Fun Recipes :)

So I've recently discovered this AMAZING new book called Everything Vegan. It has given me some great new ideas for yummy recipes! I've only had the book for 2 weeks and I can say with confidence that this book is fantastic! Compared to the other vegan books I have, this one has recipes for dips, soups, smoothies, and how to make vegan cheddar cheese. As Jessy would say...'Le Yum!' Here are a few dishes that I have tried :)

This is called the hot chocolate smoothie!! I can't get enough of chocolate, and was very worried upon going vegan that I'd have intense cravings for it and possibly cave on a somewhat regular basis with it. However, after making this smoothie, this totally kicks any chocolate cravings I have, while sticking to my new vegan lifestyle :) It calls for 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of chocolate soy milk (or almond), 1 tbsp of pure unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 ice cubs. Combine everything and BAM- you've got yourself the best chocolate smoothie you've ever had in your life!! (Okay, maybe the chocolate cake shake from portillos is slightly yummier...but that also comes with a 3 hour stomach ache after you drink it..)

This is rice paella with tofu. I have to admit, this took a really long time to cook..maybe 2 hours (ok, prep time was maybe 45 minutes but still), and it was pretty plain. But I didn't put saffron in it (i'm not a millionaire), so that may have been why. However, once I added some salt & pepper and a little soy sauce, it definitely spruced it up a lot :) This has many different veggies in it (tomatoes, corn, peas, carrots, & mushrooms), and the rice & tofu really fills you up! It was worth the 2 hours because the recipe makes a lot and it lasted for 8 days :D

THESE are my all time favorite muffins!!!! In the book, this recipe is called 'Morning Glory'. You can make it into a bread loaf or muffins like we did! They are made with whole grain flour, raisons, shredded carrots, & pineapple. When I first saw the recipe, I thought they looked kind of cross. Even when I was making the batter, I was a bit skeptical. However, these do have vanilla and cinnamon too...so they add some sweetness too :) These muffins are filling and super yummy...even my eggs-and-bacon loving friends found these delicious!

This is butternut squash with maple syrup and chestnuts (it has a better name...but I don't have the book in front of me..hehe). As much as I want to like squash, it's not my favorite. But I want to like it, so Josh encouraged me to make it because it's different and I wanted to expand my horizons. I'm not used to how squash is kind of sweet...plus the maple syrup (PURE maple syrup..not yucky mrs. butterworths stuff) kind of took it over the top for me. But, I am coming around to...sort of liking squash :) These flavors are different for me, but I like trying new things and this dish really is pretty good!

I am loving my new book and my new vegan lifestyle :) I am still getting used to it, so a lot of the time I feel tired and hungry, but these side effects are normal in the first 2-3 weeks of fully giving up dairy, so I am keeping my chin up and powering through the tough times. I look forward to continuing to share my recipes with you! Thanks for reading :)

xoxo

<33holly