Have Your Carrot Cake and Drink It, Too

Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts so I've been toying with the idea of making a carrot cake smoothie for a while and finally sat down and wrote out a recipe.  I used my Oatmeal Raisin Cookie smoothie recipe as a base, added shredded carrots, and changed the spices a bit.  The resulting flavor was sort of a mix between the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and the Pumpkin Pie smoothies.  Yum!

This was my first time making a smoothie with carrots.  I used shredded carrots because I knew my Vitamix could handle them.  If you don't have a high-powered blender and don't want to be chewing bits of carrots, you could use carrot juice instead - probably about ½ cup.  (If you try it with juice, post a comment to let me know.)

Carrot Cake Smoothie
(printable recipe)
 
Ingredients:

1 cup shredded carrots
3 tbsp. old-fashioned oats
2 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. hemp protein powder (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. agave
1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)

1 cup ice cubes
1-2 frozen bananas (peeled and sliced before freezing)

optional: 1/8 tsp. each xanthan gum and guar gum (to make it thicker and creamier)
 
Directions:

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a container with a lid.  Add vanilla, agave, and almond milk; stir to combine.  Place the lid on the container and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2. Remove the smoothie mix from the refrigerator and dump into your blender.  Add xanthan and guar gums, if using.  Blend until smooth.

3. Add ice cubes and frozen bananas.  Blend again until smooth.  

Makes 1 large smoothie.

Have you ever made a smoothie with carrots or carrot juice? 

 

No Cheese?!?

"I could never be vegan.  I'd miss cheese too much!"  

Do you know how many times I've heard this?  Countless.  It seems like the biggest obstacle on the road to veganism is hunk of cheddar.  Or mozzarella.  I get that.  I, too, uttered those same words, back when I was vegetarian and a friend had become vegan.  It just seemed like too big of a sacrifice to give up cheese.  Maybe if I hadn't found out I was lactose intolerant it would have been more difficult.  Instead, cheese was the first thing I eliminated from my diet, even before chicken, eggs, and fish.  Did I miss cheese?  That's like asking Weird Al if he misses Spam.  Of course!  (Okay, he's a vegetarian now so maybe he doesn't really miss eating Spam but I'm sure it will always hold a special place in his heart.)

So I gave up cheese.  And I missed it.  At first, I tried anything that might remotely resemble melted cheese.  I bought The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and made my own mozzarella for pizza (not a success).  I made cheese sauce for nachos (successful, though not quite a proper substitute).  Then Teese came out and although it wasn't very good, it pseudo melted so I embraced it.  I could finally have grilled cheese sandwiches again!

Most recently, Daiya came on the scene, and you would have thought that vegan heaven opened it's doors and sent it down on an oozy, melty cloud.  Vegans were storming Whole Foods for it, buying packages at a time, and putting it on anything they could get their hands on.  Is Daiya delicious?  Yes.  Does it melt?  Yes.  Do I eat it?  Not often.  

You see, somewhere over the course of the past few years two things happened.  One, I got used to eating things without cheese.  I love that I can taste the sauce and toppings on a pizza when cheese isn't masking their flavors.  Two, I started really reading the labels on Teese and Daiya and wasn't all that impressed with what I read.  They're processed, have a lot of ingredients I've never heard of, and aren't exactly low in fat.  They go in my "vegan doesn't necessarily mean healthy" category.  

Now, don't think that I'm all anti-vegan cheese and have banished it forevermore.  (I have to admit that I am guilty for using Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese on a bagel now and again.  I'm only human!)  No, I think it still has it's place but it's certainly not something I use often.  That being said, I am still intrigued by new vegan cheese products that come out, always curious and hoping that something slightly healthier might come along.  

A little while ago, I bought a vegan cheese sauce called Nacho Mom's Ultimate Vegan Queso (original flavor).  It has a short ingredient list consisting almost entirely of items I could find in my own kitchen.  The base is nutritional yeast, which is something I use on a regular basis to add a "cheesy" flavor to popcorn, pasta, and kale chips or kale salad.  Along with having normal ingredients, it is also fat-free and very low in calories.  In fact, there are only 160 calories in the entire jar!  (So if you went on a bender and ate it all in one sitting, you wouldn't be doing too bad, even if you were dipping tortilla chips.)

So I ordered it and did what I always do when I get a new product - put it in the pantry and forgot about it until it was just about the expire.  

Last week we had a really good loaf of French bread so Brian and I decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  I was going to buy some Daiya but then remembered the Nacho Mom's.  It's spicy so while not ideal for grilled cheese, I already had it so I thought why not.  The good thing about it is that it's a sauce, so you don't have to worry about melting.  I put some heirloom tomato slices on the bread, smothered it with Nacho Mom's, and toasted it in a dry pan.  It was very thick, creamy, spicy, and nacho-y.  

I had some left and decided it would be good with quesadillas.  Last night I made the Summer Succotash Quesadillas from the blog Peas and Thank You - with a few slight variations.  (Click on the link to get the recipe.)

• Instead of covering an entire tortilla with filling and then topping it with a second tortilla, I used one, put the filling on one half, then folded it over and cooked it that way.  It made flipping it much easier.
• I omitted the Daiya and used Nacho Mom's instead of the Nacho Mmmm Sauce.  (Brian added a non-vegan Mexican cheese blend to his and gave it high marks.  Was I jealous?  A little.)
• I left out the corn because I didn't have any.
• Instead of a red pepper I used green and orange, plus half a jalapeno. 

You can sort of see a little of the Nacho Mom's on top of the squash.  It tasted better than this picture would lead you to believe.

I liked the recipe because it was easy and you could change up the veggies based on what you happen to have.  

If you need a recipe for Meatless Monday, this is it!  (Be sure to check out some of the other great "reci-peas" while you're visiting Peas and Thank You.  Don't just skip to the recipes, though.  You've gotta read the posts - they are hilarious!)



What are you thoughts on vegan cheese?  Do you use it?  Do you have a favorite one?

Farmer's Market Fridays - 8/12/11

It's Friday and you know what that means - yoga, farmer's market, and coffee!  I am going to keep this post brief today because the day is too beautiful to spend it sitting in front of a computer.  

Here's what I picked up from my Living Stones CSA today:

dinosaur kale, rainbow chard, and collard greens

sunflower shoots

beets

hot peppers

eggplant and pickling cucumbers

pattypan and yellow squash

tomatoes

I stopped over to say hi to Farmer Glen and buy some potatoes.  Last week I used his Yukon Golds to make crispy, delicious, fat free potato chips (check back next week for more about that).  I also got some carrots because they looked too good to pass up.

Yukon Gold potatoes

sweet carrots

Our last stop before leaving the market was at Binell Brothers Cutlery & Supply Co. for some knife-sharpening.  I got one knife sharpened for $2 and then bought a used knife for $2.  Used but in good condition and, of course, sharp.  You can't beat a good knife for $2.

Instead of getting coffee at Panera we went to Starbucks.  We wanted iced coffee and as far as I'm concerned, no one else makes it like Starbucks.  There are also great tables outside to sit and enjoy our coffee and the weather.  And an Avalon date bar.  But you knew that.

Now I want to get outside for a quick run and some yard work.  It's funny how even pulling weeds can be enjoyable when the weather is so perfect.  Of course, lounging around on the patio with a book is probably (definitely) even more enjoyable, so I'll be doing that later on today as well.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'll be back next week, hopefully with a recipe for Meatless Monday...and more about those potato chips I hinted at.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I Know You're Reading My Blog...

...so let me know what you think!  I love writing my blog and would do it even if no one ever read it, but the thing is, I know you do read it.  I know that 25 of you read the post about the Allen Park 10K I ran over the weekend but only one of you commented (thanks, Mom!).  I also know that 84 of you read about the Solstice Run but only one of you commented (thanks, Mom!).  To be fair, there are a few of you who aren't related to me who've left a comment or two.  In fact, I've had a handful of comments from people I don't even know!  (Very exciting!)  So to everyone who has commented - THANK YOU!

"Really people, I'm nice!"*

Maybe you read my posts and are left speechless.  I understand.  I have that effect on people (actually I don't).  Maybe you read my posts but don't like them.  Not everyone likes what I have to say (but they should).  So whether you love them or hate them, leave a comment to let me know what you think.  Just every once in a while.  I promise I don't bite...hard.  (shameless Austin Powers reference)

I've already told you about my running, my vegan journey, my recent vacation to Hawaii with my Brian, and our 9-year anniversary.  So now it's your turn.

Not sure where to start?

Let's try an ice-breaker so we can get to know each other a little better:

Everyone stand in a circle and hold hands.  We're going to move a hula hoop around the circle without ever letting go of each others' hands.  Ready?  Oh wait, that's for team-building.  We'll save that for another day.

Let's just try a couple of questions instead, shall we?

• How did you find my blog?
• What do you enjoy most about the blog - recipes, restaurant reviews, or race recaps?
• If Weird Al Yankovic could perform just one song at your birthday party, which would you choose?

Answer one, two, all, or none of the questions in the comments section below.  Maybe once we get the ball rolling you'll be more comfortable commenting in the future. 

Thanks for reading.  Have a great day!


*Those of you who worked with me last year might recognize this gem from my end-of-the-year slide show photo caption.  (Not this picture, though.)

Return to Supino Pizzeria

Pizza at Supino!  Finally!  We've been wanting to get back to eat here for months and I honestly don't know what took us so long.  I'd give you some excuses but they'll all sound lame because, really, there is NO EXCUSE not to eat here.  Anyway, we got to Supino around 5:30 on Saturday and had our choice of tables.  Eastern Market closed at 5:00 so it was really quiet on Russell Street.  I don't know if this is always a good time to go or if we just lucked out.  (In case you haven't been, Supino is a pretty small place and getting a table right away isn't always such an easy thing to do.)

We got a great spot by the window and it didn't take long for us to choose our pizzas.  (I was starving after my 10K earlier in the day so that helped me make a quick decision.)  I ordered my pizza with red sauce, spinach, mushrooms, and grilled eggplant (no cheese, of course).  Spinach and mushrooms are pretty standard for me but I'd never had eggplant on pizza.  Oh wow! It was amazing.  So creamy and flavorful!  Eggplant is one of those veggies that isn't easy to get right but Dave Mancini (the man behind the pizza) sure knows what he's doing.  So we each ordered our own small (10") pizza and ate every last bit.  Was I stuffed?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Hell yes!

mushrooms, spinach, eggplant, and red sauce

Mmm...take a closer look at these fresh toppings.

If you've never been to Supino - or you haven't been in a while - you'll want to get down to Russell Street ASAP!  Otherwise you're surely missing out on the best pizza in Detroit. 

Please read my previous post about our first visit to Supino. Speaking of that post, while having dinner we talked to Dave and he told me he read it.  A famous pizzeria owner read my blog?!?  About his pizzeria?!?  Yeah, so if he read it, you should read it, too!  (Keep in mind that it was only my 3rd post ever, okay?)

Supino Pizzeria is located at 2457 Russell Street in Detroit

Open Tuesday - Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Friday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Closed Sunday - Monday