Thanks to the generosity of Chicago Soy Dairy and Sweet & Sara, four lucky readers (yes, FOUR!) are going to win some tasty treats!  Here’s are the prize details — 2 winners will each win two bags of Dandies from Chicago Soydairy.  1 winner will win Sweet & Sara vanilla marshmallows and a peanut butter s’more, and another winner will get a Sweet & Sara  sampler pack and a plain s’more.  Yum!!!

• The Sweet & Sara vanilla marshmallows and a peanut butter s’more go to Allison, who commented “I follow you on Twitter, like you on Facebook, and also like Chicago Soy Dairy (and Sweet & Sara, for that matter!) on Facebook
• The Sweet & Sara  sampler pack and a plain s’more go to theegglesstort, who commented “I would LOVE to have some vegan marshamallows!!  I follow on twitter and liked you and Chicago Soy Dairy on Facebook as well “
• 2 bags of Dandies go to Grace, who commented “I love Dandies and I like Chicago Soy Dairy on Facebook and now I like C’est la Vegan as well. Sweet & Sara marshmallows aren’t bad either, but Dandies are a better value.”
• 2 bags of Dandies go to Sarah Beth, who commented “Vegan smores would be better if I could find a good gluten free graham cracker.”

Remember how I mentioned in my last post that I feel like eating healthy salads balances out the ice cream that I eat right afterwards?  Behold  some epic ice cream.

Now I do have to admit that this followed up a rather large and not-entirely-salad-filled meal.  We had friends over for dinner, and I wanted to make a few different things that were more elaborate for the meal, which meant making a dessert that would be a little bit simpler.

Enter “speed scratch” recipes – a phrase coined by chef Michael Chiarello.  (While he’s not a vegan chef, many of his recipes can be easily veganized.)  ”Speed Scratch” basically means using shortcuts with recipes, but by using high-quality ingredients you can still get a really delicious end result.  He has a “speed scratch” recipe for potato chips that involves making your own roasted garlic seasoning and sprinkling it over oven-warmed chips, for example.

This recipe is a version of Neapolitan ice cream that you can make taste more homemade by layering the ice creams yourself and sprinkling some gray salt in between the layers.  The idea behind using the salt is that it’s reminiscent of ice creams that used to be made in hand-crank ice cream freezers where a bit of the salt used would get into the ice cream mixture.  It’s also just tasty to have a touch of salt against the sweetness of the ice creams and strawberry sauce.

The recipe for the Neapolitan is available on the Food Network site, so I’ll share it here.  It doesn’t list the recipe for the fork-smashed strawberries (from the book “At Home with Michael Chiarello”), but there is a recipe for strawberry balsamic sauce which sounds equally delicious!  You could also use my recipe for balsamic strawberries, and just smash them up a bit with a fork to create more of a sauce.

“Speed Scratch” Neapolitan
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

1 pint strawberry ice cream (see My Notes)
1 pint chocolate ice cream (see My Notes)
1 pint vanilla ice cream (see My Notes)
1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
Strawberries Balsamic Sauce, to serve, optional

Remove the ice cream from the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.

Line a 4 by 8-inch loaf pan with 2 pieces of plastic wrap, 1 going lengthwise and the other crosswise. Put it into the freezer while the ice cream softens.

Spoon out the chocolate ice cream into the bottom of the loaf pan and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon; sprinkle a little salt on top. Make another layer with the strawberry ice cream and another with the vanilla, sprinkling a little salt on top of each layer. Close the plastic in both directions and put the pan into the freezer for 3 hours or overnight. Put the plates in the freezer at the same time to reduce melting when served.

Remove the plates and ice cream from the freezer. Unwrap and put the ice cream on a cutting board. Run a knife under hot water for a moment and slice 3/4-inch thick slices. Place a slice on a plate, spoon 1/4-cup Strawberries Balsamic Sauce on top, if using, and serve quickly.

Chef’s Note: If ice cream does not easily come out of its mold, run mold briefly under hot water.

Entertaining Note: Vary to more exotic ice cream flavors if you like, just be sure to adjust the sauce to go with the new flavors.

My Notes: I wanted to try different brands ice creams for this, so for the chocolate layer I used It’s Soy Delicious Awesome Chocolate, for the strawberry layer I used Rice Dream Organic Strawberry and for the vanilla layer I used Tempt Vanilla Bean.  While I liked trying a variety of non-dairy ice creams, I’d recommend trying to stay with the same type since these all had slightly different textures and also melted differently. Next time I make this I’ll also switch up the layers and put the chocolate in the middle and the vanilla on the bottom so that it’s served on top to contrast more with the strawberry sauce.

Last week I caught a nasty summer cold and totally lost my appetite.  Every now and then it would rear it’s little head, but when it did, absolutely nothing sounded good to me.  I felt like there was something that I wanted, but I just couldn’t think of what it might be.

I had a bunch of ripe bananas that I was going to cut up and freeze, and it suddenly hit me that banana bread sounded really good.  I thought I’d try a different recipe from the one I normally make, so I grabbed my copy of “The Joy of Vegan Baking” to see if there were any banana bread recipes in there.

I found the recipe for “Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins” and baked the whole thing up as a loaf because I didn’t have the energy to deal with making individual muffins.  The only other change I made was to sub coconut palm sugar for regular granulated sugar.

Man, oh man was this good!  It was still fantastic with the sugar swap, and it totally hit the spot.  I think it only got more moist and tasty as the days went by (I made this on Thursday and finished it up Sunday.)  For the past few days about all I’ve eaten is this loaf, crackers and vegetable broth, and this loaf was by far the highlight, which should really go without saying!  I think it confirms one of my scientific theories – that chocolate is good medicine.

The Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, and Sawbill in particular, are very special places for Ryan and his family. Up until the past few years, Ryan had gone there every summer of his life.  I’ve had the pleasure of joining him on several trips, including one where he proposed to me.  We also spent part of our honeymoon there.

While my brownie got to go on this trip, sadly, I did not.  Ryan had a much needed getaway with his Dad, brother and a dear family friend.  Maybe I should have covered myself in chocolate and sealed myself in a bag so I could have gone along too.  On second thought…

In other news, I was recently honored by Sherry of Exploits Of A Vegan Wannabe with “The Versatile Blogger Award”!  Have you seen her ridiculously cute dog, Chloe?!  Insane.  I think she’d make a good girlfriend for Omar.

In receiving this award I’m asked to…

• Thank the person who gave you the award.
• Share seven things about yourself.
• Give this award out to other bloggers that you think are fabulous, interesting and deserving.
• Contact each of the bloggers you chose.

Here goes…

Many, many thanks to Sherry for recognizing C’est La Vegan!!!  I’m so happy to know that my blog has been inspiring enough for her that she’d think of me for this.  It really is a labor of love, and knowing that there are people out there who appreciate it means a lot.

Seven things about me, huh?  Let’s see…

1. I’m not actually Irish, despite my red hair.  (But I’m Irish at heart, and I think somewhere back in time some Celt moved to Prague and started my family line.)

2. I performed improvisational comedy for about ten years, and still occasionally do it when I’m not too busy in the kitchen.

3. Before becoming a vegan I didn’t really know how to cook.

4. I miss Chicago and London lots.  And I miss Manhattan a lot too, mainly because my dear friend Miss Valle is there.

5. I was an English major and met my husband when our class was discussing the poem “The Eve of St. Agnes”.  We were also in the same Hemingway class, then traveled to Paris together* and the rest was history.

6. My favorite band is The Misfits (with Glenn Danzig, not after please), but my first music love was The Beatles records my Dad used to play for me.  I also have a special place in my heart for Guns N’ Roses.  And Metallica.  And Megadeth.  And Anthrax.  I could go on…  Seriously.  I was a metal head.

7. I’m a mini version of my 5′10″ sister.  And she “lovingly” refers to me as her “Mini Me” and points out my small hands to anyone in the vicinity.  It’s cute.  And by cute, I mean “cute”.

*it’s a long story…

I’m so excited to be able to pass on the love to other blogs that I think rule.  Here’s my list of great blogs by some of my favorite people, in no particular order.  It’s not the (I think) required 15, and I know I’m forgetting some.  I’ll come back and add them once my brain is working again.

Veganize It, Don’t Criticize It – Amazing, amazing gourmet vegan recipes.  I want her to go on Top Chef and beat the pants off those “protein” cookers.

Your Vegan Mom – Great tips, great recipes and some honest to goodness vegan mom-ness

Swell Vegan – A total feast for the eyes – gorgeous photos of even more gorgeous food

Hugger Food – One of the sweetest bloggers on the whole internets with great info about products, restaurants and lots more

La Mom Verte – My good friend’s new blog about being a green mom.  She’s very honest about her experiences, and it’s really informative.

Have Cake, Will Travel – Great food presented by the adorable Celine.  As one of my blog’s earliest supporters, she’ll always have a special place in my heart!

Cute and Delicious – Like the lady says – super cute and super delicious looking foods and crafts.

Suckatash – Okay, he is my husband, but I stand by my love of his photography regardless.  It doesn’t hurt that there are some amazing photos of the little ones in my life on this site.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good raw foods dessert.  I talked about my introduction to them in this post, and while I really do enjoy them, I rarely make them at home.  I don’t have a dehydrator, for one thing, and the ingredients can be pretty expensive depending on what you’re making.  They also sometimes involve soaking nuts over night, which I usually don’t have the foresight to do ahead of time.  When I get a craving for something, I want to make it right away.

After seeing an inspiring raw foods cooking demonstration a couple months ago, I found myself wanting to dabble in raw foods again, and I dusted off my copies of “Raw Food, Real World” and  “Living Cuisine” to see if I could find some approachable dessert recipes.  While both books contain recipes that are more advanced and require equipment like a dehydrator, there are plenty that are really simple to prepare and don’t demand a ton of time or planning.

One such recipe is for the aptly named “Perfect Chocolate Mousse” in “Living Cuisine”.  It calls for avocados, which might seem like an odd addition, but don’t be put off.  The finished product is a rich chocolate pudding that is incredibly creamy and delicious.  I love a good pudding, and I couldn’t stop going back to the fridge for just one more spoonful of this amazing chocolaty heaven.

I wasn’t quite as crazy about the “Vanilla Whip” that can be used as a topping or layered with the pudding to create a parfait.  It makes the whole think look pretty, but the pudding is so amazingly decadent and delicious that I think it can stand on its own.

Both recipes call for non-alcohol vanilla extract, but all I had on hand was my trusty Nielsen-Massey.  I didn’t notice an alcohol taste in the chocolate mousse, but it was pretty pronounced in the Vanilla Whip.  So much so that I definitely wouldn’t make it again without different vanilla (can anyone recommend a good alcohol-free vanilla extract?).  Until I can figure that out, I hope you enjoy my version of the chocolate mousse recipe!

Almost-Raw Chocolate Pudding
adapted from Renee Loux Underkoffler’s “Perfect Chocolate Mousse”

1/2 cup pitted soft dates
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cold pressed coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (non-alcohol, if you have it)
3 medium avocados
1/2 – 3/4 cups high quality cocoa powder

Soak the dates in fresh water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain the water, but you’ll want to save it in case you need it to thin the pudding.

In a food processor, blend the dates, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and avocado.  Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.  Now you can add some of the water you soaked the dates in if it’s too thick.  Add the cocoa powder and blend again, adding more water if needed.  The mousse will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Notes: The original recipe calls for carob, which you can certainly substitute for some of the cocoa powder if you’re a fan.  I’m not, so I left it out.  I used regular cocoa powder, which means this recipe isn’t totally raw, so you might not want to use my variation if that’s important to you.  I didn’t give an exact measurement of the cocoa powder so that you can adjust the level of chocolate flavor to your liking.  You may need more or less depending on the quality of your cocoa powder.  One thing to be aware of is that while this is better for you than regular desserts, it still contains fat and calories, so you should think of it as a treat rather than a staple food – and then you should tell me to listen to my own advice so I don’t eat it all in one sitting!

I used to love me some Irish coffee.  Now I stick to coffee with whiskey (hold the cream), or I make my own with non-dairy cream at home.  When I tasted the batter for this cake, it reminded me of my beloved boozy beverage and instantly transported me to the last time I was in Ireland, one of my favorite places in the whole world.  Not that I was eating a ton of the batter or anything like that – of course not.  I don’t just stand in the kitchen licking every spoon, bowl and spatula that I use.  And I’m definitely not shoving bites of this cake in my mouth as I write this.  That doesn’t even sound like me!

I got the recipe here, and it couldn’t have been easier to make.  The only changes I made were reducing the amount of salt and baking it in an 8×11-inch pan rather than the 9×13-inch pan called for in the recipe.  You could use the larger pan, but the cake would be much thinner.  The thing that’s great about this cake is the strength of the whiskey flavor in the finished product.  There’s just a hint of chocolate flavor, but it really is predominately a whiskey cake.  And it’s really, really, really tasty.  Being the lightweight that I am, I’m going to have to control myself from eating the entire thing and ending up in a cake-drunk stupor.

Happy St. Paddy’s day!

Continuing with my posts featuring the foods we served at our Oscar party, here’s what we made for the movie “UP” – “UPcakes”!  Like “Up in the Air”, this title was a hard one.  I was looking at the mini cupcakes that I had at the Farmers’ Market a couple Sundays ago and realized that they would fit the bill perfectly.

I served mini velvet with cream cheese frosting and mini chocolate with chocolate frosting since those seem to be the two most popular flavors.  All of the recipes are based on those found in the book “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”, but since my variations on the recipes are a trade secret, unfortunately I can’t post them.  Hopefully there will be a C’est La V Bakeshop cookbook one day, and all secrets will be revealed!

That lucky Peanut Butter Brownie!  It got to go to the Olympics, and I didn’t…  Such is life.  Ryan was in Vancouver to shoot some stuff for a documentary he’s working on, and he was able to get a shot of one of his favorite treats getting in on the action too!

Between organizing everything for our taxes, dealing with Mr. Omar Little and just handling the regular workload, things have been pretty busy around here.  I’m working on some fun stuff for the blog that I hope to have up in the next week, so stay tuned.  I promise there’s some good stuff coming.

I’ve also been researching and testing gluten-free baked goods for C’est La V, and I’m contemplating try to go gluten free myself, for at least a trial period to see how I feel.  If any of you guys have tips or great sites that might help, I’d love to hear about them!  In the meantime, here’s another one of Ryan’s shots from Vancouver… pretty jealous I wasn’t there!

Before going vegan, magic cookie bars (or 7-layer bars, or dream bars or whatever you called them where you were from) were one of my favorite treats.  Looking back, I realize I never actually baked them when I was younger, and I did a lot of baking.  Maybe they were even more special because I didn’t have them that often, and also because I got to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that I love them.  I’ve been working on a pretty awesome version with a homemade vegan sweetened condensed milk, but I always forget or am too busy to retest them.  I finally tried this version from “Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar” and I’m so glad I did!  They’re not hard to make at all, and they’re really, really, really delicious.

In wrapping up the week of food ideas for the Super Bowl, I wanted to find a dessert that wouldn’t require a knife and fork, and that would also be decadent enough to follow up some fried “chicken”.  I think these bars fit the bill.  I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed with a tray of these in front of them.

And if you’re still trying to come up with ideas of what to serve on Sunday, check out these other posts that would easily make for a great Super Bowl party!

“Christmas Potatoes”

Badenjan Dip

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

Fried Plantains w/ Guac

Bakin-wrapped Dates

Apple Cake Bars

Cashew Goat Cheese

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Fantastic Picnic Submarine

Sweet Onion Dip

Bean Dip

Soy Dog crescents

Union Square Cafe nuts

When I go home to visit family I usually don’t do a lot of baking and cooking, especially since baking has been my full-time job for the last several years.  But on my most recent trip, I wanted to make some cinnamon rolls with my nephews since I can’t ship them home, and I got excited to do some cooking when I saw that the local grocery store carried a few types of Gardein that I haven’t been able to find out here in California.  (Gotta love it when going to the grocery store is one of the highlights in your life.)

I did bake one other thing – the chocolate “wacky cake” that see you above, smothered in a Silk Nog flavored custard.  Ryan’s brother and his wife were hosting the family for dinner and asked us to bring a dessert, so I had to come up with something that I could make from the ingredients in my mom’s kitchen, and something that would be simple since I was still in lazy vacation mode.

I’d made other versions of wacky cake before and it’s always yummy, so when I came across this recipe I thought I’d give it a try.  This cake would be perfect with just some powdered sugar on top, but when I came across a box of custard powder in the pantry I knew I had to make it as a sauce for the cake.  I’m a sucker for all things custard.  When I studied in London my junior year of college they served a hot custard sauce over dessert almost every night in my dorm cafeteria, and you can bet I would eat a whole bowl of it.

We had some Silk Nog in the fridge, so I thought I’d use that instead of regular non-dairy milk to make the sauce more seasonal.  I figured it would taste good with chocolate (what doesn’t?), and even though I usually feel the pressure of needing to impress with dessert, I’ve also tried to get more comfortable with experimenting and being okay with the end result not working out.  I figured each thing would taste great on their own, so they must be good together, right?

I guess that logic doesn’t always work out – I’m sure we can all list things that are good on their own but don’t go together so well – but I’m glad to say that it did here. The cake was super moist and had a rich chocolate flavor, and the warm custard sauce with its hint of nog flavor was great on top.  Both things were simple to make but tasted impressive, so if you love chocolate and you’ve never made a wacky cake, you need to!