I Dig, Therefore I Dip.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!  I started writing and writing all about these homemade baked tortilla chips I've been diggin' and dippin' lately.  Then I woke up--chips.  You already know all about chips.

Time's a-wastin', you Chip Eaters.  It's a new year, please don't wait until next fall to get on this Tortilla Train, they're too good.  I like mine to taste like doh ree toes(c) (copyright added just in case), but you're most welcome to season yours however you like. 

I follow Krista and Jess' instructions, but I sprinkle mine with nutritional yeast, sea salt and ancho chili powder to get that special doh glow. 

Then chomp 'em with homemade guacamole.

xo
kittee

It's no Dream, Grandma.

In order to fully appreciate this blog post, please put on your buckwheat goggles now.

Sprouted buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds, coconut, raw cacao powder, prunes, flax seed, agave nectar, vanilla and salt.

I've been making some crunchy-yummy granola lately.  It's made with prunes, so if you know any laid back elderly folks you've been trying to impress, now's your chance.  Or, if you keep company with a more uptight sophisticated set, simply call this raw buckwheat granola with cacao and dried plums, and you'll win their favor.

I swear, before you have time to even bat an eyelash,  you'll be your town's Raw Granola Pied Piper leading the masses to toilets all over town.  Or if you're my mom, you can lead them to the john, whichever.

Well not really.  The prunes in this cereal just sweeten the deal, accentuate the cacao and add a bit of fiber and iron.  They don't make you poop.  At least not more than normal. At least not more than I usually poop.  But I guess I should disclaim, if you're a big pooper, I cannot be held responsible for what happens between you, this delicious cereal and the ladies room.  Dream big, y'all!

Anyway, I LOVE buckwheat granola.  It's the breakfast wet dream of champions, and I've been eating endless handfuls of it since last summer.  It's different every time I throw it together, but lately I've been basing it off the ingredients in this swanky and delicious commercial stuff I purchased during a recent road trip.  I can only justify spending $7 a pop on granola during vacation-time, and even then it's embarrassing and a one time trick.  So being the industrious lady-gal I am, I started making it at home.  Viola!  Affordable and sustainable.

I find making buckwheat granola a spontaneous meditation in xgfx eatery, I don't have a recipe and simply go by the a bit of this, a bit of that philosophy.  Here's the gist:

• I usually start with about 4 cups of raw buckwheat groats that I soak in an abundance of clean water from 2 hours to two days.  Drain, rinse really-really well, then drain again, it will still be pretty wet.  Throw it into a giant bowl.

• Mix in about 1/2 cup freshly ground flax-seed, a little salt, some coconut and raw pumpkin seeds (sometimes I grind them into a powder, sometimes I add them whole), approximately 1/3 cup (or so) raw cacao powder and agave nectar to sweeten it up.  For this prunish batch, I also added a huge handful of "dried plums" blended in about a cup of warm water. Sometimes I add a little vanilla extract and/or ground cinnamon, too.

• Stir it all together!  Slather it on dehydrator sheets about 1/2" thick for a full day, then flip it out into a bowl, break it up into chunks and put it back in the dehydrator.  I like mine super crunchy and dry, so I dry it for another full day.  Plus it stores on my counter like this for weeks.   (I haven't tried this in an oven, but if yours goes low, I bet it'll work if you mind it carefully).

• Makes about 1/2 gallon.  Eat by the handful, or top with fruit and almond milk.

xo
kittee

You're a Monkey Lover.

I'm not sure who all reads this blog, but I dare bet y'all are a bunch of MONKEY LOVERS.  If you heart on the furry bubs like I do, here's an easy (and affordable) way to lend them a hand.  Buy a copy of Hungry Monkey and gain a nice compilation of vegan recipes.  Your financial support will not only fill your belly, it'll help out rescued lab monkeys. 

This submission to the Vegan Cook-Zine Museum was written by my friend Adriana and the curator of this zine.  Read her fine words, buy a copy of the zine, then cook up my xgfx buckwheat ginger pancakes, 'cuz it's one of the recipes I contributed. Happy monkeys and happy New Year!

*****

Hungry Monkey: Vegan Recipes Written by Activists

Hungry Monkey Vegan Cookzine has dozens of delicious recipes written by animal rights activists and vegan chefs and benefits rescued lab monkeys!  All proceeds go directly to support eight lucky monkeys who became "seized property" when an animal testing laboratory in New Jersey went bankrupt one year ago.  These monkeys now live at Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary in Oklahoma, and all money from this zine goes towards sheltering them from harsh winter weather, as well as food and supplies.

The zine cover was beautifully illustrated by Renato Stumpo,  the illustrator from the UK's anarchist magazine "Now or Never."

I created most of the layout for this zine by cutting and pasting pictures I found from an old 1900's Sears catalog.  Inside, it's brimming full of gluten-free, raw and sugar-free recipes.  All of the gluten-free recipes are clearly designated in the table of contents, too.

If I were forced to pick a favorite recipe it would have to be the Maple Bacon Cupcakes.  

SO V-E-G-A-N Maple Bacon Cupcakes

This recipe was created by my friend Kelsey Tahara, who loves to bake into the wee hours of the night, when she isn't swamped with art school.  I tested out this recipe and was super stoked by the results, because her frosting is just spot-on perfect .  

My favorite gluten-free friendly dessert is the Coconut Agave Pearl Pudding.  I'm blushing, because it's my own recipe, but it's damn good!  This spin-off of a classic tapioca recipe is insanely delicious, and the agave rush it delivers makes all the stirring involved super worthwhile.

If you're looking for something savory and a bit more challenging, I recommend the Yuca Tamales.  Yuca is common in Latin cooking and is a starchy potato-like root that carries a hearty flavor.  Buy some corn husks and try your luck at making these--they're great to eat during the winter and are extra-amazing topped with homemade guacamole.  

Now go buy a zine!

Title: The Hungry Monkey:  Vegan Recipes Written by Activists

Author: Compiled by Adriana Pope with contributions from animal rights activists and famous vegan chefs.

Availability: On sale through Etsy.

Size: 6 1/2" X 8 1/2" / Stapled (legal half sized)

Length: 52 pages

Collection: 35 recipes, 2 articles and 3 How-Tos.

5 Recipes to Intrigue:  Qatayef (Rose Water Walnut Crepes), Satanic Potato Angels, Thai Peanut Celebration "Spread", Texas Caviare and HomeStyle Grape Pie.

XGFXness: This zine is almost entirely xgfx.

Zine Wiki: Not listed

Stained Glass Heart Cookies!

I made some super-fun and practical delicacies for a Cookie Swap party last night.  If you're still looking for the perfect dessert to hang from strings to deck your halls, these are perfect!  So pretty too, especially in the window...

Orbs!

Any rolled cookie recipe will work for these cookies.  I slightly modified the Rolled Brown Sugar Cookies recipe from The Allergen Free Baker's Handbook, but even gingerbread would work.  (The recipe is available if you search through the book on Hamazone).

Whatcha Do:

1. Roll your dough out and cut out whatever shapes you want, then use a smaller cutter to remove a small area from the center.
2. Transfer your cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
3. Crush up some hard candies (we had leftover Dum Dums from Halloween still taking up space, but any lollipop type candy would work) and sprinkle them thickly into the cut area of your cookie where you want the stained glass to be.
4. Bake in a preheated oven until the cookies are golden and the candy is melted.  I noticed some sugar cookie recipes bake at a pretty high temperature, but I wouldn't really go higher than 375F for these.
5. If you want to hang these anywhere, carefully poke holes in 'em, when they're still warm, then allow to cool until the candy area is set.  Transfer to racks to cool the rest of the way.
6. To frost-- mix up some vegan powdered sugar and coloring paste with water to make a pretty thick paste.  Use this to outline the outside of your cookies and the outside of your stained glass.  Then mix up a thinner glaze with more powdered sugar, vanilla extract, coloring paste and water and use to "flood" the cookies with an even layer of glaze.  You'll be able to use a toothpick or small knife to direct the frosting where you want it to go.  The thick lines will keep it from flowing off the cookie or getting into unwanted areas.
7. Let dry and hang or eat!

xo
kittee

Occupie.

I'm pretty sure you don't need a recipe for this.

You take your favorite Mac 'n' Cheezie recipe and you pile it into a pie plate or cake pan.  Then you pile your favorite collard green recipe on top (mine uses bits of Soy Curls).  Then you top it with a xgfx crust and bake it.  I can post the pie crust recipe if you want it...

If you are extra awesome, you add a layer of bbq tofu/Soy Curls and/or a layer of sweet potatoes.  I'll be doing that the next go-round. 

Occupie.

xo
kittee

Calaveras Azucar--Dia de Los Muertos

Two posts in one day, I know!  But I'm definitely still feeling the MoFo madness, and since I just finished decorating my sugar skulls today, I wanted to post the pictures.  These are for Dia de Los Muertos  (All Saints Day and All Souls Day), which is celebrated today and tomorrow.

I set these up in the kitchen with some tea lights, but I think I'll probably move 'em to a small altar in the living room this evening.  With the addition of a few photos, more flowers and maybe some chocolate chips (for one friend in particular).

These are easy to make vegan, just follow all the steps here, but instead of meringue powder, substitute in dry powdered egg replacer.

xo
kittee

Figs Not Wigs.

Figs!  I've got fresh figs!

Last year, Amy and I turned them into an amazing fig-ginger preserve.  This past Summer, I dried them as they became ripe, but for this last crop of the year, I might like to try something new. 

In New Orleans, these would get preserved whole in a sugar syrup, but I'm not really feeling that.

Any suggestions? I've settled on a fig preserve with lots of citrus and ginger.  The combo can't be beat, especially since it's dual purpose.  Biscuits and Indian stuff!
xo
kittee