Author: Aimee

Hemp Tofu

Adventures

We’ve been experimenting with hemp tofu.  So far, we’ve gotten a lot that makes for great silken tofu replacer (which is great in smoothies) and we’re getting closer to something more firm, so stay tuned.  A great by-product is fresh hemp milk, but you have to be careful to strain that off before adding coagulant, otherwise you get really bitter hemp milk.  This is truly a kitchen adventure in progress.  The tofu press is a definite improvement over our previous setup.  I will post more about that later as well.

My sweety pie demonstrating the firmness of the latest batch of hemp tofu.

Banana Cream Pie

Recipes

A banana-flavored filling sets this pie apart.  If you won’t be eating the whole pie in one sitting, it would be best to put the cream on top of individual slices.  This was my first time making vegan whipped cream and I over-beat it so it got a little grainy.  I’m looking forward to further experimentation.

If you have a keen eye, you'll notice that it's garnished with fried banana slices.

Ingredients

 

1/2 recipe Mom’s Oil Pastry Pie Crust (fully cooked and cooled)

4 bananas

vegan milk of your choice

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup maple syrup

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Coconut cream from one can of coconut (let it sit in fridge so that it is easy to separate)

1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Peel bananas and add two to blender (reserve other two for inside pie). Add enough vegan milk to blend smooth, add more milk to equal 3 cups total and blend for 3 minutes or until smooth. Pour one third of contents of blender into medium sauce pan on stove. Add cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add remaining banana milk and whisk until smooth again. Add maple syrup and salt.

Bring to a boil, whisking every now and then. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. Try not to let any stick to the bottom.

Pour half of the pie filling into the prepared pie shell, add layer of bananas, and add rest of pie filling. Place pie on cooling rack for additional air circulation. Cover with parchment paper while it cools, to prevent a film from forming on the top. Once it’s cooled, put in refrigerator until set.

Wait until the pie is chilled, then make whipped coconut cream topping. Add coconut cream, sugar and vanilla to bowl of stand mixer and mix on medium low speed until foamy, about a minute. Increase to top speed and whip until soft peaks form, 1-3 minutes. Watch closely and do not over-beat or the cream will become grainy.  Spread whipped cream on top of pie immediately before serving.  Serve with coconut vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Mom’s Oil Pastry Pie Crust

Basics, Recipes

My mom had the cookbook page that this recipe was on taped inside a cupboard door in the kitchen when I was growing up.  If I knew what cookbook it was from, I’d cite it.  In pie season, I tend to have it memorized.  It makes one 8-or 9-inch two-crust pie, so plan accordingly.

Use as you would any other pie crust.  If you are making a pie that requires a pre-baked crust, preheat oven to 375 degrees, prick crust with fork to prevent air bubbles from forming, cover with foil and bake on middle rack about 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake about 10 more minutes until it is golden brown and…crusty.  I like to use whole wheat flour, in which case, it tends to take up to 5 tablespoons of cold water.  This recipe is flexible depending on humidity, air temperature, etc..

 

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups flour
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Directions
Mix flour, oil and salt until particles are size of small peas.
Sprinkle in in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl.  (If pastry seems
dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons oil can be added.  Do not add water.)  Gather pastry into a ball.
Divide pastry into halves; place 1 half cut side down and flatten into round. Place flattened round between two 15-inch lengths of parchment paper.
Wipe table with damp cloth to prevent paper from slipping.  Roll pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate.  Peel off paper.  Ease pastry loosely into plate.  Use as directed for pie.
Roll top crust in same way as bottom crust.  Cut slits after peeling off top paper.  Place pastry paper side up on filling; peel off paper.
Trim and pinch edges.

Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream

Basics, Recipes

A delicate flavor like vanilla might be better off with a different technique (maybe cornstarch-based).  I think the vegan egg replacer lends this recipe a somewhat “chemically” taste.  My sweety pie likes this recipe though.

Ingredients
1.5 cups vegan milk of your choice
1 can coconut milk
.25 cups maple syrup
2.5 tablespoons (7.5 teaspoons) egg replacer (equivalent of 5 eggs)
5 tablespoons water
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Warm vegan milk, maple syrup, and salt in medium saucepan.

Pour can of coconut milk in a large bowl and prepare ice bath under it. Add vanilla to coconut milk and stir until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, whisk vegan egg replacement. Once the milk and sugar mixture is warm, add the egg mixture to the pan by tempering. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the custard base coats a wooden spoon. Try to avoid letting the mixture stick to the bottom of the pan.

Pour custard from pan into bowl over ice bath, stirring until cool.
Cover with plastic wrap so that it comes into full contact with the custard to prevent a film from developing. Place in fridge until completely chilled. This may take a few hours.
Once chilled, freeze base according to ice cream maker’s instructions.

Sichuan Pepper Vegan Prawns

Recipes

This is what I made for dinner tonight based on what was available.  It has a very fresh and intense taste.  The Sichuan peppercorns add a hard-to-describe tingling sensation to the dish.

Ingredients

1 (250 g) package vegan prawns (I used Sophie’s Kitchen), thawed
7 ounces wide rice noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (separated)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Fresh cilantro to taste

Directions
Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the noodles to keep them from sticking together. Set aside.
Add the other tablespoon sesame oil to a wok and add black pepper, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and grated ginger. Stir until fragrant. Add prawns, stir fry about a minute. Add noodles, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and stir fry for another minute. Cut or tear cilantro on top of stir fry at last minute. Serve immediately.

[Thanks to my mamma for catching an error with the original post of this recipe.]

Sichuan peppercorns add a flavor component that is hard to describe. If you're not familiar with them yet, you may wish to finely grind them and decrease the amount.