Chow Vegan

Just in time for Halloween, bat-shaped cookie sandwiches from Zest Bakery, a gluten-free bakery in downtown San Carlos (a small town on the SF Bay Area peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose).

They’re spooky good! Kinda like an Oreo in that it’s a chocolate sandwich cookie with a creamy filling. But so much better.

Not a soft cookie, nor a hard one, it’s somewhere in between. Actually, it’s just about right (I never cared for the hardness of an Oreo cookie). And the creme filling is light and soft. Available in vanilla or chocolate flavor for $1.50 each.

While all of Zest’s items are gluten-free, just a few are also vegan. If coming from afar, it’s probably best to call ahead and see what they have available. Or you can special order things. They’re super nice and they know their stuff.

The batch of cookie sandwiches I first looked at were dairy-free and gluten-free but not quite vegan. It had powdered sugar processed with bone char. But they offered to make some that were vegan by the very next day. And instead of just regular ol’ round cookie sandwiches, they surprised me with cute Halloween bats.

Holy smokes, Batman! How’s that for great service?

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After hearing about Cleo’s Peanut Butter Cups, I finally managed to track one down. They’re basically a vegan version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a favorite before becoming vegan.

Sliding a peanut butter cup out of the package, it looked a little melty and oily. I used a paper towel to blot off the excess and took a bite. I was surprised to find the taste to be sweeter than I expected. Maybe it’s because I don’t eat all that much candy.

On the plus side, the peanut butter isn’t the dry crumbly kind, it’s smooth and creamy. Just like you see in the picture.

Yup, another fine non-dairy, no hydrogenated oils or trans fat, vegan creation from the folks at Go Max Go. There’s also Snap!, a crispy rice milk chocolate bar that I haven’t been able to find locally yet. And I’m still hoping for a vegan version of Twix someday.

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The winner of the Another Fork in the Trail cookbook is number 15.

Congratulations to dana! Please email me your mailing address and let me know if you would like a signed postcard to use as a bookmark from the author, Laurie Ann March.

Thank you everyone for playing!

With the extra ingredients from making Crispy Baked Spicy Pumpkin Wontons, I made more wontons but this time for a warming, comforting bowl of soup. In Cantonese, wonton means “swallowing clouds”. Floating around in the soup broth, they kinda do look like clouds.

In stark contrast to the crispiness of the baked version, wonton wrappers in soup turns all silky and slippery. They’re like soft little pillows. These in particular are also extra spicy, as I bumped up the amount of Sriracha (you can see how red the filling is in the below photo).

Never thought I would be making pumpkin wontons two ways out of one can of pureed pumpkin, but there you go.

Spicy Pumpkin Wonton Soup
Serves 2 or 4 as part of a meal

Soup Base
4 cups water
4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in water until soft, discard the stems and slice the caps
2 slices fresh ginger
Salt
2 cups spinach

Start the soup base first so it can simmer while you make the wontons. In a pot, add the water, mushrooms, ginger and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer and leave until you’re ready to add the wontons. Just before the wontons are done, add the spinach.

Pumpkin wontons
24 wonton wrappers

Filling
1/2 of a 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3/4″ piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 green onion stalk, finely chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a separate large pot, fill with water about halfway and bring to a boil.

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, ginger, green onion, soy sauce and Sriracha. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.

Place 1 teaspoon of the filling off center towards a corner of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of two adjoining sides with your finger, and fold to form a triangle and seal the edges. Wet the tip of one of the side corners then bring the two corner tips together in an overlap and press to seal.

Gently lower the wontons into the separate pot of boiling water on medium heat. Stir gently to separate the wontons and to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Depending on the pot size, you may need to cook the wontons in batches, do not overcrowd the wontons.

When the wontons float to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, they’re done. Lift the wontons out with a slotted spoon and drop into the soup base.

To serve, ladle into bowls but let cool slightly before eating as the filling will be hot, temperature-wise (it’ll be spicy hot too).

Another Fork in the Trail Cookbook Giveaway
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway, it ends on Friday, October 21st.

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It’s taken me awhile to get to the latest cookbook up for review, Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry by Laurie Ann March. Not because it’s a hard read or anything like that. It’s actually packed full of useful information, from outdoor cooking methods and equipment to nutrition and food storage at camp and recipes.

But quite a few of the recipes required a dehydrator and I didn’t have one at the time. This was the same problem I had with Ani’s Raw Food Asia – recipes I wanted to try but didn’t have the equipment (sure, I could have used the oven but I rather not).

While waiting for the dehydrator to arrive, I made the Roasted Nut and Mango Energy Bars, pictured above. I had no idea they were so easy to make and so much better than store bought energy bars.

Finally, a shiny new dehydrator sits on the kitchen counter. The first thing I made is the Carrot Muffin Leather. I just had to try it because it wasn’t a fruit leather. I’ve had all sorts of fruit leather in my time but never vegetable leather. Guess what? it does taste like carrot muffins.

I also made tofu jerky at the same time using different trays (dehydrators are so efficient). I’ve made tofu jerky in the oven way back when; it’s one of the reasons I rather wait to get a dehydrator than use the oven again.

The marinate produces a nicely flavored tofu jerky – I liked the combination of soy sauce, lime, onion, garlic and red chilies. Bonus points for not using liquid smoke.

I did tweak the recipe a bit based on my previous experience with making jerky, I cut the tofu thinner. And I reduced the amount of soy sauce and only marinated for a couple of hours instead of overnight. I wanted the flavor but not the saltiness, it came out great. I’m thinking the marinate would be good for regular baked tofu too.

I also tried an entree, Mushroom Burgundy. The recipe called for frozen pearl onions which I couldn’t find at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. I just left it out and added extra carrots.

Since I wasn’t actually going camping, I didn’t bother to dehydrate the dish. All of the recipes provide instructions for preparing the food for the outdoors, whether dehydrating or other storage, but you can just skip that part if you’re eating at home or around town.

A little woodland friend stopped by and whispered something about sharing. So I’m giving away a copy of Another Fork in the Trail.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment in this post with your favorite on the go snack, it can be for the wilderness or the urban jungle. Comment must be made by midnight PST on Friday, October 21st; one entry per person. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

One winner will be randomly selected (using random.org) from the comments received and announced in a new post on Saturday, October 22nd. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be randomly chosen. Prize awarded is the cookbook that I received from the publisher (approximate retail value $17.95). I did not drool on it.

Official Rules:
Open only to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law. Any tax is the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner releases Chow Vegan from any liability arising out of participation in this giveaway or the acceptance, use or misuse of the prize.

Disclosure: I received the cookbook free of charge from the publisher to review. The opinions and experience with the cookbook expressed herein are my own. There was no pay to say.

This post also contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase of anything.

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Sadly, I haven’t always been kind to pumpkins. Quickly dismissed as something to be decorated and displayed, while other squashes make the cut and are happily cooked and eaten.

That all changed last year when I tried pumpkin curry for the first time at a Thai restaurant. I had an epiphany; pumpkin is yummy in a savory dish. No longer shunned, I grabbed a couple cans from Trader Joe’s mountain of canned organic pumpkin puree before they’re all gone (15 oz can for $1.99).

Baked wontons are easy and quick to assemble, especially using the canned pumpkin. The basic triangle shape provides a large surface area for the wontons to get nice and crispy in the oven.

For the savory filling, I went with Asian-inspired flavors and Sriracha sauce for its fiery kick. Serve with ranch dressing, but it’s also good without any dip at all.

Crispy Baked Spicy Pumpkin Wontons
Makes about 24 wontons

24 wonton wrappers
1/2 of a 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3/4″ piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 green onion stalk, finely chopped
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Sriracha hot chili sauce to taste
Olive oil
1 package Tofutti cream cheese non-hydrogenated plain

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a dark colored baking pan with oil (a darker pan helps to brown the wontons).

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, ginger, green onion and soy sauce. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and Sriracha sauce (start with a teaspoon of the Sriracha and keep adding until desired spiciness. I’ve gone up to a tablespoon). Mix well.

Place about a 1/4 teaspoon dab of cream cheese in the center of the wonton wrapper, add 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin filling. Do not overfill, the wonton will puff up a bit in baking. Wet the edges on two sides and fold to form a triangle. Press firmly down to seal the edges.

Place the folded wontons on the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush with oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes on each side until brown and crispy.

Serve with ranch dressing if desired.

Ranch Dressing
Makes a little over 1/3 cup

1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Vegenaise or other vegan mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to use.

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I’m under no illusions about dining in some of the top vegan restaurants on the other side of the country. It’s highly doubtful I’m going to be at Candle Cafe or Candle 79 in New York City anytime soon. So when I saw their line of frozen food on sale, I jumped on it.

I’ve seen them before in the frozen section at my local Whole Foods, but at a normal retail price of $6.49, I passed. On sale for $3.99 until 10/11/11, and with a $1 off coupon from the Whole Foods website, brings it down to $2.99. For three bucks, I’ll give it a try.

Out of the four varieties available, I went with the Tofu Spinach Ravioli. Nice, melty cheese (I believe it’s Daiya. Tasted like Daiya, even though the package doesn’t say), tender pasta and the flavor wasn’t bad.

Although I can’t say I really tasted the tofu spinach filling, it’s a little on the skimpy side. I suppose that’s to be expected at 340 calories. Like most frozen entrees though, it’s very high in sodium.

I’m sure it pales in comparison to anything at the actual restaurants. But I would get the ravioli again for a quick meal on a busy day. But only if it was on sale.

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Have you ever tried lemon in popcorn?

Me neither. I couldn’t imagine what it would taste like. Quinn Popcorn describes their Lemon & Sea Salt popcorn as “understated, clean tasting, but buttery (without using butter!).” I’m sold.

It’s definitely an unique taste, I liked it. It’s not a slap-you-in-the-face butter kind of flavor, it’s much more subtle. And non-greasy. I didn’t use all of the enclosed packet of oil, probably less than a third (I normally eat popcorn plain). It’s nice to be able to control the amount of oil and seasoning.

Quinn microwave popcorn is organic, non-gmo, with no hydrogenated oils, preservatives or chemicals. It’s just a couple bags of corn kernels (even the bags are free of chemicals and impurities, it’s just 100% compostable paper).

A couple packets of expeller pressed grapeseed oil and separate ones for the sea salt and dried lemon. You can read all about their quest to find 100% lemon powder here.

Their other unique flavors include Vermont Maple & Sea Salt and Parmesan & Rosemary. Currently only available around the Boston area where the company is located but coming soon to everyone through Amazon.