Shay's Strawberry Tart

My little sous chef arrived the other day with a notebook in which she'd copied down recipes from a children's cookbook she'd checked out of the library. She was so excited to show me and to ask we could cook one. One problem... her notes didn't actually contain any measurements!

Rather than disappoint her, I decided to take the basic premise of one of the recipes and wing it. In the end, I was able to simplify it so much that this nine-year-old chef was able to do it entirely on her own (with careful supervision, of course).

Shay's Strawberry Tarts

Ingredients:
1 pkg mini graham cracker crusts (the Keebler ones are accidentally vegan)
1 qt fresh strawberries
1 sm jar all-fruit preserves

Directions:
Spray the crusts lightly with baking spray and pre-bake according to package directions. Cool five minutes. Slice strawberries and arrange in crusts. Place preserves in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Pour into strawberry-filled crusts. Cool tarts in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes until preserves are set. Top with vegan whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Fool-proof no-fat vegan banana bread

I couldn't find my family recipe for banana bread, so I decided to wing it. This turned out awesome. It's less like a traditional crumbly quick bread and more like a nice dense breakfast bread, but with all the delicious banana bread flavor and none of the fat. (Well, there's a negligible amount of fat in the banana itself, but not enough to count - less than a quarter of a gram per slice. And you do spray the pan. Still, I'm comfortable calling this 'no-fat'.)

Fool-proof no-fat banana bread

4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas and add wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and pour batter into pan. Bake 55 minutes or until golden brown and pulling away from the sides. Cool in pan on a wire rack for five minutes, then remove from pan (or cool completely in pan).

Vegan MoFo: Antipasto Sub (a.k.a. Sub in a Jar)

You know how sometimes you don't feel like chopping? You just want to eat salty, briny stuff from a jar? No? Just me then. But still, you'll seriously love this delicious sandwich.

Antipasto Sub

Ingredients:
4 individual sub rolls or one large French or Cuban loaf.
1 small jar of mushrooms
1 small jar of artichokes
1 small jar of roasted red peppers
1 small jar of olives
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pesto (or herb spread, garlic spread, or Italian dressing) - optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split bread and spread with pesto or dressing, if using. Layer veggies and top with basil leaves. Wrap in aluminum foil and cook 8 - 10 min. or until heated through. Serve hot.

Vegan MoFo: Nacho Salad

All the nacho taste, none of the bad-for-you stuff!

Mmmmm,nachos.

You love 'em, right? Everyone loves nachos. But conventional nachos don't love you back. With all that salt and fat, they're hypertension on a plate. So try this scrumptious salad for a tasty nacho flavor and crunch without the fat.

Nacho Salad

Ingredients
2-3 cups shredded romaine
1 cup shredded kale and/or spinach (I use half each)
1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup Spanish rice (great use for leftovers!)
1/3 cup refried beans
1/4 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup crispy tortilla strips

Directions
Toss in a bowl, mix, and enjoy!

Vegan MoFo: Green Breakfast Smoothie of Champions!

Nutrition in a glass!

Awhile back, I reviewed a book on green smoothies for This Dish is Veg. I didn't realize it at the time, but I learned quite a lot from it. Chief among those things was the simple reason why blended fruit and vegetable drinks are better for you than juicing - you're not losing anything. It's whole nutrition in a cup.

The other thing I learned was the perfect ratio for taste in a green smoothie: 40% vegetables, 60% fruit. But sometimes it's hard to translate that into real terms, since we're comparing leaves to chunks, so to speak. So I find a recipe can be helpful.

This is my recipe for the ideal beginner's green smoothie. I know folks like to get fancy with it, adding everything from dandelion greens to cayenne pepper but that stuff is intimidating if all you want is a green drink that's palatable and maybe your kids would stomach.

So here is my non-vegan-kid (and husband) tested recipe for a delicious smoothie. It tastes of strawberry and banana, and that's pretty much it. It's a great place to start, or a great base to build from if you want to get adventurous.

Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 large kale leaf, stemmed and torn (or two smaller ones - should equal about 2 loose cups in blender)
1/2 cup coconut water, chilled
1 small ripe banana (or half a large one)
4-5 frozen strawberries

Directions:
In a blender, add torn kale leaves and coconut water. Liquefy (about 10 seconds). Add banana and frozen strawberries and blend. Serve!

Notes:
How sweet this is will depend on the ripeness of the fruit. If it's not sweet enough for you, add 1 tsp agave.

Tabbouleh Tacos

How fresh and delicious does that look? And yet, it's a quick meal made with prepared foods. I don't feel guilty at all, because it's easy to find prepared hummus and tabbouleh that are fresh and wholesome, without added preservatives or chemicals. Just check the deli section of your local grocery.

Here's my ideal blend for perfect flavor.

For each taco:
1 three-seed whole wheat tortilla
2 tbsp lemon hummus (or original hummus with a small squeeze of fresh lemon)
3 tbsp tabbouleh
garnish with olives and dark leafy greens (I used Organic Girl's "I Love Baby Kale" blend, which has kale, spinach, and other greens)

When I'm feeling the need for something a little more hearty, I'll add in some matchstick carrots and slices of cucumber. Delicious!

Miracle Minute Vegan Fudge

I was going through a box of my old recipe cards the other day and found the recipe for my mom's microwave fudge. I used to love this stuff when I was a kid, even though it never really set up like real fudge. Well, problem solved through veganizing! Since vegan shortening or butter tends to stay firmer than dairy butter, this has a very authentic fudge consistency. People will think you made it the old-fashioned way!

It's so easy that even non-cooks can make it. I've come up with two different delicious flavors. Best of all? It only takes a max of five minutes!

Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan shortening or butter (I use 1 stick of Earth Balance shortening)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Creamy, delicious peanut-buttery fudge!

Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper (or wax paper). In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the first three ingredients. Cut the butter into pats and drop into dry ingredients. Microwave 1 - 2 minutes until butter is melted. Add milk and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Microwave one minute, add vanilla, and stir until smooth. (If it gets too firm to stir effectively, microwave 30 seconds and stir again.) Microwave 30 seconds and pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut in squares and serve.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan shortening  or butter (I use 1/2 stick of Earth Balance shortening)
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:
Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper (or wax paper). In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the first two ingredients. Cut the butter into pats and drop into dry ingredients. Microwave 1 - 2 minutes until butter is melted. Add peanut butter and microwave 30 seconds. Add milk and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Microwave one minute, add vanilla, and stir until smooth. (If it gets too firm to stir effectively, microwave 30 seconds and stir again.) Microwave 30 seconds and pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut in squares and serve.

20 Recipes for Vegans Who Can't Cook

This post is mainly for my friend Ana - a frozen food vegan, but it's come up before and I'm sure it will come up again. When you develop a sensitivity or allergy to something like soy or wheat, that way of eating can become really tough to maintain.

So here are some really easy meal ideas (I only hesitatingly call them 'recipes') for people who are cooking-challenged. They don't generally require any more knowledge than being able to boil water, turn on your oven to a specified temperature, or simmer something on the stove.They're also very flexible for whatever your likes or dislikes are. To make gluten-free, simply use gluten-free noodles or breads when those are called for.

If you have other suggestions for soy-free, super-easy meals, please leave them in comments!

Noodles: 
Pixie's Spaghetti Bolonese - Boil noodles. Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Either chop beans roughly and add to sauce, or add to sauce and pulse with an immersion blender until roughly the consistency of soy crumbles. Serve with a salad and fresh whole grain bread.

Pesto pasta - Boil & drain noodles. Toss with prepared dairy-free pesto. Add your choice of combination: a drained jar of artichokes, a drained jar of olives, a drained jar of marinated mushrooms, jarred roasted red peppers, or pre-cut from the fresh produce section, a package of diced peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Serve warm or cold.

Mom's Italian pasta salad - Boil and drain noodles. Add any of the veggies listed under 'Pesto' or matchstick carrots, drained and rinsed kidney beans or chickpeas, or chiffonade (thin ribbons) of spinach, kale, or basil leaves. Toss noodles and veggies with Italian salad dressing to coat. Best served chilled.

Lo Mein - Boil rice noodles. Microwave a bag of stir-fry vegetables. Toss with the Asian sauce of your choosing. (If you want to add seitan for extra protein or 'bite', toss strips into the pot with the noodles for the last minute of cooking to heat up.)

Beans:
Chili - Mix 2 cans of ready to eat chili beans with 1 can black beans, 1 can of diced tomatoes and chilies, and a drained can of corn. Mix in chili powder and cumin to taste, or add half a can of enchilada sauce if you don't have spices on hand. Heat and serve.

Black-eyed peas: Heat a can of black-eyed peas on the stove top. Toss in a teaspoon of minced garlic (sold in jars in the produce section) and 1/4 diced onion (also sold pre-cut in the produce section) and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Serve over steam-in-bag microwave brown rice or quinoa, with some steamed broccoli or carrots mixed in. (Birds Eye has a rice mix with those things already in it!)

Wraps & Sandwiches
Mediterranean wrap - On a sundried tomato wrap, spread 2 tbsp of hummus, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of prepared tabbouleh (available in most grocery store deli departments), and a handful of raw spinach or kale. You can also add matchstick carrots, sunflower seeds, and/or olives. Roll and eat.

Hot artichoke sub - Stuff a sub roll with marinated artichokes, canned mushrooms, jarred roasted red peppers, spinach leaves, basil leaves, and olives. Wrap it in tin foil. Turn your oven to 400 degrees and toss it in for 10 minutes to heat up.

Burrito - Spread a large whole wheat tortilla with refried beans or mashed black beans. Add any combination of lettuce, baby kale, spinach, tomato, onion, salsa, black olives, diced cucumber, leftover kernel corn, avocado

Open-face tapenade sandwich - Toast two pieces of rye or pumpernickel bread. Top with prepared dairy-free olive tapenade and spinach leaves.

BBQ seitan - Mix seitan strips with your favorite BBQ sauce and warm on stove or in micro. Serve on a bun.

Pizzas
Mexican pizza - Coat one side of a flat bread, pita, or tortilla with taco sauce. Top generously with pre-cut trio of tomatoes, onions, and peppers (sold in the fresh produce department). Add black olives, leftover corn kernels, or jalepenos. Bake 10 min at 400.

Italian pizza - Coat one side of a flat bread or split, toasted English muffins with marinara sauce. Top with the pizza veggies of your choosing and/or a little Daiya (shredded vegan cheese). Bake 10 min at 400.

Mediterranean pizza - Coat one side of a flat bread or pita with dairy-free Greek dressing (or Italian dressing if you can't find a dairy-free Greek). Top with spinach, tomatoes, onions, olives, artichokes and vegan parmesan-substitute, if you like. Bake 10 min at 400.

Rice (or substitute other steam-in-bag grains)
Mushroom rice and veggies - Mix 1 bag steam-in-bag rice with a can of vegan mushroom gravy and a bag of steamed mixed vegetables.

Microwave stir-fry - Mix 1 bag rice with 1 bag Asian steamed veggies. Top with you favorite soy-free Asian sauce.

Mexican rice and beans - Take 1 bag steam-in-bag Spanish rice or Southwestern rice and mix with one cane of seasoned chili beans or seasoned black beans.

Soups
Vegetable soup - toss cut up root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc.) into a pot with a box of vegetable stock. Boil until 10 minutes, then add any other softer veggies you like and simmer for 10 more minutes or until all the veggies are fork tender. Add a little salt or any other spices you like.

Box soup - take any vegan boxed soup (creamy broccoli, carrot almond, roasted red pepper, etc.), warm, and add a bag of steamed vegetables and some salt and pepper. You could also add leftover grains or noodles.

Black bean soup - add 2 cans of seasoned black beans to a box of vegetable stock. Mix in one package of pre-cut tomatoes, peppers, and onions (sold in the fresh produce section). Simmer until the peppers are soft.

Currant and Walnut Applesauce Cake

This is the quickest, easiest egg- and dairy-free cake imaginable. It takes under five minutes to prepare and comes out perfect every time. I can't take all the credit: this is a modified version of a recipe from PETA's cookbook, The Compassionate Cook. (Which is a cookbook totally worth the five or so bucks on Amazon.) Here's my version:

Currant & Walnut Applesauce Cake

1/2 cup vegan butter (1 stick of Earth Balance)

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour (organic white or wheat)

1 cup packed organic brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup currants (or raisins)

1 cup crushed walnuts

2 tbsp organic powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray the bottom of an eight- or nine-inch square pan with organic cooking spray. (I use a Corningwear dish.) Melt the butter (either in a pan on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl). Mix all the other ingredients except the powdered sugar into the pan/dish with the butter. Stir just until combined. Pour into the sprayed baking dish. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until a knife slid into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve. 

Sork and Powerkraut (Vegan Pork & Sauerkraut)

When I first got married, my mother-in-law introduced me to a family friend, a little old Polish lady named Pauline. This dear woman loved to show hospitality and always urged us to eat any time we came to visit. Her specialties were Old World dishes from her childhood: stuffed cabbage, dumplings, and pork with sauerkraut.

Raised on a standard American diet, all of these foods were unfamiliar to me, but I learned to love the flavors and the heartiness. When dear Pauline finally passed away, I learned to make them on my own.

Now, at last, I decided to come up with a vegan version for one of Pauline's recipes. Knowing how healthy fermented foods like sauerkraut are for you, I was looking to get more in my diet. As usual, converting the recipe was much easier than I expected. As usual, the end result is much healthier for you. Simply replace the pork with prepared seitan and adjust the cooking time. The flavor is authentic, but without all the fat.

Sork (seitan 'pork') and Powerkraut

30 - 32 ounces of sauerkraut (2 cans, or 2 small jars, or one large bag)
8 oz cubed seitan (I use Westsoy, found at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section)
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and cubed. (Use a sweet apple variety, not a sour one, to mellow the kraut.)

Add all ingredients to a pot. If necessary, add enough water to cover. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until apples are soft - about 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with a slotted spoon, sprinkling with salt and pepper if desired.

Key Lime Chia Bread

Growing up, we had a Key lime tree in our backyard, as Floridians do. Let me tell you, that tree was the source of a lot of my mom's famous Key lime pies. (Hers is the best. Don't listen to anyone who tells you differently.) We lost that tree during the citrus canker scare (the government cut it down, though it was perfectly healthy), and I've been sad about it ever since. Yes, I know you can get a bottle of Key lime juice at Publix, but it's just not same.

Of course, even if we still had the tree, I've yet to find a soy-free vegan Key lime pie recipe that works for me. So when I found my beloved limes on sale at the farmer's market 15 for $1, I had to come up with another way to use them. And here it is! This revamp of a classic lemon-poppyseed bread has a lighter, brighter flavor with Key limes, and the chia adds a tasty dose of Omega-3.

Key Lime Chia Bread

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups organic pastry flour
1 cup organic sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup Key lime juice (about 6-10 Key limes) *
1 tbsp Key lime zest *
½ cup water
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon flour into the measuring cup, then pour into mixing bowl. Mix in sugar and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add liquid ingredients. Add the vinegar last and stir the wet and dry ingredients together. It may sizzle or foam a bit as the acids (lime juice and vinegar) blend with the base (baking soda). Stir in the chia seeds.

Spray an 8 inch loaf pan with baking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until it springs back when pressed.

*If you do not have fresh Key limes, substitute bottled Key lime juice and use the zest of a lemon.

Creamy spinach dip

I was in a bit of a bind. I really wanted to make a spinach dip for a friend's wedding shower, but it had to be (1) vegan, because that's how I roll, (2) soy-free, because no one wants to see me go all She-Hulk from the weird reaction I have to soy, and (3) nut-free, because the bride-to-be has nut allergies. How do you make something vegan that's creamy without either soy or nuts? There are three keys: artichokes, tahini, and a good food processor!

This dip was not only wonderfully creamy, but it really captured the flavor of a traditional spinach dip. If I didn't tell them, I don't think anyone would've known it was dairy-free.

Creamy Spinach Dip

2 (15 oz) cans quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegan mayo (to desired creaminess)
1/4 cup tahini
1 tsp onion powder
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
1 can diced water chestnuts

In a food processor, blend artichoke hearts, mayo, tahini and onion powder until smooth and creamy. Add water chestnuts and spinach and pulse until well combined.

I served the dip on carrot chips for a gluten-free option, and also in little tortilla chip scoops topped with a little shredded carrot for the more traditional hor d'oeurvre feel.

'Save the Tuna' Salad

There are a million versions of chickpea-based mock tuna salad out there on the interweb. This one is my personal variation.

Save the Tuna Salad

2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas
3 stalks celery, diced fine
1/4 cup red onion, diced fine
3 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp granulated dulse
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tbsp relish (optional)

Take chickpeas and mash with a fork or pulse in a food processor until there are no whole beans left (be careful not to turn into a paste - it should be a little chunky). Move to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. (If dry, add more mayo or mustard. For a more oceany taste, add a bit more dulse.)

For hors d'oeuvres, I omitted the relish and instead served a dollop of the salad on a dill & sea salt flavored Trisket, topped with half a grape tomato.

Lazy Rotten Cheater's Mustard-Glazed Carrots

This is another one of those "I make it in the microwave at work" kind of dishes, but honestly it could make a really nice side dish too. I thought of it because my mom used to make boiled cabbage, potatoes and carrots and we'd eat them dipped in spicy mustard. I always loved carrots with mustard because of that and decided to see how they'd taste glazed in a little agave mustard dressing I had left over. The result? Yum! 

Just lightly steam some baby carrots (I use a microwave steamer, but you could do this with a regular steamer at home, or just toss a serving in a loosely covered dish with a tsp of water and microwave for 2 - 2.5 minutes). Then toss them with just enough agave mustard vinaigrette to coat. If I were at home and planning to serve them as a side dish, I'd also add a sprinkle of parsley, preferably fresh.

That's it! Easy and delicious.

Lazy Rotten Cheater's Smoky Bean & Bac'n Soup

I have made this recipe twice this week... and still haven't remembered to get a photo. Why? Because it's so good! Once you start eating it, you don't think about stopping to get the camera!

But more than tasting delicious, this soup is easy, nutritious, and packed with protein. My kids and friends from work will attest that it's loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. And it only takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish!

Bean & Bac’n Soup

32 oz vegetable broth or stock (or a corresponding amount of water and veggie bouillon)
1 can each kidney, cannellini, & garbanzo beans
1 can tomato sauce
½ cup diced carrots
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 - 2 tsp “Hickory Bacon Salt” (or any vegan Bacon Salt flavor, or any seasoned salt + a dash of Liquid Smoke)

Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans and carrots are tender.

Enjoy!

Halvah cookies! They're gluten-free, MoFos!

One of the treats I grew up with was halvah - a delicious sesame candy that you'll most often find in Jewish delicatessens or Middle Eastern markets. To people who've never had it, I always describe it as "sesame fudge", and while that gets the point across, it's not wholly accurate. There's something totally unique about the flavor and texture. It's not really quite like anything else... until now! 

This variation on a sesame cookie (such as Whole Foods' non-vegan recipe) has more of the flavor and texture of halvah, but in convenient cookie form! Imagine a halfway point between halvah and a peanut butter cookie and you're there. 

Halvah Cookies 15 oz container of tahini
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp ground flax mixed with ¼ cup warm water
Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the flax and warm water; set aside to thicken. Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, add the flax mixture. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper. Press dough in a crosshatch with fork.  Bake for 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cool for 10 minutes on the pan before removing.

Note: It's important to make sure the edges are starting to turn golden before removing from the oven, and to allow them to cool for the specified time, otherwise these cookies will crumble. When you take them out, they will still be very soft. They firm and solidify as they cool. If you go to remove the first cookie and it crumbles, even though you've allowed it to cool, return the cookies to the oven for 3-5 minutes and then cool again.

Whole-Wheat Croutons

It can be hard to find vegan croutons. All the prepackaged ones have Parmesan or whey for some reason. But here's a little secret I'll share with you... The prepackaged ones kind of suck anyway. Did you know that? Probably not, unless you've had fresh made croutons recently. Somehow we tend to forget. 

The beauty part about making your own - other than the fact that it's almost disgustingly easy - is that you can give them at least some redeeming nutritional value by using a good, hearty whole wheat bread. (And then slathering it with tasty fats. Hey, I said some value.)

Whole Wheat Croutons

1 garlic & herb salad dressing mix (0.75 oz)
½ cup melted Earth Balance vegan butter
¼ cup olive oil
16 slices whole wheat bread, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly toast bread in toaster or oven. Discard crusts, cut into cubes. Mix other ingredients and toss with bread until well coated. Spread in single layer. Bake 12 -15 min or until outsides begin to crisp. Let cool on pans. Store in an airtight container.

While I'm at it, let me tell you what goes beautifully with these croutons: a slightly bitter salad with a sweet dressing is offset beautifully by these savory little bites. It's like the flavor trifecta. 

Here I used OrganicGirl 50/50 blend (mixed greens with 50% baby spinach), plus shaved fennel, shaved sweet onions, cherry tomatoes, and an agave mustard vinaigrette. Scrumptious!

It's Mandel Brate, MoFos!

We have one true family recipe in my house, one recipe that everyone knows and loves, handed down for generations - Great Aunt Roz's mandel brate. (Before anyone fusses, this is the way we spell it. I know it's not Wikipedia-approved.) Of course, everyone seems to have their own slightly different version: Mom's has walnuts, her brother Frank's has coconut. My sister Jenny's version is soft in the middle, where Mom likes hers cooked through. But no matter how they tinker with it, some essential part stays the same. Somehow, it always tastes like home. And for three years, I have not had a single bite of it. Until today!

Well, to be fair, I had an approximation of it yesterday. That's because my first attempt at veganizing it fell short. I took a piece to my mother - the final authority on the tradition, having received the recipe directly from the source - and she pronounced yesterday's batch "edible." Damned with faint praise.

But today's recipe? She took a bite and said, "You got it right." And a choir of angels sang! My joy knew no bounds.

 Aunt Roz's Mandel Brate - Veganized!

6 tbsp ground flax
¾ cup warm water
3 ¼ cups unsifted flour
1 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 ¼ tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
6 oz choc chips
6 oz chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ground flax and warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Combine dry ingredients (excluding chocolate and nuts). Add wet ingredients and flax mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray lightly with cooking spray. Split dough in half and form into two loaves. 

Bake at 350 for 38 - 45 min, or until edges turn golden brown. Let cool for 15 min. Slice into bars.

Alternate ingredients: In place of chocolate and walnuts, try 1/2 cup diced apricots, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, and replace 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract with 1/2 tsp of almond extract. That's my variation on the original.

Enjoy the taste of tradition! 

Vegan Sandwiches!

I had the pleasure of helping to cater lunch for representatives of many animal rescue organizations yesterday, on behalf of Compassion Barn. (Here is the news coverage of the event.) It's always a joy to me to introduce people to the vibrancy and wholesomeness of vegan foods, but especially so when it's for such a dedicated crowd of do-gooders. Then we took the leftovers to our hosts at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center and had the opportunity to explain the benefits of a vegan diet to many of the volunteers there. It was a good day for vegan cooktivism!

Anyway, I was asked about the recipes. Unfortunately, I was too busy to take photos of the food, so you'll have to use your imagination. Also, I may be somewhat imprecise in my measurements as I'm scaling down the recipes from feeding 40 people to a more reasonable amount.

Delicious Vegan Sandwich #1:  Grilled & Chilled Roasted Vegetables on Ciabatta with Basil Mayo

Step 1: Lightly roast the vegetables.

Ingredients:Any amount of zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplantOlive oilSalt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice the vegetables evenly, about 1/4 inch thick. (A mandolin slicer works great for this, but if you're like me, watch your thumbs. I am currently sporting a band-aid.) 

Place the veg in a gallon storage bag, and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil (depending on how much veg you cut). Seal the bag and knead it gently with your hands to toss and coat evenly. Add a bit more olive oil if needed to lightly coat.

Spread the slices in a single later on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just cooked through, but still firm. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a dish and move to the refrigerator to chill. 


Step 2: Make the basil mayo.

Ingredients:
1 jar of vegan mayo (I used grapeseed Veganaise, but your vegan mayo of choice is fine)
1 bunch of finely chopped basil or 2-3 tbsp of basil paste (this is chopped basil in oil that can often be found in the produce department of your local grocery)

Just put the mayo in a bowl and mix in the basil! You can use it right away, or let it sit overnight for full flavor.

Step 3: Assemble the sandwiches.  

Slice the ciabatta roll, slather both sides with basil mayo, and stack the chilled vegetables in layers (a layer of squash, a layer of zucchini, a layer of eggplant). Serve and enjoy!


Delicious Vegan Sandwich #2: Cool Black Bean Wraps with Tomato-Corn Salsa

Step 1: Make the black bean spread

Ingredients:
2 cans (roughly 3.5 cups) cooked black beans, drained
1/2 bottle of taco sauce (roughly 1 cup)

Run it through the food processor until mostly smooth.

Step 2: Make the tomato-corn salsa

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh tomato, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 finely chopped bunch of cilantro
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of corn kernels, drained
Salt and/or lime juice to taste

Mix all ingredients. Season with salt and/or lime juice if you like.

Step 3: Make the wraps

Take the tortilla or wrap and swipe 2-3 tbsp of spread down the center. Top with 2-3 tbsp of salsa. Add some shredded romaine. Fold the top and the bottom of the wrap toward the center. Then roll from one side. Slice in half and serve.


That's it! There were a couple of other things that were served that were fantastic, but weren't made by me. (One of those things was a vegan creamy potato salad - Susan told me to mix the leftover veganaise into some German potato salad, and it was DELICIOUS!) 

Recipes: Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

Let me be really clear: this is not health food! Proceed at your own risk.

We were having a potluck at work today and I wanted a dessert I could eat, but it had to be something easy since I was also cooking a main dish. So I decided to try a twist on an old non-vegan recipe, dump cake. It'd been a long time since I'd made it and I also wanted to use different flavors, so I wasn't sure how it would come out. Well, pretty darn good!

Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

Ingredients: 

3 cans cherry pie filling
1 Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 cup vegan butter

Note: check the ingredients on your cake mix carefully. I found a vegan one at Aldi.


Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour the cans of cherry pie filling into a 9x13 cake pan and spread evenly. (No need to grease the pan.) Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the cherries, breaking up any large lumps. Cut (or spoon, if using a tub) bits of butter and spread around the surface of the cake mix. Bake 40 minutes, or until cherries bubble around the edges and the cake is reasonably firm. Cool and serve.

Notes on butter: You can use more than 1/2 cup vegan butter, if you prefer a moister cake topping. With a half cup, it has a consistency like a shortbread cookie. Also, if you'd ever previously made this with conventional butter, you may be used to cutting the butter in fairly thick pats. But vegan butter has a lower melting point, so it's better to cut thinner pieces, and more of them.