Ice-cream Sandwich!

Ice-cream Sandwich!, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

Nothing better on a hot summers afternoon!
We have Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies (recipe still in development as it needs a little tweaking) filled with Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice-cream (which is the recipe in Veganomicon made with Brown Sugar not white as I ran out).
Enjoy.

Wading Pool in the Sun!

Wading Pool in the Sun!, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

Sunshine!
Perfectly enjoyed.

I was a give-away winner!!

Nice.

Thanks to Dreena Burton for hosting the giveaway a wee while ago, and YAY for winning!! Like I need more cookbooks, (or even use them) but its nice to fill gaps in the collection!!

Keep watching for when I have my very own give-away of this wonderful book. The real thing!Just waiting for Amazon to deliver! and to decide on the rules.

Chips and Dip

Sometimes a simple dip and some Nacho Chips is enough for a quick and tasty lunch when the weather is too hot to be bothered cooking. Here's some I have been enjoying recently, both from the test kitchen so no recipes right now. -

Guaca-Raita, a refreshing combination of guacamole and raita.

followed by Hummus Salsa - a spicy, tomato infused hummus.

What is your favourite thing to dip nacho chips into??

Happy Birthday Kylie!

Happy Birthday Kylie!, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

M is at Highland Dance Camp this week and today was her teachers birthday, so I made a cake! and cookies, then decorated the cake with the cookies!! Everyone at camp had a piece and the birthday girl got to take some home! YUM!

Until my giveaway....

How about entering this giveaway....

You have to follow the link to enter.

Watch this space...

Give-away coming soon, thanks to my Dad!
Mum and Dad buy me cookbooks I request (to feed the addiction) for my birthday and Christmas presents every year, but this year he selected and bought one which I already have by mistake, so I will be giving that book away, once it gets to me!
Watch this space for more details....

It is hot!

Creamy Strawberry and Balsamic Sauce, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

So have a photo of Vanilla Icecream (So Good not homemade!) topped with a Creamy Strawberry and Balsamic Sauce to cool you down.

Look what came today!!!

Photo stolen, I mean borrowed, from the Chicago Soy Dairy Website!

I won a competition / online giveaway to win a months supply of Dandies Vegan Marshmallows and now I have them in my hot little hand. What to use them in???

I could make more of these -

Rocky Road Brownies, or these -

White Cookies (both from Quick and Easy Vegan Bakesale), but I have to make a birthday cake next week and have been given full creative licence so am thinking a Vanilla Marshmallow Cake may be in order if I can get a recipe perfected in time.....

I may also do a product review once I have tried them!

Watch this space! Thanks Chicago Soy Dairy and Dandies

Coconut Ice Slice

I know most of us right now don't want to be turning the oven on, but in case you do, here is a sweet treat for you! It's a recipe straight out of testing from Quick and Easy Vegan BakeSale which, unfortunately, didn't make the final cut. Here we have a vegan version of a New Zealand favourite.

Is Coconut Ice just a New Zealand thing? I think it must be as I don’t recall seeing it elsewhere in my many travels. This half white, half pink confection is one of those items that every youngster attempts (with varying degrees of success) to make. The original is super sweet, due to lashing of condensed milk, and super good but not so good for you! My cookie bar version is less cloying, but still very coconut-y and sweet.

Coconut Ice Slice
Makes 18

Base
2 Tablespoons Margarine
2 Tablespoons Shortening
3 Tablespoon Canola Oil
½ Cup Sugar

½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ teaspoon Coconut Extract

1 ¼ Cups Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

¼ Cup shredded Coconut

Topping
3 Cups Icing Sugar
⅓ Cup Coconut Milk
¼ Cup Soy Creamer
3 Tablespoons Margarine
½ teaspoon Coconut Extract
¼ teaspoon Salt

¾ Cup shredded Coconut

Few drops red food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 375°F and line an 11” by 7” brownie tin with parchment paper.

Make the base.
Cream together the margarine, shortening, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the extracts and mix well.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add coconut and mix to form crumbly dough that holds together when pressed.
Firmly and evenly press the base into the prepared tin, then bake for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly browned. Hold until required. Turn the oven off.

Make the topping in the final 10 minutes of base cooking time.
In a large pan combine the sugar, coconut milk, creamer, margarine, extract and salt. Over medium heat stir until sugar dissolved and margarine is melted. Bring to the boil and allow to cook at the boil for 5 minutes until mixture is looking thick and syrupy.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut.
Divide mixture in half. To one half add a little red food coloring and beat with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute until mixture starts to thicken. Working quickly before the mix hardens, with the back of a wet serving spoon spread the pink coconut mix over the warm base, spreading as evenly as possible.
Leave the other half of the coconut mix uncolored and beat with a wooden spoon as per the pink half. Again, working quickly and using the back of a wet serving spoon, spread this mix on top of the pink topping and allow to cool 15 minutes at room temperature.

Cut into 18 pieces, I find 3 columns and 6 rows works well, with a hot, sharp knife, then allow topping to set fully prior to lifting squares out using the parchment lining. Cool on rack, then store at room temperature in a covered container.

Summer!

Not much today. Summer has finally arrived here in Greater Vancouver and I am out enjoying it as much as I can, especially as the girls are in day camp this week!! I've been running, hiking up Burnaby Mountain, swimming, reading books in the yard, you know, summer stuff, and eating salad and hummus seeing as it doesn't need cooking. Not the most exciting but still yummy!!

I have a link for you. Kelly Peloza, who's debut cookbook "The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur" is due out in the Autumn, made some of my cookies from Vegan Bake Sale as a sneak preview and blogged about them. I was a little nervous about her doing this, as she has just written a book full of awesome cookie recipes, but anyway, the ones she made passed the test, phew! Have a look.

Happy July 4th

Maple Tofu Skewers, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

To everyone south of the border celebrating this evening, a picture of what we had to celebrate on Canada Day. Maple Tofu Skewers, sweet, smokey, salty goodness!! Hope your meal was as tasty and memorable as ours!

Happy Canada Day for yesterday!

Albeit a rainy one here.

Instead of getting wet outside we went to the mall and the girls got their faces painted.

R got a Chincilla on her cheek, and M was an orange Cat (and got most upset when I called her a fox, ooops).

For dinner I made Maple Tofu Skewers, as I had to use Maple somewhere!! Super yummy, sweet and smokey!!

Just what the world needs....

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies, originally uploaded by Vegan Year.

Another Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe! Well the world is getting another anyway!

The girls requested chocolate chip cookies this morning. I said yes before I looked to make sure I had ingredients for any of the recipes I had for them. I looked and, Nope, so I had to make up another. This one is soy free as I had no margarine, or soy milk, and has brown sugar instead of white as I had none, it also has some oatmeal, as I used all my flour (and I only had plain) and the mix was still too wet.

The resulting cookies are on the large side, soft, yet a little chewy, and nice with a cool glass of chocolate soymilk (after I went to the store and restocked my kitchen somewhat!!). Enjoy, and happy Canada Day – photos tomorrow!

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 16

⅓ Cup Canola Oil
⅓ Cup light Brown Sugar
⅓ Cup dark Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon ground Chia Seeds

1 ½ Cups Plain Flour
⅓ Cup quick cooking Rolled Oats
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Baking Soda

⅔ Cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mix together the oil through chia seeds. Beat for 2 minutes until shiny and stand for a further 5 minutes.
Add the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Mix to just combine.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Shape into golf ball sized balls and flatten to 2” discs between your hands. Place on prepared sheet 2” apart.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the bottom is just browned.
Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to complete cooling.