The June Gloom Cure-All

Here in San Diego we often have overcast skies (caused by the marine layer) during the late spring/early summer. In May, we call it "May Gray." In June, it becomes "June Gloom." Yes, living in paradise is awful! How do we manage to live through this for 2 whole months? ;)
These muffins just might be the magic elixir that takes away all the dreary yuckiness that comes with living by the coast!
No matter the weather, these sunny muffins are sure to brighten anyone's day.

Note: I used cow's milk and dairy yogurt to make these but they are extremely easy to convert back to a vegan baking recipe since they are already egg-free. Just sub non-dairy yogurt and milk.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (they are vegan if you use non-dairy yogurt)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (again, vegan if you choose a plain or vanilla non-dairy milk)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (omit if you use vanilla yogurt)
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed (a coffee bean grinder is a great tool for grinding these)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, squeeze out and reserve all the juice (do not use fresh pineapple, it will interfere with the leavening process)
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 generous tsp. grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with unbleached paper liners.

1. Whisk the yogurt, milk, vanilla if using, and ground flaxseed together in a large bowl.

2. Squeeze the pineapple really well to ensure that you've removed all the juice. Add the pineapple pieces to the bowl along with the reserved juice, carrot, orange zest, raisins, cranberries, and coconut. Whisk thoroughly.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients but do not over-mix.

4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and then bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Reference:
Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins from Veganomicon.

My changes:
I subbed 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup cranberries for the 1/2 cup raisins called for in the original recipe.
I added 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract since I used plain yogurt.
Changes to try in the future: Use half whole-wheat flour, half all-purpose. Add in some cardamom/sub it for the cinnamon. Sub fresh grated ginger for ground ginger. Actually make them vegan with almond milk and non-dairy yogurt. Try them with golden raisins/try mixing it up with other dried fruits.

Note:
These do not rise much (in fact, they're pretty flat!)
Feel free to fill those muffin cups full of batter (the batter, by the way, tastes great!)

Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry

Yum! This is wonderful!
I really recommend cooking the quinoa in the pineapple juice, but you can use leftover quinoa if you have any sitting around. I'd really like to try adding other veggies to this next time - mushrooms, broccoli, julienned carrots, maybe some zucchini or eggplant...

This is a great source of vegetarian protein. Quinoa is also a decent source of iron which makes it even more fabulous!


Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the Quinoa:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup cold water
1/8 tsp. soy sauce

For the Stir-Fry:
2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews; chopped up
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Small piece of ginger (about 1/4-inch), peeled and minced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas or cooked edamame
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
5 ounces pineapple, chopped up into bite-size pieces (I actually cheated and used crushed pineapple)
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth

Method:
1. Prepare the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water, and 1/8 tsp. soy sauce in a saucepan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir and then lower the heat to low. Cover and cook 10-14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. Chill the quinoa for at least an hour in the fridge.

2. Use a large nonstick skillet or wok. Have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before you start! Place the chopped cashews in the dry pan and heat over low, stirring constantly until lightly toasted, 4-5 minutes.

3. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside. Raise the heat to medium and add the oil, onions, and garlic. When the garlic sizzles, add the ginger and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry another 3-4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil and mint, and stir another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

4. In a measuring cup, mix together the soy sauce and vegetable broth. Pour over the quinoa and then stir to incorporate completely. Add in the cashews and continue to stir-fry 10-14 minutes or until the quinoa is very hot (use two spoons or a spoon and a spatula to help you scoop it up and stir).

Reference:
Based on the Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry recipe from Veganomicon.

Fabulous Peanut-Pineapple Extravagaza!

This is a vegan West African-inspired dish that Nestie branny shared. Oh my gosh, it's super tasty (just isn't all that photogenic so no picture!)
I served mine with couscous but you could use chick peas, rices, millet, quinoa, whatever you have!

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

2 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used red onion)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tbsp. olive oil or other vegetable oil
2 cups spinach, kale, or Swiss chard
1 cup undrained canned crushed pineapple
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy would work!)
1/2 tbsp. hot sauce
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Additional fresh cilantro to garnish
Optional: you can also sprinkle some chopped peanuts on top if desired

Method:
1. In a covered saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly browned, stirring frequently.

2. While the onions saute, wash the kale/chard/spinach. Remove and discard the large stems and any blemished leaves. Stack the leaves and slice crosswise into 1-inch thick slices.

3. Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale/chard/spinach, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Mix in the peanut butter, hot sauce, and 1/8 cup cilantro. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Reference:
branny on the Nest posted this. I'm afraid I forgot where she said she got the recipe from. :) I will have to ask and update this!

Yin-Yang Tofu Stir-Fry

I did take an actual photo of this but since my desktop computer is still not working (DH is thinking it's the motherboard which is going to be expensive since it's an older computer and will also need new memory, something else, and something else... no, I am not the computer nerd in this family! lol)... maybe I'll just get my iMac instead ;) In addition to that, my USB cable for my digital camera also went on the fritz and my work laptop that my printer is hooked up to will not do any of the fancy printer features like scan or allow me to stick my camera card in the front of the printer and then get my pictures from there... yes, high drama! lol ;) The cute dragon-y yin-yang will have to do for now!

So, I decided to call this yin-yang tofu since it's really called sweet and sour tofu and I figured "oh, opposites and balance! I'll call it yin-yang!" Yes, I'm a nerd... :) Well, I'm a Libra and I do tai chi so all that balance, Zen, yin-yang stuff can't be helped..! I like my cheesy blog post title!

If you would like to make a more carnivorous version of this meal, I'm sure it would be great with some thinly cut chicken breast strips or shrimp!

One quick change I would make next time: I'd let the tofu marinate in a simple marinade made with the pineapple juice, honey, soy sauce, and hot sauce. It was a bit blah... :) I may also add some additional veggies such as carrots and mushrooms next time.

Enough blabbering... here's the recipe! This was enough for 2 servings.

Ingredients:
1 block of water-packed extra-firm tofu (you will need the extra-firm, the wimpier stuff will not hold up as a stir-fry).
1 tsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 bell pepper cut into strips (I always cheat and use the pre-cut, tri-coloured frozen stuff from Trader Joe's! hee hee)
3/4 cup pineapple juice, divided (I just got a can of pineapple "rings" and used the juice from that since I couldn't find pineapple juice at the store and was feeling too lazy to really hunt for it)
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
2 pineapple "rings", sliced into little triangles
1 cup broccoli
1 cup snow peas
1 tbsp. honey or agave nectar for vegan version
1 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions
Hot cooked long-grain rice
A little fresh cilantro as a garnish

Method:
1. Cut the tofu into small bite-sized squares. Arrange the pieces in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Cover the tofu with additional paper towels and place a cutting board on top. Let it stand for about 15 minutes to drain. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt. Cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the tofu to a plate. Add the ginger, broccoli, and bell pepper to the pan; saute 2 minutes or until crisp tender.

3. Combine 2 tsp. pineapple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. Add remaining pineapple juice to the pan. Stir in the remaining salt, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and hot sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir well. Bring this mixture to a boil and then allow it to cook for 1 minute.

4. Return the tofu to the pan, stirring gently to coat. Stir in the onions, peas, pineapple. Spoon the mixture on top of hot cooked rice and then sprinkle with some chopped cilantro.

Reference:
I doctored up the Sweet and Sour Tofu recipe from the June 2007 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I would link to it but I can't find it on their website...
My additions: pineapple pieces, honey, broccoli, snow peas. I also used regular old hot sauce in place of the chili garlic sauce that was called for (might add a clove of garlic next time...)