March 23, 2011September 4, 2018 by betsy

Vegan Lemon Ginger Cookies

2.5 dozen regular-sized cookies or 1 dozen extra-large behemoths

Chewy, spicy, citrusy…I’m posting this recipe as back-to-school bliss, perfect for lunch boxes or after-school snacks…or even breakfast. I am bringing them to my first block Advanced Art and AP Studio students for a sweet treat.

The original recipe was given to me by my dear friend Allison Price in Nashville, with whom I shared many “study dinners” while we were in graduate school at Vanderbilt preparing for “comps.” Her contributions were always wholesome and satisfying; homey but with a twist.

I originally veganized this recipe by substituting vegan butter for the dairy butter and Ener-G egg replacer for the egg. But, I like to limit, whenever possible, my use of what my friend Jo Ann calls “ersatz” ingredients. So, yesterday, I decided to use 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for the egg, since 1 egg is equivalent to 1/4 cup liquid and has a little leavening power. The results were virtually indistinguishable from the original, chock full of spicy, citrusy goodness.

3/4 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened

1 cup natural sugar (I like demerera)

1/4 cup molasses

Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (approximately 1/4 cup juice; use just 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 2 tablespoons water if you want only a hint of lemon flavor)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/4 cup natural sugar

Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. (The mixture will have a little bit of a granular texture because of the coarseness of the natural sugar.) Beat in molasses, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in baking soda, powder, ginger and cinnamon, just until combined. Then, with the mixer on low or stirring by hand, incorporate flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly combined. Avoid over-mixing.

Using a small scoop to make regular sized cookies, or an ice cream scoop to make extra-large ones, shape dough into balls, and then roll in remaining 1/4 cup of natural sugar. Place balls 2-inches apart on lined cookie sheets. No need to flatten.

Bake regular-sized cookies for 10 minutes or extra-large ones for 20. Cookies should be set, but slightly soft in the center. Remove the sheets from the oven to a wire rack. Now, if you prefer them flatter as I do, press each top gently with a spatula or, if cool enough, with you fingers. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Note: Lisa from Sweet as Sugar Cookies stopped by last week and invited me to her “Linky Party” to post a link to my Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls. So I did, but I also linked to this recipe, another favorite ginger-scented treat. Though her website isn’t vegan, you will find loads of ideas for sweet things just waiting to be veganized. I have my eye on a beet mousse!

March 21, 2011March 22, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Chorizo, White Beans and Spinach Valencian

Yield: 4-6 servings

My good friend and dance teacher, Brent Dunn, has been gradually learning the “Vegan-ese Waltz.” Recently, he turned me on to Trader Joe’s vegan chorizo. ¡Delicioso! It’s rich red spicy goodness doesn’t cry out for much to become a meal. But I was obsessed with combining it with the flavor of orange, having been at a party Friday night hosted by my friend who went to college in Spain and was regaling us with a tale of a trip to Valencia. Here’s my spicy Valencian ode (almost as spicy as the story she told!):

1 tablespoon hazelnut or walnut oil (olive oil or canola oil would work fine)

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large cloves, garlic, minced

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch slices and then cut in half

12 ounces vegan chorizo, casing removed

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (be sure it’s smoked)

1-15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1-15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup cream sherry (contains no cream; refers to a slight sweetness)

Zest of one medium-large naval orange

1/4 cup minced parsley or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons plain soy creamer

1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced black olives (choose a meaty variety; brine-cured preferred)

Optional accompaniment: sliced bread, brushed with hazelnut oil (or olive oil) and grilled

Optional garnish: finely chopped hazelnuts

Heat oil to shimmering in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute, stirring, for one minute. Season with salt and pepper, and add garlic and continue to saute, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add bell pepper, and continue sauteeing for about 3 minutes. Crumble chorizo into the pan and sprinkle with paprika. Continue sauteeing for about 2 minutes or until heated through. Add the beans and do the same. Add stock, tomatoes and sherry and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach just until uniformly wilted, but still bright green. Stir in zest, parsley and soy creamer and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Remove from heat, stir in olives, garnish if desired, and serve hot.

March 19, 2011March 20, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Skinny Indian Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Take a look at that rich color…it’s hard to believe that this earthy, spicy soup is both low in fat and low in calories, isn’t it?

I created it last weekend as an antidote to my Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls, of which I ate TWO in one day (though I went for long walks and shared the rest with co-workers on Monday). I knew I needed to eat something else that was very low in fat and calories, but full of vitamins, so Skinny Indian Soup was born.

It’s simply vegetable stock–store-bought for convenience–simmered with lots of sweet roasted garlic cloves–also purchased for convenience –and Indian spices plus a little Liquid Aminos, lemon juice for brightness, and nutritional yeast with bushels of fresh baby spinach added near the end. You won’t believe the depth of flavor! And the only fat comes from any that might be clinging to the roasted garlic cloves. (I buy the garlic NOT in a jar, but in bulk from my grocery store’s antipasto bar.)

Note: I like fairly pronounced lfavors of spices in most all of my food; if you don’t, consider starting with half the amount of each spice, tasting after a couple of minutes of simmering and adding more if desired.

Since the soup itself lacks adequate protein, I enjoy it with a cold glass of unsweetened soymilk and, if I haven’t overdone it in the calorie department, a couple of “everything” flatbread crackers spread with just a smidge of my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread and a tiny pinch of paparika for color.

Here’s to the last spinach of winter and the great bodies of summer!

4 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves (sounds like a lot but, because they are so sweet, that it’s perfect)

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach (if desired, save 4 leaves for garnish)

In a 4-quart saucepan, simmer together all ingredients except spinach for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and gentely simmer, still stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes more. Spinach should retain some nice green color. Serve warm, garnished, if desired, with a roasted garlic clove in fresh spinach leaf “boat.”

March 13, 2011April 3, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls

Yield: 8 large rolls

Okay, there is no way to justify this indulgence except to say that I had a powerful craving for some kind of sweet roll. This irrepressible urge was precipitated, in part, by “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network.

It’s difficult to describe my attraction to that show because some of the food–much of the food–absolutely disgusts me; I sometimes have to turn away. And the portion sizes are shameful.

Still, I do appreciate that all of the food is made from scratch, often from whole foods and fresh ingredients, sometimes based on family recipes and, when not, frequently very creative. I find many of the combinations of ingredients truly inspired.

So I love the challenge of veganizing some of the dishes that I see. One of my favorite soups–a pot pie soup with pie crust croutons which will be in my new cookbook–was inspired by one I saw on “Triple D,” as was a new skillet chili–my latest obsession–which I will post soon.

The rolls that inspired these were kind of a sticky bun, but without the ginger (or, at least it wasn’t mentioned on the show). However, I had just purchased a new bottle of ginger this morning and the aroma was so enchanting as I was “decanting” it into its jar that I decided to incorporate it into the rolls.

What I loved about the look of the inspiration rolls was how soft and pliable the dough was. I often think sweet rolls are too dry and “bready.” So I set about to create a rich, soft dough. Since I couldn’t use eggs, I used all soymilk and no water–including replacing the moisture of an egg with an additional 1/4 cup of soymilk–plus I added both cinnamon and ginger to the dough itself, something that isn’t often done, but should be! Then I repeated the cinnamon in the filling and the ginger in the caramel topping to tie it all together.

One trick to that delectable tenderness is to incorporate only enough flour to make the dough manageable. The other is not to overbake the rolls. Twenty minutes is perfect.

Finally, I wanted to be able to put these together fairly quickly so I used a quick or instant yeast. For additional leavening, since I couldn’t use an egg, I added a little baking powder. I think the results rock (and roll!) and I hope you agree!

Dough:

3/4 cup soymilk

1/4 cup vegan butter

3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1-.25 ounce package instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup natural sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soymilk

Filling:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup softened vegan butter

Ginger-Pecan Caramel:

1/2 cup vegan butter

3/4 cup packed brown suagar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup pecan pieces

To make dough, in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the first 3/4 cup soymilk to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Set aside. Preheat the oven to warm or 170 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine just 2 1/4 cups of the flour, and all remaining dough ingredients. Gradually stir in the remaining flour until fully incorporated and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes. I knead it directly in the bowl, but you can do it on a work surface. Use as little flour as possible to prevent sticking. I actually like to use non-stick spray in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, place it in the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, begin filling by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon. Make caramel by melting the butter and brown sugar together in a large oven-proof skillet (I like cast iron) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ginger and pecans and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

Again, using as little flour, non-stick spray, or a combination as possible, roll out the dough into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread evenly with the softened butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Beginning on one long side, roll it up fairly tightly and pinch the seam. Lay the roll seam side down and, using a serrated knife, cut it into 8 equal pieces. Place each piece, cut side down, on top of the caramel. Position one in the center and surround it with the other 7. They won’t touch until they have had a chance to rise. Cover and place in the warm oven for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Remove the pan from the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. For a thinner caramel, serve immediately. For a thicker caramel, allow the rolls to cool slightly before serving.

Note: Lisa from Sweet as Sugar Cookies stopped by last week and invited me to her “Linky Party” to post a link to these Vegan Ginger-Spice Caramel Pecan Rolls. Since I love a good party–especially one with tasty treats–it was my pleasure. And I found that, though her website isn’t vegan, it boasts loads of ideas to indulge your sweetest fantasies, all just waiting to be veganized.

March 11, 2011August 20, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread

Yield: approximately 2 1/2 cups

I finally figured out what was missing from many of the homemade vegan “cheese” recipes I had tried…though they were very tasty, they lacked what, for lack of a better term, I’ll call that aged cheesy “funk.”

One day, musing about what would give my vegan “cheese” that extra little “somethin’-somethin’,” beer popped into my mind. It seemed to me that the fermentation would evoke something of that “aged” quality. And I was right! At least to my palate. Plus, together, the beer or wine and miso paste impart that elusive umami.

Beer is perfect, but if your husband (or wife, significant other, parent, sibling, or any cohabitant with an opposable thumb) drinks the last brew, white wine is quite delicious too. (I’ve used Orvietto Classico. )

I love this spread on crackers–low fat Triscuits in the photo–as an after school snack with a glass of soymilk or, depending on the day, a glass of wine. But it’s also delicious dolloped on a baked potato or on my Vegan Skillet Chili, a recipe I promise to post very soon. Simply thin it with additional soymilk or beer/wine and heat to create more of a sauce.

Ridiculously easy to make , this spread looks so homey and inviting in a little crock. Sometimes I like to share half the batch as a casual gift. And sometimes I like to hoard it all for myself.

2 cups lightly salted and roasted cashew halves or pieces (soaked for a few hours IF desired)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup beer or non-alcoholic beer (or white wine)

2 tablespoons any kind of miso paste (the darker the color, the deeper the flavor)

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process for a few minutes or until quite smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Store in an airtight container or crock in the refrigerator.

Note: According to Ali Tadayon in “Beware the Beer: Is Yours Vegan,” found in the Vegan Mainstream e-newsletter, not all beer is vegan, as it may include albium (derived from animal blood), isinglass (derived from the swim bladders of fish), gelatin, charcoal, pepsin, lactose, and even insects. She recommends the following vegan-approved beers: Amstel, Corona, Heineken, New Belgium Brewery, Pabst Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and Tecate over these non-vegan ones: Castle Rock Brewery, Guinness, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Red Stripe.

March 3, 2011March 3, 2011 by betsy

Quenna’s Raw and Vegan–New Restaurant in Norfolk, VA

Queenas--Heidi from Fighting with Food — Credit: Heidi at Fighting with Food

If you live in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area or if you come for a visit, run, don’t walk–actually, take your fuel efficient vehicle–to the Ocean View section of Norfolk for food that fairly bursts with nearly indescribable flavor and color.

Days later, I am still fantasizing about the meal I had at Quenna’s Raw and Vegan with my good friends Becky Bump and Sharon Tanner last Tuesday night. Plus, the restaurant, with its persimmon colored walls and furniture with a nod to the islands, feels fresh and modern.

I didn’t think to take my camera, so the dish depicted–not what we ordered, but representative of the fare–is from Heidi who blogs at Fighting with Food. Please visit her there and, Heidi, I hope you don’t mind that I used your photo. If you do, just let me know, and I’ll remove.

Tuesdays feature Tofu Tuesday specials that I couldn’t pass up. I chose a creamy-firm tofu mixture, flecked with colors and texture and seemingly kissed with the brine of the sea, wrapped inside a nearly transparent “ryce” wrapper. A trio of these delectable packages was served alongside an open-faced red bell pepper piled with “kush,” bulgar wheat bound together with just enough of a flavorful reddish sauce to hold it together. Sliced cucumber and tomato along with a handful of fresh lettuces dressed the beautiful plate. Red Bush Tea was the perfect accompaniment on a frigid night.

Raw food on a “raw” and cold winter night in southeastern Virginia may not sound appealing. But I found the preparations so exciting that I didn’t even think about whether they were raw–or cold–just delicious. Not being a “raw food” aficionado, the tastes were delightfully and seductively unfamiliar to me and I can’t wait to go back until they are familiar and then go back some more!

Long live our area’s only vegan restaurant! (To those of you in larger cities, that may seem impossible, but it is only too true.)

Quenna’s Raw & Vegan

9619 Granby Street
Norfolk, VA
23503-1625

Telephone: 757.714.2396

OPENING TIMES
Sunday
(Closed)

Monday
(Closed)

Tuesday-Saturday
( 11am – 3pm and 6pm – 9pm )

February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Rosemary-Garlic Breadsticks

Yield: 8 breadsticks

Last Tuesday, I came down with a ferocious bug, the same one to which everyone, adults and children, has been succumbing in our area. You know the one: fever, body aches, congestion, cough, yaddi, yaddi.

For two days, all I wanted to eat was canned No-Chicken Noodle soup. I never ate dinner on Friday night because all I wanted by then, inexplicably, was buttery, garlicky breadsticks with marinara sauce, and the restaurant where my husband went for carry-out, didn’t have them.

On Saturday morning, I woke up still craving them and, having started taking some prescription meds the night before, was feeling slightly better. So, since most restaurants overdo breadsticks in that classically American “Supersize Me” style anyway, I decided to make my own. They were still generous in size, but somewhat more modestly proportioned. And boy-oh-boy were they worth waiting for!

For my special dough recipe (and about 175 more!), I encourage you to preorder my brand new cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes which will be available in May, though you can certainly use your favorite dough.

Here’s what I did to my recipe which calls for about 2 cups of flour:

To the dry ingredients, add:

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano extra sea salt

Make the dough according to directions, letting it rise, etc. While the dough rises, make Rosemary-Garlic Oil so that it can be steeping:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large clove crushed garlic several 4 to 5-inch sprigs of rosemary (I used quite brown sprigs from my frostbitten rosemary shrub, so it was more like using dried than fresh)

Pinch of sea salt plus more for sprinkling on breadsticks

Combine all ingredients and set aside. Preheat the oven to 45o degrees. Beginning with a ball of dough, pat and shape it into an 8-inch square on an oiled work surface. Cut it into 8 equal strips, twist each strip into a spiral, and place them on an oiled baking stone or sheet. Brush them liberally with Rosemary-Garlic Oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 11 minutes or until tender and golden, brush with more oil, sprinkle with more salt, and serve warm.

February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Creamed Corn and Spinach Cakes

Yield: 8 corncakes

This recipe telescopes me right back to childhood and my Mama’s Double Corn Fingers made with creamed corn. She would make a big pan–crusty on the outside and tender on the inside–and we would have nothing but them and a glass of milk, calling it dinner as a special treat when my dad was out of town.

Though “creamed” corn hardly sounds vegan, the canned version actually is, the natural starch in the corn helping impart a luscious creaminess. I love it mostly to cook and bake with. Mama baked her corn fingers, but in my iteration, I fry them up as skillet cakes.

And, though this recipe isn’t in my new cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (175 other delicious recipes are!), I add a mound of fresh baby spinach to the corncake batter for a nutritious burst of seasonal freshness. and flecks of green goodness. In summer, just substitute 1/2 cup fresh corn for the chopped spinach.

These cakes are addicting served as a combined bread-side dish or as the main event for breakfast or brunch. But I also love them topped with chili or my Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip. Make them silver dollar sized and serve them as appetizers, topped or not. Use your imagination!

2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) + additional for frying
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal
pinch of garlic powder
2 cups loosely packed fresh stemmed spinach, finely chopped (should yield about 1/2 cup)
1-15 ounce can creamed corn (I like the yellow variety for rich color)
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
Optional garnish: vegan sour cream and cilantro sprigs

Preheat the oven to warm. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together, flour, cornmeal, garlic powder and chopped spinach. Whisk in creamed corn and soymilk until well combined. Make cakes, two at a time, using a 1/4 cup measure. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping skillet greased with additional butter as needed. Garnish as desired and serve warm.

February 28, 2011October 12, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip Gets All Dressed Up

Presentation is everything, no?

Recently, I needed to make a batch of my almost-famous Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip for a National Art Honor Society meeting. As my school’s sponsor, I created it a few years back knowing how popular spinach dip is, but wanting the kids to have a protein boost in their afternoon snack. It was a huge hit and my students still ask for it.

For this month’s meeting, I held a little back so that I could photograph it in a different guise than previously presented. In an earlier post, it looks as I intended: hearty and ready for the big game in front of the TV.

Here, I was going for a lighter and slightly more elegant presentation: a dollop in a Frito “Scoop.” Given the humble makings of spinach dip, some folks may think that trying to dress it up is futile, but since we eat with our eyes first, to me it’s like the difference between an ice cream scoop in a cone and one in a pretty parfait glass.

However you serve it, you’re sure to love it.

February 13, 2011February 14, 2011 by betsy

Happy Vegan Valentine’s Day–Vegan Chocolate Truffles

Valentine's Day Vegan Chococlate Truffle — Vegan Chocolate Truffle

Many recipes call for making a cashew cream of equal parts cashews and water which I find WAY too thin. These recipes also often call for melted chocolate which is luscious, but fairly high-fat. So, I make mine with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Try them–you’ll LOVE them.

And, by the way, I hope this post isn’t too late to do you any good for Valentine’s Day tomorrow. This is the earliest I could get it done, so I apologize if you’ve no time left to make a batch. They are ultra quick to prepare and shape, though the mixture does need to chill for about 2-3 hours.

On the other hand, don’t feel you can only indulge on special occasions!

2 cups cashews halves or pieces (raw or roasted and lightly salted; if the latter, the truffles will have that “roasted” flavor and you will be able to taste the salt, but I love salt and sugar together)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup water plus up to 1 tablespoon more

optional: 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of choice, e.g. vanilla, rum, hazelnut, etc.

Coating: cocoa powder, colored sugar, very finely chopped nuts, etc. (I used red sugar for the one in the photograph)

24 mini-paper liners in Valentine’s colors/patterns (I purchased mine at a craft store) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Place all ingredients except paper liners, of course, in the bowl of a food processor. Process for a few seconds and then scrape the sides of the bowl. Process the mixture for several minutes or until very smooth, scraping the sides as necessary. Add the additional 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to prevent stressing the motor of your food processor, as this is a very thick mixture. Scrape it into an airtight container and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until it is firm enough to handle very easily. (Believe it or not, the motor of your food processor working will have caused the mixture to warm slightly.) Scoop the mixture into 1-inch balls (I use a small scoop for this task), rolling each one between your palms quickly to shape, and placing it on the prepared baking sheet. Return the sheet to the refrigerator if necessary before coating the candies. Pour the desired coating into a small bowl, quickly roll each truffle in it to cover completely, and place it in a mini-paper liner. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Package as desired.

Yield: 2 dozen 1-inch truffles