A Simple Recipe

This is just a quick post to make sure I don't lose this fabulous recipe! Yes I'm doing it solely for myself... And it has nothing whatsoever to do with the upcoming holidays.
 
Japanese Curry

Ingredients:

3 potatoes

2 carrots

1 parsnip

Half a cauliflower

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

3 cloves of garlic- same amount of ginger

3 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

2 tbs. flour

chili powder to taste

800 ml water

1 cube of vegetable stock

1 tbs. soy sauce

2 tbs. ketchup

2 tbs. maple syrup

bay leaf

salt and pepper

4 servings rice


Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in frying pan add minced garlic and ginger. Add chopped onion, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and cauliflower.

2. Add curry, turmeric, cumin, flour and chili and fry until it stops looking powdery.

3. Add water and stock and bring to boil, lower the flame and add soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and bay leaf. Cook until everything becomes soft. Add salt and pepper and eat with rice!

I don't particularly love the word, but, YUM!

Coffee Cake Anyone?

Dear Readers,

You may not know certain little things about me, (obviously), but I feel that I should let out one little secret in this blog post. (Exhale.) Here it goes! I find that I enjoy looking at and baking sweets more than I do eating them... It is rare that I have a craving for a baked good, or a vegan chocolate, (though it occasionally does happen), and even more rare that I enjoy what I ate after the fact of downing it into my wide open mouth. Believe me, this fact does not apply to dinner.

I hadn't had coffee cake in ages. And when you wake up early in the morning, you don't really want to bake something that sounds bad for you. Devils Food Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cookies, (I know they sound good, but I just couldn't justify it.) So I stuck with the coffee cake and went through a myriad of different recipes until I finally came across one that seemed just right. When it was finally done, (it always seems like forever), and I tasted it, I knew that I had fallen in love. There is no word to describe the joy a vegan experiences when they taste both the flavor and the texture of a baked good that they had eaten before they were enlightened. Enlightened meaning realized the effect they were having on both the animals and they world when they ate animal products. So, readers, I leave you a recipe that seems more like a gift.


(I found this recipe on Poppytalk: Cake on the Brain)
Vegan Coffee Cake
(adapted from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

Cake:
3/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup frozen berries (optional) (I used frozen blueberries and it had a fantastic flavor!)

Crumble topping:
1 cup flour (a mix of all purpose & whole wheat is fine)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan or square pan (I used a nine inch round pan, no biggie). 

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour in the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cardamom and salt and use a whisk to aerate the mixture. Dump in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in berries if using. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and spices and then add in the margarine with your fingers. You want to create large crumbs. You can add more margarine if you want more crumbs, but don't sweat it - sandy crumbs aren't bad either. Scatter over the top of the cake and bake for 30-35 minutes. Test cake with a knife and if it comes out clean you're done. Let cool on wire rack. Slice and eat!


(Only the words in bold are what I wrote, the rest is from a website. The name is at the beginning of the recipe.)

A Pie That's Worth the Wait

In December the air is filled with energy, sights, sounds, and smells. Candles burn in houses, people go shopping for others and cooking is abundant. I have been vegan for two years and since then have not touched a Pumpkin Pie. I didn't think that I would mind this, but suddenly I started having a craving...

It was May and I was ready. I wanted that pie badly, and was on the search for a good recipe. My mom was rather shocked that I would even consider this on an abnormally hot May day, but when my mind is set, nobody stops me. I was pleased to find that I had all the ingredients on hand, and jumped head first into the endeavor. I mixed all the pumpkin puree, sugar and soy milk. I measured all the spices carefully. I made that crust by hand, and put it into the pie plate like the chefs on tv. I was proud of myself when I put it into the oven.

And when it was done, I was even more proud. Until I reread the recipe. Yes everyone, you can call me blind. I don't know how I missed it myself... The pie filling in this recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it. My reaction. "NNNOOOOOOO!" I was so hungry, so finally ready to bite into a pie I waited two years to consume and for some reason it had to set overnight! What kind of travesty is this?

Amazingly, I abided by the rules and when I awoke, I sprang out of my bed and down the stairs straight to the fridge. My mom was talking on the phone while I silently took out the smallest piece of pie imaginable, and lifted it to my mouth. It. Was. Delicious. So delicious that I felt that it would be rude to not wait for somebody to share my joy of a piece of pie, so I sat there, staring at the golden brown edges of the crust, (the crust recipe I used is my grandmas recipe, not the one below,) and the smooth top of a lovely and simple pumpkin pie. Later, when the phone call was finished, we indulged in a dessert filled breakfast on a sunny May day...

SERVES 8

The pie filling in this recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it.

• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ½ cup unbleached flour
• 7 Tbs. whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. sugar or granulated sugar cane syrup
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 3 Tbs. soymilk plus ½ tsp. lemon juice
• 3 to 4 Tbs. water
• 2 cups canned pumpkin or puréed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see note)
• 1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk
• ¾ cup granulated sugar cane syrup
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ Tbs. dark molasses or to taste
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice

To make Crust:

1. In medium bowl, combine both flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. In small bowl, mix oil and soymilk mixture.

2. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it holds together in a ball. If it is too dry, add some water, a little at a time, until dough is moist enough to roll. (If time allows, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.)

3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin forming an 11-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F.

To make Filling:

5. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes.

6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired.

NOTE: If you are going to use fresh pumpkin for the pie, do not use the jack-o’-lantern type; the flesh of these large pumpkins is too watery and stringy. Instead, look for small pumpkins, sometimes called pie pumpkins or other varieties of winter squash. To bake, cut pumpkins in half and remove seeds. Set, cut side down, in a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop out the cooked flesh and purée.

Yet Another Recipe

This time I have my all time favorite kind of dessert recipe. A COOKIE!! I was surfing the web when I came across Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies (vegan of course), I looked at the picture and realized that it was my favorite cookie as a kid. I think if you look at the photo everyone will recognize this cookie. I actually never knew it had a name. Like my grandma used to say, "Ya learn something new everyday."


So I had this baking bug, like not a literal bug- creature - thing, but something that made me want to bake all time, (hence all these posts), so when I found the recipe and saw that I had all the ingredients I couldn't wait to make them. There were a few things that I was a little scant on, like the peanut butter, but was then surprised at how peanut buttery they turned out. So don't worry to much if your a little low on stuff, just be like me and work with it.

When I made these cookie the dough felt really heavy, I had it out for a little bit and then when I went back to it, it was just beautiful. The only thing I like more than a cookie is a great batter.

Here's the recipe,
I found it on blogger! The blog is called Vegan Heartland...


Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms


Ingredients:


1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup applesauce
1 T. Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
A small bowl of sugar to roll the dough in (I skipped this step and they were really good. I fell like if I had they would be too sweet... But that's just me.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar and applesauce. Add the non-dairy milk and vanilla and beat well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients. Beat on low until well combined.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls then roll in the small bowl of sugar, (or don't). Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. I used parchment paper on my cookie sheets to ensure they didn't stick. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

It yields about 2 dozen cookies.

Next, I am not going to repeat the blogger's recipe because the way I did it was really easy and really good. To make the chocolate kisses I just melted a bunch of bakers semi sweet chocolate in a pot and then scooped it and swirled it onto the cookie. SO GOOD!!

Now let's talk about the cookie. It is peanut buttery and the consistency is light and chewy. They really don't taste vegan. Most of them are gone and I only baked them three hours ago. The chocolate really adds to the taste, but they would make really delicious peanut butter cookies, so it's your choice.

Bon Appetit!

I Found A Keeper!

Yep, that's right, after four months of recipe pondering, I found a fantastic recipe... Banana Bread!

There were a couple of problems with it, but they were actually caused by me. So I am hoping that if anybody else tries the recipe they follow my advice so they don't make the same mistakes.

Now, before we get to the recipe, let's talk a little bit about banana bread. I have and believe I always will, HATE bananas. The texture makes my face cringe and the sweetness has always annoyed me. When people eat it, I have to leave the room because the sound is so disgusting.

Knowing that, I will continue to mention that I have only had banana bread once before in my life, and that was when I was a little kid. Recently I became interested in baking breads but my luck with yeast and kneading has always been pretty slim. Plus baking bread is such a huge time commitment that I never really felt like I could accomplish the task to perfection. And believe or not Mom, I do aim for perfection.

My brother came home last month with a gift for my mom of banana and zucchini breads. That sparked my bakers heart and I was determined to make it sometime. Yesterday was that time. I looked up vegan banana bread and was slightly surprised to find all of these recipes that sounded really good. Finally I settled on the one that had so many good reviews I wished that the bread was already baked.

I found this recipe on about.com, and I agree with every good review.

Makes 1 9"x5" loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all- purpose flour
• 3/4 cups white granulated sugar (I prefer unrefined cane sugar) (- that's not me but this is! I actually ran out of sugar so I used as much of a 1/2 cup as I had available and then toped it off with light brown sugar.)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (I used light brown)
• 3/4 t. baking soda
• 3/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk or almond milk (I used soy)
• 1 t. apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups mashed banana, from about 4 large very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• Walnuts (optional) (I didn't add them)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a p"x5" loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk and cider vinegar and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the mashed banana canola oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixing until just prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in to the center emerges clean. Allow the bread to cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

~

I am going to tell you my mistake, so listen carefully. This did not effect the taste at all, so I can tell everybody confidently that it tastes unreal, but it did effect the bake time and the density and bake time. I didn't mash my bananas well enough. I don't know if you can blend them, or if it would mess with the recipe, but make sure that they are REALLY WELL MASHED.

What happened to me was that I thought that they were mashed enough, but there were still chunks in it. So when I baked it a large amount of the chunky banana fell to the bottom and made it so I had to bake it for about an hour longer. It still didn't become fluffy like the top of the bread, but it still tastes good. And in my opinion that's what really matters.

BUT, next time I would definitely make sure that they were mashed like baby food!

Other than that the bread is a great consistency with just the right amount of sweet, it's a really nice batter, and the loaf itself has a great density and it's really moist. If you start to see the edges browning way to much you can foil the edges like you would do a pie. That's what I did after a while.

Enjoy!

An Idea

Don't worry everyone I am still going to be posting about my favorite recipes, BUT, seeing as my time is limited and I haven't been cooking as much, I thought it would be cool to post about things that are surprisingly vegan. Each week I will introduce you to a new food that is beautifully, deliciously vegan and most likely bad for you. Beware, they are going to be short entries.

Since I have one of these products in my house, it will be my first post.

Unfrosted Pop Tarts!

As long as you get the strawberry, brown sugar, or blueberry, you can be taken back to your childhood, without breaking your vegan promise.

And really, who doesn't like Pop-Tarts?

WARNING:

The Frosted Pop Tarts contain gelatin, a substance made from animals.

A Delicious Vegan Muffin!!

Dear Readers,

Have you encountered the craving of a certain food you used to buy to go with your freshly brewed coffee. Or the quick and healthy(er) breakfast alternative to a sugary cereal. Yes that's right, the muffin. Whether it be blueberry, cranberry or chocolate, the muffin is a food type that is introduced into our american lives in the early years.

Now is time for my confession. I'm not a huge fan!! Please don't judge me, we all have different tastebuds, my brother for example is a regular muffin orderer. But when I woke up this morning, with a stack of soccer books and cookbooks miraculously still on my bed, I thought of breakfast foods. Something that wasn't pancakes, or topped with syrup, but something that still brought thoughts of childhood.

I looked through the cookbook Vegan Baking Classics by Kelly Rudnicki. I found Apple Muffins. I was intrigued and finding that I already had all the ingredients I decided to make them. So I came upon a sweet surprise... Their fantastic with a nice dense yet fluffy texture unlike other vegan recipes I have tried. The apples add a really nice tart taste to smooth out the sweetness of the muffin. Better than the vegan ones at Whole Foods and quite a simple recipe. Really, really good. I hope you enjoy it....

Apple Muffins

by Vegan Baking Classics-Kelly Rudnicki

Yield:12 Muffins

Muffins

4 tablespoons dairy-free margarine

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup soy or rice milk (I used almond)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups dice, peeled apples, divided (I added all the apples in the batter instead of half in half on top.)

Topping

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a 12 cup muffin tin (I used a large 6 tin,) with dairy-free baking spray. (I just coated with vegetable oil on a paper towel.)

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment*, combine the melted margarine, applesauce, and vegan milk. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the 1/2 cup sugar with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the apple mixture, and stir by hand with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the 1 cup chopped apple. Do not over mix.

3. Using cookie scooper, fill the prepared muffin cups with batter, and top each with the remaining 1/2 cup diced apples.

4. To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle the mixture over the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, (mine took way longer) or until an inserted cake tester (or toothpick in my world) comes out clean.

*I just used a smaller bowl and added that to the dry ingredients.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did, oh and by the way, your house will smell fantastic for hours afterwards.