Chocolate Cake

I made a decadent chocolate cake yall.  It's so moist and delicious hits my sweet tooth. I'm not really into chocolate like most but I must say this one is a good cake.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Glaze

1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp almond milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Mix all the cake ingredients in a bowl. Combine the dry ingredients first mix well then add the wet ingredients.  Grease a cake pan and add cake batter bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.

While cake is baking combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Add the vanilla once it has thicken. Remove glaze from heat and let cool.

Once cake is done let cool completely.  Pour glaze on cool cake and enjoy.

Vegan Pancakes

It's Saturday Morning! and it's a Long Weekend this is always a motivational time for getting up and making breakfast on Saturdays.  Most morning I'll have fruit or cereal, or yogurt, or granola.  But this morning I was in the mood to make something the required the stove.  By request from a 5 year old I deemed that it was a great morning for PANCAKES. I don't believed I've ever mentioned that my flour choice is spelt.  It's better on my digestive system.  Wheat is a bit harsh on my body.  Spelt is not gluten free, but is a great alternative for those with gluten sensitivity. Please note that there are two varieties white spelt and whole spelt.  Feel free to use the flour of your choice.  But I thought I'd add that I use spelt in case your interested in venturing out and experimenting with other flours.

Pancakes

1 1/2 c. flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 c. non dairy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 c. water
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Grab 2 bowls.  A large and small one.  In the large bowl combine all the dry ingredients mix them and set aside.  In the small bowl add the wet ingredients stir about 3 minutes or so with a whisk or fork.

Add the wet to the dry and stir just to combine.  Let mixture rest a couple mins while your pan gets hot preheat it for 8 mins.  Add batter to lighted oil hot griddle pan or skillet.  Use a 1/3 c. measuring cup to get the same sized pancake.  Cook for 3-4 mins on each side. Top with pure grade B maple syrup.


**To keep them warm I normally toss them in my tortillas warmer but a oven will do the same just heat it to 200

             

                              




Happy Eating :)

Pineapple Express to your Achoo train

       

Doing the dance right now....Guys it's Spring!!!! Yay! The most outstanding qualities of spring is the budding of flowers and the sandal breaking out weather.  But it also bring seasonal allergies, and it's not fun for seasonal allergy sufferers.  I have some suggestions,  you can integrate some herbal supplements to help with all the sneezing, itchy eyes, dry throat, and stuffy noses.  Here are a couple of staples that work great, Nettle, Quercetin, and an honorable mention Astragulas Root.  And if you have congestion with the sneezing try Goldenseal. To moisturize the nasal passage use a simple saline mist. 

Essential Oils that are beneficial for allergy sufferers are lavender and peppermint. Use 1 drop behind your ears, or add to a diffuser and enjoy the aroma.  

Foods that are great to eat includes Pineapple, Lemons, Spinach, Kale just greens in general, Onions, Tomatoes, Parsley, Broccoli, and Apples.

Pineapple, by default, has a great amount of Bromelain, this play a role in easing the severity of allergies due to it's anti-inflammatory properties. The recipe is one I found on eating well.com.  It's perfect for spring! 

Pineapple Coconut Sorbet
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger, crushed
1 pineapple, (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons lime juice

Combine coconut milk, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Strain into a large bowl. Place pineapple in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the pineapple puree to the coconut milk mixture and whisk until blended. Whisk in lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Pour the pineapple mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Or freeze for 6 hours in a metal pan break into chunks and process in a food processor until smooth.

As always Happy Eating :)

Cheesecake Factory Redo and Nostalgia Salad

Some title, what's the big idea.  Well, I used to love a certain dish at the Cheesecake Factory and ordered it every single visit.  It was really the sauce that made the dish divine it was the grilled chicken medallions.  My vegan version was refreshing and my tummy appreciated it.

Saute Chick'n Medeallions
4 Chick'n Scallopini
4 garlic cloves
5 cups spinach
2  chopped red bell peppers
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 

1/2 tbsp. arrowroot flour or cornstarch
2 cups no chicken broth (2 tsp to 2 cups water)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp. oil add cutlets to pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove cutlets and set aside. In the same pan add oil, garlic, spinach and bell pepper cook until spinach wilts.  Deglaze with balsamic vinegar and broth, add cutlets and simmer until heated thoroughly about 5 minutes.  Serve with Rice

This nostalgia salad is a favorite childhood pastime meal.  As a child I was the weird one that loved salads, I know weird right?!?  I grew up eating thousand island dressing on my burgers, salads, French fries it was just put on everything.  Well I'd wanted a salad just like I ate when I was a girl and throw it together in a snap.

Nostalgia Salad

1 head of butter lettuce

1 diced tomato

1 diced cucumber

3 tbsp. of diced red onions

5 tbsp. bacon bits

Fresh ground pepper

Thousand Island Dressing

2 tbsp. vegenaise

1 tbsp. ketchup

3 tsp relish

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

Sweet Treat Take away, instead of obliterating a piece of cake kick the sweet tooth with fresh cut pears and dates bowl, pic shown below. Simple, quite easy but satisfying!

Happy Eating :)

Happy New Year I welcome you 2014!

Another year has come and gone, I'm still singing Christmas songs.  The time flew by too quickly. I'm excited to welcome 2014.  There's been some sweets moments and some spicy moments.  In conjunction to that phrase, I'm sharing a Gingerbread recipe.  It's got your Sugar and it's Spicy.

Hope that your year is off to a great start.  All the negativity push it away don't spread that trash around.  All the mess should not fuel you.  Find ways to avoid negative or hostile situations and environments.  Go after your dreams and challenge yourself.  Have Fun above all else, and ultimately remember you are what you eat people!

Here's the Gingerbread Recipe:

I make this with much love and it give me love right back ;)

2 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
1 cup molasses
2 tsp apple cider
2 tbsp. lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup boiling water


Preheat oven 350 F.  Grease and flour pan set aside.  In a bowl, mix dry ingredients flour, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt and baking soda.  Using a mixer, beat shortening 3 minutes, add sugar and lemon zest.  In a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl, add molasses and boiling water stir.  Alternately, add flour and molasses mix to the mixing bowl.  Add batter to pan and bake 35 minutes and let the aroma take over the house! Do the toothpick trick and place it in the center to make sure it's done before removing from the oven.  If it need to cook longer reduce heat to 325 F until completely done.  Remove from oven let rest for 20 min then flip onto cooking rack until cool. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Happy Eating :)