{Custom Made} Shortbread Cookies

Husband is really into shortbread. Since it is a cookie, I am also a fan. However I can’t say that I would be the first in the shortbread line at the bakery.

Shortbread always reminds me of your Great Aunt Mary or your grandmother’s friend with a ridiculous nickname like Boopie or Dodo. Not really sure why, but it just makes me think of old folks.

I bet if you were to investigate the sale of Sandies, you would be sure to find an older clientele. Nothing wrong with it, it is just my humble observation. Without old people, we would not be able to enjoy in such spirited treats as starlight mints, ice cream sandwiches, and early bird specials.

But, I digress.

I saw this recipe from Pittsburgh favorite Emily Levenson forever ago and I decided to try it out with my fancy new cupcake cookie cutter. The pictures are with my old camera so they are slightly atrocious. However, the cookies are yum, yum, yummy and super easy to make. Plus, you get to dip them in chocolate and make them even better. Excellent...

Recipe after the jump.

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Creamy "Cool" Slaw

Do you ever have one of those foods that you really can’t explain why you like it so much, but you just do…

One of my pre-vegan favorites was coleslaw from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

I will give you a second to absorb how awful everything about that statement is. However, at one time I could easily gobble down some KFC sides like I was on the tasting payroll. Clearly, I am no longer a visitor to KFC, but I still have a special affinity for coleslaw.

When I saw this recipe in Appetite for Reduction, I knew I had to try it. Here is a lowdown of why I love it.

1. It has only a few (cheap) ingredients.
2. It is lower in fat / calories that most other coleslaw.
3. It is insanely easy to make.

In the spirit of Labor Day picnics, this is another excellent summer barbecue treat to impress all your friends. Who needs nasty old KFC anyway?

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Southern Macaroni Salad

I am back…

I am still a little broken, but I am back.

It is still summer and I think summer comfort foods are to often ignored. I don’t really know why, but give me a big ear of corn on the cob and macaroni salad and I am a happy Chubby Vegan. The last few weeks have made me seek comfort foods a little bit more than necessary.

Sometimes I drown my sorrows in food. Yeah?! What?!? Want to fight about it?

<puts up fists>

Anyway, this Southern Macaroni Salad is a gift from the vegenaise gods and my bud Terra. She sent me the recipe and also snuck it into our work staff newsletter. Let’s give it up for vegans editing the staff newsletter!

I made this macaroni salad with orecchiette pasta, which looks like a beanie (or a condom.) I saw some at the store and thought they were cute and it made this just a little bit more formal. Of course you could use any pasta, but you will lose some cool points.

Summer is (sadly) drawing to an end, so make this soon. Perhaps a labor day picnic food…? Although, whoever said foods need to be restricted to a season? I will eat ice cream on January 1^st and be just fine with it.

Take that society!

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My New Obsession...

It is green.
People waste it far to often as just garnish.
It is a really strong plant that does not mess around.

KALE

Kale is sort of the "it" vegetable right now. People are always talking about juicing it or just eating it raw. There are always lovely kale salad recipes online. It is SUPER healthy. Plus, my farmers market always has the best varieties of organic kale for super cheap!

When I visited Mecca a few months ago I had a kale and avocado salad that was to die for.

Kale is also very common in Portuguese cooking. Since I was born in a Portuguese community with a Portuguese grandfather, one would think I had tons of kale growing up. Wrong.

I feel like I have rediscovered a vegetable. Don't you love that? My new favorite way of eating kale is about as simple as it comes. Ready for it?

My insanely simple kale recipe, after the jump.


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Pride Cupcakes

The last few weeks have been so exciting for the LGBT community.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is nearing its final day…

The state of NY has legalized same sex marriage…

There seems to be an increase in glitter protests…

All around, it has been an exciting couple of weeks! What better way to celebrate than with some rainbow pride cupcakes?

I actually made these in June for the wonderful Pittsburgh Pride celebration and am finally getting around to posting it. But with such an exciting week of LGBT events, I think it still fits.

So make some pride cupcakes, hug a gay person, and figure out more ways to throw glitter at Michelle Bachman.

Recipe and an inside picture after the jump…

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Mini Lasagna Cups

I feel like I am always on a quest to find the perfect appetizer to bring to a party.

I like to bring things that are easy to make, pretty/cute, delicious, and make believers out of non-vegans. Can you get all of those things in one hors douvres hor douvres whore devre  horedevres whores devils appetizer?

When you are the token vegan bringing anything to a party, it better damn well be delicious because you have about 5 seconds to make a believer out of any skeptic. Of course this always makes me laugh, since clearly vegans eat only things made of dirt and broccoli.

I recently saw a recipe for non-vegan mini lasagna cups and I thought they looked like a perfect party treat. I made them and they pretty much fit all of my qualifications. I brought them to husbands’ softball game and a fellow chubby (non-vegan) woman damn near fainted from how good they were.

When I told them they were vegan she pretty much did a spit take.

*pulling at suspenders*

My work here is done…

Recipe after the jump…

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Margarita Cupcakes

Oh hello blog… It’s me, Chubby. Sorry, I have been away.

Here is a recap…

1. My elderly dog, Nana Bear, has been really sick. She has cancer and we thought we were going to lose her. Luckily she pulled through and is now acting like she has never heard the word cancer. YAY!
2. I had a quick (and unexpected) trip to NYC- my happy place.
3. Upon my return, one of my other dogs (Buddy) decided he felt left out. He hurt his back and was screaming more than I ever heard a dog scream in my life. Emergency trip to the ER Vet, lots of drugs and money later; now my house is a dog hospital.

Sigh...

All of this makes me want to drink. Yep, drink. Since it is summer, I feel it is only fitting to drink my favorite summer beverage- a frozen margarita.

Alas, my blender is in the shop. So, we will have the next best thing: a margarita cupcake!

Oh man these are good. You know how some “drink desserts” are just a little off. Not these babies… They are just the perfect mix of summer and fun to make you want to eat every last one. The recipe is from my go-to vegan goddess, Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. They are L-O-V-E-L-Y.

Info after the jump…

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For the Love of (Stuffed Crust) Pizza

 Who doesn't love Pizza?

That greasy mess is as American as credit card debt and shopping at Wal-Mart. But, alas, I am a pizza fan. Ever since discovering that Papa John’s original crust pizza (sans cheese) is vegan I have been spending a bit too much time on the pizza train.

Then I saw this lovely from one of my all time favorite food bloggers, Meet the Shannons.

Mexican + Pizza = quite possibly the best food combo since Peanut Butter and Jelly.

I made a few minor adjustments from the original recipe, but nothing major. The result is nothing short of a pizza miracle. I officially bow down to this Shannon family masterpiece.

¡Ole!

Recipe after the jump…

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Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Curry

I like recipes. For so long I have clung to recipes as if they were life or death. I am slowly getting over that however because some of my favorite meals are those that you just throw together.

You know the kind; figure out what you have in your house, mix it in a pot, add some spices, and hope for the best. I have a friend that is a pro at that- although 9.9 times out of 10 it ends up being something Mexican. The moral of the story is that salsa, chili powder, and black beans make everything better.

Which we all know is true.

This is my throw it together for Sweet Potato & Cauliflower curry. It is the shell of a great recipe so you can add to it what you would like. It really came out of me having sweet potatoes and cauliflower that I needed to use, throwing them together in a skillet, adding some spices, and here you go.

Do you have a favorite throw it together recipe? What is it? 

Recipe after the jump…

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Walnut Lentil Manicotti

If you have ever read my bio on the right side of the page, you can see I very clearly say, “I don’t write recipes.”

I lied.

I finally wrote my first Chubby Vegan original and I must say I am pretty happy about it. Now, I read lots of recipes- lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of recipes. So, if by some chance I got the inspiration on this recipe from something else than I apologize if I am ripping it off.

For now though I will take the credit and check this off my bucket list. Move over Martha, Chubby Vegan is moving in.

Okay, maybe not...

I was so excited about this recipe that I made my neighbor and her family come over and try it. Her 12 year old stepdaughter, who is unreal picky, loved it. I think my work here is done.

**drumroll**

Presenting my first Chubby Vegan original, Walnut Lentil Manicotti!

Recipe after the jump…

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Chick-O-Stick Cookies

Have you ever heard of Chick-o-Sticks?

They are very unusual candy that tastes pretty much like the inside of a butter-finger; a crunchy candy made of peanut butter and coconut. I had never heard of them until a few months ago and I started seeing them everywhere. 

I hosted an event at work around the same time that had a candy buffet. Low and behold, chick-o-sticks were on the buffet. When the event was over we had so much candy left over; literally pounds of candy. I took the chick-o-sticks and decided to do something creative with them.

What to do… what to do…

Chick-o-stick cookies sound like a good idea, right!?!?

When I first took these out of the oven I thought they were going to be a miserable failure. They looked terrible and didn't taste as good as I had hoped. But, after they cooled they were delightful and actually looked really cool; almost like a crackled Halloween cookie.

Whoever said you couldn’t use leftovers?

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Sweet Potato Lasagna

“Normalizing” vegan food is one of my favorite things.

I always say how often people get scared of what vegan food is. I had someone ask me once, “Did you try the food before you decided to go vegan?”

Why, yes. I have eaten a vegetable before.

Normalizing vegan food to me is about making things that don’t sound odd or scary to non vegans. I guess people get freaked out by words like seitan and tempeh. If you say tofu; it usually equals an instant nose scrunch.  That would never stop me from making it; I might just conveniently avoid saying it… (CV Disclaimer: Please tell me if you have a soy allergy. I don’t want you kicking it at my next chubby party)

This recipe is from one of the kings of normalizing vegan foods, VILF Rip Esselstyn. Rip is the author of the Engine 2 Diet, which is an excellent book detailing how a vegan diet dramatically improved the health of a group of firefighters in Austin, TX. The stories in his book are great and the recipes are all really simple and sound delicious! The book is a great gift for someone who is thinking of “easing" into a vegan diet.

If health reasons turn the switch to a plant based diet for someone, I will take it!

This lasagna is big and unbelievably hearty. There are just so many vegetables in it; I don’t even know what to do with myself. Make this… Now!

Recipe after the jump…

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Hot & Cold Sesame Salad

It was only recently that I discovered peanut butter could be merged with anything but jelly or chocolate.

For some reason, when I take a glob of peanut butter and mix it with soy sauce or any other non jelly related substance I just feel as if I am doing something wrong. Is that weird? Does anyone else feel that way?

I love peanut butter. I use it quite frequently. When I started making peanut sauces I had a bizarre reaction to blending gooey peanut butter with other ingredients. These kinds of things don’t “gross me out,” but I definitely have a reaction to it. Of course, how do most peanut sauces get their perfect “peanutty” flavor, you guessed it- peanut butter.

This is probably just a really strange observation, so take it as you will.

This noodle salad is from NY pixie and one of my top gals I wish would go vegan, Rachael Ray. Imagine, 30 Minute vegan Meals on the Food Network! The recipe was completely vegan on its own and required no modification. TY Rachael!

This is a really good summer noodle salad with just enough of a spicy kick to it. It would make a nice addition to a summer picnic or pot luck. I would also add that this is a great vegan dish to bring to a party. With this recipe people would never say, “Oh that is some strange vegan thing _______ brought.”

Never hurts to sneak in a little unsuspecting vegan love.

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Corn Chowder

For some reason, I relate food to childhood memories. Good food for good times. Bad food for bad times. You know the drill.

For so many people, food is a comforting drug when things are going poorly in their life. You can always reach for a pint of ice cream when you had a bad day. Of course, most of us don’t feel any better once the sugar high wears away and you realize you just packed away a pint of ice cream.

Do you ever wonder where that comes from? Do we bring upon this level of emotional eating onto ourselves? Do we learn it as children? Is it just a contemporary problem for well developed countries where food is abundant for so many people?

 

I watched Oprah yesterday and Dr. Phil was on. I am getting deep.

Chowder is a specific comforting food for me. I have really good memories of going out to eat with my family to this local fish joint called McMenamy's. I would always get a plate full of fried something and a bowl of clam chowder. Growing up in New England, creamy chowder is a rite of passage.

When I saw this recipe from a local vegetarian blogger, I thought it sounded like the perfect chowder “fix” I have needed lately. It was delightfully wonderful and paired perfect with a crusty dinner roll. Easy and delicious; my favorite combination!

Recipe after the jump…

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Italian Stuffed Zucchini w/ Tempeh

Do you ever notice how people are always trying to give away zucchini in the summer?

Gardeners always seem to have an abnormal amount of zucchini, like it’s some sort of weed. Of course, I would never consider zucchini a weed. When it is in season it is one of the best vegetables out there.

I think the problem is people just don’t know what to do with it. I generally see zucchini prepared in one of three ways:

1. Breaded & Fried

2. Zucchini Bread

3. Pan fried to hell with onions.

Don’t get me wrong, all of these are delicious but there just has to be another way.

I, of course, like to think of zucchini as more of a vessel. Just think of all the wonderful things a hollowed out piece of zucchini can hold!?!?!

These zucchini boats are ridiculously easy and you can be as creative as you want with them. Serve them with a small side of pasta or couscous and you have an excellent and easy way to use your zucchini.

I made some with a little bit of Daiya and some without. Both were excellent!

Click “Read More” for the recipe…

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Mini Donuts

 

Does anyone remember that famous Dunkin Donuts commercial, “It’s time to make the donuts?”

I always thought that “Fred the Baker” was the coolest. As a child, I was pretty convinced that he was behind the counter at my local Dunkin making all of the donuts. Like a donut Santa, he could be at multiple places at once.

 

Fred the baker, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, they are still real to me dammit!

However, I think Fred the Baker may need to move out of the way and make room for Chubby Vegan. My latest attempt at Mini Donuts was a pretty big success if I do say so myself.

First of all, you need a special pan to make this recipe. It can be purchased online or at Crate & Barrel. I suppose you could try making these by hand, but I have a feeling they will look a little special.

Mini pastries are totally in right now, so if you make these you will be a hit at any party you attend. I promise. Everyone will be amazed at your mini cooking skills. You can just feign humility and go on being awesome.

Recipe and tons of photos after the jump…

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One Ingredient Ice Cream

The sun is out today!

I better run outside quick before it goes back into hiding. Blasted gloomy Pittsburgh!

In honor of this momentous day, one out of 59-145 sunny days, I think we should celebrate with ice cream. When it is nice out, everyone deserves ice cream. It is my most guilty pleasure and I could probably have it every day.

Thankfully, vegan ice cream is so much more than just vanilla Tofutti. Trader Joes soy ice cream and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss are just a few that make my mouth water.

However, a few months ago I stumbled upon this little trick for “Homemade Banana Ice Cream” with no ice cream maker required. 

No milk of any kind. No added sugar. No high fructose bull crap. No anything; just banana and a food processor. Yes. It’s true.

I bet you want to know how to make it. The super complicated recipe is after the jump…

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(Almost) Raw Pie Crust

After coming off one of the best weekends ever, it just doesn’t even seem right to write about something so simple.

Let’s just say I have some serious posts coming up that I am so excited to share with all of you. I can barely handle it I am so excited.  *SQUEE*

Okay, okay… On to the pie crust…

So, you all know I have been really into researching the raw food movement. I am just fascinated by all of it. After my first raw appetizer in New York and a visit to a totally raw restaurant in Austin, I am just digging on it more and more.  I have no plans on being the Chubby Rawist, but I think integrating creative raw recipes into our cuisine is really great. Vegans are creative. Raw foodists take food creativity and kick it up to a whole new level.

This piecrust is from the Engine 2 Diet book and is the basis for a couple of different recipes in the book. I made the Chocolate Icebox pie from the book which 

1.      Thought was just okay
2.      Forgot to take pictures of…

Therefore we get to be creative and think of all the things you could possibly use this crust for. I have compiled a list of my suggestions, as well as the recipe, after the jump…

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Blueberry Pancakes

Do you know who makes the best pancakes?

Is it your mom? Perhaps a restaurant in your hometown? Maybe you are so confident in your own pancake ability that you don’t even question it….

There was a little restaurant in the town over from where I grew up that made pancakes that were about as big as my head. We would go every once in a while after church and wait for hours just for some of those serious pancakes. They were the best.

When I first tried making my own I could never quite get the flip down. It takes some skill and patience, both of which I did (and do) not have.  

I never gave up though. Today I would like to consider myself a bit of a pancake connoisseur.

Sadly, you can’t get good vegan pancakes at any of the breakfast joints in my world. What is a chubby vegan to do? Make your own!

Feast your eyes on these blueberry wonders with an absolutely perfect recipe from the Betty Crocker loving Meet the Shannons. Theirs were chocolate chip / banana, which may be one of the best flavor combinations this side of chocolate and peanut butter. I only had blueberries and they were still perfection. Now, if I could only perfect that damn flip!

Recipe after the jump…

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I don’t like being negative.

In fact, I think being a positive vegan is one of the best things we can do. With so much anger pointed towards us by meat loving omnivores, it is nice to be positive in return. I firmly believe this is the best way to spread the love and message of veganism.

I think this is especially true when it comes to food. I talk about how awesome vegan food is so much that I am sure people are sick of hearing about it. “Yes, we know fried tofu with nutritional yeast is the best thing ever… We get it!”

When it comes to vegan recipes I have been pretty lucky. There are so many creative vegans out there coming up with really clever concepts and twists on old classics. I bow to these people because I am totally unable to be as creative as these folks. Maybe someday I will. But, until then just talk about others stuff. Which, I am perfectly okay with.

So, my latest attempt it a definite twist on old classic, shepherds pie. If you have never had it, it is basically a bowl of stuff mixed together, add gravy, and cover it in potatoes. Umm, awesome! So when I saw this super easy recipe for vegan shepherds pie, I had to try it!

Sadly, this just did not live up to my expectations. It was just okay. When you cover something in mashed potatoes, there is no excuse for it not to be at least okay. Alas, you can judge for yourself. I have included some extra special thoughts, along with the recipe, after the jump.

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