Baked Artichoke with Lemon, Garlic and Basil Recipe March 6, 2009

Ingredients:

• 1 large artichokes
• 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5-7 basil leaves, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup, veggie stock

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With kitchen scissors, trim all the sharp ends off of each leaf. Wash the artichoke well in cool water. Slice down the center to form two halves. Clean out all the fuzzy hairs and smaller leaves with a spoon then immediately rub all the cut areas with a lemon.Next combine the olive oil, basil, minced garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a bowl. Mix until it becomes a paste. I rubbed it all over the artichoke halves and inside the leaves.
2. Coat the baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
3. Place each artichoke half top side down in a baking dish. Pour the veggie stock in the dish and cover with a lid or tin foil.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until soft and tender.
5. Enjoy!

Vegan Irish Soda Bread March 6, 2009

IRISH SODA BREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened soymilk
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar4 cups (960 ml) whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (Gas Mark 3) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the soymilk and vinegar in a small bowl and set it aside.
3. Sift the pastry flour, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the center, and add the soured soymilk, stirring with a large spoon until the mixture forms a dough firm enough to shape into a ball.
4. Place the dough on the parchment paper and form into a circle 8 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 inches (3.5 cm) thick. Using a knife, make cuts into the bread about 1/2 inch deep. These cuts will make it easier to break the baked bread into portions.
5. Bake the bread 40 to 45 minutes or until the bread forms a golden brown, firm top and bottom crust. Serve immediately or warm gently to serve later.

Vegan Garlic Rosemary Bread February 14, 2009

Ingredients

3 c bread flour
1/3 c olive oil
1 packet active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/2 c lukewarm water
1/4 c chopped fresh rosemary
3 – 6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
1 tbsp sugar

Directions

In bowl, mix the water, yeast, sugar and half of rosemary.
In separate bowl, add 1 tsp salt to flour, mix, then add flour to yeast mix, slowly, until dough is able to form ball.
Knead on floured board for 10 mins.
Place dough in oiled bowl, cover, let sit in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Mix oil, rosemary and garlic.
Punch dough down, knead a few times to make easy to handle. Shape dough into 2 loaves, place several inches apart on baking sheet.
Score loaves, pour oil mix on top. Sprinkle each loaf with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 350. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.
Tip: place a bowl of cold water in oven to make it steamy and keep things moist.

Fresh Lavender-Lemon Sugar Cookies January 19, 2009

Lavender-Lemon Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance or any vegan margarine
• 1 cup vegan granulated sugar
• Egg Replacer (2tbsp water mixed with 1 1/2 tsp EnerG Egg Replacer)
• 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 2 tsp good vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh lavender buds
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

• Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and lavender buds) in a medium bowl.
• Cream margarine, essential oils and sugar with an electric mixer.
• Mix your egg replacer and set aside – do not make too early or it will not be as effective.
• With food processor or mixer running add the dry ingredients a cup at a time and mix until well incorporated.
• With the mixer running add the vanilla extract, egg replacer and soy milk and mix until it is a consistent dough.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the dough into small balls that are slightly flattened (they will not spread much during cooking).
• Sprinkle cookies with sugar
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Bake until very lightly golden; do not allow to brown (unlike conventional sugar cookies they will not be as golden due to no eggs, for more yellow color add a pinch of turmeric to the dough).
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Herb Bread Recipe December 19, 2008

Herb Bread

Ingredients:

• 6 cups unbleached flour, divided (you may subsitute 3 cups of white flour for whole wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 Tbsp dry active yeast
• 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp or more of rubbed sage
• 2 Tbsp vegan butter

Directions:

Combine 4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and 2 1/2 cups of very warm water (120 – 130 degrees) in a large bowl.

Add herbs and stir until well blended.

Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. (I put the bowl on my dryer while drying clothes)

Grease 2 9×5 inch loaf pans.

Stir dough for 25-35 strokes.

Divide between the prepared pans. Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake loaves for 30 minnutes. Reduce heat to 150 and bake for another 15 minutes. However, the last 10 minutes, cover with foil to prevent to much browning.

Remove from pans immediately abd brush with melted vegan butter.

Cool on a wire rack or whatever you might have.

Beautiful job….! Now, Enjoy!

Spiced Christmas Cookie Cutter Cookies with Peppermint Frosting December 19, 2008

Krista’s Spiced Christmas Cookie Cutter Cookies with Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients for the cookies:

• 1 C Vegan Margarine
• 1 C Brown Sugar
• 3 ½ C Flour
• 2 “Eggs” (Recommended: Ener-G Egg Replacer – a potato and tapioca starch blend)
• 3 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Coriander
• 2 tsp All-Spice
• 2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Salt
• Christmas-Shaped Cookie Cutters

Directions:

1. Beat the margarine and sugar on high until creamy. Add in “eggs” and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Add in the flour and all of the spices and mix well with a spoon until all of the dry ingredients are blended in well. Separate the dough into three large balls and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for one (1) hour.
2. Once the dough has been chilled, remove and roll it flat on a lightly floured surface to your desired thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for approximately ten (10) minutes. Cool on a rack and decorate!!!

Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients for Peppermint Frosting:

• 1/3 C soy milk
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 C sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 C crushed peppermint candy
• Food coloring (optional) (I didn’t use it)

Directions:

1. Blend soy milk, peppermint extract and salt.
2. Mix in powdered sugar
3. mix in some candy crumbs. Mix well
4. Frost cake, Sprinkle with crushed candy

Vegan Asparagus Quiche with Brown Rice Crust Recipe October 18, 2008

Vegan Asparagus Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

by SusanV from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients: (I changed a few things from the original Susan’s Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche Recipe)

• One 12-ounce package firm or extra-firm silken tofu*
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 12 ounces)
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• olive oil spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Put first 8 ingredients (tofu through salt) into blender. Puree until completely smooth, stirring a couple of times between blending.

Mix rice with 3 tablespoons of the tofu mixture. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Coat pie pan with cooking spray or canola oil, and press the rice into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut off the top 3 inches and set aside. Chop the remaining stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat a medium non-stick saucepan with olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, asparagus (not tops) and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, and 1 more tablespoons water. Cover and cook 2 more minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until most liquid has evaporated.

Spread the vegetables (excluding the asparagus tips) on top of the rice crust.

Pour the remaining tofu mixture over the vegetables, stirring lightly to distribute it through the vegetables.

Arrange the asparagus tips over the top and spray lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!!!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough – Vegan & Home-Made October 1, 2008

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 7/8 c warm water
• 1 T sugar
• 2 t active dry yeast
• 2¼ c  whole wheat flour
• ½ t salt
• 1½ T olive oil

Directions:

• Stir together the water and the sugar, then stir in the yeast. Let stand in a warm spot until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Combine flour, salt, and 1 T olive oil, then work the foamy yeast in.
• Flour your kitchen counter or cutting board, then turn the dough out onto it. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.

• If the dough is very sticky, add a bit more flour. If it’s dry, add some water.

• Oil the large bowl, drop in the dough, and turn it so that it is coated with oil.

• Cover with plastic wrap or a towel, set in a warm place, and let rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size. We had a hot day, so I left mine outside to rise.

Wha la!!!

• Punch down the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Divide it into the desired number/size of pizzas, and roll each into a ball. Cover with a towel.

* I made one big for Shon and myself, one to freeze for later and the little one is for Raleigh, my son.

• Roll each ball into a flat disk with a slightly raised edge. Sprinkle the pizza pan or stone with cornmeal or flour, then set the rolled-out pizza crust on top.

Shon and Mine

Raleigh’s

Quick Note: The Stoneware that I use is from The Pampered Chef

The exact product I used is the Large Round Stone