Raspberry-Chocolate Theme

Apparently I've been enchanted by the combination of raspberries & chocolate lately, even though I just put that together.  Game of Thrones night ended up being postponed on Mother's Day, but I'd already began the cupcake baking process...luckily my roommates stepped up & offered to help take care of the excess. :)

 

The look like your ordinary chocolate cupcakes (& who would complain about that?!), but hidden inside is a tart raspberry filling:

They were so, so good.  I still have more raspberries in the freezer from last year's Sauvie Island berry-picking adventures, so maybe I can come up with one more chocolate-raspberry treat...

More recently, as in last night, my friend Megan & my sister wanted to have a themed dinner, since Megan is moving back to the Midwest soon.  They came up with "Vegan Breakfast Dinner", so Megan made waffles & sliced strawberries, my sister made her famously crispy potatoes & tempeh bacon, & I brought raspberry sauce & Nutella (chocolate & raspberry, for the win!).

The glorious spread:

My monstrosity:

I should probably share the Nutella recipe I used, which is from Veganomicon, a cookbook essential for living a good life. <3  I also want to try this recipe sometime, though it seems way more complicated. 

Not-tella

• 5 ounces toasted, skinned hazelnuts (a generous cup)
• 8-10 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil
• 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnut extract (still good without this)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

I don't follow the directions in Veganomicon exactly, because I've had better results by blending the hazelnuts & oil (start with smaller amount, adding more if necessary) in a blender until creamy.  (A Vitamix is ideal, if you or someone you know has one.)  Slowly add the powdered sugar & cocoa, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary.  Add the extracts & blend until smooth & creamy.  Enjoy it warm from the blender, or chill it for a thickened, spreadable treat.   

Bonus sleeping kitty shot!  Yoda almost looks innocent here, but don't let him fool you...
 

 

Tons of Tasty Food

I stumbled upon a delicious combination for smoothies that I never would have tried, had I not had an abundance of nectarines floating around...nectarine-pineapple! So amazing.


Here's a tasty tofu scramble (w/red peppers & green onions) with toasted, buttery Dave's Killer Bread, roasted potatoes, & a behbeh strawberry from our garden. This is one of my favorite meals. YUM!


Now...a few things I've made recently at work. Jumbo-sized Peanut Butter Pillows from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. People were raving about them, so I'll definitely make them again soon!


And these amazing Hazelnut Caramel Bars, from here.


The recipe is from Sweet Pea Baking Co., here in Portland. They know their treats, that's for sure! I have made these with many kinds of nuts & they're always decadent.


Here are some simple Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies that are a variation on this recipe. No one would know any of these treats were vegan!


Lastly, some roasted tomato fettuccine that I just made for Ethan & I. We've been getting so much good produce, so in order to use up the cherry tomatoes, I made this...


The recipe is from Bon Appétit & is available here on Epicurious. I highly recommend it because it practically cooks itself & seems super fancy, heh heh.

P.S. It is raining again here. So weird.