Wilted Kale Salad With Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Posted: August 9, 2012 Filed under: Dinner, Sauces, Side Dishes Leave a comment »
I just got a new job. It’s obvious I’m stressing out about it since I’ve been feverishly cooking for the past hour and a half. I’m excited, but, as with many of us, change can be scary. This salad is my new ultimate favorite salad. I was inspired by a hazelnut oil I found at my local Home Goods store; a similar brand to the one my grandmother used to use as a base for vinaigrettes. This salad is heavenly! I used toasted walnuts and WayFare’s Bacony Bits to complete the dish (available online–I got mine from Vegan Essentials). Oh my goodness, this salad is a MUST! Try it!
First, you need to wilt freshly rinsed kale for a couple of minutes with vegetable stock or water. Once it slightly starts to wilt, drain the kale and place it in a serving dish.
The vinaigrette is based on a simple, and quite common French recipe:
3 tablespoons of hazelnut oil
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of mustard (I use Maille)
Salt and pepper to taste
Top with toasted walnuts and WayFare’s Bacony Bits! Enjoy!
Vegan “Boursin-like” Cheese Recipe
Posted: August 5, 2012 Filed under: Cheese, Sauces, Side Dishes 3 Comments »
Just made my own version of “Boursin” cheese. Boursin® is a French spreadable cheese I grew up with, and now being a vegan, missed. It turned out delicious. Yet again, my magic bullet did the trick. This super easy “cheese” would be great with toast, crackers, vegetables, or anything you would like!
Recipe:
Soak ½ cup of raw cashews overnight
When you’re ready to whip up the cheese, drain and rinse the cashews and toss them into a food processor with:
8 oz organic silken tofu
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 clove of garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of your choice of dried herbs (I reached for my usual—Herbes de Provence)
2 tablespoons vegan margarine (like Earth Balance)
Allow it to firm up for a couple of hours in the fridge or overnight.
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Grahamwiches!
Posted: August 1, 2012 Filed under: Dessert 3 Comments »
This is oh so good, and oh so decadent! It’s also very easy to make! This is also very much an American dessert. Between training for a half-marathon, preparing for a new job, and playing with my daughter at the park, I had a craving for something sweet, satisfying, cold, and yummy! But, alas, I can’t really say it’s particularly healthful. My grandmother was fond of saying “la gourmandise est toujours punie.” This roughly means to avoid over-doing it. With this dessert, a little goes a long way!
You’ll need to have on-hand:
Nabisco original graham crackers (or any other vegan brand)
Vegan chocolate chips
Your favorite non-dairy/vegan vanilla flavored ice cream (I used So Delicious made with Almond Milk)
Now for the secret ingredient:
The peanut butter frosting:
1/3 cup of Earth Balance Margarine
1/3 cup of all natural peanut butter
2 cups vegan powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vanilla soy creamer
In a food processor (I actually used my magic bullet), blend he peanut butter frosting recipe all together. Adjust the sugar/creamer ratio to get the consistency you want.
When you’re ready to make the sandwiches:
Thaw half a pint of the ice cream so that it is easy to work with but not totally melted. Fold in the peanut butter frosting with 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips. Spread the mixture on the graham crackers and chill in the freezer for about 1 hr so that it has time to set. Enjoy!
Gâteau Breton
Posted: July 24, 2012 Filed under: Baked Goods, Cool pottery and Servingware, Dessert, Sauces Leave a comment »
Alors, I had a somewhat stressful day. So, it’s vegan curry for dinner, and
Gâteau Breton for dessert! This was my first vegan try at it, and overall, not bad!
I basically dumped everything into the mixer and then placed it in a round pan in the oven at 350˚:
½ cup refined organic coconut oil mixed with ½ cup Earth Balance
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup of dark rum
1 ½ cups of unbleached organic all-purpose flour
½ cup garbanzo bean flour (imparts a golden color in the cake)
Equivalent of 3 egg replacer mixture
Place in a round baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let the cake cool and then serve with your favorite fruits, ice cream, or serve with vegan crème anglaise:
½ cup raw cashews soaked overnight
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of water
Pulse in food processor until creamy. Drizzle over cooled cake and add sliced strawberries.
Jessica Howard Ceramics (and my secret obsession with pottery and ceramics)
Posted: July 24, 2012 Filed under: Cool pottery and Servingware, Personal reflection Leave a comment »In my last post I featured a new salad on a Jessica Howard platter. I have to start off with explaining that I am always on the hunt for new, old, used, antique, unique dishes and platters. I’ll scour thrift stores, garage sales, markets, stores like Home Goods, you name it–just for a new find. I’m in love with the Jessica Howard pieces! Anyone else have an affinity for serving ware? What’s your favorite serving platter or dish?
