Golden Vanilla Syrup

Make this lovely golden sauce in place of standard maple syrup.  Try it over pancakes, of course, or drizzle over your favorite vegan ice cream or a slice of cake.  The syrup would make a beautiful hostess gift; package with a bag of your favorite (vegan) pancake mix, or with a hand written note for a pancake recipe.  If you need an idea, check out the Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes on this blog.

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 cups vegan sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice*
• 1 tablespoon vegan brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients except the vanilla bean in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves as the mixture heats up.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a knife.  Add the seeds and the vanilla bean to the sugar mixture, stirring gently.  Cool to room temperature.

3. Transfer the syrup (and the vanilla bean) to a glass container.  Cover and chill.  The syrup will last up to 1 month in the fridge.

Here are just a couple of ways to try it: drizzled over vegan vanilla ice cream, which made the ice cream taste more like lemon gelato:

And over pancakes, where it was a lighter, subtler alternative to maple syrup, but perhaps not quite as indulgent:

*Strain the lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve after you squeeze out your lemons, to get rid of any pulp and keep the syrup perfectly smooth.

Nutrition Info:
18 servings (2 tablespoons), Calories 89 

Tasting Notes:
I found the lemon flavor to be a bit overwhelming, and would decrease the amount of lemon juice next time.  And although it might sound sacrilegious in a recipe that relies on a beautiful whole vanilla bean, I would sneak in a little vanilla extract to enhance the vanilla flavor.  The syrup was not, therefore, quite what I was expecting, although still yummy.

Update: this syrup gets better with time.  After about a week, the lemon juice mellowed, and the vanilla flavor soared, at which point I enjoyed it more over pancakes and also slices of Amy's orange cake (available in the freezer section of the grocery store).  Another enjoyable use for the syrup - because of the bright lemon taste - is as a sweetener in iced tea. 

Rating:
3

Cheesy Brunch Casserole

This hearty dish is perfect for a weekend brunch (consider serving with my Wasabi Bloody Marys).  I pondered the best way to make up the 8 eggs called for in the original recipe, and decided to puree silken tofu with cornstarch (for thickening) and turmeric (for color) - a super-basic version of a vegan omelet, in other words.  Play around with combinations of tofu or other egg replacers, if you prefer - and I'd love to hear the results - but my method tonight worked great. 

Ingredients:

• 4 (4-ounce) Tofurky Italian sausages
• 5 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (such as Arrowhead Mills)
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup vegan chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded Daiya cheddar
• 1 pound lite silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (for color)
• 2 cups plain non-dairy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Crumble the sausage into small pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned - about 5 minutes.  Transfer the sausage to a bowl and add the stuffing mix.

2. Transfer the sausage mixture to a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Drizzle with the broth and melted butter, and sprinkle with the cheddar.

3.Combine the silken tofu in a blender with the cornstarch and turmeric; process until smooth.  Combine the tofu mixture in a large bowl with the milk, onion powder, and black pepper; pour the tofu mixture over the sausage mixture.

4. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes - the mixture should be set.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 9 squares.

Nutrition Info:
9 servings (1 portion), Calories 298 

Tasting Notes:
This casserole is just awesome: savory sausage, cheese-y Daiya, herb-y stuffing, and an egg-y tofu mixture.  A perfect and hearty blend of ingredients, for which I would not change a thing.  The top of the casserole had a nice crisp crunch, and the inside was tender and moist without being soggy.  

Rating:
5

Wasabi Bloody Marys

Bloody marys are pretty much the perfect brunch cocktail, between the savory tomato juice and the kick from spice and vodka.  This version takes it a notch further by using wasabi paste instead of standard horseradish.  Alas, I often refrain from ordering this yummy drink when out for brunch because most bloody mary mixes include Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies).  Fret not: it's easy to whip up a vegan batch at home with one of the vegan Worcestershire sauces on the market.  Since the mixture needs to chill, consider making it the night before so it's ready to serve when you wake up for a leisurely weekend morning.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 4 and 1/2 teaspoons prepared wasabi paste*
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable juice (such as R.W. Knudsen)
• 3 tablespoons Annie's Worcestershire sauce
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons hot pepper sauce**
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups vodka

1. Whisk together the lime juice and wasabi paste in a bowl, until the wasabi dissolves.

2. Combine the wasabi mixture in a large bowl or pitcher with the vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, and salt.  Chill thoroughly.

3. Stir in the vodka just before serving, and serve over ice.

Instead of standard celery, consider garnishing with pickled asparagus, pickled green beans, or even pickled okra.  I particularly love the "smokra" from Rick's Picks. 

*My favorite brand of wasabi paste is Roland, which is colored without any artificial dyes.  Use leftovers with vegan sushi, or in the Sushi-Rice Salad from this blog.

**I recommend a fiery hot pepper sauce for this recipe, such as Busha Browne's.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (about 1 cup), Calories 166

Tasting Notes:
A kick indeed.  The wasabi gave just the right zip without being too overpowering, and I thought the rest of the bloody mary was the best version I've tried, whether at home or at a restaurant.  The perfect tingle on the tongue from tomato juice, vodka, and the heat of the pepper sauce.

Rating:
4

Chicken, Sausage, and Rice Soup

I am finally home after two weeks away on business; apologies for my longest lull yet in posting.  Boy was I ready for home-made food, after many nights eating out of the microwave in a hotel.  But I also wanted something quick, since it's been a long day of travel.

Whether you want a quick meal for the same reason, or just any night after a long day, try this quick soup, easily made vegan with Tofurky sausage and Gardein chicken.  Use Gardein's chick'n filets, sold refrigerated, which are thinner than the company's chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

• 1 (4-ounce) Tofurky Italian sausage 
• 2 Gardein chick'n filets
• Cooking spray
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen chopped onion
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot
• 28 ounces vegan chicken broth (prepared from Not Chick'n bouillon)
• 1 (3.5-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Break the sausage apart into crumbles and cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.  Cook in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the onion and thyme; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2. Add the celery, carrots, and broth; bring to a boil.  Remove the rice from the bag, and add to the broth mixture.  Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 minutes.  Discard the thyme sprigs; stir in the parsley, salt, and black pepper.

Add warm bread or hearty crackers on the side to round out the meal, and you're good to go.

Ingredients:
4 servings (1 and 1/2 cups), Calories 245 

Tasting Notes:
A flavorful soup, especially from the thyme which infused into the broth.  I loved the spicy hints from the sausage.  For something that came together so quickly, this tasted like a long-simmered soup that had been on the stove for hours.  Definitely my new go-to "un-chicken" soup, as they say.  I highly recommend a hearty loaf of bread on the side, both for dunking in the soup as you eat and for sopping up the last bits of broth from the bowl.

Rating:
3.5

Shrimp and Tomatoes with Cheese Grits

The options for vegan seafood keep expanding, and one of my favorites is faux shrimp.  Try the shrimp from Vegetarian Plus to make this traditional southern dish vegan with ease.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 24 ounces Vegetarian Plus shrimp, thawed
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 and 1/2 cups plain non-dairy milk
• 1 and 3/4 cups vegan chicken broth (prepared from Not Chick'n bouillon)
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1 cup shredded Daiya cheddar 
• 1 tablespoon Annie's Worcestershire sauce

1. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add the bell pepper and shrimp; saute for 7 minutes.  Add the plum tomato and green onions; cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Meanwhile, combine the milk and chicken broth in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Gradually add the grits.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally - the grits should be thick by the end.  Stir in the cheddar and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until the cheddar melts.

3. Spoon 2/3 cup grits onto each of 6 plates, and top each serving with 2/3 cup shrimp mixture.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (2/3 cup shrimp mixture, 2/3 cup grits), Calories 329

Tasting Notes:
The grits were absolutely fabulous, and creamy from the Daiya cheddar.  From now on I will consider Annie's Worcestershire sauce my secret grits ingredient.  The shrimp topping was nice, but unfortunately didn't quite rise to the level of the grits.  I would swap out the green bell pepper for okra (as a personal preference) and definitely add spices.  I think stewed tomatoes would be better than chopped plum tomatoes.  But as you can see, the grits were so delicious they kept up my overall rating of the dish.

Rating:
4

As a side note, this will be my last post for a couple of weeks - I'll be away from home (and my kitchen) on business, but please check back towards the end of the month.  I have many more vegan recipes to come.

Strawberry Yogurt Scones

About two months ago, I made seasonal scones with cranberries, and loved having them for breakfast in the week that followed.  Craving more scones, I decided to make this sweet strawberry version.  Okay, this time strawberries aren't quite in season, but the scones are a wonderful pick-me-up on a cold windy day.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup vegan sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup diced strawberries
• 2/3 cup strawberry non-dairy yogurt (such as Whole Soy)
• 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 Ener-G egg
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons vegan sugar

1. Lightly spoon both flours into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine the flours in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a second bowl, combine the strawberries, strawberry yogurt, butter, orange rind, and Ener-G egg.  Add the strawberry mixture to the flour mixture, and stir just until moist.

Note: make sure to dice the strawberries quite small, or they will be hard to incorporate into the dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly about 4 times; use floured hands, because scone dough is wet and sticky.  Transfer the dough to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and pat into an 8-inch circle.  Cut into 12 wedges with a knife, scoring into but not all the way through the dough.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

These scones are best served fresh from the oven, with a mug of tea.

Nutrition Info:
12 servings (1 scone), Calories 152 

Tasting Notes:
Consider these scones the culinary equivalent of a strawberry patch.  A double-dose of strawberry from the fresh diced fruit and the yogurt in the batter.  The scones had a healthy flavor from the whole wheat flour, and although only lightly sweet on the inside, the crunch of sugar on top was perfect; I'd use a coarse grain sugar like turbinado next time for more crunch.  Perfect with a cup of chai tea.

Rating:
4

Persimmon and Fennel Salad

Following on the heels of my Arugula, Fennel, and Cheese Salad, here's another salad that stands up to winter weather.  Available in the winter months, persimmons come in two varieties - astringent (hachiya) and non-astringent (fuyu).  You'll definitely want the fuyu for this salad.  Choose fruit that is firm and ripe - a soft and mushy fuyu is one that has gone bad, and a persimmon that is not yet ripe will make you pucker after the first bite.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegan sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 4 fuyu persimmons, each peeled and cut into 6 wedges*
• 1 ounce prepared vegan goat cheese**

1. Combine the shallots, red wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl, whisking to combine.  Add the fennel, chives, and persimmons, and toss gently to coat.

2. Divide the fennel mixture evenly among 4 salad plates.  Crumble the prepared goat cheese evenly over each serving.

*The easiest way to peel the persimmon is to cut the fruit into wedges, then remove the fruit from each wedge with a paring knife.  I was happy to find that the fruit tears out easily - almost as if along an invisible line - without having to force it.

**My favorite recipe for a vegan version of spreadable goat cheese is as follows: in a small bowl, combine 1 ounce crumbled VegCuisine (formerly Sunergia) feta, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Vegan Gourmet sour cream, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Tofutti cream cheese, and a splash of lemon juice.  Combine with a fork until well blended.  Chill until ready to use.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 portion), Calories 103 

Tasting Notes:
Exquisite! is the word that comes to mind.  This is quite simply my new favorite salad - and believe it or not, I'm not usually a fennel lover.  The persimmon was delectable - think of a cross between a non-fuzzy peach and honeydew melon, and that's a little what it tastes like.  What made the dressing so good?  I'm not even sure.  I've had dozens of vinaigrettes like this in my life, but somehow this just worked.  The fennel was sliced super thin and delicate, and the goat cheese was just a creamy burst to top it all off.  Pair with something savory and salty for a nice contrast, like Gardein chicken or Match pork.

Rating:
5