Choco-Pomegranate Cookies

Nate bought a pomegranate today, and I could think of nothing better than to smother these healthy little ruby seeds in dough and chocolate ;)
Enjoy!! Recipe courtesy of the Coconut & Lime blog, 'veganized' by yours truly :)

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 eggs worth of egg replacer (I used Ener-G)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 oz semisweet chocolate chunks
we added 1/2 cup walnuts

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg replacer and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sweetened butter and mix until a very thick dough forms. Use a spoon to fold in the chunks then the pomegranates and distributing both evenly. Form cookies by dropping 1 heaping teaspoon of dough on the sheet two inches apart. Flatten slightly then bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks (if you can wait that long) then serve with plenty of cold 'liquid-of-choice' (we had soy milk).

Veganizing 'Good Housekeeping'

I enjoy flipping through one of the many 'ladies' magazines out there, such as Good Housekeeping, Women's Day or Better Homes & Gardens; not for their nifty organizational tips or their list of favorite no-sew holiday gifts ideas, but rather for the challenge of VEGANIZING all of their recipes!! Of course it's a challenge when the recipe is braised pork loin or bloody steaks- but as for side dishes and desserts- oh yeah.... bring it on!! (P.S. I do not actually purchase these magazines, mostly I browse while waiting in an office or at work :) I only subscribe to VegNEWS!!

My latest conquest:
Cream Cheese Squares from the magazine 'Food & Family' VEGANIZED

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls (yes the Pillsbury pop cans are vegan---but not the healthiest!!)
2 packages VEGAN cream cheese! (8oz each)
1tsp vanilla
1 egg=> EnerG Egg replacer
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Spread over the crescent layer.
   
3. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese layer. Do not press down. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden.

   
   

Jerk Seitan & Greens

Jerk Seitan w/ Greens
from 'Vegan With a Vengeance'

One of my favorite dishes that, if I think of it, I must make it that night :0
Such an easy marinade, the real work comes with the 'simple seitan' recipe, but totally worth it!!
(HINT: Make a lot of seitan at one time and freeze it in meal size portions!! See below for recipe)







For the Marinade:

1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce (2 soy sauce, 1 braggs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

For the seitan:
2 cups seitan, cut into strips or chunks
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded adn thickly sliced

Prepare the marinade by pureeing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until relatively smooth. There will be some chunkiness but that's ok. Place the seitan in a shallow bowl and pour that marinade over it. Mix to coat. Cover and let marinate for an hour.

In a large skillet, saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Remove the seitan from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Saute for 10 minutes, until the seitan has browned to your liking. Add the remaining marinade and cook for about 2 minutes to heat the sauce through.

Serve with coconut or jasmine rice, sauteed greens, and baked sweet potatoes; ladle the extra sauce over each serving.

Simple Seitan

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 cup cold vegetable broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

Broth:

8 cups water plus 3 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 4 cups broth plus 4 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

"Raw Seitain" before being boiled...

Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has been absorbed and the wet ingredients are partially clumped up with dry ingredients. Use your hands to knead the mixture for about 3 minutes, until the dough is elastic. Divide with a knife into three equal pieces and then knead those pieces in your hand just to stretch them out a bit.

Prepare the broth

Fill a stockpot with the water, bouillon cubes, and soy sauce and add the what gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil but watch carefully; you don’t want it to boil for very long or on the outside of the seitan will be spongy. Try to catch it as soon as it boils and then lower the heat as low as it will go so that it’s at a low simmer.

Partially cover the pot so that the steam can escape and let simmer for an hour, turning the seitan occasionally. Turn off the heat and take the lid off; let it sit for 15 minutes. Remove from the broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to handle. It is now ready to be sliced up and used. If you have extra seitan, store in the cooking liquid in a tightly covered container.