Vegan Orange Chicken (Gluten-free option, Chinese-American)

 

You know what I really miss? Seitan. Do you know what I really, really used to dislike? Orange chicken! Let's see how much my opinion will change when we combine them.

But this orange chicken was spicy, sweet, tangy and so simple! It was so complex and so smooth, it bared a slight resemblance to the bright orange sauce you would order at any quick Chinese restaurant, but once you get this awesome sauce in your mouth - there's no going back. It's medium-thick, so you can taste the crispy, nuggety goodness of the seitan without it being over-powered by an overly-saccharine thick sauce.

I didn't have time to actually MAKE the seitan, though...so that's where good Ol' Gardein* comes in. I just ignored the fact that they have a sauce to go with it, because that's how I do.

 *You can use tofu, for a sure-fire GF option!

 

Orange Sauce Ingredients:

1 tsp Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp Ginger

2 Cups Orange Juice

1 tsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

3 tbl (Apple) Honey or Agave Nectar

2 tbl Sriracha

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Cornstarch + 1-2 tsp cold water (mix)
Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flake
Cracked Black Pepper
The best part of this sauce is that you can start it at any time - even the day before and then you can just warm it up or "bake" it onto the vegan chicken!

Mix all the ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry, and make sure to do a taste test before adding all the hot and sweet stuff!

Whisk it all together, and let it bubble a bit...keep stirring! Faster and faster, and then you can drizzle in the corn starch. Keep stirring until fully incorporated, and then a little bit after. Let it boil and cook down a bit and RESIST adding more!

Let the cool down while you follow the instructions on cooking Gardein's Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n. The plot thickens...

Or at least the sauce does! Pour it over your chick'n, slam it on top of rice and you're good to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tofu Breakfast Scramble (Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Fat)

I like things complicated. And I like things simple - now that I'm in the STEM field, all I have time for is simple. Unfortunately, however, I forgot my actual camera at home until November - so bear with me! :)

The best part is that you can just throw it together and be done, no need for a blender to make this fluffy, creamy, "meaty" breakfast! It's so fluffy and you can use this variation for anything else.

Tofu Breakfast Scramble Ingredients:
16 oz Tofu
2 cups Cooked Spinach
1/2 package Soyrizo
1/4 cup +1 tbl Cold Water
1 tbl Cornstarch
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Sazon Seasoning Mix
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil (for cooking)
Cheeze Sauce Ingredients
1/4-1/2 cup GF Flour
1/4 cups Cold Water or Non-Dairy Milk 
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Squeeze of Yellow Mustard
3 tbl of Coconut Oil

Combine your cheese sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, do not turn it on. Then, mash* the rest of your ingredients together, and put into a medium pan over low heat in the olive oil. If you fear that it will be too watery, add the water gradually. Turn on your pot with the cheese-sauce, constantly stirring. Once it thickens enough, either pour into the middle of scramble or drizzle it on after your plate is covered in salsa!

*I made mine more of an omelets with the help of a blender I had

Super easy, super yum, and pretty healthy too!

Who says you need dairy?

Few more days...

Maybe I'll try to do a post a month - I love this blog! I love all of you guys!

Vegan Taco Dip Recipe in 5 Minutes or Less! (Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free)

"What do you want for your birthday?" my sister asked, standing next to me with a phone in her hand. "I want vanilla cake and nachos! Miriam will love them!" I excitedly replied.

It was my ninth birthday, and my best friend, Miriam, and her dreamy brother, Josh, came over to celebrate with me! We played Selena, and I kept obnoxiously asked if I sounded like her (No, no I didn't.) until Miriam relented, looked away, and said "Kind oooof," I continued to sing badly to more of Selena's music throughout the night.

I played with an amazing mermaid doll she gave me and I remember there was a cake with a plastic Barbie on it! She sat on in a princess dress while Miriam and I helped my mom arrange the candles on our cake. But that was just the afterthought. The real prize was nachos.

On our nachos, we put our Taco dip - and it goes like this!

*Cheezy Tortilla Chips
Taco Dip
Onions
*Cheeeeese

*Vegan, of course!

It's so yummy, Miriam and Josh ate huge amounts! They went home stuffed, and I went to bed thinking that I sounded "kind of" like Selena.

Ingredients
Refried Beans
TVP Crumbles (I used Boca Crumbles)
Vegan Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Homemade Taco Seasoning
Water

Toppings
Onions
Tomato
Lettuce
Olives
Avocado
Rice Cheese

This recipe is soooo simple and you can make it in less than five minutes, in a microwave or on a stove top. Just add the ingredients in any order, in any amount. If there isn't enough seasoning - increase the amount by 1/4th until it's perfect!

Serve on top of nachos, melt some vegan cheese on top and serve! Yum!

How To Take Care of the Summer Flu (Stomach Flu)

Love and self-care go hand in hand! Unfortunately, my mother is sick again, and so is another friend...so I decided to give them a list of what they can do while I'm out.

It's seems to work so far - try it out! They're all great at boosting your immune system and keeping you from getting sicker.

Hope you all have a great day!

Tostones with Garlic Sauce

I love tostones - they're perfect! You use the best green bananas and don't even need a dipping sauce, but they're great with the one I made.

Usually when I make fried plantains, I cut the skins off and then cut into slices but I was watching Guy's Grocery Wars on the Food Network and saw a woman cut them into rounds before peeling. I was appalled - how come I never thought of that? They don't lose any bit of the plantains, and it's fun to slice a little notch in the green skin before rolling the deliciousness out.

These plantains are warm, crispy and so simple to make. The sauce is simple but SUPER flavorful. My mom complained that they were "too spicy" at first from all of the garlic, but she kept dipping more...hmm. Haha, oh mom!

Tostone Ingredients:
3 Large Green Plantains
1 Cup of Olive Oil (or enough to fill cooking vessel)
Salt

Garlic Aioli Recipe:
3 - 5 Garlic Cloves
1 bunch of Cilantro
1/2 bunch of Parsley
3 tbl Vinegar
1/4 cup of Olive Oil or Water

Step 1.
For the sauce, pour everything into a food processor except for the oil/water. Slowly stream in and once it is completely smooth and emulsified, move to a bowl and cover in plastic wrap. Chill for 1-2 hours.

Step 2. Cut the ends off of your plantains, then slice into rounds. Either pop the plantains out, if you can, or cut a knotch in the skin and roll away from the flesh. Set aside until all are done and get two plates and a stack of paper towels for draining.

Fry your plantains in batches until they are a light brown, and while still warm, smash them between the two plates until they are thin. Use plastic wrap or paper towels to keep the plantains from sticking or being crushed. Repeat until all of the plantains are flattened, then fry them again until they are crispy. Serve immediately with the sauce.

It's so delicious! Muy delicioso - hope you enjoy it!

T'was College That Changed the Blogger

Hey all! Bou Shin here with some mighty fine news and some information for those that are either currently running a blog or are inspired by mine! ;)


My first year at college has been both turbulent and smooth-sailing, chaotic and so calm. I've accomplished nothing but A's and B's, and I have so much to show for it! I haven't shown a huge portion of my personality on the site, and I feel that may be why some people aren't able to connect as much. I want to change that and be open while providing you all with yummy food!

College has changed my perspective and, as being a minority...it has caused for a lot of stress and defensiveness. With experience from my blog and having amazing support from campus staff and friends has helped me cope. What I've managed to do is learn patience, leadership and that I need to take time for myself! I'm not perfect but...being able to take control of my life as I see it is an amazing gift.





Speaking of patience - I felt like I didn't have enough with this blog, although I tried. At some point it wasn't about fun anymore. It was about views. I would LOVE to have a blog like Chocolate Covered Katie's or Fatfree Vegan...and I know that I will. For that to work, I need to put love and patience back here. I need to nuture this blog and I need your help!

Share your favorite posts with your friends, post me to facebook!

Friend me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bou.shin?fref=ts

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shins-Vegan-Lovin/125788897505053?fref=ts

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AikoVenus1

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/aikovenus1/

I hope we all have a great time! <3 br="">

College Life

Hey all! Its been so long - almost a year since I've posted! Well, I'm a dietitian-in-training now, and I'm coming up with a cookbook soon so I feel really accomplished! Unfortunately, I never bring my camera with the other piles of belongings for college, and I haven't had the time to come back and post recipes. I will, however - start trying to do some blogs on ethics and start maturing a bit more! Feel free to comment or contact me if you want to know more - love you guys!