Thanks for being so patient!

...and the winners are: (winners chosen at random using the random number generator on random.org)



#3
Brandy
"I love mine baked then topped with margarine and seasalt and fresh cracked black pepper...hands down my fave starchy food! Yum! The po boy looks so good! Def gonna make for my family!"

and

#33
makinglifeahappytime
"Because I've had them SO recently and I LOVE them, I'd say sweet potato chips! OMG. Well... maybe not more than Susan's Sweet Potato Casserole (from fatfreevegan.com) OMG sweet potato bliss! :)"

I am making the best attempts to email you, but if you see this first, email me!  joni at justthefood dot com with your snail mail address so I can ship out your bookie books as soon as possible!

The Christmas that almost wasn't...

Happy day after Christmas everyone!  I hope you and all of yours had a relaxing, fun, and food-filled, cruelty free holiday.  For those of you living in flood and weather stricken areas, my heart and thoughts go out to you.  I hope you are safe and not too much damage was done.

Here in Orange County, California, we are just not used to this kind of weather.  And in the area where I live, well, the ground just couldn't take any more rain!

Thanks to the hard work and determination of the firefighters, neighbors, volunteers, family, and friends, the majority of the damage in my neighborhood was relegated to the roads.  A few houses and cars didn't fare as well, but as far as I know, no person or pet was seriously injured.

This is the road/bridge out of town near my house. 4 hikers went missing, but they were found, cold and wet, but okay on Tuesday morning.

Wednesday...same road.  I have seen a few news stories that state 2 persons were killed on the roads during this storm.  My heart goes out to the families of those that lost loved ones.

At the entrance to the road into my neighborhood...the mud pile was over 6 feet high!  Thanks to the quick hardwork of the county, the bulldozers were able to clear a path out (and in!) even though I was too scared to drive through.  I opted to park down the way at the elementary school and hike home through the mud.

This is a picture from Downtown Laguna Beach, across the street from where I work.  This water was pouring over the street into our parking lot.  I've never seen anything like it.

Most of the roads in and out of my house, and to my work have been closed for most of the week.  Turning my normally 45 minute commute into a 2 to 3 hour ordeal in each direction.

Add in the fact that the electricity would go in and out every couple of hours during the whole week, and well you can probably imagine that I didn't get to do much of my holiday baking or cooking this year.

Thankfully, we were able to head out of town and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our families and forget about the mess for awhile.

Maybe New Year's will be dryer...

Sweet Potato Po'Boys (and a holiday giveaway!)

Less than a week until Christmas!?!  Oh my gosh.  I am not even halfway there...not even a quarter way there.

So before I get all caught up in the rush of it all, let me give my present to you...a new recipe featuring my favorite tuber, the sweet potato!  And if you leave a comment (here on the blog, not on facebook or twitter) telling me your favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes, I will pick 2 of you at random, Wednesday night at 8pm, Due to weather related issues, the giveaway has been extended, and I will do the drawing on Wednesday December 29 at 8pm, to receive a copy of Celine and my brand spankin' new book The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions.  CONTEST NOW OVER

Okay, to the food:


Sweet Potato Po'Boys
If I ever opened a lunch truck or diner, it would be made up solely of gourmet sandwiches and a variety of macaroni salads. This sandwich would definitely be on the menu. Not a traditional Po’ Boy by any sense of the word, it is inspired by the fried seafood sandwiches made famous in Louisiana. Now a true Po’ Boy would be a foot long, so these ones are considered “shorties” and if you decide to use the highly recommended pile of Sweet Peppercorn Coleslaw, well then you can consider your Po’ Boy “dressed.”


As always, a deep fryer works best here, but if you don’t have one, a pot filled with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil will work just fine.

For the Sweet Potatoes:
1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain soymilk or other nondairy milk
1/2 cup (62 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (14 g) cornflakes, crushed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Fennel Marmalade:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 bulb fennel, sliced in a thin julienne (reserve the leaves for later use)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
pinch salt
2 tablespoons (42 g) agave nectar

For the Aioli:
1/3 cup (75 g) vegan mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon (2 g) chopped fennel leaves (reserved from the bulb above)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Vegetable oil for frying
4 (6-inch, 15 cm) french rolls
1 recipe Sweet Peppercorn Coleslaw, below, optional, but highly reccommended
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
To make the sweet potatoes: Slice the sweet potato into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. You can peel your potatoes if you choose, but we like ours with the skin on!

Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
To make the Fennel Marmalade: While potatoes are cooking, add olive oil to a pan and heat over low heat. Add fennel, garlic, shallots, and a pinch of salt.
Slowly cook until very soft and tender, and just beginning to caramelize, About 15 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
Add in agave and toss to coat. Crank up the heat and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly, until caramelized, sticky, and browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the aioli: Whisk ingredients together. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Finish the sweet potatoes: Preheat your oil to 350°F (180°C). Place milk in a shallow dish. Add flour, cornflakes, Old Bay, and cayenne to a resealable plastic bag and shake to combine. Dip one round into the milk to coat and then add it to the bag. Repeat until you have about 5 rounds in the bag. Shake to coat the potatoes with the flour mixture. Carefully add to the coated potatoes to the hot oil and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, flipping half way through, until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all potatoes are fried.

Assemble the Po’ Boys: Spread a layer of aioli on each half of the french roll. Pile 1/4 of the sweet potatoes on the bottom half of the roll, and top with 1/4 of the Fennel Marmalade, add a heaping pile of the Sweet Peppercorn Coleslaw, if using. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 Po’ Boys

Sweet Peppercorn Coleslaw
*Gluten Free

*Quick and Easy
This coleslaw is a great side dish on it’s own, but it really takes the Sweet Potato Po’ Boys to a whole new level. You can make this ahead of time, but if you do, keep the dressing separate and toss together just before serving.

For the slaw:
1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded
1 1/2 cups (162 g) shredded carrots
1/2 cup (80 g) raisins or dried cranberries, optional

For the peppercorn dressing:
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain soymilk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (112 g) vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coursely ground or cracked
1 tablespoon (2 g) fresh chopped fennel leaf
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
salt to taste

To make the slaw: Toss together the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
To make the dressing: Add soymilk to a small mixing bowl. Stir in lemon juice and allow to sit for a few minutes. It will curdle and become like buttermilk.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients.
Toss dressing with the slaw and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

FOUND: A Mo Betta Chedda!

After much investigation, some tasty (and some quite disgusting) I am finally ready to post my results for the best tasting vegan cheddar alternative.

Here are the contestants.


I tested each cheddar in 3 categories.

Cold, as is, right out of the package, on a cracker.
(I was lucky enough to have a helper test this one.  Dominic, my 10 year old nephew helped with this taste test)


Meltability and stretch, on pizza.


Mixability and creaminess, in macaroni and cheese.


Each cheese was scored on taste compared to "real" cheddar, creaminess, and overall taste and texture, and I also gave info on availability and cost.  Scores were based on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best.

The results: (Click on the image to take you to Flickr wher you can make it larger and easier to read!)

In addition to the results above, I will add that I most commonly buy Daiya, Wayfare, and Sheese.  Once testing was over, I threw away the Vegan Rella, Rice Vegan and Soy Vegan.  I would never, ever, ever buy those again.  I'd rather just go without, or make my own from scratch. 

And to be fair, the best mac and cheese (using fake cheese) was made last night using the leftover Daiya, Teese, Sheese, Vegan Gourmet, plus Tofutti Sour Cream, Tofutti Cream Cheese, Silk Creamer, and Earth Balance.  I know, ridiculous.  I did it in the name of research.

I would also like to add, as I did before, that I was only testing CHEDDAR flavors, and, in my opinion, the best imitation cheeses out there are not cheddar replacers...Dr. Cow (any flavor), Sheese Blue Cheese, Wayfare Hickory Smoked Spread, and any of the nut based home made cheeses out there blow all of these out of the water!

A Winner!

And the winner is...LAZYSMURF!  I sent you an email, so send me your addy and I will send you your book!

I've been a bad MoFo'er

So, on this last day of Mofo I plan to play catch up.  Starting with Finger Limes and a giveaway!  These limes just arrived at work last week and I was so excited to bring some home and play with them.  And play is about all I did.  Other than adding these to a cocktail, or squeezing a tad of the caviar like insides onto a sweet biscuit, or even using them in some kind of mock sushi, I can't really think of anything to do with them, and at $45 a pound, it would be pretty expensive to use them in any sort of large quantity.


(picture borrowed from HERE)

But don't get me wrong...these little fellas are quite tasty.  The fruit is quite small.  It's about 2 inches long and about the size of a dime around.  The insides really do look like caviar, but each of those little balls is full of delicious sweet and sour lime juice, and there are what seem to be thousands in each lime.

Maybe you all can help me think of something to use them in?  Leave a comment (only on the blog please, not on Facebook!) with an idea of how you might use these in a recipe or as a garnish.   (Keep it vegan please, as I don't want anyone posting ways to use these with seafood...I AM NOT INTERESTED!)

I will pick one random commenter to receive a copy of The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, as soon as I get my hands on one to send!  Rumor has it that some have started shipping, although the official release date isn't until January.   I will pick a winner on Saturday Night (12-4-2010) at 10pm PST.  Yes, I will ship internationally! CONTEST OVER!!!



The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite

The obligatory "What I'm making for Thanksgiving dinner" post

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the day before Thanksgivng.  I have been working so much lately helping everyone else get ready for Thanksgiving, that I really haven't had any time at all to prepare for my own!

So, as I previously mentioned, I am working Thanksgiving morning, so I will need to do all of my cooking tomorrow night.  Knowing that tomorrow will be a horribly long and strenuous day at work, I am going to go simple, yet traditional.  There are only 4 vegans at dinner this year, so I don't need to go overboard, and even I have come to admit, that it is okay to buy some things from the store...

The Menu:
*Seitan en Croute

*Cheesy Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Made super easy by jazzing up some instant potato flakes!)
*Garlic and Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts (RECIPE BELOW, from 500 Vegan Recipes)
*Bread Stuffing (Stale bread cubes baked with The leftover Sippity Soup from the other night, with dried cranberries and rosemary added, and the beans and broccoli fished out.)
*Storebought Vegan Mushroom Gravy from Whole Foods Market
*Storebought Vegan Cranberry Sauce from Whole Foods Market
*And for dessert...Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie


Garlic and Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Sorry I don't have a picture of these...you'll just have to trust me on this.  I just bought mine on the stalk today.  Less than $3 for the whole stalk!

*Gluten Free
*Soy Free
Even if you don't care for brussel sprouts, give these a try. The marinade is so flavorful you will totally forget you are eating this high protein, high fiber, calcium rich, mini cabbage!

1 pound (454 g) Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (84 g) agave nectar
2 tablespoons (30 g) prepared stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons (30 g) minced garlic
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or aluminum foil.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, agave, mustard and garlic.
Toss in brussel sprouts to coat.
Spread evenly on baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing

Cinnamon rolls are good, sure. But Peanut butter cinnamon rolls, topped with a gooey maple cream cheese icing, whoa!

For the dough:
1 cup (235 ml) water, heated to lukewarm
2 tablespoons (24 g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce, 7 g) active dry yeast
2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (64 g) creamy no stir peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon oil

For the filling:
1/4 cup (56 g) nondairy butter
2 tablespoon (32 g) creamy no stir peanut butter
1 cup (220 g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the icing:
8 ounces (227 g) nondairy cream cheese
3 tablespoons (45 ml) maple syrup
3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted

Combine water with sugar in a microwave-safe dish. Heat until lukewarm, about 30 seconds. Stir in yeast and let sit a few minutes until bubbles appear, to ensure the yeast is active.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and salt.

Add peanut butter and vanilla to yeast mixture.

Stir yeast mixture into dry, mixing until combined,

Lightly flour the counter, place dough onto counter and start kneading. If dough is too dry, add a smidge more water as needed. If it is too wet, add a smidge more flour as needed. Knead for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable.

Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. The kneading time will be the same, until the dough forms a ball.

Lightly coat a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Place dough in bowl and gently roll and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.

Gently deflate dough and place on a lightly floured surface.

Knead for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

On a well floured surface, roll dough out into a rectangle about 12-inches x 16-inches (30 cm x 40 cm).

Prepare the filling by mashing together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and cinnamon using your hands to make a well incorporated paste.

Spread the filling in an even layer across the dough.

Starting at the short end of the rectangle, roll up the dough tightly.

Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled up dough into 12 equal cinnamon rolls.

Place on baking sheet, equally spaced from each other.

Allow to sit for about 20 minutes before baking.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the icing.

Beat together cream cheese and maple syrup.

Slowly beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.

Once cinnamon rolls are done, allow to cool for a few minutes before topping with icing.

Serve warm.

Yield: 1 dozen cinnamon rolls

Sippity, Sippity, Soup, Soup

A little bit of olive oil, a whole bag of onions (roughly chopped), a can of white beans, a can of chickpeas, a half a bag of frozen broccoli florets, a head of garlic (minced), dried cilantro, red chile flakes, veggie broth powder, water, a touch of agave, a bit of lemon juice, and sea salt.

That's what's in my big ole pot of soup.  No measuring, just throwing it in there.  It shall keep me warm and cozy for at least a week. 



PS
My quest for a Mo Betta Chedda is well underway.  I have charts and notes and strategies and stuff, but man, that's a lot of flippin cheese!  I hope I can finish before the end of 'Mofo.

Who woulda thunk?

So my copy of Melisser's new book, The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life, arrived a few days ago.  Of course, I spent the afternoon reading it, pretty much cover to cover.



First off, the book is adorable, which makes flipping through the pages (that happen to be thick and glossy and full of color on every page!) so much fun.  Secondly, Melisser does an awesome job of highlighting vegans from all over the world, from every walk of life.  It is so interesting to read their stories! 

But, don't think that this book is for beginners only, either.  Vegans of every level will learn a thing or two from this book.  For example, we all do our best to check the ingredients of our foods, and our beauty products, right?  Of course we do.  We check to make sure our shampoo, our make-up, our toothpaste, our hair dye, even our shaving cream is vegan and wasn't tested on animals.   I do too, but I never would have thought to check the actual RAZORS!  Melisser has schooled me in my bad shaving ways, and I will no longer buy razors with those little moisturizing strips...becuase guess what?  They're not vegan!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book.  There are tips for just about everything a vegan girl does in her daily life!  Not to mention DIY crafts, beauty hints, recipes, and cute little drawings by Michelle Cavigliano.