Vegan 'Nutella' Recipe

One thing I really miss is Nutella. There is a super soft squishy place in my heart for overly sugary not nearly as nutritious as it claims hazelnut spread, and it is extremely hard for me to fight off the cravings - especially when my husband sneaks it into the house. Even though it is on a shelf above my head, it is as if I can sense its presence there. Then I indulge and end up regretting it. "Enough is enough!" I said to myself. There has to be an attainable substitute that I can eat! Has to be, has to be! And there is! Actually there are several, but many require that you roast and hand-peel and kill your blender blending your own hazelnuts. I don't have the energy for such an undertaking (however, if someone else wanted to make me a chocolate hazelnut spread with freshly blended hazelnuts I wouldn't object!) so I found one that uses pre-fab hazelnut butter as it's base. For the original recipe, please see Seitan is my Motor.

I worked around what I had in the house at the time to make a chocolate hazelnut spread that I think tastes like a combination of a Bueno bar and the Mayan Chocolate Häagen-Dazs flavor ice cream. With my changes, the recipe looks something like this:

Per 1/2 cup hazelnut butter (the all-natural, no preservatives kind):

• 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder, to taste (I used Fry's Premium Cocoa)
• 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (you can also make a simple syrup with unrefined cane sugar or use agave nectar or honey)
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (for richness and depth)
• 2-3 tablespoons rice milk

You can also add a pinch of salt for a more salty/sweet combination. If your hazelnut butter is not very oily, you can add a little bit of oil to help it stay spreadable. The recipe I followed suggested Canola oil. You can really play around with the ingredients to make it individual to your taste. It is good hot or cold, and is actually nutritious enough to be a believable breakfast item, and delicious enough to amaze you every time you eat it.

I make it in very small batches so I don't just sit there with a bucket and a spoon and go to town. Good luck experimenting! Next time I may try spicing it with chili to give it a bit of a kick!

Apologies, this blog post is unedited because life is kicking my butt.

Special thanks to author of blog Seitan is my Motor. Your recipes warm my heart.

Saturday Brunch

Went out for brunch with a good (coincedentally, vegan) friend of mine. She suggested this place: Fresh. It was an amazing experience. I have never had vegan food verging on the gourmet level; normally I am not inclined to spend 20$+ per meal, but this was worth every penny. It was so relaxing for me to walk into a restaurant and know that pretty much anything on the menu I can eat. Their staff are also super helpful, polite, and accomodating. They seem more than willing to subtract and make substitutions to fit their customers more individual needs.

Even though we both went in ar

ound breakfast time, we were both quickly lured away from the tinier 'brunchfast' menu (although next time I have sworn to go back for their vegan pancakes with organic dark maple syrup) towards the fairly large, extremely appetizing, completely digestible regular menu. We both ended up getting veggie burgers, mine a mushroom and onion burger, hers a BBQ onion ring burger (I know, imagine! Still vegan!) That is one thing I really want to mention, because we both agreed they were probably the star of the brunch. I love onion rings, and until last Saturday I hadn't had an onion ring in over two years at least. These giant onion rings (coupled with the amazing garlicky vegan house mayonnaise) are

some of the best onion rings I have ever had. The inside onion is soft and sweet, and the outside crust of crushed quinoa managed to retain a remarkable amount of crispness during whatever healthier frying option they opted for. Crushed quinoa crust, what a revelation! I would never have im

agined the combination could work so well, or even

resemble an onion ring, let alone be incredible tasty. They are healthy and filling, and a good cheaper option for a quick vegan lunch. We also sampled an order of their sweet potato fries (with the same house mayo) which were an easy runner up. And I would be amiss if I didn't fondly mention my tiny expensive glass of fresh watermelon juice. Absolutely delicious.

As for my burger, and I won't speak for hers (although

I know it was a bit messy, she had a tough time wrestling it into her mouth), when I order a veggie burger what I really, really want is something that reminds me of the burgers I used to eat, a patty with the same flavors and texture of a beef patty (a good example, the Lick's Nature Burger patties) . Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise. I am a traditionalist when it comes to my veggie burgers; I desperately want that food memory to live on, and when it's not delivered, no matter how good the dish is, I leave slightly disappointed. This was unfortunately one of the more disappointing ones. It was a more literal 'vegetable' 'patty', a patty made up of identifiable vegetables. First of all

I find their texture doesn't hold up as well in a burger setting; they tend to be drier and crumblier. Second of all, this time in particular, the Mediterranean style seasonings inside the patty overwhelmed what was su

pposed to be a more traditional mushroom and onion burger. Also, the veggie cheese? Do NOT get the veggie cheese. It's expensive and they promote it and say it is "comparable" BUT IT IS NOT. It is nothing like

cheese, chalky and bland, and it doesn't melt when confronted with the high temperatures within a burger.

Even though the main course was a bit of a let down, I would gladly try this restaurant again, and again! My lovely friend and I already have plans to go together once a month, determined to try something new every time. I have already made a promise, next time pancakes! Dark maple syrup! Heaven.

if you are local, this is where it is:

Apologies, this post is unedited.

Sweets from the Earth, Spiced Carrot Cake

I was first introduced to Sweets from the Earth's cakes at my wonderful aunt's house. My parents were in from out of town and we had all gathered there for dinner (my aunt and uncle's house is bigger, so they normally stay there) and she bought two of these for me, and for other people's enjoyment as well, so I would have something delicious for dessert too; and delicious they are!

Before I go any farther, I am going to start something in these entries from now on called the "Husband Stamp of Approval". What this really means is a product with my husband's approval is "Regular People Friendly". Not that we don't like regular people, we love regular people! There is nothing wrong with people without our particular dietary restrictions, sometimes we even marry them! I want everyone to understand what I mean when I give a product the Husband Stamp of Approval; my husband has systematically rejected 95% of all the amazing vegan/vegetarian/Erin's-tummy-friendly products I have discovered over the years. So, these stamped products are 100% safe to serve to absolutely anyone.

Needless to say, this product has the Husband Stamp of Approval. We tried the spiced carrot cake with 'cream cheese' icing (photo above, sorry for the glare ) and their chocolate cake too. My aunt let us take the leftovers home and my husband and I spent the following week stuffing our faces. Of the two varieties I have tried, my favorite is hands down the carrot cake. This comes from a chocolate lover; one of my favorite cakes is my grandmother's dairy free chocolate "Cockeyed" cake, but I have an even longer history of being deeply in love with carrot cake. (FYI, My wedding cake was carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing [not vegan]). This is one of the best store bought carrot cakes I have ever tried, forgetting the fact that it is vegan. The fact that it is vegan only endears it to me further, because I can eat half of one when a craving hits without 'emergency-room-worthy' consequences (lesser consequences are inescapable; enough of any kind of carrot cake will inevitably go to your thighs, vegan or not - you just have to eat more). My husband agrees - about how delicious it is, not that it's going to my thighs. The only downside to indulging in these delicious desserts is that they do break the bank. The tinier versions of the cakes my aunt bought run at about 12$ a pop, which leads me to believe that my aunt really really loves me.

The packaging boasts: Sweet. Natural. Sinfully Delicious. All natural 100% vegan, dairy & egg free, peanut & nut free, cholesterol free, lactose free, 0 trans fat, low in saturated fat, no refined sugars, GMO free, no preservatives, nothing artificial. The genius behind the sweets writes, "As a pastry chef, I love decadent desserts. Having been a lifelong vegetarian, my dessert choices were suddenly limited by my decision to embrace a healthier vegan lifestyle. Unwilling to give up treats, I combined both passions and Sweets from the Earth was born. Using only the finest, all-natural 100% plant-based ingredients, our original recipes are handmade with care. Our delicious desserts are a healthier indulgence, because life is sweetest when you can have your cake and eat it too."

Ingredients (Spiced Carrot Cake): Organic carrots, organic evaporated cane juice, organic unbleached wheat flour, water, sunflower oil, non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese (water, expeller pressed oils [soybean, palm fruit, olive], maltodextrin, soy protein, tofu, non dairy lactic acid, organic sugar, natural gums [locust bean, guar, cellulose, xantham and carrageenan], veg mono and diglycerides, salt}, organic tofu, organic flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sea salt, vanilla bean seeds. Baked in a dairy, egg. peanut and nut free facility.

Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

This is probably the best ice cream I have ever had, which is impressive because it isn't actually 'ice cream'! All their products are coconut milk based; it's a revelation! The Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Naked Coconut flavor is what coconut heaven must be like, and it is remarkably creamy while remaining much lighter than any other frozen dessert I have ever tried. It also doesn't coat your mouth the same way dairy ice cream or frozen yogurt does. It is naturally sweet without any artificial flavoring, and it is sweetened with agave syrup. I have made it my personal mission in life to try all their flavors. There are also other coconut milk based brands available, like So Delicious. Guess what I am trying next.

It is as healthy as it is delicious. Per 1/2 cup there are 220 calories, 16g of of fat (14g saturated, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 10mg of sodium, 3g of fiber, 12g of sugar and 2g of protein. Just look how short the ingredients list is!

Ingredients: Organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water, guar gum). organic agave syrup, organic dried coconut, organic coconut extract, organic fair trade vanilla extract.

Apologies, this entry is unedited. It's been a rough week. Next time: tastiest store bought vegan cake ever, thanks to my wonderful supportive aunt.

Amy’s Cheeseless Frozen Pizza

I tried Amy's brand frozen cheeseless pizza earlier this week, and I really enjoyed it. After a hard week/weekend, I splurged at the Carrot Common on Monday and decided to give it a try. I had been hearing it praised frequently during the past couple of weeks anyway, and I do have a food blog to maintain and everything.

It is the perfect option for when I am too tired to cook or would rather spend the energy elsewhere, or for when my husband has a WoW raid night. It is super easy, cooks quickly, and is super delish! Considering the crust has no eggs or dairy in it, I marvel at how they make it so convincingly frozen pizza crust-like. If I were to close my eyes and take a bite, I probably wouldn't know the difference; the texture is spot on, and the taste too. Deceivingly buttery with just enough flaky crunchiness and just enough chew. I personally find this particular flavor a little too sweet for me; they use sweet onions, red peppers and shiitake mushrooms, all of which, when mixed together without the tartness and acidity of a stringy mozzarella cheese, is just a bit too sweet, in my humble opinion. Heck, maybe you like it that way! You're in luck! That being said, the flavor was definitely tasty, the seasoning was good too (not too salty, not too bland) and the mushrooms were an added treat. They give the toppings more substance, and and I am of the persuasion the more mushrooms the better.

The packaging states, for anyone with relevant food allergies, that Amy's Kitchen does not use any peanuts, fish, shellfish or eggs in their recipes. Per 1/3 of their cheeseless pizza (2 slices) there are 270 calories, 9g of fat (1.5g saturated, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 490mg of sodium, 2g of fiber, 5g of sugar and 6g of protein.

After such a success with this flavor, maybe I will be brave enough to try their pizza with soy cheese!

Ingredients (Vegan): Organic wheat flour with organic oat bran and wheat germ, organic onions, filtered water, artichokes, extra virgin olive oil, organic roasted red peppers, organic tomatoes, organic shiitake mushrooms, organic agave nectar, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, expeller pressed safflower oil, organic garlic, organic lemon juice, yeast, spices. Contains wheat.

Individuals with Food Allergies: This product is manufactured in a facility that processes foods containing wheat, milk, soy, tree nuts and seeds. Amy's Kitchen does not use any peanuts, fish, shellfish or eggs.

A Chip Substitute Comparison: Rice Works vs Popchips

So now that I have cookies covered for the most part, I was thinking (possibly out loud) that it would be great to have a good chip option for when I am in a salty savory mood (I am known to get those every now and then, especially on Friday nights). Since then, my amazing husband has managed to find me not one, but two amazing options, and they both taste great. Since there is a "vs" in the title, I have turned it into a bit of a competition. There can be only one, so let's review the facts.

Let's begin with Riceworks, it was the first one that I tried. If a bag of Doritos had a baby with a bag of rice crackers, I imagine something very similar might emerge. They are very crunchy, and they have the tendency to stick in your teeth the same way rice cakes or rice crackers do. They have two flavors that I have seen here, Salsa Fresco and Sea Salt, but their site boasts more. A big plus is that they seem to be everywhere overnight. They are in the snack stall in the lobby at my work! In the pharmacy checkout line! The corner store! Not that I don't love my health food stores, but it's not always convenient for me to drop everything and run to Kensington Market when I have a craving. This means that it is easily accessible. Everyone can have healthy chips! And they are very, very healthy. Their packaging reads: Wheat and gluten free, vegan* and Celiac friendly, low in saturated fat, natural brown rice (18g whole grain per 40g serving), no artificial flavors, no cholesterol, no trans fat. Per 15 chips (although I know no one is counting while snarfing) there are 190 calories, 9g of fat (only 1g is saturated fat, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 26g carbs, 2g of fiber, 1g of sugar and 3g of protein.

Ingredients: Whole grain brown rice, rice flour, masa corn flour, safflower oil and/or sunflower oil and/or canola oil, sesame seeds, rice starch, dehydrated vegetables (tomato, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsely, cilantro), salt, maltodextrin, spices, sodium diacetate, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, jalapeno, citric acid, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, natural flavour, lactic acid, extractives of paprika, natural caramel colour, silicon dioxide and calcium stearate (anti-caking agents).

* I see a 'Parmesan Cheese' flavor on their website, so I am not sure if it is a simulated cheese flavor or if it actually contains cheese. If you are a vegan, please check the ingredients list before you start snacking!

Popchips came to me a week later, so needless to say I feel completely spoiled with chips. I've been jamming these in my face the whole time I've been writing (for research purposes, of course) and they are like eating BBQ flavored air. Delicious, delicious air. However, as yummy as they are, the packaging warns that people who are allergic to soy and to milk should avoid, and it has also been made on equipment shared with wheat. Now, because I am very dense, at first I couldn't figure out why milk allergies would be triggered, but I have since figured out that, taking a hint from little miss Muffet, it's the Whey, aka Milk Plasma, the liquid that remains after they made cheese, that they use in the BBQ seasoning (this might not be the case for all of the flavors) I have not seen these in any stores yet, we ordered them online through Grocery Gateway (they may sell them at the Longos chain stores, because that is where GG gets their food from). These are also self-proclaimed healthy snack. The package reads: Natural ingredients, no preservatives, no artificial flavours or colours, no cholesterol, no trans fat, "We don't fry (unhealthy). We don't bake it (undelicious). We start with the finest ingredients, apply heat and pressure, and pop!". Per 27 chips (40g serving) there are 180 calories, 6g of fat (o.5g saturated fat, no trans fat), no cholesterol, 360mg sodium (ouch!), 29g carbs, 2g of fiber, 3g of sugar, and 1g of protein.

Ingredients: potato ingredients (potato flour, potato starch), safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, barbeque seasoning (sugar, whey, onion and garlic powder, salt, torula yeast, brown sugar, tomato powder, yeast extract, spices, natural flavours, natural smoke flavour, citric acid* [acidulant], paprika extract* [color]), rice flour, salt, soy lecithin* (processing aid).

*naturally sourced

ALLERGEN: Milk, Soy

MADE ON EQUIPMENT SHARED WITH WHEAT

The verdicts are in! Both these chips are winners in my books, but for different reasons. The healthiest I believe is the Riceworks, and they don't compromise on flavor either, which is really important to me. I don't believe that healthier products should have to taste less yummy, and luckily, neither do they! Riceworks chips would also be able to stand up to a dip or salsa, their texture is more suited to it. Popchips, on the other hand, is the tastier of the two (if crack were a chip) in my humble opinion. The texture is light and fluffy and their BBQ flavor is outrageously good. However, not as many dietary minorities can enjoy them, and that chagrins my enjoyment just a tiny bit too. I also can't eat as many of these at a time because of some of the ingredients. Although they are delish all by themselves I don't think they could stand up to a dip because of their more delicate texture.

Drumrolls please! The winner is.... Riceworks! They have it all. Everyone should go out and buy a bag for their local corner store to show that there is a definite demand for these products in regular stores not just in specialty ones!

"Pur" Gum - Sugar-Free and Aspartame-Free

I have never been a huge gum chewer. I suffer from TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder)which makes chewing gum, among other things, very complicated and painful. The farthest I normally get into any given piece of gum is chewing it just long enough to dissolve the crunchy flavorful outer layer, probably in an emergency effort to get rid of garlic breath. As a general rule, on top of avoiding regular white processed sugar I also avoid the "Diet" fad sugar substitutes, most notoriously Aspartame. Whereas the FDA claims that it is safe for human consumption (a verdict of which I am not thoroughly convinced) it is one of the many things that can cause the pain in my body to increase*. Therefore, my last piece of regular chewing gum was... maybe six months ago? And before that? Maybe another couple of months before, and I must have been pretty desperate, too.

So, why am I posting about this gum, you ask? Good question. The truth is, I am happy to have the option. Also due to sugar and sugar substitutes a lot of candies and breath mints are a no-go for me as well, so it really makes me happy to finally have something stashed in my knapsack for bad breath emergencies. It is Swiss made, and they are proud of it (it is written several times on the tiny package - exhibit A, tiny white cross, bottom right corner) and it has a really short ingredient list, which always makes me smile. It only takes up one line on the packaging! It may have the shortest one I have written up yet.

Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base, natural flavors, gum arabic, white tea extract, carnauba wax, tocopherols.

*For more information about how Aspartame can affect Fibromyalgia pain levels please see the study I have linked to on the My Personal Restrictions page.

Also, for anyone who is Diabetic please read http://www.aspartame.org/aspartame_faq7.html#22 (a pro aspartame visa-vi Diabetes piece) http://www.dorway.com/betty/diabetes.html (an anti-aspartame visa-vi Diabetes piece) Please do the research, consult your physician - make informed dietary decisions.