tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82664662352838730062024-02-19T00:30:37.053-05:00Altered PlatesDedicated to my endless search for easily alterable recipes to suit my dietary restrictions, especially the use of agave nectar instead of other sweeteners.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-1802437492292865152014-05-26T17:34:00.000-04:002014-05-26T17:34:30.653-04:00Cookbook Review: Vegan Eats World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp66F58tJ-fpGkv2rFu6RyltLlTKRGwnRbzZ3_sE2VORdMjs9rLwI4IN_Zp7htcoC7G0f2V-zRJ2IxgOM3T48JV1ov5R4YUi_KCvj8wXMBZmrlk-HljvYlfwZfgxz2ZcH-cBwMBvCLu0/s1600/SavoryBakedTofu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGp66F58tJ-fpGkv2rFu6RyltLlTKRGwnRbzZ3_sE2VORdMjs9rLwI4IN_Zp7htcoC7G0f2V-zRJ2IxgOM3T48JV1ov5R4YUi_KCvj8wXMBZmrlk-HljvYlfwZfgxz2ZcH-cBwMBvCLu0/s1600/SavoryBakedTofu2.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
Terry Hope Romero's newest cookbook, <i>Vegan Eats World</i> is a guided tour of culinary locales East, West, North, and South. She provides handy spice blends for Indian, East Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Persian, and African dishes, then travels around the globe to provide a very wide variety of offerings to please not just vegan palates, but everyone who might be a bit adventurous in their dining habits. Because the book contains such a diverse selection of recipes, I think it would be a great book to use to plan parties and date nights, as well as everyday dishes.<br />
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For this review, I decided to try a quick and simple recipe that didn't require running out for any ingredients. The selection, as you can see in the photo to the left, is Savory Baked Tofu. I recently visited one of my favorite health food stores (Whole Earth Center in Princeton -- pricey indeed, but consistently the best organic produce around) and bought some fresh, super-firm tofu to try for this recipe. Romero recommends the super-firm tofu, and she's absolutely correct. There is no substitute for the texture in this recipe. The result was so tasty, I ate it cold by itself for breakfast one morning. I also enjoyed it with roasted mushrooms and onions. Suffice to say, it went very quickly.<br />
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I only made one ingredient substitution, and that was using low-sodium tamari for the soy sauce (GF). One note of caution: You'll need to pay attention toward the end of the cooking time because the marinade burns fairly quickly, especially if you use agave nectar. If you prefer a Mediterranean, African, or Eastern European flavor to your tofu, Romero includes marinades catering to those flavor profiles as well. <br />
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Here is the recipe as I made it, <b>Savory Baked Tofu</b> on page 50 of <i>Vegan Eats World</i>:<br />
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<b>Savory Baked Tofu</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 pound super-firm tofu <br />
3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari<br />
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil<br />
1 tablespoon agave nectar<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br />
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br /> 1. Slice the tofu into 1/4 in. slices.<br />
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.<br />
3. Add the marinade to a large glass baking dish and wet the tofu with the marinade on both sides.<br />
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. <br />
5. Bake the tofu for about 20 minutes, then flip the slices. Cook another 15 minutes, until you see the tofu has turned golden brown with some caramelization on the edges. Take care to watch for the last 5 minutes so that the tofu doesn't begin to burn.<br />
6. Enjoy!<br />
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The tofu will keep for 5 days, but it likely will be eaten way before that. <br />
<br />Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-88736043564603101132014-02-23T18:09:00.000-05:002014-02-23T18:11:02.104-05:00Cookbook Review: I'm Loving Mayim's Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8gfRtD2MfRi7g0Hqisulx8vHbJVcbBkyZ2lszn3-Y4LJbkDrqxEgZ4mULRuSpgWYVlcx9nmNvnpeHTENjHmCotrCR6kRXqedcfjf04t2byY4ZXvAZ20gKI953fgqKZkZYHfekCmiXdQ/s1600/MayimsMuffins3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8gfRtD2MfRi7g0Hqisulx8vHbJVcbBkyZ2lszn3-Y4LJbkDrqxEgZ4mULRuSpgWYVlcx9nmNvnpeHTENjHmCotrCR6kRXqedcfjf04t2byY4ZXvAZ20gKI953fgqKZkZYHfekCmiXdQ/s1600/MayimsMuffins3.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
Recently, I received a review copy of Mayim Bialik's brand new cookbook, <i>Mayim's Vegan Table. </i>Because I absolutely love her character Amy Farrah Fowler on "Big Bang Theory," I had to give it a read. The first 59 pages provide a good foundation on the vegan diet and its health benefits and philosophies. Even without the recipes, I'd recommend it for someone who is new to the practice or for parents of newly minted vegans.<br />
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Most of the recipes are straightforward and easy to produce. They don't require uncommon ingredients or a long time to make. Most (except the dessert section) also are easy to make gluten free. Now that I'm living in the GF sphere, that's a pretty important feature for me in a cookbook.<br />
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For my test recipe, I decided to take on a recipe that was already gluten free, but that I could tinker with a bit for this blog. That recipe was Fruity Oatmeal Muffins.<br />
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They turned out to be pretty tasty muffins. They are indeed oaty, which a cakey crumb -- an unexpected pleasure in a gluten-free muffin made without gums. The muffins also are much lighter than you would expect for such a healthy baked good. I can easily see these becoming my go-to muffins.<br />
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My alterations were relatively minor. First, I used my unsweetened, home-dried cranberries (thanks to the behemoth of a dehydrator I recently purchased via a mandate by my wonderful mother-in-law who gave us a check and said we couldn't save it, but had to spend the thing). Next, I added walnuts because what's a muffin without nuts? I also used pumpkin pie spice as the spice, flax meal and water as my egg substitute, olive oil for the fat, and agave nectar (and consequently, half the applesauce) as the sweetener. Finally, I dropped the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (to account for the agave), but baked it for the same amount of time. <br />
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Here's the recipe as I made it.<br />
<br />
<b>Fruity Oatmeal Muffins</b><br />
<br />
Yield: 12 muffins<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon flax meal<br />
3 teaspoons filtered water<br />
1 1/4 cup rolled oats<br />
3/4 cup rolled oats run through the coffee grinder to make oat flour<br />
2 tablespoons potato starch<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries (if you have to use sweetened, use fruit-sweetened ones)<br />
3/4 cup chopped walnuts<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1/2 cup agave nectar<br />
1/2 cup applesauce<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>: <br />
1. In a very small bowl, mix together the flax meal and water until combined and set aside.<br />
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, potato starch, baking powder, spice, and salt.<br />
3. Mix in the cranberries and walnuts.<br />
4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and the flax mixture. Whisk in the agave and the applesauce.<br />
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir for about 2 minutes.<br />
6. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F.<br />
7. Line your muffin tray with paper liners. <br />
8. Scoop the batter into the liners so that they are filled about 3/4 of the way.<br />
9. When your oven reaches temperature, bake the muffins for 20 minutes. They should have very small crumbs clinging to a wooden tester when done.<br />
10. Let cool in the try for 5 minutes before taking the muffins out to cool completely on a wire rack.<br />
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They are best slightly warm, but wonderful when cooled as well. Enjoy!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-77574367393593367182013-10-05T20:50:00.000-04:002013-10-05T20:51:39.863-04:00Making a Vegan, GF Muffin Oh-So-Cobblerific<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi7_PjseUz3co1DWiJQE-uEXXCdviVTRKNvG-YjepolobGurOiLHiu1nc8i-kH6DJCP4AC854uShf7bHeCKEmE-JTPodHhLzTk7y6MGuRwOeMLK0qSEk1YX73qlJrA5nHYwlN7xuaN3A/s1600/gingernectarinecobblin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi7_PjseUz3co1DWiJQE-uEXXCdviVTRKNvG-YjepolobGurOiLHiu1nc8i-kH6DJCP4AC854uShf7bHeCKEmE-JTPodHhLzTk7y6MGuRwOeMLK0qSEk1YX73qlJrA5nHYwlN7xuaN3A/s320/gingernectarinecobblin.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
This luscious bit of muffin-y goodness is somewhat based on the BabyCakes Ginger-Peach Corn Muffins recipe, except that I made a few key changes. Importantly, I turned it into a cobbler-muffin (or what John and I decided would be either a cobblin or a muffler -- you decide). That is, I loaded this baby up with a cobbler-like filling (hence the wee air hole toward the bottom of the photo).<br />
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Suffice to say, it's hardly your ordinary muffin. And, that's a nectarine, rather than a peach because the organic peaches in the stores here were unnaturally large and didn't smell like peaches. The organic nectarines, on the other hand, smelled like summer.<br />
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I also used a non-beany-based gf flour mix because I really don't enjoy the beany flavor in sweet baked goods. Because there were so many changes, I'm going to share my version here. Please let me know how yours turn out!<br />
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<b>Summer Fruit Cobblins</b><br />
Makes 12 standard muffin-sized cobbler-muffins<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar<br />
6 medium-sized (smaller than a baseball) fresh nectarines scrubbed well, pitted and cut into 1-inch-ish pieces<br />
The juice of one juicy organic lime<br />
1/3 cup of the liquid sweetener of your choice (I used agave nectar. If you use maple or brown rice syrup, just remember that your muffins will have a maple or caramel flavor, which is fine. I'm sure it will taste great.)<br />
3/4 cup of a <u>non-beany,</u> finely ground gf flour mix (I used King Arthur Flour's All-purpose GF mix, but you also could use Pamela's Artisan mix and it would be successful.)<br />
1/4 cup blanched almond flour<br />
1 cup corn flour (not corn meal; it's a very different experience, much less grainy)<br />
1.5 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1.5 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (although you don't have to use it; you could use chia or flaxmeal, although it might end up a bit crumbly -- try it and let me know)<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon ginger (dry ground)<br />
1/2 cup very good, fruity olive oil (or if you don't like the flavor, use grapeseed oil)<br />
3/4 cup liquid sweetener of your choice (I used agave nectar, but you could use maple or brown rice syrup)<br />
1/4 cup apple sauce<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>:<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar. Put the mixture aside so it can become vegan "buttermilk."<br />
<br />
2. Combine the nectarines, agave nectar, and lime juice, and stir until the fruit is well coated. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and pour the fruit and sauce into an 8-in. glass baking dish. Roast the fruit until it softens but doesn't burn or dissolve. It should take about 15 minutes. Let the fruit cool in the baking dish on a rack while you make the rest of the recipe. Set aside the "prettiest" 12 pieces you can find -- these will be the cobblin toppers.<br />
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3. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.<br />
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4. In another bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients, then add them to the dry ingredients and mix the batter until smooth.<br />
<br />
5. Turn down the oven to 325 degrees F and line your muffin pan with paper liners. Fill the liners half way with batter, then spoon a tablespoon or so of the fruit on top of the batter of each cobblin. Then add equal amounts of the remaining batter to each cobblin. Top each with one of the pretty fruit pieces you set aside earlier.<br />
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6. Bake the cobblins for 20-25 minutes until they are a lovely golden brown around the edges. Let them cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then out of the pan on a wire rack until cool enough to enjoy.<br />
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Here's a photo of what you should see inside: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr2E38xeuHHkAX1NKMkbyjQfaHYeRc9CBBnQwgGYGyZFJE5Y1d0Qhw9LEYgThyphenhyphencbrDHTb5iw5bWTWRvK2jEhJqz4UrkJtGTmPVgRSmukK9oqmsZ-s0s2rxBqP12dcqs6n7VBciTMXnaU/s1600/gingernectarinecobblin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cobbler Muffin, interior" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr2E38xeuHHkAX1NKMkbyjQfaHYeRc9CBBnQwgGYGyZFJE5Y1d0Qhw9LEYgThyphenhyphencbrDHTb5iw5bWTWRvK2jEhJqz4UrkJtGTmPVgRSmukK9oqmsZ-s0s2rxBqP12dcqs6n7VBciTMXnaU/s320/gingernectarinecobblin3.jpg" title="" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmxL2CfL-eLz1BWxhiRBqaJkBt5tEYVIYPnukR48ST8Y-K2pKo9_5OaWv5I23JhMMwmgGdK2WTTjkdsLLrEnzk1bc7g9IobKWoZflCAk2ArOeK6MZ63rY-eKSJmvWGxbFOqOuZrOxk80/s1600/gingernectarinecobblin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-21853646828147158642013-07-14T19:58:00.000-04:002013-07-14T19:58:44.051-04:00Re-altering Plates or My New Gluten-Free LifeYep, I know it's been two years since I've updated this blog. Sorry about that. I've been updating <a href="http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Here and There</a> regularly and been very active on Facebook, but it's not the same. And, I've gone gluten free.<br />
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Since November 2012, I haven't had any gluten in my food, and it's made a huge difference as far as my Hashimoto's Thyroiditis goes. I'd been having a lot of digestive distress and pain last fall, and before I found out that it was reproductive, I decided to give up gluten just in case I'd become sensitive. I had no idea that folks with autoimmune diseases like mine tend to benefit from giving up gluten.<br />
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Prior to the change, it seemed like each doctor's appointment (3x per year), my prescription needed to be increased to get my thyroid numbers right, and I was symptomatic. Since the change, all of my blood levels have been great! <br />
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All that to say, my plates have altered once again, and I'm beginning to re-make my recipes gluten free. The first is my <b>Vegan Blueberry Apricot Cobbler</b>. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegan Blueberry Apricot Cobbler</span> (Originally posted <a href="http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2009/07/cobbleriffic-vegan-blueberry-apricot.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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Yields 12 servings (or 10 large servings)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><br />
<i>Filling</i><br />
5 cups fresh apricots, pre-pitted and sliced<br />
4 cups fresh blueberries<br />
2/3 cup agave nectar<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
3 tablespoons Gluten-Free all-purpose flour (not the beany kind)<br /><br />
<i>Topping </i><br />
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar<br />
2/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla unsweetened almond milk for mine)<br />
1/2 cup almond meal<br />1 1/2 cup Gluten-Free all-purpose flour (not the beany kind)<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (makes all the difference)<br />
1/2 teaspoon Pensey's baking spice (or cinnamon, if you don't have it,
but you might want to consider ordering some because it's really great
stuff, and they don't pay me to say that)<br />
5 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons good, fruity olive oil (or experiment with another good oil you enjoy)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Lightly oil a glass 9x13x2 in. baking dish.<br />
2. For the filling, gently mix together the fruit, agave nectar, flour, and salt in a large bowl and let rest.<br />
3. For the topping, in a separate bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar and non-dairy milk. <br />
4. In a large bowl, mix the almond meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the spices.<br />
5. Add to the vinegar/milk mixture the remaining agave
nectar, vanilla, and olive oil. Give it at least a minute of whisking.<br />6. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture and combine until
just mixed.<br />
7. Give the fruit filling one more stir before pouring it into the prepared baking dish.<br />8. Scoop the topping on top of the filling.<br />
9. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F while the topping rises. It won't rise a lot, but it will poof up a bit. <br />
10. Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes, then check to see if it isn't
getting too brown on top. You're looking for a nice golden brown. The
filling should be good and bubbly. <br />
11. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving. It's best warm, but just as good from the fridge 4 days later. <br />
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The cobbler will keep at room temperature for 3 days. After that, if
there is any left, and my guess is that there won't be, keep it
refrigerated until it's gone. Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-41396531760545647432011-04-10T10:54:00.000-04:002011-04-10T10:54:19.373-04:00Tasty Eats for Vegans and Vegetarians in Salt Lake CityRecently, I was back in the Salt Lake City area to visit family and friends, as well as to tour some amazing special collections and archives (which will be posted soon on <a href="http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com">Here and There</a>). When I'm in town, I always look for new places to enjoy fresh and tasty vegan and vegetarian eats. One of the best resources is <a href="http://www.cityweekly.net">City Weekly</a>, the free weekly paper that specializes in an alternative look at the city and its surrounding areas. During my visit, the CW had released its "Best of Utah" issue (a misnomer, really -- it's more of a best of SLC with a handful of others tossed in for good measure), with all kinds of fun and useful spots to experience. I used it to find a few of the restaurants I tried for the first time this visit.<br />
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Here's a short list of the restaurants and stores I patronized while I was there (starting with the places that were new to me this visit) and what I thought of their products and services:<br />
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1. <b><a href="http://theblueplatediner.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=3">The Blue Plate Diner</a></b> -- I went ovo-lacto here since I'd read nothing but great reviews about their omelets, however, there are a few vegan choices, such as tofu scrambles and burritos (more choices at lunch and dinner). I went for "The S.M.A," which was stuffed with spinach and mushrooms, and topped with sliced avocado. I also added some cheddar cheese for good measure. It was the fluffiest and largest omelet I've ever had. The side potatoes were crispy cubes of well-spiced tastiness. And the toast, well, pretty typical toast for Salt Lake, which is to say, Sourdough-based and not my speed. Otherwise, a big bang for the buck. Avoid the vegan sausage.<br />
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2. <b><a href="http://www.verticaldiner.com/menu/breakfast">Vertical Diner</a></b> -- While the Blue Plate is located in the funky and diverse neighborhood of Sugar House, Vertical Diner is a bit out of the way in back of a heavily industrial area, but it's more than worth the finding. Everything on the menu is vegetarian (a bit confusing because the menu mentions chicken, but it must be veggie chicken), and they serve a selection of gluten-free items as well, such as pancakes and their famous biscuits. This is definitely the place for cheap and tasty eats served by awesome punk folks in black playing college radio from the 1980s. At Vertical Diner, I had the best vegan pancakes I've ever eaten for $3.00. Fluffy and delicious, not to mention HOT. Next time, I'll try their biscuits and vegan gravy with fried "chicken." <br />
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3. <b><a href="http://www.sfmarkets.com/">Sunflower Farmers Market</a></b> -- This chain of markets has been around since 2002, but they just opened a new store right up the street from a HUGE new Whole Foods store in Trolley Square. Frankly, I'm not sure how Whole Foods will complete, except on the convenience factor since Trolley Square is a bit of an upscale mall. And, they really are the place to go for good organic produce in the valley. However, I was very impressed by the variety of organic, vegan, and vegetarian packaged food options at much lower prices than Whole Foods at the new Sunflower Market. Next time I'm back in town, I'll have to check out the Murray store, which is much closer to where we stay.<br />
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4. <b><a href="http://www.sagescafe.com/menu">Sage's Cafe</a></b> -- For the past few years, each time I visit, I make sure to eat at Sage's. This upscale vegan restaurant located within a few blocks of both Trolley Square and the Main Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library (a must-see! Check it out below.) is definitely the place to take a non-vegetarian to show them how incredibly tasty meatless meals can be. The Nut Burger is one of the best vegan burgers I've had (rivals even the bean and quinoa burger at the <a href="http://beardancecafe.com/">Bear Dance Cafe</a> in Midway, UT).<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wosiLrwjQwXCyFzZ5cikGA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz91e-Q1VOtzDtkH2BAIG-H00NBh77yEVNPNtdznabjaRwmgEdaIghyphenhyphenqEOW0Sos0BvRnMp2tSFIdru83IBi9YD8tgKMr49EkZ6JQNwgneMhO2Wv6v-m0yYYMsjztAKGPjrsceDM2kPFiE/s400/Utah%20July%202009%20007.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/SaltLakeCityJuly2009?feat=embedwebsite">Salt Lake City July 2009</a></td></tr></table><br />
Back to Sage's, the food is always thoughtfully prepared and delicious. They have a gluten-free options menu, too. Definitely try the weekend brunch. I'm a fan of "The Mountain."<br />
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5. <b><a href="http://www.goodearthnaturalfoods.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=PJ102JRNHNGT8G0QMPEQ7LDC7GX6C2W2">Good Earth Natural Foods</a></b> -- This health food store has several locations around Utah, but the Sandy store is the closest to Salt Lake City (and the closest to where I stay). It has very high quality fresh produce, some fresh breads, a good bulk foods room, many frozen and refrigerated options, and local and nationally available brand packaged foods. The prices are comparable to Whole Foods, but in some cases, they are lower. Also, depending on the day, the produce might be fresher and less expensive. Go to their web site first since they do feature coupons. <br />
<br />
6. <b><a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods</a></b> -- Because I normally live in a part of NJ where the closest Whole Foods is 35 minutes south or 40 minutes north and west, I am glad that there are so many Whole Foods stores in the Salt Lake City area. When I'm up in Park City, there's one. There's a store within 10 minutes of my in-laws' house. And, there are a few downtown. So, while they can be expensive on some items (not called "Whole Paycheck" for nothing!), if I use coupons and shop wisely, I can do pretty well on my staples. But, I think I might be spending more time at Sunflower Markets now that I know they are much less expensive on many of those staples.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-46899635358735698042011-03-10T08:23:00.000-05:002011-03-10T08:23:30.975-05:00Vegan Nuts and Berries Bars<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vEx7x5jMp9JASM-YfveFJ8JmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvA_0Zntt3UQrgebqPu4bJE7lq7I_5iEYgtW9fYT3jw2hxwuStm6bB25h6WMym2rgRi5ohW_y3ShxLoua5O2Tvd6rlENl4n6kvjHY9Yq5Z5o0WwOpj8ZGWwwrOG6rG6h9Afvc4rQ1Swgo/s400/blondies.jpg" height="335" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
If you love almonds, these bars are definitely for you. Not only is there almond meal in this recipe, but I also used roughly chopped almonds for a nice crunch. I paired the almonds with juice-sweetened cranberries to contrast the richness of the nuts with that unmistakable zing of the dried berries. <br />
<br />
I was inspired by Su Good Sweets' recipe for <a href="http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2005/07/blondies-have-more-fun/">Fruity Almond Blondies</a>, but I made a lot of substitutions to make it Altered Plates-ready and vegan, so I'm publishing the recipe as I made it below. In the future, I plan to add half of an avocado, whipped, to add more of a buttery flavor, but as is, the cookies are tasty. They are not overly sweet, and are packed with fiber. <br />
<br />
Here's the recipe as I made it:<br />
<br />
<b>Vegan Nuts and Berries Bars</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon flax meal<br />
3 tablespoons filtered water<br />
<br />
3/4 cup + 1/2 cup toasted almonds (rough chop the 1/2 cup)<br />
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 tablespoon coconut flour<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil <br />
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon agave nectar<br />
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/2 cup juice-sweetened dried cranberries (although using frozen ones might be an interesting choice as well)<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>: <br />
<br />
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and flaxmeal, and put aside.<br />
2. In a food processor, grind 3/4 cup of almonds for 1 minute, then add the flours, salt, and baking powder. Grind again for approximately 2 minutes.<br />
3. In another bowl or a mixer's bowl, beat the liquid ingredients until well blended. Add in the flax and water mixture and mix until blended.<br />
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, folding until just blended.<br />
5. Add in the berries and remaining nuts, stirring until just mixed.<br />
6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line your 8-in. pan with two pieces of parchment paper, crosswise.<br />
7. Using wet fingers, press the batter into the pan. It's going to be thick and sticky.<br />
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until a bamboo tester comes out clean.<br />
9. Let cool in pan, then using the paper, lift the soon-to-be-bars out of the pan and cut into squares/rectangles.<br />
10. Enjoy!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-80653290168767691042011-03-01T20:50:00.000-05:002011-03-01T20:50:12.777-05:00Book Review: Veganize This! or It Ain't Pretty, But It's My Seitan<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zr2MyqcAFnWnMPkXVXeuKMJmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmezisQnEhcDnPmKo7K_vWy3o5Nzf5kqIH9duI9iOaUHozDc1-WuFQK6zhXSmHIYbGwWjjOwbNBUJMNC71lxKW-VbXKMn3gNLbRlqve1xnVKIe48bDlD51MQJX5xzOu_cws2HoRHJjO10/s400/Feb%2025%202011_0477.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr></table><br />
It's true, it's pretty spongy, brainy looking stuff, but it tastes fantastic, and the texture far exceeds anything you can buy in a store. Most of that seems a bit rubbery to me, but the seitan above is just chewy enough to make it seem "meaty." My friends at the library said it reminded them of bread, and another friend who enjoyed it the day after I made it said it reminded her of Injera, the Ethiopian sourdough bread, but only in texture. Since making the Beef-Style Seitan recipe in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganize-This-Ice-Cream-Pie-200-Animal-Free/dp/0738214027?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Veganize This!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214027" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, I resolve never to buy seitan again. It's just too easy to make with this recipe not to do it myself. <br />
<br />
That's what I've been doing a lot of in the past year -- making it myself. No more store-bought nut butters for me (although John prefers <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Crunchy-Organic-Peanut-Butter-Jar/dp/B003B6IVR4?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Arrowhead Mills' organic peanut butter</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003B6IVR4" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />), and no more whole grain sandwich bread which has not risen from my homemade (read: labored over) starter. And now, homemade seitan. I wish I had tried to do this sooner.<br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CRarv-5IWMD19MTBj5Uu_sJmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldKFVG9YfkHL2FWsBQpwNtr8gF4LNeg5bobHJ4cSzOG2F_yA22o41EI20qdCG-ga-wsD5y7cTLbaFSpl5s4qlgeOdxC_eWkJQnmK50fqZWzhh55NRBKBWsCKVPDRltdDMSeT6Fh0b94Q/s400/seitan_dough.jpg" height="388" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr></table><br />
Be prepared for it to look and feel pretty much like brain (well, what I imagine brain looks and feels like). One very small drawback with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganize-This-Ice-Cream-Pie-200-Animal-Free/dp/0738214027?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Veganize This</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214027" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> is that it doesn't have in-process photos, but that's a rarity and a lot to ask when publishing on a budget, so I'll forgive Jenn Shagrin. However, she does explain that this dough is a bit wetter than most seitan doughs, so I was prepared for a wet dough.<br />
<br />
One thing to note -- be sure to plan other recipes using MimicCreme or the wide array of substitutes she suggests in the front of the book, because you only use a tablespoon of the stuff. I'm going to use my remaining MimicCreme to make a frozen dessert of some sort. I figure I can leave the ice cream maker attachment outside overnight since it's still pretty cold and I no longer have room in my freezer thanks to all the bread experiments.<br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I3Jigf9YpK7Eb2V6fsFgVMJmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MYiLN9eCZlGnW5Vzfpxf86xh3yPM3ebW-DSdyFe-eSgSfXkKDOUVncRGN4MI7g6pbxNy7sAhwpQQtyZb4FcQGGafL4uKSQlniyU2bdJKkChe6zq8DsIa6QgjrnmvBGRfEusBfaPMtEI/s400/seitan_broth.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr></table><br />
The key to tasty seitan is the broth in which it simmers for an hour. Because the Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base (well, all the bases) contains sweeteners I don't use (why sweeteners in bouillon, I will never understand), I used Rapunzel's vegetable bouillon. I recommend using the unsalted variety or one cube salted and one not.<br />
<br />
The quality of the mushrooms is paramount to the success of the recipe. She recommended using dried shiitake mushrooms, but I used fresh organic ones from Whole Foods in Madison (I picked them up on my way home from <a href="http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com/2011/03/tour-of-united-methodist-archives.html">my tour of Drew University's Special Collections and Archives</a>). <br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oFHz_m-1NrZu3Sm6TOwPkMJmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoGoJDlbTPuG-xJ4CuhlL-_lHBKRsgtd4Gbq0Z3WgfkKN5RlHaj_D5yN6Symm9L_0mX6n9HRRbYPgfLoSnhhgv3vGWqZFJEUBX66omb0w2iSDhkvvbt9p2HoMGGgSTtJuwJUYdXoAWxs/s400/seitan_in_broth.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr></table><br />
One thing to note about the seitan -- when you drop it into the boiling broth, it will expand to about twice the size. Which is probably why Shagrin instructs her readers to flatten the dough to 1/4 in. thick. I didn't get mine to quite that size, but I was able to cut it very easily into bite-sized pieces afterward to enjoy with some broth and mushrooms. Today, I enjoyed the same over some mixed wild rices for lunch. <br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FKwxVPh6nfO5ojYi5lwW0MJmZT62ZukoYxUqEJ6vYKA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5smjDBx6GENFlrN0SKFXZ9pMjuUmVuSg65bzMeeoBZNEeX2w_5n9bIZs1ArvnrJmyd23kMYruALY6Sk3txHxvxNe_2bFPsA5MEyhuanN2C9RAniJ5eD8VxEFrwxgkgTGnZeFZeZ3gOpM/s400/seitan_done.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/Food?authkey=Gv1sRgCMia7b2SpeXWWA&feat=embedwebsite">Food</a></td></tr></table><br />
OK, I have tantalized you with my bready-looking, but delicious seitan long enough. Here's the recipe with my substitutions and her directions. The book review follows at the end.<br />
<br />
<b>Beef-Style Seitan</b><br />
From the book <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganize-This-Ice-Cream-Pie-200-Animal-Free/dp/0738214027?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Veganize This!</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214027" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> by Jenn Shagrin. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group, Copyright (c) 2010.<br />
<br />
Yield: 6 servings (although mine made about double that)<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
<b>Beef Broth</b>:<br />
<br />
8 cups prepared Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base (I used 2 cubes of Rapunzel's vegetarian bouillon in 8 cups of boiled water.)<br />
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (I used 6 fresh ones, sliced 1/4 in. thick.)<br />
2 tablespoons tamari (I used low-sodium tamari sauce.)<br />
1 portobello mushroom cap, chopped (I sliced these, too.)<br />
1 tablespoon garlic powder<br />
2 teaspoons onion powder<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
<br />
<b>Beef-Style Seitan Dough</b>:<br />
<br />
1 cup vital wheat gluten<br />
1 cup prepared Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base (I used 1/3 cube of Rapunzel's vegetarian bouillon in 1 cup of boiled water.)<br />
1 tablespoon MimicCreme<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>:<br />
<br />
1. Prepare the broth: First place all the beef broth ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.<br />
2. Prepare the seitan: While the broth's starting to heat up, make your seitan dough by combining and kneading the vital wheat gluten, No Beef broth, and MimicCreme until completely mixed. <br />
3. Squeeze out the excess liquid and form the mixture into a ball. <br />
4. On a cutting board, flatten out the ball and use a sharp knife, or kitchen shears, to cut, pie style, into six beef-shaped wedges.<br />
5. Before putting it into the boiling broth, flatten each wedge by pressing it firmly between your hands to 1/3 to 1/4 in. thick, then drop them into the pot of boiling broth. <br />
6. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer, and let the seitan cook for about an hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.<br />
7. Don't throw out the broth! Use a slotted spoon to remove each piece of seitan and place in a colander to drain.<br />
8. Let the seitan and broth cool. Allow the seitan to marinate in the broth until ready to use, if time allows. Drain again before using. <br />
<br />
<b>Book Review</b><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Veganize-This-Ice-Cream-Pie-200-Animal-Free/dp/0738214027?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Veganize This</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214027" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />! Reminds me of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Vegan With a Vengeance</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1569243581" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> in a few ways, but in many ways it is very much its own book. For example, Shagrin provides a stable of different kinds of homemade seitans (from the beef-style above to pork chops) and a wide variety of tofu-based not-meats, not-cheeses, not-seafoods, and more.<br />
<br />
She gives very clear instructions (although I'm not quite sure what a beef-shaped wedge looks like) and most of her ingredients are easily found. I'm looking forward to experimenting further with the seitan I made, trying her recipe for Galbi (Korean Short Ribs). Importantly, Shagrin includes many gluten-free recipes, so those with gluten-free family members can dispense with the seitan and make some Vegan Chicken-Fried Tofu Steaks. <br />
<br />
Overall, it's a fun read with many inspiring recipes that are not overly complicated to make. I'd recommend it for the vegan looking to try some new dishes and veganized foods.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-25313848601156144062011-02-02T14:23:00.000-05:002011-02-02T14:23:20.428-05:00Lidia's Onion-Tomato Focaccia<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u4aiIyflU1zkVywQTLBaow?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGoTyv9H3ogt-2MNPo8mNDkjr-Qhr4jPv856lB_mB9lRKYzAW5VWiJb3URWmRi6pF77HUT9xDvv0qeaCylSxMWIAerCWxAV44TcD71bm_Pe7s18lwvu9G1nIKWrA5PfKzPdcmehUEIkg/s400/focaccia1.jpg" height="218" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/February2011?feat=embedwebsite">February 2011</a></td></tr></table><br />
While I don't have permission to reprint the recipe here yet, I can certainly talk about the wonderful Onion-Tomato Focaccia shown in the photo above. Since I've been baking some pretty complex breads lately thanks to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bakers-Apprentice-Mastering-Extraordinary/dp/1580082688?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">The Bread Bakers Apprentice</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580082688" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Whole-Grain-Breads/dp/1580087590?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580087590" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, I decided to give myself (and John) a break by giving the focaccia from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lidias-Italy-Simple-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1400040361?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Lidia's Italy</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1400040361" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> a try.<br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dyHDtZ7SeLs35SkjvwmKsA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3I8iKYZ4pbnOHbUVQ_A1-4KXwy1k0a7KUrpdKaAEZC6NHvDDaAc7Db7Yte_cA7Iv8DBSVNjfKbi_t_qoo4cvoLGf22DVlEqiLHN6aGJKdV9QMBQ3WQVfOZIJwKkRb8GvO0zraHtf6ioY/s400/focaccia_best.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/February2011?feat=embedwebsite">February 2011</a></td></tr></table><br />
It's an incredibly easy and quick recipe for something so tasty. Although, I did away with some of the olive oil since the bread was fairly swimming in it. I'd also try making it again using a mix of half bread and half all-purpose flour (the recipe is all AP) to be able to roll it out for pizza. <br />
<br />
Because it takes twice the typical amount of yeast for regular breads, it rises like mad. The dough is lovely. Soft and stretchy with lots of nice, small holes. It's downright tender, yet nice and crunchy at the crust.<br />
<br />
Here's the upskirt:<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DggmZbWSWLDS0n1q90XjNg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeTGYjzLgIcG1v3aotgCIUYRnX4wXFf4Ci8rUWItrnng4JXuy_6JVd4wC_d_-fum3rKM4oMhs6rckMbBrzslQV5PSKFBfJlBNveh7sFQXDXEh-3VNLv70aLWRNeczYOMnIV88eyQ4rJs/s400/focaccia_upskirt.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/February2011?feat=embedwebsite">February 2011</a></td></tr></table><br />
The onions and tomatoes are marinated in olive oil and a little salt while the dough rises. I can't wait to try this with sliced mushrooms and diced eggplant. The herb on top is dried oregano, but I suppose you could use rosemary or thyme and get wonderful results. Overall, you need to be a fan of olive oil - good, fruity, high-quality olive oil - because as an ingredient, it's front and center on this focaccia. <br />
<br />
It definitely takes favorite status in my bread ratings. I'll never buy focaccia again.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-8975115759059104132011-01-27T16:46:00.000-05:002011-01-27T16:46:35.781-05:00Hanna's Yummy Apple Spice Cake<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lg-_jXwHg2os7Vrr7Sf34Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQe7HTmtR5eWsXQj6C18ev0Y4GOxcI32qTEWyozGhbUfhUaWQuk0if3D8ohHBVbuxY8FOMOOiNZZkpXPv9wWq0HeMH1K9XBPvMcJ68SDEUITH4YVjq5c8KjUadv5qpUBu8afSLN5gvUM/s400/applespicecake.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/January2011?feat=embedwebsite">January 2011</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
I've long enjoyed Hannah Kaminsky's <a href="http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/">Bittersweet</a> blog for its recipes as well as the gorgeous photographs. But prior to the blog, I knew her from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Sweet-Vegan-passionate-dessert/dp/0979128617?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">My Sweet Vegan</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0979128617" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, her book of delectable desserts. This recipe, Apple Spice Cake, comes from page 80 of that cookbook. <br />
<br />
My substantive changes to the recipe were considerably smaller than most of the recipes I alter: 1. used currants for raisins (it's just what I do -- I prefer the tang), and 2. made one layer and used the rest of the batter to make muffins. The cake was very moist, tasty, and not overly sweet at all. The main reason for that is that Hannah's recipe called for apple juice concentrate as the sweetener. It impressed me as more of an apple oat cake than a spice cake, but either way, both the cake and muffins were greatly appreciated by my friends who had them for breakfast. Just perfect for chilly and snowy winter days.<br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vJxnIL-ZNwpnwXNETxz28Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfekMIisr4gLObmTJvAGDNLmFhTMX9gEf6fxv24bjmVbHfBdcZtzGnW7tCslrMOERtxD1rzUdeOVqIiSYLoe3kExS0Fngoy0v8ZVNTofBXA3k98x6fVYnDt7NaI-cpdoPgPS2v-JiOSII/s400/applespicecake2.jpg" height="351" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/January2011?feat=embedwebsite">January 2011</a></td></tr>
</table><br />
I also omitted the topping. The cake is awesome on its own.<br />
<br />
<b>Apple Spice Cake</b>, page 80, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Sweet-Vegan-passionate-dessert/dp/0979128617?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">My Sweet Vegan</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0979128617" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, by Hannah Kaminsky 2007. (I abbreviated the directions to keep this short, and I formatted them into my style. Otherwise, they're hers, so make sure you tell her when you try it out.)<br />
<br />
Yield: 2 8-in. round cakes or 1 8-in. round cake and 12 muffins<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
2 cups rolled oats<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1/2 cup margarine (I used Smart Balance buttery sticks.)<br />
1 1/3 cups apple juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
2 apples peeled, cored, and diced<br />
1 cup raisins<br />
1 cup chopped walnuts<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-in. round cake pan and a muffin pan (or another cake pan). (I actually save this for after the batter is mixed -- saves energy.)<br />
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.<br />
3. In another bowl, cream the margarine by itself to soften before adding the juice, apple sauce, and vanilla. Mix well.<br />
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until everything is moistened. Add the remaining ingredients into the batter by hand, folding gently.<br />
5. Spread the batter into the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.<br />
6. Let cool in pans for at least an hour, then take out of the pans to cool completely on a wire rack.<br />
7. Top as you see fit, or leave plain. It will taste wonderful either way.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-50565410445214442292011-01-10T13:42:00.000-05:002011-01-10T13:42:34.770-05:00Book Review: Appetite for Reduction<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rsKp3psA1xbt4sHwg8KaiA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFJN4iIFgoUW_wggJRtq1wwOoGIAYtpIMosYEOq1xp0PKC6ee_JeKJAESPF6eY0iF2BWP80hQ_ZjwjUQiCaTp-2Qr8NaVuXNCEM6j1_dptxJuMwAb9qYR5zXUK21PlvRT9FRRfyTyV78/s400/scallionpotatopancakesfinish.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/January2011?feat=embedwebsite">January 2011</a></td></tr></table><br />
As always, I am a fan of all books written by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Appetite for Reduction</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1600940498" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> is no exception. In fact, it's my new favorite. Like many of us who blog about food, Isa admits to having put on a few pounds, especially during the writing and testing of her <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cookies-Invade-Your-Cookie/dp/160094048X?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">cookie</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=160094048X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">cupcake</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1569242739" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> books (written with Terry Hope Romero). Consequently, she wrote a low-fat vegan cookbook. <br />
<br />
For my review, I selected two recipes that were (as advertised) very quick and easy to make. First, I made the Scallion Potato Pancakes. I made two more pancakes (had slightly more potatoes on hand) than the yield listed in the book, but didn't change anything otherwise. I enjoyed them greatly with an agave-mustard dipping sauce that fit the bill exactly. When I tasted the pancakes without the sauce, they needed a little salt. But otherwise, I was very happy with the result.<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=hereandther0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1600940498&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
<br />
The second recipe, Garlicky Mushrooms & Kale, was a huge success. I've long sauteed kale with olive oil and garlic, but hadn't yet added mushrooms. I swapped portobello mushrooms for the creminis, but otherwise stayed loyal to the recipe. It was very garlicky and tasty. I'd probably opt for adding some hot pepper seeds for more zip next time, or some fresh ginger. <br />
<br />
Both delicious recipes were very low in fat, but very high in flavor. One of the great additions to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Appetite for Reduction</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1600940498" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> is the use of the nutritional information accompanying the recipes. I especially like the vitamin and mineral percentages. Although they don't include many, they do count Vitamins A and C as well as calcium and iron. You don't often see those in cookbooks.<br />
<br />
I would like more photos, but I can understand the costs of publishing prohibit the use of many photos if you want to keep the price low (which it is at $11.42 on Amazon). Last, but not least, one of my biggest pet peeves is when recipes run onto the next page and I must flip the page for more directions. Both recipes ran over into the next pages, so I'll just say that I hope the designers can work on that issue for the next book.<br />
<br />
I've requested permission to reprint the recipes, so if I get it, I'll update this posting with them.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-53341530651177500062010-12-07T14:43:00.000-05:002010-12-07T14:43:44.608-05:00Vegan Cranberry Jammy Thumbprints<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KPrzMPeIXnhKBgv84JCYSg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvm60gROn0FgBNsR8UhcT66T6gwe-cCEe9Yz0N_eylmhIfzcGSh7dAkN_LeuN2Jr7hh64Xgu1RlBJCjGdeCIjPSpnwxBtowgJyLjfBNmQYZnzCxZecpsKiR64eKjzxC2zd9_M7Zl8yqcg/s400/cranwalcookie1.jpg" height="344" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/December2010?feat=embedwebsite">December 2010</a></td></tr></table>These are habit-forming to say the least. Based on the Cranberry Walnut Thumbprint cookies by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cookies-Invade-Your-Cookie/dp/160094048X?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=160094048X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, mine are a bit cakier and don't rely on pre-made, jellied cranberry sauce.<br />
<br />
These delicious two biters are best eaten on the day they are made. You can definitely make the dough a day or two ahead of time if you're planning to take these to a party. <br />
<br />
Ever since I discovered the joy and ease of <a href="http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2010/09/agave-currant-freezer-jam.html">making my own jam</a>, I can't resist applying the same principles to other fruits. In this case, I took advantage of the great sales on cranberries and purchased a hefty quantity. I also have been enjoying the marvelous honeycrisp apples making their way to the co-op, so there's a bin full of them in the fridge as well. The resulting cranberry jam is a gorgeous red hue and an excellent tart foil for the buttery taste of the cookies.<br />
<br />
Since I made some pretty sizeable changes to the recipe, I'm including my version below. However, that shouldn't stop you from getting your own copy of <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=hereandther0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=160094048X&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
<br />
Here's my quickie cranberry jam recipe that you'll need to make the cookies.<br />
<br />
<b>Deb's Quick Cranberry Jam</b><br />
In a blender, empty the contents of one pint package of fresh cranberries, one cored and chopped honeycrisp apple, and one quarter cup of agave nectar. Don't bother skinning anything. You'll only be wasting nutrients and time. Blend until just small pieces show. Empty the blender into a medium saucepan and heat on medium until lightly bubbling. Stir frequently, heating until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and let cool while you make the cookies. (By the way, you'll have extra jam. I recommend it spooned over your favorite vanilla frozen dessert or on freshly toasted whole grain bread. Yum!)<br />
<br />
<b>Vegan Cranbury Walnut Thumbprints</b><br />
<br />
Yields 3 dozen very tasty cookies.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
1/2 very good olive oil<br />
3/4 cup agave nectar<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/4 cup coconut flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/4 cups finely chopped walnuts<br />
Freshly made cranberry jam (see recipe above)<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>:<br />
<br />
1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the oil, agave nectar, almond milk, and vanilla until really well incorporated.<br />
2. In another bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and spices.<br />
3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones until well incorporated. <br />
4. Place some plastic wrap over the bowl and chill the dough for 1 hour.<br />
5. In the meantime, clean up the kitchen and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />
6. After the dough is nicely chilled, spread the walnuts into a dinner plate. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls and roll the balls around in the walnuts until you have a nice coating on the outside. Place the balls onto the cookie sheets.<br />
7. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.<br />
8. Using the second knuckle of your index finger (counting from the hand, not the tip of the finger) (or if you need a device, use a spoon) to make a 1/2 teaspoon-sized indentation into the cookie. It also helps to flatten it out a bit. <br />
9. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the homemade cranberry jam into each indentation. You'll need to smooth it out a little because it won't "melt" in that much.<br />
10. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn the cookie sheets and switch their positions. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes or until they are just turning golden. Bake the last sheet the same way.<br />
11. Let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.<br />
12. Enjoy!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-11035553848365194902010-11-24T19:35:00.000-05:002010-11-24T19:35:51.536-05:00Just in case you aren't already elbow deep in flour, cranberries, and other Thanksgiving preparations, here's a savory classic (originally posted on November 8, 2009) just in time:<br />
<h3 class="post-title"> <a href="http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2009/11/vegan-pumpkin-cornbread.html">Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread</a> </h3><table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TZY6xRKcG8jUsVbl8ZRdlA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jQfi_Dkc1uo/SvbRml2UW1I/AAAAAAAAKvw/9_R0PqQkXOM/s400/pumpkin_cornbread_4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">October 2009 Photos</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Yep, that's me sneaking a piece of this incredibly delectable, moist cornbread. The original recipe (pre-Altered Plates version shown above) comes from the fabulous <a href="http://www.cliqueclack.com/food/2009/10/25/pumpkin-cornbread-breakfast-at-clique-anys/">Debbie McDuffee's site CliqueClack Food</a>. I made all kinds of changes to the recipe in order to veganize it and make it Deb-friendly. But the result was wonderful. <br />
<br />
All the folks at the George Street Co-op who tried the cornbread were very happy with the moistness and the flavors that paired so well -- mainly the corn and the pumpkin. It was a karmic return for the organic pumpkin which I had bought at the co-op while it was on sale. For those of you who may think that organic doesn't make a difference, try organic pumpkin. It's a completely different experience. You can actually smell and taste how squash-y it is. It also has a very realistic color. I ate the leftover pumpkin with some pumpkin pie spice and just a 1/2 teaspoon of agave. It was delightful.<br />
<br />
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6lh5oHEIjKYOcQJxhG6P4w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jQfi_Dkc1uo/SvbRlux61pI/AAAAAAAAKvk/2z266s2bF8s/s400/pumpkin_cornbread_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">October 2009 Photos</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Just like a typical cornbread, this one is made in a cast-iron skillet. I prepped the pan by oiling it with some grapessed oil and then letting it heat in the oven while it preheated to 375 degrees F. I recommend making it this way because it does two things: 1. It give the crust a nice crunch, and 2. you can't beat how nicely the bread comes out of the pan. Here, I'll show you:<br />
<br />
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gzwmRzrb4TdcqD8odx7yXw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jQfi_Dkc1uo/SvbRl4p1gdI/AAAAAAAAKvo/1q-1IBx4yV4/s400/pumpkin_cornbread_2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">October 2009 Photos</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iE-xT1USSqUMCR3CeGpvnQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jQfi_Dkc1uo/SvbRmGvRFXI/AAAAAAAAKvs/xBQzS5RUkp8/s400/pumpkin_cornbread_3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">October 2009 Photos</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Just a note about sweetness, I like my cornbread on the sweet side, unless it features savory ingredients like green onions (heaven!). So, if you're like Debbie and want it to be less sweet, cut the amount of agave nectar. <br />
<br />
Finally, sometimes baked good improve over time in a tightly sealed container. The spices take their time melding with the other ingredients, the moisture changes, etc. I wish I could say that I knew for sure that this is one of those recipes, but the batch only lasted two days. You'll let me know, won't you? <br />
<br />
Here's the recipe as I made it:<br />
<br />
<b>Pumpkin Cornbread</b> (greatly inspired by <a href="http://www.cliqueclack.com/food/2009/10/25/pumpkin-cornbread-breakfast-at-clique-anys/">Debbie McDuffee's recipe of the same name</a>)<br />
<br />
Yields 18 wedges<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice<br />
1 cup cornmeal (next time, I'm using corn flour for a smoother finish)<br />
1 cup pure pumpkin puree<br />
1/4 cup agave nectar<br />
1 tablespoon flaxmeal<br />
1/3 cup olive oil<br />
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>:<br />
<br />
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice. <br />
2. Mix the cornmeal into the dry ingredients until well blended.<br />
3. In a medium bowl or a very big measuring cup (10 cups or more), beat together the pumpkin, agave nectar, flaxmeal, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar until well incorporated.<br />
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until well blended. It will be very thick.<br />
5. Let the batter rest while you oil your cast iron pan and let it heat up with the oven to 375 degrees F. <br />
6. Once the oven is hot, using potholders, take the pan out of the oven and place it on a heat-proof surface. Scoop the batter into the hot pan (please be careful!) and spread it evenly across the pan. It won't fill the pan. It also won't rise much.<br />
7. Bake the cornbread for 20 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean. <br />
8. Let the cornbread cool in the pan until the pan cools down. Turn it out by placing a flat surface on top of the pan and inverting both. The cornbread should come out cleanly.<br />
9. Cut into wedges and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IeCc7goAwIEiZMA2-c7iCg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jQfi_Dkc1uo/SvbRm-G4P5I/AAAAAAAAKv0/xdNJyO_tY9k/s400/pumpkin_cornbread_5.jpg" /></a>Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-84226676051861398062010-11-17T13:37:00.000-05:002010-11-17T13:37:50.240-05:00Yummy Vegan Date-Pecan Coffee Cake<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FSdcGiYyM1tZ5N-GpBQOgw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3emlPuggUgKBLj21w91vDQxiAUrkwdOYXurXBIF1-9vxLIRjLy3Lt1LhaLm2rrvGfiE0IsDszPCwTdI3EkmMDdYAIk1H1OesggeFyyPWyPAuBrjofsLPzagjI54BXc0JRPePYhXIaEg/s400/coffeecake2.jpg" height="379" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/November2010?feat=embedwebsite">November 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
My inspiration for this gigantic cake of deliciousness is the Date-Pecan Coffee Cake on pages 218-220 of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Angelica-Home-Kitchen-Rousings-Restaurant/dp/1580085032?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">The Angelica Home Kitchen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580085032" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />. It is truly one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes can stand a huge amount of tinkering, and are consistently tasty and healthy.<br />
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It's a giant cake when you make it in a 9-in. springform pan, as instructed. More than likely, next time I make it, I'll be pouring the batter into cupcake cups.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YquUUJcN-k9qWBSywZMMuw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBpwpKvbtyOhYilqY-Uqn0uidIDjnvHFwqsqGvkPg05LLawctGLmJ_pc7NaXQvk-pSXk4XJTk-sy4oku9acGeuWwF98Grd4KmrHXckJ6pf2VMhyJcmeLM4BSZ1cQ6jalAKQxX4ZnXIv4/s400/coffeecake3.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/November2010?feat=embedwebsite">November 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
From the (less than optimal) photo, you can see that the date-pecan-ness is really a ribbon of sweet and crunchy flavor between two very tasty cake layers (you also can see my poor job of unmolding it from the pan). It's almost like a crumb cake, with the soft crumb topping, but with much more flavor. The original recipe calls for maple sugar, but I used agave nectar and some barley malt (which I'll leave out next time, but someone asked me to try it so I did). I also used less agave nectar for the maple syrup, and it worked out just fine. The only other alteration I made was to use <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscake.html">Cake Spice</a> instead of cinnamon. But you could easily use Five Spice powder in a 1:3 ratio with cinnamon and get a similar effect.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/76c2iJ0bhMb7Lk2aitOdSQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDmQ6_ugCHH-__nN33wDAPRNS_8FfudSBkxUMRP_t2U_Hv3KecrZY27bjVlzlkYuLU6U6wB43oo5hrSt84rf6_q0ARjb0KtoZEwqvAgOs5LeRGD2KoX5cQVMvQ8U0QeDL5MJxJnUg-90/s400/coffeecake1.jpg" height="398" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/November2010?feat=embedwebsite">November 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
Since I didn't make that many changes to the recipe, I don't feel right about republishing it here without permission. Instead, I'll strongly recommend that you borrow <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Angelica-Home-Kitchen-Rousings-Restaurant/dp/1580085032?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">The Angelica Home Kitchen</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580085032" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> from your local library (Inter Library Loan, if they don't have it) or buy it online, if you've got the $$$. You could also ask for it as a holiday gift from someone who might need a great gift idea.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-83686784358504505142010-10-24T18:57:00.000-04:002010-10-24T18:57:21.599-04:00Book Review: Fresh and Fast Vegan<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FuK7vwfd3NKucRZYJ9bcP5xSLon4M5-WUv4w4S8iiJY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmBCj0s1d9Wo1XlAsdxvQOfcAsA3zhAYd4ix2xFb1zIWZrb2PmG_8tpofYpX17_-VFL5r4umeEVGdmdIeBJxcEpxKssmS7gcY4ElIbIfIGGBrgwTHeL0irHdSmvogV0iBgCIZ6RDFzxU/s400/moroccan_spiced_rice_pudding2.jpg" height="358" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH6jMLW0oya7gE&feat=embedwebsite">October 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
Raise your hand if you like rice pudding! (Raising both hands and a foot.) Well, you're really going to like this one from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Fast-Vegan-Delicious-Creative/dp/0738214299?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Fresh and Fast Vegan</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214299" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />, the newest cookbook from Amanda Grant. I noodled with it a great deal to make it work for me, given my ingredients and budget, but you'll find it quite the tasty pudding. <br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=hereandther0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0738214299&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> I'm not sure I'd call it rice pudding, actually. It's more like almond pudding with a big handful of rice thrown in for texture. Speaking of handfuls, Ms. Grant provides a few measurements in terms of handfuls, which I found to be very amusing given the range of hand sizes in folks I know. For instance, 1/2 handful of dried apricots in my hand equals 3.5 apricots. I'm sure <a href="http://www.priups.com/riklblog/">my friend Richard's</a> hands would hold more of the dried fruit than that. Come to think of it, I probably would have done well using Richard's hands for these measurements since the end result might have been even more delicious. <br />
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This is the second recipe I tried from the book. The first was a butternut squash pie with a crust that turned out very oily for my and Teresa's tastes. However, the pie was gone by the end of the day when I brought it to the Plainfield Public Library for the librarians. I'm hoping they'll enjoy this sweet dessert as well. <br />
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The recipe says it serves 4, but I'm not sure that's correct. I ended up with a LOT of pudding, which I estimate at 12 servings. Since my version of the recipe is a bit different than the original, I'm going to post mine here for you to try, with notes on my changes. The next time I make this, I'm definitely using brown rice and more of it. I'd also use more dried fruit just for fun. Otherwise, I'd keep this as is. <br />
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Serving note -- the original recipe recommends serving it chilled. After setting, I'd recommend warming it slightly in the microwave. It's better warm.<br />
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As far as the recipes go, there's a lot of leeway in the measurements, and the instructions could use a bit more detail. I also found the cooking and prep times to be much quicker than my experience. Teresa said she wanted photos and doesn't like cookbooks without them. However, the recipes are creative and interesting, which is always a plus for a vegan cookbook.<br />
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Moroccan Spiced Rice Pudding (my reworking of the recipe originally published on page 182 of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Fast-Vegan-Delicious-Creative/dp/0738214299?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Fresh and Fast Vegan</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738214299" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> by Amanda Grant).<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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2 tablespoons dried currants (The original says 1/2 handful of raisins.)<br />
2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots (see above for measurement)<br />
3 drops <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/fiori-di-sicilia-1-oz">Fiore di Sicilia</a> (The original calls for soaking the dried fruit in orange-flower water, so I made "creamsickle" flower water by using this amazing flavoring.)<br />
3 oz filtered, boiled water <br />
4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (The original uses soy milk.)<br />
4 tablespoons jasmine rice (The original says 3.5 to 5 T, which seems a bit nebulous to me.)<br />
2 tablespoons brown rice flour (The original doesn't specify.)<br />
2 tablespoons filtered water<br />
2/3 scant cup agave nectar (I used light for this, but you could use dark, too. The original calls for 1 cup of turbinado sugar.)<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/4 cups almond flour (The original calls for ground almonds, but I made flour in my coffee grinder because I had a feeling the consistency might be too grainy otherwise. I'm glad I did.)<br />
1/2 teaspoon <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysbaking.html">Baking Spice</a> (The original calls for sprinkling a little cinnamon on top before serving. I don't like dry cinnamon on anything, so I mixed the spice into the cooked pudding right before turning off the heat, and it worked like a charm.)<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
(My directions are loosely based on the original, but I tried to provide more guidance while keeping them simple. All feedback is welcome.)<br />
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1. In a small bowl, add the dried fruit, the Fiore di Silicia, and the boiled water and stir. Set aside to let the fruit soak up the flavor.<br />
2. In a medium saucepan, boil 3 of the 4 cups of almond milk. Save the remaining milk for later. <br />
3. As soon as the milk boils, add the rice, cut the heat to a gentle simmer, stir, then cover for 10 minutes. Bring the heat down to low so that the pan won't boil over. <br />
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the rice flour with the 2 tablespoons of water until you have a paste. Whisk in the remaining milk.<br />
5. When the rice is just tender, pour the rice/milk mixture into the saucepan and stir well. Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil.<br />
6. Gently whisk in the agave nectar, vanilla, almond flour, and the fruit. Lower the heat a little so the pan doesn't boil over. You may get some lumps from the almond flour, but whisking will break these up in about 2 minutes. If your pudding hasn't begun to thicken, just keep the heat on medium low and keep stirring until it does (shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes).<br />
7. Stir in the Baking Spice and turn off the heat.<br />
8. Put a trivet on your counter, and place a large glass bowl on top of it. Gently pour the pudding from the saucepan into the bowl and let cool for 20 minutes. Cover, then set in the refrigerator for at least an hour. <br />
9. Serve warmed. (Although you could eat it cold, but it's far superior warm.)Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-89290280999312988562010-10-18T11:23:00.000-04:002010-10-18T11:23:42.966-04:00Vegan Banana Nut Muffins<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Rv7JFUCaqIuL8XuhimmVYZxSLon4M5-WUv4w4S8iiJY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrX04s_Nc0aLYxoJtNrwFMhwgyUyzgD-LRDXyszWobsYltx1tw08aNojbhUdI2eomqXitEsaJT1ZNBxE2gcKjIrDg_Wyvn88iK9s_9SQzsNYE1lP5dXCr74rvOapNVhRLZf87RNVyfVY/s400/veganbananamuffins.jpg" height="338" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH6jMLW0oya7gE&feat=embedwebsite">October 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
Boy it's good to be back baking in my own kitchen again! Which is not to say that being in Utah for months wasn't fantastic, because it was. But 1. I haven't gotten the hang of high-altitude baking yet, and 2. I'm quite fond of my kitchen, especially the mixer, the food processor, and the oven.<br />
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Since I've been home, I haven't had much time to bake, but I did develop a vegan banana nut muffin recipe that has all kinds of tasty surprises, like carob chips and coconut. I brought a dozen of them to a birthday party where they had a giant cake from BJ's. While some folks tried the cake, the muffins were very popular. I didn't tell my pals that they were doing themselves a favor by eating one -- getting a nice dose of fiber and good fats from the flaxmeal, walnuts, whole grains, and olive oil. But seeing how much my friends enjoyed these moist, yet cakey muffins was enough to spur me to share this recipe with you.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JIRLj_lDOf-v1_WfbOJnX5xSLon4M5-WUv4w4S8iiJY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvmepDvHhlRwXXvHEAuKWGjxZteOirEpChy1Uq_HCm45tpltSPYkMvbXJYFL60CnelmgyoD6tGUbsvF7vJRJ8VCmtFIcGu8U487UpFMo-H9OnsPeRhLCluginWU7K-QnWSlNx9dUJJEE/s400/veganbananamuffins2.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/October2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH6jMLW0oya7gE&feat=embedwebsite">October 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
<b>Vegan Banana Muffins</b><br />
Yields 12 standard muffins and 8 mini muffins<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
2 teaspoons flaxmeal<br />
3 tablespoons water<br />
1/4 cup olive oil (the fruitier the better)<br />
1/2 cup agave nectar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
3 desperately ripe bananas<br />
1/2 cup walnuts<br />
1/2 cup dried, unsweetened coconut<br />
1/2 cup vegan carob chips<br />
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon Baking Spice (from Pensey's)<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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1. Whisk together the flaxmeal and the water, then let stand while preparing the other ingredients. <br />
2. In a large bowl, blend together the olive oil, agave nectar, vanilla, and bananas until well incorporated.<br />
3. In a small bowl, chop the walnuts, and mix them with the coconut and carob chips.<br />
4. In yet another bowl (sorry about that!), mix together the remaining ingredients.<br />
5. Add the nut mixture to the dry ingredients and combine well.<br />
6. Add the flax mixture to the wet ingredients and combine well.<br />
7. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and combine well.<br />
8. Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F and put muffin cups into your pans.<br />
9. Scoop the batter into the cups. They will puff up, so fill the cups only 3/4 full.<br />
10. Bake the muffins at 345 degrees F for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to 335 degrees F another 10 minutes for minis and 20 for large muffins or until a tester comes out clean. <br />
11. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before taking the muffins out and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.<br />
12. Enjoy!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-22913230402820354202010-09-04T16:10:00.000-04:002010-09-04T16:10:24.282-04:00Agave Currant Freezer Jam<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bc6NlBfWUrigrjHFd0qElA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVtRCshLIm7Uls0dQcq-bkbDo3QLhE9JpeuLlpMvLSUTElsl4rGozV6S2Zf0TNLN2em5xsaZetVPqGEYJ6m4HJQKLKqR7vqRX0Tv2H2zSCexcTQ0DWiQC84PaVZkuFQvshGFCG0lB9-w/s400/currantjam2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/August2010?feat=embedwebsite">August 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
Greetings from Utah, where the farmers' markets yield gorgeous fruits, including currants that look more like jewels than edibles. I bought three pounds of these locally grown, magical currants in red, black, and white, fully intending on eating them as is. Then, I was inspired to try making my own freezer jam using agave nectar instead of sugar.<br />
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I've read some blog posts on how to do it, but I wasn't sure how to make it work without pectin. I remembered reading once about how apples have their own pectin, and how my mixed fruit pies always benefited from a few chopped apples. <br />
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Keeping it very simple, I blended each pound of currants with half an apple and a plum (because they needed to be eaten). Then I scooped the fruit into a small saucepan with about 1/4 cup of agave nectar. I brought the mixture to a boil and simmered it for about 5 minutes before moving it to a container to cool for 5 minutes. Next, I froze the jam for 30 minutes before covering it and freezing it overnight.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5N2sIBZKX-glMKGejk01Ig?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj839kec_sVRR6SQ1UYoq32X61RQ5jPUEWakxeEcwT2wX_NYR3_WbX4MnsnNgiW0Z7G0HUXicRM6Au2pqfVYePvO5QBOghnfaHmFY4oszdTv4XLMmOEhYNtBTztiuGHTX6FR01-wvG4POU/s400/currantjam1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/August2010?feat=embedwebsite">August 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
I suppose you could strain the stuff prior to freezing it, especially if you really mind the seeds. But I was really looking forward to trying the jam. After letting the jam thaw in the fridge, I could see that it set up just like regular jam, but without all the work.<br />
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It's just sweet enough without spoiling the natural tartness of the currants. My favorite was the red -- ruby-colored jam that was a bit more tart than the others. I love it spooned over vanilla Rice Dream. It cuts the rich sweetness perfectly.<br />
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Now that I've made my own and discovered how simple it is, I won't be buying unsweetened fruit spreads any more!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-21784196624636461862010-08-01T20:16:00.000-04:002010-08-01T20:16:40.842-04:00More Fruit-Filled Delights<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Jw6Zopz9_LXIbl8UWV1ZmQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DeMB0d4rvLF0NYQCl0b30IA08QtkgVWC_B9LO9LhAUoYWvCQRH1nWU1iBAnLtPYsGxbiUGzoM9k-OGp0sW1n_eKxbtLFqEV9b4WnZGNKiQobx-4aSqKU6L4GXApeVN7pyRQffS195dY/s400/muselipie3.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/July2010?feat=embedwebsite">July 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
I'm calling this one the Muesli Pie. It's an experiment of sorts that turned out to be much tastier than I thought it would be.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vQUVqoRhugAq2XwKZG3Jbw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8ok_bruFgEl7h60Jf5IYZCxDiXvt3Kj367voYnmSFOEl5cjS-OgfOXMR_QIvK_eUXz_c5WUprYqCT7XiTioVh8tQl-n6D1LWqMVzC3qR-2RZVVpSA5JbPYKMZkWNtKRa6zQ6bFIp-_Y/s400/muselipie4.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/July2010?feat=embedwebsite">July 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
I started by chopping up a cup and a half of muesli in an attachment to the immersion blender. Moving that to a bowl, I mixed in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and about 3 tablespoons of agave nectar until I had a good crumble going. Then, I patted down a layer of the crumble into the bottom of the pie dish.<br />
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I didn't think I'd have enough crumb for the top, so I mixed in about 2/3 cup of unbleached white flour and a bit more oil and agave nectar to moisten the mixture.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2grFOdyDgr1H4SevrYBxHQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7Jni9uCo3-Uu0pJYO6FnXrVn1LHzSpX2xyQDxTMtRRoDBc8ejfC9a2ZBV1xmLL41OosZmsCWkMGE_C2MP5YfIwd4j4XXoI_G0aXBMiq68aHDoSgi310yJeT0r1vevr7Lj-E-LjVZED8/s400/muselipie5.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/July2010?feat=embedwebsite">July 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
I chopped up a green apple, a peach, some strawberries, a handful of Ranier cherries, and some black raspberries, and tossed in some blueberries for good measure. I loaded up the pie plate with the fruit and pressed the crumb mixture onto the top of the pie. <br />
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I baked it until it was light golden brown (I probably could have baked it about 10 more minutes) at 325 degrees F, for fear of burning the agave nectar.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NVQiby0SmKVb6St1bqpdTQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ICc1stUC4uZl0p5YDPdWnlcfmzEHivtSef3mVTzo8QxL7bzTxwLdC8aWwO5lsq_HS1HhNnqicKXTViGMmepyYWhg4NW2N-ySdzL-JlhLWzqVr7jt3plVD-PXxrYORZ_NVFbuSkh52wo/s400/muselipie2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/July2010?feat=embedwebsite">July 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
It's crunchy and nutty from the seeds and nuts in the muesli, and just sweet enough from the agave nectar (I erred on the less-is-more side because the cereal had dates and raisins in it), and just tart and wet enough from the fruit. <br />
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Next time, more fruit, less crumble, and a longer baking time to make the blueberries burst.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-61664714116261004842010-07-11T22:13:00.000-04:002010-07-11T22:13:02.779-04:00Winner Innards (But I vote no on phyllo)<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FGis43euFmPYLK9O25pfMw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5ts68H08OxqO6iDdpZJuawRSqtxBEdmXZc483WXAThzmA0_n93uD86Zz_VJk9U_E031wYKTPq-rWvtBFcdqVbW9g0uZ-Qmvh0RDBx83OlTEqK4SrH2BpKxJTyIjm2DfzhD01fo_c7Fc/s400/applesinphyllo1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/July2010?feat=embedwebsite">July 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
Over the July 4th weekend, I tried a recipe in a new book by Neal Barnard, called The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=hereandther0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0738213586&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>. The recipe I tried was "Baked Apples in Phyllo Dough." <br />
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Since I'm out in Utah at the moment, I had a tough time with the phyllo (Utah's a desert, so it was rough going trying to keep it pliable). But I'm game, so I tried the recipe. Just so you know, I didn't quite follow the directions concerning the innards, but I did follow the folding instructions (which I'd recommend not following given the outcome of the extra-thick, many-layered, dry bottom). First, I cut up two apples (the recommended ones were Jonathan or Rome, but I used Granny Smith because they're such tasty apples when baked), then I mixed in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons of raisins, and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (because the spices used were all in my pumpkin pie spice). <br />
<br />
Then I drizzled 2 tablespoons of agave nectar over the mixture and mixed it until well incorporated. Next came the folding, which I won't repeat here. What I will do is suggest that you leave out the phyllo and just cook the stuff in a small, covered casserole dish in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or cook it on top of the stove until the apples are just soft. Then, spoon the tasty filling over your favorite vegan frozen dessert (I like Vanilla Rice Dream for this). <br />
<br />
Other options: substitute fruit-sweetened cranberries and toasted almonds instead of the raisins and walnuts; add a little vanilla or orange juice for flavor; make a vegan pie shell, then triple this recipe and use it as a pie filling. <br />
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As you can see from the photo, there's quite a surplus of phyllo dough under the fruit packet. But the innards were lovely. I recommend using as little of the agave nectar as possible, since my testers and I thought the end result was a bit sweet.<br />
<br />
Overall, there are some pretty interesting recipes and great menu ideas toward the back of the book. There are some ideas I disagree with in the front of the book, but Dr. Barnard's heart's in the right place when he tries to convince folks that vegan choices are great for losing weight and adding more vitamins and nutrients to their diets.Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-74093267236871955142010-05-06T12:43:00.000-04:002010-05-06T12:43:00.248-04:00Good News and Slightly Bad NewsMy Altered Plates friends, I'm about to become one of those people who say, "I've got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?"<br />
<br />
Since I typically rip the bandage off all at once, here's the "bad" (not bad, really, just not great for fans of this blog) news -- Altered Plates will be on hiatus for the next few months. <br />
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Why? Well, that's where the good news starts. A couple of months ago, I applied for a short-term, very cool position at a great museum, and landed the gig. Yay! So, while I focus my energies on living the exciting life of a working archivist, I'll be taking a break from baking and making homemade desserts. <br />
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In the meantime, I'll resurrect my other blog, <a href="http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com">Here and There,</a> with periodic updates and photos of the upcoming adventure. John keeps calling it an adventure, and he tends to be right about these things, so I've adopted his name for it. Frankly, I'm just so excited and grateful for the opportunity that I sometimes forget it's going to be great fun. <br />
<br />
Yesterday, in my last cataloging class, the professor asked how many of us were graduating. About 7 of us raised our hands. Then she asked how many of us had a job. No one raised a hand (I was so caught up in seeing what folks said that I forgot to raise my hand!). All that to say, I'm very fortunate to land even this short-term work in today's iffy job market.<br />
<br />
I'll miss my experiments in food chemistry, but I hope that you'll check in with me on my grand adventure now and then on <a href="http://hereandthere123.blogspot.com">Here and There</a>. Until then, I hope you all have a marvelous summer!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-53597691391414026632010-04-20T12:05:00.000-04:002010-04-20T12:05:24.070-04:00The Perfect Vegan Scoop (again)This post originally ran on Oct. 22, 2007. Even after time, the recipe still stands up.Also, if you don't have Mimicreme, you can use coconut milk.<br />
<h3 class="post-title"> <a href="http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2007/10/perfect-vegan-scoop.html">The Perfect Vegan Scoop</a> </h3><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928267797521922"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZnKCnZgI/AAAAAAAACRg/0TSQ3SfINl4/s400/DSCF1714.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
This is a double review of sorts, although not so much a review of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/1580088082">"The Perfect Scoop,"</a> as much as a confirmation of its recipes' flexibility. I was able to completely veganize and make a carob version of David Lebovitz's "Chocolate Ice Cream, Philadelphia Style" without much of a fuss at all. More importantly, I was able to produce a rich, fudgy carob ice cream that is just about the tastiest dessert I've had in a while.<br />
<br />
To do this, I used <a href="http://www.mimicreme.com/">Mimicreme</a>, a new non-soy, non-dairy cream substitute and almond milk for the dairy products. According to <a href="http://www.mimicreme.com/nutritional.html">the Mimicreme site</a>, the ingredients of the unsweetened version I used comprise: Purified Water, Almonds, Cashews, Bicarbonate Soda, Rice Starch, and Salt. After trying this recipe, I have to say that for the ice cream trial, Mimicreme lived up to its promises. I plan to try it in different applications soon since I have a bit of it left over from this recipe. Any requests for trial recipes??<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928065934058882"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZbaCnZYI/AAAAAAAACQc/hfZKmTcMXEs/s400/DSCF1703.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
At first, I had my doubts about Mimicreme since it appeared so gray.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928087408895378"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZcqCnZZI/AAAAAAAACQo/p41jyuehvis/s400/DSCF1704.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
But, I poured out some almond milk and saw that it was around the same hue, and I realized that the color would be completely carob-y when all was said and done. Thus, I stopped fretting about Mimicreme.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928117473666466"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZeaCnZaI/AAAAAAAACQw/TZoinxlij5s/s400/DSCF1705.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
One of the primary reasons this recipe is so rich and fudgy is that it contains both carob powder (Dutch process cocoa in the original) as well as unsweetened carob chips. It's a pretty easy recipe, and the most time consuming part of it is waiting for the mixture to chill before freezing it in the ice cream maker. That always takes too long for my taste, so it's best to make it before going to bed, so you can chill your soon-to-be vegan frozen delight over night.<br />
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Here's the recipe as I made it:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br />
<br />
2 1/4 cups Mimicreme<br />
6 tablespoons sifted carob powder<br />
3/4 cup agave nectar<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
6 oz unsweetened carob chips<br />
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla paste<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span>:<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together the Mimicreme, carob powder, agave nectar, and salt in a large saucepan, heating until it just boils.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928151833404850"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZgaCnZbI/AAAAAAAACQ4/JosXpTo63Rs/s400/DSCF1706.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
2. Cut the heat and whisk in the carob chips until they melt completely. Make sure you use a silicone spatula to get the carob that might stick in the corners of your saucepan.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928177603208642"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZh6CnZcI/AAAAAAAACRA/gjg09EzE8lU/s400/DSCF1707.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
3. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until completely incorporated.<br />
4. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the mixture until completely smooth. (I used an immersion blender, but I poured my mixture into the container I would chill it in before blending.)<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928199078045138"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZjKCnZdI/AAAAAAAACRI/A7TP68FsPdo/s400/DSCF1708.jpg" /></a><br />
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5. Chill the mixture for at least 6 hours.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928216257914338"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZkKCnZeI/AAAAAAAACRQ/6x461r9jbu8/s400/DSCF1710.jpg" /></a><br />
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6. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928242027718130"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZlqCnZfI/AAAAAAAACRY/VWVKvtc7OQk/s400/DSCF1712.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
7. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/PerfectVeganScoopNaanChannaSaagCornbread/photo#5123928267797521922"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/debra.schiff/RxvZnKCnZgI/AAAAAAAACRg/0TSQ3SfINl4/s400/DSCF1714.jpg" /></a>Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-41916825532888784342010-04-13T14:31:00.002-04:002010-04-13T14:31:31.561-04:00Agave MythBuster at MadhavaIf you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check out Madhava's newest resource on agave nectar, <a href="http://www.agavemythbuster.com/2010/04/madhavas-agave-nectar-clearing-things.html">Agave MythBuster</a>. Go now, tell your friends!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-19267045748793355562010-04-11T08:22:00.000-04:002010-04-11T08:22:17.025-04:00Light As Air Cherry Fig Not-ins<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q56anKrajFwVkzZm525YvA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_Yaetmz9AvM00jshUUgf3f87MtSfBlr0wKL_aQagStizjg7ZJ6zcEQwo2TRMRmlFIs0h7mmsMgiXhuvirREzMJAPo9fcFwTus2L7MvV2N06AdT-2SrLkugiLlAsPdgSfyxUp8KCtxQM/s400/fignotins4.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/April2010Photos?feat=embedwebsite">April 2010 photos</a></td></tr></table>As I've said many times, one of my favorite cookbooks is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Vegan with a Vengeance</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1569243581" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. My copy is well worn, especially on pages I've used to make Altered Plates versions of dishes. I've also started to write my alterations on the pages because the slips of paper with my notes sometimes slip out or I make additional changes later.<br />
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In the photo above, you can see the outcome of my tinkering with Isa's Fig Not-ins. In my youth, I ate my share of Fig Newtons. These were quite different from the dense cookie of my past. My agave-nectar sweetened cookies were light and fluffy, more cakey than cookie, but lovely. <br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1RRa3MiR5NwymgkdHMJaFg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhwbT2XhYUdEqOlX3OeO24a2NlXxyr0iNmk75Lweg_SkNo-gO_rn7mq0OpmGSt_JDh3s2IhkNlY5L9bXIFS26r0rDBqrrVPud_ySa5xbNzM4nvJQw4usxaNTQnNQW7VEUSdrQbRoKbmg/s400/fignotins2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/April2010Photos?feat=embedwebsite">April 2010 photos</a></td></tr></table><br />
Because my version uses agave nectar, I was very careful about not letting them brown too much. I'm going to continue to noodle with these a bit because I read on Isa's blog that you could use the dough to make Hamantaschen. My dough was way too wet for that, and I'd like to use coconut oil instead of the shortening to achieve a more butter-like result (however coconutty it may taste).<br />
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The cookies have a definite vanilla flavor, but the filling is king. The cherries add a great fruity flavor, while the figs and dates pull it down to earth. These cookies make an excellent light dessert for a big meal or a nice snack on their own.<br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C18QqtGVe9ePWL3NgFIQEg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NVKzxI5iGWNJkYcsNJEG_H20HrzNKBrBb9BWxfwveXEL-7VNkXnNxDJ7a8uBXXePTc0Rwn62vdY6HmXW4rrSl-4p7FTG3xPlGATR-zfNi3eYVv8QCEwXAsCESlO0IDnsKqPf-3ohtg8/s400/fignotins3.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/April2010Photos?feat=embedwebsite">April 2010 photos</a></td></tr></table><br />
The upskirt view (can you use that on other descriptions than pizza?) shows how light and cakey this bar cookie is.<br />
<br />
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iqXE3Cb6FiPB8sBXT1Jgwg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLrvaQ-xKnpfvRjiitG8EZaJluq6V9bKsnkvI95TJbRZyDuIaUfl8n5gy2b-OrsUNVX30tFTnGtZFBd-urefwEAkRUMu3m_OzhMklI_4Dx-IpSCeko9dWNLH13f76tSqP8PLPij9iV28/s400/fignotins1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/April2010Photos?feat=embedwebsite">April 2010 photos</a></td></tr></table><br />
Here's a really nice shot of the filling. I used organic Turkish figs and organic Medjool dates from the co-op combined with my favorite dark sweet cherries from Trader Joe's, and omitted the lemon zest. I also used considerably less sweetener overall because the fruit was sweet enough. The most important step here is the blending. I added this because the filling was way too chunky otherwise. As you can see from the photo, I didn't quite divide my dough evenly between the top and bottom, so you might want to do this better than I did (although it didn't affect how tasty these were at all).<br />
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Another cookie I used to enjoy as a kid was raisin bars. My mom would by these flat packages of cellophane wrapped bars with a wavy score between each cookie (making them about 3 in. long once separated from their brothers). I'd like to try to replicate those, and will work on that over the summer.<br />
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Here is the recipe as I made it, greatly inspired by the Fig Not-ins recipe on page 202 of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581?ie=UTF8&tag=hereandther0f-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Vegan with a Vengeance</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hereandther0f-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1569243581" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" />. <br />
<br />
<b>Cherry Fig Not-ins</b><br />
Yield: 24 big cookies or 36 small cookies<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries (unsweetened), chopped<br />
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped<br />
3/4 cup dried Turkish figs, chopped<br />
1 cup filtered water<br />
2 tablespoons agave nectar<br />
<br />
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine<br />
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening<br />
1/2 cup agave nectar<br />
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder<br />
1/4 cup almond milk<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b>:<br />
1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir while you heat it to medium.<br />
2. When it starts to bubble, turn off the heat and either use an immersion blender (my choice, but be careful!) or a regular blender to blend all the big chunks out of the mixture. Set the filling aside to cool.<br />
3. With a mixer in a large bowl, whip the fats with the agave nectar for at least 3 minutes, until they are well combined. <br />
4. Mix in the arrowroot, almond milk, and vanilla until well combined. It will look a bit curdle-y, but that's alright.<br />
5. In a separate bowl or a large measuring cup, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until all are incorporated. <br />
6. Add the dry ingredients to wet mixture to form a light dough. <br />
7. With well-floured hands on a well-floured surface, form the dough into a ball and split it into two. Wrap each dough ball in plastic and let it rest and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.<br />
8. When the dough has cooled, take it out of the fridge and its wrapping, and flour a large piece of parchment paper, your hands, and your rolling pin. Take one of the dough halves and roll it until it is about 9 x 15 inches. You can leave this on the parchment paper because it will be your bottom layer. Place this layer on a cookie sheet (I used a pan with 1 in. sides just in case the filling oozed, which it didn't). Roll out your top layer the same way, but set it aside for a moment.<br />
9. Spread the filling thickly, but evenly on top of the bottom layer in the pan.<br />
10. Here's the tricky part, take your top layer, still on the parchment paper, and turn it paper side up on top of the filling layer. Then, gently peel the paper off the top layer.<br />
11. With a pizza cutter, or a sharp, long knife, cut the cookies into the size bars you wish. Do not separate them now. It just makes them super-easy to cut once they are baked.<br />
12. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. When the oven is at temperature, bake the cookies for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned. <br />
13. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then using the edges of the parchment paper, lift the entire batch out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool for an hour before cutting along the same lines you made earlier. Separate the cookies, then let them cool completely.<br />
14. Enjoy!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-11023062041371611652010-04-07T08:48:00.000-04:002010-04-07T08:48:02.870-04:00Summer Is Here (a bit too early for my liking)With temperatures in the high 80s, you'll definitely want something cool and refreshing for dessert. Dipping back into my archives, I found just the thing from June 1, 2009, one of my favorite dishes of last year:<br />
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<h3 class="post-title"> <a href="http://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-anis-raw-food-desserts.html">Book Review: Ani's Raw Food Desserts</a> </h3><table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Zxdx5OtCOB6XnCKCecAEEw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjK_sawuEMJre0aI6CrBd6uJA3RDOAH1SXHxY5z4mHglXqcEz05KB-ZAkXJZp0Pm2Ynorg51YqAw1fTGimKEKqcsrgKj37WSvoiGRH5Me10ppvVZGldnO6Srf4NazqAdobTK8nPzJ5GU8/s400/DSCF3042.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/June2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">June 2009 photos</a></td></tr>
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Is that food porny enough for you? You're practically inside this luscious, tropically flavored, raw, vegan dessert fresh from the pages of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anis-Raw-Food-Desserts-Delectable/dp/0738213063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233887098&sr=8-1">Ani's Raw Food Desserts</a>. Her Pineapple Icebox Dessert is like a vegan pineapple cheese cake, but way better because the cream is made from cashews, agave nectar, and coconut oil. It's definitely the best cold, non-ice cream dessert I've had in a year. <br />
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It's just in time for summer and a perfect bring-along for a party. Although you'll need to pack it in lots of cold packs or ice inside a cooler because this really needs to be kept cold (otherwise it starts losing cohesiveness).<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FdlsNqH2WHZD2AGPT3q9mA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxw9yM61AErSPvgq09RkT_6oj4wCEXx7KlBBRniC7M-ZREBjIyQJEgLEWVZt3z8jfsolKIgURHRHkKRvlAhRuj3N_Pdw0lp0yEAM34BS9jYvoDiqpHHymyNM1cWG37ABURcuEnn7xOMk/s400/DSCF3041.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/June2009Photos?feat=embedwebsite">June 2009 photos</a></td></tr>
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An important thing to remember about this tasty raw dish is that you can serve small portions of it and still be the hit of the party. The Pineapple Icebox Dessert is rich from all the cashews and coconut oil, but the pineapple cuts right through it. While my friend <a href="http://socialfunk.com/Jack.html">John Leary</a> and I dined on this delectable dessert, I thought aloud about making it with strawberries instead of pineapple. I'm sure it would be equally fantastic. <br />
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Just a note about the topping and crust -- I didn't think there was enough, especially in proportion to the pineapple cream. In the future, I'd make more of that and less of the cream. (Although I did double the recipe and put it into a large container rather than the loaf pan she recommends.)<br />
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My review comes after the recipe below.<br />
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From the book Ani’s Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009. Find out more at <a href="http://www.dacapopresscookbooks.com/">www.dacapopresscookbooks.com</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pineapple Icebox Dessert</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Crust</span>:<br />
2 cups cashews<br />
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract<br />
2 tablespoons agave syrup<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Filling</span>:<br />
1 1/2 cups cashews<br />
1/3 cup agave syrup<br />
1/4 cup liquid coconut oil<br />
1/4 cup filtered water, as needed<br />
2 1/2 cups chopped cored pineapple<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span>:<br />
(In her format, not my usual numbered steps.)<br />
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To make the crust, combine the cashews and vanilla in the food processor and chop to a crushed wafer texture. Add the agave syrup and process to mix well. Sprinkle half of the crust onto the bottom of a loaf pan.<br />
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To make the filling, combine the cashews, agave syrup, and coconut oil in the high-speed blender and blend until smooth, adding water as needed to create a creamy texture. Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl, add the pineapple, and stir to mix well. Spoon the filling into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining crust on top. Pat lightly. Freeze for 2 hours or until chilled.<br />
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Will keep for 4 to 6 days in the fridge or for several weeks in the freezer. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Review</span><br />
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The minute I saw Ani's book, I felt that there was something familiar about it. It reminded me so much of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a> that I had to do a side-by-side comparison. The two books are so similar that I looked to see if it was the same designer (it wasn't). Was Ani enamored by Isa and Terry's little book that could? Did they talk to each other about it, I wondered out loud. John (my John, not Leary above) wondered about the legal implications. [Update April 7, 2010, turns out they were published by the same group.]<br />
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I'm sure there's nothing nefarious about this lovely, little raw cookbook. It just greatly resembles VCTOTW in format and style. I just have to be careful about where I put this on the shelf -- especially when I'm looking to make cupcakes. <br />
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As far as the recipes go, many are very easily made and look fantastic. I'm going to try carob-ing up the Lavender Chocolate Bars because the photos are drool-worthy. <br />
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Overall, if you are in the habit of trying new desserts or want to further your foray into the raw food world, this is definitely the dessert cookbook for you. There are plenty of photos and loads of tips, so you won't get lost at all.<br />
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[Update April 7, 2010, I'm nearing the light at the end of the tunnel with my work from school. Expect a new recipe within the week!]Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-31408276109734871062010-03-27T11:22:00.000-04:002010-03-27T11:22:19.955-04:00Happy PassoverHello friends! This entry originally ran on April 20, 2008. Hope you enjoy your festive holidays!<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/debra.schiff/AgaveCookiesCrackerBarrelCoconutMacaroonsGardenApril2008/photo#5191279973529245058"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/debra.schiff/SAshoZ_PVYI/AAAAAAAADeI/ovMnEm007D0/s400/DSCF2180.jpg" /></a><br />
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Yes, once again, it's time to <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-chunk-macaroons?autonomy_kw=coconut%20macaroons&rsc=header_12">remake Martha's macaroons</a>. Since it's such a simple recipe, I started off with a plain version (well, not so plain, as I'll explain below) for 1/3 of the recipe, then I added chopped, unsweetened carob chips after I'd scooped out a pan and one half, and finally, I added 1/4 cup of carob powder to the remaining mixture. The resulting macaroons were moist, with a very special flavor, thanks to <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/landing.jsp?go=DetailDefault&id=1546">Fiore di Sicilia</a>. <br />
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I tripled the recipe, but my substitutions below apply directly to the original measurements for your ease of use:<br />
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1. 2/3 cup of agave for the 3/4 cup of sugar<br />
2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F4D5I0">Organic lite unsweetened shredded coconut</a> for the regular kind (it's much more finely shredded, too!)<br />
3. Chopped, unsweetened carob chips for the chocolate<br />
4. 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia for the vanilla<br />
5. I used a teaspoon-sized cookie scoop instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture to make my macaroons. This way, they're truly bite sized. <br />
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The Fiori di Sicilia did magic things to the macaroons. It made the carob ones taste just like dark chocolate! It also gave the non-carob chip/powder variety a lovely orange flavor that you just can't get from orange zest. <br />
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These moist little clumps of coconut went over well at Passover last night. And, I'm bringing more to a party this afternoon. Tripling the recipe allows you about three days' worth of desserts to bring with you to seders. Best of all, this recipe is really a no-brainer and takes only the time to mix, bake, and cool. It's definitely one of my go-to Altered Plates.<br />
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Special tip: What the recipe doesn't tell you is that you should let the macaroons cool a bit on the baking sheet parchment paper prior to moving them to cooling racks. This way, you'll have less of a chance of crumpling the little guys.<br />
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For those celebrating, I wish you a meaningful and happy Passover!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266466235283873006.post-18288391587214964052010-03-20T13:42:00.000-04:002010-03-20T13:42:06.446-04:00Spring Break and My BirthdayThis past Monday marked another birthday for me as well as the beginning of spring break at school. Some friends on Facebook asked who was making my cake, and I had to say "no one" because 1. it was true, and 2. I hadn't planned on baking anything that day. However, I did enjoy a breakfast of pancakes (topped with agave nectar) with John. So, I had a little cake, as it were.<br />
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Since then, I've been splitting my semester break between homework and projects for school and enjoying the fabulous weather. Yesterday, Tanya and I ventured into NYC for a day on the town. We couldn't have asked for a sunnier spring-like day. We started at the Museum of Art and Design, where there was a truly remarkable cut paper exhibit (you must go see it, if you're in town).<br />
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One of the highlights of the trip was dining at <a href="http://www.angelicakitchen.com/">Angelica Kitchen</a> on fantastic vegan fare and sharing the best dessert I've had in ages. I confess that it was probably sweetened with maple syrup, but once in a while, I can splurge. It was an apple blueberry crumble pie that was perfect in every way. I'm going to try to duplicate their artistry at home using agave nectar carefully, because the best thing about this pie was that we could taste all of the flavors. It was sweetened very lightly, and spiced even more judiciously. It will take great restraint to recreate this delectable delight. But I'm up for the task.<br />
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In the meantime, you might note that my blogging will be a bit uneven. I begin volunteer work in the Plainfield Public Library's archives on Monday as well as work on a pretty intensive project in the Rutgers University archives later in the week -- in addition to my regular schedule of stuff. Oh, and then there's Passover, so no leaven-y baking for me from the end of March through the beginning of April.<br />
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All that to say, you may see some seasonally appropriate previously-posted items during the next 7 weeks (in addition to original material) while I endeavor to end the semester and graduate on a high note. Until then, enjoy spring!Deb Schiffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930921557637227921noreply@blogger.com0