Vegan Mac n "Cheese"

My long time vegan friend Bryan used to make this for my friends and I back in the day when I was 100% vegan. There are many different ways to make vegan mac n cheese with nutritional yeast instead of cheese. This is the first recipe I came across and it turned out QUITE well! Make sure to consider the optional ingredients. I added Veganaise to make it more creamy. It's far more healthy to make the vegan alternative of dairy-heavy recipes.

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/01/vegan-mac-n-cheese-two-dairy-free.html

Vegan Potato Soup

I found this recipe and it was delicious. I doubled the ingredients, cooked the onions, put half in the blender and the other half in the soup just chopped. I also added some white rice to make the soup even more interesting.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/02/quick-and-easy-potato-soup.html

I Made Rose's Crazy Surprise Cake...

...and here's a picture! YUM YUM YUM. The frosting is dark chocolate/orange/coconut milk. This is my Rosh Hashana effort of the year - a sweet new year to everyone!
Love,
Ali

Potato Salad, Light and Vinegary

I took this recipe for one of my favorite versions of a Cucumber Salad, and added potatoes instead. It's got the light, tangy punch of vinegar and dill, and makes the perfect side for a summer meal.

What's in it:

your favorite 'taters (or 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced)

1/3 cup cider or white vinegar

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

dill, freshly chopped

How to make it:

1. Place 'taters (or cucumbers) in a small bowl

2. In a tightly covered container, shake remaining ingredients (leave dill out). Pour over 'taters, and cover/refrigerate for 3+ hours to blend flavors.

3. Drain 'taters. Sprinkle with dill and store covered in fridge until it's time to serve.

Creamy version:

After draining 'taters, stir in 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt. Store covered in fridge.

You can also leave this salad un-drained if you like it real tangy, or if you don't have time to let it sit in the fridge for 3+ hours. The drained dressing makes a great base for a salad dressing too.

Serves: 6

Source: Betty Crocker Cookbook © 2005

Lentilles with a Fried Egg and a Green Salad

Today I woke up craving lentils. This is not an uncommon occurrence, and since I was planning on making a peach tart later, I figured a salad accompaniment would be nice.

Lentils

{This is a fairly standard recipe I think, feel free to vary it up a little!}

1 small onion, peeled

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, peeled

1 piece of smoked bacon

1 leek, washed and roughly cut

1/2 pound of lentils

Dijon mustard, salt, red wine vinegar, to taste...

Place the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cover with cold water. You should check for pebbles in the lentils before you put them in, but no need to wash them. Bring the mix to a boil, and then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and leek. You may but up the bacon and carrots and use them in the lentils {something I recommend you do, and don't be put off by the bacon, no it doesn't look as good as its fried cousin, but if you chop it up finely it will taste good}. Strain the lentils, keeping a few spoonfuls of juice to re-moisten them. Put the lentils back in the pot along with your carrots and bacon, and lentil juice. Add salt, a tiny spoonful of dijon mustard, sprinkle with vinegar, and season with salt, taste-testing as you go.

Fried Egg

I like to top my lentils with a fried egg, sunny side up, for a little extra protein.

Salad

Mixed greens of your preference

2 avocados, sliced {for this purpose I think wide very thin slices are best}

1 carrot, sliced {I like to julienne carrots}

1/2 good quality apple, pink lady or fuji, thinly sliced

3 radishes, thinly medallion-ed

3 tablespoons feta cheese

1 thin medallion of lemon per plate

Dressing

dijon mustard

honey

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

pinch of salt

{I find making dressing is easiest in a sealable jar (such as a little mason jar)}. Place all the ingredients in a jar or a bowl, I never measure, but about a spoonful of dijon, an equal amount of honey, and when pouring the oil and balsamic, they should be about equal parts as well, then a splash of red wine vinegar. Mix them until smooth with a fork, or by sealing and then shaking the jar.

Assemblage

{this is really just a suggestion, but thats how I plated the meal for the pictures}

*Dress the greens in a separate bowl, then place them on a corner of the plates and sprinkle with feta cheese, top with a lemon slice.

*Arrange the slices of avocado, carrots, apples, and radishes along the side of the salad, leaving room for the lentils.

*Dish out the lentils and then top with a fried egg.

foolproof yellow (or white!) cake

i'm not really sure what to call this cake recipe. for one thing, it can easily be made as either a white or a yellow cake. it falls somewhere between a butter cake and a chiffon cake. it actually comes out moist every time, even if you accidently overbake it slightly. it is easy to mix, doesn't have any weird ingredients, takes substitutions well, and has a good mellow vanilla flavor. the recipe is in volume measure (cups and teaspoons!). it can easily be torte sliced (into 1/4 or 1/2" layers, for fancy cakes) if chilled first, and pairs well with most frostings.
yellow cakes and i have always had a tenuous relationship...for one thing, i think we've all eaten too many that closely resembled cardboard. if it were my choice i wouldn't have ever had a reason to work this recipe out: now i wouldn't live without it.
the other reason i've always loved to hate yellow cake is that there are two types of yellow cake bakers. in one corner is the reigning champion, the classic style butter cake. it has great flavor. it has great texture. but, it's typically on the dry side, requiring a bit of syrup brushed on before icing. also, it requires careful mixing and attention to detail. in the other corner is the challenger: the 1940's chiffon cake. this american upstart uses oil (oil! in the cake! history's french patissieres are turning in their graves.). the oil lightens the texture and makes the mixing method ridiculously easy. it also happens to be the invention that made modern boxed cake mixes possible. thanks, betty crocker.
this recipe is like a lot of compromises: it wouldn't make either side of the yellow cake debaters happy. but i think it'll make everyone else happy!

foolproof yellow (or white) cake

1/2 c unsalted butter, soft
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c milk (or half & half)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs

preheat oven to 350 f
prepare pans: three shortish 8" rounds OR two tall 8" rounds OR two 9" rounds
1. measure all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. add everything except the eggs and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
2. add the eggs and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
3. bake at 350 f for 25-30 minutes or until done.
cool on racks until pan can be handled without mitts, then remove pan and cool to room temp on racks before frosting.

for deeper color use 9 egg yolks instead of the whole eggs. then you'll have plenty of whites left over to try making meringue. or try a cooked frosting recipe. or make your own sprinkles. or cut the cholesterol back in your morning omelet.
i've successfully subbed the milk our for things besides half and half: coconut milk, almond milk, and soymilk each tasted splendid

to make white cake:

1/4 c shortening + 1/4 c butter
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c half and half
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp oil
5 egg whites

follow regular instructions

do it! make one! if you try a new format (sheet pan, cupcakes, loaf pan, etc) let me know and i'll add it to the pan list.