Scraps and Snippets ~ What? Vegan BBQ Weenies???

This is a crazy easy recipe. 

A few weeks ago I found a recipe for using a carrot as a Vegan hot dog. As crazy as that sounds I realized that the texture of a cooked carrot is somewhat similar to a hot dog, and well, the shape is kind of a new brainer. The "dog" in this recipe would be hidden in the bun and covered with toppings. Dang, not that I really loved hot dogs, and frankly, I have only had one Vegan hot dog, and don't feel the need to do that again. It just wasn't the best. Check out the carrot dog link.

While pondering this wonder,

my mind made a connection. One of our favorite pre-vegan treats, served almost every New Year's Eve with much guilt and heartburn was Beanie Weenies...or Little Smokies. I'd buy those little packages at the grocery store, slather them in various concoctions until we found the perfect brew...grape jelly and mustard and onion soup mix ended up being the wiener...I mean winner. I'd dump it all in a crockpot and simmer it for hours. The little dogs would puff up and brown. And we'd eat em up. 

So if a carrot could fool the mind into believing I was eating a hot dog, could small carrot lengths, drenched in sauce fool me into thinking I was eating Beanie Weenies? Worth a shot. 

I had recently made a big batch of BBQ sauce from the Blissful Bites cookbook  and had purchased ten pounds of organic carrots at Costco two weeks ago. Voila. Good time to experiment. 

I chopped the carrots into mini-carrot size. (Seriously, mini organic carrots would be a breeze.) I dumped them into my small crockpot, drenched them and stirred til all were covered in the homemade BBQ sauce and turned it on low for four hours. I added a bit more BBQ sauce right before serving so they were nice and saucy.

That's it. They are delicious. And unless someone loves the snap of gristle and would miss it, I'm pretty sure no one would really care that these are substitutes for Beanie Weenies. Ya know?

Any BBQ sauce or favorite sauce would work. The Blissful Bites BBQ sauce is tasty. I think I will try to get something going with the mustard/sweet/oniony blend for the next batch. And there will be a next one. Crazy easy. And crazy good.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Cinnamon Roll! Oh! Bundt Cake

I'm not going to say these are easy. I've never met a real deal cinnamon roll that was. 

However, I can tell you that these have decreased fat and sugar, have whole grain, and are Vegan....and delicious. If you like cinnamon rolls. 

My first attempt was a keeper, however, as a family we decided to add more frosting, a bit more sugar, and more filling. Those additions will take these into Oh My! land. And they are good warm from the oven, and at room temperature the following morning. Yeasty, chewy sweet. Sigh.

Add caption

Step one. Cinnamon chips for the dough. 

Cinnamon chips.

Soften 1/4 cup coconut oil
add 2 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp sugar (plus additional tsp of mix of cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on top.)
 

Stir.

Spread out on parchment paper. cover with a sprinkling of a mix of 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar.

Slice the "chips" with a sharp knife in a grid pattern. So you'll have lots of little squares...about the size of a crossword puzzle.

Place the batch into the fridge until needed.

Next: The dough.

7 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or flour of choice)

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons quick acting yeast

1 and 1/3 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoon vanilla
1 TBSP lemon juice

4 flax eggs (1/4 cup ground flax and 3/4 cup water, set aside a few minutes until it gels)

Mix 4 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 and lemon juice.

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. When dough is ready to rise, scrape the cinnamon chips into it, and knead into it, until the cinnamon permeates the bread. They will break up, don't worry. It'll become more like flecks of cinnamon when you are done.

Cover and let rise until double, approx 1 hour.

While this is rising make the filling and the icing.

Filling.

3 TBSP cinnamon
3 TBSP room temperature coconut oil
1 1/2 Cup room temperature applesauce (you can heat these up, just know that if you use cold applesauce with coconut oil it'll congeal.)
3 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP Maple Syrup


Icing

1  teaspoon cinnamon
4 TBSP Vegan cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 Cup powdered sugar

Set these aside.

When dough is doubled split it in half. Roll into a flat rectangle approximately 8x14. I rolled mine twice. Once and then folded the ends in so it was folded in thirds, turned it and rolled it again. Take 1/3 of the applesauce cinnamon mixture and spread it onto the dough and roll it into a long pinwheel snake. Start at the long side 14" side closest to you and head toward the other long side so the filling spirals.  

Slice into approx 10-12 slices. Place these side by side in a greased bundt pan. (cinnamon spiral next to cinnamon spiral) Use 1/3 of the cinnamon applesauce mixture and spread over top. Do the same with the other half of the dough. Slightly off center the rolls, example, put the new chunk overlapping the slits on the bottom row. Let the dough rest for 25 minutes or so. It will rise again. Not quite double.

Put into a 325 degree oven for 40 minutes. If your top begins to look too browned, cover with foil. Cool approx 10 minutes. Place 1/3 of the frosting on the rolls in the bundt pan so the frosting melts into the bottom. Cool an additional ten minutes and then turn out onto a platter and frost the top and partially down the sides. If you need to, add some non-dairy milk to make it thinner. Slice this into thin slices so every gets a layered cinnamon roll cake slice, or use it as pull apart and every one can grab their own cinnamon roll of choice.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lessons from the Law ~ Woof, Doggie ~Dog

Drug dogs are a fascinating topic.

Our little guy, I’ll call him Buddy, to protect the innocent, :  ) came strolling into class Thursday night looking nothing like a vicious dog. He basically fixated on his toy during the officer’s Q and A with the class. And often jumped up for some quality time with his policeman. 

Buddy is trained in three areas. Two of those include biting. Shudder. Let’s just say, whatever you are packing, whether it’s a pocket full of dog treats or 3 grams of cocaine, the last thing you want to do is run. Not only is Buddy fast, he’s smart. 

The officer pointed out something else I had never considered. Buddy’s jaw is uber powerful. Police dogs work out their jaw muscles, and Buddy’s are ripped, or will rip a few pounds of flesh if you get on his wrong side.

Buddy didn’t just stare and army crawl creep toward his toy, he shed. A lot. The officer’s right side was covered in dog hair, as was the floor where Buddy hung out.

A dog’s sense of smell is crazy good. Buddy can smell the tiniest residue of drugs and is rewarded for finds with play time. Buddy is also multilingual. His commands are in a couple different languages. Makes sense. One of my classmates is a lawyer who thought she’d stump our dog-management officer with some recent legal issues that popped up for a dog handler in another state. She ended up asking a condescending question and then blushed when the officer not only answered her question, he did so in her legal language and subtly put her in her place. Ha. Ha.

The second speaker of the night was “the” traffic cop. Close to retiring, this was his last class, and he reminded me of the movie/television stereotype of the wiry, rugged cop with the glint in his eye and the generous sense of humor. He walked us through a drunk driving arrest. And the tests. Magic drunk goggles (not to be confused with beer goggles) were produced which a few crazy individuals donned while attempting to complete the physical tests With the simulated legal limit and double legal limit goggles, there were some hilarious results. Of course, the reality of someone driving under the same conditions is horrifying. The highest blood alcohol he has personally seen is 4.8. Only a true alcoholic could boast that number, it's a deadly blood alcohol cocktail.

I also was reminded that traffic stops can be one of the most tense and deadly type of police work. An officer never knows what he/she will find when dealing with a stop. If you are pulled over, one of the more threatening things you can do is go for your glove compartment. They prefer that you keep your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 and wait to be instructed to hand over your license and registration. Tinted windows are an unknown and dangerous thing that puts a police officer on high alert. If they can't see what's going on in the car they have to be prepared to react to the worst case scenario.

Give police officers a break, if they seem stressed or a bit intense when they pull you over, be kind and respectful, their jobs are stressful and intense, even over something as minor as catching you doing something stupid.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Let Them Eat Veggies

Cue moving music. We flipped open the flap on the high tunnel and entered into this scene. Amazing.

Yesterday was the first CSA pack of the season. Slim pickings we thought. Even though the spring warmth and sun started weeks ago, how much could possibly be ready to go?

Teeny tiny baby broccoli....cuchie coo!!!!

teeny tiny baby cabbage. awwwww isn't it cute?

For those who are skeptical that the temperature in a high tunnel/ green house gets up there. Yeah. There is serious sweat involved in gardening.

fields of greens - lettuce eat.

HA.HA.HA. Well, a full box. Lettuce, we harvested pounds of lettuce. That's a lot of lettuce. Trust me. We washed and packed Kale, Swiss Chard, there was asparagus, just a bit, since the season started so early. And the garlic. Oh, the garlic. Green garlic that you can use like green onions. The smell was heavenly. I'm going to saute some of the greens with Swiss Chard and toss in some sunflower seeds. I'm pretty sure that's going to be amazing. We even got nice sized radishes. And dill. Oh my.  I've missed my garden box of deliciousness. And, don't forget to hug your favorite organic farmer. This veggie tending is hard work. 

We also met a horticulture student doing an internship. It was her first day in the fields. She is currently taking a class on insects. We asked her if she'd ever encountered a tomato worm. She has not. We have sufficiently terrified her methinks. And I didn't even tell her about the ritualistic tomato worm dance. 

kale...nuff said.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Maple Mustard Glazed Cauliflower Steak ~

This cauliflower steak has a meaty, knife-ready texture and great taste. If you are a honey mustard fan you might want to give it a shot. 

Maple Mustard Glazed Cauliflower Steak

Preheat oven to 425

1 head cauliflower sliced from top to stem into 4 or 5 1/2 inch steaks (Note: You will probably only get 4 good steaks, both times I've made this there is a lot of crumbling and the outside pieces tend to fall apart. Use the leftovers bits like the end pieces or smaller pieces as nuggets, or save for another recipe. You will probably also have other bits left over that will be too small to use so save those for another recipe.)
1 Cup flour 
3/4 Cup water (plus maybe a bit more, you want a batter about like pancake batter texturewise.)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP of the Maple Mustard Sauce


 

Maple Mustard Sauce (Mix all together in a small bowl and set aside until needed. Use 1 TBSP for breading batter)

3 TBSP vegan Worcestershire sauce
3 TBSP mustard of choice
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP maple syrup

Mix flour. water, garlic powder, salt and 1 TBSP of Maple Mustard Sauce together in a shallow bowl or cake pan. (You will be dipping)

Prepare a 9 x 13 or cookie pan with oil or parchment paper. 

Dip each cauliflower "steak" or nugget into the breading batter.  When fully covered, lay each piece on the parchment paper or in the greased pan.

Place in oven and bake at 425 for 20 minutes. At the mid way point turn pieces over and continue baking.
When the crust is firm to touch, remove from oven.
 

Liberally coat all the exposed side of the pieces with 1/2 the Maple Mustard Sauce. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and turn over and baste the other side with the sauce and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve. 

Scraps and Snippets ~ No-Cheese, Cheesy Scallped Veggies, A Review AND A GIVEAWAY

Some days my mailbox feels like Christmas. 

I was given the opportunity to try out one of OXO's Healthy Eating Tools. Not only did they gift me with one sweet Hand Held Mandoline Slicer to try out...they sent me another to send to one of my readers. These gifts arrived in my mail last week...Merry Christmas to me and to one of you.

Hmmm. Would you like Christmas to come early to you? Best keep reading, or jump to the bottom of the post for instructions.

The Hand Held Mandoline Slicer is a pretty sweet tool. 

For starters. It's simple. And it's adjustable. Simply slide the little lever and tell it the thickness you want. I got some sweet thin slices out of this bad boy. It conquered the potatoes and onions in record time. The mushrooms didn't slice as easy, but they are kind of finicky, so I wasn't too surprised. The slicer is a good size for hand and bowls. I also found the finger protector (and guest protector, ha, ha) easy to use. Basically, it was really easy to use for someone who has been known to occasionally poke a hole in her dermis (sounds better than stab myself with a knife). Clean up was also a breeze. 

This is what I made with it. See the pretty veggie slices.

No-Cheese, Cheesy Scalloped Veggies

1 Cup soaked cashews (soak at least 30 minutes)
1 Cup cauliflower florets
2 Cups veggie broth
1 TBSP flour
3 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 TBSP tahini
2 Cloves garlic minced
1 and 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt
5-6 medium potatoes thinly sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
7-8 mushrooms thinly sliced.
2 TBSP Earth Balance Spread

(Keep potatoes in salt water until you use them.)

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 pan.

In a large pan, turn flame up high, add 1 TBSP Veg margarine (Earth Balance) to pan. Toss in potato slices and the onion. Don't turn until the potatoes and onions begin to caramelize. Then turn. Repeat until they begin to grow tender and both sides of the potatoes and onions are golden. Add the mushrooms when potatoes are beginning to cook. Adjust heat as needed. You don't want them to burn, you want them crusty though. Place onion/potato/mushroom mixture into the 9 x 13.

Drain cashew water. Add 1 TBSP Earth Balance to the large pan you used for the potatoes. Heat. Add cauliflower and garlic.  Add the flour, stir until all the veggies are coated. Then add Veggie broth, lemon juice, cashews, nutritional yeast, tahini and salt. Simmer/stir until mixture thickens.  

Cool. Run the mixture through a food processor. Then pour over potato mixture. Use it all.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350.

Okay. Here are the rules for the giveaway. 


Open to US residents.
Open from April 30, 2012 thru May 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (Will be announced on the 17th)

Winner will be chosen at random.
Each activity counts as one entry. So each activity needs a separate comment. 


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Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Potlucks and Possum ~

a clown suit for sale at a garage sale. very tempting....

Citizen's Police Academy - coming soon - keep tuned in. The topic was DUIs and drug doggies.

But while you're waiting...here's some background noise.

AKA (also known as) Interesting happenings of late.

Back in the day people used to ask me what I'd made at a potluck. This was because they WANTED to eat it. Now. Since we've gone all weird and "healthy" or "hippie," I sometimes get that question with lit up eyes and eager runs for the dish. But. I also get it, mostly, because there are those who want to avoid what I've slaved over.

I won't lose sleep over this. Because, what we bring home, we'll eat. However, it does make me want to try harder to get my hippie stuff onto the plates and shoveled into the mouths of the sarcastic. Just sayin.

Yesterday I threatened to break the toe of my sarcastic child who sat on the couch with me. She harassed me, she deserved it. The only thing that saved her was quick response to hit Control Z when I deleted something while I was diving for her toe. The life she saved was her own.

Speaking of lives. In Iowa I see lots of wildlife on my way to and from work. Yesterday morning I truly saw an amazing sight. I'm assuming that you all know what a possum is...and that they have a sweet trick.  If not, here's some possum facts for you.

Anyhoo. I saw an Oscar award winning performance by a possum bright and early, a little too bright and early for a nocturnal animal. But this little bugger was professional and he had his trick down. He didn't twitch, even as cars drove past him. He just laid there, obviously having taken some acting classes. He even had props. Not sure how he got those guts arranged so artfully. Funny thing, he was still working on it on my way home from work. Playing dead. Who'd have thought that would be so fascinating.