National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Does it get any better than National Chocolate Ice Cream Day? The answer is: No. It doesn't.


So what's your favorite vegan chocolate ice cream? I had been searching for the perfect homemade chocolate ice cream recipe for the longest time and I finally found it. Whether you have your own ice cream maker at home or stop off to pick up a carton, I hope you're able to enjoy this wonderful holiday!


Recipe: Perfect Chocolate Ice Cream

Recipe: Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate soy milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Two cans of coconut milk, chilled
• 12 oz baking chocolate, chopped (Ghiradelli 70% Cacao works perfectly)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Completely dissolve the arrowroot powder into 1/2 cup of chocolate soy milk. Set aside.
2. Skim the cream from the top of the cans of coconut milk. If this doesn't equal 2 cups worth, fill in missing volume with soy milk (or water from coconut milk). Whisk smooth.
3. Combine remaining 3/4 cup chocolate soy milk and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat and whisk regularly. When the mixture begins to steam slowly whisk in arrowroot mixture. Continue to cook until it becomes thicker and glossy, and begins to gently bubble.
4. Remove from heat and add baking chocolate. Whisk until smooth (mixture will be thick).
5. Add coconut milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
6. Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
7. Make ice cream according to manufacturer's directions, adding chocolate chips at appropriate time.

The Official Start of Summer

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and for some vegans/vegetarians it can be a time to panic. But it doesn't have to be! Just because you may be invited to a BBQ party where you know meat will be served, doesn't mean you can't go, have a great time, AND eat delicious food!


It all goes back to my Easter Day post when I suggested bringing a vegan dish of your own. This can apply to any and every holiday, special occasion, party, gathering, etc. While everyone else is grilling up hot dogs, hamburgers, and other unmentionables, why not bring along some delicious Black Bean Burgers? Below you find a recipe that I love and plan to use this weekend at a friend's BBQ. I'm also going to try a new Key Lime Pie recipe that I'm pretty excited about. If all goes well, I'll not only be bringing it with me to the party, but I'll post the recipe here for you to try. I'll also be bringing along an incredible Taco Dip. I made this for some (carnivore) friends once and was told that it was the best dip she'd ever eaten! Woohoo! I love it when people eat something really yummy and can't believe it's vegan. It just goes to show that just because something is vegan, doesn't mean it can't taste good.


Enjoy your weekend!


Recipe: Taco Dip
Recipe: Black Bean Burgers

Recipe: Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Ener G Egg Replacers
• 1T chili powder
• 1T cumin
• 1t. hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a small bowl, prepare egg replacers.
4. Stir the egg replacers into the mashed beans. Add pepper, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Blend well. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
5. If grilling, place patties on foil and grill about eight minutes on each side. If baking, places patties on baking sheet and bake about ten minutes on each side.

Recipe: Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, mostly drained
• 1 12 oz. container Tofutti vegan sour cream
• 1 packet vegan taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup black olives, chopped
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• Salt, pepper, hot sauce, and cumin, to taste

Directions:

1. Spread the beans out on the bottom of a 9x9 dish evenly. Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and cumin, as desired.
2. Mix the sour cream with the packet of taco seasoning and blend thoroughly.*
3. Spread the seasoned sour cream on top of the beans.
4. Top with avocado, tomato, olives and green onion.
5. Chill for at least an hour, if possible.
6. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

*This step can be done ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve to allow for best flavor.

My Favorites - Egg & Dairy Substitutes

Reducing or eliminating eggs and dairy from your diet can be easier than you think. These are my favorite products to use when I'm cooking or baking - my can't-live-without staples!


Earth Balance - The EB line is pretty awesome. They have a variety of products to choose from based on your preference and/or what you're using it for. My personal favorite is the Whipped Organic Buttery spread for my bagels, muffins, sandwiches, you name it. I always keep sticks on hand since it allows for easy measuring. I also keep the shortening sticks as well for my baking needs. FYI - their products are 100% vegan and don't contain any trans-fats or hydrogenated oils.


Daiya Cheese - Daiya, oh Daiya. What would I do without you?! For anyone out there who thinks the same way I used to, believing they could never go vegan because they couldn't live without cheese - fear no more! Daiya (pronounced, DAY-uh) is hands down the best vegan cheese out there. It melts and stretches just like cheese should but without the plasticky and/or oily texture that you find in other vegan cheeses out there. For awhile Daiya only offered mozzarella or cheddar and I've been happy eating my pizza, grilled cheese and tacos again. However, they recently launched a new pepper jack cheese and I can't wait for a store in my area to start carrying it already so I can try it out!

Ener-G Egg Replacer - One 16 oz. box is estimated to yield over 100 "eggs". At just six or seven dollars a box, it's not only the compassionate choice but the economical choice as well! The box also has a shelf life of three years so there's no need to worry about spoilage either. The one thing I have noticed is that I always need to double the quantity of egg replacers that a recipe calls for. For instance, when I veganized a black bean burger recipe I had which called for one egg, I found two egg replacers worked perfectly. I also use warm water to prepare it since it seems to blend much easier that way.


Vegenaise - Who said you can't have mayo as a vegan?! My pick is the Organic Vegenaise.


Tofutti Cream Cheese - Tofutti has two vegan cream cheeses, one of which is non-hydrogenated. I sed this one for a while but found the unhealthier, hydrogenated version to be much, much better (surprise, surprise!). Plus, it's softer and easier to spread. It's my little guilty pleasure.

Tofutti Sour Cream - Its texture and consistency is almost dead-on, it's just slightly thicker. Use it in dips, on tacos or quesadillas, pretty much anywhere it calls for sour cream.

Mimic Creme - This is an almond and cashew cream that I love to use when I need something thicker than milk. Sometimes you just want that sauce to be a little richer and creamier, am I right? Mimic Creme is perfect in times like these. I also use it to make homemade ice cream sometimes. It's available sweetened or unsweetened so it can be used in both cooking and baking. I recently discovered that they also offer coffee creamers and non-soy vegan whipping cream. Woohoo!

Misconception Monday: All Vegans Love Veggie Burgers

Don't get me wrong - I know that there are plenty of vegans who enjoy veggie burgers. I just don't happen to be one of them.


In fact, I'm just not a fan of mock meat in general. My reason is based simply on the fact that they're usually (and quite ironically) geared towards carnivores. I find that more often than not, they're made to appeal to people as if they were in fact, meat - and this is what disturbs me. If I really wanted a burger, I'd eat one. But I don't want anything that looks, tastes and has the texture of meat because personally, it grosses me out.


I was at a (mostly) vegan restaurant recently and ordered what I thought was a stirfry-type dish. I noticed chunks of an unknown substance and assumed it was tofu. I took a bite and immediately panicked because I was convinced I just ate chicken. My friend started laughing at me and reminded me they don't even serve meat. I asked her to try it and she thought it was most likely seitan. After double-checking with our server, she was right. While I know exactly what seitan is, I had always been afraid to try it for fear that it would resemble meat a little too much for my taste. And I was right because it completely weirded me out!


I understand why mock meat products are popular, I do. I get that they appeal to carnivores looking for an occasional, healthier alternative or vegetarians/vegans who may miss eating meat. They can be great for those trying to transition into a meatless lifestyle. These companies have gotten so good over the years of replicating meat that I even couldn't even tell I wasn't eating actual flesh. Much like the time I tried Gardein's Boneless Buffalo Wings. And that's exactly why I won't eat it. Haha But that's just me, because I would never, ever knock someone for eating a veggie burger instead of an animal. In fact, I'd love it if more people did!