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!

Looking at the calendar yesterday I realized that we’re a lot further into November than I’d realized.  That means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I’d better start figuring out what I’m going to make!

With that in mind, I thought I’d go through past posts that would be appropriate for the holiday.  Let’s start with appetizers!  (Click on the photos for the original post and recipe.)

APPETIZERS

Hot Artichoke Dip

This Hot Artichoke Dip makes a great holiday appetizer.  It’s really easy to make, so you can spend more time on everything else you’ll be cooking.  It’s also a great dish to make for skeptical non-vegans because it’s creamy, decadent and delicious!

Cheezy Crackers

Cheezy Crackers are another great choice for pre-meal snacking.  They take just a little more effort, but you can make them a day or two ahead of time.  And your guests will be so impressed that you made crackers from scratch that it will be totally worth it!

Marinated Cheeze

Another make ahead dish is this Marinated Cheeze.  It’s so tasty on crackers or crusty bread, and you won’t have to worry about any vampire attacks during your meal since you and all your guests will have plenty of garlic breath perfuming the air.

Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese

Since we’re talking cheese (creamy and cheesy seem to be a theme with me…), I have to post my favorite vegan cheese!  This Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese does require some advance planning, but it’s so worth it.  It’s not difficult to make, though, so don’t be intimidated by the recipe.  I can also guarantee that it’s a safe bet to serve to non-vegans.  Whenever I make this it disappears almost as fast as I can put it out.

Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts

And finally, one of my all-time favorite snacks, The Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts.  These are incredibly easy to make, can be made ahead of time and reheated, and are so incredibly tasty.  You can use whatever nuts you like best, and the herbs and seasonings are perfect for Thanksgiving.

Okay, so now that we have a few appetizer ideas, let’s move onto to soup.  Normally I don’t serve soup with my Thanksgiving meal, but I’m thinking about doing it this year.  I have my eye on a cranberry and wild rice soup that I’d like to try out, but any of the following would be perfect on your Thanksgiving table.

SOUP

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This soup is sweet, savory and really yummy.  The recipe is a little bit more advanced, but the end flavor is worth the time and effort.

Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Breadcrumbs

Ummmm… bisque.  This Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Breadcrumbs is so delicious, and as I look at that photo I’m kicking myself for not making this more often.  Again, this is something you can very confidently serve to non-vegans.

Delicata Squash Bisque

Delicata Squash Bisque is incredibly easy, and one of the best soups I’ve ever tasted.  The quality of the vegetable broth you use is important here, so make sure to use a good one!

Okay, time for the main event.  For me, Thanksgiving is about sides (and it was even when I still ate turkey).  The past couple years I’ve also made a nut roast (two different ones last year) so that it feels like there’s a “main dish.”  Here are some of my favorite sides, along with that tasty nut roast.

THE MAIN EVENT

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Don’t let Roasted Brussels Sprouts scare you.  If you’re afraid of them or have had bad experiences in the past, you have to try cooking them this way, and I promise you’ll feel differently.  These were such a huge hit last year.  They’re another one of those easy dishes that free up your time for the more complicated ones.  And you don’t have to sacrifice any flavor.

Green Bean Casserole

This Green Bean Casserole is one of my favorite dishes.  The recipe is a little more involved, but making this classic dish from scratch is worth it.  I plan to double the recipe this year since it went so quickly last year.

Mashed Potatoes

Of course it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Mashed Potatoes, at least for me.  I make a giant pot of these every year, mostly so that there’s enough for me to stuff myself on them.  I mean, let’s just be honest with each other.

“Poultry” Gravy

There’s only one thing that can possibly make mashed potatoes better and that’s…”Poultry” Gravy!  This stuff is magical.  I make a huge batch in the morning and keep it warm in a crock pot.  You have to have plenty for the meal, and extra for the leftovers!

Holiday Nut Roast

The gravy is also amazing on this Holiday Nut Roast.  This is another recipe that takes a bit more work than the others, but that’s what makes it special.  What seems like a very disparate list of ingredients come together to make a perfectly textured savory and delicious roast.  It’s almost like stuffing and a main dish combined.  Definitely worth the effort.

Sweet Potato Casserole

And to transition us to dessert, here’s my favorite Thanksgiving dish – SusanV’s Sweet Potato Casserole.  This is the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever tasted.  I love having something sweet and spicy to contrast with all the savory foods on my Thanksgiving plate.  It makes for great left-overs too.

Okay, now for the real desserts!  It’s hard to stray from the classics, which for my family were always pumpkin and apple pie.  I was never a huge pumpkin pie fan (although I bet I’d feel differently now), but pumpkin cheesecake is something I can definitely get behind.

DESSERTS!

Pumpkin Patch Cheesecake

This version is creamy, delicious and perfectly pumpkin-y.  It’s also much easier to make than you’d expect.

Easy Refrigerator Cheesecake

If you’re looking for something even easier, this (almost) no-bake cheesecake has you covered.  You do have to bake the crust of this Easy Refrigerator Cheesecake, but it’s still one of the easiest dessert options out there.  It’s almost like pumpkin mousse, and it will definitely impress your non-vegan guests.

Frangipane Pear Crostata

If you want to skip the pumpkin all-together, you could make this Frangipane Pear Crostata.  It takes just a bit more effort than the cheesecakes, but it’s an elegant dessert that’s not too sweet, making it the perfect finale for a rich Thanksgiving meal.

German Apple Cake

While I’m not a huge apple pie fan, I love apple cake!  If you want to switch things up this year you could make this German Apple Cake in place of the pie.

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

Now, I know it isn’t traditional, but this Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  It’s simply delicious.  The flavor and texture are awesome, and it bridges the gap between Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season to come.  You could even make mini-bundts like Jenn over at Cookin’ Vegan.

Hopefully these recipes will help get you started on your vegan Thanksgiving menu, or maybe if you’re not vegan they’ll give you an idea of something to serve your vegan or vegetarian guests.  Now I just need to figure out what my menu is going to be.  What are you guys planning to make for Thanksgiving this year?

I actually made this cake a couple weeks ago, but I’ve been so caught up in thinking about Thanksgiving that I didn’t post it right away.  As you guys probably already know, I’m pretty fond of the baking mixes from Trader Joe’s, especially lately as I just haven’t had as much energy for baking or cooking.  Now that I’m also dealing with carpal tunnel as a result of the pregnancy, there’s zero baking going on, but Ryan has been awesome and has totally stepped up as the cook in the family.  Thank God for him!

So, back to the cake – this one is a basic vanilla cake mix that’s really easy to veganize.  The best thing about it is that there are real vanilla beans right in the mix, which you can actually see in the cake – and they add so much flavor.  I had a hankering for raspberries, so I thought I’d just add a pint to the batter and see how things turned out.  I tossed the fresh berries with a bit of the dry mix before adding them since coating berries with flour usually prevents them from just sinking to the bottom of the pan, but as you can see this didn’t totally work.

Regardless of that though, the cake tasted amazing, and the berries made it super moist.  I look forward to experimenting with more add-ins, even if I do have to wait until my wrists are doing better.  And this one’s easy enough to make that I could probably ask Ryan very sweetly to whip me up some cake.

If you’re looking for a non-traditional dessert for Thanksgiving, this would be a great option.  Or you could add diced apples and some cinnamon to the cake, which would work well for the holiday.  Hmmm… I might just have to try that version sooner than later!

Last weekend we had the pleasure of hanging out with our friends, Shannon & Mike, and their adorable little girl, Asha.  I’d come across a recipe for Strawberry Basil Margaritas that sounded amazing, and I thought it’d be a tasty addition to the yummy grilled vegetables and salad that Shannon and Mike were making.

We also brought some nectarines, pluots and peaches along to throw on the grill for dessert.  I’d never grilled fruit before, but Mike was fortunately an expert, so he and Ryan handled it for us.  Here’s the fruit lined up on the grill, getting nice and caramelized!

While I don’t have a recipe for the grilled fruit (since you basically just cut it up and throw it on a hot grill), I do have one for the Strawberry Basil Limeade that I made.  I changed the name since I tweaked the recipe a bit and made a non-alcoholic version.  Rather than tequila, we added vodka for those who wanted a little booze.  But before I post the recipe, I just have to show you little Asha enjoying her summer fruit and a little tofu.  She’s a cutie!

This is so simple that it feels silly to even write out a recipe, so think of this more as a guideline.  You could substitute lemonade if you like that better, and of course use whatever alcohol is your favorite.

Strawberry Basil Limeade

about a pint of strawberries
4-5 large Basil leaves
1 container limeade or lemonade (I used Trader Joe’s Sparkling Limeade)
about 1 can of soda water
ice, for serving
vodka, tequila, or your alcohol of choice (optional)

Hull the strawberries and thinly slice them.  Place them into a pitcher.  Crush the basil leaves in your hand, and throw them in the pitcher with the strawberries.  Add the limeade (or lemonade) and place the pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, fill a glass with ice and your alcohol of choice, if you’re using it.  (These are also really tasty and refreshing without alcohol).  I added some soda water to my strawberry mixture because I found it a little bit too sweet, but you might find that you don’t need it.  Just add it to taste.

You can garnish these with some basil leaves or more sliced strawberries.  Enjoy!

I made this Apricot-Cherry Crisp a few weeks ago, but realized that I’d never posted about it.  The recipe comes from Deborah Madison’s “Local Flavors”, and while it’s not an entirely vegan cookbook, many of the recipes are easily adapted.

I was really excited to try this recipe since I love both cherries and apricots, though I’ve never really baked with apricots before.  I think the only change I made to this was to increase the amount of “crisp”, which I often do with recipes like this one.

So how did it taste?  To be honest, it was just a little bit tart for me.  I’m guessing the main reason for this was the fact that the apricots I used just weren’t sweet enough, but with really ripe fruit, I think this would be mind-blowingly delicious.

Don’t get me wrong, it was really tasty regardless, but if you know me at all then you know that I’m super picky about desserts.  The recipe itself is great (and totally vegan if you substitute non-dairy margarine for the butter  – easy!).  Another great fix for this if you do find yourself with under-ripe fruit would be to smother it in some non-dairy ice cream or whipped coconut cream.

I’m excited to try this one again with some super sweet fruit.  I think it would also be great using other summer fruits, and since peaches are my favorite, I might have to use them in place of the apricots.  What’s your favorite fruit-based dessert?

Fourth of July weekend brings back so many great memories of spending time with friends and family, hanging out in the pool and stuffing myself silly on my Mom’s amazing lemon bars (although of course now I make a vegan version).

My sister and I used to make cakes frosted with whipped topping and decorated with a flag of strawberries and blueberries.  This year I’m doing a variation of that classic patriotic dessert – this time in the from of a cookie pizza!

This recipe is very adaptable – for example, if you have a sugar cookie recipe that you love, use that instead of the crust recipe (which is a variation of the shortbread crust from My Favorite Peach Tart).  You could also use buttercream instead of the cream cheese topping, and you can adjust the amount of sugar based on the fruits you use.  Since strawberries or peaches are sweeter than blueberries and raspberries, for example, you might not need as sweet of a topping.

Patriotic Cookie Pizza

for the crust

2 ounces non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
2.5 ounces non-dairy non-hydrogenated margarine
2/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1 tablespoon EnerG egg replacer powder
1/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups organic all-purpose flour

for the topping

1 8-ounce container non-dairy cream cheese
1 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8-, 9- or 10-inch cake pan, and line with parchment.  (The smaller your pan, the thicker your cookie base will be.  I used an 8-inch cake pan.)

To make the crust, cream the shortening on its own with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the margarine, and blend the two together.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, and add the sugar.  Cream the mixture.

Add the warm water to the egg replacer, and mix well.  Add this to the creamed sugar and fats.  Mix until everything is well incorporated, scraping the sides as you go.

Add the flour to the mixing bowl, and mix on low until almost all of the flour is incorporated.  Scrape the sides of the bowl again, and mix in the rest of the flour by hand.

Dump the dough into your prepared pan, and spread it out with damp hands.  Use an offset spatula to smooth and even out the top of the dough.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cookie is set and the edges are barely beginning to brown.  Let cool completely, and remove from pan.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth.  Spread the mixture over the cookie base, and decorate with the berries (or your fruit of choice).  Store the pizza cookie in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Notes: You could also use a spring-form pan, or a tart pan to bake the base.  Depending on the size of your base, you may have extra toppings (both fruit and cream cheese mixture).  The extra sweetened cream cheese makes a great fruit dip!

Happy 4th of July!  Hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

After many weeks of keeping this secret, I’m so excited to finally be able to announce a new project I’m working on with lovely Alix, of Cute & Delicious.  We’ve started a vegan secret supper club here in L.A. called A Moveable Feast, and our next dinner will be on July 9th in Studio City.

There are six seats open at each totally made-from-scratch themed-dinner (this one will feature a Mediterranean menu), and payment is on a donation basis (recommended between $75-$125).  If you’re interested you can rsvp at veganfeast@gmail.com.  For more details, and for a review of our last Moveable Feast, check out this awesome post from Quarrygirl.

Speaking of our last meal, these photos of dessert that night were taken by Alix’s husband, Shawn, of Little Vegan Planet.  (Our theme was Spring Italian, and dessert was an olive oil lemon rosemary cake with strawberry ice cream.)

Alix and I are so excited to finally be able to share this news with you guys, and we’re looking forward to our next Moveable Feast.  Yummy food and great conversation – one of the best ways to spend an evening if you ask me!

A friend of mine recently told me about Trader Joe’s Mango Butter.  (She also told me about the dried green mango they carry, which I’m totally addicted to.  I think she’s trying to make me fat.)  A couple days after seeing her, they were sampling the mango butter in the store with strawberries.  And, just like it sounds, it was amazing.

It has a texture similar to honey, and while it’s sweet, it’s not overly sugary.  I think the mango flavor helps with that, and it gives it some depth.  The fact that it’s accidentally vegan is just icing on the cake!

Since it’s so tasty on strawberries, I know this would make a great glaze on any type of fruit tart.  It’s also yummy on toast and biscuits.  And while it pairs perfectly with sweets, I also think it could work really well with savory foods.  I’m excited to do some experimenting.

If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I highly recommend grabbing a jar of this liquid gold.  But be ready to restrain yourself, because you might want to drink it straight!

Also, just a quick reminder that the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies give-away ends tonight at 9pm PST, so make sure to enter today if you haven’t already!

In addition to the Vegan Pan-bagnat I posted about the other day, I also made these Blueberry Spice Crumb Bars for our meal at the Hollywood Bowl.  The recipe is from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

It’s been many years since I’ve had blueberry bars, so I was really excited to make these.  One of the first things I ever baked was a tray of blueberry shortbread bars with my mom, and I have really vivid memories of the whole thing even though I was probably younger than seven at the time.  (I didn’t really bake them, but I helped.)

I probably had high hopes for these because of that, and while they were very tasty, I felt like they just needed a little something more.  The only fat in the recipe is shortening, and next time I make these I’ll definitely use a mixture of margarine and shortening together for a little more flavor.

That being said, I think that people would be blown away by these bars, and they would have a hard time believing that they’re vegan.  As you know, I’m incredibly picky about baked goods, so I tend to be a little hard on things.  I think with a couple tweaks these could be amazing.  Have any of you guys tried this recipe?  What did you think?

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!