Category: vegan/veggie/ar

chocolate strudel

chocolate strudelIf you want an impressive dessert you can whip up from staples that are easy to keep on hand, this chocolate strudel from Vegan Italiano is for you. It’s really just confectioners’ sugar, baking chocolate, almonds or walnuts and a sheet of puff pastry. And if you remember what eating chocolate filled croissants was like, it’s kind of like that.

If you’re one of those vegetarians/vegans who doesn’t get into fake meats, tofu, seitan, etc. you’ll love Vegan Italiano. It sticks to mostly naturally vegan classic Italian recipes. I’ve also made the Ligurian Basil Pesto which came out quite nice. But then I’ve never met a pesto that I didn’t like. Also, with as many cookbooks as I have, sometimes they start to look alike. A lot of recipe repetition. This one has enough new and different (to me) recipes that I’ll get plenty of use out of it.

more proof you don’t need eggs for french toast

VWAV Fronch Toast and applesauceI like the french toast in Vegan Vittles and have made that a number of times in the past. But I hadn’t tried the Fronch Toast in Vegan With A Vengeance yet. Fronch Toast is a good alternative if you don’t like nutritional yeast which is used in the Vegan Vittles recipe. When I whipped up the batter, I was a little concerned because it tasted like the corn starch. But once they were fried up that taste disappeared. I almost think the Fronch Toast fries up a little crispier than the Vegan Vittles recipe. But I do love the nutritional yeast flavor. Maybe next time I’ll throw a little bit in the Fronch Toast recipe and have the best of both. The batter keeps well in the refrigerator and I ate it all up as leftovers. Oh yeah, and there’s the applesauce I made to go with the latkes. I think I’m going to need to freeze some. I’ve still got a ton of it. Good think I halved the recipe.

Latkes and Wine

Before Hanukkah runs out, I thought I’d get in a batch of latkes. I used the recipe from The Candle Cafe Cookbook and also made their applesauce earlier this week. I was very skeptical that they’d stay together, but sure enough, once the first side browned, it was a pattie. The recipe made a ton of latkes. I ate four with the homemade applesauce on top and a mess of steamed broccoli for dinner. I froze 10 and have 10 more in the fridge. I was drinking wine while flipping latkes and it did make the time pass a bit quicker and I was nicely toasted by the time I got to the last batch. I think over the next week off, I’ll try to stock the freezer with a few things for quick dinners like tofu patties etc. Guess I should start deciding what to make.

latkes in the pan

latkes on my plate

Risotto and Blondies

I failed to take a picture of the cookies I took to a Hanukkah party last Friday. I made the Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies from Vegan With A Vengeance except I added chocolate chips. Mmmm….peanut butter and chocolate. They disappeared quickly.

If you have a pressure cooker, you need to make risotto. It’s quick, yummy, always impresses people and is super easy. This week I made Risotto with Carrots, Peas, and Mint from Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen (now called Lorna Sass’ Complete Vegetarian Kitchen). Be sure to use a quality stock, because it really makes the dish.

Risotto with Carrots, Peas and Mint

Now, back into Vegan With A Vengeance for some more treats. The Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars are always good, but this time I decided to try the Macadamia Blondies with Caramel-Maple Topping. I ate one last night, for testing purposes only of course. They’re good, but I think I enjoy the raspberry-chocolate combo better.