heartyspoonful

 "All sorrows are less with bread."

- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Is it such a surprise then that I wanted to re-create something similar? The variations are endless. Just use your imagination!

Loaded Tempeh Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 block tempeh, sliced in rectangular strips
• Tomato, sliced 
• Avocado, mashed (if preferred) 
• Hummus of choice
• Lettuce, chopped 
• Organic ketchup
• Sriracha
• Sauerkraut (optional) 
• Bread of choice

Bake tempeh as desired. I like to bake it as is with coconut oil.

Toast bread as desired. I had some English muffins at home so I made do with them.

Assemble sandwich as desired. I spread hummus on two pieces of bread. Then, I top one with tomato, sauerkraut and tempeh. The other one, I add the tomato, lettuce and mashed avocado plus condiments.

Enjoy! xx

"I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books."

- Jorge Luis Borges

"I suppose I could've stayed home and baked cookies and had teas."

- Hillary Clinton

• 3/4 whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup gluten-free oats (better if you use rolled oats instead of quick cooking)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut milk *
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp of melted coconut oil **
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat.

In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, milk, sugars and coconut oil. Once thoroughly mixed, add in flour, oats, baking soda and salt.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Place dough on the baking sheet (a little more so a tablespoonful at a time). Baking for 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick you made the dough.

* - I just had extra coconut milk that was waiting to be used. I reckon 1/2 cup of any nut milk of choice will work.
** - Make sure that all other ingredients are at room temperature. If milks are cold, then your coconut oil will solidify. You can also sub olive oil or canola oil.

Enjoy! xx

"Pleasure is the carrot dangled to lead the ass to market; or the precipice."

- Robinson Jeffers

When I was 12 years old, I had my first slice of carrot cake with this thick layer of cream cheese frosting. It had raisins and was very sweet. Too sweet even for this sweet tooth. The frosting made my teeth ache and my tummy unsettled. Yet there was something so comforting with every single bite. It was too much and I didn't have a slice for a very long time. I think that sweetness was enough to last me a lifetime.

Fast forward to a decade later and I decided to try my hand at vegan carrot cake. Of course I've baked traditional carrot cakes before, with eggs, copious amount of sugar and a heart attack inducing cream cheese frosting. But just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I should miss the fun, too.

The thing about baking carrot cake is it just bloody takes a long time. All the shredding. All the waiting to cool. The preparation of the frosting. It's exhausting. I do love carrot cake, I love baking a big cake, but I don't always like the intensive labour it requires in the kitchen. Sometimes, but not always. Always willing to find a compromise, I bake carrot cake cookies instead.


Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies (Adapted from Trois Fois Par Jour)
Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 1 flax egg (1 tsp flax seeds, 3 tsp water)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the flax egg and lemon juice in a small bowl.

In a bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (flax egg with lemon, coconut oil, brown sugar and grated carrots).  Pour liquid ingredients with the dry. Careful not to over mix. Put the mixture in a fridge for 15 minutes.

When ready, shape the dough into 10 balls and place them on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired

Enjoy! xx

"If life gives you lemons, don't settle for simply making lemonade--make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand."

-Elizabeth Gilbert

Life all hands us lemons, or targets us with lemon canon balls, almost always. I'd like to think that even after the lemon bruises and the sticky mess, I've come out of it only stronger, a bit bitter, but sweeter as well. Some sourness, of course, but we all want some sugar, too.

Baking has been my refuge these past two years, dealing with my dad's cancer. It's my anti-stress activity. Even my manicurist told me I have such stiff fingers and that I need to just relax. R-E-L-A-X. Now wouldn't that be nice? See, I don't know how to do that exactly. Is it just lounging about in your pyjamas and watching a show on Netflix? Is it taking a long hot bath and listening to music? Is it walking outside and enjoying the scenery? What is it exactly? I can't keep still so even with all the reading that I do, I don't relax. Not really. I walk about when I read. Or I stop for 5 minutes and contemplate on my life and decisions. Then I put the book down and bake. When I bake, my mind clears. The sun is up and there are no dark clouds. There's a breeze, but nothing threatening. The birds chirp and the flowers wave their hello. I'm in a constant state of relaxation. Kinda like the shavasana pose in yoga, I suppose. Except, wouldn't it be rather odd I drop to floor whenever I want to relax?

Last Saturday was a big baking day. There was a tantamount of anxiety building up in my mind. I needed all the strength I could get to relax. And so I exerted some effort into baking. You see, the reason I bake a lot when I need to clear my head is because baking needs so much of one's concentration. You need the right measurement of your ingredients. You need the right baking temperature. Your baking pan has to be the right size. You need to time what you're baking. This is why you can only really think of baking when you bake. This is why it relaxes me.

Sure, there are baking disasters no matter how "controlled" your baking environment is. Life does happen. But all in all, given all the right baking decisions, you can come out a winner. I once was so distracted when I was baking that I had forgotten to add sugar to my zucchini cake It didn't taste like anything. I couldn't even pass it off as a savoury bread. I slabbed as much peanut butter as a slice can hold, but to no avail. After that experience, I used baking as a way for me to clear the dark clouds and let sunshine in again. I bake, and I bake, and I bake.

On that particular weekend, I baked vegan avocado brownies, baked oatmeal for my breakfast, carrot cake cookies and a lemon cake with blueberry filling. I was exhausted after it all, but I was able to relax enough to be more efficient later on in the day. It's definitely much better than just sitting around and moping. I mean, there were lots of dessert waiting for me. That's the cherry on top.

Vegan Lemon Cake with Blueberry Filling
Serves 8-12 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking soda, sifted
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 large Meyer lemon 
• 3/4 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a round cake pan by greasing it with some coconut oil.

Grate the rind of the lemon. Then juice the lemon and mix with the almond milk. Add the grated rind.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar and baking soda. Add the lemon-almond milk mixture. Mix gently. Then, add the oil and apple cidre vinegar. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool once bake to prepare for the blueberry filling.

Blueberry Filling:
Boil 2 cups of frozen blueberries with 1/4 cup of water and 2 tbsp of coconut sugar. Once the berries are mushy, take away from heat and blend the berries. (In my case, I left the berries as it so there's more texture to the filling.)

Add 2-3 tsp of cornstarch and mix well. When the mixture is thicker, you can remove from heat. Refrigerate the mixture if you want to quicken the thickening process.

Slice your cake in half when cool. Spread the blueberry filling on the bottom layer and place the top layer. You can dust some powdered sugar if you please.

Enjoy! xx

"Health is not just about what you're eating. It's also about what you're thinking and saying."

- Unknown

Years ago, my relationship with food was "natural." I never felt as if I ate too much or too little. I had a healthy relationship with my body. I ate what I wanted: fruits, vegetables, and junk food when I craved some. I wasn't skinny nor was I fat; I was just normal. The girl who didn't aspire to fit into size 0 dresses and the tightest skinny jeans. Then, of course, one day, after hearing rude and unsolicited comments about my "looks," my brain decided to rebel and whisper nasty things to me. That was when I restricted what I ate, even the good kinds of food like fruits and vegetables. I dared not to eat potatoes for years. Avocado was off limits (see, I've come a long way!) and anything made with corn was bound to make my thighs huge. It was all nonsense, but to the vulnerable 17 year-old me, it was enough to make me hate myself enough to deprive my body of the nutrients it needs.

Because of my food restriction, I always came up with excuses to avoid dining out with friends. Especially Mexican food. All the beans and the fat and the carbs. No chips for me. I remember this one time my mum prepared tacos and I just ate lettuce, tomatoes and some salsa. It wasn't fun being around me.

Now, I make sure to include as many fruits and vegetables as I can to my diet. But it's all about balance. Yes, I'll have that piece (or pieces) of bread, too. I'll have cereal and oatmeal for breakfast. I'm not scared of avocados anymore. And I'll definitely eat those corn chips with salsa. I've come a long way and I'm not turning back.

During my recovery, a close friend of mine, who noticed how tiny I had gotten, urged me to try a vegan-friendly place near our campus called Lola Rosa. I was horrified to be honest. I haven't eaten any Mexican-based cuisine in years. After checking the menu, I started to count calories. I even urged her that we should go for a run first, up the hills near our university. I remember I didn't eat lunch that day. I snacked on a few things, nibbled here and there, all because I was saving my calories for what's to come. BUT after taking a bit of their vegan burger (the "hempburger"), I was sold. Numbers weren't dancing around my head anymore. I just enjoyed my meal... because I really liked it. I even told my friend we should eat out more often, try more vegan restaurants. Did I completely stop counting calories and freaking out about restaurant food? No, but it was a necessary step. Baby steps.



One day, at the supermarket, I absentmindedly bought blue corn chips. I've left the bag unopened for two weeks, pretending it doesn't exist. Then, my mum asked if I had any plans of preparing a salsa to go with the chips. She was craving something light and "summery." I grabbed tomatoes, mangoes, avocado and some lemon. I watched my mum enjoy every bite and well, enough is enough, I told myself. I grabbed a bowl and made some for myself, too. I now get random cravings all year round for fruity salsa. Something refreshing when the world feels heavy.

Fruit Salsa
Makes 2-3

Ingredients:

• 3 peaches
• 1 avocado
• 1 mango
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
• Parsely
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Corn chips

Dice peaches and mango and place in a bowl. Pit the avocado and slice in cubes. Juice the lemon. Add the parsley. Mix all in the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with corn chips! xx

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

- Charles M. Schulz

Personally, I believe in destiny, but of course, just like with how you take a shot of tequila, prepare the grain of salt. I believe in hard work, first and foremost, but sometimes, life just hands you lemons and you can't make anything sweet out of all the squeezing and sacrifices. That's just how it is. The world owes you nothing, no matter how much effort you put in sometimes. There are instances though that take you by surprise because the good things just happen. Destiny.

Or a happy accident. Or fate. Or serendipity. Or whatever you want to call it. But even in that movie Serendipity (don't even pretend you haven't seen it yet), a lot of effort is put in by Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack. Ironically, the movie is called Serendipity. I guess it's all just meant to be. See, I worked hard for the grades I earned in school. Sure, I breezed through some classes, but for the most part, nights of fun were sacrificed to get extra hours of studying. But I seemed to have been destined to bump into Shia Laboeuf and Jake Gyllenhaal and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. No, I'm not a stalker, who meticulously planned each encounter. I'm not deranged. Not really.

So, you can only imagine how much I've praised all deities when I happened to have made vegan black bean brownies. You see, I was putting all effort into preparing a vegan Mexican dish with black beans. But, randomly and rather unconsciously, the black beans ended up in the food processor and I somehow managed to add cocoa powder. That, to me, is destiny. Who says destiny has to mean a life-changing event? Small miracles count, too.

Of course I've heard of black bean brownies before, but really, all I knew about them is that you need black beans and you add no flour at all. Without any exact measurements, I eyeballed the whole thing, a little afraid of the possible outcome. Like, come on, Carla, that can of organic black beans could have been a delicious burrito! I've also ran out of brown sugar, which I typically use in baking, so coconut sugar was my replacement. I had made chia eggs, which really was for my chia pudding with coconut yoghurt, but decided, hey why not, let's add it in the food processor. You see, not having a recipe in mind and without much thinking can lead to fortunate happenstance. Sometimes, at least. My kitchen bore witness to many accidental disasters.

I wasn't particularly sure about the batter though. It was a cross between brownie batter and muffin batter. Since my mum already pulled out the muffin tin, I went for it. It didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would've. Here goes...

Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Makes 11-12 brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 chia eggs (I used Prana chia seeds)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 3-5 tbsp of water, as needed
• Vegan chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips)

Prepare chia eggs by mixing 2 tbsp of chia seeds with 15 tbsp of water. Mix well and let sit until jelly-like texture is achieved. Note that this adds a bit of crunch to the brownies. You can also substitute with ground chia seeds or flax.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tins with coconut oil.

In the food processor, add all ingredients except for water and vegan chocolate chips. Pulse until smooth. Then, depending on the consistency, add water so that the batter isn't too thick. Careful not too add too much liquid as the brownies would turn cakey.

Pour batter in muffin tin, reaching halfway of each cup. Top with chocolate chips.

Bake for at least 20 minutes. Make sure that the brownies aren't too soft and that the edges are well-formed. Cool completely before removing from the muffin tin.

Enjoy! xxx