Hooray for vegan cupcakes on the Food Network

Chloe Coscarelli, an LA-based vegan chef, won cupcake wars--yay! I'm really glad to see that the (very mainstream) Food Network is finally catching on.
Here is an interview with Chloe on VegNews.
I'd also like to point out that the runner-up said some kinda snotty things about Chloe's vegan baking (or rather, about vegan baking in general) and came across looking like a bit of a narrow-minded sore loser, and I hope she learned her lesson!
And I can't wait to try Chloe's winning recipe for chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

Summer Makes Me Lazy

Summer makes Stella lazy, too.

All I want to eat is sandwiches and salad and--as I believe I've mentioned before--vegan ice cream. And you all know how to make your own sandwiches and salads, so I'm not going to bore you with silly recipes. But pictures are ok, right?


This one is fresh corn, tomatoes, green pepper, parsley, olive oil, hot sauce and red wine vinegar, with salt and pepper. Nom!









Avocado melts are YUMMY. Cut up some avocado and arrange it on some wholeo-grain bread and add a slice of vegan cheese (I've been buying Tofutti slices, but I've heard Daiya is the best ever, so I guess I'll have to try that too.)
Stick it under the broiler until the cheese melts, and then eat it while complaining that it goes straight to your thighs.


Then, take a nap.

We all scream for (soy) scream

It is HOT here in Brooklyn, and humid as well! So I've been eating ice cream a lot. Sometimes in lieu of actual meals.

Hot Fudge Sundaes are the best!
Sure, it's animal friendly, but keep it away from your dog.

To make hot fudge: Finely chop 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate. Put it in a saucepan with 1 c. soy milk, 2 tbsp. light corn syrup and 1 tbsp. agave nectar (you can use all corn syrup but I like the caramelly sweetness of the agave, I think it adds depth.) Add 2 tpsp. vegan margarine. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is all melted. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once it comes to a boil, cook for five minutes, stirring often. After five minutes it should be thick and viscous. Pour it into a sturdy glass jar, and add 2 tsp. vanilla extract and (optional) 1/8 tsp. almond extract, along with two pinches of kosher salt.

To make a sundae (as if you don't know perfectly well how to make a sundae), scoop some vegan ice cream into your favorite bowl. I'd like to try making my own s'cream, but that's a post for another day. (Laziness, ahoy.)
Top with your choice of sliced bananas, shredded coconut, nuts, sprinkles, fruit, hot fudge, vegan marshmallow creme, and anything else you want! Top with a cherry if you like to be fancy/nostalgic. Some combinations I like are:
Chocolate ice cream topped with toasted coconut and slivered almonds
Tofutti Wildberry Supreme with fresh berries. As soon as I can get my hands on some vegan marshmallow creme, I'll be adding that, too! Mmmmmm.

Cheater "Chicken" Salad

I can't really take credit for this recipe, since I started with Trader Joe's mock chicken stir-fry strips. I just made the dressing. But it's hot outside, and this was quick and easy! So this is like The vegan version of "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee." Except that I wont' tell you how to make a cocktail and tablescape (what even is a tablescape?)
I can't find my camera so I didn't take pictures (I'm sorry!!! I'm the worst at that!)
Naturally, I didn't actually measure anything (because when do I ever do that?) but here's what I did:
First, I chopped half of the package of strips into little chunks, and added some finely diced celery, and chopped scallion and parsley.
In a measuring cup, I mixed the juice of half a lime with two heaping tablespoons vegan mayo. I added about a quarter teaspoon of grated ginger, and a tablespoon of finely chopped jarred lemongrass. It was still a little bland, so I added tiny splash of rice vinegar and a few drops of sriracha chili sauce, which I've been adding to everything lately.
Then I stirred the dressing into the salad and refrigerated it for a couple of hours.