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Queso Print "Queso"
Posted at 2008/08/05 05:13 pm | View Comments Below

I realize that it's true--there's not really a shortage of vegan queso recipes out there (if you know where to look). Some are based on soy cheese and some are based on nutritional yeast. There's something that feels wrong about making vegan queso with soy cheese. It's like a recipe for cake using cake mix-- it's wrong (for a reason). I've tried some vegan queso based on soy cheese and it was okay, just didn't really do it for me. I've been tinkering around in the kitchen, trying to make a really balanced queso with a bite. Several bags of chips later, I think I've found it.

Most vegans are very familiar with nutritional yeast. Most are very in love with it, too. For that, there's a good reason. Nutritional yeast (or nooch) is not the same thing as bread or active rising yeast. It has flakes rather than granules and has a very cheesy aroma. People always say it looks like fish food because of the flakes, but don't let that scare you. If it's in your local grocery store, you'll find it in the bulk section. Also, you'll find that it's pretty inexpensive. I have to repeat this here because it's very important and I made the same mistake making my first vegan cheesy sauce: DO NOT USE ACTIVE RISING BREAD YEAST. The label should clearly say "nutritional yeast". 'Kay? Have I scared you away yet? If you're still here, keep reading.

I've had a bowl of queso or ten in my life, and this one makes me so happy. It's pretty dead on, but so much better and better for you. Hello? Cholesterol free queso? Come on! That's amazing and you. know. it.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
  • 1/4 Cup Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • Dash Garlic Powder
  • Dash Chili Powder
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Vegan Margarine
  • 1 10-ounce Can RoTel (or any other Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained)
  • 2 teaspoons prepared Yellow Mustard (Not Mustard seed or dijon, just regular yellow mustard...kay?)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine all dry ingredients (everything from nooch to chili powder) in a pan
  2. Add water to pan, turn on medium heat
  3. Stir constantly and once thickened, remove from heat.
  4. Add in margarine, rotel and mustard. Stir until margarine is melted.
  5. Once margarine has melted, put the pan back on the heat and stir until a bit thicker.
  6. Serve over chips, enchiladas or in a quesadilla with seitan and veggies.
  7. Eat warm.
29 comments
Add Comment
2008/08/05 07:16 pm

That looks outstanding!I haven't tried to make vegan queso because I can't have soy, so this is a recipe I'll be sure to try.

by atxvegn
2008/08/05 11:52 pm

ok - i just ate a jar of store bought stuff this weekend, lol so i will have to make this and compair ;)

by melissa
2008/08/06 12:00 am

I'm pumped to try this; after that cornbread from the last post I'm really trusting your judgement. (In fact, queso and cornbread and chips and chili... sounds like a meal plan.)

The recipe looks really balanced, too. I'm not a fan of cheezy recipes that depend too much on nooch, but I like the looks of the proportions.

by Veronica
2008/08/06 10:36 am

I can't wait to try this!!

by leslie
2008/08/06 11:56 am

you're amazing!

by nicole
2008/08/06 11:57 am

wow, wow, wow! this looks amazing! i miss me some queso - i'm printing your recipe off right now! thank you sooooo much!

by jessy
2008/08/06 12:35 pm

Hey Honey. This looks really yummy. Just remember to make this one when you come down.
Love you, mom

by Ellie Burnett
2008/08/06 05:08 pm

When you say one can of diced tomatoes with green chiles how many ounces is that can you speak of? I could only find 14.5 ounce cans and that seems like a lot. Is that the right size?

by Laura
2008/08/06 06:01 pm

Hey Laura,
I used the 10 ounce cans, drained. Hope that helps.

by Vegan Explosion
2008/08/06 09:43 pm

This recipe looks awesome.I have tried the vegan queso from Wheatsville.I definitely will make this recipe.Thanks for sharing.



by Krys
2008/08/07 07:45 pm

Yummy!And I agree. A recipe for cheese sauce consisting of vegan cheese and picante sauce is as much a "recipe" as the stuff you find on the back of Kraft packages. (Adding cheeseto soup counts as a recipe, right?)

by Cody
2008/08/07 10:20 pm

Cody,
Yes Yes! Great minds, huh?


by Vegan Explosion
2008/08/07 11:58 pm

oh man, that looks good...I'm kind of a queso newbie, but I could get into it based on that chip-drippy picture, oooh.and do you think mustard *powder* would work?

by Liz²
2008/08/08 01:23 am

Yes, do get into it! You'll be glad you did.

I think regular prepared yellow mustard is important here. It gives the queso a slightly tangy taste that is familiar with dairy cheese.

by Vegan Explosion
2008/08/08 08:59 am

Oh.My.Gosh. This was amazing! I just made it the other day and practically finished it all - it's that good! You should win an award for creating the most delicious vegan queso ever!

by Paulina
2008/08/08 11:34 am

That looks outstanding! Sometimes I get queso cravings and it's good to know that now I can do something about them.

by bazu
2008/08/08 03:45 pm

I'm really going to have to try this -- thanks for the recipe!I saw a post at Paulina's blog about it and I don't think I can pass this up.:)

by Ruby Red Vegan
2008/08/10 02:33 am

I made this tonight :-). I didn't quite get the queso right. I think I used too much yeast and it tasted a bit well yeasty :-). But the rest was fine. Will use a little less water next time.I also made the cornbread (and chilli sin carne to go with it hehe) and wow the bread is fantastic.Is it meant to be sweet? I found it to be a nice contrast. It was almost cake-like. Might add the corn and jalapenos next time for a more savoury touch :-)Thanks for these. Photos will be on my blog soon :-)

by madeleine
2008/08/10 01:42 pm

madeleine,Hey. Thanks for trying it out.Yeah, I can't guarantee the quality of the food if you don't follow the recipe exactly. I've been tweaking this queso for a long time figuring the exact measurements of each ingredient. Too much of anything will def. set it off, of course. Glad you liked the cornbread.

by Vegan Explosion
2008/08/11 09:22 pm

This is so going on my short list of things to make!Thanks for posting the recipe!

by Vegan_noodle
2008/08/12 09:19 pm

Ooh, this looks SO good. My husband would LOVE this.

by Melisser
2008/08/14 04:52 pm

Um. You're amazing. I just made this and I'm giddy with happiness! Queso is the biggest thing I've missed since going vegan. For five years I've been pining for and mourning queso. Chili Con Queso, Magnolia Mud, Kerby, Velveeta with Rotel....all of them. This shiitake is amazing. I pretty much love you.

by HannahBanana
2008/08/16 04:03 pm

HB! Thanks for trying it out. I am so glad you really dug it like I did.
<3
Crystal

by Crystal
2008/08/18 11:00 pm

Hi there, this looks great. We don't have canned tomato-chilli or canned chilli of any sort over here, how can i simulate the rotel? A can of diced toms and some fresh green chile? Pickled jalopenos?Cook fresh green chilli with the tomatoes? Incidentally i use powdered mustard in my regular cheese sauce and it's really good, so although it would be different from your recipe, if that's all there is in the cupboard i think it would still be ok if you used 1 t only.

by ling ling
2008/08/19 07:38 am

Delicious, dangerous thing this is. I've made it twice this week and the omni boyfriend (admittedly, not afraid of nooch by any means) thought it worth bringing back two more cans of RoTel. It is that addictive. I love how you can just mix in the dry and the water, no roux needed, and it comes out great.

by happyswampdweller
2008/08/20 06:11 pm

I just made this, it's warming on my stove waiting for my guests to arrive. I took a chance and made a double batch straight off the bat, and I just tasted it.I think I'm in love with you.

by poopiebitch
2008/08/23 07:35 pm

I just made this, and even though I messed it up it was STILL good! I accidentally added the water before I added the flour, so it ended up a little but clumpy and weird, but I still ate most of it in one sitting. Tastes like cheese none the less!

by Alyx
2008/08/23 10:24 pm

Hey Crystal!I made this for my PMS weekend & it was so good!Luckily I had the sense to only make 1/2 batch, because I chomped it all up with a bunch of corn chips.Thank you!

by Destiny
2008/08/26 10:01 am

This is so awesome. I had it last weekend. We ate the whole bowl, lol.

by Mike

An Undercover Cornbread Print "An Undercover Cornbread"
Posted at 2008/07/14 02:58 am | View Comments Below

Generally, my taste buds could care less about what season it is. I'm usually dreaming about watermelon in winter and stews or curry in summer. I've been craving cornbread big time lately. I didn't think too much about actually making any until looking through a cookbook Chris's mom gave me. The cookbook is called Old Country Store Recipes. The first recipe is Pumpkin Cornbread. I thought I should make it but was hesitant because I didn't want a cornbread that didn't taste like traditional cornbread. I wanted something very savory and melt in your mouth fluffy. Pumpkin didn't make too much sense in that equation (so I thought). I am so glad that I decided to veganize the recipe and see how it turned out. First of all, it doesn't taste like pumpkin at all. I believe that the pumpkin simply lends to the fluffy texture that you notice right away. It's also got a touch of ground coriander. I love the subtlety that this spice lends to the bread. I know that some people have heard of coriander and it's relation to cilantro (yuck) but it's very important that you grab ground coriander not fresh cilantro for this recipe. Agave is also used to balance out the savory flavor of the cornbread.

There used to be a cajun restaurant that my folks and I would patron. They had the best cornbread ever. I remember that we'd always order extra to take home. It was the perfect balance of savory and spice because it also had corn and jalapeno inside. I think this cornbread is one of (if not) the best things that I've ever taken out of my oven. The ingredients are inexpensive (you can find ground coriander in bulk) and you don't even need your mixer for this--just use a spoon. You have got to make this. Again, there's canned pumpkin in it, but you'd never be able to tell. You can't taste it, so don't leave it out because it's important for the texture. This is the perfect cornbread to pair with a spicy cajun meal, some tea or a salad with a tangy dressing. You can also include jalapenos and corn to add some more depth to the flavor.

This tastes like traditional buttermilk and honey-based, savory cornbread but more amazing than any cornbread I've ever experienced in my life (pregan or vegan). Make this as soon as humanly possible. We pulled these out of the oven and topped them with soy margerine and Chris immediately put away about 4 pieces. I would have stopped him, but I couldn't get a word-in past the "oh my god" "oh my god" "oh my god". I call this undercover cornbread because you don't want too many people around to have to share them with. Don't tell anyone when you're making these because after one piece, they'll never let you bake anything else besides cornbread...ever again.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 Cup White Flour
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 3/4 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
  • 2/3 Cup Soymilk Generous 1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
  • 1/4 Cup Vegan margerine (melted)
  • 2 Ener-G Egg Replacer Eggs
  • 3/4 Cup Canned 100% Pure Pumpkin 
  • OPTIONAL: 1/2 Cup Corn
  • OPTIONAL: 1/2 Cup Seeded Jalapenos, diced

DIRECTIONS

  1. Sift together: Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Coriander in a large mixing bowl
  2. Stir-in Cornmeal and mix well.
  3. Make vegan buttermilk by combining soymilk and vinegar. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl: Combine Brown Sugar, Agave, Melted Margerine, Egg Replacer Eggs, Pumpkin
  5. Add Vegan Buttermilk to Brown Sugar Mixture.
  6. Combine wets with dry ingredients. If adding corn and jalapenos, do this now.
  7. Mix throughly but do not over mix.
  8. PREHEAT 350 F
  9. Pour batter in baking pan (my pyrex was 7 x 11 but 8 x 8 will work, too). I lined my pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
  10. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cornbread is golden on top.
  11. Top with Vegan Margerine and serve as a snack or with a meal.
15 comments
Add Comment
2008/07/14 09:39 am

This sounds really good.I love pumpkin.I will have to try this recipe.Thanks for sharing.

by Krys
2008/07/14 12:26 pm

Can you clarify how much flour the recipe calls for? 1 1/4 cups?

by nicole
2008/07/14 12:30 pm

Sure! 1 1/4 cup flour.

by Vegan Explosion
2008/07/14 01:41 pm

Mmmmm...that cornbread looks so moist and yummy!Thanks for the recipe!

by Jennifer
2008/07/14 02:16 pm

I was just craving cornbread yesterday! I think I will have to try this recipe now.

by poopiebitch
2008/07/15 03:51 pm

I just made cornbread yesterday, but the next time I make it, I'm definitely going to try this recipe out. It sounds great!

by Katy
2008/07/15 04:39 pm

Oh my jalapenos are growing like mad in the garden. Perfect for this recipe! Yum :)

by leslie
2008/07/15 06:40 pm

Note to self: make this.

by Wes
2008/07/16 02:23 pm

I LOVE cornbread, and this particular cornbread looks AMAZING!I'm definitely going to have to make chili and this cornbread to eat for lunch this week.yum!

by Sommer
2008/07/16 04:47 pm

My search for the perfect vegan cornbread is over!Thank you for the recipe!

by Destiny
2008/07/16 06:08 pm

I LOOOOOOVE cornbread. So this is perfect. I make veggie chili a lot in the fall and this will be a welcome addition.

by Creature of Habit
2008/07/25 03:04 pm

Hello Again!I just popped in to let you know I nominated you for the Brillant Weblog Award.The details are on my blog...

by Destiny
2008/07/30 07:41 pm

Crystal, I made your cornbread today, finally!It was SO TASTY.I added corn, some minced serranos, & some chopped green onions.Thank you for the recipe!

by Destiny
2008/08/03 08:28 pm

crystal... i am going to starve waiting for a new dish to try! lol jk

by melissa
2008/08/23 10:15 pm

Hi, I post on the Vegans Rock Austin forums and lurk on PPK, and I saw you mentioned you were looking for chocolate extract a while back...If you haven't found any yet, Central Market sells it, but I don't know if it's vegan..I can't imagine why it wouldn't be, though.

by Christina

Avocado Pie 2.0 Print "Avocado Pie 2.0"
Posted at 2008/07/02 02:10 pm | View Comments Below

UPDATE: This recipe was taken offline for a moment. Several people ran to the store and tried it as soon as I posted it. Unfortunately, some people ended up with a perfect thick pie and the other half were left with pudding. To fix this, I tried several different thickening methods, and I'm finally happy to report I've figured it out! You should know that we've been up to our ears in avocado pie lately. No complaints, though. Delicious, completely-set avocado pie for everyone! I've changed the ingredient list and the directions so read on. Let me know how this one turns out. I'm so thrilled to report that after only a few hours of refrigeration, it was completely set but DO refrigerate overnight as indicated in the directions.

Several months ago, while browsing the produce section of our local grocer, Chris and I ran into an old friend. We told him about our bakery and food blog, and immediately he tells us that we must make avocado pie. I'm sure we made some sort of face at the idea and moved along. Even for avocado lovers...an avocado pie sounds weird. The other day, I was thinking of something to make. Out of nowhere, I recall a voice saying "make avocado pie". I looked up all of the recipes for avocado pie (there's like a handful, none of them are vegan) and decided what my next move was going to be. This is a recipe that you'll love. It's veganized and tested, tweaked and carefully created to blow your taste buds right off of your tongue.

Let me talk about the flavor while my taste buds are still buzzing. This tastes a lot like kiwi, believe it or not. The texture is like a cheesecake, but it isn't one at all. It's light, refreshing and very smooth. Its flavor can be likened to avocado, lime juice, cream cheese, a small amount of sugar and sweetened condensed soy milk. Did I mention you don't even have to turn your oven on for this?

PIE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Graham Cracker Crust (avoid premade, recipe below)
  • 2 Large Ripe Avocados (pitted, peeled and pureed)
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Agar Powder
  • 5 Ounces sweetened condensed soy milk (see recipe below)
  • 1/3 Cup Vegan Cream Cheese
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST INGREDIENTS
  • 20 Graham Crackers
  • 3/4 Cup Vegan Margerine (Do NOT melt.)
SWEETENED CONDENSED SOYMILK INGREDIENTS
  • 3/4 Cup Better Than Milk Soy Powder
  • 3/4 Cup Water
  • 6 Tablespoons Vegan Margerine
  • 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Salt

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST DIRECTIONS

  1. Crumble graham crackers (food processor is the best for this).
  2. In a mixing bowl, use a fork or your fingers to mix margerine with graham cracker crumbs.
  3. In a pie dish/pan, use your hands to form a graham cracker crust.
  4. Set aside until pie filling is ready to be poured into your pie crust.
SWEETENED CONDENSED SOYMILK DIRECTIONS
  1. Mix water and soy milk powder.
  2. Boil or microwave on high for 1.5 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In a separate pan on the stove, melt margerine on MED-HI.
  4. Once it's melted, add sugar to melted margarine. Whisk immediately to incorporate. You don't need to worry about "cooking" the sugar. The texture should be fluffy and powdery.
  5. Immediately, add hot soymilk mixture and salt to the margerine/sugar mixture.
  6. Gently Boil for 5 minutes.
  7. Cool until ready to use (I usually stick mine in the freezer for a minute to cool quickly)
  8. The recipe makes much more than you need for the pie so expect to have extra.
PIE FILLING DIRECTIONS
  1. Puree avocado (I like to turn ON my food processor as I drop-in the avocado pieces, to avoid avocado chunks in the puree)
  2. While the food processor is still smoothing the avocados, add-in vegan cream cheese.
  3. Once they are completely combined, turn OFF the food processor.
  4. Juice your limes and bring the lime juice to a gentle boil on your stovetop.
  5. Once boiling, REMOVE from heat and ADD agar powder. QUICKLY whisk the agar into the lime juice.
  6. Once the thickened lime juice is a little cooler, turn ON your food processor again (it still has the avocado and cream cheese mixture in it) and add-in your thickened lime juice.
  7. Finally, get your cooled sweetened condensed soymilk and ADD (ONLY 5 OUNCES) to the food processor with the other ingredients.
  8. Once it's completely incorperated, turn OFF your food processor.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Pour avocado pie filling into graham cracker crust.
  2. Chill overnight.

You have to make this pie. There's no reason not to. I'll be frank and tell you that this is the most delicious pie ever. If only for its subtle and humble appearance followed by a mind blowing sweet and tangy fusion. This pie is sneaky way to serve up an intensly refreshing but rich flavorful dessert. I'll be making this again...and again.

It's ridiculously perfect, au natural. If you're really treating yourself, add some chocolate sauce, vegan whipped cream, shaved chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. And, take a seat.

21 comments
Add Comment
2008/06/02 06:15 pm

That pie is my favorite color!Thank you for providing the recipe--your cooking, baking, and photography skills are brilliant.I can't wait to make this, once finals are over...

by Destiny
2008/06/02 06:48 pm

this seriously blows my mind. i need to make it!

by katie
2008/06/02 07:42 pm

OMG I have to make this!! I love, love, love avocados so I'm sure I'll love this pie :)

It looked beautiful by the way!

P.S. Did you say you own a bakery?

by Paulina
2008/06/02 11:53 pm

That looks AMAZING!!Does the avocado brown at all? I am considering making this and bring it in to (omni, in the South!) work. That looks SOOO good.

by Pamela
2008/06/02 11:58 pm

Paulina, yes! Alwaysbaked.net

Pamela,
I've had it for over 36 hours and it's the prettiest shade of pale green. No browning at all.

by Crystal
2008/06/03 04:59 am

that's crazy!and you're a genius, and as soon as I find soy cream cheese in my neck of the woods, I'm subjecting people to mysterious green pies of deliciousness. :o

by Liz²
2008/06/03 10:52 am

You are simply amazing.I'm going to wow everyone at my next potluck with this pie!!Perfect for summertime!!

by Ashley Nicole
2008/06/04 04:49 pm

Ok, enough reading about this and seeing the pics.We're family you just need to go ahead and make me something and send it my way!

by Your Cousin - Melissa
2008/06/04 11:55 pm

Oh my goodness! My mum is gonna LOVE this pie to BITS since she's an avocado fanatic!! Thanks so much for the recipe, you're so talented! I still can't believe everything you created is VEGAN!!!

by Cecilia
2008/06/06 01:52 pm

I hate to get all technical on you but what size pie pan did you use? And just regular size graham crackers? I live here in Austin so I'm hoping Whole Foods will have the soymilk powder. Thanks!

by Marie
2008/06/06 04:08 pm

The pan I used was a small 8" round pan. I used it, because I hate the flimsy foil/aluminum ones. My pan has sides that are perpendicular to the bottom of the pan, which is what I prefer for a solid pie. Use something you'd use for a vegan cheesecake.

I used regular vegan graham crackers. The one that has 4 pieces to a "sheet". When I say "20 Graham Crackers", I mean 20 of the "sheets".

I'm in Austin,too.The HEB on Oltorf and Congress has a Nature's Harvest section. In there, on the shelf is soymilk powder. Whole Foods will have it too. That HEB has everything for this pie including the tofutti sour cream and vegan graham crackers.

by Crystal
2008/06/07 01:08 am

that looks really good!I've always thought that sweet and avocado wouldn't go together, but your endorsement makes me want to give it a try.Thanks for the recipe!

by Michelle
2008/06/07 08:56 am

I am thrilled to have come upon this mouthwatering recipe. I have already forwarded it to my daughter. So cool! What whipcream do you use? Do you have a recipe? Off to the store to shop for avocados and limes. :o)

by sheree
2008/06/07 11:34 am

Sheree, We had some soyatoo in our fridge from an earlier trip to Whole Foods. I don't know of any actual good recipes for vegan whip cream. Most that have tried will tell you the recipes using silken tofu and a blender taste gross. Until myself or someone gets that figured out, it's soyatoo for us. Tastes awesome,though.

by Crystal
2008/06/14 10:16 am

I just made that for a barbeque tonight - I was going to make it last night, but we couldn't find the cream cheese in the store. Modifications - I added less of the condensed milk, arrowroot powder instead of corn starch, and stuck it in the freezer since it won't be chilling overnight. I'm pretty excited about it, though - I had enough left over for a small bowl, so that went in the fridge. I'll let you know how it turned out later!

by Trish
2008/07/02 01:34 pm

Wow!This looks and sounds delicious.This is a genius recipe.Thanks for sharing.I will have to give it a try.

by Krys
2008/07/02 01:37 pm

Another fantastic-looking recipe from you!Yeah!

by JohnP
2008/07/07 11:35 am

Simply beautiful.Great job!

by Jennifer
2008/07/11 03:11 am

Oh man, so intriguing, but I'm not an avocado lover, so I'm skeptical!

by Melisser
2008/07/16 06:12 pm

See....this is one of those moments when I wish I lived next door. This looks outstanding! I thought it was vegan key lime. But, I'm intrigued by the avocado idea!

by Creature of Habit
2008/07/17 10:10 pm

This looks and sounds amazing.And so creative!I love avocados with pretty much anything so why not in a pie?

by Vegan_noodle

Sunday Biscuits Print "Sunday Biscuits"
Posted at 2008/06/25 04:30 pm | View Comments Below

These biscuits are a thing of our lazy Sundays. On these days, we put breakfast off until noon and we only leave the house for long walks around the hills and trails of our neighborhood. We figure after our intense past week and whatever the next week has to bring--we deserve it. This morning, we stayed home from work and decided to take it equally as easy since our weekend didn't prove too relaxing. We had our Sunday biscuits on Wednesday--so shoot me. These like all quick breads, don't require rising. I made biscuits and gravy for my dad on Father's day while visiting this month. These go perfect with jelly, vegan margerine, or smothered in my country gravy.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Cup Flour
  • 1 Teaspoons Salt, depending on how much salt you like (I usually do 2)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 2/3 Cup Soymilk
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening

DIRECTIONS

  1. PREHEAT oven to 425
  2. In a bowl, sift: Flour, Salt, Baking Powder and Sugar
  3. Add in Soymilk and Vegetable Shortening. Mix and knead.
  4. Keep Kneading until the dough in manageable.
  5. Turn bowl onto a floured surface.
  6. TIP: I like to use plastic wrap on my surface. Before rolling the dough, I place another sheet of plastic wrap on the top and roll. The dough won't stick to your rolling pin.
  7. Roll the dough out 1/2" thick.
  8. With a biscuit cutter, cut about 8 circles.
  9. Place on a baking sheet or baking stone.
  10. Bake 8-10 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and top with your favorate spread or gravy.

Here is a warm biscuit with raspberry preserves.

You must try it with my country gravy. It's the ultimate southern comfort breakfast.

11 comments
Add Comment
2008/06/25 08:21 pm

mmm these look good - I just made strawberry freezer jam today, so I will have to make these and give them a try!

by Melissa
2008/06/26 12:10 pm

oh wow. yum! As soon as I saw this, I started craving biscuits and ran to the kitchen to make them.I piled on some blackberry jam... amazing! Thanks for the great recipe

by Emily
2008/06/27 09:18 am

They fluffed up so nicely!I love biscuits.

by Erin
2008/06/30 02:10 pm

The biscuits look awesome.By the way, we are in Austin, Texas too.Have a great day.



by Krys
2008/06/30 03:41 pm

OK Crystal, first the Conchas, now biscuits! What are you trying to do to my diet!I have been craving breads too.

by Cheryl
2008/06/30 06:41 pm

Diet Schmiet,baby!

by crystal
2008/07/01 10:23 am

those biscuits look absolutely perfect!

by b36kitchen
2008/07/01 01:33 pm

I have always LOVED biscuits, and these look divine! I cannot wait to try them!

by Katy
2008/07/06 02:19 am

These are incredible!Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.They are exactly what we wanted.I made them with 50% all purp and 50% white whole wheat.Excellent!!

by orangediana
2008/07/13 06:06 pm

OK, had these for dinner tonight with bulgur sausage gravy and scrambled tofu. They were perfect after a long day of gardening in the rain! Thanks!!

by gagrl
2008/07/16 06:15 pm

Gravy? check.Biscuits? check.Perfect comfort food Sunday breakfast? checkaroo!

by Creature of Habit

Fauxquettes de Nori Print "Fauxquettes de Nori"
Posted at 2008/06/24 10:35 pm | View Comments Below

This experiment was inspired by a friend at work. Last week, I brought in various vegan food for a cookout. Among the things I brought were some grilled chickpea cutlets (a la Veganomicon by Isa and Terry). My non-vegan friend loved them and said that they reminded her of salmon croquettes. From what I could remember, she was right! The texture was right, but the flavor needed to be tweaked big time.

Usually, kitchen experiments end with an upset version of myself reflecting on all of the ingredients I wasted. Not this time. I made the base of the chickpea cutlet recipe and created a vegan, almost eerily salmon-esque croquette. This dish is sure to satisfy any vegan who is craving the familiar taste of fish--without the actual fish. See? Everyone wins and it's delicious.

Additionally, these are baked unlike traditional croquettes which are fried. I used nori sheets to replicate the fishy flavor that's so necessary in such a dish.  There's some beet juice for color. If you don't have it, just sub water. I have to tell you that if you weren't crazy about fish as a pregan (before you were vegan), then you won't like this. It tastes almost exactly like fish. While I loved the flavor, I just couldn't dig in like it was a zesty burrito or anything. This is perfect for a summer lunch or light dinner, though. Top it with your favorite sauce.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 Cup Soy Yogurt
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Egg Replacer Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Celery, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil for Sauteeing
  • 1 Cup Cooked Chickpeas
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Vital Wheat Gluten
  • 3 Tablespoons Beet Juice
  • 1 Cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Terragon
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Cup Nori sheets, finely chopped using food processor
  • 1/2 Cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs for coating)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, mix soy yogurt, mustard and egg replacer eggs. Set aside.
  2. Cook chickpeas.
  3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan saute onion and celery with 1 tablespoon Olive Oil. Cool.
  4. Mash cooked chickpeas with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add in vital wheat gluten and mustard/soy yogurt/egg replacer mixture to the chickpeas.
  5. In a food processor, place several nori sheets and chop them until you have 1 cup of very finely chopped nori.
  6. Add in the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT 1/2 cup Panko reserved for coating.
  7. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 F
  8. Form the croquettes. I used a biscuit cutter as a mold and pressed some of the croquette mixture into it. Pull the cutter away from the formed croquette, and you're ready to coat.
  9. In a bowl, have the 1/2 Cup Panko ready to coat the small patties.
  10. Roll the patties around in the panko until they are evenly coated.
  11. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Bake them for 8 minutes, and flip. Bake another 8 minutes to finish the other side.
  12. Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy.
  13. You can also squeeze a lime wedge and drizzle its juices over the top.

This week, I'll be sharing my new and improved Avocado Pie recipe along with my Sunday biscuits!

5 comments
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2008/06/29 10:29 am

Is the soy yoghurt a necessary ingredient?

I ask because I am soy intolerant and rice yoghurt is impossible to find. Could I use vegen mayonnaise instead?

by JD
2008/06/29 04:22 pm

You'd definately have success with vegan mayo. It's for texture and not so much for taste. You might just want to use just shy of the amount of soy yogurt the recipe calls for.
If you weren't soy intolerant, I'd suggest soymilk curdled with apple cider vinegar or even tofutti sour cream. Let me know how it goes.

by Crystal
2008/06/30 04:22 pm

I just came from the store ready to make chickpea cutlets for dinner, and now I am going to go back to the store for nori to make these. They look great!

by Katie
2008/06/30 06:42 pm

Katie,
Let me know how it goes. I always love to hear how things turn out.

by crystal
2008/06/30 09:09 pm

They are awesome. Mine are a lot greener than yours, but really tasty. I'll post pics on the ppk later today or tomorrow!

by Katie

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