Fig Maple Walnut Scones, Banana Coconut Pepita Muffins, Mushroom and Seitan Stroganoff, Raw Chococlate Coconut Munchkins (This title is too long)

O.K. This is quite a lengthy post so I will not bother giving much of an introduction. Basically, I have been cooking and taking some pictures but not posting. However, now that I am done with spring break and back into the daily grind, I am motivated to post some recipes. So without further adieu I give you several delicious recipes.

Fig Maple Walnut Scones

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 Cup Earth Balance Margarine

5 Tbs Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup Soymilk

2 Tbs Lemon Juice

10 Reconstituted Dried Figs

1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together (syrup, soymilk and lemon juice). Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand as if you were making biscuits. ( You can do this in the food processor).

Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Add chopped figs and crushed walnuts in now too. Since this dough will be somewhat wet, I just made drop scones which created a slightly more moist scone than traditional. If you like drier scones add more flour, roll out the dough, and cut into biscuits. Either way, bake for about 20 mins or longer if scones are large, like mine.

Banana Coconut Pepita Muffins

4-5 Ripe bananas
1/2 Cup soymilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 Cup EB, melted
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Brown Rice syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp warm water)

2 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1/2 to 1 Cup each coconut and pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk/fork.

Mix soymilk and vinegar together in a cup.

In another bowl smash your bananas with a fork until mostly mashed, add all the rest of the wet ingredients (soybuttermilk, melted EB, syrups, vanilla and prepared “egg”). Whisk well to incorporate.

Mix the wet into the dry. Try to incorporate all ingredients in as few mixes as possible.

Scoop into oiled muffin tray and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Mushroom and Seitan Stroganoff

1 lb linguine or any pasta

3 1/2 cups seitan, sliced in thin wide strips

2 tablespoons +1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, quartered and sliced in half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups oysters, thinly sliced
1 cup burgundy cooking wine
2 tablespoons dried thyme, chopped up
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons salt and pepper
2 tbsp pasta water
2 good spoonfuls nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
Fresh parsley and dill

Get your pasta water going.

Heat a large pan with some olive oil, just to coat it. Add the seitan and saute over medium heat about 1o minutes, until it is dark brown and crispy on the outside. Transfer to plate. Repeat with mushrooms except season with salt and pepper.
Heat some more olive oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add the shallots and onions, saute for 5 minutes. Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour over the onions. Add garlic and thyme. Saute for 5 more minutes minutes. Now add salt, pepper, wine and paprika. Turn heat up high to reduce the liquid, about 10 minutes.

Lower heat to med-high, add pasta water, stir well and let sauce thicken, about 5 minutes. Add nutritional yeast and mix well until it is dissolved. Add sour cream and mustard and bring heat down to low, be very careful not to let it boil now because it can make the sour cream and mustard bitter. Add half of seitan and pasta and cook for about 2 minutes. stir in fresh herbs off heat and then you can plate it up. Top this with some more seitan and the crispy mushrooms. Enjoy.


Raw Chocolate Coconut Munchkins

1 cup soaked almonds ( soak in water for 2 hours)
1.5 cup dates
5 tbsp raw cocoa powder ( or regular if you don't mind)
2 tbsp water as needed to blend
1 cup coconut flakes for rolling

Process all ingredients except coconut. Roll into little munchkins and then coat in the coconut. Amazing and simple.



Phewww!