Not many people follow my silly little vegan blog. It was mostly something I just did for myself.
I'm going through a breakup. By far the worst of my life. There are stress-eaters and stress-starvers and I'm the latter. Not on purpose. My heart is just broken so I have no appetite. The first day he was gone I ate an apple with some peanut butter on it. Today is day 11. I ate a half a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Eating feels awful.
I'm still vegan. But today instead of my usual shopping trips to get ingredients to make new recipes I just got a bunch of frozen dinners for one, and food for the kids. The most fun part about making food was watching Lars try it and love it, and know I worked hard on it.
I'll be away for a while.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Warming Up with Wild Rice Soup!
It is officially fall! Lars is on the east coast right now, but I didn't want to slip into "meals for one," so I've been cooking a lot and making big batches to share with friends.
My new favorite thing are those microwave rice pouches- especially the wild rice. Wild rice is incredibly easy to mess up but you never know until it's too late. I bought an Archer Farms one from Target, and used it in a recipe for cabbage rolls. I had a whole bunch left over- almost two cups- so I decided to improvise and try making a recipe for a vegan wild rice soup.
I am definitely not opposed to soy cheese, nut milks, or anything else that is meant to directly replace a meat or dairy product, but I like when I can make a recipe without them that is like the original. That means, this recipe happens to also be soy-free!
I always get nervous when I make a new recipe... this one was great! I am so happy with it. I almost can't wait until the weather gets colder so that I can warm up with some more of this.
Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
10 baby red potatoes
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 carton of sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
2 boullion cubes
1 Tbsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes (I did mine unpeeled) in enough water to cover them, until they are just barely soft, then add the carrots to the water until both veggies are soft and fork-tender.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms over medium heat until onions are translucent, garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are soft.
Process all but about 4 of the potatoes in a food processor. Remove the remaining potatoes and cut them into cubes, then return them to the water. Add the bouillon cubes as well as the onion-mushroom mixture until boiling.
Pour in the wild rice. Make sure the bouillon is fully melted, then add the processed potatoes and stir until the broth looks creamy. Season with thyme and salt and pepper.
My new favorite thing are those microwave rice pouches- especially the wild rice. Wild rice is incredibly easy to mess up but you never know until it's too late. I bought an Archer Farms one from Target, and used it in a recipe for cabbage rolls. I had a whole bunch left over- almost two cups- so I decided to improvise and try making a recipe for a vegan wild rice soup.
I am definitely not opposed to soy cheese, nut milks, or anything else that is meant to directly replace a meat or dairy product, but I like when I can make a recipe without them that is like the original. That means, this recipe happens to also be soy-free!
I always get nervous when I make a new recipe... this one was great! I am so happy with it. I almost can't wait until the weather gets colder so that I can warm up with some more of this.
Vegetable Wild Rice Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
10 baby red potatoes
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 carton of sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
2 boullion cubes
1 Tbsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes (I did mine unpeeled) in enough water to cover them, until they are just barely soft, then add the carrots to the water until both veggies are soft and fork-tender.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms over medium heat until onions are translucent, garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are soft.
Process all but about 4 of the potatoes in a food processor. Remove the remaining potatoes and cut them into cubes, then return them to the water. Add the bouillon cubes as well as the onion-mushroom mixture until boiling.
Pour in the wild rice. Make sure the bouillon is fully melted, then add the processed potatoes and stir until the broth looks creamy. Season with thyme and salt and pepper.
Vegan Rosh Hashanah!
Rosh Hashanah is Jewish new year. I'm not super religious but Rosh Hashanah is fun because it focuses a lot on the fall harvest. This year I was committed to making a vegan Rosh Hashanah dinner and to my surprise and delight, everything turned out great! We had dinner outside JUST before sundown so we could enjoy our food in the beautiful weather, then have a fire in the back yard. My friend Rachel Klein joined the boys and me, and was named Captain of Pediatric Wrangling during the hours-long food preparation.
I wanted to blend Eastern European recipes, á la my grandma, along with traditional Israeli and middle Eastern staples. I ended up making my old standby Moroccan stew over Israeli couscous (which you can find in earlier posts), potato and onion borek, eggless challah, cabbage rolls, apple strudel, and falafel with hummus. I found the excellent recipes for the challah and apple strudel on this post by vegkitchen.com What was crazy and I did NOT realize while I was planning this menu, was that I made a ton of "wrapped" foods. Two foods wrapped in pastry and one wrapped in cabbage. Both of these recipes below require some tuck-n-roll.
The recipes I adapted were all either dairy or parve, and some of them require a lot of prep, so be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen! I took some shortcuts like buying microwavable wild rice (I always screw up wild rice anyway) and jarred tomato sauce (I found one with green olives which is what the recipe called for... not having to make sauce saves you a good 40 minutes)! I was terrified I was going to screw up the cabbage rolls but they were easy to assemble and were the standout success of the dinner. You will need a food processor!
Cabbage Rolls
6 large cabbage leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
5 oz mushrooms (I used portabello)
1/2 precooked brown rice
1/2 cup precooked wild rice
1/4 cup black beans (the original recipe called for lentils which you could also use)
2 cups veggie stock
3 1/2 oz vegan cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
premade tomato or pasta sauce with olives
Boil a large pot of water and blanche the leaves for about 5-10 minutes. While you're waiting, combine the two rices and set aside.
Chop the onions in a food processor, and sauté them in a pan heated with olive oil, until they are translucent. Process the carrots and mushrooms together in the processor, then add them to the pan and cook until soft. Finally add the rice mixture, beans (or lentils) and herbs as well as salt and pepper to taste, until everything is incorporated and heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix with the vegan cream cheese.
Borek is similar to a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) because its a savory pie wrapped in a puff pastry. Awesome fact- Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is VEGAN! Use that information wisely, because its not exactly low-fat, low-calorie or very good for you, even though it makes some amazing treats and is easy to use. Borek is traditionally served with a tzaziki (yogurt-dill) sauce, but they are totally decadent enough on their own!
Potato, Onion and "Cheese" Borek
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1 onion, finely chopped or processed
3 1/2 oz vegan garlic-chive cream cheese
7 oz cooked mashed potato (I actually boiled my potatoes, peeled and mashed them... time-consuming!)
1/2 chopped italian parsley
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 450 (original recipe says to heat to "446 degrees," which I found so funny! Old recipe books are so odd, especially when they have been translated from another language or converted into different forms of measurement).
Mix all the ingredients except the puff pastry and Earth Balance into a bowl. Lay the puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 squares. This is pretty easy because it's folded into thirds, so if you cut that, and then cut it the other way, you'll have 9.
Fill each square at its base, tuck in the sides and roll up. Be careful not to overfill the pastry, and seal it by pinching the seam after rolling. Place them all on a baking sheet and brush each one with Earth Balance.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
I wanted to blend Eastern European recipes, á la my grandma, along with traditional Israeli and middle Eastern staples. I ended up making my old standby Moroccan stew over Israeli couscous (which you can find in earlier posts), potato and onion borek, eggless challah, cabbage rolls, apple strudel, and falafel with hummus. I found the excellent recipes for the challah and apple strudel on this post by vegkitchen.com What was crazy and I did NOT realize while I was planning this menu, was that I made a ton of "wrapped" foods. Two foods wrapped in pastry and one wrapped in cabbage. Both of these recipes below require some tuck-n-roll.
The recipes I adapted were all either dairy or parve, and some of them require a lot of prep, so be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen! I took some shortcuts like buying microwavable wild rice (I always screw up wild rice anyway) and jarred tomato sauce (I found one with green olives which is what the recipe called for... not having to make sauce saves you a good 40 minutes)! I was terrified I was going to screw up the cabbage rolls but they were easy to assemble and were the standout success of the dinner. You will need a food processor!
Cabbage Rolls
6 large cabbage leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
5 oz mushrooms (I used portabello)
1/2 precooked brown rice
1/2 cup precooked wild rice
1/4 cup black beans (the original recipe called for lentils which you could also use)
2 cups veggie stock
3 1/2 oz vegan cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
premade tomato or pasta sauce with olives
Boil a large pot of water and blanche the leaves for about 5-10 minutes. While you're waiting, combine the two rices and set aside.
Chop the onions in a food processor, and sauté them in a pan heated with olive oil, until they are translucent. Process the carrots and mushrooms together in the processor, then add them to the pan and cook until soft. Finally add the rice mixture, beans (or lentils) and herbs as well as salt and pepper to taste, until everything is incorporated and heated through. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix with the vegan cream cheese.
Borek is similar to a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) because its a savory pie wrapped in a puff pastry. Awesome fact- Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is VEGAN! Use that information wisely, because its not exactly low-fat, low-calorie or very good for you, even though it makes some amazing treats and is easy to use. Borek is traditionally served with a tzaziki (yogurt-dill) sauce, but they are totally decadent enough on their own!
Potato, Onion and "Cheese" Borek
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 Tbsp Earth Balance, melted
1 onion, finely chopped or processed
3 1/2 oz vegan garlic-chive cream cheese
7 oz cooked mashed potato (I actually boiled my potatoes, peeled and mashed them... time-consuming!)
1/2 chopped italian parsley
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 450 (original recipe says to heat to "446 degrees," which I found so funny! Old recipe books are so odd, especially when they have been translated from another language or converted into different forms of measurement).
Mix all the ingredients except the puff pastry and Earth Balance into a bowl. Lay the puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 squares. This is pretty easy because it's folded into thirds, so if you cut that, and then cut it the other way, you'll have 9.
Fill each square at its base, tuck in the sides and roll up. Be careful not to overfill the pastry, and seal it by pinching the seam after rolling. Place them all on a baking sheet and brush each one with Earth Balance.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Ciabatta Madness!
I picked up these little take-and-bake ciabatta buns from the grocery and was really happy to learn they are vegan! I made two awesome sandwiches with them that quickly became favorites for me.
The first was a portabella sandwich with roasted red pepper and garlic-chive vegan cream cheese. I simply sautéed a mushroom cap in some oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary, then added jarred roasted red peppers and a schmear of the cream cheese onto a toasted mini ciabatta. Voila.
The second came from a take-home recipe magazine from Kowalski's Market and inside it was a recipe for a Mexican chicken sandwich that looked pretty good... so I veganized it.
On second thought I kind of wish I had called this blog, "Veganize This." Because I feel like all I do is take "regular" recipes and make them vegan. You can find the original recipe here on their website, and then you can say, "OOOH, I see what she did there."
Mexican Veggie Ciabatta Sandwiches
The first was a portabella sandwich with roasted red pepper and garlic-chive vegan cream cheese. I simply sautéed a mushroom cap in some oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and rosemary, then added jarred roasted red peppers and a schmear of the cream cheese onto a toasted mini ciabatta. Voila.
The second came from a take-home recipe magazine from Kowalski's Market and inside it was a recipe for a Mexican chicken sandwich that looked pretty good... so I veganized it.
On second thought I kind of wish I had called this blog, "Veganize This." Because I feel like all I do is take "regular" recipes and make them vegan. You can find the original recipe here on their website, and then you can say, "OOOH, I see what she did there."
Mexican Veggie Ciabatta Sandwiches
- 1/3 cup Veganaise
- 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp. grated lime zest
- salt and pepper to tastes
- 1 tbsp. Kowalski's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp. chopped red onion
- 6 mini sweet peppers, sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup fresh, canned or steamed corn
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- handful of Daiya pepperjack cheese
- 4 mini ciabattas
- 6-8 tomato slices
- Wholly Guacamole or fresh avocado
Heat oven to 350 and heat the ciabattas after cutting in half (open-face style). After removing from the oven, place a handful of Daiya pepperjack on one side and allow it to melt.
Combine the Veganaise with lime juice and zest, and set aside (refrigeration is a good idea). Heat the olive oil over medium, and sautee the black beans, red onion, peppers and corn until heated through but still crisp. Season while still warm.
Spread lime vegan mayo on one side of the ciabatta and top with avocado or guacamole, and tomato. fill the sandwich with the bean and veggie mixture.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Happy Month-aversary!
Its been a month of veganism and I am honestly so content. I feel like this change I made was a pretty big one, but once I committed to it and started doing it, it wasn't hard, it was exciting and fun.
My fingernails are stronger and grow faster (I thought this was just me until another vegan mentioned this). My body feels cleaner. I have lost some weight in a healthy way that wasn't drastic or extreme. And I make better food choices- not because all vegan food is healthy, but because being on a restrictive diet has forced me to stop before I put something in my mouth to eat it. I have to ask: What are the ingredients? Does this contain non-vegan stuff? While I am doing that, I'm looking at the same nutrition label that lists fat, calories, sodium, sugar, not to mention, a potential list of ingredients that are not actually food (even though they are technically vegan) like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and the laundry list of gross preservatives.
I went to a food court with my youngest son today and realized that a place I used to love to go- a place where food options were everywhere- there wasn't a lot of actually good stuff to eat. When I found vegan options I knew that out of those options, I should pick one that was loaded with as much good-for-me things as possible. It has become second nature and, while not all of the food I eat is super healthy, putting veganism first helped me to let healthfulness flow into my regimen without a whole lot of effort or thought.
My fingernails are stronger and grow faster (I thought this was just me until another vegan mentioned this). My body feels cleaner. I have lost some weight in a healthy way that wasn't drastic or extreme. And I make better food choices- not because all vegan food is healthy, but because being on a restrictive diet has forced me to stop before I put something in my mouth to eat it. I have to ask: What are the ingredients? Does this contain non-vegan stuff? While I am doing that, I'm looking at the same nutrition label that lists fat, calories, sodium, sugar, not to mention, a potential list of ingredients that are not actually food (even though they are technically vegan) like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and the laundry list of gross preservatives.
I went to a food court with my youngest son today and realized that a place I used to love to go- a place where food options were everywhere- there wasn't a lot of actually good stuff to eat. When I found vegan options I knew that out of those options, I should pick one that was loaded with as much good-for-me things as possible. It has become second nature and, while not all of the food I eat is super healthy, putting veganism first helped me to let healthfulness flow into my regimen without a whole lot of effort or thought.
I realized something about myself: my strength in the area of vegan food, is VEGANIZING food. I can take a recipe with dairy, meat or eggs, and make it vegan, and make it taste good! This is pretty cool!
I'm still looking up vegan recipes, trying ones of my own, and seeking out vegan cookbooks. But being able to improvise is so fun. Looking back on my old eating habits I am honestly quite shocked and a little bit embarrassed. I thought it was cute to be the 28 year-old that made stick-to-your-ribs food like a grandma- slathered in butter and cream and cheese. That food tasted good, because I was eating badly, and because I had a really unhealthy view of food. Food was there to comfort me and make me feel good, food worked for ME. Having to work for food, to make sound choices and to think before I eat has made a tremendous improvement in my life.
Networking with other vegans who were more interested in the animal rights aspects of veganism as most vegans are, I've seen so many things that never would have crossed my mind. I was listening to a podcast a week or so ago, and the two hosts were talking about the thought of how much suffering and fear an animal has to endure just to become food, or produce food. I will be honest, while I have always cared about animal welfare, this vegan thing was for me about wanting a challenge and trying something fun. I have learned so much and become so much more aware even in this short amount of time, and I know that I have no even scratched the surface of all there is to learn. I still want this blog to be about happy things and I really want to veer away from being preachy, but I do know that this new leaf has changed not only the way I eat, the way I cook or the choices I make about food, but the way I look at ethics.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Dairy Withdrawl is REAL, and It Sucks!
Remember my first post, where I briefly touched on the addictive characteristics of dairy? I knew factually that dairy is addictive and contains small amounts of opiates. But I truly was not prepared for experiencing it first-hand. "Cheese addiction" sounds really silly, and lots of people who eat dairy joke about it. I had an idealistic mindset that immediately after starting a fully vegan diet I would feel cleansed and refreshed.
I feel terrible right now.
I have had issues with anxiety and depression in the past. They're real, and they can be intense! The last time I cut dairy out of my diet was when my son (now one year old) started violently projectile vomiting after I would breastfeed him. He was only a couple of weeks old. I breastfed my older son and knew that this was just not normal. I did some research and discovered the most common reason babies vomit after nursing is due to the mother ingesting dairy products- sometimes, apparently, the proteins are too complex for their little tummies to break down. Lars told me I was being reactionary and jumping to conclusions, but I talked to the baby's pediatrician and she said it was safe to cut out dairy and see if it made a difference. Within three days, Baby Mills stopped vomiting. When he was three months old I slowly reintroduced dairy back into my diet and he was tolerant of my breastmilk.
What I wasn't consciously aware of at the time, was what happened to ME a couple of days after ditching dairy. I had been feeling great after birthing Mills naturally, and managing the wave of hormonal adjustment with surprising ease (I credit this to natural birth, having the experience of birthing two older kids, knowing what to expect and having an amazing partner who was supportive and helpful- and still is). When I cut out dairy was around the same time I locked myself in Lars' office and called my doctor. I couldn't stop crying, I was exhausted and I kept getting headaches and stomach pain. She told me this was common for mothers who were recently post-partum. We agreed to monitor how I was feeling (to stay on top of post-partum depression if that was what was happening). Within a couple of days, all the weird symptoms went away.
Never in a million years did I think that these symptoms may have been dairy withdrawal. New mommies are tired and emotionally sensitive, and pregnancy/birth makes your body ache in all kinds of ways, from headaches to cramps to muscle soreness.
The difference today is that my child is a year old and I feel exactly as I did when I called my doctor. I couldn't figure out why even though I've been getting a full night's sleep, I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed. And today, I kept fighting back the urge to cry. I sent a text message to a friend and said "I hope it's not the vegan diet- I really want to be successful at this!"
Suddenly it hit me and I did some Googling- what I was feeling was the same set of symptoms listed over and over in other blogs and articles. It was dairy withdrawal, and even non-vegans and non-vegetarians who had abstained from dairy for various reasons reported the same things. It sounds funny but I immediately felt better just knowing what it was. Feeling that bad and not knowing why was a scary experience.
Per Jennifer's suggestion I am picking up a detox tea to hasten the process of starting to feel normal again. Right now I am absolutely disgusted with dairy! I am angry that we are told it's so good for us and is essential to consume every day. I always knew that it was not good for me but never realized the dependency I had on it. I don't drink, smoke or use any drugs anymore- I was a smoker for 10 years though, and the withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling right now are much worse than after I smoked my last cigarette.
I feel terrible right now.
I have had issues with anxiety and depression in the past. They're real, and they can be intense! The last time I cut dairy out of my diet was when my son (now one year old) started violently projectile vomiting after I would breastfeed him. He was only a couple of weeks old. I breastfed my older son and knew that this was just not normal. I did some research and discovered the most common reason babies vomit after nursing is due to the mother ingesting dairy products- sometimes, apparently, the proteins are too complex for their little tummies to break down. Lars told me I was being reactionary and jumping to conclusions, but I talked to the baby's pediatrician and she said it was safe to cut out dairy and see if it made a difference. Within three days, Baby Mills stopped vomiting. When he was three months old I slowly reintroduced dairy back into my diet and he was tolerant of my breastmilk.
What I wasn't consciously aware of at the time, was what happened to ME a couple of days after ditching dairy. I had been feeling great after birthing Mills naturally, and managing the wave of hormonal adjustment with surprising ease (I credit this to natural birth, having the experience of birthing two older kids, knowing what to expect and having an amazing partner who was supportive and helpful- and still is). When I cut out dairy was around the same time I locked myself in Lars' office and called my doctor. I couldn't stop crying, I was exhausted and I kept getting headaches and stomach pain. She told me this was common for mothers who were recently post-partum. We agreed to monitor how I was feeling (to stay on top of post-partum depression if that was what was happening). Within a couple of days, all the weird symptoms went away.
Never in a million years did I think that these symptoms may have been dairy withdrawal. New mommies are tired and emotionally sensitive, and pregnancy/birth makes your body ache in all kinds of ways, from headaches to cramps to muscle soreness.
The difference today is that my child is a year old and I feel exactly as I did when I called my doctor. I couldn't figure out why even though I've been getting a full night's sleep, I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed. And today, I kept fighting back the urge to cry. I sent a text message to a friend and said "I hope it's not the vegan diet- I really want to be successful at this!"
Suddenly it hit me and I did some Googling- what I was feeling was the same set of symptoms listed over and over in other blogs and articles. It was dairy withdrawal, and even non-vegans and non-vegetarians who had abstained from dairy for various reasons reported the same things. It sounds funny but I immediately felt better just knowing what it was. Feeling that bad and not knowing why was a scary experience.
Per Jennifer's suggestion I am picking up a detox tea to hasten the process of starting to feel normal again. Right now I am absolutely disgusted with dairy! I am angry that we are told it's so good for us and is essential to consume every day. I always knew that it was not good for me but never realized the dependency I had on it. I don't drink, smoke or use any drugs anymore- I was a smoker for 10 years though, and the withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling right now are much worse than after I smoked my last cigarette.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The Impromptu Scone.
I need to concede that I dislike fake meat. Most fake meat, anyway. I do like tofurky and the soy Bacos, but most of the time it doesn't sit right with me. I made an otherwise-awesome enchilada recipe today (with avocado instead of cheese) but the fake chicken ruined the experience for me.
I've been a really good girl lately. I'm exercising (not well, but still) and trying to eat well. I needed a treat after this sadness. I didn't have much in the fridge- we just got back into town and all the bills were due the moment the plane landed- but we had some coconut milk I knew was destined for something good.
I was unsure about the batter when I first saw it because it was so moist, but it was amazing, tender and delicious- not too sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. My only criticism was that I couldn't taste the lime much. I think next time I will use lime zest instead of lime juice, or a personal household favorite- rose water. I modified this recipe to make it my own (out of necessity) but the original is on Art of Dessert (theirs is an adaptation too) and calls for adding fruit and nuts!
I cannot wait to eat one of these for breakfast, warmed up and buttered with Earth Balance.
Vegan Coconut Milk Lime Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime, orange or lemon zest (or rose water- play with the options! Maple might be great too)
1 cup canned coconut milk (cold)
1 small container Amande vegan almond milk yogurt (I used coconut flavor)
...and...
A couple tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling
Heat oven to 425. Combine all dry ingredients, then add coconut milk, vegan yogurt and your flavor add-in.
Place heaping ice cream scoops of the batter onto a baking sheet about a half-inch apart. Generously sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
I've been a really good girl lately. I'm exercising (not well, but still) and trying to eat well. I needed a treat after this sadness. I didn't have much in the fridge- we just got back into town and all the bills were due the moment the plane landed- but we had some coconut milk I knew was destined for something good.
I was unsure about the batter when I first saw it because it was so moist, but it was amazing, tender and delicious- not too sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. My only criticism was that I couldn't taste the lime much. I think next time I will use lime zest instead of lime juice, or a personal household favorite- rose water. I modified this recipe to make it my own (out of necessity) but the original is on Art of Dessert (theirs is an adaptation too) and calls for adding fruit and nuts!
I cannot wait to eat one of these for breakfast, warmed up and buttered with Earth Balance.
Vegan Coconut Milk Lime Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime, orange or lemon zest (or rose water- play with the options! Maple might be great too)
1 cup canned coconut milk (cold)
1 small container Amande vegan almond milk yogurt (I used coconut flavor)
...and...
A couple tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling
Heat oven to 425. Combine all dry ingredients, then add coconut milk, vegan yogurt and your flavor add-in.
Place heaping ice cream scoops of the batter onto a baking sheet about a half-inch apart. Generously sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
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