Have any of you ever used mayonnaise instead of butter for the outside of a grilled sandwich???
Too tired for more now, will post a few of my recently created faves tomorrow! (...today...???)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mixed Cabbage Salad with crunchy noodles
May I present to you today's lunch: simple, healthy, happy.
Mixed Cabbage Salad is a recipe that has been floating around potlucks and office meetings for a while now, so I decided to try it for myself the other day, in leiu of my goal of "going veg." (No worries, I've come to terms with the fact that I cannot, in NO uncertain terms, do it overnight. My willpower for controlling my diet is just too weak for that sort of life overhaul.
Instead, I'm sticking to chicken and fish for the next few weeks, and avoiding pork and beef. For someone who has been a borderline canivore for nearly their entire life, let just say it's a challenge. One of the earliest pictures my family posseses of me is from before I had teeth. My grandparents were having my mother and I to dinner, for which my grandmother had prepared an old standby: pork chops, applesauce (etc...). The image was taken following my infant decision to grab hold of the pork chop placed elegantly on my mother's plate with both of my chubby little hands and gum that thing to death. While I was sitting on my mother's lap, she had turned her head to look at something other than me (how darst she!) and came to a full realization of what had happened at the exact moment the camera went flash!
SO! clearly, the going veg thing isn't an easy thing. But when the road to veg is paved with cabbage salad and chicken sausage... Well... things might be looking up!
Oriental Mixed Cabbage Salad
1/4 head thinly sliced green cabbage
1/4 head thinly sliced purple cabbage
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shaved
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 pkg. Oriental Ramen (save the seasoning pkt for the "dressing")
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
Pepper to taste
Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl- its best if said bowl has a cover, for later.
Take the vinegar, oil, pepper and oriental seasoning packet and whisk away. Pour the "dressing" over the cabbage and set aside so that the flavors can blend and the acid can soften the vegetables.
Toast almonds and sesame seeds in oven at 350 for a few minutes. Do not forget them! They're ready quickly, and they become inedible (really, really gross inedible, not going to kill you or break your teeth inedible) the second they turn brown. Brown! not black! Black... let's just not talk about black. Just let them go golden and they're perfect.
Break up the ramen noodles into small peices, about the size of small croutons- and combine with the sesame seeds and almonds in a bowl. Set aside until its time to serve.
Mixed Cabbage Salad is a recipe that has been floating around potlucks and office meetings for a while now, so I decided to try it for myself the other day, in leiu of my goal of "going veg." (No worries, I've come to terms with the fact that I cannot, in NO uncertain terms, do it overnight. My willpower for controlling my diet is just too weak for that sort of life overhaul.
Instead, I'm sticking to chicken and fish for the next few weeks, and avoiding pork and beef. For someone who has been a borderline canivore for nearly their entire life, let just say it's a challenge. One of the earliest pictures my family posseses of me is from before I had teeth. My grandparents were having my mother and I to dinner, for which my grandmother had prepared an old standby: pork chops, applesauce (etc...). The image was taken following my infant decision to grab hold of the pork chop placed elegantly on my mother's plate with both of my chubby little hands and gum that thing to death. While I was sitting on my mother's lap, she had turned her head to look at something other than me (how darst she!) and came to a full realization of what had happened at the exact moment the camera went flash!
SO! clearly, the going veg thing isn't an easy thing. But when the road to veg is paved with cabbage salad and chicken sausage... Well... things might be looking up!
Oriental Mixed Cabbage Salad
1/4 head thinly sliced green cabbage
1/4 head thinly sliced purple cabbage
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shaved
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 pkg. Oriental Ramen (save the seasoning pkt for the "dressing")
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
Pepper to taste
Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl- its best if said bowl has a cover, for later.
Take the vinegar, oil, pepper and oriental seasoning packet and whisk away. Pour the "dressing" over the cabbage and set aside so that the flavors can blend and the acid can soften the vegetables.
Toast almonds and sesame seeds in oven at 350 for a few minutes. Do not forget them! They're ready quickly, and they become inedible (really, really gross inedible, not going to kill you or break your teeth inedible) the second they turn brown. Brown! not black! Black... let's just not talk about black. Just let them go golden and they're perfect.
Break up the ramen noodles into small peices, about the size of small croutons- and combine with the sesame seeds and almonds in a bowl. Set aside until its time to serve.
Continued...
As implied by the title of my previous post, the postings will continue for a while today. This is cupcakes, continued. After making the previous cupcakes, I stumbled across some peppermint extract in my pantry. Between the excitement I felt welling up inside me and the request my mother had made earlier for me to make some MORE, I couldn't resist. Same basic recipe, flavors changed. I'm ecstatic. Let me just say that I may be the world's only cake-hater. These cupcakes changed my mind.
So far today I have eaten 2 whole cupcakes. Yeah, You might think thats nothing, but for someone who might be convinced to try ONE- count it, one- bite of cake or cupcake and then run for the hills, this is a big deal. And I think one of the other cupcakes, now frosted and glimmering in the overcast light, may be making eyes at me. Oh. This is happening. #3 here I come.
Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract + 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 & 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
(I'm reposting the directions from my previous post, as it is the same base recipe...)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> peppermint extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.
Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.
Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.
Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!
Now... Wait for those suckers to cool down. I suggest taking a walk or cleaning so you wont be tempted.
Frosting time! :D
1 Tbsp peppermint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine
mix
Frost onto the cooled cupcakes. Go ahead. Do it. dooooo itttt. ISN'T THAT THE BEST THING EVER? Dessert lover made here. discovered hiding in the minty coffee chocolatey perfection of a vegan cupcake. Who knew? :D
So far today I have eaten 2 whole cupcakes. Yeah, You might think thats nothing, but for someone who might be convinced to try ONE- count it, one- bite of cake or cupcake and then run for the hills, this is a big deal. And I think one of the other cupcakes, now frosted and glimmering in the overcast light, may be making eyes at me. Oh. This is happening. #3 here I come.
Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract + 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 & 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
(I'm reposting the directions from my previous post, as it is the same base recipe...)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> peppermint extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.
Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.
Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.
Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!
Now... Wait for those suckers to cool down. I suggest taking a walk or cleaning so you wont be tempted.
Frosting time! :D
1 Tbsp peppermint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine
mix
Frost onto the cooled cupcakes. Go ahead. Do it. dooooo itttt. ISN'T THAT THE BEST THING EVER? Dessert lover made here. discovered hiding in the minty coffee chocolatey perfection of a vegan cupcake. Who knew? :D
The Post-Semester Series
Having finished my final week of my final semester, I've had enough time to breathe. This of course means I am cooking again! With a number of HUGE life decisions looming in the not- so- distant- future, I'm dealing with my stress by stocking the fridge so full of food that anyone who takes a peek may or may not be able to see the shelves, nevermind the back of the fridge.
That said, I believe it is time for me to finally post my recent food fun!
I know its backwards, but I'm going to have to start with the recipes I made ... err... am still making as I type... CUPCAKES!!!!
I found an amazing- let me repeat- A-MA-ZING recipe for cupcakes on someone else's blog, which I've adapted a bit. Everyone should go check her site out- www.ohsheglows.com. She's got a number of awesome recipes and I love the goal of her blog.
Ok! So the Recipe(s)
Mocha Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure maple extract
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> maple extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.
Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.
Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.
Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!
If you can't wait, go ahead. Eat one. I did.
For the maple frosting:
1 Tbsp maple extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine
Mix! spread on cooled cupcakes- and for pete's sake PLEASE don't try piping maple frosting on anything... you'll see.
I told you... just say no to piping here. Unless your intent is to serve crappy cupcakes... Just use a flat icing knife for these. The eaters will thank you.
Oh and by the way. These are vegan. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. AMAZING, RIGHT?
That said, I believe it is time for me to finally post my recent food fun!
I know its backwards, but I'm going to have to start with the recipes I made ... err... am still making as I type... CUPCAKES!!!!
I found an amazing- let me repeat- A-MA-ZING recipe for cupcakes on someone else's blog, which I've adapted a bit. Everyone should go check her site out- www.ohsheglows.com. She's got a number of awesome recipes and I love the goal of her blog.
Ok! So the Recipe(s)
Mocha Maple Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I split the 1/3 and did half extra virgin olive oil and half canola oil)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure maple extract
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dutch baking cocoa is more expensive, but seriously worth it)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix first group of ingredients (milk -> maple extract)it may not come all the way together for you, dont worry about it for now.
Mix in the next group of ingredients (flour -> salt). Make sure that the batter is smooth and has no clumps.
Line your cupcake pans with the paper cups and fill the cups to about 2/3 full- I used a 2oz scoop to make sure all my cupcakes would come out the same size. Once all the paper cups are filled with delicious batter, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter. I don't mix them in the batter, because they're likely to sink to the bottom and burn there. :( No one wants sad chocolate chips in their cupcakes.
Bake 'em! ~ 22 minutes per pan, or until their characters have developed, so you can poke the little dears and have them spring back!
If you can't wait, go ahead. Eat one. I did.
For the maple frosting:
1 Tbsp maple extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 stick margarine
Mix! spread on cooled cupcakes- and for pete's sake PLEASE don't try piping maple frosting on anything... you'll see.
I told you... just say no to piping here. Unless your intent is to serve crappy cupcakes... Just use a flat icing knife for these. The eaters will thank you.
Oh and by the way. These are vegan. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. AMAZING, RIGHT?
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