Archives for May 2010

Feast On This!

May 7, 2010 by epicureanvegan

So You Call Yourself an Environmentalist, huh?

Well, do you? What constitutes having that coveted, sought-after title? Is it recycling every week? Driving a hybrid? Unplugging all your appliances when not in use? Being a vegan? Many people believe that being a vegan is a prerequisite–World Watch did after all, conclude last year, that meat and dairy production contributes to 51% of the earth’s greenhouse gases.

Al Gore, isn’t a vegan. He’s not a vegetarian. But he is considered an environmentalist. Hell, he pretty much single-handedly got “global warming” on the map with his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. He publicly acknowledged that being a vegetarian helps the environment, but he himself has not made that leap.

Any why stop with vegetarianism? Dairy production has its own impact on the environment, too, right? Some celebs touts themselves as environmentalists because they drive a Prius (or a hybrid Hummer) and are vegetarians…why not go the whole nine? Why doesn’t dairy get the same silent treatment from them?

Perhaps the term, environmentalist is just overused. Maybe we’re all environmentalists on some level because we each try to do something—recycle, carpool and use “green” light bulbs. I always bring my reusable grocery bags when I shop anywhere. Does that make me an environmentalist? (They sure make me look cool). Might I suggest changing the term to something more general like, earth friendly, environmentally aware, or earth conscious?

So what do you think? What makes an environmentalist? Is going vegan a must?

Soy Good News!

Is the soy debate finally settled? According to acclaimed author, researcher and physician, Dr. Neal Barnard, it is. Barnard concluded that not only is soy safe for men (prostate cancer) and women (breast cancer), but it may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related bone fractures and fibroids. In another study by the Journal for the American Medical Association, it was shown that 11 grams of soy protein reduced the the chances of breast cancer recurrence in women.

Source: VegNews

“The greatness of a nation. . . can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Red Velvet Cake

May 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Okay, this cake could have been one of the most amazing vegan desserts ever. . . if I hadn’t of screwed it up. Really, it was all my fault. Apparently, I didn’t know the difference between 2-1/2 cups and say. . . 4 cups. Of the dry ingredients. What was I thinking? I wasn’t. Got heavy-handed with the dry baking mix and the cake ended up a bit dense (much like the baker). I thought the flavor was really good and the “buttercream” frosting was delicious! Plus, it’s gluten-free!

So I’ve only posted the winners before, but c’mon—the pictures! I had to post it after all the work and it is my birthday for at least another 45 minutes, after all, so I can do what I want! 🙂 Really, if it hadn’t been for my mistake, I truly think this recipe is a winner. Try it and let me know what you think! If not, enjoy the pictures! (A special thank you to the kind folks who I “tested” this on. . . you’re all good sports)!

CLICK HERE for the redemption version!

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 C gluten-free vanilla rice milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
2-1/2 C Betsy’s Baking Mix (below. . . and this is where I screwed up because the mix makes more than 2-1/2 cups)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1-1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C organic palm oik shortening
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ounce red food coloring
1/4 C +3 Tbs unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs distilled white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
Betsy’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix:
3-3/4 C garbanzo flour
2-1/4 C potato starch
1-1/2 C tapioca starch/flour
(Combine all ingredients with a wire whisk. Seal in an airtight container and shake vigorously for 1 minute)
Frosting:
1-1/2 C Earth Balance margarine
4-1/2 C confectioners’ sugar
Vanilla soy/rice/almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9″ round cake pans. In a small bowl, make “buttermilk” by combining rice milk and cider vinegar. In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking mix (just the 2-1/2 cups) with the salt and xanthan gum. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and food coloring to form a paste; set side.

Add the applesauce and vanilla to creamed shortening and sugar blend until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the cocoa powder paste and mix well. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the “buttermilk” mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour the white vinegar into a small cup and sprinkle the baking soda over it. Immediately pour the fizzing combo into the cake batter and thoroughly combine the two mixtures.

(That’s some thick batter)!

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes. Let cakes cool completely in their pans on a cooling rack. Turn cakes out of their pans.

To make frosting: With a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Alternately, add the confectioners’ sugar and enough soy milk to reach desired consistency. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Frost the top of each cake layer. Transfer 1 layer to a serving plate and set the other layer on top. Frost the sides of the cake. Store the frosted cake, covered and refrigerate, for up to 3 days.

I think a scoop of soy ice cream on top would have been perfect — and possibly would have even saved me, but of course, I didn’t have any!

Recipe source (cake only): Living Without

Avocado & Cranberry Mustard Turkey Wraps with Sweet Potato Fries

May 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This is a simple and quick meal and I love the Cranberry-Mustard sauce–perfect for any sandwich or wrap.

INGREDIENTS:
Wraps:
1/2 C Dijon mustard
1/2 C cranberry sauce
6 wraps or tortillas
12 slices Smart Deli turkey
6 slices vegan chese
3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthwise (I think 1-2 avocados is plenty)
Salt to taste
Fries:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into fries
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
For the wraps:

Whisk together mustard and cranberry sauce. Warm the wraps briefly, then spread cranberry mustard sauce equally over the wraps. Then place 2 turkey slices on each wrap, a slice of cheese and top with avocado slices.

For the fries: Preheat the oven to 400. Whisk together the oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over potatoes and coat thoroughly. Place on a foil-lined pan and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe source (wraps): Living Without

Portobello Tacos with Salsa Verde

May 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This recipe from Vegetarian Times serves 6–easily. The salsa verde–at least 10! It makes a lot of sauce, so next time I’ll probably halve the recipe for that. I also found the sauce a bit bland, so I added a bit more salt. The original recipe is for grilled portobellos, but I decided to saute them. These were very yummy and the marinade was simple and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
1/3 C canola oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
Tacos:
6 large portobello mushroom caps
6-6″ soft corn tortillas (can easily get 12 tacos from this recipe–and I think I prefer flour tortillas)
2 avocados, sliced
2 C chopped tomatoes
3 C shredded cabbage
Vegan sour cream
Salsa Verde:
4 tomatillos, chopped (or 1 C canned)
1 large green bell pepper or poblano chili, roughly chopped (I used the bell pepper–may have been why I found it bland)
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs agave nectar
1-1/4 C canola oil
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
If using the grill, preheat grill for high heat.

To make marinade: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

To make tacos: Brush mushroom caps with marinade. Grill mushrooms 3-5 minutes per side. Cool until easy to handle, then slice into strips. (I actually poured the marinade in a zip lock bag and added the mushrooms, letting them marinate for about an hour. Then I sliced them and sauteed them in a large skillet for about 5 minutes).

To make salsa verde: Puree all ingredients in a food processor 1 minute or until smooth. Pour salsa over mushroom strips and let stand 10-15 minutes. (I just scooped a couple of tablespoons of the salsa into the taco). Lightly warm tortillas 15 seconds per side in a skillet or in grill.

Fill tortillas with sliced mushrooms, avocado slices, tomatoes, and cabbage. Top each with sour cream, if using. Enjoy!

Bowties with Homemade Lemony-Basil Pesto

May 2, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love pesto–just not how oily the jarred variety can be. I wanted to create my own version with my favorite ingredients and with less oil. This pesto has a fresh, earthy taste that is nothing like the jarred stuff! If you want a little more oil, I suggest swirling the pasta in some olive oil before mixing in the pesto. This recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups and a little goes a long way, so a great way to store it, is freezing it in ice cube trays and using only one cube at a time. This would also be great for cold pasta salads.

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 C fresh basil leaves
1/2 C parsley
1 C pine nuts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8-1/4 C lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want it)
1/3 C olive oil
3 Tbs vegan Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil and puree for about a minute. Add the pine nuts and process for another 30-45 seconds, then add the Parmesan cheese and process again to blend well. I sauteed some mushrooms and mixed in about a tablespoon of pesto with single servings of the pasta/mushroom mixture. Delicious!

Chai Spice Cookies with Lemon “Buttercream” Frosting

May 1, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Yum. Yep, these are delicious! Both the cookie and the frosting recipe is from 1000 Vegan Recipes, and I decided to combine the two. This is a crispy cookie, so my suggestion is to make them really thin if making a sandwich–otherwise, it’s a lot of cookie (which is what I learned). Or you can just ice the top of the cookie–it’s a wonderful combination of flavors. You can also use vanilla extract in place of the lemon, if you prefer. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
3/4 C sugar
2 Tbs plain or vanilla soy milk
2 Tbs agave nectar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
1/2 C vegan margarine
2 C confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbs plain or vanilla soy milk
3/4 tsp pure lemon extract, or vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Cookies: Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves, fennel seed, and salt. Mix to combine well. In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, sugar, soy milk, agave nectar, and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour mixture, stirring well to form a smooth, stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between your hands into balls. Place dough balls onto an ungreased baking sheet and use a metal spatula to flatten the cookies to about 1/4″ thick.

Bake until lightly browned at the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting: In a large bowl, cream the margarine with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, soy milk, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Continue mixing for about 2 minutes, until the frosting is smooth and stiff. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!