Back on track

Everything is back to normal over here which has been nice. It was a busy week starting off with the delicious Moroccan chickpea patties from VlV. This was the first time I made them and they were a hit. They don't hold together super well, but I know if I refrigerated the batter longer it would have been easier. My mom was over that night and she is not vegan but really enjoyed the flavor of these.
Tuesday, I was on fire again, but the final meal was never photographed because it was so good we just couldn't put our forks down to get the camera. I used the Arora Creations "Goan Fish Curry" seasoning. Don't be put off by its name because it was just fabulous. I marinated tofu (instead of fish) in the seasoning packet with 1/2 cup lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Next I started to saute some onions, ginger, broccoli, and fresh chard from my garden. After a few minutes, I added the marinated tofu and sauce and cooked it until all of the sauce was absorbed. Finally I added a 1/2 can of coconut milk. I served it up with brown rice and squeezed limes on top. Chris and I both absolutely loved this perfectly spiced dish.
Orange Poppy seed muffins from VlV. I was out of applesauce so I used 2 ripe bananas instead and they turned out really tasty. Athena loved these, especially because I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon/sugar on top.
Thursday was Pajama Day at Athena's school, and they were having a special snack of cinnamon buns and hot cocoa. I wasn't feeling up to making a big batch of cinnamon rolls, too labor intensive, so I bought some store bought dough and rolled it up with cinnamon and sugar (kind of like rugalagh). Then I drizzled powdered sugar mixed with rice milk on top. She loved these, but nothing about them is very healthy so I won't make them again unless it is for another special occasion. She packed along a Soy Dream vanilla milk box because she told me she likes it better than hot cocoa. Easy enough for me!
As I was prepping for dinner Thursday, Rowan woke up from his nap and I had only chopped the onions and ginger. So I wanted to feature this dinner that was made entirely with a baby on the hip. It was an easy dinner, mostly just stuff straight from the pantry, but it tasted great. I was really into the "Arora Creations" packets this week.
The finished dinner.
And finally, the truth about butternut squash. I just don't really like it, and no one in my family does either. But I keep trying. So I finally figured out a way for us to enjoy it. Butternut squash muffins! I used the "Best Pumpkin Muffins" recipe from VWaV as a starting point. My only changes were: 1) for the flour I used a combo of whole wheat pastty, oat, and chickpea. 2) Subbed butternut squash for pumpkin. 3) Oat milk instead of soy. These were gobbled up immediately, and all of us butternut squash haters were amazed.
Raw brownies! I was inspired by another post I saw on Veggie Girl's blog. They took about a minute to make and were fantastic. Even Athena inhaled one and she told me when I said I was going to make them, "I don't really like raw things." Seriously, these have changed my life. I can't wait to make more and try more raw variations, the possibilities are endless. My recipe for raw vegan brownies is:
1 cup raw walnuts
5-6 medjool dates, pits removed
2-3 tbs agave nectar (I just squirted a bunch in so that is a total guess!)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
optional 1 tbs coconut butter
Puree in food processor until well combined.
Press into loaf pan.
Freeze 1 hour before serving.
And I know I said I wouldn't do it, but yes it is waffles again! I used the other half of my butternut squash to make these super yummy waffles.
Butternut squash waffles:
2 cups buckwheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 cups non dairy milk (I used 1 cup rice and 1 cup oat)
1 cup butternut squash puree
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
optional sliced bananas and/or vegan chocolate chips
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients whisking together until well combined. Add wet to dry and stir until completely mixed. Add a little water if it seems too thick. It should be thick for waffles, but I did add a bit of water. Waffle iron away! I did use this same batter to make a pancake for Athena and it worked great!