V for Vegan

More things to do with your biscuits

2008-07-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

More things to do with your biscuits + another Kelly and Garrick tester!

After finding this recipe I mentioned last post, I had a lot of leftover biscuits to experiment with. The first thing I did with them was make a mini McVegan.

Then I remembered this clotted cream recipe I'd been meaning to try out, and slathered some on one. I can't say that I remember what regular clotted cream tastes like, but this one was good.

And here's another Kelly and Garrick tester for ya'.. Chewy Banana Banana cookies! I added chocolate chips to them and they were so good. My dad was convinced I put rum in them for some reason. I told him if I was going to use rum in my cookies I wouldn't be sneaky about it and then offer him one, but he still thought he tasted it. So.. if you like bananas, or you like rum, buy their book!

Then last night I made a cookie sandwich with the banana cookies and Purely Decadent Rocky Road ice cream.. it was love.

I haven't been cooking all that much lately and I wanted to make something elaborate for dinner, but unfortunately my mom wants me to go to Arner's with her. So I feel like baking something instead.. maybe I'll take a look at the recipes I came up with and never got around to so I can get another recipe up here. It depends on how lazy I am. :)

Much love,
Jillian Renee

Cream Cheese Brownies

2008-06-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the recipe, here's a picture of another Kelly and Garrick tester--chewy pumpkin spice cookies.

They were delicious. The bigger ones turned out more fluffy than chewy, but the spices were perfect. My sister pressed chocolate chips into the hot-from-the-oven ones, and they melted into them nicely. Next time, I'm definitely adding a handful.

I've been craving cream cheese brownies for a while now; my mom used to make the ones from a recipe of a Betty Crocker brownie box or something and they were one of my favorite desserts ever. I adapted a wonderful, fudgy brownie recipe from RecipeZaar for the base, but you can use whatever brownie recipe you'd like.

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Cream Cheese Brownies

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coffee
3/4 cup soymilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Topping
8 oz vegan cream cheese
2 1/2 - 3 T Earth Balance
1/3 cup + 2 T sugar
3 T flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 325F and grease or butter a 13x9 baking pan.

Sift together (or just mix if you're lazy like me) the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the coffee, soy milk, and oil. Add the wet to the dry and mix, then stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter (it won't be very thick) into the prepared pan. Prepare the cream cheese topping by whipping all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread the topping over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (check very often, my oven was being sketchy and I'm not sure how long it will take on a different one). Test with a toothpick and let cool completely before slicing.

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And here's what I did today!

I've been meaning to try out this recipe that was linked in a biscuit topic on the PPK. I didn't make them as big as the recipe told me to and I also forgot to set the timer, but luckily I caught them before they got too brown and they turned out wonderfully fluffy and delicious.

Then I used some tempeh that was lying around my fridge to make the Vegan With A Vengeance tempeh sausage crumbles.

I'm not a fan of fennel seed, so I subbed in some thyme leaves and cut down the red pepper flakes. I made the VWAV Sausage and White Bean Gravy with them--

Then I took a biscuit..

.. and smothered it in the gravy.

And that was my dinner!

Love,
Jillian Renee

Recipe Reviews

2008-06-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

More reviews today!

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I've been doing a bunch of testing for Kelly and Garrick lately.. if I had pumpkin or bananas I'd have two more reviews for you, but unfortunately they'll have to wait. Oh, and remember the vanilla fudge? Kelly was wonderful enough to incorporate it in her book as a vanilla fudge base! Sometime this week I'm gonna be coming up with more variations for it.

Caramel Cookies

My favorite tester recipe ever. Gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside, wonderfully sweet and caramel-y with a rich but light frosting.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Slightly grainy, but in a melt-in-your-mouth way. Present but not overpowering peanut butter taste, wonderful when chopped up and used as peanut butter chips.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Perfect combination of flavors. Chewy peanut butter base, crispy chocolate covered pretzel top.

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Bars

Very rich and fulfilling. The peppermint wasn't too strong, and they weren't too difficult to make either.

Chai Cookies

Tasted like snickerdoodles with a kick. Texture was a bit stiff, but the taste was good.

Sugar Cookies

Classic sugar cookie taste, sweet and traditional.

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Next, I have my Isa and Terry reviews. I've been way busy with West Side Rehearsals and vacation and etc etc etc, so I've mostly been making quick meals and sammiches and such, but I have some backlogged photos for your blogging enjoyment.

Diner-style Home Fries
a la Veganomicon

Pictured with tempeh bacon and buttered toast. Okay, for such a simple recipe, this was forkin' delicious. I added garlic salt, but I doubt I even needed to. Sure, you could go to the diner and get your own, but who knows how clean that pan they made them in was? Who knows how often the chef washes his hands after handling raw burgers? Invite your friends over and make these instead. You won't be sorry.

Caramel Apple Spice Cupcakes w/ Caramel Penuche Frosting
a la Veganomicon

Alright.. I have to say this cupcake did not live up to my expectations. (A cupcake I didn't like? I know, I know.) The cupcake itself was good, but the frosting just had a weird texture and an almost too-sweet taste. The caramel pre-penuching was delicious, though. I'd much rather just pour a bunch of it on top next time.

Tempeh Reuben
a la Vegan With A Vengeance

How did it take me so long to notice this recipe? Simply marinated tempeh slathered in creamy thousand island dressing and cheddar soy cheese, all in between two buttery pieces of fried multigrain bread. 'nuff said.

Sunny Blueberry Corn Muffins
a la Vegan With A Vengeance

I'm very much a fan of Isa and Terry's Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes from 'nomicon, but these just didn't do it for me. I added about half a cup of sugar to the recipe and they were good drenched in Earth Balance, but I think I need a sweeter muffin to satisfy myself.

Banana Split Pudding Brownies
a la Vegan With A Vengeance

You know what I just realized? I can never spell vengeance on the first try. Anyway. I took these to my sick grandfather and he adored them. They were good, a bit cakey for my tastes, but the topping was sweet and a nice touch.

Smoky Grilled Tempeh
a la Veganomicon
&
Cheater Baked Beans
a la Veganomicon

Both are excellent recipes. The tempeh was reminiscent of tempeh bacon, but different. I breaded it later and I highly recommend doing so. The beans were sweet, but not cloyingly, and and just what homestyle baked beans should taste like.

Chickpeas Romesco
a la Veganomicon

Excellent flavor combinations. I liked them so much I sprinkled YRR parmesan on top and made a meal out of it, but it would've made a great pasta or spaghetti sauce as well.

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Bonus stuff that doesn't really fit anywhere else!
AKA, stuff I found on the internet.

Chickpea Salad
a la VeganYumYum

A seriously perfect recipe. Blows regular tuna fish sandwiches out of the water.

Easy Macaroni and Cheeze

a la FatFreeVegan

As the title suggests, a very simple recipe with a creamy, noochy sauce. Not exactly like regular mac 'n cheese of course, but good enough for a vegan like me. Especially delicious with barbecue sauce.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
a la Love Like A Vegan

I cannot sing the praises of this recipe enough. I make it at least once a week now. Perfect fluffy texture, yummy brown sugar cinnamon swirls. After you've made it once or twice (trust me, you'll come back to it), try it using Silk Chai. One of my favorite things to bake ever.

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Bonus #2!

Remember those soy curls I told you about? Yeah, well they're forking delicious, is what they are. I boiled them, tossed 'em in some agave nectar, soy sauce, and spices, then panfried them in barbecue sauce. They made a delicious wrap I later added homemade ranch to, and they got the "tastes like chicken" approval from my stubborn omni dad. Go buy them!

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Well, I'm off to make some more chickpea salad. I'll try to get another recipe for ya' up soon.

Love,
Jillian Renee

Lower-fat S'more Brownie Bars

2008-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

This blog is a veritable goldmine of things to do with your ricemellow cream.

Remember this post all the way back in March? Yeah, well I just got back from vacation and I finally had time to get on it.

It's a graham cracker crust, a chocolate chip brownie center, and ricemellow cream spread on top. I experimented with a marshmallow icing, but it was MUCH too sweet.. and I have a pretty significant sweet tooth. I doubled the ingredients for the crust in this, as you can see from the picture it came out very thin but if you follow the directions it should turn out to be more balanced.

I cut the 1/4 cup oil into just 2 Tbs and replaced the other two Tbs with applesauce. They turned out a little bit cakey, which might've been because of this, so try them with full oil and see if the texture changes if you like a fudgy-er brownie.

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Lower-fat S'more Brownie Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbs soy milk

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs applesauce
2 Tbs canola oil
1/4 cup soymilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp chocolate, almond, or more vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Ricemellow creme
2 T chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Ricemellow creme

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8" pan.

Drizzle the graham cracker crumbs with oil. Stir with a fork. Drizzle with the soy milk and stir with a fork again until crumbly. Press evenly into the greased pan and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients (down to salt) in a small bowl. Combine wet ingredients (down to melted chocolate) in a large bowl and add the dry to the wet in batches. Stir well but do not overmix. Toss in the chocolate chips and pour over the graham cracker crust.

Bake for about 30 minutes, using the toothpick test. Let the brownies cool completely before spreading as much Ricemellow creme as desired on top. Cut and enjoy.

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Love,
Jillian Renee

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

2008-06-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, so here we are in the middle of a freakin' heat wave and I decide it's a good time to finally get down to making some fudge. What can I say, I'm a rebel.

I've been searching for a vanilla fudge recipe for a while now--the only vegan ones I've ever seen are either chocolate or peanut butter. I was browsing through RecipeZaar a while back to look at the non-vegan recipes, and it seemed that every single one had a relatively similar base, and then used either chocolate chips for chocolate fudge or white chocolate chips for vanilla fudge. I could easily order white chocolate chips off of Vegan Essentials, but my parents were less than pleased with the shipping costs when I ordered my Teese/Soy Curls/donuts and I don't have the money to cover it myself. So when I started this topic on the PPK asking if there was any way around these elusive chips, the lovely meghanispie offered to send an extra bag to me.

SO I adapted a few recipes and came up with this one. The reason I'd been searching for a vanilla recipe is because I was craving a cookies 'n cream type fudge, but I tasted it before adding the Newmann-O's and it would make an excellent base for all your vanilla fudge needs. The recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, and I used a recipe Veghead contributed to our cookbook (which I really need to get back on track with) that is a bit time consuming, but totally worth delicious cookies 'n cream fudge.

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Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 cups nondairy milk of choice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
pinch salt

Cook nondairy milk and sugar over medium-low heat until reduced to 1 cup. Stir in vanilla and salt. Refrigerate before using. Makes 1 cup.

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
7 oz Ricemellow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup vegan butter
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup Oreo or Oreo-type cookies, finely crushed
1 cup Oreo or Oreo-type cookies, crumbled

Line a 13x9 pan with buttered parchment paper. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a full boil while stirring constantly. Let boil and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the chips, cream, cookies, and vanilla, and pour into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm (about 45 minutes). Remove, cut as desired, and store in an airtight container (not in the fridge).

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Much love,
Jillian Renee

Teese Review

2008-04-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, it finally came--the ubiquitous Teese! I literally squealed with excitement when I saw the box from Vegan Essentials. And it's as good as they say!

It didn't melt exactly like normal cheese, but it didn't take on the texture of plastic or burn like other vegan cheeses. It did have a little bit of that vegan cheese aftertaste, but only when eaten by itself. Or maybe I'm so unaccustomed to normal cheese that it tastes the same and I'm just not as much of a fan anymore. Who knows!

The first thing I made was pizza, using VWAV dough and sauce and about 1/4 of the Teese package. Here's the before pic:

And here's the after. Melting shot!

It probably would've melted more if I had left it in past eight minutes, but the crust was already brown and I hate brown/burnt crusts. It tasted EXACTLY like "real" pizza, folks. Even my family said so! I ate about half of the pie by myself.

The next thing I used it for was a grilled Teese. I sprinkled garlic powder over the Teese pre-frying, and it was love.

And finally, I made mozzarella sticks inspired by this post on the PPK. I based the recipe very loosely off of her instructions and three or four recipes I found on RecipeZaar. They didn't get stringy like non-vegan mozzarella sticks, but the inside was warm and gooey and good enough for me. Omni approved!

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Mozzarella Sticks
Makes 8 sticks

1/4 package Teese (or 1/4 lb vegan cheese)

1/3 cup flour
2 T cornstarch
1/3 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup panko (or regular breadcrumbs)
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Oil, for frying

If using a new package of Teese, cut in half width-wise, cut that piece in half length-wise, and cut one of those pieces in half width-wise again. Cut each of those two pieces into four final pieces (lengthwise). If using other vegan cheeses, cut into sticks roughly 3/4" thick and the length of your index finger.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, and milk in a small bowl and the other ingredients in a different bowl. Preheat a pan with enough oil to coat the bottom. Dip the sticks in the flour mixture first, then the breadcrumb mixture. Fry for a minute to two minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.

Serve with marinara or pizza sauce.

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Bonus Review!

With my Teese came two Nutrilicious donuts--Cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie. Pictured is the pumpkin pie donut.

These were good. Not traditional, but good. They tasted a bit "healthy", and the soy yogurt glaze had a weird texture pre-nuking. These are worth buying if you miss donuts and don't have the materials to make them, but do yourself a favor and microwave them for twenty or thirty seconds before eating. The cinnamon flavor was okay, but I reccomend the pumpkin pie.

I still haven't used the Soy Curls from my Vegan Essentials order, so I'll either update this post with a review of them later or tell you about it in the next post.

Love,
Jillian Renee

Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes

2008-04-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

Hi there! In this installment of my wondrous blog, we witness the return of the prodigal candy cane cupcake: chocolate edition!

The first attempt at this was a complete flop--they barely rose, the texture was.. well, horrible. I experimented for a while and came up with these. And they're lovely! They would make a great base for a regular chocolate cupcake if you replaced the peppermint extract with chocolate, almond, or more vanilla. I have some leftover unfrosted ones that I'll be experimenting with later..

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Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup flour
1/3 cup + 1 T cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup + 3T sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (optional)
1 batch Candy Cane Icing
1 batch Chocolate Ganache

Crush the candy canes in a blender or food processor, if using. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside. Sift together the dry ingredients (down to salt) in a small bowl. Mix the rest of the wet ingredients (down to the extracts) in a large bowl and add the soy milk and vinegar, then the dry ingredients. Whisk with a fork or handheld blender until no lumps are left. Add the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes, and fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 T soy milk
2 T maple syrup

Melt together all ingredients on the stove at medium to medium high heat. Stir with a rubber spatula until completely combined and remove from heat. Store in the fridge until ready to assemble the cupcakes.

To assemble:
Store cupcakes in the fridge until completely cooled. Ice with a spoonful of Candy Cane Icing, add a dollop of Chocolate Ganache, and top with more icing or a piece of a leftover candy cane.

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In other news, my Teese came! I made pizza yesterday (which is gone), and I have a half day of school today, so I plan on making me some grilled Teese when I get home. (!)

Love,
Jillian Renee

Pina Colada Bread

2008-04-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

Hey guess what? I have a recipe for you today!

And with it comes an announcement--for the past few (three?) months or so, the lovely Nicole (aka Veghead) and I have been collaborating on a rough outline for a cookbook. We're still in the very early stages (and I tend to have more ideas than recipes xD), but in a few weeks or so we're probably going to be looking for testers. Much of my contributions so far have been sweets and baked goods, but I'm delving into new territory and attempting to come up with my own meals. I'm really enjoying working with Nicole and looking forward to having a more concrete version of what we want to accomplish. Stay tuned!

I'll probably stop posting most recipes when we ask for testers, but I'll keep all of the old ones up (vegan secrets, vegan shmecrets!).

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Pina Colada Bread
-- makes one loaf

This doesn't have any alcohol in it (sorry!), so I guess we could call it Virgin Pina Colada Bread. Regardless, it has a nice subtle coconut fruity taste, like the drink we all know and love. And the texture's awesome. So just have your liquor on the side, you drunk!

1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup + 2T pineapple juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup + 2T sugar
3/4 t coconut extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t allspice
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (optional)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a medium sized loaf pan

In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients down to the extract. Sift in the dry ingredients down to nutmeg and mix until just combined (a few lumps are okay). If the batter is too thick, add more pineapple juice, but don't overdo it. Fold in the crushed pineapple shredded coconut, or even chocolate chips if you want, and pour it into the loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes to an hour.

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I plan on (finally) testing that chocolate candy cane cupcake follow-up soon, but in the meantime you'll probably see another post of reviews from me tomorrow. Things are a bit less hectic for me right now, so I have more time for what we all know is most important: baking and posting it on the PPK (and here, I suppose. =D).

Much love!
Jillian Renee

While I was gone..

2008-04-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

So, there you have it. Typical me: Start a project, get excited about it, work on it really hard for a week or so (more or less depending on the project), lose interest, and wander off.. only this is different, I swear! Vegan cooking and baking isn't something I can get sick of. I just have to get off my ass and post about it here!

I haven't experimented with any new recipes of my own, but I was inspired by raddish's post on the PPK to get back in the swing of things with the month's recipes in review.

First, a plug for Kelly and Garrick's cookie book I've been testing for. That book is going to be seriously rad.

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Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

The Cinnamon Rolls are a Garrick recipe and the Scotches are a Kelly recipe, I believe. The cinnamon roll cookies were the perfect merging of two of my favorite desserts. They were a bit difficult to assemble, but totally worth the extra effort. I personally enjoy sugar way more than can be healthy, so if I made them again I would add an icing drizzle, then they would be perfect.
The Butterscotches were achingly reminiscent of the ones from my pregan days. The recipe called for butterscotch chips, but I used butterscotch extract with good results.

Both of these recipes are worth buying the book for alone, but seriously folks, it's going to be well deserving of your money. They've got ace recipes for all of the essentials (chocolate chip, chocolate, sugar, peanut butter, etc.), vegan takes on old favorites (Thin Mints, Nutter Butters, Oreos, Peanut Butter Cups), creative new ideas (Iced Fudge Brownie Cookies, Chai Cookies, Root Beer Float Cookies), and there's even a recipe for vegan dog treats! And if that doesn't get you to hand over the cash, we'll just put their chocolate and vanilla swirl hypnosis cookies to use on you.

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Next up, what I've made from Isa and Terry's books in the past few weeks. I've been neglecting it since acquiring Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan and Joy of Vegan Baking in the span of a few days, but it never fails me, as you can see in these pictures.

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Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh w/ Mashed Potatoes and Jalapeno Corn Gravy
a la Veganomicon

Okay. WOW. I've recently discovered my love for tempeh, so I've been baking up a shitstorm with the stuff. I'm not a fan of spicy things, but this was perfect. Besides tempeh bacon, it's my favorite recipe for it yet. And that gravy? Way too fucking good for such a simple recipe. Terry and Isa are goddesses, I swear.

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Leek and Bean Cassoulet w/ Biscuits
a la Veganomicon

This has got to be my favorite recipe ever. I rarely ever cook something twice (so many vegan cookbooks, so little time!) but I've come back to this three times now. Comfort food to the max. Make it. Die of happiness. 'nuff said.

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Bluberry Cornmeal Pancakes
a la Veganomicon

These were made after a COMPLETE failure of ED&BV Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes (I was determined, dammit!). The texture the cornmeal gave them was perfect, and it's topped with Celestial Cream (plus lemon juice) from ED&BV here, but they were also wonderful with a pat (okay, way more than a pat) of Earth Balance and pure maple syrup.

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On to the shitload of cupcakes of late.

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Fauxstess Cupcakes
a la Vegan With A Vengeance

Best cupcakes ever, I shit you not. I don't know why it took me so long to make these, but damn was I missing out. I think I will use the cake portion as my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe from now on. And that icing.. if I wasn't so full I'd be pissed I didn't have any of these in my house. (Okay, I still am.)

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Tiramisu Cupcakes
a la Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Not as excellent as the Fauxstess, but still damn good. I wasn't really a fan of the coffee filling.. it made the bottom wet and soggy and horribly messy. You can't really go wrong with cream cheese frosting, though. I think I'll make these again sometime and work on my presentation.

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Toasted Coconut Cupcakes w/ Coffee Buttercream Frosting
a la Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Pretty, aren't they? Pretty good, too. The coffee buttercream was heavenly. I think it would've tasted better on a vanilla coconut base, though.. but that's just my preference. The toasted coconut was a wonderful touch.

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Maple Cupcakes w/ Creamy Maple Frosting and Sugared Walnuts
a la Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

They look messy, don't they? Yeah, there's a lot of finger lickin' involved with these babies, but they're worth it. I've been meaning to make them for a while, but skipped over 'em in favor of fancier options. Obviously, if you like maple, you will like these cupcakes. And the walnuts! I love candied nuts. And you'll love these.

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I know I'm giving a lot of glowing reviews, and I value constructive criticism, but come on--how can you go (very) wrong with cupcakes (and Isa and Terry)? I've only made a couple things from Joy of Vegan Baking, but they're up next.

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Hearty Cocoa Spice Muffins

This was the first thing I made when I got the book. I've been looking for a good chocolate chocolate chip muffin, and this satisfied that craving. I don't like cayenne in my chocolate, so I left that part out, but the rest of the spicing was subtle and sweet. I think the taste might be improved by making it a bit more rich, and I might work on that and get back to you.. any suggestions?

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I have to say, this did not live up to my expectations. It was tasty, but the cake was a bit bland and not at all the pregan coffee cake I used to love. I'll keep searching.

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Chocolate Brownies with Buttercream

These were the first vegan brownies I'd attempted, and they were good. The buttercream was also from JoVB, and I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer Isa and Terry's. The texture of the brownie was a bit gummy, but the flavor was great. I'd still be interested in experimenting with other recipes, though.

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And finally, my reviews of the month for Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan. I am really falling in love with this book.

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Banana Cream Pancakes

First recipe in the book, and the first thing I made. The "cream" comes from coconut milk. These were fluffy, tropical, and delicious--an excellent introduction to the book.

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I mentioned the Celestial Cream in my review of V'con's Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes, and I won't bother reposting the picture, but I'll give my review here. This was perfect for spreading on pancakes--it mimicked the syrup-and-butter taste. My advice for aspiring Celestial Cream-ers is to NOT use vacuum packed tofu. Seriously. I added lemon juice to the cream (because I omitted the lemon zest from the blueberry pancakes) and it was fine, but without it you could detect a tangible vacuum packed tofu aftertaste. Do yourself a favor and buy Nasoya or something!

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Cashew Ginger Tofu

Pictured with sauteed kale and mashed potatoes. I discovered something while eating this recipe--I do not like baked tofu. Fried is awesome. Baked is chewy and weird. So, while I didn't enjoy this recipe, it wasn't really Dreena's fault--and the sauce was still tasty.

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Blackened Tofu and Tamari Roasted Chickpeas

So, Blackened Tofu first I suppose. This was an excellent idea (although I'm sure others have come up with it before, I'd just never come across it). I liked it, but I think I need to come back later and tweak the spices a little. I omitted the cayenne, but I think it was the fennel and celery seeds that got me. We'll see.

The Tamari Roasted Chickpeas? Jesus Christ (sorry Mom). If you have the book, make these suckers right now! It took so much willpower not to eat the whole tray. And they're easy to make, too!

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Well, this post turned out to be longer than I expected. Does that make up for my absence? A little bit?

Hell, it's not like anyone reads this anyway.

Much love,
Jillian Renee

Faux Sausage Egg and Cheese

2008-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

In case any of you are on the edge of you seats (don't pretend you aren't), the sick is gone! Except for this stupid mucus in my throat. I want to sing again, dammit!

But anyway, I've been pretty lazy when it comes to testing my own recipes this week. There was a s'mores muffins flop--

--which actually was quite delicious, despite being so ugly. They were definitely brownies masquerading as muffins, though, which led me to come up with a rough outline for s'mores brownie bars - graham cracker crust, s'more brownie center, and marshmallow icing. If I ever get around to making it, I'll post the recipe. (This flop was a direct result of my obsession with my newfound Ricemellow Creme: see previous posts.)

However, I DO have a recipe for you avid fans (pfft), which isn't really a "recipe" per se (except for the "egg" part), but more of a how-to on making the best faux sausage egg and cheese ever in under ten minutes.

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Fauxsage Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 English muffin
1 slice (or 1 oz) vegan cheese (I used Vegan Gourmet cheddar)
1 faux sausage patty of your choosing (I used Lite Life)
Earth Balance for buttering
1/2" patty of tofu (instructions for slicing follow)

For the 'fu egg:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric

To prepare:

Cut your muffin in half and toast it, buttering as soon as it's out of the toaster. While it's toasting, fry your sausage patty according to the packaging directions. Use a glass with a round rim to cut a circle out of a block of tofu and slice off a 1/2 inch round. Sift together all the flour and spices, and coat the tofu evenly. Fry it in a little oil for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until bright yellow and slightly browned.

Assemble the cheese on bottom, the sausage in the middle, and the 'fu on top. Eat and enjoy.

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Tomorrow's an in-service day for my school, so I hereby rub it in the face of everyone who has to get up early tomorrow. (You can get me back when I have a three day spring break. =/)

Love,
Jillian Renee

Sick Cookery

2008-02-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-02-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

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