Vegan Big Mac! (Vegan or Vegetarian, K-Parve or Dairy October 6, 2010

Vegan Big Mac

Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Source

Ingredients

Special Sauce:
1/2 c Vegannaise
2 tbsp low Fat French Dressing
4 tbsp Minced Dill Pickles (Can also use Sweet Pickle Relish, just take down the sugar amount to 1 tsp)
1 tbsp Minced White Onion
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 1/4 tsp Sugar
Pinch of salt

Burger:
3 Sesame Seed Buns
4 Vegan Burger Patties
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Special Sauce
2 tsp Diced White Onion
1 c Chopped Lettuce
2 Vegan American or Cheddar Cheese Slices
4 Dill Pickle Slices

Procedure:

Sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and store in a covered container for a few hours or overnight to develop flavor.
Makes about 3/4 cup.

Burger:

Using a serrated knife cut off the top of third bun, this will be the middle for one of your sandwiches.
Place bun halves on griddle to toast till golden brown.
Season patties and cook till done. about 3-4 minutes each side.

Build burger in this order:

Bottom Bun
1/4 tbsp Sauce*
1/4 tsp Onion
1/4 c Lettuce
1 Cheese Slice
Burger Patty
Middle Bun
1/4 tbsp Sauce
1/4 tsp Onion
1/4 c Lettuce
2 Pickle Slices
Burger Patty
Top Bun

*May use more sauce, depending on preference.

Repeat for second burger.

Makes 2 burgers.

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Dolmas (Vegan, K-Parve) September 18, 2010

Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried currants
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8 ounce) jar grape leaves, drained and
rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. Stir in rice and hot water to cover. Cover and simmer until rice is half cooked, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste, currants, pine nuts, cinnamon, mint leaves, dill weed, allspice and cumin. Let mixture cool.
3. Prepare a large pot by placing an inverted plate on the bottom; this protects the dolmas from direct heat when steaming.
4. Rinse grape leaves in warm water; drain and cut off any stems. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cooled rice mixture in the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll into a cigar shape. Place in prepared pot. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
5. Pour in just enough warm water to reach the bottom of the first layer of dolmas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until rice is totally cooked. Check the water level often and add more as necessary.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Labne (Vegetarian, K-Dairy) July 30, 2010

Labneh

Ingredients:

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 clove garlic (optional)

Directions:

1. Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth; place over a bowl and pour yogurt into strainer; set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours to 2 days or until extremely thick.

2. If using garlic or herbs, stir into thickened labneh.

3. Refrigerate immediately. Keeps for several days in the fridge.

Tomato Soup Cake (Vegetarian, K-Dairy) July 4, 2010

I’ve posted two recipes for Tomato Soup Cake including this article/recipe which explains some of its history. Below is another recipe with ingredients in both US and metric for our European friends 🙂 Enjoy making this recipe and surprising your friends with the secret ingredient!
—–

Tomato Soup Cake

Serves up to 16:

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons room temp unsalted butter

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a bundt or loaf pan. Scale out all of your ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the baking soda to the tomato soup and let sit. Sift the spices, baking powder, and flour together. Alternate adding the tomato soup and dry ingredients to the butter mixture until fully combined. Fold in the raisins and walnuts if desired. Pour into desired pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Finishing The Cake
A classic way to finish the cake is with a simple cream cheese frosting. Simply beat a package of cream cheese with 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Spread over the top and serve, perhaps with some hot apple cider, a nice compliment to the spice. Another great way to finish this old-time favorite for less money is by brushing on some flavored simple syrup, like spice or rum, and then lightly dusting with confectioners’ sugar. You can also serve the cake with some lightly whipped cream flavored with a little vanilla extract, though the added cost of fresh cream may not be ideal.

Tomato Soup Cake
Recession-Proof Your Dessert
By Julie Herson (Suite 101)

In tough economic times one of the first extravagances to vanish from your daily routine is dessert. With this simple, economical recipe, no such deprivation is needed.
War-Time Ingenuity
Nobody will guess that the secret ingredient in this flavorful, moist, and spicy cake is the depression era kitchen staple canned tomato soup. You may even remember this cake from when you were a child, as many frugal war-time housewives had their own version of this low-cost treat. Most famously, the intrepid M.F.K. Fisher included a version of this recipe in her 1940’s tome How To Cook A Wolf. This recipe, however, includes eggs and baking powder to lighten the texture, as well as a sweet frosting to round out the subtle salty undertones of the tomato soup.

Revealing the Secret Ingredient:
Avoid telling people about the tomato soup in this recipe until after they tell you how much they loved it. For some reason, people find the idea of a savory soup in their sweet cake somewhat off putting. Ultimately though, all you need to explain is that tomatoes are a fruit and naturally contain a large amount of sugar, and thus provide for an ideal ingredient for adding sweetness and moisture without the added cost of more butter, sugar, or eggs.

—–

Tomato Soup Cake

Ingredients (metric)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
5 g baking soda
200 g white sugar
1 egg
75 g butter
2 g ground cinnamon
1 g ground cloves
190 g self-rising flour
145 g raisins

Ingredients (USA)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup raisins

Directions

Combine the tomato soup and the soda in a bowl, and let it stand.
Cream sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in tomato soup and soda mixture, and then flour. Stir in the raisins, and pour the batter in a greased baking dish (such as a 10″ square pan)
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until done. Cool the cake, and top with cream cheese icing.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 169 | Total Fat: 4.6g | Cholesterol: 23mg

Pesach Recipes Galore! April 1, 2010

Here are a gazillion recipes for Pesach, Enjoy!

Kosher for passover recipes

Vegcooking KLP recipes

KLP recipes from recipezaar

Vegan passover recipes

Raw Food KLP recipes

Vegetarian Fat Free Passover Recipes

Jewish Food List KLP Recipes

Vegetarian & Vegan KLP Recipes

Veggie Pesach Main Dish Recipes

Recipe: Cheese Danish (Vegetarian, K-Dairy) December 21, 2009

CHEESE DANISH

The recipe is from The Art & Soul of Baking and uses a 1/2 recipe of Danish dough which makes 12 good size pastries.

Danish Dough
From The Art & Soul of Baking

Dough Block (Détrempe)

* 1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm whole milk (110° to 115° F)
* 1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce), sugar
* 4 teaspoons active dry yeast, or 1 tablespoon instant yeast
* 2 cold large eggs
* 3/4 cup (6 ounces) cold whole milk
* 3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Butter Block (Beurrage)

* 3 sticks (12 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
* 1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Make the dough block: Whisk warm milk and teaspoon of sugar in small bowl. Add yeast and whisk. Let sit until mixture is bubbly and yeast is activated, about 10 minutes.
2. In stand mixer bowl, whisk remaining sugar, cold milk, and eggs. Whisk in yeast mixture. In separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, & cardamom until well-blended. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, attach dough hook, and mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and a rough mass has formed. {Note: for both croissant dough and Danish dough, you only want to knead the bare minimum to bring the dough together. You want to keep gluten formation to a minimum, which makes rolling the dough easier. It will get plenty of kneading during the rollouts/turns}. Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times to bring it together. The dough is very sticky. Don’t be afraid to flour and/or wet your hands. The dough will not be smooth or elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Make the butter block: Toss the butter with flour and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. In cleaned stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat chilled butter on medium speed, scraping down sides as necessary, for 1 to 2 minutes or until butter and flour form a smooth mass. Scrape butter onto a piece of parchment paper, wrap it up and refrigerate while you roll out dough.
4. Incorporate the butter and turn the dough: Dust surface with flour. Set dough in center and dust the top with flour. Roll dough into a 15 by 12-inch rectangle with short side parallel to the edge of your work surface. Make it as straight as possible. Stretch and pull corners if necessary to make nice sharp corners. Visually divide the dough into thirds. Using your fingers (butter is too cold for spatula) spread the cold butter over the top of the upper 2/3rds of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on edges.
5. Use a letter fold to encase the butter: Fold the empty bottom third over the middle third of the dough. Then fold the top third down over the center. Pinch together the seams at the bottom and sides of dough and gently roll your rolling pin over the top 3 or four times to help seal the seams. You’ve just completed your first “turn”. If the butter has become warm and squishy, refrigerate the dough for an hour. If not, move on to the second turn.
6. Dust work surface with flour. Position the dough with short side parallel to your work surface and the long fold to your left. Dust the dough with flour and roll it into a 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush any flour from the surface of the dough. Fold the dough using the book fold method: Fold the two short edges to the center of the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch gap. Line up edges precisely and square corners as you fold. Fold one side over the other as if you are closing a book. Briefly roll your rolling pin across the top to seal the seams. This completes the second turn. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
7. Dust work surface with flour. Remove dough from refrigerator, dust with flour, and roll into a 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush any flour from work surface and fold dough using letter-fold method from step #5. Make sure to square the corners and fold neatly and precisely as possible. Roll your rolling pin over the top to help seal the seams. This completes the third turn and the Danish dough is finished.
8. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before using it. You can also wrap it up and freeze for 4 to 6 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.

Cream Cheese Filling

* 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
* 6 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) sugar
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1 1/2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour
* Finely grate zest of 1/2 lemon
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese and sugar in bowl of food processor. Process until mixture is smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down sides half-way through. Add egg yolk and pulse for 5 seconds and scrape down sides. Add flour, zest, and vanilla extract and blend well–about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and make sure everything is well-mixed.

The filling can be kept in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Apricot Glaze

* 1/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) apricot jam
* 2 to 3 tablespoons water

Combine jam and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat until melted and fluid. If glaze seems too thick, add third tablespoon of water. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl to remove any chunks of fruit. Use while warm and fluid.

The glaze will keep in refrigerator for one month. Reheat before using.
Cheese Danish

* 1/2 recipe of Danish Dough (about 1 1/2 pounds)
* 1/2 recipe Cream Cheese Filling
* 1 recipe Apricot Glaze
* Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Dust work surface with flour. Place dough in center and dust top with flour. Roll into a 16 by 12 by 1/4-inch rectangle. Mark dough at 4-inch intervals on all sides. Cut dough into 12 (4-inch) squares.
2. Place a tablespoon of Cream Cheese Filling in center of each square and smear in a slight oval toward two of the diagonal corners. Fold one of the other corners over filling. Moisten its top with a bit of water and fold the opposite corner over the top and press to seal. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and place Danishes on prepared sheets.
3. Loosely cover sheets with plastic wrap and let Danish rise in a cool room-temperature spot until they are doubled in size and look like they have taken a deep breath (about 1 hour). If you squeeze one, it should feel marshmallow-like.
4. Preheat the oven to 400° F and position rack to center. Chill Danish in freezer for 10 minutes or refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake one sheet of Danish at a time, rotating sheet halfway through, for 14 to 16 minutes. The Danish should be golden brown. Transfer Danish to cooling rack and immediately brush with a thin layer of Apricot Glaze. Bake and glaze the 2nd Danish sheet the same way. Cool completely and dust with confectioners’ sugar prior to serving.

You can freeze unbaked shaped Danish for 4 to 6 weeks. Let defrost and proof at room temperature for about 2 to 3 hours. You can also freeze baked Danish for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then reheat in 350° F oven for 7 to 8 minutes, until crust is crisped and the center is warmed through.

Original article Here

Recipe: Fettuccine With Braised Mushrooms and Baby Broccoli (Vegetarian, K-Dairy) December 17, 2009

Fettuccine With Braised Mushrooms and Baby Broccoli
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or red wine
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or fresh thyme leaves
1/2 pound baby broccoli, cut in 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound fettuccine or egg noodles
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a Pyrex measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl; line it with cheesecloth, a coffee filter or paper towels; and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices, and measure out 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the broth, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. If very large, chop coarsely.

2. Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the shallot. Cook, stirring for a few minutes, until tender, and add the fresh mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about five minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring often, until they have softened a little more, about two minutes. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms, the wine and rosemary (or thyme), and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until the wine evaporates and the pan is almost dry, five to 10 minutes. Stir in the mushroom broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth is thick and gravy-like, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, and keep warm.

3. When the pasta water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the baby broccoli. Blanch for five minutes, until tender but still bright. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer to the pan with the mushrooms.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook al dente, until firm to the bite, following the directions on the package but checking a minute or two before the end of the designated cooking time. (Mote that some egg noodles, such as Al Dente Pasta, take only three to four minutes). Add a ladleful of pasta cooking water to the mushrooms and baby broccoli, drain the pasta, and toss with the mushrooms and broccoli in a large pasta bowl or in the pan. Serve at once, passing Parmesan at the table.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make this through step 3 several hours before you cook the pasta. Bring the pot of water back to a boil, and reheat the mushrooms and baby broccoli shortly before serving.

Recipe: Vegetarian Pad Thai (Vegetarian or Vegan, K-Parve) December 14, 2009

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 8 oz. (SERVES 2) Pad Thai rice noodles (thin, flat linguini-like noodles)
* 2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu – see instructions below*)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), finely chopped
* 3-4 “heads” of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
* 2 cups bean sprouts
* 2 green onions, sliced
* 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
* 1/4 cup ground (or well-chopped) peanuts (substitute: cashews or slivered almonds)

* PAD THAI SAUCE:
* 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce)
* 1/2 to 2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
* 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
* OTHER:
* 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
* 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
* lime wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 6-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles are ready to drain when they are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit “crunchy”. The noodles will finish cooking when they are fried.
2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in the hot water. Add the other pad thai sauce ingredients and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add as much or as little chili sauce as you prefer, but don’t skimp on the sugar (you need it to balance the sourness of the tarmaind). Reserve.
3. Place your wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and shallot. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
4. Add the bok choy plus the stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
5. Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the eggs (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble them.
6. Push eggs aside and add a little more oil to the middle of the wok/pan. Now add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute using 2 utensils and a tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
7. Add a little more sauce and continue stir-frying in the same way for 1-2 more minutes, or until the noodles begin to soften and become sticky. Reduce heat to medium if noodles begin to stick and burn.
8. Add the bean sprouts plus the remaining sauce. Stir-fry to incorporate everything together for 1-3 more minutes, or until noodles are done. Noodles are cooked to perfection when they are soft but still deliciously chewy and a little bit sticky.
9. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce if desired for more salt/flavor.
10. To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the green onion, coriander/cilantro, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and ENJOY!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).

If using soft tofu: add it when you add the noodles. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.

Original Recipe Here

Recipe: Lemon & Leek Risotto (Vegetarian, K-Dairy) December 13, 2009

Adding Bay to this lemon Risotto is not authentically Italian but gives it a lovely flavor.

From the CookSmart Vegetarian Cookbook

Serves: 2
Prep: 15 mins.
Cooking: 40 mins.

1/4 Cup Butter
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 Leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
1 Cup Risotto Rice
6 Bay leaves, bruised
1/2 Cup dry Vermouth
3 1/2- 4 cups hot vegetable stock
1 large Lemon, juice and zest
1/4 Cup Mascarpone
1/4 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
Salt and Pepper

Melt the butter and fry the onion, garlic and leeks for 10 minutes, until soft but not brown. Stir in rice and bay leaves, until grains are glossy. Add Vermouth and reduce by half.
Keep stock at gentle simmer. Gradually add stock to rice, one ladleful at a time stirring until each addition is absorbed. Continue till rice is creamy but grains are still firm, about 20 minutes.
Add lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, stir for 5 minutes. Add mascarpone and parmesan, stir once, cover and let risotto rest for a few minutes. Serve with extra parmesan.

Recipe: Puppy Chow (Vegetarian Dessert)

Thank you to Unoblogger for this recipe! P.S. Nope it’s not real Puppy Chow, silly! 😉

Holiday Puppy Chow Recipe

Ingredients:
9 cups Combination of Corn, Rice, and Wheat Cereal squares (Chex) *For gluten-free, omit the wheat chex.
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoon vanilla *make sure to check vanilla for gluten-free
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1-gallon ziplock bags

Directions:
Place cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave on High for 1 minute and stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer and stir mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour sauce over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Spoon half of the mixture in each 1-gallon resealable ziplock bag. Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar to each bag, and seal. Shake the bag until everything is coated. Spread on waxed/parchment paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Original post is Here and it has lots of gorgeous photos, so if you are interested in this recipe, be sure to check it out!