Vegan Cooking with TLC

Small confession... I tend to bake a lot. When I look at the list of recipes I've created, there are far more cakes, breads, and muffins than I'd realized. I like to take a recipe and play options with it. Small changes can make a big difference sometimes. The cardamom, cherries, and pecans really play well together in this muffin. I love this muffin for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. Cardamom Cherry Pecan Whole Wheat Muffins 1 cup hazelnut milk 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 2 tablespoons hot water 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon matcha (optional) ½ cup date sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup pecans 1 cup cherries* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached  paper muffin cups or silicone liners . In a small bowl , mix together hazelnut milk and vinegar until it bubbles. Set aside. M

This recipe was born from a paprika chicken I used to make a long time ago. I decided to see if  I could use the basic idea behind it to create a plant-based version of it. I started playing with it and after several versions I settled on this one. The original recipe called for something like a cup of white wine. I thought that was too much, so I cut it down a little bit each time until I got to 1/4 cup and added more vegetable stock each time to make up the difference. That worked nicely, but I also wanted to try a wine-free version, so I made it without the wine. While omitting the wine does change the flavor slightly, it's almost unnoticeable. Still, I left the wine in the recipe as optional. I  made another quite large change regarding the cabbage. The original recipe called for cooking the cabbage with the rest of the food, but I really don't like cooked cabbage. I do, however, like raw cabbage, so I changed it up. The raw cabbage adds a freshness to it that cooked ca

I first drank Rosemary Water at Magenta*, a restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon. When I tasted the water they served, I noted it had a slight rosemary taste. I wondered about it, so I asked the waitress. She explained that they infused the water with fresh rosemary. I loved the idea, and soon tried it at home. My first few attempts I used far too much rosemary and ended up with water that had an antiseptic flavor. Finally, I found a nice balance. Rosemary water is easy to make and makes for a nice change from plain water. I often make it when I find I'm not drinking enough water as a way to encourage myself to drink more. Rosemary Water 2-4 sprigs fresh rosemary 60 ounces water. Place rosemary in a  pitcher and pour water over rosemary. Let steep overnight in refrigerator and drink. Add water to pitcher until water begins to lose its flavor. Note: I use organic ingredient whenever possible. *Magenta is still open, but I haven't been there since

I'll admit that this week was a last minute decision about which recipe to share. I was focused on tax preparation all week. In fact, Loay cooked dinner most of the week, and I made quick, easy breakfasts. So last night when I looked at my recipe list and thought about what I had in the house because I also didn't go to the grocery store this week, this recipe seemed like the best bet. It could serve as today's breakfast and today's recipe! Plus we both find it quite tasty. Apple Spice Whole Wheat Muffins 1 cup hazelnut milk  (or other nut milk ) 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 2 tablespoons hot water 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon matcha (optional) 1 cup applesauce ½ cup hazelnut pulp ½ cup date sugar 2 teaspo

Bread often seems like a complicated thing to make, or at least I used to think it was complicated. In reality, it's time consuming and requires a bit of effort. It's not complicated. This bread has few ingredients and is in many ways a bit basic. The chickpea flour gives it an interesting crumb. The combination of the whole wheat flour and the chickpea flour makes a denser bread than a white flour bread will make, but it's also a healthier bread. Making it this week reminded me why I used to make it quite often and made me want to make it more often. Chickpea Whole Wheat Bread 1 ½ cups warm water (approximately 110 degrees) 1 tablespoon yeast 1 teaspoon molasses 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds ¼ cup chickpea flour 3 cups whole wheat flour Whisk flax seeds in ½ cup of the warm water and set aside. In a large bowl , whisk yeast into rest of water. Whisk in molasses. Let set for 5 minutes until starts to bubble indicating yeast is working. C