Ultimate Almond Peach Shortcake

Here is what Vegan Mom and I indulged in on Valentine's Day. We've never been big Valentine's Day people, and with 3 kids, celebrating now means trying to stay up past 10:30. Ha! On the 14th we enjoyed a nice pasta dish (I will post that next), and then bolted these down while taking in a class piece of cinematic comedy: Dragnet.

INGREDIENTS

Shortcakes

Makes 6

- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp cold Earth Balance margarine

- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- generous 3/4 cup soy creamer (or soy milk)

- 1 tsp almond extract

METHOD
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold margarine (or use your fingers) until it resembled coarse bread crumbs. Mix in almonds, soy creamer, and extract with a wooden spoon. Add a splash more creamer if dough is too stiff.
2. Spread batter into an extra large non-stick muffin tin (or, grease and flour a pan if you don't have a non-stick one) with a silicone spatula. You should have 6.
3. Bake for 15-17 mins, until lightly brown on top. Let cool for a 5 mins, then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Filling

- 2 cups chopped frozen peaches

- 1/3 cup sugar

- 2 tbsp amaretto

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- 1 1/2 tbsp soy creamer

Vegan Whipped Cream

- make this recipe

METHOD

1. Heat peaches and sugar in a pot over med-hi heat. When bubbling, add amaretto, reduce heat to medium, and let bubble away for a few mins. Add cinnamon. Dissolve cornstarch into creamer and add to peaches. Bring back to bubbling and stir for one min, allowing to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool in the fridge.

To Assemble the Shortcakes:

Cut shortcakes in half. Spread some whipped cream on the bottom half, and then some peach filling. Place the top of the shortcake on, then top with more filling and a dollop of cream.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera sounds soooo much better than what this actually is: Clean out the Fridge Pasta. I used to hate pasta primavera because back when I was a vegetarian it seemed to be the only thing available when I went out to eat (kind of like the way I feel about salad and grilled veggies now that I am a vegan). Hmm. That tells you how long ago I was a vegetarian; I actually had the time and money to out to a restaurant. Anyway, despite Son #1's protests about the presence of mushrooms, this dish went over very well. It's not overly saucy, so increase the flour and soy milk if you want more.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

- 300g capellini, cooked

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced

- 1 large carrot, cut into thin sticks

- 8oz sliced mushrooms

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

- generous tbsp of flour

- 1 1/2 to 2 cups soy milk

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 3 mins, until beginning to soften. Add red pepper and carrot and saute for 5 -7 mins, until carrots are starting to get tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms have released their water.

2. Add peas and heat through. Sprinkle flour over veggies and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of soy milk and nutritional yeast and bring to bubbling. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Drain pasta and return to the pot over medium heat. Pour sauce over top and mix well. Add more soy milk if pasta is too dry.

Creamy Cajun Rice

Here is the second dish we had on Cajun night along with the chickpea cakes (I made a few adjustments to the recipe after reading some of the comments). I guess this is something like a gumbo. It's easy to make and is very tasty. You can adjust the spices to your liking if you are not making it for a bunch of kids.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 2 tbsp margarine

- 2 tbsp flour

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 green pepper, seeded and diced

- 2 celery stalks, diced

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp paprika

- cayenne pepper to taste

- 3 cups of water

- 1 cup long grain rice (I used basmati)

- salt and pepper to taste

- 2 cups chopped seitan (optional)

- 1 cup soy milk (plus more, if needed)

- 2 green onions, thinly sliced

- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

METHOD

1. Heat oil and margarine in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for a minute or so, until flour becomes a nice golden brown and has a nutty smell.

2. Add onion, green pepper, celery, and bay leaf and fry, stirring regularly, until softened (about 5 mins). Add spices and fry for another minute. Add water and rice and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until rice is cooked (about 15 mins). Stir regularly to keep rice from sticking.

4. Add seitan, if using, and soy milk. Cook until liquid thickens a bit.

5. Stir in greens onion and chopped parsley. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve.

Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes

This really isn't an attempt to make some kind of vegan crab cake. I thought some Cajun food would hit the spot, but I was also in the mood for some chickpeas (weird craving). I kept these mild for the kiddies, so you can spice them up as you see fit.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1/4 cup diced onion

- 1/4 cup diced green pepper

- 1 celery stalk, diced

- 1 28 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp paprika

- pinch of cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp hot sauce

- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

- 2 tbsp flour

- 1 tbsp cornstarch

- salt and pepper to taste

- oil for frying

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper, and celery for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 12 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

Pasta Carbonara

Someone suggested making pasta carbonara when I posted the tofu pancetta recipe. Great idea. It is simple and tasty and perfect for a busy week night.

INGREDENTS

- 1 recipe tofu pancetta, cut into small pieces

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 300 g pasta, cooked

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 1/2 cup coconut cream (place a can of coconut milk in the fridge. When cold, open and skim the cream off the top)

- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder

- 1/2 cup soy creamer (more as needed)

- salt and pepper to taste

- chopped fresh parsley to garnish

METHOD

1. Make pancetta while pasta is cooking. In the final minute of frying the tofu, add the garlic and fry. Remove from heat. Dissolve arrowroot into creamer and set aside.

2. Drain pasta and return to the pot over medium heat. Add tofu pancetta and nutritional yeast and mix well. Add coconut cream and creamer/arrowroot mixture. Stir constantly. As it heats up, the liquid will thicken. Add a bit more creamer if needed.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper (keeping in mind that the tofu is salty). Garnish and serve.