I just discovered Nasoya brand vegan wonton wrappers in Harris Teeter! They are cut into perfect little squares that make the cutest cups for the Asian salad of your choice.
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Layer 2 wonton wrappers on top of each other with one turned 45° to create eight points. Press into cups. Bake 10 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool.
The trick with vegan or plant-based skillet-fried cakes, fritters, and even burgers, is how to get them to hold together without a lot of breading or filler.
These rice cakes, made with leftover cooked rice, hold together beautifully with just a flax egg and cornstarch.
They are ready to devour in minutes with the topping of your choice or by themselves because they are quite tasty.
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup leftover cooked rice
1 green onion, green part only, thinly sliced or snipped with scissors
In a medium bowl, whisk together flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for just a few minutes until it thickens, whisking occasionally. Whisk in cornstarch, sea salt, and onion powder. Then stir in rice and green onion with a fork. Heat a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray over medium to medium high heat. Divide mixture into four even mounds, pressing into a disc about 1/4-inch thick. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown, adjusting heat if necessary. Serve alone or topped as desired.
Yield: 1 6-inch layer cake (double recipe for an 8-in layer cake)
I finally created a plant-based Black Forest Cake with which I am completely delighted!
Unless you are a recipe developer–professional or amateur counts–you cannot imagine the research, the brainstorming, and the trial and error–mental and actual–to arrive here. I spent many wee hours on Pinterest obsessing.
There were certain things that I wanted from this special cake and certain things I didn’t. For instance, I didn’t want a buttercream frosting, but I also didn’t want pure whipped cream. A favorite dessert from childhood that combined cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream topped with a layer of cherry pie filling proved to be the inspiration. My recent discovery of Silk brand whipping cream made this luscious filling and frosting possible.
Wanting a deeply chocolate, very moist, and somewhat subtly complex flavored cake, I experimented quite a bit. I wanted the rich fudgyness of a brownie, but more of a cake like consistency. And ultimately, though I love cherry liqueur, I didn’t want the cake to taste too boozy. You can certainly brush the layers with cherry liqueur if you choose But I put a small amount in the batter along with some concentrated coffee and “buttermilk” because cakes made only with coffee, water or other thin liquids, line soda, don’t quite have the structure that I desired. The cake is sturdy, yet moist.
For decoration, I love chocolate shavings and chocolate curls, which are traditional on Black Forest Cake, but I didn’t want this to be fussy, so I used simple chocolate-dipped fresh cherries and toasted slivered almonds.
What can I obsess about now In the wee hours of the morning?
Cake 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup non-dairy milk curdled with 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons concentrated coffee 2 tablespoons cherry liqueur or more concentrated coffee 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Whipped Cream & Cream Cheese Filling/ Frosting (recipe follows) Approximately 3/4 cup canned cherry pie filling 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds 6 fresh cherries, pitted and halved 4 cherries with stems intact, dipped in about 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips melted for 1 minute in microwave
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 6-inch cake pan or spray with baking spray. Place metal mixing bowl and whip attachment in freezer for preparing filling.
In large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Make a well in center, add wet ingredients, and whisk together for about 50 strokes until smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake approximately 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack and then invert. Cool completely covered with a dish towel. Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on serving platter, spread with half of filling, and top with half of cherry pie filling. Place second layer on top and repeat. Decorate with cherry halves, toasted slivered almonds, and chocolate dipped cherries. Store in refrigerator.
Whipped Cream & Cream Cheese Filling/Frosting 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour or so 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup Silk brand whipping cream
Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and well-chilled mixing bowl and cream together until smooth. With mixer on medium-high, slowly drizzle in whipping cream. Filling should be sick, but it will likely not be stiff enough to pipe through a pastry bag.
I think of these cookies as deeply southern and deeply satisfying with their bourbon and pecans. And anyone who has had a chocolate bourbon pecan pie knows that those three flavors are a trifecta. The molasses and maple syrup are not enough to make the cookies taste like molasses or maple cookies, only enough to give them rich deep caramel notes. And the macadamia nuts strike another buttery note. My super simple method for shaping the cookies will yield that sought-after bakery look.
1/2 cup softened vegan butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup pecan butter (you may substitute almond butter, but nothing replicates the flavor of pecan butter)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup natural sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teadpoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour or white whole wheat
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup broken pecans
1/2 cup halved macadamia nuts
18 pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. In large bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter, pecan butter, vegetable shortening, both sugars, molasses, maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla extract. With mixer on low, beat in baking soda and flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
Using a small scoop (2 tablespoon), make nine mounds of dough on each cookie sheet, using half of dough. To get that bakery look, place another scoop of dough right on top of first scoop pressing down slightly. Repeat for all 18. You will have a scoop or mound nestled inside another. Press a pecan half firmly into the center of each double mound, pressing down slightly. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack and then store in an airtight container.
You need no other veggie burger recipe. Enough said!
1-15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups loosely packed prepared broccoli slaw mix
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup Chipotle – lime peanuts or your choice of nut
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (most organic varieties are vegan)
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Place all ingredients in a large food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely minced and mixture comes together almost like a dough. Shape into four patties about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate, covered, or cook immediately. Oil skillet or grill pan and top side of patties with non-stick spray. Cook two to three minutes on each side over medium high heat or until golden brown and heated through.
Serve with or without a bun (I like to go bunless over a bed of greens), topped as desired. My toppings of choice include cegan mayo, a mild vegan jalapeno sauce, pineapple-mango salsa, and a halved cherry tomato.
Tuesday was my “day of rebirth” as my dear friend, Iona Drozda, refers to birthdays.
My partner, Bob, said he would make my birthday cake BUT it had to come from a box. He thought that would be a deal-breaker, but nope!
A little research revealed that one can transform any box mix into a moist and delicious–and very tender–vegan cake by simply adding 1.5 cups of the chilled soda of your choice!
We chose Betty Crocker yellow with 1 teaspoon vanilla and sprite because it’s lemon+lime notes sounded delicious with the lemon curd filling and creamy white frosting I was craving. The layers rose beautifully with fairly flat tops!
I recommend oiling cooling racks, as this cake is quite tender. I also recommend wrapping and freezing the layers before frosting for the same reason. Plus, it is a well-known fact that freezing cake layers makes them even more moist.
The curd was spot-on and came from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. I only tweaked a tiny bit by adding a 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Whisk and simmer together for about 5 minutes: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened soymilk), zest of 1 large lemon, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric for color. (It will thicken even more as it cools.)
The creamy vanilla frosting was from a can (eek!), and Bob piped it on like a pro with very little instruction, saying it was like caulking!
The cake was perfection, though we guilded the lily with softened dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
Sometimes weeks go by without our enjoying anything from the fryer. But I am a pretty clean eater, so when the craving does strike, usually once a week, I indulge.
What makes these tempura battered artichoke heart quarters “the blooming best” is the seasoning in the batter, which can be changed up a multitude of ways to suit your fancy. I started to use Zataar and Greek seasoning with a lemon-aioli dipping sauce, but changed my mind when Bob got out the Sweet Chili Sauce for his shrimp tacos.
The key to batter that sticks is very dry, not just drained, quartered artichoke hearts. Making sure they are quarteted insures lots of surface area and the best batter-to-choke ratio. Other than that, there are no tricks other than a well-seasoned–but not over-seasoned–batter and hot, clean oil.
They are nice served with a vinegary cucumber, red onion, and fresh mint or basil salad to cteate a little balance by virtue of the acidic, herby sweetness.
1-15.5 ounce can artichoke heart quarters, rinsed, drained in a strainer, then on a plate with paper towel, changing it when soaked, for about 40 minutes
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup vegan beer (find a list at Barnivore)
Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
Heat oil to 375 degrees in deep fryer or large cast iron skillet. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, seasonings, and beer to make a smooth batter. Dip about 5 artichoke hearts into batter, one at a time, and place directly into hot oil. Cook 2 or 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and repeat with remaining hearts. Serve right away with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons vegan mayo (I use a prepared no- calorie mayo or my Blooming Platter Mayo at 10-calories/tablespoon)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients, taste, and adjust as desired.
This may be one of the tastiest, lightest, and healthiest throw-together appetizers ever.
When ee invited a friend over tonight at the last minute for an outdoor socially- distanced happy hour, I realized I had nothing to serve her other than some green grapes and cherry tomatoes that I had previously roasted.
But I also had some extra firm tofu on hand and thought I could make two kinds of baked Mediterranean “cheese,” topping one with the roasted green grapes and one with the roasted cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives.
But then I had nothing to serve these “cheeses” on. Our friend asked what she could bring and I initially said bread or crackers and then retracted that because I remembered I had an eggplant and thought roasted slices of it would make a perfect crostini base. Indeed!
If you prefer more of a spread, just process the tofu in the food processor before dividing it. For that matter, if you prefer other flavors, mix in spices and herbs and top these “cheeses” anyway you choose. Roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, along with perhaps some pine nuts, sound especially delicious to me.
Baked Mediterranean “Cheese” Appetizer Two Ways with Eggplant Crostini
14 to 16 ounces extra firm tofu 2 very large clothes garlic, minced 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Zataar 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning 1 teaspoon kalamata olive juice Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon Everything Bagel Seasoning Approximately 12 roasted green grapes (I spray them lightly with non-stick cooking spray–though you may use olive oil–season with salt and pepper, and roast in one layer on a baking sheet at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes) Approximately 12 roasted cherry tomatoes (roasted as above only with sprigs of whole thyme laid over the top) Approximately 8 kalamata olives Accompaniment: roasted or grilled eggplant slices (directions follow), crusty bread, or crackers
Preheat oven to 400°. Oil 2 approximately 6-inch oven safe dishes. Crumble half of tofu into one and half into the other. Add one minced garlic clove to each bowl followed by 1 teaspoon each olive oil. Into one of the bowls, add Zataar, and into the other add Greek seasoning along with kalamata olive juice. Season both with sea salt and black pepper. Top the Zataar flavored “cheese” with roasted green grapes and sprinkle with Everything Bagel Seasoning. Top the Greek- flavored “cheese” with the roasted tomatoes and thyme sprigs. Baked for approximately 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve on roasted or grilled eggplant slices, crusty bread, or crackers.
Roasted Eggplant Crostini
Wash a 6 or so inch eggplant, trim off ends, halve lengthwise, and slice into 1/2-in thick slices. Place slices on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and lightly spray tops. (You may use olive oil if you prefer.) Season with sea salt and roast for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
You will want this sweet-spicy-salty-savory Korean-inspired potato salad over and over with one caveat: only if you don’t use a bland white potato.
When I first developed this recipe, I used cute baby white potatoes. But they simply didn’t bring enough to this flavorful party. After that, it was Yukon golds or sweet potatoes. Perfection!
If you prefer not to use seitan, add another half-pound potatoes. Add if you are calorie counting, substitute cauliflower florets for all.
For a fun, over-the-top serving suggestion, rim martini glasses with Gochujang and roll in finely chopped peanuts. Note that I was starving and didn’t chop the nuts finely, but it would look more professional if I had.
1.5 pounds Yukon gold or sweet potatoes, cubed (you may substitute cauliflower florets) 1 medium red onion, diced (approximately 1/2 cup or more) 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan mayo 1 tablespoon gochujang 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish 1 teaspoon grated ginger (I use the paste in a squeeze bottle) 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1-2 cloves minced garlic 1 orange bell pepper, diced (may substitute red or yellow) 2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal 8 ounces flavorful seitan (I use Tofurky Sesame-Garlic) Sea salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste Garnishes: lightly roasted and salted peanuts, diagonally sliced green onion, and Everything Bagel Seasoning (or black and white sesame seeds)
Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with salted water to 1-inch above potatoes. Bring water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 8 minutes, partially covered. Potatoes should be fork tender.
Meanwhile, place red onion and vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, gochujang, relish, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil, and refrigerate.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain and add to bowl with onion and vinegar. Gently toss well to coat. Cool for 30 to 45 minutes until barely warm. Stir in bell pepper, green onions, and seitan. Spoon mayonnaise mixture over, and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, garnished with peanuts, green onions, and Everything Bagel Seasoning. Or refrigerate, covered, for several hours, then garnish and serve.
These devastating bars were inspired by the classic combination of white chocolate chips and macadamia nut cookies. But I had some chocolate chips on hand, both of them the miniature variety, so I added those too.
My recipe calls for pecan butter, though you can substitute whatever nut butter you choose. Pecan butter is, hands down, my absolute favorite for baking. It may have to do with being a southern girl, but I think it had more to do with the outrageously rich and delicious flavor.
Note that, like mini nut butters, the pecan variety comes with a layer of oil on the top. I processed it in the food processor and put what I didn’t need back into the jar so that I didn’t have to waste time trying to stir it together.
You may find the optional addition of a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to be strange. But, trust me, it really balanced the flavors. I’m not sure why, but when I tasted the dough, It cried out for just the barest hint of apple cider vinegar. I hesitated to add it because it seemed odd and I have never seen it in another recipe, but it was perfect.
Please be aware that these bars do not hold together when warm. They are delicious if you want to crumble them over vegan ice cream for a sundae, but don’t think the recipe has failed. I have not completely cooled the bars in the pan at room temperature and that might be enough. Rather, since I knew that I wanted nice neat cuts, I refrigerated them overnight in the pan, covered. That worked beautifully and the slight chill did not negatively affect their flavor.
Black and White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Chickpea Blondies (vegan & plant-based)
Yield: 9-16 bars
1-15.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup pecan butter (you may substitute any nut butter) 1/3 cup brown sugar or maple syrup 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup baking powder 1/4 cup baking soda Optional: 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup vegan white chocolate chips
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts Topping: 2 tablespoons vegan white chocolate chips 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips 2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts
optional: course sea salt
Preheat oven to 350°. Oil an 8-in square pan, line with parchment paper, and re-spray. Place all ingredients except white and dark chocolate chips and Macadamia nuts in food processor. Process until very smooth. Transfer to medium bowl and fold in 1/3 cup each chips and nuts. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining two tablespoons each of chips and nuts over the top, pressing gently into the surface. If desired, sprinkle with a small amount of coarse sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate covered. Slice and serve.
