Vegan MoFo 2013: Win a copy of all of my cookbooks!

So here we are.  Saying goodbye to another year of MoFo'ing.  Oh my goodness.  This has been a pretty epic MoFo for me, how about you?  I love MoFo, and while I am certainly sad to see it go away for another year, I am willing to admit, that a small break (just about a week) will be welcomed.

Vegan Mofo 2013: Book Review and Giveaway: Julie Hasson's Vegan Pizza

I have been a fan of Julie's for years.  The first of Julie's books I ever bought was her cupcake book, way back in 2005!  And each and every book she has put out since has been even better, so you can only imagine how excited I was to get my hand on a book full of recipes for vegan pizza!  Yeah, I was pretty excited.  And now the wait is over.  Julie's new book, Vegan Pizza: 50 Cheesy, Crispy, Healthy Recipes in finally in my hot little hands.  And I was so excited about it, I bought 2 copies!  So now I have one to give away to one of you.  Just follow the prompts in the widget below to enter to win.  Since I am sending it out, this contest is open to anyone, worldwide!

Vegan MoFo: Sophie's Kitchen Vegan Seafood Review and Giveaway

The fine folks at Sophie's Kitchen were kind enought to send me a few coupons to sample their vegan seafood.  I was finally able to get to a market that carried it, and picked up 3 varieties.  Breaded Vegan Fish Fillet,  Breaded Vegan Shrimp, and Breaded Vegan Scallops.

Vegan MoFo 2013: Vegan Sandwiches Save The Day Giveaway

I first reviewed this book in August of 2012, but since I love Celine and Tami, and the folks at Fairwinds were kind enough to give me another book to give away, I thought it would be nice to reprint it again here.

Never eat a boring sandwich again!

Celine and Tami's new book Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!: Revolutionary New Takes on Everyone's Favorite Anytime Meal is finally out, and man, you all need to get your paws on it!

Vegan MoFo 2013: Follow Your Heart

Friday Night Fun Nachos featuring Follow Your Heart Vegan Shreds in Cheddar.
Also Featured, TVP taco meat, green onions, red onions, cilantro, jalapenos,
cilantro, Spicy Sushi Sauce, and black pepper.

About a month ago, I was lucky enough to have been invited to the Follow Your Heart main office and manufacturing plant to celebrate the launch of their new Vegan Shreds.   That day was one of the hottest days of the summer.  I was at work that morning, and packed my "party clothes" to change into later in the afternoon as I headed for Chatsworth to attend the event.  It was 98 degrees when I left Laguna Beach at 1:30 pm.  Once I got on the freeway, it was smooth sailing through the freeways of Orange County, but then I crossed through the orange curtain into LA county and it was if the traffic gods knew I needed to get somewhere and wanted to play a cruel trick on me, my car was now traveling at about 3 miles per hour.  It was 102 degrees.  Those not familiar with Southern California might not realize that the 80 mile drive that should take less than an hour and a half to travel, in LA traffic took me over 4 hours.

Vegan MoFo: Book Review and Giveaway of Judita's Raw and Simple

You all know me by now, and you know that I really do enjoy decaent comfort foods.  Mashed potatoes, gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos covered in rich sauces, the list goes on and on.  What you might not know about me, is that I also actually like to eat healthy nutritious meals.  Shocking, right?  So, I do have a pretty big collection of raw cookbooks, oil free cook books, and other books full of nutritious, clean and healthy recipes.  Raw foods are kind of my favorite way to eat clean.  Pure and simple.  I try to incorporate at least one meal of raw veggies and fruits every day, whether in a salad or a smoothie, or even dessert.

Vegan MoFo 2013: Just for Fun Friday!

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Tonight we won't be cooking or going out to eat.  Because Fridays are for fun.  So I won't worry about nothin' and if I'm hungry, I will snack the night away on whatever is leftover from the week.

Lucky for me, I have a ton of stuff hangin' out in the fridge.  I am thinking I may just make a mean plate of nachos with all the leftovers from last night's tacos!  All the talk of taco cleanses had me craving tacos!  So I finally broke down and made some.  Semi homemade style, since my sister and her man were joining us and I didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen all night!

Vegan MoFo 2013: Joni Represents Whole Foods at the Taste of Laguna Wednesday September 18

On Wednesday, September 18, I will be representing Whole Foods Market, Laguna Beach at the Taste of Laguna food festival. Our store will be presenting 2 dishes, and I am presenting the vegan one.  Because this is a store sponsored event, I used ingredients easily purchased at the store.  I am sharing this recipe, along with giving away a $25 gift card to Whole Foods Market, paid for out of my very own pocket.  (Just follow the prompts in the widget below to enter.  Sorry, this one is only open to US residents.)

Herb Goddess Chik’n Salad over Grilled Crostini smeared with Herbed Aioli
and topped with Pickled Onion and Fennel Relish

I love Whole Foods, and not just because I work there.  I have been shopping and eating at Whole Foods long before I worked for the company.  I know many vegans have a problem with Whole Foods because they do sell and serve meat and dairy.

Vegan MoFo 2013: Book Review and Giveaway Plus a Bonus Recipe from The Great Vegan Bean Book by Kathy Hester

Kathy Hester has already taught me so much with her first book, The Vegan Slow Cooker, and now she's taught me so much more with The Great Vegan Bean Book. I thought I had already posted a review of this awesome book when it first cam out but apparently I hadn't, so I am delighted and excited to share this review as well as give away a copy (just follow the prompts in the widget below to enter!) courtesy of the fine folks over at Fair Winds Press. Because they were kind enough to send the giveaway copy directly to me, I am able to do worldwide shipping, so this contest is open to readers worldwide!

Vegan MoFo 2013: It's Crunch Time!

We are coming pretty close to the middle of MoFo so that means crunch time.  Time to get remotivated and keep the energy up.  Time to get reinspired by other blogs and refocused on the task at hand.  And that is spreading the good word about vegan food!

Crunchies BBQ Roasted Veggies and Mixed Fruit

The fine folks over at Crunchies Food Company were kind enough to send me a few samples of their freeze dried fruits and veggies.  I am no stranger to freeze dried foods, but these ones were really, really crispy and, well, CRUNCHY!  Other brands I have tried get kind of soggy once you open the pack, but these ones stayed nice and crisp for over a week once they were opened.

I will admit to never snacking on freeze dried veggies before, so that was a nice change of pace.  The BBQ Roasted Veggies made a great snack.  Not too salty and just the right blend of spices.  They offer lots of flavors of both the fruits and he veggies.  The ingredients are so awesome, just fruits and veggies!  (And spices if it's a flavored mix.) ANd you can't get cleaner than that.  They do offer a few organic varieties, but please use caution when picking these up, as some flavors are not vegan, like the Sweet Buttered Corn which has real butter in it.

But other than snacking, what else do you do with freeze dried fruits and veggies?  Me?  I cook and bake with them.  The freeze dried blueberries are perfect for blueberry pancakes and muffins, and the strawberries are awesome in muffins and cookies.  I also add them into dry mixes for gifts.  Here is a recipe from Vegan Food Gifts that uses these freeze dried fruits perfectly.

Photo by Celine Steen

Strawberry Pineapple Orange Cake Mix

FOR THE MIX:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (20 g) freeze dried strawberries*
1/2 cup (10 g) freeze dried pineapple*

TO MAKE IT A GIFT:
Into a clear cello bag, layer the ingredients in the order listed above.
Tie closed with a pretty ribbon or twine, and attach the recipe card below.


RECIPE CARD (Printable copy of this recipe card below)
Strawberry Pineapple Orange Cake Mix
You will need:
Cake Mix
1 cup (235 ml) soy, almond, or coconut milk
1 cup (235 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or other mild flavored vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Lightly coat an 8-inch (20 cm) square or 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with nonstick spray.
Empty entire contents of mix into large mixing bowl.
Add milk, orange juice, and oil.
Stir until well combined.
Pour batter into cake pan.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before inverting from pan onto cake platter.
Add a simple icing of powdered sugar mixed with orange juice if desired.

Yield: 1 (9-inch, or 23 cm) single layer cake

Illustrations by Kurt Halsey

On a side note, today's post is the 500th post here on JustTheFood.  How cool is that?  500 posts about nothing but vegan goodness.

Enter to win a Crunchies Prize Pack by following the prompts in the widget below.  Unfortunately, since I will be shipping food, this contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.  Sorry guys, thems the rules.

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