Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chicken with Sauteed Rice & Green Salad

Hubby and I are officially moving out of NY in a little over a week.  Needless to say, things are quite busy here.  Packing, packing and more packing.  Seriously, where did all of this stuff come from?!  Also, the weather here, as I'm sure it is in most places, is hideously hot.  I love being in the kitchen, but this weather makes me want to take a nice long break.  I would be absolutely happy to eat giant salads everyday, but I have a hubby that works like crazy and goes to the gym everyday and needs some heartier food.  Also, since we are really getting down to the wire, I am trying to use up all of the ingredients in my fridge and freezer.  Have I ever mentioned that I have the refrigerator that came with the apartment, plus an additional refrigerator/freezer combo and a small chest freezer I bought a couple years ago?  So there was quite a bit of stuff to go through. 

I discovered a package of Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chicken that I bought a couple months ago when it was on special hanging out in the freezer.  I usually like to save those kinds of items, silly as it seems, for when I feel like I'm going to need them.  Today was definitely one of those days! Way too hot to deal with being in the kitchen for an extended period of time.  So I just cooked the chicken according to the package directions, made a big green romaine lettuce salad and sauteed some leftover rice I had in the refrigerator with some olive oil, onions, broccoli, tamari and red pepper flakes.  Simple, quick and filling.  Just what the hubby wanted.  I'm in trouble though - as soon as he finished his dinner, he decided he wants pizza tomorrow.  Really babe?  I'm wondering if he realizes I'm going to have to turn the oven on to like 450 degrees for an extended amount of time.  We'll see if that really happens!

Gardein Mandarin Oreange Crispy Chicken with Sauteed Rice & Green Salad:



I love how I didn't notice till now that hubby is standing in the
back of the picture.  Too funny!

Koko


Vegan Divas

About a year and a half to two years ago, I worked as the executive pastry chef for a company called Vegan Divas.  I was going through my computer a couple days ago, when I came across many pictures from back when I worked there.  And while I had intended to post them way before, I realized I just never got around to it.  And since it goes along with the theme of cleaning out the apartment (since we are moving in a few short weeks!), I'm also cleaning out the computer.

While there, I added several dishes to the menu, which are pictured below.  There are also pictures of a few of the larger orders I did.  That was a crazy time when I was the only baker for the company and had revolving interns working as my assistants.  Tons of work!  But you can enjoy the end result of that work:



A recipe I introduced: vegan carrot cake with vegan cream
cheese frosting.






A special order item: lemon raspberry coconut roll-ups.






A finished rack of iced and glazed donuts.



Hundreds of packages of portioned out chocolate pudding!



A giant order packaged and ready to be delivered.



Giant bowl of coconut macaroon filling.



Portioning out the macaroons.



Some of the macaroons before baking.



Lots of brownies!



Giant order of scones, packaged.






A recipe I created: special order for 18 vegan cheesecakes!  And
the crusts all had to be pressed out by hand!

Enjoy!

Koko

Mushroom Barley Soup ala Risotto

The countdown is on for Hubbs and I to move.  It is officially 4 weeks from today that we will make the drive from Brooklyn to Michigan.  Now is the time to start going through things and getting rid of stuff that isn't going to make the journey with us.  Since living in NY, I've invested in a small chest freezer as well as an additional refrigerator/freezer combo other than the one that comes with the apartment.  I have been teaching so many classes and doing so much testing that I simply needed more space.  Now that the time is drawing near, I'm trying to empty out the freezers and use up everything in there.  Mostly we have a lot of frozen fruit left and some baking chips, gluten free flours, etc.  That is until I discovered a ziploc baggie of mushroom stems.  Soup - the perfect answer!  Now I realize that this is not the perfect weather for soup (high 80's and crazy humid), but I could literally eat soup everyday, multiple times a day.  So I decided to make mushroom stock from the mushroom stems I saved every time I purchased a package of mushrooms.  It makes an amazingly delicious stock.  After going through my pantry as well, I came across half a bag of barley that needed to be used up.  What better way to use the mushroom stems and barley then by making Mushroom Barley Soup? 

I think the last time I ate this soup, that I can recall anyway, was in second grade when we made stone soup, which was actually a barley soup with stones speckled throughout.  Pretty gross to think of now, but it was pretty awesome back then!  This recipe, which I used the Candle Cafe's cookbook as a reference, turned out very tasty, but stupid me got busy packing more and more stuff into boxes, left the pot on the stove over low heat, and ended up not with a soup, but rather, almost a risotto.  But it was still quite tasty!



Mushroom Barley Soup ala Risotto:



Quite tasty.

Serves: 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup medium diced carrots, about 3 medium
11/2 cups chopped celery, 2 stalks
1 cup medium diced onion, 1 medium
1 1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
3 cups mushroom stock
3 cups filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup barley, rinsed
2 bay leaves

1.  In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Allow it to become hot, then add the carrots, celery and onions.  Stir and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, till softened. 
2.  Add the mushrooms and gently stir, trying to keep them whole. 
3.  Add the rinsed barley, stirring to coat with all of the ingredients.  (This is to keep the grains separate.  If you were to add them with the stock at the same time, they would clump together more.)  Once the barley is dry, add the stock, water, salt and pepper and bay leaves. 
3.  Allow the soup ingredients to come to a boil.   Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for about half hour, stirring periodically, until the barley is cooked all the way through. 
4.  To make it into the "risotto" I ended up with, cook it for about double the time over low heat.  ;)
Enjoy!

-Koko

Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Coconut Whip Cream

 Summer is here with a vengeance!  It is crazy hot here in NY and across the US I've been hearing.  Being in the kitchen at this point is torture! My work environment is crazy hot, I bike home and cook every night for my Hubby and test tons of recipes for my cafe.  But it's so hot now, so I try to minimize recipes that involve baking and boiling.  I know this recipe goes against what I'm trying to do to survive the heat, but I've been craving the delicious sauce that goes with these shortcakes.  And this really hit the spot, especially with the homemade vegan whip cream.  Yum.  So turn on the oven and enjoy this awesome dessert!


Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Coconut Whip Cream:

Fluffy biscuit topped with sweet but tart
strawberries and vegan whipped cream!

Serves: 4

Biscuits:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup soy free earth balance
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil

Strawberry Sauce:
8 oz. strawberries (fresh or frozen), roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
agave to taste
pinch sea salt
drizzle of vanilla extract


1.  Preheat the oven the 375 degrees.  Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside until ready to use.
2.  In a medium bowl, add the unbleached flour, baking powder and sea salt.  Whisk together until combined.  Add the earth balance and work into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your hands (my choice). 
3.  Once the earth balance in mixed in, add the remaining wet ingredients: almond milk, cider vinegar and canola oil.  Using a rubber spatula, fold ingredients together until a soft batter forms.
4.  Using a portion scoop, portion out the biscuit batter onto the prepared baking sheet.  (You can also place the dough onto a floured surface, roll it out and use a biscuit cutter, but this is by far the easier way to do it.)  Gently flatten each ball of dough with the palm of your hand and place in the oven.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until baked all the way through, and golden on top.
5.  Prepare the strawberry sauce.  Place the roughly chopped strawberries in a medium bowl and using your hands, squish the berries until they begin to release their juices.
6.  Add the remaining ingredients: the lemon juice, agave, sea salt and vanilla.  Stir well to coat.  Season to taste with additional agave if necessary.  Store in the refrigerator while the biscuits are cooking and cooling.  This mixture should cool for at least an hour before serving - it is much better slightly chilled.
7.  To serve, split open a biscuit and place in a bowl.  Place a spoon of the strawberry sauce, topped with the other half of the biscuit.  Top with additional strawberry sauce and the vegan whipped cream.  I don't use the store-bought vegan whipped cream-I think it's disgusting!  I always make my own out of coconut milk. Much tastier!

Enjoy!

Koko

Gluten Free Testing: Cinnamon Rolls #8

I've been working on a gf recipe for cinnamon rolls for a couple years now.  On and off mind you.  The first, oh five batches or so, were pretty terrible I would honestly say, but I never quit.  Every subsequent recipe has gotten better and better.  This is test #8 and is the best so far.  I'm not going to post the recipe because I'm already on test #9 and the changes were somehow lost.  I should have written out each recipe individually and labeled them all, but hindsight is 20/20, right?  Next time I'll be sure to do it.  Once this recipe is perfected, I'll be sure to post it.  Until then, enjoy these pretty pictures!

Gluten Free Testing: Cinnamon Rolls #8:

After Rolling and Proofing - Unbaked



After Being Baked - Hot Out of the Oven



Drizzled in Icing!



Don't I Look Delicious!






Enjoy the pics!

Koko

Monday, Not Sunday Brunch

It's Brunch Time!  This was from the Brunch I made for Hubbs and I on Monday - the only day I don't have to be to work at 5 am. 

I mentioned in the last post that I still want to keep this blog going even though I have not had a ton of time to work on it lately.  What I had intended when I first started it was to take pictures of everything I cook and bake, write and post the corresponding recipe.  Most of the time I do take all of the pictures and write all of the recipes down.  Sometimes, somehow, I do not write down the recipe due to timing issues, or Hubbs inadvertently throwing it away, or some other mishap, but I still have all the pictures that I would like to share.  It makes me sad going through the thousands of food pictures I have taken over the last couple years and think of not being able to share them, simply because it would not follow the initial purpose I had of creating this blog, by not also posting a recipe.  So perhaps from now on, I may be posting some/more blog posts without recipes, but with more pictures.  Besides, food pictures are always fun to look at right?  So, here are all the lovely pics of the brunch we had, which was delicious!  I could barely get the pictures taken because the Hubbs was standing over my shoulder with his fork, declaring how "starving" he was.  So they were taken pretty quickly.

Monday Brunch!





The plate all loaded with delicious food: homemade vegan
sausage, diner potatoes, tofu scramble, pancakes.




Tofu Scramble.


 

Pancakes!





Diner-Style Potatoes.

 

The whole spread before it was dished up.  Beautiful!

Enjoy!



Koko

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

Back from a few weeks break.  Things have been crazy busy over here like usual, but the type of busy is different than usual.  My husband and I are moving out of NY in about 7 weeks.  We are somewhat preparing, but mostly doing a lot of thinking.  We're going to have to get rid of about half of our stuff and I'll drive a giant moving truck all the way to Michigan - the same way I got here over 6 years ago.  I have been doing so much thinking lately, wondering if I am making the right decision for the right reasons.  Hubby and I want to open our vegan cafe, which we want to do in MI, since there really isn't anything there right now.  And of course we want to be close to my family since his family is all the way back in the Dominican Republic.  Three of my siblings now have children and I'm assuming Hubbs and I will be next (although still not happening for a couple years - at least that's the plan).  And I would like our kids to be raised with their family nearby.  I am doing well in my career here and now, making good money.  And until we open our cafe, we will have to work jobs there, which I am sure will not be close in payment as I am making now.  See - selfish reasons. 

This is ultimately for the best and I really do miss my family.  It's also that I have spent my whole adult life here and am used to the convenience it offers.  And don't even get me started on how easy it is to get great vegan food here!  I have to eat as much as possible before I leave!  The funny thing is that I literally cook almost every day, all the time, so what am I really worried about?  Hubbs and I rarely eat takeout or delivery.  It's most likely just that it is there if we "need" it and tasty and easy.  So you see  - this is just a fraction of everything I have been thinking of, taking away from my time on this blog.  I am also really trying to finish the business plan for our cafe and testing and re-testing all the recipes, making sure they are perfect.  It takes a lot of time and money, let me tell you.  But I still also cook almost everyday and still take a ton of pictures and record the recipes, so it makes sense to continue with this blog, even if it is just a record of all the fun tasty things I have made.  So, this is one I made a few weeks ago that I got off of fatfreevegan.  I changed some things and it turned out tasty, but I will make some changes the next time - like adding some tasty vegan cheese on top.  But overall it was a tasty, hearty dinner.  And gf to boot!

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole:

Giant mixed green salad with homemade ranch dressing,
roasted broccoli & cauliflower & the casserole.

Serves: 6

Sauteed Veggies:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

sea salt and black pepper

Sauce:

2 1/2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour

1 teaspoon unchicken boullion

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 oz. can diced green chiles
15 oz. fire roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

15 corn tortillas, or as needed

2-3 cups cooked black beans

enchilada sauce - store bought or homemade

sliced black olives

shredded vegan cheese (definitely going to use this next time)

1.  Prepare the sauteed veggies: in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and allow it to become hot.  Add the onions, jalapeno, garlic, red pepper and cilantro. Saute for several minutes until softened.  Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Prepare the sauce: in a medium saucepan add the almond milk, superfine brown rice flour, boullion and black pepper.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring periodically.  Once the mixture begins to simmer, stir more frequently as it begins to thicken. 

3.  Once the mixture is quite thick, reduce the heat and add the can of green chiles, can of fire roasted tomatoes and chopped cilantro.  Stir together well and season to taste.

4. Prepare the casserole:  spray nonstick spray oil onto the bottom and sides of a 9x13" baking pan.  Place a ladle of the enchilada sauce on the bottom, then layer the tortillas on the bottom.  Spread half of the onion mixture, black beans and 1/3 of the sauce.  If you want to use the vegan cheese, add some now.  Add some enchilada sauce.  Add another layer of the tortillas, followed by the remaining 1/2 onion mixture, black beans, 1/3 sauce, some cheese perhaps and enchilada sauce. 

5.  Finish the casserole with the last layer of tortillas and enchilada sauce.  Add the black olives (and cheese if you would like - but add it before the olives).

6.  Place the casserole in a 375 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and cooked through.

7.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Koko