Scraps and Snippets ~ Thanksgiving "Meat"Balls with Mushroom Sage Gravy

Thanksgiving "Meat"balls
1 baked potato, diced
1/2 Cup dried cranberries
1 tsp sage
2 Cups finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 Cup finely diced pecans
1 Cup garbanzo beans crushed
1 Cup oatmeal 
1 Clove garlic finely diced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (if using low sodium broth)
2 TBSP nutritional yeast
2 Cups Vegetable broth
2 Cup gluten flour

Combine all ingredients except gluten flour in a large bowl until mixture combined. Add gluten flour and mush together until gluten strands form. 2-3 minutes. Roll into small (less than golf ball sized) balls. Place in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes. Turn "meat" balls over. and bake an additional 30 minutes.

To serve pour gravy over "meat"balls. 

Mushroom Sage Gravy

1 TBSP Earth Balance
2 Cups finely chopped mushrooms
2 Clove finely chopped garlic
1/4 Cup flour
4 Cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt (I used low sodium vegetable broth)

2 teaspoons ground sage

Melt Earth Balance and saute garlic. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated. Add vegetable broth, salt and sage and stir and simmer until it thickens.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Bubble, Brew, Boil and Trouble

One day. No latte art for me, yet.

I've secretly wanted to be a barista forever. Why? I suppose because I love me a good cup of coffee. Or because a coffee shop SCREAMS pampering, relaxation and melting away of tension. Right? 

On thinking this thru...I LOVE a good pedicure, too. The massaging chair, the foot soak, the forced relaxation....but I've never wanted to become a pedicurist...is that a word? Today, for that non-sentence it is. 

Anyhoo. A few months ago (after the amazing trip to Seattle/Portland/Olympia coffee houses) & stepped up into managing the local coffee shop she works at. Shortly after this move she wondered if I might not like to be trained so I could be a sub, a fill-in barista and a very part-time regular. Uh YEAH, baby. I said. 

Can I tell you how scary fun it is? For starters, this little gig is brain taxing. Three or four milk or non-milk options, cup sizes, 20 or so different syrups and each of these is an important part of a good cup of coffee or tea or frappe. 

And danger, Will Robinson, the water and milk get real hot. REAL hot. And lest you all forget my inability to walk and chew gum, spills on the treated urban cool concrete floor can scream disaster when a barista foot meets spill. Just sayin. 

All the different combos of drinks have a special key on the cash register, too. And if there are extras, there's a key for that. And then the drive thru intercom begins to sqwack while I'm dealing with finding the right key on the register and the right syrup to make a gingerbread spice latte with an extra shot, whip and a squirt of caramel. 

So working at a coffee shop isn't quite as relaxing as hanging in one. 

However, it's fun. I must say I love the challenge and maybe even the stress. It's a whole lot different than the stress in the medical world, that's for sure.

And the things I'm learning. And the people I'm meeting. And the coffee I get to inhale for an hour or two a few days a week. Pretty fun. 

Which would be exactly the reason I don't have a recipe today. I worked an hour before my real job (and made $7.00 in tips....hey, better than a poke in the eye, I say) and then took a shift for a co-worker after my real job. The best part was after the shop was closed, a man walked up to the drive thru window and knocked. He'd come hoping to catch us and get three quarts of ice cream. (You don't turn away a sale like that, ya know.) (And in case I didn't mention it, the shop makes it's own ice cream. & is working  on making non-dairy versions...so far they haven't been stellar but it's getting closer.) So a regular knocking on the window after closing and a pleasant conversation and sale would be one of the best parts of local business in Iowa. That and the smell of coffee, the whoosh of the machines and the whole "Norm!" feel of a local coffee house. 

Not working today. Recipe tomorrow. :  )

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Weekend Eats ~

Another busy weekend. We had an out-of-town drive-by visit from friends. One of &'s best friends, her husband and new baby. :  ). The 15 hour visit was quick but included food. Neither of them is Vegan and baby is still on the breast so feeding them caused a little concern....

& made sweet potato chili. I put together Monster Cookie Bars. (this recipe in bar form baked in a 9 x 13 for approx 23 Minutes and with the addition of Vegan candy coated chocolates.)

I also found a recipe for non-Vegan Oreo cookie truffles that are baked. Trouble is, I can't find the link to give credit. However, I did change ingredients and turn it into bars and it's almost printable. A tweak and trial and I'll get it posted. I used coconut oil for butter and they were a bit too coconutty for my taste. I'll tweak again and decrease the fat a bit as well.  Pretty sure my Thanksgiving peeps will be guinea pigs.


And & found this recipe for baked French Toast. She decreased the Vegan butter by 1/3 - 1 stick instead of 3. There was a decrease in sugar, too, and we sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on top and baked it in two smaller pans so each piece was crunchy on top.  Everything else the same. Delish. Even thought the picture of the pre baked batch looks a lot like chicken. UGH.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Just Some Stuff...That's all.

& and I made cakes for an omnivore anniversary/engagement  party. Nice to see omnivores falling upon Vegan cakes, I tell ya. 

Thanks Matt and Rachel for letting us experiment on your friends and family. Ha. Ha. 

Here's my killer raspberry fudge cake. A conglomeration of several recipes. I'll post it some day soon. 

And I haven't given a bunny update lately. Emma and Fannie were recently in a local high school play. Here's a picture for your enjoyment. Quite the adventure. Apparently, they were well-behaved though their time on the stage was pretty limited. They are naturals.  Emma is featured, Fannie is sideways in front with one ear up, one down.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Sinai Chop Salad

Sinai Chop Salad

Ingredients are cut into bite sized pieces so every bite has a little of everything.

One can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (If you have dried around, make your own. A can = about 1 and 2/3 cup cooked beans.)

Three heads of Romaine lettuce washed and chopped

Two cucumbers. Remove most of the skin but leave just a bit for color and chop into bite sized pieces.

Four small dill pickles (chopped)

Purple onion ½ to a whole onion, depending on size and your preference (small chopped)

Four to six tomatoes (chopped)

Dressing: (Make this at least the day before so all the flavors marry)

2 TBSP tahini (Sesame seed paste with a very distinct flavor should be in internal section of the store.) (If this scares you, or you don't want a jar of tahini in your fridge you can use hummus)

4 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar (may need more or some water to get to consistency you'd like)

1 teaspoons oregano (dried) or equivalent in fresh

1 teaspoon dill (dried) or equivalent in fresh

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt.

Toss all the salad ingredients into a big bowl.

Drizzle dressing over salad. Serve with pitas. Feel free to toss chunked falafels into the mix, too.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Banana Bread French Toast ~ Vegan

Warning. This is involved. First you have to make the banana bread, then the other parts and pieces. It is delicious. So much so that I forgot to take pictures of my plate. One person who ate it decided it was too fusty and she wouldn't go to all the work. I'll hang onto the recipe because every once in awhile you just want a good brunch or breakfast recipe. The banana bread can be made ahead of time, sliced and frozen. The french toast mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated. The syrup as well. (However, you'll want to bring it back to room temperature or reheat it as the coconut oil will firm up in the fridge.) The coconut whip is great made two or three days before you need it as it thickens and gets even creamier as it ages.
This recipe was inspired, veganized and tweaked from one I found here. The French Toast recipe is one I use over and over tweaked slightly from here. 
 
French Toast Banana Bread

Banana Bread

4 Cups flour
1 Cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Cup coconut oil
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 ripe bananas
1/2 Cup non dairy milk
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 1/2 Cup applesauce
4 teaspoons vanilla
Combine non dairy milk and flax and let gel in a small bowl. Mix coconut oil, sugar, bananas and applesauce together. Add vanilla and stir. Add spices, salt, soda and baking powder and mix well. Stir in flax/milk mixture until all incorporated. Add flour and oatmeal until mixed.

Grease two loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean or almost clean.

When the bread cools cut into approximately 1/2 inch slices.

Prepare French Toast Mixture.

2 Cups non-dairy milk
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 Cup of flour

Mix well.

Dip the slices of banana bread into mixture. Cook on greased griddle or pan until golden on each side. Set in warm oven to keep until ready to serve.

Serve with:

Peanut Butter Syrup

1 Cup maple syrup
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 Can full fat coconut milk (chilled for several days to separate cream from water. Scoop out thick white cream into a bowl. Discard or use water for smoothies, Thai recipes, etc.
Whip coconut cream until fluffy.
Add 1 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip all ingredients together until fluffy and whipped. Return to refrigerator until ready to serve. This will thicken as it chills so feel free to make it a day or two ahead.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Banana-Cranberry Bread. Vegan, of course.

 I've made this recipe twice and I'm calling it a keeper. Tonight I added dried cranberries and walnuts to one loaf, chocolate chips and walnuts to the other. Both are tasty.

I love that the ingredients include whole grain, bananas, applesauce and flax.  
 
Banana Cranberry Bread

4 Cups flour
1 Cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 Cup coconut oil
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 ripe bananas
1/2 Cup non dairy milk
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 1/2 Cup applesauce
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 Cups crushed walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 Cups dried cranberries or chocolate chips
 
 Combine non dairy milk and flax and let gel in a small bowl. Mix coconut oil, sugar, bananas and applesauce together. Add vanilla and stir. Add spices, salt, soda and baking powder and mix well. Stir in flax/milk mixture until all incorporated. Add flour and oatmeal until mixed. Toss in nuts and cranberries or chocolate chips.

Grease two loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean or almost clean.

Next time I'm going to add white chocolate chips and some orange zest with the cranberry version. I'm thinking it will be delicious.