Vegan Samoas/Caramel deLites

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who does not look forward to Girl Scout Cookie-Selling Time. While everyone is raving about how he/she would sacrifice his/her first born child for a Tagalog, I'm sitting there munching on the Lemonades. Don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative that they have some vegan options at all, but those lemon shortbread cookies are a far cry from the others that are smothered in caramel, chocolate, coconut, mint, and peanut butter goodness.

In honor of Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day today, and because I wanted to see if I could tackle these coconutty, caramely, chocolatey creations, I bring to you Vegan Samoas a.k.a Caramel deLites. 

I also wrote a post over at Joonbug.com about these. The recipe is exactly the same, but I've included more pictures here, because like my mama always said, they're not going to buy the cow if they can get the milk for free. That saying's applicable here, right?

Vegan Caramel

I made vegan caramel for the first time in my life and you know what I learned? I'm never going to make caramel again.

It really wasn't all that bad. Throw a bunch of sugary things in a pot, stir forever, then pour onto parchment paper. I just don't have the patience for it.

If you have a more patient constitution than I and are up for the challenge, I would recommend trying the recipe from Manifest Vegan. The caramel came out exactly as it should and tasted great!

Update: do NOT put caramel on parchment paper. I learned the hard way that the paper basically just dissolves into the caramel and, unless you are a big fan of eating paper, it is much better to pour the caramel on a greased metal pan.

Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

My boyfriend, sister and I made a trip up to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania last summer in search of vegan donuts at Vegan Treats bakery. We decided that while we were in the Pennsylvania area, we might as well head over to Philadelphia and see the sites. Before we even got there we lamented over not being able to try a famous Philly Cheesesteak and joked that maybe we'd be able to find a vegan one. Turns out, they do exist! And we happened upon it purely by accident. We were just walking down Walnut Street towards the end of the day and my sister nearly tripped over a folding chalkboard sign that was sitting outside this little cafe/grocery store called Citi Marketplace. Guess what the sign was advertising. Yep, vegan philly cheesesteaks! We promptly went inside and ordered three. They were delicious. We even went back again before we left to grab a couple more. I have no idea what real cheesesteaks taste like, but I do know that the vegan ones were really good. The bread was flaky on the outside and soft in the middle. The "cheese" was perfectly melted. The "steak" was some of the best fake steak I've ever had and I've had my fair share. If you're in the area, Citi Marketplace is definitely worth checking out. Not only for the vegan cheesesteak, but also for the quaint little market vibe and the very friendly employees.

(The photo above was taken of a cheesesteak that my boyfriend brought back after a business trip in Philadelphia (yeah, he's pretty great). This was actually a Veggie Chicken Cheesesteak with soy cheese, Vegenaise, lettuce, tomato, fried onion, salt, pepper, and ketchup. The chicken is good, but if you go, definitely get the regular Veggie Cheesesteak.)

Citi Marketplace
1318 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 545-4085

Dinner Last Night

SBLT (Smart Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwich)

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup recipe via here. My boyfriend, who is a more recent meat-eater than I, said the soup has a beef-like quality to it, so if you're looking for a replacement to beef broth, this base may do just the trick. And while I cannot completely attest to that since I don't really remember the taste of beef, I can attest to the fact that Gabi over at Honest Fare has come up with a winner of a recipe. I can't stop eating this soup.

Artichokes and Lemon Butter

I had never had a steamed artichoke dipped in lemon butter (made with Earth Balance soy butter) before. So when artichokes became a good price at Whole Foods, my boyfriend bought me one, prepared it, and we ate on the balcony on one of the nicest evenings we've had in a while.

It was delicious.