Ye Olde Thanksgiving Spread...2011

We vegans really suffer during the holidays... It was rough! All we had to eat was: My delicious stuffed, homemade tofu roast, maple glazed brussel spouts, stuffing muffins, "buttermilk" biscuits, turnip, mashed potatoes, homemade orange-cranberry sauce, and a kick-ass green bean cassarole. NO onions!!! Whoo hoo! My husband made a lucious vegan pumpkin pie, without the use of tofu for those who are squeamish. What will Christmas bring?

Gluten-free pizza (pancake style)

I adapted this recipe from one I found in The Uncheese Cookbook. No, I'm not gluten intollerant (anymore...), but I do enjoy a quick pizza impersonation from time to time. I gave up bread 4 yrs ago, so normally make a rice crust for pizza, but this one uses garbonzo bean flour. It's a batter technique, poured and lightly pan fried in a touch of olive oil. Natually, I refused to follow the recipe "as is", so I put my own spin on it. I didn't like the idea of a bean-ish flavored pizza, so I folded in a lot of nutritional yeast to the batter along with red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. I also melted some Vegan Gourmet's cheese toward the end. I served it with a little homemade tomato-sage sauce (our go-to sauce). My 6yr old daughter loves this, and calls it "that pancake pizza". My husband is more a traditional pizza man (I posted a photo in Feb). He's got a great handle on his homemade vegan crust and pizza, which could rival any non-vegan pizza any day of the week!

Simple Veggie Casserole

My mother in law is one of the most supportive people I know, and while she is a meat eater, she tries very hard to accomodate my little vegan family. THIS has to be my favorite vegetable dish these days...and it is surprisingly simple (according to her). I don't have an "exact" recipe, but I'll explain it as best I can. She's explained her method to me countless times, but it's never the same when I make it. I think I'm a wee bit spoiled knowing that she'll eventually make another for us very soon. Cut veggies, toss with a fair amount of extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash (it's just herbs) and Lawrey's seasoning salt to taste. I think that's it. Bake approx 1 hr at 450 degrees. The olive oil creates an incredible buttery flavor. I am seriously craving this right now.

Happy 6th (vegan) birthday ~ mein liebling!

(Based on the Muzzy language program). My daughter wanted a vanilla bean cake with van-peach frosting. Peach...not my favorite, but I love my kid! The cake was 100% edible and carved from cake. The figures were sculpted sugar, and she devoured "Sylvia" (white mouse) almost immediately. Well, I won't drag on, infact I'm quite out of practice with blogging. I guess I'm easing back into it. Happy Spring, everyone!!

Orange Dreamsicle ~ sweet summer nostalgia

Who can deny the nostalgic summer  flavors of orange & vanilla?   The sweet siren song of the ice cream truck, as it speeds by your neighborhood at virtual warp speed...followed by legions of screaming children all desperate for a brief taste of icy bliss.   Pure joy, juxtaposed against those carnival-esque, nightmarish sped up tunes:  Mulberry Bush, Pop Goes the Weasel,  and the like.   I once even heard a freakish version of "I've Got Rhythm"......yep....I'm a hardcore fan of Orange and vanilla.   

I used my own vanilla cake recipe and simply folded in some orange zest right before pouring it into the pan, along with a little pure orange extract.  I iced and filled the cake with orange-vanilla frosting, again just adding a little orange extract to my vanilla frosting, to taste.   (I posted a simple frosting recipe on the recipes page).  Any vanilla cake recipe should work, but please don't use a box mix...scratch baking is so much easier than people think, and the results are worth it!  All you need is a solid recipe and a little know-how...and (while they mean well),  try not to take vegan baking advice from non-vegans...I don't give advice on how to roast a rack of lamb.  ;o) 

Fennel Pasta

I was inspired by a Rachel Ray dish a few years back, so I veganized and put my spin on the dish.  It’s now one of my favorites meals to make. My daughter & I love eating the raw fennel.

Extra Virgin Olive oil

garlic, several cloves

2  Italian vegan sausages, chopped
(I usually start with 3, but my daughter likes to sneak the veg sausage)

28 oz can of crushed organic, fire roasted tomatoes

1 large bulb fennel, chopped

2 cubanelle peppers, chopped (remove seeds!!)

White wine (2-3 turns)

fresh basil

salt & pepper to taste

Pasta (any)

In a large pan, brown the vegan sausage in a bit of olive oil. Chop up the fennel and peppers and set aside. Shave some garlic, set aside (the amount of garlic is really a preference).

Remove the veg sausage from the pan and set aside, covered with foil. DO NOT rinse out the pan. Lower the heat to low-med, add some olive oil to the pan and drop in veggies.

Sweat the vegetables, don’t brown or burn them. Drop in the shaved garlic and continue to cook a few minutes. Add the wine, going around the pan 2-3 times, cook a minute or two to boil off the alcohol. Add the sausage to the vegetables. (Boil water for the pasta, and cook).

Add the fire roasted tomatoes, season and let cook down for 10 minutes or so. Pour vegetables over pasta or rice, or do what I do and eat it alone...it’s very filling and delicious! 

I love 1st birthdays...

I made this cake over the weekend for a lovely couple, to celebrate their daughter's 1st birthday.   (The cake was inspired by a Pink Cake Box design that the mother liked).  The main cake was my rich chocolate cake, with vanilla bean frosting and vanilla fondant.  The mini smash cake was my vanilla bean cake, covered in vanilla bean frosting.  The elephants were sculpted sugar, and all decorations were edible.