Key Lime Cheesecake

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Key Lime Cheesecake
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

This is as good if not better than restaurant cheesecake. It is a SUGAR RUSH - so beware. I would make this just for the ginger snap crust alone, but the lime filling tastes amazing. You can use regular limes, even though they don't live up to the recipe's namesake. Eat it by the slice or "just" the spoonful - it only lasts 24 hours in our house!


PLUS top 5 things everyone should try before they die CHALLENGE
We took madeinalaska's challenge to identify 5 foods everyone should try before they die. These are 5 we really love!

1. My Mom's Veganized Cornbread Dressing

2. Mighty O Donouts

3. Super Tings

4. My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

5. Vegan Planet's Udon Shiitake Recipe

Cupcakes, getting a job, mac n' cheese, and staying balanced... and the kitchen sink.

Cookbook * Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
Recipe * Cappuccino Cupcakes Filled with Espresso Creme
Yumm or Yuck * Yumm

I got a job in January and moved house in February - in the process I have been a bad blogger and even worse cook! I am reminded through this experience that you can only have so much thai take-out, deli food and (oh -gasp) frozen dinners. I really do miss cooking - it is a fun/creative type outlet for me and I enjoy the process of cooking as much as eating. Plus, I think it is far easier to balance your diet when you cook at home.
Below are some photos taken over the last few months that I haven't had a chance to blog on.

First, cupcakes made by a good friend here in Seattle. She isn't vegan, but loves the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World cookbook - which of course makes any good friend a great friend, especially when they make cupcakes for YOU!! These were sooo delicious!


Cookbook * The Real Food Daily Cookbook
Recipe * Mac n' Cheese
Yumm or Yuck * Yumm

And here is a pic of my new favorite mac n' cheese recipe taken from Real Food Daily. The cheese sauce is amazing - I might add less agar next time so it isn't as thick. Wondering what agar is - here is a pic below. Far better than the Vegan Planet recipe - I think. Good stuff!

Traditional Pizza Dough

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Traditional Pizza Dough
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Prep time is quick - like 5 minutes - then you just wait for it to double and you are ready to bake. Its one of the quickest meals around and you can make extra to freeze. My only complaint is that the dough gets air pockets, this is almost certainly because I don't knead it enough or punch it down enough. Its really an aesthetic issue as it doesn't influence the taste of the pizza at all. Add your favorite toppings. Here we added mushrooms, vegan cheese (follow your heart brand), garlic, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and chad's half with vegan pepperoni (yves brand)as I don't really care for faux meats. Mangia!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
Yumm or Yuck: * Yumm

Permutations of the ever inventive sweet potato and black bean combo are found in just about every cookbook I own and for good reason - it tastes really good! That said, this enchilada recipe is a real standout. Its super good comfort food, its pretty easy to make, and its loaded with all those fab sweet potato nutrients. I use Follow Your Heart Mozzarella and Hatch enchilada sauce to round things out. Variety is good too...I've added chard, used tofu instead of beans, and switched out the sweet potato for yam. Wondering what the difference between a yam and sweet potato might be? This has been a raging debate in my family for years, as if there aren't better things to argue about :)

Chowder Weather

Cookbook * Vegan Planet

Recipe * New England Chowder

Yumm or Yuck * Yumm

I've made this delicious chowder several times and always ask why I don't make it more often, its so good! Oyster mushrooms give it a real New England Chowder quality. Its been said that "A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for....". I agree, well sans the clams and add the oyster shrooms. If you've never used oyster mushrooms before, do give it a try. They look and taste like oysters...well, pretty close...and you don't have to worry about all that nasty mercury in your soup. I like to serve this with homemade garlic soup crouton. I think it looks a little like radioactive soup in the picture thanks to poor lighting...yumm!

Mango Coconut Bread Pudding

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Mango Coconut Bread Pudding
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Its mango season - finally. Mango season in Hawaii is marked by neighbors sharing Mango chutney (its a secret recipe of course), self-serve mango stands in front yards, and the smell of overripe mangos fallen onto sidewalks. Hawaii mango season was the inspiration to try this recipe and I've made it at least a dozen times since. Its really tasty comfort food and a hit with everyone - regardless of food afilliation. Celebrate your own mango season with this perfectly simple and yummy pudding.

Mac and "Cheese"

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Mac and "Cheese"
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

One warning - be sure you use regular soymilk, not vanilla flavored. If you follow this simple advice, you will reep bountiful Mac n'Cheese rewards. If not, this dish ends up tasting like a desert pudding. I made the mistake once and never again. Oh, and watch the broil time - the suggested 10 minutes would have made a blacktop out of this great comfort food dish!

Spiced Banana Pancakes

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Spiced Banana Pancakes
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

I wish they were a little bit spicier to support their namesake, but they are delicious all the same. Drenched in maple syrup and topped with carmelized banana and kiwi, these brought back childhood memories of pancake goodness!

Udon-Shiitake Stir-Fry with Sake and Ginger

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Udon-Shiitake Stir-Fry with Sake and Ginger
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

The title says it all. This is a old standby saved for those times when I can find really fresh shiitake in the market. Of course, if I took the time to figure out how to use my "grow your own shiitakes" tree, I would eat this everyday. You can make this as a stir fry, but its MUCH more flavorful if you double the udon "sauce." And the sauce is awesome! I always add diced tofu to round out what is already a nutritious meal. Pass the sake - preferably not the cheap stuff I have in the pic.

Sesame Soba Noodles

Cookbook * Vegan Planet
Recipe * Sesame Soba Noodles
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

Use any fresh veg and add tofu or temphe for extra protein punch...this is loaded with calcium! My husband says its in his top 3 list.