Recipe: The Relaxation that is Milk Tea

I will boldy admit that milk tea is not quite the same using a milk substitute. And, believe you me, you all coconut milk or almond milk is just gross. Soy is pretty good, and a mixture of soy with coconut milk is lovely.

Milk Tea (Two Varieties)

Originally posted on This, That, and the Other

Milk tea is delicious with all sorts of teas, but my favorites are a classic English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast, Chai, or Earl Grey. I want to try to make this with a black vanilla or marzipan tea, when I can get my hands on them again. 

Milk Possibilities
All soy milk, or blend of soy milk and water
2 cups soy milk, 1 cup water, and one cup coconut milk (recommended) 

#1 (The Best Way)
Put four cups of milk and 1 heaping tablespoon of loose leaf tea (or 2-3 tea bags) into a small-medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the milk starts to simmer. Stir/whisk often for 4-5 minutes as the milk simmers, then reduce the heat to low (or medium-low, depending how hot your stove gets). Continue to cook the tea for at least ten more minutes, but really, the longer it cooks, the better it will be, so I suggest letting it simmer for 45-60 minutes on low. Add a splash of real vanilla if desired, strain, and serve. You can also sweeten the tea many ways (succanat, sugar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup), but my very favorite is brown sugar.

#2 (For Milk Tea in a Hurry)
This milk tea won't have the complexity or rich texture, but it's ready in a few minutes. That's right, you nuke it! Just make sure that whatever the microwave-safe implement you use to cook the milk in, it has at least 2x the capacity for the milk you're using (for four cups of milk, use something that holds at least 8 cups), unless you fancy wiping down your microwave. Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, letting the milk get to a nice rolling boil so it cooks down a little. Strain, sweeten, and serve as you would above.

Recipe: Roasted Beet Sald with Lemon Basil Balsamic Dressing

Roasted Beet Salad with Lemon Basil Balsamic Dressing

Originally posted at This, That, and the Other

Serves 4 (with leftover dressing)

I would strongly recommend using a nice aged balsamic vinegar is possible, it makes a big difference. I prefer to serve this salad with warm beets, but the beets could certainly be roasted in advance and served at room temperature, or even cold.

Ingredients
3-4 beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb salad greens of your choice (I used a lovely spring mix from our farmers' market, mescalin greens would also be lovely), washed and dried
1/4 cup (generous handful) of basil leaves
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Lemon Basil Balsamic Dressing (see below) 

Directions
Heat the oven to 425F. Toss the beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread beets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (two if needed). Bake for 40-50 minutes, tossing beets halfway through. The beets should be tender, sizzling, and starting to brown.

Split the greens between four plates and top with basil leaves roasted beets, and almonds. Serve with dressing alongside.

Approximately 205 calories per serving (with dressing) 

Lemon Basil Balsamic Dressing

 Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 Tbsp agave syrup, succanat, or brown sugar (or more to taste if you prefer a sweeter dressing)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (basil flavored, if possible)
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup water
2-3 Tbsp minced basil (optional, use if you don't have access to basil-scented olive oil)

Directions 
Mix the dressing ingredients together, adjusting the sweetener as needed to taste.

Recipe: Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers & Pesto

As I was updating my recipe list tonight, I realized that all of my recipes thus far are either soups, scones, or cupcakes. After almost six months of blogging (albeit it not consistently), this is sad and not representative of what we actually eat.

I decided to go through some recipes from my primary blog, This, That, and the Other and put those up that are vegan, are easily made vegan. Hurray! More recipes!

I'll start with a yummy favorite, Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers and Pesto

Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers and Pesto

adapted from epicurious.com, originally posted on This, That, and the Other
  
This is easily a fast and easy meal if you are using jarred roasted red peppers. Have more time and want them fresh? Do it up! Gluten-free if you've got the right buns.

Ingredients
2 red peppers (or 2 jarred roasted red peppers)
4 portabella caps, stems removed
olive oil
spring greens or arugula
2-4 Tbsp vegan pesto
or vegannaise
4 potato/hamburger buns

Directions
Using your broiler or gas stove, char the peppers (here's a useful tutorial, if you haven't done this before). Place in a medium bowl and cover with saran wrap (alternatively use a small saucepan and lid) and let sit for 30 minutes. Then peel off the skin, remove seeds, and cut peppers into four pieces.

While peppers are steaming, heat oven to 350F. Remove stems from portabella caps, and place on a slightly-greased  baking sheet, gills up. Drizzle with olive oil, and generously salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes.

If you have time, toast the hamburger buns. Spread the mayo and pesto on each bun, and stack with mushrooms, peppers, and greens.

Serves 4, About 130 calories before the bun with 1/2 Tbsp of pesto and 1/2 Tbsp of vegannaise.

Recipe: Creamy Tomato & Roasted Pepper Soup

It's almost winter. I have Christmas music playing almost non-stop, and will do anything to stay cozy, which may or may not include playing 3-hour fireplace videos on my laptop, which is placed strategically in our non-functional fireplace in the living room.

Before baking cookies tonight, I made some seriously yummy soup for dinner. It was a really good end to a really good day.

It's creamy without any dairy products, and packs some serious flavor for only a few ingredients and a fairly short cooking time. I took my time making this soup and it took about 40 minutes from start to finish. I'd bet anything that a savvy cook (such as yourself, yes you, darling reader) could knock this out in 30 minutes flat.

Creamy Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

6 Generous Portions

If you think about it ahead of time, get your cashews soaking for an easier and faster blending process. I would strongly recommend using an immersion blender for both the cashew cream and the soup - it will save time, not to mention space in your dish rack. I prefer a really nice, smooth soup, but you could blend for a shorter amount of time to leave a some chunks in it.

Ingredients

1/2 - 3/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup water

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp dried basil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-oz cans of whole tomatoes
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and peppers roughly chopped

Garnish options: fresh, chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, or basil-infused olive oil

Directions

First things first, add the cashews and water together to get your cashews nice and soft.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and add onions with a generous pinch of salt. Saute onions until they start to turn golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one more minute, then add 1/3 cup water and the dried basil. Stirring often, continue to cook the onions down until very soft, another 5 minutes or so.

Add the cans of tomatoes, sauce and all, and the chopped roasted peppers, reducing heat to medium. Stir occasionally, bringing the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, blend the soaked cashews until completely smooth (1-2 minutes), then add to the soup. Remove the soup from heat, and blend.

Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh basil, or a dash of flavored balsamic vinegar or olive oil.

Serves 6.
Approximately 160 calories per serving, 5 grams protein, and high in Vitamins A, B6, C, Magnesium, Potassium, and Manganese.

Recipe: Cookie Butter Cookies!

Photo from Trader Joes

I win the love and affection of my neighbors by baking constantly and then shoving my baked goods at them. This does good things for me: our elderly next-door neighbor leaves us the NY Times crossword every morning in exchange for whatever chocolate goodies I bake up, and our neighbors across the hall rave about whatever I make send their way, which feeds my enlarged baking ego. It's a win all around.

Ian and I bundled the baby up this afternoon and took the train down to our local Trader Joe's to shop for the week. Someone had actually stacked jars of peanut butter in front of the TJ's cookie butter, but I was a dedicated (if not obsessive) hunter, and uncovered a precious jar so I could make some cookie butter cookies. (And, let's be honest, eat this stuff straight from the jar).

I know it sounds counter-intuitive. After all, isn't cookie butter made from... cookies? Yes, it is, so yes, these cookies are... cookie flavored. But I've been obsessed with making these cookies after uncovering a vegan cookies list on Food52 a few nights ago (which for the life of me, I cannot find to link to this evening, my apologies).

[Please note the gorgeous picture below isn't, mine. I did actually take pictures of my cookies, but of course cannot find my adapter to connect the camera to my computer]

Photo from http://havecakewilltravel.com/2009/10/13/tripping-over-speculoos/

They are AMAZING, best served about 5 minutes out of the oven, when they're still soft and gooey.

Cookie Butter Cookies

Adapted from Have Cake, Will Travel

Makes approximately 24 cookies.
If you want a much crunchier cookie, reduce the soy/almond milk to 3-4 tablespoons.

Ingredients

2/3 cup Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp unsweetened soy/almond milk

Directions

Heat over to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the cookie butter, both sugars, the salt and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined. You may need to use your hands to get it smooth.

Sift the flour and baking soda over the cookie butter mixture, and combine. Again, you may have to use your hands here.

Add half the soy milk (3 Tbsp) and combine, then add the rest. The cookie dough will be thick. If it is still crumbling a little bit, add another tablespoon of your milk substitute.

Roll cookies into balls, about 1-inch in diameter (roughly a rounded tablespoon). Drop them a good 2 inches apart from each other the baking sheet. I was able to fit around eight on a cookie sheet at a time.

Bake for 10-11 minutes until the cookies have spread, cracked on top, and are starting to lightly brown.

Recipe: Potatoes and Eggplant (Aloo Baingan)

Ian and I made Potatoes and Eggplant (Aloo Baingan) from Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals That Taste Great by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and it was insanely yummy. Rich, flavorful, easy to make, and really healthy, you can't go wrong with this meal.

We served ours with some quick chapati (Indian flat bread), which I won't say that I've mastered making, by any means (mine were ugly, I'll be honest), but they were yummy. You could also serve over brown basamati rice, which realistically would be a little healthier and not make your kitchen look like it was attacked by squirrels playing in flour (which is how our kitchen looked after we got done making our chapati).

Potatoes and Eggplant (Aloo Baingan)

Adapted from Color Me Vegan

Ingredients
1 medium Italian globe purple eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 jalapeno peppers
2 large yellow potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions
In a steamer basket on the stove top, steam the eggplant cubes until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry until they are fragrant and start to pop, but make sure you stir them so they don't burn. Add jalapeno and continue to stir frequently, and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the potatoes, water, ginger, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and salt. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, and add extra water if needed.

Throw in the eggplant and tomato and stir to mix thoroughly. Cook for 5-10 minutes longer so the flavors combine and everything heats thoroughly. Remove from heat, and garnish with cilantro or parsley if you choose.

4 Servings, about 190 calories per serving with 5 grams of protein.

Book Review: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Let me first admit that I have held on to my library copy of VCTOTW for far too long. In fact, the library doesn't even seem to think that I have it, despite not accruing any fines. I feel equal amounts of shame and glee, and do plan on returning it. Soon, I swear. As soon as I try every single recipe... (of my husband buys this for me for Christmas because he is ashamed of my dishonest ways, and wants the cupcakes to keep coming).

This is a goldmine for the vegan that bakes, even if that vegan has never baked before. The ingredients aren't strange and use things out of your vegan pantry (I spent $75 purchasing crazy ingredients at Whole Foods for one recipe in Babycakes that was mediocre at best), the instructions are easy to follow, and, best of all, these cook up into amazing cupcakes - and I am freaking FUSSY about my cupcakes (and other baked goods).

My two favorite recipes are for the chocolate cupcakes (Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake), with a little extra vanilla extract, and some coconut extract for good measure, with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (ditto with the vanilla and coconut here too), and the Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. So. Amazing.

I made both of these recipes in mini form for my daughter's first birthday party, and they were a hit with all of my non-vegan friends (I kept hearing, "And can you believe they're vegan?!" around the room).

The only thing I've made so far that I haven't cared for was the batch of Thick Chocolate Fudgey Frostin'. I suspect this has more to do with my lack of good-quality soy milk powder that the actual recipe.



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