skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Rating: If you can chop, and watch, this soup is yours.Dang y'all, it's been a while. Apologies for my lengthy hiatus, but I'm back in style with something AMAZING. I made this for orphan Thanksgiving a few weeks back, and it was a crowd pleaser. I'm glad I doubled the recipe. This one's inspired by a recipe found in the LCBO's Food and Drink magazine, that has been modified to be vegan and even more warm, spiced and cozy. Perfect for an autumn day watching the leaves fall.
Call Me Cauliflowah Soup (Serves 2-6, depending on how many people go back for seconds)Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower, cored and divyed into florets.
1/2 sweet onion (approximately 1 cup), chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, freshly chopped
1 tbsp hot curry paste (adjust according to tastes)
1 L (or 4 cups) vegetable broth
1 tsp lemon juice
1. Prehead the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Putting the cauliflower florets into a large bowl, add 2 tbsp of oil and salt. Using your hands, toss lightly until all the cauliflower is coated. Place on baking sheet, and put it in the oven to roast. Roasting the cauliflower enhances the flavour. It'll take about 30-40 minutes to roast. Occasionally, shake your baking sheet. The cauliflower will be done when it's brown. If some bits are burnt, that's okay! It just means the sugars in the cauliflower have caramelized for extra deliciousness.
4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the bottom of a big soup pot, heat to medium. When it bubbles, add onion and saute for a minute. Stir frequently to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
5. Add ginger, garlic and curry paste. Saute for a minute.
6. Add roasted cauliflower and coat with spices. Pour in the broth, and bring the soup to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to a simmer and add lemon juice, cover and let it get all roasty warm and spicy for 10-15 minutes, depending on how big your cauliflower florets were. When the florets are tender, remove from heat.
8. Last step, using an immersion blender or a food processor, pulverize your soup until it's a smooth consistency. I garnished mine with some fresh baby spinach leaves. Enjoy!
Rating: Intermediate and not-so-quick.. but worth it!This sandwich is time-consuming if you consider it is all made from scratch. I'd advise making the bread ahead of time, or making a double batch of the bread to save it for later, and use the fresh portion for the sandwich. The baguette-style bread is best made a bit soft, and served fresh. I'd recommend doing the bread much earlier in the day, and then preparing the seitan and dressing just before serving it to friends! It's not something you whip up in a hurry, but you can make the sandwich, wrap it up, and eat it for lunch the next day and it will still be delicious! This sandwich is worth it's time! Trust me! Best served fresh!Chicken-Caesar Sammich! (2 medium loaves - about six servings)the bread 11 packet of yeast1 tsp sugar1 1/2 cups warmed water4 cups unbleached flour2 tsp saltthe chicken 21 cup instant wheat gluten flour1 Tbsp nutritional yeast1 Tbsp poultry spices1 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp cayenne1/2 cup waterjust less than 1/4 cup soy sauce1 Tbsp olive oil3 cups vegetable stockthe caesar 31 cup vegenaise, nayonaise, or other vegan mayo*1 Tbsp lemon juice1 Tbsp soy creamer/soy milk1 Tbsp olive oil1 Tbsp nutritional yeast1 tsp soy sauce3 garlic cloves, mincedsalt and pepperadditionallyslice up a few cucumbers to put in the sandwich, and sprinkle on some vegan parmesan cheese!1. 1. Add sugar and warmed water to a large mixing bowl.2. Sprinkle yeast over the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until foamed.3. Stir in half of the flour.4. Stir in remaining flour with salt until dough becomes firm. Add more flour in small portions if dough is still sticky until firm.5. Knead dough until smooth and stretchy, but do not over-knead.6. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, then turn over dough so it's surface area oiled and will not dry and crack in rising. 7. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours.8. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.9. Cut your dough in half, and form into two loaves that will have a best fit for a standard baking sheet.10. Place your loaves on a parchment paper over the baking sheet and punch down on the loaves. They should be about a couple inches wide. 11. Let them rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.12. Make several diagonal slashes with a knife on the top of your loaves, and then lightly brush them with cool water.13. Bake on middle rack for 15-20 minutes (or longer if you like yours crispy), and then transfer to wire rack to cool.2.1. Add gluten flour to small bowl.2. Mix remaining dry ingredients with flour.3. Add wet ingredients (minus stock) and stir until single mass. Add more water if necessary.4. Add gluten mass to saucepan with vegetable stock. There should be enough stock to cover your gluten blob! Otherwise, add more water to the saucepan! Remember to use a saucepan large enough for the gluten to double.5. Simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour.6. Remove from heat and strain stock. 7. Cut in strips and lightly heat on frying pan with a small amount of oil. (I recommend sesame.)8. Salt to taste. Set aside for sammich!3.1. Add all ingredients to small bowl and mix well!2. I recommend doubling this part of the recipe and saving it for salads and quick-fix sandwiches.Assemble your sammich! I tend to cut each loaf into thirds and then put them together as sandwiches. Add some cucumber slices, and sprinkle some vegan parmesan for a damn fine sandwich! Enjoy!
The standard: chocolate chip cookies. Dunk them in your almond milk, or serve them on a platter to friends. No matter how you spin it everyone is happy with choc chip cookies! They are the standard best cookie. This recipe may not be the best you've tried, but maybe it is? They come out soft and chewy, just the way I love them! Enjoy!Chocolate Chip Cookies! (about 3 batches)1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup soy margarine, softened1 tsp vanilla extract1 whole banana, peeled and mashed2 Tbsp applesauce2 cups unbleached flour1 tsp baking powder*1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt6 oz dairy-free chocolate chips*If you prefer your cookies a bit less fluffy omitt the baking powder but leave the baking soda.1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees2. Beat both sugars with margarine in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.3. Add vanilla extract, mashed banana, and applesauce. Blend together.4. Add flour, baking powder and soda, and mix well. If the mixture is too moist, then add a bit more flour. If the mixture is too dry, add small amounts of water or additional Tbsps of applesauce until desired consistency.5. Stir in chocolate chips.6. Detach balls of cookie dough from the mix at desired sizes and place on parchment paper over baking sheet.7. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until a golden brown color. 
Rating: Quick, easy, and painless!This is a favorite of mine. It's a very quick to prepare meal, and very flavourful. It's usual a guest favorite too!Black Bean Stirfry (about 3 servings)
2 cups vermicilli noodles, boiled then chopped1 cup firm tofu, chopped *and pre-fried2 Tbsp olive oil1 large onion, chopped1 large carrot, chopped6 white mushrooms, chopped or sliced1 bunch broccoli, chopped1 bunch green onions, chopped1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, finely chopped2 Tbsp corianderblack bean sauce*I suggest lightly pre-frying your tofu for about 3 minutes in blackbean sauce before adding to the stirfry.1. Boil noodles with water in saucepan, drain and cool, chop and set aside.2. Heat oil in pan or wok for 30 seconds, then add onion, mushrooms, and garlic.3. Simmer on medium-low until soft and onions begin to lose opaqueness. About 3-5 minutes.4. Stir in carrot, brocolli, green onion, ginger, and any other fresh veggies you have chosen.5. Change heat to medium. Add a good amount of sauce into the pan and stir well. Cook for 3-5 minutes.6. Stir in tofu, noodles, and coriander. Cover the pan, and lower heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.7. uncover pan, and optionally feel free to cook for a few extra minutes to lose some of the extra moisture.Serve warm and enjoy!
Rating: Easy!I, admittedly, found the original of this recipe on the net a long time ago and have not had to make thorough changes to it. The balance of spices is very crucial, but you will have to be careful with the flour and the molasses. I find more often than not, my mixture used to be too dry and required additional moisture. Using a lighter molasses will also definitely make your cookies a nice lighter tasting snack. I have made them with darker molasses and they still turn out nice, but have a more noticable malt taste. Also, make sure you are NOT generous with the whole-wheat flour amount as you want to attempt to have the cookies a bit light and soft. These are not hard cookies to make! You will need a rolling pin, and some kind of cookie cutter. I cheat and use the bottom of a shot-glass to make quick and easy small circular cookies. I have tried to make small changes since I have found this recipe to make them softer, and yummier! Enjoy!Ginger Cookies1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour1 cup unbleached flour1 cup brown sugar1 1/2 tsp baking soda3 tsp ground ginger2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp ground cloves1/2 tsp sea salt1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 cup fancy molasses (preferrably light)1/3 cup olive oil1/3 cup and 4 Tbsp water1. Prepapare dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl.2. In a small saucepan lightly warm molasses, oil, and water together until mixture seems to homogenize.3. Pour saucepan ingredients into mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.4. Mix together until stiff dough forms. If at this stage the mixture is far too dry add small amounts of water. The dough should still remain firm but workable.5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.6. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, but not too thin. Have about 1/4" thickness otherwise your cookies will not be thick enough to rise and be soft.7. Cut out your cookies and re-roll dough scraps until you have used as much as possible. Be careful to not overwork your dough. Overworking any dough can harmfully thicken your treats.8. Place your cookie cuts on a baking tray lined with parchment. 9. Bake for 8-10 minutes or under a nice goldened brown.When you take out the cookies they will appear 'too-soft' but after leaving them to cool for a few minutes they will harden up to a very enjoyable softness! If you like your cookies a bit less soft then feel free to leave them in the oven for a few extra minutes. The pictures that follow were not using a light molasses. Your light molasses cookies will be a slightly different colour. Enjoy!
This isn't much of a strict recipe, becuase you have pretty much free-reign on making your seitan a bit beefier, your potatoes smoother or less, and your swiss chard less french-canadian. The key to juicing up your seitan is the pre-mixing rather than texturizing it after you have boiled your gluten. The potatoes I always love smoothing out with margarine and soy-milk and adding just a couple spices. The Swiss Chard is a nice addition and I tend to dress them as I grew up doing to most of my vegetables: vinegar, margarine, and salt. Use your own tastebuds though, people! This is mostly just a quick-fix idea!Chunky Seitan and Mashed Potatoes1.1/2 cup instant wheat-gluten flour1/8 cup soy sauce2 Tbsp olive oil1 Tbsp sesame oil1/4 cup water1/2 tsp ginger1 tsp sage1 tsp allspice or choose-your-own-adventure2 cups vegetable or vegan-beef-stock1 can mushroom gravy*The seitan may not stay together and be as thick as it is sometimes. I tried to make it a bit softer and it tends to stay together in chunks. IF you want a thicker and rougher seitan, remove some of the oil and put water in and possibly a slight bit more gluten flour. Also letting the seitan boil for less time may also keep your 'meat' a bit thicker if desired. I tends to like mine a bit more soft.2. 8-10 larger red potatoes (or about 5 large baking potatoes.. since they are plenty larger!)1/3 cup soy margarine1/4 soy milk2 tsp garlic salt2 tsp dill3. 1 bunch swiss chard boiled and lightly dressed1.1. (Also, begin step 1 of List 2) Prepare wet ingredients and spices together in small bowl.2. Add mix to gluten-flour and stir until thick mixture (should be single mass) forms.3. Add gluten-'ball' to saucepan with 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil then immediately cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.4. Remove gluten-'ball' and strain. Optionally, press out liquid as you would with tofu to dry with a cloth. 5. Cut into strips as desired.6. At this stage, I like to begin heating the mushroom gravy on a gentle heat in a seperate saucepan, but add the seitan-strips to the gravy so you can heat them together adding the flavour of the mushroom gravy into your seitan.2. 1. Peel and then begin boiling your potatoes in large saucepan as this takes quite a while.2. Occassionaly test potatoes with a fork. When they are soft enough to mash with a fork strain/remove and begin mashing in a large bowl.3. Add the margarine and cream into your potatoes until smooth and then mix in the soy-milk until your potatoes are smooth and fluffy.4. Add garlic and dill and mix.3.1. Boil swiss chard and lightly season in seperate bowl as a side.Serve your gravy and seitan-strips over your potatoes and enjoy your swiss chard as a side. Makes for a nice warm quick-fix meal!
