BREAD!

G'day Mates!

Today I am posting a recipe for a delicious loaf of homemade bread.  Making bread is very rewarding: from the kneeding to the rising to the punching to the baking - you will feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment when you lift that golden, steaming loaf from the oven.  Annnnnd making bread is sooooooo EASY!!!  It does take a little bit of time, but during that time you don't even have to be near the bread!  Give 'er a try, and then give yourself a big pat on the back for mastering an essential life skill!

Homemade Bread

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cups warm water
-2 1/4 tsp yeast (aka one package)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-approx 3 cups all-purpose flour (you may need more, ya may need lessssss)

Makes one loaf, double everything for two!

Pour the warm water into a large bowl and stir in the salt and sugar until they are dissolved. Sprinkle over the yeast and wait about 5 min, the yeast will probably foam up a little.  Stir down the yeast mixture and the veg oil.
Add the first two cups flour and mix wellllllll (I like to get my hands right in it). Add a little more flour, a small handful at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.On a clean, floured surface, turn out that dough and KNEEEED IT for about five - ten min, or until the dough is smooth and stretchy and elastic. You may have to keep adding more flour...
Oil the bottom and sides of your bowl with a little more veg oil and plunk your dough ball in the middle. Cover it with plastci wrap and a tea towel and let it rise for an hour somewhere warm and cozy.

After an hour, punch the dough down (fun!) and kneed again for a minute or two. Then drop it into an oiled up bread pan.  Let it rise again, uncovered, for another 30-45 minutes. Score the top of the loaf with a few knife slashes (this makes it look super authentic hee hee) and brush the top of the loaf with a little water (makes for a golden crust).

Bake yo bread for about 45 minutes or until it looks mighty golden in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.

Turn the loaf out of the pan and let coooooool...

YUM YUM!

If you want to make an herbed version, add a tsp of your fave herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, sage, whatevs) to the flour before you kneed and replace the veg oil with olive oil.

If you want cinnamon bread, increase the sugar to 2 tbsp and add 2 tsp cinnamon to the flour before kneeding. Ah hell - throw in 1/2 cup chopped raisins if ya want too!

The stew in the picture is a quick Tomato Kale Stew that I just whipped up by sauteeing 2 chopped garlic cloves, some chili flakes and two cups of chopped kale in some olive oil and adding a can of diced tomatoes with the liquid.  Maybe a splash of red wine, too.  Then just bring to a boil, simmer for a few min and season with S&P.  Very simple, very hearty and yummy soup!

Until we meet again,

XOXO
V.V.

Sesame Soba Noodles

HOLY TOLEDO IT'S COLD OUT THERE!

I know, I know.  I'm a Winnipegger and it's mid-January and it's -45.  Way to state the obvious, V.V.!

I'm just about to run off to school so I thought I'd leave ya a little recipe for something that you can take along for lunch.  If you've never tried soba noodles you MUST!  They are made from buckwheat flour and contain antioxidants as well as all eight essential amino acids.  They are high in iron, protein and fibre too!  AND they are cheap and filling so they make a great pantry staple for those days when you're broke and hungry!

The noodles are traditionally served either cold with a sauce or hot in a broth.  The version I'm sharing with you can be served hot or cold.  You can eat soba noodles any way your little heart desires: today I'm taking some for my lunch with grated zucchini, garlic and ginger, yum!

Sesame Soba Noodles 

Ingredients:

-2 oz soba noodles

-1 tbsp tahini

-1 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)

-1 small garlic clove, minced

-chili flakes (to your taste, rebel)

-1 tsp rice vinegar

-2 tsp water

-any veggie toppings you like (I used roasted sweet potato and bok choi here, you could use ANYTHING YOU WANT!  Sky's the limit!  Grated carrot, broccoli, green onion, tofu, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc)

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Add the soba noodles, reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the noodles are tender (about 6-8 minutes).  Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them under cold water.

In your chosen take-away tupperware container, combine the tahini, shoyu, garlic, chili flakes (yow!), vinegar and water.  You may have to add more water if the sauce is too thick, tahini has a tendency to seize up.  Add your noodles to the sauce and toss 'em.  Top with your veg of choice, seal that lid and you are on your way!

XOXO

V.V.

Vegan Benedict. Nuff Said.

Hello my darlings,

Happy New Year!  As it turns out, the holidays were a bit overbearing (physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially) and I had to take a brief hiatus from my bloggin'.  But I am back and armed with a pile of recipes that I can't wait to share with you!

I know tons of people who have decided to try a vegan diet as their new years resolution. Good on ya!!!  Even if you don't stick to it 100%, you'll be amazed at how good you feel eating wholesome, DELISH, and compassionate foods!

The Christmas morning breakfast tradition at my Dad and StepMama's house in Calgary is Eggs Benedict.  So this year, I whipped up an AWESOME Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Benedict WITH vegan Hollondaise sauce :)

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Benedict with 'Hollondaise' Sauce

Ingredients:
-one Roma tomato per person
-four asparagus spears per person
-olive oil
-one English muffin per person, halved and toasted
-1/2 cup vegan mayo
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tbsp nutritional yeast (or less, or even more, depends on your taste)
-cayenne pepper (again, according to your taste)
-1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp Dijon mustard
-S&P
-smoked paprika and chopped parsley (totally optional garnish)

Let's do dis:

Melt the Earth Balance butter in a saucepan over med-low heat and set aside. 

Pre-heat your broiler to 'high'.  Halve the tomatoes and place them cut side up on a baking sheet along with the asparagus.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with S&P.  Broil until the asparagus is tender and the tomatoes are oozy and soft...mmmmmm...oozy and soft tomatoes...this should take about ten - fifteen minutes.

Place the mayo, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard in a blender.  Blend on low speed while slowly pouring in melted Earth Balance in a steady stream until everything is well combined. 

Return the sauce to the saucepan and place over medium low heat to warm it all up.  Season the sauce with S&P.  If it's too thick, add a teeny bit of water until you get a thick but still pourable consistency.

 To assemble:  Place English muffin halves on a plate.  Arrange asparagus in an "X" on muffins and top with tomato halves.  Pour on as much sauce as you can handle - I'm a saucy gal myself ;)

Garnish with paprika and chopped parsley and STUFF YOURSELF!!!!!

XOXO
V.V.