Poppy Seed Muffins

Usually we tend to pair poppy seed with lemon when talking about muffins, but what happens when you're all out of lemons? Well, we could have just dropped the idea altogether, but where is the adventure in that? And if there's anything I'm a fan of, it's adventure to the nth degree! So we did what we do best, and improvised.

Truth be told, my little sister is the baker of the family. My mom's got pies down like it's nobody's business, but when it comes to cake we turn to the one and only Meemster. I'm not at all certain as to how we got on the subject, but I was talking with her last night about muffins. We dug around in the kitchen for her lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.

Because I am dairy-free, my heart fell a little bit when I read that it called for sour cream or yogurt. I'm still figuring out where to get dairy free alternatives around here since the big move. We found Tofutti brand vegan sour cream at the local Super 1 and my spirits instantly lifted! Neither of us had ever used it before, but hey! If this is an adventure, we better make it a grand one.

And honestly, guys, these muffins! They are wonderful!

Here is what you'll need: (makes 12 muffins)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 (8 ounce) carton Tofutti vegan sour cream
1 egg (we used the egg, so it isn't a totally vegan muffin, but you can sub in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce as a binder instead)

Here is how you do it:

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. When baking I have forgotten this step multiple times and I always end up kicking myself waiting for the oven to get hot.

Then, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking soda and powder, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the oil, lime juice, sour cream and egg (or applesauce). Once the wet ingredients are all mixed up and have lost their identities amongst each other, pour them over the dry ingredients.

We were about a tablespoon short on the lime juice, and our mixture was looking a bit on the dry side. To overcome this minor setback we added the missing amount in rice milk. Once that came together, the batter was sticky and moist. Just the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it!

We scooped the batter into our lined muffin tin and popped those suckers in the oven 14 minutes. They came out a little sticky on the inside, so they went back in for an extra couple of minutes. Just make sure you don't burn the tops and your toothpick comes out clean when you're checking to see if they're done.

Once the muffins are up to par with your high standards, let them cool and serve with a nice glass of rice milk. Or perhaps maybe just whatever beverage choice you see fit. Eat, enjoy, repeat.

Fajita Fiesta--Baby Bella Style

I love fajitas. I especially like ordering them in a restaurant because the food comes to the table on a cast iron plate that sizzles all the way from the kitchen to my table. I know that for sure. I've heard it sizzle time and again.

But woe is me. Now I'm a vegan and sticking to it. Not only has the intestinal disease I've battled for at least 15 years subsided, but I've lost 45 pounds in the process. In addition, my 70+ year-old skin has never looked fresher or dewier. People who have known me for a long time stop and look, then look again, then just plain stare. One of my doctors told me I looked like a whole different person. Another doctor told me that obviously the vegan diet was just what I needed. Acquaintances not only stare but outright ask me what I've done to myself.

When I tell them I've given up eating meat or dairy, they grimace like I've just forced a lemon down their throat. Then they insist they love meat and cheese so much they could never give it up. I just smile. I refuse to argue the points of being vegan. After all, I was an omnivoure all my life till recently. And I'm still not a dedicated vegan, for I wear leather shoes and carry a leather bag. Yet healthwise, I'm in far better shape than I was in my younger years. Last week a long-time friend insisted she would never become vegan because she liked her fried foods and sauces and butter too much. My sister said she liked steak and fish and couldn't even think about going without. My neighbor suggested being vegan was too expensive and she didn't know any vegan recipes anyway.

Now mind you, I'm not the one bringing this vegan business up in conversation. It just happens when I mention that I'm now a plant eater. I'll be honest and say it was hard to make the change. I had no idea how to put a meal together that would satisfy and nourish me. But I learned by scouring the net for vegan blogs and websites and Googling "vegan recipes" till my fingerprints no longer existed. I've learned how to make my own vegan dishes and gotten good enough to create some new ones. All this from a person who really hates to cook. Figure that one out.

As I was saying, I was in the mood for fajitas so I took my favorite chicken fajita recipe and tweaked it. Then I had the nerve to serve it to guests--all without first tasting it myself. By the raves I got, I guess everyone liked it. I know I sure did. Let me know what you think.

My recipe made four overstuffed fajitas. I served home made refried beans alongside and then had to roll into bed because I was too stuffed to walk.

FAJITA FIESTA

Use a resealable plastic bag for the marinade and put into it:

1 pound mushrooms, sliced. I used baby portobellos

2 Tbs. neutral vegetable oil

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Dash of hot sauce, I used Frank's

Salt

Black pepper

Let set for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a large cast iron skillet until it is sizzling hot.

Add 2 Tbs. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red  bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced--I used a fresh jalapeno

Cook till the vegetables are translucent.

Add the marinade ingredients to the skillet and fry everything together, still at a high heat so you get that sizzle.Stir fry till all the liquid evaporates.

Warm 4 flour tortillas in the oven or the microwave.

Stuff 1/4 of the fajita mix into each tortilla.

Top with chopped cilantro, guacamole, a drizzle of lime, red salsa, vegan sour cream, and vegan yellow cheese, shredded.

As a side, serve refried beans or red rice or a bean/corn salsa. 

Enjoy!

Laissez le Bontemps Roulez!

Mardi Gras is just a week away. Time to party hearty! A time of excess and revelry before having to behave for the next forty days!
A google search turns up a surprising number of vegan options in the Big Easy. Whoodathunk? But going vegan is super easy with this meatless dish. Adapted from Cajun Cooking by Marjie Lambert, it is one of my favorite cajun dishes, inexpensive to make, filling, nutritious and easy! The only substitution necessary to make it vegan is to use vegan sour cream instead of the real stuff. No sacrifice at all and oh so good. Leftovers if there are any, are even better the next day!

Meatless Red Beans and Rice
1 1lb dry red kidney beans
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion , chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry mustard
1 bay leaf
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
few drops of Tabasco sauce
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
6 green onions, chopped
cooked rice to serve
vegan sour cream

Soak the beans in at least five quarts of water a minimum of four hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and return to the pot with 6 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the foam, while you prepare the vegetables.
While the beans are simmering, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and green pepper until wilted. Add the spices and saute a minute or so more until they give off their aromas. Add the vegetables to the beans along with the tomato paste and wine and continue simmering, stirring occasionally.
After about 30 minutes, taste the broth, add Tabasco to taste, and adjust the other seasonings. Cook until tender, about 1 1//2 hours.
Just before serving, stir the shopped celery, green pepper and green onions into the bean mixture. Serve over cooked rice with a dollop of the vegan sour cream.
The cornbread in the photo was made with Egg Replacer. I may be doing something wrong but have not had good luck with it. You might have better results.
Have fun at Mardi Gras! C'est Levee.

South of the Border

I look forward to my new adventure in Northwest Arkansas(Winslow) but it is not without a heavy heart that I leave my home in Dallas. I have never been a big fan of Dallas but like anyplace I go I like to think I bloom where I am planted. When we moved here 12 years ago I was struck by how different the Mexican immigrants seemed than the Cubans and Puerto Ricans I lived amongst in Ft. Lauderdale. The language was not so rapid fire and the people not so flashy. I have come to know so many Mexican immigrants here and know that my life is so much more rich because of it. And my palate has been enriched as well.


I made a mole poblano some years back with turkey that I brought to work for one of our common meal sharing days. It was a long process but turned out great and was well received. The Mexican women I worked with loved it and it was important to me that they did. Not only were they a loving and warm group to work with but all were great cooks in their own right. When you are welcomed in to their hearts, you are fed well! I thought I would make a vegan mole today but am having trouble envisioning tofu in mole sauce that does not look like something my neighbor's dog left behind. I took an informal survey at Gloria's yesterday and the consensus is that if you don't have time to make your own, Dona Maria's is the best brand of mole to go with. Maybe next week.



Tonight, a vegan tofu scramble from The Post Punk Kitchen that I am adapting into Chilaquiles. Chilaquiles is one of those recipes that utilizes leftover bread (tortillas) and maybe whatever else you have on hand.There are lots of variations. This one is based on eggs. In this case, scrambled tofu which has been a real revelation for me. I never thought I would ,but I LOVE it! And I like the idea of having breakfast food for dinner. With a nice bottle of Shiraz.



8 Corn Tortillas, stale or dried out in the oven for a few minutes

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion , chopped in 1/2 inch chunks

2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound extra firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

juice of 1/2 lime

Vegan Sour Cream for garnish

Salsa of your choice for garnish


Spice Blend

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed in your fingers

1 teaspoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt


Slice the tortillas into one inch squares. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking and fry the tortillas until crisp. Drain on paper towels and drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil. Saute the onions in the oil for about three minutes until soft, add the mushrooms and saute for five minutes more. Add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes then the spice mixture for about 15 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of water and deglaze the pan.


Crumble in the tofu and mix well without crushing . Let the tofu cook for about 15 minutes gently lifting the tofu and incorporating into the spice mixture. Add the lime juice and nutritional yeast, stir and then add the fried tortilla strips. Garnish with "sour cream" and salsa of your choice.





Buen Provecho!