Adventures with Vegan Cooking Vol. I [pics]

 

 
L-R Vanilla Blueberry Waffles and Apple Cinnamon Waffles

Strawberry Jam

  
Pasta Sauce with Vegetables

 

I suppose you want recipes, right?

The bottom line with the waffles is that vegan waffles are really costly. I bought a box for Aidan to try and he loved them. It was only when he ate the entire box in three days did I realize I was in for a bit of trouble if he asked for more. Instead, I realized I could make my own vegan waffles and freeze them in sandwich bags and it’s basically the same thing. Soooo that’s what I did. I took one of my favorite recipes [that I use for both waffles and pancakes] and made it vegan friendly. After they cooled I put a pair of them into a sandwich bag and shoved them in the freezer. The kids can pop them in the toaster in the mornings and, voila!, breakfast.

 

The waffles are super simple. With little to no tweaking, you could make them into any flavor you want.

Basic Waffle Batter
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil [you could use any oil you want but this is what I like]
equivalent of 1 egg [because this is vegan, I use an egg substitute, just follow the directions on your product]
1 1/2-2cups liquid
filling of your choice

Mix batter and place on waffle iron. Cook per manufacturer’s directions.

For the vanilla blueberry waffles I used vanilla almond milk for my liquid. I finely chopped some blueberries and folded them into the batter. I used approximately 1/4c batter for the waffles and it yielded 11.

For the apple cinnamon waffles I used equal parts water and freshly squeezed apple juice for the liquid. I grated two unpeeled apples [and squeezed their juice into a measuring cup, adding commercially pressed juice to give me the right juice to water ratio] and folded it into the batter with about 1/2tsp cinnamon. This batch yielded 13 waffles.

Lay the waffles onto a baking sheet to cool. Dont stack them while theyre cooling or they become mushy. Once theyre cool, I like to put two in a sandwich bag, label it, and pop them into the freezer. To cook them, place frozen waffles into your toaster for 2-3min or until theyve reached the desired [for lact of a better term…] doneness.

I cant stress enough how important it is to check the directions for your waffle iron. To be honest, I dont even know what mine call for but I know how much batter to use because I’ve had the thing for years.

 

Strawberry Jam
2lb strawberries
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
cinnamon to taste, optional
2 pint sized jars

Mash berries (I put them in the food processor and pulsed them because I like a few bits of berry in mine here and there) and pour into LARGE heavy bottomed pan. Combine with sugar, lemon juice, and optional cinnamon. Over LOW heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring often.
 
Once sugar is dissolved, cook over HIGH heat for 10-12min to 224*F OR until jam passes freezer test.

Pour into hot sterile jars. Go through sealing process if keeping on a shelf or gifting, otherwise pop it in the fridge and use it up. Trust me, it goes fast.
 
So.. on the large pan. I used just a tall saucepan and had to split it into two batches because it will bubble up a lot and I didnt want it to spill over. If I had used like a big dutch oven it wouldve been okay in one.
 
Cinnamon is optional but I find that it brings out the fruitiness of a strawberry so I add it. 
[sidenote: I also enjoy balsamic vinegar with strawberries but it’s not really good in jam.]
 
Freezer plate method: put a small plate in the freezer while youre cooking the jam. After youve cooked the mixture for 10min pour one teaspoon of hot jam mixture onto plate and pop it into the freezer for 1min. After 1min, run your finger through the jam creating a line. If the two hemispheres begin to run toward one another, it’s not done. If the line stays put, it is. If its NOT done, clear the plate and put it back into the freezer and try again. Honestly, I just put 2-3 plates in the freezer because it seems easier and cheaper to me than buying a candy thermometer. 

One last point of interest with jam is that sometimes fruit is seedy. Berries are especially seedy. If you want a seedless jam, press your jam mixture through a fine mesh sieve. It will take a little bit of time but it may be worth it to you. It’s especially worth it to me when I make anything with raspberries or blackberries. As you can see in the picture, I did not sieve the strawberry jam and it’s okay for me. If you want to sieve it… go for it!

Most Awesome Pasta Sauce EVERRR!
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 onion, finely diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper, cut into short strips
1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can/jar crushed tomatoes or your favorite vegan pasta sauce

In deep saute pan [mine is about 3" deep], over medium heat, cook garlic and onion in olive oil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.

Trim ends from zucchini and cut lengthwise. Cut each half into thick slices, set aside.
Remove seed bulb from pepper and cut flesh into short strips.
Reserving liquid, drain artichoke hearts and place half its contents with other vegetables. Pour remaining hearts and liquid into a freezer safe bag and freeze for another

recipe.
Drain liquid from tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze each tomato to also release it’s liquid. Remove stem and break the flesh into small pieces.

Once onions and garlic are cooked, add zucchini, pepper, artichokes, and tomatoes to saute pan. Season to taste.
Sautee for 4-7min and add can/jar of sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to allow sauce to simmer. Simmer for 20-30min, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Serve over vegan friendly pasta of your choice.

I only used half an onion and half a bell pepper today because my vegetables were pretty big. I chose Ronzoni enriched pasta because it doesnt contain milk or egg. A lot of the pastas are getting better about being only a flour of some type and water as their only ingredients. However, you have to read the labels if you want to be sure it’s vegan. If you dont care that it’s not vegan, just use whatever.