Maple Sugar Snickerdoodles

Where have I been?! I know, I've been absent... I've simply been swamped with several things, including a recital for our daughter and my mom visiting. Juggling, juggling...

These are a new recipe, and a new favorite for our family. Maple Sugar Snickerdoodles. They are cinnamony-sugar sweet and crispy on the outside, and just tender and soft enough on the inside. The maple flavor is delicate and not overpowering - it's just the sugar on the outside hinting at maple flavor, there's no maple syrup in the batter itself.

Here they are fresh out of the oven on the baking sheet (lined with parchment). Don't you love the patterns that naturally develop through baking? So pretty! (btw, did you know that Snickerdoodles are not well known in Canada? I had never heard of them until about six or so years ago!)

We had a few batches of Snickerdoodles cycling through the house a few weeks ago. Since then, I've also made some treats from my books to munch on while mom's visiting... including Supercharge Me! Cookies from ed&bv. I've posted about these before, and these are really one healthy cookie in a delicious disguise! Truly, you won't believe they are sweetened only with maple syrup, include almond butter, and also 1/3 cup of flax meal! Yes, they do... BUT you won't believe it! This time, you can see I made them smaller for more bite-sized treats, so I baked them for less time - about 12 mins. I also didn't form them, simply dropped on the parchment. They taste the same, but I prefer them a little larger as per the recipe (and the previous post). These are so easy, tasty, and healthy...

Make them for your mom on Mother's Day!! You have time... go get to it!

Happy Mom's Day everyone, hope you are gifted with love and delicious vegan treats.

Dreena's "Fit-tucine" Alfredo

I've always loved my sauces. Sauces and dips and anything that is full of flavor. Many years ago, when I would order "Fettucine Alfredo", I'd ask for extra sauce... the noodles weren't pleasing enough, had to have lotsa' sauce!

Now, I can ladle on as much sauce as I want with this new "Fit-tucine Alfredo" sauce. I'm creating two versions, one using (some) soy, and the other soy-free. And while this isn't altogether 'low-fat', it IS of course no-saturated fat, and no-cholesterol.

When I've served it recently, I've topped it with my "Tamari Roasted Chickpeas" from ed&bv, and that has been spectacular! I have another topping planned for the 'fit-tucine', but haven't finalized it quite yet. I think I have the soy version of this fit-tucine nailed down, so I hope to finish the soy-free version soon and share them with you.

Here, I also served it with whole-grain rotini noodles instead of fettucine (cause I'm not a stickler for pasta rules), along with salad (not pictured) and broiled asparagus. This is my fave way to eat asparagus (apart from grilling), and it can be prepared just like the "Lemon-Broiled Green Beans" in ed&bv (see sidebar in the recipe).

You're gonna be ladling on extras of this sauce too... as our daughter said, giggling, during supper "whoa, mom, you really do love sauce"!

Top 10 Vegan Eats

Wanna see a list of "Top 10" vegan recipes?

Check 'em out at Vegan.com. Erik's gathered a list of the top 10 vegan recipes of the year. You'll see my Moroccan Phyllo Rolls with Balsamic Maple Sauce on the list. Just another reminder for you guys to make them, okay? No excuses, the recipe is right there!

And, you might want to know that the Balsamic Maple Sauce works wonders on just about anything! Veg, grains, sandwiches, drizzled on casseroles, pizza, tofu, seitan, salads, on and on and on. Make it, yeah?!

And, more proof that this sauce is scrumptious, here's the Balsamic Maple Sauce drizzled on a dish of roasted vegetables and polenta. Roasted polenta?... What, you say? Oh yes, roasting makes everything taste better, don't you know! And, I decided to expand on my idea of Polenta Croutons from ed&bv, and instead cut the polenta in larger pieces, and add to the roasted veggies about 1/3 of the way through the cooking time. The veggies include fennel (SO freaking good roasted), zucchini, mushrooms, and red/orange bell pepper (all tossed of course in e-v olive oil, and with s & p - fresh herbs tossed in would also be fab).

Now, I used those tubes of polenta you see and think "what would I do with this?"... or worse, you buy, and look at in your pantry week after week thinking "now what will I do with this?". I've been there too... AND I've eaten that polenta in some unappetizing forms. Now, I either roast it in large cubes, as above... OR make polenta croutons (nibbly good!), OR make "Polenta Pancakes" (from ed&bv, these are EASY). Grilling it is also an excellent option - esp in the summer!


Now, go make yourself some top 10 food folks... and please, don't let anyone see you licking the Balsamic Maple Sauce off your plate - or your fingers. (doesn't mean you can't do it - just be discreet, okay?) :)

Cookie Sandwich Ice Cream Cake! (hoo-ahh!)

who-weeee!

I feel like I've been spinning on a carnival ride for the last couple of weeks! It's been capital B-usy. Last week my mom arrived for a visit from Newfoundland, and it was also our eldest daughter's birthday. So, in addition to getting Nanny's room ready for a visit, mommy was also preparing for a birthday and at-home party. Prizes and loot bags and games and ice cream cake and cupcakes to bring to class and the list goes on!


Here's the ice cream cake I made for the bday party. I prepped it on Wednesday and kept in the deep freeze until the party. Since Thursday was devoted to making cupcakes for the class to share on Friday (and I made them much like these ones using my Triple Layer frosting and cake recipe), I decided not to bake again on Friday with needing to get the house ready for the party on Saturday. I eased my workload the teensiest bit by making an ice cream cake for the party.

Okay, you know me too well... there was an ulterior motive to making the ice cream cake. Heck, yeah, if mommy is prepping for a birthday party all week, she is certainly going to make her favorite kind of cake - hah! But when time came for the cake, the kiddos loved this, with two layers of different ice creams, chocolate sauce, and two flavors of sandwich cookies! Wanna' know how to make it? It's really simple. Truly, it is! Goes like this:


1) Get a springform pan (ie, the kind used for cheescakes). Line the bottom and sides with the sandwich cookies. You will have to cut a few in half to help them fit. I used the vanilla ones on the bottom and the chocolate along the sides.


2) Have two quarts of ice cream ready, your choice of brand and flavor. Soften one quart (in the fridge or on your countertop), and scoop it into the pan to cover the cookies on the bottom and just cover that layer around the sides. Spread to smooth out as much as possible. Drizzle with chocolate (or other sauce), then pop in the freezer to harden that 1st layer of ice cream again.

3) Once it's hardened, soften the 2nd quart of ice cream. Pull out your pan from the freezer and layer in the second flavor of ice cream. Again, smooth out somewhat, but it's fine if it's a bit uneven... mine was and I liked how it looked!

4) Garnish with extra crumbles of cookie sandwiches and sauce, or other toppings like sprinkles or nuts.

5) Cover well and place back in the freezer until ready to eat. Before eating, remove for 5-10 minutes, then remove the springform ring and place cake on a platter or plate to cut.

Aren't birthdays the BEST?! (nudge nudge, wink wink... hubby, you out there?... you can manage this one for my bday right? wait now, Mother's Day is coming up and oh yeah, I deserve it!)

wait a minute, we all deserve a lil' ice cream cake... go make your own and celebrate whatever you like! Now, go eat, drink & be vegan. :)

What will I do with this leftover Chickpea Ratatouille?

Make pizza, of course!

Many of you love Chickpea Ratatouille from Vive, but you know how sometimes you have leftovers, but not enough to make a full meal out of? When I find myself in this situation, and I don't want to just refrigerate the extras for lunches... often I freeze the leftovers until I decide how I might 'make it over'.

This time, I realized I had two Vicolo pizza crusts in the freezer (they are packaged in 2's), I realized these nutty, spelt and cornmeal-based (and wheat-free) crusts would be a splendid base for the chickpea ratatouille. If your leftover ratatouille is a touch 'liquidy', you can either simmer to reduce it, or spoon it onto the crust leaving behind the extra juices.

Then, embellish with your favorite toppings, that will complement the ratatouille base. We added some sliced olives, capers, and a fine shred of Sheese (we like a fine shred, but too much is very strong and overpowering, the Sheese varieties are all quite sharp and pungent).

I have more to share soon. Last week was insanely busy. I can't even explain how much I ran and juggled with a birthday, my mom visiting from Newfoundland, preparing for a recital, school activities, etc etc. It was a blur of a week, but was also rather exhausting. So, I leave you with a brief post today, and will be back with more good stuff soon!

And the pizza was fantastically delicious, you must know!

EASY Roasted Tomato, Garlic, and White Bean Pasta

So, what recipe did I choose to tackle from the "Dreena, I need a recipe for _____" post? None other than angel food cake! I know!! Nothing too simple, right? I could try replicating a poached egg for the next challenge, ha! Seriously though, the reason I'm going to take on veganizing angel food cake is simply because I had SO many requests for it! Really! Apparently many of you have fond memories and recipe variations on angel food cake, and though it was never something I enjoyed a whole lot myself (anyone else notice they'd get a 'squeaky teeth' feel when eating it? or is that my own idiosyncrasy?). So, in a couple of weeks time (after we clear through a couple of busy weeks for our family) I'm going to start testing, and will report the results on our 1st "Dreena, I need a recipe for ______" event! Fun!!

Until then, I have some regular nummies to share with you. To make this divine pasta dish, I employed the method from my Velvety Roasted Herbed Tomato Soup from TEV to roast and caramelize those luscious pieces of tomato and garlic you see adorning the noodles.

In the soup recipe (p. 90 of TEV), the tomatoes and garlic are pureed with the other soup ingredients for this thick, luscious, smooth herbaceous tomato soup. But here, for the pasta, I left the roasted tomatoes and garlic in large, chunky pieces! The method is simple, and yet gives maximum flavah!

So, let's get to how it's done. I prefer to use roma or plum tomatoes, but other varieties can be used. You don't even need to measure for this pasta, just eyeball it. Get 6-8 tomatoes and cut in half, and place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment). Then, get a bunch of garlic cloves, maybe 10 or so, and smash with a knife to remove the skins. Then, cut in halves or quarters, and embed the cut garlic cloves in the juicy pockets of the tomatoes. Shower the tomatoes withdried oregano, basil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and of course extra virgin olive oil - sllllurp! Those tomatoes love that olive oil! Here they are all ready... Pop in the oven and roast 'em up, anywhere from 375 - 400 degrees for about 40 - 50 mins (longer time for lower heat, and also depending on how big the tomatoes are). You'll know they're done when they look like this...


All golden and shriveled and roasty-toasty marvelously good! And - the garlic cloves stay moist in those tomatoes, instead of burning.

That's about it! Get your pasta ready when the tomatoes are just about finished (or you can do the tomatoes ahead of time, no problem)... gently toss the tomatoes and juices (scrape all those juices off the paper) with the pasta, along with some olive oil and s & p to tastel. I also added white beans and fresh basil. Splendid delicious! Not to mention that by using a whole-grain pasta with the white beans, you have a protein-rich dish as well.

What's not to love.... cook it up, my pretties!

Gluten-Free. Vegan. Chocolate Cake!

**update: I've received lots 'n lots of fun (& challenging) requests since posting last week. So, let's take a breather on the requests for now, and after I tackle the first creation (and succeed! - yes we must remain +'ve!!) I'll open up the request-line again!

"hey, Dreena, I need a recipe for a gluten-free vegan chocolate cake!"

Okay! Here you go...

This cake inspired my teaser post on Wednesday. You see, I received an e-mail from a gal that was referred to me by a long-term follower of my blog. She was needing a recipe for a gluten-free vegan chocolate cake for her daughter's birthday. Her daughter had some food sensitivities, and so a regular wheat, or even spelt cake was not an option.

I immediately referred to my Triple Layer Chocolate Cream Cake from TEV. I threw on my gluten-busting apron (complete with cape and GF logo) (kidding!) and got to testing! I ran two trials. The first was very good, but just a touch sticky and almost chewy. Yet, the taste was great, and it was moist, so I knew I was on track. Test #2... the cake was moist, chocolatey, sliced nicely, and was not at all gritty or crumbly as some gluten-free baked goods can be.

I surprised myself with the texture and taste of this cake. Surprised, because I was fully expecting a grainier, drier mouth feel to the cake. Surprised, because I could easily serve this cake with the chocolate cream, without any hesitation that guests would notice it is gluten-free or vegan.

So, I give you the recipe for this gluten-free vegan chocolate cake. Keep in mind that I baked it in 2 round pans, rather than three that I've used for the original cake. I was cautious that the cake layers would be slightly too delicate for a three-layer cake, so I opted for two. That won't interfere with your frosting... just means you might be able to pack away a lil' container of extra frosting in the fridge for spoonish snacking! Ohhh yeah, baby. Or, serve it on its own with a simple sauce and fruit, as shown. The cake is tender and tasty enough to stand on its own.

And... this brings me back to my teaser post. This isn't the first time I've 'customized' a recipe for someone, and yet ultimately I realize that I really enjoy doing this kind of thing. It's a good feeling to be able to provide a food solution to someone! Especially when it's for a special occasion, like this birthday party. So, I thought I'd expand on this idea: Dreena, create-me a recipe! (oh my, that's truly awful grammar, ha).

So:
- do you need a wheat-free or gluten-free recipe for a muffin, cake, or cookie?
- do you need a soy-free version of a vegan recipe? (ex: I'm currently working on two versions of a "fit-tucine alfredo" - one with soy, the other soy-free)
- do you have a favorite childhood recipe that you'd like to make vegan?
- do you have a hankering or idea for a dish that you'd like to see formalized in a recipe?
- or, do you just want to challenge the dickens out of Dreena?

E-mail me (dreena@everydayvegan.com) with your request. If it's something I think I can tackle, I'll post about it and then later post the results along with the recipe. And, the recipe may even make it into a future book or other cooking project. Please keep in mind that priority of which recipes I work on 1st, 2nd, etc, will depend on a number of factors (ex: how quickly a recipe is needed such as for a birthday, ingredients I have on hand, and also my own life schedule). Having mentioned my life schedule, if you do have a need for a recipe for some event, please let me know a couple of weeks in advance. I am a mom of two busy kidlets afterall, so my recipe testing gets squeezed in during small windows of any given day. So, the more notice, the better!

I really hope you enjoy the cake like I did... let me know if you make it and what you thought!

Now, go eat, drink & be vegan (and um, gluten-free)!! :)