The Vitamix: My Kitchen Essential

What's my go-to kitchen gadget essential? Definitely my Vitamix! I was recently gifted this gorgeous blender--which is an update from the previous Vitamix model I had. It has an even more powerful motor (2.2HP!) that's somehow even quieter. Blends like a true dream. And even comes with a super large (64oz!) container (pictured below)--great for when you're making soups, family-size batches of anything, or whipping up large amounts of food for a little entertaining.




Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when you think blender is smoothie! And rightly so. It takes about 20 seconds to whip up a smoothie in the Vitamix. And when you're done, you just add a touch of soap and fill the container half way with hot water, blend for 60 seconds, and you've got a clean blender! Not bad at all. My frequent regular smoothies are a banana berry smoothie, and a peanut butter banana smoothie (with a touch of chocolate), but there are so many other delicious options (like green smoothies!).  And the Vitamix is also great for making frozen drinks and sorbets. The Vitamix comes with a fabulous recipe book with an impressive variety of ideas. So far everything I've tried has been delicious!



In the winter time, the Vitamix gets pretty heavy use in our home for soups (follow the link for some of my recommendations)! Again, too many great options here to count. One of my all time favorites is butternut squash soup. The Vitamix allows you to vent steam as you blend, so you can make pretty much anything in here. And, if you blend for several minutes, it will actually create heat!



The Vitamix is also a whiz with dips and spreads--pretty much anything you can think of, it can blend! If you're looking for some dip ideas--I love the curried carrot dip from Veganomicon, as well as the white bean aioli!




As far as dressings and sauces go this blender is great for any and everything you can imagine. If you're making nut-based pasta sauce, the Vitamix is a real life saver. Cashews are transformed into a smooth and creamy sauce in under sixty seconds. And you won't have to worry about anything chunky or gritty remaining when you're done blending. A high-powered blender is a real must if you're interested in making your own vegan cheese!



Vitamix also states their blenders are great for mixing batters and doughs, making juices, nut butters, flours, baby food, and non-dairy milk. I've yet to try these out. I think I'll try my hand at making some almond milk next. Can't wait to give it a whirl--pun intended!

Ice Cream: My Favorite Vegan Junk Food (Vegan Mofo Day 2)

If you know me, you probably know I've got a sweet spot (pun intended) for ice cream!

Luckily, if you're looking for vegan options--there are a lot these days.

In the New York area, lots of ice cream shops have some really wonderful options (Ample Hills, anyone?). And I've definitely dived into the world of making homemade vegan ice cream as well.

But if you're really looking to satisfy your junk food craving, you're likely interested in picking up some ice cream at your local store. Most natural food stores have a good selection these days, and you can often find a few options at general super markets at well. Various types of vegan ice cream can have their own pros and cons, so you'll want to be aware of what different varieties have to offer if you're looking for vegan ice cream at the grocery store.

Here are a few options:


Crowd favorite: Van Leeuwens

Van Leeuwens has both dairy and vegan options available, so you'll have to be sure to check the label--but their vegan offerings are very clearly marked. Varieties I've tried include their sea salt caramel, mint chip, cookie dough and chocolate (pictured at the top of the page, and below). You can see their site for all of the flavors they offer.



My husband takes issue with certain non-dairy ice creams, but this is one that he will happily eat. Like many vegan ice creams, they use coconut milk, but perhaps because of the use of cashews as well, the coconut isn't too overwhelming. The salted caramel is a bit sweet for me, but it's definitely a classic salted caramel flavor. The chocolate is excellent, with a very slight (almost imperceptible) nuttiness to it. The mint chip is amazing--I love using it for milk shakes. The cookie dough has the strongest coconut flavor, because that often comes through in the vanilla vegan ice creams, as it's masked more strongly by chocolate and other flavors. We were able to find this at our local natural food store in Brooklyn, and also at Whole Foods, and they also offer online ordering. You can order six pints for $89 (with free shipping). This is the same cost as their regular pints--on the pricier side, but definitely delicious!

Ice cream sandwiches: Tofutti cuties and Lil Dreamers

Tofutti cuties are another very popular vegan ice cream option. These are a classic little ice cream sandwich. You can read more about them in an older post of mine, here. This company also makes an excellent ice cream drumstick called Yours Truly by Tofutti.

If you're looking to avoid a soy-heavy ice cream, however, Almond Dream has come out with their own ice cream sandwich--Lil' Dreamers. They're a slightly different texture (not quite as creamy), but very similar tasting, and not particularly nutty. They come individually wrapped--very easy when you're looking for a little ice cream fix! These are also free of coconut milk--a rare find in the vegan ice cream world these days.



Ice cream bars: Coconut Almond in Chocolate by Coconut Bliss



If you're looking for a good ice cream bar and you don't mind "going coconut", these are a delicious option! The nutty chocolate coating is delicious, and the coconut ice cream interior is rich and creamy. This company makes a variety of different ice creams. The coconut milk makes for a very rich ice cream, but with a relatively strong coconut flavor. It works particularly nicely with their chocolate peanut butter ice cream.



That sums up my ice cream round up for now. But there are plenty of other options--and more being introduced all the time! Ben and Jerry's has several vegan options in their line which I have yet to try. Do you have a favorite vegan ice cream? Let me know in the comments!

Favorite Late Summer Food: Peaches!

Peaches--what says summer better than a beautifully sweet and juicy peach?

I don't often think of them as a "late summer food" but this year they are perfectly in season (at least in my part of the country!) this September, and I'll take all of the last gasps of summer I can get!

I love the peach cobbler recipe from (surprise surprise!) Vegan with a Vengeance. It pairs well with ice cream but also holds its own, and is super quick and easy! You just mix the peaches up with a few spices, sprinkle your crumble on top, throw it in the oven and you're done!

If you're looking for some other recipes online to tickle your peach fancy...might I recommend:

Vegan peach ice cream from gluten-free goddess

The minimalist baker's vegan peach crisp (which is also gluten free!)

PPK's brown sugar peach spelt muffins

Peachy!

Vegan MoFo Day 12: Favorite Cookbook

Today's Vegan MoFo prompt is all about your favorite cookbook. So I want to share a little cookbook with you all called:

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World !

When I first started eating at vegan restaurants years ago, I lamented the fact that most of the baked goods I tried were drier and denser than their non-vegan counterparts. My boyfriend at the time worked at a used book store, and he would bring home piles of vegan cookbooks. You can see some of my other favorites here.

Before long, we had discovered Isa Chandra Moskowitz's, Vegan with A Vengeance, and I realized that baked vegan goods could be not only tasty and satisfying--but absolutely delicious.

Despite being a huge Isa fan (Isa Does It is my new go-to), I only bought Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World a few years ago--but it quickly became an instant classic. I had been piecing together her dessert recipes from the cookbooks I owned for years--but this book distilled one of my favorite desserts into one packed volume. A whole cookbook filled with cupcakes you might ask? YES.

Some of my favorites:

Classic chocolate (oreo and peanut butter bomb variations are a must-try)




I may have made the oreo ones more than once...




Red velvet (I've made these too many times to count!)



Apple cider


I also love the coconut chocolate with coffee frosting!

The variations seem truly endless--I still feel I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg with all of the creative varieties!

I'm not even sure what these are? Peanut butter with chocolate chips? Whatever they were, I promise you, they were delicious.



I've been repeatedly told that many of these cupcakes are the best cupcakes ever. I have to say, I'm very much inclined to agree! If you like cupcakes and baking, this is very much the recipe book for you!

Here are some marble cupcakes--yummy!



Ok--now go forth and get cupcake-ing!!

Vegan MoFo Day 10: Something Blueberry Ice Cream

Today's prompt for the Vegan Month of Food is "Something Blue."

I wonder if anyone else will have had this problem--when I first heard blue, my first thought was, blueberries!



My next thought was blueberry ice cream!

I have been very much enjoying making vegan ice cream for the first time ever this year, having recently acquired an ice cream attachment for my stand mixer. It's a real game changer. So far, I've made several batches of ice cream using recipes from Veganomicon (both coffee flavor and green tea), which have been excellent. The texture is spot on (I haven't yet found something that quite compares!), but it is soy-based, and I wanted to come up with something soy-free.

A few weeks back I made the Minimalist Baker's bourbon caramel ice cream--which is amazing. I highly recommend it! I thought I would try combining the two recipes, and came up with this. The cashews are definitely a bit discernible, but the texture is good, particularly with the creaminess of the coconut milk. It does tend to get icy, however, over time. Try to eat it fresh!

As for the blue factor...I quickly discovered that blueberries make blueberry ice cream....purple.



Not to be out done, I tried adding some curacao liquer to my ice cream! It's bright blue, has a sweet taste, and will help with consistency, so I thought that would do the trick.



Not so much. Still purple:


So...in the end, I made a little curacao syrup to go on top! Definitely bright blue. And also quite tasty, if I do say so myself.

Blueberry Ice Cream with Curacao (and Curacao Syrup)

What You'll Need:
Blueberry mixture:
1 cup blueberries for stove
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp arrowroot
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp curacao

Ice cream base:
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or for at least 6 hours), then drained
1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tsp curacao (optional)

Curacao syrup (optional)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp Curacao

What You'll Need to Do:
Place ice cream attachment in freezer overnight. Place other ingredients in fridge to chill (especially coconut milk), preferably overnight.

Make your blueberry mixture. After blueberry mixture has cooled, add ice cream base ingredients to blender. Once blended, add in blueberry mixture. Transfer to your ice cream maker and churn for approximately 40 minutes (until ice cream reaches consistency of soft serve). Chill in freezer for 4-6 hours before eating. It will keep up to one week but best when fresh (if it's been in the freezer for a few days it makes a great milkshake! See below). 

Make caracao syrup (optional):
Mix water and sugar over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved, then simmer for 7 minutes. Add in Caracao and simmer for another 2 min, remove to heat and allow to cool.


Et, voila!



Tips and Tricks:
Shake it up!

This blueberry ice cream is totally amazing in milkshakes. Just add your favorite non-dairy beverage (about 2 parts ice cream to 1 part milk for a thick shake) blend and enjoy!

I made a cookies 'n cream milkshake with the bourbon caramel ice cream that was out of this world!

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Star Wars Inspiration

Today's post is all about food inspired by a book or film. If you know me, you know the choice here was pretty simple...I had to go with some Star Wars inspiration!



I have already made many a Star-Wars inspired baked good in my time. Back in 2011, I made these amazing cupcakes for one of my closest friends' birthday. She had always been a bit skeptical about vegan baked goods, but these cupcakes really knocked her socks off!



These are the lemon gem cupcakes from Vegan with a Vengeance and they are delicious! I'm not quite sure what was going on with my frosting here--it was tasty but certainly not fluffy! This was my first time making cupcakes, though--so not a bad first go.



A year or so later, my Mom and sister conspired to give me some awesome Star Wars cookie cutters for Chanukah. They're really meant for sugar cookies--and I had just the recipe! Some day I'd like to try decorating these guys with colored frosting, but they're still quite delicious without. You can see the recipe here.





And this year I put even more Star Wars cookie cutters on my wedding registry. Some wonderful cousins sent them our way.



They're pretty amazing, right?



I had a little too much fun setting them up for photos.



These cookie cutters are advertised as gingerbread cookie cutters. I imagine they would work well for sugar cookies too, but since I've already made those, I thought we'd go with the gingerbread. Plus, gingerbread is one of my all-time favorite cookies. In fact, I've already posted a recipe for gingerbread vegans, which you can see here.



And gingerbread cookies are so fun to make--I even got my husband in on the action!



So fun, no?




Note the Darth Vader spatula, below, which is a regular fixture in our kitchen (another present from Mom and sis, and it works great!).




Couldn't help myself. A little Vader with Vader.

And don't forget to frost!



Also...this recipe makes a bunch of cookies! Don't worry, though--they're somehow even better the next day. And frosting is actually super simple!



Tips and Tricks:
The cupcake set, sugar cookie cutters and Darth Vader spatula all came from Williams-Sonoma. They did a little Star Wars series several years back. Unfortunately, they've all been discontinued, though they do seem to be readily available on eBay.

These gingerbread cookie cutters are still available on ThinkGeek, however!