Cyn-Fully Delicious at The Vegan Faire

Been craving some knock-out vegan food?  Check out the 2nd Annual Vegan Faire, coming to you on July 25th at the Center Street Promenade in Anaheim.  Music, food, fun!!!

Vegan White-Fish / Lobster Sushi Roll

Cyn-Fully Delicious will be serving our fusion sushi.  Where tradition meets modern vegan.  How about our signature vegan white-fish / lobster sushi roll.  Grandma Kimura's traditional Japanese secret recipe, used in her sushi-ya in Chicago, is incorporated in our sushi rolls.   

Leave enough room to taste some of the delish vegan food from favorites like Doomie's Home Cookin', Southern Fried Vegan, Ihsan's Falafels, Healthy Junk, Vegan Pizza and so many more.  Don't forget dessert, Divine Dips will be serving vegan ice cream... yum!

See ya there!!!

#HealthyJunkVeganFaire

Vegan Beef Jerky… Sam’s Harvest Soy Curls Jerky

I’ve been hearing the buzz about Soy Curls.  So what are they?  I had to find out.  I went on Butler’s website, makers of Soy Curls, and found they are a meat alternative made from soy. 

Soy Curls are chemical-pesticide free and made from non-GMO soy.  Yeah! 

Soy Curls Jerky

So, I decided to hit the company up.  A few days later, Dan Butler sent me a great sampler package filled with Soy Curls, Sam’s Harvest Jerky, and ButlerChik-Style Seasoning.  I eyed the jerky and snapped a few pics.  I showed Craig and we tore into the package.

Soy Curls, Sam's Harvest Jerky, Butler Chik-Style Seasoning

We noticed the jerky has a smoky aroma and chewy, firm texture.  Craig is a former beef jerky freak, he said it reminded him of the taste of a Slim Jim... hearty, flavorful with a hint of zing.  I haven’t had a Slim Jim in eons, so I’m taking his word for it.  Next sampler, Stacy… thumbs up! 

Soy Curls Jerky lookin' meat-like

We had to crack open the second bag the next day.  It seemed like the taste was even better.  How does that work?  We devoured that package and are longing for more. 

Our Neighborhood Vegan Jerky Lover

Sam’s Harvest has a meat-like, firmer texture.  It is a knockouts!

Stay tuned for my next post on #Soy Curls.

Thanks Dan!!!

#Sam’sHarvestSoyCurlsJerky

The Beast Burger… Yes, it’s a Quarter Pound Vegan Burger

The Beast Burger topped with Grilled Onions, Daiya Cheddar, & Thousand Island

In 2014, I did a promo with Brian from Beyond Meat at The High Octane Car Show, benefiting The Gentle Barn.  We were showcasing Beyond Meat’s grilled strips and my street tacos.  Brian had given the tacos a thumbs up. 

Rikki Rocket, Poison drummer, enjoy'n our street taco
made with Beyond Meat at the High Octane Car Show

Later that year, Brian told me Beyond Meat was going to be launching an exciting, new product.  He couldn’t reveal what it was, but he was totally thrilled about it. 

Last week, I was at my local neighborhood Sprouts store and came across a package in the freezer section.  Enticing, eye-catching, bold box labeled The Beast Burger.  I couldn’t resist.  I had to give this daddy a try. 

Beast Burger

The burgers have a deep, rich, brown color.  No pale veggie burger here. 

The Beast Burger
Straight from the Package

I made a batch of my thousand island dressing and grilled up some onions.  Now for the burger, I pan-fried ‘em up junk food style and added a couple of touches (soy sauce and liquid smoke).  Salt & peppered those bitches (as Craig would say) and melted some Daiya shredded cheddar.   Now they were ready to go.

Grilled up Beast Burger

Craig took a bite first.. “Holy cow!!!  But it’s not cow.”  He couldn’t believe how close to the real deal it was.  I more than agreed.  We both thought that these were by far the best frozen veggie burgers we’d tried. 

The Beast … a quarter pound burger definitely earns its name.  This is a big boy.  Served with a side of steak fries and you’ll be more than satisfied. 

I noticed that they have a sliders version.  I’m looking forward to trying them soon.  Craig said I’d better get back to Sprouts and pick up some more packages.   

Fireball, the donkey, check'n out the Beast Burger

Stay tuned.  Next stop, the vegan version of the Burger King Quarter Pounder.  
#BeyondMeatBeastBurger

Thousand Island Dressing

Three ingredients only... how simple.  I go by feel and color for my thousand island dressing.  I use Trader Joe's ketchup, which may be a little darker in color.  The thousand island looks slightly pinkish-orange, rather than light orange like store bought brands... but it tastes great.  I'll measure soon and give you an update.

Vegeanaise, Just Mayo, or any other vegan mayo

Ketchup

Pickle Relish

The Pie Contest… Vegan French Silk with Coconut Whipped Cream

Vegan French Silk Pie topped with Coconut Whipped Cream

Toby

A few weeks ago, Craig was looking through our copy of the Santa Clarita Magazine.  The magazine in which Toby, our good-looking pup, got his picture chosen for staff pick in the cutest pet photo contest.  Just had to plug our little guy. 

Craig noticed that #CircleofHope, a cancer survivor’s organization, was having a pie contest.  Pie??? Now, I’m not much of a baker, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to show the community that great tasting vegan pie does exist.   I decided to enter.

Choices, choices, choices…which pie to enter?  I wanted to choose a pie that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as vegan.  Got it! 

Vegan French Silk Pie 

I remember as a child, my family would stop at Baker’s Square and pick up a pie.  One of my all-time favorites was their French Silk Pie.  Chocolatey, smooth, creamy goodness topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

I’ve never made a French silk pie, so I had to find out what ingredients are in it.  Here’s what I learned, traditional French silk pie is made with raw eggs… yuck!  Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman,  uses ingredients like baking chocolate, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and the raw eggs. 

So, how am I supposed to get the texture minus the non-vegan ingredients?  Answer, Chocolate Covered Katie to the rescue!  She uses ingredients like silken tofu, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, vanilla extract … ingredients that are similar to The Grit’s Chocolate Vegan Death Cake’s Frosting.  I made the cake for Nick’s birthday ( the singer of Nightmare) the other week, so I knew the chocolate chips would probably give it a firm consistency. 

Nightmare -Nick & Cynthia

I was right, Katie pretty much nailed it.  So, what could I change to make it my own?   It was time to experiment in the kitchen.  I grabbed my friend and my sous chef, Stacey.  Strong-brewed coffee, soy cream, canned coconut milk, almond extract, and Teeccino (the herbal, coffee alternative) seemed like good choices.   I chose a version and made a graham cracker crust (made with home-made graham crackers). 

Taste of Vegan French Silk Pie

Now, I remember the Baker’s Square version was topped with whipped cream.  It was time to try my hand at coconut whipped cream.  Stacey and I watched a youtube video by Fablunch, and gave it a shot. 

I found out it was pretty easy to make.  But here’s the caveat.  You have to put the canned coconut milk in the fridge so the fat solidifies.  I had a few cans of Trader Joe’s cream coconut in the fridge.  I found that it has the most fat, which in turn makes more whipped cream. 

I topped the pie and made some chocolate, sea salt shavings.
Decadent, rich… a very adult dessert. 

Trader Joe's Coconut Cream

Pies, pies, pies... I was getting sick of French silk pies.  I made my last few for the contest and put them in the fridge overnight.  I thought I could just top them with the coconut whipped cream in the morning.  Wrong!

The day of the contest, I grabbed my coconut cream (the main ingredient in the whipped cream) and forgot to refrigerate the bowl.  It was totally hot and humid (not typical LA weather).  My whipped cream turned to soup.  Oh No! 

Chaokoh Coconut Milk

Thankfully, I had more cans in the fridge and tried again with a cold metal bowl.  Yes, it worked.  Beautifully whipped peaks.  I topped one pie.  Now I needed more whipped cream for the other pies.  I grabbed another can of the Trader Joe’s coconut cream from the fridge and found it was liquid.  No solid white fat on the top.  The cans were identical on the outside, but the ingredients were not.  I salvaged the first, soupy batch, by putting it in the freezer and re-whipping.  I didn’t have much time left.  No chocolate, sea salt shavings.

Lesson of the day: all coconut milks are not the same.  The Trader Joe's coconut cream and the Chaokoh brand both list the first ingredient as coconut extract or extracted coconut.  Other brands that I bought list water or another ingredient.  In fact, one time the Trader Joe's coconut cream was great, the other time it didn't solidify.  What's goin' on???  I'll have to call the company.

Stacey and I grabbed the pies, hoping they weren’t going to melt in the heat for the car ride over.  (I put some ice packs in the containers to keep them cool and cranked up the a/c.)  Success.  No melted pies. 

The verdict.  I didn’t expect to win the contest.  I was merely looking to expose the public to a decadent vegan pie and do a little promo.  I did win, but not the contest. I had fun, got great feedback and made some new friends and connections.  Saw my friend and mentor Darmon McGruder from the Signal. Also, Cynthia and her group from Our Place Barbecue.  Overall a pretty great day!  I learned a lot and had a kick'n time... a winner.

So, if you want to try your hand at #VeganFrenchSilkPie , I'd start with Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe for your base and go from there.  The coconut whipped cream has only 3 ingredients and if you can get the goods to solidify, you've got it made.  Take a peek at the Fablunch video for a how to.

Thanks to Stacey for the pics and the help... and thanks to everyone who sampled my pie. 

#VeganFrenchSilkPie

Cyn-Fully Delicious at the Conscious Life Expo

Cyn-Fully Delicious will be serving vegan lunches and dinners at the Conscious Life Expo at the LAX Hilton, February 6-8th.  We are fine tuning our menu and will announce it shortly.  Stop by and say hi to Craig and me.  Looking forward to meeting you.

Cyn-fully Delicious at the Conscious Life Expo 2015 

The Vegg French Toast Mix - Product Review

Vegan egg yolk?  Huh?  Well the folks at the Vegg have a plant-based egg yolk.  I heard about the product, so I hit Rocky Shepherd, the company’s founder, up for a sample.  He graciously sent me a package of the company’s French toast mix. 

The Vegg French Toast served with Maple Syrup & Agave

The product comes in a shiny silver pouch.  It is in powdered form and is made with:

WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE MILK POWDER, FORTIFIED YEAST FLAKES (DRIED YEAST, NIACIN,
PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID, B 12), SODIUM ALGINATE, BLACK SEA SALT, ORGANIC SPICE, BETA CAROTENE

The Vegg French Toast Mix

Each package makes 18 slices and sells for $7.99 on the Vegg’ssite. 

The Vegg French Toast Mix with Soy Milk

I had some bread around, so I decided to give it a try.  The package says to whisk 2 tsps of mix with ½ cup water.  (Rocky suggested I try replacing non-dairy milk for the water for a richer french toast.)  This will make 4 slices of French toast.  So I went whisking away… Wow!  I didn’t expect this… the product started to smell like eggs.  When Craig walked in the door, he even said it smelled it. 

The smell dissipated and I placed the mixture in the frig as directed on the package. 

A few minutes later I was ready to coat the bread slices. The mixture soaked in evenly.

Bread soaked in the Vegg French Toast Mix

I coated a skillet with extra-virgin coconut oil and placed the slices in the skillet.  I went to flip the slices and they stuck a little.  When I tried again, the slices didn't stick.  They actually browned nicely with a little crispness around the edges.  Maybe my pan wasn’t hot enough at first.

The Vegg French Toast

So now the taste-test.  It actually tastes like French toast.  I topped them with the ole’ standard maple syrup and agave.  Yum-mee.

Craig is not a french toast guy, so I decided to try it out on a couple of my friends, Barbara & Stacy.  They came over for a Vegg French Toast tasting.  Barbara was really impressed.  She said, "I'll have this anytime." Stacy liked the crispy-lightness of it.

The verdict?  I highly recommend the Vegg French toast mix for an easy, almost fool-proof way to make French toast.  All you need is the bread, non-dairy milk (or just plain water), and some oil to coat your skillet.  This makes me want to try the Vegg baking mix.  Craig says he’d like to have some “eggs” with a runny yolk.  Let’s see what the product can do.  I’ll keep you posted.

Creamy Lemon Tahini Dip with Rainbow Carrots (vegan)

Happy Veganuary!
Hope many of you are taking the pledge to go vegan for the month of January.

Craig & I have been on an ooey-gooey black bean patty melt kick for the last few days.  So, now we needed a fast n easy snack that’s a little healthier. 

I just purchased a bag of organic rainbow carrots from Trader Joe’s.  They’re sweet and tasty.  What better pairing than a creamy dip?  Well, you can go with the traditional ranch… but I was thinking a little healthier. 

Why not a creamy lemon tahini dip?  This is one of my favorite go-to dips.  Tahini is a ground sesame paste, you might have had it in hummus. 

This dip is so easy to make.  All you need is tahini, a lemon, water, and salt.  That’s it. 

Rainbow Carrots with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dip

Creamy Lemon Tahini Dip

Ingredients

1/4 cup Tahini

2 Tbsp. Lemon juice (preferably from a fresh squeezed lemon)

2 Tbsp. Water

Salt to taste

Directions

Start with tahini.  I live near an international market, so I get my tahini there.  It comes in a glass jar, some look like mayonnaise jars. 

Shake and stir the tahini in the jar.  It tends to settle with the oil on the top.  If you don’t, you’ll get a thick, solid lump when you get to the bottom of the jar. 

In a small bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, water, and salt.  Stir together.  Serve.

I usually serve this dip with sliced carrots, but you can expand your horizons and try cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, …  If you’re not into raw veggies, try steaming them.  Thin out the dip a little and make it into a pourable sauce.  Then, top your steamed veggies.  Craig's new thing is thinning out the dip and pouring it over his Summertime Pita Sandwich.  Healthy made easy.