Category Archives: Recipes

More Vegan Brunch: Muffins and Frittata

Posted on August 25, 2009 | 19 Comments

So I’m still steadily making my way through Vegan Brunch – don’t you worry. First up, Blueberry Ginger Spelt Muffins! Made with half the fat (hello applesauce!) and a little bit of whole wheat flour because I ran out of spelt at 1 3/4 cups…

These muffins had such a nice springy texture and didn’t crumble apart in the slightest. Spelt’s the best, yo. And who can resist those bursting trickles of bluebie juice and little nubs of crystallized ginger peeking out of that muffin top?

I also made the Curried Cauliflower Frittata. This was good, but I didn’t loveee it.

I added an extra carrot because adding extra veggies is always better, but besides that, didn’t make any changes!

Here it is after inverting it. I kind of liked the first way better though…maybe I just don’t know what a frittata is supposed to look like?…

I definitely thought it needed a bit more salt, and the curry flavor was a little bit strong (to be fair though, Isa does warn that you might want to decrease the curry powder). The worst part of it was that I started making it with my friend Jo, but she had to leave halfway through and never got any. Sorry, Jo. Good thing it wasn’t amazing, or I would have felt really bad!

So, this post isn’t just brunch! I have a cookie recipe too. I made some significant changes to an old recipe I had lying around. I made these for a democratic event that my mom was volunteering for, hence the picture after the recipe. These cookies are delightfully chewy with a crisp exterior, and the lemon-cranberry-almond pairing – er, tripling? – is to die for! The banana flavor is subtle, but there. Enjoy.

Oatmeal-Lemon-Cranberry-Almond Bundle Cookies
(Adapted/healthified from my school’s coffee house’s recipe)
Makes two to three dozen

3 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 cup sugar
2 bananas
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup roasted almond slivers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer, combine the sugar, banana, EB, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix well. Gradually add the dry ingredients, finishing with the cranberries and almonds. Form cookies into small balls and slightly flatten on a lightly greased baking tray (they won’t spread much at all). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops turn golden brown (they’ll firm up a lot on the tray, so don’t overbake them!)

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Peanut Butter-Carob-Cookie Dough Pie

Posted on July 28, 2009 | 17 Comments

I had an open block of silken tofu, a broken pie shell in the freezer, and just enough peanut butter in the jar. All these things screamed, “PIE!” I wanted to take it further than the typical vegan PB-chocolate mousse pie, though. So what to do? Add some raw cookie dough, switch the chocolate for carob, and call it a (fantabulous) day.

I used Dreena’s Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe for the cookie dough, omitting the baking powder and soda (because I wasn’t going to bake it!), cutting down the sugar a bit (because God knows there will be enough sugar in the pie without it), and replacing the oil with soy milk (because it’s just gonna be dough anyways–why add fat?). Oh, also, when I made it, I only used a 1/2 recipe’s worth of cookie dough, but I’m calling for a full recipe of it here because I think the pie would be better with a thicker cookie dough layer!

Peanut Butter-Carob-Cookie Dough Pie

1 pre-made 9″ whole wheat or spelt pie shell (I use Wholly Wholesome)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Base
1 cup spelt flour
2 Tbs unrefined sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Peanut Butter-Carob Mousse
1 12 oz container of silken tofu
6 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 oz carob chips, melted in the microwave*

*You can use chocolate chips here instead, but I like the earthy sweetness of carob, and even if you think you don’t like carob, don’t worry-it’s taste isn’t super distinctive here as it blends in so much with the peanut butter (my sister didn’t even know it was carob until she saw the titles of my Flickr photos!)

Garnishes
1 banana, sliced very thinly
Peanut butter candies, Peanut butter Newman’s O’s, crumbled brownies, pretzels, etc.

Bake pie shell according to package directions and set aside to cool.

Make the cookie dough:
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses, vanilla, and non-dairy milk, and stir until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined.

Press the cookie dough into the already baked pie shell, and place in the fridge to cool while you make the mousse.

Make the PB-Carob Mousse:
Combine tofu, vanilla, and maple syrup in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and melted carob chips and process until thoroughly blended.

Pour mousse over the cookie dough base in the pie shell, and place in the fridge to firm up a bit before you add the toppings (so they don’t sink or get soggy). When the mousse has firmed up, it’s time to lay on the toppings! I crumbled up some Laura Lee’s Peanut Butter Treats (they taste like Butterfinger insides!) I got at Food Fight in Portland, but you could use chopped Newman’s O’s, crumbled brownies, pretzels, peanuts, coconut, chocolate syrup, whipped “cream,” or even something crazy like Ricemellow.

Finally, lay the banana slices on (if you slice them super thinly, you only need one banana to encircle the whole pie!)

I like this pie straight out of the freezer–it’s almost like a luscious ice cream cake, plus nice and refreshing as a summer treat! But you can thaw it a few minutes before eating if you prefer!

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Golden Oats

Posted on July 18, 2009 | 2 Comments

I know most vegans have oats all the time, but they’re usually sweet, am I right? Maple syrup, nut butters, fruit. Yeah, all delicious, and I love sweet oatmeal, but you’re definitely missing out if you never try savory oats. I’ve made them before, using nooch and some of Celine’s sliced Pumpkin Fauxsage, so I knew they were good, but I’d prepared them just like I would sweet oats. Today, however, I made the Golden Oats Pilaf from Bryanna Clark Grogan’s The Fiber for Life Cookbook, which are prepared differently, dry toasting the oats before adding the liquid at the end. I changed the recipe up a bit, so I’m gonna post it!

Golden Oats Pilaf

1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon Earth Balance
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or other herb of your choice)
1 small onion, sautéed
1 small zucchini, thinly slice and steamed (or other veggie of your choice)
garlic (optional)

In a blender, combine flaxseeds and water and blend several minutes (I used my handy Magic Bullet). Place the oatmeal in a medium bowl and add the flaxseed mixture; stir to coat thoroughly. Heat the Earth Balance in a large heavy skillet (the same one you sautéed the onions in!) over medium heat. Add the oats mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes or until the oats are dry, separated, and lightly browned (this is essential for keeping the texture and integrity of the oats before the next step).

Add the broth, salt, nutritional yeast, rosemary, and garlic if using (I didn’t and it was still packed with flavor). Cook, covered until the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently enough to prevent sticking (mine stuck a lot, so seriously, STIR!). Mix in zucchini and onions, and serve immediately.

Obviously, this recipe is super flexible–this is just the route I chose to go. You can leave out the nooch, add different veggies and herbs, or be crazy and add some toasted nuts or dried fruit! I just love how simple and easy it was, while still being surprisingly flavorful and healthy. Plus, I love the chewy texture the oats retain through the cooking process. Definitely a keeper. I served mine with half a baked sweet potato because, not only are oats and sweet taters two of my favorite foods, but they’re both loaded with soluble fiber for my tummy (as are flaxseeds). I still need medical help, but this meal at least didn’t make me feel worse, like some of my raw meals did.

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Carrot Bisque, Berry Muffins, and Norabars

Posted on July 10, 2009 | 6 Comments

My kitchen has been a happenin’ place of late! First up, the deliciously simple Carrot Bisque from Vegan with a Vengeance! I like the short ingredient list on this guy–I love intricate recipes, but sometimes I’m just not up for a 1/2 page-long spice list! Most of the flavor comes from (light) coconut milk, curry powder, and a touch of maple syrup.

Garnished with soy yogurt for some added refreshing creaminess!

At my mama’s request, I also made the Bakery-Style Berry Muffins from Vegan Brunch using blueberries and raspberries! I’ve made these before, but in my muffin top pan, which didn’t work as well as I’d hoped–they sort of came out like small, thick pancakes, and didn’t get crispy at all.

I think the way to go for killer, crispy muffin tops is just to overfill the tins (as Isa mentions in Vegan Brunch herself). She says to go for 10 for big tops, but I did 9. The batter was pretty thick, so each tin was probably filled a little over the top. They were much nicer than the flattish muffins I usually make, but next time I’m doing 8, so I can get–I don’t know if this is the best way to describe it–like, giant mushrooming tops. Haha.

How cute is that! I got such a shock when I was taking this shot and found myself in a staring contest through my Rebel’s viewfinder. He’s winking! I named him Berry Bob.

What a crumb.

I also made my own energy bars yesterday! I haven’t told you guys yet, but I signed up for the Disney Half-Marathon on September 6th with my good friend Chelsea from Pomona. I’ve always wanted to run one, and when she asked me to do it with her, I knew it’d be a great opportunity! I’ve never done anything like it before (I played soccer for 10 years, and 1 year in college, so at least I’m semi-athletic), and the most I’ve ever run at once was 5 1/2 miles in 8th grade at my summer camp’s race. But, I’ve found a training schedule, so I should be good!

Anyways, my point is, I wanted a good pre-run snack because I’ve discovered my body can’t handle very much food before I run. My stomach needs to be as empty as possible, but I obviously need fuel. So, semi-bored of the few Larabar flavors we always have, I made Norabars! They’re Cinnamon-Pecan with Cacao Nibs! I actually liked them better than the Larabars I’ve had (but don’t get me wrong, Larabars rock…they’re just expensive).

Cacao-Cinnamon-Pecan Norabars

1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 cup toasted pecans*
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process dates into a thick paste (it’s okay if there are chunks). Remove from food processor and place in a small bowl. Pulse toasted pecans until roughly powdered (again, you can leave them as chunky as you want), and add to the bowl of dates, along with the cinnamon and vanilla. Finally, pulse the cacao nibs until they’re slightly broken up, and add those to the bowl as well. Now, get your hands dirty and knead all the ingredients together in the bowl! To make the bars, divide “dough” into 4, place each lump on a piece of saran wrap. Wrap them up, then shape into bars by molding them through the plastic. Chill in fridge for a bit, and there you go! Homemade ____bars (insert your name there). If you’re making a bigger batch, you could also press the dough into a pan and cut it up into bars once chilled.

*Note: You can use raw pecans if you like, but I figured, since my cacao nibs are roasted anyways, I might as well toast the nuts for extra flavor. (It makes them taste more like cookies!)

Makes 4 bars.

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Lazy Yet Gourmet

Posted on June 13, 2009 | 6 Comments

Today was one-a those days when you don’t really put that much effort or thought into your food, but the results are so tasty that you kinda feel like you cheated–like, at any moment, foodie justice is going to smite your plate of yummies onto the floor because you don’t really deserve it.

I woke up feeling less than great (I’ve been sorta sick off ‘n on since Santorini 2 weeks ago). In addition to a sore throat, I felt stuffy, overheated, and a bit nauseated. Luckily, I remembered that there was a recipe for “Stomach-Soothing Papaya Smoothie” nestled within the April issue of the Vegetarian Times. I changed the recipe up a little bit, replacing the strawberries with their raspy cousins, adding the almighty banana, and upping the ginger because, from my Dr. Weil experience, I know that ginger is a powerful natural remedy for colds, inflammation, and nausea. ;)

My version:
1 1/2 cups cubed frozen papaya
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Beverage
1 Tbs fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
a couple fresh basil leaves

So refreshing. It hit the spot and really made my throat and stomach feel better. Food as medicine. I’m telling you.

Lunch at work was leftover cornbread waffles and mole if you must know, but when I got home, I was craving sweet potatoes. Like whoa. Of course I coulda just thrown my sweet taters in the oven, but I felt like trying a unique spice combo, so I made the Oven-Baked “French Fried” Yams from The Vegan Table, which are coated in olive oil and seasoned with paprika, garlic and chili powder, dried parsley (I subbed cinnamon), salt, and pepper. I decided to try the “roast” setting on our oven insteada using the regular “bake” function because my mom said it worked well, but apparently it cooks stuff much faster because, after 25 (of the 45) minutes, I opened my oven to find almost burnt SP fries! Thank gosh I got there just in time! I guess it gave them a nice “just-off-the-grill” flavor? Eh, debatable.

Served with Annie’s Organic Ketchup and Annie’s Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce! Perfect.

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