Vegan MoFo 2013: It's Crunch Time!

We are coming pretty close to the middle of MoFo so that means crunch time.  Time to get remotivated and keep the energy up.  Time to get reinspired by other blogs and refocused on the task at hand.  And that is spreading the good word about vegan food!

Crunchies BBQ Roasted Veggies and Mixed Fruit

The fine folks over at Crunchies Food Company were kind enough to send me a few samples of their freeze dried fruits and veggies.  I am no stranger to freeze dried foods, but these ones were really, really crispy and, well, CRUNCHY!  Other brands I have tried get kind of soggy once you open the pack, but these ones stayed nice and crisp for over a week once they were opened.

I will admit to never snacking on freeze dried veggies before, so that was a nice change of pace.  The BBQ Roasted Veggies made a great snack.  Not too salty and just the right blend of spices.  They offer lots of flavors of both the fruits and he veggies.  The ingredients are so awesome, just fruits and veggies!  (And spices if it's a flavored mix.) ANd you can't get cleaner than that.  They do offer a few organic varieties, but please use caution when picking these up, as some flavors are not vegan, like the Sweet Buttered Corn which has real butter in it.

But other than snacking, what else do you do with freeze dried fruits and veggies?  Me?  I cook and bake with them.  The freeze dried blueberries are perfect for blueberry pancakes and muffins, and the strawberries are awesome in muffins and cookies.  I also add them into dry mixes for gifts.  Here is a recipe from Vegan Food Gifts that uses these freeze dried fruits perfectly.

Photo by Celine Steen

Strawberry Pineapple Orange Cake Mix

FOR THE MIX:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (20 g) freeze dried strawberries*
1/2 cup (10 g) freeze dried pineapple*

TO MAKE IT A GIFT:
Into a clear cello bag, layer the ingredients in the order listed above.
Tie closed with a pretty ribbon or twine, and attach the recipe card below.


RECIPE CARD (Printable copy of this recipe card below)
Strawberry Pineapple Orange Cake Mix
You will need:
Cake Mix
1 cup (235 ml) soy, almond, or coconut milk
1 cup (235 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or other mild flavored vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Lightly coat an 8-inch (20 cm) square or 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with nonstick spray.
Empty entire contents of mix into large mixing bowl.
Add milk, orange juice, and oil.
Stir until well combined.
Pour batter into cake pan.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before inverting from pan onto cake platter.
Add a simple icing of powdered sugar mixed with orange juice if desired.

Yield: 1 (9-inch, or 23 cm) single layer cake

Illustrations by Kurt Halsey

On a side note, today's post is the 500th post here on JustTheFood.  How cool is that?  500 posts about nothing but vegan goodness.

Enter to win a Crunchies Prize Pack by following the prompts in the widget below.  Unfortunately, since I will be shipping food, this contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.  Sorry guys, thems the rules.

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