The Pink Ticket

The Adonis (mini) cake, with sprinkles.

The latest Engine2 book came out this last week, My Beef with Meat. I wasn’t going to buy it… half of it is dedicated to the argument for a plant-based diet.  The converted don’t necessarily need preaching.  Then, the inevitable happened. Blogs I follow started to show pictures of the recipes they made from the book. One in particular surfaced a few times, and I became obsessed with the recipe for “Adonis cake.”

Why yes, I have several recipes for chocolate cake… and chocolate frosting. Did I need another one? Not really, but an obsession is what it is.

I didn’t just make the cake–how boring would that be?  No, I made 5 mini cakes (or really big cupcakes) and added sprinkles with a cherry on top. Yes, I can be extraordinarily juvenile, but you have to admit–sprinkles are fun.

Funfetti For One

It’s been three long weeks since I really did much more than blend up some smoothies and drink coffee. Suffice to say, food has not been a priority.  It’s a seasonal thing–as soon as spring hits, that transition between winter recipes and the desire for fresh asparagus leaves me uninspired. Mostly. I did come up with some pretty great smoothie combinations.

And asparagus started being picked at the farm… so tender, I ate stalks raw for dinner one night and roasted it the second night while  I made some Lemon Creme… and then I was traveling for a week. But I did some due diligence in between to force myself back into mode.

Obviously, a cupcake was in order. It’s been nearly six long weeks since I’ve had a cupcake and somewhere my internet travels brought me to a recipe for a Funfetti Cupcake For One recipe.  This is really, truly ideal since I have no desire to make an entire batch of cupcakes if there is no one to share them with, because I (1) eat too many and (2) throw too many out.  The cupcake is fairly plain, and not too sweet. I guess I like my cupcakes with a little more flavor, and to that end, I may sweeten next time with maple syrup or swap vanilla for almond extract.  I did make a glaze using confectioners sugar and the juice from maraschino cherries, which provided a nice compliment. Nonetheless, I will make it again… because frankly m’dear, sprinkles make everything happier.

For the first time ever, I experimented with “cheese” by making a vegan “goat” cheese, which simply involves soaking cashews and macadamia nuts and blending with vinegar and lemon. It cultures overnight, and I must say, turned out quite well. I’m looking forward to exploring the finished product in several more ways over the course of the week, but I first tried it (and initially made it) because I wanted to make these buffalo chickpea stuffed avocados I’d come across (I made them sans the oil).  And I’m glad I did, but the notion of buffalo sauce sparked my interest… and so I made more filling than I needed so I could also make wraps from them as well.

In looking for a possible buffalo sauce recipe that didn’t include oil (there is enough fat in the week with the nuts and avocados), I found two additional recipes I had to make.  I did not, however, find a non-fat buffalo sauce recipe, so on that I improvised (see below).

Once again, my love hate relationship with cauliflower came to the forefront when I happened across a recipe on the PETA site (and website I tend to avoid but for a few recipes) for buffalo cauliflower “wings.”  Again, omitting the oil, and subbing chickpea flour, I made these.  I have to say, I like them. I guess it’s true that you can put hot sauce on just about anything and like it…. (the “cheese” is good with these, too).

Finally, there is a recipe I’m saving for later in the week for a buffalo tempeh pizza.  Maybe by the time I make that, I’ll be up for more cooking photos.

Vegan Low Fat Buffalo Sauce
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce

• In a  small plan, combine all ingredients and bring to a near boil.  Cook and whisk until sauce is glossy.

Mini Rum Cakes

Nothing much new in my kitchen this weekend… I’ve made up some staples: polenta and lentil loaf, and there is a plethora of vegetables in the fridge and freezer to compliment them both.  Needing something a little on the sweet side lately, I did decide to make up a batch of Happy Herbivore’s Rum Cake–except I went with mini bite sized “cakes” and a couple regular muffin sizes. Makes portion control easier, not to mention portability.

For the rum, I fell in love with Don Q while in Puerto Rico, and had come home like a bootlegger with 6 bottles.  There is only a little left from that first trip of the flavored rums (which I’ve been using in the sangria).  Happily, you can now get some Don Q stateside… not my favorite, yet, but we’ll get there, or I’ll just have to make another trip.

Delicately spiced, these waffles are gluten free, fat free, and vegan… and delicious!

Yeah, ok, lame pun, even for me. But over a month ago I desperately wanted the walnut and fig waffles from Post Punk Kitchen. But, my waffle iron had died a year ago… and still hadn’t been replaced.  A few more weeks pass by and I STILL couldn’t think about much other than making waffles, so on a whim at Target, I grabbed a waffle iron that had removable plates and a “skillet” plate option, figuring I’d get more use of it that way (I do, by the way–especially to warm stuff as I don’t believe in owning a microwave).

I made the waffles above for Easter Sunday since everything was closed, and it was a good post-run brunch.  So much did I love them that I turned around and made another batch for the freezer the following weekend, which provided much needed sustenance this last Saturday when I got home after taking a red-eye back from California and had nothing in the place to eat that didn’t require serious cooking.

It was such a great go-to for the weekend that I decided to make up some more waffles and stick them in the freezer for this week’s breakfasts.  After a little research, I decided to alter the recipe I found on Minimalist Baker’s blog.  They are a gluten free and vegan offering; and I figured I’ve not tried gluten free waffles yet, so why not?!  Here is my adaptation, based on a desire to make them fat free and what I happened to have on hand. Next time, I’d also consider adding blueberries or some sunflower seeds to the batter.

Warm spice and oat waffles (vegan and gluten free)
1 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup corn starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon flax seed meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• Whisk almond milk and vanilla and allow to sit a few minutes.
• In a bowl, add the rice flour, oats, corn starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, sugar and spices and combine,
• To the milk, add the brown rice syrup, vanilla, and applesauce.  Briskly whisk and add to the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Mix to combine until lumps are gone.
• Let batter sit while waffle iron heats (reference your manufacturers instructions if unsure of appropriate settings).
• Use non stick spray on the waffle iron plates and add batter as per your units recommended capacity (generally most waffle makers are about 1/2 cup, some more, some less).
• Once done, serve immediately or allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, waffles can be stored in an airtight container (or freezer bag with air removed) for 2-3 days in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.

Wow, it’s been quiet here… and that’s partly that my “lab” has been on autopilot of late.  A steady diet of reliable go-to quick preps (brown rice, frozen veggies, pasta, and potatoes) with supplemental Whole Foods salad bar items have sustained me of recent.  Bored one evening, I did decide to change up the marinara sauce (of which I was out) for something a little less traditional on my left over pasta.  It turned out so good, I made it again the next two nights–using up rice and potatoes.

As is quite often the case in my kitchen there is always at least one open bottle of wine on the counter.  this particular night, I had three going.  I also had two packages of mushrooms that needed to be used up sooner than later.  The resultant recipe was so good, I’ve actually made it now 5 times… any excuse to open a bottle of wine, right?

Peppered Mushroom Gravy
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (any variety, I’ve used white, crimini, and portabello)
1/2 cup red wine, divided (again, I’ve used several versions, just like what you use)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water (or stock)

• Heat a heavy bottom pan (preferable cast iron) over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cover tightly with a lid.  Allow to cook 2-3 minutes in dry pan. Mushrooms will release moisture.
• Add half the wine and tamari, gently toss mushrooms, re-cover pan and cook another 7-8 minutes, reducing to medium heat.
• Add the remaining wine, tamari, spices, Sriracha, and vegetable stock.  Reduce to simmer.
• Mix cornstarch and water until dissolved.
• Slowly pour into pan, stirring mushroom mixture as you do.  Once thickened to desired consistency, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Stores well in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Baked Curried Stew

It’s of no special secret to anyone who has ever cooked in the history of the world that your spice rack is your single most important element in your kitchen arsenal (with the wine rack a close second, followed by, maybe, the pans).  Sadly, there was a time I didn’t realize this fully,  but a woman who barely spoke English in Ann Arbor once advised me that the reason my curry wasn’t right was because I wasn’t using the right curry.  Ok, not the right curry and also a deceptively old jar of the wrong one at that.  And I was thinking of that today as I pondered a small pan of boiled white potatoes, bowl of freshly shucked and washed kale, and some leftover chickpeas when I went to work on a risky venture:  the unplanned and unresearched new recipe.

It could have been a huge disaster–but the worst that could have happened was I didn’t like it and never, ever wrote about it.  Quite honestly, I’m pleased with all my previous failures in the kitchen, without them you’re never really a cook.  That said, I started thinking stew… but well, I’m not a HUGE fan of stews.  I love the smell of a pot of stew simmering on the stove but eating them is less than appealing to me.  But, as I ate casserole all last week, I wasn’t entirely interested in simply making a casserole either.  And so the idea came–a baked stew, which would reduce the liquids enough to be somewhere between a baked casserole and a stew.  It worked very nicely, and depends heavily on its thick spice palate to bring together all the very separate ingredients.

Baked Curried Stew
1 pound petite white potatoes, boiled and cubed
1 large bunch kale, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup black lentils
1 quart (jarred or canned) tomatoes
1 teaspoon curry powder (really, any is ok)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Vegetable stock or water

• Place lentils in a sauce pan with about 1 cup of stock or water with lid on.  Bring to a boil and let simmer until lentils are about half cooked.  About 10 minutes.  Drain off water reserving about 1 tablespoon.
• Line a skillet with water or stock. Over medium heat, add kale and cover tightly.  Remove lid after about 30 seconds and toss kale in the pan.  Cover and allow to steam until kale is reduced in volume by about half. Approximately 1-2 minutes total.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine potatoes, tomatoes, and chick peas.  If tomatoes are quarters or whole, work them with a wooden spoon so they are in smaller, bite sized pieces and all juices are released.
• Add ALL spices and stir well.
• Add kale, lentils, and reserved lentil cooking liquid and toss lightly until mixed in.
• Carefully pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan.
• Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven.
• Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.

Last week I relied on some tried and true recipes to get me through the week… the kinds of things I could cook without out any real thought.  As such, I ran out of food about midweek.  This is what happens when you don’t think about the entire week and just a few days. A rare mistake for me, but come Friday, things were desperate and I was grateful for a spare block of tofu and some frozen spinach!

Recognizing what I had done, but feeling a little too uninspired, I started soaking chickpeas on Friday morning and spent time that evening looking for some new recipes to try this weekend that required no new invention on my part.  Obviously, I cannot make anything without altering a recipe in some (even) small way, but mostly, I just was looking at techniques used by some of favorite tried and true foodie blogs (you will find these referenced and others to the right under Plant-Strong Places).

Beetballs with leftover Happy Herbivore Bologense sauce and whole wheat rotini

I started with FatFreeVegan because my friend Laura at Dandelion Wishes swears by the beetballs. It was time for me to give them a go.  And while I was grabbing the recipe for the beetballs, I saw another for a hash brown casserole… a dish that includes potatoes, chickpeas, and kale? You just know I cannot pass that up–ever!

Then it was over to my friends at Engine2… with the holiday that shall remain nameless today (am I the only person of Irish descent that loathes it?), there have been plenty of posts about Shepherd’s pie of late.  I’d heard some good things about a recipe over on their site, so I pulled that, and with a craving for something sweet, the Blueberry Dumpster Cobbler.

Despite the unfortunate name, this cobbler is sweet perfection.

 Variations:

I am absolutely in love with the beetballs and can honestly say I would gobble up the entire batch in one day if I had the stomach capacity.  I didn’t vary too much from this recipe.  I bought a white beet variety at Whole Foods and it was great. It wasn’t until I was  home that I noticed it called for raw nuts, but I used roasted almonds anyway. It turned out great. Next time, I might go for pecans, or even walnuts. There are a lot of possibilities for variations here which makes this one of my new favorite recipes.

Hash Brown Casserole with Chickpeas and Kale.

The hash brown casserole is fantastic.  Rich and creamy and I have to love any recipe that combines three of my favorite ingredients. I didn’t make many changes to this except that in my sauce, I used up the mushroom broth from the beetball recipe that was left over for part of the water.  I also added more salt and pepper to the finished product, but more for personal taste.  Again, another recipe that has a lot of possibilities for variations through the seasons.

Blueberry dumpster cobbler:  I love this recipe because it is so incredibly simple and has NO added sugars.  It is whole grain and gets all its sweetness from the blueberries. The only change I made to it was to add some cinnamon… because well, cinnamon makes everything better, right? Ok, maybe not everything, but I liked the spicy touch it brought to this recipe. A definite guilt free dessert to satisfy a sweet need.

Variation on the Engine2Diet’s Shepherd’s pie.

Oh, Shepherd’s pie, I must have been truly averse to the Irish influence today.  I changed up the flavor palette a little here with French tarragon and parsley and swapped out the traditional potato topping with a yucca mash.  Omitting all the rosemary, I also added in some Thai inspired galangalspice (which is a little gingery and I find goes quite nicely with recipes with tarragon).  These were nice varaitions–the yucca top crisped up nice and was a little doughier than traditional potatoes–reminded me of a polenta, which got me thinking for the next time…