Iron Rich Vegan Chilli

"The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present." - Eckhart Tolle

Hello Friends. Can you believe it's almost Christmas? 
My second month of blogging is over and I don't know where November has gone. 

It's getting a lot colder here in Vancouver so naturally I'm gravitating into making more hot food. Chilli has got to be my favourite. All you do is throw a bunch of vegetables, legumes, and spices into  Large pot and let it sit on medium temperature for 45 minutes. It costs under $5 to make a huge pot that lasts at least 3 or 5 meals, and it's Iron rich which Anemic-me loves. 
I usually put whatever is in my fridge in the pot, but when I intend to make it for the week I do have my favourite mixture of vegetables and spices. I learnt this one from my aunt & cousin who sell pampered chef (my all time favourite kitchen tools). Feel free to add whatever other vegetables you want. 

Vegan Chilli 

5 min prep time 

45 minute cook time 

Ingredients 

1 TBSP olive oil 

1 can of Beans mixed 

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 carrot 

1 zucchini 
2 stalks of celery 

1 cup of corn 

1/2 onion 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp turmeric 

heat 1 TBSP olive oil in large pot on medium heat

drain and rinse one can of mixed beans and add to the pot 

put full can of diced tomatoes into the pot (do not drain)

add cut up vegetables into Pot. I like to shred my carrots and zuchinni but you can also cut them into really small pieces.

add spices to the chilli and give it a good stir. 

let the chilli boil and then turn down to low heat and let it cook for about 45 minutes. 

Once everything is cooked. Enjoy with a bowl of rice, quinoa or on it's own. 

Carrot Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Icing

"Slow down. Be intentional. Notice the energy you are bringing into this space and moment"     -Brendon Burchard

 Hi Friends. 
So this one is actually a super easy mug cake that I just made fancy because well... it's Sunday and I felt creative. So no need for the smear of cream cheese or the cut up pieces of cake, you can literally keep the cake in a mug and put the frosting right on top of it. #awesome 
lately I've been crazy busy with 2 jobs, this blog, a T-shirt line and martial arts so I've been thinking of doing a detox/cleanse to at least give my digestive system a bit of R&R ....I was wondering if you guys wanted to see details of the detox here? I would love to start posting more about the vegan lifestyle and fitness instead of all just food recipes posts. so let me know if that would interest you guys. In the meantime though.. enjoy this Carrot Cake recipe. 

Vegan Carrot Mug Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting 

5 minute Prep time (for cake and frosting) 

2 minutes to make in microwave

Mug Cake Ingredients 

5 Tbsp Shredded Carrots 

6 Tbsp Flour 

3 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp All Spice
4 Tbsp Dairy-free milk 
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup Cashews 

1/4 cup Icing sugar
2 Tbsp Coconut oil (or vegan butter)
1 Tsp Lemon juice 
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Instructions 
Mix all mug cake ingredients in a microwave safe mug or bowl making sure to mix throughly 
put the mug into the microwave for approximately 2 minutes. 

blend all Cream Cheese frosting ingredients until smooth 
Spread on top of mug cake. 
You can eat it directly from the mug!

Candied Carrots 

5 minutes prep time 

30 minutes cook time 

Ingredients

1/2 cup water 

1/2 cup sugar

1 carrot

1 tsp cinnamon 

Instructions
peel strips of carrots with a vegetable peeler - You want them long enough to twist
Boil water and sugar in a sauce pan. 
Add carrots and cinnamon and let mixture simmer for 15 minutes. 
 preheat oven to 300 degrees
put carrots into strips on an oven rack with a piece of wax paper underneath. 
bake for 15 minutes
take out of oven and twirl the strips around something round (I used a knife sharpener)
they will cool into hard candy pretty quick so you want to twist them before they cool. 

*instead of throwing out the rest of the syrup from the water and sugar mixture I poured it over my cake for an added sugar-y kick of flavour. 

Beet and Sweet Potato Soup

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." -  C. S. Lewis

We woke up to sun and warmth in Vancouver today which was a nice change from the 28 days of rain we received in October. The thing about us Vancouverites, we really do know how to enjoy the sun when it's presented to us. There's just a different mood in the air and everybody is out and smiling at each other. 
After my beet juice this weekend I had a few more beets left from my parents garden and very little groceries so I made this soup with pretty much what was left in my fridge..... and I'm not disappointed with the outcome at all. In fact I may be adding a lot more soups to my recipe archive in the near future. 
I hope you enjoy this one and today as much as I did. 

Beet & Sweet Potato Soup 

45 minutes to make 

Ingredients 

2 medium sized beets

1 medium sized sweet potato 

2 cups vegetable broth 

2 cloves garlic 

half an onion 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roast Beets and Sweet potatoes for half an hour or until soft all the way through 

while vegetables are cooking  put 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and add in half a sliced onion  

cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

let onions and roasted vegetables cool 

put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. add more water if too thick. 

Enjoy 

Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole

    Did you know that I didn't always know how to cook?. Up until I was 20 I didn't even know how to cook a piece of chicken or even a fried egg. Little did I know that at age 26 I would never have to know how to cook either of those anyway.
     So how did I learn to cook then? It was really just a survival method. I moved out on my own and couldn't afford to eat out every night, or at all for that matter. I worked in several restaurants throughout my life so I started asking the chefs for some cooking tips. 
"Pan fry the chicken on high for a couple minutes and cook in the oven to keep all the juices in" they would tell me when I admitted to my chicken being super dry. 
"add more salt" when I admitted to my soup having very little flavour. 

   I had soon befriended the chef who was responsible for creating menus at the whole foods across the street form the bar I worked at. The lovely guy would bring me over some truffle oil and fresh peppers when ever he could. He was truly a person who was passionate about food and creating recipes. I learned tons from that guy. 
In very small steps I started learning to cook and create dishes. I would have friends over to cook for them in exchange for bottles of wine. Super resourceful me :) 

And then I kinda stopped cooking for a while. work and travelling took priority and I didn't feel passionate about it at all. Last year I became a vegan, I wanted to learn more about our relationship with food and I especially didn't want to make any sacrifices on flavour. So I started cooking again and now I have this blog. 

 Developing recipes isn't all that easy. for this one I thought it would be a great idea to cook quinao in vegetable broth, because why not!?! After 30 mins of it still being hard with ultra boiling water  I realized maybe the quinoa was unable to absorb anything other than water. so I wasted a cup of quinoa, my only shallot, and a cube of vegetable broth. 
it's a learning experience really.

This recipe has tons of flavour and is a great little side or a hearty full meal. even my Brazilian carnivore husband loved it. 

I hope you enjoy 

Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole With Tahini Maple Dressing

Squash Casserole Ingredients :

1 butternut squash 

1 cup quinoa 

1 shallot 

2 cloves garlic 

1 cup chopped Kale

1 cup of vegetable stock 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 cup bread crumbs 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Maple Tahini Dressing Ingredients :

2 tablespoon Tahini 

2 table spoon olive oil

1 tsp salt 

1 table spoon maple syrup 

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Squash Casserole Instructions : 

preheat oven to 400 degrees

put squash in oven for 30 minutes. once soft take out of oven and let it cool 

While squash is cooking put 1 cup quinoa in 1 1/2 cups of water let boil until quinoa has absorbed all the water

Put 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan and sauté minced shallot, and minced garlic for 3 minutes on medium heat. add in 1 tsp salt. 

Once squash is cooled down cut into medium sized cubes

mix cooked squash, cut up kale, shallot, garlic, and quinoa in a baking dish. 

Pour vegetable stock over top of mixture 

generously spread bread crumbs over the mixture 

bake dish in the oven for 30 minutes. 

Maple Tahini Dressing :

Mix all ingredients in  bowl 

pour over casserole once it's out of the oven. 

Autumn Buddha Bowl

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." - Buddha

Happy Monday All! 

Today I made an awesome vegan Sante fe salad with a peanut lime vinaigrette that I really wanted to share but I was so hungry when I got home from work that I couldn't take the time to take pictures. All good I had extra dressing left over so I will definitely be making it again this week to share with you guys. 

In the mean time enjoy my super delicious Buddha bowl recipe. 

This bowl is not only really yummy, but it's filling and healthy as well. So many nutrients are packed in this meal, making it a good meal for an athlete. You also don't have to follow the exact ingredients, feel free to take away or add whatever you like. This is just what I put in mine. 

Awesome Autumn Buddha Bowl 

serves 1

Takes 30 mins to make 

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa 

1 beet 

1/4 sweet potato 

1 potato 

quarter medium sized onion 

half avocado 

few lettuce leaves 

dash rosemary (or any other herb you like)

Maple vinegar dressing 

1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar 

1 table spoon oil (I use olive oil)

2 tsp Maple syrup 

1/2 tsp salt 

Instructions :

Boil 2 cups of water 

add the quinoa to the boiling water 

cook on medium-high until water is gone 

While the quinoa is cooking preheat oven to 400 degrees

cut up the beet, onion, potato and sweet potato 

drizzle with oil and cook for 20-35 mins or until soft 

remove from oven 

to make the maple vinegar dressing, mix all ingredients in a blender for a minute. 

to assemble the bowl, put quinoa at the bottom 

add the roasted vegetable mix

add as much lettuce and avocado as you want

pour dressing over buddha bowl 

and finally sprinkle with whatever herbs you want. 

Enjoy 

please comment below on an recipes you would like me to make a vegan version of. 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheeze Cakes

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” 

― Roald Dahl

   In my opinion, my mom makes the most delicious cheesecake, it's not your traditional style of cheesecake it's a lighter, more fluffy consistency with pineapples mixed in. As I'm writing this I'm thinking I am going to have to come up with a vegan version of her cheesecake because what a shame it would be to never get to eat that recipe ever again.

  This recipe is not light and fluffy but is still absolutely scrumptious. In celebration of fall and pumpkins this was my very first baked cheesecake I've ever created (I've made tons of raw versions). I never follow recipes so it's always a nice surprise when they turn out well on the first try, and these ones did! yay!

I hope you find them as easy to make as I did. 

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes

*Makes 12 medium sized cheesecakes
*30 minutes prep time
*30 minutes bake time

Ingredients 

Base 

1/2 pack Oreo Cookies 

1/4 cup coconut oil or vegan butter

Cheesecake filling 

150 grams (about 1 cup) dessert tofu

1 cup cashews soaked for at least 2 hours 

3 tablespoons of sugar 

1 tsp lemon zest 

2 tablespoons of lemon juice 

pinch of salt 

2 tablespoons of flour 
1/4 cup water

Pumpkin Pie Filling 

Store bought pumpkin pie filling, 

1/2 cup milk 

3 tablespoons of flour

Instructions  Base 
Line cup cake tins with liners
blend oreos and butter/oil 
pat base into the bottom of cupcake liners and put into fridge while making the rest of the cheesecake 

Cheesecake Filling 

blend all ingredients into a high speed blender for a few minutes or until everything is smooth. 
Pour cheesecake over the Oreo crust about 3/4 full. Make sure to leave enough room for about a spoonful of pumpkin filling. 
store in fridge while making the pumpkin pie filling. 

Pumpkin Pie Filling 

mix milk and flour into the pumpkin pie filling. 
put a spoonful of filling into the top of each cheesecake. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins

take out of oven and let them cool off 
put them into the fridge to set overnight or for at least a few hours. 

Enjoy 

Follow me on instagram @amandamariegomes

My Week in Pictures #1 +Plus Vegan Gravy

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." - Oprah Winfrey

Happy Friday Everyone :) 
Mid October! crazy how time is flying... This week was Canadian Thanksgiving, so I ate a lot of salty & fatty food. Believe it or not, not all vegan food is healthy. I did balance it out by drinking juice the whole day before so I guess thats ok right! 

This week I  am super proud of myself. I studied Portuguese almost everyday, sat in my splits for 5 mins a day (I'm almost touching the ground again) and blogged at least 3 days. I have a habit of starting things with tons of enthusiasm and motivation and stopping after a couple weeks so instead of going for a couple days at full speed I'm doing a little bit everyday. Consistency is key. 

I spent Thanksgiving Monday with my family. Since I couldn't eat most of what my family was making, I made my own stuffing, gravy and pumpkin cheesescakes. I wanted to share the gravy recipe with you, because it is soooooo easy and yummy. I actually made it again to put on roasted potatoes after thanksgiving! 

Easy Vegan Gravy 

*Makes 1-2 servings 
10 minutes 

2 tbsp flour 

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp rosemary 

1 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp oil or vegan butter

heat oil, and vegetable broth on a medium setting for a couple minutes

turn down to low and add the onion powder, rosemary, and flour.

mix well

*make sure the liquid isn't super hot when adding the flour, otherwise it will clump up.

Enjoy 

Follow me on instagram @amandamariegomes

Sweet Potato Soup

Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns - George Eliot 

oh hello fall! My soul has been aching for your arrival. to me fall signifies a time of  new starts. much like nature you are shedding back layers of your old self. time to do away with the old stories you keep telling yourself and onto becoming who you are meant to be.  

Fall unfortunately can also mean a time of colds and flus. I thankfully am not sick at the moment but when I am my body mostly craves hot soups and tea. this one is perfectly easy and doesn't require many ingredients. Are you starting to get my theme ... easy, vegan and delicious. 

This soup is very simple and with only 7 ingredients. 

1 sweet potato

half onion 

1 clove garlic 

1 cup water (more or less if you like your soap thicker/thinner)

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cinnamon 

rosemary or your favourite herb for topping.

Roast the sweet potato in the oven at 450 degree for about 45 minutes or until it's soft all the way through. 

pan fry the onion and garlic and oil. 

throw onion mixture, sweet potato (without the peel)water, salt, pepper and cinnamon in the blender. 

top with rosemary when you are ready to eat. 

Follow me on instagram @amandamariegomes