stuffedveggies

Monday, December 15, 2014

My Mom's Chocolate Icing

Mom's Chocolate Icing

Mom's Chocolate Icing was a childhood highlight. Mom rarely cooked. It was even more rare that she made dessert -usually only for occasional Birthdays or for Covered Dish Dinners - and we kids really looked forward to the Chocolate Icing. The cake was optional in our minds - just the Icing, please!

Now I use the same recipe, Veganized, to make birthday treats for my daughter.

For a Children's Version of this recipe, check out this post!

Her original recipe was like this:

Mom's Original Chocolate Icing
Melt together in Saucepan:
3 Squares unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
3 Tablespoons Butter

Mix Separately:
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
7 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Blend in melted Chocolate mixture, mixing well with an electric mixer. Add milk or powdered sugar, as needed to thin or thicken.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mom's Chocolate Frosting

Over the years, I discovered that it was more economical to use Cocoa instead of Baker's Chocolate - and nobody could tell the difference. Then I Veganized it. I served my recipe to Mom, and she couldn't tell mine from hers - neither could anyone else!

Mom's Chocolate Icing, Veganized
Melt in Microwave or saucepan
1/3 cup Earth Balance or similar Vegan Buttery Spread
Mix in
1/3 cup Cocoa
Dash Salt
Teaspoon Vanilla
Stir in
4 Tablespoons Nondairy Milk (I use Soy)
Then, gradually add, while mixing with an electric mixer
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
(add more Powdered Sugar or more Nondairy Milk to achieve desired spreading texture)

This Frosting Freezes well - you can decorate Cupcakes and wrap them airtight to freeze (in such a way that the frosting isn't damaged) Thaw at room temperature, without unwrapping.

This is being shared at:
Motivation Monday
What'd You Do This Weekend?
The Art of Homemaking Monday
The Thrifty Home: What's For Dinner?
Anti-Procrastination Tuesday
Virtual Vegan Potluck
Think Tank Thursday
Home Acre Hop
Inspire Us Thursday
Simple Saturdays
From the Farm

Monday, December 8, 2014

A Vegan Month of Winter Meals

my new method for planning a month of meals in 10 minutes

Using my new method for planning a month of meals in 10 minutes, I put this menu together for the next month of meals.

Having a month of meals all planned makes planning a grocery trip a breeze, and bulk cooking is much easier, too. In fact, the day after I made this plan, I put together a few meals for the coming week in about an hour : )

This is a month of all-Vegan meals, for a Lenten or Fasting season for Orthodox Christians, or for a family that is always Vegan. It is easy to supplement with some fish or meat if you have an Omnivore family member.

Whenever I serve these meals, I routinely add things like Salad, Bread, Veggies & Dips, and Olives & Pickles, and Fruit for Dessert to the menu - so I don't usually write those things down. Whenever I grocery shop, I automatically add the produce necessary to my grocery list.

This menu has lots of warming Soups & Casseroles, and lots of meals that can be prepared from the pantry & mostly from vegetables that are readily available in Winter.

All the links are "clickable" for the menu. And, I'm adding a few pictures to pique your interest. Scroll past the pictures for the entire month's menu.

Pad Thai, Simple Vegan

Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )

Fill Your Own Tortilla Night

Lentil & Rice Salad

Stuffed Manicotti

This is being shared on
Menu Plan Monday
Motivation Monday
Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural
Virtual Vegan Potluck
Penny Pinching Party
Real Food Fridays

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Family Favorite Lentil Soup	Red Lentil Soup - Moroccan or Sephardic Styles	Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )	Black Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)
Chili Cornbread Casserole	Stuffed Manicotti	Lentil Shepherd's Pie	Tofu Tamale Pie
Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )	Pad Thai, Simple Vegan	Lemon Rice with Peas	Teriyaki Veggies over Rice
Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )	Greek Style Black-Eyed Peas ( Louvia )	Indian Spiced Blackeye Peas over Rice	Red Lentil & Artichoke Stew
Veggie Burgers Potatoes Slaw	Fajitas, Veggie	Southwest Black Bean Burgers Potatoes Lentil & Rice Salad	Fill Your Own Tortilla Night
Alphabet Soup ( Pasta e Fagioli )	Orzo Pilaf Peas	Vegan Sausage Patties Naan Fattoush	Mediterranean Chickpeas & Vegetables
Red Beans over Rice	Greek Green Beans ( Fasolakia Yachni )	Confetti Spaghetti	Eggplant Stew

Monday, December 1, 2014

Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas

Orthodox Nativity Icon from Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

The Christmas Feast is a huge event in a Christian household. After Advent, it is quite a Celebration!

Even as a child, long before I was Vegetarian, it was never the main dish that interested me, but rather the side dishes, appetizers and desserts. For that reason, my Christmas Dinner ideas don't focus much on "Mains" but on all the many dishes that make a wonderful feast.

For practical reasons - it's good to have a mix of simple & complicated, make-ahead, and fix-right-before, and slow-cooker, oven, stove-top and no-cook sort of dishes. I've endeavored to provide that sort of blend here.

Here are some ideas to get YOUR creative ideas flowing:

Dips Buffet for a Party
Despite the picture - this link has SEVERAL different Vegan dip recipes : )

Red Pepper & Walnut Dip or Spread

Vegan Holiday Appetizers

Vegan Mock Crab Cakes

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Marinated, Grilled Tofu

Greek Stuffed Veggies ( Gemista )
This is also a slow cooker recipe, if you need it to be! : )

Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )
This is also a great starchy side dish for Omnivores!

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

Cauliflower & Capers

Green Beans Almondine

Rosemary Roast Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Simply Zucchini Saute

Stuffing, Low fat & Vegan

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet & Sour Sweet Potatoes

Veggies Vinaigrette

Carrot Raisin Salad without Mayonnaise

Farro Salad, Mediterranean

Fruited Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Lentil & Rice Salad

Mediterranean Two Bean Salad

Mix & Match Italian Rice Salad

Quinoa and Lime Salad

Birthday Treat, Easy Vegan
(You can see how this would work for Christmas, too, right? ; )

Crispy Rice Cupcakes
These can accommodate multiple allergies - although they DO have Peanut Butter in them.
They're great for the Gluten-Free folks if they're made with GF Crispy Rice.