Archive for the ‘Recipes’ category

« Older Entries

Mrs. Nashveggie’s Vegan Coconut Cake

April 10th, 2012

Mrs. Nashveggie's Vegan Coconut Cake

 

Coconut cake is one of my favorites as is coconut ice cream and coconut candy. I add coconut to many things I cook, sweet potatoes and cornbread being two. Still, coconut cake gets me everytime. Mrs. Nashveggie made a delicious coconut cake this week and after raving about it on Twitter requests came in for a recipe. Many know I’m not a recipe person but Mrs. Nashveggie is. She has quite a few of her own and uses others from time to time. So here’s the recipe for a delicious vegan coconut cake. It’s perfect for a warm evening. This recipe makes a three-layer cake. The image above is a single round layer. I didn’t want to over-indulge.

 

Mrs. Nashveggie’s Vegan Coconut Cake

1 cup Earth Balance orignal, softened at room temperature
2 TBS egg replacer combined with 1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 cup vegan sugar
2 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (you can use almond milk but it may lend an undesirable flavor)
1 TBS vinegar
3 cups  all purpose flour
1 1/2 TBS baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease, flour three 9″ round pans,
2. Beat earth balance, sugar, vanilla and coconut with a mixer. When combined mix on high until fluffy for about 3 minutes.
3. Combine baking powder and flour in bowl. in a second bowl mix soy milk, vinegar and egg replacer mixture. Add dry ingredients and wet ingredients slowly to mixer bowl a little at a time each, alternating each until all is added. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl to be sure all of Earth Balance and ingredients are mixing. Pour batter into pans.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick is inserted into middle of cake and comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan on wire cooling rack for 30 minutes. Flip pans to remove cake and cool for an hour.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup Earth Balance original, softened at room temperature
1 TSP vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 TBS water
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Cream Earth Balance with mixer at high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Add water, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract and mix again on low for 30 seconds scraping sides of bowl to be sure all is combined. Whip at high for 2 minutes until fluffy.
3. Add 1/3 cup of coconut and mix with spatula to combine.

PinterestShare

3 comments »

Posted in Baking, Food, Recipes

Tags:

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

November 23rd, 2011

Soy Gingerbread Latte with Gingerbread Latte Syrup

 

The holidays are here and while you may love a Pumpkin Spice Latte you’re ready to move on. Moving on means Gingerbread Lattes. Yes, Starbucks is the most popular hub for getting your gingerbread latte but who really wants all of that artificial and unknown goop they pump into your “grande” cup? Why not make your own syrup at home and use fresh spices? You can do it!

This is just an alteration of my Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup recipe.  Again, only use fresh spices. You don’t want to have a flavorless or bland syrup. This syrup uses fresh ginger for a little ginger bite. Not only are you going to get great coffees from this syrup but your kitchen is going to smell wonderful when you make it!

 

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

1 cup Water
1 cup Vegan Cane Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice
2 TBS Whole Allspice
2 TSP Ground Cinnamon
1 TSP Ground Cloves
2 TSP Ground Ginger
4 pieces of fresh ginger, about 1 inch long each peeled and crushed (use the back of a knife or large spoon)
2 TBS Molasses
1 TSP Peppercorns
1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

In a small pan heat the peppercorns over high heat until they begin to pop. Add the water, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and both gingers to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add sugar and molasses. Return to a boil for one minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in vanilla. Strain with a fine strainer or cheesecloth into a sealable bottle or other container. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.

I like to use about 2 tablespoons for a typical 2 shot latte. Adjust to your taste.

 

PinterestShare

No comments »

Posted in Coffee, Recipes, Starbucks

Tags:

Seitanic Dumplings

November 3rd, 2011

When the weather cools down I crave comfort foods. Even better is a one pot comfort food. Nothing is quite as comforting and filling as dumplings. For this recipe I made my own seitan. Making your own seitan is quite easy and you can find plenty of recipes for doing it. I’ll post my seitan recipe later but if you don’t already have a recipe or you’re just not comfortable making it yourself you can always buy it pre-made. You can usually find it beside the tofu in Whole Foods or other grocery stores if you’re so lucky to find one that carries it. It’s very expensive to buy pre-made seitan versus making it yourself so if you start to rely on seitan for much of your cooking you’ll want to get into making it. Your cash flow will thank you.

This recipe is one I made from my little of this, little of that method and worked it to the right spot. I posted this recipe a few years ago but have tweaked it since and I think it’s worth posting again.   Try this one on a cold, damp day.

 

Seitanic Dumplings

 

Seitanic Dumplings

4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water
1/3 cup Earth Balance
1/3 cup flour
16 oz seitan torn into small pieces
1 small onion finely diced
2 medium carrots peeled and diced into small cubes
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
1  TSP salt
1/2 TSP black pepper
2 TSP marjoram

Melt Earth Balance in large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Remove onion and set aside. Add flour to the melted Earth Balance remaining in the pot and create a roux. Add water and stock gradually stir or whisking to remove any clumps. Add all other ingredients. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

For the Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 TBS shortening or Earth Balance
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 TBS lemon juice OR 1 TBS apple cider vinegar

Add vinegar or lemon juice to the soy milk and set aside. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Using a fork cut in the shortening or Earth Balance and mix until only small clumps remain. Add the soy milk.  Mix with a spatula or fork until a large wet dough ball forms. You’re needing a sticky mass not a dry clump. If your dough is too dry add a little more milk.  Roll out dough on a floured board until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut rolled dough into 1 inch wide strips and cut strips into smaller lengths, about 2-3 inches long. Place dumplings on top of soup and let cook covered on medium-low heat undisturbed for 15 minutes. After cooking stir dumplings into soup and cooked covered for another 30 minutes on medium-low heat stirring occasionally.

Makes 6-8 servings.

 

PinterestShare

No comments »

Posted in Cooking, Earth Balance, Recipes, Seitan

Tags:

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Dip

October 6th, 2011

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Cream Cheese Dip

Fewer ingredients hit a popularity during a certain season like pumpkin does in fall. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin spice lattes all hit a high during this time of year. One of our favorite snacks to make involves a generous taste of sweet pumpkin. Pumpkin Pecan Dip is a quick munchie that can be made on a whim and will have even the meat eaters asking for more.

As with all of the recipes I post don’t skimp on the ingredients with a cheaper version of something thinking you’ll get the same flavor. It doesn’t work. I’ve tried this with different brands of pumpkin spread and vegan cream cheese and the flavors just aren’t there. You’ll find the Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter at Williams-Sonoma and Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Plain Cream Cheese is available at most Whole Foods stores. Again, don’t skimp if you want the best flavor. You’ve been warned.

 

Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter and Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Plain Cream Cheese

Two of the main ingredients: Williams-Sonoma's Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter, Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan Plain Cream Cheese and Lightlife Smoky Tempeh Strips (not pictured) are important ingredients in this recipe. Don't skimp on these as they lend the perfect flavor to this dip. I've tried others and they're just not as good.

Also, as with most of my recipes, they’re not really hardline recipes. For the most part, I don’t use recipes in my cooking and food preparation. I’m a little of this and little of that food creator. I have developed some of my “this and that creations” into traditional recipes to share and I plan on doing more of that in the future.  People keep asking me for recipes of the things I post pictures of on Twitter and I tell them there’s no recipe.  Some have said that I’m just not willing to share. No, I say that because I don’t have a recipe for the vegan cornbread that will destroy the milk and egg cornbread your grandmother makes, the vegan biscuits that make those from “that local joint, you know the one” seem like flavorless hockey pucks (they are) or the barbecue tempeh that’s full of perfect flavor all the way through that I like to have once a week. I say that because it’s true. I could write down general guidelines but it wouldn’t be in recipe form.  Some of the best things you’ll ever eat will come from a little of this/little of that approach. Damn the recipe!

 

With that said, here’s the….recipe.

 

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Dip

1/2 tub (4 oz) Galaxy Nutritional Vegan Plain Cream Cheese

1/3 cup Williams-Sonoma Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter

2 strips Lightlife Smoky Tempeh Strips

1/2 cup Pecans

2 tbs chives or green onions, chopped fine

Toast the pecans until lightly and fry the tempeh strips until crisp. Finely chop both the toasted pecans and tempeh strips, set aside.  Spread the Vegan Cream Cheese evenly on a small plate about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the Pecan Pumpkin Butter evenly on top of the vegan cream cheese.  Sprinkle the toasted pecans and tempeh strips on top of the pecan pumpkin butter.  Top with chopped chives or green onions.

Serve with crackers such as wheat thins. I prefer Trader Joe’s Everything Crackers.

 

PinterestShare

No comments »

Posted in Cooking, Food, Lightlife, Recipes, Trader Joe's, Williams Sonoma

Tags:

Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

November 6th, 2010

Pumpkin Spice Latte

This time of year brings out the candy coffee lover in people and most make a line to Starbucks and other coffee places that have decided the Pumpkin Spice Latte is the coffee flavor of the season. They are very good, although Starbucks isn’t vegan and Panera’s is, but they are very expensive. At and average of $4 for a Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte it can add up quickly if you become addicted. You could opt for a store-bought syrup. Williams-Sonoma sells a very good Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup.  At $10 for a small bottle that can also get expensive if you’re enjoying a pumpkin spice latte once or twice a day. With home espresso makers more affordable than the 5-time-a-week or more trips to the coffeeshop having a way to make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte at home should be as easy.

I created my own Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup after both my wife and I decided there was something about a cold morning and a spiced coffee that just fit. It is very simple but extremely tasty, better than any you’ll find at Starbucks, Panera or any other coffeeshop I’ve ever had a Pumpkin Spice Latte from and without all of the added preservatives you’ll find in those syrups some of the coffeeshops use. Even better, your wallet won’t be taking that ridiculous $4-plus hit with each drink.

High quality, fresh spices make all the difference in this recipe as they do in all.  Cheap or old spices will give a weak flavor and a bad syrup.


Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Vegan Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice
2 TBS Whole Allspice
2 TBS Whole Cloves
1 TSP Ground Cinnamon
1/2 TSP Ground Ginger
1/2 TSP Fresh Ground Nutmeg
1 TSP Vanilla
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

In a medium pan bring water, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and add sugar. Return to boil and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add pumpkin, return to boil whisking until pumpkin is well blended. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. With a slotted spoon or strainer remove cloves and allspice. Cool completely, add vanilla and pour into jar or bottle for storage. When making your latte use two tablespoons, or more for a stronger flavor, for an 8 ounce latte. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.

PinterestShare

14 comments »

Posted in Coffee, Cooking, Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup, Recipes, Starbucks, Williams Sonoma

Tags: