speedvegan

Lucky Cat o’clock, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Sitting down for lunch: Very Vegans from Offerdahl’s and Geoffrey’s Lucky Cat martinis. Popcorn too !!

Cheesy Cream Blueberry Muffins, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Muffins:
3/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 oz plain soy yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Cheesy Cream:
6 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
2 oz plain soy yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place soy milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

3. To make the Cheesy Cream, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. Stir in the soy milk mixture.

6. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir together until JUST mixed. Fold in the blueberries.

7. Scoop batter into a lightly oiled 12-muffin tin, making a well and dropping a spoonful of the Cheesy Cream into each one.

8. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin part comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Organic water, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

My co-workers got a huge kick out of this !

Friday – rest
Saturday – 40 min spin class
Sunday – 42 min run
Monday – 30 min run
Tuesday – rest
Wednesday – 53 min spin class
Thursday – 31 min run

Coconut Cake, originally uploaded by cloudmonkey.

Geoff made me a coconut cake for my birthday. He modified this recipe. It was delicious ! Everyone at my birthday party seemed to like it. I loved the texture of the coconut flakes in the cake as well as the toasted coconut in the icing.

Here’s the modified recipe:

Cake:
8 oz silken tofu
1 lb plus 5 oz sugar
2 cups coconut milk
12 oz coconut flakes
1 cup canola oil
1 lb plus 4 oz all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Icing:
5-7 oz non-hydrogenated margarine
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup coconut milk
toasted coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put first 5 ingredients the bowl of a food processor and puree until thick and uniform in texture. Add last 3 ingredients and process until incorporated. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) parchment lined cake pans that have been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

3. For the icing, mix ingredients until incorporated, adding the margarine one oz at a time. Spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle some of the toasted coconut on top.

Soup and subs, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

White bean soup and savory mushroom “meatball” subs (on multi grain hoagie buns).

Lizi’s granola crunch, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Ooh ! My very own healthy snacks !!

Vegetable Paella, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 tsp saffron strands
1/4 tsp paprika
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 veggie sausages, chopped
8 cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 small bunch baby broccoli
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper (to taste)
lemon wedges for garnish

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan.

2. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the rice, saffron and paprika and continue to sauté for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper along with the veggie sausages and stir for a few more minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms, baby broccoli, broth and white wine. Bring to a boil for two minutes, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add more liquid, if needed, to prevent sticking. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the frozen peas. Continue cooking until peas are tender and liquid is absorbed. The rice should be al-dente, not overcooked. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Waldorf salads, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

We are back home and wanted something “healthy” for dinner after sampling every vegan dish in Manhattan this weekend so I made vegan Waldorf salads: spinach, granny smith apples, maple toasted walnuts, cranraisins and blue “cheese” with honey mustard dressing and sourdough bread.

Fancy accommodations, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

I forgot to mention that we stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in Midtown. This is us waiting for the elevator on the 24th floor.