Unturkey Day Quick Vegan Microwave Gravy

I just made this up to go with my kitchenette Thanksgiving lunch. It was served over Quorn chicken cutlets, alongside vegan collard greens and macaroni and soy cheese. I usually go all out for Thanksgiving, because I like showing people that even veg*ns can eat big awesome meals that everyone can enjoy. This year, I've opted to be more minimalist for a number of personal reasons, but I did want to see what I could put together in my kitchenette.

Quick Vegan Microwave Gravy

3 tablespoons of vegan chicken-style broth
1 teaspoon Earth Balance spread or another vegan margarine
3 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat)
salt, pepper to taste

Makes 1 serving

1. In a coffee mug, microwave broth and Earth Balance spread until Earth Balance is melted (about 30 seconds).
2. Remove from microwave.
3. Whisk in flour and seasoning.
4. Microwave for another 30 seconds.
5. Taste and re-season. I ended up using sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and chili pepper.
6. Serve over vegan meat substitute or biscuits.

Happy Unturkey Day everyone!

Review: Rise 'n Dine, Druid Hills, GA

Rise 'n Dine is a great new breakfast-all-day place that recently opened in the space occupied by an old Mediterranean place in the Village. The decor is noticably different: stuco walls, adorable tables with embedded welcome mats underneath a clear plastic top, and a lot of adorable wall decorations everywhere.

The food is also awesome. The menu, divided into omelette's, eggs, and "breads" features sweet potato pancakes dusted with cinnamon sugar. Mine were light and fluffy. The regular stack was only $5 but I couldn't even finish because they were so rich. The coffee, a Honduras something-or-other, was equally delightful, with notes of lavender and chocolate, and a smooth, balanced finish. I was surprised to see that there wasn't a bigger breakfast crowd, but I'm sure it'll fill up more as word gets around.

Next time, I will probably try one of the omelettes. The Cucumber, Dill, and Goat cheese one caught my attention, and seems like a great flavor combination.

Review: Flying Biscuit, Candler Park, GA

The Flying Biscuit is great for a number of reasons: they serve breakfast all day, have vegan and vegetarian items on the menu, and can substitute soy sausage into any of the meaty omelette/tofu-scramble type dishes. The bakery is famous for its biscuits and cranberry apple butter, but my favorite thing is the love cakes.

Love cakes are little black bean and cornmeal cakes topped with tomatillo salsa and feta cheese. They are served warm, usually with rosemary potatoes for breakfast or a side salad for dinner. I'm going to experiment with making my own a few times and see what I get because I crave them often.

My dinner consisted of 3 love cakes, salad with champagne vinegrette, and a flying biscuit. My friends' consisted of the barbeque chicken burrito, which is stuffed with collard greens, carmelized onions, and barbeque sauce, then topped with heaps and heaps of red salsa. I obviously can't speak for his food, but mine was awesome, and definitely a well-priced departure from the same old same old (I've probably eaten at Willy's 10 times since Saturday, or it sure feels like it). If you're in the ATL and looking for a place with a little menu diversity and creativity, definitely stop by the Flying Biscuit, unless it's Sunday morning, in which case, good luck getting a table.

Kitchenette plans for this week

1. Organize baking materials into plastic containers for easy storage
2. Organize cooking utensils in drawer rather than having them strewn about because no one will see them
3. Sweep away cobwebs
4. Ant-proof under-the-sink area
5. Organize loose and bagged teas in glass jars

I've been away but now I am back and ready to cook in my kitchenette. Pictures to come.

Review: Clarette’s, Walla Walla, Washington

Small town diners are obviously always charming, but Clarette’s busy Sunday morning crowd reminded me of the effects of development and growth on rural America. There were a lot of cute old ladies, for sure, but the rest of the crowd was pretty young, maybe just past college age. Some appeared to be tourists in town (for reasons unbeknownst to me). I overheard someone at the table next to me order vegetarian sausage and smiled, because the menu was otherwise so adorably traditional: omelettes, corned beef hash, pancakes, and coffee.

The coffee was pretty great. I had mine black, to take it all in, and didn’t regret not ordering tea at all. It was a nice dark roast that could have taught Starbucks a thing or two about not burning their coffee. I had the French toast, which was 6 thickly cut slices of French bread in egg batter, fried to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The waitress brought me 3 syrups: maple, strawberry, and apricot. The apricot was pretty good, though I only tried it with one slice. The strawberry was thick, without being too sugary. In fact, nothing was very sweet, which I appreciated very much. A huge meal, for sure. I’ll probably go back for lunch sometime.

UPDATE: I went back for lunch another day and had the pumpkin pancakes. These were not only the fluffiest, most perfectly cooked pancakes I have ever had, but they were dusted in cinnamon sugar and came with a side of fresh whipped cream, also cinnamon sugar flavored. The pancakes themselves had a rich pumpkin taste. So good.

Review: Kathy’s, Seattle International Airport

The Seattle airport, though small, is just stunning. It took me a long time to find a place to eat, not because there were so few restaurants with vegetarian options but because there were too many. There was even a Wolfgang Puck in my concourse. I settled for a place called Kathy’s, admittedly because it was so aesthetically appealing. Chic gray tables and chairs, hanging overheard lights, very minimalist with everything in nice packaging. There was a small a la carte gourmet food section in the front, and then a bakery and panini sandwiches in a glass case. I had the “Extreme Grilled Cheese,” which was herbed goat cheese, muenster, and Monterrey Jack, I think. I was pretty excited about it, because I make sandwiches like this on my Foreman grill at home all the time.

That is, sans the butter spray. My sandwich was put inside a heat protective pocket until I told the waitress that I would be eating at the restaurant. She handed me a paper plate. I sat down and tried to get the sandwich out of the pocket. It was impossible, because the greasiness of the bread (from the butter spray) and the excessively melted cheese had sealed it inside. I ended up having to tear it off. By the end, I was covered in faux butter spray and cheese. The excessive grease had also made the otherwise crisp bread soggy. I finished feeling heavy. I guess this is what I get for not being a vegan, but it would really not have been very hard to spray a little less, add some tomato slices, and cut down on the cheese. I’m definitely not eating there again on the way home.

Cupcake speakers

to make up for the fact that I am itching to bake and cannot.

Vegan Cupcakes Lost in Space

Sorry for the hiatus. Will start blogging agains soon.

How the vegan cupcakes will take over the world

Roadtrip snacks

I took a pretty long roadtrip today to a faraway state where there is a lot of corn and rural space. I always hate roadtrips because it is impossible to find vegetarian or vegan food at any of the usual places: gas stations, fast food restaurants, or the occassional sit-down place along the way. I, however, came prepared. We didn't have to stop (except to get gas) and got there an hour earlier than we expected.

Here's what I packed:

-Sunflower seed rye bread with hummus sandwiches
-Apples
-Flavored almonds (Blue Diamond brand Jalapeno-flavored. So addicting)
-Sunflower seed, soy nut, almond, cranberry, and apricot trail mix
-Parsnip chips from Trader Joe's
-Bottles of water

I was so full when we got here that I didn't even feel like lunch!

Diabetes-free Vanilla Cream Soda

I really like drinking soda but I'm deathly afraid of high fructose corn syrup and aspartame, which eliminates a lot of my options. Lately, I've been experimenting with Stevia baking, with fairly good results, so I've expanded to sodas. You can get flavored liquid Stevia in bottles with droppers at your local health food store. I get mine at my local farmer's market. There are all kinds of flavors: orange, root beer, vanilla, strawberry, cherry. These are great for flavoring desserts and anything that asks for these extracts plus the addition of sugar. They're also great in creating flavored sodas. You can add them to your cola if you so desire, or make your own.

Vanilla Cream Soda

1 c sparkling water (mineral water is fine but has a salty taste so sometimes just normal carbonated water is best)
3 drops of liquid vanilla stevia

Pour sparkling water into a glass. Add stevia drop by drop and gently stir. You don't want to stir too much because the soda will lose its fizz. Add ice and serve.

This is great with grilled veggie burgers and polenta fries. Mmmm.

Veg*n cooking shows

I love watching cooking shows. The Food Network is a huge staple in my TV diet (har har), but I don't enjoy watching all the prawns and kobe steaks being prepared and eaten. What I do like is people who are as excited about food and sharing the preparation of food as I am.

I've been a big fan of the Post-Punk Kitchen for awhile, but today I found another cooking show that maybe even tops it. Everyday Dish is a vegan cooking show hosting Julie Hasson, Bryana Grogan, and Dreena Burton. It's not nearly as punk rock as PPK (obviously), but it is a very normalized, Food Network-worthy cooking show with a nice kitchen, hosts who annunciate words like Giada, and lots of nice looking, not bloody or gross food. Mmm. Unfortunately, watching a vegan show makes a lot hungrier than watching the Food Network.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Scones

I try to eat things that are low glycemic index because I don't want to get diabetes. Sadly, I love baking and most of what I bake usually isn't too great for me. Luckily for me, however, there are a lot of great whole grain flours that you can bake yummy things with. Oat flour has been a favorite of mine forever, but it doesn't have gluten so you sometimes have to add something that does. Baking with oat flour often yields baked goods that are a bit on the crumbly side.

Do you know what else is a bit on the crumbly side? Scones! I love scones, and I especially love these scones. I adapted the recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance and added chocolate chips.

3 cups oat flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar (I used turbinado plus 2 dropperfulls of vanilla stevia)
Chickpea flour, as needed

1 1/4 cup soy or rice milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400F and put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spray with whatever you use for baking. I like Pam for baking (the kind with flour in it).

You know the drill. Sift together the dry ingredients (saving the chickpea flour for the end). Mix together the wet ingredients and the chocolate chips. Add wet and dry. At this point, check the consistency of your dough. VWAV says it should be "clumpy, not sticky." This is true. You don't want cookies. Too much moisture will kill the scone. Too little will dry it out. Start sifting in some chickpea flour until you get a thicker consistency.

Drop in giant spoonfuls on the cookie sheet and sprinkle the tops with some turbinado sugar. Bake for about 14 minutes. The scones should be fairly solid on top. The bottoms will be just browned. Cool on a wire rack.

I imagine that these would also be great with dried cranberries and almonds. I'll try that next time and add some almond extract instead of vanilla.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Coconut Banana cookies

I adapted this recipe from the one at Vegan Vice using ingredients I had. We had a big bunch of very ripe bananas, and last night I made a great vegan banana bread with 3 of them. I'll post the recipe for that later. Today, I made these cookies with the last two bananas.

Dry ingredients:
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1 c brown sugar
1 c steel cut oats
1/2 c coconut flakes

Wet ingredients:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 c canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp vanilla soy milk
1/4 c mashed ripe banana

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with oil.

In one bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add brown sugar, rolled oats, and coconut flakes. The brown sugar will be clumpy, so stir up the ingredients well.

In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Make sure the bananas are well-mashed or you'll get big gooey chunks. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Spoon cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes on the middle rack. Take them out and let them cool.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chickpea-Spinach Soup

Chickpeas are a staple in my diet. I keep canned and dried chickpeas on hand at all times. Dried chickpeas are best kept in jars with some kind of vacuum seal (the kind you keep flour and sugar in, for instance). These jars are also awesome because you can mix and match various legumes in them to make soup mixes.

Spinach is another staple in my diet. I used to eat it raw every day until that e coli debacle. Now I buy it fresh at my local farmer's market (in bunches, not bagged) or frozen (which is great for when it isn't in season or for making quick soups).

This soup is one of my favorites. Hearty and easy, but full of flavor. It was inspired by a Moroccan chickpea-spinach soup I had once at a vegan restaurant. You can keep the ingredients for this on hand at pretty much any time. It keeps well and tastes good in both the summer and the winter. You can also make a lot of variations of it, which I'll note at the bottom.

Spicy Chickpea-Spinach Soup

1 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped shallots
1 tsp whole coriander (or ground, if you prefer)
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oil for sauteeing (I use grapeseed, but olive works as well)
2 cups vegetable stock (the fake chicken kind if you can find it)
1 can of chickpeas (or about a cup and a half if you're soaking your own, in which case cook them first)
1 box of frozen spinach (or about 2 cups of packed fresh spinach)

1. Fry the onion, garlic, shallots, and coriander in the oil until the onions become translucent. Add the tumeric and continue cooking. It will smell very good. Be careful not to burn the spices.
2. Add cumin and chilli powder, then add half of the vegetable stock to deglaze the pan. Add the other half of the vegetable stock.
3. Add the chickpeas. It is very important that they be cooked already. If they are uncooked, you want to avoid cooking them in the broth. It will make them tough.
4. Defrost the spinach a bit in the microwave if frozen. Chop it into cubes to help it become incorporated. Add to the soup.
5. Let it all cook on medium heat until the spinach is no longer frozen and is soft. You do not want to boil it because the spinach will lose its color and taste bad.
6. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in big deep bowls.

Variations:
-Add a can of diced tomatoes for a richer flavor.
-Add cayenne pepper for an extra kick.
-Before adding spinach, drop whole eggs into the soup, turn up the heat a bit, and let them cook completely. You'll end up with something sort of like hard boiled eggs in your soup. It's a good way to add protein and tastes good. Do not stir, or you'll get scrambled eggs.
-Add cubes of sauteed tofu to make it meatier. Freeze the tofu first to make it extra chewy.
-For a lemony (rather than spicy) soup, omit the chili pepper and cumin. Add lemon pepper and lemon juice instead. Lemon tastes good with both spinach and chickpeas.

Cookies and Cream

There is a lot of mythology about indigenous Americans using all parts of the buffalo and whatnot. Well, today I made two recipes that used all parts of the egg. Except the shell.

Egg custard pudding

1 c. skim milk
4 egg yolks, separated from the whites
1 dropper liquid stevia (vanilla flavored)
Vanilla extract, to taste

Start by heating the milk in a double broiler (a glass bowl over a put of boiling water will work, too). Turn up the heat gradually so the bowl doesn't break. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks together. When the milk is scalding, turn down the heat to medium and add the egg yolks gradually, beating the milk mixture with a wire wisk. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Don't stop whisking, because it will burn or curdle. You know it is done when it coats a spoon without being too watery. Remove from heat. Remove the glass bowl and put it in a bowl of cool water. Now you can add the stevia and vanilla, to taste. After a few minutes gradually add ice to the water (not the custard) or place the bowls in the fridge to cool. This makes a custard "sauce" but if you want to thicken it you can add some arrowroot or cornstarch.

Meringue cookies

4 egg whites, separated from the yolks, at room temperature
1 liquid dropper of stevia
Vanilla extract
Almond extract

Beat the eggs to stiff peaks in a glass or metal bowl. Use a hand mixer. Trying to do this with a whisk will take too long and hurt your arm. You can add cream of tartar to help if you need it. When the eggs are at the right consistency, fold in the flavoring. Don't stir too much or you'll let the air out of the egg whites. You should have a foamy mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spoon the mixture onto an oil-sprayed baking sheet in dallops. Bake for about 20 minutes. Watch the cookies closely to make sure they don't get too browned.

When they're cool, you can sprinkle them with some cinnamon. If you want a more candy-like topping, you can sprinkle the hot cookies with some powdered sugar, which should carmelize.

Serve with the custard on the side for dipping.