cathy's kitchen journey

Potato Sausage Breakfast Scramble

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Most weekends, I try to make something new for breakfast or dinner. I don't have much time on weeknights, so it's my time to experiment. Sometimes recipes fail, but this one was definitely a success.

I received this breakfast scramble for the recipe swap and I knew Gary would love it too. We're huge fans of potatoes (the theme of the swap) as well as the eggs and sausage. We've made similar breakfasts using the same type of ingredients, but I don't recall ever scrambling everything together.

Since we don't eat pork, I used some fresh turkey sausages for this. The links I bought were in a 1lb package, so I used half. I also used two potatoes instead of one, well, because one just didn't seem like enough. In the end, Gary asked for more, so this was definitely a hit!

Remember to check out Sarah's blog for the full roundup of potato recipes, including my submission of sweet potato chili! Yes, sweet potato counts!

Potato Sausage Breakfast Scramble

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Cooking for Fun

ingredients:

1 TBSP oil
8 oz turkey sausages, casings removed
2 potatoes
1 small onion, diced
3 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese, optional

directions:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil and brown sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.
Add potatoes and onion to the pan, and add a splash of water. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Move sausage and potato mixture to one side, add egg to the empty side of the pan and scramble. Gradually mix into the sausage mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If adding cheese, add now and cover until melted. Transfer to bowls and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

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Vegan Mocha Muffins

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a super sweet breakfast treat to start your morning, sorry, you're not going to find it here. What you'll find here is a great healthy muffin which has just the right amount of sweetness that will start your morning off right. I'm not saying that I don't eat sweets for breakfast. I've eaten a cookie before and considered it breakfast. Heck, one of my favorite cereals is Cinnamon Life, even if I haven't eaten it in a while.

As I've grown up, my tastes have changed and I tend gravitate toward healthier options. Getting Gary to eat healthier has been a struggle at times, but even he has changed over the years. In the past, he wouldn't be caught dead eating a vegan meal, now he loves most of them.

I made these one Saturday morning when I got up seconds before my alarm even went off. It snowed all night and left us with a few inches outside. What a better way to start off the morning with a warm muffin out of the oven! I made these while Gary was still sleeping and he ate 2 immediately. He enjoyed them and that's awesome to hear from someone who used to eat 5 whoppers in one sitting when he was a teen!

The only change I made from the original recipe was swapping out plain unsweetened soy milk for the vanilla kind. Gary's picky about soy milks, and the Westsoy brand is only made with soy beans and water, the less ingredients the better!

Vegan Mocha Cupcakes
recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Vegan Diner

ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBSP flax seed meal
1 TBSP instant espresso powder
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp fine salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line or grease a 12 cup muffin tray. Brew coffee and reserve 1/4 cup for batter. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax, espresso powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then whisk in the cooled coffee.
Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the 12 cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until tops are puffed up and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. (mine were done at 20)
Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 12 muffins

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Chocolate Sesame Cookies

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

While I was browsing through my plethora of food and home magazines, I saw this recipe and it definitely spoke to me. It looked a lot like 煎堆, these pastries that my mom would make for the Chinese New Year holiday, so I knew these would fit right in.

When I told my sister about it, she thought it was weird, but I'm willing to try anything once. I'm glad I did, since these were quite tasty. The chocolate and sesame actually work very well together. Since mine were probably larger than the original recipe size and I baked it for about the same time, the middles were still fudgy and soft.

After reading the ingredients, the amount of flour was concerning me, however it looked like it worked for most people according to the reviews.

I've modified the directions to make it easier to handle. The first ball I tried to roll was still almost pudding like in my hands. I definitely couldn't roll those! I put it in the fridge for another half hour to set. Even then, although it was stiffer, it was still sticky. Then I just dropped the ball in the bowl of sesame seeds and shook it to coat it. It worked much better, my hands didn't get coated with chocolate and I was able to transfer to the sheets easily.

Chocolate Sesame cookies

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from BHG Magazine October 2011

ingredients:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 TBSP butter (I used vegan butter)
3 TBSP Tahini
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (I buy jars of toasted sesame seeds, much easier!)

directions:

In a small saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat then stir in tahini. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs until frothy. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined and light. Beat in chocolate mixture, then beat in flour mixture just until combined. Cover dough then chill at least 1 hour, until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Scoop out dough with a cookie scoop, then drop into the bowl of sesame seeds. Roll the dough ball in the bowl to cover complete with sesame seeds. Place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until puffed and set on the bottoms.
Allow to cool mostly on the sheet, then twist slightly to remove from the sheet, so the bottom doesn't stick to the sheet. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: about 2 dozen (I got 26 using my cookie scoop, not the original 42 the recipe stated!)

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Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, when I read over this recipe and saw that it no sugar, I was concerned of how it would taste. I love healthy options for everything, but I never thought for a cookie.

Well, this came out of the oven and the chocolate was all melty and gooey. I tasted it and it tasted like a crunchier version of a bowl of oatmeal I would eat in the morning, with the addition of chocolate. These ended up being a great breakfast option for me to grab on the go on the way to work, so I've also dubbed them as breakfast cookies.

I've never baked with olive oil, but I went back to the original source and saw that they used coconut oil. Since I always have that on hand and I've baked with it before, I used that instead.

The first batch came out as the shape of my cookie scoop, so while it was still warm, I pushed it down and it ended up like the shape of a mini hockey puck. The second batch, I flattened it before baking. I stored these in a zip top bag and they ended up a little soggy from the banana. I didn't mind the texture, and it made it seem more like little oatmeal energy bites than a cookie. Next time I try this, I might pack it into a pan to bake then cut into granola bars.

Remember to check out Sarah's blog for all the healthy recipes from the swap, including my contribution of lemon pepper salmon.

Healthy Oatmeal Cholate Chip Cookies
aka Oatmeal Chocolate Breakfast Cookies

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Tastetastic Voyage originally from 101 cookbooks

ingredients:

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, slightly softened (or olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal (or heaping 2/3 cup blanched almonds, ground)
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
6-7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar, chopped

directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F, racks in the top third.
In a large bowl beat the bananas, vanilla extract, and oil. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. In a food processor, grind up heaping measurements of almonds and coconut, then add to the dry ingredients (if you already have almond meal and small shredded coconut, add it directly to the dry ingredients and skip this step).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate. Drop dough, about 2 teaspoons in size, or with a cookie scoop, an inch apart onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Press down slightly.
Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
Allow to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Yield: a little less than 3 dozen

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Crockpot Turkey Sausage Wheatberry Soup

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

The day I decided to make this, I had a pack of sweet Italian turkey sausages thawed and ready to go from the night before. We ended up going over to my parents that night, so I had to use it or it would end up as trash. I hate to waste food, and since I had gone grocery shopping the day before to stock up on some staples, I had plenty of vegetables to use up. It was so easy to prep and prepare, and I love that I went out and came home to a dinner ready to eat!

A while back, I heard about wheatberries and its many benefits. Since Gary started liking quinoa, I decided to make a hearty soup using this other superfood. Since this is packed with protein and fiber, it's a great addition to this soup. It had a nice texture and blended in nicely. Although I thought it was just enough, Gary wanted to add even more wheatberries next time around.

Once again, Branny Boils Over is hosting a Souperbowl, and all soup entries each earn $1 to the ASPCA. Hurry up and make a soup recipe and send it over! The deadline is 1/31/12!

This year I'm dedicating my recipe to Matt. This little guy was found wandering around and causing traffic on the freeway until Gary's sister found him and brought him in. Check out the crazy before and after and what a little TLC does!

After a few weeks, nobody claimed him and he had nowhere to go. My sister in law already had 2 dogs, one which is a shih tzu as well. Luckily, Gary's other sister and her family came to the rescue and took him in. They named him Matt, because his hair was so matted when they first found him. He's great with the kids, and very protective of the family.

Crockpot Turkey Sausage Wheatberry Soup

a cathy's kitchen journey original recipe

ingredients:

3 TBSP olive oil, divided
1.25 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 small bay leaves
3/4 cup wheatberries, rinsed and drained (to sub rice or quinoa, add during the last hour of cooking)
4 cups water

directions:

In a hot skillet on medium-high heat, add 2 TBSP oil. Crumble and brown the sausage until no longer pink in the middle. Drain the fat and transfer to a 3-4qt crockpot. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 TBSP oil, and sweat out the onions. Remove from heat and transfer onions to crockpot.
Combine the rest of the ingredients into the crockpot and stir slightly.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until wheatberries are cooked through.
Remove bay leaves, stir well to mix evenly, then serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

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Homemade Vanilla Extract

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Over the holidays I wanted to give a few of my baker coworkers something they would be able to use. I confess, this was actually not the original plan I had. I wanted to make hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows, which then I changed my mind to hot chocolate on a stick with homemade marshmallows. In the end, after a long weekend of baking, I changed my mind once again and decided on the vanilla extract.

I actually started to second guess my decisions the previous week, that's why ended up buying some bottles. I thought they were good to have, just in case I needed a last minute gift :).

Months ago, I started a batch of vanilla extract in a 8.5oz flask with used vanilla beans. Although not as dark as the ones I bought before, it has still had that wonderful vanilla-y smell of the extract. I made was enough to fill four 2-oz bottles of extract. I also added half a split vanilla bean into the bottle, so whenever they run out, they can fill with more rum and it would be the never ending supply! I tied these printable gift tags to them as a final touch.

I used rum in my extract since that's what I have on hand. Since we don't drink, most alcohol I have in the house is reserved for cooking and baking. If you have vodka or bourbon, you can used that as well!

Homemade Rum Vanilla Extract

a cathy's kitchen journey original
inspired by the web

ingredients:

8 ounces rum or vodka
3 whole vanilla beans, slit open (or several used beans)

equipment:

8.5 ounce (or larger) glass bottle that seals tightly

directions:

For every 8 oz of liquid, add 3 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise. Store in a dark area and shake every few days. Vanilla is ready to use in 6-8 weeks.
I made mine with 5-6 used vanilla beans, then transferred them to 2-oz bottles after a few months, and added half a split vanilla bean to each bottle.

Yield: 8 ounces vanilla extract

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Snickerdoodle Blondies

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Time for another recipe swap! This time around, we weren't assigned specific recipes. We were assigned one blog, and we would choose whatever recipe we wanted. I ended up choosing these snickerdoodle blondies to take to my niece's first birthday party.

This recipe was a no-brainer for me. I love snickerdoodles, and I love blondies/brownies, so this was a win-win for me! The cinnamon sugar smelled so good while it was baking, and I couldn't wait to try it.

When I ran my bench scraper through it to cut, I thought it would be dense and hard to cut through, but it wasn't. It was light and fluffy just like a snickerdoodle would be. I brought the majority of it over, but I saved a few pieces for myself. Now I wish I saved more, but I guess I'll just find another excuse to make another batch.

Remember to go to Sarah's blog to see the rest of the recipes!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from The Cookaholic Wife

ingredients:

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt [I reduced this to 1/2 tsp, since I only had salted butter on hand]
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs
1 TBSP vanilla extract

topping:

2 TBSP granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan, set aside.
In a medium bowl; combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat together. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Transfer to prepared pan and spread with a spatula sprayed with oil (batter will be thick, so this will help).
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, cover and shake to mix well (or whisk together). Sprinkle evenly over the dough.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until dough is springs back to the touch.
Let cool, then cut into 32 pieces (or however big you want them!)

Yield: 9x13 pan

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Tofu and Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Here's to a new year, and a new you! I don't really make resolutions, but if I had to make one, it would be to eat healthier, less meat, and more whole foods. I've already started doing that, but I will continue to do so this year.

One of the things I've started reading up on and cooking is vegan meals. We've had a few good recipes for breakfast that are vegan, but we don't really have many vegan dinners. This meal was great because not only was it vegan, it was tasty and filling as well!

I made the mistake of using a stainless steel pan for this. I guess I missed the part about using nonstick! The tofu stuck a little and the sauce burned off a little. Next time I make this, I will definitely use a nonstick pan.

Tofu and Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, as seen on Made Just Right

ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into small squares
1 TBSP canola or peanut oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin

peanut dressing:

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp hot chili oil (I omitted)
pinch of salt

for serving:

steamed broccoli
1 grated carrot
cooked rice
crushed peanuts (optional)

directions:

Whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth (be patient, it’ll look curdle at first then smooth out) and set aside.
Fry tofu in the oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Drain and return to hot pan (turn off the heat). Mix soy sauce and mirin together and pour over tofu, mixing well. It will bubble up and form a light glaze.
Plate rice, add broccoli, tofu, carrot, and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

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2011 Top 10 Recipes

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

This year is coming to a close, and I've tried to make an effort to cook more. Here's a round up of favorites from this year based on stats. These recipes are chosen by you! I'm only including recipes that have been posted this year.

See you next year for more yummy food!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin in a cupcake with cream cheese, enough said!
Chicken Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken)
You can't lose with fried chicken!
Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
These whole wheat pancakes have been requested quite often from hubby!
Vegan Orange Cinnamon Rolls
This is the first cinnamon roll recipe I've ever made and hubby compares it to Cinnabon!
Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
I remember this well. I love coffee and it works so well in ice cream.
Saltine Toffee Bark aka Christmas Crack
This Christmas treat was so easy to make and it was a big hit with my coworkers! Aptly named as crack, this was even better the second time I made it when I added vanilla.
Vegan Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
I made these for my birthday and nobody believed they were vegan!
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
hubby's favorite cookies were made with coconut oil and whole wheat to make it even healthier!
Nutella Crescents
I made these for World Nutella Day, but these should be eaten whenever you want.
Coconut Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Hubby's favorite foods in the world in a pancake.
honorable mention: Baked Turkey Meatballs
This recipe continues to have lots of hits even though I made this many years ago. It's so easy and it's #1 when you search on google! (or #2 depending on when you search!)

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the year is almost over. It's been a crazy end of year, and I wish I had shared Christmas treats with you earlier, but better late than never.

I made these biscotti for part of my Christmas cookie tins to a few coworkers. My sisters took the bulk of the first batch, and Gary ate the rest in a matter of minutes, so I ended up making a second batch which turned out better anyway! He was glad he was able to enjoy something that was naturally dairy free instead of adapted to be dairy free.

The second time around, I decided to add more almond and add the almond extract, which made the difference. It was a great dessert, as well as a nice breakfast treat to pair with coffee. I may or may not have eaten cookies for breakfast the whole week before Christmas!

The original recipe didn't call for brushing the tops, but I had an extra egg white leftover from another recipe. One of the other biscotti recipes I was using called for brushing the top, so I did that as well. It adds a nice sheen instead of a dry top.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti
adapted from What's Cooking, Chicago?

ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
milk or egg for brushing

directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl lightly beat 3 eggs and extracts together. Set aside.

In a bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine. Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms, adding the cranberries and almonds about halfway through.

With floured hands divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a log and flatten to about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Transfer log to the prepared baking sheet, brush with extra egg or milk and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Note - logs will spread during baking. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Transfer log to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut log into slices 1/2 inch thick. Arrange evenly on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool.

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Saltine Toffee Bark aka Christmas Crack

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when baking is underway, and I want to bake all sorts of goodies to share. This weekend, my sister and I are actually doing our annual bake-a-thon. I will be preparing goodies to share, as well as baking for another cookie exchange.

I signed up for another recipe swap, and the theme this time was holiday goodies. What a better way to start the baking season by making this! These past few weeks have been extremely crazy, so I was scared that I wasn't going to finish this in time, but luckily, it takes almost no time to make!

I received this recipe from Nicole from Prevention RD. I saw "Christmas Crack" and loved the very idea of this recipe! I've never heard of using saltines as a crust or a base, and this intrigued me. Nicole got this recipe from her hair dresser, who I'm not sure is the original source. But, of course, like all "crack" recipes that have been floating around the interwebs forever, and who knows who originated this.

After googling, I saw a few variations. I was originally planning on making a swirl with half white chocolate, half semi-sweet, but I glad I stuck with just the semi-sweet. I would have had a hell of a time spreading both! I topped this with holiday colored sprinkles, but I would definitely try nuts, crushed peppermints, or whatever comes to mind!

I ended up bringing these to the office to share, and it was definitely like crack for them. Some couldn't stop at just one piece! Many people couldn't figure out what the crust was. They thought they were pretzels or graham crackers. It's hard to explain the taste, but if I had to I think it would be like the Take 5 candy bar, where all these different salty and sweet flavors meld and come together as one.

Remember to check out Sarah's blog to see all the other delicious treats from the swap!

Saltine Toffee Bark aka Christmas Crack
adapted from Prevention RD

ingredients:
1 sleeve of saltine crackers (4 oz)
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 oz sprinkles
(optional toppings: crushed peppermint, nuts, toffee bits, caramels, whatever floats your boat!)

directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F.

Line a 15x10 jelly roll pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Line the saltines in a single layer in the pan,with sides touching.

Meanwhile, cut up the butter into pieces. In a saucepan on medium heat, bring the butter and sugar to a boil, without mixing. Once boiling, remove from heat. Add vanilla extract and whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will become frothy. Pour the mixture over the saltines, covering as evenly as possible. Bake in oven for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven, and wait until the pan has stopped bubbling. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake in oven for another 2 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Using a spatula, spread the melted chocolate chips evenly over the entire surface of the saltines. Add sprinkles or desired toppings.

Allow to cool and harden in fridge. Since it was a bit tough to cut directly from the fridge, I broke them into pieces by hand. I personally like the jagged look! :)

Makes a whole lot!

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

After the holidays, I had a few sweet potatoes left over. What a better way to use them up than in a chili! I saw this recipe on the Real Simple facebook page before Thanksgiving and I knew I wanted to try it with whatever sweet potato I had left. This is a great meatless chili and packed full of vitamins and fiber!

I thought Gary wasn't going to go for it at first, but he actually enjoyed it. He didn't miss the meat! Since he can't have dairy, he didn't add any of the toppings therefore making it vegan, and it was still delicious!

Although you can definitely taste a hint of sweet potato and cinnamon, I didn't really see it. I think it could use a bit more next time. I also used dried beans instead of canned, since I had them on hand anyway. I added more water since I was using the dried beans, and I'm glad I did. It soaked up very nicely, and the chili was still thick and hearty. I only added one jalapeno because we're not big spicy people, but it could probably have used more. I usually don't have peppers on hand, but you can definitely use whatever you have.

This made a lot, so you can store them in single serving portions and freeze for later.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Vegan/Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili
adapted from Real Simple

ingredients:
1 cup dried black beans
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried great northern beans
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (or more of desired)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 TBSP mild chili powder (or 1 TBSP medium-hot)
1 TBSP ground cumin
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups water
optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and/or tortilla chips

directions:
The night before, pick out stones and discolored beans and soak in cold water (changing the water once) in the liner of a 4-6 qt slow cooker.

If you have time right before making this, I recommend sauteing the onions, garlic and peppers to bring out some flavor. If not, you can follow the directions below.

Right before cooking, drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, black pepper. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid), beans, sweet potato, and water. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours

Serve the chili with the sour cream, scallions, radishes, and tortilla chips. [to keep it vegan, use Daiya (or your choice of vegan cheese), or omit the cheese and sour cream all together]

Makes 4 heaping servings, or 8-10 smaller bowls

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Two of my family's favorite things, pumpkin and ginger is all baked up into this wonderful dessert. They really do go for anything pumpkin and anything ginger, so I had to make this.

I've been meaning to make a pumpkin cheesecake for a while now, and I never get around to it because we always have pumpkin pie. This time around, I made an apple pie, so I finally got the chance to make this for Thanksgiving.

At the last minute I was almost hesitant to try this recipe. Although it has a 4 1/2 star review, there are quite a few people who mentioned this wasn't like cheesecake, or there wasn't enough pumpkin flavor, or it was bland altogether. After reading a few reviews, I decided to take matters in my own hands and adjust accordingly. In the end, I doubled the amount of total spices buy subbing with my homemade pumpkin pie mix, and I used a whole can of pumpkin, instead of the one cup it originally called for.

I think my changes made all the difference. There was definitely a more prominent pumpkin flavor and just enough spice. In the end this came out beautifully, and despite the cracks, it tasted great.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
adapted from allrecipes

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 8 from this recipe)
1/2 heaping cup pecans halves
1/3 cup butter, melted

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 15oz can of pure pumpkin (or 2 cups fresh)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). In a food processor using the chopping blade, mix together the gingersnap cookies and pecans. Pulse to form crumbs. Stream in the butter and pulse to combine. Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor, you can crush the cookies in a heavy duty zip top bag, add finely chopped pecans and butter to form a crust. Press crust into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice into the remaining mixture in the bowl.

Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Tap the bowl lightly to combine the two batters. Swirl with a knife or toothpick to create a marbled effect.

Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Turn off oven and let cool in the oven for 30 minutes with the door propped open with a wooden spoon. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to fully cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

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Gingersnaps

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

To tell you my family loves ginger cookies is an understatement. My family LOVES all ginger cookies! Every time I make a ginger type cookie, they always ask for more.

I was originally going to buy gingersnaps for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe. It was one less thing for me to do for Thanksgiving cooking. However, this recipe popped up right before I was about to go to the supermarket. I had everything on hand, and my mom asked about ginger cookies once again :), so I decided to make it. I'm so glad I did, because when I saw the $6 price tag for a small box of gingersnaps that were full of crap, I almost fainted!

I started the recipe on Tuesday in order to be able to use it on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I wanted them snappier because I would be using them for a cheesecake crust, so I baked them for the full 15 minutes. Normally, I'm all for the chewy cookies!

My family also thought this didn't have as much ginger flavor as my previous ginger cookies. I didn't either. It may have been because I was dumb and squeezed the ginger liquid out after I grated it. DON'T do it! Keep all that gingery goodness in!

I used a cookie scoop to measure out the cookie balls. I guess I made them slightly bigger, because I only got an even 3 dozen cookies out of the recipe, vs the 4 dozen from the original recipe.

Gingersnaps
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 grams) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 to 3 grams) table salt
3 tsp (6 grams) ground ginger
1 tsp (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 tsp(1 gram) allspice
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
2 sticks (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (96 grams) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup (79 ml) unsulphured molasses
1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (with the wet ingredients) or 1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced candied ginger (with the dry ingredients) (optional)

directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy, about three minutes on medium. Add egg and molasses and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined. Thoroughly scrape down bowl, ensuring ingredients are evenly mixed.

Transfer your cookie dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for at least two hours, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll dough into 1-inch balls and spread at least two inches apart on baking sheets that have either been greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, which is a long range. In the 10 to 12 range, the cookies will be softer. In the 13 to 15 range, a bit snappier. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Make ahead: In an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will soften a bit each day. Cookies keep for one week at room temperature or one month in the freezer.

Makes 3 dozen

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Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

To be honest, I sometimes find Gary's palette a little on the bland side. He loves white rice, ketchup, plain brothy soups. If you give him some ketchup, he can eat shoe leather and call it a day. In my efforts to get variety in his diet and be a little bit more creative, I would add different types of fiber and fruits and vegetables. If I don't end up finding a recipe I like, I will adapt the heck out of one. In the end, the recipe wouldn't be too close to the original recipe. When I come up with a flavor combination I want to try, there's no stopping me!

When I made the multigrain waffles, he asked if I can make "regular" ones -- "you know like l'eggo my eggos"? When I made the orange cinnamon rolls, he asked if I could omit the orange next time and make it plain. When I ask him what flavor ice cream he wants me to make, he says chocolate -- although he recently asked for cookies and cream! I'm not saying that all these recipes are bad! They're far from that! He liked them, but just asked for something not too out of the ordinary.

So, that's what I did. I made him 'buttermilk' pancakes. I went with a basic recipe and deviate too much from it. The only adaptation I made was using soy milk and vinegar to make a sour milk instead of using buttermilk. Otherwise everything was the same. These were the most fluffy pancakes I've ever made!

The verdict? "I liked these, but I like the strawberry, coconut and apple better."

So I guess my efforts in making them healthier or coming up with crazy flavors are worth the efforts!

Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from Better Homes and Garden 14th edition

ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 TBSP granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 TBSP vinegar plus enough soy milk to equal 1 1/2 cup total (or 1 1/2 cup buttermilk)
3 TBSP canola oil

directions:
In a measuring cup combine vinegar and soy milk. Let sit for 5 minutes (skip this step if using buttermilk).

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the soy milk mixture, egg and oil. Add to the flour, and stir until just combined.

Using a ladle, pour 1/4 cup batter onto a hot griddle. Cook until surface has completely bubbled, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with maple syrup.

Makes about 12 pancakes

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Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

2011-11-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

When I first came up with this, I was originally going to mix in some spaghetti so I didn't totally shock Gary when there was no pasta. However, I ran out of spaghetti, so left it as all squash. To my surprise, Gary actually liked it. When I told him all these vegetables were in them, he was surprised as well. I did a good job hiding them! He enjoyed it and gobbled it up even though he knew all these different vegetables were in the dish.

So I wasn't planning blogging it. It didn't seem too intriguing, but I took a picture anyway and Gary encouraged me to blog it. It was a half-assed quick pic, so please ignore the craptastic photo above. I guarantee it's quite tasty indeed. I was also super hungry from the time change (an hour really throws everything off!) and couldn't wait any longer to eat. I wasn't sure what I would call this, so since the meat sauce is similar to a bolognese style sauce, that's what I ended up naming it.

If you have some fresh basil or parsley, I would suggest adding that as well. Although this dish was tasty, it was missing a fresh ingredient garnish.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

ingredients:
1 small spaghetti squash (3-4 lbs)
1 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper

2 TBSP canola oil
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery hearts, finely chopped
3/4 lb ground turkey
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a tomato basil)

directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Line a sheet pan with foil, and lightly spray with oil. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Place the squash cut side down and bake in oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before handling.

Meanwhile, on medium-high heat, add 2 TBSP oil. Sweat the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for 10 minutes. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink while breaking it down with a wooden spoon. Add mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Using a fork, scrape the spaghetti squash into a large bowl. Toss in 1 TBSP olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the meat mixture to the bowl and toss together to combine. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

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Mixed Berry Fruit Smoothies

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever we have a light dinner, we usually chase it down with a a couple of smoothies. Lame, I know, but we're both not too in to alcohol, and sorta watch what we eat. I normally don't eat a lot throughout the day, so it wouldn't hurt to have some extra fruit. I love smoothies, but the mass market ones can also be chock full of sugar and stuff I don't want to ingest. Our smoothies are frozen fruit and juice, nothing else!

These smoothies are great for a morning pick me up. This is a great base for any add-ins such flax or any other boost you may want.

I get aggravated sometimes when we use our mugs and tall glasses for smoothies. They're not really equipped to keep something cold for a long time. When I saw that the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program was offering Tervis tumblers up for grabs, I jumped at the chance! I've heard such great things about them, but I've never actually used one before. I wish I had got one sooner because this thing is awesome! I filled the Tervis with the smoothie and it kept it cold til the last drop. Because of its double insulation, it didn't sweat on the outside and my hands stayed dried. When I get a chance, I'll probably get a few to use at home.

Mixed Berry Fruit Smoothies

ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)
1 cup frozen mangoes
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

directions:
Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend until combined. If the mixture is too think to pour, add a little bit more juice to thin it out.

Makes 2-3 servings

disclaimer:
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a complimentary Foodbuzz Tervis tumbler. All the reviews and opinions are my own.

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Vegan Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know today is World Vegan Day? I didn't but it's just a happy coincidence that I'm posting this today! Today marks the start of a month long vegan celebration. I guess I celebrated early, since this past month has been primarily vegan recipes!

As I mentioned, I made 2 different cupcakes for our birthday get together. The other one I made was this chocolate mocha cupcake also from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I was set to make a chocolate cupcake, but the notes in the book also had instructions on turning the chocolate cupcake into a mocha one.

I think these turned out pretty good, as a chocolate cupcake. I didn't taste too much coffee in the cupcake, and only slightly in the frosting, even though there was coffee in both the cupcake batter and the frosting. I missed the part where it said to dust with cinnamon or nutmeg, so I think that would have made a difference as well. I also made the mistake of putting too much vanilla in the frosting while halving rest of the ingredients. It didn't taste off, but the extra liquid made the frosting a bit too thin while piping.

Vegan Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

ingredients:
cake
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP cold strong brewed coffee

frosting (half the original recipe)
1/4 cup non hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup vegan butter (rec: Earth Balance)
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP cold strong brewed coffee
cinnamon or nutmeg for dusting

directions:
make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix to combine.

Beat together the milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and coffee in a large bowl. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until no large lumps remain. (batter will be thin)

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

prepare the frosting:
In a stand mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until light. Add sugar a little at a time and beat for 3 minutes until no lumps remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Add vanilla and coffee and beat for another 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.

Scoop frosting into a piping bag or heavy duty zip top bag and pipe from the outside in. Dust tops lightly with ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

Makes 12 cupcakes

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Vegan Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

These past few weeks, a few friends and I hit a huge milestone. We all turned the big 3-0! While most people see it as a big deal, I didn't see it that way. I really am one of those that feel like 30 is the new 20, and my life and adventures have only just begun. If anybody looked at Gary and I, we definitely don't look like we're already in our 30s! These are the same folks I celebrated 2 years ago at the sausage fest party.

A bunch of my friends are ones that I've known since elementary school, as early as kindergarten. I think it's great that we've still kept in touch all these years. Even though we've all hit 30, we decided to go do something fun and kiddy - Laser Tag! I've never gone before, so better late than never!

We went out for an early dinner at a Shanghai Restaurant and I brought cupcakes. I made two flavors, this vegan vanilla one being one of them. I actually bookmarked this recipe a while ago, and I decided to make it for this occasion since I had almost everything on hand. I didn't have many eggs left, and I had some soy milk to use up. I didn't have to go the vegan route, but I did. To be honest, I think vegan cupcakes are pretty easy to make, and seem less messy.

If you think there's no way these cupcakes can stand up to regular ones, well they can! Nobody knew they were vegan until I told them!

Vegan Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World, as seen on their blog

ingredients:
cupcakes
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or almond milk and omit the almond extract)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

frosting (half the original recipe)
1/4 cup non hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup vegan butter (rec: Earth Balance)
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP soy milk

directions:
make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix to combine.

Beat together the milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain. (batter will be thin)

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

prepare the frosting:
In a stand mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until light. Add sugar a little at a time and beat for 3 minutes until no lumps remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Add vanilla and milk and beat for another 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.

Scoop frosting into a piping bag or heavy duty zip top bag and pipe from the outside in.

Makes 12 cupcakes

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Kiss Ice Cream

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Just because it's a little chilly out, doesn't mean the ice cream goes away. It's a great time for the fall flavors to come out. Since I'm not a huge ice cream person, I mostly make dairy free ice creams for Gary. The ice cream maker investment has paid for itself through the cheaper quarts of ice cream I can make him.

I on the other hand have only made ice cream a handful of times for myself. Although I love pure vanilla and pistachio ice creams, The crazy flavors are the ones that get me all riled up. If only this Dexter ice cream were real, I'd be all over it! :D

With that said, I had some heavy cream and some Hershey's pumpkin spice kisses on hand. The pumpkin spice kisses are a funny thing. Once you try one, you either love them or you hate them. I for one love them, and I wanted to use both up, but I wasn't sure how. Heavy cream would be perfect for ice cream, so I wanted to integrate the candy somehow.

I decided to ask a few of my cooking buddies to get an idea of what ice cream would pair well with pumpkin spice kisses. White chocolate won by a landslide! I'm glad the consensus was white chocolate. It was a recipe I wanted to try already and it didn't have any added sugar to make it overly sweet. Since the kisses have a white chocolate taste and consistency to them, it worked well together.

Although I only chopped up some candy to mix in, I might end up melting some next time to see if making a swirl would work. If you don't like the pumpkin spice kisses, leave them out! The white chocolate ice cream alone is well worth it as well.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Kisses Ice Cream
ice cream base adapted from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

ingredients:
1 cup whole milk (I only had 1¼ cup heavy cream, so I upped this by ¼ cup)
2 large eggs
12 oz white chocolate, chopped (or white chocolate chips)
1 ½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup roughly chopped pumpkin spice kisses (about 20)

directions:
In a medium saucepan on low heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and slowly pour and beat it into the eggs in a medium bowl.

Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk over low heat with a wooden spoon, until you feel that it's thickened slightly (do not bring to a boil or the eggs will scramble).

Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Mix well until the chocolate melts entirely.

Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup using a fine sieve colander. Allow to cool slightly then stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate until cool, or overnight.

Pour custard mixture into ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer's directions. Transfer ice cream to a bowl and fold in the chopped kisses. Freeze for a few hours until ice cream has firmed up.

Makes about 1 ½ quart.

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Vegan Multigrain Waffles

2011-10-20T11:42:00.000-04:00

Lately when Gary isn't asking for pancakes, he's heating up a few frozen waffles for breakfast. His latest addiction is quinoa waffles. He loves the nutrients and protein it gives him, and it gives him more energy for whatever he needs to do. I haven't found a quinoa waffle recipe yet, but if you have one let me know.

I did decide to make this multigrain version to try out as an experiment. You see, I "borrowed" my sister's waffle maker a while back, and I don't plan on returning it anytime soon :). These came out great, and I liked the wholesome nutty taste the oatmeal added. Overall, this recipe is a keeper as a basic waffle that will fill you up all morning.

This was an easy recipe to whip up in the morning. My 15 yr old waffle maker heated each batch up in about 7 minutes.

Vegan Multigrain Waffles
source: Vegan Visitor

ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup ground flax seed meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 TBSP white sugar
2 cups soy milk
2 TBSP vegetable oil

directions:
Preheat waffle maker according to your manufacturer's directions.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour through sugar). In a mixing cup, add the oil to the soy milk. Whisk the milk into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, and most lumps are gone.

Spray or brush the waffle maker with oil. Pour enough batter into waffle maker and cook per the waffle maker's instructions. Mine took about 7 minutes each batch of 2 waffles. Repeat until batter is used up, spraying/brushing more oil as necessary.

tips:
*make sure you don't cover after removing from the waffle maker, otherwise it will get soggy
*toast the waffles to make them extra crispy
*store leftovers in a freezer bag and reheat in toaster for a quick morning breakfast!

makes about 8 waffles (more or less depending on your waffle maker)

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Apple Upside-Down Cake

2011-10-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

APPLES! I had a lot, and between the free ones I eat at work and the 5lb bag I bought for home, I was up to my ears in apples. I've been enjoying them with peanut butter at work everyday, but there's so many apples a girl can eat before I get sick of them. Then came this recipe. I saw this upside down apple cake and thought it looked delightful.

I trust King Arthur and their recipes, even if they have recipes that require their specialized products. One of the ingredients this recipe called for was a few tablespoons of boiled cider. I haven't tried it, and I'm sure it's great. HOWEVER, since I will probably never use it other than the few tablespoons for this recipe, I decided to sub apple cider. I think it worked out fine. If you need an apple cake, this one turns out moist and dense, what a perfect fall cake should be.

One note is that a 2" high pan needs to be used. I didn't have one and used a leakproof springform pan. That was probably why some of the brown bits on the bottom stuck to the pan. It may also be because I forgot the grease the pan. Please don't make that mistake if you're using a regular pan.

Apple Upside-Down Cake
adapted from King Arthur Flour

ingredients:
topping:
2 medium apples (or 3 small apples), peeled, cored, and sliced (reserve one apple top)
4 TBSP butter (I used Earth balance)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 TBSP apple cider
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light corn syrup

cake:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 TBSP apple cider
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped (or 2 small)
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4" thick wedges. (an apple peeler corer was very helpful here!)

Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.

Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, apple cider cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

make the cake:
Beat the oil, brown sugar, apple cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.

Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

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Caramel Apple Tart

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time again! The time my home gets a little chilly, but the heat doesn't turn on until November...the joys of renting! Times like these, I'm so glad that I love baking, and it's the time for fall recipes!

I participate in recipe swaps every so often, and this week's theme is fall recipes using apples or pumpkin. I got this caramel apple tart from So Tasty, So Yummy. At first, I was wondering how I would adapt the entire thing to be dairy free so Gary can have it as well. I didn't. Oh well. He doesn't have to be my guinea pig for every recipe I try.

I ended up bringing this over to my parents when we went over for dinner. My cousins loved it! I particularly liked the crust, and especially the caramel. Oh, the caramel. Let me tell you, I was eating this by the spoonful and I didn't even wait for it to cool down. I was lucky I had any left over to drizzle over the top!

I was also happy that I was able to roll out the dough without many issues. I let it rest on the counter after taking it out of the fridge, since it was practically rock solid when I took it out. That made the dough more pliable and much easier to work with. Other than that, everything pretty much went without a hitch.

Remember to check out Sarah's blog for the full roundup of recipes from the swap!

Caramel Apple Tart
adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy, originally from Martha Stewart & Bon Apetit

ingredients:
crust:
2 ½ cups flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1//2 inch cubes
3 to 4 TBSP ice water

caramel sauce:
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP corn syrup

filling:
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP unbleached all purpose flour
5 firm baking apples, peeled, cored, cut into sixteenths (I used gala, original recipe used granny smith)

directions:
prepare the crust:
Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days, before using.

make the caramel sauce:
Bring sugar, cream, butter and corn syrup to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves. Boil, whisking often, until caramel thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon thickly, about 8 minutes. Caramel sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead. Remove from heat, cover and chill. When ready to use, whisk over low heat until warm.

make the filling:
Preheat oven to 375° F.

Whisk flour and sugar in large bowl to blend. Add apples and toss until evenly coated. Remove dough from fridge and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Cut overhang even with top of pan sides. Arrange apple slices in circle around outer edge of pan, fitting snugly. Arrange remaining apples snugly in the center.

Bake tart until apples are tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove tart from oven and brush with some of the caramel sauce. Cool tart to room temperature. Rewarm remaining caramel sauce. Drizzle tart lightly with sauce.

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Vegan Orange Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I saw this recipe in the Vegan Diner book, I knew I had to try it. I was always intimidated from making cinnamon rolls, because it had ingredients and steps I hate the most...yeast, and rolling out dough. When I read the instructions for this recipe, I thought it was pretty simple, so I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did, because this came out beautifully! The dough rose as instructed, and it rolled out nicely as well!

I've only seen recipes for cinnamon rolls that included milk, so I would end up having to adapt it. This recipe called for soy milk powder, which I always have on hand anyway. I use it when I make bread recipes in the bread machine, so this recipe was right up my alley. I usually purchase it at Whole Foods, but if you can't find it, you can omit it and sub the 1/2 cup of water with soy milk.

Vegan Orange Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Vegan Diner

ingredients:
dough:
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water, room temperature
zest of one orange
1/4 cup hot water (110°-115°F)
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 3/4 - 4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (start off with 3 3/4 cup and add as needed after kneading)
2 TBSP soy milk powder
1 tsp fine salt
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

filling:
3 TBSP vegan butter (rec: Earth Balance)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 TBSP orange juice (fresh from the orange you zested)

directions:
Spray or liberally coat a 9x13 baking dish with oil or shortening. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup, measure and whisk together agave, orange juice, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and orange zest. Set aside.

Place in the bowl of a stand mixer, add hot water and sugar. Then add flour, soy milk powder, salt then yeast last. Turn on mixer on low to stir and combine.

Add liquid ingredients slowly while the mixer is on to form a ball. Replace with the dough hook of the mixer and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth. If it's still sticky, add more flour 1 TBSP at a time.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (I turn my oven to warm for 5 minutes, shut it off, then put the bowl in the oven to rise.)

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 16x12 rectangle. Brush on softened butter/margarine while leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and spread evenly. Then sprinkle cinnamon on top of the sugar. (I sprinkled out of my spice jar and didn't measure.)

Rolling along the long edge, form a spiral, jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges to close up the seams. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 12 even pieces. Place the pieces into the prepared baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again for 30 minutes until almost double.

Remove plastic wrap and bake in preheated oven at 350° for 30-35 minutes until firm to the touch and lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl. Drizzle over warm cinnamon buns and serve.

Makes 12 cinnamon buns.

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Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Godiva Coffee review

2011-09-29T12:01:00.001-04:00

Happy National Coffee Day!

Today, we celebrate the greatness that is coffee! You know, most days I get out of bed not so well relaxed. I am definitely in need of my coffee fix in the mornings. However, I'm not one of those who has to have one in the afternoon as well. If I ever do, it would be a decaf cup, just for the taste of it.

Now that it's fall, I've been craving pumpkin everything. As a member of Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, was so excited when I was accepted to get a sample of Godiva's seasonal limited edition flavors: Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark.

I brought both bags to work along with my trusty french press and had a little coffee party. If you don't have a french press, and love strong brewed coffee I highly recommend it! All you have to do is pour the coffee grounds into the press, add hot water and let seep for 5 minutes. Then push the plunger down, and enjoy!

My coworkers and I all enjoyed the Pumpkin Spice. It had a wonderful smell and tasted equally as nice. It was brewed dark, but because it was done on the press, it didn't have that bitter taste coffee usually has. I also brewed some on my Keurig at home, but I recommend the press.

The Caramel Pecan Bark was good as well, but I thought it had bits of sweet notes that were too strong for me. I'm not a huge sweets person (you wouldn't be able to tell from my blog huh?) so it was a little off putting. It would be a great dessert coffee paired with a coffeecake or such, but not as a daily morning brew.

My net take: get a french press then get the pumpkin spice coffee :)

disclaimer:
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received two complimentary bags of Godiva Coffee. All the reviews and opinions are my own.