Vegan Cooking with TLC

I often cook my own pumpkin for recipes containing pumpkin, but sometimes canned pumpkin works just as well, or possibly even better. I have only used canned pumpkin to make these scones, but I'm sure one could cook and puree their own pumpkin to make them if desired. To be honest, I haven't tried it only because I usually make these on a whim rather than planning ahead. These scones feel like eating a healthy comfort food for breakfast or a snack, especially in the fall. They are great with both coffee and tea. Pumpkin Pecan Scones 1 can pumpkin ½ cup nut milk* 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoons ground flaxseed 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ½ cup maple sugar** ½ cup pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking liner....

Blueberry muffins make for a wonderful breakfast, a great snack, or even a healthy dessert. This is the most basic blueberry muffins I make. I often make varieties of blueberry muffins, particularly with different spice combinations. Sometimes, though, it's nice to keep things simple.  Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins 1 cup nut milk 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds 1 tablespoon hot water 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup maple syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup blueberries Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached compostable muffin paper muffin cups or silicone liners. Mix together flaxseeds and hot water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. In a small bowl, mix together nut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk in flax seed mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Create well in the middle of this mixture. Pour liquid mixture into center of dry ing...

Since I started eating a whole-food, plant-based diet several years ago, I’ve discovered the challenges of trying to eat vegan while traveling. It takes some extra planning, so I often pack snacks when traveling to places that might not have vegan options. There have been too many times when I’ve been stuck with nothing to eat on long trips. It’s particularly difficult to find healthy plant-based meals. Earlier this year, on an international flight, there were no vegan meals after attempts to reserve one before the flight. Over twenty hours on a plane without a decent meal was tough. One flight attendant rounded up a couple pieces of fruit, but I was very grateful for the granola I made to take to eat as a snack. It became a meal. More recently, I went on a road trip across the US. A few quick searches before leaving the house showed there might be some challenges finding vegan, particularly healthy, food in some areas along the route. So, again, I made snacks to take on the trip for t...

You might remember that I shared a version of Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes a while ago, but this version has a few changes that tasted different enough that I wanted to share it as well. The first was based on a Paprika Chicken recipe I used to make years ago. It's important to remember that with any recipe small changes, sometimes just one ingredient, can change the flavor profile in a distinctive way. There are other changes that are almost undetectable. I enjoy playing with recipes to test flavor profiles and sharing those results to demonstrate the flexibility of cooking. So here's my second version of Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes. I served it with flat bread this time, which was quite good. Paprika Tempeh & Potatoes 1 pound package tempeh ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 1 medium red onion 1 medium carrot 2 tablespoons paprika 8 small purple potatoes 1-2 cups shredded cabbage 2 cups tomato sauce ½ cup red wine (optional) 1 – 1 ½ cups vegetable broth Freshly...

This last posting in this batch of infused vinegars brings me to a savory version, finally. I don't tend to think of making savory infused vinegars very often; however, I really wanted to try this combination of flavors, so I made this Jalapeno Carrot Infused Vinegar. It works well for salads and other savory dishes, but my favorite way to use it is as a spray on air-popped popcorn with a little bit of nutritional yeast. Jalapeno Carrot Infused Vinegar 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 2 jalapeno peppers 2-3 medium carrots 2 cups apple cider vinegar Chop the onion.  Peel and lightly smash the garlic clove.  Remove seeds and stems from jalapenos. Chop jalapenos.  Chop carrots. Place all the vegetables in a large jar.  Cover with vinegar. Place in a dark, cool place and let set for approximately 1 month.* Strain vinegar from vegetables and discard vegetables.  Pour vinegar into a bottle.   Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particu...

Fruit infused vinegars can be use on a variety of dishes including salads, oats, popcorn, and desserts. I like to experiment with infused vinegars and often find they elevate the flavors. Peach Cinnamon Infused Vinegar 1 cup peach slices 2 Ceylon Cinnamon sticks 2 cups apple cider vinegar Place peaches in a jar. Break cinnamon sticks into pieces and add to jar.  Add apple cider vinegar.  Place in a dark place to allow to infuse.* Let marinate for a month to fully infuse flavor. Strain mixture to separate peaches and cinnamon sticks from the vinegar.  Pour into a bottle and label. Refrigerate if desired.** *In particularly warm climates or during particularly warm times of the year, infused vinegars can be allowed to infuse in the refrigerator, if desired. ** I like to store vinegar (infused or not) in the refrigerator because I like it cold, so I haven't tried not refrigerating it. Note: I use organic ingredients whenever possible. Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate...