Favourite things: almond butter

The butter of gods, I’m sure of it.

I’m a big fan of peanut butter but it doesn’t come close to almond butter. Not at all. I first discovered almond butter two years ago and it totally changed my nut butter lyfe. Now that I’m vegan it’s an even bigger part of my life since nuts are such a great source of protein.

The only downside is the cost; It’s almost double the price of peanut butter for a much smaller jar. I’m not saying it’s not worth the higher price but it can be a deterrent at the grocery store for sure. I will admit there have been a few times where the price has scared me towards buying peanut butter.

I’ve tried making it on my own, with the aid of my Vitamix of course, but I can never get the consistency right. It usually ends up coming out in cookie dough-type form versus a smooth, silky butter. I’ll keep trying though. When I finally nail it you can bet I will have an extremely detailed blog post outlining the steps – you know I love sharing my vegan successes 😉

But back to the topic, almond butter is heavenly and you need to try it if you haven’t already. I love it on toast, sometimes sprinkled with dark chocolate chips for a treat, or in smoothies. Mmmm makes me want to go eat a spoonful right now… brb

Favourite things: Sriracha

Guys, I like to keep it hot ‘n’ spicy. Pretty much all the time.

So does it come as a surprise to anyone that Sriracha is one of my must-have’s in the pantry? I mean I even have a Sriracha shirt, for crying out loud. The love for it is borderline obsessive.

I put it on everything I possibly can. You name it, I’ve probably doused it in Sriracha (and loved it).

As a vegan it has definitely become a much larger part of my meals simply because it is vegan and adds a perfect spice level to any otherwise bland meal I may have going on. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, an important part of committing to any diet is making sure you get creative and enjoy what you’re eating. Once you fall into the trap of eating boring, bland foods just because it’s all that fits into your diet plan is usually when the downward descent of commitment to that diet starts.

And it’s not always possible to adhere to such a strict diet like veganism and eat amazing meals all the time. Some days I’m lazy. Some days I’m cheap. And those are usually the days when making pasta with olive oil and minced garlic becomes my new staple, which gets old fast. Times like these are when Mr. Rooster comes to the rescue. How can a meal taste boring and bland when it’s so spicy your tastebuds have gone numb?!

Favourite things: Oh She Glows

I’m pretty sure Angela Liddon’s cookbook sealed the deal on this whole vegan thing for me. The day after I read Dr. Fuhrman’s book my friend called me and raved about this amazing new cookbook she’d gotten that was entirely vegan. At that point no one except my parents knew I’d suddenly decided to go vegan so I took that phone call as a sign and immediately ordered the book online.

Her “perfect veggie burger” recipe was the first vegan recipe I attempted… and loved.

In fact, I have never made one of her recipes and not loved it. Seriously.

Her hummus recipe is the best I’ve ever made (and, trust me, I tried at least 5 different ones before I discovered hers as I talked about here). Her doughnut recipe made the best vegan doughnuts I’ve had to date. And her fettuccine “Alfredo” recipe was the first thing I cooked when I moved into my place in Toronto (significant because it was awesome and living in Toronto has been awesome so obviously it had something to with it).

It’s gotten to the point where I automatically trust the recipe if I see it’s one of hers. Trust it enough to make it for a group potluck without a trial run. That’s a serious level of trust but she’s earned it.

Angela, never leave my vegan lyfe.  If she’s not in yours yet, get it.

http://ohsheglows.com/

 

Favourite things: Oreos

Did you know Oreos are vegan?? A fact that is both delightful and disturbing.

Delightful because Oreos have always been one of my favourite cookies so it was nice to not feel guilty eating it (well, guilty in terms of cheating on my vegan life…)

Disturbing because if there is no dairy in these “chocolate” and “creamy centre” cookies, what exactly is in them? No… let’s not talk about that.

Here’s to Oreos and the delightfully animal-free ingredients that go into it. Let’s hope all the kale I eat is fighting off the chemical garbage that keeps these cookies part of my vegan lyfe.

Favourite things: my Vitamix

Taking a page from Oprah’s book, I’m going to occasionally dedicate a post to some of my favourite things. And it only makes sense that my first “Favourite Things” post is dedicated to my Vitamix. Because I fucking love that thing. Pardon the language but the emphasis was needed.

I bought as a little housewarming gift for myself when I moved to Toronto. Hella expensive but worth every penny.

I use it every single day. I try to find a way to incorporate it into every recipe I follow. Chop vegetables? I’ll just throw them in the Vitamix. Food processor called for? Nah, I’ll just use my Vitamix. Flax “egg” needed? Sure, let me just grind up some flax seed in my dry container.

Seriously. I didn’t think it was possible to love an appliance as much as I love this one.

Now I make my own peanut butter, almond butter, oat and almond flours, hummus, soups, salad dressings, sauces… It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

And the company is pretty fantastic too. One time while attempting to make pumpkin seed butter I overheated it and melted a hole in the bottom of the wet container. I was pretty devastated until I called Vitamix and they shipped me a brand new upgraded (!) container in less than 48 hours for free.

So there you have it, folks. If not for it’s magical blending powers, love it for its stellar customer service.