Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Sorry for another vegan recipe but this one is awesome! I found it in my favorite cook book as of right now. Its Chloe Coscarelli's Vegan Baking cookbook. I think everyone should get this cookbook! Its an awesome book and every time I look at it I find something to make from it! I actually can't wait to make more from it!
Anyway, this recipe is easy and fun to make! Just make sure to not over mix it!

Muffin Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk (I used vanilla soy milk. Not a fan of coconut.)
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon pure lemon extract
1 tablespoon poppy seeds


Icing Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:

To make the muffins: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, oil, lemon juice, zest, and lemon extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in poppy seeds. Do not over mix.
Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out dry with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the muffins completely before icing.
To make the icing: Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, water, and zest in a small bowl until smooth.
Spread a thin layer of icing over each muffin.

My Crazy Opinion/ Rant Time!

So this recipe is awesome! You can't even tell that its vegan!!! I've been finding it out that vegan is a scary word for most people and once for me but once they try it you can't really tell a difference, plus sometimes its better!!! I've noticed that I myself have really become a fan of vegan food and I hope you guys try these recipes and also become a fan. I'm not saying you have to go Vegan I'm just saying that try it before you knock it. This recipe was one of those that I happened to like better. I've made it a couple times now and its great! I couldn't wait to get the ingredients that I actually didn't even realize that I had most of it already... Oops! I had a hard time getting my roommates opinion. She asked muffin in hand and about an inch from her mouth if it was vegan. I should have said no... Sadly I didn't. I did get her boyfriend to try it and he liked it, so that was awesome! Actually, I brought a couple into work for my coworker who use to be vegan, and she loved them! I was told that I'm a pretty good baker! Haha! I try! Anyway, try it and please post pictures and awesome comments!!!

With Lots of Love,
Lil' Char

Spiced Plantain Tacos (Vegan)

What's up Guys!
Today I have for you an easy and quick dinner! I found this on another crazy day at work, when there was nothing to do but surf the web for amazing and easy dinners! As you all know I work in a kitchen so when I say surf the web I really mean on my phone. My bosses don't even mind as long as its job related! Oh and in exactly one week this exact meal with be on the menu at work! I know, I'm fabulous! Haha! Anyway, On to the good stuff!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 ripe plantains (looks like a big banana and you want them to have brown spots on the yellow peel. It means its ripe and perfect!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8- 6 inch corn tortillas
1/4 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1 handful fresh cilantro
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced or diced
sliced jalapenos (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix as well as you can.
2. Slice the plantains on a bias about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Sprinkle the plantains with the spice mixture and at the same time heat the oil in a pan.
4. Place the spiced side down and cook until a brown crust develops about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the other side with the leftover spice mixture and flip. cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Arrange everything onto the tortillas and enjoy!


I think its now time to rant!

Well you guys already know that this is going to be on the menu at work so I don't really have to tell you much on how I liked it. Sadly, my amazing boyfriend said he preferred tacos with meat to these... So sad... I thought that this recipe was super easy and I liked them a lot! I could eat them all the time. Although, I do have to admit something.... Come everyone and gather around..... I thought plantains were a potato. I know, I know. Stupid of me but what can I say? I've never had one before. What I loved about this recipe was the most is  fact that even though I thought it was one thing, I still learned something new and I am so glad that I did. You never stop learning! The spice mix tasted just like the store bought taco seasoning so I highly recommend keeping this in your pocket for when you do make tacos. Plantains or not its still cheaper to make your own... Unless you're lazy like me and have about 40 of those little taco seasoning packets in your pantry. I like tacos.Anyways, the flavor of these were very good. Originally the red pepper wasn't in the recipe but I had one in my fridge that needed to be used up and I thought it fit very well! I loved how the avocado smoothed all the flavors together and really made it feel like an authentic Mexican flavor.... Not that I really know what that is here in America. Hahaha! Well its that time again.... Its time for me to leave and cook some more!  So I'll see you guys next week and maybe if I'm nice I'll give you a hint on next weeks recipe.... I said maybe!

With love'
Lil' Char

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Oh my gosh I love this recipe! I was so excited to make this that I forgot too... I might have bought the ingredients and then I might have had to go to work then by the time I got off I was being lazy... I actually didn't get to the recipe for a week. Okay wow, this makes it seem like I didn't want to.... I did! I really did, so my next day off I made them with some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! Just so you know that those two go very well together.  I did talk to my coworkers about it a ton... I might have annoyed them. Oh well!

Ingredients:

3/4 cups unrefined coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. Mix the coconut oil, cocoa powder and agave nectar together. When its well mixed it will look like melted chocolate and taste even better!

2. Scoop about 1 tablespoon into a cupcake wrapper. When I made these I pulled up the chocolate up the sides so it made a little cup. Place the cups in the fridge and let them sit for about 15 minutes.

3.  Once hardened scoop just under a tablespoon into the chocolate molds. spread it around and cover with about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture, smooth and place in the fridge for another 15 minutes.

4. once hardend enjoy!

* to store keep in the fridge in an air tight container.

Rambling corner:

If you don't like coconut then this recipe isn't for you. First off if you eat some chocolate mixture when you're making these it will taste like a mounds bar.... Not bad but not the taste I wanted to get out of this. As for the peanut butter, well when I made the cookies I used all of it so when it came to my cup candies I had to use what I had which was cashew butter. It is just as good though. I minor difference.  It was a bit weird at first but I soon fell in love with these candies. Although when I make them they never turn out pretty like I want them too. The first time I didn't add enough agave to it and the second time I added powdered sugar to the mix and yeah bad idea.... It was good just a little stiff. I don't have pictures of the second ones... sorry guys. The first non- pretty ones are the only ones. I might make them again and really try and make them look pretty, then maybe I'll compare them to actual reeses. Those are probably one of my favorite candies! Incase you wanted to know... The dark chocolate ones are to die for!!! Haha!!! Anyway, I'm thinking that this chocolate mixture would be good as homemade mounds bars. I'll try and make them and get back to you guys! I hope you'll stick with me until then!!! Maybe even some almond joys!!!! I don't know... I said maybe! Haha! If you love candy as much as I do I would totally give this a try. I'm not just saying that because I want to get comments and pictures from you guys of your finished products. I want feedback on how you guys changed the recipe to make it your own. Thats basically what I do when I find a recipe. As my rambling corner comes to an end I'd like to say one more thing. Its totally random but i'm taking a few photography classes so hopefully my picture will look better!!!

As always, Ta Ta for Now,

Lil' Char

Scalloped Chicken Hot dish

Hey guys! How you doing? Just so I let you know us Minnesotans Love our hot dishes! Haha!

Anyways,  what should I say about this recipe? The reason I chose to make it? Well if we take it like that then the reason I made this was for my coworker. He said the vegetarians are weird and should eat meat. Now I'm not a vegetarian. I'm more flexible then that. Thanks to last October I four that I really liked eating veggie. If you don't remember October is national Vegetarian/ Vegan month and I pledged to be a vegetarian and it was a success. I enjoyed it and couldn't help but keep close to a vegetarian diet... And then theirs my boyfriend. He never knew what a vegetarian ate until he met me, But I'm proud to say that he has liked most of my dished that I have made over the past half a year! Anyway, I decided to prove that I could eat meat and cook it, since I am a cook after all. So with nothing else to say until my rambles at the end of the page here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine or butter. ( I used margarine.)

1 package PASTA RONI Shells and cheddar

2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used corn, peas, beans, and carrots.)

2/3 cups milk

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs ( I used Italian style panko bread crumbs)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit.

2. in a 3- quart saucepan, combine 2 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Stir in pasta and frozen veggies. Bring that back to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes or until the water it almost completely absorbed.

3. Add the Pasta Roni seasoning packet, milk and chicken. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.

4. In a separate pan melt the remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs.

5. Place the chicken mixture into a 3 quart cooking dish and cover with the bread crumbs.

6. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the sauce it
bubbly.

7. Let sit for a few minutes and enjoy!


Its Rambles Time:

First off let me just say don't make this recipe in the summer.... My gosh it made the apartment so hot and sticky!!! I almost started cooking in my skivvies!!! Please get that image out of your head. Haha! So as my apartment heated up my patience started to decline and here comes mistakes. First off I grabbed my almond milk instead of the actual milk, if my boyfriend wasn't there to stop me we could have had a disaster! My almond milk happens to be dark chocolate. Oops! So after that I tried to pay more attention but it was hard with my kitten on top of the kitchen cabinets. He has somehow gotten himself on top of the fridge and on top of the cabinets. Not okay but I wasn't going to let him come down and walk on a hot stove so to my luck he stayed there. When it was in the oven I wished I had put garlic in it. I love the smell of garlic and it would have tasted heavenly!!! But sadly I didn't. If anyone does please tell me how it is!!!! As for the taste well it actually tasted like an alfredo chicken pot pie. It was good don't get me wrong but something was missing and I'm convinced that, that thing is garlic and maybe some pepper! I think though the next time I make this I will make it in the winter and add garlic. Oh and my boyfriend really liked it! He said to put it in our recipe box, or on my blog! Haha! Sorry when I made this I decided to make it a winter recipe and I held it for a little while. So sorry if my rambles seemed weird with the whole summer thing. Again, please post pictures in the comments and tell me all about your changes if you make any! I would love to hear from you guys!

Ta Ta for Now,
Lil' Char

Lasagna Primavera (vegetarian)

Hey guy!!!! How is everyone? As for me, I am amazing! This recipe I'm bringing you is awesome! do you know why its awesome? Well I'm going to tell you anyways. It because my boyfriend decided to help out! Actually he basically made the whole thing! I couldn't be happier! Food always tastes better when someone else makes it! But I did help!

Ingredients:

12 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups frozen broccoli florets (from 14oz bag), thawed and well drained
3 large carrots roughly chopped or shredded (I chopped mine)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, well drained
2 medium bell peppers, cut into 1/2- inch pieces
1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 containers (10oz each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 bag (16oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (4 cups)






Directions:

1. Cook and drain noodles according to the package.

2. Meanwhile, cut the veggies and keep in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix both of the cheeses and the egg.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large glass baking dish, (13 x 9 - inch or 3- quart) spoon 2/3 cup of the Alfredo sauce. Place 4 noodles over sauce. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and 2 1/2 cups of vegetable mixture; randomly spoon 2/3 cup remaining sauce in dollops over nodes. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat that step once more.

4. Place the remaining 4 noodles on top and cover with the remaining vegetables and Alfredo sauce. Cover with cheese and bake.

5. Bake uncovers for about 45 to 60 minutes or until bubbly and hot in the center. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.


*** Side note. The Alfredo sauce may bubble over the sides of the dish so to prevent the bottom of the oven from getting dirty place a cookie sheet under the glass dish***

Ye Old Rambling Corner:

As you know before my boyfriend happened to make most of this recipe so it was nice to be able to sit back and chill. I loved the long baking time because I could actually update my blog while it cooked. Most of the time I wait until after. Oh and while we were putting this dish together I found a water mark on a noodle that made me super happy! I thought it actually looked like a dinosaur!!! I would love to hear your opinions on it so I'll have to post a picture of it! I find it adorable!
This dish is perfect for a cold winter night, all nestled in front of the fire, with a good book! I guess in my mind I feel like anything that uses the oven is a winter dish! Especially, here in Minnesota. It gets very cold here so warm oven dishes make the best things on a cold night! I guess it could be good in the summer with some summer veggies, like squash and zucchini, but have the air on or you'll be sweating! Oh man I wish we would have done that! We are gong to have to try that soon!!!! Oh and we added some asparagus to the mix. We had it in the fridge and wanted to use it! it made a very good addition! Oh and you know how the recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes.... Well we were so distracted by the dino noodle to add it in.... It was still super yummy without it but I think next time we will have to remember it! Haha!