Blueberry Streusel Cake

Hmmm, what to do with a jumbo bag of Cost-Co Frozen Blueberries ....   make Blueberry Streusel Cake of course!  We are big blueberry fans and add them to our daily smoothies but it's fun to actually bake something special with the beautiful little jewels.

Blueberry Streusel Cake

By: Carrie Dawley, featured in Kim Barnouin Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

2            cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup

1 1/2      teaspoons baking soda

1/2         teaspoon salt

2            teaspoons ground cinnamon, divded

3/4         cup evaporated can sugar, plus 1/4 cup

1/3         cup canola oil

1            cup almond milk

1            tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1/2         teaspoon lemon extract

1            cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2            tablespoons Earth Balance (soy butter)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of the flour, the baking soda, the salt, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of the sugar.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, vinegar, and lemon extract.  Stir in the flour mixture until well combined.  Add the blueberries, and mix together.  Pour the batter into a 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the Earth balance (the mixture will be crumbly).  Sprinkle the flour mixture over the batter in the pan.  Bake 40 – 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Broccoli Soup w/Vegan Cheese

Warm and hearty = good for the soul!

Broccoli Soup with Vegan Cheese

1            large onion – diced

2            medium carrots – sliced medium pieces

1            large celery – sliced

2            large or 3 medium potatoes – 1” pieces

1/3         cup oil or soy butter

1            medium head of broccoli

3            cups vegetable bouillon

6            cups water

2            cups soy/nut milk

1/2         cup flour

1            cup vegan cheddar cheese - grated

Pour oil into large soup pot and sauté onions until soft.  Add carrots, celery, potatoes and stalk of broccoli cut into 1/2” pieces  (add tops later).  Saute vegetables for approximately 5 minutes.

Add 6 cups water and 3 vegetable bouillon cubes (no salt should be needed).  Cook approximately 20 minutes.

Add brocollil tops, cook an additional 10 minutes.

In separate bowl, mix together 2 cups soy milk with 1/2 cup flour and slowly add to soup, stir until thickens. 

Stir in grated vegan cheese.  Heat and eat!

Quinoa Pilaf

A good, healthy salad or side.

Quinoa Pilaf

(Giada De Laurentis modified)

3            tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2            large or 4 small shallots, chopped

1            small red pepper, chopped (I used yellow)

1            teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2      cups quinoa

1/4         cup white wine

1 1/2      cups vegetable stock

1            packed cup arugula, chopped

1/2         cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2         chopped fresh mint  (I used basil)

1            medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2 “ pieces

              zest of 1 lemon

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan or a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Make a space in the center of the vegetables and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until all of the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the arugula, almonds, mint, cucumber and lemon zest and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Breakfast for me usually consists of a cup of coffee and toast with hemp seeds so I thought I'd treat us to something special.  There's a place in Santa Monica that has orange pancakes on their menu so I thought I'd give it a try and I added some chocolate chips for Kevin's sake - but if you aren't a chocolate fan, just leave it out..  We were both very pleased with the outcome!

Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2            cups flour (1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white)

1            teaspoon baking soda

1            teaspoon baking powder

1            cup soy/almond milk

1            cup orange juice

1/4         cup vegan chocolate chips

1            teaspoon vanilla

2            tablespoons oil

              mandarin oranges (optional)

              syrup

Mix flour, baking soda and baking powder together in large bowl.   Add chocolate chips to flour mixture.  In separate bowl, add soy or almond milk, orange juice, vanilla and oil, mix together.  Slowly add wet mixture to dry and stir until just mixed.

Add soy butter or oil to a frying pan and cook until brown on both sides.

We mixed in some mandarin oranges in our syrup and warmed in a sauce pan.

Fried Tempeh with Apricot Mustard

I caught this new cooking show on PBS and had to make this recipe.  I added diced dried apricots to the sauce to give it some texture and a bit of hot mustard for a little kick.  This can be served with a side salad and rice or as little appetizers.  Enjoy!

Fried Tempeh with Apricot Mustard

Adapted from    http://christinacooks.com/  (PBS)

Tempeh

            Olive oil for frying

8 oz.     block of tempeh, cut into triangles then sliced in half to make thinner

Apricot Mustard

4  T      stoneground mustard

4  T      unsweetened apricot preserves

            grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1  t       fresh lemon juice

            sea or kosher salt

2  t       brown rice syrup

            parsley, finely minced

1  t       Roland Kobe Style Mustard (optional)

3-5       dried apricots, small dice  (optional)

Place enough oil in a skillet to generously cover the bottom. Turn the heat to medium and when oil is hot, begin pan-frying the tempeh until browned turning once, cooking 1-2 minutes per side. I fried a little longer for crisper pieces.  Drain on paper and set aside.

For the sauce, simply place all ingredients in a small sauce pan, using salt to your taste.  Warm over low heat until the preserves and rice syrup thin, creating a thick sauce, about 1 minute.  Do not cook until the mixture foams.  As soon as the apricot mustard thins, stir in tempeh to coat or you can just pour over top like we did. 

Potato Basil Puree

I bought a brand new Basil plant that needed a bit of trimming so I thought I'd make this dish to go with fried tempeh.

Potato Basil Puree

Ina Garten recipe modified

2            cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

2            pounds large, Yukon Gold or white boiling potatoes

1            cup almond milk, unsweetened (to replace cream)

1            tablespoon soy butter

3/4         soy parmesan cheese

2            teaspoons kosher salt

1            teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds. Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until very tender. Drain well, return to the saucepan, and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the almond or soy milk, soy butter and soy Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers. Place the basil in a food processor or blender and puree. Add the hot soy cream mixture and process until smooth.

With a stand or hand held mixer, beat the hot potatoes until they are broken up. Slowly add the hot basil cream, salt and pepper and beat until smooth. If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes.  Sprinkle with soy parmesan cheese and season to taste.