Schmooper Bowl

It has warmed up considerably -- almost seventy degrees! ... but I still want hibernation food >.> especially spicy chocolate.

Crinkle Cookies

dried Valencia orange peel + cinnamon + cayenne
cinnamon + confectioners sugar
confectioners sugar

3/4 c coconut (or other light/unflavored) oil
1-3/4 c turbinado sugar
1 c cocoa powder (the darker the tastier!)
1-1/3 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs Ener-G
3/4 c warm water
2 tsp vanilla extract
powdery stuffs for coating (not included in nutrition)
Obviously, I used the coatings listed below the picture, but I also thought about using ground ginger, masala chai spices, cocoa powder, homemade mint cocoa mix, powdered instant coffee, and curry powder... but I didn't want to clean 20,000 tiny bowls. I think they would all be delicious! The powdered sugar makes the cookies a little too sweet for my tastes, so I will skip it as a coating and not mix it with the cinnamon in the future. The orange+cinnamon+cayenne are to. die. for. If you're into that sort of thing ;)

I'm convinced chili+chocolate was discovered just for me.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together oil and sugar; add cocoa and beat again. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Measure Ener-G into blender carafe; slowly pour warm water over Ener-G; blend until foamy. Pour Ener-G mix and vanilla into cocoa mixture, beating to fully incorporate.

Begin beating flour into the cocoa mix a little at a time. About half-way through the dough will probably become too stiff for the hand mixer and the remaining will have to be mixed by hand.

Cover dough in plastic wrap and chill (at least) 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a cookie sheet. With a large, non-serrated knife, cut dough in half, re-wrap one half and stick back in the fridge. With the remaining half, cut into 32nds (divide dough in half three times -- 2 pieces to 4 pieces to 8 pieces -- then cut each of the 8 pieces into quarters) and roll each piece into a small ball.

Roll each ball into coating(s) of choice and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until tops are cracked and edges are firm to slight touch. Allow to cool on sheet a minute or so, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with second half of dough.

Servings: 32 | Serving Size: 2 cookies | Calories: 122.1 | Total Fat: 5.5 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 90.7 mg | Potassium: 41.2 mg | Total Carbs: 16.3 g | Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g | Sugars: 10.6 g | Protein: 1.5 g | Vit. A: 0.0% | Vit. C: 0.0% | Calcium: 2.4% | Iron: 3.1%
Full nutrition can be found here.

K. Time to take advantage of Big Game Day and hit the stores \m/

C is for Cookie

These went so fast I had to make growly noises to get a picture of (and eat :p) the last three.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

queue coffee!

3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 c turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c coconut oil (or other light/unflavored)
1-1/2 tsp Ener-G egg substitute + 2 tbs water
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs vanilla extract

1/3 c turbinado + 2-3 tbs ground cinnamon to coat

If you don't have Ener-G on hand, I'm sure any egg replacement (to the equivalent of 1 egg) will do.

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, stirring well. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet mix to the dry and stir until fully incorporated.

Using rounded teaspoons, form dough into ~3/4" balls; roll balls in cinnamon/sugar mixture; place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake 7 - 9 minutes, or until juuust firming up on edges. Cool on sheet 5 minutes, transfer to wire racks.

Servings: 12 | Serving Size: 2 cookies | Calories: 194.3 | Total Fat: 9.3 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 150.1 mg | Potassium: 13.8 mg | Total Carbs: 23.5 g | Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g | Sugars: 14.7 g | Protein: 1.8 g | Vit. A: | 0.1% | Vit. C: 0.8% | Calcium: 3.1% | Iron: 5.2%
Full nutrition can be found here.

Mmm, cookie.

For Daysss

It's what's for dinner.

Chili

with Galaxy Foods Veggie Shreds cheddar, of course

1-1/2 c dried red kidney beans
1-1/2 c dried black beans
1/4 recipe seitan "beef" (see below)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
24 oz tomato paste
# cloves garlic (whole head!), peeled & crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 green capsicum, diced
1 c water
1/4 c ground cumin
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tbs black pepper
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp molasses (agave/honey/brown sugar)
1-2 tsp cayenne (only 1 if children are involved)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp liquid smoke


On the day before, prepare Seitan Beef:

2 c wheat gluten
2 tbs whole wheat flour (additional flour may be needed if dough is too moist)
1/4 c nutritional yeast

1-1/2 c cold water
1/2 c shoyu (tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
1 tbs tomato sauce (or ketchup)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. lemon juice

cooking broth:
12 c. cold water
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce

In a large bowl, mix drys (first 3 ingredients) thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, stirring well. Pour wet mix into the dry mix and stirstirstir. Form [goopy dough] into a loaf and set aside.

Bring broth to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cut "loaf" into 6-8 pieces and, once broth is no longer boiling, lower the pieces gently into the broth; cover pot with lid and simmer for an hour(ish) -- pieces will float once finished cooking.

transfer seitan from pot of broth to colander to drain thoroughly. Set somewhere out of the way to cool completely (makes a "meater" substance).

Once cooled, pat dry and divide into [storage containers] for freezing (keeps indefinitely) or refrigeration (keeps 7 days).

Servings: 12 | Calories: 170.4 | Total Fat: 2.0 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 370.2 mg | Potassium: 104.4 mg | Total Carbs: 8.9 g | Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g | Sugars: 0.1 g | Protein: 30.3 g | Vit. A: 0.1 % | Vit. C: 0.6 % | Calcium: 5.9% | Iron: 12.8%
Full nutrition can be found here.

and soak dried beans overnight in a no smaller than 5 quart stock pot -- it will barely fit in the 5 ;) In the morning, drain and rinse beans, put 'em back in the pot, then cook according to package directions (ie. simmer in 6 c water -- with lid... my package didn't say as much -- for 1-1/2 to 2 hours). Once the beans have finished, you can begin your chili (in the same pot).

Add everything except the seitan to your bean pot and stir well. Cut seitan into little chunks, stir into mixture. Set your burner to low, put a lid on it, and let 'er ride, stirring every 30 minutes or so, for 3 hours.

Servings: 13 | Serving Size: 1 c | Calories: 200.5 | Total Fat: 1.4 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 417.8 mg | Potassium: 668.1 mg | Total Carbs: 38.6 g | Dietary Fiber: 13.7 g | Sugars: 9.3 g | Protein: 15.9 g | Vit. A: 36.1% | Vit. C: 33.1% | Calcium: 10.4% | Iron: 29.0%
Full nutrition can be found here.

Takes some time to make, but toootally pays off in not really having to cook for days. Serve with cornbread, corn chips; over fries, baked potatoes; or any other way you can conceive.

Chili forever!!!

Still Hungry

Today is my Mister's forty-first birthday :) Considering the Gluttony Fest that precedes his day, we typically do leftovers and a yay birthday dessert... he should have something special, non?

Just after his birthday three years ago, he joined me in vegetarianism and also began trying to avoid eggs -- tough to do when you are grabbing snacks in convenience stores -- because of his spiritual beliefs. Since I had only been doing egg white omelets when trying to cut some fat and had conducted a fair few experiments in egg replacement, giving up eggs wasn't much of an ordeal. Dairy, however, unf.

He hasn't any spiritual qualms with dairy, directly, but I'm sure if he were to be exposed to the industry, he may feel different. I, on the other hand, lean more toward the health-nut end of vegetarianism.

in my mind the scale goes as such:

buddhist_________________animal hugger_________________health nut

we meet at animal hugging :)

Through volumes of reading, I have concluded that, while dairy is tasty, the commercial industry is awful, dairy doesn't do the body good, then, through exposure and the failed attempts over the past year to kick it, it is quite addicting. ... and super hard when everyone else in the house is having tasty cheeses.

So(!), when the final approach began for this new year (after we both mega failed over Christmas, indulging in my mother-in-law's deliiicious Christmas Cookie Extravaganza, containing both eggs and butter), I struck a deal with the Mister:

no eggs. no dairy.
Essentially, we're going dietary vegan. Ok, it wasn't much of a deal, more of a proclamation, but he agreed. Fingers crossed we can both stick to reading labels, at least long enough that we work out replacements for the things to which we are accustomed. Fortunately, avoiding dairy will be fairly easy, as I have sufficient practice in making my own tofu ricotta / tofu feta / crock-style (spreadable) "cheeses" and veggie shreds melt well enough for our stromboli needs, IF my laziness doesn't push me to cave into ordering pizza.

Recipe du (naissance) jour: bittersweet pot de crème, chilled (no need for baking if you don't use eggs)

Pot de Crème

1-14 oz can (full fat) coconut milk
5 oz bittersweet chips (read the ingredients if avoiding dairy, we use SunSpire 65%)
2 tbs turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

Put everything except coconut milk in your blender/processor canister (please hold on pureeing). In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk to a simmer; pour milk into blender (over other ingredients) and puree until smooth. Divide mixture between 4 small ramekins or teacups. Chill at least 5 hours.

(this one is a baddy!)
Servings: 4 | Calories: 451.6 | Total Fat: 36.5 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 54.8 mg | Potassium: 243.3 mg | Total Carbs: 30.7 g | Dietary Fiber: 5.2 g | Sugars: 19.7 g | Protein: 4.8 g | Vit. A: 0.0% | Vit. C: 1.9% | Calcium: 2% | Iron: 25.5%
Full nutrition can be found here.

Tonight will ring the end of indulgence and the resumption of trying my best to take care of us, so we are going out with a *BANG*. Mmm!

Buenas noches, hasta luego :) Mañana, it's back to the pillow makery for me!

Allo, 2013

Little thick at the moment, as I had multiple adult beverages last night... the first since half of a glass of pinot in October. They were gentle, fizzy-sweet libations, but I knew when the center of my forehead made itself known, around one o'clock this morning, I would be in for it today.

Cracking on! Haha, the thought of audibly using that exclamation point made me wince. We like to keep tradition of the southerner's New Year's Day dinner, eating the post-Civil War fare of black eyed peas and cabbage for luck and money. I think collard greens are the standard, but my family always did cabbage, so cabbage it is!

Black Eyed Peas, Please!

2 tbs olive oil
1 5-oz pkg veggie bacon (we like LightLife's Smart Bacon)
1 lg onion, chopped
1 green capsicum (bell pepper); topped, seeded, & sliced
1 red capsicum; topped, seeded, & sliced
1 orange capsicum; topped, seeded, & sliced
# cloves garlic (minimum of 2, I use most of a bulb), peeled
2 c veggie broth
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 14-oz pkgs of presoaked or 1 lb dried black eyed peas, prepared according to directions (the day before), drained

Heat oil in large [skillet] (with lid); separate bacon and tear into little pieces to save crumbling later; fry bacon in oil until crisp. With a slotted spoon (or somesuch) transfer bacon from pan to paper towel covered plate to absorb excess oil.

In the oil remaining in the pan, saute onion, capsicum, and garlic until onions are translucent. Stir in veggie broth and liquid smoke thoroughly, then stir in peas. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon crumbles and allow to cook in peas for the last 5-10 minutes.

Servings: 10 | Calories: 189.5 | Total Fat: 5.1 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 413.1 mg | Potassium: 152.7 mg | Total Carbs: 28.8 g | Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g | Sugars: 5.2 g | Protein: 8.4 g | Vit. A: 18.2% | Vit. C: 64.3% | Calcium: 15.5% | Iron: 7.5%
Full nutrition can be found here.


Tasty Cabbagestuff

2 tbs turbinado sugar
3 tbs olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 med head cabbage, shredded
2 golden delicious apples, cored & thinly sliced
8 (~2 lbs) butter red potatoes, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 recipe breakfast susej (see below), cut into bite sizes
1 tbs ground black pepper
salt (optional, not included in nutrition)
1 c veggie broth + 1/4 c water

In skillet, brown sugar in oil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and saute onion until golden.

Transfer onion to (large) stock pot; stir in cabbage and apples thoroughly. Top cabbage mix with sliced potato; top potato with susej; season; and pour broth+water over the whole lot. Bring quickly to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes pierce easily with fork (45-60 minutes). Stir before serving.

Servings: 12 | Calories: 220.3 | Total Fat: 5.7 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 157.0 mg | Potassium: 697.3 mg | Total Carbs: 30.6 g | Dietary Fiber: 5.8 g | Sugars: 4.0 g | Protein: 14.4 g | Vit. A: 4.9% | Vit. C: 71.2% | Calcium: 8.5% | Iron: 14.3%
Full nutrition can be found here.

Breakfast Susej
1/2 c navy (or other light colored) beans, drained, measured then smashed with fork
1 c water (or veggie broth, water used in calculation)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs shoyu
1 tbs pure maple syrup
1-1/4 c wheat gluten
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sage
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp anise seed
1/4 tsp cayenne

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (navy beans through maple syrup). In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine dry ingredients (wheat gluten through cayenne). Stir wet into dry until a dough begins to form, then knead dough until all of the dry bits have been incorporated.

Form dough into a log, approximately 14" long, and roll securely (2-3 wraps) in heavy aluminum foil, twisting the ends tightly, without compacting the dough. Bake on rack for 90 minutes. If the foil pops during baking (and you hear it), quickly (and carefully) rewrap tightly and return to oven.

When baking is complete, remove susej from foil and allow to cool on wire rack until room temperature, where it will be ready to use or refrigerate -- will keep for a week.

I typically use breakfast susej in other recipes, but it can be sliced and pan fried (in a little oil or spray) and served as typical sausage patties.

Servings: 8 | Calories: 134.7 | Total Fat: 2.6 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 88.3 mg | Potassium: 168.4 mg | Total Carbs: 11.5 g | Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g | Sugars: 1.8 g | Protein: 18.0 g | Vit. A: 4.2% | Vit. C: 1.2% | Calcium: 5.3% | Iron: 11.5%
Full nutrition can be found here.

Proper Cornbread

1/4 c coconut (or other light, flavorless) oil
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 c plain, unsweetened soy milk
2 tbs Ener-G egg replacement powder OR whole ground flaxseed + 4 tbs cool water, beaten (calculated with Ener-G)

Measure oil into a 9" x 9" baking dish/pan, place dish in oven and preheat to 425° Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients (cornmeal through salt) thoroughly. Pour in soy milk and egg replacement (+water) and stir until fully incorporated.

By now, your oil should be hot. Carefully remove dish from oven and, working quickly, pour batter into dish, spreading to edges. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool a couple minutes before slicing.

Servings: 9 | Calories: 196.0 | Total Fat: 7.2 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 419.5 mg | Potassium: 81.2 mg | Total Carbs: 27.0 g | Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g | Sugars: 7.6 g | Protein: 3.9 g | Vit. A: 0.6% | Vit. C: 0.0% | Calcium: 17.1% | Iron: 6.7%
Full nutrition can be found here.

With that, I'm off to cook :) Happy New Year!

NYE 2012

Today, I awoke with the plan of pulling the house together (to the best of my ability, given its construction zone... -ness) since we will be hosting a small informal and starting a new calendar year with your best (/better than nothing) foot forward seems to be a reasonable plan.  Let it be known, here, I am *not* a cleaner -- try as I might, either I take three hundred years to clean a tiny bathroom or I throw my hands up in surrender sometime in the first few minutes -- but I will tidy, organize, and rearrange at full tilt, with a midday break to take a long overdue trip to the grocer, then preparing seitan summer susej for our faux(ko)laches and processing up a double batch of smoked paprika/garlic hummus. 

Quick fauxlache recipe and I'm back to the doings!

Susej & Cheeze Fauxlaches
2 cans Pillsbury Crescents (A++ accidentally vegan occasional foods)
1 recipe Summer Susej (see below)
1 7-oz. bag cheddar flavored Galaxy Foods Veggie Shreds (will only use about 3/5ths)

Preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Divide croissant dough into its triangles. On the large end, place a pinch of veggie shreds, top with 1/3 of one susej, roll up toward pointed tip, and smoosh/pinch dough closed at ends.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 16 fauxlaches with a 2/3rds length of susej remaining.

Calories: 189.9 | Total Fat: 8.5 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 359.6 mg | Potassium: 46.8 mg | Total Carbs: 14.9 g | Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g |Sugars: 2.5 g | Protein: 11.6 g | Vit. A: 14.8% | Vit. C: 2.2% | Calcium: 11% | Iron: 7.7%

Summer Susej
1-1/2 c. wheat gluten flour
1 tbs. smoked paprika
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. mustard seed
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. onion powder
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. sage
2 tsp. rosemary
2 tsp. fennel seed, slightly crushed
1 c. vegetable broth
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. shoyu
1 tsp. liquid smoke

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (wheat gluten through fennel seed) thoroughly. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.

Start water in your steamer/steaming set-up (we use one of those little satellite dish looking steamer baskets in our largest pot with a lid).

Stir wet concoction into dry mixture until a dough begins to form, knead until all dry bits have been incorporated. Divide dough into six equal portions, roll each into a sausage shaped log and securely wrap in a length of heavy duty foil, twisting the ends as if it were a tootsie roll.

Steam susejes for one hour.

Remove susej from [steamer] and (carefully! use mitts) unwrap/discard the foil. Allow susejes to cool on wire racks until room temperature (they become more dense and chewy), then use or refrigerate at will. Will keep for about a week... if they last that long ;)

Makes 6 susejes.

Calories: 163.9 | Total Fat: 3.7 g | Cholesterol: 0.0 mg | Sodium: 189.6 mg | Potassium: 124.8 mg | Total Carbs: 9.6 g | Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g | Sugars: 1.5 g | Protein: 24.1 g | Vit. A: 15% | Vit. C: 3% | Calcium: 8.3% | Iron: 15%

There will be recipes aplenty tomorrow -- fair warning!

 
In this coming year, may your hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.

♥
C~