The Friendly Vegan

My great grandma used to make the best pancakes, and my mom used to make them for us when I was growing up too. It was definitely a staple recipe in our family, and no matter how hard I tried to find a vegan recipe for pancakes, it never quite measured up to her pancakes. They made it with eggs and milk, so i figured i would try to switch these out with easy vegan alternatives, and honestly, I kinda like it better this way cause I don't feel guilty when I eat it, and they taste just as amazing! Just, in a different way. Almost everything in there is good for me and by using chia egg instead of the eggs, I am adding so much more nutrients.  They have barley any sugar, and I tested them out with whole wheat flour and they are so. good. Servings: 4 medium pancakes Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat for the ones in the picture) 2 tbsp sugar (I use cane for everything) 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp water, soak f...

I didn't even know hemp milk existed until about a year ago, and now I swear by it. What's even more amazing about being able to make it yourself is that it's way better than buying it in store for so many reasons. 1. It's zero waste (just buy your hulled hemp seeds at the bulk store) 2. It's healthier since there are no added preservatives or sweeteners. 3.You can make however much you need so never have to throw out a barley used carton! The seeds have a super long shelf life so you can always have hemp milk on hand, just takes about 3 minutes of preparation, a blender, and a fine cloth of some sort. You can also use those reusable produce mesh bags, or even a fine cloth that you have kicking around (an old t-shirt would probably do the trick)  As long as water can get through it, it'll do, there is no need to buy fancy new equipment. Ingredients: 1/4 cup of hulled hemp seeds  2 cups of water  1 tsp maple syrup or dates to sweeten *I personal...

Working as a waitress in a restaurant that orders an enormous amount of fruit to make a fruit display, I have a lot of easy access to over-ripe bananas. Whenever I see some that are about to be thrown away, or when I have some at home that we couldn't finish, I stick 'em in the freezer for later use. They would ultimately end up in the garbage so I figure, why not? I always make banana bread muffins just because they are more convenient, but this can be made in a bread pan as well. I've tried both, and although it's so much softer and better as a loaf, I always end up just making muffins because they are the perfect quick on-the-go breakfast. Either way, there is no need for muffin liners in this recipe, just lightly grease the muffin tray, and take them out of the tray as soon as they are out of the oven, let them sit out until they cool and they will be nice and crisp on the outside.  Ingredients: 4 Medium sized bananas 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup o...

What could be better than vegan, waste free, DELICIOUS, Caesar dressing in a super cute hand-me-down bowl! Other than combining it with my coco-bacon bits , and my homemade garlicky croutons , I don't really know. I used to love Caesar dressing, but when I found out the horrors of the dairy industry, I didn't eat it for so unbelievably long. I started to follow a lot of vegan people on Instagram and I was seeing all this stuff that I never even considered could be made vegan. Super creamy mac and cheese? Fettuccine Alfredo? Caesar and Ranch dressing?! So I tested some recipes, and figured out the least time consuming way to do it, and voila! The most amazing, and creamiest dressing, that tastes just like the real thing! Ingredients:  1/2 cup of soaked cashews (see directions for quick soak method) 1/4 cups of water 2 tbsp of olive oil 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of lemon juice (fresh is always best) 1/2 tbsp Dijon or sriracha mustard (you can add more if you like the zesty...

         Coconut? For bacon bits?? I'll admit I was skeptical at first, especially since recipes kept telling me I needed this stuff called liquid smoke? Where am I even supposed to get that? I have no idea what it even looks like to be completely honest. So, I just did my own thing, tweaked a few things to my liking, and created something that I just felt really selfish keeping to myself because it is so easy and so yummy! And you can store it in the cupboard for a few weeks so that's a bonus. Its just a few simple ingredients, a lot of which you probably already have on hand! Ingredients: 2 cups of unsweetened coconut shavings 1 tbsp soy sauce  2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Directions Mix well into a bowl until all the coconut is evenly covered. Make sure to work out any clumps of maple syrup.  Then, spread thinly onto a lightly greased oven tray, and bake at 325 Degrees Fahrenheit for about 4-6...

As you might already know by now, I like to buy things in bulk as much as possible, and although my local bulk barn has croutons, they don't have vegan croutons. So I began my search for some crunchy vegan little bites of goodness, tested a few recipes, and came up with the most perfect and flavorful recipe possible. The trick with these, to get nice crispy croutons is to get a loaf of uncut, rye bread, and slice it up yourself, and to use the end pieces! Ingredients: 4 cups of bread (including one end piece on the loaf) 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp salt 3 tsp oil Directions: Cut your rye bead into desired size and shape (I did regular crouton size) and put in a large bowl. Begin by gradually adding the spices as you mix the bread around with your hand, this avoids having all your spices stick to the same piece of bread. Then, carefully mixing the bread around, gradually add the olive oil.  Once your pieces are evenly coated, spread on...

I've finally done it. I have perfected my oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. I've been tinkering around with a few different recipes for a while now, but they were always too sweet, or too dry.  After a combination of a few different recipes, I think I have finally come up with the perfect recipe. They're not too sugary, they're satisfying, soft and tasty. Ingredients: 1 cup of flour (I used wheat for these) 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon  1/2 cup of margarine or coconut oil  3/4 cup of cane sugar 1 flax egg (1tbsp flax seed, 3 tbsp water. Soak about 15m) 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup oats 1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins  Directions:  Mix all the ingredients together well, form into small balls and press down lightly on a greased tray.  Bake at 350 Degrees for about 10-12 minutes