The Simple Vegan

Waffle French Toast…prepare French Toast batter and bread...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:23:24 -0400

Waffle French Toast…prepare French Toast batter and bread like you’re making regular French Toast. Then dip the bread in the batter and put it in your preheated waffle iron . When the light goes off, your waffle french toast is done.

Fruity Breakfast Bars

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:52:55 -0500

Breakfast tends to be the hardest meal to consistently eat. This is especially true when you have to be at work at 7 am everyday. This bar isn’t the healthiest (high in sugars) but it’s got a lot of fiber and it’s homemade so there isn’t as much processing involved. It’s tried and true, unlike a sweet donut-like breakfast, it leaves you full and satisfied until your next meal. I based this recipe off of one I found on Smitten Kitchen.

1 1/2 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c oats (quick or rolled work)
3/4 c toasted slivered almonds, some more for garnish
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 c margarine (cold!)
1 t o1 1/2 c fruit jam (I use homemade Amish jam because I don’t think there’s anything better but Wegmans triple fruit jam is pretty amazing too)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. This helps when taking out the bars.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, almonds, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until all of the ingredients are well combined and the oats and almonds are broken down. Add the butter in smaller 1-inch pieces. Pulse until loose crumb forms.

Measure about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of the crumb mixture and set it aside for on top of the fruit filling. Using the remaining crumb, pour it into the prepared pan and press down to compact it together. Make sure that it is even distributed across the pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

Allow the crust to cool almost to room temperature. To speed up the process, let it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes and then transfer to the fridge for 20 more minutes.

Once the crust is cooled spread the fruit jam to all of the edges. Crumble the remaining crumb mixture on top and sprinkle some of the reserved whole almond slivers over the bars. Bake for another 30 minutes. The crumb on the top should be golden brown and the jam should be bubbling.

Prep Time: 45 minutes Yield: 12 bars

Marinated Portobello Tacos

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:27:45 -0500

This is one of my go-to dinners to make during the week. It’s flexible, in that I can use different vegetables and beans depending on what I have on hand. It’s filling and very satisfying.

Portobellos:

2 Portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and de-stemmed
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3/4 c olive oil
3 crushed cloves garlic (no need to mince, just bruise it up a bit)
1 T mustard (I like spicy brown)
1 t oregano
pinch salt, pepper
hot water

Whisk all the ingredients together except the water. Add cleaned portobellos and cover with hot water. Marinate for at least an hour. Feel free to add different spices like cumin or crushed red pepper for some zip.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the mushroom caps and pour a little of the marinade over top. Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Let cool a few minutes and slice up.

Beans:

I can of beans (I use white beans, pinto or black beans - my favorite is actually white beans with the portobellos)
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t cumin
pinch of salt

Saute the onion, tomato and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt and cumin. Add the drained beans and keep on low heat until ready to assemble taco.

Assembly:

Use a heated soft taco or burrito shell (microwave or toast in the oven for a minute). Add the beans and slices of portobello mushroom. Top with fresh veggies (I like red peppers and crunchy romaine). Add taco sauce and/or sour cream to finish.

Save the marinade for up to 7 days to use on other veggies or tofu.

It’s starting to feel like spring, but before...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:12:02 -0500

It’s starting to feel like spring, but before winter’s over you should make some garlicky kale white bean soup and eat it with some crusty homestyle bread.

Stewed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:58:44 -0500

My brother isn’t much of a baker and he’s been on me to post some more savory items. Since he’s my best follower, I suppose I can give him what he wants. This dish makes a nice side dish, particularly on a cold day, but it would also taste good over pasta. It is an adaptation from a recipe in Veganomicon - I didn’t have all of the correct ingredients for the recipe in there so I innovated with what I did have.

1 15-oz can chickpeas
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (pureed tomatoes works fine)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c white wine
1 T olive oil
1 t sugar
1 t thyme
1 t rosemary
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c almonds
1/4 c quick oats

Toast almonds and oats in a medium sauce pan for about 3 minutes. Blend (using a blender or food processor) until a coarse flour is formed. Set aside.

Using the same blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes (if using diced tomatoes). Set aside.

Saute the onion with olive oil in the same pan used for the almonds and oats. Add the garlic and spices (thyme, rosemary) and saute until translucent. Pour in the white wine while stirring in order to dissolve cooked on garlic and spices. Add the tomato puree, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the almond/oat mixture then add the chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces a little.

Prep time: 1 hour Serves: 4-6

Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Cupcakes (adapted from...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:41:09 -0500

Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream

Cupcakes (adapted from Martha Stewart):
1 c sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil
Juice of one orange
1/2 T vanilla extract
1 T egg replacer mixed with 1/4 c water
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
3/4 c plus 2 T flour
1 1/2 c shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and premixed egg replacer.

Stir in the baking powder and soda, spices and salt. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Stir in the carrots.

Spoon the batter into lined cupcake tin (standard 12 cups) and bake for 23-25 minutes.

Frosting:
Cream together 1/2 c margarine (earth balance) and 1/2 cup coconut oil (you can use shortening). Add 3 1/2 c confectioner’s sugar about 1 cup at a time. Once thoroughly mixed add 1/2 T coconut extract and 1-3 T non dairy milk. Whip for 3-5 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Top cooled cupcakes with a hefty portion of buttercream and a large pinch of toasted coconut.

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:21:19 -0500

My favorite dessert has got to be a brownie sundae. A fresh baked, warm brownie, topped with melty ice cream and drizzled with hot fudge sauce…seriously there’s nothing better. In the 4+ years that I’ve been vegan I have settled for hershey’s chocolate syrup on my brownie sundaes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but this recipe is way better. And it’s super simple. I found the original at My Little Celebration.

1 - 15 oz can full fat coconut milk (room temp, shaken really well)
3/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 c sugar
1 T vanilla extract
pinch salt

In a small saucepan combine the coconut milk and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally, until heated evenly throughout (about 5-7 minutes). Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt.

Enjoy right away or allow to cool at room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Mixed berry pancakes…just add a bag of frozen berries to a...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:01:23 -0500

Mixed berry pancakes…just add a bag of frozen berries to a plain pancake recipe, simply delicious. The pancakes may take a little longer to cook if the berries are still frozen, but it won’t hurt anything.

Kale soup and homemade bread. Sautéed onions, garlic, and kale,...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:21:16 -0500

Kale soup and homemade bread. Sautéed onions, garlic, and kale, add some oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. Pour in enough broth to cover by about 1/2 an inch (about 4-6 cups). Blend if you want a smooth soup and add a can of white beans for some additional protein and texture.

I read an article last week about how relationships work between vegans and non-vegans. The article...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:45:53 -0500

I read an article last week about how relationships work between vegans and non-vegans. The article summarized the author’s experience with this type of relationship and continued to summarize a poll that she conducted via Facebook. The gist was that one partner pressures the other to succumb to their eating lifestyle, or everyone eats separate meals. There was a surprising low number of responses saying that they make one meal and adjust accordingly to make it vegan or not.

I am dating an omnivore and have been for about 10 months now and we have yet to have any problems related to the differences in our diets. I am the primary cook, and I cook vegan. We rarely have any meat in our house, but that’s not because I forbid my boyfriend from eating anything. A typical night in our house consists of me making something for dinner and pairing it with a green salad and some sort of vegetable or fruit side. My boyfriend adds cheese to his salad and most often his entree. Voila, everyone is happy, unless my experiments are complete failures.

Relationships are about respecting each other. It’s never going to be successful unless you respect the differences between the two of you. If it’s not about what you eat, it will be something else. So don’t stop being vegan or whoever you want to be to make a relationship work.

Now I can stop thinking about that article…

Brownies

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:43:13 -0500

A while back I posted what I claimed was the best vegan brownie recipe ever. Well, I lied. I found a better one. It is a whole lot less complicated. My aunt turned up at a family Christmas party with these vegan treats for my brothers and me, and needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not sure where she got the recipe, but she shared it with me, and now I’m sharing it with you. This recipe is easy to modify, for example, you can add chocolate chips, marshmallows, dried fruit, peanut butter swirl, or whatever to it. You could also switch the water out for coffee or espresso to make mocha flavored brownies…the options are endless.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the middle and add the water, oil and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Back to basics: chocolate chip cookies

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:00:40 -0500

I occasionally start baking and realize I don’t have all of the ingredients that I need. In these cases I either try to save whatever I’ve started for a later date or if I’m feeling adventurous I improvise. Sometimes the improvising is a complete disaster but most of time it works out. Either way I learn about the science of baking. This leads me to this recipe…I started with your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe but realized once I had the dry ingredients together that I didn’t have any margarine. Below is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies made with coconut oil.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 c coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 T egg replacer mixed plus 4 T water
2 cups vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer cream the coconut oil (room temperature) with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the egg replacer mixer and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined or greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Mocha Marshmallow Cupcakes - chocolate and coffee baked together...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:17:03 -0500

Mocha Marshmallow Cupcakes - chocolate and coffee baked together in harmony with a few last minute surprises added. Happy birthday Mom, you are once again subject to my culinary experiments.

Roasted Vegetable Pastry Pockets

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:45:00 -0500

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving this year, but it would also make a great Christmas or Holiday dinner. I have never been a big fan of tofurky, gardien or field roasts, so I try to come up with something a little different. Most years I am quite ambitious, but this recipe is really simple and very delicious.

Veggies:

2 cups brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1/2 head of cauliflower (use only the florets)
1 onion, diced
1 16 oz package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered so that they have a triangular shape
1 cup baby carrots, cut in half or thirds
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 T balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
fresh herbs (I like rosemary, thyme and oregano in this recipe)

Preheat the oven to 400F

Prepare all of the veggies and mix together in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon and herbs and toss. Pour out onto baking sheets so veggies are in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, check and stir around a little and bake for 10 - 15 more minutes. It’s okay if they aren’t entirely done, because they will be going back in for 15 minutes.

Set aside to cool. I made the veggies the day before and kept them in the fridge so on Thanksgiving all I had to do was assemble the pockets.

Seitan:

You can use store bought seitan here, but I like to make my own and keep the leftovers in the fridge to use whenever. This recipe is based off of Terry Hope’s in Viva La Vegan, but I have altered it some for this application.

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (cold)
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (the recipe calls for chickpea flour, but I never have it, all-purpose works fine)
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1 t thyme
1 t oregano
1 t basil (I use fresh herbs, so I use about 1/4 cup fresh)
1 t salt

Prepare you cooking vessel…I use a rice cooker to steam my seitan, if you have a vegetable steamer this would work as well. Or you can create a steamer by putting a pot of water on the stove and putting a colander on top of it. You can also cook the seitan in the oven.

Whisk together the vegetable broth, garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the wheat gluten, flour, nutritional yeast, spices and salt. Create a well in the middle and add the vegetable broth mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. Using your hands knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Cover it with a towel and let it sit for 10 minutes. During this time prepare 3 or 4 sheets of tin foil (4 sheets will yield smaller loaves, 3 bigger ones) that you will use to wrap the pieces of dough in. Spray them with a little oil.

When the 10 minutes are up, knead the dough for another 30 seconds or so, trying to shape it a little. Cut the dough into the desired number of pieces and shape them into logs. Place them onto the tin foil you’ve prepared and wrap them loosely. You need to leave some room for expansion. Place them in your steaming contraption and steam for 30-40 minutes, flipping them once. They should be firm when done and no longer doughy.

Let them cool and cut the desired amount into cubes and add to the vegetables.

Assembly:

1 package puff pastry sheets
roasted vegetables
seitan
2 T melted margarine.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 squares. Place about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of vegetable/seitan mixture into the middle of each square. You can fill them more than you would think because the dough is stretchy. Pull opposite corners out and bring them to the center. Sort of twist them and squish them together so that they adhere to one another. Repeat with the other two corners. Brush the top with some of the melted butter. Repeat with the other squares. Bake 6 to a sheet for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ice Cream Shoppe Pie

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:41:00 -0500

This is an old Thanksgiving tradition in my family. We haven’t had this pie in about 6 years because we all vegan and hadn’t gotten around to veganizing it. This year I decided it was about time we had it again. To my surprise, it came out perfectly, just as I remember it. I know Thanksgiving is over, but you should try this for your next holiday get together.

1 graham cracker crust (I buy the pre-made one from Wegmans)

1/4 c chocolate chips
1 T almond milk

1 package cook-n-serve vanilla pudding mix
2 cups almond milk
1 package mimic-cream whipping cream (or any vegan whipped cream - not the spray stuff though)
6 vegan candy bars (frozen) - I used Go Max Buccaneers

Mix the chocolate chips and 1 T of almond milk in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir really well until the chocolate chips are all melted. Use a pastry brush if you have one, otherwise use the back of a spoon, to spread the melted chocolate on the graham cracker crust. Save some chocolate to drizzle on the top of the pie. Put the crust in the refrigerator so the chocolate hardens up.

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and the 2 cups of almond milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes, until the pudding is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature and then put in the refrigerator to continue to cool.

Using an electric mixture prepare your whipped cream. The mimic-cream product directions are to empty the carton containers into a bowl and whip until the desired texture is achieved. I found it to take about 7 minutes on high. It’s still a little thicker than cool whip, but it tastes just like it.

The final step before assembly is to crush up the frozen candy bars. I used my food processor, but the caramel made it a little tricky. You can try putting them in a ziplock bag and using a hammer to crush them. I found that I had to pick out the small pieces and then pulse again and repeat a few times until i could get all the candy bars small enough.

Now for assembly: Fold together the pudding and an equal amount of whipped cream (I had some extra whipped cream) and 3/4 of the crushed candy bars. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust and top with the rest of the candy bar pieces. Drizzle the top with the rest of the chocolate. You may have to melt your chocolate again, so just microwave for another 30 seconds and stir really well.

Put the covered pie in the freezer and let it sit for about 6 hours until you serve it. This will allow it to have a frozen ice cream like texture.

Yield: 6-8 slices Prep Time: about an hour from start to finish, plus at least 6 hours of freezer time.

Spanish Rice/Paella

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 08:36:47 -0500

This is one of my favorite things to make when I have a frustrating day. It holes you up in the kitchen for a little bit and all of the methodical chopping is relaxing. It’s a warm and hearty dish that is always comforting. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients but you can always sub the veggies with anything that you have on hand, including canned or frozen ones. This dish is really a cross between Spanish rice and Paella to tell the truth. It takes a little bit of time, but most of it is passive so your hands are free to bake some cookies or something!

2 T margarine
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup mushrooms (about half of a 16 oz package), sliced
jalapeno, minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t paprika
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t basil
pinch of salt and pepper
1 c dry brown rice (to make this recipe quicker use white rice)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 - 3 c vegetable broth
juice of half a lemon
1/4 c chopped parsley

Melt the margarine in a large saute pan on medium high heat. Add the onions, pepper, carrot and mushroom. Stir so that the veggies are evenly coated with margarine. After about 3 minutes add the minced garlic, jalapeno and spices. Stir to evenly disburse the spices. After about 3-5 minutes add the rice and tomatoes. Stir. Start with just 1 cup of vegetable broth, add more as needed while the rice cooks. It should take about 40 minutes to an hour for the brown rice to cook completely. White rice should take between 30-40 minutes. Keep adding liquid as needed. Once the rice is cooked, squirt the juice of half a lemon on top, being mindful of the seeds, and stir in the chopped parsley.

YIELD: 4 servings TIME: about 1 hour

Corn chowder with sweet chili sauce swirl #vegan

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:22:51 -0500

Corn chowder with sweet chili sauce swirl #vegan

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oatmeal

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:22:13 -0400

This is a perfect breakfast for a cool fall morning. It’s healthy - low fat, high fiber, vitamin A, etc. It’s filling. It’s warm. It’s also creamy which makes it comforting. Oh yeah, it’s super quick too!

1/2 c quick oats
1/4 c pumpkin puree
2 T vegan cream cheese
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
dash of salt
hot water/milk

Add all the ingredients except the water to a cereal bowl. Pour hot water or milk on top and stir. Stop pouring every now and then to see how much more liquid you’ll need. You want a consistency that is slightly runnier than how you prefer to eat it. Let the oatmeal sit for 3-5 minutes before eating it.

Pumpkin Bars

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 19:47:38 -0400

I finally got internet hooked up today after the 3rd appointment and about 6 hours of phone calls over the last week. Needless to say I’m excited to finally be able to post! These pumpkin bars have a graham cracker crust and a cake-like pumpkin topping.

Pumpkin Cake:

1/3 c vegan yogurt (I used vanilla almond yogurt)
3/4 c sugar
1 c pumpkin puree
1/3 c canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 package graham crackers (1/3 of an entire box)
4 T melted margarine
2 T sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crumble up a the graham crackers and add to a food processor along with the sugar and salt. Pour the margarine in while the food processor is on. Once the mixture seems to come together and the margarine is evenly distributed transfer it to a greased 9x9 pan. Press the graham cracker mixture into the pan so that it’s even. Bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the pumpkin batter. Using an electric mixer combine the yogurt, sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and oil. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Let the crust cool and pour the batter over the crust. Spread it evenly and bake for 35 minutes.

Pancakes, plain and simple

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:56:52 -0400

It has been a crazy evening and now that things are settled down all I want is pancakes. It’s pretty obvious when looking over past posts that pancakes are one of my favorite foods. This is mainly due to their versatility and they are so quick and easy. This recipe is for some straight up fluffy cakes, nothing fancy.

2 cups flour
1/2 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t egg replacer plus 2 T water
1/4 c canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c nondairy milk

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl until frothy and well combined. Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. Mix until just combined. Over mixing will make tough pancakes instead of fluffy ones. Set batter at room temperature for 5 minutes without disturbing. During this time preheat your pan or griddle and grease. After 5 minutes pour the batter. Flip once bubbles appear all over the pancake and a spatula slides easily underneath it.