Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins

I wrote about these on my main blog also: HERE)
I make most everything with stevia, so I will give you my version of these muffins.

Wet Mix:
1/2 C smooth applesauce
1 1/2 C soymilk
3 Tbsp light tasting olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
1 1/2 tsp KAL brand stevia

Dry Mix:
2 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Additional:
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb, can be frozen (mine wasn't)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare muffin cups by greasing or spraying with pan spray (I use special unbleached parchment papers because I like low fat baking and do not want the muffins to stick to the paper and rip apart). Combine the wet mix in the blender or food processor. In a medium bowl combine the dry mix. Add the wet to the dry and stir briefly just to mix. Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. C Cool the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the muffins with a table knife and turn them on their sides to cool a bit more before serving. These vegan muffins are quite tender when they are very hot, but they firm up with cooling.

Bryanna makes 18 muffins with this recipe, I made 11. I made a decorated tiramisu type muffin using Dreena's agar frosting, fresh strawberries, and a heart shaped candy. They were a pretty presentation to the end of our meal and for breakfast the next morning.

Dori's COOP Black Bean Soup

I have mentioned before that I live a one hour drive to anywhere, except a local buying club where I get many of my organic, allergy friendly, and unique international food finds. We have no store front, just a monthly gathering place where a semi stops and we unload the truck and divide the orders. My buying club is well organized by a few dedicated members who started it many years ago. When I first thinking about starting the bakehouse, I did some research and found information about a gal who started a bread and soup business from her barn (of course they renovated it and made it into a commercial kitchen) so she could sell at the local organic food COOP. At the time I read about this business was going very well for her, so I called her and asked if I come come see her operation because I was in process of doing something similar.

One thing I gained from this experience is a black bean soup recipe. The first soup I ever made from black beans early in my new veg experience. I loved it and today I share it with you. I call it mine because I made it.... because it's my blog.

THE RECIPE:

2 cups uncooled black beans, wash, soak 6 - 8 hours, rinse.
Add enough water to cover beans in a large dutch oven.
Cook 1 - 2 hours with 2 bay leaves and 1 Tbsp salt.
Puree 1/2 the beans (blender or hand held mixer) and return to pot.
In a small skillet saute 1 cup onions, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 2 cups celery (chopped), 1 cup carrots (diced), 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1/4 tsp celery seed.
Cook 10 minutes until veggies are softened and add to pot with the beans.
Add 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 cups water.
Cook another 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Total recipe 998 calories. Serves 6 at approximately 1 cup each = 167 calories.
This is a ww core recipe.

Link to Bakehouse Blog...
Black Bean Soup De-gassed
Learn about the herb epazote

Golden Cauliflower Soup

Golden Cauliflower Soup

Comforting in color and texture to a cheesy soup.

Add all to a 4 quart crockpot and cook on high 6-8 hours or low 8 – 10.

½ C besan flour (Indian chickpea flour)

½ C red split lentils

½ C Red Star nutritional yeast flakes

¼ C bac’un bits

1 C finely minced onion

1 large clove of garlic minced (1 - 2 tsp)

1 C diced carrots

1 C diced celery

2 C cauliflower flowers

¼ C dry parsley flakes

1 tsp sea salt

1/3 tsp paprika

½ tsp dry ground mustard

2 tsp Penzey’s shallot pepper

2 tsp Bill’s Best chik’n seasoning

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

1 Tbsp tamari (soy sauce)

3 Tbsp deep red/brown miso (mixed with some water so that it dissolves into the soup)

NOTES:

Made 1-15-07 in the crockpot. Added frozen thawed cauliflower to cook for the last two hours. The family enjoyed this meal. I would like to work on the flavoring …. Just a little. I did add Nature’s seasoning to mine and then liked it well enough.

Tart for T' Art Recipes

You have now been offically sworn in to noble vegan status. With this honor you will uphold the sacred details and be willing to defend all types of vegan t'ART's . Go forth now into your kitchen and cook.

RUSTIC ITALIAN STYLE PUMPKIN

and CHARD T' ART BATTLE PLAN

Fear not. Pictures appear on my main blog page THE BAKEHOUSE (click to link)

SPELT PASTRY CRUST
(double this recipe for the large tart like I made)
1 Cup plus 1 Tbsp spelt flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 Cup ice cold water
Combine the spelt flour and salt, cut in olive oil with a fork. Add the ice water... gently mix until a ball forms (do not over mix or knead). Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/4" thick between two 14" x 12 " peices of unbleached parchiment paper. Remove one side of thepaper, place uncovered side of crust in a 14" round dish tart pan (or pizza sheet) and remove the back paper.

TART FILLING (1/2 this recipe if you make a single tart crust recipe):
Steam about 4 cups of diced pumpkin (discard skin and stringy innards, but keep seeds if you desire to roast them) or use a microwave veggie cooker using the 2nd potato quick cook setting (about 6 minutes). On the stove top saute onions and 3 Tbsp garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until softened and lightly browned. Add the cooked pumpkin and shredded chard leaves (about 6 cups) with 6 Tbsp parmesan alternative (recipe below) , 2 Tbsp cider vinegar, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Cook until chard wilts, no need to cook longer because they will finish cooking in the oven.

BRYANNA’S WALNUT PARMESAN ALTERNATIVE
Makes about 1 and 1/2 c.
(wheat-free and can be soy-free)
If you have a soy allergy, or you have a hard time locating Galaxy/Soyco’s delicious Soymage vegan soy parmesan substitute, this is an easy and tasty alternative, either as a topping, or particularly as an ingredient in certain recipes. This is just about the right amount to fit into two of those little shaker bottles, but you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe and keep it refrigerated or frozen. It was inspired by the commercial product called “Parma” and is a variation on my "Almonzano" recipe from "Nonna's Italian Kitchen".
Use a food processor or mini-chopper or spice mill for this recipe, rather than a blender.
1 c. chopped raw walnuts
4 T. nutritional yeast flakes
2tsp. light soy or chickpea miso
1/2 tsp. salt
Process the ingredients until as fine as possible. Stir to get rid of any lumps. Place in a covered container or shaker and keep refrigerated.

Tart Assembly:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place filling in center of tart crust leaving 3" edge and bring up the edge around the filling to make a free form style pie, pleat the edges over the filling to make it pretty and a nice round center of open filling shows. Cover the open filling with foil. Bake tart for 45 minutes (if doubling the crust recipe and using the amount of filling I list here). 30 minutes if using a single crust recipe and halving the filling recipe. Cut into wedges and serve with a favorite white bean/ garlicy OR a good Italian style tomato soup.

STRAWBERRY LEMON CRUNCH CAKE

Pictures of this cake and other information will be found on my main blog.
Click here to get there.

BRYANNA’S STRAWBERRY LEMON CRUNCH CAKE
Serves 8-12
This was one of the first vegan cakes I made, but I’ve modified it further. It’s a lovely presentation.
The Lemon Genoise Cake:
DRY INGREDIENTS:
2 c. plus 2 T. white unbleached pastry or cake flour
1/2 c. ground lightly-toasted blanched almonds
1 and 1/2 c. light or white granulated vegan sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c. plus 2 T. Earth Balance
1 c. water
3/4 c. soy or rice milk
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. vanilla
grated zest of one organic lemon

The Lemon Crème Frosting:
3/4 c. nondairy milk
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
6 T. white unbleached flour
6 T. Margarine Earth Balance OR non-hydrogenated shortening (Spectrum) OR solid coconut oil OR a combination
1 c. white or very light granulated vegan sugar
grated zest of one organic lemon
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
The Garnish:
2 c. lightly-toasted sliced almonds
4 c. fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, patted dry and halved lengthwise (try to use berries that are of similar size, if you can)

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Add the margarine and the water and beat with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the remaining ingredients and beat one more minute. Divide equally between two 9" greased and floured round cake pans lined with cooking parchment. Bake 25 minutes, or until cakes test done. Cool on racks for 5 minutes, then loosen cakes and remove from pans to finish cooling (remove parchment).

To make the Frosting:
Whisk milk, lemon juice into flour in small saucepan until smooth. Heat and stir until it boils and thickens. Cool thoroughly (place in a small bowl inside of a larger bowl of cold water).
With an electric mixer beat the margarine, shortening or coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until light and fluffy—- several minutes. Beat in the cooled flour paste with the electric beaters and mix until smooth and fluffy. IMPORTANT! Chill thoroughly before frosting. Use to frost any cooled cake. IMPORTANT! Keep the frosted cake refrigerated until serving time.

To assemble the cake:
Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread evenly with some of the frosting. Place the other layer on top. Swirl the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Pat the toasted sliced almonds all around the sides and just over the top edge so that they stick to the frosting . Overlap the strawberries in an artistic design, cut side down, on the top of the cake. Chill before serving.

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Grilled Tofu

These are from Bryanna's free Vgean Feast Recipe Archives.  See sidelink for direction to her site.

 

BRYANNA’S TERIYAKI TOFU BURGERS    

Makes about 8 "burgers"

From my book “Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause”.

 

Serve these like a "cutlets", or burgers on sesame buns, or slice them up and eat in a wheat tortilla, or add to a stir-fry.

           

 24 oz. firm tofu, sliced 1/4" thick

 

Teriyaki Marinade:

1/2 c. EACH soy sauce and water

1/4 c. dry sherry or white wine (or apple, pineapple or white grape juice)

1/3 c. maple syrup or unbleached sugar

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. powdered)

1 clove garlic, crushed

           

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a small pot and simmer for a few minutes over high heat.  Pour the sauce over the tofu slices in a covered container, covering the slices with the sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.  Grill or broil the slices, or pan-fry in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.

 

 

BRYANNA’S BEST-EVER TOFU “BURGERS”    

Makes 6 large “burgers”

From my first book, “The Almost No-Fat Cookbook”.

 

This “burger” has the chewy texture and juiciness associated with a truly good burger.  In this recipe, frozen tofu provides the chewiness, and the dark marinade lends a "meaty" flavor and moist juices.  It’s not really a “burger”, since it consists of a slab of marinated tofu, but no matter—it’s good!

 

2 lbs. medium-firm or firm tofu, frozen at least 48 hours

 

Marinade:

1 and 1/2 c. water

2 T. soy sauce (regular or mushroom )

2 T. ketchup

2 tsp. Marmite, Vegemite or other yeast extract, (gives a “beefy” flavor)

     OR 4 tsp. red or dark miso

OPTIONAL: 1/2-1 tsp. liquid smoke

1/4 tsp. garlic granules

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. onion powder

OPTIONAL: gravy browner (for color—or use dark or mushroom soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce –see above)

 

Thaw out the tofu.  Slice each pound block into three thick slices.  Place the slices on a cookie sheet covered with a couple of clean, folded tea towels.  Cover the slices with more tea towels and another cookie sheet.  Weigh this arrangement down with something heavy for about 15-20 minutes.  Now the tofu slices are ready for marinating.

 

Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the prepared tofu slices in a shallow container in one layer.  Cover and let marinate for several hours or days.

           

Just before serving, pan-fry on a lightly-oiled heavy skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.   Or cook on an indoor grill.  Serve on buns with all the trimmings.