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.

Quick Kitchen Tip - How to Organize Canned Goods

A short step by step video, just in time for Spring Cleaning. And no, I didn't eat the Nutella. ;)

www.LucindaSegneri.com

Crock Pot Bow Ties and 'Cheese'

I was craving my Mom's mac and cheese today.  I put this together, and it turn out to be this rich, creamy dream of a dinner... with lots of leftovers.

In your crock pot, add and stir together:
250 g whole wheat bow ties (about 8 oz)
2 cups shredded vegan cheddar
4 cups soy milk
1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
2 cubes of veggie bouillon, crumbled with your fingers
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika

Let cook for 1 hour.  Stir, and check to see if the pasta is tender.  If not, stir and check every half hour.  Mine took 1 1/2 hours to cook.

Next time, I'm adding chopped broccoli. 

Grilled 'Cheese'

Joy and trumpets!  Vegan cheddar cheese that melted!

I ordered mild cheddar style Sheese from Le Monde Vegan and tried it for the first time.  It tasted great.  I will never go back!

This afternoon, I used it to make a grilled 'cheese' sandwich, using vegan margarine and whole grain vegan bread.  Awesome.  Topped it off with a cup of homemade vegan veggie-lentil soup, and felt like I'd hit the jackpot.

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.

Vegan World

I just received my first order from Un Monde Vegan today.  Lots of yummy vegan cheeses to try... and 'faux gras'.  That's funny stuff!  I couldn't be happier.  Everything came well packaged and on ice.  Fast!

There website is http://www.unmondevegan.com/index.cfm.  I have no connection to them at all.  But I will be ordering from them again soon.