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Monday, July 23, 2012

Coconut Cream Pie

I haven't dabbled in pie very much.  This is because I HATE making pie crust.   But give me a good graham cracker crust and it a whole new world of possibilities.

So I'm super excited that my new Sticky Fingers Cookbook has tons of pie recipes that all call for a simple crust of graham crackers, sugar and Earth Balance.

Maria gives it two thumbs up.
Considering coconut cream pie is the only way Robert will eat coconut, it seemed like a natural starting point.  The recipe is very simple. Coconut milk, sugar and cornstarch for the custard, and then coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut on top.  I'm particularly excited about the coconut whipped cream. I know most recipes call for separating the coconut cream by chilling the can overnight.  But I didn't have time so I just whipped the whole coconut milk.  AND IT WORKED.  Truthfully, it was a little too loose for a pie topping but would be fantastic with berries or on top of ice cream.  The pie was good.  Next time I might add about 1/2 recipe more of the custard filling and make the whipped topping stiffer.  But all in all, it was worth the calories.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

California to Reno and vegan food on the way!

Me at the James Dean memorial.
It was Robert's  idea.
Last weekend the husband and I took a little road trip to see family in Reno.   Mazel Tov to Gordon and Erin again on their beautiful wedding!


Here are some of the highlights and critiques of all the food we ate along the way...













First stop was dinner in Sacramento, at Cafe Capricho.  On the positive side, the settings is lovely with a nice patio to enjoy the summer evening and a cold brew. The menu is varied with veg and non-veg offerings.  Hence why Robert looks so happy about his burrito.

I had summer squash enchiladas with an almond sauce.  Frankly I found the sauce needed A LOT of salt. They were very bland and lacked a bit of imagination.















For dessert we went to the Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe and Bakery.   Now, these confections were good. Don't get me wrong.  They were like a B+.   The Whoopie pies were a little dry, and the Little Devils could have used more frosting.  But it certainly wasn't terrible.  I think this is an amazing time in vegan baking where we don't have to settle for just B+ baked goods.  That won't cut it anymore.  Plus, I'm a little tired of the cupcake-centric vegan bakeries.  We, as a community need to branch out.  There's a whole world out there of rugelach, biscottie, baklava, just waiting to be veganized.


And now, for the highlight of the whole trip.....

FREEMAN'S NATURAL HOTDOGS

This place almost makes me want to move to Reno.
Tucked away on a very hip and cute street in Reno, Freeman's serves gourmet hotdogs of the vegan and carnivorous persuasion. I had the "Bun Burner" which consists of vegan chorizo, chipotle aioli, and jalapenos on a poppy seed bun.


You can also choose from a plain veggie dog or vegan italian sausage and build your own special creation from their list of toppings.  And yes they have vegan chili and Daiya cheese!

Unfortunately they were out of vegan chili when I was there.  But I will get a second chance in December when Melissa gets married.  Freeman's I love you!!!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Stuffed Crescent Rolls: An Easy Breakfast Treat

I'm a big believer in starting the day with a healthy breakfast. Just ask my husband. For all my baking goodies and cooking decadent food, we rarely have a pancake, waffle, french toast or hash brown in this neck of the woods.

HOWEVER

Occasionally,  it is acceptable to start the day with something a little sinful.  This breakfast idea is so simply, its laughable to say this is a real recipe.

Step 1:   Buy a package of ready made crescent rolls.  Pillsbury are vegan but they have hydrogenated oil.  I used Immaculate Baking Company which may contain milk derived "natural flavor."

Step 2:  Open crescent roll container and remove dough.

Step 3:  Spread filling on unrolled crescent rolls.  I did two different types of fillings.  Tofu cream cheese w/ strawberry jam in half of them, and peanut butter with chocolate chips in the other half.  You can use all sorts of combinations.

Step 4:  Bake crescent rolls according to directions.  The filling will leak out a bit, but they are quite yummy.