Mango Kesari Bath (Soy-free)

I don't know if you've heard - but I'm in one of the best vegan groups in the world called "Vegan Temptivists" where I was originally invited because of my Oatmilk Yogurt recipe (soooo long ago)! In it I've met so many amazing bloggers with the most TEMPTING food from all around the world and so we set up a gift exchange. Now, during that time I had just started working in a cafe (where I became head line cook, mind you ^.~) and got my first debit card! I had to buy something awesome for Somer of Vedged Out, and I knew that she was into healthy stuff so I decided to buy her some of that Sunwarrior protein powder I had been hearing about it and by chance I got Vanilla - the one that she wanted to try!

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I got the most amazing package from Susmitha of Veganosaurus, all the way from India! It took about a month to receive it and boy was it worth the wait. I started with the crunchy snacks and the cookies and found that the coconut ones were my favorite! I also looooooved those spicy banana chips and chickpea snacks. I probably ate everything, except for the adorable jewelry in the corner, within a week with the help of my mother. All that was left was the Mango Bar, Sesame Brittle, dried fruits and the Kesari Bath. Now, I've never had kesari bath a day in my life, and couldn't read the instructions other than the information of it being a dessert - Susmitha's favorite, if I remember correctly.

So, I decided to set it up for my "cheat day" breakfast, and instead of adding water and regular oil as suggested in the instructions, I put in about a cup or two of almond milk, 1/4 of the mango package, some of the dried papaya and a few bits of the sesame brittle and let it turn orange from the sweet fruit. Then I slowly poured in the kesari bath (which is made of semolina, and seems to be sort of like couscous!), thinking I would only use half of it for now. Well, apparently that wasn't enough for my taste so I dumped the whole package in and whisked it rigorously, folded in some coconut oil cubes from an ice tray and then sprinkling on more candied papaya.

On the side I had baked some un-sweetened puff pastry twists filled with cinnamon to counterbalance the sweet gooeyness of my kesari bath.

(Mango Kesari Bath Ingredients)

• 1 & 1/2-2 C. Cold Almond Milk
• 1 16 oz package of Kesari Bath
• 6 tbl Chopped Dried Mango
• 1 tbl Cold Coconut Oil
• 2 tbl. Minced Sesame Brittle
• Candied Papaya

(Directions)

Start your almond milk in a pot and add in the mango immediately, stirring once in a while so nothing sticks or burns, then whisk in one part sesame brittle and some of the candied papaya, however much you like. Once your milk has turned orange and the mango melts, slowly whisk in your kesari bath and allow it to thicken, only just before it is the "right" consistency for you but make sure that it is fully cooked and not too hard or grainy. Fold in your coconut oil and the rest of your brittle and top with candied papaya. Enjoy!

Fun fact:Mangos contain 100% of the daily required Vitamin C, 35% of Vitamin A and 12% of fiber!

Apple Brown Betty Crisps; Second Vegan MoFo Post

Yesterday it was peaches and now its apples, it seems to be a fruity start for my Vegan MoFo posts but this is just the beginning. I want to take something homey and comfortable and just transform them in terms of texture, shape or overall asthetics to make it different. For me, food is about comfort and a way of expression - and this super simple caramel sauce with cooked apples is superb. This requires absolutely no leaveners and just a few minutes of baking time depending on how you like it. Sweet, salty and buttery due to margarine served on both soft and crispy "crackers", I can really appreciate this and I know you will as well.

(Apple Brown Betty Crisps Dough Ingredients)

• 2 and 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Raw Sugar
• 1/2 stick Vegan Margarine
• A Generous Pinch of Cinnamon
• Enough Rice Milk to mix

(Directions)

• Cream your margarine and sugar together with a whisk.
• Sift in your salt and flour, then fold until it starts to become crumbly.
• Add enough rice milk to make it a nice, sticky dough and then fold in half of the chopped apples.
• Refrigerate as you work on your apples in caramel sauce.
• Bake for about 25 minutes after adding apple topping or until done. Serve warm.

(Apples in Caramel Sauce Ingredients)

• 1/2 Medium-Sized Chopped Apple
• 1/2 stick of Margarine, Cubed
• 1/2 cup Raw Sugar
• 3 tbl Soy or Rice Milk
• A Generous Pinch of Cinnamon and Salt

(Directions)

• Melt half of your margarine and then toss in your apples, sugar and a bit of salt, slowly add more margarine as you like.
• Wait until the sugar and fat have cooked together, bubbled and darkened to a nice caramel
• Add in your milk and cook for another minute or two, then allow to cool before topping onto your almost-frozen dough and bake.
• Enjoy!

Anytime Peach Cobbler Cake w/ Streusel Topping; First Vegan MOFO Post

Yeah! Its been an exciting week - my first giveaway has been finished and the order is in process while my second week of culinary class has started and my help with some Girl Scout Cookie sorting may work out soon. I feel like I deserve a snack, and one of my favorite things to snack on is a lightly boiled peach with a side of peach tea. There's something that is oh so marvelous about the soft, supple flesh and the bright color as you take a bite and juice lands everywhere.

Sometimes, though, I want that jubilant feeling in the morning and I just don't have the time to boil a peach and eat it for breakfast, no matter how big and how badly I want it. So, for something even quicker, bulkier and quite tasty I've decided to make Anytime Peach Cobbler! You can make this into tiny individual skillet cobblers or you can make a huge one and heat as you like. I've noticed that my single-serving and breakfast recipes can appear to be too microwave-dependant (they can be cooked in any fashion) so I wanted something a little more down home that I can reheat anywhere.

The best thing about this cake is that its so easy to make and it only takes a few tablespoons of oil and vegan sour cream to make it moist and shiny on top. In addition, the crispy streusel topping I've added makes it so great - and the fruits on top make this really gorgeous and taste just like a peach cobbler! I'm just a fan of cakes, so you can separate these or even make a type of pancake batter if you wish. So, here goes my first post for Vegan MoFo!

(Anytime Peach Cobbler Cake Ingredients)

• 3 & 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 cup Raw Sugar
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• A Generous Pinch of Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• Slivered Peaches
• 4 tbl. Vegan Sour Cream
• 1 tsp. ACV
• 1 cup of Rice Milk
• 2 tbl Veg. Oil

(Directions)

• "Cream" your sour cream and sugar together with a whisk
• Add your oil to the sugar mix then add the ACV to your rice milk.
• Sift your dry ingredients into the sugar and sour cream, then fold in your liquids. Top with your favorite streusel topping and peaches.
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until done. Allow to cool and serve.
• Enjoy!

Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Bento

This post is about some of my different experiences with this bento, the first being that I did some chocolate paintings (plus a multi-pic post)! I decided to save on the fat, and thus didn't do anything aside from the outline after I hand-drew each character. The only ones who are really missing from this bento are Puddin' and Irwin, but I may have something in store for them later. If you haven't ever heard of this show before, its about two children who trick the Grim Reaper into being their best friend forever and their adventures together. The chocolate painting above is the one with Billy, the lovable idiot who tags along with Mandy, and next to him are veggie dog fingers, dark cherries and a plum. Underneath there are spooky broccoli sprouts and a tofu Reaper.

Heeeeeres' Mandy! I feel like she's saying "Billy, you idiot. Don't you realize this is food?" as she lays atop the olive and hummus sandwich.

The trio huddled together, the summer heat didn't help them unmelt.

And here's the adorable, confusing, Fred Fredburger! Sadly for him, neither nachos nor frozen (soy) yogurt were used in this bento.

GABM Bento Ingredients:
1 Olive, Hummus & Sprout Sandwich
1 Plum
Cherries
Tofu
Chocolate
Veggie Dog Fingers
Green Beans


I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I!

Wacky Watermelon Cake (Soy-Free)

It may seem odd, but this cake is amazing - it smells like a pumpkin or sweet potato pie and has a similar texture as well. Although this cake is frosted, thanks to a high juice content it is more like a Chinese steamed cake, so feel free to replace some of it with non-dairy milk. Additional chocolate chips for pizazz are welcome, although not necessary with such a rich and creamy coconut and pandan frosting. Surprise everyone with this lovely treat!

What's the weirdest food you've ever created?

(Wacky Watermelon Cake Ingredients)

• 2 & 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1+ cup of Raw or Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 1/2 cup of Floured-Chocolate Chips (optional)
• 1 cup of Watermelon Juice
• 1/2 cup of Coconut Yogurt

(Wacky Watermelon Cake Directions)

• Mix your dry ingredients first, then fold in your wet and your chips (if you have them) just until incorporated into a thick batter.
• Pour in a greased pan lined with parchment paper. Tap lightly on a hard surface about 20 times. Then, bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until cooked.

(Coconut Frosting Ingredients)

• 2 cups of Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 cup of Cream of Coconut
• 1 tsp of Vanilla
• 2 tsp of Pandan Extract (optional)

(Coconut Frosting Directions)

• Cream everything together. If it is not thin enough (it should be quite thick with spreadability) then you can spoon in some water, 1/4  tsp at a time until it's to your liking.
• Wait for the cake to cool, reserve some frosting for later decoration and ice as you like.
• Enjoy!

* Cream of Coconut is essentially a syrupy and sugar-filled coconut cream. They are not totally interchangeable due to stickiness, but it can work.

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!

Pandan Breakfast Bento

I'm posting another wonderful breakfast while I'm waiting for my cake to freeze - but that's for another post. This was one of my breakfasts for the week which consisted of lots of yummy pandan flavored items - the thing that I love about pandan is that it tastes so much like vanilla with its own "piney" taste! ^^ I made a face with nori on top of the spongey pancake and accidentally left some steamed mustard greens on top - I think its cute, don't you?

Pandan Breakfast Bento Ingredients:

Grapefruit Slices

Strawberries

Steamed Mustard Greens

Pandan Pancakes

Banana

Vegan "Egg White"

Pandan "Egg"



I hope you enjoy it! Do you like to make bentos - what types?

Raw Vegan Fruit Cake

Delicious, fresh, moist and fruity - these tasty little snacks are quite healthy too. They're easy to make and great for kids!

(Fruit Cake Ingredients)

• 1 cup of Base Flour
• 4 tbl Coconut Oil
• 3 tbl Raw Sugar
• 1/2 Juicy Apple (your choice)
• Chopped (dried) Pineapple, Cherry and Cashews

(Directions)

• Mix together, form into balls and place into the freeze for thirty minutes.
• Let them defrost for a moment and serve for Christmas or any time.

I hope that you enjoy this quick snack!

Apam Balik (Malaysian Peanut Pancake)

My mother always used to make peanut pancakes, but they never turned out as well as the soft and cakey ones we used to buy. Of course, my mother tended to use those smokey dried peanuts for a savory biscuit-type, and she tended to use peanut butter for her thick and extremely rich pancakes. These are more my style - what with delicious lemon peel and pistachio crepes and another being the favorite of everyone in our house; sugar, salt, cinnamon, minced peanuts and "butter".

Basic Crepe Batter Recipe:

1 and 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 and 1/2 cups of Soymilk

1 cup of Cold Water

1 tsp of Cornstarch + 1 tsp of Cold Water (mix it well)

3 tbl of Oil (preferably Coconut)

1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Package of Medium-Firm Tofu (not squeezed)

1 tbl of Sugar

A pinch of Salt

Original Peanut Filling:

1/4 cup of Minced Peanuts

Salt, Sugar and Cinnamon to taste

Margarine to add

Lemon-Pistachio Twist:

1/4 cup of Minced Pistachios

3 Small Lemon Peels (skin only) Minced

Salt and Sugar to taste

Margarine (optional, this was not added)

Mix all of your ingredients together for the crepe batter, adding the liquids first, then the oil and adding the cornstarch slurry last. Mix it well until slightly bubbly and let it sit for about an hour or two. Afterwards, put all of your ingredients into a blender and mix for about one minute. Meanwhile, heat up a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan and lightly spray or rub down a small amount of oil. Turn the heat onto low, grab a pot top and pour a bit of your batter into the pan. Use the back of the spoon to make it thinner, add your preferred filling all around the pancake and then place the pot lid onto the pan. Let that steam for a few minutes and then rub a rubber spatula under it to loosen it. Fold one half over and let that brown with the top on, flip over and repeat. Let it cool down a bit in the pan and then eat as you like.

I hope that you enjoy this wonderful dish!

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

Stinky and Delicious!

I'm sure you've heard of this dreaded fruit. It lurks in the dark corners of your bedroom, waiting for you to make any sudden movements, but that doesn't mean it wants you to forget that it's there. It's covered in sharp points all over and it emanates the combination of the smells of rotten gym socks, feet and onions to make sure that you'll never forget its presence. To some people it smells like rotten feet in rotten gym socks covered in rotten onions. To others, it might be the smell of lunch or a quick afternoon snack.

This dread fruit is the durian of course, and even to me it smells like odd onions." A fruit should never smell that way!" is probably what you're thinking every time you see it, or screaming out-loud for everyone to hear in my case. Despite the stares of the crowd I continue to look at the fruit in fear and awe, wondering how so many people could like it. How weird would you have to be to actually enjoy a fruit that has the creamy yet slightly stringy texture of custard with the taste of pudding combined with rotten feet? Hm, about as weird as a person named Bou Shin.

I first saw the durian fruit during an episode of my favorite show "Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern". He was traveling through Thailand at the time and looked up at the netting that separated the fruit of the trees from his soft skull. The fruit that could have killed him so easily being the durian fruit also made sure to emit its pungent odor as it declared itself king of all of Thailand's botany. When the fruit dropped down and a native man opened it with a large knife, it seemed like Andrew couldn't take it. Was the fruit infested with some nasty cheese-creating fungus? Maybe the fruit copies Twilight DVDs and keeps them inside of each of its little custard-filled pods? Nope! Thats just how durian smells and seems to make even the hardest platinum-steel stomachs queasy.

How was it that a small teenage girl can love the taste but a 40-something year old man can't even stand the smell of it? It has nothing to do with who has the strongest stomach, considering that Mr. Zimmern can handle a bowl of bull intestines soup and still want a few chicken gizzards to wash it down or a way to feel mightier. Infact, I respect Mr. Zimmern as his show has taught me a lot about the world and that I'm not alone in my love for food. I especially love that he at least tries the food before criticizing it and that he has tried durian several times before. I, however, have only tried it once and enjoyed it very much and when I found it in my local Asian grocery store (frozen section) I was amazed!

I was scared that I would be wasting money, but I wanted to try something that wasn't the Kim-chi that I constantly eat. It cost about $5.50 for two large pieces of durian and I decided to share it with my mother and sister. When we opened the package we were immediately hit with the harsh, pungent smell of rotten onions. I feared that I would smell this all week but when the durian hit my dessert bowl - I knew I had to have it. I closed my nose and simply felt the custardy and slightly chalky texture of the fruit, along with its light sweetness. I decided to open my nose and as I got used to the pungent taste and flavor, I really enjoyed it. It seemed like a fun kid's food that a lot of people could enjoy, but when I turned around I could see my sister throwing the durian into the trash and my mother wiping her tongue with a paper napkin.

I was glad that I could try something that was out of the ordinary, and decided to store the rest of the durian in the freezer, where it stayed for quite some time.

I couldn't eat it as a snack fruit, as the smell would singe the hair off of my house-mate's noses and stay in the air for sometime, and I didn't know of anything vegan that I could do with it. That is, I didn't know of anything I could do with it until a few weeks ago when I watched an episode of "Chef Vs. City" where they went to a Thai grocery store and created a recipe for the durian. 

It included vanilla, cashews, some milk, durian, cinnamon and a few other ingredients. I'll have to see the actual recipe later on (or watch the episode over again), but it seems like a good introduction of durian into a person's diet. Are you ready to go through a flavor adventure or a horrifying nightmare (depending on your taste buds)?

                                                                                                                               Signed, 

<3 Bou Shin <3