Whole Grain Vegan Baking Blog Tour!

When Celine (of havecakewilltravel.com) and Tami (of veganappetite.com) asked if I would like to take part in their blog tour for Whole Grain Vegan Baking, I knew it was the perfect time to get back to blogging. I was lucky enough to be a tester for this amazing book and took full advantage, baking nearly everything they posted. Baking has always had a special place in my heart since it is the very brightest memory I have of my grandmother. I will admit that previous to testing for this book, I didn't have much faith in whole grain baking. I was a skeptic for sure. In the past, I had eaten my fair share of dry, heavy bran muffins or homemade whole grain bread to find nothing more than disappointing cardboard when I sliced it. It seemed impossible that they could change my mind and yet, everytime I tasted something, I would exclaim "This is whole grain!? Oh my goodness it's sooooo light and tasty and...". I honestly couldn't believe it everytime and you think I would have after, you know, 10 or 20 tests but still at test 100 I was in disbelief. Celine and Tami seemed to have found the magic secret of whole grain baking and they were kind enough to share it with all of us in Whole Grain Vegan Baking.

Today, I get to not only share one of my favourite (although not technically baked) recipes from the book but I also get to giveaway a copy of the book thanks to the generosity of the books' publisher, Fair Winds Press. They are happy to ship a copy to the winner (as long as you live in Canada or the United States) so that you too can bake all kinds of delicious and healthy baked goods.

Once you get your copy (and trust me you should get one!), you will be thumbing through reading all the recipe names and drooling over Celine's beautiful photography that will make you wish you could just pick them off the page to taste (someone's working on this right?!) and you might feel like ahhh where do I start and I'm here to help. I have made so many of these recipes over and over again since testing and have fed them to all kinds of willing taste testers and can tell you...you honestly can't go wrong. Anything you choose is going to be great but for those that want a little guidance here's a list of a few of my favourites and why.

Morning Boost Muesli - okay so it's not baked but Celine is Swiss and had to share the perfect whole grain muesli with the world. It became a bit of an obsession for me. I bought the necessary ingredients in bulk because I would just decimate the normal small bags of flakes within a week. I ate it everyday for breakfast for weeks on end. I couldn't get enough. It will fill you up for a busy morning and you won't be searching for that 10am snack. I love it so much that I asked Celine and Tami if I could share the recipe with you and they said yes! (I've put the recipe below so don't forget to scroll down and try it!) I could include my own picture but decided to post Celine's gorgeous shot of it instead as a little sneak peek at the book and because it looks so adorable in those little tulip jars.

Cracked-Wheat Pan Rolls - these are the yummiest, tenderest, fluffiest, tastiest pan rolls I've ever had. My kiddo munched one down and then started to guard them so no one else could eat them because he wanted to save them for another day. That's food love! I have made them again and again (by request) and they always come out perfectly. The cracked wheat adds a nice crunch to them and they are perfect for sopping up sauces (like gravy!). These have become a staple at our holiday celebrations and I'm sure once you try them, they will become part of yours too.

Whole Wheat Lemon Tartlets - time to profess my love for all things curd in this book. Celine and I joked over and over about matching tattoos saying "Curd Love Forever". Any variation, any application, I loved! These tartlets have a special place though because they were the first. The crust is perfectly tender and buttery without butter and the filling is tart and creamy. They are a fancy dessert that you could serve up at a dinner party or you could enjoy in your jammies while watching a movie (my preferred way).

English Muffin Bread - if you love English muffins, this loaf is for you! My family fell in love with this one and I have made it more than 10 times now. It is full of nooks and crannies but less of a hassle than cooking individual English muffins in those rings. All the flavour and texture of the real deal with less fuss...I'm in! This loaf is perfect for making breakfast sandwiches on (like the Country Sausage Sandwich from Celine and Tami's previous work of genius, Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!) or just toasting a slice with butter for breakfast.

Wholesome Vanilla Pound Cake - Remember that curd love I was telling you about...here's the perfect vehicle for that curd to get in your belly! This pound cake comes together so quick and easy that it will be hard to have an excuse to not make it all the time. It is amazing with fresh berries and any of the curd variations in the book. We've even made cake skewers with it and dipped them in cream. When Mac first tried it, he said "this is soooo going to be my birthday cake every year" so that's a big seal of approval!

Raspberry Spelt Danishes - now I'm not gonna lie, these are a bit more time consuming but they are definitely worth the effort and time you put in. They are a special treat that you will love to make for weekend brunch or maybe for Mother's Day (it's coming up folks!). The raspberry filling mixed with the zest in the dough and filling make a super combo and the tender pastry will make you swoon.

Kelly's Oatmeal Spelt Cookies - okay I may sound super braggy here but even without my name on them I would love these cookies! I asked (okay begged) Celine to create a cookie based on my morning oatmeal and boy did she deliver! They are jam packed full of good stuff like dried apples and nuts and oats. They are perfect for breakfast on the go or a snack in the afternoon when you are starting to feel a little sleepy and hungry (or is that just me around 2pm?). They are kid approved in this house, Mac was a big fan!


Okay...now for that recipe I promised. Mix it up now so you can have some for breakfast tomorrow as it has to sit in the fridge overnight.

Morning Boost Muesli

(Published by Fair Winds Press, 2013) 

We know, we know: There’s technically nothing baked about muesli, but this is a whole grain book after all, and we love muesli too much not to sneak in a recipe for it. Loaded with cracked wheat, wheat germ, heart-healthy spelt flakes, and pleasantly chewy kamut flakes, this breakfast will ensure you won’t get hungry again before lunch.

1 cup (235 ml) water

53 g (1⁄3 cup) dry cracked wheat

pinch of fine sea salt

240 g (1 cup) plain or vanilla-flavored vegan yogurt

1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened pineapple juice

24 g (1⁄4 cup) rolled spelt flakes

24 g (1⁄4 cup) rolled kamut flakes

20 g (2 heaping tablespoons) date crumbles or chopped dried cranberries

25 g (1⁄4 cup) pecans, broken into smaller pieces

16 g (2 tablespoons) wheat germ

Combine the water, cracked wheat, and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly while preparing the rest.

Combine yogurt, juice, spelt and kamut flakes, dates, pecans, and wheat germ in a large bowl. Stir the cooked cracked wheat into the muesli, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight to let the flakes plump up. Stir the muesli again before serving. Eventual leftovers will keep well for up to 2 days after preparation when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; stir before serving.

Yield: 3 cups (855 g), 2 large to 4 more modest servings

Serving Suggestions & Variations

• For a fruitier muesli, add 248 g (11⁄2 cups) of fresh pineapple chunks, chopping them finely before stirring them in. Other fruits, such as fresh or thawed berries, would also be fantastic when added upon serving, to further increase the fiber and vitamin profile of this healthy breakfast.

Recipe note

Date crumbles are nuggets made from dried dates, with only oat flour added to prevent clumping. They’re ideal to use in baked goods because there’s no sticky chopping involved, but you can replace them with regular chopped dates without missing a beat. 

And now for the giveaway! If you would love to win a copy of Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes, leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite baked good. A winner will be chosen by random draw (the boy likes to pick names from a hat) on Friday, May 24th, 2013 at 2pm EST. This giveaway is open to anyone in Canada and the United States. 

Make sure to check out all the stops on the blog tour. The complete list with links can be found on Tami and Celine's respective blogs. Just click on their names and it will take you there. Also, the next stop will be tomorrow with Mihl over at Seitan is my Motor who is sharing another recipe from the book! Don't miss it!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Switzerland

For Switzerland, I decided I needed to consult an expert. I immediately emailed the talented (and Swiss) Celine Steen and asked for her advice on what I should make. She kindly pointed me in the direction of two recipes in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. Both required white wine so I quickly checked with Barnivore for a few white wine suggestions and made a trip to the liquor store. I really don't drink any more, not for any particular reason, just don't love the taste of it so I was a little worried that the flavour of it in the food would turn me off but spoiler alert...totally didn't! I loved both that I tried!

I tried the Fondue first which required two cups of wine so I knew there was no subbing it out. I have always wanted to try fondue but just never did so I was really excited to see what it would taste like. I did make one little mistake while making it...I'm even embarrassed to admit it but when I was making it, in place of the potato starch I accidentally added 1/4 cup of powdered sugar! I was whisking away trying to thicken it up and no matter how much I cooked it, nothing was happening. It dawned on me that maybe I did something wrong and quickly went to check out the potato starch I used. Turns out I had both potato starch and powdered sugar in the same type of unlabeled container...lesson learned! I quickly added the potato starch to get it to thicken and tasted it to see if the sugar had totally ruined it. It was a bit sweet but nothing terrible to my surprise, just showing how great this recipe is. I added a bit more nutritional yeast and miso to try to amp up the savoury cheesy flavours and decided to go ahead and serve it any way. Truth is, I didn't have enough of everything needed to remake it or the time and it really didn't taste like I had added all that sugar. Now I'm not recommending that you add it or anything just thought I would share the funny story, I know Celine and I had a good laugh about it when I told her! As for what to dip, I had no idea. The recipe says to dip cubed bread and veggies so I tore up a few slices of crusty bread and quickly blanched some broccoli and cauliflower florets. I also roasted a package of white button mushrooms in the oven while I was making the fondue. Everything was tasty in it but the mushrooms were definitely my favourite to dip in the fondue. I also wondered how to serve it since I don't have a fondue set. I decided the next best thing was the tiny slow cooker that came with the big one we own that's for keeping soup warm at your desk and what not. It worked perfect since it was able to keep it warm and let us all dip around the dinner table. I will definitely try this one again since we really enjoyed it even though I messed it up a bit!

Whole Grain Surprises

I remember when I was little my mom went through a phase where she baked out of a heart healthy cookbook for awhile. There were bran muffins and whole wheat breads. They were good but all seemed a little heavy. I always thought whole grain was akin to cardboard. Then recently I was (luckily) invited to help test out recipes for the newest project from Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes. As far as I know the title is yet to be decided but it is an all whole grains baking book and everything and I mean EVERYTHING is amazing! These two super duper people are busy developing some of the most delicious sweet and savory baked goods, quick breads, tarts, granolas and breads I have ever eaten. I have been stuffing my face with them for the past few weeks and realizing I can make much better baked goods at home with these recipes than I can buy. They are full of whole grains (amaranth, barley, corn, quinoa, rye, spelt, wheat, etc) and are using no refined white sugar either! I have been taking pictures along the way and wanted to share some with you here. I will keep you updated on it as it comes along about the title and when it will be out. Trust me, you will want a copy of this book when it does!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: English Muffin Loaf, Cran-Apple Crumble Pie, Speculoos Donuts (recipe is posted on Celine's blog), Pretty and Wheat Pretzels, Pita Bread, Tortillas, Tapenade and Bean Buns, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Hazelnut Shortbread Fingers, To Each Their Own Kale Quiches and Cracked Wheat Pan Rolls.

 

Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

So I'm a big fan of soy curls...like order three pounds of them from Viva Vegan online store kinda love! I have enjoyed them lots of ways but the way I most enjoy them is from Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson. Her recipe for Smoky Curls (think bacon) is the most delicious thing! I have adapted the recipe slightly just for personal tastes but it is essentially the same. One difference is that I use maple syrup instead of agave but that is mostly because maple syrup is seriously abundant around here. After making batch after batch of Smoky Curls, it dawns on me that I should try them in a quiche and it was a very smart idea. I chopped them up small and crisped them up nicely and added them into my quiche and they made for the best bites. Take that ham!

Here's what the final product came out like....

I went crustless mostly because I didn't want to bother making pastry but you totally could if you wanted to. I found it didn't really need it and baked nicely in a glass pie plate. I managed to scribble down the recipe as I was furiously throwing things in the food processor. Let me know if you try it out! You are going to have to buy a copy of Julie's book in order to get the secrets of the Smoky Curls, but you won't regret it! The book is full of delicious recipes and it's always a good thing to support vegan authors! While you are there, you should pre-order a copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes! It's just $9.89 right now which is a super deal and I know personally that all the sandwiches are amazing!

Crustless Kale and Smoky Curl Quiche

1 block of extra firm or firm tofu (not silken, 1lb), crumbled

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup yellow miso

2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 cloves of garlic

100g of cashews (around 3/4 cup)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, maybe less, maybe more (yeah, it's that kind of recipe)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 big ol' leeks, sliced thin

1/2 of a big bunch of curly kale, chiffonaded (is that a word?)

1/2 cup Smoky Curls, small pieces, really crisped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine crumbled tofu, nooch, miso, mustard, garlic and cashews. Pulse until it is thoroughly combined. Slowly add the unsweetened almond milk while running until it is smooth and thick. I went for a thick hummus consistency. Set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and then add in the thinly sliced leek and sauté until starting to brown and get all caramelized. Once this happens, add the kale. Toss it around in there and let it cook until the kale is softened and wilted a bit. Remove from heat and add to the food processor, along with the Smoky Curls and pulse just to combine but you don't want to purée it in there. Scrape it all into the greased pie plate and smooth out the top. Put it in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until it is browned on the top and is set even in the middle. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice and enjoy!

Vegan Muffin Love

Two of my favourite people have come together on a new project that I absolutely love! Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes not only paired up to write the tastiest (upcoming) vegan sandwich cookbook, they also decided to start up a new blogsite dedicated to Vegan Baketavism, called Vegan Muffins On The Move. Now, I can't say I'm sure that's a real word but I'm making it one now. They took this idea and invited Lisa and Gabrielle from Vegans On The Move to join in with them which makes it even better! This new blogsite encourages all of us to get baking, particularly muffins and share them with the world. I love this idea of sharing something vegan but less intimidating and showing everyone that vegan doesn't mean cardboard or tasteless. They are sharing recipes once a month to give you the motivation and hoping you will join in and share the vegan muffin deliciousness. The first recipe posted for Cinnacrunch Muffins is from Tamasin's book, American Vegan Kitchen. I have this book but will admit with testing my cookbooks can get ignored from time to time. I had never made these muffins but in the past month, I've made them twice...they're that good! I sent (most) of my first batch off with Ryan to work to share with his co-workers and everyone loved them. The next batch I made I didn't have the applesauce needed on hand but I did have some pumpkin so I just switcherooed it and they were delicious. The second batch I dropped off at a local charity bake sale/bazaar that was in support of a local animal rescue. Definitely check out this new site and get baking, show the world what vegan baking can taste like and share your experience with vegan living with someone else. And I totally can't wait to see what the next recipe will be!

All packed up, getting ready to shine for Ryan's co-workers!

My First Interview

When I started thinking up ideas for my month of firsts for MoFo, one of the first ideas I had was to do an interview and right off the bat I knew who I wanted to interview. Celine Steen was pretty integral in my easy transition to veganism back in spring 2010. I had slowly given up meat and dairy and eggs went out together in one fell swoop. Problem was, I wasn't really sure what to make for supper now! I learned that vegan blogs were a great resource for recipes and product information and somehow I stumbled upon Celine's blog, Have Cake, Will Travel. It was full of beautiful photographs of delicious food and even better Celine was sharing recipes. Then one day, for the first time ever I might add, I commented on her post about recipe testing. I wasn't thinking anything would ever come of it and a little later I on I got an email from Celine extending an offer to test for Hearty Vegan. I swear I was literally jumping up and down I was so excited. I never even thought that would happen and I couldn't believe that I would be some how involved in the making of a cookbook. I quickly accepted and entered the test site and was in awe. This food was amazing! It was closer to what I was eating before I went vegan except it was all perfectly vegan. I couldn't have asked for a better intro into vegan cooking. I think if it had been any other book, it wouldn't have worked like it did. At the time, I was scared of new things and didn't know what to expect from vegan food. It looked like what I was used to and tasted like what I was used to so it was less scary I guess. I needed that in order to go from my previous diet to this one. I definitely have opened up since then but this was what I needed to get here. I still swear that it helped ease Ryan into becoming vegan as well. All it took was a little Irish Nachos and Ryan was convinced. I remember at the time thinking it was all magic...Vegan Magic that is! That experience alone would make a special place in your heart for someone but Celine also extended her friendship to me. She has been so supportive of me and encouraging of me starting up this blog. She really is an amazing person as well as a super talented photographer and cookbook author. I really could go on and on about her but instead I would like to share my first interview with you all so you can get to know a little bit more about Celine with me!

1. Can you tell me a bit about your first MoFo? I think I first MoFo'd when the very first MoFo ever took place. It wasn't as huge or well-structured as it is now of course, but it was fun! I probably had no idea what I was doing. I'm not sure I do now either.

2. What first inspired you to start blogging? Is Have Cake, Will Travel your first blog? Jess (http://www.getsconedpdx.com/) is actually the one who inspired me to start a veg blog back in 2005. We knew each other from LiveJournal, so when I became vegan and saw how great her blog was, I just went for it. The first blog I had was actually called, wait for it: celineyum. It is now defunct. Not that it was necessarily bad, but I don't know what I was thinking when I picked the name.

3. How did you come to write your first cookbook? The people of Fair Winds Press got in touch to see if I was interested in writing a book. I most definitely didn't start blogging with the idea of a cookbook lurking in the back of my mind, but seeing that I was blogging recipes constantly at the time, it felt right to do it.

4. Do you remember the first recipe you created? I believe that would the pumpkin brownie cake. I just threw stuff together in a bowl, hoped for the best and voila.

5. You were the first person to extend their friendship to me in the vegan world and really helped me transition to being a confident vegan cook. Who was your first? I think it's a whole plethora of my favorite authors that made me more kitchen-confident. Ellen Abraham, Laura Matthias, Sarah Kramer, Isa Moskowitz...But the person who inspired me to go vegan and cheered me on when I took the plunge was someone else I knew from LiveJournal, Julie S. from Ohio.

6. When and how did you first start photographing food? I started taking pictures as soon as I started blogging, so that would be back in 2005. I had never used a camera before then, so it was a bit of a challenge.

7. What was the first camera you owned? Do you have any pictures you took with it that you could share? It was a small Olympus Stylus. Celine sent me a few pictures or me to show that she took with it. And she sent me the link to the recipe for the cookie (first picture with the green icing), saying she adores them! http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6711.0

8. What was the first recipe that really challenged you when you were trying to veganize it or create it? To this day, I would have to say vegan cream cheese. I still haven't mastered the perfect replica to the awesomeness that is Tofutti.

9. What was the first vegan cookbook you owned? Do you still use it or did it inspire you to start your own collection of recipes? I believe it was How It All Vegan. I never get to cook from cookbooks anymore, and that's a shame. I wouldn't necessarily credit books for inspiring me to start writing my own recipes, but rather the vegan blogging community.

10. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "Vegan"? Scott Pilgram ruined me. "Chicken isn't vegan?" is the first thing that comes to mind these days. But really, the most important word association to me is: For the animals.

11. What was the first holiday you celebrated as a vegan and how did it go? I don't really celebrate holidays. My middle name might very well be Scrooge.

12. Who was your first vegan crush? (I mean you adore them for their work or ideals of course) Laura Matthias, I'd say. I don't see her cookbook mentioned as much as it should be, but if I had to save one and only one cookbook from my collection, I believe it would be hers. (I'd still cry a lot for leaving the other ones behind, though.)

13. Who do you go to first with your new ideas and recipes? Occasionally my mom, or Tami/Joni if we are busy writing a book together. I love getting feedback from all these ladies, because I know they won't hold back and tell me if my ideas blow.

14. What was your first recipe testing experience like? I think the first recipes I ever tested for someone else were for Joanna's zine. I have a hard time sticking to rules and accuracy is clearly vital when you're a tester, so while I remained faithful to the instructions and got amazing results because Joanna's recipes are gold, I just think I have an easier time creating recipes than I am at testing them for other folks.

Thanks again Celine for taking time out of your busy day to share this with me and my blog! I appreciate it since I know how busy you are right now and I truly appreciate and cherish your friendship! Show Celine some love now and go buy one (or all) of her awesome books!