Welcome to week three of Friday FAQs, a new series on Oh She Glows featuring your questions about OSG recipes, substitution ideas, cooking methods, ingredients, and kitchen tools! I hope you’ve been enjoying the series as much as I have so far. It’s been especially awesome to see you guys reaching out to help each other by offering up your own kitchen wisdom! Feel free to chime in at any point if you feel like you can offer some input to any of the questions. I’d love this series to be as collaborative as possible!
You can read the previous Friday FAQs here:
As always, feel free to send your questions my way via social media or the blog, and I’ll select some to feature in the coming weeks!
Q1: Quick question—what was your recipe again for the coconut oil chocolate you made a few days ago and posted on your Snapchat? Seem to have lost the screenshot I took and my mold just arrived so I’m dying to try it out!
A: Hi Aguarin, I can definitely help you out. No one should have to go without this chocolate! If memory serves me correctly, my small batch recipe is: 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted), 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, and a pinch of pink salt to enhance the flavours. Whisk it all together and then chill it until it hardens. This recipe makes enough for one of these chocolate bar molds.
Q2: Hi Angela, What kind of food processor do you use? I’m in the market for a new one!
A: Hi James, I currently use this Cuisinart Food Processor, and I quite like it. I appreciate that it’s simpler than my previous model (which had multiple-sized bowls) and it works well for making nut butter, coconut butter, hummus, etc. It’s brushed stainless steel that comes in a white, black, or red accent colour.
Q3: What can I substitute for the oats in your Banana Bread Muffin Tops?
A: Hi Georgina, Oh that’s a tough one! Since the oats make up such a large proportion of this recipe I really don’t know a direct substitute offhand. My guess would be to try a mixture of quinoa flakes, ground almonds, and a different flour, but it would be an experiment for sure! I’ll have to keep your request in mind for a future recipe spin-off. If you try anything out, please leave a comment and let us know how it went. (And if any other readers have tried anything that worked out well, please leave a comment and let us know!)
Q4: Where do you buy your nutritional yeast, Angela?
A: I buy nutritional yeast at Organic Garage, Whole Foods, and Fortinos/Loblaws. Be sure to check the natural foods/gluten-free section of your grocery store (if they have one) as it’s often hiding around there. You can also find it online.
Q5: What kind of bread are you using that’s vegan?
A: Hey Kim, My current fave bread is by Thornbury Bakery in Ontario (Original Chia kind). It’s vegan, gluten-free, and absolutely amazing as a base for avocado toast! I store a loaf in the freezer so I always have some on hand.
Q6: Samantha writes, I’m slowly transitioning to a plant-based diet, but the one thing I can’t seem to let go of is my Greek yogurt. I’m wondering what your favourite vegan yogurt is?
A: Hey Samantha, Great question! To be honest, I don’t buy store-bought vegan yogurt very often. I do think the So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk variety is decent though, and they have a new Greek style yogurt which I haven’t had a chance to try out yet! When I really have a yogurt craving, I love to whip up a batch of my Super Thick Coconut Yogurt. It’s such a luxurious treat and satisfies my craving every time! You can’t beat that it’s just a few ingredients either.
Comments of the week:
Nonny writes, Super app & cookbook—btw, I’m literally "cooking this cookbook"! Ever see the movie "Julie & Julia"? Well, the idea of cooking a cookbook sounded fun—but, "what cookbook"? For me, the OSG’s cookbook is the one! I’ve made about 50 recipes now w/@ a 95% "love it" rating! The app has been a distraction —haha —more great recipes orchestrated beautifully & couldn’t be more user friendly! Thanks Angela :)
I’m so flattered, Nonny! What an awesome project. It’s wonderful to hear you’ve been enjoying all the recipes, and now the app. Thanks for letting me know. Your comment really made my day!
Lindsay writes, This Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup was fantastic. My toddler was NOT happy when I set her bowl in front of her, she hasn’t been a fan of soup for a while now. I made jasmine rice to go with it, so once it was all mixed together she tried it and said ‘mom why didn’t you tell me this was going to be good?’ She not only finished her first bowl but had seconds. Great recipe!
Hi Lindsay, that is too cute! You never quite know what a toddler will do, right? I’m so glad this soup helped change her mind. Adriana is a big fan of it too (well, the amount she does get into her mouth, that is). I love your idea of mixing jasmine rice into it; I’ll have to try that soon. I’ve been all about rice lately!
Have a lovely weekend, everyone! See you next week. Until then, you can catch me on Snapchat (my username is Angelaliddon). Also, a quick heads up that our next newsletter will go out on Tuesday!
Re Q6: I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I hear excellent things about Daiya Foods’ Greek yogurt varieties, which are all dairy, egg, soy and gluten free. Daiya products are available at Real Canadian Superstore and Independent (likely others as well, their website will locate grocers that carry their products in your area).
Great information – thanks so much for sharing, Allie! :)
The Kite Hill almond-based yogurt is really fantastic! I find the texture of the coconut milk based yogurt a little bit off and you can still taste the coconut. The Kite Hill yogurt is the best I’ve found (I’ve been meaning to make the OSG spa day bircher museli with it). I think Kite Hill has an exclusive deal with Whole Foods, but I swear it’s worth the trip!
I can verify that Daiya’s Greek Yogurt is delicious – I’m having some as a midafternoon snack right now! I’ve only had the cherry and blueberry so far – I like the cherry a bit better. I found it at my local co-op, but I think they have it at Whole Foods as well.
I love the shoutout to So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt – that is my fave too!! It has just the right amount of zing to it and the texture is so nice and creamy. Initially I was a little hesitant because I thought the coconut flavour would be super strong, but I was really pleased with it in the end and went back to Whole Foods for a few more tubs! Hope you’ve had a great week Ange! :)
I can’t wait to try that soup now! I downloaded the app last week and absolutely love it. My mom is a huge fan of your cookbook and will be here this weekend (in Alaska from Florida) and I already told her she will have to go through the app and see if she likes any of the recipes. She has a super old school “dumb phone so isn’t able to get the app. I can’t wait to try some of the new recipes out with her.
I’m so happy to hear you’re loving the app, Erica!! I hope you have a great (and delicious!) visit with your mom this weekend.
I have made the banana bread muffin tops with quinoa flakes – had to increase to 2.5 cups, the turned out fine.
Thanks so much for the info, Victoria! :)
It’s the least I can do for all the amazing recipes you’ve made over the years. Life changing!
I am going to try the quinoa flakes since you suggested it. My wife has subbed out rice for quinoa just for dinner and I’m surprised that I haven’t found myself complaining! She is pleasantly surprised too by the way.
I second the rave re. your spiced red lentil soup…it never fails to hit the spot! Wishing you a terrific weekend, Ange!
Thanks, Karen! :)
For those of you in the US, you have to try Kite Hill Almond yogurt at Whole Foods. I’m not sure if it extends to Canada yet. It is hands down THE best vegan yogurt I have had. I get plain, but they also have peach, strawberry, and blueberry. I will also make chia pudding on occasion when I’m craving yogurt.
On another note, I’ve really been enjoying the Friday FAQ posts Angela! It has been so nice to hear from you on the blog. While lately I’ve been feeling quite sad about not being able to enjoy your beautiful app (I have an Android), I was elated when I saw you posted the no-bake fudge cookies to your blog and I made them immediately! DELICIOUS. Now I must figure out a way to make my own iced matcha latte because that sounds to die for! Congratulations on all of your success and your pregnancy. What a wonderful life you and Eric have together! :D I am counting the down the days until your cookbook arrives.
Warm wishes,
Jessica
Thanks for the yogurt suggestion, Jessica! And I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the FAQ posts and the new cookie recipe. Your comment definitely brought a smile to my face!
In regards to the yogurt question I also am head over heels for Kite Hill almond yogurt. I have had the so delicious brand and do enjoy it but it has a bit of a jello like texture and isn’t quite the yogurt smooth and creamy consistency. Kite Hill however is pretty much spot on with texture and tastes amazing! I like to put it in the freezer for about 40 minutes before I eat it because once I take it out and mix it up, its a perfect little frozen yogurt treat!
Thanks so much for sharing, Alexis! :)
Hi Angela, In regards to Q4, I buy my nutritional yeast from Vitacost.com and Vitacost.com/Canada. They have so many great things (vitamins, supplements, special diet foods, nut butters, spices, etc.) They even carry the psyllium husks needed to make Heather’s Super Seed Power Bread on your website. Their prices are reasonable and shipping is fast and inexpensive as well. I live in a small town and the closest health food store is an hour away so I use Vitacost a lot.
I had no idea you could make your own vegan yogurt! Can’t wait to try it.
Have you ever tried putting goji berries in your coconut oil chocolate? It’s my favorite way to eat it!
I also wanted to ask you if you’ve ever had trouble with candida on a vegan diet? My body just doesn’t seem to be able to handle all the starch involved, so I was curious about your take on it. Thank you!
For the banana bread muffin tops (which are btw one of the most genius breakfast/snack/travel-friendly foods of all time), I’ve never gone TOTALLY oat-free, but I have started making them and then discovered I had a serious oat shortage. I believe I used a combo of raw buckwheat groats, chopped peanuts and almonds, sunflower seeds, medium-shred coconut, and spelt flour. They were not completely the same by any means, but they retained the same structure/texture and were very yummy! Seriously though, I’ve made them so many times, I no longer even glance at the recipe :-)
Hi!
This newsletter hits a lot of points for me…
I have to do without a lot of treats due to food elimination testing right now, and I miss dessert! The snapchat chocolate recipe is perfect and I am definitely going to make it :)
I have been missing yogurt, too, and can’t have storebought versions because of the additives … Your homemade coconut yogurt fits the bill happily…do you know if it works to blend the berries right into the yogurt instead of layering? Seeds are off my list for a while, so I can’t use the chia jam just now.
Lastly, thank you for your recommendation of the Do Matcha, I splurged and bought it last weekend and have been making the green tea latte from the app each morning. It has made quitting coffee a breeze!
Hi Angela,
I’ve only disco ered your website a few monts ago, but since then I bought your cookbook, your app, and tried every single recipes that I could. I must say that finding you is life changing. It also encouraged me to go from vegetarian to vegan, by seeing all those amazingly tasty and simple recipes. Even my mother, who hates to cook and is a BIG milk lover, have downloaded your app and tries some of your recipes. Also, all you have shared on your blog, tips and knoledge, helps me to help my dad who has high cholesterol.
Thank you for putting so much effort in making those recipes a succes. I’m happy to have a talended cook from Ontario (like me). {btw: I bought those Mary crackers after I saw you eating some and now I’m ADDICTED! Hummus is my favorite food ever!}
Hi Anne-Sophie, It means a lot to know that my blog and recipes have played such a positive role in your life! And all the better that your mom and dad are reaping the benefits, too. Thanks for your support and happy cooking!
Hi Angela!
First, I speak french so it is possible that i make mistakes in my writing (maybe a lot of mistakes!). I will do my best. I found out about your book and your blog 2 years ago and since, I’ve never find another blog/book that I love so much (and there are soooo many good cookbook/blogs!!) You’re such an inspiration for me. I’m not happy in my career and my only dream would be to do exactly what you do for a living. I just don’t know where to start. I love cooking plant based recipes but I don’t know nothing about building one or come up with new ideas and turn them into dishes. I don’t know the basics to make sauces or healthy meals. I read that you thought yourself all of it. My question for you is how did you do it? There’s no courses in vegan cooking in my area and I really don’t know where to start. It would mean the world to me if you respond to my question because I really need help to start :(
Thank you very much for reading my comment. I hope I did not make too much mistakes :) Continue your EXCELLENT work!! Have a good day!
I substitute slivered almonds for oatmeal in cookies, snack bars, etc. It works well and tastes great. I’ve also used cashew milk when out of coconut oil for the wet ingredient and preferred it over the coconut oil since it didn’t leave my bars oily. Held together just fine.
I subbed oats for almond meal and brown rice flour (what I had in the cupboard) in the crispy quinoa cakes and they worked out great. I think you just need to try different things and see how they go. I find it annoying that gf includes oats in the USA whereas in Australia oats are considered wheat free, not your fault just an observation, I used to eat them but feel much better cutting them out.
Also I love your blog and book and have cooked sooo much from it this weekend! So many great tasty ideas :)
Hi Angela, Just wanted to say that I really love this FAQ series – thanks for doing it!
I’m so glad you’re loving it Maisie! I’m really enjoying it too. :)
I was literally *just* trying to decide between the 14 cup and 9 cup processor.. 14 cup it is. :) THANK YOU, WOMAN!
I’m sure I misseed the mention somewhere obvious….what is the recipe/name of the avocado goodness in the picture??
Hey Marisa, it’s a new recipe I’m working on! :)
In response to Q4, I buy my nutritional yeast at Bulk Barn. I find it in the herbs and spices section at my location.