Can you guess which one of these bad boys got roasted and baked into a yummy bread today?

If you guessed the kabocha squash, and not either of those other shady-looking hooligans up there, you win!

Mmmmm, sweet and fluffy bread…

I have been racking my brain for what to do with that kabocha for weeks now. Then I remembered the vegan pumpkin bread that I made a while back and thought, “Hmm…I wonder how that would taste with kabocha instead?”

First, I made kabocha puree with the exact same method I use to make pumpkin puree.

I followed the same recipe as the pumpkin bread, but here are the ingredients again anyway:

• 1 cup kabocha puree
• 1/4 cup softened Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Lucas took great interest in the whirring sounds coming from the stand mixer.

He was very suspicious and glared at it with malice as I added my dry ingredients to the wet.

When the batter was mixed I tossed in a few handfuls of pecan pieces, somewhere between 1/2 cup and 3/4?  I’m not sure how much really. It usually won’t affect a recipe to add as much mix-ins as you like.

Those got stirred in by hand…

The mix was scooped into a buttered and floured loaf pan.  I sprinkled a bit of sugar on top before baking it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Out came this hot, fluffy pillow…

I let it cool to the touch before turning it out onto a cooling rack.  Then, the slicing!

Yum! This one was even better than the pumpkin bread. The texture was fluffier and lighter and the flavor was more earthy and intense.

Kabocha pecan bread

A fluffy autumnal vegan snack bread with flavors of savory kabocha and nutty pecans.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup kabocha puree
• 1/4 cup softened Earth Balance (or butter)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Cream together butter and sugars with a mixer.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together and add to the creamed butter and sugar.
3. Slowly pour in almond milk while mixing on a low setting.
4. Stir in pecans by hand.
5. Pour batter into a buttered and floured loaf pan, top with a sprinkle of sugar for added crunch.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
7. Turn out and let cool on a rack completely before slicing.
8. Store in refrigerator.

Thinking very seriously about whipping up some of that cinnamon “cream cheese” frosting that I used on my apple bars to top this with!

November 28, 2010 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 8 comments

Yesterday was gross out so I had to skip my trip to the market that I had planned. We had very little left to make anything with but I think I managed to create something so great you wouldn’t realize it was made from scraps!

When I don’t know what I’m making for dinner I usually start making rice and chop up an onion, there are many possibilities that can blossom from that beginning. Last night I did just that with the addition of a chopped red pepper as well.

They sweat it out in the pan while I got to work on pressing some tofu.

When the peppers and onions were soft and browning, I added the tofu. Shortly thereafter I plopped on a couple spoonfuls of this black bean sauce.

It doesn’t really matter how much sauce you add, it won’t ruin it to put too much or too little. Just make it as saucy as you want it!

I spooned it over fluffy jasmine rice. Check out all the steam, it was super hot!

It was very warm and comforting on a cold and rainy evening.

Black bean tofu with veggies

An easy vegetarian dinner with only a few ingredients and the salty-sweet and spicy flavor of black bean sauce.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu (pressed and cubed)
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• approx. 3 tbsp. black bean sauce
• sesame oil for sauteing

Cooking Directions

1. Dice peppers and onions and saute in sesame oil.
2. When onions are starting to caramelize, add tofu cubes.
3. Add as much black bean sauce as desired and stir.
4. Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Poor Jeff is still sick. He’s already downed one whole batch of my cold cure drink so it was time to make some more last night.

I didn’t have any apple cider so I used plain water and added a thinly sliced apple and a big spoonful of my gingery pear and apple sauce. You wouldn’t have known it wasn’t cider.

He’s been sipping on it constantly and it’s definitely helping him to be able to at least go to work.

Ok, today I need to get everything ready to make a dessert for Thanksgiving with my side of the family tomorrow. Details on that to come!

November 24, 2010 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments

Achievement unlocked!

I have absolutely hit on a divine combination with this one.  I cannot believe that from such humble stuffs arose this magical creature.

I started by chopping a whole onion and two cloves of garlic and let them start to brown in sesame oil. When they were just starting to caramelize I threw in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.

After those had a few minutes to warm up I added a generous swishing of soy sauce, a tsp. or so of rice vinegar, two squirts of hoisin sauce, and a few teeny dollops of chili garlic sauce.

After a few more minutes the sauces had reduced and glazed the chickpeas and onions with a spicy, salty, sweet coating.

It sits on a bed of jasmine rice, fluffy like a pillow. Toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions top it all off.

This was one of those dishes where I had little idea what I was making until I was halfway there. I assure you it will go swiftly into the “make again” file, it’s just too easy and too good!

Spicy chickpea and onion donburi

Chickpeas and onions glazed with a spicy sauce, served over rice.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• approx. 1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• sesame oil for sauteing

Cooking Directions

1. Saute diced onion and garlic in sesame oil.
2. When onions begin to caramelize, add chickpeas and sauces.
3. Allow sauces to heat up and form a glaze over the chickpeas and onions.
4. Serve over jasmine rice and top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds if desired.

It’s glorified rice and beans, people!  And it’s insane!

November 16, 2010 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 5 comments