Greek Pizza

I am surprised that I haven't posted this recipe before because it is something that I love to make and it is my best pizza. This dough also makes a very nice slicing bread. To make into slicing bread, follow directions, let rise for the 1-1.5 hours, punch down, fit into oiled bread loaf pan, cover and let rise for about another 1-1.5 hours until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cook around 30-45 minutes until golden and dough sounds hollow when tapped.

For the crust
1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1 pkg. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. molasses, honey, corn syrup or golden syrup OR 1 tsp. sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2-2 cups bread flour

Place water in large mixing bowl, add sweetener of choice and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes, then add oil and salt. Stir. Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup bread flour. Stir to mix and turn out onto floured board, adding the remaining flour as needed. Knead for about 2-5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with mixing bowl for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out dough to fit an oiled pan, use a cookie sheet or pizza pan. If you use a small cookie sheet the dough will be really puffy and stay very soft. Cover with a tea towel for about 20-30 to rise one more time.

For the toppings (I never measure anything for this pizza beyond the crust recipe so use to taste or to cover crust)
1/4-1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
Italian seasonings, onion and garlic powder, parsley and red pepper flakes to taste
sliced or shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
sliced red onions, Roma tomatoes, red onions and sliced button mushrooms
crumbled feta or goat cheese
defrosted and drained spinach
pitted Kalmata olives or canned pitted black olives

Layer toppings as listed and cook 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheeses melted.

Chai Cake

This is my very favorite cake recipe and it comes from Chef Deborah Wolfe who has a recipe board at www.vegweb.com

Chai Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup natural sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup soy milk
8 chai tea bags (or Bengal Spice)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
Ener-G Egg Substitute for 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease an 8" cake pan.
In a saucepan, put soy milk gently on low heat.
Add tea bags, and simmer 15 minutes, pressing tea bags gently to extract flavor.

Wring out tea bags into soy milk. Top up with more soy milk back to 3/4 cup. Put
this flavored soy milk in fridge to cool.
In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Combine remaining ingredients, including flavored soymilk, and add to flour
mixture.
Beat for 2 minutes. If too stiff, add a bit more soy milk.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out
dry.
Makes one 8" cake.

Here is the glaze that I use with the cake.

Chai Cake Glaze

2 tbsp/30 mL butter or margarine
1 ½ cups/375 mL powdered sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Vanilla
¼ tsp/1.2 mL Cinnamon
Reserved 2 tbsp/30mL prepared Chai Latte from cake recipe

Melt butter in 1-quart/liter saucepan over medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze on cake.

Orange Cranberry Pancakes with Orange Sauce (Vegan)

I made this recipe and changed a few things to make it vegan. Try them, they are vegan, taste like fall and are so good.

Sauce

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar (I prefer less sweet)
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (optional)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash ground ginger
1 1/2-2 cups plain or vanilla silk
1/4 cup applesauce
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel

For orange sauce, combine the water and corn starch in a small bowl until it forms a slurry. Combine slurry in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon orange peel, the orange juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons snipped dried cranberries (if desired), and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

For pancakes, in a large bowl combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and finely chopped cranberries.

In another bowl combine 1 1/2 soy milk, applesauce, vegetable oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Add more soy milk if batter is too thick.

Add all at once, add the wet ingredients to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy). Preheat griddle to 300-325 degrees, until water "dances" on surface. For each pancake, pour about 2 tablespoons batter onto hot griddle or skillet. Use more batter for bigger pancakes. Spread batter into a circle about 2 - 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook over medium heat about 1-2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve with sauce.

Nutella Rum-Rums

Yo, ho, ho a pirate's life for me. Why is the rum always gone? Oh that's why, they are in these cookies and I drank it LOL. Oh my gosh these are one of the best cookies ever. I based these cookies off of this recipe

1/3 cup Nutella
1/4 cup oil (mild olive oil or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp. ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I actually forgot to put this in mine)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup nuts of choice, I used walnuts
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the cranberries in the rum while you are making the rest of the recipe.Place Nutella, oil, milk, brown and white sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and allspice. Add in small additions to the wet mixture. Add cranberries and rum, white chocolate chips and nuts of choice. You may need to add a bit more soy milk if mixture is crumbly. Spray your hands with cooking spray and form into balls. Leave plenty of room for these, they spread. Cook about 6-8 minutes or until set and crispy. Remove from pan and let cool.

Maple Nut Cookies (Vegan)

When I saw a recipe for Maple Nut Cookies on cat tea corner's website I had to try it! I cut it in half and ended up with 8 cookies. These are pretty good, kinda like a pecan sandy or other shortbread type cookie. I made mine with walnuts, but I think that they would be best with pecans to make them more like pecan sandies, and I used Grade A maple syrup because that is what I had but I will look for some grade B before making these again for more maple taste. Sorry no pics but I will be making them again for a Christmas gift package so I will have pics up by then!

Spiced Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes

Wow, out of all of the pancakes I have made, this recipe by far is my favorite. I have changed the recipe a bit and it could be made completely vegan if you use something in place of the honey, like maple syrup, agave nectar, corn syrup, golden syrup, etc but I have never tried it that way......

Spiced Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup soy milk
1 tbsp regular olive oil not EVOO
1.5 tbsp honey
1/8 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or to taste....I never measure them

Honey-Cinnamon Topping

1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp margarine (LOL, never measure this one either)



1. To make Honey-Cinnamon Topping: Place a small saucepan on low heat; add honey and cinnamon; stir for 1 minute.
2. Add in butter and stir until melted; keep warm.
3. To make pancakes: In a big mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt; set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, milk, oil, and honey together; add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Fold in nuts.
6. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Lightly brush with vegetable oil ( I find this to be unnessary)
8. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake.
9. Cook until bubbles form on the surface; flip pancake over and cook until the other side is golden.
10. Serve warm pancakes with Honey-Cinnamon Topping.

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies today, and if you haven't tried them yet you need to !!!! So rich and chocolately, and almost brownie like, I will make these cookies again and again! They are so easy to make too, so decadent. I halfed the recipe and it made 11 cookies for me and I used regular cocoa as I didn't have dutched cocoa on hand. Rock on Isa!!!

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups all purp flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soymilk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a seperate large bowl cream together oil and sugar. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
For chocolate chocolate chip cherry cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract, and replace 1/2 the chocolate chips with dried cherries.

For chocolate nut cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with a nut extract (almond, walnut, what have you) and replace the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts all are good).