Vegan MoFo Day 25 - Sweet Things

Welcome to Vegan MoFo Twenty-Five

- Day 25 of Vegan Month of Food 2011

This week in 1969, Gladys Knight & The Pips'
Friendship Train
became their lucky 13 of 66 pop charting releases 
between 1961 and 1994.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn9p_mTHEEM&feature=related

The first of the season's local organic sweet potatoes

Sweet Things

were at my farmer's market this week.
(Thank you Gundermann Farms!)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gundermann-Farms/133870999990519

Pie Maker

gets the chance to fulfill its stated purpose,

making mini-pies.

Sweet crust recipe, 

for 2 9-inch crusts, or 16 mini-crusts:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled and diced

(I use a non-hydrogenated shortening)

1 1/2 cups Earth Balance or other vegan butter, 

chilled and diced

1 cup iced water

Combine dry dry ingredients in bowl and chill for 30 minutes.

Place in food processor and pulse to combine.

Add chilled shortening, and pulse until crumbly, 

maybe 10 times.

Add chilled vegan butter and pulse 8 times until mixture looks like small pebbles.

Add 6-8 TBS ice water and pulse 

until mixture starts to ball up.

Remove from processor bowl, shape into two discs

and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll each disc separately into a circle, and use the large cutter

 included with the pie make to shape crust.

Place into pie maker (do not preheat!).

Filling:

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

egg replacer equal to 2 eggs

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 TBS molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS flour

1 TBS orange juice (optional)

1/2 cup non dairy milk

Mix all filling ingredients, except milk and orange juice, until smooth.

Add juice and milk and mix well.

Pour into unbaked pie crusts and bake until done,

12-15 minutes.

Pies should be firm.

Cool in pie maker 5 minutes before removing.

Let pie maker cool between batches.

(tune in Sweet Thing
by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWVuvw3P9Wo&feature=related

Vegan MoFo Day 24 - Chicago Diner

Welcome to Vegan MoFo Twenty Four

- Day 24 of Vegan Month of Food 2011

In 1971, the Chi-Lites 

charted this week with their heavily narrated ballad 

"Have You Seen Her"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVYxKRXDT2I

reaching #1 R&B and #3 on the Pop charts.

The group took the name the Chi-Lites in homage to their hometown of Chicago.

Chicago,

You're the Inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfy1yorkec&ob=av2n

for our 

Black-Bean Grain Burgers

from The Chicago Diner Cookbook.
http://www.veggiediner.com/wp/

(Meat-free since 1983)

Recipe, with my substitutions Italicized

1 medium onion, finely chopped, 1/2 red/1/2 white onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 small jalapeno pepper, diced

2 tsp oregano

1 TBS cumin

2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp salt-free Spike

1 tsp Penzeys Forward spice

2 tsp pepper

2 cups cooked RED beans, lightly mashed

1 cup cooked brown Basmati rice, should be sticky not dry

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, chopped and toasted

1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

2 TBS tamari (Bragg's liquid aminos)

Saute onion, celery, garlic,peppers and spices in lightly oiled, 

non-stick pan until tender.

Saute vegetables and seasonings

Pour into large mixing bowl with rest of ingredients. Mix well.

Form into patties.

I used a 1/3 cup size measuring cup.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow patties to firm.

Instead of preheating oven to 350 to bake,

I used

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe made 12 mini-burgers, at 2 per serving,

Serves 6.

Vegan MoFo Day 23 - Sin Without the Guilt as a side to Sunday Football

Welcome to Vegan MoFo Twenty-Three

- Day 23 of vegan Month of Food 2011

Between my reaching out and being there yesterday,

I managed a visit to Houston's

Eastside Farmers Market

(Saturday mornings, Greenway Plaza area 

on Eastside off Richmond Ave)

sponsored by

URBAN HARVEST

http://www.urbanharvest.org/
to score sustenance for my

Sunday afternoon Football watching.

Stopped at my favorite sweet spot at the market

Sinfull Bakery

Vegan Baked Goods.

http://sinfullbakery.com/wordpress/

https://www.facebook.com/SINFULLBAKERIES

 In addition to the Texas sized Cinnamon Rolls,

Sinfull also makes the most succulent, mouth-watering, 

satisfying, vegetable-filled pot pies on planet Earth.

Enough for 2 people, or 2 meals!

Half for lunch today;

saving the other half for tomorrow.

On to football,

HOW BOUT THEM TEXANS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3kmSgoI3GM 

winning big time, 41-7,

over AFC south rivals Tennessee Titans.

Always sweet beating the Titans 'cause 

before their move to Tennessee,

they used to be us,

the Houston Oilers!

(Love ya Blue)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvWn_yGaA-Y

My take out from last night's meetup at 

Loving Hut

http://lovinghut.us/houston/ 

Golden Rolls,

with homemade sweet potato fries, for dinner.

Peel sweet potatoes, slice into fry shapes

(I use a mandolin), and fry.

Half my Sinfull cinnamon roll for dessert,

and I'm good for the day.