Corn Dog Muffins

I have seen these little tidbits on a few places on the interweb but the post over at A Sweet Simple Life is what got me to try them out knowing I could veganize them.  Her original recipe can be found at this ----> LINK.  

She makes her muffin gluten free by using rice flour in place of wheat flour.  The ratios are pretty close to what I use so I believe you could do the same with my recipe.  And while she used mini corn dogs as a tailgating snack for football games, I thought they would be good regular size as an accompaniment to chili.

Even though her end result looked quite tasty I was reluctant to try her recipe for the cornmeal muffin part.  The only cornbread recipe I have ever used is the one my mom always made, which was called "Perfect Cornbread".  I have no idea where it originated but it has been handwritten on a recipe card in the family for at least 50 years.  It was always a favorite of mine and I made sure to write it down when I left the nest all those years ago.  I have made it vegan and I hope you enjoy it too.

CORN DOG MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Flour (use rice flour for gluten free)
1/4 Cup granulated Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Cornmeal
1/4 Cup vegan Shortening - I used Earth Balance Natural Shortening Sticks
1 Tbsp EnerG Egg Replacer (or if using another replacer - enough for 2 eggs)
4 Tbsp warm Water mixed with the egg substitute
1 Cup Soy Milk (or other non dairy milk)
3-4 vegan Hot Dogs - I used Litelife.  Cut into 3 pieces each

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.

2.  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cornmeal.

3.  Cut in shortening.

4.  Stir in egg substitute (already mixed with water) and milk.

5.  Spoon into muffin tins.  Push a piece of hot dog into each muffin.

(Corn Dog muffins just put in the oven)

6.  Bake for 15 minutes until nice and golden brown.  This made 10 regular sized muffins.

(Corn dog muffin - fresh from of the oven)

(What they look like cut open)

I found these to be pretty good as a leftover snack in my lunch the next day as well.

-Au Revoir

" An empty belly is the best cook." - Estonian Proverb
.

Lentil and Portobello Stew

With the return of our Oregon rains soup season has once again begun.  The other night I decided to make a recipe I hadn't made since last fall - Lentil and Portobello Stew.  The original recipe I found at FatFree Vegan's website and you can view it here ---> Link.  I have changed it a smidgen such as using balsamic vinegar instead of the Merlot and by streamlining the herbs.  I also used fresh bay leaves from our tree instead of dried.

I find this to be a very flavorful soup and it is very low calorie and filling. By calculating the calorie content of the individual ingredients the whole pot of soup came in under 700 calories.

LENTIL AND PORTOBELLO STEW

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Portobello Mushrooms, chopped in 1 inch chunks
4 Cups warm Water mixed with
4 tsp No Beef Base by Better than Bouillon
1 Cup dry Lentils
2 tsp Herbes De Provence (I use Penzeys blend)
2 Bay Leaves
2 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, sliced
1 large Potato
3-4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In large soup pot cook onions over medium to high heat adding a little water if they start to stick.  Cook until translucent then add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their juices.

2.  Add the 4 cups of no beef stock.  Stir in lentils, Herbes De Provence, bay leaves, celery, carrots, and potato.  Bring to boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes.  

3.  Add the balsamic vinegar.  Continue cooking if the lentils and veggies aren't quite done.  I found they were all cooked after 20 minutes, but depending on your type of lentils and size of veggie chunks it may take longer.

4.  Remove form heat and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

- Au Revoir

"Good soup is one of the prime ingredients for good living.  For the soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish." - Louis P. De Gouy, 'The Soup Book' (1949)

.

Blueberry Scones

Troubadour and I had a nice relaxing Sunday at home yesterday.  As we were sipping our coffee I decided to make blueberry scones for breakfast.

The easiest recipe to use is one I found back in April 2008 on vegweb.com by user roxygrl706 and was titled "Really Good Vegan Raisin Scones."  When I look up the recipe now it states it was posted by Anonymous which makes me think she is no longer on the site.  The original recipe can be found by clicking this -----> link.  I already have a recipe for Scottish Oat Scones that have raisins in them so I've altered the recipe for blueberries.

Here is my interpretation:

BLUEBERRY SCONES

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Flour (1 Cup white, 1 Cup whole wheat)
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar (+ some for sprinkling)
1/2 heaping Cup of whole Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 Cup vegan Margarine such as Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1 Cup Soy Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 450˚F and lightly grease a baking sheet.

2.  Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.  Cut in margarine with pastry blender until it resembles fine crumbles.  Stir in blueberries.

3.  Stir in milk and vanilla.  If the dough is a little dry turn out onto floured surface and knead to mix. Pat into a round approximately 1 inch thick and 8 inches in diameter.  Dab top with soy milk and sprinkle with sugar.

(Dough patted out and sprinkled with soy milk and sugar)

4.  Use a sharp knife and cut into 6 triangle shaped wedges.

5.  Place on baking sheet and bake for approximately 13 minutes or until light brown and firm to the touch.

(Scones ready for the oven)

Best when enjoyed warm.  They are also tasty split in half and spread with margarine and/or jam.

- Au Revoir

"Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum, in the cavernous pail of the first one to come." - Robert Frost

'Tuna' Chickpea Salad

One day a few weeks ago, I was searching for a new sandwich filler. I'd read recipes previously where people were making a vegan tuna salad type of recipe from chickpeas and decided to try it.  I was wowed from the first bite and it has become a favorite.  It is tasty in a sandwich as well as a cracker topper.

The original recipe I tried was from the Apron Archives and can be found at this ----> LINK. I have modified it a bit to suit our tastes (less celery, added dill pickles and substituted Veganaise instead of real mayonaise).

'TUNA' CHICKPEA SALAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 - 15 oz can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup Celery, chopped fine
1/4-1/2 Cup Red Onion, minced
2 Tbsp Veganaise, OR 1/2 smash Avocado OR 2 Tbsp Hummus
2 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
2 Tbsp Dill Pickles, minced (or dill relish)
sprinkle of fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place drained chickpeas in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until broken.  Stir to find any remaining whole chickpeas and mash them as well.   

(mashed chickpeas)

2.  Add in celery and onion and stir.

(mashed chickpea, onion and celery mixture)

3.  To the chickpea/veggie mixture add the Veganaise, mustard, black pepper and pickles (or dill relish) and mix thoroughly.  Add salt and additional pepper to taste.

Place chickpea salad on a bed of greens or make into a yummy sandwich.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and are fine the next day.  

*     I have also made this substituting chopped green onion in place of the red onion and it works well.

(Sandwich of light dill rye bread spread with vegan cream cheese topped with chickpea salad and sprouts)

- Au Revoir

"I don't like food that is too carefully arranged; it makes me think the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking.  If I wanted a picture I'd buy a painting." - Andy Rooney  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think everyone has a favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies.  I know I had my go-to cookie recipe I used to use faithfully every time I made them, but when we went vegetarian four years ago I started looking for an egg free, butter free recipe.

This recipe I found and liked right away so I admit I haven't tried another one..... yet.  I found this recipe on vegweb.com several years ago.  I have gone back to try and find it to link it here so that I can give credit where credit is due, but there are so many on that site now I just can't find it.

These are not a traditional heavy chewy cookie and are far from health food, but I like that the turbinado sugar lends an interesting rich taste.  To make gluten free you will need to use a gluten free flour mix such as Bob's Red Mill.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(dry ingredients, wet ingredient and chocolate chips)

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Flour (1/2 white and half whole wheat)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of salt
1 Cup Turbinado or Raw Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips



DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2.  In large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk to incorporate.

3.  In a two cup glass measuring cup measure the oil and water and mix in the sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  The sugar does not dissolve completely.

(cookie dough turned out on counter)

4.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in chocolate chips.  For some reason my chocolate chips don't like to stick to the dough so I dump the mix on the counter and knead the chips into the dough.  Any chips that fall out I just stick onto the prepared cookies on the cookie sheet prior to baking.

5.  Pinch off sections of dough and roll into a ball poking in any chocolate chips trying to escape.

(raw cookie dough waiting for the oven)

Place a dozen on a greased cookie sheet then bake for 10-11 minutes.

Don't over bake.  Remove from oven when a little softer than you would like as they will firm up as they cool. 

6.  Let rest on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.  I find this recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

- Au Revoir

" Baking cookies is comforting, and cookies are the sweetest little bit of comfort food.  They are very bite-sized and personal."  Sandra Lee