Galaxy Vegan Cream Cheese

It is spring (actually it has been for a month, but I'm behind).
The flowers are blooming, our lawn is literally a jungle out of
control, and all sorts of new veg products are hitting the shelves
faster than you can say 'march hare'.

One of the newest vegan cheeses on the street is Galaxy Nutritional
Foods cream cheese, which I got the pleasure of trying out for
all of you!

Not only is there an 'original plain' flavour, but there is also a
'chive and garlic' flavour much to Monkey-man's delight.



I can't lie, I love my bagels. But I wanted to do something a little
nicer than bagels to try out something new.

So with the 'original' we made some crepes and stuffed them with
the cream cheese, diced apples, spice and drizzled it all with
agave.



The flavor is milder than it's dairy counterpart without that
gross sour aftertaste. The texture is cross between any other vegan
(or nonvegan) cream cheese out there and sour cream. It is soft and
perfect for spreading. It doesn't turn your toast to crumbs while
you're trying to spread a layer of goodness.

We got a little spicy with the Chive and Garlic and made some
jalapenos poppers for Monkey-man's Bday.



Because it was already seasoned with just enough garlic and chives,
all we had to do was fill some halved and seeded peppers, sprinkle
with paprika and bake. Oh, yeah-- And eat to our heart's content!

We still had a little bit of each left over so we had a little European
meal the other night for dinner. Monkey-man made some classic borsht...



And I made some dumplings to go in it.



To fill the dumplings I cooked 1 cup TVP in enough vegetable
broth to make it soft, then added some salt and pepper, sage,
soy sauce and a little bit of molasses. A little plop of
vegan cream cheese and some wonton wrappers later... Deliciousness!



I really dug Galaxy's new product, I liked how smooth and versatile
it was. And the chive and garlic addition? Very nice, tasty and
savory, but not overwhelming or artificial tasting. And I just saw
it stocked in my little health food store! What a coincidence!

Good on ya Galaxy!

P.S. We just back from Paso Robles, CA and I have some great wine
stories to share with you all!

Manic Mondays: The Easiest Vegan Pancake in the Universe

Monday is always a hectic day for people it seems.

Getting back to the typical work week, going back to class,

packing your kids lunch, etc etc etc

So will that this chaos going on breakfast isn't always feasible.

So we need something fast, easy, and filling.

Well pancakes isn't alway the first thing that comes to mind

when talking about something fast, but when you make them

easy- its lightening baby. (Filling is always a given when talking

about lightening, I mean pancakes).

Pancakes can be a very delicate item when making. The batter

is super easy to over mix and then you're left with a flat-cake.

So if you want a pancake that is not like a fat lady came and sat

on your breakfast, take it easy Tex. Pretty much every culture

has sometime of pancake or flatcake, little leavened bread...

I like adding some vegan chocolate chips or berries. Oh, my

absolute favorite combo is chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

I top my pancakes with just a dab of earth balance and a drizzle

of light agave syrup. Leftovers are easy to pack up and roll with

some peanut butter and take for a snack.

The Easiest Vegan Pancake in the Universe

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon sweetener

dash of salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 cups soy milk

Combine the dry ingredients first then mix in soymilk gently

until just mixed. Preheat your griddle to cook on over med heat.

You will know when the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a

dash of water on the pan. If the water hisses and skips, the pan

is ready.

Pour onto a preheated griddle by the 1/4 cup. Cook until

the bubbles on the backside of the cake pop and flip.

cook a few minutes and remove, repeat and enjoy.