Sweet Potato Challah

I've been meaning to post this recipe for ages. Sweet potato is my new favourite way to replace eggs in enriched bread dough recipes. It makes the final loaf nice and soft, and adds colour to the dough that     mimics the many egg yolks of non-vegan challah. This is a version of Peter Reinhart's recipe from Artisan Breads Everyday, but I use a blender to incorporate the potato into the liquid ingredients. You can let the dough rise in the fridge, then shape and bake the next day as he calls for, but I usually just do everything in the same day because I don't have the time or the fridge space to follow his method. The recipe produces reliable results every time. Trust me: I make at least two recipes a week so the kids have buns for school lunches.

Makes 2 loaves, or 16 buns

INGREDIENTS
All measurements are weight, not volume

- 17oz warm water

- 2.5 oz oil

- 4 oz cooked sweet potato (see note* way below)

- 3 oz sugar

- 14 g instant yeast

- 19 g salt

- 2 lb 3 oz bread flour

- soy milk for brushing

METHOD

1. Place water, oil, sweet potato, sugar, yeast, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Add liquid to flour in a large bowl and bring into a dough. Knead until smooth. 

3. Shape into a ball and let rise, covered, in a large oiled bowl until doubled in size. 

4. From here, YouTube is your friend. Determine how many braids you want in your loaf (the pic above is a 6 braid) and find a video for how to braid it. Remember that the recipe makes two loaves.

5. Place braided loaves on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (ideally both loaves on one big sheet). Brush with soy milk.

6. Leave to rise, uncovered, in a warm place until almost doubled in size (about 1 hour). Keep brushing with soy milk every 15 mins or so, to keep the dough from drying out and to build up layers of soy milk (this will give the loaf that glossy finish when baked). 

7. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350. 

8. Bake for 20 mins, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15-20 mins, until the loaves are evenly browned and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. A convection oven really helps get an evenly browned loaf. 

A NOTE ON BUNS

This is also my go to recipe for buns--it makes 16 buns that I do as a 4x 4 batch bake on a large sheet pan. Brush them with soy milk like the loaves, but bake at 400 for 15-17 mins, rotating the pan half way through. Or, space them apart, slash the tops before baking, and sprinkle with sesame seeds after the last brushing with soy milk (as pictured below).

Or do hot dog/sausage buns. 

*Note: I prick the skin of a sweet potato a few times with a fork, then cook it in the microwave on the potato setting. It's fast and makes for a sweet potato that is not too wet. 

Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

A new year, the Gregorian calendar tells us.  What will 2014 bring?  For me, it brings a return to blogging.  Inspired by my time at the Atlanta Veg Fest, I am recipe developing and testing once again and posting the results here.  I am still pretty busy in my non-blogging life, but I realized that I really needed the creative outlet that is this blog.  Plus, I met so many great people in Georgia who love what I do, even though I had not been doing it for a while.  So thanks to everyone: the people who email me about the recipes they like, the almost 27,000 likes on Facebook, the amazing people I have met in person during my travels, etc., etc.  Here's to the vegan family in 2014!

This Christmas Santa brought me a Breville FastSlow Cooker--a slow cooker and a pressure cooker all in one.  My mom never was into the whole crock pot thing, so it's not something I am familiar with.  If you are also unfamiliar with the ways of the slow cooker, this recipe will show everything you need to know.  The beauty of slow cooking this soup (besides dinner being ready when you come home from work) is that is makes the chunks of sweet potato tender and delicate without being mushy and breaking apart in the broth.  Delightful.  This soup is reminiscent of Indian dal, and so its warm spices and hearty lentil goodness are perfect for a cold polar vortex kind of day.

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 cups of sliced onions (halve and slice onions, then measure)
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and minced (optional, or more if you want more heat)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 6 cups of peeled sweet potato chunks (large, but still bite-sized)
- 1.5 cups chopped tomato (canned or fresh)
- 1 cup red lentils
- 6 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- 1 tsp salt (or as needed, to taste)
- chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

METHOD
This method is for the Breville FastSlow Cooker.  You may have to adjust for your own appliance.
1. Set the slow cooker to the saute setting.  Sauté onions for 8-10 mins, until deep golden brown.  Add garlic and jalapeno (if using) and sauté for 1 min.
2. Add spices and sauté for 1 min.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Adjust salt as needed (it depends on how salty your broth is).  Put the lid of the slow cooker on and cook for 8 hours.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Top with chopped cilantro if you like it.  Serve.

Indian Potato Salad

I love potatoes and I love potato salad. Usually I go for a more traditional American salad with sweet pickles and plenty of mayo--perfect for summer. I also don't like too many crunchy bits in my salad (ixnae on the elerycae), a rule that I broke for this Indian inspired dish that is awesome warm or cold. This recipe also cuts back on the mayo by thinning it out with soy milk for a moist but not too runny potato salad.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb white potatoes, peeled and halved
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
- 2 tbsp oil
- 15 pearl onion, peeled and halved
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 green chile, seeded and minced (I used jalapeno, the only thing around)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo (or use half yogurt)
- soy milk as needed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- salt pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Get some salted water boiling and cook the potatoes. Since sweet potatoes cook faster than white, ad then in about 10 mins before the white potatoes are done cooking (they take 20-25 mins, usually).
2. While potatoes are cooking, heat oil over med-hi in a large frying pan. Add onions and saute for a few mins, letting the outsides get nice and brown. Keep stirring so they don't burn. Add garlic, ginger, and chile and mix well. Add mustard seeds and cook a few mins more (seeds should begin to pop). Add spices and mix well. Remove from heat.
3. Drain cooked potatoes and let cool until warm but not hot. Cut into cubes. Mix mayo into the onion mixture, then toss with the potatoes. Thin as needed with soy milk so potatoes are coated. Mix in cilantro, and season to taste.

Easy Green Curry

I love green curry, but I find I rarely make it and gravitate more to a sweet and sour red curry. This dish came together quite quickly from the veggies still kicking around in the fridge at the end of the shopping week. As you can see from the pic, this is a drier curry, but you could add more coconut milk to make it more saucy to be served over rice. I really like the black beans with the broccoli--an unexpected and tasty combination.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp, oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- green curry paste, to taste
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, or more as desired
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Saute shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few mins, until fragrant and lightly browned. Add sweet potato and fry for 5 mins.
2. Add broccoli and cook for about 15 mins, adding splashed of water as needed to help stem/cook the veggies and keep them from sticking to the pan.
3. Add curry paste, along with 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Add soy sauce and beans and cook for about 5 mins, making sure the veggies are now fully cooked.
4. Add coconut milk, season to taste, and serve.

Leek, Onion and Potato Soup

I really need to think up more clever names for my dishes. This soup starts with inspiration from French Onion Soup but ends with delicious chunks of sweet potato and white kidney beans. You will notice that this recipe calls for a lot of leeks--that is because I had a bunch of them in the fridge that needed to be used up before they went bad. Feel free to cut down on the leeks by adding more onions. To my utter amazement, the kids bolted the soup right down and gave it two thumbs up.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 6
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 2 large sweet onions, halved and sliced
- 6 leeks, white and light greens part, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups red wine
- 5 cups water or veggie stock
- 2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp mushroom soy sauce (or regular)
- salt and pepper to taste (heavy on the pepper)
- 3 large red potatoes, peeled, small dice
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, small dice
- 1 19 0z can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

METHOD
1. Heat oil and margarine in a large pot over medium heat. Add in onions and and saute for a few mins until they begin to soften. Then add in leeks and garlic and mix well. Once things are sizzling along, reduce heat to med-lo and cook, uncovered, for 45-60 mins, until onions and leeks become a nice golden brown. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.
2. Add wine to the pot and stir to deglaze. Add in water, spices, soy sauce, potatoes and beans. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30-45 mins, until potatoes are soft but not mushy. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Ethiopian Sweet Potato Stew

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to make more Ethiopian food, so when my in-laws were here for a visit I whipped up a small feast of 3 dishes that I will post over the next few days. My father in law must eat a very low salt diet so well-spiced food is always a great way to go. This dish is so flavourful that I didn't miss the salt, but feel free to season to your taste. An essential element to any Ethiopian meal is some good injera bread. The recipes I see online require a 3 day fermentation period, so I go with Jennifer's recipe in Vegan Lunch Box. It is quick, easy, and has great taste even with the much decreased fermentation time. We all love abandoning our forks and scooping up our food with chunks of spongy, soft injera.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2" piece ginger, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced (around 3-4 cups)
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 1/2 cups water (more as needed)
- 1 large tomato, small dice
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (more as needed)
- 2 cups chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger for 10 mins, until onion is a nice golden colour. Add sweet potatoes and red pepper and saute for 1 min.
2. Add spices and fry for 1 min. Don't worry about things sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add water to deglaze the pan, then add tomato, lentils, tomato paste, and beans. Mix well.
3. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins, until lentils and potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally. It is even better of you can let it cook on a low heat for an hour or two. Add more water if stew gets too thick.
4. Stir in parsley and season to taste. Adjust thickness of stew with more water or tomato paste--remember that you want to be able to scoop this up with injera.

Sweet Potatao and Kale Quesedillas

The other night we went to a pasta dinner at the boys' school--a way to meet with other parents and build school spirit. We had a great time, but between chatting and trying to shove pasta into the mouths of kids, Vegan Mom and I really didn't eat a lot. We were both feeling pretty peckish later that evening so I whipped up these fantastic quesedillas (he said, tooting his own horn).

INGREDIENTS

Makes 6-8

- 1 large sweet potato, diced

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced

- 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn

- 1 clove of garlic, chopped

- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

- few dashes hot sauce

- 1/4 cup salsa

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- salt and pepper to tatse

- 2 kale leaves, stalks removed, chopped

- 6-8 small wheat tortillas

- margarine

METHOD

1. Place chopped sweet potato in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 mins, until potatoes are tender.

2. While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 5-7 mins, until starting to nicely brown. Add corn and cook for another 5 mins, until corn begins to brown.

3. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for 2 mins. Add beans and hot sauce and mix well. Add salsa and spices, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Drain potatoes and roughly mash. Add to pan along with the chopped kale. Cook for a few mins, until kale is softened and a a nice brilliant green. Add more salsa if mixture is too dry. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat. Heat a different fryin pan over medium heat.

5. Spread a thin layer of margarine on one side of a tortilla (not necessary if you are using a cast iron pan). Spread a layer on half of the un-margarined side of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half, then fry for a few mins per side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and slice in 3 triangles.

Tofu and Sweet Potatoes over Cajun Quinoa

When the weather outside is frightful you have to turn to food to warm up. This dish makes use of Cajun flavours to transport you to the Bajou in the middle of the winter weather. You can serve this over rice, but I went with quinoa if only because it's fun to say "Cajun quinoa." To make it I cooked 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. When done, I added 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsely and a few dashes of hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups diced sweet potato
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, diced
- 1/3 cup of water, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- cayenne pepper to taste
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 can coconut milk

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, green pepper, and bay leaves for 5-7 mins, until onion is soft and translucent. Add potatoes and fry for 2 mins. Add tofu, water, and spices. Cook uncovered for about 10 mins, until potatoes are beginning to soften. Add a few splashes of water to keep everything from sticking.
2. Add coconut milk to the pan and bring to bubbling. Simmer for 10 more mins, until veggies are cooked through. Season to taste and serve.

Here is the view out the back door these days.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Muffins

You may have noticed a that my mom posted a message a few days ago asking for a carrot or zucchini muffin recipe. Well, here you go, Mom.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 large muffins

- 1/2 cup raisins

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp ginger

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp allspice

- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup wheat bran

- 1/4 cup oat bran

- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

- 1/3 cup canola oil (or applesauce)

- 1 1/2 cup soy milk

- 1 1/2 cup cup finely grated carrot

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Soak raisins in hot water.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, sugar, spices, salt, and bran in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together sweet potato, oil, and soy milk until well-blended. Mix in grated carrot.

3. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just moist (over mixing makes for tough muffins). Batter will be thick. Divide batter into muffin tins and bake for 20-24 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Seitan over Maple Squash and Sweet Potato

Have you ever looked in the fridge and wondered what in the world you were going to make for dinner? Especially on the day before shopping day? Sometimes the results can be surprising. This dish was wonderful and was perfect for a cool Canadian autumn day.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 4 large pieces chicken-style seitan, or tofu

- 1/4 cup flour

- 2 tsp poultry spice

- 1/4 cup margarine

- 1 onion, halved and sliced

- 1 celery stalk, sliced

- 1/2 butternut squash, diced

- 2 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced

- 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken-style broth

- 1/3 cup maple syrup

- 1 tsp ground thyme, or to taste

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat margarine in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Mix flour and poultry spice together and dredge seitan or tofu in the flour mixture. Fry for 3-4 mins per side, until golden. Remove from pan.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and celery to the pan, and add a little more margarine if needed. Saute for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent. Add squash and potatoes to pan and cook until both begin to colour deepens.

3. Add broth, maple syrup and thyme to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to bubbling. Place seitan on top of potatoes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 mins, basting seitan with the liquid, until potatoes and squash are cooked. Add more liquid if needed.

4. Serve seitan over a bed of potatoes.

Albondigas

Tempeh meatballs in a spicy and sweet tomato sauce, served with homemade tortillas to mop up the extra sauce. Need I say more? All three boys bolted these down like it was their last meal. Son #2 ate six meatballs and two tortillas, so the recipe definitely gets the thumbs up!

INGREDIENTS

- 1 recipe of perfect tempeh burger, shaped into meatballs (with 1/2 tsp each cumin and cinnamon added to the spice mix)

- 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

- 2 tbsp oil

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juices

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 - 2 tbsp chili powder

- 1 tbsp paprika

- 1 tsp coriander

- 1 tsp parsley

- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

- juice of 1/2 lime

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large deep sided frying pan over medium heat. Cook meatballs for 10 mins, turning regularly, until all sides are nicely browned. Remove from pan.

2. Add potatoes to pan and fry for 5-7 mins, until softened and slightly browned. Remove from pan.

3. While potatoes are cooking, put the remaining ingredients (sugar to salt and pepper) into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add to pan and bring to bubbling. Cook for a few mins, then add meatballs and potatoes into the sauce. Cover and simmer while you make tortillas (15-20 mins). If sauce is too thin for your liking, simmer with the lid off for 5-10 mins. Serve with tortillas.

Sweet Potato and Cashew Curry

I love cooking a dish with beautiful complimentary colours, like this one. There is something so satisfying about preparing a meal with yellows, oranges, reds and greens--makes you just stand back from the wok and admire the food like a work of art. Or, do I just need to get out of the house more?

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

- 1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer husk removed, finely minced

- 1 cup raw cashews

- 1 tsp Thai Kitchen yellow curry paste (or to taste)

- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into small chunks

- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes (with juice)

- 2 cups water

- 1 cup frozen corn

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- peel and juice of one lime

- 1 tbsp tomato paste, or 2 tbsp ketchup

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 2 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce

- brown sugar to taste

- 4 green onions, thinly sliced

- Thai basil to garnish (if you have it, which I don't)

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir fry onion for 3-4 mins, until translucent. Add lemon grass and fry 1 min. Add cashews and fry until golden.

2. Stir in curry paste and mix to coat onions and nuts. Add the potatoes and fry 1 min. Add tomatoes and water and bring to bubbling. Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for about 15 mins, until potatoes are soft but not mushy. Add more water if needed.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients except green onions and basil and simmer for 5 mins, until heated though. Adjust seasonings to taste (Thai food is a balance of sweet, salty, hot, and sour, so adjust to your own liking).

4. Stir green onions through right before serving, and garnish with basil. Serve over rice, or by itself.

Potato Cauliflower Mash

OK, I admit that the picture for this is pretty weird (and so is the name), but it is really tasty. Let's face it: potatoes and cauliflower are friends. Combine these two with onions and garlic and you have a delicious combination that comforts you from head to toe. Not only that, the boys love it.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

- 1 large onion, diced

- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

- 2 cloves garlic

- dollop of margarine

- salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Place potatoes, onion, cauliflower, and garlic in a large pot and fill with enough water to almost cover the veggies. Bring to boiling and simmer for 20 mins, until all veggies are soft. Drain well.

2. Mash veggies well with margarine and salt. I use a electric beater to really blend it all well. Serve.

Sweet Potato Quesedillas

These are inspired by the Sleepless Goat Cafe in Kingston, a very cool vegan-friendly place we used to frequent when we went to Queen's (ah, sweet, sweet nostalgia). They are incredibly tasty with a crispy tortilla outside and a sweet cinnamony inside.

INGREDIENTS

- large wheat tortillas

- 1 onion, diced

- 4 tbsp oil

- 2 medium sweet potatoes

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp cumin

- 4 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tsp salt

- margarine

METHOD:

1. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave until soft. Cooking time will vary depending on your microwave and the size of the potatoes. When potatoes are done, scoop flesh out of skins and mash.

2. Heat oil on med-hi in a frying pan. Fry onions until golden brown.

3. Add potatoes, cinnamon, cumin, sugar, and salt. Mix well and remove from heat.

4. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Spread a thin layer of margarine on one side of a tortilla. Flip over. Spread a thick layer of the potato mixture of half of the tortilla. Fold over. Cook in cast iron pan on both sides until golden brown. Cut into three pieces. Serve.

Dip the quesedillas in vegan sour cream, if you want. We didn't have any on hand.