New England "Clam" Chowder

This blog post has been a long time coming. I made this for the first time back in October and am just now posting it. Why? Procrastination. It's a bitch. Anyway, I am here to present to you...Vegan Clam Chowder! Another incredible recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen, Isa nails it! She calls hers the New England Glam Chowder, which is super fitting for her post punk theme. The first time I made it, I let it simmer for too long and it turned out super thick but still delicious. The second time, it was the proper consistency and tasted EXACTLY like clam chowder. Like, for real. The salt and brine of the Atlantic Ocean was in every spoonful. YET NO ANIMAL CRUELTY!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews (soaked min. 2 hours)       $2.12
• 2 cups vegetable broth                              $0.24
• 4 tsp. corn starch                                      $0.05
• 1 tbsp. olive oil                                             -
• 1 large yellow onion, diced                        $0.19
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped                 $0.12
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped                       $.012
• 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced              $0.99
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced                $0.99
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped   $0.32
• 1 tsp. salt                                                      -
• 2 nori sheets, finely chopped                    $0.75
• 3 cups vegetable broth                             $0.36
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste                                $0.24
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice                                   $0.12

Preparation:

Saute the carrots and onions in a large soup pot in olive oil until tender. Add the mushrooms and celery. Cook until tender, but do not overcook; the mushrooms take the place of the clam parts so it is best if they are still a bit chewy. Add the potatoes, nori, salt, and 3 cups vegetable broth and cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the cashews and add to a blender. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and corn starch. Blend until smooth. This may take a little time; the sauce must be very smooth or the soup will have tiny little cashew pieces and taste gritty. Slowly add the cashew cream sauce and gently simmer for about 7 minutes; it should start to thicken. When it has reached desired consistency, add the tomato paste and lemon juice. It is now ready to swerve! I mean, serve. Garnish with crumbled saltine crackers for a nice little crunch!

There is a lot of chopping going on in this recipe
A food processor will ease your wrist and the prep time

Soaked cashews are the secret ingredient
When soaked and blended, they add a creaminess to any recipe

You can use this base recipe for cashew cream
in the place of dairy for soups, sauces, and more!

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS. I only took the lid off
and took a picture because I wanted to reiterate
how important it is for the cream to be SMOOTH
The extra time in the blender will yield a nice, creamy sauce

Using a large soup pot to sauté things will save you extra dishes to wash

The celery adds a nice, earthy flavor to the chowder and the
mushrooms imitate the clamminess of actual clams

This blend of sautéed veggies will make your kitchen smell great
I like to add extra salt at this point so it soaks into the veggies

Chop the potatoes into ¼" cubes so they soften
easily without turning into mush
Too large and they will be crunchy; too small and mush

The nori will add the taste of the sea!
If you are prone to a more mild flavor, leave the nori out or
only add half of a sheet

This is also a great vegetable soup recipe. Stop here and leave out
the cashew cream and this soup still tastes incredible!

The tomato paste will bind all of the flavors together and
adds a deep, richness to the broth

This time I simmered for too long and everything got overcooked
It still turned out great; it was more like a thick stew
The potatoes were mush and the mushrooms lost their chewiness

This time was perfect! An incredible recipe for all occasions!

I like to make big batches and store them for through out the week
If your blender is big enough, you can make both batches of
the cashew cream at once; if not, make two separate batches
I learned the hard way and had an overflowing stream of
cashew cream mess to clean up

There you have it. Vegan Clam Chowder. I have a sneaking suspicion that if this were to be served to an omnivore, they would not be able to tell it was vegan! It is that convincing. Make it for your friends and try to deceive them!!

Popcorn

"Popcorn?", you may say. Yes. I am indeed writing a blog post about how to make stovetop popcorn! Why? Because most people do not know how! Thanks to my dad and our movie nights growing up, I have always known how to use a pan, some oil, and the stove to pop up some of the most delicious corn you have ever tasted in your life. "But I can just go to the store and get a microwavable bag! It is much easier!", you may say. No. Surprisingly, it is literally the same amount of time and effort to pop your own popcorn than it is to buy the overpriced, mostly non-vegan, store-bought bags. 

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
• 2 tbsp. oil of your choice

Here's what you do:

Heat the oil on medium heat with 3 kernels, covered. Why 3? I have zero idea. Just do it. When the first kernel pops, pour the rest of the kernels in and place the lid on again. Swirl the pan around the stove to keep the kernels and oil moving to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pot. The popcorn will pop. And pop. And pop. Wait one minute and remove from heat. Trust me. You want all of the popping to be stopped. If a single kernel pops when you have the lid off most of the fluffy, light, airy popcorn will be strewn across your kitchen floor. Now you can take the lid off of the pot and serve with your favorite topping! Just plain old salt is amazing on it. Nutritional yeast also makes a great, savory, cheesy flavor. Why does this work? Huh. All I know is the concept behind this method is that when a random 3 kernels are heated and one of the kernels pops, the oil is at the perfect temperature and the popcorn will not turn out overcooked or burnt. 

Ever get tired of plain, salted, or buttery popcorn? The nutritional yeast from earlier is a miracle worker. Not only does it contain essential minerals and protein, it tastes like cheesy popcorn! I would place the flavor very close to cheddar. 

Here are a few interesting toppings for your popcorn to keep things from getting boring.

Ranch Style

• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• ¼ tsp. dried dill weed
• ⅛ tsp. garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp. sea salt
• ⅛ tsp. black pepper
• ⅛ tsp. vegetable oil

Mix this all together for a garden fresh, salty snack!

Sweet Chili

• 3 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
• ½ cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne powder
• 1½ tbsp. paprika

Mix this all together for a kick-in-the-mouth sweet and savory flavor!

Here is a link to so many great vegan popcorn toppings from Yummly.

This is my favorite combination for a topping
Buttery, salty goodness!

Three. Juuuuuuust three

Be sure to cover it, obviously, or there will be a poppy mess

Srsly tho. Make your own popcorn! Save all the money!

Pop! POP! pOp! PoP! pOP! POp!

Potato Latkes with Cranberry Applesauce

Just in time to miss Thanksgivukkah, these latkes are still crunchily delicious! I had intended to get this recipe out before Thanksgiving, but the holiday season is like the riptide currents in the Pacific Ocean; I was being torn every which way and had zero time to post any blogs. Now that life is seeming to calm before the storm of Christmas, I hope to regularly post to the blog again.

This cranberry applesauce is actually useful all fall! It combines traditional fall spices with the tartness of cranberries and green apples that can be served warm or chilled!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries         ($0.89)
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon             -
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg                -
• ¼ cup brown sugar                ($0.23)
• ½ cup sweet red wine            ($1.25)
• 4 green apples                       ($2.76)

Combine the cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and wine in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Core, peel, and slice the apples into bite sized chunks. Add the apples, cover, and simmer an additional 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and SERVE!

Red wine brings out the subtle sweetness of the cranberries

I left the skins on the apples the first time but the final
consistency was a bit too chewy

Cook away! The lid is important to keep the steam
inside the pan so it does not dry out

Deliciously sweet and tart cranberry applesauce!

Fried potatoes are basically all you ever crave in life. These potato latkes take a small amount of extra preparation, but are ever so worth it! 

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, diced          ($0.24)
• 1 unit egg replacer                  -
• 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour       -
• 1¼ tsp. sea salt                      -
• 1 tsp. baking powder             -
• 2 lbs. potatoes                    ($1.27)
• Vegetable oil for frying        ($0.98)

Grate the potatoes. Place them in the center of a thin cloth like a cheesecloth and wring out the liquid over a bowl. Dice the onions and add the potatoes and onions to a mixing bowl. Pour out the liquid from the potatoes until only the starch remains. Scrape the starch into the mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg replacement, flour, sea salt, and baking powder. Stir until fully incorporated. Add this mixture to the potatoes and onions. Stir well. Heat about 4 inches of oil to 375°F, or slightly above medium heat. Take a handfuls of the mixture and flatten them into 2 inch wide circles. Drop them in the oil with a slotted spatula 3 at a time. If you place too many in the oil, the temperature will drop and the latkes will not cook correctly. Fry until they are golden brown. Place aside to cool on a paper towel. Top with the cranberry applesauce and a dollop of vegan sour cream and you have an instant Thanksgivukkah feast! 

A food processor with a grater attachment is
a much quicker way to grate them
I live in the stone age and hand grated all the potatoes

I also hand diced all the onions
If one of my lovely readers is ever so kind enough
to buy me a food processor I will dedicate a week of my time to
cook for them

This may be the hardest step in the recipe
Keep moving the potatoes around to get the most liquid out

Red skin potatoes will turn your cloth pink
JUST A FAIR WARINING: it does not come out

Eww...delicious starch!

The Batter
My proportions were wrong because I used EnerG egg replacer
If the mixture is too liquidy, add more flour and baking powder
LIQUIDY: (adj.) - the state of being more liquidy than desirable

I have said this before and I will say it again:
DO NOT LET THE CRISPIES THAT FLOAT AROUND
STAY IN THE PAN OR THEY WILL BURN DOWN YOUR HOUSE!

What a nice hipster pic taken with ôggl by Hipstamatic
Jimmy lens with Blanko Noir film for those that care

Seriously though. Make these latkes even if Thanksgiving was last week and you still have 3 half-eaten casseroles in the fridge! It is definitely still fall until December 21st and definitely still the season for fall foods! 

Happy Diwali! Eat some Sweets!

For those unfamiliar, Diwali is a five day Hindu celebration that occurs in late October or early November. This year, it fell on November 3rd, but I was incredibly busy and did not have time to write a post. I did, however, make a traditional Indian candy, usually eaten for Diwali. It is called Kaju Katli and it is one of the most delicious desserts have ever put in my mouth. I cannot compare it to any American sweets. It. Is. AMAZING! And only 5 ingredients. Here is what you do:

Crush 1 cup raw cashews into a fine powder. I used the flat blade of my Magic Bullet and it worked well. Add 1 tsp. corn starch after the cashews have been powderized and mix again.

Cashews are a delicious choice for this dessert
because they are soft and have a unique sweetness

The cashew powder should be pretty fine but some chunks
are acceptable and will add a nice crunch

The flat blade ensures the cashews will be thoroughly ground

Heat this dry mixture in a skillet on medium-low until it is warm.

Stir occasionally to heat evenly

Bring ¼ cup water to a boil and add ½ cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon powder. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. This should create a thick syrup. It is the most difficult step of this very simple recipe because if cooked for too long, it will be too thick and dry; if cooked for too little, it will not thicken and the end candy will be runny and wet. 

Keep stirring during this step or the sugar will meld to the pan

Add the cashew powder and stir, stir, stir! It will almost instantly create a dough-like substance. Make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated. Scoop the mixture onto aluminum foil and allow to cool. I have found this is best served chilled in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Cut the candies into diamond shapes and serve! 

I had to rush this picture because the cashew powder
immediately stats soaking up the syrup and it must
be stirred quickly

This candy is almost like a sweet nut butter with a hint of cinnamon

This recipe only makes one batch and only a few pieces, so double
or triple the quantities for a party sized batch

Kaju Katli is traditionally served in triangles and has roots
back in Indian culture

Did you know?

Diwali is known as the "festival of lights" and is a time of joy, giving, fellowship, and food. Marking the end of the harvest season, farmers celebrate the good fortune of their crops by making meals and feasting. Bringing in the new year, the goddess Lakshmi is worshiped for her symbolization of wealth, prosperity, and the fortune of another good year ahead. It is believed that on this day, the Lakshmi-panchayatan, or group of five deities, enters the universe. Each member is responsible for a different attribute. 

• Lakshmi: Divine Energy (Shakti) which provides energy to all the above activities
• Vishnu: Happiness (happiness and satisfaction)
• Kubera: Wealth (generosity; one who shares wealth)
• Indra: Opulence (satisfaction due to wealth)
• Gajendra: Carries the wealth
• Saraswati: Knowledge

Another main focus of Diwali is spiritual enlightenment. Hindus strive for the "awareness of the inner light" and celebrate the victory of good over evil during this time of year. With higher knowledge, one may dispel ignorance, as ignorance masks the mind, body, and soul. Only with the realization of the infinite one may be enlightened. 

Happy Diwali, Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holidays! 

Quick Baked Tempura

Fried food is just SOooOooO good! Right? Right. While fried food may taste divine, the oil and fat will not feel good after a few clogged arteries. This quick recipe will let you enjoy the amazingly crunch goodness of tempura without frying! Here is what you do:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F
• Slice some vegetables into bite sized pieces
• Mix 1 tsp. corn starch, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup unflavored, unsweetened almond milk
• Mix 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. olive oil, ½ cup breadcrumbs in a separate bowl
• Dip the veggies into the first bowl, then the second bowl and place on a baking sheet
• Bake for 8 minutes, then flip them over and bake for an additional 8 minutes

These proportions are for a single serving, so try multiplying the measurements if you are serving food for 2 or more impoverished vegans. I love this recipe because the veggies still taste fried and crunchy and delicious without that heavy oil feeling burdening your stomach. 

Try adding some garlic powder to the wet mixture
Any vegetable can use a little extra garlic kick!

Add 4 tbsp. beer to the wet mixture and 1 extra tsp. corn starch
if you are making mushrooms for Beer Battered 'Shrooms!

Different sizes of rings will coat differently in the batter
Try to make sure the batter is fully covering the veggies

Pre-baked deliciousness

Post-baked DELECTABLENESS 

Cut the oil and fat and bake your tempura! (I still deep fry occasionally...I just cannot resist it)