Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

My latest recipes have basically been based off trying to clear out my pantry.. Move out day is in 2 days! I noticed I had some lentils left so I made this vegan bolognese sauce with rice noodles. I seasoned the noodles with turmeric to give them a yellowish color by just putting some dried turmeric in the water while boiling. Here's the recipe --

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, diced
2 cups lentils, cooked
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with sauce, low sodium
1 cup vegetable stock
2 bulbs of green onion (for flavor)
3 tbsp tomato paste, low sodium
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp maple syrup OR coconut sugar
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
Water for thinning
Noodles of your choice

In a large pan, sauté the garlic in a little water over medium heat until translucent. Add in the shredded carrots, cook for about 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another minute. Put the rest of the ingredients into the pot, except for the basil and green onion. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil, simmer for 1 more minute. If you want a thinner sauce, add water. Pour the sauce over your favorite noodles and top with chopped green onions.

Chamlong's Asoke Vegetarian Restaurant - Bangkok, Thailand

A vegan hidden gem in Bangkok! This isn't your typical vegan restaurant with fancy dishes and high prices. It is a cafeteria 99% free of animal products with street food priced dishes. There is also a cruelty free health store that sits right next to the cafeteria full of juices, frozen mock products, beauty products, dried snacks and grains, cooking utensils and much more for once again, marked at a very reasonable cost.

Make sure to check all items before purchasing as I did see some that included honey and came across a dressing that may have contained milk. But other than that, all is gin jay! (vegan in Thai haha)

Not many foreigners know about it, hence the weird location which can be difficult to find if you've never been. Check out Eating Thai Food blog for the best way to get there. 

When you enter the eatery you will want to get money coupons from the lady at the little window as you walk in on your right. I started out with 100 baht (about $3 USD) and it was more than enough. 

Black sesame steamed bun, one of their many flavors. I have also tried the pumpkin, veggie and mushroom buns... mushroom was the winner.

Among the steamed buns, the cafeteria is full of varieties of fried rice, noodle dishes, soups, salads, fresh rice paper rolls, fried veggie rolls, desserts and much more. I also like to get the juices from the health store, which can be found in the back room in a big red cooler. 

The food is fresh and delicious! Here I ordered the salad bar, rice paper veggie wraps and I have tried just about all the juices (passionfruit-carrot flavor is my go to!).

The mushroom soup is my FAVORITE, can be found at the beginning of the line next to the steamed buns. This dish is made upon request so it is served scorching hot!

The only thing that they can improve on, which happens with a lot of buffet style joints here in Thailand, is warming up the dishes. They make huge portions (like the noodle dishes and fried rice) and leave them out then serve to you without being heated up again. Sometimes a meal is just a thousand times better when hot! But literally, that is my only complaint. 

My two dishes at the bottom of the picture.. on the left is tom yum fried rice and on the right is som tam or papaya salad. 

The staff serving the food is friendly, the food is good quality, the portions are good size and to top it off the health store full of cruelty free products is amazing! It is a great place to buy cheap memorabilia's, souvenirs, and household commodities.  

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

It's our last week in Bangkok so I'm cleaning out the kitchen cupboards of our apartment. Can't believe we're leaving Thailand in a couple days! Anyways, I decided to make this quick and easy oatmeal. Dessert for breakfast!

Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 cup rolled oats, gluten free

1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk

1/2 cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut sugar

Place a little water in a sauté pan, and add the carrots. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients and constantly stir for about 5 minutes or until oats are nice and thick. Add in more water/rice milk if you like a soupier oatmeal.

Almond Date Dip

This creamy dip is a sweet treat I use to dip bananas, apples and other fruits. No blender or food processor needed, just a bowl and spoon!

Ingredients

3 medjool dates, soaked

1 tbsp raw almond butter 

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp water

Put the dates and water into a bowl and smash with a spoon. Add in the almond butter and cinnamon and stir until well combined.

Postcard Journal

An easy way to reminisce on all the wonderful things you've seen and done-- create a postcard journal!  It is a simply made memorabilia, just remember to pick up postcards along the way. When I'm done traveling through South East Asia in April, I'm going to somehow bind them together. 

Since I left California in April of last year I have been collecting postcards from every destination my boyfriend and I have visited. On the back of each card I write the date, hostels we stayed at, people we've met, restaurants we ate at, foods we've tried, excursions we went on, and so on. I want to be able to remember the names of places and people so I can give recommendations or to one day visit again!

Or Tor Kor Market - Bangkok, Thailand

Looking for a market that supplies an abundance of fruits and vegetables? If you're in Bangkok, here's where to go: Or Tor Kor Market right off the Kamphaeng Phet MRT station (Bangkok's underground train). If you've never used the sky or underground train system, get on it -- this is the way to travel to avoid the 24 hr a day traffic in Bangkok (I'll save more info on the BTS and MRT for another post). 

You'll want to get off at Kamphaeng Phet and follow he signs to walk out of exit 3. Go up the escalator and down the steps and Or Tor Kor Market is literally right there. 

Immediately you will see this fruit HEAVEN. They have local and imported produce, fresh and dried, whole and chopped. Prices here seem to be a little higher, as the market is located directly across the street from the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. You can buy almost every tropical and exotic fruit on the market, along with your greens! 

One of my favorite buys are the fresh juices! I've only had the passion fruit, sugarcane, guava, and rosella out of all these options. 

Lots and lots of durian to go around! You can buy it prepared like this, or whole which I prefer because the Thais tend to cut into their fruits a little early before they are ripe.

  Whole jackfruit I purchased here and waited until it was super ripe and juicy.

Hours: 6am - 8pm everyday

Location: Kamphaeng Phet MRT, exit 3

Raw Cauliflower Rice

No blender or food processor necessary! I've used this rice in raw sushi, mexican inspired dishes, to top zoodles and salads or to just eat on its own! Here's the recipe --

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

2 sprigs of green onion

Handful of cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp tamarind paste

2 medjool dates, soaked

1 tsp coconut flower syrup (optional)

Finely chop the head of cauliflower and place in a mixing bowl. Chop the green onion and cilantro and add to the cauliflower. Juice the lime into the mix, add the tamarind and smash in the dates using a spoon. Stir the ingredients making sure the cauliflower is well coated. For a sweeter rice, add the coconut flower syrup or any other sweetener. 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Ingredients

3 mashed bananas (make sure they are super ripe!)

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

3 cups rolled oats, gluten free

4 medjool dates, soaked

1/4 cup banana syrup OR pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tbsp cinnamon 

Set oven to 350F. In a bowl, mash your bananas with a fork. Mash the dates in and stir with the bananas. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Form cookies with your hands, about 1 inch thick, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. This recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Veggie Tomato Red Curry

Curry is just as tasty without the added fat of coconut milk! This yummy spicy curry is tomatoey and full of flavor. Paired with a black rice and topped with green onion and cilantro.

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 stem of broccoli, thinly sliced

1/2 cup baby corns, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used eryngii)

1 tbsp Red Curry Paste

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp banana syrup OR coconut sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

Handful of cilantro, chopped

1 sprig of green onion, chopped 

Sauté the broccoli stem in a little water over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add in the baby corn and cook for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the rest of the water, mushrooms, curry paste, tamarind paste, sugar, and tomato paste. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Top with the cilantro and green onion.

Red Curry Paste

Most exciting part of my Thai cooking class I took in Chiang Mai-- the curry paste! My curry paste is raw so you can incorporate it into your salad dressings, raw pastas and other raw dishes. This recipe is for one serving. 

Ingredients

2-3 red Thai chilis, soaked (can use more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

1 piece of galangal, thinly sliced 

1 3inch stalk of lemon grass

1 small piece of a lime peel

1 tsp of lime juice

1 shallot

1 clove garlic 

1 thin slice of turmeric 

Thinly dice and chop all ingredients and add each one into a mortar, food processor or blender (you may need to double or triple the recipe if using a food processor or blender). Grind with a mortar and pestle or blend until it is a smooth paste. 

Sweet and Spicy Avo Sauce

I made this completely raw sauce to top my zoodles. It's simple and uses all fresh ingredients. No blender or food processor necessary. 

Ingredients 

1/2 mango

1/2 avocado

1 roma tomato

1 passion fruit (optional)

1/2 small Thai chili, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Chop, mince and smash the mango, avocado and tomato in a mixing bowl. Add in the passion fruit, chili and lime and mix well, I use a spoon to mix and press down all the ingredients. For more spice, use the whole chili! I used this sweet and spicy sauce on top of zoodles with chopped green onions. 

Valentine's Apple Ring Pancakes

Made these apple cinnamon pancakes for my valentine and they turned out so tasty! Neither of us are huge fans of pancakes so the apple in the center really gave it a crunchy texture that we both loved. Happy V-day ya'll.

Ingredients

1 apple, sliced into rings

1 mashed banana

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup rice milk (or any non dairy milk)

1 tsp coconut sugar

Mix everything in a bowl besides the apple. Whisk until all chunks are gone. Batter should be slightly thicker then normal pancake batter, if too thin add more flour. Heat a pan over medium heat. Put about 1/4 cup of the batter in a plastic ziplock bag, cut the corner and draw a heart on the hot pan. Next, dip an apple ring into the bowl full of batter, evenly coating each side. Place the ring over the heart and press the top side down with your fingers so it evenly cooks. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes and flip. Cook the opposite side for the same amount of time. I paired these with apple chunks and coconut flower syrup! 

Pulled BBQ Jackfruit

Good BBQ is not very popular in Thailand, so I decided to make my own! I made this with fresh unripe jackfruit, but using canned also works (I've never tried it but a lot of other jackfruit recipes say to only used canned). This recipe can also be made with mushrooms (preferably oyster) if jackfruit is non-existent where you live.

Ingredients

5 cups unripe jackfruit OR oyster mushrooms, pulled and cut into shreds

Water for sautéing 

1/4 cup chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup vegan BBQ sauce (homemade or store bought)

Set oven to 400F. Put a pan over medium heat, add the water and sauté the onions and garlic until they are translucent. Add in the shredded jackfruit, maple syrup, cumin, chili flakes, paprika and liquid smoke. Stir until all of the jackfruit is evenly coated. Add in the vegetable broth. Turn heat to low and simmer until the jackfruit is soft and the liquid evaporates. 

Place jackfruit on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread out the mixture and place in the oven for 20 minutes stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and pour the BBQ sauce over the jackfruit using a spatula to mix around. Return the pulled BBQ goodness to the oven, cook for another 15 minutes, or until browned.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

One of my favorite treats growing up was a warm gooey cinnamon roll from Cinnabon. My grandma was a big fan as well and would spoil my sisters and I every time we went to the mall, oh g'ma! Here's a much healthier and gluten free recipe that is boyfriend (non-vegan) approved!

Ingredients

Dough

2/3 cup coconut milk (or any non dairy milk)

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tbsp potato starch

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (store bought OR 3/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup rice flour and 1/4 cup GF oat flour)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp agar agar powder

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice 

Filling

1/4 cup coconut sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup apple sauce

1 tbsp pure maple syrup 

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or any dried fruit)

Icing 

1/2 cup soaked cashews 

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tbsp lemon juice

Warm milk and stir in the coconut sugar and set aside (if using active yeast NOT instant, proof it in this milk). Mix potato starch, instant yeast, gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder and agar agar in a bowl. Place apple sauce and lemon juice in the bowl with the warm milk and mix. Pour wet mixture slowly into the dry mixture while stirring. The dough should be thick and sticky. Set the dough aside.

For the filling, mix all ingredients together and set aside. 

On a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle with tapioca starch so the dough doesn't stick (seriously it's sticky). Roll out dough to a rectangle until the dough is about 3/4 inch thick. Spread the surface with the filling mixture evenly. 

Start to roll the longer end of the dough, keeping it semi tight as you go. Roll until you've reached the edge, pressing down the seem of the dough to secure it. With a large knife, cut into 2 inch rolls. Place them in a greased baking pan (or on parchment paper) and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the rolls rest for 1 hour. 

Set oven to 350F and bake the cinnamon rolls for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

For the icing, mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Cool your GF cinnamon roll for 10 minutes before applying icing. 

Tomato Basil Zoodle Pasta

Whenever I do fully raw days, I often have a nice and hearty sauce over my zoodles for dinner. It's so nice not having to cook sometimes and just throwing everything in a blender!

Ingredients

Pasta
1 large zucchini, peeled into zoodles
1/2 cup of organic raw corn
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
Topped with cracked pepper

Sauce

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 medjool dates
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 small peeled zucchini
Handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup coconut milk

Place all pasta ingredients in a bowl. Put all the sauce ingredients in a blender, blend on high until the consistency of your liking, I left mine semi chunky. Top with black pepper and enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding

This pudding is so easy and only has 2 ingredients! Since I don't have a working blender anymore, I figured a way to still use my frozen bananas to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Ingredients

3 frozen bananas

2 tbsp raw cacao

Set out frozen bananas for 10 minutes at room temperature. Place bananas in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork. If your bananas are still too frozen add a little water. Add in the cacao and stir until well combined and smooth. Topped with ripe bananas and my Banana Date Granola (<- click for recipe).

Marinated Mushrooms

Mushrooms are my FAVORITE and I finally figured out a way to enjoy them raw! Add these to salads and other raw dishes. 

Ingredients

Trumpet mushrooms (can use any kind)

Fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp date paste

2 tbsp tamarind paste

Juice from 2 limes

Water

Chop mushrooms and tightly stuff them into a mason jar. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the water. Pour that mixture into the mason jar over the mushrooms, fill the rest of the way with filtered water until jar is full. Screw on the lid tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. 

Lemon Pepper Cauliflower Wings

Ingredients 

Wings

1 head of cauliflower

1 cup rice flour

1 cup water

1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning (make sure it's vegan!)

Sauce

2 cloves minced garlic (optional)

juice of 2 lemons

1 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp cracked pepper

1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp coconut sugar (or any vegan sugar)

1 tbsp tamarind paste

Set oven to 375F. Chop up the cauliflower in to bite sized wings. Mix the rice flour, water and lemon pepper seasoning. Toss the chopped cauliflower into the flour mixture until evenly coated. Place the coated cauliflower on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until browned. While your wings are baking, start the sauce. Heat a sauce pan with a little water and saute the garlic until translucent. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until your wings are done baking. Remove wings from oven, and pour the lemon pepper sauce over them and stir around. Return back to the oven for 15 minutes, or until crispy. I paired these lemony wings with some sriracha!

Banana Date Granola

Easy 5 ingredient granola! I use my granola on top of smoothie bowls or as cereal with a non-dairy milk. I made this recipe with no food processor. 

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

4 gooey medjool dates

1/2 cup dried bananas, chopped (can use any dried fruit)

1/4 cup coconut flower syrup OR pure maple syrup

1 tbsp cinnamon

Set oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Smash the dates into the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Halfway through baking I stirred the granola around.

Olive Tapenade

Ingredients

1 can black olives, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup fresh parsley

3 tbsp lemon juice

Cracked black pepper to taste

Finely chop olives, capers and parsley. Pour in the lemon juice and add the pepper. Stir and refrigerate at least an hour before use.

Raw Pad Thai

Ingredients
1 zucchini, peeled
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup marinated mushrooms
Handful of cilantro
1 green onion
Topped with chopped raw cashews or peanuts

Sauce
1/4 cup raw tahini
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 medjool dates
Thumb of fresh ginger
1 small Thai chili
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
3 tbsp water

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Pour sauce over zoodles, carrots, mushrooms and top with cilantro, green onions and cashews.