Foodie Friday : Chocolate mint cookies

Step into the Real Swanky kitchen this Foodie Friday for the super easy recipe of these chocolate mint cookies!

Yields approx. 2 dozen

Ingredients I

1/2 cup vegan butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Ingredients II

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tbsp almond milk

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

1/3 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

In your mixer, cream together butter and powdered sugar for a few minutes, until fluffy.

Add in all of Ingredients II and continue to mix until a thick dough is sorted out.

Shape into a disc and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Dust some flour on your table.  Roll out to about 1/8" in thickness. I patted the dough down with my hands first, then finished rolling with a non stick rolling pin.

Use a little glass or biscuit cutter to get roughly 2 dozen cookies cut out. Bake for 10 minutes on the button, and place on a cooling rack when done. 

Top with ganache if you like. I've been a fan of VeganBaking's recipe for a minute.

Keep in the fridge or freezer in a zip bag or cookie tin 'til they're gone.

Foodie Friday : Fried Pickles!

The best part about having pregnant pals is having people to regularly snack with. It was Canada Day in the Great White North not long ago, my pal Amanda of Siver Moose Arts and I hit Osborne Village for Streetfest and experienced all sorts of walking, talking, laughing and grumbly stomachs. Amanda also experienced "frickles", which are cheesy, eggy deep fried pickles that I haven't had in a minute. Our evening ended some early. I worked on the Etsy shop, pet two VIP bunnies, then made the greasiest decision of my long weekend. This recipe makes about 20 little "coins" - don't let the guilty-of-being-hungry photo fool you.

Ingredients I - Batter
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp lemon juice

Ingredients II - Dry
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp white flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Massive pinch of salt

Dill pickles - sliced or quartered

Oil for frying

I used a tiny vintage enameled cast iron pan and filled with 1/4" oil. Turn your stovetop up to medium high (I hit mine up to 5/7)

Combine Ingredients I in a cereal bowl, let sit for five minutes. 

In a separate, small bowl, combine all of Ingredients II.

Cut pickles. Be extra sure to dry them on paper towels! Ever had an oil burn? Ever struggle to sound like that resulting scar tissue was from something way cooler? Dry the pickles up good. Toss them in the bowl of batter, which is acting as your buttermilk, with one hand. Drop in your bowl of dry starch, and mix with your other, clean hand.

Slowly slide them pickles in the hot oil. I fried mine for about 2 minutes per side. These little dandies are done when golden brown. Place on a plate with newspaper to get some of that grease outta there.

Eat 'em up with spicy mayo, ranch, etc. Essentially, any of Follow Your Heart's dressings will do the job JUST fine.

Need a dip quick? Mix up 2 tbsp vegan mayo + 1 tsp Sriracha and thank me later.

Find more recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Fish tacos

Vegan friendly fish tacos fresh from the Real Swanky kitchen. Follow Caitlin as she guides you through a quick, easy, adaptable recipe this Foodie Friday! Shallow fried tofu, coated in English-style fish + chip batter, on a bed of red cabbage, freshly chopped cilantro and a spicy mayo. Plant based fish tacos, enough to feed a Canadian army of 2.

Yields: 6 fish tacos - though this recipe is easy to half or double!

Ingredients I : The Batter

1/2 cup Fish and Chips batter

1/4 cup ice cold water

1 ice cube

Ingredients II : The Tofu-Fish

1/2 block extra firm tofu, cut into triangles, strips or torn into bite-size chunks

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp old bay seasoning

Ingredients III : The Toppings

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Ingredients IV : The Sauce

3 tbsp dairy free mayo

1 tsp lime juice

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Considerably Optional

- Sliced avocado

- Chopped tomatos

- Skip the spicy sauce and go straight for mayo

- Finely chopped pickles

Did you know a ton of fish + chip battermixes are vegan friendly? They're primarily a flour of sorts (wheat, corn, rice, etc) in which you mix 2/3 cup of ice cold water to every 1 cup of batter mix. 

To start on Ingredients I, I often muck about with the batter mix directions and do 1/4 cup ice cold water to 1/2 cup batter mixture plus an ice cube. This does the trick wonderfully for half a block of extra firm tofu, or about 1 cup of dunkable proteins/vegetables. My favourite is the Club House brand.

For Ingredients II, slice/tear up your tofu or protein source, and throw it in a zip baggy with the lemon juice and old bay seasoning. Pop in the fridge while you prep your other toppings.

Prep Ingredients III, by thinly slicing your red cabbage and chopping up your cilantro.

Sort out your sauce. Add all of Ingredients IV together and stir well. Taste test for seasonings. Add in a little extra spices, mayo, garlic or lime juice if needed! 

Get ready to shallow fry your tofu. In a 6-8" non stick pan, place about 1/8"-1/4" oil in your pan and turn onto medium-high. 

Wait about 2 minutes for the oil to heat up. In the meantime, roll your marinaded tofu in your batter mixture (Ingredients I). 

Place a small piece of your battered tofu in the centre of the pan. In a moment or two you should hear some satisfying ttszzzz sizzling action.

Shallow fry on each side for a few minutes, or until each side is a crunchy golden brown.

Assemble your tacos - I start with the red cabbage, add cilantro, the fish, and drizzle with sauce. If you'd like, add some sliced avocado or a bit of habanero sauce!

 Find more rad recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday ft Peanut Curry

Foodie Friday with Caitlin of Real Swanky! Today in Caitlin's kitchen, we whip up a rich, peanutty massaman curry served with rice and garnished with peanuts. Vegan friendly, gluten-free friendly, and can be easily subbed with ingredients of your choosing to be mindful of likes/dislikes/allergens, etc. Enjoy!

A rich, nutty curry with a slight bit of heat to it. I served mine over rice with a peanut garnish. If you've ever stepped foot down the ethnic aisle at your grocer I'm sure you've seen Cock Brand canned and bottled goods. The little rooster logo isn't quick to miss, and the items are always very reasonably priced. Here are just a few familiar items. The curry pastes are my FAVOURITE and set me back a toonie at the best of times. They last ages and refuse to expire, really. I highly recommend 'em. On to the recipe.

*If serving with rice, get started on this now before prepping your curry.

Ingredients I

4 cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

Ingredients II

1/2 white onion

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 tbsp curry paste (I used this brand) or to taste

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp lemon grass

2 tsp vegan fish sauce or Kikkoman soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp course black pepper

(Toast all of Ingredients I in a frying pan on medium for 3-5 minutes. Place in a coffee grinder/mortar and pestel until ground to a dust then place Ingredients II and grind to a paste.)

Ingredients III

1 can coconut milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

Place all Ingredients I, II, and III in a small pot and stick on medium high. Allow this to come to a boil for a few minutes, than simmer on low to thicken.

Bring to a boil 2 cups of vegetables. I used: potatoes, broccoli and onions. Boil until fairly tender with a slight bit of crunch. 

Place the vegetables in the simmering curry and stir well.

Serve with rice. Top with peanuts.

Find more rad recipes over at Caitlin's blog, The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Creamy tomato dill soup

Kill this with a grilled cheese. 

Recipe by Caitlin of Real Swanky.

Serves 4-6

10 medium tomatoes, halved
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
6-7 cups water/vegetable stock
Salt + Pepper to taste

Optional - croutons, crackers, etc.

Preheat oven to 350F for roasting tomatoes. 
First off, boil some water and throw those cashews in the pot. Boil them for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, let these soak in cold water overnight. Either which way, throw these fellas in a blender/food processor with 1 cup water (I used a Magic Bullet) and blend til creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish, and drizzle with the 3 tbsp olive oil. Roast for an hour.

In a small soup pot, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil and the onion. Lightly sautee for 6-8 minutes, until soft. Turn down the heat as you throw in the tomatoes, the cashew cream and the water (start with 6 cups, add the remaining to thin out if desired), and use an immersion blender/boat motor and blend until smooth. I didn't strain mine, though you certainly can.

Turn the heat back up a little, and add in your nutritional yeast, optional salt and pepper, and the dill. Heat through, stir well and top with croutons before gorging.

Find additional recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks

Happy Foodie Friday! Brought to you by Caitlin of Real Swanky, this recipe is somethin' special alright.

Made from massive mushroom caps, this meal for two whips up in a jiffy for under five bucks. I pulled flavours from some interesting sources to embody a juicy, mock-beef taste.

Mushrooms are sliced as wide as your pinky finger, about 3/8", and marinaded in a slight bit of garlic, oregano, ground coriander, and the not-really secret ingredient: hoisin sauce.

A green bell pepper and a small white onion are marinaded in a shot of oil and balsamic vinegar to take the bite off.

Ingredients I // The "meat"

4 portobello mushroom caps

1/3 cup vegetable stock or water

1 tbsp Kikoman soy sauce

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 heaping teaspoon hoisin sauce

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper

-- 2 tsp flour, set aside

Ingredients II // Peppers + Onions

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 white onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp  pepper

Ingredients III // Cheese sauce (optional)

2/3 cup cheese alternative (I used Follow Your Heart mozzarella style shreds)

1/3 cup soy milk

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

A few buns, rolls, sub buns, etc. 

(I used a 12" submarine bun, sliced in half and toasted.)

Be sure to read the directions over beforehand, I've set them in a particular order so there's no time wasted and you can get these on a plate post-haste! Essentially, you will slice and marinade your mushrooms, slice and marinade your peppers/onions. Create the cheese sauce while these marinade. You'll then fry up your peppers/onions in one pan, your gently squeezed steaks in another.

Start by prepping the mushroom steaks. Flip the mushroom caps over, use a spoon and scrape the, ugh, gills out. (This is without a doubt the most irrational dislike I have for any vegetable.) Pop the stems of and quarter them, no use in wasting those! Awful mushroom lashes, however... :)

...Place all of Ingredients I - minus the flour - in a large, non-reactive bowl and cover tightly with cling wrap. Give the bowl a good few shakes to get the marinade evenly displaced. Set aside / place in fridge. The flour will be added in later, to just the marinade, so hang tight.

Next, slice up vegetables in Ingredients II and place in a small non-reactive bowl. Add in remaining ingredients in this batch. Cover tightly with cling wrap. Give the bowl a good few shakes to get the marinade evenly displaced. Set aside / place in fridge.

Let the two bowls sit in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. 

In this time, prep the optional cheese sauce. Place all ingredients, except the flour, in a small pot or pan. Cook on medium-low until bubbling. Add in flour. Whisk and whisk until flour is incorporated into cheese sauce. Continue cooking on medium low, taste test to ensure flour is cooked out (this takes about a minute). Once cheese sauce is ready, place in a small bowl.

Turn your stovetop onto medium-high. Pour peppers and onions into your non-stick pan or skillet. 

Do the same in another non-stick pan or skillet for the mushroom steaks. However, be sure to give the mushrooms a slight squeeze and let the juice fall back into the bowl they marinaded in. 

I cooked both the veg + the mushroom steaks for about 7 minutes. Toward the tail end of this 7 minutes, whisk the 2 tsp flour from Ingredients I into that bowl of mushroom steak "au jus". Once there are no more lumps, pour into the pan of mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms no longer look floury/cloudy and have a bit of a gloss to them.

Toast your rolls if you like. Place the mushroom steaks on first, followed by the peppers/onions, and top with optional cheese sauce.

Enjoy more recipes over at Caitlin's blog, The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Slow Cooker Borscht for 2-4

Excellent for your 2qt slow cooker, and serves 2-4 for about $2! Recipe by Caitlin of Real Swanky.

Ingredients
1 large beet (yielding approximately 1 1/2 cups), peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes or shredded
1 small onion (yielding approximately 3/4 cups), chopped
2 potatoes (yielding approximately 1 1/2 cups), chopped
1 cup cabbage, shredded
2 tbsp fresh dill
1 1/2 cups water + pinch of salt or vegetable broth

Place all ingredients in your slow cooker on high for 4 1/2 hours, or, on low for 8 1/2 hours. Taste test to ensure the beets are soft yet a little firm, and no longer crunchy.

Optional: Place 1/3 to half of the solid ingredients in a blender with a small scoop of the brother. Blend. For a bisque, blend all until smooth.

Optional: top with a variety of garnishes such as dairy free sour cream, cashew cream, lemon juice, vineagar, more fresh dill, etc!

Find more recipes on Caitlin's blog,

The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : Spicy white bean + coconut soup

Via Caitlin over at Real Swanky, Enough to feed an army (..of 10) and not so bad with buttered bread. Hearty, spicy, filling and creamy. Let this simmer for at least 25 minutes for the lentils and beans to taste extra buttery and smooth.

Ingredients I
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp curry powder (I used India Spice House house brand)
2 tbsp powdered vegetable stock

Ingredients II
1 small can tomato paste or 3 diced roma tomatoes 
8 cups water
1 can premium coconut milk
3 cups red lentils
1 can white navy beans 
2 tbsp white sugar

In a large soup pot, pour in your oil. Once hot, add in the remainder of Ingredients I. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in Ingredients II, and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Stir to ensure lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pan, then bring down to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Should the soup come off as too spicy, add in white sugar or lime juice to tame the spiciness.

See more recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : veggie meatballs - great for pasta, potatoes,subs and more!

Recipe from Caitlin, over at Real Swanky!

Baked veggie-based meatballs that hold their form! Finally. Made up of tofu, TVP, vital wheat gluten and a whole heap of spices, these bake up in under 20 minutes with 10 minutes prep time. Because of the hearty amount of spices and small amounts of typical "binders" and meat-substitute staples, you don't get the overwhelming amount of tofu / TVP / wheat gluten which is a welcome change. Don't be overwhelmed by the ingredients list - a huge part of the list is spices. Add your favourite spices if these seem too 'Italian' for you. Try Cajun themed, garlic and onion based, and so on. Allowing these to cool for about 5 minutes will yield a firmer meatball. 

Upon calculating the grand total for this recipe, I found this entire recipe to cost me approximately $3.20 - right on!

For storage: Freeze, refrigerate, or eat 'em in a worrisome hurry - it's up to you. To re-heat: bake, fry, or nuke 'em.

This batch makes 25-30, depending on the size. I used a heaping teaspoon of the mixture for mine and got 26.

This recipe takes 1 bowl, a few spoons and a food processor. Not bad! Reserve the extra tomato paste from this recipe and check out my recipe for Meatball Subs here.

Ingredients I

4 oz extra firm tofu (1/2 cup, or, 1/3 package of Sunrise Extra Firm Tofu)

½ onion

¼ cup sunflower seeds (use any kind: raw, roasted, salted, unsalted..)

Ingredients II

¾ cup TVP

1 tsp garlic (freshly minced or jarred)

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

½ cup nutritional yeast flakes

¼ cup panko

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp BBQ sauce

1 tbsp vegetable stock powder

1 ½ tsp basil

1 ½ tsp oregano

1 ½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp hot chili flakes

¾ tsp fennel seed

¾ tsp mustard powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients III

6 tbsp vital wheat gluten

2-4 tbsp water, reserved

In a food processor, place all of Ingredients I in and select the "chop" function (anything but puree/mince will do). The mixture should resemble something like this:

Next, place this mixture in a bowl and add in Ingredients II. Mix this up a heap until well-combined, and taste test for spices. Add in salt and pepper to your liking. I used 1/2 tsp salt and a big pinch of pepper.

Lastly, add in the vital wheat gluten and stir up until the mixture is good and firm, able to be rolled into balls. Should this mixture be a little dry, add the water in 1 tbsp at a time. I used a total of 2 tbsp water. If your mix is a bit too wet, add in 1-2 tbsp vital wheat gluten.

Roll into balls. I used a heaping teaspoon and rolled up tight. They were about 7/8" in diameter. Grease up a pan (I baked in 2 batches. but feel free to use 2 pans) and fit no more than 6 x 3 meatballs to a pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip the meatballs, and bake for 9-10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool.

Serve with pasta, or gravy and mashed potatoes. Enjoy in a sub. Alternatively, brave the storm and create your own IKEA poutine.

Find more recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!

Foodie Friday : sesame 'chicken' with lo mein noodles

Caitlin from Real Swanky here, sharing my latest favourite recipe: sesame chick'n with pan fried lo mein noodles. This recipe is quick, easy, adaptable and easy on the change purse! With lo mein noodles setting you back approximately $1.50 (to serve 4-6) and Soya Slices at $1.19 (to serve 6-8), breathe easy knowing you can feed an army on a budget no worries. :) 

Eerily similar to sesame "chicken" at vegan friendly Chinese restaurants. Which are, oddly, freakishly similar to sesame actually-chicken at non-vegan friendly spots in town. Whip this recipe up in 

I picked up my soya slices at Dino's Grocery in Winnipeg's West End. I like Luxmi brand soya slices. Alternatively, check out Bulk Barn for their "So Soya Slices" in Bulk near the TVP and quinoa. One "Bulk Barn"-sized scoop costs approximately $1.25, the slices typically double in thickness after soaking.

Ingredients for Soya Slices

3/4 cup dehydrated soy slices*

2 cups hot water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic, minced

-- Oil, for frying

-- Cornstarch, for frying

-- Sesame seeds, to garnish

Ingredients for Sesame Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced / 1 tsp jarred garlic

1 inch fresh ginger / 1 tsp jarred ginger

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice**

2 tbsp agave

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp sesame oil

-- 1 tbsp corn starch + 1/4 cup water, mixed in a cup, kept aside

Ingredients for Lo Mein

Lo Mein noodles

Water for boiling

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

-- Sesame seeds, to garnish

Method for Soya Slices

Soya slices need marinating in hot water to bring them to a chewy, textured, hearty consistency. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Pour 2 cups of this hot water in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, all but the ingredients beginning with two dashes. Place a plate on top and let sit for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up, it ought to look like this:

Method for Lo Mein

Bring a pot of water to a boil, place your lo mein noodles in. Turn down to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes. Drain, then drizzle with sesame oil. In a large pan, fry up noodles on medium high. Stir and break up noodles as they start to brown and crisp up in the pan.

Frying the Soya Slices

In a large pan, pour enough oil in to lightly cover the base of the pan - about 4 tbsp.

Squeeze out the soy slices without breaking them. Coat lightly in cornstarch.

Fry in 1-2 batches (fresh oil for a second batch) for 5-6 minutes, turning as each side turns golden brown and crispy.

Method for Sesame Sauce

Place all ingredients minus cornstarch + water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling, add in cornstarch + water mixture. Whisk until thickened and glossy.

**Alternatively, sub the OJ and sweeteners for apricot jelly!

Toss soya slices in sauce, being mindful not to stir in too much sauce.

Top with sesame seeds and serve alongside lo mein.

Sub the soya slices out for any protein of your choosing - just be sure to make up this awesome sesame sauce that keeps for up to a week in the fridge! (Not that you'll have leftovers ;)!)

Find more rad recipes over at

The Hardcore Herbivore !

Foodie Friday : plant-based gravy -- just in time for Thanksgiving!

Crucial for poutine, mashed potatoes, and so much more.. this vegan friendly gravy takes about 8 minutes to make from start to finish and puts you no more than $0.60 in the hole.

Recipe by Caitlin of Real Swanky.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water / vegetable stock

1 tbsp plant-based butter
Ingredients II
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder / chopped garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp tarragon, rubbed

Bring the water/vegetable stock to a boil.

Make a smooth slurry with all of Ingredients II and add to the boiling liquid.

Whisk thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps. Let boil for a few minutes, it'll start to thicken up. Turn the stovetop down to low, and taste for seasoning.

Find more recipes over at The Hardcore Herbivore!