Strawberry Almond Soup

It's here! Strawberry season is upon us. The official start to the season doesn't usually begin until Memorial Day weekend, but with all the warm, dry weather we've been having on Long Island, the strawberries are off to an early start. I haven't been to any of the U-Pick farms out east yet, but I have stocked up on the organic strawberries that have been on sale in the grocery stores. Among the few strawberry concoctions I've created so far, this strawberry soup I adapted from this recipe takes the cake. It was so easy, and unbelievably delicious. With the summer heat making it's appearance, I'm sure  I'll be making plenty more "stove free" soups like this.

Logan couldn't get enough of it. I filled his bowl four times, can you tell?

Strawberry Almond Soup

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side

• 2 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 cups) of strawberries, tops removed
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. Blend the sunflower seeds in a blender until a paste begins to form.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

No leftovers!

This recipe inspired me to make my own extracts. Extracts can be used to enhance the flavors of baked goods, soups, smoothies, stir fries. You name it. I've already made vanilla extract, so I thought, why not almond, and mint while I'm at it. The pretty containers I salvaged from my mom's collection are overflowing with mint. I need something to do with it! Plus, it would taste really good with the vegan chocolate bars I'm working on perfecting. More on that later!

My containers with lavender, spearmint, and chocolate mint

I won't be able to give you a review of my extracts until they're ready in a few weeks, but if you want to experiment with me, here's how..

Almond Extract

Chopped almonds

• 1 cup of raw almonds
• 2 cups of vodka

1. Toast the almonds in a 400º oven for 10 minutes. (Toasted almonds are delicious btw, eat them as is, or garnish your strawberry soup with them).
2. Pulse the almonds in a blender or food processor in short bursts. The goal is to just get them chopped, so don't blend them into a paste.
3. Add the chopped almonds to a glass jar, along with the vodka.
4. Keep in a cabinet for 6 weeks, shaking daily. 
5. Strain the solids with a cheesecloth, and you've made almond extract! (Hopefully)

Mint Extract

• 1 cup of loosely packed mint
• 3/4 cup of vodka
• 1/2 cup of water

1. Mix everything in a glass jar.
2. Keep in a cabinet for 3 weeks, shaking daily.
3. Strain the solids with a cheesecloth, and enjoy your mint extract!

Mac and CheeZe

Following my tendency to think on the bright side, I normally look at Logan's allergies to egg and milk products as a blessing. They force us all to eat healthier, and they keep people from feeding him junk. I don't understand the compulsion people feel to feed babies like they're garbage disposals, but his allergies keep those people at bay. That said, home baked macaroni and cheese is still one of my favorite meals. It's quick, easy and oh so satisfying. If it wasn't for Logan's allergies, I'm afraid I would make guilty pleasure meals like that all too often, especially lately since the challenges of being a working mother are making themselves known! I do periodically get the crave for mac and cheese, but making that now means having to make a separate meal for Logan too. Kinda defeats the purpose of a quick and easy dinner.

In a stroke of luck, I came across a recipe promising a cheesy sauce, but without the cheese. Well the recipe wasn't perfect, but I was able to doctor it into a dish that Andrew likes even better than my original recipe that's full of dairy. I have to admit, it's pretty darn good considering it doesn't have cheese. And everyone knows how much I love cheese. It's pretty simple, too. Roasting the butternut squash (yes, the "cheeze" sauce contains butternut) is the only time consuming part, but the extra time spent on this dish is worth the healthier and more nutritious alternatives.

Kale chips

I usually top mac and cheese with breadcrumbs and Italian spices. I checked the label on the breadcrumbs I had in the cabinet and yup, whey. I'm glad I checked. I made kale chips and sprinkled a few crushed ones over the top instead. It was just as good! I rekindled my love of kale recently after having kale chips for the first time at a chickapalooza festival. They're a breeze to make. Just tear the washed leaves into bite sized pieces, toss on a baking sheet with a tablespoon of oil, some garlic and onion powder, and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Mac and Cheeze

Serves about 6

• 1/2 of a butternut squash, peeled and cubed.
• 1 Tbsp. of oil
• 1 lb. of whole wheat pasta
• 3/4 cup of cashews
• 1 3/4 cups of almond milk
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp. of ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Toss the butternut and oil on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until soft.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
4. Make the cheeze sauce by combining the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.
5. When the butternut is done roasting, add it to the blender and mix with the rest of the cheeze sauce.
6. Combine the pasta and the cheeze sauce in a casserole dish, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until warmed.
7. Serve immediately.

Lilac Muffins

Spring has never been more delicious!

Lilacs are my absolute, hands down favorite flower. The smell, the delicate purple color, the tiny blossoms, I love it all. My favorite time of year is when the lilacs bloom in May (or April as it was this year). Andrew knows how much I love them, so he bought me a bush on my first birthday that I celebrated with him, and planted it in my parents yard. I told him I would love him as long as lilacs bloom in spring. I know, I'm so romantic. Well the bush hasn't bloomed since that first year, but I still love him! (Does anyone have any idea why a lilac bush wouldn't bloom btw? It's growing fine, it just doesn't flower). We have a small bush outside of our bedroom window now, and even though I avoid opening that window because of my allergies, I make an exception when the bush is in bloom. I hate how short the blooming season is though. The blooms are on their way out, so get on this recipe right away! I never thought to bake with lilacs. It didn't ever cross my mind that they could be edible until I came across the recipe that I adapted this from. I switched out eggs, milk and butter for healthier, vegan ingredients, and topped the muffins with a thinned out version of my vegan buttercream icing and candied lilac blossoms. If you're looking for something unique, pretty and delicious to make for Mother's Day, look no further. This recipe is perfect.

The lilac blossoms on their own are pretty bitter. I thought the muffins would take on that taste, so I iced them to add some sweetness. It turns out they're not so bitter once they're baked, so the muffins tasted fine on their own. Feel free to skip the icing and candied lilacs, but they do make for a nice presentation. And candying the lilacs makes them "taste exactly like they smell", according to my brother Jesse.

Lilac Muffins

Makes 6 muffins

• 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
• 1/8 cup of apple puree or sauce (or 1 cube if you freeze the puree in ice cube trays)
• 1/4 cup of Turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup of almond milk
• 1 cup of unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup of lilac blossoms, stems removed

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Hand mix all the ingredients besides the blossoms in a mixing bowl until well blended.
3. Fold in the lilacs.
4. Spoon the mixture into 6 greased muffin tins.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. When cooled, top with icing and candied blossoms (recipe below).

Vegan "Buttercream" Icing

Ices 6 muffins

• 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
• 1 cup of powdered sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. water (this is the thinned out version, to make the original, use only 1 tsp. of water)

1. Cream the shortening and 1/2 of the sugar with an electric mixer.
2. Add the rest of the sugar, vanilla and water and cream until smooth.

Candied Lilac Blossoms

Makes about 1/2 cup of simple syrup.. which will candy a lot of blossoms

• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, plus extra for dusting (I tried to use organic for dusting, but the blossoms came out kind of brown and rotten looking, so this might be the only time I say this, but skip the organic version. This also makes it non-vegan, since it's bone char that whitens the sugar). 
• Lilac blossoms, stems removed

1. Heat the water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved to create the simple syrup.
2. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Once cool, dip blossoms in the simple syrup using (clean!) tweezers.
4. Blot off the excess syrup on the handle of the wooden spoon, and dip in sugar.
5. Place on a sheet of wax paper to harden.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

St. Patrick's Day isn't complete without Irish soda bread. Growing up, it was a staple in our house every year when March rolled around. My mom uses a recipe that I think she received from her Irish grandmother. The "holiday season" started on Sunday for us when we went to the first parade of the year. Parades are all over Long Island in March, but the Rocky Point one is my favorite. My parents have been taking me since I was a baby. I've kept the tradition alive with Logan, bringing him for the second time this year. He's really into fire trucks, tractors, and anything else that makes noise, so he loved every second of it. The bagpipers and drummers, even the zombies (yes, there were zombies!) had his full attention. Taking the tradition even further, Logan wore a sweater that I wore to the same parade when I was his age. My grandmother bought it in Ireland, and my mom has kept it all these years.

All the festivities put me in the mood for Irish soda bread. I wanted Logan to be able to have some too, so I made some changes to my Grandma Bull's original recipe. Two eggs were substituted with apple purée, since that works in every recipe I've done. Part of what makes Irish soda bread so great is the buttery taste and texture. A typical oil substitution wasn't going to cut it this time, so I bought a "buttery spread" made with oils. I'm usually wary of vegan substitute products, but this stuff is amazing! It tastes even better than butter, and the 400 lb. fat kid that lives inside me LOVES butter. It took all my willpower not to stick my finger in the tub and eat it in fistfuls. Gross, I know. (Unfortunately, Bestlife may not be 100% vegan. The source of the vitamin D-3 varies and can come from animal product, so it's not deserving of the vegan seal. Bummer.) Anyways, the buttermilk was more challenging to substitute. I thought I would have to scrap this recipe, then I remembered how my mom makes buttermilk. She mixes one tablespoon of lemon juice with a cup of milk, and let's it sit for a few minutes before adding it to the recipe. I decided to give it a try with soy milk. It worked, but it gave the bread a sweet taste, even though the soy milk was unsweetened. Next time I'll try it with homemade almond milk, since I prefer Irish soda bread with a more rustic taste. *Check out the update at the end of the page.*

Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. of lemon juice to a measuring cup.

Pour soy milk on top of the lemon juice until the 1 1/2 cup mark.
Instant "buttermilk".

This recipe is almost as good as my moms, and it's not bad at all for a vegan bread. My mom makes it in a cast iron pan. I don't have any of those (but I have a birthday coming up, hint hint!), so I made it in an 8 x 8 pan. Now that I think about it I could have made it in a casserole or pie dish to give it a circular shape. I'm sure I'll be making this bread again before the month is up, so when I make it again with the almond milk and in a pie dish I'll post an update. I also usually add raisins, but since I'm the only one who likes them I left them out this time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• < 1 1/2 cups of almond/soy milk 
• 4 cups of flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 4 Tbsp. butter substitute (I used Bestlife buttery spread), softened 
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1/2 cup apple purée (store bought applesauce would work, too) 
•  1 cup of raisins (optional) 

Ready for the oven.

1.  Preheat oven to 350. 
2.  Put the lemon juice in a 2 cup measuring cup, and add the milk until you reach the 1 1/2 up mark. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the rest of the recipe. 
3.  Mix the flour, soda, powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. 
4.  Stir in the apple, buttermilk, and butter substitute. Mix until combined. The butter substitute may not blend perfectly, but that's ok. 
5.  Fold in the raisins if using. 
6.  Place the mixture in a greased 10" cast iron skillet (or a pie pan or casserole dish). Make an "X" across the top of the bread (you can make a shamrock shape to be festive). 
7.  Bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Keep an eye on the bread, as cooking times may vary with the type of pan used. 

 "May the road rise up to meet you. 

 May the wind be always at your back. 

 May the sun shine warm upon your face; 

the rains fall soft upon your fields. 

 And until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of His hand." 

Irish Blessing

Done!

Update 3/15/12:

*I made the Irish soda bread again tonight using almond milk and regular, unbleached flour (in the previous recipe I used whole wheat flour).  I also baked it in a glass casserole dish for 70 minutes. This was much more authentic and similar to the original recipe!

The Quest to Find the Perfect Vegan Brownie

Since I began vegan baking, I've been searching for the perfect brownie. I want a recipe that turns out moist, chewy, fudgey, chocolatey brownies. I didn't think it would be this difficult! I've tried a few recipes so far, and none have hit the mark. So far all I've turned out are dry, cake like confections.

When I tried the latest recipe, I was less discouraged. The recipe, from allrecipes.com promised delicious vegan brownies. I made some changes to the original recipe, which may have been for better or worse. Two-thirds of a cup of oil seemed like a lot, so I added half the oil and 1/3 cup of apple purée. I left out the stevia. I've never tried it, but something about it just seems off putting. Plus, people who reviewed the recipe said it was an unnecessary addition. I also used almond milk instead of soy.

Well, it wasn't as cakey as my other attempts. It tasted more like a cake that was supposed to be fudgey. Better, but still not what I'm looking for. Since it was my best attempt so far, I've decided it deserves a spot in Resolution Kitchen. This won't be my last try, so stay tuned for brownie updates!

Vegan Brownies

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup apple purée
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups almond milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder

My Uncle Mark added the Peeps!
They're not vegan, but I loved every bite anyways.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, mix cocoa, oil, apple, and water.
3. Add the sugar and stir until combined.
4. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
5. Add the flower and baking powder and mix until smooth.
6. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 9 pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

As I mentioned in a previous post, Andrew and I are attempting to put our grocery shopping on hold for a couple weeks to "detox" our pantry and use food that might go to waste if not used soon. So when I decided to make home made veggie burgers for dinner last night, I had to make my own buns as well. I googled a recipe for vegan buns, and found a very simple one on About.com. These buns are by far the best bread product I ever made, and they were very simple. Surprisingly I had everything I needed to make these already in the panty, even the sesame seeds. I'm not sure what I originally bought the seeds for, but I'm glad I did. I'll never buy a store bought bun again!

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Makes 6 buns

• 1/2 cup room temperature almond milk
• 1/2 cup room temperature water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 of a .25 oz packet of active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. almond milk
• 1/2 Tbsp. water
• Sesame seeds

1. In a large bowl combine the warm milk, warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for a few minutes until bubbles appear on the surface.
2. Combine the flour and salt in another bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time to the large bowl, mixing until the dough comes together and separates from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be soft and not sticky, but not dry either.
4. Knead the dough until elastic and place in a lightly oiled bowl.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm area until doubled, about one hour.
6. Punch down the dough and form 6 buns.
7. Knead each bun, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then flatten slightly with your hand.
9. Cover with a dish towel and let them rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 400º.
11. In a small cup, mix the milk and water, and brush over buns.
12. Sprinkle with seeds.
13. Bake for 15 minutes, until just starting to brown.
14. Enjoy with curried quinoa veggie burgers.

The buns before and after doubling in size (steps 7 and 9).

I made another tasty treat yesterday, also- dehydrated watermelon slices! It's not exactly watermelon season, but I couldn't help picking one up at the produce market last week. They took forever to dehydrate. The thinner slices were ready in about 8 hours, the thicker ones took about 14. I suck at cutting even slices. I added coconut shreds on the top of some of them for added sweetness, not that watermelon needs to be any sweeter. I can't wait for spring and summer to roll around so I can dehydrate more fruits! The dehydrated pieces can be stored in an airtight glass container or zip lock bag.

Blueberry Cocoa Smoothie

I wish I could remember where this recipe came from so I could give credit. I took a snapshot of it with my phone awhile ago, but didn't record what website it came from. It's simple and relatively healthy, and I already had everything for it in my kitchen. I love when that happens. The original recipe listed Medjool dates, for sweetness I assume. I don't have those, so I used pure maple syrup instead.

After blending, I couldn't believe how delicious it smelled. Right away I could smell the co-dominant scents of the blueberries and chocolate. That combination never occurred to me, but I sense chocolate covered blueberries in my future. Or maybe chocolate blueberry muffins or scones. I was very surprised when I took the first sip. Initially I thought I didn't like it, but then I realized I was just in sensory overload. I could taste every ingredient in each sip- the tart blueberries, the bitter chocolate, the sweet syrup, the nutty almond milk, the smooth vanilla. Yum!

Blueberry Cocoa Smoothie

Serves 2

• 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 cup homemade almond milk 
• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.
2. Divide between 2 cups and drink immediately.

Don't forget a coaster! I made this one last night using a tutorial I found on Earth911. It took awhile to get the hang of it, but overall it was pretty simple. The instructions say to use 16 strips to create an 8 x 8 pattern. In order to be able to tuck in the ends once all the strips were woven together, I had to leave out a strip. So I had 8 strips going one way, and 7 going another.

I can't wait to make more of these. I'm such a dork.

Home Made Almond Milk

Making the switch from cow's milk is pretty easy given all the great options in grocery stores. What's not so great about the other options is the price. I only nurse Logan at night now (and occasionally during the day when he's cranky, pulling at my shirt and screaming "bubbies!"), so he sucks down those cartons in no time. While we will drink soy milk every now and then, I don't feel comfortable giving it to Logan since soy is full of things like hormone mimicking phytoestrogens and enzyme inhibitors that block mineral absorption. You can read more about the adverse health effects of soy here. I found almond milk to be a tasty substitute. Almonds are packed with protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and calcium, but even the plain, unsweetened almond milk contains 7 grams of sugar. I decided to make my own.

I've made home made Nutella by grinding up hazelnuts before. Seeing how creamy the nuts became inspired me to do the same to almonds. I looked it up online, and browsed through a few recipes before deciding to use one and a half cups of almonds and four cups of water. I began the process by soaking organic almonds I bought from Stop and Shop in one cup of water overnight. Soaking the almonds not only makes them easier to grind, but it makes them easier to digest, thereby ensuring maximum absorption of nutrients.

This morning I added the almonds, along with the water they soaked in, to the blender. I let them grind for a minute or so before adding three more cups of water and letting the blender run for a couple more minutes. Then came the hard part. No matter how long I let it blend there were still little bits of almond in  the mixture. Filtering them with cheese cloth over a pitcher seemed easy, but the mixture was so thick that it took forever! I kept having to squeeze out the cheese cloth and empty the solids from it. Overall it produced about three cups of delicious almond milk!

I will definitely be keeping almonds in the house from now on to make this again. I'll try to come up with    a more efficient method of filtering for next time, but if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!

Home Made Almond Milk

• 1 1/2 cups of organic almonds
• 4 cups of water, divided

Soak the almonds in one cup of water overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Pour the almonds and the soaking water in a blender and blend at a high speed until the almonds appear mostly chopped -about 1 minute. Add the other 3 cups of water and blend for another 2 to 3 minutes, until a white foam appears at the top. Filter through a cheese cloth and chill. Done!

The almonds taste great on their own, but Andrew added about a teaspoon of organic, fair trade cocoa to his glass for a chocolate variety. Grocery stores also sell vanilla flavors. This can be made by adding a small amount of pure vanilla extract, to taste.


Update: 2/16/12
As my friend Lorraine informed me this morning, it's "national almond day". I guess Hallmark (in an effort to sell more greeting cards, maybe?) has made every day a national holiday. Yes, it's silly, but I never turn down an opportunity to celebrate anything, So happy national almond day everyone! I've been meaning to post an update for a couple days now, so I guess today is the perfect time.

I didn't measure it, but it seemed
to make a lot more.

Andrew and I finally got a new juicer, so my mom can have hers back now. I had almonds soaking to make almond milk with, but was feeling unmotivated. Straining the blended almonds through a cheese cloth was so tedious. I figured I would try throwing them in the juicer. I don't know why I never thought of it before.. it was so easy! I soaked a cup of almonds overnight in water like usual, but instead of putting them in the blender, I threw them in the juicer. Alternate between throwing in almonds and water (3 cups for every cup of almonds), and you have almond milk in less than a tenth of the time!





And don't throw out the leftover almond pulp! Scrape it out of the scrap container and spread it over the fruit roll tray that comes with most dehydrators. Leave that in the dehydrator until it's completely dry, about 4 hours. When done, blend it through a blender until you're left with a fine powder (I used the Baby Bullet), and voila! You have almond flour. Not sure what I'll be using that for yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy eventually.