Spring has Sprung, Ostara and Vegan Cadbury Cream Eggs!

I hope you all had a beautiful Ostara (spring equinox)!
As it was so mild and pretty out, I clean off our deck and we
ate out there for the first time ever! So nice, not to mention
I spent a nice morning getting some vitamin D (and prolly skin
cancer too).

I couldn't help but want to show you all the pretty salad
we had with dinner. The spring sun caught all the colours!


To celebrate the first day of spring I made my absolute-
all time favorite candy ever. This may sound strange, but
when other people were worrying over cheese when they went vegan...
I was worrying about Cadbury Eggs.

But I'm not one to let my junk food habits control my lifestyle.
Besides, I'd just have to make them myself. And I did.

Now these are pretty messy to make and look more like the
reeses peanut butter eggs than the nice round cadbury eggs.
But I am not gonna buy an egg shaped mold just for these.
I am considering buying a little heart shaped one though and
that way I can use it for other things. But for now they are
a little flat.

I veganized and halved the original recipe because I didn't
want 2 dozen Cadbury eggs sitting around the house, beggin to
be eaten. Thats just dangerous.

Vegan Cadbury Cream Eggs



Ingredients

1/4 cup a sugar syrup, corn, brown rice, etc
3 tablespoons earthbalance
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups of vegan powdered sugar, sifted
dash of salt
food coloring
1/2 a bag of semi sweet or dark vegan chocolate chips

Mix together the sugar syrup, 2 tbsp earthbalance, extract,
and salt. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat well.

Pull out a quarter of the fondant and add a few drops of
natural yellow food coloring*.


Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very firm.
You can also freeze it if you are an impatient ninja.

Next, you have to work quickly, as the warmth of your hands
will melt the fondant and make it sticky.

Dampen your hands (very lightly) and scoop a rounded teaspoon
of yellow into a flat tbsp of white. Encase the yellow in the
white fondant, wrapping it in a layer twice as thick.

(I need to emphasize again, that this is very messy and can
get frustrating)

Place on a greased plate or pan. If the fondant is at all warm
it will still stick despite the oil, so don't worry- its not you.
Try and get them as egg shaped as you can. A couple of mine were
very circular and funky.


Freeze or chill for at least four more hours.
Right before that time is up and your fillings are almost
completely hard, start on your chocolate.

Melt it with a tablespoon of earthbalance over low heat.
You can either drop your eggs in and roll them in one at a time
or skewer them on a kabab to coat them. Since the chocolate is
warm you will have to again, work quickly.


Once they've been coated, chill again, coat once more, chill
and then!!! The moment we've all been waiting for-- NOM nom nom!




*Here are some links if you want to look into natural, vegan,
vegetable, non-cancer causing food colouring.

Indian Tree Natural Food Colourings
Sustainablog's listings of vegan food colouring
Nature's Flavors Organic Food Colouring

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

In the midst of piles of papers, counting up grades and cramming
I got in a wee bit of St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
My Monkey-man came over the night before to surprise me, but
I think I surprised him more with the yummy garlic soup.

We watched some Black Books and celebrated being Irish with Dylan
Moran. It was weird being home on St. Patrick's Day though.
I've always thrown parties, wandering around all night telling
Irish jokes with an accent til I went hoarse.

This morning we slept in late and I used the last of my potatoes
to make some grilled potato cakes and washed it down with Irish
breakfast tea.

These are different from your typical hashbrown-ish dinner cakes
and very different from the baked ones I made the other night.
These are smooth and simple, topped with earthbalance and agave-
perfect for a nice, quiet Irish breakfast.

Grilled Breakfast Potato Cakes

Ingredients

3 potatoes, peeled-chopped-boiled
2 tablespoons of earthbalance
2/3-1 cup whole wheat flour
salt

Drain the potatoes, reserving a little bit of water. Mash with
the earthbalance. Add a little bit of water to make sure the
potatoes are not dry. Salt and add the flour.

The flour should equal to about 1/3 the amount of potatoes you
have. Mix gently and flatten out on to your counter.
Cut into triangles and grill on a dry non-stick skillet.



Grill until golden and flip.
Serve with dark agave and a pat of earthbalance.

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.