Desserts!

I have 3 desserts here that are lower-fat. The pie is a little indulgent, but just have a smaller piece!

First off, parfaits. I used both chocolate and vanilla Mori Nu pudding mixes, layered with frozen thawed raspberries, complete with chocolate shavings. (you can shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler, grater, or microplane). Very simple but somewhat impressive.



Next, Peaches and Cream. I just blended Ciao Bella coconut gelato with frozen peaches in the Vitamix.



And finally, Cherry Cheese Pie! Recipe below




This is just a veganized version of this recipe.

But what's a vegan to do since we don't have sweetened condensed milk? Make your own, of course. Silk recipes to the rescue! (I know the original recipe says 14oz, but 12 worked fine). I sort of Sandra Lee'd it because I used canned cherry pie filling AND a reduced-fat graham cracker crust...give me a break. I made my own sweetened condensed milk, and you will, too. The rest is a breeze. This pie doesn't really set up like the original, so if you want to experiment with a stabilizer like agar or cornstarch, go for it and let me know!

Cherry Cheese Pie Recipe

*1 pre-made pie crust (I used Reduced Fat Keebler). You can very well make a low-fat crust on your own, or just crush up graham crackers, or skip it altogether and serve in cups
*1 8-oz pkg. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (both the hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated have the same fat and calories, but I try to use the non-hydrogenated)
*1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 can cherry pie filling (you can use strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry also)

For Condensed Milk:
*4 1/2 cups soy/other non-dairy milk
*3/4 c sugar
*3/4 tsp vanilla
*large pinch salt


Make the condensed milk:
Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan and put over low heat. Stir very frequently until mixture thickens and equals 1 1/2 cups. (This will take a long time, but DO NOT turn the heat up to high or go far from the stove. Sugar burns quickly and you will have to start over). Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Cool completely.

After condensed milk is cooled, beat Tofutti cream cheese in a bowl until fluffy. Add homemade condensed soy milk. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla and pour into graham crust. Chill 3-4 hours then top with pie filling.

Note: You can make this in a small square pan for easier serving if preferred. Just remove crust from the pan it's in, crush it with your hands, and put in the bottom of an 8"x8" or 9"x9" sprayed pan and proceed as directed.
Slice pie into 8 or 16 servings. Each 1/8th serving has 10.75g fat/356 cal, each 1/16 serving has 5.38g fat/178 cal, if using the same brand crust as I did.

Trash to Treasure Chocolate Trifle, Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches

I call this "Trash to Treasure" because it saved a dessert. If you make it, just call it Chocolate-Strawberry Trifle with Balsamic Reduction because that sounds better (and because that is what it is!)





I hate throwing good food away. Hate hate hate. Well, I made the VCON Low-Fat bundt cake, but..I put it in mini-bundt pans and they stuck and came apart. Grease, grease, grease, flour, flour, flour next time, I guess. Or use a bigger bundt pan. Anyway, the cake was delicious but I can't very well serve crumbled cake to guests and tell them to eat it with their hands. I have also read about strawberry and balsamic vinegar pairing well together. Well, it turns out that is true. The sauces are optional, but I say DO IT because everyone will think you are a fancy-pants.

-1 recipe chocolate cake (whatever cake you want. Traditional trifles have spongy cake)
-1 regular recipe pudding (I did the VWAV pudding, but it came out gelatinous, but that's 100% acceptable for this recipe!). You can also use Mori-Nu or a vegan packet pudding. Be careful- some pudding mixes are vegan but don't set with soy milk)
-1 store-bought container (1 lb) sweetened slices strawberries (found in the frozen section), thawed OR 2 handfuls of strawberries, sliced and sugared and allowed to sit and become juicy (this is called maceration.
-Handful of strawberries, cleaned and sliced thinly (for top)
Sauces:
1/4-1/2 c regular balsamic vinegar (make sure it is not savory-flavored with garlic or anything infused in it)

More strawberries, pureed and sugared (same as above, only put in blender til smooth)

Directions:
Layer cake in the bottom of a clear dish OR in separate clear serving dishes. Press down firmly.
Layer sweet strawberries
Layer pudding

Continue with cake, strawberries, pudding. Finish with cake. Press down firmly. Decorate the top with thin strawberries. Just go in a circle and face them all pointing the same way. Pour 1/3-2/3 juice to soften the cake. Wrap in plastic and chill 1-2 hours or overnight.

Sauce Directions:
Simmer the blended strawberries/juice in a pan until boiling. Add a little lemon juice, and allow to cool.

In a separate pan, heat the balsamic vinegar over medium heat and reduce. All this means is that you are taking some of the liquid out). You want to keep the vinegar moving because it will burn. You want to test to see if it's done. It is ready when it takes a secon to slide off of a metal spoon. It will thicken upon cooling. so don't overcook it!

Plate: pour some of the strawberry sauce, and some of the balsamic reduction in whatever design you wish, and then carefully cut a piece of the trifle and set on top. OR, if in glasses, place a little of each sauce on top.

********
Jackfruit/Seitan BBQ Sandwiches!

Several people on PPK havemade jackfruit so I decided to give it a try. You want to get the Young Jack Fruit in water or brine, NOT the cooked in syrup

Out of the can


On sandwich (salad plate)





To make:

Rinse and drain the jackfruit. Saute in a pan in a little oil, then add 1 bottle of your preferred BBQ sauce, a little water, a dash of vegan Worcestershire and liquid smoke. and simmer on very low for 1-2 hours. I added chopped seitan but that's optional. The jackfruit has a shredded texture, but is a little soft to me, so I added the seitan.

Sweet Potato-Kale...Potstickers!

Sweet Potato and Kale seems to be the theme for several recipes I've seen lately. Well, I love Asian tastes and wanted to do something a little different. This recipe is loose and you can use what you want! I will tell you what I used.







1 med. sweet potato (peeled, chopped and cooked to your preference. I boiled)
about 1/4 head cabbage, cut small
1 small bunch Kale, ribs removed and cut small (please wash!)
2 hand-sized pieces seitan, cut small
1/4 block firm tofu, cut into chunks
Vegan Gyoza/Wonton wrappers
dash garlic powder
dash onion powder
2 good (or 3 sad-looking) green onions, chopped (also called scallions)
soy sauce to taste
sesame oil to taste
salt to taste
2/3-1 c vegetable broth

Saute kale and cabbage in large pan/skillet with a small amount of oil until tender (with soy sauce and a little sesame oil). Pulse in food processor until very small but not mushy. Place in bowl.

Pulse sweet potatoes in food processor. Lumps are okay. Add to cabbage/kale in bowl.

Saute seitan/tofu in skillet until done, 5+ minutes (also with a little soy sauce). Again, pulse in food processor until very small. Add to bowl.

Season mixture with onion and garlic powders, scallions, salt, more sesame oil, and soy sauce to taste. Mix very well. This will be a dense filling.

Fill about 1-1.5 tsp. filling into wrappers and place on a plate. Repeat with desired amount of wontons.

Heat a nonstick pan and add 1-2 tsp. peanut oil. Place dumplings in pan and cook until brownish. Add vegetable broth, cook and cover about 6 minutes, until broth is absorbed.

Plated with a splash each of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Use toothpicks (or your finger) to make a design on the plate. Garnished with thin strips of green onion.

Do not know how to fill a wrapper? Here is a video. Ignore the meaty. Also, don't fill as much. This person makes it a little more difficult than it has to be. (Person I linked to, if you want me to remove this, I will!)

Holiday Appetizer Menu

Hopefully you are having a lovely winter season! This season also means family, friends, and food. Sometimes as vegans, there aren't too many menu ideas (that's quickly changing because of the Internet- thanks, Al Gore!) so here is an Appetizer Menu. Mix and match and even review if you have the time!
These recipes/recipe ideas were ripped from Yahoo Food's page. For the ones that I thought looked decent, I veganized them for you, added or subtracted what I thought would be good, or subbed a different recipe altogether.

Some do heavily rely on prepackaged things, but that's not terrible, especially during a busy season. I have no problem with glorious vegan "dairy" goods anyway, though! I tried to keep away from the Kraft products as well, preferring more vegan-friendly companies. If you are on a budget (like everyone this year), just use what you can- sale items, more of one thing and less of another, canned items, frozen or bulk items, etc. The bottom of this post has some links so if you aren't familiar with the products, you can see what they look like.


MENU:

Bruschetta
Cluck-Free Quesadillas
Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Felafel Spiced Pecans
Hot Artichoke Dip (With Spinach variation)
Top-of-the-Stove Spinach Seitan Ballz
Tofurkey Toasties
Wild Mushroom Crostini
Beefy Seitan-Asparagus Negimaki
Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls
Seitan Satay
Spinach-Tofu Dumplings
White Bean Crostini w/ Spicy Cucumbers

Bruschetta

Cluck-Free Quesadillas

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Felafel Spiced Pecans

Hot Artichoke Dip

Top-of-the-Stove Spinach-Sietan Ballz

Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls

Spinach-Tofu Dumplings


Bruschetta (broo-sketta, not broo-shetta). Comes from the Italian word that means "to roast over coals" (or something similar).

* 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
*Kalamata olives*
* 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread (can also use vegan Cuban bread)
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450

- Prepare the tomatoes first. After cutting an X on each tomato, parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Peel skins, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.

-While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.* It may not be traditional, but chopped Kalamata olives would be a tasty addition at this point

-Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast on top rack only, so you may need to do these in batches. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

-Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Makes 24 small slices.

Cluck-Free Quesadillas

2 bags (8oz each) Morningstar Farms vegan Chik'n strips, defrosted and sauteed. (Sauteeing is very important- it makes them crispy and delicious!)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 ounces (1/2 block) Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack cheese, finely grated
8 (7 inch) flour tortillas
Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
Salsa (your pick)
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges
Green onion, chopped

-Sprinkle chik'n with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
-Cook onion with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
-Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then transfer to a large bowl.
-Add chik'n to onion mixture along with cheese.
-Put 1 tortilla on a cutting board and spread 1/2 cup chik'n mixture over half of tortilla, then fold other half over to form a half-moon, pressing firmly on seam. Assemble 7 more quesadillas in same manner.
-Heat lightly oiled grill pan over high heat until it thins, then reduce heat to moderate and grill quesadillas, 2 at a time, turning over once, until cheese is melted and golden brown grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total per batch*. Transfer with a spatula to cutting board and cut in half.
*May need to cook longer over lower heat for the vegan cheese to melt.
Serve with delicious condiments. Makes 8

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound medium fresh mushrooms, cleaned
Few piece of torn stale bread
1/2 c vegetable broth (add more if necessary)
1/2 cup Gimme Lean "Pork Style" sausage, cooked, crumbled (also may want to add a tiny bit of fennel seed and crushed red pepper)
1/2 cup Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Cheese, grated finely


Preheat broiler.

-Remove stems from mushrooms (use them for stock, or another dish).
-In a large pan, saute mushrooms in a little olive oil, until softened. Remove from pan.
-Add torn bread to the sausage to pan (heat still on) and add just enough broth to hold together. Add cheese. Cheese will melt a bit in the hot broth.
-Press sausage mixture evenly into each cap. Sprinkle evenly with a little more cheese (optional).
-Broil 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Yields 12 servings

Felafel Spiced Pecans
2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons earth Balance margarine, melted
1/4 cup dry falafel mix (can use Fantastic brand or your preferred brand)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, toss the pecans with the melted butter until evenly coated.
In a small bowl, combine the falafel mix with the sugar and cayenne. Pour the spice mix over the pecans and toss to coat. Spread the spiced nuts on a lightly greased baking sheet and toast for about 9 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool.

Yields 8 servings

Hot Artichoke Dip (With Spinach Variation)
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1/2 c Vegan Mayonnaise (Vegenaise/Nasoya/your choice)
1/2 c Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream/Sour Supreme ("Guacamole"-style will work in this as well- trust me)
1/4-1/2 cup vegan grated Parmesan completely optional
1 tablespoon vegan dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton)(taste first and adjust) OR All-Purpose Seasoning Salt and onion powder to taste
1 clove garlic, minced (opt)
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Note: I usually double this recipe because it's gone so fast

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except tomato and onions.
Spoon into 9-inch pie plate or shallow ovenproof dish.
Bake 20 to 25 min. or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with tomatoes and onions. Serve with vegetable dippers, tortilla chips, assorted crackers or assorted cocktail bread slices. If you want to get all fancy-schmancy, serve inside a hollowed-out bread bowl.

Spinach Variarion-For recipe above: completely thaw and squeeze (very hard) all the water out of 1 standard frozen block of spinach. Pick pieces apart and "fluff" back up, adding to artichoke/creamy mixture before baking. Mix well, so you get a little of everything in each bite. Bake as directed.

Top-of-the-Stove Spinach Seitan Ballz
Haha, ballz. Of spinach. You can pretend you are eating healthy or something. This recipes was adapted with a lot of different factors, so please adjust as necessary!

3 1/2 cups cubed stuffing mix (a little less if using denser stuffing or bread) (I use Pepperidge Farm)
1 1/4 cups hot vegetable broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (no, it doesn't contain chicken)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 cup minced cooked seitan
1 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and squeezed and patted dry (chop these a little)
1/4 cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese (omit if necessary and add a little nutritional yeast)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 small or medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp NRG egg replacer powder whisked with 1/4 c water (or use another egg replacer. May be able to omit altogether)
1/3 c bread crumbs (reserve)

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Mix stuffing mix, hot broth, seasoning,and margarine in large bowl until well blended. Note- do the broth a little at a time and allow a few minutes to let the stuffing absorb the liquid.
-Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Shape by rounded Tablespoon. You can use a dessert/ice cream scoop to make this easy).Place in single layer in two 15x10x1-inch baking pans sprayed with cooking spray.
-Bake 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Halve this recipe for smaller groups.

Makes about 45 balls.

Tofurkey Toasties

1 1/2 ounces Tofurkey Deli Slices, finely chopped (I think Hickory Smoked is best)
3 ounces (about 1/4 block) finely shredded Follow Your Heart Cheese
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 baguette, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
2 crisp dill pickles, thinly sliced

-Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
-In a small bowl, stir together the deli slices, cheese, mayo, onion, and mustard.
-Arrange the bread slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place 2 pickle slices on each slice of bread, then spread about 1 tablespoon of the deli slice mixture on top. Bake the toasties for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Makes 5


Wild Mushroom Crostini
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 loaf long Italian or French bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
Extra-virgin olive oil, for bread
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, and chanterelle, cut into 3/8-inch slices


-In a bowl, combine dried porcini and 1 1/2 cups hot water. Let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from soaking liquid. Carefully pour off liquid, leaving sediment in bowl; reserve liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.
-Chop together garlic, parsley, and salt.
-Make crostini by grilling or toasting bread under broiler. Brush lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
-In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon Earth Balance and 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Add porcini, shallots, and thyme, and cook, stirring often, until shallots wilt, about 10 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Add wine, and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost completely reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved porcini liquid, and cook until almost completely reduced again, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
-Rinse skillet, dry, and return to high heat. Starting with the firmest, cook wild mushrooms in two batches using a tablespoon of butter and oil for each batch. Season well with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are nearly tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Keep in a large bowl while second batch cooks.
-Return all the mushrooms to the pan. Add porcini and parsley mixtures. Cook over medium-high heat until garlic gives off an aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, and remove pan from heat.
-Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and serve with crostini, or spoon a bit of the mushroom mixture on each slice of crostini and arrange on a plate.

Yields 15 servings

Beefy Seitan-Asparagus Negimaki

Salt for water
24 thin stalks asparagus
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 bunch scallions, greens only
1 1/2 pounds beef-style seitan (roughly 2 cups- try to get large pieces)
freshly ground black pepper to taste



-Preheat a grill or grill pan until hot, or prepare oven broiler.
-Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cut off asparagus ends to within 3 1/2 inches from tips (reserve bottoms for another use, such as sushi). Place tips in boiling water; cook until bright green but still crunchy, about 1 minute. Drain asparagus; transfer to an ice-water bath to stop cooking. Drain asparagus again in a colander, and set aside.
-Whisk together soy sauce and sugar until dissolved; set aside. Cut scallions into 3 1/2-inch lengths, julienned lengthwise; set aside.
-Slice seitan into thin pieces, less than 1/4 in. Trim into 2-by-5-inch rectangle if possible, or just a flat, wide piece .Repeat with remaining seitan.
-Heat a skillet with a small amount of oil and saute a couple minutes on each side (you will be cooking it more, so go easy- you just want the "raw" taste out)
-Dip a piece of seitan in soy-sauce mixture, and place on a clean surface. Season with pepper. Place 1 piece of scallion and 2 asparagus tips across 1 end of seitan, so vegetables extend over edges; roll. Set aside. Repeat with remaining seitan and vegetables.
-Grill or broil negimaki, brushing with sauce and turning, until slightly charred, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Yields 8 servings

Porky's Pasture No-Pig Rolls
1 can (gasp!) croissant rolls (many national or store brands are vegan- check and hopefully be surprised)
6 *good* vegan hot dogs (regular size)
6 slices Tofutti Cheddar slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
-Cook each hot dog in a saute pan with a little oil. You can add a drop of liquid smoke as well, for flavour. Cool and cut each hot dog into 4 equal pieces (once lengthwise, once crosswise).
-Cut each cheese slice into 4 strips; cut strips in half.
-Separate dough into triangles; cut lengthwise into thirds (do your best, they won't be even). Top each dough piece with 2 pieces of the cut cheese and 1 piece of the hot dog. Roll up. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
-Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
makes 24

Seitan Satay

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Sriracha)
1/4-1/2 c coconut milk (optional)
6 hand-sized pieces of seitan (chicken-style)

-In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except seitan.
-Heat a large pan and saute each piece of seitan in a bit of oil until done, using whatever cooking broth the seitan was cooked in (if applicable). Cool, cube in large pieces and place in the marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
-Preheat a grill to high heat. (or use your oven broiler but keep an eye on it)
-Weave the seitan onto skewers, then grill for 5 minutes per side.

Since this is a vegan recipe, you can use left over marinade as a dipping sauce. (Take that, chicken!)

Spinach-Tofu Dumplings (With Options)

DUMPLINGS
5 ounces baby spinach
5 ounces firm tofu, cut into slabs
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
45 vegan gyoza or wonton wrappers (search the Asian market near you- some are eggless)
Optional add-ins: Shredded sauteed cabbage, finely-shredded carrot, peas,finely-chopped water chestnuts, etc. Be sure to increase the corn starch slightly, and drain excess liquids

SAUCE
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar


DUMPLINGS:
Heat a skillet with a small amount of peanut/vegetable oil. Saute the tofu on each side. When cooled, chop into a small dice.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a colander. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze it dry, then coarsely chop it. Keep the water hot.
-Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl and stir in the tofu, cornstarch, soy sauce and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Add-ins go in at this time.
-Working with 4 wonton wrappers at a time, dampen the edges and mound 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold 1 corner of each up over the filling and seal to make triangles (or one edge and make half-moons if your dumplings are round). Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
-Return the water to a boil. Add the dumplings and simmer over moderate heat, stirring gently, until the edges are al dente, about 3 minutes. Carefully drain in a colander and transfer to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Alternate Cooking Methods:
Deep drying OR
Pot stickers- make dumplings as instructed, but instead of boiling, saute the dumplings in a large pan until golden. Add about 2/3 c vegetable broth and cover, steaming for about 6 minutes.

White Bean Crostini w/ Spicy Cucumbers
1/2 pound navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 large garlic cloves, 1 minced
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 English cucumber, very thinly sliced crosswise (can use wide vegetable peeler)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
40 1/2-inch-thick baguette slices, toasted


-Put the beans in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add the 2 whole garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (you can use canned beans for this as well- be sure to drain and rinse them)
-Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer the beans, garlic and cooking liquid to a food processor and puree. Press the puree through a coarse strainer into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season with table salt and pepper.
-Spread the cucumber slices in a large glass baking dish. In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the vinegar, sugar, kosher salt and crushed red pepper; stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the cucumber and toss. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
-Just before serving, spread each slice of toast with white bean puree and top with cucumber slices. Arrange the crostini on a platter and serve.

Makes 40 servings





BASIC cooking tips, hints, and product info
And I mean basic, baby.

To peel and chop garlic: take the clove and lay flat on cutting board. Take the wide part of your chef knife, lay it on top of garlic, make a fist and hit the flat part of the blade. The peel will come off. Wet your knife before cutting garlic, as it gets sticky.

Q:Why do we cut bread on the diagonal?
A: Because it looks prettier and also adds to surface area so we can put more stuff on it to stuff our little faces with

Q:What can I do with discarded veggies?
A: put them in a container and boil them into a stock

Q:What are all these products you are talking about?
A:Tofutti, makers of vegan cream cheese, sour cream, sliced cheese, ice creams, etc. Follow Your Heart Cheese, Vegenaise, Nasoya", Lipton Onion Soup (I have failed you. It's a Kraft product.), Earth Balance

Birthday Cake for a Friend

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

This birthday cake was so good. I mean REALLY good. Probably the best (if not, one of the best) cakes I have made. My boyfriend doesn't really do sweets (blasphemy) but he had 2 pieces!

It is a lemon cake, filled with raspberry jam and frosted with lemon cream cheese icing. The contrast is lovely.







I must give credit where credit is due- my recipes are the slightest tinkering of Kittee's Vanilla Double Layer Cake and VCTOTW's Cream Cheese Icing.





Cake:

In a large bowl, sift* the following:
3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

In a separate bowl, mix the following:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 cups water
3/4 cups vegetable oil

Also: you will need a jar of good raspberry jam. I used Polaner Seedless Raspberry.

*If you do not have a sifter, use a mesh colander or something else. You want air in and lumps out.

Pour the liquids into the sifted dry ingredients and mix. Don't overmix, though. I mixed enough where I couldn't see lumps, and it came out fine.

Pour into 2 round cake pans (even amount in each). I use a nonstick 9" Wilton round cakepan. I sprayed it with nonstick spray and also cut a parchment round and placed it in the bottom to ensure easy non-sticking.

Cook in a 350 degree oven, roughly 30 min. When you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should be clean. Let rest 10 minutes out of the ofen then carefully place on a cooling rack to cool.


Next, cut in half lengthwise. The easiest way I have found to do this is cut about 2 inches in all around the cake, then take a piece of floss, wrap it around inside the 2' cut and pull it through the cake. Then again, I am no cake decorator and my cake is uneven, so take it or leave it! Keep cake (you will now have 4 flat cakes) on cooling rack until ready to assemble. Remember to remove parchment if you are using.

To assemble:
Use about a cup or more of jam. Heat in microwave a few seconds until it's very spreadable.

Put flat bottom of one cake on surface. Slather with jam. Top with (round) (top) cake. Slather with jam. Invert the other (round) cake and place it on top. Slather with jam again. Place final (flat) piece on top and let sit So basically you put one whole cake upside down on the other, except it makes 4 layers and has jam in each layer. I hope that made sense!

Frosting (Makes enough to frost the cake and decorate with some left over. You may want to do 3/4 of this recipe)

1/2 c vegan Cream Cheese (Better Than Cream Cheese), room temperature
1/2 c vegan margarine (Earth Balance), room temperature
4 c powdered sugar, sifted
dash lemon extract (I probably used 1-1 1/2 teaspoons total, do it to taste)

Cream cream cheese and margarine until combined (don't overmix). Add sugar in 1/2 cup increments until all sugar is added. Add extract at the end.

Decorate your heart out.

Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Rolls, Veganomicon, DEOTS

Haven't posted in a while!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My mom is a great cook and made everything vegan-friendly (that could be). She made:
Knot rolls
Stuffing
Home-made cranberry sauce
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Green Beans
Mashed potatoes
Sweet Potatoes

I made Green Bean casserole, Smlove Pie, and Tofurkey.

Table spread


Tofurkey


My plate


Smlove Pie



Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Don't Eat Off The Sidewalk (aka DEOTS)


This next dish comes from
Veganomicon (VCON). Chickpea cutlets with red wine roux. I made lemon-butter noodles as well.



Rough recipe for lemon butter noodles:

Cook up 1/2 bag egg-free noodles, drain. In same pan (dry), heat 1/2 c vegetable stock, 2 Tb. earth balance margarine, and let simmer a little. It will thicken slightly. Add a 1/2-1 Tbsp. or more lemon juice and add noodles back in, coating well.

Mujadara (Middle Eastern Rice and Lentils)

Mujadara is one of my fav rice/protein dishes, probably because it is flavoured with caramelized onions, which I am crazy about. Unfortunately, the people at Sahara are really freaking rude (i.e. I was yelled at in line) so I don't go there anymore. I will flat out tell you they are more experienced rice/lentil makers than I, but I think with a few more seasonings, mine will be just as good.

I got my basic recipe from Frugal Cuisine but changed it up a bit.

I am still not sure how to pronounce it. I have heard all sorts of pronunciations, from "massa-dura" to "mu-ha-dra". I have also heard that it traditionally has ground meat, but I have never seen it in there and for me, it's always been vegetarian.

Note about onions: "Caramelizing" just means drawing out the sugar, basically. This process cannot be rushed. It takes a long time. But, as with a lot of things, it is worth the wait. It is not like sauteeing where the vegetable will brown quickly and still have a crunch. The onions have no heat after this so onion-haters, give this a try. You will start with a lot of onion and the end result will be a delicious small amount of onion. You can use them for all sorts of things: pasta, sandwiches, scrambled tofu, soups, etc. Just keep them in your fridge.


Basic recipe:

*2/3 c brown lentils (can use green)
*2/3 c long-grain rice
*dash cumin powder
*about 2 1/4 c (HOT) water (reserve water- will explain)
*4 green or black cardamom pods (more to taste, or omit)
*"chicken"-flavoured vegan broth powder/cubes or vegetable broth powder/cubes (I use No-Chicken Better Than Bouillon) for 2 cups worth of water.
*Several onions, peeled and sliced thin (can use food processor if doing a lot of onions, which I suggest doing since you will be caramelizing anyway- you may as well make extra.)

First, let's start the onions.
Take a large, wide pan and heat olive oil or a good quality margarine (Earth balance) on MED. Put your heaping mass of onions in and turn to MED-LO.
Put a pinch of salt and stir the onions every so often. Do not turn up the heat. This honestly took me..probably an hour, but it's mostly inactive.

Lentils/Rice

Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil or margarine in a (separate) medium cooking pot with tall sides. Add the lentils, rice, dash cumin powder, cardamom. Stir frequently as this can burn. You want the rice to turn a *slightly* golden colour. All you are doing here is toasting the seasonings and the rice/lentils. This takes about 5 minutes.

Add *about* 2 cups of the water, with the broth powder/cubes dissolved. (The original instructions that I linked to said to put water so it is about 2 cm above the rice and beans, which is a really good old school method- but steam will burn you! So just do a little under 2 cups.

Cook the lentils and rice about 20 minutes. I had to add a little more water (about 1/4 c) and cook longer, just until lentils and rice are tender.

When onions are done, mix into the rice (to taste), add salt and serve.

Picture coming soon

Bloggers and Viewers- <3

Hi!

I appreciate all of your views and comments! I always mean to get back to you, don't think I don't love you.

When a comment gets published, I don't see anything that says "new comments" after they are published and I kind of have to guess where it was posted. I have quite a few posts so sometimes I can't find where a comment was posted. So, don't think that because I haven't responded to your comment(s) that I don't care!

I hope you continue to enjoy my food blog and it's great to see more veggie blogs, and it's great to have non-veggie people look, too. Hopefully you've learned something, enjoyed a picture, gotten an idea, or even been inspired. I know I feel that way when I look at all of your pictures/recipes/ideas.

Much love!

Pamela Cooks

Vampire Cupcakes, Breakfast Sandwich

2 Posts that don't have much to do with one another!

Got this idea from Baking Bites via PPK. I changed it and veganized it and I don't have a cute Halloween setup but dang if they weren't good. The link has all the instructions. For veganizing:

Any basic white cupcake recipe (I used Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World Sexy Lowfat Vanilla). I also used Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Cream Cheese frosting!

Instead of using cherry pie filling, I made my own with raspberries. Recipe below.







Raspberry Filling (can also use black cherries)

1 bag (12 oz) frozen raspberries
1/2 c sugar
1/6-1/3 c water
2 tsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and allow raspberries to thaw. Make sure to mix the cornstarch so it dissolves in the liquid or it can come out lumpy!

Bring mixture to a boil in a pan and let cool. Fill as directed in link.

***********

"Fast Food" Breakfast Sandwich





1 English Muffin
1 recipe whatever your favourite tofu scramble
1 piece Tofutti "Cheddar" style cheese slice
2 pieces Yves Canadian Bacon, cooked after tofu scramble for crispiness

Toast muffin, "butter" it with Earth Balance and assemble as shown. I added a little maple syrup to the muffin to get an all-around brakfasty delight.

Smoky Breakfast Tempeh With Roasted Potatoes

I made a basic roasted potatoes (potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, spices, 400 degrees for about 45min-1 hour). I made this smoky breakfast tempeh today as well, inspired by tempeh bacon but taken in a different direction. Recipe below.





*8oz tempeh, cut into triangles, and triangles cut in half so the triangles are thin (if that makes sense)
*maple syrup (agave mectar may work as well)
*tamari or soy sauce
*dijon mustard (preferably the grainy/chunky textured kind)
*liquid smoke
*black pepper (opt)

Place tempeh in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup and mix well. I put them in the order of composition, and the total liquid volume is about 1/4 c. It really is to taste. Just remember it will thicken.

Heat a nonstick pan and put 1/2 Tbsp- 1 Tbsp olive oil, and saute the tempeh on each side until slightly golden. Pour in glaze and continue to cook (and flip, for even coating) until the pan is dry and the liquid has created a glaze on the tempeh.

Serve with the potatoes. Best part- can work well with either syrup or ketchup!

Stuffed Zucchini

What do you do with a zucchini? Aside from this recipe, you can pretty much put it in any mix of things: simply saute with oil or margarine and add to spaghetti, enchiladas, tofu scramble..the list goes on.

Here is a freestyle recipe for stuffed zucchini. Use what you have, and adjust the
moisture to suit your grain preference





Stuffed Zucchini

*3 med-lg zucchini, halved lengthwise and insides scooped out with a spoon
*1 small onion, diced
handful (3 or 4) mushrooms, chopped
*1 tomato, seeded and rough chopped
*4oz or so (handful, cup or less) chosen protein: I used Mornngstar Chikn, but you can use cooked beans, cooked lentils, seitan, tofu, etc. Saute this separately!
*1 c stuffing OR your choice cooked grain, such as quinoa
*Spices- I used All Purpose seasoning salt and poultry seasoning
*1 c (approx) water to wet stuffing. (If using favourite cooked grain, omit water unless stuffing is dry)

In a large pot/pan, saute the zucchini halves cut-side down about 3-4 minutes on each side, just until they get a golden colour on the edges.

Remove zucchini and place in an oiled baking dish, scooped side up

Add onions, mushrooms, and the zucchini insides (chopped) and cook until onions are tender, adding spices. Add protein and tomatoes.

Add stuffing or grain and necessary water. Lay over zucchini and bake at 350 F for about 20 minute, just until zucchini "boats" are tender

Toppings:

Here I used shiitake gravy from Road's End Organics but you can use spaghetti or tomato sauce. If using the tomato/spaghetti sauce, I would suggest baking it with the zucchini.

Serve and enjoy!

Chili

This is a variation on my mom's recipe. It's pretty loose, as you can add what you want to it. Choose whatever extra protein you want: 8oz tempeh, tofu, seitan, TVP, lentils, homemade crumbles, etc. or just omit all together, as there are beans in it. Here it is served with fresh raw corn and vegan sour cream.





-1 large onion, minced*
-2-4 stalks celery, with leaves, minced*
-1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced*
-3 cloves garlic (more/less to taste), minced*
(*Easiest way to do this is to chop small and pulse in food processor.)

-1 (14-16oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (14-16oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (14-16oz) can tomato sauce**
-1 (14-16oz) can diced tomatoes**
(**Can use two cans of either. You can also start with a 28oz. can and see if you need more)

-1 8oz bag Morningstar Farms "Steak" strips or other protein (see note about proteins above)

-A-1 Steak Sauce
-Tabasco Hot Sauce
-Chili Powder

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot with tall sides, saute minced vegetables until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Add beans and tomatoes/tomato sauce, A-1, chili powder, and Tabasco, to taste

Meanwhile, sauce steak strips in a little oil (in separate pan) until crispy on the outside. Cut into small pieces (can pulse in food processor).

Simmer chili until thickened a little, about 10-20 min (it is ready to eat at any time but simmering makes the flavours come out). You can even simmer on very low for a couple hours. Make sure to keep an eye on it and stir.

Add "steak" to chili before serving. Stir until well-combined and serve with rice, pasta, biscuits, or corn bread and a salad.

Enchiladas, Frijoles Negros, Yellow Rice

I went to the Mexican market today and found some vegan refried Frijoles Negros (black beans) that tasted great! Recycle is already out so I can't say the brand! I got the enchilada sauce and tortillas there.

If you have a Mexican/Latin market, get your supplies there! Check the beans for lard.









Enchiladas
This recipe is loose, add what you want!


1 medium onion, diced
1-2 red or green bell peppers, diced
8oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 bag Morningstar Chik'n Strips OR 8oz tofu OR seitan

Tortillas
Red or green enchilada sauce
Vegan cheese (optional, I used Follow Your Heart)

Saute vegetables with a shake of garlic powder, a little hot red pepper, and salt until softened. Remove from pan and saute protein. Add some shredded cheese to mixture (optional)

Place some enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole pan.
Place filling in each tortilla, roll, and place seam-down in the pan. Repeat until filling is gone. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Add more cheese on top.
Bake at 350 F. 20-35 min, until sauce is thick. Broil the last few minutes to melt cheese.

Frijoles
1-2 cans Frijoles negros
1 tsp. Better than Chicken Boullion
1 c water

Whisk all ingredients together and cook until water evaporates, stirring often.

Hamburger and French Fries

Publix Greenwise burger with caramelized onion, Tofutti cheese, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, Vegenaise, dijon. Sweet potato fries with ketchup and miso mayo. I highly recommend the Publix burger! Cheapo and yummy! Saute in a pan with a little margarine to make a nice slightly crispy outside.

French fries:
Peel and cut a sweet potato. Use a little olive oil and a little Tony Chachere's seasoning. bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 min (I like mine under-done)

Homemade Lasagna and Special Marshmallows

This lasagna is 100% Homemade. It's from Nonna's Italian Kitchen. I even did the pasta! Get this book!




Sweet and Sara Marshmallows! A special treat!