The Greatest Birthday Feast

Yesterday, we celebrated Jon's mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mary!) with a vegan birthday feast of epic proportions- SO delicious! She, and Jon's dad came in our house, where my mom, sister, Jon and I were cooking away and awaiting their arrival. We spent much of our day planning our menu, chopping vegetables and fruits and rockin' out of Pandora around the house.

We wanted to use this birthday opportunity and holiday (President's day) to cook and show off some of our new recipes and skills developed during our first resolution with both of our wonderful families together and celebrating.

The menu we put together was as follows:
Apps.:
Home made cilantro hummus (oil-free!)
Home made kale black bean dip (oil-free!)
Home made pita chips
Entrees:
Forbidden Rice (always.)
Spring salad
Barley tahini Casserole
General Tso Setan
Dessert:
Fruit salad
Chocolate swirl tofu cheezcake:

Yes, it was a feast, and FAR too much food for the 6 of us, but we will reap the leftovers all week long (even better!).

Some recipes posted below, others on the links, some posted asap: cook them, eat them, enjoy them! (especially recommend replicating the cheesecake- INSANELY delicious!!)

Chocolate Swirl Tofu Cheezcake: (From 1,000 Vegan Recipes)
1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 vegan butter (Earth Balance)
3 (8 oz) containers of vegan cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cups plain soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips

-Bring all ingredients to room temp., grease bottom & sides of 9 in spingform pan & preheat over to 350 degrees.
-Place the crumbs in the bottom of the pan, add Earth Balance and mix with a fork to blend. Press crumb mixture into bottom and sides of pan and set aside.
-In food processor, combine: cream cheese, sugar, soy milk, vanilla; blend until smooth
- Add banana & peanut butter; blend until smooth
- Pour filling into prepped crust
- Melt the chocolate and with a circular motion, swirl it into the filling creating a decorative pattern
-Bake for 45 minutes; turn oven off and let cake sit for another 10 minutes in oven
- Remove cake from oven and let it sit at room temp for 1 hour
- Put in refrigerator and let it sit for an additional 4 hours
- Serve and enjoy!

Home made kale black bean dip
3 full leaves of raw kale
2 cups of black beans
6 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1/4 cups of cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup of lemon juice

-In a food processor, combine raw kale, black beans, lemon juice, garlic and onion. Blend until smooth
-Add cilantro, cinnamon, garlic powder. Blend until smooth
(If at any point, food processor is having difficulty blending ingredients, add more lemon juice and break up dip with spatula)
-Taste and enjoy!