Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcake Recipe by - CHOW

These are THE BEST cupcakes I've ever made. I use a chocolate ganache instead of frosting, but whatever you do, you won't regret it :D.

Also, Raspberry Blackout Cake, also by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. YUM.

Scones from Vegan with a Vengeance

Ingredients

3 C all purpose flour
2 TBL baking powder
1/4 C. sugar, plus extra tsp. for sprinkling the tops
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1/2 C. soy cream (rice or soy milk makes a fine sub)
3/4 C. rice or soy milk plus 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (we use parchment).

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the oil, soy cream, and rice milk. Mix until just combined; the dough should be clumpy and not sticky. Even if there is still a light dusting of flour, that's okay.

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto the greased cookie sheet and pat the tops just a bit to round them out; sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom and firm on the top.

VARIATIONS

Berry scones: fold in 1 1/2 C. of fresh berries
Chocolate chip scones: add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract to the liquid ingredients, add 2 TBL of sugar, fold in 1 C of chocolate chips
Maple walnut: add 2 tsp of maple extract to the liquid ingredients, add 2 TBL of sugar, fold in 1 1/2 C of walnuts

I've also added the following combinations:
apricots/almonds/almond extract
dried cherries/lemon zest

My brother has a "patented" recipe for brussels sprouts. I'm posting it here for posterity.

Cut off the bottom of the sprout and cut it in half. If you're pressed for time, you can blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling water. Dress them with olive oil and give them a lot of salt, a lot, and some pepper. Then give them a dusting of bread crumbs. Roast on cookie sheet at 400 for 15 to 25 minutes, check after 7 or 8 and shake up the pan.

You could finish it with some parmesan, or, not. That’s it. Serve hot out of oven, they get soggy if they sit around too long.

Carrot Bisque

(From Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vengeance)

Ingredients:
3 lb carrots peeled and diced, into smaller than half-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbl. peanut oil (vegetable oil will do)*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
a few dashes fresh black pepper
3 c. vegetable broth or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 3 c. water+
1 13 oz can coconut milk
1 Tbl. maple syrup

Directions:

In a stock pot over low-medium heat, cook the carrots and onions in the oil for 7 - 10 minutes; cover and stir occasionally. You want the onions to brown, but not to burn, although if they burn a little bit, it's not the end of the world. Add the garlic, curry, salt, and pepper; saute for 1 more minute. Add the 3 cups of broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Add the coconut milk and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat off. Use a handheld blender to puree half the soup. (We puree all the soup.) If you don't have one, then puree half the soup in a blender and add it back to the soup pot. Add the maple syrup and stir. Serve hot.

ethiopian dinner
Originally uploaded by jillbertini.

Here's the fabulous meal we enjoyed on the evening of Independence Day.

Here's the recipe for the lentils. Unfortunately, I don't have the recipe for the potatoes or okra.

( yellow split pea recipe )

****

Potato with green bean recipe

I just ran across this recipe and wanted to store it here. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure salivating over it!

Green Beans & Tofu in a Thai Coconut Sauce

1 block organic tofu, pressed and cubed
2 T soy sauce
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t minced ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t red dried chili flakes
3 - 4 T cornstarch
2 T vegetable oil

Marinate the tofu in the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and dried chili flakes for 15 minutes or until the tofu has soaked up most of the liquid. Reserve any liquid and extra chili, garlic and ginger for the stir fry. Add tofu to a bag containing the cornstarch and toss until cubes are coated. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan or a wok and fry up cubes until golden. Set aside.

1 lb green beans, rinsed & trimmed
2 T soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ginger, minced
1 t sriracha

Toss the beans in the ingredients and roast on a shallow baking tray for 15 - 20 minutes in a hot oven. Remove from oven once the beans become fragrant and have caramelized and just started to wrinkle.

1 large red pepper, sliced
2 large shallots, diced
1 T vegetable oil
2 T chili garlic sauce
1/2 can of light coconut milk
1/2 t Thai red curry paste (optional)
1 T soy sauce (plus any remaining liquid, etc. from the tofu marinade)
juice of 1/2 lime

In the same pan as you prepared the tofu, heat up oil and add in the red pepper and shallots. Once they get slightly wilted, add in green beans. Stir together the coconut milk, curry paste (if using), chili garlic sauce and soy sauce together and pour over the vegetables. Stir fry until sauce reduces and thickens, add the tofu, stirring everything until well coated with sauce. Squeeze in some lime juice, stir and then serve over rice.

I think candied yams are pretty gross. But several years ago we had yams with praline topping. I did a little research and I think I've found the recipe. I know someone who is going to be super happy ;-).

I'm sleepy this evening. The weather has turned to fall, most definitely. Today - cool and wet. We braved the weather to check out the soap box derby; I hope there are good pictures of all the cars online tomorrow. Some very creative vehicles, to be sure.

Tonight we are going to hang out with a pal; maybe we will watch a movie. I dunno what the plans are.

I want to make these cookies.

I made a vegetarian lentil stew on Sunday and thought I'd post the recipe since I had such excellent results.

This is from Sundays at Moosewood, and some fellow very nicely typed them all up here.

Yemiser W'et (spicy lentil stew)

( directions )

You will find this recipe for berbere helpful:

Berbere

( directions )

Bananas Foster

Ingredients:
1/4 C. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. rum
1/4 C. brown sugar (or turbinado)
3 bananas
ice cream

Instructions:

Cut up the bananas.
Melt the margarine/butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add sugar. Stir for a minute or so.
Add cut up bananas. Stir to coat.

Add rum, stir and then light. Let burn until most of the alcohol has burned off.

Scoop out ice cream and put mixture on top. Serve. Enjoy.

Lemon-Miso-Tahini Sauce

1/2 pound rotini
2 TBL light miso
2 TBL tahini
2 TBL tamari
2 TBL nutritional yeast
2 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Prepare pasta. Stir remaining ingredients together and mix with pasta. Serve immediately.

I got this from an issue of the magazine VegNews.

We've had a very down-tempo weekend, due mainly to the need to the care required of introverts. It's good for me to have downtime too, as much as I think I don't need it. Saturday was a complete isolation/hibernation; I played extreme gatekeeper and didn't let anyone by. We got our last bit of gear shopping completed for our trip to the Galapagos, and I started actually reading about the trip. I don't think I could comprehend what it all entailed and was just freaking out about the camping on the beach bit. But my mom sent me a book of photos and I got a Lonely Planet book and read more about what we are going to do and I am not in complete shock. No wonder all my friends have been saying "Holy shit. That is a the trip of a lifetime. I've been dreaming of going there my entire life." And so on.

New Year's Eve day was spent mostly with my sweetie; in the early evening we went over to some dear friends for their tamale party. She made vegan tamales (apple!) for us, and they were so delicious. I brought this Mango-Tofu Salad; it was so good, and a delightful thing to eat in the middle of the winter.

It was fun and social and not too overwhelming. Perfect, really. We got home and rested for a bit before getting dudded up for dancing at the Century Ballroom. They had hired a live salsa band, and there was swing music DJ'ed when the band was resting. The place was packed, and while we weren't the only queer couple there, we only saw two others (one of whom we know from dancing regularly). We learned that we need to learn more salsa moves, but the swing dancing was quite fun. We lasted until 1:00 or so, got home about 1:30 and asleep about 2:00. Getting up for work tomorrow is going to be fun. Ha!

I hope that you all had excellent celebrations and that the coming year holds delightful surprises.

Two recipes I've been meaning to post. The first is a vegan "quickbread" and the second is for spiced nuts. The nuts are easy to make and great for parties.

( Fruit N Nut Bread )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

( Spiced Party Nuts )

ETA: I also made these chocolate blocks which angryasiangrrl pointed out. They are super easy and were a big hit.

Hi,

Does anyone know a good recipe for dried hibiscus flowers? My partner and I had a marvelous dish when we were on Oaxaca last year, and we are going to a party on Saturday night where I would like to bring something made with them. ¡Muchas gracias!

cross-posted to food_fiends

Mango, Tofu and Herb Salad with Toasted Coconut and a Sweet Chile-lime Dressing
From PCC Cooks cooking series

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes


2 Tbsp. coconut oil or canola oil
1 lb. firm or extra-firm tofu
Generous pinch of sea salt
Soy sauce, to taste
1 cup coconut, unsweetened, flaked (reserve some for garnish)
1 mango, peeled and cut into small cubes
½ cup basil, rough chopped
1 Tbsp. mint, rough chopped
½ cup cilantro, rough chopped
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cup cucumber, medium diced
Zest of 1 lime, plus juice
1 cup Thai Kitchen sweet chile sauce
Lettuce cups or rice crackers

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into ½-inch by ½-inch cubes. Add to pan and sauté until brown on all sides, sprinkling with the sea salt. Remove to a piece of paper towel and sprinkle with soy sauce.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast coconut until lightly brown. In a large bowl, add mango, herbs, peanuts, toasted coconut, cucumber, lime zest and juice and sweet chile sauce. Toss tofu into bowl and mix everything together well. Taste and add sea salt, if needed. Serve with lettuce cups or rice crackers.

Crust:
7 oz. chocolate wafer cookies or graham crackers
2 Tbl. canola oil or margarine

Filling:
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 10 oz. packages silken tofu (firm)
10 oz. jar seedless blackberry preserves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup honey

Directions:
Crust: blend ingredients and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Filling: Melt chocolate. Blend with other ingredients; process until smooth. Fill crust and refrigerate until cool.

Or, as the Candle Cafe calls them:

Phyllo Triangles

This is from the Candle Cafe Cookbook. Also, they take quite a bit of work. And every time I make them, I think to myself, "Is it really worth the effort?" And then I eat one when they are done and I think, "Hell yeah!"

( directions )

This recipe comes from Sunset Magazine. We made this to bring to a barbeque. It was a big hit. It's one of our favorites to bring to potlucks. Sometimes we add other things, too - like baked tofu. Enjoy!

( directions )

Here's what we made for dinner last night:

Bean Curd Szechuan Style

( full details )

This is from Joan Nathan's cookbook - Jewish Cooking in America (I think).

Fruit Filling
3/4 cup pitted prunes
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
1/4 apple with peel
Juice and rind of 1/4 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar

1. To make the filling, simmer the prunes and raisins together in the water, covered, for 15 minutes or until the prunes are softened but still firm.

2. Add the nuts, then put the mixture through a grinder or chop in a food processor with the apple. Add the lemon juice and rind and sugar and mix well.

Dough recipe
1 c. shortening (we use Willow Run margarine - you can use whatever kind you like)
1 c. sugar
1 egg (we use 1 Ener-G Egg Replacer worth)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Tbl. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour

Mix first six ingredients with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour by hand until well mixed. Chill 2-3 hours in refrigerator until firm enough to roll out with rolling pin.

Taking one fourth of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles. With your finger, brush water around the rim of the circle. Drop 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Then bring the dough around the filling and press 3 ends together.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven on a well-greased cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tips are golden.