sarah says...

Because I really cant stop this party in my mouth

I posted this recipe about a year ago, but I cant figure out how to get into my archives… So, here again are my Pumpkin Rolls I made this week! :) My dad keeps telling me I should sell them… I should. But I really just want to open up my own vegan cafe. SO bad. My dad says its the worst idea ever :( (he’s a retired-chef/ previous restaurant owner) le sigh.

For the dough:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 scant tablespoon yeast (1 package)
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I use white- whole wheat)

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups pecans - toasted, chopped, and divided in half (optional)

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp vanilla 
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, warm the soy milk and E.B. in a small saucepan on the stove top until the EB is melted. Combine this with the sugar in a large heat-proof mixing bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Let the milk mixture cool until it is just warm to the touch - NOT HOT. Then stir in the yeast and the pumpkin. Add the salt and five cups of the flour all at once, stirring until all the flour has been absorbed. Squish it between your hands if you’re having trouble incorporating the last of the flour. The dough will be sticky, but should come together in a shaggy ball. If it’s still more the consistency of cookie batter, work in an additional 1/2 cup of flower.  

1. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1-3 hours. During this time, it should double in bulk. At this point, you can punch the dough down and refrigerate it overnight or continue shaping the rolls.
2. To shape the rolls (either immediately or with the refrigerated dough), sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and dump the dough on top. Pat it down into a rough rectangle and then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a rectangular shape about a half an inch thick, longer than it is wide. If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on the dough’s surface and on your hands.

1. Melt the Earth Balance in the microwave and stir in the brown sugar and the spices. Spread this over the rectangle of dough, leaving an inch of bare dough at the top. Sprinkle one cup of the toasted pecans over the dough, if using. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch it closed at the top.
2. Rub a tablespoon of soft EB into the bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes, two 9-inch cake pans, or a combination. Using a bench cutter or a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into individual rolls 1 - 1 1/2 inches thick. Place them into your baking dishes so they have a little wiggle room on all sides to rise. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise until they fill the pan and look puffy, 30 minutes for already-warm dough and 1 hour for dough that’s been refrigerated.

1. About 20 minutes before baking, begin heating the oven to 375°. When the rolls are ready, bake them for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden and starting to look toasted around the edges. Rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

1. While they are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy milk and EB. When the butter has melted, add the brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir until the brown sugar has melted. Remove from heat and strain into a mixing bowl to remove any sugar clumps. Stir in the powdered sugar. This should form a thick but pourable glaze.

1. Let the baked rolls cool for about five minutes and then pour the glaze on top. Sprinkle the remaining cup of pecans over the top, if more nuttiness is desired. Eat them immediately. Leftovers will keep for several days and are best reheated for a minute in the microwave.

Yay! Enjoy! 

xo

I had 6 ears of corn from the farmers market, and a bunch of potatoes… so, I thought I’d make a big pot of yummy chowder :) Like usual, I did not follow a recipe, I make it as I go, with what I have in my kitchen, so feel free to add/omit anything ya like !

Microwave 3 washed golden potatoes, for 5-7 minutes depending on size…

In large heavy pot, sauté one large onion (finely diced) in olive oil. Chop up 1 green bell pepper, 4 carrots, 4 small yellow squash, add each to pot as you go… Then cut the corn off the cob of six ears of corn, add to pot. ( I always make a huge mess when I do this, kernels everywhere!) I cut up about 4 tbsp of fresh basil & threw it in also.

add just enough water to cover veggies, about 4-5 cups. 

Take your potatoes and in a separate bowl, mash them up with a fork. I leave the skin on for the nutrients, but you can peel them if you want to. once they’re nice and mashed, add them to the pot & incorporate. This helps to make the soup “creamy” without having to add lots of fat, etc…

Add your seasonings… Salt & pepper, Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute is always what I use (about 2 tbsp in this) garlic powder (2tsp) I put in 1 tsp of curry powder also, because it sounded good to me. You can omit this or add more of it :) stir together & let simmer for a bit. 

If you want to keep this exclusively veggies, stop here. But for an extra creamy soup, add 1/2 tub vegan cream cheese & 1/2 cup plain soymilk ( or whichever nut milk you like) an incorporate. I wouldn’t normally put in the cream cheese, but I had some in the fridge to use, so it went in. And thats it! Serve & enjoy!

xo