vegan mofo, day 27: blueberry lemon poppyseed bread.

this has been my favorite dessert bread since having some at the sentient bean, a coffee shop in savannah georgia with alot of vegan baked goods and stuff. i was down there in july for a workshop at savannah college of art and design and had seen it on happycow or something like that. i also had a mean bbq tofu wrap there, yum.

sweet breads are one of my favorite desserts. i think they may even top cookies! cake is also my favorite. and cupcakes. and... yeah, actually, i like all of them. nevermind.

this recipe is from the vegan chef. it was originally cranberry poppy seed bread, but obviously i used blueberries and also made a few minor other changes based on what i had on hand.



blueberry lemon poppyseed bread
from the vegan chef

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. poppy seeds
1 T. baking powder
3 T. water
1 T. Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 cup Spectrum Spread non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup soy milk
1 T. vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 T. lemon zest

Lightly oil (or spray with a light mist of oil) a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a bowl, place the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, and baking powder, stir well to combine, and set aside. In another bowl, place the water and egg replacer, and whisk vigorously for 1 minute or until very frothy (almost like beaten egg whites). Add the Spectrum Spread and whisk until smooth. Add the soy milk and vanilla, and whisk well to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan, and cool completely before slicing or storing. Store wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Yield: One 9x5x3-inch loaf

vegan mofo, day 24: cinnamon-apple french toast.

sorry, veganmofo, i failed. i thought i could do 20 posts in one month but sadly didn't have the time. so far i've done ten, haha. that's really the best that i can manage though!

yummy breakfast today.

sorry for the bad photo; my camera died right after i took it and then um, i was hungry so i ate the food. :P



i had no cinnamon (woah!) so i had to use allspice. someone (aka my brother) ate all the rest of the delicious french loaf we had so i had to settle for regular sandwich bread. but here is the original recipe.


cinnamon-apple french toast
from vegetarian times

apple topping
4 large tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

french toast
2 cups plain or vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup apple butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
12 slices soft-crust French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

To make Topping: Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté apples 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar and cinnamon, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat.

To make French Toast: Blend soymilk, apple butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in blender until smooth. Pour into shallow bowl.

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Dip bread slices into batter, coating evenly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Place 2 slices bread on each plate, and divide topping among servings.

vegan mofo, day 20: back in dallas.

i'm finally home after a loooong uncomfortable car ride. oh, how i love texas. seriously, i could never live anywhere else. louisiana was fun, though. the highlight of the weekend was going to crowley's rice festival where they had almost every meat on a stick--steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, alligator, crocodile. by the way, i have eaten both alligator and crocodile (pre-veg obviously!) while on other louisiana family trips and actually they were pretty good. ha!

i have no food pictures, but the only interesting thing i can think of anyway that i ate was a muffuleta-like veggie sandwich. lafayette is, unfortunately, not so veg-friendly.

oh, and good news--the date for my history midterm got extended and i only (pfft) have 3 chapters left to read, and my research paper is due later than i thought!

snickerdoodles are a good cure for post car-trip crankiness.



recipe from vegan cookies. i subbed 1/3 cup brown sugar for some of the white. they were too sticky to roll in the cinnamon-sugar mix like the recipe calls for, which probably also contributed to their texture being a little off. but wow were they tasty.

by the way, thanks everyone who tried and liked my banana bread. i think i will call it my plain banana bread. ha!

i will get back to commenting everyone's blogs tomorrow. i'm seriously due for a good gilmore girls marathon ;)

vegan mofo day 16: ahh sorry!

i don't have time to make a long post. my life is crazy right now! i have a history midterm, a reading response essay, and a research paper; i haven't gotten any good piano practicing in, i'm falling behind on my french and physics, i have ballet rehearsal until 10, and i need to get started on filling out college applications. in addition to all of that i'm going to lafayette tomorrow for family stuff and won't be back til monday. unggghghh i'm stressed! so vegan mofo is having to go on the back burner until i get my life back together. next post i hope will be on tuesday after i get back but maybe monday night. i'm going to bed early tonight but i'm going to try and comment everyone's blogs!

here is the promised banana bread. this stuff is good, seriously. you can use pretty much any flour but i like whole wheat and i think it actually rises better with it.



alaina's so-simple-you-will-squeal-with-glee banana bread

2 cups flour
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
egg replacer for 2 eggs

preheat oven to 350 F.
put all ingredients in the food processor and blend.
pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.

vegan mofo, day 13: another go.

i am not content to give up in the face of adversity.
today i made a second attempt at the strawberry pancakes. this time i used a griddle, as per vegan with a reason's suggestion. duh, don't know why i didn't do that in the first place!

they turned out lovely, and i even used some old pancake mold things to make a dino and teddy ;)



sorry about the lame post. i was planning on making (REALLY GOOD) banana bread, but i went shopping and got home too late. tomorrow, then!

vegan mofo, day 12: strawberry... pancakes?

i am extremely bad at flipping and frying things. i was never able make eggs and my chicken fried tofu steaks always end up in a strange jumbled form.

so maybe it was the lack of sleep because i was out late last night. or maybe i just deluded myself into thinking it would be easy. for whatever reason, i decided to make strawberry pancakes this morning.



yes, i know. quite sad.

HOWEVER they were the best pancakes i've ever tasted. there is something nice about eating something extremely ugly that tastes really good. i will admit though that i get a little angry looking at the drool-worthy picture of "Fluffy Pancakes" from the vegan outreach booklet the recipe came from.

my little brother, who almost always magically "doesn't like" whatever things i make (ex. "andrew i'm going to make peanut butter cookies. want some?" "umm i don't like peanut butter." "what about chocolate chip?" "i don't like chocolate." "what about banana bread?" "i don't like those kinds of breads" etc) kept going back for more.

strawberry pancakes
adapted from vegan outreach

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk or other sub
about 3/4 cup sliced strawberries

mix the dry ingredients. stir in the wet ingredients & strawberries. add water if the batter is too thick.

pour onto a nonstick pan and cook over medium heat, turning once the edges begin to bubble and brown.

vegan mofo, day 10: blueberry muffins.

blueberry muffins are so classic. easy to make, loved by all. i happened to pick up TWO pints of blueberries wednesday. so since i have extra time friday mornings it was obvious what needed to be done.

i don't remember where i got this recipe; i found it written on a scrap of paper and shoved in my cookbook shelf. they're wonderfully crunchy, lightly sweet, and healthy enough to have two if you want (which we all do anyway)! if it's your recipe, feel free to get angry at me and demand proper credit. ;D



crunchy blueberry muffins
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk or other milk sub
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg sub (i used ener-G)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup blueberries
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 t cinnamon

preheat oven to 400 F.
prepare your "egg" in a large bowl, then whisk in the almond milk, agave, and oil.
stir in both flours, salt, and baking powder until just moistened. or, if you are like me, completely forget the baking powder and salt and add them in after already mixing so you get a stretchy gooey blob.
gently fold in blueberries.
spoon batter into a prepared muffin tin (spray or use liners); muffin cups will be very full. mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over each muffin.
bake 18-20 minutes. use the toothpick test to see if they're done.

vegan mofo, day 9: brownies.

i do not like brownies.

seriously.

is that weird? i mean, i don't NOT like brownies. i do not object to eating them. but they don't excite me much. cookies and cake are just so much better.

i decided to give brownies another chance with happy herbivore's recipe from her sneak-peek cookbook. i used half dark chocolate, half regular.



the results? tasty enough to please a non-brownie eater for sure. these might have almost cured me from my apathy towards the little brown goodies. hooray!

vegan mofo, day 8: eggplant thingy.

wednesday is always grocery day. my mom always takes me to sprouts early-ish in the morning. it's like whole foods, but better because the food is not ridiculously priced, and they have free coffee.

... FREE. and it's tasty.
i think it's actually there just to sample but i always go back for more, oops.

today's trip we got a ton of veggies, including two lovely perfectly purple eggplants. way exciting because a few weeks ago the eggplants were looking a little sad and abused. so for dinner i threw together a stew-type thing. i don't know what you'd call it. it's kind of like ratatouille i suppose but without zucchini and not as liquidy. it is also amazing over brown rice.



eggplant thingy
1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cut into chunks
about 1/2 medium chopped yellow onion
as much minced garlic as you can stand (i've developed an immunity)
black pepper
garlic salt
olive oil

heat oil in a large skillet on med-high.
after oil is hot enough toss in eggplant and asparagus. cook until eggplant is slightly golden. add the garlic, tomato, and onion, and cook until everything is tender and yummy looking. season with black pepper and garlic salt.

*edit to add this survey from food snobbery is my hobbery!

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
lucy in the sky with diamonds. y'know, tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
easy and fast. doesn't require totally weird ingredients. stuff my family would eat.

3. What did you eat today?
umm alot! but the highlights have been roasted red pepper hummus and spinach wrap and the above mentioned main dish.

4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
tempeh (i KNOW, right?)

5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
nothing.. i would hate to be on tv haha

6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
cajun hot sauce

7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
vegetarian 15 (i think) vegan 16

8. Favorite vegan cheeze?
galaxy

9. Cutest baby animal?
bunnies. hands down.

10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
red raspberry.

11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
i never remember to.

12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
pumpkin pie.

13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
any kind of carb.

14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
coffee!

15. It's 10PM and you're starving. What do you eat?
pb & j

16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
wendy the golden retriever! she likes my popcorn that falls on the floor.

17. Worst injury you've gotten in the kitchen?
burned myself after dropping a pizza a la yeah that vegan shit

18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
mommy!

19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
zucchini

20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
i don't work anymore, thank god.

21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?
tomato.

22. What's your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
pineapple-orange-banana. but i don't like juice really.

23. Favorite brand of root beer?
eww

24. Make up your own question!
what is the first vegan thing you baked?
i think mine was banana muffins. and they weren't too shabby for my first try.

vegan mofo, day 5: pb&j muffins.

yesterday was so tiring. i woke up at 5:45, chugged a bunch of coffee, had a bowl of power-oatmeal, then went and took the SAT. i think i did pretty well, and this time i left my phone in the car so the alarm would NOT go off. after it was over and i came home i proceeded to fry my brain with lots of hulu-watching to try to recover from all the mental strain from the morning, ha.

later i went out to eat (no food pics, sorry) with a few friends and roamed around denton.




our little alien friend :)



onto the food!

i've been wanting to make pb & j muffins for a loooong time. so last night when i was lurking around vegweb i found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. the jam in the middle definitely makes the muffin, in my opinion.



pb & j muffins
adapted from vegweb

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk or other milk sub
1 ener-G egg
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
your favorite flavor of jam

preheat oven to 400 F.
mix together whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, and oats in a large bowl.
in a smaller bowl prepare "egg" then mix in peanut butter, almond milk, and maple syrup.
pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir til moistened.
spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray. for each muffin, drop in a tbsp of batter, then about a tsp of jam, then another tbsp of batter on top.
bake for about 15 minutes--use the toothpick test.



yum!

by the way, for those of you who might have noticed how much i post about baked goods and
might be wondering whether i actually eat them every day: yes. yes i do. :)

*edited because i just realized i didn't even put up the muffin photos? i think i need sleep.

vegan mofo, day 3: scones.

didn't have time to post yesterday, but i'm making up for it!

these didn't have much of an apple taste, but they were really good. recipe adapted from river's version.



cran-apple scones
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of applesauce
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons apple juice

preheat oven to 350 F.
combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
add in applesauce (you might use a little less), stir well, then add in cranberries.
add in apple juice and stir til just combined.
bake about 14 minutes until golden brown.

i enjoyed these english scones american-style--with a huge mug of so-strong-it-makes-you-wanna-puke coffee, which, by the way, i probably have about 8 cups of daily. so sad that i've developed such an addiction at such an early age . . . oh well.

vegan mofo.

for those of you living under a rock, today is the first day of the vegan month of food. hooray!
i will of course be posting as much as my busy schedule allows, and am already plotting what recipes to make and share on here. so let the fun begin.




pictured here is a sloppy joe san'ich, recipe from the new farm vegetarian cookbook.
this received rave reviews. my omni dad liked it better than "normal" sloppy joes!



this was tonight's dinner. the recipe is from a better homes and gardens vegetarian booklet i randomly came upon while searching my cookbook cabinet for something to make. it originally called for bulgur, but i found out after i'd already set my heart on making the recipe that we're out. so, i subbed quinoa. it was my first time eating quinoa, and i loved it!

cinnamon-spiced quinoa stuffed peppers
1 3/4 c water
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/4 t salt
1 t vegetable bouillon granules
dash cinnamon
3/4 c quinoa
1/3 c dried cranberries
2 large sweet peppers
1/2 c water

in a large pot bring 1 3/4 c water, onion, carrots, salt, bouillon, and cinnamon to boiling. turn down heat, cover, simmer for five minutes.

stir in quinoa and cranberries and simmer for about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes.

halve the peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes. spoon quinoa mixture into pepper halves then place them into a skillet. add 1/2 c water and bring to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for a good 5 to 10 minutes til peppers are tender but still slightly firm.