vegan Archives - Page 5 of 7

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

March 14, 2013 · by Ari ·

These healthy, vegan and gluten-free chipotle black bean burgers are so full of flavor they will knock the socks off any meat burger!

Do you guys have those foods that you ALWAYS order if they are on the menu? I sit down at a restaurant, scan the menu for goat cheese and sweet potatoes, and then if it’s a burger type place, I always look for a black bean burger.

I also spend lots of money on those frozen black bean burgers. I eat them as a burger, I crumble them up and put them on a salad. They are versatile, and delicious, but I much prefer to create my own food, and not spend tons of money of frozen goods.

I’ve been wanting to create my own black bean burgers for, well, ever. In fact, I honestly can’t believe I didn’t make them sooner. They were super simple, and the whole process only took about 30 minutes. Not to mention the batch makes several, so I was able to have them in salads and in my scrambled eggs (it was delicious) for almost a week.

The only tricky part is the flipping. Black bean burgers are very delicate, and if you flip too soon, or aren’t careful, you will end up with a big mess on your hands. I also had a lot of black bean mush left over. It took me a few times to get it right. I’m not the most patient person, and I didn’t even think to handle them with extra care. Once I did, they came out perfectly!

The secret ingredient (or not so secret since it’s in the title…) in these babies are the chipotles in adobo sauce. Would you believe I’ve never bought them/eaten them before? I see them in all sorts of recipes, and people are always raving about them, but for some reason, I had never used them. They added so much spice and flavor! I can’t wait to use them in 5 billion more recipes!

I topped mine with roasted red pepper (check out those char marks!! mmmmm) and fresh avocado slices. I love them with goat cheese too, but of course that makes it no longer vegan. The pan frying provides the perfect crispy outside, and soft, but not mushy inside. They are spicy and bold, and will easily become one of your go-to meals!

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

Yield: 6-8 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

These healthy, vegan and gluten-free chipotle black bean burgers are so full of flavor they will knock the socks off any meat burger!

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
handful fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if that's important to you)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Place half the black beans, onion and garlic in your food processor. Blend for 20-30 seconds until combined. Add chipotle, cumin, salt, cornstarch, cilantro, and sriracha. Blend for an other 10-20 seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in oats and remaining black beans.
Heat olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into patties and carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom is browned and set. Very carefully flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until the opposite side is browned and set as well. Serve immediately, or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/chipotle-black-bean-burgers-vegan-gluten-free/

Drink & Dish: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie {with video!}

March 7, 2013 · by Ari ·

Do you guys celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? I’ve never really done much, but green is my favorite color, so I do enjoy an entire holiday dedicated to it. 😉 I really like to get holiday themed pedicures (my bank account doesn’t, but that’s an other story…), and I always get really excited to get something green in March!

To be honest, I had no idea what the heck people even eat for St. Patty’s Day. After some brain storming, Nicole suggested shepherd’s pie, but I didn’t even really know what went inside the thing. I knew it was meat and potatoes, but that was about it.

I did some research, swapper the meat for lentils, swapped the mashed potato topping for a sweet potato puree, and all of the sudden I had a delicious, hearty, and filling vegan shepherd’s pie.

Can we talk about how shepherd’s pie is the hardest thing ever to photograph? I felt like every single photo I took just looked like vegetable mush. In fact, it took me 2 takes (one during testing, and one during filming) to get even a handful of photos that I liked between the two.

I should also mention that this makes a LOT of food. Like, I hope you have a big family, and are looking forward to healthy left overs because it will last you forever, and only gets better the next day! I tested this recipe out on a Tuesday, ate the leftovers all week long, and then made it TWICE for filming. I’ve pretty much been eating nothing but shepherd’s pie for the last week and a half.

In fact, I can’t believe I’ve gone this long not eating this regularly–savory, rich veggies topped with creamy, sweet potatoes? It just screams the makings of a perfect dinner!

Oh, and it’s especially delicious with Nicole’s Irish maiden cocktail (AKA my new favorite drink ever). Make sure to check out her recipe as well! And here’s our latest episode of Drink & Dish!

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

yield 10-12 servings

3 large sweet potatoes
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth, divided use
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large squash (zucchini or yellow), sliced
1 lb cooked lentils
1 cup frozen peas
sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and thyme for seasoning
cashew cream for topping (optional)

Directions:

To make the sweet potato puree, roast sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Cool slightly, then remove skins and transfer to a blender. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vegetable broth with corn starch. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots and squash. Season with salt, pepper and thyme (I used a heavy pinch of each), and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add lentils, peas and vegetable broth/corn starch mixture. Add an extra 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Cook until all ingredients are heated throughout stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a large casserole dish (or individual serving dishes). Evenly spread sweet potato puree on top.
Broil for 20 minutes. Top with cashew cream if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Samoas Donuts {vegan}

March 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

It’s here. The season I love to hate. Or hate to love. Yes, definitely hate to love: Girl Scout Cookie Season.

For the past few years, I’ve avoided purchasing any all together, but this year a special girl in my life was selling them, and I just couldn’t let her not win the special prize for selling the most boxes, right???? But really, girl scout cookies happen only once a year, and the two boxes I purchased aren’t going to be the end of the world, as long as I don’t eat them all in one sitting. In fact, I’m proud to announce that a week in, and only one box has even been opened!

This is what we call MASSIVE WILLPOWER over in my house. Plus, now that I have these donuts, that opened box of samoas isn’t drawing me in quite so heavily. The unopened thin mints in my freezer? Well, that’s an other story. Those long tubes of cookies are portion control’s worst nightmare. Oh, you say all of these delicious cookies come in 2 tubes? Well, clearly one tube is a “serving”, right?

I’m actually trying to save them for when I decide just how I want them to be a part of a cupcake, or milkshake, or cookie inside of a cookie.

So how did I make these indulgent cookies into a completely vegan, and health(ier) dessert? Well, the donut part was easy. I have a pretty basic donut recipe that I love, and it didn’t require too much tweaking. Chocolate and coconut? Piece of cake. I don’t even buy that sweetened coconut. I love the finely shredded unsweetened low fat stuff. You can, of course, use whatever you want, but if I can get that delicious coconutty taste without the added sugar, I’ll take it!

The caramel portion was tricky. I’ve seen date caramel all over the internet, and I’d been dying to try it. Dates are so sweet and gooey that it seemed like they could definitely do the trick! So I got out the food processor, played around, heated the mixture on the stove a little to get that extra-gooey effect, and voila! Now, I’m gonna be real with you here. It doesn’t just just like that gooey buttery caramel we’re all used to and love. It is not an exact replica, but it does give you a sweet, caramel texture with no added sugar. I could have just eaten it with a spoon if I didn’t have donuts to make!

And not just any donuts–ultra soft, pillowy donuts that taste like biting into a sweet, fluffy cloud. I don’t know why anyone fries these things when they bake up perfectly soft and sweet on their own. Add rich, bold dark chocolate, and you have everything you could ever need in a dessert.

**Note: To get closer to the Samoas look, you can also coat the bottom in chocolate, but I was trying to keep this light, so I just drizzled it on the top. Also, you can totally drizzle it in a straighter line for the resemblance I tried…we all have our strengths and weaknesses 😉

Samoas Donuts

yield 6 donuts

1 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp corn starch
dash salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, divided use
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
20 pitted dates (and water for soaking)
2 tbsp reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp coconut oil, at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray, and set aside.
Place dates in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to soak while you prepare the donuts.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, corn starch and salt. Stir in 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Gently stir until ingredients are just combined.
Evenly divide batter between 6 donut molds. Smooth out tops. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in molds.
Transfer dates + 2-3 tbsp of water from soaking to your food processor. Process until dates begin breaking down to more of a paste, about 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt (you can also add a dash of vanilla extract if you’d like) and 2 tbsp almond milk. Continue to process until a caramel texture forms, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a small saucepan, and cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes whisking constantly. Return back to the food processor, and blend again for about one minute.
Top donuts with date caramel sauce, followed by a heavy pinch of coconut.
Melt chocolate and room temperature coconut oil in the microwave for about 90 seconds, stirring every 20-30 seconds. Transfer melted chocolate to a large ziplock bag. Snip off the corner of the bag, and drizzle chocolate over donuts. Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Bites

February 15, 2013 · by Ari ·

Today I want to tell you about how embarrassing my busband is.

Yesterday he got into an argument with a lady at the store. Apparently, she gave him a dirty look, and he thought this was a good reason to cause a scene and argue with her right in the middle of the grocery store. Clearly, he’s really mature. 😉

Luckily, I wasn’t with him. I only felt embarrassed hearing the story. You see, he is totally the type to just say whatever is on his mind, which is, like, the opposite of me. I am the type that when I say the wrong thing, I still think about it, and analyze it months later.

I suppose I should be less embarrassed, and more grateful that I have a husband who never minds running out to the store for whatever crazy ingredients I need at the moment. You see, I am also the type of person who forgets everything. I’m really type A about some things, but not normal things. I make lists, but I don’t follow them. I hate mess, but I’m messy. Sometimes, I don’t even understand myself!

You know what else I don’t understand? Dates. How do they make things so sweet, and delicious when you don’t add any sugar??? And WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DOING THIS FOREVER AND EVER????? The thing is, my sweet tooth has gotten totally out of control, and I’m not running right now to at least balance out all the sugar I want to eat ALL THE TIME, so something needs to give. My friend Heidi is always making all sorts of delicious treats that are only sweetened by dates, then the other day Sally made some that looked amazing too.

Then, I went to Whole Foods, and they had samples of something pretty similar, and it literally tasted JUST LIKE COOKIE DOUGH. I looked at the ingredients, took it as a sign, and went right home to my food processor.

You guys, THEY TASTE JUST LIKE COOKIE DOUGH!!! Not like the “oh these taste pretty good for healthy food” or in the way a Larabar says it tastes like cookie dough, but really just tastes like a delicious snack; no–these taste like legit cookie dough, and the 8 that came out of my batch lasted about a day. Soft, chewy, cinnamony goodness that is totally good for you. I’m in so much love. I made these Wednesday, and it took me all of 36 hours to share them with you!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Bites

yield 8

3/4 cups chopped pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
1 tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter, or sunflower butter, or whatever kind you like)
1 tbsp chopped roasted almonds (or any nut of choice)
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp rolled oats (use gluten-free if that’s important to you)
1/4 cup raisins
finely shredded reduced fat unsweetened coconut for rolling (optional, but recommended)

Directions:

Blend dates and extracts in your food processor until they form a sticky ball, about 4-5 minutes. Add almond butter, and continue to process until combined. Add almonds, salt, cinnamon and oats, and process for 1-2 more minutes, until everything is sticking together.
Remove dough from food processor. Use you hands to fold in raisins.
Roll dough into 1″ balls. If desired, roll in coconut. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Bars

February 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

You know those people who go through life only speaking the bare minimum amount of word required to get by in social situations?

Yeah, that’s not me. I’m that person who, even as an adult, can’t get through situations where you’re supposed to be quiet. Work meetings? Don’t put me next to anyone I find remotely interesting. Library? I get the evil eye from everyone who actually went there for some peace and quiet. I even talk the entire time through massages.

I think the only time I ever stop talking is during a run when I get reallllly tired, and then it doesn’t matter because I’m usually with the only girl I know who loves to talk more than I do. 😉

So when I name a recipe, I always want to tell you every single thing about it. The name doesn’t do justice for me unless it accurately describes every detail of the food. In fact, if I were going to name these what I wanted to, they would be called Double Salted Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Tops with Graham Cracker Crust. I had to put it in bold so that you could actually see the beginning and end. It’s only slightly excessive.

The problem is, it is all of those details that make these bars so fantastic. It took me a few tries to actually figure them out. The first time, I didn’t put two layers of chocolate–I only put chocolate on the top–and the dough didn’t stick to the crust, and they ended up a sticky mess.

Then I tried to cut them before freezing them–well that resulted in cookie dough oozing out. It wasn’t pretty, but they still tasted great. However, it was when I finally completely froze them before cutting that they finally worked for me. You can see that cutting the frozen chocolate causes the tops to crack, but I didn’t mind it. If you do, you could always cute them when the chocolate is first put on, and is still melty, then freeze.

For the graham cracker crust, you must use old fashioned graham crackers. Please don’t use the regular store bought one. The crust is probably my favorite part, and it is due to that spicy cinnamon and molasses taste that the old fashioned graham crackers bring. This crumbly crust is topped with a layer of melted chocolate, then sprinkled with sea salt, followed by soft, gooey, eggless cookie butter cookie dough, and topped with more chocolate and an other layer of sea salt. If you don’t love sweet and salty as much as I do (ummm WHY NOT?). you could leave out the salt on the bottom layer, or (gasp) all of the salt, but I wouldn’t do that. With all the sweetness of the graham crackers, chocolate, and cookie butter, the salt puts everything into perfect balance.

Using a spring form pan makes them about a million times easier to get out, but it does make cutting them….interesting. I did most of the outside pieces in triangles, but did the middle in squares and rectangles. Honestly, it doesn’t matter how you slice ’em–they are a totally out-of-this-world decadent treat that is perfect for any occasion. I made them after Steve’s first century and again for after my marathon.

Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Bars

8 oz old fashioned graham crackers
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup apple butter
1 cup cookie butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup white whole wheat flour
12 oz bag dark chocolate chips, melted and divided
coarse sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9-10″ springform pan with parchment paper. Spray edges and parchment paper well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Pule graham crackers in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. With the food processor on, stream in the coconut oil and continue to run until combined, about 1 minute.
Press graham cracker crust into the bottom of your spring form pan making smooth, even layer. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 15 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.
Spread half the melted chocolate over cooked crust. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let set in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, beat together apple butter, cookie butter, sugars and molasses until well combined. Beat in vanilla and almond milk. Slowly beat in flour and continue mixing until fully combined.
Top cooled chocolate with cookie dough. Use a sprayed piece of parchment paper to press cookie dough into a smooth even layer.
Top with remaining melting chocolate. Use a pastry brush or spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle with more sea salt.
Either slice immediately, then freeze, or freeze completely for about 3 hours, then slice and serve. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month (yes, I was eating these for a WHOLE MONTH!).

Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

February 6, 2013 · by Ari ·

Soft and fluffy whole grain chai spiced muffins with fresh vanilla bean, made with vegan buttermilk. A perfect healthy treat for brunch, or a mid-afternoon snack.

I don’t eat a lot of muffins. I mean, I’ve never met a baked good I don’t like, but a muffin isn’t what I generally grab. I usually find them to be glorified cupcakes without the frosting, and really, why would you want a cupcake with no frosting???

Well, these muffins do not taste like a cupcake, and I love that. They taste like everything you could ever want in a breakfast: spicy chai, sweet vanilla and, of course, carbs. Yes, carbs have a taste. I would describe it as “amazing” or “perfection”.

I have a secret. These actually started out as cupcakes. You see, that’s much more my style, but as I frosted them with a sugary glaze, I just wasn’t in love. These flavors are bold, and the “cupcake” came out so perfectly soft and moist that I didn’t want to hide it. So I tried again. I took away some excess sugar, cut the frosting, and I discovered that muffins can actually be pretty spectacular.

They would pair perfectly with your breakfast protein of choice, or smeared with peanut butter as an afternoon snack, or dusted with some cinnamon and powdered sugar for dessert. They are incredibly versatile and at 89 calories a pop, why not enjoy??

You may have noticed my untraditional “buttermilk”. Well, it’s not only to make the recipe vegan (added bonus!), but honestly, every time I seem to buy buttermilk, it just sits in my fridge and then goes bad. Instead, I used a cup of Silk Pure Almond Vanilla with 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar. In addition to keeping the muffins vegan, using the Silk saved an extra 5 calories per muffin opposed to making homemade buttermilk with skim milk. Now, 5 may seem like nothing, but as my tagline says, I truly believe that “Little changes make a big difference”, and I promise that after you’ve gone through the entire batch (trust me, it’s inevitable), those 5 calories will add up!

Print
Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen
Serving Size: 1 muffin

Soft and fluffy whole grain chai spiced muffins with fresh vanilla bean, made with vegan buttermilk. A perfect healthy treat for brunch, or a mid-afternoon snack.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 vanilla bean
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spray lightly with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Measure out almond milk and add apple cider vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and applesauce. Scrape out the center of vanilla bean and add to the mixture. Beat until combined. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to the sugar and apple sauce mixture in 3 additions beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Divide batter evenly between lines muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3.1
https://arismenu.com/chai-spiced-vanilla-bean-buttermilk-muffins/

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Silk and FitFluential LLC. All opinions are my own. To learn more about Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened on Facebook and Twitter.

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

February 4, 2013 · by Ari ·

I have something really embarrassing to tell you.

So I pretty much never know the correct way to store my baked goods. Either I wrap it all up super close in an airtight container when it is still entirely too warm resulting in a big gooey mess of cookies/cupcakes/etc. basically unbaking themselves; or I leave everything out chillin’ with all the breezy air flowing freely throughout my house resulting in stale baked goods in something like 48 hours.

It is a particularly sad experience to spend 75% of your life baking cookies, only to end up not being able to enjoy them the next day. Life is hard when you have a food blog.

Okay, but we’re not even to the embarrassing part yet. This happened when I chose option B, letting my baked goods hang out (read: I was lazy, and didn’t store anything properly). You see, this became a problem because I was unbelievably head over heels for these donuts. That’s part of the reason I didn’t store them in the first place. They were so tempting. I was scared to keep them.

Well, my plans to trick myself into not eating all of the donuts failed miserably when I found myself picking at the lone stale donut still standing 3 days later. That’s the embarrassing part. But if you baked the most perfect tasting orange donuts that were melt-in-your-mouth soft, and covered with sweet chocolatey goodness, you would be picking at the stale leftovers too.

Oh, and by the way, they’re vegan, and gluten-free. 😉

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

yield 8-10 donuts

For the donuts:

2 cups almond meal
zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup honey or agave
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp orange extract

For the frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp hot water
1 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Directions:

Start with the donuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond meal, orange zest, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Stir in almond milk, honey/agave, orange juice and orange extract until combined.
Fill donut molds about 2/3 – 3/4 full. Bake for 12-16 minutes until golden and set. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (I flipped mine over onto the rack and they came right out) to cool completely.
To make the frosting, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly add in water 1 tbsp at a time, stirring constantly, until it reaches a spreadable glaze consistency. Stir in melted chocolate. If glaze becomes too thick, add an other tbsp hot water. Spread glaze on top of cooled donuts.
Top with extra orange zest and/or sprinkles if desired. Store in an airtight container (so you don’t pick at stale donuts) for up to one week.

**Note: If while spreading the glaze it becomes too stiff, stick the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds, and it will thin out again.

Sweet Potato Bisque

February 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

You guys you guys you guysssss!!!! I have so many exciting things to share with you!!

First of all, my birthday is on Wednesday, and clearly, I am turning 5. Maturity? Ehhh, not my thing. I have a major case of Peter Pan syndrome, and I have no plans to change in my *gulp* 28th year of life. Twenty eight. That is dangerously close to thirty. And it’s more miles than I have ever ran at once, and I just don’t really feel like I should be an age that is greater than my PDR.

Also, this week my buffalo deviled eggs were featured on Fox Magazine Online. Ummmm, WHAT?!?!?! When I got the initial email, I just assumed it was, like, the Phoenix chapter or something, and that’s why I was chosen. But then I went to the article, and there was my recipe DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MY VERY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGER!!!! And if that wasn’t awesome enough, I was beyond honored to be featured with a couple of my other favorite foodies.

As if this week wasn’t amazing enough, Steve and I booked our anniversary trip to New Orleans! On our first wedding anniversary, we spent maybe an hour together. Steve was back for a short trip from some work in California, and I was in the middle of rehearsals, and it was just…not a great way to spend our anniversary, so this year we plan to make up for it by going somewhere neither of us have been, and enjoying almost an entire week vacation. So freaking stoked. If you have any recommendation for things to do or, ahem, restaurants, TELL ME EVERYTHING.

As for this soup…It’s my favorite soup. I made it about a year ago for the first time, but never got pictures of it, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It’s rich and creamy like you would imagine a bisque to be, but it doesn’t leave you with that heavy feeling afterwards. Steve claims to hate sweet potato soup, yet ate his entire bowl and went on to rave about it. The maple syrup and sriracha provide a great combination of sweet and spicy.

It also works really well in the crock pot–that’s how I made it the first time, but this time I was short on time, and didn’t prepare ahead of time, so I made it on the stove top. It is equally delicious both ways.

Sweet Potato Bisque

yield 6 servings

2 lbs sweet potatoes
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp sriracha (optional, but recommended)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork, then transfer to a large cooking dish. Roast for about 1 hour until tender.** Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove skin. Blend roasted and peeled sweet potatoes with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together cornstarch and almond milk until combined. Add sweet potatoes, maple syrup, sriracha and spices whisking constantly until well combined. Continue to cook on medium heat until soup is hot throughout. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week.

**Notes: If you’re short on time, you can bake your potatoes in the microwave in about 8-10 minutes. I’ve done this, and it’s not quite as flavorful as roasting, but it’s still great and works in a pinch.

To make in the crock pot, throw in all your ingredients, whisk together, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

January 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

Before I tell you about these amazing cookies, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all of the kind comments on my marathon recap. You guys sure know how to make me cry over, and over, and over again. Of course I do this for me first, but your support really makes it worth all of the pain and challenges so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I made these cookies to compensate for my visually challenged cookies. As soon as they came out of the oven with that perfect crackle on top, I was thrilled that not just a better looking cookie had come out of my oven, but a downright beautiful cookie! Then the pessimist in me decided that surely they were going to taste bad, because that’s how that day was going.

You.Guys. They were so the opposite of bad!!! I bit into one, and was greeted with my most sought after cookie texture–slightly crunchy on the outside, with a soft, gooey, buttery (even though they include NO butter!) texture inside. In my book, that is cookie perfection!

When I stopped freaking out about the texture miracle, I started to focus on the flavor of these bad boys, and holy cow, they are delicious! Spicy homemade chai spice blend mixed with sweet sugar cookie flavor creating a sweet and comforting cookie that tastes like it came from your grandma’s old recipes.

“Okay maybe these are the best cookies you have ever made.” My husband’s cookie heart is so fickle.

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

Ultra soft vegan & gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies with warm, comforting chai spices--perfect for fall or winter holidays!

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the coating:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter,sugar, maple syrup, and almond milk until well combined. Add vanilla, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
In a wide, shallow bowl, combine ingredients for the coating. Lightly spray hands with nonstick spray, then roll dough into one inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat completely, then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. They may look underdone, but do not over bake. They will set more as they cool. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Lightly adapted from Post Punk Kitchen

https://arismenu.com/chai-spiced-snickerdoodles-vegan/

Black & White Cookies {vegan}

January 15, 2013 · by Ari ·

Look to the cookie.

I know I’ve posted that video before. It’s from one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. I’m also pretty sure I’ve mentioned my Seinfeld addiction. I spent the weekend with my NY Husband, and when I got to his house Thursday evening, he had a Seinfeld all cued up and ready for us to watch before bed. That’s love.

Black and white cookies are the epitome of nostalgia for me. You know how you have certain foods that remind you of certain relationships in your life? Like the way my dad is still always buying me white chocolate kit kat bars because they were my favorite when I was a kid. They still remind me of my dad. The first time I ever had a black and white cookie was when my friend Lisa and I split one at Chompies.

It was pretty much as cliche as you can get–2 Jewish girls at the Jewish deli eating black and white cookies. What can I say? It’s in my blood.

It was love at first bite. The soft, cake-like cookie was absolute perfection. It was so huge we had to eat it with a fork! Ever since, any time I’m in NYC, all I want is a black and white cookie. I had my heart set on one when I was there in November, but it never happened, and so I decided I was going to need to make it happen in Arizona.

I made these cookies with the intent to wait until either Lisa’s baby shower (in March) or when she delivers her baby girl (in May-ish), but I just couldn’t wait.

The homemade version of this deli classic was everything I dreamed it would be! Soft, fluffy, cake-like cookies topped equally with light, white powdered sugar glaze and its rich, chocolatey counter part. It truly is the ultimate flavor combination.

So in honor of Lisa, Mac, and my latest (9 hour) trip to the city, make yourself some black & whites.

Black & White Cookies

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

yield approx. 3 ½ dozen

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
1 and 1/4 cups whole wheat cake flour
1 and 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp hot water
1 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and applesauce and extracts until combined.
In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients into applesauce mixture, followed by milk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop the dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes until edges begin to brown. Cool completely.
To make the frosting, place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly, mix in hot water 1 tbsp at a time, until icing has reached your desired consistency. Be careful—a little bit of liquid goes a long way with powdered sugar!
Spread icing on half of the flat (bottom) side of each cookie. Once all cookie halves have been half frosted, add melted chocolate to remaining frosting. To make the “black” darker, you may add in 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa if desired (I did). If icing appears too thick, add an other tbsp. of hot water.
Frost the remaining half of the cookies with the chocolate frosting. If icing becomes dry, just whisk in a little bit of extra water—it can dry up pretty quickly, and I had to do this a few times.
Let frosting set and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Coconut

January 14, 2013 · by Ari ·

Friends, these are not the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made.

In fact, when I made them for our first Ragnar team meeting, I almost didn’t serve them because I didn’t love the look, but as I kept reaching over, and over, and over for the pieces of the uglier ones I planned to throw away, I realized they were so delicious, I just had to save them, and post about them, pretty or not.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet, but this February I will be running Ragnar Del Sol with 11 other amazing ladies! The line up includes Nicole, Karla, Melissa, Megan, Tara, Stacey, Jaime, Bety, Jennifer, Jenn, and Kelli. I am sosoSO excited! We had our first official meeting a couple of weeks ago, and did a potluck at my house, so of course I called dibs on making dessert. 😉 Tara and Jaime don’t eat gluten or dairy, so I wanted to make something that everyone would be able to enjoy.

So I did end up serving my visually-challenged cookies, and I’m even sharing them with you, because I love them. They are so chewy, and packed with flavor. In true Ari style, there is definitely a lot going on, which leads to my new longest title ever (I think?), but it all comes together perfectly in a way that rather than tasting each component, you taste the combination as a whole.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Coconut

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp apple butter
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1/3 cup reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut
3 cups raw oats (use gluten-free if you care about that sort of thing)
6 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used 2 bars—a coconut dark chocolate and a sea salt dark chocolate)
3/4 cup sweet cherries, pitted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, apple butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Add almond milk, vanilla, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and coconut, and beat until well combined. Fold in oats, followed by chocolate, cherries and coconut.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop batter onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these spread quite a bit).
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to serve.

**Notes: These cookies are very sticky. I don’t recommend sealing them for storage. You also don’t want to crowd them. They work best unstacked in a large Tupperware with the lid resting on top, but unsealed.

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes {vegan}

January 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Hi. There’s cupcakes. But first, can we please talk about Les Miserables for a hot minute? My poor, sweet, perfect husband ~~got forced~~ volunteered to go with me to see it. When I first saw the trailer, I was convinced it was going to be horrible, but as time went on, the hype got bigger and bigger, and I started to believe I was actually going to love it.

And I’m really sorry, because if you saw it, I’m sure you probably loved it too. But we walked out and Steve said “My favorite part was when he jumped off the bridge because that meant he couldn’t sing anymore.” Spoiler alert: Javert jumps off a bridge. Spoiler #2: I kind of agree. I don’t want to talk about everything that was wrong with the movie, because flaws and all, I still enjoyed all 2.5 hours of it. Well maybe like 2 of them, but what was sooooo funny was listening to Steve go on and on and ON about it the whole car ride home. I’ve never seen him hate a movie so much!

His other finest quote was “No wonder they couldn’t get anything done in that French revolution! They had to sing about everything first!” If you didn’t love the movie, you should really ask him about it, but if you’re one of the people who cried in the theatre, then it’s probably a subject best left untapped. Okay, musical theatre snobbery is over. Let’s talk about cupcakes!

You guys know how I’m always talking about perfect flavor combinations. I’m not one to just have one flavor. I like variety. I get bored easily, and I need a lot going on in order to stay interested. I hadn’t ever had lemon and coconut together before (that I can remember), but I had a hunch it was going to be pretty great, and it may not be peanut butter and chocolate, but it is definitely a contendor for my secret mental list. 😉

The light, citrusy flavor of the lemon complements the rich, creamy coconut flavor in these soft and fluffy cupcakes. They are definitely dessert, but not too sweet, and that slightly tart lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch. And I promise, the best part is not when they jump off a bridge. Unless the bridge is your hand and they are jumping into your mouth. Worst joke ever?

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

yield 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2/3 cups sugar
zest of 1 extra large lemons
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 2/3 cups canned light coconut milk
reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut and yellow sprinkles for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar
dash lemon extract
1-2 tbs hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Add applesauce and coconut extract and beat until combined. Slowly pour half of the coconut milk and beat until well incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until incorporated, followed by remaining coconut milk. Beat until smooth, then add remaining flour mixture, and continue beating until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Evenly divide batter between cupcake tins (they should be about 2/3 full) and bake for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, in a small-medium mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon extract and 1 tbs hot water. Slowly continue to add more water (and I mean very slowly. A little bit of liquid goes a long way with powdered sugar) until desired drippy consistency. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, and top with sprinkles and coconut if desired.

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Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

Drink & Dish: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie {with video!}

Samoas Donuts {vegan}

Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

Sweet Potato Bisque

Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles {vegan}

Black & White Cookies {vegan}

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Coconut

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes {vegan}

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