Massaman Mushroom-Seitan Curry

There's just something comforting about a Massaman curry...it's probably the combination of warming spices such as cardamom, anise, and cinnamon, or maybe the creaminess of the coconut milk, or maybe just the hardiness of the combination of potatoes, vegetables, and cashews all simmered together with love. It is most likely the combination of all these elements that makes Massaman one of my favorite style of Thai curries. It's a perfect dish for a chilly night in with friends, chatting and watching movies and laughing and staying warm. My version is made with chunks of toothsome seitan, in place of the traditional beef found in this curry with Muslim origins, as well as mushrooms, to give a meaty and savory feel to the dish. This is perfect served with brown Jasmine rice and a side of spicy, garlicky broccoli! Massaman Mushroom-Seitan Curry (serves 4-6)
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1" ginger, minced
2 Thai chiles, minced
8 oz mushrooms, rough chopped
3 Tbs soy sauce, divided
2 cups seitan, diced
2 medium potatoes (or sweet potatoes), diced
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1 small tin Massaman curry paste
1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
2 Tbs jaggery (palm sugar) or brown sugar
1 Tbs tamarind concentrate
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pinch cayenne, to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp anise
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 c Thai basil, chopped (or 2 Tbs dried basil)
1 cup cashews

In a large wok or deep pan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add red onion and shallots, and saute for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 more minute to lightly brown garlic. Add mushrooms and chiles and saute 2-3 more minutes until mushrooms have begun to reduce. Add 2 Tbs soy sauce and curry paste to the pan. Add seitan and potato chunks and cook 2-3 minutes to lightly brown the edges. Add the coconut milk and water or broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to low; simmer 10 minutes. Add jaggery, tamarind, 1 Tbs soy sauce, cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, anise and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 more minutes, until liquid has thickened and potatoes are tender. Add lemon juice, basil and cashews, and cook 5 more minutes, uncovered. Add salt to taste, as well as any more heat desired. Top with extra cashews and serve with jasmine rice.

All The Glory That Is Seitan Piccata...

If you've never had anything "piccata" style, I feel almost certain you have not fully lived. The bold and savory flavors that are created from the combination of capers, lemons, white wine, onions, garlic, shallots, and parsley are absolutely stunning to the mouth. I am not exaggerating here, either! Then to bless breaded and pan-fried homemade seitan with this deliciousness is just so good it should be illegal. But it's not, which is why I served it at my supper club last weekend!! Yay! I used the Seitan Piccata with Lemon-Caper Sauce recipe in the Candle Cafe Cookbook, which really turns out perfectly every time. And it's so gooooooooood!!!

I served the seitan on a pile of Creamed Local Spinach (made with Earth Balance, soy creamer, salt, and pepper. simple and yum.) and Herbed Potato Cakes. I have been really into things in cake or patty or fritter form lately, so I kind of just went with it to create a nice starch for this meal. And they are wonderful!! The recipe below will feed a lot of people, like 24, so feel free to half or quarter it if you aren't running an underground restaurant out of your house! :)Herbed Potato Cakes (serves 24, makes approx. 48 patties)
5 lbs yukon gold or russet potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, small diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup celery, small diced
1/4 cup vegan margarine
2 cups soymilk
6 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs sea salt
1/2 Tbs white pepper
1/2 Tbs black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat)
1 Tbs dried thyme
1/2 Tbs dried dill
1/2 cup fresh sage, chopped and tightly packed
2 Tbs agave nectar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Oil for frying

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the diced potatoes. Boil for approximately 20 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
When the potatoes have cooled, add the margarine and soymilk, and mash until the potatoes are smooth and creamy in texture. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat oven to 375 F.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Coat pan with oil and allow to heat.
When oil is ready, drop prepared dough by 1/2 cup scoops onto heated pan. Let cook for about 3 minutes, until beginning to get golden brown. Flip the patty over and cook 3-4 more minutes, again looking for a golden crust. Transfer patty to a sheet pan, which will go into the oven. Repeat process until all of the dough has been used up; this should produce roughly 48 cakes. Bake the fried potato cakes in preheated oven for 15 minutes, to get the inside fully cooked and create a fluffy interior. Serve immediately over creamed spinach and top with seitan piccata and lemon-caper sauce.


Even with that delectable meal, there was OF COURSE room for dessert!! I looooove frosted brownies and the combo of pb and chocolate, so I made these two loves combine in this Peanut Butter-Cocoa Brownie! The brownie is the Deluxe Cocoa Brownie from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar...another winner from that beautiful book! The frosting is a Peanut Buttercream, based on the recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Dusted with fair trade cocoa powder, too!! Man, these vegan baked goods are so proactive! They were definitely satisfying my sweet tooth that day! Decadent, rich, delicious, and seriously induce need of a post-meal nap! Though next time, I would make them "bomb" style and drench the top in chocolate ganache....there will be a next time soon I can tell!

Hearty and Wholesome Winter Eats

When it is winter time and snowy and such, all I really want to do is snuggle up inside and make some rib-sticking, delicious food!! So that is pretty much all I have been doing lately...and I love every minute of it!!

Some stuff I have made recently...warm, tasty, filling, and healthy, too...mmmmm.....

Chili-Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches on Homemade Sweet Potato Buns with Raspberry Chipotle Mayo. Sweet Maple Slaw. Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles, from Isa and Terry's Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar! These are sooooo goood! I made some chocolate cinnamon buttercream, and turned them into cookie sandwiches! Forgot to picture it though....too much eating to do!

Two Potato Chowder with local sweet and yukon gold potatoes! Garnished with local tempeh and scallions. Side of Jalapeno-Molasses Cornbread.

Nutty Fig Bars, with local pecans. Seitan Reubens--Homemade rye bread topped with homemade corned "beef" seitan, organic sauerkraut, caramelized onions, and homemade 1000 island dressing. Ah, the open-faced sandwich, how I love thee. Side of local Sweet Potato Salad.Salted Caramel Pecan Bars from Isa and Terry's VCIYCJ. These are my favorite thing I have made from that cookbook so far!! Salty and sweet and crunchy and chewy all at the same time!! I served them with some vanilla soy ice cream, and it was a perfect combination! Pecan-Crusted Seitan with Smoky Smothered Greens and Mashed Local Potatoes and Gravy.

Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Candied Walnuts from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World!!! These are seriously amazing!! They taste like maple doughnuts, which I looooved in my omni days! People went crazy for these! Perfection when eaten with a hot cup of coffee and shared with lovely friends.

A Christmas Preview Meal!

This past Saturday, at my weekly vegan brunch at my place, I decided to spread a little holiday cheer and make a pre-Christmas dinner for everybody! It was fabulous, and I think it did the trick to get everyone in the Christmas-y mood!

It was very similar to my Thanksgiving meal, actually, but with a few changes...
Homemade Seitan Roast with Apple-Sage Stuffing
Agave-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Golden Onion Gravy
Candied Ginger Cranberry Sauce

It was truly a feast! And a celebration of local foods...the sweet potatoes, apples, and garlic were all locally-grown! And btdubs, I have been meaning to post my recipe for the Homemade Seitan Roast, but I lost the paper I wrote it on! Bummer! I'll keep looking for it and give it out as soon as I find it! Wish me luck :)The true stars were, of course, the pies for dessert!
We had Pecan Pie, recipe from the Vegan Feast Kitchen blog! With local pecans! Yeah! And Pumpkin Pie, using my recipe from the Thanksgiving post a while ago. Pumpkin Pie just screams holidays to me! And I used local pumpkins, that I pureed myself and everything. Oh, a you already probably know that is all homemade crust. Duh.

Just typing about this is getting me pumped for my real Christmas dinner coming up in two days!! Woo hoo!

Sunday Funday!

This past Sunday was filled with snow flurries, tasty food, and beautiful friends. In case you haven't read some of my past posts about Kansas City's Sustainability Sundays. Basically, every Sunday my friend, Dane, and I serve up vegan, locally-grown food from our houses--underground restaurant style--and talk about sustainability. It. is. awesome. We have great people come out to eat and support the cause! I serve lunch and Dane serves up dinner, so we each get a break from cooking for one meal. It's a good thing.

There was even a special guest at my lunch this week: Miss V from the blog Miss V's Vegan Cookbook! She is another KC vegan blogger, but you've probably already checked out her blog. If not, then you should!!! I was so glad to have her join in the food and festivities! Yay Miss V!

Lunch this week was one of my favorite meals: Arepas! These plump little tortilla-like cakes are stuffed with black beans, fried plantains, and Latina Shredded Seitan (actually a tester for Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Latina cookbook!). I served them with Garlic-Lime Braised Local Greens and avocado. So, so flavorful and goooooood.Dessert was suuuuper exciting....because it was the first recipe I have made from Isa and Terry's Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar!!!!!! I was so excited to get this cookbook and I was NOT disappointed! At all! I made the Spiced Sweet Potato Blondies and let me just tell you that these are perfect. There's really no other way to say it. I even got to use local sweet potatoes in them! yeah! Everyone was sooo in love with these! I used walnuts and vegan butterscotch chips in mine, and served them with a lil' scoop of So Delicious vanilla ice cream! omg.omg.omg.For dinner, Dane served up Peanut Noodles with Broccoli, and some fresh cucumber. Sweet, salty, spicy, and awesome! Dessert wasn't photographed, aka I forgot, was also fresh and tasty...chocolate-peanut butter dipped pineapple! What a treat!On another note, I just have to rave about a sandwich I put together last week, what I am deeming The Thanksgivingwich!!! This fantastic monster of a sandwich was full of all my Thanksgiving leftovers: sliced Seitan Faux Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Creamy Onion Gravy, and Sauteed Greens, all between locally-made Farm to Market Bread! Heaven in a sandwich for suuuure. Now if I had only saved some stuffing to pile on it....nah, too much. :)

Buffalo Seitan Wraps and Another Lovely Sunday!

Yesterday was so wonderful! Lots of great people and great food were shared to make yet another fantastic KC Vegan Crawl! I am constantly astounded at everyone's support of Sustainability Sunday happenings!!

Onto the food! Where would we be without it!?

The star of the lunch on Sunday was the Buffalo Seitan Wrap: homemade chick'n style seitan dredged in a homemade spicy buffalo wing sauce wrapped up in an organic whole wheat tortilla with homemade vegan ranch dressing, organic red onion, tomato, and spinach. Oooooh they were so delish!! The cool ranch juxtaposed against the spicy buffalo seitan was divine.

And for the side dish, I made some Spiced Potato Wedges! Local potatoes tossed in olive oil and spices, and baked until nice and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside! Yum! Man, potatoes are a perfect food. GOSH. I also made my Kickin' Ketchup for the dipping of the potato wedges. I love to dip, what can I say?!And you know I gotta have dessert!! I made my Oatmeal Cream Pies, because I just wanted and needed and craved them. I think everyone was happy with my decision...so perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for the fall, with that dollop of buttercream-style filling for a little naughty indulgent touch. I think I can declare this my new favorite dessert! There, I said it! :)

I was so very pleased with how yesterday went...now it's time to get crackin' for the next sustainability shindig!

Tester Times Two and Vegan Brunch Muffins!!

I have been a busy little tester these days! With testing for two cookbooks simultaneously, I have had lots of cooking to do...and I'm loving every minute of it! Here's some recent test recipes:
From Cookin' Crunk testing, which comes from the lovely Bianca of the Vegan Crunk blog: Seitan Hot Wings. Spicy and tangy, just how they are meant to be! Chunks of seitan are battered, baked, and tossed in a buffalo wing sauce. One of my favorite Crunk test recipes so far!! I served the Seitan Hot Wings on homemade Cornbread Buns (thanks to Melisser for the awesome recipe!) for open-faced sandwiches! These were brilliant! Hot wings, my homemade vegan ranch dressing, spinach, and toasted cornbread buns...perfect summery sandwich!

On the side, I sauteed local mustard greens, garlic, and my momma's tomatoes. Fresh and delish.
The next pic comes from Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Latina tester forum: Seitan Chorizo Tacos! While not a test recipe itself, the Seitan Chorizo is a test recipe, as well as the homemade Soft Corn Tortillas. Both are totally drool-worthy on their own.... but paired with baked butternut squash, red onion, green olives, pickled jalapenos, chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, and crispy red leaf lettuce...I think I don't even have to tell you how good these were! Tons of texture and flavor variations make these tacos perfect. When you get Vegan Latina after it comes out, I highly recommend using the Seitan Chorizo just like this!

And lastly, a non-test recipe: Cocoa Raspberry Muffins from Isa's Vegan Brunch! I am trying to work in as much VB I can with all the cookbook testing recipes, but it can get tough sometimes. I am so glad I could squeeze these in my schedule!! Just a little sweet with a little tartness from the raspberries make nice little muffins that are perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack. With a nice hot cup of tea, of course!

Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches!

So there's this sandwich idea that's been floating around in my little foodie head for a while now. The dream sandwich of which I write is my Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwich.
This is exciting because I have felt in a little bit of a creative slump with all the cookbook testing I have been doing...lots of cooking, almost none of it my own recipes! I'm not complaining, of course, I 'm just sayin. So this recipe finally came to fruition last week! And it was everything I wanted it to be. And more. I had been playing around with the idea of a chili-coffee rub for seitan, and it just screamed messy, delicious sandwich to me. And that's what I did! It turned out soooo well! You just have to try it! The smoky, savory quality of the dry rub is balanced out perfectly by the spicy, tart quality of the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, creamy avocado, and sweetness of the caramelized onions. zomg you guys. zomg.Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches (serves 4)
For the seitan:
1 lb seitan, thinly sliced (I used my homemade seitan, but use whatever kind you like.)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup coffee grounds (freshly-ground is best)
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
pinch or two of cayenne

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients, except the seitan, until well mixed. Add the sliced seitan in the mixture and toss with mixture to coat completely. Let marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight. When preparing to use, heat a large cast iron (or your favorite) skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with canola oil or non-stick spray. Add the seitan and any remaining marinade to the heated pan, making seitan is in a single, even layer. Cook for 5 minutes without stirring or turning the seitan. Flip the seitan and cook for 5 more minutes, until the marinade has mostly reduced. Turn off heat and cover until ready to use.

For the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce:
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs dijon mustard
1 cup raspberries (thawed if using frozen)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs maple syrup
dash or two of hot sauce, to taste

In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients together until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the caramelized onions:
Cut 1 red onion in half and thinly slice. Saute onion slices in 1 Tbs canola oil, over medium heat, until lightly browned and caramelized. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches:
4 hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls, split and toasted if desired
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 batch caramelized red onions
2 cups spinach or mixed greens
1 recipe Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1 recipe Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan

Open bun or roll so both insides are face up. Slather each inside with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. Mound 1/4 of the seitan on the bottom bun. Pile caramelized onions, sliced avocado, and spinach on top of the seitan. Top with the other bun half. Repeat with other three buns until all the seitan is used. Serve hot!

One of the best parts of this creation was that I used homemade buns!! These were my first homemade bun attempt, and they were great! I used Melisser's Cornbread Burger Buns. Soooo sweet and savory and good.
Aaaaaand I served these messy guys up with Sweet Potato Oven Fries and slices of my momma's homegrown tomatoes!! Yipee!

It was truly a party in my tummy! And mouth!

Everything's Better When It's Homemade!

There is just something so gratifying about making things yourself! Not only because they usually taste better and are healthier than when store-bought, but when you are biting into your homemade creation, there is a great sense of accomplishment and pride in your hard work. I love this feeling, so this week I tried really hard to make as much as I could from scratch! It was a lot of fun...and tasty, too!

For breakfast, I have been munching on the Bakery-Style Berry Muffins from Isa's Vegan Brunch. These are perfectly sweet and fluffy and satisfying in the morning with a little schmear of Earth Balance and berry jam. This makes me want to try all the VB muffin recipes now! No good vegan could go around tauting homemade goods without mentioning seitan! I love seitan made from scratch! It has such a wonderful flavor and is so easy. Most of my dinners this week have been centered around the Steamed White Seitan, a tester recipe for Terry's upcoming Vegan Latina cookbook. This seitan is supposed to be for chicken- and pork-type dishes, as it has a mild flavor and is spiked with delicious herbs and seasonings.For the first meal in which I used the Steamed White Seitan, I made the Arroz con Seitan, another VL test recipe. This is Terry's veganized take on Arroz con Pollo, a very traditional Latina dish with chicken, rice, and veggies. It was delicious!! First the seitan is marinated and grilled...Then combined with the rice, a delicious broth made with beer, and lots of veggies--including green olives, which I adore!! Very flavorful, hearty, and even nice on a hot summer evening with a side of juicy local tomato slices!Then last night for dinner, I used the seitan for Chipotle Seitan and Potato Tacos, a VL test recipe as well. I love love love tacos, and these were amazing! I prepared these for my friend Sarah and myself, and we devoured every last bite. Perfect on a hot night, with all the heat from the chipotle peppers to make you sweat!

I even made my own Soft Corn Tortillas for our tacos! This was my first time making homemade tortillas, and it was surprisingly easy! These were a Vegan Latina test recipe, of course! I think I will be making these all the time now!
These spicy, savory soft tacos are filled with a chipotle and beer marinated seitan that has been grilled, roasted then pan-fried sweet potatoes, shredded cabbage, the Pickled Red Onions (a VL test recipe I had leftover), and a Lime Yogurt Crema, which is Terry's spin on a sour cream-style sauce....lots of lime and cilantro and yum! I cannot stress enough how awesome these were and how excited everyone should be about the VL cookbook! woo!

And, of course, there's nothing like a homemade pie for dessert! My wonderful friend Cody had a birthday this week, and he requested a peanut butter pie instead of the traditional b-day cake. So I delivered! Celine at the Have Cake, Will Travel blog posed this PB & J Pie recipe not too long ago, and it caught my eye (and taste buds!). I made a homemade whole wheat pie crust and filled it with layers of peanut butter-based filling and raspberry jam. This was awesome! Peanut butter is good just about any way you throw it at me, but this was exceptional! It was even more perfect with some freshly-brewed coffee and lovely company!

I Got Vegan Soul Kitchen!

For a graduation present, my wonderful and lovely friend, Anna, got me Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry! I have read several other bloggers talk about this cookbook and it looked like something that would be right up my culinary alley...and I was right! Filled with delicious and healthy soul food, this cookbook transforms any kitchen to a down-home oasis.

The first recipes I made from Vegan Soul Kitchen were the Whole-Grain Mustard and Cornmeal Crusted Seitan and the Garlic Broth-Braised Brussels Sprouts. These were both so simple to make and absolutely delicious to eat! I served them with a side of spice roasted sweet potatoes, a recipe of my own. I made this dinner for my friend, Sarah, and myself, and we both thought these were great, homey dishes!I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves comfort food, healthy food, or easy-to-prepare food!

With a little room leftover for dessert, Sarah and I hit up Sparky's, the local ice cream shop, for some vegan sorbet! The sorbet flavor of the day was Pineapple-Lime Sorbet...this was summer in a cup!! Very refreshing and cool!

I'm so glad summer is here! Now, if I only had air conditioning....

Finals Week Foods!

Today marks my last day in college. I can't believe it! Now I am officially a grown-up...ok, maybe that's not entirely true. BUT, I am a dietitian now and I am not under the authority of the University of Missouri any longer! I can live with that. Here's some things I made and/or ate during this last crazy busy week of finals, and a few things from last weekend that I haven't had time to post!

From a potluck last weekend:

Steamed Red Seitan, a tester from Terry's Vegan Latina CookbookEmpanadas, which were filled with the above seitan and lots of other goodies, also a tester for Terry! These were freakin' amazing!! Everyone at the potluck adored them, of course.

Right outta the oven:Getting ready to go party:From Mothers' Day Brunch last Sunday, at the lovely Eden Alley:

I had the Vegan Breakfast, which consisted of crusted and pan-seared local tofu, potatoes with caramelized onion, a coconut whole wheat biscuit, and a healthy smothering of local mushroom-hemp gravy! I was in brunch heaven!!!

My mom had the Falafel and Tofu, which was a bed of organic brown rice topped with a homemade falafel patty, crusted and pan-seared tofu, and a topping of roasted red pepper coulis! She let me try it, of course, and it was divine!

My grandmother had the Raw Stuffed Avocado Salad, a huge bed of organic greens and other veggies, with an entire avocado on top, stuffed with a raw hummus and cucumber mixture, and topped with flaxseeds, drizzled with their homemade mustard seed dressing. This was so refreshing and summery!

My new peanut butter obsession: Vanilla Cranberry Peanut Butter! This creamy, sweet concoction is only sold at Target stores, as it is from their Archer Farms line. This is so perfect in the morning on toast with a big glass of soymilk! It reminds me a lot of the PB&Co White Chocolate Wonderful, as it has the same sweetness and vanilla flavors, but the cranberries just add that little something extra. Also, this PB is not quite as thick, which makes it perfect for spreading on bagels, toast, fingers, etc.Check out the little bits o' cranberries!!

And, my new pride and joy cookie recipe: Oatmeal Macadamia Nut Butterscotch Chip Cookies!! I made these for our big LOST season finale (super awesome, but super sad it's over for so long) watching party. I love how sweet and buttery these babies are! I used the butterscotch chips the lovely Bianca of Vegan Crunk sent me...they are too addictive!Oatmeal-Macadamia Nut-Butterscotch Chip Cookies (makes about 20-2 inch cookies)

1/2 cup vegan margarine, such as EB

1/2 cup organic sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ener-G egg replacer for 2 egg-equivalents

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped roughly

2 Tbs soymilk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg replacer, until creamy and well-combined. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until mixed, making sure to not over-stir. Add the soymilk to make the dough more flexible, then fold in the oats, nuts, and chips. Stir until fully incorporated, but not over-mixing, as this will create a tough cookie. Scoop out approximately 2 Tbs of dough at a time to make the cookies. Roll the dough into a ball in your hands to make a smooth sphere, then place on the sheet pan. Press down the cookie to flatten out to about a 2 inch diameter, as these will not spread much at all. Repeat until dough is gone, which will produce about 20 cookies ( if you don't eat any dough!). Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on the edges and still a tad soft in the middle. After removing from oven, let sit on sheet pan for about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to prevent too much after-baking. Serve warm with a big glass of soymilk and don't forget to share with friends!

I still can't believe I am done with school!! I ordered Isa's Vegan Brunch on Amazon for my graduation present to myself...it should arrive in the next few days!! I am so pumped!!

Easter Eats, Thanks to Bianca!

Since it is Easter and all, I figured I had a good excuse to cook up a storm and make some dishes that took a little more time and effort! Isn't that the best part of holidays?! Bianca, of Vegan Crunk, put this new tester recipe for her cookbook up this week and I knew instantly that it was the perfect thing to serve for my Easter lunch: Dijon-Pecan Seitan with Maple Butter Glaze. Yeah, it is as good as it sounds!! The seitan has an amazing crust on the outside that is both salty and sweet, which is enhanced even more by the salty-sweet glaze. My taste buds were smiling! These little nutty medalions were paired perfectly with Garlic-Roasted Asparagus and Lemon-Herb Whipped Parsnips...I was feeling kind of fancy this morning.

And, what would a holiday be without dessert? I made some wonderful Butterscotch Pecan Blondies, as they felt spring-y to me, and put in some butterscotch chips that the great Bianca sent me from Memphis....the Food Lion stores down South carry vegan butterscotch chips! whoa! (in my Joey Lawrence voice)

These are loosely based off of the blondies (with carob chips) served at Main Squeeze in Columbia, but I have been working on my own version for a bit, and of course I had to put my own spin on them! You MUST try these if you can get your hands on some vegan b.s. chips!

Butterscotch Pecan Blondies (serves 12 BIG portions, maybe 16 normal-sized)
Wet Ingredients:
2 T ground flaxseeds
2 c turbinado (or other natural) sugar
2 T vanilla extract
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1-12 oz.box silken tofu
1 1/2 c soy or rice milk

Dry Ingredients:
4 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 T baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cup vegan butterscotch chips
1 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Blend wet ingredients until well mixed. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Fold in 1 cup each of butterscotch chips and pecans. Pour wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup each extra butterscotch chips and pecans. Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before cutting, and serve.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Some Product Reviews

With my love for holidays, celebratory meals, and my Irish roots, I really have no choice but to prepare an Irish-inspired meal for St. Patrick's Day! I made Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage, with Maple-Mustard Roasted Potatoes, and it was so delicious! Unfortunately, it was in the 80's here, so it was almost too hot to make such warm, comforting food! It was worth it, though. Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage (serves 4)
1 lb seitan, chunked
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cabbage, shredded
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup pickle juice
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup beet juice (optional)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs paprika
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs mustard powder
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs caraway seeds
1 Tbs dill seeds

In a large pot, combine the 2 cups of water, pickle juice, vinegar, and the rest of the seasonings with the chunked seitan. Simmer for 20 minutes, until some of the liquid has reduced. Add in the vegetables and the 1/2 cup water and cover. Simmer on medium-low with the seitan for 20-25 more minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the liquid is mostly gone. Serve with roasted potatoes or Irish soda bread!

Maple-Mustard Roasted Potatoes (serves4)

4 medium russet potatoes, large diced

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss diced potatoes in olive oil and bake on a sheet pan for 30-45 minutes, until tender on the inside and lightly browned on the outside. While the potatoes bake, prepare the maple-mustard sauce (below).

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1 Tbs dill weed

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. When potatoes are done roasting, toss the maple-mustard sauce with the potatoes until completely coated. Serve hot, with Seitan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now for some product reviews! I have tried a couple of new finds lately, and I have to talk about them!

First up, White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter & Co!!! I know, I know, everyone has talked about PB&C0's awesome products, but I am going to put my two cents in! I am in love with this peanut butter! OK, I am in love with peanut butter in general, but this white chocolate variety is definitely the creamiest and sweetest pb I've ever tasted!! I can't wait to try more of their flavors...I think I'll go for the cinnamon raisin variety next...

This white chocolate pb goes especially well on toast with organic raspberry jam!

Next is the Blueberry Lavender Sorbet from Archer Farms, Target's gourmet store brand. If you like sorbet, then you will love this product! I have always enjoyed the flavor combination of blueberry and lavender, and I was very pleasantly surprised when my mom surprised me with this last week! Very refreshing flavor, smooooooth texture (especially for a sorbet), and not loaded with sugar! I'm picturing this on a hot summer day, topped with some chocolate chips and fresh berries....ahh.

Eating it straight out of the carton is also delightful....

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!