Too Hot to Cook! The Pop Shop in Collingswood

Too Hot to Cook, Episode 3: The Pop Shop

If it's comfort food or ice cream you crave in the heat, you need to head over to Collingswood, NJ and visit The Pop Shop! The Pop Shop has tons of veg-friendly dishes and some excellent vegan specialties!  It's also family friendly and a good place to take the kids for balloons, ice cream parlor hats and, well, ice cream! (They even have some soy ice cream flavors!)

But, who can resist their Vegan Bettys??

The Pop Shop's Vegan Philly Cheesesteak (seitan, mushrooms, onions, soy cheese) and the fluffy, satisfying vanilla goodness of the Vegan Bettys. YUM.

Substantial and cake-like yet still fluffy these Bettys stay out late and still look good in the morning.  Redolent with warm, sugary vanilla and accented with just the right amount of sweetness, Vegan Betty will lure you in with her charms.

The Vegan Cheesesteak is really good, full of seitan, mushrooms, onions and topped with soy cheese on a fresh hoagie roll.  However, it could use something to moisten it a bit more, veg mayo or just some more mushrooms and onions, and it could use more seasoning.  Salt, pepper, herbs and spices along with a veggie mayo, hot sauce or just some olive oil drizzled on top would make it fantastic!  These things can be added at home, of course, if you do take-out.

Also interestingly, there used to be a *really* long wait for the food, like 45 minutes no matter when you went and how crowded it was...but I haven't had that happen in several months.  I think my favorite manager (Kevin) must have straightened everyone out!

For more on The Pop Shop and their vegan offerings,  including pancake porn, check out this post.

The Pop Shop

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I'm thinking this is the last of the Too Hot To Cook series for now, since the weather has been cool and rainy :-)

Remembrance and Renewal: Rosemary Salt, Spice Shakers, Cakes, a Pie, and lots of Gingerbread

Happy New Year, everyone!  

While my computer is behaving, let's catch up with some things I’ve been making, including my holiday projects. Then onward into 2013.

Handmade holiday gifts.  

I made the Rosemary Salt with my house organic rosemary and Kosher salt.  

For each cup of Kosher salt, add 1/4 cup of packed, fresh herbs.  

Process in a food processor a bit until flecked with green snow.

Now you need to dry it for a bit before packing and storing.  The fresh rosemary or other herbs will make the salt damp.  Spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so you can easily pour it off later).

Dry for a few hours at room temperature, then stir up from the bottom (it will be stiff/dry and have caked a bit).  Or for quick drying, put in a 200 degree oven for ten minutes at a time until nice and dry.  Stir.  

Evergreen Snow.  

Pack in pretty jelly jars with tight fitting lids (I used my canning funnel so the salt didn't spill everywhere).  Keeps indefinitely.

If you want to do gift shakers of spices, order some in bulk (like from Penzeys) or use your dried herbs from your garden if you got a lot.  I got those cute shakers at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a very reasonable price.

Yeah, I know how it's starting to look.  No, I'm not making any money from this operation.

 I used a plastic funnel to load the jars with Za'atar or Zatar, or whichever spelling you like.

I had to make a special wax paper funnel for the cinnamon because it is such a fine powder, it wouldn't go through the narrow spout of the plastic funnel.

I did Rosemary salt for family, teachers and friends and added the spices for special family members.  

Here is another vegan food gift that I made:

Another batch of Soft Gruyere from Artisan Vegan Cheese!
My vegan friend (another mom at my son's school) got this.

We both made pasta with it!

YUM-O.

I also made my famous Tortilla Pie again recently:

I do need to do a recipe post for this one day.  I have done so many variations! 
I love Tortilla Pie!

And I've been doing a lot of pancakes lately...

Apple Walnut Cakes

Blueberry Flax Cakes, with a Strawberry Blend

Plain Maple Flax Cakes with Fresh Strawberries.

The apples (Organic Galas have been cheap!) and berries from Wegmans (Cali and Chile imports) have been really good lately.  And all the winter citrus is arriving!

I also did three rounds of gingerbread house crafts:

 My son and I made this at his school holiday party, my favorite one of the year...
The Cookie House Party!  Note the extensive landscaping (Landscaper's Daughter, here!).


And, to prepare for Santa's Arrival, a Sleigh Train of Santas:

A Swish Tail makes for a faster Santa Train.

The Slowest Santa!

Hope he made his way swiftly to all of you, perhaps with the help of
 Supergingerbreadman!

And a church:

Santa visits churches, right?

And little mini gingerbread loaves I made for more gifts:

These were so super tasty.  I can post the recipe if you guys want.  It was easy!

Here's a salad for good measure.  

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Chickpeas. Nekked.
I've been trying to eat a lot of greens lately, as post-holiday nutrient replacement!

Phew! And we didn't even get to see what Santa brought me this year...but, we will, yes indeedy.

Happy New Year, everyone!  

May you all eat well, cook well and be well in 2013.

XOXO

Crispy Oat Cakes (Pancakes)

Crispy Oat Cakes with Strawberries!

 These were unbelievable.  I had them for lunch and dinner.

But, first, to the strawberry fields to pick the strawberries--then on to the recipe, don't worry!

 Honey Brook Organic Farm in Chesterfield, NJ

You could ride the tractor to the picking fields!

 Which we did, of course.

 See the fields in the distance and the tiny people picking strawberries?

 Me, picking! It was slow going at first.  The strawberry plants are very prickly, I wished I brought my gardening gloves, but I didn't know to!  Oh well.  And they were border planted with these thistle-y things:

 Damn, they were prickly! But, I bet they prevent deer and such from eating the berries.  Oh, and the fields were loaded with ladybugs! Organic farming is awesome!

 Just look at these beauties!  They said the tiny berries are the sweetest and most flavorful.

 Pondering.

 Kiddo whaling on the berries but trying to hide it.  He ate like a pint of them!

 Once we got warmed up with the picking, it was all we could do to pull ourselves away from the fields.  I just wanted to pluck those jewels all day long.  So bright and alluring!  So ethereal!

Me, with my full quart and my official Farm I.D. :-)

Heading home with our allotted three quarts (we thought we were only going to get two!):

Now, let's make some pancakes.  These are oat-based, low gluten and totally whole grain.  And, they are delicious!

Crispy Oat Cakes

Inspired by Molly Katzen’s recipe for Oatmeal Waffles in her Sunlight Café cookbook.

½ brick (6 oz) of silken tofu (the one in the aseptic box) , mash up with a fork in a small bowl, add:

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

3 T of melted butter or canola oil.  Mash some more until well-combined, set aside.

In a large, 4 C. measuring cup, mix:

2 cups of plant milk (I used TJ’s organic soy milk)

2 tsps apple cider vinegar

And let sit to curdle (this will be your vegan buttermilk). 

In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (I used Old Fashioned oats, you can also use steel cut oats)

1 cup flour (I used White Whole Wheat, you can use all-purpose or whole wheat if you want)

½ cup oat bran

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ tsps baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 Tablespoons sugar

Now, make a well in your dry ingredients and mix in your tofu mixture and your milk until everything is just combined into a thick batter.  It won’t look very pretty, but it will taste awesome!

Heat a dry cast iron skillet on medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Add butter or oil to lightly coat the pan and after about 10 seconds (once it is done bubbling/sizzling) add your batter (make sure it is shaped so you can get your spatula under the whole pancake to flip it).  Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side and add your fruit (if desired) while this first side is cooking.  Arrange by hand 1-2 tablespoons of berries or sliced fruit over the pancake and press it down a little bit.  

Now, use a butter knife or a spoon and get some extra batter from your bowl.  Gently spread the extra batter over the fruit so it is covered completely.  Spray with canola oil before you flip it:

Cook 1-2 minutes more on the second side.  Serve with real maple syrup, tons of extra berries, strawberry syrup (I just thought of this now, omg!) or whatever else you like!

Enjoy!

Holiday Help: Make Ahead Tips!

If you want to have time to actually enjoy your friends and family during the holidays (or during any get together that you are hosting) it's important to develop some tricks so that you aren't in the kitchen the entire time of your gathering.  Of course there are always things like store-bought hummus, olives from the olive bar, pre-cut veggies, etc. and even complete feasts that are made for you (like the Tofurky holiday feast!).  But, when it comes to breakfast, there is nothing quite like home made pancakes and tofu scrambles.  I like to have me (and serve my guests) a delicious home made breakfast for the holidays!  And I don't want to be in the kitchen all morning making it.

Today, I'm going to talk about making breakfast ahead, which applies more if you have overnight guests (which we  always do since my family is a bit too far away to do a day-trip).

Make Ahead, Freeze Ahead Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner!) Burgers:
To prepare for Thanksgiving his week, yesterday I made the Denver Omelet Burgers from Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet.  I formed the dough into patties (uncooked) and then "flash" froze them on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat mat (get one if you don't already have one, it saves a TON of parchment paper!!).


Here's how: put uncooked burgers on the Silpat (or parchment paper) make sure your patties aren't touching or they will freeze together.  Put the whole Silpat lined cookie sheet with burgers on it into the freezer (you don't even have to cover it).  I left them in the freezer on the mat for a few hours (you can leave them overnight, too, it's not a big deal).  Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a tightly sealed ziplock bag and freeze for the duration.  You can do this with just about any veggie burger.

Here are my Omelet Burgers and a few Perfect Pancakes that I flash froze.  

Now, you can cook the frozen, uncooked burgers directly from the freezer.  Just saute for about 3 minutes per side in a cast iron saute pan in a little oil.  I tried a frozen patty today to test it, and it worked perfectly.  They cook right through and brown very nicely (and tasted better and had a better texture than the fresh one I made right from the batter yesterday!).  It pays to test!!

Make Ahead, Freeze Ahead Pancakes: 

As far as pancakes go, you do have to cook those prior to flash freezing.  Allow them to cool completely after cooking. Freeze them on the baking sheet in the same way (on the Silpat).  Once they are frozen, bag em.  Then, you can still use them directly from the freezer.  Just put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes to re-toast them.  I use my oven's little tray, line it with foil and spray the foil with a little canola oil before I put the pancakes on the tray (they can stick if you don't spray the tray) and spray them a tiny bit on top so they get nice and crispy when they are toasting.  I'm sure you could put them right on the rack in the toaster oven, too, without a problem (but I like them sort of "fried" a tiny bit in that extra oil :-)

Now, I have frozen breakfast burgers and frozen pancakes and all I have to do is just saute the burgers and toast the pancakes when my guests come.  Or, when I'm hungry.  SO easy.

Here is my "tester" breakfast this morning :-) I fried the Omelet Burgers right out of the freezer. Works great!

Those pancakes were also frozen and just re-toasted in the toaster oven! AWESOME.

For more easy breakfasts, try my Easy Baked French Toast.  You can make the tofu mixture the night before (I'd say minus the egg replacer, add that right before you are going to pour it over the bread) and keep it in the fridge, then just pour it over your bread in the morning about an hour before you want to bake it!

Also, don't forget you can always buy fresh bagels and just make your own spreads. I like to use Tofutti better-than-cream-cheese and then mix in various things like fresh spinach, herbs, garlic, sundried tomatoes, etc. by blending in my food processor, fun! Home made hummus or bean-based dips are easy, too.  A big pan of baked oatmeal or would also be easy and low-maintenance

You can also freeze cookies and brownies.  Bake them as usual, allow them to completely cool.  Then, wrap cookies individually in aluminum foil and put in a ziplock bag in your freezer.  I guess you could "flash" freeze cookies as well, but I like them individually wrapped so I can just grab a cookie or brownie square out of the freezer whenever the need strikes.

Gotta run, I have to make some vegan sausage patties or maybe the Log Cabin Burgers and more pancakes (banana pancakes!) and freeze them all for T-day weekend.

Are you guys making anything ahead for the big day?  What are some of your make ahead tips?