This just may be responsible for a puddle of drool on keyboards across the Globe.
Including my own.
Meet Trader Joe’s Sunflower Seed Butter and a Gala Apple!
In unison, they make something I’d like to call Crunchy Buttaaaah.
I will not rest until the smooth, buttery, sweetness meets my lips once again.
Until then, I present to you another Afternoon Powersnack recipe!
This recipe is a wake-up call for when your forehead feels like it is going to meet the keyboard at the strike of 3pm. DONG!
Start with pumpkin.
Most importantly, add chocolate lava.
Not just any chocolate lava though…high-protein chocolate lava!
And carob lava.
And a hint of sweetness because that is a lot of pumpkin!
Boom.
Meet Chocolate Carob Pumpkin Pudding! It is high-fibre, high-protein, and packed with nutrients!
High Protein Chocolate Carob Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup Vega Chocolate Protein Powder (or other sweet chocolate protein powder)
- 2-3 tbsp carob powder, to taste
- 3/4 cup Almond Milk
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- Drizzle of maple syrup, to garnish
- Unsweetened coconut, to garnish
Directions: Scoop the canned pumpkin into a medium sized bowl. In another medium sized bowl, scoop the Vega protein powder and carob powder and mix. Add 3/4 cup Almond Milk and whisk well until all clumps are gone. Add this mixture to the pumpkin and mix well. Now add the maple syrup, 1 tbsp at a time. Adjust to taste. Add more syrup if necessary. Garnish with coconut.
Makes four, 1/2 cup servings at 140 kcals, 2 grams fat, 8 grams fibre, 7 grams protein.
This healthy pudding is nice because it isn’t super sweet and overwhelming, but I will warn you it is nothing like the pudding I used to eat as a child (you remember those Jell-O packs?). This is healthy pudding made with pumpkin so keep that in mind! You can modify it any way you wish. If it isn’t sweet enough, add more sweetener. If you want less sweetener in it, you can have it without. I added a couple tablespoons of maple syrup and was quite happy with the result. I really like that there are 8 grams of fibre and 7 grams of protein per half cup. It is very filling!
VegNews: The Vegetarian and Vegan Movement in Canada
Several months ago I told you that I was interviewed for a VegNews magazine article. Well, it is finally in print in their Sept + Oct 2010 issue!
The article is on the vegetarian and vegan movement in Canada and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it!
I highly recommend checking out this Food issue if you can get your hands on a copy. It features over 115 veg recipes too.
VegNews also has a wonderful Tree-Free subscription option. Instead of getting a magazine you will be delivered an on-screen digital edition. Cool stuff, right?
I really love this quote from the article, written by Moira Nordholt,
“Canadian vegetarians are in the business of making a compassionate lifestyle hip, accessible, and mainstream…As evidenced everywhere from way up north in Whitehorse, where the city’s second vegan restaurant is set to open this year, to Vancouver, where innovation in vegan foods is taking all of North America by storm, to Montreal, where the raw vegan movement is growing like Wheatgrass, there’s an evolution happening in the Great White North. Suddenly, vegan is en vogue. There’s long been a veg movement in Canada, but it is now driven by a seemingly unstoppable momentum.”
I am on the right below. :)
It will be fun to see how the movement continues to spread across Canada in the future. :)
Is there a vegetarian or vegan movement where you live? Are vegetarian and vegan foods readily accessible?
In DC, there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans (a lot of people are into environment/health/ect. issues) and lots of places that cater to them. I think that’s true of all big cities in the US tho!
In the Twin Cities (MN), the vegetarian/vegan movement has not really hit mainstream. I know vegans and vegetarians, but I know they struggle with finding good restaurants and such. I’ve looked for vegan/vegetarian restaurants to try, and there just isn’t any that I’ve found. Makes me really want to move to a place that caters more to this lifestyle (even though I am really more of a flexitarian).
I’m living in Houston now, but I’m originally from Moncton, NB. I do eat meat but I also love a lot of vegetarian products that I’ve discovered since living in Texas. When I went home to Moncton back in May, I was shocked at the limited number of options for vegetarians in the local grocery stores as compared to Houston. Hopefully it catches on more around the smaller areas of Canada!
What a great idea for pudding! That looks sooo yummy.
I live near Portland, OR so we are pretty veggie friendly. Although I would have to drive into the city to get to some of them.
oh my goodness – this looks so good!!
Every store near me seems to be out of canned pumpkin because of a pumpkin shortage! I was finally able to find a pumpkin pie mix (and it was organic) at the health food store. It will have to work for now because I am dying to try the VOO with pumpkin :)
We have a huge vegan community here in LA and I’m very proud and happy to be an active part of it.
I became vegetarian nearly 12 years ago and, back then, the only vegetarians/vegans I “knew” were Canadian cookbook authors (Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard) and Canadian bloggers, so I think it’s a little unusual for VegNews to be just now writing an article like this. Better late than never! ;) I do love VegNews very much, so that’s not meant as a criticism, just an observation. I received my copy yesterday and am looking forward to reading your piece!
BTW, if you ever are in need of Trader Joe’s stuff, let me know…I’m there at least once a week!
Go Angela! :-D
Vegan/Vegetarian is definitely becoming hip in NYC. A little bit in the suburb where I live, on a smaller scale. It’s exciting to see, even when I’m guarding my wallet :-p
I am in st. louis, and while I am not a vegan, I do think it is easier than it used to be to find food in sites and at restaurants than are vegan. I have noticed, however, that a lot of the different types of flours and seeds are difficult to find without purchasing over the internet.
Congratulations on the article Angela! This might be weird, but I do think you are responsible for a lot of people trying out new vegan recipes and such. I know I often try things because of you.
I really think the vegetarian and vegan movement is making it’s way worldwide. In the US anyway, I think more people are starting to realize the value of their health and it’s correlation to what they eat, especially in the recession when so many people are without jobs, and therefore without health care. I’m lucky to live in an area where these items are very accessible. In fact, just last night I went to a restaurant where it just so happened all of the vegan/vegetarian items on the menu were half off! I’m not a vegan or vegetarian (just can’t seem to part with chicken) but what I intended to order just happened to be off that menu so I was stoked!!
Congrats on the article. That is awesome!
I am in Calgary and sadly I have not found too many vegan restaurants. I did a bit of a google search and found one, but if anybody knows of others out there…send them my way! At the moment Kim’s Cucina (i.e., my own kitchen) is where it’s at. :)
Kim
Apples with peanut butter is my absolute favourite snack..especially crunchy peanut butter. Yummmm.
And that pudding!! My gosh I have to get some pumpkin STAT. Everything you are making with it these days is making me drool!
How ’bout them apples! And sunflower butter :) Must pick some of that up at TJ’s when I make the every other month shopping trip due to the 3 hour drive I make to the nearest one. Yummers…but well worth it. Hope you are having a great day!
London UK is good for all things vegetarian/vegan from restaurants to Whole foods and Planet Organic . Most places carry vegetarian options even the sushi bars !
When I went vegan I lived in Indiana and I had never met a vegan in my life, and only a few vegetarians. Now I know five Indiana vegans (all who went vegan since I did) and a couple more people who are trying to get there. So I definitely think it’s getting better! Now I live in LA and I’m just thrilled at all the vegan options. =)
I feel EXTREMELY lucky to live in a GREAT vegan + vegetarian area!! We have the VDBR (Vegan Dinner Bike Ride!!) each First Friday of the month, we have AWESOME vegan restaurants, bakeries, grocery store and food carts!!
and it is all AWESOME!
congrats on the article – I will have to look for this issue :)
Congrats on your article!
I think, the vegetarian/vegan movement has not yet hit Germany – at least not in the south-western part. I live in Stuttgart which is the biggest city in the area and the options are rare. Although I’m neither a vegetarian nor a vegan (just because I’m not good with restictions) I eat and cook a lot of vegetarian/vegan inspired food as I think it’s much more creative and varied.
As long as I don’t get inspiration from vegetarian/vegan restaurants I have to rely on my favorite blogs – like yours :-)
thank you so much for what you do, angela! i’m not entirely vegetarian, but vegetables form the center of every meal i eat. i’m from rural frederick, maryland where fresh veggies are plentiful. not to mention, my mom’s fabulous garden out back that keeps us supplied with tomatoes, basil…you name it! frederick (the 2nd biggest city in maryland) has only 1 veg friendly restaurant – cafe nola. they grow their own produce, amazing! my best friend (and fellow blog partner) and i try to support them as much as possible, but the diehard american meat culture in the area stands in the way of any real inroads into mainstream vegetarianism/veganism.
i’m particularly attached to your blog because of the ontario connection. although im from the states, i came up to the great white north to attend mcgill – and i’ve stuck around! i met a boy that led me to toronto, and now im in grad school at u of t. the parallels in our stories really struck me – i battle with the weight of my academic load and the pressures of staying healthy in a frenzied urban environment, but reading about how you pulled through helps me every day!
are you going to the live-green toronto festival in dundas square?!
That pudding looks absolutely ahmazing. I just wish I had some pumpkin!!
NYC is SUPER vegan friendly!! There are dozens of vegan restaurants…I haven’t tried half of them!! It’s one of my favorite aspects about New York!