PBnJ, so Gourmet

To all my vegers out there (ha, vegers, I made up a word) how you you all like the classic peanut butter and jelly combos? I myself love a good peanut butter, but I like to with it up sometimes.

Being adventurous in your PBnJ is so much fun. Whether it's fresh made bread, or some artisan loaf, with a cashew butter and an apricot preserve, the yummy rich protein with the sweet sugars fruit is such a treat. That's why I call it the poor vegan's steak and eggs :)

Right now I'm enjoying some peanut butter and ginger preserves on multi grain organic bread. It's a great combination. The chewy bread that's tough and mildly sweet with the rich peanut butter and the spicy ginger. Yummers.

Once the ginger preserves (which I had in my fridge for ever) were gone, I went back to my old tried and true, low sugar blueberry preserves. This peanut butter is unblanched, so the skin was ground in with the peanuts giving a much richer, darker butter and taste. Get unblanched nut butters whenever you can.

This bread is really good. It's vegan, organic and is about $5 a loaf.
That's average to most over whole grain breads.

Sometimes after you have something mild, you want something spicy. I get frustrated in restraints for paying $5 for french fries. They are just sliced cooked pieces of potatoes, and frankly I can make those at home.

I got some yellow potatoes, and sliced them about 1/2" thick. I tossed them in some salt, pepper, olive oil, and this buffalo tobacco cause that I thought was going to be spicier than it was. 

I heated the oven at 400 and let these cook for 15-20 min. 

Right out of the oven.

With some seasoned vegan sour cream (buffalo cause, salt onion powder, pepper) and some ketchup, 

I devoured these in no time. A great snack.

I think now that I don't have a job to go to (I'm focusing on freelancing), I'm going to be cooking a lot more.

I'm also going to be updating this blog a lot more with yummy cheap snacks and vegan food reviews. So for all of us who are looking for vegan in the cheap, FSV is gonna be the place to go and know.

Lost my job today.

Well crap.

My first crack at apple cake.

Happy new year lovely vegan eaters! 

I know that I have been lax on this blog, but it's because I find it easier and lazier to eat in ruts. As long as I have avocado, rice, and salt and pepper, I'm good. I know, it's sad.

This week's CSA. Yes I'm still juicing.

Tonight I decided to warm up this cold LA night by baking. I love baking in the winter, it makes the house smell good and it warms the place too.

Apple cake. Why did I decide apple cake? How did I think I would know how to make apple cake? I didn't. I didn't have an apple cake recipe, just this one that I severely modified. I try to find a base recipe just so I can get some of the mixtures right and not have it be too watery or too dry.

Here is my recipe.

Apple Cake

1 small apple chopped

1 small apple sliced

1/4 lemon for juice

2 tbls vanilla extract

2 tbls sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsl baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup soy milk

1 tbl apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/4 cup cocoanut oil 

First oil and flour a 9x9" pan

Heat oven to 350.

Next chop up your apples and use the lemon to retard the browning.

Take the sliced apples and line the bottom of the floured pan.

Add vanilla and sugar to the chopped apples and mix. Set aside.

Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Stir in the cup of sugar.

Add vinegar to the soy milk and stir. 

Melt the two oils together and blend. 

Fold oils into the dry ingredients. 

Add water and soy milk and stir. 

Mix in chopped apples. 

Pour into pan and level evenly. Bake for 45 min to one hour, checking on cake after the first 30 in 15 min intervals until done. 

Release cake from pan immediately onto a cooling rack. Allow to completely cool.

I finished the cake off with a maple syrup drizzle. I'm not a big icing fan, so this cake was sweet enough and flavorful. If you are adventurous, you might want to add some almond extract or even cranberries.

The texture of the cake is moist and dense. This is a great coffee cake, or even a nice birthday cake for the healthier among us.

Total of dirty dishes.

If anyone tries out this recipe, I'd love to know how it works for you. This was my first time making this up and I might tweak the ratios a bit next time. Okay, have a great week!