Mother's Day Brunch

To celebrate Mother's Day we invited 2 other families over for vegan brunch. While I really wished that Isa's new brunch cookbook had come out already, I was able to put together a great spread. The other families contributed a fruit tray and some vegan cinnamon buns (true friends make vegan baked goods for you when they are not vegan themselves). First, I made English muffins from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. They were awesome, and better than the recipe I posted a while ago.

I also made the pancakes and herb roasted potatoes from Vegan With a Vengeance. Joining the spread was Vegan Mom's Scrambled Tofu (we also provided tomato and avocado slices for those who wanted to make an English muffin and tofu sandwich thingy (I refuse to call them McMuffins)).

We washed down the food with orange juice and chai tea (I'm not the biggest coffee drinker), and ended the meal with the Apple Walnut Maple Pudding Cake from La Dolce Vegan (a terrible picture of a fantastic dish). I am still full.

Maple Balsamic BBQ Tofu

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and my thoughts have turned to the BBQ. I usually BBQ right through the winter, but there was no much snow this winter that I just did not feel like shovelling a path out to the grill. But, now that the porch is snow-free, it's time to BBQ again! This is a very simple dish, and the kids just love it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into 8 slices

- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

- 1/3 cup maple syrup

- 2 tbsp water

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Whisk together all ingredients (except tofu, of course) in a bowl. Place tofu in a baking dish and pour half of the marinade over it, turning to coat. Let marinate for 30 mins, if you have the time, turning once.

2. Heat grill to med-hi. Place remaining marinade in a small saucepan and bring to bubbling over medium heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 mins, until reduced and syrupy.

3. While marinade is reducing, grill the tofu, 3-4 mins per side, then rotating 90 degrees and grilling 3-4 per side again. Baste tofu with marinade with each turn.

4. Gently toss tofu in reduced marinade and serve.

Pure Delights Chocolates

You've probably read an article somewhere about the health benefits of chocolate; something about flavonoids or lower cholesterol. Of course, that doesn't mean you can chug back a candy bar and pat yourself on the back. Most of the chocolate products out there today are crammed full of sugar and fat, not to mention milk. Enter Pure Delights chocolates. The proprietor, Chrissy, sent me an email a while ago complimenting me on the blog. A few emails later, I had arranged a trade: my cookbook for some of her handmade chocolates. These are not your average chocolates: organic, fair trade, raw, and vegan. Sweetened with agave, they do not put you in a sugar coma, and the sweetness does not overpower the taste of the chocolate. These are the kind of chocolates that actually do have health benefits. So, if you are in the mood for some chocolate, check out Pure Delights and help support a vegan home business.

Mexican Hotdogs

Sometimes the kids just want a veggie dog and some fries (and sometimes I just don't feel like cooking much else). But, let's face it: veggie dogs really aren't that great. So, I tried to dress mine up a bit to make things more interesting. My deepest apologies to Mexican cuisine.

First, I made the hot dog buns (variation 3) from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. They were totally awesome. Next, I roasted a red pepper and a jalapeno pepper on the grill. I skinned, seeded, and chopped them. The final hot dog had the peppers, chopped tomatoes, onions, and avocado, and some salsa. Not bad for a hot dog.

The other dog you see in the picture has vegenaise, mustard, onions, and sauerkraut. Mmmm.

Ultimate Pecan Sticky Buns

These babies are truly decadent and will surely add inches to your hips, thighs, and buttocks just by looking at them. As you may remember, Vegan Mom and I have been involved in a fight to keep the local school open (it is almost 100 years old and a pillar of the community). That has meant hosting many strategy meetings and providing lots of vegan baking for hungry activists. The great news is that we have prevailed! The school will stay open for now, giving us time to raise money to restore and renovate it to its former glory, and hopefully get it a well-deserved historical landmark designation. We probably owe it all to these buns. The recipe is modified from The New Basics Cookbook--I didn't like their some of their ingredients or method. The combination of the orange and the rum make these truly amazing.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

- 4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour

- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

- 1 cup warm soy milk

- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

- 1/2 cup margarine, melted

- 1/2 cup soy yogurt (or replacement for two eggs)

- 1 tbsp orange zest

- 2 tbsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp salt

Filling

- 3 tbsp light brown sugar

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

- 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

- 1 cup margarine

- 1/4 cup rum

- 1 1/2 cup pecan halves

METHOD

1. Mix 3 cups of the flour and the yeast together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add enough the remaining flour to make a soft (but not sticky) yet firm dough. Knead for 10 mins until smooth.

2. From here, you have two choices: a) place dough in a buttered bowl (turning to coat), cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight (this way you can make them fresh in the morning. Do step three and beyond in the morning as well); or b) place in a buttered bowl (turning to coat), cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

3. Mix together the filling ingredients and set aside.

4. Make the topping. First, butter the sides of an 9 x 13 pan. Put sugar, margarine, and rum in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. The trick here is to melt the sugar and start the caramelization process. I like to bring it almost to bubbling, then remove from heat and pour into prepared pan. Distribute pecan halves evenly in the topping, then place in the fridge to cool.

5. Punch down dough (if you left it in the fridge overnight, you may want to let it warm up for an hour first). Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12 x 18" rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over, then tightly roll up like a jelly roll along the long edge.

6. Slice into twelve 1.5" pieces and place in prepared pan in 4 rows of three. Cover, and let rise for about an hour. Before the hour is up, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Bake for 30 to 35 mins, until nicely browned and topping is bubbling. This is actually a bit tricky. Remember that what you see is actually the bottom of the rolls, and the trick is to make sure that the tops is cooked and the topping has fully caramelized.

8. Let buns cool for 15 mins, then invert on to a large plate. You may want to invert it on to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. That way, if the bottom (now the top) is not done, you can put it back into the oven for 5 mins or so to firm up. Serve.