Some have said, “An Unrefined Vegan? Yeah, girlfriend can’t do gluten-free!” Well, I’m here to tell you not only that I can, but that I AM doing GF over at Richa’s blog today. That’s right – old Ms. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is hangin’ at Vegan Richa today with a rice flour-xanthan-gum kinda recipe for chocolatey and blueberrily whoopie pies.
Be sure and spend some time exploring her site when you visit. You WILL leave hungry. Thank you, Richa, for inviting me to share!
When I was growing up there were two distinct camps: the Mayonnaise camp (in my neck of the woods, Hellman’s brand) and the Salad Dressing camp (Miracle Whip). It all depended on what your mom used on the sandwiches she made and in our house, mom used Hellman’s. No-way-no-how those of us in the Hellman’s camp wanted our tuna salad or bologna, cheese and potato chip (yes, chips ON the sandwich) sangies to have even a hint of sweetness! And if your best friend’s mom used Miracle Whip, well, that could mean the quick demise of a beautiful friendship.
Just cuz I’m a plant-based sandwich-eater now doesn’t mean I’ve lost my love of mayo and Nasoya has both types represented – the savory and the sweet. I recently received a couple of bottles to try out. While both products are creamy, thick, and ringers for the “real” things, my taste preference holds true today. I really prefer a “mayo” spread that is savory rather than sweet. But I did use both products with very tasty results.
Here’s a look at NayoWhipped and Nayonaise:
Here’s what’s in them:
Soy milk
Soybean oil
Vinegar
Salt
Dried cane syrup
Mustard flour
Xanthan gum
Guar gum
Lemon juice
Turmeric
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Vitamin B12
For inspiration, I visited the Nasoya website for ideas and made several things, riffing on the original recipes. First up is a classic that reminds me of the best egg-salad-sandwich-maker in the whole wide world, my mom.
Bean & Tofu Nada-Egg Salad Sandwiches
Makes 4
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
7 oz. firm tofu, pressed, drained, and crumbled
3 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 sweet gherkins, chopped
5-6 green olives, chopped
thick slice red onion, chopped
lots of ground black pepper
pinch salt
1 tsp. dried dill weed
~1 cup Nayonaise
4 big biscuits, cut in half (or 8 slices of bread)
A handful of sprouts
In a large bowl, mash the garbanzo beans – don’t go crazy, leave some big pieces – and add the remaining ingredients. Stir it all together and let it chill for a little while.
Delicious on bread, of course, or on top of a big pile of chopped romaine lettuce with slices of avocado on top and plenty of raw tortilla chips on the side.
One of my favorite ways to use mayo is in a super-quick aioli and I whipped up a batch to go on top of pinto bean burgers. The creaminess of the mayo and the tang of chipotle, garlic and lemon complemented the smokey southwestern flavors beautifully. This would also be great as a dip for sweet potato fries.
Spicy-Lemony Aioli
Makes 1/4 cup (2 servings)
1/4 cup Nayonaise
1/2 tsp. chipotle in adobo (chopped or processed until smooth)
1 small clove garlic, minced
zest of 1/2 a lemon
Combine all of the ingredients. Let chill in the refrigerator for a few hours so the flavors blend.
How did I use the NayoWhipped? In the super-moist muffins pictured below – again, a recipe based on one posted on the Nasoya site. I’m really pleased with how they turned out. The spread replaces the traditional fat and I think works a bit like using yogurt. These smell so good while baking.
So, whether you were a Hellman’s girl like me or whether you craved that sweet-tang of Miracle Whip, there is a creamy, rich cruelty-free, vegan alternative that will make your sandwiches (and your muffins!) very yummy indeed.
Applesauce Banana Muffins
Makes 8 giant ones
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. powdered stevia
1/4 tsp. salt
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup NayoWhipped Sandwich Spread
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Lightly oil muffin tins and preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, stevia and salt. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the banana, applesauce, Sandwich Spread and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until combined – then gently stir in the chips and pecans.
Spoon batter into eight of the greased muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Devour while still warm. These freeze well.
I’ve unashamedly pilfered a recipe for Creamy Cocoa Oatmeal from an issue of Runner’s World magazine and I’m also going to nick what they had to say about the recipe:
Stick-to-your-ribs steel-cut oats are packed with betaglucan. According to a 2011 Nutrition Journal study, this soluble fiber can help slash LDL (or so-called “bad” cholesterol) levels. Research shows cocoa anti-oxidants help relax blood vessels, ease blood pressure, and improve circulation. Ground flaxseed is rich in omega-3s, which reduce inflammation in arteries.
Of course I made some modifications: I soaked the oats overnight to reduce the cooking time; subbed almond milk for dairy milk; added Dandy Blend for coffee flavor; used applesauce instead of a mashed banana (I didn’t have a decently ripe specimen) and ignored the addition of nutmeg (which I’ve never liked). I call mine:
Mocha Steel-Cut Oats
Serves 4
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups water
1 cup nut milk
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tbsp. cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 tbsp. Dandy Blend, optional (or use some fresh-brewed coffee for some of the water or milk)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. maple syrup (or your favorite sweetener, to taste)
dried tart cherries
sliced bananas
chopped walnuts
cacao nibs, optional
Place the steel cut oats in a medium-sized bowl and cover with water. Let sit overnight.
In the morning, drain the oats then place in a medium-sized saucepan and add 2 cups water and 1 cup nut milk. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cacao powder, Dandy Blend, cinnamon, applesauce and maple syrup. Continue to cook until the oats are soft and creamy, adding more liquid as necessary.
To serve, top with cherries, bananas, walnuts and cacao nibs.
One year ago today: My Sally Field Moment
One year and one day ago today: The Sugar Cookie Challenge
On a wild hare a few weeks back, I entered a baking contest over at Earth Balance (via their Made Just Right site) – something I have heretofore never done. Since I only had a short time to come up with an original recipe, I decided to go with something familiar – something I knew tasted good. So once again I returned to the mocha spice cake recipe I created for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. I thought a creamy, melty maple-flavored ganache would be the perfect topping. It tasted great, but clearly I need to work on my decorating skills!
I didn’t take home the prize for best cupcake; nor did I win the grand prize (a trip to Las Vegas), but it was fun participating – and I did end up getting a very unexpected prize for best photo. Thank you, Earth Balance! (Visit the original recipe at Made Just Right here. And check out the delicious winning recipes while you’re there.)
One year ago today: Better Than Doughnuts: Peanut Butter & Jam-filled Tangzhong Bread
One year and one day ago: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip, Cranberry & Pecan Cookies
Mocha Spice Cupcakes w/ Maple Crème Ganache
Makes 12
Batter
2 cups strong, freshly-brewed coffee
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup maple sugar
½ cup vegan butter or coconut oil (or a blend)
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. powdered stevia
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/3 cup sweetened cacao nibs
Ganache
¾ cup vegan butter, softened
¼ cup coconut oil, softened
6 tbsp. nut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple extract
¼ cup maple syrup (more or less, depending on taste)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin tins w/ paper muffin cups or spray lightly with oil.
Make the ganache first as it needs a couple of hours to chill.
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut spread, coconut oil, nut milk, vanilla & maple extracts and maple syrup. Place in the refrigerator to firm and chill.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, stevia, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
In another bowl, whisk together the hot coffee w/ the cocoa powder, maple sugar, EB Coconut Spread, flaxseed meal and vanilla extract. Whisk to thoroughly combine and then pour into the dry mixture. Stir well, pressing out any lumps. Stir in the cacao nibs.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are firm and springy on top.
Allow to cool completely.
To finish the ganache, pour the mixture into a blender – it should be firming up, but not completely solid – and process until very smooth and creamy. Either pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes or simply spread over the tops.
Keep cupcakes in the refrigerator as the ganache will soften at room temperature.
One thing I discovered (though I’d already suspected it) while participating in the Green Smoothie Challenge: I eat too much bread. It’s not that I felt a dramatic physical difference; I just felt lighter and just a little bit better. So I’ve committed to reducing my bread/grains/carbs intake. That doesn’t mean, however, that Sunday morning breakfast is getting kicked to the curb, no sirree Bob. I’m nothing if not a deeply flawed human. May I present: French toast.
One year ago today: Beet, Green Bean & Couscous Salad
One year and one day ago: Seitan Italian Sausage and Banana Bread Pancakes
Chocolate-Cinnamon-Orange Cashew French Toast
Serves 4-6
4-6 slices thick, whole-grain bread (I let mine sit out overnight uncovered)
1/4 cup cashews, soaked for a few hours
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 an orange
sweetener to taste (I used a few dashes of stevia powder)
cacao nibs, optional
sliced strawberries, optional
Rinse and drain the cashews, then put into a blender along with everything but the orange zest. Blend until very smooth – give it a minute or two. Pour the mixture into a deep-sided baking pan and stir in the orange zest.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. I spritz mine very lightly with oil.
Dip the slices of bread into the chocolate-cashew mixture and then carefully place in the heated pan. Brown on one side – be patient and don’t cook to quickly. Then gently flip and brown on the other side. Keep toast warm in a 200F oven while you cook the remaining slices.
Serve with cacao nibs, strawberries and warm maple syrup.
This biscuit is truly a collaborative effort. I modified a recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau by replacing the vegan butter with almond butter, trading out the AP flour for whole wheat and kicking in some sourdough starter – which came from the kitchen of Amanda of Good Clean Food. The delicious spice blend comes from a sourdough pancake recipe that I veganized (and that failed miserably for me). I continued the team effort by accompanying the biscuits with some tasty finds from other blogs: a pumpkin version of Kristy’s Sweet Potato Pecan Butter and a steaming hot Pumpkin Spice Latte courtesy of Happy Healthy Life.
One year ago today: Smoky Apple-Sage Seitan Sausage & Red Onion Marmalade Sandwich
One year and one day ago: Yeasted Buckwheat Waffles with Cranberry-Date-Apricot Sauce
Slightly Sourdough Almond Butter Biscuits w/ Cacao, Orange & Tart Cherries
Makes 9 or so
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
pinch salt, if desired
1/2 tsp. spice blend (or just sprinkle in some cinnamon, allspice and cardamom)
2 tbsp. maple sugar
1/3 cup sourdough starter (if you don’t have starter, use 2/3 cup almond milk, total)
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 cup cacao nibs or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
zest from 1/2 an orange
Line a baking pan with parchment and preheat the oven to 475F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice blend and maple sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter and milk. Set aside.
Mix the almond butter into the flour mixture and then pour the sourdough mixture in and add the orange zest – stir or use your hand to bring the dough together. Add more milk if necessary. Add in the cacao nibs and the dried cherries.
On a floured surface, pat the dough into a square or circle and cut into pieces. Place on the prepared baking sheet leaving an inch or so between biscuits. Brush with almond milk, if desired. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until brown on the outside.
Christmas and mint. How did they become an item? The red-and-white-swirled candy canes dangling from stuffed stockings? The tiny pastel-colored, melt-away candies piled in bowls that appear only in December? The Santa- and snowman-shaped chocolate candies filled with a gooey mint center? Or maybe the cool of mint recalls drifts of snow and icy winds. It can’t be helped. Mint reminds me of Christmas.
This is the classic chocolate cream cheese muffin but without the dairy and a little bit less of the guilt. I’ll take one of these over a candy cane any day.
A quick but important aside to thank one of my very favorite bloggers – Nicole, of Cauldrons and Cupcakes – for naming An Unrefined Vegan as one of her Blogs of the Year. If you haven’t met Nicole, do yourself and your psyche a favor and go visit. Nicole is a gentle, wise and sensitive soul who shares of herself without reservation; her readers reap the benefits.
One year ago today: Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread
Chocolate Mint Cream Cheese Muffins
Makes ~22
Mint Cream Cheese:
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 tsp. white miso
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tbsp. egg replacer
3 tbsp. nut milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
~1/4 cup cacao nibs
Muffin batter:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. powdered stevia
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups nut milk
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. brown rice vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F and line ~22 muffin tins with paper or silicon muffin cups.
Make the cream cheese filling:
In a food processor, add all of the filling ingredients, except for the cacao nibs, and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness and mintiness. Stir in the cacao nibs. Set aside.
Make the batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and powdered stevia (no, I did not forget to add salt). In a medium-sized bowl, combine the nut milk, flaxseed meal, applesauce, vinegar and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until thoroughly combined.
Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full with batter and then top each muffin with a heaping tablespoonful of filling. Bake for about 20 minutes – do not overbake – and remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so on cooling racks, then remove from the tins.
If you had to pick the ultimate comfort food, what would it be? Pot pie? A spicy curry? Macaroni and cheese? Or maybe hot cocoa (hot cocoa sounds more comforting than hot chocolate) or a warm brownie topped with ice cream? Winter is just around the corner – though some days it feels as if it’s already here – so my cooking changes from quick and cool to hearty, warm and comforting.
Chili, in almost any form but the ones including meat, is one of my favorite comfort foods. You can put it together quickly and let it simmer gently for hours – and it tastes better the next day. I recently made the version from In Vegetables We Trust (Slow-Cooker Chili) which includes a hint of unsweetened cocoa to mellow and deepen the beany, peppery flavors.
What’s comfort without cozy chocolate? If you didn’t see this recipe on Somer’s blog, Vedged Out, then you must be hibernating. And I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you were. I mixed up a batch of her Double Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cookies and my belly and I felt contented, satisfied and downright happy despite the flurries blowing outside. In fact, I laughed at them between bites.
For me, rice is one of the most comforting foods around. This may be because when I was a kid my mom made the most delicious rice on the planet – buttery and creamy and heavy on the ground black pepper. When I was a young lass living on my own there were evenings when it was me, the TV and a big bowl of steaming, hot rice. This is why I included AstigVegan’s delicious Kalamansi Coconut Risotto recipe in my comfort food hall of fame. It’s got all the things I love: creamy rice, coconut milk, lemon zing and mushrooms. (Sorry, Richa, I couldn’t get kalamansi here in Utah so I made due with lemon juice and some orange zest!)
If there’s anything more comforting than chocolate, it’s…more chocolate. I made these babies one Sunday afternoon when I needed a heavy dose of comfort. Big fat flakes of snow were flying outside. The foothills of the Wasatch were barely visible in the fog of white. Ike had wisely tucked himself back into his doggy bed and Paul Westerberg provided background music with one of his most plaintive tunes, Here Comes A Regular. The enticing smell of melted chocolate takes the cold edge off of any winter day. I got the original recipe from Things My Belly Likes (Maple Coconut Chocolates), and I hit the print button before you could say Give me a Mounds bar! I messed around (i.e., made it more complicated than it needed to be) with the recipe and have included it below.
One year ago today: Pesto Pasta e Fagioli
One year and one day ago: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cherry-Apricot Compote
Maple Coconut Coffee Chocolates with Add-ins
Makes ~30 (using small muffin cups)
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 heaping tbsp. Dandy Blend (herbal coffee substitute), optional
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/8 cup sweet cacao nibs (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (with a little extra for sprinkling on top of the chocolate)
I lined up my paper and silicon mini muffin cups on baking sheets and got all of the ingredients ready to go before I melted the chocolate and coconut oil. Mise en place. It’s a good thing. Sprinkle the pecans into the bottoms of 1/3 of the muffins cups; sprinkle the cacao nibs into the bottoms of 1/3 of the muffin cups. You’ll be stirring the flaked coconut into the remaining 1/3 of the melted chocolate/coconut oil mixture – so hold off on sprinkling that into the bottom of the cups.
In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and chocolate over low heat Whisk occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. They’ll sizzle so watch your eyes. For really smooth chocolate, put the cocoa powder and Dandy Blend through a sieve and add to the melted chocolate. Whisk until smooth and melted.
Carefully pour the chocolate into the pecan- and cacao nib-fille cups. Now, stir in the 1/3 cup flaked coconut into the rest of the chocolate and pour into the remaining muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the chocolate cups w/ the corresponding add-in so that later you know which chocolate you are popping into your mouth.
Chill the cups until firm.
Much more prim and proper than their deep dark chocolate cousins, these vanilla cupcakes with a chai truffle center also pack a less powerful caloric punch. The cupcake is based on a recipe from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon.
One year ago today: Asparagus & Cilantro Soup
One year and one day ago: Tempeh Bacon, Fig Chutney & Apple Sandwiches
Vanilla Chai Truffle Cakes
Makes 10
Truffle Filling:
1/2 cup dates, roughly chopped, soaked for a few hours
1/2 cup pecans, soaked for a few hours
1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp. anise seed, ground
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond milk
Cupcakes:
1 cup almond milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Make the truffle filling:
Drain and rinse the dates, pecans and crystallized ginger and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground.
Meanwhile, carefully melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder. When melted and combined, remove from the heat and set aside.
Spoon the mixture date/pecan mixture into a blender and add the almond milk, all of the spices and the chocolate/coconut oil mixture. Process until silky smooth. Pour into an air-tight container and refrigerate for a few hours to firm.
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly oil 8 muffin tins (fill the empty tins half-ful with water). In a small saucepan, slowly heat the milk and scrape the vanilla bean so that the seed paste comes out. Drop the bean into the milk. When the milk just starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the applesauce, maple sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffin tins from the oven and drop truffle filling by the teaspoonful+ on top of each muffin – gently pressing the filling into the cupcake. Return the muffin tins to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the cupcake is firm and a toothpick comes out clean (from the cake, not the truffle). Let cool for a few minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan. Serve warm.
(The truffle filling would also make an excellent frosting.)
There’s nothing quite like pilfering a recipe – especially when you shamelessly pilfer one of your own recipes. At least I’m giving myself credit – it’s just blogging etiquette. These pancakes were inspired by my very own Virtual Vegan Potluck contribution for Mocha Spice Cake. Even as I stirred the batter for that cake, I was dreaming of these pancakes. But don’t limit yourself – this batter would make awesome waffles as well.
One year ago today: Warming Winter Stew with Cilantro Chimichurri
Mocha Spice Pancakes
Makes 16
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. Dandy Blend (a powdered herbal coffee substitute)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp. water (whisk together and then let sit for a few minutes)
2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped
toasted pecans, optional
Simple Syrup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. Dandy Blend (or instant espresso powder, a dash of strong coffee or a few drops of coffee flavoring)
dash cinnamon
Make the pancakes:
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, almond meal, cocoa, Dandy Blend, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the banana, vanilla extract, nut milk, maple sugar and flaxseed meal. Stir in the cacao nibs and the crystallized ginger.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes.
Ladle big spoonfuls of the batter onto a hot griddle that has been lightly spritzed with cooking oil. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the cake, carefully flip, and cook for a few minutes. Keep cooked pancakes in a warm oven (along with your plates) while you cook the remaining batter.
Make the syrup:
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, Dandy Blend and cinnamon and heat until toasty hot.
Serve pancakes with chopped pecans and the syrup.
