Celebrate National Coffee Day with a Peppermint Mocha Cheap-o-chino and a Giveaway

Happy National Coffee Day! Isn't about time for your afternoon coffee break or after dinner coffee/dessert? It's still warm in Durham, so I needed a nice cold frozen coffee drink. I'm really hoping for fall and I hear it might peek out this weekend.


In my opinion the best way to make an iced coffee or frozen coffee is to use homemade cold brewed coffee concentrate. See the link in the recipe for a how-to. It's easy to make in a French Press and you can make enough for the whole week on the weekend. Then you can just grab some from the fridge when you feel like a treat. Plus it won't melt your ice and it's easier on your stomach. 


If you hate coffee leave it out and add another 1/4 cup creamer. You'll have a (so) delicious chocolate -peppermint shake!


The Giveaway: This is separate contest from the giveaway on HealthySlowCooking - you must leave your comments here to be entered!


 I have coupons for a couple of free So Delicious products and some cents off coupons to giveaway to one of you. To enter leave a comment on this post. I will post a winner on Sunday. Good luck!


To get extra entries do one of the following and leave another comment on this post for each one you do.

• Tweet the following (including the link) one time: It’s National Coffee Day! Join @geekypoet, have a Peppermint Mocha Cheap-o-chino and enter the giveaway! http://bit.ly/nWjjzX
• Tweet one time: @so_delicious is my favorite coffee creamer!

Peppermint Mocha Cheap-o-chino

Makes about 2 to3 servings
soy-free, gluten-free

• 1/4 cup (63ml) cold brewed coffee concentrate or 1 cup (250ml) regular brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup (63ml) So Delicious Coconut creamer original flavor
• 3/4 cup (188ml) Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
  (can use vanilla or plain just adjust sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Sweetener to taste: brown sugar, stevia, agave nectar, or maple syrup, etc.
  (I used 1 packet Nu-Stevia) 
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon pectin (do not leave out - it holds it together!)
• 2 cups ice
• crushed peppermint candy for topping (optional)

In a blender mix everything except for the xanthan and ice. Taste and adjust sweetener as needed. Remember this is a concentrated flavor so it needs to be a little sweeter now to be just right later.

Then add xanthan gum (or pectin) and blend. This will keep the different ingredients from separating so it will look just like a drink that you paid lots of money for!

Add the ice. Depending on your blender you may have to add it 1/2 cup at a time. I have a really powerful one so I can dump it all in at once. You can add more coconut milk if it's too thick or you can add more ice if it's too thick.

Vida Vegan Giveaway Winners Announced...

Congratulations Cindy Lou Who and Amy!

I'm not sure if blogger changed, but I do not have the emails of the winners and neither person has a blogger profile up. So winners please email me at with your mailing address so I can send your goodies out.

I also put the comments next to the name so you can be sure it's you.

Keep an eye out for more giveaways!

Vegan Greek Yogurt Review and a Giveaway!

Since I've been writing recipes for Everythingmom.com, working on the launch of The Vegan Slow Cooker, and getting goodies ready for Vida Vegan I've gotten behind on my blogging at Busy Vegan. I guess I'm making sure the name fits!

Last week I went to Vida Vegan, the vegan blogger's conference. It was so amazing meeting some of my internet friends and heroes. I got to try new products, meet more vegan bloggers, and get even more ideas for projects.

I have a ton of reviews coming your way in the next few months. 

Today I'm starting off with a product by one of my very favorite manufacturers, So Delicious. When they mentioned Greek yogurt and a new coconut nog I couldn't wait to try some. Then I waited and waited...until I thought I might never see it in the wild.

My friend Gail of So Delicious (and Hungry Vegan) brought us all a yummy surprise to Vida Vegan. It was amazing enough to have a vegan breakfast buffet every morning, but seeing the elusive vegan Greek yogurt on it made me jump up and down.

My first taste was of their blueberry variety. It was super creamy and thick just like I was hoping it would be. There weren't chunks of blueberries, but there was enough blueberry puree to give it that blueberry flavor in each bite. 

Next I tried the plain. I liked eating it by itself, and I think it would be easy to add into baked goods and sweet desserts. I think it may be a little sweet to try in a few of the savory applications that I have in mind. But I still have to get some in my own kitchen to do some experimenting. 

I completely understand how hard it is to make a non-dairy yogurt. Last year I was working on one for the book, but never got past a kiefer stage. Since cow milk already contains sugar in it that feeds the cultures, non-dairy milks have to add a sweetener to create the yogurt with all that friendly bacteria that we're looking for.

I was a little worried that the texture might be like Amande's, the almond milk yogurt. Amande reminds me more of a pudding than a yogurt because of the way they have implemented the thickeners. Don't get me wrong, I like Amande and eat it fairly often. I just prefer it as a snack or dessert over breakfast.

But as you can see below So Delicious got the texture spot on!

There is no doubt that I'll be having So Delicious Greek yogurt at least a few times a week once I can get my hands on it!

Giveaway:

Now about the giveaway. Did you miss Vida Vegan? I put a few things in the swag bag to promote my book, The Vegan Slow Cooker, and I'd love to give them to you too.

There is this super cool OXO peppermill, some tasty peppercorns to fill it from My Spice Sage, and a postcard with my recipe for Slow Cooker Tempeh Braised with Figs and Port Wine.  I have a few extra coupons I'll be adding too and a few other bonuses too.

Each of the following things will get you one entry. You must add a comment for each one that you do. So if you do 4 things you make 4 separate comments. Got it?

• Subscribe to Busy Vegan either through email or rss (required)
• Like OXO's Facebook Page
• Like My Spice Sage's Facebook Page
• Like the Healthy Slow Cooking Page (add a comment if you already like it)
• Sign up to get my tweets (add a comment if you already do)
• Put a link to this giveaway page on Facebook (your page only)
• Tweet a link to this giveaway page once about this giveaway with a link

Good luck! There will be two winners and I will post them next Monday morning - so you have a week to enter.

Elegant Eggplant Appetizer

This is a great alternative to cooking a full meal on a hot day or the perfect appetizer at your next cocktail party. It goes well on crostini, crackers, and even as a spread on a sandwich. Serve with a green salad and you've got yourself a full meal without all the sweat.

You could probably make this in a slow cooker if you added about 1/2 cup water. Next time I'll try that method and post the recipe with any needed changes for the slow cooker.

I want to let you know I have a few other recipes coming up soon. The Not-fried Southern Summer Squash and a Not-Quite Nicoise Potato Salad were my quick and easy successes last week and are perfect for a weeknight meal.

Elegant Eggplant Spread
Makes about 2 cups
soy-free and gluten-free

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (160 g) minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (149 g) minced sweet or bell pepper
• 2 cups (164 g) minced eggplant
• 1/4 cup (13.5) sun-dried tomatoes, minced in food processor
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Then add the peppers, eggplant, sun-dried tomato, tomato paste and red wine. Cook until the eggplant is soft and cooked through. Add extra water or wine if the mixture gets to dry before the eggplant is completely done.

Serve warm or cold with crackers or toasted thinly sliced baguette. Use leftovers as a tasty pizza topping!

Vegan Product Review: So Delicious Mint Chip Frozen Dessert (No Sugar Added)

You all know how much I love So Delicious products, so as new ones come out I can't help but try them. (I'm still waiting for the Greek Yogurt coming out in the summer...)

Please note that I did get some coupons from So Delicious to try some of their new products for free. But honestly if I don't like it I certainly won't tell you I do. Luckily So Delicious seems to have product developers that are after my heart! 

Like other products by them, this is soy-free and gluten-free. You need to check the labels for each flavor for other allergens. This one is nut free unless coconut counts as a nut. Thinking about that makes my brain hurt, so if you know the answer please leave me a comment.

It's the usual 2 cup package with 4 1/2 cup servings. Each serving is 120 calories and has 11 grams of fat. It's sweetened with a combination of monk fruit and stevia extract. There was absolutely no bitterness from the stevia which happens in some products. I don't know much about monk fruit, but you can get more info at monkfruit.org. 

I didn't think it tasted like a sugar-free product at all. And by that I mean it tasted very good. Their other "ice creams" are sweetened with agave syrup and are 170 calories a serving with 9 grams of fat. I thought the texture and richness was the same between the two.

Why am I using a stock image? Because when I was down to the last serving I added some unsweetened coconut milk and mixed it with a fork to make a thick and creamy milkshake. I used my favorite glass straw and drank it straight from the carton. I just didn't want you to see me (or the carton) like that. But it was very, very good. 

Beyond Easy Vegan BBQ Tofu Pizza Topping

This seems too simple to even write down and to call it a recipe is a stretch. So, if you are looking for a culinary challenge you may want to move along.

However, if your week is overwhelming and you're just too tired to make dinner -  this is perfect for you. I was lucky enough to get a dinner invite on my hectic Monday. My friend, Brit, was experimenting with pizza dough and I was also invited to bring my own topping if I wanted. She was providing the pizza crust!

I definitely wanted to make my own topping. I have a special place in my heart for bbq pizza. It's actually close to an obsession, but at least Mellow Mushroom has bbq tofu on their menu. But this is so much cheaper it's ridiculous!

If you are avoiding soy you could certainly use seitan or add extra veggies in place of the tofu. To make it gluten-free simply buy or make gluten-free pizza shells. This is also good on English Muffins, flatbread, and light toasted tortillas.

BBQ Tofu Pizza Topping

Makes about 4 mini pizzas or 1 large

1/2 block tofu

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped 

1/4 to 1/2 cup Pepper Jack Daiya (more if you want)

Approx. 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite bbq sauce (use more or less depending on how saucy you like it)

Press the tofu to get all the water out and give it a very firm texture. Chop the pressed tofu, red pepper, and pineapple. Add to a bowl and mix together. 

You can either put the Daiya on top of this mixture on your pizza or mix it in before hand. I think Daiya melts best with a little liquid so I mixed mine in.

Spread topping on pre-made crust(s). Bake in oven at 425 until crust is done. Time will vary wildly depending on the thickness of your crust.

If you are bringing this to a make your own pizza party make a little for the non-vegans. They will be curious and want to try some. 

Vegan Carrot Dogs with Oh So Delicious Cole Slaw

This may sounds like one of my weirdest recipes, but trust me, it really works. I ran across the concept on one of my research binges. I read about someone eating a carrot dog on a vacation and they raved about it. I was fairly skeptical, but I loved the idea of having carrots in place of the much processed veggie dog.

Obviously a carrot is the same shape and close enough in color to make a decent hot dog substitute. But the real question is about the taste. The marinade really takes it to the next level. I think the sesame oil does it, but the vinegar gives it that "cured" flavor too.

Marinated Carrot Dogs
soy-free gluten-free

Serves 4 but can be easily doubled or even tripled.

4 carrots

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar and a dash of salt)
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce but use unseasoned vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 clove garlic minced)
a dash or two liquid smoke
pepper to taste

Fill a pot about half-way full of water, heat it on high until it boils. Turn down to medium heat and add the carrots. Cook until you can just pierce it through with a fork. You want it to still have a snap when you eat it. Run cold water over them to stop them from cooking more.

Combine the other ingredients to make the marinade. Use a container that has a tight lid so you can easily shake it without spraying it all over your kitchen. Not that it ever happened to me... ; )

Put the carrots in the container and marinade for a few hours to up to a few days. If you marinate them longer they take on more of the vinegar flavor. If the carrots are very skinny I would not marinade them for more than 1 1/2 days so they don't taste too sour.

To serve heat the carrots in a 350 degree oven or on in a grill pan on a hot grill until heated through. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve in a toasted hot dog bun with your favorite toppings. They're great topped with cole slaw! Prep these on a weekend and you're ready for the night you don't really want to make anything.

Oh So Delicious Cole Slaw Dressing
soy-free gluten-free

1/2 cup vegan mayo
1/2 cup Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut milk
1 teaspoon agave
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk everything together and mix in with shredded cabbage and carrots. I used a yellow carrot with green and red cabbage. You can vary the veggies to make your own version. Try Swiss chard, collards, or even kale.