Vegan Artisanal Cheese Tasting: Kite Hill

One of the hardest things that I have heard people say about going vegan is giving up cheese. I can attest to that feeling. One of the reasons it took me longer to come to veganism from vegetarianism was cheese. I made the transition to vegan once I could no longer refute the evidence about how dairy cows and calves are treated. I had to stop ignoring the facts. My body was also kicking me into it because I am lactose intolerant and eating cheese was an assault on my entire body. I gave into my conscious and body and went vegan. The end result was that I felt good and was exposed to a world of vegan cheeses to satisfy my want of eating cheese. 

What I discovered were spreads, shreds, slices, cream cheeses and more. Most of these were every day cheeses like cheddar, jack, and mozzarella flavors. I have not run into very many specialty vegan cheeses until recently. The Durham Whole Foods was looking for local bloggers to taste Kit Hill artisanal nut milk based cheeses. I happily contacted them agreeing to get a sample of the product, taste it, and blog about it. What a hard job! ;-)

I was given a sample of the soft ripened cheese from the store. I noticed that they also carried soft fresh original and decided to buy that one to taste and compare. The website indicates that they have two other varieties, but I did not see it at Whole Foods. The two products that they do carry were located in the specialty cheese section with dairy cheeses. I did not realize this and first went to the produce section with tofu and tempeh. Then I went to the section of the store that carries the spreads and shreds. I wonder if the location of the cheese will harm the sales. As a vegan, I would never walk up to the cheese counter and look around for a vegan product. I think if this cheese is going to be viable product at Whole Foods, they need to let customers know that the vegan cheese is among the non-vegan cheeses. Otherwise, I am concerned vegans and dairy freers will never locate the product. 

One of the first things that I noticed about the package is the few ingredients that it contains. It is a list of around 4 ingredients focusing mostly on nuts and enzymes. This product is dairy free, soy free and gluten free (well, at least the ingredients do not indicate soy and gluten ingredients). I really like that this product has so few ingredients. While I love vegan cheese, many of my favorites have more ingredients than I care to consume. 

The soft ripened cheese is like a brie, while the soft fresh original is like a basket cheese. I am pleased that I bought both kinds because they are different. The soft ripened cheese has a casing around it like a brie does. I am not a cheese connoisseur and I ate the casing with the cheese, so if that is not the way to consume a soft ripened cheese, then whoops! I enjoyed the flavor of this cheese, but was not a huge fan of the flavor of the casing. The casing has a strange aftertaste. However, I think it it was served with a jam, fruit, or agave nectar then I think the casing taste would be quieted. I also know that brie is often baked and I wonder how this would turn out baked. 

The soft fresh original was perfect the way it is. I would not change a thing about it and really enjoyed the flavor on a cracker. I am not sure how else it could be served, but I could also see it pairing well with fruits, jams or agave nectar. One of the notable things about both products is that they were delicious at room temperature. Many of the current vegan cheeses out there are only good when warmed up. I am not sure how these cheeses fare warmed up, but room temperature or cold they are delightful. 

The verdict on both is that I see myself buying these for parties or holiday gatherings often. The prices on both were a bit steep (9.99 and 10.99), so I cannot justify them for every day consumption. However, I see them being a wonderful addition to any party, gathering, celebration, or as a treat. I also plan to experiment with the soft ripened to bake it and serve it drizzled with agave nectar. 

If you are in your local Triangle Whole Foods, look for these cheeses. If you do not see them, ask. They are worth a try! 

Sweets Galore

I have been mostly slack about posting this season of MoFo. We have been cooking up a storm and eating a lot, but I have not been posting as I should. At least I have been eating though, right? 

While the nauseation is mostly gone, I have developed other unpleasant symptoms. I have a pain in my right side under my ribs. The midwifes/nurses have several theories of what it could be and I'm trying different solutions. What seems the most likely now is that it is reflux. I tried taking tums last night and threw up. This is the second time during my pregnancy that I have thrown up after tums. While they might not be the reason I threw up I can't help but think my body is rejecting them. So I am on to other solutions, mostly natural. 

My side rant here is to share something about myself. Before pregnancy one of my biggest fears (besides spiders) was throwing up. My fear skyrocketed during the time when I was sick before my Celiac diagnosis. I had a 12 year long streak of not throwing up. I'd be nauseated for hours after a gluten attack and prevented myself from throwing up each time. It was pure misery. When my nauseation set in for pregnancy, I had to come to terms with the fact that I was going to throw up. And throw up, I did! While it still isn't a fun activity for me, I allow myself to do the dirty deed if my body requires is. All of this was so say that my future little vegan one has changed me. This change I feel is for the better. I did not want to go through life being afraid of throwing up. I still get nervous when I am nauseated in public, but I have been dealing with it better than before. 

Now that I have gotten the grossness out of the way, I wish to share sweets with you all. I think I have mentioned that my love of sweets has upped since becoming pregnant. I do not eat them all of the time, but I eat them more often than I did before. In moderation, they are not horrible for me. In addition, they are vegan and gluten free, so they can't be horrible- right? 

For my Mom's birthday, I made a sponge cake with a pudding/creme, jelly, and strawberry topping. I found the recipe on another MoFo post and started salivating at the picture. My Mom likes all desserts, so I felt it was a good experiment to try for her. The cake was moist and spongy like what I remember of a sponge cake. I really liked the topping as well. The pudding was easy to make and is a recipe I will keep on hand for other uses. 

The next creation that I decided to whip up was a request from a special friend's birthday. She wanted a vanilla cupcake with a coffee buttercream frosting. I pulled out my Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World for the gluten freedom cupcake recipe and made a vanilla cupcake with some coffee extract. The icing was a buttercream frosting flavored with coffee granules. I was impressed with both the cake and the icing. A non vegan tasted them and requested the recipe. I think she was surprised how good something vegan and gluten free could be. 

Those of you that have read my blog posts this MoFo have seen my asking, begging and longing for scones! After much hinting from me, John decided to make a delicious chocolate orange scone with an orange glaze that we found posted on Facebook by an animal sanctuary we follow. John got out the ingredients and the recipe and got to work! The scones were absolutely amazing! They were rich and chocolatey with a lovely hint of orange. I enjoyed them as a snack with a smear of vegan butter. I think I could eat these scones for every meal! I'm thankful to have such a caring husband and father of the future vegan little one.

The last sweet I will share is a chocolate cake with blueberry icing and blueberries in between the layers. This wonderful cake was made by Joie de Vegan for a birthday party of a special three year old. His parents were so kind to get a cake that we could eat. It was so beautiful that people lined up to try a slice and found it amazing. I had to agree with their assessment. The blueberry icing and the pops of blueberries in between the layers set this cake apart from others I have tried. 

Hopefully your taste buds have been tantalized enough to go make yourself a vegan and gluten free treat of your own.

Just Desserts

I have not been as diligent this year about posting as I have in years past. I am a little behind this week. I decided that I have enough to worry about, so I will post when I can. I might not meet the 20 posts, but I am not too concerned about that. 

My pleads and ribs last week finally prompted John to make the scones I've been begging him to make. Last Friday night he came home with the ingredients for the scones. Of course, I had to text him to tell them what we needed. He gave me the option of making scones or cinnamon buns. I want the cinnamon buns, but I think the level of baking might require 20 questions from him. Let's face it, I'm pregnant and tired- I sometimes just want dessert to appear without being involved. Call me crazy, but I'm making a life here! 

He produced an after dinner treat of scones for us and they delivered! He adapted a recipe from the Gluten Free Bible to be vegan. The recipe called for yogurt and John used soy yogurt. The end product was a success! They were dense and sweet, just like a scone should be. They reminded me of our time during college of studying abroad in Scotland. I remember in particular a breakfast place we went to where we enjoyed tea and scones. At the time we were vegetarian, not vegan, and had a breakfast of eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, and beans. We sat in a seat by the window and go to enjoy the view of a downtown Sterling street. That time will always be special to me. It was in 2000 and we were just starting off in our relationship as more than friends. 

Thank you John for taking care of me and my dessert wants these days. I will take any other sweets you want to throw my way!

Down Home Cooking Take Two

During MoFo 2011, I created three dishes to imitate a favorite meal a mostly vegan restaurant in Asheville, NC. The place is called Rosetta's Kitchen and since my original blog post, the restaurant has created a gluten free version. The meal is just amazing and when we visit, we usually get the dish at at least one meal. We were in Asheville last fall and got the vegan gluten free version. While I loved it, I started to realize that mine is actually better. Don't get me wrong, their version is amazing, but I like mine a little better. It could be since I put so much work into creating the dish- by tasting and re-tasting. Although, I will admit that it is nicer to have someone else make this meal for me. 

During one of my more motivated days during this pregnancy, I decided to make this meal and surprise John. When pregnant, this meal feels like a lot of work. I was warn out after I made it and to top it off, we had a friend stop by to pick up something right as it was finished. We all talked for an hour, so by the time we got to the meal, I was overly hungry and the food was cold. The meal still delivered! And protein content is very high in this meal, making it a perfect candidate for a vegan pregnant woman and her future little vegan one. 

I made a couple of changes to the original. The first change was that I made a raw kale salad with red bell peppers from our CSA produce box. The dressing consisted of raw lemon, a splash of tamari, and flax oil. The other change that I made, was that I added a little soy creamer and more than the 3 tablespoon of vegan sour cream. I wanted rich and creamy mashed potatoes! The originals are rich, but I wanted something a little richer. 


As the weather gets colder, I see this dish making an appearance again. Maybe John will even make it, but I won't be holding my breath. I'm still waiting on the cinnamon buns he has been promising me. Hint, hint. Ok, how many times can I keep hinting on my blog about items that I want? Let's see how long it takes to get them or scones. Anyone want to bet take bets?  I mean, sure, he is doing a lot- but I'm incubating a life and I'd like a cinnamon bun. Is a vegan, gluten free cinnamon bun too much to ask for? Or what about a scone? Maybe it is!

Scones, cinnamon buns or not- I still love him to pieces! And he is being a loving and supporting husband- but I still want a cinnamon bun!

Loaded Hash Browns

As I have mentioned in previous posts, eating has been a challenge in my pregnancy. Many times, I have just been eating to nourish myself and the baby. John has had to be the gentle, and sometimes not so gentle, reminder to me that I have to eat. I learned the hard way that not eating can bring on nausea. One of the hardest things for me to learn how to do was to eat through the feeling of nausea. In the past, when I would be nauseated my impulse would be not to eat. When you are pregnant, you have to eat as you have another life to nourish. 

To help make this all easier for me, John has been cooking a lot more than before. Sometimes he asks me what I want and others he makes something and sets it in front of me to see if I could stomach the meal. The tactic turned out to be smart. I do not always know what I want or could stomach until it was put down in front of me. John knew my aversions each week and was respectful of them. 

One of his creations turned out to be a hit with me- loaded hash browns. Potatoes have been one of the few items that have been more appealing than other foods. I think it is the starch that helps settle my stomach. I have always been a huge fan of hash browns, but we usually have made them as side dish. John made them into a main dish by adding different combinations of veggies and proteins. He has added tomatoes from our produce box or garden, spinach, tofu, tempeh, pepperocini, salsa, carrots, vegan cheese, and other items from our refrigerator.

He has repeated this dish for me several times, often with a salad on the side. I smother mine with ketchup. I know, I know, it isn't a nutritious food- but I like it and it isn't too bad of a splurge for a pregnant woman. 

Thank you to John for caring for me and the future little vegan one. The one thing that I can say for sure is that I would not be able to do this without your love and care. Future little vegan one is lucky to have a caring father, like you! 

McMuffin Cravings

The title of this blog post is a bit misleading. I didn't actually crave the meat filled, gluten filled, dairy filled, egg filled, artery clogging, cruelty ladden breakfast sandwich seen on a popular fast food chain. I craved a vegan version, of course (and crave is a strong word here, I just knew I wanted to try it)! Some omnivores love to ask if I crave meat (more so when I wasn't pregnant- odd, huh?). I'm quick to point out that food is more than just taste to me, it is about the where it comes from, why it is being used, and how it was treated. I cannot ignore the treatment of animals in my meal. Since I was 14, I have believed that an animal should not have to suffer and die for my benefit. There are so many options out there that didn't have to suffer.

When I discovered The Edgy Veg video for the McMuffin, I did start to want this creation! The version on screen was not gluten free, but I knew I could easily make it that way. For the English Muffin, I used Food for Life and for the veggie meat, I used Sol Veggie Breakfast patties. I didn't use an orange vegan cheese, like cheddar, because I had some provolone flavored vegan cheese. If making this again, I'd use cheddar and melt it on the bottom of the bun. Since the muffin and egg mixture was warm, most of the cheese melted. 

This was probably the first thing I cooked after morning sickness set in. I was able to get through making this whole meal without any incidents. I even was able to eat the sandwich.! I had only wished that I also bought hash brown patties to serve with it. The "egg" mixture looked so much like the original. Once it cooked it got bright yellow giving it a real egg look. The texture was interesting and I wouldn't have liked it on its own. I think I would also like to try this sandwich with firm tofu, flavored to be "eggy". It was fun to use the top of a mason jar lid to form the egg. It really made it seem like the real thing.

While I done it yet, this made me want to transform other fast food menu items to be vegan and gluten free. I don't know what because it has been many, many years since I have eaten fast food. I am not even sure I remember the flavor of most products. My parents didn't rely much on fast food when I was growing up, which I'm thankful for. My family focused on home cooked meals with a lot of vegetables! :-)

Neatball Subs Made with Love

I have generally been the one to cook more in our house. Mostly because I am anal about food groups and what we eat for dinner. We still consistently took turns cooking, but I tended to cook more. Since pregnancy, sickness, and aversions have set in John has become the main cook in the house. Mostly because he is always trying to get me to eat food. Sometimes he makes a bunch of things to see what I'll eat. He is the one who has ended up eating for two (or three or four). I have been cooking more these days, but he still does the majority of the cooking.

I always thought pregnant women indulged in huge meals and endless snacks. Maybe that happens to some, but that has not happened to me. I mostly have to force myself to eat. Making and eating food used to be two of my favorite activities. Now, I have no interest in either. However, I have a sweet future little vegan one on the way and I have to be mindful of eating enough calories.  John has tried to make food more exciting for me or taking something he knows I like that he can add to a meal. 

I must have seen a meatball sub somewhere and indicated that I'd love a vegan gluten free version. Being the awesome husband he is, John got on it. He used Neat to make the meatballs, a gluten free baguette, tomato sauce, and vegan cheese to complete his creation. To add a healthy component, he roasted broccoli with salt and pepper.  He served this all to me and encouraged me to eat it all. Lucky for me, I didn't have an aversion when I saw this. Instead, I was ecstatic to try it!

The sub was exactly what I had been looking for and I gobbled it down. I even had leftovers for the next day's lunch. Me and the future little vegan one are lucky ducks to be able to have delicious meals made with love. :-)

Spicy Tamales- MoFo Post Twenty

Post #20 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Welcome to post 20! I have made my goal by posting 20 times in one month. This might be my last post for the month and for MoFo. My goal was to post 20 times during the month and I have met that goal. I am considering one more post before the month ends sharing more Puerto Rico pictures. The trip was a little over a month ago and I have not yet had the time to sort through all of the pictures. This month has found me busy and a bit too distracted to do that.

Here are the tamales all wrapped up

I have not decided if I will have any more posts for the month, so I wanted to leave you with one of my favorite meals- spicy tamales. This meal was a lot of work and took longer than I would have liked, but the end result was delicious! It was great at dinner and just as great the next day warmed up for lunch at work. I unwrapped them the evening before and placed them in my glass lunch containers for lunch the next day. I normally add hot sauce to my lunch foods, but I had no need because the spice was inside! 

It had been years since I have had a tamale because they generally contain dairy. I have been thinking for a while about recreating this dish. As a child, I have a memory of making them with my mother. I do not remember eating these more than once, but I wish we had. There are so many fillings that could be used inside the tamale, but I decided to go with vegan cheese and a green chili and chipotle and adobo pepper mixture. I wanted to keep it relatively simple, but spicy. It had been a while since I purchased canned chipotle and adobo, but had been craving the smoky flavor of the pepper. The tamale was a perfect vessel for that craving. 

Left: filling, Right: Guacamole

The tamales take quite a while and can be labor intensive, but I feel that with practice the process will go faster. I have not tried it, but I wonder if the corn mixture can be made in advance by a day or two. The recipe makes about 12 tamales, but it is best to soak more than 12 husks in case any break and for the ties. I soaked about five more than I needed and ended up having to double up several because of rips in the husks. 

I hope you enjoy these tamales as much as we did! I expect to try these beauties again with plenty of other fillings. Along side the tamales, I served a homemade guacamole.

Spicy Tamales 

• One package of dried corn husks
• 1 c vegan cheese
• 1 can chipotle and adobo
• 8 oz chilies, any spice level
• 16 oz frozen corn, thawed
• 1 c cornmeal
• 1/2 c masarepa (I used this bc I had it leftover, but you could use masaharina)
• 1 tbsp vegan butter

Soak the corn husks in water according to package directions (should be about an hour or two). When finished soaking, take one of the husks and tear off strips to use to tie the tamales.

While soaking, make the cornmeal filling. In the food processor process the thawed corn until it forms a thick paste. Add in the cornmeal and masarepa and process until a dough forms. Set aside. 

Remove four peppers from the can and chop. In a bowl combine the chipotle and adobo and the chilies. Mix until incorporated.  Add in some of the sauce in the can and mix again. Taste for spice level and add more, as desired.

Remove the corn husks from the water and dry them off so that they are not dripping wet. Place a flattened husk on a work surface and place several tablespoons of the corn filling on the husk. Flatten out the cornmeal with your hands to make a square in the center of the husk. Place some of the cheese and pepper mixture in the tamale. Fold the sides of the husks to enclose the filling. Then fold the bottom of the husk over the tamale and use the torn husk pieces to tie the tamale together. I used two ties per tamale. 

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan. When the water comes to a boil, add in the steamer basket and place the tamales on top of each other in the basked. Place on the lid, turn down the heat to medium low and steam for 45 minutes. When finished, unwrap the tamales and serve!

South American Quinoa- MoFo Post Nineteen

Post #19 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Before the quinoa was added

Most of my posts up to this point have featured Latin dishes that are popular in this country. Dishes that could commonly be located on restaurant menus and food trucks. I decided to go a little less traditional today and focus on a food item that is not necessarily associated with Latin cuisine. Quinoa is a "grain" that originated from South America, yet we do not see it featured in may traditional Latin foods. Since becoming gluten free, this grain has made its way into many of our meals. 

Finished product

Quinoa is considered to be a complete protein and is a good source of fiber, calcium, and more.  The flavor tends to be nutty and can be crunchy if not overcooked. I tend to prefer it a bit crunchy and less cooked. I guess we could call it al dente! We try to incorporate quinoa about once a week. John even enjoys it for breakfast at times. It is versatile enough to be served savory and sweet, like rice. In my opinion, it can be substituted for rice in many dishes. While I love rice, I like to change it up a bit by using quinoa. 

After going gluten free, I received a cookbook that was made up of all gluten free recipes. The book contained meat and eggs and therefore I immediately dismissed it. Then it brought up the passion that I used to have of veganizing recipes. Years ago, I used to watch Food Network and veganized recipes that enticed me. This died away after the diagnosis came. The presence of this book seemed to rekindle that love of veganizing recipes. There are some items in the book that are vegan, but I have enjoyed veganizing many of the recipes. 

One such recipe was a South American Chicken and Quinoa dish. I made several substitutions and changes to the recipe, enough to even call it my own. While the dish might not be what we consider to be traditional Latin cuisine, it has a lot of flavors like coconut, turmeric, peppers, and onions. The coconut milk added richness and creaminess to the quinoa. The addition of curry powder made it almost seem Indian in nature. I find it nice to have a product like Beyond Meat that is both gluten free, vegan, and a good cruelty free version of chicken. If you are soy-free consider removing the Beyond Meat and using beans! 


South American Quinoa

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 package of Beyond Meat
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 bell peppers, green or red, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 c quinoa
• 1 c vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 c light coconut milk
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp of grated ginger

Combine the turmeric and thyme in a bowl. Dredge the Beyond Meat with the spice mixture to thoroughly coat. Set aside. 

Heat a half of teaspoon of oil in skillet and add the bell pepper and onion. Cook two minutes. The vegetables should be tender. Remove from the pan and place it back on the stove and add the remaining half of teaspoon of oil. When warm, place the Beyond Meat and cook for 3-4 minutes to warm. Set aside. 

Meanwhile combine the quinoa, broth, coconut milk, curry, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 12 minutes. When finished, add the vegetable mixture to the skillet with the Beyond Meat. Then add the quinoa mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes until the remaining liquid is absorbed.

 

Papusas Failures- MoFo Post Eighteen

Post #18 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Papusa failures. Don't they look good though?

Only a couple of posts left for the month of September and MoFo 2013! I made it to post 17 without a failure......then came the post 18 about papusas! So here you have it! My failure for MoFo. I think it is important to share our successes and our failures. We are all creators and every creation cannot be a success, I feel as though I have had many failures that lead me to successes. As I read all of these lovely blogs full of successes, I wonder about the failures. Not because I am a crumudgen who wants my fellow MoFo'ers to fail, but because it brings out the humanity. I have seen several blogs this year with failures and it gave me the courage to post about one of my own.

Many years ago, we had a restaurant in the area that served Nicaraguan and and Salvadorian food. One of my favorite items on the menu were the papusas. They came with a meat and a vegetarian option. The veg option had beans and cheese. They were crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The dough seemed to be made of corn flour of some sort. They were a favorite served with salsa, rice, and beans. I was sad when the restaurant went out of business as they had so many dishes that I had never seen before. 

These are the papusa balls before I shaped and stuffed them

Since that restaurant, I have had papuses one other time. They were at a place that told me they were gluten free, but then I later found out that they used the same oil as gluten (therefore not gluten free). Since that incident, I have wanted to try the round gooey pockets. I reviewed techniques online and set out to make them using what I thought was going to be my own spectacular recipe. 

I encountered trouble as soon as I started putting the papusas together. I was not able to get a proper seal and many of the pockets leaked the filling. I pan fried them in a little bit of oil and they were heavy and oily tasting. I used olive oil, which was probably among one of my many mistakes. The oil flavor was not appealing one bit with the corn flour. My second mistake was that I used masarepa from my very successful arepa posting earlier in the month. It felt like the flour was a bit too dense for the papusa. From what I had seen online, masa harina is commonly used. 

The papusa pockets were heavy, oily, and did not have enough vegan cheese in them. I was not able to get much filling inside the pockets and the beans seemed to dry the inside out. There was obviously a technique that I was missing. They were not inedible, but they were not something I would ever want to eat again. I plan to remake them again, but will most likely follow a recommended recipe. 

This failure, led me to think of another idea that ended up being quite successful (post to follow this week). I would like to know, what have been your cooking 
failures and did they lead you to any successes?

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake- MoFo Post Seventeen

Post #17 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Cheesecake after baking, but before it set in the fridge

I have focused all of my recipes on savory entrees thus far. I am a fan of savory items, but I also enjoy sweets once and a while. Lately, I have been eating more sweets than normal because of all of the birthdays and the amazing friends that I have. In keeping with my sweet-eating month, I thought it was time to create a Latin inspired dessert. The thought of Flan went through my head, but I am not a fan of the consistency or the dessert in general. I know that it is a widely loved dessert, but it just is not my thing. Not to mention the large reliance on eggs in the dessert. 


As I pondered my options, I was reminded of two things. First was margarita pie that I had seen people eat at a previous job. It was not the most appetizing looking dessert as it was bright green and was made of sorbet. However, it was served with a pretzel crust and that was of interest to me. I am not a fan of sorbet either. I have not had a vegan sorbet, but before I went vegan I had tried it several times and felt was not worth the calories.

Cheesecake after it had set in the fridge

Second, at Paladar Vegetariano we were served a lime and avocado pie that was out of this world! The pie was raw and delicious and a perfect ending to that nice evening. I originally wanted to recreate the raw pie, but I made an attempt that I felt was a pure failure. I brought it as an experiment to dinner at a friends house and it was not edible to me. John and my friend ate it and said that they liked it, but I am convinced they were being nice. It was hard for me to stomach. I did not put in enough lime to avocado ratio left out a sweet element to the dessert. 

Thinking of the margarita pie and the pie from Paladar Vegetariano, I had the idea to create an avocado lime cheesecake. One of my first attempts at making a vegan dessert was a cheesecake and it was a pure success. I was able to fool carnivores with the dessert, thinking it was a cheesecake made from cows milk. The recipe is such a success, that I wanted to follow a similar structure. The difference was that in this creation, wanted to remove some of the vegan cream cheese from the recipe. Avocado is creamy and seemed like a good substitution for some of that cream cheese. So I set out to replace some of it with the creamy avocado to see how the cheesecake would turn out. 

I brought cheesecake experiment to a birthday dinner for a friend. Some people asked for seconds, so I think the recipe was a success. I would like to use the pretzel crust for other pies and plan to try a different crust with the cheesecake as well to experiment even further. The pretty green of the cheesecake was fun! I also enjoyed the creaminess of the avocado and vegan cream cheese. The lime was quite strong in the pie, but it felt appropriate. If you are not a fan of lime, I suggest cutting the recipe down to one lime juiced.  I plan on making this again! What fun desserts have you created lately?

Lime Avocado "Cheese"cake

Crust:

• 2.5 c gluten free pretzels
• 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Pie filling:

• 1.5 avocados
• 1 tub of vegan cream cheese
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 c vegan sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c sorghum flour

For the crust, set the oven at 375 degrees. Crush the pretzels in to small pieces using a bag and the back of something flat (I used a measuring cup). Mix in the melted butter and brown sugar. Press into a large pie pan. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling. 

Place the avocados and cream cheese into a bowl. Use a mixer to make the filling smooth. Add in the lime juice, vegan sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix more incorporating all of the ingredients. Then fold in the flour. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust and bake 40 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Then place in the refrigerator over night to set. Serve as is or you can use whip cream or berries on top.

Empanadas- MoFo Post Fifeteen

Post #15 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

I feel like empanadas are all the rage these days. I see them sold at food trucks, see them on menus, and hear about them in the media. The concept is genius- a hand pie of sorts with a savory filling. Before going vegan, I tried them several times at the local farmers market. It was a potato and soy meat filling. I really enjoyed the flavor and wondered why I had not had one before. After going vegan and then gluten free, I forgot about them. 

Fast forward to Puerto Rico and our stay at Maravilla and I was joined once again with the savory hand pie. I believe the filling was black bean and various vegetables. I do not remember exactly, but I was excited to once again get to eat this treat. The predominant flavor in the dough was corn and chunks of cornmeal could be seen. The crust was a bit firm, which works for an empanada as it would seem you should eat it out of your hand. As I enjoyed the pie looking out over the ocean, I thought about making these when I got home. I thought about different types of flavors and crusts. I decided that I would make my empanada with a more delicate crust, more like a pie crust. 

One of my favorite pie crusts is oat based and from the Welcoming Kitchen cookbook. It is very rich and crumbly and can be enjoyed savory or sweet. I add more agave nectar to the recipe when I am making a sweet pie and less when it is savory. This crust has worked well for me as the base of quiche, pot pies, and an apple pie. I decided to put it to the test for an empanada. I made the dough using my electric mixer and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. I cannot share this recipe as it is not mine, but I encourage you to use your favorite xgfx crust recipe. It is key that you use a crust that you can easily roll out with a rolling pin or pat down with your hands. Gluten free doughs can often be sticky, so have some extra flour on hand for your work surface. 

For my filling, I decided to go with mushrooms, onions, spinach, and pepper jack vegan cheese. I have been enticed lately by Veg-Am, one of my favorite bloggers, and her use of mushrooms. Cremini are my mushroom of choice as they are hardy and "meaty". They hold up well to cooking. Like most mushrooms, they shrink when cooked. Not a fan of the mushroom? No worries! Sub in another ingredient instead. I cannot leave out my mushroom hating friends! These are supposed to be fun and delicious, so go wild if you wish! 

Mushroom and Spinach Empanadas

• 1 recipe of your favorite pie dough
• Gluten free flour for rolling out the dough
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped small
• 2 c mushrooms, sliced
• 4 c spinach
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 c vegan pepper jack cheese
• 1 tbsp almond milk for an "egg wash"

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add water or olive oil to the pan. When hot, add in onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add in garlic and cook a minute more. Add the mushrooms to the pan and let them sweat out and cook, this should take about 5 minutes. Add spinach, liquid smoke, paprika, and chili powder to the pan and let the spinach wilt. Turn the heat off and set the mixture aside. 

While the mixture cools, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the pie dough and cut into rectangular strips. Use as much flour as needed to roll out the dough. I was able to get 7 strips out of mine, but you might get less. Place about a tablespoon of cheese in the center of the strip, then top with spinach mixture. Take the short end of one side of the strip and fold it over to touch the other end. Seal the sides of the pocket with your fingers and form into a half moon shape. Make sure that the crust remains sealed. You can close with a fork at the ends or with your fingers. I formed an edge around mine. 

Place the empanadas on a prepared baking pan. Brush the top and sides of each empanada with the almond milk. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes. Check to make sure they do not brown too much. Remove, let cool for about 10 mins and enjoy!

Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos- MoFo Post Fourteen

Post #14 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

Here it is all put together.

Who does not love a taco out there? While tacos have a Latin origin, they have become so popular here. I have seen so many variations of the taco in restaurants and food trucks. The concept is quite simple, but the flavors can make all of the difference. I generally prefer a crispy shelled taco to the soft shell. As a child, I would get excited about taco night. My mom would make seasoned ground beef and then we would have lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, and more to fill our taco. She usually served crunchy shells. This was often accompanied by what she called Spanish rice and various other vegetable sides. 

Tomatillos

As I became vegetarian as a teenager, I remember my mom buying veggie taco "meat" for me and having the same dinner. I do not remember the brand, but I enjoyed the tacos just the same. Now that I am vegan and gluten free, it is harder to find a taco "meat" filling. There are a few on the market and they are just ok. I have made similar fillings using TVP, but sometimes I like to go a bit more exciting with our fillings. As I was flipping through a recent issue of VegNews, I saw a post for potato tacos and queso fresco. The recipe looked delicious! After looking through it, I realized that I already made each of their suggested fillings my own way. 

The inspiration for the dish comes from VegNews, using two of my own recipes. The third recipe is adapted from a VegNews email that I received over a year ago. The magazine had a crumbly queso fresco that looked good, but the queso dip that I had many times before sounded better. One of the first recipes I created on my own was a tomatillo salsa years ago before I was even vegan. After looking back, I realized that I had never shared it before. I have served it to many salsa lovers and it has been a hit. Lastly, the potatoes are the standard ones we make when we want oven roasted ones. Sometimes we change up the seasoning depending on the accompanying side dishes. 

Tomatillo salsa and queso dip

I was so pleased with putting the three of these recipes together. The tacos were amazing. I only ate two small ones because the potatoes and queso dip are filling. Beware, this queso dip makes a large serving. Be prepared to buy some tortilla chips and make nachos to use it up. It will still be there after you have chowed down an the remaining soft corn tortillas. Now that I have this combination down, I expect to have this quite a bit. And not to toot my own horn, but the tomatillo salsa is so good that I could literally drink it up. If you think I am kidding, ask my friends if I drink sauces when I like them. (Example- the spicy peanut sauce made by Fiction Kitchen and the homemade ketchup by Ninth Street Bakery)

 I hope you enjoy these recipes during your taco nights as much as we do!


Vegan Queso and Potato Tacos


Potatoes

• 3 medium sized potatoes, washed and cubed 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the potatoes in a baking pan, sprinkle with seasonings, then drizzle olive oil and toss or stir to coat. Place in the oven and back for about 25 minutes turning once. If you like a little crunch to your potatoes, turn on the broiler the last couple of minutes
Tomatillo Salsa

• 8 tomatillos, skin peeled off and quartered
• 1/2 onion, quartered
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used one red and one green)
• 1 c cilantro
• 1 lime, juice only
• salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process about 30 seconds or less until smooth. Taste for salt and add more as desired. 

Vegan Queso (adapted from a VegNews recipe)

• 1 c raw cashews
• 1 1/3 c almond milk
• 1 3/4 c soy milk
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, more or less to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt, or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 16 oz can pinto beans
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 tsp corn starch, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 c vegan mozzarella cheese

Place the cashews and almond milk into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Set aside. Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add in the olive oil and margarine and allow it to melt. Then add in the flour and stir to coat. Let cook for two minutes. Add in the garlic and allow to cook one more minute. Then add in the soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir with whisk to incorporate. When mixed add in pinto beans, tomato, and corn starch mixture. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until thick. Then add in cheese and stir until melted.

Tacos

• 10 corn taco shells, soft or hard
• 2 bell peppers, sliced

Place the taco shells on a plate, line the shell with two tablespoons of potatoes, bell pepper slices, queso, and then top with tomatillo salsa. Repeat and enjoy! Add some hotsauce to spice things up a bit! 

Paladar Vegetariano: A Home-Cooked Meal- MoFo Post Thirteen

Post #13 for Vegan MoFo 2013. 

Pumpkin Flower Appetizer

For the post today, I would like to go back to Puerto Rico. One of the most interesting parts of the trip was going to Paladar Vegetariano in San Juan. When we called, we realized that this restaurant was being run out of the owners house. John spoke with the owner, Geronimo, and he explained that he would make a meal catered to our interests using creativity and local foods. We were excited by the idea and his willingness to make an all vegan and gluten free meal for us. He had some questions of clarification around gluten free and I was pleased with the level and detail of his questions. I already had a feeling that we were going to get a meal that was made with care.

Quenepa

When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by Geronimo and Mendoza, our server. We were seated in the living room at a table with candles and local produce. Geronimo explained to us that Paladar was a Cuban concept of welcoming people into one's home and cooking for them. We had never heard of the concept, but were delighted to be in his home. We also had the meal explained to us. Almost all ingredients were local and organic. Some even came from the backyard of Paladar Vegetariano. We also learned that many of these ingredients were sold at a local farmers market on the weekend. I could tell we were in for a real treat. 

One of the items on the table was called a quenepa and we were encouraged to sample the fruit. It was unlike nothing that I had ever tasted before. It had a large pit in the center and had a pink fleshy fruit on the inside. The pit was larger than fruit output and I cannot quite describe the flavor of the pink flesh. It was mushy. sweet, citrus-like, and tropical tasting. Geronimo gave us the whole vine to take home with us and enjoy. 

The meal started off with a cucumber and lemon juice water that was slightly sweetened. It was served in a wine bottle and left at our table so we could have as much as we wanted. Needless to say, we drank the whole bottle. Shortly after the bottle arrived that our first course was presented. Mendoza was so attentive and explained again to us what was in the first course.  It was salad with local greens, pumpkin seeds, shaved fresh coconut, sprouts, and guava dressing. The salad was simple yet flavorful. The guava dressing was slightly acidic and sweet and was unlike any dressing that I had before, but wished that I could have it every day. I love seeds on a salad and the touch of pumpkin seeds and coconut shavings was creative and delicious. 

We were off to a great start. The appetizer came out and we were wowed by the presentation and dish. It was a pumpkin flour breaded and stuffed with rice flower and pan fried. The plate was drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The dipping sauce was guava and coconut. The flower had a delicate and crunchy flavor. This was the first time that I had ever been served a flower as the main item on a dish. It was also the first time I had tasted a flower fried. We shared the plate and wished we had more, however; after the rest of the meal arrived were glad we did not. The evening provided us so much food that I even had some leftovers for breakfast the next day! 

The main course took a while to come out, but we did not mind. We were still enjoying the flavor of the pumpkin flower and dipping sauce. The dinner itself lasted about three hours, but did not seem that it was that long because of all of the good food and conversation. For our main course, we were presented with chayote filled with pumpkin basmati rice, pumpkin seeds,  chayote heart, and a balsamic reduction.  While chayote is a fruit, it resembles squash and a root vegetable. There is not any sweetness to it and it almost tasted similar to a potato, but not exactly. The chayote heart was soft and almost creamy, much like that of a avocado heart but not the prickly fibers. I ate all of the rice filling and about a fourth of the chayote body. They wrapped up the remainder of the body for me to take home. I took back with me some of the guava sauce from the appetizer to sprinkle on top. 

This was my serving- it was huge!

Along with the meal, we were also given homemade hot sauce, much like most places in Puerto Rico. I do not remember the names of all of the peppers used, but it had a lot of kick to it and a fresh flavor. Have I mentioned how much I love that almost every restaurant had homemade hot sauce? I could not get enough of the homemade hot sauce. I am a sucker for Franks Hot Sauce, but these were so many steps above my go to sauce. I began to look forward to sitting down and being presented with the homemade hot sauce. In Puerto Rico one does not have to ask for hot sauce, but is presented with it as a natural part of the meal. 

Me, John, Geronimo, and Mendoza

The last course of the meal was a key lime avocado pie with a cashew, pumpkin seed, and coconut crust. On the top were local banana slices. I was so full when dessert came out that I could only take a couple of bites and asked to take the rest home. (And yes, it was enjoyed for breakfast the next day with the chayote.) The dessert was rich, sweet, and inventive. It was not a complicated dessert with gluten free flours or long baking times. It was based off of fruit and nuts and was still decedent! 

After wrapping up the dessert, we talked with Geronimo and Mendoza for a while. We also met another person who helped out, but I cannot remember his name. We even paused for a picture. While the quality is not the best, it is still a nice token from the evening. The staff was so kind and friendly and the evening really was a wonderful experience. I recommend eating at Paladar Vegetariano to anyone visiting San Juan. Make sure to call ahead and set up a reservation well in advance. If you are coming from the United States, you can call before you leave for the Island. You do not have to worry about calling internationally as Puerto Rico is part of the United States. I say this not to state the obvious, but I am amazed by the amount of people who thought I was leaving the country. We did not have to present passports! :-)

Coming storm over the ocean

Thank you to staff at Paladar Vegetarianio to giving us an evening of delicious local food and an evening of lovely conversation!