Back in January when we decided to re-design the blog, one of the reasons we did so was to be able to include videos on the site, and I’m thrilled to announce that they’re finally here!

Part of the catalyst for my finally starting this video series came earlier this summer when I was speaking to Ryan’s cousin, Becky, about a friend of hers who had recently switched to a vegan diet.  Becky’s friend had read my blog, but  she was looking for some more basic information about what vegans eat on a daily basis.

I’m often asked about what I eat on a typical day, what cookbooks I like best, and what vegan products I use in place of meat, dairy and eggs.  I’ve written a lot of emails and had many conversations answering these types of questions, but after talking to Becky, I realized I didn’t have all of this information compiled in one location.  As a result, I’ve decided to do my own version of a “Vegan 101″ series to help people who want to learn more about what vegans eat, or at least what this vegan eats.

There’s a lot of convincing evidence for switching to a vegan diet, but since most of us were raised on meat and dairy, it can be really challenging to have any idea of what to eat instead.  We all have to eat at least three meals a day – and if you’re like me, add a lot of snacks, treats and mini-meals to that as well!  So if you don’t know what to eat and feel like you’re sacrificing all of the time, it’s going to be hard to stick to a vegan diet, no matter how dedicated you are to the cause.

I’ve been there, and I want to share my tips, tricks and product recommendations that can help with the transition.  It will by no means be an entirely comprehensive guide to vegan eating.  I’m sure there are great products out there I don’t know about, as well as people who will disagree with me about the products that I love.  I welcome your feedback and questions as I really want this to be a helpful resource.

Down the road I’ll focus on cooking and baking demonstrations, but I’m kicking off the series by featuring some of my favorite vegan ingredients that helped make the transition to this lifestyle easier for me, and continue to keep me from falling off the vegan wagon!  I’m incredibly fortunate to have a husband who is a talented director (as well as camera operator, sound mixer and editor) to work on these videos with me.  I can’t thank him enough for the time and energy he’s put into these, and we’re both really excited to show you what we’ve been up to!

So without further ado, here’s the first installation of C’est La Video, featuring one of my most beloved products – Earth Balance non-hydrogenated margarine.  Take it away, me!

I’ve been dying to try morel mushrooms for so long now, but I’ve never been able to find them in the past. When I realized it was finally morel season, I became obsessed with finding some.  The only place I’ve found them so far is at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, but I’ve read that they’re also at some markets in Santa Monica.  I bought a large handful, partly because they’re pretty expensive, and also because I was a little worried they wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype, and I didn’t want to go all in if that was the case.

The first thing I did after getting them home was look online for recipes and prep information.  Some sites said they needed to soak in salt water before cooking, and others said the worst thing you can do is soak them in water, because it dilutes the flavor.  Mine were pretty small and seemed clean enough, so I just wiped them a bit.  Soaking fresh mushrooms just seems wrong to me, but maybe some of you have more experience with morels and can lend some insight…

I decided to go with a simple preparation so that I could really experience the flavor and texture of the morels on their own.  Mine were pretty small, but I still sliced them in half so that more surface area would get coated in “buttery” and salty goodness.  I tossed them with a little white rice flour (one of the recipes I came across said this would yield a more crispy result), and then pan fried them until golden in some Earth Balance margarine.  I finished them off with a little sprinkling of Maldon sea salt.

Then came the moment of truth – the tasting.  For me, they totally lived up to the hype.  I love the flavor of mushrooms, but I can sometimes be picky about the texture.  A huge, soggy portobello just doesn’t do it for me.  I prefer when the mushrooms are cut smaller and really caramelized.  The flavor of the morels was amazing, and the texture was even better.  They were firm, and even a little chewy, but not in a rubbery way. I could happily eat platefuls of them.  Now I’m even more obsessed, so if any of you are morel fans and have favorite recipes, send them my way!

Okay, guys – only two more Oscar Party posts!  I’m saving my favorite for tomorrow.  In the meantime, let’s talk about these bananas!

The title “A Serious Man” gave us serious trouble.  We weren’t huge fans of the movie (sorry if you liked it!), so we were going to do a drink – “A Serious Man… Sucks” – and just put a straw in it so you have to “suck” the drink – get it?  I felt like we could do better, or at least not start a bunch of heated conversations about the film.

So for “A Serious Man” we did “A Sauteed Ban”…ana.  I could have made banana bread, but I make that a lot and wanted to try something different.  There’s not much of a recipe for these.  I just sliced some really ripe bananas width-wise into discs, melted some Earth Balance margarine in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and added the banana once the margarine was melted.  I let them cook a bit, then turned each piece over (carefully!), and towards the end sprinkled some brown sugar over the slices to melt.

While these might not be the prettiest things to look at, they taste amazing!  Warm, buttery banana coated with brown sugar?  You really can’t go wrong.  They’re good enough to eat alone, but would also compliment a lot of other desserts, like chocolate or cinnamon flavored cakes.  I think next time I make these I’ll serve them over some non-dairy ice cream while they’re still hot, and then drizzle the whole thing with chocolate sauce.   As I’ve said before, fruit based desserts are usually my favorites to both make and eat, so it’s no surprise that I loved these!

I know Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a huge deal, with a killer meal that’s absolutely perfect.  As I explained in yesterday’s post, we sometimes celebrate and sometimes don’t (usually depending on how busy we are at the time), and since our time off is precious, the last thing we want to do is deal with Valentine’s Day crowds out at restaurants (not to mention the Valentine’s prices!).  We’d rather have a quiet night in, with a good home cooked meal to celebrate the occasion.

So in thinking about what to make for the holiday, I thought I’d go the route of trying to incorporate foods that are know for having aphrodisiac qualities.  I did some research online and found this informative little page.  A few of the foods jumped out at me, and I thought they would go nicely together in a pasta dish, which for us is one of the ultimate comfort foods.

The result is this penne with asparagus and pistachios in a creamy garlic-basil sauce.  This dish incorporates basil, garlic, nutmeg, asparagus and pistachios – all foods that are supposedly aphrodisiacs, or linked to fertility.  Who knows how much of that is actually true, but whether or not you believe it, these elements still make for a pretty tasty dish.

I tried to find some sauce recipes online, but most of them were just pesto with cream added.  I decided I’d make up my own version, and I think this is pretty yummy, especially with the asparagus.  My sauce was pretty thick, so I’ve changed a couple of the liquid quantities in the recipe below.  If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, just let it simmer a bit longer.  If it’s too thick you can thin it out with some vegetable broth or with your pasta water.

Penne Pasta with Asparagus in a Garlic-Basil Cream Sauce

1 bunch asparagus
1 pound penne pasta
sea salt
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) non-dairy margarine [I used Earth Balance]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shallot, minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons organic unbleached all-purpose flour
6 large basil leaves
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups non-dairy creamer [I used unsweetened MimicCreme]
couple pinches of nutmeg
fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped [you can use raw or roasted - whichever you like best]
4 or 5 basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade style (optional, for garnish)

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.  Snap or chop off the woody bottoms of the asparagus, and chop the stalks into pieces that are roughly the size of your penne.  Rinse the asparagus and set aside.

Heat a large sauce pan or pot over medium heat and melt the margarine and olive oil together.  Add the shallots and saute until they’re soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and saute until it’s fragrant, about a minute.  Whisk in the flour, and stir for a minute or two until it’s incorporated and has had a chance to toast a bit.

While whisking constantly, pour in the vegetable broth and then the cream.  Stir until the sauce is smooth. Crush the basil leaves in your fist and add them to the sauce.  Stir them around, reduce the heat, and stir the sauce occasionally while you boil the asparagus and pasta.

Once your water is boiling, add the asparagus and a large pinch of sea salt to the pot.  Boil the asparagus for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until it’s bright green and crisp-tender.  You basically want it to loose it’s raw taste, but don’t want to over cook it.  Remove the asparagus from the water, and set it aside.  Add the pasta with another teaspoon or so of salt.  Cook according to the package directions.

Your sauce should be thickened up a bit at this point.  Test it for seasoning – you might need to add salt depending on how salty your vegetable broth is.  Add the nutmeg to taste.

When the pasta finishes boiling, reserve about a 1/2 cup of pasta water.  Drain the pasta and add it along with the asparagus to your sauce.  Stir everything together, adding pasta water as needed if your sauce is a bit thick.

Before serving, remove the basil leaves.  To serve the pasta, scoop it into bowls and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper, chopped pistachios and basil chiffonade.  Enjoy!

Yesterday I said sweet potato casserole might be my favorite Thanksgiving side, but mashed potatoes give it a run for its money.  I know they seem too simple to do a post about, but I love them so much that I just can’t help myself.

We don’t save them just for the holidays either.  Both Ryan and I never understood why something so simple and so good could only be enjoyed a couple times a year. When his mom was growing up, her family had mashed potatoes all the time, so she was kind of burnt out on them.  I’m not sure why my family never had them regularly. I guess they were just seen as a special occasion side dish, or too much work for a week night meal.

I’ll admit they’re not always the healthiest side dish, especially with the amount of Earth Balance and/or gravy I add to them.  I tend to think of them as a treat.  I also like to have them with steamed kale, and that way I feel like the healthy kale balances out the potatoes.

I know many of you can probably whip these up in your sleep, but when I first started cooking I wasn’t sure how to make them.  I also read a lot of conflicting information – salt the water before you boil, whatever you do, don’t salt the water before you boil – you get the picture.  As for the salt, I’ve done it both ways and don’t really notice a huge difference.

You can also make these with whatever kind of potato you like best.  Russets (or Idaho potatoes) make for a fluffier end result because they have so much starch, but other potatoes work well too.

Simple Mashed Potatoes

Russet potatoes (I usually do about 1 1/2 to 2 per person)
Earth Balance margarine to taste
vegetable broth or unsweetened non-dairy milk, warmed (about a 1/2 cup for 4 – 5 potatoes)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them into about 1/2-inch cubes.  [I cut them pretty small so they'll cook more quickly.]

Place them in pot and cover with water.  Boil the water, and cook the potatoes until they’re easily pierced with a knife or fork.  It usually takes about 10 minutes or so once they’re boiling – depending on how many potatoes you use.

Drain the potatoes and either return them to the pot or transfer to a large bowl.  [I usually remove them with a spider skimmer and put them in a separate bowl.]  Add salt, pepper and a couple tablespoons of Earth Balance margarine.  Start mashing the potatoes.  Depending on how dry they are as you mash, add your broth or non-dairy milk in 1/4 cup increments until you get the consistency you like.  Taste them again for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

I just got Tal Ronnen’s amazing and beautiful new cookbook, The Conscious Cook, and there’s a basic recipe for cashew cream that you can substitute for heavy cream in recipes.  After I read that I thought it would be really good in mashed potatoes, and sure enough, when I got to his mashed potato recipe it was listed with the ingredients.  Maybe that’s the version I’ll save for holidays since it’s a little more decadent.  Although once I try it I can’t guarantee I won’t make it all the time!

Last week in my  Bakin Wrapped Dates post I mentioned a Date Cake that I’d made, and here it is!  When I first passed the date stand at the Farmers Market I had a flash of this cake that my Mom had made when I was little.  I probably remembered it because dates sounded really scary to me, but the cake had been surprisingly tasty. I imagine it was one of those times that they had to tell me what was in it after I’d taken a bite and liked it.

This cake is so incredibly delicious and moist.  The dates almost give it a caramel flavor.  If I make it in a mini loaf pan I sprinkle some chopped pecans on top.  Their hint of buttery, caramel flavor compliment this nicely. For this version in a bundt pan I added about a half cup of shredded sweetened coconut, because I had some on hand, and it seemed like it would work well with this cake.  It was really yummy, but you could certainly leave it out if coconut’s not your thing.

I end up tweaking this recipe a bit each time I make it, and I’ve only ever made this in a mini loaf pan or in this small bundt pan.  I’ve tried it with less sugar (since the dates and chocolate chips add sweetness), and I’ve also tried it with reduced amounts of margarine.  It seems to work well each time, so it’s a good recipe to try if you’re intimidated by baking.  It’s pretty resilient and will probably be delicious even if you make a couple mistakes.

Also, if you don’t want to use Ener-G you could probably use flax eggs in this recipe. Just mix 1 Tablespoon flax seeds with 3 Tablespoons water and let the mixture sit to thicken.  (Reduce flax to 2 1/2 teaspoons if you’re using pre-ground.)

I’m so grateful that my Mom has held onto all these recipes, and that I get to make them as an adult.  I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do!

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

1 cup pitted, chopped dates
1 cup boiling water (or less if using fresh dates – anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3 Cups)
1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Topping (optional)

1/2 Cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chopped dates in a small bowl, and pour boiling water over them.  Set the mixture aside.  Sift dry ingredients into a separate small bowl, and set aside.

Cream margarine and sugar together.  Beat the egg replacer with the warm water, and add it to the creamed mixture along with the vanilla extract.  Scrape sides of the bowl and mix in the dates and water.  Scrape sides again, and add the dry ingredients.  With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the chocolate chips.  (This is also when I added the coconut).

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.  Mix topping ingredients together, if using, and sprinkle them over the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool, and enjoy!