Flour Riot

Sprinkles and Ice Cream

2010-02-17T14:56:00.013-07:00

My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day but we do celebrate pink frosting and pink sprinkles, so when Shawn brought home these pretty treats from Watercourse Bakery on Sunday, I didn't protest.

Apologies for the lighting. Just pretend it's "romantic."

Far more important than Valentine's Day this month was the reopening of Sweet Action, which was closed for the month of January. We stopped by last weekend and enjoyed some vegan cinnamon roll ice cream, which features swirls of Watercourse's cinnamon roll filling as well as pieces of cinnamon roll. These fools don't mess around.

Saving the world, one vegan bake sale at a time

2010-02-09T14:35:00.005-07:00

A few weeks ago I participated in a vegan bake sale to raise money for the relief effort in Haiti. The bake sale was held in Boulder, where I met some lovely people and sampled some delicious treats. My contributions were oatmeal cream pies and chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies, because, seriously, who doesn't love a cookie sandwich? The sammies were a big hit, if I say so myself, and were accompanied by rows of luscious cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, zuchinni bread, donuts, and various other delectable vegan treats which were met with great reception. It was a fun and inspiring day, to be sure. We raised around $2800, and all together vegan bake sales around the country (and Canada!) have thus far raised almost $40,000 for Haiti. It's times like these when I'm especially proud to be part of such an amazing community.

group shot courtesy of Rachel

A snow day, some pancakes

2009-11-04T12:47:00.008-07:00

This post is all kinds of late considering the snow day in question was over a week ago, but I've been hella busy, so just humor me. Last week Colorado was hit with a pretty ridiculous snow storm and, since no snow day is complete without a hearty, lazy brunch, I made banana pancakes, the perfect start to a day of reading comic books, drinking warm beverages, and watching the never-ending snow accumulate outside. This sudden winter storm in October pissed a lot of people off, but the Florida kid in me still gets a little giddy at the sight of snow. The weather in Colorado is notorious for constantly changing, and I rather like it. Last week we received 15 inches of snow, and today, as I type this, it's in the 70's and gorgeous outside.

Birthday Gluttony

2009-10-27T13:29:00.018-06:00

My husband's birthday was this past Sunday, and it's the one time of year I'll cook whatever he wants regardless of how unhealthy or expensive it may be. On that note, he requested his usual cheesecake (only on his birthday can I justify buying three tubs of Tofutti products at once) and double bacon cheeseburgers. I considered making homemade burgers and tofu bacon, but Shawn wanted a more authentic burger experience, so I used Boca burgers and LightLife bacon strips. I did, however, make a homemade cheese spread, using the grilled cheese recipe from Vegan Vittles. The burgers were served with sweet potato oven fries, of course.

Messy and deliciously gross - just how a good burger should be, I say.

Blueberry cheesecake. Recipe from Delicious Choices, though I made a different crust.

For Shawn's non-edible gift, I bought him a keyboard stand so he could finally stop playing keyboard on the coffee table.
Without getting too mushy, I'd like to take a moment to gush about the birthday boy in question. My husband is my favorite person in the entire world. We were best friends for two years before we started dating, so when I say that he's my best friend, I mean it. He is smart, silly, compassionate, nerdy in all the best ways, supportive, impossibly handsome, and hilarious. We are endlessly compatible; he's basically me with a penis and a higher IQ (so really, he's the perfect man*), and I can't imagine my life without him.
*Except that he snores.
Happy birthday, Shawn Michael!

Happy Fishies = Happy Bellies

2009-10-20T23:30:00.010-06:00

So, there's an Asian restaurant within walking distance of my apartment that serves this Vietnamese char grill bowl, which consists of rice noodles, grilled tofu, cucumber, lettuce, bean sprouts, tomatoes, and a chili-lime sauce. The tofu in this bowl sets it far above similar dishes served at many other Asian restaurants. It is charred to perfection and has a smoky, sweet flavor. There's just one problem: I recently found out they put fish sauce in that shit, and apparently cannot make it without. Really, it's my fault for not checking sooner, but when I learned this I was devastated - for about two minutes. Then I was simply inspired to make my own.

I marinated the tofu in soy sauce, mirin, maple syrup, a tiny bit of sesame oil, and crushed garlic, and then grilled the shit out of it. The chili lime sauce consisted of sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fresh mint. I included the same veggies that are in the original dish, and it was perfection: every bit as good as the restaurant version, and certainly better for the fish, the ocean, and my conscience. I can definitely see it becoming a regular in my kitchen.

This was fairly easy to recreate at home, but it can be frustrating to learn that a favorite food contains animal products. However, one of the many things I love about veganism is the ingenuity it catalyzes. Sometimes you are forced to take matters into your own hands and into your own kitchen, and the result is often far more satisfying when it is a product of your own culinary toil and, of course, is cruelty free.

Daily Victuals (and Michael Chabon)

2009-10-19T01:31:00.010-06:00

It's that time again. I know how excited you must be.

- Toast with Earth Balance and nooch. I usually have cereal for breakfast but was craving something more savory.
- Romaine, grilled portobellos, grilled red pepper, tomatoes, and cucumbers with miso-tahini dressing (dressing recipe from Veganomicon. It's super easy, creamy, and flavorful. I added some fresh parsley since I had it on hand.)
- Banana
- Tangelo
- Stirfry with edamame
- Vanilla So Delicious with sauteed apples and caramel sauce (caramel recipe from Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk)
- Nachos, split with Shawn for a late night snack whilst watching reruns of The Office. Tortilla chips, nooch sauce, Tofutti sour cream, lettuce, salsa, avocado.

On an entirely unrelated note, Shawn and I got the chance to meet and hear speak one of our favorite writers, Michael Chabon, at a book signing tonight at Tattered Cover, a large indie bookstore here in Denver. He is most noted for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which is indeed superb, but my favorite work of his will always be Wonder Boys. (When I told him as much, he said that he probably agreed. OMGwehavesomuchincommon.) He was just as witty and articulate as I expected him to be, but was also warm and kind and, I might add, rather fetching.

Denver is Delicious

2009-10-16T14:21:00.014-06:00

And to honor this fact, I've made a list of my five favorite dishes from restaurants in this fair city. Denver really is full of delicious vegan food, so narrowing it down to five proved to be a rather difficult task. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Biscuits and gravy topped with tofu scramble, Watercourse
This is hands down the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had the pleasure of shoving into my gob. The biscuits are savory and fluffy and the gravy is thick and seasoned just right. You can order the b&g with or without the tofu scramble on top, but not getting it would just be...stupid.
There are delicious biscuits hiding under there somewhere, I promise.

2. Salt and pepper golden tofu, L'Asie Fusion Bistro
Crispy, spicy salt and pepper tofu served on a bed of sauteed peppers and onions with a ginger sesame dipping sauce. A delicious appetizer or a delightful late night snack (well, L'Asie closes at 10 so it's more like pre-late night, but the point is my husband and I sometimes just get an order of this to go as a snack because it is so. damn. good.)
Little zesty nuggets of heaven

3. The Dona Lee, Watercourse
Crispy seitan, avocado, tomatoes, and vegan ranch dressing wrapped in a warm pita. Yeah buddy, just ponder that for a little while. And then, you know, wipe the drool off your chin.

4. Seitan buffalo wings, City, O' City
You can also find these wings at Watercourse, which is City O's sister restaurant, but I associate them more with City O' since it's a bar and this is bar food. I've had various vegan incarnations of buffalo wings from a couple of different restaurants around the country, and these are by far the best. Likewise, the creamy, herbed ranch dressing they are served with (the same dressing found in the aforementioned Dona Lee) is the best I've had anywhere. City O' City also has teriyaki wings which are coated in a faintly sweet, gingery teriyaki sauce. While not quite as good as the buffalo wings, the teriyaki wings definitely stand on their own and are a milder alternative. Like their spicy counterpart, the teriyaki wings are served with ranch dressing, which is kind of ridiculous and doesn't really work as a flavor profile, but the ranch is so good I usually dip the wings in it anyway. And then I feel I so very American.
Spicy seitan buffalo wings and cool, creamy ranch dressing: 2gether 4ever

5. BBQ Chicken Pizza, The Rebellion
I've gushed about this delicious pizza twice already on this blog, so I'll spare you more of the same. And the truth is that virtually any pizza from Rebellion would be worthy of a slot on this list because the combination of that fluffy, organic crust and perfectly-melted FYH can do no wrong. (But seriously, the bbq chicken is the best. Go get some right now.)

Mofos at a Potluck

2009-10-13T14:29:00.018-06:00

On Sunday Shawn and I hosted a fall-themed potluck in honor of VeganMoFo. I didn't take many pictures because I was too busy having fun, stuffing my face, and drinking hot toddies, but we met some really awesome people and ate a lot of delicious food.

The few pictures that I did take came out fairly horrible (um, did I mention that I drank a lot of hot toddies?), save for this one of Abbie's beautiful phyllo pockets filled with winter vegetables and rice:

The rest of the spread consisted of:
- My butternut squash lasagna (recipe from Yellow Rose Recipes)
- Molly's mac & cheese, garlic and herb cheeze spread, and pumpkin pie
- Raechel's curried potato soup and apple crisp
- Lacy's chili
- John's tofurkey
- Abbie's caramel corn
And, of course, the apple cider hot toddies, which were a surprisingly big hit - apparently the key to a good toddy is cheap-ass whiskey, who knew?

Big thanks to everyone who came out. Few things are more enjoyable than the combination of good company and good food. And booze. Cheers!

It's that time of year again...

2009-10-11T21:53:00.001-06:00

Time to start putting pumpkin in nearly everything, that is. Last week I made pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin cookies, and when I awoke yesterday to snow on the ground and record low temperatures, I knew a seasonal brunch was in order. I had already planned on making french toast, so pumpkin french toast was an obvious choice. I considered making Isa's recipe, but didn't have enough pumpkin left over and also wanted a more traditional, dip-and-fry batter, so I improvised my own recipe. The results were delicious and it was the perfect start to a lazy, cozy day spent indoors keeping warm. Like this:

Daily Victuals #1

2009-10-09T14:53:00.012-06:00

What's that you say? You're dying to know every item of sustenance that I shoved into my pie hole yesterday? Well boy howdy, are you ever in luck!

Left to right:
- Kashi Autumn Wheat with almond milk; English Breakfast tea with soymilk and a little sugar
- Leftover tamale pie
- Celery sticks with peanut butter. Yes, I am eight years old.
- Tangelo (there were more plugs than this, I just forgot to snap a pic until it was half eaten.)
- BBQ 'fu, sauteed spinach, grits
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. The picture only shows four, but I had, um, way more than that.

I'm going to try to start doing this more often. It's a good way to stay accountable, and I actually really enjoy seeing what other people (well, vegan people) eat on a daily basis. I realize not everyone shares my fascination with the palates/eating habits of others, though, so I shan't bore you too much.

Downhome Deliciousness and a Revelation

2009-10-08T16:56:00.021-06:00

Baked BBQ tofu, sauteed spinach, and grits

Why, in all my years of vegetarian cooking, have I never tried freezing tofu before? I've always heard that freezing it creates a chewier texture and allows the tofu to absorb the marinade better, but I had never bothered to try it until this week. Well, guess what? It totally it creates a chewier texture and allows the tofu to absorb the marinade better! I know, I'm sure I'm eliciting a collective "duh" from the online vegan community at large.

I used the tofu to make the barbecue 'fu pictured above. Barbecue sauce is one of those things that I never, ever buy from the store, it is so easy and cheap to make at home. For this tofu I threw together a lazy, no-cook sauce with tomato sauce, molasses, liquid smoke, and a few other ingredients I had on hand. It was delicious, and can I just say that the combination of bbq+greens+grits is an automatic mood lifter?

The Ghosts of Pizzas Past

2009-10-06T20:05:00.038-06:00

Shawn at It's A Beautiful Pizza in 2007. Also: beer, the best possible accompaniment to any 'za.

I can't think of a single person who doesn't love pizza. Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good, even - nay, especially - when it's stale and cold and eaten standing in the kitchen by the light of the refrigerator. There is a pizza for everyone; it's a food that lends itself to versatility and customization. I personally prefer a thicker crust to a paper-thin one, but beyond that the toppings and sauces depend on my mood.

I recently discovered that I have a myriad of pizza photos stored away, so let us reminisce, shall we?

My standard homemade pie: dough recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance and a noochy cheese sauce.

From ZPizza in metro Denver: Daiya cheese, capers, roasted peppers, and caramelized onions. Daiya's pretty good, but for me it was the caramelized onions that were the star of this pizza.

From It's a Beautiful Pizza in Portland: not bad, but what's up with the non-melted Follow Your Heart?

From Amici's in San Francisco: Cheezly, green pepper, and pineapple. I am pro-pineapple on pizza.

Another homemade 'za: VwaV crust, tofu ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, and other stuff. I love banana peppers and think they are highly under rated as a pizza topping.

From City, O' City: cashew ricotta, mushrooms, and BBQ tofu. City O' also has house-made vegan mozzarella, but I always opt for the ricotta because it is amazing. I would gladly swim in a vat of the stuff.

Also from City, O' City. Remember how I said that pizza is still good even after it's old and stale? Well, here you go.

From Rebellion: BBQ chicken pizza (barbecue sauce, vegan chicken, onions, and FYH. It also comes with vegan Canadian bacon, but I don't like that much faux meat on a pizza so I sub it with green peppers.) I've posted this picture before, but it would be sacrilege not to include it here since it is the best pizza ever. When it comes to 'za, I'm all about the crust, and biting into Rebellion's crust is like sinking your teeth into clouds of delicious, fluffy dough floating in the sky amongst baby angels and flying unicorns.

This concludes our carb-tastic trip down memory lane. Flour Riot cannot be held liable for any insatiable pizza cravings the reader may now harbor.

MoFo Survey

2009-10-05T09:48:00.016-06:00

1. Favorite non-dairy milk? Almond milk foreva. Specifically Almond Breeze Original.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook? BBQ tofu, french toast, and punkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn? I usually just go with salt, but my favie is melted earth balance.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure? I can't remember the last time I made something that was totally inedible. I will generally find a way to salvage anything unless it is, like, actually covered in turds.

5. Favorite pickled item? Okra.

6. How do you organize your recipes? Theoretically, in a folder. In reality, I don't.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal? Usually trash.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)? Peanut butter, pesto, and sweet potatoes.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood? My older brother making me hot chocolate every Christmas morning before the rest of the family woke up.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream? Peanut butter cookies and cream from Sweet Action. HOLY BALLS. Favorite store-bought ice cream is So Delicious Mint Marble Fudge.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance? I am in the midst of a torrid love triangle with my griddle and my grill pan. Neither one knows, and must never know, about the other.

12. Spice/herb you would die without? Garlic. I consider "too garlicky" to be a blasphemous phrase.

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time? Pasta For All Seasons

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly? Raspberry

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend? Pfft, like I'm friends with omnis.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh? Tofu

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)? Brunch is my favorite meal, though my favorite time of the day to cook is probably night.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator? Cereal, dog biscuits, and lots o' tea.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking. A knob of ginger, Boca burgers (don't judge me), and several ends of loaves of bread, which I save for making bread crumbs and croutons.

20. What’s on your grocery list? Whatever I need for my planned meals on any given week, plus almond milk and bananas.

21. Favorite grocery store? I love my little neighborhood Whole Foods. It's within easy walking distance from my apartment and it has a small, personal feel. It's less overrun with yuppies and more with bike kids/punks/hippies. I must also give props to Publix (and miss it dearly now that I no longer live in the south), and was very impressed by Earthfare when I visited Asheville a few years ago.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet. My dad's stuffing, though I suspect it will just be a matter of using EB instead of butter. So that doesn't really count.

23. Food blog you read the most. Or maybe the top 3? It's hard to say. The one I browse the most often for recipes is Fatfree Vegan.

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate? Chocolove! And it's local to me.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately? A box of Purely Decedent Chocolate Almond ice cream bars.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with? It's not an ingredient so much as an accessory, but I have an irrational fear of the cheesecloth.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2009-10-03T17:14:00.021-06:00

This recipe is so simple I almost feel silly posting it. Cinnamon sugar tops a soft, vanilla-kissed blondie for a slightly new take on the snickerdoodle experience. They're also fairly low in fat, because when you have the ravenous sweet tooth that I do, some kind of damage control is in order. Curl up with these bars and a cup of tea or some soymilk for ultimate coziness. Or, you know, eat them with a PBR tallboy while playing video games. Whateves.

Topping:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Blondies:
1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the wet ingredients and the sugar. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Spread into a lightly-oiled 8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes.

VeganMoFo up in this Mofo

2009-10-01T12:45:00.000-06:00

This blog has been sorely neglected of late due to various factors including work, a god-awful virus, and sheer laziness, but that is all about to change now that VeganMoFo is upon us. If you're reading this blog, chances are you already know about VeganMoFo, but if not you can read about it here as well as find a master list of all participating blogs, thanks to the lovely Kittee. My goal is to post five times a week (not necessarily all weekdays), and I don't mind saying that I am more than a little intimidated by the task. Mostly because I have this problem with, uh, finishing what I start. However, between fall foods (love!), my husband's birthday, Halloween-themed treats, testing for Isa Moskowitz's latest cookbook, and some other ideas I have brewing, there should be no shortage of delicious things to blog about. Let's do this thing!

Dinner Partay

2009-08-15T13:15:00.021-06:00

I wish I had photographic documentation of the dinner party I threw last night, but sadly I have yet to replace my broken camera. Shawn and I had a few friends over and ate on the rooftop of our six-story building, which boasts a lovely view of the mountains, downtown Denver, and our awesome neighborhood (Capitol Hill, represent!)

The menu:
Pesto and artichoke stuffed portobellos
Crusty garlic bread with sun-dried tomato pate
Caesar salad (courtesy of my pal and dinner guest, Abbie)
Eggplant rollatini
Tiramisu cupcakes

Candles were lit, wine was imbibed, and bellies were filled. Since I can't show you any pictures from the night, I can at least show you the adorable apron that my husband bought me for the occasion:

I may have been slaving for hours in the kitchen, but at least I looked damn cute while doing it.

And now I'm off to enjoy a lazy Saturday, reading and watching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with my dude. I hope my lovely readers (all four of you, and yes that includes you, Mom) are enjoying the remainder of summer and eating delicious, cruelty-free food with good company.

Summer Lovin'

2009-07-23T10:46:00.029-06:00

"...Had me a blaaast, summer lovin', happened so faaast..."

No? FINE THEN.

Anyway, I was going to make an epic post wherein I porned all of the delicious grilling I've been doing this summer, but then my camera died (possibly due to my dropping it on the sidewalk) and many a lovely photo was lost. Nevertheless, summer is the time when my grill pan and I rekindle our eternal love for each other. Grilled corn and asparagus become default side dishes and entire meals consist of a whole mess of veggies thrown on the grill pan - my favorite so far is red peppers, zucchini, portobellos, and broccoli mixed with chickpeas and smothered in pesto. Perfection, I tell you.

Grilled asparagus: one of the best things about life.

I have been thoroughly enjoying the awesomeness that is summer in Colorado. Coming from Florida, I'm not used to this season being a pleasant, enjoyable time of year. Rather, the word "summer" conjures up memories of oppressive, sweltering heat and armies of mosquitoes. Besides the beautiful weather and delicious grub, this summer has been made infinitely wonderful by a visit from my mom and an Old 97's show at the Boulder Theater (one of the best nights of my life, I must tell you. We were dead center in the front row, the set list was a perfect blend of old and new material, and I swear that Murry and I shared a moment.)

Of course, a post about summer would not be complete without a nod to the perfect way to escape the heat: vegan ice cream from Sweet Action:
Peanut butter cookies and cream. Best ever.

The Green Stuff

2009-07-10T17:03:00.021-06:00

I've never had a problem eating my greens. Collards, kale, spinach, chard - I love them all and enjoy them often. Thanks to a friend who works for a local CSA, I've been getting lots of local produce for free lately, including an abundance of greens like spinach and kale (the latter of which is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.) Here is some recent deliciousness:

Spinach lasagna. I kept it pretty simple with tofu ricotta, basil marinara, fresh spinach, and a sprinkle of nooch (nutritional yeast) on top. With it I served more spinach sauteed with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

A clean-out-the-pantry hash comprised of sweet potatoes, kale, red bell pepper, onion, and frozen corn, served with herbed grits

As I was whipping up a batch of hummus and wondering what I was going to do with the last few handfuls of baby spinach in the fridge, the idea became so obvious: spinach hummus. I threw the spinach in raw and it could barely be tasted (not that I would have minded the flavor anyway) but lent tons of nutrients and color.

I also recently made gomen using collard greens, but when I make Ethiopian food the results are rarely photogenic, though delicious nonetheless.

Now that we've covered all that healthy stuff, how's about some cookies, eh?
Chocolate peanut butter and chocolate chip, sent to my dad for Father's Day.

What I Did Ate On My Summer Vacation

2009-06-17T17:32:00.037-06:00

Yeah, so our San Francisco trip was almost a month ago, but work and general summer shenanigans (i.e. lounging about the apartment in my underwear) have kept me from updating this here web log. Rest assured, my delay in posting about our trip was not for a lack of tasty foodstuffs.

The Metro Hotel, our home away from home.

BBQ seitan cheesesteak from Jay's

Pizza with Cheezly from Amici's. Yeah, so I don't get the big deal about Cheezly. I mean, it was good, but to me it didn't taste any different than Follow Your Heart. Which is fine because I really like FYH, but I'm just sayin'.

Lemon chicken (vegan, of course) from Golden Era

Vermicelli with fried rolls and tofu from Golden Era - totally worth the terrifying walk through the Tenderloin to get there.

I haven't heard particularly good things about Herbivore but since it was mere blocks away from our hotel, we ate breakfast there a couple of times. There were some hits as well as some misses.
The hits:
French toast - as French toast goes, this was sort of perfect, I've gotta say.

Pesto scramble

The misses:
Pancakes - these were nice and thick but virtually flavorless

Southwestern scramble - this wasn't bad, but mostly because anything is good if you cover it in guacamole.

We also patronized the tiny and adorable Weird Fish on two different occasions: once for brunch and once to meet a friend for lunch.
Capp St. Potatoes - smothered in vegan cheese and sour cream, salsa, and green onions

The pancakes were on the thin side but had a delicious, old-school diner taste.

Buffalo tofu. These were okay, but here in Denver we're spoiled by the amazing seitan buffalo wings from Watercourse/City O' City, to which these paled in comparison.

Seitan fish and chips with vegan ranch. Holy fried, Batman! This was delicious but was a bit more fried food than I can handle in one meal, even when shared with my husband.

Raw strawberry cheesecake from Cafe Gratitude

Vegetarian platter from Axum. Best Ethiopian food I've ever had.

Ethiopian beer!

My dude still managing to look smokin' with a face full of messy Ethiopian food.

Vegan truffles and espresso from a little truffle shop on Divisidero near our hotel

We also had some amazing Japanese food at Cha-Ya and delicious ice cream from Maggie Mudd (okay...several delicious ice creams as well as a milkshake) that I failed to snap pictures of. We walked all over the city, went to the beach and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time (we're east coast kids), toured Alcatraz, and had a total blast. I must say, though, that I was happy to return home to my dog and my beloved city. And my kitchen!

If you are going to San Francisco...

2009-06-03T15:33:00.010-06:00

...Be sure to bake some peanut butter blondies for your friends who will be dog sitting for you. These rich, fudgy morsels of peanut butter goodness come from the upcoming Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, with a sprinkle of bittersweet chocolate chips subbed for peanuts on top (because what the hell, right?) The hubs and I are leaving tomorrow to eat our way through the City by the Bay for the next couple of days, so stay tuned for what promises to be some killer food porn. Oh yeah, and I guess we might do some other stuff too.

Before I leave you, check out the shameless begging I had to endure while photographing the blondies:

I miss that little beast already.

Raw Tacos and Pretty Days

2009-05-15T23:03:00.007-06:00

The weather here in Denver has been delightfully warm - perhaps even hot by some standards, but I'm from Florida so I laugh in the face of low 80s with no humidity. The result of this weather, in addition to running more often and sleeping with the windows open, is that I've been craving cool, refreshing meals. Enter raw foods. I recently made raw tacos using red cabbage leaves as the shells and filled them with raw corn salsa (Yellow Rose Recipes) and an almond cheeze that I based on a recipe from Vegan Fusion. Topped with lettuce and cilantro, it was a fresh, satisfying meal. Some avocado would have also made a lovely addition.

Another warm-weather perk: hiking with my husband and our friends.
Shawn, Norton, and Lacy on Mount Sanitas

In conclusion, I'm looking forward to a beautiful summer (my first spent living outside of Florida) filled with delicious eats and outdoor activities.

Reason #346 Why Denver is Awesome

2009-05-11T15:28:00.008-06:00

Vegan BBQ chicken pizza from The Rebellion. The clincher: it's cheap, too. Word to your mother.

Cookies for My Homegirls

2009-05-07T17:30:00.012-06:00

Chocolate-and-rainbow-chip cookies for my mama

Since Mother's Day will soon be upon us, let me take a moment to tell you about my own mother. She is an incredibly sweet, loving, selfless, supportive, empathetic, badass chick. She reads like a fiend and, like all the women in her family, is batshit crazy (but in a good way - I mean, unless you cross her, and then she's apt to cut a bitch). And it is her who I have to thank for my stunning good looks and ravenous sweet tooth (thanks, Mom).

For Mother's Day I always used to make her a big brunch, but now that I live 1800 miles away, a care package will have to do. I sent her the above cookies (my regular chocolate chip recipe with some rainbow chips thrown in for festivity) and a couple of books that Shawn and I thought she'd like. Dessert and reading material are a surefire way to my mama's heart.

I also recently did some baking for the other important lady in my life: my dog, Dobby. Shawn and I adopted her from a shelter in 2003 when she was about a year and a half old. Not a day goes by where I don't thank various deities that this smelly beast is a part of our lives. We don't know her exact birthday, but we know it's probably somewhere around this time of year, so last weekend I made cookies just for her.
Peanut-butter-carob-chip cookies for the Dobster

When I remember her sweet, scrappy face looking back at us from behind those bars at the shelter as she stood on her hind legs, imploring us to love her, it makes me want to spoil her rotten. And so that is what I do, and that is what every animal deserves.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms, whether your children are of the human or furry variety.

Paninies and Cupcakes and Bike Rides, Oh My

2009-04-15T14:25:00.022-06:00

Cheesy panini: the grilled cheese sammy's more sophisticated cousin

I make a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches (with homemade cheeze filling, not the store-bought stuff) because they're cheap, easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand. Fortunately, my husband never seems to tire of them. I recently mixed it up a little and made them into paninies with roasted red pepper and fresh basil, brushed with olive oil and grilled on the grill pan. The cheese was modified from the grilled cheeze recipe in Vegan Vittles. The result was the grilled, gooey perfection you see above.

In other grub-related news, my husband's office threw a party for the opening day of baseball season (complete with one of those hot dog rollers, no shit) and his boss asked me to bake something. I'm not really a sports fan, but I am a fan of baked goods and themed food, so I was happy to oblige. Hence these cupcakes, based on the fauxstesses from Vegan with a Vengeance:
Because of the white-on-black coloring, they actually looked more like footballs, but no one seemed to care.
That's that money shot, baby.

Some other things I've recently shoved into my pie hole:
Scrambled tofu with with chickpea gravy

Curried chickpea patties (a tester for Joanna) with peach mango salsa

Wait, don't leave! I'm not done with you yet, my little pretties. You may already know that Josh Hooten is riding his bike the 600 miles from Portland,OR to Orland,CA to raise money for Farm Sanctuary in May. His goal is to reach $10,000 and he's more than halfway there. You can lend your support to this worthiest of causes and awesomest of dudes by donating here. Any little bit helps, so there's no shame in donating five or ten bucks. However, if you wanted to sell a kidney or take out a second mortgage on your home in order to facilitate a mega-huge donation, I'm pretty sure that would skyrocket your status to Level 20 Vegan - even if you're not actually vegan. Read about Josh's preparation for the ride here: Bike Ride For Animals.

Did you know that it snows in Colorado?

2009-03-31T22:15:00.026-06:00

Blizzard beginnings, from my bedroom window

Just when I thought spring had finally sprung here in Denver, we were hit by a blizzard. Being a native Floridian, blizzards have always seemed something of a myth to me, simply a hyperbolic way to describe, you know, a bunch of snow. Turns out they really exist, and once my husband made it back from work after being sent home early and braving the interstate, we had a cozy day lazing about with our dog and watching the snow pile up outside.

Two days later and just in time for the weekend, the roads were clear and the sun was out, so we went with some friends to have amazing vegan pho at Pho Duy.

Between the sun and nice, hot bowls of pho, we were sufficiently thawed to take a spur-of-the-moment detour for some ice cream at Sweet Action, a new ice cream parlor on Broadway. (I'm still incredulous of the fact that I now live somewhere where I don't have to drive an hour to get decent vegan food at a restaurant, much less be able to impulsively stop for ice cream at an ice cream shop.) All of their ice cream is homemade and they always have a couple of vegan flavors, as well as honkin' vegan ice cream sandwiches in their freezer.
Vegan ice cream sammich and a cup of coffee, with coconut lemongrass ice cream hiding out in the background

I have always generally tried to cook healthful meals based around whole foods, but I've been focusing on this even more lately in an effort to combat all of the less-than-wholesome foods we've been eating out. (Pizza, milkshakes, and seitan buffalo wings, anyone?) On the baking front, I'm toying with a few recipes but none are quite ready to be revealed to the masses*.

*My three readers

I'll leave you with some recent testers from Isa and Terry's upcoming Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.
Naked figs, chopped and ready to be made into...

Soft Whole Wheat Fig Bars (these put any store-bought fig bar to shame)

Big Fat Rice Krispy Squares - just like your mom used to make for your class in elementary school. Except, you know, without the ground up cow bones.

Banana Butterscotch Bars (or something)

2009-03-24T16:56:00.019-06:00

So I haven't quite gotten the name worked out, but these fudgy 'nana bars boast just the right amount of sweetness and spice and are topped with a generous sprinkle of butterscotch chips. Perfect with a cup of coffee and not terribly bad for your health, either. Here in Denver I can obtain virtually every vegan baking chip imaginable at East Side Kosher Deli, but if you're not lucky enough to have access to the elusive joy that is vegan butterscotch chips, you can substitute chocolate chips or just omit them altogether.

1 overripe banana, mashed well
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 c + 2 tbsp brown sugar
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp vegan butterscotch chips (chocolate or white chocolate will also do, but b-scotch is the best, yo)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients and sugar to the mashed banana, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and combine. Spread into a lightly-oiled 8x8 inch pan and sprinkle with the chips. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test. Don't over bake lest your bars become dry and cakey rather than moist and fudgy.

C is for Cookie (and Cake...and...Cale?)

2009-03-03T11:18:00.025-07:00

Grapefruit icebox cookies from the the cookie test kitchen.

It's that time again, wherein I inundate you with some of the latest goodies from Isa and Terry's upcoming vegan cookie book.

Carrot raisin spice chewies, made into sandwiches with Better than Cream Cheese frosting

More Swedish chocolate Balls, as they were quite the hit in Shawn's office.

Espresso fudge brownies - best brownies ever. Yeah, I said it.

Since what this post obviously needs is more sweets, here's the birthday cake I recently made for my friend Abbie:
Vanilla Kittee cake brushed with coffee, frosted and filled with coffee buttercream and bittersweet chocolate ganache. Thanks to Mel for the inspiration.

The requisite money shot

And, because I actually do eat real food despite what one may infer from the content of this blog, here are some greens with beans and polenta, plus some tomatoes and wine and garlic and other stuff that I can't really remember:
I could live off of kale and polenta, and I kind of do.

For the Love of Pancakes

2009-02-16T16:38:00.019-07:00

Man, there's just something about pancakes. I can think of few things more comforting, cozy, and satisfying than a big stack of pancakes and a pot of strong coffee shared with my husband on a lazy weekend day. As has been previously mentioned, we really love brunch around here, and I must say that banana pancakes are my personal favorite. This is my tried and true recipe.

I find that the banana provides ample sweetness, especially considering that I'm just going to smother the pancakes in syrup anyway. If you prefer them sweeter, add a tablespoon or two of sugar. Don't skip the carbonated water here - it makes the pancakes light and fluffy.

Banana pancakes
1 over-ripe banana
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup carbonated water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt.)
pinch of salt

Mash the banana with a fork until it's good and mushy. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. (I don't have stress to you the importance of not over mixing your batter, right?)

Preheat griddle or pan to medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Once the pan is hot, ladle the batter onto it in a circular motion. When the edges appear dry and bubbles start forming in the middle, flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute or so.

Transfer cooked pancakes to a covered dish (or to an oven-safe plate and cover with foil) and keep in the oven at 250 degrees F until ready to eat.

While we're on the subject of foods to break one's fast, Shawn's weekday breakfast of choice is bagels. Annoyed with the non-veganness of some cheaper brands and the high cost of some other brands, I recently threw up my hands and said, "Screw it. I'll make my own." I used the recipe from Isa's upcoming brunch book - the aptly-titled Vegan Brunch - subbing half of the flour with whole wheat. The results were delicious (albeit a bit misshapen) bagels on the cheap, son.

Word.

Tester Cookies and Snowy Days

2009-01-27T22:36:00.011-07:00

Some recent goodies from Isa and Terry's cookie test kitchen:

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Spiced Sweet Potato Blondies

Swedish Chocolate Balls (uh huh huh)

Call Me Blondies

My non-baked food of late hasn't been much to blog about. The recent cold weather here in Denver has inspired lots of soup and copious cups of tea. Split pea soup, while delicious, is not particularly inventive or photogenic.

Soup weather

Dobby has the right idea:

Chocolate + peanut butter = BFF

2009-01-21T15:13:00.013-07:00

Who doesn't love chocolate with peanut butter? (No seriously - who? Give me their names and addresses and I will take care of them.) The other night I was craving the classic combination and decided that the old chocolate-chips-dipped-in-peanut-butter routine just wouldn't do. Thus, these thin, chewy morsels were born. Rarely does a recipe made up on the fly turn out damn near perfect the first time, but I kind of think that these are the shit and can't find any room for improvement. Bonus: As cookies go, they're not too terrible for you, since the only added fat is a ¼ cup of natural peanut butter. That is, at least, until you eat them all in one sitting by yourself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (I'm not going to call them something cutesy like "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate" cookies because I think that's really effing annoying.)

¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter
¼ - 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 t vanilla
¾ cup sugar
¾ c whole wheat pastry (or a combination of wwp and all purpose)
¼ c cocoa powder
¾ t baking soda
¼ teaspoon of salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray cookies sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter and ¼ cup of the non-dairy milk. Add the vanilla and sugar, mixing until well combined and smooth. Sift in the rest of the ingredients and mix. If your batter looks too dry, add another splash or two of milk.

Drop onto cookie sheets two inches apart. With wet fingers, press down on the cookies to flatten them a bit. Bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Make sure not to over bake these - you want them to be a bit underdone so they stay chewy and creamy in the middle. The tops should still be a little soft when you take them out of the oven.

Treats forgotten

2009-01-06T18:12:00.007-07:00

Chocolate cupcakes with a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough baked into them.

I found this picture while going through my Flickr photos and realized I desperately need to make these again. (I suppose one might think that the use of the word "desperately" to describe a "need" for baked goods is a bit of hyperbole, but I assure you that it is, in fact, not.) I used a low fat cookie dough with much of the fat replaced with applesauce so that the cookie portion would be fairly light and cakey on top of the cupcake. I don't remember the exact recipe I came up with, but it shouldn't be hard to recreate.

This is only a test.

2009-01-05T00:57:00.023-07:00

I recently became a recipe tester for Isa and Terry's upcoming vegan cookie book. In addition, I've been testing recipes for Joanna's sequel to Yellow Rose Recipes (which if you don't have yet, um...why don't you? Go buy it already!) Food is my biggest obsession - making it, eating it, thinking about it - and being a recipe tester gives me a sense of purpose and productivity while allowing me to revel in food geekery. It's a good time.

Terry's roasted almond cookies with fluer de sel

Isa's whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

Joanna's raw cashew ricotta

Make sure you buy these books when they come out, ya heard?

Back again (for now)

2008-12-11T16:42:00.024-07:00

So I'm new to this whole blogging thing but I'm fairly certain that one is not supposed to allow two months to lapse between posts. Rare is the occasion that real life interferes with my time usually allotted for tinkering about on the interwebs, but over the course of the last month, I've gotten married and moved from Florida to Colorado. Now that we are essentially settled in, I hope to get back to this here vegan food web log on a semi-regular basis. To keep you occupied for the time being, feast your eyes upon some vegan delectables from WaterCourse here in Denver:

Cranberry hoho

Sweet potato cinnamon roll

(WaterCourse, incidentally, is within walking distance to our new apartment and serves the best biscuits and gravy I have ever had.)

Greenwise can suck it

2008-10-07T14:55:00.029-06:00

Brunch is kind of a big deal in my two-person household, and my boyfriend considers no brunch complete without sausage. The semi-recent discontinuation of Publix’s Greenwise vegan sausage was disappointing and, well, pissed us off, mostly because it was our favorite but also because there are few other options for breakfast faux meats in our craptastically small town. Thus, this recipe - adapted from The New Farm Cookbook - was born.

Tempeh sausage

8 oz. tempeh
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1tsp cumin
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 tbsp flour (I use whole wheat pastry, but you could use all-purpose)
¼ tsp liquid smoke
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce

Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes and allow to cool. Grate on the coarse side of a grater. Add the seasonings, salt, and flour, and mix well. Stir in the liquid ingredients, mix well. Shape into thin patties. Pan fry in a little oil or cooking spray until browned on each side.