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 anyone new to my Instagram, to my business, or for those who haven't heard my whole story, I thought now would be the perfect time...

I grew up in San Diego and am the youngest of six daughters. My Mom & Dad are both from the Philippines and actually met in San Diego in 1969. My Dad was the oldest of 10 kids! He grew up poor in Pasay City and worked nights at a slaughterhouse to pay for his education and to help his family. He’d bring home scraps for his mom to cook—she was an AMAZING cook. Refrigeration wasn’t prevalent, so grandma masked and spiced things up by using bold flavors. Her food was so flavorful and really delicious. 

Meanwhile, my mom lived in a beautiful provincial town across from the ocean. Her family grew their vegetables and fruit—all they needed for a delicious meal was a fresh catch seasoned with salt, pepper, a chile or citrus, and vegetables. She grew up on very minimal, fresh, farm-to-table cooking. 

Fast forward to me growing up... I have five older sisters who are overachievers—we have a valedictorian, salutatorian, and doctors in the family. And then there was me with undiagnosed ADD. I struggled academically (relatively-speaking), though I was always in honors and excelled in the subjects that I was most interested in. Unfortunately, I didn’t do as well as the others in ALL subjects. As a result, my dad constantly lectured me and was always disappointed in my academic performance because I didn’t get straight A’s like my sisters. 

Our family always had dinner together at the table. We’d hear the “when I was young...” stories and often, I’d hear dad complain about mom’s food having “no flavor.” Remember, she learned to season minimally while growing up. 

One day, I had enough of hearing his complaints about her food, so I got up and asked him to give me his plate. I told him I would make it better. He gave me his plate, and I brought it to the kitchen and worked my magic using whatever spices I could find. I remember tasting it first to make sure it was better. When I returned his plate, he tasted it, nodded, looked at me, smiled, and said, "it tastes good." It felt like for the first time in my life my dad gave me his approval, and that made me happy. It was through food that I was able to connect with my dad. 

His approval felt so good that I dove into a gift someone had given my mom: a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Mom and I cooked our way through the cookbook, and I never heard a complaint from dad again. From then on, I loved cooking and baking and seeing peoples’ reactions to my food. I’d have friends over to enjoy my baked goods over the holidays and would teach classmates how to make lumpia (Filipino-style egg rolls), and pancit (Filipino-style noodles), and we’d sell it at Food Fairs to raise money for our class activities (I was the class and student body president for 4 years). It was fun, and I loved how food brought people together!

Because my Asian parents expected my sisters and me to be doctors, lawyers, etc., I never considered becoming a chef. To my parents, or so I thought, it wasn’t considered “professional.” During his speech at my sister’s med school graduation party, my dad went down the line of my sisters, mentioning what everyone was pursuing. Then it was my turn. I cringed. “Now Yvonne, my youngest... I don’t know what she’ll do after college. I think she’ll either be a model or a chef.” When I heard those words, I was completely mortified. It felt like a serious blow to the heart. I was hurt because I thought he didn’t value it as a serious profession—or maybe in retrospect, I was conditioned to think that way. I never spoke to him about it and was mostly angry at him for a long time for saying it. 

My sisters and I moved away for college—either UCLA or Berkeley. Always the black sheep, I went to UC Santa Cruz. It was my first taste of freedom. I broke out of my shell and loved it. 

During college though, my health took a turn for the worse. On the verge of dying, I couldn’t walk or even lift a spoon, had heart palpitations, and was rushed and carried to the hospital. I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism with Grave’s disease; my body was over-producing hormones, my heart rate at rest was 143 at one point, and the sugars in my body were pushing out my eyeballs. It was gnarly. 

I immediately underwent radiation therapy to zap my thyroid. Post radiation, my body changed completely. Eyes—super bulgy, hair—dry and falling out. I went from being super hyper & skinny to super mellow & gained over 30 pounds. My hormones were out of whack, and I looked like a completely different person. I then went through depression and my sisters did research so I wouldn’t start and become dependent on antidepressants. One found that eating a diet high in fruit could help. So, I ate a lot of fruit. I then watched Legally Blonde and learned about endorphins, the “happy hormones,” so I took up running...a lot. Think Forrest Gump a lot. I lost all the weight & more. I became super obsessive about calories, which was detrimental to my health. By that time, I had an eating disorder. I'd run off all the calories I ate and looked very gaunt. Thankfully, I had an intervention and fixed that problem. With my thyroid under control and my health improving, I also was able to focus well and did extremely well in school. I was feeling good. 

The summer before my junior year of college, I showed dad my grades. He couldn’t believe I received A’s in Accounting. He went into his file cabinet to pull out his college transcripts and showed me the only class he didn’t receive an A in. It was Accounting. That summer, my mom was away in Baltimore watching my nephew while my sister finished her residency at John’s Hopkins. I invited my dad to take a road trip with me back to college for the Fall quarter and he agreed. 

It was the first time that I spent so much time with my dad, just the two of us. I had his undivided attention for eight hours straight! To be honest, I was a little worried at first, but during that trip he healed my heart and soul by speaking to me with a lot of love, understanding, dignity, and respect. He stayed in NorCal for a few days, we went bowling and went out for dinner, then it was time for him to head back to San Diego. We gave each other big hugs, I kissed his warm cheek, and we said a tearful goodbye at his gate at the airport, waving goodbye until we didn’t see each other anymore. 

The following month, during a phone conversation, he said my mom would be coming home soon and to not bring any friends home when I visit so we can spend quality time together, just the family. Then he said we’d all be together again soon. When it was time to say good bye I told him, “I love you, Papasan!” he said, “I love you, daughter!” and we hung up. Later that night, when I got home from the City of Santa Cruz birthday celebration with housemates, we came home and together listened to answering machine messages. My sister, Janet, left me a message saying dad had suffered from a massive heart attack, and that she was going to the hospital. I tried to reach her several times and finally her husband, my brother-in-law, picked up and broke the news to me. Painfully, he told me that my dad didn’t make it. My dad had passed away. I was devastated. My life would never be the same again. 

Right after dad passed, during college, I dated Geoff in LA whose uncle is the acclaimed Los Angeles food writer, Colman Andrews. We ate at the best restaurants, including those rated highly by Zagat, which resulted in my favorite chef being Suzanne Goin.

I finished school and graduated with a degree in Business Management Economics & Accounting, & emphasis in Education. I was not sure what I wanted to do, but always knew I’d own my own business like my dad who had a real estate company. Something I didn’t mention earlier was that I grew up working for my dad. I was either wearing a printed t-shirt with his company logo on it with my name printed on the front or wearing a cute business suit. We’d pass out fliers door-to-door, or we’d work hard flipping houses, or I’d go to his office and answer phones. You can say that I basically started selling real estate at age five.  

One day, my cousin gave me a book that I read on a plane ride. The author recommended that his daughter be an accountant because it’s practical, a good training ground if you want to have a business, and every company needs an accountant. So, I took his advice. 

I worked for companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bank of New York Mellon, and Universal Music Group. I also had my real estate license and bought and sold real estate.

In my accounting and finance positions, I didn’t love the work. I felt unfulfilled, like something was missing. Honestly, my favorite parts of the job were dressing up and the social aspects, like taking out clients to restaurants, happy hours, and holiday parties. 

One day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had enough of the work. I told myself, “I can’t continue doing this. I need some excitement in my work. I need human interaction, and to do something I enjoy.” So, I decided to pursue my first love: food. My favorite way of connecting with people. 

I packed my business clothes and enrolled in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. 

This was one of the most exciting chapters of my life where I gained a good foundation of French and International cooking skills.

After culinary school, I still didn’t cook like my favorite chef, Suzanne Goin. I wanted to learn more, so I emailed her, and she responded, and asked me to come in for an interview and stage (kitchen try out). I did, it worked out, and I worked under her wing at Lucques in savory (pantry and prep).  I also worked all the fun catering events (SAG awards, Oscar parties, President Obama’s fundraiser dinner, and for high profile clients), and later she asked me to join the pastry team at her newer restaurant, Tavern. Working the line and preparing food and dessert in top restaurants and for exciting events was so exhilarating and incredible.

Preparing delicious food with some of the best in the industry was an amazing experience. Being in the kitchen was a joyous occasion. We were creating the best food for patrons to celebrate with. It soothed and nourished my soul, yet it was challenging, physically and mentally. Being on my feet for at least eight hours straight, in a very intense and sometimes militant environment helped me develop resilience and thick skin.

Back to my health. Although I was an avid runner and physically thin, my blood results came back revealing that I had borderline high cholesterol, and with my Hypothyroidism, I was an excellent candidate for Diabetes. My doctor repeatedly told me I needed to make changes in my diet to prevent disease. At Tavern, we made the best walnut and chocolate croissants with a special French butter, and I’d eat the day-olds every day. And maybe a cookie, too. I thought exercise would do the trick, but no, exercise doesn’t help fatty plaques from collecting in the arteries. 

One day I was making 30 quarts of chocolate buttercream, and had an aha moment. Although extremely delicious, I realized I was working with all butter, and that I was in turn contributing to heart disease. Heart disease is how I lost my dad. It didn’t feel right. Something did have to change. This was a big turning point for me. It was at that moment that I decided to take preventative measures for my own health so as to not suffer the same fate as my dad. I also didn’t feel great about feeding people large amounts of cholesterol. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. 

That day, I meditated and prayed, asked God to present an opportunity where I can contribute positively to the world. And just like that, someone called and asked if I could be her personal chef, help her lose weight, feel great, be nourished, all while still satisfying her palate. 

So, I left the restaurant business which I loved and appreciated so much, and started a new journey. I worked with my client’s health coach in planning and preparing meals, then I studied nutrition. 

I read Kimberly Snyder’s Beauty Detox Solution and it changed my life in the most positive way. I started researching using my own body to see what foods made me feel best. I started drinking green smoothies every day, which I still do to this day. I feel best using Kimberly’s principles—preparing food that will aid digestion, keep my energy levels up, and heal and beautify from the inside out. Eating in such a clean way removed brain fog and I was able to see the world so clearly. A cloud that had previously been between me and the world had disappeared. This is the best way that I can describe it. 

I ended up creating recipes using Kimberly’s principles, blogged, and released a top-selling cookbook app, found in the App Store and Google Play, called Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen. It is filled with 170 recipes and at its peak, it was ranked #7 in the top paid food apps in the App Store. (It was previously called My Eclectic Kitchen)

Whole Foods noticed and invited me to teach classes regularly. I taught classes at several Los Angeles County locations. I loved the sense of community and educating others about the benefits of a vegan plant-based diet and lifestyle. I also enjoyed teaching simple yet delicious vegan, gluten-free, soy-free recipes.

My change in eating habits lead me to watch all the food and vegan documentaries, and overnight I became an ethical vegan. Choosing a lifestyle that doesn’t harm animals and protects the planet feels right and good for my mind, body, and soul. It’s a win all around. 

I then worked as a personal chef, joined Instagram, married my best friend, Peyman. He joined me in my early years as a vegan and was so supportive. We were great, tried having a family. It didn’t work out; we grew apart, had different goals, irreconcilable differences, and we decided to amicably split. We were together for 14 years. 

I continued with my food journey. My sister, Riva, joined a South Bay Facebook group and noticed a cafe owner asking if anyone knew a vegan gluten-free baker. Riva connected us, and I was asked if I had gluten-free bread to sell. I said no, but did have crackers I created for Peyman that were gluten-free. I then said I had a great vegan cheese to sell along with them—a perfect compliment to the crackers. The cafe took them in and they sold out quickly. The cafe owner asked if I could make other products, and I did. Those all sold well. It was a perfect testing ground to sell my products. 

I shared my experiences on Instagram, and other businesses started reaching out, and that’s how it all began. It just snowballed from there. I’d say 90% of our retail partners reached out to us.

The cake business started when I was demo-ing our products at Grassroots in South Pasadena, as I highlighted the fact that we sweetened mostly with dates, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. One of the women sampling asked if we made cakes. Her gluten-free baker had just moved away. I told her we could, and from there the cake business was born and it exploded!

Similar things kept happening and my business continued to grow.

I ran into Jessica Alba many times at Tavern. She’d have breakfast there, and before my shift, I’d always run into her. I never said anything, I just kept running into her. Then when I was a season ticket holder for the LA Clippers, she’d sit right in front of me. We took a photo, I wrote a novel of an Instagram post in true Yvonne fashion, about always running into her, and she started following me and was very supportive of my small business.

I was then asked later to provide sweets for her Honest Beauty launch party, since my brand was in-line with her transparent beauty line. I did, and that was the beginning of my dessert catering business. 

I turned my passion that had once been a hobby for a very long time into a real business in 2018. It’s been so much fun, and a great challenge that is very rewarding.

Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen is now many businesses rolled into one:

- a direct to consumer business

    *storefront bakery located at 11 W Dayton Street in Pasadena.

   *e-Commerce: YvonnesVeganKitchen.com where we sell donuts, cookies, standard cakes, VeganCheese, crackers, gift baskets, care packages/bundles, subscriptions, gift cards. We ship nationwide.

   *Custom Cakes - wedding and custom decorated cakes. 

   *Catering - custom desserts and dessert tables 

- A wholesale business. We partner with retailers that sell our products in stores, cafes, restaurants, and via their online platforms. 

- A cookbook App and eBook

- A brand partner. Sometimes I create content for brands that I love.

There are lots of stories weaved into this timeline that I will share another time. 

I see my experience and past as a blessing. It’s been a great journey. I am so thankful for the experiences in my life, and for all the people who have crossed my path and made this life and building Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen an amazing experience so far. 

Today, I love what I do for work, and am very passionate about our mission. Thankful that my team and I can make delicious food more accessible to the public with the mission of protecting our planet, the animals, and our health & well-being. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported YVK. I love connecting with people through food. All the love and joy we witness when our clients celebrate with our products is so satisfying, it fills my heart. 

My mom at first was concerned about me leaving a stable finance job and venturing into the unknown food world, but she’s watched me persevere, grow my business, and is my biggest cheerleader. She tells me she believes I can do anything. I tell her my vision often and I’m thankful she prays for me everyday.

As for my dad, I miss him very much. I’m not angry anymore. It seems, in hindsight, that he knew all along. He saw what sparked my interest and made me happy. He probably always knew I’d pursue something that I was passionate about, that brought me joy and purpose. And that is always ok, no matter what anyone thinks. I’ve come to realize that if something feels right and good in my heart and soul, to trust my intuition—it must be right, and that’s all that really matters. 

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

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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

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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.