennel and Mace
• Garlic Powder

(Fried Cabbage Directions)

• First, caramelize your onions in a dry pan then remove
• Boil the rutabaga until it changes color slightly, then add in your onions. Once they soften to being almost forkable - add in your cabbage and seasonings.
• Place a pot top on then wait until it is all cooked.
• Add in your garlic, taste, then take out what you want to pan-fry with the noodles.

Assemble everything together and enjoy!

*Mace can be replaced with nutmeg or allspice in smaller amounts*