One year

Happy anniversary. The anniversary of my surgery is this week, I will be Colin free for one year on Wednesday. It's hard to believe its been a year. It's hard to even imagine life without Samson. I want to plan something special for my anniversary dinner, I might even through my self a party this weekend. ... We will see. Either way, I need to plan a menu. I know this is not well read, and well I have not written in it in almost a year but I think I am going to use this opportunity to bring it back. My students are doing a food blog project this week and it is inspiring me to start mine back but. Hopefully I can keep it up!  If you are reading this entry please drop me a line and suggest a recipe!

Update:

Just to give a little update:
I underwent surgery at the beginning of this month. I had an infection after the procedure but things are healing well now. It's slow going, but I feel a little better everyday.

Thank you everyone for all of the cards, flowers, ballowns and other happy reminders that I am extremely loved! I have the best friends and family in the world, and I hope i never forget that. Everyone has been so supportive and caring. I don't know what I would do with out you!

Pizzelles

Its late, I am hooked up to my IV but the bored-ness sweeps over me in an unrelenting wave of discontent. Joe is on his way home from work and I know he will be down for an adventure.

A food adventure is on its way. Why not try to make Pizzelles? I love pizzelles, and I just brought a waffle cone maker, YES this is a brilliant idea. My mom and I can never pass up a Tuesday Mornings impulse buy. We tried to justify it by saying things like “ it’s really for when Beths children come visit” and “we can use it to make more than waffle cones” . But really it was only 10 bucks and we wanted it… so what if it is impractical to buy a machine that has only one really purpose.

But the waffle cone maker doesn’t say anything about making Pizzelles. Can it be done? Joe and I are on the case. At about 10 pm we embarked on the mission and we could see very fast that this was a lot easier than we had originally expected! Joe is more than excited because we are going to use his food processor WIN.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN PIZZELLE, CIALDE, OR GAUFRETTE
This recipe is from:
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/vegan-pizzellegaufrettecialde-with.html

Yield: 15

• 3/4 cup nondairy milk
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance melted
• 1/2 Tbs pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup white pastry flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose white flour

FLAVORING:
For Pizzelle or Cialde:

• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed oil

For Gaufrettes:

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Combine the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
   
2. Heat an electric pizzelle iron according to directions (it takes 7 to 8 minutes and usually there is a light that tells you when it’s hot).
   
3. When it's hot, add a scoop of exactly 4 teaspoons batter to the middle of each cookie section.
   
4. Close the iron and secure the handle.
5. Set a timer for 30 to 40 seconds.
   
6. When the timer goes, open the iron and carefully loosen each cookie.
   
7. Place on paper towels on top of cooling racks.
   
8. Continue until you have used up all of the batter.
   
9. The cookies get crisp very fast. Sift powdered sugar over the decorative side of each cookie. Serve with tea , coffee or wine
10. Don't stack and put away the cookies until they cool or they will loose there crispness
    

The best cinnamon buns in the world!

Katie, Melissa and I had a vegan breakfast for dinner day.

Menu:
Fake Bacon or FAKcon if you will
Cinnamon Pancakes
Cinnamon Buns
Hashbrowns
Brie
(and Melissa and I made scrambled eggs because we could)

First of all- FAKEcon is gross. I had no idea! It is so NOT bacon it’s sad how not bacon-y it is. I now have a bunch of it in my freezer if anyone wants to take it off my hands. I will not be eating it… I guess I could hid it in stuff, but that feels so dishonest… its so NOT bacon.

I want to have Katie write up her vegan pancake recipe because it is very good, my only recommendation is to triple it. Because I LOVE pancakes and could eat dozens in one sitting… I will blame this on my medications, but really I can always eat tons of pancakes because they are so good!!!!

The full story about my vegan brie can be found here.

And now to what you have all been waiting for.

The AWESOME cinnamon buns!

These buns might be even better then my high fat, high dairy, long process cinnamon buns.. I have no idea how this recipe does it but they did and now I am so happy to have them. I will be using this recipe forever, even when I can eat dairy again!

The only difference is I used regular pastry flour to maintain its fiber free status. I also switched the raisins for non dairy nonfat chocolate chips and doubled the filling mix because I like a lot of filling!

This recipe is from the happy herbivore. Check out her site it is AWESOME and has some great recipes!

http://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-cinnamon-buns-whole-wheat-fat-free/

Cinnamon Buns Recipe

Servings: 6

Descrip

tion:

Sweet and delicious! Fat-free, whole wheat and 100% vegan. It doesn't get much better than that does it?

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup non-dairy milk
• 1 packet active yeast
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (use all purpose or white pastry flour if you are on a fiber free diet)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ cup raw sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (I used my homemade apple butter because I have a lot of it on hand) (if your are fiber free make sure it is pureed well!)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp raisins (optional) (or dairy free chocolate chips!)
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp non-dairy milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a circula

r cake pan and set aside.

Gently warm 3/4 cup non-dairy milk to about 110 degrees.

Sprinkle yeast over warmed non-dairy milk and let it dissolve, about 5 minutes.

Combine 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 salt in a large bowl. Add 5 tbsp applesauce and yeast mixture, stirring sp

atula to combine.

Add in another 1/2 cup flour, stirring to combine.

Sprinkle remaining flour on a flat surface and knead dough, kneading in most of the flour. Knead about 15-20 times.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into large, thin rectangle and set aside.

Prepare filling by combining 4 tbsp brown sugar with 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce, 1 tsp cinnamon and raisins if using. (or chocolate chips!)

Spoon filling in the center of the dough and spread it around, leaving 1" edge clear. Gently but tightly roll the dough up.

Use a pizza cutter, sharp knife or string to cut off 6 rolls and place into prepared cake pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare icing by mixing 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tsp non-dairy milk (plain or vanilla), whipping until it becomes a thick glaze with no sugar chunks.

Spread glaze over hot buns

Enjoy!

Vegan Brie Round

Vegan Brie Round

I love Brie, I miss brie.. lets be serious, I miss all cheese. I don’t mind a lot of my restrictions. I am grateful to be able to chew and taste foods. I am grateful that I am not limited to just candy and jell-o. But I must admit that I do miss cheese. Brie is an excellent cheese, and an expensive one. Is there some way to make an alternative cheese? Could it work?

Well the first job was finding the ingredients. I am lucky enough to live in a great city, a great vegan city. I got all of my ingredients form my natures pantry a local health foods store that is about 10 mins from my house. How convenient right? The only issue is that they only had red miso. I, in my ignorance of Asian ingredients thought that the red and the white can’t be that different. FALSE. I found this blog entry After I had already tried my recipe… now I am on the search for white miso, so that I can try this again. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-pantry/whats-the-difference-white-yellow-and-red-miso-079637

As I found out, after I tried the recipe, I really needed to find white miso… but here is my review of the brie anyway. Red miso smells BAD and tastes worse.. it was truly gross by it’s self. After I tasted the miso I discovered that perhaps it was not the correct ingredient, but I waged on, committed to making something delicious… maybe it would be better after it cooked? It could happen…

Here were the reviewers:

Katie: my resident vegan and best brutally honest friend

Mom and Dad: You know where they come from- they are true cheese lovers, especially brie

Melissa: a cheese lover who had a bad brie experience in her early life and has never tasted it again.

The reviews:

Katie: Loved it, she liked it so much she took it home with her, it was creamy and a good alternative to store brought non dairy cheese.

Mom and dad: they said that if I had told them it was just a dip they would have liked it, but because I said it was brie its taste feel short. It did not taste like brie but rather a creamy brie like cheese dip, not bad but not exceptionally good either.

Melissa- I think she liked it but I tried very hard to convince her that real brie is very different from this fake brie… I hope to someday introduce her to the real thing.

Most importantly- My review. It’s not brie but its not bad…. Not a glowing review, but I know that I made the mistake of using the wrong miso… and I really have to give it another try..

Anywho know where to find some white miso?

Brie Recipe

This dairy-free cheese is incredibly rich, creamy and versatile. It works well on its own, with crackers or bread as an appetizer or in a casserole or pasta dish. This recipe makes an 8" round, but it can be made into two smaller rounds if desired.

Makes one 8" round

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 T Egg Replacer powder
• 3 T warm water
• 16 oz. dairy-free cream cheese, such as Tofutti
• 1½ T nutritional yeast
• 1 t. prepared stone-ground mustard
• 1 T. honey or agave (if vegan, use agave!)
• 3 T sweet white miso, lower sodium variety

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lighly oil an 8-inch round cake pan or two deep soufflé dishes and then line with parchment. Set aside.

2.In a small bowl, combine the Egg Replacer powder with the warm water until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, mix the cream cheese, mustard, nutritional yeast, honey and miso until fluffy and well-combined, about 4 minutes. (If you skimp on the whipping time, your cheese will be dense and not as creamy.)

4. Add the Egg Replacer mixture and whip for 3 minutes more on medium-high speed. Spread cheese mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is golden-brown in spots and has puffed up. Set on a cooling rack to cool. Turn out onto a serving plate and serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. (Leave it in round pan as long as possible and unmold just before serving. This will help this soft cheese keep its shape.)

http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/basiccheeserecipes/r/BrieRound.htm

Apple to the Core- Waste Not Want Not Jelly

Apple to the Core- Waste Not Want Not Jelly

• peelings and cores from 15 -20 medium tart apples,
• 3 cups water (for cooking cores and peels)
• 3 cups apple juice
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of while clove
• 1 teaspoon of whole all spice
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce) box dry pectin
• 6 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup red sugar (like the cake decorator stuff it was on sale) or ¼ cup more white sugar and red food coloring… same thing. (or 1 drop each of yellow and blue food coloring) (optional)

1. Cook peelings and cores medium high in 6 cups water and apple juice with the spices for 20-30 minutes. (on
2. Strain through prepared cheesecloth or jelly bag.
3. Add water as needed, to strained juice, to obtain 7 cups liquid.
4. Add pectin (whisk works well) and bring to a rapid boil.
5. Add sugars and coloring, boil hard for 1 minute.
6. Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/8" headspace; wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings; water bath 5 minutes.

This recipe was inspired by http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-core-and-peeling-jelly-99636#ixzz1IghkNX45

Naan-which

My dad is awesome, he is one of my favorite people. I love that even though he can be a little narrow minded he has been a really good sport about supporting my culinary addictions and exploration lately. My dad is a great man who is honest about foods he loves, and foods he hates. I have recently tried my hand at Indian food. This is that story: The Menu: Masala-Spiced Roast Chicken, Naan, Pulao (rice), Indian Curry Perogies and Winter Chutney

I made Masala-Spiced Roast Chicken using the rotisserie on my dad’s grill. He had to go to a meeting so it was Ms. D verses the grill in a no holds bar battle. I wish that a camera had been taping the ordeal. It was downright funny. I could not get the chicken to sit on the spit correctly, we battled back and forth. At one point the spit stabbed me in my stomach after a very unfortunate slip of the screws.. I was not about to let a grilling tool get the best of me. I have opposable thumbs, I am clearly superior. Just then, genius hit me, I needed to fill the cavity of the chicken with something to keep it from spinning on the spit and to give the body some bulk. I stuck an apple up its butt (and called it macaroni?) and called it a brilliant idea! This idea was great on two fronts, it served its original purposes and it offered a very tasty apple flavor!! Winner winner, roast chicken dinner! Once the chicken was rolling.

I got back to my Naan. I LOVE naan. It is SO good and I have always wanted to make it. I used this recipe. But I added a little bit of ginger and garlic to the mix and kneaded in some baking powder with the last kneed of the dough. They turned out SO good. If you have never made homemade naan I highly recommend it. It was better than awesome. I was little apprehensive about serving this very different meal to my parents, it was a fair curry and Masala heavy. We are Italian and although my parents are open to new foods; they do not always enjoy the tastes of new foods… we all have our favorites, and some peoples taste buds like certain foods more than other peoples taste buds… As we carved the chicken we both took a few bites and announced “pretty good”. Soon after we finished grace he took the naan, put mayo on it (yes, mayo) some lettuce, tomato, and made it a sandwich. I just laughed. At first I thought, Oh god, here goes my dad. Take an honored cuisine and make it into a sandwich with mayo. But as I looked at him eating it I noticed that he had invented an awesome sandwich - a naan-wich that combined all of the flavors of the meal. He put some of the chutney right on the Naan-which. Awesome idea! I have always thought of Indian food as “user friendly” I have often seen people eating with their hands, when appropriate. Food is about welcoming everyone to the table, my dad’s naan-wich was a combination of American tradition and my sad attempt at Indian food.