April 9, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Dipping Sauce

Yield: 2-4 servings

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to coat; more will steam instead of roast the potatoes)
salt (or garlic salt to taste)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For flavored wedges:

1 teaspoon of one of the following: ground cumin, chili powder, curry powder, sweet paprika, Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, etc.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice sweet potatoes into 8 wedges. Pour oil into bottom of metal baking dish with 2-inch sides. Add potatoes, salt and pepper, and optional spice of choice. Roast for 20-30 minutes (check after 20), stirring about every 5 minutes, until slightly crispy-caramelized and tender, but not too soft.

Note: your wedges will be larger than those in the photo, as my potatoes were actually too small.

Serve with Dipping Sauce:

Stir together equal parts vegan mayonnaise or my Tahini Topping (included on this site) and any pesto or sauce that will complement the seasoning you chose for the potatoes. My recipe for Vegan Cilantro Pesto (also on this site) is a great choice for plain, cumin or chili roasted wedges.

April 9, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Cilantro Pesto

Yield: approximately 1/2 cup

I created this recipe (which can scarcely be classified as a recipe!) when I only needed a small amount of cilantro, was leaving town, and didn’t want the cilantro to spoil while I was away.

1 bunch fresh cilantro (sold bulk, not in the small plastic boxes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or cashews
salt and pepper to taste

Cut stems off of cilantro near where leaves begin and discard (or compost). Cut leafy part of plants into about 3 sections and place in bowl of food processor with other ingredients. Process until a fairly smooth paste forms, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Scrape out of bowl into an airtight container and store in refrigerator or freezer.

Note: you may add a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast as a substitute for the parmesan cheese that is typically in pesto. I love nutritional yeast but for some reason, in this recipe, I prefer the cleaner taste of fewer ingredients.

April 5, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Yield: 6 Servings

This soup was inspired by “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network. While I find much of the food–not to mention the portion sizes–appalling, that show has nonetheless inspired some cleaned-up and veganized versions of diner food. Though fairly thick, this soup is still lighter than chicken pot pie because the thin crust is baked separately, broken up and served like croutons on top.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

April 5, 2009 by betsy

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting with Variations

Yield: Enough frosting for an 8-9″ two-layer cake or one 9×13″ sheet cake (with some leftover)

This recipe is simply a veganized version of Cream Cheese Frosting that we have all been making since childhood. My earliest memory of it is on my mother’s Hummingbird Cake. I don’t know who first created this popular frosting, but he or she has created generations of addicts.

You will find it to be very forgiving and adaptable. Thicken it by adding more sugar or thin it by adding a few drops of soy milk and experiment with your favorite flavors. A few suggestions follow.

1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (feel free to experiment with other extracts)
Plain, unsweetened or vanilla soy milk if needed

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time to create a thick creamy frosting, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in a few drops of soy milk if frosting becomes too stiff. Add more sugar if it doesn’t hold its shape. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the frosting come to room temperature before using.

Variations:
Citrus: Add the zest of one lemon, lime or orange with the vanilla
Chocolate: Substitute about 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar with cocoa powder
Coffee: Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder in 1-2 tablespoons of water and add to frosting with powdered sugar
Mocha: Combine directions for both the chocolate and coffee versions

April 3, 2009February 8, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate Carrot Cake

Yield: 1-9×13″ sheet cake (see note if you prefer an 8-9″ layer cake)

Chocolate and carrots sound like a marriage made in, well, you know. But the combination in this cake is delicious, as the carrots make it even more moist, dense and beautifully textured. My good friend, Anne, used a recipe for chocolate carrot cake from Nora restaurant in D.C. for her wedding cake. Years later, for one of her “landmark” birthdays, she wanted that cake again, so she shared the recipe with me and I baked it for her. I have since veganized it by doubling the chocolate cupcake recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and adding cinnamon and shredded carrots to the batter. All it needed was a little vegan cream cheese frosting to attain perfection.