All Vegan Desserts For a Good Cause!

I made 5 different kinds of vegan sweets today for the Vegan Bakesale for Japan tomorrow at Logan Hardware on Fullerton/Western in Chicago. Stop on down and buy some delicious food for a great cause! (PS - It is supposed to be like 80 degrees outside tomorrow.)

Some of these made the grade. The others either went in the garbage (I hated doing it) or my roommates and I will eat the castoffs. Here is my run down and grades for each one:

Gingerbread Flax Muffins from the Post Punk Kitchen (F):

These were disappointing. I am usually totally happy with PPK's recipes but these were too ginger-y and mine sunk in the middle. It is hard sometimes to predict what vegan cupcakes/muffins will do and I prefer to have a more dense cupcake or muffin than this one. These are the ones I threw away. I hate to waste product and money, but these were pretty inedible. Total failure.

Lemon Blackberry Muffins from My Sweet Vegan (B): Okay, so I only used this recipe as the base but it is pretty much the same thing but with blackberries and some lemon zest added in. I thought the ones that were cooked through were good but the ones that were a tad more full (my fault) were really gooey in the middle. Not good. So I had to get rid of a few but the done ones were pretty darn good. Nice and soft but not too doughy. I would definitely make these again with hopefully better baking results.

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookies from Fabulous Foods (B): These are not included in the vegan bake sale goods but they are very delicious. They are dense, chocolate-y with a hint of raspberry aroma and flavor. These are good enough for me to eat but not great enough to share with potential buyers. I will say that I would recommend making these because they are a. easy and b. totally yummy.

The Best Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance (A):

These came out FABULOUS. They did not sink in the middle and browned without becoming dry and overcooked. I sprinkled some slivered almonds on top and they toasted up nicely which added a nice flavor to the warmth of the pumpkin and spices. These made a perfect dozen and will be for sale tomorrow!

And the piece de resistance... Raspberry Jam Swirl Crumbcake from Post Punk Kitchen (A+):

I'm glad I made two of these because I have a feeling that they will go fast. It is tender and sweet but not too sweet for breakfast! This was incredibly easy to make and has one of my favorite qualities: the ability to be easily customizable! Use whatever jam you want, add whatever toppings you want (toasted nuts would be righteous) and the world is your (vegan) oyster. And I will say that PPK definitely won my heart again with this dish (not that I had any doubt really.)

So enjoy and if you make any of these, let me know what you think! And if you are in Chicago, come on by to the bake sale!

Full Breakfast! 3 Items Reviewed!

Wow, totally missing in action ONCE AGAIN. I find it hard to focus sometimes even when it comes to food which I realize sounds insane. I have been cooking and baking a lot but I've been trying to keep myself busy. When you are looking for work, it is important to keep busy otherwise you will go totally batty. So anyhow, this is one of the best recipes from the last 2 weeks or so.

(Photo courtesy of Post Punk Kitchen)

So, of course I love sweet things for dinner as much as I like them any other time of the day. I try not to make this a habit but sometimes a girl needs a buttery, crispy waffle oozing with warm maple syrup to finish off her day. Usually I go the waffle route because I like any reason to use my grandma's old iron. My friend Ethan pointed me in the direction of these sinfully decadent Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes. These were made non-vegan with the addition of a Maple Cream Cheese Sauce but I thought it was necessary to go full tilt with the whole carrot cake idea. And to make this a full breakfast, I made my own vegan version of this Sausage and Potato Hash.

My notes and substitutions:

Pancakes

-- Instead of maple syrup as the sweetener, I just used granulated sugar.
-- Allspice isn't something I typically use, so I just added a dash more cinnamon to the mix.

Maple Cream Cheese Sauce

-- All I can say is make sure the cream cheese is FULLY at room temperature. I'm usually super anal about that but I let it slide this time and the sauce was lumpy. It was still good but would be more presentable for guests at room temp.

Sausage and Potato Hash

(Photo courtesy of Never Enough Thyme)

-- Instead of meat (of course), I used Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage. This is my favorite sausage substitute and use it for meatballs, hash and put it on my pizza among other things.
-- I cut this recipe in half since it was only for two people but I could have easily demolished this all! It was so good and easy customizable.
-- If you are like me and love a good dark crust on your potatoes, crank up the heat. Once the heat is cranked, place a dish on top of the hash and weigh it down with a full tea kettle or a couple of cans to really get a crispy crust. Make sure to stir a few times and replace the weights again until it is to your desired crispiness. I believe this is essential to this meal, but if you are into limp potatoes, more power to you my loves.

Breakfast for dinner is like a pile of a thousand puppies playing. Basically what I'm trying to say it's awesome. Once I made the pancakes, I put them on a pan in a very low but warm oven (200 F) to maintain their heat but not continue to cook. And because it just makes me happy, I decided to toast some almonds to sprinkle on top. The pancakes had a really nice carrot cake flavor without being too sweet (unless you add the sauce, which just made them AMAZING). The salty crispiness of the hash and sweet warmth of the pancakes and sauce made this a perfect balanced meal. Well maybe not healthily balanced but certainly made my soul sing.

I give all the recipes:

5/5 Spoons!

I might not review another recipe for a little while again, but trust me I have notes and will be back. Take care all!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce 4/5 Spoons

The queen of pasta and all Italian food is Lidia Bastianich. Go ahead and find me another woman who tops her skills. I'm waiting..... Nope? I didn't think so. Okay, well I mean there are probably women living in middle of nowhere Genoa making the ultimate pasta dish in the world but I can only work with what I have and know. Anytime I watch her show on PBS, I have to make pasta either that day or as soon as I can. She encouraged me to work on this dish again. Although Lidia might not approve of my changes or my use of boxed pasta, I think she would be proud of my brand new pasta outlook.

(Photos courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

This is my second time making Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce. The first time I made it, I did not like it all. It was too soupy and rich for my taste and I almost gave up on the recipe. I am so glad I didn't! With my own tweaks and changes, I think I made this recipe damn near perfect. Here are my notes:

-- The first time I made this I used gnocchi. I thought maybe I could somehow copy my favorite dish at Angelina in Green Bay but that did not work out so well. I think gnocchi (in my kitchen) works better with simple butter based sauces, not complex tomato based sauces. I tried fettuccine instead and thought it was spot on. The noodles pick up the thick sauce and are hearty enough to not fall apart like spaghetti.
-- I used only one can of Contadina sauce instead of two because only two people were enjoying this dish. But I still used a whole onion, 4 cloves garlic and all the rest of the ingredients the same because I wanted a really thick but not fatty sauce.
-- Speaking of fatty sauce, I hated using the heavy cream in the first try of this dish. I don't like to use thick dairy products because I hate the way they make me feel while eating them. They are too heavy and make me feel gross after eating. Instead of the cream this time, I used 4 ounces of low-fat cream cheese. It worked SO WELL. You have the richness of the cheese but a lot less fat than heavy cream.
-- I prefer this dish without the fresh basil. I make the sauce and add dried basil and oregano and also omit the sugar. The fresh basil is too overpowering and it is all you can taste when you eat it.
-- When the pasta is done, I do not save the water either. Like I said already, I wanted a really thick sauce but if you want it thinner, save the starchy cooking water.

Once the sauce is thick and rich, drop the delicious al dente pasta into the pan and mix it around until it is totally coated. Turn it quite a few times and top with a nice sprinkling of parmesan on top. When I picked this up with a tongs, I swirled it into a beautiful little pile on my plate and served it with some warmed Tuscan bread. It is rich, tart and salty without being too heavy or overpowering in any particular flavor.

I give this recipe:

4/5 Spoons!

Less than a day to enter the first No Meat Mama giveaway! I will announce it tomorrow afternoon and good luck!

New Things Happening in the Kitchen....

Hi!

So I've been inspired by my new favorite TV show on PBS (America's Test Kitchen) to start doing product and ingredient reviews. Since I don't have a budget like America's Test Kitchen, I will be buying a new ingredient every two weeks or so and reviewing it for you!

I have a list about a million things I want to buy and make and use, so hopefully I can make this happen twice a month like I plan.

Thanks for all the comments on the giveaway post! I did a slight pity post on my Facebook and Tumblr, so now I have more people. Thanks to Holly, the co-creator of the best fashion blog on the damn internet for telling people about my giveaway.

See you again this weekend with a review (and some serious tweaks of mine) for this recipe. Ta-ta!

The first No Meat Mama GIVEAWAY!

There is nothing like a giveaway to make people flock to your website! And since I'm assuming some people are seeing this and I don't know who they are, I'd love to hear from you!

Just leave me a comment saying anything (well ya know, don't make fun of me or anything) and I will randomly pick a winner and give you your choice of homemade treats listed here....

1. La Fuji Mama's Deadly Chocolate Almond Toffee

2. Nutella Chip Cookies from Love and Olive Oil

3. Vegan Chocolate Truffles from Vegetarian Times (for my lovely vegan readers)

So comment and tell me your name. Or your favorite recipe (and the link of course). Tell me your dog's name. Or your kids. Anything!

This contest will end next Wednesday (03/23/2011) at 12pm/CST. I can only ship within the United States, I apologize to foreign readers (the cost is too much for me as a poor baker in Chicago). Pass this on to your friends and loved ones.... who doesn't love free dessert?

Thanks readers! And you will see me again this week with new recipes!

Enchilada Bake 5/5 Spoons

Hey everyone! So it's been almost two weeks since I've written here and I have missed it so. We are moved into our new place and unpacked and everything is pretty wonderful where we are. I love being near restaurants, the train and like a block away from a post office. So to make my transition back into the blog, I will review a regular recipe that comes up my menu repertoire. A wonderful recipe that my whole apartment loves. I am talking Enchilada Bake......

So I was browsing through Mercy for Animal's Vegetarian Starter Kit (and that is the link to order one) at The Chicago Diner one day and found this recipe and it popped me right in the face. I love Mexican food and all the components seem to work so well together (diced green chiles, pinto beans, etc.), so I made sure to try it. YUM. So good. The wonderful combination of melty cheese, beans, green chilies and enchilada sauce just blows me away every time I have it. It is ridiculously easy to make and gives you plenty of food for leftovers. And who doesn't love food with Fritos crumbled on top? Seriously.

(This is a weird sad bastard picture of someone's enchilada casserole... sorry. I'll take my own picture next time!

Here are my notes:

-- I use flour tortillas instead of corn. I love corn tortillas but I know a lot of people don't like the texture of them (my roommates included).
-- Sometimes I make my own enchilada sauce (recipe here) but mostly I just buy the canned stuff, I ain't picky.
-- This is a vegan recipe but I use regular cheddar cheese but I imagine the Daiya Cheddar would work some serious magic here.
-- I always forget, but I mean to buy two cans of diced green chilies every time I make this. It can definitely use two cans, especially if you love the flavor and not necessarily the spiciness of chilies.
-- And when this is about done, I usually broil the top on high for about 2 minutes because I really like a crunchy crust on top.

I give this recipe:

5/5 Spoons!

I'm going to be making more new food this week and it will be amazing. See you again soon!

Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta 4/5 Spoons

Howdy loves! I have a little down time today after moving boxes this morning and having a phone interview this afternoon so I'm here to review a wonderful recipe for you all. I made this Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta one night for my friend Kristin and I. I am always broke, so she often comes over for dinner instead of going out and blowing tons of cash.

(Photo courtesy of Real Simple)

I love any excuse to eat goat cheese. It is an acquired taste for sure but I think if you like stinky, weird cheeses you would love goat cheese. I mean really, it is pretty mild compared to say French aged cheeses. It has a lovely smoothness to it with a mild twang that lets you know what you are eating. So combine the twang of goat cheese with the salty earthiness of roasted asparagus, I'm so in.

Here are my notes:

-- I never boil or steam asparagus. I love the flavor of roasted veggies and anytime I can, I love to make them that way.
-- Like any happy home cook, I like any excuse to make a roux. I think it worked well with this dish but that there may have been way too much broth (vegetable in this case) and it made the sauce too watery for my taste. I would probably use half of what the recipe calls for next time. I like a richer sauce when it comes to dishes like this.

I served with this some sliced French bread and it worked wonderfully to sop up all the extra sauce in our bowls. This took about 30 minutes to make so if you want something easy and slightly fancy, I would totally choose this again.

I give this recipe:

4/5 Spoons!

Packer Cupcakes or Vegan Red Velvet Cake next? Hmmmm.......