Chocolate Cake & Raspberry Waffles May 28, 2010

Hmmm, what to make for waffles this week.  How about chocolate and raspberries? OK!  Rather than making my own recipe this time, I purchased Pamela’s Cake mix:

Description:

Our new divine mix makes two luscious layers of deep, dark, rich cake. Pamela’s Luscious Chocolate Cake will transport you to chocolate heaven.

INGREDIENTS: Organic Natural Evaporated Cane Sugar, Brown Rice Flour, Organic Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), White Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Chicory Root, Sweet Rice Flour, Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch), Sea Salt, Gluten-free Natural Flavor (contains corn derivative), Xanthan Gum.

Make a waffle.

Process fresh raspberries with a bit of agave nectar…num.

This bag of mix made a bazillion waffles (ok, 5 Belgium size), so it looks like my friends, colleagues (same thing) and husband-band-mates are in store for some more waffles…prepare.

Note:  Kept waiting for the sugar high but was just left with a pleasant slothiness.

Note 2: Now… pair a wine with this

Next time: my own special mix, sans sugar (sub agave nectar) now that I know I can make cake waffles!  Maybe some chipotle?  OoOOOO.  Also, I think the raspberry purse by Fulvio Bonavia below would be appropriate to wear while eating these…or is that too much raspberry?

Squash, Spinach & Soyrizo Lasagna May 22, 2010

I received a great lasagna recipe from my friend Sheila and have meant to try it for some time.  Seeing as how the weather here in Portland right now is rather chilly, I decided that lasagna was in order (somehow that just pairs).

I have made a several modifications to her original recipe, making it completely vegan for zeh husband and also modifying it so I don’t have to use the stove much.  I have realized, since starting this blog, that I am an oven girl.  I avoid using the stove as much as possible, unless it’s to boil water/steam things.  Hmm.  I am not sure why.

So here it is:

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt

1 small lime, juiced

1 roasted bulb of garlic

5 chopped green onions

1/4 cups nutritional yeast

1-2 Tbl. fresh rosemary

1 pkg Trader Joe’s soyrizo, relieved of it’s casing

1/2 bottle Amy’s Marinara Sauce

1 small steamed acorn squash

3 cups fresh & raw spinach

lasagna noodles (Tinkyada brown rice noodles, wheat and gluten-free and has a great texture)

(for me) rosemary asiago

(for him) Vegan Gourmet mozzarella

Panko

Zinfandel

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F

• Open Zinfandel and pour yourself a glass.

• Make vegan ricotta by combining crumbled tofu, soy yogurt, lime juice, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast and rosemary, and let sit for 1 hour in refrigerator.

• Peel squash and cut into 1/4 inch chunks.  Steam until just soft.

• Combine soyrizo and marinara sauce in separate bowl.

• Boil noodles (or use no-boil)

• Layer: ricotta, noodles, soyrizo mixture, vegetables, repeat.  Top with panko. Bake until panko is browned.

As with most things like this, the second day is even better.  I think next time I will prep the lasagna and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Note: This was a hit!  The sweetness of the squash contrasted so well with the spiciness of the soyrizo, and the textures were just wonderful.  The rosemary in the asiago, as well as the ricotta was fantastic.  I will definitely be making this again!

Eggs Florentine on Savory Waffles May 16, 2010

I found a recipe from Williams-Sonoma for Eggs Benedict on Savory Waffles and HAD to try it, but I will not be having ham today. I finally have most of my appetite back from yesterday’s cured meat exploration, which just didn’t sit right in my poor lil tummy. Might have to rethink that project.  So, in light of this, I will make Eggs Florentine instead.

Recipe via Williams-Sonoma Kitchen but with my modifications:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Beth’s gluten-free all-purpose flour (by Gluten-Free Pantry)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 Tbs. agave nectar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs. melted Earth Balance butter
• 1 cups unsweetened soy-milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Mahon cheese
• 1/4 cup mashed, peeled boiled potato
• 1.5 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
• steamed spinach
• 1 poached egg
• 1/2 cup hollandaise sauce
• Chopped chives for garnish

Directions:

Preheat waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat oven to 200°F.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder . In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, soy milk and agave nectar until blended. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Fold in the cheese, potato and chives just until incorporated.

Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions until brown and crisp. Arrange the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you make the hollandaise sauce and poach the egg(s).

To assemble, place waffle on a plate. Top with steamed spinach, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chives.

P.S.  THIS IS AMAZING.

Let them eat coffee cake waffles May 9, 2010

Yet another The Cravings Place creation is their Cinnamon Crumble Coffeecake Mix which is gluten, dairy, egg and nut free…but definitely not taste free!

Wanting to make some WAFFLES (who me?) I prepared the batter according to instructions with only a few modifications: added extra water/soymilk to make a more liquidy batter and made the topping in the oven by melting the cinnamon sugar/butter (Earth Balance Butter) mixture, letting it cool and breaking it apart.  While it tasted good and added a nice crunch, it photographed like a bacony looking-icky-stupid-waffle.

bacony looking-icky-stupid-waffle

So I tried a different method to see if I could get a better looking waffle by pouring the batter in the waffle iron first, and adding the topping on top of that.  It was a massive FAIL.

massive FAIL

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

I finally decided to made a mini bundt cake with the rest of the batter.

I will conquer this ill-looking waffle…later…I’m tired from scraping the waffle iron.

Mini Bundt Coffeecake