July 16, 2012July 16, 2012 by betsy

Cajun Red Bean Quesadillas with Remoulade Sauce and Praline Pecans

[Photo Note: Yea! As promised I purchased a new camera yesterday, and I’m enjoying familiarizing myself with my brand new Nikon CoolPix S6200. At right is the first photo I took with it…what do you think? I love the white balance feature for starters. So crisp and clean…not blue or yellow.]

I may have mentioned that I was weened on the New Orleans French Quarter. My parents honeymooned in NOLA, as did my husband and me. In between, my folks took my sister and me as often as possible for long weekends when we were growing up. In more recent years, we have enjoyed spending several days there just before Christmas, one of the most temperate times of year in the Quarter. Food has always been one of the biggest draws.

Last week I was with my parents at Ochsner’s Hospital for some surgery my father needed. The hospital is in Metairie, a few minutes from the Quarter, so I didn’t make it there. But the hospital overlooks the Mississippi River where I walked on the bike/jogging path along the levy. Since most of my meals at the hospital consisted of hummus, salads, and/or Boca burgers, I came home craving a taste of one of my favorite places on earth. In response, I created this dish.

This recipe combines my love of Cajun/Creole cuisine with that of my native Texas in the form of a crunchy quesadilla.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Remoulade Sauce:

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons catchup

1 teaspoon Dijon or just plain yellow mustard

1-2 tablespoons roughly chopped drained capers (I love capers, but they can quickly overwhelm; so make sauce ahead with just 1 tablespoon, taste when you’re ready to serve, and add another tablespoon if desired)

In a small bowl or cup, completely combine all ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Praline Pecans:

1 tablespoon vegan butter

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika or to taste

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon natural sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt vegan butter. Add paprika and salt, and stir constantly for a minute or two. Add dissolved sugar and toast, stirring for another couple of minutes or just one minute if including nutritional yeast. If incorporating the nutritional yeast, add and continue toasting and stirring for another minute or until pecans are lightly toasted. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent overcooking pecans.

Quesadilla Filling:

2-15.5 ounce cans red beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup red onion cut into 1/4-inch dice (if you’re not a fan of the “bite” from raw onion, just soak the diced onion in unsweetened soymilk for 15-20 minutes, rinse and drain)

1 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup vegan mayo

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or marjoram

Optional: pinch of garlic powder (you may want to add if your brand of cajun seasoning doesn’t included granulated garlic or garlic powder)

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients.

To Make Quesadillas:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons vegan butter, divided

4-8 inch whole wheat tortillas

Garnish: 4 sprigs fresh basil, marjoram, or oregano

In a large cast iron skillet, heat/melt 1 tablespoon each olive oil and vegan butter over medium-high. Spoon 1/4 each of the filling over half of two of the tortillas. Fold remaining halves over, and place both into the skillet. Cook for a couple or until golden brown and toasted. Flip and cook another couple of minutes on reverse. Remove to serving plates and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Garnish each with 1/4 of the Remoulade Sauce and 1/4 of the Praline Pecans. Note: I like to cut each quesadilla in half, overlap them slightly on the serving plates, garnish and serve.

July 15, 2012July 15, 2012 by betsy

Papa’s Vegan Blueberry and Spinach Smoothie (Bonus: Meets Full Liquid Diet Requirements)

(Photography Note: TODAY is the day I am going to buy a new camera! As I mentioned previously, the one that had served me well for so long went on the fritz in June and my phone really doesn’t take very good photos as you can see here. So I apologize for the quality …definitely not up to Blooming Platter standards!)

On Saturday, July 7, I flew to MS to drive with my folks the next day to Ochsner’s Hospital (The Mayo Clinic of the South) in New Orleans where my robust 84 year old father had some surgery the next day. (My papa, Byron Gough, still works part-time as an engineer for Howard Industries, the largest transformer manufacturer in the world!)

He came through it like a rock star thanks to the expert medical team at Ochsner’s and his overall excellent health and attitude. We were relieved to learn that the orders for a week on a Clear Liquid Diet were incorrect and that he needed to be on the much less restrictive “Full Liquid Diet” followed by a week on the “Nissen Soft Diet.”

The Full Liquid Diet is a bit of a misnomer as it allows strained purees. So, after I drove them home on Wednesday and before I came back to Virginia yesterday, I set about trying to figure out how to get enough tasty and appetizing calories and nutrition in him. I plan to post a couple of the soups I created, one with fresh homegrown tomatoes, as they certainly didn’t look or taste like “recuperation food”!

In the meantime, though, I wanted to share this smoothie recipe. Lots of folk,s it seem,s are “juicing” and I have nothing against fresh juices. I find them very refreshing, in fact. (Hampton Roads residents: if you haven’t yet tried the new Fruitive at Hilltop, I highly recommend!) However, I love all of the fiber that comes from using whole fruits and vegetables as well as the protein that comes from soymilk in a smoothie. But the juice movement did encourage me to start incorporating dark leafy greens into mine.
This vitamin- and protein-packed version is a beautiful color, ultra smooth and creamy, and a perfect balance of tastes.

Yield: 4+ cups

2 cups unsweetened soymilk (app. 160 calories)
1 cup lightly packed baby spinach (app 10 calories)
1 cup frozen blueberries (app 85 calories) [blueberries must be frozen; if not, try adding a handful of ice, but make sure your blender can crush ice] 4 tablespoons orange juice concentrate OR 4 tablespoons of soy yogurt OR 2 tablespoons of each (app 100-110 calories)
Stevia or your favorite no calorie sweetener to taste (0 calories)

Optional Garnish: fresh mint sprigs.

Place all ingredients in a blender container. Stir them gently to combine with a long-handled spoon. Process on the highest speed until smooth, stopping two or three times to stir and press down any unincorporated ingredients if necessary. Pour into glasses, garnish if desired and serve, preferably with a straw.

Total Calories for Entire Recipe (all amounts were rounded up, so it is a little less than this): 365 calories

Where can you find more delicious vegan recipes that make the most of the season? Check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes!

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Tuna “Fish” Salad with Secret “Boiled Egg” Ingredient

[Photo caveat: I apologize for the quality of this photo. My trusty camera finally went on the fritz. And, while I plan to replace it soon, I want to upgrade, but don’t want to spend the money just yet. So, this photo was taken with my phone, which is a Droid rather than an iPhone, and I don’t believe the quality is as good as the latter. However, before the summer is out, I plan to have a new camera!]

Okay, so it’s not exactly standard July 4 fare, but…cold and creamy, tuna fish salad (vegan of course) sounded so good to me on a recent hot and humid day that I decided to create a batch, holiday appropriate or not. (BTW, does it amuse you like it does me that the weather reporters act like 90+ and a hundred degree weather in July is “news”?)

I had never tried a vegan version. I do make a Vegan Clam Chowder that receives rave reviews, so I felt sure I could capture that briny taste…and I did (!) courtesy of some Dulce granules available in health food stores and, possibly upmarket grocery stores. I buy it at our local Organic Depot.

But my mother always made tuna salad with chopped boiled egg and I wanted to try to capture that flavor as well. My Vegan Egg Salad is tops in many folks’ (recipe) books so, I decided to add a little of the secret eggy ingredient: Indian black salt. It has an aromatic sulfury taste that mimics that of cooked eggs perfectly. You can buy it most affordably at Indian markets, but you can also order it online.

But what about the protein? The only one I had in the house after a whole week away at TICA (what a beautiful honor and experience that was!) seemed oddly appropriate: chick peas, lightly mashed.

The rest was easy: a little mayo, finely chopped celery, pickle relish and, for good measure, celery salt (though celery seed would substitute nicely). Enjoy this salad as you would any tuna salad: on crackers; in a sandwich with toasted bread and some curly lettuce; stuffed inside a firm, ripe tomato as we do “down South;” as a lighter canape on cucumber slices; or as the ultimate indulgence: on fried green tomato slices as in the photo! I garnished them with dab more mayo, a sliver of dill pickle (because I didn’t have sweet), and a tiny pinch of both Dulce granules and Indian black salt.

I simply couldn’t resist the tomatoes at the farmer’s market. To fry them, just slice them about 1/4-1/3 of an inch thick, dredge them first in a little flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then in unsweetened soymilk seasoned with the same, and then back into the flour before sauteing a couple of minutes on each side in canola oil over medium-high heat. Drain on paper towels.

2-15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup finely diced celery

4-5 tablespoons mayo (I like my own homemade mayo or Vegenaise the best, but can rarely find the latter, so Nayonaise is fine; it just has a stronger taste. If you use milder Vegenaise, you may need slightly less Dulce granules.)

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (use dill pickle relish if you prefer)

1 tablespoon Dulce granules (see note above next to “mayo.” Also, feel free to substitute Kelp granules, but you may need to adjust the amount.)

1/2 teaspoon Indian black salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon celery salt or celery seed or to taste

In a medium bowl, coarsely mash the chick peas with a fork or a potato masher and sprinkle celery over the top. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo and remaining ingredients. Pour over pea and celery mixture and toss well to fully incorporate. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

Though published a year ago, I hope my cookbook The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes will always be relevant with its emphasis on tasty, nutritious, beautiful, and seasonal vegan fare. If you need a little gift for yourself or a friend/family member, you can obtain it simply by following the link. And thanks in advance !

June 23, 2012July 30, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Zucchini, Onion, and Yellow Squash Gratin

Yield: 6 to 8 servings as a side dish

Olive oil

1 medium-large zucchini, trimmed, split lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

2 small yellow squash, split lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

1 small yellow onion (or half of a medium-large), peeled, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup Panko bread crums (any bread crumb will do, but I love the crunchiness of Panko)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (I use equal parts sage, basil and oregano, but use what you have)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish with non-stick spray (or olive oil). Add both squashes, drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss and then spread to an even layer. Top with sliced onion and sprinkle with additional salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the melted butter, olive oil, bread crumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and herbs. After the vegetables have cooked for 20 minutes, remove the foil from the dish, sprinkle the top of the veggies evenly with the bread crumb mixture, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. I like the top very brown and crispy, but if you prefer less color and crunch, simply remove the gratin from the oven after about 8 minutes. Serve immediately or at slightly warmer than room temperature.

Note: this dish is also delicious with 1/4-inch thick slices of tomatoes (from a cored medium-large tomato) arranged over the top of the onion before the vegetables are sprinkled with the bread crumbs.

June 23, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Turkish Chickpea and Beet Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

I had a dual inspiration for this salad: the wildly popular Beet Muhummara in my Blooming Platter Cookbook and an eye-catching bunch of white beets grown at my favorite local farmer’s market, Stoney’s. Essentially, I used similar ingredients to the Muhummara—beets, cumin, walnuts, etc.—combined into a salad with the addition of chickpeas. True to their description, the white beets tasted just like their red relatives, but without the counter-, cutting board- , and lip-staining properties.

Juice of 1 small-medium lemon, about 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon tamarind syrup or pomegranate molasses (available at Middle Eastern markets or online)

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Approximately 1 1/2 cups grated beets (unpeeled); about 6 small beets, grated in a food processor (I used white beets because our farmer’s market was very excited about having grown them this year, but use any color you have)

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onions, green parts only

1/2 cup walnut pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, tamarind syrup, garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine grated beets, chickpeas, spring onions and walnuts. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to coat. Check for seasoning and adjust as desired. Serve immediately or, preferably, chill for at least an hour for flavors to marry.

June 23, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Penne Pasta with Fresh Peas, Smoked Paprika, Walnuts and Cream

Yield: 4 servings

This flavorful and pretty pasta dish was inspired by the popular Italian favorite made with peas, ham or prosciutto and cream. I simply cleaned it up and veganized it, substituting smoked paprika for the pork and unsweetened soymilk for the cream. I added walnuts for additional flavor, texture and nutrition and a little lemon zest to brighten, lighten and freshen the dish even further. I hope you love it.

Note: I created the recipe and photographed it in May when “May peas” were in our farmer’s market. But then I got consumed by other obligations and never posted. I really hope you can still find fresh peas in your area.

Approximately 1/2 cups fresh peas (I used May peas from the farmer’s market)

Sea salt to taste

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta (11-12 minutes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onions (a ratio of about 3:1 white to green parts)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1/2 unsweetened soymilk + extra if desired

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Zest of 1 medium lemon

Place peas in a 2 quart saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and place over medium high heat, loosely covered. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, adding more water if too much evaporates. Meanwhile, heat a pot of generously salted water to boiling. Add pasta, stir, loosely cover, and simmer for 11-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Reduce heat if necessary. (I confess, that I NEVER use as large of a pot or as much water as recommended. It seems unnecessary and wasteful, as long as the pasta has room to agitate.)

While peas and pasta cook, heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently for a couple of minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent from cooking too fast. Add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for another minute. Then stir in peas. Sprinkle with flour, stir to incorporate, and then stir in soymilk until it reduces down. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 and 1/2 cups. Stir in the pasta and then add the pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce to the desired consistency. (Leftover reheating note: this pasta seems to absorb a lot of the moisture when refrigerated, so save some of the pasta water to add to your leftovers when reheating. Plain water can’t as successfully be added, as it lacks the starch from the pasta that helps thicken the sauce to the desired texture.) Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, nutritional yeast and a pinch of black pepper. Stir until incorporated. Fold in walnut pieces and lemon zest. Check for seasoning and adjust as desired. Serve immediately. (Reduce the heat at any time that the mixture appears to be cooking too fast.)

June 23, 2012July 2, 2012 by betsy

Annie’s Vegan Herbed Cucumber and Chickpea Salad

Yield: 4 servings

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I had the most lovely lunch with my magnificent friend Ann Dearsley Vernon. A few years back, she retired after a three decade career as Education Director/Education Director Emerius of the Chryser Museum.

If possible, her calendar is fuller now than then. Everyone loves to be in the company of this bright, beautiful, disarming, elegant, tough, and witty 73 year old. So, in addition to a slate of social engagements, she is a highly sought-after speaker, event chair, judge and, otherwise, active volunteer committed to a number of causes near and dear to her heart, from art education to civil rights to the YWCA and more.

In my case, we were combining business with an opportunity to catch up. The only thing that has slowed down this powerhouse in the last two years was, unbeknownst to her, congestive heart failure due to heart damage sustained during a childhood bout with rheumatic fever.

Barely 9 months ago, Ann had a heart pump known as the LVAD (left ventricular assist device) installed. Though it dramatically changed her life in some ways, it also saved it. Henceforth, she will forever be joined to a computer and set of batteries neatly tucked into a compact black shoulder bag that operates the pump through a wire that enters her body beneath a sterile dressing.

I had the honor of interviewing Ann about her experience with this revolutionary “HeartWare” device for an article in the Top Docs/Women’s Health issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, to be published later this summer illustrated by captivating paintings she has created about her journey (think Frida Kahlo meets Marc Chagall). (I’ll be sure to post a link once it hits the stands.)

So, though she’d been jurying an art school exhibition for 3 hours, she breezed home, fetched me from her garden, and nonchalantly put together a perfectly light and perfectly delicious lunch to enjoy while we talked…and talked…and talked.

While she didn’t write down how she made this bean salad—that’s not her way—she described what she did and I tried to duplicate it. I used chickpeas, as that’s what I had, but her version featured creamy cannellini beans. Either way, it’s absolutely addicting.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas (or cannellini beans), rinsed and drained

Approximately 1/2 cup finely sliced spring onions (I like a ratio of 2/3 white to 1/3 green parts of the onion)

1 medium cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds scooped with a spoon and discarded, then each half slit lengthwise in half again, and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (I used a ratio of 1:1 basil and oregano, but some parsley would also be good, so use whatever you have)

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, gently toss together chickpeas or beans, spring onions, cucumber and herbs. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over, toss gently again, check for seasoning, adjust as desired, and serve immediately or chill until serving time. Toss again before serving.

June 10, 2012June 10, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Chambord-Spiked Fudgy Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies with Coconut-Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen cookies (easily doubles)

Everyone loved my Vegan Mini Kahlua-Spiked Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes with Coconut-Espresso Buttercream Frosting. And, since I had frosting left over from my testing session, I thought it might be perfect in a decadent fudgy thumbprint cookie. Since I also had hazelnuts and Chambord on hand, they became Chambord-Spiked Fudgy Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies.

These were devoured by my non-vegan husband!

1/4 cup melted vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons chocolate almond milk (chocolate soymilk would be tasty too)

2 teaspoons Chambord (or your favorite raspberry flavored liqueur)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract (that sounds like a lot, but it was just right to my palate)

1 cup natural sugar (this also sounds like alot, but I tried it first with 1/2 cup and it just wasn’t enough; you could reduce to 2/3-3/4 cup if you are concerned about your sugar intake)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

generous pinch sea salt (you may use table salt if you prefer)

1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (if the nuts are too large, when you press your thumb into the dough balls, you will break them up)

Coconut-Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients (first six ingredients) in a medium bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate medium size bowl. Make a depression in the center, pour in wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Dough will be stiff. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Using s small scoop, place mounds of cookie 2 inches apart in rows. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie to create a little depression. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and,when cookies are cool enough to handle, press your thumb again into the depression to define it a little more and make plenty of room for lots of frosting! Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet, as they will break apart if you try to move them while warm. Fill the depression with frosting by simply spooning it in or piping it if you prefer a fancier presentation. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Note: avoid using all vegan butter in place of the butter-oil mixture, as the cookies will spread too much.

June 7, 2012June 8, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Kahlua-Spiked Chocolate-Almond Cupcakes with Coconut-Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen miniature cupcakes

Where did May go? I feel that I’ve been out of touch for so long, and that was not my intention!

I had the flu for the first two weeks of the month, and it was all I could do to get myself to school and home. And, I guess, by the middle of the month, we were deep into testing, final assignments, end of year celebrations and, come the first of June, the creation of exams and oh-so-much-more in preparation for graduation which is only a week from tomorrow! The last days of school are absolutely breathless!

Speaking of breathless, these fabulously decadent cupcakes will take your breath away!

They were inspired by the irrepressible Kisha Marie, Starbucks barista and beaded jewelry designer extraordinaire. I love starting my day with an exchange of greetings, ideas, and news with Kisha. Her exuberance is infectious. And, I swear, she has my Green Tea Soy No Syrup Frappuccino started before I even arrive!

Every so often, my local Starbucks where she works offers free tastes from a big carafe. A recent Kisha Marie concoction gave rise to my newest favorite cupcake: a blend of iced Via concentrate, coconut syrup, and soymilk. Mmmm… She always gets the balance of flavors, consistency, and color exactly right.

Though there is no chocolate in her signature beverage, I thought the chocolate cupcakes would be a perfect foil for the coffee and coconut in the frosting. Yes, indeed! And the Kahlua? Well, who needs to justify coffee liqueur? I just have to remember not to spike them when I share with my students!

But I did share them with all my pals at Starbucks. The cupcakes received a latte praise (sorry, I couldn’t resist), though Kisha recommended that I use Via instead of my standard espresso powder. I’m sure she’s right about that. Next time!

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup natural sugar

1/3 cup finely ground almonds, plain or toasted for deeper flavor (use a food processor to achieve the consistency of an almond meal)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (table salt is fine, but I love sea salt even in baked goods)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or canola oil)

1 cup chocolate almond milk (chocolate soymilk may be substituted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

5 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur for brushing tops

Coconut-Espresso Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

Optional garnish: 30 chocolate-covered coffee beans, sliced almonds, or a pinch of plain or toasted coconut

Line 30 mini-muffin cups with mini-muffin papers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients except Kahlua. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir both together until the batter is smooth, though a few small lumps may remain. Using a small scoop, divide batter evenly among the lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Check at 18 minutes to avoid over-baking. Remove muffin tins to wire racks to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove cupcakes from the tins onto the racks in order to prevent them from continuing to cook. Prick each cupcake a few times with a toothpick and brush the tops with up to 1/2 teaspoon Kahlua each. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe in swirls on top of each cupcake. Or simply spread the frosting on each cupcake with a dinner knife, spoon or offset spatula. Garnish as desired and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Coconut Espresso Buttercream Frosting:

6 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 4 teaspoons unsweetened or plain soymilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons coconut extract (extract is preferred over coconut flavor, though the flavor will do if you can’t find extract)

Cream together butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with the espresso and soymilk mixture, until smooth and creamy. Start electric mixer on low so as not to coat yourself in sugar. Beat in vanilla and coconut extracts until completely incorporated.

May 16, 2012May 16, 2012 by betsy

Bloomin’ Best Vegan Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Butter Muffins

Yield:12 regular size (not super size!) muffins

I received such rave reviews on my recently created Bloomin’ Best Vegan Peanut Butter and Apple Muffins that I decided to try my luck with a sweet potato version.

I know, I know…for a seasonal cook to be using sweet potatoes in May seems anethma. But, our farmer’s market leaves their spuds in a cold cellar over the winter so that once the market opens again in the spring, its customers are treated to beautiful golden sweet potatoes.

I planned to make the sweet potato version of the muffins exactly like the peanut butter and apple inspiration, but I needed a substitute for the creamy moisture of the peanut butter. Fortunately I remembered a gift of some unopened pumpkin butter (which contains no dairy despite the name) from my sister-in-law. Its moisture content is even higher than peanut butter, though both are thick and creamy, so these muffins are more delectably moist than their forebears. Both are delicious.

Enjoy whenever sweet potatoes are in season–or brought out of the cold cellar–in your neck of the woods!

1/2 cup pumpkin butter

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (you can use plain, but you might want to slightly decrease the sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup natural sugar

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch ground allspice

Pinch ground cinnamon

Pinch ground cloves

3 cups finely grated sweet potatoes, skin on (fine like food processor-fine)

Line muffin cups with papers or oil well with nonstick spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together pumpkin butter, canola oil, soy milk and vanilla until well combined. Stir in sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda just until a smooth batter forms. Then stir in grated sweet potatoes only until incorporated. Divide evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to cool completely or to enjoy while warm.