a lot of vegan brunch

I have quite a few things to share with you, most of which are from Vegan Brunch.

First up, I tried to make English muffins with whole wheat pastry flour. Now I’m not sure if it was my yeast, or if this recipe doesn’t work well with whole wheat, or what’s going on, but mine didn’t really rise at all and didn’t get those delightful nooks and crannies that make English muffins so lovable. Here is one with some jam:

I also made the pumpkin bran muffins. Once again, I used whole wheat pastry flour and I subbed applesauce for all of the oil. These were still really moist and super delicious. In fact, they were too good. I ate way too many of them.

I also tried my hand at the infamous vegan omelets. Even though the recipe clearly states not to use vacuum-packed tofu, I used the vacuum-packed Mori-Nu lite firm tofu. I did have to add some extra water to the batter but they appeared to work out alright. Not that I have anything to compare it to…next time perhaps I will use soft tofu and see if there is a difference. I made the roasted asparagus version with the suggested miso tahini sauce….that sauce on its own didn’t excite me very much, but paired with this omelet it was heavenly!

I also tried the scrambled tofu with greens and yams. I used WAY less sesame oil then called for…I basically drizzled about 1/2 tsp on at the end and that’s it. The flavour was still easy to detect. I loved the mix of sweet with sesame…I ended up really loving this dish when I thought it would just be ‘okay’

I just took these bagels out of the oven so I haven’t tried one yet. They’re made with multigrain bread flour…we’ll see how good they taste later.

Finally I have something that isn’t from Vegan Brunch. Now usually the bf does all of the grilling around here. It’s his ‘thing.’ So I’ve never cooked with a bbq before in my life. Ever. Well, he’s gone on a 5.5 day canoe trip and so I made him give me a lesson in how to turn on the grill. Yes, that’s right, I didn’t even know how to turn it on. Well, last night not only did I turn it on, but I grilled myself up some portobello burgers as well as some eggplant…and grilled pineapple for dessert (why didn’t anyone tell me how wonderful this stuff is??). I doubt I’ll retain my grilling privledges once the bf returns (once again, it’s his ‘thing’) but it was fun to try it out and hey, who am I to turn down getting my dinner cooked for me every now and again?

World’s Most Complicated Hot Dog

Before I went vegan, one of my most beloved vegetarian “junk” foods were soy hotdogs with Cheez Whiz and hot pickled peppers. Yum. While I’ve had hotdogs since being vegan, certainly none of them were as good as I remembered my pregan hotdogs as being. Fast forward over a year. I suppose I just forgot about these Cheez Whiz monstrosities (I mean really, that stuff is just chemicals, yuck!). All of a sudden I started having intense cravings. I knew I had to come up with a vegan version.

I didn’t want to go to the store so I ended up making my own “hot dogs” using Julie Hasson’s sausage recipe. I didn’t have any buns, so I made my own using this recipe. This time I made them 100% whole wheat and they turned out really heavy and dense. So I don’t think I’d do that with that recipe again. But I’m sure I will eventually find a 100% bun recipe that I can live with. Anyway, on to the Cheez Whiz replacement – “Gee Whiz” from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. I had this recipe on my “to make” list for months and months but had never gotten around to it. Here was the perfect occassion. While it tastes nothing like Cheez Whiz, it is really, really tasty (tastes more nutty then cheezy, but that’s fine with me).

So now on to the long awaited hot dog. Get a freshly baked bun with a homemade sausage, slather the bun with gee whiz, ketchup, hot mustard and relish, top with sauerkraut and LOTS of hot pickled peppers: the perfect hot dog. As you can imagine, this hot dog was several hours in the making. But totally worth it.

The next morning I made myself a tofu scramble loaded with veggies and mixed in a little gee whiz….mmmm!

And here is a picture of my kitty licking his chops watching me take a picture of my tofu scramble.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I’ve been on the waiting list at my public library for “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” for months and months. I started to lose hope that my turn would ever arrive when one day the library called me and told me it was ready for me to pick up. Now I see what all of the commotion is about. I’ve only tried a few of the recipes so far. I’ve been making the basic peasant bread quite a bit…the bf is convinced it’s the best bread I’ve ever made. I also used the peasant dough to make pitas, and while I think this recipe produces a better pita, the ones from the book were still mighty tasty and nothing can beat the ease of pinching off a ball of dough, rolling it out, baking it, and voila, you have a pita. Just like that.

It is almost my turn to give the book back to the library and let some other lucky person have their turn. But I have asked for it for Christmas…so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

P.S. Seems like this book is becoming popular in the vegan food blog world…go check out what other people have to say.

Back with a BBQ

Excuse the lack of updates. I was away at a conference on the east coast. Anyhoo, I am back now, and have pictures to share with you of our bbq dinner last night.

I marinated a lovely portobella mushroom in a marinade of olive oil, dijon, regular mustard, sea salt, pepper, and marsala wine. mmm…. I then toasted some sourdough ciabatta I had in my freezer. I spread some olive oil on the bread and then sprinkled on some herbs from my garden and minced garlic. We also had grilled asparagus and a mediterranean salad I picked up at a store.

Portobella Mushroom Marinade:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (I used the whole grain kind)
• 2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp marsala wine
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 portabella mushroom cap

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Put in mushroom cap, turning a few times to cover. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Makes 1 serving.

And then for dessert, a soy ice cream sundae with neopolitan ice cream, bananas, chocolate syrup, walnuts, and cherries.

Bread & Bruschetta

This week we had to attend a work-related barbeque and we were supposed to bring an appetizer. I’m not sure why, but immediately I had the idea to bake several different types of bread and take along a bruschetta of sorts.

First up, I made sourdough ciabatta. I don’t have a Kitchen Aid, so it was my first time using the “stretch and fold” technique. Which is pretty odd the first time you do it…I figured there was no way that it would give me a nice dough, just folding it, but it works wonderfully. Anyhoo, I also made some multigrain quinoa baguettes, based on this recipe, except that I shaped them into normal-sized baguettes instead of mini baguettes.

And then, just for kicks, I decided to make the poolish focaccia from VeganYumYum. The bf was in love with this stuff. He ate about 3/4 of the pan, and the recipe makes a LOT. I also used fresh herbs from my garden for the first time so that made it extra special for me.

Right before baking….

Out of the oven…

Baking Extravaganza, Day #3

I didn’t do nearly as much baking today as I wanted to. I got bogged down with other work things. Oh well. I did make a batch of hamburger buns.

Fat Free, Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

• 2 c. soymilk
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 1/4 c. warm water
• 3 tbsp. active dry yeast
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 c. whole wheat flour
• 2-3 c. all-purpose flour (as needed)
• soymilk, for brushing tops
• sesame seeds, for sprinkling on tops

1.Proof the yeast: Add yeast and sugar to the warm water. Let sit 10 minutes.

2. Add the applesauce and soy milk to years mixture. Mix well. Add salt and gradually add the flour until the dough is thick enough to knead, but not too stiff. Add the whole wheat flour first, and then use as much all-purpose flour as you need.

3. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Cover, and let rise 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

5. Punch dough down. Separate dough into 12 balls (this number may change depending on how large you want the buns). Form each ball and place on a baking sheet.

6. Cover with a damp dish cloth and let rise another 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

7. Brush tops with soymilk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

8. Bake at 400ºF for 15-20 minutes, until brown on the top.

These freeze quite nice. In the future I would like to experiment with replacing the sugar with maple syrup.

I also made two loaves of multigrain bread. It turned out sooo moist. One loaf is in the freezer and the other is waiting to be made into sandwiches for the coming week.

Multigrain Bread (Adapted from VegWeb)

• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 6 to 7 cups multigrain bread flour
• 1/4 c. vital wheat gluten
• 2 tbsp. active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 tsp. salt

1. Mix water, yeast and molasses together in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Add applesauce, soy milk and salt. Mix together. Begin to gradually add flour. When you can no longer mix it, start to knead in the flour. Knead it for 5 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

3. Cut the dough into two, equal parts. Shape them into loaves and place them into two greased bread pans.

4. Cover pans and let the dough double in size (approx. 1 hour)

5. Bake loaves at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. Bread should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf. Let cool.

Baking Extravaganza, Day #2

And so the baking extravaganza continues. Today I made carrot spice muffins using Susan V’s recipe. I was out of cinnamon so I had to omit that. It was also my first time using whole wheat pastry flour. I thought they turned out pretty good. They definitely taste “healthy” though, so I’m not sure if the bf will eat them or not. Oh well, more for me.

Next up is the lower fat banana bread from Veganomicon. I made some changes though. I used whole wheat pastry flour, added an extra banana, used all applesauce and no oil, and sprinkled the top of the loaf with rolled oats. It was tasty, but I found it too sweet for my liking. Next time I will cut back on the sugar.

I also made some sourdough, as I was anxious to try out my three-week old sourdough starter. I had to add a lot more flour than called for in the recipe. Instead of baking it in the bread machine I baked it in the oven. It formed a nice crust and already my young starter does have quite a “sour” taste to it. I think it will make delicious sandwiches.

And finally, I also made 12 more mini baguettes. I swear, I never want to see a baguette again.

That one in the front turned out quite pudgy, didn’t he?

Baking Extravaganza, Day #1

With the house to myself this weekend I plan to make a lot of bread to freeze. I can’t really bake it when the bf is here or else his allergies act up. How I ended up with someone who is allergic to bread making I’ll never understand.

Today I made some mini french baguettes. That recipe is vegan with the exception of the egg wash. So I just mist the loaves with water for the first 10 minutes or so that they’re baking.

I also made hotdog buns. I used 50% whole wheat flour and 50% white. Next time I think I might try 100% whole wheat and see how they turn out.

Ciabatta

This afternoon I whipped up some ciabatta bread. I made the dough in my bread machine and then shaped the loaves and baked them in the oven. My bread machine is a hand-me-down that’s seen better days and although I love it’s dough making capabilities, I don’t always trust it when it comes to baking.

This was one of those recipes that’s “accidentally” vegan so no substitutions necessary. I made 2 loaves…one is out on my sideboard and I stuck the other one in the freezer. I would hardly call this ciabatta bread. It’s very dense and lacks the characteristic holes. Even though it’s a ciabatta imposter it was still tasty.

Mini Multigrain Quinoa Baguettes

I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for awhile now. So that’s what I did this evening. I changed things up a bit though…first things first I omitted the honey. I also used a mixture of multigrain bread flour and whole wheat flour so that there is NO white flour anywhere in these babies. Plus I made them into mini baguettes (perfect sandwich size) instead of long baguettes.

Mini Multigrain Quinoa Baguettes:

• 1 c. uncooked quinoa
• 2 c. warm (110 F) water
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 2 c. multigrain flour
• 2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten
• 1 – 1.5 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Rinse quinoa. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine water and yeast. Let sit 5 min.
3. Mix in quinoa and multigrain flour. Add 0.5 c. whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, salt, and olive oil.
4. Add additional whole wheat flour 0.25 c. at a time until dough comes together.
5. Knead for approximately 7 min., until dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Place dough in oiled bowl covered with damp cloth until doubled in size (approximately 1.5 hours)
7. Punch down dough. Divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into rectangle and then roll up to form a mini baguette shape.
8. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet. Cover with damp cloth until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour).
9. Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake baguettes for approximately 15 min., until they sound hollow when you tap on the bottom. Allow to cool.

Makes 10 mini baguettes