Provençal Vegetable Gâteau

This is a vegetarian special I came up with. It's visually appealing and quite tasty. Vegan and very nutritious.

Provençal Vegetable Gâteau
thinly sliced red onion (use a mandolin)
thinly sliced zucchini (use a mandolin)
thinly sliced tomato (use a mandolin)
salt, pepper, and oil, to taste
arugula pesto
oven-roasted cherry tomatoes
candied nuts

To assemble these gâteaux, I laid my three vegetables out in containers in front of me and chose an appropriately-sized round ring mold. I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, and assembled the gâteaux, one at a time, If you have several identical ring molds, you can be more efficient and assemble a few at a time. 

I did my layers like this: red onion, zucchini, tomato, red onion, zucchini tomato, red onion zucchini. I used around 5-6 sliced of vegetables for each layer, depending on size. You could do more or less layers, depending upon how high you would like your vegetable stacks to be. 

To serve: gently use a flat spatula to transfer to a parchment-lined dish. Season with salt, pepper, and oil. Bake at 400◦F until heated through and vegetables are softened and tender. 
I served with arugula pesto drizzled around, seasoned oven-roasted tomatoes, and candied nuts. 

Nutella At Home

I made homemade vegan nutella once. But it didn't turn out quite as I had wanted it to. It was tasty, but not as smooth and decadent as commercial nutella. I decided to try again

I first processed toasted (peeled) hazelnuts in  my food processor to form a smooth hazelnut butter. This did not take as long as I had anticipated because hazelnuts are a fairly oily nut. I did this as a separate step to make the finished butter more smooth and less gritty. I set that aside, then cooked some dates in water until they were very soft (if you have good, fresh dates, this step may optional). Then I puréed these separately to form a date paste. I then combined the two together in my food processor, adding some unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and melted coconut butter so added smoothness, flavor and to thin. Process until smooth, and enjoy!


The hazelnut to date ration depends upon how sweet you would like your nutella. If you prefer a sweeter, more decadent nutella, use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, agave, or glucose. Melted chocolate also makes for a more decadent nutella, though keep in mind these options will make the nutella less of a nutritious, vitamin-rich nut butter and more of an occasional dessert. You can use any type of milk, and omit the coconut butter or use your favorite oil.
This is a much more nutritious version of the commercial nutella - which is very high in sugar and fat. This spread can be used just as much as any natural nut butter, and contains a pleasing hint of chocolate!

Whole Grain Seedy Brötchen

Brötchen are basically German bread rolls; which are much better than any other kind of bread rolls. They come in a wide variety of types, shapes, and sizes; and buying fresh brötchen from a local bakery for breakfast is the best way to start off your day. Great with nutella, cheeses, vegetables, and just plain butter; they are usually crusty, wholesome, and give French baguette a run for its money. Here I have made my own version, that come close to some I enjoyed in Germany. These are whole wheat and contain seeds for extra texture and nutrition.

Whole Grain Seedy Brötchen 
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoon each: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
1 package (eight grams) instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
300mL warm water 
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
seeds, for topping

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, seeds, yeast, and salt. Stir together the water, oil, and molasses, and add in. Stir until dough comes together, then knead until uniform. Divide into nine even pieces. Roll into balls. Place 3x3 in a parchment-lined 8x8 inch square pan. Sprinkle with seeds. Cover and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours. Then bake at 375◦F for about 20 minutes until cooked. Serve warm - toasted for a crusty bread or wrapped in foil for soft bread. Great with cheeses, butter, hummus, vegetables, etc. 

Chocolate-Filled Vegan Oat Muffins

Chocolate-Filled Vegan Oat Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup whole grain oat blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup maple syrup or molasses or agave
1/4 cup aquafaba
2 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate of choice

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
In a large bowl, stir together the first six dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, stir together the next five wet ingredients.
Add to dry and mix just to combine.
Fill each cup halfway using half of the total batter.
Melt the chocolate and place a generous tablespoon in each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Unmold from muffin tin. Delicious when served warm!

Layered Chocolate Coconut Cups

This is an easy, attractive and tasty vegan dessert I came up with - layering the delicious flavors of chocolate and coconut, with pleasing layered textures. They can be made in regular or mini-sized muffin cups. 

Layered Chocolate Coconut Cups
3 Tablespoons melted coconut butter 

1/4 cup tahini
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 Tablespoon melted coconut butter
2 Tablespoons agave or maple syrup
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
shredded coconut

Line a 12-hole muffin tin with silicone liners.
Place a scant teaspoon of melted coconut butter in the bottom of each liner, tilting it to cover the entire bottom. Place in the freezer.

Blend together the tahini, oil, agave, and vanilla until smooth. Place about a tablespoon in each muffin cup and smooth it out. Freeze. 

Blend together the oil, butter, agave, and cocoa until smooth. Place about a teaspoon in each muffin cup and smooth over the filling. Sprinkle with coconut. Freeze.

This easily store in the freezer, and only need to stand at room temperature for a couple of minutes before eating. They can also be served at room temperature, but will become quite soft. A different nut or seed butter can be substituted; sunflower seed butter would be good, others may add stronger flavors. 

Vegan Citrus Cheesecakes

Vegan Citrus Cheesecakes
1 1/4 cup raw cashews
1 lemon
1 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave

Place the cashews in a small saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until almost all water has evaporated. Drain, then transfer to a food processor or ideally a Vitamix blender. 
Slice the hard ends off the lemon and lime, then cut into pieces. Add to the cashews.
Process mixture until very smooth, then add vanilla and agave (more or less, to taste. Chill until firm, or serve immediately as a cheesecake dip, but it will be slightly warm and the texture and 'cheesecakeyness' will be much better once cold.

I put my batter into six muffin cups, lined with melted chocolate. You will be amazed at how much the texture is like cheesecake. The taste is similar too, maybe not as 'cheesy' but close. This is a good basic vegan cheesecake recipe, and can be flavored in a variety of ways - chocolate, cinnamon, berries, etc. 

Valentine Chocolate Mousse Cups

Happy Valentine's Day! I made a few sweet chocolate treats for my Valentine. Decorated with hearts, X's, and O's of course. Today I will feature the chocolate mousse cups.

Surprisingly Healthy Vegan Chocolate Mousse
1 package (350-450 grams) silken tofu (I used the shelf-stable soft variety)
1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, well rinsed
10 large dates, pitted
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
agave or maple syrup, to taste, if desired

Process all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. You can serve the mousse as is or refrigerated, or partially frozen (either freeze briefly or freeze for longer storage and let thaw slightly before serving). I made chocolate bases in muffin cups to serve my mousse, but bowls or glasses work just as well.

A vegan Valentine's treat that is healthy, free of refined sugars, and high in protein! But you're Valentine will never be able to tell!

Valentine Amuse Bouche

Tonight for service in the restaurant (we are not open Sundays) we went kind of Valentine's themed for our menus. I was on the garde-manger station, and part of my responsibilities was to create the amuse-bouche for the night. I definitely wanted to go with something heart-shaped, something red or pink, and something decadent. Here is what I devised:
- Heart Shaped Cranberry Cracker
- Foie Gras Ganache
- Honeyed Bakeapple
- Candied Pistachio

Roasted Tomato Cornbread

Roasted Tomato Cornbread
2 cups roasted tomato bisque
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with parchment paper.
Stir all ingredients together until smooth.
Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly, then cut.

This is another take on my basic vegan cornbread recipe. I had some leftover tomato bisque around so used that as the liquid. This made the bread a nice color and added flavor. Served here with a spicy aioli. 

Roasted Asparagus and Butternut Squash Risotto

Roasted Asparagus and Butternut Squash Risotto
olive oil
diced onion
arborio rice
white wine
boiling water
saffron
smoked paprika
ground turmeric
table salt
cracked black pepper
roasted asparagus (seasoned with oil, salt, pepper)
roasted butternut squash (cut into large cubes)
truffle oil
*quantities depend on the total quantity you wish to make and your personal tastes

Heat oil in a wide saucepn over medium heat. Cook onion without browning until transulcent. Add rice and cook for a few minutes to toast. Pour in some wine and cook au sec. Then add the water, a little at a time, stirring until rice absorbs almost all the liquid. Then add more until rice is cooked to desired tenderness. Season to taste. Ensure the asparagus and squash are hot and stir them in, taste and adjust seasonings. Finish with truffle oil.

This is an upscaled risotto recipe I cooked for a crowd. I wanted to make it vegan, but didn't have any vegetable stock on hand. I discovered using water works as long as you season the dish well. The saffron, tumeric, and squash add a nice orange color. You could of course use whatever vegetables tickle your fancy, but I like the combo of these too. The saffron and truffle oil can be expensize so they can be omitted, but they really help to upscale this meatless dish.

Basil Shortbread

Basil Shortbread. This idea came about when I was trying to make shortbread cookies that were naturally a vibrant green color. Basil seemed like a great idea. I have seen basil used in desserts before as well. Fresh basil works in these cases, but once you cook the basil, it develops a distinctive savory flavor. It wasn't a total fail though, because I decided to use the shortbread for a canapé base. It has excellent flavor, the perfect texture, and is a beautiful color. To complete the canapé, I topped it with a crumbles feta cheese torte I had made, a piping of tahini tamari sauce, and a cherry tomato half. 

Basil Shortbread
2/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large handful basil
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process the sugar and basil until the sugar is green and no large pieces of basil remain. This creates basil sugar and is quite tasty - I think it would be nice to rim cocktail glasses. It doesn't have that 'cooked' basil flavor yet. Add the butter and cream until smooth. Then add the salt and flour and pulse until just combined.
Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn brown. Cool, then cut into squares. 

Basic Crêpes and Salmon Roll

Happy Pancake Tuesday! Today I am going to share my basic crêpe (thin pancake) recipe and a good use for it!

Basic Crêpe Batter
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar, for sweet crêpes, optional
Add dry spices or finely chopped fresh herbs, as desired 

Whisk together the milk and eggs, then whisk in the dry ingredients. Batter may seem lumpy, even if you sift the flour before hand. I nthis case, you can use a handheld immersion blender to smooth it out, or pass it through a sieve. You can also use it as is, if you don't mind a few lumps. It may seem thin, but crêpe batter should be thinner than pancake batter. If you think it is too thin, add a little more flour.

To cook, use a well-greased skillet, being sure to wipe out any excess oil. You should not need to grease it between each crêpe, just at the beginning. Pour one tablespoon to 1/4 cup batter in the skillet (depending on the size skillet and how big of a crêpe you would like). Cook until set, flip, and cook briefly again. Like all crêpe recipes, the first crêpe usually doesn't turn out great - use it to test the flavor!

For the appetizer pictured here, I combined some poached salmon with mayo, whole grain mustard, chopped dill, and a little lemon juice. I spread it on the crêpes, rolled them up, and sliced thinly, sort of like a jelly roll. I served it with some cucumber spaghetti, sweet mayo, and a sprig of dill.

Apricot Almond Coconut Balls

Apricot Almond Coconut Balls
2 cups dried apricots
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups toasted coconut
2 Tablespoons julienned fresh basil
pinch cayenne pepper
splash hot sauce
crushed pistachios (peeled)
sea salt
garnish, such as a beet chip, optional

In a small saucepan, cover the apricots with water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently until apricots are softened, drain well, and cool. Add apricots to a food processor with almonds, coconut, basil, cayenne, and hot sauce. Pulse until well combined and no large chunks remain. Roll into small balls (chill first if mixture is too stick). Sprinkle or roll balls with pistachios mixed with the salt, and place garnish on top. Refrigerate until serving. Keeps very well refrigerated or frozen, and does not become too sticky at room temperature.

This is a quick, easy to make, easy to serve hors d'oeuvre recipe I came up with. It makes approximately  dozen small balls. If you want them as a dessert, omit the basil, cayenne, and hot sauce, and add a little cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup. These are very healthy, little vegan energy bites - a great, bright, kind alternative to bacon-wrapped scallops or deviled eggs. If you prefer, the mixture can be pressed into a pan, briefly frozen, and cut into energy bars!

Rustic Sweet Potato Pistachio Bread

Rustic Sweet Potato Pistachio Bread
approximately two medium sweet potatoes
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons tahini or nut butter
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sweetener of choice (blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, sugar, etc.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pistachios (peeled if desired)
nondairy milk or water, as needed

First cook the sweet potatoes. Peeled sweet potatoes are best for this recipe, though when I can I do like to eat the peel as well - it is full of fiber!
I think roasted sweet potatoes are best for this recipe as they caramelize in the oven, but boiled, steamed, or microwaved will work just as well. They just need to be cooked until they are soft enough to mash. A few chunks are ok, it doesn't have to be completely smooth. This step can be done in advance or make use of leftover sweet potato.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until no dry flour remains. Mixture should have the consistency of wet drop biscuits, if it is too dry, add liquid a little at a time. Pat mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you want a less rustic look, pat it into an 8-inch round pan, or try an 8x8 inch square pan. Or drop in individual biscuits if you wish (baking time will be shorter). Bake at 400◦F for abut 30 minutes or until bread is cooked through. Great warm or cold!

This is a really easy and nutritious quickbread or biscuit recipe. I love the combination of sweet potato and pistachio, making the bread both moist and crunchy! It's also vegan.

Vegan Opera Cake

Vegan Opera Cake
'SPONGE' CAKE BASE
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
water, as needed
MOCHA FILLING
10 Medjool dates, pitted
3 Tablespoons mocha flavoring
1/2 cup icing sugar
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup
GLAZE
icing sugar
water

SPONGE CAKE BASE: Mix together the dry ingredients, then add enough water to form a batter slightly thicker than pancake batter. Spread into an even rectangle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350◦F for 10-15 minutes until firm and just golden. Cool.
MOCHA FILLING: Soak the dates in hot water until softened (or very briefly boil them). Drain well, then purée all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE: Whisk cocoa and syrup together until smooth.
GLAZE: Mix together just enough to make a thick, but pourable glaze.

To assemble: Cut the cake into rectangles, you should get 6-8 equal pieces with some scraps. Spread 4 of the pieces with mocha filling. Stack together (fillings not facing each other). Then put a plain cake rectangle on top and top with chocolate ganache. Drizzle with glaze.

The other day at a function, we needed a vegan dessert in a pinch. Chef suggested fruit - but I think vegans deserve something just as good, and similar, to what everyone else is having. So I checked out the desserts, concluded it was something like Opera Cake, then whipped up a similar version in about 30 minutes with no recipe. Its just enough for two servings, and looks and tastes quite similar to the real thing. Just some guidelines: the cake should be spongy and a bit tricky to cut, the filling very thick, the ganache shiny and smooth. Of course, you can certainly serve it with fruit (and sans the whipped cream).

Ferrero Rocher Bars

Happy World Nutella Day 2016! In past years, I have gone all out making multiple nutella-based treats. Sometimes I just go on nutella sprees and make nutella goodies throughout the year. If you type 'nutella' into the search bar of my blog, you will find many, many recipes and creations!

Nutella, the delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that goes well with nearly any sweet thing, deserves to have its very own day to celebrate it. In case you are wondering, no, commercial nutella is not vegan, but it is very easy to make homemade vegan versions. I even made one here: http://bexysbakingblog.blogspot.ca/2014/02/homemade-vegan-nutella.html. You can also buy vegan versions. For world nutella day this year, I made these chocolate hazelnut bars. They are not made with actual nutella, but rather are made with the ingredients of nutella; chocolate and hazelnuts. This saves a step of making your own nutella, and also makes these bars vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!

Ferrero Rocher Bars
2 cups ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup maple syrup reduction
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan caramel sauce
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with parchment paper. Mix together the first five ingredients together well. Pour into the pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce over top. Sprinkle with the nuts and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes. The middle will still seem almost runny, but the edges will begin to look set. Do not try to cut these until they cool completely. I stuck my pan in the freezer before cutting to firm them up.

These squares turned out quite ooey gooey and sticky, but I LOVED the taste. My taste testers told me the taste just like those delicious Ferrero Rocher (chocolate hazelnut) chocolates, and I agree! A disclaimer: I came up with these bars on a whim, and really didn't measure ingredients. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the success of this recipe - it's really just estimates. Sometimes random experiments turn out the best, if you can get them to work out!!!

Sesame Biscuits - For Vegan

The other night I was working at a buffet for 25 people. Our menu was set for Beet Soup or Green Salad as an appetizer, Beef, Mashed Potatoes, and Vegetable Medley as a main course, and Opera Cake with Crème Anglasie as dessert. What we didn't know in advance was there was one vegan in the crowd. We made the beet soup vegan, and kept the cheese out of some of the salad, but the rest was non-vegan. I was put in charge of the vegan meal. I arranged for some vegetables and potatoes to be made without butter. I made a protein and a copy-cat dessert, and even ensured my hors d'oeuvres were vegan. But a lot of people forget about the bread that starts off the meal. It is a small thing, and not everyone goes for the breads, but it is still nice for everyone to have an option. Especially when it is fresh, homemade bread, it is nice to offer something not just thawed from the freezer. We were unsure if the rolls contained milk and/or eggs and/or butter, but presumed they likely did. So I whipped up some vegan biscuits, and even some spreads as a butter alternative. Here is my recipe.

Sesame Tahini Biscuits
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds
additional spiced or dried herbs, as desired
3 Tablespoons tahini (hopefully you have some thing, oily tahini and not thick chalky tahini
1/3 cup water

Blend together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, seeds, and any spices you desire. Stir in the tahini and water to form a soft dough, adding slightly more water or flour if needed. It should be a very easy dough to work with. Pat out to about 12 inch thick and cut into eight rounds.
Bake at 400◦F for about ten minutes until golden and tops are crisp. 
Pictured here served with hummus, onion marmalade, and pesto.

Easiest Pancakes

Easiest Pancakes

1. 1/3 cup fruit purée
2. 1/2 cup grain
3. 1/4 cup liquid
4.  sweetener of choice, to taste
5. flavoring, to taste
6. optional add-ins
7. salt, just a pinch, if desired

Examples:

1. Mashed banana, applesauce, mashed avocado
2. whole wheat flour, rolled oats, multigrain hot cereal blend
3. non-dairy milk, water
4. sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, agave
5. vanilla extract, almond extract, coffee extract
6. chocolate chips, blueberries, chopped nuts, raisins

Combine all ingredients together well. You can do this by hand for a pancake with more texture, or use a blender or hand blender for a much smoother batter. Cook as regular pancakes (in a frying pan or on a skillet, use oil or spray, make them mini or big).

My Recipe:

1. Mashed banana
2. hot cereal blend
3. almond milk

I mixed by hand to retain the texture of the cereal, made them miniature, and topped with peanut butter and molasses.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Fudge

Chocolate Coconut Milk Fudge
1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated upside-down overnight
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, liquid
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup icing sugar
coconut, shredded or flaked, if desired

Scoop out all of the solid cream from the coconut milk. If you don't have much, take some of the thicker liquid as well. Then whip it with an electric mixer to thicken it up. Stir in remaining ingredients. Judge the consistency, you may want to add more cocoa for a darker, less sweet fudge, more icing sugar for a thicker and sweeter fudge, or more coconut milk if your fudge is too thick. You can stir in coconut, or sprinkle on top. Freeze until firmer. This is a freezer fudge, meaning you store it in the freezer and eat it straight from the freezer. The coconut milk retains it from freezing hard as a rock, and it gets too soft just refrigerated. 

Spiced Nut Cracker App

 The Full Name: Spiced Nut Cracker with Coconut Herb Crema, Pickled Apricots, Beetroot Chip, Toasted Coconut, Crisp Parsley, and Cayenne Dust.

Yeah, that is a lot going on in one little hors d'oeuvre. This is an idea I came up, combining several different flavors, colors, and textures. They compliment and contrast each other for a pleasing bite on the palate. Here is a closer look at the components: 

Spiced Nut Cracker: From yesterday's post, cut out in flower shapes
Coconut Herb Crema: Coconut cream blended with minced herbs
Pickled Apricots: Dried apricots cooking in pickling liquor and halved
Beetroot Chips: Thinly sliced, dried out beets
Toasted Coconut: Oven-toasted coconut
Crisp Parsely: Deep-fried parsley sprigs
Cayenne Dust: Sieved cayenne pepper