autumn steel cuts oats with pears - recipe (vegan)

on chilly mornings, i prefer i warm breakfast rather than my usual bowl of cold cereal or yogurt. it was 41 degrees when i awoke, so i decided to autumn-i-fy my version of rice cooker steel cut oats.

autumn rice cooker steel cut oats & pears recipe (vegan)
makes 2-3 servings

ingredients:
2/3 cup steel cut oats (this kind can be found at trader joe's & it's cheaper than mccann's)
1 red bartlett pear (or apple) - peeled, cored and chopped 
2/3 cup almond milk
1 cup apple cider
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
dash pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 tsp pure maple syrup
3 tsp ground flax seed meal (optional)


directions:
combine/stir all the ingredients in the rice cooker and set to "cook".  it'll take about 20-25 minutes.

mango salsa black beans with quinoa

mango salsa black beans with quinoa

(2 servings)

ingredients:

1 15-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup of "refrigerator"/ fresh salsa of your choice (i used chachi's mango salsa & some Mrs Renfro's Hot Habanero salsa)

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (i used 1/4 cup red, 1/4 cup regular)

directions:

1) place your black beans in a small sauce pan. add your salsa.  cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

2) meanwhile, cook your quinoa: in a small saucepan,  add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup quinoa and a dash of salt. bring to a boil. lower heat & cover. simmer for 15 minutes.  when all the water has been absorbed, fluff with a fork.

3) to serve: put quinoa in a bowl. top with black beans.  

topping ideas: tortilla chips, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc.

how we make our sauerkraut

i've mentioned the mister's homemade sauerkraut when i made reubens and piroshkis.  i've also devoted countless facebook statuses to the stuff. so you may be wondering, "what's the big deal with sauerkraut?"

i had it in my head that i didn't like it (stemming from many unreasonable fears & general disgust for a great number of now-awesome (to me) foods (like rye bread, bananas, and sauerkraut). yet i used to eat mcdonald's happy meals and hot dogs.  go figure.

just before christmas 2009, the mister started doing intense research (as he tends to do) on sauerkraut and the vessels used to make it at home. mrs. claus brought him a harsch stoneware crock for xmas (she ordered it from this website - based out of alabama and very reasonable shipping rates for such a heavy item). since then, we've tried to keep a batch going at all times, although we experience some down time when he goes on tour. and then i have to buy bubbie's or boar's head just to get my fix.

so the mister made the very first batch, but it didn't really like it. i'm not even sure if i remember the first time sauerkraut really clicked for me, but i think it may have been triggered by a seitan reuben i had in chicago last spring. and now, i can't get enough. i like to eat it with mashed potatoes and kale (a la colcannon)...but it is also great all by itself. it gives me energy and makes me feel clean.

so what goes into making our kraut? (the mister used to be the sole kraut-maker, but i've helped out the last two times. so now i think it's safe to say we're co-kraut conspirators).

• cabbage procurement (usually 6-8 heads).  ideally, we'd get locally grown / organic (or in a perfect world, we'd grow our own), but most of it has come from the grocery store.  reserve a few of the big outer leaves to put between the mashed cabbage & weight stones. 

 29 cents a lb at publix. we couldn't pass that up.

•  clean it WELL, then cut the core out.

• i shred/cut, while the mister salts (roughly 3 TBS per 5 lbs of cabbage) and mashes it down. (they do make cabbage-specific mandolins (and we own one), but usage resulted in a near decapitated fingertip (they recommend wearing kevlar gloves) and it doesn't cut the cabbage as thin/consistent as we'd like).

 the wooden cabbage tamper (also purchased from the wisemen trading company) is a very useful tool. prior to buying it, the mister used a standard mashed potato masher. 

• basically, you mash the ever-loving stuff out of the shredded cabbage in order to draw the liquid/water out (the salt also assists in this process).  put the saved outer leaves on top. then you place the weights on top of everything. after the weights go on, you need the water level to be at least 3cm above the stone. Push everything down with the tamper, using all your might.

• put the lid on (making sure the "lip" of the lid constantly has water to keep a tight seal), then wait 3-6 weeks (depending on the season/weather/temperature of the house).

not our photo. i wish we could make the lid levitate like that though.

and that's it! (let me just say that the cleaning/cutting/mashing is at least a 2-hour process (with both of us working. solo, it used to take him 3-ish hours). your hands cramp up and your muscles hurt. but it is oh so worth it.
Still need some convincing?  Check out some info i found here:

Specific Health Benefits

1. Sauerkraut as immune booster
   One of the not so secret benefits of sauerkraut is the boost it gives to immune systems. Packed with vitamins andminerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries.Sauerkraut contains phytochemicals which are created during the fermentation process. These naturally occurring, beneficial by products of sauerkraut help boost the immune system which leads to a decrease in a number of health problems. The common cold, skin problems, weight gain and tainted blood are all fixed by a healthy functioning immune system.
2. Sauerkraut as cancer fighter
   The most recent evidence of sauerkraut's status as a Superfood is found in numerous studies on the cruciferous wonder's cancer fighting properties. The results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate, the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. The University of New Mexico published a study linking sauerkraut consumption by adolescent females to a reduced risk for breast cancer earlier studies indicate sauerkraut may reduce the risk for other forms of cancer including lung, colon, prostate, and liver We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer. Based on reports that breast cancer rates amongst polish women in the United States were much higher than those in Poland researchers set out to find out why. Their answer; the women who still lived in Poland ate significantly larger amounts of sauerkraut especially important while they were in adolescence. The research found that the women who immigrated Americanized' their diets and stopped eating as much of the super food that is sauerkraut thus increasing their rates of breast cancer.
3. Digestive Aid
   Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium. These various properties are the best scientific reasons given for what has been known by loyal users for millennia, sauerkraut cures an upset stomach and is the best natural physic there is. Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system. The benefits of sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have been recognized for generations. In some families of southern Germany, the children are fed raw sauerkraut twice weekly to support their intestines. Today it is thought that these benefits may relate to a high proportion of lactic acid in sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice that naturally supports the digestive processes, maintain intestinal flora, and increase the feeling of well-being.
4. Flu Fighter
   With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

(yet another) vegan banana bread recipe

does your banana bread always result from spotting those near-black bananas on your countertop? mine always does.


{katie's} (yet another) vegan banana bread
makes: one 9x5 loaf

ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3 ripe, mashed-up, medium-sized bananas
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup (4 oz) applesauce (4 oz. = one of those small individual serving cups)
1 TBS ground flax seed, mixed with 3 TBS water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray
2. mix (well): sugar, oil, mashed bananas, milk, applesauce and flax mixture in a large bowl.
3. combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl (flour, soda, salt, cinnamon).
4. add the dry to the wet and stir only until blended.
5. fold in the walnuts and coconut
6. spoon batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.

steel cut oats - rice cooker recipe (vegan)

ever since i've discovered my love for steel cut oats, my rice cooker has (almost) been granted permanent space on the countertop (i think the stand mixer and food processor are a bit jealous, actually).  i tried making them in the crock pot overnight and wound up with a burnt, sticky mess (and no breakfast) the next morning.  next, i tried using my 3-cup rice cooker and discovered a fool-proof (and fast) way that gives me perfect oats every time. we found this rice cooker on closeout at kroger years ago for $4 and couldn't be happier with it.


rice cooker steel cut oats recipe (vegan)
makes 2-3 servings

ingredients:
2/3 cup steel cut oats (this kind can be found at trader joe's & it's cheaper than mccann's)
2/3 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
dash vanilla extract
3 tsp pure maple syrup
3 tsp ground flax seed meal (optional)

directions:
combine/stir all the ingredients in the rice cooker and set to "cook".  it'll take about 20-25 minutes.
stir and top with your favorite toppings (i like a little more syrup, a little earth balance, and some dried fruit or fresh blueberries).

pineapple cookies (vegan recipe)

i bought one of those grocery store pre-cored (sounds like an emo-based music genre) pineapples and didn't know what to do with it. i didn't want to make muffins since i'm still polishing off some scones and don't need another breakfast bread around. i was going to make some sort of pineapple fried rice dish, but i've cooked a few different dinners for myself this week and still need to eat those leftovers (i've been cooking regular-sized recipes for my (temporarily) single self, so that means a lot of extra food!)
i decided on cookies. i browsed around the net and came up with my own concoction based on approx 10 different recipes.

vegan pineapple cookies
makes: about 30 cookies

ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick/8 TBS) earth balance shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pineapple, crushed

directions:
-preheat the oven to 350. line baking sheets with parchment paper
-cream the shortening and sugar together in a stand mixer. (my shortening came straight from the fridge, so it took several minutes to achieve a creamy state)
-add extracts & pumpkin and mix to combine
-combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
-slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
-add the crushed pineapple and mix just to combine.
-drop tablespoon-sized balls onto the cookie sheets and bake 'til golden, around 16-18 minutes. let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

notes:
-i crushed/chopped the pineapple in a small food processor (just a few quick pulses).  you can it cut by hand, just make sure to get pieces chopped up fine. alternately, you can use canned crushed pineapple, just make sure to drain off most of the juice.
-the parchment paper thing didn't hit me until i had already baked 2 dozen cookies. since they're kind of cake-like and moist, it created a bit of a problem when trying to remove the cookies from the ungreased cookie sheet. i used parchment for the final batch and it worked a lot better.
-at first the idea of pureed pumpkin for my "vegan egg" seemed strange (mixing an autumn staple with a tropical fruit?!), but i didn't think the flax/water thing would work for such a delicate cookie.  (click here for a list of vegan egg substitutes). the pumpkin provides more of a fluffy-textural element and these don't taste the slightest bit pumpkiny.

and now for a song:

black eyed peas and kale from "appetite for reduction"

this is another one of those meals in which i could tell i was eating something wholesome, delicious, and nutritious the minute i bit into it. "thanks for not eating pizza leftovers again, katie!" my body said to me. just furthur proof that you should pick up the 'appetite for reduction' cookbook (i know it probably seems like i must be getting kickbacks from all these isa chandra moskowitz shout-outs, but i promise i'm not... i wouldn't even bother mentioning the food on here if it wasn't awesome). it comes together pretty fast & couldn't be easier. the recipe calls for a TBS of hot sauce, so i used a combo of:

pickapeppa red hot sauce 

and captain rodney's corazon del fuego 

did you know captain rodney's is made in bell buckle, tn? their mango pepper jelly is awesome too, especially with cream cheese + triscuits.  

i much prefer hot sauces when they have a hint of sweetness, rather than the taste of tabasco sauce (which i actually don't really like at all), so these caribbean/jamaican-ish ones really hit the spot.  my lips are still burning, but in a happy sort of way.  i served it over brown rice, and i can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.  

TMI ALERT:   3 beanos beforehand. wondering if they'll do what they're supposed to do. if there ever was a meal to test this theory, it would be this one.

yet another reason you should buy the 'vegan brunch' cookbook...

...english muffins! 
seriously, vegan or not, buy this cookbook!

"chickpea salad"...kinda like tuna salad (vegan)

not the most photogenic thing, but i promise it's delicious

i didn't eat tuna (or anything else from the sea) prior to becoming a vegetarian, so it's not as if i've been sitting here missing the wonders of tuna salad sandwiches or tuna casserole. but i saw this on a blog & realized i had everything on hand, so i threw it together for lunch the other day. AND IT'S ROCKED MY WORLD ever since. it's fantastic on toasted wheat bread. or with whole wheat crackers. or as a sandwich with lettuce & tomato. and now it's all gone, so my life can go back to not-at-all rocking.

vegan yumyum's chickpea salad

ingredients:

1 15oz can Chickpeas, rinsed well
3-4 Tbs Vegenaise
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked)
1/2 tsp Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
directions:
Mash all the ingredients to form a chunky spread. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

notes: i added some finely diced red onion. i also made it in my small food processor, just a few quick pulses since i wanted the chickpeas to keep some of their integrity. 

spinach salad with quinoa, apples & peppadew dressing (vegan)

this was inspired by the "catalan couscous salad with pears" recipe from isa chandra moskowitz's appetite for reduction cookbook.   i had a craving for kale, but it was kinda moldy at food lion, so i ended up buying a bag of baby spinach. when i got home, i flipped though the cookbook and realized i could throw this salad together with what i had on hand.  sorry, kale craving.


for the salad:
-put baby spinach in a bowl. add however much quinoa you desire (make sure it's cooled, see below for cooking directions). chop up your apple. add however much dressing you want.

notes:
-original recipe calls for whole wheat couscous; i used 1/2 red & 1/2 white quinoa. 
-original recipe calls for a pear; i used an apple.
-switched up a few ingredients for the dressing


"peppadew" dressing, modified version of "romesco dressing"
ingredients:
3 TBS toasted slivered almonds
2 TBS chopped red onion
1/4 cup peppadew peppers (jar available at trader joe's)
1/2 cup water
3 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 tsp salt

directions:
pulse the almonds and the onion in a food processor. add everything else and blend until smooth. store leftovers in a jar in the fridge.

to cook quinoa:
add 1 cup quinoa & 2 cups water to a small pan. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  fluff, cool, serve.  store whatever you don't use for the salad in the fridge.

lemon blueberry scones (vegan)

thanks to those rad pumpkin scones i made a few weeks ago, i've been on a scone kick lately.  i had some fresh blueberries in the fridge & a bagful of lemons, so i thought those ingredients seemed ripe for some scone makin'.  i perused the internet for a recipe & didn't find one quite to my liking, so i invented my own. kind of scary, but the proportions seemed similar enough to the pumpkin ones, so i gave it a go. they turned out just fine...delicious, even!

lemon blueberry scones (vegan)

makes: 8 big ones (or 16 little ones) 

ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 TBS baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ginger

zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup earth balance

¼ cup melted coconut oil (or canola oil)

¾ cup almond milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup fresh blueberries (tossed with a little flour and/or granulated sugar)

for glaze: a tablespoon or so of remaining lemon juice + ½ cup powdered sugar (more or less juice depending on what you want the consistency like)…or...sprinkle unbaked scones with turbinado sugar

directions:

1.     preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.     combine all the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, lemon zest) in a large bowl.

3.     measure out the almond milk and add the lemon juice – let it sit while you do the rest.

4.     “cut in” the earth balance (I just used my fingers to crumble it up)

5.     add the liquefied coconut oil and stir til combined

6.     add the almond milk to the mixture and stir til combined.  Then gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula (I rinsed them in a mesh strainer, dried them off, and added a little flour and white sugar)

7.     put the mixture on a silipat and form into a disc (about 6 inches across) – cut with a pizza cutter into 8 triangles and transfer to baking sheet. bake for 15-18 minutes until the scones are firm & a toothpick comes out clean.

8.     Cool on a wire rack (lined with wax or parchment paper) and drizzle glaze on the top. 

Quinoa Salad with Mango and Black beans

this flavorful and healthful (and colorful) salad comes together very quickly. i got it out of the veganomicon cookbook, but you can also find it online here.  i used half regular and half red quinoa.
while eating this salad, i got the same sensation as when i eat kale. like my body is thanking me for the nutrients and saying it's glad i didn't give it chili mac and french fries again.

there's a little asian grocery store about 2 miles away, and i got the green onions and cilantro (as well as some mint, basil and dill and a honking big piece of ginger) for DIRT CHEAP. probably about 1/2 less than the grocery store. henceforth, i plan on getting all my herbs & stuff there.

Lemon, Ginger & Cranberry Oatmeal

Lemon, Ginger & Cranberry Oatmeal (vegan)
serves: 1
 
ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ginger syrup
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
zest of about 1/4 or 1/2 lemon (depending how lemony you want it)
2 teaspoons ground flax seed (optional)
dash ground ginger
dashes kosher salt

directions:
In a small pot, combine all ingredients. Heat over low/medium until it reaches your preferred consistency, stirring occasionally (about 6 minutes)

pumpkin scones (vegan)

i never knew what to think about scones. they always look really dry, like you'd take a bite and just go "cachhhhhhh" with your throat. like sticking a bunch of saltines in your mouth or something.  i've never ordered or bought one, and i've never baked them either.  but last month at our work christmas party, i tried a cranberry scone (from panera) and thought it was great.  fast forward to january, and it seems as if i've ended up with no less than 14 cans of libby pumpkin puree in my pantry (they were on clearance for 44¢ at walgreens, so i stocked up. they also had boxes of domino brown sugar for 25¢!). and i'm a little burnt out on muffins. scone time!  i used this recipe for vegan pumpkin scones and made a few slight modifications (wheat flour & more spices).  they turned out like fluffy little pillows - not dry at all - and not overly sweet either.

Pumpkin Scones (adapted from Vegan Joy)

1/3 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
dash of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon earth balance, melted
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment, and set aside.

Make the scones: In a medium bowl or 2-cup measure, whisk together almond milk, vinegar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and pour in the liquid mixture. Using a flexible spatula, make a scraping-scooping-pressing sort of motion to gently combine the two. When you have only a few streaks of flour left in the dough, remove it to a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough evenly into a circle 6” in diameter and about 1 ½” high. Using a sharp knife, cut the mound into eight wedges; it should be fairly sticky and a bit misshapen; that’s okay. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet.

Bake until firm and just baked through (insert a knife; if it comes out clean, they’re done), 12-15 minutes.

Make the glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together and drizzle over scones.

potato leek piroshkis (vegan)

for the grimey's employee holiday party, i made crescent dragonwagon's "potato leek piroshkis" from her passionate vegetarian cookbook.

first, you create a SIMPLE yeast dough in the food processor:

this was taken after the rise/punch down (see my fist impression?) 

while the dough is rising, you make the filling, which consists of potatoes, leeks, roasted garlic, fresh dill, sauerkraut and cabbage.  my filling is a pretty purple color since i used our homemade red sauerkraut:

bowl of awesome, i could eat it by the spoonful.

next, you divide the dough into 16 small balls & roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. fill with the potato mixture and create little half-moon pockets:

bake until golden:

and eat (with mustard!):

if you are curious about the recipe, let me know and i will make a photocopy for you. i tried (and failed) to find a transcribed version online, although you can see it here on googlebooks.

hearty bean, barley & vegetable soup (vegan)

i cleaned out the pantry and unearthed a package of trader joe's "17 bean & barley" mix. i roughly followed the directions on the package (subbing whatever veggies i had on hand at the house) and a few hours later, ended up with this:

 

Bean, Barley & Vegetable Soup

ingredients:

1 16-oz package of Trader Joe's "17 Bean & Barley" soup mix

2 Boullion cubes dissolved in 4 cups boiling water (i used 1 Not-Chik'n & 1 Low Sodium Veggie) **alternately, you can use 4 cups of canned/box broth**

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes 

1 cup chopped onion (i used a mixture of red & yellow)

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup diced mushrooms

2 small peeled & diced red potatoes

1/2 package of thawed frozen chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp assorted dried seasoning (i used Bragg's sprinkle...Trader Joe's also makes one)

salt & pepper 

Directions

1) if you have the foresight, soak the beans overnight. otherwise, follow the quick soak directions on the package. this takes an hour.  (thaw frozen spinach now too, if you're using it).

2) Dissolve your boullion cubes in boiling water.

3) Pour 4 cups of broth into pot with the beans.  Add whole can of diced tomatoes.

4) put olive oil in a separate saute pan, and cook vegetables (everything except the spinach), garlic and dried basil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. 

5) put veggies into soup pot and add bay leaf, spinach, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cover with more water (2 cups) and stir everything up. 

6) Cover pot and simmer for about 2 hrs. Occasionally check liquid level and add more broth or water if necessary.  the beans were a little hard the first night we ate this, but softened up for the leftovers. 

A note on the vegetables: 

seriously, use up whatever you have. sweet potatoes would be good instead of the red potatoes. bag of frozen corn? use it if you want. same goes with green beans, red peppers, zucchini, etc.  kale would be good instead of spinach. recipe on the package calls for celery - i hate celery, so i left it out.

My ultra-lazy quick thaw method for frozen spinach is as follows: put frozen block of spinach in a metal sieve. run hot water over it until it starts to break up. Press out excess water. 

i'm sure i end "pressing out" vitamins, so if you plan on using frozen spinach, it would probably be best to thaw it when you're quick soaking the beans.

(vegan) pear hazelnut bread recipe

i took a recipe for cooking light's hazelnut-pear tea bread recipe (found in this cookbook) and turned it vegan.   my adapted version is as follows:

(vegan) hazelnut pear bread
ingredients:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup shredded peeled pear (about 2 medium)  *i used 1 large pear & 1 small gala apple
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS canola oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 TBS applesauce
1 TBS ground flax seed + 3 TBS water

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place hazelnuts in a small ovenproof dish & toast in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3. Mix ground flax seed and water well and let sit for 10 minutes. in the meantime...
4. Combine flours, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in the center.
5. Combine pear, sugar, oil, lemon rind, vanilla, applesauce and flax mixture; mix well.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until moist.
7. Spoon batter into a 8x4 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 55 minutes (test w/ a toothpick).

notes:
this was my first time "veganizing" a recipe on my own.  i had made this bread twice before so i was familiar with how the original is meant to taste (and just as importantly, what the texture's supposed to be like). since the original called for an egg & an egg white, i thought i'd try out 2 different egg substitutes.  i've had good luck with the flax mixture in the past, and since the bread is based around pears, i figured applesauce was a natural pairing.  i also used 1/4 cup less sugar than the original called for, and after tasting the batter, it was totally sweet enough. that's one of the benefits of vegan baking - the ability to taste the batter without fear of salmonella poisoning!

vegan potluck & blueberry buckle recipe

last week, we were invited to a vegan potluck dinner in honor of a friend's birthday. the food spread was unbelievable - lentil stew, cashew cheese, samosa pie, spicy greens, beet chocolate cake, brownies, lemon cookies... the mister contributed chana masala and i brought this blueberry buckle. recipe can be found here. 

(notes: i used frozen blueberries instead of fresh - i don't think they were defrosted enough and as such, the batter was really cold. consequently, this needed to bake WAY longer than called for (like, 30 minutes more). the next day when i removed it from the springform pan, it still didn't seem done enough, so i put it on a cookie sheet and cooked for 20 MORE minutes.  leftovers were stored in the fridge - really good warmed up in the toaster oven w/ a little earth balance).

eggless french toast

i'm not crazy about eggs, so i looked around for recipes for "eggless french toast".

single serve (2 slices) eggless french toast (adapted from various online sources. can be vegan depending on your bread):

ingredients:
-1/2 banana
-1/4 cup almond milk
-big dash of cinnamon
-sprinkling of cornstarch
-little bit of vanilla
-2 slices of bread

directions:

• combine the first 5 ingredients in a small food processor for a minute. 

• pour mixture over 2 slices of bread - smush the bread slices together so that the bread soaks the mixture in a little.  

• cook in nonstick skillet (coated w/ cooking spray over medium heat) until brown (approx 5 minutes each side - until the bread firms up a little and gets nice and toasty).  

• top with your favorite toppings. i used powdered sugar, more cinnamon and earth balance. nutella or maple syrup would be delicious too. 

(vegan) lemon poppy seed muffins

i've made a few things from isa chandra moskowitz's "vegan brunch" cookbook & they've all been great (pumpkin bran muffins, zucchini spelt muffins). some other vegan baked goods i've made have turned out too gummy and you could definitely tell that something was amiss; not so with the muffins in this book. these are as easy as can be and delicious!  and you don't even miss the eggs and butter (i promise).

recipe can be found here.

ps: i might have asked/pondered this before, but what are the 'rules' about posting a recipe from a cookbook? do you have to ask permission? can you get in trouble if they were to find it?