Thanksgiving Feast! November 27, 2009
Posted by a-k in ExtraVeganZa, Thanksgiving, burgers and patties, dehydrator, dessert, dressings and sauces, gluten free, grains and flours, herbs, nut cheese, nuts, parties and happenings, raw, salad, tempeh, vegetables.11 comments
I think my favorite thing about any big celebratory meal is getting to channel my totally unfeminist dreams of being a midcentury housewife: cleaning the house, cooking massive amounts of food, setting the table, getting to use my pretty (though very unmatched) vintage servingware, lighting candles, and playing Astrud Gilberto and Les Baxter records. I love the spectacle and dreamy domesticity of it all, later balanced out by a late-night drinks and karaoke visit to a new Roman Empire-themed gay bar in Minneapolis (yeah, that’s right).
Various stages of available light make up all of these photos, but even the less fancy ones should get the deliciousness across! First, the table before most of the food got on there, but you’ll see the gravy bowl (full of carrot, rosemary, and sherry gravy) and my Pyrex holiday casserole dish atop its candle-warmer stand (it’s filled to the top with colcannon):
I took some individual shots of my appetizer contributions. First, the cashew cheese log which I sprinkled with black pepper and chopped rosemary and served with balsamic marinated and dehydrated red onions and some tasty gluten-free crackers (and yes, it was super tasty!):
I also made roasted mushrooms, tossed in a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh rosemary…they gave me an excuse to bust out my favorite vintage cocktail forks!
By the time our two lovely guests arrived, it was dark outside, so the picture of my appetizer plate is a bit dark. Along with the cheese and crackers and mushrooms, we got to enjoy spicy stuffed mushrooms and sweet spiced nuts – I think the roasted nuts might be my favorite!
We all agreed we could have spent the whole night just eating appetizers, but we restrained ourselves in order to sit at the table and begin the “real” dinner. You can’t see all of it, but this plate is loaded with roasted brussels sprouts, colcannon and carrot gravy, a tempeh-wild rice burger, raw cranberry relish, gf pumpkin cornbread-cranberry stuffing, pecan-topped sweet potatoes, and a yummy raw veggie salad:
As you can well imagine, we were pretty full after dinner, so we sat down to a game of canasta and let our digestive systems do their thing. Eventually we felt brave enough to each have a piece of pumpkin pie, which were smaller than the photo might make them out to be and I baked it in a small springform pan. I took a risk and went with the Voluptuous Vegan pumpkin pie recipe without having made it before, though to make it gluten-free I made a buckwheat-walnut crust based on a recipe from Extraveganza. Though I was nervous about the filling not seeming to set up after baking and cooling (it looked and felt like tinned pumpkin on top), slicing it was not a problem. The flavor was awesome — nicely spiced, just a hint of maple sweetness — and its lightness (a pretty low-fat pie filling recipe) was a great contrast to the flaky, rich crust with an earthy buckwheat flavor. This is my next-day-leftovers picture, and it’s topped with barely-sweetened cashew cream and ground cinnamon:
Today I ate the same thing all over again! It’s a good thing this was pretty much the only meal I had each day, or I probably wouldn’t be able to move. I’m not generally someone concerned with how much fat I’m eating, but this is definitely far more than I eat on a regular basis. Now I’m drinking heaps of water and planning on some very light meals over the weekend to give my body a little well-deserved break from heavier (though delicious) foods. I was lucky enough not to have to work today, so I think I’m going to spend the night curled up with a movie or some crossword puzzles, and get to bed at a good hour. Til next time!
Domestic Affair’s Tuesday Review November 17, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, cookbooks, dessert, raw.1 comment so far
For those interested, my review of Ani Phyo’s Ani’s Raw Foods Dessert Book is up on the Domestic Affair blog. Check it out here!
VeganMoFo: Recent Raw Treats October 29, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, dessert, raw, reviews, veganmofo.14 comments
Raw Strawberry Macaroons from Ani’s Raw Food Desserts.
I’m making a bunch of recipes from Ani’s Raw Food Desserts this week to write up a review for Jae Steele’s blog. So far, just about everything has been Pretty Tasty. Strawberries are one of my favorite foods, so the smell and taste of these macaroons makes me all sorts of happy.
I also made some Almond Frangipane Kream this morning. This is my least favorite so far on account of the texture and bland flavor, but it still makes a bowl of Honeycrisp apple slices a little extra special (not that Honeycrisps need specialing up, mind you!). I’ll have to see if I can repurpose the cream somehow.
Last but not least, some Orange Fig Cookies, which are supposed to have lemon but I was out of lemons. These are extra decadent what with the cashew nuts and cashew butter in them, but the bit of fig sweetness and the hint of orange zest make them feel lighter. Yummy yum yum!
There will be a more overall review of the book as a whole on Domestic Affair, which I’ll point you to whenever it happens over the next couple months, but the general recommendation here is yes. 
VeganMoFo: Odds and Ends October 26, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, baking, burgers and patties, chocolate, cookbooks, dessert, raw, reviews, sammiches and wraps, test recipes, veganmofo, zine.13 comments
Last night my ladyfriend came into the kitchen and said, “I wish we had brownies.” I said, “I can make some!” and I did. Of course I reached for Sweet Freedom and discovered that I had all the ingredients for a half-batch of the Ultra Fudgy Brownies… even half an avocado! which makes up some of the delightful fat in this relatively low-fat brownie. Umm, I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never been a big chocolate fan, and therefore have little to no idea what a brownie should taste or feel like, but this really satisfied me and my lady (who claimed it was “like a really delicious low-fat brownie”)! And really, could it get much sexier than that rich and decadent chocolate yumminess up there, with hardly any guilt? For reals. It’s inspiring me to use avocado more in baked goods.
I’ve also been perusing Ani Phyo’s new dessert book more in preparation for a review I’m working on for Domestic Affair. Although most of the recipes don’t require a dehydrator (as in her first book), I wanted to try out this Breakfast Toast recipe, which does. I’ve just finished the last piece today, having eaten it plain or as a raw “PB&J” with almond butter and fresh berries. Does making a PB&J raw really require a recipe? Probably not, but then I would never had tried out this tasty buckwheat, flax, sesame, raisin “bread”! Here with some organic blueberries I got for free:
And my personal favorite, with organic raspberries (also free!):
I’ve also slowly been materializing some recipes for the next zine, including one for Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Porridge. It’s in need of a little tweaking, but super filling and tasty all the same. I brought some leftovers to work the other day:
I’ve got another post with a recipe coming up later tonight, or perhaps tomorrow afternoon (I feel like a slacker compared to some of you daily mofo-ers!) for some Vegan Haggis Loaf I made today, topped with a sauce I made from Farmer’s Market ground cherries, red wine, and peppercorns. I’d do it in this post, but I’m running out of time before I must dash off to my evening class about native tree species in Minnesota. Therefore I leave you with a picture of Jes’s delicious Tempeh Tube Sausage patties which I made for brunch yesterday, along with steamed broccoli and roasted sunchokes… these are awesome and inspire me to concoct all sorts of tasty vegan burgers, including one which I will be bringing along on our camping trip up north this weekend (yes, I said up north, and yes, we are probably insane):
VeganMoFo: Sweet Freedom Review! October 23, 2009
Posted by a-k in Sweet Freedom, baking, reviews.12 comments
Digging into a Pear Ginger Muffin
I’ve been sitting on this for far too long, because this is a really, really amazing cookbook. Imagine a world where vegan desserts have no refined sugar, no margarine, no wheat … and everything tastes AWESOME. You don’t need to imagine it, actually, for you need look no further than Ricki Heller’s Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love Without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy, or Refined Sugar!
You may already know Ricki through her Diet Dessert and Dogs website, where her wittiness, entertaining posts and friendliness is evident. When I first starting baking (or raw un-baking, too) from this book, I kept emailing Ricki recipe by recipe; “OMG, this tastes so good!” or “Are we long-lost taste twins? I <3 cardamom + carob together!” Case in point, my very first recipe from Sweet Freedom (which contains the aforementioned flavor combo), Carob Date Pancakes:
I don’t make a lot of breakfast foods like pancakes because I have so few mornings in which to make a breakfast for two (or more), but it wasn’t just me rejoicing in the yum-factor of this recipe. I still remember my girlfriend standing by and sneaking bites off the stack of pancakes and telling me “I’m eating this because it’s good!” So good, in fact, that I brought the recipe along to make for our cabin trip over the summer, where it received equally rave reviews.
One recipe I was really excited to try out was for (gluten-free) Soy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Whipped “Cream,“ which you see on top of fresh fruit above. This stuff is awesome! It also illustrates Ricki’s dedication to perfecting a recipe – the directions are easy to follow and places where you can or can’t substitute ingredients is very clear, as they are in all of the recipes I tried. If I had occasion to make a cake, I plan to use this in place of buttercream or icing… it’s pipeable, people! Also great atop Carrot Snack Cake, which introduced me to the concept of an afternoon-/after-school-appropriate treat that’s moist, soft, and not-too-sweet (which is how I like most of my desserts at any time of day):
These are nicely spiced, and a little bit of lemon zest further livens up the flavor. Plus, it has carrots in it, so a little extra healthy, am I right? In fact, if you’ve ever wanted to experiment with some other less common veggies in your desserts, Sweet Freedom offers up Tomato Spice Cake and Chocolate Mystery Cupcakes (containing spinach!) for your culinarily adventurous side.
Another thing I love about this cookbook is that there are raw dessert recipes in it. I made the Raw Frosted Apricot Pecan Bars, and felt very lucky that my ladyfriend shies away from anything labeled “raw,” since it meant I got to eat the whole thing! Again, the magic of citrus zest (this time orange) makes these bars really stand out and taste decadently alive. I was feeling fancy the day I made these and made a pattern in the vanilla-scented, date-sweetened coconut frosting:
So far I’ve only tried one cookie recipe (because cookies in my house means I eat too many), the Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, which unfortunately contained one of the three errors that slipped past the editors for the first printing of the book (these corrections to the first edition can be found here). So cookies I did not get, but a tasty cookie crumble perfect-for-ice-cream-topping I did
And last, but far from least, I present to you Pear Ginger Muffins, which use pear puree instead of chunks of pear, so that lovely sweet flavor gets to be savored in each and every delicious bite. Seriously, these taste more decadent than they are, and I forced myself to freeze most of them after wolfing down 3 in one sitting…
The lowdown: If you’re looking to clean up your dessert habits, or you’ve already done that and are looking for some new ideas, I highly recommend Sweet Freedom. Allergy-friendly recipe symbols (for corn-, gluten-, nut-, and soy-free) are indicated for all recipes. While all of the recipes are wheat-free, most of the baked goods recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins and such are not gluten-free, so that might be a consideration if you have a gluten sensitivity (but there are plenty of frostings, icings, puddings, and raw treats which are gluten-free, yay!). If you want a super glossy, color-photographs-on-every-page kinda cookbook, this probably isn’t for you, but as much as I’m a sucker for pretty pictures in my cookbooks, I’d take great and delicious recipes over glamour anyday. There are several black and white photos throughout the book, and 18 full-color photographs in the center insert. The directions are clear, easy-to-follow, and include informative introductions and notes about the background, possible substitutions, and/or potential uses for each recipe. I’ve had a great time making and eating all of these, and this is definitely the first book I grab when I’m jonesing for something sweet! Ricki is a really gifted baker full of inspired ideas and this cookbook would be a wonderful treat for your birthday or the holidays.
BONUS! Ricki is offering a holiday sale special on Sweet Freedom via her blog, check out the details here. Woohoo!
Check out the Sweet Freedom Flickr group for more yummy photos of tasty treats!
Veganmofo: A Lovely Sunday October 5, 2009
Posted by a-k in baking, bread, breakfast, fruit, pizza, veganmofo, vegetables, vwav.22 comments
Sunday morning I got up and decided to whip that cornbread into a sweet bread pudding for brekkie. I kind of winged it and in hindsight should have looked at a recipe before diving in to get a more appropriate custard thing going on, but… I also added raisins, pecans, amaranth (because it is AWESOME), cinnamon, and ginger. It was pretty good, but not really worthy of recipe-ing; my ladyfriend said it was “interesting and delicious.” Here is the dishful:
And here is how we ate it, with some cinnamon-cardamom-tossed Haralson apple slices (I’m really loving Haralson apples this year along with, of course, my beloved Honeycrisp):
After a few errands, I went to a couple apple orchards with some friends from work. It was about a 45 minute drive from Minneapolis, which isn’t too bad, really, to the Carpenter Nature Center and the Fischer’s Croix Farm Orchard. They’re right next door to each other in Hastings, MN.
I really like the Carpenter Nature Center because they practice integrated pest management to avoid using pesticides whenever possible (they’re not certified organic but they practice a lot of sustainable growing), plus they’re quieter and have a nature center with tons of hiking trails. Last year my best friend and I hiked down to the St. Croix River to drink tea and eat apples and sandwiches on a chilly, gray autumn day. We started here and picked some raspberries, which are still in season until the first hard frost:
Next door, the Fischer’s Croix Farm Orchard is more of the traditional family destination, with bunnies, goats and chickens, a tractor pull, a corn maze (pardon me, the Amazing Maize Maze), a pumpkin patch, and the option to pick your own apples. We rode on the tractor pull out to the corn maze where we spent a good 20-30 minutes inside trying to find our way out to the other side – I’m telling you, it was HUGE. (There were a lot of Children of the Corn jokes in there, too.) We emerged in a pumpkin patch, where many had been piled up for easy picking:
We got back, picked up some apples and goodies from their store, drank some fresh cider, and headed back home again. I love apple orchards! They are so lovely and autumnal, and I always seem to get lucky and go on cloudy, brisk days (that’s my favorite kind of fall weather).
After getting home, I started work on some pizza dough for dinner. I used the Vegan With A Vengeance recipe for the first time, and from now on it will be my go-to recipe. It worked out great! The only thing I did differently was use 2/3 whole and 1/3 all-purpose spelt flours; spelt has less gluten so it’s not as stretchy but this was by far the best spelt crust I’ve ever made at home, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. We went to the YWCA while it was rising, came back home and chopped up a bunch of CSA veggies, harvested basil from our plant to make pesto and voila! a pesto pizza was born unto us. (Please excuse the poor lighting in this picture.)
The only thing that could have made this day any better was if I’d had time to whip up some apple-y concoction for dessert, but I’m pretty content with how it all went.
VeganMoFo: Raggmunkar October 4, 2009
Posted by a-k in breakfast, cookbooks, recipe, veganmofo.19 comments
Apologies for my delay in posting this… our overpriced internet service seems to be disconnecting frequently and I only have the patience to jump through hoops so many times.
Being a big fan of sweet potatoes (and their more impressive nutritional profile), I don’t buy many regular potatoes these days, but I’ve been getting a lot in the CSA as of late. And true to my Scandinavian roots, I still really, really love me some tiny little red and new potatoes, whose taste and texture far surpass those giant varieties at the store. So, yesterday morning for brunch I cracked open my 1984 edition of a Swedish potato cookbook. Yes, people in Sweden love potatoes this much:
It cracks me up that a giant sprig of dill wouldn’t suffice, they also felt the need to jab a wooden Swedish flag into that bucket of potatoes. But who am I kidding? I have nearly the same wooden flag sitting atop my own cookbook bookshelf, next to a little wooden lady doll in blue and yellow dress holding a pair of skis.
Many many years ago at some kind of visit to my dad and stepmom’s house in Ft. Lauderdale, my (also Swedish) stepmom made us this unfamiliar-to-me Swedish dish called “raggmunkar.” It’s a bit like a cross between a Swedish pancake and a potato pancake, and is usually served with lingonsylt (or lingonberry jam, which is tart in the way cranberries are). I went that route, while my ladyfriend ate hers simply salted, alongside some tempeh bacon, blanched green and yellow wax beans, and fresh heirloom tomatoes. If you want a true Swedish experience and can handle the caffeine, you’d also eat these with a really strong cup of black coffee.*
Raggmunkar (serves 2-3)
1 lb red potatoes
1/2 c flour (I used white spelt)
2 tbsp garbanzo bean flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c non-dairy milk
oil or non-hydrogenated margarine for frying
Whisk together the flours, salt, and a little of the milk until a smooth, thick batter results. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Rinse and peel the potatoes, then grate them coarsely and transfer them immediately to the batter to prevent them from discoloring. Stir to distribute evenly.
Coat a skillet (cast iron is ideal) with a layer of oil or margarine – a few tablespoons for me lasted the entire cooking process without the need to re-oil AND didn’t overly freak out my fear of frying things. A medium heat tending slightly towards low side is ideal, as you need it warm enough to cook the raw potato, but not hot enough to burn it before they cook through. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of the batter at a time and spread it out evenly into a circle (I used the bottom of my metal measuring cup). Cook until the edges begin to turn golden, and the liquid part of the batter dries on top, then flip and cook the other side until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve hot (kept warm in a low oven if necessary), adding salt and pepper to taste.
*My Swedish grandparents would bring with them a glass jar full of instant coffee granules whenever they came to the U.S., to add to the cups of coffee they got in restaurants (which they referred to as “dishwater”). Too bad I never got to take them to Hard Times Cafe, although apart from the coffee I don’t think they would have liked the atmosphere all that much.
Ani Phyo’s Peach and Pistachio Cobbler July 29, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, dessert.23 comments
See, I told you I’m loving peaches! I bought a couple peaches specifically for this dessert, which I’ve been eyeing in my recently-acquired copy of Ani’s Raw Food Desserts. So I whipped it up, sat down to read through my blogs, and what popped up immediately but her post of the recipe and a video for this very dish! It has a lovely flavor from the vanilla-scented peaches combined with the date-sweetened pistachio “crust.” I’ve possibly never used pistachios in raw food preparations before, but I’m so glad I just did! This makes for a simple yet sophisticated dessert, with a surprisingly intriguing flavor in every bite. I also topped it with some goji berries, because they’re pretty and I like them.
Also, I’ve now joined the masses on Twitter. I’m very new and a teeny bit scared, but you can follow me as swellvegan (aka http://twitter.com/swellvegan) and hopefully I’ll improve my abilities to get with this thing all the kids are so into these days…
Cardamom-Orange Coconut Flaxjacks! July 17, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, breakfast, coconut, fruit, raw, recipe.21 comments
So I promised about 5 days ago that I was going to work on making a more palatable version of Ani Phyo’s Coconut Breakfast Cakes (which some of you have tried and weren’t crazy about), and I finally got around to making “breakfast” for lunch after work today.
So here’s the deal with the original recipe – it was too sweet, too heavy, and too flax-y (even for self-proclaimed flax lovers like Bianca). In addition, the directions weren’t very clear; you’re given the option of using a certain amount of whole flax seeds or another amount of already-ground flax seeds. What isn’t explained is that if you’re using whole, you’re meant to grind them before using them in the recipe, which I’ve heard has led to sweet flax seed mush rather than cakes on more than one occasion, including for a dear friend of mine (who will remained unnamed). So looking at the original ingredients, this is how I worked it out… First, I cut down on the agave nectar. Not only is there too much, that stuff is pricey! Keep some of it for later. Second, I got rid of the coconut oil. In the colder part of the year (which is a lot of it here in Minnesota) I have a hard time keeping my coconut oil as a liquid anyway, and I think that the fats from the flax provide plenty to satisfy. And third, I replaced some of the ground flax with finely ground shredded coconut. This maintains the dry bulk but is less cloying than all flax, and keeps the coconut in the breakfast cake.
Well that’s all great, A-K, you might be saying, but what about the liquid you’re losing by cutting out the oil and reducing the agave? What did you do about that? Well, I’ll tell you – and this one is a double zinger – fresh orange juice! Not only does it make up for the liquid portion, it also adds a lovely fresh flavor. I took that flavor cue even further and added a little ground cardamom. And it was good. Behold the lovely texture:
Not really big on cardamom? Not feeling the o.j. love? Get with a fall theme and use cinnamon and apple or pear juice instead. Any fruit juice and spice combo you like will do! If you haven’t tried Ani’s original recipe, or you have but weren’t that into it, I hope this will help you get some daily omega-3’s with a smile on your face… and without the need for anything fancier than a spice mill, bowl, and stirring implement. (If you use pre-ground flax meal and finely shredded coconut you won’t even need the spice mill! But remember that freshly ground is ideal, and remember to keep your flax seeds fresher longer by storing them in the fridge or freezer.)
Top them with fresh fruit, or a raw “syrup” made from fruit, dates, and some orange juice whizzed up in the blender. I had mine with peaches, blueberries, and date syrup. This recipe doubles, triples, or quadruples easily, if you’re making for more than just yourself. I think this little cake of breakfast love is very nomnomnom!
Cardamon-Orange Coconut Flaxjacks (makes 2 small cakes):
1/4 c plus 1 tbsp whole flax seeds
1/4 c dried (unsweetened) shredded coconut
small pinch sea salt (optional)
pinch ground cardamom
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp agave nectar
Grind flaxseeds to a fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder and place in a small bowl. Grind the coconut if it is not already very finely shredded, and add to flax. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until a “dough” is formed. Divide in two and roll each half into a ball, then flatten into a pancake shape. Serve topped with fruit or fresh fruit syrup.
Recent Eats via the Farmer’s Market July 13, 2009
Posted by a-k in ani phyo, dips and spreads, farmer's market, mexican food, raw, recipe.14 comments
I’ve been going to the farmer’s market and getting so excited by produce that I tend to overbuy and have too much of something. Well, more than I need for a recipe or two sometimes. Like garlic scapes. My herbs are also growing almost out of control outside, so I thought I should bring the two together and make a creamy cannelini dip with a hint of basil and lemon. This is a lot lighter than pesto, both in flavor and tummy-filling-factor, but sometimes I think that’s kinda nice. I ate them with vegetable crudites, as a sandwich spread, and with some pasta – it’s kind of a dip and sauce in one.
Lemony Scape and Herb Spread (makes about 2 cups):
1 c chopped garlic scapes
large handful of basil leaves (about 15 large leaves)
1/4 c packed parsley leaves
1 3/4 c cannelini beans (one 15 oz. can)
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
Place scapes, basil, and parsley in the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
This week I was excited to find squash blossoms all over the market, and I picked up a bag of almost 20 for $1. I’ve seen it battered and fried most often, but I felt a bit lazy today and started looking up other ideas. I veganized a combination of recipes for sopa de flor de calabaza or Mexican squash blossom soup. Basically it’s some onions and garlic with squash blossoms, veggie stock, non-dairy milk, spices and corn. Everything I’d read promised a light zucchini flavor, and hey, I love creamy soups with corn – should be good, right? Wrong. Well, it was wrong for me. The flowers were so bitter it pretty much ruined the soup and I threw out the other serving. Ah, well… at least I didn’t waste a bunch of money on some exotic ingredient (though I did save two to fill with leftover pine nut crema and sprinkled with cornmeal and toasted, and they were better but still pretty bitter. I put them on top of the soup).
Tomorrow I’m planning on making something delicious with my market strawberries that doesn’t involve baking – raw strawberry pie! Yum. Speaking of raw, I recently got back into making Ani Phyo’s Coconut Breakfast Cakes. My friend made them and was not impressed; he found them too sweet and too heavy. I like them pretty well but can see what he means (and others, it seems), and have a few issues of my own (like how they taste terrible the next day). I think there might be a way to combine the rawmelette shells with these in a way that doesn’t require a dehydrator, which would be happy news to all of you who like the thought of trying raw food but don’t have a lot of equipment. So, imagine waking up to a plate not unlike this (only better!):
If the strawberry pie doesn’t get posted first, be prepared for some tasty flaxjacks in the near future. Hooray omega-3s!
