MadFauxCheese

Did you miss me? 
I have been busy! 
I recently got my hands on a copy of the recipe book Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner and have been elbow deep in vegan cheese.

That makes it sound a lot more intensive than it is. Granted, it is a bit of a process, requiring some organization and some patience, but beyond that it is fairly simple.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We very rarely eat out, and I am home in the day with the boys, so I am lucky enough to have time to bake, cook and prepare meals. These cheese recipes have been very fun, like science experiments that you can eat after. Everyone that I have brought samples to has been impressed. Especially my husband, whose eyes light up every time we sit down to enjoy a new batch.

So, I have decided that it would be a good idea to start a little home business for myself. I am in the midst of sorting through all the details, but I already have a few interested clients!
I have applied to take part in a craft fair in June, so I have made a Facebook page and a twitter handle with my product name: MadFauxCheese (credit for the clever title goes to my friend Alice).
https://www.facebook.com/#!/MadFauxCheese
https://twitter.com/madfauxcheese

Please stop by and take a look at what I am up to! I have lots of photos, and will keep updating those as I make more and more...

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Tonight we ate a simple, but fancy healthy dinner. This is how I did it!
What you need:

1 spaghetti squash

Brussel sprouts
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs coconut oil (or other oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Alfredo:
1 12oz package silken tofu
1/2 cup non dairy milk
Garlic to taste (I had roasted garlic on hand, but usually use raw!)
Dash lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the spaghetti squash in half and place face down on a pan. Roast it for one hour (more or less depending on the size, it's better to overcook than under!) at 350.

Cut your Brussel sprouts in half, place in baking dish and coat with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Roast for half an hour (I put them in with my squash).

Place all Alfredo ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. When squash is done, use a fork to fluff the insides to make it like spaghetti, then top with sauce. I had some leftover. Serve in squash or on a plate, with a side of Brussel sprouts!

Very easy, very healthy. Easily customizable. Sometimes instead of Alfredo, I roast a butternut squash and purée it to make a "cheese" sauce. Alternatively, you can use marinara. This meal easily costs under $10.

Blog about introducing more raw...

Hey there blog readers!

It's been a busy few months I suppose, at least that is my excuse for not blogging more. Actually the challenge of merely typing with a baby under one around is multifaceted. He loves to bang keys. He hates to be ignored. He likes to be fed, changed, and cared for... So some things fall to the wayside. Luckily, I still cook a lot of fun, vegan food. I post it on Instagram (I am madisonconlin there too), as many people do. I love the community there. Instant (as the name implies) inspiration everyday. Pinterest too. I have a whole "To Veganize" category...

As I said, I have been cooking and baking lots. I try to be healthy, but the other say I realized every meal I ate that day had a component of flour (pancakes, pizza and pasta, I think). Nothing wrong with a little bread here and there, but 3 meals? That's not my usual day, mind you, I try to be diverse. Still, I sensed a lazy habit forming. I watched a couple documentaries about plant based diets (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Food Matters), and decided that it was time to introduce more raw foods into our diets. Luckily, Randy caught a few minutes of the documentaries, so he is on board. He is perfectly content eating vegan at home, when I do most of the cooking and planning. He does, on the other hand, have a hard time turning down pizza lunches and dinners at other peoples houses. He tries, but he doesn't have a passion for it (yet) so he struggles. I have no interesting in forcing him, I hope it will come to it in his own time. He is excited about the health benefits of raw juices and foods though. I really want the kids to be able to grow up eating healthy foods, so they will be able to make informed choices about their own diets as adults.

A few months ago, we borrowed a friend's juicer (she had no room for the beast), and got into juicing a bit. For a few days Randy had juice for breakfast and lunch (that I made the night before). It is a hard habit to keep up. This week we started it again, consistently. We aren't planning any detoxes or fasts with it, but its a great way to get the extra nutrients we probably lack. I am planning to try to make the juice in the afternoon/evening like I did last time, except this time for both of us. I know its best to drink it right away but unfortunately our lifestyle does not permit this. He works, I work in the evening and stay home with the kids in the day. Juicing is easy, but its messy, and requires prep. I do a lot of cooking already in the day and my babies need me!

Yesterday was the first day of my more mindful raw eating. "More" because I am definitely not 100%. I will gradually introduce more, and make better habits. For breakfast with the boys, we had banana ice cream, something we already regularly enjoy. Pureed frozen bananas, that's it. We topped it with hemp hearts (not raw), raw cacao nibs, sliced almonds, and blueberries. Wyatt also had some toast, because hes a hungry boy in the morning.

For lunch I made the most delicious raw tacos. Walnut meat crushed with cumin, coriander, cayenne and Bragg's (not vegan), raw freshly made salsa (tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, onion and garlic), cashew sour cream (cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar) and avocado on romaine lettuce. I started to get hungry around 11am, but because of the kids I didn't eat til about 1. I was pretty hungry, and these were so satisfying.

Dinner was easy. Raw sweet potato soup. There are a ton of recipes out there, so I just threw some stuff together in my Vitamix and blended til it was warm. Had a salad on the side, and was pretty happy. We always eat early, so I did get hungry later. I had a protein bar that I made (dates, apples, walnuts, coconut, hemp hearts, chia, flax, etc) and celery with peanut butter (not raw).

I won't be blogging about everything that I am eating, but I was pretty happy with my first day. Not perfect (oh did I mention the piece of whole grain toast I ate before bed, oops!) but still healthy and awesome. It is going to take some getting used to, especially all the soaking and sprouting, dehydrating and grinding. That is OK though, its all an adventure and I will learn as I go.

Dinner: Creamy Daiya Quinoa Patties

I have finally mustered the will power to try to lose these last few pounds of baby weight. My goal is to be healthier, stronger, and lighter than I was before the kids came around. I'm exercising more and keeping track of what I am consuming to ensure a balanced diet. It's so easy to be lazy, but I know healthy food is just as good if not better than some of my go to easy meals. You know, like toast.
Anyway, a friend was recently diagnosed a low iron, and I was looking around at quinoa recipes to send her, since quinoa is a great source of iron. All that googling made me hungry, so this is what I just had for lunch!

Creamy Daiya Quinoa Patties

1 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup onion
2 cups raw spinach
1 tsp olive oil (plus more for frying)

1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella style shreds

Prepare quinoa with one cup veg broth, one cup soy milk, and one teaspoon of olive oil.

Pan fry 1/4 cup onions to soften with one teaspoon of olive oil, and add 2 cup of fresh spinach until wilted.

Add onions and spinach to cooked quinoa and incorporate. Stir in 1/4 cup (or more, to taste) Daiya non dairy cheese, allowing it to melt slightly. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to evenly divide the quinoa mixture into patties, flattening with wet hands (this prevents it from sticking to you).

Carefully place patties in pan on medium heat that has been sprayed with oil, and heat until slightly crispy, just a couple minutes on each side.

Try adding different variations of vegetables! Enjoy...

Art in Strathcona Park

Rain or shine!
Be there!

Dessert: Upside Down Ice Cream Cake

Raw vegan gluten free lemon ice cream cake.

Delicious, beautiful, healthy and pretty easy. Only downside is you have to eat it the same day you make it. Not a problem for me! If you froze it, it might be ok, but frozen fruit and rock hard ice cream isn't my cup of tea.

Crust:

2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates
Pinch of salt

Ice cream:

4 frozen bananas
Juice and rind from 1-2 lemons

Fruit for topping:

One kiwi
Strawberries
Blueberries.

Line a bowl (i used a small micing bowl) with plastic wrap and lay down some sliced fruit.

Process crust ingredients in food processor or strong blender until a dough forms. Take about 2/3 of dough (enough to cover fruit in bowl) and press flat on counter lined with plastic wrap or parchment. Transfer to bowl and gently press to stick fruit into dough without totally squishing them.

Flatten the remainder of the dough into a circle the size of the bottom of your cake (top of your bowl). If you are not planning to eat the cake yet, stop now and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, make the ice cream, and fill the bowl. Cover with the circle of dough, trying to attach "lid" to the dough lining the cake. You can place in freezer for a few minutes (not long enough to freeze solid if necessary)

Invert bowl on serving platter, pulling plastic wrap to dislodge. Use a sharp knife to slice. Mine made about 6 servings.

The most complicated part of the recipe is the assembly. I should have taken step by step photos! It's really not that hard!

Dessert: Red Velvet Cheesecake of the Vegan Variety

Here is a quick recipe, easy to make and super delicious. If you don't have a VitaMix, use a food processor and soak the nuts and dates before hand!
The crust I made was too hard, but I will tell you what I did anyway.


Crust (Prepare cookie crumbs with margarine according to package or add some soy milk maybe instead)
1 cup melted Choc chips
1 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

Combine and press into 8 inch round cake pan lined with plastic wrap or spring form pan. Place in freezer to set.

1 can coconut milk
2 cup cashews (soaked if necessary)
1 package soft silken tofu (12 oz)
3/4 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Blend until smooth. Remove about 1/3 and set aside in fridge.

1 cup melted chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa
Red food coloring

Add to the 2/3 remaining and blend. Pour half the chocolate mix into the crust. Place in freezer until set, then top with half of the vanilla. Repeat with chocolate layer, and again with the remaining vanilla.
Top with chocolate curls or whatever you'd like.