Grilled Pineapple!

This is my favorite Summer barbecue dessert!  So good!  Just slice up a fresh pineapple, sprinkle it with brown sugar, and grill until nice and caramelized.   YUM!!!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

These are the perfect breakfast, or Mardi Gras snack!  

Sift together:
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t coarse salt

Add:
1 1/2 C soy milk
1/2 t cider vinegar
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla
3 T veggie oil

Cook in a hot frying pan coated in oil.  Top with fresh berries, sliced bannanas, vegan margarine, and / or maple syrup.

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

These little guys are a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras with a little indulgence!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes (Makes about 22)
2 1/3 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T baking powder
3/4 t fine salt
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C unsweatened apple sauce
1 1/3 C soy milk
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F (185 C).  Fill muffin tins with papers.  Sift together dry ingredients. Add rest, and stir just until mixed.  Do not over mix.  Fill papers with one ice cream scoop of filling each.  Bake for approximately 17 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Remove from tins.  Cool completely before icing.

Vanilla Icing
3 C confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
1 C vegan margarine (room temperature)
1/4 C soy milk
1 t vanilla

Sift sugar into bowl of an electric mixer.  Add other ingredients.  Cover mixer with clean kitchen towel.  Star mixing slowly for 30 seconds.  Uncover and turn speed to medium.  Beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the beater and bowl from time to time.  Scoop into a piping bag with a large, decorative tip.  Decorate completely cooled cupcakes.

For Mardi Gras, top with a metal bead candy, and colored sugar in gold, purple and green.

Individual Pumpkin Spice 'Cheesecakes'

Perfect for Fall entertaining!  So elegant!

Crumble a few vegan graham crackers or other dry, vegan cookies into the bottom of 4 pretty, little bowls.  I used my favorite cookies in France, called Speculoos.

In a food processor, blend until creamy and smooth:
275 g (10 oz) firm silkened tofu
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and a tiny pinch of ground cloves)

Pour mixture over crumbs.  Chill and serve.

Cinnamon Rolls

These were very easy to make, and a very nice snack on a Fall day.

Preheat oven to 185 C (350 F).  Flatten refrigerated vegan pizza dough into a rectangle.  Butter surface with vegan margarine.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Roll up from long side for small rolls (in photo), or from short side for large rolls.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces, reshape into rounds, and place on an ungreased baking sheet cut side down.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake until golden.  Let cool.  Top with a drizzle icing made by mixing powdered sugar with a tiny bit of soy milk.

You could add raisins if you'd like.  It's all good.

Fudge!

My 7 year old son said, "Mama, I'm bored!  Can we make fudge?"  Why yes.  Yes we can!

You will need:
3 1/2 cups of superfine sugar (if you only have regular, blend it for a minute in your food processor)
4 oz (115 g) vegan chocolate, chopped
1 cup soy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp vegan margarine, plus more for greasing the pan

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Combine the sugar, chocolate, cream, and salt in a saucepan.  Cook on medium, stirring constantly until the sugar and chocolate are melted.  Stop stirring, and let continue to cook until it reads 240 F (115 C) on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and margarine.

Let sit 5 minutes.  Then beat with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes (yea, I know, this is how you work off the calories).  Pour into the greased pan.  

Let cool for 30 minutes.  Precut.  Then let cool completely.  Yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These worked!  And, seriously, my kids didn't know the difference!!!

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  

Whisk 2 tbsps finely ground flax seeds with 6 tbsps of warm water.  Set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix:
1/2 cup (125 g) vegan margarine, softened
2/3 cup (150 g) sugar
1/2 cup (150 g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add flax seed mixture and mix well.

Then sift in:
2 1/4 cups (330 g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Mix just until blended.  Do not over mix.  By hand, add 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips and mix in.

Drop by tsps onto a non-stick baking sheet.

Bake for about 7 minutes until the edges are golden.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Maple Cream

I veganed-up the standard Libby's pumpkin pie recipe.  Tasted like home!

In a food processor, blend until smooth...

1 cup soy milk

300 g (10 1/2 oz) silkened tofu

Mix into...

1 can (15 oz, 425 g) of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Pour into an unbaked vegan pie crust.  Bake at 200 C (400 F) until a knife to the center comes out clean... around an hour.

For the cream, blend on highest speed...
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup veggie oil

Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup more oil.  
Add 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

Yum!  Add a tiny pinch of ground cloves, a half pinch of ground ginger, and a small pinch of ground cinnamon to your latte (made with soy or other vegan milk) for a way to welcome Fall.

Some Vegan Cookies (Biscuits) I've found in France

I took the time today to hunt through the 'biscuit' aisle at the local grocery store.  I found that two of my favorites are vegan.

English Muffins

Great breakfast!  Found that my favorite whole wheat English muffins are vegan.  Topped with margarine and jam for a filling breakfast.

Triscuits!

Vegan!  I will be doing a lot with these!!!

4 Ingredient Individual Chocolate "Cheese"cakes

My name is Lucinda Segneri.
You killed my diet.
Prepare to die.


Oh.  My.  These are so great, and super easy to make!  You'll see!

Crumble a few vegan graham crackers or other dry, vegan cookies into the bottom of 4 pretty, little bowls.  


In a food processor, blend until creamy and smooth:
275 g (10 oz) firm silkened tofu
1/4 cup maple syrup
100 g (3 1/2 oz)  MINUS a little bit to shave on the top! Melted vegan chocolate (I use the microwave to keep it simple)




Pour mixture over crumbs.  Shave the remaining chocolate on top.  Chill and serve.


Perfect to entertain!  So elegant!  (If you don't inhale it over the kitchen sink like I did.)

Chocolate Pudding Cups

Very creamy and rich!

In a small sauce pot, whisk together:
2 cups soy milk
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (deepens the chocolate flavor, optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 maple syrup
1/3 cup cacao powder


Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until it thickens.  Pour into 4 small plastic containers with lids.  Chill and enjoy. 

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Blend:

1 cup vegan milk (soy, almond...)

1/2 cup soy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Stir in chopped, fresh strawberries.

Freeze, eat, melt faster than your ice cream.


Mix equal amounts of agave and cacao powder until it forms into a sauce.  Microwave, 5 seconds at a time, stirring between, until warm and thick and dark.  Drizzle.  Delight.  

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Such a great treat right now while fresh cherries are in season.  Just dip them in melted vegan chocolate for a little bit of Heaven on Earth.

Pumpkin Molasses Muffins

I was craving pumpkin pie and cake this afternoon.  Hey, why not a healthy mix of the two?  So warm and spicy!

Preheat oven to 185 C (350 F).  Spray muffin tins with Pam.


Gently mix just until blended:
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar


Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins 3/4 full.  Bake until deep golden brown and a knife inserted into one of the center muffins comes out clean.


Makes 2 dozen.  They freeze well!

Easy Bruschetta

This is super easy and good!  Great for a crunchy snack or appetizer.

Top ready made bruschetta toasts with your favorite vegan pasta sauce.  Enjoy!

Candied Ginger

Ah, candied ginger.  Hot and sweet and everything good.  Perfect beside veggie sushi, or minced up on top of fresh fruit.  What a great way to use up extra ginger!

Peal and thinly slice 1/4 cup ginger into little round chips.  Place in a small sauce pan with 1 cup water.  Bring up to a boil on high heat, then lower to a simmer.  Let cook for 30 minutes uncovered.  Stir in 1/3 cup sugar.  Let simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.


In the meantime, place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Top with a cooling rack.  Spray rack with Pam.


Pour ginger, sugar syrup and all, out onto cooling rack, letting extra syrup to drop through to foil.  Carefully spread out ginger.  (It is HOT!)  Let cool for half an hour.  Place ginger in an airtight container.  Gather extra sugar crystals to top fruit or vegan ice cream.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These were a nice treat for me, since I used to love to order these at Starbucks before going V.   The kids loved them too.  And the crunchy sugar top that cracks in your mouth is to die for.

Preheat oven to 350 F (185 C).  Spray muffin tins with Pam or use liners.

Sift together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp poppy seeds

Mix and stir in:

6 tbsp veggie oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I know!  Weird, right?)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup cold water

Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tins.  Sprinkle tops with sugar and bake until golden.