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! 

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!

Plantains Two Ways-MoFo Post Seven

Post #7 for Vegan MoFo 2013.

One of my favorite cooked fruits is the plantain. It is enjoyable both salty and sweet and can pair well with many different entrees. They are also versatile enough to be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In Puerto Rico, we had fried sweet plantains for breakfast one day and another we had boiled green bananas with onions and oregano. Which reminds me, I have to get my hands on some green bananas. 

Plantains that are not quite ripe

John and I have enjoyed plantains for years. We made up our own recipe which we enjoy, but are not likely authentic. For this MoFo post, we purchased four plantains and made them in two different way. The first way was tostones or patacones. Tostones is the Puerto Rican word for the dish, while patacones is the Colombian word. I believe the recipes are similar, however; I followed a recipe for tostones. Tostones are traditionally fried in quite a bit of oil, but we are not a fan of deep frying food and only used a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons for two plantains).  

I did not mash them well enough after the first pan fry, so they are not as large as traditional tostones. I think in the future, I will make the plantain slices larger. Even though the shape was not what I expected, I enjoyed the taste. We usually make plantains sweet and I tend to prefer savory items for dinner. 

I should have used a spatula to smash the tostones

The second plantain dish that we made had a citrus and sweet element to it. We generally use water or olive oil spray to pan saute the plantains. The end result is a crispy and browned plantain. The sweet element is usually agave nectar, however; we were fresh out of it and used maple syrup instead. We often have this as a dessert or wait and enjoy it after dinner. It is a simple dessert and minus the sugar, is healthy. 

My attempt at tostones

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

• 2 plantains, ripened to a brown-almost black color, and cut into slices
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 2 tsp of agave nectar or maple syrup
• Olive oil spray or water 

Sweet Sauteed Plantains

Prepare a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil or with water. When warm layer the plantains in the skillet, do not overlap. Cook for about three minutes, flip over and cook three minutes more. When finished squeeze the lime juice over the plantains. Then drizzle the agave nectar. Let caramelize for about a minute and then flip over and cook for about a minute more. Serve immediately while warm.

Vegan Bed and Breakfast- MoFo Post Six

Post #6 for Vegan MoFo 2013.
 

Happy Day 6 of Vegan MoFo. My MoFo plan is to post during the weekdays and to take a break on the weekends from posting blogs. I still plan on coming around and reading all of your posts though! Today will be my last post for this week and I will pick up again on Monday. On this Friday, I would like to focus more on my Puerto Rico vacation as we had so many relaxing and rich experiences. 

Coconut Breakfast Muffin and Puerto Rican coffee

For half of our stay, we were at a beach house maintained by Maravilla Caribbean Veg Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at the house from Sunday to Wednesday, which is located near the town of Rincon on the northwestern part of the island. The owners told us that the bed and breakfast is by default vegan and guests can request eggs and dairy. Lucky for us, we fit the default. The owner was happy to comply with gluten free meals and charged us a fee per day for the extra ingredients. While it might have seemed excessive, I understand as she had extra preparation to do. 

Almond coconut rice and almond tarlets

After our first night in San Juan, we headed out to Rincon in our rental car. It was a nice drive and we spent the car ride laughing, singing, and interpreting signs in Spanish on the road. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by one of the owners who showed us around and explained our meals. She had made us breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for our entire stay. They were all housed in our refrigerator with a listing of suggested meals. In hindsight, I wish I would have taken the list to recount all of our meals.
 

View onto our balcony and out into the ocean

While I can't remember the exact meals, I remember the highlights. All of our meals were vegan and gluten free (there were a couple of questionable items in the fridge that we were concerned contained dairy- even though the default is vegan. So we just skipped those items). We had sweet potato and black bean chili with rice, empandillas, lentil soup, coconut muffins, cookies, brownies, blondies, black bean and walnut burgers, plantains, boiled green bananas, tempeh and sweet potatoes, mango tofu, papaya, star fruit, almond and coconut rice, almond tartlets, among others. Each meal was exciting to us as the host provided such thoughtful meals. It would have been nice to have our food fresh made each day, but that would have only been possible if we stayed directly at the house. And it was nice for us to eat when we were hungry, not when it was a meal time.
 

An approaching storm

The house was not anything luxurious, spacious, or private. We had booked a stay at a hotel for the last three days of the trip, so we felt fine with lodging that was not fancy. We had our own private balcony and a room that included a table, a kitchenette, and a futon. It was a beach house with a wonderful ocean view. I couldn't ask for much more being right on the ocean. My only real complaint with the place was that the stairs separating us and the apartment below was a glass door. The stairs were open which allowed noise and light in. Luckily, we only had one evening with guests in the downstairs apartment.
 

One of the best parts of the stay for me was the late afternoon storms. I enjoyed standing on the balcony watching the rain on the ocean. We had several evenings with lightening over the ocean. It was nice to be able to enjoy a storm and watch it pass. On one particular evening, we watched storm clouds for at least an hour. The peace that I felt by that was something that I had not felt in a long time. The peace was continued as we did not have a TV or a radio. There was a bar nearby that played salsa music and we were often serenaded by the music during the evening as we enjoyed dinner or watched the night sky. 

During the daytime, we had access to snorkel equipment and kayaks. We spent one afternoon kayaking in front of the beach house. In addition, we spent two mornings snorkeling at a nearby place called "Steps Beach" that was known to have beautiful reefs and fish. There had been quite a few storms, so the water was not as clear as normal. I was still happy to swim with the colorful fish and experience some of their world. One of the stands where we parked had snacks and food and we enjoyed a cocoa frio (coconut water). Which literally is water from a coconut. After the water is gone, the shell is cut in half with a machete and you are free to enjoy the rich coconut meat. Nothing compares to that fresh rich flavor. 

 
Thank you for sharing a special part of our vacation with me. I plan to give you more snippets as we go through MoFo. At some point, I plan to share some underwater snorkeling shots as well. How many of you have been to Puerto Rico? If so, did you stay at Maravilla?

Coconut Bacon - Cruelty Free Deliciousness

To say it has been a while since I blogged last is an understatement. I am going to spare you the excuses and the promises and just get to my post today! :-)

So, what has brought me back to blogger you ask? Two words: COCONUT BACON! As you know, I am not a bacon-loving hipster because of the cruel factory farming practices that happen to pigs. However, this relatively new invention can make me a vegan bacon-loving hipster. What I am about to share is cruelty free, gluten free, and 100% delicious! 

I made a discovery of coconut bacon recently when I purchased an online order for products that I cannot find in the area. As I was looking in the online store Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon caught my eye. I ordered a package and when it arrived, I was amazed at the flavor. It tastes like crunchy pieces of bacon (with a little coconut flavor), without any meat! John and I, well ok more me, devoured the bag. When I was down to the last crumbs, I realized that I had to have more. Not wanting to purchase bags online, I decided I would give it a try on my own. I reviewed the ingredients on the bag and decided to leave some out and reduced the sodium. What I came up with is close to the purchased version and is D-E-L-I-S-I-O-U-S! 

I have topped salads, made an Elvis tortilla (peanut butter, banana, and coconut bacon), have eaten it plain, sprinkled it with tofu....and the list goes on. I would like to make a vegan, gluten free quiche and maple bacon glazed donuts next. I shared the bacon with several meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and got praise. It makes me think that I have stumbled on to something here. This will be in my cupboard pretty regularly. 

Coconut Bacon

• Olive oil spray
• 3.5 cups of shredded coconut, large flakes
• 2.5 Tablespoons of liquid smoke
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon of GF Low Sodium Tamari
• 2.5 Teaspoons of maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• .5 Teaspoon of smoked, sweet paprika (if you don't have this, regular paprika will do)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and spray a large baking pan with olive oil spray. In a large bowl, mix coconut flakes, liquid smoke, tamari, maple syrup, and water. Mix until the coconut flakes are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle on the paprika and mix again. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and smooth out to be in one layer. Place in the over for 30-40 minutes. Check every 5-7 minutes to make flip the coconut and make sure that it is not burning. Leave in the oven until the bacon has reached desired crispiness.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) - See more at: http://www.fettlevegan.com/4/post/2012/07/coconut-bacon.html#sthash.D6fOuUR6.dpuf

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) - See more at: http://www.fettlevegan.com/4/post/2012/07/coconut-bacon.html#sthash.D6fOuUR6.dpuf

Spicy Hot Chocolate and a Happy Halloween- Post 22

We have made it to the last day of Vegan MoFo. It has been a wonderful month filled with food and laughter. There is always a feeling of sadness when it ends because I miss the daily posts of awesome food and stories. I hope to do a better job this year in keeping up with blogs. After my rough start this year, I had not been much into blogging. MoFo has renewed my spirits and I am back! 

I love that MoFo is during the month of October. It is my favorite month because it is the start of Autumn, the leaves are changing, seasonal rain, spooky decorations, sweaters, corduroys, and HALLOWEEN! Ollie has made an appearance in his Halloween outfit to say hello and "Happy Halloween!" to you MoFo'ers! It is too bad I only had my phone handy when he posed so sweetly, I would have loved to have my camera out so I could get a better quality photo. Either way, you can see how darn cute he is. His grandma and grandpa Newman got him this cute shirt. 

 
Ollie has to stay warm as the weather gets cooler so, he will don this shirt even after the festivities today. I also have to stay warm and hot chocolate usually does that trick for me as I get cozy under my snuggie and read a book, watch TV, or use the computer. In the past you have seen Mint Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate, and today I bring you Spicy Hot Chocolate. 

This drink was inspired by a spicy chocolate drink I had at Escazu in downtown Raleigh. This drink has a nice level of spiciness. The interesting note is that the spice does not hit the front of your tongue, but the back towards your throat. Like the peanut butter hot chocolate I made, this one was also created in the Vitamix. Do not worry if you do not have a Vitamix or other high powered blender, you could heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave. It will not be frothy, but it will be just as delicious!

Spicy Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup of almond, soy, rice or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mimic creme 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (start out slow and then increase the amount)

Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix, or high powered blender, and blend for 4 minutes or until steam comes out of the top of the lid. Check for desired heat level and blend more or pour into a mug and enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate- Post 19

Yes, you read the title right peanut butter hot chocolate. I was recently introduced to this heavenly treat at a local chocolate shop called Escazu. They make their own chocolate bars, truffles, and have a hot chocolate menu. It is pretty much heaven that chocolate shop. Most of their bars are vegan and many of their truffles are as well. If that is not enough, they offer soy or rice milk for their hot chocolate menu. That divine menu includes delights like chili hot chocolate and peanut butter hot chocolate. 

After having their chocolate bars, I decided that it was time to visit the shop in person. I went one evening with my family and when I saw the hot chocolate menu, I had to have the peanut butter hot chocolate. My mother got the chili hot chocolate and that was heaven in a mug, but I preferred the peanut butter hot chocolate. With each sip, I tasted the rich chocolate and peanuts. The drink was frothy, warm, and filling. 

The shop is in downtown Raleigh and I live in Durham and it is too far to drive there on a regular basis. I had a task ahead of recreating this if I wanted this treat regularly. I noticed that when they were making it, they steamed the soy milk. I do not want to pull out the espresso machine to froth the milk each time, so I decided to try an experiment. Enter the Vitamix!

The Vitamix stays on our counter all of the time because we drink smoothies every morning. After several times experimenting, I came up with a recipe that tastes very close to the original. The only difference is that I have not used a chocolate bar from Escazu. Do not worry, I plan on trying that soon! If you do not have a Vitamix or a high powered blender that has the ability to warm liquids, warm the milk on the stove and froth it with a hand beater or an espresso machine. You can, of course, also have this treat un-frothed.  

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup of almond, soy, rice or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp mimic creme 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter (my tablespoons were not rounded, so feel free to go over this amount)

Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix, or high powered blender, and blend for 4 minutes or until steam comes out of the top of the lid. Check for desired heat level and blend more or pour into a mug and enjoy! 

Abundant Eggplant - Post 8

Eggplant is such a beautiful, deep violet color that I imagine the first people that tried it were expecting something amazing. I wonder if those people were disappointed. When I see eggplant, I want to eat it then I am usually disappointed. I do not dislike the vegetable, I just do not fully appreciate it. I think that it is wonderful breaded and fried, but since I normally do not bread or fry I am often at a loss as to what to do with it. I have made eggplant parmesan vegan and gluten free, but it was not stellar. It is probably because I did not fry the eggplant. I am not the type to fry things. I do not love fried foods. Well, let me clarify--fried foods do not love me.

I have also sliced eggplant thin and oven roasted it and served it in a sandwich with roasted red pepper. I like eggplant that way, but I felt like I needed something new. The way I tend to prefer eggplant is in a Middle Eastern dish called baba ghanoush. For several weeks in a row, we had gotten eggplant in our CSA share and I decided to try the dish again. I had made it years ago and wanted to improve on the flavor. It came to me that the way to up the flavor in this dish would be to roast the garlic along with the eggplant. So I tried an experiment of stuffing the garlic into the eggplant while it was roasting. My thought was that the flavor of the garlic would infuse the eggplant while roasting. The result was a garlicky success. 

I served this as a side dish to tofu and vegetable kabobs with brown rice on the side. As I thought about the flavor of the baba ghanoush, I envisioned it as a delicious pasta sauce as well. I tried the idea recently and was pleased with the result. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of it as a pasta sauce. 

Baba Ghanoush

• 1 large eggplant or 3 small (I used 3 here)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and cut in three slices
• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Sumac (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the eggplant. If using three small eggplants, cut three slits into each. If using one eggplant, cut 9 slits. Make sure that the slits are large enough for the garlic slices. Stuff the garlic slices into the slits and place on a baking sheet sprayed with a small amount of olive oil. Roast the eggplant for 25-35 minutes until tender. 

When finished, remove from the oven and let cool. When cooled, remove the garlic from the eggplant and place into a food processor. Peel the eggplant and scoop out the tender inside into the food processor. Place the tahini and lemon juice in the processor and blend. Stream in olive oil until it has reached a consistency that you prefer. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and pulse for a couple of seconds. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed. 

Place into a serving dish and drizzle olive oil in the center. If using, sprinkle with sumac. If you do not have sumac, you can sprinkle with paprika.

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

It is the time of year when you start seeing Silk seasonal creations such as Pumpkin Spice and Nog. I like those well enough, but I'm crazy about the mint chocolate flavor! Facebook has been buzzing with talk about the new flavors in the store (ok, maybe only for those of you with lots of vegan friends). John was at Whole Foods and I asked him to pick up the chocolate mint kind. Much to my dismay, they were out of that kind and only had the pumpkin spice.

I am not a fan of the pumpkin spice. I always expect it to taste like pumpkin and it doesn't. I know it is just the spices from a pumpkin pie, but I want it to taste like pumpkin. Instead of sulking, I decided that I would make my own version of the minty drink. I looked through our cupboards and felt like I had the right combination and got to work. I must say that this recipe is as good as the store bought version. Although, I'll probably still buy it once and a while for a treat!

Mint Hot Chocolate Almond Drink

• 1 cup almond milk (soy or coconut would work too)
• 3 Tbsp vegan, fair trade chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Place the soy milk into a small saucepan and turn the heat onto medium. Whisk in the chocolate chips and cocoa powder and whisk until the chips melt. Add in the agave nectar and extracts and whisk again until warm.

Pour into a mug and serve warm!

Sweet Potato Nachos

Post number 20 for VeganMoFo. I met my goal to have 20 blogs during Vegan MoFo! I might even exceed my goal by a post or two.

The concept of the sweet potato nacho is not a new one. I am sure I have seen it on other MoFo blogs and that it is in several cookbooks that we own. I am posting it here not as my own recipe, but just to share a fun idea.


Sweet potatoes are always in season in North Carolina, so we can find them every weekend at our year-round farmers market in Durham. This is a vegetable that I have only recently begun to like. I decided that when I became vegan that I would try to like everything that is vegan. Now that I am gluten free and vegan, I do not refuse any food as long as it comes under both categories. If I can eat it, I will eat it. In making myself consume sweet potatoes, I actually began to like them with the caveat that I only like them savory. Well, unless you bake a vegan and gluten free sweet potato pie. I think I would like that, although I never had the non-vegan or vegan version of it.

This week we had four sweet potatoes, two large and two small, and we decided to make sweet potato nachos. I am not going to post a recipe, since it is not mine to share. I will, however, tell you what I used. I roasted potato slices with smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and cumin. When the potatoes were crispy, I placed them on a plate and added the following toppings: vegan refried beans, tomatoes, salsa, black olives, hot red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. You could even throw on some vegan cheese to make this more fun.


Serve this up with some greens and you have a healthy and fun meal!

Rich and Creamy Spiced Hot Chocolate

Post number 13 for VeganMoFo.

Hot chocolate is another one of things that I look forward to during Autumn. While it has been very warm during the days, the evenings have been cool. The colder air has put us in the mood for hot chocolate. My favorite element of our hot chocolate is the subtle undertone of heat. It is not very sweet and I have found that the beauty in this drink is the cocoa, vanilla, and cayenne. In playing with the recipe, I have learned the sweeter the drink, the less of the flavors that you taste. Have no fear, if you do not like spicy foods, you can leave out the cayenne.


So here is my take on hot chocolate.

Rich and Creamy Spiced Hot Chocolate
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c mimic creme (soy creamer would work here as well)
2 Tbsp vegan gluten free chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Mayan cocoa (includes cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. If you don't have this you could add in more cinnamon and cayenne pepper to your cocoa to taste.)
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Vegan marshmallows (Dandies or Sweet and Sara)


Place the almond milk and mimic creme into a small saucepan. Heat slowly on med-low heat. Add the chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Then add in the vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, and whisk vigorously until the cocoa dissolves. Add in the agave nectar and take a small taste to see if it is sweet enough to your liking. Don't forget that the sweeter you make it, the less you will taste the flavors.


When hot enough, pour into a mug and top with several vegan marshmallows. Enjoy your warm beverage!

Pickled Sunchokes? What's a Sunchoke?

We have been buying sunchokes, also known as a Jerusalem artichoke, from our farmers market. It is a small root vegetable that looks like a cross between ginger root and a potato. I recently learned that it is neither from Jerusalem nor is an artichoke. The sunchoke is native to the United States and is a knobby tuber that comes from the root of a plant called Helianthus tuberosus. This tuber is healthy as it is rich in vitamin C, phosphorus, thiamine, iron, and potassium.

As a child, my Mom would buy sunchokes and we would snack on them raw or in a salad. This tuber has a very different flavor raw than it does cooked. When eaten raw it resembles the flavor of jicama, although not as watery, and a sweet turnip. When cooked, it resembles the flavor of a white potato. It is delicious!

Over the years, my Mom would bring up the sunchoke and I searched for the choke with no avail. When I came across sunchokes at the Durham farmers market, I was ecstatic to have them back in my life again. Piedmont Biofarm, one of my favorite local farms, had them in their booth one warm Saturday. I was so delighted to see the root after all of these years. John had never heard of them, but was willing to give them a taste.

We both loved their flavor and continued to buy them and add them to salad for a bit of crunch. Piedmont Biofarm was even nice enough to suggest a new way to eat the sunchoke by sauteing them with some olive oil and onion. We followed their advise and were not disappointed.

Recently, I came across a recipe to pickle the choke. I like cucumbers, okra, beans, and peppers pickled and I thought a sunchoke would be just as delightful pickled. I didn’t much care for the recipe that I found so, I used the recipe as a guideline and made up my own.

• Sunchokes (about a pound and a half to two pounds)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 1 ¾ cup of distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• ¾ c water
• ½ Tbsp of whole mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ½ onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Mix the lemon juice in a bowl of cool water (the sunchokes will rest in here, so make sure the bowl is big enough to hold the chokes). Peel the sunchokes and cut into rounds. Transfer as cut to lemon water.

Bring vinegar, salt, water, mustard seeds, turmeric, and cayenne to boil in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Cool brine to room temperature.

Cook sunchokes and onion in a large pot of boiling water for several minutes until tender. Drain and let sit to cool. Put vegetables in a glass/ceramic bowl or Mason jar and pour brine over them. Make sure that the veggies are submerged and chill. Stir once or twice a day and allow them to marinate for at least 1 week (to allow flavors to develop). You can start snacking on them whenever you like, but the longer they are in the brine, the better they will taste.

The end result is a homemade, crunchy pickle that makes a great snack!