Saucy Apple Sauce

Trader Joe's Gala apples made great sauce!

I love the fall season.  The smell of apples cooking on the stove top or pumpkin pie sitting and cooling on a rack brings a smile to my face.  These simple pleasures not only warm the heart on a brisk November day, but it also warms the spirit...OH and it makes the house or apartment, in my case, smell delicious!

This evening I had a bag of apples sitting in my refrigerator that have been staring at me for the past week begging for me to use them.  I know, I should have just eaten them raw if it bothered me so much, but these were not the best apples to eat raw.  They were a bit flavorless and blah, so I decided my only option for these apples were to mash them into submission and make sauce.

When I visit my parent's home in the fall, I mentally cross my fingers that my mom will make apple sauce.  I don't know why or how, but she makes the best apple sauce I've ever had.  Every year I try to recreate her sauce, but it never quite comes out like her recipe.  I think this has something to do with the simple fact that it is made by my mother.  What I find most entertaining about her apple sauce is that it is not just a sauce, but a dessert. 

Below is my own creation that was tangy and delicious on a cool Culver City evening.
The Hungry Vegan Bear's Saucy Apple Sauce
2 lb. bag of Gala apples
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp Bourbon vanilla
2 tsp nutmeg
splash of water

Begin by peeling the apples and cutting out the core.  Next, slice and cut the apple into cubes.  I like the cubes because this allows for a thicker version while mashing.  I usually have a few larger lumps in my sauce, which I like because it feels more filling later on when I'm consuming a bowlful.  Add the cubed apples to a pan with a splash of water and set the heat on the stove top to about a medium heat.  At this point, I add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.  Then cover the apples and let it simmer on the stove top until it comes to a boil.  Then uncover and begin to mash a few of the softer apples on the bottom of the pan.

I'm a firm believer in heat fluctuation, which means that I usually dip down the heat from the medium and then back up, if the apples or stove top is not cooperating.  Once I've done this a couple of times, I set the sauce on low, mashing and stirring, and allow the sauce to simmer. 

The preparation and cooking time is around 30 minutes.  Once the sauce is done, allow it to cool, and then serve with soy milk, whipped cream, or soy dessert.  Or, for you traditionalists out there, simply dish out a scoop or two into a bowl and serve.

It's Booberry Crumble!

This is part three in The Hungry Vegan Bear's Baking Series.

Sometimes The Hungry Vegan Bear needs a vacation, which is exactly what I did a few weeks ago.  I took a road trip up north with a pal from grad school.  We went to Portland, which, by the way, is an amazing city for vegans.  Every restaurant, cafe, and stand we visited accommodated my vegan needs, which is why I highly suggest this city for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores from all over the world.  (Well, this and their amazing art scene, biking, and hiking trails!)  And we managed to hit Twin Falls outside of Seattle, for a half day hike and West Seattle for an evening of tapas, Celtic music, and fun.

And what better way to relax after returning home from a vacation?  Cooking!  Below is my recipe for a blueberry crumble, which I have aptly renamed Booberry in honor of Halloween.

Tools
11x7 glass Pyrex dish
plastic spoon
strainer
mixing bowl

A close up of the crumble and berries prior to baking.

Booberry Crumble Ingredients
24 oz blueberries
3/4 flour
1 c. oats
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
couple dashes of cinnamon
1 Tbsp vegan margarine
2 Tbsp coconut milk
1 lime
1/2 c. sugar

Empty the blueberries into the strainer and wash them with cool water and set to the side.  Take the Pyrex dish and use a bit of vegan margarine on the pan to keep the berries and crumble from sticking to the pan.  Then dump the berries into the dish.  In a small mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, melted margarine, coconut milk, lime and sugar.  Mix the dry and wet contents together until a nice crumble occurs.  Take the crumble and dump on top of the blueberries.  I like to combine the mix with the berries instead of leaving it on top, but it's up to you if you like a crust on top of the berries or if you would rather integrate the crumble and berries.

Preheat oven to 350 and then bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

This crumble is great over vanilla soy or rice dessert.  But if you prefer, I highly recommend with a non-dairy whip after the crumble comes right out of the oven!

Gone Banana's...Bread, that is

This is part two in the series, Baking with The Hungry Vegan Bear.

What goes better with banana bread than a cup of coffee?

As the heat climbed up and up this morning, I found myself craving a cup and since my former flatmate, Linda, has left for the Santa Barbara region, and I now find myself as the sole coffee drinker in our flat, I was left to my own devices, which meant hiking over to Target to get a bag of Pete's.  As the coffee was brewing, I pulled out the maple syrup and coconut milk in preparation.  In my humble opinion, coffee is best with maple syrup especially when the other option is just boring sugar.  I mean, come on!  Pure 100% maple syrup is beyond addictive.  During the fall season I find myself adding it to my cup out of comfort and nostalgic for the days when I could see the changing colors of the trees at my grandparents cottage in the Midwest.  This yearning also lead me to the kitchen and my affection for my mom's banana bread, so this weekend I took a stab at making vegan banana bread.

Tools
bowl
fork
plastic spoon
bread pan

Ingredients for Goin' Banana's Banana Bread
2 bananas
2 c. flour (dealers choice of wheat, unbleached, etc.)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed (mix with 3 1/2 Tbsp of warm water to create an egg replacement)
1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. chopped almonds
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

First, create the egg replacement and set to the side.  Next, mash the two brown banana's in a bowl with a fork.  Once the banana's are mashed properly, add in the dry ingredients and follow with the ground flax.  I do not own a hand mixer, so I folded all of the ingredients by hand.  Lastly, add in the chopped almonds and fold into the mix.

Make sure you use either margarine or a cooking spray on the bread pan prior to adding in the completed mixture.

This recipe makes one loaf of bread.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 or until golden brown.

Baking With The Hungry Vegan Bear

As I've mentioned in a prior post, I'm not a baker, but one of my flatmates had some zucchini and said, "can you do something with this?"  My first thought was that since it wasn't a tuba it was rather unlikely that I could get a tune out of it, so I opted for my second idea, which was to make Zucchini Bread.

Tools
cutting board
grater or food processor (for those who are fancy)
knife
bread pan
mixing bowl
spoon

Zucchini Bread Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed (mixed with 3 tbsp water to create an egg replacement)
1/2 c canola oil
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
1 c zucchini
1 c vegan chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1 tsp bourbon vanilla (plain old vanilla will do, but it's not nearly as fun)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

The first thing that I like to do is to wash the zucchini, then peel a bit of the skin off, and scoop out the seeds.  If you prefer to keep all of the skin on the zucchini, you may, there's really no right or wrong way regarding the exterior of this vegetable.  Next, prepare the flax seed with warm water and set to the side until it becomes a thick paste. 

There are some that do not like the flax seed replacement, so if you happen to fall into this category, then I suggest using a banana or the vegan egg replacement mix.  I like the nutty taste that flax seed adds to bake goods, which is why I usually rely on flax.  Also, flax seed is a great source of fiber, omega-3, and has a lot of health benefits.

Preheat the oven at 350.

Begin by adding the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, into the mixing bowl.  Next, add the vanilla, grated zucchini, flax, and oil.  Fold all of the ingredients together, but make sure you don't beat the mixture too long, otherwise you might end up with a very tough loaf of bread, which makes for a lot of chewing and possibly a lecture from your dentist.  Finally, add in the chocolate chips and gently fold the mixture together. 

Also, if you find your mixture to be too dry, add in a splash or two of soy, rice, or coconut milk.  As I understand, baking is about following the rules, which I've never been very good at, so I often find myself improvising along the way and stumbling on to happy accidents.

Don't forget to grease the baking pan with margarine prior to adding the mixture into the pan. 

I used a glass baking pan for the bread, which helped accelerate the baking time.  I cooked the bread for about 28 minutes, so if your on a tight schedule this might help a little bit.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the bread is cooked, tilt on a cutting board to cool.  Also, I like to run a knife around the edges of the bread to eliminate any sticking points when you cut it. 

Fennel is Fantastic!



Fennel is refreshing, especially during the warm
days and nights in my neck of the woods!

Fresh fennel is a tad sweet, quite hearty and, oddly enough, very filling for a vegetable.  And what I enjoy most about fennel is that there is no need to over season with this veggie, because of its own aromatic flavor.

Tools
knife
cutting board
tin foil 
grill (optional)

Ingredients
1 fresh fennel bulb
2 sm zucchini squash
1 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp canola oil

First, peel back the thicker fennel leaves and discard them.  Next, chop the green ends off of the bulb and cut out the hard center.  I cubbed the fennel into bite sized pieces.  Also, I sliced the squash, but since the squash cooks a bit faster than the fennel, I made sure that my squash chunks were a bit thicker-I didn't want the squash to overcook. 

This recipe can be created by using a grill, which is what I did, or by baking in the oven.  Place the veggies in the tin foil, add the oil, and basil.  Once it is mixed together, seal the foil and place over the grill.

The cooking time on the grill was about 8-10 minutes.  I had it over very hot coals.  My advice, if your grill is running hot, is to set the veggies to the side and allow them the time to steam without buring. 

Oh My! Mac N' Cheese

Since it's getting close to the beginning of a new school year, for some folks, I thought it would be nice to visit the traditional recipe of mac and cheese and mix it up a bit by adding in a roasted green chili pepper.

Tools
cutting board
knife
2 quart sauce pan
plastic spoon

Oh My! Mac N' Cheese Ingredients
2 slices vegan cheese
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp soy milk
dash of salt
pepper to taste
1/2 green chili pepper
1/3 bag Trader Joe's fusilli rice pasta

The first order of business is to roast the green chili pepper, which can be accomplished in a couple different ways-oven roasting or throwing the pepper on the grill.   I had the chili's left over from grilling out the other day, so all I had to do was eliminate the stem and gut the seeds from the pepper. 

Next, I boiled the pasta and once the noodles were cooked, I set it to the side and used the same sauce pan to prep the cheese sauce.  Also, if you want the sauce to a bit more cheesy, add a third slice, but I like my mac and cheese a bit on the lighter side, so I only used two slices.  I began melting the cheese over a low heat with the margaine and milk (you don't have to use soy milk-any unsweetened milk alternative will do), gradually, adding in the flour as I continued to stir to avoid clumps.  Once the sauce was complete, I added in the pasta and mixed it until the noodles were covered completely.  Finally, I added the chopped chili pepper and salt and pepper.  If you're really feeling like having some fun, I suggest adding in some fresh cilantro, too!

This should serve about 2 people and takes just under a half hour to prepare.

A Summer Salsa That Sizzles

Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite-sweet, earthy, and bursting with flavor!

When it's just too hot to cook and you crave a cool boost, this summer salsa is great for outdoor cookouts and indoor lazy days. 
In Culver City today, the heat is climbing the charts, so I opted for a simple recipe and one that did not require turning on the oven nor stove.

Tools
cutting board
knife
gloves
garlic press

Salsa Ingredients
3 garlic cloves
1 3/4 limes
salt
black pepper
1 jalapeno
1 container of heirloom tomatoes
1 Roma tomato
1 sm red onion
1 large handful of fresh cilantro

I like to chop my tomatoes and onion first and then dice the jalapeno into bite sized pieces and mince the cilantro.  Don't forget to snap on a pair of gloves prior to liberating the seeds from the jalapeno.  The bunch that I picked up from Trader Joe's were quite strong this week (thankfully), so I didn't have to add more than one, but if you enjoy an extra spicy salsa, add a second jalapeno.  Finally, I add in the garlic, salt, pepper, and lime. 

This recipe takes about 10-15 minutes and serves about 4-6.  I suggest a nice summer brew to compliment the salsa...perhaps a blond or amber that's light and crisp.  (As a side note, I had a Sam Adams Octoberfest with the salsa-highly recommended.)