Weekend wrap up!

Happy Monday!

It was a cozy weekend inside due to the cold weather, rain and hail.  Oh and there is snow on our mountains!  It's about time.

Keaton had a friend sleepover and instead of making pancakes for breakfast as usual I made them some coffee cake, fresh cut pineapple and cocoa.

The coffee cake is from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick Goudreau.  I used a small 6 inch springform pan.

Yum!

St. Patricks Day Dinner this year was

Irish Stew.

Irish Stew

 Ingredients:
- 1T. Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 C. yellow or white onion,chopped
-  4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
-  1 8oz. pkg West Soy Seitan*
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 1 12 oz. lager
- 1/2 C. red wine
- 4 lg carrots, chopped
- 5 yukon gold potatoes, chopped
- 1 T.thyme
- 1tsp fresh sage finely chopped or 1tsp dried.
- 2 bay leaves
-1 tsp. steak seasoning(this was in our pantry and I think added a nice flavor)
-2 tsp. vegan worcestershire sauce
-1 cube of low sodium vegetable bouillon or 2 C. veg broth
-water


1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions once soft add garlic for 1 more min. Add seitan and fry until it starts to brown.  Next sprinkle 1T. cornstarch and incorporate in.


2. Add lager and wine to the pot and cook uncovered, until liquid reduces a bit.

3. Add carrots, potatoes, spices, worcestershire sauce, 1 cube veggie bouillon(vegetable broth) and enough water to almost cover everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling, cover, and simmer for at least 45mins, until veggies are soft. 

*Great Northern or cannelini beans would be a great replacement for the seitan as well as tempeh.  I didn't care much for the West Soy Seitan and would rather of used my own.

Irish Soda Bread which is so easy and quick to make.  It actually turned out great!  My son even said to me "you  made this?"  I guess he thought I had bought it.

*Just a quick note about the recipe.  I actually cut the recipe in half and only used spelt flour. 

Irish Soda Bread

Recipe by Vegan Dad (check out his blog)

INGREDIENTS

 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
 1 tsp salt
 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
 2 tsp cream of tartar
 1 tsp sugar
 2 tbsp margarine
 1 1/2 cups soy milk
 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice


METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Whisk flours, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar together. Rub margarine into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk soy milk and lemon juice together. Add to dry ingredients and mix together into a soft dough.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a circle about 2 inches thick. Dust with extra flour and transfer to the baking sheet. Mark a cross in the top with the handle of a wooden spoon.

3. Bake for 40 mins, or until risen and firm.

Blog to you soon!

Mushroom Pecan Burgers, Fireworks and Blueberry Coffee cake

Mushroom Pecan Burgers(focaccia bread), cole slaw, grilled sweet potato, yukon and corn. My husband set up the plate for the photo. hee hee. This burger recipe is sooooo tasty it's hard to stop eating the patties. You can use the extra patties in a wrap or pita, or crumbled on top of a salad. I'm not much of a mayo user but on this I make a basil, garlic mayo spread. The burgers are a bit delicate so be gentle when flipping them over. Here is the recipe by Compassionate Cooks and I don't change a thing in the recipe.

Mushroom Pecan Burgers

recipe by Compassionate Cooks/Colleen Patrick Goudreau

INGREDIENTS

1-½ pounds cremini mushrooms

½ cup fresh parsley

2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

¾ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped or lightly crushed

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon sea salt

ground pepper to taste

1-½ to 2 cups breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, mince the mushrooms with the parsley. Remove and set aside

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onions with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper in olive oil for about 5-6 minutes.

3. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least half an hour to help it bind. The mixture will be soft, but you will be able to form patties. Add additional breadcrumbs or tahini, if needed.

5. Using your hands, form the mixture into patties. In a skillet lightly coated with oil, fry patties over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until lightly browned and crispy on each side. Be careful to keep patties intact. Enjoy!

☺

Copyright © 2006 Compassionate Cooks, LLC – All rights reserved

Getting ready for the firework show. See the yellow rope/tape in the photo, well right below that is a field and that's where the did the fireworks.

Look how close we are to the fireworks. So cool! It was our first 4th in our new town and next year we know to dress a bit warmer. It was chilly! burrr. Luckily we brought our sleeping bag and a blanket to keep us warm.

This cake was so moist! This is the Coffee Cake recipe taken from The Joy of Vegan Baking ,

first time making this recipe and it is a keeper. I dropped fresh blueberries on top of the batter and instead of using the usual topping of flour, earth balance, sugar and nuts, I mixed together sugar and sliced almonds, sprinkled that over the blueberries. Once it was baked and cooled, I drizzled a sugar glaze over it. My husband and mother-in-law said it reminded them of a bear claw, but obviously a lot less fattening.