Half Homemade: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES! and tagged with cake, chocolate, chocolate chips, cupcake, dessert, Easy, Fast, flax, Low Ingredient, Party, potluck, quick, recipe, strawberry, Vegan, what vegans eat July 10, 2012

So today is my husband’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

Excitement aside. We had a mostly vegan BBQ, my husband is an ominivore so I let him have his steak tips and hamburgers (because everything else he ate was vegan and he was very forgiving of my mood swings when I was detoxing off dairy and meat, I cried over Mac n Cheese once, It was pathetic). But vegan-wise… I made vegan beer brats, vegan hot dogs, chili, rice, baked russet potatoes, steamed veggies, a nacho dip, and a spinach artichoke dip with all the edible dipping tools one could ask for. I will try to post my recipes for those dips later this week as they are delicious!

So for dessert, what room there was left for dessert, was filled with the smell of warm milk chocolate and freshly chopped strawberries. I usually add guava with his chocolate cake and a dash of cinnamon but the store didn’t have any. So, I made a delicious half homemade milk chocolate cake with a spruced up strawberry frosting. I took plain white frosting that was “accidentally vegan” and added strawberry preserves from a local farm and freshly chopped strawberries.

The only issue I ran into was I could smell them baking in the oven nearly tasting the melted chocolate chips when I snuck a peak and saw the tops of them exploding and chocolate chips oozing over the top. I panicked for about 10 seconds contemplating pulling them out as they seemingly deflated and then said to my inner self “just wait until the time is up and they are cooked and test them”. When I brought them out it was like magic! The chocolate had formed a crunchy layer across the top similar to a carmelized creme brulee and the inside was soft and moist with little pockets of melted chocolate. The best mistake ever.

S0, I will now share the recipe of my delicious mistake with you!

Cake Ingredients:

Organics Chocolate Cake Mix by Dr. Oetker (follow recipe on back with below substitutions):

2tbs powdered flaxseed (to sub for 2 eggs)
1 egg worth of egg replacer mixture (1 1/2tsp egg replacer powder whisked with 2 tbs warm water)
2tbs Water for egg replacer
Soy Milk instead of Dairy Milk (according to box directions)
Canola Oil for “Oil”

1/2cup- 2/3cup of vegan chocolate chips

Frosting Ingredients:

1 large container of white frosting (vegan or accidentally vegan options are at every grocery store it seems, just read the label)

1/2 cup small diced fresh strawberries

3/4 container of strawberry preserves

COOKING:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

So I started by making the frosting which one would think would be the last step since the cupcakes take about 25 minutes however, due to the heat lately, I needed to refrigerate the frosting so it would firm up.

First combine the white frosting and the preserves then after it has a good flavor (testing is the best part) and is well mixed add the fresh cut strawberries until they are evenly mixed in. Refrigerate. The flavor will intensify as it sits.

Next, make the egg replacer mixture in a small teacup or mixing bowl.

Then in a large mixing bowl place in Chocolate Cake powder mixture.

Grind the flaxseed powder in a coffee grinder and add to the Cake Mix.

Next, add soy milk and oil to the cake mix.

After it starts to get wet and combined add the egg replacer mixture to the cake mix.

Once everything is well combined and a little thick, add the chocolate chips. Mix well.

Finally start placing the cupcake batter into the lined tins. I use cupcake paper cups so that the chips don’t stick to the pan and make my cupcake fall apart.

Place first tray of cupcakes in the oven for between 20-25 minutes.

When taking them out use a fork to slide down the side of the cupcake between the paper and the pan to lift them out and place on a cooling tray or rack.

Let cool at least an hour before frosting as the chocolate chips will explode onto the top forming a delicious crunchy layer that is more like lava at first! My cupcakes got a little melty with the frosting because of the weather being about 95 degrees and the cupcake being warm still.

Frost and Enjoy!

PS If you want to get fancy for a holiday add a heart-shaped strawberry slice on top for Valentines Day or a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry for an Anniversary or a Strawberry Lollipop in the Center for a Little Girls Birthday or Baby Shower!

Traveling Vegan: Snacking your Way to Athleticism

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with almond milk, banana, blender, cinnamon, coconut milk, cold drink, dessert, Easy, Fast, flax, gym, Low Ingredient, low sodium, mango, olympics, protein, protein shake, quick, recipe, rice milk, running, shake, smoothie, strawberry, travel, tropical, vanilla, Vegan, vegan athlete, what to eat, what vegans eat, working out July 5, 2012

I was athletic prior to my vegan days. I ran a half marathon just months before being given, what I felt at the time was, a life sentence of veggies. My life has turned around for the better since that event over a year ago and it is about to change again! This week I will be allowed to begin my athletic streak again! The doctors gave me the A-OK to start running or cycling or whatver-ing! I was so excited I joined a gym with free spin classes and yoga! Then I got a call from my new trainer and her question about my diet hit home. I have never been an athlete while vegan. No more lean chicken breast or broiled fish or hard boiled eggs. What should I be eating before my Saturday training session?

So I started first by cutting my calories this month. I was consuming far too many. I use the Calorie Count app on my phone www.calorie-count.com and it is great, Weight Watchers is another great option www.weightwatchers.com but costs about $15 a month for their online food logging service. I prefer the free calorie count online or app service, it even gives you a letter grade on your eating habits. Now the tough part is what calories are good for this new athletic lifestyle? I have talked to some friends, fellow runners, my old trainer, and referenced some sites. The best advice I was given: more protein less oil. So I went on a hunt for a new protein shake and since I tried one I liked at “The Seed” conference in NYC, I am going to start there and itemize how my training goes or adapts with it. So here is my recipe for the protein smoothie that will start of my travels to the gym, pre-run, and anywhere else I go!

1 packet or serving Vega Vanilla Chai Protein Powder (available at Whole Foods or online)
1 serving frozen tropical fruit blend (again whole foods has a banana, strawberry, mango mix I love)
1 banana
1-2 cups of milk (the suggestion was Rice but I only had unsweetened almond milk or vanilla coconut)
1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseed powder

I place it in the blender with the milk, powder, flax, and banana on the bottom and the frozen fruit is like ice on top. I like a little more milk because it is not as thick but my friend likes it thick so it melts over a period of time in the morning. This is a dense treat so remember it is a whole meal not just a snack! Enjoy!

PS I will keep you updated on how this works at Saturday’s training session!

Traveling Vegan: Fourth of July Trifle

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with blueberry, cake, coconut milk, Coconut Whipped Cream, cream cheese, dessert, Easy, Fast, flax, holiday, lemon, marscapone, Party, potluck, strawberry, travel, trifle, Vegan, what vegans eat July 3, 2012

In preparation of the Fourth of July I have found I need two things 1. Produce and 2. A Sharp Knife.

It has been a hot summer here in the Boston area and knowing this I always prepare lots of cut fruits and veggies that are placed in glass containers in my fridge for snacking or for easy food preparation. After going to the grocery stores and Costco yesterday I came home to chop all my new finds up. I have 3 containers of cucumbers, 1 very large container of tomatoes, 12 chopped apples in a mixing bowl with lemon juice for pie, and 3 containers of strawberries. I felt good about this because when traveling over the fourth of July and surrounding days I see a need for cool raw items like fruit and cutting it up just makes it more accessible. The other day I went through 2 cartons of chopped strawberries from Saturday’s farm stand because of a Graduation party. If they had not been so accessible I may have just gone and lazily bought something. Instead my vegan version of a Fruit Trifle went over so well it was empty within 1 hour. The grocery store cake was barely missing a third of its frosting. So with that I am going to give you my trifle recipe and hopefully you will take that to the next fiesta you get invited to this summer as well as my tips to remember to “chop, contain, and take away” all those delicious fruits and veggies you buy each week. The 30 minutes it takes to do them all after shopping saves so much time later that week when you are in a hurry!

Ingredients for Marscapone:

1 8oz container vegan cream cheese

1/3cup vegan sour cream

1/3cup vegan powdered sugar

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:

2 cans chilled Coconut Milk

4 tablespoons Coconut Flour

1tbs Vanilla Extract

1-2cups Vegan Powdered Sugar

Ingredients for Cake:

1 lemon cake mix (try Organics by Dr. Oetker)

2 tablespoons freshly ground flaxseed powder

1 egg worth of egg replacer (I use Ener-gee Egg Replacer and buy it at Whole Foods)

Vegetable/Soybean Oil

Water

Ingredients for Fruit Filling:

4 cups chopped fresh strawberries

4 cups fresh blueberries

START: Make the yellow cake per the box specifications adding 1 egg worth of egg replacer and 2 eggs worth of powdered flaxseed (2tbsp). I use two circular cake pans and fill each half way. Bake until slightly browned and allow to cool before starting trifle.

CREAMS: In separate bowls, begin mixing the ingredients outlined above for each of the marscapone and whipped creams. For the whipped cream take only the white coconut cream substance from the can draining away any liquid before it goes in the bowl. You can double either recipe for more thick creamy layers to the trifle if you have a larger trifle bowl. Whip both until thick and place into the refrigerator while you wait to prep the rest of the trifle.

FRUIT: Chop the strawberries into small squares about the same size as a large blueberry. Blueberries can remain as is for layering.

MAKING THE LAYERS: I start the bottom layer with lemon cake. I trim the edges that are crusty off first and then slide to the bottom of the trifle bowl. I then top it with 1/2 of the marscapone cream. The next layer is of 1/2 of the blueberries. Then 1/2 of the whipped cream on top and last a layer of 1/2 of the chopped strawberries. Then repeat the whole set of layers. I save a few blueberries to sprinkle with the strawberries on the top layer as well since it is exposed.

Refrigerate until it is time to serve. Enjoy!

PS: This was a crowd pleaser to even non-vegans (since I am the only one that was at this party). They were whispering about it outside and talking to my mother about how talented I was. It is too simple to be talent so sneak around telling everyone you are an amazing chef and whip this up tomorrow morning for your Independence Day party!

Quick Lunch: Oriental Ramen with Veggies

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with Easy, Fast, Low Ingredient, noodle, quick, ramen, soup, travel, Vegan, what to eat, what vegans eat June 22, 2012

When I go to work I always keep a few standby items in my drawer. One is everyone’s favorite college favorite: Ramen noodles. I get the “Oriental” flavor of Ramen and leave the dehydrated bricks in my drawer for a fast lunch. However, I am ever so aware of the sodium content and lack of veggies so I usually grab leftover veggies from my fridge and bring them into work so I can make myself a quick ramen lunch. My favorite veggies with the ramen are broccoli and edamame. I will be honest about the fact I do not LOVE edamame but when you can grab it from the freezer and toss it in a microwave so easily and it is filled with protein, I am in. So here is what I had for lunch yesterday. I encourage you to add any veggies you want and maybe even spice it up with some sesame seeds or peanuts or bean sprouts or shredded carrots and make a proper ramen soup (but on the go)!

Ingredients:

Ramen Noodle Soup (Oriental Flavor)
1-2cups leftover veggies or 1/2-1 cup of frozen veggies
water

Break up ramen noodles and place in bowl with water.
Place frozen veggies with some water or leftover veggies with no water into a bowl.
Place both bowls in microwave for 3-4 minutes.
Dump veggies into ramen noodle soup and enjoy!

Optional additionals: lemongrass, peanuts, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cabbage, bokchoy, or whatever else you can find in the fridge!

Quick Meals: Roasted Garlic and Cherry Tomato Couscous

Posted by LD in Meatless Monday Family Dinners, QUICKIES! and tagged with couscous, Easy, Fast, garlic, Low Ingredient, tomato, Vegan June 21, 2012

I am always on the run. Sometimes I have no idea how I am going to feed my face in the 20 minutes I have until I need to run out the door. I work late most days and after over an hour drive home sometimes nearly 2 hrs, I would rather sleep or just eat crackers instead of cook a meal. Alas, I said to myself at lunch the other day. I know you don’t want to cook anything darling but it is lunch and you need veggies not just carbs. SO I started looking through the cabinets and noticed we had Near East Couscous and grape/cherry tomatoes that were starting to wrinkle before completely going to rot. So here is what I made and plan to continue making as it was delicious.

Ingredients:

Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

1 1/4 cups water

Near East Flavor Packet (comes with couscous)

1 tbsp earth balance butter

5-10 grape/cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp crushed garlic in oil

2 tbsp dry basil

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Start by placing water, butter, and flavor packet in sauce pan.
Bring to boil stirring occasionally.
In a separate sautee pan place olive oil, garlic, and salt.
Cook until garlic browns slightly.
When saucepan is boiling add dry couscous, cover, and remove from heat.
Slice tomatoes into 4 pieces longwise making diamond-like tomato slices. Toss with basil and add to sautee pan.
Sautee tomatoes until bright red and basil is browned appearing almost black.
Remove sauce pan lid, fluff couscous and place into a bowl.
Serve with tomatoes on top.
Add a vegan parmesean for an extra kick. I use Galaxy brand. ENJOY!

Busy Weeks Call for Pancakes… Banana Pancakes!

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes and tagged with banana, Easy, Fast, flax, Low Ingredient, pancake, Vegan June 15, 2012

When I was a kid my father would travel on business a great deal. My mother got in the habitof giving us pancakes for dinner one of those nights when he was away. Usually the night he left. It was about comfort and fun. My brother and I were always beyond excited. She made these enormous, fluffy, bisquick pancakes with a big glass of milk ororange juice and it was like heaven. Since I have been out on my own I realize that when stuff isn’t so fun and life is stressful or when a friend comes in to visit and they arrive late at night, I make pancakes. Then the vegan thing happened and I did not know what to eat. Pancakes were butter, milk, and eggs in my head. Then I went online and googled my life away. PETA has agreat site helper called “accidentally vegan” that lists foods you can eat that already happen to be vegan. They have a standard one and teen site with this. And guess what is on it? BISQUICK!

That being said after a long stressful week I am looking forward to pancakesand not just any pancakes I am going all out and making banana pancakes. My non-vegan stepkids love them and occassionally right before I flip them over I will add a few vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup Almond Milk (plain unsweetened)

1/2 cup Vanilla Coconut Milk (or vanilla soy milk) + 1/4 cup

2tbs flaxseed (ground fresh in coffee grinder)

2 brown frozen bananas

Optional: vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Note: To double the recipe you do not need to double the bananas, I usually just add one more.

First thing, place the 2tbsp whole flaxseed into the coffee grinder, grind until a fine powder.

In a large mising bowl mix 2 cups of bisquick and the ground flaxseed together until blended.

Add the 1/2 cup of both milks to the pancake powder.

Stir until thick and sticky. It will be very tough to mix and look more like bread dough than traditional pancake mixture.

Place browned frozen bananas in microwave for 30secs and then flip and do another 30secs. They will be liquidy so do not remove right away.

Add extra 1/4 cup of milk now into the pancake dough.

Last add the hot bananas. I rip them down the side over the mixing bowl holding them with a potholder and dump them into the bowl. They will be soupy but this is a good thing!

Mash them into the mixture until well blended.

Heat the griddle or pan until a bead of water dances on the griddle or pan.

Then spray or oil the pan.

Scoop pancake mix onto the pan and seperate it using a utensil or you fingers if you are feeling brave until a flattened circle is formed. This may take some practice. If the dough is took thick when you flip it over just press down and flip back after the second side is down to ensure it is cooked through. You won’t die if its not but because there is no worry of food poinsoning but it gets a weird texture.

Flip when you see bubbles start to form around the edges. This is the “flip me” signal for those that may not cook alot.

Last place them in the oven on warm or about 200-250 degrees until you are ready to serve them all.

I top with nuts, berries, heated rice syrup mixed with earth butter and cinnamon, margarine and maple syrup, shredded coconut and sliced bananas, etc.

ENJOY!

Traveling Vegan: A day at the Museum

Posted by LD in Traveling Vegan and tagged with cinnamon, cream cheese, Easy, Fast, Low Ingredient, Party, pastry, potluck, Vegan June 11, 2012

Saturday my husband, 2 setpchildren, and I went to the Museum of Science in Boston (www.mos.org). I am always partially worried/terrified during a trip out because not only do all three of them have a dairy intolerance but I am vegan and that is like being Food Court intolerant. There are apps for what you can eat at the fast food places but sometimes they will list a bread roll, ketchup, and shredded lettuce. Not exactly a meal or even tempting to want to try. I am not a super vegan either so french fries even if they are in the chicken finger oil do not bother me, I am still on the fence about honey, and I don’t argue over things like what type of sugar is in this soda. That being said I am more flexible when I go out but still not always flexible enough not to pack a lunch and I really can’t stomach too much junk food anymore anyhow.

When I got up Saturday morning I made little goodie bags for all of us full of snacks to take to the MOS. Everyone got an apple, a granola bar (minus me, I gave my husband 2 due to a casein issue), and then a cheese danish square I made with the girls the night before (recipe to follow). This was easy and allowed for a decent snack that filled everyone up. However to my suprise they have an amazing salad bar at the Museum of Science in Boston. This is a new thing so I encourage everyone to take a website looksie when going to places like the MOS. They really cater to food allergies and healthy living these days. Especially Science Museums! Also, it is a nice day out to have fun, explore, and learn! Although I do wish they had a bigger section dedicated to food!

Cheese Danish Squares

2 Puff Pastry Sheets (I use Pepperidge Farms http://www.puffpastry.com/)
1 8oz tub Vegan Cream Cheese (I use either Tofutti or Galaxy)
1/2cup Brown Sugar
1tsp-1tbsp Cinnamon (to taste)
2tbsp Earth Butter (stick form is easiest)
Vegan Granulated Sugar or Vanilla Sugar (to sprinkle on top)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly butter or oil a cookie sheet and place on of the puff pastry sheets down on top completely rolled out.

In a medium size mixing bowl combine cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar together. Add cinnamon to taste last. I prefer a whole tablespoon of a mild cinnamon like Ceylon Cinnamon.

Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the pastry dough. Then top with cream cheese mixture.

Place the next layer of dough on top. Sprinkly with cinnamon and vanilla sugar or granulated sugar. I buy vanilla sugar from Penzey’s, like most of my spices.

Place in the oven for roughly 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky and the filling has melted and is lightly pouring out the edges.

Cut with a long flat knife or pastry cutter into squares. Serve slightly warm or cold.

Never serve hot as the cheese filling gets lava-like!

If you want to get fancy you can pre slice the dough into strips and roll it into yummy cheesecake cinnamon rolls!

Moroccan Salad with Chopped Apricots and Sliced Raw Almonds

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with almond, apricot, Coconut, couscous, curry, Easy, Fast, low sodium, orange juice, Party, potluck, salad, Vegan June 7, 2012

I loved potlucks pre-vegan because I would get to try all kinds of yummy creations at work, church, neighbors homes, wherever. When I became vegan I looked at these like a kid picked last in kick ball. I felt left out, unwanted, and underrepresented. How can I participate in an event that never accommodates me. There are large crockpots of meatballs and beautiful casseroles and of course someone brings cake and pie. All made with cream, butter, eggs, and meat. It smells good but alas I am out of the game. I pray for the person who brings bread and salad. However is that what I really want? No I want to bring and eat a delicious yummy array of foods and casseroles. So since it is summer dive into this Couscous salad that everyone will like but it gives you those carbs you need to get through an event without bringing Seitan or Tofu or something the carnivore’s may dub “weird” and not scoop a side dish of!

I built this recipe off one I saw at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas at their Buffet (although I think they may have added soy yogurt). As some of you may know, Steve Wynn turned vegan in 2010 and made my travel much easier so I make Las Vegas a travel destination now. Every restaurant at his hotel is required to serve a vegan menu in addition to its standard fare. So please go take a trip to Vegas grab some Couscous salad, hit it big on the slots, and then send me a message and tell me all about it!

Ingredients are simple:

4-6 cups prepared Pearl (Israeli) Couscous

1/2 cup of sliced raw almonds

1/4 cup -1 cup Orange Juice

1 tsp-1 tbsp Salt (for boiling water that couscous is in)

1 tbsp Curry powder (or more to taste, I use Penzey’s “Balti” Curry Powder)

1 bag diced dried Apricots (get the bright orange ones from the salad section)

Because your event size may vary I am going to be vague in this recipe.

Make your couscous per the instruction so that it is not sticky but dry and loose. Always salt your water with at least 1 tsp if not 1 tbsp of kosher salt. While still hot add the orange juice in small amounts, so it cooks down a bit.

Add the curry to taste. I start with a tablespoon and then go from there while the OJ is still warm in the couscous. I like to add a dash of turmeric to bring a nice yellow hue to the couscous without adding too much flavor, parsley will do this as well by adding a fleck of color.

Next, add almonds and diced apricots when the couscous has cooled. I use about 1/2 cup almonds and a whole package of apricots that I diced or cut into small pieces with meat scissors. This adds the crunch and sweetness you need to balance the dish.

Refrigerate until event. Serve chilled.

PS My mother hates curry so I called this Moroccan Salad and she ate it!

Beginner’s Guide to Vegan Ice Cream with TWO Recipes!

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts and tagged with chocolate, Coconut, Easy, Fast, ice cream, Low Ingredient, Party, Vegan June 6, 2012

I love ice cream but now when I am away I have to sacrifice this frozen treat because it has milk. I have two problems with milk. One is before I was vegan I was lactose intolerant and those pills did not help. Second is my post vegan life where I still am not allowed to have it. So I either have to choose a dairy free sorbet at the ice cream stand or I have to forego the frozen treat with dismay. However, when I am home I can go get some Tofutti Marry Me Bars (which I adore) or I can grab some So Delicious Coconut Ice Cream (which is my fave!).

However I wanted to mimic my old favorite ice cream one day so I looked around for ice cream recipes in hopes to discover how to remake a key lime pie gelato from Ciao Bella that I still cannot live without.

Here is how it went. I bought soymilk from the refrigerated section, coconut milk from the refrigerated section in vanilla, key lime juice off the shelf, and then had the sugar and corn starch on hand. Note: Do not follow this recipe as it does not end well. I mixed all these ingredients into a pot and boiled it placing it in the ice cream maker still warm and set it for 30 minutes. It started to separate and then wouldn’t cream up cold. I then placed it in the freezer for 24 hours where it became a solid block of italian-like ice that tasted on point but could not be unfrozen from the ice cream freezer bucket. Lesson? Don’t get too fancy until you can make vanilla.

So here is my vanilla recipe and chocolate recipe with only a few ingredients! PS My step kids love making it!

2 cans coconut milk

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract (Only 1/2 tbsp for Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe)

1 pinch of salt

(2tbsp Full Fat Dutch Cocoa Powder for Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe)

Take all ingrdients and dump into a bowl. Whisk until all items are blended and dissolved. Place in ice cream maker bowl that has been in freezer for at least 24hrs.

Then put on the icre cream machine to blend for at least 15minutes or as much as 30 minutes.

Chocolate ice cream will take longer to stiffen.

Place extra back in the freezer for up to 5 days (if it lasts!).

This is good with a piece of pie or topped with just about anything.

If you want to add mix ins. I suggest doing it after the fact in a seperate container. I added sliced raw almonds and sugared toasted coconut to the chocolate one day and it was heaven!

Curried Pumpkin Kale Soup for Beginner Vegans

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with Coconut, curry, Easy, Fast, kale, pumpkin, soup, Vegan June 5, 2012

So I was in Kauai on my honeymoon and stumbled upon Cafe Coco on the main highway just north of Lihue. It is set back a bit but after researching various vegetarian and vegan friendly establishments I was sure that I would be okay here. The Frommers guide had promised me and I took that promise as an oath, mostly because I was tired and hungry. So my reluctant carnivore husband gave up his dinner plans of Luau Style Pork Feasts and entertained my request and in we walked to a small mostly outdoor cafe set far from the road with a family like atmosphere. The owner was there and two staff a waitress and cook, but more importantly a third unofficial staff member was a medium sized, dark-colored cat. The cat had been there longer than the restaurant we were told by the owner and waitress. I thought this was wonderful that the cat was the keeper of this place and it seemed almost romantic to have a cat that was a caretaker of a cafe specializing in vegan and vegetarian options (although it does have limited fish and chicken dishes).

When it was time to order I was delighted to see that most of the meals were accompanied by a Pumpkin Soup and a salad. I ordered the samosas (the first night) and when they came they lost their thunder to my first spoonful of the pumpkin soup. I later told the waitress and owner that I would move here just for her soup and work in her kitchen for free. She laughed and stated she would put me to work if I kept coming. I did keep coming for those 2 weeks however, I never crossed paths with the owner after that. Only her cat and her cookies and the soup.

So it inspired me when I got home to find out how she made this recipe and I set to mimicking it the best I could. Turns out the recipe I created is not very complicated and is a “dump” and mix kind of deal. So please try this recipe even if you think it’s too warm out or you hate curry. It is worth every taste, every drop, it is an experience.

1 CAN Coconut Milk (don’t use the bottled kind its different in terms of fat content and texture)
2 cans Pumpkin (pureed not chunky)
1 tbsp curry powder (I use Balti by Penzey’s Spices)
4 cups vegetable broth (you can use 4 condensed liquid packets with 4 cups water)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup apple cider (I use Simply Apple Juice since it is available year round)
1 onion or equivalent dehydrated onion pieces
3 cloves garlic or equivalent granulated powder/pieces
1 bunch kale deveined and finely chopped (I use herb scissors)
1/8 cup olive oil

Place all items, except kale, over medium in large sauce pan.