Vegan Bakesale this Sunday

I am proudly participating this Sunday, May 2, from 11am-2pm at LOCALI in Los Angeles.


Come out and support two awesome charities, PAWS/LA and KITTEN RESCUE.

What could be easier? Get some awesome vegan baked goods, AND help support the animals at the same time!

The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

Now available for Preorder! Woohoo!

The Double-Take

Inspired by the ultra artery clogging new sandwich from the ultra disgusting KFC, the Double Down. Made with my own blend of seven herbs and spices, I served these up to the folks over at the Jason Ellis show and even the producer, Stretch, who is a really big meat eating man's man, said it tasted like real chicken...so, there. Thanks to Gardein, the realistic chicken part was easy.

Easter Eggs!

Cruelty free Easter eggs! These are fun if you have little ones or even for yourself. They are slightly reminiscent of those Cadbury ones, but the filling is not nearly as runny.

These also make a mean peppermint patty, so you don't have to wait until Easter to enjoy them! As a matter of fact, you can sub any flavor into the center and make a variety of chocolates.

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
A few drops yellow food coloring, optional
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
12 ounces nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix together corn syrup and vanilla. Begin adding in sugar one cup at a time. Work in the sugar until you get a dough that is the consistency of play-dough.

Divide into thirds. Add yellow food coloring to 1/3 of the dough. Divide that 1/3 into 12 even pieces and roll into small balls. Dust with extra powdered sugar as you work to prevent them from getting too sticky. Place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper and set aside.

Divide the remaining 2/3 into 12 equal pieces and form into small patties. Once again dusting with powdered sugar as you work.

Add one "yolk" into the center of each patty and wrap the patty around it. Form into an egg shape, Dusting as you work. Place on parchment or waxed paper and place in the freezer to stiffen up before you dip them in the chocolate, about an hour or so.

While your "eggs" are freezing, you can melt your chocolate, either on a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip each egg in chocolate and return to wax paper to cool and harden. You can place them back in the freezer to speed up the process if you'd like.

Yield: A dozen "eggs"

Variations:
Peppermint Patties: Instead of dividing into thirds, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peppermint extract to the corn syrup and vanilla before adding the sugar. Add a little green food color (optional). Divide into 24 equal pieces and form into patties. Follow the recipe from there.

Lemon or Orange Candies: Get creative with the flavors! Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon or orange (or almond or anise or cinnamon...) extract instead of the peppermint. Add a touch of yellow or orange food color, or whatever color matches the flavor you use to make a variety.

Jason Ellis wants more Vegan Pizza!

So...I'm off to deliver it. For those of you who came here after hearing me on the show, below is the recipe for the pizza. For those of you who already follow me, sorry, this is a repeat!

THE JASON ELLIS SHOW M-F 12n-4pm PST on Sirius FACTION 28

For the Crust:
1/4 ounce (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
additional olive oil

Mix together yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand ten minutes.
In a mixing bowl, mix together flours and salt. Add in yeast mixture, water and olive oil. Adding more all purpose flour if too wet, more water if too dry, a little bit at a time. Your goal is a soft elastic dough ball that is easy to handle and not sticky.
Knead for about 10 minutes.
Divide into two, form into a ball. Brush with a light coat of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for one hour.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Punch down the dough, knead an additional 2-3 minutes and form into a pizza crust.
Bake with your favorite toppings for about 10 minutes, or until crust is a nice golden brown.

Yield: 2, 10 inch crusts

For the Pepperoni:
1 cup (96 g) dry TVP granules
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (6 g) ground black pepper, depending on your heat preference
1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or dried chipotle powder
1 cup (235 ml) water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke

In a microwave safe bowl, mix together TVP with all of the herbs and spices.Stir in water, oil and liquid smoke.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 6 minutes.
Carefully remove from microwave, and allow to cool enough to handle.
Alternately, mix spices together with TVP.
Bring water to a boil, add in oil and smoke, stir into TVP and spice mixture, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and use to top your pizza, or stuff a calzone!

I use Tomato Basil pasta sauce for the sauce and Daiya Shredded Vegan Cheese for the cheese.

ENJOY!

Beer Battered Corndogs and Baked Sweet and Creamy Macadamia Nut Brie

These seem to be the fan favorites, so here you go!



All American Hot Dogs
Whether simply served in a bun with ketchup and mustard, or made into Beer Battered Corndogs (BELOW), these everyday wieners are sure to please even the kids!

2 cups (288 g) vital wheat gluten flour
1 cup (120 g) whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons (14 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 (355 ml) cups water
4 ounces (112 g) extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup (84 g) brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons (33 g) tomato paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) liquid smoke

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Mix together flours, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, maca powder, and turmeric.
In a blender, purée together water, tofu, oil, soy sauce, syrup, tomato paste, and liquid smoke.
Add wet to dry and mix until uniform. The mixture will be wet.
Divide dough into 8 to 12 pieces, depending on how large you like your wieners.
Tear off 8 to 12 pieces of aluminum foil, about 6 x 12-inches (15 x 30-cm).
Form each piece of dough into a sausage shape and place near the long edge of the foil.
Roll up the foil and twist the ends tight.
Place seam side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm.
Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle before unwrapping.
Enjoy as you would any hot dog.

Yield: 8 to 12 wieners

Beer Battered Corn Dogs
Who doesn’t love a corn dog? Made with beer, this batter cooks up quickly, is crispier than the traditional carnival fare, and a tad more sophisticated too. We think some whole grain mustard is the perfect dipping medium for such a dog. Got a deep fryer? Now’s the time to use it, otherwise using a pot filled with oil heated to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4) will do the trick.

3/4 cup (93 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (105 g) yellow corn meal
1 cup (235 ml) vegan beer
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (21 g) agave nectar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
6 vegan Hot Dogs, store-bought or homemade (page XX)
6 popsicle sticks, skewers, or disposable chopsticks
Oil for frying

Preheat oil. Have ready a plate or tray lined with paper towels.
Mix together flour, corn meal, beer, oil, agave, Dijon mustard, baking soda, baking powder, and paprika until smooth. Transfer batter to a tall glass, like a pint glass, to make dipping easy.
Pierce the bottom of each hot dog with a stick and skewer it through leaving ample room for a handle.
Dip each hot dog in the batter to coat with a nice thick coating of batter.
Using the handle, submerge the battered dog into the hot oil to fry until golden and crispy, about one minute.
Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

Note: You can omit the sticks and make corn dog nuggets by cutting your hot dogs into 2 or 3 inch (5 or 8 cm) pieces and using a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil.

Yield: 6 hot dogs or 18 corn dog nuggets




Baked Sweet and Creamy Macadamia Nut Brie
*Wheat Free
*Corn Free
Other than the baking time, this is a brie-ze to throw together.

14 ounces (397 g) silken tofu
3 ounces (85 g) dry roasted macadamia nuts
2 tablespoons (16 g) arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons (42 g) agave nectar
1 tablespoon (18 g) white or yellow miso
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until silky smooth.
Spray a small round casserole (about 6 inches [15 cm]) or 4 small ramekins with cooking spray.
Pour mixture into baking dish, making sure to leave at least a half inch at the top to account for rising.
Place baking dish(es) on a baking sheet (just in case it cooks over) and bake for 30 (small ramekins) to 45 (small casserole) minutes.
Remove from oven when it is slightly firm to the touch and slightly browned.
Place in the fridge to cool completely before serving.
To serve, invert on serving plate and serve with crackers.
For an even more festive display, serve topped with cranberry sauce or blueberry compote.

Yield: 1 large, or 4 small wheels of brie

The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

You may or may not know that Celine and I are just about wrapping up the testing phase for our next book, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. This really does explain my lack of blogging lately. Here's a few photos of the foods I've been making over the last few months:



1. Smashed Pepper Peas, 2. Curry Tofu Arugula Salad, 3. Maple Sponge Candy, 4. Potato Croquettes, 5. Soup of the Shrier, 6. Ambros-ish salad, 7. Cold Multigrain Salad, 8. Potato Cheese Soup, 9. Orange County Rolls, 10. Beer Battered Corndog, 11. TVP Pepperoni Pizza Topping on Cornmeal Crust, 12. Macadamia Nut Brie, 13. Roasted Tomato Basil and Garlic Soup, 14. Cheezy Chikin Casserole close up, 15. Chococado Pudding, 16. French Onion Soup

You can see more pictures (From Me, Celine, and the testers) by clicking HERE!

I am more than willing to share a recipe or two, so please leave a comment on which of these you'd most like to have and I will see what I can do for ya!

Thanks!

Tofuffalo Wings - Perfect For Gameday!

Superbowl Sunday is this Sunday, and truth be told, I don't even know who's playing...but if you are heading to, or hosting a party, and want to serve up some wings, well, here you go!

Tofuffalo Wings

Serve with Cool Ranch Dipping sauce and a few stalks of celery for an even more realistic experience. A deep-fat fryer comes in handy here, but if you don’t have one, a pot with oil heated to 350°F (180°C) will do just fine.

Jason Ellis Show Update

Sorry it took so long guys...things have been pretty crazy up in this joint. Anyhow, I think my appearance on the Jason Ellis Show went rather well. My husband says I played it safe, but I guess that's better than sounding like a crasshole. But in the end, I did get a , "Red Dragons!" so I guess that says it all.

I brought Jason some Barbecue Baby Back ribs, and a couple of vegan pizzas I made from scratch. He seemed pretty stoked, especially on the pizza. He even twittered about it later in the week and posted a picture of his daughter enjoying the pepperoni pizza I made for him.



Here's a couple of pics of the food I brought for him:

Seitan Ribs with Cedar Bones (Picture by Celine Steen)
Pizzas:


(TVP Pepperoni (recipe below) with vegetable tomato sauce and yellow and white Daiya on a THIS crust)


(Seitan BBQ ribs, Orange Chipotle BBQ Sauce, garlic, onions, cilantro, and yellow and white Daiya on the same crust)
Here's the recipe for the Pepperoni Topping. It will be featured in Celine and my next book, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions.

Pepperoni Topping for Pizza

1 cup (96 g) dry TVP granules
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (6 g) ground black pepper, depending on your heat preference
1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or dried chipotle powder
1 cup (235 ml) water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke

In a microwave safe bowl, mix together TVP with all of the herbs and spices.
Stir in water, oil and liquid smoke.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 6 minutes.
Carefully remove from microwave, and allow to cool enough to handle.
Alternately, mix spices together with TVP.
Bring water to a boil, add in oil and smoke, stir into TVP and spice mixture, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and use to top your pizza, or stuff a calzone!

LIVE! On the Jason Ellis Show!

Hey all...

I'm going to be on the Jason Ellis Show on Tuesday January 19, 2010 at 12:30 pm (PST)! It airs on Sirius Sattelite Radio on Faction 28 or XM 52.

Among other things, I will be talking about vegan eating and, of course, giving Jason and the crew some great food to snack on.

For those of you not familiar with the absolute HILARITY that is the Jason Ellis show, you can get a sneak peak of him HERE or HERE.

You can get a free 30 day trial internet subscription HERE.