It's Vegan
It's Gluten Free
and it's
KNOCK - YOUR - SOCKS - OFF
Delicious!
O M F G - this dip is amazing, and by amazing I mean make this IMMEDIATELY! I stumbled upon this recipe for White Pizza Dip on La Phemme Phoodie and it was love at first sight. I used to adore white pizza and even made a few vegan pies post-break up with dairy. However, white pizza in dip form was a new deliciousness that I had yet to explore and to the top of the kitchen adventures bucket list it went. I hit Trader Joe's later that day for vegan cream cheese (Note: Joe's brand is, in my opinion, better than most of the other vegan cream cheese brands. However I would describe it as good not great) and was indulging in what's now my new favorite dip before sun down. Mmmmmm ..... I halved the original recipe (which can be view here on Veggie Converter) and made it slightly more complicated via incorporating a homemade vegan cheese sauce AND I made a small pizza dough, which I used to make a batch of fresh bread sticks. Well worth the extra effort in my opinion. However, you can skip the cheese sauce and instead increase the mozzarella and cream cheese as well as dip with store bought crackers/bread of choice. Along with this, I added more kale than the original called for as I really needed to use up what I had. If you hate kale - or don't have any on hand - instead of omitting it out entirely, substitute it with a different green vegetable. 1 (small batch) recipe Pizza Dough
1/3 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half salt & pepper, to taste 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 5 ounces mozzarella cheese shreds 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed Italian seasoning, to taste 4 ounces steamed and shredded kale
1 recipe Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce *recipe below Begin by prepping the pizza dough and set aside.
While dough rises, preheat oven to 400F. Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil pepper, and salt, then roast until bursting (approx 20 min). While tomatoes roast, mix cream cheese with roughly 3 oz of the cheese shreds. Prepare nutritional yeast cheese sauce and immediately add it to the cream cheese/shreds mixture, along with the seasoning, garlic, cooked kale & the roasted tomatoes. Stir to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella shreds, and set aside.
By now the pizza dough should be ready to roll out onto a baking sheet (depending on the side of the pan it will only take up half, thus allowing you to place the dip onto the empty side of the pan). Once the dough is rolled out, scour into sticks, place oven safe dish on the baking sheet. Bake dip for 25 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. and bake sticks until golden.
Devour!
| Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce 5 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast 1 Tablespooon Brown Rice Flour 1/2 cup cold water Pinch Garlic Salt Pinch Basil Squirt Spicy Brown Mustard
Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and, while stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and continue cooking until desired consistency is reached. Use as desired.
Note: For the flour blend I used bobs pizza mix
| Small Batch Pizza Dough 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 Tbs yeast pinch of sugar 1/2 Tbs olive oil pinch of salt 1 - 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend * seasoning of choice, optional
Proof yeast in a measuring cup, add olive oil. and set aside. Add dry ingredients to a small bowl, add in the wet ingredients, stir until well combined (about 5 minutes). Cover with warm wet towel and allow to rise in a draft free area for 20 min. When ready, roll out onto half of a parchment lined baking sheet, scour, and bake until golden.
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It's Not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle! |
Hello Loves!
Emeril OW5005001 Bread Maker, Baguette Machine
Betcha though I forgot about this one. Given my track record on postings and follow ups, I cant really hold it against you.
Hot Damn!
Then again, if you honest thought I'd be forgetting him any time soon, I strongly suggest you get your head examined cause that right there is what (hot, filthy, sexy) dreams are made of.
True story..... But for now, it's time to talk bread - Three Seed Millet Bread
Adapted from The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread (Basic Millet Bread Recipe)
1 cup millet flour * 1 cup tapioca flour 1 cup cornstarch 2 1/2 tsp guar gum 3/4 tsp salt 1 tsp agar powder 1 1/2 tsp egg replacer 1/3 cup almond meal 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (1 packet)
2 flax eggs (or 1 egg + 3 whites) 3/4 tsp dough enhancer or vinegar 3 Tbs coconut oil 3 Tbs Brown Rice Syrup (or other liquid sweetener) 1 1/4 cups water + additional Tbs as needed
1 1/2 Tbs sunflower seeds 1 1/2 Tbs pepitas 1 1/2 Tbs hemp seeds
Note: Save money via buying millet grain instead of millet flour. Grind grain as needed in a coffee grinder or grain mill until flour consistency is reached.
Bread Machine Method: Load ingredients into machine as per manufacturer instructions. Select white bread with medium crust. Press start.
By Hand Method: Grease and flour a bread pan. Set aside. Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Make a little well in the center.
Proof yeast in large measuring cup. Add remaining wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorportaed and dough comes together. Transfer dough to the prepared pan, smoothing it as needed with the back of a wet spoon. Place in warm location and let rest up to an hour. Dough should rise to the top of the pan.
Preheat oven to 400F. Place pan in hot oven and bake 10 minutes. Cover top of pan with foil and continue baking 40 to 50 minutes, or until the loaf has cooked all the way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool before transfering and/or devouring.
Quinoa Millet Bread Recipe
Adapted from Gluten Free Mommy's Millet Oatmeal Bread1 cup brown rice (or sorghum) flour 1/2 cup quinoa (or gluten free oat) flour 3/4 cup millet flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour 1/3 cup potato (or arrowroot, or corn) starch 1/3 cup sweet rice flour 1/4 cup flax seed meal (if using flax eggs – substitute ¼ cup of other flour of choice) 1 Tbs guar gum3 egg equivalents (egg replacer or flax egg) 1 tsp apple cider vinegar2 Tbs liquid sweetener of choice 1 1/2 teaspoons salt2 Tbs of oil1 cup warm/hot waterFor Proofing: 1 packet active dry yeast + 2 tsp sugar + 1/4 cup warm/hot water Make sure all your dry ingredients (and eggs!) are at room temperature. Grease the bottom of a 10 inch loaf pan or two 8 inch pans. If using flax egg or egg replacer, mix this now and set aside. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn off. In a large bowl, proof yeast. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Once yeast has proofed (approximately 10 minutes - It should be foamy and active! If not, start over with another packet of yeast), add remaining wet ingredients: water, sweetener, vinegar, egg or its equivelant). Stir. Now slowly add the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Continue stirring for 10 minutes. The dough should be like very stiff cake batter. Transfer dough from bowl to prepared pan(s) and place in warm oven to rise for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Once the dough has risen to the top of the pan, bake the bread for 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. Note: Slice and freeze for later use if you don't think you will finish this loaf quickly. High Protein Baguettes Adapted from Gluten Free Cooking School Makes 6 baguettes3 cups High Protein Gluten Free Flour Blend (see below) 1/3 cup palm sugar 1 tablespoon instant yeast 2 teaspoons guar gum 2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup light extra virgin olive oil 1 3/4 cups club soda or sparkling mineral water6 Flax Yolks =3 Tbs of ground flaxseed + 9 Tbs of warm water + scant 1/4 tsp baking powder Notes: Original directions can be viewed hereDough can be used for high protein crackers - just line a baking sheet with parchment paper , plop batter on top, and spread as thin as possible with the back of a wet spoon. Scour before baking. Make flax egg (don't forget to add the baking powder) and let stand 10 minutes. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add flax egg and oil to the bowl, then slowly add club soda. Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set bowl in a warm space and allow dough to rise until double in size (about an hour). Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile, spoon dough into baguette pans and set aside to rise for approx 30 minutes (while oven preheats). You want the oven to be nice and hot before you start baking!! Bake until golden brown (about 40 minutes). For extra crusty baguettes, remove from pan and bake directly on the oven rack for the last few minutes. High Protein Flour BlendAdapted from this Gluten Free Cooking School Flour Blend Recipe 1 1/4 cups white rice flour 1 1/4 cups tapioca flour 1 cups quinoa flour (or millet or a combination of the two) 3/4 cup sorghum flour 1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour 1/2 cup gluten-free egg white protein powder Add all the flours to a mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated. Transfer to an airtight container and store until ready to use.
Stuffed French Toast made with High Protein Bread
Live Delicious xo
There's seaman everywhere ....
Source: David Dust Whoreay!
It's Fleet Week in NYC and the timing couldn't be more fantastic! I've been struggling to find the time, energy, motivation, and most importantly, the words, to write this post. Experience has taught me that it cant be forced, and instead must flow, but one day became two and two quickly became four, and that became a week.... a vicious cycle to say the least. The days, and my frustrations, continued to accumulate. I was overly worked, overly stressed, and ultimately drowning in the drama and negativity of another. I almost abandoned ship (pun intended).... Instead I decided to disconnect and clear my energy.
“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” – Walt Disney
BEST DECISION EVER! Three weeks have passed since I initially sat at my computer to write this post, which has been revised, deleted, and rewritten more times that I care to count. Blessing in disguise I say, all because it's fleet week. I've been gifted with the rare opportunity to shout: there's seaman everywhere and have it be appropriate. In a word: EPIC!
Seriously, what is it about men in uniform that is so damn sexy?!?!
There's something undeniably purrrr inducing about a man in dress blues ...or whites ... or fatigues ... or heavy black bunker gear... (you get the idea). That something will vary greatly from person to person, though researchers and/or experts have tried to explain it ( here and here), and studies (such as this) have debunked the notion that women prefer men in uniform, it's nonetheless a common theme among many women (and men who love men). Source: Aviation Explorer As for my own uniform fetishism, instead of trying to explain it, I say just go with it! As a gal who often cites time not being her side, it's imperative that I use every millisecond I get to my advantage. That said, I've concluded that time spent undressing (with my eyes), violating (in my mind), and restraining myself so I pounce right then and there is far more entertaining and more importantly of greater benefit, than time spent analyzing. Besides, is an explanation REALLY necessary here?!?! Purrrrrr ... Yeah, I didn't think so either. Let's file this one under "it speaks for itself". Moving on, life awaits so I'm gonna wrap this chapter up BUT for those lookin to go down (heh) and check out fleet week, you still have plenty of time cause there will be seaman everywhere until May 30th!
Until next time, I'm off like a prom dress!
Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies Small Batch - Makes Approx 9 Large Cookies
Egg replacer to equal 1/2 an egg 1 Tbs + 1 - 2 tsp coconut oil 1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/16 salt 1/8 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 3 Tbs dark chocolate chunks
In a mixing bowl combined all the dry ingredients except sugar and chocolate chunks. Set close by. Make your egg replacement in a large measuring cup, then combine the coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add wet mixture to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until well combine. Add chocolate chunks. Stir and pop in fridge.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Meanwhile, line a baking dish with parchment paper. Then when oven is preheated remove dough from fridge and divide / roll it into equal size balls. Do NOT over flatten - cookie spread will vary pending amount of coconut oil used. (For batch pictured I used 1 Tbs and 2 tsp). Place dough balls on lined cookie sheet and press down slightly. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden.
Let cookies cool 7 minutes to firm up before devouring before devouring.
Notes I used Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix Omit if not making gluten free or your flour blend already contains a gum Live Delicious! xo
Hello Lovers!
Today is Monday. (I hate Monday!) It's also Reveal Day. (I love Reveal Day!). Getting out of bed this morning was no easy task and I definately have a case of the Monday blues. However, I am feeling notably more chipper than I have the last two weeks, and the dense fog of misery and self pity I found myself in has slowly started to clear. Over the weekend, I gained some new perspective and this morning I discovered that the 5 day weather forecast looks fabulous. Things are off to a great start!
_My assigned blog for this month was Jane's Adventures in Dinner. Upon receiving the assignment I browsed the site, bookmarking recipes as I went along. I generally try to make my assignment recipe at least a week before the posting date just in case I screw it up as this allows me the time to try again and/or select a different recipe. Unfortunately that wasn't the case this time around and it wasn't until this past weekend that I selected, made and typed up my recipe. It's safe to say that March didn't get off to a good start for me: the passing of my cat Lucy, fuckery from the narcissist ex, and feelings of general discontent (which I had been unsuccessfully ignoring for weeks) had me twisted and before I knew it, St. Patrick's Day was here, which ment reveal day was a mere two days away and I had work Saturday night, which ultimately left me with even less time. Feeling anxious, I grabbed my tablet and started re-browsing Jane's Adventures: Pumpkin Pizza, Stuffed Cabbage, Tortilla Lasagna, Banana Rum Brulee.... As you can see I had an awesome selection to choose from. Since I was short on time, I decided to base my recipe selection on the ingredients I had on hand. I trotted downstairs to the kitchen and scanned the fridge and pantry. Of course, I had the bare minimum in the house to work with which came as no surprise here considering the way things have been going, but then, in a sudden twist of luck (and just as I started to panic), I stumbled upon Jane's Irish Soda Bread post. Woo hoo, crisis diverted! In addition to having everything I needed on hand, it was St Patrick's Day! This couldn't have worked out any more perfect. I've never made Irish Soda Bread, but I have eaten it before. Every year my neighbor makes some and sends it over. Its the only Irish Soda Bread I ever actually enjoyed, but due to the whole vegan thing, I haven't eaten any in years. My lack of experience in the Irish Soda Bread area results in me having no recollection of its texture or taste, truth be told the first that comes to mind when I think of Irish Soda Bread is that it has raisins in it. The second thing that comes to mind is green sugar sprinkles. My neighbor used some on hers. I liked that part best. *chuckles* Note: I adapted Jane's recipe to make the bread vegan and gluten free. I thought it came out delicious and I ate a considerable amount of it in one sitting *blushes* I have no idea how close the taste is to traditional Irish Soda Bread and while the texture is slightly crumbly, I consider this recipe a keeper! _ Irish Soda Bread Adapted from: Jane's Adventures in Dinner
2 cups gluten free flour * 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp baking flour 2 tsp guar gum 5 Tbs Earth Balance Shortening, cut small 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk + 1/2 tsp lemon juice 2 eggs worth Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer 2 Tbs Brown Rice Syrup 1 cup currants
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a shot glass prepare the egg replacer and in a measuring cup combine coconut milk with the lemon juice. Set those aside.
Preheat oven to 350F and prepare your baking pan (parchment line a baking sheet or grease and flour a cake pan). Set pan aside.
Cut shortening into the dry ingredients (I used my fingers to do this), until flour resembles a coarse meal. Make a little well in the middle and add wet ingredients. Mix until the dough just comes together, then gently stir in currants. Scoop dough onto prepared sheet and with wet hands (to prevent sticking), shape into a loaf. Then, using a serated knife, cut an X into the top of the dough. Place pan into the oven and bake at 350F until golden and hollow sounding when you tape it, which was approximately 35 minutes in my oven. When baking is complete, remove pan from oven and allow to cool before transpiring.
Enjoy with ample butter and green sugar sprinkles!
_Thank you, Jane for the fantastic recipe, and to the Secret Recipe Club for the much need fun in my otherwise lackluster month thus far. Hope you all had a lovely weekend and positive vibes for a fantastic week ahead.
_Live Delicious xo
For Grace, who passed away 30 years ago! Spicy Black Bean Soup I used my 2 quart crockpot for this recipe
1 1/4 cup dry black beans, soaked o/n 1 1/4 cup bell peppers, sliced 2 cups vegetable broth 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced 1 chunk red onion, diced 1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs chili powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Soak black beans overnight. Drain black beans, rinse, and place in crock with remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high 4 hours. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking an additional 2 hours, or until you are ready to eat. It was delicious, and went perfectly with the gluten free flat bread I made earlier in the day, using a blend of brown rice flour, sorgham flour, tapioca starch, almond meal, and guar gum. Mmmmmm! Mmmmmm! Mmmmmmm! I also enjoyed a Vegan Greek Salad from 3 Brothers Pizza (and I am in the process of making my own tofu feta cheese as I type this post!!). I'm happily stuffed and ready to kick back with the herd for the remainder of this delightful day! Even more delightful is that I am off tomorrow and have plans to see the Muppets this week (finally!). Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and holiday. I spent some time with family for the Christmas holiday as that is what they observe, but I also celebrated Winter Solstice, first attending a ceremony in NYC on December 21st and then doing my own celebrations until the December 23rd. Speaking of december 23rd, I was a bit of a hazard that day in that I burned my left hand rather badly on a scalding hot cast iron skillet and then proceeded to fall down the steps after tripping my camouflage *chuckles* lunch bag! I took both unfortunate events (as well as my suffering bank account and the days overall poor tone) as a sign to stay in that night. It proved to be the right decision and I slept rather well. But anywho, it's time for me to dash off so on a final note, no holiday is complete without my all time favorite movie from back when I was a young lass, thus I leave off with this: Live Delicious xo
Happy Monday, Loves!
Today is my Secret Recipe Club reveal day (woot woot!) and this month's assignment proved to be a bit of a challenge for me.. My assigned blog for December is the super fabulous blog It's Yummy To My Tummy. There were alot of great recipes to choose from (Italian Orzo Chicken, Damn Good Sandwiches, Oreo Truffle Balls) but one in particular grabbed my attention and it was all I could think of for weeks: Cheesy Garlic Biscuits, which are noted to be a version of Red Lobster Biscuits. Red Lobster Biscuits aka: the BEST biscuit in the entire universe. Red lobster biscuits were my pretzel bread back in the day. During my undergrad days, I dated a guy named Dave. Dave was a Red Lobster Biscuit addict and it wasnt long before I too became hooked, We frequently the joint more often that I will admit but it seemingly was never frequent enough and I soon began to make them at home. I mastered them quickly and to where they tasted EXACTLY like the restaurant ones. I was vegetarian at the time, with no intention of going vegan, but recall stating that this was one recipe that should never be veganized. I may have even vowed to never make them again should I stop eating dairy. For two weeks I pondered whether or not to make the biscuits. Vividly recalling my undergrad stance, but wondering if this was a sign that the world was in need a vegan gluten free red lobster biscuit copy cat recipe on the 'net, I continued to not make a decision and instead cooked up my plan b, which was to make option the Cookies in a Jar Gift. I've been meaning to hop on the gifts in jars bandwagon but have yet to actually do it, mainly due to most of the recipes being quart size. Lovin' the fact that she used a pint size jar, I decided to order the supplies (from Amazon) as I could make them for my agency holiday party if not for this post. In hindsight I wonder why it never occurred to me to just half the quart recipes, but that's neither here nor there... So, back in the day I made my crack biscuits, errrrrr I mean Red Lobster copycat Biscuits, with bisquick, whole milk, grated sharp cheddar cheese, and 100% real butter. Each of those ingredients is easily swapped with a vegan counterpart but I planned to take it step further by also making them gluten free. For my first attempt, I used Bob's Red Mill Biscuits and Baking Mix and all I have to say about that is NO. (I blame Bob for that fuckery). The second time around I went with my tried and true Namaste Biscuits, Pie Crust & More as well as used Soy Free Earth Balance, So Delicious Sugar Free Coconut Milk, and Daiya Cheddar Cheese Shreds. (Oh how times have changed!) Cheddar Garlic Biscuits Makes 6
For the biscuit: 1 1/4 cups baking mix 2 Tbs super cold butter 1/2 cup grated or shredded cheese of choice 1/3 cup cold milk 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder Pinch of Salt
Brush on top: 1 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Preheat oven to 400°F and prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Combine baking mix and cold butter, but not too thoroughly (baby pea sized chunks of butter are good). Add cheese, milk, garlic powder, and salt. Mix by hand until combined, but again don't over mix. Bake at 400F until biscuits are firm and starting to turn golden (about 15 - 20 minutes).
When biscuits are just about done, melt butter to be brushed on top and once melted stir in the parsley and garlic powder. Brush topping on biscuits using a pastry brush immediately after you take them out of the oven. The Verdict: These were good.... DAMN GOOD..... but a Red Lobster Biscuit copycat they were not *chuckles*
That said, it should be noted that it's not the veganizing that did them in, but the gluten free factor (which I have far from mastered). Funny how I havent had them in years yet vividly recall exactly how they tasted as if I ate them yesterday.
On a final note, BIG THANKS to It's Yummy To My Tummy for leading me down a delightly trip down memory lane and another BIG THANKS to The Secret Recipe Club for all the recipe swapping fun thus far. Happy holidays to all of SCR and positive vibes to all for a fantasic week ahead! Live Delicious xo
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to ~Author Unknown
Image from crap-no-more.blogspot.com
“Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.” ~ Max Lucade
Oven Fried Zucchini Stix 1 small zucchini 2 Tbs bread crumbs of choice 1 Tbs nutritional yeast 1/2 Tbs Italian Seasonings Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 tsp nayonnaise 1 tsp water
Preheat oven 400F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a small plate, mix bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and seasoning. Set aside. In a small bowl mix nayonnaise and water (it should mimic and egg white) and set that next to the plate bread crumb seasoning mixture. Wash zucchini, pat it dry, then cut into sticks. Roll stix one at a time in nayonnaise mix then into bread crumb mix. Lay stix single file on baking sheet and bake 30 - 40 minutes, flipping half way through.
Tofurkey & Peppers 1 Italian Tofurky Sausage, sliced 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped 1 small chunk red onion, chopped 1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato sauce of choice Handful mozzarella shreds, optional
Spray a small pan with olive oil and cook over medium heat. Place sliced tofurky and cook 3 minutes. Flip slices and cook another 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until peppers soften.
Multigrain Bread 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups Better Batter Gluten Free All Purpose Flour 5 Tbs Orgran Gluten Free Gluten Substitute, optional 1/4 cup organic fair trade brown sugar 2 Tbs sunflower seeds 1 Tbs rolled oats (not instant) 1 Tbs Trader Joes Harvest Grain Blend 1 Tbs flax seed meal 1 Tbs millet 2 Tbs quinoa flakes 1 1/2 Tbs bread machine yeast
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine as per the manufacturer. Select cycle, crust color, and size. Then press start :-)
Note: Flour (2 cups worth) may be substituted as desired (example: half bread flour, half whole wheat)
Wednesday, 10pm. Tempted to call it a night and hop in bed with the herd, I instead turned on my laptop to write this post. I've been meaning to post for days but as you can see have done nothing of the sort. My time and energies have been needed elsewhere, and I have a jam packed weekend ahead (wedding, pumpkin/apple picking, and my very first apple pie bake off) so I felt like it was now or never. And, I've missed you.... ALOT!!
It goes without saying that despite my absence I've been prepping and cooking (and eating) but in an attempt to keep this short, sweet, and to the point I decided on the following three recipes for this post: Artichoke Dip, French Onion Soup, and my go to Crackers recipe (they really do go with everything!). However, I got several more from the last week that I really want to share as well so hopefully I can squeeze in a recipe catch up post at some point over the next few days. If not, you'll just have to wait for my ebook series :-b
Live Delicious!! xo French Onion Soup
Vegan & Gluten Free! I made this when I went to visit Darin in NYC. It was suprisingly simple to make despite it being my first time, but it should be noted that I had never had french onion soup before so I cant attest to how it compares to it's non-vegan counterpart. 4 large Vidalia onions 4 Tbs vegan margarine 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs Better Batter Gluten Free Flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup red wine 5 cups vegetable stock 1 Tbs vegetable bouillon cube 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Gluten Free Seasoned Croutons (recipe below) 1/3 cup vegan mozz cheese shreds Slice thinly the onions. Heat a big pot over medium-low heat and melt the margarine. Add the olive oil and the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, then increase the heat to medium and cook for 45 more minutes (or until the onions are a light brown caramel color). Now add the flour and stir to combine. Add the wine and the fresh thyme and stir again. Add the vegetable stock and the vegetable boullion. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Prior to serving, ladel soup into oven safe individual serving bowls and completely cover the top with croutons or thickly sliced bread of choice. Top with cheese and place in oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly brown. To make my own gluten free croutons, I first had to make a loaf of gluten free bread so I used a slightly adapted version of this recipe (which I've listed below). I then cubed half of the loaf and left the cubes out to stale overnight. Later the next day, I sprayed the cubed with olive oil, seasoned them with Mrs. Dash, and baked them at 400F on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 25 minutes. SO GOOD! Gluten Free Bread Machine Bread 6 Tbs warm water 2 cups no sugar coconut milk, warm 1 Tbs coconut oil, melted 1 Tbs brown rice syrup 2 tsp garlic salt 3 1/4 cups better batter 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
Place ingredients in bread machine in accordance to manufacturers instructions. Select Gluten Free (mine doesn't have a specific GF cycle but I used "quick" and it came out great). Select crust cycle (I used dark) and loaf size (I selected 2 lb). Artichoke Dip
1 can Trader Joes Artichokes, drained 1/2 cup nayonnaise (I used fat free) 1/4 cup non-dairy sour cream (look for one w/ no hydrogenated anything) 4 - 5 heaping Tbs Nutritionall Yeast 2 tsp fresh basil 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp garlic, minced 1 - 2 Tbs water (or more until desired consistency is reached)
Place all ingredients except water in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Store in airtight container in refridgerator several hours (or overnight if you can) prior to serving.
Go With Everything Crackers
1 cups Better Batter Gluten Free Flour 1 Tbs (soy free) Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread 2/3 cup unsweetened plain coconut milk Pinch Salt
1 Tbs Seasoning of choice*
Preheat oven to 350F and set out a large baking sheet (ungreased).
In a food processor (or mixing bowl) combine the flour, salt, and butter (I used my hands to cut the butter in) until a cumbly consistency is reached. Slowly add in the milk and stir. Dough should be soft but workable. Add in seasoning of choice (for this batch I used Trader Joes Everyday Seasoning Blend, then sprinkled garlic salt on the top prior to baking).
Place dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and roll it out as thin as possibe (I placed parchment paper over the dough and used a tall drinking glass to roll it out). Scour with knife and bake until crisp and golden. (Crackers will pull up and easily peel off the sheet).
Enjoy!
* Le Sigh * I've got me a case of the sads due to having "lost" a piece of jewlery that was great significance to me. The worst part is that by lost I actually mean somewhere in the house - I just don't know where (and help from my housemates is an understated lost cause).
* Meh * The ring was last seen Friday morning in the kitchen. Dreams of biscuits danced in my head ALL NIGHT LONG, which resulted in 5:30am cookery. First order of business was the biscuits from my dream (Cheddar jalapeno) but I stumbled upon some left over vegan pepperoni while reaching for the jalapeno and decided to divide the dough in half and use it for something else (hence the Breakfast Biscuit Pull Apart Bread). I had several errands to run that morning as well as had plans to hit the hamptons with a friend to pick up a bed so post biscuit making I made a dash for the shower and headed out right after I got ready. I had taken the ring off while making the biscuits and placed it by the microwave. (Yeah, yeah, I should have brought it upstairs and put it away but tis my house - you'd think it would have been safe). Then in my haste I dashed out for the day w/o it. By the time I returned, the ring was gone from where I had left and no one seemed to know a damn thing about it. (Really people?! Because the house is a freakin disaster 6 out of the 7 days a week and yet nothing else goes missing, or even gets moved - until Gloria, our housekeeper, comes. Oh and we do have a housekeeper, mainly because the 3 other adults in the house and 2 children are seemingly incapable of keeping house but that's a whole other rant.) For the biscuit dough:
1 1/2 cup Namaste Biscuits, Pie Crust & More 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 Tbs coconut oil, melted 1/2 cup pure water 1/2 tsp seasoning of choice Pinch sea salt, optional
Pre-heat oven 425F and grease a baking sheet. Set aside. Then mix the above ingredients in a bowl. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.
For the Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits:
Few Shakes Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning 1 Jalapeno, seeded & diced 1/8 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
Mix the above ingredients into the dough. Shape into 6 small patties. Bake at 400F for approximately 15 - 20 minutes. For the Breakfast Biscuit Pull Apart Bread:
1/8 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds Handful of vegan pepperoni, diced Few twist freshly ground Italian Seasoning
Mix above ingredients into the dough. Divide dough into small balls. Layer balls in a mini spring form pan. Lightly spray with olive oil after each layer is made. Bake approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Fast forward to sunday and still no ring. Saturday morning before heading out I asked my mother to keep an eye out to which she replied, "ok". I attended an Integrative Nutrition sponsored conference in NYC all weekend, but managed to squeeze in a trip to the farmer markets sunday afternoon. I then whipped up a batch of Oinks in a Cheez-It sunday evening, using this recipe and a pack of vegan hot dogs before returning home. Returning home turned out to be a HUGE mistake as any cheer the market, oinks & social interactions brought was quickly snatched away by the case of the missing ring. First my nephew tells me he saw the cat playing with it (but didnt see where she put it) and later on my mom tells me how she saw it, moved it, forgot where she put it (but never mentioned this to me saturday). But so it goes...
I'm trying to remain hopeful that the ring turns up (and that it's sooner rather than later), but it's not easy. This week is off to a stressful start (never a good sign) but last night I squeezed in a medtation power hour and had a kick ass workout,
Happy Tuesday xo
For every loss there's an equal gain For every gain there's an equal loss - my morning yogi tea bag
Monday Funday?! Yeah, not likely. But today isnt any other Monday. Today is special. Special?!
Yup Yup!! In fact, today is best monday ever special because I can finally share the great news: I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB *does little dance*
I applied a few months ago but hadn't heard back. After two weeks or so I assumed I didn't make the cut. (It happens). Then I got the email while shopping at Trader Joes. *does another little dance*
Yeah, yeah I know - it's kinda silly but whatever. My acceptance into the club will forever be an epic moment in Delicious Existence history :-b Don't hate, participate!
Ok, if you havent clicked any of the above links your likely wondering what the secret recipe club is and you can read all about it by clicking here. However, the jist of this group is simple: each month, if you choose to participate, you are “assigned” another participating members food blog to make a recipe from. You can choose any recipe posted on that food bloggers site but it’s a secret, so don’t tell them you are making something from their blog!
So, who's blog was my first assignment?! *drum roll* Penny Pinching Provisions I immediately googled the site to view the deliciousness and let me say, there's a lot of great recipes on the site! I seriously wanted to make EVERYTHING but alas, I'm to choose just one. Torn between several, I somehow managed to narrow it down to the Jerk Chicken Foccica and the BBQ Chicken Pizza. For the next 4 days, I went back and forth between the two. I mean, there was no way I wasn't making the beer batter pizza dough. But anyone who knows me (or reads this blog) knows how fond I am of Jerk anything (heh). Two more days passed and finally, it hit me: Carribean Jerk Pizza! Excited, I began to devise my recipe, which consists of the following: 1. Make Beer Batter Pizza Dough 2. Make Jerk Chik'n/Chicken 3. Make Caribbean Sauce 4. Make Pizza This may seem lengthy but it's not, I promise! Everything that needs to be accomplished before the actual pizza is put together can be done while the dough is rising. That said, let's hop to it! BEER BATTER PIZZA DOUGH
Adapted from Penny Pinching ProvisionsThe original recipe states that it makes 2 large or 4 medium pizza's. That's a lot of dough. I planned on making two 7" pizza's (one with chik'n and one with chicken) so I decided to half the recipe. This turned out to be a mistake because this was by far THE BEST DOUGH EVER and I ended up making a second batch immediately after (details on that coming soon). 1 cup warm water 1 Tbs coconut nectar 1 Tbs yeast 3.5 - 4 cup bread flour 1 tsp salt 2 Tbs olive oil 6oz beer, room temp (I used New Castle)
Bread machine ~ Load bread machine pan as per manufacturer's instructions. Select the "dough" cycle. By hand ~ Mix the yeast with the water and honey in a small mixing bowl. Rest until foamy. Mix 2 cups of the flour with the salt in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Add the olive oil and beer. Stir to combine. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the dough isn’t sticky. Once you’ve reached 4 cups of flour, turn the dough out of the bowl onto the table top and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Once the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Place in a deep, greased bowl and let rise 45-60 minutes, or until double in size. Once risen, it's ready for use! JERK SEASONING
From Penny Pinching Provisions 1 Tbs onion powder 1 Tbs sugar 1 Tbs salt 1 Tbs garlic powder 1 Tbs thyme 3/4 tsp all spice 3/4 tsp cinnamon 3/4 tsp red pepper, ground
Combine above ingredients. Use to make chik'n, chicken, and caribbean sauce. JERK CHICKEN & CHIK'N: With Meat ~ I followed the recipe at Penny Pinching Provision for cooking the chicken, using a small pack of chicken cutlets, which I chopped up after cooking. Meatless ~ 1 cup Quorn Chik'n Chunks* Jerk seasoning, to taste Cayenne pepper, optional, to taste
Note: Quorn Chik'n chunks are not vegan as they contain egg whites. Preheat oven to 400F In a bowl, thoroughly mix the Jerk seasoning and Cayenne pepper. Divide into separate portions if cooking both meat eaters and non-meat eaters, then set aside. Coat chik'n with olive oil (or lightly spray with non-stick olive oil spray) and toss with jerk/cayenne mix. Spread on baking sheet and bake until hot and golden (about 30 min). CARIBBEAN SAUCE: From 1/2 Tbs cold water 1/2 tsp All Purpose Flour 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce* see note 3/4 tsp jerk seasoning
Add water to a mixing bowl. Slowly sprinkle flour into water while whisking at the same time. Break up any clumps. Add sweet chili sauce and jerk seasoning to flour mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add sauce to a non-stick saute pan and cook over high heat for approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stir continuously. When sauce is thickened transfer to a container and cool to room temperature. Note: To make your own Sweet Chili Sauce, combine: 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/8 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbs vinegar, and 1/8 tsp all spice. Store in fridge until ready to use. THE PIZZA: 1 recipe beer batter pizza dough 1 recipe jerk chik'n (or chicken) 1 recipe caribbean sauce
1/3 cup daiya mozzarella 1/2 red peppers, chopped 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped 1/8 cup red onions, chopped 1/8 cup facon (or bacon)
Sprinkling of additional mozzarella 1/4 - 1/2 Tbs chopped green scallionsPreheat oven to 425F. Have all the topping ingredients assembled before rolling out the crust. If you are using a pizza stone make sure it is also heating in the oven. Sprinkle a flat surface with flour and gently roll out the dough and place the prepared crust on a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal or a perforated pizza pan. Bake 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and using a spoon, spread caribbean sauce to within an inch of the outer edge of pizza dough. Then layer the following in order listed: mozzarella, peppers, onions, facon (or bacon), and finally jerk Chik'n (or chicken). Sprinkle additional mozzarella over the entire pizza, if desired. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the edges have browned. Garnish with scallions after cooking.
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