Quick & Easy: mashed sweet potato & apple March 13, 2012

I bought Isa Chandra’s Appetite for Reduction book back when it came out. I’ve made a couple recipes – the babies, J and I love the mango BBQ beans recipe. I pulled it out this week when I was doing our meal plan for the week. The babies love sweet potatoes and they love apples, so I thought I’d try this recipe.

Here’s how I made it, I changed a few things from the recipe – of course.

Ingredients:
2 apples, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes. I used the cheapest ones that my grocery store had.
2 sweet potatoes, also peeled and in 1/2″ cubes
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

note: this is literally all I use in my recipe. Isa Chandra’s recipe also called for agave, ginger and cinnamon.

Directions:

While you’re cutting the sweet potatoes and apples, put a 4 quart pan on the stove to preheat in low. Right before you put in the sweet potatoes, apples, and water, spray the pan with cooking spray. Then put in the sweet potatoes, apples and water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on low, stirring often.

After the 20 minutes, increase the heat to med-low and recover and stir often for another 20 minutes (you might also want to add more water at this point, I didn’t).

Now, check and see how the sweet potatoes are cooking. I found that they weren’t cooking enough so I turned up the heat to medium, and cooked it covered for another 20 minutes, stirring often.

After the 20 minute round on medium everything was cooked. I then used my potato masher and mashed it together. I couldn’t find the cinnamon or the ginger. I thought about adding some maple syrup, but didn’t.

The verdict:

I didn’t actually try it as I don’t like sweet potatoes (gasp! Weird, I know. While I’m admitting things, I absolutely hate tomatoes). The babies however, they would’ve eaten all of it if I hadn’t cut them off. They loved it! So, this recipe is a keeper. I’m going to have my husband taste it when he gets home tonight. I’ll update with what he thinks of it.

Recipe: peppery fake ricotta March 11, 2012

So, a while back I saw a recipe for fake ricotta cheese that involved raw cashews and tofu. I tried it and wrote about it back in september.

Tonight I made pretty much the same recipe, but changed one thing. I used about three quarters of a container of salt & pepper cashews instead of raw.

Holy cow! It was so good!! It had a kick of pepper, but the tofu cooled it so it wasn’t so spicy. But, wow, both my husband and I loved it!!

We had it with pasta for dinner, but I think it would make a good dip or sandwich spread. I’m so happy we have some leftovers.

Frosting: a recipe February 14, 2012

I recently read on the Internet that you could use vegetable shortening in place of butter to make buttercream frosting. I thought about it for a while and came up with this coffee flavored frosting.

ingredients:
- 1 cup vegetable shortening, I used crisco brand I don’t know if brands make a difference
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 bag of confectioners sugar, I used about half the bag as I didn’t want tons of frosting left over.
- about a 1/2 of coffee, cooled
- about 1-2 tsp of instant coffee flakes

notes:
I didn’t use all that coffee or coffee flakes, nor did I use the whole bag of sugar. I’m just giving these amounts as you shouldn’t need more than these amounts for a couple dozen cupcakes.

directions:

Cream together the shortening and vanilla for about 3 minutes until its fluffy.

Add in the sugar 1 cup at a time. I it gets too thick for your mixer add a few tablespoons of the cooled coffee. I also added a bit of the coffee flakes at this point.

After adding at least 4 cups of the sugar, taste it to see if it is coffee flavored enough for you – at this point it wasn’t for me, so I added an extra shake of coffee flakes out of the container directly into the mixing bowl and I also added more cooled coffee. Did I mention that I love coffee?

Basically you want to have a thick and smooth frosting. This frosting was perfect for my piping bag. And formed a nice buttercream crust when it dried a bit.

And, my husband said (and I agree) that the frosting was so good that there was no need for cake.*

* I’m not giving the cake recipe because it isn’t vegan. But if you have a good vegan cake recipe you’d like to share, I’m listening.

Vegan meal planning: day 3 January 5, 2012

It’s day three in the meal plan book and things are going good. Tonight we finally tried the black bean and butternut squash chili – its so good!! As you can see above, i ate most of it before i remembered to snap a picture. Here’s the recipe, we modified it to make it more child friendly and had the babies taste test it and they liked it too.

Black bean and butternut squash chili*

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 medium butternut squash
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup water or veg broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
Black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until soft.
2. Reduce heat and add the remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Uncover and summer for another 5 minutes. (I’m going to note here that it took a bit longer than 25 minutes for our squash to be cooked).

* adapted from the daily vegan planner

Red onion marmalade December 23, 2011

As part of my plan to make homemade Christmas gifts this year, I made some red onion marmalade. It was kind of a pain because it didn’t set properly the first time and I had to open up all the jars to re-cook and add more pectin. The result is a sweet and kind of vinegary jam. My husband and I like it, a lot, but feel that a little bit goes a long way. We think it would be good on a bagel with cream cheeze (the fake stuff).

Here’s the recipe I used:

ingredients :

1.5 cups thinly sliced red onion (I used 3 onions)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 pack of powdered pectin (I used 2 packs)
2 teaspoons of orange zest
4 cups of unsweetened apple juice

directions:

1. Put the onions, dried cranberries, brown sugar, and cider vinegar in a skillet over med-high heat. Cook until the onions are clear.
2. Combine the onion mixture with the pectin, apple juice, and orange peel in a large stockpot.
3. Bring to a boil over med-high heat.
4. Add the sugar gradually while stirring. Return to a rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Keep stirring.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

(this recipe was in the ball blue book guide to preserving)

Recipe: cranberry infused vinegar November 21, 2011

I made some cranberry infused vinegar tonight. Well, two are cranberry-orange, and two are plain cranberry. I’m excited to taste them.

Here’s how I did it (my recipe is based on the one in the Ball canning guide):

Ingredients:
- 1 cup cranberry juice (the recipe had directions on how to make your own, but I just bought the unsweetened cranberry juice at the grocery store)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 cups white wine vinegar (we didn’t have any, so I used 2.5 cups of red wine vinegar and .5 cups of regular vinegar because that’s what we had)
- .5 cup cranberries
- an orange

Note: the original recipe also called for a spice bag with cinnamon and clove but I don’t like either of those spices, so I didn’t add them.

Directions:

In a saucepan add the sugar and cranberry juice. Stir and bring to a boil, keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. If you’re adding the spice bags, this would be the time to do it.

Add in the vinegar and cranberries. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Take out the spice bag.

Put on slice of orange in each jar. Then ladle the hot vinegar over it.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Note #2: keep in mind I haven’t tasted it yet. It sounded good, but I’ll report back after I’ve tasted it.

Recipe: Maple Almond Butter November 6, 2011

I made some maple almond butter today. I googled a bunch of recipes and ended up winging it. It came out pretty tasty.

Here’s how I did it:

I took what was I took what was left of a bag of raw almonds we’d bought a while ago, maybe 2 cups, and dumped it into a pyrex baking dish (loaf sized). I then mixed in about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Then I put it in the over at 350 for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, let it cool.

Once cooled, I threw it all in the food processor until it made a smooth paste. I ended up adding a bit of oil to help it blend, less than 2 tsp. And I also added a bit more maple syrup.

I then stuck it in the fridge. My only problem is that I got too excited when it started coming together that I jarred it too early. I should’ve let it mix some more. What ended up happening with mine is that it hardened slightly. I don’t think this is a bit deal because now it’s more like a maple almond candy – but…I think next time I’ll leave it a bit longer, but this is good. My husband and I have been eating it by the spoonful and feeding to the kids that way. So, I guess the verdict, at my house, is that it’s good.

Have you ever made a nut butter? How did it turn out?

21 Day Vegan Kickstart India November 4, 2011

We're going Indian, Everyone!

A couple months ago my partner and I here on Dos Veganos signed up for the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart and were really happy with the daily support it gave us (recipes, celebrity tips, and nutritional info).  It definitely helped keep me tethered to my goals. Whereas in the past I tip-toed quietly to the snack cabinet for Cheetos or snuck off in my car for a late night boneless red ribs binge at my local Chinese greasy spoon and chucked my ideals on the side of the road on the way!

Well, anyone interested in exploring Indian cuisine a bit might wanna look into signing up for the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart India program.  I’m signed up and pretty excited about experimenting with a few of the recipes!  There are only a few days left before it starts so sign up now!

Here’s a recipe that was sent to me from Kickstart India:

Creamy Tofu Palak Paneer

Ingredients

Makes about 4 servings

For the tofu paneer:
1 16-ounce block firm tofu
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt, to taste

For the palak:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt, to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 bunches fresh spinach, chopped roughly and boiled in about 1/4 cup water until tender, or 1 16-ounce bag frozen spinach (approximately 4 cups steamed)
1/3 cup plain soy yogurt or other plant-based yogurt

Directions

To prepare the tofu, place it in a flat colander (or plate) with a weight on top for at least half an hour, or preferably overnight, keeping it in the refrigerator. One can also use a tofu press to prepare it. Ensure all the water is drained and the tofu is suitable to marinate. Cut tofu into cubes or roughly one-inch squares.

While tofu is being pressed, mix together ginger, lemon or lime juice, garam masala, and salt in a bowl adding water to the mixture if it’s too thick.

Put the tofu cubes in the freshly prepared marinade in a baking pan and let it stand about 30 minutes to an hour, turning it a couple of times to make sure all the surfaces absorb the marinade.

Bake tofu for about 20 minutes at 300 F.

While tofu is cooking, heat a large sauté pan and dry roast cumin, coriander, chili powder or crushed red pepper, and turmeric over low heat, otherwise the spices will burn. Add ginger and tomatoes with any liquid from the tomatoes. Cook mixture over medium heat until the juice from the tomatoes is almost evaporated, and the tomatoes are cooked.

Separately, in a large sauté pan add a little salt to the chopped onion and “fry” it in its own juice. Add steamed spinach. Add tomato and spice mixture and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to absorb the water. Then add plant-based yogurt, mixing thoroughly. Add tofu cubes and cook until warmed through.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/4 recipe):

calories: 144; fat: 5.9 g; saturated fat: 1.1 g; calories from fat: 34.5%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 14.8 g; carbohydrate: 12.9 g; sugar: 4.8 g; fiber: 5.3 g; sodium: 420 mg: calcium: 466 mg; iron: 8.2 mg; vitamin C: 32 mg; beta-carotene: 8945 mcg; vitamin E: 3.4 mg

Brown Basmati Rice

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

1 cup dry brown basmati rice
2 cardamom pods
salt, to taste
1 whole clove (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Directions

Place rice in 2 cups water for 1 to 2 hours. The soaking is not necessary but helps to reduce the time of cooking, and the rice will be nice and fluffy.

In a medium saucepan, roast cardamom pods (and clove and cinnamon, if using) over low heat until an aroma arises. Add soaked rice with soaking water and a bit of salt to the pan. Cook over low heat until rice is tender. Alternately you can cook this in a rice cooker.

Tip: Make sure the rice is cooked according to personal preference before turning down the heat. If reheating is needed, add additional water as necessary.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/3 recipe):

calories: 223; fat: 1.1 g; saturated fat: 0.2 g; calories from fat: 4%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 4.6 g; carbohydrate: 48.5 g; sugar: 0.4 g; fiber: 3.6 g; sodium: 153 mg: calcium: 16 mg; iron: 0.8 mg; vitamin C: 0 mg; beta-carotene: 0 mcg; vitamin E: 0.1 mg

Recipes by Nandita Shah

Recipe: lentil nut loaf October 30, 2011

My husband and I thought that after our craptastic weekend that we would make some comfort food. So we made a lentil nut loaf tonight. We used the mystery loaf generator from veganlunchbox to get a recipe. It came out fairly tasty, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almonds
1 onion
1 grated carrot
5 cloves garlic (no vampires at my house)
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups cooked lentils
1/4 cup soy sauce
Spices – we used black pepper, cumin, dill and paprika

How to make:

Preheat oven to 350.

Grind the almonds down in a food processor or coffee grinder. Then set aside in a large bowl.

Sauté the veggies and garlic until cooked.

Once the veggies are cooked, throw them and all the other ingredients into the bowl with the almonds. Mix well.

Once mixed, put in a well greased loaf pan. We couldn’t find our loaf pan, so we put it in a 9×13 pyrex. It was lentil nut brownies…

Cook at 350 for 45 – 60 minutes.

Notes on this:

I thought it was pretty good but it was missing something. I ate it, as you can see above, in a sandwich with mustard and romaine lettuce. My husband ate his with bbq sauce – it was much tastier. We thought that maybe adding bbq to the mix would’ve been really good.

Do you have a good vegan loaf recipe?