What To Do With Leftover Cranberry Sauce

 I made homemade Cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries this year.  It was delicious, but I had a lot leftover.  I started looking around online for ideas of what I could do with it so I wouldn't have to waste it.  I found lots of recipes for cranberry muffins which would probably be good, but just didn't sound very appealing to me.  What I did find that sounded appealing to me was Coffee Cake.  I couldn't find a vegan recipe so I took one that I found and veganized it.  The original calls for Bisquick, but i don't use that stuff. If you do use it it can be substituted for the Baking Mix.

Cranberry-Nut Coffee Cake
Serves about 12




Baking Mix
1 ¾ Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
½ Tbsp Sea Salt
1/3 Cup Earth Balance Butter

1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons raw sugar

1 egg
 replacer
2/3 cup soymilk
 or almond milk
3/4 cup whole cranberry sauce

Confectioners’ Sugar Icing

*Heat oven to 400°. Grease pan.  Either a 9x9 square or a small rectangular pan
*Make baking mix by combining flour, baking powder, sea salt, and butter in a medium bowl.  (Mix the butter in with your fingers making sure it is well combined.)  
*Mix brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon in a small bowl.
*Add raw sugar, egg substitute and soy milk to baking mix; beat vigorously until combined
*Spread in pan; sprinkle with nut mixture.
*Spoon cranberry sauce over top.
*Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
*While warm, drizzle with Confectioners’ Sugar Icing
Confectioner's Sugar Icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla 
1 Tbsp Water or Soymilk
*Blend together

A Vegan Thanksgiving

So this year due to finances, school, work, and other random reasons we were unable to travel to be with either of our families for Thanksgiving.  So instead we decided to do our own Thanksgiving here in Lake Charles with our MFA family (Master of Fine Arts). We are the only Vegans in the bunch, though there are a few Vegetarians.  We wanted to share with everyone that you can create a delicious holiday meal with compassion.  In the middle of our table we placed the adoption certificate for our sponsored Turkey, Velma and surrounded her with delicious Vegan foods.  I made everything fresh, nothing packaged or from a can (with the exception of the pumpkin pie filling, cause who wants to make that from fresh). Our menu consisted of: Seitan Roast, Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans, Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Pan  Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garlic Kelp Butter, Mac and "Cheese", Beer Bread, Mashed Cauliflower with Gravy, and Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Topping.  Some of the recipes were my own and several came from my favorite site happyherbivore.com.  Here are the recipes I used or the links to them along with several fun pictures of the day spent cooking.

Thanksgiving 2010


Recipes:

Seitan Roast:
I followed all of the directions for mixing, but for cooking I put mine in a croc pot for about 3 hours.  
Mac and "Cheese"

Mashed Cauliflower

Brown Gravy

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Cranberry Sauce

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Cornbread Stuffing/Dressing
This link goes to my recipe for making the cornbread.  I suggest making it the day before.  After that
Ingredients 
1 recipe Cornbread
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Small Onion, diced
Substitute for 2 eggs, beaten
2 Cups Not Chick'n Broth
2 Tbsp dried Sage
Salt and Pepper

Directions
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish
*Melt butter in a large skillet over med-high heat, saute celery and onion until soft
*In a large bowl, whisk egg substitute, then add crumbled cornbread, stock, celery and onion, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well
*Place in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garlic Kelp Butter
Ingredients:
2 lbs Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 Cup Earth Balance Butter, Softened
1 tsp minced Garlic, (2 cloves)
1 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tsp Kelp Granules
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil for saute'

Directions
To Make Butter
*With a mortar/pestle, combine garlic, kelp, and bragg's to form a paste
*Mix butter and paste together in a small bowl
*Add salt to taste

To Prepare Brussel Sprouts
*Heat Olive Oil in a large pan until shimmering
*Add brussel sprouts to pan cut side down
*Season with salt and pepper
*Cook until cut sides are golden brown
*Put cooked brussels in a large bowl and add butter mixtue.  Toss to coat
*Cook in 400 degree oven for 7-10 minutes to finish

Pumpkin Pie

Whipped Topping
Ingredients:
1 Cup Drained Tofu
2 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar
1 Tbsp Safflower Oil
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:
*Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy
*Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving

Cornbread cooling and Cranberries Cooking

Preparing the Brussel Sprouts

Steaming the Cauliflower

Giant Seitan Roast

William and Me getting ready for the guests to arrive.  

Making the Cornbread Thursday evening.  


Desserts:  Pumpkin Pie and Whipped Topping and a Fruit Crisp made by Erica.  






Thanksgiving's Toll on Turkeys

Every Thanksgiving millions of Turkeys are slaughtered for the dinner table. This year, instead of killing a turkey serve a compassionate vegetarian meal at your table. In the center you can show a picture of your adopted turkey.

Farm Sanctuary is a safe haven for turkeys. You can sponsor a turkey for $30. If you have the land available you should consider actual turkey adoption. I know once we move to a new home where we have some land I want to adopt a couple of them. They are very intelligent and loving and they like to be around people.  We already sponsored our turkey this year, her name is Velma and her photo will be proudly displayed in the center of our feast.  

Here is the link for adoption and sponsoring. http://www.adoptaturkey.org

and here is video showing why you should adopt or sponsor a turkey this year.






Bare Cabinets Soup

After William left for the day with no lunch in hand and I was starving come my own lunchtime I decided something had to be done.  I searched the cabinets and could not really come up with anything substantial.  I decided it was time to compile what produce we had on hand as well as dry goods.  What came out of this was a delicious new soup for my collection. (Don't worry, I took some to him at work so he would not go hungry either.)


Bare Cabinets Soup
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
5 carrots, sliced
1 bunch Kale, torn into bite size pieces (3-5 cups)
1 block Tofu, drained, cubed
5 Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
1 Can Pinto Beans, drained
1 Cube Veggie Bullion
1 Cube No-chick'n Bullion
8 Cups Water
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Olive Oil for saute'
Salt to taste

Directions:
*Drizzle large pot with olive oil.
*Add carrots to pot and saute' over med-high heat for about 5 minutes.
*Add tofu,mushrooms, and Bragg's to pot and saute' another 5 minutes.
*Add bullion and water. 
*Add Beans, seasonings, and Kale and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer.
*Simmer about 30 minutes.  
*Enjoy!!


Split Pea Soup and Beer Bread

Another soup for you.  I have been really enjoying doing these soups.  I make a big pot and it lasts us both for lunch the whole week.  This one is really hearty and filling and would be really delicious on a cold day (if we could ever get one here in LA).  The beer bread is a delicious accompaniment for the soup.  I got the recipe for the bread from my favorite vegan food site happyherbivore.com.

Split Pea Soup and Beer Bread
Serves 8
.

Soup:
 Ingredients
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves or 1 tsp minced garlic
4 Carrots, diced
2 Cups dried Split Peas, checked for debris and rinsed
8 Cups Water
3 Medium Potatoes, chopped
1 Large Bay Leaf
1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1-2 tsp Liquid Smoke
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for sautéing 

Directions
*Lightly spray or drizzle the bottom of large pot with Olive oil.  Saute' the onions for about 5 minutes. 
*Add the garlic and carrots, cook about 2 more minutes
*Add the peas and water.  
*Next stir in the potatoes, bay leaf, and seasonings.  
*Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 1.5 - 2 hours

Beer Bread:
Ingredients
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Raw Sugar
3 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Bottle (12 oz) Stout Beer

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees
*Grease a bread pan
*Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl
*Pour in beer and mix well until dough forms, use hands to finish combining
*Transfer dough to bread pan and press down firmly to shape of pan
*Bake 1 hour

Have Asthma? Try Eating Soybeans.

My good friend Erica found this article and sent it to me.  Vegan and vegetarian diets have already shown that they are beneficial for helping ease allergies and various other illnesses.  Now they are testing to see if soy can be helpful in treating and relieving asthma.  They pay for participants and the article includes a phone number if anyone suffers from asthma and wants to participate.


Check out the article here.
Have asthma? Try eating soybeans

Apple Crisp - Happy Veterans Day

To celebrate Veterans day and to break up the soup monotony I made a special dessert for my Veteran husband.  For those of you not aware William served in the Air Force from 1997-2001.  I have never made one of these before and was pleasantly surprised by the results.  The most time consuming part is peeling all of the apples, so I recommend enlisting some help. :)  I used Fuji apples, but you can use whatever kind you prefer.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
8 cups of peeled and sliced apples (approx. 10 apples)
1 cup Raw Sugar 
1/ 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/4 cup Quick Oats
1 cup Earth Balance Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees
*Peel the apples
*Core apples and then cut into 1/4 inch slices
*Mix apples and sugar together and spread evenly into a 9 x 12 inch glass cake pan
*Add the butter to the flour
 *Blend with fingers until completely mixed.  Will be crumbly.  
*Add the oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
*Using your hands again mix all ingredients together until the mixture is crumbly.
*Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.   It is okay if there are holes.  
*Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes
*Cool on a rack for about 30 minutes before serving.  

Veggie Soup with Seitan

8:20 AM by Missy Coppage 0 comments
As I had warned, here come the soups.  This one was super delicious.  I kind of made up the recipe to go along with the veggies I had on hand so you could easily substitute if you have something else in your pantry.  This recipe does require you to make or purchase seitan.  I recommend making it.  I have eaten the pre-made kind and I don't think it is anywhere near as tasty as when you make it yourself. All you need is wheat gluten flour, some water, a cube or 2 of bullion, and seasonings.  You can find my recipe for seitan Here under: Seitan and i don't mean the guy with horns.

Veggie Soup with Seitan
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
4 Celery stalks,  diced
5 Carrots,  sliced
4 Potatoes, medium,  cubed
1 Onion, small,  diced
1 Cup Kale,  chopped
1/4 Recipe Seitan (1 "log"), cubed small
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1-2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter, for sauté
8 Cups Water
3-4 Bullion Cubes

Directions:
*Make Seitan Recipe first so it can cool
*Next put butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat
*Sautee seitan with onion, about 10 minutes, to crisp
*Bring water and bullion to boil in a large pot
*Add cut veggies (except Kale and Saute'), reduce heat to simmer, and cover
*Cook about 15 minutes
*Add saute'd Seitan and Onion, and Kale
*Cook another 10 minutes.
*Serve hot or cool and reheat later (still delicious the next day)  :)


Curried Carrot Soup

Since cold weather is slowly creeping up on us it is time to start thinking soups.  I love soup.  I have only made a few different ones in the past and am excited about this year.  I started it off with a curried carrot soup.  As I am typing this I have a Veggie and Seitan soup bubbling on the stove.  That recipe will follow shortly along with William's Bean Chili recipe and my Jalapeno cornbread.  Oh the good eats we will have this Winter.

Curried Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
1 Medium Onion, chopped
10-12 Medium Carrots, chopped
3 Medium Potatoes, chopped
8 Cups Water
4 Bullion Cubes (2 no chicken, 2 veg)
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Cayenne Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cumin
1 + tsp Sea Salt

To Garnish:
1 Cup Tofutti Sour Cream
Plastic Condiment Squeeze Bottle
Parsley

Directions:
*Preheat medium pot over med-high heat.
*Add oil, butter, onions, and carrots - (saute 5 minutes). 
*Add 6 cups stock, all spices, and about 1 tsp salt to the pot .
*Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are tender - (15-20 minutes).
*Remove from heat
*Place in blender in 2 or 3 small batches and puree until smooth
 (as you do this, transfer blended soup to a large bowl to make room in blender)
*Return soup to soup pot and place back over low heat.  
*Adjust seasonings to taste

To Garnish:
Put sour cream in squeeze bottle.  Ladle soup into bowl.  Make a swirl of sour cream in bowl from center out.  Drag a toothpick across swirl in an "x" pattern, turn bowl, and repeat "x" pattern.
Place a sprig of parsley in center to complete. 


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