Buffalo Wraps

One of my favorite places to eat in Orlando is the Dandelion Communitea Cafe.  A few months ago, I tried their Buffalo Wrap & fell in love!  Since we live almost an hour away, I decided that I must try to make them on my own.

Here is the HiddenWitch's version of Buffalo Wraps (in stages):

Buffalo Wraps

Stage 1 Vegan Hot Wings

8 oz tempeh
¾ cup unsweetened milk substitute (I use Silk Organic Soy Milk)

½  cup flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Sauce:

2 Tbsp vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1-2 Tbsp hot sauce
1/3 cup  ketchup
2 Tbsp agave nectar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (use “speed bake” or convection if you have it)

Cut the tempeh into about ½ inch x 2 inch pieces.  Boil the tempeh in enough water to just cover in a covered skillet for 10-15 minutes or until it is softened. Drain.  

Use spray oil to prepare a baking sheet.

Mix the flour & seasonings in a medium bowl or plate.

Put your soymilk another bowl.

Put the panko bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Coat the tempeh pieces in flour, dip each nugget into the milk & then toss with panko to coat.  Arrange all pieces on the baking sheet.

Spray the tops with cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes.

Turn the nuggets over after 10 minutes & spray again with oil. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes.

While the nuggets are baking, Mix all sauce ingredients in the skillet & heat over medium heat until warm (don’t allow it to boil).  Keep the sauce warm.

As soon as the nuggets are done baking, toss them into the skillet & turn to coat each one in the sauce.

Stage 2 Ranch (or Blue Cheez Sauce)

This is a "go by taste" kind of recipe...just keep adjusting the spices until the sauce tastes like Ranch or Blue Cheez dressing.

1/2 cup Veganaise
1/2 cup Silken Tofu
Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Greek Seasoning  (Reduce for Blue Cheez)
1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder  (Omit for Blue Cheez)
1/2 tsp of Onion Powder  (Omit for Blue Cheez)
Black Pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Blue Sheese, (just keep adjusting to taste)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Best if allowed to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour for flavors to meld.

Stage 3 Wrap it Up!

You can make these with whatever ingredients suit you & your family.  Here's our version:

Whole Wheat Tortilla
Cooked Quinoa, about 1/4-1/2 cup per wrap
Baby Spinach
Red Onion, sliced very thin, a few slices
3-4 "wingz"
1 Tbsp of sauce

Layer & wrap.  Cut into 2 portions.  Eat!!

Note: I adore the blue cheez sauce, & just tried it as a challenge because Jessica at Growing Healthy Sprouts asked if I'd figured it out.  I can't believe how easy it was!!  We've been having this with the ranch sauce up until now, which is also very good & much less expensive.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~
    )O(

Divine, Yummy & Healthy

Dates have a long history.  There is evidence that humans ate dates as early as 6,000 BCE.  Often, these wonderful delicacies were reserved for royalty.  Now, we're lucky enough to be able to find high-quality dates in most health food stores. 

Today, I was seeking lunch & came across Raw Snowballs.  These were little, round confections rolled in raw coconut.  They were heavenly, so I just had to figure out how to make them.

Raw Snowballs - Rhi's version

1 1/2 cups nuts - I used equal portions of walnuts & Brazil nuts, but many recipes call for almonds & walnuts.
13 large medjool dates (remove the pits) - use this kind, they're sweet & creamy
3 Tbsp cocoa - I actually ran out of my cocoa, but had some Giradelli Chocolate Mocha mix & discovered it's really not much more than chocolate & coffee powder, so I used that
1/2 cup raw, dried coconut - don't use the sweetened stuff in the grocery store...yuck!

Put the nuts into a food processor & whir until they're cut fine, but not creating nut-butter.  Add dates & continue to whir in the food processor until the mixture is well incorporated & looks almost like really thick & nutty brownie batter.  Form into 1 inch balls & roll in the coconut.  Refrigerate or eat. 

This made about 36 little "snowballs".  I'm not sure how many it really makes, because I kept eating them!

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

**Oh, & I know my recipes are sometimes vague & have a lot of extra little notes in them.  Remember, I'm not a cookbook author I'm just a little kitchen witch. :)

Some Vegan Resources

Even if you're not vegan, some of these sites & books have such great recipes that you might want to check them out:

Vegan Culinary Experience This wonderful group of chefs provide a monthly BOOK of recipes, including techniques, nutritional info & some terrific articles in pdf format.  They do not send any junk e-mail!  Also, if you don't like to cook, they have a meal plan where they ship you meals. This is a great way to learn the science of great vegan cooking.

The Post Punk Kitchen - here, Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a collection of recipes, thoughts on veganism, etc.  Isa is one of the big celebs in vegan cooking.  Check her out!

Sarah Kramer has some wonderful cookbooks, she's also just a TOTALLY COOL woman!  Her blog at GoVegan ends up being about her dog, Fergus, quite a lot (which is really fun).  Her website only has autographed copies of the cookbooks, but you can purchase them directly from Amazon for a lot less if you're interested.

Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen.  Bryanna Clark Grogan is another fabulous recipe designer!  She brings the familiarity of meat dishes back to the vegan table.  While many of her great recipes are no longer available on the internet, she's putting out new ones regularly.  I'm especially excited to try her seitan "ham" recipe, because we are addicted to the seitan "turkey" & "beef".

I've never been disappointed with Bryanna's work!

The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen - Susan is amazing!  Her recipes should really be called oil-free, because she uses other fat sources at times, but they're all really wonderful.

Susan manages the Fat Free Vegan Recipes site, which is a place where readers can submit their own recipes.

Vegan Yum Yum is a site that is filled with mouth-watering pictures & recipes to go along with them.  Another very worthy site!

The Vegan Dad is a terrific source of recipes!  Since he's a dad, he has to feed some finicky kids, so everything is friendly food.

I'm sure I missed a whole pile of wonderful resources.  There are some terrific books out there too.  Here's my current collection of Vegan Cookbooks.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Vegan Hot Wings!

The 2 tastes I miss most since going veg are BBQ & Hot Wings.  I don't miss the meat, but miss the flavor & experience of the sloppy finger foods.

BBQ has long since been fixed in our house with this recipe Vegan Barbecue Ribs from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

But until today I hadn't managed to reproduce Hot Wings with decent results.
Today's version was right on the money!!  I was so excited, that I forgot to take pics.

Vegan Hot Wings

8 oz tempeh
¾ cup unsweetened milk substitute (I use Silk Organic Soy Milk)

½  cup flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Sauce:

2 Tbsp vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1-2 Tbsp hot sauce
1/3 cup  ketchup
2 Tbsp agave nectar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (use “speed bake” or convection if you have it)

Cut the tempeh into about ½ inch x 2 inch pieces.  Boil the tempeh in enough water to just cover in a covered skillet for 10-15 minutes or until it is softened. Drain.  

Use spray oil to prepare a baking sheet.

Mix the flour & seasonings in a medium bowl or plate.

Put your soymilk another bowl.

Put the panko bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Coat the tempeh pieces in flour, dip each nugget into the milk & then toss with panko to coat.  Arrange all pieces on the baking sheet.

Spray the tops with cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes.

Turn the nuggets over after 10 minutes & spray again with oil. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes.

While the nuggets are baking, Mix all sauce ingredients in the skillet & heat over medium heat until warm (don’t allow it to boil).  Keep the sauce warm.

As soon as the nuggets are done baking, toss them into the skillet & turn to coat each one in the sauce. Serve with vegan ranch dip or, if you can find it, vegan blue “cheese” dip.

 We had these in wraps with some fresh tomatoes, sliced onions & Okinawan spinach.  YUMMMY!

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

I don't wanna cook!

There are evenings where I just don't feel like cooking.  Mostly, this means my darling sous chef isn't around to do the chopping, because he's at work.  In the past, I would order pizza or Chinese food & veg out in front of the television.  Now, after years of my own yummy food, I just can't bring myself to pay $30+ for lousy take-out for 2 people.

So, I've had to come up with a few strategies for the "I don't wanna cook!" nights.

• Pizza - with a few veggies & a pre-made crust, we can have yummy, vegan pizza in 30 minutes or less (LOL).  Here are a few of my pizza combos

• Vegan sausage, mushrooms, tomato sauce
• Mushrooms, onions, basil, some pre-made vegan cheese (either homemade if I have it or store-bought)
• Broccoli, vegan feta (homemade), kalamata olives & spinach
• "beef" flavored TVP, jalapenos, refried beans & vegan cheddar (store-bought)

• Risotto - we always have some veggies & arborio rice around, & that's all it really takes to make a risotto.  I pretty much just pick a broth, add wine, sauteed onions, some vegan margarine & vegan parmesan & a veggie or 2 & an herb
• Mushroom & Spinach
• Asparagus 
• Broccoli
• Winter squash
• Peas (add lemon juice)
• you get the point...experiment

• Quinoa  Bowl - I stole this from a local restaurant, Dandelion Communitea Cafe.  
• 2 servings Quinoa
• 1 can any beans, drained, rinsed & warmed
• 2 raw veggies, chopped or sliced
• Any salad dressing
• Cook the quiona (directions here).  While it's cooking, chop the veggies & cook the beans.  Spoon the quiona into a bowl, add the beans & veggies, top with dressing...mix &  eat!

• Freezer foods - just make a big batch instead of enough for your meal.  When dinner is over, take a few moments to portion out & freeze the leftovers.  Just be careful with gravies, they tend to separate when frozen & thawed.
• Soups
• Chili
• Enchiladas
• Lasagne
• Spaghetti & other pasta sauces

So, there it is...this vegan witch has more important things to do tonight than make an elaborate dinner.  I'm headed into the kitchen to tear mushrooms & spinach into a skillet of risotto that I shall stir deosil as my mind wanders.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Quick Fall Pudding

I love to get creative with Fall vegetables.  Here are a couple of recipes that highlight Sweet Potatoes & Pumpkin...oh, and they're Dessert!  As a plus, they're also vegan.

Quick Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pudding

3 cups coconut milk*
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup corn starch in 1/2 cup cold water
Powdered cinnamon to taste
1 sweet potato (about 1/2 cup cooked)

Microwave sweet potato.  While it's cooking, add the rest of the ingredients except cornstarch mixture to a medium sauce pan & simmer.  Add mashed sweet potato & use immersion blender to make a smooth mixture (or you can put it in a blender, but take the cinnamon sticks out 1st).  Bring to a boil & slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture - only stir in enough to get to desired thickness.  Divide into 3 or 4 ramekins or small bowls & sprinkle with cinnamon.  Can be served warm or cold.

*For home made coconut milk mix 1 part dried, unsweetened coconut with 2 parts very hot water & blend.  Strain & press to extract as much liquid as possible.

Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups fresh cooked or canned pumpkin
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Prepare muffin pan with papers & preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Blend pumpkin, oil, coconut milk in a blender until smooth.  Pour wet mixture into dry & stir gently until combined.  Pour batter into muffin papers.  Bake for 40 minutes (Watch your cooking time, all ovens are different.  Muffins are done when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.)

These actually get better after storage in the freezer, so go ahead & take advantage of the availability of pumpkin now.

Both of these recipes can be made with either Pumpkin or Sweet Potato & are delicious either way.

I hope you enjoy these Samhain desserts.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

     )O(

Basil

She is my signature herb, so I chose Basil for the 1st of 52 herbs in 52 weeks.
Many varieties of basil exist because it has been around for ages.  Basil is a tender annual, but can be continued indoors when the weather gets cold so you can have this yummy herb all year around if you provide it with care.  Hindu’s regard Sacred Basil as one of their sacred plants. In Florida, we have great difficulty growing the ruffly sweet & ornamental basil, so I usually grow Thai basil or Bush Basil.
Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last spring frost date.  Once all frost danger has passed, you can transplant into the garden in an area of full sun.  In most zones, you can have successive plantings through July.
Begin harvesting when plants are 8 inches tall & before they bloom.  Harvest when the leaves are dry & from the main stem to improve bushiness.  Pinch off flowers as they start to bloom.  Basil can be dried, but tastes better if frozen (blanch leaves & freeze in ice cubes or freeze raw in oil).
Basil infusions are reported to promote digestion & may also help reduce a fever.
A kitchen witch’s dream, basil is so yummy & can be used in pastas, salads, dressings, with tomatoes, in pesto…the options are almost endless.  Here’s what I did last night: Compassionate Eggplant Rollitini
Associated with the planet Mars (Tuesday) & the element of fire, she can be used magically for:

• Love
• Wealth & Success
• Protection
• Consecration & Purification (tools & sacred spaces)
• House Blessings
• Handfasting
• Exorcism
• Funerals

“Try sprinkling basil around the bedroom to banish any negative emotions & bad feelings after a lover’s spat.” ~ Herb Magic for Beginners by Ellen Dugan.  Work in a clockwise direction, sprinkling basil in the corners while weaving an appropriate spell.
**Tip** Basil repels many flying insects!  Try putting some on your picnic table – crush the leaves to release the fragrance.
Share what you know about this glorious herb.
Sources:  Your Backyard Herb Garden, Herb Magic for Beginners, To Light a Sacred Flame, The Essential Herb Garden
~~~Remember, all information in these posts are for magick, well being, health promotion, and fun…nothing is designed to diagnose or treat a medical illness.~~~ Just a little legal stuff.

Parsley

 
There is a myth that only a witch can grow parsley, but I’ve seen many gardens housing this wonderful herb.  Personally, however, I was never successful with growing parsley until I entered my witchdom . Slow time to germination seems to be the issue here.  The seed is coated with a compound inhibiting germination.  Sprouting the seeds (like you do edible sprouts) overcomes this issue. Or just purchase seedlings from the local organic nursery.  Parsley prefers full sun or partial shade, you might be able to grow it in shade, but your plant will be less than satisfactory.  As many herbs, she doesn’t enjoy wet feet, so keep parsley in well-drained, but moist soil.  To get the best production, use an organic fertilizer. As a relative to celery, parsley is a biennial – returning to the garden year after year once established in some areas.  Because she likes temperatures from abou5 50-70 degrees best, parsley doesn’t enjoy my hot summer weather here in Florida & is prone to die as the weather gets hot.  I’m thinking of bringing her into the kitchen as a houseplant, because it’s reported she does well as one.

Brand New Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail butterflies use parsley as their host plant, so if you’re interested in visits from this beautiful creature, add some to your garden.
A medicinal herb, long before it was ever used in cooking, parsley is reported to have numerous health benefits.

“The activity of parsley’s volatile oils qualifies it as a “chemoprotective” food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke).”

Parsley is known to benefit:

• bad breath due to it’s high chlorophyll content

Parsley is great as a garnish for barbeque, because it helps neutralize some of the carcinogens found in charcoal smoke.  High in Vitamins A, C & K, parsley is great as an antioxidant.  But, if you’re taking blood thinners, talk with your doctor before consuming a lot of parsley.  It’s also a good source of folic acid, which is terrific for heart health & protection against some cancers.
Historically, parsley was used by the Greeks in funeral wreaths (it is known to mask odors) & by the Romans during/after orgies covering the alcohol on their breath.
Bound to Mercury & air, parsley is associated with lust, good luck, communication with the otherworld, protection, purification, fertility, divination, passion, meditation & rituals for the dead.
Try using parsley as one of your herbs in a purification bath.
Parsley has a strong feminine link.  It has been reported to be a powerful aphrodisiac for women.  Recently, I used parsley in a broccoli risotto to test this property…I’ll just say it was a nice evening!
So, the next time you see that parsley garnish on your plate, go ahead & munch away.  Or, put some parsley into your kitchen witch’s cabinet & see what you can cook up!
Wild & Bright Blessings!
~*Rhi*~

The Magic is in Your Hands