Box Brownies

A few weeks or so ago, Marika (gal pal from Madcap Cupcake) blogged about the convenience of a boxed mix for baked goods – just veganizing them. Well, it’s been on my mind ever since..and Dad wanted brownies. He had a box in the pantry, and so I decided to give it a try! Normally I would just throw together the flour and cocoa myself, since it really doesn’t add that much more time to the dish..but the box is easy because no measuring (and it was there). While the brownie part of it was naturally vegan (you do have to look out for egg whites or milk in the mixes), it came with a chocolate syrup that was NOT VEGAN – ergo, it got tossed..and we’ll have to have a chat about looking closer before purchase so we don’t contribute to the cruelty even though we don’t consume it …but I digress. Here’s the veganized box of Ghiradelli brownies Dad wanted as his birthday treat (Nov 8), topped with some So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean Ice Cream…nom nom nom!

Ingredients:

1 TBSP ground flaxseed in 3 TBSP warm water
1 box brownie mix (make sure it’s vegan to begin with)
1/4 C warm water
1/3 C canola/veg oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the flax ‘egg’ and set aside while you mix up the remaining ingredients. You can also toss in about 1/2 C chopped nuts (as per Dad’s request for pecan brownies).
2. Add in flax mixture and bake according to package directions. Oh, and be sure to taste the batter for “quality control”

3. Top with delicious vegan ice cream, and enjoy!

So now there is no excuse not to have cruelty-free and compassionate brownies, even if you don’t have access to a special organic market (and even if you’re not vegan). This mix was purchased at the local grocery store..nothing special about it (HEB for those in Texas).

Happy Baking!

Apple Cider Granola

I am totally obsessed with the fresh apple cider I’ve been getting at the Farmer’s Market.  Apparently the Northern Virginia area has some wonderful apple orchards.  I had some store bought granola once that was sweetened with apple juice, and as I was chugging down yet another glass of cider last week, I thought, hey, I’ll copy that idea and make some granola out of this stuff.  Of course, if you don’t have apple cider where you are you could use apple juice.  This granola is not very sweet, so if you like your granola to taste like candy, add a little more agave nectar.  The actual apple flavor bakes off, leaving just a hint of apple tart and sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 C oats

1/4 C flaxseed meal

1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 TBS agave nectar

1/2 C unpasteurized apple cider

4 TBS melted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flaxseed, almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3.  Mix in the liquids:  nectar, apple cider, and Earth Balance.

4.  Bake at 300 for 45 minutes, or until toasted and crispy.

5.  Let cool and store in an airtight container.

On This Day in History:  Chana Masala!  Mmm… so good.

Product Review: Sweet & Sara Marshmallows

The vast majority of the time, whenever non-vegans ask me, “oh, don’t you miss eating X?” the answer is a resounding no. I don’t miss cheese, bacon or bar-b-qued carcasses.  Not even a little bit.  That said, there are a few items that it would be nice to have a vegan substitute for, even though I can certainly live without them.  Vegan marshmallows, for example.  What?  Marshmallows aren’t vegan?  That’s right.  The critical ingredient in traditional marshmallows is gelatin.  Gelatin is derived from the collagen in animal bones and skin.   Ick.

Before I found Sweet & Sara, I would drink my winter time evening hot chocolate without marshmallows, or occasionally, with some so-so Kosher marshmallows, made without gelatin.  But then Sara ordered some Sweet & Sara mallows from Cosmo’s and told me about them.  They are so much better than “normal” marshmallows, everyone will love them.  They are soft and rich and sweet and amazing.  They are not air-puffed.  They do not have the consistency of styrofoam.  Instead, they are dense little pillows of vanilla sweetness.  Since Sara and I discovered them a couple of years ago, they have expanded their product range to include Original Vanilla, Strawberry, Toasted Coconut, and Cinnamon Pecan Marshmallows.  Most recently they added Mini Marshmallows to the line, perfect for hot chocolate.  They also make Rocky Road Bark (which I haven’t tried), and Original and Peanut Butter S’mores, which are to die for.

You need to keep them in the refrigerator.  Eating one mallow almost every day, one box will last me about three weeks, and they are still plenty fresh at that point.  I don’t know exactly how long they will keep.  (Much like how when people ask me how long my chocolate chip cookies stay fresh, I have no idea!  They’re all eaten well before they start to lose their appeal!)  As an added bonus, their processing center is fully vegan – e.g. no traces of milk in your food!

Sara has made rice crispy treats with these, with great success.  And for your vegan holiday meals, use them in your sweet potatoes!

Sweet & Sara have not solicited this review, although I would love for them to send me some product samples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On This Day in History: Texas Cornbread! We’re coming up on Thanksgiving, which definitely requires Cornbread Stuffing.  But even if you’re not making stuffing, this cornbread is fantastic during the winter to accompany chili, tortilla soup, or just for some good, old fashioned, cornbread and beans.

Bird Egg Bean Puree

I’ve been really infatuated with bean purees lately.  You can spread it on sandwiches, use it as dip for carrots and chips, or just serve it along side some rice and veggies for dinner.  Earlier this fall, during the few short weeks that I could find them at the farmer’s market, I made the most wonderful puree out of bird egg beans.  I first discovered bird egg beans last fall, when I moved to the DC area.  They are so delicious!  But if you can’t get them at your farmer’s market, use any hearty bean instead, such as Roman, large Lima or Italian white bean.

Ingredients:

2 C shelled bird egg beans

1 TBS dried herbs – rosemary and oregano

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

0.5 – 1.5 tsp salt (to taste)

2-4 C water for simmering the beans

Instructions:

1.  If using fresh beans, shell, rinse and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender.  If you using dried bean, soak overnight, rinse and simmer for 1 hour, or until tender.

2.  Drain the beans, but save the cooking water.

3.  Puree the beans, herbs, olive oil and salt in a food processor, along with a 1/4 C of the beans’ cooking water.  Add small amounts of water, until desired thickness is reached.

4.  Serve as a snack, appetizer, or as part of your meal, and enjoy!

On this Day in History: Chickpea Chili Flatbread.  I had totally forgotten about this recipe, but wow, it looks tasty!

Bread Making 102 – Flours

Last year on this day, I posted Bread Making 101 in which I discussed some tips to help ease the making of your own bread. And as with every onset of wintertime, I get the urge to start baking up a bread storm..so I thought I’d talk about bread making a little bit more – if that’s alright with you! Let’s recap last years post a bit: You want quality ingredients, sufficient but not excessive kneading force, and an optimal rising environment. Sounds simple enough, right?!

Well, let’s delve a little further into the quality and types of ingredients for the second installment of Bread Making, shall we – specifically flours. I mentioned previously that I started off my bread making experience with King Arthur Flour’s – at least what I would call the beginning of my ‘delicious’ bread making experience (sub par flours result in sub par breads). I also stated that since my switch to organics, I liked Bob’s Red Mill. In the 101 comment section, I was graciously informed by PJ Hamel, a baker with KAF, that they do in fact have a line of organic flours (thank you PJ)! Since then, I’ve been back on the KAF bandwagon! I don’t know if they do a special magical dance as part of their quality control for each bag of flour as it goes out, or what..but of all the breads I’ve made in the last decade, the ones I use KAF are always the BEST! Don’t get me wrong, I still like BRM..but nothing beats KAF in my book!

Okay, enough about flour brands..what about flour types? Obviously bread flour is a great option when making breads (I also like it because it can withstand mechanical kneading, and freakishly strong kneading like I have).  However, what I have found – of course, this depends on the type of bread your making – is that bread flour will result in a denser (as opposed to airy) texture. Sometimes that is exactly what you want, such as with sandwich breads or pizza doughs. Other times, you want a flaky and lighter texture..say, with things such as dinner rolls. This is when I would recommend using some all purpose flour in place of some of the bread flour (if only BF is called for). Then there are times when you want all the flaky with all the rise assistance, with things like Super Soft and Delicious Cinnamon Rolls. This is when I like to sub in a little bread flour in place of some of the all purpose. The higher protein content of bread flour is what assists the rising of a dough – which is something to consider if you tend to have issues with your doughs not rising properly.

White Whole Wheat flour – I love KAF 100% organic White Whole Wheat. I like it better than the non-organic equivalent, both flavor-wise and resulting bread consistency-wise. I don’t know why there is a difference between the two, at least in my hands..but I find the flavor of the organic to be less intrusive (wheaty) than the non-organic. Let’s just say that I can get away with using the organic in a cookie and nobody suspects it’s wheat, whereas with the non-organic there is a wheaty taste to the cookie (and you have the mental block of ‘healthy = not good tasting’). For kneading purposes, I find that the wheat flours tend to be tougher when it comes to kneading. You get the nutritional benefits of whole wheat, with a lighter wheat flavor – if that’s what you’re in to

Lastly, the ever present All Purpose flour. It is exactly as it’s name implies – all purpose. It’s good for kneaded breads, as well as light baked goods like cakes and brownies. It has an optimal gluten-producing protein – enough to assist in the rising of a dough but not so much that it would turn lighter items like cookies or cakes into dense throwing weapons.

My personal philosophy is that if you’re taking the time to make your own bread, you may as well not skimp on ingredients! And the MOST crucial ingredient is the flour…

Happy Baking!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Freshly roasted pumpkin seeds are a wonderful (but addictive) snack.  If you’re slicing a pumpkin for carving, or cooking, don’t thrown the seeds away, roast them!

Ingredients:

fresh pumpkin seeds

dash olive oil

dash salt

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Cut pumpkin in half.  Spoon out pulp and seeds, and put in a medium bowl.  You can use the pumpkin flesh for soup or pie.

2.  Add enough water to the bowl to cover the seeds and pulp.  Pull out the larger pulp sections, pull the seeds off, and discard the pulp.  After you get the large pieces of pulp out, the seeds will be floating in the water, with some smaller pulp bits underneath.  Skim the seeds off the top and put in a strainer.  After you have all of the seeds, give them a quick rinse and drain.

3.  In a small bowl, add a dash of salt and olive oil to the seeds.  Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

4.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F degrees.  Toss the seeds around to redistribute and bake another 10 minutes.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

On This Day In History: Fruehstuck

Pumpkin Soup

Wow, I’m actually posting a recipe!  It’s been ages.  My work friend and fellow vegan, Carrie, requested a pumpkin soup recipe, and I just happened to have a couple of little pumpkins lying around.  But most importantly, I didn’t have to work this weekend, so I actually had the time, ingredients and motivation to create a new dish and post it.  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

4 C roasted pumpkin – 2 small cooking pumpkins

1 C light coconut milk

4 C veggie broth or potato water

1/2 tsp each:  chili powder, cumin, coriander

1.5 tsp salt

squeeze of lime

few cilantro leaves

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut pumpkin in half.  Spoon out the seeds and pulp and roast the seeds later.  Slice the pumpkin into wedges.

2.  Toss the pumpkin wedges with  a dash of olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

3.  Allow the pumpkin wedges to cool until you can handle them comfortably.  Pull the flesh away from the rind, and collect in a small bowl.

4.  Put the pumpkin and 1/2 C veggie broth in your food processor and blend until very smooth, while slowly adding up to another cup of broth.

5.  When the pumpkin puree is super smooth, transfer to a medium pot.  Add the coconut milk and remaining broth, along with the salt, cumin, coriander and chili powder.

6.  As you’re preparing to serve the soup, add just a couple of drops of lime to each bowl and top with a few cilantro leaves.

Mole de Sopa

Two of my favorite things in the wintertime are chili and chocolate…so here’s a delicious way to combine the two! I don’t know if it’s purely for the love of things spicy and love of things sweet, or if it’s because in Texas we never actually had cold winters (and hot soup with windows open just seems wrong) – and here in KC I can actually use soups to warm me, cuddled up under a blanket (or dog)! This would be excellent followed up by a cup of Double Chocolate Diablo – if you’re having a wicked chocolate craving A little bit about mole (pronounced mole-ay, not like the animal or spy)… During Dia de los Muertos, mole is a popular offering to dead loved ones, because of its many ingredients. Since mole is eaten on special occasions, many see it as a fit offering – and we all know that is coming up, right after Halloween!! This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 C veggie broth
1 small can tomato sauce
2-3 TBSP canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 C diced golden potatoes
1.5 C cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 tsp minced ginger
1 TBSP cocoa powder
2 TBSP chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne *optional
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Warm the canola oil over medium heat, in a large stock pot. Dice the onion.
2. Add onion and minced ginger to warmed oil, and cook about 3-5 minutes, meanwhile dice the potatoes.
3. Add in spices (cocoa powder, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper), and stir. Add in tomato sauce, potatoes, chickpeas, and broth.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are cooked through). Serve with cornbread, tortillas, or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

**I would also recommend adding in some diced tomatoes, just to round out the tomato flavor!

Happy Cooking!

On This Day In History: Casper the Friendly Cupcake!

Monsterrific Cookies

Here’s a cute little way to make some monsters for a Halloween party – but beware..these are packed with frosting, so they may not be for the faint of sugar

1. Make Jo’s chocolate chip cookies (or your favorite cookie of choice). Make Buttercream frosting. You can either choose to color the frosting, or leave it white for the face of the monster. Separate out some frosting to color for the eyes and hair.

2. Place a large dollop of frosting on top of one cookie, going heavier on one side than the other.

3. Top with another cookie, so it sits at an angle.

4. Using a #233 Wilton tip, make two dots for eyes. Place a chocolate chip, or white chocolate chip, in the center of the dot for the eyes.. and place another one as a nose.

5. Using a #233 or #199 Wilton tip, make fun hair – wild and crazy, soft serve-esque, whatever tickles your monster fancy.

Happy Halloween!

Happy World Go Vegan Week!

Hello Primate followers! This is going to just be a quick post to wish you all a Happy Go Vegan Week! I’ll be posting a recipe later today…but I wanted to share these well-wishes with you now! So let’s spread the vegan love, and help others go vegan!

Happy Vegan Week!