Vegan Cooking with TLC

Every time I post a recipe I think of a building block recipe like Walnut Milk, I feel like I should post more recipes than one. This time however, I'm going to fight that urge. These recipes, though building blocks, can also be used as stand alone recipes for those who use or drink nut milks. Most nut milks are fairly similar. Walnut Milk 1 cup walnuts 4 cups water Place walnuts in a small bowl and pour water over the almonds. Allow to soak 8-12 hours. Place walnuts and soaking liquid in a blender, such as a  Vitamix . Add 4 cups of water. Blend until the liquid turns white increasing the speed slowly. Place a  nutmilk bag  in a pitcher and pour blended walnut mixture into the nut milk bag. Twist the bag wringing out as much liquid as possible. Place walnut pulp* from the nut milk bag into an airtight storage container. It can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. Pour the walnut milk into an airtight container. Refrigerate. ...

I first ate paella while in Barcelona, Spain in 2002. I knew I had to put my own spin on it when I got home, so I did. Over the years, I've made several versions. When I decided to adopt a plant-based diet, I decided to come up with a vegan version. This is one of the vegan versions I've made. This one requires a particular mushroom, the lobster mushroom, that isn't always easy to find. When I found it this week at The First Alternative Co-op in Corvallis, I knew immediately that my plans for Thanksgiving dinner had just changed! I made my Lobster Mushroom Paella for Thanksgiving dinner served with a pumpkin pie for dessert (recipe coming soon).  May the coming year be filled with daily gratitude for the journey we're all taking to become our best selves. And may we never forget to view history through not only our lens but the lenses of others. Lobster Mushroom Paella 1 tablespoon flaxseeds 1 shallot 2cloves garlic 1 red pepper 2 medium ca...

I developed this recipe a bit by accident. I had leftover stout beer in the refrigerator from another recipe and not quite enough plant based milk to try my idea for making chocolate cupcakes. I'd already started making them when I realized I didn't have enough plant based milk, so I added in the stout to make up the difference. We really liked what the stout added to the cupcakes, so I tried buying a chocolate stout and making it with that. It worked even better. Thus was born my Chocolate Stout Cupcakes , which are a bit on the indulgent, perhaps even decadent, side. I don't make them often for that reason, but I made them for my birthday as well as my husband's this year! Chocolate Stout Cupcakes 2 ounces dark chocolate * ¾ cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk) 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar ¼ cup chocolate stout beer** 2/3 cup date sugar ¼ cup almond pulp 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup Spelt flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ba...

This week I had a craving for sweet potato fries, so I decided to make them and share my recipe. These are a healthy no-oil bake version that I really enjoy. The sweetness of the sweet potato combined with the smoky mild heat of the paprika makes these a nice accompaniment to a variety of sandwiches and salads. They also make a nice snack. Sweet Potato Fries 4 small sweet potatoes 2 cups apple cider 1-2 teaspoons paprika * 1 teaspoon no salt seasoning mix Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise into fry-shaped pieces. Place in a mediumbowl . Mix apple cider, paprika, and seasoning mix in a small bowl. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour apple cider marinade over sweet potatoes. Cover. Marinate for 10 minutes. Stir gently. Marinate another 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper . Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush with marinade. Sprinkle with a little more paprika.   Set marinade aside. Bake sweet pota...

It's Autumn! Days are cooler, the leaves are turning, and the rains have started here in Oregon! Autumn is a wonderful time for squash soups! One of my favorites is Butternut Squash Red Lentil Curry Soup. It's a thick, filling soup that is delicious with a sourdough bread or Whole Wheat Stout Bread . It's just as good as leftovers as it is when made fresh. Butternut Squash Red Lentil Curry Soup 1 medium butternut squash 2 cups red lentils 1 small onion 1 small sweet potato 2 medium carrots 1 medium parsnip 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds ¼ cup water 8 cups vegetable stock 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds Peel and seed butternut squash. Cut into ½ pieces. Dice onion. Mince fresh ginger. Roughly chop carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato. Roughly chop rosemary. Heat the water in a large pa...