vegan peanut butter blondies

I'm back. No more wisdom teeth woes. It's time to get down to business and do some cooking. Well, baking to be exact. Last week, I went home to see my mom in Pennsylvania. Along with the obligatory healthy soups and stews, I knew I had to make her something sweet. She's always had a sweet tooth and although you're really not suppose to eat too many sugary foods when you're battling cancer, really, sugar in moderation is awesome. If I was going to do something sweet, I figured it might as well be rich and have some good fats in it. Hence, peanut butter blondies! It's basically the same recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but with dark chocolate chips added. I used all natural peanut butter that literally has nothing in it but peanuts and salt. They're so rich and fudgey, it's hard to believe they're vegan. This particular blondie is topped off with some soy delicious mocha fudge ice cream and a bit of soy whipped cream. 

Peanut Butter Blondies: 

3/4 cup all natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1/3 cup canola oil 

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Non-dairy Milk

1/2 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8X8 metal baking pan. Whisk peanut butter, oil & sugar in mixing bowl. Add vanilla & non-dairy milk (I used rice, unsweetened). Now, add flour, salt and baking powder and knead it with your hands until well-mixed. It will hold together and not spread. 

Place in pan and pat to fit evenly. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if you so desire, and press lightly into surface. Bake for 22-25 minutes, only until edges begin to brown slightly. Set on rack and cool thoroughly. Cut into squares or wedges and serve.

wisdom teeth woes

I haven't posted on my blog in over a month. It's been a treacherous month, food-wise. I've had my bottom two wisdom teeth taken out and eating has been a less than a enjoyable experience. I mean, I love me some peanut butter and banana soy milkshakes. But, when you're in pain, nothing tastes good. 

My point being, is that I have literally been living on smoothies, soups and mashed potatoes for too long. I'm ready to get back in the kitchen and cook up somethin tasty and maybe even crunchy! 

I'm off to PA this weekend to hang with my mom and I'm going to do my best to create healthy dishes that she can eat that won't cause her pain either. I'm thinking about braising lots of spring time vegetables and making mellow soups and stews. And of course a fair share of not-too-sweet desserts and breads! 

vegan pumpkin chocolate cupcakes with cinnamon icing

My baking rampage continues....And I also wanted to let everyone know that my former culinary school classmate and friend Eileen Botti and I will be selling our vegan cakes and cupcakes starting in the next couple of months. We're still figuring out the logistics of it all, but we hope to get started real soon. In the meantime, I will be posting more photos of vegan sweet treats for everyone to start drooling over. 

carob date cake

Here's another version of the carob cake recipe. This one had chopped dates and a vanilla bean cake soak as well. It came out a super dark morbidly black color. I think it's a bit halloween-esque. If only I had had orange sprinkles..

vegan carob cupcake with coconut and hawaiian sea salt

I'm continuing on my poor girl's culinary journey of trying out new dishes with random ingredients that I've had sitting in my cupboard in need of attention. It really forces you to be more creative in this hard economic time. ( I'm in the process of making my own mustard and mayonnaise-so easy and cheap-which I'll write more about later) It's also so therapeutic creating a tangible item and clearing space in the kitchen.

I adapted this recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Instead of using cocoa powder, I used carob. Carob tends to give baked goods more of an earthy flavor that can be a bit on the dry side. Therefore, I  made a vanilla bean cake soak that adds moisture to the cupcake and gives it an awesome vanilla/sugary kick without being too over-the-top-frosting sweet. Using an actual vanilla bean makes all the difference. They're a bit pricey, but way worth it when you wanna make something special. Adding the sea salt plays well with the sweetness. (I had some leftover from when I went to Maui, but any coarse sea salt will do) Who doesn't love sweet and salty combined?! Think of a more refined chocolate-covered pretzel!

Carob Cupcakes: 

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon vinegar ( I used apple cider, don't use balsamic!)

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup carob flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Or use ceramic ramekins and simply oil with a bit of canola oil. Whisk soy milk and vinegar and let sit in a small bowl for about 10 minutes to curdle and get a bit thick. Meanwhile, sift flour, carob, baking soda and powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add thickened soymilk and sugar, canola oil and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until all large lumps are gone and spoon into paper muffin liners until 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick is inserted in center and comes out clean, or about 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for a bit. 

Vanilla Soak: 

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 vanilla bean

Put 1/2 cup water, the sugar, and the oil in a small pot. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use a small sharp knife to scrape the seeds into the pot. Add the pod as well. Cook at a slow bubble, whisking mixture frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature, then remove and discard the pod. 

Pour the soak over the individual cupcakes and let sit for an hour. 

sweet potato and coconut soup

Sweet potatoes are insanely high on the nutrition scale. They have high levels of beta carotene, vitamin C, B6 and tons of fiber. I made this soup a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting my mom in Pennsylvania. It's a creamy and nourishing one, with a simple blend of sweet potato and coconut milk. The secret ingredient is lemongrass, which imparts a lovely lemony flavor that really ties the sweet potato and coconut together nicely. Lemongrass' essential oil is actually a natural form of an anti-cancer proponent that causes apoptosis, which is the process of killing cancer cells. I'm sure you need to be eating a hell of a lot of lemongrass to really make it potent, but it's nice to know that it's helpful in the fight against cancer. 

Recipe: 

Two sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)

One can of coconut milk

Two stalks of lemongrass (bruised and cut into chunks)

olive oil

One onion (diced)

Two cloves of garlic (minced)

Four cups of veggie stock

chopped mint (optional)

coconut flakes (optional)

Heat a stock pot on medium flame. Add olive oil, diced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Add the diced sweet potatoes, lemongrass, veggie stock and coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for about twenty minutes. Check to see if sweet potato can be easily pierced with a fork. If so, you're done! Ladle into soup bowls and top with chopped fresh mint and a sprinklin of coconut flakes. 

olive oil date cookies

I made these cookies simply because I wanted to get rid of the bag of chopped dates I've had sitting in the fridge. You know how sometimes you have something in the kitchen and you know you should do something with it, but you're just too lazy? Well, this bag of dates has been staring at me for far too long. It was about time I ate 'em.

I didn't want to make a cookie that was too sweet either. So, instead of using bland ole canola oil, I substituted olive oil. This gives the cookie a cakey inside and a crisp outside. And turns the cookie batter a creepy green.

Recipe: 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk or soy milk

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup chopped dates 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, olive oil and milk. Add wet to dry and mix until thoroughly combined. If the mixture seems too tough, add a bit more milk. Fold in chopped dates. 

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for a couple minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. 

sauteed red cabbage with caraway seeds

Cabbage is the poor woman's vegetable. It's insanely cheap, versatile and oh so easy to prepare. Let me tell you some fun facts about cabbage: it's super super high in vitamin c and has anti-inflammatory properties and is a rich source of calcium. Cabbage gets a bad rap because it tends to give off a strong odor when cooked. But guess what? That's only when you cook it for awhile, like, longer than 10 minutes. And you boil it. Well, that's gross. The idea of boiled cabbage just sounds so unappetizing. There's a much better and simpler way to go about cookin up some cruciferous goodness. Saute it! Really, all you need to do is thinly slice the cabbage head. Heat up a pan with olive oil, throw in some caraway seeds (which have a lovely almost licorice sweet flavor to them) and add the cabbage with a pinch of salt. Saute for maybe 2 to 3 minutes. That's it! So simple! So fast! I placed the sauteed cabbage in a tortilla with my obligatory mayonnaise. Cause that's how I roll. Cabbage burritos are awe-some! 

paprika spiced adzuki beans with spinach and lemon zest

So, I'm still on this cheapskate spree. I have this jar of dried aduki  beans that has been sitting on a shelf for well over six months. Dried beans do last awhile though. But the problem with them is that you really have to plan ahead. Most recipes call for letting beans soak for eight hours. I think that idea is bogus. A faster/sorta spontaneous way is to add beans to a pot, cover with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Then let the beans sit for two hours on the stovetop with the heat off. Then cook. That sound a little better, right?

Aduki or adzuki or whatever the hell you wanna call them beans are truly awesome. They hail from North-East Asia and are mostly present in sweet dishes, like red bean cakes. (I just read that Pepsi created a aduki bean flavored pepsi drink. Now that sounds gross!) They're commonly boiled with sugar and made into a paste. Well, I thought that idea sounded none too interesting and I'm trying to consume less sugar anyway. So I decided to make a spiced bean concoction that would go nicely in a tortilla, giving it a bit of a mexican-asian theme. I think it works nicely. The touch of sweetness from the beans is complemented by the smokiness of the paprika and a bit of lemon juice and spinach is added to perk up the nutritional value. 

Many recipes call for a pound of beans, which is equal to two cups dried beans. Which, when cooked, makes about six cups of beans. On average, dried beans only cost about a $1.20 a pound. That's super cheap! Much cheaper than canned. But if you're gonna do canned, then one 15 oz can is equal to 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. So the measurements get a bit confusing. But the basic idea is that dried beans are tastier and cheaper (but more time consuming!) Since this recipe makes 6 cups of beans, you could easily freeze half the beans in its cooking liquid and they'll stay good for six months. In the fridge, they'll last about a week. It's so convenient to have beans already cooked in the fridge! 

Recipe:

2 cups dried aduki beans 

1 onion (chopped into small dice)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

4 cups baby spinach

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

sea salt

olive oil

tortillas

sesame seeds

freshly ground black pepper

zest of one lemon

After soaking the beans for two hours on the stovetop, turn the heat back on and cook for about 40 minutes. Times vary according to the bean. So it's best to check every 10 minutes to see if they're done. If they are getting a bit cooked through, but not quite, add a pinch of salt to help bring them to doneness. (I added the salt about 20 minutes in) When done, drain beans (but remember to keep the cooking liquid!) I used about 2 cups worth of cooked beans and froze the rest. 

Warm a saute pan with olive oil. When hot, add onion, garlic, salt and spices. Cook until onions are translucent. Add cooked beans (without cooking liquid) to the pan. Saute for about 10 minutes and then add spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. 

I like to toast tortillas directly on the stove top for about 10 seconds on each side. Then, place tortilla on plate ( I added a dollop of mayonnaise) and add spiced aduki bean filling. Top with sesame seeds, zest/juice of a lemon and freshly ground black pepper. 

banana coconut and pecan vegan pancakes with sweet accoutrements

Lazy sunday mornings are the best. I'm on this poor lady rampage where my goal is to only consume food from my fridge that desperately needs to get eaten or has just been in my pantry for awhile. I figured pancakes were a good way to go. I always have all purpose unbleached flour in my cupboard. I also have this random package of unsweetened coconut flakes, a half bag of pecans and three small bananas that were just too spotty for me to eat whole. Well, there ya go: Banana, coconut and pecan pancakes. The recipe is super easy and vegan! (I adapted the recipe from the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook) By adding vinegar to the soymilk, you get a buttermilk-like consistency that helps the pancakes rise well and give it a great fluffy texture. I added a teaspoon of almond extract mainly because I just love almonds. 

Recipe: 

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups soymilk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (let sit for 5 minutes)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 small bananas, well-mashed with a fork

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup pecans

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the first five ingredients. In a separate small bowl, mix bananas and other wet ingredients. Do not overmix. Fold in the coconut and pecans. 

Heat a large non-stick pan, coat with canola oil. Working in batches of three, scoop about 1/4 of a cup of batter into pan. Cook until sides start to bubble. Check to see if golden brown, and then flip 'em.  Cook for another couple of minutes. Transfer to a large plate and loosely cover with foil. Coat pan with more canola oil in between batches. 

The pancakes aren't very sweet, therefore, my roommate and I had many sweet accoutrements on hand: 

From left: crunchy peanut butter, a nutella-like spread from Holland, a orange peel and elderflower marmalade from Ikea, a blueberry syrup, maple syrup and sorghum syrup from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville. 

Finished Product: 

(oh, and you can see the hagel slag* in the background)

*Puur Chocolade Hagel Slag literally translates to 'chocolate hail storm.' These dutch chocolate confectionaries are simply way better than any ordinary chocolate sprinkle. They taste awesome topped on pancakes.