Black Forest Cake

I don't usually post dessert recipes on here because I feel like there are so many amazing cookbooks and blogs already dedicated to vegan baking and desserts. I'm not expert in that area so I leave it to the professionals. Sometimes, I do feel like trying to make my own goodies and I don't think I've ever seen a vegan black forest cake. So, I went with it! I modified the recipe off of this one. Also, excuse the frosting in these pictures. I should have put the cake in the fridge to let it set before I took the pictures!

Black Forest Cake

* Prep Time: 30 minutes
* Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
* Ingredients (for cake batter):

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder  
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 2 egg replacers, follow box directions*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

* Ingredients (for frosting materials):

• 1/2 cup kirsch*
• 1 cup soy butter*
• 7 cups powdered sugar
• 2 pinch salt
• 2 tsp brewed coffee
• 2 (14 oz.) cans pitted cherries, drained
• 1 can vegan whipped cream, to top*
• maraschino cherries, to top
• 1 bar semisweet chocolate, shaved, to top  

* Recipe (for cake batter):

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix.
3. Combine the non-dairy milk with the vinegar. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. 
4. In another bowl, whip the sugar and vegetable shortening until combined. 
5. Mix the egg replacers in a small bowl until frothy. 
6. Combine the dry ingredients with the sugar mixture, egg replacers, butter milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until batter is smooth.
7. Line the bottom of two round 8 in. pans with parchment paper. Pour half the batter in each. 
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
9. Let cool completely and remove the parchment paper. Cut each cake in half horizontally making 4 cakes total. 

* Recipe (for frosting materials): 

1. Sprinkle each layer with the kirsch.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee. Beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice. 
3. Roughly chop up the cherries.
4. Spread the frosting over each layer. Add cherries. Repeat for all layers except the top one (so two more times).
5. Top one layer with another layer of cake until all 4 are on top of one another.
6. Continue frosting the entire cake.
7. Shave chocolate and cover the cake with it.
8. Top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

* Note: Make sure all your sugar is vegan. For egg replacers, I used Ener-G. The non-dairy milk I used was almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you prefer. Kirsch is cherry liquor. You can find it in the alcohol section with other liquors. For soy butter, I like Earth Balance with olive oil. Lastly, Soyatoo makes an amazing canned whipped cream. I can usually find it at Whole Foods here.

Stuffed Zucchini Cups, Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction, & Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

Ah, Valentine's Day. To me, I always think Italian food is the way to go for this holiday. Last year, I made a lovely dinner of raw kale salad, spaghetti and heart-shaped meatballs, and tiramisu. This year, I changed the tiramisu recipe to a raspberry version that is heart-shaped. Who doesn't love cute lovey-dovey food on this holiday?!

Stuffed Zucchini Cups

* Prep Time: 10 minutes

* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

* Ingredients: 

• 2 large zucchini
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small green pepper, finely diced
• 1 package (8 oz.) vegan ground crumbles*
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato basil pasta sauce*
• vegan mozzarella, to top*
• vegan Parmesan, to top (optional)*
• sea salt, to top (optional)*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
   
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions with salt and pepper until translucent. Add the garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, and crumbles. 
3. Cook for about ten minutes until the crumbles are brown. Add the basil, parsley, and oregano and keep cooking for another two minutes.
4. Cut the zucchini in about one inch pieces. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the insides of the zucchini being careful not to take out the bottom. 
5. Fill the zucchini with the crumble mixture and top with pasta sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
6. On a lightly oiled cookie sheet, bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes. When done, top with a bit of sea salt.

* Note: For ground crumbles, I diced up a package of Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan. You can get it around the Chicago area at Whole Foods or otherwise online. If you can't find Upton's, you can use Boca crumbles or Yves brand. The pasta sauce I used was Whole Foods 365 Organic brand. I used Daiya vegan mozzarella. The Parmesan and sea salt are optional, but I would suggest Galaxy topping for vegan Parmesan. 

Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction

* Prep Time: 45 minutes

* Cook Time: 15 minutes

* Ingredients (for ravioli filling):

• 2 anjou pears, finely diced
• 1 whole shallot, sliced
• 1/4 package (2 oz.) vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup tofu ricotta*
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella*
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for dough):

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil, for boiling water
• pinch of salt, for boiling water

* Ingredients (for reduction):

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
• 1 cup white wine*
• salt and pepper, to taste

 * Recipe (for filling):

1. In a medium skillet, cook the pears and shallots for about 10 minutes over medium heat until they are soft. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. 
3. When pears are cooked, add to the bowl and mix well.

* Recipe (for dough):

1. Mix the all-purpose flour, the semolina flour, and salt well in a medium bowl.
2. On a clean counter space, create a mound with the flour mixture. In the center, create a well. In the well, put in the olive oil and water. 
3. Slowly start to mix and then knead dough until smooth.
4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until slightly thin.
5. Cut the dough with a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.
6. Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough.
7. Using water, wipe the edge of the dough. Top with another heart-shaped dough piece. Press the edges with a fork.
8. In a medium pot of boiling water, add the salt and olive oil, then cook the ravioli until the float (only a few minutes). Let cook for one minute after they start to float. Do not overcrowd the pot with ravioli or else they will stick together.

* Recipe (for reduction):

1. In a medium skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat.
2. Add the butter, white wine, sage, salt, and pepper. Reduce to half.
3. Stir in the parsley once reduced.

* Note: For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The tofu ricotta recipe was taken from the Veganomicon cookbook. See recipe here. For vegan mozzarella, I used Daiya. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Lastly, make sure your white wine is vegan!

Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for lady fingers):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk*
• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted*
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow box instructions)*
  

* Ingredients (for custard filling):

• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

* Ingredients (for coffee mixture):

• 1/2 cup espresso*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Grand Mariner  

* Ingredients (for topping):

• fresh raspberries
• raspberry jam
• cocoa powder, to dust
• powdered sugar, to dust
• shaved dark vegan chocolate, to top

* Recipe (for lady fingers):

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Make sure no lumps are in the batter.
4. In an oiled medium baking dish, add the batter in a level fashion.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick can come out clean from the center of the cake.

* Recipe (for custard filling):

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. Whisk together until no lumps are found.
2. In a small pot, add the custard mixture and heat on medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Turn to low to medium heat and cook for about five minutes. It should look rather thick (rather than runny).
4. Set aside until needed for building process.

* Recipe (for coffee mixture):

1. Combine freshly made espresso with Grand Mariner.

* Recipe (for building):

1. Using a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each heart in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one heart on a plate. Top with a layer of raspberry jam and then custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 one more time.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with fresh raspberries, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and shaved chocolate. 

* Note: Make sure all the sugar in this recipe is vegan. You can find marked vegan sugar at health food stores. I used soymilk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The sour cream was Tofutti brand. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener used to replace honey. One can find it near the honey in the green/organic/natural section of your grocery. I have an espresso maker, so I just made my espresso for this. They do make powdered espresso that I'm sure you could add water to. It would be in the baking section of your grocer.

 

Chocolate Beetle Cupcakes w/ Bloody Cherry Butter Filling & Chocolate Dirt Frosting

Well, I wanted to make a Halloween dessert and I saw this beetle cupcake idea on Craftster. I figured I could make some vegan cupcakes and go from there. These turned out wonderful, but they're timely to make. Give yourself a few hours to make them leisurely. I modified the cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (which if you do not own, you have to). The frosting recipe is the exact one out of the book. I figure let the experts in baking give me their recipe - it would turn out much better than my own. This didn't let me down!

Chocolate Beetle Cupcakes w/ Bloody Cherry Butter Filling & Chocolate Dirt Frosting

* Prep Time: 1-2 hours
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for chocolate cupcakes): 

• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup sugar*
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp chocolate extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

* Ingredients (for chocolate buttercream frosting):

• 1/4 cup margarine, softened*
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* Ingredients (remaining):

• 1 9 oz. jar cherry butter*
• 1 box food dye (red, blue, green, yellow)
• 7-8 Oreo cookies (or other vanilla cream sandwich cookies)*
• 1/2 8.8 oz. box marzipan*
• gold luster dust, to taste*

* Recipe (for chocolate cupcakes):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and milk. Set aside.
3. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and combine well.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl including vinegar milk mixture and beat until foamy.
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until no lumps remain.
6. Pour into lined cupcake tray three-fourths of the way full in each.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely.

* Recipe (for chocolate buttercream frosting):

1. Cream together margarine and shortening until combined.
2. Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
3. Next, add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time adding soy milk as you go. Mix between each 1/2 cups of sugar.
4. Add the vanilla extract and combine until fluffy and no more lumps are seen.

* Recipe (for rest of cupcake):

1. In a bowl, combine cherry butter with red food dye. Add as much red food dye as necessary to make it "blood red".
2. Using a melon baller, scoop the center out of the cupcake and take out some of the middle. Be sure you don't go too far down so as not to get the bottom of the cupcake.
3. Add 1-2 tsp of cherry butter to the center of the cupcake. Replace the top back on the cupcake.
4. Frost with the buttercream frosting.
5. In a blender, combine Oreo cookie tops (not the side with the centers) until they are thoroughly pulverized. Put the cookie dirt in a small bowl.
6. Roll each frosted cupcake in the cookie dirt and pat more with your hands. Shake the cupcake to take off stray cookie dirt.
7. In a bowl, add 5-10 drops of all four food dye colors. Mix. Add the marzipan and mash with a fork until combined.
8. Follow the directions here to make beetle marzipan figures.
9. Dust each beetle with gold luster dust.
10. Top each cupcake with one beetle.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I used almond milk. Use any sort of non-dairy milk you prefer. Make sure your sugar is vegan. For margarine, I used Earth Balance soy-free variety. The cherry butter was a brand I found at Whole Foods called American Spoon. The Oreo type cookies I used were Back To Nature Classic Creme Cookies. For marzipan, I use Stramondo brand. Luster dust is edible glitter, more or less. You can find it in the baking section of JoAnn's or Michael's craft stores. You should use a paint brush to apply it, but I didn't have one handy so I just brushed with my fingers.


Have a spooky Halloween!

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

I am by no means a master baker. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good home baker, though! My frosting skills are not exactly the best, though. Any tips? I leave the pretty looking cupcakes up to local favorites, Canary Confectionery & the Mixing Bowl Bakery. This cupcake is inspired by my friend who really likes ginger. Lemons seem to go well with ginger, so I kind of just went with that theme. The cupcake is filled with lemon curd while the batter has fresh grated ginger, limoncello, and lemon zest. The frosting has limoncello and lemon zest and topped with chopped crystallized ginger.

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 25 minutes
* Ingredients (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 3/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 "eggs", prepared by box instructions*
• 3 tbsp limoncello*
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled vinegar
• 2 oz. vegan cream cheese*

* Ingredients (for lemon curd):

• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with water until smooth
• splash non-dairy milk

* Ingredients (for frosting):

• 6 oz. vegan cream cheese
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2-3 tbsp shortening
• 3 tbsp limoncello
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• crystallized ginger, to taste, minced, to top

* Recipe (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

1. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixer. Add in the milk mixture and combine well.
3. If mixing by hand, combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Add the wet to the dry, then the milk mixture. Combine well.
4. Place batter 1/2-3/4th full in each cupcake spot on the tin.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

* Recipe (for lemon curd):

1. Over medium heat, combine the first four ingredients. Stir occasionally until smooth and bring to boil, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the milk and stir over heat.
3. Set aside and let cool. It should have a thicker consistency once cooled.

* Recipe (for frosting):

1. Combine all ingredients but ginger and mix well. It shouldn't have a soupy consistency. If it does, add more sugar.

* Recipe (for cupcake construction):

1. Once cupcakes are cooled, dig a small well out of the middle with a melon baller.
2. Fill the well with lemon curd and place the top back on the cupcake.
3. Frost and top with minced crystallized ginger.

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan! For vegan butter and eggs, I like Earth Balance soy free variety and Ener-G for egg replacer. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that you can find in most alcohol sections of a grocery store with specialty stuff like bitters. Feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used hemp milk. For vegan cream cheese, I used Galaxy brand.

Irish Festivities: Stew, Brown Bread, & Stout Cake

The stew and brown bread recipes were adapted and veganized from a cookbook I picked up in Ireland last year, Irish Soups & Breads. It is a traditional book full of interesting recipes and facts. The stout cake with stout ganache I came up with on my own, though!

Irish Beefless Beef Stew w/ Fluffy Dumplings

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 45 minutes
* Ingredients (for stew):

• 1/2 seitan recipe, cooked as directioned, ripped into chunks
• 1 leek, light green and white parts chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small-medium white onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 2/3 cup porter beer*
• 7 1/2 cups vegetarian "beef" broth*
• 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp tiny white onions, peeled
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• flour, for dusting seitan
• olive oil, for frying seitan pieces
• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 2-3 tbsp parsley, to top
• salt & pepper

* Ingredients (for fluffy dumplings):

• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup white breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Ener-G instructions*
• cayenne, to taste

 * Recipe (for stew):

1. In a large pot on medium heat, let the butter melt. Add the leeks and onion. 
2. After onions become translucent, add the carrot and celery. Cook until tender.
3. Next, add the caraway seeds, beer, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
4. While the stew is cooking, prepare the seitan pieces. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil. While olive oil is heating, roll the pieces of seitan in flour. Brown them in the olive oil and add to the stew.
5. Add the mushrooms,tiny onions, and fluffy dumplings to the stew. Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf when done cooking.
6. Top soup with parsley when serving.

* Recipe (for fluffy dumplings):

1. In a bowl, combine flour, breadcrumbs, and cayenne.
2. Mix the egg in a small bowl. Add into the flour mixture followed by the butter. Combine well.
3. Form into small dumpling shapes and add into stew about 10-15 minutes before it is finished cooking. 

* Note: I used a porter beer because I couldn't find a vegan stout on hand that wasn't a chocolate stout. If you can find a non-chocolate stout that is vegan, please use that. Check Barnivore to make sure it is vegan. For vegetarian "beef" broth, I used Frontier broth. The soy butter I used was Earth Balance. Ener-G is a type of egg replacer.

Brown Bread


* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 55 minutes - 1 hour
* Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups course whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Ener-G instructions
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar

* Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
2. In the well, add the soy milk, olive oil, and "eggs". Mix the batter well. If the mix is too thick, add a little more soy milk if necessary.
3. In a greased bread pan, add the batter and smooth the top. Make two diagonal cuts on the top of the bread. 
4. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven and test to see if done. Bread to cooked by tapping the bottom; if it sounds follow, it's done. One could otherwise use a kebab skewer and poke down the middle of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, bake for another few minutes and re-check.

* Note: The mashed potatoes that the bread is with in the picture are made via my recipe here.

Chocolate Stout Cake w/ Chocolate Stout Ganache


* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 50 minutes
* Ingredients (for chocolate stout cake):

• 1 cup chocolate stout beer*
• 1 cup softened soy butter
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 "eggs" prepared by Enger-G instructions
• 2/3 cup vegan sour cream*

* Ingredients (for chocolate stout ganache):

• 1/4 cup chocolate stout beer
• 9 oz. vegan chocolate chips
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

* Recipe (for chocolate stout cake):

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients in the well and combine well.
2. In a greased cake pan, pour the batter in. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
3. Check the cake after 40 minutes to see if it is done. use a toothpick or kebab skewer and poke the cake to the bottom of the pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake it done. If not, place back into the oven until cooked.

* Recipe (for chocolate stout ganache):

1. Bring a small pot to boil. In a small pan, place the chocolate chips inside. Place pan over the boiling water and stir while the chocolate melts. Add the stout and the vanilla extract.
2. Once cake cools, top it with the ganache.

* Note: Most stout is not vegan. Please make sure you check Barnivore before you make this cake. There are a few stouts out there that are vegan. Don't use Guinness! For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti. 


Well, there you have it. I hope you all have a great holiday! Irish blessings from your part Irish blog doll. xo

Valentine's Day: Raw Kale Salad, Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs, Tiramisu, & Caprese Martinis

Below are my recipes for a complete Valentine's Day meal. Romance your love with this tasty, cruelty-free dinner!

Raw Kale Salad

I love the raw kale salad at Whole Foods. I may, in fact, be obsessed with it. This is my recreation of it and it tasted just like it!

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch kale, washed, cut 
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1/2 medium tomato, diced, optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Divide the cut kale into two salad bowls.
2. Top each bowl with 1 tbsp cranberries and 1 tbsp pine nuts. Add half the tomatoes to each bowl (optional).
3. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. Add more olive oil or lemon juice to taste, if desired.
5. Top the salad with the dressing. Enjoy!

  
Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs


* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for pasta sauce):

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, heavy pinch
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 fresh medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine*
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 2 packages Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled*
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow according to box directions)*
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs*
• 1/4 cup olive oil, for frying, add more if needed

* Ingredients (for pasta):

• 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked by box instructions
• fresh Italian parsley, to top
• fresh basil, to top
• vegan Parmesan cheese, to top

* Recipe (for pasta sauce):

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil and salt until the onions have sweat.
2. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, basil, and wine. Cook down until wine is reduced to half. This step may take about twenty minutes.
3. Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper. Simmer for about ten minutes.

* Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
3. While the oil is heating, shape the meatballs into heart-shapes.
4. On a plate, add the bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
5. Cook in the skillet until golden brown.

* Recipe (for pasta):

1. To assemble, place cooked pasta on a plate. Top with the sauce and meatballs.
2. Add the parsley, basil, and Parmesan to the pasta plate. Buon appetito!

* Note: Make sure your red wine is vegan on Barnivore. I used Our Daily Red organic, vegan red wine. Upton's Naturals is a local Chicago seitan company. They sell their faux meats here in Chicagoland. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles,Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. Vegan Parmesan brand I use is Galaxy topping. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For the bread crumbs, make sure to check they are vegan. Oftentimes, they will contain dairy. I used the Whole Foods brand, 365.

Tiramisu


* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for lady fingers):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk*
• 2 tbsp soy butter, melted*
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow box instructions)*
  

* Ingredients (for custard filling):

• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

* Ingredients (for coffee mixture):

• 1/2 cup espresso*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Grand Mariner  

* Ingredients (for topping):

• cocoa powder, to dust
• powdered sugar, to dust
• shaved dark vegan chocolate, to top

* Recipe (for lady fingers):

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Make sure no lumps are in the batter.
4. In an oiled medium baking dish, add the batter in a level fashion.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick can come out clean from the center of the cake.

* Recipe (for custard filling):

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. Whisk together until no lumps are found.
2. In a small pot, add the custard mixture and heat on medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Turn to low to medium heat and cook for about five minutes. It should look rather thick (rather than runny).
4. Set aside until needed for building process.

* Recipe (for coffee mixture):

1. Combine freshly made espresso with Grand Mariner.

* Recipe (for building):

1. Using a round cookie cutter (or a round form), cut out circles from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each circle in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one circle on a plate. Top with the custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and shaved chocolate. 

* Note: Make sure all the sugar in this recipe is vegan. You can find marked vegan sugar at health food stores. I used almond milk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. For soy butter, I used Bestlife which I found at my local Jewel. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For vegan cream cheese, I used Follow Your Heart brand. The sour cream was Tofutti brand. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener used to replace honey. One can find it near the honey in the green/organic/natural section of your grocery. I have an espresso maker, so I just made my espresso for this. They do make powdered espresso that I'm sure you could add water to. It would be in the baking section of your grocer.

 Caprese Martinis


* Prep Time: 6-12 hours
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 3/4 cup vodka
• kosher salt
• 8 grape tomatoes
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 bunch fresh basil
• 4 small vegan mozzarella balls*

* Recipe:

1. Put tomato slices in a large glass container or pitcher. Add the vodka (make sure it covers the tomatoes) and a pinch of salt. Let infuse for 6-12 hours at room temperature. Strain the vodka, then chill until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, prick the grape tomatoes with a skewer (or toothpick); toss with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature.
3. Drain the grape tomatoes, reserving the vinegar. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
4. For each drink, drizzle some balsamic syrup into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Muddle 2 to 3 basil leaves with a splash of tomato-infused vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add another 1 1/2 oz. tomato-infused vodka and 1 cup of ice; shake and strain into the glass. Skewer 2 marinated grape tomatoes, 2 basil leaves, and a mozzarella ball on a cocktail pick (or toothpick) and set in martini.

* Note: The caprese martini recipe was taken from Food Network Magazine March 2011 edition. To spare some time, one could just add squeezed tomatoes to the vodka instead of infusing. For the mozzarella balls, I used Soy Kaas as it is easy to form into a ball because of its texture.