Yes vegans can...

This made me smile and shake my head at the things some people believe.


Yes vegans can...

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Quick, take a picture before it is gone!

Last night I made a Seitan Stew for dinner. It was a new recipe I was trying out and as usual my family members were the guinea pigs. I called "dinner's ready" and pretty much as soon as the words were out of my mouth the pot was empty! Ok, I exaggerate a bit. But it did get eaten almost before I could snap a picture. I have to admit I wasn't sure about this one and it came out pretty darn good. I will post the recipe a little later.


After dinner I decided to bake something sweet. I have been playing with a Poppy Seed Bread/Cake recipe in my head for a while. So I wrote it down and gave it a go. The results were better than I expected. I baked it in two loaf pans but I bet it would be fabulous in a bundt pan.




Poppy Seed Bread/Cake

preheat oven to 350 f, grease and sugar two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 " loaf pans.

2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 1/4 cup almond milk
3/4 oil
1 T vanilla
1/4 poppy seeds
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup agave (I used agave but after reading about the dangers of it I will substitute rice syrup next time)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 t cinnamon
3 T flax meal

Put poppy seeds, water, agave, raisins, nuts, cinnamon and flax meal in a small pan. Cook on med high heat, stirring continuously until all water is absorbed and it is thick, bubbly and gooey.

Put flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir with a fork to incorporate the baking powder well with the flour. Add the wet ingredients and the poppy seed mixture to the flour and mix well. Divide batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.


ps...all of my pictures have been taken with my cell phone...so they are not great, please keep that in mind if something looks more orangey than should be.

Beware Agave??

If you use agave then this article may be worth reading. My husband has gout and has to watch his diet. Foods high in purines raise your bodies level of uric acid and cause flare ups. Although the article did not say agave is high in purines it did say that it raises levels of uric acid. I make him Clif type "power bars" sweetened with agave that he eats everyday. : ( I need to do some more research on the subject.


Agave Dangers article by Dr. Mercola

"Buttermilk" Pancakes w/Warm Berry Sauce

My husband is the pancake king. Mine cannot even compete. Even when we use the exact some recipe! Keep that in mind as you look at the picture above. His would have looked ten times better. It actually annoys me that mine never look as good as his. But regardless of this annoying fact the pancakes still taste wonderful. This recipe was inspired from a buttermilk pancake recipe from and old 1970's Family Circle Cookbook. A note to Stephanie, please try them and tell me what you think...I think buttermilk is the key. : )

First, a little excerpt from said book on tips to make perfect pancakes for those of us that want to perfect our skills to be able to compete with our husbands mad pancake making skills.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT PANCAKES

1. Make sure the griddle is just-right hot before adding the batter. Here's how to test it. Sprinkle on several drops of water; when they sputter and dance about, grease griddle and start pouring.

2. For even-sized pancakes, measure batter, using a scant quarter cup for a 4-inch round. The batter spreads so leave a little space between the cakes and they will keep their shape and be easy to turn.

3. When pancakes look puffy and slightly dry around the edge, bubbles cover the top, and the underside is golden, flip them over with a wide spatula. Bake a few minutes more, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

4. If pancakes must stand before serving, keep them hot this undercover way. Place in a pie plate, turn a colander upside-down over top, and set in a warm place. Heat stays in , steam wafts out.

"Buttermilk" Pancakes

2 cups Flour
1 T baking powder
3 T Sugar
1 3/4 cup soured soy milk (add 1 T apple cider vinegar to 1 3/4 cup milk)
2 T oil (mild tasting)
1 T vanilla

Whisk the vinegar in with the milk and set aside.

Combine all dry ingredients in a med-large bowl and stir with a fork or sift to make sure the baking powder gets incorporated with the flour evenly. Add the oil and vanilla to the soured milk. Add the wet to the dry and mix well until relatively smooth. A few lumps are fine.

Using the tips from above, pour 1/4 cup measures of batter on a medium hot griddle or non-stick fry pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until bubbles appear on the top and the bottoms are golden brown, flip and cook until bottom is golden brown.

Serve with vegan margarine and maple syrup or be imaginative and top with any number of yummy things, nuts, yogurt, ice cream, or chocolate sauce. Mine were topped with the following berry sauce.

Berry Sauce

2 cups mixed berries (mine were frozen)
1 T agave nectar (more or less depending on the sweetness of your berries)
2 t corn starch
1/2 cup water


Place berries and agave in a small sauce pan over med high heat. Cook until the berries release their juices and everything begins bubbling , stirring often. You want to cook them until they are very soft and somewhat mushy. I used a fork to squish the really large strawberries.

Whisk the corn starch and water together and add to the berries. Continue cooking until the sauces thickens, stirring constantly, don't worry it happens quickly. Serve over pancakes, ice cream, cake, waffles...you get the idea. ; )

PMS Pie (you know the days when you just need it)

This recipe was nominated for the best dessert recipe on VegWeb...we won't know the results until May! It sinfully rich and delicious. And serves you well on those days when you just need chocolate, peanut butter and of course cookie dough all in one dessert! It was named the PMS pie for a reason after all! ; )


*When soy milk is listed, your favorite non-dairy milk can be substituted. My recent favorite is unsweetened almond milk.

PMS Pie

1 9-inch vegan graham cracker crust

Peanut Butter Brownie:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 4 tablespoon water (let stand a few minutes until gummy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup soy milk

Cookie Dough:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegan margarine
4 tablespoons soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips (optional but recommended)

Mousse:
1/2 block extra firm silken tofu (about a cup)
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brownie:

Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, soy milk and flax mixture. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture and mix until combined- batter will be thick.

Scrape into graham cracker crust. Bake in preheated oven for 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out relatively clean. Let cool; prepare cookie dough.

Cookie Dough:

Cream brown sugar and margarine, add margarine and soy milk and combine, add flour and optional chocolate chips and mix well. Spread dough over cooled brownie and refrigerate while you prepare mousse.

Mousse:

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, creamy, light and fluffy. Depending on the strength of your processor this could take a couple of minutes... there should be not traces of tofu at all. Refrigerate for an hour or so then pipe decoratively on pie.

Irish Whiskey Cake

I made this cake for St. Patrick's Day. It was huge hit...to say the least. But you don't have to wait for a special occasion to try it of course. It is wonderful with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast, lunch or dinner, lol...just kidding, sort of. I posted it on VegWeb so here is the linky

"Hold Together" Black Bean Burgers

Wonderful "Hold Together" Black Bean Burgers. Served on a homemade roll with avocado, salsa and nayonaise...sheer bliss.

I hate when you attempt to make a veggie or bean burger and it will not stay together. These ones hold together perfectly and are so easy to make. They could quite possibly become your "go to" burger recipe.

Black Bean Burgers

preheat oven to 400f and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

1 can Amy's Refried Black Beans or 2 cups of your favorite homemade refried black beans (much more economical)
1/2 cup vegan panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup corn kernals

Put all ingredients in a bowl and smoosh together well. Form into patties. Should make between 6 and 8 depending on size. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway though. These freeze really well.

Thinking about something fun to serve for Easter morning or maybe next year to add to your Ostara celebration?

Well this Bunny Bread couldn't be any funner! It has sort of the same flavor and texture as a cinnamon roll. Delicious. I posted this recipe on VegWeb a couple of years back so here is the link.

My First Post

I guess I will just jump into things with a recipe post. I love sweet potato fries and these were not a disappointment.


Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Curry mayonnaise

2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
3 T olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

Spicy Curry Mayonnaise

1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t curry powder
1 t lemon juice

preheat oven to 450f

Toss potatoes in olive oil and spread on baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with some sea salt and black pepper. Cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning periodically, until your desired level of color and doneness. Serve with Spicy Mayonnaise.


Spicy Curry Mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I plan on creating a new Hot Cross Buns recipe so please stay tuned.