Before I do that, I want to give you a little background and more information about green smoothies.  Ryan and I have been making breakfast smoothies for years, but we used to only add a bit of spinach.  I was talking with a customer about this last spring, and she recommended I check out the book Green for Life.  I really enjoyed the book, and it inspired me to get more creative with the greens I added to my smoothies.  I starting using dandelion greens, romaine, parsley, mint, tatsoi, beet greens and kale, to name just a few.

For three or four weeks I followed the recipes in Green for Life until I felt I had a pretty good grasp of the amounts to use, as well as an idea of the combinations of fruit and veg that I like best.  The main thing I took away from the book was to make sure to vary the fruit and greens that you use, which was really easy for me to do over the summer since there’s such an abundance of seasonal fruit available.

The smoothie I make in this video is one of my favorites, and it’s the one I’ve been making most often lately.  Some other versions I really like are romaine with frozen pineapple and mango, or beet greens with frozen strawberries and fresh oranges.  Speaking of oranges, they’re great with just about everything, and they’re particularly yummy with grapes (and any greens).  If you use oranges just cut off the peel, cut them in half and toss them into your blender.

Another thing you might want add is some flax meal or oil, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and I like adding a vegan protein powder as well.  I usually only add cocoa powder if I’m adding berries or only using bananas (which are also tasty with a bit of cinnamon), and if you want your smoothie to be totally raw you could use raw cacao powder instead.

I normally use a Vitamix blender for my smoothies, and I do think that a high-speed blender is best for these.  The greens really get pulverized, as do any seeds in the fruit.  That being said, a Vitamix blender is pricey.  We’d already burned through two blenders that were both pretty high quality when we decided to take the plunge and get a Vitamix, and we got a refurbished model that was much less expensive than the brand new models.  If you do a lot of blending, I think a Vitamix is definitely worth the investment.

If you want to learn more about making green smoothies and all the health benefits they provide, Green for Life is a great starting point, and there’s also an abundance of information about them online.  The main thing I tell people is to not be afraid to experiment so that you can find what you like best.  If they taste terrible to you, you’re not going to drink them.  For example, I know that kale is one of the best greens to use for these, but it’s really hard for me to get a smoothie down that has kale in it, so I don’t use it as much as other greens.

I hope that this video and post are helpful to you and that you’ll try making your own green smoothies (if you’re not already!).  They really are a great addition to your diet, and if you drink them regularly, you’ll definitely feel the benefits!

It’s our last day of give-aways here at C’est La Vegan, and I think we’ve saved the best for last!  That’s coming from a chocoholic with a raging sweet tooth, of course.

I met Allison of Allison’s Gourmet at Vida Vegan Con, and we became fast friends.  Allison is awesome, and I feel so lucky to have had that time with her.  I just wish we lived closer to each other.  I have a feeling we could do some serious baking together, though I’m sure my waistline is probably better off with some distance between us… (not that I have a waistline right now, but I’ll get it back eventually!)

Even if I can’t see her as much as I’d like, I can have some of her tasty treats delivered right to my door whenever I feel like it.  Allison recently sent Ryan and I a sampler of some of her chocolate products, including her new artisan chocolates, and I was totally blown away by everything we tried – from the elegant packaging to the incredibly decadent chocolates.

For today’s give-away Allison is going to generously send one lucky winner a four-piece sampler of her brand new artisan chocolates.  I can tell you that they’re as delicious as they are beautiful.  To enter the give-away, visit Allison’s site and tell me what you’d most like to try.  You can increase your chances of winning by following C’est La Vegan and Allison’s Gourmet on twitter and by liking C’est La Vegan and Allison’s Gourmet on facebook.  Don’t forget to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.  The contest is open to US residents and will close December 15th at 9pm PST.

And check out Allison’s Friday With Friends blog post today, featuring and interview with yours truly!

This is one of my favorite recipes, and one of the first dairy-free recipes I ever made.  It’s from Marilu Henner’s “Healthy Life Kitchen” cookbook.  This pie is really simple to make, but it tastes incredibly decadent.  It’s not the healthiest food you can eat, but it’s a dessert that you certainly don’t have to feel as guilty about indulging in.

Don’t be intimidated by the tofu base used for the pudding.  I promise you that you don’t taste the tofu at all – just rich, creamy chocolate pudding.  I’ve served this to many non-vegans over the years, and they always love it.

Since the recipe is posted online I’m going to reprint it below.  You could substitute plain graham crackers and vanilla or banana pudding if chocolate isn’t your thing.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Pudding Pie

Crust

1 12-ounce box chocolate whole wheat graham crackers
3/4 cup melted soy margarine or maple syrup [I used margarine]

Filling

2 packages (4-ounces each) Mori Nu Mates chocolate pudding mix (or other non-dairy pudding mix)
2 packages firm low-fat silken tofu (to make pie filling as directed on Mori Nu package)

Break graham crackers into bite-sized pieces and blend in a food processor until they are coarse crumbs. Transfer them to a mixing bowl.  Slowly add the melted margarine or maple syrup and mix with hands until crumbs can be molded into a ball.  Press about 3/4 of the crumbs firmly into a lightly oiled-sprayed 9-inch pie pan to form the bottom and sides.  (Reserve remaining 1/4 of the crumbs for the topping.)

Make the chocolate pudding according to the directions for a pie.  Put it in the pie crust using a spatula and spread evenly to make it level.

Sprinkle the rest of the graham cracker crumbs on top and press gently to set.  Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.

I found the recipe for these cookies on Hannah Kaminsky’s BitterSweet Blog.  It caught my eye because I love chocolate chip cookies, and I’m a huge fan of malt flavor.  I was so excited to try them out!

I made these for some friends who were coming over to hang out for the evening, and I really appreciated how easy they were to make.  When I’m baking during my “free” time, I’m not as up for making really elaborate recipes.

These came together in no time, and were the perfect batch size for four people, though I didn’t have any left over.  You might want to consider doubling this recipe if you’re baking for a crowd.

The thing I loved most about these cookies was the incredibly soft and chewy texture.  They kind of reminded me of Keebler Soft Batch Cookies (though I probably haven’t had those since I was in junior high, and I’d rather not try to figure out how long ago that was!).  I’m guessing it’s the malt syrup that gives these cookies that amazing texture.

I do have to say though, that even though I love malt, I found it just a little overpowering in these.  I think I might experiment with using just a touch less, or even subbing some brown rice syrup or molasses.  I know that Hannah adapted this recipe, and I’m curious to try out the original.  Don’t get me wrong – these are really, really tasty.  But you know me; I can’t help but tinker!

UPDATE: This past Saturday was the big day!  I wanted to share some pictures from my cooking class taken by the lovely Jackie of Alternative Outfitters.  I also have to thank Tera (of the beautiful elgin eco house blog) for being kind enough to open her amazing kitchen to us!  It’s an absolutely stunning space, and working there was such a pleasure.

We started off with the Strawberry Rhubarb Bars that I posted about when I first announced the class.  Here’s the diced strawberry and rhubarb cooking together.  Nice and steamy…

We also made a Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake with a Vanilla Cream Sauce.  It’s not the prettiest cake, as you can see below, but it’s so incredibly yummy!  Any dessert that combines chocolate pudding and cake is kind of a dream come true for me.  The Vanilla Cream sauce is just an added bonus.

And last, but not least, we made Chai Shortbread Cookies with Coconut Palm Sugar.  These spicy cookies are full of flavor, and they melt in your mouth (thank you, Earth Balance!).  They’re not too sweet, so you can really taste the chai flavor.

This was such a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and I had a great time with my awesome “students”!  You kind of can’t beat having dessert for lunch with great company in a beautiful space.  Thanks again to those of you that joined me.  I’m really looking forward to the next one!

If you get my newsletter you’ve already heard about the first C’est La Vegan cooking class, but with all the work I’m doing for the upcoming Cupcakes and Beer Party, I realized that I hadn’t made an official announcement on the blog.  Now that I have more information I want to share the details with you guys.

The class is scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd at 12:00pm in Highland Park.  I’m offering the class at a special introductory rate of just $45 – that’s cheap for cooking classes, ya’all.  This rate is only for this first class, so take advantage while you can!

This class will be focused on vegan baking, and I’ll be sharing some of my secret veganizing tips that will guarantee delicious baked goods.  We’ll be baking three different types of goodies, including these super yummy strawberry rhubarb bars.

To sign up for the class send an email to cestlavbakeshop@gmail.com by Wednesday, April 20.  If you can’t make this class there will be more in the coming months.  I’ll keep you guys posted about dates and class themes, so stay tuned!

I have fond Easter memories of pastel “grass”-packed baskets brimming with yummy sweet treats, hours of playing with my cousins (some of the time spent swapping said treats), and a huge meal with the whole family to cap the day off.  Since Ryan and I don’t have any family here in LA, Easter isn’t what it used to be.  And even though it’s been a long time since I’ve had an Easter basket, I still love my sweets!

Peanut Butter Cups are one of my all-time favorite candies, but I rarely make them.  Part of the reason for that is the fact that they’re a little time-consuming, and – I’ll be honest – kind of a pain in the butt.  Usually I’m telling you about how much I love easy recipes, and while these aren’t necessarily hard to make, they’re definitely a little bit fussy.  So I can’t tell you guys that these are ready in no time at all, but I can tell you that they’re so worth the time it takes to make them!

I looked for recipes online for inspiration, and then I kind of made this up as I went.  Depending on the chocolate that you use, you may find that you need to add a bit more sugar to the filling.  Also, I used too much cocoa butter when I made these, so even though the chocolate was really silky and creamy in the finished cups, it was a little harder to work with while it was melted because it was so fluid.

I didn’t have quite enough PB filling for this amount of chocolate, but I also filled my cups pretty high.  (I’d recommend leaving the top of your paper cup uncovered so that it’s easier to remove the candy from the lining.)  And if you find that you don’t have enough filling, you can always double the recipe.

Since I still have some of these leftover in the freezer, I probably won’t be making them anytime soon.  When I do get around to it, I’ll make sure to update the recipe for you guys.  In the meantime, here’s the recipe I used this time around, but with the cocoa butter adjusted so that the chocolate will hopefully be easier for you to work with.  And if you don’t have cocoa butter, you can just omit it all together.

Mini Peanut Butter Cups

2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons cocoa butter
1 cup all-natural peanut butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons organic powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter together in a metal pan set on top of a pot of simmering water (or in a double boiler).

While the chocolate is melting, prepare the filling by mixing together the peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Once the chocolate is melted, spread a small amount in a mini paper muffin liner, and spread it up the sides with a small spoon.  Chill the coated cups until the chocolate is set.

Once the chocolate has hardened, put about a teaspoon of filling into each cup, and smooth it out a bit with the back of a spoon or your finger.  Top the peanut butter filling with melted chocolate, and chill the cups again until the chocolate is set.

You can store these in the fridge or freezer so they’ll last longer, but that’s if you can manage to not eat them all at once!

When I lived in London my friends and I found a little Italian cafe in Soho that served the most amazing hot chocolate.  It was really rich and thick – almost like a chocolate pudding before it sets up all the way.  I think about that hot chocolate all the time, so you can imagine how excited I was when I came across this recipe for “Cioccolata Calda” (Hot Chocolate Italian-Style).

It was drizzling and chilly here yesterday – the perfect excuse to make a nice hot drink.  I whipped this up last night, and while it wasn’t exactly the same as that super thick drink that I remember, it was still some of the best hot chocolate I’ve had in a long time.

There were some comments on the original recipe that a bit more sugar and some vanilla extract might improve the flavor, so I added both and was happy with the results.  I’m not sure if using non-dairy milk might have affected the thickness of the finished product, so I might experiment and add a little more cornstarch next time to see I can get closer to the texture that I remember.  That being said though, I think that for most people the texture of the following recipe will be just right.

Italian Hot Chocolate
makes 2 small servings

3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons organic granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons vanilla soy milk, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
splash vanilla extract

Mix the cocoa powder and sugar together in a small saucepan.  Stir the 1 1/2 cups milk into the saucepan until the sugar has dissolved.  Place over low heat; slowly bring the mixture to a low simmer.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of soy milk together with the cornstarch in a small cup; slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the cocoa mixture.  Continue cooking, whisking continually, until the hot chocolate reaches a pudding-like thickness, 2 to 3 minutes.

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had a McDonald’s shamrock shake (or McDonald’s for that matter…), so I should write a disclaimer that this shake won’t taste exactly like the fast food version – it’s better!  Adding some booze makes it an “adult” shake, and a perfect treat for the holiday.

This shake is really easy to make, and you can adjust the amounts of all the ingredients to your liking.  I just added a bit of this and a bit of that as I went along, so this recipe makes a lot – probably enough for two pint glasses worth.  When I recover from this batch I’ll make it again so that I can write out some more exact measurements for you guys.

“Adult” Shamrock Shake

about 5 scoops Mint Marble Fudge non-dairy ice cream (see Notes)
1 1/2 – 2 cups ice cubes
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup Creme de Cacao
1/4 + 1 – 2 tablespoons Creme de Menthe

Add all the ingredients to the blender and turn that sucker on!  Blend it up, and serve immediately.

Notes: If you can only get a hold of vanilla non-dairy ice cream, just add a bit of chocolate syrup to taste, and a bit of mint extract if the Creme de Menthe doesn’t provide enough mint flavor on its own.

It’s probably not surprising to hear that I loved Bailey’s Irish Cream in my non-vegan days.  I’ve seen recipes for vegan Bailey’s online now and then, and with St. Patrick’s day almost here I finally had the perfect excuse to whip some up.  Once I did I was kind of kicking myself, because it was so ridiculously easy to make.

Although I guess it’s good that I’m just finding out now, because if I’d known all these years that some vegan Bailey’s was just a mix and a shake away, I’d have been guzzling a lot more than the daily recommended amount.  (And nutritionally speaking, I’m sure the recommended amount is zero.)

I have fond memories of drinking Bailey’s on the rocks at theatres back when I was studying in London. Almost all the theatres there had incredibly cheap day-of tickets for students, so we tried to take advantage of those tickets as often as possible.  Every now and then I would treat myself to a Bailey’s on the rocks, and I would enjoy every last drop of that sweet, creamy booze!  Side note – In addition to full bars in most of the theatres, including movie theatres, they also sold ice cream treats during intermission (or at least they used to when I lived there).  It was awesome.

Okay, enough reminiscing… you guys need to get your vegan Irish Cream on!  I found this recipe on VegWeb, but halved it so that I could save some of the hazelnut creamer for another recipe.  I thought the whiskey was just a touch strong (which isn’t a bad thing, but it just didn’t taste as much like the Bailey’s I remembered), so I reduced it just a tiny bit.  Feel free to add more or less to taste.

Vegan Irish Cream

1 cup hazelnut soy creamer
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Irish whiskey (I used Bushmills, but you could also use Jameson)
1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

In a clean jar or bottle, combine ingredients together and shake until everything is mixed.  You can store this in the refrigerator, but you’ll need to shake it each time before pouring.

Notes: If you can’t find hazelnut soy creamer, don’t despair!  You can use plain or vanilla flavored creamer and just add some hazelnut flavored syrup or extract.  And thought I haven’t tried it, I’m sure this would also be great without the hazelnut flavor.  You could try adding some vanilla extract instead.

Here it is guys, the final cupcake I would have made had I advanced to Round 2 of Cupcake Wars – a Grasshopper Cupcake!  This one is a light cocoa mint cake topped with Creme de Menthe frosting, Creme de Cacao whip and a maraschino cherry on top.

When Michelle and I were waiting to hear the outcome of Round 1 we starting brainstorming everything we might do for Round 2, and going off the idea of a two drink minimum (with coffee being the first drink), we started trying to think of other drink ideas that would make for a tasty cupcake.

Since the episode centered around the 50th anniversary of the Ice House comedy club, we wanted to use a retro drink that might have been popular around the time the club openend, and the grasshopper seemed like a nice throw-back.  Grasshopper pie was also one of my favorites when I was little, so I’m particularly partial to this flavor.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around this corner, you could easily make this into a Shamrock Cupcake.  Just use the Creme de Cacao frosting as a filling (or omit it), and only top this with the Creme de Menthe frosting.  You could even get crazy and pipe shamrocks on top!

Just a reminder that you can order this and all the other cupcakes I’ve show  you from C’est la V Bakeshop, and these flavors are also available as full-sized cakes!

Grasshopper Cupcake
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 peppermint extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Crème de Menthe Frosting, recipe follows
Crème de Cacao Frosting, recipe follows
Mint leaves, for garnish
Maraschino Cherries, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

In a medium sized non-reactive bowl, whisk the vinegar into the non-dairy milk, and set the mixture aside to curdle.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.

Whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla and mint extracts into the non-dairy milk mixture. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely.

Crème de Menthe / Crème de Cacao Frosting:

5 ounces vegan shortening, room temperature (recommended: Earth Balance)
5 ounces vegan margarine (recommended: Earth Balance)
12 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Crème de Menthe
1 tablespoon Crème de Cacao

In an electric stand mixer or with a had mixer, beat the shortening until it’s creamy. Add the margarine, and whip it into the shortening. Stop the machine, and scrape the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and the non-dairy milk. Once it’s incorporated, stop the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl again. Whip the frosting on high for several minutes until it’s very fluffy.

Remove a third of the frosting and add the Crème de Cacao. Mix to incorporate the liquor.

Add the Crème de Menthe to the remaining two-thirds of the frosting.  (If you want a darker frosting you could add some green food coloring.)

To assemble the cupcakes, fill a pasty bag fitted with a small star shaped tip with the Crème de Cacao frosting. Spread the Crème de Menthe frosting on the cupcake, and then pipe a small star of the Crème de Cacao frosting on top of that to mimic a whipped cream garnish. Top each with a maraschino cherry.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: N/A
Ease of Preparation: Intermediate