Pretty in Pink: Lemon Rhubarb Preserves

Local rhubarb is abundant this time of year at the farmers' market and preserves just seems like the perfect way to make it stand out! Of course, it pairs oh so well with strawberry, but sometimes the rhubarb just needs to be able to shine on its own! I especially love this on biscuits or scones with a little Earth Balance for a springtime morning treat! Lemon Rhubarb Preserves (makes approx. 3 cups)
1 lb fresh rhubarb, diced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch) dissolved in 2 Tbs cold water

In a large pot, bring rhubarb, lemon zest and juice, sugar, water, and salt to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add in the arrowroot slurry and bring back to a boil, stirring vigorously. Reduce heat back to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. If using relatively soon, store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. (Otherwise, this is now ready to be canned in glass jars and stored for later use. )

Tofu Krab Cakes with Vegan Tartar Sauce...New and Improved!!!

So I've been tweaking my Tofu Krab Cake recipe for a couple of years now....it was good before, but with a few improvements, I think it is now PERFECT!!! I have even improved the Vegan Tartar Sauce recipe! I like the serve these with rice, as the texture and flavor combination just works really well together; so I came up with this flavorful and light Lemon Tarragon Rice side dish. Add some coleslaw, and you've got a pretty awesome meal!! I think you'll love this as much as I do. New and Improved Tofu Krab Cakes (serves 12, with 2 cakes per person)
2 cups breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
3 blocks extra firm tofu (3 lbs)
2 Tbs dried hijiki seaweed, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and drained
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1 large celery stalk, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kelp granules
2 Tbs ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 Tbs hot sauce
1/3 cup vegenaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 Tbs olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbs canola oil, divided into 3 tsp

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 sheet pans.
In a large bowl combine the breadcrumbs, tofu, flaxseeds, vegenaise, and dijon mustard. Use your hands to crumble the tofu into chunks and incorporate the ingredients together. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine; this works best with your hands. Mix together until everything is well incorporated, but not too mushy. You still want some good sized chunks of tofu. Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup or scoop, form into 24 patties, approximately 3 inches in diameter. When forming, pack each patty tightly to ensure they stay together while cooking.
Place on prepared sheet pans and sprinkle with a little extra Old Bay seasoning over the tops for texture and color. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes; this helps them bind and stay together much better. Heat about 1 tsp canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add cooled krab cakes to the pan, and brown lightly on both sides. Repeat until all the patties are browned. Serve with Vegan Tartar Sauce and garnish with scallions.
Note: These freeze extremely well! Place leftover patties in an airtight container, before the browning steps, and freeze until ready to use. Brown in oil after thawing.

Vegan Tartar Sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 box silken tofu
2 cups vegenaise
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs capers
1/2 cup dill pickle relish, or chopped pickles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs olive oil

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Puree until smooth; a few chunks of capers or pickles is fine. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon Tarragon Rice (serves ~12)
2 1/2 cups brown rice
5 cups cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bunch fresh tarragon, minced

In a large pot, bring rice, water, and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; allow to simmer for 45 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time
After rice is done, gently stir in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder, olive oil, and tarragon, using a fork; fluff rice as you stir. Serve hot.

Serve meal with coleslaw and garnish with lemon wedges and scallions....Enjoy your faux seaside feast!!!

Vegan MoFo: Lemon Ginger Scones!

It's Vegan MoFo Day 15 and it's time for this week's Vegan Iron Chef Challenge! The ingredients this week were lemon and ginger. I just happen to love both of these things a lot!
As soon as I learned what the secret ingredients would be, I instantly knew what I would make: Lemon Ginger Scones! It just sounded delicious and I adore scone-making. I just winged the recipe and it turned out great! You should definitely try this one on a cloudy afternoon, and it will surely brighten your day. It did for me!

Vegan Lemon Ginger Scones (makes 8 big scones)

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 Tbs baking powder

2 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp ginger powder

Zest of two lemons

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

3/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, such as Earth Balance or Spectrum Spread

1/2 cup soymilk

Juice of two big lemons--approx. 1/2 cup

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced small

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a mixing cup, whisk together the lemon juice and soymilk, and set aside to let curdle a bit.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and ginger. Stir to mix well. Cut in the shortening and margarine, until they are in pea-sized pieces or the mixture looks crumbly. Slowly pour in the soymilk mixture and stir until just combined, being sure to not over-mix. Fold in the lemon zest and chopped ginger until fully incorporated.

Chill this mixture for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 375 F. When dough is ready, turn out onto the baking sheet and form it into one large circle. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 triangles, as if cutting a pie or pizza. Make sure each scone is separate from one another enough so they won't cook together completely. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, slice along the already-made cuts, and place back in the oven for 15 more minutes. Scones will be ready when golden brown on top and firm to the touch. These are fairly dense, crunchy scones, so they will continue to firm up after baking. Allow to cool for 10 more minutes on the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling or serve immediately. These are really great slathered with Earth Balance and drizzled with agave nectar!! Even better with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea!