So [...]]]> One of the best times of year is the sticky, pumpkiny, caramelly mess that is October-November. The leaves are changing, sweaters and scarves fall into heavy rotation and when you bake something– oh my. The smells of spices and the bright, vibrant hue of pumpkin are two things I can never get enough of.

So bake this Bundt! And if you don’t make it today, the pumpkin season is just getting started, so there are still plenty of nooks and crannies you can cram it into.

*There is still time to enter my drawing for a copy of my latest cookbook- click here to enter, winners will be announced on Friday, November 2nd!

The Great Pumpkin Bundt Cake
From Have Your Cake and Vegan Too.

This cake has all of the great things of autumn: pumpkin, spices and a light glaze all wrapped up into a treat that pairs beautifully with tea or coffee, making you feel like you are on some picturesque warm beverage commercial… except they don’t let you lick the plate clean in commercials.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. salt
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 3/4 cups milk of choice
1/2 cup mild vegetable oil
2 tbsp. molasses
1 teas. vanilla
1 recipe Cinnamon Glaze (recipe follows)
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a Bundt or tube cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, oil, molasses and vanilla. Add dry to wet in batches and mix until just combine. Spread batter into pan and bake for 42–47 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan for about 5 minutes and gently loosen around the edges with a butter knife. Turn cake out onto a cooling rack.

Drizzle glaze over warm Bundt and top with nuts, if using. After completely cooled, finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Store covered loosely at room temperature.

Makes 12 servings

Cinnamon Glaze

2 tbsp. milk of choice
1 teas. cinnamon
1 1/2– 2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine milk with sifted powdered sugar and cinnamon, until thick enough to coat a spoon but thin enough to drizzle.

Some babies don’t wait the full term to enter this world and the same can be said for cookbooks. I’ve been so focused on my early November drop date for The I [...]]]> Updated 11/2/12 *The winners are– Katie! Lois! Mary! You are the lucky winners! I will be in touch for your shipping information.*

Some babies don’t wait the full term to enter this world and the same can be said for cookbooks. I’ve been so focused on my early November drop date for The I Heart Trader Joe’s Vegetarian book, imagine my surprise when Amazon began shipping them early!

Like any proud mama, I want to share the love, which is why we’re going to do a giveaway!

Leave a comment with your favorite TJ’s goodie and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book! US residents only (sorry!). I’ll pick 3 folks next Friday.

Happy nomming!

Let me treat you to some Friday food pr0n to whet your whistle.

Yum, yum, yum! You can see more photos over on my Flickr page. Keep an eye out for some giveaways soon!

Happy Friday!

As fall is rushing in and I’m dreaming of spices and baking and thick socks and warm drinks, I thought it was time to emerge from my summer hibernation. This summer has been tremendously productive AND relaxing, which has been lovely, but I apologize for neglecting the blog.

I went on vacation this summer, [...]]]> Hello!

As fall is rushing in and I’m dreaming of spices and baking and thick socks and warm drinks, I thought it was time to emerge from my summer hibernation. This summer has been tremendously productive AND relaxing, which has been lovely, but I apologize for neglecting the blog.

I went on vacation this summer, which I’ve only done one other time in my life. You could say it was much needed. But I discovered one of the benefits of never taking a vacation — not having to reacclimate to real life again. Oy. I also moved into a new place, finished writing and editing the Trader Joe’s cookbook, ate obscene amounts of sweet corn and just plain chilled.

It was pretty great.

I hope you all had a lovely summer! What was happening in your neck of the woods?

Now back to life, back to reality and with the publication of the TJ’s book approaching and the heat backing off, I’m back in the kitchen and am eating more than salads and bowls of watermelon chunks.

We’re in that weird limbo phase of summer/fall transition, when the air is getting crisp and we’re layering blankets on our beds, but farmer’s markets are still going strong and gardens keep on producing. Here is a recipe from the upcoming book for a lovely Roasted Carrot Risotto, the perfect comfort food to help use up your lingering carrots. As written, the recipe is vegetarian, but the vegan option is noted at the end. Because this recipe is from the book, it notes TJ’s versions of the ingredients, but it’s basic enough that you could throw this together with stuff from any grocery store.

Roasted Carrot Risotto (from The I Heart Trader Joe’s Vegetarian Cookbook, out November 2012)

Risotto is not a shortcut meal, requiring low temperatures and much stirring… but it’s worth every minute. Roasting the carrots enhances their earthy flavor and adds a complexity that is intoxicating.

1/2 lb. organic carrots (whole carrots, not the little guys)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 teas. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. butter
1 small yellow or white onion, diced small
1 cup Trader Joe’s Arborio Rice
4 cups of Trader Joe’s Organic Veggie Broth
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe’s Freshly Shaved Parmesan, Romano & Asiago Cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Wash the carrots and cut down into 1 inch sticks. Toss carrots with olive oil and balsamic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on prepared sheet and roast until tender, about 20–25 minutes. Remove from oven and puree in a food processor or blender, until smooth, adding a little water (1 tbsp. at a time), if needed.

In a stockpot, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute until slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and saute for about 3 more minutes. Add 1 cup of the broth, lower heat to just a tinge about low and cook, stirring often, until absorbed. Repeat with the second and third cups of broth, one cup at a time. Add the carrot puree with the fourth cup of broth. Once absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, stirring until melted and well combined.

Serve with a salad and some crusty bread.

Makes: 4–6 servings

Gluten-free

Vegan option: Replace the butter with non-dairy margarine. In place of the cheese, while the carrots are roasting, soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews in warm water. Let them soak until you are cooking the risotto. Drain the water and puree the cashews with 1/4 teas of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice (about 1/2 teas.). Add the cashew puree in place of the shaved cheese.

My boss celebrated her last day at work yesterday, after 13 years with our organization. This year she has committed to baking one cake per week and blogging about it. Naturally, the theme of our going away celebration for her was cake-related, with folks bringing in cakes of [...]]]> OMG– a treat of the week!

My boss celebrated her last day at work yesterday, after 13 years with our organization. This year she has committed to baking one cake per week and blogging about it. Naturally, the theme of our going away celebration for her was cake-related, with folks bringing in cakes of all kinds. I whipped up a variation of one of the cakes she made earlier this year, but, of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. What can I say– I like to break the rules.

This is a tender Bundt cake, studded with tangy rhubarb and strawberries and topped with a crumb topping. Can you get more delicious than that? If you have an abundance of rhubarb (is there such a thing as too much rhubarb? I argue not.) this is a perfect delivery device for consuming some of it.

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold

Cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 cup shortening (or use your favorite vegan margarine)
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk of choice
1/2 teas. mild vinegar
1 teas. vanilla
1 cup chopped rhubarb, in 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries, cut into 1/2 in chunks

Preheat an oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour a Bundt cake or 10–12 cup tube cake pan.

To make the topping, in a small bowl combine the flour and sugar. Cut in the margarine or butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until a clumpy meal comes together. Keep topping chilled.

To make the cake, in a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the milk and vinegar and let it sit for a minute. Cream together well and add the vanilla. In two batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet until just mixed. Gently add the rhubarb and strawberries and then spread the batter in the pan. Top with the topping.

Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean when tested. Let cake cool completely in the pan before gently loosening with a knife and removing from pan.

***
For other escapades in strawberry/rhubarb love, check out these older posts on making jam and pie.

I had planned to have the tester site up by late March.

It’s now bordering on late April. And I’m currently 3 lattes deep at a favorite local cafe while frantically typing, photo editing and distracting myself with Facebook and videos of big cats doing really cute shiz.

I’m clearly the most [...]]]> So yeah.

I had planned to have the tester site up by late March.

It’s now bordering on late April. And I’m currently 3 lattes deep at a favorite local cafe while frantically typing, photo editing and distracting myself with Facebook and videos of big cats doing really cute shiz.

I’m clearly the most organized person you know. This technologically-steeped girl is all about pen and paper in the kitchen… And while I’d like to blame my sloth-like data entry tendencies on being busy, in reality it comes down to questionable time management. Like when I’m watching reruns of The IT Crowd while eating tortilla chips. Or re-reading Harry Potter for the eleventy billionth time when I should be doing yoga teacher training homework (and then doing yoga teacher training homework when I should be typing up recipes).

I’m a rockstar, what can I say?

*(Total aside, but I’ve been working on and writing for this super awesome public radio show you should know about– The Dinner Party. Check it out! And you’re welcome!)*

In exchange for your love and patience, here is a fast, tasty (and gluten-free!) recipe from my upcoming Trader Joe’s book.

So, if you applied to test, please have patience with me. And in the meantime, enjoy these tasty little morsels.

The TJ’s Organic Polenta is gluten-free and the Reduced Fat Mayonnaise is (bizarrely) vegan, so this appetizer is a win for any and everyone.

Garlic Herbed Polenta Fries with Lemon Aioli

For the polenta fries:
1 log of Organic Polenta, cut into 1/2 inch discs, then strips
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 teas. Trader Joe’s Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Trader Joe’s Organic Dried Oregano
1/2 teas. sea salt

For the aioli:
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 teas. lemon zest
1/3 cup Trader Joe’s Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare polenta slices. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic powder and oregano. Whisk to combine. Gently toss the polenta with the olive oil mixture and spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 35–40 minutes, flipping fries halfway through, until slightly browned and crispy on the edges.

While the fries are baking, prepare the aioli. In a small pan, heat the olive oil. Sautee the garlic for 2 minutes, to remove bitterness. Remove from heat to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice and zest. Add the mayo and mix until incorporated. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated until use.

Serve the fries warm with the aioli.

Makes: 4 servings

Despite how quiet it’s been on the blog, lots of stuff has been going on at nom! headquarters (aka my house). Outside of the edible, I will finally be graduating from college (hallelujah!) at the end of this quarter and I recently started a yoga teacher training program– both very good things (on [...]]]>

Despite how quiet it’s been on the blog, lots of stuff has been going on at nom! headquarters (aka my house). Outside of the edible, I will finally be graduating from college (hallelujah!) at the end of this quarter and I recently started a yoga teacher training program– both very good things (on top of my rockin’ day job). And, in the world of food, I have some exciting news to share!

This week I had the opportunity to teach a class on vegan baking at the Nordic Ware outlet store here in the Cities. I had a great time presenting, meeting folks and, of course, feeding them.

At that class, I officially announced my upcoming cookbook, which I’m currently in the thick of working on.

*drum roll please*

My next book is the I <3 Trader Joe’s Vegetarian and Vegan Cookbook!

It’s true, my dependency on Joe’s has actually proven to be a professional asset. Not many addicts can say that! And, it’s a COOK book, so for those of you who have been patiently waiting for me to expand beyond the realm of sugar comas and pastry induced Type 2 diabetes, the time has arrived! The book will be out by the end of the year, so I’m in serious cooking and development mode and it’s fantastic. All of the Hawaiian shirts at my local TJs are becoming my BFFs, thanks to the serious R&D time I’m spending at the store (could I have fit any more acronyms in that sentence?).

That said, I am still heavy in recipe development, but need to start testing the recipes that I have already finished. If you are interested in testing for this book, please fill out this survey. Details about testing are in the survey, but feel free to let me know if there are any questions. Testing will start by the end of the month.

Trader Joe’s, baby!

*For those who are interested/concerned about the vegetarian aspect of the book– every recipe that is not already vegan, will have a vegan version of it available. By providing a book that appeals to a broader base I feel that I can take my love of TJ’s, in all its vegan-friendliness, and expose a greater population to it and to animal-free food in general.

So it brings me much joy to celebrate a holiday dedicated to them, if by “celebrate” we mean “forget about and eat an English muffin for breakfast”. Alas, there will be many pancakes [...]]]> My love of pancakes is deep and eternal. I’ll take them over waffles, any day. I’ll take them over crepes… most days.

So it brings me much joy to celebrate a holiday dedicated to them, if by “celebrate” we mean “forget about and eat an English muffin for breakfast”. Alas, there will be many pancakes in my future, so I’m not too torn up about it.

In recognition of this most excellent holiday, here are some breakfast suggestions, starting with one of my favorite pancake recipes: Cinnamon Toast Yum Pancakes.

You could serve these bad boys up with some Sundried Tomato Tofu Scramble or with a nice green smoothie on the side. You could make some glorious pancake sammiches, stuffed with veggie sausage and maple syrup. Or, just make some basic pancakes and smother with Blueberries and Cream Sauce.

If you missed out on pancakes this morning, like myself, remember– there is always brinner!

Challenge accepted, my friend. This was especially timely because I’ve been in a bit of a [...]]]> Blog reader Sher recently messaged me with a baking challenge of sorts. She was looking for a healthy, hearty breakfast cookie that she could feel good about giving her kids, but that they would actually, you know, eat.

Challenge accepted, my friend. This was especially timely because I’ve been in a bit of a baking slump lately. While I’ve been baking some good old standby recipes, I haven’t been feeling terribly inspired.

After playing around with a handful of ideas, I came up with these soft, chewy cookies that are just sweet enough to classify as a cookie, yet truly hold their own as a highly portable breakfast. Pair with a piece of fruit and perhaps some almond or hemp milk. I promise they will make getting out of bed easier.

Breakfast Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (can use more WWW flour)
2 tbsp. evaporated cane juice (or other granulated sugar)
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. salt
2 very ripe bananas, gently mashed (you want some lumps)
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. maple syrup or agave
1/4 teas. vanilla
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, flours, cane juice, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, almond butter, vegetable oil, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in batches, including the raisins in the last batch, and mix until dough comes together and the dry is incorporated.

Spoon out the dough into large, 2 tbsp. sized balls onto the parchment. Flatten slightly. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until set and lightly brown on the edges. Let cookies cool on the sheet, on a cooling rack, for 10 minutes before transferring cookies to rack.

Makes 12 extra large cookies or 24 regular sized cookies (reduce bake time to 10–12 minutes for regular sized cookies).

*Mix it up with peanut butter and chocolate chips in place of the almond butter and raisins.*

Any other baking challenges out there?

Ah, 30 Rock. You win some and you lose some, but dammit when you win, you win big. (Although my all-time favorite is Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.)

One [...]]]> My muffin top is all that,
Whole grain, low-fat
You know you want a piece of that,
But I just want to dance

Ah, 30 Rock. You win some and you lose some, but dammit when you win, you win big. (Although my all-time favorite is Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.)

One of my brothers recently celebrated a milestone birthday and so I wanted to make him something extra special. In our family, this equals elaborate breakfast spreads. Normally I’d fancy the place up with some crepes or waffles, but Ted is a savory man and while I don’t always understand it, I can respect it.

That’s where these little morsels come in. They have quickly become a beloved staple item that is so delicious, even my raging sweet tooth backs down and bows in their presence.

Do not be fooled by their understated appearance. These are savory muffins. Truly a tender, moist muffin, they are not misshapen scones or lazy biscuits. True to all that is muffin-topped and holy, these morsels are full of savory goodness and beg to be slathered with Earth Balance or to be split and stuffed with veggie sausage.

If you make them, your muffin world will be rocked. You have been warned.

Savory Muffin Madness

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (you can easily sub white whole wheat or spelt)
2 tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 teas. dried oregano
1 teas. dried garlic powder
1 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/4 teas. salt
1 1/4 cups milk of choice
1/4 cup oil
1/4 teas. mild vinegar (white or apple cider)
3/4 cup shredded vegan mozzerella or cheddar cheese (I recommend Daiya or Teese)
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour a standard sized muffin tin.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oregano, garlic, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine the milk, oil and vinegar. Let sit for a minute so the vinegar can do it’s thing. Whisk in the cheese and sundried tomatoes. In 2 batches, incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until just combined.

Spoon out the muffin batter into the prepared pan, filling to just under the top of each cup. Bake for 14–16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the tin, on a rack.

Store leftover muffins covered at room temperature. Yields 11–12 muffins