Review: Strawberry Basil Preserves -- Vegan MOFO #18

Holy yumminess, Batman.  I found the holy grail of fruit preserves.  Behold the Organic Strawberry Basil Preserves from a Michigan company called Food For Thought.  I had never seen this jam, nor had I heard of the company until today.  I stumbled upon it at a little gourmet food shop and my life will never be the same.  You may be thinking, "Strawberries are sweet and Basil is more savory...this is an abomination."  But you would be wrong...so very, very wrong.  This stuff is heaven in my (and probably your) mouth.  I sped home and started toasting bread before I even put my handbag down.  No joke, I was that excited.  Strawberries and basil are two of my most favorite flavors, so I couldn't resist having them combined into one.  The flavor is seamless.  No strange flavors standing out, just a perfect, smooth, sweet combo.  Just talking about it makes me want to eat some more.

I tried the preserves first on some multi-grain toast and my mind was officially blown.  Then, I tried it on some plain crackers, again, WOW.  And finally, I ate a spoonful straight from the jar.  All were amazing.  I bet it would even be good mixed into a vinaigrette.  Better yet, just hook me up to an IV.  I could eat this stuff every day.  They have another flavor that I'm dying to try now: Blueberry Lavender.  Maybe next time, my sweet obsession. 

You should know that this post isn't sponsored by Food For Thought.  I just happened to buy their product on a whim and I can't recommend it enough.  You can order directly through their website, or find them in co-ops and organic shops in Michigan and possibly other places, as well.

Pineapple Smoothies & the New Vita-Mix -- Vegan MOFO #17

Alright.  I've been eyeing the Vita-Mix for about 2 years.  I really wanted one, especially for smoothies.  The local shop charges $5.00 for a smoothie, and it can be pretty expensive if you want to customize or add any mix-ins, like nuts.  So, I got a different blender in the meantime, which subsequently can barely chop ice, let alone make a smoothie that's (ahem) smooth.  I started doing more research (read: asking my Twitter pals and watching endless videos online) and finally decided to take the plunge.  I ordered a factory refurbished model through the Vita-Mix website under "online specials."  The refurb still comes with a 7 year manufacturer warranty, which is excellent because my old blender had a 6-month limited warranty.  The mixers are expensive, but I've had mine for a day and a half and I'm already in love and made 2 wonderful smoothies.  Just so you know, Vita-Mix isn't sponsoring me or anything.  I paid for the mixer myself and this mini review is from the heart.

So, here's my first smoothie recipe.  I warn you in advance, it is a bit tart which is how I love them.  But feel free to add some sweetener of your choice.  I you are using frozen fruit, you don't need to add the ice.  I used fresh fruit this time, so I added ice.  This recipe makes 2 medium-large glasses full.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
• 1/2 banana
• 1-2 TB fresh lime juice
• about 8 fresh cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups ice
• 1/2 cup water

Blend on high until nice and smooth.

Halfway through Vegan MOFO (#16)

 Wow!  I honestly can't believe I've made it through the halfway point of Vegan MOFO 2010.  I was optimistic, yet realistic about how often I would post and whether I had the gumption and drive to make it through.  I'm not really good with self-regulating my blogging, especially when the blogs need to be done everyday.  I'm just really glad I've stuck with it.  I have learned SO much doing participating in this blog challenge.  And I've made so many great new dishes myself...like finally discovering the joy that is the tofu scramble.  YUM. 

Over the last week I think I've bookmarked more recipes for dishes than I have in the last several months all put together.  I've been seeing layered vegan meat cakes, tater tot casseroles, green smoothies, Caribbean mango dishes and so much more.  I really really LOVE the creativity in peoples' dishes and their willingness to share their knowledge and their recipes!  And I love finding new food blogs to follow and get inspiration from.  On top of the sharing, many of these bloggers are on Twitter and are happy to discuss their recipes and and answer questions.  Vegan MOFO has really opened my eyes to the community of vegan bloggers-- and not just the food bloggers, but the lifestyle and AR bloggers, too.  What an amazing community, and I'm honored to be a part of it. 

I was so inspired by everyone's love of the green smoothies and their Vita-Mixes that I ordered my very own Vita-Mix last Friday.  I'm so excited to start trying out the smoothies and soups and nut butters that were just about impossible to create in my old blender.  So, hopefully, it'll get here later this week or early next week and I'll be able to start sharing my creations, too. 

Where I'd rather be today.

Penne alla Vodka -- Vegan MOFO #15

 Skimming around the internet today, I came across a number of recipes for vodka sauce, none of which were vegan, so I jumped at the chance to give the sauce a tasty makeover.  I learned the basics of making the sauce and set out on my own to make a yummy recipe for the rest of us.  I think this recipe turned out spectacularly flavor-wise, but it didn't quite reach the creaminess level I was hoping for.  I ended up not "cooking down" the tomatoes far enough because I was very hungry and impatient as I always seem to be whenever I start cooking.  Well, enough talk. Let's get started.

Here are a few tips for my version of Penne alla Vodka:

• Chill out and don't "pull a Meg."  Give the tomatoes and vodka enough time and heat to cook down by about half, eventually they will. 
• I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted diced tomatoes and I highly recommend them because they have a ton more flavor than plain diced tomatoes.
• I used soy creamer instead of dairy heavy cream, so that its not quite as thick as heavy cream would have been.  If you're really craving a super creamy sauce, you could cook down the creamer in a saucepan and whisk in a tiny bit of flour.  I haven't tried it with this recipe, but I have done it in other creamy recipes. 
• You can leave the sauce chunky if you want, it'll still be great, but I've always had vodka sauce that was almost totally pureed.  I used a hand-held immersion blender to smooth out the sauce, leaving a few small chunks.  You could put the completed sauce in your regular blender or food processor to reach the same result.
• Serve with some garlic bread.  Man-oh-man.  The garlic bread dipped in the vodka sauce is quite literally a mouthgasm.

This recipe makes 2 huge servings or 3-4 smaller ones.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb penne, uncooked
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-4 medium cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 because I LOVE garlic)
• 1/3 cup soy creamer or you could also use your favorite milk, thickened on the stove
• 1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes and their juices (I used the fire roasted diced tomatoes mentioned above)
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil (I would have used fresh if I would have had it)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat.  Heat about 3 minutes.
2. Once the oil is nice and hot, add your onions and stir around.  Cook about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and softened.
3. Then add in the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Add in the vodka and tomatoes with their juice.  Be careful here.  If your pan is too hot, your vodka may catch fire.  I added the vodka slowly to avoid that.  Add the basil, onion powder and garlic powder and mix well.  Then bring to a boil until the liquid cooks down by half.  I probably cooked mine about 10 minutes on medium heat, which wasn't long enough.  You could also turn up the heat to speed this up a bit.
5. Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil.  Add your pasta and cook according to the package directions.
6. After your tomato sauce thickens, stir in your creamer.  Cook about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  I brought mine back to a boil for a bit while I cooked my pasta.
7. Drain pasta and put into a large bowl.  I dropped a TB of Earth Balance onto the pasta and tossed it gently. 
8. Pour your sauce onto the pasta and gently toss to coat all of the noodles.  Serve up with some garlic bread and enjoy :)

Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies -- VeganMOFO #14

By popular demand, I am sharing my ultra-top secret recipe for my vegan Double Chocolate Pecan cookies.  They taste like brownies, but come in convenient cookie size.  If you add a tiny bit more flour, they stay more brownie-like in consistency, add a bit more butter, and they get a bit thinner and crispier around the edges.  I like them both ways, so this recipe is sort of an in-between of the two.  I always toast my pecans in a skillet over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes stirring often so they don't burn.  It brings the taste of the pecans to an entirely new level.  You can also cut the salt amount in half, but I love a tiny hint of salt taste to accompany the sweet chocolate taste.  But, maybe that's just me.  And, since the batter has no raw eggs, feel free to eat a bunch and only bake a little.  It's really that good.  Everyone who's tried these amazing cookies has begged for more, omni or not.  So, I think it's safe to say that I rule for creating them. HAHA.  I crack me up.  But, really, they are freaking wonderful.

This recipe is for 18-25 cookies, depending on the size you make them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 TB Earth Balance butter, don't melt, but soften for a bit
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg replacement (I use Ener-G)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 TB unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 bag semisweet vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup of toasted, chopped pecans

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Depending on the size of the cookie sheet, you may need to use two. 
2. In mixing bowl, cream together butter and both sugars with an electric hand mixer until fluffy.  Add in the egg replacement and vanilla, then beat well.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Then,  slowly blend the dry ingredients into the moist using the hand mixer until just combined (no visible dry spots).
4. Gently fold the chocolate chips and the toasted pecans into the mix with a wooden spoon. 
5. Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet, leaving the scoops at least 1 inch apart.  You'll need more space if you've decided to add more butter, as they will spread out more.  Cook 10-14 minutes, depending on the size.  I use the toothpick test to determine doneness.  The cookies puff while cooking, then flatten somewhat after you remove them from the oven.
6. Let cool about 5 minutes on an cooling rack...if you can.  I dare you to wait the full 5 minutes.