Monday, June 1, 2015

Mmm.. Wings

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

These wings are highly addictive! Don't say I didn't warn you!!

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (white flour just doesn't work)
1 1/4 c. almond milk (or cashew or soy)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. Franks wing sauce
1/4 c. Sriracha
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, garlic powder, and non-dairy milk. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper (trust me, you will need this!!). Spray the parchment paper with cooking oil spray (it helps make it crispy). Dip your bite-sized cauliflower pieces into the batter mixture and place on the cookie sheet making sure none of them touch. Spray oil over them once your sheet is full and place in an oven preheated to 450. Bake for 20 minutes or until you can easily lift a wing without it sticking to the parchment.

Melt the butter in a small dish and add the wing sauce and sriracha. Mix well. Brush the wing sauce onto the wings with a pastry brush. Flip all the wings and brush again. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Serve with vegan ranch for the ultimate experience!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Kale stuffed bell peppers

This recipe was found and recreated in a crazy fun night of awesomeness. It seemed to take several hours to make at the time, but this is really a very easy recipe to make (and I promise it won't take hours!) It's also very versatile. You can add more veggies(celery, carrots, squash are a few I can think of), you can add hamburger-style crumbles, you can use rice instead of quinoa, you can even chop up the bell peppers instead of stuffing them!

4 green bell peppers (large ones)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 bunch of kale, chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp. dried basil
1/4 c. shredded cheese (or cheese like product) originally, I used mozzarella & parmesan mix.

De-vain the kale and chop it up. Steam the kale over a pot of boiling water, or just put enough water in a pan with a lid and keep a close eye on it. Burnt kale is not yummy.

Swish your quinoa around with some water, then drain it as best you can. This really only works well if you have a fine mesh strainer, and even then, it's not fun, but they say you should rinse it, so I do. Add 2 cups of water, lid it, and cook for 20 mins on low/med or until the water is absorbed and the tiny seeds have opened into a spiral.

Cook your onion and garlic until translucent, then add your tomatoes and cook 10 mins. Add kale, quinoa, basil and salt and pepper. Your mix is now done!

Roast your bell peppers under the broil setting in your oven. Turn them as they turn black, you want it to be blackened all over. When done, place in a covered bowl for 10 mins. You should then be able to easily peel the skin off the peppers.

Set your peeled peppers in a square cake pan. Sprinkle cheese mix in the bottom of the peppers, add quinoa/kale mixture, sprinkle more cheese, and bake in oven 20 mins or until lightly browned on top.

And now you are finally ready to eat!! You won't regret making this recipe, however you decide to make it.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Mmm... Ethiopian

Ok guys, this is not one of those recipes you just find and make. This takes advanced planning, but I promise it is well worth it. These are two recipes I've found and adjusted slightly from two other sites, here and here.

The spongey bread that you will use to scoop up the sweet and spicy stew is called Injera. This is the part that will take some time. Basically, you make the batter and let it sit at room temp for several days. The other blogger said that it is sour enough for them after a day or two. I let mine sit for 4 days. I've seen other sites that say to let it sit for a week. It's really personal preference, I think. It will start to smell bad. That is perfectly normal. It is fermenting and the dough is supposed to get sour. If you don't like the idea of that, then you could eat the stew with naan instead, it's just not going to be the same taste. If you do decide to go with naan, I'd recommend brushing it lightly with some lemon butter before heating it up so it will atleast have a little bit of a similar taste.

Injera


1/2 c. teff flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
4 c. all purpose flour
32 oz. water

Whisk it all together really well in a giant bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 1 to 7 days. I stopped at 4 days because I couldn't stand the smell in my kitchen any longer. Pour off any extra liquid on the top, then stir it around real good. You want it to be kind of like a slightly thin pancake batter. You can add more water or flour to get it to the right consistency if need be. Heat a skillet on medium heat and ladle about 2 tablespoons into the pan and move the pan in a circular motion to get it to flatten out in to a big circle. The edges will immediately begin to dry and turn color. Use a spatula and pick up the edges so they don't get too crispy or stuck. Then just wait for the whole thing to turn the same color, I gave it about 1 min longer but check the bottom to make sure it doesn't burn. You are not going to flip this at all. One side and its done.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Wat

You will need to make up a spice mixture, you can do this ahead of time. I only made half of what the other blogger made because I only had the red pepper flakes from leftover packets from the last pizza order, lol. Also, I wasn't sure if I'd like it the first go around. But now that I know, I will be making a double batch of the spice mix next time. Keep it in an airtight container. I used a clean and dried out small glass jar that used to contained minced garlic. Any jar will do.

Berbere spice mix

4 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground black pepper

Grind all the spices together. I used my trusty mortar and pestle. Then store in your airtight container of choice.

And now for the wat!

2 Tbsp coconut oil (any oil will do)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite size pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp Berbere spice mix
1 c. dried lentils
4 c. vegetable stock
1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
1 large tomato, chopped
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until they become translucent, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute, then add the Berbere, cabbage, tomato, sweet potato, salt and pepper. Stir well, cook for about a min, then add the veggie stock and lentils. Let it come to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 25-30 mins or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally during cooking to make sure the potatoes cook evenly. This is the point in which the other blogger adds a squeeze of lemon juice, but I think it's not needed with the sourness of the injera so I skipped it. Cook another 5 mins uncovered. Taste and add more salt or spice here if needed. Serve with a side of injera and enjoy!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Curry

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 large leek, white and green parts, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
2-3 large sweet potatoes, diced into about 1/2" cubes
1 large head of cauliflower, divided into bite size pieces
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c. vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. powdered coconut milk mix
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic in olive oil til soft. (If you don't have leeks, substitute regular onion, it's just something I had on hand that needed to be used up.)

Add all the spices, cook another minute, then stir in your sweet potatoes to get them good and coated.

Add the veg broth, lower the heat to a simmer, cover your pot and cook for 5 mins.

Next add your tomatoes, chickpeas, and cauliflower and continue cooking until the cauliflower is soft enough to your liking. I like mine with a little bite to it, so I cook it for 15 more mins. It doesn't need to be covered by the liquid, it's going to steam.

Add the coconut milk mix at the end. If you can't find that, you can use unsweetened coconut milk. It might make your curry a little soupier unless you cook it without the lid for a while. Let it sit off the heat with the lid on for about 30 mins just so all the flavors can get really absorbed.

This would be a great time to make some basmati rice to go with your curry. Naan is also an excellent addition. ^_^

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

I couldn't find a recipe for these that I liked, so I just modified the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I will probably continue to play with this recipe since I'd rather have it be more strawberry-y.

I took 12 frozen strawberries, put them in a saucepan with 1/2 c. soy milk and 1/4 c. raw sugar and cooked it til the sugar dissolved and the strawberries were unfrozen. Let it cool down a bit, then puree it in a blender. Measure out 1 c. of it and save the rest to throw into the frosting or you could use it in a smoothie or just use less liquid I suppose. Either way, the cupcakes need 1 c. of liquid, not more than that. If you end up with less than that, just add more soymilk to the finished puree.

To the puree, add 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar and set it aside to curdle a bit. I know that doesn't sound appetizing, but it is a necessary part of the recipe, and the finished cupcake tastes and smells nothing like vinegar. Also, if it doesn't curdle (b/c mine didn't) don't worry about it, it should still be fine.

In a small bowl, sift together:

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

In larger bowl, beat together until fluffy, but not longer than 2 minutes:

1/2 c. vegan margarine
3/4 c. granulated sugar (I used 1/2 c. raw sugar and 1/4 c. granulated sugar, I dunno why)

Then add to that, 2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. almond extract
This is another part I will be playing with in the future.. if I can find strawberry extract, I think that will make it more strawberry-y, so if you have it, add 1 tsp of that and 1 tsp of vanilla.

Then alternate beating the flour mixture and the strawberry puree mixture into the butter mixture. Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 mins at 350 degrees or until golden on top. Wait a few mins then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For super strawberry-ness, cut a hole out of the top and fill with strawberry preserves. I used a kind that is made with only strawberries and fruit juices. You want something that tastes like all strawberry and not like a mouthful of sugar.

Then top it off with strawberry frosting, I just bought some from the store that didn't have milk or egg products in it. They do exist, so check that out.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mmm fall

In honor of fall, I made two new recipes! Both super easy to make.

Stuffed sweet dumpling squash

2 squash, cut in half carefully, spoon out the guts

- Place cut side down on non-stick foil on a baking sheet in the oven at 425 degrees for about 25 mins or until you can stick the outside with a fork and it goes in easily

1 bag of boil in bag brown rice (approx. 2 cups cooked)
1 - 2 c. morningstar farms "sausage" crumbles (depending on how meaty you want it)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium sized apple, i used gala, diced
salt, pepper, sage

- Cook rice. In skillet, saute onion and celery with spices til onion is translucent. Add apple and sausage. Saute til sausage is thawed. Stir in your cooked rice. Stuff your cooked squash, place back in the oven for about 10 mins to get it slightly browned on top.



Hominy Griddle-cakes

1 can hominy
bisquik
vegan butter (earth balance, check the label, they aren't all vegan)

-Drain hominy, saving the liquid in a bowl for mixing later. Saute the hominy in a skillet with 1 Tbsp. vegan butter til lightly toasted. Mash it with your reserved liquid, there will still be lumps, it's ok. Stir in enough bisquik to make a thick batter. Cook like they are thick pancakes, you want them golden and crispy.

Monday, July 20, 2009

S'Mores Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes
From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Ingredients:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. canola oil
2 Tbsp. molasses
1/4 c. soy yogurt
1 1/4 c. soy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- You need 2 bowls, 1 for wet ingrediants and one for dry.
- Mix the brown sugar, oil, molasses, yogurt, soy milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl and mix. Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix it up again.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Your batter will still probably be a little lumpy unless you made the graham cracker crumbs really fine. Lumps are ok though.
- Fill cupcake liners almost full. Sometimes mine spill over a bit, but it might just be the pan I'm using. So either take your chances on filling it all the way up, or leave a little space and have extra batter left over.
- Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before decorating.

- I use fluffy white whipped frosting from the store.. read the ingredients to make sure there are no dairy or egg products. Or you can make your own, see recipe at the end.
- So generously frost the cupcakes with your white frosting, or if you really want a sticky awesome cupcake, look for vegan marshmallow fluff at whole foods.

- Then you will drizzle chocolate on.. mine is usually more like a pool of chocolate. See recipe that follows.

- Then I usually break some more graham crackers into 1/8 and stick them in the top, for decoration.. or you can crumble some on top.

Quick Melty Ganache
- 3 Tbsp soy milk
- 1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips (they sell vegan chocolate chips at whole foods, not expensive, or check the ingredients.. i think dark chocolate generally doesn't have dairy in it)

- heat milk to simmer in a small pot or in the microwave, then remove from either, and add chocolate, stir til completely smooth. let cool about a minute, then drizzle onto cupcakes. it will solidify slightly, but never harden completely.

Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 c. nonhydrogenated shortening
- 1/2 c. nonhydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
- 3 1/2 c. confectioners sugar (sifted)
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 c. soy milk

- Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 3 more minutes. Add vanilla and soy milk, beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.
- You can pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes by putting it in a sandwich bag and cutting off one corner. No mess! :) Nice.