Truffles

I can't remember the last time I had a truffle, nevermind a vegan one. I used full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream and they turned out super well. Definitely eat them up quickly though, as if that would be a problem, because the texture is the best immediately.

4 oz. baking chocolate, chopped
4 oz. vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp. almond extract
1/2 Tsp. almond or hazelnut extract
Decorative items such as nuts, coconut, cocoa powder, powdered sugar

Bring your coconut milk and extracts to a near-boil, then pour into a bowl with the baking chocolate and chocolate chips. Stir until melted, and voila! Ganache.

Let cool then chill for two hours.

Once solid, roll the mixture out into teaspoon-sized balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet... quickly, because the chocolate will start to melt. Chill overnight.

Now for the fun part! Roll your truffles around in whatever suits your fancy... I did sifted cocoa, powdered sugar, coconut, and chopped walnuts. Serve immediately or continue chilling.

Gardein Stir Fry

I apologize for the delay since my most recent post, I was soaking up the rays in sunny Florida for the last two weeks!

Specialty vegan products like Gardein can be difficult to come by in my neck of the woods, so on the way back from the airport I stopped and picked up some Gardein Mandarin Chicken to try out.

It was excellent! Very crispy and the sauce was surprisingly good... I was afraid it would be sickeningly syrupy, but it was just right.

Before

After!

On to the stir fry.

Start with your wok. Don't have a wok? A big skillet will work just fine... but really, woks are fun. Get a wok.

Preheat the pan till it's quite hot, add some peanut oil, then let the fun ensue! I recommend having your vegetables already chopped, that way you don't risk any mishaps.

I work (wok?) my stir fry in five parts:

Aromatics

Garlic and ginger, and perhaps scallions, sesame seeds, or cashews if you so desire. Stir fry until... aromatic.

Veggies Part 1

Next I toss in vegetables that take a bit longer to cook. The list is never ending, but here are some of my favorites:

Carrot
Onion
Broccoli
Red pepper
Shiitake mushroom
Green bean



Veggies Part 2

Here go the quicker cooking vegetables, or those that just need to be heated up.

Greens (baby bok choy, chinese cabbage, or spinach)
Water chestnuts

Bean sprouts

Pea pods

Sauce

I typically just eyeball a few tablespoons of each with whatever's in my fridge. Whisk and pour.

Soy or teriyaki sauce
Sriracha sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sesame oil
More sesame seeds
Agave nectar or brown sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch (if you want a thick sauce)
Coconut milk


Protein

I like to saute this in a separate pan, just to make sure it gets nice and crispy. Marinated tofu, seitan, tempeh, the world is your oyster! In this case, I used those tasty chik'n pieces. Serve everything atop some fluffy jasmine rice.

Chai Cake

Ooh, oozy.

A birthday is a perfect excuse for some cake experimentation, right? ...kidding, it's actually a week early, but I decided to go for it anyway. For this'n I combined my love of chai lattes with inventing interesting desserts. Voila!

Steepin'

I started with the ppk's Chai Latte Cupcake recipe, basically just doubling it and then baking it in two 8" cake pans. The cake itself turned out relatively well... I've read  that these particular cupcakes are more muffin-y than others in VCTOtW... next time I'll try tweaking the recipe to fluff it up a bit.

Next is where my creative juices actually began flowing. Rather than a logical and bee-filled honey icing, I decided to try out my two favorite tea sweeteners: agave nectar and maple syrup (obv the real stuff). My recipe was approximately:

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
8oz vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger

Blend together, and... yum! I decided to add blackberries as well, because, well... why not? I spread some blackberry preserves on the first layer than added a few healthy dollops of the icing for good measure. Plopped the second layer on top, and proceeded to drizzle and/or drown the chai cake with gooey goodness.  On went the blackberries, and the cake was complete!

I brought this cake with me to a small birthday gathering where it was quite a hit. Success!

I use slabs of parchment paper to keep my
display plate nice while I decorate.

Ohhhh yeaaaaah

And my mom made me pink bean-avocado
enchiladas for my birthday! Very tasty.

Cute wittle tortellino

For Christmas this year, I made homemade tortellini for the fam.

The secret: cashew cream. A perfectly ambrosial, satisfying alternative to soy milk and silken tofu for all your creamy needs.

I got the recipe from this book. I highly, highly recommend it. I have an ever mounting collection of vegan cookbooks, but this one really stands out to me because of the details and how gourmet all the food is.

I filled these suckers with an artichoke "ricotta", and then tossed with a saffron cream sauce and some arugula and tomato. Served with homemade French bread!

Oh VauteCouture, how I adore thee.

www.vautecouture.com

But, like, actually... how awesome it is to have such a beautiful, friendly person designing and creating beautiful coats that happen to be vegan, eco-friendly, and ethically made?!

I love peacoats. I've always been bummed out that they're made from wool. But seriously, these coats are even better! Sure, they're a bit pricey, but if you preorder when the lookbook first premieres during the summer, you can get 50% off. Sweet deal!

Forgiving the silliness, here I am modeling my Bittersweet Alicia to the right.

Binner (Brunch for Dinner)

Breakfast Sandwiches


Gadzooks! These used to be my absolute favorite food before I went vegan. I've attempted them several times, and thus far this attempt has been the best.

4 English Muffins

Tofu Omelet
14oz extra firm tofu
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. tamari
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Tempeh Bacon
8oz tempeh
3 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. tamari
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. cumin
Black pepper to taste

Optional
Sliced tomato
Sliced red onion
Veganaise
Earth Balance
Ketchup

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Starting with the tofu omelet, puree the tofu, olive oil, and 2 Tbs. water in your blender. Once smooth, move to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Transfer to an oiled baking dish, I used an 10" cast iron fry pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light brown. Let cool then either slice into either squares or circles (using a biscuit cutter or glass).

OPTIONAL: I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with tempeh, so before using it I usually marinate it to make sure it isn't too bitter. I begin by simmering 4 cups water, 1 vegetable bouillon cube, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 Tbs. minced ginger, and some fresh ground pepper and then add my tempeh. I'd suggest doing this with several packages at a time to make the most of your marinade broth. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, then drain tempeh and use in all your favorite recipes!


Continuing with the tempeh bacon, slice your block of tempeh in half length-wise, and slice each block into 1/4-inch thick rectangles. Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together the maple syrup, oil, tamari, liquid smoke, cumin, and black pepper, and brush on the tempeh slices. Flip over and brush the other side, reserving a few tablespoons of liquid for after baking. Bake the tempeh slices for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Once removed from the oven, immediately brush lightly with some of the reserved liquid. 


To assemble your breakfast sandwich, begin by toasting the english muffins. Spread each side with Earth Balance or Veganaise if desired, and pile on the tofu omelet and tempeh bacon. Top with tomato, onion, or ketchup (I used up some leftover bruschetta!) if desired and enjoy! Om nom nom.

Happy New Year!