Baking

Juice. Sometimes you've just gotta have it. I'm not talking orange juice, or apple juice, my cravings are for "green" juices. Frrshly pressed organic vegetable juices to be exact. If you haven't tried them you may be imagining green slime, but you're wrong! I mean, just look at that beautiful red juice up there! Its so vibrant you'd think it was as a blueberry smoothie! But you'd be so wrong! That, my friends, is a homemade beet, carrot, cucumber, celery, spinach, lemon, ginger and pear juice. Its also divine. For those of you who do indulge in juice out but haven't opted to buy your own vegetable juicer, this juice was made by me without a juicer! And as a person who tends to buy a crazy expensive pressed green juice once a week, this homemade one is just as good and better because I could add whatever ingredients I wanted without a huge bill! Woo. No more $8 Saturday juice trips for this girl. To make this juice, or any other vegetable juice with...

It's that time of the month...no no, not that time of the month. It's the 22nd which means it's Recipe Redux time!  Today's theme is dehydrated , meaning either showing yo all how to dehydrate something or how I love to use dehydrated foods in a recipe. Luckily I've been on a bit of a raw food bender so this theme was easy! I love dehydrated foods, especially dried fruits like raisins and dates. I eat them daily in fact. I use dried fruit in so many recipes instead of sweeteners and sugar. Dates make a great substitute for brown sugar, I recommend organic Medjool dates as for me they offer the most indulgent texture and flavour.  For today's challenge I decided to create some chocolate chip style cookies using nuts and dehydrated fruit. I think of these as "cookie dough cookies" because they have a doughy rather than firm or crisp consistency. If you prefer a firmer snack you can actually dehydrate the cookies themselves for a sturdier texture. I prefe...

Oh my goodness this shake is delicious. You'd never know it was a vegan drink made of just frozen fruit, stevia and water. Healthified nostalgic beverages are my favourite! This delicious smoothie/vegan shake marries the tangy creaminess of mango with the sweet ice creaminess of frozen banana, and the tart and refreshing bite of frozen raspberries. It's heaven, in a glass. Did I mention this shake is also incredibly pretty? The mango and raspberry combo makes a beautiful orangey-pink colour that you just want to stare at all day thinking 'wow, this colour is natural?!' I love fruit smoothies almost as much for their colour as for their flavours! I think the best thing about this drink is that it just makes you feel summery and energized -- and we can all use a bit of that as summer is on its way out, clearly! It's already getting cold here and I'm starting to recoil to my couch with every opportunity (ahem, right now). This smoothie wasn't designed to mimic ...

Yesterday was great, I took the day off and got a chance to make a nice kitchen experiment for dinner. Vegan Fish Sticks! Even better, hubs made up some delicious wraps with my little creations. I should start by explaining my childhood love of fish sticks. It was perhaps only trumped by my love of ice cream and pie. I literally ate fish sticks with ketchup and mayo almost every day for lunch for several years. Glad that's one habit I moved past. These healthy vegan "fish sticks" involve no fish or sea creatures at all! They are also gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and grain-free. They are loaded with vegan protein and will totally trigger the childhood fish stick memories I can only assume you have as well. If you were never a fish stick person, try them anyway! They are a great alternative to fake meat or vegan burgers. They're unprocessed and pretty good for you, and really REALLY filling.   These "fish sticks" get their fishy flavor from c...

For the 2014 Vegan MOFO event I set myself the challenge of sharing new vegan ice cream and wraps recipes almost daily for the month of September. I am starting to feel daunted by the goal but I think it's worth the effort so I'm sticking to it. Setting goals can be a difficult thing. While setting yourself a clear cut path may seem straight forward and beneficial, simple even, you may find yourself wavering or burdened by the routine. I have this issue a lot. I am often a very structured person. I like patterns and I form habits. While I often think fondly of my routines, I acknowledge that they are hard to break free from. This can especially be true of my food. I have favorites that I stick to and I often create little rules for my eating habits. This both makes food easier for me to tackle and more difficult. While these rules and patterns make dinner choices easier, I often find myself thrown for a loop when variables I can't control are thrown in forcing me to break t...

I should probably start by explaining that one of my favorite food memories is of real thick chocolate milkshakes. I'm talking diner style, almost too thick for your straw. That being said, I firmly believe those 'real' shakes are full of crap and do no good for anybody. Including my ten year old asthmatic self who would nearly choke on them. Every. Damn. Time. None the less, they continue to hold a place in my heart. Today's shake is part of my vegan ice cream challenge that I have assigned myself for this year's Vegan MOFO. Its secretly a vegan green smoothie, and not so secretly amazeballs. Hope you give it a go if you're craving a chocolate shake but aren't digging guilt and remorse. Hooray for food imposters! Rad Chocolate Shake: 2/3 cup or more frozen banana 1/2 cup or more frozen raspberries 1-2 cups water Handful of ice 1-2 tbsp raw cacao power 1 tbsp unsweetened pear or apple butter 1 cup baby spinach Liquid stevia to taste  Blend everything togethe...

So, for those of you out of the loop, Baking Backwards is taking part in the 2014 edition of Vegan MOFO. I will be sharing vegan recipes all month....a lot! The goal is to post something almost daily. To keep myself motivated I have created a challenge for my posts -- I will share as many vegan wrap and vegan frozen dessert recipes as I can throughout September. They will all be delicious and healthy, not to mention gluten-free! To kick things off on a frosty foot may I present one of my staple recipes, my Vegan Power Milkshake! Creamy, protein-rich, raw and green! This drink is so so good for you, especially if you workout and are looking for something to enjoy after your workout that won't make you bloated and will help your muscles recover. It's also cool and creamy, like a milkshake (the main reason its a staple in my life). I really want to highlight the fact that this vegan shake, or smoothie, is fruit-free. Lots of people have a hard time processing fructose. Fruit leave...

Hey guys! I know that in my last post I announced I would be focusing on vegan ice cream recipes for the 2014 VEGANMOFO challenge but after sleeping on it I had a change of heart. That's just too much sugar for me! So, in addition to sharing healthy vegan ice cream recipes I will be sharing delicious vegan wrap creations! I love wraps and I'm hoping this month's challenge will inspire some great ones! Stay tuned for vegan wraps and vegan ice cream recipes!!!

I am pleased to share that I have signed up for the 2014 edition of Vegan MOFO. My posting will be super duper frequent this month as I share vegan recipes to raise awareness of the joy of vegan living. I decided to challenge myself with a theme to help organize the month -- VEGAN ICE CREAM. What can I say, I'm not ready for summer to wither and die just yet.  Stay tuned for healthy vegan ice cream recipes -- from blizzards to cakes! Follow my adventures in the kitchen here, or follow me on instagram @bakingbackwards!