Sunday, February 21, 2016

Chocolate Frosting (Vegan!)

1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
2 tbl. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Place chocolate chips, milk, and coconut oil in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk until the chips have completely melted. Add remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth. You can add a bit more powdered sugar or milk, if needed.

Spread on cake immediately. If your cake is still cooling and the frosting thickens up too much, just microwave it for a few seconds to make it more spreadable.

Note: This frosting is the perfect topping for Cockeyed Cake, which is also vegan.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Southwest Black Bean Vegan Burgers

2 cups cooked and drained black beans (save the juice)

3 fat spring onions, green part only

2 cups roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions (I had some leftovers from the day before)

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup edamame beans, cooked in the pod, pods removed (and given to the chickens)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbl. salsa
1 tbl. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. red chile powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced, or a good sprinkle of garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a food processor, chop up at least half of the black beans, adding reserved juice as needed. Put the chopped beans and the rest of the whole beans in a large mixing bowl.

Put the green onion tops through the processor, then add the roasted vegetables and chop to your liking. Add to the bean mixture.

Add all the other ingredients to the bowl, stirring well and adding reserved bean juice to make the mixture the right consistency to mold into patties. If it turns out too soupy, add some cornmeal or bread crumbs.

Form into patties (I made 12) and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for at least 40 minutes, turning the patties carefully halfway through. The baking time will vary, depending on the consistency of the mixture. I like to get the patties pretty crispy, so I bake them a little longer.

Remove from oven and serve hot, or cool the patties on the parchment paper. Patties can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or in a pan.

Note: These are delicious when crumbled on a salad in place of croutons.