Sick Cookery

And no, by Sick Cookery I don't mean "Awesome Cookery", I mean "Bleh let's feel like there's a porcupine in our throat (so not vegan) and wile the hours away on the couch/in the kitchen Cookery", but I figured that one was a bit too long.

No recipes today (sorry folks), but if I'm up to testing one of my in-the-works recipes today, I might post it later. Until then, you can gaze at what I've been cooking for the past few days while I try to come up with excuses for watching The View for the second day in a row.

This is from the first day I was sick (Tuesday) - I actually made it to school, and then got killed when I got home. I watched 8 Simple Rules and Scrubs for most of the night (I was so out of it that 8 Simple Fucking Rules made me cry--and I don't cry for fictional things!), but before I'd progressed to that stage, I made this:

Joanna's Baked Mac and Cheese, from Yellow Rose Recipes. I, like the rest of you cheese-deprived vegans, have made countless faux mac 'n cheezes, but this is hands down THE best one yet. Try it if you haven't already!

The next morning I felt like my head took a vacation underneath a garbage truck, but for the brief half hour I could stand, I made myself these:

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes, recipe courtesy of Veghead. Of course, I felt like throwing them up after I ate them, but they were totally worth it.

And this isn't from my sick days (we're on day three, for those of you counting), but it deserves to be posted - V'con Southwestern Corn Pudding and YRR Cajun 'fu.

The Corn Pudding was divine, and I'm trying to come up with a soup similar to it, but I have a feeling the 'fu would've been a bit improved had I followed the directions and added one tablespoon of Cajun spice, rather than the entire container (about 1/2 a cup). Yep, my bad.

Have fun feeling alive, people. Now shut up and let me watch the rest of The View (stop hatin'!).

Love,
Jillian Renee

Just a survey.

This is my second post in a half hour, I believe. So scroll down for the good stuff!

1 . If you have to choose between locally grown or organic, which do you usually choose?
I'd prefer locally grown.

2. Favourite way to prepare potatoes:
Raw potatoes are totally superior to prepared potatoes.

3. Do you press your tofu before preparing/cooking it (if you eat soy)?
I'm lazy and I never used to, but it changes the texture a LOT. So I try to now.

4. Name your favorite recipe that is a tradition in your family:
Galumpkies (meat-stuffed cabbage). I gotta get on veganizing that..

5. Any food allergies?
Not that I know of.

6. When you want to go to a fancy dinner, where do you go?
I don't have any vegan places near me, so I'd just make it myself.

7. When you have a cold, what do you crave?
Hot drinks, like tea or coffee or hot chocolate, and lots and lots of soup.

8. What kind of water do you drink? (Filtered, spring, tap, etc.)
Tap.. water..? I think?

9. Name a flavor of soda you'd love to see:
Soda really creeps me out. But cinnamon would be pretty sweet.

10. If the recipes you ate as a child were compiled into a cookbook, what would the title be?
Five Recipes You Can Make And Repeat Forever.

11. If you were allowed to grow one food that can't grow in your climate, what would it be?
Plantains! So many recipes I can't make because of those losers.

12. Favorite type of mushroom?
Most of the things I hated as I child I like now, but mushrooms and eggplant I still can't stand.

13. Most frustrating part of your kitchen?
Being bitched at every time I make a mess (even if I plan on cleaning it when I'm done) and using pans/tuppeware/knives/etc that's recently touched meat. =/

14. Last food you burned?
One half of my "tuna melt". So I just ate it open faced.

15. Usual response to a veg*n's favorite question, "But where do you get your protein?":
Everywhere else, bitch.
Actually, I usually say something along the lines of "It's a myth that vegetarians don't get enough protein. I eat plenty of tofu and other meat replacers, beans, nuts, etc."

16. If you were baking your own birthday cake today, what flavor would it be?
Hmm.. I could go for a chocolate coconut cake right now. Or chocolate peanut butter.

17. Favourite brand of chocolate chips?
SunSpire.

18. You have $200 of your tax return reserved for Williams Sonoma - What do you buy?
I'd love a food processor. My blender is inferior.

19. Do you plan your menus in advance? Any tips to share?
I go through my cookbooks when I first buy them and make a list of everything that I'd like to make at some point. Then before I go shopping, I pick a few of the recipes and make them during the week. It doesn't always turn out like I planned, but whatever.

20. You have 3 minutes before you have to leave the house and you're starving- What do you eat?
Probably some kind of energy/protein bar or peanut butter and ricemellow fluff.

21. If Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Rachael Ray got into a fight, who would win and how?
"Well, Paula Deen could just sit on them and squish them, or drown them in lard. On the other hand, martha seems pretty sneaky, sly, and untrustworthy. But I really do like Rachael Ray best so I want to think she'd win. "

That was Veghead's. I don't think I can top that.

22. If you eat oatmeal, what do you add to it before serving?
Cinnamon sugar and maple syrup.

23. If you got to travel to one country and learn all the traditional dishes there, where would you go (ignore commitments in your current place of residence)?
Italy or France.

24. Favourite late night snack?
Cashews.

25. Favourite springtime food?
Fruit.

26. Favorite food-related magazine?
Probably Vegetarian Times, but Cooking Light isn't too bad, if a bit meat-centric.

27. Which do you prefer: shoyu, tamari, conventional soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminos?
I've only had tamari and soy sauce, but I prefer tamari.

28. What vegetable or fruit do you dislike the most?
I can't stand mushrooms and eggplants. I think I already said that.

29. Name a holiday food you look forward to all year long:
Erm, just eating all of it without guilt. xD But I love the holiday flavors at coffee shops.

30. If you could convert anyone to veganism with your magic wand, who would you convert?
The whole world. And the people who tease me for it (which is almost the whole world..)
And the love of my life, of course, if she wasn't already vegan. (<3 Veghead)

There aren't enough vegan surveys.

Love,
Jillian Renee

Chai Muffins

So, I guess I lied to you when I said I'd get some baking in yesterday. But Jesus, this is three posts in four days, what do you want from me?! (I'm still riding that whole new-blog thing. I'll probably get bored and post less often soon.)

I didn't have breakfast today, except for some black coffee to combat my headache from last night (don't even ask), but lunch was pretty amazing. Not because I came up with a recipe, not even because I used someone else's recipe and it turned out well, but because of this shit -

That's me kissing my Ricemellow Creme. It looks more like I'm hiding behind it, though..

I've heard mixed reviews about RC, so I was a bit skeptical when I saw it at Whole Foods. I decided to give it a shot, and OH MY GOD. I never thought a peanut butter and fluff sandwich would taste so fulfilling.

Anyway, I'm probably just eating leftovers for dinner, but I did come up with this in the meantime:

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Chai Muffins


Muffins:
1/2 cup chai soy milk (or 1/2 cup non-dairy milk + 2 chai tea bags)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon baking powder

Streusal:
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
pinch cloves
pinch salt

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 12 muffin tin.

First, prepare the streusal:
Cream the margarine. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir with a fork to create crumbs. Set aside.

Next, make the muffins:
Mix together the wet ingredients (down to sugar). If using tea bags, boil the non-dairy milk on the stove, take off of the heat, and let the tea bags stew in the milk for ten minutes. Press the bags against the side of the pan and completely drain them before using.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (down to baking powder). Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined. Fill the muffin tin about 2/3 full, and top evenly with the streusal. Bake for 19-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry.

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See you next time, crazy vegans!

Love,
Jillian Renee

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and Yellow Rose Recipes

This morning my school called my house at 5 to cancel school. Unfortunately, I didn't get up till six and no one bothered to tell me. When I figured it out, I lied in bed trying desperately to go back to sleep for an hour and a half, and eventually let Elliott Smith sing me there till I woke back up at 10. When I got up (the second time), I decided that the best use of my lazy day would be to make brunch - obviously - and this is what resulted.


Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I don't ever want to know how many calories were in these, but they were worth every single fucking one. I am officially inspire to make brunch MUCH more often.

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Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cups pumpkin spice soy milk (or plain non-dairy milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat and oil a skillet over medium-high heat for about two minutes.

Sift together the dry ingredients (down to cloves). Combine the rest of the ingredients (down to maple syrup) in a separate bowl, and add the wet to the dry (but don't overmix!). Fold in the chocolate chips.

Cook on each side for about 4 minutes or less, depending on how hot your stove is. Transfer to a pate and continue with the rest of the batter, adding oil as needed.

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The rest of the day was spent playing the piano, reading Veronika Decides to Die (for the umpteenth time), and wasting away the hours on the PPK and various food blogs. Oh, and making/eating these:

Sesame Green Beans (with added broccoli) from Yellow Rose Recipes

Tofu Marsala, also from Yellow Rose Recipes

And eating them together for dinner. Maybe tomorrow I won't be snowed in and can continue my social life.

But I'll get some baking in either way (hopefully).

Love,
Jillian Renee

What I've been eating and Candy Cane Cupcakes

So, debut post. Am I supposed to say something eloquent? Because I'm probably not going to.

For all you PPK-ers and those of you who've been following The VEST Squad, I'm JillianRenee. I'm vegan, and I eat.

So what have I been eating lately? I'm ashamed to admit that I've been on a steady diet of Luna, Cliff, and Macro Bars for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is generally the only time my cooking expertise (hah!) gets to shine. For example, last night's dinner (and possibly tonight's) was the wonderful Seitan Piccata from Veganomicon.


Curry Udon Noodle Stir Fry, also from V'con


And Pasta E Fagioli of Yellow Rose Recipes fame


But none of those recipes are mine, yes? I've been entertaining the thought of coming up with my own vegan creations, but I never quite got around to it. After a visit to my therapist, however, we were discussing the disassociation I sometimes feel when I get depressed. In order to combat this, she suggested I do something concrete to help me stay in touch with reality. Together, we decided that the best outcome of this would be to write down a list of ingredients for a new recipe, and you know what? It works every time. I may be scribbling down a cupcake brainstorm in the middle of chemistry rather than paying attention, but who am I kidding? I never pay attention in chemistry. Now, at least, I have something to do. ;)

So here's the first recipe I came up with: Candy Cane Cupcakes.

Candy Cane Cupcakes

I would love to say that these cupcakes went off without a hitch and were a pleasure to bake, but the truth is, they were anything but. Don't get me wrong, they turned out wonderfully - although I'd like to do some tweaking later - but there were so many mini obstacles that I almost threw in the towel and ended my recipe solution before it began. The first thing that went wrong was, after deciding on a whim that the cupcakes would be prettier with some red food coloring, not putting the cap back on the stupid bottle. Needless to say, somewhere between mixing the wet and dry ingredients and adding the crushed candy canes, the precariously perched bottle splattered all over my kitchen floor (and counters, and ceiling.. somehow). Do you know how long it takes to clean up an entire bottle of spilled food coloring? Well, neither do I, but I can tell you that it is a damn long time, and I apologize in advance for destroying the environment with all those paper towels. The only cool part was that it looked quite exactly like I'd knifed someone, let them bleed to death, and dragged the body away. Even the paper towels and my hands. At least, the way I think it looks like from the movies.. obviously. Of course.

The second thing that went wrong was realizing, after making the batter and preheating my challenged oven, that I was out of cupcake liners. No problem, right? I'll just call my sister and ask her to pick some up on her way home from her piano lesson (that I may or may not have supposed to have been at.. don't tell). Of course, the Pennsylvania skies decide that tonight, the only night I need them to behave, they're going to be spiteful and cause my sister to bitch at me about how she's not stopping for anything so trivial in a time like this. So what now? Grease the shit out of the muffin pan and pray to Moses, Jesus, and Allah they don't stick? Of course not! My problem solving powers are much superior to that. I'll just use the mini cupcake liners and the mini cupcake pans! Nothing wrong with mini cupcakes, right?

There were other cupcake issues, such as having to balance out an overdose of peppermint extract (that shit is strong!), and having an unrelated emotional breakdown during the making of the icing, but I'm guessing that by now you just want me to shut up and give you the recipe. So here it is, in all its shenanigans-causing glory!


1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup soy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp red food coloring
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup crushed candy canes (which is all I had, feel free to add more)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

Whisk together the soy milk (or whatever non-dairy milk you have) and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup. Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients (down to salt) and the wet ingredients (down to oil) separately. I don't really care if you mix the dry into the wet or the wet into the dry, just make sure they're mixed well with either a fork or a handheld mixer. When the batter is smooth, add the crushed candy canes.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full, you know the drill. If you're making mini cupcakes, the baking time should be about 15-18 minutes, for regulars it'd be about 21-23. I'm a little shaky on these as my oven tends to treat over-baking and under-baking like a hobby, but the toothpick test should suit ya fine. Pop those babies in the oven!

Time for the icing.


Candy Cane Icing

2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance, or other non-dairy margarine at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum) at room temperature
1/2 tsp peppermint extract or more, to taste
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbs non-dairy milk
1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Cream together the margarine and shortening. Whisk in the icing sugar with a fork or handheld mixer. Add the non-dairy milk and extracts. When icing is smooth with no lumps, stir in the candy canes. You don't really need to refrigerate this before decorating the cuppies, but if you're not decorating them right away, store that shit in the fridge.

Let the cupcakes completely cool before icing. Decorate and enjoy. :)

By the way, if my friends don't flake out on donating me their leftover candy canes, I'll post the chocolate version I came up with for these. Till then, happy eating.

Love,
Jillian Renee