Pumpkin Cheesecake

In the food world, Fall means one thing: pumpkin. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carvings...the list goes on. Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and while pumpkin pie is usually my go-to dessert, sometimes it's nice to switch things up. I made this cheesecake to serve to a large group of my omni friends, and I was a little paranoid about the amount of tofu the recipe calls for. I was frantically tasting the raw batter, then the cooked batter, then the chilled cake to see if it would be palatable to non-veg taste buds, but in the end it was a great success. Once the cake is cooked and cooled, all you taste is pumpkin and spice.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (makes 1 cake)
Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookies
3/4 cup pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 14-oz package of firm tofu
1 12-oz package of soft or silken tofu
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and cloves
6-10 pecan halves
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly oil a 9-inch spring form pan.

In a food processor, blend the first 4 ingredients and press mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Rinse out the food processor and throw in the remaining ingredients (except the pecan halves and maple syrup). Blend until smooth and pour into prepared pan. Arrange pecan halves on top and bake for 75 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Spoon maple syrup on top of cake and refrigerate overnight.

Dippy Overnight Oats

One of the best ways to save money is to never waste food. It's also good karma. My (temporary?) profession working in a couple of restaurants exposes me to a lot of food wasting. I can't understand why people don't want to take their leftovers home. Is it not "classy"? You know you'll be hungry again in a couple hours. At least, I usually am.

Anyways, I bought this peanut butter at the dollar store, because it was $1.50 for 500g, and that's really cheap. I tried to find the brand on the internet but it doesn't seem to exist. But it's called Dippy and there's a cute little elephant on the label and it says it's a product of India. I got down to the bottom of the jar and needed a way to use up the last extra bits of peanut butter. Enter: overnight oats.

Dippy Overnight Oats (serves 1)

1 almost-empty peanut butter jar
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup water
dash of cinnamon
sweetener, to taste

Stir all ingredients together in the peanut butter jar and stick it in the fridge before you go to sleep. Wake up, grab a spoon, and enjoy! It may look a little gross, but it is tasty and refreshing because it's cold. And now you have a super-clean peanut butter jar that's ready to be recycled.

Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole

Unless ketchup counts, I don't really eat enough vegetables, which doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who also never eats meat or dairy. I decided to make this casserole because I realized I was living off of bread and Daiya for the past two days and that can't be good. This meal was the best way I could think of to break my vegetable fast: it's mostly veggies, which is healthy, but it also has a carby/cheesy topping, which makes it taste good. This is also just the thing to use up any stale bread and/or unused vegetables laying waste in your fridge, so get creative with the filling and use whatever you have on hand.

Groovy Garden Vegetable Casserole (serves 4-6)
Adapted from La Dolce Vegan

For The Filling:

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups kale, finely chopped
2 cups broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup parsnip, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

For The Topping:

3 slices of bread, roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegan cheese
1/2 cup firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the onion in the oil until translucent. Add remaining filling ingredients, stir, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the topping ingredients until smooth (it should look like a ball of stiff dough).

Place cooked veggies in the prepared dish, top with the topping, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

NB: I definitely used a way-too-small pan to cook the vegetables.

Rum Cake

Finally, another chance to use my bundt pan. I was first exposed to rum cake when Becca and I went to Nassau for Spring Break. There wasn't a lot to do during the day besides tan, but there was this little rum cake store selling mad amounts of cake to hapless tourists. And it was so good. They had samples, so we visited multiple times to try the different flavours. This is my attempt at recreating that treat. This recipe uses cake mix and pudding mix, which means it is super simple, but I guess not technically from scratch. Oh well. If you are worried about preservatives (cake isn't healthy either way!) you could use some organic all-natural mixes...but I used Duncan Hines and Jello. And Barcadi.

Rum Cake (serves 8-10)
Adapted from Veganomics

For The Cake:

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 box of vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light rum
1 cup silken or soft tofu
1/2 cup finely-chopped nuts (optional)

For The Glaze:

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle nuts in the pan. Place tofu in a food processor and blend while you prepare other ingredients (just leave the processor processing).

In a large bowl, mix cake mix and pudding mix. Add oil, water, and rum and stir until just combined. By now the tofu should be very smooth and liquidy. Add tofu to batter and stir until combined, but don't overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

When the cake is done and out of the oven, prepare the glaze. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add the sugar, water, and rum. Cook, constantly stirring, until mixture reaches a syrupy consistency.

Poke holes all over the cake with a toothpick and pour the glaze over it. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until all the glaze is soaked up. Turn onto a pretty platter and enjoy with a Bahama Mama in the bright sunshine.

Crispy Corn Fritters

I made these fritters as a side dish to a meal that was otherwise too healthy, and needed something that was sort of like a vegetable, but not too much. Enter these fritters, which are basically little corn donuts made with both cornmeal and canned corn. They can be eaten by themselves with syrup or powdered sugar on top, but I like them as a savory side, possibly (definitely) with lots of hot sauce.

Crispy Corn Fritters (serves 6-8 )
Adapted from Sylvia's Family Soulfood Cookbook

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 16-ounce can corn kernels, drained (keep 1/2 cup canning liquid)
canola oil for frying

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk, canning liquid, and corn kernels.

In a large frying pan, pour in enough oil to cover the pan. Heat oil until it bubbles when you drop in a little batter. Use a teaspoon to drop batter in the oil. When the top side looks dry and the bottom is golden brown, flip and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little extra salt.

Sweet Potato Hummus

Ever since I started to make my own hummus, it seemed silly to buy it. It always tastes better when you make it yourself and it's so easy and cheap. While versatile and delicious, even hummus gets boring after a while. I got the idea to make sweet potato hummus after ordering a "duo of hummus" at a pub in London. I think they actually used squash, but same difference. They also pronounce it "home-is" and spell it "houmus." Those crazy Brits! This dip is great in sandwiches, with veggies, on toast, eaten with a spoon...or maybe I'm the only person that does that. Oh well.

Sweet Potato Hummus (makes 2-3 cups)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into squares
1 14-ounce can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

Place sweet potato in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer over medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

While the sweet potato is cooking, place remaining ingredients (except for the oil) into a food processor and pulse until combined. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream and process until very smooth.

When the sweet potato is cooked, drain and add to the chickpea mixture. Blend until very smooth, adding more oil to taste. Done!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Those who know me well, know that I'm obsessed with the South and I want to go to there. I think it's because of the amazing stories that have come out of that region, both fact and fiction. I realize I have probably romanticized it in my head, but I like the idea of traveling somewhere that's different from where I live and still totally relatable. I want to go on a southern road trip, which would include Texas. (Although, the people I have met from the South say Texas is not southern, and I'm sure Texans consider their state to be in its own category, but what do I know, I'm Canadian.) To go on such a trip I would need money and time...and the ability to drive. And also a car. As you can see, there are many obstacles to my dream vacation. That is why I buy soul food cookbooks and watch TV shows about high school football. It's also why my favourite cake is red velvet. This recipe isn't exactly authentic, being egg-and-dairy free, but you get the idea. These cupcakes are virtually idiot proof and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 12)
Adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

For the cake:

1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, and salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons red food colouring
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the frosting:

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup Better Than Cream Cheese
2 cups icing sugar
a smidgen of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with a dozen paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix almond milk and vinegar and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk oil, food colouring, and vanilla into the almond milk, then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until there are no more lumps.

Pour evenly into the prepared cupcake tin and bake for 18-20 minutes.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together margarine and "cream cheese." Gradually beat in icing sugar, then add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Don't do as I did and add too much vanilla, because then the icing will not be nice and white.

After the cupcakes cool, scoop frosting into a pastry bag or freezer bag with one end cut off and pipe frosting onto cakes to be all fancy and stuff.

Brown Sugar Nut Bars

This recipe is perfect for when you want to bake something, but you haven't gone grocery shopping in three weeks and you have barely anything to cook with. There are very few ingredients because it is essentially cookie dough sans chocolate chips baked in bar form. In other words: so. good.

It is adapted from this old-school cookbook The New and Complete Encyclopedia of Cooking by Madame Benoit. According to the note on the inside page, my dad gave this to my mom on some sort of special occasion as a present. Now, not to be too judge-y, but if my significant other gave me a cookbook as a present, I would be like THIS ISN'T THE 1950s BI-ATCH. That's like getting your wife a book about how to iron men's shirts properly. But it does have interesting old-fashioned recipes, as well as tips on how to throw a "luncheon," so I can't hate. It's like a primary source from the olden days.

Brown Sugar Nut Bars (makes 16 squares)

1/2 cup Earth Balance shortening
2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts
Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x9 pan.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the shortening until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat very well. Beat in egg replacer mixture and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients and chopped nuts. Gently fold into butter/sugar mixture.

Scoop dough into prepared pan and press down until it is flat and even. Bake approximately 30 minutes; the edges should be brown and pulling away from the pan. Sprinkle with icing sugar while still warm and cut into squares. It may seem like it is still raw inside, but the squares are supposed to be gooey in the middle.

Banana-Nut Waffles

Because of late-night fun times, I did not want to get out of bed on Saturday morning. So instead of sucking it up, I started to imagine what the best hangover cure would be. It involved a facial, because I always fall asleep in my makeup, and a foot massage, because my shoes hurt my feet. Then someone would bring me coffee in an obscenely large mug, and only then would I be up and at 'em.

Unfortunately, I do not have a team of personal estheticians at my disposal, so I thought of the best hangover cure that's also remotely possible: waffles! I also like saying, "I'm making waffles!" like the donkey in Shrek. I had to dig my waffle iron out of the basement and spend a significant amount of time cleaning it (there are spiders in my basement), but it was totally worth it.

This batter comes together quickly and it tastes like dessert. I have yet to learn exactly how much batter to put on a waffle iron, so mine always come out a bit wonky. I guess it just takes practice.

Banana-Nut Waffles (makes 14 waffles)
Adapted from Veganomicon

1 3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts
nonstick cooking spray
Strawberries (for garnish)

Preheat your waffle iron. Pour milk, water, and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the banana and stir in the milk mixture, oil, syrup, and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg and mix with a fork until just combined. Finely chop nuts (I used a food processor) and fold into the batter.

Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray, pour on some batter, and cook waffles the way your waffle-iron manual tells you to.

Serve with lots of strawberries and extra agave, and don't forget the coffee.

It's the friendship mug! ha ha.

Food Finds: Raw Pizza

After work on Friday, I felt like I was on some sort of healthy kick (which for me typically lasts about 24 hours and occurs maybe 2-3 times a year), so I decided to treat myself to some take out from Gorilla Food Cafe. It's all raw vegan stuff, so if you order pizza and cake, it's still healthy right? Well, here is what my first foray into raw pizza looks like.


Verdict: quite yummy. The stuff in the middle is olive tapenade. You can't go wrong with a huge pile of olive tapenade.

Lower-fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

This recipe is titled "lower-fat," which is essentially meaningless, but at the same time offers an excuse to eat two pieces of cake instead of one. This cake is ridiculously easy to make, and it looks super classy on a pretty platter. Bundt cakes are weird though. I wonder why people wanted to make cakes in that shape. It's like a wheel...or a doughnut. Did I just answer my own question? Well, after using my excellent online research abilities, I have found the answer. Apparently bundt cake was invented in Germany a very long time ago and no one cared about it until a bundt cake won a baking contest in the 60s, and then it became very popular and housewives were falling all over themselves to buy bundt pans because they make cake look fancy with virtually no effort.

Although apple sauce replaces some of the oil in this recipe, this cake is (probably) not that healthy. However, it is highly chocolaty and it is not too sweet or rich, so it is perfect with coffee as an after dinner treat. If you are like me and serve it after a huge Easter meal, you will find a way to make some room to eat some even if you feel like you are going to burst. Not that I would advocate gluttony. Just...you know...dessert is important.

Lower-fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake (serves 12)
Adapted from Veganomicon.

1 3/4 cups fresh brewed coffee
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing sugar and strawberries to garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8- or 10-inch bundt pan

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring coffee to a simmer, turn down heat, and whisk in cocoa until it is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool until it reaches room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, canola oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until well-blended. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and extracts.

Sift in dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven, let cool 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Let cool completely, dust with icing sugar, and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Old School Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making these cookies reminded me that everything in life can relate to a Friends episode (or Seinfeld, but in this case it's Friends). For example, chocolate chip cookies remind me of "The One With Phoebe's Cookies," in which Monica really wants Phoebe's late grandmother's super-secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it burned up in a house fire. So, Monica must use one frozen cookie to reverse engineer the recipe, and tries out all these variations with different spices and ingredients and taste testing. In the end, the super secret recipe turns out to be from Nestle Tollhouse (or, "Ness-LAY Toll-HOOS"). Haha what a waste of time. It's funny because it's true; everyone wants the unique, definitive version of a classic, but the simplest cookie recipe is probably the best. Whatever's on the back of the chocolate chip bag you happen to buy is just fine. Use it as a base, then modify to your taste. I use all brown sugar so they are extra chewy, and the "optional" walnuts are a must. They cut down on too much sweetness and add a satisfying crunch.

This recipe is adapted from the back of a Nestle Tollhouse bag and it makes a lot of cookies (4-5 dozen).

1 cup Earth Balance shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon egg replacer powder mixed in 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (1 bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

Soften shortening in a large bowl (either let stand at room temperature or microwave for about 30 seconds), then use a wooden spoon to beat in brown sugar. Add egg replacer mixed with water and vanilla and continue to beat mixture until light and fluffy. Work those arm muscles!

Sift in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir a few times then add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir until combined. Over-mixing is not your friend.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Let cool a few minutes on the sheet to keep them from falling apart, then transfer to sheets of old newspaper to cool completely.

Mission Burritos

Before I spent four months in San Francisco last year, I didn't know burritos were a thing. I mean, I knew what a burrito was, but I never really ate them. I always thought the only place one could get a burrito would be Taco Time, and Mexican fast food made by Canadian children scares me. But now I want burritos are the time! They are to San Francisco what poutine is to Montreal — the perfect meal available at all hours of the night to drunk twenty-somethings after too much PBR. I discovered this food fact one magical evening in the Mission District, a neighbourhood in San Francisco that is equal parts hipster and Hispanic. Which means there are lots of dive bars and taquerias, a winning combination.

Burritos in Northern California are truly an institution that must be experienced, but if you don't see yourself in the Mission at 3 am anytime soon, conjure up this worthy substitute. Burritos are very versatile, so you can use whatever filling you fancy, but I like this easy vegan version. It's what I would always order in the Mission, and sometimes simple is better (and cheaper). Plus, they are extra San-Fran-hipster this way, and isn't it nice when food has an identity? (And a Wikipedia page, apparently. Check it.)

Mission Burritos (serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
4 large flour tortillas
1 (14 ounce) can black beans or kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and set aside
1 ripe avocado, sliced
chips and salsa
tin foil

First, make some Spanish rice. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute rice, onion, and green pepper in oil until the rice is toasted and the vegetables are tender crisp (about 5 minutes).

Add sauce, broth, and spices and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to medium-low, and cook 40-50 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand an additional 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

When the rice is cooked and slightly cool, get tortillas hot and wet (dirty!). The easiest way is to wrap them individually in very damp paper towels, stack them, and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds.

Take a prepared tortilla and place about 1/3 cup of rice on one side, then top with beans and avocado slices.

Fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling, then roll up the burrito.

Wrap the burrito in tin foil. (This step is important for authenticity purposes.)

Serve with chips and salsa —burritos always come with chips and salsa—throw on some wayfarers, and enjoy!