Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

This AMAZING recipe is a combination of cinnamon roll recipes from Forks Over Knives and VegNews Magazine.  It's a lot of trouble, but totally worth it for a special occasion.

Ingredients:
1 cup unflavored plant milk, warmed
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1⁄2 cup mashed potatoes (nothing but potatoes, cooked and mashed)
1⁄3 cup + 1 T. maple syrup, divided
2 T. ground flaxseed
1⁄2 t. + 1⁄3 t. salt, divided
4 T. room temperature vegan butter, divided
2 apples, peeled and petite-diced
10 T. granulated sugar, divided
3⁄4 t. + 3 T. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1⁄4 cup unflavored plant milk

Method:
1. In a large bowl combine 1 c. warm milk and yeast; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 c. flour, potatoes, 1/3 c maple syrup, flaxseed, and 1/2 t. salt. Measure 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, and stir in as much of this flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining measured all-purpose flour to make a soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (1½ to 1¾ hours).

2. In a skillet, melt 1 T butter over medium heat. Add apple and 1 T. maple syrup. Saute until very soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. For the streusel topping, combine 6 T. granulated sugar, 5 T. all-purpose flour, 3/4 t. cinnamon, and 1/3 t. salt. Add 3 T. room-temp butter, and toss with 2 forks until mixture appears crumbly.

4. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel, and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 granulated sugar, and 3 T. cinnamon. Roll dough into a 13 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush 2 T. melted butter over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar mixture (It will seem like a lot.) and layer with cooked apples, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel topping over the apples.

5. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. With long end toward you, roll dough toward unfilled border evenly into a log. With seam side down, use a sharp knife to cut log into 12 equal pieces. Place rolls, cut side up, into prepared pan in 4 rows of 3, leaving some space between rolls.

6. Brush top of dough with some plant-based milk and sprinkle with remaining streusel topping. Pat down gently to adhere to dough.

AT THIS POINT: If you are preparing the night before, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Remove from fridge the next morning and continue.

7. Place pan in a warm part of the kitchen covered with a towel for a 2nd rise, 45 minutes-1 hour or until rolls have expanded. Preheat oven to 375 while rolls rise.

8. When rolls have risen, bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow rolls to cool for 10 minutes before glazing. While rolls cool, whisk confectioner's sugar with 1/4 c. plant-based milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over rolls and serve.

Vegan Chocolate Milkshake

This "milkshake" is so sweet and delicious that I honestly feel guilty having it during our annual sugar fast...even though it does not break our rule that fresh and dried fruits are the only sugar allowed.  Taste it and see for yourself!  (PS - I like to credit recipes when I get them, or the basis of them, from somewhere else, but this one is all me.)

Ingredients:

2 bananas, peeled

unsweetened plant-based milk, variable amount

cocoa powder

2 big spoonfuls of unsweetened peanut butter

3 dates

handful of frozen mango

Method:

24 hours in advance, cut one banana into 4 pieces and freeze it.

When ready to make the "milkshake", put about 1/2 c. plant-based milk in a blender with the other banana.  Add the cocoa powder and peanut butter.  Blend until the banana is puréed, then add the dates, frozen banana pieces, and the frozen mango.  Blend until completely puréed, adding more milk as necessary to  keep the blender going but not so much that the shake loses its thickness (stir first, then only add more liquid if truly necessary).  Pour it out and freak out on its amazingness.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

I posted this one 5 years ago, but this is the gluten-free version that we're using these days at the Today Tomorrow household, still based on the recipe from Peta's The Compassionate Cook vegan cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 bunches (or about 2 lbs.) broccoli

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 c. vegetable broth

1.5 t. salt (or to taste)

1/3 c. unsweetened plant-based milk, or enough to achieve desired texture

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

smoked paprika, to taste

Method:

On each broccoli stalk, cut off about 1/2-inch from the bottom and discard.  Cut away the florets, and reserve to the side.  Cut away the woody, tough exterior from the stalk, and cut the stalk interior into pieces.

Place the broccoli florets, broccoli stalk interior pieces, onion, garlic cloves, vegetable broth, and salt into a stockpot.  Bring the broth to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce heat to medium.  Boil until the vegetables are soft, about 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, purée the vegetables and plant-based milk together.  (Alternatively, you can move the ingredients to a regular blender in batches and purée.  It's messier, but it works.)  If needed to achieve desired texture, add more milk.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and ladle into soup bowls.  Sprinkle each bowl with smoked paprika.

Serves 4 - 5.

8 Vegan Breakfast Smoothies

I have been having these incredible vegan smoothies for breakfast 5 or 6 days per week for the last 2 years.  The recipes are really flexible, so feel free to play around with them.  Don't have lime?  Use lemon.  Don't have chia seeds?  Use flax seeds or omit altogether.

I like my smoothies to be the texture of milkshakes, so I have a high frozen-to-fresh ratio, and I only use the amount of liquid necessary to get things moving in the blender.  This can require several blender stops to stir things so they will move again, depending on the power of your blender.

Each smoothie includes a frozen banana, which I feel is essential to the texture of the drink.  Every Sunday I peel bananas for the week, cut them into 4 pieces, and freeze them in a single layer.  Then they all go into a freezer storage bag for the week.  A lot of the smoothies have fresh pineapple in them, so I cut up one fresh pineapple at the beginning of the week, too.

I also make sure I have a variety of smoothie colors to cover the nutrient spectrum.  Every week I have red, green, orange, and purple, then I pick another smoothie or two to round out the week.  Have fun!

RED SMOOTHIE

handful of fresh pineapple chunks

1 carrot, chopped into a few large chunks

1 date, pitted

slight handful of frozen raspberries

slight handful of frozen cherries

2 or 3 large frozen strawberries

1 frozen banana (see intro)

juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

2 T. hemp hearts

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/4 - 1/2 fresh avocado (peel and pit removed)

1/4 of a fresh cucumber, cut into a few large chunks

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 date, pitted

1 handful frozen mango

1 frozen banana (see intro)

juice of 1/2 lime

2 T. brown flaxseeds

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

Option:  You can add a peeled kiwi to the list of ingredients, if desired.

ORANGE SMOOTHIE

handful of fresh pineapple chunks

1 carrot, chopped into a few large chunks

1 date, pitted

handful of frozen mango

handful of frozen peaches

1 frozen banana (see intro)

juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

2 T. golden flaxseeds

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

Option:  You can add fresh peaches to the list of ingredients during the summer when they are in season.  SO good!

PURPLE SMOOTHIE

handful of fresh pineapple chunks

handful of fresh spinach OR 1 carrot, chopped into a few large chunks

1 date, pitted

slight handful of frozen blueberries

slight handful of frozen blackberries

slight handful of frozen raspberries

1 frozen banana (see intro)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T. of black chia seeds

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

Option:  I buy a frozen mix of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, which makes this super convenient.  If you can find such a thing near you, just throw in a couple of handfuls of the mixed berries.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE

generous handful of fresh pineapple chunks

1 date, pitted

handful of frozen mango

1 frozen banana (see intro)

1/2" - 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 c. whole coconut milk (The fat and coconut water usually separate in the can, so stir them back together before pouring into your smoothie.)

juice of 1/2 lime (lemon will also work)

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

Option:  You can also add frozen (or fresh, when in season) peaches to this smoothie.

PEACH-COCONUT SMOOTHIE

1 fresh peach, pitted

1 date, pitted

handful of frozen peaches

1 frozen banana (see intro)

1/2 c. whole coconut milk (The fat and coconut water usually separate in the can, so stir them back together before pouring into your smoothie.)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T. white chia seeds

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

PEACH-BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

1 fresh peach, pitted (or use fresh pineapple chunks if peaches aren't in season)

1 date, pitted

handful of frozen peaches

handful of frozen blueberries

1 frozen banana (see intro)

1/2" - 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled

juice of 1/2 lemon

Put everything in the blender with just enough water to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.

PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA-COCOA SMOOTHIE

1 fresh banana, cut into chunks

3 large spoonfuls of freshly-ground peanut butter, or to taste

1 - 2 spoonfuls of cocoa powder, or to taste

1 - 2 frozen bananas (see intro)

plant-based milk

Put the first 4 ingredients in the blender with just enough PLANT-BASED MILK to get things moving.  Puree to a drinkable milkshake consistency.



Broccoli Cornbread

This recipe is modified from a couple of recipes that appear in a cookbook my extended family put together for a family reunion.  I love this as a hearty snack or as an entrée served with a big pot of beans.  I think you'll love it, too.

Vegans could try substituting Ener-G's Egg Replacer.

Ingredients:
1 stick vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance.)
2 c. yellow cornmeal, plus more for dusting the skillet
1 c. flour
1.5 T. baking powder
1.25 t. salt
2 T. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1.5 c. plant-based milk of your choice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 10-oz. bag frozen broccoli

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  During the preheat, melt the vegan margarine in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet in the oven.  (Cast iron is traditional for cornbread, people!)

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a fork.  Stir in the eggs and milk.  When well mixed, stir in the melted butter until well blended.  Stir in the chopped onion.  Finally, stir in the broccoli.

In the butter-coated skillet, sprinkle cornmeal to cover the bottom, then pour the batter over the cornmeal.  Bake until the cornbread is golden and the sides of the bread start pulling away from the skillet (45 - 60 minutes).  Serve huge, delicious chunks with a side of beans, if desired.

Cherry and Peach Galette

This incredible dessert recipe came from Food Network Magazine.  Cherry season is short, and this is a delicious way to "spend" your cherries in that brief time.

Ingredients:

2 T. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance.)

2 sheets vegan frozen puff pastry, thawed (one 17-oz. or 18-oz. package)

3 T. AP flour, plus more for dusting

1 large egg (ovo-vegetarians) or 2 T. plant-based milk (vegans)

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 t. ground allspice

2 t. almond extract

1/2 t. finely grated lemon zest

2 t. fresh lemon juice

2.5 c. cherries (about 1 lb.), pitted and halved

2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Method:

Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.  "Butter" a baking sheet with 1 T. vegan margarine.

Unfold 1 sheet puff pastry on a floured surface.  Beat the egg or plant-based milk with 1 T. water and brush over the dough.  Unfold the other sheet of puff pastry and lay it on top; press the sheets together with a rolling pin, then roll out a 14-inch square.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  (Refrigerate the leftover egg wash/milk wash for brushing the galette later.)

Combine the sugar, allspice, almond, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl.; transfer 2 T. of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside for sprinkling.  Add the cherries, peaches, and 3 T. flour to the remaining sugar mixture and toss.

Spoon the cherry mixture onto the pastry and spread, leaving a 2-inch border.  Cut the remaining 1 T. vegan margarine into small pieces and scatter on top.  Fold in the pastry edges over the filling, pleating as needed.

Bake the galette on the positioned rack until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Remove the galette from the oven, brush the crust with the reserved egg wash/milk wash, and sprinkle with the reserved sugar mixture.  Return the galette to the oven and bake until the juices thicken and the pastry is cooked through, 30 - 45 minutes more (depending on the juiciness of the cherries).  Transfer to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes before cutting to allow the filling time to set.

Serves 6.

Apricot Oatmeal Muffins

I found this healthy recipe online at the Betty Crocker website while looking for something to do with the dried apricots I'd bought as a snack for Scott.  He didn't like them as much as the dried mangoes we had previously.  But after I chopped them up in muffins, everyone likes them!

 

 Ingredients:

3/4 c. AP flour

1/2 c. plus 1 T. old-fashioned oats, separated

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg (Vegans can use Ener-G's Egg Replacer product.)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar (I love brown sugar!)

1/3 c. plant-based milk

3 T. canola oil

1/2 t. almond extract

1/3 c. finely chopped dried apricots

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease only the bottoms of SIX regular-sized muffin cups OR line them with paper baking cups.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 c. oats, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl, beat the egg (or replacer).  Mix the brown sugar, plant-based milk, canola oil, and almond extract together with the egg (or replacer).  Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until the flour is just moistened.  Fold in the apricots.

Divide the muffin mixture evenly between the SIX muffin cups.  Sprinkle each with 1/2 t. oats.

Bake 23 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Remove from pan to cooling rack.  Serve warm.  Makes six healthy muffins.

Uncle Ken's Banana Pudding

My Uncle Ken was known for his homemade banana pudding.  He brought it to every family gathering.  After losing Uncle Ken earlier this year, it's comforting to remember him by making - what else? - his banana pudding.  I modified his recipe slightly to make it non-dairy, but that only makes it even more popular at the Today Tomorrow household.  Miss you Uncle Ken!

Ingredients:

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. plus 2 T. plus 2 t. sugar

2 T. plus 2 t. cornstarch (Try to get non-GMO cornstarch.  I use Rumford brand.)

2 c. plant-based milk

4 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 t. vanilla or almond extract

vanilla wafers

2 - 3 bananas

Method:

In a large saucepan, mix the flour, sugar, and cornstarch with a whisk.  Whisk in the plant-based milk, then the egg yolks.

Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.  When the mixture is thickened to a pudding, whisk in the vanilla or almond extract and remove from heat.

In the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish, layer vanilla wafers to cover the bottom and create an edge with a row of wafers standing around the perimeter.  Cover the vanilla wafer layer with sliced bananas, then pour the pudding to cover both layers.  Refrigerate, then serve.

Serves 4 - 6.

Cornbread Pancakes

Cornbread without having to make an entire skillet of cornbread!  This is perfect for me and Scott so we don't have to struggle to eat an entire skillet of cornbread between just 2 people before it goes bad.  This recipe came from www.simpledailyrecipes.com, and I made only minimal adjustment to the post.  And, oh yeah, it's vegan!  Woot!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal (not cornbread mix)

1/2 c. unbleached AP flour

2 1/4 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

3/4 c. plant-based milk

2 T. canola oil

1 T. white vinegar

1 T. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance brand.)

Method:

In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Add the milk, oil, and vinegar and stir until mixed.

Heat a griddle (I use cast iron.) over medium heat.  Put 1 t. vegan margarine on the griddle and melt to coat.  Add 1/4 c. of the batter to the griddle, and cook 1 - 2 minutes (until golden on the bottom and dry-ish on top), then flip.  Cook until the other side is golden and the cake is cooked through.  Repeat with remaining batter, refreshing the melted margarine as needed.  Serve hot.

Makes 5 - 6 pancakes.  Doubles easily.

Vegan Breakfast Smoothie

Here's my new breakfast smoothie "formula", and it's perfect light fare for hot summer mornings:

1/3 can whole coconut milk (or use the plant-based milk of your choice)

1 piece of fresh fruit (usually either a banana or a mango, peeled and de-pitted of course!)

1 T. aloe vera juice (optional)

frozen fruit, to taste (usually for me this will be either some type of berries or peaches)

Put the coconut milk (or plant-based milk), fresh fruit, and aloe vera juice (if using) in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the frozen fruit, about 1/4 cup at a time, blending until smooth after each addition.

Pour the blended smoothie into a glass and drink up! (This also goes perfectly with a piece of toast if you want something solid with it.)

Peepaw's Peach Cobbler

A most excellent dessert!  I don't know where my grandfather - who we always called "Peepaw" (don't ask me the origin of that...I don't really know) - got this recipe, but thank goodness he did!  Easy, delicious, perfect.



Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking powder (try to find aluminum-free baking powder)

3/4 c. sugar (unless you're using FRESH peaches, then use 1 c. sugar)

3/4 c. plant-based milk (OK, I admit that Peepaw used cow's milk, but making it dairy-free with plant-based milk is even more awesome.)

1 stick vegan margarine (ditto above)

1 large can sliced peaches in heavy syrup (or try it with an approximately equal amount of peeled, sliced fresh peaches)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Melt vegan margarine in a small casserole dish (I used a glass 8"x8" dish.) by putting the dish in the preheating oven.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.  Stir in the plant-based milk.

Pour the flour and milk mixture into the dish over the melted butter.  Pour the peaches AND their syrup (if using canned peaches) over the flour mixture.  Bake for about 45 minutes, and serve warm.  Serves 4-6.

Irish Chocolate Potato Cake

Here's a confection for your St. Patrick's Day celebration.  Scott made this yesterday with a caramel drizzle, and it's DEE-licious.  Since the cake contains dark chocolate, potatoes, and almonds, I like to think of it as sort of "healthy" for cake.  (Disregarding, of course, the 1/2 lb. of butter and 1 lb. of sugar!)

The cake recipe came from www.europeancuisines.com, and the icing came from a decade-old issue of Vegetarian Times.  We served it after a "St. Patrick's Eve" meal of vegetable and tofu pot pie (recipe here) and boiled cabbage for an Irish-feeling meal.

Ingredients:
1 c. cooked potato (see below for specific instructions on the potatoes)
1 1/2 T. AP flour
1 1/2 T. cocoa

2 1/2 c. AP flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

2 rounded t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 lb. butter or vegan margarine (I like to use Earth Balance vegan margarine.), at room temperature

2 1/3 c. (1 lb.) granulated sugar

4 eggs

9 rounded T. finely-grated chocolate

5 rounded T. ground almonds

2/3 c. plant-based milk

1 batch caramel icing (recipe below)

Method:
Be sure to prepare the potatoes in advance and allow them to cool COMPLETELY.  Do not add them to the batter if they are even slightly warm.  If you do, the result will be a heavy cake that may fail to rise or rise only partway.  To prepare the potatoes, peel and chunk 2 medium potatoes and boil until soft when pierced with a fork.  Drain them completely, and dry them briefly over low heat.  Remove from heat.  When completely cool, mash well with a potato masher or ricer.

Mix 1/2 T. flour with the cocoa in a small bowl.  Prepare a tube pan (like a Bundt pan) by spraying it well with non-stick spray.  Be sure to cover every crevice and fluting.  Now add the flour/cocoa mixture to the pan and shake it around until every surface is coated.  Failure to proper cover every crevice and surface may result in a cake that does not unmold properly, so take the time to do this part correctly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the 2.5 c. flour once by itself.  Sift it a second time with the cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and set the yolks aside.  In a small mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Set the whites aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.  Stir the grated chocolate and ground almonds into the butter mixture.  Add the potatoes and stir again.  Add the flour, alternating with the plant-based milk, beating gently after each addition.

When the flour and milk are fully incorporated, fold the whipped egg whites carefully into the cake batter.  Spoon the completed batter into the prepared cake pan.  Tap gently once on the counter to settle.

Bake for 1.5 - 2 hours.  With a wooden skewer, start testing for doneness at 1.5 hours and periodically after that until the skewer inserted through the tallest part of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes in the pan.  Invert on a baking rack and remove from pan to cool completely.  Drizzle with caramel icing (or the icing of your choice), and serve.

Caramel Drizzle Icing

Ingredients:
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. plant-based milk
2 T. vegan margarine
1/4 t. salt
1 t. almond extract
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Method:
Combine brown sugar, plant-based milk, margarine, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture is slightly thick, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Stir in almond extract and gradually beat in powdered sugar.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Let icing cool slightly, and pour over cake.  Icing sets as it cools.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Yesterday I set out to make some muffins for breakfast, and I thought I'd make the cranberry pumpkin muffins I previously posted (recipe here).  However, when I started getting out all the ingredients and getting everything ready, I just felt like it was too heavy, too autumn if you will.  I was feeling more spring.  My eyes noticed the poppy seeds in my spice cabinet, and the thought of lemon poppy seed muffins really fit the bill:  I had a fridge full of lemons, my muffin papers are the colors of easter eggs, and the flavor had a spring-like profile.  Done!

This recipe is based on the one in the quintessential cookbook Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.  They were totally delicious.

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder (try to find aluminum-free baking powder)

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1.5 T. poppy seeds

2 large eggs (vegans could use Ener-G Egg Replacer), lightly beaten

1 c. plant-based milk

1/3 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. plus 3 T. canola oil

1 t. almond extract

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T. grated lemon zest

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Either grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line the tins with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and poppy seeds.

In another medium bowl, mix the eggs (or Egg Replacer), plant-based milk, brown sugar, canola oil, almond extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir until JUST MIXED, keeping the stirring to a minimum.  Too much mixing will make the muffins heavy, so the batter will be (and should be) lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.  Bake about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Gravy Two Ways

Making gravy can be a mystery, even for experienced cooks. My mom once gave me the advice that if you find a method that pretty much works for you, just stick with it. There are many stories about gravy that could be cut with a knife from when she and my dad first got married over 40 years ago. Today, she's an expert at making gravy, but I only really got the hang of it a few years ago. I'm going to give you some general guidelines here, but know that the amounts of everything are sort of guesswork, and you wing it as you go. You have to get a feel for it, and that takes a little practice.

THE FIRST WAY -

The first gravy recipe is what we in the South call "milk gravy", and it's served on biscuits (recipe here) for breakfast or for that hallowed Southern tradition "breakfast for dinner."

Ingredients:

all-purpose flour

salt and freshly ground pepper

canola oil

1 c. plant-based milk (Note that soy milk lends a distinctive taste that is not great to me, so I always use a milk type other than soy when cooking.)

water

Method:

This will approximately describe portions to serve 2 - 3 people, but you can multiply it out as needed. In a medium-sized skillet, put in about 1/3 c. - 1/2 c. flour plus a generous amount of salt and pepper. Let's say 1/2 t. salt, but you may have to add more at the end if it tastes too bland. Sorry, but milk gravy is salty. Now, shake the pan so that the flour spreads out across the bottom of the skillet and put it over medium heat. At this point, you want to toast it until you start to smell it and the edges of the flour mass start to brown. You want to get to this point, but no further (so keep an eye on it) before you:

Add just enough canola oil so that, when mixed with a fork, everything is just barely wet enough to bubble over the heat. Don't add too much oil, but it shouldn't be too dry to bubble. It'll make more sense when you're doing it. Use a fork to make sure everything is well-mixed, because failure to do so will result in lumpy gravy. From this point forward, use the fork to eliminate lumps. It is your mission.

Now take your plant-based milk and pour about 1/4 c. into the pan.  It will sizzle and get soaked up by the roux almost immediately.  Constantly use your fork to mash the more solid pieces into the milk/water to incorporate the liquid and keep the gravy from being lumpy.  When the milk is completely incorporated, which will happen fast, do another 1/4 c.  Repeat until all the milk is thoroughly mixed into the roux, and keep your fork moving.  Now you'll have something that looks like super thick gravy.

Keep adding water (no milk now) in small increments and using the ever-moving fork to combine and avoid lumps until you have gravy that is the consistency you want.  If you accidentally get it too thin, keep it boiling until some of the water boils off, and it will be fine.  Remember, too, that once the gravy cools slightly, it will be a little thicker.

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.  Now you're ready to pour it over your biscuits and have a great Southern breakfast dish!


GRAVY THE SECOND WAY -

The second gravy recipe comes from The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, which I have had for many years and still love.  They call it "Golden Gravy", because it has nutritional yeast in it.  Nutritional yeast, according to the cookbook, has good quality proteins and B vitamins, which are so important in vegan diets.  This gravy is completely vegan and would generally be used over mashed potatoes (see a recipe, here) or in a vegan pot pie, which I'll give you the recipe for later.  This one has more definite measurements and concise instructions, so inexperienced cooks will be more comfortable with this one.  The method, though, will be very similar to above.  If you can master this gravy, you can master the previous one!

Ingredients:

1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

1/3 c. nutritional yeast flakes (Note that nutritional yeast comes in POWDER and in FLAKES.  Use FLAKES in this recipe.)

1/4 c. canola oil or vegan margarine

2 c. water

1 T. soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu)

Method:

Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a medium skillet and shake the skillet so that the flour spreads across the surface.  Toast it over medium-low heat until you can start to smell it and the edges are just barely starting to brown.  Stir in the yeast, then add the oil.  Cook until bubbly.  Add 1/2 c. water, and stir into the roux with a fork to eliminate all lumps.  Repeat in 1/2 c. increments until the water is fully incorporated.  Add the soy sauce, taste, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Waffles

Feeling autumny yet?  Here's a great weekend breakfast to get you in the mood:  pumpkin waffles!  It's a recipe I adapted from a very inspiring book called The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.  She makes this with mashed sweet potatoes, but canned pumpkin makes it super convenient.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1/4 c. vegan butter
1.5 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 T. baking powder (try to find aluminum-free baking powder)
1 t. salt
cinnamon, to taste (optional)
3 eggs (or vegan egg replacer, like that by Ener-G)
1 c. plant-based milk
1 c. canned pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie mix...puréed sweet potatoes will also work)

Method:
Melt the butter, then set it aside to cool slightly.

Using a fork, blend the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center, and add the eggs, plant-based milk, and pumpkin.  Using a hand mixer, start mixing the ingredients on low, and pour in the melted butter while the mixer is going.  Mix on high until the batter is light and fluffy.

Cook on a preheated waffle iron as instructed by the manufacturer.  Serves about 4.

Note that these waffles are moist and may require additional cooking time if you prefer a crisp exterior.  Served with breakfast potatoes and hot cranberry tea, this is the perfect autumn breakfast!