Vegetarian Gastronomy

Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/Garlic (gluten-free, vegan)

2012-01-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

I would have never thought something as simple as brussels sprouts could taste so great! Just some simple seasoning combined with roasting and you have a great tasting appetizer. I recently went to a restaurant with a bunch of friends and ordered several appetizers. One of them was roasted brussels sprouts with their house hot sauce, and they were amazing! We thought they would be the dish that would go last, but they were devoured as fast as they were placed on the table!

I was inspired to start roasting some brussels sprouts myself at home. I plan on trying a few more versions of roasted brussels sprouts so keep checking for more recipes!

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(makes about 4 servings)

about 25 brussels sprouts
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
dried thyme, or fresh thyme springs
salt
black pepper, freshly grounded if possible

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut and discard the brussel sprout stems. Peel any yellow leaves and cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
Mix all the other ingredients with the brussel sprouts in a bowl. Toss well.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the brussel sprouts on the baking sheet so that there is a single layer present.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the brussel sprouts are browned. Half way through toss the sprouts so that they brown evenly on all sides.
Serve hot. (note: after roasting I realized I needed more salt...if this happens, feel free to sprinkle more salt on the roasted brussel sprouts while they are hot and toss before serving).

~ Anjali

Santa Fe Salad (gluten-free, vegan option)

2012-01-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite salads...the Santa Fe Salad at the Cheesecake Factory (minus the chicken of course). I decided to try and replicate it for our holiday party this year. I found many different websites trying to replicate the salad dressing. The recipe from cdkitchen seemed to have all the ingredients I wanted to add except for the missing peanut flavor.

So I started off using this recipe and ended up adding peanut butter and a little more honey (perhaps because the limes I had were really sour?). I also fried some fresh corn tortilla strips to top the salad. The end result was pretty close to the original salad dressing and very tasty! Now I can make this salad at home anytime.

SANTA FE SALAD: (gluten-free, vegan option)

The amount of ingredients will depends on how many people you have and how much salad you tend on serving them. The important thing for me is that this is a good combination of flavors.

Ingredients:

romaine lettuce or mixed greens, slivered
corn kernels, frozen (defrosted) or fresh
black beans, canned and rinsed
tomatoes, chopped
red and/or green bell peppers, sliced and halved once
jack cheese, shredded (omit for vegan option)
freshly fried corn tortilla strips
avocado, diced (optional)

(makes 1 pint of dressing)

3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T cilantro, stems trimmed, rinsed well
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 t white wine vinegar
1/2 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly grounded pepper
1 1/2 T honey (replace with agave nectar for vegan option)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
2-3 T peanut butter, smooth
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

To Make the Dressing. Add the cilantro, crushed garlic, minced ginger, spices, lime juice, vinegar, honey and parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender.
Process until well mixed.
Add the peanut butter and process until mixed well.
While the motor is running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube. Let it process for 1 more minute.
Note: if you find yourself looking for more of the peanut taste, feel free to add more peanut butter. Also, depending on how sour your limes are, feel free to add more/less honey (as mine were pretty sour).
To Make the Salad. Cut corn tortilla rounds into small strips and fry.
Toss all ingredients of the salad in a large bowl except for the jack cheese, avocado, and fried tortilla strips.
Top the salad with shredded jack cheese, avocado, and fried tortilla strips.
Toss with the dressing and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Fresh Jalapeno Poppers (gluten-free, contains dairy)

2012-01-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

This years theme for our holiday party was Mexican Food! I've had the frozen jalapeno poppers from grocery stores many times, but wanted to try making fresh ones myself. I found this recipe online at Simply Recipes and decided to give it a try. The only change I made was to add some fresh crushed garlic, otherwise the recipe was perfect and very easy to make!

The jalapenos that we bought were really spicy. And even though I read that cream cheese is suppose to cool off the spice, we weren't sure if people would enjoy them. I made about 50 of them and they were gone within 5-10 minutes of taking them out of the oven. They were perfectly cooked, tasted great, and perfectly spiced. This is definitely one of my top 10 when it comes to appetizers or sides!

FRESH JALAPENO POPPERS: (gluten-free, contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(makes 24 poppers)

12 jalapeño peppers
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup cream cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt (adjust amount according to taste)
2 ounces jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, de-seed, and scrape the inside of each half. Be sure to try and leave part of the stem intact so that each half creates a "boat" to fill.
Mix together all the filling ingredients except for the jack cheese.
Stuff each of the pepper halves with the filling.
Push a strip of the jack cheese into the filling of each pepper halves.
Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes.
The cheese should be bubbly and lightly browned. And the peppers should be cooked.
Serve hot.

(picture of the peppers prior to baking)

~ Anjali

Holiday Chocolate Cupcakes w/Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze & Frosting (vegan cupcakes)

2012-01-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Out of request from several friends, I made these cupcakes again at our annual holiday party! They were delicious and rich as always. This time around I only made the recipe for the dark chocolate glaze and frosting. I made them festive by getting some holiday cupcake liners and toppings. Just can't seem to let a year go by without making these cupcakes!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2012!

Panini Sandwich w/ Portabello Mushrooms (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

2011-11-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

I used to make this Panini Sandwich all the time, but haven't made it in over a year. I dug up the recipe because I made one of my favorite soups, Potato Leek, and wanted to make something else to go with it for lunch. What better than a panini and soup for lunch! It tasted as amazing as I remembered and it was really simple to make.

I'm not sure where I originally got this recipe from, but if you like roasted portabello mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and red onions, this sandwich is perfect.

Gluten-free note: I made this sandwich for my brother who has Celiac and used gluten-free bread instead of the sourdough. I made open faced sandwiches for him because he said they tasted better. Just grill one slice of bread on both sides with some butter, top it with the roasted veggies and cheese. Put it in the toaster oven on low broil or bake until the cheese melts!

PANINI SANDWICH w/PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS: (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

(~5 sandwiches)

10 slices sourdough bread (for gluten-free: use gluten-free bread)
3 T olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
3 large portabello mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup provolone cheese
1 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese
salt/pepper
1 stick butter (optional)
5 thyme springs (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
De-stem, wash and dry the portabello mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushrooms lengthwise. Then slice the mushrooms in quarters in the opposite direction.
In a skillet, cook the onions with 2 T olive oil until the begin to soften. Season w/salt and pepper and transfer to a roasting dish.
In the same skillet, combine the tomatoes & balsamic vinegar. Cook until they soften. Transfer to the roasting dish with the onions.
In a bowl, toss the mushrooms w/ 1 T olive oil. Transfer to the roasting dish as well.
Add salt, pepper, and white wine into the roasting dish and mix with all the other ingredients.
Bake 20-30 min. Remove from the oven, and cool.
(optional) In a saucepan, combine and cook the butter and thyme. Remove and discard the thyme.
Brush 1 side of the bread with the thyme butter (or regular butter). Top the other side with 1/4 cup provolone cheese, 1/4 cup monterey cheese, and mushroom mixture.
Top with the other bread and brush the top with the thyme butter (or regular butter).
Grill on a frying pan on both sides or in a panini press. Enjoy hot!

~ Anjali

Shiro (contains dairy)

2011-11-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

For Diwali this year (Indian Festival of Lights holiday) I decided to try and make an Indian dessert. I've never been a huge fan of Indian desserts, but I remember enjoying my moms Shiro when I was young. So I gave her a call for the recipe and decided to give it a try. I knew my husband would be happy since he loves most Indian desserts.

Shiro is basically roasted cream of wheat with sugar, milk, nuts/raisins, and a few spices. It ended up being extremely easy to make and my husband and I enjoyed it during dinner. So here is my first post on Indian desserts.

SHIRO: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(~6 servings)

1 cup cream of wheat
3 cups milk (2% or whole)
2 T clarified butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teasp. pinch ground cardomom (brown)
2 T sliced almonds
2 T golden raisins (optional)
pinch ground saffron (optional)

Directions:

Add the clarified butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat until melted. Add the raisins and cook for a few minutes.
Add the cream of wheat and roast, stirring frequently with the butter, until it turns into a light brown color. Be careful not to burn the cream of wheat by letting it sit there.
Add the milk and sugar. Whisk to blend and make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Stir continuously. The mixture should start to thicken and reduce.
Keep stirring until the mixture is not liquidy anymore. Stir in the saffron, cardomom, and almonds. At this point, turn off the heat, cover with the lid slightly open, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
Stir and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot.

~ Anjali

Thai Rice Noodles (gluten-free, vegan)

2011-10-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

Brown sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch...three of the most basic ingredients I use in many of my Thai dishes. Here is a simple yet tasty rice noodle dish with some veggies and basil. The best part of this recipe is that you don't need any special ingredients for the sauce.

I made this dish with my Garlic Pepper Tofu & some quinoa. Enjoy!

THAI RICE NOODLES w/VEGGIES: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(6-8 servings)

8 oz. rice noodles
1 small onion, halved, then thinly sliced at an angle towards the center
1 red bell pepper, medium cubes
1 green bell pepper, medium cubes
1 yellow squash, medium cubes
5-10 white button mushrooms, cut in quarters
5-8 broccoli florets, cut in half
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
vegetable oil
fresh basil, chopped

(sauce)

4 t vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce (gluten-free: San-J gluten-free soy sauce)
4 t corn starch
4-5 T brown sugar
1-2 t chilli sauce (Huy Fong Chili Sauce or Sriracha)
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Cook rice noodles according to directions. Be sure not to over-cook the noodles.
Rinse noodles in cold water, add some vegetable oil to make sure they do not stick together and set aside when done in a strainer.
To Prepare Vegetables. Add a few teaspoons vegetable oil to a large deep non-stick skillet or wok. Heat on medium. Add garlic and onions. Fry till fragrant and onions are just translucent. Remove in a bowl and set aside.
Heat another few teaspoons on medium-high heat in the same wok and add the rest of the vegetables. Cook, mixing frequently to keep the vegetables from burning or sticking to the pan. Add some more vegetable oil if they start sticking to the wok. Saute the veggies until they are cooked, but not completely soft (in other words, they should still have a "crunch" to them).
To Prepare Sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Feel free to add more chili sauce if you prefer more spice.
To Prepare Dish. Add the onions and rice noodles into the wok with the vegetables. Add the sauce and heat the dish on medium. Mix the noddles frequently.
Cook until the sauce has thickened, reduced, and soaked into the noodles and veggies. Be sure not to cook too long otherwise the rice noodles will be over-cooked.
Feel free to add more brown sugar or soy sauce if you prefer depending on your taste.
Top the dish with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Pasta Primavera (vegan option, gluten-free option)

2011-10-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

We were craving Italian food for dinner one night, but I didn't have ingredients for the traditional sauces I usually make. I did however have a ton of veggies in the fridge and some Parmesan Cheese so i decided to grill the veggies and toss ingredients together with some olive oil and balsamic hoping I would get out something tasty.

I realized after we were done with dinner that I basically made a version of Pasta Primavera, which at a restaurant, I would never think to order (mainly because I'm not a fan of how they cook the veggies and so it usually ends up being a bland dish for me). But the dish we ate was delicious...the sweetness of the veggies with the balsamic and olive oil tasted great. The next time I made this dish I wanted to write down the ingredients so I could share it on my blog...so here it is! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!

Note: If you don't have all the veggies I listed below, you can omit some and I'm sure it'll still taste great! I pretty much chose them because that's what I had in my fridge and they all worked well together!

PASTA PRIMAVERA: (vegan option, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

(4-6 servings)

10 oz. penne pasta (gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 yellow squash, finely chopped into cubes
7-8 asparagus spears, washed and cut into 4ths
1 small bunch broccoli, washed and cut into small florets
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, cubed (optional)
2/3 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
1 T butter
olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
10-15 basil leaves, washed and chopped
1 T lemon juice
pine nuts (optional)
salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Cook the pasta al dente.
In a large non-stick skillet or pot, add some olive oil and butter and heat on medium-high heat.
Add garlic and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add onions, squash, asparagus, broccoli, and red/green/yellow bell peppers. Make sure there is enough oil to coat all the vegetables. If needed, add more olive oil.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper and pan grill the veggies on medium- high heat until they are cooked. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking. Also be sure NOT to overcook the veggies so that they are extremely soft.
The resulting veggies should be cooked, yet slightly firm.
After the veggies are cooked, turn the heat down to medium. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes stirring frequently.
Add the pasta to the veggies.
Add the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and basil. Toss the pasta with Parmesan cheese and a hand-full of pine nuts.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot. Enjoy!

~ Anjali

Strawberry, Goat Cheese, & Almond Salad (gluten-free, contains dairy)

2011-10-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another one of my favorite spinach salad combinations - strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds. Sometimes I cut up a veggie burger pattie and add avocado to this salad to make it more filling. Avocados taste good with the pattie, but without the pattie, the avocado seems to make the salad a bit bland by taking away from the other flavors. Test it out and see what you prefer!

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY, GOAT CHEESE, & ALMOND SALAD: (gluten-free, contains dairy)

The amount of ingredients will depends on how many people you have and how much salad you tend on serving them. The important thing for me is that this is a good combination of flavors. I only toss all these ingredients into one large salad bowl if I'm serving more than 4-6 people. If I'm serving less, I like to compose each salad bowl individually.

Ingredients:

spinach leaves (or fresh spring mix), washed
almonds, sliced
goat cheese, crumbled
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed (optional)

(dressing for about 3 individual salad bowls)

1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 teasp. white granulated sugar (adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste if needed)

Directions:

Divide the spinach leaves into the salad bowls/plates.Toss with strawberries.
Sprinkle with sliced almonds and goat cheese (and avocado if using).
Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and white sugar in a small bowl (the measurements given are for about 3 bowls of salad, so adjust amounts accordingly). Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing and serve.

~ Anjali

Beets, Goat Cheese, & Walnut Salad (gluten-free, contains dairy)

2011-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about salads is that they can be healthy, filling, and composed of great fresh flavors all into one dish. Salty, sweet, nutty, fruity, and savory. The past few months I've been trying out many simple combination based on what I've eaten at restaurants and what I have in my fridge. I've had most of them for lunch with a side of toasted Spelt Bread with butter, or as a side salad with dinner. We also tend to use only baby spinach to get the additional iron, but feel free to mix it up with any fresh spring mix.

As far as salad dressings go, recently I've been using a simple mix composed of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Simple, healthy, yet tastes perfect with many different salads! You can add any other dressing if you wish, but this by far is my favorite all-time salad dressing to use.

I'll be posting more of my favorite simple salads soon!

BEETS, GOAT CHEESE, & WALNUT SALAD: (gluten-free, contains dairy)

The amount of ingredients will depends on how many people you have and how much salad you tend on serving them. The important thing for me is that this is a good combination of flavors. I only toss all these ingredients into one large salad bowl if I'm serving more than 4-6 people. If I'm serving less, I like to compose each salad bowl individually.

Ingredients:

spinach leaves (or fresh spring mix), washed
medium beets, ready to eat, and cubed (from Trader Joe's)
red seedless grapes, cut in half
goat cheese, crumbled
walnuts, chopped
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

(dressing for about 3 individual salad bowls)

1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 teasp. white granulated sugar (adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste if needed)

Directions:

Divide the spinach leaves into the salad bowls/plates. Toss with beets.
Sprinkle with walnuts, avocado, and goat cheese.
Arrange the grape halves around each of the salad plates or bowls.
Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and white sugar in a small bowl (the measurements given are for about 3 bowls of salad, so adjust amounts accordingly). Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing and serve.
Ground fresh black pepper on top if desired.

~ Anjali

Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella-Avocado Stacks w/Balsamic Reduction Sauce (vegan option, gluten-free)

2011-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

My mom recently gave me a bag of home-grown tomatoes which were AMAZING! I wanted to use the tomatoes and make something fresh and uncooked to savor their taste. When I saw the basil and mozzarella in the fridge, I decided to make stacks for lunch as a side along with the Balsamic Marinated Tofu. I usually drizzle balsamic vinegar, but decided to make a reduction sauce instead with garlic. I also added some slices of avocado to make the dish more filling.

If you're in the mood for a light, fresh, and satisfying lunch or side, this dish is perfect!

TOMATO-BASIL-MOZZARELLA-AVOCADO STACKS w/BALSAMIC REDUCTION SAUCE: (vegan option, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

(3-4 people)

1-2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced widthwise
3-4 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (omit for vegan option)
basil leaves, washed and dried
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To Make the Balsamic Reduction. Poor the balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and add the crushed garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Turn the heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced from 1 cup to about 1/3 or 1/2 cup. The vinegar will thicken as it cools.
Assembly. You can pretty much assemble anyway you want, but here is what I did for each stack starting from the bottom layer: tomato slice, mozzarella slice, basil leaf, tomato slice, mozzarella slice, avocado slice, tomato. For a vegan option, add another slice of avocado in between the first two layers of tomato.
Sprinkle the top with freshly grounded black pepper.
Drizzle on the balsamic reduction sauce just before serving. The amount will vary depending on your taste.

~ Anjali

Tofu Scrambe (Mexican Style) - UPDATE

2011-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry for all the updates, but this one I had to share. If you've ever tried the original recipe, I say to crumble the tofu. Recently I cubed it (as I would for a stir fry) instead, and it turned out much better! When eaten alone or with tortilla, it just tasted more filling and the tofu seemed to absorb more flavor if cut into larger pieces. When you crumble it and cook it, the tofu seems to loose a lot of the moisture.

So follow the original recipe, but just cube the tofu instead of crumbling it!

Banana Bread (Update) - Healthy version for toddlers!

2011-08-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

In coming up with snack ideas for my 16 month old, I wanted to try making a healthier version of the banana bread recipe on this blog. Just click on the original recipe and make the following adjustments:

- Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour
- No nuts (unless your toddler is fine with nuts)
- Instead of 3/4 cup sugar, I used 1/3 cup sugar
- Add a few tablespoons of applesauce (made fresh or store bought)

You can omit the chocolate chips, but I kept a few in since my son loves chocolate! =) I couldn't even tell the difference with these substitutions. I may start making it this way everytime!

~ Anjali

Balsamic Marinated Tofu (gluten-free, vegan)

2011-08-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make another side dish to go along with the salad I had made for lunch, and decided to make some tofu. I started to look online and found this recipe. The original recipe from the Vegan Foodie states to marinate the tofu in the sauce for up to an hour. But since we were hungry and it was already noon, I decided to skip this step and use the marinade as a dipping sauce instead.

The marinade was really delicious, but next time I definitely plan on marinating the tofu ahead of time.

BALSAMIC MARINATED TOFU: (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

(3-4 people)

1 Package Firm Tofu (18 oz.)

(marinade)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T soy sauce (use San-J brand for gluten-free)
1 T agave nectar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
(optional) oregano

Directions:

Cut the tofu length-wise in half. Then cut each half into 7-8 pieces the opposite direction so that they are square slabs. Be sure not to cut the tofu too thin such that it breaks when handling it.
Combine and mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Marinate the tofu in a baking dish for up about 1 hour. Flip it half way through to marinate the other side.
Remove the tofu, and pour the marinade into a sauce pan on medium heat. Cook the marinade for about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken and become a glaze. Be sure not to burn the marinade.
As the tofu is grilling, brush it with the balsamic glaze.
Sprinkle with oregano and serve hot. Serve the glaze on the side as additional dipping sauce if necessary.

~ Anjali

Phyllo Pesto Pizza w/Smoked Mozzarella (contains dairy)

2011-07-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

It was Wednesday night, 7:30pm, and I still had NO idea what to make for dinner. I was searching through my fridge when I saw the Phyllo Sheets and some pesto I had made earlier that week. At that point, I remembered reading a Phyllo Pizza recipe in some magazine and decided that was going to be dinner!

I quickly searched a few recipes online to get a general idea of how to make the pizza, but didn't quite follow any given recipe since I didn't have all the right ingredients. I decided to use Pesto sauce, smoked mozzarella cheese, and top it with roma tomatoes and bell peppers. I would have preferred to use orange or yellow bell peppers, but all I had in the fridge were red ones. So as you probably figured, you can get creative and create your own Phyllo Pizza with basically any ingredients you want!

Not sure now the phyllo pizza would taste, we were surprised at how great it was! And it was a nice change in taste to traditional pizza. The smoked mozzarella made was a great combination with the pesto sauce and tomatoes. We will definitely be making this pizza again for dinner sometime soon.

PHYLLO PESTO PIZZA w/SMOKED MOZZARELLA: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(9 pieces)

2 Ready-to-Bake Puff Pastry Sheets (17.3 oz.), thawed
3/4 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 medium roma tomato, finely diced
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, cubed
pesto (recipe)
1 T finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 T salted butter, melted
dried oregano
salt
(optional) red crushed peppers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the chopped tomatoes, oregano, and salt in a separate small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Brush a large baking sheet with some melted butter.
Place 1 phyllo sheet on the baking sheet. Brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 T Parmesan cheese. Place the second phyllo sheet on top of the first. Brush with melted butter.
Spread the prepared pesto on top of the stacked phyllo sheets, leaving a small plain border.
Sprinkle stacked sheets with grated smoked mozzarella chese.
Top with tomatoes and bell pepper.
Bake the pizza until the phyllo is crisp (about 25 minutes).
Loosen pizza from the sheet with a large metal spatula and slide it onto a cutting board.
Cut the pizza into 9 squares and serve immediately (note: this pizza is best served hot right out of the oven).
(optional) Top the pizza with red crusted peppers.

~ Anjali

Black-Bottom Peanut Butter Mousse Pie (gluten-free option, contains dairy)

2011-07-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Being a HUGE fan of peanut butter, my husband has always loved the Peanut Butter Mousse Pie at our local JIMBO's Bakery. I'm not as big a fan, but even I think this pie is heavenly! For his birthday this year, I decided to try and find a recipe to replicate it at home.

I searched online and this recipe from Epicurious caught my eye because of the great reviews, ingredients, and methodology. The only changed I made to the recipe was to use peanut butter + powdered sugar instead of peanut butter chips as recommended by some reviewers.

I made 2 pies and invited some friends over to celebrate. The result was perfect! I really enjoyed the taste of the peanut butter mousse and chocolate layer. I don't think we'll be going to JIMBO's again for some peanut butter mousse pie!

BLACK-BOTTOM PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE PIE: (gluten-free option, contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(8-10 servings)

(crust ingredients)

7 whole graham crackers, coarsely broken (gluten-free option: gluten-free graham crackers)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 T sugar

OR

1 Graham Cracker pie crust (pre-made)

(pie ingredients)

1 1/3 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (8 ounces)
2/3 cup + 1 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
2 T light corn syrup
2 teasp vanilla extract, divided
1 cup + 2 T creamy peanut butter (Skippy or Jiffy)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

To Prepare Crust. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9" dia. glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Blend graham crackers, melted butter, and 2 T sugar in processor.
Press the crust mixture over the bottom and sides of the pie dish.
Bake the crust until lightly browned (about 15min).
To Prepare Chocolate Layer. Combine the chocolate chips, 2/3 cup cream, corn syrup, and 1 teasp. vanilla extract in a microwave save bowl.
Microwave until the chocolate softens (about 2-3 minutes). Whisk or mix with spoon until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the bottom of the crust. Freeze for 10 minutes. (optional - leave a small amount of the chocolate mixture to decorate the top of the pie)
To Prepare Peanut Butter Mousse. Combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup cream in a large microwave safe bowl for 15-sec intervals until the peanut butter softens and the mixture becomes smooth. Stir often. Mix in 1 teasp. vanilla extract. Cool to lukewarm.
Beat 1 cup cream + 2 T sugar in a medium bown until very thick but not yet holding peaks.
Fold into the peanut butter mixture in 3 additions.
Spoon the mousse over the chocolate layer. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour.
To Decorate (optional). Get as creative as you want with this step. I topped the pie with some whipped cream around the edges. I filled a pipping bag with the rest of the chocolate sauce and pipped chocolate lines across the pie. You can also sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.

~ Anjali

Chocolate Cake Pops (contains dairy)

2011-07-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to eat cake dipped in chocolate on a lollipop stick?

I was inspired to make some at home by one of my friends who brought delicious home-made chocolate cake pops to a wedding I recently went to. And since i'm stuck at home right now with a fractured foot, hard cast, and crutches, what better way to make use of my time!

For my first attempt, I decided to go basic and use chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting and dark chocolate chips (i also love chocolate, so this was perfect). I didn't quite follow any recipe. I just looked up a bunch of cake pop recipes and got the basic idea on how to make them and went from there. For decorations, I used what I had available...sprinkles and shredded coconut.

The cake pops tasted divine! A blast of chocolate rolled into a tiny ball. I took a few to a BBQ we were going to that weekend and they were devoured immediately. They were a hit with both the adults and the kids. So much so that several people requested I make them for a BBQ we were all going to the week after.

Cake pops are great for any occasion. Next time I plan on getting creative with the decorations.

CHOCOLATE CAKE POPS: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

(~35 cake pops)

1 Chocolate Cake Mix Box (+ ingredients listed on box, except for eggs of course)
1/2 package of Frosting (I used Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Dark Chocolate)
chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or white chocolate)
any toppings (coconuts, sprinkles, etc.)
35 lollipop sticks
Ener-G egg replacer or yogurt
(optional) styrofoam board or cardboard box with holes

Directions:

Lightly oil and flour a 9x13 baking pan. Bake cake according to package directions. For each egg, replace with 2 spoons of yogurt or Ener-G egg replacer (follow directions on package for measurement). I always add 1 extra "egg" to the cake mix.
Allow the cake cool completely.
Put the cake into a large mixing bowl. Crumble the entire cake using your hands.
Add about 1/2 of the package of frosting to the cake mix. Use your hands to mix the frosting evenly throughout the crumbled cake mixture until it appears like "dough". The mix should be moist enough to hold shape.
Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Line a cookie sheet pan with wax paper. Use a cookie scooper to scoop out the cake mix and roll into about 1 inch balls using your hands. Place on the wax paper. There should be about 35 round balls.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Setup a double broiler and melt the chocolate chips completely. Be sure not to burn the chocolate. For this step, you can use microwavable chocolate chips and a microwave to melt instead of using a double broiler.
Dip one end of the lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert into cake ball. Be sure not to go all the way through. The melted chocolate acts as a "glue".
Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Dip the cake pop into the melted chocolate and allow it to drip down the sides. You can also use a spoon to poor the melted chocolate onto areas of the cake pop to make sure it is covered entirely with chocolate.
Sprinkle various toppings to decorate the cake pops. You can also pipe frosting on top to get different designs, etc.
Insert the cake pop into the styrofoam piece OR place the cake pop upside-down on the wax paper to dry.
Refrigerate until the chocolate has solidified.

(Note: From the picture below, you can see that I did not use a spoon to cover the entire cake pop with melted chocolate. Next time I will be sure to do this.)

~ Anjali

Portabello Mushrooms over Quinoa & Peppers (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-06-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite side dishes to make is portabello mushrooms sauteed with some white wine, garlic, pepper, pine nuts, and green onions. I had some left-over Quinoa after making my sons lunch, and decided to make my favorite side dish into a healthy meal by cooking the quinoa with some peppers and serving it under the portabello mushrooms! Enjoy!

PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS OVER QUINOA & PEPPERS: (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

1 1/2 cup quinoa, dry
2 large portabello mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
2 T pine nuts, roasted
2 T white wine
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
olive oil
green onions, chopped
salt/pepper

Directions:

To Prepare Quinoa. Wash the quinoa in cold water and drain. Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker or pot of boiling water.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat and add some olive oil. Fry 2 cloves garlic until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the quinoa, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for another 5-10 minutes while stirring frequently. Do not let the quinoa burn.
To Prepare Mushroom Mixture. Wash the portabello mushrooms and remove the stems. Slice each mushroom in thin 2 inch strips. I usually thinly slice the mushrooms in one direction and then slice in the other direction in quarters.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat and add about 2 T olive oil. Fry 2 cloves garlic until fragrant.
Add the mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked and all liquid has burned off. The mushrooms should start to lightly brown. If you need, add more olive oil to keep the mushrooms from burning.
Add the white wine, pine nuts, salt, pepper and mix for an additional 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Set aside.
To Serve. Place a portion of the quinoa on a plate and top with the mushroom mixture. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve warm.

~ Anjali

Corn, Zucchini, and Green Chile Burritos (vegan option)

2011-06-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

I chose this recipe to make for dinner last night from a vegetarian times magazine. This is a tasty, simple, and healthy alternative to your traditional burrito. And it was also an excuse for me to buy some queso fresco, which I love!

The burritos turned out great. Not only did it make use of some yummy veggies, but it also had the black beans and cheese for that traditional burrito flavor. I even had some of the filling without the tortilla and enjoyed it very much.

CORN, ZUCCHINI, & GREEN CHILE BURRITOS: (vegan option)

Ingredients:

(makes 4 burritos)

1 small onion, halved and sliced (about 1 cup)
1 zucchini, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans
1 T green chiles, diced
2 T chopped cilantro
2/3 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (omit for vegan option)
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
vegetable oil
4 burrito tortillas (whole wheat or plain)
(optional) 4 T crumbled queso fresco (omit for vegan option)

Directions:

Heat 2-3 T vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onions and zucchini. Cook for 12 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and onion begins to brown. Stir in the garlic. Add the corn, beans, and green chiles. Cook for 5 additional minutes until the mixture is hot. Turn off the heat.
Stir in the cilantro and add in 1/3 cup Jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the tortillas on the pan as preferred (I grilled the tortilla on the pan with some butter).
Divide the mixture among the 4 warmed or grilled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup Jack cheese and 1 T queso fresco (optional) over the filling.
Roll up the tortilla into a burrito. Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy as is or with your favorite salsa.

~ Anjali

Peanut Butter Puffs (vegan, gluten-free option)

2011-06-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

These Puffs are very similar to rice crispy treats except for they are slightly healthier and contain peanut butter instead of marshmellows. The recipe is from a Parenting Magazine I was flipping through at the gym. They seemed easy and quick enough to make so that I could have them done before my son woke up from his nap.

These would work great to serve at a kids party, as a snack for your own kids, or in my case for my peanut-butter loving husband.

PEANUT BUTTER PUFFS: (vegan, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

(makes 20 puffs)

1/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 3/4 cups puffed rice cereal (Erewhon makes a gluten-free rice crispy cereal)

Directions:

Combine the agave nectar and brown sugar in a pot. Heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to boil and the brown sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.
Add the creamy peanut butter and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Add the rice cereal and stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Set the mixture aside until it is cool enough to handle.
Scoop a rounded Tbsp of the mixture and using a damp hand, form tight balls. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until they are set (5-10 minutes).
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator.

~ Anjali

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-06-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

I always shy away from making recipes with roasted peppers because I don't like the taste of them from the jars at the grocery store. So finally when I came across this recipe from my Cooking Light cookbook, I decided to roast some peppers myself at home. And what better way to use them than in some hummus...

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(6 servings)

1 red bell pepper
2 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T tahini
1/2 t freshly grounded black pepper
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground cumin
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, halved

Directions:

To Prepare Roasted Red Pepper: Preheat oven to broil on HI.
Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds and membranes.
Place pepper halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Flatted the pepper halves with your hand.
Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened. Instantly place bell pepper in a zip-log plastic bag and seal. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove and peel the skin off.
To Prepare Hummus: Place the roasted bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Feel free to add additional salt and/or lemon to taste.

~ Anjali

Fresh Summer Rice Wraps (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-06-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something light and fresh to eat for lunch on a hot summer day, these rice wraps are perfect! For this version, I used what I had in my fridge...tofu, mushrooms, avocado, and romaine lettuce. I cooked the tofu and mushrooms with some soy sauce for some extra flavor. Ideally, I'd eat these with peanut sauce, but since I didn't have any, I used the dipping sauces I listed below.

You can get creative with rice wraps and add other ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge...such as cucumbers, rice noodles, carrots, mint, basil, etc. Enjoy!

FRESH SUMMER RICE WRAPS: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(makes about 8 wraps)

3-4 large leafs of romaine lettuce, washed and dried
8 large rice paper wraps (get these at any Asian grocery store)
1 package firm tofu (18 oz.)
1 avocado
vegetable oil
hoisin sauce (omit for gluten-free option)
soy sauce (for gluten-free, use San-J brand)

(optional) - you can use any dipping sauce you prefer, but here are some suggestions:

Island Soyaki Marinade sauce (available at Trader Joe's Store)
Sweet Chili Sauce (available at Trader Joe's Store or local grocery store)
Chili Sauce (I use Huy Fong Chili & Garlic Sauce) or Sriracha Sauce
Peanut Sauce (store bought or the recipe on my blog)

Directions:

To Prepare Tofu: Cut both tofu blocks in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu). Cut the tofu into long strips and pan fry on medium-high heat with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil until all the water is burned off and the tofu is lightly golden brown on most sides (be sure not to burn or smash the tofu). While the tofu is cooking, continue on to prepare the rest of the recipe.
After the tofu is golden brown, add some soy sauce to the pan and mix to coat the tofu. Set aside.
To Prepare Wrap: Set a pot of water to boil over medium heat. Once the water is boiling, poor into a large covered bowl and set aside to keep hot (you will have to dip your fingers in, so not too hot).
Tear each romaine lettuce leave into 3 or 4 pieces. Thinly slice the avocado lengthwise.
To Assemble: Take out one of the rice papers and place it in the bowl of hot water. Gently press the rice paper down in the water and soak until pliable (approx 10-20 sec.). The rice paper will soften very quickly. Remove from the water and place on a clean working surface.
Place one piece of romaine lettuce in the center of the rice paper. Spread some hoisin sauce on the piece of lettuce. Add 2-3 pieces of prepared tofu and 2-3 slices of avocado lengthwise on top of the lettuce.
Begin to roll by folding the bottom part of the rice paper over the filling. Tuck in the right and left side over the filling. Continue to roll forward until the end of the rice paper, keeping the folding as tight as possible.
Repeat steps 5-7 and assemble the remainder of the rice wraps until you run out of filling.
Cut each roll in half and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

~ Anjali

Creme Brulee (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-05-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not eat eggs and are vegan, ever imagine what Creme Brulee tastes like? Well I'm not sure how close the taste of this recipe is to traditional creme brulee, but if it's anything similar, it's no wonder people love it! Recently I've been hearing a lot about Chef Chloe from Cupcake Wars and had already tried her avocado pesto recipe from her website. So when I came across this vegan Creme Brulee recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. Traditional Creme Brulee consists of a rich custard base with a hard caramel top. This recipe creates the rich smooth custard texture with the use of cornstarch. The result was very yummy and full of flavor.

This recipe is also extremely simple to make, and I already had all the ingredients in my pantry. Unfortunately, I had to make it 3 times before I got it right...that night I forgot sugar the first time, and vanilla extract the second time. So you can believe me when I say the recipe is quite simple to make!

I didn't change anything from the original recipe, but did top it off with some non-dairy whipped cream. Enjoy!! And thanks to Chef Chloe for this delicious recipe!

CREME BRULEE: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

(5-6 people)

1/4 cup non-dairy milk (i used light silk soy milk)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar + extra for caramel top
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teasp. ground ginger
1/4 teasp. ground nutmeg
1/4 teasp. ground cloves
1/8 teasp. salt
1 teasp. vanilla extract
whipping cream (optional)
fresh fruit (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl or mixing cup, whisk the non-dairy milk and cornstarch and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt over medium/high heat just until boiling.
Turn the heat to medium/low and slowly drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the suacepan, whisking continuously. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes very thick in texture (about 1-2 minutes). Turn off the heat and then whisk in the vanilla extract.
Pour the custard evenly into 5-6 creme brulee or custard dishes (number may vary depending on the size of the dishes). Let them cool for 10 minutes then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove the creme brulee 1 hour before torching so that it comes down to room temperature. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar onto each dish and shake slowly so that it spreads out evenly.
Hold the torch about 2-3 inches from the sugar and melt the sugar until it bubbles and turns slightly golden. Keep moving the torch back and forth so it does not burn any small area. After all the sugar has turned golden, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. If you prefer a thicker top, add more sugar and repeat the process.
(optional) Add whipped cream or fruit on top.

~ Anjali

Mod Monkey Chocolate Cake w/Buttercream Frosting (vegan)

2011-04-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

My son turned ONE!! So of course I had to make a cake for his first birthday. I decided to go with the Mod Monkey theme and searched for a few cake decorating ideas online. I quickly found myself wanting to make a cake with a monkey face, and realized in order to make it look nice, I was going to have to use fondant. I've never worked with fondant before, but to my amazement it was very simple and fun to use!

CAKE ASSEMBLY:

I decided to make a 2-layer chocolate cake with my favorite buttercream frosting recipe I came across from a cake decorating class I recently took. It uses a high ratio shortening called Sweetex, which can probably be found at your local baking shop or online. The surface of the cake was frosted using buttercream. I used an great technique called "the paper towel method" to smooth the buttercream and form it around the cake to look like fondant. You should be able to search for this technique online. If you cannot find it, let me know.

I bought Ivory and Chocolate color fondant and colored some of the Ivory to make Blue and Yellow. I cut the shapes for the monkey myself, and used a circle cookie cutter for the round dots. The fondant shapes were attached to the buttercream using buttercream frosting. If you are attaching fondant to fondant, a small amount of water will do the trick.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SON!

~ Anjali

Summer Pasta Salad (gluten-free option, vegan option)

2011-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

A friend recently brought this great pasta salad to a potluck we had with the kids. It was refreshing, tasty, light, and colorful! It reminded me how long it's been since I've had pasta salad and so I asked her for the recipe to make it at home for my husband the week after. This dish is perfect to take to an outdoor summer picnic, and the leftovers taste great the next day!

For a gluten-free version, use any brand of gluten-free pasta. For the vegan option, simply omit the feta cheese.

SUMMER PASTA SALAD: (gluten-free option, vegan option)

Ingredients:

(serves 8 people)

(Pasta Salad)

1 lb. box of Tri-color Rotini Pasta
1 15oz. can of olives, sliced
1 15 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained completely
1/2 red pepper, cut into small cubes
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into small cubes
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 7 oz. package of feta cheese, crumbled
(note: you can use green pepper instead of red or yellow)

(Dressing)

4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp red vinegar (or balsamic vinegar, or regular vinegar)
4 tbsp water
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp dijon
4 tsp oregano
4 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp white sugar (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook the rotini al dente. Rinse with cool water and drain.
In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together.
In a large bowl, combine cooked and drained rotini, olives, artichoke hearts, peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and dressing. Toss gently to mix together.
If possible, chill in the refrigerator before serving.

~ Anjali

Baked Shell Pasta w/Cherry Tomatoes (gluten-free option, contains dairy)

2011-04-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a baked pasta dish recipe and came across this one when searching online. The original recipe is from 365 Days of Pure Vegetarian. I slightly modified the recipe by adding a little more of some of the ingredients. The resulting baked dish was very tasty, not to mention the quick prep time.

For a gluten-free version, use any brand of gluten-free pasta.

BAKED SHELL PASTA w/CHERRY TOMATOES: (gluten-free option, vegan option)

Ingredients:

(approx 10 servings)

4 cups Shell Pasta
24-30 cherry tomatoes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 t ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
5 tsp olive oil
salt/pepper
red chilli flakes

Directions:

Cook the pasta al dente and drain. Preset oven temperature to 375F degrees.
Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
In a pan, heat the olive oil to medium heat. Add the chilli flakes and cherry tomatoes. Stir and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add the pasta, nutmeg, mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir well for 1 minute. Turn the heat off.
Transfer everything into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top.
Bake uncovered until the top becomes golden brown.

~ Anjali

Buttercream Frosting (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-04-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who dislike the creamy taste of butter in your buttercream frosting recipe, here's another version that uses a high ratio shortening called Sweetex. I recently took a cake decorating class and came across this recipe which is very easy to make, colors well, tastes great, and is easy to work with. The original recipe called for meringue powder which I left out because it contained eggs. You can make this recipe 1 week in advance and store it in the fridge for a few weeks. The picture above is from my son's 1st Birthday party where I made mini-cupcakes with this buttercream frosting for all the guests. I colored the frosting yellow and blue to go with his Mod Monkey theme! They turned out great!

You should be able to find Sweetex at your local baking store or online. From what i've found, the ingredients of Sweetex are vegan, but if anyone else finds otherwise, please let me know!

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: (vegan)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Sweetex high-ratio shortening
1/4 teasp salt
2 lbs sifted powdered sugar (the one in the bag is already sifted)
1/2 cup water
1 teasp. vanilla or other flavoring (almond)

Directions:

Mix the sweetex and salt with electric mixer to blend (preferably a stand mixer).
Add water to the bowl and then add powdered sugar and blend by hand with a spatula until the sugar is absorbed into the liquid.
Put the bowl back on stand mixer and beat on med speed for 2-5 min until smooth and fluffy (2min for stand mixer).
Store at room temperature or in the fridge.

Note: to get your butter cream smooth and create a "fondant" effect on your buttercream iced cake, use "the paper towel method". For details, you can search the method online. If you cannot find the method, let me know!

~ Anjali

Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan)

2011-02-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe is an update for the Oatmeal Cookies recipe I posted awhile back. I wanted to make oatmeal cookies but my husband wanted chocolate chip cookies. As a compromise, I decided to throw a handful of dark chocolate chips in the cookie dough after adding the oatmeal. The cookies turned out great so I thought I'd share!

Penne Arrabiata w/Feta (gluten-free option, vegan-option)

2011-02-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

When I started to look up recipes online, I found that basically the main ingredients for any Penne Arrabiata are tomatoes, garlic, basil, and red chilli. So instead of using a new recipe, I just made the sauce from my Stuffed Shells w/Feta & Herbs recipe, which I absolutely love! The only changes I made were to add more spice and add feta cheese to the sauce. I had the sauce over Penne pasta with fresh basil and some feta cheese sprinkled on top. Very tasty and had a nice kick to it! Next time I plan on adding sauteed mushrooms!

For a gluten-free version, use any brand of gluten-free pasta. For the vegan option, simply omit the feta cheese.

PENNE ARRABIATA w/Feta: (gluten-free option, vegan option)

Ingredients:

(sauce serves 3-4 people)

1/4 c olive oil or butter
1 c white onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t dried red crushed pepper
2 28-oz. cans Italian Plum Tomatoes (or can chopped Italian tomatoes)
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 t sugar (+ more to taste)
3 oz. crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan option)
salt/pepper
Penne Pasta (approx. 1/2-3/4 lb.)

Directions:

To Prepare Sauce: Heat butter or oil in heavy saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook for 5 min.
Add red crushed pepper and saute for 30 sec.
Add tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce is reduced and mash some of the tomatoes (~ 1 hour). In the meantime, you can start to cook the penne pasta.
Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Add 1 cup chopped fresh basil and 2 oz. feta cheese. Mix and cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat.
Prepare Pasta: Boil the Penne Pasta al dente.
Add the pasta to the sauce. I usually like a generous serving of sauce compared to my pasta. Top the pasta with feta cheese and garnish with fresh chopped basil. Serve hot with home-made garlic bread.

~ Anjali

Garlic Pepper Tofu (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-02-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

My husband had garlic pepper tofu at a Thai restaurant once and loved the dish. Not having tasted it myself, I tried to search for a recipe online to recreate it at home, but failed to find one which had all the ingredients I wanted to add. Therefore, I decided to try and create the dish myself. The outcome was savory and delicious! Since then, I've made this dish several times and it has become one of our staples when making Thai food at home. Hope you enjoy the dish as much as we do!

GARLIC PEPPER TOFU: (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

2 14-oz Blocks Firm Tofu
3/4 cup white onions, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 t ginger, grated
1 T vegetable oil
green onions, chopped (optional)

(sauce ingredients)

5 T soy sauce (gluten-free: San-J gluten-free soy sauce)
1 1/2 t ground pepper (preferably fresh ground pepper)
4 1/2 t white sugar
1 1/2 t chili sauce (I use Huy Fong Chili Sauce)
1 T corn starch
1 T vegetable oil
5 T water

Directions:

To Prepare Tofu: Cut both tofu blocks in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu). Cut the tofu into 1/2 to 1 in. cubes and pan fry on medium-high heat with 1-2 T vegetable oil, mixing and turning frequently until all the water is burned off and the tofu is lightly golden brown on most sides (be sure not to burn the tofu). While the tofu is cooking, continue on to prepare the sauce.
To Prepare Sauce: Combine all ingredients listed under sauce above. Mix until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Add more chili sauce if you prefer more spice.
Once the tofu is done, set it aside in a separate bowl.
In the same pan, add 1 T vegetable oil and heat on medium. Add the garlic and ginger and fry in the oil till fragrant. Add the white onions and continue mixing until they are cooked (1-2 minutes).
Add the tofu, and pour sauce over the tofu. Mix on low-medium heat until the sauce slightly thickens and coats the tofu. Do not burn off all the sauce. This should only take a few minutes.
Taste the sauce after it is done. Depending on how sweet and spicy you prefer the dish, adjust as needed with soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and chili sauce.
(optional) Top with chopped green onions and serve hot over brown rice.

~ Anjali

Curried Cannellini Beans (vegan, gluten-free)

2011-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

I intended to make Chole which is an Indian curried chickpeas dish, but realized I did not have any chickpeas in my pantry. So instead, I decided to use Cannellini beans (white kidney beans). The dish turned out very tasty! I may even prefer these Italian white beans to chickpeas in this dish...enjoy!

CURRIED CANNELLINI BEANS: (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and washed
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 t ginger, grated
1 t green chilli, grated (add more to increase the amount of spice)
1/2 t Turmeric powder
2 t Coriander powder
1 t Cumin powder
1 t Garam Masala
1/2 t Mustard Seeds (optional)
1-2 T vegetable oil
cilantro, chopped
lemon juice
salt
sugar

Directions:

In a non-stick pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Heat the mustard seeds and bay leaves until fragrant. Mix frequently to prevent burning.
Add the garlic, ginger, and green chili, and cook until fragrant.
Add the onions and saute until they are translucent. Stir frequently to prevent sticking, or add more vegetable oil if needed.
Add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar. Check for seasoning, and add more if you prefer.
Add enough water to make a thick gravy. Make sure there is enough liquid so that there is no burning (add additional water if necessary). Bring to a boil.
Add the cannellini beans, cover, and reduce the heat.
Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. If after 15 minutes, there is too much liquid, keep simmering until it is reduced to the desired consistency.
(optional) Mash some of the beans with spatula or masher (note: most of the beans should be left intact).
Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice, salt, and sugar as needed.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve hot with rice, Naan (Indian flat bread), or any other type of bread/pita.

~ Anjali

Tomatoes Stuffed w/Goat Cheese (contains dairy, gluten-free)

2011-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

If you like goat cheese, you'll love these simple stuffed tomatoes! You can serve them as a side dish or an appetizer. They are very easy to make, taste refreshing, and are perfect in size. I first had them at a friends potluck a few years back and re-created them at home.

TOMATOES STUFFED w/GOAT CHEESE: (contains dairy, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

cherry tomatoes
soft goat cheese
salt
pepper

Directions:

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and scoop out the insides keeping the structure intact.
Mix the soft goat cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl to taste.
Fill the tomato halves with the mixture. For best results, chill them in the fridge for a short time before serving.

~ Anjali

Avocado Pesto (gluten-free, vegan option)

2011-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

I've recently started loving the texture of avocado with many foods. When I came across this recipe on Chef Chloe's website from Food Network, I had to give it a try. Avocado seemed like the perfect addition to pesto to give it that extra creamy flavor and texture. The only change I made to the recipe was the addition of Parmesan Cheese. I used this pesto over penne pasta and sauteed mushrooms and it tasted great. It would also taste great as a sandwich spread, dip, or cold summer pasta dish!

AVOCADO PESTO: (gluten-free, vegan option)

Ingredients:

2.5 oz basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
salt/ ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
2. Add salt/fresh ground black pepper to taste and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Banana Bread (update) - Gluten Free

2010-12-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

I recently had a friend ask about making the banana bread recipe I have gluten-free. With the holidays around the corner, I decided to try and make gluten-free banana bread for my brother who has Celiac Disease. Without doing any optimizing on my original recipe, I simply substituted the all-purpose flour for Arrowhead Mills gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. Out came really moist, nicely texture gluten-free banana bread. It tasted very similar to my original recipe!

So for those of you looking for a gluten-free banana bread recipe, simply use my original recipe on this blog, and substitute the flour for gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. I usually use Arrowhead Mills brand, but i'm sure any other mix would work fine.

Enjoy!!

~ Anjali

Zucchini Brownies (vegan option)

2010-11-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to give this recipe a try after reading all the great reviews from all recipes. I was also curious how they would turn out with the addition of zucchini, which I always have in my fridge. The outcome was very good! The zucchini added great moisture and texture without being able to pick out the flavor. You can't even tell the brownies have zucchini in them.

The actual brownie itself is not too sweet, so I would definitely recommend making and layering the frosting on top. My frosting turned out a little more runny than I would've liked. Next time I make this recipe, I may gradually add the milk until I achieve the desired consistency. This brownie recipe is vegan, but the original frosting recipe contains dairy. You can sub in soy milk and earth balance margarine into the frosting to make it vegan.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES: (vegan)

Ingredients:

(Brownies - vegan)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teasp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teasp. baking soda
1 teasp. salt
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

(Frosting - contains diary)

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine (optional - earth balance)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk (optional - soy milk or rice milk)
1/2 teasp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To Make Brownies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and 2 teasp. vanilla extract until well blended.
Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture (note: the mixture will still be dry at this point). Fold in the shredded zucchini and walnuts.
Sperad evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 min. in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when touched.
To Make Frosting. Melt together the 6 T of cocoa and margarine. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, blend together the confectioners sugar, milk, and 1/2 teasp vanilla.
Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

~ Anjali

Orecchiette with Gorgonzola Sauce (gluten-free option, contains dairy)

2010-11-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

The first time I heard of Gorgonzola sauce was at a local italian restaurant in San Diego. Not sure if it would be overwhelming and strong due to the Gorgonzola, I decided to give it a try. Since then, i've been back at least 4 times craving that sauce! The taste was perfect - not too overwhelming, but just enough to give it that bite from it's blue veining.

A month later, when flipping through the latest Vegetarian Times magazine, I came across a simple recipe for Gorgonzola pasta and decided to try and recreate the italian dish at home. The result was very flavorful and close to the dish I always get at the restaurant. I modified the original recipe and added sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms in order to complement the sauce.

As a side note, the version of the dish at the restaurant also contained asparagus and tasted great! Perhaps I'll add this in next time. Also, I did not have Orecchiette pasta, so I ended up using shell pasta.

For the gluten-free option, use any type of gluten-free pasta.

ORECCHIETTE w/GORGONZOLA SAUCE: (gluten-free option, contains dairy)

Ingredients:

8 oz. orecchiette pasta (2 cups)
1/2 cup milk
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
2.5 oz. sun dried tomatoes, oil drained, cut in 3rds
salt (optional)

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente.
In the meantime, slice and saute the mushrooms on medium-high heat until they are cooked and the water released from the mushrooms is boiled off.
Heat the milk and Gorgonzola in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and slightly thickened.
Stir in the pasta, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes to coat with the sauce.
Top with pepper and serve.

~ Anjali

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (gluten-free, vegan option)

2010-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

This variation to the traditional pesto recipe contains sun-dried tomatoes. The tomato taste combined with basil and Parmesan cheese makes for a great combination.

You can use this pesto for just about anything. My favorite is to toss it with penne pasta, crumbled goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers, olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the vegan option, omit the Parmesan cheese or use vegan Parmesan cheese.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO: (gluten-free, vegan option)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1/2 cups pine nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
5-6 T cup olive oil
6 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
salt/pepper

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
Add salt/pepper to taste and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad (contains dairy, gluten-free)

2010-10-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

This salad is absolutely delicious! The combination of sweet candied walnuts, salty Gorgonzola cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette makes for a perfect taste. The best part is that I finally learned how to make candied walnuts. You'll never have to buy candied walnuts again when you find out how easy they are to make!

Note on the candied walnuts: if you find the candied walnuts too sweet, you can add less sugar. The original recipe for candied walnuts calls for a 2:1 ratio of walnuts to sugar, but i usually use about 1/3 the amount of sugar to walnuts.

CANDIED WALNUT GORGONZOLA SALAD: (contains diary, gluten-free)

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup walnut halves
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 T raspberry vinaigrette
1 T white vinegar
1 T olive oil

Directions:

To Make Candied Walnuts. Place walnuts and sugar in a skillet over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves into a light brown liquid and coats the walnuts.
Remove the walnuts and spread over foil. Once they are cool, break apart in pieces. This recipe only needs 1/2 cup candied walnuts, so you can store the other 1/2 for use later on.
To Make Salad. In a large bowl, mix the greens, cheese, vinaigrette, cranberries, olive oil, vinegar, and 1/2 cup candied walnuts. Toss and serve.

~ Anjali

Penne Alfredo Pasta (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

2010-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

My husband made this dish for me on our 4 year wedding anniversary. It's one of the more traditional recipes for Alfredo sauce from one of the Food Network kitchens and tastes really good! The one change we made was in using Penne pasta instead of Fettuccine pasta since Fettuccine usually contains eggs.

This dish tastes great with a candied walnut gorgonzola salad (recipe to come).

Gluten-free version: Use gluten free pasta.

PENNE ALFREDO PASTA: (contains diary, gluten-free option)

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb dry Penne pasta
1/3 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups heavy cream
2 pinches nutmeg, grated
1 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
chopped parsley
salt/pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Boil the pasta al dente.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Whisk in the heavy cream and nutmeg.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and lower the heat.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss with the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with some chopped parsley and serve immediately.

~ Anjali

Cilantro Parsley Pesto (gluten-free, vegan option)

2010-08-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to try making Pesto with cilantro instead of basil, but never got around to it until I came across this recipe. The combination of cilantro and parsley tastes great and is a nice variation to the traditional pesto recipe if you don't have basil around. I ultimately used this pesto along with sauteed mushrooms to make a tasty penne pasta dish!

For the vegan option, omit the Parmesan cheese or use vegan Parmesan cheese.

CILANTRO PARSLEY PESTO: (gluten-free, vegan option)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 T pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (omit for vegan option)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt/pepper

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
Add salt/pepper to taste and enjoy!

~ Anjali

Oatmeal Cookies (vegan)

2010-07-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

My dad is not a huge fan of chocolate, so I dug this recipe out from my book and decided to make them again. I'm not sure where this recipe originally came from, but these oatmeal cookies are very tasty and delightful! They are soft on the inside and textured on the outside.

OATMEAL COOKIES: (vegan)

(makes ~ 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 banana, mashed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar, white
1/3 + cups oil, vegetable
1 1/2 teasp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 teasp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teasp. baking soda
1/2 teasp. salt
2 1/4 cup oats
3 T water
raisins (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In another large bowl, mix together brown sugar, white sugar, oil, and water. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients above gradually while mixing.
Stir in the oats (optional - if you like raisins, you can stir a handful in at the same time).
Let the final mixture stand for a brief time if the consistency is too loose.
Layer a cookie pan with foil. Drop the cookie dough onto the pan by the tablespoon. No need to make sure the dough is round, you can just drop it on.
Cook for 13-15 minutes. The bottom of the cookie should be brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them stand for a few minutes before taking them off, and then let them cool completely on a rack.

~ Anjali

Eggless French Toast (contains diary)

2010-05-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

For my first Mother's Day celebration, my newborn son decided to make me breakfast =) Of course, he had to ask his daddy for help and together, the two of them made me eggless french toast and it was delicious! The traditional taste of eggy bread was definitly not missed in this dish. To top it off, my husband added powdered sugar, fresh strawberries, and maple syrup. Thanks to my husband and son for a very special first Mother's Day!

EGGLESS FRENCH TOAST: (contains diary)

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract (or other extract)
2 slices bread (whole wheat or white)
2 tsp butter, salted

Directions:

Combine the milk, cornstarch, and vanilla in a bowl and stir until everything is dissolved.
In a shallow pan, place the bread slices and pour the milk mixture over the bread.
In a preheated nonstick skillet (on medium heat) melt 1 tsp of the butter. Place the bread in the skillet and brown lightly. Turn the bread over, add the remaining margarine, and brown the other side.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with strawberries and maple syrup. Serve hot.

~ Anjali

Carrot Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting (contains dairy)

2010-05-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

My aunt from Texas shared this recipe with me when she made it for christmas awhile back. It was one of the first eggless recipes I came across. I hadn't made it for awhile, but I dug it up again, and realized i was missing out! It makes the best carrot cake i've tasted! And it goes great with the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe i got from her as well. This recipe makes 3 cakes. You can either opt to make three separate cakes, or layer them and make one big cake, which is what I usually do. And get creative with the decorations!

I made this cake gluten-free for my brother and it turned out great! I didn't just substitute gluten-free baking mix, but rather used a completely different carrot cake recipe with different proportions and a few additional ingredients. Unfortunately, I mis-placed the recipe i used, so once i try it again, i'll post the gluten-free version of this cake.

This recipe is not vegan, but i'm sure you could substitute the sour cream with something else - i have yet to try it.

CARROT CAKE W/CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: (contains dairy)

Makes Three 8" Pans

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 8oz. can crushed pineapples
1 1/2 cup oil
2 cups carrots (steamed and mashed)
1 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg powder
1/2 t cloves powder
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
3 T sour cream
raisins
little amt. of pineapple juice (if needed)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Line the bottom of three 8" pans with wax paper. Split batter evenly between all 3 pans and bake three separate cakes, each for 45-50 minutes or until done.
Cool cake layers in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Place rack on top of cake layer, and invert as a unit. Make sure the rack is not touching the surface.
Repeat with other layers and allow all layers to cool completely.

Cake Assembly: (note: goes really well with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe)

Frosting helps seal in a cake's moisture, and add another element of flavor and texture. The key to frosting a cake well is to make sure the layers are cool and free of crumbs before you apply the frosting.

Place one layer, rounded side up, on cake plate, spread an even coat of frosting to within 1/4 inch of the edge.
Place second layer, rounded side down, on frosted layer. Spread an even coat of frosting to within 1/4 inch of the edge.
Place third layer, rounded side up, on frosted layer. Coat the sides of the cake with a layer of frosting. Swirl more frosting on the side, forming a 1/4-inch ridge above the top of the cake.
Spread remaining frosting over the top of the cake, just meeting the built-up ridge around side and frost the side of the cake. Leave the top smooth for decorations.

For decoration, sprinkle shredded coconut all over the cake sides and top. Alternatively, coat the side of the frosted cake with chopped walnuts. Orange food coloring can also be added to the frosting to decorate the top of the cake with frosting swirls and shapes.

~ Anjali

Tofu Scramble - Mexican Style (vegan, gluten-free)

2010-05-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've heard of people making tofu scrambles for breakfast or as a side and never realized how simple the dish was to make until I tried it myself. I used a tip from a friend who told me to freeze the entire block of tofu prior to making the scramble. Freezing tofu changes its consistency and texture, making it more firm and dense. When crumbled, it tastes great.

I made this recipe up myself so feel free to add any additional vegetables (such as mushrooms), sauces, or herbs. This recipe is a mexican version of tofu scramble. It tastes great as a side or for breakfast. You can also grill either flour or corn tortilla and use the scramble as a filling. Get creative as i'm sure there are many versions of a tofu scramble!!

TOFU SCRAMBLE - MEXICAN STYLE: (gluten-free, vegan)

(3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 white or red onion, small, chopped
corn kernels (frozen)
2 cloves garlic, grated
taco seasoning (see below for gluten-free version of this ingredient) **
hot sauce (I prefer Cholula Hot Sauce)
basil or cilantro, chopped
salt
flour or corn tortilla (optional)

** Many store-bought taco seasoning is not gluten-free. For a gluten-free version, instead of using store-bought taco seasoning, use a combination of any or all of the following spices: chilli powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ground oregano, and sugar.

Directions:

To Prepare Tofu: Cut tofu block in half. Drain the tofu with paper napkins in order to remove the excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu).
Once the tofu is drained, place it in a freezer bag and store in the freezer. Freeze overnight or until you are ready to use it.
Remove from the freezer and and thaw completely in the refrigerator. You will notice the change in consistency of the tofu after it has been frozen.
When soft, press any residual water with a paper napkin.
(Note: Alternatively, you can place their unopened package of tofu in the freezer without draining and drain after the tofu is defrosted. You may have more water and air pockets because the water will have frozen inside the tofu. Either method will work.)
To Prepare Scramble: Add 1-2 T oil in a wok or skillet and heat to medium. Add chopped garlic, onions, and red/green bell peppers and saute on medium/high heat until they are cooked. Add some salt and mix. Defrost and add the corn.
With your hands, crumble the tofu block and add directly to the skillet.
Mix the scramble frequently and cook the tofu until it has slightly browned.
Add taco seasoning, hot sauce, and salt to taste.
Add freshly chopped basil or cilantro. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs. Serve hot.

You can eat this scramble by itself, or grill tortilla and make a wrap using this scramble as a filling.
~ Anjali

Simply Breakfast Potatoes (vegan, gluten-free)

2010-03-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Being vegetarian and not eating eggs makes for a difficult time when going out for brunch or breakfast with friends at most restaurants. Very rarely do you come across a place that serves eggless pancakes or waffles unless the restaurant is vegan itself. However, the one dish my husband and I enjoy eating is breakfast potatoes with any type of vegetables. I've made simple pan-fried potatoes before with herbs, but thought i'd try to find another recipe specifically for breakfast potatoes and came across this one on the All Recipes website. I modified the recipe slightly and had to cook them more, but overall they turned out great and I definitely plan on making them again.

SIMPLY BREAKFAST POTATOES: (vegan, gluten-free)

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 red potatoes
2 T olive oil
1 T butter, salted (vegan, earth balance)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3/4 teasp. paprika
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt/pepper
cheddar cheese, grated (optional, non-vegan)

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the red potatoes whole with skin and cook until the potatoes are tender but firm (about 15 min). Drain, cool, and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes with the skin attached.
While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1 T olive oil over medium/high heat in a skillet. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Set aside on a plate.
Add the remaining 1 T olive oil & 1 T butter into the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the potatoe cubes, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, browned, and slightly crispy on the outside. This may take 10-20 minutes.
Stir in the onions, green peppers, and parsley and cook for another few minutes.
Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
(optional) Add shredded cheddar cheese on top and mix with the potatoes and vegetables just until the cheese starts to slightly melt.
Serve hot.

Note: I enjoy these potatoes with hot sauce or ketchup.

~ Anjali

Cheese Scalloped Potatoes (contains diary)

2010-03-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

I enjoy making this recipe because of the use of the Bechamel sauce, otherwise known as a white sauce predominantly used in the French and Italian cuisine. It can be used in a variety of different dishes and is the base for many sauces. It is traditionally made by gradually whisking milk into a white flour-butter mixture, where the thickness of the sauce depends on the portions of milk and flour. In addition to this recipe, I've use it multiple times when making soups, creamy vegetable dishes, and pasta sauces.

I've made this basic recipe for cheesy scalloped potatoes as a side dish several times and it's one of my favorites. The potatoes absorb the liquid as they cook, the cheese melts, and the top gets browned - all this forms to make for a great flavor. And the use of the Bechamel sauce instead of heavy cream is an added benefit. Next time I may experiment with adding additional ingredients such as fresh herbs to the dish.

CHEESE SCALLOPED POTATOES: (contains dairy)

(makes 1 9x13 casserole of layered potatoes)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white onions, chopped
2 T salted butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 russet potatoes, medium in size
salt/pepper

Directions:

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes.
In a pot, add the butter and cook the onions in the butter until soft. Add flour and cook an additional 2 min. stirring occasionally.
Whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce is bubbly and thickens, stirring frequently.
Remove the pot from the heat and add 3/4 cup cheese. Stir until the cheese is all melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a glass casserole dish (be sure to use a shallow dish, preferably 9x13), place one layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt/pepper, add 1/2 the sauce mixture, and repeat to form one more additional layer.
Sprinkle the top with the remainder of the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and cooked (test with a fork).
Uncover, and bake for an additional ~10-15 min. until the cheese on top is melted and crispy-golden brown.

~ Anjali

Raspberry Coconut Layer Bars (contains dairy)

2010-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

This year when looking for desserts to make for our christmas party, I found this recipe in my box which I hadn't made in awhile and thought it would be the perfect holiday treat. The tart flavor of the raspberry preserves contrast the sweet taste of coconut/milk layer and chocolate and combine to form a delicious bar that tastes and looks great. It was perfect for the holidays! I'm not quite sure where I originally found this recipe, but I believe I came across it many years back in the newspaper.

I have not tried making a vegan version of this dessert yet. You can easily substitute earth balance margarine for butter, but I need to find a vegan substitute for the condensed milk.

To make this dessert gluten-free, I can imagine you can take any gluten-free cookie similar to graham crackers and make the crumbs to use as the base of the bar. All other ingredients can be found gluten-free.

RASPBERRY COCONUT LAYER BARS: (contains dairy)

(makes 1 9x13 pan of bars)

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, melted
2 2/3 cup coconut, shredded
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 cup raspberry preserves
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup white & dark chocolate chips

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Spread on 9x13 inch pan.
Sprinkle coconut evenly over the crust.
Pour the condensed milk evenly on top of the coconut layer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes and cool.
Spread the raspberry preserves over the layer and chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
Sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle melted chocolate over the top.
Chill in the fridge until the chocolate is solidified and cut into squares.

Note: To drizzle chocolate, you can melt the chocolate and pour into a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and cut a small hole on one corner. Use as a cone and drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the walnut layer. Or you can just use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate.

~ Anjali

Vegan Pot Pie (vegan)

2010-03-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

POT PIE IS SO WHITE! No worries, this vegan spin puts tofu in that shizz for a culturally conscious pie. This was damn delicious, and I savored every bite like it was 90's mariah carey.

VEGAN POT PIE: (vegan)

makes one pot pie (no kidding)

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup Earth Balance

1 teaspoon salt

5 - 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

1 diced onion (preferably white)

4 cloves garlic

1 diced sweet potato (approximately 3/2 - 2 cup)

1 14 oz package of firm tofu, cubed

1 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup peas

2 potatoes, diced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 cup soy milk

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp Earth Balance

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To make the crust: combine the flour and salt in a bowl and mix. Fork in Earth Balance. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, continuing to mix in between, until the mixture has formed a nice dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a pan, throw in the tofu with some oil and bake in the oven until slightly tough and brown on the outside
In a saucepan, heat up onions in some oil until slightly translucent. Add garlic.
Cook until the onions are completely translucent and garlic is cooked. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and herbs. Add some salt and cook for about 6 - 7 minutes until vegetables soften slightly.
In a separate bowl, mix soy milk and flour until combined. Add to the vegetables with Earth Balance and tofu.
Cover the vegetables and cook another 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once the vegetables are done cooking. Get your baking pan out and roll out a little more than half the dough to cover the bottom and sides. Place the dough in the pan. Fill it with vegetable mixture. Roll out the rest of the dough and lay on top of the mixture. Pinch the edges together and remove any excess.
Brush the top with a mixture of 1 tbsp soy milk and 1 tbsp canola. Bake in the oven until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling out, about 45 minutes.
Serve on china with bougie salad, mashed potatoes, french beans, and a slice of suburban monotony. Enjoy!

~Amman

Vegan Mango Bars (?)

2010-03-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

So, here's the deal. Friends and I decided to make a vegan cheesecake. I went to Berkeley Bowl to get some cream cheese and got the only thing they had, the Follow Your Heart Brand as opposed to the tofutti version I usually get.
Dear Follow Your Heart Brand,
I love you. I think you guys are amazing. I thank you so much for what you guys are doing about bringing vegan food the masses and making it accessible. Vegenaise is a god-send. But, can you please deal with this situation about your cheeses? Vegan Gourmet kinda stinks, it turns off a lot of non-believers to veganism, and this new cream cheese dealio isn't working out so well either.
Thanks,
Amman
Needless to say, the resulting filling tasted...off. No worries, in a rare occasion of momentary brilliance, I snagged a bag of frozen mango and pineapple from the fridge and blended it in. The result...MANGO BARS! It wasn't perfect, but it was tasty nonetheless. Bright, light, and tropical, I prefer our resultant mango bars to any cheesecake, any day. Enjoy!

VEGAN TROPICAL BARS: (vegan)

Ingredients:

(makes one pie)

Filling:

1 8 oz container of vegan cream cheese (use tofutti brand for reasons mentioned above)

12 oz Mori-Nu vacuum sealed silken tofu

3/2 cup frozen mango/pineapple/fruit to your liking

1/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup corn starch

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tsp egg replacer

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

coconut flakes (optional)

Crust:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup Earth Balance

1 teaspoon salt

5 - 6 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust: In a bowl mix the flour and salt, add the earth balance and fork it in. If you are feeling frisky, go ahead and dive in there with your hands.
Add the water a tablespoon at a time and incorporate. Do this until the mixture becomes a nice dough.
To make the filling: In a blender, add all the ingredients except the oil and blend together until smooth. Put the blender on low, and slowly add in the oil until the mixture is well mixed.
On a well floured surface, roll out the dough until it is the size of your pie crust. Roll the dough onto the pin, and then unroll it on the pie tin.
Add the filling into the tin.
Bake in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the filling has set. For a more tropical feel, sprinkle the top with coconut flakes 15 minutes after putting it in the even. yum!

~Amman

Tiramisu Cake (contains dairy) - made again

2010-03-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

My husband made this recipe again for eggless tiramisu cake just the other week, and it was delicious!! Since the both of us polished it off in a week, I thought i'd share a picture of the dessert - I posted the recipe for this cake awhile back (see link above).

Vegan Oatmeal Peanut Butter (Chocolate Chip) Cookies

2010-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

These cookies are delicious and the perfect food for a good day of protesting. Vegan, tasty, no palm oil, what more could you ask for?
I used both crunchy and smooth peanut butters on different occasions to experiment. Both are excellent, but I enjoyed the bits of peanut that the crunchy lent to the cookie.
Also, Jif sucks. Please, for the sake of your health, avoid it. They advertise they have no partially hydrogenated fats. It's true, they have no partially hydrogenated fats; they have FULLY hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats are toxic and horrible for you. BOOOO on deceptive advertising and corporate brainwashing.
Enjoy!

VEGAN OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER (CHOCOLATE CHIP) COOKIES: (vegan)

makes like 30 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry)
2 cups rolled oats (i've used quick cook and they come out fine as well)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola/vegetable oil
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegan milk (i.e. soy, rice, hemp, almond...)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, whatever you please

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients (minus the optional ingredients)
Combine the wet and dry until fully mixed. The dough should be super moist and thick
Add in any chocolate chips or nuts or whatever you want to add
Taste your dough. Congratulations, you are an amazing baker.
Scoop out 1 - 2 tablespoon-size portion of dough, roll and sightly flatten in your palm and then put on a cookie sheet
Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, until the cookies have spread and are still very soft to touch, and the bottom is not burnt!

~Amman

Traditional Cheesecake w/Fruit (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

2010-03-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

Although this isn't the healthiest of recipes, if you're looking for a great baked eggless cheesecake, this recipe is perfect! In the past i've made several cheesecakes which consist of cream cheese and other ingredients mixed together and frozen to solidify the mixture, but they all lacked the fluffy consistency of traditional cheesecake. So I went looking for an eggless version that consisted of baking the mixture - I've had this recipe for many years now, and it's become my staple cheesecake recipe.

For best results, make this cheesecake 1 day in advance and store in the fridge. I always enjoy this cheesecake with frozen raspberries or a mixture of fresh berries.

TRADITIONAL CHEESECAKE w/FRUIT : (contains diary, gluten-free option)

(makes 1 cheesecake)

Ingredients:

1 Graham Crust (either store bought, or made with some butter & graham cracker crumbs)
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 T corn starch
1 T vanilla extract
1 t vanilla extract
1 pt. sour cream
frozen berries or fresh fruit (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1 T vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer.
Pour mixture into the pie crust shell and bake for 40 min. Cool for 5 min.
Increase oven heat to 400 degrees.
Mix 1/2 cup sugar, sour cream, and 1 teasp. vanilla extract.
Pour over baked cheese mixture and bake for 10 minutes. The pie crust will be pretty full, so be careful not to overflow.
Cool completely and store in the fridge.
Defrost the frozen berries or cut fresh fruit. Add on top of the cheesecake prior to serving or prior to storing in the fridge.

Note: for gluten-free version, use store bought gluten-free pie crust or make the pie crust out of freshly ground walnuts, almonds, a small amount of sugar, and a little butter pressed into a pie pan or shell.

Note: my favorite is to eat the cheesecake with raspberries.

~ Anjali

Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles (vegan)

2010-03-02T12:34:00.001-08:00

VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR!

That's the title of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's classic vegan baking book devoted to perfecting the vegan cookie. The book is great.

Okay, I won't lie, I am too cheap to shell out the $20 for the hardcover so I wouldn't know. But I've heard nothing but great things about it at social events where we vegan, tree hugging liberals gather and discuss nothing but how we hate capitalism and love hemp bracelets. Enter, the internet, the world's answer to like-minded cheap folks like me, where I can usually manage to scrap a recipe or two from a desired cookbook.

Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, with a kick of cayenne and the heartiness of cinnamon, these cookies are delicious alternatives to the generic snickerdoodle. Enjoy!

VEGAN MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE SNICKERDOODLES: (vegan)

(makes a good amount of cookies)

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1/2 cup canola/vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons non-dairy milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne

Crust:

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
In a bowl, mix the oil, sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla and whisk until combined.
In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and form a moist dough
Create small balls of about 2 teaspoons of dough and flatten slightly.
Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the crust, coat the cookies in the mixture and set them to bake.
Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, until the cookies have flattened slightly and cracked.

~ Amman

Vegan Snickerdoodles (vegan)

2010-02-16T00:41:00.001-08:00

Snickerdoodles are heaven. period.

VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES: (vegan)

(makes about 3 dozen small cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan margarine (to avoid artery clogging, please use Earth Balance)
1 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons + 3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Combine egg replacer and water and whisk until frothy
Add margarine, sugar (1 3/4 cup), and vanilla and whisk by hand or with machine until light and frothy
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon (2 teaspoons), nutmeg, and salt and mix
Add wet and dry ingredients and combine until moist dough is formed
In a small bowl, combine sugar (3 tablespoons) and cinnamon (3 teaspoons) and mix
Roll dough into 1 1/2 teaspoon balls and flatten until about 1/3'' thick to make disks. Gently pat both sides in sugar and cinnamon mixture
Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes until cookies are soft and bottoms are just golden
Optional: Dip half of the cookie in melted chocolate and fridge until hardened

~ Amman

Double Tomato Bruschetta (vegan option, gluten-free option)

2010-01-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe from the 'all recipes' website when searching for different appetizers to make for this years holiday party. I've never made fresh bruschetta myself, so I wanted to stick with something traditional, but add a slight twist. This recipe calls for the addition of sun dried tomatoes which have great flavor. I cut back considerably on the amount of oil the recipe called for, but otherwise it tasted great! In order to bring out the flavors and allow everything to marinate, I made the brushetta filling a few hours earlier and stored it in the fridge. I definitely plan on making this recipe again sometime soon!

For the vegan option, omit the mozzarella cheese - the flavors of all the tomatoes and spices are what makes the bruschetta delicious. For the gluten-free option, try using gluten-free bread, or it may even taste good with gluten-free crackers.

DOUBLE TOMATO BRUSCHETTA : (vegan option, gluten-free option)

(makes 1 french baguette)

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (from jar with oil)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese (omit for the vegan option)
1 French baguette, cut in 3/4-inch slices (or use gluten-free bread)

Directions:

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In large bowl, combine roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes (or you can prepare this mixture the day before serving).
Layer a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned on both sides.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

~ Anjali

Christmas Holiday Party Desserts

2010-01-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

Sugar Cookies (recipe)

Raspberry Coconut Layer Bars (recipe)

Pumpkin Cookies (recipe)

Banana Bread (recipe)

Here are some of my favorite dessert recipes I made for this years christmas party! They turned out delicious. The Raspberry Bars (recipe to be posted soon) and Christmas Sugar Cookies were a hit, and of course I had to make the pumpkin cookies again because people seem to enjoy them no matter what time of the year it is. I thought i'd share some pictures - enjoy and Happy Holidays!

~ Anjali

Quinoa w/Black Beans & Tomatoes (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-12-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

Quinoa is a great source of protein i've recently added to my diet. Technically, quinoa is not a grain, but the seed of a leafy plant. Surprisingly, it's been a staple food for thousands of years in the Andes region of South America.

This recipe was my first attempt at making a dish with quinoa at home. I decided to start off with a salad and came across this recipe from epicurious. At first, I was skeptical about the recipe because i tried the dressing by itself and it did not seem very flavorful. But the key to this recipe is combining all the ingredients and letting the fresh flavors of all the veggies blend and marinade together with the quinoa. In addition to what the recipe called for, I added a few additional vegetables and ended up with an amazing quinoa dish - it can be used as a side, salad, or even as a main entree. I personally prefer this dish served cold.

QUINOA w/BLACK BEANS & TOMATOES: (vegan, gluten-free)

(makes ~4-5 servings)

Ingredients:

2 t grated lemon zest
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T salted butter, melted and cooled
1 T vegetable oil
1 t sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 (14 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions or 1/2 white onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped finely
1/4-1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
salt/pepper (to taste)
(optional) garlic powder
(optional) 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped finely
(optional) 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped finely

Directions:

Whisk lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teasp. salt, and 1/4 teasp. pepper in a large bowl.
Wash the quinoa in cold water and drain. Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker (note: there are many ways to cook quinoa including in a pot of boiling water, so which ever method is best for you). If cooking in a rice cooker, add 2 cups of water for 1 cup quinoa.
For the vegetables you can do either of the following (1) keep the shallots, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper raw, OR (2) cook the chopped onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper in a non-stick pan over medium heat using some vegetable oil (do not over-cook them). I've made this dish both ways and they both taste great.
Let the quinoa cool slightly. Add quinoa to the dressing and toss until the dressing is absorbed.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and add salt/pepper to taste. Garlic powder is optional.
Refrigerate before serving if you prefer this dish cold.

~ Anjali

Vegan Pumpkin Pie (vegan, gluten-free option)

2009-12-23T00:19:00.000-08:00

Come fall, come dead leaves, school, earthy produce, crisp apples and pears, come thanksgiving, come the quintessential pumpkin pie. Sweet, spiced, and homely - more comforting than a snuggie, this cruelty-free alternative is every bit as delicious and nostalgic as its worshiped brother. Or at least, I think. I've never had real pumpkin pie, but as far as I'm concerned, this pumpkin pie is every bit as real and infinitesimally more loving than regular pumpkin pie. This one comes sans animal.

Like coconut cream pie, the key to this pumpkin pie is the tofu. Use mori-nu vacuum sealed tofu (not always in the fridgerated section) for more of that concentrated pumpkin taste and less of that tofu-y flavor.

VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE: (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

Filling:

12 oz Mori Nu Silken firm tofu

16 oz canned pumpkin puree

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger (powdered dry or grated fresh)

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup packed brown sugar

Crust:

3 cups flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

3/4 cup earth balance/margarine/shortening

1 tsp salt

5 - 6 tbsp cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
To prepare filling: blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Add sugar/spices to taste if needed.
To prepare crust: whisk together flour and salt.
Cut in earth balance, margarine, or shortening and begin to mix using mixer or by hand.
Sprinkle in cold water a table spoon at a time and mix after every few tablespoons.
Kneed dough into a ball (add extra liquid/earth balance as needed)
Roll into large sheet 1/8'' thick and lay on 8 - 10'' pie tin/baking dish
Pour in prepared filling
Cut off excess dough and fold in or crimp sides as you wish
Bake in oven for 1 hour until filling has cracked and set. Remove from oven and let cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with vegan whipped cream if desired.

Tofu w/Peanut Sauce & Spinach (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

Previously I posted a recipe for Thai Peanut Sauce, but this version is simplified if you don't have all the ingredients for making the fresh version. I personally love the fresh peanut sauce, but this one is close behind. I made this recipe a long time ago and recently dug it up because my husband had to stay away from fresh peanuts for the week but was fine eating creamy peanut butter.

This recipe is simple, quick, and easy to make. It tastes really good over tofu with fresh spinach.

For the gluten-free option, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce.

TOFU w/PEANUT SAUCE & SPINACH: (vegan, gluten-free)

(makes ~3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

(peanut sauce)
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
2 t brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 T soy sauce
1 t chilli powder or chilli flakes
1/4-1/2 cup warm water

1-2 cups spinach, chopped
1 block of firm tofu (~20 oz.), cubed, and pan fried

Directions:

To Prepare Tofu: Cut tofu block in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu). Cut the tofu into 1/2 to 1 in. cubes and pan fry on medium heat with a small amount of oil, mixing and turning frequently until lightly golden brown. While the tofu is cooking, continue on to prepare the peanut sauce.
To Prepare Peanut Sauce: Mix all ingredients for peanut sauce together. Add the warm water last. Combine with a spoon until the peanut butter is well blended.
In a wok or large non-stick skillet, combine pan fried tofu, chopped spinach, and prepared peanut sauce. Mix together on low-medium heat for 5-10min until the spinach is slightly cooked and the tofu has time to marinate in the sauce.
Be careful not to let the sauce simmer and start to thicken too much. You can stir in a small amount of water if needed.
Serve hot over rice.

~ Anjali

Pumpkin Cookies (vegan-option, gluten-free option)

2009-11-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

What better to make for halloween than pumpkin cookies! I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who in turn got it from a co-worker. They are soft and delicious! The perfect cookie for a sweet tooth during the holidays...

For a vegan option, use vegan unsalted butter and omit the frosting (the cookies are sweet enough on their own). For a gluten-free version, i've used gluten-free flour as a substitute and they've turned out tasty, but I still have to try perfecting them one more time - keep a look out for more comments on the gluten-free version.

PUMPKIN COOKIES: (vegan-option, gluten-free option)

(makes ~12-15 cookies)

Ingredients:

(wet ingredients)
1 cup pumpkin puree (from a can)
1 1/2 cup sugar, white granulated
1/2 cup unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
2 T cornstarch
1 t vanilla extract

(dry ingredients)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 1/2 cup flour (or gluten-free baking all-purpose baking mix)

(Glaze) - omit for vegan option

2 T unsalted butter
1 t vanilla
3-4 T milk
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

To make the cookies. Separately mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in two bowls with wooden or steel mixing spoon.
Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while continuing to mix with a mixing spoon.
Spoon out 2-inch round balls of dough onto a baking pan lined with foil. Note that the dough mixture may be loose. In this case, spoon out the dough as evenly as possible and try to shape it on the foil into a round shape. Each cookie dough does not need to be smooth.
Bake cookies for 14-16 min.
Place the finished cookies on foil and let them cool - the cookies will continue to cook until completely cooled.
To make the glaze. Whisk all the glaze ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Let the glaze sit for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
Frost the cookies once they are completely cooled.

Note: all ovens are not the same...the cookies should be browned at the bottom but not burnt. If at all doubtful about the timing, put a small batch in the first time around to check.

~ Anjali

Farfalle w/Creamy Broccoli Sauce (contains dairy)

2009-10-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to add in any many dishes because it absorbs any sauce or flavor. This pasta is made up of a simple white sauce made mostly with milk and flour, combined with nutmeg and the subtle flavors of onion, parsley, and bay leaf. It makes for a simple yet tasty pasta dish.

I brought this recipe out from one of my old recipe books but forgot where the original recipe came from.

FARFALLE W/CREAMY BROCCOLI SAUCE: (contains dairy)

(makes ~3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. farfalle pasta, uncooked
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 cup milk (preferably 2%)
1 bay leaf
4-5 branches of parsley, keep whole
slice of onion
8 oz. broccoli, cut in small pieces and washed
4 T heavy cream
nutmeg
salt/pepper
parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

Boil the pasta al dente.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in the flour. Mix the flour with the butter and let it cook for ~1min mixing continuously.
Slowly add the milk and mix until the sauce thickens.
Add the bay leaf, parsley branches, and onion slice. Let the sauce cook a little to absorb flavors. Mix often so that the sauce does not settle or thicken excessively.
Chop the broccoli and cook for 3-4 min. in boiling water. Drain.
Remove the bay leaf, parsley branches, and onion from the sauce. Squeeze out the white sauce as you remove the ingredients if possible. Discard the bay leaf, parsley, and onion.
Put the cooked pasta in the sauce pan and add broccoli. Stir in with the cream sauce.
Mix in the heavy cream.
Let the pasta and broccoli cook in the sauce for a small amount of time.
Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add all 3 to taste.
Serve hot and top with grated parmesan cheese (optional).

~ Anjali

Carrot Soup w/Ginger & Lemon (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-10-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

The cafeteria at my work always seems to have delicious vegetarian soups, but i always find myself shying away from them because they usually contain heavy cream as a base. Since I had a bunch of carrots in the fridge, I decided to make my own healthy version of carrot soup. I started off with a recipe from epicurious from which I made a few additions. The resulting soup was simple to make and very tasty!

For the vegetable broth, i always use Imagine Organic Vegetable Broth, which also happens to be gluten-free. I've tried other brands such as Swanson but did not like the taste.

CARROT SOUP W/GINGER & LEMON: (vegan, gluten-free)

(makes ~4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 T butter (vegan)
1 1/2 cup white onions, chopped
2 T fresh ginger, finely grated
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 t grated lemon peel
4 cups vegetable broth

3 T fresh lemon juice (+ more to taste)
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onions, saute 4 min.
Add ginger & garlic, saute 2 min.
Add chopped carrots, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and lemon peel. Saute 1-2 min.
Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and stir. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Cover partially and simmer until carrots are cooked and tender (approx. 25-30 min.)
Cool slightly & puree the soup using a hand blender.
Mix in the lemon juice (note: you may need to add more lemon juice in the end depending on your taste).
Season with salt and fresh pepper.
Bring the soup to a simmer and serve the soup hot! Top off with some freshly grated pepper (optional).

~ Anjali

Fresh Wrap w/ Chipotle Pepper Hummus

2009-09-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Fresh wraps are great to make for lunch or take to the beach/picnic over the summer. I'm not sure where I came across this recipe, but it caught my eye because of the chipotle pepper hummus. A chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeno chilli used primarily in Mexican-inspired cuisine and adobo sauce is a spice dark-red sauce or paste made from ground chiles, spices, herbs, and vinegar. So if you like a spicy savory kick, this wrap is for you. I've made it several times when i'm in the mood for something spicy, refreshing, and filling. The spicy hummus mixed with fresh veggies makes for a great combination.

Note: you can find small cans of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce at super markets such as ralphs.

FRESH WRAP W/CHIPOTLE PEPPER HUMMUS: (vegan option, gluten-free option)

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

Wrap:

4 green spinach tortillas (9" dia)
8 thin slices cheddar cheese
8 romaine leaves
1 cucumber (cut lenthwise in thin strips)
12 thin wedges avocado
1 c shredded carrots (or sliced thin strips of carrots)

Hummus:

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans
2 T sesame tahini
1 chipotle chilli in adobo sauce
1 T liquid from chipotle chilli can
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 t sweet paprika
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Directions:

To Prepare Hummus: Combine all ingredients for hummus and blend everything together in a food processor or blender. (note: if the hummus is to thick, add a small amount of water).
To Assemble Wrap: Place tortilla open on plate. Evenly spread hummus on the entire tortilla, leaving a 1/2 " border around the edges. Top with cucumber, avocado slices, and carrots.
Fold the right and left ends of the tortilla and roll up around filling.
Wrap in parchment paper and slice in half diagonally.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Gluten-free Option: use gluten-free tortilla.
Vegan-Option: use soy cheese or omit the cheese completely.

~ Anjali

Stuffed Shells w/Feta & Herbs (contains diary, gluten-free option)

2009-09-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

My mom used to make stuffed shells when I was young so I thought i'd give them a try. I started looking up different recipes to make my own sauce and came across this recipe from Epicurus.

Initially, I wasn't sure about the use of feta cheese instead of traditional mozzarella cheese for a filling in stuffed shells. Feta cheese has a little bit more bite than regular cheeses. It's usually salty with a pungent taste. But I decided to give it a try anyway and i'm glad I did. Baking the feta in with the rest of the ingredients made the taste mild, subtle, yet tasty. In addition, the sauce complimented the shells perfectly.

I've made this several times for dinner and it's turned out great. If you want, you can stuff the shells and make the sauce 1 day in advance to save time. Enjoy!

STUFFED SHELLS W/FETA & HERBS: (contains dairy)

(makes ~35 stuffed shells)

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/4 c olive oil or butter
1 c white onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 t dried red crushed pepper
2 28-oz. cans Italian Plum Tomatoes (or can chopped Italian tomatoes)
1 c fresh basil, chopped
1/4 t sugar (+ more to taste)
salt/pepper

Filling:

2 15-oz. containers ricotta cheese
14 oz. feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
fresh chives, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 12-oz. package jumbo pasta shells

Directions:

To Prepare Sauce: Heat butter or oil in heavy saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook for 5 min.
Add red crushed pepper and saute for 30 sec.
Add tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce is reduced and mash some of the tomatoes (~ 1 hour). In the meantime, you can start to prepare the filling and cook the shells.
Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Add fresh basil.
To Prepare Filling: Combine 1 1/3 cup feta, ricotta, basil, and chopped chives. Season with salt, pepper, and mix in the garlic.
Cook shells. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
Assembly: Spread sauce over the bottom of 2 9x13 glass baking dishes.
Fill 35 shells with filling and divide them between the 2 dishes forming a single laser of jumbo shells.
Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle the remaining feta cheese on top.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove and garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot with home-made garlic bread.

Gluten-free Option: use gluten-free jumbo shells or manicotti pasta

~ Anjali

Chocolate Cupcakes w/Dark Chocolate Ganache filling, glaze, & frosting! (made again)

2009-09-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

I just recently made these cupcakes again for a friends wedding and they were a big hit! I've already posted the recipe for these vegan cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache filling & glaze. I made two different frostings as the recipe indicates: dark chocolate ganache frosting & cream cheese frosting.

I thought I would post a few pictures because they turned out great again!

Coconut Cream Pie (vegan, gluten-free option)

2009-08-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am a fiend for good vegan/vegetarian restaurants, so it wasn't long before I discovered Real Food Daily, a vegan macrobiotic restaurant with locations in Santa Monica and Hollywood. The restaurants are headed by chef Anne Gentry, whose healthful comfort food recreations have attracted rave reviews and celebrities with the likes of Ellen Degeneres, Tobey Maguire, and Emily Deschanel. The food is healthy, clean, and flavorful, if not unimpressive and overpriced at times. Other than a glorious platter of nachos, the single most delicious bite of food I had at Real Food Daily was the Coconut Cream Pie, a wondrously light and delicious dessert that left my palate tingling for more and effectively restored my faith in tofu. Fast forward a few months, and I found myself buying the Real Food Daily Cookbook for my brother. Thankfully, tucked away in the dessert section was the recipe for the Coconut Ceam Pie, which we lost no time in recreating severeal times over.

The most important part of this recipe is getting the right tofu. Upon making the recipe with a different brand of tofu, the filling was permeated by the nutty taste of tofu, which made the eventual dessert not so delicious. The best tofu is the Mori Nu brand that comes vacuum packed and at room temperature.

COCONUT CREAM PIE: (vegan, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

Oatmeal Cookie Crust

3/4 cup quick oats (or gluten free oats)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can replace with flour, wheat flour, or sorghum flour for gluten free version)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/8 cup packed brown sugar
3/8 cup apple sauce

Coconut Cream Filling

1 1/2 pounds extra firm silken tofu
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 + 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Berry Sauce (optional)
2 cups berries/fruit of your choice
sugar (optional)

Directions:

To Make Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a blender or food processor, process the oats until they are finely ground
Combine oats with the remaining ingredients and form into a moist dough
Place the dough in the middle of a ten inch pan and using your hands, spread and flatten the dough over the bottom and up the sides as evenly as possible
To Make Filling: Pour all the ingredients but the 1/4 cup of shredded coconut into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste mixture and add sugar to taste.
Pour mixture into the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining coconut over the pie and bake for 15 minutes longer or until the filling has all but set in the center, moving only slightly when shaken.
Refrigerate for at least four hours.
To Make Berry Sauce: Blend berries in a blender until smooth. Add sugar to taste. Strain Sauce for seeds.
Serve chilled and drizzled with berry sauce.

Jalapeno-Lime Creme (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes courtesy of The Real Food Daily Cookbook. Tangy, bright, flavorful, and with a slight kick, this creme is perfect for serving with mexican food, soups, chili, or eating plain with tortilla chips. For a sweeter and smokey twist, add roasted bell pepper for roasted bell pepper creme. To roast peppers, oil them and place in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and peeling. Remove the peppers, skin, and seed them before use. Be sure to add more lime to taste. I usually use juicy and flavorful limes, but depending on the season and your location, you might need to add more for your recipe.

JALAPENO-LIME CREME (vegan, gluten-free)

Ingredients:

2 jalapeno chiles, roasted
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 + a light squeeze lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
1 bell pepper, roasted (preferably red, for roasted bell pepper creme)

Directions:

Blend the ingredients in a blender until perfectly smooth. Add lime juice or salt to taste. Serve chilled as a dip or drizzled over soup, mexican food, chili, etc.

Red Thai Curry (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-07-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thai curry is one of my favorite dishes to order at restaurants because of it's unique fresh taste. The dish is based on a delicious paste made from fresh and dried herbs and spices combined in many different ways. I've made thai red curry before, but I always used a ready-made paste from the grocery store. I came back from thailand with a recipe to make red and green curry from scratch and finally decided to try making it in my own kitchen.

The result was flavorful and tasted like it came from one of my favorite thai resturants! I was extremely satisfied with the outcome and would not change the recipe at all the next time i make it. I also have recipes for green curry and massaman curry which i'll hopefully try sometime soon and post.

Gluten-free note: Most soy sauces are NOT gluten-free. There are a few brands which are, so make sure you check the ingredients label at the store.

RED THAI CURRY: (gluten-free, vegan)

(makes 1 serving - scale up depending on how much you want to make)

Ingredients:

1/2 bowl mixed vegetables, cut
1 1/2 T red curry paste (recipe)
1/3 block of tofu (~7 oz.), cubed, and pan fried
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
7 T coconut milk
1 T light soy sauce
1/2 T dark soy sauce
1/2 T brown sugar
basil, chopped

Brown Rice

Mixed Vegetables (any combination of the following depending on availability):
white onions, sliced
potatoes, peeled & diced
carrots, sliced and cut diagonally
baby bok choy, chopped
mushrooms, cut into 2 or 4 sections
green bell pepper, sliced
baby corn, sliced
broccoli, cut into florets

Directions:

To Prepare Tofu: Cut tofu block in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu). Cut the tofu into 1 in. cubes and pan fry on medium heat with a small amount of oil, mixing frequently until lightly golden brown. While the tofu is cooking, continue on to prepare the vegetables.
OR alternatively, you can just add the tofu into the curry straight without pan frying.
To Prepare Vegetables: Cut all the vegetables according to the instructions above.
To Make Curry: Fry red curry paste with the vegetables in hot oil. Cook on medium-high heat until vegetables are slightly tender (3-4 min). Mix in the tofu.
Add 3 T coconut milk and mix together with the vegetables.
Add 1 T of light soy sauce, 1/2 T dark soy sauce, and 1/2 T brown sugar. Continue to add the remaining 4 T coconut milk and mix.
Cook on low-medium heat (low simmer) covered until the potatoes and vegetables are soft.
Add chopped basil and turn off the heat.
Serve hot over Brown Rice.

~ Anjali

Fresh Fruit Tart (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

2009-07-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

Fresh fruit tarts are enjoyable anytime of the year. The combination of freshly baked crust, sweet filling, and elegantly arranged fresh seasonal fruit, under a lemon glaze is difficult for anyone to pass up! So I decided to make one for my husbands birthday this year.

Most of this recipe came from the food network channel. For the crust, I was looking for something simple and came across a common buttery crust recipe. For the filling, I was originally looking for something light and fluffy, but besides whipping cream, most of the fillings I came across were made with eggs. So instead, for this first attempt at a fruit tart, I decided to go with a cream cheese filling. For the fresh fruit, i went to Henry's Grocery Store and bought which ever fruits were in season: cherries, strawberries, kiwi, and oranges. I was hoping to find some blackberries as well, but for some reason they ran out.

Overall, the tart tasted and looked great - I was happy with the outcome and I would definitely make it again. However, there are a few things I may want to try different the next time around. The filling was a bit heavier than I originally intended, but the fruit and lemon glaze provided for a nice citrus balance to the sweetness. The crust turned out well, but next time I may look for a less buttery recipe. In addition, i may try to melt some dark chocolate and coat a thin layer on the bottom of the tart before the filling.

For the gluten-free option you can buy or make gluten-free pie crust (Henry's and Mother's Market has a gluten-free ready made pie crust). Hopefully i'll try to make one from scratch sometime soon.

FRESH FRUIT TART (contains dairy, gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purposes flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Filling

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 T heavy cream (optional)

Topping

any fresh seasonal fruit (strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, oranges, etc.)

Glaze

1 (6-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 T cornstarch
1 T fresh lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Whipping Cream (for garnish)

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 T sugar

Directions:

To Make Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor or by hand, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process or mix until the mixture forms a ball.
With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan (preferable with a removable bottom) taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides evenly.
Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely.
To Make Filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.
To Make Topping: Wash and cut the fresh fruit in any size and shape. Make sure the fruit is not too wet before assembling on the pie.
To Make Glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick (about 2 minutes). Let the glaze cool.
To Make Whipping Cream: Beat the cream to form soft peaks. Add sugar and beat to form stiff peaks.

Directions To Assemble:

Make sure the crust is completely cooled.
Spread the filling over the cooled crust.
Refrigerate the pie until the filling becomes slightly firm before layering on the fresh fruit.
Arrange the cut fresh fruit however you want on top of the filling. In the end, you can fill any spaces with blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries.
Refrigerate for awhile to fix the fresh fruit ontop of the filling.
With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart (note: you will not use all of the glaze and may want to keep some on the side for serving).
Keep the tart in the refridgerator and remove only about 10 minutes before surving.
Dollop the whipped cream on top of the pie and serve!

~Anjali

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling, Glaze, & Frosting (vegan cupcakes, frosting contains dairy)

2009-06-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes are great to make for any occasion - whether for a wedding, birthday, or just for fun! Although they're simple to make, the enjoyable part about baking cupcakes is that you can get as creative as you want with the flavor, filling, frosting, and decorations! After much delay, I finally decided to try making my first batch of eggless cupcakes. I went through a few iterations and ended up with a few great recipes which combined in many different ways to make cupcakes that tasted rich and divine!

Since I love chocolate, I decided to stay simple and found a basic vegan chocolate cupcake recipe from recipezaar. As for the frosting, i've always wanted to make a dark chocolate ganache, so I found a basic recipe from Alton Brown on food network and used it many different ways: (1) as a filling in the cupcake, (2) as a glaze on top, and (3) as a whipped frosting. I also made a cream cheese frosting for my husband who's not as big a chocolate fan as I am.

The resulting cupcakes ended up tasting heavenly rich and satisfying, but not overwhelmingly sweet since I used dark chocolate. All of the cupcakes I made had the dark chocolate ganache filling & glaze. I frosted half with the dark chocolate ganache frosting and half with the cream cheese frosting. And what better way to top it off than with fresh strawberries. Get creative when assembling and decorating!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES w/ DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING, GLAZE, and FROSTING (vegan cupcakes, frosting contains dairy)

(makes 16 cupcakes)

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients (vegan):

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1 t vanilla extract
1 T vinegar

Dark Chocolate Ganache Ingredients (contains dairy):

16 oz. dark chocolate chips (valrhona or ghirardelli)
16 oz. (2 cups) heavy cream

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients (contains dairy):

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, unsalted, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
(optional) lemon juice (to taste)

Directions:

To Make Cupcakes: Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder).
Add all liquid ingredients except for vinegar and use a electric mixer to combine. Add vinegar at the end and beat again until moist and well blended.
Fill cupcake cups no more than 2/3's full (note: the best way to do this is to pour the batter in a measuring cup and pour into each of the cupcake cups).
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
To Make Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling & Glaze: Place the dark chocolate chips or pieces in a mixing bowl.
Heat the heavy cream in a pot over the stove until it just begins to simmer (do not let the cream boil over). Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes.
Mix with a spoon until the chocolate mixture is completely smooth. Allow the chocolate ganache to cool to room temperature (note: it will get slightly thicker as it cools). Use for glaze and filling.
To Make Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting: Once the cupcakes have been glazed and filled, whisk the rest on high for 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer or electric mixer until the desired frosting texture is achieved (medium - stiff peaks).
Note: If you are having problems getting the stiff peaks, put the ganache in the fridge for a short time (be careful not to let it solidify) to cool the mixture, and then try mixing with an electric mixer again.
To Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer.
With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice to taste. (Note: lemon juice is optional, add to give the frosting a slightly citrus taste).

Directions To Assemble Cupcakes:

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
Filling: Cut out a cone from the top of each cupcake. Flip the cone and cut off the excess cupcake.
Set the top aside and fill the cavity with the dark chocolate ganache filling with a small spoon (note: be careful not to overfill). Put the top back on.
Glaze: Spoon the glaze on top of each of the filled cupcakes and smooth around the top.
Allow the glaze and filling inside to solidify before frosting (note: you can also put the glazed cupcakes on a tray in the fridge to solidify faster).
Frosting: Top with either the dark chocolate ganache frosting or cream cheese frosting. Allow the frosting on top to solidify as well either by letting it sit at room temperature or in the fridge.
Topping: Top with a whole strawberry or chocolate shavings, etc

For best results when decorating, use a piping bag and decorating tips to frost the cupcakes. If you don't have these, another quick way to apply the frosting is to cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic sandwich bag, fill the frosting in the bag, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

~ Anjali

Seared Tempeh Wraps w/Thai Peanut Sauce (vegan, gluten-free option)

2009-06-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans which bind into a cake form. I first discovered tempeh at Veggie Grill, a casual place in Irvine which serves great sandwiches, burgers, and salads. If you've never been, I highly recommend going and getting their special wrap with tempeh and avocado.

Tempeh alone is similar to tofu but better textured. And if marinated, flavored, and paired right, it can make for a savory dish. This was my first attempt to make something with tempeh, and going from my last experience at veggie grill, I decided to try and make my own wrap which consisted of tempeh marinated and seared with thai peanut sauce (a recipe which I previously posted). The end result tasted pretty good!

For the gluten-free option you can buy gluten-free tortilla. Or, if you're not a big wrap fan, you can mix the greens with the tempeh and add some peanut sauce for a great salad.

SEARED TEMPEH WRAPS w/THAI PEANUT SAUCE (vegan, gluten-free)

(makes 3-4 wraps)

Ingredients:

8 oz. tempeh
2 servings peanut sauce (recipe given on 3/4/09)
tortilla for wraps

For Salad Filling:

cabbage, shredded
carrots, shredded
bell pepper, sliced thinly
spinach, leaves or chopped
avocado, sliced thinly (optional)
(add any additional vegetables you wish to include)

Directions:

To Make Tempeh: Take the tempeh out of the storage package, rinse with water, and dry. Thinly slice the tempeh into 1/4" thick strips about 2" long. Place all the cut pieces in a bowl.
Prepare the thai peanut sauce as provided in the recipe (note: this sauce can be pre-made and refrigerated or frozen for later use).
Pour the peanut sauce over the cut tempeh and toss (note: leave about 1/2 for the wrap assembly). Pour enough such that all the tempeh is evenly coated. Marinate tempeh for ~20min and toss a few times in between. You can prepare the salad filling while waiting.
After ~20min, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a nonstick pan. Add the tempeh and cook, turning the pieces of tempeh several times until all the tempeh is grilled and browned (5-10min).
To Make Mixed Greens/Veggies: Chop all the veggies for the salad filling and toss in a separate bowl.
To Assemble Wrap: Warm the tortilla and lay flat on a plate. Add chopped salad, and top with peanut sauce. Add the tempeh mixture, and again top with peanut sauce. Add avocado (optional).
Roll the tortilla into a wrap and enjoy!

(note: for the gluten-free option, use gluten-free tortilla OR mix the greens/veggies with the tempeh and add some peanut sauce for a great salad)

~Anjali

Grapefruit Fennel Salad (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-05-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to the local farmer's market today to find some fresh, local ingredients for a dinner. I went towards the end of the market hours and thus, most of the people, along with all the good produce, was gone. Instead I opted to recreate a salad I had seen on tv several years ago. I was fortunate enough to find incredibly sweet organic grapefruit, which helped make this salad delicious. If you don't have good grapefruit, try using sweet oranges or some other citris that is in season.

GRAPEFRUIT FENNEL SALAD (vegan, gluten-freen)

Ingredients:

3/2 cup fresh cut fennel bulb (about one fennel bulb)
3/2 cup fresh cut grapefruit (try to remove as much of the fiber as possible)
1 cup mixed greens (any kind will do)
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup chopped italian flat-leaf parsley
1/8 cup olive oil
italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut your grapefruit over a bowl to catch all the juices. Once cut, put the grapefruit through a strainer to catch some more of the juices, but do not squeeze or press on the grapefruit. This should provide enough grapefruit juice for the recipe.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, grapefruit juice, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.
In a larger mixing bowl, mix together the greens, grapefruit, fennel, and parsley.
When ready to serve, toss dry ingredients with grapefruit juice mixture and serve.

~Amman

Opo Squash Soup (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-05-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Opo Squash is a member of the squash family and is considered to be native to Africa. I normally don't think much of opo squash and keep it simple by sauteeing it with a small amount of oil and light spices. However, for dinner one night, I felt like having soup and saw the opo squash in the fridge, so I thought why not combine it with a couple of other vegetables I had in hopes to come up with a savory thick soup.

The result - Tasty, Healthy, Creamy, and best of all, Simple!! The carrots gave the soup just the perfect amount of sweetness. The only seasoning i used was salt, pepper, and a small amount of garlic (which by the way, is optional). In addition, feel free to experiment by adding any other vegetables or herbs you may have (such as onions, celery, etc). If you add onions, you should probably sautee it ahead of time with the garlic before blending it together with the vegetables.

OPO SQUASH SOUP (vegan, gluten-free)

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

2 carrots, medium
1 opo squash, medium
3 tomatoes, medium
1 red potato, medium
salt/pepper
water
garlic (optional)

Directions:

Prepare all the vegetables. Lightly scrape the skin off the outside of the carrot and cut into large pieces. Peel the thick green skin off the opo squash and cut into large pieces (discard the skin). Cut tomatoes and red potato in half.
Steam all the vegetables in a pressure cooker (or boil till soft).
Chop and saute the garlic in a pot with a small amount of vegetable oil (optional).
Add the steamed vegetables to the pot + some water remaining from the pressure cooker. Blend all the vegetables together using a hand blender. Add more water as needed for desired consistence (Note: I like my soup slightly thick so I only added about 1 cup water).
Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve hot.

~ Anjali

Vegan Potato Salad (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-05-27T00:22:00.001-07:00

Potato salad - the mere mention of it stirs memories of suburban soccer moms, red and white tablecloths, sunshine, stuffy picnics with pretentious neighbors and bratty kids. However, conventional potato salad, by definition, requires mayonnaise, and mayonnaise, by definition, has eggs. That's another reason to have the vegetarian feeling left out at the annual barbecue in the park.

Enter Vegenaise - god's gift to struggling vegans everywhere. Creamy, smooth, and guilt-free, Vegenaise is every dying-to-fit-in vegan's answer to making conventional american foods sans animal. There are several vegan mayonnaises out on the market, namely, Vegenaise, made by Follow Your Heart, and Nayonaise. I've had both, and Vegenaise is far superior, as I almost regurgitated in my mouth when I had the latter (I'm sorry, Nayonaise, but I applaud your efforts to save vegans living in a food-obsessed white America, nonetheless).

You can find Vegenaise at most grocery stores offering special vegetarian/vegan products (I found it at our local persian grocery store...who would have thought...). I've only had the original, but I have heard that the grapeseed oil and organic versions are just as good. It's a pricey investment, usually somewhere around $4 for 16 ounces, but if used properly, it can pay off its dividends nicely. It stores well (not being made of dairy or egg, you won't have the familiar feeling of urgency to use it all at once before it spoils), maintains its flavor, and can add a good deal of versatility to your ever expanding list of vegan recipes.

Naturally, Vegenaise is the vegan retort to conventional, mayonnaise-ladened potato salad. The key to this salad is the seasoning. What I have written below is an initial guideline for the salad, be sure to taste the dish and add ingredients as needed. You want to strike the right chord between the Vegenaise, mustard, and spices so that the salad is not too acidic but not too mellow. Also, experiment to your hearts content with the ingredients. In the picture above, I used some leftover fresh corn and replaced the mustard with some vinegar and turmeric since I was out.

VEGAN POTATO SALAD: (vegan, gluten-free)

(serves 3 - 4 people)

Ingredients:

4 - 5 small potatoes (I like to use red-skinned or yukon golds)
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
2 - 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup Vegenaise
2 tsp mustard
2 tbsp dill
2 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a pot, fill it with water until the water line covers the potatoes, and set to a boil. When the potatoes are fork-tender, remove from the flame, and put the potatoes in an ice bath. You can choose to peel them or leave them with skin now.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop into 1" cubes
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients but the potatoes
Incorporate the potatoes into the mixture, making sure not to mush them too much into the process
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving

My favorite way to eat the salad is to make a sandwich with leafy greens, tomato, avocado, potato salad, salt and pepper.

~ Amman

Chocolate Mousse Pie (contains dairy)

2009-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is a simple chocolate mousse pie recipe we found from all recipes. The mousse has a smooth, velvety texture, tastes rich, and is easy to make. For beset results, make this pie one day before you plan on serving it so that it has time to solidify in the fridge.

If I can't find chocolate crumbs or don't have the time, I like to buy the pre-made crusts from the grocery store (they are usually located in the baking aisle). My favorite is the oreo crust, but if you can't find it, chocolate crust works as well. Also, I usually make this pie without strawberries, but if you have them, they always a great addition.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE: (contains dairy)

(makes 1 pie)

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
3 T butter, melted

OR

1 Oreo-Pie Crust or Chocolate-Pie Crust (pre-made)

Filling

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup water
2 T light corn syrup
2 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 T white sugar
strawberries, halved (optional)

Directions:

For Pie Crust: Mix crumbs & butter thoroughly. Get a pie pan or disposable foil pie pan and press mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
For Filling: Put the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, mix the water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 1 minute. Immediately pour over the chocolate chips and blend (using hand blender if possible) until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool completely to room temperature.
While the chocolate cools, beat 1 1/2 cup of whipping cream to form stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, fold cooled chocolate into whipped cream and mix thoroughly. Note: be sure to combine the two by FOLDING.
Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
A few hours before serving, beat remaining 1 cup cream to form soft peaks. Add sugar. Beat to form stiff peaks. Dollop the whipped cream on top of the pie and serve!

(note: the key to good filling consistency is to make sure you fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture properly)

Add Strawberries (optional):

Before adding chocolate filling to the pie crust, stand the strawberry halves around the outside edge of the pan, touching, side by side, pointed ends up, with the cut sides against the side of the pan. Then pour the chocolate filling in surrounding the strawberries (note: strawberries may still be sticking out)
Before serving, you can also add a few strawberry halves on top of the dolloped whipped cream.

~ Anjali

Green Curry with Corn (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-04-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

For as long as i remember, people always requested my mom make this dish when she had invited people over for dinner. It's a favorite especially amongst the kids so i had to get the recipe. This green curry is based on a blend of simple spices, coconut milk, and cilantro combined with corn. It tastes great with rice or home-made tortilla.

If you're going to buy frozen corn, i prefer the brand from Trader's Joe. I've always found their frozen corn to be very tasty and sweet!

GREEN CURRY with CORN: (vegan, gluten-free)

(serves 2-3 people)

Ingredients:

1 16oz can coconut milk
1 bunch cilantro, washed (most of the stems removed)
1/2 16oz. package frozen corn (or 5 fresh corn cobs)
1 green jalapeno (or more for spicier curry)
crushed roasted peanuts
salt
sugar (optional)

Directions:

In a blender, combine the coconut milk, cilantro, and green chilli pepper. Blend well till all the cilantro is blended into the coconut milk.
Pour the blended mixture into a pot and place over medium/high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat slightly to medium and gently boil. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken.
For frozen corn, defrost the corn completely and mix into the pot with the curry (note: be sure to drain out most of the water from the frozen corn).
For fresh corn, cut some of the cobs into 4 whole pieces, and cut kernals off of the others. Mix into the pot with the curry.
Bring the curry to a boil. Stir well, and reduce the heat again to maintain a gentle boil. Continue cooking, slightly covered until the sauce is smooth and green
Add salt to taste. (Note: if the corn is not that sweet, you can add a very small amount of sugar to taste. Usually i like to rely on the sweetness of the corn.)
Reduce the heat to low and add the crushed roasted peanuts, stirring for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, let it sit for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with homemade tortilla, naan, or rice.

~ Anjali

Herb & Breadcrumb Pasta (contains dairy)

2009-04-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

This pasta sauce is tasty and simple to make. Typically I prefer creamy sauces, but this recipe is one of the few dry pasta sauces I love. The herbs and garlic provide a refreshing flavor, while the breadcrumbs add texture and crunch. This sauce is best served with angel hair because the sauteed breadcrumbs stick to the strings of pasta. I came across this recipe from the William Sonoma Pasta cookbook.

For the breadcrumbs: you can make them fresh, or get store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs. Most breadcrumb brands contain some byproduct of meat. The only vegetarian brand I've come across from Ralphs is Cento Bread Crumbs (Italian Style), which is what I typically use.

HERB & BREADCRUMB PASTA: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
6 T olive oil
6 T parsley, finely chopped (or more if desired)
6 T dry breadcrumbs (italian style)
8 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
parmesan cheese, shredded
salt/pepper
angel hair pasta

Directions:

Boil pasta, drain, and set aside. While boiling, continue with the recipe.
In skillet, fry the garlic in 4 T olive oil over low to medium heat until softened (be careful not to burn the garlic).
Turn the heat down to low and add parsley. Cook until lightly colored. Set this mixture aside and keep warm.
Heat the remaining oil in a separate pan over medium to high heat and fry the breadcrumbs until golden brown (be careful not to burn the breadcrumbs).
To Assemble Pasta: Pour hot oil and herb sauce over the cooked pasta. Add breadcrumbs, basil, parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper to taste. Toss thoroughly.
Serve at once with freshly grated parmesan on top.

(note: i've made this pasta several times without basil and it still turns out great)

Any Italian dish tastes great with some home-made garlic bread. Enjoy!

~ Anjali

Fresh Spring Rolls (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-03-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

This recipe is just one version of fresh spring rolls. Traditionally in the past i've made them with rice noodles, basil or mint, shredded cucumber, shredded carrots, and raw tofu. This particular recipe is from my mom. She made a simple cooked filling consisting of carrots, tofu, and cilantro wrapped in rice paper with lettuce. They taste great and go well with the peanut sauce recipe i shared on 3/4/09. I can eat them anytime for appetizers or even for lunch.

Gluten-free note: Most soy sauces are NOT gluten-free. There are a few brands which are, so make sure you check the ingredients label at the store.

FRESH SPRING ROLLS: (gluten-free, vegan)

(makes ~10 rolls)

Ingredients:

peanut sauce (recipe given on 3/4/09)
3-4 large leafs romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
10 rice paper wraps (get these at any Asian grocery store)
chilli sauce (optional)

Filling:

1 package firm tofu (18 oz.)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
soy sauce (to taste)
4 t vegetable oil

Directions:

To Make Filling: Cut tofu block in half. Place each half in a clean paper towel one at a time and squeeze to remove excess storage liquid (without breaking up the tofu).
Cut the tofu into 2" long, 1/2" thick strips.
Heat up the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the tofu and pan fry all the strips until the tofu is golden brown and pan fried. Keep stiring while pan frying otherwise the tofu may stick to the pan.
Once the tofu is pan fried, add shredded carrots + chopped cilantro + soy sauce (to taste) and saute filling until the carrots are cooked.
Ingredients to Assemble Fresh Spring Rolls: Tofu/carrot filling, pieces of romaine lettuce, peanut sauce, rice paper wrap.
To Assemble Rolls: Soften the rice wrappers by doing one of the following methods: (a) Run hot water under the sink. Rotate the rice paper wrap under the hot water on both sides. Keep rotating until the wrap starts to soften and cook under the hot water (6-8 times), or (b) Fill a shallow pan with warm water. Place the rice paper sheet into the watert water and let it soak for ~30 sec until the wrap starts to soften. If the rice wraps are too soft, they will tear.
Lay the rice wrap sheet flat on a plate or other clean working surface. Place 1 piece of romaine lettuce near the bottom 1/3 surface. Layer the lettuce with peanut sauce. Spoon filling across the peanut sauce and lettuce.
Roll the bottom edge of the wrap over the filling. Tuck both sides in the middle, then continue to roll it up tightly (be careful not to tear the roll).
Cut the wrap in half and serve with additional peanut sauce and/or chili sauce (optional).

~ Anjali

Tom Yum Soup (vegan, gluten-free)

2009-03-25T23:29:00.001-07:00

Tom yum soup is one of my favorite starters at thai resturants because it's simple, light, and flavorful. This soup is the perfect blend of the 3 main simple flavors which include lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves, boiled in water. This soup is one of the first dishes we learned how to make in Thailand, and i've recreated it at home many times since we've been back.

One of my favorite aspects of making this soup is that you can add almost any combination of vegetables you may have in the fridge. Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves can be obtained at asian grocery stores. Kaffir lime leaves can be dried outside and stored in the fridge for a long time.

Gluten-free note: Most soy sauces are NOT gluten-free. There are a few brands which are, so make sure you check the ingredients label at the store.

TOM YUM SOUP: (gluten-free, vegan)

(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients:

1 soup bowlful water (slightly more than 1 cup)
2 inches lemongrass, cut
2 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
2 slices galangal (thai ginger) or ginger
1/2 t chili (or red curry paste)
1 1/2 t tom yum paste (get this at any asian market store)
1/2 T dark soy sauce
1 T light soy sauce
1/2 T brown sugar
1 t lemon juice
1/2 bowl mixed vegetables, cut
1 T green onions, chopped
3-5 cubes tofu (optional)
milk or coconut milk (optional)

Mixed Vegetables (any combination of the following depending on availability):
white onions, sliced
tomatoes, sliced
cabbage, chopped
carrots, shredded
baby bok choy, chopped
mushrooms, cut into 4 sectgions
green bell pepper, sliced
baby corn, sliced

Directions:

Prepare mixed vegetables by washing and cutting them.
In a pot or wok, boil 1 soup bowlful of water.
Turn the gas to medium heat. Add kaffir lime leaves (torn at the edges to release flavor) + ginger + lemon grass + chili (to taste). Boil for ~3-4min to bring out the flavor.
Add all mixed vegetables + tofu. to the pot and boil.
Once boiling, add dark soy sauce + light soy sauce + brown sugar + tom yum paste.
Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender and before water is all gone (not too long).
Turn the heat off, add green onions + lime juice.

The above directions make a clear soup, which is the one I personally prefer. Below are two other variations of the soup:
- Variation 1: Add 1 T of milk or coconut milk (vegan) for additional flavor at the end.
- Variation 2: For Tom Kah soup, reduce the water even more and add more coconut milk.

(note: to make the soup more flavorful or spicier, add a little more chili or tom yum paste)

~ Anjali

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (vegan option)

2009-03-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Chocolate, nuts, and flour combined to give the perfect freshly baked hot chocolate chip cookies! These cookies were one of my favorite desserts to eat when i came back home from college. My aunt, who's vegan, used to make them all the time and i've had the recipe from her for years.

For the vegan option, use vegan butter and vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can get these from Trader Joe's or many other grocery stores).

CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT COOKIES: (vegan option)

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies (vegan)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (vegan butter for vegan option)
4 T corn startch + water (minimum water required to dissolve corn startch)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla extract (or almond extract)
2 1/4 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.
Slowly melt the butter in a bowl. Make sure the butter is not hot when added to the mix, otherwise the chocolate chips will melt.
Add all dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, white sugar) and mix in a bowl.
Add all other ingredients except chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix well until all the mixture becomes dough-like.
Finally add the chocolate chips & chopped walnuts. Mix into the cookie dough.
Portion out all the dough into approx 2 inch round balls.
Layer baking tray with foil. Bake cookie dough for 10-15 min. or until tops start to turn light golden brown. Leave the cookies on the foil for 2-3 minutes after they're out of the oven.
These cookies taste great hot with vanilla ice cream on top.

Notes:

Since cookies become overdone quickly and will continue to cook for a few minutes after they are taken out of the oven, avoid baking them until they're fully brown. Instead, take them out once they're light golden brown on top or the edges start to brown.

Instead of baking all the dough, I prefer to roll out all the dough in round balls and freeze them. This way, i can eat freshly baked warm cookies when i want.

~ Anjali

Peanut Sauce (gluten-free, vegan)

2009-03-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

A basic peanut sauce recipe is great to use when making thai food. I've made thai peanut sauce with peanut butter several times, but this recipe uses freshly roasted peanuts to give it an authentic peanut taste.

This sauce can be used as a dip, as an ingredient to spring rolls, as a basic sauce for other dishes such as pad thai or pra ram, or simply over tofu or vegetables. You can make it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for 1-2 months or even freeze it to use in all your thai dishes at a later time.

Gluten-free note: Most soy sauces are NOT gluten-free. There are a few brands which are, so make sure you check the ingredients label at the store.

PEANUT SAUCE: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 T ground dry roasted peanuts (chopped finely)
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 t red curry paste (here is the recipe)
1 large whole tomato, chopped
3 T coconut milk
3 T coconut milk (or water)
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1 T light soy sauce
1/2 T dark soy sauce
1 t lime juice

Directions:

Peanut prep: dry roast whole peanuts with skin removed. Ground the peanuts until they are blended finely. Note: these can be pre-bought as well.
Fry red curry paste and chopped tomatoes in hot oil until sauce begins to get thick and tomatoes start to blend in (~5 min).
Turn down the heat a little, and keep frying until the paste is fragrant.
Add 3 T coconut milk + roasted ground peanuts.
Add brown sugar + light soy sauce + dark soy sauce, keep stirring.
Watch the consistency and add 3 T coconut milk or water if required.
Stir for an additional 5 minutes.
Add lime juice at the end. The sauce should be rich and saucy.

(note: peanuts can be substituted with any other sauce/seeds to make a different sauce)

~ Anjali

Red Curry Paste (gluten-free, vegan)

2009-03-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

Even though you can buy red curry paste from any store, it's nice to be able to make it fresh from scratch. The great thing about this paste is you can make it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for 1-2 months or even freeze it to use in all your thai dishes at a later time.

This paste can be used for most any thai dishes including tom yum soup, pad thai, massaman curry, and red thai curry (to name a few).

RED CURRY PASTE: (gluten-free, vegan)

Ingredients:

10-11 red chilli (medium)
2-3 shallots (medium)
2-3 garlic cloves
4 small slices Galangal (thai ginger - regular is fine as well)
3 slices lemon grass
1 big kafir lime leaf
1 t salt (or more to taste)
3-5 T water (optional)
Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until it turns into a nice thick paste. Add minimum water needed to blend all ingredients.
If using a mortar to mix, you do not need to add water (the paste will be thicker than in the blender).

(note: this paste can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 months, or stored in the freezer for later use)

~ Anjali

Tortilla Soup (gluten-free, vegan option)

2009-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

Tortilla soup is a staple of the mexican cuisine, and I was tired of not being able to order it at resturants because it was made with chicken broth. So i took it into my own hands to find the perfect vegetarian tortilla soup recipe. I found this recipe on Epicurious. It's the perfect healthy, filling, tasty blend of spices and fresh vegetables.

I've made this soup several times. It serves as a great starter for any other mexican dish or simply on it's own. Enjoy!

For the vegetable broth, i always use Imagine Organic Vegetable Broth, which also happens to be gluten-free. I've tried other brands such as Swanson but did not like the taste.

TORTILLA SOUP: (gluten-free, vegan option)

Ingredients:

vegetable oil (or spray)
3/4 cups onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 T tomato paste
1 t cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
4 T cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato, chopped
2/3 cups canned black beans, washed
2/3 cups zucchini, cut in pieces
1 1/2 T jalapeno
corn, frozen
hot sauce (i prefer cholula hot sauce)

Garnish:

avacado, diced
corn tortilla, fried in strips
cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Cook onions + garlic in some vegetable oil until tender (5 minutes).
Stir in tomato paste and cumin. Add hot sauce to taste.
Add vegetable broth + 2 T cilantro and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 15 minutes
Add tomatoes, beans, zucchini, jalapeno, and corn. Simmer till vegetables are tender.
Season with salt/pepper.
(optional) Top with cilantro, avacado, cheddar cheese, and fresh fried corn tortilla strips.

(note: for vegan option, omit the cheddar cheese)

~ Anjali

Thailand: Vegetarian Cooking Classes at May Kaidee's Resturant

2009-03-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

Even though I've made my version of thai food several times in my own kitchen, I still have yet to recreate the exact authentic thai flavors. And where best to learn how to make great Thai Food than from Thailand itself!

My husband and I recently came back from a trip to Thailand/Cambodia and had an amazing time. There are many vegetarian/vegan thai food options, but unfortunately, almost all standard thai food resturants use both oyster sauce and fish sauce as staples to thai cooking. Therefore, one of my goals while i was out there was to take a vegetarian/vegan thai food cooking class.

I found a restaurant which teaches cooking classes called May Kaidee's Thai Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurant, located in both Bangkok & Chiang Mai. We signed up for the morning session in Chiang Mai and luckily we were the only people there. We went to the local street market with the owner of the resturant (May's sister) and picked out all our veggies, herbs, and tofu/noodles. I WISH we had similar markets available for us to shop at in the US. We cut all the veggies, roasted any seeds/nuts we'd need, fried some tofu, and laid out all our sauces. We were ready to cook some yummy thai food with woks in hand!

If you're ever in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, visit the resturant to take some cooking lessons or just have a meal - they're food is great! I'll post the recipes we learned once i'm able to recreate the dishes in my own kitchen in case they need slight variation based on what's available in the US!

2009-02-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

Vegetarian Gastronomy will be taking a break for about a week more. Anjali is off visiting Thailand and the facts I live in college dorms deems me unable to try, edit, and publish new recipes.

Anjali will be taking some cooking classes in Thailand so be sure to come back soon to see some of the fantastic new recipes Anjali will be bringing home.

Amman

Raspberry Crumble (contains dairy)

2009-01-13T21:44:00.000-08:00

Fruit topped with a crumbly cake mixture and baked...one of my favorite ways to enjoy fruit baked into a dessert! I originally got this recipe from a co-worker who brought it into work. Although this recipe isn't entirely made from scratch, it's very good and extremely easy to make! It tastes good warm or cold, with or without vanilla ice cream...a great dessert to take to any dinner party or have at home.

I've made this dessert several times for people and have been asked for the recipe so here it is...

RASPBERRY CRUMBLE: (contains dairy)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted or soft
1 12 oz. bag frozen raspberries
1 package yellow cake mix (i usually get the Betty Crocker Super Moist, Yellow Cake Mix)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.s
2. Melt the butter in a bowl.
3. In a separate larger mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix and chopped walnuts.
3. Gently mix in the butter spoons at a time. Using your hands mix the butter and cake mix as you add the butter. The end product should be crumbly (not doughy).
4. In a 9x13" glass pan, evenly spread the bag of frozen fruit.
5. Crumble the batter on top evenly so that the raspberry layer is completely covered.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is slightly golden brown.
7. Serve hot or cold.

This dessert goes well with vanilla ice cream.

(note: for best results, take the frozen fruit out of the freezer right before use)

~ Anjali

Blueberry Lemon Scones (contains dairy)

2009-01-08T23:14:00.000-08:00

A trip to Berkeley is incomplete without a visit to Cheeseboard. This restaurant/bakery, located in the heart of downtown Berkeley on Shattuck, is famous for its mind-boggling variety of cheeses, fresh baked goods, and irresistible pizzas. The bakery has been a cultural staple of the area since 1967, churning out just one flavor of pizza a day, featuring gourmet cheeses, garlic olive oil, and a variety of unusual and delicious toppings, everything from potatoes to corn to gremolata.

After years of craving their olive bread and mouth-watering pizza, Anjali recently purchased the secret to Cheeseboard's magical food, "The Cheese Board Collective Works," a recipe book featuring many of their classic gastronomical wonders: bread, pizza, pastries, and of course, secrets to good cheese. Our first venture to recreating Cheeseboard in our own kitchens came with scones, which were surprisingly eggless and turned out excellent. Not too sweet, the blueberry-lemon scones came with a price, a hefty amount of butter and flour, but are worth their fat in deliciousness. Fluffy, with a nice, outer crust, the scones had the nice mellow sweetness of blueberries and a slight zing of lemon that made the pastries seem light and satisfying. Without further adieu...

BLUEBERRY LEMON SCONES: (adapted from The Cheese Board: Collective Works)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixer, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the 3/4 cup sugar on low speed.
2. Add the cubes of butter into mixture while on low speed until the butter is about 1/4 inch pieces.
3. Remove the bowl from the mixture and add in the blueberries and stir lightly by hand.
4. Make a whole in the mixture and add the buttermilk and cream. Hand stir until the mixture has come together. Do not worry about having all the ingredients mixed perfectly, there should be some of the dry ingredients on the bottom and the sides. Try to be as light with the spoon as possible, ensuring that the mixture isn't overstirred.
5. With your hands, gently create balls of the mixture a little more than 2 inches in diameter and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread 2 or more inches apart. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the top of the scones and bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.

~ Amman and Anjali

Fall Fruit Crisp (vegan)

2008-12-31T00:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, my cousins gifted me with a vegan cooking book, The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I was at once excited and apprehensive. Vegan baking is a hobby of mine, but I know from experience that many recipes that translate favorite desserts into their vegan counterparts sacrifice flavor, texture, and the integrity of the original. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when I perused the copy later that day and found that the recipes seemed carefully crafted, with the thought of taste and texture foremost in mind. Most of the recipes don't require obscure ingredients or tofu (the bane of my vegan baking), and there is a great mix of different recipes, ranging from muffins, cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, shakes, and confections. Further more, the pages are filled with tidbits of useful (and some random and not so useful) information that could be invaluable to the baker of any level. One recipe for Waffles not only tells us the origin of the word "waffle," but also an array of creative serving suggestions, and a cooking tip, advising bakers about the amount of vegan butter to use. The pumpkin pie recipe details on the various different pans and how they affect baking, and there is even a page devoted to telling readers which apples are best for eating, baking, sauces, and pies. At the front of each section are troubleshooting tips, detailing information that most recipes don't include, such as how to fix a recipe for cookies that are too crumbly, tough, or dry. The polish of the recipes, creativity, and completeness of information seem to render this book not only a great vegan baking book, but a great baking book, period.

Anyway, we decided to treat our cousins to dessert for dinner at their house, churning out two recipes that the brother and I finished actually quite quickly and painlessly. The first was a Fall Fruit Crisp: an uncomplicated and straightforward recipe that is easily one of the healthier desserts I've ever made. The brother decided to do a German Apple Cake, a plain cake topped with baked apples in brown sugar. While the latter was rather un-extraordinary and tasted like zucchini bread topped with wilted apples, the former was a delightful and fresh dessert, bright with the taste of the tart fruit, but mellowed by the crumbly texture of the subtly sweet crust. Not overly sweet, the real star was the crust, which could be applied to any sort of crisp. Use the crust over apples in cinnamon, peaches, or any fruit of your choice for a nice and quick crisp.

FALL FRUIT CRISP: (vegan, adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking)

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 cups of apple, sliced thin
3 cups of pear, sliced thin
1 cup blueberries, (feel free to use frozen)
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice

Crust:

1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking kind)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup margarine (use Earth Balance for healthy alternative)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1/2 t anise seeds

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the apples, pears, blueberries, lemon, maple syrup, cinnamon and allspice in a bowl and transfer to a 9 inch baking pan.
2. Combine oats, nuts, flour, margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and anise for the crust in a bowl and combine. Mix well together. The topping should be crumbly and chunky (add water or margarine if it's too dry).
3. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit mixture and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the fruit filling is soft when pierced.
4. Serving Suggestion: Serve it hot or cold with vegan ice cream.

~Amman

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms (gluten-free)

2008-12-31T00:32:00.000-08:00

I never used to like mushrooms until sometime around college - and now I can't get enough of them...on pizza, sandwiches, or even just roasted with garlic and salt. My husband made dinner for me one night, and found this stuffed mushroom recipe online at allrecipes.com. Not the healthiest of recipes, but nonetheless they taste amazing! The garlic butter drizzle on top serves as a great finish, and i love how this recipe uses the mushroom stems as part of the filling.

These are great hot or cold, and you can serve them as appetizers, finger foods, or a side dish. Enjoy!

CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS: (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

4 T butter, salted (or 2 T for slightly healtier version)
2 lbs. medium mushrooms (stems removed)
1 (8 oz.) Package Neufchatel Cheese
1 (4 oz.) Package Goat Cheese crumbles
2 T onions, finely chopped
1/2 c mushroom stems, chopped
1/4 c butter
1 T garlic, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oven to broil at 450 degrees.
2. Heat 2 large skillets over medium-high heat. Melt 2 T butter in each and divide mushroom caps in each (or just cook it in 2 batches on the same skillet with 1 T butter each). Cook mushrooms and stir until edges are slightly soft (5 min.).
3. Place mushrooms in colander to drain and dry. Cool completely.
4. Stir together cream cheese and goat cheese until well blended. Mix in onions and mushroom stems. Use all of the filling to fill each mushroom cap and place on baking pan covered with foil.
5. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter with garlic in small saucepan over medium heat, cook garlic for 1 minute once the butter melts completely. Drizzle the garlic butter over the filled mushroom caps.
6. Place the pan of mushrooms in the pre-heated oven to broil until golden brown (5 min.). Serve hot or cold.

~ Anjali

Artichoke Dip (vegan)

2008-12-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

Artichoke Dip is a staple at any American eatery. Soft, warm, and cheesy, this dip, served with warm crusty bread or chips, is a perennial favorite and can be enjoyed year round for any occasion: dinners, parties, or just for yourself. I found this recipe at www.everydaydish.tv (click here for the original recipe and video), an all vegan cooking website that accompanies each recipe with a convenient video.

The recipe calls for a cashew cream sauce to replace what would be a hearty dose of parmesan cheese. Cashews are a popular ingredient among vegans for creamy recipes. When blended with liquid, cashews become a relatively tasteless creamy sauce that can be easily flavored for savory and sweet dishes. The nutritional yeast helps to give the sauce a cheese-like flavor. The original recipe calls for Bragg's liquid aminos, which I did not have so I substituted it with soy sauce. Bragg's liquid aminos are a healthier alternative to soy sauce and those who do have it in the household should use it. Also, I added some flavors to the dip after tasting it to give it more depth of flavor and combat the acidity of the artichoke.

ARTICHOKE DIP: (vegan)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced bell pepper (red or yellow is preferred)
2 ounces green chile
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup hot water
2 T lemon juice
1 T nutritional yeast flakes
2 t paprika
1 t Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1 t sea salt
1 t italian seasoning
1 t black pepper
1/2 t brown sugar
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, saute the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and green chile in about 1/2 T of olive oil.
2. Once the onions have become translucent, add the artichokes and let it cook on low heat for a few minutes.
3. To make the cashew cream sauce, blend together the cashews and hot water until it is smooth. Add the lemon juice, liquid aminos, nutritional yeast, and salt to the mixture, blending until it is mixed in. Slowly add the remaining olive oil into the mixture until well blended.
4. Add the cashew cream sauce to the vegetables and mix well. Add black pepper, brown sugar, and half the paprika to the mixture. Constantly stir and cook the dip until the artichoke is heated through and the cashew cream sauce has thickened to a desired consistency.
5. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. If desired, sprinkle the top with the remaining paprika or breadcrumbs and olive oil. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and bubbling.
6. Serving options: serve with crusty bread, tortilla chips, or spread on small slices and bake as crostini.

~Amman

Black Bean Tacos w/ Roasted Peppers & Onions (gluten-free, vegan option)

2008-12-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Every month i subscribe to Vegetarian Times because i love to read through the articles and look at the recipes. However, i realized that I rarely try any of the recipes even though I keep all the magazines. I still have yet to try more recipes from the magazine, but out of the ones I have tried, this one has stuck with me for the past year! These tacos may seem ordinary, but the beans and roasted vegetables are what make them savory!

I make these at least once a month and can't get enough!

BLACK BEAN TACOS W/ ROASTED PEPPERS & ONIONS: (gluten-free, vegan option)

Black Beans Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
1 (15 oz.) can diced organic fire-roasted tomatoes
1 T chili powder (or less depending on taste)
1 T ground cumin
1/8 t. hot sauce (such as Cholula)
1 c water

Roasted Vegetables Ingredients:
3 red bell peppers, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
1 T olive oil
salt/pepper

Taco Topping Ingredients:
corn tortillas
3 c lettuce, shredded
salsa (prepared)
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 avacados, diced
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. To make Roasted Vegetables: Turn oven to 450 degrees. Toss red peppers and onions with oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 15 minutes, stir, and roast 15 minutes more (until tender and slightly blackened). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. To make the Black Beans: Heat oil in medium heat. Add onions and saute 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, and cook. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, 1 cup water, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. (note: i like to add more hot sauce and less chili powder).
4. Reduce heat to medium/low, and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
5. Mash beans until beans are thickened, but keep most of the beans intact.
6. To Assemble Soft Tacos: Cook corn tortillas lightly on the pan. Add beans, lettuce, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream.

(note: for vegan option, leave out the sour cream and cheese)

~ Anjali

Cucumber Dip (gluten-free)

2008-12-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

While trying to come up with appetizers for our Christmas party this year, I came across this recipe in my cook book and realized I hadn't made it in 4 years, so I thought i'd give it a try. I originally tasted this dip at a friends place and remember it tasting flavorful, light, and refreshing!

CUCUMBER DIP: (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c yogurt
1 cucumber
1/2 t salt
2 cloves garlic
2 t mint
2 t dill
2 t lemon juice
2 T olive oil

Directions:

(note: this dip is best prepared 1 day in advance so that it has a chance to thicken in the refrigerator overnight)

Peel cucumber and cut in four sections lengthwise. Discard the seeds from the cucumber.
Blend all the ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly:

Cut French bread in small slices. Spread dip on bread, top with 1 slice cucumber, and serve.

For gluten-free options, this dip also goes well with fresh veggies and in sandwiches.

~ Anjali

Simply Pesto! (gluten-free)

2008-12-26T12:11:00.000-08:00

Whether you use it on bread, pasta, soups, or sandwichs, everyone needs a great Pesto recipe! This one is simple and takes minutes to make. I've tried a bunch of different pesto recipes, but I found this one to have the best proportion of each ingredient. Surprisingly, I came across this particular recipe months ago on the box of fresh basil I buy!

For a vegan option, i've made this recipe without Parmesan Cheese.

PESTO: (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

2.5 oz basil, fresh
1/2 cup olive oil, extra-virgin
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
2. Add salt/pepper to taste and enjoy!

Here are a few suggestions on what to do with Pesto!

Pesto Sandwiches: My husband had these sandwiches at a friends place in San Francisco and they taste great.

Ingredients: Ciabatta bread, pesto, thinly slice any vegetables such as zucchini/ eggplant/ or mushrooms, olive oil, italian seasoning, sliced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, spinach leaves, mozzarella cheese.

Directions : Lightly brush oil on the vegetable slices and sprinkle italian seasoning. Arrange slices on a pan covered with foil and grill them in the oven until tender and cooked. Slice ciabatta bread in half and lightly toast in the oven at 350 degrees.

Assembly: Spread both sides of each bread slice with pesto. Top half of the bread slice with the grilled vegetables, spinach, and tomatoes dipped in balsamic vinegar. Top with mozzarella cheese. Place slice in oven on broil until the mozzarella cheese is melted. Place the other slice on top and enjoy! Personally, I prefer to eat this sandwich open faced with just once slice of ciabatta bread.

Pesto Crostini: These are mini-versions of the above sandwiches. They work great as appetizers.

Ingredients: French bread thinly sliced in small bite-size pieces, pesto, sliced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, spinach leaves, mozzarella cheese.

Directions: Arrange the bread slices on a pan and toast in oven at 350. To assemble, spread pesto evenly on top of each toasted bread. Layer with one leaf of spinach, one tomatoes dipped in balsamic vinegar, and top with one slice mozzarella. Place slice in oven on broil until the mozzarella cheese is melted. Arrange the crostini on a platter and serve.

Pesto Pasta:

Ingredients: 1 box Pasta (penne or rigatoni), pesto, mushrooms (sliced in half) or red bell pepper (thinly sliced), grated parmesan cheese, heavy cream (optional).

Directions: Cook pasta in a pot. Pan cook/fry vegetables in some olive oil. Combine pasta, grilled vegetables, and pesto in a pot and top with grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. For a creamier version of this dish, pre-combine the pesto and heavy cream in a separate pot and cook until the sauce thickens, mixing frequently.

~ Anjali

Potato & Leek Soup (vegan option, gluten-free)

2008-12-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

I came across this sandwich place near my work that has a great mushroom brie soup. Hoping to make this soup at home, I started recipe searching for a healthy version of it. Instead, I came across this amazing recipe for potato & leek soup from Epicurious.

The best soups are rich, thick, and flavorful. Unfortunately, many of these types of soups are also filled with heavy cream and are unhealthy. This is where potatoes come into the picture. Potatoes are great because not only are they thick and flavorful when cooked right, but are healthier than cream. Using potatoes in soups gives you that rich and "creamy" satisfaction without the unhealthy addition of heavy cream. This recipe is simple but very flavorful. And hopefully one of these days i'll post a similar recipe for mushroom brie soup.

For the vegan option, use vegan butter and no cheddar cheese. For the vegetable broth, i always use Imagine Organic Vegetable Broth. I've tried other brands such as Swanson but did not like the taste.

POTATOE & LEEK SOUP: (vegan option, gluten-free)

Serves 4-5 people

Ingredients:

3 T butter
3 large leeks (white and pale green parts, 1/2" dia, thinly sliced)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 large russet potatoes (peeled, diced)
1 bay leaf
5 cups vegetable broth
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/4 t dried thyme
2 T lemon juice
2 T green onions (for garnish)
salt/pepper to taste
sharp cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

(note: after slicing the leeks, make sure to wash them well - leeks from the grocery store tend to be filled with dirt, especially at the root)

Directions:

1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, shallots and cook until tender.
2. Add potatoes, some broth, and some salt. Cover and cook until the potatoes soften. Make sure you add enough broth so that the potatoes don't burn.
3. Add 4 1/2 cup vegetable broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender (about 30 min.).
4. Use a hand blender to puree everything in the pot. Thin the soup with additional stock if it is too thick (most likely you will need additional stock).
5. Season with salt/pepper to taste.
6. (optional) Add some cheese and melt in the soup.
7. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

~ Anjali