Oy Vey! Vegan Latkes

If you are scratching your heads wondering why I'm already making latkes, don't be alarmed. I realize that it is technically not chanukah just yet. But Since I technically be getting on a plane in two days and returning to Washington D.C., my family decided to have our chanukah party early.

So my mom and I had a little latke cook-off with her making the regular ones and me making the recipe for vegan Latkes from Veganomicon. What makes a latke not vegan you say? Eggs. So mine use potato starch and matzo meal as the binding ingredients. The recipe calls for 2.5 lbs of potatoes, but I didn't exactly measure. My mom and I used a 10 lb bag of potatoes and just split it. At first the batter was too stiff so I just added more potatoes until the consistency looked like the latke batter I'm used to. It should be thick but liquidy. If that makes absolutely no sense, check out this wonderful demonstration by Feed Me Bubbe:

To make the latkes you will need (approximately)

2.5 lbs grated potatoes
1 yellow onion, grated

2 cups matzo meal
1/4 cup potato starch
salt and pepper

oil for frying, of course

I usually triple the amount of salt that the recipe calls for because I find the recipes in Veganomicon to be slighly under seasoned.

When oreo cookies and tofutti cream cheese collide

Something magic happens when you mix crushed Oreo/Newman-o cookies with tofutti cream cheese. I'm convinced that there is some unknown chemical reaction that produces an opiate-like effect. These Oreo cookie truffles require no measuring and are incredible. But fair warning-- they are habit forming.

You will need:

1 package sandwich cookies. Oreos, Newman-O's, Whole Foods brand are all vegan and all fine. I've never tried double stuffed, but I'm sure it can't be bad.

1 container of Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese. Brought up to room temperature so its soft.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pulse cookies in a food processor until they are a coarse meal. Add the softened tofutti, and the vanilla, and process until it comes together like a dough.

At this point I transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. The key to making these truffles is to keep the mixture cold.

Once the dough has chilled, scoop onto a foil line cookie sheet. I make each truffle about two teaspoons, give or take. Then, with impeccably clean hands, GENTLY roll the scoops into smooth balls.

The place the formed truffles back in the freezer to chill for another hour.

Once your truffles are nice and cold you are ready to dip. Melt 1 bag of vegan chocolate chips in the microwave. The key to tempering chocolate in the microwave is to do it slowly. Place the chips in the bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then repeat until all of the chocolate is melted. I don't really worry about getting it to a certain temperature, although I'm sure it comes out better if you do. But its a bit of a hassle and I'm not going for perfection.

Once your chocolate is melted, its time to dip. I work in batches so My truffles can remain in the freezer until the moment before they get dipped. The warmed they get the harder it is to keep them together in the chocolate. Once all of your truffles are dipped and placed on a foil line cookie sheet, place them back in the fridge and chill until the chocolate is hard.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my friend Meghan Welsh who introduced me to this recipe!

Reel Life at Farm Sanctuary - Ep. 3: Turkey Talk

Eating my way through L.A. Part 2

PETA recently named Washington D.C. the most Veg-Friendly city. D.C. does have many amazing vegan and vegan-friendly establishments, which will be explored on this blog at a later time. For now, I must say that Los Angeles deserved a higher ranking than the eighth place ranking bestowed on them by PETA. This town definitely has some great vegan eats -- and I've only been here three days.

Yesterday, I had a very tranquil evening filled with yoga and macrobiotics. Perfect nourishment for the body, mind and soul. Liberation Yoga teaches all styles of Hatha yoga, which I find a refreshing alternative to studios that have not only focused on a single style, but turned that style into a brand. The 4pm Hatha class was excellent. I highly recommend it.

Now onto the food! M Cafe serves "contemporary macrobiotic cuisine." What is macrobiotic you say? I still don't really know, but I think you're supposed to chew your food well. Whatever, the macrobiotic philosophy, M Cafe was yummy. The atmosphere is a casual dining atmosphere. You order at the counter but they bring the food to your table. The menu is extensive. I had the chopped salad which ROCKED! My friend Tia had a combo plate with an awesome tempeh salad.

M Cafe also serves confections of two varieties. They have their regular vegan pastries and they also carry BabyCakes. To be thorough, Tia and I though it best to have a regular vegan cupcake AND a BabyCakes cupcake. They were both good. They BabyCakes cupcake was gingerbread and had more flavor and texture then the regular cupcake. However, I enjoyed the frosting on the regular vegan cupcake more. Just to make sure I give BabyCakes a fair testing, I'm going to go by the BabyCakes bakery downtown for a second tasting. Anything for the blog....

Eating my way through L.A. part 1

You are looking at a vegan chocolate souffle. Yes my friends you did not misread-- A. Vegan. Chocolate. Souffle. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Lets start with appetizers and work our way to dessert.

Shortly after landing at LAX I was picked up by my parents and demanded to be taken to Madeleine Bistro. Alright, I didn't demand, I just asked nicely and my parents happily abbliged. Madeleine's is an upscale bistro on Ventura Blvd in Tarzana. Its pricey but the food is so good it will make you cry.

We started out with the beet tartar which is served ontop of a tofu cheese crouton which you would swear was goat cheese. Its creamy and tangy and I could have eaten five of them.

Next onto the entree. Madeleine's menu is small plates which I'm usually not a huge fan of. If you ask for an entree portion of any of the main course items, they will accomodate. I had Gnocchi with sundried tomatoes, kale and "cream" sauce. My mom had lemon seitan with mashed potatoes, gravy and kale. My dad had a burger with onion rings. My brother also had the seitan. Everything was incredible.

But the star of the evening was the chocolate souffle. I am completely baffled about how they make a souffle without eggs. And if you ask, they won't tell you. Its a closely guarded secret. As far as I'm concerned the chef deserves an Nobel Prize for this. It is simply a ramekin of fluffy, chocolate heaven. Its served piping hot with vanilla ice cream. I want one NOW!

So eating in Los Angeles started off on a high note. Everyone else better step up their game, because I'm hungry and I?'m on vacation!

vegan THANKSGIVING PIZZA now available at whole foods weho!

I think I might have to make a special trip to West Hollywood for this...

vegan THANKSGIVING PIZZA now available at whole foods weho!

Jessica Simpon's fiancé considers opening chain of vegan eateries | This Dish Is Veg

First Mike Tyson, now this. These vegan stories are getting more random by the minute.
Jessica Simpon's fiancé considers opening chain of vegan eateries | This Dish Is Veg

mmmmmmm Muffins

Last night I had a bunch of overripe bananas, so of course there was only one thing to do. Make banana muffins. This is another trusty recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Don't know if I've mentioned how great this cookbook is. One piece of advice. If you want a really good muffin top, and really this is the only time you will want a muffin top, you need to over fill your muffin tins. The recipe tells you to fill the muffin cups half way. Screw that. I fill them up all the way almost until they are overflowing. That's a nice puffy muffin top. The same also applies to cupcakes.

This brings me to another topic though. I think I need to take a brake from baking. The problem with learning how to bake is once you figure out how to do it you want to do it all the time. Its so damn fun and the results are so yummy. But I'm feeling a little muffin top myself. Plus I think I've been baking at the expense of exploring other yummy and healthful recipes, which could be equally fun and challenging. So once I get back from Los Angeles there will be more fruits and vegetable on this blog. For now, enjoy the muffins!

Yes we can make Biscotti

I once brought Biscotti to a dinner party and someone said to me, "I thought biscotti was something you buy, not something you make." But making biscotti is just like making any other cookie except there is one extra step which is of course the second baking.

I use the recipe for almond-anise biscotti from Veganomicon with a few changes. Instead of arrowroot powder I use cornstarch. I first had the idea to try this because the recipe for chocolate hazlenut biscotti on the next page uses cornstarch. I tried the substitution and it worked very well. I've also made this recipe without the anise and added chocolate chips. It works well with all sorts of variations.

Some people think baking is scary. Its true there is always a moment of cross your fingers hold your breath and hope it turns out ok when you stick raw dough in the oven. But there are a few things I've learned that are really crucial. First, make sure everything is ready to go before you mix the dry ingredients into the whet ingredients. Up until that point you can't really screw things up too much, but as soon as liquid hits the leavening agents all bets are off. Second, make sure your baking soda and baking powder are active. How do you know if there active? Click here.

Back to biscotti...
Biscotti dough is weird. Its cookie dough, but you have to kneed the chips or nuts in. Then you need to shape it into a flat rectangle. Once the rectangle is baked let it cool completely. Seriously! I mean it. If you try to slice them when they're are still warm they will fall apart. Its hard enough to keep them together when they are cool. Once they are cool slice them with a sharp chef's knife. You really have to go for it when slicing the biscotti. If you hesitate you will have a crumbly mess. Biscotti can smell fear, so use one good slice and show the biscotti who's boss. The lay the cookies back on the cookie sheets and bake again. You probably should turn the biscotti half way through so they get evenly browned on both sides. But if you won't tell, I won't.

Mike Tyson May Open Kosher Vegan Restaurants – Jew And The Carrot – Forward.com

Mench or meshugana ....
Mike Tyson May Open Kosher Vegan Restaurants – Jew And The Carrot – Forward.com

Well Mazel Tov to Mike Tyson either way. I'd definitely eat at that restaurant.

The Joy of Vegan Brownies

So I work at a federal agency, and lets just say I'm pretty sure there are no other vegans at my office. Tomorrow, I'm bringing in brownies for our Combined Federal Campaign bake sale. I like to call this recipe, from The Joy of Vegan Baking, old faithful because its easy and turns out awesome every time. Keeping my fingers crossed that its a crowd pleaser.

Vegetable-Centered Thanksgiving Ideas

Its official. This year is the year is the year of the vegetarian Thanksgiving!
Vegetable-Centered Thanksgiving Ideas

Chickpeas can save the world!

The mighty chickpea is one of the world's most versatile legumes. Also known as the garbanzo bean, chana dal, bengal gram, this versatile bean is used to make everything from falafel and hummus to gluten-free flour. One of my favorite ways to use the chickpea is in Chana Masala. Chana Masala is a traditional Indian dish which loosely translates to spicy chickpeas.

How to cook a chickpea

Cooking dried bean used to intimidate me. But cooking beans from scratch really does taste better than canned beans which always have that slightly metallic taste. Dried beans are also cheaper which is always a plus in my book. You do have to soak dried beans for about six hours. I just put 1 cup of beans in a bowl and cover them with water before I go to work in the morning and there soaked and ready by the time I get home. Then you need to drain and rinse the beans. DO NOT COOK THEM IN THE SOAKING LIQUID!!! Why you ask? When you soak the beans you're helping to dissolve some of the sugar. Many people think that gas caused by beans is from fiber but its actually from sugar which is digested by bacteria in our gut. So soak, rinse and don't worry about farting! After you've soaked and rinsed just place the chickpeas in a pot of water, bring to a boil and then leave to cook for about 40 minutes. I like to add a bay leaf for some flavor. Voila!

Once you've cooked your chickpeas you're ready to make some masala. You will need...

2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 onion grated
4 clove of garlic minced
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat up some canola oil in a large skillet. Traditional Indian cooking may use Ghee (NOT VEGAN) or mustard seed oil (where the heck can you buy that), but I think canola oil is perfectly fine for cooking at home on a weeknight. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and spices. It is important to fry the spices a little first because it releases more of the flavor and aroma. Once the onion and garlic start to get soft and translucent add the chickpeas, tomatoes and lemon juice. The mixture will look dry at first but the longer you let it cook, the more the tomatoes start to release their juice and everything will come together nicely. I like to simmer for about 10-15 minutes so all the flavors have time to meld together. Serve over basmati rice or with naan.

This meal got two thumbs up from my friend and blogger extraordinaire Katie, over at Date Me DC!

Vegan Cheese Review Part I

The most common reason vegetarians don't go vegan is a belief "that I could never give up cheese." I base this on absolutely no data and very sparse anecdotal evidence, but I still think its an accurate assessment. I know I definitely said "I could never live without cheese," more than once. Now, I really don't miss it. I know, I know. You're now probably saying to yourself "like hell she doesn't miss cheese, she probable had a dream of baked brie last night." Well actually I had a dream about having to take the LSATs again, but that's for another blog post. The truth is, you're tastes change. I really do enjoy pizza marinara (pizza with just sauce), and no-queso quesadillas (made with hummus and salsa), more than I used to enjoy the "real" thing.

But that's not why I'm writing this post. This post is the first in a completely unscientific taste test of vegan cheeses. An endeavor I came up with all of five minutes ago, but seemed like a good idea as I was pouring my coffee. The are quite a few non-dairy cheeses on the market. Only a few of those cheeses are vegan. How can a non-dairy cheese not be vegan you ask? Many, MANY, non-dairy cheese have added casein. Casein is a cow's milk protein. For people who are avoiding cheese because of lactose intolerance, you might not think casein is a problem. However, I highly recommend The China Study for information on how casein is the root of all evil in this world.

So bottom line, check the labels. Casein bad. Many non-dairy cheeses NOT VEGAN! On to Vegan cheeses....

Daiya
The vegan world has been abuzz about Daiya cheese. First, let's discuss what Daiya has going for it. One of the biggest challenges with vegan cheese is getting it to melt. Daiya melts. Melting, though, is only have the story with cheese because cow's milk cheese not only melts, but is stretches into oozy strands. Daiya stretches. Daiya cheese is also soy free. I don't buy into the "soy is evil," movement one bit, but if you are allergic to soy or just want to change it up, Daiya is your friend. Daiya is made from pea protein, arrowroot, tapioca and various oils. Additionally, Daiya come pre-shredded so it is very easy to sprinkle on pizza, pasta or make a quick quesadilla.

However, I find that Daiya does not have much flavor. It is much better melted. In fact, that is the only way I would eat it. However, when you melt it, it takes on a waxy, rubbery mouth feel. That being said its kind of an acquired taste. Its very satisfying when you get home from yoga at 9 p.m. and want a quick dinner. However, I would NEVER feed it to my non-vegan friends. So based on my scoring system on a scale of 1 to 10, one being "I vomit in my mouth just thinking of it," and 10 being "I can't believe its not brie," I give Daiya a 6. What's you're favorite vegan cheese?

Dinner for two, Thanksgiving style

If you were reading the cranberry sauce post and saying "that looks great, but what the hell did you eat the cranberry sauce with," here's the rest of the story.

I decided to put together a Thanksgiving inspired dinner, mainly to get rid of the butternut squash that has been sitting in my fridge for two weeks, and the green beans that came in this weeks produce delivery. This dinner had all the traditional flavors of a Thanksgiving feast, but was much less rich and fattening.

Butternut Squash
I normally peal butternut squash before I roast it. This time I tried slicing the squash in half and roasting it with the skin on. I read online that the skin would just peal off once it was roasted. NEVER AGAIN! Yes pealing the squash raw is a pain in the ass, but not as much of a pain in the ass and pealing it once its cooked.

Note on cutting squash: If you do are not comfortable around cutlery, have ever would up in the emergency room because of kitchen knives (Robert I'm talking to you), or are under the age of 12, do not try this at home. Cutting butternut squash can be a little trick. First cut off the top and bottom so your squash does not roll around. Then slice length-wise. If the knife gets stuck, use a heavy sauce pan to bang the knife (CAREFULLY) until it comes free.

Once the squash was cooked I mashed it with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp agave nector, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Green Beans
I blanched the green beans, and then lightly dressed them with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. The trick to keeping green beans bright and crunch is to blanch them by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds and then stopping the cooking by shocking them in ice water.

Baked Tofu
To make good tofu (yes there is such a thing) you have to press it and then marinate it so the flavors get fully absorbed. I drained my tofu by wrapping it in cheese cloth for about 3 hours. Then I marinated it by dissolving one vegetable bullion cube in 1/2 cup water and adding some jarred minced garlic. I find for marinades the jarred garlic works better because it has that garlic liquid. I marinated the tofu for about six hours and then baked in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Yum!

cranberries, how I love thee...

Why is cranberry sauce relegated to a twice-yearly supporting role on the Thanksgiving and Christmas tables? It is yummy, colorful and so easy to make. We had some last night and I can't wait for my Tofurky and cranberry sauce sandwich for lunch.

I know some people have a pathological affinity for the canned jelly stuff. I don't get it and I think intensive psychoanalysis may help. I have always preferred the fresh made whole cranberry variety. This is another recipe that is so easy its almost criminal to blog about. Just follow these easy steps and you'll never want the canned stuff again.

1 8oz package of frozen cranberries,
1/2 cup sugar,
2/3 cup water
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Put everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until cranberries burst and sauce thickens (about 10 minutes).

I didn't have any fancy crystal serving bowls to serve it in, and I think cranberry sauce is too pretty to eat straight out of tupperware. So I placed about 1/2 cup in a martini glass and placed it on the table. I think its an adorable play on a cosmopolitan. Maybe next time I'll add a little vodka to the cranberry sauce!

How to win friends and influence people

I now understand the whole cupcake thing. Frankly, I never really understood the obsession with cupcakes. But now I've realized that its not that cupcakes are that good, but that cakes are so damn difficult to frost. And really is there a point to cake without frosting? I think not.

That being said, today I'm in the mood for cake. Not just any cake, but chocolate cake, with vanilla frosting and chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

So I started out with the simple chocolate cake recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. The recipe is actually one of the sample recipes so you can go make this cake right now. Basically, the secret to the cake is using baking soda and vinegar for leavening. The cake WILL NOT taste like vinegar. But the batter will be a bit thinner than conventional cake batter. Everything will turn out fine. I promise!

I doubled the recipe so I could make a two layer cake.

Next up the vanilla buttercream:
1 cup of earth balance buttery spread,
4 cups confectioners sugar,
3 tsp vanilla,
4 tbsp almond milk

Yes, for those of you who have never made frosting before, it is basically just butter and sugar whipped into a tizzy. I was horrified when I realized that I was basically eating sugary butter. But then I took a bite and forgot about how horrified I was.

The tricky part is getting the frosting onto the cake. The cake is very delicate so unfortunately it is not the easiest cake to trim and frost. Professional chefs will actually put on two coats of frosting. First a crumb coating. Then the cake will be chilled. Then the second coat. But I only had one coat of frosting in me.

First place the bottom cake on a plate and spread the frosting in the center. This is when I put a layer of chocolate chips and hazelnuts in the middle. Then, obviously, place the second cake on top. I have no advice on how to frost the outside of the cake. I'm still figuring that out. I managed to get it on there some how though.

"Meat" Loaf

My usual post-work routine includes watching lots of public television cooking shows. Seriously they're way better than The Food Network, and you can reliably find Julia Child re-runs every night of the week. It brings me back to my childhood, when I used fake being sick so I could stay home in my pajamas and watch Yan Can Cook and The Amish Kitchen -- a cooking show that has sadly disappeared into The Learning Channel vault. Does anyone remember that show?

So why this tangent about how much I love public television. Well a few nights ago I was planted on my couch watching an episode of Everyday Food and they were making meat loaf. For anyone that was wondering it was NOT the vegan kind. But this inspired me to cup up with my own "meat" loaf and now you too can make it...

For the basic loaf combine:
2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten*
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (for texture)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp (or more to taste) salt plus fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth

From here you can add any flavors you want.
For Italian style try 1 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp oregano and 1 tsp red pepper flakes
For a spicy southwest flavor try some cumin, chili powder, cayenne and some salsa

1. Mash the beans using a fork leaving some beans whole
2. Then dumb in the rest of the dry ingredients
3. Add the water broth and mix with your hand until everything is combine
4. Kneed for 3-4 minutes until gluten starts to form strands.
5. Form into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet, to with ketchup or marinara sauce and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until it is warmed through.

I served with roasted dill potatoes. My husband loves these potatoes and there really is no secret to perfectly roasting potatoes except for lost of salt and really high heat. I spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray and liberally salt the bottom, then spread out a layer of cubed potatoes (red or yukon gold) and then spray and salt again. I roast them in a 450 degree oven for a good 30 - 40 minutes. When you think they're done, let them go another five minutes. That's when they get nice and carmelized.


*What is wheat gluten you ask? Its made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch dissolves. You're then left with the wheat protein. Bob's Red Mill makes a widely available version and I can even find it at Target sometimes.

Apple of my eye

Where I'm from in California, we don't have seasons. But living here in Washington D.C., we're experiencing this strange phenomenon called autumn. My weekly fruit and vegetable box delivery runneth over with apples and squash. I'm actually not a fan of raw apples, so I've been exploring different ways to prepare them.

Applesauce:
Making applesauce from scratch is so ridiculously easy its almost pathetic to even blog about it. But there was a time when I would run out to the store to buy a jar of applesauce, not knowing that with a knife, a pot, and about 15 minutes I could make my own. Applesauce is an essential ingredient in vegan baking. It can be used in place of oil and eggs in many different recipes. One day I wanted to make German Apple cake (see below) and didn't have applesauce on hand. I did however have apples. So when life gives you apples, make applesauce! Well, you get the idea...

1. Peel, core and chop up as many apples as you want,
2. Place apples in a pot with about 1/4 cup of apple juice or water,
3. Cook until soft and then mash with a potato masher.

Yeah, I know. Super easy! Now you never have to buy the jarred stuff again. Since I'm making this applesauce to bake with, I didn't add any additional flavoring or sugar, by you could add sugar and cinnamon at the end.

So now that you have your apple sauce, you can use it in brownies, cakes and muffins. But to celebrate apples even more, I used my apple sauce in this German Apple Cake from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Yumm!