Those Little Donuts...

By Pam Hadder

Maybe it's the fall air, but lately I feel the need for a little cinnamon and sugar goodness with my coffee.  Enter the mini donut baker - I stumbled upon this gizmo when running errands for the office and the rest is history :)

Similar to a waffle iron and about the same cost (about $20), the donut baker makes it easy to whip up a batch of vegan mini donuts to satisfy said cravings - with a whole lot less fat and calories.

Sadly, the baker I purchased had only the most basic instructions for use and cleaning and did not include any recipes. So, phase II, I scoured the Internet and vegan recipes apps for some good baked donut batters and ended up adapting a basic donut recipe from the PETA web site to make my cinnamony minis. Here is the recipe - hope you will try and enjoy with a hot cuppa and a friend or two (always better when shared).  

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar*
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. ground cinnamon**
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 small banana mashed, or 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup canola oil
*Plus an additional cup of sugar for dusting
**Plus an additional 2 Tbsp. of cinnamon for dusting
One clean paper lunch bag

Method:
Combine the soy milk and vinegar - set aside.  The vinegar will make the milk curdle and thicken somewhat. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.  Add the curdled milk to the oil, vanilla and banana/apple sauce, stirring well to combine. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry to form a smooth batter. Plug in the donut baker and spray it lightly with Pam spray - allow it to heat up in the closed position, then open and wipe away any excess Pam spray. While the baker is heating, combine the extras sugar and cinnamon for dusting the baked donuts - just place the sugar and cinnamon in the small brown lunch bag and shake to combine.

Once your baker is hot and you have wiped away any excess Pam, place a rounded tablespoon of batter in each of the donut recesses.  Close the baker, set your kitchen timer for 2 minutes and 20 seconds - flip the baker and set the timer for another 2 minutes and 20 seconds.  Remove the donuts carefully - I use chopsticks, they work so terrifically and it's fun! Place the hot donuts in the dusting bag and shake to coat.

I have found some other great recipes for baked donuts, including toasted coconut, chocolate and pumpkin/maple glaze.  Will post the recipes as time allows.

Please note, that if you don't have a donut baker, you can also buy donut baking pans - both standard size and mini.  However, the mini donut baker is just great uses a lot less energy than a standard oven.  I purchased my baker at the Real Canadian Superstore and it is President's Choice brand.

Enjoy xox,

Pami

Precious Heaven Cherry Dessert

By Pam Hadder

Sometimes in life you meet such lovely souls with whom you immediately connect on a profound, spiritual level.

These moments are rare and  are a good reason for a celebration!  This recipe was  created for a dinner party with my friends Sharmila, Vijay, FC, and family.  It is a vegan fruit crisp that is sure to be a hit at your next get-together with favourite people.  It is easy to prepare with no exotic ingredients.  My version is made with cherries and apples, but you could combine other fruits in season to put your own stamp on your version of "precious heaven."   xoxo!!!

Precious Heaven Cherry Dessert

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegan margarine
1 large can cherry pie filling
2 large Ambrosia (or other favourite)apples
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1 cup quick oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping:
Light Cool Whip with a few tablespoons of Amaretto liqueur stirred in.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a 9" x 12" Pyrex cake pan by greasing it with 2 tsp. of vegan margarine (I use Becel). Make the crumb topping by combining the flour, baking soda, oats, sugar, salt, and spices in a medium bowl - cut in the coconut oil to form a crumbly topping; set aside.

Pour the cherries into the prepared dish.  Wash, core and slice the apples - mix the apples in with the cherry filling in the cake pan - there is no need to peel the apples; be sure to cut the apples fairly thinly (no more than 1/2" thick, and in bite size pieces).  This allows for even cooking and a more pleasurable eating experience.  Spread the crumb topping over all, sprinkle the pecans on top, and pat down lightly.  Bake for 35 - 45 minutes.  Scoop into dessert dishes while warm, serve with a dollop of boozy Cool Whip - simply stir Amaretto into a tub of Light Cool Whip.  Just like the divine company of dear friends, the almond and cherry flavours are truly a match made in heaven!  Enjoy xox

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.