Spicy Hot Chocolate and a Happy Halloween- Post 22

We have made it to the last day of Vegan MoFo. It has been a wonderful month filled with food and laughter. There is always a feeling of sadness when it ends because I miss the daily posts of awesome food and stories. I hope to do a better job this year in keeping up with blogs. After my rough start this year, I had not been much into blogging. MoFo has renewed my spirits and I am back! 

I love that MoFo is during the month of October. It is my favorite month because it is the start of Autumn, the leaves are changing, seasonal rain, spooky decorations, sweaters, corduroys, and HALLOWEEN! Ollie has made an appearance in his Halloween outfit to say hello and "Happy Halloween!" to you MoFo'ers! It is too bad I only had my phone handy when he posed so sweetly, I would have loved to have my camera out so I could get a better quality photo. Either way, you can see how darn cute he is. His grandma and grandpa Newman got him this cute shirt. 

 
Ollie has to stay warm as the weather gets cooler so, he will don this shirt even after the festivities today. I also have to stay warm and hot chocolate usually does that trick for me as I get cozy under my snuggie and read a book, watch TV, or use the computer. In the past you have seen Mint Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate, and today I bring you Spicy Hot Chocolate. 

This drink was inspired by a spicy chocolate drink I had at Escazu in downtown Raleigh. This drink has a nice level of spiciness. The interesting note is that the spice does not hit the front of your tongue, but the back towards your throat. Like the peanut butter hot chocolate I made, this one was also created in the Vitamix. Do not worry if you do not have a Vitamix or other high powered blender, you could heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave. It will not be frothy, but it will be just as delicious!

Spicy Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup of almond, soy, rice or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mimic creme 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (start out slow and then increase the amount)

Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix, or high powered blender, and blend for 4 minutes or until steam comes out of the top of the lid. Check for desired heat level and blend more or pour into a mug and enjoy! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies - Post 21

Hello my lucky MoFo friends! Yesterday I said that I might have another post and I DO! Not only is it another post, it is a post about a favorite combination- chocolate and peanut butter. This one of my favorite combinations and based on your comments, it seems to your favorites too.
  

Vegan chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. It could be heaven

One of the hardest things for me about gluten free has been missing baked goods. There are area bakeries and stores that carry vegan baked goods, but those baked goods are not gluten free. There are also places that carry gluten free baked goods, but they are not vegan. So, you can see my dilemma! In the past year or so a gluten free, vegan bakery named ZenCat has been opened and the baked goods are amazing. Unfortunately, they are in Greensboro and are not always easily available in Durham. When they are, I order up a storm! On the occasions when they are not in town, I have had to take matters into my own hands and make what I want. 

This is the melted product. I was very tempted to eat is straight

I was excited when my Mom came across a gluten free recipe in the newspaper for chocolate peanut butter brownies. The recipe was not vegan, but I knew I could easily veganize it and and in the process make it better than the original. Feeling ambitious, I made the brownies for a potluck with two of my favorite couples. As they were baking, I didn't think that they were going to taste good and I considered throwing them away and making something else. In the end, I decided to follow through with my plan and serve the brownies. The result was delicious! Our guests thought so too!

They are not pretty, but they were delicious!

I am not the best photographer by any means, but these photos are lacking even from my normal mediocre. The photos do not do these brownies justice. If you can, please ignore the quality of the photos and consider the deliciousness of the ingredients. And beware, it is easy to overcook these brownies as they stay moist when cooking. I have been unable to do the test where you stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean and have over cooked them until they hard as bricks. Start with 30 minutes and if you feel nervous cook a couple minutes more. Then remove them from the oven and let cool before digging in.

Since the recipe was changed so significantly, I think it is safe to call it my own.

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies

• Olive oil spray for pan
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of vegan, gluten free margarine
• 3/4 cup of vegan, gf chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup of oat flour
• 1/3 cup sweet brown rice flour
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg replacement (I used Enr-G egg replacer)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter, heated in microwave for 30 seconds to soften

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8or 9 inch pan with spray. Set a pot of water over medium heat in a double boiler and bring to a gentle boil. Place the butter and chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler and melt, stirring with a spatula until melted. Remove from heat and let cool.

Sift oat flour, rice flour, and xantham gum into a large bowl. Stir in baking powder and salt. Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Whisk in egg replacer and vanilla, stir in dry ingredients until mixture is just combined.

Peanut butter dolloped over batter

Pour batter into prepared pan. Dallop the peanut butter all over the top of the batter and then swirl gently. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Close up of the finished product. It was delicious despite how ugly they look

WARNING: It is hard not to eat the whole pan at once!

Chocolate Cinnamon Scones- Post 20

Today marks my 20th post for Vegan MoFo. I have met my goal to post 20 blogs during the month of October. If you are lucky, you might even get more than 20 posts. I think you could be lucky.

I have been cooking and reading other MoFo blogs this whole month. I have been listening to vlogs, drooling over gluten free and glutenous confections, dreaming about savory entrees and sides, and enjoying all of the pumpkin and Halloween themes. This has been a highlight of my day each day. It is a nice way to escape. 

In talking about MoFo so much, I must have inspired John because he decided that he wanted to contribute. He found a gluten free scone recipe, purchased the ingredients, and made me chocolate cinnamon scones. I am very grateful for his delicious contribution. John and I share meal preparation, but I tend to do the baking and making of sweets. So, it was a nice surprise when John showed an interested in trying baking. Since knowing him, I can only think of one other occasion that he baked something.

Let me say, I think he has talent (and yes, this is an attempt to get him to bake more!). He knows how much I love scones and how I miss them in my life. There is something about a scone that makes it so much more appealing to me than other confections. I think part of it has to do with our study abroad adventure in Scotland during our undergraduate years. One of my favorite memories, is sitting in a cafe in Stirling, Scotland enjoying a scone and a cup of tea. 

The recipe is not ours to share, but I can tell you that it included soy yogurt, gluten free flour blend, chocolate chips, and cinnamon. I can also tell you that it is just as good, if not better, than any scone I remember from previous years. A big thank you to John-I cannot wait to see what else you bake! ;-)

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate- Post 19

Yes, you read the title right peanut butter hot chocolate. I was recently introduced to this heavenly treat at a local chocolate shop called Escazu. They make their own chocolate bars, truffles, and have a hot chocolate menu. It is pretty much heaven that chocolate shop. Most of their bars are vegan and many of their truffles are as well. If that is not enough, they offer soy or rice milk for their hot chocolate menu. That divine menu includes delights like chili hot chocolate and peanut butter hot chocolate. 

After having their chocolate bars, I decided that it was time to visit the shop in person. I went one evening with my family and when I saw the hot chocolate menu, I had to have the peanut butter hot chocolate. My mother got the chili hot chocolate and that was heaven in a mug, but I preferred the peanut butter hot chocolate. With each sip, I tasted the rich chocolate and peanuts. The drink was frothy, warm, and filling. 

The shop is in downtown Raleigh and I live in Durham and it is too far to drive there on a regular basis. I had a task ahead of recreating this if I wanted this treat regularly. I noticed that when they were making it, they steamed the soy milk. I do not want to pull out the espresso machine to froth the milk each time, so I decided to try an experiment. Enter the Vitamix!

The Vitamix stays on our counter all of the time because we drink smoothies every morning. After several times experimenting, I came up with a recipe that tastes very close to the original. The only difference is that I have not used a chocolate bar from Escazu. Do not worry, I plan on trying that soon! If you do not have a Vitamix or a high powered blender that has the ability to warm liquids, warm the milk on the stove and froth it with a hand beater or an espresso machine. You can, of course, also have this treat un-frothed.  

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup of almond, soy, rice or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mimic creme 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter (my tablespoons were not rounded, so feel free to go over this amount)

Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix, or high powered blender, and blend for 4 minutes or until steam comes out of the top of the lid. Check for desired heat level and blend more or pour into a mug and enjoy! 

Quinoa Bowl- Post 18

In continuing with my semi-theme of CSA ingredients, my blog today is regarding a bowl containing several ingredients from our share. Bowls are a great way to use what you already have and turn it into something delicious, nutritious, warm, and filling. Many different ingredients can come together to create a soul satisfying dinner.  I recently became interested in bowls after two trips earlier this year. One was to Palm Springs, CA and the other was to New York City. During several of my visits to vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants, I ordered a quinoa or rice bowl. One of the tasty bowls I ordered had sweet potato, tempeh, and sauerkraut. 

We recently received senpasai in our share and I was very interested in trying this green. I had never tasted it before, but figured that it could be cooked like other greens- steamed or sauteed. In reading about it online, I found out that it is related to cabbage and is Japanese in origin. The taste is sort of a softer version of bok choi. The leaves are not as dense or chewy, nor is the green as dark as bok choi. I tasted the green both raw and cooked and felt that it could be consumed either way. On this particular night, however, I decided to steam it. 

Another ingredient that we received, and have been receiving, are red peppers. They are more rich and sweet than any pepper I have ever purchased in a grocery store. The peppers are just heavenly raw and many times we snack on the peppers. 

In addition to the greens and peppers, we had a can of salt free pinto beans, organic broccoli, ginger from our farmers market, and organic quinoa from the bulk bin at a local natural foods store. The greens, broccoli, peppers, and ginger were steamed for several minutes on the stove and placed over the cooked quinoa. The pinto beans were warmed in the microwave and placed in the same bowl. We modified a peanut lime sauce from Appetite for Reduction to put over the top. The dressing contains peanuts, peanut butter, lime juice, shallots, tamari, and ginger. 

The combination of all of the ingredients was so fulfilling. After eating this meal, I was satisfied. After dinner, I often dream of going into the kitchen for chocolate or some other sweet or snack. On this occasion, I was kept full all evening and went to bed without indulging in something that I would feel guilty for consuming. 

Peanut Butter Cookie Heaven - Post 17

One of my favorite cookies from childhood were peanut butter cookies with the hershey's kiss in the center. I used to enjoy eating them when they were warm from the oven, right after the kiss was pushed in and it had a chance to melt. The cookies were always so rich in peanut butter and the mix with the chocolate made them a favorite treat of mine. Like many people, chocolate and peanut butter among my favorite sweet combinations. 

When fall arrives, I begin thinking of these cookies. I am not sure why I have an association of these cookies with fall. Maybe I ate them at Halloween parties or after school started. Whatever the reason, they usually pop into my head. Since I cannot go out and buy hershey's kisses any longer as they are not vegan, and from what I remember they were not that good, I decided to try a different route. Dark chocolate, or semi sweet, vegan chocolate chips proved to be a great substitute for the kiss. 

The recipe below makes about 20 to 25 small cookies. This recipe can be easily doubled to make more. For the peanut butter, the only ingredient is peanuts as I purchase it in bulk and grind it at the store. I have not tried this recipe from peanut butter purchased in a jar, but would be interested to know if anyone tries them with jarred peanut butter. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

• 1 c creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 c vegan sugar plus extra for rolling the cookies
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Egg replacer for one egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c vegan chocolate chips (make sure they don't have malted barley as it isn't GF)

Set the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking liners. In a large mixing bowl mix the peanut butter, salt, and 3/4 c sugar. Blend. Add egg replacer, baking powder, and vanilla- stir well. Place 1 tbs of dough in your hand and flatten, place several chips in the center and roll the dough into a ball so that the chips are in the center. Roll the ball of dough into the sugar and place on baking sheet. Repeat with the remainder of the dough. 

Using a fork and flatten the cookie then rotate the fork 90 degrees and make another indent in the cookies. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy warm or cooled!

Bull City Vegan Brunch Challenge Continued- Post 16

As I mentioned in a previous post, Durham is having a vegan brunch challenge for the month of October. I have been supporting the restaurants that have a vegan option that is also gluten free. The challenge has six participating restaurants and three offer gluten free options. 
 
This past weekend we went to Bull Street Market and Gourmet. To be honest, I have been most excited about this restaurant as they showed creativity in the two participating dishes.  For one dish they offered Tofu Hash consisting of white and sweet potato, rosemary, green beans, and a red pepper and tomato sauce. The other dish was potato, corn, and peanut cakes with a coconut and onion "cream and green beans. 

Photo courtesy of the Bull City Vegan Challenge Volunteers

John and I met a friend for breakfast before the farmers market. While eating, we ran into other friends. It was a nice morning of sun, conversation, local coffee and delicious food! John and I enjoyed both dishes, but we each had a favorite. Interestingly, we had different favorites. Mine was the tofu hash and John's was the potato, corn, and peanut cakes. 

Photo courtesy of the Bull City Vegan Challenge Volunteers

Even though I had a favorite, I would gladly eat either dish for breakfast or brunch. They were a delicious start to a beautiful day! After the market, we spent the remainder of the day in the yard working. 

On Sunday, we ended up at The Refectory with my parents and as luck would have it, I forgot to take a picture of the tofu taco scramble AGAIN. I do not want to to have to guess about this dish, so I am posting a photo that someone else had taken (to be honest, all of these pictures are from the BCVC Facebook page as my photos were not acceptable to post). The dish was even better this time around as I was able to get the homemade salsa to go on top. As a follow up to the meal, I had the vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookie. It was a nice ending to a filling lunch. 

Photo courtesy of the Bull City Vegan Challenge Volunteers

My wish is that all of the participating restaurants will keep their dishes indefinitely.  I have never been one to dine out for brunch, but if these options stay around I might reconsider.