Dessert and a New School Year

So here I am back in school in DC. I spent much of the summer being a lazy cook. But with my graduate studies off and moving along I decided it was time to cook more too. And not only that -- I'm transitioning to a more vegan diet. So far the biggest challenge yet!

Garlic Free Products Used/Explored lately:
Trader Joe's Organic Mayonnaise
Daiya Vegan Cheese Product (yes it is entirely garlic free)!!!
Trader Joe's Vegan Soy Mozzarella Cheese

Here are my latest menu/recipe finds (still more vegetarian than vegan, but there are more vegan opportunities now for my fellow readers).

1. Tempeh "Chicken" Salad I found this recipe on Food.com after buying some tempeh and thinking what in the world am I going to cook with that. I used yellow pepper, skipped the pickles, and used Trader Joe's Organic Mayo (garlic free)! I also use a garlic free organic mustard -- purchased from a New England grocer.

2. Dessert Experiment. So over Thanksgiving last year I had this fantastic South American dish using Guava Nectar and Sweetened Condensed Milk. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to make it and the closest recipe I could find online included gelatin. So instead I made a frozen dessert. The recipe I found online called for 2 cups of whipped cream. Being the lazy person I am I instead went for a large 16+ ounce container of Whipped Topping, not the same as fresh whipped cream -- but easier (I don't have an electric beater) and lower in milk content. I simply added in almost the entire container of Guava Nectar and the South American sweetened condensed milk. Mixed and froze! It tastes super yummy and is super bad for you, but hey put a few berries alongside it and you'll feel instantly better about yourself.

3. Local Eatery/Chain. I went to Le Pain Quotidien today and it was lovely -- The Asian Organic Tofu salad is vegan and garlic free!