a wedding + a graduation + a vanilla cake recipe to celebrate (vegan)

Hello there. 

Yes, I have been gone for a while ... but I have a very very good excuse.  

Since my last post I became a wife, a natural foods chef, and .... a spaghetti pomodoro connoisseur {more on that later} 

Three weeks ago, Michael and I got married in Mexico. It was the most magical, breathtaking, amazing weekend of my life.  I never pictured that a single event can be so special, so meaningful, so beyond my wildest dreams.  I feel blessed to have some many wonderful friends and family, old and new, and now a wonderful husband to share my life with.  Life is good.  

The Thursday before our wedding, we hosted a dinner for our nearest and dearest at a restaurant in Tulum called Hartwood.  It was one of the best meals I have ever had. The ambiance, rustic and chic, was so unique and only enhanced the whole experience.  The food was simple and absolutely incredible.  Everything they serve is fresh and local, fish that was caught the same day, vegetables that were just picked, so you can imagine how everything tasted. 

{{These gorgeous photos you are about to view were taken by a guest, dear friend and wedding photographer Meghan Capozzi Rowe. To view more of her fabulous work visit her site at www.mecimages.com }}

If I had to use one only word to describe our wedding day, the word that rings loud in my head is: magical. Our venue, an Italian duchess estate that was converted into a boutique hotel, was the perfect place to house all of our guests and throw a big party.  It felt like home for the few days we were all there. 

The day of the wedding, I was overwhelmed by how beautifully our wedding planners & fabulous floral designer transformed the estate into something both fun and romantic.  Everything from the mariachi band to the food was perfection.  Beyond what I could have ever imagined.  

To top things off, Saturday night was a full moon. Not just any full moon, it was a supermoon which means the moon was the closest it has been to the earth in the past five years.  We did not realize this was going to occur until the night before, and what a fantastic happening.  It made for a gorgeous backdrop to our dance floor, and I do believe it added to the absolute craziness that ensued on the dance floor that night. 

I came home in-between our wedding and honeymoon because I had another important event I had to participate in, my graduation from culinary school.  I am now a certified natural foods chef. I am so excited and proud to have this title, and I could not be more ready to take on the world of {healthy} foods. 

Now, back to business, and by business I mean CAKE. 

We did not have a cake at our wedding. Instead, we had a few other favorites of mine, coconut, apple, and key lime pies. But, since there was no cake, I thought it was appropriate to bake a cake for myself when I got home. In celebration of being married, of being a chef, and of just being. 

This is one of the most moist and flavorful vanilla cakes I have ever baked, of both vegan and non-vegan recipes. Non-vegan cake lovers would never ever know this was made with no butter or eggs.  It's incredible. Although I did make some minor additions, I can take no credit in the creation of this amazing recipe.  I owe it all to Fran Costigan, the vegan baking diva.  She came to speak at one of our last classes and totally inspired me in all sorts of new ways. I also got a signed copy of her book : More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally, which is where this recipe can be found.  It is not to be missed.  

Cheers!  To health, happiness, and really good cake! 

vanilla cake with a lemon pistachio cream {vegan}

Makes 
8" two-layer cake which is about 8-10 servings

** Plan ahead: you will need to allot about 4-8 hours of sit time for the frosting and cake. 

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of canola oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
3/4 cup of vanilla almond or soy milk
3 tablespoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

For the icing:

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
14-16 oz package of firm tofu, blanched (instructions to follow)
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 tablespoon of smooth cashew butter
1/2 cup of natural cane sugar
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract
1/3 cup of pistachios, finely chopped 

Directions

• Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350º. Oil two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. 
• Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients. 
• Whisk the oil, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and vinegar in a separate medium bowl until well blended. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a whisk until the batter is smooth. 
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are golden, and the sides have started to pull away from the pan. 
• Cool the pans on racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife between the cake and the inside of the pan. Invert each layer onto a rack. Remove the pans and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Invert the layers again top-side up onto a rack. Cool completely. 
• Gently, without breaking the cake apart, wrap them each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-8 hours, until cold, before frosting.

 While your cake it cooling make the frosting. 

• Start by blanching the tofu. Place a medium sized pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the water from the heat and add the tofu. After 4-5 minutes remove the tofu, strain it, and allow it to cool to room temperature. 
• Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the oil, cashew butter and process for 2-3 minutes, stopping several times to scrape down the sides. 
• Add the sugar, salt, and lemon juice and process for 1-2 minutes more, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon extract and pulse a few times to incorporate. 
• Refrigerate the mixture in a covered container for a 4-8 hours to allow the flavors to blend and for the cream to thicken. {Do not be afraid if you try the frosting and it has a slight tofu taste. This will go away after the forsting has had a few hours to chill and blend flavors.}

To assemble the cake:

• Place the bottom layer on a plate or serving platter. Spread 1/2 of the frosting over the top and sides. Then place the top layer and finish frosting the top and the sides of the cake. 
• Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and serve immediately.  You can also refrigerate and serve later.  This cake keeps well for about 5-7 days, depending on the freshness of your ingredients. 

Enjoy.  

soba noodles with ramps & kale

It's that time of year again. Pastels, sunshine, open-toed shoes, and RAMPS. 

Yep, that's right. RAMPS. Capital R-A-M-P-S.

If you live in my corner of the world, the NE US, then you probably understand my excitement for this delightfully flavorful unique Allium (fancy word for the onion family).   

Ramps are a cousin to the leek. That really cool, good-looking cousin who travels the world and comes to visit once a year and parties all weekend long and then leaves. 

Ramps are best described as a leek, onion, garlic, chive, scallion and green onion combo. Because they are only around for a short period of time, you have to grab them while you can. If you've never had ramps before and you've passed by them at your local farmers market or grocery store, you need to pick some up.  You'll thank me. 

If you're still shaking your head totally confused as to what I am talking about, you probably live somewhere where they do not have ramps, and I'm sorry.

But, don't fret! You can still recreate this dish and any other dish that calls for ramps by substituting green onions, or leeks.  It will not be exactly the same experience, but you can pretend. 

/// On a totally separate but equally as enthusiastic note, in exactly 1 week and 2 days from this post Michael and I will be saying 'I do" on the beach in Mexico with our closest friends and family by our side.  Although I am beyond excited for this event which we have been planning for over a year, I am sad that I am not spending as much time here, on this blog, with my readers and fellow food friends. To make up for it, I promise to post lots of pics of mexico and the wedding week, and tons of inspired recipes when I return. In the meantime, you can also check me out on twitter and instagram for more frequent updates and fun photos from the week. \\\\

soba noodles with ramps & kale

{ If you are not able to find ramps at your local grocery store or farmers market, you can easily substitute with green onion, spring onion, or even leeks (although, leeks would require a slightly longer cooking time). Also, this noodle salad lends itself nicely to lots of vegetable combinations ... so go ahead and experiment! } 

Serves
2 people

Ingredients

6-8 oz  of soba noodles
a dozen ramps, with the roots discarded
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (or another high- heat oil for sautéing)
2 cups of kale, packed, and chiffonade 
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 tablespoon of  tamari
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
a generous pinch of red pepper flakes 
black and white sesame seeds for garnish

 Directions

• Place a pot of water on the stove, bring to a boil, and cook your soba noodles according to the package. 
• While you are waiting for the water to boil, sautée the ramps.  Using a cast iron pan, heat up the grapeseed oil and add the ramps.  Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the white parts are very tender and the leaves are wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
• In the same pan, sautée the kale.  Add the remaining tablespoon of grapeseed oil and cook the kale until it is wilted, about 6-8 minutes. 
• Lastly, assemble the noodles. After you've strained the soba noodles, place them in a large bowl and toss them with the peanut oil, tamari, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Then add in the cooked ramps and kale.  Give it another good toss.  Adjust oil / seasoning as desired.  
• Serve warm with the black and white sesame seeds as a garnish. 

Enjoy.  

date & almond balls rolled in coconut

Click to read more ...

zucchini, red bean & quinoa cakes

I have a savory tooth. Is that even an expression? Well it is now. 

If you placed a piece of vanilla cake with vanilla frosting in front of me and a zucchini red bean and quinoa cake and said pick one, I'd no doubt go for the zucchini red bean quinoa cake. 

Then I'd ask nicely if I can have the vanilla cake back for dessert. 

I feel that most people would be able to define themselves as either a savory person or a sweet person.  Don't you? It does not mean that you do not enjoy both, it just means that if given the choice between the two, you'd opt for one over the other.

Since I'm a savory gal, I love savory cakes of all shapes and sizes. These little cakes, however, are my new fav. They're a combination of a couple of different cake recipes we have made recently in class. Zucchini cooks up nicely with the red beans, and the quinoa and millet are used to hold everything together (and make them super awesome). 

Oh, and in case you didn't know, quinoa cakes are all the rage right now amongst savory and sweet people alike.  If you haven't tried one, you need to go and make these now and find out why. 

 
zucchini & red bean cakes

{Inspired by a few differnt recipes I have made in class at The Natural Kitchen Cooking School}

Makes
About 6-8 cakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup of zucchini, grated (unpeeled)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of onion, minced 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of red beans (kidney beans)
1/2 cup of quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup of millet, cooked
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt & pepper

a couple of tablespoons of grapeseed oil

optional garnishes: lemon, parsley, sesame seeds

Directions

• Place the grated zucchini into a strainer in the sink or over a bowl and rub the 1/2 teaspoon of salt into it. Let it drain for about 20 minutes. 
• While the zucchini is draining, sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until they are browned. 
• Then, in a large bowl, smash the red beans with a fork until they form a thick paste. Then add in the other ingredients for the cakes: zucchini, onion, garlic, quinoa, millet, and lemon juice, and then season with salt and pepper. 
• Once all of your ingredients are combined, form the mixture into small patties. 
• To cook the patties, heat up a couple of tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat.  Add the cakes, as many as will fit comfortably in the pan, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (until they are browned).  Be careful when you're flipping the cakes, they can fall apart easily if you're not gentle with them.  
• When they're cooked on both side, transfer to a plate and garish with the optional lemon juice, parsley, or sesame seeds. Serve warm. 

Enjoy.

 

(make ahead) grow your own basil and make basil infused oil

Click to read more ...