When I think of a retro recipe, my mind goes to this cookbook that every mother since the 1970’s seemed to own, my own mother included. Thankfully, my mother spared me from Party Potato Salad loaf, Frozen Cheese Salad, and anything with a mixture of gelatine and mayo. I am forever grateful.

The only real recipe that looked good, or edible, was a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I wanted to update this recipe with some seasonal fruit, make it vegan, and with a gluten free option. I am crazy for peaches and haven’t been eating them enough. 
I was at the farmer’s market where these beautiful fuzzy peaches were calling my name. The farmer suggested to wait a day before eating them to ripen up a little bit more but slightly underripe peaches were perfect for this cake. Ripe peaches are great for eating but a little more difficult to cut for this recipe.  I consulted one of my favourite culinary books, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity with Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, and More, Based on the Wisdom of Leading American Chefs, for some flavour suggestions and saw ginger and whiskey. Whiskey is not gluten free since it is made with grains but if you need this cake to be entirely gluten free, replace the whiskey with fresh lemon juice or just powdered sugar. 

The spicy ginger and warm whiskey pair so well with this lightly sweetened peach cake. It can be made in a cake pan instead of a cast iron. The day I tested this recipe, I made it three times just make sure. Make sure each peach slice is touching the cake pan and the peaches don’t layer onto each other or when you flip the cake to remove it from the pan, it is one big mess. Believe me! 

The recipe is best served over tea with a good chat with a friend. If you don’t like peaches or ginger, omit the two and try with some berries perhaps. I haven’t tried it but I am sure it would be good. 

9 recipes down, 21 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 10: Something Blue. Missed Day 8? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

FYI: This post does contain an Amazon Affiliate link, which means I would make a (very) small commission on any purchase of my recommendation. I personally own this book and LOVE it! Mark owns the non-vegetarian version and the veg one is bigger When it comes to books, size matters. 

Peach & Whiskey Upside Down Cake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

A retro upside down cake with a modern vegan twist! Inside of the traditional pineapple, I decided to use summery peaches, warm ginger, and whiskey. It can be made in a cast iron or cake pan. The baking time will vary slightly. Always test out with a skewer and allow to cool completely.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 1 cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• ½ tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 2-3 firm but ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thin
• 1 
cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 1 
teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ⅓ 
cup melted coconut oil
• 1 
teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ 
cups 1:1 ratio gluten free flour blend*
• 1
 teaspoon baking powder
• 1
 teaspoon baking soda
• 1
 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 
  
• For the Whiskey Glaze (optional):
• 6 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon Jameson Whiskey (it's vegan!)
• Teeny pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Add the ½ tablespoon melted coconut oil to the cast iron skillet or 9" cake pan and wipe all around with a paper towel. Add the peach slices to the pan cut side down, making sure that the peaches have contact with the pan. If they are layered too much on top of each other, when you flip the cake over, the peaches will be a mess. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar and the almond milk until the mixture is frothy. Allow it to sit for a few moments.
3. Mix in the sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until they're just combined, adding a little more almond milk if the cake batter is too sticky.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is fragrant and toasty and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
7. Leave the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a pairing knife along the edges of the cake. Gently flip the cake over onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to completely cool before adding the glaze.
8. To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and whiskey until completely smooth. For the gluten free option, add it with lemon instead of whiskey or add powdered sugar.
9. Slice and serve!

Notes

*I used Bob Mill's 1:1 GF Flour Blend

3.3.3077

The post Day 9 Vegan MoFo: Peach & Whiskey Upside Down Cake appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I wanted to make oven fries since deep frying at home is pretty unsafe and I am sure I would set a small fire in my kitchen. At first, I was setting my oven a little too low for those really crispy fries that I wanted so be not afraid of cranking your oven up! Also it is important to make sure that you preheat your oven so the potatoes go into a hot oven to achieve maximum crispiness. You can omit the spice mixture and just use salt if you don’t like spicy foods. The milkshake is simple and unlike diner-style milkshakes, this one does not have any dairy or refined sugars. The salted peanut butter and chocolate combination is the best as any Reese’s cup lover would understand. The bananas make the milkshake thick and creamy. What would we vegans do without bananas?? What weird food combos do you love? 

4 recipes down, 26 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 5: Best Sandwich Ever! Missed Day 3? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Day 4 Vegan MoFo: Salted PB Chocolate Shake

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

This sweet and salty milkshake is naturally sweetened with bananas and dates, has a touch of cacao, and big peanut butter taste. This recipe takes almost no time to make and satisfies a sweet tooth. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and refined sugar free. This recipes makes about 3 cups of milkshake.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• Salted PB Chocolate Shake
• 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 tablespoons roasted peanut butter (I buy unsalted)
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 2 pitted Medjool dates
• 8-9 ice cubes (more if your bananas aren't frozen)

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

3.3.3077

Day 4 Vegan MoFo: Spicy Oven Fries

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Crispy fries in the oven are possible! Deep frying at home can be dangerous so opt for oven fries instead. These fries are made with russet potatoes since they have a high starch level which results in a crispier fry. They are seasoned with a spicy mixture of paprika, garlic powder, and ancho chili powder. If you don't like spice, feel free to omit the ancho. Served with the milkshake above or ketchup.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Sides

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes, washed and cut into fries (peels on)
• 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, coat the cut potatoes with the oil, salt, and spices.
3. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
5. Remove from oven once they are golden and crispy. Depending on how thick you cut your fries, the cooking time will vary. After you flip them, keep an eye on them. No one likes burnt fries!!
6. Serve with the milkshake above or ketchup.

3.3.3077

The post Day 4 Vegan MoFo: Salted PB Chocolate Shake + Spicy Oven Fries appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I was feeling really overwhelmed with the upcoming year and ashamed of myself for not taking more chances or more opportunities. A bunch of why’s flooded my brain; why do I still work in a restaurant? Why haven’t I updated any skills to put on a resume? Why didn’t I decide to update my high school credits sooner? Why am I turning 28 and done nothing with my life?!?

All these feelings flooded over me and turned into tears so naturally like the grown up I am, I called my mommy. After telling me all the nice things that mothers are suppose to say when you call them crying she told me that everything is going to be ok. I didn’t believe her and I felt like everything was taking a really long time and I was at a stand-still, despite actively being in school, doing my site and working a full time job. Strange how you can be doing so much and yet feel motionless. She told me that her twenties were very difficult raising two children on her own but after that it got much better. Her husband also told me that sometimes his life was a disaster also raising two children, losing this job to a machine and then having to travel all the time for a lower paying position because it was one of the few jobs available. He mentioned that when the mother of his children became pregnant for a second time, he had a mortgage and no job. The stress was intense but after a lot of hard work, things did in fact get a little bit smoother.  They said that sometimes it felt like things were always going to be bad but thankfully their situations did get better with a little help, love and support from the people around them. They said neither one of them had it all figured out by the time they were 30 and I really shouldn’t put that much pressure on myself when it comes to figuring my entire life out. I was looking at their lives now but did not see the struggle to get there. I was comparing my path to their destination. It was a good prep talk and turned my attitude a full 180 and got down to planning. 

I decided to prepare some birthday goals, which are unlike resolutions have an action plan attached to them. I will give myself until my next birthday to accomplish them since some of them aren’t things that can be accomplished in a week (and thats ok!). I am not one for New Year’s resolutions since I find they are empty but having an action plan can be empowering. Each time I check an item off the list, big or small it is a victory in itself!

My first and most important goal this year is to dump someone that has been dragging me down. This person that is doubting my every decision, embarrassed by the decisions that I have made in the past, someone who doesn’t believe in me and compares my efforts, actions and accomplishments to other peoples. She sighs when she sees someone else’s post or recipe or photograph that is better than mine, thinking I will never be as good as them and might as well just give up entirely. This person is not on Team Jess when I sometimes need her to be so badly. All my friends are on Team Jess, rooting for me in the wings, cheering me on with words of encouragement, support and love but just not her.

This person is myself; that little negative voice in my head that tells me that I simply can’t. I don’t need that little voice telling me I can’t or I shouldn’t or what will people think? I am delaying goals I have had for the longest time because of this and for what? Because of what a stranger may think of me when they see that I am in fact a terrible dancer or so inflexible it is almost laughable or that people in a writing class will hate my ideas? These are not good enough reasons to not pursue the things that I want to do. Who is winning here? Not me. We are always hardest on ourselves but isn’t the world hard enough without our own little voice telling us we aren’t good enough? This is why my number one birthday goal is to stop ruining my own life. 

On that note, I hope you take a little time today and make that goal for yourself, it may not be your birthday or New Years but it is an important one to practice daily. Enjoy these muffin tops with a cup of tea and get your list going. 

The post Carrot Cake Muffin Tops {Vegan & Gluten-Free} appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I remember participating last year, my first ever vegan community contribution, with much anxiety but what a difference a year can make. Once I received the email from the talented (and wildly patient) host Annie from An Unrefined Vegan about this year’s winter VVP I instantly signed up, loving this round’s feature ingredient: citrus.

 Last year for VVP, I lived in a super cramped basement apartment so my photography was almost awful (don’t look really!) unless I wanted to strap on my boots and take everything outside in -30 degrees. Cooking for my site consumed all of my countertop surface every single time. Thankfully Mark and I have moved up and out of the basement into a super cramped above ground apartment but thankfully with a lot of natural light pouring in. The kitchen (almost) always remains covered with post-it notes with recipe ideas, legal paper with ingredients lists and of course, dirty dishes. There are plenty of things to hate about blogging, especially a recipe blog: the recipes that don’t work out that you REALLY wanted them to (my first idea of this year’s VVP was a total bust), the loads of dirty dishes from an unsuccessful recipe and plenty of ho-hum dinners.

 This recipe is inspired by a particular ho-hum takeout dinner that I bought a few weeks ago. I was Christmas shopping, sweating profusely in my thick winter coat (I firmly believe malls should have a coat check around the holidays), carrying around heavy bags and insanely hungry. What is it about malls that make me so hungry?? I stopped by a “healthier” food court place, wishing I had packed something in my purse. The description of the order (A vegan citrus-sesame tofu noodle bowl) sounded pretty good, it was gluten-free and my hunger was screaming at me. When I got it however it was not nearly as good as it sounded: a generous amount of overcooked rice noodles, spongy tofu, a few shreds of carrots dressed with a greasy sauce. How did I just pay $9 for this? I am not one to send food back since it is exactly what I ordered but it did take a lot of Sriracha to make this dish remotely edible. This is my vow to never again purchase such crappy takeout.

 Making food at home does take longer but it is almost crazy how inexpensive it is compared to eating out and I think we could all save a little moolah around this time of year. This bowl is the dish I wish I had on that shopping day: plenty of wholesome raw veggies with a flavourful sesame-citrus sauce. All you need to eat a large bowl of veggies in the winter is a really good sauce. This one is nutty, citrusy and a teeny bit spicy. If you aren’t a fan of spice, feel free to omit the pinch of chili flakes and go easy on the spice for the tofu.

 Citrus being in season adds some vibrancy to these otherwise grey snowy days and I am so glad it was chosen as the feature ingredient. This dish features two citrus fruits: lime and mandarin orange. If you can’t find mandarin oranges, regular oranges work just fine. The vegetables chosen for the bowl can be substituted for whatever you like as well as the zucchini noodles- if you are feeling chilly, you can get them a light steam or replace them with buckwheat noodles (not all buckwheat noodles are gluten-free so check the label).

 Now I am going to make myself a huge mug of tea to sit down and read all of the blog posts and citrus recipes for this year’s VVP. A big thanks to Annie for hosting as well as the mentors for this event: Poppy, Keely, Angela and Sarah. When I first starting blogging, I thought it was mostly competitive but I quickly realized it is about community, support and events like these to bring bloggers together and be inspired by one another.

 To check out the next blog, click on the icon below. Girl Eats Greens is next up on the VVP blog trail! Happy eating

 To go back to the previous blog, click on the icon below. Art, Health, & Happiness is showing the citrus some love!

The post VVP: Sesame-Mandarin Zoodle Bowl with Chili Lime Tofu appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

The things I do miss about school are my wonderful friends, Jerri and Matt whom are supportive and kind even when I literally cried over math. Literally. Without them, school would be the most unpleasant experience. We are all fast tracking high school credits to apply to university, which is stressful and chaotic at times. Thankfully every lunch period we hang out under a tree to eat, talk about schoolwork and look up Youtube videos to help us out. One of our favourite lunches to have under our tree is on Tuesdays when Ali Baba’s has a 2 for 1 falafel wrap special. I go for this lunch every week but my stomach has taken the hit a more times than I like to admit. All the rumbles and whale noises my stomach makes in the quiet classroom can be fairly embarrassing but I just love falafels!

Making this homemade version is simple and the food processor does a lot of the work. It is fresh, lighter and gluten free so your stomach will thank you for skipping the fried stuff. Besides who likes frying at home? The heat, the mess, the potential burns, the small fires…not saying that I have set a fire in my kitchen or anything… Compared to the fried ones, these baked ones are more satisfying and will leave you glowing!

Congratulations to Jerilyn F from Waterloo, Canada who is the winner of the Sprouts & Chocolate’s Vegan Chocolate Cookbook by Fran Costigan giveaway! Your prize will be shipped to you very soon!

The post The Big Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.