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My eyes are burning with fatigue, but my mind decides to bake something. Baking requires focus, accuracy, and it distracts me from the dream I had. I reattempt a failed recipe from the week before; a pumpkin scone. The truth is, I have never liked scones and I questioned why I bothered to make them in the first place. This kind of negative thinking only makes me grumpier than I already am and I put it out of my mind to focus.
As I measure out the ingredients, whisking the flours together, and testing out the spice ratio, I see more apartment lights flicker on. The sky is pale but the light coming in is a bit warmer. I put the scones in the oven and hope for the best. Barb comes into the kitchen, stretches her legs behind her, and purrs at my feet. In the mornings, she sucks up to me so I will get up and feed her. When her affection doesn’t work right away, she resorts to more aggressive tactics, which includes “brushing” my hair with her claws.
The apartment fills up with a spicy aroma and I feel much better when I take the scones out of the oven. They look perfect, a refined rustic appearance. I make myself some tea to distract myself from eating them straight off the pan. As the kettle boils, I step outside onto my balcony and breathe in the cool air. The sun is up and I can see people on the street with layers of sweaters and scarves walk toward the subway. The city wakes up and I can hear some construction workers start up their gear for the day’s work.
I whip up the glaze, adding a pinch of spice with each taste. I spoon the glaze on each scone and top with nuts. They are exactly what I wanted them to taste like; delicate, tender, and rich with spice.
I feel dizzy with sleepiness and head back to bed, my tea left undrunk. I pile the blankets on top of me and I fall asleep immediately. Maybe the scones were keeping me awake.
Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media.
This recipe is adapted from The Faux Martha’s Pumpkin Scones.
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons warm water
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 5 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk (shake the can well before measuring)
- 1½ cups Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend*
- ½ cup GF oat flour
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice (I used The Kitchn's recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice)
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- Pumpkin Glaze
- 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
- On a small piece of parchment paper on a plate, measure out 6 tablespoons of solid coconut oil. Place in the refrigerator until very solid. In the meantime, mix the flax and water together in a small bowl to gel and set aside.
- In a bowl or measuring cup, mix the canned pumpkin and coconut milk together. Once the flax had gelled, whisk it the mixture into the pumpkin and coconut milk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, pumpkin spice, sugars, and salt together.
- Remove the coconut oil from the fridge, it should be very firm, and cut into small pieces.
- With a pastry cutter, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until only pea-sized solids of the coconut oil remain.
- Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin/coconut milk mixture and stir until just combined. Overworking the dough melts the coconut oil too fast and will result in a tough, dense scone.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on the baking sheet and form into a 6" square. Using a pastry bench or sharp chef's knife, cut the dough into 8 even pieces. With the bench scraper or a wide spatula, loosen from the bottom and space out the scones onto the baking sheet.
- Place the sheet in freezer and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Once preheated, remove scones from freezer and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze.
- Clean out the large bowl you used for the scone dough. Whisk together the coconut milk, pumpkin, and spices together. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until no lumps remain. Set aside.
- Once the scones are done baking, let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely.
- Once the scones are completely cooled, spoon on the glaze and sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces.
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The post Golden Cauliflower Chowder + Food Waste appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.
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One episode discussed food waste and it made me reflect on my own purchasing of produce. I hate to admit it but I have recently wasted food. During Vegan MoFo, I was creating new recipes too frequently to eat it all. 30 recipes in 30 days was too much food for Mark and I. Food was forgotten; a burger that I meant to put in the freezer was now two days too old, half an onion went bad, a cup of soup left unattended in its tupperware, and an avocado was now blackened in the back of the fridge. I did not mean to do this on purpose. I thought to myself that I would get around to it but I didn’t and food was thrown away. As a food blogger, I am purchasing food based on its looks and disregarding those knobby vegetables or sub-par looking fruits, despite the fact that they are good to eat. I want to move away from this mentality since I am a part of the issue. I have committed to a simplier lifestyle with a smaller ecological footprint by not consuming meat or dairy. If I continue wasting food, I am still contributing to the issue of global warming.
So what to do about it?
I took a hard look into my fridge and asked myself, “What do I eat?” Seems like an odd question but I noticed a few things; I had chard that was looking pretty wilted, dill that had definitely gone bad, and a container of soy yoghurt that was expired and I was too scared to actually open it. Turns out, I just don’t like these things and that is ok as long as I don’t continue to buy them. I wanted to apply the same method I use for “How to Stock Your Pantry” to my fridge. I asked myself what do I love to make and wrote down some ideas for what to use the produce for. For example, I don’t actually eat bananas on their own but I use bananas for smoothies, overnight oat bowls, and nice cream. For greens, I prefer kale and spinach over chard, rapini, and argula (I like argula but Mark hates it). I love most fresh herbs but I felt the need to give dill another chance. Nope, still hate it so I put it on my Don’t Buy list.
I have come to realize that it is ok to not like certain foods however it is not ok to buy things and then waste them.
My carrots don’t have to be the most perfect looking carrot for me to appreciate the work and resources that went into growing this carrot for me to eat. Food should never be taken for granted.
Waste not, want not and that is precisely what I mean to do.
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- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 cups bite sized cauliflower florets, about ½ head
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- salt + pepper*
- Garnish
- Chopped cilantro
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook the cumin and coriander until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the oil and heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the turmeric, cinnamon, and cauliflower and stir to coat the vegetables in the spice mixture. Add the vegetable stock, turn up to heat to high and bring to boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is almost fully tender.
- Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with warm flat bread and enjoy!
P.S. Who is loving the Fall season?
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The post Day 30 Vegan MoFo: Matcha Mango Chia Seed Pudding appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.
]]>Can you believe that this month has gone by so fast? Tomorrow it is going to be October!? Say what? In 12 days it will be Thanksgiving?! No way.
This is my second time participating in Vegan MoFo and this year has been the best! I loved e-meeting all the new faces and have looked forward to seeing what everyone brought to the table each day. Vegan MoFo is a great blogging community event and we all owe its creators and monitors a huge thank you.
You may have noticed I did not do all 30 recipes like I said I would on Day 1. Sometimes goals need to change when they aren’t going according to plan. I found myself wasting food, the ultimate sin in my opinion, since I was creating something new almost everyday. 30 recipes in 30 days is just too much for Mark and I to eat ourselves. But I will discuss more on food waste in a later post….
For now, it is all about celebrating the end of another year of Vegan MoFo! I wanted to share some recipes that caught my eye over the month. I use to think blogging was some sort of competition but it about coming together to make something amazing. I said it in my Day 13 post, without other bloggers I probably wouldn’t even have a blog! 
Here are some posts from other bloggers that I think you will enjoy:
Summer Farewell Peach Pizza from Plant Crush
Golden Avocado Toast with Spicy Kimchi Sauce by Spabettie
California Quinoa Rolls from Rock My Vegan Socks
Caramel Apple Buckwheat Brownies from Kelli’s Vegan Kitchen
Lentil, Tomato, & Basil Brushetta from Vegan Chow Down
Vegan Malt Shop Burgers and Shakes from House Vegan
Marinated Eggpland Sandwich by Seitan is my Motor
We Got the Beet Bloody Mary by Vegan Crunk
If I haven’t made it to your site over the month, leave your link below in the comments! I will be so happy to check them out. In the meantime, I will be deep cleaning my disorganized kitchen, snuggling my cat, and recipe testing like a crazy person for Thanksgiving. Not all at the same time of course.
Here are some of my new favs that I have created over the month:
Day 3: Savoury Za’atar Socca 
Day 7: The Big Kahuna Burger
Day 8: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte featured on Tofu for Thought
Day 10: Peach Millet Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
I hope everyone had an enjoyable, but probably chaotic time, with Vegan MoFo. If you are a new blogger and wanted to sign up next year but feel you are too new or too shy, my advice: just do it! It is a positive community and you are always more than welcome.
Until next year MoFo….
Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media.
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (start with ½ and add more to taste)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
- In a blender, blend the milk, syrup, and matcha powder until combined. Put the blender on your lowest setting and slowly add the chia seeds. You don't want to pulverize the seeds but I find it is easiest to mix them in a blender.
- Transfer to a glass container and set in the fridge until the chia seeds plump up, about 1 hour. You want to stir this occasionally so they don't clump together. You can leave this mixture overnight and give it a good stir in the morning. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add a splash of almond milk and stir.
- Layer with mango and serve!
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The post Day 23 of Vegan MoFo: Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Brownies appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.
]]>There is something special about a season changing; when the green leaves start to turn bright colours, ice cold glasses of fizzy kombucha turn into mugs of steamy tea, and we all get cozy in our thick knit sweaters. I hate to see Summer end but I love when Fall begins. The farmer’s market changes from berries, peaches, and corn to squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. I no longer fear of turning on my oven and welcome roasted vegetables.
When I think of Autumn, I think of pumpkins. I don’t love roasted pumpkin so I usually stick to the canned version to make dessert or lattes. Raw canned pumpkin reminds me of baby food but when cooked in a recipe with lots of spices, it turns into a favourite. What else is my favourite? Chocolate.
Brownies may not seem like an Autumn Equinox recipe but when paired with pumpkin and warm spices, it gives me reason to celebrate shorter days and cooler weather. Mark, who claims not to love chocolate or pumpkin, loves these brownies. They are rich, fudge, and spiced with seasonal favourites. What isn’t to love about that?
What are your favourite Autumn eats?
Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media.
- 3 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil + more for greasing the pan
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1½ tablespoons ground flax seed + 4 tablespoons warm water
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ¾ cup Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- 1 cup raw nuts (I used a mixture of pecan and almond), ground into a course nut flour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil. Create a sling using two pieces of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other in the pan. Set aside.
- In a non-reactive bowl, add the chopped chocolate and set over a pot with a few inches of simmering water. Melt the chocolate until almost all the chocolate is completely melted. Add the coconut oil, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth and mixed. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, add the ground flax seed and water together in a large bowl, mix, and side aside until it becomes gel-like. Add the pumpkin puree to the flax mixture and stir.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and stir until fully combined. Add the sugar and stir again.
- Add the flour, cornstarch or arrowroot, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently fold these ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground nuts and fold until completely combined.
- Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, smooth out the batter until it is evenly distributed. Bake for 36-38 minutes.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely but taking them out of the pan and cutting. The batter is very soft when warm so this recipe needs some time to cool down.
- Serve with a Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte if you fancy!
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The post Day 21 Vegan MoFo: Buffalo Cauliflower Salad w/ Creamy Garlic Dressing appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.
]]>It seems going plant based has somehow increased my chances of being stranded on a deserted island. Almost everyone I told when I first went made the switch gave me this hypothetical scenario. It is sweet of them to think that I have any survival skills in order to hunt my own food but in reality, I would go for food sources that did not want to attack me. This city slicker has zero skills when it comes to nature.
For this prompt, I chose three foods that I couldn’t live without: Frank’s Hot Sauce, avocados, and chocolate.
I am a former chicken wing addict. I won second place in a chicken wing eating contest in my first year of University, mostly out of necessity because my meal card ran out of funds. I always thought it was the wings that I loved the most but turns out, it is the sauce. I love the vinegary tang and heat of Frank’s Hot Sauce. Lucky for us, it is vegan (their Buffalo Sauce is not, FYI). I put it on cold pizza, dip my fries in it, and whatever needs a little dose of heat. I have made Buffalo Chickpea Salads before but I do love when cauliflower is baked and coated in this sauce. Mark and I have eaten an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting because of this recipe.
Avocados are now a staple purchase in my weekly grocery store trip. I use them mostly for Avocado Sourdough Toasts or adding them to my big vegan bowls with the occasional guacamole make. Mark is indifferent to avocados but I love their buttery texture and fresh taste. They are also popular in smoothies but I don’t seem to like this addition. Just lightly salted on toast is enough for me.
Roasted Jalapeño Guacamole
Vegan Pub Style Dips with Ancho-Lime Baked Corn Chips
And, of course, chocolate. I didn’t name my site Sprouts & Chocolate for nothing. My love of chocolate started young and I don’t plan on starting to change that. I eat a lot less chocolate than I use to but when I do have it, it is the very best quality and in a dessert that I love. I request a chocolate birthday cake every year but find recipes to eat chocolate in healthier ways.
Coconut-Chai Chocolate Pudding
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Nut Crust (featured on Tofu for Thought)
One-Bowl Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Chocolate Lovers’ Brownie Cups {Vegan & Gluten-Free}
One Bowl Chocolate-Caramel Almond Balls
Decadent Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Since I am behind on Vegan MoFo, I can’t say 21 posts down! But I will catch up on it before the end. Stay tuned!
Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media.
- For the Buffalo Cauliflower:
- 1 large head of cauliflower, main stem removed and cut into bite sized pieces (about 6 cups of florets)
- 2 tablespoons arrow root powder*
- 1 teaspoon paprika (I used Spanish)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
- For the Creamy Garlic Dressing
- 4 tablespoons eggless mayo (I used Follow Your Heart Brand)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
- A few cracks of black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or two smaller baking sheets).
- Add the bite sized cauliflower to a large freezer bag and add the arrowroot, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Gently shake the closed bag to coat the cauliflower in the powder mixture. Add the oil and shake to coat.
- Transfer coated cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork. Set aside.
- After 15 minutes, add the Frank's Hot Sauce right into the baking sheet and with a pair of tongs, coat the cauliflower with the sauce and flip the cauliflower while doing so. Cook for another 10 minutes. The sauce will stick to the cauliflower.
- Serve however you like with the suggestions above.
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