Chile Rellenos FAIL

I have been craving Chele Rellenos. But, they come covered with an eggy batter that I really don't want to deal with. I have been trying to figure out how to make them work, and I thought I had it, but I completely failed. Ugh.

First fail, trying to use Anaheim peppers. I bought both Pasilla and Anaheim, to test their flavors out. I roasted them in the oven, and that worked perfectly. First, I cut the tops off and scooped the seeds out, to get rid of some of the heat. I have tried this before and they were too hot (I don't remember where I got the recipe, and I wanted to try it myself this time). I placed them in a glass square container with a lid to sweat them. You want to do this to peel the skins off, because they can be hard to chew through and eat. After sweating them, I peeled the skins off as best as I could...but the silly little Anaheims had fallen apart, and the skins wouldn't come off. Ugh, the Pasillas win on this one.
While they were roasting and sweating, I made the batter using a recipe for tempura batter that I had. I thought this would be perfect. You have to let it rest a bit to let the gluten build and bind, then you can add more water to thin it out if needed.
After the chiles were peeled, I tried to stuff them with a mixture of vegan cheeses. This didn't work very well because the chiles had fallen apart and were almost in pieces, especially those little Anaheims. I was then given advice by Chef KC (my dad) to put them in the freezer to firm them up so they wouldn't fall apart as I tried to batter and cook them.
After about 15 minutes in the freezer, I thinned the batter out and tried to cook a little aAnaheim in some hot oil on the stove. I wasn't happy with the results. I don't really like the idea of frying food at home by myself. I don't think the oil drains out properly, and it gets way too greasy. I tried a Pasilla, and it wasn't that great, either. So I thickened up my batter with some whole wheat bread crumbs, covered a square glass pan with some of it, placed some peppers in there, and tried to cover them with more batter, the best I could. Not much success, but I tried. After baking for a while, I tried them. The batter was thick, and I enjoyed it even though it wouldn't come out of the pan well. The cheese was melty, but the chiles were HOT. Too hot for me. I could not eat any of it. Maybe I am a wimp, but it wasn't edible. The sauce, however, was amazing.

It's sad that the only good thing to come out of this was an awesome recipe for sauce. UGH.
I'll try again someday.

Cookbook Round 2

I am working on printing and binding my cookbook myself, and to have it ready for the holidays. This new version will have a few more recipes and some color photos that the old book didn't have.

The first round of books was awesome. Getting a professionally bound book in the mail, looking like something you's find at a store, was awesome. I loved the smooth, sleek feel it had, and how well it turned out.
But.
I am excited to be able to make the whole thing from start to finish myself. From coming up with the recipes, testing them, photographing them, typing them, laying the pages out, printing them, cutting and binding them...it's going to a long process, but I think I will love it.
The new books will be spiral bound, about 5x7 inches, and close to 60 recipes. The cover will be thick and sturdy, and it will look almost the same as the first book. It will have about 10 color photos, and some pages to write down recipes you find on my site in the future, or ones that aren't included in he book.

If you're interested in buying a new cook book, just use the link to the right to purchase one. If you purchase it by December 15, it will be guaranteed to be made and sent by Christmas. Any purchase made after that will no be guaranteed by Christmas.

Thanks so much friends, and I look forward to sharing this new book with you!

Thanksliving recipes, 2011

Last year I tried to make a traditional vegan Thanksgiving meal. This year, I wanted to try something a little less traditional. I left the flavor profile of Thanksgiving alone, allowing the traditional flavors to stay there while playing around with something more fun.

The stuffed acorn squash will take place of that big bird, and keep the pumpkin’s squash influence in the meal, too. Potatoes and gravy couldn’t be replaced in my mind, but I’ve healthy’d them up with some nutrition-packed kale and some buttery cauliflowers to add more excitement to plain white potatoes. The mushroom gravy is awesome, and with so much flavor, I don’t know who would prefer the meat juice version over it! Green beans have been tossed with kale and enhanced with a tangy mustard dressing to keep those favored green beans on our plates. Finally, a pumpkin pie has been replaced with something fruity that will replace the traditional cool-whip covered fruit salad that my husband’s family always has. I think this menu is a real winner.

Acorn Squash with Sausage and Rice Stuffing

This sturdy, savory, rustic dish should be a filling enough main dish to cover that turkey void.

2 Acorn squash, halved and seeded (microwave squash for a few minutes to soften them up so you can cut them in half easier)
1 Tbsp oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
2 pieces Tofurky Italian Sausage (1/2 package), diced
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 large zucchini, diced
½ cup cranberry chutney (recipe follows)
4 dried apricots, diced small
½ cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup cooked brown rice

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. When done, flip so cut sides are up.
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Sauté the rosemary and sage for 1 minute, to infuse the herbs into the oil. Add the onions, celery and carrots for 2 minutes, then add the meat and sauté for 3 minutes, or until slightly browned. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and ¼ cup water, cranberry chutney and apricots. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup vegetable broth and the rice, stir well to combine flavors, and cook for 5 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
Turn off heat and spoon into acorn squash halves. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Store any leftover stuffing in the fridge in a covered container.

Cranberry Chutney:

1 granny smith apple, diced
2 cups cranberries, rinsed
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ Tbsp ground ginger
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes with Kale, Cauliflower and Mushroom Gravy

Potatoes:
2 lbs red potatoes, washed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups chopped cauliflower
4 stalks kale, rinsed and chopped
1/3 cup vegan milk
2 tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Boil a large pot of water. Add the potatoes, boil for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, boil 5 more minutes. Add the kale, and boil 3 more minutes. Strain, and pour into a large bowl. Add the vegan milk, margarine, garlic powder and salt. Mash with a masher, or use beaters, until they are the consistency you like.

Gravy:

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced (leeks would even be good)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup plain nondairy milk
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp corn starch
In a medium pan, sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, covered, for about 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in soy sauce, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
Transfer mushroom mix to a blender, add 1/2 cup vegetable stock, and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Return mixture to the same pan, bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until the gravy is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Kale and Green Bean Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Salad:
1 bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed and chopped
1 lb green beans, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
2 tsp olive oil
¼ c water
¼ c sliced almonds (optional)
In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high. When oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and green beans, steam for 2 minutes, then add kale and steam for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in almonds if using.

Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or flax oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp agave
Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Drizzle onto or mix into kale and green bean salad

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed steamed sweet potatoes (Wash and peel sweet potato, dice it, and steam for 7 minutes. They will mash and measure easily.)
3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried rosemary
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp cold water
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the mashed sweet potatoes, oil, syrup, apple cider vinegar, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and rosemary.
Fold the flour into the sweet potato mixture until the dry ingredients are moist and crumbly. Add water and mix until the dough holds together. Don’t overmix.
Drop the dough onto the pan, using about 3 tablespoons of mix, or about a golf ball sized mound. Bake for 12-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I have never made a pie completely from scratch before, and I have been wanting to make one of these for a while. I had to buy frozen rhubard, but it was still amazing. If not, I guess it’s pumpkin!
Here is the recipe I used, it is from Vegan Pie In the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Vegan Pie in the Sky

I also made this pumpkin pie recipe:

Traditional Vegan Pumpkin Pie from Vegan Spoonful

Good luck, and happy eating!

Challenge recipe: potatoes, onions, kidney beans and bulgur

Smoky tofu and sweet potatoes with sesame rice

Giveaway!

I'd like to announce my first giveaway as Kiddo's Kitchen:
Recipe Cards! They come from my design savvy alter-ego, Paper Soul Studios.

They come in a set of 8, and I will be giving them away to a friend on Facebook once I reach 30 "likes" on Kiddo's Kitchen. Once I get to 50 "likes" I will be giving away a set of 8 recipe cards, and a set of recipe cards with MY recipes on them!

So, go like Kiddo's Kitchen!

The Cook book is ready!

Here it is, finally!

Kiddo's Kitchen Cookbook, Volume 1
9 inches tall, 6 inches wide
40 pages
Soft Cover
Black and white text
44 recipes
Perfect for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters

$10 each






If you're interested in purchasing one, click the "Buy Now" button on the right >>>>>


Hand bound books will be coming before Christmas. They will include a hard cover, spiral binding, and color photos. They will be about 8 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide. Their cost will be around $18, and they may include a few more recipes!

Zucchini Artichoke Roll Ups

When I looked at the ingredients of this recipe, I decided it would be fun to make it like an Italian sushi. I'm not sure it translates that way, but it tastes pretty good!

The random ingredients that I had to use were: artichokes, lime, tofu and rice



Zucchini Artichoke Roll Ups

Ingredients:
4 or 5 pieces whole artichoke hearts, quartered
3 medium or 2 large sized zucchini, sliced lengthwise and very thin
4 or 5 pieces cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella
6 oz extra firm tofu (1/2 a block)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
Oil spray
about 12 toothpicks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a non-stick pan with oil, and lay the pieces of zucchini in it. Sprinkle with salt, and cook until softened. This should take a minute or two, and it is makes the zucchini soft and pliable, so you can use it to wrap up around the other ingredients. Cook in batches until they are all done. lay them flat on a plate to rest until you are ready to use them.
To make the vegan ricotta, squeeze the block of tofu over the sink to get rid of some of the water. In a food processor, crumble the tofu, add the cheese, rice, nutritional yeast, lime juice and salt.
Lay a piece of zucchini down on your cutting board. If they are small pieces, use one layered over another, so they form a wider piece. Place a about 2 tablespoons of ricotta on the zucchini, and flatten it down into a thin layer. Place a piece of artichoke and a tomato on the ricotta, and roll up starting at that end. Poke a toothpick through the zucchini to close the roll so it doesn't fall apart. Place in a baking dish.
Continue to roll them up, and fill the dish with rolls. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let them rest for about 5 minutes, so the cheese can help hold it all together.

Recipe books are coming!

I am having my first recipe books made at the end of this month. They will have both veggie and meat recipes, and the first batch will be $10 for a book that is professionally built, like a paperback novel. It will have photos on the cover, and black and white text inside, with some room to write in recipes you find from my blog. They will be about 6x9 inches.

The next batch will be handmade with custom binding and cover, and can be either just veggie or both veggie and meat recipes. They will have color photos inside, and will cost more. I am not sure on the cost of these yet. If you'd like either one, let me know and you can pre-order them!

I'm so excited! Email me at sierransorensen@gmail.com for more information, or send me a message on Facebook.

NEW Kitchen Challenge

It has been a really long time since I have done a challenge. I thought I would try to do one now, so here are my picks:

Veggies & fruits: limes, artichokes

Proteins: tofu

Grains: rice

Well...this ought to be fun! I will have a recipe ready and made by Saturday!

Black Bean Patties

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 small roma tomato, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c panko bread crumbs
1 can black beans, rinsed

Directions:
Mix the flax with 2 tbsp water in a medium sized bowl. Let it sit about 10 minutes before you start adding all your other ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350.
While it is resting, combine the garlic, onion, lime juice, onion, cilantro, tomato, salt, half the breadcrumbs and half the beans in a food processor and pulse a fee times to combine all the ingredients, but don't puree them.
Transfer mixture to the bowl with the flax mix, and add the rest of the beans and breadcrumbs. Combine well. I like to use my hands, since I will be using them to form patties anyway.
Form the mix into 4 patties, place them on an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Let them rest for 2 minutes, then eat as you wish.
I enjoyed my first one as a salad accompaniment, then the second the next day as a burger patty in a sandwich. They were delicious both ways, soft, moist, and healthy!

Coffee Oat Fudge Cookies

Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground flax
1/4 c Smart Balance butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup oats
1 packet Starbucks via, not iced flavors, the plain coffee kind
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, mix flax with 2 tbsp water. Set aside while you mix dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
In the bowl with the flax, whisk together the margarine, sugars, agave and vanilla. Stir in the dry mix until well incorporated.
Make balls about the size of a ping pong ball and flatten slightly as you place them on the baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes, cool for 1 minute, and enjoy. I like mine with a small glass of vanilla almond milk.
YUM.
Let me know what you think!

Sundried tomato and smoked mozzarella ravioli

Sundried tomato, smoked mozzarella ravioli in
brown butter mirin sauce with shallots.

This isn't vegan, but I has a few extra wrappers over from my gyoza, and wanted to make something with them. I threw together a few pieces of this ravioli, made with smoked mozarella and sundried tomatoes. For a sauce, I browned some butter, added shallots and mirin, and gave it to my brother. He loved it.

Ginger soy seitan and squash with violet rice

This is one of the first original recipes I have made since moving to Vegas. I have made some interesting things, some boring things, and lots of eating out...but this was the first original, creative, and delicious meal I made. That's ridiculous! I am going to have to change that. For now, here it is. Yum.