Vegan Carrot Muffins

I made these vegan muffins recently because my hens have stopped laying and I was too lazy to get eggs at the store. They turned out so well, Genevieve wanted the recipe, so here it is !

They are a delightful addition to breakfast or afternoon tea.

Vegan Carrot Muffins

 

Ingredients

1 cup oat milk

1/3 cup avocado oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

3/8 cup nut flour ( almond, or other mix)*

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cardamon ( or 1/4 tsp of cloves)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup grated carrots

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup raisins

* If you don’t have or want to use the nut flour just use all regular flour or some whole wheat pastry flour in it’s place.

 

1)    Preheat oven to 350 F and line the muffin tin with papers, or grease them or use silicon baking cups.

2)    Stir together the milk, oil, vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl

3)    In a large mixing bowl stir together the flours, spices, salt, baking power and soda.

4)    Pour the liquids in the dry stuff and mix gently until combined.

5)    Fold in the carrots, walnuts and raisins.

6)    Divide batter into the muffin tins.

7)    Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the top springs back when touched gently.

8)    Allow to cool before removing from the tins.

 

 

Tortilla Soup

Several weeks ago I wanted a hearty crowd pleasing soup to serve for a casual dinner. I remembered this tortilla soup but always thought of it as a summer soup, I think because I do love using fresh seasonal ingredients.  With a few changes to the original recipe I came up with a very satisfying dish, I liked it so much I made it twice !! It's a delicious taco in a bowl.

Tortilla Soup ( for any season)

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 bell peppers, chopped

1 bag frozen fire roasted corn*, rinsed and drained ( Trader Joe's has it.)

1 cup finely chopped red or green cabbage

2 cups cooked beans ( black beans, kidney or pinto beans)

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 pint canned tomatoes ( stewed, fire roasted, whatever you like.)

1 quart veggie or chicken or beef broth




1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp. ancho chili or other powdered chili
1/4 red chili flakes, more if you like it hotter
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika ( optional)
2 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp. of dried oregano ( sprig of fresh oregano if you have it)
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings
strips of corn tortilla
sour cream
grated cheddar or jack cheese
chunks of avocado
fresh minced cilantro
sliced black olives
salsa
hot sauce
lime wedges

* (If you start with regular frozen corn, it's best to brown it first.)

1) Saute the onion in the olive oil until it starts to brown slightly.

2) Add the garlic, cabbage, corn and bell pepper, cook until soft.

3) Add in the spices and saute another minute or so, to release the full flavor of the spices.

4) Add the tomatoes, beans and broth, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

5) Serve with corn tortilla strips ( I found that heating them up first is great) and any or all of the topping listed above.

As with a lot of my soup there is room to modify and adjust to your tastes and what's in your pantry.

Enjoy !!

Almond spread, what to do with all that almond pulp.

I have been having so much fun making my own almond milk, however once it is made, I am left with pulp...

So far I have made a tart crust and the topping for my fruit crisp. I have also dried it and frozen it to use later.

The other day I decided to try a recipe I found online when I googled "what to do with my leftover almond pulp". It is amazing what you can google these days !!
The recipe called it "versatile almond spread", this is true. We used it with the coconut rice I just posted and as a spread on crackers. I know we could have found other uses but we ate it all !!

If you aren't making almond milk just soak 1 1/2 cup of almonds overnight, rinse them well and use them like the pulp, maybe reduce the olive oil by 1/4 cup, the end result may be a bit softer.

Versatile Almond Spread

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked in water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
fresh herbs: thyme, basil, chives, oregano about 2 tablespoons, less if you are using dried herbs
1 1/2 cup almond pulp or soaked almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste


1) In a food processor: the garlic, lemon juice and sun dried tomatoes. Process.

2) Add the mustard and fresh herbs, process until evenly minced. I used a few leaves of fresh basil.

3) Add the almond pulp or soaked almond, process to combine well.
4) Drizzle in the olive oil.
5) Add the nutritional yeast, combine well.
6) The texture should be fairly light and fluffy, adjust with oil and lemon juice.
7) Salt and pepper to taste.
8) Keep in the fridge, they claim this gets better with age, just like me ;-)

Vegan Feast

I just saw that it has been 10 days since my last post...life has happened. I found out last Thursday I had to find a new place for my almost 98 year old father to live, long story. The happy ending is that yesterday I moved him into a new abode with lovely blooming gardens.

Now I have time to post about this great vegan feast I made for my favorite vegans. Most of it you may recognize from past posts but reminders are good, right ??

I did try a new appetizer, roasted chickpeas. To give them some zing I added fresh lime juice which worked well but meant that the next day they were soggy. I will work on this recipe before I post it.

My fresh spring rolls are one of my dinner party stars. I stuffed them this time with grated carrots, avocado, baked tofu, fresh cilantro and kolhrabi.

The spring rolls are a great excuse to have lots of fun dipping sauces.

From left to right: soy citrus dipping sauce, pear ginger chutney, peanut sauce and homemade yogurt.

All of these sauce were a nice complement to the main course of stuffed flatbread, as well.

,

I made the  spinach, pea and potato filling up the day before and used whole wheat tortillas instead of making my own. This helped to simplify the dinner prep.

To end the meal I made my new favorite orange cake, which happens to be vegan.

We were all very happy and sated after this feast !!

White Bean Bruschetta

My dear friend Laurie posted a version of this recipe on her new blog. 
It looked so good and she teased me about being the "season" police. 

It's true I am rather strict about eating and cooking with what is currently in my farmer's market. So I took it as a good challenge to make this recipe without the fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. ( see note below)

I made it to take to my brother's for our visit there over New Year's Eve. It makes a great appetizer or lunch addition. 
I made it again today to serve with my focaccia and seafood soup, wow, so good !!

We all need more beans in our lives, right ??!!

White Bean Bruschetta*

It's best to make this several hours to a day ahead, the favors have more of a chance to marry.

*(I looked up "bruschetta" and while to me it means the bread part, it can also mean the topping.)

Ingredients

1 can of white navy beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans

5 dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped

1/2 cup chopped olives (Kalamata or  green olives)

chopped fresh herbs: sprigs of rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic ( 4 cloves)

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 1) Finely chop the garlic, olives, tomatoes and fresh herbs.

                                    

2) Add three tablespoons of good olive oil.

 I got four different kinds from my sister for Christmas. It has been fun trying them out.

3) Drain and add the beans.

4) Mix together gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5) Allow to sit for several hours before serving on oven toasted crusty bread.

Other possible additions: 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 

                                     1/4 cup fresh chopped spinach

                                     1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Note: I will admit that my farmer's market does still have fresh tomatoes, they just don't look very flavorful and I did see basil plants at Trader Joe's today. I am guessing that these ingredients are not commonly available in most locales. 

WHOLE Wheat Bread from the bread machine

Most of the recipes in my favorite bread machine book use a combination of some white bread flour in their recipes.
Recently, my friend Laurie, raved about this ALL whole wheat bread recipe. I had to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the first loaf I made. It is not a door stop and makes great toast, it is a hearty, chewy and delightful loaf.

Whole Wheat Bread
Adapted from the Guilty Kitchen recipe.

It make a two pound loaf.
Use the whole wheat setting on your bread machine.
I used the light crust setting too.


Ingredients
1 cup milk (or buttermilk, skim milk, almond milk, soy milk any kind of milk)*
2/3 cup water
2 tbsp  butter (or vegetable shortening, like Earth Balance)
2 tbsp honey, (or agave or brown sugar)
2 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cereal or seeds: I used  half rolled oats and half whole millet.
(The original recipe says: "I used 7 grain cereal, a blend or flax, millet and sunflower seeds, just straight sunflower seeds and old fashioned oats all successfully. ")
2 1/4 tsp  active dry yeast

 * All I had on hand was vanilla soy milk so I used that and reduced the honey by one tablespoon.

1. Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine.
2. Set your machine for whole wheat bread and light crust.
3. Check the mixture after 10 to 15 minutes to be sure the dough is not too sticky or too dry.
Adjust accordingly.
4. Remove from machine when done and allow to cool on a baking rack for at least one hour.
5. Slice and enjoy!

I look forward to trying other seed, nut and grain combinations !!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

It may not be as American as apple pie but this strawberry rhubarb crisp is a great summer dessert !!

Rhubarb is an odd ingredient for a sweet dish being the stalk of a vegetable plant.

Someone figured out that it pairs beautifully with strawberries.

Genna recommended a recipe by Ina Garten, (the Barefoot Contessa) which I took and made mine as usual.

Ingredients
Filling:
3 cups rhubarb
3 cups strawberries
zest of one orange
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water *
2 tsp. cornstarch

Topping:
3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter diced

To make this vegan use Earth Balance in place of the butter. To make it gluten free use brown rice flour and gluten free rolled oats ( Bob's Red Mill makes them).

1) Preheat oven to 350 F , place a glass baking dish,( 8 by 8 inch) on a cookie sheet.

2) Chop the rhubarb into inch long chunks and stem and cut the strawberries into halves or quarters.

3) Toss the fruit in a large bowl with 1/2 cup sugar and the orange zest.

4) Dissolve the 2  teaspoons of cornstarch in 1/3 cup water. * The photo below shows me whisking the cornstarch into orange juice which is what the original recipe calls for. I found the orange flavor overwhelming. Genna made it with water and pronounced it great ;-)

5) Mix the cornstarch liquid into the fruit and pour into the glass baking dish.

6) For the topping, place the flour, oats and brown sugar into a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. Mix together.

7) With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the cold butter in pieces until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture crumbles.

8) Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit to cover it as completely as possible.

9) Bake at 350 F for one hour.

10) Serve it warm for dessert with ice cream, whipped cream or creme fraiche. Or have it for breakfast with plain yogurt !! Yum !!