Vegan Banana Bread

Hello Everyone!  I apologize for the hiatus – I am currently expecting (our 3rd!) and have only just gotten over my morning sickness.  During those queasy months, I could hardly bring myself to eat anything, let alone cook!  My family subsisted on convenience foods of all sorts, unfortunately.  But now I’m at that glorious stage where I am hungry, energetic, and craving healthy foods!

This morning as I was about to put bananas on the breakfast table, I noticed that they were way past their prime.  When that happens, I usually do one of two things.   If I’m pressed for time I will peel them and cut them into large chunks, and put them in the freezer for smoothies.  But on a nice rainy day like today, I decided to take the time to bake banana bread.

Here is a recipe that I have tweaked ever so slightly from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook to make it vegan, and a bit healthier.  I replaced the eggs, changed the flour from white to whole wheat pastry, and reduced the sugar.  It was quite sweet (might have been the super-ripe bananas at play) but I think next time I’ll try reducing it a little bit more.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (or a few grates of whole nutmeg)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (I used 1/4 tsp but it could have used a bit more)
• 1 Tbsp Ener-G egg replacer whisked with 4 Tbsp warm water
• 1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (I used 4 fairly large ones)
• 3/4 cup unrefined sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a medium bowl combine mashed bananas, prepared egg replacer, sugar, and oil.  Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and combine until just mixed.  Fold in chopped nuts.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.  Loosen bread from sides of pan with a knife and let sit in pan for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.  Store bread in refrigerator, wrapped in foil.  Enjoy!

Delightful Kale Pastries

Kale pastries and butternut squash soup

There is a local Washington farm that is still growing kale in a greenhouse, and I’ve been snatching it up every time I see it at our local food co-op.  (If you are local, I’m talking about the fabulous PCC Natural Markets).  Usually I simply make sauteed kale with some raisins and pine nuts, but tonight I felt like fancying it up a little.  So I thawed out some of my favorite Aussie Puff Pastry dough and made these luscious little kale pastries.  They made a fabulous accompaniment to our dinner of butternut squash soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed*
• 1 large bunch kale, finely chopped
• 1 small onion (or 1/2 large), finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Lay puff pastry on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Cut into 9 equal squares.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, and sautee until translucent but not browned.  Add kale, along with a splash of water, and stir.  Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add water several times during this process, so that the kale does not stick to the pan.  Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes.  Stir to combine.

Place a heaping tablespoon of the kale filling in the middle of each pastry square.  Pull two opposite sides of pastry together over the top, overlapping slightly.  It helps to lightly moisten the pastry where the edges touch.  This will keep the pastry from unfolding as it bakes.

Bake pastries at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Serve immediately.

* Each sheet of Aussie Bakery’s puff pastry dough is about 7 oz.  If you are using a different brand, just be sure to cut pastry into equal-sided squares.  I used only one sheet of pastry dough in this recipe, and had some kale mixture leftover, so you could probably make 2 entire sheets of pastry for a yield of 18 kale pastries.

Spinach and Pine Nut Rotini

My family has had the flu this week so I haven’t had a chance to plan menus, make grocery lists, or go shopping.  So tonight was one of those times when I perused the refrigerator and the pantry looking for something to make.   There was a bag of baby spinach in the refrigerator, so I decided to toss that together with some ingredients I always have on hand: pasta, garlic, olive oil, canned tomatoes, and pine nuts (I keep a Costco-sized bag of them in my freezer).  The end result was quite delicious!  I’ll definitely be adding this combination to my recipe box.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat rotini
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes*
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• 1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted**
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Boil pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juices, and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss in fresh baby spinach and let sit over low heat until spinach begins to wilt.  It will seem like a lot of spinach at first but it will shrink down a lot!  Add toasted pine nuts and serve immediately.  Keep extra virgin olive oil on the table for drizzling over each individual serving for a nice touch!

* If you cannot find petite diced tomatoes, then drain the juices from regular stewed or diced tomatoes directly into the skillet, then transfer tomatoes to a cutting board and chop before adding to the dish.

**To toast raw pine nuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put directly under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Watch these closely or they will burn!

Vegan Get Well Soup

When omnivores get sick, they eat chicken noodle soup.   Up until now, our vegan version of chicken noodle soup has been Top Ramen, so inexpensive and it always hits the spot!  (The Oriental Flavor Top Ramen is vegan.  Don’t buy the Maruchan oriental flavor, it contains beef broth!).  The problem with ramen is that the seasoning packet is not only extremely high in sodium, but it is full of chemicals and preservatives.

So this week when my husband and son became sick with the flu, I decided to try a healthier version of our favorite ramen!  I threw out the seasoning packet, used my own broth, added some fresh garlic, and kale for the grown-ups, and it was a hit.  Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, and kale is a powerhouse of nutrition, containing large amounts of vitamin K, vitamin A, and calcium, as well as smaller amounts of many other vitamins and minerals.  What more could you want when you are sick?

Next time I might try making this soup with another type of noodle, such as soba noodles or whole wheat linguine, and toss out the ramen altogether!  But here’s the recipe I used this time around:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed and coarsely chopped*
• 5-6 cups water
• 4 tsp vegetable bouillon**
• 2 packages Top Ramen noodles
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and sautee for a minute or two.  Add kale and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to allow kale to wilt.  (You might want to add a splash of water while kale is cooking).  Add the rest of the water and bouillon (or prepared broth, if desired).  Bring to a boil, and add ramen noodles.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  If you use an unsalted or lightly salted broth, you may need to add salt at this point.  I didn’t add any with the bouillon that I used.

* I made this soup in two pots, one with kale, one without.  My kids are not fond of kale and I wanted to prepare a nice comforting soup that my sick 5 year old would enjoy.

** I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base for this soup.  It makes it really taste like the Chicken Noodle Soup I remember.  Better Than Bouillon also makes a basic vegetable base as well.  This is my favorite kind of bouillon – it is a paste rather than a powder, so it dissolves wonderfully.  The ingredients are wholesome and recognizeable as well!

Vegan Phad Thai

Phad Thai from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, veganized!

This is my “veganized” version of the Phad Thai recipe in the cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.  I won’t print the recipe as I haven’t changed it enough from the original to call it my own.  The way I have made it vegan is by substituting firm tofu for the 4 eggs called for in the recipe.  All you do is lightly crumble the tofu, as you would for tofu scrambled “eggs.”  It works great! This is my favorite phad thai recipe because it is less sweet than most versions.

I’m sorry not to offer the recipe for this, but please, do check out this wonderful Moosewood cookbook!  This was my first vegetarian cookbook, given to me by my sister, and I still use it.  As well as the phad thai recipe, we make the black bean soup recipe in the book all the time.  Both of those pages in my copy are rumpled and stained from repeated use!

Cous Cous with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is definitely a family favorite!  We love this one, both kids included.  It’s one of those nice meals that is quick, easy, and economical, and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice with ingredients that I always keep on hand.  This is an Indonesian-style peanut sauce, which is quite different from the sweet Thai peanut sauce that some people may be expecting.  As delicious as that sweet peanut sauce is, this savory, salty one is my absolute favorite!  I paired this with steamed broccoli tonight, as I often do – because I love to dip each piece of broccoli in the sauce as I am eating it.

Ingredients (Peanut Sauce):

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion (or half large onion), finely chopped
• 2-3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or hot water with bouillon)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt to taste (use about 1/2 tsp if using unsalted peanut butter, omit if using salted peanut butter)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk

Preparation (Peanut Sauce):

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in peanut butter and allow it to melt a little.  Add vegetable broth and whisk until smoothly incorporated.  Add spices and simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mix in soy milk and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Ingredients (Cous Cous):

• 2 cups dry cous cous (I used whole wheat)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 cups boiling water

Preparation (Cous Cous):

Stir olive oil, bouillon powder, and paprika into dry cous cous until thoroughly mixed.  You can do this right in your serving bowl.  Stir in boiling water and cover for 5 minutes.  Remove lid and fluff with a fork.  Serve peanut sauce over hot cous cous.  Enjoy!

Kind of like Vegan Cheez-Its

Ready to Bake

I’ve been wanting to try out the goldfish crackers recipe from Vegan Lunch Box for so long, but never got around to it because I don’t have a little fishy cookie cutter.  Today I decided to take the plunge and just cut them into squares.  After I did that, I noticed that if I just put a hole in the center of each cracker, they would look a whole lot like Cheez-Its!  Woo hoo!  So I made the recipe and they turned out pretty well.  I’m sure I didn’t get the timing exactly right though, as my 3 year old pushed a button on my microwave timer and I didn’t realize that the timer wasn’t going until I started smelling the crackers and went to check!  So they were slightly over-baked, but oh well!

I’ll post the recipe here as I veered away from the Vegan Lunch Box recipe a little.  I substituted some whole wheat flour, omitted cayenne pepper and onion powder, and increased the nutritional yeast.  I enjoy nutritional yeast quite a bit and plan to increase it even more next time around!  Here’s the recipe I used today:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)
• 1/2 cup canola oil, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes or more
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• Olive oil cooking spray
• More salt for sprinkling

Preparation:

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

Sift together flours, nutritional yeast flakes, spices, and salt.  Drizzle in cold canola oil and mix in with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix ice water with vinegar.  Drizzle in water and vinegar mixture and mix with your fingers.  Knead lightly until dough holds together.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll to about 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into about 1-inch squares and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  The squares will fill at least 2 large baking sheets.  Poke a hole into the center of each square with a toothpick, swirling it around just a bit to widen the hole.  Spray crackers with olive oil spray and sprinkle with additional salt as desired.

Bake for about 10 minutes, then slide parchment paper off baking sheets and let cool.  Enjoy!

The finished product!

Black Bean Hummus

Hummus is a favorite with just about everybody – and is incredibly easy and economical to make at home.  I have seen tiny store bought tubs of hummus on sale for $3 – $6 each, when I could quite easily make 3 times that much for far less money.  It took me awhile to create the perfect hummus recipe, with just the right proportions of everything and just the right spices – but alas, I found myself getting tired of that same recipe!  So I have thrown all recipes aside and begun to experiment.  Here is one that I really like – a simple black bean hummus using traditional seasonings.  Black beans are sweeter and softer than chickpeas, and I really love the creamy results of this recipe.  If you have a food processor and you haven’t made hummus yet, please give this recipe a try…and then experiment for yourself!  Swap out the beans, add some nuts, change the spices, and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled*
• 2 Tbsp sesame tahini
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt**
• 2 – 4 Tbsp water***

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, except for water, in food processor.  Process once, scrape down sides, and add a bit of the water.  Process again, scrape down sides, and add a bit more water if necessary to reach desired consistency.  Once all ingredients are incorporated, process for 2 minutes or more to achieve a very smooth texture.  (I often clean up the spatulas, measuring utensils, etc during this time)

Serve immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

* Raw garlic can be a bit spicy, so you might want to err on the side of less to begin with, especially if you are serving this to small children.  I tend to enjoy spicy raw garlic so I put 2 large cloves in.

** Adjust the amount of salt depending on the type of beans used.  Canned beans usually contain salt, even when rinsed, so use the 1/2 tsp if you are using canned.  If you have cooked your own beans without salt, a larger amount will be needed

*** Keep in mind that hummus will firm up in the refrigerator when you are adding the water.  It may seem too thin at first but unless you are serving it immediately, it will become thicker as it stands.

Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”

I think every vegan chef has their own special version of macaroni and cheese, especially those of us with little ones! This version is largely based off of the one in Vegan Vittles but I’ve tampered with it quite a bit! My kids like this every bit as much as they used to like the dairy version. Sometimes I make it with beans (as pictured) and sometimes I leave them out. I like to add them because it increases the protein, fiber, iron, and flavor!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)*
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (more or less depending on how yellow you want it!)
• 3 cups plain non-dairy milk**
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• dash black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 can kidney beans or other beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare macaroni noodles. Drain and rinse with cool water, and set aside.

While noodles are cooking, melt coconut oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add flour and turmeric and stir quickly until combined. Add non-dairy milk, all at once, and stir with a wire whisk until no lumps remain. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 1 minute more and then remove from heat. Add nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Add cooked macaroni noodles to the sauce and mix well. Add beans and chili powder, if desired. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch square pan and top with bread crumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

* If you’re having trouble finding whole wheat macaroni noodles, try the bulk bin at Fred Meyer!

** I recommend Silk or Organic Valley brands plain soy milk, because they are not too sweet.  I have also made this with plain hemp milk with fantastic results!

Veganomicon – Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

I was so excited to get Veganomicon as a Christmas gift (thanks Dad!) this year.  Since I already had 2 big leeks in my refrigerator and some potatoes, I decided to give the Cassoulet a try, and it is yummy!  I made the biscuits with half unbleached flour, half whole wheat pasty flour and it worked just fine.  I accidentally overcooked the potatoes just a bit but made up for it by not adding them to the dish until just before putting it in the oven.  The carrots, on the other hand, never quite got done so I think I’ll pre-steam them a bit next time.  But overall, it’s a warm, delicious comforting stew, so I give it a thumbs up!  If you want to make this recipe, you’ll just have to go buy the book!

Here’s what the bubbling dish looked like just out of the oven!  Can’t you just smell it?  It did bubble over a little while baking but I put a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch the drips.