Vegan "Cheezits"

These little crackers pack a surprisingly cheesy punch. I have made these in the past using soy or other types of vegan cheddar cheese which gives that classic bright orange color. But I do try to avoid the artificial vegan cheeses and don't often have them on hand. This recipe is quick and easy. Perfect for when you have a craving for something salty and crunchy. The only part that is mildly time consuming is cutting the dough into 1-inch squares. You can totally make these into large squares to make it easier! But making all those tiny little crackers is quite satisfying if you have the time.

Cashew "parmesan cheese" is something I always have on hand. I put it on anything from pasta, to vegetables, to pizza. I use 4 oz. of this cashew parmesan as the cheese element in these crackers, and the rest can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Cashew Parmesan Cheese

2 cups raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Roughly chop cashews in a food processor. Add nutritional yeast, mustard, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Continue to pulse until the cashew are finely chopped and ingredients are well combined. Careful not to over mix, you are not looking for a paste here. 
 

Vegan "Cheezits"

4 oz. cashew parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter, room temp. (I use the soy free, but any vegan butter works)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2-4 tablespoons ice water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cashew cheese and butter. Mix on medium for about 1 minute. Slowly add flour. Mixture will be dry. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough is formed. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

 On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thin "cheezit" thickness. These won't rise too much. Using a knife or fluted-edged roller, cut into 1 inch squares. Place on baking sheet, careful not to overlap. Poke a small hole in the center of each cracker. Spray with a thin coat of olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. These can go from done to burned very quickly so keep an eye on them. You want them slightly browned for a nice crunch. Let cool completely.

Vegan Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw and Cilantro Lime Sauce

The taco "meat" is a mixture of diced potatoes, ground nuts, and spices. Homemade tortillas, cilantro lime cashew cream, and a tangy red cabbage slaw come together to make a fresh and delicious taco.

Corn Tortillas

1 3/4 cups organic masa harina
1 1/8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Combine masa harina, water and salt until a smooth dough forms. Wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. Form into equal sized balls, 10 to 15 depending on size you would like.  Place  dough balls between plastic wrap. Using a tortilla press or the bottom of a bowl or pan, flatten the dough balls.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with oil. Cook tortillas 1 to 2 minutes on each side. You don't really want to brown these. They should still be soft and pliable enough to pick up and fold without breaking.  

Taco "Meat"

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
1 small potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup water
1.5 cups raw unsalted cashews
1/2 cup unsalted walnuts
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 lime, juiced

In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or so, careful not to burn the garlic. Add spices and potatoes. Add water, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cashews, walnuts, soy sauce, mustard, nutritional yeast, and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture becomes the texture of ground beef. Add the nut mixture to the potato and onion mixture. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt, pepper, or more spices. Keep over low heat.


Red Cabbage Slaw

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeno, mined (keep the seeds for heat, remove them for a mild flavor)
2 to 3 radishes, chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Whisk. Add cabbage, jalapeno, radises, and cilantro. Toss to coat.

Cilantro Lime Cashew Cream

1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight in cold water (30 minutes in hot water if short on time)
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a blender or food processor (Vitamix works best), blend cashews with enough water to form a sour cream like consistency. Add lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Lightly blend. The Vitamix tends to heat up the mixture, so blending in a few ice cubes at the end helps to cool it down and thin it out further.

To Assemble:

Spread a layer of cilantro lime cashew cream on tortillas. Add a few tablespoons of taco "meat". Top with red cabbage slaw, avocado, diced tomatoes, and jalapeno. Finish them off with hot sauce and more cashew cream.

Vegan Granola with Mulberry, Chia Seeds, Cashew Cream, and Bananas

Cashew cream is one of the most versatile and awesome weapons in the vegan kitchen. It can replace sour cream, yogurt, even cream in your coffee. In this recipe I use it 2 different ways. One is flavored with mulberry jam and thickened with organic chia seeds. The other is flavored with crystallized ginger, banana, and orange zest. Both are layered between homemade granola, chock full of nuts and fruit.


Granola
(based off of Alton Brown's basic granola recipe)


1/2 any sweetener of choice (brown sugar, maple syrup, agave, etc.)
1/4 cup mild flavored oil of choice
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped cashews
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup unsweetened large coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup cocoa nibs

Heat oven to 250 degrees F.

Combine oil and sweetener of choice. Mix together the oats, nuts, and coconut flakes. Pour oil mixture over oats mixture and toss to combine. Clean hands work best for this. Spread granola evenly among 2 baking sheets. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the granola is lightly browned and crispy. Toss every 15 minutes or so to cook evenly. Once cooled, toss in cherries, cranberries, and cocoa nibs.

Cashew Cream

1 cup unsalted cashews, soaked overnight
3 to 5 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons mulberry jam
1/2 banana, smashed
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest


Combine cashews and water in a blender. Mix on high until very smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary. You are looking for a thick yogurt like texture.

Divide cashew cream in half. 

To one half, add chia seeds and mulberry jam, Mix well and let sit 15 minutes.

To the other half, add banana, ginger, and orange zest.

To assemble, layer granola with mulberry chia cashew cream, banana ginger cashew cream, and fresh banana slices.



 

Vegan Gluten-Free Gnocchi with Broccoli, Portobello Mushroom and Sage

Gnocchi are delicious little pillows of goodness. The 3 main ingredients are always  flour, egg and potato. But a very similar texture and taste can be achieved using gluten free and vegan alternatives. This recipe makes basic gnocchi but any herbs, spices or flavorings can be added right into the dough. These gnocchi can be tossed with any vegetables and sauce you want. I mixed mine with sauteed broccoli, portobello mushrooms, garlic and sage. A simple tomato sauce would also be easy and so tasty! Once the gnocchi are boiled, they can be tossed with sauce for a more traditional, soft gnocchi texture. In this recipe, I lightly browned them in some olive oil. These are best eaten right away, as they firm up the longer they sit. 


Vegan Gluten-Free Gnocchi 
(Serves 6)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 medium sized)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer
1 tablespoon water
1/4 of an avocado
1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large portobello mushroom, cut into 2 inch pieces 
1 cup chopped broccoli
2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
2-3 tablespoons fresh sage

For the gnocchi:

Peel and cut potatoes into 2 inch cubes. Place in a large pot filled with cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

Run the potatoes through a ricer. This helps to give the gnocchi a lighter texture. If you do not have a ricer, you can mash the potatoes by hand, they will still be good!

In a small bowl, combine the Ener-G egg replacer, water, and avocado. Mix together to form a smooth paste.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, avocado mixture, gluten free flour, and salt. I find mixing this by hand to be the easiest! It should form a smooth dough, not sticky at all.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Working in small batches, roll the dough into dowels, about 1-inch in diameter. I find that with this dough, it is easiest to pinch it into the rope shape and then gently roll it to smooth it out. Cut into 1-inch gnocchi. Roll each gnocchi along the back of a fork to get those little grooves! This helps sauce stick to the gnocchi.

Drop the gnocchi into boiling water and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the gnocchi float to the top. Gently remove from the water.

(At this point, the gnocchi can be served as is, with any sauce you would like! But in this recipe, I brown them in a pan with olive oil.)

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add the gnocchi and cook until browned. Flip and brown the other side. Remove gnocchi from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add red pepper flakes to the oil. Add onions and cook until lightly browned. Add portobello mushrooms and broccoli. Saute for about 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Return the gnocchi back to the pan and toss to combine.

In a small saucepan, heat Earth Balance vegan butter over medium heat. Add the sage and let the butter just a touch. Pour over the gnocchi right before serving.  

Perfect Pancakes (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Vegan pancakes are easy. Throw gluten free into the mix and things get tricky. I have tried countless recipes for a vegan gluten free pancake and have incorporated bits and pieces into one awesome recipe. These are amazing with Earth balance vegan butter and maple syrup. Stud them with blueberries, nuts, or chocolate chips for even more flavor.

The most important element to this recipe is the buckwheat that I use. I originally used Arrowhead Mills buckwheat flour. The problem is that it has a gray color, due to the fact that the buckwheat hull is black. So my pancakes were grey. Tasty, but very gray. I looked at multiple health food stores to see if there was a bleached or white buckwheat flour, but found nothing. What I did find was this:

*Hodgson Mill Buckwheat hot cereal?? Hmmm, it's not grey. Not grey at all! I can work with this. All you have to do is grind the buckwheat cereal in a coffee grinder. I have an old one that I use specifically for tasks such as this one. This recipe also calls for gluten free oat flour. If you can't find or don't have pre-ground oat flour, you can grind regular old fashioned quick cooking oats in the same way.

Okay on to the recipe!

Perfect Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes

(Makes about 6 pancakes)

 Ingredients

1-1/2 cups almond milk (or any vegan milk)
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup oil (coconut, vegetable, canola etc. )
1 flax egg (2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup water or almond milk)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoom baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour*

Heat the almond milk over low heat until warm to the touch. Add the cashews and let them soak in the almond milk for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the flax egg.

Place the cashews, almond milk, flax egg, oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, baking powder, salt, gluten free oat flour and buckwheat flour. Stir.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.

Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Use about 1/2 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook on each side until browned.

I'm Back!!

Dear Blog. It really is nice to see you. It has been such a long time! So much has changed since we last spoke. Because there have been some major changes around here, Blog, and I got to be honest, this affects you too. We need to talk. I have a confession to make.

I have gone...

VEGAN.

Dun Dun DUNNNNNNNN


This is actually very similar to the conversation I had with one of my closest friends about a year ago. She lives a few hours away. Life had been busy for both of us and we weren't talking as regularly as usual. She was home for Thanksgiving and we were out to lunch.

Avid lovers of goat cheese, bacon and gelato, we shared many a beautiful moment appreciating delicious dishes together. And I had to tell her that I was now vegan.

It was actually akin to breaking up with someone. I had to prepare myself for the inevitable heartbreak that I would undoubtedly cause. I said I had something to tell her, and she wasn't going to like it. After the initial shock of realizing that our food sharing ways may have come to an end and explaining the reasons why I chose to do this, our friendship has survived, of course.

One thing that didn't survive the vegan shock is this blog. I completely stopped posting. Vegan cooking was all new to me. After many failed experiments and just as many triumphs, I finally feel confident enough in this new style of cooking to start posting my favorite new recipes.

My revamped blog will have recipes, restaurant reviews, and other useful tips and tricks for vegan and gluten free cooking. I am truly amazed at the delicious food that I am still able to eat and I hope to share what I have learned with anyone who needs it!

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

A cake I made for a friend's niece. Her name is Paris and she is turning 7!

I was planning on taking photos of the process, but alas, I did not. I'll describe it as best I can for anyone who would like to make this cake! I looked all over google for inspiration and this cake from Bee's Cake Design caught my eye. I couldn't find details or directions other than that she made the towers from PVC so I had to estimate sizing and whatnot.

The bottom tier is an 8 inch square. I cut off the corners at a slight angle. Once frosted and stacked, is 4 inches high. The top tier is a 6 inch circle, also 4 inches high once frosted and stacked.

The cake is frosted in a shortening based crusting butter cream. The great thing about this recipe is that you don't have to spend too much time fussing to make the icing perfect. After you have frosted your cakes, let them sit for about 30 minutes. The frosting will dry out just enough so that you can smooth it out using a paper towel and a fondant smoother. Gently press a cobblestone impression mat all over the tops and sides of the cakes. 

I used cardboard rounds and wooden dowels in the cake for extra support since it needed to be transported. 

The towers are made of PVC pipe, covered in fondant. The 4 large towers are attached to the cake board with royal icing, which holds them surprisingly well. The 3 smaller towers on top are supported by more wooden dowels. The measurements for the dowels are:

Four 2-inch wide PVC pipes, 8 inches tall.

One 1-inch wide PVC pipe, 8 inches tall

One 1/2 wide PVC pipe, 7.5 inches tall

One 1/2 wide PVC pipe, 5 inches tall

The rooftops are waffle cones, covered in royal icing and fondant circles. They are attached to the PVC pipes with royal icing.

The door, cobblestone walkway, hearts, windows and flowers are made of fondant. Grass and name are butter cream. Doorknobs are pink dragees.

This cake took me only 1 day to complete and was actually much much easier than I anticipated. I hope Paris likes her Castle Cake!!!! Happy 7th Birthday Paris!