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...

Cook Book Challenge Week #11

Vegan Brunch

Wednesday's Menu:  Red Flannel Hash and Chorizo Sausages

Thursday's Menu:  Navy Bean Gravy

I should be out running this morning, but I think my stomach is still trying to decide what to do with the greasy goodness of last night's Beer-Battered Tofu.  What else is there to do, but to eat a bowl of cereal and finish blogging about this week's meals?

On Wednesday, we made another pretty simple meal-- Red Flannel Hash with Chorizo Sausage.  I have to admit, this was the first time I bought a beet.  I've never been a huge fan, so I don't go out of my way to find or eat them.  Chad, on the other hand, loves beets, which is why he picked this recipe.  It came together really quickly, just chop the potatoes and beet, heat in a pan for a bit, then toss in the oven.  Before we chopped everything for the hash, I started the sausage, which is basically steamed seitan in sausage form.  The dough was pretty wet and I had just enough vital wheat gluten, but they turned out pretty perfectly.  Next time, I'll make sure to wrap them in extra aluminum foil, because each sausage exploded out of it's wrapper in the steamer.  I chopped two into slices and pan fried for a bit before serving.  This meal was pretty filling and definitely had a "meat and potatoes" feel.  Next time, I would make sure to plan for a fruit or vegetable on the side. I can also see adjusting the beans and seasonings in the sausage for different occasions, because it was fairly easy to make.

Our third meal of the week was Navy Bean Gravy with "buttermilk" biscuits.  This gravy was amazing!  Biscuits and Gravy is another one of my favorite breakfast meals.  So far, we've only used the Gimme Lean Sausage with a basic butter, flour and milk gravy.  The Navy Bean Gravy doesn't even compare!  It's so thick from the blended beans and flavorful from the surprisingly few seasonings.  After the gravy thickened up a bit, I added about a cup of pinto beans and a teaspoon of fennel seed to give it a little sausage-y flavor.  I will definitely make this gravy again, because it is WAY better than my simple gravy!

At the end of the week, I loved "Vegan Brunch" as much as I thought I would.  I checked this book out from the library, but it might need to join my collection soon!  We really enjoyed everything we made this week and recipes were all pretty quick and simple.  There are still many things I really want to try, like the Bagels, English Muffins and Scones.  Someday, I'll get through everything!

Cook Book Challenge Week #11

Vegan Brunch

Tonight's Menu:  Beer Battered Tofu

We've been busy in the kitchen with this cookbook all week, but I HAD to post this today.  One thing I've really missed lately is going out to a Friday night fish fry.  Well, after tonight's dinner I have nothing to miss!  Beer Battered Tofu more than exceeded my expectation.  It was really easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.  We used sunflower oil to fry and Sam Adams Boston Lager for the batter.  Each piece was super crispy and the beer was very flavorful.  We served it with loaded baked potatoes (with Coconut "Bacon" Bits from AVK) and a big spinach salad to feel a little healthier!  I was looking forward to this dinner all week and it did not disappoint!

Cook Book Challenge Week #11

Vegan Brunch

Tonight's Menu:  Peanut Butter Waffles and Revamped Tempeh Bacon

First of all, yum!  I've been looking forward to "Vegan Brunch," because what's not to love about brunch?!  We started the week out with two pretty simple recipes.  The Peanut Butter Waffles were delicious and super filling.  They weren't as peanut buttery as I expected, but I can't really complain.  We topped them with sliced bananas, maple syrup, powdered sugar and a few extra peanuts.  I was full after the first one, but managed to eat a second!  Next time, I think I will use crunchy peanut butter, because Isa suggests it will give the waffles more peanut flavor.  In other waffle-related news, I finally figured out how to make the perfect waffles with my 5-year old waffle iron.  I usually have it set to the highest setting and my waffles split in half, but tonight I remembered to turn in down to medium-high and, like magic, all the waffles came out perfectly!

We've made the Tempeh Bacon from "Vegan with a Vengeance" before and it was pretty good... but the Revamped Tempeh Bacon is unbelievably better.  It tastes just like, if not better than, the Fakin' Bacon we buy at the store and is way cheaper to make.  I loved the flavor combo and although I thought that one tablespoon of liquid smoke might be overpowering, it was perfect.  I added all of the marinade to the pan after the pieces "fried" for a little bit and let it simmer down.  They came out with a nice little crunchy, crispy bite.  I have a feeling we might make this often now, especially since we just stocked up on tempeh from Trader Joe's!

So, that was dinner tonight!  I don't even think I have room for dessert while I watch "Biggest Loser."  Maybe that's a good thing... 

Cook Book Challenge Week #10

Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers

Last Night's Menu:  Cuban Black Bean Soup

Tonight's Menu:  Sweet Potato-Chipotle Bisque

I've been looking forward to this week for a while, because 1) I LOVE Mexican and Latin-inspired cooking and 2) I don't own the book, so I've really only looked through it a few times at Barnes and Noble.  I decided to start out the week with two easy soup recipes.  My jaw is still quite swollen and stiff, so I can't handle much chewing action and the weather has been perfect for soup, but these soups were no compromise on flavor!

Last night we made the Cuban Black Bean Soup.  Black beans have long been my favorite bean, but lately we've been eating far more chickpeas, so I was excited to get back to the black beans.  We even made an extra batch while we were at it.  This soup was pretty simple, but very flavorful.  You soak the beans overnight, simmer for a couple hours, add the Sofrito (which is garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, seasoning), season with liquid smoke and lime juice and serve!  For the minimal amount of ingredients, like I said, it was really good.  Terry lists the liquid smoke as optional, but I would definitely recommend it. Chad had two bowls and a piece of pie in the time it took me to eat just one bowl... someday I'll be able to use my molars again!  I had leftovers for lunch today with some cornbread, and it was just as good as last night.

Tonight we made an equally easy and delicious soup-- Sweet Potato-Chipotle Bisque.  The ingredients were minimalist in this recipe, too and I followed everything, only using coconut oil in place of olive oil.  It was super easy for me to eat, because once everything is softened you blend it (potatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle) and then add "cream" (I used coconut milk), lime juice and cilantro at the end.  It was so fresh and flavorful and the smokiness from the chipotle made the soup taste thicker than it was.    We served this soup with cilantro-lime rice and black beans.  It was very light and filling and ready in less than an hour.

Not sure what we're making tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to soup for lunch again!

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

Tonight's Menu: Seitan and Herb Dumplings

this bowl is full of comfort!

I'll start this post by saying that I burned my tongue because I couldn't wait for a taste of this!  We didn't have everything we needed, but I've looked at this recipe every night as I flip through the book and we had all of the important ingredients.  It took some patience, because made the seitan and the stew tonight.  When we got home from school, we started the Seitan Lite, popped it into the oven, went for a quick run, turned the oven off, stretched for a bit, chopped veggies, watched a little TV and finally started to prepare the stew.  Once the seitan was done and the stew was simmering, we had time to clean up the kitchen and do a few other things.  I plopped the dumplings in early, because I couldn't wait! I almost doubled the dumpling recipe, but I'm glad I didn't because they more than doubled in size while cooking.  I thought the veggies might be a little crunchy since I didn't let it simmer the full time before adding the dumplings, but everything came out perfectly done.  This recipe was packed with flavor... it was full of seasoning at every step-- the seitan, the broth, the stew and the dumplings.

this speaks for itself

This was a perfect Friday night meal, especially tonight as it's rainy and chilly outside!  It might be a little too much prep for a mid-week meal, but now that we have some pre-made seitan, it would be much quicker.  Either way, it satisfied my dumpling craving and left us with plenty for lunch tomorrow!

I guess I should reflect on this week's challenge with "American Vegan Kitchen."  I absolutely loved everything we made this week.  I'm also super excited because we successfully made two new seitan recipes-- one baked and one steamed.  We couldn't stop raving about most things, and the only thing I would change would be to double the recipes to produce more left overs. I'm glad I finally got into this book, and it's one I won't stay closed for long; there are so many more recipes to attempt!

P.S.  Picture to follow soon!

Chickpea Wingz & Avocado Ranch

We didn't have anything planned for dinner tonight, but someone posted these earlier this week on PPK and I've been thinking about them since!  Tonight we made the chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon into "chicken nugget-sized boneless wings" in chipotle wing sauce.  I also made the ranch dressing recipe from American Vegan Kitchen with a super ripe avocado for dipping sauce.  I could have eaten this with a spoon, it was SO good!  With a big tex-mex salad, tonight's dinner was a perfect thrown together weeknight meal!  Now if we only had leftovers...

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

Last Night's Menu:  Greek Town Gyros with Tzatzika Sauce & Midtown Greek Salad

This was the second seitan recipe that we've made.  I made the first one in the slow cooker, which was so easy.  I was a little worried about this recipe, because it needed to steam.  Either I'm a seitan pro or I'm just really good at following recipes, but this turned out (what I believe to be) perfectly!  We were both amazed by the flavor.  It's been a few years since I've had a gyro, but the flavor and even the texture were exactly what I remember.  AND the seitan was maybe even a little better than what I remember, because it didn't come from a twirling spindle of meat.

Okay, enough about that... this meal was a BIG winner.  It was amazing.  It was everything I expected.  Again, I can't say enough good things about it. It was also a quiet meal, with a few mmm's and yum's, because that's about all we could say in between monster big bites.  I really liked how the seitan turned out from slicing and pan frying.  The sauce made it a sloppy mess, which is exactly my kind of sandwich.  I ate two big pitas full of seitan, veggies and sauce AND a salad... I couldn't resist the second one.  The recipe says this serves four, but I think the amount of seitan, depending how thinly you slice it, can serve twice that.  Just chop lots of veggies.

We managed to save enough of the seitan for leftover Greek Salads tonight, which I'm pretty excited about!

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!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Last Night's Menu: Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup

Last night's dinner was really quick and surprisingly filling.  All I had to do was chop the veggies, add seasoning, measure a few things and let the soup simmer.  Once the soup is ready, you blend it (I left mine a little chunkier) and add extra chickpeas.  It reminded me of pea soup, but with more flavor and a little lemon.  I thought it was interesting that you blended the cooked lentil, but the resulting texture was great.  I ate leftovers for lunch today, and since it was thicker today, served it over brown jasmine rice.  It was just as tasty today!

Thought's on "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan"?  Originally, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few things-- lots of veggies, quick recipes and simple ingredients.  I LOVED the Thai Chick-Un Pizza.  The other two recipes were good, relatively quick meals that I'll keep in mind for the future.  I'm sure there are other things in the book that I would really like, so I'll add this to my wish list!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Tonight's Menu: Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

I don't have a whole lot to say about the lasagna, because it was pretty straight forward.  I followed the recipe nearly word-for-word.  The only thing I changed was baking it in a round CorningWare dish.  The tortillas that I used fit perfectly, so I decided to use it instead of piecing them together in a rectangular pan.  Since it was smaller, I layered everything twice.  There wasn't much to chop or prep, so it was pretty quick to toss it together.  The lasagna was nice and spicy and I was surprised that I could really taste the lime juice in between the layers.  Chad really liked it and had only good things to say.  If I make this again, I would probably add either chopped tomatoes, green chilies or chopped green peppers to the sauce layer.  It was good as is, but it was just missing the "wow" factor.  On the other hand, it was really quick to prepare.. so I guess that's a trade off.

Like I said, not much to say... I'll add a picture soon!

Cook Book Challenge Week #5

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating

Last Night's Menu: Thai Chick-Un Pizza

Week five already?  I though this challenge would be a lot of work, but it's turning out to be pretty fun.  The only thing that's been a little difficult is that I don't own all of the cookbooks, but with the help of my friendly, local library... problem solved!  This week is another book that I hadn't really looked at before.  There are a ton of things I'd like to try, so it's looking like a promising week.

no cheese to miss her

To start the week, we made Thai Chick-Un Pizza.  Chad was pretty excited about this and I was also looking forward to trying it, because we both liked the Brooklyn Pad Thai last week.  It took me quite a while to (at least an hour) prep the ingredients, because there's a lot of rinsing, chopping and blending to do.  The peanut sauce has all kinds of goodies mixed in and the pizza is loaded with toppings.  I followed this recipe pretty exactly and it turned out great.  The peanut sauce was really rich and flavorful.  I loved the sweetness from the pineapple, and I'm also realizing I love the crunch and taste of bean sprouts.  Finally, the cilantro and green onions added another layer of flavor.  This was definitely the pizza we were both hoping for!  It was so filling, that there are leftovers (which Chad claimed again) for lunch.

Also, I thought I'd include the recipe for the pizza crust.  It's something my mom came up with years ago.  She mixed and matched a bunch of recipes until she came up with this.  It's really quick and if you're making a simple pizza, you can usually have in on the table in thirty minutes. 

Stir and Roll Pizza 

2 c flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour yesterday)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2/3 c non-dairy milk (I used rice)

1/4 c oil 

1.  Heat oven to 425.  Measure all ingredients and stir until well-combined.

2.  Gather dough together and press into a ball.  Knead 10 times on counter.

3.  Spread some flour on the counter and roll crust into desired shape.  (Fits large pizza pan or cookie sheet)

4.  Bake 5 minutes.

5.  Top with desire toppings.

6.  Bake additional 10-15 minutes.

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 #4

Vegan with a Vengeance
Wednesday's Breakfast: Tofu Scramble and Tempeh Bacon
Thursday's Dinner: Falafel and Tahini Dressing

On Wednesday, we couldn't leave the house due to all of the snow!  We managed to shovel out the driveway and patio, but beyond that.. things weren't looking too promising.  We even had to help a neighbor who was stuck on our street.  Since Chad spent most of his morning shoveling the driveway, I made a delicious, hot breakfast.

sunshiny yellow

We used the Tofu Scramble recipe and added tomatoes and spinach.  I think I added a little too much turmeric, because the tofu was a super bright, sunny yellow!  Chad was excited to use some extra nutritional yeast, too.  I also decided to try making Tempeh Bacon.  We buy Fakin' Bacon once in a while, but it's so much more expensive than plain tempeh.  I was missing a bunch of ingredients (and since I couldn't just make a quick trip to the grocery store) I had to make a few substitutions.  I was surprised with the homemade version, and it will definitely save us some money!  If you're curious about tempeh bacon, it doesn't really taste like or replace bacon, but it's really good on sandwiches (like BLT) or as a side (for breakfast), plus it's packed with protein and is extra healthy because it's a fermented food. 

We also planned to make Falafel on Wednesday.  We had everything we needed (chickpeas, pita, etc.), but didn't have any of the fresh produce (cucumber, tomatoes, parsley) to accompany it.  AND since our street still wasn't plowed by dinner time, we waited until Thursday.  I was looking forward to making the falafel, because Chad and I both really like it.  The only time I actually made it, I cheating by using a mix and wrote about it here.  We've had it several times, including from Doener stands in Germany, at  Reza's in Chicago and from the buffet at Holy Land Diner.  I read some suggestions from others over at PPK, so I decided beforehand that I would bake, instead of fry the falafel.  I followed the recipe almost word for word, only omitting the onions.  I thought it looked pretty dry and crumbly, so I was unsure how it would stick together.  After some time in the refrigerator, it was surprisingly easy to mold.   Also, while that was "chilling," I whipped up the Tahini Dressing, which was not only easy and tasty, but was also a good way to use up some more of the parsley.  

pitas, loaded and ready to go

We baked the falafel using a little leftover garlic oil from the dressing for 20 minutes at 375.  Then, to make them a little crispier, I pan fried each for about two minutes on each side.  We stuffed them into the pitas with red onion (on mine), cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine, baby greens and a generous slather of the dressing.  They were scrumptious... even better than I expected after baking them.  They didn't have quite the crunch they normally have from frying, but they definitely had a great taste from the parsley and seasonings.  They really weren't as much work as I thought, and besides refrigeration, were fairly quick to make.  I can add this to the "make again soon" list at our house!

Thoughts after week four of the challenge?  I think that "Vegan with a Vengeance" is still my favorite vegan cookbook.  There is such a variety of recipes, and they're all pretty quick and simple... even, as I learned this week, ones that I thought would were daunting or difficult.  We have a Post-in stuck inside the front cover scribbled full of things we still want to make, so this cookbook will be well-loved well into the future!

Cook Book Challenge Week #4

Vegan with a Vengeance
Today's Breakfast: Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce
Today's Dinner: Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles

No school today called for a "real" breakfast and special dinner.  I'll admit I was a little unsure about the Brooklyn Pad Thai Noodles for a few reasons-- I haven't used some of the ingredients in the recipe, I've never actually "prepared" tofu, the ingredient list and preparation were a little lengthy and I wasn't sure that I'd like the end product.  I have to say... I was wasting my time worrying!

not your everyday pancake, here!

I'll start with breakfast first.  Like I've said before, I LOVE pancakes.  They're a quick and delicious breakfast, but they feel a little special.  The recipe was simple and I followed it pretty much as written, only subbing agave for maple syrup because I was out, and whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour.  I read in the "perfect pancake" section that it helps to let the batter rest for a while, so I started the sauce, which was easy work, before finishing the pancakes.  I greased the griddle with coconut oil (the smell still amazes me) and made giant pancakes.  They came out a perfect, golden brown.  We topped them with the pineapple sauce and a few extra coconut flakes.  These pancakes were AMAZING!  The coconut in the batter gave them a little crunch, the nutmeg was just right and the warm pineapple sauce was just sweet enough.  Even Chad, who thinks we eat pancakes too often, was really impressed.  This is definitely something we'll have again and a simple, tasty recipe to share!

you should make some, too!

As I alluded to earlier, I was nervous about tonight's recipe... BUT now I can't wait to make it again!  It was one of those meals that you're almost sad to eat the last bite because it's so delicious.  It tasted and looked like something you would order at a restaurant (which according to the recipe blurb, is common in NY).  The tofu was a little chewy, a little crunchy and it really absorbed flavor from the peanut oil and sauce.  The scallions and cilantro gave the dish a ton of fresh flavor and the bean sprouts added some more crunch and texture.  Chad and I couldn't stop raving about every forkful as we gobbled up the noodles.  Preparation was easier and quicker than I expected, and the final product was more amazing that I could have hoped!  This is definitely something I'm looking forward to making again... soon!

School has already been canceled for tomorrow, so we have another extra day to play!  And eat!