Vegan Pancakes: Cutie Style

I've been free-handing my pancakes lately - and I think they look really great!

I might not be on par with these peeps just yet;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McPBsNo367c

But hand me a squeeze bottle and you'll be saying hello to a few Chewbacca pancakes for your morning breakfast!

For a recipe - hit up my awesome recipe!

http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-pancake-time.html

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Hope you enjoy! <3 p="">

Whale of ATime Bento

The bento biz has actually been going on and off for a while with me, although I haven't been posting pictures as of late. I have been recording them but due to work, scholarships and school - I haven't had as much time to make, photograph and/or eat them. But here were are now withthis adorable sea-creature scene that was so simple and still so fun. We had ordered out for American-Chinese takeout and the rice was already shaped like this, all I needed to do was split the tail and add a chocolate chip. Below there's a strip of zucchini from a raw lasagna (yet to be prepared) and a red pepper crab with tofu eyes.

Whale of A Time Bento Ingredients:
White Rice
Basic Spicy Stirfry
Red Pepper
Chocolate Chip
Tofu
Broccoli
Green Bell Pepper
Baby Corn


Hope you enjoy this quick and simple bento!

Jumpy Ghostface Bento (Hero 108)

This bento is based on "Jumpy Ghostface" aka the Rabbit King from Hero 108, a show that I catch multiple times in the morning. I've been wanting to use rice for my bentos and it isn't until recently since I've really started to enjoy them, there's nothing like un-seasoned rice fresh from the steamer basket. To go along with Jumpy I added rice cheese face, nori appendages and eyes, kale, split green beans and of course tonkatsu. Normally Jumpy has a carrot in his mouth (as he is the boss) and a jumprope in hand but this Jumpy is too depressed as he's been made into a bento.

Jumpy Ghostface Bento Ingredients:
Dill Pickles
Watermelon
Seitan Tonkatsu
Raw Kale
Split Green Beans
Brown & White Rice
Rice Cheese
Nori

Banana & Vanilla Lofthouse Cookies (Low-Fat, Soy-Free)

Isn't this just the cutest!? I especially love this new chocolate mold that I got from JList - there's a side with rabbits and hearts while the other is bears and stars. The way the milk ends up in the eyes at the bottom of the chocolate straw I've made is really out of this world. I've also use the mold to shape some cute bunny cookies that I've coated with sugar, and with the leftover dough I've made sugar-coated bunny ears and an adorable turtle! These were served with Chinese Hose Tea but still ended up looking quite white.

(B&V Lofthouse Cookies Ingredients)

• 2 cups of Cake Flour
• 1/4 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1 Dry packet of Vanilla Pudding
• 1 Semi-Ripe Banana
• 2 tbl Vegan Margarine
• 1/2 tsp Organic Banana Extract
• 1/4 Cup Almond Milk

(Directions)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together your flour and baking powder.
• Using an electric mixer mix the vanilla powder, margarine and banana, while pouring in the extract.
• Slowly add a small amount of almond milk about a tablespoon at a time, alternating with the flour mixture until no longer sticky but still slightly wet.
• Pack together by hand and wrap into a log. Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours, slice and either coat with sugar or leave as you like.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottoms, then place into a cookie jar or container with a top and place them in while still hot.
• Repeat with the rest of the batch until the whole jar is cooled and frost the un-sugared cookies, sprinkles are best for the "lofthouse" effect.

Wall-E Breakfast (Non-Bento w/ Gluten-Free Recipes)

This was my breakfast a few days ago and it was fantastic! I thought of adding a masa sheet, but then decided to keep it simple and "green", instead. Eve is napping in the corner with an olive shell and steamed tofu body while Wall-E is made from tofu, veggie sausage and hash browns. It was fantastic, and to keep with the "green" theme I made a kale and strawberry juicer for health.

Zucchini and Potato Hash Recipe:

1/3 Medium-Sized Zucchini

2 Large Potatoes

All-Purpose Flour (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Strawberry and Kale Juice:

5 Large Strawberries

1/2 bunch of Washed Kale

1/2 cup of Watermelon (optional)

Grate your vegetables and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If it is not sticking together as you need, put in a few tablespoons of flour as you season it, then fry in a skillet with your preferred oil and let it rest on a paper towel. Meanwhile, make your smoothie.

Enjoy!

Chorizo Hot Pockets for Mum (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free)

Its obvious that only one came out well but I made these for my mother and she loved them! These are seriously great for any holiday and they are gluten-free so that also means the dough is easier to mix up. If you want them to be more like an Easter or Christmas-pocket/bun you could easily color the dough white with others or steam them. And these are a great, hand-held substitute for musubi for those that don't like rice. These are fried - but feel free to wrap them in banana leaves or something similar to steam or freeze them.

(Chorizo Pockets Dough Ingredients)

• 2 cups of Masa<
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 1/4 tsp of Cumin
• Water to mix

For this I just stuffed each one full of roasted (and chopped) garlic and some homemade soyrizo. If you've ever seen a pupusa being made, its exactly like that.

(Chorizo Pockets Dough Directions)

• Just take a handful of dough and slowly slap it back and forth in your hands until flat, fill long-ways, then fold the sides over, pinch and shape into oblong shapes.
• Let it dry for about 5 minutes then write your favorite short message on it. Then steam, bake or lightly fry. I fried mine for about 20 seconds on each side (the side with the message only got about 10 seconds or until everything was browned nicely).
• Bake them for a few minutes in the oven at 450 degrees. I simply served with some minced onions and some nice lettuce.
• Enjoy!

Other Pocket Filling Ideas:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Streusal
• Berry Filling
• Roasted and Pulled Seitan
• A Full Sandwich
• Small Children (...just kidding!)

Ed, Edd and Eddy Bento

Its a Plan sandwich! I guess that's what happens when Jonny isn't around, but hey - what can you do? This is a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole-wheat bread with celery sticks, spinach, a mini yellow pepper and a plum. Its been a while since I've made something non-Coraline, but it is equally as wonderful.

Plank Sandwich Bento Ingredients:
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Whole Wheat Bread
Spinach
Celery
Purple Plum
Mini Yellow Pepper

Enjoy!

Star Wars Peanut Butter Balls (May The 4th Be With You!)

I made these yesterday and everyone loved them - these are really simple, quick to make and great for kids to handle for a number of reasons. For one thing, they don't melt easily and don't need heat, they are easy to simply roll and mix by hand and you can just eat them one at a time! You can sub any type of nut butter or even some vegan modeling chocolate for this, but anything moldable is what you want. A little more information on May the 4th can be found here.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe:

1/2 cup of Peanut Butter

About 1/4+ cup of Confectioner's Sugar

1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Pandan Extract for Yoda

Simply mix your sugar and nut butter together and roll into even sized balls - about one tablespoon each. Once you feel that you have enough, add some pandan extract if you want to make some yoda balls/buckeyes.  Mix until you feel that its homogenized enough or until you get tired (little hands are great for when this happens!) and then shape into balls but leave a little bit of the mixture in the bowl.

Roll your main ball with a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture, then make two smaller, even-sized balls next to each one. Pinch into leaf shapes then take a toothpick and make the ear slots, place underneath the ball and then take care of your other two characters.

Chewbacca is most definitely the easiest - take a toothpick or fork and scrape against the outside for his hair as much as you want, then make a few strokes around his head. For Princess Leia you can use some vegan royal icing, peanut butter cups or maybe even some mini cinnamon rolls.

Want them to be a bit more exciting? Try out my vegan white chocolate recipe for the eyes and May the 4th be with you!  

How To Make Masa Sheets Tutorial (No-Knead)

This is another alternative to the vegan egg sheets I made last summer - easy masa sheets! You can sub regular flour but these seem to keep longer, are tastier and easier to handle. They are also quite cheap compared to tofu and great for anything, especially kyaraben! Using just a few tablespoons of flour, salt, some water and some cornstarch you can great amazing little sheets - just don't forget to add your favorite natural food dye!

Masa Kyaraben Sheets Recipe:
1/4 cup of Masa Harina
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cornstarch
Enough Water to mix
Natural Food Coloring (optional)

Step 1. Start with about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of Masa Harina mixed with salt, water and cornstarch.

Step 2. Add in your food coloring (preferably gel) and mix with your fingers or chopsticks, adding water along the way.

Step 3. Mix and slowly add water until it starts to thin out. Make sure to catch all of the lumps and pieces of flour before continuing on. Add more water if it starts to get thick. You want it like thin pancake batter.

Step 4. Spread your batter in a cold, unheated non-stick skillet (I used my trusty Pink Bean skillet), place a cover on top for 2-5 minutes, take off and allow to continue to cook.

Step 5. Take your spatula and make sure that nothing sticks to the sides once everything looks done and dry. Let it cool a small amount, place on a plate and make more sheets - taking care not to place them on top of each other if you want full control over them.

Enjoy!

Happy Earth Day (Dragonball Z Bento)

Nappa and Vegeta may seem like unlikely characters to celebrate Earth Day - but hey, everyone can change at some point. This bento was really fun to make, although it made me a bit nervous to draw and "carve" out, I didn't even think of just making these exactly like my vegan egg sheets and instead used my pasta dough as a clay-like substance. The pasta was made from masa which made it all the more durable, and in the bento are some cherry tomatoes, kale, broccoli, masa sheets, bitter melon, Mexican rice, carrots, a corn tortilla and lots of nori details.

How are you celebrating Earth Day?

Happy Earth Day Bento Ingredients:

Kale

Masa Pasta Sheets

Nori

Broccoli

Cherry Tomatoes

Corn Tortilla

Mexican Salsa Rice

Stewed Black Beans

Bitter Melon

Carrots

I hope that you guys like it! ^^ And Happy Earth Day!

Hina Matsuri/Girl's Day Bento

This is more of a bento-bowl lunch and less of a bento box lunch, but I feel like this makes it look better with a "higher" stature for the emporess. This has got to be one of the tastiest bentos ever with all of the house's favorites - peppers, brown (and white!) rice, totally homemade inarizushi, a vegan egg and lots of other delicious stuff! I also plan on making some mochi or pancakes later and maybe some other stuff - so feel free to surf and look at what I did for the other holidays!

Hinamatsuri Bento Ingredients:
Yellow Bell Peppers (in Inarizushi)
Cucumber
Vegan Egg
Steamed Lotus Root
Tomato Obi/Belt
Green Onion
Sriracha
Julienned Carrots
Blanched Snow Peas
Brown + White Rice
Tomato Furikake
Rice Wine and Rice Vinegar

And since most people don't provide recipes for inarizushi (its very simple but most use canned or already prepared aburaage) - here you go!

Aburaage/Inarizushi Recipe:
1/4 of A Package of Extra-Firm Tofu
1 to 2 tbl of Neutral Oil
Mirin, Rice Vinegar and Soy Sauce
Raw Sugar (optional)
1 to 2 cups of Boiling Water


Slice your tofu into 1/2 inch pieces (you should get about six) and then press lightly to remove the moisture. Fry once on each side until golden and then place into boiling water until you most of the oil leave the aburaage and it looks "soggy" and has no true crispness. Place into ice water, press onto a towel to remove the moisture and then gently cut a little pocket into it, using your finger to make sure that it has room. Then place into a combination (amounts of your own choice) of the rest of the ingredients with some fresh water. Boil your tofu in the broth and allow the pouches to totally soak up all of the cooking liquid, then lightly pat on some paper towels (not to remove all of the moisture) fill with your preferred fillings and enjoy!

Baked Mini Apple Donuts (Low-Fat and Sugar-Free)

Do....uh...do I eat it? I mean, they're so adorable! They smell delicious though, and I'm a bit hungry. If you want to make your own little yummy donuts that make you question your hunger - you've come to the right place! These donuts were actually a happy accident as I was attempting to make healthy smores donuts, and I poured about two tablesoons of ACV into the mix. In an attempt for retribution I looked for apples to add and found that someone had made a delicious apple pie. ^^; So here we are!

(Mini Apple Donuts Ingredients)

• 1/2 Cup of Bulgur Flour (just grind some bulgur wheat)
• 1/2 cup of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Annato Powder
• 5-8 tbl Stevia (or other dry sweetener)
• 2 tsp of Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1-2 cups of Water (go slowly)
• 4 tbl of Oil (sub Applesauce or Chickpea Puree)
• 2 tbl of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

(Directions)

• Whisk all of your dry ingredients together. In seperate bowl,combine the oil to the water, extract, and vinegar. Then, then fold in dry ingredients with a spatula.
• Pour a small amount into your silicone donut pan (you have one, right?) and then bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until you feel that they're browned and ready.(Be sure not to let them be too thin or overspread themselves on top of the pan as that results in dryness.)
• Let them rest for about 15 minutes from the oven and then place the mini donuts on a wire cooling rack until they have cooled to the touch.
• Eat as many as you want (you may want to avoid the giraffe, however) and enjoy! ^^

Healthy Hello Kitty Kyaraben

I'm so proud of myself right now - not only is this pretty healthy despite the white rice, it's pretty and delicious too! It's filled with fruits and vegetables and it's what every child would love. The best part is that I formed the rice ball by hand and it's the first HK to turn out correctly! A recipe isn't really required in this case since it's mostly organic fruits and vegetables, but I will include an ingredient list. Hello Kitty's bow is made up of tofu that had been cut out with two Wilton mini-heart cutters and one small cap.


Hello Kitty Bento Ingredients:
Sweet Organic Peppers
Nori
Strawberries
Baby Carrots
Seared Firm Tofu (seasoned with Mrs. Dash)
Spinach Salad
Grapes
Nutritional Yeast + Rice Cheeze (for the nose)
Japanese Sticky Rice
1 Small Raw Rice Stick (to keep the bow together and pinned)

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

I Prefer My Penguins Cold

I just found him like this - I swear, man! I can't go back to Antartica, I just..this is food? I knew that, I'm just practicing some...acting lessons. Yeah, acting. He's surrounded by tofu, salad,  rice and lots of bell peppers. Doesn't that sound tasty and not like evidence of some horrible penguin crime against nature? The answer is yes. Yes it does.

Penguin Components:

Nori Sheets (covering the penguin)

Brown Rice (on the inside)

White Rice mixed with Edamame (surrounding him)

Steamed Tofu (stomach and eyes)

Organic Sweet Peppers (Cheeks, feet, arms and strips:

Fried Tofu (Tofu Fish)

It's simple, the head of the penguin was formed by placing nori in a ramekin and filling it halfway with brown rice. Fold it carefully and seal the edges with water. Place a tiny bit of brown rice in the middle of half a nori sheet and fold it to form a body. Place that together and place it on top of the steamed rice mixed with Edamame. Take two red peppers and cut the tips off, wrap those in nori and place onto the body of the penguin. Take a small coffee straw and place it through one of the peppers for the cheeks, add that to the face and add some steamed tofu onto the stomach. Punch out (or cut out) pieces of nori for the eyes.

Take the leftover tofu and mix it with some mirin, salt and turmeric. You can add sugar if you want, and you can cut it into fish shapes if you like. To make it even cuter I did two "X" mark slashes on the sides, but if you have a small fish-shaped cutter than that can work well on its own. That's it - now eat the evidence!

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3