Oven Zest

Hot Diggid-E Dog

2011-09-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

For some inexplicable reason, despite my involvement in the natural foods industry (not to mention my own vegetarianism), I seem to gravitate towards the entertaining monstrosities of fair food. While I doubt I would ever indulge (or shall I say be forced to eat) one of these calorie-laden, artificially colored, and definitely not organic treats, I get a certain kind of enjoyment out of reading about them...I know that I should look away yet it's too interesting not to- like The Jerry Springer Show.

So when I saw this hotdog set to be featured at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big-E) September 16-October 2, 2011, my interest was piqued. The facts: Laden with slices of jalapeno, it is reported that the initial testers of the hot dog were running for water after taking a bite. Consequently, the name The Dog That Bites You Back Contest was created, where the aptly titled Hot Diggid-E Dog was coined.

According to Sue Lavoie, vice president of Eastern States Exposition and a veteran of creating fun fair foods, “We have high hopes for this hot dog, which joins another new tubular treat for 2011 we’re calling the New England Dog which is wrapped in bacon and slathered with baked beans and cheddar cheese.”

The Big-E is held at 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089
Phone: (413) 737-2443
Info@TheBigE.com

Great Idea!

2011-08-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

How cool is this idea for a place mat? Pizzeria Locale in Boulder, CO educates on the wonders of flour.

Singin' the Blues

2011-07-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Allow me to set the stage.

Dusk following a 95-degree day. Sitting around the screened-in back porch after a day of blueberry picking. Hands, chin and teeth stained indigo from the dark, sweet juice. Body tired. Fireflies blink in a field that has just enough light left to see the outline of three deer grazing on what are probably the flowers in my mother's garden. Lilies are popular snacks.

Hands sticky from the heavily-salted corn on the cob eaten for dinner. When, behold! The blueberry pie comes from the kitchen. So blue it glows, iridescent, jam-like filling clear and fragrant. Crust golden and still warm to the touch. We cut into it, crust flaky. Berries burst.

This is summer.

Jones Family Farms in Shelton, Connecticut is my place of choice for berry picking because they provide delicious recipes like this Double Blueberry Pie. It requires the use of a pre-made pie shell because, lets face it, who wants to use the oven during the summer when your bike is so fervently calling your name.

Elisabeth's Double Good Blueberry Pie

Jones Family Farms

3/4 cup sugar
3 tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 tbs lemon juice
1 9-inch pie shell, baked (they have great vegan crusts available)

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add the water and 2 cups of berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is thick, clear, and boiling. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and cool.

2. Place remaining 2 cups of blueberries in the pie shell. Top with cooked mixture.

3. Chill. Serve with a sauce of half yogurt, half sour cream if desired. (Or vanilla coconut ice cream!)

Photo by ComeUnDone

Vegan Onion and Parsley Dip

2011-06-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

Mmmmm, who doesn't love a dip? Creamy or cheesy, light or refreshing, smooth or chunky. Dips are fantastically diverse, fun to make and quite a staple at parties. Have you ever even been to a party that didn't have a dip as an appetizer? Didn't think so.

We are truly a dip-nation.

Let me share with you a new favorite of mine: The Vegan Onion and Parsley Dip. One of the best things about this is that you really don't need to measure your ingredients- just combine until it tastes good. Because this is best when the onions are caramelized slowly, it takes about 45 minutes to make. So grab a magazine and a glass of wine, chill out for a bit, and wait for a slightly sweet, oh-so-decadent dip for all of your cut-veggies!

Vegan Onion and Parsley Dip
As I said before, these are approximate measurements. It's pretty difficult to mess this up. Just remember to combine in small portions so you don't over-season.

4-5 big onions (Spanish works really well but any sweet yellow onion will do), sliced very thin

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini paste

lemon juice

dried or fresh parsley, chopped very fine

salt and pepper

Directions
Toss the onions in olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Pour the onions into a large skillet on low-medium heat and cover. Cook for around 45 minutes, giving the onions a good stir every 10 minutes or so. You want them to brown slowly. In the last 10 minutes of cooking remove the cover, stirring more consistently. They should have drastically reduced in volume, and be very sweet when tasted. Remove from heat.

If you like you can put the onions into a food processor for a really creamy texture, but I think they are so tender that processing is unnecessary.

Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well. Taste, and adjust your seasonings. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with carrots, red peppers, cucumbers...basically anything!

Exploring a Legend: The Fergburger

2011-04-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Traveling in New Zealand, I had heard whiffs of an epic burger joint whose sandwiches were both monstrous and tasty. I found the storied place in downtown Queenstown by following a long line of people spilling out onto the sidewalk. Both native New Zealanders and hungry travelers, laden with backpacks, were swarming the small store-front. Groups of people were exiting with huge, paper-wrapped bundles, smiles and half-crazed eyes plastered devilishly onto their purchases. This is Fergburger. A restaurant that elevates ordering a simple burger into a rite of passage for all Queenstown visitors.

I did not immediately indulge. Rather, I waited until my last day in Queenstown to taste the legendary food- a poetic departure from the most gorgeous place I had ever visited. As I grew closer to the front of the line, I recalled what my friends in the hostel had said about Fergburger. One man had been quite frank: "It's essentially a really big, really good burger." Another had said, "It is without a doubt one of the tastiest burgers you will ever have." And a particularly die-hard Fergburger fan described it simply as "Heaven. Gut-busting Heaven." I knew that I really had found the pearly gates when I saw there were two vegetarian options on the menu. I opted for the Holier than Thou, described as "Tempered tofu with a spicy satay, coconut and coriander sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, snow-pea shoots and aioli." It was delicious. The tofu was cooked perfectly, neither too rubbery nor soft, and the combination of Indian spices melded ideally with the coolness of the cucumber and pea shoots. And this burger was huge. Spanning well over the circumference of my whole hand. I desperately wanted to finish the entire thing in one sitting but I was barely able to nibble through half.

So is the Fergburger worth the fifteen-hour plane flight to New Zealand? Maybe not. But it's definitely worth the thirty-minute wait to get to the front of the line.

Happy trails,
Jenna Blumenfeld

Red Curry Soup with Rice and Kale

2011-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

All too often, my curries, soups and sauces turn out either under or over-spiced. When following a recipe I invariably disregard the section about measuring spices, and try instead to employ my fine "palate" to discern flavor requirements. Curries are especially difficult to spice accurately without a recipe because they have such a delicate balance of sweet and spicy; each flavor playing upon each other.

Leave it to vegan chef extraordinaire Isa Chandra Moskowitz to offer up a recipe for a fool-proof curry. The following soup uses a prepared curry paste, so you only have to measure one thing. There are no enticing dry spices like cumin or cayenne to add more of, so you have a warming, flavorful stew that is perfectly seasoned.

Red Curry Soup with Rice and Kale

From The Post Punk Kitchen

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced medium

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3/4 cups of basmati rice

6 cups of vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 bunch of purple kale, pulled from the stems and torn into bite size pieces

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can of lite coconut milk

1 tablespoon agave syrup

Juice of 1 lime

Directions

In a big soup pot, saute the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and heat for a little longer. Add the rice, vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil.

Lower to simmer and stir in the curry paste. Add the kale and the sweet potatoes and cover, simmering until the potatoes are tender.

Add coconut milk, agave syrup and lime. Adjust salt and curry paste for your tastes.
Let sit for ten minutes to let the flavors meld together. Serve with chopped cilantro.

Many thanks to the Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/) for this delicious recipe!

Flat White? Sweet As!

2011-02-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Flat whites are such treats! I have been traveling through New Zealand for the past two weeks, and apart from the scenery, the people and the deliciously warm summer weather, I have a new favorite coffee drink!

These insanely popular drinks from New Zealand are my new love and obsession. I simply cannot go a day without sipping the espresso-milk-foam combination. What makes it different from a latte you ask? Less foam, more charm, and without fail a cute little design on top that brings a little bit of art to a morning. I must learn how to make these lovely little buggers when I arrive home. Sweet as!

Power-Up Crepes

2011-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to wake up to 14 inches of freshly fallen powder this morning. Every road was closed, so what better way to celebrate this lazy, snowed in morning then to whip up delicious, healthy crepes for a day of cross country skiing.

The actual crepe recipe is from the cookbook, Vegan Brunch by vegan guru Isa Chandra Moskowitz. For the filling I used Greek yogurt, sliced bananas and a berry sauce, but honestly, the possibilities are endless. These would be great with a peanut butter and jelly filling, or for dessert, whipped cream and chocolate.

Power-Up Crepes

1 cup soymilk

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons agave nectar

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and mix for about 30 seconds. The batter will be watery and thin. Chill in the refridgerator for an hour. Preheat a crepe pan or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly spray with oil.

Pour a spoonful of batter into the hot pan, take off the heat and swirl to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until the batter has dried, around 30 seconds. With a thin spatula, peel the crepe off the pan, (this should be relatively easy), and flip it over. Cook for another 30 seconds. Slide onto plate. Fill with whatever you desire.

Berry Sauce

1/2 package of frozen berries

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon arrowroot

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir. Heat to medium. When the berries have broken down for the most part, and the mixture is thick, (around 10 minutes), let cool off the heat. Serve at room temperature.

And for your personal snow-day inspiration, a photograph of the winter wonderland. This ain't Aspen folks, its Connecticut.

Navigating the Gas Station Landscape

2011-01-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

It is well known that American gas stations are bounties of the most despicable, offensive junk foods on the continent. Where else can you find pork rinds, highly processed packaged cotton candy and Doritos 1st Degree Burn Blazin' Jalapeno Chips all in one place?

To the cross-country traveler, gas stations can either be a bane or a blessing. Snacking is an inevitable part of driving and road trippers can fall in the junk food trap, (and emerge at their destination bloated and significantly more cushy), or struggle to find healthier options. But despite the façade that gas stations only stock the most disgusting of snacks, looking closely reveals gut-reducing items for the road.

Pretzels are vital in the snacking world because they have zero fat. Their salty coating is satiating to any driver and they deliver an optimal crunch. Try Snyders Thin Pretzels rather than the Nugget size so you can feel fancy and delicate.

Gas stations will try to tempt you into a deal with their 40 oz soda cups for 60 cents. But don’t be swayed. Stay away from the sodas to steer clear of bloating into next year and to avoid severely impeding your drive by numerous bathroom trips. Opt instead for a Naked Juice. The Superfood flavor is packed with antioxidants, fruit juice and algae that restores both your body and your sanity. Can it prevent cabin fever? Perhaps. But it also just tastes delicious.

Amazingly, some gas stations have allowed several health-minded food companies to enter their sacred cathedral of salt, fat and sugar. Cliff Bars can be found nestled between the Hershey bars and Amy’s Burritos could be lurking in the fridge. One great snack product that is found near the pork rinds is Rocky Mountain Popcorn. Made in Colorado, the popcorn comes in a variety of flavors and has limited amounts of unpronounceable ingredients. Cheddar flavor tricks snackers into thinking they are being naughty. What is more, popcorn is the perfect size to throw a handful into hungry mouths.

And lastly, any substantial gas station will have a small basket of bananas and apples. Usually found near the register, the basic fruit is a no-frills way to fill the void of fresh, unadulterated sustenance. A welcome diversion from packaged foods…unless you count the banana skin as a package of course.

Country Fair Findings

2010-10-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

I give you a few pictures from a great country fair that took place this past weekend in Connecticut. Enjoy!

4-H club kids showing off their calves.

The lucky winner!

Cute little piglets, (not for eating!)

Perfect vegetable contests.

Blue ribbon brussel sprouts.

A tough judge inspects an entry for apple pies.

Some bunnies...

...and chickens, (again not for eating).

Beautiful nature artwork for your home or office.

And finally... a grilled white pizza. It sounded like a good idea but was actually quite inedible. Hmmm, maybe I should have stuck to the blue ribbon veggies!

Mushroom Foraging

2010-10-05T19:24:00.001-07:00

While walking after a recent rainstorm I spotted a peculiar object on the side of the road- a crazy looking mushroom... a giant puffball! And by giant I mean the size of my head. So intrigued was I with this object that I took a picture of it.

Imagine my surprise when later that day, I came across a New York Times article titled, "Fungus on the Lawn? Let's Eat!" The article encouraged readers to gather the mushrooms growing naturally on their property, and transform them into tasty dishes. Says author Ava Chin, "When I discovered a little softball-size beauty with a pure-white center last week at the College of Staten Island, I turned it into a stir-fry in garlic sauce. Once peeled, edible puffballs resemble buffalo mozzarella, and are rather pleasant."

As the locavore movement steadily grows, people have expressed interest in homesteading: caring for honeybees, gardening... cheesemaking. And while there is a certain type of panache to eating the gifts from the earth that sprout on your own property, frankly, mushrooms can be poisonous. A simple research of mushrooms reveals that while many are edible, there are just as many similar-looking ones that are deadly to eat.

So what's the lesson? Mushrooms are fun to find and look at. They are amusing. But try taking a Mushroom Foraging class before throwing lawn fungus into your soup.

'Round that Time Again

2010-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Step outside and take a sniff. No, take a deep wholesome inhale. And what do you smell? Cool, but not frigid air. The scent of red-tinged leaves on the verge of falling from their branches. You smell apples, even though there is not an apple orchard in sight. Autumn is on it's way.

And it is simply inevitable that Autumnal foods: pumpkin, acorn squash, apples, cinnamon and yes, candy, are craved by all. And though it may still be warm enough to take a quick dip in the pool, we start taking all of the fall-y food in stride.

I have posted these Carrot Oatmeal Cookies, courtesy of 101 Cookbooks, before. But as they are delicious, healthy and vegan, I am constantly trying to tweak the recipe to produce the best possible result. They are rich in spices, like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, and though they do not have a single apple-related ingredient in them, they scream "Fall!" due to their orange hue and cozy maple flavor.

So behold: The Pumped-Up Carrot Oatmeal Cookie
(adapted from 101cookbooks.com)
1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cups chopped hazelnuts

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, oats, carrots and hazelnuts. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the oil, maple syrup, honey and spices. Mix until combined.
Using a cookie scoop, place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch or two apart.
Bake on the top rack for 10-12 minutes, watching closely to make sure the bottoms aren't burned.

Food for Thought...

2010-09-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and congratulations to the winner who will receive lovely non-stick pans from the CSN website!

I currently write a column on how to travel when you are vegetarian on the fantastic travel blog, Farewell Travels. Check out my most recent article, Tour Companies Step Up to the Plate, to see how to travel effortlessly and still eat well!

Photograph of Chinese Dumplings from Wendy Wu Tours

Giveaway Time!

2010-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

So the folks at CSN stores happened to contact me to offer a $40 giveaway! The website offers everything from dutch ovens to wine decanters to patio furniture. So how to get this gift?

Simply take a look at the websites www.Cookware.com, www.allmodern.com, or www.csnstores.com, and make a comment below on what you would buy with the $40 gift certificate.

Happy shopping!

Candy Land Cake!

2010-08-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

Once again, I have been commissioned to create a cake for a 4-year olds birthday party. The theme? Candy Land!

I wanted to go above and beyond with this cake, so I bought fondant to make a smooth canvas over the chocolate and vanilla flavored cake.

I melted chocolate chips for the Chocolate Swamp, and used Peppermints to create a sort of castle. And of course, it wouldn't be a Candy Land cake without a Gum Drop Mountain Pass!

Without a doubt, every kid at the party left dreaming of a sweet, wonderful world where sugary surprises wait at every corner. At the very least, I hope they left with an uncomfortable, but oh so glorious sugar coma!

"Best" Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-20T07:51:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has ever made chocolate chip cookies claims to have the best recipe. Some people swear by their Great Aunt's secret family concoction that has been passed down for generations, while others will always follow the recipe on the back of the Toll House package. Finally, some home-cooks will search for hours on allrecipes.com, scanning the web for the most promising cookie photograph.

But when it comes down to it, the "best" chocolate chip cookies come from the pros. Baking aficionado Jacques Torres to be specific, via the Martha Stewart website if we want to get technical.

The recipe below yields crunchy, chunky chocolate chip cookies that are not overly sweet. I sprinkled large-grain sanding sugar on the raw dough before popping them into the oven because I was feeling snazzy.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the Martha Stewart Website

1 pound unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Perfect Brownies

2010-07-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems as though all the good food comes from Europe. France has its beignets, eclairs and crepes, Italy has its tiramisu and gelato, Belgium has its chocolate and waffles.

And America has what? Fast food burgers and delivery pizza?

With America's birthday a day away, it is fitting that our country should get more credit for its culinary contributions. Take the brownie for example. This tasty confection originally appeared at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and since then the recipe has been reproduced thousands, (shall I say millions?) of times since, both domestically and abroad.

This recipe, found on the fantastic blog, Smitten Kitchen, creates fudge-like, dense and delectable brownies, laden with chopped walnuts. While some people are fond of cake-like brownies, I say, if you are going to have a brownie, have a brownie.

So try Perfect Brownies for a stellar ending to a July 4th barbecue. Serve with strawberries and blueberries if you are feeling patriotic. But frankly, there is nothing more American than a brownie.

Perfect Brownies

From Smitten Kitchen

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cups walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a brownie pan with parchment paper

Combine the cocoa, sugar, butter and salt into a medium sized bowl. Using a double-boiler, melt the ingredients together, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and eggs, beating after each one.

Stir in flour.

Stir in walnut pieces.

Pour the mixture into the brownie pan and bake for around 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Salmorejo (Rustic Gazpacho)

2010-06-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

In Spanish, the word "Salmorejo" translates to "salmon colored broth." A perfect description for the pink-tinged, chilled gazpacho popularized by Spain.

Gazpacho comes in many varieties. From the chunky, veggie-filled type to the smooth, velvety liquid, to the unconventional fruit filled kind, it is the ideal food to have when the weather turns hot and sticky, and eating is the last thing you want to do.

As you can see from my last post on sangria, I am on a little Spanish cuisine kick. I think I am drawn to Spanish food because it exhibits a relaxed, casual sort of cooking that is lacking in modern American cuisine. Look at Bravo's television show, "Top Chef" for example. While we can all relish in the beauty of contestant plating perfection, the intricacies in which sauces are created, and the delicacy in which garnishes are manipulated, the truth of the matter is that the food is fussy and unrealistic.

But in Spain- the gloriously sun-drenched Spain- food is clear and clean, simple and beautifully delicious. The whole premise behind tapas, small plates that are meant to be shared, is to have a snack while you drink. A whole meal based on snacking and drinking? Count me in. And what is that you say? A siesta the next day? I'm in heaven.
Add "Salmorejo" and I've reached Nirvana.

Salmorejo
Recipe adapted from The Barcelona Cookbook, by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Pforzheimer
(I have reduced the recipe to serve 2 people instead of 4-6 people, and have altered it slightly)

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 medium-sized, ripe tomatoes, diced

2 slices of Portuguese bread, toasted and cubed

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups tomato juice

kosher salt to taste

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to drizzle

2 teaspoons paprika

More grilled bread, halved cherry tomatoes and black pepper for garnish

Directions
Run the tomatoes, red peppers, onion, garlic, bread and tomato juice through a food processor until it is almost-liquid. The mixture should still be a little chunky. Pour into a container.
Mix in the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Add salt to taste.
Refrigerate the container for at least 2 hours.

Serve chilled and garnish with the grilled bread, halved cherry tomatoes and black pepper.
You can pour it into a small glass like I've done in the picture for a chic little starter.

Sangria

2010-05-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

When people think of a barbecue, they think of grilled chicken, hot dogs, burgers, potato salad... maybe a bag of chips thrown in as well. Simplicity is key because the food must be potable and light on the wallet. But when I think of a barbecue, I think of sangria.

I first fell in love with sangria when I travelled to Spain to visit my sister one spring break. Though I was far too young to drink in the States yet, I took full advantage of the lenient drinking policies in Europe by ordering sangria with every meal besides breakfast.

In college I perfected the recipe by keeping the ingredients and technique simple, and letting time do its work. Lots of recipes call for sugar, but I think the fruit itself adds enough sweetness.

Drinking sangria is synonymous with summer, and eating wine-soaked fruit is refreshingly delicious.

Easy Sangria
2 bottles of red wine, good quality but under ten dollars

2 apples, sliced into tiny chunks

2 oranges, sliced thin

1 lemon, sliced thin

5 shots of triple sec

1/4 cup seltzer water

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions
This is as easy as it gets. Dump all of the ingredients above into a pot. Cover. Let sit at least three hours.
Add ladle and fancy glasses. Sit in sun and sip.

A Little Summer Poetry

2010-04-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a little poem I wrote about my favorite summer foods. Think of it as inspiration if you will.

Just Add Water
The birth of Heirloom Tomato,
Nestled in its milk-carton box,
Calls out to drooling mouths.

Seedlings lead me on
Though planted mere moments ago.
Water them please, more Water.

And though this morning is beautiful,
Blossoms bursting from all boughs,
I think of the day
when Heirloom Tomato grows.

Broccoli and Asparagus Pasta Salad

2010-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

After finding a box of whole-wheat penne that had been living in the depths of my pantry for over a year, I thought that it was about time to make a fine pasta salad. It is a shame that I don't make pasta salads more often because they are literally the perfect dish. Anything can be thrown in, and it takes almost no effort or technique. I had just returned from my local Co-Op the day before with a bunch of spring asparagus and a large of head of broccoli, so I knew that they were going in. I had also bought a small chunk of spicy, deep Argentine Parmesan, which added a nutty smokiness when grated over the top of the salad. Finely chopped olives mixed with dried herbs and olive oil made a salty sort of dressing that made the entire dish wonderfully satiating for lunch. I bet this would be even more fantastic with toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts.

But while this recipe is a good starting place, I advise to make up your own recipe, dictated by the ingredients you already have on hand.

Broccoli and Asparagus Pasta Salad

1 box whole wheat penne pasta

1 head broccoli

10 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 handful spinach

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano and thyme

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1/2 can pitted black olives, chopped finely

3 splashes of balsamic vinegar

grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Salt liberally. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally for 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add broccoli florets and cook on medium until they are browned but not burnt. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Set aside in a separate bowl.
In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of oil on medium. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add asparagus and herbs. Add splashes of balsamic vinegar and cook until tender. If the vegetables seem like they are sticking add a little water to the pan.
Finally, combine the pasta and cooked vegetables in a large bowl. Stir in chopped olives and the handful of spinach.
Grate cheese over the top. Either serve hot immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Bread: Finally Achieved!

2010-03-17T17:10:00.001-07:00

Ahh bread. The oldest, most basic form of human nourishment. I have always wondered how so few ingredients: flour, salt, yeast and water, can be so delicious and addicting.

After attempting to bake bread twice before, (and extremely disappointed with the results), I am happy to present the ideal bread recipe. No-knead technique, thick crust, soft insides and a large crumb contribute to a delicious, hardy bread. The recipe below is from Jim Lahey's My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. The fermenting period of the dough takes around 12-18 hours, so make sure to plan ahead! I assure you, the results will be worth it.

Basic No-Knead Bread Recipe

3 cups bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast

1 1/3 cups cool water

Cornmeal for dusting

Directions
Combine flour, salt and yeast in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour in the water, mixing until the dough is wet and sticky. Cover with a plate or cloth. Place the bowl out of direct sunlight, at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
When the dough has bubbles on it's surface, peel the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a clean dish cloth. Let set for 1-2 hours, until the dough has risen.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place an oven-safe pot into the center of a rack to heat.* (check note)
Use pot holders to remove the pot from the oven. Slip the dough into the pot, dust with cornmeal, and cover.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove cover, and continue baking until the bread is a deep brown color, but not burnt, around 15-30 minutes more.
Use a spatula to lift the bread out of the pot, and let cool for at least an hour until slicing.

*Due to lack of an oven-safe pot, I used a pizza stone sitting on top of a metal dish of water.

Thin Crust Pizza

2010-03-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

There is an endless war raging. Not between two countries but between two cities. New York and Chicago. Thick pizza crusts or thin. Now deep-dish pizzas are wonderful. The chewiness of the crust works when the toppings are piled high, and given the high walls of the crust; there is no worry that the cheesy toppings will slip off onto your unsuspecting pants.

That said, there simply is no comparison to a crispy, crunchy, almost burnt pizza crust that barely supports the light-handed amount of toppings. Indeed, crust is what makes the pizza. And with pizza dough so easy to make, there is no excuse for buying pre-made, chemical-laden dough, or worse, (cover your eyes!), a frozen pizza.

When you labor over your own pizza- observing the dough rise, stretching it onto a pan, shredding your own cheese, chopping your own vegetables- it is miraculously better than any pizza ever made in the history of pizzas. The labor of love is real, and you can sense it in your taste buds.

Pizza Dough (makes two crusts)
From Jim Lahey's My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method

3 ¾ cups bread flour, (all-purpose works too)

2 ½ teaspoon yeast

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ + a pinch teaspoon sugar

1 1/3 cups room temperature water

Extra virgin olive oil for the pan

Directions
Sift the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together. Add the water and mix with hands or a spatula, until combined. The dough will be slightly stiff. Place in a bowl and cover with a cloth for 2 hours.

After it has risen, gently pull the dough onto a floured surface and divide into two balls. Cover one of the dough balls with a damp cloth for 30 minutes, and put the other ball into an oiled freezer bag to use another time.

After 30 minutes, oil a baking sheet with olive oil very well. Stretch dough onto the sheet to the edges.

Pizza Sauce (for 1 dough)

1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

few dashes of red pepper flakes

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Smear all over the dough with a spatula.

Suggested Toppings
The sky is really the limit when making your own pizza, but here are some interesting ideas to get you started:

-For the pizza in the photograph, I shaved a good Swiss cheese, sliced half a yellow onion, and sprinkled chopped zucchini.

-Margarita Pizza: Buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes.

-Green Pizza: Pesto sauce, artichoke hearts, Parmesan shavings.

To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and slide the baking sheet with the dough and toppings in. Check after 15 minutes. It is ready when the edges begin to darken, and the center has cooked through.

Homemade Kombucha= Fail

2010-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

I mentioned several weeks ago that I was attempting to brew my own kombucha. But after viewing the unsightly SKOBY forming on the top of the tea, I realize that something has gone quite wrong. A healthy SKOBY has a smooth rubbery finish, and an even tan coloring. But the monster growing in my room has obviously been contaminated.

So this time my kombucha failed, but I will undoubtedly try again in the future. If anyone has any tips as to why my attempt went wrong please let me know!

Super Easy Tomato Soup

2010-02-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

Picture this: You return home from a long day, and boy, are you exhausted! You enter your house from the cold, snowy outdoors, and your hands immediately begin to thaw from the freezing air. Tired and hungry, there is only one true solution: hot, steamy, tomato soup!

In a perfect world, we would all have bountiful gardens, holding plump tomatoes and lively bright green herbs merely feet away from our kitchens. However, we are all busy, and in the dead of winter the tomato crop does not fare too well. Canned tomatoes are the next best thing to fresh. They are packaged at the peak of their ripeness, and if you choose a type that has no added salt, you have control over the levels of sodium in your soup.

This robust soup takes around 30 minutes from start to finish, and is superb when topped with a liberal dosage of goat cheese, shaved parmesan and a few strong dashes of black pepper.

Super Easy Tomato Soup

4 15 oz cans of diced, no-salt added tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 dash cayenne pepper

pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons almond milk (or regular milk)

2 tablespoons olive oil

big splash of balsamic vinegar

goat cheese and/or shaved parmesan (optional)

Directions
Heat olive oil in a big soup pot. Saute onions and garlic around 5 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Pour in the cans of tomatoes, and add the 1/2 cup of water and the milk to the pot. Stir in the spices. Simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with cheese and grounded black pepper.
Eat and be warm!

Homemade Kombucha

2010-02-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

After recently becoming interested in the process of fermentation in food, I am embarking on a project: making my own kombucha! A type of fermented tea that is often mixed with juice, I have been drinking kombucha for about a year. The fizzy drink is becoming incredibly popular in natural food stores, as it boasts great health benefits, and I usually drink a bottle a week at my local Co-Op. But after speaking with several individuals who make their own kombucha, I have not been able to get the thought out of my mind.

Below I outline the first steps in making kombucha, which takes around 3 weeks. In following posts I will divulge more information

To start the process you must first grow a mushroom-type object call a SKOBY. You will need:

1 large mason jar
cheesecloth and rubber bands
Organic white tea
1/2 cup Sugar (the kombucha will eat the sugar so don’t skimp!)
4 cups Water
1 store-bought bottle of raw kombucha

Directions:
Boil a large mason jar in water for 5 minutes to kill any bacteria that may already exist. As with any canning procedure, everything must be kept very clean. In a large pot brew 4 cups of organic white tea. I used 4 tea bags. Boil the water for the tea no less than 5 minutes to insure cleanliness. Allow the tea to completely return to room temperature.

Pour the tea in the clean mason jar with the cup of sugar. Finally, pour the bottle of raw kombucha tea into the jar, cover the top with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. Place the jar in a room-temperature location where it will not get disturbed for 3 weeks, until a disk-shaped SKOBY is formed.

The photo above shows a jar that I began last week, and you can see the growth forming at the surface already! Stay tuned for more!

Gas Station Rant

2010-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

After an extremely long car trip from Indiana to New Orleans and back, (talk about cramped legs!), my travel companions and I obviously had to stop numerous times at some of the finest gas stations the South has to offer.

Gas stations are peculiar places. Open 24 hours a day, at first they all seem different. The fancy ones cater to truckers, and contain spiffy knick-knacks such as pleather jackets and dragon dashboard sculptures. Some hold endless racks of hot-dog cylinders, slowly cooking the questionable-looking franks for undisclosed periods of time.

But after almost 26 hours of driving in one weekend, these gas stations began to blur together. The products and snacks found in the deserted aisles are identical. Hostess products dominate the endcaps; prime real-estate to catch the eyes of hungry drivers. Many products, (usually sweet confections and plastic wrapped baked goods), are labeled as allusions to the comfort of home and childhood, perhaps as a way to bring back the long lost memories of simpler times. But there is something strange and incredibly disingenuous to these products. My own grandma never packaged her cookies like Grandma's Vanilla Sandwich Creme Cookies does, and who is Little Debbie and why does she want to sell me her Honey Buns?

Food in gas stations is presented to Americans as more of a commodity than actual food, and it is just about as far removed from nature as possible. I recognize that when we visit gas stations we are often in a hurry, and not quite sure where we are, but is that excuse to completely sever our ties with our food's roots? If anything, gas stations have the possibility to feature local products from the region, in order to make each establishment something of a cultural site rather than a junk-food hell.

The endless rows of chemical-laden products do nothing to help our eating habits, and they are counterproductive to the healthy-eating practices, (for both our bodies and the Earth), that so many are trying to spread. For this reason, while the crazy food products are entertaining in their outlandishness, I suggest that you stock up on your own snacks before your next car trip.

Sweet Potato, Squash and Apple Soup

2010-01-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

A lazy Sunday afternoon calls for a lazy stroll to the nearby market, and a lazy recipe for soup. The following recipe is overflowing with the flavors of Autumn: butternut squash, apples, sweet potatoes and onion. Before trying the soup, I was convinced that it would taste peculiar, but because the majority of ingredients have a sweetness to them, it works wonderfully. The soup only has a hint of apple in it. Not to brag or anything, but my roommate Abbe said it was the best thing I've ever made. Success!!

Have a happy Sunday.

Sweet Potato, Squash and Apple Soup
From the cookbook, How It All Vegan

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

2-3 medium gala apples

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add stock, squash, apple, potatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. 2 ladles at a time, blend until smooth in a food processor or blender. Return to soup pot and stir before serving.

Perfect Pancakes

2010-01-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

For some crazy, insane reason that I cannot identify, I am almost a stranger to the delicious breakfast food known as pancakes. Perhaps I have never had the time nor patience to make the Sunday-morning staple, and shied away from the sickly sweet prepared dry batter that I see lining the shelves of the grocery store. (Rarely is the taste anything but horrible when a product claims to "Just Add Water").

But after receiving an outstanding cookbook for Christmas, Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, I vowed to tackle pancake making. Spending the last few days in Vermont proved to be the perfect opportunity to pull out the griddle when the weather dropped to a whooping 5 degrees.

I was pleasantly surprised with the whole process, as the recipe provided by Vegan Brunch asked for only a few ingredients, little labor more than whisking flour, and a slightly sweet, deliciously fluffy pancake!

Top these with a big drench of maple syrup. Hey, when in Vermont you have to take advantage of the staple product!

Classic Pancakes
By Vegan Brunch

1 1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup water

1 to 1 1/4 cups plain rice or soy milk

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat a skillet over medium heat for at least 2 minutes.
Sift all dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle and pour in all of the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Lumps are okay.
Spray the pan with a light coat of cooking spray. Pour pancakes one at a time and cook until bubbles form and the top looks somewhat dry (about 3 minutes). Flip over and cook for another minute. Stack on plate and serve.

Gingerbread Men

2009-12-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

There is no denying that Gingerbread Men are the ideal Christmas cookie. Their spicy dough, combined with the excitement of decorating them truly gets you in the holiday spirit. The following recipe is from one of my favorite vegan websites, theppk.com. PPK stands for The Post Punk Kitchen, and it provides a forum for vegans to share recipes, discuss policies, and post pictures of what they made. Not surprisingly, the site itself was founded by the author of Veganomicon, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, so you know that it is legit.

The Gingerbread Men I made were decorated with Red Hots and a simple icing consisting of confectioners sugar and water. Aren't they just the cutest little guys you have ever seen??

Gingerbread Men
From www.theppk.com

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup soymilk

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Directions:
Beat together oil and sugar for 3 minutes in a large bowl. Add molasses and soymilk. Stir together.
In another bowl, sift together all of the other ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches. Mix together with a firm spoon. The dough should be stiff. Mold into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your cookie sheets.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes with cookie cutters and gently place on cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let them cool for two minutes on a baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack. Wait until they are completely cool until icing.

Christmas Cookies: Apricot Thumbprints

2009-12-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm home at last for Christmas, the cookie baking marathon has begun. Some recipes will be vegan, others will not be, but all will be deliciously dangerous and will, without a doubt, make you want to crash a cookie exchange party just to show off your fine work.

Apricot Thumbprints were my grandma's specialty. They are a family favorite, and Christmas wouldn't feel the same without devouring a platefull of these small fruity cookies over the course of two days. I have a firm belief in passing traditional family recipes down through generations, so I left them non-vegan, in all of their buttery, eggy glory.

Though my mom and I can never make them as good as grandma could, the ones we made today came pretty close!

And one more note, I finally recharged my camera so expect the pictures of my baked goods to be exponentially better than the ones I have been posting!

Apricot Thumbprints

For Jam:
Chopped dried apricots
Sugar
Water

In a saucepan over medium heat, place chopped walnuts. Heat with sugar, adding small amounts of water as needed. Cook until the consistency is jam-like, and all the water has been evaporated. You should end up with about a cup of jam.
Set aside.

For Cookies:
1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, separated

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, in a separate bowl

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg yolk, butter, sugar and vanilla together. Slowly add in salt and flour until made into a dough.
Form dough into 1 inch balls.
Beat egg white slightly and place in a small bowl on the side. Dip each ball into egg whites and then roll into nuts. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Press thumb deeply into the center of each. Bake for about 12 minutes, until light brown. Remove from oven and fill with jam.

Christmas Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-14T11:01:00.001-08:00

What better way to celebrate the holiday season than sittin' down with some friends, flipping the Comcast to Christmas music, and building your very own gingerbread house?! After deciding that we had a craving to make a cookie abode, my friends and I searched for the perfect pre-made building supplies. But lo and behold, all of the gingerbread houses sold in Target were lame and chock-filled of nasty ingredients.

So off to MarthaStewart.com we went to make our own awesome houses. The cookies, the frosting and candy to adorn the houses were definitely not vegan, but gingerbread houses have got to have the stability to withstand the snowy winter wonderland decorations!

We found that the hallmarks of a fancy house were in the details. Pull 'N Peel Twisters make ideal bricks for a walkway when snipped into little shards. And Jujubee bushes really added to the house's landscaping.

Can you tell which house I worked on?

Quick and Tasty Chocolate Chip Bars

2009-12-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

The main reason why I love baking is not necessarily because of the end result. It is the process that I revel in. There are so many aspects in life that can be unpredictable and stressful. Lately I have found that the task of following steps is calming. Baking provides a departure from making decisions, an often difficult feat that all humans must make, and simply tells us what to do. When a recipe says "1 cup flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking soda", it means just that.

While I love being creative with desserts, sometimes you just want to make something straightforward and fast, with no added tricks or potentially stress-inducing fancy techniques.

These Chocolate Chip Bars from the cookbook How It All Vegan, are simple as can be. They are easy to make and quite speedy as well. But in a crazy way, they are extremely delicious and worthy of satisfying any baking urge.

Life can wait. There are Chocolate Chip Bars to be made.

Chocolate Chip Bars
From How It All Vegan

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup soy milk or water

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, including the sugar. Add oil, vanilla, milk and chocolate chips. Stir until just mixed. Pour batter into a 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes until you cut them into bars.

Gingersnaps a la Chez Panisse

2009-12-01T05:03:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving break, I stumbled upon a book called Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of A Food Revolution, by Thomas McNamee. In my ever-thirsty quest for food literature, I instantly became obsessed with the ideology of Alice Waters, the woman who literally began the now nation-wide obsession with using organic, local ingredients. The book tells the story of her restaurant Chez Panisse, which still stands in Berkley, California.

After coming across Alice Waters' recipe for Gingersnaps in her cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, I knew that I had to try it out.

Consequently, these cookies are not vegan. But they are truly outstanding- a classic. This is the gingersnap recipe that will go down in history. And what better way to celebrate the start of the holiday season than with a spicy, molasses-y cookie?

Gingersnaps
From The Art of Simple Food

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

11 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup light molasses

1 large egg

Sugar crystals for coating the cookies (optional)

Directions
Stir together the dry ingredients. Beat butter until soft and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat until combined.
Stir in vanilla, molasses and egg. Mix in the dry ingredients until the dough is smooth.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll each one into a log about 2 inches around.
Wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze the logs until firm.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice cookie dough into 1/4 inch rounds. Press one side firmly into sugar until coated completely.
Place sugar-side up on the baking sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes until deep-golden brown.
Let cool 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
I think these go great when dipped in milk or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Rich Vegetable Stock

2009-11-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Making homemade vegetable stock for the first time is always an event worth documenting. I used this stock in a Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie for Thanksgiving. Though you may be tempted to use a boxed veggie-broth, making it yourself will produce an exponentially more tasty outcome.

This recipe is from Gourmet magazine's "Resetting the Table" November Edition.

Rich Vegetable Stock

1/4 lb mixed portabella and cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 onion, left unpeeled and cut into wedges

3 carrots, cut thickly

1 red bell pepper, cut thickly

2 garlic cloves. coarsely chopped

4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs

3 thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

4 cups water

1 bay leaf

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss vegetables, garlic and herbs in olive oil in a large roasting pan. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
Straddle the pan across two burners on medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up the brown bits for 1 minute.
Transfer vegetables with juices to a 4-qt pot. Add water, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on and then discarding the solids.
Stock keeps, chilled, 1 week.

Singin' the Turkey Blues

2009-11-23T12:58:00.001-08:00

Last year, the task fell upon my sister and I to create an entire Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey, several side dishes, delicious desserts, wine and even a table scape. Though we had several incidents occur during our cooking ordeal, we were able to turn out a pretty impressive feast!

Read about our Turkey-saga on my sister's blog, (The Printed Thought), with instructions on how to cook your own perfect turkey!

Good Luck in all your Thanksgiving endeavors!

Angelic Apple Crisp

2009-11-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

Apple crisp, (referred to as apple cobbler by some), is a comfort dessert that takes little effort to make, but is always a pleaser. Pair this with some vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel if you are feeling snazzy. I also advise serving the crisp immediately after you take it out of the oven so the ice cream melts from the heat. And yes, this treat is suitable for breakfast as well as dessert.
(Picture from www.vox.com)

Angelic Apple Crisp
From How It All Vegan

6-8 apples, (I used Gala with great results)

1/3 cup apple juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup butter or vegan margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

dash of salt

dash of nutmeg

1 box vanilla ice cream, (or soy ice cream for vegans)

caramel topping (optional)

Directions
Core and slice the apples into small chunks. Place into a lightly oiled baking dish. Mix together the apple juice and maple syrup in a small bowl and pour it over the apple mixture. In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour, spices and butter. Make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the dry mixture. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the apples and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is browned and crispy.

Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

In my obsession with all things pumpkin this month, I am posting a recipe that will be of use to many in a few weeks: Pumpkin Pie! After my newly-formed vegan friend made this delicious cold-weather treat, I was so flabbergasted that it was made without animal products that I demanded to be sent the recipe. I was promptly directed to a fantastic website, www.thekindlife.com, that gives great tips on how to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. And bonus: the website just so happens to be produced by Alicia Silverstone! Who knew the former star of Clueless was vegan?

Now go get pie-faced.

Pumpkin Pie
From www.TheKindLife.com

1 can pumpkin puree, (16 ounces)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 package silken/soft tofu

1 9-inch unbaked vegan pie shell, preferably sugar-free

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend the pumpkin and maple syrup together. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 60 minutes.
Chill and serve.

Potluck Pumpkin Pizza

2009-11-12T14:55:00.001-08:00

For a potluck dinner recently hosted at my house, my roommate and I brainstormed a fall-esque recipe that would really impress our friends. Though we dabbled with the idea of make risotto, we were turned off by the idea of stirring over a hot stove for an hour.

We came up with what we called the pumpkin pizza. Sounds odd, but when you deliver this healthy, bright orange disk to a table chock full of great people, the "oooohs and ahhhhs" will come in droves.

Pumpkin Pizza
Serves 8
1 whole wheat, thin pizza crust (Find a good one in a natural foods store)

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 small gala apples, cut into thin slices

1/2 log goat cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat the oven according to the package directions on the thin crust. Smear a big layer of pumpkin puree all over the crust. Take sliced apples and layer them over the pumpkin. Sprinkle the walnuts over the pizza, making sure they stick to the pumpkin puree. Place the pizza in the oven, keeping an eye on it to prevent burning. About 30 minutes later, remove the pizza. Dot the entire pie with goat cheese while the pizza is still hot. Slice into 8 servings.

A Quick Word About Dirt

2009-11-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

Late last night, way past the hour that I should have eaten, I was fixin' for a good dinner. Having eaten pretty much the same thing the past few nights, I decided to cook a lovely, refreshing, hearty meal. So off to the supermarket I ventured, and found among other things, a beautiful, dark green head of leafy kale, on sale no less! Estatic about my find, I was so excited to steam it that I merely bypassed the washing phase of the process.

Now somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind there was a voice urging me to give this lettuce relative a good rinse. But in my zeal, it was promptly ignored. In went the kale with a saute of onions, garlic, lemon juice, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. A perfect combination if you ask me. There may have even been a clove or two of garlic in there also. But as I took that first bite of what I thought would be satisfying, my mouth was filled with the sediment-y, crunchy sensation one only knows as dirt.

To spare yourself the horror of ruining a perfecly good dish, I warn you, wash your kale!

Chickpea Kale Saute
(these values are loose and can be altered according to taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can chickpeas

1/2 red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch chopped and WASHED kale, (about 2 huge handfuls)

1 splash lemon juice

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 splashes balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium. Saute chopped onions until soft. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Dump can of chickpeas into saucepan. Add tomatoes. Cook for around 5 minutes. Add kale to pot. Add 1/4 cup water and lemon juice. Cover. Cook until the kale is completely wilted. Remove from heat and drain mixture. Place in bowl. Splash with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast

2009-10-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

(photo by www.noveleats.com)

Tonight I was chatting with a friend of mine who spoke of how she discovered something delicious to make for breakfast. She called it Pumpkin Oatmeal, and confessed that the reason she actually went to sleep at night was due to the prospect of eating a juicy meal in the morning.

She described that after she makes a bowl of plain oatmeal, she takes a spoonful of organic pumpkin puree and drops it over the hot grain. She then sprinkles brown sugar and cinnamon over it to seal the deal!

As the weather turns colder, trees morph into the colors of fire and, (with Halloween this weekend), jack-o-lanterns stare at me from every porch, I have been craving to bake something that has the intense spicy-sweetness of pumpkin. Except baking bread or muffins has just been out of the question with midterms this week.

Pumpkin Oatmeal will satisfy my wish to eat Autumnal food while ensuring that I will still pass my courses.

Now I'm excited to go to sleep tonight just to wake up. That doesn't say food-obsessed right?
Thanks for the recipe friend!

Homemade Granola

2009-10-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Granola is one of those foods that are so easy to make, but are almost always bought packaged. While there are countless great brands that make all natural, organic, and delicious blends of granola out there, (Galaxy Granola is my favorite when I don't have access to any machine resembling an oven), there is simply no excuse not to make your own when it is so simple and speedy. Not to mention that granola making is a fantastic avenue to express your creative side!

All sorts of fruit, nuts and seeds can be added to alter the taste and nutritional value. While there are many recipes out there that call for eons of sugar, I prefer my granola to be only slightly sweet. Honey takes care of that. The sweet-tooths out there may want to add a few tablespoons to the mixture.

Homemade Granola

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup honey

just enough olive oil to coat the oats, about 4 tablespoons

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar, (optional)

1/2 cup nuts (almonds are delicious)

1/2 cup raisins or other types of dried fruit

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine olive oil and honey in a small bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave. In another bowl, combine oats, spices and sugars. Pour the hot oil and honey over to coat completely. Stir in nuts, fruit or any other add-ins.

Spread oats into a greased cookie pan. Press gently. Place into the oven and bake until golden brown! Check often to make sure none of the fruit is burnt.

Serve with soy or almond milk, drizzled with a little honey. This would also great if it topped off a cup of Fage or Soy yogurt.

Inspiration

2009-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Are you bored and looking for a way to procrastinate? Perhaps you're looking for some vegan-inspiration?

Check out http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/.

A place where people post pictures of their positively pot-belly inducing concoctions.

'Nuff said.

The Runcible Spoon

2009-10-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

As a part time job, (read: weekend job), I work at a fantastic little restaurant called The Runcible Spoon. Named after a line in the poem, "The Owl and The Pussycat" by Edward Lear, The Spoon, as we call it, epitomizes the artsy progressive vibe my college town of Bloomington, IN is known for. The Spoon is commonly thought of as having the best coffee in town not only because the owners are nothing short of coffee- connoisseurs, but also because the beans are roasted on site, right in the restaurant.

The food is outstanding and real, and though they serve meat, there are several vegan and vegetarian options.

Below is an article I wrote reviewing them some years ago that appeared in the Indiana University student newspaper, the IDS.

A Home Away From Home
By Jenna Blumenfeld

Upon entering the house-turned-restaurant Runcible Spoon, I felt as though I had been invited there for dinner. My friend and I were invited to sit where we pleased; choosing a pair of worn armchairs snuggled in the corner of a room. The peppy hostess greeted us like we had been friends for years, and all of my anxieties of college life trickled away from me.

Rustic homemade meals are characteristic of Runcible Spoon head chefs David Nash and Matt O’Neil, harkening back to simpler days before fast food and all you can eat buffets. The ingredients in the lunch and dinner menus are quite simple and few, but they sure do pack a punch.

We began our meals with soup: I with the black bean vegetable, and my friend with the tomato garlic and basil. Served with lightly toasted, super-dark pumpernickel bread, our starters were brought to us promptly by our charismatic waiter. Though the black bean soup was decent, it lacked the zesty and sweet-spicy vigor of the tomato soup. Consequently, I kept mooching spoonfuls of the tomato soup from my friend, losing myself in its melting pot of flavors, while the black bean stood abandoned.

Our two entrees were equally delicious. Craving lighter fare, I went with the “Veg Plate”: a succulent blend of piping hot seasonal sautéed veggies, piled high over a bed of lightly fried potatoes, which tasted almost like the hash browns Runcible Spoon is famous for in its breakfast menu. The flavors of the vegetables worked well together, blending carrots, onions, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes that burst in my mouth when I bit them, releasing their fruity juices. The plate was topped with the freshly chopped basil found in the tomato soup, adding another dimension of character to the dish.

My friend ordered a burger for his meal. As savory and juicy as they come, layered with lettuce, onion and tomato; sandwiched between toasted buns, you wouldn’t even know it was a veggie burger. Entitled the “Spicy Black Bean Burger”, the hallmark of American barbeque cuisine is made over into a healthful, grease-free alternative that preserves all the rugged allure of its beef counterpart, without the gastro-intestinal sorrow. And for an astronomically low price of $4.95, we felt almost guilty for getting so much satisfaction out of the dish.

To finish off our dinner, we wallowed in the sexy, sultry richness of the Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake. Generously cut, the cake was drizzled with two different types of chocolate, and flanked by massive mounds of fresh whipped cream. Make sure to have a cup of in-house roasted, fair trade coffee the café-section of the restaurant serves, because you will need something strong to match the depth of the cake.

Though the food was outstanding, the eccentric character of the Runcible Spoon would keep me coming back again and again. Nowhere else do friendly conversations regularly leap from table to table nor do Celtic musicians hold their band practices in the side room. The people who eat there are fixtures of the restaurant, and it has true potential to be a home away from home.
END

So if you ever find yourself wandering through Bloomington, Indiana, starving and fixin' for a good meal, The Runcible Spoon is the place to go. Who knows, you might even bump into me!

Soy Crisp Mania

2009-10-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Despite how much I love natural, real food, sometimes there is nothing I want more than a massive handful of chips. I think its the salt that I crave, or maybe I just want junk food in general, but I am a chip-head at heart. Of course, regular potato chips can carry a bunch of processed, artificial ingredients in them that will make anyone have a stomachache.

And that is where Genisoy's Soy Crisps come to the rescue. With 7 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat per serving, ingredients with names like "soy flour", "cane juice", "onion powder" and "rice pieces", chip cravings can be fed without feeling like a heifer or a couch potato. They can be found in the natural section of any supermarket, in oodles of tasty flavors. Try the Zesty BBQ for a little spice. Want Chez-Its? Go for the Cheddar flavor.

For an out-of-world experience, pair these tasty morsels of delight with a bowl full of salsa. All you need is a TV and a DVD of Arrested Development episodes and your day will officially reach veg-out status.

Home In Cookie Form

2009-10-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

All cookies are great. Snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, maple walnut: who doesn't love a sugary, chunky blast of dessert? That said, the smell of the cookie that reminds me most of home is without a doubt, the coveted chocolate chip cookie. Classic and simple in the best sense, the cookie smell that emits from the oven brings me right back to my customary after-school snack. Even when I was in high school, coming back after field hockey or lacrosse practice to a nice, big chewy chocolate chip cookie will forever create a cozy feeling.

While I used to eat cookies with milk, these vegan chocolate chip ones taste the best with soymilk.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
From How It All Vegan

3/4 cups dry sweetener

1/2 cup margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1/2 cup oil

3 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir the sweetener with the wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop dough in spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are brown.
Eat and return home for a few minutes.

Vegan Diner for Activism

2009-10-05T19:43:00.001-07:00

In Indiana there is currently a large controversy surrounding the I-69 highway that is being built. Over 400 families have or will be evicted from their homes to make way for the new construction and 7,000 acres of land will be paved over. When two Bloomington, IN residents recently received extremely large tickets while protesting the highway, their friends decided to host a vegan diner to help cushion their legal costs.

I attended the "diner" (which was held in a local house) this Saturday, and was blown away by the deliciousness of the meal!

For $5 I was given a plate of scrambled tofu, pancakes, steamed kale, seitan sausage and unlimited amounts of coffee. So inspired was I by the brunch that I acquired my very own vegan cookbook later that day: How It All Vegan, by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer.

Below is a recipe for scrambled tofu similar to the one I so loved at the diner. I assure you, nothing tastes better than vegan fare with a cause.

Vegetable Tofu Scrambler
From How It All Vegan, makes 2 or more servings.

1/2 medium onion

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

splash of olive oil

1 package firm tofu, crumbled

1-2 tsp curry powder

pepper to taste

salsa to taste

2 stalks green onions, chopped

Directions:
In a large saucepan, add the onions and mushrooms to a splash of oil and saute on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Crumble tofu and add to saucepan. Add curry and pepper. Saute 10-12 minutes until moisture has evaporated. Add salsa and green onions and scramble on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Note: You could also add any other veggies!

Vegan Wines

2009-10-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

It is always surprising when I find out that some of my favorite items are not vegan. Take wine for example. We all know that wine consists of grapes and maybe a little yeast. But the process by which wine is made is usually non-vegan. Most wines use the bones of animals, ground up small, to fashion a sieve. The liquid is forced through to extract grape debris. While no one wants chunks of grape skins in their vino, the idea of a powdered skeleton coming into contact with my drink is not too savory either.

Whats a vegan to do?

Luckily, there are many brands of wine that use alternative strainers. Yellow Tail is absolutely fantastic because the company offers many types of wine, for around $6 per bottle. And there are many vegan options!!

To make sure your wine is vegan, visit this site: http://www.barnivore.com/wine.

Now drink up!

Vegan Month of October (VEGAN MOFO)

2009-10-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, I am partaking in a massive community event, called Vegan Mofo, to write about veganism for the month of October. While I will shoot for writing a little somethin' somethin' every day, lets face it, we all have lives outside the online world.

That said, expect news updates, new recipes, old recipes, cool photographs... basically anything that has to do with veganism is game.

I remind you that I am not a vegan, but a vegetarian. In the spirit of Vegan MoFo, I will attempt to be vegan for the Month of October. I am a little terrified of not being able to eat milk chocolate Halloween candy, or Jelly Bellies, (I have to double check if they have gelatin in them), but I'm pretty positive that I can relinquish my love of cheese for a mere 30 days.

Happy Mofoing!

Craz-E Burger is a Hit!

2009-09-28T05:27:00.001-07:00

Remember that hulking monster of a burger I described last week? The one sold at The Big E Fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts? The one with beef, cheese and bacon, all smacked between a doughnut bun?

Well what do you know, the Craz-E Burger has fair folk going insane. Sales for the burger are so high, that on the first day, chefs even ran out of doughnuts.

See footage of the brave few who tried to tackle the beast:
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=2eaf8d07-c5d6-477f-b55e-ed72b4763104

Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

2009-09-24T21:06:00.001-07:00

After visiting the farmers market one Saturday afternoon, I became smitten with the produce sold at the booths. Armies of butternut squash stood tall, while squat eggplants lingered nearby. Red peppers were large and beautiful, streaked with green slashes of color- hallmarks of their idiosyncrasy and charm.

To really showcase the goodies, my roommate and I constructed a glorious meal out of risotto, spiked with red wine, and paired with roasted vegetables. Pretty straight forward, but elegant in it's own right.

Try to roast the very best vegetables because their flavor will become concentrated and add immensely to the dish. We topped this with a smidgen of goat cheese to add a creamy depth to the meal.

Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

1 cup arborio rice

1 teaspoon salt

lots of freshly ground pepper

1 box organic vegetable broth

A few splashes of red wine

1 eggplant, sliced into chunks

1 butternut squash, chunked

1 onion, sliced and chunked

2 zucchinis or yellow squash, slices and quartered

2 red peppers, sliced and chunked

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dried basil or oregano

Organic, high quality goat cheese (optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place vegetables on a large baking sheet and massage with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and dried herbs over. Put in oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 cup of vegetable broth. When it comes to a boil, add arborio rice. Reduce heat to medium. Stirring constantly, keep adding more broth when the liquid is absorbed by the rice. This should take a relatively long time, around 30 minutes, but keep stirring! When the rice has absorbed ALMOST as much as it can, add a few splashes of wine for more flavor.
When the liquid is gone and the rice is tender with a slight bite, it is done! Serve in a bowl with roasted vegetables on top. Sprinkle goat cheese on the hot rice and vegetables so it melts a little.
Can you say yum?

The Craz-E Burger!!

2009-09-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Every fall in West Springfield, Massachusetts, something peculiar happens. Cream puffs as large as your head, gigantic eclairs and monumental chocolate chip cookies are sold at New England's largest country fair, The Big-E. This year, the fair will feature a whopping monster of a burger entitled The Craz-E Burger. Made with beef, cheese, bacon and a donut grilled in butter there is no question as to how the burger earned its name.

Is it vegetarian? No.
Is it vegan? Absolutely not.

But my oh my it is a fantastic exhibition of patriotic indulgence in the best possible way.

To get one in your own hands, the Big E takes place Sept. 18 – Oct. 4, 2009, (www.thebige.com).

Or if you can't get to Massachusetts, make one yourself!

The Craz-E Burger
As sold at the Big-E Fair

1 beef patty

American Cheese

Crisp bacon

Butter grilled glazed donut

Carefully slice the donut in half, lightly butter and grill. Add cooked burger, top with cheese and crisp bacon.
Place in between the donut halves.
No condiments are needed.

Birthday Carrot Cake!

2009-09-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

For my dear roommate's 22nd birthday, I created the most delicious cake I have ever made. She is not a huge fan of chocolate, so I turned to my trusty Vegan With a Vengeance cookbook for some advice. As I was flipping through the pages, I came across a picture of a big, bright orange slab of carrot cake, topped with coconut icing.

And so, off to the store I went, gathering the many items needed: crystalized ginger, maple syrup, pineapple juice...who knew that such a varied array of ingredients would combine into one perfect birthday baked good?

Though the original recipe called for macadamia nuts, I used hazelnuts instead. You would not think that a nut usually paired with chocolate would work in a carrot cake but did it ever!

I finished off the cake with some beautiful trail mix decorations.

Needless to say, this cake was a birthday miracle.

Ginger-Macadamia (or Hazelnut)-Coconut Carrot Cake with Coconut Frosting
As seen in Isa Moskowitz's Vegan With a Vengeance

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 cup pineapple juice (i used one with tidbits in it for juicy surprises)

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup macadamia nuts, (or hazelnut)

1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 cups carrot, grated

Almonds and dried cherries for decoration

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 round cake pans.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together.
In another bowl, combine pineapple, oil, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in small batches. Combine well.
Stir in nuts, ginger, coconut and carrots.
Divide the batter into the two cake pans and bake for around 40 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool. Put a layer of icing between the layers and on the outside of the cake.

Coconut Icing

1/4 cup Earth Balance Butter

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup unsweetened coconut

Almonds and Dried Cherries

Directions
Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add coconut milk and vanilla. Add sugar until smooth.
Toast the coconut in a 350 degree oven until light brown. This will take about 10 minutes.
Press the coconut on the top of a frosted cake, and decorate with almonds and dried cherries.

Strawberry Pie

2009-09-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, simplicity is beauty. For my roommates and neighbors, making a strawberry pie one mellow Saturday night was a bomb way to rejoice in the uncomplicated taste of late summer.

This pie features strawberries, (which are quite cheap now that the season is ending), and all you need to bring out their flavor is sugar. Really!

I don't possess a food processor, and I wasn't about to try and make my own pie crust without one. So frozen crusts were used instead, making this a cinch to whip up.

Strawberry Pie

2 quarts strawberries, quartered and hulled

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 pie crusts

Directions
Preheat oven to 450.
Put the cut strawberries in a bowl with the sugar and let sit for 1 hour. Drain juices.
Add cornstarch.
Pour filling into 1 crust.
Cover with another crust, cut two slits with a knife.
Bake 25 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 400, and bake for 30 more minutes, until filling is bubbling.
The end!

Banana Bread

2009-08-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Every time I make banana bread, it is such an impromptu and spur the of moment decision. Without even thinking, when I see a banana that is way past it's prime, I shove it in the freezer. Eventually an arsenal of seemingly unusable brown bananas grow, and they are like ugly ducklings just begging to be transformed into something beautiful. And everything about banana bread is beautiful. The gentle splitting of the top of the bread as it bakes, the flecks of brown dotting the inside of the bread, and, if you add them, the luscious shine of the chocolate chips.

I found the following recipe on the blog, Smitten Kitchen. Adding a splash of bourbon was optional, and I wish that I had had some on hand to try. However, it is delicious without it. I also used 1/4 cup olive oil instead of the 1/3 cup butter the recipe called for.

Banana Bread
From the Blog, Smitten Kitchen

3-4 ripe bananas

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon, (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate chips (I added these)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a wooden spoon, mix mashed bananas with the olive oil. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon if using. Mix well. Add the spices. Sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the mixture. Add the chocolate chips. Mix in the flour. Pour into a greased bread pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, until a wooden tester comes out clean.
Cool and devour.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Stealthy Pumpkin Muffin sits quietly, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Though there are many recipes calling for pumpkin, few are capable of leading the pack as well as the one found in the cookbook, The Food You Crave. The muffin's dark, deep brown color, usually indicative of a nut-bran muffin, camouflages its true deliciousness. But fear not food adventurer, this breakfast goodie is unique with its earthy, spicy flavor.
Indeed, like a lion stalking its prey, it will lure you into the kitchen with it's addictive aroma.

Have a wild morning!

Pumpkin Muffins
From Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup canned solid-packed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat milk (+ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds (optional)
Sanding sugar (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
Whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil and one of the eggs until combined. Add the other egg and combine.
Alternate the flour mixture with the milk mixture, stirring each time more flour is added, until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins about 2/3 full.
While the recipe calls for topping the muffins with pumpkin seeds, I opted for sanding sugar!
Tap the pan several times to remove air bubbles.
Bake around 20 minutes.
Serve while still warm!

Cake Decoration!

2009-08-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Question: What is the best cake to make for a 3-year old girl's birthday party?

Answer: A Dora The Explorer Cake of course!

After being commissioned to decorate a birthday cake for a little girl I babysit, I got a chance to unleash my inner "Ace of Cakes". Though it took over 3 hours, I am quite pleased with the result! Be advised: this cake is about as far away as a cake can get from being vegan. But if it made a little girl smile, I don't think it matters.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2009-07-24T05:31:00.001-07:00

There has always been something so clean and new about breakfast. What other part of the day has the consistent feelings of possibility? With so many hours ahead before the next nightfall.....

No.

I doubt any morning is actually that idyllic. Usually I can't function like a normal human being before downing a big mug of coffee. Imagine for a moment: blinded by the lights of your kitchen, groggy from the previous night's spotty sleep. And then, with the blessed beep of the coffee machine, signaling that the coffee is ready, comes salvation. Coffee invigorates, coffee wakes. Good coffee is an essential ingredient to a good morning.

Of course, to get the most out of your coffee, you must have the perfect muffin. Blueberry picking is a summer tradition in my family, and with so many extra blueberries lying around, we have had the time to develop and fine-tune some truly outstanding recipes that showcase the fruit. The one below is one of my favorites.

Lemony Blueberry Muffins
makes around 15 muffins

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

3/4 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper cups.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
In another bowl, combine sugar, milk, oil, extract and vinegar. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients to the wet until just combined, do not overmix.
Fold in berries gently.
Fill the muffin cups about 2/3rds full.
Bake until golden brown, around 23 minutes. Check after 20 minutes because oven temperatures vary!

Orzo Salad

2009-07-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

I am the last person to deny the world more sweets, but once in a while I crave a delicious savory dish, vegetarian of course.

My Mom would agree with me, that after a long hectic day, nothing is more relaxing and satisfying as watching the Food Network for a show or two. Although I regret to have fallen into the national obsession with Giada De Laurentis, no one can deny that her recipes are chic in a casual, understated sort of way. Take the Orzo Salad for instance. In an episode based around alfresco dining, the salad represents the truly great, yet simple, way in which modern cooking can be fast, easy and divine. In this recipe a smaller amount of olive oil was used for a less "wet" texture.

My Mom is the guest chef for this post, so she takes all the credit for making the Orzo Salad!

Orzo Salad

4 cups chicken, (or vegetable!) broth

1 1/2 cups orzo

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Bring the broth to a boil over high heat- stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until tender, around 7 minutes. Drain orzo an transfer to large bowl. Toss orzo with beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot or cold, preferably outside.

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

2009-07-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

As a pastry chef-in-training, I am bound to produce some truly horrific creations from my oven. Last week, in an attempt to bake Heidi Swanson's "Carrot Oatmeal Cookies" on her blog, 101cookbooks.com, I made a little mistake. In the recipe, she called for the ingredient, Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. In my kitchen I had whole wheat flour. I also had pastry flour. But I did not have whole wheat pastry flour. Not to diminish the nutrition of the cookie, I decided to use the plain whole wheat flour. Consequently, my punishment was a dry, crumbly mound of ingredients that were more health pellets than cookies. Though the flavor was there, the consistency was just awful.

And so, as with anything in life that goes wrong, I decided to learn from my mistakes and try again. I used all-purpose flour this time, with painstakingly precise measurements of the wet ingredients. I followed the recipe quite accurately with the exception of almonds for walnuts and olive oil for coconut oil and was rewarded with a soft, chunky cookie, just slightly sweet. Sure they are still healthy, but now no one has to know.

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded carrot

2/3 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and oats together. Add carrots, ginger, nuts.
Combine the oil and syrup together and pour over flour mixture. Stir until combined and the wet ingredients are incorporated.
Drop rounded tablespoon-fulls of the batter onto parchment-paper lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cowboy Cookies Revised

2009-06-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

After discovering that she had an allergy to dairy, my sister Julie created perhaps the most delicious, albeit addicting, cookie I have ever encountered. Though the original recipe can be found on the Martha Stewart website, the recipe below calls for coconut oil in lieu of butter. Coconut oil is an ideal substitution for butter because it can be traded for the exact same quantities. Because coconut oil is, like butter, a solid at room temperature, it must be slightly melted in a microwave before being mixed. In effect, the cookie emits a slightly tropical, ethereal smell in the kitchen while baking, conjuring images of a Hawaiian bakery. In my much idealized cookie fantasy, I can almost hear waves crashing in the distance and after a day playing in the surf, what could be better than a coconut-infused confection? Well, nothing of course.

Cowboy Cookies, With Coconut Oil

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

8 oz coconut oil, slightly melted

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

6 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch chunks (1 cup)

3/4 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with parchment and spray parchment with cooking spray.
Sift flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl.
Beat the coconut oil and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined.
Using a 1.5 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11-13 minutes. Let cool.
Serve on a beach, preferably on a palm leaf.

My First Catering Job!

2009-06-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, I do not know if this technically qualifies as a catering job because I will be employed by my father for his book party, I will not be paid and I just about begged him for the opportunity. However, I am excited nevertheless because I will be making dessert for around 30ish people!

Dad, who is a publicist in the outdoor industry, recently completed a book entitled, You Want to Go Where? which both outlines how to gain funding for expeditions through experiences he has encountered in his line of work. To celebrate the release of the book, there will be a cocktail party at the house!

Upon brainstorming how to feed a large amount of people as easily as possible, I concluded to make cupcakes. Not only because they are currently my favorite baked good, but they also eliminate the complication of plates and forks. To top it off, I recently inherited a full set of professional cake decorating supplies, and I would love to break them in.

So, like a real caterer, I took orders from my Dad. Vanilla on vanilla was the choice for the batter and the frosting, while the decorations were left up to me! I'm thinking something to go along with the "exploring" theme. Maybe tiny marzipan figures of cameras, or perhaps I could convince my Dad to let me make blue icing, and pipe on continents so the cupcakes form mini globes. If all else fails, I will buy a bunch of "around-the-world" toothpicks with flags, and stick them onto the tops- just like an explorer at the top of a snow-peaked mountain!

Stay tuned for pictures and recipes!

Rhubarb Pie- Straight From the Garden!

2009-06-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

While taking a stroll through my Grandmother's garden, I came across a spectacular undergrowth of rhubarb plants, growing wild and abundant. Their gleaming red, sturdy stalks were not obscured by their wide, fan-like leaves, and the sheer size of the plant inspired me to bake what I used to hate: Rhubarb Pie!

Notorious for its sour, bitter taste, as a child I shied away from the odd-looking, tough vegetable. But when sweetened with sugar and enclosed in a flaky crust, something magical happens.

I obtained the recipe from a 1970's version of the Betty Crocker Cookbook, and added my own adjustments to veganize it. The recipe I used calls for 3 cups of chopped rhubarb, so thankfully it grows like a weed.

P.S. When this was finished, I may or may not have gone at it with a fork.

Fresh Rhubarb Pie

Oil Crust for a 8 Inch Pie
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2-3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:
Measure the flour and salt into a bowl. Add oil, mix until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the flour is moistened and the dough almost cleans the sides of the bowl. (If dough seems dry, 1-2 tablespoons of oil can be added in addition). Gather the dough together and press firmly into a ball.
Shape the dough into a flattened round. Place between 2 strips of parchment paper.
Roll the pastry 2 inches larger than the inverted pie pan. Peel off top paper and invert the crust into the pan, easing it in slowly. Peel off top paper and finish the edge with your fingers. Set aside.

Pie Filling
1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel

3 cups cut-up fresh rhubarb

1 tablespoon Earth Balance Spread

Directions:
Oven to 425 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar and orange peel. Pour half of the rhubarb into the pastry-lined pan. Sprinkle with half of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining rhubarb and sugar. Dot with Earth Balance. Cover the edge with a 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
Bake 40-50 minutes or until the crust is brown and juice begins to bubble.

Chocolate Almond Cookies

2009-06-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Tucked deep within the East Village in New York City, there lies a fantastic little vegan restaurant called The Candle Cafe. Coveted by carnivores and plant-lovers alike, the menu specializes in creative and high caliber cuisine that is rarely found in vegan dining. So imagine my excitement when, browsing through my local bookstore, I found The Candle Cafe Cookbook, on sale for 25% no less!

The book's recipe for Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies seemed intriguing to me because of its simplicity and decidedly rich ingredients. I thought they would be perfect with a glass of vanilla soymilk for a little midnight snack!

The recipe calls for egg replacer, so I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to attempt to create my own "egg" with ground flaxseeds and water. I had read that when whisked vigorously, the flaxseeds adopt a gelatinous texture that mimics egg properties. In addition, though the recipe contains macadamia nuts, I decided to use chopped almonds instead- any Almond Joy fanatic will tell you that nothing can beat the chocolate-almond combination! So although the recipe is slightly altered from what you would find in the Candle Cafe, the cookies are pretty darn delicious!

Chocolate Almond Cookies
makes around 18 cookies

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup chopped raw almonds

1/2 cup soy margarine

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/2 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the ground flaxseeds and water in a cup, whisk furiously for 5 minutes, until slightly syrupy and thick. Whisk together the margarine, soymilk and vanilla extract to the seeds. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the salt, flour, sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to this mixture.
Using a small ice cream soup or tablespoons, drop mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake 15-18 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2009-05-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

It is a shame that pumpkin is used only in the fall. With such availability it has in grocery stores in canned form, the sweet, spicy fruit can, and should be enjoyed all year round. Not to mention fruit purees have the added benefit of upping the vitamin and mineral content of any baked good.

While the pumpkin-chocolate combination is usually found in muffins, (and I won't deny it, this recipe produces one of the more dense cupcakes in "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World"), with a bit of Cinnamon Icing this makes the perfect dessert on any night. Of course it isn't too bad for breakfast either.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
makes a dozen

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir pumpkin, oil, sugar, soy milk and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork until just combined. (Don't overstir!). Fold in chocolate chips. Fill liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake 22-24 minutes.

Cinnamon Icing

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine, melted

1 tablespoon soy milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together all ingredients until the mixture is opaque and dark brown. Once the cupcakes are cooled, squiggle the icing across the top in decorative patterns.

Mocha Cupcakes!

2009-05-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

More often than not, it can be a daunting challenge to find a vegan cookbook with solid recipes that do not call for obscure, expensive ingredients. Though I love agave nectar and brown rice syrup as much as the next vegetarian, they are extremely pricey and often times, hard to find. (Although many supermarkets are now noticing the trend in wholesome eating and including a natural foods section).

However, after recently coming across vegan culinary genius Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbook, "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World", I was astounded with the goldmine of relatively easy, creative recipes that use ingredients found in any home, vegan or not. From your basic Chocolate Cupcake to a very promising Mucho Margarita Cupcake, there is literally a tasty little treat for everyone.

The recipe below is for the Mocha Cupcake, which appealled to me due to my love of mocha lattes and chocolate covered espresso beans. These are topped with a decadent chocolate ganache, which reminds me of the chocolate drizzle my favorite barista pours over my latte!

Mocha Cupcakes
makes around 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup cold coffee

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with foil or paper cups.
Whisk soymilk, coffee, and vinegar in a large bowl. Let curdle. Add sugar, oil and extracts. Whisk until frothy.
In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and espres powders together. Add to wet ingredients.
Beat until there are no large lumps.
Fill liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Ganache

3 tablespoons soymilk

2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3 chunks of unsweetened chocolate

Heat soymilk in the microwave about 20 seconds. Whisk in powdered sugar. Drop in chocolate. In 20 second intervals, heat and stir mixture until all the chocolate has melted and the consistency is smooth. It should be thick and very chocolatey, adjust ratios of ganache accordingly. Spread or drizzle on cooled cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

2009-04-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Cups are by far the very best candy around. There is nothing that can top the smooth, melt-in-your mouth interior of the peanut butter when combined with the first solid, and then gooey ridges of the chocolate. In an effort to recreate the iconic candy in cake form, I experimented with making a peanut butter frosting.

About 98% of the recipes I encounter for vegan frosting include ingredients such as non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance. While this may have the same consistency of butter, I think using butter-substitutes is cheating. My theory about vegan eating is eliminating the unnecessary chemicals and animal products from a diet. Who wants to eat something that is processed and definitely not found in nature?

The cake itself is very vegan, very chocolate, and very tasty. I apologize for the lack of picture, but I smoothed the frosting on only the top of the cake when it was completely cooled, and sprinkled it with slivered almonds. It looked gorgeous if I don't say so myself!

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Cake:

1 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients except sugar together. Combine the wet ingredients including sugar in another bowl. Add both mixtures together and stir.

Bake for around 30 minutes in a round cake pan. This time will be 15 minutes if you are making cupcakes.

Frosting:

1 cup of smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

equal parts oil and water

Combine the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla extract together. Add equal parts oil and water in small increments to the mixture until the consistency is smooth but will hold.

When the cake is completely cooled, spread the peanut butter frosting on only the top of the cake, sprinkle with slivered almonds. Crushed peanut butter cups would be delicious also, but keep in mind that they are not vegan.

Abbe's Apple Crunch Delight

2009-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

The following recipe is a creation from my fellow-dancer friend Abbe.

It is no secret that the combination of nuts and apples is such a classic and time-tested duet of flavors. (Just think of peanut butter and apples). By adding a smidgen of cinnamon sugar and honey, there is a pleasant sweetness drawn out of the apples that makes the perfect healthy dessert. A bit of oats makes this reminiscent of an apple pie, without the guilt inducing butter.

Abbe's Apple Crunch Delight

Topping

2 cups of mixed nuts (pecans, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds)

1 cup oats

1/4 cup almond milk

4 squares of graham crackers

Drizzle

Extra oats

3 tablespoons honey

Filling

2 chopped Fuji apples

3 tablespoons cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse topping ingredients in a blender or food processor to a mush-like texture.

Take apple chunks and coat in the cinnamon and sugar.

Grease a 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour apple mixture into the pan.

Pour the "mush" over the apples. Top with "Drizzle" ingredients.

Place the cake pan in the oven and bake for around 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender and browned.

Serve warm and a la mode.

Chocolate Orange Scone Cookies

2009-04-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

In an effort to prepare for the upcoming Easter weekend, I wanted to get a head start on my sweet tooth mania. After acquiring a delicious bag of Dove dark chocolate nuggets and a big bag of quick cooking oats, I decided to do a little improvisation on a recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance.

The result was a hybrid between a cookie and a scone, hence, the creation of the scone-cookie. The baked good is not as dense as the traditional scone, but definitely as flat as a cookie. I do enjoy the hard, crunchy coating because it easily allows the eater to pull off the top, much like a muffin cap, (which everyone knows is the best part).

Though these are peculiar goodies, I think they are an eclectic addition to any brunch get together, and will have guests pondering with amazement how such a texture could have been achieved.

Chocolate Orange Scone Cookies

makes around 15

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup quick oats

1/4 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons grated orange

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 cup chopped dark chocolate

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.

Add the almond milk and the lemon juice together. Let sit for 5 minutes.

In large mixing bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder, oats and salt. Add the milk-lemon mixture to the dry ingredients. Add orange zest, vanilla extract, oil and applesauce. Stir in dark chocolate.

Place tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake around 20 minutes, until golden brown. Keep an eye on them so the bottoms do not burn!

Bake for around 20 minutes.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2009-04-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

It is rare that any type of butter is ever in my refrigerator, let alone a large block of it staring me in the face. Leftover from the Birthday Frittata ingredients, I wanted to use up the butter in a delicious, tried and true cookie recipe.

After researching several recipes, I thought, who better to create a butter-based cookie than Food Network's one and only Paula Deen! I was partial to Mexican Wedding Cookies not only because of their melt-in-your mouth texture, but because they require very few ingredients. Her recipe calls for 1 cup of finely chopped pecans, but I omitted them so nothing would get in the way of them dissolving in my mouth.

Don't you feel more Latin already? Ole'!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

yields 2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter

1/2 cup confectioners sugar plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add in the vanilla while stirring the mixture. Gradually add in the flour and stir until combined. The dough should be sticky, but mine was a little too dry at this point so I added a tiny splash of milk.

Form 1 inch balls from the dough, and place on a greased cookie sheet. They hardly spread so they can be spaced relatively close together.

Bake for around 40 minutes until golden.

When they are cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in confectioners sugar to coat.

Bacon Cheddar Birthday Frittata

2009-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Although I advocate baking vegan, sometimes a full on indulgence is a very good thing! My roommate is not very into sweets, so for his birthday my friend Abbe and I decided to make him a bacon cheddar frittata! Although this was my first time making both bacon and a frittata, it turned out to be quite a success! Both savory and fluffy, this egg-based dish will hopefully hit the spot whenever my roommate pines for something delicious.

Happy frittata-ing!

Bacon Cheddar Frittata

serves many!

1 dozen eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 a red onion

4 baby yukon potatoes

1 package of bacon

1/4 cup cooking oil

6 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top

1 1/2 tablespoon sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon pepper

Grease a casserole dish VERY well with cooking spray and butter.

Heat the oil and 3 tablespoons butter on medium high heat in a large skillet. Place bacon strips in the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Remember to flip them during the cooking process so they are evenly browned. Remove strips with a spoon and let drain on paper towels.

Crack all of the 12 eggs into a large bowl. Whisk in the milk and add the cheddar. Whisk all the ingredients together until well blended. Add salt and pepper to the mixture.

Pour out some of the bacon oil, and add the remaining butter. Chop the onions and potatoes into bite-size pieces and add to the skillet. Saute for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes have browned and crispy edges.

Add the potato-onion mixture to the egg mixture. And then pour everything into the casserole dish. Place dish into a 350 degree oven. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the egg has set.

Serve while still hot!

New Baking Technique for Vegan Brownies!

2009-04-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I was extremely excited earlier this week when I discovered a new technique for baking vegan goodies on one of my favorite blogs, Cookie Madness. So intrigued was I with this new method that I immediately went down into my kitchen, took out my baking supplies, and tried it out, no matter that this was at 8 o'clock in the morning, and I was nearly late to my class.

While these bars are more cake-like than brownie-like, they come out rich in chocolate, and are relatively healthy due to the lack of eggs, milk or butter in them. In fact, baked in a round pan and slathered in frosting, the recipe could easily double as a birthday cake!

Without further ado...

Vegan Brownies (Adopted from Cookie Madness)

serves around 16

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a brownie pan very well.

(The new technique part comes next)

Place 1/2 cup of flour and the 1 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the mixture becomes thick and gluey.

Stir together the sugar, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add oil and vanilla and stir until well mixed. Add the gluey flour mixture and stir. Add the rest of the flour and nuts and chocolate chips if desired.

Pour the mix into the pan and bake for around 25 minutes.

Let cool and cut into bars!

Apricot-Coconut Scones

2009-03-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

Scones have never been a big deal in my family. We are definitely muffin people. However, after flipping through a relatively new vegan cookbook, searching for something new to bake, I came across a simple scone recipe- very few ingredients, and room for variation. Here was my chance to bake my very first scone!

Rather than the super-sweet, overtly fat-laden muffins we come across so often, a scone is more like a biscuit: crunchy exterior and soft and flaky inside. The recipe, adopted from Vegan With a Vengeance, was for a plain scone, so I jazzed it up with apricot pieces and coconut shavings, lending a tropical flavored result. In the future I would like to try these with coconut oil and macadamia nuts to up the Hawaiian factor.

Apricot-Coconut Scone

makes around a dozen and a half

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling on top

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy creamer (or soy milk)

3/4 cup soy milk plus 2 teaspoons apple cider or fig vinegar

1/4 cup dried apricot pieces

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Oven to 400 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, dough should be clumpy, not sticky. Fold in coconut and apricots.

Drop by 1/4 cup spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Pat down the top into a desired shape. Bake 12-15 minutes, until browned on bottom and firm on top.

Italy in the Morning

2009-03-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

While I am a raging fan of big, soft, chewy cookies, sometimes they do not hold up so well when dunked in my boiling cup of coffee or tea. Because I cannot imagine that I am the only one who hates drinking coffee with big chunks of soggy cookie floating around in it, (although if debris had to be in my coffee than cookies would probably be the best thing), I yearned for a stiff, crunchy goodie that could hold up to my java. Biscotti's were the perfect answer.

"Biscotti" is the Italian word for "biscuit", and it originated from the Latin derivative, biscotum, which means "twice-baked". Baking the dough twice is a hallmark of biscotti, because not only does it make the end result crunchy and stiff, ideal for softening with a hot drink, but they can be stored for a remarkably long period of time.

I found an outstanding biscotti recipe from Elie Krieger's cookbook, Food You Crave. Unlike most cookie recipes, this one contains no butter. Though she does make these relatively healthy by using olive oil instead, I wanted to see if I could make them even more wholesome. I replaced all but 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 cup of pure applesauce, and used only an egg with a yolk and an egg white, (which was PLENTY, have the flour ready because this dough is sticky!). Finally, I omitted the chocolate chunks, using a good quality trailmix with lots of nuts and dried fruit in its place.

The end result was quite stunning. A perfectly golden brown, colorfully speckled stick that wonderfully soaked up my coffee, and gave my breakfast an Italian twist. Ciao Bella!

Trail Mix Biscotti

serving size of around 30

1 1/4 cups unbleached flour

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup applesauce

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of dried fruit, pumpkin seed and almond trail mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, besides the trail mix. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, including the orange zest.

Mix together both bowls, stir in trail mix. If the dough is very very dry, add a small splash of almond, soy or cow's milk.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead several times. Shape into a log about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Put out on wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.

With a serrated knife, cute 1/2 inch diagonal slices. Arrange cut side down on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake biscotti until golden, for about 10 more minutes.

Cool and serve with a big cup o' joe.

Midnight Baking

2009-02-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Due to a recent bout of insomnia, I baked up a storm in my kitchen from 2AM to 6AM. While I made a total of four different cookies, (one batch of which was a complete and utter disaster), the majority were pleasant, despite the half-awake state they were created in.

Quite surprisingly, the most successful cookie made was found not in a high-end cookbook, but on the back of the whole wheat flour bag. The Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie recipe was not vegan, so I replaced the required egg with a well-mashed ripe banana. Though the technique of using a banana instead of an egg may sound odd, the cookies bind together extremely well, have added health benefits of potassium, and create an almost indistinguishable hint of fruity flavor that enhances the orange zest. In addition, I used margarine instead of butter, which wasn't my first choice but not many grocery stores are open at 4AM.

So whether you bake these cookies at midnight or during the day, they are sure to be a pleaser.

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

makes around 3 dozen

1 cup sugar

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 tablespoons soy milk

1 tablespoon orange peel zest

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 well-mashed banana

Extra sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vigorously stir the butter or margarine with the sugar. Add the banana, soy milk, vanilla extract, orange zest and the nutmeg.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Stir the two mixtures together.

Take tablespoons of batter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before dropping on a greased cookie sheet. Bake around 10 minutes, until golden on the edges and soft in the middle.

And if you are feeling extra crafty... It was my friend's birthday the following day, and I decided to create a massive, 7 inch diameter cookie. Though I expected it to burn on the outside and be raw on the inside, it came out perfectly! The trick to making huge cookies is flattening them down prior to baking, and placing them on their own cookie sheet.

Cowboy Cookies

2009-02-20T05:24:00.000-08:00

There are some food pairings that just seem to go well together: peanut butter and jelly, garlic and onion, tomato and basil- you get the drift. Though these food couples are fantastic, there seems to be no two foods that compliment each other as well as coconut and chocolate. While fruit and chocolate are no strangers, there is something about the slight smokiness of coconut that coaxes out the deep richness of chocolate.

The following recipe for Cowboy Cookies, adapted from Martha Stewart, was originally supposed to contain pecans and oats in addition to coconut and chocolate. However, in an effort to display the flavors of the two feature ingredients, I added an extra handful each of coconut shavings and chocolate chips, omitting the pecans and oats all together. The result caused quite a stampede of roommates in the kitchen!

Cowboy Cookies

makes around 3 dozen

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks butter

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 oz of chocolate chips

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

Cream the butter with the sugars until very pale. Add eggs on at a time. Add vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture, chocolate and coconut.

Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet spaced around 3 inches apart, (they spread!)

Serve warm around a fire. Eat and yee'haw!

All the Vegan-Phobes Beware: Melt in Your Mouth Cookies

2009-02-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

While I am not a vegan myself, vegan food is a hallmark of healthy eating. When making cookies, many ingredients that are often considered essential in baking, (like butter, eggs and milk), can easily and deliciously be substituted for animal-friendly alternatives. In the following recipe, oil, honey, soy milk and peanut butter are artery-friendly stand ins. The absence of a complex binding agent, such as an egg, lends for a more delicate cookie, allowing it to simply melt away in your mouth.

I like to serve these to my vegan-scoffing friends and then smirk with glee when I see how much they are enjoyed.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

makes around 20 cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 cup honey

1/4 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in medium sized bowl. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, vigorously stir sugar with olive and canola oil. Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, honey and soy milk.

Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Place rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Take a fork and make a cross-hatch pattern on the top of each cookie so the dough flattens a bit- they don't spread out much so they can be fairly close together.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Have You Had Your Granola Today?

2009-02-10T04:07:00.001-08:00

For me, breakfast is pretty much the driving force that gets me out of bed. After fasting for about 12 hours, (aka after dinner and sleep), I am consistently famished when I wake up. It must also be said that I am a modern dancer and remain active for most of the day. Therefore, it is essential that I make a breakfast powerful enough to see me through dance class, rehearsal and onto lunch, without making me overly full. No one likes to stuff themselves into a leotard after a gut-breaking meal anyhow.

Because Granola Medley is a compilation of items, it is extremely easy to add your own components. Try a bit of unprocessed peanut butter if you don't have any yogurt on hand, or maybe add a dash of cinnamon or flax to get some cholesterol-lowering benefits. Later on in my posts, I will share an outstanding homemade granola recipe.

Granola Medley

serves 1

1 apple or banana, cut into chunks

small handful of your favorite granola

2 sheets of graham crackers, broken into pieces

dollop of plain, fat free greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite)

drizzle of honey

snips of fresh wheat-grass (optional)

Combine the granola, crackers, fruit and yogurt into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle on the wheat-grass. Finish with a hefty drizzle of honey. Eat.

Because the bowl is shallow- perfect for licking!

Welcome to Oven Zest!

2009-02-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

After several months of pondering, wishing and debating, I have finally gotten my very own food blog up and running! Healthy, unprocessed and natural foods have always been one of my passions because I am a firm believer that people, (and excuse the cliche), really are what they eat. What you put in your body becomes you on a cellular level. Food dictates almost every aspect of life because it affects how people not only feel, but how they act, both psychologically and physically. So in a nutshell, if you eat happy things, you will be a happy person.

Taking care of ourselves is perhaps the most important thing we can do as humans because, after all, the only real possession we ever have is our body. Sure, we can own clothes and cars and fancy gadgets, but those are merely temporary things that can always be replaced. This is the essence of why eating right is such a crucial aspect of my life.

That said, it is vital that we allow ourselves little treats every now and then. The posts in this blog will contain recipes of how to cook treats in a more healthful way, both sharing my own creations and experimenting with existing recipes. In addition, updates on mind-expanding news, art and public policy will be included for added tidbits of enjoyment.

Above all, perhaps this blog will add zest to your culinary adventures!

Stay tuned and zesty!

-Jenna