Chow Vegan

Homemade Vegan English Muffins

February 20, 2011 By chow 8 Comments

A few days ago, I got to scarfed down homemade vegan English muffins. They were so fluffy and tender! Of course I didn’t make them, that would be like some sort of crazy baking miracle. Although, technically they aren’t baked. They’re cooked in a skillet.

My sister made a batch of regular English muffins for her kids. But in a separate skillet, she cooked up a couple of vegan ones in olive oil for me. She’s getting to be quite the baker nowadays, with a starter named “Bob” and all.

The recipe for the English muffins came from the bread baking cookbook Tartine Bread, by Chad Robertson of the renowned Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. A beautifully designed cookbook with gorgeous photography by Eric Wolfinger, it’s an in-depth step-by-step guide to making the phenomenal Tartine artisanal bread at home.

Something I won’t be making any time soon, even though it’s specifically designed for the home baker to get professional results from a conventional oven. My sister did offer me some of her starter, but I’ll just wait to be invited over for a slice of freshly baked bread. The most I’m going to do, is remember to bring over my tub of Earth Balance soy-free butter.

Appetite for Reduction Cookbook Giveaway
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway, it ends tomorrow, Monday, February 21st.

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon link, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on the link and make a purchase.

More Deliciousness From Appetite For Reduction

February 16, 2011 By chow 76 Comments

There’s so many tempting recipes in Appetite for Reduction, I can’t seem to put the cookbook down. The thought of trying any one of those 125 recipes follows me around all day like a little puppy. Besides the 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma, here’s what I’ve made so far:

Pad Thai Salad (pictured above) – one of my favorite Thai dishes but in a refreshing salad form. The Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing that goes on it, totally makes the salad. The dressing is a little bit on the thin side. Blending it in a mini food processor, some of the liquid leaked out, but none of the flavor. I’ve been using the dressing on all sorts of other things.
Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce – so easy to make. I had it with butternut squash ravioli, but really I could just eat it by the spoonful.

Scallion Potato Pancakes (pictured above) – it’s hard to find a good rendition of scallion pancakes in restaurants, usually they’re way too greasy. So it’s nice to be able to make a baked version at home out of potatoes. It doesn’t taste exactly like the ones made out of flour but it’s still very tasty.
Cranberry-Cashew Biryani – not really a brown rice eater, but I like it in this recipe. The yummy flavors helped a lot.

I really liked cooking from this cookbook, I think you’ll like it too. So I’m giving away a copy of Appetite for Reduction.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment in this post with your worst vegan junk food addiction (because you know, acknowledgment is the first step). Comment must be made by midnight PST on Monday, February 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 Tuesday, February 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 $19.95). 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 any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma From Appetite For Reduction

February 13, 2011 By chow 15 Comments

Eating vegan doesn’t necessarily mean healthy eating (shocking, I know). Sure there’s fruits and veggies galore, but there’s also plenty of vegan junk food to go around, not to mention high fat, high sodium and any number of highly processed vegan food. I’m guilty of eating all of these things.

But then, I received a review copy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s latest cookbook, Appetite for Reduction. Hallelujah.

There’s so many yummy sounding recipes, covering a range of cuisines and dishes complete with nutritional information for each one. Having never really cooked Indian food before, I decided to make the 2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma – a rich, creamy, mildly spicy curry with vegetables.

Super easy to make and so flavorful and it only took about 30 minutes. Can you tell I used an orange cauliflower? Also known as “cheddar” cauliflower, it’s just like a regular white one except it has extra beta-carotene (hence the brilliant orange color and 25% more vitamin A).

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma
Serves 4

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small red onion, quartered and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
1 pound zucchini, cut on a bias in 1/4-inch slices
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut on a bias in 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Extra chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Use a little nonstick cooking spray if needed. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for another minute.

Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Mix in the spices and salt. Add the cauliflower, zucchini, and carrots. They won’t be completely submerged, but that’s okay. Cover the pot and turn up the heat to bring the broth to a boil. Let boil for 7 to 10 minutes, until the veggies are tender.

Add the peas, coconut milk, agave, and cilantro (if using). Taste for salt. Turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for about 5 minutes. Serve the korma in bowls over rice, garnished with cilantro.

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