Oatmeal Cookies Made Decadent

I baked up a batch of Vegan Oatmeal Cookies with golden raisins tonight. While they were in the oven, I looked around the kitchen and spotted a bag of white chocolate truffles (not Vegan). Thinking that the cookies would be a bit dull, I melted down 6 of the truffles, poured shredded coconut onto a plate and made some pantry magic happen. Once cooled on a wire rack, the cookies were hand dipped into the melted truffle pot, then pressed into a layer of coconut & voila - dressed up not-so-dull oatmeal cookies.

Vegan Gingerbread Houses, Cocunut Cookies

This week I made Vegan Coconut Sandwich Cookies - take a peek they were rich, decadent and just one was enough. I took a standard recipe and swapped out Soy butter spread for the butter and flax for the eggs, that's that. They puffed up nicely and made the house smell like coconut.

In other news I am a little baked-out. I made vegan gingerbread dough again last night and we had a decorating marathon. Take a look at the end result, all I can say is the candy really makes it look all tied-together because my little house started caving in, and I had to call for assistance (help!) in the bracing department - they are small and covered in sugar and made me smile. No baking this evening but I will be baking something up for the folks at the local Post Office later this week - and we did deliver some cookies to our neighbors this past weekend - which by the way is a great way to feel the real good Holiday Spirit Stuff everyone sings about this time of year. So grab a recipe, bake up some stuff, and drop off some treats to your friends and neighbors - trust me, it will be nice for you and for them as well! (Eggs Optional, OK?)

Pantry Soup and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today was the first heavy snow of the season, so I felt the urge to have a pot of soup. I made what I referred to as "Pantry Soup" because all of the ingredients were a mix and match of what I had on hand. Not wishing to venture out in the snowy, icy New England storm, I went to work on this concoction. I started off with some chopped celery, olive oil, parsley, a shallot, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, and sage. I sauteed these items for a bit then added 5 cups of vegetable broth. Once it began to boil, I added 1/4 cup orzo, and brought to a boil once again. I had baby carrots on hand so I chopped several up and tossed into the pot. Sea salt and some more parsley topped it all off.

Also this evening I tried a new version of Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, they still do not taste like regular chocolate chip cookies bit they did puff up nicely, and they tasted nice straight out of the oven....Will try one at room temperature after this post is done, probably with a cup of Soy Nog - that I picked up at the local grocery store...Off to watch SNL Christmas special and also I discovered that Amazon has something called Amazon Unbox, which allows you to rent movies via a download that lasts 24 hrs once you hit play so I have "Elf" - one of the silliest Will Ferrell films ever, check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjFCmJCzF1A

I love when he goes crazy and screams "SANTA, I Know Him!" also when he answers James Caan's telephone and says "Buddy the Christmas Elf, what's your favorite color?" Grab a cookie, get yourself on Amazon and download this movie tonight - it's hysterical and there is absolutely no way you will be left feeling blue, christmas or any other variety of blue for that matter.

Vegan Ginger Bread People

That's right folks - no eggs - no butter - just tasty Gingerbread Cookies! The lips are made of licorice cut askew - by the way they are the cutest lips I have ever made for a baked good.

I had a blast mixing and matching all sorts of candies to make these goofy cookies.

Arancini di Riso

"Little Oranges", as they are aptly named in Italian can be such an unexpected treat. I used to think they were somewhat of a special holiday magic food that my parents - strangely - would prepare and cook together.... It was always one or the other mother or father doing the cooking, mostly mother, but sometimes my father would whip up some fried spaghetti, a pizza with carmelized onions, sausages, a mufaletta (awesome sandwhich grilled like a panini). Anyhow, Rice Balls/Arancini can be thrown together rather quickly. Prep a pot of risotto - I like to sautee a shallot in olive oil, add the rice, let it pop, then splash - a cup of white wine. Simmer it all down, add 1 cup of broth incrementally (you will use 3-4 cups) letting each cup boil down one at a time, stirring it up until the rice is good and fat. I threw in a bunch of shredded fresh basil, portocini mushrooms, black pepper and a cup of peas. Let it cool off, then add in some grated parmesean, and instead of the traditional square of mozzarella in the center, I added shredded reduced fat mozz. to the mixture. In lieu of an egg, add a bit of water so its wet and sticky. Add 1/2 c. bread crumbs and shape into spheres that fit into your palm. Roll in a plate of yet more bread crumbs, place onto a non-stick pan sprayed w. canola oil, bake 20-25 minutes at 375, taking pan out once to flip them over - carefully. The results - tasty, sweet, decadent Arancini that you can make any time of year, on your own or with a partner. I have to say it is a nice memory - my parents were so young - perhaps in their 20s, in that kitchen with the panelling in New York. Sometimes food can bring us together, bring us back in time, bring us to the table, bring us inspiration, bring us home.

The Ayurvedic Food Tasting Westerly RI

Here are a few photos from the Ayurvedic Food tasting we held this past Saturday evening in Westerly, RI. All went off well, a good time was had & Andy's Sitar playing definitely brought the event to a new level. The Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes and Tomato Soup were by far the fave items on the menu.

Each time I try a new recipe, I find out what tools my kitchen is lacking. This weekend I realized that I need this cake decorating contraption from Williams-Sonoma, instead of the makeshift baker's icing bag I used to frost the cupcakes. They turned out beautifully, it just took forever to frost them with the bag squirting out every few minutes, I laughed my way through it all.

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were poured into tiny paper cups - as opposed to the giant muffin tins I have used in the past to make oversized cups. This picture illustrates how you pour one layer of melted chocolate, then a dollop of good-for-you peanut butter, followed by one final layer of melted chocolate. What can I say? They are one of those things that make life so sweet.

Vegan Cupcakes, Ayurvedic Soup 1-2-3

So there were two totally new recipes that I worked on today 1)Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, and 2) Ayurvedic Tomato Spinach Soup. Details to follow as I am prepping these plus additional dishes for tomorrow evening's event in Westerly, RI.

The Tomato Soup was fast and fun to create. I took the whole vine ripened tomatoes, cut an "x" into the bottoms of each, and roasted for 25 minutes at 375 degreees with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, black pepper. Once you remove them from the oven, you peel away the skin off of each tomato, (which comes off like a prom dress). The skinned roasted tomatoes were then pureed in my Cuisinart along with some crushed red pepper - as the season is predominantly Vata, and we can all use a little heat. This mixture went into a large saucepan which already contained chopped red onion, tarragon, marjoram, fresh finely sliced basil, some nutmeg, tamari, sauteed in olive oil, 5 cups of vegetable stock and 1 large colander full of washed whole spinach.

The whole thing comes together beautifully, the spinach wilts down, just a bit. The nutmeg harmonizes with the fresh basil and voila - you'll have this amazing, cleansing soup.

I've already got the chapati dough shaped and ready to roll out, the black eye bean curry, berry compote and all natural peanut butter cups will all be prepared tomorrow. I hope that the crowd will enjoy the food; I am also giving out some recipe cards, along with sachets of tri-doshic chai which can be brewed up at home.

Ayurvedic Food Tasting, Foodie Chatter

This Saturday night I will be presenting an Ayurvedic Food Tasting at Ashtanga Yoga RI in Downtown Westerly, RI. It's a great space and Andy Dinsmoor will be performing LIVE - Sitar and possibly Tabla. I will be working on all sorts of tasty treats over the next 2 days and I will share recipes, etc. as we approach Saturday evening. Also checkout these roasted yams, new potatoes w. rosemary from my garden (yes the rosemary is still out there).

In the health department: I have been using this Air-O-Swiss humidifier in my home and will be setting one up at the yoga studio - as the hot dry indoor air this time of year aggravates my asthma. How ridiculous I felt last week when 1/2 way into my Ashtanga practice my chest tightened up and I felt as though I were a goldfish flooping outside of her bowl. So the remedy - a high end humidifier. End of story.

In other foodie news, have you ever had anyone make you breakfast? Or perhaps a sandwich? I think there is nothing more divine that waking up to a fresh homemade breakfast in bed. Also I do believe that a sandwich tastes much better when prepared (especially for you) by someone else...preferably a good pal, someone you adore. I know that I talk all about Vegan Baking but my - oh - my do I LOVE eggs for breakfast. I am on a mission to find an egg poaching device for the stovetop this week as I've got Noah's Poached Eggs (w. Hollandaise sauce) on the brain. Check out http://noahsfinefood.com/ and stop in if you are in the area. I'm about to pour a cup of bedtime tea, stay tuned for the Peanut Butter Cup recipe, as well as my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce....

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

These were so easy to make it was a joke. Go ahead - try them out yourself. Cookies turn out round (they do not flatten out) and they crumble as you bite into them so I advise that you simply pop them straight into your mouth, do not nibble.

This recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies. They taste (and look) sort of like giant peanut butter cereal.

1.5 C Wheat Flour

1 C Peanut Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

3/4 C Sugar

1/4 C Canola Oil

Combine all ingredients, mix until combined - it will be a crumbly wet dough (see photo). Shape into 2" round spheres. Bake at 400 degrees 10-11 minutes, place on cooling rack. (Do not try to eat one straight out of the oven - you will burn your mouth - don't ask why I know this).

Last night, we dined at a friends's home in RI, empanadas and an awesome bean soup, topped w. crunchy lettuce, cheese and sour cream. Everything tased great and it felt nice to have someone else's cooking. There is so much that goes into food preparation, I feel that you actually transmit your energy into whatever it is that you make - food, art - whatever. So, needless to say I felt the friendship and goodwill was actually baked up inside of those empanadas....

Cooking All the Live Long Day

Upon rising this very cold Saturday morning (the heat wasn't properly connected as the plumbing is being modified - I decided to bake the good muffins to warm up). Am I the ony whacko that would bake to warm up or what?

Then, I began to cook. I just stopped and the time is now 4pm. Totally exhausted but it all looks and tastes very good. What did I make? For starters a huge pot of Chickpea & Lentil Stew full of spices, tomatoes, cilantro and orzo pasta. Then I set out to whip up a batch of Wheat Chapati dough. It's quite simple, wheat flour, some sea salt, a tbsp of oilive oil, and lastly a bit of very hot water. Mix it, knead it and then let sit for a few minutes. Roll into a log, slice into 1-2 inch thick rounds. Flatten them w the palm of your hand and then roll out nice and thin with a floured pin. Not too thin. Place in an oiled hot pan and proceed to press all around with a wad of paper towels. I learned this technique from a great Ayurvedic physician and chef in NYC a few years back....Flip the chapati, repeat the pressing and you should see some puffy spots in the dough forming this is a good thing. Remove and repeat w the next round of dough.

Also made the Berry Compote, Punjabi String Beans, and a Mango Cocktail using Mango, Cointreau, and Vodka. All of this was for a client - I will be dining at a friend's home this evening and am looking forward to not cooking anything for a few hours....Maybe I will take that nap I keep talking about...

Pomegranates, Plumbing & Pearl Onions

I just sliced open this beautiful juicy pomegranate on my kitchen counter. Sitting there all seductive and full, the fruit was calling out to me. After posting this, I plan to sit and enjoy a few spoonfuls of these garnet colored seeds.

My day involved making a batch of Italian chicken cutlets to serve 4 hungry men. I decided to add some veg. & sauteed some crunchy green beans with a bit of olive oil and elephant garlic. Last minute, the bag of walnuts beckoned, and so I scattered some on top of a platter of spring mix greens. Topped off with raspberry balsamic, black pepper and again some olive oil the salad was just right. The house is under construction - today was day 2 of the "roughing in" with the upstairs plumbing. The guys definitely seemed ready for second shift after that lunch.

I woke up today and made fresh orange juice & my chocolate chip banana vegan muffins. The cinnamon scent along with the warmth from the oven gave me a chance to embrace a New England morning in the Fall; no shorts and flip-flops today. However, I was totally happy in my nice warm boots and jeans running out to the market to scavenge for pearl onions, which by the way were all sold-out...will have to try the other place in Mystic. There is a large turkey thawing in my refrigerator, and lots of fixings are scattered throughout the kitchen. As I have mentioned, I am really into the holidays this year. My copy of Martha Stewart Living is spread out in the living room, and I am tempted to make the gingerbread townhouse cookies in the December issue (peraps a vegan version - if possible). Pomegranates, Pearl Onions & Plumbing, that's all.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 Can Pumpkin (Natural)

1 Cup Soymilk

1/2 Cup Sugar (Turbinado)

3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup Applesauce

3 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Ginger

1/2 Tsp Cloves

Pinnch of Salt

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix 2 - 3 minutes, until combined and well blended. I used my KitchenAid. Pour into pie shell, place in oven at 350 for one hour, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. I used an Organic Whole Wheat store bought pie crust, found in the healthy frozen food aisle. Next time I plan to make my own Vegan Wheat Pie Crust.

In other news it's insanely windy out there, and it's cold. A perfect evening to give my Diana Krall (http://www.dianakrall.com/) Christmas album a spin. Of course I had to sing along. For some reason I am feeling utterly Christmassy this year, and early too. I keep eyeing the white artificial Christmas trees at the local mega hardware store, trying to justify buying one. It will last a lifetime, it comes pre-lit, it's soooo sparkly.... Also the white trees speak to a certain 60's/Rankin Bass animated holiday cartoon part of me. For the past few years it's been a modest potted tree for me. Not this year, I am just feeling insanely holly jolly.

Also, I recently discovered (on iTunes) various Italian songs that I grew up hearing my parents blast from their 8 tracks. "Sara Perche Ti Amo" by Ricch e Poveri is one of my all time favorites, also "Tu" by Umberto Tozzi. I learned so much about Love, heartache, all things romantic from these songs; not to mention that singing along always improved how I spoke the Italian language. Now, listening to the lyrics "non pioggia perche venga tu" so many years later - after having lived and loved a bit, I realize how intesnely romantic these songs really are.

Ayurvedic Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

Ayurvedic Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

2 Cans Black Beans (Drained & Rinsed)

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

5 Bay Leaves

1/2 Large Red Onion, Chopped

1 Cup Celery, Sliced

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Tamari

3 Tsp Cinnamon

3 Tsp Cumin

1 Tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Red Pepper*

2 Large Carrots (Cleaned & Chopped)

3 Medium Sweet Potatoes, Diced

1 Can Diced Tomatoes (All Natural)

4 Cups Vegetable Stock

3 Cups Rough Torn Kale (Or Spinach)

Salt To Taste

Chopped Cilantro To Top

Plain Yogurt to Top (Optional)

1. Place the beans in a large saucepan with the bay leaves, add enough water to reach 3" above the beans. Bring to a boil. Once they begin to boil, reduce to low heat and simmer

2. In a separate large, deep pan heat oil, add onion, celery, Tamari & all spices. Stir constantly over medium heat.

3. Add potatoes and carrots, continue to stir and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add this mixture carefully to the boiling bean pot. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock now bring back to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking.

4. Reduce to medium heat, and simmer 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Off heat, add the rough torn greens (I Loved the Kale, Spinach or Chard are nice as well). They will wilt in the pan, and that's that!

5. Top w. plenty of chopped cilantro and add a dollup of plain lowfat yogurt in your bowl, add more yogurt if too spicy. Enjoy!

*You may leave out the red pepper if your constitution is Ptta, or if you are having a grumpy day, as the hot pepper may aggravate your already hot tempered head. Skip the yogurt if you are Kapha. Vata can have the pepper and even add more to warm those chilly bones.

Planting Spring Bulbs & Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yesterday it was warm for a bit in the late afternoon, so I finally got some of my Spring Bulbs in the ground. I had a bag of 100 Daffodils & 20 Croucus Bulbs to start with. The soil is still soft so it was an easy start. After taking a little break, the weather turned grey and chilly, so I quickly covered the bulbs that I did get in the ground and hurried back indoors. Hopefully there will be another mild day this week so that I can plant the rest. There is something wonderful about holding a bulb in your hand. Is it the promise of Spring that lurks just around the corner? Perhaps it is the sense of holding something which will morph into something completely unlike it's current self...the Ugly Duckling in the Fall, the elegant Swan come March & April...Like holding potential energy in the palm of your hand.

Today the weather is very New England....Blustery, grey with rain that blows left and right. Being that I was awake bright and early, I made a batch of my Banana Chocolate Chip Vegan Muffins. Recipe to follow. They taste best when eaten right out of the oven.

After last night's 90 minute Ashtanga Yoga class, I felt that some of Tuesday's Chocolate Cookies were in order - so I brought a bunch with me to distribute among my fellow yogis and yoginis. 98% of the attendees had at least one cookie; after such a challenging practice it only seems fair to treat yourself to something tasty. That's how I see it, anyhow. We're not talking about sitting on the couch with a case of beer and a box of Twinkies, just a little bit of dark organic chocolate dipped cookies. There was someone who looked at me, sneered and said "I don't eat cookies". How utterly sad. It was like a moment from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, with his green twisted thin Grinch Lips. Oh well.

Chocolate Cookies

This fine November evening I decided to bake some adorable chocolate cookies dipped in yet more chocolate spiked with peppermint oil. Take a look at the progress pictures, they are reminiscent of girl scout cookies, but these are a lot more sexy. Also, a glass of this delicious Chilean Pinot Noir really went well with these tasty little devils. Try listening to Tina Maila's Jaya Bhagavan album while baking - it's wonderful. (http://amidarecords.com/jaya.html).

Next time you wake up with a raging asthma attack, have a so-so day, try these cookies out (w. the Pinot) once you get your energy back.

Food can heal, and foods containing chocolate really do it for me.

Recipe From the Diwali Party

OK Here's a recipe from the party:
Black Eye Bean Curry
2 Cans Black Eye Beans (Drain,Rinse)
1tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
4 tbsp Olive Oil
10 Bay Leaves
1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Elephant Garlic
2" Fresh Ginger, Grated
Salt to Taste
1 Pint Water (more if too thick)
Cilantro Chopped

1. Mash some of the beans (with a fork) just a bit after drained and rinsed. Place all spices in large pan w. the oil. Roast on Medium Heat. Stir Frequently, take care not to let them stick to the pan, they will become aromatic.
2. Add the onion and cook until light golden. Add ginger and garlic. Cook until aromatic. Taking care not to burn. Stir frequently.
3. Add beans, salt, and water, bring to a boil, stir a bit so they do not stick to the pan.
4. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add a little bit of water if too thick.
5. Seve warm with plenty of chopped cilantro on top. Also nice w. a dollup of plain yogurt. (Feel free to use a bit more of the spices when trying this recipe out. For example I used 1.5 tsp Fenugreek and it was tasty.)

Diwali Party 2007

Well here we go! My very first Blog entry... The Diwali Party in Pawcatuck was so much fun to prepare for, and having everyone over to celebrate was wonderful. Andy the Sitar player was awesome, plus we had no food leftover.

I will post the recipes and modifications used for the party. Moving forward, this blog will contain many of my recipes, as well as trial and error tales from my kitchen. Ayurvedic/Vegan as well as various Fusion/Misc. cooking experiments will also be detailed. Restaurant and Market reviews.....Books I am reading, projects working on, as well as some skincare and yoga info. A Blog...I feel so Judy Jetson right now!