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    Tuesday, August 25, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Blueberry Muffins!!


    Mmmm! I found some blueberries so the obvious choice is to bake shit with them!

    Yesterday I made blueberry pancakes, and today blueberry muffins, using this recipe as a basis. In the comments it said to use self rising flour, which I don't have, so I used a bit of yeast, to some avail. Also, I don't have margerine so I used about a quarter cup of canola oild and a quarter cup more of non dairy milk (almond milk for me).

    I added some sugar in the raw on top, and cooked them intil golden brown, which may have been a bit too long because the outside is a big harder than I would have liked. But the inside is nice and moist and it tastes pretty damn good.
    The picture is decieving, they're actually a lot taller AND puffier than they appear.

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    Saturday, August 22, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Rosemary Focaccia


    I wanted to make bread, but I don't have any yeast, so i found this yeastless recipe for focaccia.

    I followed it prettgy exactly, but i also stirred in about a quarter cup dried rosemary to the dough, and used nutritional yeast instead of cheese.
    I also didn't have a deep enough baking pan, so i just rolled it out into a rough ractangle shape, about 1 1/2 inch thick.
    verdict: EXCELLENT. Very rosemary-ey in a good way. Not too dry, not too doughey. its perfect and seasoned well.YUM

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    Friday, August 21, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Chocolate Chunk Cookies


    I'm home and cooking again!!

    A staple when it comes to baking, but my first time trying it out.
    Inspiration: this recipe
    So I half winged-it, half followed the recipe. I tried 3/4-ing it, but ended up only 3/4-ing the margerine and baking soda and salt portion...the for the rest, I used what was given.
    Also, I added a bit of maple syrup to it, because i love the bit of maple taste in cookies. I couldn't find vegan chocolate chips, so i broke up some dark chocolate vegan candy bars.
    The smell while they were cooking was wonderful, really smelled like CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!

    Verdict: They're wonderful! Just on the verge of not sweet enough, but they were perfect the way they were. The chocolate was great, and the hint of maple, though barely detectable, added a little touch to it. I was afraid they would be too salty, but they're not at all. They were perfectly chewy.
    Next time, I'd make them a little flatter, as they ended up slightly(SLIGHTLY) poofy.
    I made about 16 cookies, each about 2 inches in diameter, and had about three cookies-worth of dough left that i froze (because WHO doesn't love frozen cookie dough?)

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    Thursday, August 20, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Vacation Ranting

    I love vacation, I really do. I love my family, they're great and I love spending time with them.

    But vacation means eating out.
    And one can only order pasta with marinara (no-butter-or-cheese-please) and a house salad(hold-the-cheese-and-just-oil-and-vinegar) so many times before one GOES CRAZY

    I just needed to get that out. Back to life, bbl

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    Wednesday, August 19, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Down The Shore


    Down the Shore is what we say in Philly, meaning one is going down(south) to the New Jersey Shore.


    Anyways, I'm at the shore for a few days, and I haven't been cooking much because I've been vacationing. It's hard to cook without a kitchen and my lovely vegan ingredients.
    I've been trying to live off of restaurant food, which has been proving quite hard. Mostly I've been asking for simple pasta with olive oil or something similar.
    Tonight I went for a greek salad--hold the feta cheese. What I got was a salad without most of the veggies (onions, peppers, etc) that had been listed on the menu, AND it was CLEAR that the chef or someone had put cheese in it originally and taken it out. Feta cheese crumbles easily, so I had tiny bits of feta all over and through my salad. Needless to say, I didn't eat it.
    Oh well, I guess my dinner of decaf choco-vanilla-caramel flavored coffee and a smartdog with ketchup will have to do.

    What I got at the grocery store to hold me over and keep me alive:
    Vegan turkey slices, to put on a sandwich with these wheat cracker type things that i'll use as bread.
    Apples, peaches, applesauce, dried(like really dried, freeze died) apricots
    Some peanuts and cashews
    Hummus and bagels

    I'll let you know if I'm still alive in a couple days. There's a Wawa next door, and luckily Wawa usually has some pretty good vegan selections. Nothing high scale, but hummus and fruit and occasionally they'll have soy ice cream.

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    Saturday, August 15, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Baltimore Adventures Pt. 1


    Hello all! Blogging from Baltimore.

    Looking online, there are very few specifically vegetarian and/or vegan restaurants in Baltimore, but I'm trying my best to find vegan options at several restaurants.
    Last night I went with my [very carnivorous] family to the Hard Rock Cafe. After asking the waiter, I was informed that their veggie burger patty IS vegan, so I got that without the cheese and mayo that comes with it. It was actually pretty good.
    Tonight I plan on going to PF Changs because they have a vegetarian menu that is also vegan(although a friend with a severe peanut allergy will be joining me, so that may not be the best option).
    Off to the Aquarium. I know I should be opposed to aquariums and shit like that, and I guess I am. But I'm selfish and live in Philadelphia, giving me very few opportunities to see sea life. So here I go to celebrate my hypocricy today.
    Will post later! Toodleloo!

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    Friday, August 14, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Simple Heart Cookies


    I didn't have chocolate chips, so I just made sugar cookies by modifying this recipe.

    I followed it mostly the same, but instead of applesauce I used egg replacer (1 egg's worth), and added a little bit more maple syrup, oil, and vanilla to even out the liquid to dry ratio.

    I made them into HUGE hearts. <3>

    They came out good. A bit dry and crumbly, but good flavor.

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    Thursday, August 13, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Maple Cookies


    So my good camera is out of batteries, so I used my webcam.


    Inspiration is this. I halved the recipe, used dark maple syrup instead of molasses, and used allspice instead of ginger. Also I don't have vegan margerine around so I used equal parts soy milk and vegetable oil to make up the volume of the butter needed.
    I chilled in in the freezer for about 45 minutes. They came out rather poofy, so i squished them while they were still hot. Probably better to squish them before they cook.
    Also, I used egg replacer rather than pumpkin.

    They ended up delicious, btw. A teeny bit salty but pretty good.

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    Post By: Susnasty

    Moar Scones!

    Yeah, I didn't think to take a picture, but I made more scones last night. I didn't have any dried or fresh fruit that could be baked into the scones, so I used the same recipe I did before, sans blueberries, and made a fruit compote to put on top.

    Basically I just put some mango and papaya and mandarin oranges in a blender, chopped em up a bit, and simmered them over low heat while the scones were cooling a bit, and then poured it over the scones.
    It was yummy.

    Next scones: cranberry orange.

    ps i make a lot of scones cause they're super easy to make and delish. If i find a good cookie recipe I'll be sure to add it here.

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    Monday, August 10, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    Spinach Vegetable Soup


    Okay, I'm aware that this soup looks like something that came out of a sick person's ass, but it's actually fucking delish!

    Anyways, this was my own creation, which I'll try and recreate
    Toss a bunch of frozen spinach, some frozen corn and some frozen peas and carrots(hell if i know how much I put in there) into a small saucepan
    Then add vegetable stock (I did 2 cups)
    bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. add some minced garlic and about a half to a full tbsp of miso paste.
    Simmer for, like, ever, stirring occasionally...I did about an hour and a half.
    Then either strain all the veggies out and put into a blender, or blend in the pan with a hand blender. Either way, make it not super smooth but not too chunky either.
    Stir it back with whatever stock you have left, simmer for a little longer and voila.
    It's pretty good, actually.

    I topped it with this seaweed sesame seed mix thing that i have

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    Sunday, August 9, 2009 Post By: Susnasty

    TB


    I actually don't understand how True Blood is so good.

    Anyways, todays episode was WTFish as usual.

    Eric and Sookie kind of need to get together. I still love Bill, but...jesus, that Eric. Mmm, mmm.

    And fuck that Maryanne--she is pulling some crazy Titus Andronicus cannibalism shit.

    I honestly don't think any show has promted so many expliatives from me in such a short period of time.

    Can't wait for next weeks WTFery

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    Post By: Susnasty

    Dinner: Marjoram-Scented Artichoke and Chickpea Stew


    YUM!

    I took this from the "Vegan Planet" cookbook, and altered it a bit.
    I served it in a bowl with a nice thick slice of whole grain bread

    Changes I made:

    I added:
    about a half cup more white wine than was called for
    a splash of lemon juice
    a dash of cayenne pepper(it needed a bit of spice)

    I used powdered marjoram instead of fresh/dried leaves
    I pureed 2 cups of the stew to be mixed back in the pot, rather than the 1 cup that was called for
    I used garlic paste instead, and it ended up tasting fine


    Verdict:
    The blend of flavors is a lot more subtle than I'm used to, but they melded nicely and it ended up being a very good and filling dish. The artichoke really added a nice flavor to the whole thing, and the potatoes really added a nice "meatiness" to the dish. Of course, the chickpeas added a subtle flavor, as they were whole, and they provided the protein for the stew.
    All in all, it was DELISH!

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    Post By: Susnasty

    Blueberry Oat Scones


    This morning, I made Blueberry Oat Scones for breakfast.

    They ended up quite good, I really enjoyed them. My inspiration was this. I deviated from the recipe in a few areas, mostly because my kitched is not super well stocked:

    Instead of a half cup of sugar, I used nearly a cup of granulated splenda(I know splenda's shit for your body, but I honestly don't care).
    I recently ran out of vegan butter, so instead of a half cup of vegan butter, I used a third cup of vegetable oil and a quarter cup extra of my dairy free milk(almond milk).
    I also added about a quarter cup more oats than called for, and maybe added a bit more lemon juice than they asked for.
    Also, I used fresh berries rather than frozen. Not sure exactly how much I used, I just sorta tossed 'em in there.
    I cooked it for 15 minutes at 400 degree heat, and then another 5 at 35o.

    Once it cooled for about 10 minutes, I had one. And I must say, they were delicious. Not too sweet, not to overwhelmingly oatey, just perfect. Not the least bit chewey, either, as is often the problem with vegan baking. The adjustments I made were excellent. Things I could alter, should I decide to make this again:
    I'd use frozen blueberries, they'd ooze less. I could use other frozen fruit, should I choose to do so.
    I'd add a bit of cocoa powder, or use chocolate almond milk instead. I think a hint of chocolate would be delicious in this recipe

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    Post By: Susnasty

    Food

    First posty!

    So, at 17 years old, I'm not the most likely to be posting foodses on the interwebs, but I like cooking, and I like sharing what I cook.

    I'm gonna be sharing my adventures as a vegan cook, as well as daily musings and other shit, kay?
    (I promise this won't be a "woe is me, I'm a teenager" blog. I PROMISE!)

    Okay, a little about my cooking:
    I've been vegan for about 6 months, on top of about a year of vegetarianism before that. I've always loved cooking, and now that I'm vegan, I do a hell of a lot of cooking for myself. I tend to be an experimental cook, using cookbooks as launching points for my recipes. I'm not at all a picky eater within the realm of veganism(I will eat nearly anything given to me, provided it's vegan). I'll try and record exactly what I put in my dishes should you want to replicate them, but I'll let it be known: rarely do I use measuring utensils beyond the basics. Pictures will probably accompany most food posts.
    Lastly, I'll always cite my recipes(or inspirations), and if I don't, yell at me and tell me to do so.

    This blog won't be just food and cooking, mind you, but I'm in a foodey mood right now.

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