Wafers with Chocolate Filling # Vegan MoFo

I have fond memories of making these wafers with my mom for special occasions and when our Sweet Tooth came calling. The base of this recipe are big wafers which can be purchased at any European grocery store for less than $3.00 a package.

The wafers are accidentally vegan and the ingredients should include nothing more than wheat flour, oil, salt, soy lecithin and ammonium carbonate. If you are not able to find these wafers, then you may be out of luck with going forward with this recipe.

Perhaps the wafers can be substituted with something else, like cookies or the filling can be used for crepes? Hmm...that's an idea.

Cheers!

Wafers with Chocolate Filling

Wafers with Chocolate Filling

Ingredients
1 package of wafers, 5 large wafers per package (6-oz)
1 vegan dark chocolate bar of choice (3.5-oz), broken to pieces or chopped
1.5 cups unsweetened plant milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/2 cup nuts or seeds of choice, chopped (I used raw blanched almonds)
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

I was very excited about stumbling upon this particular chocolate while grocery shopping at Trader Joe's. It was perfect for this recipe. 

Directions 
In a medium pot, add milk and sugar, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk reduces and thickens.

In the meantime, chop the chocolate, raisins and nuts. Now add the vegan butter to the pan and allow few minutes for melting. Now add the chocolate, and cocoa powder and continue stirring until melted and well incorporated. Turn off the heat.

Add vanilla extract, raisins and nuts. Mix well and allow about 10-15 minutes cooling time. The mixture will thicken a bit.

Chocolate filling mixture after 10-15 minutes of cooling. 

To assemble, place a wafer on the counter, large holes facing up to absorb the filling, and spoon about 1/4 cup or so of filling on each wafer. Spread it evenly. Place another wafer on top and continue doing so until all the wafers are used.

Chocolate mixture spread "evenly" on the wafer.

Place something heavy on top of the wafers, and allow about 20 minutes for the wafers to stick together.

I used what I had on hand, mainly a jar of marinara sauce, popcorn, and some cans of beans. 

Once the wafers have dried, cut them to size of choice, and store them in a tight container for 3-4 days.

Eat! 

Apple-Banana Jam # Vegan MoFo

Apple-Banana Jam served on a crumpet. Yum! 

Let me begin by saying that at one point in my life - while in high school - jam was my go-to-food. I ate it for dinner frequently. After high school, we broke-up, only to be reunited again. 

I am very pleased with all the progress Jam has made thus far while spending all this time apart. The progress is reflected on both ends of our relationship. I too have matured and decided that sugar is not all that necessary to make Jam more appealing to me.  

The great thing about Jam is that you can make it quickly, and use any fruit that has been sitting on your counter for a while, brown spots and all. You can use any spices you like instead of what I have suggested. 

Did you know you can tell how young the apple is by looking at its stem? The darker the stem, the older the apple or any fruit or vegetable, for that matter. 

Lastly, this recipe would be great as baby food. Just skip the lemon juice, sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and add shredded carrot for more nutrition. 

Cheers! 

Apple-Banana Jam

Ingredients 
3 medium/large Fuji apples, peeled and diced
2 small/medium bananas, peeled and sliced
2-3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, depending on preference
1 teaspoon raw cane sugar (optional)
1 cup water, plus additional 1/2 cup if necessary 

Directions 
Preheat a large non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Add apples, lemon juice and sugar, if using, and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir often.

By now, the apples should have browned a bit. Add bananas, pumpkin spice and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for another 15-20 minutes. You can add the additional 1/2 cup of water if you like the jam consistency to be less chunky.

Turn off the heat and store in a mason jar, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

Eat! 

Polish Vegetable Stew - Leczo # Vegan MoFo

On Sunday, I spoke to my mom as usual. She mentioned a Polish dish she recently started making called Leczo. Since I have never had it as a kid growing up in Poland, I was intrigued. One hour later, I had all the information I needed to make it.

Apparently, the original version is often made with sausage, but you can use chickpeas or any type of beans instead of vegan sausage.

I used Italian vegan sausage to go along with the Italian seasoning even though it is a Polish dish. What can I say? I like to mix it up a bit. Cheers! 

Polish Vegetable Stew - Leczo. I have purchased the salt and pepper shakers in Krakow, Poland. 

Ingredients 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced to half-moon shapes
1 medium bell pepper of choice (I used orange), seeds removed, thinly sliced to half-moon shapes
2 small yellow or green zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 small/medium graffiti eggplant, thinly sliced to half-moon shapes
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 homemade or store bought vegan sausages of choice, sliced
2 cups diced tomatoes in juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions 
In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the onion and bell pepper in oil, for about 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables: zucchinis, eggplant and garlic and continue cooking for about 6 more minutes.

Don't be limited by the vegetables mentioned, use any vegetables you like. I was going to use mushrooms in this dish, and then I changed my mind after this picture was taken. 

Add vegan sausages of choice, diced tomatoes and spices. Mix well, cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve with bread, pasta or anything you like.

I like to eat Leczo with bread. Today, I am using leftovers as a sandwich filling. 

Mushroom "Cream Cheese" # Vegan MoFo

Mushroom "Cream Cheese"

Are you, per chance, wondering about the possibility of making Mushroom "Cream Cheese" in the comfort of your kitchen at this very moment? Well friends, this is possible, especially when you have homemade or store bought vegan cream cheese on hand.

I really like Trader Joe's brand. It is affordable, and delicious. This is the company's second, and much improved version of vegan cream cheese. I love it! 

In all honesty, I am not posting a recipe today, but rather, I am making a suggestion on other ways of consuming vegan cream cheese.

Great on a toasted bagel with tomato and pea shoots.

How did I come up with the mushroom idea? Well, in Poland, there are million varieties of cream cheese, including mushroom, dill, tomato...the list goes on. As a former cheese addict, my favorite cream cheese variety was mushroom. I really missed having it, and so here it is.

In this instance, I finely chopped five baby bella mushrooms, sautéed them in a little bit of olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. While the mushrooms were sautéing, I placed the vegan cream cheese in a bowl, to bring it to room temperature. Use as much "cream cheese" as you are planning on eating. I used about 1/2 cup of "cream cheese" to 4-5 baby bella mushrooms.

Chopped mushrooms

Mix the sautéed mushrooms with softened "cream cheese" and serve. So simple!

Cheers! 

Sauerkraut and Mushroom Pierogi # Vegan MoFo

Pierogi (dumplings) are a great go-to-meal when traveling through Europe. Most are made with vegan friendly ingredients and range in a variety of fillings such as mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, mushrooms, blueberries and so forth.

While the list of possible fillings is almost infinite, I recommend to use as a filling whatever you have on hand at home. Once you have the dough recipe mastered, use left overs or vegetables, and you have a simple, cheap meal. Isn't life wonderful with pierogis in tow?

Cheers!

Sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi. 

Ingredients (Makes about 30 pierogi)
Dough
2.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 cup hot water (not boiling water)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Filling
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried bolete mushrooms (or dried mushrooms of choice), reconstituted 
1 (31-oz jar) sauerkraut (about 4 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Make the filling a day ahead to make things easier on yourself. If that is not possible, begin making pierogi by preparing the filling first. Boil plenty of water in a tea kettle, place dried mushrooms in a medium bowl, and pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Be sure to cover them completely and set aside for about 15-20 minutes.

Mushrooms, reconstituting in water. 

In the meantime, preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add oil and sauerkraut with their juices. Season with salt and pepper and continue sautéing until all the juices have evaporated, for about 10 minutes.

By now, the mushrooms should be ready. Drain and be sure to save the liquid, you will need it to flavor the sauerkraut. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces, I use kitchen scissors for this task, and add them to the sauerkraut. Add about 1/4 cup of mushroom water at a time to the sauerkraut, and continue sautéing for another 15-20 minutes. Keep adding more mushroom water, as needed, to prevent from sticking to the skillet.

Turn off the heat, taste for seasoning, and set aside.

This is what the filling looks like. 

Now, make the dough. In a large bowl add 2 cups of flour, salt, oil, nutmeg and water. I microwaved a cup of water for 40 seconds. Mix gently, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes, and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to boil to cook the pierogi. Dust work surface with plenty of flour, divide the dough into 2 parts, and roll out each one to a flat, thin pancake. The dough will be sticky, so have additional flour handy. Use a large cup or cover from a mason jar, like I did, to shape the pierogi.

Gently lift the surrounding dough around the shaped pierogi, and set aside. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle, fold the ends together, pinch with a fork to seal the pierogi. Do the same with the other half of the dough.

Place the pierogi in the boiling pot of water, about 5-6 at a time, and remove with a slotted spoon as soon as they float on top. This should take a minute or so, do not leave the pierogi boiling once they flow to the top, or they will fall apart.

To serve, pan fry in olive oil, and top with sautéed mushrooms or onion. Traditionally, these are served with sautéed onion.

Eat! 

*Notes
Do not over-knead the dough or it will be too elastic, and you won't be able to roll it out.

Keep extra flour handy when rolling and shaping pierogi as the dough will be sticky, especially when your kitchen is warm. Use a fork to gently lift the shaped pierogi from the work surface, don't worry about perfection.

Be sure to seal the pierogi well to prevent from filling escaping during cooking. I keep a glass of water and dip my fingers, if necessary, to seal the dough if too dry. Fork is a great tool for sealing too.

Lastly, have a helper handy to make this activity as fun as possible. If a helper is not available, I recommend a glass of wine or beer. If that is not available, recruit a furry friend to keep you company.

Blintzes - Nalesniki # Vegan MoFo

Hi there,

I have decided to re-post this recipe for Vegan MoFo since it is one of the most popular Polish dishes around, in my humble opinion. I hope that you can enjoy it the second time around as much as I did. Click here to view the original post.

Cheers!

Blintzes! 

Blintzes with Creamy Tofu Filling (Servings: 8 medium sized blintzes)

Blintz Ingredients 

½ cup unflavored almond milk (I used Almond Breeze Original)
½ cup water, plus additional 2 tablespoons if necessary
10 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup vegan butter, melted

Filling
1 16-oz package firm organic tofu (do not press the tofu)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar (use less or more depending on sweetness preference)
Dash of salt

Directions
Melt the vegan butter in a microwave for about 10-15 seconds. There will be some lumps left, but that’s ok. Mix the vegan butter until all the lumps are gone.

In a large bowl, combine ½ cup water, almond milk, and flour. Add vegan butter and whisk until there are no lumps left. The blintz batter should be thinner than pudding, but thicker than broth. If the blintz batter is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water gradually.

Preheat a 6-inch non-stick pan over medium heat and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Add 2-3 tablespoons of batter and spread it evenly. Wiggle the pan back and forth in a circular motion until the batter spreads in a thin layer. Cook until the blintz is dry and golden for about 2-3 minutes. Gently flip over with spatula and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Slide over to a large plate and continue making blintzes until all the batter is used. Set aside.

While the blintzes are cooling, make the filling. In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the tofu, lemon zest, almond extract, organic powdered sugar and a dash of salt. Blend until very smooth, for about 4 minutes. Taste the filling to make sure it is sweet enough, if not, add more sugar.

To assemble each blintz, place 2-3 tablespoons of the filling in a line in the center of the blintz. Fold the two opposite sides of the blintz in a shape of cigar. Heat the non-stick skillet used to make the blintzes, and coat it with a non-stick cooking spray. Place two to three blintzes seam-down and fry on each side until crispy for about 4-5 minutes.

Serve with fruit preserves or fruit sauce. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle maple syrup on top.

Stuffed Cabbage - Golabki # Vegan MoFo

My month in Polish food theme in relation to Vegan MoFo would not be complete without including a stuffed cabbage recipe, also known as golabki. Typically, the filling includes non-vegan ingredients, but not this time my friends.

Before you begin, I recommend that you cook rice and lentils a day ahead, to make things easier on yourself. This recipe is simple, however it has many steps and I don't want you to be tired when you are done cooking. Cheers!

Golabki! 

Ingredients 
1 head medium/large cabbage, parboiled, tough stems trimmed

Filling 
2 cups cooked brown rice (or grain of choice)
2 cups cooked red lentils
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce (optional)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I used more than a pinch, about 1/4 teaspoon)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Sauce
1 (28-oz can) crushed tomatoes or jar of marinara sauce of choice

Directions 
Cook the rice and the lentils, seperately, first or a day ahead. 

Parboil the cabbage in a large pot of water. Remove the leaves as they fall off or soften. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Run under cold water and place on a plate. Trim the thick membrane of each leaf. Like this.

Now prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice and lentils, tomato paste, vegan worcestershire sauce, if using, as well as all the spices. Mix well and taste for seasonings.

Preheat oven to 350 F. To assemble, place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on the cabbage leaf. Like this.

Cabbage leaf with 2-3 tablespoon of filling. 

Roll leaf up and over the filling like an envelope. Continue to roll until all leaves and stuffing are gone.

Ready for sauce! 

Coat a large baking pan with about 2 tablespoons of crushed tomatoes or marinara sauce. Place any unused cabbage leaves on the bottom of the large baking pan. Now place stuffed cabbage, seam down, next to each other, and top with the remaining sauce. You can chop and add carrots, potatoes or mushrooms on top, to bake along with the stuffed cabbage. I often add bay leaves for additional flavor.

Ready for the oven. 

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1.5 hours in the oven. Be sure to check the stuffed cabbage halfway through to make sure there is enough liquid. Add water if necessary to prevent the stuffed cabbage from drying out.

Remove the foil, and cook uncovered about 20 minutes before the stuffed cabbage is done. Serve with mashed potatoes or a piece of crusty bread.