Vegan Mofo recipe: Too Easy Apple Pie

2011 has been a spectacular year for apples in NY state.  It is ridiculous how many apples I've been given this year- thanks to my sweet neighbor:)  So, what's a girl to do with 8 bags of apples?  Make apple pie, of course.  

So far I've made two different types of apple pie in the last week.  The traditional pie with two crusts and a crustless graham cracker crust pie.  This pie crust was on sale and I have too many apples to contemplate making crust, so I went for pre-made this time.  As you can tell, I did feel a twinge guilty about not creating my own crust from scratch.  It is vegan, however:)

Too Easy Apple Pie

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

9 inch pie dish (not deep)

About 10-15 peeled apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla soymilk

3 T Earth Balance margarine, chopped in large pieces

olive oil spray

1 tsp. cinnamon

dash nutmeg

1 tsp. lemon juice (or lime)

Core and slice (1/3 inch slices) enough apples to make a heaping mound of apples in pie dish.  Stir together apples, brown sugar, soymilk, 2 T margarine, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice in large bowl.  Spray pie dish with olive oil and then deposit pie crust, making sure to cover dish and sides with graham cracker crumble.  Add apple mixture and place rest of margarine in little bits on top of apples.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  After 20 minutes remove cover, gently stir apple mixture without disturbing crust and bake until apples appear well cooked.  Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.  

Fav Vegan MoFo Product: Sunshine Burgers

Even as a kid I wasn't a big fan of burgers.  The texture of ground beef grossed me out, so when I explored  vegetarian burger options, it wasn't necessary for me to find a "burger" that resembled a beef burger.  Actually, the further it is from a beef burger, the better.  

When I discovered Sunshine Burger's Garden Herb in the natural foods store, I found my perfect burger.  The ingredients are very simple and nutritious: Organic Ground Raw Sun-flower Seeds, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Carrots, Organic Herbs and Sea Salt.  

The herbs are understated, but pronounced enough so that the burger isn't bland at all.  You can definitely taste the sunflower seeds, but they are balanced nicely with the rice and carrots, and not overwhelming.  Some people might not like the texture.  It is not firm like a burger, but soft.  I'm guessing that it wouldn't work well on a grill.  However, it is not dry like falafel and doesn't fall apart easily.  The ingredients work together as if egg binds it, even though it is vegan, so it functions like a burger better than some vegan varieties do.  

The burger takes very little time to cook, so it is the perfect meal on the go.  And, it tastes great in wraps and between bread.  I'm still enjoying the tomatoes from my garden, so delicious, ripe tomatoes have accompanied these burgers in a lot of meals the last two weeks.  Here is Saturdays's recipe:

Sunshine Burger w/ Garden Fresh Tomatoes Wrap

• 1 Garden Herb Sunshine Burger
• 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
• handful of mesclun or any young greens
• 1/3 onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 T hummous
• 1 tsp. salsa
• olive oil or olive oil spray
• chopped kalamata olives (optional)
• 1 medium-large size tortilla shell

Spray pan with olive oil spray or add 1 tsp. olive oil to medium sized cast iron skillet or non-stick pan.  On medium-high heat, saute onions for 3 minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add burger to skillet. Cook burger and onions until burger is gently browned on both sides, adding more olive oil if needed.  When burger is cooked, remove from heat.  Warm shell thoroughly on both sides.  Spread hummous and salsa on shell.  Crumble up burger, add onions, tomato, kalamata olives and green.  Fold and serve.  

Winter Kale Salad

I made this the other day & loved it!  Perfect for winter, because few veggies are involved and kale & carrots are easy to come by in the winter.  The almond butter dressing is warming, as well.

salad
1/2 lb. firm tofu
small-med sized bunch of kale, chopped in thin ribbons
2 large carrots, grated
olive oil

almond butter dressing
3 T almond butter (I used raw)
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
water, as needed
1 T honey
1 T grated ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic, or more to taste
few drops sesame oil, optional

Drain tofu and wrap in dishtowel for 5 minutes to absorb some of the water.  Cut into small 1/2" cubes.  Add 1 tsp. olive oil to frying pan (I use cast iron) set on med-high heat and stir fry for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from heat.
Mix together all of the ingredients for almond butter dressing.  Add more soy sauce if desiring a saltier dressing.  Add enough water so that the dressing is a little thinner than ranch dressing and stir well.
In a large bowl, mix together dressing, carrots and kale, and tofu.  If mixture is lacking flavor, add a little bit more almond butter and rice vinegar.  Considering how large your bunch of kale is (or isn't), it's better to play with it a bit.  Let sit for 2 hours and enjoy.  Keeps well in refrigerator for several days.







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Book Review: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Cupcakes are hot right now.  Remember when bagels were huge in the early 90's?  Bagel shops were everywhere.  Then, Krispy Kreme doughnuts (which I have never tried) were all the rage.  Cupcakes are currently it, but not just any cupcakes- vegan cupcakes.

Believe it or not, and I know that there are many disbelievers out there, vegan cupcakes rock.  At least, the ones I made from Terry Hope Romero & Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World do.   So far I can recommend the Rum Raisin Cupcakes w/ Rum Glaze & Rummy Buttercream Frosting + Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (with my own coconut cocoa cream frosting).  Delicious!
The recipes are pretty straightforward and easy to follow.  There are a couple of gluten-free recipes and the variety of recipes is solid- I never felt like I was reading the same recipe twice.  Oh, and the ingredients are easy to come by.
A great little cookbook.  I'm not much of a baker, but I found these cupcakes pretty fool-proof and can't wait to make more.  Next up- Chai Latte Cupcakes to accompany an Indian dinner I'm making this Thursday.  Yum!







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Fav Valentine's Day Picks

Let me say right away that Valentine's Day isn't a holiday I normally go out and celebrate with my honey.  You'll also never find me at the Rite Aid deliberating over which cheap candy and lame-butt card to pick out.
Instead, one year I made heart shaped tofu on rice for my family.  I'm not averse to giving and receiving chocolate on this day either (if it's really good chocolate).  However, my husband and I have a wedding anniversary around this time, so I'd rather just celebrate the love all month long.

Etsy most certainly isn't Rite Aid, however, and I think that even the biggest V-Day hater wouldn't snub their nose at any of these choices.

This little dish is really adorable.  Perfect for little love notes or a cupcake.

Big Love Dish w/ Two Birdies by Lean Dog Pottery

Now, my son would be so grossed out by this card because he thinks that quinoa looks like little worms.  I saw this card a few weeks ago and I LOVE it.  Super cute.

I Love You More than Quinoa Eco Friendly Mini Valentine Cards with Coin Envelopes by deepfried

I'm so inspired by all of the upcycled creations artists and crafters have been making.  I think we'll see more upcycling as time goes by.  I love cuffs!

Love Recycled Vinyl Cuff by Baking Vinyl






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Killer Carrot & Cucumber Salad

This side salad is the easiest, most delicious salad I've made in years.  Great in the winter, because the garbanzo beans provide a rich protein and the veggies in it generally taste good year round.




Killer Carrot & Cucumber Salad

1 large grated carrot (or 2 medium)
1 large cucumber, diced in medium sized chunks
2 artichoke hearts, finely chopped (from canned artichokes preserved in salt water- no oil)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar (aged is best)
1/4 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Everything can be added simultaneously in a medium sized bowl.  Stir well.  Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour, restir, then ready to eat.  If you don't have time, this can be eaten immediately, but tastes better after the ingredients marinate in the vinegars.








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Winner of Veganville's awesome contest!

Last night I found out that I was the winner of Veganville's super fun 'I got into my account' blog contest:)

Which is really very cool, because my dad bought me a recipe book a few years ago that these awesome recipe cards would fit nicely in.

Veganville makes delicious yummy baked goods on Etsy that have garnered lots of positive feedback.  Her whoopie pies and cupcakes look amazing! To visit Veganville's shop click here 

Many thanks to Gigi from Veganville for throwing this contest!

3 Beer Chili on a Cold Winter Night

Nothing better than a steaming bowl of chili to warm you up on a cold winter's night- and it is cold pretty much every night here! I use 3 different beers and 3 different kinds of beans in this vegetarian chili. Delicious with rice or without.


3 Beer Chili

3 15 oz cans beans; 1 black, 1 pinto, 1 red kidney
36 oz. canned crushed or diced tomatoes
1 small carrot, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. dried bulgur
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. minced jalapeno (or more, to taste)
16 oz. beer (I use a combo of IPA or hoppy winter ale, Pale Ale, and Stout or Porter)
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
water, as needed

Can be cooked in a slow cooker (will take at least 8 hours) or in a big pot over the stove. First, saute onions in 1 tsp. olive oil for 2 minutes on med-high heat in a medium sized frying pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain liquid from beans and rinse. Add tomatoes, beans, carrot, green pepper, jalapeno, onions and garlic mixture and 8 oz. beer to slow cooker. Turn it slow cooker (or set heat on large pot to medium) and stir well. Let flavors meld for 2 hours (or 1 hour in large pot, stirring every 15 minutes), then add rest of ingredients. Add water as needed. Basically cook until the carrots are cooked. Add more beer, water, or spices as needed.
Tasted delish with a side of brown rice. You can try different combos of beer.






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Mila Banana Smoothie

My son and I have been drinking Mila smoothies about every other day for the last few weeks. Mila is basically chia seed that is ground (therefor easier to drink and tastier) but still raw and unprocessed. The extra fiber does us well and chia seeds are touted as a super food.

Usually we make a shake with banana only, but today we added some frozen raspberries. I prefer it this time of year over my usual smoothie because it's at room temperature, whereas most of my smoothies contain a great deal of frozen fruit.
If you want to make a raw shake, use fresh coconut water (not coconut milk from a can).

Mila Banana Smoothie

3/4 c vanilla soymilk (or any milk)
3/4 c water
1 banana
1/3 c frozen (or fresh) raspberries

Add ingredients to blender and blend for about 20 seconds. Super easy and delicious. If you don't add the raspberries, use a large banana or two small ones.





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Super Moist Vegan Banana Bread w/ Coconut Flour

Being fairly new to vegan baking, I was surprised when this banana bread ended up tasting absolutely fabulous. This bread is soooo moist! The coconut flour adds fiber and a slightly sweeter flavor. My son loved it and we didn't miss the eggs or butter at all.

3 1/2 cup white flour (unbleached)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
7 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 vanilla soymilk (can sub any other milk)
1 cup canola oil (I only had 1/2 cup, so I used 1/2 olive oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease 2 bread pans (or 1 large & two small).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix wet ingredients in large bowl and dry ingredients into medium sized bowl.  Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet.  Do not overstir.  Pour into well greased bread pans.  My oven temp swings high and low, so your baking time might differ from mine.  I baked the small loaves for about 30 minutes and the large about 50 minutes.






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Vegan Philly Open-Faced Sandwich

I grew up outside of Philadelphia and still feel nostalgic for a Philly cheesesteak.  The rolls were soft with a hint of sourdough; the grease and cheese was gooey, yummy, warm.  At least, that is how I remember it nearly 20 years later.

One of my New Years' goals is to incorporate more vegan and raw meals into my vegetarian diet.  I'm lactose-intolerant, but can't seem to stay away from cheese.
Today's sandwich was an experiment, an idea explored that is far from perfect, yet still pretty tasty.  Normally I would have used cheese, but decided to make a vegan cheez sauce instead.



Vegan Philly Open-Faced Sandwich

One large slice of toast
1/3 cup bite-sized seitan
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 T beer
water, as needed
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 slices tomato
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

Saute onions in olive oil spray for 2 minutes in small sauce pan.  Add garlic and continue until onions are soft.  Add beer, nutritional yeast, and as much water as needed to make your sauce.  Cook for 1 minute and add the soy sauce and seitan.  Cook a few more minutes, letting the flavors blend.
Put toast on plate and place tomato on top.  Pour seitan cheez mixture over toast and tomato.  Bon Appetit!












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Vegan Mofo Fav Food: Sweet & Sara's Marshmallows

I'm not a big fan of marshmallows, probably because they aren't technically vegetarian AND come out of a plastic bag. Typically, I prefer savory over sweet. My son has a sweet tooth, though, and when I saw Sweet & Sara's vegan Vanilla Marshmallows at Cooperstown Natural Foods, they became my 'impulse' purchase of the day.

What I loved about these: they don't taste as disgustingly unnatural as most marshmallows do. Where some vegan products fail is that they often try to replicate a food item, but the vegan version will end up being way more processed than the meaty counterpart. For example, I can't stomach most vegan cheeses. Taste horrible and the ingredient list is far from natural.
What Soren loved: They taste better than marshmallows.
These are handmade and the texture is so much nicer- a little firmer. They keep for several weeks and need to be refrigerated. I cut them up in bits and add them to my brownies- although Soren and I found that they taste better added the minute the brownies emerge from the oven.




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Vegan Mofo Recipe, 2: Last of the Harvest

I love fresh veggies.  After years of moving, I often fantasized about having a large garden.  The growing season for garden veggies ended a month or so ago here, which makes me sad.  I love the Catskills, but the short growing season makes me wish I settled somewhere warmer.

This Halloween weekend, my husband, son and I traveled to southeast Pennsylvania to visit family and friends.  The growing season lasts a few weeks longer and my parents have a garden, so I was much appreciative when Mom loaded us up with hot and sweet peppers, cherry and roma tomatoes, oregano and rosemary- all straight from her garden (which is organic).  Also scored Mom's homemade pickles, which are my son's favorite pickles in the universe.  If that weren't enough, organic gardener/cook extraordinaire, Debra Parry, gifted me her delicious hot relish.

Today I was finishing up the last bits of the harvest down south and made a delicious vegan lunch.

Here's the recipe, serves 1:
Saute 1/3 small green pepper (strips) and 1/2 small onion (1/2 inch slices) in olive oil spray on medium heat until soft and mushy.  Mash 1/2 small avocado with 1 tsp. mustard.  Spray 2 slices whole wheat bread with olive oil spray and lightly toast.  Spread avocado mixture on one slice and 1 TBSP hot relish on the other.  Layer thinly sliced tomatoes (2 slices is great), 1 lettuce leaf, pickle slices, and pepper/onion mixture.  Open wide and enjoy!





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Vegan MoFo Recipe: Mushroom and Rice Miso Soup

Been really into making combinations of mushroom and miso soups lately.  In the past, I've made mushroom and onion miso soup, mushroom and tofu miso soup with spring onions, and spicy pepper and mushroom miso soup.  Usually these are soups for one.  Really easy to make, warming, and healthy.
This week I had some leftover rice, which was the inspiration for this.  

I always saute the veggies/tofu first in about tsp. of olive oil or sesame oil.  This time I used 5 porcini mushrooms, a few slices of banana pepper, and 1/2 cup of leftover brown rice.  Cook until mushrooms are soft.

Heat 1 cup of water in tea kettle.  Right before boiling pour it into your bowl and add about 1 1/2 tsp. miso.  I used yellow miso.  Stir until miso is dissolved and add veggies.









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