Rhymes With Vegan

cardamom cookies

i was perusing facebook one evening and noticed that my sister-in-law, leslie (dancer extraordinaire) was baking vegan cookies.  with no hesitation at all i threw a big yum onto her status, knowing that she would have to send some my way...and in true pisces fashion, she did.

it's a good thing i made a comment, because these cookies were delicious!

the flavor was so welcoming for this cold weather...it was like eating a warm indian sweet.

and with her permission i am putting her recipe up along with some quick photos.

(recipe per leslie...)

cardamom cookies

(these are the measurements i used to make a really small batch, since i didn't know how it would turn out.  probably would want to double it, but i'm in no mood for math.)

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

in one bowl:

1 cup whole wheat flour                                                   

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tbsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch sea salt

in another bowl:

1/2 cup sugar (i used turbinado cane sugar)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup orange juice

zest of one orange

combine all ingredients.  put a spoonful of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 min. or so, depending upon your oven.

serve with a warm cup o' joe

enjoy!

layered puff pastry w/ caramel drizzle and toasted pecans

i've recently started a new job, so it's been hard to find time to get stuff up on the blog.  however, one of the perks to the new job is tele-working a few days a week.  so i took advantage of my lunch hour yesterday and threw this together.

now, i rarely make sweets since i don't really eat them, however there were 4 lonely apples staring at me in the fridge and i just knew i had to do something about it.

here's what i did.

(i apologize if the recipe is a little sloppy...i threw this together very fast!)

layered puff pastry w/ caramel drizzle and toasted pecans

 

filling

3 large apples – peeled and sliced thin

1 tbsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp earth balance

pinch of salt

 

topping

3 sheets puff pastry (you can find these at your grocery store)

5 tbsp earth balance (reserve 1 tbsp for brushing sheets)

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup non dairy creamer

1 drop vanilla extract

½ cup chopped pecans – toasted

pre-heat the over to 400 degrees.

in a large pot heat 4 tbsp of earth balance, brown sugar, creamer and vanilla on medium heat.  bring to boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes constantly stirring.  be sure the sugar is mixed in well so that it becomes smooth to the touch.  set aside and let cool.

on a greased cookie sheet lay 3 sliced of the puff pastry down.  brush with melted earth balance and put in the oven for 18 minutes, or until a light golden brown.

in the meantime, in another pot put your filling ingredients together and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and let cook down until the apples are soft to the bite and the flavors have melded together.

once the pastry sheets are finished remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes.  slice each sheet into 3 or 4 squares.  layer the cinnamon apple mixture between 3 sheets pastry. 

top with the caramel sauce and toasted pecans.

serve with coffee.

enjoy!

Pho real??

yes, pho real...and mighty damn good too.

my partner and i have been eating this every night for the past week and just don't seem to get sick of it!  it's perfect for a cold winter night alongside a big glass of wine.

we used zucchini noodles (so good!) rather than rice noodles, but feel free to experiment however you choose.

vegan pho

 

the broth

6 cups veg broth

¼ tsp freshly grated ginger

2 cloves garlic – minced

2 medium shallots – minced

¼ cup braggs

¼ cup thai basil leaves

½ tbsp lemongrass

¼ tsp cracked black pepper

1 small jalapeno – chopped

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

squeeze of ½ lime

 

the filling

1 large zucchini – julienned

3 cups bean sprouts

3 cups roasted mock duck – chopped

2 large carrots – shredded

 

the garnishes

cilantro leaves

sriracha sauce

lime

in a large pot bring your broth and all of the ingredients to a boil for 2-3 minutes.  reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.

once simmered, remove with a mesh strainer, the basil leaves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

in a bowl put some zuch noodles topped with mock duck, bean sprouts and then shredded carrots.  ladle the hot broth over the top until about ¾ full.

top with your various garnishes, especially the sriracha sauce (remember that it is very spicy, so if you prefer no heat leave it out)

serve with chopsticks, a large spoon and a glad of red wine.

 

enjoy!

spicy mock duck lettuce wraps

after a very long, fun filled holiday season, it's nice to come back, unwind, think of the past year and get ready for what's to come.

these finger foods are a great way to start out the new year right!  they can be served as an appetizer, or as your main course.

for those of you on the 21 day vegan challenge, i highly recommend these easy to make, but flavorful wraps.

spicy mock duck lettuce wraps

 

serves 12

 

1 medium onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

¼ cup braggs

½ cup hoisin sauce

4 tbsp sriracha sauce (reserve 1 tbsp for extra garnish)

1 small piece of fresh ginger – minced

1 large can of mock duck – chopped into bite size pieces

1 can water chestnuts – chopped

1 carrot – shredded

2 scallions – chopped

¼ cup cilantro – chopped

12 lettuce leaves – romaine or iceberg

½ cup toasted peanuts – chopped

canola oil

cracked pepper

in a wok or large pan heat your oil to medium and add your onion, garlic and ginger.  cook until the onion begins to sweat.  you can now add your water chestnuts.  cook another 5-7 minutes.  add your mock duck, braggs, hoisin and sriracha sauce.

cook for 10-12 minutes, or until all of the flavors have combined. add a bit of cracked pepper.

in a small skillet heat your peanuts with no oil until they become very fragrant.  remove from heat immediately so they do not burn.

place a little of the filling into each lettuce leaf and garnish with toppings.

serve with a glass of pinot grigio.

enjoy!