Silky Smooth Avocado Creme

Not to be confused with guacamole, this "creme," or cream, is perfect for dolloping on a taco. Try it on my Chickpea Tacos in place of the "Special Sauce." Here's what you need:

1 cup whole, raw cashews
2 Tb freshly squeezed lime juice (I always keep lime cubes in my freezer)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb filtered water
1 ts salt
1 ts garlic powder
1 ts dried minced onion
1 Tb chopped chives
1 seeded, diced jalepeno (I always have these in the freezer from Farmers Market)
1 avocado

Simply put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. So simple. So easy. Enjoy!

Potluck Tofu Scramble

This morning Jason said he wanted something hearty and decadent, like an omelette. I can't believe I just now had to look up the spelling of that word! Anyway, I said "ok," and proceeded to make my first official tofu scramble. I've made an impromptu tofu scramble for myself a long time ago, but this one is official. My formerly tofu hating husband took one bite of it and quickly approved. He couldn't believe that it tasted like eggs, and the seasonings were perfect. We both found it to be so delicious that I made a bigger batch and brought it to a potluck this afternoon. The potluck was titled,  "Anything Healthy Potluck," and every one loved it, even though it wasn't breakfast time! The recipe here is the one I used for the potluck, but cut the recipe in half for a small family.

2 packages 15.5 oz Wild Wood Extra Firm Sproutofu, or any brand will do.
2 Tb "Nootch," aka nutritional yeast
1 Tb salt
2 ts paprika
2 ts mustard powder
2 ts garlic powder
2 ts onion powder
2 large diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2-3 Tb olive oil

• Squeeze all excess water from tofu. My method is to put some in a mesh or nylon bag and squeeze the bejesus out of it, sort of like making home made almond milk. I do this in batches. Another method is to lay the blogs on a paper towel lined cutting board, top with more paper towels and a heavy bottomed skillet. Allow to sit until a lot of water is absorbed, change paper towels, and repeat until most of the water is absorbed.
• Mix tofu and spices in a bowl until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Heat 1-2 Tb olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, drop half the amount of tofu in the skillet and leave undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until golden and crisp underneath. Flip using spatula, and continue to cook until golden. Transfer to a large dish or container.
• Add 1 Tb olive oil to the skillet and continue to heat over medium high heat. Drop remaining tofu into the skillet and repeat above steps. Once its finished cooking, turn off heat and immediately add the tomatoes and green onion. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, and add the first batch of tofu. 

Of course, you could fry the tofu in one batch if you like, but I did it in two so that as much surface area as possible got crisp and golden. Here's mine in pita, enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes from Post Punk Kitchen

Hey every one! I haven't forgotten about my blog, just took a little break. I made these cupcakes for my friend Celeste's birthday on Sunday. She's one of my best friends from high school. We didn't go to the same high school, but I've known her since then. She's the kind of friend who knits blankets for people's kids and says a prayer for them while knitting. So I brought these to our lunch date and all my girlfriends loved them. Most importantly, Celeste brought them home to her husband who also loved them. He's known for having a voracious sweet tooth, so I definitely had him in mind. My own hubby loved the thick, mousse frosting. 

The recipe is from the famous Isa Chandra Moskowitz and can be found on her website Post Punk Kitchen. She's the author of many cookbooks and is truly the go to person for all your baking and cooking needs. Although I must say, the batter was only enough for 9 cupcakes, as opposed to the 12 that the recipe states. Also, I had twice as much frosting as needed. Thats ok Isa, I still love you! In fact, it worked out great because the next day I made another batch and used up the rest of the frosting. If you make these, I recommend doubling the recipe for the cupcakes and keeping the frosting the same. Also, I personally would add a little salt to the frosting, just to bring out the flavors. 

The frosting could even double as the filling for a chocolate mousse pie. Just pour it in a pie crust and chill for an hour. Then I would top it with this amazing looking Coconut Cream Topping from Vegan Dad. It looks so easy and perfect! 

I won't bother re-posting the recipe for these cupcakes, because the only change I made was that I used coconut oil in place of the canola. It gave them a nice, subtle coconut flavor. Normally, I would also sub a whole grain flour instead of all purpose, but I am trying to use up my last bag of white flour. Mine baked up in 20 minutes. Enjoy!