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Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts

Moist Fruit Cake Recipe Gluten Free Vegan Egg free

Sunday, May 18, 2014

As far as cakes go my favourite cakes of all are moist cakes, there is something so very enjoyable about sinking your teeth into a great tasting cake that has a soft compact and moist texture. So you can well imagine how much I loved eating this cake!

My vegan moist fruit cake is also gluten free, the brilliant thing about this cake is that you would never know that there is no eggs, no wheat, no butter or gluten.

The taste of the rich dried fruits take over the whole cake with their sweet intense flavours. The combination of fruit ranging from raisins, sultanas, dates, apricots and some glazed cherries for the traditional finish are all so fabulous together.

I use hot water that I soaked the fruit in to give the cake mixture its moisture.

There is no need to use any egg replacers or large amounts of starches in my fruit cake recipe.

It is a really easy fruit cake recipe to bake.

The next day the cake develops its very own sticky and glossy topping - the cake is just so adorable and tasty I know you will love it.

Ingredients for moist gluten free fruit cake recipe
2oz Sultanas
2oz Raisins
2oz Dried unsulphured apricots
3oz Dates
12 Glazed Cherries (halved)
5oz Rice Flour
1/2 Tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
1 Tbsp Soya Flour
500ml Hot water
50ml Vegetable oil
4oz Dark brown muscovado sugar
1 Vanilla pod
1 Tbsp Canadied peel
1 tsp Sweet mixed spice
1 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1-2 tsp Vanilla essence

Picture of glazed cherries and dried fruit.

See how moist the fruit cake is as I squeeze it between my fingers?

See how the cake bounces back to shape as I let go?

How to make Jeenas Kitchen Moist Fruit Cake Recipe

Place all of the dried fruit and candied peel into a bowl.

Slice the vanilla pod in two and scrap out the vanilla seeds.

Place the seeds and the remaining pods into the bowl of fruit.

Pour over the hot water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

Place all of the dried ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add the cherries, vanilla essence and dried fruit mix lightly.

Add approximately half of the hot water you soaked the fruit in to the mixing bowl, only add a little at a time so you do not add too much water.

You want a thick textured cake batter.

Pour into a greased and floured square baking tin.

Bake in a hot oven at gas mark 6 for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is bouncy to the touch.

Do not open the oven door for at least 25-30 minutes.

Leave the cooked cake in the tray for a few minutes then turn out to cool on a rack.

Leave to cool.

Slice and enjoy Chef Jeenas delicious moist fruit cake recipe.

A tip from Chef Jeena - Eat my tasty moist friut cake when it is still warm from the oven with some custard poured over the top for a divine pudding.

See more gluten free recipe and vegan recipes

Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Karinas Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet

Baking gluten-free and vegan translates to one simple truth that is hard to teach. Because it can only be learned by experience. This one simple truth?

Unlearn everything you think you know- or thought you understood- about baking.

All those mandatory Home Economics classes about kneading bread dough for ten minutes to improve elasticity or leavening a cake with beaten egg whites wont help your inner Betty Crocker to bloom if youre gluten-free and vegan. In fact, clinging to old notions about what works- and what doesnt- might lead you down a rather prickly circuitous path to ruin. Not to mention, your personal Culinary Museum of Failure. But dont let this bare bones truth inhibit you.

In fact, let it free you.

Embrace your unlearning. Cast your tightly gripped assumptions about butter and cream and spelt and yolks out the kitchen screen door. Give them a boot. Wish them Vaya con Dios, because Kansas, Dorothy, is going bye bye. Welcome to Oz.

Some gluten-free folks bake vegan for ethical reasons- they dont eat anything with a face. Others are dairy-free or egg-free due to additional food allergies (common among celiacs and those on the neuro-diverse autism spectrum).

Whatever your reasons for baking g-free vegan, I welcome you with open arms. Ive been baking without gluten for seven-plus years. And June 2009 marks my second anniversary for baking strictly vegan- no dairy, no eggs, and just to keep life interesting, no soy. Or beans. My body is less than fond of anything in the legume family. Thats why you wont find me using tofu, soy milk or chick pea flour in my recipes. (But if they float your boat, have at em.)

One important note about gluten-free treats and ingredients-

My philosophy is that a treat should taste like a treat- especially if you bake with a limited palate. For sweetening I use organic golden brown sugar. I dont pretend my Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookie is health food. Its a cookie. If you need to balance your diet, make a soup chock full of seasonal veggies. Eat a crisp green salad topped with hemp or salba seeds. Whip up a fruit smoothie with rice protein powder. And if you crave a cookie, then go enjoy a cookie. Take a walk. Stretch. Breathe. A little sugar is not going to hurt you- unless you need to eat low glycemic; the choice then, is to use organic raw agave nectar (basically, fructose, which is metabolized by the liver and impacts blood sugar with less of a bang). But- and you suspected there was a but, right?- too much agave, like too much sugar, isnt necessarily a "healthier choice", either. Fructose- in any form- is still sugar, and should be enjoyed in moderation.

In the spirit of moderation, I follow two approaches- a traditional Mediterranean Diet approach to cooking that emphasizes extra virgin olive oil as the main fat (I use olive oil in place of butter as an Italian inspired bread dip, drizzled on baked potatoes, and whisked in salad dressings), plenty of fresh vegetables, gluten-free whole grains, and garlic with herbs. In cooking I use a higher smoke point avocado oil. The second approach I favor is a fusion of Asian and California vegan cooking that features fresh stir-fries, rice, and rice noodles, Thai-inspired sauces with coconut milk, salads, seaweed, non-GMO organic tofu, soaked nuts and vegetarian sushi.

For shortening in baking I use raw organic coconut oil, or sometimes Spectrum Organic Shortening made from palm oil. If you can use one of the organic non-trans fat vegan margarine spreads on the market, they should work in my recipes as long as the blend is suitable for baking (some light blends contain too much water for use in baking or cooking).

Im starting to experiment with more nut flours and coconut flour in baking. If youd like to add a nut flour to your g-free flour mix, feel free to replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of one of the higher protein flours I use (such as quinoa or buckwheat) with nut meal or coconut flour. Note: nut meals create a chewier texture; and coconut flour absorbs liquid, so use less liquid with coconut flour, or the result will be heavy.

Karinas Vegan G-Free Baking Cheat Sheet

My favorite protein rich gluten-free flours in vegan baking:

Sorghum flour
Almond flour
Hazelnut flour
Buckwheat flour

Millet flour

Quinoa flour
Brown rice flour

Coconut flour

More choices:

Cornmeal (certified GF)
Teff flour
Amaranth flour

Chick pea and bean flours

Soy flour

A blend of at least two gluten-free flours is best. Add a little starch or two to help the heavier g-free flours rise and stretch. In summer heat and humidity keep flours stored in the fridge (bean and brown rice flours especially can spoil quickly).

Starches for lightness and stretch:

Arrowroot starch

Potato starch (NOT potato flour)

Tapioca starch

Cornstarch

Add some flaxseed meal for fiber.

You need a gum:

In gluten-free baking, xanthan gum helps add viscosity and stretchy give to batters and doughs. Some folks are highly suspicious of xanthan gum, a mold derived additive grown on cellulose (usually corn), but to me, xanthan isnt all that scary; it is odorless and tasteless (if it isnt, youve got a bad batch). It doesnt come cheap; but a bag will last you for months; store it in the fridge.

For those who can handle legumes, guar gum is a cheaper, similar binding product made from guar beans. Note: those with sensitive digestion may react to guar gum (some report it works as a laxative).

For those of you baking gum-free, one alternative is to add a tablespoon of arrowroot starch to your basic g-free flour mix. It doesnt exactly replicate the viscosity that xanthan gum gives dough and batters, but. Hey. It helps. Flax seed gel helps a bit, as well.

Replacing eggs:

For most egg-free recipes, I use powdered Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with warm water. 1 tablespoon powdered replacer whisked with 4 tablespoons warm water equals 2 eggs. This works in cakes, cookies, muffins, and breads. It does not replace eggs in a custard based recipe, unfortunately.

If avoiding corn or potato starch, substitute 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or arrowroot starch plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe to help binding. You will need to increase leavening a bit to compensate; add 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

Flax seed is a choice (for those not allergic to flax seeds). Use two tablespoons ground flax meal plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder blended with 3 tablespoons of water for each egg called for in recipe.

Chia seeds can also- theoretically- be used as a gel for gluten-free baking. From the genus Salvia hispanica, chia is a plant in the Mint family- an excellent alternative for those of us allergic to flax seed.Just be careful it doesnt make the batter too gummy. Bake thoroughly.

Banana: Try a half mashed ripe banana plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder for each egg.

Mayo: Use 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise in place of one egg, for binding. I would add a little extra leavening- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

Tofu: Try using 1/4 cup silken tofu for one egg for binding; I would add a little extra leavening- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

Replacing Dairy:

This is the easiest part of vegan baking. Use your favorite non-dairy milk alternative in place of milk. To create a sour buttermilk taste, add a 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or light tasting vinegar to the non-dairy milk. Or add a tablespoon of Vegenaise. You can also use juice- in an apple cake or muffin, try apple juice or cider. In cakes and scones try orange juice, pineapple juice, or pear juice.

For replacing yogurt, any g-free non-dairy yogurt should work.

Replacing butter:

As mentioned above in the introduction, I use light olive oil or organic coconut oil in baking and it works like a charm (as well as being good for you). Start with LESS oil than the butter called for. At least 1 to 3 tablespoons less.

Other choices include Spectrum Organic Shortening (you can sub one to one for butter), or grapeseed oil, canola and safflower oil (use less than the amount of butter called for).

Fruit puree can also work as a fat sub, but some tinkering may be necessary. Start with only subbing half the fat and go slow. Mix up the batter and make sure its not too heavy. Applesauce, pumpkin, squash and sweet potato puree can all add low fat body to batters and breads. You may have to compensate for the added flavor- use extra spice (ginger, cinnamon) or more vanilla extract. Choose your pairings for compatibility- stronger tastes like sweet potato go better with deeper flavors like molasses, ginger and pie spices, for instance.

Storing G-Free Vegan Baked Goods

Freeze it. If youre not eating all of it, its best to slice, wrap in foil, bag, and freeze it. Even cookies. It seems like a pain to do this for simple things like cookies and brownies, but its worth the effort. It will keep your goodies fresh. And one advantage is youll have a store of ready-to-go treats on hand.

Troubleshooting in vegan g-free baking:

The cake or bread did not rise; or it rose and fell:

Too much liquid and not enough structure (sugar is structure, if you lessen it or replace it with agave, your batter may be too wet or too gummy), or too much leavening (it rose too fast then collapsed). Try using less liquid.

The oven temperature was too high or too low (every oven has its own personality). Test your oven with an oven thermometer- you might be surprised.

The pan was too small. If there is too much batter in a pan, the middle is thicker and takes longer to bake.

The pan was too big. A larger pan than called for results in a thinner, flatter end result.

You used frozen fruit and the batter got cold. Or you chill your flours or liquid ingredients; next time bring all ingredients to room temperature; use hot liquid.

Or mix your batter and let it sit for ten minutes.

Tips:

Batters should resemble slightly thicker, stickier versions of their wheat based counterparts. If a batter is too thin, add more g-free flour (not starch). If a batter is too thick add a tablespoon of warm water at a time until it reaches the right consistency. How will you know it when you see it? After baking awhile, you will develop an intuition about batters, and how they behave in your oven, at your altitude, season, and weather.

Karinas Notes on gluten-free vegan batter:

Gluten-free vegan batters are a tad different than wheat and white flour batters. They are stiffer at first, then stretch and get sticky as the xanthan gum and egg replacer do their thing.

If the batter "climbs" the beaters, slow down the speed and slightly lift the beaters to encourage the batter to move back down into the bowl. Move your beater around the bowl in figure eights, at a slight angle. Practice your technique- soon youll be winging around gluten-free vegan baking like a pro.

Vegan G-free Dough:

Yeasted g-free bread dough (and pizza dough) is less like traditional dough and more resembles a thick cake batter; you spread it with wet hands or spatula. If its too thick, I find the loaf turns out too dense. Check the consistency while mixing and adjust the wet to dry ratio if you need to.

Weather and humidity can influence dough; I find I need to tweak dough from time to time- adding an extra tablespoon of warm water if its too thick, or a tablespoon of sorghum flour if its too thin- like a thin cake batter. It needs to be more like thick cake or muffin batter.

If the weather is very humid, use less honey or agave- they are both humectant and attract moisture. Use less liquid as well- too much liquid makes a loaf gummy or sunken.

Use metal pans for baking. I use (Chicago Metallic).

If you use glass baking pans, read the manufacturers guidelines for glass pans; you may need to alter oven temperature by lowering it 25 degrees F.

I dont care for silicone baking pans. Im not sure gluten-free flours do either.

Trouble: The cake, bread, cookie, muffin wasnt done in the center; or it was gummy in the center.

Check the cake, bread etc before removing it from the oven. If the center of a cake, muffin or bread is soft, wiggly or depressed, bake it longer until it is firm to a light touch. Dont be afraid to bake it for another ten minutes or more if it needs it.

Test with a wooden pick. It should be clean when its done.

Note that every oven is slightly different, and your oven temperature may be hotter or cooler than mine; adjust the baking times to your oven. If you consistently need 5 extra minutes baking time, expect that. Or if you seem to need less, check for doneness sooner.

High altitude baking needs longer baking times. Some egg-free recipes, such as brownies, are really tough to bake at high altitude. You might try increasing oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

Your pan might be too large, or the batter too wet.

Using seed gels for an egg replacer can produce a gummy center. Even hemp seed "milk" might do this.

Too much fruit puree, frozen fruit, or too much liquid can all produce a gummy center.

I find that agave increases moisture in a recipe- like honey, its a humectant. If the center is gummy, cut back on the agave- especially if its humid.

Tips:

Measure the dry ingredients with dry nested cups - not glass liquid measuring cups.

Measure wet ingredients in glass measuring cups for liquid- not dry nested cups (there is a difference in volume!).

Spoon or pour dry ingredients into dry measuring cups and level off- do not scoop the cup into the flour bag.

Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.

Let your batter or dough rest after mixed. Gluten-free flours often benefit from a little extra batter time. Let the batter sit in the baking pan ten minutes before baking it.

If cookies spread too rapidly, chill dough for an hour first. Try using a silicone baking sheet liner. Try using a dark metal cookie sheet.

Weather affects ingredients. Flours can absorb humidity. Storing them in the fridge also adds dampness. You may need to use less liquid on rainy or humid days. Start with two tablespoons less.

For more baking tips on substitutions see this extensive post on G-Free Baking + Cooking for Food Allergies.

Raw Cashew Dip Vegan and Gluten Free

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Raw cashew hummus is creamy, vegan and delicious

Party worthy. Crisp fresh veggies and cashew dip.

Go Raw for a Creamy Dip

I've been eating hummus all week. Help. I can't stop. It all started when I whipped up a big batch of my tried and true favorite, a classic chick pea hummus recipe with tahini and lemon (though in full disclosure, I used lime juice instead of lemon). I munched it as a party worthy snack, with retro bunny carrot sticks as we rewatched some Mad Men episodes in anticipation of the coming season this Spring (sophisticated serial television that just keeps getting better and better, does it not?). Mad Men is a show with keen originality, surprises, and rare insights into sexual politics, power, culture, and marriage- not only enlightening those of us who lived through the sixties (I was- er, am- exactly Sally Draper's age, so many aspects of the show are akin to watching home movies), but connecting the dots that birthed our current consumer pop culture, in all its tarnished glitz and narcissistic glory.

Then I nestled dollops of the stuff on warm and comforting bowls of brown rice and stir-fried vegetables (recovering from said cultural insights, and newly minted wife-slash-copyrighter Megan's saucy rendition of Zou Bisou Bisou).

I ate and I ate.

And then there was no more. I was hummus-less. Without hummus. Bereft. An empty fragile goddess sans my favorite vegan protein complement.

So I began to scheme.

I pined for the opportunity to blog another hummus recipe, but I'd already shared not only my classic style hummus, but my irreverent upstart hummus with jalapenos, lime and peanut butter (which apparently, on some vegetarian forum raised an anti-goddess ruckus). Not to mention, my roasted red pepper hummus, perfect for 'Party On' mode (I hear tell there's a Big Game approaching).

My thoughts did a shuffle play through new and cool possibilities.

And I remembered my raw cashew cream recipe. Why not make it thicker? Why not make it into a hummus style dip? So I did the sensible thing. I soaked some cashews. And guess what?

Raw vegan deliciousness ensued.

Bisou. Bisou.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Spring Veggie Dip Gluten Free and Vegan

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Karina's gluten-free vegan veggie dip with carrot sticks.

Living rootless is a mixed gift bag. There are no neighbors who know my history, or my family. Or even my name (unless they happened to glance by accident at the removable punch-label on our mailbox that sports our shared surname, one half of the story). I have no garden to weed. No leaves to rake. No fence to paint. I walk the city block unnoticed (flirting with invisible) in frayed men's Levi's and a four-year old sweatshirt. I do not mind the anonymity. I find it kind. It suits me. Like my faded Converse One Stars.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Vegan Mushroom Pie Recipe Gluten Free

Friday, December 27, 2013

Eating vegan and gluten free does not mean you can not cook and eat a nice tasty pie.

Using my buckwheat pastry recipe today I cooked a mushroom pie with leeks and marrow fat peas.

To give my pie a rich brown colour I used browning but you can use a small amount of gluten free vegan gravy.

If you would love to try my mushroom pie using a wheat pastry then you can use white or brown wheat pastry instead of the buckwheat.

Using leeks and garlic to season the pie filling gives the pie a real depth of taste.

Ingredients for Vegan Mushroom Pie Recipe
10 Mushrooms (sliced thick)
1 Tin Marrow fat Peas
1 Onion (diced)
1/2 Leek (washed +diced)
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tbsp Browning
2 Tbsp Water
Rapeseed Oil
Chef Jeenas Buckwheat Pastry

Picture of Mushrooms.

How to make Jeenas Kitchen Vegan Mushroom Pie Recipe

In a large pan gently fry the onions until they start to soften.

Add leeks stir well and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir well.

Drain the peas add to pan.

Add browning and water.

Stir well.

Add mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook for 1 minute only stiring well.

You do not want to cook the mushrooms as they will cook in the pie.

Turn the heat off and remove pan from the heat while you make your pastry.

Take some of Chef Jeenas buckwheat pastry and roll it out.

Place it into a greased and floured small pie dish.

Leave high edges on the pie.

Place into a hot oven at 200C for minutes.

Take the pie base from the oven and pour the mushroom filling into the pie.

Roll out some more pastry and place on top of the pie.

Press down on the edges and cut the edges as desired.

I like a rustic look whilst cooking gluten free so when I cook this buckwheat pastry I leave the jagged edges on, the edges go crisp and are tasty to eat.