Chickpea Tacos

Perhaps the most popular vegan dish I've ever prepared is one called chickpea tacos. I get requests every so often from my family to make this dish, and it's always a hit. I've even made chickpea tacos for a dinner that served approximately 50 omnivores! It's surprisingly easy, cheap and delicious. I've adapted this recipe only slightly from one I found on VegWeb.com years ago.

Ingredients:
    2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (1 can drained)
    1 (1 1/4 ounce) packet vegan taco seasoning
    6 large tortillas or 12 hard taco shells
    taco "accessories": shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, guacamole, etc!


Directions:
    1. Dump both cans of beans into the skillet with the liquid from one of the cans.


    2. Mash the garbanzo beans with a fork (optional). I do this because I don't like the idea of round beans rolling out of my tacos every which way, plus I think they absorb more flavor when they're not whole.


    3. Dump in the taco seasoning, stir and let simmer on med-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until beans are soft and liquid is simmered off.


    4. Add beans and other ingredients to tacos, burritos, taco salad, etc.


Serves 6
Prep time 30 minutes

Home Sweet Home Care

Today I shadowed a home health care nurse and confirmed my inkling that it is NOT an area that I would like to work. It was interesting, don't get me wrong, but definitely not my niche.
The first house reeked of cigarettes (an unnerving concept with oxygen tanks scattered everywhere) and the second of mold. Both patients were newly admitted, so the visits took between 2.5-3 hours and consisted of 95% interviewing and 5% assessing. Being in stranger's houses weirds me out. The last patient had knick-knacks everywhere and i couldn't stop staring at this giant wax dachshund candle on her mantle. I kept imagining what it would look like as it melted.
Tomorrow it's back to the hospital for my last oncology clinical!

Vegan Meal Kit Giveaway

I'll post a real entry soon, but for now i'm trying to win a big package of vegan Indian food! Vegan Backpacker is giving away a meal pack of Tasty Bite products and I so want it!

Parenthood is Hazardous

While walking down the hall of the typically quiet mother and baby unit yesterday, a classmate and I were startled to hear LOUD retching sounds coming from the “relaxation lounge” on the unit. We hurried to the doorway where we were observed quite a scene playing out inside. A young man was choking and retching loudly, his face beet red and punctuated by wide, panic-stricken eyes and bulging forehead veins. Behind him stood a green-clad “environmental services” worker (aka housekeeper), who was whaling on the young man’s back, pounding away with all her might. Before my classmate and I had time to intervene, the man hacked up what turned out to be a large wad of melty, gooey pizza cheese. An OB doc who had breezed into the room quipped, “well that’s what you get for eating pizza at this time of the morning,” and the housekeeper calmly went back to emptying the garbage cans. The man thanked her, wiped his mouth on a napkin, and after taking a sip of water went back to hurriedly chowing down on his pizza breakfast. 

Hey guy, I know it's nerve-wracking to be a new dad, but I think your partner and infant would prefer you to take your time and maintain your airway.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

From the author of "Are You Sure That's Vegan?" comes this recipe for vegan strawberry daiquiri cupcakes. I frequently make chocolate cupcakes using this recipe, but I had the urge to try something new so I teamed up with a dear friend and fellow cupcake lover to give these a shot. The result was incredible! I have had several requests for encores, and each time I've made these cupcakes they have lasted no longer than 2 days in my house.
The only variations I made to the recipe were to use an entire can of frozen strawberry daiquiri mix (12 oz. I think), and to add some shredded sweetened coconut to the icing.
I always think it's funny when people are surprised that vegan food tastes "normal" and even delicious, but this recipe is sure to please any cupcake enthusiasts, vegan or not.

Cupcakes:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup frozen strawberry daiquiri mix
(thawed)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Mix water and thawed daiquiri mix together, set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon. Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla,
rum, daiquiri mixture and stir until all the ingredients are combined and there are no lumps.
Fill the liners till they are ⅔ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out
clean.
Let them cool for a few minutes in the pans, and then remove them and place on cooling racks to cool off
completely.


Coconut Butter-cream Icing:
1 cup vegan margarine*
3 cups sifted icing sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1-2 tablespoons soy milk

To make the icing, beat margarine for about 30 seconds. Continue beating, adding the icing sugar ½ cup at
a time. Beat on low speed till smooth. Add the coconut extract and soy milk and beat again.
Ice when the cupcakes are completely cool.

*I use Shedd's Willow Run Soybean Margarine