Holiday Recipes: Potato Latkes with Apple Sauce and Scallion Tofu Cream

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Potato Latkes with Apple Sauce and Scallion Sour Cream

1 ½ lb red potatoes peeled and grated
¼ cup finely chopped scallions
2 “eggs” (use a powdered egg replacer like Ener-g)
2 T flour
1 ½ t salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Grate the potatoes and squeeze the liquid out of them.
In a bowl mix together the potatoes, flour, shallots, “eggs”, salt and pepper.
In a large skillet heat ¼ in of oil over medium high heat.
Drop heaping tablespoons of potato mixture and cook 3-4 minutes a side.
Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve immediately with applesauce and scallion sour cream

Applesauce

2 ½ lbs apples peeled and cored
3 T sugar
1 T lemon
3 T water

Combine everything in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover and lower heat to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes.
Uncover and cook 30 minutes.
Mash.

Scallion Sour Cream

5 scallions sliced, both greens and whites
1 package of lite silken tofu
1 T lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon agave
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a blender of food processor, blend all tofu through salt together, then place in a bowl.
Stir in sliced scallions.

Cookbook Review: The New Vegan

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Brussels Sprouts and Udon Noodles in Miso Sauce

 

I have been testing out some recipes from The New Vegan by Lorna Sass who is also the author of The New Soy Cookbook.  This book is a great introduction to vegan recipes, the first chapter features how to stock your vegan pantry.  The best thing about this cookbook is that there is a photo to go with almost every recipe.  For those of who have been cooking for years pictures are not so important but being a new cook or new to vegan cuisine it is great to have a photo reference to go with a recipe. 

I made the Brussels Sprouts and Udon Noodles in Miso Sauce from the book and it was delicious.  I love that this book features recipes from various cuisines in a way that is approachable for anyone.  This book although called the “New Vegan” is great for any level of cook and anyone interested in veganism/vegetarianism. 

Click to view on Amazon

Coffee Review: The Roasterie

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Click to go to The Roasterie website

 I was saddened this morning when I went to make my morning coffee and all of my Ethiopian Organic coffee from The Roasterie was all gone.  This quickly became my absolute favorite coffee of the moment and if you know me I try lots of coffees but nothing (so far) has compared to this one. The coffee has this great flavor that I have never tasted with any other bean, I think that it’s because of the way it is roasted and the quality of beans that are used. 

QUICK FACTS About The Roasterie:

 

  • The Roasterie imports only 100 percent Arabic Specialty Grade coffees from more than 25 different producing countries.
  • Each coffee bean purchased by The Roasterie has been picked by hand.
  • The Roasterie is a strong advocate for Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Organic, Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certifications and more.
  • The Roasterie supplied freshly roasted specialty coffee to an estimated one million customers in 2007.
  • The Roasterie has received more No. 1 ratings on CoffeeReview.com than any other roaster in the nation.

Holiday Vegan Chex Mix and My Sweet Vegan Fudge

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Tonight I made some peppermint fudge a variation on Hannah Kaminsky’s Coconut Fudge from My Sweet Vegan. It is great and is going to hopefully be a hit with my co-workers tomorrow. I also made some vegan chex mix something I’ve always wanted to do.

I used Nature’s Path Oaty Bites instead of the traditional Chex and they worked great. They are a bit sweeter then normal Chex cereal which gives this Chex mix recipe a great sweet and salty taste.

Recipe for Oaty Bites Mix

4 1/2 cups Oaty Bites
1/2 cup spelt pretzels
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
3 T vegan margarine
1 T vegan worcestershire sauce
1 t Adobe seasoning (I use Goya brand)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 250F
2. In the oven melt the margarine on a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a bowl mix together the Oaty Bites, pretzels and nuts.
4. Once the margarine has melted add the seasonings and mix together then gently pour on the Oaty Bites mixture and evenly toss in the margarine spice mixture.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Let cool and then store in air tight containers for 5-7 days (not that it will last that long)

The Asian Vegan Kitchen

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Click to view on Amazon

 

If you didn’t already know my husband and I are huge fans of Asian food. Thai, Chinese, Malaysia, Indian, Korean, Japanese….you name it we pretty much love it, so I was excited when I was given the opportunity to try out The Asian Vegan Kitchen, a great cookbook filled with a variety Asian recipes. 

This cookbook is set up into sections based on cuisine which include Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese, Indonesian and Malaysian.  Many of the recipes take a bit of planning to make as some of the ingredients are more difficult to find in North America.  Some ingredients you can find in the international foods aisle at your local market however there will be some that you will have to go to your local Asian market (sometimes even a few different ones).

I have made a few recipes from this book (with plans to make many more) but so far my favorite has been the Vietnamese Fried Rice and the Spicy Tofu (Chinese).  The both had a ton of flavor and were fairly easy to make.

Spicy Tofu with Vietnamese Rice (also sauteed napa cabbage and eggplant with hoisin)

 

This is a great cookbook for those who are interested in Asian cooking that has been adapted for vegans.  One of the best features is the glossary in the back of the book where you can learn more about ingredients that may be less familiar and some even have suggest substitutions if you can not find that specific ingredient.  As well these recipes may at first seem complex but the great instructions make this book great for any cooking level.

Holiday Side Dish: SPICY CHIPOTLE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

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SPICY CHIPOTLE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is a great recipe for your next holiday party, dinner or brunch.  It combines the sweet flavors of the squash with the smokey spice of the chipotle chili powder.  Spice up your next meal with this recipe!

Served up with Tofu Scram and Toast- Breakfast for Dinner

 

  • 2 small Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
  • 4 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder

1.       Preheat to 450 degrees F.

2.       Combine oil, paprika, salt, garlic powder and chipotle chili powder in a large bowl.

3.       Add squash; toss to coat with the seasoning mixture.

4.       Spread the squash evenly on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet.

5.       Roast, stirring once or twice, until the squash are tender and browned, 30-40 minutes.

Delicious Raw Dinner

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This is one of my favorite raw meals- Raw Polenta and  Raw Alfredo 

The Raw Polenta is from Ani Phyo’s book and is quick and easy.  You can use fresh or frozen corn which makes it easy to eat all year long.  It’s great with the Mushroom Ragout from Ani’s book as well.

I made this alfredo for the first time by Gena of Choosing Raw and it is amazing!