Vegan MoFo - Pumpkin Hot Toddy

I've been under the weather for a few days and was thinking some hot lemon and ginger in "toddy" form would help sooth my poor sick self. Well, sick or not, MoFo is still on my mind.

Pumpkin Hot Toddy
Serves 1

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon sugar or agave
• 2 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup boiling water
• Optional add ins: fresh grated ginger, 1 tea bag, 1 shot of whiskey or rum, cinnamon stick, cloves, lemon slices or wedges

Combine lemon juice, sugar or agave and pumpkin on the bottom of a large mug. If using an optional ingredient, add it now. Pour the boiling water over and stir well. Drink immediately.

Vegan MoFo - Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk

If you're like me, you go crazy for the Silk Pumpkin Spice beverage that is available this time of year. I love it in my coffee even though I normally don't put anything in my morning caffeinated beverage.

Well, guess what? You can make it at home! The original is made with soy, but you can easily whip up a batch using nuts in your own kitchen. Watch and learn.

Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk

• 1 cup raw almonds (or other raw nut of your choice)
• 6 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon Spice Blend or store bought pumpkin pie spice

Remember that time when I made nut milk? Same idea here. Start with the almonds and 2 cups of water in the blender. Blend for a good 5 minutes, until you have a pretty creamy consistency. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the milk. (A cheesecloth would probably come in handy here so you could squeeze it, but I never have one on hand.) Add the pulp to the blender and blend with 2 more cups of water. Repeat straining & blending once more with additional 2 cups water. You'll do this a total of 3 times. Reserve your pulp, covered, in the fridge (I have plans for that later).  At this point you should have 4 cups of almond milk. Reserve 2 cups of it, and store it, covered, in the fridge. Rinse your blender and strainer well. Pour your remaining 2 cups of almond milk back into the blender and blend well, strain. Now to your blender add your milk, spices and pureed pumpkin. Blend & strain, again. I know it's a pain to keep blending and straining, but look at that! You're all finished! Store your pumpkin spice beverage in a covered container in the fridge.

Definitely try it out in your coffee, it make a standard cup of coffee rich and creamy. Add sweetener of your choice, if you prefer. I promise, this will be the new star of your coffee station at your weekend autumn brunch!

Vegan MoFo - Quick Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream

Last Thursday I went to Lula's Sweet Apothecary and had the pumpkin ice cream. For dinner.
I knew within moments of the first spoonful that I would be recreating this in my kitchen.

Before we begin, you'll need to freeze some pumpkin puree. Interestingly enough, I had a dream about piping pumpkin puree into ice cube trays. As my dream predicted, it is very easy to fill the ice cube trays if you use a pastry bag. You could also use a ziplock bag with a tip cut off. Or, you could just use a damn spoon. You should be able to fill one and a half trays from one can of pumpkin. Freeze your pumpkin for a few hours until solid, I recommend overnight.

(Bonus: my dog happens to enjoy a cube of frozen pumpkin as a treat, and I'll bet your dog does too!)

Quick Pumpkin Ice Cream Serves 1

• 8 frozen pumpkin cubes
• 1/4 of a frozen banana (about a 2" piece)
• 6-7 tablespoons non dairy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, cloves & allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Let your pumpkin cubes sit out for a few minutes, otherwise they will propel around your food processor like tiny little rockets and your neighbors will come running to see what that "machine gun" noise was. Add the pumpkin cubes and banana to your processor and begin to pulse. Add the non-dairy milk one tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and add the spices. Pulse a few times to fully incorporate the spices. Serve as is or pop it into the freezer for just a few minutes for a firmer ice cream.

Note: if you freeze it for too long and are having trouble scraping it out because it is solid as a rock, break the ice cream up into pieces and add it back to the food processor. Add about 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk and pulse until you have the consistency you want.

Top with chopped walnuts, if you dare.

VeganMoFo - Spiced Popcorn*

Are you hungry? Me? Oh, I'm always hungry. It's just... I thought you could use a little snack after all the booze I served you...
*I'm calling this popcorn, but it's really more like kettle corn.

Spiced Popcorn
Serves 2

• 4 cups plain popcorn
• 1-2 tablespoons oil or melted vegan margarine
• 2 teaspoons spice blend (see below) or store bought pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons sugar

After popcorn is popped, pour oil or margarine on top and quickly toss. Sprinkle with sugar and spices, toss again to coat all popcorn.

Spice Blend

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg & cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon each ginger & allspice

Mix well. Sprinkle on everything. Popcorn, coffee, your cat, etc.

VeganMoFo - Apple Bellini

I'm taking a break from pumpkins today to bring you yet another autumn inspired brunch beverage. There was some major teamwork in the kitchen this morning. We could have fed the entire building with the amount of food we cooked up. Nonetheless, it was delicious and required a nap immediately after. As you know, no brunch is complete without a bubbly drink. Have a try at this one. A bellini is traditionally made with pureed or muddled peach. Here an apple replaces the peach for a little fall flair.

Apple Bellini

• 1 medium size apple
• Prosecco
• cinnamon stick, for garnish

First you need to puree your apple. I just cut it into about 5 or 6 big pieces, put it in the food processor with a splash of water, and blend. I did not peel the skin, but you can choose to peel it if you want to. You'll need to really process it for a few minutes, it'll feel like too long, but don't worry. You want the apple as smooth as you can get it. (Alternatively, you can probably use applesauce.) You can strain your puree if you want to, but I did not. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of apple puree into a glass and fill with Prosecco. I like to keep a cinnamon stick in the glass as I drink because the scent reminds me of cider. 

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin Ginger Mimosa

Weekends for me, means brunch. All too often I find myself at Curly's, sipping a sangria, which I am perfectly happy with. However I'm itching to whip up a delicious fall brunch with pumpkin pancakes and waffles galore. Hellooo mimosa!

Pumpkin Ginger Mimosa

• 5, 1/4" slices fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• champagne*, chilled  

In a small sauce pan, heat ginger slices, sugar and 1 cup water. Simmer over medium-low heat to extract all ginger flavor, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and set in the fridge to chill. Meanwhile, when your ginger is simmering, mix the canned pumpkin with the remaining 1 cup of water and strain. When the ginger mixture is chilled, pour into the pumpkin mixture. Again, strain through a fine mesh strainer. The pumpkin will continue to settle, so just make sure you aren't going to get pumpkin chunks in your mimosa. Mix equal parts pumpkin ginger mixture with chilled champagne, and cheers!

*Sparkling cider or even San Pellegrino would make a fine substitute for champagne.

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

Guess what? I found vegan white chocolate in Whole Foods. I did! I really did! It was pretty much a miracle. As far as I know, vegan white chocolate is hard to come by unless you order it online... which is fine, but if a white chocolate craving suddenly strikes who can wait around for delivery? This white chocolate is local to NY so I'm not sure what the availability is in other Whole Foods stores. Here's what it looks like...  

The caramel color comes from the coconut sugar and even though the chocolate isn't exactly white in color, it sure does taste like white chocolate. And it is soo good. 

The moment I found this I knew what I had to do with it... white hot chocolate. I've only had white hot chocolate once, ever. I remember it being sweet and delicious. Why not try to add some pumpkin to it?

Vegan Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

• 2-3 oz. vegan white chocolate (I used 2 of these bars, which are 1.4 oz each)
• 1 cup soy milk
• 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• pumpkin pie spice, for dusting

In a small sauce pan, melt the chocolate in the soy milk over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin and whisk to incorporate. Heat through just enough so the mixture is hot, but try not to let it bubble or it will start to caramelize and burn onto your pan. The mixture is thick so if you want a thinner drink add a bit more soy milk. Pour into a mug and dust the top with pumpkin pie spice. 

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin Chai

I love me a good chai. Whether hot or iced, could there be a more perfect drink? I think not. Here's an autumnal version of the classic drink.

Pumpkin Chai

• 1-2 cups brewed black tea
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 cups water
• 1/12 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves, allspice, cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1 star anise
• non-dairy milk, optional

Begin by brewing your tea, then set it aside. In a small sauce pan combine pumpkin, water, sugar and spices. Cook this mixture over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. You want the spices to infuse the pumpkin. Taste it as you go and adjust the sugar and spices to your own tastes. I don't like it very sweet so I kept the sugar low, but I like it very spicy so I actually upped the spices. (I think I upped too much- I doubled the spices and lost the pumpkin taste. Keep that in mind if you want to add more spice.)

Once your spice mixture is ready add 2 tablespoons of it to your cup and then fill with your brewed tea. I topped mine off with some warmed coconut milk.

Feel free to chill your spice mixture and enjoy your tea on the rocks.

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin Spiced Hot Cocoa

What's better than taking a walk on a chilly fall night with a steamy cup of hot cocoa to keep you warm? Make it even more comforting spiked with pumpkin flavor and the perfect blend of fall spices.

Pumpkin Spiced Hot Cocoa

• 1/4-1/2* cup Pumpkin Simple Syrup
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dandies marshmallows & cinnamon to garnish

In a small sauce pan, warm the pumpkin syrup and soy milk over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder making sure there are no lumps.  Bring to a simmer but continue to whisk so that it does not scorch. Pour into a mug and sprinkle with cinnamon. I topped mine with Dandies marshmallows but I think Sweet & Sara's pumpkin spice mallows would make this drink extra special.

*I used only 1/4 cup of pumpkin and the flavor was subtle while the texture was very smooth and creamy. Use the bigger amount if you want more pumpkin taste.

VeganMoFo - Hot Pumpkin Cider

Well here I am racking my brain to come up with pumpkin drinks for y'all. On this cool, blustery fall day cider is the first thing that comes to mind. Doesn't get more fall-ish than cider.

Hot Pumpkin Cider

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 cups apple juice (I juiced about 4 apples. If you don't have a juicer, feel free to use your favorite apple juice or cider. Just make sure the only ingredient is... apples.)
• 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Whisk over medium heat, bringing it up to a simmer. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and drink immediately. (Note that if this drinks sits, the pumpkin will begin to separate.)

My 12 year old brother tasted it and said, "Oh, that's really good. It tastes like pie. I like it." But then added, "I think it would taste better cold, though."

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin White Russian

Ask, and you shall receive!
Time to get your drink on with pumpkin beverage number three...

Vegan Pumpkin White Russian

• 1/8 cup vodka
• 1/8 cup coffee liqueur 
• 1/8 cup Pumpkin Spice Syrup
• 1/2 cup almond milk (I used Silk Almond)

Mix all ingredients together in a glass measuring cup. Pour over ice. Drink up, dude. 

(Be sure to check out Barnivore for your responsible vegan boozing needs.)

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin Spice Latte

Hmm, do I see a theme emerging here..? Only time will tell....
I promise this will not become a month of pumpkin beverages (unless you want that...) but this one was just begging to be made.

I'll admit that at this time of year I am one of the crazies that shell out too much moola at S'bucks (vegans- please see the link in the comments about the Starbucks version of this beverage) for a pumpkin spice latte. I guess it goes without saying that a little leftover pumpkin butter really got the wheels turning here. Who would've thought?
This homemade latte requires a few steps but is not complicated at all. You'll need to start with a simple syrup.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

• 1/4 cup pumpkin butter 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 

In small sauce pan heat all ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly. When small bubbles form around the edges you're all set! Remove from heat and store any unused portions in a tightly covered container in the fridge.
Now for the main event...

Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice Syrup 
• 2 shots of espresso 
• 1/4 cup steamed soy milk 

Start with the pumpkin syrup in your mug. Pour the espresso over the syrup and stir. Slowly add the steamed soy milk and top with foam. Sip slowly and savor!

Note: I thought 2 tablespoons of syrup would be a lot, but the flavor was very subtle. If you like a strong taste of pumpkin (like moi) then you'll want to add more. Perhaps double it.

Fret not friends! You do not need to own fancy coffee equipment to create a homemade latte. Instead brew 1 cup of strong coffee and warm your soy milk on the stove top.

VeganMoFo - Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Happy Vegan MoFo!!

To celebrate, I made you a delicious beverage!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin butter
• 1/2 cup soy milk

Blend! Drink!

I swear this smoothie is my genius brain child. I had this jar of pumpkin butter sitting around foreverrrrrr. Finally I used a tiny bit of it, but soon realized that I just wasn't going to finish it up in time and was afraid it would go bad. So I stuck it in the freezer. I forgot about it in there for a long time. A few days ago I was craving a different kind of smoothie, and with fall looming about, pumpkins must have been on my mind. I peered into the freezer and there was my answer. After defrosting in the fridge I knew this pumpkin butter was the key to my smoothie woes. Damn was I right!

Pumpkin butter is so perfect for a smoothie because it is spiced up nicely with all the right fall flavors and as an added bonus, mine did not contain any sugar. If you want your smoothie sans added sugar be sure to check the label (if using pre-made).

Try it out guys! What do you think? How about apple or pear butter?? Homemade peach jam? The possibilities are endless!

Taco Salad

This is a simple and speedy way to use up those nagging kitchen staples and create a yummy meal all at the same time!

What you are looking at here is 2 small bunches of shredded romaine, 1 package (1 1/2 lbs. prepared) of soy curls, 1 can of black olives, 3 ears worth of corn (roasted), 1/2 of a red onion, blue corn chips and Queso.

Not only is this super quick and super easy but it's also customizable. Don't like black black olives? No problem! Want to add avocado? Go ahead! Soy curls not your thing? This is the perfect time to use any veg. protein of your choice. 

My soy curls were prepared very simply. First soaked for 10 minutes in warm water. Then cooked in a skillet with a blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander and the juice of 1 lime. About 10 minutes in the pan and they were done.  

The fun part is getting to arrange your salad...

I roasted up some fresh corn for this bodacious buffet and even that was super quick! Here's how you roast up corn at home in a flash. 

Roasted Corn

• 3-5 ear of corn

Preheat your oven to 475º F.

Cut the kernals off of the cobs and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from oven and scrape up the corn. You basically want to just move the corn around so that it cooks evenly. I run a metal spatula down the sheet in rows, turn the corn and flatten it again. There's no real scientific method to moving corn so just do whatever works for you at that moment. Into the oven for another 5 minutes, and you are done! Serve warm. I highly recommend you do roast up some corn at home, if for nothing but the incredible sweet smell that will fill your kitchen. You can even freeze the roasted corn and save it for a later use.

*Quick and Easy* Fall Vegan Picnic

If summer and I were soul mates, then fall would be my secret affair. Anyone who knows me knows I love the sweltering temperatures of a hot summer day, but when the cool fall air begins to creep in I can't help but secretly get all giddy on the inside.

 For me, fall is the perfect time for picnicking. Yesterday we enjoyed our first picnic of the season, complete with a bike ride around Manhattan.

Tired bikes, resting up.

On the menu was a brown, wild rice salad with slivered almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries and a sprinkle of arame. This came together in a snap. I had a ziplock bag's worth of the rice already cooked and in the freezer. All I had to do was quickly warm up the rice (I popped it in the microwave for about 5 minutes). Toss in the cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes and almonds (all pantry staples around here) and there's a complete meal. All of the ingredients really complement each other well. You get the creamy earthiness from the rice, a burst of sweetness from the cranberries, a salty bite from the tomatoes and a little crunch with the almonds. This is especially perfect picnic food since you can enjoy the rice warm or cold.

Blue corn chips and Queso were perfect for snacking along with 2 macoun apples to round it all out. The last of the coffee cakes for dessert and 2 sample size Larabars as an extra treat/boost of energy. Have a look...

All packed up!

Queso... yummm!

So good, and soo filling!

It's not a picnic without a red blanket...

good company...

and a nice view makes it complete!

Quick & Easy Veggie Rice Pilaf

Another quick and easy one tonight folks! Can you tell how lazy I've been lately? But hey, a delicious meal doesn't need to be complicated. This is actually the 2nd night this week I've made a rice pilaf dish. The first one though had a longer cooking time. You can also use this as a kind of "clean out the fridge" type meal. I had some broccolini that was starting to wilt so in the pot they went! Definitely feel free to sub any veggies you have at the moment.

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

• ~1/4 cup vegetable stock, broth or bouillon cube (just enough to cover the pan)
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 bunch broccolini, finely chopped
• generous dash of tumeric
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 cups water (or more veg. broth)

Gently simmer the carrot, garlic and broccolini in the veg. stock for about 2 minutes. Add the tumeric and stir. Add the orzo, rice and water, stir and briefly bring to a gentle boil. Simmer, covered on low for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Taste for seasonings and fluff it up!

Easy Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

How is the weather where you live? Today is day # 2 of crappy, rainy weather in NY. Here's a quick soup that feels like a big warm hug on a cold day.

Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1 carrot, minced or grated
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious, unsweetened)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped

Heat oil over medium heat, cook onion 1 minute. Lower heat to medium low, cook onion 3 more minutes. Add garlic and carrot, I grated these both right into the pot. Add all of the spices, salt and sugar, cook about 2 minutes. It will look a little like a paste at this point. Turn the heat down all the way to low and add the coconut milk. Mix it all together, the color will be a beautiful golden yellow. Turn the heat up to medium again and add the can of tomatoes, plus 1/2 a can's worth of water. Bring it up to a gentle boil and toss in the spinach. Simmer just until the spinach is wilted and enjoy, perhaps with some crusty bread.

onion, garlic, carrot & spices 

add coconut milk...

add tomatoes, then spinach...

Yum.

Lasagna: A Layer by Layer Tutorial

I scoured the entire city today for some damn Daiya mozzarella shreds. Yes, really. Unbelievable, I know. To top it off, it's a crappy day today. Just pouring down rain, windy, muggy, nasty day. What a perfect night for comforting lasagna.

Everyone knows how to make lasagna, right? I don't know, maybe not. I'd like to give you a simply lasagna tutorial today. All while watching Extreme Couponing! (I am just bewildered by these people. It's crazy!)

Lasagna

• 1 lb lasagna noodles (not the "no boil" kind)
• 1 batch of pasta sauce (or jar sauce, if you must)
• 1 batch tofu ricotta
• 1 bag Daiya mozarella shreds
• ~1 cup fresh spinach (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. You'll prepare the noodles first, and no, you're not boiling them! I repeat, do not boil the noodles. Instead, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. I do this by filling a separate lasagna pan with about 2" of hot tap water. (Note: my tap water is extremely hot.) Then I layer 4-6 noodles in the hot water for 5 minutes. When the first batch of noodles are ready, begin layering.

Lay 3-4 noodles in a lasagna pan. Spread a layer of tofu ricotta over the noodles followed by a layer of sauce. Next sprinkle the spinach over top (if using). I just tear the spinach with my hands, no fancy chopping needed here. Last, sprinkle a nice layer of Daiya mozz. That's it! Now, repeat so you have 3 complete layers. Once finished, pour the remaining sauce over top and cover the top with a final layer of mozz.

Cover loosely with foil, and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes. When it's finished your Daiya will be incredibly melty and delicious. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it will hold together a little better when you cut slices.

Tofu Ricotta

I love(d) ricotta cheese. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it was with a sprinkle of sugar mixed in, on top of a big bowl of pasta. Those days are behind me but when a dish calls for a creamy ricotta like ingredient, it's easy to substitute with a quick homemade tofu ricotta. Here is how I make mine...

Tofu Ricotta

• 1 block firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Crumble the tofu into a bowl. (Tip: I use a potato masher to mash the tofu.) Your tofu should have the consistency of ricotta cheese (duh). Mix in the spices until completely combined. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Polenta Fries

Since the move, I have been working my way through some pantry staples, in an attempt to, well, avoid food shopping. At least it's making me be a little creative...

Exhibit A... polenta fries. Now children, I realize these are not new to veganland, but they are new to my kitchen. So here we go...

Polenta Fries
(should serve 4-6 as a snack, but the 2 of us easily finished off one batch)

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon dry Italian herb blend
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. When your water is boiling add the oil, turn heat down, then slowly whisk in the dry ingredients. Make sure no clumps form, and continue whisking until you have a very thick mixture. Spread your mixture out into a greased baking pan (I used a 9" round, just use what you have). Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Turn out the polenta onto a cutting board and cut into fry shapes, mine were just shy of about 1/2" thick.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet or cast iron pan (highly recommended) over medium high heat. Fry your, um fries, in a single layer, a few minutes on each side, until just turning a light golden brown.

It is absolutely essential that you devour these immediately out of the hot oil. It is the only way to truly savor these babies. Take note of the perfect bite... a light, crispy, salty crunch followed by a warm smooth, creaminess in the middle.

These are certainly delectable all alone, but I decided to whip up a quick little side dip. The sundried tomatoes really add a little extra salty kick.

Sundried Tomato Pesto

•  1 heaping cup, loosly packed basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 sundried tomatoes packed in oil

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until you have a crumbly mixture. Add tomatoes and process until smooth. Slowly add olive oil by the teaspoon if needed.