14 posts from September 2009

Simply put, these cupcakes are incredible.

I made them as my reward for running 17 miles on Sunday. The best part is that they taste 99.9% like my absolute favorite vegan cupcakes from Greenstar in Ithaca, NY (a coop I also write about in this post). I topped my cupcakes with some pretty pink frosting and sanding sugar (though, I'm thinking the sanding sugar is likely not vegan -- so you may choose to omit this part). Anyway, I'm in a bit of a rush this morning . . . so here's the recipe.

Be careful, though. You kitchen may get pretty messy!


VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons applesauce
• 2-1/4 cups soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups unbleached cane sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Insert cupcake liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, soy milk, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
4. Cup by cup add the dry ingredients to the liquid ones. Beat well.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake is rather firm and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool and then frost.

VEGAN WHITE (or pink) FROSTING

What you'll need . . .

• 3 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance) -- softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons soy milk (plus more to reach desired consistency)
• 1 tiny drop food coloring of your choice

Method . . .

1. Gradually add the sugar to the butter and cream together with an electric mixer.
2. Add the milk and continue beating . . . keep adding milk by teaspoonfuls until you reach a desirable spreading consistency. (I added approximately 3 teaspoons)
3. Drop in a tiny drop of food coloring to lightly color -- or a big one to vibrantly color.
4. Spread onto cooled cupcakes and then refrigerate.

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Last week, my friend Marissa asked me what she could do with a bunch of summer squash. I didn't have any great ideas at first . . . but when I arrived home that evening, I found that I, too, had inherited a ton of the stuff from one of my husband's co-workers.

What to do???

I immediately decided I didn't want to cop out and just slice it into pasta or something. That got me thinking, though . . . ah, pasta! I hadn't make my own, from-scratch pasta in a while. So, Saturday morning, that's exactly what I did. And I think it turned out extremely well!

If you have yet to make pasta from scratch, don't worry. It seems much more intimidating than it actually is. Also, I don't have a pasta attachment for my mixer . . . so, really, this is easy even without all the fancy stuff. Trust me! All you need is a rolling pin, a knife, and a fork. However, for the earlier instructions, you will need a blender or food processor.

And a mixer is handy for kneading the dough.


Unfortunately, I was unable to get a photo of the cooked & finished product. My camera battery died :( BUT it cooked just as well as the lasagna I made for the March Daring Bakers challenge. Yum!


SUMMER SQUASH & BASIL RAVIOLI

What you'll need . . .

• 2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces)
• 10 ounces summer squash, peeled and cubed
• 12 large basil leaves
• 2 large cloves of garlic
  
• 2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1-/2 cups unbleached white flour
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 big handful of baby spinach

Method . . .

STEP 1: Put the cubed summer squash, cloves of garlic, and basil leaves in a blender and set it to "food chop" if you have that option. You may also use a food processor set to chop. I had to "feed" my squash into the blades a bit by pushing gently with a spoon. Be careful! Blend until no large lumps remain.



STEP 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flours and salt . . . and then lightly use your fist to make an indentation in the middle large enough for the squash and eggs to fit inside.



STEP 3: Crack the eggs and pour the squash mixture into the indentation you created. Then with a spatula, gently mix and start to incorporate everything together until moistened. After a while . . . you may find it is difficult to mix everything together. For a split second you may think, "No! I added too much flour, and now this won't turn out!" It's indeed a critical moment, but you needn't fret.

STEP 4: At that point, get your bread-kneading attachment (a.k.a. Mr. Hook in my house) and set your mixer speed to low. Let it knead for five or more minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. If for some reason it is still sticky, add a bit more flour, 1/8 cup at a time. Same with if it's too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.



STEP 5: Take your ball of dough and cover it with plastic wrap. Set in a room-temperature place (I put mine in our microwave and, no, it wasn't on!) for 30 minutes to 3 hours (I let mine sit while I did other things for a little OVER 3 hours).

STEP 6: When you have 20 or so minutes until you're done waiting for STEP 5 to be done, get out your food processor and blend together the ricotta cheese & spinach. Just blend until fully incorporated. It will be tempting to eat it . . . but you must resist.

STEP 7: Generously flour a large work surface and split your large dough ball into two smaller balls. Also lightly flour a rolling pin and put your first dough ball atop some flour. Start to roll out the dough. The key is to act like you're stretching it out rather than pressing it down. You want to get it as thin as possible (without compromising the integrity, so maybe the width of a quarter plus just a tiny bit more? You'll know what's right when you're doing it -- just keep in mind that when it cooks, it gets slightly thicker).

STEP 8: Once it's all rolled out, take a sharp knife and cut it into large squares. I think 2 to 2-1/2 inch squares work well, but it's really up to you.

STEP 9: Repeat STEPS 7 & 8 with the other ball of dough.

STEP 10: Put a large pot of water over high heat on the stove.

STEP 11: Take one square, put a heaping teaspoon of ricotta filling atop it and then top it off with another square by gently pressing around the edges. To seal the deal, use a fork to press in those edges. If they aren't sticking, you may want to have a small bowl of warm water handy, which can help if you lightly coat the edges and THEN press to seal. Again, I know it sounds lazy of me, but you will know what to do when you're doing it. Plus, you can always improvise. Continue with the rest of the squares. If you have squares left over, you may wish to roll them together and save for another time. I didn't have that many left over, as I didn't 100% blend all of my squash, so I had some big chunks to contend with.

STEP 11: When your water is boiling (wait until it is a violent boil) drop a third of your to-be ravioli into the pot. You want to cook them in smaller batches so that they don't stick together. Make sure you gently stir during this process (and keep the heat as is) so they don't stick to the bottom. Ravioli is "done" when they all start to float to the top. I think this takes approx. 3 to 4 minutes. But keep a watchful eye. Take out with a slotted spoon and repeat with the rest of the batches.

STEP 12: Serve with your favorite pasta sauce, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese, and ENJOY!


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Good morning! Fall is certainly in full swing, despite the date on the calendar. It's a brisk 35 degrees here currently -- so I'm delaying my long run until it's a bit warmer out. Maybe 40 degrees would be OK. :) Anyway, fall means means pumpkins, squash, hearty foods, etc. We actually grew this pumpkin in our garden over the summer. Don't ask me how -- it wasn't a conscious decision. The little thing just sort of popped up one day, along with a few other strange squashes (and LOTS of mint, but that's another story). That's what you get for mixing compost that isn't quite "done" yet into your garden.

But it's a great mistake. However, we've had it hanging around our kitchen as a mere decoration for a while. Yesterday, I decided to make use of it. I'd never actually cooked or baked with a REAL pumpkin before. Picking up those cans at the store seemed so easy -- why bother? Well, it's actually a really cool process. And, as always, making your own creates this sense of satisfaction that's addicting.



So, follow these steps and you, too, will have your own puree suitable for use in breads, cakes, pies, soups, muffins, and other fun fall recipes. It is indeed a bit different from the canned variety -- but I found it tastes just as good. In the next couple days, I'll share with you all the pumpkin bread I made yesterday. But you'll have to wait for now.

PUMPKIN PUREE

Of course, you'll first need to pick out your pumpkin. This can be kind of tricky -- you don't want to use the LARGE ones that are for carving. Instead, search for those pumpkins called "sugar pie" pumpkins. I'm not 100 percent sure that's what mine was. But it was small. I would recommend, though, trying to get the "sugar pie" variety, as they have the best taste and texture.



Step 1 -- Preheat your oven -- 350 degrees F. Now carefully cut the pumpkin in half. I first used a serrated knife to get through the stem, then finished off with my sharpest, biggest knife. But be careful! I've also read you can just cut off the stem. So, do what you wish. It just needs to be halved.

Step 2 -- Place your pumpkin face down atop a sheet of parchment paper on a RIMMED baking sheet. Why rimmed? The juices will start to flow near the end of this process -- so you don't want them getting everywhere. I hate cleaning my oven!

Step 3 -- Bake for 45 minutes or until you notice the skin of the pumpkin turn a richer orange and become soft to the touch. I'm guilty of possible under-roasting mine. It still turned out well, but probably could have used a few more minutes in the oven. This 45 minute time frame is only a guide -- depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may need more or less roasting time. Just pay attention. Also notice how sweet it smells while roasting!

Step 4 -- Gently scoop out the seeds and other gooey stuff until you only have the flesh left. Once you only have flesh (like pictured above), you'll want to scoop it into your food processor. So, scoop away, but don't include the skin (I know that's probably just common sense, but you never know)!

Step 5 -- Process the heck out of the roasted pumpkin until it's as smooth as you can get it. You may wish to add spices or sugar. It's really up to you. I used my puree in a bread (recipe to come soon, I promise!) so I actually added a bit of maple syrup. Maybe 1 teaspoon. My pumpkin yielded about 2 cups of puree. So, plan ahead if you need more or less. For the bread recipe, you'll need 2 cups.

And you're done!

If you like cooking and baking as much as I do -- SUBSCRIBE to Method today! As the fall and winter months gear up . . . I'll be posting like crazy. I tend to be a bit of a hermit when it gets cold out. :)

Also, if you'd like to learn how to make applesauce from scratch (as it, like the pumpkin puree, is another great recipe ingredient and can substitute for eggs among other things), check out THIS POST from last fall.

Or, if you'd like to see what was on Method last year on this date, check out THIS POST.

<3

I got the photo of this ugly beast here . . . all so I could show you how you can transform it into something beautiful and yummy to boot. I'd never eaten a rutabaga (also known as a yellow turnip) before. In fact, I don't even know if I'd ever stopped to look at one until last weekend. But there I was. Walking around the produce aisles at Wegmans . . . when I discovered they'd run out of asparagus.

What to do? Then this thing caught my eye. It was calloused, bruised, waxy, and misshapen. Almost like a diseased toe . . . or something equally grotesque.

I heard you could make a mashed rutabaga. Originally, that is what I set out to do. However, we had a bunch of carrots we needed to use up. Then I got the idea to make soup. The taste of it is actually VERY good. In fact, it may be the best soup I've ever made. Give rutabagas a chance if you haven't already. You'll be pleasantly surprised. As well, you'll benefit from enhanced nutrition.



RUTABAGA-CARROT SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups soy milk (or regular milk)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. If you have a slow cooker, throw in the rutabaga, carrots, onions, and vegetable broth. Cook on high for approx. 3-1/2 hours or until the rutabaga and carrots have softened enough to mash.
   
2. If you don't have a slow cooker, soften the rutabaga, carrots, and onions in a large pot of boiling water until the are soft enough to mash and all the veggie broth later.
3. Lightly mash the softened veggies. Then, throw them in a blender and add the soy milk -- first add 1 cup, then 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Transfer the soup to the stove to heat and add the salt and pepper to your liking.

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I've been trying my best to eat healthy foods and cut out sugar. Not entirely, of course, but as you can imagine, an avid baker likely eats a tad too much of the stuff. I was craving sweets this weekend, and hadn't made a good vegan cookie in a while, when an oatmeal cookie recipe caught my eye in one of my hand-me-down cookbooks.

I made like a million substitutions to make it healthier, so I hope you'll enjoy it! In fact, for our "fuel" on Sunday's long run (up to 15 again this week), we used these tiny cookies to up our glycogen. What's also interesting about these little suckers is how TINY they are. I've never made a sweet so small. So, you can eat three and it only equals one of the "normal" cookies I usually make.

Fantastic.



MULTIGRAIN SUPREMES

What you'll need . . .

• 3/4 cups sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
• 1/2 cup organic vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum)
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1 tablespoon soy milk
• 1/4 cup applesauce (I used the no-sugar variety)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups Quaker Multigrain hot cereal (or quick oats)
• 1-1/3 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup carob chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped raw peanuts

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together sugar and vegetable shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed.
3. Add agave syrup and soy milk. Beat well.
4. Mix in the applesauce and vanilla.
5. Add multigrain cereal. Mix well.
6. Add flour. Mix well.
7. Add carob chips, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and raw peanuts. Mix well.
8. Cover and allow to stand for 20 minutes to absorb moisture and flavor.
9. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
10. Bake for 11 to 13 minute or until lightly browned.
11. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Happy Wednesday!

In case you missed it, I posted earlier this week about making naan, which is incredibly versatile bread that can accompany a multitude of dishes. The first half of our batch of naan served as a spectacular pairing for our slow-cooker curry dish.

The SECOND half was still sitting in the fridge late Wednesday afternoon . . . when I got an idea.

I was crazing pizza -- as always -- but we didn't exactly have the staple ingredients to make a traditional pie. But we did have eggs. And shredded colby-jack cheese, canned tomatoes . . . Hmmm. Then my eyes caught a glimpse of the to-be naan.

BREAKFAST PIZZA!

Excellent. This recipe makes four individual pies. And we served ours up make-you-own style.

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 a batch of naan (recipe here)
• 4 to 5 eggs, scrambled (but I bet tofu would also work great)
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• 2-1/2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese (or your favorite soy substitute)
• A few slices of fresh mozzarella (if you have it)
• Hot sauce

Method . . .

1. Make the naan according to the recipe's directions and set aside on a large plate.
2. Turn on your broiler. Use a pizza stone if you have one.
3. Make the scrambled eggs, set aside in a dish.
4. In a small pan, saute the pepper and onion until the onion is glassy. Set aside in a small dish.
5. Put the tomatoes in a dish. And while you're at it, set out the cheeses in a dish as well.
6. Take a piece of naan . . . and cover with the toppings as desired.
7. Put each pizza under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the edges start to turn a golden brown.
8. Enjoy with some hot sauce or whatever else you like with eggs/tofu scramble.

Easy, right?

My typical lunch "hour" is spent hunched over at my desk doing work, unfortunately. My new responsibilities entail not only my attention to detail as the director's assistant, with the PR committee, and with various editing and photography needs (all of which I love) . . . but I'm also the building manager. What exactly does this mean? Well, I'm responsible for arranging to fix anything that breaks within a gigantic, four-story monster of a building that enjoys foot traffic from most of the campus daily. Toilets explode. Alarms go off. Students spit on the floor (true story). ID cards stop granting access. Electricity fails and outlets spark. Ants take offices by force. The list goes on and on (and on). Yesterday I found myself leading an entourage of facilities employees through the building to find nuts and bolts to fix one of our periodicals stacks. Random, random stuff here. And it doesn't wait for lunch.

What's worse is that I always, always forget to even BRING my lunch . . . or don't have enough time in the morning to slap something together. For a while, Lean Cuisine was my savior. But all the salt in them started to concern me. And since my favorite is mac and cheese, I wasn't exactly getting the best nutrition.

Enter, again, the slow cooker. I made this "rainbow stew" -- a rather psychedelic name for a rather trippy stew -- by throwing all the veggies I could find into a pot. My favorite ingredients? The sweet potatoes and eggplant AND cauliflower. But the kidney beans and fire-roasted tomatoes have their moments, too. It's all good. If you're wondering why you should eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies, read this.

So, when I take the time to actually bring my lunch, I find myself taking time to actually TAKE my lunch. Use this recipe as a jumping point and you, too, can enjoy a week of intensely nutritious, relaxing lunches (or half a week for two people eating a little over a cup daily). I paired mine with half a PB&J on multi-grain.

Just look at all those veggies!

RAINBOW STEW

What you'll need . . .

• 1 medium-large sweet potato, skinned and cubed (orange)
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed (purple)
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped (green)
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped (yellow)
• 2 small heads cauliflower, chopped (white)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (dark green)
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced (white)
• 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (green)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained (dark red)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained (light brown)
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (red)
• 2 cans vegetable broth (a little over four cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste . . . though we only used pepper

Method . . .

1. Chop, mince, and otherwise prepare all your ingredients.
2. Put EVERYTHING -- all vegetables (and fruits if you want to get all technical on me) and beans -- in the slow cooker pot and mix them to distribute.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth
4. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Mix every hour or so.

NOTE: Unless you like your soups hot-hot-hot, you'll really want to seed the jalapeno. My husband didn't do this, and ours was very good, but for the first couple days, I'd choke when I took my first slurp. :)