Peaches and Cream Chia Pudding

CHI CHI CHIA! 

Yes! This is indeed the seed that sprouted in the infamous chia pets. 

Then they discoverd that chia is actually a superfood! It's rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, fibre, iron, calcium, magnesium and tons of other vitamins and minerals! 

The concept of chia pudding was introduced to me by the amazing Gena at Choosing Raw. 

You can see her original recipe here.

I veg-marenated (HA!)  Gena's pudding and made it more fresh and summery by adding fresh peach puree to the mix! 

YOU NEED: 


A Peach
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond milk
Vanilla extract (not optional)
Agave nectar (optional)

DO THIS:


Blend almond milk with peach, vanilla and agave.
Pour mixture onto chia seeds.
Let it sit for 30mins-1hr, stirring occasionally.

At first it will be really watery, but gradually the seeds will plump up.









You can keep this in the fridge overnight if you want, or just eat it with your fingers right out of the bowl. Whatever.

This works really well for breakfast, or as a snack. It's especially awesome for when you don't want to turn the oven on. Here I sprinkled a little pumpkin pie spice and extra agave. 

 YUM!

Alloy, Calgary

Hi there!

How are you?

I love your outfit.

I recently had a very satisfying dinner at Alloy. At first glance their menu seems very unvegan, but it just goes to show you that anything is possible if you just believe.

Or ask the waiter.

Vegetable Croquettes with Butter Lettuce. 

(I asked the waiter to hold the mint yoghurt) 

Not On The Menu: Stuffed Pepper 

Trio of Sorbets with Fresh Fruit and Coconut Reduction 

OM 

NOM 

NOM 

So You're Hungover...

We've all been there. Vegans are no exception.

You drank that whole bottle of 9$ Aussie Cab Sav.

You have work in the morning!!! 

You looked like this before you went out:

But now you look something like this: 

"uggghhhh"

What's a vegan to do? 

First things first, 

                          before you even go out: 

Fill up a big glass of water and put it beside your bed. You know your drinking tonight. You know you're going to finish the bottle of wine. Let sober you take care of drunk you. 

Next to this glass of water put a capsule of Milk Thistle. It helps your liver metabolize stuff. Show your liver some love!! 

Next to the Milk Thistle I strongly suggest putting some valerian root or other sleep aid. Quantity of sleep has sort of gone out the window at this point, so go for the quality.

When you get home, drink the whole thing of water, take the capsules, and pass the fuck out. (but don't forget to set your alarm!!) 

Zzzzzzzzz

WAKE UP, WAKE UP. 

Get your ass in the shower. Trust me, you look/smell like shit. 

If you took my advice, you should be feeling decently all right. 

Unless of course you let that rando buy you a tequila shot. 

Uh oh. 

Now it's time for Maren's  hungover smoothie! 

(originally posted on facebook)

Ingredients: 

Vega protein powder 

Almond milk 

Ground flax 

Banana 

Coffee 

Instructions:

Blend. 

Drink. 

BE PRODUCTIVE. 

WE ARE GETTING SO MUCH WORK DONE TODAY GUYS

All the alcohol you ingested the night before has made you one dehydrated acidic mess. You need to rehydrate, and alkalize. FAST. This smoothie is great for that, the vega is ridic alkaline and so is the almond milk, and the EFA's in the flax are anti-inflammatory and will help with the throbbing happening in your skull. 

However, the coffee is dehydrating and acidic, so moderation please people. I would suggest cutting it out completely, but let's get real. 

You are already late. 

If you are like me and you have a job that you can wear sweat pants too and people will just think that you had an early morning yoga class before work, put on your sweatpants. 

Fill up your water bottle, and put some Emergen-C in this water. 

Emergen-C has all the electrolytes you guys. 

ALL OF THEM. 

It also has 1000mg of vitamin C and lots of B-Vitamins for energy. 

It's also PH neutral so it won't make you any more acidic, and it also means it's safe to take up to 4 packets a day. 

Throw some in your purse, pet something really soft (like a kitten!) and then get ready for a full 8 hour shift of pretending to smile and reading the texts you sent last night. 

Vegan at an Omnivorous Brunch and BBQ

I Oh hi there!

I'm leaving very very soon.

My dad had a Bon Voyage party a little while ago for me and my brother, which included a brunch before hand.

The brunch was eggs benedict. Not. Vegan. So I had to improvise.

I toasted one of the english muffins for the benedict. I sauteed some mushrooms in garlic and olive oil, topped it with heirloom 'zebra' tomatoes and drizzled the whole thing with truffle oil. 

Yum! 

Later on at the BBQ I had 6 cups of Sangria and helped myself to the Vegan parts of the delicious spread. 

Image 1A

To all the people have asked me "But what do you eat" 

See image 1A. 

P.S.  I know via Blogger's 'stats' feature that between 50-100 of you creep my blog everyday but never, ever, comment. (Or perhaps just 1 of you 50-100 times) 

So I changed the comment settings so that you don't even have to sign up or log in! You can comment anonymously! 

So now you can be creepy and comment!!!!! 

Best of both worlds. 

MAREN's FAVOURITE THINGS!!! The shocking conclusion to the world wide phenomenon

Look under your seat.

Vegan portobello mushroom stacks. FOR EVVERRRYYOOOONNNEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo by Elysse Bell

This is the VegMareny version of a recipe out of the coup cookbook. 

This is really versatile and obviously very pretty. So it makes a really good thing to serve to skeptical omnivorous house quests.
This is more of a concept of things stacked on top of a portobello than an actual recipe. You can seriously use any vegan ingredient you want for any of these layers.

Really, anything. I won't tell anyone.

YOU NEED:

Portobello mushrooms
Balsamic vinegar

Any grain (I used forbidden rice, but quinoa works well too)
Tahini or other nut/seed butter. (It holds the grain together)
Spices (Choose your own adventure!!)

Sauteed Vegetables. Like spinach, tomatoes, and onions, for example.

Sprouts.

A Le Tigre album.

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: 


Put your grain in a rice maker. (or in a pot like a loser)
Start the album from the beginning, take a moment to appreciate how Kathleen Hanna revolutionized early 2000's riot grrrl dance music.
Dance until the grain is almost cooked.

Pan fry or BBQ the portobellos in olive oil and balsamic. In another pan, sauté your veggies, probably add some garlic, that would be tasty.

meanwhile 


Take the grain out of the cooker, mix in your spices, then add tahini until the grain sticks together.

Now the fun part:

When everything is hot and ready, find a container that is about the same size as your portobellos.
Layer your ingredients in the container in the opposite order you want them to be stacked.

Sprouts 

Veggies

Grain

ok?


Put your portobello on a plate and then flip the full container overtop of the portobello, so the layers are stacked beautifully on top of the mushroom.

If you mess it up, NOBODY PANIC. It will still be delicious and hey, even the mona lisa is falling apart.

On the rocks.

The rest of the favorite things posts are to come, I'm currently on a working bender so I don't have a lot of time.

When I come home from a long day of work and I'm tucking into an evening of sorting through 18 years of clutter-shit,

           I like to mix myself a nice stiff drink.

Of chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll is good for blood detoxification and is a digestive aid. Chlorophyll molecules are strikingly similar to human blood cells, so people with anemia can build their blood haemoglobin levels faster than taking iron alone.
It can detoxify cancer-causing toxins.
It can cure bad breath.
It is incredibly alkaline to the body.

It's some pretty special shit. 

Matcha is a ceremonial japanese tea, and a good source of chlorophyll, is a really nice afternoon pick-me-up.

For this drink I whisked up some strong matcha, added a teaspoon of Bernard Jenson's liquid chlorophyll (for an extra boost), a splash of coconut milk, vanilla extract and stirred it with a cinnamon stick. Bam. Cocktail.

MAREN'S FAVOURITE THINGS!!! (part two)

Hi there!

This is post two chronicling the photogenic and vegan dinner party that became known as "MY FAVOURITE THINGS" 

O!

Up today we have a really yummy summer appetizer.  

Photo by Elysse Bell

 This tapenade is delicious and comes together really quickly. It features fresh basil (from my garden, bitch)

We had it with fresh rosemary bread from sunterra and rice crisps, but it could be totally raw if you served it with raw vegetable crudites or raw crackers.

Photo by Elysse Bell

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED:

Sun-dried Tomatoes 

Black Olives 

Pumpkin Seeds 

Olive Oil 

Basil 

Garlic 

Friends to chop things for you 

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: 

Chop everything. 

Mix everything. 

Eat everything. 

Photo by Elysse Bell 

GROSS/INTERESTING FACT OF THE DAY: Olives, Pumpkin Seeds, and Garlic are all 'objectionable' to certain intestinal parasites. Most parasites are most vulnerable at the time of the full moon, because that is when they lay their eggs. 90% of people have intestinal parasites. 

SO! Not only is this tapenade delicious, if you eat it around the time of the full moon it kills worms. 

Take that intestinal parasites.

Get excited because it's MAREN'S FAVOURITE THINGS. (Part One)

EVERYBODY IS GETTING KIWI WINE SLUSHIES.

YES OH MY GOD
via google images

On Tuesday I had some of my best amigos over for some vegan noms, good conversation, and some re/upcycling (expect a post on that later). The guest list included my friend Elysse, who is amazing and talented and also has a blog that you should check out and comment on.

Elysse takes pictures, and they are really nice.

Photo By Elysse Bell

This was delicious, and so so so so so simple.

The idea sprouted from a fortunate misreading of a Facebook status, that sent me on a quest to create alcoholic freezies. It's august after all, and we are all adults here.

But in science 10 I learned that alcohol doesn't freeze, so I had to get creative.

I decided that the best part of the freezies is the melty part on the bottom.

I had some homemade kiwi sorbet in the freezer.

I got a litre of chardonnay for 17$

I have a blender.

PERFECT.

YOU GET A SLUSHIE

YES 

YOU GET A SLUSHIE 

OH MY GOD

Chocolate Ginger Tea

Hi there!
How are you?
Your hair looks so good today.

Let's make chocolate ginger tea.

YOU NEED:
Dark chocolate
Non dairy milk
Fresh ginger
Black tea
Hot water
A sense of adventure

HERE IS HOW YOU DO IT:
Melt chocolate in a double boiler
     meanwhile… 
Steep some really strong black tea (like tea espresso)

Mix melted chocolate with the non dairy milk, heat

Grate fresh ginger into the chocolate milk mixture, then add the steeped tea.

Top with cinnamon and garam masala

Pour into a thermos and go for a walk.

Or pour into a bowl and sit in your backyard

I love chocolate and ginger together.
What's your favourite unconventional flavour combination? 

Planning ahead pays off sometimes.

Do you like to plan ahead? I try to find the balance between planning ahead and being spontaneous.

Planning ahead pays off sometimes.

Like with cashew cheese! 

It's delicious! 

It's raw! 

It's vegan! 

It's actually super easy to make! 

You can spread it on toast: 

bread+toaster+cashew cheese 

You can make sun-dried tomato/basil 'rawpetizers'

cucumber+cashew cheese+fresh basil+sun-dried tomato 

Here is how you make it 

1. Get Raw Cashews

 (they really really have to be raw, I've tried this with roasted and it doesn't work)

2. Soak said Cashews in filtered water for at least 6 hours

(make sure the water covers all of them) 

2. Rinse off soaked cashews and put them in a magic bullet/blender with more water 

(put the least amount of water your blender can handle)

3. Blend baby, blend!

At this point you have two options: 

You make fermented cashew cheese 

Or you can make un-fermented cashew cheese

Can you handle making a decision of this magnitude? 

For Fermented Cheese 

I got this idea from Choosing Raw

4. Open and mix in a few probiotic capsules 

(This will help replenish your gut flora as well!)

yum 

5. Add some lemon juice to taste 

6. Put in a container with a few layers of cheesecloth not touching the bottom, and cover. Let it sit in the fridge for another 6 hours. (If you get a container with a really good lid, you can drape the cheesecloth over the edges and put the lid overtop)  

7.  Check on the Cheese after 6 hours, if the consistency is to your liking, take it out of the fridge. 

8. Put it in a clean mason jar 

9.  Put in a warm-but-not-too-warm, dark place. Leave it for another 6 hours. 

10. Spread on toast 

For Unfermented Cheese 

I got this idea from being too lazy to make fermented cheese

4. Blend in some miso and lemon/lime juice to taste 

5. Get fancy! Add fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, olives , garlic, whatever

6. Put in a container with a few layers of cheesecloth not touching the bottom, and cover. 

Let it sit in the fridge for another 6 hours 

7.  Check on the Cheese after 6 hours. 

If the consistency is to your liking, take it out of the cheesecloth and into a new container . 

8. Spread on toast 

You did a really good job! 

Way to go. 

You really are a wonderful person. 

Now, Make Breakfast stacks! 

bread+toaster 

basil(from your garden, bitch) 

tofu+balsamic+oil+frying pan 

tomato slices 

cashew cheese+olive oil+garlic+lemon juice

Or have a snack! 

rice cake+cashew cheese+chutney+garam masala

Seriously though, you should do all those things. It'll only be good for about a week in the fridge. 

Time in Melbourne: 9:49 AM tomorrow 

Cheese!

Cheese.

5 out of 6 of these 90's kids think its delicious. 

Unfortunately, It's also loaded with unhealthy saturated fats, cholesterol, and likely anti-biotics and growth hormones. 

So what's a vegan to do when she has gluten free noodles, some omnivorous and wheat challenged friends, and something to prove? 

Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese obviously. 

This was previously a secret recipe, but I'll reveal it in honour of my friend Blake, who doesn't believe it's possible.  I don't post measurements because I don't think they matter, do whatever you want. 

YOU NEED: 

Pasta (I used corn/quinoa elbows) 

Earth Balance, Coconut Oil or Olive Oil 

Nutritional Yeast

Miso Paste 

A Splash of non-dairy milk (I used hemp!) 

IF YOU ARE FEELING SPECIAL AND FANCY YOU WILL ALSO NEED: 

Pecans 

Cheddar Daiya Shreds 

Fresh Rosemary (from your garden, bitch) 

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: 

Cook Pasta 

Put and stir the remaining ingredients in a pot over medium heat in this order: oil, nooch, milk, miso. 

Ok? 

Stir it until you think it's probably stirred enough, and then stir it a little bit more. 

Hopefully by this time your pasta is cooked, and you've strained it and put it in a casserole dish. 

Put the sauce on the pasta. If you are feeling special and fancy, put the special fancy ingredients on now. 

Bake until the daiya is melty and the pecans are toasty. 

Or until whenever you feel like, really. 

You probably won't get food poisoning, its vegan after all.  

Eat. 

Sidenote: 

I did have pictures of this but they wen't mysteriously missing from my phone. 

Sawwy. 

If you want something to spread on bagels, my next post will be about Raw Cashew Cheese 

Time in Melbourne: 2:30pm Tomorrow  

Sun Tea

Today was dedicated to cleaning my room (with soap and everything!)
I seriously have so much clutter that I need to get rid of before I leave.

I decided to make Sun Tea to keep me motivated!

I added Orange Pekoe, Ginseng Tea and a Sprig of Rosemary from our garden. 

Then I covered the jug with a plate and put it in the sun. 

Top View! It's already working!

6 hours later and poured over ice. 

Time in Melbourne: 3:34 PM Tomorrow