Recipe: Ultimate Vegan Brownies

As far as vegan baking goes, this was one of the times when if I did a blind taste test, I would absolutely fail at guessing that what I was eating was vegan. These brownies have all of my favorite typical brownie qualities - chewy and fudgey but not too heavy, firm around the edges, very moist, very chocolatey and with a light and thin crust on top.The absence of dairy and eggs (or even an egg substitute, for that matter) is not noticeable. My only comment - can't call it a criticism since it didn't end up being a negative - is that when these were still warm and I started cutting the baked brownies, I had to be careful to not let the pieces separate. I attribute this mainly to the fact that I should have let them cool longer before slicing, but also because there is no egg or other real binding agent in the recipe. But in the end, it didn't matter and I wouldn't go about trying to add something else.These vegan brownies are by no means "healthy" - but at least if you're going to eat a brownie, you're doing your body a bit of a favor by not having dairy/eggs present. And I also like that there are no ingredients atypical of brownies present... which isn't to0 say recipes out there using non-dairy milk, tofu, alternative binding or levenaging agents, etc. aren't great, but it's nice that everything in here is pretty standard as far as brownies go.I've always had success with brownie recipes that include coffee, and a combination of real melted chocolate and cocoa powder, and this was no exception. The taste, texture and consistency of these vegan brownies leave me thinking I won't ever make them with dairy again. Hope you like them as much as I and my taste testers did!!(Click through for the recipe!)Recipe: Ultimate Vegan Brownies*Adapted from this recipe (just the brownie portion)What You Need:

  • 2/3 cup brewed coffee
  • 1 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter substitite; coconut oil should work as well)
  • 3 oz dark chocolate** pieces
  • 2 3/4 c sugar (I used a combination of white and turbinado)
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 c coconut oil (in liquid form), plus a little extra for greasing the pan
  • 2/3 c water
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 c all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4-1 c dark chocolate chips

What You Do:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with a thin coating of coconut oil.
  • In a double boiler over simmering water (or a small saucepan over low heat), melt the dark chocolate, Earth Balance and coffee - stir frequently until all are thoroughly combined and smooth. Set aside.
  • Combine sugar, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment***, and mix to combine.
  • Add oil, water and vanilla and mix to combine. Then mix in melted chocolate/coffee.
  • In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and chocolate chips; add in thirds to wet ingredients, mixing a few seconds after each addition.
  • When all ingredients are just combined, pour the batter (which will be shiny and delicious!) into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake on the middle rack for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out just clean.
  • Let cool in the pan for an hour or two before cutting and removing.
  • Eat as is, with coconut milk ice cream, with an ice cold glass of coconut milk, or however you please! Store in an airtight container, and then freeze what/if you don't finish within 3 days.

NOTES:*This recipe is according to sea level needs. I live at about 5000 feet though, so the adjustments I made were to increase the oven temp to 375 degrees and reduce the baking powder to 3/4 tsp.**Not all dark or bittersweet chocolate is dairy-free. Check the ingredient label before you buy and make sure no milk products are present.***You can also use a hand-held mixer, or get a good workout and mix with your best trusty wooden spoon!

Recipe: Raspberry Banana Fruit Leather

Fruit Roll-Ups were a childhood sweet staple for me (my favorite non-healthy - though still HFCS-free - brand is Joray), but as my tastes and taste for healthier alternatives evolved, I learned to instead reach for fruit leather - like Stretch Island Organic - or other similar store-bought products that only have fruit and natural fruit juice as ingredients.But like just about anything else, homemade trumps store-bought - you have complete control over ingredients and taste - and this rule definitely applies to fruit leather. I recently attempted a first stab at making it, so I have some fine-tuning to do - and will post updated recipes in the future - but for now, this seems to be a good basic recipe to build off of.I used a dehydrator, but an oven at a low temp also works fine.We had a little cheesy laugh when I first cut into the prepared and cooled fruit leather - I inadvertently made it into a "C", the first letter of my fiance's last name (and my last-name-t0-be)... or Pac Man, depending on how you look at it...:So I continued slicing wedges:And finally rolled the slices up and placed them in a jar for easy grabbing!:Raspberry Banana Fruit LeatherWhat You Need

  • 1 pint of fresh raspberries
  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil

What You Do

  • Using your fingers, coat the puree/liquid sheet of your dehydrator with a very thin film of coconut oil. If you don't have a dehydrator, line a small baking sheet with tin foil, then parchment paper, and lightly grease that with the oil.
  • In a blender (Blendtec or VitaMix is preferable, for their power), puree the raspberries, banana and vanilla for at least 2 minutes. I left the raspberry seeds in (vs. straining them out) because they contain important nutrients. With a powerful enough blender, the seeds will also be pulverized (I learned my lesson and will blend the mix a bit longer next time).
  • Pour the puree on your dehydrator or baking sheet and spread out evenly with a spatula.
  • Turn the dehydrator (or oven) temperature to 115 degrees. The dehydration process will take longer at this temperature than a higher one, but it will prevent all of the good fruit enzymes from being killed off.
  • Dehydrate for about 12 hours. About 10 hours in, I tested mine and noticed that it was solid and formed, but the underside was still a little mushy. So, I flipped the fruit leather sheet over and continued the process for another two hours or so, and everything dried out evenly.
  • When done, remove and let the fruit leather cool completely on a piece of parchment paper before you cut it.
  • Slice as you like, roll up and eat to your heart's desire! I'd say if you don't finish eating your batch within 2 days, refrigeration is a good idea.

  

Wheatgrass, Smoothies, Beer & Onion Rings in Scottsdale

Does this: and this:cancel out this??:I'll answer that myself with a begrudging "no" :) But that's okay! I believe when you eat a clean diet of whole foods - especially plant-based - at least 90% of the time, it gives you a little wiggle room to indulge in some things that offer no health benefit whatsoever. Though maybe that's not entirely true... they aren't called "comfort" foods for nothing! And as long as that concept of a "comfort" food isn't abused, I believe there is truth in it. I also think that as your body becomes more and more used to eating clean, whole foods, you crave the bad stuff much less if at all.But - a little indulgence of something that just tastes good is good for the spirit once in a while too!To be fair though, I guess I can't exactly call this a "little" indulgence... maybe "little" on the scheme of things (and it was meat and dairy-free), but as evidenced in the photo this was a pretty large plate of huge onion rings! Too big to fully finish, unfortunately (or fortunately?).Let me backtrack for a second though to give some context. Peter and I are in the Phoenix area for the weekend, and conveniently there is a nice outdoor shopping center with a couple of decent food options across the street from our hotel in Scottsdale.The first two photos above were from Jamba Juice, which is always a welcome sight when traveling. As long as you stay away from the added-sugar-laden smoothies, you have many good options to choose from. We stopped in for a late lunch of sorts, starting with shots of wheatgrass - a wonderful detoxifier - and then shared two smoothies. We went for an Apples & Greens (now a new favorite) and an Acai Super-Antioxidant (minus the sherbert), both with an extra boost of soy protein. Refreshing and anti-oxidant-boosting on a warm and sunny Arizona afternoon!For dinner last night, we went to Nimbus Bistro & Brewery, which is conveniently right across the street from our hotel. We enjoyed decent veggie burgers, but started with a pint of the Old Monkeyshine Ale and Oatmeal Stout and the onion rings. Our mutual criticism is that a few of them were too heavily battered - to the point of doughiness - but they were all around pretty tasty. They inspired me to start thinking of how I could make a "lesser of two evils" - maybe even borderline "healthy" (or at least not unhealthy) version at home... so stay tuned for that in the next couple of weeks! 

Recipe: Vegan Mac & Cheese

If you'd told me a couple of years ago that I'd eat and enjoy - let alone cook myself - vegan "mac and cheese," I'd have laughed. And rolled my eyes. And probably gagged. But curiosity got the better of me recently, after reading about different and new dairy replacement options, and I decided to go for it... still without much confidence that I would end up with a dish I'd feel compelled to eat.Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.Let me backtrack again for a moment to say I've personally never been a fan of soy cheese. For lack of a better word... yuck. Even since scaling way back on my dairy intake - a decision I'm happy with for the physical and health benefits - I don't find I miss it. And I was a dairy lover. Ice cream, yogurt, cheese, you name it. Dairy ice cream is easy to replace with non-dairy alternatives (more to come on that soon...), but as for straight up cheese I'd rather generally avoid non-dairy alternatives and instead just savor a few bites of the real deal (helloo Humboldt Fog) on a rare occasion.But then recently, I read about Daiya - a new non-dairy "cheese" that is also soy-free. I came across a few other blogs raving about it's authentic-like properties - the absence of a funky aftertaste, a pleasant flavor and texture, great melting ability, and all-around cooking versatility. So I decided to give it a try.I stood over the stove, beginning the cooking process with what I can only imagine was a skeptical look on my face (think eyebrows either slightly arched or furrowed) as I stirred the pot... literally, not figuratively... and my expression relaxed and morphed into one of happy intrigue (think eyebrows slightly raised while smiling smirkily).  I boiled some pasta, made the "cheese" sauce, combined the two and then baked them. And this is the happy dish I wound up with:This was my first attempt making anything like this, and it's a recipe I'd like to tweak and evolve - I wish I'd made brazil nut "parmesan" before making this dish, because I think it would be great sprinkled on top; I also think chopped broccoli and tomatoes would work very well baked in - but I do think this is a tasty starting place in the world of non-dairy macaroni and cheese.Without sacrificing taste and texture, I'd rather have the ingredients in this go into my body than the bagillion things I can't pronounce on a box of Velveeta or something along those lines, that's for sure - and it's vegan, soy-free and could also be easily made gluten-free with rice pasta or quinoa pasta.So, give it a go and let me know what you think!Recipe: Vegan Macaroni Gemelli & CheeseWhat You Need:

  • 8-10 oz pasta (I used regular gemelli)
  • 1 package of Daiya Shredded "Cheddar"
  • 1 1/4 c coconut milk (from a carton - I think canned would be too rich in this case)
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy "butter" (no margarine - try soy-free Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp ground mustard seed
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • salt to taste (a pinch or two should do)
  • lots of fresh ground pepper
  • garlic powder to taste
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1/8 c breadcrumbs (more about my thoughts on breadcrumbs here!)

What You Do:

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Prepare pasta according to instructions on package; cook to al dente doneness
  • In a small/medium saucepan, heat coconut milk and "butter" over medium heat until "butter" melts and liquid is simmering
  • Add all other ingredients - minus breadcrumbs - and whisk frequently to stir as everything melts and combines together
  • Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until "cheese" mixture is smooth and creamy; taste for seasoning and adjust as needed to your preferences
  • Mix "cheese" sauce and pasta in a large bowl, and pour into an oven-safe baking dish (I used a round, glass 9-inch dish)
  • Sprinke breadcrumbs on top
  • Bake on center rack at 350 for about 10 minutes, and then switch oven temperature to high broil
  • Keep a close eye on the oven and broil for about 5 minutes (give or take a min. or two) until bubbling and the top is lightly browned
  • Remove and devour!

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and reheat well in the oven. I froze some leftovers too, so time will tell how well (or not) it thaws and reheats.. 

Food for Thought: Breadcrumbs

Have you ever checked the ingredient list on pre-packaged breadcrumbs? I remember the first time I did, and was shocked at a few things - most of all the sheer number of ingredients, and also the presence of certain things like milk products and unpronounceable ingredients that I wouldn't think have anything to do with breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs aren't terribly hard to make from scratch, but it's nice to have a go-to store-bought option - and aside from panko breadcrumbs, I had no such luck for a few years.And then finally, a couple of weeks ago, I found Edward & Sons Organic Italian Herbs Breadcrumbs. The ingredients? Nice and clean - only 9 present, and all serving an obvious purpose. See for yourself here.And these breadcrumbs taste great (and are organic and vegan-friendly!), so I couldn't recommend them more!I found Edward & Sons brand at New Frontiers, and Whole Foods and other natural foods stores should carry it as well.Any other brands of breadcrumbs you recommend that fit the short ingredient list/organic/vegan criteria?

Recipe: Vegan Pesto

Garlic and basil are two of my favorite flavors - so pesto is a no-brainer. If you tasted this without knowing the ingredients, you may be like me in that unless you were told, you wouldn't even realize what "traditional" pesto ingredient isn't present: parmesan. So - this is a vegan pesto recipe, as richly flavorful and robust as any other!Recipe: Vegan PestoWhat You Need

  • 2 1/2 cups of loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup shelled walnuts (use more or less based on whatever you like - might take a few tries to perfect to your preferences)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

What You Do

  • Process basil, walnuts, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor until coarsely ground and moist
  • Add in oil in 2-3 tbsp increments, pulsing to combine each addition, until consistency is creamy and only slightly textured
  • Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days (you can drizzle some olive oil on top to help prevent discoloration); freeze to preserve longer

Vegetarian Chinese & Vietnamese Food in San Francisco

Asian cuisine in San Francisco is plentiful and impressive, both in its variety and quality. We lucked out with two great lunches that were vegan, inexpensive but generously portioned, authentic and mouth-wateringly tasty:Steamed vegetables, pan-seared veggie dumplings, steamed rice, veggie roll and wontons (huge plate all for $8.95!) - and good tea of course - at Lucky Creation in Chinatown:Lucky Creation is a 100% vegetarian Chinese restaurant, and one I highly recommend. In addition to the straight up vegetable-based options I opted to order, they also have menu items that sound more typical of your average Chinese restaurant - but everything is bean curd or wheat gluten-based. Vegetable and rice noodle pho with bean sprouts, jalapeno and lemon on the side from Pho Vietnam in Nob Hill:

Restaurant Review: Park Plaza Liquor & Deli

Today's lunch at the Park Plaza Liquor & Deli: a filling and delicious avocado sandwich (avocado, sprouts, tomato, cucumber and a splash or red wine vinaigrette on a great wheatberry bread), with one of my (guilty-ish) favorites - crispy sweet potato fries. And, of course, a pickle. Minus the mystery white dressing on the side (I'm guessing it was ranch, but I did not partake), this was a very enjoyable meal. I love finding new vegetarian and vegan lunch options at restaurants that are repeat-worthy, and this one definitely fits the bill.It was my first time at PPLD - it's a large, high-ceilinged space with restaurant tables up front, an artisan cheese counter, and plenty of well-stocked shelves of wine/liquor/beer making up the bulk of the retail space. With solid food, a good booze selection (including some decent sale prices), cheap happy hour beers (under $3 a pint, for the most part) and occassional tastings, this is a place I look forward to revisiting!

Restaurant Review: Pita Jungle

Restaurants like [insert any of the following: TGIFridays, Chilis, Applebees, etc.] on the surface are very well-intended - casual family-friendly restaurants that don't kill your wallet - but at the cost of waist-expanding/insulin-raising, artery-clogging, mass-produced food, it's hard to really applaud this restaurant model, or at least it's execution. Most if not all of them have started offering calorie-conscious menu options in the last couple of years, but I've never been impressed with the vegetables I've had at these places and generally don't expect to be served a particularly nutritious or wholesome meal there. And it's really a shame, because if only the offerings at such restaurants were healthier and cleaner all around, it would be a tough deal to beat.Enter Pita Jungle, which appears to be a restaurant model that others should take a few cues from. We went to the newest Phoenix location at Norterra, and I was pretty impressed. It's a casual, family-friendly eatery with a modern and minimalistic decor/layout. It also includes a full bar with a decent beer selection. The menu offers a wide variety of fantastic choices - pretty much all of which are healthy, so you can feel pretty good about whatever you order - and based on what we ate (and glances at neighboring tables), everything looks and tastes as good as it sounds. Also impressive are the prices!We ordered dinner just before the cut-off for the restaurant's happy hour tapas special, so we were able to take advantage and opted for mixed marinated olives, vegetarian dolmades (particularly delicious), and tzatziki (which I could tell was made with low- or non-fat yogurt) for $2 each:The veggie wrap was full of greatness: mixed whole beans, brown rice, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, and carrots, and seasoned with ginger, basil and garlic. It was served hot and was extremely flavorful - a testament to the freshness of the vegetables. It was a huge portion and cost $7.99. I'd be tempted to get this for dinner on the go on a regular basis if it was closer by!The falafel platter was part of the starter menu, and was also a huge portion - more than enough to be a main dish. The falafel texture was right on - just crispy enough on the outside, light and moist inside - and 5 were served over a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and pickles with a drizzle of tahini. For $7.59, this was yet another great value.It wasn't all perfect, but my criticisms are pretty inconsequential. The tinfoil on my veggie wrap was folded too thoroughly and tightly around the actual food, so to prevent myself from eating the foil I had to open the wrap up, remove the foil and eat everything with a fork and knife (like I said, not that big of a deal at all - but easily preventable, as I don't think they intended that to happen). I also think there should be a choice of whole grain pita bread and wraps (or just have that be the standard, vs the white they serve).For a quick, inexpensive, healthy and tasty meal at a sit-down restaurant, Pita Jungle is a really fantastic option to have available. As far as chains go, this is one that should go national if they can do so without compromising their impressive qualities!

Recipe: Whole Wheat (insert berry here) Muffins

Whole wheat pastry flour is a fool-proof way to bake muffins, batter breads and cookies with whole wheat and without the risk of a dense, dry or gummy final product. When using other whole wheat or whole grain flours, the ingredient ratio/balance can be a little trickier to finesse in order to end up with a desirable texture, but whole wheat pastry flour makes it easy - no modifications necessary (the vast, vast majority of the time) if you're swapping it for all-purpose unbleached white flour - delicious and nutritious!

WHOLE WHEAT RASPBERRY MUFFINS

2011-12-27_11-52-09_977

2011-12-27_11-52-09_977

WHAT YOU NEEDFor the muffins:

  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1 large egg*

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk**

  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

  • 5 tbsp coconut oil, melted*** - plus more (not melted) for greasing

  • 1 1/2 cups berries (I went with fresh raspberries this time)

NOTES:*If halving the recipe, whisk 1 large egg in a small bowl and spoon or pour out half of it for use in the recipe**For best results, use the full-fat canned version (Thai Kitchen brand is great)***Use unrefined virgin coconut oil

For the topping:

  • 3/4 tsp turbinado sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

WHAT YOU DO

  • Preheat oven with middle rack to 375°F

  • Grease 12-muffin tray with unmelted coconut oil

  • Whisk flour, turbinado, baking powder and salt in a large bowl

  • Whisk egg in a separate medium bowl, and then whisk in coconut milk, oil and vanilla

  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring and folding with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined (the batter will be thick and dense

  • Fold in berries

  • Fill each muffin cup equally with the batter

  • Stir together the additional turbinado and cinnamon in a small dish until combined, and sprinkle over the top of each muffin

  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

  • Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, and then unmold onto a cooling rack.

  • Enjoy!

Adapted from Gourmet

Breakfast from NYC to AZ

December was a wonderful month and also tends to be pretty synonymous with good food - and 2011 was no exception. In particular were a series of delicious breakfasts, and I wish I'd captured more of them on camera - but here are the ones for which I do have photo evidence, in chronological order:

NYC: Huevos al horno (baked eggs, garbanzo stew, mustard greens, hazelnut romesco) at Tertulia. This was the first time I had garbanzos, one of my absolute favorite foods, in an egg dish - leaving me to wonder what took me so long?!

NYC: "The Farmstand" (poached eggs, pesto, grape tomatoes, brussel sprouts, peas, breadcrumbs, arugula, toast) at Tipsy Parson. Farm-fresh veggies with perfectly poached eggs - this was a simple yet extremely flavorful plate that immediately became a top all-time favorite. Need to recreate at home!

AZ: Homemade whole wheat (and dairy-free) pancakes (I stand by my belief that homemade anything is always the best - especially when it's made for you while you're working from home!). With real maple syrup and a cup of hot vanilla-fennel tea on the side, what better way could there be to start the day!

AZ: And finally, homemade whole wheat raspberry muffins (see next post for recipe!)

 

Best Veggie Sandwich in Town?

My office provides free lunch everyday, which is a tremendous money-saving perk. Usually it's healthy and at least fairly good, but there are the inevitable days (e.g., pizza Fridays and occasionally less-than-desirable options on Wednesdays, which changes from week to week) when buying something separate becomes warranted. Given the fact that I'm not paying for lunch the vast majority of the time, it's a little easier to justify indulging in a perhaps slightly overpriced - but so worth it - sandwich or salad from one of the great local spots near the office once in a while.Friedman's Lunch in Chelsea Market  right across the street is consistently solid - the food is fresh, healthy (mostly) and really tasty. The downside is the price. But, once every couple of weeks I'll get something from there, and my most recent go-to is the Garden Vegetable sandwich: grilled sourdough with hummus, avocado, sprouts, cucumber, tomato, carrots and lettuce. The freshness of the ingredients, char on the bread and quality of the hummus makes for a fantastic combination of flavors and textures. I would happily eat it every day if I could!As a more wallet-friendly alternative though, I think I need to attempt recreating this at home.