As a bakery, we can’t think of a better day to celebrate than Pi Day, where we honor the mathematical constant π (pi) and indulge in delicious, circular treats. And what better way to celebrate than with a slice of our delectable vegan, gluten-free pies?

At our bakery, we specialize in crafting mouth-watering pies that are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Whether you’re a fan of fruity or creamy pies, we’ve got something for everyone.
 Here are just a few of our most popular flavors that we highly recommend ordering on Pi Day: 

-Banana Cream Pie: Indulge in a creamy, dreamy slice of our Banana Cream Pie, made with fresh bananas, vanilla pudding, and a fluffy whipped cream topping. The perfect balance of sweet and creamy this pie is sure to make your taste buds sing.
-Apple Pie: For those who love a classic, comforting pie, our Apple Pie is the perfect choice. Made with crisp, tart apples and a cinnamon-spiced filling, this pie is sure to bring back fond memories of grandma’s kitchen.

-Berry Pie: If you’re looking for something a bit more fruity, try our Berry Pie, made with a combination of juicy berries and a buttery, crumbly topping. This pie is bursting with fresh, fruity flavor and is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

At our bakery, we pride ourselves on using only the finest ingredients and crafting our pies with the utmost care and attention to detail. We believe that every slice of pie should be a true indulgence, and we strive to create flavors that will delight and satisfy our customers.

So why not celebrate Pi Day in style this year by treating yourself to one of our delicious pies? Whether you’re a fan of creamy, fruity, or classic flavors, we’ve got something that will hit the spot.

Order anything via our online shop today and get 10% off using discount code: PIDAY

 Discount does not apply to subscriptions or custom cakes and catering.

Over the years, I have shared some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes — healthy, yet utterly satisfying takes on traditional Thanksgiving day fare that dare I say, taste better than their original counterparts! Here is the ultimate vegan and gluten-free Thanksgiving recipe roundup that you may want to try this year, no matter your guests’ dietary preferences.

Arugula and Persimmon Salad

When I was a kid and my mom gave me a persimmon to try for the very first time, I was surprised it didn’t taste like a tomato, as persimmons very much resemble tomatoes. As I observed closely, there were specks of brown in the fruit—almost as if God had sprinkled the fruit with cinnamon and it was naturally occurring, embedded into the fruit. Hence, my initial childhood conclusion that cinnamon derived from per”cinnamon”s—hello, it’s in the name, duh! As I grew perplexed and analyzed that it was probably a silly idea since we had cinnamon sticks to stir hot apple ciders and Mexican hot chocolates with, and we actually had to ground cinnamon sticks to add into recipes I thought, “what a coincidence” and how beautiful of God to just sprinkle fruit with cinnamon and make a star shape design for us to see (when slicing the fruit horizontally). I just left it at that—a coincidence and viewed them as two separate things. Besides, how in the world would one be able to extract specks of cinnamon from the persimmons. Oh silly, silly me!

Fast forward 30 years when I had my twin nephews try persimmons for the first time, I told them the story I just shared with you, and they asked where cinnamon came from. Since I never looked it up, I turned to one of my favorite instructional learning tools, YouTube , and we learned that cinnamon is made from the barks of cinnamon trees, rolled up by people in a forest (well at least the people in a forest in the video we watched). It’s a very timely process and I could not believe how much effort it takes to make and how cheap and available it is to us. I will never look at cinnamon and persimmons the same again, especially knowing now that they are mutually exclusive.

Moving on, although persimmons and cinnamon are both in season right now, this salad only contains persimmons. It’s a family and friend favorite this time of year. Make it for the holidays, for your parents when they come to visit, for a date, or treat yourself. It is super super simple, and contains the following ingredients: arugula, ripened and crisp persimmons, dates, shallots, marcona almonds, an easy soft cashew cheese, saba, and sea salt and pepper.

Servings: 4-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes (not counting the time it takes to make the cheese. With cheese, one day.)

Ingredients

2-3 bags pre-washed baby arugula

4 crunchy fuyu persimoons, peeled, stem removed, and sliced into 8ths

1/2 cup marcona almonds

1/2 shallot, sliced very thin

3 dates, sliced very thin

handful crumbled goat cheese (you can use this vegan goat cheese recipe sans the cranberry and dill, and when you blend it, add 3 Tbsp agar agar flakes)

2 super ripe and juicy persimmons, stem and peel removed

saba (aged balsamic), as needed

sea salt, as needed

freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

1. Spread the arugula onto a serving platter.

2. Season with a dash or two of sea salt and pepper.

3. Tuck into the leaves bits of shallot, dates, marcona almonds, persimmon wedges.

4. Sprinkle on vegan goat cheese.

5. In a bowl, place the super ripe and juicy persimmon flesh.  Stir it up a bit as if you are going to use it as a sauce.  Using a spoon, in a circular motion, add the persimmon flesh as you would a dressing.

6. Finish off with a drizzle of saba.

Holiday “Meat”loaf

Our Vegan Goatless Cheese with Cranberry & Dill has been awarded the Best No Goat Vegan Cheese of 2021 in VeganCheese.co's annual, public-voted Vegan Cheese Awards! The awards are conducted from worldwide votes cast online over a one month duration. 

Click here to read more: https://www.vegancheese.co/discover/article/the-best-vegan-cheese-from-the-vegan-cheese-awards-2021#toc-best-no-goat-vegan-cheese-of-2021

Shop our collection of Vegan Cheese + Crackers: https://yvonnesvegankitchen.com/collections/vegan-cheese

Potstickers

Servings: 3-4

Time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours

These potstickers are vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. They can be lightly pan-fried and steamed, or boiled for a lower fat version.

Diet: V, GF, GFV, DF, SF

Have you noticed that almost every culture has some sort of small, succulent parcel encased in dough that everyone goes gaga for? Living in Los Angeles, which is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the country, it is possible to drive down a street and easily pick up a samosa from an Indian spice shop, wontons or potstickers from the many Chinese restaurants, a gyoza from the Japanese ramen shop, and rolled tacos from one of the thousands of taco shops.

I grew up in a Filipino-American household where my mother served her 8-member household a mix of Filipino and “American” dishes. On special occasions, my mom would make lumpia, a Filipino egg roll, from scratch. I've loved them since I was a child and now the children (my 15 nieces and nephews) in my family love them, too! I don't know what it is about these little packages of goodness that we can't get enough of. We just love them! Unfortunately, as I live a gluten-free, vegan lifestyle, I don't have as many options to choose from when it comes to enjoying the little packaged treats. That is, if I don’t make them myself.

When I craved gyoza, which are Japanese potstickers, I researched and spent a few days testing recipes. My goal was to create a delicious potsticker that is vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. I like potstickers because I don't feel as guilty eating them. They are not deep-fried and only a tablespoon of oil is used to brown them. My potstickers can be made even lower in fat. To do so, simply add them to a pot of boiling vegetable stock or water for a few minutes and voila!

To avoid soy, I use mushrooms and walnuts. This way, I get my protein along with vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, copper, iron, potassium, and a nice, long list of other minerals and health benefits. Other ingredients include ginger, garlic, scallions and cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, and ketchup. If you're against using ketchup, you can substitute the ketchup with finely chopped unsweetened dried cranberries. Believe me when I say that all the listed ingredients make a difference—they add richness and more depth of flavor.

This recipe can take about 1.5 hours from start to finish and maybe even longer depending on how quick you are in the kitchen. If you have a friend to help you out with the rolling while you wrap, that'll save a lot of time! These would be perfect to make on a weekend when you have a lot of time.

Whenever it is you choose to make the potstickers, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Healthy Habit: A healthy habit I practice before enjoying my cooked meals is having at least 1/4th a cup of homemade kimchi and a large green salad, preferably a simple kale or cabbage salad. The kimchi (or sauerkraut) is probiotic, increases my enzyme reserves, helps remove toxins and speeds cleansing, restoring the friendly bacteria in my body. The nutrient-rich green salad provides me with more iron, calcium, antibiotics, and enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during my meal.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 cup walnuts

1 heaping cup shiitakes (3.5 oz., approximately 13 shiitake mushrooms)

1 cup green cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

2 Tbsp red bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp flax meal

3 Tbsp vegetable stock

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce

1 tsp coconut sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

Wrapper:

1 cup tapioca starch

1 cup brown rice flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tbsp sunflower oil or grapeseed oil

3/4 cups filtered water

Dipping Sauce:

2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or coconut vinegar)

1 Tsp minced ginger

sriracha, to taste

Directions

Filling:

1. Place all the filling ingredients into a food processor and pulse 10 times.  Do not over process.  You want a chunky texture, not a fine mush.

2. Taste and adjust the heat. If you want more heat, add more cayenne pepper.

3. Place the filling in a bowl and mix well.

Wrapper:

1. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix all of the dry ingredients until completely combined.  Add the filtered water slowly while it is mixing, until it forms a ball.  You don't want this to be sticky.  If it is too sticky, add a little more tapioca and brown rice flour. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough forms a ball.

2. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half of the dough into a rod on a clean surface until it is about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut 10 pieces equally and set aside in a bowl that's lined with a damp paper towel (not dripping). Each piece should be approximately 1 tablespoon. To avoid the dough from drying out, cover the pieces with a damp paper towel.  Repeat with the other half of the dough.

3.  If you have a tortilla press, this will make your job so much easier.  Use it to make thin, circular wrappers.  Alternatively, between 2 pieces of parchment paper (not wax paper), place one round piece of dough towards the center and press down with a small saucepan or with the palm of your hand.  Flatten further with a rolling pin, making sure to keep it circular by rotating the dough as it's being rolled. 

4. Assemble the potsticker right after rolling out the wrapper.

Assemble:

1. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture onto the center of the wrapper. Fold over, press to seal the edges, and shape as desired. I like to slightly fan the edges. Set on a half sheet pan, lined with parchment and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat this procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Makes about 20 potstickers.

Cook:

1. Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with 1 tbsp of sunflower or grapeseed oil once hot.

2. Add about 7-8 potstickers at a time to the pan.  Brown all 3 sides. May take 1.5-2 minutes to brown on each side.

3. Once all sides are browned, with the cover of the pan in hand to cover immediately, gently and quickly add 1/3 cup water or vegetable stock to the pan and cover. Step back and be careful as there will be a lot of steam (and steam can give you a nasty burn).  I hold down the cover so it doesn't explode off of the pan in the beginning.  Turn the heat down to low, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the water has cooked off. (You can also use veggie stock for more flavor.)

3. Repeat until all the potstickers are cooked. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped green onion and with dipping sauce on the side.

**Alternatively, you can boil the potstickers in a pot of vegetable stock or filtered water, as you would pasta. Bring the water or stock to a boil and cook them until ready.

Dipping Sauce:

Mix all ingredients together and serve on the side.

Freeze:

If you wish to freeze your potstickers to enjoy on another day, place the sheet tray of potstickers in the freezer first. Allow them to freeze for at least 30 minutes, then place them in your freezer storage container of choice (ie. Ziplock or glass tupperware). Placing them in the freezer first will avoid them from sticking to each other.

When you're ready to enjoy them, follow the cooking directions above.  You can cook them frozen. Just don't move the potsticker once you place them in the pan. Let them sit in the oil for at least 1.5 minutes or until browned. Once they are browned, they will release from the pan with ease. If you move them too quickly, the wrapper can tear.

For those who are new here, or for anyone who’s never heard the full story of how Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen came to be, I thought I’d finally share it.

Looking back, I can see how every challenge, unexpected opportunity, and leap of faith led me exactly where I was meant to be.

I grew up in San Diego as the youngest of 6 daughters. Both of my parents were born in the Philippines and met after immigrating to San Diego in 1969.

My dad was the oldest of ten children and grew up in Pasay City. His family had very little, so he worked nights in a slaughterhouse to help support them and pay for his education. He’d often bring home scraps of meat for my grandmother to cook.

My grandmother was an incredible cook. Because refrigeration wasn’t common, she learned to preserve and transform simple ingredients with bold spices, aromatics, and flavorful cooking techniques. Even the humblest ingredients became something memorable.

Looking back, I think that’s where my family’s love of food began—and where mine did too.

Meanwhile, my mom grew up in a beautiful provincial town by the ocean. Her family grew their own fruits and vegetables, and if they wanted dinner, all they needed was a fresh catch from the sea, seasoned simply with salt, pepper, chiles, citrus, and vegetables from their garden.

She was raised on fresh, simple, farm-to-table cooking long before that phrase became popular. Looking back, it’s easy to see how both sides of my family shaped my love of food.

Fast forward to my childhood. I am the youngest of 6 daughters, and my 5 older sisters are incredibly high achievers. Between us, we had a valedictorian, a salutatorian, and multiple doctors in the family.

Then there was me.

Looking back, it’s obvious that I had undiagnosed ADHD as a child. It wasn’t until adulthood, after years of therapy, that I was finally diagnosed. I was always in honors classes and excelled in the subjects that genuinely interested me, but I struggled to stay engaged in others. Compared with my sisters, academics didn’t come as naturally to me.

My dad placed a high value on education and had high expectations for all of us. Because I wasn’t bringing home straight A’s like my sisters, I often felt that I had disappointed him. I received many lectures, and for years I wondered why school seemed so much harder for me than it did for everyone else.

Our family always ate dinner together around the table. We’d listen to my dad’s “When I was young…” stories, and he often complained that my mom’s food had “no flavor.” Looking back, I understood why. She had grown up preparing simple, fresh meals with minimal seasoning, while my dad preferred bold, highly seasoned dishes.

One day, I’d had enough of hearing my dad criticize my mom’s cooking. I got up, asked him for his plate, and told him I could make it better.

He handed it to me, and I headed into the kitchen, adding whatever spices I could find. I remember tasting it first to make sure it was actually better before bringing it back to him.

He took a bite, nodded, looked at me, smiled, and said, “It tastes good.”

For the first time, I felt like I had earned my dad’s approval. That moment meant everything to me. Looking back, I realize that food became the way I connected with him.

His approval inspired me to dive into a gift someone had given my mom: a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Together, we cooked our way through it, and I never heard my dad complain about her cooking again.

From then on, I fell in love with cooking and baking, and with seeing people’s reactions to my food. I’d invite friends over during the holidays to enjoy my baked goods, teach classmates how to make lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and pancit (Filipino noodles), and we’d sell them at school food fairs to raise money for class activities.

I served as class president for 3 years and student body president my senior year. One of the class president’s responsibilities was raising money for the class. Through our fundraising efforts, we raised enough money that no one in our class had to pay for prom.

Looking back, I can see that even then, I loved bringing people together through food. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those early experiences planted the seeds for the career and life I would eventually build.

Because of the expectations in my family, becoming a chef never seemed like a realistic career path. Like many Asian families, my parents hoped my sisters and I would become doctors, lawyers, or pursue other traditional professions. To me, being a chef didn’t seem like something that would make my parents proud.

At my sister’s medical school graduation party, my dad gave a speech, proudly sharing what each of my sisters was pursuing. Then he got to me.

“Now Yvonne, my youngest… I don’t know what she’ll do after college. I think she’ll either become a model or a chef.”

I remember feeling completely mortified. At the time, it felt like a punch to the gut. I interpreted his words to mean that he didn’t see being a chef as a real profession. Looking back, I’m not sure that’s what he meant at all—I think I had simply been conditioned to believe that only certain careers were worthy of admiration.

I never talked to him about how much those words hurt me, and for years, I carried resentment because of them.

Ironically, becoming a chef would turn out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

My sisters and I all left home for college. They either attended UCLA or UC Berkeley. I took a different path and chose UC Santa Cruz.

Moving away from home gave me my first real taste of independence. For the first time, I was discovering who I was outside of my family’s expectations. I came out of my shell, made lifelong friends, and absolutely loved the experience.

During college, my health took a dramatic turn for the worse. I became so weak that I could barely walk or even lift a spoon. My heart raced uncontrollably, I experienced severe heart palpitations, and I was rushed to the hospital.

I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that causes hyperthyroidism by making the thyroid produce far too much thyroid hormone. At one point, my resting heart rate reached 143 beats per minute. The inflammation behind my eyes caused them to bulge, and I barely recognized the person looking back at me in the mirror.

It was one of the most frightening and challenging seasons of my life, but it also marked the beginning of a lifelong interest in understanding health, nutrition, and the incredible impact food can have on our bodies.

I underwent radioactive iodine treatment to treat my overactive thyroid. After the treatment, I developed hypothyroidism, and my body changed completely. My eyes remained noticeably bulging from Graves’ eye disease, my hair became dry and started falling out, and I went from being energetic and naturally thin to feeling exhausted, gaining over 30 pounds, and barely recognizing myself. It felt like I had become a completely different person.

As I struggled to adjust physically, I also fell into a deep depression. My sisters wanted to help me explore natural ways to support my recovery, so they began researching everything they could. One suggestion was to eat a diet rich in fruit, so I did.

Then one day, I watched Legally Blonde. Elle Woods joked that exercise gives you endorphins, the “happy hormones”, and for some reason, that really stuck with me. I decided to start running…a lot. Think Forrest Gump levels of running.

The weight came off, and then some. But my determination to get healthy slowly became an unhealthy obsession. I became consumed with counting calories and exercising, and what started as a way to regain my health eventually developed into an eating disorder. I became dangerously thin before my best friend Susan intervened and helped me get the support I needed.

With my thyroid finally under control and my health improving, I began to feel better. My energy returned, I was able to really focus, and I excelled in school. Looking back, those years taught me resilience, discipline, and just how precious good health really is.

The summer before my junior year of college, I showed my dad my grades. He couldn’t believe I had an A in Accounting. With a smile, he walked over to his file cabinet, pulled out his college transcripts, and showed me the only class he didn’t  receive an A in: Accounting.

That summer, while my mom was in Baltimore helping my sister with my nephew as she finished her residency at Johns Hopkins, I asked my dad if he would take a road trip with me back to college for the start of the fall quarter. He happily agreed.

It was the first time I had ever spent so much time alone with my dad—just the two of us. For eight hours, I had his undivided attention. To be honest, I was a little nervous at first, but somewhere along that drive, something changed.

He spoke to me with love, understanding, dignity, and respect. During that trip, he healed a part of my heart I didn’t even realize was broken.

He stayed in Northern California for a few days. We went bowling, shared meals together, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. Before long, it was time for him to fly back to San Diego.  We hugged tightly, I kissed his warm cheek, and we said a tearful goodbye at his gate. As he walked into onto the passenger bridge that lead him to the plane, he kept turning back to wave, and I waved back until we were finally out of each other’s sight.

The following month, during a phone conversation, my dad told me that my mom would be coming home soon. He asked me not to bring any friends with me the next time I visited so we could spend quality time together, just as a family. “We’ll all be together again soon,” he said.

When it was time to say goodbye, I told him, “I love you, Papasan!”

“I love you, daughter!” he replied.

We hung up.

Later that night, I came home after celebrating the city of Santa Cruz’ birthday with my housemates. We gathered around the answering machine to listen to our messages. There was one from my sister Janet. She said my dad had suffered a massive heart attack and that she was on her way to the hospital.

I tried calling her over and over until finally her husband, my brother-in-law Memo, answered the phone. He broke the news to me: my dad didn’t make it.

He was gone.

He passed away.

I was devastated. My life would never be the same again.

In the months after my dad died, I found myself thinking constantly about the things he had taught me—sometimes through his words, and sometimes simply by the way he lived. He wanted his daughters to do well, to be able to stand on our own, and to build lives where we could take care of ourselves financially.

As the oldest of ten children, he had grown up helping support his mother and younger siblings, and that responsibility shaped him deeply. He often reminded me not to depend on my sisters financially because they would eventually have lives and families of their own. He wanted me to be independent, self-sufficient, and capable of creating a secure future for myself.

At the time, I don’t think I fully understood how much his words would stay with me. After losing him, I began to understand those lessons in a much deeper way.

Several months earlier, I had met Geoff. After my dad passed away, we began dating. His uncle, Colman Andrews, was an internationally acclaimed food writer, editor, and co-founder of Saveur magazine, and through Geoff I was introduced to some of the city’s best restaurants, many of them highly rated by Zagat. Those experiences opened my eyes to a whole new world of food and hospitality and led me to admire chef Suzanne Goin, who would later become one of my greatest inspirations, and eventually, my boss.

I graduated from college with a degree in Business Management Economics & Accounting, with an emphasis in Education. Although I wasn’t sure what career I wanted to pursue, I always knew I wanted to own my own business, just like my dad.

Growing up, I worked alongside him from the time I was little. Some days I wore a T-shirt with his real estate company’s logo and my name printed on the front. Other days, I wore a tiny business suit. We’d pass out flyers door-to-door, help flip houses, and I’d answer phones at his office. You could say I started selling real estate at 5 years old.

One day, my cousin gave me a copy of The Millionaire Next Door to read on a plane. I remember the author sharing that he encouraged his daughter to become an accountant because every company needs one. Since I had always dreamed of owning my own business, that advice resonated with me. I wasn’t sure what kind of business I wanted to own, but accounting seemed like a solid foundation and a career that would allow me to work in many different industries.

Looking back, I wish I’d had more career guidance. At the time, I didn’t realize how many different paths could prepare someone to become an entrepreneur. I simply chose the one that made the most sense to me.

Before and after graduating from college, I worked in accounting and finance for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bank of New York Mellon, and Universal Music Group. I also had my real estate license and bought and sold real estate.

On paper, I had built a successful career. But deep down, I knew something was missing.

Although I enjoyed the people I worked with, I didn’t love accounting or finance. My favorite parts of the job weren’t the spreadsheets or financial statements—they were the people. I loved dressing up for work, taking clients out to lunch, attending happy hours, and celebrating at company events. I craved creativity, human connection, and work that truly excited me.

One day, I reached my breaking point. I remember thinking, There has to be more than this. I want to wake up excited to go to work. I want to do something that brings people joy.

So I decided to pursue my first love: food.

Food had always been more than something to eat. It was how I connected with my dad, how I expressed love, and how I brought people together. For the first time, I decided to stop following the practical path and start following my heart.

I traded in my business clothes for a chef’s coat and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu.

Enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu changed the trajectory of my life. It was one of the most exciting chapters of my journey, where I developed a strong foundation in French cuisine and international culinary techniques.

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, I still didn’t know how to cook like my favorite chef, Suzanne Goin. I wanted to learn from the best, so I sent her an email asking if I could work for her.

To my surprise, she responded.

She invited me to interview and complete a stage—a working interview in the kitchen.

Thankfully, it went well, and I joined her team at Lucques, where I first worked in the savory kitchen, primarily in pantry and prep. I went from spinning salad greens and toasting hazelnuts to preparing stocks, soups, Suzanne’s famous braised short ribs, delicate gnudi, dressings, sauces, and countless other dishes from scratch.

The pace was intense. There was no standing around. Every second mattered, and I quickly learned how to move with purpose, think several steps ahead, and stay calm under pressure.

Every service demanded speed, precision, organization, and incredible attention to detail. It pushed me physically and mentally, and I loved the challenge.

Working alongside Suzanne also gave me the opportunity to cater some incredible events, including the SAG Awards, Oscar parties, President Obama’s fundraiser, and events for many high-profile clients.

Later, Suzanne invited me to join the pastry team at her newer restaurant, Tavern, where I spent most of my time. I made everything from marshmallow fluff, sauces, cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, and pastry creams to laminated croissant dough and countless other desserts. I didn’t just bake—I also worked the line. A few times when someone called out, Suzanne would ask me to work the front house (customer service) in the larder (Tavern restaurant’s casual cafe), giving me valuable experience working both front and back house. 

That experience meant a lot to me because I remembered something I had read in a magazine while I was a student at Le Cordon Bleu. It said that if you wanted to own a restaurant one day, you first needed to work in one so you truly understood what it takes. I took that advice to heart.

Working the line, preparing both savory dishes and desserts, and cooking for some of Los Angeles’ most celebrated restaurants and events was exhilarating. Every day, I learned from incredibly talented chefs and gained experience that would shape the rest of my career.

Preparing food alongside some of the best chefs in the industry was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life at the time. There was something incredibly fulfilling about creating beautiful food for people celebrating life’s special moments. The kitchen nourished my soul, even as it challenged me physically and mentally.

We spent at least eight hours a day on our feet in an intense, high-pressure environment where speed, precision, and teamwork were essential. The standards were very high, and there was no room for complacency. It pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of and helped me develop resilience, discipline, confidence, and thick skin.

Back to My Health

Although I was an avid runner and physically thin, my blood work revealed that I had borderline high cholesterol. Combined with my thyroid condition and my family history of heart disease, my doctor repeatedly warned me that I needed to make changes to my diet to reduce my risk of disease.

At Tavern, we made incredible walnut chocolate croissants with imported French butter, and I’d happily eat the day-olds almost every day—usually with a cookie, too. I thought all my running would offset it, but I eventually realized that exercise alone couldn’t undo the effects of my diet.

One day, I was making 30 quarts of chocolate buttercream when I had an aha moment.

As delicious as it was, I realized I was working with ingredients that contained large amounts of cholesterol. Heart disease had already taken my dad, and now my own cholesterol was starting to rise. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something needed to change.

That moment became a major turning point in my life.

I decided to take my health seriously and began searching for a way to create food that was both incredibly delicious and better aligned with the kind of life I wanted to live. I also found myself wondering if there was a way to nourish people without sacrificing flavor.

That day, I prayed and asked God to present an opportunity where I could make a positive difference in the world.

Almost immediately, someone called and asked if I could become her personal chef. She wanted to lose weight, improve her health, feel great, and still enjoy delicious food.

I saw it as an answer to my prayer.

So, I left the restaurant world, a career I truly loved, and began a new journey. I worked alongside my client’s health coach, planning and preparing meals while studying nutrition. It was the beginning of an entirely new chapter in my life.

Reading nutritionist and dietitian Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution changed my life. Inspired by her philosophy, I began experimenting with my own diet, paying closer attention to how different foods made me feel and discovering what helped me feel my best.

I began transitioning to a plant-based, vegan diet and started drinking green smoothies every day—a habit I still have to this day. I followed her Beauty Detox principles, starting my mornings with a green smoothie, eating massaged kale salads and probiotic-rich foods before meals, avoiding gluten and soy, and focusing on whole, unprocessed plant foods. Eating this way and becoming more intentional about what I put into my body made an incredible difference in how I felt.

The changes were remarkable. My energy improved, my digestion felt better, and the brain fog I’d struggled with began to disappear. It was as if a cloud that had been blocking my view of the world had finally lifted. I felt clear, energized, and truly healthy in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

That experience reinforced what I had begun to believe: food has the power not only to bring people together, but also to help us feel our very best.

Inspired by Kimberly’s principles, I began creating my own recipes and sharing them on my blog. Soon after, I developed a cookbook app called Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen (originally My Eclectic Kitchen), which was available on both the App Store and Google Play.

The app featured more than 170 recipes and, at its peak, reached #7 among the top-paid food apps in the App Store. It was incredibly rewarding to see so many people cooking my recipes and embracing a healthier way of eating.

As I continued sharing my recipes and philosophy, Whole Foods Market invited me to teach cooking classes throughout Los Angeles County. Teaching was fun. I loved bringing people together, helping them gain confidence in the kitchen, and showing them that vegan, gluten-free cooking could be simple, nourishing, and incredibly delicious.

Looking back, it was another way my education degree found its way into my life. I may not have become a classroom teacher, but I was still teaching, and I loved every minute of it.

As I changed the way I ate, I became curious to learn more. I watched every food and vegan documentary I could find, and almost overnight, I became an ethical vegan.

For me, it was about much more than food. Living in a way that aligned with my values—showing compassion toward animals while trying to lessen my impact on the planet—gave me a deep sense of peace. It felt good knowing that my choices reflected what I believed in. For me, it was a win-win for my mind, body, and soul.

I continued working as a personal chef while growing my online presence after joining Instagram. During that time, I married my best friend, Peyman. He embraced a vegan lifestyle alongside me during those early years and was incredibly supportive as I pursued my dreams and built my career.

Together, we hoped to start a family, but life had other plans. Over time, we realized we had grown in different directions and wanted different things. With love and mutual respect, we made the difficult decision to amicably end our marriage after 14 years together.

Going through my divorce also motivated me to work harder than ever. I knew I was going to be on my own, and I needed to make sure I could take care of myself and build a secure future. It lit a fire in me. I poured myself into Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen, determined to make the business work and create a life I could stand on my own in.

I continued pursuing my passion for food when my sister, Riva, came across a Facebook post from Nuda, a café in the South Bay, looking for a vegan, gluten-free baker. She connected us, and the owner asked if I had gluten-free bread to sell.

I didn’t, but I did have gluten-free crackers I had created for Peyman. Then I remembered my homemade vegan cheese, which paired perfectly with them. I offered both, and Nuda agreed to give them a try. 

I announced the launch on Instagram and set up a sampling table in front of Nuda, where I offered passersby samples of my vegan cheese and gluten-free crackers.

They sold out almost immediately.

Stacy, the owner, asked if I could create more products, and I happily said yes. I sold chocolate chip cookies, New York style, cheesecake, muffins, and cupcakes! Those sold well. Looking back, Nuda became the perfect testing ground for my recipes and the beginning of something much bigger than I could have imagined.

As I continued sharing my journey on Instagram, other cafés, restaurants, and retailers began reaching out. One opportunity led to another, and before I knew it, the business had taken on a life of its own. Our products eventually made their way into retailers throughout Southern California, including all Erewhon locations, and at our peak, we were in over 50 locations nationwide.

The cake side of my business began unexpectedly.

While I was sampling our products at Grassroots in South Pasadena, I explained that we sweetened many of them with dates, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. One of the women trying our products, Aisha, asked if we also made cakes. Her gluten-free baker had recently moved away, and she was looking for someone new.

I paused for a moment and thought about it. Then I smiled and said, “We can.”

That one decision changed everything.

Aisha placed her order, and from that first cake, word quickly began to spread. Before long, the cake side of my business had taken on a life of its own and grew far beyond anything I had imagined.

Similar opportunities kept presenting themselves, and with each one, my business continued to grow.

While I was working at Tavern, I ran into Jessica Alba a few times. She’d often come in for breakfast before my shifts. The funny part is that we had a staff restroom, but if someone was using it and I really had to go, I’d use the guest restroom instead. A few times, I happened to run into Jessica there. I never wanted to bother her, so I’d just smile and go on with my day.

Years later, I became a season ticket holder for the LA Clippers, and, unbelievably, Jessica ended up sitting right in front of me. I finally introduced myself, we took a photo together, and I wrote one of my signature long Instagram captions about how we kept randomly crossing paths.

Jessica saw the post, started following me, and became an incredible supporter of my small business. Her kindness and encouragement meant so much during those early years.

A while later, Jessica invited me to create desserts for the launch party of her Honest Beauty line. She felt that my brand aligned with Honest Beauty’s philosophy of transparency and thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

I happily accepted, and that event became the beginning of my dessert catering business.

In 2018, I officially turned a lifelong passion into a real business. Looking back, it’s incredible to see how one opportunity after another led me here. Building Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has challenged me, stretched me, and brought me so much joy.

In the early years, Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen operated out of a commercial kitchen in a business park. We focused heavily on wholesale, custom cakes, catering, and online orders. At the time, there were very few bakeries creating highly customized cakes that were both vegan and gluten-free, and that quickly caught people’s attention. Word began to spread, especially through social media.

Even though we didn’t have a traditional storefront, customers would drive from as far away as San Diego and Northern California to pick up cakes and desserts, and some even flew in for them. More than once, people arrived expecting to walk into a bakery and were surprised to discover that we were working out of a production kitchen.

Luckily, just before the pandemic, I had already set up our online shop and shipping operation. When so much of the world shut down, we were able to continue getting cakes and desserts directly to people’s doorsteps. Our e-commerce business grew tremendously during that time.

We also began working with larger companies and brands on corporate gifting, product launches, activations, and special events. For Daily Harvest’s fifth anniversary, we produced and shipped approximately 500 individual celebration cakes to their employees.

Over the years, that work expanded to include projects for brands such as Fenty Beauty, as well as organizations like the Clinton Foundation. We also created custom desserts for product launches, influencer campaigns, corporate celebrations, and other special events.

There were also moments that felt almost surreal. Our cakes and desserts have made their way to public figures, prominent families, royalty, and a growing celebrity clientele. I’ve always valued discretion, but I’m still amazed when I think about where this little business has taken me.

By 2023, it became clear that we had outgrown the idea of being a bakery people couldn’t actually walk into…

In September 2023, I opened the first Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen storefront in Pasadena.

For the first time, customers could walk through our doors, see everything we had been creating behind the scenes, and experience Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen as a true neighborhood bakery. After years of working from commercial kitchens, building wholesale relationships, shipping orders across the country, and creating desserts for celebrations both big and small, opening those doors felt like the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

As my business grew, so did my own health journey. I had already been eating vegan and gluten-free for years, but when I occasionally ate gluten while dining out, I began noticing that my body reacted strongly to it. Over time, the pattern became impossible to ignore.

I eventually saw a gastroenterologist, who diagnosed me with non-celiac gluten intolerance and advised me to stay away from gluten. Although I don’t have celiac disease, my reactions can be significant. My stomach can become extremely bloated and painful; I sometimes experience throat tightness, develop bumps on my arms, get headaches and fatigue, and even notice a significant change in my mood afterward. I still need to see an allergist about the throat tightness, but these experiences made it clear just how important avoiding gluten had become for my health and well-being.

That experience gave me an even deeper appreciation for creating food that people with dietary restrictions could genuinely enjoy. It reinforced my commitment to developing recipes that are both vegan and gluten-free without sacrificing flavor or texture.

My relationship with food continues to evolve. Life also has a funny way of coming full circle. More than two decades after we first dated, Geoff and I found our way back to each other. He’s vegan too, and together we’ve taken our plant-based lifestyle another step.

Inspired by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s whole-food, plant-based approach, at home we build most of our meals around vegetables, especially leafy greens, whole grains, beans and other legumes, fruit, and other whole plant foods. We cook without added oils, nuts, or avocado and focus on simple, delicious, nourishing meals.

And yes, we still eat my desserts! I believe there’s room for both. For me, it’s about balance—eating in a way that helps us feel our best while still enjoying the foods and experiences that bring us joy.

That’s also a side of myself I’m excited to share more of here on Substack. I’ll be sharing more of the way I cook at home today—mostly whole-food, plant-based recipes made without added oil—along with some of the vegan and gluten-free recipes and desserts you already know and love from Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen.

My approach to food has continued to evolve over the years, but one thing has never changed: I want everything I make to be absolutely delicious.

Today, Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen has grown far beyond anything I could have imagined. What began as a passion for food and a desire to help people feel their best has evolved into a storefront bakery, an e-commerce business that ships nationwide, a custom cake studio, a dessert catering company, a wholesale brand carried by retailers, cafés, and restaurants, a cookbook app and eBook, and opportunities to collaborate with brands I admire.

There are countless stories behind each of those chapters—many of which I’ll save for another time.

When I look back, I see every experience, every challenge, and every detour as a blessing.

Losing my dad, battling Graves’ disease, learning to live with hypothyroidism, changing careers, working in some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants, and taking countless leaps of faith all led me here.

Today, I genuinely love what I do. Every day, my team and I have the privilege of creating food that brings people together while making vegan and gluten-free options more accessible. Our mission has always been to prove that food can be both incredibly delicious and thoughtfully made—for people, animals, and the planet.

Nothing brings me more joy than seeing our customers celebrate life’s milestones with our food. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, baby shower, anniversary, or simply sharing dessert with someone they love, it’s an honor to be part of those moments.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen over the years. Whether you’ve ordered a cake, attended a class, visited our bakery, followed along on social media, or simply cheered us on, you’ve helped make this dream a reality.

I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings.

My mom was understandably nervous when I left a stable career in finance to pursue the uncertain world of food. But over the years, she’s watched me persevere, grow my business, and follow my dreams. Today, she’s my biggest cheerleader. She tells me I can accomplish anything, listens to my ideas and vision, and faithfully prays for me every day. I feel incredibly blessed to have her support.

As for my dad, I still miss him deeply. Looking back, I don’t think he ever wanted me to become someone I wasn’t. He simply wanted me to succeed.

In hindsight, I think he always saw what sparked my curiosity and brought me joy. He probably knew, long before I did, that I would eventually build a life around something I was truly passionate about.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is to trust that quiet voice inside me. When something genuinely aligns with my values and fills my heart with purpose, I’ve learned to follow it—even when the path is uncertain. Every meaningful chapter of my life began with taking a chance on something that felt right.

When I look back on my journey from my family’s dinner table, to Graves’ disease, to culinary school, and ultimately to Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen, I wouldn’t change a thing.

A round-up of our recent custom cake creations... requested by you!

To start the process of ordering a custom cake for your next celebration, click here.

To start the process of ordering a custom cake for your next celebration, click here.

To start the process of ordering a custom wedding cake, click here.

It’s persimmon season and this fall I’m making my favorite persimmon arugula salad with the help of my new Japanese Nakano Chef Knife. 

The strong, corrosion-resistant stainless steel blade is perfectly shaped and enables the knife to seamlessly cut through veggies with ease, providing an exceptional cooking experience.

The beautifully designed handle is made out of high quality Pakkawood, which creates a non-slip comfortable grip. It always feels good to slice and dice with a sharp, comfortable knife!

Order your knives and make holiday cooking more enjoyable. They also make excellent gifts. Use my code YVONNE for 10% off.

Click here to order now.

Here’s how to make my Persimmon Arugula Salad using my Nakano Chef Knife.

2 servings 

Ingredients: 

-Yvonne's Vegan Kitchen Goatless Vegan Cheese (can purchase in stores or in our online shop) 

-A few handfuls of washed and dried baby arugula 

-one to two crisp persimmons, peeled and cut into 6-8 sections/wedges

-one ripe, super juicy persimmon, peel and placed in a bowl

-thinly sliced shallots 

-1/4 cup Marcona almonds (rosemary’d or black truffle almonds from Trader Joe’s are yum!)

-2-3 dates, sliced thin

-drizzle Saba: grape must 

-Himalayan sea salt

-freshly ground black pepper

Assemble:

1. Place a few handfuls of arugula on a plate. Salt and pepper the greens.
2. Tuck in thin slivers of shallots throughout the salad. Not too much. See how much I added in the video. 
3. Tuck in the crisp persimmon wedges throughout the salad. Disperse them.
4. Do the same with the Marcona almonds.
5. Top with Vegan Cheese. 
6. Mix the super ripe persimmon pulp flesh in a bowl so it’s a sauce-like consistency. Drizzle over salad.
7. Finish with a little drizzle of Saba.

Voila! Enjoy! 

Video: tiktok: @yvonnesvegankitchen
Music by @yuseiworld “Aesthetic Girl”

In my home, mushrooms are a kitchen staple.  I love them for their heartiness and meaty texture.  Whether I use them in stir-fries, on top of my pizzas, in soups, as burger buns, or as caps to stuff, mushrooms are always the highlight of my meals.

Did you know that mushrooms must be cooked in order to receive their nutritional benefits?  This is because their cell walls aren’t digestible unless exposed to heat.  Not to worry, mushrooms magically retain nutrients when grilled or stir-fried.  I like eating them for their Vitamin D content– about 1 cup of chopped portobellos gives you 400 IUs of vitamin D!  I also eat a lot in one serving because for every 1 1/2 cup of mushrooms there is 3 grams of protein.  Additionally, eating them regularly has been linked to lower the risk of breast and prostate cancers as they are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals.  In shiitake, portobello, oyster and reishi mushrooms, a polysaccharide molecule called lentinan helps strengthen the immune system.  Even more, mushrooms provide vitamin C, iron, selenium, copper and as much potassium as a medium-sized banana. All this said, mushrooms are an understated superfood!

Even before I was vegan/gluten-free, I loved ordering stuffed mushrooms at restaurants.  Now that I am vegan/gluten-free, it’s odd and a little disappointing to me that I can’t find stuffed mushrooms on my local vegan restaurants’ menus.  So I brought it on myself to create a stuffed mushroom recipe that’s very pleasing to the palate.  They are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and such a cinch to make!

These stuffed mushrooms are always a hit with my family.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Servings: 2 to 4

Time: 35 – 40 minutes

Brief: These protein-rich stuffed mushrooms are easy to make, and are always a hit with my family and friends.

Diet: V, GF, GFV, SF, DF

Ingredients

6 medium fresh Portobello mushrooms (or 12 small, bite-sized mushrooms)

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

3/4 cup cashews, chopped finely

1/4 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp filtered water

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/16 – 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on your desired level of heat

1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a 7″X10″ baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Using a damp cloth, clean off dirt from the mushrooms.

3. Break off the stems and chop them finely.

4. Heat a sauté pan and add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. No oil is necessary since the liquid from the onions and mushrooms will seep out when heated and will cook them.  Cook until the onions are translucent.

5. Remove the pan from heat and add the cashews, lemon juice, filtered water, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Mix very well and season with more salt, if needed.

6. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps.  Place stuffed mushroom caps into the greased baking dish.  Bake for 27-33 minutes, until liquid puddles form beneath the mushroom caps. (If you use the bite-sized mushrooms, bake for about 20-25 minutes).

Enjoy!

Today I am showing you how to put together a plant-based party for 30… I recently threw my friend Bianca a baby shower and decided to make everything vegan… and kept it a secret. Didn’t announce it was vegan! From the small bites and charcuterie, to the main course, and the grand finale–the dessert table, everything was vegan and loved by all (even Bianca’s non-vegan friends)!

Watch my video below to see the details that went into throwing this party and how I made each dish!

Thank you to the incredible brands who helped me put this all together – your products are my favorite and each dish would not have been the same otherwise!

Melissa’s Produce – all fruits & veggies

Follow Your Heart – all “cheeses” & bread

Beyond Meat – sausage

GT’s – Kombucha

The food… (watch my video to see each detail and ingredient!)

The dessert table…

More of the set up and party…

To inquire about your own vegan catering and dessert table, click here.

There are custom cakes and then there are custom cakes! I created this celebration cake for my friend, the talented Jasmin Singer, who is the Digital Director of VegNews, Co-Founder of Our Hen House, as well as an author, and her love, Moore Rhys’ party in July. They gathered their friends in Marina del Rey in honor of their Las Vegas vows, which had taken place a few months prior.

The celebration was co-hosted by Colleen Holland, owner & publisher of VegNews, who ordered this cake, and by Jane Velez Mitchell, in her beautiful Marina del Rey home.  Jane is a television and social media journalist & author, and the founder of #JaneUnChained, a digital news network for animal rights and the vegan lifestyle, which utilizes more than 60 volunteer contributors from around the world to showcase vegan festivals, animal rights conferences, organizations, vegan restaurants, & cooking.
The food was prepared by Megan Sadd, who owns Carrots & Flowers. A few of my favorite brands, Follow Your Heart and Beyond Meat were also a special part of the festivities! This cake was a labor of love and one of my most rewarding creations to date! I am so happy that Colleen had so much excitement and detail in mind for this – it was the epitome of what I envision a celebration cake to be: meaningful, memorable, and, of course, decadent!
We made sure to harmoniously incorporate all the elements of Jasmin and Moore’s relationship… They met in Hollywood, live in Koreatown, got married in Vegas, had their dog in their wedding, and also have a special kitty that is a large part of their lives in Los Angeles.  For their wedding, Jasmine carried a kale bouquet, which we had a blast crafting for the cake. To celebrate pride, we also included an array of rainbow hearts. Their dream wedding cake was “over-the-top” and fun, just like the couple, and we did our best to deliver on this!
It all started with a sketch…

As I gathered images of places and things that inspired various parts of this cake, I knew I had my work cut out for me…


Layer by layer, their love story unfolded…








More real-life inspiration…



And, voila! The finished product… enjoyed by all!

Would you like a custom cake of your own? We would love to be a part of your next event – large or small, no matter the happy occasion.
Please visit YvonnesVeganKitchen.com for more details and to inquire about your cake. For catering, click here.
See my latest creations on Instagram.

When @Abbyphon and I started planning desserts for her daughter Emma’s Vampirina-themed birthday party, she told me chocolate would be a central focus, as it’s the birthday girl’s favorite! I knew I was in for some fun with this party, and was ready to incorporate lots & lots of blue, Emma’s favorite color.

Complete with food from Mendocino Farms and Fresh Brothers for guests to enjoy, and themed snacks by Abby – grapes, chips, and chocolate covered raisins, our chocolate cake, cupcakes, and cobweb donuts were a hit!

• Snacks by Abby

• Snacks by Abby

It was cold and rainy this morning, and @dr.organicmommy would not let Southern California showers rain on her parade. Natasha created an incredible experience and ambiance for her guests (as usual), filling them with the best nourishing, delicious food, arts and crafts, and entertainment, making it a day to remember. 

Tiered Cake:
Carrot Cake with Toasted Walnuts
Chocolate Cake with Harry’s Berries Gaviota Strawberries
Strawberry Shortcake: Vanilla Cake with Harry’s Berries Gaviota Strawberries
Here are all of the different types of treats we created for this vegan dessert bar – which are your favorite?!

• “Pliat Punch” Organic Fruit Punch & “Fluid As Water” Spring Water with Mint, Watermelon Stars, & Lime

• “Light As A Feather” Freeze-Dried Fruit Cups

• Rice Krispy Squares with Pink Chocolate Drizzle

• “Pretty In Pink” Glazed Baked Donuts

• “Sugar Plum Fairy Pops” Aqua Faba Meringues

• “Petit Fours” Little Cakes with Raspberry Jam and Marshmallow Glaze

• “Blueberry Bird Ballet Muffins” & “Swan Lake Muffins” Sugar-Free, Monk Fruit-Sweetened Coconut Muffins

• “Tutu Tee Fruit Wands” Fruit Kabobs

• “Nutcracker Jacks” Caramel Popcorn with Pepitas

• White Chocolate Pretzel Barres Sprinkled with Pink Fairy Dust

My favorite @dr.organicmommy enlisted us to make her son’s birthday dessert table again. As usual, everything was vegan and gluten-free, and this time, Outer Space themed. I had a blast  designing the table and making the cakes and treats with my amazing team!!!  Here are some close-ups of the fun themed foods…

@dr.organicmommy is one of my favorite people to work with… She’s not only a good friend, but she also throws the best parties, and comes up with the most fun themes! She is such a pleasure to work with. Natasha and I share similar knowledge and values when it comes to nutrition, taste, feeding our families organic, farm-fresh whole foods, and always treating our friends and family to the very best. This birthday party was truly a blast  to say the least. 

@dr.organicmommy’s parties are one of the reasons I love my job so much. I love collaborating on ideas, coming up with tablescapes, backdrops, and fun themed foods.

Birthday Cake:

6″ 2-layered Carrot Cake with Walnuts

9″ 2-layered Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Jam Frosting

12″ 2-layered Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting & Strawberries

Nut-free Cake:

6″ 5-layered Vanilla Spice Cake with Sunflower Date Caramel and Pumpkin Ganache.

Starburst Crispies:

One Degree Organic’s Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps & Marshmallow Krispy Treats

Asteroids Meteor Bites:

Superfood truffles in two flavors: hazelnut cocoa and goji, cranberry, & coconut.

Blast Off Flaming Jello Cups:

Strawberry & peach flavored vegan jello.

Star Dust:

Kettle corn-flavored popcorn colored with spirulina.

Out-of-this-world UFO Cookies:

Fun vegan, gluten-free chewy chocolate cookies with a brownie center.

Black Holes:

Cookies & Cream vegan, gluten-free oreos.

These Galactic Brownies were far out. And all vegan and gluten-free!

Saturn’s Rings Galaxy Donuts:

Vanilla donuts with glaze.

Blanket of Space fruit leathers.

Strawberry, marshmallow, and cantaloupe kabobs.

Moon Rocks:

Toasted Vanilla cake crumbs. Crunchy, yummy, and fun to eat!

I must say, this was the most fun dessert table to date. I can’t wait for next month’s pink ballerina party for @dr.organicmommy’s daughter!!  

The last pie I made was not a “pie” per say, but a cobbler. In some circles, cobblers made with pie crust and a filling are considered a pie, or really resemble a pie. My cobbler was a peach cobbler, and it had all of the makings of a pie—peaches tossed with sugar, a little cinnamon, salt, and flour. I poured the mixture into a pie tin and topped it with my cinnamon and sugar cookie-pie crust, brushed with a little coconut oil, sprinkled with more cinnamon, then baked to bubbly stewed fruit, golden perfection. 

Let’s be honest, it definitely was not the prettiest, but in my book, that’s ok. As long as it looks like what it’s supposed to be, and more importantly, if it evokes emotions, excites the tastebuds, and contains functional ingredients, I am happy and my work is done. 

This is the story of my very first Peach Cobbler, and it was made especially for THE legendary Mr. Stevie Wonder. SUpon receiving the order, I had never eaten or made a peach cobbler. So, I did a bit of research, delved into my recipe arsenal, drew a little picture, said a little prayer, snapped my fingers, mixed in some love, and voila—out popped my peach cobbler from the steamy hot oven. Served warm with vanilla ice cream, it was beautiful.

Now I call this special thing Peach Cobbler Pie. I have so much fun testing new recipes, and when I get it right, it’s so satisfying. Icing on the cake is when clients send me photos and tell me their feedback. It fills my heart with joy. This is why I love my job. 

“Stevie loved, loved, loved the peach cobbler. It was a hit. Amazingly delicious. You must add to your menu list! it was the best. Not too sweet or soupy, not overly crusty, JUST RIGHT. I’ll order it AGAIN.”

For all custom cakes & pies, please click here.

For catering, please click here.

YvonnesVeganKitchen.com

When the beautiful inside and out Denise Vasi told me she was planning her daughter Lennox Mae’s 4th birthday party, I was so excited! Always one to throw a beautiful party with each and every detail on-theme, Denise, much like myself, loves delving into the details and I couldn’t wait to hear what she and her daughter were wanting. She is an amazing mom, and had asked Lennox Mae which cake designs she loved, and we took those ideas and brought them to life for this all-girls mermaid party in Los Angeles. Read her post here for some serious inspo on how to throw the ultimate mermaid party — it was amazing!

For the party, we made the mermaid cake and mini donuts. The cake was Vanilla Lemon with Raspberry Jam and the donuts were chocolate and plain with pink vanilla glaze and sprinkles. All of these sweets were, of course, vegan and gluten-free, and they tied in perfectly with the mermaid theme!

“Anyone who has baked anything knows that gluten-free, let alone vegan baking is an entirely different skill set. The fact that it has to be on theme, beautifully made and taste good is a whole other challenge.

Enter Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen. There isn’t much to say except that the cake was DELISH and from the photos, you can see that it was magically beautiful. We opted to go for a cake that was larger than what we needed because Lennox Mae really wanted her cake to have mermaid scales.”

DENISE VASI, MAED.CO

A little behind-the-scenes detail… From a mere idea to Instagram-ready…

Party Details…

Location: Festoon LA

Decor: Fire and Creme

Tablescape Goodies: Meri Meri

Mermaid: Mermaid Linden

Kids Musical Entertainment: BopTilYouDrop

Photography: Emma Feil

Denise started a blog recently called Maed.com – it’s incredibly well-done and she’s got a following that’s now into celery juice since she started her maed celery juice challenge. Denise and her husband also just opened a new restaurant called My Little Dumpling. I’m so thrilled that they have vegan and gluten-free options!

Follow Denise on Instagram and her content on Maed.co: a nod to what makes a woman feel like she’s truly “made” it. It isn’t living a perfect life or being a perfect woman. It’s being healthy and staying true to your values. In short: It’s being the best version of yourself that you can be.

I love connecting with other female business owners… Supporting women who are making their dreams come to life in their chosen endeavors is something that I love to do! When I was in the midst of planning my December dinner party sponsored by The Feed Feed & Austerity Wines, I came across Alice Street’s Instagram. I was drawn to their decorative pieces for my dinner — they have the perfect mix of island-chic and earthy styles, driven by lots of gold and a definite international flair.

For my dinner, their Brass Table Candle Holders were a star of my tablescape and their stunning gold flatware was exactly what I imagined…

Their La Rochere Bee Glassware, seen here, were some of the cutest water glasses I have ever seen…

Choosing which items I wanted to incorporate into my dinner party was so easy with Alice Street. Emilie, one of the Founders, was my go-to and she truly allowed me to spend little to no time on the logistics of planning, which left me with more time to decide exactly what I wanted to cook! They cater to the everyday hostess or host instead of the bride-to-be or large corporate gathering. A soiree with the Alice Street touch is one that is bespoke and intimate. They even offer catering, as well!

I look forward to collaborating with Alice Street in the future — they made the planning aspect of throwing my holiday dinner very effortless. My favorite part of working with them was the transparency: instead of going back and forth with emails and waiting for an estimate, Alice Street’s automatic booking feature is a rare gem in the event rental space; it’s truly online shopping.  You simply select which items you’d like, and then they deliver everything in boxes that are so cute, you could use them as decor. They offer chic, globally sourced, fair-trade products fitting for many aesthetics, and in curated packages that make throwing a fabulous fête far less daunting. There are also no shipping minimums, so no matter the size of your party, you’ll be set!

For more information, visit their website here: https://alicest.com/

and follow their Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/alicestreetla/

Visit my Instagram to see more pictures from my dinner!

When Jessica’s personal assistant and PR rep contacted me to let me know Jessica was a fan of my cheese and treats and asked me to prepare treats for her Honest Beauty launch party, I was so thrilled and, of course, could not pass on the opportunity.

Our companies are both transparent about what we put in our products and listing ingredients on our packaging, and are made with our customer’s health & wellness in mind, and we agreed it was a good fit.

Sweets, treats, and beauty care items are more affordable luxury items, and there are so many of them on the market to choose from. What I love about our companies is that we make them so you have freedom to indulge, whether it be in having fun with makeup or stuffing your face with cookies. Of course, natural beauty and beauty from within is the best kind of beauty, and drinking green smoothies and eating massaged kale salads will bring you optimal health, but enhancing your beauty with beneficial skincare and makeup, as well as eating healthier and delicious alternatives to donuts and cookies is just icing on the cake—it makes life a little better and more enjoyable.

For the Honest Beauty Party, I had free reign. I could make whatever I wanted, as long as the cheese was on the menu, and I had a whole counter to fill. This was for about 100 people. I decided on…

1) A 3-cheese platter (black truffle, roasted garlic, onion and chive, and cranberry dill vegan cashew cheese) with my superfood crackers, grapes, dried fruit, and toasted nuts.

2) Chocolate Pot de Creme

3) Chocolate Covered Donuts

4) Chocolate Chai Cookies

5) Vanilla lemon with raspberry

6) Fruit Tarts

I not only made a dessert table, I was also invited to stay to enjoy the party.  I loved that they served vegan savory items for me to enjoy. They also had beautiful (vegetarian) geode cookies by Good Vibes Cookie Co, had great music, delicious cocktails, a tarot card reader, the most gorgeous flower arrangements, and some amazing ladies—lots of moms, social media and lifestyle influencers, and entrepreneurs.

I had the pleasure of getting my make-up touched-up by a glam team and tried the new Honest Beauty color palette, and other newly-branded and packaged beauty products. It was a great night.

Before transitioning to the vegan lifestyle in 2013, I was very conscious about products I used on my body and, of course, those that I put into my body, like vitamins. I told my 5 sisters about Honest’s different product lines, and we all subscribed. They sell natural and eco-friendly biodegradable diapers, baby wipes, and other non-toxic wellness, personal hygiene, household cleaning products, and now, beauty products!

Honest Beauty does not test their products on animals. They rely on a combination of scientific literature, non-animal testing, raw material safety testing and/or human testing to ensure product safety as an alternative to animal testing. Since my audience is very diverse, I will tell you which products I’ve tried that are vegan, which are beegan (contain honey or wax), and vegetarian.

They are extremely transparent about their products and lists all of the ingredients on their packaging and website. Some of their products contain beeswax, lactoperoxidase (an enzyme derived from milk), and carmine (a pigment derived from insects) for coloring. You can find the complete list of products below… I find this information incredibly helpful and I hope this allows you  to use Honest Beauty products with complete confidence!

The Honest Beauty “Beegan” Products include:

Detox Mud Mask – Manuka Honey

Magic Balm – Beeswax

Y+C Nourishing Lotion – Beeswax

Creme Blush – Beeswax

Cream Foundation – Beeswax

Eyeshadow – Depending on the color, Carmine

LipCrayons – Beeswax +  depending on the color, carmine

Mascara – Beeswax

The Honest Beauty Vegetarian Products include:

Deep Hydration – Beeswax +  lactoperoxidase

The vegan products I have tried include:

1) Everything Primer Matte

2) Magic Balm

3) Makeup Remover Wipes

4) Gentle Gel Cleanser

5) Organic Beauty Facial Oil

The Everything Primer Matte, which I use under my concealer, is light, buildable, & breathable. It’s oil-free and matte, long-lasting and smooth for makeup coverage that is even!

I use the Magic Balm on my lips, and if I have any dry spots it’s perfect for those… even on my elbows. It soothes and softens.

The Makeup Remover Wipes are gentle on my skin and leave me feeling fresh.

The Gentle Gel Cleanser gently cleans and removes makeup and dirt without over-drying. The chamomile and calendula extracts leave my skin feeling calm and refreshed.

I use the Organic Beauty Facial Oil on my fine lines and as a moisturizer. My sensitive skin seems to enjoy it! I also use it on my neck. Remember to moisturize your neck, ladies and gents!

What I love about the new packaging is that it’s so lovely, simple, and clean that the products look great on the counter, left out, and not stored away… you want to showcase them!

Big thanks again to Jessica and her crew for welcoming me into their headquarters and for allowing me to feed your guests, a few who are now my good friends. It was such a pleasure!

More on the Honest Company…

They manufacture their own natural products and sell them on their site. Or, find them at Target or health-focused markets. The company offers subscription delivery services, wherein you pay a monthly fee to have an assortment of products delivered to your home on a monthly basis, like a “Family Essentials” bundle. You can also buy products at your own pace.

They do NOT test on animals, and they even use renewable or recycled materials in all of their packaging, shipping, and office products. They donate money to good causes, too! Read about their extensive sustainability efforts on their website! In addition to their 100% plant-based baby care, cleaning, and personal care products, their “Honestly Free Guarantee” promises that their products are free of:

phthalates, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, PVC, parabens, benzene, chlorine, synthetic fragrances, triclosan, formaldehyde-based preserving agents, nanoparticles, TEA, MEA, phosphates, polyethylene glycol (PEG), quaternium 15, DMDM hydantoin, 1-4 dioxane, bisphenol-A (BPA), alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs)/nonylphenol, BHA, benzalkonium chloride

Natasha, (click here to visit her incredible Instagram!), hired us to create another themed dessert table. This time, for her daughter… an enchanted fairy garden party!

As always, she requested that everything be made with organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free ingredients, natural colors and flavors, and to have a reduced amount of sugars while using primarily Whole Foods. We used Harry’s Berries Gaviota Strawberries – the best strawberries in the world – and India Tree colors, turmeric, and blue spirulina to color the treats.

Coming up with ideas for food using Pinterest really helped bring this dessert table to life. Here is what we came up with…

Birthday cake 
6” 2-layered Carob Cake with Chocolate Frosting & Strawberries
9” 2-layered Carrot Cake with Walnuts
12” 2-layered Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Frosting & Strawberries
3-tiered Pink Ombre & Flowers Birthday Cake
Nut-free Carob Log Cake, Chocolate Strawberries

Used all Harry’s Berries – Gaviota strawberries

Twigs & Berries 

Magic Fairy Drops Donut Tower – baked donuts dipped in housemade white chocolate and vegan sprinkles.

Pixie Dust Popcorn – coconut oil popped corn, drizzled with housemade white chocolate and vegan rainbow sprinkles.

Moss Cookies  – sugar cookies with a hint of lemon, coated with a thin icing, covered with pulverized and green-colored coconut shreds.

Flowery Fruit Bites – kiwi, raspberry, & mint.

Magic Wands – blueberries and watermelon.

Magic Mushrooms – vegan marshmallows, strawberries.

Forest Logs – fruit leather strips.

Chipmunk Chips in Basket with Moss – plantain banana chips.

Enchanted Forest Seeds – bliss balls: hazelnut chocolate truffles, goji cranberry coconut truffles (recipes here and on my app!)

Gnome Made Granola Cups with Honeysuckle Cream – my granola recipe with more date paste to stick the cups together, baked in mini cupcake pans, with spooned in yogurt, berries, and mint.

Mud and Dirt Cups – avocado, banana, date-based chocolate pudding with dirt made from carob, date, almonds, and vanilla, and topped with a mint leaf.

Morning Dew – cucumber mint spring water & Pixie Punch – strawberry lemonade.

Watermelon House – fairy house made of watermelon.

Click here to view the paper art from @craftytude — the cute other decor was from Etsy…

For each party and project, I like to include a sketch in my proposal. From merely an idea to Instagram-ready…

When Nastaha, (@dr.organicmommy on Instagram) entrusts me to help create a firetruck-themed dessert table and snacks, you know it’s all going to have to be plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, naturally colored, eco-friendly, and, of course, delicious and memorable!

Natasha’s account is an incredible resource for pregnancy, parenting, and all things clean living… she specializes in Pediatric Neuropsychology, and I just find her content and knowledge to be fascinating, and even great for those who aren’t moms.

I had a blast making this epic Firetruck-themed dessert table come to life.  Thanks to Pinterest for all the design inspo, and to my amazing team who helped make this happen!

We made:

Match Sticks – pretzels with housemade white chocolate, and naturally colored red sprinkles

Firetruck Tires – chocolate dipped mini donuts

Cakes – firetruck themed multi-tiered cake and Flame Cake

Cookies – sugar cookies in the shape of flames and the number 4

Fire Balls – housemade white chocolate-dipped marshmallows with naturally-colored sprinkles

Great Balls of Fire – date, nut superfood bliss balls in varying flavors: Lemon Coconut, Hazelnut Chocolate, Goji Cranberry Almond.

Fiery Fruit – kabobs of cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberry

Burning Embers – beet chips with rosemary

Veggie Train – Veggie Crudite. Artiscly cut and arranged like a train

Flaming Fruit Cups – vegan jello with fruit

Firetruck Fuel – watermelon juice

Pumpkin Pie Bites with Coconut Whip

3-Cheese Platters – Cranberry and Dill Goatless Cheese, Black Truffle Cheese, Roasted Garlic, Onion and Chive Cheese, Superfood Crackers, Grapes, Nuts

I even made the back splash (don’t ask me how, it just came together), cake stands, food and ingredient labels, and a match stick box.  It was so much fun!  Thanks again to Natasha and family for allowing us into your home to feed your family more wholesome sweets and snacks.  It was a true pleasure!

Truly a labor of love – from design concept to the finest details in execution. Joy. Love. That’s why I do what I do. That’s what life’s about. Well, to me at least. And I give everything my best to spread this love and joy. It’s the best feeling.

To inquire about a special occasion order, please click here.

Very thrilled to be a contributor in VegNews‘ May-June travel issue.  In this issue, I veganized recipes I grew up loving, mixing a few popular flavors from my Filipino-Chinese heritage.  I ended up with Savory Char Sui Maitake Bao and Sweet Ube Siopao.  Steamed buns, also known as bao and siopao, are stuffed with sweet and savory fillings, making it a common and portable snack eaten every day and originally found all over South East-Asia.  Growing up, we ate these for breakfast or as a snack.  It was such a treat.

Since my friends at VegNews were so kind to feature my recipes, I am going to hold-off on giving the fillings recipes for now, so you can subscribe or pick up an issue at your local health food store.  I am going to wait about a month to give out the entire recipe.  So, please hold tight if you’re not able to get a hold of the issue right now.  For now, since I made a version in the magazine that uses regular wheat flour (which is just like the original bao I grew up loving), for my gluten-free readers, I have a bun recipe for you, below.

After several attempts at making a bouncy gluten-free bao bun, I unfortunately wasn’t able to achieve the signature bouncy, spongy attributes the original wheat flour version possesses, BUT! When eaten minutes after steaming, it does have more of a bounce, so make sure you eat them minutes after steaming to get somewhat of a bouncy feel. Otherwise, if you wait and let them sit, they will feel heavier and dense.

In preparing for the feature, I was asked a few questions about my recipes and how they are relevant to my multicultural background.  They ended up not making the cut, but that’s ok.  This is why I have a blog!  I share the questions and answers, below.

What’s your personal relationship to this recipe? 

As a child, going to Woo Chee Chong Market, which at that time was the only Asian market in my hometown, was definitely a treat for me and my sisters. While my mom shopped for her essentials, my sisters and I would slowly peruse every aisle with wonder–inspecting, observing, and smelling all the foreign and exotic ingredients, spices, beautifully packaged and prepared foods.  Our favorites were the red and green boxes of Botan Rice Candy that melted in our mouths, and watching the part-time teenage workers in the kitchen use a super sharp cleaver to slice the most delicious bright red char siu pork, and packaging it in a to-go box with chow mien for us to take home. I don’t have a memory eating it at home because once we would get home, it would be gone in .03 seconds.  It was so delicious—tender, sweet, savory, and spiked with spices I couldn’t even name or identify.  Char siu is definitely ingrained in my taste bud memory.

Around this same time, my grandmother would make the most delicious steamed buns called siopao.  We would eat them piping hot right out of the bamboo steamer. They were beautiful little, bouncy, sponge-like pillows filled with juicy, flavorful shredded meat, and egg.

I created a vegan version of it without her direction, as she has since passed.  I decided to create a char siu-style siapao.  Instead of using pork I used maitake mushrooms, which create a meaty texture and hold flavor quite well. I made this in classic Yvonne-style, making it gluten-free, vegan, low-glycemic, and yet very flavorful.  The sweet ube bao recipe is reminiscent of all the Filipino desserts I ate growing up–ube ice cream, ube cake, and the blob of ube on top of my halo-halo dessert!

Both recipes are reflective of my childhood and Filipino-American heritage.

Why is this recipe special in the culture it represents?
Every culture seems to have some sort of small, succulent parcel encased in dough and wrapped. Mexicans have tamales. East Indians have samosas. Filipinos have lumpia, empanadas, and siopao. Chinese have eggrolls, wontons, and bao, which actually means “wrapper” and is referred to being steamed stuffed buns.  In ancient Chinese history, bao went by different names, and was said to be created by different people for many reasons–to help keep the poor warm and fed in the winter, and to cure soldiers from plague.  Today it is definitely a popular food.  Bao is a common and portable snack eaten every day mostly for breakfast and found all over South East-Asia.

How is this recipe originally made and how did you veganize it?
These recipes are originally made with shortening, meat, dairy, sometimes egg, and lots of refined sugar.  I veganized it by replacing the meat with maitake mushrooms, ube, and using vegan milk and coconut sugar.

Cha Siu Maitake Bao

Makes 10 bao

[SF]

Ingredients

Dough:

1 ½ cups unsweetened vegan milk, lukewarm (100- 110 degrees F)

3 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar

1 package dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons oat flour

1 cup potato starch

3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Filling: 

2 maitake mushrooms (8 ounces)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon minced peeled ginger

2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons mirin (or rice wine, dry sherry)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 ½ teaspoons ketchup

1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon 5 spice powder

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Directions:

1. For the dough, in a large bowl, whisk together warm vegan milk, coconut sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly and bloomed. Add the grapeseed oil.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients then add to the yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms, then turn dough out onto a lightly oat-floured surface. Knead until smooth. Return dough to large mixing bowl, coated with cooking spray, and lightly spray the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place (85 degrees F) for 1 hour or until doubled in size. As it rises, prepare the filling.
3. For the filling, in a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except maitake mushrooms and arrowroot powder, and stir to combine. Break maitake apart from the roots, to pieces, and into the sauce, and stir to coat. Place covered saucepan over medium-low heat for 17 minutes. Remove from heat, mix in arrowroot powder, and set aside uncovered to cool.
4. Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 8 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Cover dough balls while working with one dough ball at a time. On a lightly dusted (with oat flour) surface, roll ball into a 4-inch circle using a rolling pin. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough circle. Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and twist to seal in filling. Place each bun onto a 2 ½-inch parchment square with the pinched seal at the bottom while you finish the rest of the buns.
5. Spray a multi-layered bamboo steamer with cooking spray. Place the steamer on top of a large saucepan, and pour in water to several inches below the steamer. Bring water to boil.
6. Working in several batches, place 3 or 4 buns into each steamer layer without letting buns touch each other or the edge of the steamer, about an inch apart. Cover steamer. Let buns steam over medium-low heat until puffy and the dough is springy. About 15-20 minutes per batch. Cool for at least 5 minutes and serve warm.

Ube Siopao

Makes 16 siopao

[SF]

For the Dough:

Use dough recipe, above.

For the Filling:

1 ¼ cups steamed ube (purple yam)

¾ cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup monkfruit sweetener (or 1 cup sugar)

1 cup shredded young coconut

¼ cup sliced jackfruit (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare dough as explained, above.

3. For the filling, in a blender, combine all ingredients except for shredded young coconut and jackfruit, adding the coconut milk first, and blend completely using a tamper or spatula to ensure a smooth blend.  Do not blend for too long or the filling will become pasty. Stop blending once thoroughly combined.  Fold in shredded coconut and jackfruit. 

4. Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 8 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Cover dough balls while working with one dough ball at a time. On a lightly dusted (with oat flour) surface, roll ball into a 4-inch circle. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the dough circle. Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top.  Pinch and twist to seal in the filling. Place each bun onto a 2 ½-inch parchment square with the pinched seal at the bottom while you finish the rest of the bun.

5. Spray a multi-layered bamboo steamer with cooking spray. Place the steamer on top of a large saucepan, and pour in water to several inches below the steamer. Bring water to boil.

6. Working in several batches, place 3 or 4 buns into each steamer layer without letting buns touch each other or the edge of the steamer. Cover steamer. Let buns steam over medium-low heat until puffy and the dough is springy. About 15-20 minutes per batch. Cool for at least 5 minutes and serve warm.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Growing up, at school, church, and at home we ate corned beef and cabbage on this Irish and religious holiday.  However, I have recently come to find out that there is nothing Irish about corned beef and cabbage, and that Shepherds’ Pie has always been and still is a staple of traditional Irish cooking.  Shepherd’s Pie is basically a layered casserole with a veggie and meat mixture topped with mashed potatoes, thrown in the oven until the potatoes are browned.  Traditionally, ground lamb or beef is used in the meat mixture, but of course, I create my own type of soy-free, plant-based meat using nourishing whole foods: cooked quinoa, mushrooms, and walnuts.  Broken down in a food processor, this plant-based mixture eerily resembles traditional ground meat.

To be honest, there is nothing traditional about my version of Shepherd’s Pie.  I use a garlicky cauliflower potato puree instead of mashed potatoes.  My recipe also includes olives, which brightens up the dish with a bit of a zing and adds a nice salty flavor.  Additionally, I add sun-dried tomatoes for meatiness, a little sweetness, and more richness in flavor.  I really love the chewy texture of sun-dried tomatoes.  Without these two ingredients, I feel the pie would be a little flat.  My partner in kitchen crime, Davin, suggested I add a layer of vegan cheddar cheese between the layers of meat veg filling and cauliflower potato puree, and that idea was a perfect addition.  Why did he suggest it?  Think about it, “hamburger meat, potatoes, and cheese”, then to kick it up a notch, we ate it with a few drops of hot sauce and a drizzle of ketchup, and it was delicious.

Cook this dish any time of year, on the weekend for the week.  You can freeze and reheat, and even make little cupcake pies for kids.

Hope you and your loved ones enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

On St. Patrick’s Day, make it extra festive with GT’s Multi-Green Kombucha!  Have it on its own, or make cocktails by adding a little pineapple juice and vodka!

Cheers to healthy eating and drinking!

Shepherd’ s Pie

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Topping:

Garlicky Cauliflower Potato Puree

1 large head garlic, top sliced off

3 cups cauliflower

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

½ tsp sea salt

Filling:

2 cups quinoa, cooked

½ cup walnuts

2 cups crimini mushrooms

1 Tbsp oil, optional

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp oat flour (gluten-free, can sub with any gluten-free flour)

2 tsp tomato paste

1 cup vegetable stock

1 ½ Tbsp vegan worchestershire sauce

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

½ cup corn kernels, frozen

½ cup fresh English peas

1/8-¼ tsp shakes cayenne pepper, depending on desired level of spiciness

¼ tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes

4 Tbsp calamata olives, roughly chopped

Optional Ingredients:

Handful shredded vegan cheddar cheese (I like Follow Your Heart Brand)

Ketchup, as needed

Directions

Garlicky Cauliflower Potato Puree:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degress F.

Filling:

While the potatoes and cauliflower are cooking, make the filling.

1. In a food processor, combine the cooked quinoa, mushrooms, and walnuts.  Process until it looks like ground meat.  Set aside.
2. Heat a large saute pan or pot, add the oil, heat it for about a minute, then add the onions, carrots, and garlic.  Saute until it caramelizes (browns a little) and onions are translucent.  If the veggies stick to the pan, add some water or veggie stock.  Can also make this oil-free by water-sauteeing.
3. Add the quinoa, mushroom, and walnut mixture, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, cayenne, black pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and saute for about 4 minutes.
4. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir
5. Add 1 cup of veggie broth (I use the vegetable broth that I used from steaming the cauliflower and potato)
6. Stir in the corn and English peas and set aside.

Assemble:

In a casserole or deep pie dish, spread the filling evenly.  Top with a handful (or more) vegan cheese (optional) and the cauliflower potato puree.  Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.  Remove to a cooling rack fofr at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serve in bowls and top with a drizzle of ketchup and a few drops of hot sauce.