Recipe roundup!

This week I made this carrot gnocchi recipe from Vegan for the People: http://veganforthepeople.blogspot.com/2009/10/carrot-gnocchi-with-basil-pesto.html
It was really good and I will definitely make it again. I made some kind of creamy cashew sauce to go with them, not pesto, but I can't remember what was in it..

I also made this super simple but AMAZING split pea soup from 101 Cookbooks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/vegetarian-split-pea-soup-recipe.html
I prefer yellow split peas to green but I had some green, so I used half green and half yellow. I make split-pea soup about once a week when the weather gets cold, and I usually add carrot and potato and other things, but I like the simplicity of this recipe.

I made raw pasta sauce last night based on this recipe from Ani Phyo:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/zucchini-ribbons-with-raw-tomato-marinara
I liked it. It would have been better if I had added the basil but I didn't have any.

I plan to make this roasted sweet potato dish:
http://www.sassyradish.com/2009/10/roasted-sweet-potato-salad-with-black-beans-chili-dressing/

and I can't believe I haven't made this yet: http://www.recipezaar.com/Creamy-Chickpea-and-Tahini-Casserole-56818

Any comments on these recipes? Which online recipes have you tried lately and which ones are on your to-make list?

Vitamin Wheel

I just thought this was cool...

Raw Chocolate Caramel Cake

This is my new favourite dessert recipe- and it is from the cookbook Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet. It is the chocolate lava cake recipe but the caramel variation, and without a top - I used the extra chocolate "cake" to make more little cakes instead. Yum yum yum.

Soy-free Chocolate Mousse

There seems to be a version of this pudding on every raw vegan food blog- and for good reason! It is super easy and super delicious. I'm glad for an alternative to tofu-based mouse. This one has a much better aftertaste.

My version:

2 organic avocados
5 honey dates, soaked in water at least 3h
1/2 cup Fair Trade cocoa powder (no, I didn't use raw cocoa like the raw-foodies usually do)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend!
Use some of the date-soaking water until you have the desired consistency.

Raw Tortilla Soup with Cheesy Hemp Nacho Sauce

I'm excited for my lunch for tomorrow! It is:
Raw Tortilla Soup (minus the cilantro):
http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-tortilla-soup/
Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYb1KrOD3s
and organic corn chips.

Pesto Scrambled Tofu with Cherry Tomatoes

I am the new proud owner of Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and this is the first recipe I've made from it. It's as delicious as you would assume. Which is very delicious.
(All photos on this blog can be clicked for a bigger view).

Easy Black-Bean Stir-Fry

This was a super quick and simple dinner. The noodles are these cool 100% millet noodles that I found in a Chinese grocery store. They were great, and they are slightly yellow in colour so they kind of look like egg noodles.

The stir-fry is Soy Curls, carrot, celery, ginger, and black bean-garlic sauce from a jar.

Green Salad with Pesto-baked Tofu

Mixed baby greens, grated raw beet, grated carrot, tomato and slices of tofu baked with pesto.
I'm not sure what the dressing was.. probably olive oil, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.

Lemon Macadamia Wedding Cake

I got married on the 1st- and this was my wedding cake! It is the lemon cake recipe from [here], including the lemon curd center, but we used an icing that we invented made with icing sugar, macadamia nut butter, coconut cream, and shortening. My friend Courtney made it for us- and it was amazing! The roses matched my bouquet.

Lemon Biscotti

These biscotti are for my wedding favours. We're making 3 flavours of biscotti, and this is first one. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly!

Here is the recipe, copied from this link: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue2/vj2005issue2biscotti.htm

Lemon Biscotti

3 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
Flax seed egg replacer for 3 eggs
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tablespoons Malibu rum
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, and lemon zest. Blend well.

With a hand blender, mix lemon juice, oil, egg replacer, agave nectar, rum, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients in. Mix until a stiff dough forms. Try not to overmix the dough.

Form into two logs. Lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten the logs’ tops. Bake for 30 minutes. Logs should give a little, like a cake, when they are done. Remove from oven and let cool for at least half an hour.

Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cut the logs in slices on the slant, about 1/2-inch thick or more if you like thicker biscotti. Lay biscotti flat on a pizza screen or baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. If you use a baking sheet, turn the biscotti halfway through baking. Biscotti should be crisp and lightly browned.