Tag Archives: vegan recipe

Homemade Soft Pretzels: Vegan, Of Course…

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It’s been such a reallyreally long time since I baked pretzels that I almost forgot how to shape them, but it all came back pretty quickly as soon as I started rolling.

Pretzels are so easy to make, it’s something everyone should try, especially now that it’s officially fall. I like them simply salted and plain or served with a vibrantly spicy mustard dipping sauce.

Easy Soft Pretzel Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 Tablespoon brown or white sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 cups warm water, not too hot
  • 2 Tablespoons oil or melted vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 and 3/4–4 cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
  • coarse salt, for topping

Baking Soda Bath
(Some recipes use lye but I think that’s not healthy, so I never have tried it and wouldn’t recommend.)
In a large pot, add 1/2 cup baking soda to 9 cups water, stir, and bring to a boil.

Instructions

  1. Whisk the yeast and sugar into warm water.
  2. Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes.
  3. Whisk in the oil and/or vegan butter and salt.
  4. Add 3 cups of flour.
  5. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer) until combined.
  6. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is slightly tacky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
  7. Knead the dough. Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 to 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Don’t add more flour than you need because you don’t want a dry dough.
  8. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 to 30 minutes or longer.
  9. This is a good time to start the water + baking soda boiling.
  10. Preheat oven to 400° degrees.
  11. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If using parchment paper, coat with nonstick spray.
  12. With a sharp knife, cut dough into twelve equal balls.
  13. Roll the dough into a 20–22-inch rope.
  14. To shape a classic pretzel, roll dough into a long rope, form it into a U-shape with the ends pointing away, then cross the ends over each other twice and bring them down to the bottom of the U, pressing to seal.
  15. There are lots of great YouTube videos that explain in detail how to shape pretzels if you need help.
  16. When the baking soda water has come to a rolling boil, drop 1–2 pretzels in for 20–30 seconds. Any longer than that and your pretzels will have a GROSS metallic taste.
  17. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
  18. If you want, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking.
  19. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until dark golden brown.

I used my stand mixer to knead, placed in another bowl, let rise for about 30 minutes, and cut into 12 equal balls.

Roll to about 22 inches. This is the fun part.

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Not perfectly shaped, but it doesn’t really matter as long as they taste good.

Drop into the boiling baking soda water for only 20-30 seconds. The water isn’t dark gray, not sure why the photo shows that color.

Bake 15 minutes or so depending on your stove.

They won’t win any awards for beauty but they were DELICIOUS.

Tip: Don’t forget to put the salt on before you bake or it won’t stick.

Witches Brew | Fresh Juice Detox

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I haven’t done a food related post in a while…

I think I was inspired by my garden beets to revisit the addition of fresh veggie juices to my diet, as a liver detox cleanse and all around desire to only bring good things into my body.

Not too much prep; it’s easy!

I used beets, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, ginger water (previously prepared*), celery, an apple, a little broccoli, and some garden kale/chard.

This time I didn’t use a juicer, I cut the veggies into smaller pieces to make it easy for the blender along with 32 ounces of water and zapped the life out of them.

What I got was more actual nutrition than a juicer because I strained it and added the small amount of leftover pulp to a pot of veggie soup I was cooking. It would be equally beneficial to add to the mix for veggie burgers.

It was absolutely delicious.I added an extra shot of ginger water because I love the spiciness. I’m out of lemons or that would have been an awesome flavor, too.

Why cilantro, you might ask? Cilantro is a powerful antioxidant and has been used to remedy a variety of liver and pancreas problems. Some people love it, some don’t.

Drink this juice to help cleanse your liver. I’m not aware of any specific issues with my own liver but I simply wanted to give it a little TLC, and if it energizes my metabolism to lose a couple pounds, I’d be ecstatic.

Our liver is not the loudest of organs as it’s not quick to show visible symptoms when something is wrong. It’s actually a multi-tasking hero that often doesn’t get enough credit. Our liver supports digestion, metabolism, detoxification, blood and hormone regulation, the immune system, and more and we mostly ignore it — or abuse it with alcohol and fatty fried foods, and MEAT.

I’ve been drinking this concoction for a few days — not a fast, although it would be great for that, too. Simply knowing I’m helping this hardworking part of my body makes me feel like I’m doing a lot of necessary self-care and preventative maintenance, like changing the oil on your car, which I confess I NEVER do.( Uh oh.)

Love your liver!

Recipe by Enchanted Seashells

*To make ginger water: Take a decent sized piece of ginger, scrape the skin, slice into rounds. Toss in a pot of filtered water to heat until simmering. Cook for fifteen or so minutes, let cool, and store in a glass jar in refrigerator. I add it to smoothies, juices, and tea.

Healthy Super Bowl Recipe! Easy Veggie Burgers

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These veggie burgers would be great for the Super Bowl along with guacamole and a gigantic pitcher of margaritas.

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Add vegan mayo and/or ketchup and it’s so delicious, trust me!

I continually experiment with different ingredients to try and provide as much nutrition as possible and still taste good.

This is a complete meal for lunch or dinner or even on the go and it’s super easy because this time I used canned beans. Of course, you can always start with dried beans, but I used what I had on hand.

View post on imgur.com
View post on imgur.com

TIPS:
*Quantities can be adjusted for your specific needs; I like to make a lot so I can freeze some.
*They can be ovenbaked or in a pan on the stove.
*Use whatever veggies you like.
*I like to cook them until they’re crispy and crunchy on the outside for texture and because they hold together better, also because it makes them easier to pack and freeze.
*They’re delicious hot or cold; perfect for a hike or beach day.

Super Moist #Vegan Chocolate Cake With Amaretto Coffee Frosting

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Since I now focus most of my baking  to please Angel Boy 2.0 (the new and improved version), this was the winner of all the chocolate cakes I ever created, so I thought I’d share it again for those of you who do still currently turn on the oven and combine ingredients to conjure up lovely confections (not confessions). At 15 months, AB 2.0 can’t have chocolate; for now he’ll have to be happy with sugarless teething biscuits and kale smoothies. 

No eggs and no dairy, yet this cake is super moist, fluffy, and fudge-tastic — with a hint of French roast coffee and almond-y Amaretto.vegancakeTEXT

I was inspired by a recipe I found in my mom’s old cookbook — as always, I transformed it into my own version.

I know I use Amaretto a lot, but I ran out of vanilla and it’s a great flavor enhancer with chocolate and coffee.

Moist #Vegan Chocolate Cake With Amaretto Coffee Frosting

  • 1/2 tsp.  salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
  • 1 1/4 cups flour (all-purpose)
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or Amaretto or Grand Marnier)
  • 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 cup cold coffee or water (coffee is better with chocolate) or you could always use soy/almond/cashew/coconut milk.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mix the first five dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Make three shallow depressions in the dry ingredients.
3. Pour vinegar in one, vanilla/amaretto in the other, and vegetable oil in the third.
4. Pour coffee/water over all.
5. Mix well until smooth.

Grease a nine-inch pan. Bake on middle rack of oven for approximately twenty-five to thirty-five minutes.  Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Don’t over bake or it’ll dry out. Cool and frost.vegancake4

Amaretto Coffee Frosting
Three tablespoons softened vegan butter substitute (I use Earth Balance)
Three or four tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Amaretto or Grand Marnier or vanilla
Cold coffee

In a medium bowl, sift sugar and cocoa. Blend with vegan butter. Add 2 teaspoons Amaretto or other flavoring, and 3 tablespoons cold coffee, Blend until desired consistency. If too dry, add more coffee or Amaretto. If too wet, add more powdered sugar.
Frost cake and dust with sifted cocoa.

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Vegan Lentil Tofu Tempeh Loaf Recipe

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loaf9

I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of protein packed vegan loaves and “burgers”.

Some are winners, some are not.

When my son and DIL visited last month, DIL and I teamed up to build a delicious and healthy loaf, but I didn’t get a chance to take pics. They’ll be back tomorrow and I’ve attempted to recreate our original recipe.

(Measurements are sort of inexact…if it looks a little dry, add veggie broth. If it’s too moist, add more bread crumbs or oats.)loaf2

If you’re not familiar with tempeh, here’s an explanation: Tempeh is fermented cooked soybeans (or grains). This fermentation binds the soybeans into a compact white cake. Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in Indonesia for several hundred years. It’s low fat and high in protein.

How to make my Vegan Lentil Tofu Tempeh Loaf:

loaf1

1. Cook lentils, onion, carrots, celery with two cups water until tender. Check as lentils are cooking and add water as needed so they’re moist yet fully absorb water, about thirty-forty minutes.

2. Turn lentils into large bowl.

3. Crumble tempeh and mash tofu with lentils.loaf3

4. Add rolled oats, chia, and chopped nuts.(I used a mixture of almonds and cashews.)loaf45. I like to use my hands to mix everything together so I get a feel for texture and whether it’s too dry or too moist. You def don’t want it too dry or it’ll fall apart.
6. Tear whole wheat bread into small pieces, Mix.
7. Add olive oil, ketchup or tomato sauce, mustard, curry, salt, pepper, vinegar, hot pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce.
8. Mix, taste, and adjust seasonings.
9. Fill greased loaf pan, form patties with any extra.
Topping: Ketchup mixed with a little maple syrup.loaf6loaf5Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Serve with ketchup or vegan gravy. Tastes good hot or cold! Let cool in pan before slicing. Making a day ahead is even better.loaf7

YUMMY!

Recipe: Vegan Lentil Tofu Tempeh Loaf

Tempeh, one package
Tofu, one tub firm organic
Two cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup chopped nuts
One cup rolled oats
One or two slices whole wheat bread
Chia
1/2 chopped onion
Two carrots, chopped
Two stalks celery, chopped
One cup tomato sauce ( I used homemade) or ketchup
Veggie broth as needed
Two tablespoons olive oil
One or two tablespoons Dijon mustard
Curry Powder to taste
Pepper
Salt
Hot pepper flakes
One tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Worcestershire sauce

Not Kegel… But a KUGEL-icous Recipe for Thanksgiving

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Sounds like Kegel, but it’s not, lol.

Yes, this year everything is a bit different, but there’s always something to be grateful for. I’ll just have to wait a bit to cook all of my most requested recipes for everyone, but that’s OK as long as we’re safe and healthy.

Let me introduce you to one of our family traditions:

It’s KUGEL, another carb-filled recipe for holiday entertaining to go along with stuffing. The original Angel Boy and DIL request it every year for Thanksgiving and Hannukah.

It’s not a vegan recipe, but it will be if you simply eliminate the eggs. 

 What is Kugel?

Of German/Jewish origin, Kugel is a savory or sweet pudding of potatoes or noodles usually served as a side dish.

Our family’s traditional Kugel is the sweet noodle kind and my mom’s version is to die for.

Really. It’s spectacular hot or cold or reheated.

It’s one of those recipes you can make a day in advance and it keeps getting better and better.

If you have any leftovers– which we never do — it freezes pretty good.

I limit myself to making it only a couple times a year and I eat as much as I want and just work out a bit harder and a bit longer to burn off the calories, so there’s really no guilt.

Angel Boy’s Grandma’s Kugel

Ingredients:
One large package wide egg noodles
One large can fruit cocktail in juice
One small can pineapple pieces in juice
One large can canned peaches and pears in heavy syrup, yes, you read that right
At least 3 Granny Smith apples, sliced with about 1/3 cup sugar and 1-2 TBS cinnamon
3 eggs (or not)
2 tsp vanilla
One lemon, juiced and zested

Directions: This is a good dish to make in advance especially if you’re also planning to make apple pie (which I am) ‘cos you can just prep all the apples for both dishes. The secret to this dish is a LOT of cinnamon. If you think you have enough, add a little bit more!

1. Cook a whole package of wide egg noodles and drain.
2. Add 3 beaten eggs with vanilla; it will be super slippery.
3. Add the lemon juice and zest to the apple slices.
4. Drain all the canned fruit but keep the juices; you will need them.
5. Mix together all the canned fruits.
6, Butter one large and one medium deep baking dish.
7. Add a layer of noodles, then a layer of canned fruit, a layer of apples, then another layer of noodles, a layer of the canned fruit, sliced apples, more noodles, more canned fruit and apples, ending with a final layer of noodles.
8. Pour over any remaining egg mixture, and a cup or so of the fruit juices. Be very liberal with the juice. It will all get soaked up as the kugel bakes.
9. Jason’s grandma would dot the whole thing with a bunch of Crisco, like ¼ cup, which sounds gross, but I still follow her recipe. Some people use butter, but we don’t. Other recipes add cottage cheese and raisins, but I’ve only made it my mom’s way, although I’m sure it would be delicious.
10. Bake covered at 300 degrees for about an hour or so depending on the pan size. Take cover off for final 15 minutes. Excellent reheated and/or cold.

Bon apetit and Happy Cruelty-free Vegan Thanksgiving!