Beets, Parsnips and Pineapple: A match made in veggie heaven

I had some pineapple juice leftover from a week ago when I made the Pineapple Cashew Quinoa Stir fry from Veganomicon. I didn't post that recipe because a) I had no time and b) the recipe didn't turn out so great.... I think because I did a few substitutions that I really shouldn't have. Lessons learned! But, a fellow blogger did post about that recipe here.

Anyway, I'd been wanting to use up the pineapple juice and I found a recipe earlier in the book for "Shredded Parsnip and Beet Salad in Pineapple Vinaigrette". Sounds like a strange combo, and the authors even acknowledge this when they say "At first blush, the ingredients look a little insane, but once they come together it is out of control delicious; earthy, sweet and fragrant." They also describe the salad as "magical"....how could I resist that description? I gave it a try, and I loved it!



NOTE: The authors explicitly say that you need to use a food processor to get the beets and parsnips to their desired uniform thinness. I ignored them and made this recipe with a normal hand shredder and it was fine (sort of like a wet coleslaw but better), however, I'd be curious to try once I get a good processor.

Dressing:
2 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 grapeseed oil (I actually have this, but I'm sure you could sub. in olive oil)
2 TBSP maple syrup (or agave or sugar if necessary)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk all of the above and set aside.

Salad:
1 pound beets (I used 3 medium sized)
1 pound parsnips (I use 2 medium sized)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint

Mix the beets and parsnips with the dressing and use tongs or your fingers (!) to squish the veggies down into the juice. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Add the mint and stir again. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating.

Pumpkin Bread (and procrastination)

Two of my favourite activities are baking, and procrastinating....and what better time to combine both activities than when you have a paper due?! You can all rest easy, the paper is as done as it's ever going to be, so now I have time to post a recipe to help YOU all procrastinate too :) For all those who think vegan cooking/baking is boring, let me introduce you to my favourite recipe for...

Pumpkin Bread, from “the complete vegan kitchen” by Jannequin Bennett (p. 259) This is how it turns out, and it is SOOOO yummy! I still have a few slices left if anyone wants to come by for a visit. PS. The plate it's resting on was made by yours truly!


You need a blender/food processor, a sifter, and a loaf pan to make this recipe.

2 Tbsp Flaxseeds
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can use mashed sweet potato instead)
½ cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour (I just used ALL whole wheat flour and it turned out fine)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ ground cloves
(you can replace the last 3 spices with 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice)

Use a 9-inch loaf pan, coat with oil or spray
Use blender/food processor to blend the flaxseeds with 6 Tbsp of water until light and frothy
Whisk together flaxseed mixture with sugar, pumpkin and applesauce
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices into the wet ingredients
Mix well
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350F for 1hr – 1hr 15 min.

fourth day of vacation, and my favourite muffins

today i stuck close to home. made a batch of vegan muffins, so thought i'd share the recipe.



Anything Goes Fruit Filled Muffins
from How it all Vegan

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sweetener
egg replacer (for 2 eggs) - I use 3 tbsp of apple sauce per egg needed
1/4 cup oil - I use sunflower
3/4 cup sour soy milk - just add 1 tsp of vinegar to the soy milk and stir
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit

Preheat oven to 350F.
Stir together first 3 ingredients.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
Bake 35-45 minutes.
Makes 6 large muffins.


Enjoy!!