Vegan Coconut Curry

By Pam Hadder

I love anything tofu, anything curry, and anything with coconut and/or coconut milk - these things spell comfort for me!  The beauty of this recipe is that it combines all of these flavourful and satisfying ingredients in one delightful synthesis for your taste buds (and tum)!

The recipe is easily halved, but I find the full batch disappears quite readily - it's great to pack up for a healthy lunch or dinner.

xox!

Vegan Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
1-350 g package of firm or extra firm tofu, sliced in bite-size strips or cubes
2-3 Tbsp. of Asian Sriracha sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil, for frying
1 large onion, cut in strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut in bite-size pieces
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1/2 cup golden raisins, finely chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. green curry powder
1 tsp. dry ginger, ground
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups frozen green peas
1 can full fat coconut milk

Method:
Mix together the soy and Sriracha sauce and combine with tofu cubes in a small container.  If time allows, marinate a few hours in the fridge - one day ahead is ideal. When ready to prepare the dish, reheat large skillet over medium high heat.  Add in the oil, and cook the onions until tender (about 5 minutes).  When onions are clear and tender, stir in the tomato, bell peppers, raisins, garlic and seasonings - cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, and turning down heat if necessary (you must take care not to scorch the garlic and onions).  Add in the peas, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Finally, stir in the coconut milk, cover once more and cook 3-5 minutes to heat through.  Serve over rice - absolutely delicious!

Note: I use about 1/2 tsp. of sea salt in this recipe, and 1 tsp. of ground black pepper - these can be adjusted to taste; the black pepper can be omitted.  Try substituting the tofu with cauliflower - so very yummy!

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

by Pam Hadder

There are many great vegan brownie recipes out there, and I am always open to trying a new variation on a chocolaty theme!  The following recipe is really unique because it is very low in fat, but is wonderfully moist due to the use of bananas, apple sauce and zucchini.

Un-iced, these yummy tidbits have only 2 g of  fat per serving!  Personally, if I want a brownie, no frosting equals "no fun" so I prefer to ice them - I also find the frosting holds in the moisture. To frost these brownies, I use my tried-and-true easy solution: 2 or 3 melted dairy-free Lindt chocolate bars.  Just pop them on top as soon as you pull them out of the oven and spread the chocolate evenly over top as it melts.

Hope you will try and enjoy xox!

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegan margarine (I use Becel)
2 cups finely grated zucchini
1/2 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
2 medium-sized bananas, mashed or puréed
1 - 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, divided use
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2-3 Lindt dairy-free chocolate bars (or other vegan chocolate), for frosting

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease a 9" x 12" Pyrex cake pan with the vegan margarine.  You could also use a vegetable spray, such as Pam to grease the pan. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, bananas, apple sauce, vanilla and sugar.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. Stir in 3/4 cups of the walnuts to the flour, reserving 1/4 cup to garnish the frosting, if you desire.  Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet ingredients, stirring gently to form a smooth batter - the batter will be rather thick, but not gummy.  Use a firm spatula to fold all of the batter into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 40 minutes, until brownies spring back to a light touch, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Baking times will vary depending on your oven, the humidity and the amount of moisture in your fruit and zucchini - so begin monitoring the brownies at about 25 minutes, and every 5 minutes thereafter.  Do not worry if it takes a bit more than, or a bit less than 40 minutes for them to bake - that is completely typical.

As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, place the chocolate bars on top, allow them to soften, and spread the chocolate evenly over all with a butter knife or icing spatula.  Garnish with reserved walnuts.

Note: if you don't want to ice these, a nice alternate topping is fresh fruit and a light dusting of icing sugar, or light Cool Whip flavoured with a few teaspoons of your favourite liqueur or extract.

Simply THE BEST! Nutty Banana Loaf

by Pam Hadder

When I first considered going vegan, one of the things that concerned me was baking!  That likely seems a bit ridiculous, but I grew up with amazing home-baked goodness (thanks Mom!), and I wasn't convinced that I could enjoy vegan baking.  I was worried it would taste flat, or that I would miss some fav treats.  Well, not only have I been pleasantly surprised by how wonderful vegan baking can be, I actually have found it pretty easy to adapt many family recipes and have found the results to be equal or superior to the originals.

One of those recipes that is just way better a la vegan is my banana-nut bread. I have experimented with a number of good recipes, and have found the following proportions to yield consistently yummy results. The recipe that follows is not only easy, it requires no odd-ball ingredients.  Hope you will bake some this weekend and enjoy the wonderful aromas of toasted nuts and bananas and cinnamon - the best part, of course, is that fresh slice just out of the oven.  Only six points on Weight Watchers, and full of good nutrition - NO empty calories here :)

Pami's Vegan Banana-Nut Loaf

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegan margarine (for buttering the loaf pan)
1/4 cup soy milk, with 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar mixed in
3 ripe, medium-size bananas, mashed well (or puréed)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a pyrex loaf pan with the vegan margarine. Measure the soy milk into a small bowl and stir in the cider vinegar - let stand for 5-10 minutes, the mixture will curdle/thicken. Meanwhile, mash or purée the bananas in a medium-sized bowl, adding in the vanilla and canola oil.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugars, salt, soda, cinnamon and 1-1/4 cups of the nuts - save about 1/4 cup of the nuts to use as topping. Stir the soy milk mixture into the banana mix, then fold in all of the flour mixture until well-combined.  Use a spatula to get all of the batter in the prepared loaf pan.  Top with reserved nuts, pressing the nuts down with a clean spoon so that they are embedded in the batter.

Bake for one hour, and check for done-ness, by inserting a small sharp knife into the centre - it should come out clean and dry.  If the loaf is still moist, reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes - test again.  The baking time really does vary with the moistness of the fruit you use, humidity in your home etc. - worth a little fussing, honest!  Basically, you don't want to burn the exterior of the loaf, but you want the interior to be cooked!  You may need to bake the loaf an additional five minutes if it's still a bit damp inside at the second test - just turn off the oven, close the door, and let the residual heat finish the job, if this is the case.

Happy baking mmmm :)

Puffed the Magic Wheat Cake!!!!

by Pam Hadder

I don't know if this is a Canadian prairie phenomenon, but I grew up with puffed wheat cake.  Puffed wheat, like puffed rice is a breakfast cereal - it is air puffed and very low in calories, so its good for you (woot!). 

I remember my Mom dipping our cereal bowls into a huge bag of the stuff in the mornings, and cutting fresh banana slices over top.  My Mom really made sure we got a good nutritional balance and for that I am so grateful - I recognize now that my parents never had a lot of fancy stuff, but we always ate really well. They really invested in our wellness and our appreciation of healthy, wholesome foods.

I actually calculated the total calories of this recipe by analyzing all of the ingredients in this recipe in my Weight Watchers app, and even if you eat 1/8 of the whole huge pan it is only 5 points* on the WW weight loss plan. AND it tastes so amazing - the combo of the chocolate, peanut butter, natural vanilla and toasty wheat flavour brings back a lot of childhood memories, and it's a great PMS sweet tooth satisfier without the sugar overload and calorie guilt.  Best of all, there are no hard-to-find ingredients and it takes just a few minutes to make. Hope you will try this easy recipe and enjoy it - maybe it will be the start of a new tradition in your home.

(*small bag of licorice Nibs is 7 points and has very little food value - which would you choose!)

Old Fashioned Puffed Wheat Squares (VEGAN)

Ingredients:
7 cups Puffed Wheat cereal (I buy Safeway brand)
1/2 cup golden corn syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder (baking cocoa, Dutch cocoa - not hot chocolate mix)
1-1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
1 tsp. vegan margarine, or Pam spray
Optional: vegan chocolate chips for garnish

Method:
Prepare a 9" x 13" cake pan by buttering it with vegan margarine or spraying it lightly with Pam or other cooking spray.  Measure the cereal into a large mixing bowl.  Measure the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the chocolate chips if you are using them, into a medium sized saucepan.  Stirring constantly, heat the ingredients in the saucepan over mid-high heat until it starts to bubble.  Continue to stir, allowing the mixture to bubble, for one minute - you may have to reduce the heat slightly; be careful not to burn the caramel mixture.

Remove the caramel mixture from heat and quickly drizzle it over the pre-measured cereal, stir in quickly to combine and evenly coat all of the cereal.  Dump the mixture into your prepared pan and press firmly down with a spatula - I find that my silicone spatula works best, as nothing sticks to it :)  If you are using the vegan chips, sprinkle about 1/3 cup over top and pat down again - if the cake has already set, you can microwave it for a few seconds so that the chocolate chips soften slightly and adhere to the cake.  Enjoy xox!

Pumpkin & Sage Perogies

By Pam Hadder

One of the comfort foods I grew up with was perogies - my Mother's German and Russian heritage meant a lot of savory, stick-to-your-ribs (and other body parts) cooking!  Of course, my Mom and her siblings were long and lean like super models - they were active and helped on the farm so they could burn it all off :) Most of us today are much more calorie conscious!

As a vegan, I was missing the succulent, tender dumplings, that my dear Momma filled with yummy potato and cheddar cheese, AND topped with bacon bits, green onion AND sour cream (just in case there wasn't enough calories in the cheese LOL! My little brothers used to compete with each other to see who could eat the most - OMG (oink oink)!!!

I can never eat that kind of food again - wouldn't want to, in all honesty.  However, I thought if I could find a good vegan perogy dough recipe, I'd fill the dumplings with one of my favourite veggies instead: pumpkin.  I was pleasantly surprised to find several vegan perogy dough recipes online, but couldn't find a good pumpkin filling.  I scoured through scores of pasta recipes, thinking someone MUST have a pumpkin ravioli recipe I could adapt... but no such luck.  So I did a little experimenting! 

The good news is that my experiment paid off - my kids and family all enjoyed these.  The recipe makes about five dozen medium-sized perogies (about 3" in length and 2" at the widest part). The even better news is that these yummy tidbits are satisfying and so much lower in calories and fat.   I served my Pumpkin & Sage Perogies with Gentle Gravy (vegan mushroom gravy**), but you could also top them with fried onions, crisp-fried Shitake mushrooms 
(tastes like bacon!), and/or vegan sour cream.  I will include my fav Vegan Sour Cream recipe with this post also.   These are so worth the effort... the dough is dreamy, soft, super easy to make and easily worked, and this recipe is easily halved.  What more could you ask for? Happy cooking :)

Pam's Pumpkin & Sage Perogies

Dough Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sea salt
1-1/4 cup  warm water
1/2 cup canola oil
Note: you will need 2 Tbsp. vegan margarine - for after they are cooked
Dough MethodMix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the oil and warm water and mix into the flour.  When the flour is mostly combined, knead the dough with your hands for about five minutes - it will be slightly sticky, but try not to add any more flour, as it will make your dough tough.  When the dough feels smooth, pat it into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough stand for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, start making your filling.

After 30 minutes, knead the dough slightly and divide the dough in four parts.  Roll out the first piece on a lightly floured surface - about 1/8" thick.  Cut the dough into circles with a biscuit cutter or, as I do, with a floured drinking glass (about 3" diameter will work nicely). Add a rounded teaspoon of filling (approx.) to one half of each circle, fold over and pinch the edges to seal.

The completed perogies will look like little crescent moon shapes.  Set the assembled perogies aside on a clean cotton tea towel in neat rows, taking care to not let them touch - or they will stick together.  It's okay if the surfaces dry - perogy dough is a bit like pasta and the perogies will soften when boiled.

Ideally, you will have two people assembling the perogies - a cutter and a filler.  I made mine solo the last time, but it really goes quickly and is more fun with company!  When your perogies are all made up, drop about 18 at a time into a large pot of boiling, salted water.  Perogies don't take long to cook - as soon as they float to the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, and cook another batch.

Place the cooked perogies into a casserole dish and add margarine (a tsp. or two at a time, with each batch you cook) - tossing gently to keep them from sticking together. I use a non-stick, wok-style skillet to boil my perogies - it heats up quickly and has perfect depth, as well as a wide surface area to keep the dumplings from sticking.  You may wish to give the perogies a very gentle stir once or twice while cooking - this also ensures that they don't stick together or stick to the bottom of the pot/skillet.  Some folks a) deep-fry or b) lightly pan-fry perogies - boiled is much healthier, but you can easily take the boiled variety and lightly brown them in a non-stick skillet before you serve them: yum! They also reheat nicely in a microwave, and freeze exceptionally well. Pre-freeze the dumplings on a cookie sheet.  When they are frozen, transfer them to freezer bags - this keeps them from mushing together!  After all that work, you need to treat these little morsels with respect ;)
 
Filling Ingredients
2 cups cooked pumpkin or other sweet winter squash
3 medium potatoes (any variety), cooked and mashed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried, ground sage
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

Filling Method
Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet, heating to medium-high.  Add in onion and cook, stirring constantly until the onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).  Stir in the mushrooms and all seasonings, cooking a few more minutes.  In a medium bowl, mash together the pumpkin and potatoes until well-combined and creamy in texture.  Stir in the onion/mushroom mixture.  Allow the filling to cool somewhat before beginning to fill your dumplings.

So Easy - Vegan Sour Cream

Ingredients
16 ounces silken tofu
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or canola oil)
5 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, strained if necessary
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
(you may wish to adjust the salt and sugar to taste - slightly less or more)

Method
Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high until smooth. Use within 5 days

**My secret weapon for the mushroom gravy... add a little Vermouth or other high quality sweet white wine with the vegetable broth.  So nice with the flavours in this recipe xox.

Chickpeas Please - Yummy Channa Dal!

By Pam Hadder

Indian curries for the holidays? Why not!  My family and friends are eclectic and so is our feast.  This easy and delicious recipe for Channa Dal (spicy Indian chickpeas) can be warmly savoury or fiery hot, depending on your taste.  It's fantastic over rice, with a lush green salad, or in a pita with your favourite greens - you name it, it's simply delish... AND easy to make too.  Here's the recipe for you to try and enjoy xox.


Ingredients: 
2 large cans of chickpeas (about 3 to 3-1/2 cups)
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger root
2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1-2  tsp. hot curry powder or cayenne (adjust to taste)
2 Tbsp. vegan margarine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped cilantro (garnish)
Salt, to taste
1 litre vegetable broth

Method:
Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  Place in a medium saucepan with the vegetable broth, stirring in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and curry. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt the margarine with the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and cook until soft and clear.  Stir in the garlic and fresh grated ginger and cook a few minutes longer - the onions should be slightly caramelized.   Add the chickpeas and all liquid they are in to the large skillet with onion mixture.  Mix to combine and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.  Serve with cilantro as a garnish.  Finely chopped fresh tomato is also a lovely garnish, as is vegan (non-dairy/no gelatin) yogurt.

Try varying this recipe by adding chopped tomato and cauliflower to the onion and garlic mixture, and by varying the levels of hot curry spice. 

Pumpkin Lasagna

By Pam Hadder

Another holiday season has come and gone. My home and kitchen are small and humble, but I always like to think BIG for holiday meals. It's casual and hearty, and I really have fun adapting traditional family favourites like turkey stuffing to my vegan diet. I also love to try new recipes and flavours.

I am a strict vegan, but my kids and family members are not, so the holiday feast presents challenges.  I have to be realistic and compromise - so, I still cook a turkey and make an orange jelly salad for the children (icky!), but all other dishes are vegan.  

This year the feast included an eclectic mix: vegan samosas with tamarind sauce, Channa Dal, whole grain buns, spinach salad with Mandarin orange and red onion courtesy of my sister, Sooz; cauliflower and carrots; cranberry sauce,  stuffing, gentle (mushroom) gravy, vegan cabbage rolls (thanx Mom!), mashed potatoes, pumpkin lasagna, assorted vegan dainties, and red wine sangria :)

Here is the recipe for my pumpkin lasagna - I was planning to make pumpkin perogies, but ran out of steam, and so the lasagna was born!  Hope you will try the recipe and enjoy it - fair warning, lasagna making  is more of a method, but I have done my best to give you accurate measures and proportions.  You will find it is very forgiving and simple to make, and whether or not you are vegan, I think you will appreciate the savoury and satisfying results :)

Pam's Pumpkin Lasagna

Ingredients:
One pkg. oven ready lasagna noodles
5 cups cooked and puréed pumpkin
2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 medium cooking onions, finely diced
1-2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. summer savoury
1/3 cup of Vermouth or other sweet white wine
4 cups marinara sauce (home-made or store-bought)
4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
Assortment of vegan cheese, finely grated (I use Italian flavour and cheddar flavour soy cheeses, Daiya Jack cheese, and soy Parmesan)
Fresh nutmeg, to taste
1 litre vegetable broth (home-made or store-bought)

Method:
To create the pumpkin filling, sauté the onion in the olive oil until clear.  Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook a bit longer - the mushrooms should be lightly browned, but take care not to burn the garlic.  Add in the Vermouth, savory and pumpkin, stirring to combine.  Add in enough of the broth to make a runny consistency - when working with the oven-ready lasagna noodles, additional moisture is essential.  When the mixture begins to bubble, cover and simmer for 25- 30 minutes to combine the flavours.  Meanwhile, grate the cheeses and set aside - you will need about 3-4 cups volume of grated cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 and assemble your lasagna.  Begin with a 9 x 13 baking dish or medium-size lasagna pan.  Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan and place three dry noodles on top - do not worry if the lasagna noodles do not cover the whole bottom, as they expand when they cook.  Spread 1/3 of the pumpkin over the first layer of noodles. Add three more dry lasagna noodles, topped with 1/3 of the pumpkin sauce and a layer of sliced tomatoes (use half of the tomato slices).  Add a third layer of dry lasagna noodles and top with the final 1/3 of the pumpkin filling and top this layer with the second half of the tomato slices. Add a final layer of dry lasagna noodles, topped with the final 1/2 of the marinara sauce.  Spread your mixture of grated soy cheeses over top (use 1/2 of the 3-4 cup amount),  and grate the fresh nutmeg over top.  Reserve half of the cheese for later use - keep in the fridge. Cover the lasagna loosely with foil - creating a dome-like cover so that the cheese will not stick. Bake for 1.5 hours.  Remove the lasagna from the oven, and test noodles for tenderness.  If the noodles are not tender, you may need to add a few tablespoons of water or broth, re-cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

If tender, top casserole with the reserved cheese and return to oven - broil for 5-7 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 - 12 minutes before cutting into squares.  This lasagna can be varied using layers of your favourite veggies  in place of/or in addition to the fresh tomato slices - for example Japanese eggplant, zucchini or chopped broccoli.

This lasagna, like meat-based lasagna, is even better (and easier to portion!) on the second day.  I hope you will try making this and that you will enjoy putting your own stamp on this recipe by varying seasonings and vegetable choices xox.