Kitchari Recipe Tri-doshic for gut health

Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic tri-doshic recipe, which means it is good for everyone! 

First, let's quickly establish what even is kitchari!

Kitchari is a dish used in ayurvedic cooking and is a staple in this way of life. The word kitchari means, mixture. This meal is full of protein and fiber and is considered to be healing for gut health and an overall comfort food. 

Traditionally kitchari is made from a blend of basmati rice, mung dal, healing spices and vegetables and has been perfected over the ages  to be very gentle on digestion while still being very flavorful. There are iterations of this recipe that extend back thousands of years.

While I could write a whole essay about kitchari I will just drop the recipe below.

_______________________

The prep time on this is really only about 15 minutes, but you will want to let it simmer for an hour. You could also cook it in an instaPot if you are short on time.

Serves at least 8 freezes well!

Ingredients

*First*

2 Tbs coconut oil

2 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

*Next*

1 Tbs. chopped garlic (3 cloves)

1/2 c. chopped onion

*Last*

2 c. split mung bean dahl/ can sub golden lentils

1 c. white basmati rice

3 - 5 c. chopped vegetables (I used carrot, cauliflower, pepper, potato—-use what you have)

4 c. vegetable broth

4 c. water

2 bay leaves

****Optional garnish: coconut yogurt (unsweetened) cilantro

Instructions

*First*

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Once melted, add the spices. Cook the spices in the oil until they start to become quite aromatic, about 2 - 3 minutes, stirring regularly and watching as we don’t want them to smoke/burn. 

*Next*

Add the garlic and onion and cook for a couple of minutes.

*Last*

Add the mung beans, rice and chopped veggies and stir to coat veggies with spices. Pour in the liquids and stir in the bay leaves.Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover and cook for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, give the mixture a good stir and add a touch more liquid if desired. Remove bay leaves.

Serve with cilantro and coconut yogurt if desired.

Vegan Recipe: Salad Wrap

One of our favorite lunch meals is this simple wrap. Originally it began as a vegetarian wrap when we were first crossing over to the veg side. Soon eggs were replaced with tofu or seitan and the dairy laden dressing became vegan as well. I have tweaked it over the years and this is our current favorite!

1. Slice avocado and place it on a whole wheat tortilla.

 

2. Top with some mixed greens.

 

3. Add chopped tomatoes.

 

4. Slice some kalamata olives and toss them on too.

 

5. Now sear some seitan (find at most health food stores or make your own, there are tons of recipes online) in a little coconut oil. Add the seitan to your wrap. *pan seared or baked seasoned tofu work well too.

 

6. Drizzle with your favorite vegan dressing. This was Follow Your Heart brand vegan ranch, but we mix it up a lot. I will say a creamier dressing is best so you don't have a soggy wrap. Hummus or pesto also good.

 

Roll it up and go to town on this bad boy!

Vegan Recipe: Banana Walnut Muffins

 

I love vegan banana bread muffins, a lot. Who doesn't? Nobody that's who! Now you can make your own vegan muffins and pretend they are healthy because they have fruit and are vegan. Spoiler alert they are more like what we tell the girls is "a sometimes treat." 

You will need:

• 1.5 tsp Ener G Egg Replacer (easy to find at health food store or online) mixed with 2Tbs warm water

• 1tsp vanilla

•1/2 tsp salt

•1 tsp baking soda 

•1/3 c vegan margarine 

•3/4 c sugar

•1.5 c flour

•3 ripe bananas (when I have a banana that starts to turn I put it into the freezer where it will turn black and look like the limb of a bog mummy, don't panic it is edible and it tastes super sweet---just thaw it first) 

*optional 1/4 c walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips

1) Heat over to 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2)Mix all of the ingredients together. Make sure you separately mix the egg replacer and water before combing with other ingredients. Otherwise I don't think it really makes much difference which order you add things, but I generally add them in the order listed above.

3) Scoop the batter into the lined muffin tin. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until you can put a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.

Eat the muffins.

Vegan Recipe: Veggie and Tofu Wraps with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This recipe is super flexible and you can really mix it up every time you make it. Below is how I made it this time, but once you have the basic idea you can spread your wings and soar! Add some rice noodles or beets or whatever your heart desires. This is your time to shine.

Ingredients

•Rice paper wraps (to make them flexible briefly soak in hot water just before using)

•slivered carrot

•sliced avocado

•lettuce, about 1-2 cups

•basil slivered (maybe 4-5 leaves)

•1/2 c thinly sliced and slivered cucumber 

•1 package of extra firm tofu, cubed and sautéed in a smidge of olive oil until golden

• peanut sauce. You can use a pre made sauce, but I usually eyeball my own with approximately half a cup of peanut butter, 1/4 c water, splash of seasoned rice vinegar, dash of Sriracha, and a Tbs of fresh ginger (chopped into a paste), maybe  a dash some sweet chili sauce. Heat over medium on the stove. Taste as you go, ideally you want a balance of sweet and acidic. Honestly I do it differently every single time, but basically peanut butter and some acidic vinegar and you can't go wrong. I mean it is peanut butter after all. 

Directions

1) Lay one rice paper wrap at a time onto your work space. It is tempting to lay them all out and go, but resist the urge. Trust me. When rice paper wraps are involved you need to give your full attention to each wrapper. They aren't complicated, but when you go crazy with them they will reign down chaos and you will feel like a substitute teacher trying to maintain order in a high school drama class. One at a time. Stay calm. Or if you are frightened by the rice paper just use a big leaf of lettuce or chard. 

2) Go down the line and put a bit of each veggie in a pile in the middle. Tofu too. Seriously simple. 

3) Wrap tightly like a burrito. Do you know how to wrap a burrito? YouTube that business if you don't know. It is 2016 people.

4) Continue on until you run out of veggies. I usually make about 6-8. 

Eat and don't forget a peanut dipping sauce. The sauce is the boss.

Serves 2.

Vegan Recipe: Rosemary Lemon Potatoes

This is a super duper easy recipe, and you have probably had some version of this before, but maybe you have not had this before. If you have never had this or simply forgot about it, here is a little reminder for you.

Ingredients

•potatoes I usually have one or two potatoes per person. Slice the potatoes how you like. I tend to just go for a general thickness of about 1/4-1/2 inch...but sometimes I go more thick or thin. I like variety.

• a lemon. For four servings I use the juice from about 1/3  a lemon and save the rest for another use.

• fine grain sea salt. I spread about a half a teaspoon or maybe a bit more if I am feeling salty. 

•about a tablespoon of olive oil

• a few sprigs of rosemary. Break it up, removing the woody stem I just had Cordelia get some from the garden.

Directions. Toss it all in a bowl and make sure that ingredients are evenly distributed. Plop it on a cookie sheet and pop it into an oven 420F for about half an hour. Then I broil it for a few minutes to crisp it up at the end. You can add a little more Rosemary, salt or lemon juice to taste. Enjoy.

Sneaky Shakes for Picky kids

Look, my kids are in a seriously picky phase right now. One day carrots are the bomb dot com (yes, I just wrote that) and the next day Cordelia pukes them up. Girl can puke on demand; it would be pretty impressive if it were not so very disgusting. Anyway, I am always working to find new and sneaky ways to cram their sweet little faces with healthy food.



Each ingredient in this recipe has loads of healthy benefits.
Banana is an amazing source of potassium. Pineapple is a great source of vitamin C. Spinach well, just read this link to see how great it is for you. Blueberry and strawberry are full of antioxidants!Wheat Germ is a great source of fiber and it will keep you regular (wink, wink), not that that's a major issue for vegans (wink, wink). Almonds and almond milk are vitamin rich too!

1 ripe banana, roughly chopped
1/4 c pineapple
1/4 c strawberries
1/4 c frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup of blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 T wheat germ
1 c vanilla almond milk

1. Toss everything into a blender.
2. Blend
3. Enjoy

Makes 1 large or 3 small glasses

Vegan Recipe: Magical Vegetable Pasta

Look, I totally lied, there is nothing magical about this pasta dish. I mean I don't want to see the sparkle fade from your eyes or anything, but food isn't really magic. Real magic happens when you cleanly remove an adhesive label in one piece. Anyway, here is a quick weeknight meal that Eric, Elise and I enjoy. Cordelia hates this because there are too many green things and apparently thyme makes her sick. So, if you can handle a simple and filling meal that comes together in about 20 minutes then this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients

•Penne pasta, I grab the kind that has a full serving vegetables incorporated into each serving of the noodles.

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• 1/4 c sliced onion, I leave the pieces big so the girls can easily pick it out

• 1 large head of broccoli, trimmed into florets.

• 2 cloves of minced garlic

• 1/3 c oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained.

•1/3 c quartered artichoke hearts.

• 1/3 c pitted and halved kalamata olives

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, just hold the stem and run through your fingers to remove the leaves

• 1 tsp dried oregano, you can use fresh. I just didn't have any

• salt and pepper to taste

**you can really add really anything you want, spinach, capers, roasted red peppers, whatever floats yer boat. This is not rocket science.

Directions

1) Cook your pasta

2) While the pasta is cooking in a skillet over medium high heat warm the oil and cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.

4) Add the broccoli and cook until tender and bright green. Then add everything else.

5) Drain the pasta and combine with the veggie mix. 

6) Enjoy!

Vegan Recipe: Chickpea, Tomato, Basil Salad

I am a fan of simple and satisfying recipes. This recipe is a snap to put together and feels fresh and healthy.

Ingredients

•2 cans of chickpeas, drained

• 1 package of grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

• 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped into bite sized pieces 

• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar (more if you like vinegar)

• pinch of sugar

*optional splash of olive oil, but I generally omit

Directions

1. Toss everything into a bowl.

2. Mix.

3. Serve.

Enjoy!

Vegan Recipe: Donuts

Elise is having pajama day at school today and her teacher asked me to bring in something special for Elise as the other kids would be having (non vegan) donuts. Seemed high time I try my hand at making vegan donuts. I found a recipe for cake donuts online and followed it about 40% so I thought I should share my adaptation. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. EnerG Egg Replacer +2Tbs. warm water

•1c. flour

•1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/3 c. agave

• 1/4c. vegan margarine

• 1/2 c. soy milk 

• pinch of salt

• 1tsp. vanilla extract

1. Mix the egg replacer and water. 

2. Add wet ingredients together.

3. Add dry ingredients together.

4. Combine all.

5. Spoon into donut molds and bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Donuts should have a little spring to them.

For the icing. Combine 1 c. Powdered sugar with 1-2 Tbs. water and mix. Spoon over donuts and add sprinkles.

The end result was super tasty and hit the vegan donut spot!

Vegan Recipe: Smores

Here is a recipe moved from Rooted Vegan


Sometimes it hits me that my vegan children will be really out of the loop on certain things that are cultural tradition or rites of passage here in the US. Honestly, this makes me mostly proud and happy. My kids don't go to rodeos or circuses. They will never eat greasy dogs at a ball park (unless they are vegan veggie dogs). I am proud to be breaking a cycle of rather mindless eating and traditions that are built upon the suffering of animals.

There is another side, a side that I feel a little bummed about. Grabbing an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck is not an option.  They can't just grab a bite of food with their friends without first ensuring that there are vegan options.  The girls will never get a carefree attitude about food, which is both good and lame. Unfortunately my three year old has long understood that she needs to inquire about whether or not a given food is vegan. While I like that she is considering food and its sources I don't want food thinking to be the central factor in their lives.

While this isn't a big deal I do try and give the girls some normalcy so that, when they are grown, they have some of those same touchstones as others. Shared or common experiences are so often a great conduit to genuine connections. So, with that in mind I set to creating vegan smores! (Honestly, this was all about my children, not at all about my obsession with chocolate...).

So you're probably going, "Yeah genius smores are literally three ingredients. We don't need a recipe." To that I say, some folks don't realize that they can veganize this treat. Let me guide you on this journey!

First I discovered vegan marshmallows! Here are several.

I also found graham crackers. Check here. If you aren't hung up on the ethics of supporting non-vegan companies Nabisco Original Graham Crackers are accidentally vegan (check out this site for tons of accidentally vegan products)

Then I grabbed some chocolate. There are so many vegan chocolates out there in the world! Thank goodness.

Next, I showed my oldest daughter how to roast a marshmallow. We roasted and assembled our smores like people have been doing since the dawn of time, or whatever. Graham cracker, chocolate, roasted mallow, graham cracker. Of course you can always jazz things up by adding fruit. We like raspberries and strawberries. Enjoy the time honored tradition with a vegan twist!

Vegan Recipe: Roasting Perfect Veggies/ Rescuing Wilting Veggies

My friend Kate wrote this great guide to roasting perfect veggies!

I opened my refrigerator Saturday morning and peeked into the vegetable drawer. The gorgeous veggies I bought Monday stared at me, lifeless and wilting.

I had every intention of making massive salads out of the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and peppers. However, the reality of life trumped my desire to cook anything more complicated than a bowl of pasta and sauce.

It was time for a mass roasting. Saturday my kitchen looked like a vegetable butcher shop. Scraps of wilted produce in one corner, carrot tops and romaine lettuce ribs in another.

In a couple of hours that pile of on-its-way-out veg was transformed into a crispy, tangled mess of caramelized goodness. Tossed with pasta or quinoa or eaten on their own with a light vinaigrette, roasted vegetables will keep for up to a week in the fridge and you can freeze potatoes and carrots for a couple of months.

If roasting seems like more of a hassle than it is worth, you aren’t doing it properly. Here are the four secrets to roasting perfect vegetables:

Size, Fat, Heat, Time.

Size: Whoever said “size doesn’t matter” didn’t roast carrots or potatoes. The first secret to roasting perfect root veg is to cut everything the same size. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, kohlrabi should all be cut into about 1/2-inch pieces.

Fat: Olive oil, canola oil and grapeseed oil are my favorites. Don’t skimp on these healthy fats. They give the veg a crispy exterior and seal in the flavor.

Heat: High heat is another key ingredient that produces a crispy exterior and melting interior. High heat beautifully blisters the skin of your peppers, and gives roasted lettuce a characteristic smoky flavor.

Time: Be patient. It takes time to make a meltingly soft roasted potato or caramelized carrot. The only veggies I don’t roast for a long time are tomatoes, romaine lettuce or kale, but everything else can sit in the oven for as long as it takes to get a sheen of brown goodness.

How to Roast a Pepper

3 bell peppers

1 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

3. Drizzle peppers with olive oil.

4. Roast peppers for about 20 minutes.

5. Turn over and roast for another 15 minutes.

6. Turn a quarter turn to one side and roast until the skin blisters, another 15 minutes. Turn a final time to the other side and roast until the skin turns black in a few places.

7. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately wrap in aluminum foil. This is an important step because this helps steam the skin so it easily peels from the outer part of the pepper.

8. After about 5 minutes remove from the foil, then peel the membrane away from the pepper leaving the soft flesh behind.

9. Blend into dressings, soups, sauces, or just keep on hand covered with a little olive oil for snacking with crackers and vegan cheese.

How to Roast Perfect Fingerling Potatoes (carrots too)

3 lbs large fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil

Coarse kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Toss potatoes in olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.

4. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally, about 75-90 minutes or until lovely and brown in color.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I love tossing these with pasta, arugula, herbs and lemon for the perfect summer dinner.

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1 Tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 pinches black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Toss all ingredients together and spread in a single layer in a roasting pan or baking sheet.

3. Roast until the skins begin to split, about 10-15 minutes.

Roasted Romaine Lettuce

Don’t turn your nose up at this. I was skeptical the first time I tasted it, but I immediately fell in love. When the heat hits the lettuce it makes it instantly sweeter with a smokey overtone. Such a nice change from the basic salad.

3 heads romaine lettuce halved lengthwise

1-2 Tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Drizzle olive oil over lettuce, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for about 5 minutes or until it begins to wilt and is browned around the edges.

{Kate}

Vegan Recipe: Caprese Salad

Garden eating is the absolute best way to eat and I cannot wait for growing season to begin here in Wyoming. The thing I love about garden eating is that you know all about your food from the planting to the feeding. You know that you're the only human who has touched your food and that you are a regular hand washer. You can't get much more information about food anywhere else. It's the best and man alive does it taste good. So good.

The garden is also an amazing way to get kids to eat foods that they otherwise turn their noses up to, because they can participate in the growing process. I'd heard other mothers swear that this would happen, but I was skeptical. Thankfully the garden magic worked and both of my children have been happy and eager to pick and sample garden foods. So, we are nearly at the best time of year, where food can be eaten as intended, with as little intervention as possible. The rich flavors are there to savor and the simplest recipe is the best.

One of my favorite ways to eat ripened heirloom tomatoes is with almost no fuss, perfect after a day in the sun!



Ingredients
3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
2 avocados, sliced
handful of fresh basil
olive oil
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

1. Put your balsamic vinegar into a small pan and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Leave it for about 15 minutes or until the vinegar has reduced by about half. Keep and eye on it, give it an occasional swirl. When it is done, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Assemble the salad by layering tomato,avocado, basil
3. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!
~Maria Rose

Vegan Recipe: Thai Tea

Another recipe from my friend Kate:

Move over chai, it’s time for Thai tea. This creamy, robust, caffeine, protein boost is a divine morning smoothie or afternoon pick me up after a good workout. Thai tea is traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk, which I replace with full fat coconut milk and a little agave. If you don’t have coconut milk on hand use any non-dairy milk.
 
2 black tea bags
8 oz water
1 star anise pod
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs agave nectar
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1 ripe frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1.Combine tea bags, water, anise, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan or tea kettle. Bring to a boil and let steep for 7 minutes.
 
2. In a blender combine coconut milk, banana and protein powder.
 
3. Remove tea from the heat, strain and toss in a handful of ice cubes to cool it down. When the water is tepid (a little cooler than lukewarm) pour into blender and turn on low so the liquid doesn’t spill out everywhere.
 
4. Add a couple of handfuls of ice and blend until it is the consistency you like.

Vegan Recipe: Vegetable Stock

Soup season is upon us still. I mean really, when isn't it soup season? The thing about store bought soup is that it is often filled with mystery ingredients and of questionable health benefits. Why not make your own soup? Starting with a solid vegetable stock is a great beginning for any soup invention.

Supermarket vegetable broth is perfect in a pinch, but pales in comparison to the homemade stuff. It takes less than 10 minutes to get the stock on the stove, and the ingredients cost less than $5 to make a gallon. This leaves very little room for excuses.

Stock is an excellent way to use up sad, old veggies. I keep a bag in my freezer as a landing pad for shriveled carrots and trimmings, onion trimmings (including the peel), the green parts of leeks, mushroom stems, peppers, and herbs. After a few weeks I just toss them into the pot, cover with water and add a few aromatics: dried herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaves, whole allspice...whatever you fancy.

Tip:
To keep your stock fill quart-sized Ziplock bags and lay flat on a plate or small tray. Stack the bags on top of each other and freeze. When solid store in the freezer like books on a bookshelf. You can also pour the stock into ice cube trays for smaller quantities to use in recipes that call for a little veggie broth. 

You need:
1 to 2 onions (no need to skin, just whack into about 1-inch pieces)
2 to 3 carrots, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
3 to 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped (tops, bottoms and the leaves)
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch parsley
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1 tsp sea salt (or kosher)
Optional Extras: leeks (especially the green parts), fennel, tomatoes, mushrooms, mushroom stems, parsnips

1. Roughly chop all of your vegetables into about 1/2- to 1-inch pieces. It doesn't matter what veg you use, just make sure you have approximately the same amount of each  so the stock has a balanced flavor. Avoid strong-flavors like cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower.

2. Toss all the veg into a stock pot--any large pot will do--and cover with enough water so you can easily stir them around, plus a few more inches. It isn't an exact science, but the more water you have the less concentrated the stock will be. 

3. Place the pot on your burner and turn to medium high. Bring to a boil. One bubbles begin to surface, turn down to medium-low so the water is simmering. It is important to not boil the stock at a high heat or you will evaporate the water too quickly to let the veggies work their magic.
4. Cook for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.
5. When the stock has a nice light brown color with all of the lovely smells of a proper broth, take the pot off the stove and remove the veg with a slotted spoon. Place your strainer over a large bowl or container of choice and, using a ladle or small bowl, pour the stock through the strainer.
6. Divide the stock into containers or resealable bags and cool completely. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Vegan Recipe: Easter Pandolce

Easter is coming, ready to start on your menu? Here is a recipe from my friend Kate for her Vegan Pandolce...

Buttery, rich and decadent, Easter Bread is my favorite thing about this spring holiday, and if I had to choose one bread to take with me to a desert island, it would be this gorgeous veganized version of Italian Pandolce studded with dried fruits and nuts and flavored with a hint of cardamom and fennel.

When veganizing this classic Easter Bread it was easy enough to substitute vegan butter, but replacing the eggs, which give the bread a distinct richness and color was a bit more difficult.After a bit of experimenting I discovered that by adding a little bit of saffron to the mix, the lovely yellowish color was a dead ringer for the original.

Many of you have a lot of questions about vegan baking...about baking in general, so I have put together a few pointers and tips to help make your life less stressful.

Baking Bread Lesson #1:

Don’t be afraid of bread making. Just follow the directions closely and don't make any random substitutions when you don’t have the ingredients, i.e. water for soy milk.

1. Always pre-measure your ingredients. It doesn’t take any extra time, and you will save yourself from forgetting if you added one or two teaspoons of baking soda, or realize that you don’t have enough flour or sugar when you are halfway through the recipe.

2. If you are serious about baking, buy a kitchen scale so you can accurately measure your ingredients. Not all measuring cups were created equal, and some vary as much as a Tablespoon. Trust me, it's worth $20 to shell out for this Ozeri scale.

3. If you don’t have a kitchen scale use the dip and sweep method rather than spooning the flour or sugar into a cup.

Most importantly be patient with the dough. Think of it as a living, breathing thing; a little baby of yeast and flour. It will grow if you treat it tenderly and give it a warm environment to thrive.

Veganized Italian Easter Bread: Pandolce
Adapted from the Vegan Feast Kitchen

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp dry active baking yeast

1/4 tsp saffron

1/2 cup (4 oz) almond or soy milk

1/4 cup (2 oz) granulated sugar

3 Tbs vegan butter (I love Earth Balance)

Grated zest of one orange

4 tsp orange flower water (optional if you can’t find it)

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 3/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/3 cup golden raisins, dried currants, and chopped dried apricot (or cherries, cranberries, dark raisins...really any kind of dried fruit you like chopped)

1/3 cup chopped lightly toasted pine nuts, pecans, walnuts, or pistachios (or a combo)

1. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup combine yeast and saffron. Add warm water and let sit for about 7-10 minutes, until bubbly. (The older your yeast is the longer it will take.)

Yeast bubbling in water

2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until it bubbles around the edges. (You don't want it to boil because too hot of liquid will kill the yeast.) Add the sugar and margarine and stir to dissolve. Let cool for about 3 minutes or until it is just warm to the touch. Add to the yeast/water mixture.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add orange zest, orange flower water, vanilla, salt, fennel and ground cardamom. Stir in wheat germ and 1 cup of flour. Beat slowly at first and then gradually speed up to about medium so you don't splash the flour everywhere.

4. As the wet ingredients combine with the dry gradually add the flour in 1/3 of a cup at a time. Resist the temptation to add it all in at once. You will regret having to clean up the flour later.

5.Once the dough has come together you can either turn it out onto a very lightly floured surface to knead it with oiled hands, or change to the dough hook and knead it in the bowl while you are cleaning up the dishes. Knead about 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth like a baby's bottom.

6.When the dough is smooth, turn out into a lightly oiled bowl. Coat the top with a tiny bit of oil then cover with a clean, damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours. If the dough isn't rising don't get frustrated. It can take up to 2 hours depending on the altitude and how old your yeast is.

Bread dough rising.

7. Take the dough out of the bowl and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle and sprinkle with dried fruits and nuts. Roll it up like a cinnamon roll and fold the ends. Knead gently by folding and rolling until the fruits and nuts are well-distributed throughout the dough.

Pat the dough out into a rectangle and sprinkle with dried fruits and nuts. 

8. Cut the dough in half and roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 24-inch long rope. Twist the two ropes together and form into a ring on a parchment lined baking sheet, tucking the ends neatly together. Set aside for about 15 minutes while the oven is heating up.

Twist the ropes into a circle. 

9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with olive oil or melted margarine. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes or until a deep golden brown and sound a little bit hollow when tapped.

10. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Spread with a powdered sugar lemon icing or dust with powdered sugar.

 
Enjoy!

Vegan Recipe: Petit gâteau aux bleuets

Wow! French proficiency (not fluency mind you) finally pays off in the title of this post!

No, seriously this cake is for those of us that don't have hordes of people to feed. It is a petite blueberry cake that answers the call for something that isn't coated in frosting or too gigantic to get through. Generally we like to have a piece of cake in our house once, or perhaps twice...but those big cakes are usually just too much for us to get through. This delicious and dense cake is just the right size for a small birthday celebration.

4 T vegan margarine
1/3 c + 3T brown sugar
1 c frozen or fresh blueberries
3/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Ener G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 T warm water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c vanilla almond milk



1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a small cake or souffle pan with vegan margarine.
2. Melt 2 T of vegan margarine. Pour into the bottom of the cake pan, add 3 T brown sugar and 1 c blueberries.
3. In bowl combine the flour and salt.
4. In a separate bowl combine the egg replacer mixture, vanilla, 2 T soft margarine, and almond milk. Combine with dry ingredients and mix.
4. Pour the mixture on top of the blueberries. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Immediately flip the cake out of the pan by placing a flat plate or serving dish on top of the cake pan and flipping in one quick move.
Serves 4


Enjoy!
~Maria Rose

Vegan Recipe: Thai Green Curry with Cashews and Homemade Curry Paste

 Here is a recipe from my friend Kate

This Thai curry is so easy to make I almost feel guilty writing up a recipe. But, it is so mind blowingly tasty that I have to share it.

The most difficult part is chopping up all of the veggies and blending up the curry paste. Use whatever veggies you can find. I like carrots, red peppers, sugar snap peas, kale and onions, but you can use sweet potato, green onions, baby bok choy, zucchini--whatever is tasty and in season (or whatever is wilting in your fridge).

Make sure you chop all the veggies in thin slices about the same size so they can cook at the same rate. I detest veggies chopped up in little cubes, but if that’s what you like, go for it.

It seems like every time I make a curry I start cooking in my saute pan but end up with sauce, veggies and other bits all over my stove. After cleaning up many a sticky mess I realized that these dishes actually work better in a large pot with tall sides. Try it, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before.

Homemade curry paste is divine, but this works equally as well with store bought. In a pinch I use Thai Kitchen.

Oneof the great secrets about curry paste is that you can use it for a whole host of other things. I like using it in places you wouldn’t normally find curry paste: soups, stews, swirled into coconut ice cream (seriously), salad dressings, tossed into roasted potatoes...endless opportunities for deliciousness. 

serves 6 to 8 (freezes well)

3 pounds veggies sliced into long pieces
(red peppers, sugar snap peas, zucchini, yellow onion, green onion, sweet potato, carrots, kale)
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup green curry paste
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 cup whole cashews
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

1. Chop all vegetables in long slices.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or sauce pot.
3. Add onions and saute on medium low or until they begin to soften. Add curry paste and saute, stirring constantly on low until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add veggies and cook stirring occasionally until they soften and kale wilts.
5. Add coconut milk, cashews, soy sauce, vinegar and lime juice and turn to medium high.
6. When curry begins to bubble turn to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the veggies are soaked with the sauce.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little extra salt if needed and black pepper.
8. Serve with rice or udon noodles (I even eat it with bread if that’s all I have time for). Tuck the rest away in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze it.

Thai Green Curry Paste

1 large bunch cilantro
3 jalepenos, seeds removed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 limes, juice and rind
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs olive oil (or sesame oil if you have it)

1. Wash and roughly chop the cilantro and put in a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the smoothest paste possible.
2. If the paste gets too thick add a little extra oil or lime juice. If you want it a little hotter add another chile.
3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will keep about 3 weeks.