Deviled Potatoes

I found this recipe while browsing my favorite vegan websites one night.  Now, I don't think I ever actually ate a traditional deviled egg before I was vegan, as I don't really like mayonnaise or really hard boiled eggs that much.  But this recipe looked delicious and simple and perfect for vegan Easter.  It would also be an impressive item for any potluck or picnic.

I followed the recipe found here and added some garlic and onion powder.  Garnish with paprika and dill.

Vegan Ranch Dressing

On August 8th I started Colleen Patrick Goudreau's 30 Day Vegan Challenege.  Other than one slip-up about half-way through I've been vegan since that day.  And I've been loving every minute of it.  My boyfriend went vegan on the same day, as I do all of the cooking in our house.  He was on board, but one of his biggest concerns was finding a replacement for ranch dressing.  Personally, I'm not a fan of the stuff, but he uses it almost as much as he uses barbecue sauce.  I searched for a few recipes online until I found one that I had all the ingredients for.  It took less than 10 minutes to whip up.  And this recipe received my boyfriend's stamp of approval.

Vegan Ranch Dressing:

• 1 cup vegan mayo (I used vegenaise by Follow Your Heart)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, plain soymilk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients.  Store in the refrigerator.  I used an empty agave nectar bottle.  For a thinner ranch for salads, use the above recipe.  For a slightly thicker ranch for dipping add about 1/4-1/2 cup more mayo.

I might be posting a little less frequently until October 1st, when Vegan Mofo starts up.  Since I'm going to try to post every day I need to save up a few recipes.

Garlic Chive Biscuits

When I heard about the recipe contest for Earth Balance Mindful Mayo I knew I wanted to participate, but I really had no idea what to make.  You see, I really dislike mayo.  I seriously don't like it.  I have started warming up to things like potato salad, but seriously, it's really just not my thing.

But while searching the internet for inspiration I found a lot of recipes for cakes and other desserts.  So I knew if mayo could work in cake it could certainly work in biscuits.

I've also been trying to find a decent, quick and easy biscuit recipe for a while but nothing ever turned out right.  Until this recipe.  Which is amazing.  The first time I made them I spooned a generous serving of vegan sausage gravy on top.  Currently, I'm just snacking on one straight, warm from the oven.  They would also make a great dinner roll.  It's up to you.  Just promise me you'll try them.

Garlic Chive Biscuits:

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance Mindful Mayo
• 1 cup Earth Balance soy milk
• 2-4 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350.  Gently whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the mayo and soymilk and stir until combined.  Fold in the chives.  Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray with a little bit of cooking spray.  Drop in batter evenly until about two thirds full.  Bake for 30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.  Serve warm.     

I think other herbs, fresh or dried, would be good to.  Feel free to experiment and let me know how they turn out!  Just don't forget the mayo.

Tofu Bruschetta

I can't really post the recipe for this tofu "bruschetta" because it's from a copyrighted cookbook. But I can tell you how absolutely delicious it was. For Mother's Day I bought my mom Sheryl Crow's new cookbook If It Makes You Healthy. To my pleasant surprise the cookbook turned out to be pretty veggie friendly. And to my even bigger surprise my mom chose the tofu bruschetta as the first recipe she wanted to try.

Now, my mom is not a vegetarian, but she's really supportive and open minded. I mean, hello, she took me to Sublime for my early birthday dinner, so obviously she's awesome. But she's not really the biggest tofu fan. I think this recipe may have converted her. But then I was in for a third surprise!

My dad and my sister tried it as well. And not only did they try it, they loved it! While my dad and sister are supportive of my choice of being vegetarian, they're not always the most open minded when it comes to food. Especially my sister, who basically eats no vegetables at all (it's ok little sis, I still love you). My mom and I conveniently did not answer their question for the first ten minutes of dinner when they asked what was in the "spread". I basically listed every other ingredient. "Oh, it's just lemon juice, olive oil, garlic..." But my dad finally guessed right and continued to eat two more servings. So what I'm telling you is that you can get this spread approved by even the most die hard, tofu bashing omnivores.

We served the tofu "spread" with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. We made crostini out of our favorite whole grain baguette. And then we sprinkled our assembled bruschetta with fresh herbs. It's was ridiculously delicious.

Well my lovely Blake Bakes followers, this will be my last post for about a month. Because...I'm going to Costa Rica! I'm studying abroad for four weeks and I will be a little busy studying Spanish and site seeing to do any posting. But I will be back at the end of June, probably with a recipe for gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican dish.

Couscous Salad

This recipe comes from my wonderful mom. She actually doesn't use a recipe for her couscous salad, and neither do I. But this is the "recipe" I've come up with after watching her make it and being a professional taste tester.

I've made this salad three times in the past two weeks. The first time was for a class pot luck party. It wasn't so well received there. The football players in my class don't like to eat that much green (seriously, their words, not mine). I then made it again for the USF Community Garden potluck for two reasons: 1) I needed validation that my salad is in fact delicious and 2) I love this salad. Thankfully, it was very well received at the second pot luck. In fact, one party goer was licking the bowl clean. And the final time was for mother's day. And yes, my mom loved it!

Couscous Salad:

• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1-2 carrots, grated
• 1-2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries
  
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare couscous according to box directions. While the couscous is cooking prepare the vegetables and herbs. Place all prepared veggies, herbs, and cranberries in a bowl. When the couscous is done mix with veggies. Stir in lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I prefer to make this a day ahead and let the flavor meld in the fridge. But it's also good the day of.

Merry Christmas!

So this post is coming a little late, as I'm sure every has already held their Christmas parties or if your party is tonight, a menu has already been planned. But the food I served isn't especially Christmas-y, so I would recommend it for any time of the year. I made empenadas as the main event, served with rice. I changed up the empenada filling from my original recipe. And for dessert, ginger sandwich cookies with cream cheese frosting and an eggnog cheesecake. I never got a photo of the eggnog cheesecake, but the recipe can be found on the side of Silk Nog. It's delicious, trust me. We also held a secret Santa at my party and I pulled my good friend Manny, the tres leches lover. So what better to make as a gift than an entire tres leches, just for him? I couldn't think of anything better, so that's what I made. It was a lot of cooking, but it was worth it.



Revised Empenadas:

• 2 packages regular size empenadas
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can rotel tomatoes, drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Oil for frying

In a saute pan, saute the onion and bell pepper until soft. Add garlic. Stir in black beans and tomatoes. Heat the beans and tomatoes. Stir in spices and cilantro. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Using a large cutting board, make your empenada assembly station. Flour the cutting board. Lay out the empenada discs. Fill with roughly a tablespoon of filling, sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal edges with a fork. Do this until all 20 empenadas are done. Once the empenadas are assembled, heat a large pan and add oil up to half an inch in the pan. Fry empenadas three at a time, roughly 1-2 minutes on each side, until light golden brown. Set on a plate lined paper towels. Serve hot.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 3 cups of water
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh, minced cilantro
• 1/2 of a lime

Heat water til boiling, add rice. Turn heat down, cook for about 20 minutes until rice is tender. When rice is done, stir in cilantro. Squeeze the lime over the rice. Stir and serve along side the empenadas.

Carrot Soup with Croutons and Asparagus

I first had this soup about 3 years ago at my very good friend's birthday party. Everyone at that party, myself included, fell in love at first bite. Reportedly, some party guests felt the urge to hug the cook. The soup was that good. After much begging, I received a copy of the recipe. And that dear friend posted the recipe on her blog. I insist that you make this soup. It's amazing.

To go along with the soup I made homemade croutons and crispy asparagus. Both recipes couldn't be easier. You'll notice that both recipes have almost identical ingredients and methods. They're so simple they almost aren't even recipes. But really, simple food is the best food.

Simple Croutons:

• Day old bread, 4-5 thick slices
  
• Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
  
• Garlic powder
  
• Salt
  
• Pepper

Preheat your oven to 275. Cut the bread into cubes. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss the bread. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until crisp. Top your soup with the croutons.


Crispy Asparagus:

• 1 package asparagus
• Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400. Cut off the ends of the asparagus spears. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Pop into the oven for about 20 minutes, until very crispy. Eat them straight up or dip them in your soup.

The Best Green Beans

I know that green beans aren't the most exciting vegetable. I don't know what it says about me, but green beans are in my top five favorite vegetables. This recipe is so simple it's hardly even a recipe, but because it's one of my favorites, I had to share it with you.

The Best Green Beans:

• 1 pound green beans, rinsed and the ends snapped off
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh herbs of your choice, minced (I used rosemary and parsley)

Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Drop in the green beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Once tender, strain the green beans and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, in a medium saute pan, heat the oil. Put in the green beans and garlic. Saute for five minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with a side of whole wheat couscous. Enjoy a light and satisfying lunch!

Roasted *Organic* Golden Beets

Until yesterday, I had never eaten a beet before. For a while my mom was really into making juice in the morning and she would put beets in the juice, but as far as eating one, I never had. I've lived a sad nineteen years. Yesterday, my mom and I went to the West Palm Beach Green Market. I highly recommend this market. They have some great vendors, pastries galore, and a wonderful selection of produce. While my mom and I were browsing we saw organic golden beets, which we have never seen in our local grocery store, and therefore we have never eaten. We decided to buy them and roasted them for a snack/lunch. A little sweet and a whole lot delicious, I highly recommend this incredibly simple recipe.

Roasted Golden Beets:

• 3-4 golden beets
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat your oven to 350. Leave the skins on the beets and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until tender. Take the beets out of the oven. When the beets cool, peel and slice them. Garnish with some fresh herbs (that's thyme in the picture). Eat and enjoy!

Some tips:

• I haven't tried this with regular purple beets, but I'm sure it's equally delicious
• To determine if the beets are done, slide in a knife. If the beets are tender, you should meet no resistance.
• I am now in love with golden beets, so check back for other recipes with this great vegetable.
  

Cheesy Orzo

My mom started making cheesy orzo as a side dish a few years ago. It's simple and easy and soooooo delicious. And I decided if you throw in a vegetable, it can upgrade from side dish to main course.

Cheesy Orzo:

• 1 cup orzo
• 1 14 oz can vegetable broth
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Dash of garlic powder

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Add the orzo and the peas. Turn the temperature to a low setting. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with garlic powder and stir in cheese until melted. Put into a bowl and eat up!


A few tips about this recipe:

• I cook this orzo (which is pasta) like you would cook rice, with a 2 to 1 ratio, 2 parts liquid to 1 part orzo.
• Though I think the cheese is the best part, vegans could easily leave out the cheese. And I am sure vegan cheese would be great, as long as it's a cheese that melts well.
• Feel free to substitute parmesan or whatever your favorite cheese is for the mozzarella.
  

Puff Pastry with Lentil Filling

Ok, again, I kinda stole this recipe. But, again, I changed it to make it my own. The original recipe calls for crescent roles, but I didn't have any. What I did have was puff pastry. So here you have it.

Puff Pastry with Lentil Filling

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• 1 cup lentils, cooked
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• Olive oil
  

Preheat oven to 375. In a pan, saute onion, garlic, and peas with the olive oil until soft. In a bowl, mix onion, garlic, peas, lentils, oregano, and marinara sauce. Cut puff pastry sheet into about 6 squares. Spoon lentil filling into the middle of the square. If you have room, fold the pastry over the filling. If you don't have room, don't sweat it. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Some tips about this recipe:

• When I made this recipe I had leftover filling. Not sure when I would get to the grocery store again to buy more puff pastry, I threw the extra filling into a vegetable soup I was making. But honestly, I could have eaten this filling with a fork, no pastry needed.
• You can use whatever vegetables or beans you like in the filling. Again (a recurring theme in my cooking) I just used what I had on hand.