Pad Thai

PAD THAI!! This is my favorite recipe to make! It's very easy, and so full of wonder. wonderful. It is my go-to recipe for potlucks and dinner parties alike.Cathy (a wonderful chef and mama) discovered this recipe in the book entitled "The Gluten-Free Vegan." She made it for Erik and I several times, and we ALWAYS went back for seconds. or thirds. It is really THAT good. I couldn't wait to get the recipe.

The tang of the apple cider vinegar combined with the spicy red curry paste and tamari sauce contrasts stupendously with creamy peanut butter and sweet agave nectar. Thin rice noodles and (flavorful!!) cubes of tofu topped with lime and chopped green onion make this meal a real powerhouse of deliciousness and flavor.

Trust me, you should really try this.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped carrots (I always put in more)

12 ounces extra firm silken tofu, cubed

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 wheat-free tamari sauce

2 tablespoons agave nectar (I put a touch more)

1-2 teaspoons red curry paste

2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter

1 cup bean sprouts

6 ounces uncooked rice noodles

4 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Note: Now I know many of you may not have all of these ingredients hanging out in the cupboards, but once you have these items (tamari, apple cider vinegar, grapeseed oil, agave, and red curry paste) they will last you FOREVER. I've made this recipe at least 4 times since I bought these staples, and I still have well over half of everything left. Splurge a little now, and you'll have these ingredients for a very long time. dilemma: "what if I don't like this recipe, and I spent all this money on these ingredients?" Believe me, if you are someone who is inclined to like thai-themed food, you will love this. If for some reason it's not your favorite, all of these ingredients can be used in different recipes. Take a chance! You won't be disappointed.

How to:

Boil some water for your rice noodles.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions become soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the tofu and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
[Now would be a good time to cook the rice noodles.]
Add the vinegar, tamari sauce, agave nectar, red curry paste, and peanut butter.
Add the cooked rice noodles to the peanut buttery mixture and mix in the bean sprouts. Garnish with lime juice and green onion. ENJOY!

Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Coconut-Banana-CUPCAKES

My version of Ashley's [@ (neverhome)maker's] delicious cupcakes! Here's the original recipe:Big Hunk o' Love Cupcakes!

I changed it a little bit and added a chocolate coconut drizzle and coconut flakes... basically it's just decoration, but I think it's JAZZY!

And this is WOLFY! :D he helped make the frosting and suggested the addition of more peanut butter. (his favorite)

chocolate coconut sauce:

1/2 c chocolate chips

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally to keep the chocolate mixture glossy and prevent it from burning. Once the cupcakes have cooled and you've frosted them, drizzle it over!

Apricot Mulberry Cream Tart

I wanted to make a tart. So I did.
A light filling of cream cheese and sugar with bluberries and homemade apricot butter (more on that later!) folded in made this tart a unique and delicious experiment! Topped with fresh strawberries and mulberries from my very own mulberry tree made this tart a fresh and fruity treat. Homemade whipped cream and macerated mulberries in sugar was the perfect topping. The crust is so easy - it's just a sheet of puff pastry!

Ingredients:

- 1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)

Filling:

- 1 package of cream cheese, softened

- 3 tablespoons of sugar

- 2 tsp. vanilla

- 1 egg

- 3 tablespoons flour

- about 1/4 c of apricot butter (maybe a little bit less) (you can also use apricot jam, or whatever your favorite flavor of jam is!)

- 1/4 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix the sugar, egg, vanilla and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the flour, and then fold in the apricot butter. Mix in the blueberries. Chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Gently mold the puff pastry into a buttered nine-inch tart pan. Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for fifteen minutes, until lightly browned. Take the tart from the oven. Don't worry if it puffs up! You can just deflate it with a spoon.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. After you take the pastry out of the oven, pour the filling into the center of the tart and return it to the oven, and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.

If you have a mulberry tree, like me, then go pick some mulberries! Blackberries or raspberries would make a splendid substitution if you are lacking in the mulberry tree department. Mash the berries together to form a sort of sauce. Add about a tablespoon of sugar to the mixture and chill in the refrigerator. When the tart comes out of the oven, pour some of the berry juice over the top, and watch as it soaks into the tart. Let the tart cool! Later, slice some strawberries on top, and make some whipped cream! Eat! Eat! Eat! and love.