Real Hurricanes aren't quite this orangey. Still, these fulfilled the mandate of pleasantly fruity + deceptively strong.
4 fl. oz. dark rum
6 fl. oz. orange juice
4 fl. oz. passion fruit nectar
1 fl. oz. grenadine
2 fl. oz. sparkling lemon water
Combine, chill and serve. You can leave out the rum and up the lemon water for a non-alcoholic version.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Creamy Artichoke Dip
This went like crazy at the Mardi Gras party. Which is fabulous, because it must have taken all of 5 minutes to whip up. The boy and I ate the leftovers with a spoon after work today. I based this on a recipe from the marvelous Eat Air.
1/2 cup eggless mayo (I used Vegenaise)
2 tsp country-style dill mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill
pepper to taste
1/3 cup vegan mozzarella (optional)
2 garlic cloves, smooshed
10-15 marinated artichoke hearts
breadcrumbs or crushed pita chips
Combine the mayo, mustard, dill, mozzarella, pepper, garlic cloves and half the artichoke hearts. Puree with a stick blender until creamy. Stir in the remaining artichoke hearts and mash with a fork until there are no chunks left. Top with breadcrumbs or pita chips and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
Serve with pita chips!
Ingredient Notes: I use a dill-flavored grainy mustard we get at our local farmer's market. I'm sure you could use any mustard, but a grainy one would be best. Your typical yellow sandwich mustard might be a tad weird. Dijon would probably work well.
I've heard that Vegenaise is the best of the faux mayos, so that's all I've ever used.
1/2 cup eggless mayo (I used Vegenaise)
2 tsp country-style dill mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill
pepper to taste
1/3 cup vegan mozzarella (optional)
2 garlic cloves, smooshed
10-15 marinated artichoke hearts
breadcrumbs or crushed pita chips
Combine the mayo, mustard, dill, mozzarella, pepper, garlic cloves and half the artichoke hearts. Puree with a stick blender until creamy. Stir in the remaining artichoke hearts and mash with a fork until there are no chunks left. Top with breadcrumbs or pita chips and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
Serve with pita chips!
Ingredient Notes: I use a dill-flavored grainy mustard we get at our local farmer's market. I'm sure you could use any mustard, but a grainy one would be best. Your typical yellow sandwich mustard might be a tad weird. Dijon would probably work well.
I've heard that Vegenaise is the best of the faux mayos, so that's all I've ever used.
Cinnamon King Cake
Yeasty things don't do so well in my cold kitchen, so I adapted this from a VegWeb.com cinnamon roll recipe. I think I'm going to go pour a little amaretto in the bottom of the cake pan to make the leftovers all sweet and almondy.
2 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
2/3 cup vanilla soy milk
2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 dried bean or nut
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp softened Earth Balance
vanilla soy milk
White sugar + food coloring (and/or colored decorating crystals)
green, gold, and purple gel icing
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in the margarine (or smoosh it in with your hands). Add the soy milk a little at a time, mixing gently until a soft dough is formed.
Flour a countertop and rolling pin generously. Roll out the dough until it's roughly 8 by 16 inches. Brush the margarine over the dough, then sprinkle with Sucanat and cinnamon. Place the bean somewhere on the dough sheet. Roll up the dough to form a long tube. Form the dough into a ring, place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, mix the margarine and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla soy milk until it's the desired consistency. Combine the sugar and food coloring to make yellow, green and purple sugar.
Let the cake cool, then use a teaspoon to drizzle frosting all over the cake. Sprinkle the colored sugar on top of the frosting, then top with more frosting drizzles.
Whoever gets the piece with the bean gets to bring the king cake next year!
Variations: You can also spread the dough rectangle with sweetened cream cheese or cherry or apple pie filling before rolling it up.
2 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
2/3 cup vanilla soy milk
2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 dried bean or nut
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp softened Earth Balance
vanilla soy milk
White sugar + food coloring (and/or colored decorating crystals)
green, gold, and purple gel icing
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in the margarine (or smoosh it in with your hands). Add the soy milk a little at a time, mixing gently until a soft dough is formed.
Flour a countertop and rolling pin generously. Roll out the dough until it's roughly 8 by 16 inches. Brush the margarine over the dough, then sprinkle with Sucanat and cinnamon. Place the bean somewhere on the dough sheet. Roll up the dough to form a long tube. Form the dough into a ring, place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, mix the margarine and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla soy milk until it's the desired consistency. Combine the sugar and food coloring to make yellow, green and purple sugar.
Let the cake cool, then use a teaspoon to drizzle frosting all over the cake. Sprinkle the colored sugar on top of the frosting, then top with more frosting drizzles.
Whoever gets the piece with the bean gets to bring the king cake next year!
Variations: You can also spread the dough rectangle with sweetened cream cheese or cherry or apple pie filling before rolling it up.
Red Beans & Rice
I know, I know. Another red beans and rice recipe. Apparently, I can't be stopped. Or make it the same. Ever.
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
water
1 slice tempeh bacon, thawed and crumbled (optional)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 smooshed chipotle pepper (optional)
1 cup red rice
2 cups water
1/8 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
Puree the tomatoes with their juice. Combine the tomato puree, beans, tempeh bason, liquid smoke, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves and chipotle pepper in a crockpot or large soup pot. Add water until the liquid is just below the level of the beans. Cook, covered, for as long as you can stand it to let the flavors meld. (I regularly let it cook in the crock pot for 3-4 hours.) When ready to serve, puree part of the mixture with a stick blender and return it to the pot.
Combine the rice, water, Cajun seasoning and olive oil in a saucepan and simmer until the water is mostly absorbed. Add the cooked rice to the bean mixture and stir well. Serve hot!
Ingredient Notes: I usually use LightLife's Fakin' Bacon, which is in the frozen case at New City Market. If you can't find it, you could use Baco's or just add a little more liquid smoke. The chipotle pepper adds a little more smoky heat. I buy cans of chipotle peppers in adobo at Target, then use them just a little at a time (I keep the remainder in a jar in the fridge, and it lasts forever). You could use any kind of rice here. I just happen to have 5 pounds of red rice. (Plus, I like the idea of red beans w/ red rice. But that's just me.)
This is really good on tortilla chips, topped with just a little chipotle Tobasco. Num!
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
water
1 slice tempeh bacon, thawed and crumbled (optional)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 smooshed chipotle pepper (optional)
1 cup red rice
2 cups water
1/8 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
Puree the tomatoes with their juice. Combine the tomato puree, beans, tempeh bason, liquid smoke, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves and chipotle pepper in a crockpot or large soup pot. Add water until the liquid is just below the level of the beans. Cook, covered, for as long as you can stand it to let the flavors meld. (I regularly let it cook in the crock pot for 3-4 hours.) When ready to serve, puree part of the mixture with a stick blender and return it to the pot.
Combine the rice, water, Cajun seasoning and olive oil in a saucepan and simmer until the water is mostly absorbed. Add the cooked rice to the bean mixture and stir well. Serve hot!
Ingredient Notes: I usually use LightLife's Fakin' Bacon, which is in the frozen case at New City Market. If you can't find it, you could use Baco's or just add a little more liquid smoke. The chipotle pepper adds a little more smoky heat. I buy cans of chipotle peppers in adobo at Target, then use them just a little at a time (I keep the remainder in a jar in the fridge, and it lasts forever). You could use any kind of rice here. I just happen to have 5 pounds of red rice. (Plus, I like the idea of red beans w/ red rice. But that's just me.)
This is really good on tortilla chips, topped with just a little chipotle Tobasco. Num!
Pesto Swirl Crisps
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 handfuls pine nuts
1 packet Simply Organic pesto mix
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out the puff pastry to thaw.
In a dry saucepan, stir the pine nuts over high heat until they start to turn golden. Pour in the water, olive oil and pesto mix and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and puree with a stick blender.
Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface until it forms a 16-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving an inch of clearance on one of the long sides. Carefully roll the dough up, starting from the other long end. You should have a log of dough. (You can set it in the fridge to make it easier to handle, or wrap in plastic wrap and let sit overnight.)
Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place each slice on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Ingredient Notes: The recipe I saw also called for spinach and cheese, in addition to the pesto. I bet it'd be good with sundried tomato pesto, too.
2 handfuls pine nuts
1 packet Simply Organic pesto mix
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out the puff pastry to thaw.
In a dry saucepan, stir the pine nuts over high heat until they start to turn golden. Pour in the water, olive oil and pesto mix and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and puree with a stick blender.
Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface until it forms a 16-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving an inch of clearance on one of the long sides. Carefully roll the dough up, starting from the other long end. You should have a log of dough. (You can set it in the fridge to make it easier to handle, or wrap in plastic wrap and let sit overnight.)
Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place each slice on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Ingredient Notes: The recipe I saw also called for spinach and cheese, in addition to the pesto. I bet it'd be good with sundried tomato pesto, too.
Vegan Mardi Gras
Against our better judgement, we decided to throw an impromptu Mardi Gras party immediately after returning from a weekend trip to Los Angeles. But hey, the day only comes once a year, and partyin' is damn serious business. Needless to say, this necessitated a little frantic cooking, cleaning and decorating at the last minute. But the resulting spread was delicious... and all vegan! (As the only vegetarian in our group, I have to give props to my madly cool friends for cooking delicious food that I can eat! I'm so lucky.)
I tried a new king cake recipe this year, and while I thought it was better than last year's, it was still far too salty for my taste. The sweetness of the icing helped to balance it out, but still. Bleck. Next year I have my eye on yet another cinnamon roll recipe... maybe one of these years we'll strike gold! I thought about ordering one from NOLA, but those puppies are expensive. $40+ plus expedited shipping. Although I was pleased to see that our local Dahl's had king cakes in the bakery. So maybe I'll go that route next year.
Our table was heaped high with the following (recipes forthcoming):
- red beans & rice
- black bean soyrizo soup
- creamy artichoke dip w/ pita chips
- pesto swirl crisps
- king cake
- salsa
- pineapple rings
- baby carrots
- Hurricanes
The thing I really used to love about Mardi Gras in New Orleans was the concentrated devotion to eating, drinking, relaxing and just a general sense of play. We were fortunate enough to have that here in the snowdrifts of Iowa this year. I'll toast to that any day.
I tried a new king cake recipe this year, and while I thought it was better than last year's, it was still far too salty for my taste. The sweetness of the icing helped to balance it out, but still. Bleck. Next year I have my eye on yet another cinnamon roll recipe... maybe one of these years we'll strike gold! I thought about ordering one from NOLA, but those puppies are expensive. $40+ plus expedited shipping. Although I was pleased to see that our local Dahl's had king cakes in the bakery. So maybe I'll go that route next year.
Our table was heaped high with the following (recipes forthcoming):
- red beans & rice
- black bean soyrizo soup
- creamy artichoke dip w/ pita chips
- pesto swirl crisps
- king cake
- salsa
- pineapple rings
- baby carrots
- Hurricanes
The thing I really used to love about Mardi Gras in New Orleans was the concentrated devotion to eating, drinking, relaxing and just a general sense of play. We were fortunate enough to have that here in the snowdrifts of Iowa this year. I'll toast to that any day.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Chickpea-Spinach Curry & Whole Wheat Chapatis
I've been craving Indian food all week, but the buffets around town never seem to be open when I want to go. So tonight we made the Chickpea-Spinach Curry from 'Vegan with a Vengeance' with some whole wheat chapatis from 'The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.' Now, I've never had much success with either curries or bread products at home. They always come out mediocre, and I never repeat them. This combo, however, was an unqualified success. Tastes just like the buffet, and it's damn good for you to boot!
I pretty much followed the curry recipe to a tee, so I won't repeat it here. I did stir in 3 tablespoons of plain soy yogurt at the end for extra tangy creaminess (I used Wildwood brand, which is made a few hours away from here in Grinnell, Iowa). I topped my curry with Pickapeppa sauce, which reminds me of the luscious tamarind sauce at Tandoor, and scooped it up with these fabulous flatbreads.
Chapatis
===============
Adapted from Peter Berley's 'The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen'.
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 fl. oz. water
1 Tbsp olive oil
Combine flours and salt. Add the olive oil and water and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky. Form a dough ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour.
Unwrap the dough, divide it into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. One at a time, put the ball on a floured surface, then roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's very, very thin.
Spray a skillet with olive oil, then heat over medium heat. Add the dough circles and cook for a few minutes on each side, or until they are browned with darker spots. Put on a plate and cover with a towel until ready to eat.
I pretty much followed the curry recipe to a tee, so I won't repeat it here. I did stir in 3 tablespoons of plain soy yogurt at the end for extra tangy creaminess (I used Wildwood brand, which is made a few hours away from here in Grinnell, Iowa). I topped my curry with Pickapeppa sauce, which reminds me of the luscious tamarind sauce at Tandoor, and scooped it up with these fabulous flatbreads.
Chapatis
===============
Adapted from Peter Berley's 'The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen'.
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 fl. oz. water
1 Tbsp olive oil
Combine flours and salt. Add the olive oil and water and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky. Form a dough ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour.
Unwrap the dough, divide it into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. One at a time, put the ball on a floured surface, then roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's very, very thin.
Spray a skillet with olive oil, then heat over medium heat. Add the dough circles and cook for a few minutes on each side, or until they are browned with darker spots. Put on a plate and cover with a towel until ready to eat.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Homemade Hummus
It seems like every vegetarian cook has their own favorite hummus recipe. This is mine, and while it varies greatly in proportion (depending on what I have in the cupboard), the basic ingredients stay the same. It's got a lovely sesame flavor, a nice tang from the lemon, and a depth of flavor provided by the salsa. I plan on having this on a sandwich with tempeh bacon and sliced avocado. Num!
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp salsa
1 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1 healthy splash lemon juice
1 drizzle sesame oil
1 pinch cumin
chipotle hot sauce to taste
Mash everything well with a potato masher. Then whip out your stick blender and have at it until it forms a lovely thick paste.
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp salsa
1 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1 healthy splash lemon juice
1 drizzle sesame oil
1 pinch cumin
chipotle hot sauce to taste
Mash everything well with a potato masher. Then whip out your stick blender and have at it until it forms a lovely thick paste.
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