Tag: cuteanddelicious

I love crepes

Posted by miss alix – 27 Oct ’09

I honestly adore crepes. I love how light they are, as well as being the perfect vehicle for a myriad of flavors. I’m happy eating sweet or savory versions, but don’t go for anything overstuffed. I finally had the opportunity to try the crepe recipe from Veganomicon after oogling over it since I got the cookbook. Chickpea flour is something that I don’t usually have on hand, and it is the key ingredient that makes these crepes work. The crepes I’ve made before were definitely on the sweet side as well as being fairly oily and difficult to work with. This recipe was great as the flavor wasn’t too strong so you could easily pair it with different toppings.

I whipped up the batter last night and refrigerated it so we could have the crepes for breakfast. I tested out a few different fillings, blueberries, strawberry jam, powdered sugar and soy cheese. They were all super tasty but the jam was without a doubt the best. The crepes cooked very easily and as long as the pan was oiled, they were easy to work with. I didn’t use the crepe spreader that I have and instead just opted to swirl the pan around, using gravity to flatten them, and they still turned out fairly thin. I’m so glad to have an easy crepe recipe to turn to. I can’t wait to make a sweet version with lemon.

Madeline's Bistro

Posted by miss alix – 26 Oct ’09

Perhaps one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in as a vegan (perhaps in my life even) was at Madeline’s Bistro. Though I’d heard about this little restaurant in Tarzana as being the only real gourmet vegan restaurants in the Los Angeles area, it took me ages to finally go there. Finally, one Saturday when Shawn and I had to make a trip out to the far reaches of the west valley, we made Madeline’s our breakfast destination. The thing that enticed me the most was the promise of vegan beignets. Beignets are a rare treat on their own, but I’d never even heard of a vegan version. I had to have them. Of course I was not disappointed. The beignets were crunchy on the outside but fluffy on the inside. Instead of being covered in the standard powdered sugar, they came with a fruit compote. They were amazing. I could write this whole post just about those beignets. I wish I wasn’t writing this right now because now I want to go eat them. Ok, moving on. We also got the donut which was equally as satisfying. Without a doubt the best vegan donut I’ve ever had, soft and fluffy and delicately sweet.

Shawn ordered the chicken and waffles. Luckily I got to sample some. The chicken was a breaded seitan that was to die for. Again, quite possibly the best seitan I’ve ever had in my life. It was perfectly seasoned and well matched with the potatoes and gravy. The Belgian waffles were thick and crunchy. They definitely had a healthier taste to them with a nutty, grainy flavor.

I ordered the porcini-crusted tofu benedict since I am obsessed with vegan benedict. This was a pure delicacy. The hollandaise was lightly flavored and the whole thing was perfectly seasoned. It was an amazing combination of vegetables and tofu with just enough sauce to compliment the dish without overwhelming it. In other words, it was amazing.

I really was so impressed with everything that we had. If you’re going to try Madeline’s, you must go for brunch. It’s honestly not that far from where we live, but just far enough that we pretty much only go for special occasions, which is perfect.

VeganMoFo III and deep fried brussel sprouts

Posted by miss alix – 1 Oct ’09

The time has finally come for the Vegan Month of Food 2009. To start things off I wanted to share a fairly easy recipe for something undeniably delicious: Deep fried brussel sprouts. Oh yes, deep fried. Brussel sprouts are one of the most tasty vegetables in existence and there are so many great and easy ways to prepare them. This is one way that is a little unusual but absolutely worth trying.

Now let me preface this by saying that I’m no expert when it comes to frying things, especially in hot oil. So if I can do it, so can you. Please, oh please, be careful though, because this isn’t just hot oil, it’s burn off your flesh in an instant hot. Ok, if I haven’t scared you off yet, here is how to prepare these guys.

1. Fill a medium sauce pan half full with a high heat oil. I used a combination of safflower oil and vegetable shortening. Put the oil on the stove on high heat. It is best to continue using a frying/candy thermometer.

2. Wash your brussels and pat dry, removing as much water as possible. Cut the bottoms off and then cut each sprout in half. Remove any wilted or brown leaves.

3. When your oil has reached approximately 350° very carefully put the sprouts into the oil. I recommend pushing them off your cutting board with a knife or other implement so that your hands are nowhere near the oil. It will bubble and splatter!

4. Let the brussel sprouts fry, checking the larger pieces at the bottom occasionally with a spoon, to see when they start to brown on the outside. Once they do, remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a towel or paper bag.

5. Once you have taken all the sprouts out of the oil, place in a medium bowl. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of cayenne.

6. Enjoy!

Frying these sprouts makes them tender, crunchy and slightly caramelized. The flavors are gently enhanced by the spices and the heat of the cayenne is cut back by the residual oil. This is a great way to convince those who have misconceptions about brussel sprouts that they have an amazing flavor and are not  a bland boring vegetable.