Vegan Blueberry Scones

Once again, I tried a new recipe... This one is delish, but the texture wasn't scone-like for me; I imagine it was user-error. I hear scones are incredibly difficult to get texturally accurate, and so I will keep trying! 

Following is a copy/paste of the recipe, which came from this website. I made a couple of slight edits: 1) I did 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the scone; then 2) I added zest to the icing. The lemon flavor was nicely forward, which made me super happy!

Vegan Blueberry Scones

Tender, moist Vegan Blueberry Scones with simple glaze are a wonderful addition to any breakfast or brunch! Better than Starbucks! 

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time26 mins

Total Time36 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, French

 

Servings: 8 scones

 

Calories: 322kcal

 

Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons cold vegan butter (or solid coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup almond milk (soy or coconut milk fine)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4-1 cup fresh blueberries (may use frozen as well)
• OPTIONAL: lemon zest from 1 lemon

Simple Glaze, optional

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground flaxseeds, salt and sugar.
• Add the cold vegan butter, and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients. It should resemble coarse crumbs.
• Pour in the milk and vanilla, and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. 
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times until it comes together. Flatten the dough with your hands (lightly flour your hands if sticky). Flatten it into a circle, about 1 inch thick.
• Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut it like you would a pizza, into 8 pieces.
• Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 22-26 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top.

Make the optional glaze:

• Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
• Let the scones cool for at least 15 minutes, then drizzle some of the glaze onto each scone. Let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

1. May also use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. A gluten free flour mix would probably work, but I haven't tried it.
2. You can sub the vegan butter with coconut oil that is hard. Cut it into the dry ingredients the same way.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

Party Food: Sweet Potato Crescent Bites

It's been a long while, but it's a new year, so I figured I'd share here... We had a gathering recently, and I made these delicious treats (from www.delish.com)--well, I modified them so that they're vegan deliciousness! 
They really turned out great (and they were a party hit!), but I do have additional modifications, which I state below... Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Crescent Bites

INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
2 

medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

1/4 c. 

packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. 

almond milk (or your preferred dairy free substitute)

1/2 tsp. 

ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. 

pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. 

kosher salt

1 

(8-oz.) refrigerated Crescent sheet (or rolls, but the sheet doesn't have perforation)

3/4 c. 

mini marshmallows; I skipped them (small town woes), but some chopped up Dandies would probably melt and add the same feel and sugar.

24 

whole pecans

Maple syrup, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray; I used liners because I wanted them to be handheld for my guests. Pierce sweet potatoes 3 to 4 times with a fork. 

1. Cook potatoes: Place potato on microwave-safe plate and microwave 15 minutes. If your potatoes aren't fork tender after 15 minutes, continue microwaving in 30 second increments. When potatoes are cooked through, scrape filling into a large bowl and discard skin. 

1. Note: We boiled the potatoes, because our microwave was out of commission the night we made them. Boiling worked just fine; just remove the skin before boiling.

1. Using a potato masher or fork, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Add brown sugar, milk substitute, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent sheet. Note: pinch together seams if using the rolls, rather than a sheet. 

1. This is the hardest part of this process in my opinion: Cut into 24 squares and place in muffin tin cups. Do use the mini tin! We made a test batch in regular tins, and the pastry dough didn't get quite as crispy in the bottom (my suspicion: too much sweet potato filling).

1. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of sweet potato mixture into each crescent square, then top with mini marshmallows and bake until crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes. 

1. Add a pecan to the center of each bite and bake 5 minutes more. 

1. If using, brush pecans with maple syrup before serving This is kinda key for making them sweeter...before the maple syrup, there's not much sweetness in these bites.

Pina Colada Cake

From http://getinmybelly.com/pina-colada-cake/ and I can't wait to try it!!!!

Ingredients
-2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, divided
-1/3 Cup Pineapple Juice
-3 (20 oz) Cans Pineapple Chunks in Pineapple Juice, drained
-1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
-2 Cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a 13×9 inch baking pan in the oven for about 5 minutes.
3. When butter has melted, remove pan from the oven.
4. Stir pineapple juice then pineapple chunks into the pan.
5. Spoon cake mix over all pineapple chunks covering completely.
6. Sprinkle coconut on top of cake mix until completely covered.
7. Cut remaining stick of butter into small cubes and top over coconut.
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes rotating cake 90° every 15 minutes for even browning of coconut.

Notes

-It’s ok to substitute frozen pineapple or fresh pineapple for the canned pineapple.
-It’s ok to substitute rum for the pineapple juice.
-If coconut starts to look too dark then cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
-The dessert may look a little soft when removed from the oven but it will firm up as it cools.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Orange Zest

This was a nice alternative to cranberry sauce....good veggies, light and health, and wonderful flavor!

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise if small or quartered if large
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted, peeled, chopped hazelnuts
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil, sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss again. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nearly tender and browned.
2. Add the dried cranberries, hazelnuts, and orange zest. Stir well and continue roasting for at least another 5 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are deep golden brown, crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Because I don't want to lose recipes, I sometimes post recipes from the internet. This is one of those moments... I made this awesome butternut squash soup for a holiday party we have in December 2014, and it was amazing--sweet but still savory!

YUM!!!

Our favorite butternut squash soup recipe...and the best part? It is made in the slow cooker! Garnish with maple roasted chickpeas for an extra special soup!

ingredients:

For the Butternut Squash Soup:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
1 large apple, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)
2 (14 oz) cans low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Maple Roasted Chickpeas:
1 (15 oz) can Libby's Organic Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

directions:

1. Add the onion, carrots, butternut squash, and apple to the slow cooker. Pour the vegetable broth over all of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

2. Once vegetables are cooked and soft, puree the soup using an immersion blender. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender (in batches) and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the slow cooker and season with spices and maple syrup. 

3. While the soup is cooking in the slow cooker, make the maple roasted chickpeas. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and pat dry with a towel. Remove the skins by rolling them on the towel. In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Place the chickpeas on a large baking sheet. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the chickpeas and toss until chickpeas are well coated. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when chickpeas are crunchy. 

4. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with maple roasted chickpeas. Serve immediately.

Banana Nut Bread Deliciousness

I have lost and found this recipe too many times to mention, and so finally, I'm pasting both the link to the recipe and the recipe itself to my blog. It's so simple and easy that you really can't NOT make it, and it's VEGAN to boot!

What you need:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a loaf pan.

Mix the mashed bananas and oil in a large bowl.

Stir in the flour, vegan sugar, salt, and baking soda.

Mix in the nuts.

Pour the well-blended batter into the greased pan, top with nuts (if desired), and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Remove, let cool, slice, and serve. 

Spicy Cauliflower Deliciousness

This is not my recipe....seriously, it's not. One of my friends found it here: http://amazingpinterestworld.blogspot.com/2012/11/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower.html Then she shared it with me at a holiday gathering recently.

Holy Cauliflower, Batman! Bang! Zap! Pow! Amazingness!

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• For the batter:
• Dash of Frank’s Original Hot Sauce, or whatever kind you like
• ½ c. white rice flour
• ½ c. water
• Pinch salt
• 
  
• For the Buffalo sauce:
• ¼ c. Frank’s Hot Sauce
• ¼ c. oil, canola oil works best
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the batter ingredients in a small bowl. Dip the cauliflower in the batter until coated evenly then place on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter hardens.
2. Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Once the cauliflower are done baking, brush them with the hot sauce mixture and bake again for a few more minutes, until cauliflower is crispy.
3. Remove from oven. You may want to add a bit more buffalo sauce to taste.
4. Enjoy!

Recipe from:
http://www.bullfrogsandbulldogs.com/pinned-it-did-it-spicy-buffalo-cauliflower/

Vegan Halloween Candy

As the haunting holiday gets closer, I thought I'd share this special find...

Vegan Almond Joy Bars!

Yum--I'm making these for a party I'm going to Saturday!

All Things Pumpkin Warm My Heart...

It's true....I love pumpkin.

If you do also, check out these treats...some of them seem easily convertible to vegan!

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/thumbnails/0,,20307007,00.html

Cheers!

Pictures over the Recent Few Weeks

On Monday the 22nd (?) I took pictures in the Kleinau again (Lightbulb), and here are just a couple of my favorites!

Checking out a Prism

Talking to Art, the 6ft imaginary frog.

On the Davis & Elkins College campus, walking across the bridge to the library...

B'day gifts for the nieces, bought from Etsy!

A new bike rack by my office at SIUC, with a pretty cool bike!

cous cous and veggies. yum!

Oh my....at the coffee shop in Carbondale!

Peanut Butter Pillows

I want these cookies now! Seriously...chocolate and peanut butter (really, chocolate and anything) sounds awesome for b'fast today!

Lazy Friday!
BG

Tasty Thursday: Nut Butter Cookies

Nut Butter Cookies

1 1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup dry sweetener--I use regular granulated sugar

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup margarine--I use Fleichmans Light

1 1/4 cup nut butter, your choice (e.g., peanut, almond)--I use Kroger creamy PB

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sweetener, baking soda, and salt. Add the margarine (I waited until it had softened to room temperature so that it was easier to mix up), nut butter, and vanilla, and stir together until well mixed. I added a cup of vegan chocolate chips. Spoon a heaping tablespoon (I used a small cookie baller, packed in) of dough onto a cookie sheet and press flat with your fingers. Use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet (seriously! let these cool or they'll simply break apart when you slide the spatula under them...wait the full 5 minutes). Makes 10-18 cookies, depending on size.

From The Garden of Vegan, p. 184, my notes/modifications in red

Mushroom Gravy

From *La Dolce Vegan* p. 181.

Malloreigh's Mushroom Gravy

2 T vegan margarine
4-6 button mushrooms, finely chopped
3 T flour
1 T nutritional yeast
1/4 t ground black pepper **or to taste!
1 t tamari **or soy sauce
1 c vegetable stock

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms in margarine until soft. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, pepper, and tamari; stir constantly until thickened. Which in stock 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Blend in food processor if you want smooth gravy or serve as is. Makes approximately 1 & 1/2 cups.


**my tips...add a 1/4 cup of the stock before adding the flour, nutritional yeast, pepper, and tamari--doing so thus far has enabled me to NOT need to blend it in the food processor, but then....I really like mushrooms, so that could really influence one's decision to blend.

This works great with southern fried tofu, mashed potatoes, and a fresh steamed vegetable!

Thursday Treat: A Recipe

So, last week, Dr.Blueberry made a weird sandwich...well, weird to me. It was an open-faced "roast-beef" sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy on top. Here's how it happened... I met up with a local friend at one of the "dives" around town while she and her partner were having lunch. For lunch they were having open-faced sandwiches (turkey I believe) with fries and gravy... I thought, um, well, at first I thought "yum" and then I realized the caloric content and thought "yuck." When I came home, I told Dr.B about the sandwiches, and in his adorable excited kitchen way, he replied that he could make that...vegan!

So, onward!

Basically, he took two slices of sandwich bread, topped it with some thinly sliced seitan (warmed in a skillet and soaked in Braggs), then topped (I asked for mine to be on the side) that with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy (I don't think I've shared my favorite of the gravy recipes yet, so I'll do that next week!). We served it with some hominy--yum!

It was kinda delicious!

Here's a picture!

Recipe Thursday: A Rare Find...Pizza!

When Dr.Blueberry and I were in Taos last week, we went to Taos Pizza Out Back for dinner one night. What a find... So, this week I will not share a recipe, instead I'll share this rare find! If you're ever in Taos, please check it out.

Here's the thing that makes this place amazing...the crust and the soy cheese. Ok, so I have to admit that since becoming a vegetarian and since becoming a vegan, I've never had pizza as good as this. The crust was thick, the veggies (We had the Pizza Primavera without the feta and mozza, add soy cheese). We ordered a large, which usually is not a problem for us to put down... We each had two pieces and had to box it up to bring back to the lodge we're staying at. Seriously, it's so thick and delicious, make sure you have a fridge you can put the leftover deliciousness in when you leave the Out Back!

Here's the pizza we ordered...

Hope you can make it there someday to enjoy this find!