Sexy Vegan Grandma's Apple Crisp

Pink Ladies from our very own little tree

My mom isn't vegan, and I'm not sure how she'd feel about me referring to her as "sexy," but she's the mother of Sexy Vegan Mama, so "Sexy Vegan Grandma" it is.

Most apple crisp recipes I've found use oats in the topping and, to be honest, my family isn't crazy about the heaviness those oats add to the "crisp" layer. That's why everyone goes nuts over my mom's apple crisp - her topping is light, sweet, and omits the oats.

Clearly, I had to veganize it in order to maintain a bit of loyalty from Mr. Wright and the kids. I used the last of the Pink Lady apples from our tree, and devised this simple (yet delicious) recipe, based on my mom's generations-old formula:

Sexy Vegan Grandma's Apple Crisp

Filling:

6 medium- to large-sized apples (I prefer a tart apple, like Granny Smith, Rome, or Pink Lady)
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. cane juice crystals or natural sugar (I use Zulka)
3 T. unbleached flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg

Crisp Topping:

2/3 c. unbleached flour
2/3 c. cane juice crystals or natural sugar
1/3 c. dairy-free stick margarine (I use Nucoa)

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core and slice the apples.

Put apple slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.

In a small bowl, mix together cane juice crystals or sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Toss sugar mixture together with sliced apples. Stir until apples are well-coated.

Place coated apples in a greased 9" x 9" baking pan.

To make the topping, place flour, cane juice crystals or sugar and margarine in a medium bowl and blend with a pastry blender or fork tines until fine and crumbly.

Spread topping mix evenly on top of apples, and bake for one hour.

Serve while warm with vegan ice cream, or refrigerate for a delicious chilled dessert. Enjoy!

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Doughnut Be Cruel: Peanut Butter Banana Old Fashioneds

Elvis Presley is rumored to have loved deep-fried peanut butter banana sandwiches. In a tribute to The King, I offer you something even tastier... Peanut Butter Banana Old Fashioned Doughnuts! I adapted this recipe from one I found online for Samoan Panikekes - crispy, fried banana pancakes - but after all my meddling, I was left with an awesome doughnut with a crisp shell and soft inside that reminded me of the old-fashioned doughnuts my mom made in her bakery, years ago.

These are very rich, and delicious with coffee!

Peanut Butter Banana Old Fashioned Doughnuts

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. cane juice crystals (I use Zulka) or other vegan sugar
1 T. baking powder

2 bananas, pureed
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 T. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)

You'll also need:

Several cups canola oil for frying
Candy thermometer to check oil temperature
Fryer or deep wok to fry in
Small ice cream scoop or two large spoons

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, cane juice crystals and baking powder.

Add pureed bananas, peanut butter, milk and vanilla extract, blending well.

Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Using a scoop, drop about a tablespoon and a half of dough into oil and fry about 3 minutes or until doughnuts float to top of oil and have a crisp brown crust.

If using spoons, scoop dough up with one spoon, then use another to push the ball of dough off into the oil.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

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Vegan MoFo: Spaghetti and Italian Wheatballs with Daiya

I'm a busy mom. I have seven kids, and dinner is often a rushed affair, to say the least. Between sporting events, homework, and tantrums, it's sometimes a wonder I get my family fed at all.

For a quick meal, it's hard to beat pasta with sauce. Boil the noodles, heat the sauce, and POOF... dinner! I'm always trying to sneak protein, vitamins and other nutrients in, so I opt for whole grain pastas, and add lots of chunky vegetables and beans to my sauces. I've even trained the older kids to dump a can of whole kernel corn and a can of kidney beans to prepared red sauce when they're helping with dinner.

Lately, I've heard grumbling. It's hard to imagine, I know, but it seems the kids and husband tire of the same-old, same-old. Okay... me, too. One brave child even vocalized a desire for *GASP* meatballs to accompany her spaghetti.

"MEATBALLS?" I asked, trying hard not to be offended, and refusing to allow the dream of little fried beef or pork spheres to lure my children away from my vegan dinner table. Oh, no... I wasn't about to throw in the meatball towel without a fight.

"I'll make you something BETTER than meatballs!" I declared, giving a whooping war cry to the sound of deafening applause.

Well, okay - maybe it wasn't exactly all that, but there was a turning point, and I did need a viable meatball substitute to tame the masses. So, I threw together this recipe, which immediately silenced further meatball requests and has become a new family favorite. The best part is the recipe can be made ahead of time, formed into balls, and tightly covered in the refrigerator, then quickly fried while the noodles boil. Check it out:

Italian Wheatballs



Ingredients:



3 slices vegan whole wheat bread, toasted
1 c. shelled pecans
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. crushed oregano
1 t. dried sweet basil
1/2 t. black pepper
1 c. kidney beans
1/4 c. water
1 - 8oz. package Daiya or other vegan cheese shreds (your choice of yellow or white)

You will also need:



Several cups canola oil for frying
Candy thermometer to check oil temperature
Blender or food processor
Fryer or deep wok for frying

Directions:

Break toast into pieces and pulse in blender or food processor to create fine bread crumbs.

Chop pecans using a nut grinder or by pulsing in blender or food processor.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, chopped pecans, garlic, oregano, basil and pepper. Mix well.

In blender or food processor, blend kidney beans with water to create a thick puree. Add puree to nut mixture and stir well.

Add Daiya shreds and mix well, using a pastry blender or back of fork to chop shreds into small crumbles.

Form into balls, using about one tablespoon of mix per ball.

Note: You may need a little more water to make the mixture sticky enough to roll into balls. Just add a tablespoon at a time, if needed.

Fry for two to three minutes at 375 degrees and drain on paper towels. Outsides of balls should be crispy, and inside should be cooked through, with bits of melted cheese.

Serve over pasta and sauce, or make a "wheatball" sandwich on a hoagie with vegan marinara. Enjoy!

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Vegan Jelly-Filled Sugar Doughnuts - Happy VeganMoFo!

VeganMoFo (Vegan Month of Food) is in October this year! For some reason, I thought I had until November to prepare myself, but here it is, already! Ready for the deliciousness? I am!

I'm starting off a few days late, but thought I'd kick things off with a recipe I've been asked for several times - my jelly-filled sugar doughnuts. These little pockets of sweetness are perhaps the very reason I have a fryer. Don't have one yourself? That's okay! You can use a deep wok to fry these babies up!

Vegan Jelly-Filled Sugar Donuts


Ingredients:

1 c. warm water (you're looking for "baby bath water" warm - too hot, and you'll kill your yeast)
1 1/2 T. yeast
1/3 c. cane juice crystals (I use Zulka), raw sugar, or other vegan granulated sugar
1 c. vanilla soy milk
2 T. canola oil
1/2 t. vanilla

4 c. unbleached flour
1/2 t. salt

Additional flour for rolling

Organic jelly or jam for filling (I used strawberry)

Additional cane juice crystals or sugar for dusting

Several cups canola oil for frying

You'll also need:

Candy thermometer to check oil temperature


Directions:

In a medium bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and allow to dissolve.

Add cane juice crystals or sugar, soy milk, oil, and vanilla.

Stir until cane juice or sugar crystals dissolve.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.

Gradually add liquid mixture to flour and salt, stirring until all liquid is incorporated, and a stiff dough forms.

Cover bowl and allow to rise for one hour.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two, then roll out into a large rectangle - about 1/2" thick.

Cut rectangle into 24 squares and place a teaspoon or so vegan jelly in the middle.

Gather the corners of each square to form a ball, with the jelly sealed inside.

Gently flatten the balls back to about 3/4". Don't worry - they'll puff back up during the frying process.

Allow doughnuts to rise for an additional 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

In a deep fryer or wok, heat enough oil to cover the doughnuts to 350 degrees. Use your candy thermometer to check the oil temperature.

Fry donuts for one to two minutes on each side to achieve a gorgeous brown finish.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cool enough to handle, then dust each in cane juice crystals or sugar. Tip: Pour sugar into a large bowl, drop doughnuts in, then flip over for a nice, even coating.

Makes 24 doughnuts. Enjoy!

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