Raw "Donut" Holes

As much as I love to cook, I'm also fascinated by some of the raw food concoctions that people create. I'll occasionally peruse raw food blogs for inspiration and find recipes that I have to try - like this video for for a two ingredient "donut" hole recipe that I came across on youtube from Lisa Paris of rawbeets.com.

It's something that anyone can make: it's quick, easy, inexpensive and it definitely hits the spot if you're in the mood for something sweet! And another major plus: they're better for you than real donut holes :) Give it a try, you won't be sorry!

Raw "Donut" Holes
(Makes around 12 - 1 1/2 inch balls)

8 oz Pitted Dates
8 oz Sweetened Coconut Flakes (6 oz for mixture, 2 oz for rolling)
Sea Salt (to taste - optional*)

Add dates, coconut flakes and salt (optional) to (at least) a 3 cup food processor. Mix together until it forms sort of a dough - it will probably take a minute or two. You'll know it's done when it starts to actually ball up like a cookie dough inside the food processor. The mixture should feel a bit tacky/sticky.

Roll dough into small balls and then roll them in the leftover coconut flakes to cover.

You can eat them immediately or refrigerate to let them harden up a bit.

If you're interested in how much these cost to make, here's the breakdown:
[2] 4.25 oz boxes of Champion Premium California Pitted Dates (Walmart - $.99 each)
[1] 14 oz bag og Great Value Sweetened Coconut Flakes (Walmart - $1.72)

Total = $3.70 (that's only about $.30 per ball!)

*Although the original recipe called for salt, I made half the balls with salt and the other half without and while they were both good, I preferred them without the salt.

Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail

In my pre-vegan days I absolutely loved shrimp cocktail, so when I came across this recipe in the February 2012 issue of Bon Appetit, I knew that I needed to give it a try.

The results? It was okay. On its own, the cauliflower doesn't taste all that much like shrimp but when dipped in the cocktail sauce, it definitely helps add to the flavor. It may not be an exact replica, but at least it's a new spin on cauliflower! I'm excited to give other seasonings a try now.

Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail
(4 servings)

1/2 cup dry crab boil seasoning (Old Bay)
1/8 cup sea salt
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1.5 lemons, halved crosswise
1 head of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
Cocktail sauce

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 3 quarts water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.
   
Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

The original recipe can be found here at Bon Appetit.com.

Portobello Pot Pie Turnovers with Roasted Radishes and Carrots

Watching the Food Network is dangerous. There's always something on there that looks so delicious that it just begs to be transformed into vegany goodness; this is one of those recipes. It may not be the healthiest of choices, but it sure is yummy - and who doesn't need some comfort food every once in a while?

Portobello Pot Pie Turnovers 
(Makes about 6 turnovers)

2 tbsp Butter (plus, a little extra, melted, to brush over the top of the pastry)
1 Onion, chopped
1 - 16 oz bag Baby Carrots, chopped (only chop 1/2 the bag)
2 Stalks of Celery, chopped
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Dried Thyme
3 tbsp Flour
1/2 cup Dry White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 Cup Stock (I used 1 Cup warm Water mixed with 1 tbsp Osem Chicken Style Consomme)
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
5 oz Baby Bella (Portobello) Mushrooms (about 1/2 a container)
1 1/2 Sheets Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed (I used Pepperidge Farm puff pasty)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Once you realize how easy it is to make tortillas at home, you'll never buy those packaged ones again!

There have been many times that I bought an entire package of tortillas, only used 1 or 2 and had the rest of the package go to waste. With this recipe, you can adjust it to make more or less and it uses ingredients that most people already have handy around the house.

And just think of all the different variations you can make - garlic & herb, oregano & basil, cinnamon & sugar, etc. Let your imagination go wild!

Homemade Flour Tortillas
(Servings: About 2 Tortillas)

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Vegan Butter or Vegetable Shortening
1/4 tsp Salt* (optional)
2 tbsp of Water

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add butter (shortening) and cut it in with a fork. Add water and mix. If you need more water, add only a little at a time. Add enough water so that the dough sticks together but isn't sticky to the touch.

Form into 2 balls and - one at a time, on a lightly floured surface - flatten with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a circle until very thin.

Pre-heat a dry skillet for about a minute over medium heat and then place tortilla on the skillet. Heat for 30-45 seconds or until bubbles start to form and the edges start to pull up a bit. Flip tortilla over and cook for another 20-30 seconds.

*For a less salty tortilla, salt can be left out of the recipe.

Modified from the recipe found on Sprinkled with Flour.

Caponata

I watch way too much of the Food Network.

On Saturday, I was watching "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and Anne Burrell made Caponata. I had just bought an eggplant the day before and was wondering what to do with it, so this recipe couldn't have come at a better time. It's basically an eggplant stew in tomato sauce. It looked fairly easy to make and I only had to pick up a few things, so I decided to make it on Sunday. In true Tracie fashion, I modified the recipe a bit but I don't think it changed the flavor all that much. I'd definitely make this again; it would be great to bring for a pot luck!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, peeled, alternating with 1-inch strips of skin left on, cut into 1-inch dice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Palm full of chili powder
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup water
6oz tomato paste (small can)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup black olives
Palm full of dried mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the eggplant generously with olive oil and salt, to taste. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is soft and mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve.

Coat a wide deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and chili powder and season with salt, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the celery and garlic and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the zucchini and all the veggies are soft and aromatic and starting to come together as a stew, about 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the eggplant, 1/2 cup of water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water has evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the olives and mint. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Let cool and transfer the Caponata to a serving bowl. Serve by itself or over pasta, brown rice, quinoa, a bed of lettuce or bread (as an appetizer).

Serve immediately or even better tomorrow or the next day.

Serves: 6 - 8 People

Original Recipe found here at FoodNewtork.com

Homemade Cashew Milk

I've been on a "do it yourself" kick lately, so after experimenting with homemade oat milk, I decided to look up a recipe for homemade cashew milk (since I had some left over from the Avocado Pesto Pasta.)

Surprisingly, it was really simple and required no straining - like some other nut milks do.

Cashew Milk
1 cup (raw) cashews, soaked overnight
3 cups water
2 tablespoon agave nectar (or more, to taste)
A pinch of Celtic sea salt

1. Discard soaking water and rinse cashews thoroughly until water runs clear
2. Place cashews, (4 cups fresh) water, agave and salt in a Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender)
3. Process on high speed 20-30 seconds and then repeat until fully blended
4. Store in glass mason jar in refrigerator

Note: The original recipe calls for 4 cups of water, but as I was adding it to the blender, 3 cups seemed to be the right consistency for me. I also added a little extra agave to make it sweeter.

Original recipe from: Elana's Pantry

Chef Chloe's Avocado Pesto Pasta

After watching up and coming vegan chef, Chloe Coscarellli sweep the competition on Cupcake Wars, I decided to check out her site and found this amazing looking recipe for Avocado Pesto Pasta.

The first time I planned to make it, I only had one avocado - so I had to wait. Then, I got two avocado's, but I had to wait for them to ripen. Finally, I got to make the pasta this past weekend and it was definitely worth the wait. It's super simple and totally delicious - just be sure that you have a large enough food processor, otherwise it will become quite the project. I'd suggest one that can hold at least 7 cups, otherwise you may have some issues.

The original recipe is below but I used some substitutions, so I've italicized them and put them in brackets.

Avocado Pesto Pasta
Serves 6

What You Need:
1 pound dried linguine
1 bunch basil leaves (about 2½ ounces)
½ cup pine nuts [1/4 cup salted cashews, 1/4 cup unsalted cashews]
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon) [3 tablespoons lemon juice]
3 cloves garlic [3 tsp chopped garlic]
½ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional) [didn't use]

What You Do:
1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to package directions. While pasta cooks, in a food processor, blend basil, pine nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Drain pasta. In a large serving bowl, toss pesto with hot, freshly cooked pasta and garnish each serving with a basil leaf. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with sundried tomatoes.
3. Enjoy!