Chocolate-Chip-Cardamom Cookies

Inspired by Arhia's Cardamom Chocolate-Chip Muffins, I decided to make a cookie that was similar.  After all, for what else can you use ground cardamom, if not slightly weird baking?  (For Indian food I always start with whole pods and toast them.)  Like lemon zest or orange, cardamom gives baked goods a brighter or lighter note (but I always feel silly when describing food like this) that balances the heaviness of butter, chocolate, etc.

I started off a recipe for chocolate chip cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking.  You'd think I would have learned by now that (apparently) every single recipe in this cookbook uses significantly too much butter and sugar.  Now, I wholly believe that cookies should taste like cookies--cookies are never a healthy snack!--but when the cookie is so greasy that you have to wash your hands after touching it?  Not my style.  I cut back on the sugar, but not the butter; accordingly, I've suggested in the recipe what the butter will be next time I make this recipe.

Besides the cardamom, this is a very classic chocolate chip cookie.  I substituted a bit of whole wheat flour simply because I like more texture, but it's still as close to candy as it is to bread--slightly crispy on the outside, but chewy and caramely on the inside.  The cardamom, though, makes it really fantastic: how can such a rich cookie taste so...refreshing?  It's actually rather dangerous...

Chocolate-Chip-Cardamom Cookies

(adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking)

Ingredients

3 “eggs” (ener-G egg replacer)

¾ c earth balance (I used 1 c and it was too much), softened

½ c sugar

¾ c brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

*

1 ¼ - 1 ½ c white flour

½ c wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cardamom

*

1 c chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Prepare egg replacer.  Cream butter and sugars.  Add "eggs" and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda, cardamom).  Add dry to wet and mix.  Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Form cookies into golf-ball-sized balls and place on parchment-lined sheets at least 2 in apart.  Bake for about 11-14 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.  Remove from oven and allow to stand until cool before moving cookies.  Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Orange Pan-Glazed Tofu

I remade the Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh as Orange Pan-Glazed Tofu, tweaking the recipe a bit as well.  This is also tasty, but lacks the texture of the tempeh.  Were I to make this with tofu again, I might use tofu that had been frozen and thawed, a process which makes the tofu a lot chewier and more absorbent.  On the other hand, the final product ended up being perfect for slicing and dicing--using slices in sandwiches, or little cubes in salad--like the delicious baked tofu that costs far too much at the grocery store, even at Trader Joe's.

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice (I used concentrate this time)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons tamari

1/2 tsp rice vinegar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

10-15 oz extra-firm tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

*

1/2 lime

a handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves 

Instructions

1. Put the orange juice in a small bowl. Squeeze the grated ginger over the bowl to extract the juices, then discard the pulp. Add the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, ground coriander, and garlic. Mix together and set aside.
2. Squeeze excess water out of the tofu and cut it into thin-ish, bite-sized pieces.
3. Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tofu and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden underneath. Turn and cook the other side for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Pour the orange juice mixture into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a lovely thick glaze. Turn the tofu once more during this time and spoon the sauce over the tofu from time to time.
4. Serve the tofu drizzled with any remaining sauce and a squeeze of lime, with the coriander scattered on top. Makes 3-4 servings.

Apple-Almond Coffee Cake

I do like coffee cake.  It's really just a large, sweet, rectangular muffin--and its shape allows you to choose the size piece you want much more easily than in the case of a muffin.  Then again, it also lets you take just a tiny piece more, and then some more...

This was the first time I'd tried this recipe, and it's quite tasty.  The bulk of the cake is just apples, cooked to perfection: soft and juicy but with still a bit of crunch.  The brown sugar on top sinks into the batter as the cake bakes, forming a slightly crispy, slightly caramely topping.

The intensely sweet topping, however, tips the cake a bit too far to the sugary side (apparently a recurrent coffee cake problem--does everyone want coffee cake to make them feel as if their teeth will fall out?).  In future efforts, I am going to reduce the amount of sugar both in the topping and in the cake itself.  I would also increase the slivered almonds.

Apple-Almond Coffee Cake

(adapted from The Vegan Feast Kitchen)

makes 1 9x13" cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup wholewheat flour

1/2 c white flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

*

2 cups chopped apples

*

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 TB corn oil

3/4 c brown sugar (I used 1 c, and it was too sweet)

7/8 cup nondairy milk

*

TOPPING:

1/3 cup brown sugar (1/2 c was too much)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup sliced almonds (I used 1/4 c, and it was not quite enough)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9x13" cake pan.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the apples. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients.  Then, add wet to dry, stirring as briefly as possible. Spread into prepared pan.
3. Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake. Bake 35 minutes. Test for doneness. Cool on a rack and serve right out of the pan, cut into squares.

Granola Epiphany!

 

We have chunks!!

So after being sent several granola recipes, reading more on the internet, and trying several, I think I made the discovery I’d been seeking: the key to chunky granola is not simply to add more sugar (although at a certain point, that might also work). Rather, what you need to do to make your granola stick together is unlock the naturally glutinous properties of rolled oats. After all, oatmeal sticks together great, doesn’t it? I noticed that several recipes called for heating water or honey before mixing it with the oats. Initially, I thought this was only to make the honey thinner and easier to mix, but when it’s water there’s obviously another motive.

And indeed: mixing warm wet ingredients with oats makes the oats clump together even before you start baking the granola. Case closed. Now…to perfect the rest of it. I used apple cider and molasses because that’s what I had, but I want to try brown rice syrup next time. And coconut! I put coconut in the last (tasty but not clumpy) batch, and it tastes great as it’s toasted.

Granola, Version 2.6.2010

Ingredients

4 c rolled oats

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 c hot apple cider OR (1/3 cup boiling water + 1/8 cup brown sugar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together dry. In a separate bowl, mix together wet. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until evenly coated. Spread in a thin layer on a large baking sheet.
3. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir every 30 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Granola will crisp up more when cooled.

Also worth sharing: the hilariously cute little dishes my dad and stepmom gave me for Christmas.

Fried collards with tomato sauce

Ah, the lovely collard green.  Delicious, nutritious, versatile, always in season, and cheap as heck.  Even though sometimes you get a little tough, I love you a lot. 

I typically just stir-fry collards with oil, garlic, and tamari, and then finish them off with sesame oil and sesame seeds.  But I recently tried a more soul-food-ish method of boiling them and then adding them to a stewed tomato sauce.  In addition to the additional flavors, this method makes the greens a bit more tender.  This recipe sort of splits the difference.  I suppose it's almost braising.  I fried the collards and then added more liquid to make them more tender.  The results are delicious!

Fried Collards with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1-3 TB canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large bunch collard greens, washed, stems removed, coarsely chopped

1-2 TB tamari

1 TB tomato paste

1/4 c water

Instructions

1. In a small pyrex, dissolve tomato paste in water. Heat oil in a large cast iron frying pan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
2. Add greens and mix well until all greens are coated with oil. Cook several minutes until greens are dark and shiny.
3. Add a generous splash of tamari. Add tomato water and simmer a few minutes. Serves about 4.

Fried Rice

Life is busy these days.  As I work from home on Tuesdays, I decided to make big batches of a few complete-meal grain dishes that I can take to school with me and/or eat immediately upon returning home.  In addition to this fried rice, I made a lot of Italian Tabouleh.  I added chickpeas to the tabouleh and tempeh to the fried rice to make each dish a complete meal, especially when paired with salad or steamed vegetables:

This fried rice doesn't look too exciting, but it tastes great, due not only to the umami flavors of the mushrooms, the tempeh, and the tamari, but also to the generous amount of oil and the brown sugar which sort of carmelizes with the oil and rice.

Fried Rice

(adapted from The Asian Vegan Kitchen)

Ingredients

3 TB canola or peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

*

1 carrot, shredded or diced

1 c mushrooms (pref. shiitake), diced

1 c froz peas, thawed

4 oz tempeh, chopped

*

4 c white rice, cooked and cooled

1-2 tsp brown sugar

1 TB tamari

salt and pepper to taste

*

1 scallion (w/greens), minced

cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

In a very large frying pan or wok, heat the oil.  Saute garlic and onions for a few minutes, then add carrots, mushrooms, peas, and tempeh.  Cook another 4-5 minutes.  Add rice, sugar, tamari, salt and pepper, and cook while stirring until rice is warmed through and dish is mixed.  Turn off heat, stir in scallions.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serves 4-5.

Sausagey Shepherd's Pie with Mushroom Gravy

I know this recipe sounds weird, but it's actually really delicious. I'm typically not a fan of veganizing what we might call "homestyle" (but mean, I think, Western European --> American) food. So many other ethnic cuisines are effortlessly vegan--Indian, Thai, Japanese, Ethiopian, Armenian, etc. And...typically these cuisines have a lot more flavor. In fact, it is these types of food that really formed the backbone of my culinary education in a co-op and elsewhere. I was comfortable cooking with turmeric and coriander long before I ever discovered oregano or thyme.

But I am starting to branch out. I bought thyme and sage for the first time in my life this year. Perhaps I feel as someone with a more traditional background in cooking would feel upon discovering Indian food. But there's also an element of homecoming: these are familiar tastes; I just have not been reproducing them until now.

This was actually all spurred on by the long-held thought that I could make sausage out of tempeh or something else because it tastes like (crazy, hitherto-unknown-to-me) herbs and spices rather than actually tasting like meat. The sausage filling in this recipe wasn't as close an approximation as I'd hoped, but it definitely evokes sausage, or preserves the spirit of sausage.

This recipe takes some time, but I am very happy with how it turned out. And you can make it in stages: make the crust and pre-bake it one day, later cook and prepare the filling and put it in the crust, then finally bake off the pie when you're actually ready to eat it.

I strongly recommend also making the mushroom gravy--it's delicious, tasting like pure Thanksgiving to me. Without it, the pie might have seemed a bit too dry and not salty enough; with it, it was excellent.  Tamari, bay leaf, and sage all add interesting "meaty" flavors to this dish. The lovely flaky crust makes the dish feel special, but it's not junk food, either. I guess that makes this "comfort food."

N.B.: I know this isn't really a Shepherd's Pie, but what else should it be called?  "Sausage Pie" is also something different.

Sausagey Shepherd's Pie

Pie Crust

Ingredients
1 1/4 c white flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
3-4 TB of cold water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, oil, and salt. Add water until you have dough. Roll dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, on top of a slightly wet countertop. Transfer to a 9-in pie pan; reserve extra crust. Poke crust with a fork and bake 15-20 min. Remove crust from oven and set aside.

Tempeh Sausage Filling
(adapted from The Complete Vegan Kitchen)


Ingredients
1 8-oz package tempeh, cut into 1-in cubes
¼ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp rubbed sage
1 bay leaf, ground
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ c whole wheat flour
½ TB soy sauce
1/8 c olive oil
Canola oil for frying

Instructions

Steam tempeh 15 minutes. Crumble into a bowl. Add dry spices, mix well. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Saute in a bit of canola oil until browned.

Vegetable Filling

Ingredients

2 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 whole scallions, finely chopped
2 potatoes, small diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp coriander
1 stalk celery, chopped, including leaves
¾ c frozen corn
¾ c frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
3 TB flour and 3 TB water

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, boil potatoes and carrots until somewhat tender (about 15 min).
2. In a large skillet (can be the same that you used for the sausage filling), heat olive oil. Saute garlic and scallions. Add potatoes, carrots, thyme, and coriander, and cook 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat, and stir in celery, corn, peas, and salt and pepper. In a separate pyrex, mix flour and water before adding this to the skillet as well.

Assembling the Pie

If oven is not already hot, preheat oven to 375. Spread the sausage filling along the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Then pour vegetable filling on top, pressing down gently to fit it into the pie. If desired, roll out extra dough and create lattice design on top of pie. Bake pie at 375* for 30-40 min, or until warmed all the way through and top crust is lightly browned.  Serves 6.

Mushroom Gravy
(from About.com)

Ingredients
3/4 cup white mushrooms, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 TB soy sauce
1/4 cup flour (see note below)
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 thyme
salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt the Earth Balance and add onion and mushrooms. Saute for just a minute or two over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add vegetable broth and soy sauce. Slowly add flour, stirring well to combine and prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer or a low boil, then reduce heat.
3. Add seasonings, salt and pepper, stirring consistently. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens.  Makes just more than enough for a pie, or 6 servings.

Note: I have substituted cornstarch for flour, but be careful not to overdo it: start with a small amount and then add more gradually. To make it cloudy when I made it this way, I also added some soymilk.