Banana Split Pie - 1st Edition

Yes, 1st edition. I totally messed this recipe up, but it still tasted delicious and looked pretty, so I had to share! I recently went through my mom's recipe collection again, looking for sugary inspiration and I stumbled upon one that was given to her by one of our family friends. Actually, the family friend I'm talking about has a daughter who's vegan. So this recipe is dedicated to you Jennifer! Next time I'll have to make it the way your Mom actually had it written down.

So I should probably explain how I went wrong. On the recipe card, it had all the ingredients and directions on the front. It basically said to throw the ingredients in a blender or food processor (which I did) and put into a pan and bake for 10 minutes to set. So I did. I then proceeded to flip over the recipe later and realized that was the directions for the pie crust alone, not the filling. Oops. I'm definitely going to make this again since it's so good! You'll just have to wait for my 2nd edition!

Find the printer friendly version of this recipe here!

Crust Ingredients:

• Somewhere around 40 vanilla wafer cookies
• 1/4 cup melted margarine (I used Earth Balance Margarine)

Blend the cookies in a blender or food processor until crumbly. Add melted margarine and process until blended well. Press firmly into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350F  for 5-10 minutes until set. Cool before filling.

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 medium bananas
• 1 quart of vegan strawberry ice cream, softened
• 8 oz of canned, crushed pineapple
• 1 cup of vegan whipped cream
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until well combined. Pour into the cooled pie crust. Top with chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before cutting.

Vegan Confessions
So off the topic of the pie for a second, this week I came up with the idea of "Vegan Confessions". I know we'd all like to think we're perfect, but we're not. Also, I know being "Vegan" doesn't automatically make you a certain way, we're all so completely different! What spawned this idea was that I was sitting in the kitchen at my Aunt and Uncle's house and Keeva was lying next to me. Then I noticed a bug crawling on her and as I took a closer look, it was a tick! Now, she's had ticks crawling on her before and I usually go put them outside, but this time I flushed it down the drain, and guilt ensued.

"Hi, My name is Matthew, and I killed a bug" There, I said it! Does anybody else have any Vegan confessions they'd like to fess up to? Vegan Heartland is a safe place, so don't be shy!

Oven Roasted French Fries

As much as I would like to say that I never eat fast food, that isn't true. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for some Burger King french fries. Only once and a while though! The next time I'm craving french fries though, I'm totally making these again! They're so simple to make and so delicious! Plus there isn't any of those gross ingredients that the fast food companies put in their fries (I hope you all know McDonald's french fries aren't vegan. They're not even vegetarian actually. They're coated in cow fat.)

Ingredients:
3 large russet potatoes or 6 medium red or yellow potatoes
1 tbsp light oil
1/2-1 tsp garlic powder
1/2-1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

One of my favorite desserts + One of my favorite Blogs!

Hey guys! I hope you're all taking the time to sign up for my giveaway! I can't wait to see who wins!

Meanwhile, I've been thinking about what my favorite dessert that I've posted is. God knows I've posted a ton of desserts. It's so hard to choose since they're all so delicious, but after reading this post by one of my favorite bloggers in the world, I had to choose! Katie makes some of the most delicious looking healthy versions of our favorite desserts. Let me tease you with some of her creations!

 Raw Chocolate-Raspberry Fudge Cake

 “Good Girl” Vegan Fudge

 

Cake-Batter Doughnuts

I know right. I'll allow you time to go get a tissue to wipe the drool from your mouth.

Back? Ok...anyway. She's being kind enough to feature some bloggers on her website, so I knew I just had to show you some of my favorite things she's made. I've been dying to make that fudge forever now! So it's come to that time I guess. What's been my favorite dessert that I've made here at Vegan Heartland thus far? I'm going to have to give that honor to....

My Apple Crisp Cheesecake!

And there you have it. That was not easy. It's like picking a favorite child (sort of...) I hope you visit Katie's site! She's got so many more delicious recipes on there that you must try!

Who doesn't love FREE STUFF?! - CLOSED

Hey everybody! I'm so happy to announce another giveaway here on Vegan Heartland! I had a bunch of coupons and product left over from my Meatout 2011 Giveaway in March that have just been laying around, waiting to be used! And who better to use them than my amazing readers! I'm only giving away one bundle of free stuff, but if you don't win this one, I already have a couple more giveaways in the works! Good luck everyone! Here's what the winner will get:

Tofurky

Turtle Island Foods, the makers of Tofurky, was kind enough to send me a package full of coupons, brochures, buttons, and super cute temporary tattoos. The winner will receive one coupon for any Tofurky product for FREE, one brochure with lots of great info plus a 55 cent off coupon inside, two buttons, and two temporary tattoos. If you missed my review post about Tofurky's new pizzas, you must read!

Gardein

Gardein makes some of the best faux-meats on the market! Their Crispy Tenders are to die for and the best part is, nobody had to die for them! Plus, their Chick'n Scallopini is so versatile, you can use it in so many recipes! I have a bag in my freezer right now that's just dying to be used up! The winner will receive 3 coupons for $1 off any Gardein product.

WayFare

Wayfare makes really yummy faux-cheese spreads they call "We Can't Say It's Cheese". I was lucky enough to be able to try their Mexi-Cheddar spread that was so, so yummy! It tasted just like the nachos you remember! They also make a really great Sour Cream substitute! The winner will receive a coupon for 1 FREE WayFare product, plus 2 coupons for 35 cents off any WayFare product. You'll also get 2 WayFare stickers!

So Delicious

It's no secret that I love So Delicious. If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw how excited I was that So Delicious is coming out with a Vegan Greek Yogurt and a No Sugar Added Ice Cream! They make some of the best Dairy Free foods that you'll find anywhere. My favorite Non-Dairy milk is their Unsweetened Coconut Milk Beverage. It's so creamy and so delicious! And their frozen desserts are crazy good! I plan on doing a whole review post for them in the future since they were so generous! I can't wait to share with you my favorite So Delicious Products! The winner will receive a coupon for a FREE So Delicious Product plus a packet of coupons that totals $10.50 in savings!

Eat In The Raw

Parma has been one of my go-to replacements for Parmesan Cheese for years. Their original flavor of Parma has such simple ingredients, there's no need for all the processed junk! Try Parma on pizza, pasta, rice, beans, and so much more! The winner will receive a FREE bottle of original flavor Parma, plus 2 sample packets of their Chipotle Cayenne flavor (which is also super yummy!)


Alright, now down to business! There are many ways to sign up for my coupon giveaway. The more ways you sign up, the better your chances to win!

1. Follow Vegan Heartland with your Google Account
2. "Like" Vegan Heartland on Facebook
3. Follow @VeganHeartland on Twitter
4. Write a post about my giveaway on your blog or website and link back to my giveaway! And don't forget to leave a link to your post in your entry comment. Contest only open to U.S. residents.

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post for each time you enter! You must leave a comment in order to enter!

I'm giving everyone enough time to enter so don't worry! The contest will end at 11:59 pm on June 4th, 2011. I will announce the winners on June 5th, 2011! Winners will be chosen by random.org!

Good Luck Readers!!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Lord help me now. These are so good! I got the idea to make Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes when Priscila asked me on Facebook to try my hand at making a strawberry shortcake. Sadly I don't own a round cake pan, but my birthday is coming up soon (*hint, hint Mom*)! So I improvised as best as I could. As we all know, I love a good cupcake, so I couldn't put these down. I even had two for breakfast the next morning. I swear I'm cutting back on sugar...just as soon as these cupcakes are gone! There's actually strawberries on the inside of the cupcake as well. I tried to get a good picture, but it didn't look like anything special. The taste was spectacular though!

*Makes 12 cupcakes*
Ingredients:

• 1 batch of my Perfect Yellow Cupcakes
• 1/2 cup strawberries, thinly sliced

VH BASICS: Making Your Own Vegetable Broth

It's that time again! Time for another edition of VH: BASICS! This is actually going to be tying in with another post that I'll be doing soon that has to do with money saving tips. This really does save you a lot of money though. Especially if you use a lot of vegetable broth like I do! My strategy for making my own vegetable broth starts with having a stock bin in my freezer!

Items you'll need:

• Stock Vegetables
• 1 gallon of water
• Large Stock Pot
• Large Storage Container or Mason Jars for Freezing
• Strainer

I realize it's not in the freezer in this picture, but you get the point. Any time I feel like I have produce in my refrigerator that is going to go bad before I use it, it gets thrown in the stock bin! Also, little scraps that usually get thrown away or composted (Asparagus bottoms, herb stalks, onion peels, carrot peels, broccoli stalks) get thrown in the bin as well! In this bin I had celery, onion, asparagus, carrot, kale stems, green onions, parsley stems, broccoli stalks and diced tomatoes. All you do is keep it frozen in the stock bin and when it's starting to get full, just throw it all in a stock pot!

To add more flavor, I also added a bunch of flat leaf parsley that I had on hand for another recipe. I also had a whole bulb of garlic that I chopped in half. Don't worry about all the skins and chunks! It all gets strained later! 

Just throw it all in the stock pot with a gallon of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 1-2 hours. Once it's done simmering, get a large bowl and place it in your sink (just in case of a spill....). Then put a strainer in the bowl and pour the entire contents of the stock pot into the strainer. Make sure all the chunks are removed! I like to pour mine into mason jars and freeze it for future use. If you're storing it in the fridge, it will be good for about a week!

Chik'n Seitan Noodle Soup

Sorry about the night picture! Sometimes I just don't have the time to take day pictures (or the patience to wait before I eat it!)

I guess some people think soup season is drawing to a close as summer is fast approaching. I am not one of those people! I don't know about you guys, but I eat hot soups all year round. Even on the hottest summer days I'm eating a big bowl of my Minestrone. Now it looks like I have another great soup to add to my soup rotation!

I had bought a package of Westsoy's Chicken Seitan a while ago when I found it on sale at one of my local co-ops. I made a Seitan Pot Pie with it before and thought it was really really good, so I wanted to try it again! It sat in my fridge for the longest time and I couldn't figure out what to do with it. So I was looking in my fridge and decided what needed to be used up before it went bad. I had a few carrots, half a bunch of celery, half of an onion already chopped, and then this Chik'n Seitan. Sounded like the perfect time to make soup to me. Especially since it's been so cool and rainy here in Minnesota lately.

What do you guys think? Tell me I'm not crazy for eating hot soup all year long! Do you guys do the same thing?

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable broth (or No-Chicken broth)
• 1 package of Westsoy's Chicken Style Seitan diced or shredded (or your favorite vegan chik'n)
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 3/4 cup diced potatoes (small chunks)
• 1-2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 - 1 cup pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Simple Sloppy Joes

Hello again everyone! It's time for another one of my family's recipes! This one is my grandpa's recipe for sloppy joes. If it contained meat, my grandpa was usually the one cooking it!

I don't know if I ever told you guys this, but my grandpa was a butcher during all of my growing up years! Can you believe it? I can't imagine what he thought when I came over and told him I was going to be a vegetarian! He really is the best grandpa ever though, because he was and still is really supportive. During the summer months, my family likes to get together at my grandparents' house for grill-outs. When I first became a vegetarian, he used to buy packages of veggie burgers for me to grill up. He even put them in tinfoil and bought a separate spatula to flip my burgers for me! Isn't that sweet? He's still not a huge animal rights supporter (he thinks Peta is the devil's work), but he supports me in whatever I do and understands why I do it. I really couldn't ask for anything more!

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of Boca Ground Crumbles (or your favorite faux crumbles)
• 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped and ground or grated
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup tomato soup
• 2 cups stewed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 3/4 cup - 1 cup of BBQ sauce
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Wisconsin Cowboy Caviar

No fish were harmed in the making of this caviar! Hey everyone! I hope everyone's spring is off to a fantastic start! Is anybody doing gardens this year? I started to (I showed off my seedlings on Facebook), but I think I'm going to be moving soon, so there really is no point in starting one here. Oh well! That just means I get to buy lots more yummy produce at the Farmers Markets this summer!

It's been super hot here the passed few days. It's hard to believe it was actually snowing a couple of weeks ago. I was really set on not turning on the air conditioning this summer. If people could live without air conditioning 100 years ago, so can I! Well...right now I'm listening to the sound of my air conditioner. And it is good. I'm not gonna over use it though! I swear!

So this recipe I got from my Aunt Tracy who I believe got it from her husband, my Uncle Justin. I think it was a recipe from his side of the family. This recipe is also called Cowboy Caviar by some, but I think that include avocadoes. Who knows! I do know that they usually eat this as a salsa with corn chips, but I think it makes a great salad! I eat it by the spoon!

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light oil
• 1/2 apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup agave)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to cool while prepping the salad ingredients.

Apple Crisp Cheesecake

So, I was honestly sitting there one day trying to think of what my favorite dessert was. I guess that's what I do when I have extra time on my hands. Exciting, right? On the one hand, I love apple crisp. It's the perfect dessert! It has healthy apples and oats, but is so sweet, warm, and delicious. But on the other hand, I also really love cheesecake. There's really nothing healthy in it, but the cool, creamy sweetness just gets me every time.

Wait a second people. Put your hands together. Why not make apple crisp cheesecake? Genius! And that's where this idea was born. If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know it took me a few times to actually get this right. I've never made a baked cheesecake before! All the cheesecakes I ate growing up were completely refrigerated (like my Aunt Mary Jo's Cherry Cheesecake). So it took me a while to figure out the right ingredients (tofu or no tofu? No tofu.), the right baking temperature and time. But I finally got it! I also made my own crust, so that was a new experiment! It really does feel like you're getting both desserts for the price of one! You've got a layer of apple crisp right on top of your cheesecake. Could it get any better?

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used Nabisco's Original Graham Crackers with no honey)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance Shortening)

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a food processor, blend together the graham crackers, rolled oats, and brown sugar until well combined and powdery. After you've melted your shortening, pour it into the crust mixture and process until incorporated. Pour into a pie pan or springform pan and press down firmly and form the crust along the edges of the pan.

 

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 2 8oz containers of vegan cream cheese
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 6 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water. In your food processor, blend together the cream cheese, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla - then add your cornstarch/water mixture. Once well combined, pour on top of your graham cracker/oat crust.

Apple Crisp Topping Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp melted shortening or coconut oil
• 1 medium to large apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Mix together your flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well combined. Stir in the melted shortening or oil.

Arrange the thinly sliced apple on top of the cheesecake in a single layer. Top with the Apple Crisp Topping. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes. Once it's done cooking, cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

I know a lot of people say a cheesecake is done cooking once you tap the sides and the middle doesn't jiggle. Well I tapped the side of my cheesecake after 50 minutes and the whole thing was jiggling. I took it out anyway and I hope the refrigeration would help set it. I was right because the texture was absolutely perfect! So don't worry if your is still jiggly when you take it out! Just refrigerate it overnight and you'll be fine!

Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Looking for a really good dressing to go with those croutons? Look no further, because this one's a hit. I don't know if any of you watched the Dr. Oz show about the documentary Forks Over Knives, but they had a doctor on there named Dr. Neal Barnard. I've heard of him before, but wasn't exactly sure who he was. I guess he's the President and Founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. PCRM promotes a vegan diet, preventive medicine, alternatives to animal research, and encourages what it describes as "higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research." Can't complain about that right? 

Anyway, he was on Dr. Oz about a week ago when they were discussing Forks Over Knives. He brought along a few recipes that I thought looked pretty good, so I had to give them a try! The first was this "No Oil" Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette. Barnard is a proponent of eating as little processed foods as possible and he includes oil as a processed food. Not to argue with a doctor, but I'm not going to be giving up oil any time soon. I don't see the harm on cutting back a little so I decided to try the dressing first since I made those yummy croutons the other day. It was really good! I love roasted red peppers anyway, so this was the perfect dressing for me...I just think I might add a little oil next time.

Also, can we talk? Dr. Barnard said that he didn't eat any processed foods yet he showed the viewers a salad that contained tofu. He also had a bowl of Whole Wheat pasta on there with a sun dried tomato sauce (which I have to try soon!) Last time I checked, tofu and pasta were processed foods. That sort of put me off a little, but I like the guy and he think he does really great things for animals and for the world, so I didn't get too upset about it.

*Makes enough for 1 large salad or 2 medium salads*

Ingredients:

• 1 large roasted red pepper
• 1 clove of garlic - chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and serve! Refrigerate any leftovers!

Find the printer friendly recipe here!

Home-Made Baked Herb Croutons

 

Hey everyone! Not a very exciting or unique update today, but I had to share with you my recipe for home baked croutons! First off let me tell you, they're so much better than store bought! Not to mention a lot cheaper! Now a days bags of croutons cost 3 or 4 dollars in the grocery store, while you can buy a baguette and make 2 to 3 times as many croutons! You'll never buy store bought again, I swear! I have to confess though, a lot of these weren't eating on top of a salad. They didn't make it that far. I had really good intentions of eating them with lots of healthy greens, so I stored them in a zip lock baggie. However, the next day when I was feeling "snacky", I opened the bag and ate the rest of them! Oh well! It's a good thing I only used half the baguette. Now I just have to practice self-control the next time around. Good luck!

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of french baguette bread
• about 1/2 cup olive oil (you could also do 1/4 oil and 1/4 cup melted earth balance)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Beef(less) Stew with Flaky Biscuits

These biscuits are to die for! I ate like five of them in one night. I don't how you guys ate your beef stew when you were younger, but I always remember my grandma cooking the biscuits right on top of the stew in the oven. That way, the top is crispy and flaky and the bottoms have soaked up the juices from the stew. So good! I found this recipe when my Mom and I sat down and looked through all of the family recipes she had and I knew I had to make it! 

This was one of my favorite meals growing up. I always picked out the carrots, celery, and onion though and never ate them. Essentially all the healthy stuff. I was such a picky kid! Needless to say my taste buds have changed, so this stew is filled with yummy vegetables! It also includes Gardien's Homestyle beefless tips. I'm so glad one of my local grocery stores carried it because once I decided to make this recipe, I immediately thought of Gardein!

If you're cooking for a crowd that includes meat eaters, I think this would be such a great meal to serve! It's such a comforting dish and it takes very little effort to make. Just chopping up a bunch of veggies really and dropping them in a casserole. The only real effort comes from making the biscuits. If you want to skip the biscuits all together (how could you?) then it would be a one pot wonder meal! To me though, the biscuits were the best part. There's something so satisfying when a dough comes together so perfectly for you. In this case I was lucky it did, because it's usually not the case.

If you just want to make the biscuits seperately and not on top of the stew, I'll include directions on how to do that as well!

Stew Ingredients:

• 1-2 packages of Gardein's Homestyle beefless tips (or your favorite vegan meat product)
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1 160z can of diced tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and Pepper to taste
  
  

Chop all the veggies and mix all the ingredients in a pan or casserole with a tight fitting lid.

Bake at 250F for 5 hours. While the stew is cooking, let's make the biscuits!

Biscuit Ingredients:

*Makes about 9 biscuits*

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp cold margarine
• 3/4 cup plain non-dairy milk

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend the margerine with the dry ingredients until the mixture breaks down into fine particles. Add the non-dairy milk and mix together. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of milk. If it's too wet, add a little bit more flour.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes. If it's not ready to go on top of the stew, mound the dough, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Once it's ready to go on the stew, turn the oven up to 400F. Roll out the dough and cut into rounds. Place on top of the stew and return the casserole dish back into the oven, uncovered. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. Check at 10 minutes.

If you're baking the biscuits seperately, preheat the oven to 450F. Place the dough rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Check at 10 minutes.

VH BASICS: How to Roast Bell Peppers

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've done a VH BASICS post and since I've done a couple of recipes using Roasted Red Peppers (and a couple more to come soon!) I thought I would show you all how to roast your own peppers! It's actually a really simple thing to do and much more affordable than buying a jar of peppers that go bad if you don't use them within a week of opening! Believe me, I've thrown out a couple of jars of roasted peppers because I haven't used them.

In the picture I took, I've cut the bell pepper in half. I had a cut pepper in my fridge that I needed to use up (I put some of it on a sandwich a few days ago), but the directions I'm going to give you are for roasting whole peppers. If you want to skip a few of the steps, you can seed and de-rib the peppers before roasting. Or you can just pop a whole pepper in the oven and deal with the de-seeding, de-stemming, and de-ribbing afterwards.

But first, here are a couple of recipes using roasted red peppers:

1. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
2. Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa with Asparagus


I made a really yummy roasted red pepper dressing today! I'll share that recipe with you soon!! Follow the directions after the jump!