Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup~pg. 106

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Okay, next to this recipe I had written "delicious, yummy, excellent, make again!" So now I'm making again!!I think when I originally made this soup it was the first time I had used coconut milk. It adds such a creamy, smooth flavor that I love. I never blend my soup all the way; I like a few chunks of yam and potato. And, of course, my favorite cilantro is in there, too!

Tara's Chocolate Cake~pg. 250; Toronto Tara's Chocolate Frosting~pg. 261

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I'm glad this recipe only made a small cake! When I was making the frosting I substituted coffee extract for the vanilla extract. Wow! It is some chocolatey mocha deliciousness!!

BBQ Popcorn~pg. 67

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Uhhhh! Weird!!  If you like soggy, chewy popcorn then this one's for you. What a waste of good popcorn and pretzels. Nuff said.

Wolffie's Southwestern Corn Casserole~pg. 169

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I wasn't looking forward to making this again. The last time it was really runny and mushy. I have to say I like it better this time around! I used firm silken tofu instead of the soft tofu and made sure to cook it the full amount of time. I also added some shredded Daiya mozzarella and cheddar the last five minutes of baking. It sets up and tastes better the longer you can let it cool. I also added extra jalapenos on top; I like it spicy!

I served the corn casserole with the Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad I had made earlier today.

Another Great Kale Salad!

I adapted this recipe I found on kalewithlove.blogspot.com Great recipes!   I made a few additions because I like mine a little more tangy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad
1 butternut squash
3 C kale, removed from stem and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 C raisins
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds ( I used toasted sesame seeds)
cinnamon
(my additions-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees; peel and cube butternut squash.
*Put squash in shallow pan and sprinkle with sesame oil and cinnamon (approx. 1-2 tsp.) Cook for 30 minutes; stir after 15 minutes.
*While squash is cooking, combine kale, raisins, olive oil, sesame seeds, vinegar and salt in bowl. Cover and let sit in refrigerator.
*When squash is done, let cool and toss with kale salad. Serve chilled.

I always buy organic kale because it is one of the "dirty dozen" in terms of having the most pesticides. If I can't find organic kale I won't buy it. 

Banana Pecan Pancakes~pg. 39

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Tastes just like banana bread in a pancake! Put the leftovers in the freezer for future quick breakfasts.

Once a Year Cookies!

These are the only cookies I make for the holidays and I only make them once a year because they are so addictive!! I found the recipe in VegNews magazine a few years ago. If you like ginger, you'll love these cookies. They are extra spicy and soft and chewy. I don't like hard gingersnaps; too tough on the teeth!

Triple Ginger Gingersnaps
1 1/4 C unbleached cane sugar, divided
3 1/2 tsp ground ginger, divided
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp powdered egg replacer
2/3 C safflower oil
1/4 C molasses
1 1/2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice or cloves
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C finely chopped crystallized ginger
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In small bowl, stir together 1/4 C sugar and 1/2 tsp each ground ginger and cinnamon, and set aside.
*In large bowl, place water and egg replacer, whisk vigorously for 1 minute or until very frothy. Add remaining 1 C sugar, safflower oil, molasses, and grated fresh ginger, whisk well to combine.
*In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, remaining ground ginger and cinnamon, allspice, pepper, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir well to combine. Stir in crystallized ginger.
*Using your hands, roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in reserved sugar mixture and place on prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Makes approx. 3 dozen.

Tofu Chimichangas & Homemade Salsa

I have been wanting to make these forever and finally decided today was the day! This recipe is from The Garden of Vegan by Sarah Kramer & Tanya Barnard. The filling is a mixture of marinated tofu and refried beans. After baking the chimichangas I topped them with a little canned enchilada sauce and some homemade salsa. I served some chopped romaine lettuce and lime wedges on the side. Mmm! Mmm!Good! Now I just need some tequila!!

Dick's Salsa
2 cans 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, slightly drained
1 can 4 oz. green chilis
4-6 chopped green onions (to taste)
1/4-1/2 C. chopped cilantro (I like alot of cilantro!)
1/4 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)
couple Tbsp. of white vinegar
couple Tbsp. of vegetable oil
    Combine all ingredients and serve chilled.

As you can see, this salsa can be made to your taste! I worked with Dick about 20 years ago and our company would have customer and employee dinners. Dick would make a roaster full of this salsa! The only change I made was to use fresh cilantro instead of dried. Dick is no longer with us; so thank you Dick, wherever you are!!

Vesanto's Choco-Currant Cranberry Squares~pg. 64

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

No, I did not use currants in my recipe! I can't find currants anywhere so I used raisins. Here is the difference in raisins, sultanas and currants. Now ya know! (from about.com) 

• Raisins are dried white grapes. They are dried to produce a dark, sweet fruit. The grapes used are usually Moscatel.
• Sultanas are also dried white grapes but from seedless varieties. They are golden in color and tend to be plumper, sweeter and juicier than other raisins. Also referred to as Golden Raisins in the US.
• Currants are dried, black, seedless grapes. They are dried to produce a black, tiny shriveled - yet packed with flavor - fruit.

I liked the flavor of these squares but they were very fragile and fell apart easily. The cornflakes make them a little chewy, too. Next time I'll just use rice crispies.  Happy Winter Solstice/Yule!!

Chunky Vegetable Chowder~pg. 120

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

This was a nice, quick soup to throw together; especially when I don't feel like cooking. I used "Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base" for the 2 cups of vegetable stock. It really gives a much more flavorful broth than alot of the other vegetable stocks/broths you buy. I must remember to only use 1/4 tsp. or less of black pepper next time; it's a little spicy. I like it but my husband complains every time. I made a 'big' note by the recipe ingredients! I served it with some Cumin-Spiced Quick Bread (pg. 267) that I had in the freezer topped with Earth Balance margarine, garlic powder and Faux Parmesan and broiled.

Cranberry Almond Pecan Granola~pg. 48

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Out of all the granolas we've made so far this one is my favorite. The recipe called for pecans and slivered almonds but didn't specify chopping them. I chopped mine because I didn't want big chunks of nuts in my mixture. I also chose to use apple juice instead of cranberry juice. Homemade granola tastes sooo much better than store bought and so easy to make! I like eating it with soymilk or mixing it with some soy yogurt or just eating it straight as a snack.

Hayley's Lemon Cranberry Muffins~pg. 274

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

My recipe only made 11 muffins-that really bothers my OCD!! Well, anyway these were delicious. I love lemon and poppyseeds and the addition of dried cranberries made them extra special.

Very tasty for breakfast!

Red Lentil Sauce~pg. 182

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I chose to serve my red lentil sauce over soba noodles. I really like the flavor of this sauce; the 1/4 tsp. cinnamon gives it a spicy, sweet flavor. It's so easy to make I'll be using this one alot!

Tomato Walnut-Crusted Fried "Chicken"~pg. 172; Basic Baking Powder Biscuits~271

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Hot dang!! Who needs meat when you can eat like this! I served my 'chicken' with roasted fresh green beans and garlic, leftover Kalamata Mashed Potatoes and Basic Baking Powder Biscuits (pg. 271). I made a brown gravy out of the remaining 'chicken' simmering broth using flour and soymilk.

These biscuits weren't on our schedule of recipes to make. If you haven't made them before you have got to try them! I use this recipe frequently and we love it. The dark flecks you see in the biscuits is oregano; it really gives the biscuits a great, savory flavor. If you don't have La Dolce Vegan! cookbook you are missing out on alot of great recipes. Go out and buy it today! Treat yourself for Christmas!

Santa's Favorite Christmas Bread~pg. 241

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

This bread kind of fell apart on me, probably because I used canned mandarin oranges and they were too moist. Also, next time I'll use a smaller loaf pan. I wasn't too sure about the chocolate chips in the bread, too sweet. This is like a very moist cake, I had to eat it with a fork but it was still very yummy!

Mashed Potatoes with Kalamata Olives~pg. 192

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love making these mashed potatoes; I have made them several times. The kalamata olives gives plain old mashed potatoes a nice little kick. The flax oil drizzled on top adds a nice nutty flavor, too.

Dinner~Mashed Potatoes with Kalamata Olives, sautee'd rainbow swiss chard & garlic and Gardein Chick'n Scallopini

January Calendar of Recipes for Challenge

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge
January 2012

Sun. 01/01: Catch-Up Weekend
Mon. 01/02: Wolffie’s Snickerdoodles-215
Tue. 01/03: On Golden Pond Mushroom Soup-105
Wed. 01/04: Wolffie’s Spinach Walnut Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette-78
Thu. 01/05: Breakfast Banana Smoothie-52
Fri. 01/06: Hot Nuts-68
Sat. 01/07: Roasted Asparagus Potato Salad-90
Sun. 01/08: Chocolate Pear-zza-233
Mon. 01/09: Choice of Salad and Sesame Miso Vinaigrette-96
Tue. 01/10: Quick Ginger Carrot Soup-113; (add Simple Sassy Soda Bread-269)
Wed. 01/11: Simple Oatmeal Cookies-216
Thu. 01/12: Curried Butternut Squash Soup-114
Fri. 01/13: Macaroni & Wolffie’s Nutritional Yeast ‘Cheese’ Sauce-175
Sat. 01/14: Nikole’s Boss’s Mom’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake-248
Sun. 01/15: Wolffie’s BLT Brunch Casserole-43
Mon. 01/16: Roasted Kalamata Parsnips-193
Tue. 01/17: Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Strudel-227
Wed. 01/18: Dijon Mustard Brussels Sprouts-185
Thu. 01/19: Jen’s Creamy Basil & Sun-dried Tomato Pasta-133
Fri. 01/20: Maple Flax Squares-213
Sat. 01/21: Tip Top Tofu Loaf-154
Sun. 01/22: Vegan ‘Sausage’ Hash-46
Mon. 01/23: Miki’s Pumpkin Bread-280
Tue. 01/24: Aunt Bonnie’s Chickpea Salad-71
Wed. 01/25: Wolffie’s Pasta Salad-82
Thu. 01/26: Jae’s Peanut Butter Fudge-200
Fri. 01/27: Quick Breakfast Quinoa-50
Sat. 01/28: Catch-Up Weekend
Sun. 01/29: Catch-Up Weekend
Mon. 01/30: Eggplant Parmesan-145;
All Purpose Garlic Tomato Sauce-179
Tue. 01/31: Not for the Faint of Heart Hot Chocolate-197;
                  (add Cinnamon Apple Muffins-275)

Peacefrog's Artichoke Heart Pasta~pg. 133

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I know we are all busy with the holiday season but it's so nice to know what I'm making for dinner.  If I didn't have this plan I would be tempted to eat something very, very bad for me!!

I have made this pasta several times; I love the fresh taste of the basil, tomato and parsley. I used Italian parsley this time which I like alot better than curly parsley.

Time to eat!

On the Run Breakfast Smoothie~pg. 53

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

The recipe calls for a frozen banana and I'm allergic to raw bananas so I used 1/2 C. of plain soy yogurt. Since I didn't have that extra frozen fruit in mine it was just more like a breakfast drink. I used frozen mangoes and orange juice and had to add a little stevia since I didn't have the sweetness of the banana. It reminded me of an Orange Julius drink I used to get when I was a kid. I'll have to make it thicker next time.

Yam Pecan Bake~pg. 189

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I'm making 3 days' worth of recipes today because I was fighting the crowds at the mall yesterday. Ugh! I used rainbow swiss chard for my greens in this recipe. Also, next time I make this I'm cutting the crust topping in half-too much bread crumbs for me. Otherwise, I really liked the flavor of the yams and greens together. It tastes really good with the Merciful Miso Gravy on top, too.

Dinner for tonight-Veggie Pot Pie with Merciful Miso Gravy and Yam Pecan Bake

Veggie Pot Pie~pg. 153; Merciful Miso Gravy~pg. 182

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Simmering the filling for the pot pie.

I have one of those metal pie rings that you put on the edge of the crust the last 15 minutes of baking so the edges don't get too brown. You can tell I don't like to fiddle around with a "pretty" pie edge; just used the edge of a fork. I have made this pot pie before. I wrote in my cookbook that my husband likes this so I knew it was safe to make again!

Merciful Miso Gravy

Love the flavor of this gravy, will have to use this recipe again.

Pot Pie & Dancing

I was right in the middle of making this 'Curried Vegetable Pie with Chickpea Crust' from The Garden of Vegan when I got a text from my friend asking me "Where are you?". My brother has a classic rock band and they were playing for a benefit and I was missing the party! So I finished making my pot pie, ate a piece, squeezed into my 'nice' jeans and boots and went dancing. So, I got my cardio in for the day!

Of course it's always the girls who like to have a good time and dance while the guys sit around!! We ended the night with 'Mustang Sally'-"ride, Sally, ride". I'm on the far right workin' it!

This was an excellent pot pie. It had a chickpea pie crust that was really good and chickpeas in the filling. It reminded me of the frozen chicken pot pies I used to eat. I don't know what I was thinking because we're supposed to make another pot pie today for the La Dolce Vegan! Challenge. I'll do a taste comparison.

Rene's Tomato Soup Spice Cake~pg. 246; Rene's Vanilla Frosting~pg. 260

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Mmmm! This cake tastes just like carrot cake minus the carrots. I added raisins to the batter, too. I only made half the recipe for the frosting. It was plenty to frost this cake. I had to display my cake on one of my early Christmas presents to myself-a jeanette zeis handmade pottery cake stand. I love her stuff! Here is her link-http://vesselsandwares.blogspot.com/

An inside look at the luscious goodness!

Home-Style Green Pea Soup

A quick and easy soup from The Garden of Vegan to go with my Pesto Pin-Wheel Rolls:

I've been trying to use up odds and ends of beans, grains and legumes I have in my pantry. I had just enough dried green split peas to make this soup. It was creamy, comforting and delicious.

Pumpkin Tofu "Cheesecake"~pg. 244

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Just wanted to re-post this since we were supposed to make this today. I wish I had a piece of this now!

We weren't supposed to make this recipe until Dec. 9th but I can't have Thanksgiving without something pumpkin-y! It was well worth it; creamy, pumpkin-y and delicious. I loved using the gingersnap cookies in the crust. The only thing I would change would be the 1/3 C. oil it called for to make the crust. It made a really big mess in my oven and it made an oily crust. Next time I will use a small amount of margarine instead. I substituted 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I also didn't use the 1 Tbsp. maple syrup on top; it was sweet enough without it!

Nana's Pesto Pin-Wheel Rolls~pg. 55

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Tyler & Phoebe's Perfect Pesto Sauce~pg. 177

Basil-one of my favorite herbs; next to cilantro, that is!

They look like seashells!

After reading Joel's post about cooking these I decided to follow the prepping and cooking directions on the puff pastry box. I didn't roll out the dough, I left it the size it was. I also baked these at 400 degrees for 15 minutes as it suggested. They turned out great. Well, since I had half a bowl of pesto left and another puff pastry sheet already thawed out I decided to try a quick version of this recipe. Making pinwheels and trying to cut them is too labor-intensive for me! I patted my puff pastry dough into a jelly-roll size pan and spread the remaining pesto on top.

This is why it's called 'puff' pastry! You should have seen it in the oven; I thought it was gonna explode. It still tastes delicious though.

I cut these into squares with scissors;

 guess what I had for breakfast with a glass of soymilk?!

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies~pg. 219

I really like the flavor of these cookies but the texture was rather odd; kinda cakey and rubbery at the same time. Maybe they needed to cook longer. Instead of the cinnamon, ginger and cloves I used 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice.

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies~pg. 217

These were so fun to make! I hadn't made gingerbread men in a long time. I wasn't going to decorate them but they looked so naked so I whipped up a frosting and they look alot better. I really liked the flavor of these; I'll have to make some more for the holidays.

Lots of Greens!

I'm trying to get more greens in my diet so I'm trying some different ones. I found a recipe on food.com for "easy vegetarian collard greens". I have nothing to compare the flavor to since I've never eaten collard greens but this recipe was really good. Next time I might add a couple drops of liquid smoke. For supper tonight I made "Simply Lovely Quinoa" from The Garden of Vegan, collard greens and a romaine and baby spinach salad with the French dressing I made yesterday. The collard greens were a great combination with the quinoa dish.

I've been filling in days with recipes from The Garden of Vegan for the La Dolce Vegan! Challenge. Now I remember why I like Sarah's last cookbook the best-small serving sizes. The recipe for Simply Lovely Quinoa made 4-6 servings. My husband and I get tired of leftovers. I guess I could try freezing it and see what happens.

Easy Vegetarian Collard Greens
1 lb collard greens
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 C vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
          Wash greens well. Cut off stems right where leaf starts. Stack about 5-8 leaves on top of each other, then roll lengthwise. Cut rolled up leaves into 1" slices widthwise. Repeat until all the greens are done; add to a large pot. Add all other ingredients. Cover and bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes or until greens are extremely tender. Serve hot, using slotted spoon to drain the liquid from the greens.

Does anyone have any "easy greens" recipes they like?

French Dressing~pg. 92

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I halved the recipe on this one. I chose to use flax oil and rice vinegar in the dressing. We don't use alot of salad dressing at our house. Most of the time my husband eats his salad without any dressing! I can't do that; I like my condiments.

Wolffie's Cow Pies~pg. 205

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love chocolate-covered raisins but these were a little too rich and chocolatey for me. I'm sure my husband will enjoy them! I chose to use the vegetable shortening instead of margarine when making them because I knew it would help firm them up better. They turned out perfect.

Best Ever Kale Salad!

I tried kale in a recipe a couple of years ago and it was bitter and disgusting! So it took me awhile to work up the nerve to try it again because I know it is so good for you. I found this recipe in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book, Vegan's Daily Companion. I have made this at least a dozen times. 

Massaged Kale Salad

The recipe includes onion, carrot, cherry tomatoes and quinoa. Instead of using oil for the dressing you massage half of an avocado along with apple cider vinegar, some lemon juice, garlic powder and Dijon mustard into the kale mixture. I always chop up the other half of the avocado and toss it in with the cherry tomatoes. This salad tastes even better the next day!

Cold Coconut Curried Noodle Salad~pg. 80

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I love rice noodles; such a nice change from regular wheat noodles. I must have not made enough noodles because I had way too much sauce so I just used half of my sauce. Oh well, I guess I'll have to cook some more rice noodles! The recipe calls for a can of coconut milk. I buy the lite coconut milk. It has 60% less fat and calories than the regular coconut milk but it still tastes good.

I must be craving some greens because I also made Green Bean & Fennel Toss from "The Garden of Vegan"-pg. 115 and my favorite kale salad. I'll post the kale salad recipe separately. The Green Bean & Fennel Toss has fresh ginger sautee'd in dark sesame oil then stir-fried with snow peas, green beans, fennel and bok choy. Then it is cooked for another minute with Braggs, white wine vinegar and gomashio seasoning. It's green and delicious!

My dinner for tonight~I cleaned my plate!

Tempeh Toss

From "The Garden of Vegan"-pg. 145:

As you can see, I didn't use tempeh. I have tried tempeh before and I love the taste and texture but wouldn't ya know, I would be allergic to it. I'm sensitive to foods that have been fermented like tempeh. I used firm tofu but it still crumbled up a little. I served this over brown rice and doctored mine up with some sriracha hot chili sauce and Braggs. The recipe called for 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes but that wasn't hot enough for me! Next time I might try using Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips.