Articles and Recipes — vegan

Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away, and the husMait kitchen has been testing some vegan recipes. One of our favorites was Vegan, Gluten-Free Stuffing-Muffins with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy from Ilene Godofsky Moreno. Ilene made a miso gravy to go on top of hers, but I wanted a gravy that was closer to our pre-vegan turkey gravy. 

Let's talk Gravy 101 first. Everything I know about gravy and sauces I learned from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, by Marion Cunningham. Gravy and its sister Bechamel Sauce have some fundamentals that are easy to master. Begin with equal parts fat to flour, and cook this roux over medium heat, whisking constantly, for a minimum of 3 minutes and up to 15 minutes. Roux cooked for 3 minutes will lose its raw flour flavor, and will produce a pale gravy. The longer you cook the roux, the deeper the color becomes, and the more flavor develops. However, watch the roux carefully as it will burn. To the roux whisk in stock, milk, or cream. 

Our first gravy is Fannie Farmer Basic Chicken or Turkey Gravy. The recipe calls for a ratio of 4 Tablespoons of pan dripping fat + 3 Tablespoons of flour + 2 cups of pan drippings liquid and stock which produces 2 cups of gravy. It was in this cookbook where I learned a foolproof way to have smooth gravy is to whisk in warm or hot liquid to the roux.

With that knowledge let's talk about our second way - Vegan Onion Gravy. We want a rich, savory, brown gravy to go with our Stuffing Muffins. 

Method: I started with thinly sliced onion, sautéed in 1 tablespoon of canola oil and a pinch of salt until it was just on the verge of caramelization. I knew I needed to cook the onions for a minimum of three more minutes so they would further caramelize during that time, and I did not want them to burn. Then I added Miyokos European Style Cultured Vegan Butter and all-purpose flour and let the roux cook for at least 3 minutes, but probably closer to 6 minutes until it was a lovely rich brown. Then I added 1 cup of warm Better than Boullion Seasoned Vegetable Base and seasonings. I continuously whisked this until the gravy thickened and became a rich golden brown. 

Ingredients 

• 1 small onion, sliced thin 
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons Vegan Butter
• 2 tablespoons flour you can sub 1-1 gluten-free flour
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme 
• black pepper
• salt (taste before adding additional salt at the last step)

• Signature Bakeware 5 Piece set
• 24 Cup Mini Muffin Pan
• 7" Santoku Knife
• 10" Silicone Whisk with wooden handle
• Stainless Steel Measuring Cups 
• Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons 

You could omit the onions and use another vegetable, such as mushrooms or carrots or celery to be browned at the start, to create a Jane version of this gravy.

Finally a note on quantity this was more than enough for the Stuffing Muffin recipe above. You can certainly scale this recipe up or down depending on how many people you will be serving. A general rule of thumb is 1/4 to 1/2 cup of gravy per person. 

Find a video tutorial and more images over on Instagram.

As always thank you for stopping by and let me know if you try our recipes in the comments below and or by tagging us on Instagram.

Sending warm wishes to your home, 
from the husMait home kitchen. 

Homemade granola is simply nutritious and delicious. We appreciate that we control the sugar content. I use Quaker Oats because they are nut free and gluten free. If your family is nut free simply increase the variety and amount of seeds you add to the recipe. Example 1 cup of each seed, or add flax, hemp or sesame to the mix. 

Our family likes homemade granola on plain yogurt with a spoon of homemade jam. Granola is also delicious with milk - almond or soy milks are great choices. We also like to add a handful of dried fruit for extra sweetness.

Ingredients 
5 cups of thick-cut rolled oats
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup honey
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pecans (you can used chopped nuts)
¾ cup almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds

7” Santoku Knife with Sheath

Preheat oven to 300 F placing the rack in the middle, if possible add a second rack below. 

Place the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and mix well making sure to blend out any brown sugar lumps. 

In a separate bowl mix the honey, canola oil, and vanilla extract well.

Pour this over the oat mixture and stir well until the oats are thoroughly coated.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. See note

Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and continue baking until the granola is very light golden brown; stirring every 5 minutes for about 15 to 20 minutes more.

AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU BAKE THE GRANOLA
Spread the pecans and almonds on a second baking sheet and place that on the lower rack in the oven for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and transfer to a cutting board.

Put the pumpkin and sunflower seeds on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

When the nuts are cool cut them into small pieces.

When nicely browned remove the granola pan from the oven and mix the nuts and seeds into the baked oats.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Notes
After trying many baking trays I found a 10.5 x 15 nonstick baking pan is the best. The high sides help keep the oats contained while frequently stirring.

Let us know in the comments if you try our recipe. 

Today I am sharing our favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette, which is my recipe adapted over the years. 

This vinaigrette was based on a pasta salad dressing my mom used to make. You can make this in a mortar and pestle, or a blender, or on a chopping board. Check out our Instagram IGTV for a visual tutorial.

I often make this on the cutting board since it is probably on the counter for a salad anyway. 

Ingredients:
1 clove of Garlic, peeled 
1 handful of fresh Basil (1/8 to 1/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon fresh Oregano 
1 Tablespoon Capers 
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar 
1/3 cup water
1 - 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Pinch Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Equipment:
Cutting Board
Set of 3 Melamine Mixing Bowl
12” Silicone Whisk With Stainless Steel Handle
Side Tang Cooks Knife
Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

Method: 

1. Roughly mince the garlic on the cutting board
2. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt on top of the garlic. Using the flat of the knife crush and rub the garlic and salt into a paste. Place the paste into the mixing bowl.
3. Chiffonade the basil and oregano together. Add the capers to them and chop these finely. Place them into the mixing bowl.
4. To the mixing bowl add the vinegar, water, mustard, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Whisk well. 
5. Add the oil and whisk very well, until the oil is fully emulsified. 
6. Taste and adjust the seasonings - be mindful that you do not over-salt the dressing - you added salt with the garlic, the capers, and the mustard have salt, and you may be adding salty items to your salad like olives, feta cheese, or salami.
7. Keep the dressing refrigerated in a jar. I use a 1/2 Pint Canning Jar with a leakproof lid.

We hope you try our recipe. Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Sending warm wishes to your home, 

from the husMait home kitchen. 

Our family has a range of healthy eating requirements, which makes finding recipes for the whole family challenging.  However I have just found a fantastic recipe on the back of the Kirkland Signature Almond Flour bag.  The recipe is gluten free but with two small tweaks everyone in our home can enjoy this.  

I replaced the dairy butter with a Miyokos European Style Cultured Vegan Butter and the egg with a Flax Seed egg replacement. Check your cocoa powder and chocolate chips to ensure they fit your dietary requirements.  We used Kirkland Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips and Ghirardellie Premium Baking Cocoa.  

Our 3 Piece Mixing Bowl Sets are awesome tools for this bake. If you are looking for a value our 11 Piece Bakeware Set comes with the 3 stainless steel bowls, valued separately $18.99  (regularly for $30.00) plus the stainless steel measuring spoon valued separately for $13.99, which means the 3 stainless steel colanders are a steal at $8.01! 

I thought I would mention again my high school Home Economic teachers training of assembling all of the ingredients and equipment before baking. Our equipment list is below the recipe. This combined with reading the recipe throughly before beginning really helps for an efficient, no mistakes bake.  

Gluten Free Almond Brownies recipe as written by Kirkland Signature:

INGREDIENTS 

2 tablespoons butter, softened 
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup almond beverage
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Kirkland Signature Almond Flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup chopped whole natural almonds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
more almonds for garnish

PREPARATION 

Heat oven to 350F

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend in egg. Blend in almond milk and vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking powder.  Add to butter mixture and blend just until mixed. Stir in chopped almond and chocolate chips. 

Coat an 8”x8” baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Garnish with more chopped almonds or with sliced almonds toasted.  

 HusMait Equipment suggested for this recipe:

It’s rhubarb season, which lasts from April to July in most places. The warmer the climate the shorter the season.

My memories of rhubarb go back to spring and my teenage years when I picked rhubarb from the back garden, where I recall it growing all summer long. Rhubarb pie is one of the first pies I learned to bake and was my dad’s favorite. 

Fast forward to heart-healthy eating and fewer people at home to eat a pie and I need my rhubarb fix in a different way.  I was really pleased to find this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from  Once Upon a Chef.  I decided to try her recipe because of the simplicity of the ingredients and the added pecans and oats in the topping. 

I was also very excited that this was a quick recipe to assemble and would be easy to transport to a picnic or beautifully elegant to serve at a dinner party. 

I did make two changes - first I substituted gluten-free Namaste Perfect Flour Blend and second Miyoko’s European-style vegan butter. This recipe calls for a 2-quart baking dish, I used my 9.5 inch Pyrex pie dish which worked fantastically.

The two-part method is easy. First, wash and cut your fruit. Then mix the fruit well with granulated sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a large bowl. Transfer this to the baking dish. 

Second, create the topping by combining flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter. Then stir in the oats and chopped pecans. Spoon this mixture over the fruit. 

The crumble smelled delicious as it baked and the topping came out crispy and browned with lovely bubbly fruit beneath.  We ate it simply as it was. Adding whipped cream or ice cream would have been heavenly! 

Equipment used: Our Bowl Sets are currently on SALE June 2021

Here in the husMait kitchen, we look for a great treat that will satisfy our sweet tooth and have some redeeming qualities. We found this recipe posted over on Instagram, and it looks so moist and delicious, not to mention the recipe had simple ingredients and was easy to follow. Baking Envy, Flourless Orange Cake 

Assemble all of your utensils: knife, cutting board, pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, blender and 8 inch round cake tin.

Assemble all of the ingredients: oranges, sugar, almond meal, eggs, vanilla essence, and baking powder.  Then follow the recipe linked above. 

The recipe calls for whole oranges, which are boiled and then processed in a blender, unfortunately, the oranges I used were a bit pithy and left a slightly bitter flavor in the cake. For that reason, I would take the time to peel the zest and cut the pith away from the fruit before boiling it. Another slight change I made was to cook the remaining orange/sugar water down until it was beginning to be jammy. That made a wonderful glaze that remained on the top of the cake instead of disappearing into the cake.  

Everyone here loved this cake's excellent taste and texture. The use of the almond meal was sheer brilliance as it adds a luscious texture and flavor to the cake. To add a professional finish to this cake I would add some candied orange tweels to the top.

This would be a lovely cake for an afternoon tea or formal dinner dessert as you can bake it up to three days in advance, storing it in the refrigerator, or frozen for six months remembering to leave the glaze off until you are ready to serve it. 

If you bake this cake let us know how it turns out, and go give Chloe, over at Baking Envy a review as well.