Vegan Margarita Cupcakes: The Real Deal

As part-two of the fiesta cupcakettes that I made for MonkeyMan's
Aunt, I wanted some crazy margarita cupcakes. Obviously citrus,
but I didn't really know where to go from there.

Hopefully I won't get assaulted for this, but why are there no cupcake
recipes other than from the 'cupcakes take over' book. I looked over
the recipe and could just tell it wasn't going to be flavourful enough.
No, I wanted a sharp citrus, a creamy cupcake, and a strong kick of
tequila. Not a lingering aftertaste and some glaze with sparkly sugar
on top. Too harsh? I just wanted something that would knock people's
socks off. If it was just the tiniest bit bland, people are going to
immediately blame it on being a vegan cupcake.

Ole!



Margarita Cupcakes: El Auténtico

Ingredients

Juice and zest from one lemon
Zest from one lime
3/4 cup coconut milk/cream
(if using cream, reduce the oil and increase the cream to 1 cup)
I Like how this adds a little more of a topical taste
1/4 cup oil
3 tbsp tequila
2 tbsp triple sec
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup cake flour
2 tsp corn starch or arrowroot
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup earth balance
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
lemon or lime zest
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
4 tbsp tequila (Or more)
dash of salt
(one drop of each yellow and blue colouring: optional)

(+rock salt and more tequila)

Combine the lemon juice with the coconut, stir and set aside.
Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar).

Stir the coconut/lemon once more and add the alcohol, vanilla, and
oil. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients, just until mixed.

Portion out into cupcake cups, about 80% full.

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350°F. Remove when a tooth pick inserted
into the middle comes out clean, or you start to see the tiniest bit of
gold on the tops.

Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack. Right after placing
the cakes on the cooling rack, brush the tops with more tequila, making
sure to get around the edges too.

While the cupcakettes are baking, prepare the frosting.
First cream together the sugar and earthbalance, then add the zest,
juice, salt and a little bit of the tequila at a time.

The frosting should be smooth and fluffy, but not stiff or wet.
Right before frosting, brush the cakes again with tequila. Pipe the
frosting on in your favorite design, then top with a tiny wedge of lemon
or lime and sprinkle lightly with rock salt.

These went faster than a blink of an eye. Maybe a guacamole or salsa
cupcake should be next? Or is that just too weird? Okay.

How about a spicy mango?

Mexican HOT Chocolate Cupcakettes

Monkey Man's Aunt had her big Five-O last week, so I've been planning
on sending some vegan goodies that direction for a while. Since her
party theme was Fiesta, I couldn't resist going loco for flavour.

This is part-one of these fiesta cakes. I call the mini ones cupcakettes
because I think it sounds cuter. And this is my first official blog
featuring cupcakes. I don't really care for them. If I have the option of
pie or something else, cupcakes are the last thing I would order.

SO. If I don't really like cupcakes and I say these are good...
You better bet these are smokin' Good!

For the initial recipe inspiration, I have to give a big 'ol shout-out
to "Yeah That Vegan Shit" and her Mexican Chocolate Cake!

I basically pumped up the spices, HOT factor, made my own frosting to
top 'em, and overall revamped it for richness. Not being able to resist
chipotle, I had to throw some in. I don't care if that bandwagon has
come and gone as far as food fads are concerned, I am forever sold on
the smokey spiciness!

These were rich, moist, and oh so spicy. Not overwhelming, but you
definitely get a warm kick after the first bite.

(Please be warned that I have a very high heat tolerance,
so please taste as you go).

Mexican HOT Chocolate Cupcakettes


















Ingredients (yields 36-40 cupcakettes)

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sucanat
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp mild chili powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, diced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup almond milk

Add the lemon juice to the almond milk and stir, set aside. Sift together
all the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle of the bowl to add the
wet ingredients.

Add the vanilla, oil, and chipotle and about 1-2 tbsp of adobo sauce to
the almond milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just
combined.

Pour into mini or regular cupcake cups and bake for 12 minutes at
350°F, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

It depends on what size you’re baking. Take a peek through the
window of your oven first, if they look like they are still rising—
DO NOT open your oven door! This could cause your cakes to fall!

Once baked through, remove from tray and allow to cool on a baking
rack before frosting.

Mex Hot Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup earthbalance
2-3 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whip together the powdered sugar and the earthbalance, then add the
vanilla, cocoa, and spices. Add the nondairy milk a little at a time to
get the right consistency. It should be soft and smooth enough to pipe,
but not wet or runny. If it is too wet, just add a little extra sugar and
cocoa to absorb the moisture.

Spoon into a small star and pipe on your classic swirls, or whatever
design you like best. I topped them off with a chocolate cigarette and
a dusting of cinnamon.

Check back soon for some fan-frickin-tastic Margarita Cupcakettes!

Harry Potter Cauldron Cakes

First off, I know not everyone out there is a Harry Potter fan and
not everyone is an avid fan as some of us. If you’ve never read the
books, watched the films, or taken part in the wizarding world of
J.K. Rowling, I strongly encourage you to.

It may not change your life, but you may be missing out on some really
good entertainment. What’s all the hype about? It may have just gotten
on your nerves and now you’re ignoring it out of principle. Get over it
and go read the books. Really. Honestly. It’s not high classic literature,
but they are really FUN and undeserving of your contempt.

I am not just saying this because of how much I love swords and
sorcery, or because I was one of those teens those wore capes to the
midnight book releases, or was one of those who finished the last book
in less than 48 hours.

I enjoy fan culture like this because of the sense of camaraderie.
Sure you can go to a rocky horror picture show screening or some other
cult flick and experience the same type of tuned-in energy, but the
whimsy of the whole thing becomes addictive. The HP bug doesn’t turn
off when you leave the theater, it stays with you the whole way home
and the next morning and lingers-- leaving you wanting more!

Cult flicks are tons of fun, all the fans cheer when certain characters
come on or when certain credits roll, but Harry Potter is much more.

I think it also has something to do with how loyal the movies were
to the books and how disappointed I was in the new Star Wars and
Lord of the Rings movies. I’ve given up on comic book films (Scott
Pilgrim excluded). I still enjoy the rebooted films like TRON and
Star Trek etc. But they simply don’t exude the same intoxicating energy
that Harry Potter does.

It is engrossing because of the depth, the detail, and the sheer
extent of character development. For many of us it was also a coming
of age ritual. It was something for us to look forward to each year
and to hide away in when reality got a little low. Hogwarts was a little
escape for each of us and sadly it has come to an end. I was a few years
older than the kids in the books when it first came out, but I was still
growing up while I was reading them. So it truly is the end of an age for
some of us.

Now all the films are out, I plan on going back and rereading the series
(when I get some time-- Eventually). I’ve read the first few books more
than once, but not the later ones. So, I’ve gone a little fuzzy on many of
the details. Besides, it is always fun to go back and try and pick up on
all the little hints when you know what the ending is going to be.

To be honest, the end has left me feeling a little low and really old.
I don’t like waiting for Halloween to costume up. How often to I get to
flaunt my Ravenclaw uniform? For now, I’ll have to bid a fond farewell
to Hogwarts and a turning point in my life-- now I’m coming up to my
quarter-life crisis who knows if anything will catch on like Harry Potter
and steal the hearts of so many muggles... at least in our lifetime!

So lets all raise our butterbeer and pumpkin juice to what was a damn
good, magical decade!

Yes, I saw it opening night-- not the midnight showing, but still...
And of course it was epic! (Surprisingly violent, watch out little ‘uns)



In celebration of Book 7 Part Two, I made some Cauldron Cakes
for your enjoyment. To be honest can’t remember if there was a
description in the books of these or not. So I just made what I thought
Cauldron Cakes sounded like. These are not sweet, so don't expect a
cupcake. They are hearty and look like they were cooked over a cauldron!

Harry Potter Cauldron Cakes



3 cups unbleached wheat flour
3 tbsp powdered sugar
2 3/4 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup berry jam
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup raisins, cranberries, cherries or chopped dates

Sift together the dry ingredients.
Mix the oil, jam and curdled non-dairy milk, slowly add to the
dry mix and stir briefly to not over-mix the soda. Add the nuts and
which ever dried fruit you like.

Pour into greased and floured cupcake cups or mini bundt tins.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350•F.

Serve while still warm with powdered sugar and jam.



Try em with some Pumpkin Juice!

Here is also a Vegan version of ButterBeer from PETA2 which sounds
pretty good, except I might add some vanilla vodka or spiced rum
to give it a real kick.

Breakfast for Dinner

Growing up we had breakfast for dinner alot. In fact breakfast is
my favorite meal. I like it even more than dessert, believe it or not!

As a kid it was eggs, potatoes, and toast or pancakes.
Later it became tofu, potatoes and a green veg or fruit.
But sometimes toast with marmite! Hee hee As long as it is not heavy in
faux meat or sugary pankcakes, I am a firm believer in breakfast at any hour.

As much as Monkey-man loves his sweets, he goes ape-shit for
anything salty and savory. I think it is a male thing to be honest.
I know I've read something about women being more biologically wired
to like sweet stuff like chocolate. Now this isn't a 100% of the
population or anything, just tendencies. I believe it was a podcast from
Stuff You Should Know or Stuff Mom Never Told You.

Anyway, I was thinking a quick fix of french toast for dinner,
but there was no way I was gonna get Monkey-man happy with that.
And it dawned on me-- savory french toast. Who says this stuff
has to be sweet.

It worried me a little though because I once tried to make savory
waffles and it is one of the most embarrassing foods I have ever made
to date. So disgusting. Remembering that I tread carefully.

Now you don't need eggs to make french toast, just your favorite
unsweetened or original flavored non-dairy milk.

I pair this up with some roasted potatoes and a tofu scramble with
peppers and tomatoes.

Breakfast for Dinner Savory French Toast



Ingredients

4 slices of day old or stale-ish bread
(I prefer a whole wheat because of the density)
1 1/4 cups unsweetened or original flavoured non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp soysauce (opt)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1-2 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons of flour or 1 tablespoon starch
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp very very finely diced green onions (opt)
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients except the bread in a wide bowl.
Heat your frying pan and a little bit of olive oil over
medium-high heat.

Dip the bread, coating each side and lay it down on the frying pan.
Cook on each side until a dark golden-brown.

While the toast is grilling mix up a sauce of:

3 parts ketchup
1 part mustard
1 part chili sauce
1 part apple cider

Top with sauce and sauteed veggies if you like!
Serve while still piping hot and make sure your coffee is decaf
at this hour!

Pumpkin Patch Part Two: Pumpkin Spice Soy Latte

During Autumn Pumpkin flavored items are abound, even at chain
restaurants. I saw posters for Jamba Juice's Pumpkin smoothie
and Starbucks has it's ever popular Pumpkin Latte out again.

Why waste the +$5.00 when you can make it at home?
Not nearly as sickly sweet as the commercial versions you
can buy, but you can always add more sweetener if you like.
Plus, it's vegan, unlike the Starbucks version which supposedly
Has condensed milk or some such nonsense in it.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients

2 tbsp agave or maple agave blend
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegan sugar

1/2-1 cup nondairy milk

Coffee drink of your choice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely
smooth! No lumps allowed!

Transfer into a small saucepan and cook for a few minutes on high.
This will cook off some of the extra liquid and also start to cook
and start to caramelize the sugar. Remove when it starts to thicken
slightly.

Go ahead and brew a strong bit of coffee, espresso, or (my new
favorite) Teeccino!

Heat about 1/2-1 cup of soymilk just until warmish-hot. It will
start to form a little bit of foam on the edge of the pan. To
froth you can either use a french press like me, the steamer on
an espresso machine, or use one of those little battery operated
frothers that look like tiny metal whisks.

I've even seen it done by shaking a jar with the soymilk inside
or by being really good with a hand whisk.

Once you've got the soymilk to a thick enough level, pour your
coffee into your mugs and add 1-2 tbsp of your pumpkin spice mix
and stir. Pour in the soymilk and enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch Part One: Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

In honor of my favorite time of year I've decided to do a series of
the most famous autumn fare (and my personal favorite): Pumpkin!

I love squash because of the wonderful colours, shapes, variety and
simple versatility. It is amazing in savory and sweet dishes alike.
Therefore, I thought I'd start off with something you might do a
double take at... Pumpkin Pasta Sauce!

Also because I wanted to use the adorable animal shaped pasta I
recently got. I bought it for mac and cheese, but I had a lot leftover.
The shaped pasta like this really captures the sauce well.

We ate it with some sauteed zucchini and some garlic bread--
But now I have a craving for spiced apple cider!

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce



2 cups of cooked pumpkin
1 cup soymilk or cashew cream
1 vegetable bouillon
5 fresh sage leaves, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp salt
black and white pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste

1/2 tvp
1 tsp oil
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable broth

nutritional yeast

Brown the tvp in a pan over medium heat in the oil. Once the tvp
begins to reach a golden brown and start to toast, turn down and
continually add vegetable broth, while cooking. Once the tvp has
plumped up, is no longer dry on the inside and any excess liquid
is cooked off remove it from the heat. Set aside.

Blend or process your cooked pumpkin with the ‘milk’/cream until
smooth. Over medium heat saute the onion in a few tablespoons of
water. After about two minutes, add the garlic and then the sage.
Cook, adding more water if needed, until the onion appears
translucent and tender.

Add the bouillon, pumpkin mix, tvp, 1/4 cup water/broth and
remaining seasonings. Turn down to medium-low heat and cook for
about more 15 minutes.

Serve over your favorite cooked pasta and top with some nutritional
yeast or mix about a 1/4 cup in right before serving.

Makes enough sauce for 3-4 servings.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Whenever I don't really feel up to cooking or I'm worried abut
time, I make soup. It was one of those 'what needs to be used
in the fridge' days. I didn't have a lot of open kitchen time
and had a ton of broccoli that needed to be used, so cream of
broccoli soup it was.

I like adding potatoes because it adds a heartiness and
thickness that is so yummy. You can either use a variety of
vegetables or keep it simple with some foundation onions and
garlic then add a dash of nutmeg!

Monkey-man likes his soup with all the big vegetable chunks,
but if I'm cooking for guests and such or if I used some funky
or odd shaped veg I'll blend the whole batch. It is also good
if I want to hide a certain vegetable from my picky Mom. Even
blending half is good and gives you the best of both worlds.

I served these with some baked potato cakes. They are super light
fluffy biscuits. I also added a little bit of kale to keep the super green
color. It is important to try and chop everything around the same size
so that it cooks evenly.

Simple Broccoli Vegetable Soup



2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 small crowns broccoli, chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 leaves of kale, shredded
1 bouillon cube
1 1/2-2 cups unsweetened soymilk or nondairy milk
2 tbsp braggs
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
water

Saute the garlic and onion briefly with water, until tender
and fragrant. Add the remaining vegetables (except kale) with
about a cup of water and cover. Continue to cook, stirring
occasionally until potatoes are almost soft. Add the kale and
cook for about 5 more minutes.



Either add to a blender and add soymilk slowly until you get
your own desired thickness or just add the soymilk and
nutritional yeast if you're not blending. Keep on low-med heat
to heat added soymilk, but do not boil.

If blended, add nutritional yeast last. It adds a nice subtle
cheesy taste that rings of old cream of broccoli.

Pizza Pizzaz Part Six: Chipmunk Pizza

Going through this series we had a list of white pizzas that we wanted
to give a shot. Now I love cashews on pizza (especially with broccoli)
but I wanted to turn up the nuttiness up to eleven.

First I started with adjusting the crust. When adding the flour to my
yeast, sugar, oil, salt, water mix I also tossed in about three tbsps
of flax meal. I like the flecked effect it gives, plus the added
nutritional boost. Monkey-man needs his omega-six!


For the Sauce I mixed up a white wine sauce with a earthbalance roux
base. I thinned it out with soymilk, but any nondairy milk would be
fine. Added some garlic and a dash of nutmeg, just to give it a twist.
Of course salt and pepper and cooked enough to burn off the majority
of the alcohol.



For toppings I went all out, not stopping with cashews. I also threw
on sun flower seeds and toasted Brazil nuts, roasted garlic, diced
tomatoes, and black olives. I considered almonds and peanuts, having
both on hand... but almonds are too sweet and I thought peanuts would
be too overpowering.



Lastly I topped it with a dusting of daiya moz cheese.


Again I baked it at 450F for about 12 minutes until browned.
It was incredibly rich and good with a nice salad or leafy green.

I can think of a few other nuts that might have been good... like
macadamia nuts, walnuts, or pistachios-- go nuts!

There are vegan donuts in heaven

Last week for Bake me up LA even/Vegan Bake Sale Day- I decided
my twisted, fatty cravings had gone long enough. I could wait no
longer for another vegan donut.

I am no stranger to making my own donuts. My Dad would make them
when we were little and I made them a few times as a teenager,
but you all know they are pretty scarce for vegans.

The first vegan donut I had was at Voo Doo Donuts in Portland.
Amazing place and one of my all time favorites. Glad I actually
don't live there because I would be a stone or two heavier.

You may not believe me, but I don't make a lot of sweet stuff.
Generally bake sales are my big excuse to splurge on the vegan
sugar-crack attack. I'll get to the point. I made vegan donuts.
They were awesome. They were tiny. They were perfect. I want more.

Mini Vegan Unicorn Donuts

Named for the pink frosting, rainbow sprinkles and I'm convinced
that that is where the hole originated- the unicorn's horn!

*This is a traditional heavy Cake Doughnut recipe! Not puffy!!*

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons lightly flavored oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk, soy/almond/hemp would be best
1 tbsp flax seed whisked with 3 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Oil for frying

Mix flour, sugar, salt, powder, nutmeg. Add the oil and mix until
it appears crumbly. Add the 'milk', vanilla and flax.

Adding a little extra flour, turn out on to a clean counter-top
and finish mixing by a quick knead. Roll out to a 1/2 inch
thickness and cut out into desired shape/size.

I used a shot glass and the cap off my vanilla bottle to make tiny
donuts and donut holes. The idea was to cut how much I was eating
and to make them more appealing for the bake sale. Donut cutters
are pretty easy to find at any of your typical kitchen shops.
I used to use two different sized biscuit cutters.

You can also roll the dough out into thin ropes and twist together
to make tiger-tails. Cut them into large circles if you're going
to fill them with jelly or into large bars if you want to make
bar donuts.

Ease gently into 375F oil. Use a thermometer if you have one
because it is easy to have your oil to hot and you will end up
with even heavier, breadier donuts than a cake. My first batch
was cooked too hot, so I got out my candy thermometer and the
next batch came out perfect.





The nice ones got sent to the sale and the heavier ones got to
stay home for us! Hee hee, I honestly didn't mean to do that!

Cook on each side for a few minutes, turn and pull out with a
large mesh frying spoon, tongs or (if you're really good with
them) wooden chopsticks.

Dip in your favorite frosting.... Add some sprinkles....






Or roll in some cinnamon and sugar! (be quick about it though)
If you let them rest and cool the sugar and spice will not stick.





The next morning we had the left-overs with some coffee and fruit
for breakfast. Oh my god, I knew as soon as I posted this I would
want to make more. Thankfully, they are easy enough to make your-
self and enjoy, but require enough work to not make everyday!
Just maybe every other day...

Vegan Fettucini Alfredo

The summer I spent living with two of my best friends, our
cheap college fare was extremely bizarre and fatty. Granted
we did eat our fair share of potatoes and the vegetarian ramen,
there were three main things I learned to cook during that time
span. I learned how to make crepes from my neighbor, mochi from a
classmate and alfredo from my roomie.

I wrote before how we used to eat a crap ton of crepe...
But I have no idea why we started making alfredo. It was
originally what me started back on a path to attempting to
reincorporate mushrooms into my diet. Ultimately that was
foiled by my strange gag reflex triggered by them.
However, we used porcini mushrooms nonetheless in hopes that
someday I could stomach them.

Since those days I continued making alfredo, but very rarely or
when I was desperate to make something my mom would eat.

I learned to make it with fresh parmesan and heavy cream and
since been trying to make a vegan version with nutritional
yeast and soymilk.

*Enter 'The Urban Vegan'

I really dig this cookbook. Unlike most of the vegan books that
get churned out, it doesn't contain a lot of asian dishes or
bizarre expensive ingredients. I have a very european palate I
must admit.

So finally I shoveled out the earthbalance and made Balcavage's
Vegan Alfredo. I made a couple adjustments...

First, I added garlic. Sorry, but I don't know what alfredo without
garlic would be like... Oh yeah. Boring.

Second, I cut down on the earthbalance and upped the nutritional
yeast. Theory was to make a roux out of the oil and yeast. Well,
to make a proper roux you need equal portions of the fat and X--
typically flour.

Third, having a proper roux you don't need the kudzu root that is
called for.



Vegan Fettucini Alfredo~ Adapted

Ingredients

3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup earthbalance
1/4 cup heaping nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup soy milk
black pepper

In a medium pan over medium heat, saute garlic in melting
earthbalance. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the
nutritional yeast to form your roux.

Continue to cook for about for a few minutes to cook roux.
Whisk in soymilk a little at a time. Add salt and turn to
low. Allow to simmer until it thickens up.

Toss with fettucini or other desired pasta.
I made about 2/3 of a package for this much sauce and served
it with some dark leafy greens.

To add some extra protein try tossing in some vegan chic like
gardein.

Even without the mushrooms, the memories hit me and I tasted
them anyway. Amusingly enough, Monkey-man said later that if
we hadn't had it with greens he wouldn't have been able to
stomach it either because he kept 'memory-tasting' shrimp.
Go figure! So, yes. This alfredo is so authentic tasting it
will blow your mind!

7 Days of Irish Luck, St. Patrick's Day: Irish Garlic Soup

Unfortunately I am behind a day. School is coming to a close
and trying to take my sanity with it. So when I got home last night,
I had such a headache I went to bed without dinner.



But today I was so caught up with the beautiful day -- how
could I not be in the mood to cook? So after I made some
cookies for my cousin, I started dinner for the Monkey-man
and myself. It was just what we wanted. Warm, rich, and filling.

This is such rejuvenating soup. If I was under the weather,
I'd take it over miso any day. The traditional recipe calls
for egg yolks added at the end to thicken it up and add another
layer of richness (fat).

I got that thickness by just adding a tablespoon of arrowroot
to a little bit of soymilk and adding it at the end.

I served it over sliced, toasted bagels- like croutons. Yum!

Irish Garlic Soup



Ingredients

12 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons of earthbalance
2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/4 cup soymilk
1 tablespoon soy sauce/braggs

Melt the earthbalance over low heat, adding the garlic and
onion. Cook on low-low for about 20 minutes. Add the flour,
turning up the heat to cook the flour for a few minutes
into a roux.

Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and broth and cook for another
30 minutes. Finally add the arrowroot powder to the soymilk
and pour into the soup slowly. Season with a little bit of
salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 more minutes.

Serve over croutons.



(Tomorrow is St. Patricks! Pull out that green tonight~)

7 Days of Irish Luck, St. Paddy's Day: Colcannon

Colcannon is a traditional dish served on St. Patrick's Day for
the lovely green and white, but more commonly around Old Hallows
Eve. A ring would be hidden in the dish and the lucky lady
(or not so lucky if you bit it) that found it was bound to marry
in the spring.

The traditional recipe uses a lot of fat, I cut it down and added
a bit of nondairy milk to retain the creaminess.

It can be made with curly kale or cabbage, I used regular cabbage
and purple cabbage to make it even more beautiful!

Colcannon

Ingredients

about 4 potatoes, ready to boil
1/2 cup regular cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1/4 onions
1/4 cup earthbalance
a couple green onions, diced
1/4 cup soymilk
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

While your potatoes are boiling, saute your green cabbage,
garlic, and onions together just until tender. After saute
the purple cabbage, so as not to dye the others.

Alternately, you can saute just the onions and garlic and
set aside (or omit) and blanch the cabbage in your hot
potato water after pulling the potatoes out.

Anyway, after the potatoes are cooked place them in a dish
and mash the butter in, adding just enough nondairy milk
to make it creamy.

Mix in your cabbages (and onions if using) and season with
salt and pepper. I topped my with green onions and stuck
it the the over for just a few minutes, partly to keep it
hot while I was cooking other things and partly to give it
just a little be of a different texture on the top.

I love the way that the purple cabbage dyed just a wee bit
of the surrounding potatoes, they looked like puffy little
clouds...

7 Days of Irish Luck, St. Paddy's Day: Baked Potato Cakes

These have been on my list for a long time and it was so worth the
wait. In famine food you find nearly everything has potatoes in it,
and potato cakes are pretty common, but I definitely prefer the
baked version. I really forgot how wonderful these were.

You can serve them with practically anything and are a great swap
for your average biscuits. In fact, I believe I'll serve these this
year at Thanksgiving instead of dinner rolls.

These guys are light and fuffy and just a little bit flakey.
The potato makes them airy and soft. Normally these are made with
chives, but I use green onion to add more flavour.

Only three days til St. Patrick's Day!! Aren't you excited!?

Me Baked Potato Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup earthbalance
1 cup soymilk, soured with a tsp of vinegar or lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
1 cup (still hot) Fresh mashed potato

While your potatoes are boiling and your soymilk is souring...
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, cutting in the earth-
balance to form little pea sized balls (as you would with biscuits
or pie crust). Add the wet ingredients (potato included), then
the onion, just until mixed. Don't over mix it or it will become
tough.

Turn out on to a floured surface and fold it a couple times,
just to add some layers. Pat out into about 3/4 inch thickness.
Cut into squares and place on a lightly oiled baking pan.



Bake for about 20 minutes at 425, until the look golden around
the edges. I dare you to not eat these all straight out of the
oven.

7 Days of Irish Luck, St. Paddy's Day: Irish Boxty

It was a while back that I made potato cakes that bordered on
hashbrowns. The potatoes were shredded with onions and seasoned.
Although good, not traditional like Irish Boxty where the potatoes
are blended before cooking.

The supposedly became a staple during the famine when food had to
be stretched. I like to think of them as something more decadent
though, like Irish Crepe! They're rolled with hot savory filling
and gulped down!


Our were filled with cooked cabbage in a mustard sauce with tofu
bacon, grilled to a crisp. (The Irish love their bacon, tofu for me!)
Here is the original post on tofu bacon marinade, I add
paprika and garlic powder now when I have it and cut out all but
1 tablespoon of the soy sauce or use braggs.

Irish Boxty~ Potato Crepes

Ingredients
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup soymilk
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Blend your potatoes, adding soymilk if you want to make it easier
on your blender. Add the flour and salt and mix well. You can
adjust these depending on how thick you want your boxty to be.
I like my thin thin, so hopefully you can go from there.

Heat a teaspoon of earthbalance on a skillet at medium to high
heat. Pour about a quarter cup into the skillet, swiveling it
side to side to make sure it spreads evenly and round.


Once it starts to brown just around the edges, you can flip it.
You might have to free it a little, so as not to tear.
After the first, depending on your pan, you may not have to
reoil. To keep them warm, put them on an heat safe plate in the
oven.


Roll up with whatever fillings you like and enjoy.

7 Days of Irish Luck, St. Paddy's Day: Brown Soda Scones

When you want a truly fat free, simple dish- stop trying to add
all sorts substitutes and look to traditional peasant foods.
Not every person/culture had the luxury copious amounts of fats or
cheeses or animals to kill... or much else besides potatoes...
That is why I love looking at traditional peasant foods. They possess
a simplicity and wholesome goodness, using rock-bottom items in
fabulous ways. So, if you are craving some biscuits or scones, but want
something a bit healthier... look no further.

I used all whole wheat flour, but you can split it with all-purpose
if you want something a bit lighter. But these take no butter and
have all the puffed up goodness of a scone. You could easily add
a tablespoon or two of sugar to make them sweet or keep them
straight for a savory meal. (Please note that they are not buttery
and flaky like a southern biscuit, ok?)

You can top these with a little vegan cheese if you like or
have them for breakfast like me with some earthbalance and agave.

Brown Irish Soda Scones


Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of soymilk (soured with 1/2 tsp vinegar and set for 15 mins)

Firstly, sour your soymilk...


Sift together dry ingredients, making a little bowl in the
center to add the soymilk to. Do not over mix or they won't fall
in the oven. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface
and press out into a 1/2 inch thickness.

Cut into 8 scones with a small cutter (I used a small drinking
glass). Place on an oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little
soymilk to give it a glaze.


Bake for 12-15 minutes at 425F until nice and risen.



I must note that these are rather heavy and filling.
Also, they are absolutely best eaten fresh or reheated
in an oven with a little pan of water to soften them up
because I can only imagine how dense they may get if you
let them go and get stale.

Vegan Mac and Cheese revisited: Blast to the past

I will not lie, when I was growing up we ate a CRAPLOAD of
kraft mac and cheese. My Mom was a decent cook, but she hated
it. My Dad was a cook for a long time, but he worked alot!
So the last thing he really wanted to do after 12 hours in a
kitchen all day was come home and cook. Cooking is not all
love and glamor. Far from it. That is why I am admitting
my childhood staple was the ole neon orange noodle in a box.

About 4 or 5 months ago I posted this recipe for mac and cheese.
Well, I've made it pretty often since the Monkey-man is an
ex-cheese nut. But I don't just use it on pasta for mac and
cheese. We use it on pizza sometimes, calzones, puff pastries,
on veggies, chili and fries, etc etc etc

But I've departed from what I originally posted and simplified
it quite a bit, losing none of the flavour.
I would compare this to the Annie's version of mac and cheese,
as the nutritional yeast gives it the aged taste.



To be honest, I never liked the idea of adding a thickener.
It seemed unnecessary, so I just took out the water from
the original recipe. That was also the only reason you needed
to boil it- which I've discovered kills the vit B-12 in the
nutritional yeast- yowzers! So sometimes, I just whisk it right
up without cooking it, unless you're making a hot dish and
then I only heat it up to as low as I can keep it.

The original:
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain soymilk
1 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon salt
1-2 cloves garlic pureed
1/2 small onion, minced as finely as you can
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1-2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
black pepper to taste

The New

1 cups soymilk and then some to thin as much as you need
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons pureed onion or 1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mustard
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 tablespoon miso or more salt

The spices? totally opt in my opinion.
They are mostly for color.

I really like my mac and cheese with apples for some reason.
And we steamed up some broccoli.




Here are a couple shots of our unbaked pizza. Monkey-man makes
the best pizzas ever! I think this was his rosemary
crust... sorry for the grainy pics, they were taken impromptu
with an iphone in bad light.

































So it bakes up fine, just stays pretty creamy.


I recently discovered what exactly it needed to get that
kraft 'cheese' taste. Butter, or rather earth balance in this case.

I found this one stressed out day, doing a huge pile
of homework and policy data analysis, with no time to cook.
I had some plain left over pasta, was out of olive oil and
thought to myself... oh I'll just use some earth balance and
do a quick garlic-butter sauce. Half way there, after I had
already tossed a little earth balance with the pasta I remembered
I had some left over cheese sauce in the fridge. Well, I
thought what the heck and tossed it in there too. I'll be
damned if it wasn't more like the kraft stuff than you can
imagine. So take that new recipe and just toss in a tablespoon
or two of earthbalance and see what you think...

But let me just say the ultimate thing to go with mac and
cheese is something else from my childhood... a classic
80s flick. In this case it was Monkey-mans first time
(pss he's a 90s kid) to see Farris Bueller's Day Out.