Penne with Vodka Sauce and Peas

Thanks to Simon's dad, we have a jar of Coconut Manna that we've been meaning to try out for some time. Coconut Manna is just a form of coconut flesh, similar to coconut butter.  According to the jar's label, it's good to use in rice, oatmeal, smoothies, and sauces in place of milk, cream, yogurt, or butter.

Enter vodka sauce, everyone's favorite creamy and tomato-y pasta sauce.  Heavy cream is usually responsible for vodka sauce's pink (rather than red) color, so in this case, Coconut Manna stands in for Cow Manna. 

Pasta and Peas, Smothered in Sauce

Here's the recipe for vodka sauce.  All you need to do is make the sauce and serve over penne and peas (or any other veggies). 

Recipe:
Vodka Sauce

• 1/4 cup Coconut Manna
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 - 28 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
• 7 ounces canned coconut milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

First, submerge the tightly sealed jar of Coconut Manna in very hot tap water to melt the Manna.  It should soften up enough to stir and measure after 5-10 minutes. 

Add the Coconut Manna, oil, and onion to a medium saucepan, and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions and manna begin to brown.  Then lower the heat to low, add the vodka, and stir.  Cook, stirring frequently, for eight minutes.  Next, bring the heat back up to medium, mix in the diced tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered, for 20 more minutes.  Add the coconut milk and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Finally, transfer most of the sauce to a food processor and blend until smooth.  Recombine the processed sauce with the chunky sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Yields sauce for about 1 pound of pasta.

Comments:

Taste:            

This sauce is rich and creamy--and it had better be, with all of that coconut in it!  The coconut flavor is subtle but definitely present, and the sauce has a mild flavor overall.  (I might add a bit of crushed red pepper flakes to my leftovers in order to spice it up a little.)  The pairing of the sauce and peas on top of the pasta is a good one, as the peas add a little color and a little texture.  

Accessibility:             

Coconut Manna must truly be the food of the gods: a jar of Coconut Manna apparently costs about $10.  Although it was fun to try, it probably won't be a regular purchase of mine in the future. 

 Ease of Preparation:        

This sauce takes a bit of time to make, but it's pretty simple to prepare. 

Non-vegan friendliness:             

Unfortunately, given that I've only had vodka sauce once or twice in my life, I'm not sure whether this actually tastes like traditional vodka sauce.  Given it's noticeable coconut flavor, I'd say it would be better served as a creamy pasta sauce rather than a traditional vodka sauce.

Chickpea-Squash Stew served over Quinoa

Did you know that 2013 has been declared Year of the Quinoa?  As wonderful as quinoa is, it's a bit underrepresented on this blog.  Here's a recipe to change that. 

So colorful and healthy!

Recipe:     
Chickpea-Squash Stew served over Quinoa

• 4 cups cubed (1/2 inch) and peeled butternut squash 
• 1 1/3 cup quinoa
• 2 2/3 cup water
• Pinch of salt
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup lite coconut milk
• 2 - 14 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
• 2 - 14 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 green onions, chopped

First, boil the squash in a medium/large saucepan until just tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain, rinse, and set aside.  

 

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa.  Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.  Then remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork, and cover to keep warm.

 

While the squash and quinoa are cooking, begin to cook the stew.  Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and salt and cook until the onions begin to brown, about seven or eight minutes. Add the ginger and jalapeno and cook for two more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Then add the coconut milk, tomatoes, chickpeas, and cooked squash and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

Ladle the stew over the quinoa and garnish with green onions before serving hot.  Yields 8 servings.

Comments:
Taste:            

We all enjoyed this colorful, flavorful dish.  The nuttiness of the quinoa and the heartiness of the squash and chickpeas make this a solid, everyday dish.  Plus, the coconut milk and jalapeno balance each other nicely. 

Accessibility:          

We didn't have trouble finding any of these ingredients at our standard grocery store. 

 Ease of Preparation:          

As long as you're sure to multitask by cooking the quinoa and squash at once, this dish doesn't take too long.  I find that it's easiest to dice the hard squash using a heavy chopping knife. 

Non-vegan friendliness:         

Simon noted that there's nothing missing from this dish; at the same time, he considers it more of a hearty side dish than a main dish.  I really like the aesthetics of this dish, and I'd be confident serving it to non-vegans, especially during fall!       

Magic Bars

In my experience, there are a few non-vegan foods that just can't be replicated.  Cheese is one of them, and I tend to steer clear of eating vegan "cheese" if I can.  Sweetened condensed milk is another one...or so I thought.  This sweet baking ingredient is one of the key components of magic bars--a dessert I hadn't eaten since becoming vegan. 

Enter Chef Cloe's Beach Cookies recipe, passed along to me by my coworker.  These beach cookies (magic bars, layer bars) do justice to the bars I remember, even without sweetened condensed milk.  Victory!

Slightly blurry; wholly delicious.

Recipe:     
Magic Bars

• 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I bought vegan graham crackers and used a food processor to create crumbs)
• 1 cup coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 - 12 ounce package vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (ideally toasted)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Get out a 13x9" nonstick baking pan.

Next, pour the melted butter into the bottom of the pan, making sure the bottom is completely covered.  Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs into the pan to create an even layer, and then use your hands to press down the crumbs to create the crust. 

Whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Carefully drizzle the mixture as evenly as possible over the graham cracker crust.  Sprinkle the coconut across the pan as the next layer, followed by layers of chocolate chips and walnuts.  Finally, use your hand to lightly press the walnut/chocolate chip layer a bit into the rest of the bars. 

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges appear lightly browned. IMPORTANT: Let the bars cool and then refrigerate for a few hours before eating.  Really, these bars are much better when they're cold! 

Yields 1 pan magic bars.

Comments:
Taste:         

These bars really hit the spot as a sweet summertime treat.  They're chocolatey and nutty without being heavy or too rich, and the coconut flavor is nice and light.  The crunchy, perfectly sweet ingredients contribute to a very satisfying bite.  Thank you, Chef Cloe.

Accessibility:      

This recipe is a bit on the expensive side, as walnuts and maple syrup certainly aren't cheap.  But, everything should be very easy to find, and it will be worth it once you do.

 Ease of Preparation:        

These bars are quite easy to make.  Lots of sprinkling and layering, which is hard to mess up.  If you don't have a food processor or some other way of crushing graham crackers into crumbs, you can always buy pre-made graham cracker crumbs. 

Non-vegan friendliness:       

While I must admit that it's been many years since I've had non-vegan magic bars, I am confident that these taste just as good.  Rachel noted that nothing seems "off" about the bars.  In fact, coconut milk works quite well given the inclusion of coconut flakes, anyway.  I'm sure we'll be making these again sometime soon. 

Grilled Coconut-Crusted Pineapple

In true D.C.-in-the-summertime style, it was blazing hot outside over the weekend.  Luckily, Simon and I were able to escape to the beach.  We spent three days on Long Beach Island with my family, and it was really nice to relax and spend some time away from the sweltering swamp (or, I should say, tidal plain) that is D.C.

We had tons of delicious summer foods on the shore (think grilled sweet corn and watermelon), but one of my favorite dishes was actually a dessert.  We had dinner with Simon's dad one night and he prepared us some delicious Grilled Coconut-Crusted Pineapple.  I'm not sure what the exact recipe was, though I do know he coated the pineapple with honey and toasted coconut flakes; so, here's a pretty close version I found online: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/specialoccasionrecipe1/r/grilledpineapp.htm. 

We served it alongside coconut sorbet for a sweet, hot and cold, melt-in-your-mouth dessert.  Yum! 

Cool Caribbean Curry with Plantains

Last night was a night of firsts for the ladies and gentleman of this apartment: we used both plantains and black-eyed peas for the first time.  I'm just as surprised as you are that we hadn't cooked up some black-eyed peas before now (seriously, though, I think my soft spot for black-eyed peas can only be attributed to the fact that they remind me of black-eyed Susans).  Our adventure was successful, as you can see:

Warning: This is Not Your Average Curry.

Recipe:   
Cool Caribbean Curry with Plantains

• 3 very ripe plantains, peeled, split lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 large red pepper, diced finely
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 4.5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/8 cups lite coconut milk
• 1 1/8 cups water
• 2 - 15 ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 teaspoons honey
• 1.5 teaspoons lime juice
• 3 cups brown rice, prepared according to package instructions

 

First, steam the plantains.  Insert a steamer basket or metal sieve into a medium-sized saucepan and add an inch or two of water (the water should be below the bottom of the steamer basket/seive).  Bring the water to a boil and place the plantains in the steamer basket/seive.  Cover the pot and steam for about 10 minutes or until the plantains look bright yellow and plump.  Drain the water, re-cover the plantains to keep them warm, and set aside. 

Meanwhile, prepare the curry.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and peppers and sauté for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, ginger, and bay leaves and continue cooking for another two minutes.  Next, add a splash of water and stir in the curry powder, cinnamon, and thyme.  Mix for 30 seconds before adding the salt, coconut milk, water, and black-eyed peas.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.  Finally, add the honey and lime juice and any extra salt or seasoning, to taste.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  

 

To serve, spoon the curry over a bed of brown rice and top with plantains.  Yields 6 servings.

Comments:

Taste:         

This dish is both visually appealing and pleasing to the palate.  The colors are as bright as the flavors.  The creamy coconut milk tempers the curry powder and jalapeno, so the dish is really more mild than spicy.  And I really enjoy the meatiness of the plantains--they're really nice to bite into, which is a sensation that is often missing in many vegan recipes. 

Accessibility: 

Despite the fact that Uganda was the top producer of plantains in 2009 (according to Wikipedia) and I live in the U.S., we had no trouble finding them at the grocery store--along with all of the other ingredients.  Isn't it funny how that works?

 Ease of Preparation:     

This dish depends pretty heavily on having the kitchen tools needed to steam the plantains (or you can always do this).  That said, the actual cooking process is pretty simple.    

Non-vegan friendliness:      

We all enjoyed this dish.  Simon says that the hearty plantains are a welcome addition to the meal. 

Spicy Potato Curry

Tonight I made an old favorite--Spicy Potato Curry.  It was about time we made some more Indian food!
  

Smooth and spicy.

Recipe:
Spicy Potato Curry

• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)
• 1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounces frozen peas
• 1 - 14 ounce can coconut milk

First, cook the potatoes.  Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until tender (about 12 minutes).  Drain.

While the potatoes are cooking, add the oil and garlic to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, stir in the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions become tender.  Stir in the spices, ginger, and salt and cook for 2 more minutes.  Finally, add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes before serving.  

Yields 6 servings.  

Comments:

Taste:     

This is a consistently great curry recipe.  The spiciness blends nicely with the smooth coconut milk to create a deliciously layered flavor.  I really like the way the peas sort of pop when you bite into them, providing a bit of a crunch to every bite.   

Accessibility:        

This recipe includes fairly basic ingredients.  I like to use both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, but you can use just one or the other if you like.  Feel free to add other vegetables, as well. 

Ease of Preparation:   

This dish doesn't take too long to prepare and there isn't too much chopping involved.  Once you get the potatoes going you can chop and prepare the remaining ingredients, so the timing works out well.     

Non-vegan friendliness:   

Rachel described this as an Indian version of chili--mainly because it's so hearty.  This is a very satisfying dish and I'm confident that non-vegans would love it, too.   

Tropical Black Bean Soup

Last night's dinner was not our average one-pot meal.  We made numerous delicious dishes since we had two of my (non-vegan) friends and my (non-vegan) brother with us for dinner.  They brought home-brewed beer and ginger cookies, and we made Tropical Black Bean Soup, Quinoa and Corn Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, and roasted broccoli.  It was quite a spread!  Unfortunately I was too busy eating to take pictures, but I hope the recipes paint a satisfactory picture of our meal.

I'll start with the soup.  I've always been a fan of black bean soup, but this recipe takes things one step further.

Recipe:
Tropical Black Bean Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 2 red bell peppers, finely diced
• 4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 cans lite coconut milk
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• salt to taste

Heat the oil and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and red peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in the beans, bananas, cumin, ginger, and hot sauce; cook until the banana softens, stirring frequently.  Stir in the coconut milk and vegetable broth.  Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. 

Serve hot with fresh bread for dipping and sopping.  Serves 6-8 people.

Comments:
Taste:    

Everyone at dinner liked this soup.  Some people were unable to pick out the taste of the banana, specifically; however, I found it to be a noticeably pleasant, though subtle, addition.  Rachel agreed and enjoyed the soup, even though she had been nervous about the idea of bananas in soup.  She also commented that the soup was much heartier than other soups we've made in the past.  It was filling and went great with the rest of the meal.     

Accessibility:    

None of these ingredients are particularly unusual.  Feel free to use green bell peppers instead of red, as green would be cheaper.        

Ease of Preparation:   

This soup is certainly easy to make.  It takes about an hour to make from start to finish, but it's definitely worth it! 

Non-vegan friendliness:  

This soup was enjoyed by all non-vegans at dinner last night, and I would feel comfortable serving this to any group of people in the future.  It's a substantive soup that stands on its own. 

Almond Joy Cupcakes

Whenever someone finds out that I'm vegan, the conversation frequently includes an exchange that goes something like this:

"Yup, I'm vegan."
"Wow!  I could never be vegan.  I could be vegetarian, but I just couldn't give up [names favorite food item].  Don't you miss it?"

Actually, there are very few non-vegan foods that I miss.  I was never a big steak-eater; I'm completely satisfied with coconut milk-based ice cream instead of cow's milk-based ice cream; I have always enjoyed non-vegan foods such as beans, nuts and vegetables; and so on.  However, even though I don't crave non-vegan foods, I still enjoy many of the flavor combinations that are featured in non-vegan foods.  Hey, just because I don't eat most candy bars doesn't mean I have to give up the combination of coconut, chocolate, and almond!  So, today I made Almond Joy Cupcakes.

Almond Joy Cupcakes: Chocolate-Almond cake with Coconut Icing

Recipe:
Almond Joy Cupcakes


Chocolate-Almond Cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond milk or soymilk 
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder or 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Coconut Icing:

• 2 - 8 ounce packages of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese (or another non-dairy cream cheese)
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring/extract
• 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line cupcake pans with 24 baking cups and set aside.


Next, prepare the cake:  mix together the first six cake ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the soy/almond milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.  In a separated small bowl, dissolve the espresso powder into the boiling water and immediately fold into the batter.  (The batter will be thin.)  Distribute the batter evenly into the baking cups--I started out with about 1/4 cup batter in each cup.  Finally, sprinkle some chocolate chips into each baking cup.  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing.  Beat the non-dairy cream cheese and vegan butter until smooth using an electric mixer.  Then gradually mix in the powdered sugar and beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.  Add the vanilla and coconut flavoring and beat another 30 seconds.  Mix in the coconut by hand.


Top the cooled cupcakes with icing, and feel free to garnish with chocolate chips or almonds.

Comments:

Taste:

These cupcakes are really good, though they aren't an exact replica of an Almond Joy candy bar.  The chocolate almond in the cake goes nicely with the icing, but the additional cream cheese flavor adds a little something extra.  If you don't want the cream cheese flavor and are looking for a more traditional taste, feel free to remove the cream cheese and add more of the butter and powdered sugar. 

Accessibility: 

The low accessibility rating comes from the fact that vegan cream cheese may be hard to find in some locations.

Ease of Preparation: 

This is a pretty standard, simple cupcake recipe. 

Non-vegan friendliness: 

My family liked the cupcakes, but they weren't blown away.  I still have some tweaking to do!

You can also use this recipe to make a cake rather than cupcakes: just increase the baking time and use two 8-inch baking pans.