Cookies n Cream Cupcakes

This week my cousin was in town. For my last birthday, she gave me a copy of the fabulous cook book,
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. While she was here we decided we should try our hand at some cupcakes. In the past, I made the mint and red velvet cupcakes from the book and both were amazing! Hopefully this will not be the only cupcake experience I will document...its just so hard when they are so tasty! As you can see from the pictures, there were only four left when we finally decided to take some shots!

Cupcakes:

1 C Rice milk (or soy...or oat...)
1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
3/4 C Evaporated cane juice
1/3 C Canola oil
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1 C Unbleached white flour
1/3 C Cocoa powder
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 C (approx. 10) Vegan chocolate cream sandwich cookies, chopped (I like the Health Valley or Newman-O's brands)

Preheat  oven to 350 F and line muffin pan with liners.

Whisk together milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the evaporated cane juice, oil, vanilla, and almond extracts to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to the wet ingredients and beat until to large clumps remain.

Pour into liners, filling three quarters of the way full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 C Non-hydrogenated shortening
1/2 C Non-hydrogenated margarine (earth balance works great)
3 1/2 C Confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 C Rice milk (or soy...or oat...)
1/2 C Finely mashed cookie crumbs

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar incrementally and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla, soy milk, and cookie crumbs. Beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy.

Recipe thanks to:
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

My Favorite Breakfast: The Sunshine Scramble

My favorite breakfast happens to be an invention Ben and I call a 'sunshine scramble.' I made it up one day when the fridge was basically empty and I wanted something hearty to eat. The recipe has undergone some experimentation, but I think this is probably the best it has ever been.

1 Original Sunshine Burger
1/4 C Yellow onion, chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Zucchini, shredded (I shredded mine on my mandoline)

Place onion, pepper, mushrooms and zucchini in a medium sauce pan over high heat with 1/2 cup water. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add frozen sunshine burgers and cook until burgers are heated throughout. Mash the burgers and mix them into the vegetables until you have a sort of scramble/mash mixture.

French Toast

Another cabin creation. We needed quick and easy meals that basically mimicked what everyone else was eating. You're eating french toast? So are we!

1 1/2 C Oat milk (or soy or rice...)
2 Tbs Whole wheat flour
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
8-10 Pieces bread (thick, dense pieces work best)

Mix the first four ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Coat each slice of bread with the mixture but placing it in the bowl for a few seconds and turning over. Do not let soak too long or the bread will be soggy. Place coated bread on hot, oiled griddle and cook until browned on both sides. Serve with pure maple syrup or other syrup of choice.

Recipe idea thanks to:
My friend, Matt Sievers

Quick Grilled Vegetables

Last weekend Ben and I went up to my parents cabin. Everyone was having grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and whatever else you can fry on a grill. So we decided to do something a bit different. Last time we went to a barbecue we made ribs (see our rib recipe here) and they were really good, but we needed something faster and easier. We brought some of our favorite Italian sausages from Field Roast Grain Meat Co. (see their website here) and a collection of veggies. It was amazing, and so simple!

Roasted Veggies:

2 Bell peppers (we used one red and one yellow)
1 Large yellow onion
2 Large portabello mushrooms
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stem and ribs. Slice the onion into a few thick slices; 3-4 is best. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Place all vegetables on a hot grill and baste with olive oil. When starting to get brown around the edges, flip over and char the other side. Do this a few times until vegetables are softened and charred to your liking. Salt and pepper as needed.

Chicken Salad

1 (8 oz) Package tempeh
3/4-1 C Veganaise
3 Stalks celery
1 Tbs Canola oil
Dill to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the tempeh into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in oil in a medium sauce pan and bring to medium heat. Add tempeh, salt, and pepper and fry until seared. Add 1/2 Tbs dill. Remove from heat and put in a bowl to cool for about 10 minutes. Mix in veganaise, celery, and dill to taste. Optional: let marinade overnight to allow flavors to blend. Serve in a wrap or sandwich.

Recipe idea thanks to:
Ben's Mom, Merilynn

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

There is nothing better than waking up to breakfast cooking in the kitchen! Ben makes perfect pancakes, as you can see.

1 1/4 C Unbleached wheat flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
2 Tbs Canola oil
1/2 C Water
1 1/4 C Vanilla coconut milk (or soy or rice...)
2 Tbs Pure maple syrup
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
2/3 C Vegan chocolate or carob chips

Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Create a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed together, some lumps are ok. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Cook over medium heat until bubbles form on the top of the pancake, then flip. Serve warm with pure maple syrup.

Recipe thanks to:
The Vegan Brunch Cookbook

Reuben Sandwich

This is probably the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. When Ben and I make this recipe we triple it and eat reubens for every meal for a couple of days.

Zucchini Muffins (or bread)

6 tbsp ground flax seeds whisked into ½ c + 1 tbsp warm water
½ c oil
½ c applesauce
2 cups turbinado sugar (or light brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
2½ cups grated zucchini, packed (around 3 medium-sized zucchini)
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg

Mix flax seed mixture, oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Grate zucchini and pack well into the measuring cup. Add to wet ingredients, stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together remaining dry ingredients. Add to wet mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened and everything is incorporated evenly. Some lumps are fine.

Grease two pans (24 small or 12 jumbo muffins or two loaves) and divide batter between prepared pans.

For muffins: Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

For loaves: Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes before slicing.

Recipe thanks to:
Hell Yeah Its Vegan

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Muffins:

3 large over-ripe bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup vanilla plant milk
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Crumbly topping:

white whole wheat flour
ground cinnamon
brown sugar
just enough melted earth balance to hold it all together

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or wipe a muffin pan with oil.

Mix the milk with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and let stand until it curdles.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining lemon juice, milk, and agave nectar. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.

Recipe idea thanks to:
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup

Pancakes:

1 Tbs Ground flax seeds
3 Tbs Warm water
1 C Bob’s Red Mill pancake mix
1 Tbs Safflower or canola oil
3/4 C Cool water

Syrup:

3 Tbs Pure maple syrup
1/2 C Agave
1 Tbs Orange or lemon juice
10 oz Strawberries (approximately)
1/2 C Water
3/4 Tbs Cornstarch

I like Bob’s Red Mill organic 7 grain pancake mix the best. See it here: http://www.bobsredmill.com/organic-7-grain_pancake-mix.html

Mix flaxseeds and warm water and let sit for five minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix just until blended. Cook according to package directions.

Heat maple syrup and agave over medium high heat in a saucepan. Blend juice, strawberries and water on high until liquidized. Add strawberry mixture to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch slowly, whisking continuously. Remove from heat. Place in a separate container and refrigerate until the syrup thickens (5-10 minutes).

Seitan Fajitas

My FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE chicken-style seitan recipe is in the seitan fajita recipe in The Real Food Daily cookbook. Seriously, check it out. I use it for EVERYTHING.

Barbecued Seitan Ribs and Barbecue Baked Lentils

Ribs:

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tahini or other nut butter
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
About 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (I like the Organicville brand)

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with canola oil. Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the water with the nut butter, Liquid Smoke, and soy sauce and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well and then knead lightly in the bowl for a couple of minutes.

Put the dough into the baking dish and flatten it so that it evenly fills the pan. Take a sharp knife and cut it into 8 strips; then turn the pan and cut those strips in half to form 16 pieces.

Put it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. While it’s cooking prepare your grill.

Remove it from the oven and carefully re-cut each strip, going over each cut to make sure that the ribz will pull apart easily later. Generously brush the top with barbecue sauce. Take it to the grill and invert the whole baking dish onto the grill (or use a large spatula to lift the seitan out, placing it sauce-side down on the grill). Brush the top of the seitan with more sauce.

Watch it closely to make sure that it doesn’t burn. When it’s sufficiently brown on one side, turn over and cook the other side, adding more sauce, if necessary. When done, remove to a platter and cut or pull apart the individual ribs to serve.

Lentils:

1 C Dry lentils
½ Red onion, diced
2 Garlic cloves
1-2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (You can get these at Whole Foods in the Mexican section)
2 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
1Tbs Brown sugar
1 Tbs Molasses
¼ C Ketchup
¼ C Dijon mustard
½ C BBQ sauce

Cook lentils for 30 minutes in boiling water until tender; drain water and set aside.

In a separate pan, sauté onion until soft. Add crushed garlic and diced chipotle and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, molasses, ketchup, mustard, & BBQ sauce; cook for 5 minutes on low.

Pour over lentils in baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Recipes thanks to:
Meatout Mondays and
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen