Broccoli Soup: Going Green for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Broccoli is a powerhouse source of vitamins C and K, and it's also a good source of folate, vitamin A, manganese and fiber among numerous other nutrients. It's a great antioxidant and detoxifier, and is all-around just good for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't like me much in it's whole food state and since it gives me major stomach issues, I rarely eat it. But, one way I can work a little broccoli into my diet and be able to enjoy it is by pureeing it into soup, like this creamy and tasty bright green Broccoli Soup.

The recipe comes from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. To take out the dairy and make it vegan, while still maintaining the creamy texture, I subbed in cashew cream for the heavy cream that is stirred in and drizzled on the top of the soup. When soaked and blended with a little water, cashews have a thick and luxurious texture that make this soup a stand out.


Tessa Kiros says, "This is such a simple soup, consisting of a few ingredients, and it is a perfect example of how good some straightforward things can be."

Broccoli Soup
Apples for Jam, Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6)

6 cups chopped broccoli
7 cups cold water
salt
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I replaced it with with cashew cream)
freshly found black pepper (optional)

(I added the juice from 1/2 lemon)

Save a handful of the florets and put the rest in a large saucepan with the potatoes and onion. Add 7 cups of cold water, season with one or two teaspoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Skim the surface if necessary. Lower the heat slightly, and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes. Add the other handful of florets 10 minutes before the end of this time. You should be able to squash the broccoli easily on the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Puree all of this in a blender until it is completely smooth (and hope that you didn't get a woody broccoli to start with). It should be thick, but if you find it too thick then you can add some hot water. If it is too thin then carry on cooking it uncovered for a while to reduce the liquid. Add salt until you can really taste the depth of the broccoli. Swirl in half the cream and heat through. Serve immediately, with another swirl of cream through each portion and a good grinding of pepper for those who like it.


Notes/Results: For such a simple soup with few ingredients, it is surprisingly good. The potatoes and onions give it a great base and add flavor--although the broccoli is the standout. The cashew cream is thick and adds to the velvety texture. (Follow the link above for the "recipe" I follow by Tal Ronnen). Tessa Kiros recommends plenty of salt to bring out the broccoli's depth and I also recommend a bit of lemon juice. I find that it brightens up green vegetables and enhances the flavor. Easy and tastes great--I would make this soup again.



I am a day early to Go Green! with this soup over at I Heart Cooking Clubs where we are celebrating the color green this week. Stop by there later in the week to check out all the green dishes.


Now let's get into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here this week.

Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food created this Seaweed Sweet Corn Miso Udon Noodle Soup. She says that this soup, "using a so-called "old" (second batch - leftover) broth was freshened with a somewhat richer (but still vegetarian) flavor: with some red miso soup base (1/2 tsp miso dissolved in warm water) mixed into the broth. Then topped with nori seaweed, frozen sweet corn kernels (thawed), finely sliced green onions and Toasted Sesame Seeds. Dash of Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Spice Powder) if you wish, to spice it up!"



Janet from The Taste Space has a hearty bowl of Plantain, Cabbage and Coconut Curry and says, "This curry from 660 Curries had many of our favourite ingredients like coconut and cabbage, with new-to-me ripe plantains, and it had been a while since I had cooked with creamy toor dal. Plus, I was drawn to Iyer’s recipe blurb where he wrote: You will be eloquent in your praise and use highfalutin words like “yum”. Highfalutin! Yum! And no, he does not lie. This was delicious and possibly one of my favourite curries to date."



Carol of There's Always Thyme to Cook... is back again and this time with a quick and easy Pasta con Lenticchie (Pasta and Lentil Soup). Carol says, "This lentil soup is also delicious and takes no time to put together. You end up with a very nice, hearty soup with minimal effort and a full tummy."

Here with Minestra d'orzo (Barley Soup) is Simona of briciole. She says, "I have hull-less barley (which is whole grain) from my grain CSA and my husband likes it a lot, so it was an easy choice. My rendition takes some ingredients from the recipes to make a rather minimalist soup. The result was nice and considering that I used ingredients I normally have available (for example, the herbs grow in my little garden), this is a soup that can be easily made whenever I feel like."



Due to an email meltdown, this Couscous Salad with Chickpeas, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese from my friend Kim of Stirring the Pot didn't make the roundup when it should have, so I am remedying that this week. Kim says, "I really enjoyed this salad. I loved the bright flavors and all the different textures, as well as the lovely little chunks of goat cheese. I found this salad hearty and filling yet light at the same time."

Finally we have one sandwich from Ana from Sweet Almond Tree, this Mediterranean-Inspired Sandwich Wrap. She says, "I made these for lunch twice. The first time with out feta cheese, and the second with feta cheese. With is the way to go! ake them with you for lunch. Eat one for lunch and give the other to a friend. Or, save the second piece for the end of the work day, to eat before your drive home. That way you won't be too ravenous when dinner time comes."

Great dishes this week! Thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

And, if you are craving something home-baked, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of the fabulous Joy the Baker Cookbook! You can find my review and the details of how to enter here.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Tomato Salad and Cucumber Meze, Part of a Simple and Delicious 15-Minute Mezze Plate

OK, I'll admit it right off the bat... I picked the two quickest (and certainly the easiest), recipes in Food From Many Greek Kitchens for the March Mezze Madness theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I wanted low effort and I got it with the Tomato Salad (Tomatosalata) and the Cucumber Meze. Each of these light meze salads has 5 ingredients or less if you don't count salt and pepper, and they go together in minutes. Add grilled pita bread, hummus and a can of dolmades (I always have one or two in my pantry), and you have a pretty tasty little vegan mezze platter in under 15-minutes.


Do I feel guilty about not making the pita, hummus and dolmades for the platter? Nope. I actually have made my own dolmades before waaaay back in the olden days when I Heart Cooking Clubs was Tyler Florence Fridays. Delicious, but MUCH more effort than I was in the mood for this week. I did make a batch of hummus last weekend but I seem to have made it my condiment of choice on practically everything I have eaten this week and I devoured all of it. Thankfully, my co-op makes an excellent one. So after getting home late on a stormy Friday evening, all I had to do was pull a pita out of the freezer and heat up the grill pan while chopping up a couple of tomatoes and a cucumber, pitting a few olives and mixing up the salads while the bread grilled. Once on the plate, with a glass of white wine, it made for a delicious dinner.

Tessa says, “In Greece a whole big beautiful tomato could make a meal, as it’s so good on its own, just with a little salt and olive oil. A salad like this works well next to grilled foods."

Tomatosalata (Tomato Salad)
From Food From Many Greek Kitchens
(Serves 2-4)

2 1/2 lbs lovely ripe juicy tomatoes (about 6)
1/2 cup kalamata olives
2 Tbsp capers
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Cut the tomatoes into nice chunks. Put them into a bowl with the olives, capers and olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the oregano over. Toss gently, and serve.


Tessa Kiros says, “This is extremely instant and extremely simple. The kind of thing you could eat a bucket of in summer. This recipe is easy to double, just reduce the olive oil slightly, using about 1 1/2 teaspoons."

Cucumber Meze
From Food From Many Greek Kitchens
(Serves 2)

7 oz cucumber (about 1), peeled and sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried mint
salt and freshly ground black pepper
about 1 Tbsp olive oil

Put the cucumber and lemon juice into a bowl and crumble in the mint. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over just before serving.


Notes/Results: These salads are quick and easy and have good flavor, making them a great choice for a mezze plate. I pretty much made the salads as the recipe stated--no major changes. I did use a local organic cucumber so I left the skin on. I also lessened the olive oil in the Tomato Salad down by about half--it didn't need more than that. Much as I love my cucumbers--especially with lemon and mint, the tomato salad, with two large, ripe locally-grown tomatoes, won my heart with all of its capers and olives. Both recipes were so simple and tasty that I will make them again.

You can see the March Mezze Madness going on at I Heart Cooking Clubs by going to the post and following the links.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of the fabulous Joy the Baker Cookbook! You can find my review and the details of how to enter here.

Happy Weekend!

Pineapple Malted Milkshake & a Cookbook Review for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff + a Giveaway (The Chance to Win Your Own Copy!)

I don't do a whole lot of baking. I am not that skilled at it and I find that it requires me to be too patient and precise when I prefer to be lazy and haphazard. Plus, I have to give all the end product away when I do bake or I will eat it, and while I believe that the occasional indulgence is very good for the soul, I find that more than the occasional indulgence is not so good for the body. I also don't read a lot of baking-based food blogs--I find them way too tempting, inducing me to crave desserts more than I already do. ;-) Still, although I had never been to her site, I had certainly heard of the wonders of Joy the Baker and I was excited, if not a little nervous, about joining Heather of girlichef and her merry band of bloggers in reviewing the Joy the Baker Cookbook. The apprehension was due to my admitted lack of baking skills--I was worried that the recipes would be difficult or too fussy for me to enjoy the process. But, after four weeks of cooking along, I have found that the beauty of Joy Wilson and the Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes, is that the book lives up to its cover tagline--they are easy to make recipes, both comforting and delicious. I think it is her background as a self-taught cook, baker, and blogger that make Joy and her recipes relatable but unique enough to be really interesting.

The soft cover book packs the 100 recipes into 246 bright and colorful pages. There are mouth-watering photos accompanying the recipes--perfect for seeing just what the finished products should look like. The photos are gorgeous and were taken by Joy herself--apparently there is no end to her talents.

Once I finally got my hands on the book (more about that later), I had sticky tabs peppering the pages of over half of the book. (I have a feeling I will be going back to many of those recipes and actually making them--something that doesn't always happen for me with the obscene number of cookbooks stacked about my house.) Some of the recipes that caught my eye: Chocolate and Salty Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Single Girl Melty Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles, Lavender Lemon Bars, Chewy Coconut Almond Raisin Granola Bars, Zucchini and Potato Pancakes, Carrot Cake Pancakes, Toasted Oat Smoothie, "Man Bait" Apple Crisp, Parmesan Seaweed Popcorn, Chocolate and Black Pepper Goat Cheese Truffles, Avocado Pound Cake, Peach Cobbler Muffins.... I could go on and on.

Through the Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff, I made four recipes from the book. The first two were selected by girlichef and other two I chose.

Our first group recipe was the Chocolate Fudge Brownies with The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. I am always suspicious of recipes that proclaim they are "the best" anything, but with this frosting I think Joy may be correct. I would eat it on a stick. The Ovaltine gives it such great flavor and fluffy texture. My sister Phyl saw the brownies on my blog and made them for her husband Ken. His feedback; "Holy S#*t!" High praise indeed and my sister also thought it was the best chocolate frosting she had ever tasted. Sadly, since I was on my 28-day Engine 2 Challenge, I ate one for tasting purposes and snuck two more in the freezer (for days 29 & 30!), then gave the rest away. I still dream about these brownies... ;-)

Our second group recipe, Mini Chamomile Cakes with Honey Frosting, were also wonderful. The tea-infused cakes had so much flavor without the chamomile being overpowering, and the luscious honey-flavored frosting was perfect on them. I plan on playing around with this recipe using some of my other favorite teas since due to my E-2 challenge, most of these cupcakes were happily received and enjoyed by friends. These little cakes would be perfect for an afternoon tea or a bridal shower--they are ever so delicate and lady-like.

I was ending my vegan E-2 challenge the week we picked our own recipes to make from the book, and I was intrigued by the Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream. The cupcakes were so moist and delicious and you would never guess that there is avocado in them. I did have some challenges with the frosting--it seemed slightly greasy and kept separating, but it could certainly have been user error. It didn't affect the taste much--it just wasn't as pretty as it could have been. I also think The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from the first week has spoiled me for other chocolate frostings forever and ever...

Finally, you can't live in Hawaii without having to make any interesting pineapple recipes you come across (Really. I think it is a State law or something), so I had to try the Pineapple Malted Milkshake. Since I don't consume a lot of dairy, I used coconut-almond milk and a vanilla coconut milk-based ice cream. If not for the malted milk powder my version would have been vegan and dairy-free--not that you would notice when it is all blended up into a thick, creamy milkshake. The milkshake was nicely sweet and fruity (from a fresh, local farmers market pineapple), and I loved the "special something" that the malted milk powder added to the flavor. Delicious.

Joy says, "We have a Saturday-night tradition in my family. It involves a long car ride, spicy Mexican food, almost painful amounts of chips and guacamole, and finishes with a trip to the local ice cream shop for pineapple malted milkshakes. Then my father invariably jokes about driving off without either me or my sister in the car, and we have to rush back to the car, malts in hand, so as not to be left behind. It's all in good fun... I think."

Pineapple Malted Milkshake (Made Almost Vegan & Dairy-Free)
Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook
(Makes one 3-cup milkshake)

1 cup whole or low-fat milk (I used coconut-almond milk)
2 cups vanilla ice cream (I used non-dairy vanilla coconut ice cream)
3 Tbsps malted milk powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (see note)

In a blender combine milk, ice cream, malted milk powder, vanilla, and pineapple. Blend on high until smooth, thick and creamy. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy immediately.

Note; If you are using canned pineapple, try 1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained on most of the juice.


From the not-so-often baker perspective, I really love this cookbook. It isn't at all intimidating, rather it is a warm and welcoming book, appropriate for those newer to baking as well as those experienced bakers looking for new ideas and inspiration. Joy has lots of helpful tips and the recipes are easy enough to follow. I love how she has taken simple, homey recipes and by adding different ingredients and combining unique flavors, turns them into something a little different. It's fun, it makes me smile, and I am happy to have it on my cookbook shelves. Thanks to girlichef and Hyperion for letting me be a part of this wonderful event!

Note: A copy (+ an extra) of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of reviewing and participating in the Cookbook Spotlight event. As always my thoughts, opinions, and experiences cooking from it are my own.

*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

***Joy the Baker Cookbook Giveaway***

Now, how would you like to have a copy of the Joy the Baker Cookbook in your cookbook collection?!?

For whatever reason, we were well into the first week of the challenge and I had not received my book while everyone else had. The publisher couldn't figure out why since my book was sent with the others, and so they generously and promptly sent me another copy 2nd Day Air, so I wouldn't miss out. Yesterday, my mail carrier trudged up the walkway with a slightly battered padded envelope in hand with a copy of the book inside, in fine condition. It was mailed January 31st, but it must have taken the slow boat to Hawaii or been hanging out in a post office somewhere to not get here until the first week of March.

The post office's delay and Hyperion's generosity is a chance for YOU to win your very own copy of this fabulous baking book!

How To Enter:

• Leave a comment on this post with either/or your favorite baked good or favorite milkshake flavor.

If you already have this book and don't want to enter you can still leave a comment. (I love to hear from you!) Just let me know not to count it as an entry. ;-)

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Do you really want to win this book? Here are 3 ways to get additional entries and better your chances.

(Note: You must leave a separate comment on this post for each item you do below in order to get the extra entries counted in the drawing)

1. Tweet about this fabulous giveaway mentioning Kahakai Kitchen (make sure you also include my Twitter handle @DebinHawaii so I will be sure to see it.) or post a link to the giveaway on your blog or Facebook page. Leave a separate comment letting me know that you tweeted, blogged or Facebooked about it.
   
   
2. Follow Kahakai Kitchen either through Google Friends or Networked Blogs on Facebook, or both (see my sidebar). If you are already a follower through either (or both) leave a separate comment letting me know for your entry.


3. Follow Hyperion Publishing on Twitter and/or "Like" them on Facebook and leave me a separate comment letting me know that you did.

A winner will be randomly drawn from all applicable entries. Make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn and you win. (Note: I'm feeling very lucky that I get the chance to share such a great book and I am willing to send it out to you regardless of the country you live in--so this giveaway is open to all.)

This giveaway will end Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 11:59 PM Hawaii time and the name of the randomly-drawn winner will be announced soon after.

Good Luck!

Garlic-Ginger Miso Noodle Soup: Nutrient-Packed Comfort for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

When tired and not feeling up to par in the past, I would have turned to a big bowl of chicken soup. Since meat and poultry are not on my menu at present, I needed an easy vegan way to comfort and restore--like this Garlic-Ginger Miso Noodle Soup. I took a little time to brew up a garlic and ginger infused vegetable broth and then tossed in onions, mushrooms, tofu and seaweed for plenty of nutrients. The miso gets stirred in at the end, so the nutritional benefits are not boiled out. The noodles? Everyone knows that a little noodle slurping is good for the soul.


Garlic-Ginger Miso Noodle Soup
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings)

1 small package noodles of choice (I used somen noodles)
Garlic-Ginger Broth (recipe below)
3 green onion white and green parts sliced thinly, plus extra green onion for garnish
5-6 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 heaping Tbsp dried wakame seaweed
1 small package tofu, chopped
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup white or light miso

Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, return the Garlic-Ginger broth to a soft boil and add green onion, mushrooms and dried seaweed. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add tofu and heat through, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in miso. Add low-sodium soy sauce to taste.

Place a serving of noodles in a large bowl and top with the soup. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, sliced on the diagonal. Enjoy!

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Garlic-Ginger Broth

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 5 cups of broth)

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
2"-inches of fresh ginger, slightly peeled and sliced into 1/4" "coins"
1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, peel and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cups water
1 Tbsp low-sodium concentrated vegetable bouillon

Place vegetables into a large pot and add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Strain out vegetables, pressing out liquid with the back of a wooden spoon. Return broth to pot and discard vegetables.


Notes/Results: This soup hit the spot completely and was perfect for a cool, rainy night. The ginger and garlic flavor came through in the broth and worked well with the miso and the wakame. You could of course swap out ingredients for whatever you like or have on hand, but I found this combination to be delicious. A bowl of this soup and a good night's sleep had me feeling warmed, satisfied, comforted and restored--soup for the body and the soul. ;-)

We have some good friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look and see what they brought with them this week.

Tigerfish from Teczcape-An Escape to Food made this healthy Onion-Tomato Honey Dates Udon Soup with Supergreens and says, "Without leftover as broth, this vegetarian noodle broth can be easily and quickly made from scratch. Vegetarian broths are easy to concoct from celery, onions, carrots, fennels. But what if there are no celery and carrots? Ahhhh.....tomatoes and onions can do the trick. Mushrooms too, if only I had some, so leave that to next time. How about adding some Red or Honey Dates (Jujube) today. A really quick way to cook up something instantly."



Jaleela from CookbookJaleela is back this week with a nourishing and full-of-spices Toor Dhal Palak Soup and says, "Generally greens like Palak (Spinach) are very healthy for all. Palak has more iron content. It is especially good for kids, anemic people , pregnant women and elderly people. ... You can serve it to your family, either as a soup or mash it with plain rice and serve it as a meal."

It's always nice to see Carol of There's Always Thyme to Cook at Souper Sundays. She says, "There is nothing like a good bowl of French Onion Soup, topped with gooey cheese, melting over the toasted bread, soaking up that delicious broth. When I saw Rita's version over at Sage Cuisine I dropped my plan for lentil soup and went with the onion. This one was a little sweeter than the French Onion Soup I had made previously. We loved Rita's recipe. It was a HUGE hit."

Victoria of Flavors of the Sun is here with this exotic Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Honey-Harissa Sauce and Parmesan Crisps and says, "l first learned to love harissa when I encountered it regularly on the table as an everyday condiment in Morocco, where I lead yearly trips. Later, I found a terrific version at a favorite falafel restaurant in Paris that I will eventually try to duplicate. The version that adorns this eggplant soup is very pleasant and relatively mild. The addition of honey gives it a wonderful soft sweetness as well. I can see that it could be used for many recipes as an unusual pick-me-up."

Here's a hearty Beer Cheese Soup with Sausage from my friend Heather at girlichef. She says, "Using locally brewed beer and locally made Dyngus-style (it's that time of year) sausage along with homemade chicken stock and organic veggies and serving it in a boule of homemade bread, I think I accomplished my mission. I found the amount of flour used in the original recipe (2 cups!) to be excessive, so I cut it down by half and gave an option for thickening. The result is a rich, comforting, stick-to-your bones pot of soup reminiscent of fondue. And I'm awful fond of fondue. That's why I think it was a bonus to serve it in a bread bowl."



We have one salad this week, this Pomegranate, Snap Pea and Barley Salad with Dill and Allspice from Janet at The Taste Space. Janet says, "With a such crazy combination of ingredients in this barley salad – pomegranate, dill, allspice – I’ll give you one guess as to where this recipe came from. Not to throw you off, I added the snap peas. Your one guess….. Ottolenghi? You’d be right! ... The salad is overflowing with pomegranate arils which offers a sweet crunch, countered by the nutty barley, and accentuated by the earthy allspice and bright dill. The sugar snap peas also add a nice sweet crunch and we can always use more veggies. :)"



Some great-looking recipes this week--thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Roast Lemon Potatoes (Patates Fournou Lemonates): A Sunny Citrus-Spiked Greek Side Dish

Little potatoes slow roasted until tender in olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkled with herbs. An easy to make side dish that livens up the plate. These sunny Roast Lemon Potatoes or Patates Fournou Lemonates are from Foods From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros.

Tessa says, "These are good with grilled foods. They are not crusty like regular roast potatoes, but soft and moist. You can add more lemon here depending on what you will be serving them with. I use a nonstick oven dish, about 8 1/2 x 12 inches."


Roast Lemon Potatoes (Patates Fournou Lemonates)
From Food From Many Greek Kitchens
(Serves 6)

2 lbs 10 oz potatoes, peeled and rinsed (I used a bag of baby gold potatoes)
juice of 1 large lemon
6 Tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tsp dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Halve the potatoes lengthwise then cut each half into 2 or 3 wedges, depending on the size of your potatoes. Spread them in a non stick baking dish. Splash the lemon juice and olive oil over them, and add salt and pepper generously. Crush the oregano between your fingers, letting it fall all over the potatoes. Turn the potatoes to coat them well with everything. Drizzle 2 cups of water down the sides of the dish and give it a shuffle.

Roast until the potatoes are tender and melting and a bit golden here and there with still a bit of sauce in the dish, about 1 1/2 hours, turning and basting them every 20 minutes or so. add more salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.


Notes/Results: Perfectly lemony little potatoes, tender and creamy. I made a half-batch but used the entire lemon that the recipe called for. Since the flavor gets diluted from the water it wasn't overpowering at all--just full of bright citrus flavor. In addition to the dried oregano, I sprinkled some fresh lemon thyme from my container herb garden before serving for an extra herbal touch. Although I ate these as more of a main dish with a spinach salad for dinner, they would be a wonderful side dish for fish. I will make these again, maybe with some garlic added.


At I Heart Cooking Clubs it's time to Fight Scurvy -Eat More Citrus! this week. To see what citrus-spiked dishes the other IHCC participants made, go to the post and follow the links.

Vegan Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff

Chocolate cupcakes may seem redundant when we have already made brownies with chocolate buttercream and chamomile cupcakes for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cookoff. Still, when I got to choose a recipe to make for Blogger's Choice Week of the challenge, this is the recipe I kept going back to. I have been wanting to finally try baking up a vegan chocolate and avocado pairing so Joy's Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Buttercream seemed like the perfect opportunity.

These cupcakes turned out incredibly moist and delicious. Sadly, the frosting wasn't quite a win for me. It kept separating and seemed somewhat greasy and a bit grainy. I used the Earth Butter sticks and followed the recipe, then I tried adding more powdered sugar, refrigerating it and re-mixing, freezing it, etc. but it wasn't quite as buttery and fluffy as I would have liked and it doesn't look that pretty. Of course it also had to compete with my memories of Joy's incredible chocolate buttercream with Ovaltine in it that topped the brownies on week one, and I don't think it could have done that even if it had turned out perfectly. All in all, these cupcakes were still excellent and no one would guess they are vegan--always a plus.

Joy the Baker says, "This is the part of our baking journey that will make you raise your eyebrows at me. Yes, this fine chocolate cake has avocado in it. Avocados are so rich and creamy that I like to consider them the vegetable equivalent of butter. This vegan cake recipe uses both oil and avocado to create a moist, tender, and sturdy crumb. Combine the cake with vegan chocolate frosting, and you've got quite a treat. You won't have to tell a soul that there's avocado in the cake, unless of course, you want to brag. You can double this cake and frosting recipe to make one 2-layer 8-or9-inch cake."

Vegan Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes w/ Vegan Chocolate Buttercream
The Joy the Baker Cookbook
(Makes 12-14 Cupcakes)

Cupcake Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado (about half an avocado)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

(I added 2 tsps espresso powder)

Cupcake Directions
Place rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with foil or paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, oil, avocado, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the avocado mixture and fold with a spatula until well combined. The batter will be so loose that you can pour it into a measuring cup to dispense into the cupcake molds. Fill each cupcake liner until it’s about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.


Frosting Ingredients
3/4 cup Earth Balance butter (or any vegan butter in sticks), at room temperature
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbsp soy milk

Frosting Directions
Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and pliable. Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, and add the cocoa and sugar. Turn mixer on low to slowly incorporate. Add the vanilla and soy milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium or medium high and beat until frosting is soft and fluffy.

Spread onto cupcakes with a butter knife and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Frosted cupcakes can last in fridge for up to 4 days.


Notes/Results: I think I said it all above--the very moist and delicious cakes get a thumbs up and will definitely get made again. The avocado disappears completely when you bake them and I love how it replaces most of the oil and egg with healthy fats. I did add some espresso powder to the cupcakes--just for a little depth of flavor, and I topped them with chocolate-covered coffee beans. I'll probably try the frosting again--maybe it was just a bad frosting karma day. And, I promise that I will be making one more recipe from the book for my final review next week that isn't a cake or brownie. ;-)

*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*