Cookies N' Cream Milkshake

I love cookies n' cream ice cream. I used to read this blog called Chocolate Covered Katie that would have almost every recipe use her Vitamix, so I went back to it after I got mine. The reason I left it  was because the recipes looked beautiful but never came out tasting good. It was very...off. So I thought I'd give it a chance one more time. 

I looked up her ice cream recipes and it said to freeze almond milk in a shallow dish with a little sweetener, then pop the blocks in the vitamix and you will have ice cream. This is false information. This gives you an iced milk, which is extremely icy and doesn't even ball up and get creamy like ice cream.

I had to take matters into my own hands. I froze soy milk, coconut yogurt, boxed coconut milk, and agave in a glass ziploc dish. Two days later I popped that in my vitamix with a couple teaspoons of guar gum (a natural thickener) and it came out soooo good! It was definitely oh-my-gosh good. I added in 6 Peanut Butter Newman-O's to kick it into over drive. I could have just eaten it with a spoon, but Mr. Organnix wanted a milkshake, so I added in extra coconut milk and gave it a whirl. We both enjoyed our desserts with a straw and cookie on top. :)

I didn't measure out anything so I can't give you a recipe just yet. I will be making this again soon and adjusting things here and there, so a recipe is on it's way. I started this by trying to make vanilla ice cream...but then got all Nixie on it and turned it crazy. haha.

If you have a vitamix or ice cream maker, I would suggest having some fun and experimenting with different frozen milks! The experience and end product are very rewarding.

Question!
What is your favorite ice cream or milkshake flavor?

Banana Quinoa Breakfast

Tired of oatmeal and cereal for breakfast? Try this recipe for an interesting twist on porridge. If you're like me, you always make extra quinoa to have on hand. It's an easy ingredient to add onto any meal, from dinner to a lunch salad. Now it can star on it's own platform. 

Imagine a breakfast that you fall in love with over and over again. I have been making this since I found out about quinoa. The great thing about this meal is that you can use whatever fruit you have on hand. The reason why I'm posting about bananas is because I have found the texture matches perfectly along with the quinoa. You can smash the bananas in to make it extra sweet, or you can just slice them up and stir them in like I have here. Other variations include adding in raisins, roasted walnuts, or fresh berries. Imagine...Get Creative!

What You Need
Equal parts of:
cooked quinoa
non-dairy milk- unsweetened soy milk
I used one cup of each
agave nectar (to taste)-I used three tablespoons
sprinkle of sea salt

What You Do 
Heat milk and agave in a medium sized pot on medium-high until simmering. Add in quinoa and cook until most of the liquid is dissolved. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent agave from burning.

Pour into a bowl and place in your slices of bananas, or fresh fruit on hand. Stir in bananas, drizzle with agave, and sprinkle on some cinnamon.

Clean-up Tip: Place hot water and soap immediately in the pot when done to prevent the quinoa and sugar from sticking. 

Creative note [10/5/11] Today I added superfruit jam into my leftover porridge from yesterday. It turned the whole bowl a pretty purple and tastes amazing! No fresh fruit? Use Jam! 

Simple. Healthy. Delicious

Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Coconut Whipped Cream

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It is officially the month of pumpkins and I'm stoked. After waiting a year for the Dexter premiere, I wanted to celebrate in a sweet way: pumpkin pie. This is a rich, creamy, and decadent dessert that will be a perfect fit for your Thanksgiving Dinner...or tomorrows breakfast...or both. 

Every time Fall comes around I can't wait to get my hands on that Tofurky, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I dream up the old classics from when I was a kid and think of ways to veganize them so I can enjoy the holidays just as much as everybody else. I stock up on cans of organic pumpkin, flour, sugars, and boxed non-dairy milks to be able to make anything my imagination comes up with. Just this week I've used pumpkin in three recipes! My favorite so far though has to be this pie.

I've made pumpkin pie before but it has never been this good. With inspiration from other vegan recipes, I used raw soaked cashews and cream cheese to give this pie the decadent richness that it deserves. The cashews give it extra nutrients while supplying the creaminess a pie needs. This may take a bit more work than the simple pudding-style pies but it is totally worth the end product.

Pumpkin Pie- Makes 1
What You Need
15 oz (almost 2 cups) of organic pumpkin-I used organic pumpkin from Trader Joe's
3/4 cups Organic Sugar
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves)
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup Soaked Raw Cashews, ground into a paste, packed into measuring cups
4 oz Tofutti Non-hydrogenated cream cheese- half a container
1/8 cup Orange Juice, freshly squeezed

Crust
1 Cup Cinnamon Cookies or Graham Crackers, crushed into a powder- I use Trader Joe's Cinnamon School Book Cookies
3 T Earth Balance

Coconut Whipped Cream
2 cans Coconut Milk, refrigerated overnight
1/2 cup Organic Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract


Hand Beater
Pie Pan

What You Do

Use a food processor or single auger juicer to process your raw cashews into a creamy sauce. Add cream cheese to it and lightly mix. Use hand beater and slowly mix in pumpkin, sugar, orange juice, and spices. Make sure you have it on low so the sugar doesn't get sprayed out onto the counter! Now process through your juicer to make into a smooth pie filling, or place in a food processor to do the same. 

For the crust, melt earth balance and mix into 1 cup powdered cookies or grahams. I like to use my hands for this one. If you like your crust thicker, use more powdered cookies and earth balance. I process mine through my juicer (aka food processor). Place into pie pan and cook at 375* for 5 minutes.

Take crust out of oven and pour pie filling into pan. Cook at 375* for 30 minutes. After cooked, place in fridge for two hours to firm up. 

For the coconut whipped cream: Take cans out from the fridge and carefully scoop off the top block of thick cream. Do not use any of the liquid in the cans. Store this for later use in creative recipes, like coconut tofu or soup. Place the cream in a bowl and slowly add in powdered sugar, on low speed with the hand beater. Add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and blend on high until fluffy, about 5-10 minutes. To get maximum air into the cream, go up and down with the beaters. 

After pie is firm, dollop as much whipped cream as you like on top. Sprinkle cinnamon for a pretty look and welcome your taste buds to heaven! 

On the side I like to have a glass of coconut milk (not the canned type) with a sprinkle of cinnamon.