super easy peanut sauce

this is my own creation, which i am posting here mostly for my own reference so i can remember this next time i want to make it, and also so others can enjoy it...

1.5 c. coconut milk
1.5 c. natural peanut butter (i.e., no sugar added)
2 T. soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1-2 T. diced chilis (e.g., thai chilis, jalapenos, serranos)
1-2 T. sriracha (or other garlic chili sauce) - optional
water or extra coconut milk (as needed)

combine all ingredients except water/extra coconut milk in a small sauecpan. cook over a low flame until heated through. once hot, add water/extra coconut milk to achieve desired consistency. cook a minute or two longer - do not cook longer than this or the sauce will begin to solidify.

this is a good dipping sauce for lightly fried tofu, or can be used to make peanut noodles.

veganized banana bread

it turns out my mom's delicious banana bread is just as scrumptious when veganized!

2 cups unrefined sugar
3/4 cup canola oil (or oil of your choice...i used avocado oil this last time around and it worked just great!)
substitute of your choice for 3 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/3 t. baking soda
1/4 cup sour soymilk (add 1 T. lemon juice to soymilk)
5 large, uber-ripe bananas***
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (depending on how nutty you like things)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. mash bananas - if you have used frozen bananas, they will be pretty mushy and you may not even need to do this. dissolve baking soda in milk (the mixture will foam...kind of like those "volcanoes" you made in grade school). combine sugar, oil, egg sub, vanilla and soymilk mixture. add bananas
and mix well. combine flour and salt and add to wet ingredients along with the nuts. mix thoroughly and pour into 2 greased loaf pans or a single bundt pan. bake for 45
minutes to an hour. cool in pans for about 20 minutes then remove and finish cooling on racks.

***i usually freeze my old bananas that get brown and smelly and wait until i have enough saved up to make this.

lemon poundcake

i made this for a potluck yesterday....

ingredients:
2 cups unrefined sugar
1 cup Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
egg substitute for 4 eggs
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 cup "buttermilk" (mix 2 t. lemon juice with enough soymilk to equal 3/4 cup)
2 T. freshly grated lemon peel
1.5 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon extract

pre-heat oven to 325. beat sugar and margarine together in large bowl. beat in egg substitute slowly, in about 4 equal parts (i.e., pretend you are adding in four eggs, one at a time). until well mixed. reduce mixer speed and gradually add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt alternately with "buttermilk" until well mixed. stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and lemon extract.

spoon batter into greased and floured bundt pan, or one large loaf pan, or two small loaf pans. bake for 40 to 60 minutes. cool 10 minutes; remove from pan, then cool completely.

quick mango w/ jasmine rice "pudding"

after enjoying a thai curry the other night, the natural finish for the meal would have been some yummy mango and sticky rice. however, lacking sticky rice and coconut milk, josh whipped up this tasty treat instead! all you have to do is mixed cooked & cooled jasmine rice with a little vanilla soyogurt, and serve with mango slices.

since i've mentioned soyogurt, i'll take this opportunity to plug wildwood organics' line of soyogurts. they are the best i've had, way superior to silk or any others. i think it is available mainly on the west coast - for those who do not have access to it, i would strongly encourage you to ask your local stores to carry it - you won't be disappointed.

more vegan blogging goodness

i got a nice note from another vegan blogger (who incidentally works at angelica kitchen, whose cookbook i am currently obsessed with after receiving it from my sis). check out carmichael's blog here.

quinoa patties

i can't take credit for veganizing this recipe, but wanted to share it nonetheless. it comes from my sister, elaine, who is currently obsessed with this grain.

2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup fresh cilantro (or basil)
½ cup diced onion
½ cup cooked and drained black beans
1 t. seasoning salt
3 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced green onion
Bread crumbs as needed (approx. ½ to ¾ cup)
Canola oil and butter, mixed

Blend garlic, nuts, cilantro or basil, onion, black beans, and salt in a food
processor. Mix quinoa, red pepper, and green onion in a bowl. Add the
blended mixture. Add bread crumbs gradually, enough so the mixture
holds together. Form into patties, whatever size you like. Roll the
shaped patty in the crumbs to create a seal and crust. Heat a skillet
over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil and butter in equal
parts; cook patties about 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned.
Serve on buns with your favorite condiments, or with baked fries, or
on top of brown rice.

notes: make quinoa an hour or two before making patties - it needs to be somewhat cooled or the patties won't stick together. adding a little olive oil will help warm quinoa patties stick together better. if you don't have time to make the quinoa in advance, you can just skip making the patties and just eat the mixture as it is - it's quite delicious that way too.

you can use garbanzos instead of black beans - i did this and it had a nice flavor.

carrot ginger muffins

undecided on whether to make carrot raisin muffins or gingerbread this evening, i settled on a compromise that combines the two. here's the vegan version i came up with:

2 cups flour
3 t. baking powder
Egg substitute for 2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup unrefined sugar
4 T. Earth Balance (or soybutter of your choice)
2 large carrots, shredded
3/4 cup soymilk
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3 t. dry powdered ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. vanilla
Optional: 3/4 cup raisins and/or nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble earth balance/soybutter into small pieces and let soften. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder with the soybutter, using a pastry cutter or fingers to break down the butter into fine pieces mixed with the flour. Add sugars, ginger, carrot, soymilk, egg substitute, vanilla, and spices to the mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add raisins or nuts if using them. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool.