Scraps and Snippets ~ Citrus Ruffle Bread

I was inspired by this recipe.

After a few tweaks I made a Vegan version that was pretty stinking delicious....if you like citrus, sweet bread, and basically most things yummy.

Citrus Ruffle Bread

Dough:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or flour of choice)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon quick acting yeast

2/3 cup liquid (I juiced one orange, one lime and saved 1 TBSP of this for the frosting...then I added non-dairy milk to make the liquid level reach 2/3 cup. Use all fruit juice if you want. If you add the juice to the non-dairy milk it will curdle...so don't be alarmed.)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flax and 6 TBSP water, set aside a few minutes until it gels)

Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat milk and coconut oil in microwave, in a warm oven or over double boiler until mixture is warm and the coconut oil is melted. Add vanilla.

Pour wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until moistened.

Add flax eggs and stir.

Add the rest of the flour about a 1/2 cup at a time, kneading dough until well mixed. This takes only a few minutes, the dough will still be slightly sticky. If you find it too sticky just add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time until you can handle the dough easily. (I generally knead right in the bowl and use the same bowl for rising.)

When kneaded cover and let rise until double, approx 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare the lemon sugar mixture:

1/2 cup sugar

Grated zest from 1 orange, 1 lime or lemon or combo.

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

Mix together.

Once dough is risen roll out to a 12 x 20" ish piece. Spread the citrus sugar coconut oil on the rectangle.

Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips. Layer the strips on top of each other carefully and cut into 6 squares.

Place these squares sideways into a greased 5 1/2 by 9 1/2" bread pan. Or you could use 2 smaller loaf pans.

Let rise until almost doubled, approx 25 minutes.

Bake in 350º for 35 minutes until golden in color. (I crammed my dough into one pan and if you do that I'd recommend that you place foil on the bottom of your oven or a cookie sheet under the bread pan. My batch oozed the oil/sugar/citrus a bit.)

Good without the citrus glaze, but the glaze is yummy, so slather it on.

Citrus glaze:

1/4 cup Vegan cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon citrus juice ( the set aside 1 TBSP of orange/lime juice mix from the bread recipe)

Powdered sugar to reach the consistency you want. 1/3 to 2/3 cup.

Mix until smooth.

Drizzle glaze over top of loaf and, as desired, on each piece.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Costco Magic, Little Airplanes, and Chopping Onions...

The asparagus was divine.

Yesterday's Costco run was overdue hence an expensive grocery trip. Fabulous asparagus fresh from the garden helped with that.

I have to confess to a rotten new addiction. #3 has been telling me I needed to watch Modern Family...that it's so up my alley, that I'll laugh...a lot. 

So I watched a few episodes on Hulu. And, unfortunately, she's right. It's kind of hilarious.

Sarcasm, check. Physical injury humor, check. Dry humor/delivery, check. Dysfunction with heart, check. 

Our local library had Seasons One and Two available on DVD. Therefore, my cooking and cleaning moments over the last weeks have included an ongoing Modern Family marathon. 

(As do my Pinterest and blogging sessions.) (Yep. As in right now.) Phil is going to get nailed by a remote control plane any second. Suspense building...here it comes. Yes! That was hilarious. While Phil lies bleeding, Mitchell discovers Costco.

I am telling myself that the timing and comedic delivery of the show will somehow make me a better writer. That as long as I'm multi-tasking it is not a colossal waste of time.

(Speaking of writing, Michelle did get her promised Fabio scene.) (Speaking of on-line social fun...a friend overshared something of a delicate nature on their Facebook page...#3 took a break from Pinterest (and we were between Modern Family discs) to read it out loud. Awkward pin drop moment and really, not as Pinteresting as the oversharer might think.) Note to self, note to all, sometimes the details are best left hidden. Just sayin.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Farm Fresh...It's Coming...

Fun farm fact. The farm is ramping up to start the season. 

One of the farmers dropped into &'s coffee shop yesterday. She cordially requests our presence to help plant tomato plants in the high tunnel this week. Uh yeah!

And to, I don't know, make the invitation more enticing, she brought in a bag of first fruits. 

Yep. 

In March, they have been able to harvest some of the baby asparagus we planted last year. 

Yum. Yum. Dinner tonight will include our first green treasure. 

Oh, and on a creepy side note...I was able to harvest our first tick of the season, too. Off of poor &'s thigh. Ugh. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ Vegan Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza:

Crust.

•  
•  
•  
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• 3 TBSP of ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup of applesauce (OR) use 1/2 a mid-ripe banana (not banana bread ready ripe, think yellow with a few spots) and 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Coconut oil
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 1 tsp. of cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 2 tsp. of organic almond extract
• 2/3 cup of garbanzo bean flour
• 1 1/3 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

Grease two 8 x 8 pans, layer cake pans or a 9 x 13 (or use 3/4 of the dough for 8 x 8 and bake the rest as cookies). Bake approx 14 minutes.  A knife poked into the crust should come out clean. The topping will soak into the crust so overdone is going to be better than not done enough.

Creamy goodness layer:

1/2 cup Vegan cream cheese

1 ripe banana

1 TBSP nut butter (optional)
3 shakes Vietnamese cinnamon (optional)

1 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

I mixed it with a mixer. A food processor or Vitamix make it creamier.  Super incorporated wasn't my goal since a layer of fruit was going to cover it completely.

Fruit layer: If you use bananas or apples make sure you dip them in citrus juice.

I used an orange, a sliced Granny Smith apple, four sliced strawberries and a handful of blueberries. If you add a banana, dip it in citrus juice and add it right before serving.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Law Lesson #4

Last night we listened to the county attorney and a representative from the 9-1-1 call center. My notes were squished as I furiously took them and I didn't get the official acronym title for the call center. Let's maybe just call em busy. : ) and important.

But county attorney report first. He was an engaging, entertaining guy who had a whole lot of downer facts. The reality is that people can be messy and ugly. Keeping things under control and cleaned up is his job.

Drugs are a problem in just about every community in the ole U. S. A. and that's true for mine. A question was asked about synthetic drugs, as did the comment that we need to educate and treat so he doesn't have to invest the resources of the county on prosecuting and keeping our jails chock full of people who need to be kept away from others. The drug problem is a three legged stool, he said. And money is required to keep those legs on said stool. There's only so much money to go around and most people are opposed to paying more taxes to make sure people don't start doing drugs. He said his focus had to be on his leg. Makes sense.

Synthetic drugs (mish-mashes of chemicals that produce bad side effects like highs and hallucinations when applied, smoked, injected, ingested, or inhaled into the human body) are really becoming an issue. He said legislation to keep the crap off the streets needs to be in place before users and sellers can be prosecuted. The drug chemists are creative, and quick to create and the law's wheels take a bit more time. Common sense says that if you think it might mess with your mind you probably shouldn't put it in your body. But most dealers are not after wisdom, instead they shoot for the moola.

He shared stories about some of his adventures. Like being questioned when he discovered some seedy business within his department and the policies and procedures that came out of that. And his own frustration with the system that doesn't always deliver the most just results. One guy earned probation for seriously hurting another guy. No tooth for a tooth justice, but the perpetrator lost his job, had to pay restitution and got busted because of his own big mouth. Fair enough. The little consequences added up big time.

9-1-1 is high tech. We have bells and whistles that our much bigger neighboring city doesn't have. Our emergency phone operators are trained to talk people through the Heimlich maneuver, CPR and even baby delivery. Cell phones manufactured after 2010 are supposed to have GPS and the system can usually locate a call to within 300 yards. One guy asked if someone broke in, he dialed 9-1-1 on his cell phone and threw it aside, if they'd send someone. (So the intruder wouldn't hear him talking.) She said that they have to make the decision based on what they hear. Pocket dials happen. But if a person whispered into the phone, they'd send a car, or if something like gunshots were heard, definitely. They will try to return a pocket dial call. The technology is coming where 9-1-1 can receive and send texts, and pictures can be sent. She said it's a great idea in case of intruders, suspicious cars, and evidence but a bad idea for idiots who might think it's fun to prank the call center. Someone asked about pranks. She said that they've had to send an officer to talk to frequent nonsense callers. And that a handful of restraining orders have been put in place for harassment. Uhhh. Harassing a 9-1-1 facility? One that has access to guys with guns? People can be very, very scary and stoopid.

Very fascinating and informative. And I'm thinking both of these jobs seem really stressful. The busy days (August is the busiest month) will bring in up to 90 calls per operator in an eight hour shift. Not all of these are life and death, most aren't, but all of them require time and knowledge. Many are calls asking questions like, "When does the parade start?" "Who do I call to handle...."

Very, very interesting. And the officer I sat next to was so observant that he noticed a stupid button fall off my jacket and roll under the table. He didn't offer to sew it back on though. Ha. Ha.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Make Your Own Dang Quesadilla...

This is what we had for dinner last night. 

I made a double batch of Super Genius Tortillas, pulled out my very dusty quesadilla maker (and cleaned it up). Haven't touched that sucker in two or so years. 

We have a few really perfect avocados, some of the fabulous Restaurant Style Pinterest Salsa (with a few tweaks), and some frozen (thawed, of course) beans. 

Tada. Quesadillas.

Two tortillas per person. 

1 to 2 TBSP of beans or meat substitute 

Avocado slices (we went with plenty)

1-2 TBSP Salsa (if you want another option, Mango Salsa)

Slap the top on. Smash and heat through. Yummy. 

Lots of potential. I'm thinking this will be a nice rediscovered tool. Hmmm.

If you don't have one of those bad boys, you could add Daiya cheese (to help it hold together) and cook them in a pan like a grilled cheese sandwich and slice with a pizza cutter.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Review of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook and a Silly Story...

Since I've got a stack of cookbooks to review and I announced it yesterday (gotta love the accountability). And, well, I found two more books at the library. I had to return the Happy Herbivore and, well, they enticed me.

But. For dinner last night, and for kicks, and next day lunches, and just because I made the following recipes from The Happy Herbivore.

Oatmeal Cookies

Fruity Oatmeal Bars

Chicken Style Seitan -- (which required these as well No-Chicken Broth Powder Poultry Seasoning Mix)

My assessment of the book.

Lindsay Nixon's Happy Herbivore cookbook opens with an explanation of why and what Vegan looks like, what to have on hand to prepare Vegan meals and tips and hints. Had I been just starting out as a Vegan I would have very much devoured this section, and the very end of the book that is simply two pages that give details on what and how to make substitutions in standard recipes. After almost a year of the Vegan learning curve, this is less important to me.

As for the recipes. The Fruity Oatmeal bars are exactly as she said they'd be. Cereal bar taste and texture just like a Nutri-Grain type bar. Very tasty. I'll definitely make these again. There was no added fat as promised in the secondary title of the book either. Same scenario on the Oatmeal Cookies. Good texture, a soft cookie that is chewy and flavorful. Again, no added fat. One step in the directions caused me pause and I did not follow it. She suggested placing part of the batter/dough on parchment paper and laying it carefully upside down over the jam layer. I chose the lazy way out and allowed a few holes for the jam to peek through after plopping and spreading.

I love the No-Chicken Broth Powder. It makes quite a bit, a cup and a half or so. It will work in other recipes and will be a nice staple for my kitchen. The poultry seasoning was a mix of several spices, and again, will be an addition to my pantry. The Chicken-Style Seitan was chicken-like. Nice flavor, and decent texture. It's still Seitan and has that texture so it won't fool omnivores. It was a little time consuming so I'd make a double batch next time and try freezing it for the future or keep it on it's extra liquid/gravy in the fridge for a few days. The making was easy, but it required almost an hour to simmer and half hour to bake. Most homemade Seitan is involved, though, so this was not unexpected. There is a recipe on the web that I like slightly better that will be my go to "chicken" sub recipe but I believe I'll add the No-Chicken Broth Powder to it.

The other recipes I'd like to try are:

Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos

Mushroom Burgers

Torkey (Tofu Turkey)

Spicy Sausage

Frittata

Baked Shells and Cheese (which requires the Cheddar Cheesy Sauce)

Veggie, Bean, &Quinoa Croquettes

Baked Beans

Baked Onion Rings

Chili-Lime Corn Chips

Ranch Dip

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

Mayo

Sour Cream

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Brown Rice Milk

Gravy (three different ones)

Cinnamon Buns

Maple Cornbread Biscuits

Gingerbread Mini-Loaves

Scones

Pumpkin Cheesecake

All of these recipes are not unique to The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. Many are on blogs. However, I'm at the point where I'm looking for the perfect go-to recipes to replace family favorites and/or for holiday baking and entertaining.

Depending on what you are looking for this could be THE cookbook for you. The recipes are basic and a chef's hat is not a required tool to use it in your kitchen. An experienced Vegan who has been playing around with recipes for a long time may not find as many keepers as a new Vegan would.

And after #3 tried to start the newest wave to change the world wide web with the antidote to planking...boxing...she got a wild hair to do some more Vegan baking. I believe she's catching the bug. Well, not really, she keeps begging for meat and whining for cheese. But she's catching the whole baking bug.