17 posts tagged “veganmofo”

I'm on this whole fast & furious baking kick lately. I think it's because I've been incredibly busy these past two weeks. And I'm also getting sick (ugh). Lucky for you -- these cookies are, again, for the baker with a near-empty pantry.

Oh, how I long to browse the baking aisle at Wegmans!


PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
(super simple, so satisfying)

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
• Raw sugar (or whatever vegan sugar you have) for rolling

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Simply put everything into a bowl and MIX well.
3. Roll dough into small balls . . . and then roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet.
4. Bake for approx. 10-12 minutes. Until golden brown.

It's really that easy.

I'd also like to announce that today METHOD hit 99 subscribers (well, at least that's what Google Reader tells me)! Wow. Quite honestly, I'm flattered. Looks like I'm in the company of people who LOVE food as much as I do. So, my friends, don't worry -- the fun does not stop after VeganMoFo. I regularly cook & bake vegan fare -- as well as some great vegetarian dishes.

And . . . I even cooked some shrimp last night (my husband started eating fish a few months ago). Let me tell you, THAT was an adventure for a 25-year-old girl who hasn't eaten the stuff in over 13 years. In fact, I had never, ever cooked meat or sea fare before last night.

A defining moment, for sure, but I don't plan on converting any time soon (or ever).

Anyway, I need to eat to survive . . . so I'll always have new material. And if you haven't already -- please subscribe!

<3



Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe here). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

No ingredients? No worries. These vegan chocolate chip cookies can be whipped up easily with only the basics.

(PS: Sorry for the crappy photo!)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together the vegetable oil, brown sugar and raw sugar until smooth. Beat in the 4 tablespoons of water & 2 teaspoons of baking powder (which replaces the eggs), then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
   

Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe here). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

My in-laws are up again this weekend. And yesterday, my husband and father-in-law took several hours to put insulation into our attic. Very exciting stuff here. Anyway, with hours to kill . . . and weather that was terrible, I decided to make a loaf of bread from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.

The Olive Oil Bread (page 293) looked easier than the others . . . and, as an olive oil lover, I was absolutely intrigued: what WOULD it taste like? Brilliant is the answer to that question. In fact, I can't stop eating it, which is making my "diet" difficult to stick to this weekend.

Oh, well.

The bread is moist and flavorful. You'll certainly taste the salt . . . and I imagine adding some minced garlic to the mix would be delicious. Seriously -- if you like bread, you're love this recipe. And as much as it takes time . . . it's far less labor intensive than some of the other recipes in the book (which, by the way, is a fantastic buy -- and I highly recommend picking up a copy for your cookbook library).

So, if you have several hours at home today, tomorrow, whenever . . . try it out. It's a wonderful dinner companion, or just a delicious snack on its own.




OLIVE OIL BREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups water, room temperature
• 2-1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 cups wheat pastry flour (I modified this part -- you may use all bread flour if you like)
  
• More flour for dusting
• 1 ounce fresh yeast
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and plastic wrap
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• Time . . . lots of it.
  

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water, flour, yeast, and olive oil. Set your paddle attachment to low speed and mix until the ingredients are JUST incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (my mother-in-law suggested sticking it in the cool oven, which is warmer than most places in the house) until doubled in bulk -- about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the salt, and mix to combine on low speed. Raise the speed to medium, and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still sticky (about 2 minutes).
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for approx. 1 minute. Then transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until, again, doubled in bulk (about 1 hour)
4. Return the dough to a lightly floured surface and fold in the following way: Fold the bottom third of the dough up, the top third down, and the right and left sides over -- tapping the dough after each fold to release excess flour and pressing down the seal. Flip dough seam side down, cover with the oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
5. Dust a large wooden peel (I used one of our cutting boards) with cornmeal and set aside. Transfer dough to a clean work surface. To shape, cup it between your rounded palms, roll it in a circular motion, pulling down on the surface of the dough to form a tight, smooth round. This is MUCH more intuitive than it sounds . . . just make it into a tight ball.
6. Transfer the round to the wooden peel (or cutting board), and drape with the oiled plastic wrap. Let rest until slightly puffed: 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the bottom oven rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
8. Make four slashes on the top of the loaf with a knife (to form a square -- which helps make sure the bread bakes evenly). Slide the loaf onto the stone (I just picked the dough up and quickly transferred it).
9. Bake until the crust is a dark, golden brown (about 35 minutes). Please bread on wire rack to cool before slicing.

That's it. Then just slice and enjoy!

Now, I have a question . . . do YOU have a recipe you'd like featured on METHOD? I'd love to hear from you. Just email makemethod@gmail.com with a few of your most glamorous food photos, the recipe, and some info about yourself, and you could appear on this blog!

And if you haven't already, subscribe to METHOD's RSS feed!



Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe here). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

<3

Just a quick recipe today. This sweet tooth has a dentist appointment in a few hours (AHHH!).

Anyway, I got back from my run last night and wanted to bake. As I mention below, I'm on a bit of a baking hiatus (a.k.a. diet), so I decided to experiment with buckwheat muffins. Healthy, I decided. Definitely taste good, and aren't too sweet. Plus, we had two extremely ripe bananas to use up.

I had no choice.

Note: If you have more experience with (and more of a taste for) buckwheat flour, feel free to substitute more of it. I included only a little because the last time I used the stuff -- I decided to go full force. The double chocolate cookies I made were awful. Just AWFUL! In fact, I cannot find words to describe the taste. However, I titled this recipe buckwheat banana muffins because the buckwheat went a long way.

Well, happy Wednesday, and hope you enjoy!




BUCKWHEAT BANANA MUFFINS

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons soy milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 10 tablespoons melted soy margarine (or your favorite butter substitute)
• 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1-1/3 cup wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 5 ounces dark chocolate chunks
• 2 small, very ripe bananas (mashed)

 

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin pan. If you have a large muffin pan, this recipe makes 12 large muffins. Small muffin pan? 24 small muffins. (I made tiny muffins because I’m on a bit of a *GASP* diet..)
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, soy margarine, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
3. In another, larger bowl, sift together the flours, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and then add sugar and chocolate chunks.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry – but do not beat them together. Just mix.
5. Fold in the mashed bananas.
6. If you used a large muffin pan, bake muffins for 20 minutes. Small: about 14 minutes, but keep an eye on them. Muffins are done when they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean.

Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to METHOD's RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.


 

Happy Thursday! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a huge Project Runway fan. And I'm more than happy with Leanne as the winner! Her modern designs & use of sustainable materials had me the whole season. Plus, I despise Kenley . . .

So, my vote last night was "anyone but" her.

Blah. It's a bit early for my brain this morning . . . and the mornings are much, much darker now (and today, rainy and cold). We've finally begun our decent into winter, so I guess all that's left to do is enjoy the ride. Anyway, vegan lasagna is a nice food for cold weather. It's hot, of course, but also substantial and full of healthy vegetables, carbohydrates, and -- at least with this recipe -- protein (with the tofu). AND, if you don't have a husband with an endless pit for a stomach, if can last for three or even more dinners (for two people -- this recipe makes about 9 servings)!


VEGAN LASAGNA

What you'll need . . .

. . . for the sauce:

• 1 medium eggplant, chopped
• 1 yellow squash (or zucchini), chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• Balsamic vinegar (to taste)
• 1 large can tomato sauce (I used a roasted garlic one . . . I just can't get enough)

. . . for the tofu filling:

• 1 brick of firm tofu
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 can black beans (or more, if desired)

. . . for the rest:

• 1 package whole wheat lasagna noodles
• Bread crumbs (for topping -- as much as you want

Method . . .

1. Begin boiling water in a large stockpot for the noodles.
2. Press the tofu to get as much moisture out as possible. (Put tofu on plate, top with another plate, and place something heavy on top. Every so often, check and dump excess water from plate . . . flip over tofu, and repeat).
3. Prepare and chop all vegetables.
4. In a large frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and then add the onion, eggplant, and squash. Cook for a few minutes (until glassy).
5. In a small saucepan, pour desired amount of balsamic vinegar and add mushrooms. Cook for approx. 5 minutes.
6. Add the sauce to the onion/eggplant/squash mixture. Then add in the mushrooms and cook on medium-low heat.
7. The water should be boiling by now, so add in the lasagna noodles one at a time and slowly mix. You'll only cook the noodles for 10 minutes. They should still be hard, but this is OK -- they'll finish cooking in the oven.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
   
9. In a medium bowl, squeeze tofu with your hand until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add the pumpkin, garlic, salt, and black beans. Continue mixing by hand until well incorporated.
10. Once the noodles have finished cooking, drain and spray with cold water (if you don't have a sprayer, just pour cold water on top so you can handle them).
11. Pour a thin layer of sauce (1/3 of the sauce) at the bottom of a pyrex (glass) 9"x13" pan.
    
12. Add a layer of noodles (3 across), then top with a layer of the tofu mixture (1/3 of the mixture). Add another layer of three noodles and then top with another layer of the sauce mixture.
    
13. Continue until all mixtures are gone (if you followed the 1/3 rule, you should have 4 layers of noodles -- with a layer of sauce on top. Top with breadcrumbs and cover with tin foil.
14. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. You may also wish to take the tin foil off after the 30 minutes and cook uncovered for another 5 (or so) minutes.

To round out this post, I thought I'd share some photos of the last leaves of fall in my area (Have a lovely day!):







Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to my RSS feed -- pretty please!). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

More like cup-pies!

And these vegan treats require no bake time -- just a few flicks of the whisk, then a pour, some cooling action, and you're done. OK, there's a bit more involved, but -- come on! Very easy. I picked up some mint extract at the store a few weeks ago and had been trying to figure out the best way to use it. So, I thought back to my childhood days . . . when one of my favorite desserts was worms 'n dirt . . . this recipe just poured out of me.

At heart, this "cupcake" is really just worms 'n dirt all grown up -- & vegan-style!

Also, before the recipe -- I wanted to say thanks to all of you who have posted such wonderful comments. I've been trying to reply to all of them, but work and life (yeah, life) gets in the way. I'm loving that you're all loving the recipes & photos. As well, those of you who are trying vegan for the first time, being inspired, etc., etc., etc. I LOVE IT <3

Let's get to it . . .


MINT & CHOCOLATE "CUPCAKES"

What you'll need . . .

. . . for the crust part:

• 1-1/2 cups coarsely crushed Newman O's (vegan Oreo's -- R.I.P., Paul Newman) WITH the cream filling left IN
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute (like Earth Balance)

. . . for the pudding part:

• 2 cups soy milk
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup natural sugar (like Sugar in the Raw)
• 1 teaspoon mint extract

Method . . .

1. Line a cupcake pan with aluminum liners.
2. Heat butter substitute for the crust in a small saucepan on medium heat.
3. Turn off heat when melted and add coarsely crushed Newman O's. Mix until all parts are thinly coated.
   
4. Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse fine (see photo above for texture). You may need to add more butter -- but I didn't have to. Just make sure the crusty stuff sticks together when pressed.
5. Spoon out equal portions of crust mixture into each cupcake liner. Press around the sides and the bottom to create a thin crust cup. Crust, crust, crust. Sorry.
6. Now for the pudding: Put ALL pudding ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk together until fully incorporated.
7. Put the pan on medium-high heat and continue to mix-whisk rapidly (to avoid cornstarch lumps) until the pudding becomes very thick. This took much longer than I thought it would. More than five minutes. You'll know when you're "done" because it will reach that pudding-like consistency.
8. Then, after the pudding has cooled slightly, spoon into the crusts and spread so it settles evenly on top.
9. Put cupcake pan in the fridge and cool for at least one hour.
10. Top with mint sprigs (if you're fancy, like me), and enjoy! 

You'll most likely need to use a fork to eat these. Unless you want to get all those crumbs on the floor. Not that I have experience with that. No. Not me. (Fine! I got these ALL over myself at one point. Keep a vacuum cleaner handy.)




Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to my RSS feed -- pretty please!). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.

I came across the whole Iron Cupcake phenomenon on Flickr . . . and, I must say, what an awesome group! Using my baking skills to make treats using strange and -- as with last month's choice of basil -- unusual ingredients is not only fun, but also challenging (that's the idea, I suppose).

This month's ingredient is cheese . . . which definitely goes against VeganMoFo (sorry, folks! I have a great vegan lasagne & apple pie coming later in the week!). ADDED 10/14: Come of think of it, the cupcake part IS vegan . . . and the frosting CAN easily be vegan. So, MoFo-ers, check it out!

Anyway, I tried inventing a weird, but yummy combination using feta & vanilla, or cheddar (with this chocolate my husband found with hot peppers in it), etc . . . but when I thought about what I'd most like to eat, brie came to mind. It may be playing it safe, I'm not entirely sure.

I just like brie. Plain and simple.

Luckily, my mother-in-law was in town visiting this weekend, and she helped create the rest of the recipe. Originally we planned to use zucchini. But the grocery store was out for some odd reason, so yellow squash made a great substitute. Then, we thought pumpkin might be nice (it's autumn, after all) . . . and cider . . . the list grew and grew with all those favorite fall staples.

So here are our Autumn Harvest Cupcakes -- to be eaten with or without the dark chocolate frosting.

Enjoy!

AUTUMN HARVEST CUPCAKES

 

What you’ll need . . .

 

. . . for the cake part:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1-1/3 cups natural sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour (unbleached)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups shredded yellow squash

 

. . . for the cheese part:

• 2 rounds of brie (16 ounces in all)
• 2 tablespoons honey (we're talking HEAPING tablespoons, here!)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or however much you’d like to add, depending on your love of chocolate)

 

Method . . .

 

. . . for the cake part:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, cider, one teaspoon baking powder, and vanilla extract. Beat well with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
5. Fold the yellow squash into the batter.
6. Fill the cupcake liners half full – no more, as you’ll need room for the cheese, as well as extra batter to top it with.
7. Make the cheese mixture (please see below).

 

. . . for the cheese part:

1. Cut off the top (rind) of the cheese rounds and scoop the soft cheese out into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add the honey and mix the two together using a fork (until nice and soft).
3. Feel free to add more honey (or use less) to taste.
4. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Drop a teaspoon-ish amount into each cup. I found that once I was finished, I would have liked more cheese in mine, so you may also do the first 12 with 2 teaspoon-ish amounts of cheese, and the next batch without cheese. It’s up to you!
6. Top each cup with a bit of the remaining batter – until cup is three-quarters full.
7. Bake for approximately 23 minutes (or between 20-25). Let cool. And eat plain (my husband and his father preferred them this way) or frost with the following . . .

 

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

 

What you’ll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or butter substitute, whichever you prefer)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 cup Hershey’s “special dark” cocoa (or whatever dark cocoa you like)
• ½ cup milk (or soy milk -- even when I don't bake vegan, I tend to make it as non-dairy, etc., as possible)

 

Method . . .

1. Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until fully integrated. Slowly add the milk to the frosting until you have reached your desired consistency. (You may very well not use all the milk.)

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes . . . enough to eat yourself and to share with friends & family. Back to the whole Iron Cupcake thing -- if you, too, want to join in on the fun, visit Iron Cupcake: Earth!

Did I mention there are prizes??? This month's include:

• Etsy artist Art On The Menu (cute cardboard cupcake sculptures)
• Etsy artist Lots Of Sprinkles with a pair of cupcake earrings.
• Bakelove Bakeware super cute t-shirt (I’ve been wanting one of these for months!)
• “Head Chefs” by Fiesta Products
• The book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
• Jessie Steele aprons
• The Cupcake Courier
• Taste of Home books
• Iron Cupcake: Earth is also sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.com

x.o.x.o.

Another quick post before I go out for my long run. Bored by the usual tomato-based sauce recipes? This is a excellent cheese sauce for pasta. I used PPK's vegan alfreda sauce (YUM!) recipe as a starter -- and kicked it up a notch.

We can't get enough spice.

Anyway, just cook your favorite pasta, make this sauce, add some veggies, and you've got yourself a dinner.


VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE
(for those who like it hot, hot, hot)

What you'll need . . .

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped in big chunks
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 2`teaspoons spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 cup walnuts (raw)
• 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 cup nutritional yeast
• salt (to taste)
• fresh black pepper (to taste)

Method . . .

1. Heat the olive oil in the skillet, add onions and saute 5 minutes until slightly softened.
2. Add garlic, saute 2 more minutes.
3. Transfer to the blender, add all the other ingredients and blend.
4. It turns out smooth -- and I'd suggest adding a bit more soy milk to make it thinner. Ours turned out really thick . . . and, well, extremely filling! Almost too much so . . .

*This amount should be enough for 4 servings of pasta.



Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to METHOD's RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.