Chocolate Cake…Vegan and Absolutely Delicious

25 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tags

cake, chocolate, easy, gluten free, vegan, yummy

Who doesn’t like chocolate cake? I wanted to make a chocolate cake for a gathering of friends, two of which are Vegan. We all love to share salads, fruits, pastas, but dessert is always a bit tricky.

This cake was moist, delicious and almost healthy! I would make it again and again whether my guests were Vegan or not. Even one of my Grand Dogs thought it was worthy of his attention!

CHOCOLATE CAKE…VEGAN AND ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS

Cake:

3/4 cup plain flour/GF flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3C unrefined cane sugar/brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

This makes a small amount of frosting as the cake doesn’t need much, but for a full batch

1 1/2 tbsp lite Nuttelex or other dairy free butter/margarine alternative
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F.
Grease and line a small cake tin (or cupcake tins)
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate medium mixing bowl combine applesauce, sugar and vanilla and pour into dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined and pour into cake tin.
Bake for 20-35 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer inserted removes clean. If making cupcakes, cook for ~10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
For the frosting, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a mixer, adding in the cocoa and vanilla and mixing until combined. If needed, add a couple of drops of milk/non dairy milk until your desired consistency is reached

Recipe from Southerininlaw.com

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

05 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

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bananas, blackberries, fruit, kiwi, lemon, mandarin oranges, pomegrante, poppy seed, salad, vegan, vegetarian, winter

Fresh fruit salad in winter is a real treat and this recipe is delicious, combining several fruits including apples, kiwi, blackberries, pomegranate, bananas and Mandarin oranges. The dressing is fresh and tasty delivering a nice side to compliment any meal.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Salad

8 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented (I used Cuties)
4 apples, diced
4 ripe kiwis peeled and diced
4 bananas, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (from about 1 large)
1-2 cups blackberries (I added to the recipe)

Combine all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from CookingClassy.com

Fresh Corn and Tomatillo Salsa

02 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by cathysmaha in Family Favorites, Garden, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

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corn, fresh, garden, garlic, onion, salsa, tomatillo, vegan, vegetarian

My garden continues to produce plenty of tomatillos and when paired with fresh sweet corn, cilantro and seasonings, it makes a wonderful salsa. I’ve also used it to top my favorite Papusas from the Farmer’s Market. It wold also be wonderful paired with chicken or fish. A new favorite!

Corn and Tomatillo Salsa

CORN AND TOMATILLO SALSA

4 ears fresh corn kernels
2 seeded and finely chopped jalapeno peppers
4 cups husked, chopped tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
tortilla chips

In a large skillet, combine the corn kernels and jalapeño peppers. Cook and stir for 10 minutes, until the jalapeños are soft.
Add the tomatillos, green pepper, onions, lime juice, water and coriander to the corn and jalapeño mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Cool. Stir in cilantro.
Cool salsa in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Serve with tortilla chips

Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19686/corn-and-tomatillo-salsa/?internalSource=search%20result&referringContentType=search%20results

Poisonwood Bible and African Themed Potluck

27 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in New Favorite

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Barbara Kingsolver, children, cookbook, eggplant, gluten-free, groundnut, Malawi, malnutrition, mash, Pita, Poisonwood Bible, vegan

Poisonwood Bible (1998) was our Book Club read discussed last week. I remember trying to read this great book in the late ’90s but work, teenagers and life interrupted my reading experience. I was delighted when our Book Club add the book to our 2014 list. While the book is long, the time flew by as I read this marvelous book by Barbara Kingsolver.

The book was originally suggested to me by my sister-in-law, Betty, when they were living in Malawi, Africa on a medical and education mission. During their time in Africa, Betty wrote many emails to family and friends capturing the many wonderful and tragic moments there. Poinsonwood Bible brought back a flood of memories from her stories.

Our book club always begins the evening with a potluck dinner with a theme from the book so African recipes it is! Betty was kind enough to mail me her cookbook, The Malawi Cookbook:

Malawi Cookbook

The cookbook was originally published in 1972 by the Malawi Ministry of Health to raise money for children’s vaccinations and the Save the Children fund. Malnutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity in young children in developing countries.

The recipes are fascinating and I will keep a few for my future cooking experiences, although I doubt I will ever serve Bee Larvae, Flying Ants, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts. Instead, I decided to use the eggplant recipe that Betty shared directly with me. I love eggplant, made any which way, so this was a perfect choice. As Betty shared, Mashed Eggplant is served everywhere during harvest season.

Other wonderful dishes shared at our dinner were Ingera (sponge bread), Chicken and Peanut Stew (recipe to appear in Friday’s post), Fried Plantains, and an array of Ethiopian dishes from a local restaurant.

I took several wonderful pictures of the Eggplant and Peanut Spread, to later discover I didn’t have my memory card in my camera. My apologies but let me assure you the dish was a big hit, even for those that confess to not liking Eggplant. Serve this spread with wedges of pita bread or, for those eating gluten-free, a gluten free cracker.

The only change I would make the next time I make it, would be to roast the eggplant in the oven to decrease the amount of fat in the dish.

MASHED EGGPLANT & PEANUT SPREAD

2 pounds eggplant, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter (in Malawi, they would use local made groundnut butter)

salt and red pepper flakes, to taste

Prepare the eggplant in the usual way of slicing, salting, weighing down the eggplant during the two hours you are extracting the liquid and bitterness.
Pat dry, then fry eggplant slices for about five minutes in the olive oil, turning once.
Mix and pour remaining ingredients over the fried slices, mash with fork, then serve with pita wedges. (I admit to having used a food processor which made the finished product a bit smoother).

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup…surprisingly delicious!

20 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Tags

5 ingredients, cauliflower, garlic, onion, soup, sweet potato, vegan

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup, with only 5 ingredients, sounded too easy to be good. I was wrong.

It was full of flavor and, depending on your taste buds, could be enhanced with additional vegetables and spices. I think I will add a bit of curry next time.

What would you add?

SWEET POTATO AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 head cauliflower
3 sweet potatoes
1 sweet onion
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
7 cups water
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut up cauliflower and lay out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil, and bake for 25 minutes.

In a large pot bring water, sweet potato, onion and garlic to boil. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender.
Remove half of soup and puree in food processor. Return to soup pot.
Garnish with green onion, salt and pepper, parsley.

Recipe adapted from Living Paleo Cuisine

Salt and Vinegar Popcorn…better than I ever expected

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in Family, Family Favorites, Gluten Free, New Favorite, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

balsamic, gluten-free, non-dairy, popcorn, salt, snack, sweet, vegan, vegetarian, vinegar

My youngest daughter LOVES vinegar potato chips and I spotted this recipe some time ago on a blog that I follow, Lucy’s Friendly Foods. I am a popcorn hound and had to try it. If my daughter, Sarah, liked it, it was a winner.

I’m happy to report we both liked it! The reduction of the balsamic vinegar had a delightfully sweet, and salty, taste. A nice, lighter, change from the traditional (and always yummy) buttered popcorn.

Salt and Vinegar Popcorn

SALT AND VINEGAR POPCORN

12 cups popped corn
4 tablespoons dairy-free spread
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Pop the popcorn.
Melt the dairy-free spread in a saucepan. Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
Simmer for 3-4 minutes to slightly reduce the vinegar.
Pour over the hot spread/balsamic mix.
Stir well and serve immediately.

Adapted slightly from: lucysfriendlyfoods.com

Spring Garden Vegetable Soup

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in Garden, Gluten Free, New Favorite, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Artichoke, asparagus, carrots, celery, gluten-free, healthy, leek, peas, soup, spinach, spring, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

Can you tell I’m in the mood for spring? My past two recipes have been all about it! This Spring Garden Vegetable Soup has also been in my ‘must make’ stack. I like the versatility of this recipe, easily adapting to Vegan or Vegetarian (using vegetable stock and omitting the cream and chicken) and it is Gluten-Free.

Spring Garden Vegetable Soup WITHOUT CREAM

Spring Garden Vegetable Soup WITH CREAM

This soup is light and, oh, so healthy. Daughter Sarah served a small bowl to 10-month old grandson, Evan, and he really liked it! I served the soup with the not-so-healthy baked Red Lobster Biscuits (which Evan DEVOURED) but a hearty whole-grain bread would be wonderful paired with this soup.

SPRING GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP with ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKES, PEAS & SPINACH

6 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
4-6 cups water (to reach desired thickness)
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek, cut into half circles
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into half-inch thick pieces on the diagonal
3 carrots, trimmed and cut into half-inch thick pieces on the diagonal
1 15-ounce can artichoke bottoms, tough bits sliced off and discarded, remaining parts cut into lengths
16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts (from Trader Joe’s)
8 ounces asparagus, woody ends snapped off, skin pared off if tough, spears cut into one-inch lengths, tips set aside
8 ounces frozen peas
8 ounces frozen spinach
Generous salt & pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon tarragon
Cream to taste (1/4-1/2 cup)

Optional: 2-3 cups chopped chicken

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the leek, stir to coat with butter and let cook until just soft.

Add the celery and carrots to the pot, stirring to coat with butter and cooking until soft.

Add the artichoke bottoms, artichoke hearts and asparagus lengths (leave the tips aside).
Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through. (Optional: Add cooked chicken at this point).

Stir in the asparagus tips, peas and spinach and let cook through. Add water to reach desired thickness.
Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream to taste. Best if left to rest for 24 hours before serving.

Recipe adapted from ALANNA’s TIPS

Roasted Cabbage Slices

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in Czech Heritage, Gluten Free, New Traditions, Vegan, Vegetarian

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cabbage, Caraway, Czech, fennel, olive oil, oven, roasted, vegan

Several weeks ago a Facebook friend shared a recipe for roasted cabbage and I meant to copy or print it. Short story, short…I forgot. This week I was in the mood for roasted cabbage and…no recipe. After a quick Google search, I found a similar recipe from Martha Stewart for Roasted Cabbage Wedges.

The recipe calls for caraway OR fennel seeds and I AM a caraway seed lover but decided to do a few of both. The fennel seeds won, hands down! The fennel gives a nice touch to the roasted cabbage where I didn’t feel the caraway enhanced the flavor. My Czech ancestors would probably roll over in their graves if they heard me admit that!

Great recipe to pair with pork, Bratwurst or for a vegan dish.

ROASTED CABBAGE SLICES

1 tablespoon plus 2 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium head green cabbage cut into 1 inch slices
Coarse salt and pepper
1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
Place 1 medium head green cabbage cut into 1 inch slices, in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush the cabbage slices with 2 tablespoons oil.
Season with coarse salt and pepper, then sprinkle with caraway or fennel seeds.
Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40-45 minutes.

Recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Spinach, Tomato and Lentil Soup

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, Health, Vegan, Vegetarian

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gluten-free, lentil, soup, spinach, tomato, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian, winter

In the New Year, many of us have vowed to lost weight (5% for me) and eat healthier. This recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen grabbed my attention with the healthy vegetables and protein of the lentils. It’s an easy soup to make and full of nutrients. It makes a large batch and I found I added more and more water since the soup gets quite thick. I’ve shared some with a vegan friend and frozen some for a later treat.

Spinach, Tomato and Lentil Soup

1 lb. dried lentils
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large cans diced Italian tomatoes, with liquid
2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon (or replace some of water with vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
12 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bag fresh spinach

In a large pot, heat olive oil and add vegetables, garlic, bouillon, spices and pinch of salt and pepper. Saute vegetables in oil for about 7-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, water (or broth), and lentils to vegetable mixture.

Bring soup to a slow boil for a few minutes, then back down to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, until soup starts to thicken. Taste for seasoning as its cooking, add more water if it gets too thick.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add fresh spinach leaves to soup and gently stir to combine.

Recipe Adapted from Aggie’s Kitchen

Mediterranean Edamame Salad

02 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by cathysmaha in New Favorite, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

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edamame, feta, garlic, Kalmata, mediterranean, olive oil, olives, red onion, salad, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan, vinaigrette

Edamame and Edamame Salad was a new discovery about 4 years ago. I loved Edamame at our favorite sushi restaurant and I’ve enjoyed Edamame Salad at potlucks but have never made one. When this recipe popped up in a recent issue of Relish.com it inspired me to try it. As I mentioned on Tuesday, it paired well with the Yogurt Marinated Chicken (see Tuesday’s post).

The salad kept for days and I’ve enjoyed it as an entree as well. The Salad would be equally good without the Feta cheese, for those that are following a Vegan diet.

Mediterranean Edamame Salad

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
2 cups cooked, shelled edamame
2/3 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup black olives (Kalamata–I used mixed Spanish olives), pitted and halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups lettuce or greens

To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar, garlic and oregano, and mix with a whisk or in the blender. Slowly add olive oil and mix well. Add salt and pepper.

To prepare salad, combine edamame, tomatoes, onion, olives, feta and vinaigrette. Let marinate 30 minutes (or longer).

When ready to serve, toss or serve salad with lettuce or greens.

Courtesy of Get Fresh Memphis; Relish.com

Fork Lore

~ Tales from my kitchen.

Tag Archives: vegan

Chocolate Cake…Vegan and Absolutely Delicious

CHOCOLATE CAKE…VEGAN AND ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS

Cake:

Frosting:

Instructions

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Dressing

Salad