Brownies with a KICK

Last night I went to a New Years Eve party and wanted to bring brownies. Since I knew there would be numerous, yummy chocolaty choices, I decided to do something different. I am a fan of dark chocolate candy bars spiced with hot peppers and this was my inspiration. The result was a crowd pleaser and I was happy to discover that the brownie was still deliciously sweet but had a pleasant after burn. It wasn't too spicy. No one ran to the kitchen for a glass of water. If I had added more heat, I don't know if the positive reaction would have been the same. I guess if you tweak this recipe, know thy audience!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

You'll need 2 mixing bowls, one for dry, one for wet. If you don't have two big bowl, you can use a smaller one for the wet.

DRY BOWL (mix the following throughly):
~1 1/2 cup sugar (I like to use organic sugar)
~ 1 1/3 cup flour
~3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
~3/4 tsp baking powder
~1/4 tsp sea salt
~1/4 tsp ground habanero chile powder (I used the Spice Island brand which is SUPER hot, one little morsel on your tongue can be a fiery inferno to the faint hearted. There is also a warning label on the bottle! If I used cayenne, I would probably add more. Use your best judgement if you alter the type of chile powder.)


WET BOWL: 
Rapidly mix together: 
~ 2 tsp ground flax seed/ flax meal
~ 2 tbsp water
Now add the following and throughly mix together:
~1/2 cup water
~3/4 cup apple sauce (plain, not sweetened)
~2 tsp vanilla extract


Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient and stir until batter is smooth. Pour into lightly oiled glass baking pan (8X8). Bake for 40 minutes. The brownies will come out VERY moist and gooey. If you like a more cake-like brownie, cook for a little longer. 


I topped the brownies with a couple of dried hot peppers and glazed the brownies with a mixture of powder sugar, vanilla, red food coloring and a tiny bit of water. Then I added glittery sprinkles. I used the hot peppers as a decoration but mostly as a warning device. None of the topping is necessary. 

Pumpkin Scones

I LOVE pumpkin! During Fall and Winter, I crave the yumminess of pumpkin. Although I love savory pumpkin dishes such as Thai curry or Caribbean soup, to me the ultimate pumpkin experience comes from a little added sugar! Another ingredient, which compliments pumpkin is ginger. I've had raisins in scones before, so I thought...why not crystalized ginger. It worked! Depending on fast you can throw stuff in a bowl, you can have these scones started and out of the oven in about 30 to 35 minutes.

Pre-heat Oven: 425 degrees

Add the following dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix throughly:

• 1/2 cup sugar (these scones are not sweet)
• 3 1/2 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill - whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp ginger powder

Now add:

• 1/2 cup vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance, it comes in sticks and easy to cut the correct amount, you can also use vegan margarine) 

Use a metal pastry blender (hand-held kitchen gadget with three or four metal wires) or a couple of knives and cut through the shortening/margarine until the pieces are pea size. 

Now add:

• 1 can pumpkin puree (regular size can, NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• A handful of crystalized ginger cut into small raisin-sized pieces

1. Gently mix ingredients (you don't want to over mix, because the dough won't be as flakey) until the dry ingredients become more wet and the dough begins to form. 
2. Then on a cutting board (lightly floured) knead the dough until the dry parts are all incorporated. 
3. Roll out dough or push out with hands until dough forms a circle. 
4. Slice the dough into 12 triangles.  
5. Place on baking sheet (non-stick pan or lightly sprayed pan) with enough room between each other for expansion as they bake. 
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 

Pumpkin Pie (with gluten-free option)

My sister, nephew and I are planning a big Vegan Thanksgiving for friends and family. One of my very favorite Thanksgiving menu items is Pumpkin Pie!! I love the stuff. My sister decided not to make one, but instead order it from New Seasons. Nothing against New Seasons, but their pies are EXPENSIVE. I'm a penny-pinching, DIY person; so, last night I experimented making a pumpkin pie and IT CAME OUT AWESOME!!! I must admit it wasn't completely DIY, I used a store bought crust and canned pumpkin. But it was EASY!!!

Here's what I did......

FOR THE FILLING

In a large metal mixing bowl I mixed the following (note you can use a blender or food processor): 

• 1 box extra firm silken tofu - use an emersion blender and blend until creamy and the chunks are gone, be sure to do this first (if you don't have an emersion blender, you can mix everything in a food processor or regular blender)
• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 3/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (I get this stuff dirt cheap at asian markets, but Bob's Red Mill makes it too)
• 4 tsp vanilla (the real stuff - you can get a giant bottle of this at Costco fairly cheap)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp agave (optional. I added this to make it slightly sweeter. Taste batter and if you think it needs extra sweetener you can add the agave to your liking. Maple syrup would also work or a little more sugar)

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, pour into pie shell* and bake for 1/2 hour at 400 degrees and 15 minutes at 350 degrees.**

Cool pie on rack.

*I used a store bought graham cracker crust. I did not pre-bake it. However, you could use a gluten-free pie crust or a traditional pie crust and pre-bake pie crust if needed. If you're even more DIY than me, you can make your own crust.

**My oven is old, therefore I tend to bake things at a high temperature. Be sure to keep an eye on your pie and adjust the heat as needed. Keep in mind that the pie needs to get firm and the higher temperature at least for 15 minutes in the beginning really helps. 

Seitan Holiday Roast

This is one of my favorite versions of seitan. It is time consuming, so I don't make it very often. I call it a "holiday roast", because I tend to make it for special occasions. However, it is a great recipe to make any time of the year. The seitan comes out very moist and can be used a variety of ways (cold or warm). It freezes nicely as well.

First:
Pre-heat oven 325 degrees

Second:
Blend the following ingredients (I used a medium size bowl & an immersion blender, but you can use a food processor or a blender)
~ 1 box silken FIRM tofu
~1.5 cups water
~ 3 Tablespoons soy sauce (or Tamari)
~1 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Third:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients (stir thoroughly)
~ 2 cups vital wheat gluten
~ 1/2 cup nutritional yeast  powder (flakes are fine too)
~ 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour or soy flour (Bob's Red Mill makes both)
~ 2 tsp onion powder
~ 1 tsp garlic powder
~ 1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)

Fourth:
Combine wet ingredients with dry. Mix with spoon to get all the dried bits into the dough. Knead dough until all ingredients are combined. Let dough sit while you do the following....

Fifth:
Mix the following ingredients together for the basting broth..........(you can use the bowl from the wet ingredients)
~ 2 cups hot water (or warn enough to dissolve a bouillon cube)
~ 1 faux chicken bouillon cube (I get these at Food Fight)
~ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
~ 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil (if you don't have this, just use Olive Oil......but why don't you have this?? Your kitchen NEEDS this!!)
~1 Tablespoon No-Salt seasoning (I use the organic seasoning from Costco that has a blend of various spices)
~1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Sixth:
Knead Dough for about two or three minutes. Place dough into a LARGE roasting pan and stretch dough to fit the entire bottom of pan. Pour all of the basting broth over the dough. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven, cut roast in half and flip over in pan. You should still have plenty of basting broth. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1.5 more hours. Be sure to check on it periodically to make sure there is still basting broth left. 


When done, there should be very little basting broth left (if any). The seitan tastes better the next day, so you can make this a day ahead and rewarm by using a little broth. The seitan can be sliced as a roast but can be chopped cold in a salad, fried with batter, etc. It is extremely versatile. 

Corn Pudding (side dish)

I made this side dish for ThanksLiving and it was a big hit. I've had several people ask me for my recipe. It is gluten-free and soy-free. Veganomicon has a yummy Southwestern Corn Pudding (pg. 151), which I LOVE and highly recommend. However, for ThanksLiving I wanted something that was similar to the maize pudding I sampled as a child on a field trip to Plymouth Rock. Therefore, I modified the recipe to emulate the flavors and textures I remember from that cold day in New England back in 1976.

So, here's how I made it....

First....
~Turn on your oven to 350 degrees
~Sauté two bags of frozen organic sweet corn in a skillet w/ a little olive oil. Cook until corn starts to get a little browned from caramelization. 


Meanwhile......in a large mixing bowl......combine the following dry ingredients....
~1/4 cup corn starch
~1/4 cup corn flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this)
~1/2 cup cornmeal
~1 tsp salt
~cayenne pepper (add according to your liking or leave out)

Then........Add the following to the bowl and mix
~the sautéed corn
~1 can light coconut milk (Trader Joe's sells this for about a buck)
~2 tablespoons REAL maple syrup
~(for sweeter pudding, add a little agave)

Pour into casserole dish and cook uncovered for 40 minutes. Let cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving. Tastes good cold, but I prefer it warm.

Bat Cookies!!

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Bat Cookies! Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Bat Cookies! Bat Cookies, Bat Cookies, Bat Cookies! It is almost Halloween. Yippee! I love shopping for discounted Halloween stuff, especially when the holiday grows closer because the bargains get bigger. Since every day is like Halloween in my house (sans the candy), I get a lot of use out of skull plates, eye ball bowls, cob web table cloths, bat shaped pot holders, etc. One of my favorite finds this year was a 6-pack assortment of spooky shaped cookie cutters from the Dollar Store. Yeah - 1 dollar! (Please don't tell me that some child in a China had to be forced into slavery to make these cheap, holiday items for a dollar.) These cookies were super yummy, moist and had the most amazing raw dough taste. I'm all about raw cookie dough.

DOUGH INGREDIENTS/INSTRUCTIONS:

Using an electric mixer (I use a handheld one) beat the following until creamy:

1/2 cup non-dairy butter

3/4 cup sugar

Now add the following to your mixture:

1 1/2 tsp egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (see list below). After the dry ingredients are throughly mixed, add them to the wet ingredients and beat with the electric mixture until the dough forms:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup baking cocoa powder (unsweetened)

Divide dough into two balls, seal in plastic wrap and store in fridge at least a 1/2 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees

Cooking time will depend on the size of the cookie. For my small bat shaped cookie cutters, it took around 6 minutes for thin ones and 8 minutes for thicker cookies.

Thanksgiving Feast: Vegan stuffing

I hosted a vegan Thanksgiving at my house this year. There were 13 people total and a large variety of dishes. Unfortunately, I was so caught up with cooking and serving that I forgot to take pictures of the food (once again). My guests brought food as well, but this is what I prepared: 

Cornbread****

Sweet potato biscuits with cranberry spread

Shiitake gravy

Stuffing with apples, dried cranberries, mushrooms, pecans, walnuts and pineapple**

Seitan roast*

Zesty corn pudding

Herb, matzo and panko encrusted tofu cutlets

Cranberry sauce with apples and pecans

Pumpkin soup with curry, ginger and coconut milk

Brandy spiked-spiced hot apple cider

*I found an awesome recipe for a seitan roast. It turned out extremely soft and my meat-eating guests were very pleased with their turkey replacement. This seitan took many hours to prepare, but it was worth it. I made the version with tofu (not beans) and when I re-heated it I made a marinade of sesame oil and a mixture of herbs and dry spices. 

**VEGAN STUFFING: 

In a skillet, saute the following with olive oil until soft: 

- 2 handfuls of sliced mushrooms

- 2 celery stalks finely chopped

In a large mixing bowl add the following: 

- 10 ounces of herb flavored breadcrumbs***

-2 scallions finely chopped

-1 handful pecans finely copped

-1 handful walnuts finely chopped

-1 large can of pineapple (pour juice in bowl, chop pineapple if in large chunks)

-1 handful of dried cranberries

- 1 large apple chopped into little pieces (I always leave the skin on the apple)

-the sautéed mushrooms and celery

-1 cup of faux chicken stock 

-3 teaspoons of sesame oil

Mix thoroughly. If mixture isn't wet enough, add more stock. Place stuffing in baking dish and cover. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. Uncover after 15-20 minutes. Bake until top is crunchy but not dried out. 

***I don't like making my own bread crumbs. If you're like me, you've probably hunted high and low for vegan breadcrumbs. I found some at my local grocery store by Arrowhead Mills, however they only started carrying them days before the holiday. 

****I LOVE Trader Joe's cornbread mix. Instead of eggs, I use flaxseed meal that's whipped with water and I sub the milk for soy milk. Quick, easy and tastes really yummy. 

Edible (Buckwheat) Vegan Brains

I finally found some clear pics of the table/food from my vegan cult movie party. Since it's almost Halloween, I thought these would be fun to share.

One of my favorite dishes I made for the party was edible brains. 

I cooked buckwheat noodles (rinse them under cold water) then tossed them in a marinade (soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, finally chopped scallions, garlic, ginger, etc).* Then I put the noodles into a brain jello-mold (spray light coat of oil for easy removal). I let this chill in the fridge for several hours. The brain popped out and held its shape. It looked pretty disgustingly real.

*For marinade, I typically use around 1 tablespoon agave, 2 teaspoons of chili sauce, 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, a few shakes of hot chili oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp of ginger, 1 tsp garlic powder, a few shakes of sesame seeds and a couple of scallions finely chopped. This is really approximate, as I usually make my marinades from scratch and just throw stuff in a bowl and taste as I go.

Compassionate Thanksgiving

I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving; not just the yummy food I'm looking forward to (Tofurky, stuffing, mash potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc) but all the turkeys that have lived a life of misery only to be slaughtered for human consumption. As a kid, Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays. I loved how nearly every dish you could smother in gravy. Also, it was a holiday where everyone got together to eat and hang out. I'd starve myself all day until the big meal and then afterwards go into a food coma as the bloated-comatose dudes watched football. 

Last year I didn't even want to deal with Thanksgiving, so my husband and I went down to San Francisco for the holiday weekend. We had an amazing 5 course vegan feast at Millennium.  However, this year I've been thinking more and more about the turkeys and how I want to help them. I think my efforts are going to be three-fold; I want to raise awareness of the atrocities towards turkeys, raise funds to donate to a poultry sanctuary and lastly put on an entirely vegan Thanksgiving party for my vegan and non-vegan family and friends. I'm sure I will get a lot of resistance from the non-vegans; after all they wait an entire year to eat their tryptophan laced meal. I am going to start my campaign now, so that these non-vegans have time to contemplate their actions this holiday. 

Learn more about Turkeys (picture from UPC website)

In regards to the menu, here's what I've come up with so far (these are basic descriptions): 

- Pumpkin Curry Soup

- Whole Wheat Stuffing with sweet onions, mushrooms, apples, dried cranberries, pineapple and (maybe) walnuts

- Mushroom Gravy

- Corn pudding

- Sweet potato casserole (includes organic maple syrup and pecans)

- Chunky Cranberry Sauce 

- Mash Potatoes with dill and parsley 

- Tofurky Roast (purchased from store - FYI: Trader Joes has the BEST deal on these!!)

- Field Roast (purchased from the store)

- Cobbler (not sure of the fruit yet) with Rolled Oat topping

- Pumpkin Pie (this I think will be purchased at New Seasons since they make such an awesome vegan version)

- Salad 

- Green veggies (not sure as of yet)

- Corn Bread

and more....

Cult Movie Night At My House With Bloody Mary's

Back in May I had another Cult Movie Night at my house. The theme this time was Body Parts; due to the three films that were shown (Blood Feast, Re-Animator and Motel Hell). There were no animal body parts (this was purely a vegan event) - just human (fake, of course). I made a giant spread which included Bloody Mary's, scones, various dips, stuffed potato skins, polenta fries, seitan ribz, peanut butter cookies, cold seasoned buckwheat noodles (shaped in a brain jello mold), etc. I also made Kamikaze shots served in test tubes. 

I detest REAL violence, but I LOVE horror movies. Here is the flyer I made and some pics of the table (the lighting is a little weird due to the black lights) but most of the food was gone by the time these pics were taken. 

VEGAN BLOODY MARY'S

I served my Bloody Mary's in a creepy punch bowl with skulls on the sides and a ladle shaped like a hand (bones only). I had eye balls (non-edible, similar to ping-pong balls) floating on top. You could use this idea for a Halloween Party. 

I wanted the Bloody Mary's to be spicy. I would advise you add the spicy elements a little at a time and sample as you go so that you get the perfect balance for your palate. 

Here's what I put in it: 

Tomato Juice

(vegan) Worcestershire Sauce

Fresh ground Pepper

Wasabi Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Various hot sauces

Sea Salt

Lemon Juice

Vodka

Sliced lemons to float on top 

Garnish (optional and served on the side)

Sliced Lemons

Sliced Limes

Oversized Stuffed Green Olives

Celery Sticks

Sea Salt

Coarse Black Pepper

Hot Sauce

More vodka

Cranberry Sauce With A Twist

I love HOMEMADE cranberry sauce. It is one of the easiest things to make; so I'm baffled as to why anyone would eat cranberry sauce out of a can!! Besides, have you ever looked at the ingredients of canned cranberry sauce? YUCK! Here's a little twist on cranberry sauce that I came up with. It's sweet and tart, but not too much of either. 

In a saucepan add the following ingredients: 

1 bag of whole cranberries

1 apple, cut into small pieces (depending on how chunky you want it - you can have tiny to bit size pieces)

1 orange: squeeze all the juice over the cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

Cook for about 12 minutes starting from high to medium heat as the mixture starts to boil. Keep an eye on it, you don't want it to boil over. You'll hear the cranberries popping as it cooks. Stir it occasionally. Cook for about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat to cool. Within an hour to an hour 1/2 the sauce should no longer be runny and is ready to be served.