The Avengers Birthday Cake!

I have always been a soft-core, Marvel fan and since watching The Avengers by Marvel, you might say it has become an obsession. On my quest to have everyone I know become obsessed with the Avengers, I bought tickets for my mom, dad, brother, and myself to watch the movie in 3D.
Carrying my obsession over to the culinary arts, I made a cake for my brother's birthday featuring the heroic group.
The cake is an Asian styled cake, layered with vanilla chiffon, pandan agar and a taro filling. The entire cake is covered in whipped cream then drawn on with homemade piping gel.
Homemade piping gel is so worth it to make because you get exactly the color you'd like and you can flavor it with whatever essence you'd like. The only downside is using it after it has been stored; the gel congeals and when you try to break it up, it becomes lumpy and is very hard to pipe. One of my foodie cousins helped me smooth out the gel so that I could pipe it out; it was a painstaking process and I would have lost my head if she didn't help me.
I had found a photo online that I modified and used as a template. The piping gel transfer did not work very well for me but it did enough for me to retrace the picture. After that it was just a matter of precision and patience. Since smaller details were very hard to pipe on, I omitted the eyes and some minor lines.
I was nervous of the outcome but near the end I was quite proud of my accomplishment. And not only that, the cake was a hit amongst the guests and Tommy really liked it. Success!

Homemade Piping Gel  (about 1/2 cup)*

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
Gel Food Coloring of choice (opt)

Whisk sugar and cornstarch (cornflour) in a small saucepan.
Gradually add juice and then the water. Make sure there are no lumps.
Stir over medium/high heat until mixture boils and thickens.
Color as desired.

Will last about a month or so in the ‘fridge but will need to be at room temperature or reheated until smooth.

For the opaque white gel, I used 2 tbsp skim milk and omitted the lemon juice (cause it will curdle the milk). I also added a pinch of white vanilla powder for flavor.

I doubled the recipe for the primary colors, which was WAAYY too much. I have left over gel...what to bake next?

  

   

Cream of Broccoli Soup

While I made the Rabbit and Mung Bean Congee for the family, I quickly made a creamy and vibrant broccoli soup for myself, using a recipe I adapted from Gordon Ramsay but turning it into a cream-of soup. So good. I flippin love Broccoli.

 

Rabbit and Mung Bean Congee (Viet Dish)

Before I was a vegetarian, approx. three years ago, I was in Vietnam one summer and my cousin and I dropped by a local congee/rice porridge street vendor and ordered some rabbit and mung bean congee. Since I had been a fan of gamey meats, the rabbit was right up my alley. The restaurant served piping hot congee topped with mung beans, minced rabbit meat, scallions and a vegetable that I cannot find here nor know what it is called. It is similar taro stems, an ingredient used to make the delicious Vietnamese Spicy and Sour Soup. Since I did not have that particular ingredient, I omitted it in my version of the dish.
The rabbit was purchased at a Chinese supermarket, frozen and creepy looking as heck. Thawed and unpackaged, it looked even worst hahaha! This was my first time ever cooking with rabbit so it was a little nervous but the thing was dead, so whatever hahaha. (God I am a bad vegetarian...)
Instead of mincing the meat like the street vendor did, I chopped the bunny up and seasoned it slightly before adding it to a pot of water to create a Bugs Bunny stock. I had toasted some rice in my conventional oven before adding it to the boiling pot to slowly cook and break down.
Mung beans are amazing and these little green pellets were given as a gift to me on my last trip to Vietnam. Mung beans are so versatile as an ingredient. They are used to make savory and sweet dishes as well as bean sprouts, providing a good source of fiber and protein.  I placed 1 1/2 cup into my slow cooker the night before so that they would be nice and tender the next day. As soon as the rice cooked down and the soup was getting thicker because of the starch, I drained the cooked mung beans and added them to the pot.
Served piping hot with sliced scallions and fresh ground black pepper.

Silly Rabbit...

Mung Beans (photo from the web)

 

Grilled Halibut and Lemon-Dill Quinoa

So...it has been a VERY long time since I last posted anything on my blog, so my apologies. My schedule was very busy and I never had enough time to cook. I have also been away on a trip to Victoria, BC, visiting my best friend and some pals. Since Victoria is an island on the west coast of Canada, seafood is a must in local cookery. On the day I headed back, I dropped by Fisherman's Wharf and purchased some fresh crab, halibut, and smoked tuna for the flight home. As soon as I got home, I boiled the crab and served it to my family with a salt n' pepper with lime dip, which they LOVED. Mom said that the crab was delicious and coming from someone who does not enjoy crab, that means a lot.
For the halibut, I sliced it up into three portions and marinated it in a soy and sesame mixture. I grilled the slices on a hot griddle. I cooked up some quinoa and tossed it in some lemon juice, olive oil and chopped dill.  I drizzled a sweet soy and red vinegar reduction on the dish before serving it with some local Pinot Gris from the Vancouver Islands. Yummeh! :)

 

Watermelon Salad

I realize I have not been posting anything for the month of March (oopsies!) so, for the last day of this boring month, I present to you a deliciously bold and healthy salad. It combines sweet and salty flavors of fruit, cheese and nuts;  juicy watermelon with candied walnuts, and feta cheese in a salad that is finished off with a sweet n' tangy balsamic vinegar reduction. To die for; seriously. I highly recommend this for any Spring/Summer brunch!

Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup walnuts
sea salt

Toast walnuts until brown and aromatic. Set aside to cool

In a heavy sauce pan, caramelize the sugar on medium-low heat until all the sugar has melted and the caramel is a rich amber color. Remove from heat, add in the walnuts and fold in with a spoon or rubber spatula until walnuts are coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour coated walnuts onto the pan. working quickly, use two forks to separate the walnuts from clumping together. Sprinkle on a few pinches of sea salt before the caramel hardens. Leave to cool and harden overnight.

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
1 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of sugar (optional for extra sweetness)

In a saucepan, add in balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and set the heat on high. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning, letting the vinegar boil and reduce down to half. When the reduction thickens (coats a wooden spoon) remove from heat and let cool before serving or storing.

Vegan Cheese Sauce on Steamed Broccoli Florets

I wanted to have some cheese sauce on my broccoli florets but I didn't have any cheddar cheese on hand. However, I did have nutritional yeast, annatto powder and soy milk on hand, so I made a "cheez" sauce out of that.
Annatto is a natural coloring agent derived from annatto seeds in the achiote trees. When used as a coloring agent, the powder gives off a yellow to orange tint.
I added mustard for an extra kick in flavor, to imitate the zesty taste of cheddar cheese.


Vegan Cheez Sauce
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp flour
1 cup low-fat unsweetened soy milk/unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 tsp annatto powder
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes to create a roux. Stir in half the cup of milk and whisk until smooth; whisk in the remainder. Add in the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickens, then season to taste. Done!

I served mine over steamed broccoli florets and baby potatoes, served with some veggie chicken patties.

Creamy Spaghetti of Lobster and Breaded Veal Scallopini

My family flipping loves shellfish, especially lobsters and since the lobsters were on sale for 7.99/lb, I went and bought two for merely 50 bucks. Instead of boiling the dears alive (ahaha, gotta love my vegetarianism!), I gave them a quick death by piercing a knife swiftly into their head and between their eyes. I placed the lobsters in a pot with minimal boiling, salted water and steamed them for around 15 minutes. When cool enough to touch, I cracked them open, took out all the succulent meat, cut them into to chunks and set aside for the sauce. For extra lobster richness and flavor, I also scooped out the brains and reserved them for the sauce (sounds gross, I know, but it is soooo worth it!).
I made a simple béchamel sauce (that is actually vegan so that I could later use in my own pasta dish) and reserved it.While I boiled my spaghetti noodles (which were basil and tomato flavored), I sauteed some garlic with olive oil and the brains in a frying pan until aromatic and added in a splash of white wine, cooking it down as I added in the lobster meat. Season lightly with salt and pepper before spooning in the bechamel sauce, letting all the flavors mingle and simmer on low heat. As soon as the pasta was al dente, I scooped the pasta into the sauce and mixed it together with a ladle of the pasta water, which helps the sauce adhere to the noodles. Stir in some freshly chopped flat-head parsley (aka Italian parsley) and serve hot.
I served the spaghetti of lobster alongside breaded veal scallopini, topped with brussel sprouts that were cooked in a balsamic vinegar reduction. It's a very low-in-fat meal since the sauce is made with low-fat soy milk and olive oil rather than whole milk and butter. The breaded veal were fried lightly in grapeseed oil, so the fat content there is also low. Nutritious and delicious!!

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Vegan Béchamel Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 cup low-fat unsweetened soy milk/unsweetened almond milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes to create a roux. Stir in half the cup of milk and whisk until smooth; whisk in the remainder. Leave to simmer until thickens, then season to taste.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For my own veggie dinner, I had breaded eggplant rounds (I LOVE EGGPLANT) and a baked tofu and eggplant spaghetti with the vegan béchamel sauce. The baked tofu is a recipe that I tried out by The Vegan Zombie, and he has got me hooked. I've always disliked cooking with tofu but this baked tofu recipe is absolutely something I will make again.

EGGPLANT!!

To wash it all down, my brother made us a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage that is to DIE for! It's called Targa 911 and it is soooo goood!

1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1 1/2 oz. passion-fruit juice
3/4 oz. pineapple juice
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. non-alcoholic grenadine
1/2 cup ice

Stir all ingredients together in a cup or use a shaker. SO GOOD.

Vegan: Broccoli and Spinach Stuffed Pizza

I follow a vegan cook on Youtube called The Vegan Zombie and he had a recipe for stuffed pizza that I could not resist trying out. Since vegans do not eat/use any animal by products like cheese, milk, honey and the such, I was very excited to find that his pizza still contained cheese; vegan cheese. The product is called Daiya, a non-diary, cheese-flavored creation that melts and stretches just as real cheese would. The ingredients for the v-cheese included tapioca flour, coconut and safflower oil, pea protein and flavorings that made it taste like mozzarella/cheddar/or pepper jack. And the awesome part is, there is absolutely no cholesterol. I would justify it as a guilty pleasure. 
I picked up a bag at the Canadian Superstore for just $5 bucks and there was plenty left over after my pizza. The taste of it before cooking was alright, not great but after it was melted down, I could eat the gooey goodness forever!
The pizza was loaded with spinach, broccoli, garlic and onions on top of my homemade pizza sauce, covered with Daiya and covered with my whole wheat pizza crust. Brushed with extra pizza sauce and baked. YUMMMM!

Visit http://www.daiyafoods.com/index.html for more information on Daiya.
Visit The Vegan Zombie video for the recipe.

Vegetarian Shepard's Pie

 

Yves' Original Veggie Ground is one of my favorite vegetarian protein alternatives. I use it in everything that calls for ground beef and it works.
I used this deliciousness in a yummy vegetarian Shepard's Pie, loaded with some simple vegetables and topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The recipe I included below can easily be made vegan with a few adjustments. Mmm, mmm, good!

Potato Topping
3 large russet potatoes or creamer potatoes, peeled, cleaned and cut into chunks
2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 egg yolks (can be excluded for vegans, just add around 2 more tbsps of milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
5 tbsp milk or unsweetened diary-free milk (soy, almond, oat, etc.)

Place potato chunks into a pot and fill with enough water to submerge potatoes. Add in salt. Cook uncovered on high heat until potatoes are cooked and can be easily mashed against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Drain and reserve potato water if you would like to use it instead of veggie broth for the filling.
Mash while still hot until smooth, and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Mince Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
half an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages of Yves Original Veggie Ground*
1/2 can of corn, drained**
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup veggie broth or reserved potato water
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add in garlic and onion, cooking until aromatic. Add in the veggie ground and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring to break up the chunks. Add in the veggies and stir to incorporate.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch and veggie broth until combined. Stir into the mince filling and simmer on medium heat until it thickens slightly. Stir in thyme, rosemary and season to with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
In a casserole dish, press mince filling into the bottom of the dish and gently scoop and spread the potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 5 tbsp of Parmesan cheese (or bread crumbs) and fork the topping in criss-cross patterns.
Bake until topping turns golden brown and crispy.


*For anyone who do not have Yves or vegetarian ground where you live, 4 cups of crumbled extra firm tofu can be used as a substitute. Since tofu is bland, make sure to pat the tofu dry and season lightly after you crumble it (1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp water).

**For convenience, the vegetables in the filling can be substituted for frozen or canned mixed vegetables.

Sushi and Onigiri (Rice Balls)

I am a HUGE avocado fan and that means I LOVE avocado sushi. I had a few avocados lying around so I made some sushi out of them.Very simple but very delicious! I felt a little creative so I added a few delicate touches of mayonnaise and (fake) caviar for some fun flair. Fake caviar is vegetarian-friendly, with the exact aroma and taste of salmon or sturgeon, minus the killing and extraction of the fish's belly. The little pearls are made from kelp extract and is a result of molecular gastronomy. You can find some here.
The remaining sushi rice I used to make onigiri, a Japanese snack that usually has some sort of filling or served plain with seasonings or dried seaweed.

Avocado Uramaki, topped with mayo and salmon eggs (veggie)

Avocado rolls with tempura bits

Somalia Charity Bake Sale

I'm part of a Sociology club at my university and we joined another club to help fund raise for the Somalia Famine. Most of us fasted while other managed a bake sale. My contribution was 3 dozen Somalia-themed cupcakes, in vanilla and chocolate flavors (blue cupcake is just vanilla with blue food coloring) with good-ol' buttercream icing. For the blue tints in the icing, I used a duo-tone swirl technique for the blue swirls and the dollop of icing I sprayed with blue cake graffiti spray by Duff. The stars where homemade by piping out stars with melted white chocolate on parchment paper.
We raised a total of $750 sum over the course of three days for the bake sale.
It was rad!

The Somalia Flag

 

 

With a little of batter left over, I made mini cupcakes! <3