Random pictures of my babies

My Panther baby
Panther was actually sleeping like this!

My baby, Rahjah right after we rescued him.

Rahjah was actually yawning, but looks like he's hissing. HAHA!

Black Sesame Cereal

My friend brought me back some Greenmax Black Sesame Cereal on her last trip to Berkley, California. She said her dad got it from Taiwan. I am sceptical, but I will definitely try it! The ingredients on the back of the package are: Black sesame, Black bean, Brown rice, Job's Tear, Wheat Germ, Medlar, Licorice Root, Brown sugar, Vitamins, & Minerals. Sounds good to me! I guess you make it like how you would make oatmeal. You just add hot water. I made some at work, and it was surprisingly good. It has a sweet sesame flavor. Not bad! I added way too much water though. At least I know how to make it now.

Chocolate Chai Cookies

I got this recipe from Vegan Joy's blogspot . I couldn't wait to try it. Please check out her blog as well.

Chocolate Chai Cookies

6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch sea salt
½ cup canola oil
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup hot, strong black tea
¼ cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
crystal or turbinado sugar, or evaporated cane juice, for rolling cookies

Chop chocolate into ¼” chunks. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the canola oil, brown sugar, molasses, tea, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the liquid, mixing well to combine. Stir in chocolate chunks. Preheat an oven to 325° F. Lightly grease baking sheet. Form dough into 1” balls. Roll in evaporated cane juice, and place on the prepared baking sheet spaced 2” apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have flattened slightly and the tops are cracked; they should be soft to the touch, but covered with a crust. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat warm, with a glass of almond milk or a cup of hot coffee. (This recipe was copied from Vegan Joy's blogspot.)

Gnocchi

Gnocchi with carrots

1 box gnocchi (cooked according to box)- drained

3 carrots chopped & boiled until soft - drained

Pesto

1 bunch fresh basil

1/2 c cashews

1 -2 garlic cloves

Olive oil to taste

Salt

Pepper

I blended it until pesto consistency. Once blended, add pesto to cooked gnocchi and carrot mix. Mix well. I also added a little chopped sage & nutmeg.

If you like pesto, this is definitely a dish for you!

Pumpkin Waffles

Well, it's november! Which to me means pumpkins and apple cider. Yes, I live on an island and it doesn't get cold, but I can pretend right? These waffles smell so good just as a batter! Here's what I did:

Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 c. almond milk

15 oz pumpkin (I used can, but I'm sure you could use fresh)

1/3 c. oil

2 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in

one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine.

Cook on the waffle iron!

Wow, these things smelled amazing while cooking as well!

These were so good and so flavorful!

Beer battered tofu

I made an experimental dinner last night. I wanted to try to make some beer battered tofu. This is what I did:

Beer battered tofu

1/2 block of tofu

1/2 can or less of coconut milk

(Soak tofu in coconut milk. Overnight would probably be best. I only soaked for an hour or so and the coconut was berily tasted)

1/2 cup flour

Pepper

Garlic Salt

1/2 bottle vegan beer of your choice

Dip soaked tofu pieces in batter and fry in peanut oil. I double fry mine. So, I fry the tofu for about 1 minute, then take them out and dip them in the batter again. (Panko after the batter would probably be tasty too.) When you double fry the tofu it makes the tofu extra crunchy!

The only thing I could not figure out was a good sauce. You can pretty much use any type of sauce you want on this recipe. I tried a lilikoi syrup and also a thai sweet sauce. You can use whatever you want though!

~This was my snack of pita chips with hummus and garlic sundried tomatoes~

Vegan 28

A Vegan MoFo survey
1. Favorite non-dairy milk?I would probably have to say chocolate hemp milk, but I also love chocolate & plain almond milk.
2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?Tomato Basil Pasta - from veganyumyum
Apple Ginger Upside Down Cake - from veganappetite
Paprika Tofu w/ Mexican Balls - from atebitvegan
3. Topping of choice for popcorn?I don’t care much for popcorn, but maybe plain w/ vegan caramel sauce, mmm.
4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?A casserole with vegan “ground beef” in it. It was disgusting and I haven’t tried anything with vegan ground beef again!
5. Favorite pickled item?This one is hard. Probably mango, but I also love pickled papaya, onions, garlic, PICKLES, anything really!
6. How do you organize your recipes?I don’t. Most of them that aren’t from a book are in a shoebox in my kitchenJ
7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?Garbage disposal, but I am working on a compost. It’s not really a common thing in Hawaii, but I am getting one!
8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?Avacado, Some type of Thai Curry, &….Onions or Garlic probably. This is assuming that there is already vegetation on this island (vegetables and mangos, coconut, etc.)
9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?I was in guam & palau, so vegetable lumpia & red rice! Also, fresh coconut, mango, papaya, AHU (which is tapioca starch, coconut milk, coconut, & sugar)…OH and fresh tortillas!
10. Favorite vegan ice cream?Coconut Bliss is my favorite brand so far.
11. Most loved kitchen appliance?Kitchenaid, Rice cooker, & my sticky rice maker ( which I’ve never used, haha)
12. Spice/herb you would die without?maybe….basil or pepper ESPECIALLY pohnpei pepper
13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?Probably my Chamorro cookbook
14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?I love apple butter, orange marmalade, ANY type of homemade jam is always best.
15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?Desserts or stirfry probably
16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?Tofu all the way. I don’t like tempeh.
17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?Breakfast is always good any time of day or dessert, haha!
18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?Cereal, baskets, macadamia nuts, that’s pretty much it I think, oh and soy powder.
19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.Coconut Bliss Chocolate flavored, strawberries, & lot’s of mixed vegetables.
20. What's on your grocery list?Basil, Cashews, tomatoes, tofutti sour cream, breakfast patties, that’s all off the top of my head.
21. Favorite grocery store?Down to Earth & Whole Foods
22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.Lemon Chicken…some how…some way….
23. Food blog you read the most ?
Probably Vegan Dog’s Life because he updated it every day!
24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?I haven’t really tried many, but probably any dark chocolate.
25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?I usually wait until stuff goes on sale. Probably Agave (not on sale Hawaii priced).
26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Vegan-rella, and “ground beef” ew!
27. Favorite food cart?
Hmm, we don’t really have any here…
28. Top 3 favorite cuisines!THAI, Japanese, & Mexican.