Epicurean Vegan

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Pita Chips

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Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganI can’t remember where I got this recipe–I thought it was from the Sonoma Diet Cookbook where I got the fabulous hummus recipe, but nope…anyway, doesn’t matter. They’re wonderful and not hard to make at all. And the great thing, is that you can make as little, or as much as you want. You can also use flavored olive oils, too. I like to use both wheat and white pitas and on one 14″x14″ baking pan, I can get 2 whole pitas. That’s 32 pitas chips on one pan.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs pitas
1/4 C olive oil
Dried basil
Garlic Salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450. Slice the pita in half, then each half into 4 triangles. Then take each triangle and pull them apart to make two triangles. You should get 16 triangles from one pita.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganPour the olive oil in a small bowl and lay the pita pieces on the baking pan, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic salt and basil.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganBake for 4 mins.

Pita Chips -- Epicurean VeganWe’re having friends over tonight and I can’t wait to dig into these and the hummus. I also have some great black olive tapenade that my sister gave me that I think will be very tasty with these pita chips. Enjoy!

Personal Pizzas

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Personal Pizzas -- Epicurean VeganYou can easily make your own dough or use a prepackaged kind, but those typically have egg or milk in them. I have a very basic recipe that I use when I don’t have a lot of time, but if you’re in a pinch and don’t mind a tiny trace of milk, Jiffy makes a good pizza dough mix. When the weather is warm, we love to throw these on the grill.

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
2 1/2 C flour
1 C hot tap water
2 Tbs quick, dry-active yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (optional)
The Rest:
Rice mozzarella cheese
1 onion, sliced
black olives
artichoke hearts, diced
3/4 C walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbs olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine all dough ingredients and let rise for about an hour. Punch down and knead for 5 minutes.
Caramelize the onions in olive oil and balsamic vinegar–it will take about 10 mins. In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet, about 5-7 mins on medium heat.
Divide dough into 4 small sections, roll out each one to about 6″ in diameter. Butter up a large cookie sheet or pizza pan and place the rolled out pieces on the pan. Stick each piece with a fork several times and bake for 4 mins.
Then layer on the toppings. I start with a tiny bit of rice mozzarella, onions, olives, artichokes, more cheese, then sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 12-15 mins.

Personal Pizzas -- Epicurean VeganI then like to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top before devouring! Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

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Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping -- Epicurean VeganI found this recipe online from Vegetarian Times and I love that there is no oil and no need for egg-replacer. These are by far, the Best. Blueberry. Muffins. Ever. I added the crumb topping because really, that’s like icing on the cake . . . only sweet topping on the muffin!

INGREDIENTS:
Muffins:
1/4 C Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C apple sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C almond milk
2 C fresh blueberries
Crumb topping:
1/4 C sugar
1/8 C flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs Earth Balance butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine all the muffin ingredients, except the blueberries. Mix well. Fold in the blueberries.

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping -- Epicurean VeganEither use muffin cups, or spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Evenly fill each muffin cup (12). To make the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well using a fork.  Generously sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the crumb topping.
Bake for 30-33  minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Homemade Pita Bread

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Homemade Pita Bread -- Epicurean VeganThis comes from my friend at Kitchen Challengers and I made it vegan. You might think making your own pita bread would be a hassle (or a pain in the ass) but actually, it was quite easy and what a huge difference! They were soft, fluffy and not one bit dried out like store-bought pitas. Go for it! Check out my gyro recipe using these pitas.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm soy milk
olive oil to coat bowl

DIRECTIONS:
Mix yeast and warm water, set aside for about 10 mins until it bubbles. Fit a dough blade into the mixer and combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the milk and the yeast mixture while continuing to turn the flour. Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball–for me it took about a minute. The dough will be a bit sticky, so plop it onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Shape into a smooth, pretty ball. Place in a very large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn to coat all side of dough and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.

Homemade Pita Bread -- Epicurean VeganWhen dough has at least doubled in size, punch it down and tear off handfuls of dough. You can make anywhere from 8-12 pitas. I made about 10 by rolling out a pieces to about 6-7″ in diameter on a very lightly floured surface. Rolling is also a great way to rid the dough of air bubbles. Place rolled out sections on lightly oiled cookie sheets, cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let rise for 30 mins.

Homemade Pita Bread -- Epicurean VeganPreheat oven to 500. I baked the pitas in batches (4, 4 and 2). After the first minute in the oven, the dough will begin to rise. Brush the top with olive oil and bake for another 5-8 mins. I know that’s a big spread of time, but every oven is different. Mine baked in about 7-1/2 to 8 mins. The tops will get a beautiful golden brown. Just keep an eye on them.
Let cool completely and store in large Ziploc bags–don’t slice until you get ready to use them. I found that after you slice one in half, place it in the microwave for 15-20 secs and then slice carefully down the middle to open up the pocket and fill. Enjoy!

Homemade Pita Bread -- Epicurean Vegan

Homemade Pita Bread -- Epicurean Vegan

Pesto Potato Bread

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Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganI can’t tell you how much I LOVE this bread. I’ve made it several times now and it goes great with pasta, soups–pretty much anything, even just for a snack. It smells wonderful, too as it bakes. I’ve never been very good at making yeast breads, but this one always turns out, however, adequate warmth for the bread to rise is crucial. The best place is on the stove top of your oven with your oven on warm. For me, that doesn’t work because my oven is mounted in the wall with the microwave mounted above it. I have found that if my dishwasher happens to be running, the counter top above it gets nice and warm, too. I settled for a sunny spot on the kitchen table.  I also took lots of pictures of the process…and please note, this recipe makes 2 of these beautiful loaves!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C plain soy milk
1 C leftover mashed potatoes
3 Tbs vegan pesto
1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 C warm water
4 C all-purpose flour (or you can use bread flour), or more if needed

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, heat the soy milk until hot but not boiling. Stir in potatoes, pesto, oil, salt and sugar, stirring until well mixed.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean Vegan(Soy milk mixture and yeast mixture)
Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water, stirring to dissolve the yeast. Let the mixture stand for 10 mins then stir it into the potato mixture. Add about 1/2 of the flour, stirring to combine. Work in the remaining flour to form a soft dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganAdd up to 1/2 C of additional flour, if needed.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 mins, using additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganPlace the dough in a large (use a pretty large bowl) lightly oiled, turning the dough to coat with oil.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganCover w/plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Test dough by poking it with your finger. It is ready if the indentation from your finger remains.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean Vegan(After first rising)
Lightly oil a large baking sheet and set it aside. Punch down the dough and turn it out into a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 mins. Divide the dough in half (use a sharp knife), shape into two round loaves and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganCover again with clean plastic wrap or dish towel and let rise for another 45-60 mins.

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean Vegan(After 2nd rising)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover dough and use a sharp knife to cut 1 diagonal slash in the top of each loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 mins. (I think they came out perfect at about 22-23 mins, but every oven is different). The bread is done if it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. (I didn’t do this–seemed a bit too much to do to a piping hot loaf of bread). Cool on a wire rack for 30 mins before slicing. (I waited about 15-20 mins and it was so yummy warm)!

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean Vegan

Pesto Potato Bread -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins -- Epicurean VeganIsn’t it pretty? They’re very yummy, too. The lemon flavor is subtle and not over powering–which is good, too, so if you want a bit more lemon flavor, add another tablespoon of lemon juice and more lemon zest. Also notice that the 1/4 C of butter (Earth or Smart Balance) needs to be melted and then cooled, so I recommend doing this step first so it has time to cool down. The recipe makes 10 small muffins, but I decided to make 6 large muffins. I haven’t tried this recipe as a bread loaf, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. The recipe does suggest that if you like fresh ginger, substitute the poppy seeds with 3 tablespoons of peeled, grated fresh ginger. Another variation would be to add about a cup of dried or fresh blueberries or strawberries.

Also, I thought it would be delicious to prepare a lemon or raspberry glaze to drizzle on top….1 cup icing sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or raspberry flavoring), dash of dairy-free milk for drizzle consistency.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbs poppyseeds
2 large eggs (I used Ener-G egg replacer)
1 C rice or soy milk ( I used soy milk–I find it cooks better because it’s thicker)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C margarine, melted and cooled (Again, I used Earth Balance sticks)
2 Tbs chopped lemon zest (from 3-4 lemons, but I got that much from just 2)

DIRECTIONS:
Position the oven rack in the center and preheat to 400. Coat muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and poppyseeds. Mix together with a whisk until blended. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, soy milk, lemon juice, margarine and zest until well blended. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined, taking care not to overmix the batter. It should look lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full. Any cups that are not filled with batter should be filled halfway with water to allow for even baking. Bake muffins until golden brown adn tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 mins. Let cool for about ten minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: Recipes for Dairy-Free Living

Ginger-Molasses Bread

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Ginger-Molasses Bread -- Epicurean VeganMmmm…this tasted like it came from my Grandmother’s kitchen! And it smelled wonderful, too! Plus, it was a breeze to make–ten minutes of prep work and it was in the oven.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C warm soy milk
1 Tbs cider vinegar
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1/3 C sugar
1 Tbs ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 dark molasses
1/2 C fresh or dried blueberries (I used dried)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 9″ loaf pan and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the warm soy milk and vinegar and set aside. In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add the molasses and soy milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the batter is just mixed. Fold in the blueberries and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick (or knife) inserted in the middle comes out clean, about an 1 hour. (I found that it came out perfect in 53 minutes). Let cool slightly on a wire rack, then remove from pan and slice. Enjoy!

Ginger-Molasses Bread -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

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