And that is why I'm posting it here. Purely selfish reason of wanting to type it out and re-digest it. I've read That Hideous Strength (the third book in the C.S. Lewis space trilogy) before, but it was early on in marriage. There are sections of this book (as I think with most Lewis books) that speak directly to marriage in a way that is probably akin to "convicting" but feels something more positive than that. Of course, me in my prideful quest to attain knowledge of all kinds am often energized when I read something that rings bells of truth. Something that's so solid I can feel it, have surely experienced some aspect of it-likely failing at whatever concept I've come across. This is one of those passages in a "sci-fi" book that speaks to the reality of love in marriage that I imagine most, if not every, married couple comes across. I have said similar things as Jane: "I suppose our marriage was just a mistake". I've felt similar abstract contempt for my husband. And on a few very rare occasions I've heeded to obedience and experienced a growth in love as a result. I wish I was more motivated to repeat that pattern in the moments where the challenge to love him presents itself, but all the motivation in the world seems to fail me more often than not. Anyhow, here it is.
"Child," said the Director, " it is not a question of how you or I look on marriage, but how my Masters look on it."
"Someone said they were very old fashioned. But-"
"That was a joke. They are not old fashioned; but they are very, very old."
"They would never think of finding out first whether Mark and I believed in their ideas of marriage?"
"Well-no," said the Director with a curious smile." No. Quite definitely they wouldn't think of doing that."
"And would it make no difference to them what a marriage was actually like-whether it was a success? Whether the woman loved her husband?"
Jane had not exactly intended to say this; much less to say it in the cheaply pathetic tone with, it now seemed to her, she had used. Hating herself, and fearing the Director's silence, she added, "But I suppose you will say I oughtn't to have told you that."
"My dear child, " said the Director, "you have been telling me that ever since your husband was mentioned."
"Does it make no difference?"
"I suppose," said the Director, it would depened on how he lost your love.
Jane was silent. Though she could not tell the Director the truth, and indeed, did not know it herself, yet when she tried to explore her inarticulate grievance against Mark, a novel sense of her own injustice and even of pity for her husband, arose in her mind. And her heart sank, for now it seemed to her that this conversation, to which she had vaguely looked for some sort of deliverance from all problems was in fact involving her in new ones.
"It was not his fault," she said at last. "I suppose our marriage was just a mistake."
The Director said nothing.
"What would you-what would the people you are talking of-say about a case like that?"
"I will tell you if you really want to know," said the Director.
"Please,"said Jane reluctantly.
"They would say," he answered, "that you do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but have lost love because you never attempted obedience."
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Cauliflower basil pasta
Yep, that sounds weird from the get go. Truly, I think cauliflower is massively underestimated in the vegetable world. It's a superfantastic "filler" veggie that has a mild flavor and willingly takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it with. It contains many of the same nutrients that its relative, broccoli, does, including loads of B vitamins,phosphorus, and potassium. Learn to like it. Not with ranch dip though...that's like putting on a raincoat and then punching holes in it before you go out in the storm.
As usual, I end up creating different foods because I look at the clock and realize it's time to make dinner, and then look in the fridge and realize I'm terrible at meal planning and coordinating grocery shopping with recipes. So...it's a mess of pulling together what I have laying around. Thankfully, fresh and frozen veggies are usually on hand, as well as pasta. The never failing pasta. We alternate between some gluten free multigrain varieties (I'm still working out my frustrating at the gluten allergy trend and truth that I think we shouldn't inhale wheat), whole grain wheat-based, and the basic vegetable infused kind that are multicolored and really flavorful. I had whole grain penne on hand, as well as a 1/4 box of some vegetable infused frilly looking noodle (sorry, I am just fluent in noodle names). I mixed them so we would have leftovers.
Ok I'm sure this sounds like a novella version of a recipe, but please realize I don't measure things, and have to run through the actual process to remember the ingredients because I round them up as I go along. I'll try to be more conventional from here on out.
INGREDIENTS:
olive oil (between 2-4 T I'd say, just have the bottle available to add as you go)
3-5 garlic cloves, minced (depends how much you love garlic...I definitely used 5, though some were small)
white wine (cooking wine for the recipe...though I was drinking white wine while cooking)
15 (ha ok that's an arbitrary guess...but its around there) fresh basil leaves, slightly torn into pieces
cauliflower, cut or broken into smallish pieces without a lot of stem-probably 1 1/2-2 C worth? I
suppose you could use a bag of frozen cauliflower if you wanted to.
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, mostly drained
sliced black olives (i used canned, and didn't completely drain them)-close to a 1/4 C
1/2 C or so of fresh spinach leaves, torn-feel free to use more of this.
10 or so cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
coarse sea salt-maybe 1/4 teaspoon?
HOW TO:
I began by heating a tablespoon or two of olive oil and adding the garlic. I don't brown the garlic, just pull the flavor out of it. Only takes a minute or two. I added the basil leaves and cauliflower, mixed them around to coat them with the oil (you can add more here...don't worry, it's a healthy fat, and the only fat in this dish!), and then added a small bit of the white wine. Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan to help cook things through and avoid early browning. I let these things simmer, so to say, for several minutes, allowing the basil to flavor the cauliflower and most of the wine to be absorbed. When the cauliflower showed signs of browning (which is good-I like to brown it a small bit) I added the artichokes and olives. The small amount of liquid I included from these two canned items helped to keep things juicy but not soaked. I know, that's not very exact. I added some sea salt around this time and then let this mixture cook for a couple minutes before adding the spinach and cherry tomatoes. I do stir things often to make sure all the veggies are evenly coated and exposed to the basil and garlic. I also added some more olive oil once or twice (small bit at a time, like a tablespoon).
Dishes like this, where the flavor sinks in over time, I like to let set on a super low heat setting for 5 or 10 minutes until the dinner table is set, pasta is cooked, etc.
When your pasta is ready, you only need to coat it with enough olive oil to prevent sticking, or butter or whatever you like to use. I think I sprayed mine with canola and tossed it around a bit. Plop some noodles on a plate, and plop the cauliflower etc mixture on top, and mix, don't mix, whatever works. Add salt and pepper to taste, and learn the potential of cauliflower.
I must admit I'm always slightly nervous that these randomly created dishes won't turn out as well when I try to pass them along as "recipes"...I worry I forgot to list an ingredient I added without thinking or something. So good luck....it's pasta, it can't go all that wrong, right?
As usual, I end up creating different foods because I look at the clock and realize it's time to make dinner, and then look in the fridge and realize I'm terrible at meal planning and coordinating grocery shopping with recipes. So...it's a mess of pulling together what I have laying around. Thankfully, fresh and frozen veggies are usually on hand, as well as pasta. The never failing pasta. We alternate between some gluten free multigrain varieties (I'm still working out my frustrating at the gluten allergy trend and truth that I think we shouldn't inhale wheat), whole grain wheat-based, and the basic vegetable infused kind that are multicolored and really flavorful. I had whole grain penne on hand, as well as a 1/4 box of some vegetable infused frilly looking noodle (sorry, I am just fluent in noodle names). I mixed them so we would have leftovers.
Ok I'm sure this sounds like a novella version of a recipe, but please realize I don't measure things, and have to run through the actual process to remember the ingredients because I round them up as I go along. I'll try to be more conventional from here on out.
INGREDIENTS:
olive oil (between 2-4 T I'd say, just have the bottle available to add as you go)
3-5 garlic cloves, minced (depends how much you love garlic...I definitely used 5, though some were small)
white wine (cooking wine for the recipe...though I was drinking white wine while cooking)
15 (ha ok that's an arbitrary guess...but its around there) fresh basil leaves, slightly torn into pieces
cauliflower, cut or broken into smallish pieces without a lot of stem-probably 1 1/2-2 C worth? I
suppose you could use a bag of frozen cauliflower if you wanted to.
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, mostly drained
sliced black olives (i used canned, and didn't completely drain them)-close to a 1/4 C
1/2 C or so of fresh spinach leaves, torn-feel free to use more of this.
10 or so cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
coarse sea salt-maybe 1/4 teaspoon?
HOW TO:
I began by heating a tablespoon or two of olive oil and adding the garlic. I don't brown the garlic, just pull the flavor out of it. Only takes a minute or two. I added the basil leaves and cauliflower, mixed them around to coat them with the oil (you can add more here...don't worry, it's a healthy fat, and the only fat in this dish!), and then added a small bit of the white wine. Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan to help cook things through and avoid early browning. I let these things simmer, so to say, for several minutes, allowing the basil to flavor the cauliflower and most of the wine to be absorbed. When the cauliflower showed signs of browning (which is good-I like to brown it a small bit) I added the artichokes and olives. The small amount of liquid I included from these two canned items helped to keep things juicy but not soaked. I know, that's not very exact. I added some sea salt around this time and then let this mixture cook for a couple minutes before adding the spinach and cherry tomatoes. I do stir things often to make sure all the veggies are evenly coated and exposed to the basil and garlic. I also added some more olive oil once or twice (small bit at a time, like a tablespoon).
Dishes like this, where the flavor sinks in over time, I like to let set on a super low heat setting for 5 or 10 minutes until the dinner table is set, pasta is cooked, etc.
When your pasta is ready, you only need to coat it with enough olive oil to prevent sticking, or butter or whatever you like to use. I think I sprayed mine with canola and tossed it around a bit. Plop some noodles on a plate, and plop the cauliflower etc mixture on top, and mix, don't mix, whatever works. Add salt and pepper to taste, and learn the potential of cauliflower.
Ok...it's been over a year...
Well, obviously I'm the world's worst blogger. The reality is I just don't sit still most days anymore because I am not paid to be at a desk. By the time I can sit still, it leads to falling asleep. But alas, I will give this another try due to requests for recipes. I did get somewhat excited about it after making dinner and some interesting cookies today. I'll try to keep that enthusiasm going...maybe once a week or something. I'll rely on the friends who requested this to pester me regularly about it. That should keep me moving....
First up is the cookie recipe. I modified a recipe someone else created, which was originally designed around peanut butter, cranberries and cashews. We avoid peanuts and all tree nuts for my daughter (which may...cross all fingers and pray....actually not be allergic to all tree nuts. we'll find out in a couple of weeks...my mouth waters just thinking about eating almonds again) so I sort of just used the recipe for a base and modified the key ingredients. I must say I have greatly enjoyed the final result. It does produce a relatively cake-like cookie (as opposed to classic chocolate chip cookies that seem weighted down with butter-for the better of course), which may lead to eating more of them because they seem so light...yikes. With all of that unnecessary stuff said, here's what I came up with.
INGREDIENTS:
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t ground cinnamon (I may have used less since I was changing the overall "taste")
1/2 t baking soda
1 C mashed banana (about 2 good sized bananas)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C vegan butter substitute softened but not at room temp (recommend Earth Balance buttery sticks)
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/4 C sunbutter (sunflower seed spread)-this is where you could use whatever nutbutter you can eat
1 T vanilla coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1 t vanilla
3/4 C non-dairy chocolate chips
1/2 C shredded sweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 4 ingredients (helpful to use a whisk to properly sift) and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine the banana, brown sugar, vegan butter, granulated sugar, and sunbutter until smooth (I detest electric mixers so I mixed it by hand, but you could easily use an electric mixer for optimal texture). Mix in the coconut by hand once it's smooth. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Do the usual cookie thing from here...drop onto baking sheets, etc. First round took about 14-15 minutes to bake well, second round closer to 13.
The recipe I was "inspired by" suggested storing the cookies in the fridge, so perhaps that would be smart. Mine are sitting on the counter in a Tupperware container as I type this..hm...might have to go eat one and relocate them.
Good luck!
First up is the cookie recipe. I modified a recipe someone else created, which was originally designed around peanut butter, cranberries and cashews. We avoid peanuts and all tree nuts for my daughter (which may...cross all fingers and pray....actually not be allergic to all tree nuts. we'll find out in a couple of weeks...my mouth waters just thinking about eating almonds again) so I sort of just used the recipe for a base and modified the key ingredients. I must say I have greatly enjoyed the final result. It does produce a relatively cake-like cookie (as opposed to classic chocolate chip cookies that seem weighted down with butter-for the better of course), which may lead to eating more of them because they seem so light...yikes. With all of that unnecessary stuff said, here's what I came up with.
INGREDIENTS:
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t ground cinnamon (I may have used less since I was changing the overall "taste")
1/2 t baking soda
1 C mashed banana (about 2 good sized bananas)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C vegan butter substitute softened but not at room temp (recommend Earth Balance buttery sticks)
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/4 C sunbutter (sunflower seed spread)-this is where you could use whatever nutbutter you can eat
1 T vanilla coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1 t vanilla
3/4 C non-dairy chocolate chips
1/2 C shredded sweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 4 ingredients (helpful to use a whisk to properly sift) and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine the banana, brown sugar, vegan butter, granulated sugar, and sunbutter until smooth (I detest electric mixers so I mixed it by hand, but you could easily use an electric mixer for optimal texture). Mix in the coconut by hand once it's smooth. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Do the usual cookie thing from here...drop onto baking sheets, etc. First round took about 14-15 minutes to bake well, second round closer to 13.
The recipe I was "inspired by" suggested storing the cookies in the fridge, so perhaps that would be smart. Mine are sitting on the counter in a Tupperware container as I type this..hm...might have to go eat one and relocate them.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Best Banana Cake
I blame the dessert obsession on Jonathan (and his entire family!). However, I post a lot of dessert recipes because it's a "food category" that is inevitably loaded with milk and eggs, so we nearly always have to make them from scratch if we're looking to keep things Amaris safe. I know I'm supposed to post dinner ideas, but I guess I'm lazy with it because we don't make many "casseroles" or complicated dishes, so I forget to post simple things. I'll get on it eventually. Anyhow, this is a superb banana cake. I have strayed away from the vegan cream cheese icing recipes because I just don't think it turns out quite as well, so that may not be appealing to some since "traditionally" banana cake is iced with cream cheese icing. We mainly use homemade butter cream varieties, or if I am short on time (and butter), we'll buy a tub of the premade stuff by Pillsbury-many, many of these varieties are made without milk products. They're soy-based. With that said...this cake is fantastic, and would've been gone within 2 days at our house if Jonathan didn't leave a knife in the cake box that he had used to mince garlic with...I cannot handle garlic butter cream icing. He, however, did not seem deterred...I maintain, the dessert habits of our house hold are entirely his fault.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour (I don't suggest "healthifying" this one with whole wheat flour. suck it up...dessert just isn't super healthful)
2 t baking powder
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1 C mashed ripe bananas (about 2 decent sized)
1/2 C vegan butter substitute at room temperature (I highly recommend Earth Balance Buttery sticks)
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C soymilk (I may have used vanilla here, not sure)
2 t white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Oil and flour 2 8-inch cake pans. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, combine bananas and butter substitute, beat until creamy (either electric or by hand). Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in soymilk, vinegar and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined-don't overmix! Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown, toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.
This is the buttercream icing recipe I used:
1 3/4-2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C vegan butter substitute softened, but not at room temperature
1 t vanilla
a few teaspooons of non dairy milk to create the texture you're looking for
combine all ingredients and beat with electric mixer until fluffy, or throw it into a food processer (this is what the recipe suggests, though I have never done it...I go the electric mixer route). Note-I mess around with these quantities to create the texture and taste I'm looking for...so don't be too fussy about the exact measurements of ingredients here.
This icing is pretty firm, so I would suggest either making it right before you want to ice and eat the cake, or if you're making it ahead and refrigerating it (I usually do), let it set out at room temperature for a bit and then fluff it up (just by hand, with a spatula or something) before you start to ice the cake. Many of the vegan icing recipes don't hold up well for days on end, but this one was fine. We didn't refrigerate it either. You could try to use the cream cheese recipe I have posted with the carrot cake recipe...in which case you would be dealing with refrigeration.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour (I don't suggest "healthifying" this one with whole wheat flour. suck it up...dessert just isn't super healthful)
2 t baking powder
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1 C mashed ripe bananas (about 2 decent sized)
1/2 C vegan butter substitute at room temperature (I highly recommend Earth Balance Buttery sticks)
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C soymilk (I may have used vanilla here, not sure)
2 t white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Oil and flour 2 8-inch cake pans. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, combine bananas and butter substitute, beat until creamy (either electric or by hand). Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in soymilk, vinegar and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined-don't overmix! Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown, toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.
This is the buttercream icing recipe I used:
1 3/4-2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C vegan butter substitute softened, but not at room temperature
1 t vanilla
a few teaspooons of non dairy milk to create the texture you're looking for
combine all ingredients and beat with electric mixer until fluffy, or throw it into a food processer (this is what the recipe suggests, though I have never done it...I go the electric mixer route). Note-I mess around with these quantities to create the texture and taste I'm looking for...so don't be too fussy about the exact measurements of ingredients here.
This icing is pretty firm, so I would suggest either making it right before you want to ice and eat the cake, or if you're making it ahead and refrigerating it (I usually do), let it set out at room temperature for a bit and then fluff it up (just by hand, with a spatula or something) before you start to ice the cake. Many of the vegan icing recipes don't hold up well for days on end, but this one was fine. We didn't refrigerate it either. You could try to use the cream cheese recipe I have posted with the carrot cake recipe...in which case you would be dealing with refrigeration.
Amazing Pancakes
Breakfast may very well be our favorite meal of the day. We used to enjoy going out for omelets, french toast, pancakes, whatever. I still miss Nudy's Cafe near Eastern. Unfortunately, breakfast is definitely the most impossible meal to make "Amaris-safe". Eggs and milk are everywhere, in everything. We've found some acceptable recipes for pancakes and vegan french toast and the like, but I will be honest, they were not all that fantastic. This one, however, is perfect...could seriously sit in the place of a stack of buttermilk pancakes from a classy downtown breakfast cafe. We don't frequent Ihop or Waffle House so I can't use them as a comparison, but I'm guessing if you're up for cooking your own pancakes from scratch you likely are not big Ihop fans to begin with.
Obviously, they are best fresh, but if you let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container, they'll still be wonderful the next day-heat them up briefly in the microwave and them pop them in the toaster for a short bit to make keep some of the crispiness (unless you like them totally floppy and soft....). NOTE-this recipe uses Ener-G Egg Replacer powder. You can find it online easily, or at Wegmans, likely other places. It's very handy in scratch recipes, so if you're making the switch to egg-free baking, buy it.
INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour (your choice....I mix 1 C each of all-purpose and whole wheat)
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon (I'm pretty sure I used more than this...just dumped it in)
3 t Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 T non-dairy milk
1 3/4 C non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soymilk)
2 t honey (pretty sure I used more than this as well)
2 T safflower oil (or another mildly flavored vegetable oil, like canola)
Sift together the first 4 ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (helps to mix the egg replacer bit separately to ensure that the powder is evenly mixed in and there are no chunks). Add wet ingredients to dry-if you think it's too thin, add a bit of flour, or likewise, too thick, add a bit of milk. Do not over mix this, just try to eliminate chunks of flour. Cook pancakes immediately on a lightly oiled hot griddle. Between 350-375 degrees is fine. Give them some time-check for bubbles around the edges before you flip them. They should rise pretty significantly when flipped-I was impressed with how light and fluffy they turned out...haven't had such great luck with that in all the other vegan pancake recipes.
You can add pieces of fruit to this as well, just like you would with "normal" pancake mix.
Obviously, they are best fresh, but if you let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container, they'll still be wonderful the next day-heat them up briefly in the microwave and them pop them in the toaster for a short bit to make keep some of the crispiness (unless you like them totally floppy and soft....). NOTE-this recipe uses Ener-G Egg Replacer powder. You can find it online easily, or at Wegmans, likely other places. It's very handy in scratch recipes, so if you're making the switch to egg-free baking, buy it.
INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour (your choice....I mix 1 C each of all-purpose and whole wheat)
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon (I'm pretty sure I used more than this...just dumped it in)
3 t Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 T non-dairy milk
1 3/4 C non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soymilk)
2 t honey (pretty sure I used more than this as well)
2 T safflower oil (or another mildly flavored vegetable oil, like canola)
Sift together the first 4 ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (helps to mix the egg replacer bit separately to ensure that the powder is evenly mixed in and there are no chunks). Add wet ingredients to dry-if you think it's too thin, add a bit of flour, or likewise, too thick, add a bit of milk. Do not over mix this, just try to eliminate chunks of flour. Cook pancakes immediately on a lightly oiled hot griddle. Between 350-375 degrees is fine. Give them some time-check for bubbles around the edges before you flip them. They should rise pretty significantly when flipped-I was impressed with how light and fluffy they turned out...haven't had such great luck with that in all the other vegan pancake recipes.
You can add pieces of fruit to this as well, just like you would with "normal" pancake mix.
Monday, March 7, 2011
More Recipes
I promised Jonathan I would try to post what we eat for dinner several nights a week, which will help give ideas to those who ask us what on earth they could make for us that is safe for Amaris. He discussed earlier what she ate...we were entertained that she could not get enough of the brussels sprouts. It may, however, be how they were cooked, as we found them wonderfully tasty as well.
So...here are a few favorites. Not to be picky, but really, we have to be-if you are cooking something that Amaris-or anyone with allergies is going to eat for that matter-take special care to ensure that all of your baking pans, utensils, etc are totally clean. We keep separate pans for things that will contain allergens, which is obviously unrealistic for those who don't have someone with allergies living in the house, but it's a serious issue.
Roasted Brussels sprouts, Amaris approved:
Fresh Brussels sprouts (I'm sure you could use frozen, but you must thaw them completely first)
Olive oil (several tablespoons at least)
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Super simple....put the brussels sprouts in a bowl, coat in olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt to (mostly) coat, mix a bit more. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Turn them over every now and then so they're evenly roasted.
"Mexican" Night
Menu: veggie fajitas, black beans, guacamole
Black Beans
1 Can black beans
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
a few tablespoons of sweet onion, chopped
fresh or dried cilantro....to taste, basically. i probably use a 1/2 t dried
Adobo seasoning (maybe a teaspoon or so? again, to taste)
chili powder-small bit of this only
Heat the garlic and onion in the olive oil until onions are soft, not quite brown. Slightly drain the black beans and add to the garlic and onion. add spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes at least. I like to let these sit on low while the rest of the meal cooks, so the beans are really soft and the flavors meld together well. Sometimes I'll crush the beans a little bit, not completely-like refried, but enough to thicken the consistency. These are great plain or thrown into fajitas.
Veggie Fajitas
olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
Mixed pepper strips
Onions-sliced into strips
Corn
Zucchini-sliced
Spinach-chopped
Really, you can use whatever vegetables you prefer. I mix it up all the time. The above are some that we always enjoy. Heat the garlic in olive oil. Add peppers, onions and zucchini. Give these a head start to soften before you add the mushrooms, corn and spinach. You can let this cook to your liking-some people like their vegetables super soft, some like them more crisp. No rocket science or secrets really. We serve these in tortillas along with guacamole, sometimes beans, and salsa.
Guacamole
I wish I had this measured out exactly, but sadly, I don't. You will have to experiment and fix it to your taste. When made with 2 avocados, there are no leftovers between Jonathan, Amaris and myself. Granted, we love this stuff, so it might go farther for you. At any rate, it's a flexible recipe, and I would suggest doubling it for 5 or more people, unless you're just using it as a dip option for chips.
2 avocados
1/2 medium tomato diced
2 decent sized cloves of garlic
fresh or dried cilantro (fresh is best)-my guess on this is about a 1/2 teaspoon
cumin (again, a guess...maybe a teaspoon?)
Adobo, to taste
lemon juice (maybe a table spoon?)
dash of chili powder
Cut the avocados in half. Use the knife to peel out the pits-save these, because if you do have leftovers, put the pits back into the guacamole to store it because they act like a natural preservative. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the fruit and put into a bowl. Mash the avocados (best done with a metal mashing utensil as opposed to a fork). If you've chosen perfectly ripe avocados the consistency should be creamy, but it's not a bad thing if it's a bit chunky, either. Add all of the other ingredients and mix very thoroughly. From here, it's just "taste testing" and adding spices to your likeness. Sometimes I'll add some sea salt, or substitute lime juice for the lemon, etc.
Fudgy Brownie Cake
Had to add another dessert-made this one tonight and it's fantastic.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C flour
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 C sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 C safflower oil
2 T white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 t vanilla
2 C water
Preheat over to 350. Grease and flour an 8-inch pan. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Mix gently, enough to get rid of the large lumps, but not vigorously. Pour into pan and bake for 3o minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
So...here are a few favorites. Not to be picky, but really, we have to be-if you are cooking something that Amaris-or anyone with allergies is going to eat for that matter-take special care to ensure that all of your baking pans, utensils, etc are totally clean. We keep separate pans for things that will contain allergens, which is obviously unrealistic for those who don't have someone with allergies living in the house, but it's a serious issue.
Roasted Brussels sprouts, Amaris approved:
Fresh Brussels sprouts (I'm sure you could use frozen, but you must thaw them completely first)
Olive oil (several tablespoons at least)
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Super simple....put the brussels sprouts in a bowl, coat in olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt to (mostly) coat, mix a bit more. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Turn them over every now and then so they're evenly roasted.
"Mexican" Night
Menu: veggie fajitas, black beans, guacamole
Black Beans
1 Can black beans
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
a few tablespoons of sweet onion, chopped
fresh or dried cilantro....to taste, basically. i probably use a 1/2 t dried
Adobo seasoning (maybe a teaspoon or so? again, to taste)
chili powder-small bit of this only
Heat the garlic and onion in the olive oil until onions are soft, not quite brown. Slightly drain the black beans and add to the garlic and onion. add spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes at least. I like to let these sit on low while the rest of the meal cooks, so the beans are really soft and the flavors meld together well. Sometimes I'll crush the beans a little bit, not completely-like refried, but enough to thicken the consistency. These are great plain or thrown into fajitas.
Veggie Fajitas
olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
Mixed pepper strips
Onions-sliced into strips
Corn
Zucchini-sliced
Spinach-chopped
Really, you can use whatever vegetables you prefer. I mix it up all the time. The above are some that we always enjoy. Heat the garlic in olive oil. Add peppers, onions and zucchini. Give these a head start to soften before you add the mushrooms, corn and spinach. You can let this cook to your liking-some people like their vegetables super soft, some like them more crisp. No rocket science or secrets really. We serve these in tortillas along with guacamole, sometimes beans, and salsa.
Guacamole
I wish I had this measured out exactly, but sadly, I don't. You will have to experiment and fix it to your taste. When made with 2 avocados, there are no leftovers between Jonathan, Amaris and myself. Granted, we love this stuff, so it might go farther for you. At any rate, it's a flexible recipe, and I would suggest doubling it for 5 or more people, unless you're just using it as a dip option for chips.
2 avocados
1/2 medium tomato diced
2 decent sized cloves of garlic
fresh or dried cilantro (fresh is best)-my guess on this is about a 1/2 teaspoon
cumin (again, a guess...maybe a teaspoon?)
Adobo, to taste
lemon juice (maybe a table spoon?)
dash of chili powder
Cut the avocados in half. Use the knife to peel out the pits-save these, because if you do have leftovers, put the pits back into the guacamole to store it because they act like a natural preservative. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the fruit and put into a bowl. Mash the avocados (best done with a metal mashing utensil as opposed to a fork). If you've chosen perfectly ripe avocados the consistency should be creamy, but it's not a bad thing if it's a bit chunky, either. Add all of the other ingredients and mix very thoroughly. From here, it's just "taste testing" and adding spices to your likeness. Sometimes I'll add some sea salt, or substitute lime juice for the lemon, etc.
Fudgy Brownie Cake
Had to add another dessert-made this one tonight and it's fantastic.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C flour
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 C sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 C safflower oil
2 T white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 t vanilla
2 C water
Preheat over to 350. Grease and flour an 8-inch pan. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Mix gently, enough to get rid of the large lumps, but not vigorously. Pour into pan and bake for 3o minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Recipes
The zucchini bread recipe I tried this evening produced fantastically tasty results, which reminded me that people are often asking me for "Amaris friendly" or "vegan" recipes I have enjoyed. SO...I thought maybe the easiest way to spread the cheer was to post them on here. A few things you should know about most of these recipes (the cooking more so than baking recipes anyhow):
(1) If you are making any of these for an individual who is allergic to any of the above items, it's also imperative that you do have thoroughly cleaned all utensils, measuring cups, baking/cooking pans, etc. before you begin. Cross-contamination is one of the biggest ways that allergens end up in food. Also-triple check your ingredients because sometimes things will be made on shared equipment, which means they may contain allergens.
(2) Sometimes these recipes take some time to perfect. I have written them exactly as I have made them, in their most successful form, so they should work, but everyone does things slightly differently somehow so be patient. You will find some baking recipes require more bake-time than you're used to, or are baked at lower temperatures. If something looks strange in the directions, it's not a misprint (hopefully!), just go with it.
(3) I have included notes where I have changed ingredients simply based on taste preference. I don't know how it will taste if you use the original ingredients since I omitted them, but I'm sure they'll be fine since that is how they were originally written.
I will probably include other notes as we go along...for now...here they are
ZUCCHINI BREAD
Makes 2 5x9 loaves. Grease pans, preheat oven to 325.
Ingredients:
-4 1/2 t Ener-G Egg Replacer powder mixed with 6 T water
-1 C canola oil (*when I made this, I split the recipe to make 1 loaf, and accidentally used 1/2 C oil and 1/2 C applesauce...the bread was super moist and tasty, SO, you could double that mistake if you want similar results)
-2 C sugar
-3 t vanilla
-3 C flour (*original recipe calls for 1 1/2 C oat flour and 1 1/2 C millet flour. I used 1 C white whole wheat and 1/2 C all purpose)
-1 t salt
-1 t baking soda
-3 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t baking powder
-2 C grated zucchini
*-optional 2 C vegan chocolate chips or carob chips (I didn't use this)
In a large bowl, beat egg replacer mixture, oil, sugar and vanilla together. In separate bowl, sift flour(s), salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder, then beat this into the wet mixture 1/2 C at a time. Add grated zucchini (and choco chips if using them). Pour batter into the 2 greased pans. bake for 60-90 minutes , or until tops are golden brown and a knife inserted comes in clean. Cool in loaf pans.
CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS
Ingredients:
2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 C vegan butter substitute, softened (*Earth Balance buttery sticks are great)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C plus 1T applesauce
2 T nondairy milk (*I've used vanilla soymilk)
2 t vanilla (*original recipe calls for 1 t vanilla and 1 t almond extract. I omitted the almond and used 2 t vanilla instead)
1 to 1 1/4 C non-dairy chocolate chips (easier to find than you think)
* you can add nuts if you're not worried about the allergy aspect, 1 C of whatever you like
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the vegan butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. beat in the applesauce, milk and extracts. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if using them). if dough is soft, refrigerate for 20 minutes. Drop in balls onto baking sheets and bake for about 16 minutes. Makes about 30 cookies.
FUDGY CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients:
2 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C vegan butter softened, at room temperature
1/2 C soymilk
2 t vanilla
1 C nondairy chocolate chips
(2/3 C nuts optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar and vegan butter and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy. beat in soymilk and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). Drop onto baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes. Cookies might not look as done as other cookies, and they won't be firm or dry. Don't overbake them.
CARROT CAKE
This cake is actually best the day after, and the icing is best the day after, too.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 C oil
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C sugar
2 C finely grated carrots
1 C applesauce
1/3 C vanilla soymilk (or coconut milk works well here, too)
1 t vanilla
1/3 C raisins
(optional 1/3 C walnuts, if not making for nut allergy)
Preheat oven to 350. Grase and flour sides and bottoms of 2 9-inch cake pans (it's recommended to line bottoms with parchment paper, but I never have this, never have done it, and have had perfectly fine results without it).
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, combin oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Add carrots, applesauce, soymilk, and vanilla, and mix well. Add dry ingredients to wet in two batches, then stir in raisins (and nuts) until just mixed. Divide batter between 2 pans.
Bake 25-28 minutes, until cakes are golden and toothpick comes out clean. cook on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. once completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting recipe below. I have used Pillsbury white frosting when I didn't feel like making the vegan cream cheese, and it tasted fine, though not the "classic" carrot cake cream cheese combo.
Cream Cheese Icing
1 8-ounce container soy cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 C vegan butter substitute
1 t vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 C sifted powdered sugar
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together cream cheese, vegan butter, and vanilla on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and blend to desired taste and thickness (more sugar= stiffer frosting). This recipe is enough to frost top, sides and middle of the whole carrot cake.
OK im sick of typing for one sitting...gets boring even when watching The Office. SO, that's enough for today. I'll add more later.
(1) If you are making any of these for an individual who is allergic to any of the above items, it's also imperative that you do have thoroughly cleaned all utensils, measuring cups, baking/cooking pans, etc. before you begin. Cross-contamination is one of the biggest ways that allergens end up in food. Also-triple check your ingredients because sometimes things will be made on shared equipment, which means they may contain allergens.
(2) Sometimes these recipes take some time to perfect. I have written them exactly as I have made them, in their most successful form, so they should work, but everyone does things slightly differently somehow so be patient. You will find some baking recipes require more bake-time than you're used to, or are baked at lower temperatures. If something looks strange in the directions, it's not a misprint (hopefully!), just go with it.
(3) I have included notes where I have changed ingredients simply based on taste preference. I don't know how it will taste if you use the original ingredients since I omitted them, but I'm sure they'll be fine since that is how they were originally written.
I will probably include other notes as we go along...for now...here they are
ZUCCHINI BREAD
Makes 2 5x9 loaves. Grease pans, preheat oven to 325.
Ingredients:
-4 1/2 t Ener-G Egg Replacer powder mixed with 6 T water
-1 C canola oil (*when I made this, I split the recipe to make 1 loaf, and accidentally used 1/2 C oil and 1/2 C applesauce...the bread was super moist and tasty, SO, you could double that mistake if you want similar results)
-2 C sugar
-3 t vanilla
-3 C flour (*original recipe calls for 1 1/2 C oat flour and 1 1/2 C millet flour. I used 1 C white whole wheat and 1/2 C all purpose)
-1 t salt
-1 t baking soda
-3 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t baking powder
-2 C grated zucchini
*-optional 2 C vegan chocolate chips or carob chips (I didn't use this)
In a large bowl, beat egg replacer mixture, oil, sugar and vanilla together. In separate bowl, sift flour(s), salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder, then beat this into the wet mixture 1/2 C at a time. Add grated zucchini (and choco chips if using them). Pour batter into the 2 greased pans. bake for 60-90 minutes , or until tops are golden brown and a knife inserted comes in clean. Cool in loaf pans.
CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS
Ingredients:
2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 C vegan butter substitute, softened (*Earth Balance buttery sticks are great)
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C plus 1T applesauce
2 T nondairy milk (*I've used vanilla soymilk)
2 t vanilla (*original recipe calls for 1 t vanilla and 1 t almond extract. I omitted the almond and used 2 t vanilla instead)
1 to 1 1/4 C non-dairy chocolate chips (easier to find than you think)
* you can add nuts if you're not worried about the allergy aspect, 1 C of whatever you like
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the vegan butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. beat in the applesauce, milk and extracts. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if using them). if dough is soft, refrigerate for 20 minutes. Drop in balls onto baking sheets and bake for about 16 minutes. Makes about 30 cookies.
FUDGY CHIP COOKIES
Ingredients:
2 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C vegan butter softened, at room temperature
1/2 C soymilk
2 t vanilla
1 C nondairy chocolate chips
(2/3 C nuts optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar and vegan butter and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy. beat in soymilk and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). Drop onto baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes. Cookies might not look as done as other cookies, and they won't be firm or dry. Don't overbake them.
CARROT CAKE
This cake is actually best the day after, and the icing is best the day after, too.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 C oil
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C sugar
2 C finely grated carrots
1 C applesauce
1/3 C vanilla soymilk (or coconut milk works well here, too)
1 t vanilla
1/3 C raisins
(optional 1/3 C walnuts, if not making for nut allergy)
Preheat oven to 350. Grase and flour sides and bottoms of 2 9-inch cake pans (it's recommended to line bottoms with parchment paper, but I never have this, never have done it, and have had perfectly fine results without it).
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, combin oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Add carrots, applesauce, soymilk, and vanilla, and mix well. Add dry ingredients to wet in two batches, then stir in raisins (and nuts) until just mixed. Divide batter between 2 pans.
Bake 25-28 minutes, until cakes are golden and toothpick comes out clean. cook on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. once completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting recipe below. I have used Pillsbury white frosting when I didn't feel like making the vegan cream cheese, and it tasted fine, though not the "classic" carrot cake cream cheese combo.
Cream Cheese Icing
1 8-ounce container soy cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 C vegan butter substitute
1 t vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 C sifted powdered sugar
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together cream cheese, vegan butter, and vanilla on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and blend to desired taste and thickness (more sugar= stiffer frosting). This recipe is enough to frost top, sides and middle of the whole carrot cake.
OK im sick of typing for one sitting...gets boring even when watching The Office. SO, that's enough for today. I'll add more later.
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