February 10, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Red Velvet Pancakes–A New Vegan Valentine’s Breakfast Tradition

Yield: 8 pancakes

I love Red Velvet everything. Ever since childhood and the first taste of my Aunt Bessie’s signature cake of crimson layers swathed in fluffy white frosting with a Jackson Pollock-style drizzle of bittersweet chocolate, it has been my favorite. As beautiful as it is delicious, I chose it as the groom’s cake for Joe’s and my wedding, and I made an especially baroque one as the wedding cake for our good friends Donna and Art. Plus no one who saw “Steel Magnolias” could forget the Armadillo cake.

Over the years, I’ve created Red Velvet versions of anything I could think of from cookies to shortcakes. I even won a prize in a Better Homes & Gardens recipe contest with one version of the cookies.

Presuming I would create a menu and recipes for a romantic dinner for two for February’s “Veggie Table” column in the Virginian-Pilot, I immediately changed my mind when I learned that Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday. Instead, I started thinking of family-friendly breakfasts, conceiving of and rejecting several ideas in favor of Red Velvet Pancakes. (But my Vegan “Sausage” and Red Bell Pepper Puff Pastry Heart Tarts would be a delicious savory accompaniment.)

First I conducted a little on-line research and, not surprisingly, there were a number of non-vegan iterations, including some from a couple of California restaurant that folks raved about, but none were right. Either they were pink, were too thin, or had an odd-looking texture. Quite honestly, only one that I found appealed: a very romantic and lovely photo with a recipe on someone’s blog, but they were not vegan. Still, it was the look I was after and I knew it could be done dairyless.

So, I turned to the go-to pancake formula that I developed, complete with some whole grain goodness, and then added the key Red Velvet ingredients. After a couple of adjustments, they were ready to cook and boy-oh-boy, can I just tell you: I ate all four from my photo shoot for breakfast. They are the exact shade of deep red that any self-respecting thing calling itself “Red Velvet” ought to be. And they have the characteristic flavor profile of a slight tanginess and an almost imperceptible, yet undeniable, hint of cocoa. Granted, there is more sugar in this recipe than in most of my pancakes, but it is needed to balance the tartness of the vegan “buttermilk” and the appealing bitterness of the cocoa powder.

I hope you and your loved ones, young or old, enjoy them just as much as I did. Happy Valentine’s Day!

1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk less 1 ½ tablespoons (plain or vanilla soy milk or lite soy milk would also be good)
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
½ cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
½-3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1-1 ounce bottle (2 tablespoons) red food coloring
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
Optional Garnish: additional vegan sour cream, orange zest, vegan chocolate chips
Optional Sidecar: fresh or frozen thawed fruit

Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 6 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk and food coloring. Stir together with a fork until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. Using a 1/3 cup measure, make pancakes, one at a time if using a skillet, as this batter tends to spread, but it rises nicely. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until quite a few bubbles appear and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining vegan butter and pancake batter. Note: for smaller pancakes that allow you to cook two at a time in a skillet and more on a griddle, use a ¼ cup measure. Serve warm with Vegan Sour Cream-Maple Syrup, an extra dollop of vegan sour cream, and a garnish of a little orange zest and/or a very few vegan chocolate chips, along with a sidecar of fresh or frozen thawed fruit.

Vegan Sour Cream Maple Syrup:
4-6 tablespoon vegan sour cream
4-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
a squirt of lemon juice (optional)

Whisk together and, if desired, heat gently in microwave for a few seconds. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts vegan sour cream and syrup and adjust lemon juice accordingly.

February 8, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Crispy Kale

Serves: 4

I like to build meals around greens and this ultra-clean version is one inspired by seeing lots of recipes for “kale chips.” I call it “Crispy Kale” and serve it as a vegetable rather than as chips, though it is good enough to eat as a snack. Just watch the salt, as it takes a tiny amount when prepared this way; plus, miso is quite salty on its own. Isn’t the kale lovely paired with the white fluffy noodles (or rice) and golden sesame-crusted tofu?

1-2 tablespoons light miso (miso is very salty, but it has great body, so choose your proportion accordingly)

4 tablespoons vegetable stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (unsalted/unseasoned)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

squirt of fresh lemon juice

optional: a pinch of Five Spice Powder (if you want a more Chinese flavor)

1-16 ounce box, extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and sliced crosswise into 4 equal pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

white sesame seeds

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

February 8, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Basil, Mint and Cilantro Pesto (The Trifecta of Pestos)

Pesto is one of those things that you almost can’t mess up. Proportions are inexact, so go by texture and taste. I like to freeze mine in little balls made to use to season soups, stews, pasta and more.

1 bunch basil, rinsed, dried and large stems removed (I used Thai basil)

1 bunch mint, rinsed, dried and large stems removed

1 bunch Thai cilantro, rinsed, dried and large stems removed

1/2 cup nuts (I used cashews, but you could use pistachios, pine nuts, etc.)

olive oil to taste and to desired consistency

a squirt of fresh lemon juice or to taste

coarse sea or kosher salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place first 4 ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. With motor running, stream in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer. If you want to freeze it, either freeze in ice cube trays or scoop up small balls and freeze on a waxed or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. When frozen, transfer cubes or balls to zip-lock bags or airtight cartons and return to freezer.

February 8, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Muhammara (Middle Eastern Red Bell Pepper, Walnut, and Cumin Spread)

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

This Middle Eastern spread is a hit at parties: it’s unique but not weird. And it’s so versatile because, not only is it a tasty appetizer, but a spoonful or two is delicious stirred into rice or pasta dishes, soups and stews, polenta and the like for a burst of deep flavor. I’ve had a sweeter version in one local restaurant that I didn’t care for as much, though I loved the way it was served: spread onto lettuce leaves and garnished with pomegranate seeds. I’ve also had a version similar to this one in another local restaurant, but I think mine has more flavor.

1-7 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
2/3 cup fine fresh or dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped fine (toast at 350 degrees for 10 or so minutes)
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (wonderful stuff, but you can substitute a sweet dark syrup of your choice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup oil (the original recipe called for 3/4 cup which was too much; in fact, though thicker, the spread is actually delicious with very little or no oil)

Combine all ingredients except oil, if using, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth and, with motor running, drizzle in optional oil until the mixture comes together.

Source: I cut this recipe out of a culinary magazine a few years back, but I regretfully neglected to note which one.

February 7, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Broccoli, Grape Tomatoes, White Beans and Whole Wheat Pasta

Yield: 2-3 servings

What a satisfying supper this pretty dish turned out to be. The original recipe called for broccoli rabe and no pasta. Since rabe isn’t always available where I shop, I substituted broccoli florets and, always looking for ways to boost protein in my meals, I added a tiny bit of whole wheat pasta, since it can be a little heavy. Though I love whole wheat pasta for nutritional, taste and texture reasons, a pasta that is whiter in color–like regular bow ties–would create a prettier visual contrast, as the white beans and whole wheat pasta are almost identical in color.

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

February 7, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chocolate-Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: approximately 3 dozen cookies

This is one of those recipes that was very easily veganized simply by substituting vegan butter and chocolate for their dairy equivalents. I thought they looked a little plain–though chocolate-on-chocolate is hard to beat–so I dressed them up a bit with pretty crushed peppermint.

Cookie Dough:
3/4 cup unsalted vegan butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Peppermint Filling:
3/4 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
3 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Garnish:
Crushed peppermint candy (place the candy in a resealable plastic bag, place on a hard surface and crush with a mallet or hammer; you may also use a food processor, though even the so-called soft peppermint sticks sound like bee-bees and can scratch the plastic bowl of most food processors)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.Add the vanilla and salt and continue beating about 1 minute more. Add the flour and cocoa and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, about another minute. Chill dough for 40-60 minutes. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Using a small scoop, scoop up balls of dough and arrange 2 inches apart in rows on baking sheets. Using hands, form each scoop into a smooth ball. With a lightly floured thumb, index finger, or the cylindrical end of a thick-handled spoon or scoop, press straight down in the middle of each ball almost to the cookie sheet to make a deep well. Bake one sheet at a time for approximately 8-9 minutes or until the tops of the cookies look dry. Gently redefine the indentations with the end of a wooden spoon if desired. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for approximately 5 minutes and then cool them completely on racks.

Make filling:
Place the vegan chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of almost simmering water. Stir with a heatproof spatula until almost melted, 2-4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until melted an smooth, about 30 seconds more. Stir in the mint extract. Let the filling cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and a bit warmer than room temperature. Using a tiny spoon, fill the well of each cookie with the filling. Garnish with crushed peppermint candy. Cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container at room temperature. These cookies freeze very nicely.

Source: Very slightly adapted from Fine Cooking magazine. My only adaptions were to use vegan ingredients and to garnish with the peppermint, which looks so pretty.

February 7, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Miss P the Snow Bunny

I decided that, for a little puppy parity, I should post this lovely photo of Miss P, our aging Auzzie mix, in yesterday’s snow storm. At 11 with one hip replacement and one reconstruction, this former stray is the best old gal and she can still jump up on our bed.

February 7, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

The Mini and Great Danes Rest after a Competition of Super Bowl Proportions

After a rousing game of “pull” this morning, the Danes take a rest. Notice the pull toy is right in the center. It must have been a tie.

Time to change the sheets…

(With all these dog photos, I bet everyone is glad I don’t have children!)

February 7, 2010December 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Cheese Ball with Chipped “Beef,” Mushrooms, Green Onions and Black Olives–A Great Holiday or Super Bowl Snack

Yield: 1 Cheese Ball

This is one of those treats I remember from childhood. It was always a favorite and it always signaled the Christmas holidays. Of course, I haven’t eaten it in MANY, MANY years, but this Christmas when I was home, we stopped over to visit the Crumbleys, some family friends–our parents have known each other since college–and Ann and her chef son, James, had actually made this particular cheese ball. I was filled with nostalgia and determined to clean it up vegan style. It’s a little late for Christmas, but it’s just in time for the Super Bowl!

1-14 ounce box extra firm tofu, drained
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon Amino Acids
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon light miso
1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon pickling or “corning” spice (grind or crush if some of the spices are whole)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Season Salt to taste
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
2-4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small or medium can mushrooms, drained (ordinarily, I would NEVER use canned mushrooms, but they are a key ingredient)–I prefer the medium size can
1 small or medium can sliced black olives (ditto about the canned product)–I prefer the medium size can

Garnish: 1 small bag pecan chips

Puree first 13 ingredients in food processor until smooth, stopping and scraping down bowl as necessary. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, except pecan chips, by hand.

Line a medium sized bowl–as half-spherical in shape as you can find–with plastic wrap. Spoon and press “cheese” mixture firmly into bowl; smooth top. Fold ends of plastic wrap over to cover. Refrigerate several hours or up to a couple of days to allow “cheese” to set and flavors to marry. Fold plastic wrap back from top surface of “cheese” ball, place a serving platter on top, and invert ball onto platter. You may have to tug gently on corners of plastic wrap to help it release. Remove plastic wrap, gently press pecan chips into the surface, and serve with crackers or small toasts.

February 7, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Dehydrated Pumpkin Powder from Barry Farm Foods

If you’re not familiar with dehydrated pumpkin powder, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite kitchen companions. I am an absolute “freak” for pumpkin, but sometimes the water content is too high for the desired results, meaning that in order to achieve a rich pumpkin flavor, sometimes the dough or batter becomes too moist.

Enter dehydrated pumpkin powder. I order mine from Barry Farm Foods, but if you “google” the product, you will find a variety of sources. Barry Farm sells theirs in 4 ounce bags, but you can also purchase it from other sources in one-pound jars and even in bulk.

I use it in my Vegan Chewy-Crisp Pumpkin Cookies, but I want to experiment with it in a pasta dough.

They also carry a variety of other powders, like artichoke, for which I have big plans! Mmm…

Image Credit: Barry Farm Foods website. (Note: in actuality, the powder is not this yellow; it’s more yellow than what you might think of as “pumpkin-colored,” but it’s not electric!)