Friday, June 30, 2017

No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake (Cashew Free)

No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake
(Nut Free)
Hands down cheesecake has got to be a MEGA comfort food...with a capital C! The thought of it alone makes you think of the extra gym time you will have to do and the guilt sets in but who can really resist and who wants to?! It is by far the most sampled item on any restaurant menu and holidays are just not as festive without them. Plain cheesecake is more traditional and goes great with anything from chocolate to caramel sauces and served with fruit and vegan whipped cream. 

The main issue with Cheesecake is the time it takes to make them. I get it, we're busy and on the go all the time. So it's nice to have quick recipes at or disposal. But I find that most quick vegan cheesecakes have nuts, now I don't have an allergy to cashews but I do hear from many people looking for cashew free options for themselves and loved ones. So since it's requested a lot and I wanted Cheesecake, here we are. Now this recipe can also be made gluten free, BONUS! And if you have your hands on a soy-free vegan cream cheese, you've hit the trifecta, Kudos! 

This recipe pairs well with any dinner recipes, it's not as heavy as most cheesecakes, so you don't fee as bad eating it.  Perfect to make for any event or just another Friday when you have a craving. It just makes your day even more special. Enjoy!

No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake (Cashew Free)
Ingredients

Crust

1 Pre-made vegan crust (vegan and/or gluten free)
OR
2 packages (20 sheets) graham crackers (vegan and/or gluten feee)
11 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (vegan butter is fine also)
2 tablespoons organic sugar or coconut sugar 


Filling
2 8-ounce containers vegan cream cheese, room temperature (I used Tofutti, use your favorite)
1 11.25-ounce can Nature's Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh organic lemon juice (you could also use lime or orange)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Directions

 


Homemade Crust: 

Put graham crackers (vegan and/or GF) in a large resealable plastic bag or food processor and crush them with a rolling pin until very fine crumbs form. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl, stir in organic sugar. Add coconut oil, and stir until well combined.

Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, spreading it 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side; press flat. Chill crust in freezer at least 10 minutes.

Filling

Using an blender or electric mixer, set at medium-high speed, combine the softened vegan cream cheese and all the rest of  he filling ingredients. 

 


Mix until smooth and combined, scrapping the sides as needed. 

 


Once it is all combines and smooth. Pour the filling into the ready crust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 

 


Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, 2 to 3 hours. Once you're ready to serve, unclasp sides of pan (if using), remove cheesecake, and slice. Serve with organic fruit filling, vegan whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or plain as desired. Stores in the freezer wrapped whenever you want another piece. Enjoy!

 


-Amy

Variations

Skip the crust: use cheesecake filling in a parfait and invent a whole new "layer cake." Mix the filling, then put some in a glass. Top with broken-up cookies (such as chocolate or vanilla wafers) or graham crackers, and add fresh fruit (such as raspberries or blueberries). Alternate layers. Refrigerate parfait for 30 minutes, and serve.

Monday, June 19, 2017

The Best Vegan Fried Chick'un Ever

The Best Vegan Fried Chick'un Ever
Many people going vegan probably think they have to give up everything. "What do you even eat?" is the top question vegans get asked on the daily basis, many think we live on salad and grass clippings. And as amazing as that sounds, grass gets so boring. On the contrary, it's an amazing time to be vegan! I can't even describe how great it is to have so many options, the selection is so vast and the different kinds of things you get get is insane...I mean do you want vegan eel? Uh, yeah you can get it..I don't want it, but hey I can get it. I became vegan almost 13 years ago and let me tell you, we had nothing. Vegan Mayo: 1 and it was terrible (not naming names), 1 brand of cheese (not very exciting and definitely didn't melt), only a couple vegan meat substitute brands (mostly egg in one of them) and you can't live off burgers and tofurky everyday. I think you get where I'm going with this. We're extremely lucky and I think it's great that my kids will never want for anything, they'll always have so much in the way of options. *Insert Happy Dance Here*

So onto the recipe! Yes, I know ...Fried Chicken? You can't even think of replacing that, it's never going to be as good. I beg to differ. This recipe shows you not only how to successfully make THE BEST Vegan Fried Chick'un EVER, but how to blow naysaying friends and families minds. You could bring this to any pot-luck or picnic and guarantee that they will enjoy every crunchy-bunchy-oh-so-good bite. This Vegan Fried Chick'un pairs great with homemade French Fries (recipe below), as well as a fresh garden salad...because yes we still eat salad okay, we just pair it with amazing vegan things like this! Drop the mic on people vegans, BOOM! ✋🏻🎤💥

The Best Vegan Fried Chick'un Ever
Yields: Enough for a Vegan Army

(Recipe can be halved or quarter for convenience)

Ingredients

-25 vegan drumsticks (MayWah) + I also did 4 cups Beyond Meat Chicken Strips (optional) -See Note-
-Vegan Buttermilk (4 1/4 cups milk Unsweetened Ripple or your favorite Vegan Milk + 4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar)
-5 cups All-purpose flour
-1 tablespoons Seasoned Salt
-1 Tablespoon Celery Salt
-1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt 
-2 teaspoons Granulated Garlic 
-2 teaspoons Onion Powder
-2 teaspoons Black Pepper
-2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
-2 teaspoons Paprika
-1 teaspoon Cayenne 
-Vegetable, soybean, or peanut oil for frying


Homemade Vegan French Fries RECIPE -(Shown in Picture)- 


Note: This recipe works great with most vegan proteins. If you don't have access to the vegan drumsticks, you could also use gardein cutlets, strips, all beyond meat strips, seitan pieces, etc. I haven't tried Tofu or Tempeh for yet, but I think the tempeh would work great also. Feel free to experiment and try.


Product

Vegan Drumsticks...Yes 100% VEGAN

 
Directions

In a large bowl (or 2 freezer bags) add the vegan chicken with the buttermilk (except 1/4 cup). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off.
Stir together the flour, all the different salts, pepper, thyme, garlic paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. At this point, use your remaining 1/4 cup vegan buttermilk. Gradually pour the vegan milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps throughout. Once your vegan chicken is ready, your messy job beginnings. 
Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked vegan chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. 
 
Beyond Meat Strips 
Set them aside on a baking sheet and allow them to rest for 20-30 minute, even better if you can chill them in the fridge, the breading is best when it has time to sit. 

*If you want to make this quicker, you can fry right away.
 
Heat 2-3 inches (enough to cover the vegan chicken) of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 365F.  Add the vegan chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Turning the pieces once and a while to evenly brown it all over, takes about 5-7 minutes per batch. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn't burn and oil doesn't drop below 350F. 
 

When the vegan fried chicken pieces come out of the hot oil, place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels or brown paper bags, immediate sprinkle each batch with a little salt.

 

 

If you want to ensure the Vegan Fried Chicken stays warm for serving, place it in a warm oven (200F) to keep warm and continue frying rest of chicken. Once you are done frying all the batches, you are ready to enjoy. I generally pair this with Homemade French Fries and a fresh garden salad...you know, to make me feel better about myself. Everything in moderation right! This chicken also makes for a wonderful breakfast as Vegan Chicken & Waffles, chopped up in salads, great  for pot-lucks and picnics. There's not many ways you can go wrong enjoying this. 

*Toss the chicken in your favorite BBQ or Buffalo sauce for smothered fried chicken. 

 

Tip

I make this vegan fried chicken in bulk and store the majority in the freezer for later use. If you want to reheat it after it's been frozen, place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 350 Degrees for 30 minutes. It comes out perfect every time. If you're in a bigger hurry, each drumstick can be reheated in the microwave for 2 mins & beyond meat strips at 1 minute (it stays crisp and yummy surprisingly). 

Enjoy!

-Amy
 

 

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Vegan Beauty Product Review

VEGAN BEAUTY PRODUCT REVIEW

I'm not usually one to review beauty products, I mean I use them but its never something I've done...Until now. I was lucky enough to have a lovely follower who's a representative contact me and see if I wanted to try some products. I was leery to be honest, I have an extremely hard time with beauty products. If you're anything like me and have SUPER sensitive skin, you know it can be a challenge. I've had many beauty products leaving me broken out, adverse reactions, red, or itchy, rashy, and even in the ER. Plus on top of all that, is it really safe (vegan-wise), cruelty free, etc. So you can see my dilemma here right. Well, I took a chance (obviously or I wouldn't be writing this).

So I was lucky enough to try some great skin care products through Arbonne, including the amazing RE9 Products and the results were great. For one, I did not have any harsh reactions (shock & relief), even with my sensitive skin. It made me skin feel incredible, testing the regular and nightly products and seeing the results in the morning were so much fun. You think how different can each really be, but they all had their own use and result. Some bonuses, I love how it smelled (or rather didn't smell off putting), you know when you try some products and they can smell medicinal or strong in perfumes, not my cup of tea and I thought for sure these would be like that, but I was pleasantly surprised. They also weren't heavy or oily, also no rub off or residue afterwards as well. This is always my pet peeve, I hate feeling greasy after using products, I don't want a baby sliding out of my arms if I have a products on...not very mom friendly, but I was happy to see and feel that these products absorbed so well and left me just feeling soft and hydrated afterward.

I like that I could trust this brand, it's not only natural but also vegan friendly across the board. With Leaping Bunny & PETA approval, I knew I could rest easy knowing that my skin care was not only safe for me but also no animal testing was involved. Yay!

Overall I would highly recommend these products to anyone, with any skin type. You can't really go wrong, the cover all your skin type and skin care needs as well as making you feel good from inside and out.

Note: I wasn't able to try everything they make, they do provide products for men as well as make up, sun care products, hair care, bath & body, and even nutritional supplements (bars, protein powders, snacks, etc).

  


PRODUCTS

"We develop our skincare products by carefully selecting botanical ingredients known for specific beneficial properties. Through innovation in science, we introduce formulas that make skin look more healthy, youthful and beautiful." LINK TO: Argonne Guide to Great Skin

INGREDIENT LISTING

"We are passionate about what we do. We develop world-class products with potent botanicals and cutting-edge science. And we continually look for ways to make our products better and better." 

Dr. Peter Matravers | Chief Scientific Officer

They Formulate Without...

animal products or by-products | artificial flavors | artificial sweeteners | benzene | bisphenol-a | carbon black | formaldehyde-donating preservatives | hydroquinone | mineral oil | paragons | petrolatum | phthalates | sodium laureth sulfates (SLES) | sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) | synthetic dyes | talc | triclosan | triethanolamine (TEA) And so much more …

LEAPING BUNNY APPROVED

  • Cruelty Free
  • Vegan Company
  • Features PETA Logo
  • PETA Mall Partner




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pure

We develop each product with meaningful ingredients from nature, chosen for their effectiveness and safety. We continually raise our standards to find the perfect balance between what is pure and what is efficacious.
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safe

Our products are safe, nontoxic, and committed to being eco-friendly. We’re vigilant about the newest research regarding chemicals to ensure we’re being mindful and cautious. We proactively search for the purest, most unadulterated botanical ingredients from natural sources.
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beneficial

Our core commitment is to provide effective products that deliver a true benefit. Products everyone should have and will desire. As trailblazers, we must educate, empower and inspire people to make better choices for the beauty, health and wellness of their families and friends.


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