Creamy Chickpea and Tahini Casserole

DISCLOSURE: The photo below will NOT do this recipe justice!

OK, so thanks to Facebook I recently discovered that a friend from high school has adopted a cruelty-free diet! LOVES IT! So, I have been stalking her cooking pursuits (well, maybe we both have) and a few months ago she caught my eye with the words "Chickpea" and "Tahini" in a caption on one of her photos. I have since made this dish THRICE times and have changed it up each time to make it even more delicious than the last. The original recipe is here and my friend's new, fancy-schmancy blog is here, so check it out!

*** Perfections to the recipe ***

-2 cups instead of 3-4 cups rice (I cook mine in a rice maker)

-double all the spices

-mix in cayenne pepper ( I like it HOT!)

-28 oz can diced tomatoes PLUS a 15 oz can (leftovers keep better w/ the extra moisture)

-Smother the top with Daiya brand cheddar cheese (I almost wish I didn't experiment with this because it definitely upped the calorie factor and now it tastes too amazing to skip!)

-Tastes better at room temp, and the next day, than it does fresh out the oven!

-If you're especially daring, I mixed some sliced jalapeños into my bowl ;)

I promise to take a real picture next time!

Happy 25th Birthday, Roomie!

So, grad school has turned me into a slacker in the cooking department but even more of a slacker in the blogging department!

My not-so-new-now roommate turned a quarter century old in early October and I was set on impressing her with a vegan treat. She is not a believer in veganism but she is a believer in cake! I asked her what her favorite type of cake or cupcake is and she responded, "Seriously, I LOVE any cake!" OK, easy enough. Well, I have a go-to cupcake recipe but I decided to think outside of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and try something new. So I did! I was inspired by the recipe here and made a few minor adjustments. I only had gluten-free flour so I went with that and used So Delicious brand coconut milk instead of soy milk. They were a HUGE hit! The birthday girl was their biggest fan. One point for veganism AND another for GF!

Here they are, pre-frosting! (I made frosting by whipping up Earth Balance, vanilla, and powdered sugar in no particular order):