Foodie Friday : Vegan Leek and Potato Soup

Quick Vegan Leek and Potato Soup for Busy People

Directions:
- Peel and chop a few potatoes + slice a medium sized leek
- Place in covered bowl and microwave for 5 minutes- Pour into blender; cover with a non-dairy milk of your choice (I like almond milk); add fresh or dried thyme, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg to taste
- Blend until smooth (approx 1 minute, depending on your blender)
- Dish, garnish and serve! In this image, I've topped the soup with more dried thyme and a sprinkling of coconut bacon

Voilà! Fresh, home made soup in 7 minutes or less, no joke Enjoy!

Recipe by Milena of Just the Goods

Foodie Friday : Vegan Black Bean Salad

I love this salad for summer as it is colourful and full of flavour, protein and fiber. Even better, it keeps for a few days to take for lunch.

Ingredients

1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup chopped red pepper

1 cup celery chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of lime or lemon juice

zucchini or cucumber if desired

Combine all the items in a bowl and leave to marinade for an hour, then serve. Please note the corn can just be added in and helps to keep the salad cooler on these hot days. Will keep beautifully for 2-3 days.

Recipe submitted by Nancy Blokland Pottery

Foodie Friday : Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake 

INGREDIENTS

Yields: One 9-inch cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
⅓ cup butter, melted
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon. cinnamon
1 pack refrigerated cinnamon rolls with frosting (8 regular sized)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.
2. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat until there are no lumps.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each one. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined. Set aside.
6. In a greased springform pan, press all of the cinnamon rolls flat, until they completely cover the bottom of the pan.  
7. Evenly spread the cheesecake batter, then drop spoonfuls of the butter mixture onto the cheesecake batter.  
8. Swirl the butter mixture into the cheesecake using a knife (try to keep it away from the edges!).
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cheesecake is firm around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and cool completely.  
10. Top with frosting from the cinnamon rolls.
11. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
12. Enjoy! 

Recipe tested by Amanda of Silver Moose Arts

Source

Foodie Friday : Eggless Egg Salad

My whole family is allergic to eggs. I developed the allergy in my early twenties and learning to give up my favourite food has been a challenge. I can work around it by finding vegan recipes online and doing a lot of my own baking, however a replacement for good old egg salad sandwiches was impossible until now.

The brilliance of tofu is that it absorbs the flavours of the ingredients you add to it. The consistency is important! Anything softer than “medium” will make your salad runny and anything harder will make the texture all wrong. 

The most common mistake with tofu (it has a bad rap, admit it…) is using the wrong consistency for the recipe or trying to use it as a meat replacement in a meat recipe. Use tofu specific recipes and you may have more luck. It generally tastes like nothing, until you add your own flavours and it absorbs them. Tofu done correctly can be awesome!

Eggless Egg Salad

-1 Pkg “Medium” Tofu (approx. 454g)

-2 Regular green onions, chopped

-1 tsp dry mustard

-3 to 4 tablespoons Vegenaise Original

-Pepper to taste

-1/2 to ¾ tsp Indian Black Salt (also known as Kala Namak) **Secret Ingredient!

-Step 1:    Slice open tofu package and drain. Get as much liquid out as possible, pat dry with clean paper towel if necessary. Slice into medium sized chunks and dump into a medium sized mixing bowl.

-Step 2:   With a fork, mash up the tofu until it vaguely resembles a scrambled egg.

-Step 3:   Add Vegenaise.

*On a side note: There are several mayonnaise substitutes out there, and I’ve tried most of them. This seems to be the tastiest and closest to real mayonnaise. Most of them have the consistency of snot (ew), but this one doesn’t. If you try this recipe and use a different mayo-alternative, be prepared that it may not be as awesome 

-Step 4:   Add onions, mustard and pepper. Dry mustard works best, but if you don’t have any, regular bottled mustard will work. You will need at least two teaspoons (dry mustard is more concentrated). I like my egg salad slightly spicy so I usually start with 1 tsp of dry mustard then add more to taste. Fold together until well mixed.  

            

-Step 5:   Here is where the magic happens! The secret ingredient is Indian Black Salt, sometimes called Kala Namak. Its origin is African and Indian, and I had a very hard time finding it. I eventually ordered it from Amazon. One sniff and you’ll understand why this is the secret  and MOST important component of this recipe! It smells and tastes like sulphur (which we all know smells like eggs!) It’s incredibly salty so add with care. ½ to ¾ tsp is probably enough. Mix in.

*On a side note, I ordered it in bulk on Amazon by accident and now have enough for 3 lifetimes. If  you are local and want to try it, they sent it in a bunch of sealed packages I could sell off! (a.sawatzky@live.com)

-Step 6:   Add to bread or toast. Yum.

I have fed this to friends and family who did not realize it was tofu. It’s that good! 

Indian Black Salt is also an awesome addition to vegan potato salad to add a bit of eggy taste.

Cheers!

Recipe by: By Blackbird Designs

Foodie Friday : Super Easy Greek Yogurt

Learn how to make your own delicious Greek yogurt at a fraction of the cost of store bought, and without specialized equipment. I started making yogurt this summer, and my family loves it!

Super Easy Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

Whole milk

Small carton of plain yogurt

Directions:

You can make this recipe with any amount of whole milk, just adjust accordingly. I will give directions for 4 litres.

- Pour 4 litres of whole milk into a large pot.

- Put on high heat for 10 mins.

- Stir so it does not burn.

- When it starts to foam around the edges, take off the heat, and leave for 45 mins.

- Stir and check the temperature. It should have cooled enough to give to a baby.

- Now you whisk in your small carton of yogurt. This is the only time you will need to buy plain yogurt. The next time you will have your own starter.

- Put the lid on, and put the pot in the oven. Do not turn the oven on. It is put in there mainly to stay warm and out of the way. If you prefer to leave it out, you can cover it with a beach towel.

- Leave for 8 hours or more. I have forgotten it in the oven for 24+ hours, makes no difference!

- Take the lid off and give it a good stir. At this point you will have 4 litres of regular plain yogurt.

- Stop now if you prefer! Just remember to take out about ¾ cup of the yogurt and hide it in the fridge, this is going to be your starter for step 6 the next time you make it.

- For thick creamy Greek yogurt, strain it through cheesecloth or a tea towel, in the fridge. This can be done for a couple of hours, or overnight for super thick. The whey that drains out is pure protein which can be saved and added to soups, smoothies, etc.

I add homemade jam or honey, or plain if I want sour cream.

Enjoy!

Recipe by Lorraine of Urban Wool 59

Foodie Friday : Mennonite Red Borscht

Growing up in a Mennonite family had its perks, and that included the food. My dad is the cook in our home and still to this day when he makes something traditional his children get an invite to either dinner, or to come and snag some leftovers if we can't make it to dinner. My father's mom is his inspiration in the kitchen and her love shows through the food as much as his does. This Borscht is no exception.

Mennonite Red Borscht

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of chopped Meat (ham or ground beef)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small head of cabbage, diced
• 4 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 cups chopped Carrots
• 1 cup chopped Celery
• 1 tbs Dill
• 1 tbs Parsley
• 1 can of Tomato soup

Instructions
Bring meat to a simmer in water for 2-3 hours, include ham bone if you have. Add vegetables with the Dill and Parsley and cook until vegetables are tender. Add Tomato Soup and let simmer for 10 more minutes. 
Serve with a dollop of sour cream or heavy cream. 

Foodie Friday recipe submitted by Amanda of Silver Moose Arts

Foodie Friday : Best Ever Carrot Cake

A Laufersweiler family recipe, Its the best!

Best Ever Carrot Cake

Note: I didn’t have pineapple so I added raisins, soaked them in water first for 10min or until plump.

Recipe submitted by Rebecca of Bixipix!

Foodie Friday : Summer Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Banana

Hi everyone! It's Foodie Friday and I'm back again this week to share another recipe that I whipped up intuitively. This time it's a soup and while I apologize for the absence of measurements to accompany each ingredient, this dish welcomes even more flavour flexibility, so you're able to fine tune it as you wish :)

Summer Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Banana

Ingredients:

• Summer squash
• Bananas
• Fresh or dried garlic and onion -- I used both
• Water
• Spices: coriander seed, red chili flakes, cardamom, ginger, cassia, turmeric, clove and nutmeg
• Coconut milk (if desired)
• Minced herbs for garnish (if desired) -- I used chives and shiso leaf

Method:

1. Wash, peel, de-seed and chop/cube summer squash
2. Sautée squash in a well heated pan with olive oil with a bit of dried onion until lightly golden on all sides. If you're making a lot of soup using a lot of squash, you may need to do this in multiple batches. In either case, when finished, set it aside. The purpose of sautéing in advance is to enhance the natural flavours of the ingredient before boiling it into soup. This step also helps the squash cook faster, so you can dig into the soup faster :)
3. Using the same pan, sautée bananas into a mushy consistency, and put them aside as well.
4. In a soup pot, brown finely diced onion and garlic until the scent increases, then add the squash and banana and stir everything together.
5. Once stirred, add enough water to cover the contents of the pot.
6. Add the spices mentioned above to taste, and don't be shy about the quantity. You might have noticed this recipe doesn't use soup stock, so all of your flavour will come from the ingredients you've added, including these spices.
7. Allow the soup to boil briefly, then lower the heat to a simmer
8. Taste the blend and add more spice if desired
9. Allow the soup to simmer until the squash has soften enough to either transfer to a blender, or use an immersion mixer to purée everything to your desired consistency.
10. Ladle the soup into bowls, heavily pour coconut milk so it creates an aesthetically pleasing swirl and top with fresh  fresh herbs for garnish. 

You will probably have left over coconut milk. If so, add it to the leftover soup still in the pot and stir -- tomorrow's soup will taste different without any work to create variety ;) Whooo! Who says leftovers are boring? *lol*

Enjoy!!

Post and Recipe by: Milena from Just the Goods 

Check out her Etsy shop HERE

Foodie Friday ft Peanut Curry

Foodie Friday with Caitlin of Real Swanky! Today in Caitlin's kitchen, we whip up a rich, peanutty massaman curry served with rice and garnished with peanuts. Vegan friendly, gluten-free friendly, and can be easily subbed with ingredients of your choosing to be mindful of likes/dislikes/allergens, etc. Enjoy!

A rich, nutty curry with a slight bit of heat to it. I served mine over rice with a peanut garnish. If you've ever stepped foot down the ethnic aisle at your grocer I'm sure you've seen Cock Brand canned and bottled goods. The little rooster logo isn't quick to miss, and the items are always very reasonably priced. Here are just a few familiar items. The curry pastes are my FAVOURITE and set me back a toonie at the best of times. They last ages and refuse to expire, really. I highly recommend 'em. On to the recipe.

*If serving with rice, get started on this now before prepping your curry.

Ingredients I

4 cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

Ingredients II

1/2 white onion

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 tbsp curry paste (I used this brand) or to taste

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp lemon grass

2 tsp vegan fish sauce or Kikkoman soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp course black pepper

(Toast all of Ingredients I in a frying pan on medium for 3-5 minutes. Place in a coffee grinder/mortar and pestel until ground to a dust then place Ingredients II and grind to a paste.)

Ingredients III

1 can coconut milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

Place all Ingredients I, II, and III in a small pot and stick on medium high. Allow this to come to a boil for a few minutes, than simmer on low to thicken.

Bring to a boil 2 cups of vegetables. I used: potatoes, broccoli and onions. Boil until fairly tender with a slight bit of crunch. 

Place the vegetables in the simmering curry and stir well.

Serve with rice. Top with peanuts.

Find more rad recipes over at Caitlin's blog, The Hardcore Herbivore!