I found Gluten Freedom

Well I finally did it, and it really was no easy feat, what with having no car in SF and needing a handful of random ingredients.

I convinced my friend from out of town to drive me to Rainbow Grocery by talking up what a totally awesome meat-free co-op it is. She even shopped with me and hung around while I searched their extensive bulk food section for the five different flours I needed to bake the "vanilla" cupcakes (they tasted a bit like corn cakes, but with enough frosting the cake flavor was harder to pin down.) Dear Ashley did at least walk out with some type of vegan breakfast burrito. Laiden with a very heavy bag of groceries she even drove me back to my place before taking off on her journey back home.

Then began the real adventure- baking gluten-free, which is actually a breeze once you have all of the ingredients gathered and have an awesome recipe (courtesy of Isa and Terry). Exciting things are happening in the world of gluten-free baking. This time a year ago, it was near impossible to find a decent gluten-free baked good. But now bakers are beginning to figure out which alternative flours (like quinoa, almond, rice, etc.) bake well together to create great flavor and texture.

ground flax seeds are used to replace egg in many recipes

Later I added more frosting...

Check out this recent article from the NY Times about gluten-free baking and a link to recipes.

Vegan Raspberry Chip Cookies

They taste just like regular cookies!

These are an amazing alternative to chocolate chip cookies. This recipe was so good that I am going to experiment with other types of cookies with this recipe as the base (like oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, etc.)

oops, I ate one

Vegan Raspberry Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, plain soy milk
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups chocolate chip
• 3/4 cups raspberry "tidbits" (or any flavor chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc. you like) 

The only thing that isn't great about this recipe is the dough- it's oily and strange, I recommend waiting until they're baked ;)

Super Vegan Pancakes

Dear Gina, I turned your pancakes vegan, I hope you're OK with that...

If this makes you uncomfortable, please find comfort in knowing that they rocked- wish you where here to eat them with me!

Vegan Pancakes

(with banana, wheat germ & ground flax seed)

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• 1 tbsp flax seed meal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened, plain soy milk
• 3 tbsp melted margarine (earth balance)
• 1-2 very ripe bananas, thinly sliced into disks

Mix everything except for the banana slices together. Once well-mixed, stir in the banana. Scoop the batter onto a hot, margarined pan/skillet.

If you want thinner pancakes, add more soy milk and maybe a tbsp of canola oil.

Vegan Cherry Bourbon Brownie Cupcakes

Last weekend I made vegan brownies, or what I thought where going to be vegan brownies. It turned out to be more like a loaf of chocolate bread. ... Pretty disappointing.

A week later, after gathering all of the ingredients I was finally ready to make Isa and Terry's Brooklyn Brownie cupcakes, hoping to get my vegan brownie.  But first I had to pick up black cherry preserves, whiskey (a bit unusual I was out of this one) and soy yogurt (harder to find in my area of SF then I thought).

I wish you could smell this! (Melted Ghirardelli chocolate, cherry bourbon wet ingredients and chocolatey dry ingredients)

The batter tasted kind of like whiskey :)

The cupcakes were moist and sweet and the hints of cherry and whiskey were a flavorful surprise nestled in the middle of the cupcake. But still not at resembling the amazing cakey/fudgy texture of my uber chocolatey brownies. The next challenge is to take my recipe and turn it vegan while trying to keep the brownie's texture- Can it be done?!

Vegan Banana Bread

I just turned my mom's banana bread recipe vegan! It didn't rise as much as the regular recipe but the flavor and texture are on point.

iPhone 3G :/

Vegan Banana Bread

 
Preheat oven to 350. Margarine and flour a 9 x 5 x 3 inch pan.

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 salt

1/4 cup margarine (earth balance is good)
1/2 cup sugar

3 very ripe bananas, pureed
8 tsp unsweetened, plain soy milk

Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt.

Cream the margarine and gradually add the sugar. Add the bananas and blend thouroughly.

Slowely and alternetly fold in the flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. Pour into pan and bake for about an hour until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.