I'm Vegan Now What?

National Sandwich Month...LETS EAT!!!

2011-08-09T16:06:00.005-05:00

National sandwich month...who knew! I must say, I'm usually up to date on all of the latest food trends, hiccups, and fades, but this one has eluded me. Who doesn't love a good sandwich? Once the bee was put into my bonnet over the whole sandwich hoopla, I sat down in front of HAL [the family computer], and did a little searching. To my surprise I was over joyed to see so many selection of vegan sandwiches to choose from. What I didn't enjoy, was the abundance of meat analogs. "Chicken" tacos, "pastrami" on rye, oh and my favorite so far, "lobster roll". Are you kidding me? At last count, there are 12,000 edible plants available for human consumption. 12,000!! Before you get your girdle in a twist, not all 12,000 are available at your local green grocer, but if you think outside the box, you can really take it to the next level.

A good example of this is fellow blogger Vegan Soul Power; she has a pretty good list of basic vegan sandwiches. I'm not here to promote others but promote the idea of opening up the pantry and opening up your palate.

In my search, I came across this wonderful Indian recipe for flat bread. It's quick simple and is absolutely amazing grilled. 4 simple ingredients that take no more than 15 minutes to put together and less time to cook. Much like an artist needs to prepare there canvas to display their masterpiece, this is a wonderful starting point to take sandwich making to the next level.

Indian Flatbread

2 cups unbleached flour [not self rising]

1/2 cup chapatti flour [*fine ground wholewheat flour available in Indian or ethnic grocery stores]

2 2/3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil [neutral flavored oil]

1 cup warm [not hot] water

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl sift together dry ingredients. Mix in vegetable oil, until completely combined with the flour. Slowly add water, stirring the entire time until the dough begins to come together. [add more water if the dough seems dry] Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic [in other words, if you push on it, it bounces back]. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes or up to 4 hours. When you're ready to use, roll the dough into a log and cut into 8 uniform piece. One by one, roll each piece into a 6 inch round as thin as possible. Brush lightly with oil and set each aside. Using a cast iron or non stick skillet placed over medium high heat, place dough in skillet and cook until the bread puffs. Turn and cool 2 minutes longer until bread develops golden brown dimple. Remove from the pan and place in a clean towel to keep warm. Continue to cool the remaining flat breads and enjoy!

{psst...you can grill this bread was well, but be sure to keep close watch, it cooks very quickly}

You've got your canvas, now what can you do with it? Here are a few ideas.

Quick and easy:

Garden of Good and Evil

3 c Romaine lettuce shredded

3 ripe Roma tomatoes chopped

1 large shredded carrot

1 medium sliced cucumber

1/3 c thinly sliced red onion

2 large avocado sliced

1/2 Vegan mayo + 1 serrano chili finely chopped,

1/4 c finely chopped cilantro leaves

Toss the lettuce tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, onions together and set aside. In a small bowl whisk mayo, serrano chili and cilantro together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss dressing with lettuce and tomato mixture and divide among 4 flat breads, top with sliced avocado and enjoy!

Slow ya roll:

Kofta Balls with Creamy Curry sauce

8 oz tempeh, steamed and shredded [you can also substitute finely chopped mushrooms as well]

1 potato diced, boiled cooled

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 carrot grated

1 small red pepper finely chopped

1 1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic chopped

1/4 cup green onion chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander [powdered]

1 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper [more if you like]

Oil for frying

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to incorporate potatoes, this gives the kofta its binding power along with flour. Adjust flour as needed, add enough to bind the balls. Roll into 1 inch balls and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let kofta drain on wire rack.

Curry Sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 jalapeno pepper minced

1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp cashew cream [vegan cream substitute]

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup unsweetened vegan yogurt [coconut, soy, almond]

1 tsp tumeric

1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

In a medium sized sauce pan, heat vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until the onions become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add ginger and jalapeno pepper, cooking and additional 2 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and cashew cream. Bring to a simmer and add coriander, garam masala and tumeric. Finish with yogurt and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked kofta balls and served immediately with flat bread. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Am I blue....Blueberry that is!

2011-08-05T09:30:00.004-05:00

In the summer, the local farmers markets carry tons of fruits, but nothing puts the glimmer in my eye more than Michigan Blueberries. Sweet, tart and oh so juicy. I have to admit, I buy 30-40lbs at a time and hoard them all winter long. What do I do with 30 lbs of blueberries....I'm so glad you asked.

Blueberries have one thing that other berries [well I guess cherries have them too]don't. Blueberries have natural pectin. What does that mean? Well, it means that they create a natural jam, no gelatin needed! But, alas, if you want to create a real delight for the palate, add a bit of Granny Smith Apple that has been shredded and tada...you've go the equivalent of culinary gold. A sweet spreadable filling, topping or what ever else you can think of to use it for.

As I stated before, I love blueberries. In my house there are two things that must be made with the summer crop of blueberries. Blueberry pie with coconut whipped cream, and blueberry bars. Blueberry bars are a staple for lunches, midnight snacks, and end of a meal treat. these bars are easy and simple to make. For the base of the bar you can use, a sugar cookie dough, pie dough of for those who want to be a bit more creative, a classic graham cracker crust.

Filling

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup shredded green apple, squeezed to remove water

2 ½ cup fresh whole blueberries

½ cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Topping

1 cup flour

½ cup vegan margarine

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegan sugar or beet sugar

¼ cup chopped almonds [optional]

In a medium sized sauce pan, place 1 cup of blueberries in the pan, and mash lightly. Add sugar and water and bring to a simmer. Stirring from time to time, reduce to a jam like consistency. Remove from the head and add shredded apple, remaining blueberries sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine.

For the topping base dough, cut the margarine into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use.

Now its your turn. Press the dough of your choice into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan evenly. Prick lightly with a fork and bake in an 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Just in case...here is my favorite dough.

This pastry is wonderful for pie crust, quiches and fruit bars. It holds up well and has a wonderful texture. Simple, easy, and quick to put together.

2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

¾ cup vegan margarine or ½ cup vegan shortening, and ¼ cup vegan margarine

Ice water as needed

Have all ingredients ice-cold. Sift flour and salt. Blend the shortening or margarine into the flour, add enough water, very slowy, to hold dough together. Chill half an hour or more. Roll ¼ to 1/8 inch thick and line desired pan.

Yield: 2 8” pie pans or one pie

Vegan BBQ?

2011-07-13T18:08:00.006-05:00

Its summertime, and the living is easy...but not for the average vegan. It happens at least once during the summer; your asked to a backyard BBQ, and you end up eating tired lettuce, and pasta salad. Yawn. Do people really think we're all rabbits? Well fret no more my friend, fret no more. I've come up with some great dishes to help ease the hunger pangs in your stomach, and not a meat analog in sight!

You have to realize, that most new vegetarians and vegans grab the fateful crutch of meat analogs. Fake burgers, fake chicken and now, curse the evil day, fake fish. I'm sorry, wasn't the entire reason you became vegetarian of vegan, was to stop eating animals? Why continue to go through the motions by eating a synthetic and sometimes chemically designed product. YUK! Eat the real deal, your mouth will thank you later.

Few things to put on your shopping list, a must have for the summertime vegan.

Jack Fruit-makes a wonderful and flavorful BBQ for sandwiches. Okay, it looks like pulled pork, but its not synthetic.
Tofu-ah our friend the soybean give us so many gifts. This wonderful flavor sponge, if marinated for at least 8 hours, will explode in your mouth with flavor
Mushrooms-big ones small ones, caps, buttons, you name it. The meaty the better, they grill up wonderfully and much like tofu, they are a magnet for flavor.
Pineapple-pineapple you say? While everyone else is noshing away on carne asada, grab a golden ripe pine apple, red, green and orange peppers, some garlic, onions, and Serrano Chiles, and you have got good eats my friend. Throw some Mexican spices and herbs in, and top it with a bit of cilantro and lime tofu cream.
Anything you can put on a stick. Seriously. If you can thread it on a skewer and season it well. Its a beautiful thing.
Exotic vegetables-go out side of your comfort zone and throw things on the grill that makes others go hmmm. Japanese sweet potatoes, Chinese squash, Indian eggplant. How about a little corn fungus...huh?

Don't just stop with the grill, change it up in the salad, sides and apps department. Can you choke down another fruit or vegetable plate? How does roasted red pepper mousse sound, or sunflower seed pate? Maybe a fruit salsa with homemade plantain chips. Cowboy caviar, that's beans my friend, beans, as well as corn and other nibblets.

Labor day is just around the corner...whats going to be on your picnic table?

Where there's Sugar I'll Travel

2011-07-02T16:55:00.006-05:00

I'm often referred to as the Angry Vegan. Yes I know there is already quite a few of us prowling the internet, but, I'm here to put my own spin on things. Although I don't have many followers, for those of you who peek in from time to time, I have had my head buried in books for the past several months in pursuit of a degree in nutrition. Yes, you heard right, nutrition. How, might you ask, can I be seeking out a degree in nutrition, when I post such unhealthy items? Well my friends, I'm hoping to keep the flavor factor, and kick up the nutrition!

That being said, I'm in the process of making a wonderful cookie. My version of a Linzer Torte. This wonderful Viennese confection, is piled high with sugar, eggs, both raw and cooked, tons of butter, heavy cream...the list goes on. I've managed to trim the sugar, create a much healthier filling, loosing some of those pesky saturated animal fats and still keep the flavor.

Dessert is one of the few things in life that we should never deprive ourselves of. Sweets at the end of a meal, signal the body that we are done, and digestion can begin. Far fetched fact, but I'm going with it.

Here is the long and short of the recipe:

Be warned this recipe is not for the faint of heart, but the results are phenomenal and well worth the time and effort. People will ask....."What bakery did you buy these from?"

A few things you will need:

A scale to weight your ingredients
A stand mixer
Good set of cookie cutters
A non stick rolling mat (this can be purchased from Jo Ann Fabrics, Wal-Mart or any good craft store that carries Wilton supplies)

So let’s begin. For the cookies you will need:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

7.5 oz vegan margarine

3 oz vegan sugar or Florida crystals

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Equivalent of 2 eggs (Enter-G egg replacer works the best) be sure to follow the directions and beat for required length of time to insure that the mixture is emulsified

12 oz of unbleached flour

For the filling you can substitute any berry of your choice. Blueberry, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, you decide.

Filling

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup shredded green apple, squeezed to remove water

2 ½ cup fresh whole blueberries

½ cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Topping

1 cup flour

½ cup vegan margarine

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegan sugar or beet sugar

¼ cup chopped almonds

The Dough:

Cream together the margarine, sugar, salt, and extract until the mixture is smooth.

Add egg replacer and beat well. Add flour. With a plastic spatula or scraper, carefully blend into a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 30-45 minutes, until you are ready to roll it out and press it into your cookie sheet.

The topping:

For the topping sift the flour and sugar together, stirring in the almonds. In the same manner as for the base dough, cut the margarine into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use.

The Filling:

With your oven preheated, place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a cookie sheet. If you have one, use one with high straight sides. Roll your dough out, be gentle it can be soft, and press it into the pan. Prick with a fork lightly. For you over achievers out there, you can place a thin layer of almond paste on the bottom layer of the torte, chill for 15 minutes and then place your fruit filling on top. Generously sprinkle your crumb topping over the fruit filling. Bake in the lower half, not the bottom, of your oven to insure that you have a nicely browned and firm crust. Bake 25-35 minutes or until the topping is nicely brown and the edges are firm. Remove from the oven, and while still hot, run a knife along the edges to insure there is no sticking to the sides of the pan.

Here comes the hard part, let them cool completely before slicing, and when you do, run a sharp knife under warm water, to get bakery perfect slices. Dust with powdered sugar [if you like], grab your favorite beverage and enjoy. These bars are made to share, so make a friend or two, they'll wonder what bakery you scooped them up from.

Color Me Ginger

2011-03-16T19:04:00.005-05:00

There is something about the peppery taste of ginger and the deep richness of molasses. When they come together its culinary magic. On my bookshelf I have a wonderful cookbook that was created in the early 1900's as a welcome gift to new immigrants to America. The writers of the cookbook wanted it to be an introduction to American style foods. This way, our visitors from abroad, would be acclimated to a new culture. The book is immense. 550 pages of recipes and how to's. From hosting the perfect dinner party, and making baby food, to canning and preserving your spring, summer and fall harvest.

That being said, you can guarantee that there is nothing in the way of vegan fair in this book. What I've done is go chapter by chapter picking out my favorite recipes and "veganizing them" For this recipe I beg of you to use fresh ginger as well as powdered. For an added touch, top them with chopped candied ginger and vanilla butter cream.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup soymilk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup black strap molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground ginger or 1/2 inch of fresh ginger minced

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1 cup of beet sugar

1/4 cup silken extra firm tofu blended + 1 tbsp oil whisked in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add tofu and oil mixture until blended. Add molasses and mix until combined. Sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture with milk. Mix until just combined. In paper cup lined muffin tin, fill cups 3/4 of the way full and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick when removed is clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove. Ice with vanilla butter cream frosting and top with chopped candied ginger pieces.

Vanilla Butter Cream

1/2 cup vegan shortening

1/2 cup vegan margarine

3 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar sifted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat shortening and margarine together until light and fluffy; add confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Beat 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temperature before using and beat slightly to achieve a spreadable consistency.

If it looks like meat, and its supposed to taste like meat...why am I vegan?

2010-09-11T09:41:00.005-05:00

I had an epiphany the other day when a friend asked me how I liked being vegan. I replied "I love it!" Next she asked, "If you don't eat meat, then how do you get your protein?" I often sigh, take a cleansing breath and begin to go on about the numerous forms in which protein can be obtained in plant and grain forms. Most listeners look puzzled, get a glazed look in their eyes and ask, but do you eat fake meat? For the first time I actually took in those two little words. Fake meat. I never thought about it before, but if my whole reason for being vegan is that I don't believe in the practice of killing animals for meat and eating their by products, why would I want to eat fake meat?

I tried to rationalize this in numerous ways; first I thought about the transitional stage of the former carnivore who has decided to travel to the dark side and become vegetarian. It can be hard to cut things out of your life cold turkey so a tofu dog, a few slices of faux lunch meat here and there can fill a much needed void, but what about the rest of us. Those who have been walking the walk and talking the talk for quite a few years. Whats the rational?

About a year [maybe less] ago, I decided to stop buying commercially made faux meat products. I figured if I was going to eat the stuff it would be in my best interest to make it myself. No funny chemicals or unknown spices. I could adjust it to my liking and manipulate it as needed. What I found is that I didn't like taking hours to make the stuff and when I did, although it was delicious, I realized I could have spent the same amount of time creating something without trying to mimic the very food I was trying to avoid. I mean vegan ribs? Come on. I've even seen web post where they suggest that you use popsicle sticks to mimic the actual bone. Isn't that going just a bit too far?

If you haven't noticed by now, when you wander down the frozen food aisle there are now entire sections devoted to vegetarian cuisine; diet meals, faux breakfast muffins, cakes, cookies, pizzas, I could go on and on. What was a healthy way to live has now been dragged down to the commercial nutritional version of the 7th circle of hell; fake buffalo wings and all.

What went wrong? Are we buying this stuff so we can sit with our non vegan friends and munch on a simulated version of what they're eating so we don't feel like hippie freaks? Or are we doing it because secretly we aren't really vegans at all?

I've been accused of taking up the green banner, putting pet friendly, pro animal liberation stickers on my fuel efficient car so that I can shake my finger at the rib munching, gas guzzling, carnivore masses, telling them how much healthier I am and how they are killing animals needlessly and the earth for future generations. But if I'm eating faux meats, am I any better? The amount of energy it takes to process something, anything be it corn, wheat, take your pick, to recreate something that looks like a chicken nugget can't be much less than what it would take to process a piece of meat. I would be interested to have the facts and figures to see where the two meet.

I know that in the past I have posted recipes for faux versions of our four legged and two legged friends, trying to mimic the elusive flavors of smokey ribs, the ocean like aroma of tuna fish, and even the pull of BBQ pork, but no more, I'm shaking off the shackles of commercial meat substitutes and stepping up to the challenge of taking the world of vegan cuisine by storm. With veggie peeler in hand I ask my fellow vegans...are YOU up to the challenge?

PHOTO: Gerald Martineau - The Washington Post

Vietnamese Mint

2010-09-06T12:16:00.005-05:00

Summer is in its last throws and its time to bring in the final harvest. During the summer we were privy to fresh tomatoes, basil, eggplants, raspberry, blueberries and much more, but one plant in particular was abundant to a fault; our Vietnamese mint. I grabbed my two girls and headed to the yard to pull in as much as we could possibly handle at one time; so I headed into the kitchen washed the leaves, and began to pick the leaves clean.

I have to tell you that the fragrance is intoxicating. Its a blend of cilantro and mint with a slight twist. Absolutely delightful. My mind was reeling at what could possibly be created. I wanted to create recipes that weren't overwrought with tones of steps or even more ingredients. Simply clean and easy to do was my goal.

The depth of flavor we manage to create is astounding The salts should be used more for finishing a dish than actually cooking with it; by doing this you can experience various levels of culinary delight.

You can find Vietnamese Mint in Asian grocery stores, but coriander can be used as a substitute as well as fresh ginger for the galangal called for in the sauce recipe. Grab a box of good kosher salt, your food processor or blender, and let Spice it up!

Vietnamese Mint Sauce

6 large cloves of garlic chopped

3 tbsp of chopped galangal or ginger

1 stalk of fresh lemon grass chopped

3 cups of loosely packed Vietnamese mint

1 Serrano chili

1 tbsp ground chili paste

1 1/2 tsp palm sugar [you can substitute brown sugar]

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup neutral flavored oil

In a food processor of blender, combine the first 8 ingredients and pulse to just bring the together. With the machine running slowly add in the oil. The mixture should be somewhat chunky and the oil and vinegar evenly dispersed.

Vietnamese Mint Salt

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

2 tbsp dried red chili flakes

zest of 1 lime

1 cup packed Vietnamese mint leaves

In a food processor, pulse together all the ingredients. Once combine, spread the mixture on a unlined cookie sheet an

place in a low (100 degrees) oven for 20 minutes to allow the mixture to dry out a bit. Remove from the oven and continue to dry at room temperature for 40 minutes. Store in an air tight container.

Chipotle, lime and cilantro salt

1 cup kosher salt

1 dried chipotle pepper roughly chopped

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

zest of one lime

Following the directions for Vietnamese Mint Salt.

Pucker Up Butter Cup

2010-07-25T11:02:00.007-05:00

A few years ago, I was a vendor at a local farmers market. I was known as the "Pie Lady". Each and every week I would cart an assortment of wonderful seasonal fruit pies to the market and sell out each and every week. The crust was always homemade, the fruits at the peak of freshness, and a bit of happiness in every bite. As the popularity of my pies grew, I began to know my customer base, and I loved each and everyone of them for different reasons. One customer in particular would always buy at least one of every item that I had. His wife wasn't able to come and he knew that if he talked about an item he had seen at the market she would wonder why he didn't bring it home. His name was Stanley Mateja. A wonderfully jolly and friendly fellow, that I would spend a bit of time with each week, swapping stories and recipes.

I can recall when I was pregnant with my 2nd child, he actually asked me when the baby was due. I hadn't told a single soul besides my husband. When I asked how he knew, he said that I had a wonderful glow and I was a bit happier than usual. I simply smiled in delight and told him that he was right.

One of the recipes that Stanley shared with me was a wonderfully quick and easy recipe for refrigerator dill pickles. When I heard of his passing, I decided to make them, and they were just as wonderful as I remembered. I wanted to share that recipes with everyone. I final tribute to a wonderful person who was kind enough to share a family recipes with a new found friend. Make them and share them with someone you love.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

The amount of pickles depends on the size of your jar. Slice pickles into rounds or into spears and place in 1 quart jars. The pickles should be densely packed.

2 3/4 cup water

1 3/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp pickling salt [non iodized salt]

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp coriander seeds

3-5 heads of fresh dill

4-6 cloves chopped garlic

Bring all of the above ingredients to a boil for 3-5 minutes and allow to cool. Pack pickles, garlic and dill in clean canning jars. Cover with cool liquid and place in refrigerator for 4-5 days. Here is where you can become creative and add spicy peppers if you like. These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for 2-5 weeks, but for longer storage you may can them. Be aware that canning the pickles causes them to become less crisp.

These pickles are best when allowed to sit for at 48-72 hours, but for those of you who simply just can wait, 24 hours is long enough as well.

Avocado and Corn Guacamole

2010-07-23T15:38:00.006-05:00

Nutritious, delicious and so good for you. Those are the words I often use to describe the beautiful bumpy fruit called the avocado. Avocados are one of the most nutritionally dense foods that you can eat. They combine monounsaturated fats with vitamins and even calcium. So move over milk there's a new sheriff in town. Enough with the nutritional facts lets get down the good stuff. Cooking and of course eating!

This recipe is quick, easy, and has just a hint of spice. It comes together in a matter of minutes, and its perfect for a quick snack when friends come to call. With corn reaching its seasonal peak, I decided why not. So, I grabbed a few ears from our local farmers market, and simply threw them on the grill. The smokey flavor of roasted corn adds a little something extra and is complimented with a little dash of cumin [Chefs note: If you want to add a little more depth you can toast your cumin in a dry non stick pan. Toasting spices release their natural oils and brings out their flavor]A fresh squeeze of lime juice, tomato and cilantro from our garden brough the whole thing together. So grab a bowl, your favorite potato masher and your sharpest chef knife and lets get to it!

Avocado and Roasted Corn Guacamole

1 avocado

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup white onion diced

1 vine ripened tomato seeded and diced

1 small ear of summer sweet corn

1/4 tsp cumin

2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

1 tsp of chipotle in adobo sauce chopped

1 birds eye chili or jalapeno pepper finely diced

Salt and white pepper to taste

oil to coat the corn

Preheat a grill and lightly oil the grates. Lightly oil the corn and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and roast until the kernels are lightly charred. Remove and let cool. When cool enough to handle using a towel and a sharp chef knife, grasp the corn with the towel and cut the kernels away from the stalk. Place in a bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl lightly smash the avocado. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

[Chefs note: To prevent your guacamole from turning brown save the pit and place it in the center, place a layer of cling wrap directly on the surface and cover tightly again with cling wrap. Keeps the air out and your guac from turning a yucky brown]

Collard Green Tamale Recipe

2010-07-10T09:04:00.006-05:00

Earlier this year I posted a wonderful idea that I had about collard green tamales. While watching Iron Chef America, Chef Bobby Flay created this wonderful dish. So, I headed to my kitchen and put two and two together to get this fabulously simple dish.

Unfortunately, I neglected to post the recipe. [bad move on my part]. So finally...Here it is!

Mean Collard Green

3lbs of collard greens [you may also use, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens or any other green you like]

6 cups vegetable stock or water

1/2 white onion diced

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

1-2 dried whole chili peppers

1/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

1/2 tbsp smoked salt or few shakes of liquid smoke

Kosher sea salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Wash the green well, removing any sand and debris from the leaves. This should be done in several changes of water. Remove any tough ribs and then chop the larger leaves into bite sized pieces. I do this by first rolling the leaves and cutting them into ribbons, then chopping the ribbons into bite sized pieces. In a large stock or soup pot, over medium heat, add the oil. Saute the onions and garlic until lightly golden. Add the chili pepper and cook for one minute, add the greens by the hand full. This will take up to 5 minutes. You need to wilt the greens so that you are able to fit them all into the pot. I know at first glance you are trying to figure out how you are going to get that large mountain of chopped greens into such a small pot, but believe me if you have patience it will work. Once the greens have been wilted you can add the water and the vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the greens until they are tender; 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check from time to time to be sure that all the water has not evaporated. add smoked salt or liquid smoke, kosher sea salt and black pepper to taste. Drain and set aside to cool.

Tamale [masa] Dough

[Use Bobs Red Mill Masa Flour]

2/3 cup non hydrogenated vegetable shortening [earth balance]

4 cups Bob Mills Golden Masa Harina Corn flour

2 tsp Sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

3 cups vegetable broth or water

1/2 cup melted vegetable shortening [earths balance]

2 (8oz) packages of dried corn husks soaked in warm water for 1 hour

In a large mixing bowl [preferably a kitchen aid stand mixer] Beat shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in baking power and salt. Add 1 cup of the masa and beat until combined. Add the remaining masa and water alternating 1 cup of each at a time. The dough should be light, fluffy and creamy. To test the dough, place 1/2 tsp in 1 cup of cold water. If the dough floats it is ready, if it sinks, continue to beat to incorporate more air. [the lighter the dough, the lighter the tamale]

Now you are ready to assemble!!! [this is a time for friends and family to join in on the fun, thew recipe makes quite a few tamales, you can use the help, but they freeze well]

Place a soaked husk in your hand or on a cutting board. Using about 1/3 of a cup of the masa dough, spread it out in the center of the wide end of the husk [1/4 inch to 3/8 of an inch]. The dough should be 1/2 inch from the edges. Place a heaping spoonful of the cooled collard green filling in the center of the dough. Fold the sides of the husk inward to cover the filling and fold the pointed in upward to enclose. If you are an over achiever you can take torn strips of the corn husks to tie the ends off.

Steaming...no you don't need to go to your local Mexican Grocery Store and buy a tamal steamer. You can make your own. You can use a large pasta pot with a steamer insert or if you don't have that, place a plate at the bottom of a large stock pot or pasta pot and cover with water. Place the tamales on the plate, open end facing up, side by side. Get as many as you can to insure that they won't fall over or open up. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and cover loosely with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a hard simmer. Steam 45 minutes to 1 hour. [adding more water if needed] At about 45 minutes remove one tamale and unwrap. Let it cool for about 5-8. The tamale is done, when it pulls easily away from the husk. It should be firm to the touch when slightly cool.

So...whew...you are ready to enjoy. Serve with your favorite Mexican sides and some spicy sauces and dips. I know the time invested in this dish is a bit of a stretch, but its soooo worth is in the end. When its all said and done, you should have between 4 and 5 dozen tamales. Yes that's right DOZEN. So be sure to stock up on environmentally friendly freezer storage options.

Mmm... Vegan Fudge

2010-07-06T13:13:00.005-05:00

Inspired by the website Shmooed Food, I decided to give vegan fudge a try. I can only say that the search for the perfect recipe was difficult to say the least. As someone who has worked in the world of culinary arts, I've have enough experience with cooked sugar, and I wasn't interested in going down that particular path.

So, with Google at my fingertips I began to browse the web for inspiration and see what was out there in the vegan end of the culinary universe. Ah-ha...success. And wouldn't you know it, via Alton Brown of all people. [Foodnetwork.com] Using his recipe as a jump off point I tweaked it just a hair and came up with this fabulous, quick and delicious fudge.

The ingredients are relatively simple and you probably already have them in your pantry. So grab a 8 x 8 baking pan, a wooden spoon, a whisk and a bit of imagination and you can turn this into a dessert that will keep them wanting more. Who knows...you might be able to tempt them into trying other vegan delights. Happy Cooking!!

You Put Chocolate in my Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup Willow Run or Earth Balance [sticks not tub] Vegan Margarine

1 cup creamy peanut butter [not natural...if you use natural you should reduce the amount of margarine to 3/4 of a cup + 1 tbsp]

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lb [yes that's right 1 POUND of vegan powdered sugar]

1 cup vegan chocolate chips [semi sweet]

1/2 cup chopped nuts optional

Before you begin, be sure to sift your sugar, doing so will prevent pockets of sugar in the fudge and ease in mixing. In a small sauce pan, melt margarine. Once melted add peanut butter and vanilla extract and whisk until completely smooth and evenly distributed. In a medium sized mixing bowl, place sugar and pour in peanut butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon or spatula fold the mixture together. It will become the consistency of a soft dough so don't be alarmed. You should not be able to pour this mixture into the pan. Once these ingredients are blended, you can not begin to fold in the chocolate and nuts. As the chocolate melts it will start to streak the fudge...doesn't it look wonderful. Line a 8 x 8 pan with wax paper or you can also lightly oil the pan. Gently press the fudge into the pan. Be sure to try to make it as even as possible. This can be achieve by simply placing a piece of cling film over the top and pressing it lightly to smooth out any air pockets. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool until firm [1-2 hours...if you are in a hurry you can place it in the freezer for 15 minutes and then refrigerate for 1/2 hour]

Cut into 64 one inch pieces and store in a n airtight container for up to a week. But I guarantee they wont last that long.

Jerk Jackfruit

2010-06-16T14:33:00.005-05:00

Summertime is just around the corner; Fourth of July cookouts and summer BBQ's are already on the agenda and that means slim pic kin's for vegans.

While combing the blog highway I came across a very interesting post by Chow Vegan for Jackfruit BBQ. This enormous prickly fruit, is a member of the mulberry family and native to South Asia. It's the national fruit of Bangladesh!

The flesh of the jack fruit when in its young green state is starchy, fibrous and an excellent source of fiber. It has a mild flavor and a distinctive meaty texture, and is often used in curries in Thailand and

Vietnam.

Although it may be a little hard to find in your local big box grocery store, you can purchase it at any Asian or Indian grocery store. The key to using this exotic fruit is to be sure to soak it overnight to remove the salty brine. When you are ready to use it, simply rinse it and you are well on your way to a delicious summertime specialty that will amaze vegans and meat eaters alike!

Jerk Jackfruit

2 cans of young jackfruit in brine [be sure not to buy it packed in syrup, I've made that mistake]

2 cups of your favorite bbq sauce or

1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce and 1 cup of Jerk Sauce

1 white onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

salt and fresh black ground pepper to taste

In a medium sized saute pan, heat the oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until fragrant. [2-3 minutes]. Remove from heat and set aside. Lightly oil a medium sized Pyrex or non reactive baking dish. Place jackfruit pieces in the dish and cover with sauce and cooked vegetables. Toss together until just combined. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. After 1 hour stir and remove the foil. Continue to bake for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce thickens. This dish is best when it is refrigerated overnight. This allows the flavors to develop to their full potential.

Serve with your favorite coleslaw recipe, potato salad or a heaping plate of fries [carrot fries that is].

Wildwood Organic Super Firm Tofu

2010-06-14T11:11:00.018-05:00

I am in LOVE with this product. Unlike other brands of firm and extra firm tofu, this one holds it shape well and has a wonderful flavor. I've never had much luck at crisping up tofu, due in part to their water content. This brand is vacuum packed with very little water, so you don't have to press it. After letting it sit for about 30 minutes, I drained it and pan seared it in a little oil. They came out crispy and crunchy, with a billowy softness inside.My five year old refers to them as tofu fries. With her favorite "dip it", she scarfs these down in no time. For those of us who are a bit older, I've come up with a wonderful take on Waldorf Salad.

Crispy Tofu Salad

1/2 cup walnuts [optional]

1/2 cup celery diced

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 firm apple [pink lady, granny smith, macintosh] diced tossed in a solution of three parts water to one part lemon juice [it prevents the apples from turning brown]

10 oz of Wildwood Organic Super Firm tofu cut into 1/4 inch strips and marinated [recipe to follow]

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 tbsp dijon mustard

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh parsley

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and parsley and set aside. In a medium sized bowl toss apple, walnuts, cranberries celery and cooled and diced tofu. [try to cut all the vegetables, fruit and tofu in uniform pieces] Pour dressing over and using

your hands toss lightly until combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Use it as a sandwich filling or toss it with pasta. In our house we love it in a big scoop over fresh picked garden greens.

[Chef's Tip: You can substitute avocado, for celery and mandarin oranges for apples! Add a bit of cilantro in place of parsley, toss it over chopped romaine salad...and Ta-Da a summer chopped salad!]

Marinade

4 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tbsp ricewine vinegar or white wine vinegar or lemon juice

2 tbsp braggs liquid or tamari

1 tsp braggs nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp fresh minced garlic

pinch of red chili flake

salt and pepper to taste

[Chefs Tip: If its available, add a bit of cilantro. It adds a wonderful herbaceous flavor]

Whisk together until thoroughly combined and pour over tofu strips. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 24 hours.

Drain lightly before browning in a

non stick pan. Be sure to brown all sides of the tofu. Set aside and let cool.

Future Recipe Post

2010-06-13T12:58:00.002-05:00

Here are a few ideas I'm working on for the spring and summer post.

BBQ Tofu Salad
Jerk Jack Fruit Sandwiches with Cole Slaw
Kitties C.A.T. Salad
Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
Chunky Monkey Energy Bar Cookies
Black Forest Brownie Bars
Jerk Sauce
Homemade Hot Sauce!
The Garden of Eden Giardiniera
Oh My Rhubarb Pie
You Put Your Peanut Butter in My Chocolate Pie!
Big Papa's Bistro Burger

Spring Is HERE!!

2010-06-13T12:26:00.002-05:00

Spring is here!!! The farmers markets are open with baskets and bushels of goodies galore. Over the next few months I will try to post a recipe or two using the items we purchase at our local farmers markets. Over the winter months I had a chance to write a few new recipes, which I will share. Now that we have fresh seasonal fruits and veggies to cook with, the creative ideas are really flowing. With camera in hand and my oven and stove at the ready, I can't wait to share some delicious vegan recipes.

Photo courtesy of the traveling scholar

Earth Day!!

2010-03-28T09:27:00.002-05:00

Earth Day is coming up next month. Why not host a fabulous party to celebrate all the bounties that the earth gives us. Nothing says love like cooking for those you love. Over the next few days I will be posting wonderful recipes and party ideas to make you the host with the most. From brunch to the midnight munchies I have ideas that will please every palate.

I'm currently working on a cook book and I would love to hear from you on any ideas. When you browse the culinary shelves at your local book store...and you are shopping local aren't you? What's missing? My idea is to take you around the world in 40 vegan meals. Keeping them healthy, homemade and of course delicious. Let me hear from ya. What's on your plate?

7up Cake

2010-01-09T19:07:00.002-06:00

There is something so interesting about using a can of soda to make a cake. You can any of your favorite carbonated drinks. Diet drinks will yield a slightly different result and the flavor due to the type of sweeteners used in these types of drinks.

½ cup vegan margarine
¼ cup vegan shortening [earth balance]
3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer + 4 tbsp warm water
3 tsp lemon juice or lemon extract
1 cup beet sugar or vegan sugar
1 ½ unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
½ c 7 up or carbonated drink

In a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer or large bowl cream margarine and shortening together until light and fluffy [5-8 minutes]. Add sugar and beat an addition 3 minutes until the sugar is well incorporated. Add the Ener-G egg replacer, lemon extract and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture and 7 up until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into an 8 ½ by 4 ½ in loaf pan, making sure that the batter is even distributed in the pan. Smooth over the top and place the pan in a 350 degree oven for 50-75 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan. Cake should be completely cooled before adding lemon drizzle over the top.

Lemon Drizzle

1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup vegan powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice [more if needed]

In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice, whisk together until a pourable consistency has been reached. Drizzle over cooled cake. Allow icing to set before serving.

Mean Greens

2010-01-09T18:05:00.005-06:00

There is nothing in the world that reminds me of my childhood than a good plate of collard greens. My aunt was the best cook I knew growing up. When I was old enough to look over the kitchen table she began to show me how she created some of those dishes that our family expected to see each and every Sunday. From skillet corn bread, and baked mac and cheese, to her famous collard greens.

She never wrote anything down, sad to say, but most cooks, good cooks rarely do. They pass on their knowledge by word of mouth. It becomes part of the culture. Part of the fabric of the family dynamic. Over the years I have tried and tried again to recreate her greens and this is the recipe that my family feels comes the closest. I don't use a ham bone or salt pork and all the other parts of the pig that she would throw in the pot, but, none the less its still a mean pot of collard greens.

Mean Greens

3 lbs of collard greens [you may also use, kale turnip greens, mustard greens or dandelion greens if you like]

6 cups of water

1/2 white onion diced

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

1-2 dried whole chili peppers

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

1/2 tbsp smoke salt

kosher sea salt

black pepper

Wash the greens well, removing any sand and debris from the leaves. This should be done in several changes of water. Remove any tough ribs and then chop the larger leaves into bite sized pieces. I do this by first rolling the leaves cutting them in to ribbons and then chopping the ribbons into bite sized pieces. In a large stock or soup pot, over a medium heat, add the oil. Saute the onions and garlic until lightly golden. Add the chili pepper cook for 1 minute and then add the greens by the hand full. This will take up to 5 minutes. You need to wilt the greens so that you are able to fit them all in the pot. I know at first glance you are trying to figure out how you are going to get that large mountain of chopped greens in that pot, but believe me if you have patience it will work. Once the greens have been wilted you can add the water and the vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduced to a simmer. Cooking the greens until they are tender; 45 minutes to an hour. Check from time to time to be sure that all the water has not evaporated.

Add smoked salt, kosher sea salt and black pepper to taste.

[Chef''s Note: if you have any left overs you can use them for your collard green tamale filling.]

Tofu Scramble

2010-01-09T09:24:00.004-06:00

When I attended culinary school I had the pleasure of working in the Heartland Cafe kitchen for a day. During my shift I had the most amazing tofu scramble topped with a tomatillo and salsa rojo sauce. Upon waking this morning, not by choice, but by force[thanks to my 2 lovely children] I decided to make something a bit different. Having a cup or two of masa remaining from our collard green tamales, I thought, why not make fresh tortillas. In the fridge were a few leftover seitan chorizo sausages I had made earlier so I grabbed some Mexican inspired ingredients and went to work.

There are many different suggestions for tofu types, seasonings and ways to give your tofu that "eggy" flavor and look. Black salt, which has a sulfur like taste, gives it is "eggy" flavor. Use it sparingly as a little goes a long way. Turmeric gives the tofu its yellow sunny hue. Again a little goes a long way. Use too much and your tofu will seem to glow in the dark, but it wont affect the taste at all.

With the addition of green onions, nutritional yeast and a bit of soy, black pepper and black salt, this dish came together quite quickly. The tortillas were made from scratch, but that is totally not a necessary step unless of course your an over achieve like myself.

Tofu and Chorizo Scramble

1 tbsp grape seed or olive oil

1 green onion chopped

1 lb firm tofu [I prefer ichiban brand packed in water]

1/2 salt regular or black salt

1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast

1 tsp of tamari

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup of chorizo style seitan or use the veganrizo recipe in the blog [I made my own but field roast is a good brand to try]

1 cup salsa rojo [store bought or see the blog]

guacamole

vegan sour cream or cashew sour cream

4 corn tortillas or tostadas

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Crumble the tofu into the pan and begin to stir it around. Add green onion, tamari, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes stirring from time to time. Add the chorizo by crumbling it into the mixture, stirring to combine it with the tofu. Continue to cook and additional 4-6 minutes or until the chorizo is heated through and all the liquid is absorbed. While the tofu is cooking, heat the tortillas or tostadas and place them on 4 serving plates. Divide the tofu mixture among the plates placing it onto of the tortilla or tostadas. Top each portion with salsa rojo, guacamole and sour cream, and serve.

This makes and excellent brunch dish and is wonderful served with black bean and roasted corn salad, Mexican style rice and to drink....fresh jamaica juice

Collard Green Tamales

2010-01-08T16:16:00.006-06:00

After watching the uber battle on Iron Chef America last week, I was inspired by Chef Bobby Flays collard green tamales. I know, I know. Collard green tamales, what in the name of hades are those. Well, I can tell you this, it's one gosh darn good way to use an abundance of left over collard greens.

As my husband and I watched the battle unfold, my eyes lit up when Chef Flay began to make his ever present masa dough. But when he began to fill them with collard greens, the wheels began to turn. BRILLIANT!! A new twist on a classic.

Mexican food is one of my favorites. Being vegan, I have had my share of vegan friendly versions. My current favorite is Upton's Natural Tamales, currently available at Whole Foods in the Chicagoland area. A flavorful chorizo style seitan filling, wrapped around a wonderful masa dough. If you can find 'em, grab a few and give them a taste.

The process of making the tamales is much like any other, so if you have a fave of your own, use it. I [sad to say] buy instant masa to save a step. I do, however, season it with my own array of fresh ground chiles, achiote, cumin, corriander seeds, and salt and cilantro. The filling is a family favorite called "Mean Greens". A little, spicy, a little sweet [thanks to the addition of shredded carrots and caramelized onions] and the tang of apple cider vinegar. When I was a little girl, my aunt would always throw in a little pickle juice. She said it added to the favor of the pot liquor. I'm here to tell you, there is nothing better than grabbing a good piece of corn bread and sopping up that last little bit of juice. In essence that is exactly what Bobby Flay created. A modern twist on a very old southern ritual.

I'm working on a simplified version of my recipe for this wonderful dish, but I have to give full credit for the inspiration to Chef Bobby Flay and Iron Chef America!

Vegan BBQ? Yes please!!

2009-12-30T15:16:00.010-06:00

When it comes to comfort food, people often rank barbecue in the top ten. In my home it ranks in the top 3. My husband, a proud meat eater, is the owner of 2 grills and 3 smokers. That gives you a bit of insight in to the importance of BBQ in his world.

At family affairs he has often smoked, BBQ-ed, and grilled every animal, fish, and fowl known to man. I simply sit back and smile munching away on the "rabbit food" that has been provided for me. No more I say!

It's not that I am a support of the senseless killing of animals, no not at all. But BBQ,its a quest. I've done everything from tempeh and tofu, to fake little ribletts that just don't fit the bill. The hunt for the best online recipe for vegan ribs began. Some suggested grinding seitan. YUK, some suggested liquid smoke. No thank you! One even suggested the blending of tofu, tempeh, AND seitan and forming it around popsicle sticks to give the illusion of bones. Now that's just plain strange. If I wanted to suck meat off a bone, I wouldn't be vegan right? Enough already!

In my great quest I found a recipe that was simple, to the point, and the texture was amazing. Better than the fake stuff you buy at the local health food store or grocer, the inspiratin for this recipe is courtesy of Susan Voisin of blog.fatfreevegan.com. As always, I've put my own twist on this wonderful recipe. If you like a spicy, sassy, and a whole lot of flavor., this is the recipe for you. The seasoning for the ribs doubles as a sauce with just the simple addition of pineapple, tomato sauce and a bit of ketchup [sugar free if you can find it]

Jerk BBQ Marinade

3 tsp ground all spice or 1 tbsp of whole all spice

4-8 scotch bonnet peppers

1/4 medium sized onion chopped

2 large cloves or garlic

2-3 green onions chopped

1 1/2 tsp thyme

2 tsp fresh ginger chopped

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c grape seed oil or vegetable oil

1/4 c brown sugar

3 tbsp tamari

In a blender place all the ingredients in at one time and blend until completely smooth.

NOTE: If you want to increase or decrease the heat of this recipe. Leaving the veins of the peppers and the seeds will increase the heat and removing them will decrease it.

Barbecued Seitan Ribz

[inspired by fatfreevegan.com]

1 1/3 c vital wheat gluten

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 c water

1/2 c jerk rub seasoning [see above recipe]

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tbsp tamari

Preheat the oven to 350 degree and lightly spray an 8 x 8 baking dish [glass or metal will do, but glass works better] with oil. Mix the gluten, nutritional flakes together and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together water, jerk rub, liquid smoke and tamari until combined. Stir the liquid and dry ingredients together well and knead lightly in a bowl for a few minutes. The mixture should be firm and elastic. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll or stretch the dough out to roughly 8 x 8 and place it in the prepared baking dish so it evenly sits in the pan. Using a sharp knife cut the mixture into 1 inch wide pieces. Give the pan a 1/4 turn and cut the strips in half down the middle to form 16 pieces.

Place baking dish in middle of oven for 20-25 minutes. While the "ribz" are cooking you can prepare you sauce. [recipe below]

Removing your ribs from the oven, carefully re-cut each strips to insure that you can pull your ribz apart later. Generously brush them with sauce and return to the oven for 12 minutes or until the sauce is nicely browned. Turning your ribs over, sauce side down, brush them again with remaining sauce and bake 10-12 minutes more. Remove from the oven and enjoy your finger lickin' delicious ribsz!!

Using the remaining jerk marinade. Add the following ingredients.

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup crushed pineapple

Whisk the ketchup, tomato sauce and pineapple into the jerk marinade and bring to a simmer. Stirring often. Reduce to thicken sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Happy Kwanza

2009-12-27T21:20:00.008-06:00

As the joys of Christmas come to a close, the celebration of Kwanzaa begins. This seven day journey of enlightenment and the exploration of the African American heritage is one I look forward too each and every year.

Kwanzaa is the African American cultural celebration that occurs between Christmas and New Years Day. While it is not founded on religion, it does bear a strong spiritual base in the sense that it emphasizes thought and meditation on seven key principles. And with all holidays, food and cooking become a focal point on which the customs and rituals revolve. [courtesy of globalgourmet.com]

The inspiration of the dishes served at Kwanzaa celebrations reflect the diverse and well blended cultures of African American heritage. Caribbean, African, and Southern influences. The food is a reflection of the soul of the African American People.

Kwanzaa feast can be entirely or partly vegetarian and still draw upon African traditions The curry spices draw upon the Caribbean cuisine which was influenced by the African slave trade. This simple dish can be spicy hot or not, most of the spices can be found in your pantry. The coconut milk creates a wonderful beautiful coating for the green beans which may be served either hot or as a chilled salad.

½ teaspoon nigella seeds or black mustard seeds [optional]

2 teaspoons vegetable oil or coconut oil

2 small red onions minced

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

1 pound green beans trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces [3 ¾ cups]

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¾ cup coconut milk

If using nigella or mustard seeds, warm the oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat and sauté the seeds until they begin to pop. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. When the onions begin to soften stir in the cumin, coriander, salt, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar, and cayenne or red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 2 minutes.

Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, cover, bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes.

May be served hot or chilled.

Serves 4-6 people

Vegan sweet potato biscuits

2009-12-26T12:14:00.006-06:00

Its amazing how someone can inspire you. I was cleaning out our pantry this morning, and came across two lonesome sweet potatoes. There they sat among the Peruvian blues, yellow bliss and fingerlings. I thought to myself, a pie sounds good, maybe even a cake. Planting myself in front of our trusty laptop, I began to troll the internet for vegan recipes using sweet potatoes. The usual suspects popped up. Cakes, pies, etc, and then I found sweet potato biscuits on the garden of eating blog page. I read it over and decided to tweak, twist and turn as I usually do. I have to put my culinary education to use somehow.

Roasting my two lovelies in a 350 degree oven for an hour they came out soft and tender. Leaving them wrapped in their aluminum foil jackets I let them steam just a bit to loosen the jackets. Ta-da, beautifully mashed sweet potatoes without the mashing and gnashing of teeth as well as excess water. The rest of the ingredients were simple. Flour, soy milk, baking power, etc. Rolling on the other hand proved to be a bit of a challenge this is an extremely soft dough but once you begin to work in the additional flour they come together nicely.

On a lightly floured board I rolled them out 1/2 inch thick and cut them out using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Placing them on a silicon mat (I cannot stress how useful this kitchen purchase is. If you do not have one, run don't walk, and buy one today!) spaced out a mere 1/4 inch apart. From here there are two ways you can go. To make them savory leave them be. If you want to increase the wow factor, brush the tops with melted vegan margarine and sprinkle raw cane sugar also known as turbinado sugar on top for a sweet crunch. These biscuits are light, moist with just a hint of that sweet potato flavor. Quick to come together and an added twist to any meal. Grab a few sweet potatoes and get baking!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Yields 20-24 biscuits

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees to roast potatoes

Baking temperature 450 degrees 15 minutes

2 medium sized sweet potatoes or 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes

1 1/3 c Soy milk unsweetened

1/2 c vegan margarine [earth balance works well]

2 1/2 c flour

8 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp vegan sugar [Florida Crystals]

1 tsp salt

If using fresh sweet potatoes wrap in aluminum foil and roast in a 350 degree oven until tender. Set aside and let cool. Remove skin and place sweet potato flesh in a bowl an set aside until needed. In a small sauce pan combine milk and butter. Over a low heat, stirring frequently, melt margarine. Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Combing sweet potatoes and milk mixture whisk until well combined. Pour sweet potato and milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until combined into a soft dough. Turn out onto a well flour board and knead 8-10 times until firm enough to roll out. Lightly flouring the surface and a rolling pin. Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter cut into rounds. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in center of oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly gol

den brown and done.

Additional Options: Brush tops of biscuits before baking with melted vegan margarine and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. You can even turn this into a wonderful brunch addition with 1/3 c of dried or fresh cranberries.

Jackfruit. What is it and how do you use it?

2009-12-20T08:43:00.008-06:00

I've come across this particular fruit...vegetable...I'm not sure, to tell you the truth, exactly what it is. I have to say that it has peeked my interest just a bit. While shopping in several Asian grocery stores I have seen this item and often wondered what it was. While native shoppers grab them up. Thump, sniff and squeeze them for freshness I assume, I do feel a bit left out of the loop. I love trying new an interesting produce and this one is truly interesting.

Although, I'm always one to choose the freshest item possible, with this item, as I have read, canned is just a bit simpler when trying it for the first time. Packed in water or brine was also mentioned. The water packed left less of a salty flavor and the brine, if not rinsed completely could ruin a potentially good dish. The brine version being the unripened jack fruit and the syrup packed are ripe and are served more a dessert. Hmmm....noted for future reference of course.

So I've searched the numerous vegan blogs for different ideas, and saw this awesome recipe for BBQ jack fruit. Que WHO? Of this, Described, and looking might I add, like pulled pork. This seems to be a two day journey and a long cooking process. But if I can make seitan from scratch, I'm feeling confident that I will be able to cook this as well. I wouldn't want 15 years of cooking and a culinary degree to go to waste. So my journey begins. With picture in hand, description in tow, I'm off to find the wonderful jack fruit and see what happens.

Wish me luck, and stay tuned.

Vegan Sugar Cookies Made Easy

2009-12-12T10:04:00.006-06:00

Christmas is just around the corner. In my home that means lots and lots of baking. From cookies exchanges to Holiday parties, you can always bet someone will ask, "what can you bring?" I've found that cookies are the easiest way to go. Who doesn't like to grab a cookie or two during the holidays.

This recipe has never failed me. The cookies don't spread. They can be made days in advance and frozen. And most importantly, using vegan fondant makes decorating a breeze. Be warned this recipe is not for the faint of heart, but the results are phenomenal and well worth the time and effort. People will ask....."What bakery did you buy these from?"

A few things you will need:

A scale to weight your ingredients
A stand mixer
Good set of cookie cutters
A non stick rolling mat (this can be purchased from Jo Ann Fabrics, Walmart or any good craft store that carries Wilton supplies)
Good attitude and a lot of upper body strength (you'll get a good workout for free)

So lets begin. For the cookies you will need:

7.5 oz vegan margarine

3 oz vegan sugar or Florida crystals

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

equivalent of 2 egg (Ener-G egg replacer works the best) be sure to follow the directions and beat for required length of time to insure that the mixture is emulsified

12 oz of Unbleached flour

1/4 Corn Syrup

Vegan Fondant (click link for recipe)

Cream together the margarine, sugar, salt, and extract until the mixture is smooth.
Add egg replacer and beat well.
Add flour. With a plastic spatula or scraper, carefully blend into a soft dough.
Wrap in plastic film and flatten out. Chill until firm.
On a lightly floured surface roll out cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut desired shapes. Chill cookies for 5 minutes before baking.
Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden along the edges. Let cool on cookie sheet. Cool completely before covering with fondant.

To cover with fondant. Use the same cookie cutter shape that was used for the cookie. Using a non stick rolling pin roll dough out on a lightly powdered sugar covered surface, Knead fondant until pliable and begin to roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut shapes out for cookies and set aside, Be sure to keep covered so that they don't dry out. Here is the easy part. Dip a pastry brush in a small amount of corn syrup and brush each cookie lightly to cover. Take the fondant shape and press it firmly on the cookie. Let set for 2-3 minutes. Once this is done, using your thumb gently smooth out the edges of the cookie to give a rounded appearance. A iced cookie appearance and ta-da your done! Use additional fondant or other vegan decorations to finish off you cookie.

Vegan Banh Mi

2009-10-19T16:09:00.013-05:00

Today was an adventure in cooking. I was caught off guard by a sale of seitan at Wholefoods and decided to stock up. But I wanted to try something new and different, not just the run of the mill stuff I usually do. So while watching a cooking show on Foodnetwork, I got the idea to try a vegan Banh Mi sandwich using seitan as an alternative to the marinated beef or pork usually found in the sandwiches. The marinade took minutes to put together and cooking was a snap. The flavors were sweet and smokey with just a bit of heat. And the toppings....well I decided to do my version of a quick pickle. Cucumbers, red onion, carrots and radish.

This is a meal that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. The end result is in the toppings that you add. Here are a few suggestions:

Chay (Vegetarian)- Meatless choices can be offered in a combination of the ways:

A. Tofu Chunks – Chunks of tofu are deep fried, then sauteed with a vegetarian, Vietnamese marinade (Soy Sauce, Veggie Oyster or Veggie Mushroom Sauces).

B. Shredded Tofu (Bì Chay) – Like the Bì (Pork skin), this vegetarian version is made with thin slices of dry tofu, then mixed with stir fried sliced jicama, carrots and/or glass vermicelli noodles. This type of filling usually is VERY dry, so ask for some extra soy for added moisture and flavor.

C. Veggie “Ham”- These thinly sliced salmon colored (or cream) pieces of processed bean curd mimic the meat version quite well, but the flavors will dictate the differences. Just try it, you just might like it.

D. Wheat gluten- Gluten pieces are prepared in the same way that tofu usually is.

(courtesy of www.battleofthebanhmi.com)

Vegan Mayo is a wonderful base, I prefer veganaise which is delicious and one of the best around. In a traditional, Banh Mi they use Pate. If you want to add that accent as well, try a tempeh pate. (recipe to come)

Fresh herbs. In the U.S., we usually see fresh cilantro sprigs. However other herbs were popular in different regions of Vietnam.

Pickled Carrots & Daikon – Usually finely shredded or julienned, these sour, vinegered accompaniments provide the salty, sour layer of flavor.

Jalapeño slices or other Chilies. Warning for the lighthearted: Pepper spice potency level will vary heavily. Nibble on a slice from your sandwich first before you bite The jalapeño slice that tasted like a mild cucumber last week, just might pop back and kick you in the ass this time.

Cucumber Slices.

Light Sprinkle of Soy Sauce

That being said, your vehicle of choice is next. What kind of bread should you use? A Vietnamese Baguette is traditional, but any hard crusty loaf will do. It should have a crunch on the outside and a nice soft interior to soak up all the flavor. I've used demi baguettes, bollio's from Mexican grocery stores and even a hoagie bun in a pinch. The choice is yours.

Vietnamese Baguette

Mexican Bolillo

Lets get to the filling. Simple, easy and my favorite, is Seitan and Tofu. Although this is my version of Korean Bulgogi (Korean bbq) I love it as a filling for Banh mi sandwiches. Little sweet, little smokey, with a touch of heat.

Seitan Banh Mi Filling

1 (8oz) package of Seitan sliced or shredded
1/4 c organic brown sugar or succunant
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsbp Rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 c tamari
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 sliced white onion
1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp neutral flavored oil for sauteing

In a medium sized saute pan, heat neutral oil over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, brown sugar, tamari, and vinegar. Saute onions and garlic, and cook until fragrant. Place sliced seitan in and cook until it begins to brown slightly. Pour vinegar mixture over seitan and cook until liquid begins to thicken. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired and season to taste. Set aside until ready to make your sandwiches.

Tofu Banh Mi Filling

1 (14 oz) Package of tofu or pressed tofu cutlet (I love the pressed cutlets and they can be found at most Asian grocery stores. I get mine from H Mart a Korean Grocery in Naperville Illinios)
Cut the tofu into 8 1/2 inch wide pieces
2 tbsp tamari
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp chopped lemon grass (if you can't find lemon grass use 1 tsp lemon zest)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Whisk together the tamari, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger and lemon grass. Let tofu marinade for 30 minutes. In a medium size saute pan heat a small amount of oil and fry tofu until golden brown. 3-5 minutes on each side. Drain tofu on paper toweling until ready to assemble sandwiches.

Even though its not part of the traditional way to top a Banh Mi, I mixed up my own version of the pickled veggies.

Pickled Veggie Slaw
1 C sliced English cucumber or American will do seeded of course
1/4 thinly sliced red onion
1/2 c julienned carrot
1/2 c julienned daikon or radish
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar more if you desire a sweeter taste
1/4 c rice wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp-3 tsp red pepper flake

Toss cucumber, red onion, carrot and daikon, sprinkle with salt and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together sugar, vinegar, sesame oil and pepper flake. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes seasoning to taste.

Let put it all together!

Slice the baguettes open lengthwise, and slather the insides with mayonnaise. Fill each with some of the seitan or tofu filling. In each sandwich, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, cucumber pickle and for added spice sliced jalapeno peppers. Enjoy!!

Chorizo....ole!

2009-10-17T10:15:00.006-05:00

I decided this morning that I had a hankering for Mexican fare. So...why not have a little chorizo and potatoes. Well..not a stitch of my favorite vegan chorizo by Upton's Natural's, so I decided to take a chance (for the 5th time) and make my own. I tell ya what, it came out so well that my carnivore husband even liked it. That is an enormous thing in my house hold.

Trying to perfect this recipe, I looked all over the net. From PPK, Vegan Yum Yum to Vegan Dad. The flavor was there, but the texture just wasn't what I was looking for. What I came up with is truly not for those who are a bit shy of the kitchen. The ingredients come together somewhat easily, but the cooking process needs to be slow and meticulous to get the dry crumbly and caramelized texture associated with pork chorizo.

The seasoning base is liquid and doubles as a salsa rojo for tacos or tamales too!! It's here where the flavor profile can be changed to your personal heat preference. I tend to go for the smokey and mildly spicy flavor of dried pasilla peppers, but you could use anything from ancho's to chipotles if you wish!

The type of tofu, I have noticed, also makes a difference. Extra firm packed in water works the best. You don't necessarily have to drain the tofu, completely, but giving it a bit of a squeeze to get as much water out as possible is a good idea. Also, using a potato masher or your hands to crumble the tofu is a must. Who doesn't like to get their hands dirty and really feel what you're cooking. Oh, I guess I'm alone on that one.

Another key to this amazing recipe is the vital wheat gluten. it provides that crumbly texture and firmness that I just couldn't get with tofu alone. Here mixing by hand is key, as it evenly distributes that vital wheat gluten to insure that you don't get clumps during the cooking process. The moisture from the spice mix as well as the residual liquid from the tofu helps to bring it together smoothly. At this point you can let the mixture stand for up 24 hours before cooking. When you are ready to begin cooking, using a cast iron skillet is ideal. Non stick is out of the question, as it wont allow for a good crust to develop.

Get your pan nice and hot and place 2-3 tablespoons of oil, in the pan, once the oil begins to shimmer a bit, toss in your tofu and wheat gluten mixture and let it sit for just a bit. This allows carmelization (those lovely little brown bits of flavor) to begin. Scrap up the bits as you go. (so using a non stick skillet it out of the question) and continue to cook until the mixture is dry and crumbly. This takes between 18-25 minutes (but mostly unattended, but don't stray to far from the pan). The recipe makes about a 1 1/2 lbs of chorizo style sausage, which can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen and reheated.

A few ideas of how to use your chorizo style sausage, tacos of course. Empanadas (Mexican turnovers), quesadillas, pizza toppings, sandwich fillings or what ever your heart desires. For me its homemade tamales or during the fall season pumpkin and chorizo soup or pumpkin polenta with chorizo. So head out to your favorite Mexican grocer and pick up a pack of peppers, a tub of extra firm tofu and bit of wheat gluten and you'll be saying OLE in no time!

Salsa Rojo (Veganrizo Seasoning)

3 Dried Pasilla Peppers Toasted and Seeded *
1 1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1/2 c chopped white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 lime juiced
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp paprika
1/4 c vegetable oil or neutral flavored oil of your choice
1/4 c water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp light agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano or regular oregan
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste (1-2 tsp)

Veganrizo

12oz extra firm tofu packed in water
1 cup of rojo sauce (see above recipe)
3/4 c vital wheat gluten
1 tsp kosher salt
black pepper to taste

In a medium size bowl, crumble tofu, stir in rojo sauce to coat. Sprinkle 1/4 of a cup of vital wheat gluten at a time mixing with your hands or a wooden spoon. Be sure that the gluten is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Season with salt to taste. At this point the mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.

In a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pan, heat up 3-4 tbsp of oil. When the oil begins to shimmer and smoke just a bit, place the mixture in the pan and spread it out evenly. Do not stir for 3 minutes. This will allow the mixture to begin to brown. After 3 minutes taking a wooden spoon or spatula scrape the bottom of the pan and fold the mixture over on itself. Continue this process for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is dry and crumbly. Once its at the desired consistency you can season with salt to taste. It will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Makes 1 /3/4 lbs of Veganrizo.

(* to toast the dried peppers, place them in a hot dry skillet. Using a spatula press down to make sure the entire pepper is in contact with the skillet. Toast for 30-60 seconds until fragrant and pepper (skillet side down) begins to look a bit shiny. Turn over and toast 30-60 seconds on the other side. Remove from the skillet and let stand until cool enough to handle. Using a paring knife or other sharp knife, you can cut the pepper open removing the seeds and veins to diminish the heat of the chili)

I'm Coo-Coo for Cocoa

2009-09-28T13:16:00.004-05:00

There is nothing more comforting than the taste of chocolate. With that being said, there is nothing more depressing than chocolate. It's a love hate relationship. I love to eat it and I hate to see the results on my thighs, and in my industry, fitness, that's not an option.

While rummaging through my cupboards I decided to whip up a little treat for my P.E.T.A table for world vegetarian day. Nothing gets butts in the seats like food, and who can resist chocolate. This recipe is a knock off from my most beloved recipe book, "The Heritage Cook Book" circa 1945. There are recipes in this book that boggle the imagination. Most of them have to do with the not so nice parts of four 4 legged and two legged animal friends. Any who...lets get to the goodies.

The recipe is fairly straight forward and the ingredients are a bit exotic, but its well worth trying to grab them all. Most importantly don't skimp on the chocolate. Buy a good vegan chocolate. FYI Guittard Real Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips contain no milk or milk by products. The taste great and have a wonderful deep rich chocolate taste. When looking for cocoa powder buy the best you can get. I personally use Valrhona in a pinch Hersheys Dutch Chocolate Cocoa Powder.

For you non dairy milk options, play around, but I used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk and it worked quite well, but vanilla soy or even almond milk would fit the bill. (*never use light versions or low fat versions for this recipe, you need the added fat to turn out a good moist product)

I decided to bake these in little sample cups that I picked up from my local restaurant supply, but any party supply store would have them as well. They are often referred to as nut cups. Mini muffin tins would work just as well, but this just means no messy tins to clean up, just scoop and bake.

Choco-coco-mac Muffins
Yields 30 mini muffins

Pre heat over to 400 degrees

1/4 cup Willow Run Vegan Margarine
1/4 cup vegan sugar
1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp warm water (whisk for 2 minutes)
1 cup so delicious vanilla coconut milk (or non dairy milk of your choice)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or neutral flavored oil)
1/2 cup non dairy chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

In a bowl cream margarine and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in flaxseed mixture until combined and whisk in milk and oil and set aside. In a separate bowl sift together flours, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder. Alternately, in small amounts, add in the flaxseed mixture and the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, and nuts. Batter will be quite thick, but try not to over mix it, as this will create a tough muffin. Place muffin cups on a cookie sheet and fill muffin cups 1/2-3/4 of the way up the sides and top with shredded coconut. Bake on center rack of over for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Let cook on pan. Eat and enjoy!

These are just fun bite size treats and are a wonderful addition to any sweet table or a quick treat to whip up for an afternoon snack.

Brunch is Served

2009-09-20T16:05:00.004-05:00

When is comes to brunch, the quintessential breakfast is Eggs Benedict. At least that's what my husband thinks. Being the head cook and bottle washer of the household, I often have to cook two meals. One for the non vegans and one for the vegans. (Its two to two in my house. My oldest daughter is a meat eater and the youngest is not). But, this morning, I brought them all over to the dark side. and I have "The Benedict" to thank for it.

Yes this is truly a weekend endeavor, and not for the faint of heart. This breakfast took me a little over an hour to put together, and was well worth the wait. I have to mention that we also made the English Muffins from scratch as well. (that recipe is for another time) Not to heart of the matter.

We have the English Muffin as our base, and we topped it with sauteed organic spinach that was simply kissed with a hint of garlic and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Our next step. Tempeh breakfast sausage. (recipe to follow) a little caramelized red onion and then our Hollandaise Sauce.

It was a symphony for the taste buds and not nearly as heavy as the Hollandaise I use to make as a chef. I added a little something extra to this one, but you can use the base and tweak it to your liking.

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

2 tbsp Vegan Margarine
3/4 cup Unsweetened and Unflavored Soy Milk (not light)
1 tbsp corn starch (do not substitute) + 1/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch of tumeric (just for color)
1 tsp salt
white pepper to taste
(optional additions)
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt margarine, if using add minced garlic as well and cook until margarine is melted and garlic is fragrant. Whisk in 3/4 c soy milk, tumeric, lemon zest until blended. In a seperate bowl whisk corn starch and water and lemon juice. Over a medium heat whisk soy mixture and corn starch mixture continue to do so until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste and keep warm. (if using add sun dried tomatoes). If mixture becomes too cool, gently reheat being careful not to bring to a simmer or a full boil.

I give you....the VEGAN donut!!

2009-09-11T07:35:00.011-05:00

The motivation behind my adventure into the world of donuts, was simple. In my house Friday, is donut day. My oldest daughter, who is non-vegan, loves to go to the numerous donut shops her foodie dad has discovered through friends and online recommendations. Most donut shops don't offer a vegan option in the way of sweet treats. You're usually left to eat a bagel or an English muffin. At least that's what I've done in the past.

I have discovered some store bought alternatives, which I'm proud to say, are made near my home. Nutrilicious Bakery in Elgin Illinois, has wonderful options in the way of donuts and other baked sweet treats. But their only sold at 2 healthfood stores in my area, none of which are at my back door. So I began to troll the web looking for home grown versions of the mighty donut.

Most recipe options, that I found, were of the baked variety. As a former Culinarian (chef/asst pastry chef), I love to see what other people have come up with in the way of recipes and I began to try them. Some were good, some lacked the mouth feel I was looking for when actually made. So....I decided to take the gamble and make my own.

When working for a small catering company, our pastry chef of German heritage, taught me to make Kuchen. A German coffee cake. In its original form, it has eggs and milk, but those are items easily replaced. As vegans we all have a long list of items we use for egg replacers, but in this case, there was only one that would do the job and do it well. Ground flaxseeds. It gave me the fat, the stabilizing effect of eggs without imparting too much flavor. I have to warn you this is best if done over 2 days.

The recipe, of course, is a yeast dough and is handled more easily when chilled, and tastes better when left to rise in the refrigerator over night. I use this method so I can cook my donuts for breakfast fresh the next morning. So grab a pen and paper and have a go!

Vegan Yeast Donuts

1/4 oz (one package) or dry yeast
1/4 c warm water (not to exceed 105 degrees)
1 3/4 c scalded milk unsweetened soy milk
1/2 c willow run margarine or earth best margarine
3/4 c vegan sugar
1 tsp sea salt (fine grain)
zest of 1/2 lemon
6 c flour set aside 1/4 c for dusting and rolling out donuts
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds/flaxmeal + 3 tbsp warm water (mix for 2 minutes until well combined.)

Dissolve the yeast into the warm water and set aside. In a medium sized sauce pan, bring soy milk to a quick boil and remove and whisk in, margarine, sugar, salt and lemon zest. When milk is warm to the touch but not scalding hot (105 degrees) add flaxmeal mixture. Whisk into yeast and stir in enough flour to knead dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. (If you are doing this in a kitchen aid stand mixer about 2-3 minutes. Be sure not to over knead the dough) Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic. Let rise until doubled in bulk. (for better flavor place in refrigerator over night to rise for 24 hour. For this method remove 30 minutes before to bring to room temp before rolling)

Now your ready to roll. Lightly flour your work surface and throw (I mean it) dough onto surface to release air bubbles and to loosen the dough. Rolling out with long even strokes, be sure to try and keep the height of the dough as even as possible. (my cheat, square 1/4 inch dowel rods).

Using a round 3 1/2 -4 inch cookie cutter and a 1 1/2 inch cutter to form donut holes (or if you are equipment savvy a donut cutter), cut out donuts reserving the scraps for re rolling. If you don't have a small cutter for holes, you have the option of filling your pillows of sugary goodness with jelly!

Place each cut donut on a lightly floured cookie sheet. When all the dough has been used (not re-rolling more than once) cover lightly and let rise until doubled in size.

Lets fry! Using a neutral flavored oil (I use sunflower or peanut oil), use a heavy bottom pot or cast iron skillet. A fry daddy works the best, due to the fact that the temperature can be regulated better and give you an excellent product.) Preheat your oil to 375 degrees. In small batches begin to lower your donuts into the oil. Be sure to turn them half way through the process to have even cooking. Donuts should be golden brown.

Carefully removed your donuts from the oil and drain briefly on a wire rack. 1-2 minutes. Toss in super fine sugar(we used cinnamon sugar) and return to rack to cool. You can fill them with jelly, you can toss them in a delicious Confectioners Sugar Glaze or my favorite chocolate glaze. These donuts are light, fluffy and best served warm. Grab a cup of your favorite A.M. breakfast and enjoy!!

YUM YUM!!!

Tempt me with Tempeh

2009-09-06T12:39:00.005-05:00

When it comes to the protein known as tempeh, it can be a challenged and a blessing. It's versatility allows for so many applications. While on the flip side, if not prepared correctly , the flavor can be down right bitter.

Much like its friend tofu, it can absorb a myriad of flavor profiles with ease. You can steam it, saute it, fry it, slice it and dice it! Is there anything tempeh can't do? Well, it doesn't wear blue tights, red boots, or has a giant yellow "T" painted on it. (Superman.....get it??)

I've found that different types of tempeh (soy, garden, 5 grain etc) have different flavor attributes and lend themselves to certain recipes. While I was Chef De Cuisines for a catering company, *( I was also a carnivore then) we made this amazing croquettes, that were spicy sassy and had a little bit of a twist to them. I decided to try them with tempeh and to my surprise they came out great! Some people might compare them to crab cakes. But alas, I'm not always on board with fak'in it.

The recipe is fairly simple and quick to put together and the dipping sauce is reminiscent of a mango chutney. Daring and different did you say. Adventure think different think bold. I always say, shop local but think global.

Tempeh Croquettes

8 oz tempeh (garden, soy, or 5 grain, even plain will do)
(to steam or not to steam, personally I'm not a steamer, but I am a poacher poach your tempeh in the following mixture)
1 cup of water
2 tbsp tamari
1 clove smashed garlic (no need to chop, but crush it to release its flavor)
1 tsp red pepper flake (I like it with a bit of zing)

Simmer for 10-15 minutes over a medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool completely in the marinade. Remove and slightly pat dry, and set aside

3 tbsp vegan Mayo
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 c finely chopped red/green peppers
1/4 c finely chopped celery
3 tbsp chopped carrots
3 tbsp chopped green onion
3 tbsp chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
zest of one lemon
1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs + 1 cup for dredging
1 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Now, we're ready to mix. In a food processor or with your hands or crumble the tempeh in a bowl. Add mayo, mustard vegetables, herbs, juice, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix until well incorporated, but be careful not to over mix. Now, you can begin to make the croquettes. The easier way to do this is to use an ice cream scoop. This lets you get equal portions with out muss or fuss. I've even got a little trick for shaping your cakes, caterers style.

Once you've portioned your scoops out, roll them to for a ball. Making the okay symbol in one hand use your other hand to gently form a disk. This gives you a perfectly formed croquette or cake if you will. Ta-Da!!

Lets fry! My choice of frying oil is peanut or grapeseed oil. But you can use which ever you like.
In a heavy body skillet put 1/2 inch of oil in the pan and heat up until the oil simply shimmers. Before frying simply lightly dredge each cake in the panko and tap to make sure it adheres. Fry in small batches until golden brown on both sides and drain on wire racks. Keep warm until all cakes are fried.

For the dip...A Peppadew Aioli

1/2 c peppadew peppers Or roasted red peppers will do (if using red peppers add 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper)
1/4 c roasted garlic cloves*(how to roast peppers below)
1/2 c extra firm tofu
1/4 c grape seed oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or small blender combine peppers, garlic and tofu until well combined. While machine is running drizzle in oil (this can also be whisked in by hand). Fold in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste

Scones Anyone?

2009-08-25T15:06:00.004-05:00

I love baking, and nothing says love like a scone! A close cousin of the biscuit with just a bit more sugar. Another ounce to be exact. The toppings may change but the outcome is always the same delicious. I'm giving two variations on this wonderful recipe. The two which are big hits in my house. Chocolate chip, raspberry crumble, and mixed berry.

10 oz bread flour
10 oz pastry flour
1/2 tbsp salt
2 oz vegan cane sugar
1.25 oz baking powder
7 oz vegan margarine
12 oz soy milk
1 oz apple cider vinegar
3 oz dried mixed berries or chocolate chips
or
3 oz fresh berries (raspberry, blueberries, or strawberries)

Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking power. Using your fingers blend flour and margarine together until mixture is crumbly and the size of small green peas. Toss in dried berries, chocolate chips at this point. Blend soy milk and cider vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes until mixture begins to curdle. Combine flour and soy mixture together until combine. Toss out on to flour board. If adding fresh fruit add it at this point and fold into mixture kneading it 2-3 times. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and roll out into a circle with a 1/2 in thickness. You can add an optional crumble (recipe follows) on top. Simply brush the top of the scones with soy milk and sprinkle crumb topping or raw granulated sugar on top. Cut into pie like slices and place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and enjoy.

Crumble Recipe

1 cup flour
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegan cane sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Rub all ingredients together until the margarine is thoroughly blended in and the mixture appears crumbly.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" Let the Good Times Roll

2009-08-25T14:06:00.005-05:00

Southern is a staple in my home. Both of my parents are from the south. My mother grew up in a small town in Tennessee, and my father in the rural part of Mississippi. To say the least, I know southern and soul food cooking.

As a culinary student this was one of the first dishes I learned to make and make well might I add. Back then it was Shrimp Etouffee. Today its vegetable Etoufee. It has all the things I love. Tomatoes, spices, okra, and loads earthy flavor. Top it all off with a bit of fluffy rice (jasmine is my rice of choice) and you are good to go.

I've nixed the use of fish analogs or even trying to fake the funk! It was lush, plush and oh so delicious as my 4 year old says. Simple to make and pretty quite easy to put together, but its truly a dish that ages well.

Living with an Italian man, bread is always on the table and what goes better with a dish with such a rich sauce, corn bread! This vegan version of a southern classes is light fluffy and almost cake like. Again, it whips together in a matter of minutes, and works best if baked in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. If you really want to take it over the edge and calories are not an issue...toss in a couple of fried green tomatoes and you are good to go.

Vegetable Etouffee

2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
3 cloves minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (drained and reserve juice)
1 1/2 cup okra (fresh or frozen)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced zucchinis
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust the heat to your level)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried pepper flake
2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp vegan margarine
1qt vegetable stock + tomato juice reserve
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley

In a medium sauce pan melt margarine and add flour. Stir continuously to make a roux. Continue to cook until the roux is the color of peanut butter. Set aside. In a large dutch oven, put grapeseed oil. Add onions, peppers, celery, garlic and carrots. Cook until onions become translucent add dried seasonings, bay leaf and tomatoes. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes add roux and combine. Pour in vegetable stock and tomatoes juice and stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer and cover. Let cook for 30 minutes. Add zucchinis and cook and addition 5-7 minutes add chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper

Corn Bread

2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup corn meal (yellow or white)
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 cup soy milk (full fat not light or non fat)
1/2 cup neutral flavored oil

Sift flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Whisk soy milk and oil together until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. The mixture will be slightly lumpy but there should be no huge pockets of flour. If using a cast iron skillet place 2 tbsp of neutral flavored oil in a pan. Place skillet in 425 degree oven and heat for 10 minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. You can also bake these in muffin cups or corn muffin tins as well. Add your own flavor with fresh corn, jalapeno peppers or chopped red peppers and vegan cheese.

Fried Green 'Maters

2009-08-13T17:42:00.008-05:00

Summers has its bounties and one thing I look forward to each and every year are tomatoes. This year our garden created a bumper crop, and I decided to take a few off the vine before their time. With that being said, I took that southern specialty of fried green tomatoes and put it together with our vegan "buttermilk" biscuits and a spicy remoulade sauce. Enough said!! They were delicious!! Simple to make and delicious. I can say this is one of those recipes that I love so much, I wish I could sell them.

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 firm green tomatoes sliced
1 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup seltzer water or beer (dark ale works great) be sure the water or beer is ice cold
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
pinch or red pepper flake
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
neutral oil for frying

Whisk rice and water together to form thin batter. Blend corn starch, garlic, red pepper flake salt and pepper together. Toss green tomatoes in corn starch mixture to coat. Heat neutral flavored to 385 degrees. This is one of those moments when a frying thermometer will be a life saver and your goodies wont come out greasy. When you're ready to fry, dip cornstarch covered tomatoes in batter and drop slowly into heated oil. Fry until crisp and golden, turning once during frying to insure even cooking. Drain on wire racks and season lightly with salt.

Vegan "Buttermilk" Biscuits

As a trained pastry chef, sometimes you can ratchet down the portions but when it comes to baking, weighing the ingredients is always best. So grab a bowl, a scale and lets make some biscuits

10 oz bread flour
10 oz pastry flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1 oz vegan cane sugar
1.25 oz baking powder
7 oz vegan margarine
12 oz soy milk
1 oz apple cider vinegar

Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking power. Using your fingers blend flour and margarine together until mixture is crumbly and the size of small green peas. Blend soy milk and cider vinegar and set aside for 30 minutes until mixture begins to curdle. Combine flour and soy mixture together until combine. Toss out on to flour board and fold mixture over on its self 3 times. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and roll out to 1/2 in thickness. Using a 2-3 inch circular cutter, form biscuits and place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and enjoy.

Sometimes Starving is Inspiration Enough

2009-08-13T17:12:00.008-05:00

Having a husband of Italian heritage, can be a curse or a blessing. We have been together for 9 1/2 years, yet it never ceases to amaze me that his family is still under the impression that all I can eat is pasta and peas. That pasta may come in different forms and the vegetables may change, but.....alas, the core components stay the same.

Towards the end of summer each year, his family gathers together for a reunion of sorts. It usually involves loads of food, and to my delight, it often has a theme. This year, we were asked to bring a dish of our choosing. Well, I decided to be daring, I let the farmers market speak to me once again. This time I came up with veggie tacos made with home made tortillas and beautiful micro greens instead of lettuce. We even made our own salsa rojo...and boy was it spicy. That being said, I can honestly say, that if I hadn't made that dish...I would have STARVED!

As far as the eye could see, it was sausage and peppers, ricotta based gnocchi, pasta salad with mayo and bacon and even the fruit salad was taunting me with cream. Speaking of dessert, if I wasn't such an over achiever I would not have had that as well. I manage to squeak out 2 dozen vegan peanut butter cookies as well. Everything I made went over well, and no one even noticed the fact that they were vegan. So how does starvation inspire me? It was those darn gnocchi.

I sat down and thought about it and realized that I could substitute tofu for the ricotta much like I do when I make lasagna. I grabbed my trusty organic tofu, some spinach and other ingredients and had at it. Using the classic recipe from the famed Silver Spoon Italian cook book as a guide, I came up with this fabulous and might I add tasty recipe.

Gnocchi Di Tofu E Spinach (Tofu and Spinach Gnocchi)

2 1/4 Lbs fresh spinach
1 1/2 c Organic Extra Firm Tofu
3 tsp Egg replaced plus 4 tbsp warm water
1/4-1/2 c A.P whole wheat flour
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c minced onion
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Saute spinach just to wilt it in a medium size saute pan, for 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. In the same pan add a small amount of olive or grapeseed oil to saute onions and garlic until translucent. Set aside and let cool. In a food processor place tofu, spinach, onions, garlic, egg replacer and seasonings. Pulse until combined but not a paste. In a separate bowl place tofu mixture and begin to add flour until the tofu mixture comes together and can be rolled into a firm ball. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to a boil, breaking off a small piece of the mixture test the gnocchi to see if they hold together and let cook until they float to the top. If mixture begins to break apart, add more flour as needed and readjust seasonings. Cook in small batches a few at a time and remove with a slotted spoon as they rise to the surface. Place gnocchi on a warm serving dish. Top with your favorite tomato sauce and seasoned bread crumbs. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until bread crumbs are nicely browned.

To Market to Market!!

2009-08-01T19:26:00.005-05:00

The farmers market can be a wonderful thing. It gives me inspiration for new recipes and not so new. You have to admit, even when you do create a wonderful dish of your own, you can bet, somewhere along the way someone has done a variation on the that theme. This is no different.

As a vegan or even a vegetarian, we are overrun with meat alternatives. Some good, some not so good. We call them sausages, burgers etc, etc, etc. But more often than not, they are full of chemicals and additives that mimic what our carnivore cousins crave so much. For me, that's not exactly a selling point.

This recipe is a wonderful use for left over brown rice, and an excellent vehicle for those mushrooms you find at the farmers market in abundance. Try to pick a good quality mushroom. Steer clear of the buttons on this one. You'll enjoy this burger so much more if you do!

Mushroom Burger

2 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp to cook burgers in
1 c cooked mushrooms or 2 c uncooked diced mushrooms
1/4 chopped onions
1 c bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded carrots
1 c cooked brown rice
2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari)
1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water (whisked together and set aside)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp dried Italian herbs
1/4 tsp dried chili flake
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Using 2 tbsp of oil saute mushrooms and onions until golden and water has been released and cooked off. About 3-5 minutes
In a food processor combine mushrooms and brown rice until combined. Be careful not to mix too well or you will create a paste
In a separate bowl mix bread crumbs and dried seasoning together. Combine with mushroom mixture, flaxseed, soy and remaining oil.
Form into 4 burgers patties and chill 30 minutes to let flavors combine
In a saute pan lightly coated with oil, cook burgers over medium low heat until brown on both sides. About 3-5 minutes per side.

New Recipes!!

2009-07-29T14:56:00.004-05:00

I've hidden away in my kitchen. Reading, watching and getting inspiration where ever I can. Working through recipes is harder than you think! But I think I've emerged with a great new bunch of breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack and dessert ideas for the new vegan.

I'll be posting a few in the weeks to come, while I work on a slim but speedy cookbook for the NEW vegan. I'm hoping to get it all done for the Christmas Bazaar season because the summer markets crept up sooner than expected.

Out of all the recipes I worked on I think my peanut butter whoopie pie is one of my favorites. My husband, who is a confessed peanut butter and chocolate addict, is also a hard core meat eater. So getting him to try and even say he can tolerate something that is purely vegan is always a triumph. This cookie won him over from bite one!

It's simple its quick and I'll post it in all its glory in the next few weeks!!

Baja Oyster Mushrooms

2009-04-14T14:09:00.006-05:00

Lent is the time of year when fish on Fridays in my house is law. Well as the lone vegan in the house, and head cook and bottle washer, I have the wonderful duty of coming up with meat alternatives. As you can see, I'm not a big fan of fish. My husband, the carnivore is. So I decided to come up with a compromise for our Friday night meal. His love of fish tacos gave me the inspiration and it just took off from there.

It was trial and error to say the least and we found that bold flavors and good quality beer for the batter do the best.

We wanted our mushrooms to be light and airy, not like the bar food variety that you find at TG Mc Fridays. (so to speak). A cross between a beer batter and a tempura batter. The batter was the easiest part in this journey. It was imparting that bold flavor that threw us for a loop.

Spicy was the word de jour and we wanted it to have a Baja feel. Everything from chipotle to guajillo chiles were used. Even habaneros made the list. But it was the smokey and sultry chipotle that made the grade. Imparting just a bit more flavor, was marinating as well. The mushroom just soaks up the flavors and it leaves it really juicy as well.

Whats fried food with out a sauce or a dip. What better choice for our spicy tidbits, than avocado cream. Avocados, cilantro, green onion, garlic, lime juice, tofu sour cream and a touch of diced green chilies (or roasted poblanos) and it was good to go!

While researching just what goes best with a Baja style fish taco, I found that cabbage slaw was the side of choice. We pushed ours beyond the basic and added fresh diced mango, jicama and english cucumbers. Creamy cool and just a tad bit sweet to off set the heat.

Our victims (I mean taste testers) really enjoyed the flavor of the mushrooms and the slaw together and actually said that they could do without the tortilla. Go figure. The avocado cream was a hit as well, but they really enjoyed the dressing for the slaw (mango, cilantro, lime and silken tofu) as well. That being said the head carnivore of our house was absolutely floored at how delicious and satisfying our Baja Oyster Mushrooms were. I'm pleased to say its been put on the family favs list for good!! I'll be posting the recipe later. So keep a watchful eye for this wonderful vegan alternative to a California Classic.

Mexican indulgence!

2009-03-29T14:05:00.013-05:00

When it comes to the meat analogs I tend to shy away from them. Most have off flavors and a list of ingredients that you need a dictionary to understand. As a vegan I try to eat as close to the source as possible, but, I slip from time to time and I have a few things that I eat that are just simply for the pleasure and the taste. Field Roast Grain Meat Co.'s Mexican Chipotle vegan sausage is one of those pleasures.

I first discovered it in a health food store/cafe in Milwaukee Wisconsin called Beans and Barley. I purchased it on a whim and discovered that quality and meat analogs can be friends. Field Roast uses artisan techniques to create a wide variety of products. I've not tried them all but the few I have, are truly outstanding.

Using the Mexican Chipotle Sausage, I created a quick (and not too healthy lunch), of quesadillas. Using flax seed and whole grain tortillas from Trader Joe's, vegan quesadilla cheese, fresh made guacamole, and my own salsa rojo, made with guajillo peppers, I put together lunch in a flash. The sausage was reminiscent of chorizo but with a far more complex flavor than other vegan chorizo's that I have tried.

Salsa Rojo
Yields 1 1/2 -2 cup

1-2 Dry Guajillo Peppers (stems and seeds removed)
1 large lime or 2-3 small limes juiced
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 green onion chopped (green and white parts)
2 cloves large cloves garlic
1/2 white onion chopped
1/4 cup grapeseed or neutral flavored oil (canola, vegetable)
1 14oz can of organic tomatoes (chopped or whole) with the juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 or water (To thin mixture as needed. All of the water may or may not be used)

In a dry cast iron skillet over high heat place dry peppers. Using a spatula, press peppers down in the skillet to toast for 2 minutes per side or until the peppers become shiny and lighter in color. Remove from heat and set aside. In a blender place all the ingredients, minus the water. Puree until smooth. Adjust thickness with water and season with salt and pepper to taste. This sauce benefits by sitting over night as it allows the flavors to mingle and become more aromatic.