Red Velvet Oreo Brownies

I love Valentine’s Day!  Mostly because I love chocolate, but also because I love just about anything sweet.  So this year I wanted to try to make something that was off the charts in terms of gooey sweetness.  I searched the internet for inspiration and found a recipe that looked incredible, and, like most delicious recipes, was very easy to veganize!  (shout out to Courtney at http://www.pizzazzerie.com who created this decadent goodie).  I do have to say that even though Valentines Day is about hearts, this recipe is not so good for the heart.  It uses processed cake and pudding mixes, which I normally stay away from, but hey – February 14th comes once a year!  It’s definitely a splurge dessert, but that said, it does get high marks for being cruelty-free, which takes lots of heart!!  Happy Valentines Day and love all living things every day!

Red Velvet Oreo Brownies

Red Velvet Oreo Brownies

  • 1 Duncan Hines box Red Velvet cake mix
  • 1/2 c melted “butter” – I use earth balance spread
  • 2 T ground flax seed mixed with 5 T water
  • 1 pkg jello french vanilla instant pudding
  • 6 T canola oil
  • 1 package oreos, crushed
  • 8 oz non-dairy cream cheese
  • 12 oz chocolate chips, melted
  • a few handfuls of mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, flax mix, pudding and oil.  Coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.  Pour the batter in the pan.  It is pretty thick, so just use your hands to spread out.  Bake 30 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the oreo crumbs and the cream cheese.

Once the cake has cooled a bit, spread the oreo mix on top.  Do so by gently pushing down so it doesn’t tear the cake.

Pour melted chocolate over the oreo topping and lastly, press the mini chips on top while still warm.

Let cool.

Cut into 24 squares.

Tempeh Marsala

Tempeh Marsala

Tempeh Marsala

I love to cook and don’t mind spending the time it usually takes to make delicious, healthy and cruelty-free meals for family.  However, there are times when I need to make something quickly, yet I don’t want to sacrifice flavor or nutrition.  So last night, one of those nights when I had too many things I needed to do, and not enough time to do them, I gathered a few ingredients together and made this dish in about half an hour.  It was really great and certainly didn’t taste like I took any shortcuts at all!  The simplicity of this recipe allows for the taste of the tempeh, mushrooms and marsala to come shining through, and I was able to feed my family and get out of the kitchen in no time at all!  I know a lot of recipes call for steaming the tempeh first, to get rid of any bitterness, but there really is no bitterness in this recipe at all – I promise!!  Slicing the tempeh in half to thin it really allowed it to soak up all the yummy flavors and even my kids, who are most definitely not huge fans of mushrooms, went back for seconds!  To me, that is a successful meal!!  

  • 3 (8 oz) packages tempeh
  • 3 T “butter” (I use earth balance)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 lb chopped button mushrooms
  • 1 c marsala wine, divided
  • 1 T arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 T chopped parsley

Cut each block of tempeh in half widthwise, so that it is half as thick.  Then cut each of the 6 tempeh pieces into about 6 triangles (36  triangles total).

Cooking Tempeh Marsala

Cooking Tempeh Marsala

Melt 2 T of the “butter” in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Place half of the tempeh triangles on top of the shallots and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove that batch of tempeh, melt the remaining 1 T “butter, and cook the remaining tempeh triangles.  Remove this second batch of tempeh from the pan.  Add the olive oil and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Pour 3/4 c of marsala into the pan and turn up to medium high heat.  Once it is bubbling, cook for 5 minutes more to burn out the alcohol.

In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot powder with the remaining 1/4 c marsala and add to the pan.  Cook for a few minutes to thicken.  Add the tempeh back in and stir to distribute the sauce over all the triangles.  Garnish with parsley.

Serves 6

Chocolate Lime Meltaways

“Do I get a cookie?”

As the weather gets colder, I get baking.  There is something so comforting about the smell of yummy cookies in the oven, especially when they are chocolate!  I wanted to make something interesting – a change from the usual chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin.  Once I made this cookie, and it turned out to be the most decadent and delicious chocolate cookie I have ever made, I knew just what it needed.  A tangy lime frosting was the perfect addition to the rich chocolate taste.  And the texture came out so amazing – they really do melt-away in your mouth.  They were especially good dipped in a glass of 7-grain milk – so good in fact that my dog could barely resist.  And, if you don’t have limes or the time or desire to frost them, they are incredible without the frosting too!

Chocolate Lime Meltaways – makes 40

  • 3 c flour
  • 2/3 c cocoa powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 c earth balance spread, softened
  • 2 fleggs (2 T ground flax mixed with 5 T warm water)
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Frosting

  • 2-3 T lime juice
  • 1 1/4 c powdered sugar
  • lime zest for garnish

Combine and add water by 1/4 t at a time to get right consistency.

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, beat sugars and earth balance spread on medium high speed.  Add fleggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.  Add flour mix and chocolate chips and beat on low until all combined.  Batter will be crumbly.  Form into 2” round balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes.  After three minutes, press down on each cookie with the bottom of a glass to flatten a bit.  Once cookies are cool, frost and garnish with zest.

Popcorn Fudge

This recipe combines two of my absolute favorite things – popcorn and chocolate fudge.  When I think of these delicious snacks and especially when I combine them together, I think, while smiling, that vegans really don’t miss out on all that much!  As for the first part of the recipe – the popcorn – I have to give you the most amazing recipe for incredibly perfect popcorn that is so simple it will blow your mind.  Never again will you buy microwave popcorn (certainly don’t need those carcinogens) or buy a bag at the store.  I can’t believe I didn’t know about this method years ago.  For those of you who know about it – I am impressed.  For most of you who probably do not – please read on and try it immediately.  You will not believe that something so wholesome, so good and so easy has been kept secret for so long – I promise!

As for the fudge, well, that was simple too.  While most fudge recipes require condensed milk, it is certainly not a necessary ingredient.  The fudge in this recipe is, just like the popcorn, easy and delicious.  If you don’t want to use popcorn, top it with shredded coconut, or perhaps crushed peanuts, or maybe even vegan marshmallows.  The sky’s the limit.

So here goes – two for the price of one.  I hope you enjoy both, either individually or together!

Perfect Popcorn

  • 1/3 c organic popcorn (I love arrowhead mills)
  • brown paper lunch bag
  • 1 T melted earth balance and 1/4 t sea salt
  • if making the popcorn and not putting it in the fudge, try other toppings like garlic powder, nutritional yeast, truffle oil, vegan parmesan cheese and anything else you can think of.

Place the kernels in the bag and fold the top edge over a few times to seal.  Place in the microwave folded side down and cook 1 minute 45 seconds.  Add toppings and enjoy!

Popcorn Fudge

Chocolate Popcorn Fudge

  • 2 c popcorn – see above
  • 1 c vegan chocolate chips
  • 3 1/2 c confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 c cocoa powder
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 2 T earth balance spread
  • 1/2 c coconut milk (not light)
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1/4 t sea salt

In a medium size bowl, combine the chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa and 1/4 t salt.

In a small saucepan, melt the earth balance over medium heat.  Add the coconut milk and cook until just starts to bubble.

Pour over the chocolate chip mixture.  Let sit for a minute, then stir until all melted and well combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Fold in popcorn and quickly pour into a lightly greased 8×8” pan.  Smooth out the top with a spatula.  Sprinkle the sea salt on top and press a few pieces of popcorn on top if desired.

Cool in fridge for half an hour before serving.  Cut into 32 small squares.

“Meat” Puffs a la Syl

“Meat” Puffs fresh out of the oven

I love being vegan.  I love the food, and honestly, there are not too many things that I miss from my pre-vegan days.  If I were to list the few things that I do miss, they would all come from my childhood memories – delicious things that my mother made that were most definitely not vegan.  I have tried over the past few years to recreate these recipes.  Some are just not happening – like her delicious clam dip.  Big sigh!  But that’s okay, because I am having lots of success with other ones.  For example, this recipe for “meat” puffs.  I would make the original ones with my mom every year for Thanksgiving.  We would make a huge amount, she would leave them on a hot tray, and we would devour them all day long.  Yummm.  They were so great!  I must admit that I had forgotten about these puffs until very recently when I was perusing my mother’s recipe box, wondering what else I could veganize.  I have to say they came out perfectly, and, even if my memory is not serving me well and they are different from the original, these are awesome in their own right.  Maybe one day I’ll get that vegan clam dip…

“Meat” Puffs a la Syl

  • I large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T evoo
  • 2 – 8 oz cans water chestnuts, diced
  • 1 not-beef bouillon cube (I love Edward & Sons)
  • 3 T vegetable broth
  • 2 pkgs boca crumbles
  • 1 pkg puff frozen puff pastry

Defrost puff pastry at room temperature for 40 minutes.

Preheat to 350.

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium high heat until translucent.  Add water chestnuts and frozen crumbles and cook a few minutes more.  Meanwhile, place the bouillon cube and broth in a small, glass bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir well.  Add the broth mix to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes more.
Once the pastry is defrosted, roll out to thin a bit.  Then cut into 2-3 inch squares.  Place 1 T filling in the center of each square and fold the corners in to create a square puff shape.  Place seam side down on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Makes about 20 puffs.