Cook Book Challenge Week #12

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

Another cupcake that does not disappoint!  This recipe calls for chocolate, coconut and coffee.  I skipped the coffee, but they were still delicious.  I also played with the frosting a little and used a regular butter cream recipe with a little coconut.  It didn't come out the best and drooped a bit, but still tasted great.  AND since I'm totally obsessed with the Quick Melty Ganache, I had to add some to these cupcakes (I used coconut milk in this, too).  The last touch is to add toasted coconut flakes to the top.  We stored these in the fridge and managed to have dessert all week!

Cook Book Challenge Week #12

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I made these Peanut Butter Cupcakes a couple weeks ago to take to friend.  Of course, Chad and I had to sample a few too.  I used some almond milk and some coconut milk  and whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour, otherwise I followed the recipe.  The cupcakes were amazing-- super thick and moist on the inside with a little crisp on the edge for the first bite.  I think the molasses really heightened the peanut buttery flavor.  I topped them first with banana glaze (a little whipped EB and banana with a splash of vanilla and some powdered sugar), then Quick Melty Ganache and chopped peanuts.  I was so happy with how well they turned out.  Mmm, just thinking about these makes me want to whip up another batch...

Pi Day... Why Not?!

I was more excited that today's date, 3/14, is one month until my birthday, that I almost forgot it's also Pi Day.  Luckily, this email reminded me that I should be eating PIE!  So, here is how I celebrated Pi(e) Day:

I sort of winged the recipe, but it turned out as good as I had hoped.  It's a peanut pastry crust with a (thinner than planned) chocolate layer and a peanut butter layer topped with chocolate ganache.  It was just sweet enough, without being too rich.  Here's an idea of what I did...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pi Day Pie

Crust: (Adapted from "The Best 50 Dessert Tarts")

1/2 c margarine

1-3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 c peanut flour

1/3 c finely chopped peanuts

Mix all ingredients and press into pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 400.  Allow to cool while preparing the filling.

Filling: (this is where I winged it)

1 13 oz carton silken tofu, divided

a few tbsp creamy peanut butter

a few tbsp baker's chocolate 

a few tsp sugar or agave 

a splash of vanilla

Place chocolate and sugar or agave in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring occasionally.  While the chocolate is melting, place half the tofu, peanut butter and vanilla in a food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy.  (Check on chocolate)  Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.  Once chocolate is melted, add the remaining half of tofu, chocolate and a sprinkle of sugar into the food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy.  Scrape into the pie crust and spread evenly.  Carefully spread the peanut butter layer on top.  Refrigerate until almost ready to serve, at least 1 hour.  Before you are ready to serve, prepare chocolate ganache (I used the Quick Melty Ganache from VCTOTW) and drizzle over entire pie.

I don't think you can really mess this up, it's pretty basic.  I'm off to enjoy another piece while watching the finale of "The Bachelor."  Happy Pi Day to all :)

Cook Book Challenge Week #9

Vegan on the Cheap

Last Night's Menu:  Smoky Red Bean Chili with Chipotle-Cornbread Dumplings and Chocolate Chip-Walnut Rice Pudding
Tonight's Menu:  Mexican Rice and Bean Bake with Cheezee Sauce

We had an early dinner again last night, partly because it was raining after school so we couldn't run and partly because it was an easy slow cooker meal.  I threw everything in the slow cooker before leaving in the morning, which was as easy as opening a few cans and chopping a few vegetables.  Then, per the recipe, about 45 minutes before we were ready to eat, I mixed up the dumplings and plopped them atop the chili.  By the time they finished, the entire top of the slow cooker was filled with fluffy dumplings!  We love cornbread with chili, so this recipe saved time and effort.  The dumplings were really good, but not as spicy as I expected.  The chili was smoky (no surprise) and spicy (again, no surprise), but next time I might add some extra vegetables such as corn or broccoli and maybe an extra chipotle pepper.  There was enough for a filling dinner and leftovers for lunch.

We ate the rice pudding for dessert later in the evening.  It was the first time I made rice pudding, which is really no more difficult than making plain rice.  Since I hadn't made this before, I followed the recipe pretty closely.  I used almond milk, but cut the sugar in half.  Also, I served it with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It is for sure something I will keep in mind for a sweet, but not too unhealthy treat!

Tonight was another quick dinner, Mexican Bean and Rice Bake.  It was really quick to prep and fairly quick, ready in just under an hour.  I also made the Cheezee Sauce, which was an excellent choice.  I melted in to the bake and brought everything together.  I didn't take a picture of this meal, because, well... it was beans and rice.  Let me give you a visual-- imagine pinto beans and rice on a place with some runny sauce.  I'm not saying it was bad, it was really good, just pretty simple and not the most photo-worthy meal that I've made.  We served it with a big salad and tortillas on the side.  As my dad would say, "It hit the spot."  In fact, if I don't leave the kitchen soon, I might eat the whole pan...

Cook Book Challenge Week #9

Vegan on the Cheap

Last Night's Menu:  Curried Tofu Wraps and Curry Coconut Rice
Dessert (and Breakfast!):  Great Northern Apple Cake

This week's cookbook over at the PPK is "Yellow Rose Recipes", but I am subbing "Vegan on the Cheap."  This was the second vegan cookbook that I purchased and it's fairly well-used.  We have a few favorites including Wheatballs, Spinach Pie and Chocolate Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies.  I'm looking forward to checking off more recipes from our "To Try" list.

We started on Sunday with dessert-- Great Northern Apple Cake, which actually ended up being dinner due to a late lunch and a leaky sink.  The recipes includes two apples (organic Granny Smith apples were on sale, yay!) and almost a full can of great northern beans, so I didn't feel TOO bad about eating it for dinner (and again today for breakfast!).  The prep was pretty easy and I followed the recipe pretty closely, only doubling the walnuts and halving the brown sugar.  It turned out SO moist and delicious.  The walnuts were amazing, because they mixed with the apples and spices as the cake baked.  When I dished up the first piece, Chad said it looked like it belonged in a restaurant.  I'll admit, I thought it looked pretty professional, too!

Last night, we made the Curried Tofu Wraps with Cheapskate Chutney and Curried Coconut Rice on the side.  It was a really quick meal that was on the table within 45 minutes-- Chad was in charge of the wraps, while I made the rice and chutney.  The kitchen was all cleaned up by 6:00, which is usually when we are getting ready to sit down to eat!  It was a really fresh and filling meal.  I've never made chutney before; I always thought it was really difficult and fancy, but it was super quick and easy.  I used a mango in place of the pineapple, otherwise I followed the recipe pretty closely.  The sweetness and soft texture was perfect with the curried tofu and crunchy veggies.  The curried coconut rice was a good variation from my regular "use coconut milk instead of water" coconut rice.  I liked the veggies mixed in for a little more flavor and texture as well.  This was a perfect weeknight meal, it was quick to prepare, filling and packed with veggies and flavor!


For dessert, we finished off the last of the apple cake.  Next dessert?  I'm thinking brownies...

Cook Book Challenge Week #8

American Vegan Kitchen

Last Night's Menu:  Peanutty Tofu Kale Pockets & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

cucumber and carrots are hiding under the peanut sauce!

Chad made dinner last night and I must say, he did a great job!  This was the first recipe he picked earlier in the week,  but we needed to get a few things for it.  It was worth the wait!   He started marinating the tofu and had everything else set out and ready to go when I got home.  While the tofu was baking, we chopped and made the peanut sauce and by the time that was done, everything was ready to assemble.  Pita, peanut sauce, sauteed kale, chopped veggies and a few chunks of tofu... yum!  I guess I never realized, but Chad and I really like peanut sauce!  We had a recipe that we made a few times last fall, and since this challenge started, we've made Brooklyn Pad Thai, Thai Chick-Un Pizza and now Peanutty Tofu Kale Pockets.  I just love the combo of the peanut sauce with cucumbers and other fresh veggies and herbs.

For dessert, I made the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, with a few changes.  I used whole wheat flour and, since I was really craving chocolate, subbed chocolate chips for the raisins.  The cinnamon was a really great complement to the chocolate.  I made one regular batch and, for something different, made the rest in a mini muffin tin.  They turned out like little brownie bite cookies.  It was a fun variation, and they would've been delicious topped with a small scoop of ice cream! 

Cook Book Challenge Week #8

American Vegan Kitchen: Delicious Comfort Food from Blue Plate Specials to Homestyle Favorites

Weekend Eats:

Cinnamon Flapjacks

Very Vanilla Raisin Bread with Raisin Bread Glaze

Café Broccoli Salad

Coconut “Bacon” Bits

Old-Fashioned Tempeh Burgers with Burger Sauce

Chocolate Chip Quick Cake

I’ve been so excited for this week, because we’ve had this cookbook since December and haven’t made a single thing!  Everything sounds great, so we dove into it this weekend…

The first thing we tried was the Cinnamon Flapjacks (have I mentioned that I love pancakes?!).   This is probably my favorite pancake recipe yet.  I didn’t have yogurt, so I used coconut kefir and a little less milk.  They were really fluffy, but filling.  I would eat these every morning if I had the time and energy at 6:00 am!
 

sliced and ready to be devoured

The second breakfast recipe we made was the Very Vanilla Raisin Bread.  This recipe took a lot of patience, so I was really hoping that it would be worth the effort… and it was!  I followed the recipe word-for-word (okay, except using half whole wheat flour), because I really wanted it to turn out.  I was surprised by a few things… two tablespoons of vanilla?  I guess that’s why it’s “very” vanilla and the amount of rising time.  I don’t know if it was due to the whole wheat flour, but my dough didn’t seem to rise much.  It passed the “finger test” though, so I suppose that was the important part.  In the end, the loaf barely made it through the day.  We each had two thick slices with a cup of tea and a few grapes for breakfast and it slowly disappeared as the day progressed.  Chad said he would like to “triple” the icing next time; I don’t know about that, but it was pretty good.  I might add some vanilla bean paste to the dough for even extra vanilla flavor.

We made two side dishes.  The first, Café Broccoli Salad, we ate with leftovers from Friday.  This again was delicious from the first bite.  We may have both even exclaimed, “Wow!”  I really liked that the broccoli was just a little steamed and still super crunchy.  There was just enough sauce, which wasn’t too overwhelmingly mayo-y.   The fruit and nuts (I actually used sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts) made it taste very light and summery.  I’ll definitely use this recipe again.  It was a quick side for leftovers and I can see it being great for summer cook outs.

The next “side” (I’m not sure what this should be called) was Coconut “Bacon” Bits.  I have to start by saying, if you own this book and haven’t made this recipe, stop reading and go make it!  They really were THAT good… salty and smoky, with a little sweetness.  It was so simple… coconut flakes with some liquids and seasoning tossed in the oven for 20 minutes and you’re rewarded with amazingly delicious tasty little bits.  I think Chad ate half of the bacon before we had dinner.  

fully loaded!

Which, speaking of dinner, was Old Fashioned Tempeh Burgers.  We started marinating these after breakfast and made them for an early lunch.  The marinade smelled great and I love tempeh, so I was excited for these.  I only used 8 ounces of tempeh, and I sliced them into slider sized burgers.  Also, when we fried them, I topped each side with extra marinade.  They turned out nicely browned, with a little crunch.  We also made the Burger Sauce, which I liked more than I thought I would.  We topped the buns with a little sauce, romaine, a burger, avocado, sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of coconut bacon.  Again, these were AMAZING!  They were so simple and quick (if you prepare and allow them to marinate ahead of time) and the bacon added extra flavor and crunch.  So good.

so tasty, but not so pretty

The last recipe of the weekend was Chocolate Chip Quick Cake.   I really can’t say enough good things about the recipes we tried this weekend, and this was no exception.  It was so easy and turned out great.  I can see swapping out the chocolate chips and using this as a base for all kinds of “quick cake” creations.  I think we turned the cake into three servings instead of probably the six or eight it called for… oops!  The description calls this cake something in between shortcake and cake, but I would probably compare it more to a scone.  It would be great with a cup of coffee or a big glass of almond milk.

We still have a few things planned for the week and I can’t wait to try them!  I would even be happy with eating leftovers of this all week… if we had any leftovers!

Cook Book Challenge Week #6

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Cherry Almond Cookies
Peanut Butter Blondies
Bonus: Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes

This week was supposed to be "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," which I planned to follow.  BUT I went to the library on Saturday to check out the book, only to find they were closed on Friday and Saturday in observance of Lincoln's birthday (c'mon, my cupcakes are important, too!).  My next plan was to purchase the book from Barnes & Noble, only to find that they were out of the book.  So, my consolation (which really is equally as exciting) was "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar."  Since Monday was Valentine's Day and I didn't want to eat three dozen cookies in one week, Chad and I spent Saturday night slaving away in the kitchen baking cookies to share at school.  

We started out with the Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies.  The recipe was pretty straight forward and easy to follow.  I used a generous scoop of my cookie scoop for each cookie and rolled them in chopped peanuts.  There's a lot oats (2 cups!) in the cookies, so they feel a little healthy.  They turned out perfectly, crispy on the edges and still chewy on the inside.

The next batch we made was the Cherry Almond cookies.  I realized as we were gathering the ingredients that we were out of almonds, so we had to skip that.  To make up for it, used almond milk, replaced some of the flour with almond meal and used almond oil instead of canola.  They would have been really good with the extra crunch of almond slivers, so I'll probably make these again.  Plus, cherries are my favorite!  I thought about making a cherry flavored drizzle, but lost ambition!  These turned out surprisingly crispy and crunchy and were really good dunked in almond milk and would also be good with coffee.

I made the Peanut Butter Blondies on Monday for our Valentine's Day dessert.  Chad loves peanut butter, so these were an easy choice.  I love chocolate, so I doctored the recipe a little.   I chopped up some chocolate and mixed it into the batter before baking.  I also bought some peanut flour a while ago at Trader Joe's and have been looking for a reason to use some, so I subbed 1/4 cup of the flour for peanut flour.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe pretty closely again.  In the end, it was the perfect dessert for both of us!  To serve it, I melted some extra chocolate mixed with almond milk to make a chocolaty drizzle topping.  These were SO rich, but really good.  They were really moist, obviously peanut buttery and just a little crumbly.  I even had dreams that I couldn't stop eating them!

Finally, since I planned to make cupcakes, I still wanted to make at least one recipe.  I found the recipe for Brooklyn Brownie cupcakes on Amazon and since I hadn't made any chocolate cookies, I thought this would be a good selection.  This, again, was a pretty simple recipe.  The only thing I changed was using my mom's homemade strawberry jam in place of the cherry preserves.  We also baked these in a mini-muffin tin, so there would be more to share!  I made butter cream frosting from Betty Crocker (subbing EB for the butter and almond milk for the milk) and added about a tablespoon of strawberry jam for some color and flavor.  I was pretty happy with how they turned out, and they were the perfect little snack size.  Yes, we sampled a few before sharing!

That's a whole week in one post!  I have to say, the recipes in this book are really easy to follow.  I remember when I was first considering going vegan, this was one of the cookbooks that I flipped through (dessert's important, right?!).  I don't know what I was expecting, but I was surprised by how simple and basic the ingredients were.  All of the recipes I made this week used flax in place of the eggs and oil in place of butter.  Even if you're not vegan, the recipes are fun, easy and most important, tasty!

Smoothies for Dessert

I opened a box of coconut milk to use for tonight's dinner and came up with this for the remaining milk.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

1 c coconut milk

1 c almond milk

1 c frozen strawberries

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp agave

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Pour and serve!

Serves 2

Cupcakes, Anyone?

Since most of my coworkers are Chicago Bears fans, I thought it would be funny to make delicious cupcakes and decorate them green and gold.  I added a few drops of yellow to the cupcake batter, which didn't really make a difference.. so I also used yellow cupcake liners.  I colored the frosting green and added green sugar sprinkles.  I followed this recipe from PPK, and they're sooo good!  I baked the cupcakes Wednesday afternoon, thinking we would surely have school on Thursday.  Anyway... school was canceled again on Thursday and when I left home this morning, there were four cupcakes left.  Guess the only thing I have left to share is the picture :)

Cook Book Challenge Week #3

The Urban Vegan
Friday's Menu: Fettucine Alfredo and Choco-Coco-Oat Bars
Today's Breakfast:  Better Than Buttermilk Pancakes

dinner's ready!

Friday's dinner was Fettucine (capellini, actually) Alfredo.  It was really quick to make and I followed the recipe pretty closely.  A few changes I made were using about half of the pasta, cutting the Earth Balance from six to four tablespoons (I just couldn't bring myself to use ALL the butter), adding a few Italian seasonings and fresh broccoli.  The sauce was pretty easy to make.  I read somewhere else that people had trouble with the sauce thickening, so I added a bit more than a tablespoon of cornstarch and a little extra nutritional yeast.  The sauce still wasn't "thick," but it was an okay consistency.  It was pretty flavorful, but not exactly "Alfredo."  I haven't had fettucine Alfredo in years, even though I used to LOVE it, I couldn't bring myself to eat it, knowing it's so unhealthy.  This sauce wasn't quite as rich, but it was a decent substitute.  It was also really easy to make, so I can't complain there.  We served it sprinkled with extra nutritional yeast and a glass of wine!  Some crunchy garlic bread and a fresh side salad would've been a good addition.

crumbly goodness

I always like to make a dessert or something special on Friday, since we have extra time, so I flipped through the dessert chapter.  I found "Choco-Coco-Oat Bars" and had everything I needed.  As chance would have it, I had picked up some random ingredients at Whole Foods last time we were in Madison (coconut oil, unsweetened coconut flakes and dark chocolate chips), which was just what I needed for the recipe.  I haven't used coconut oil before, but as soon as I opened the jar, I could smell the amazingly sweet scent-- not what I expected from oil.  I also used a little to grease the pan.  I love the smell and hopefully I'll find another use soon!  The bars definitely satisfy a sweet craving, without being too incredibly unhealthy.  I'm not sure what I did, but they didn't exactly turn into "bars," more of a crumble.  Maybe I didn't let it cool long enough before digging in.  The way it turned out, I can imagine it would be even better with a scoop of coconut ice cream!  (Note: this morning they have cooled into real bars.)

topped with EB and syrup

This morning Schatzi woke us early (by early, I mean before 8:00), so I whipped up the pancake batter right away.  I left the batter pretty thick; the recipe called for up to an additional four tablespoons of milk.  I greased the griddle with coconut oil (yay!), and it gave the pancakes just a little added sweetness.  As far as pancakes, I would say they were pretty standard, nothing too exciting or out the ordinary.  I planned to make the apple cinnamon variety in the recipe, until Chad snacked on the apple earlier in the week!  Not a bad recipe, but not one I'm super excited to make again.

Another week of the challenge is on the blog.  What did I enjoy about The Urban Vegan?  I really liked the Chickpea Chili Burgers; this is definitely something we'll make again and probably often.  I liked all the variety in her recipes, even though we stayed pretty simple again.  I didn't recognize a lot of the recipes, so that may have added to my apprehension.  I don't think this is a book I'm dying to buy, but I would check it out from the library again and try a few more things.

When I asked Chad what he thought about last night's meal, his only comment was "Good."  Guess that answer is good enough :)

Cook Book Challenge Week #2

Veganomicon

Last Night's Menu: BBQ Seitan & Crispy Coleslaw and Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies



messy bbq goodness

Mmm.. Last night was a good night for food!  Actually, going back to Tuesday night we decided to try our hand at homemade seitan.  I've been a little intimidated to try making it, but using the Simple Seitan recipe and tips from the PPK (cold broth, simmer in slow cooker) it turned out better than I hoped!  It was very similar in texture to packaged seitan that we've bought from the store and easier than I expected.  I also tossed the coleslaw and dressing to let it flavor up overnight.



going in for a monster bite!

Wednesday's job was pretty easy, since we did all the difficult work Tuesday night.  We just had to slice the seitan, pan fry it and assemble the sandwiches.  We served it on store-bought ciabatta rolls, which were a good choice.  Next time though, I'd probably heat them in the oven for a bit or toast them in the pan.  The first bite of the sandwich was exactly as I expected-- a little heat from the BBQ sauce, cool and crunchy slaw, and a sloppy mess falling everywhere!

Since dinner was pretty quick, I decided to bake some cookies for dessert.  I found Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and had everything I needed.  They use oat flour instead of wheat, which I made by blending some old-fashioned oats.  I think it made the cookies crunchier than normal wheat flour.  I also subbed toasted almond oil from the Oilerie for the canola oil and almond milk for the soy milk.  As a bonus, the librarian at my school is gluten-free, so I can share some of the deliciousness with her!

As if signing up for the race wasn't enough motivation to run, the three cookies I had for dessert should do it...