Blackberry Lemon Bread

It’s no secret that I love baked goods. Muffins, cakes, pies, cookies…you name it. But there’s something about a loaf of bread–yeast or quick–that gets me. And this Blackberry Lemon Bread takes the proverbial cake. I just threw it together this morning for breakfast because we had leftover blackberries and leftover lemons from this week’s cooking. So good!

Blackberry Lemon Bread (makes 1 loaf):

• 2 cups flour (I use a blend of white and whole wheat)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 generous cup of blackberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Then, add the milk, lemon juice, applesauce, oil, zest and vanilla. Gently combine until most of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Then, fold in the berries. Spoon mixture into loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, checking frequently after 30 for doneness (when a toothpick comes out clean).

This recipe was adapted from the Lemon Poppy Seed muffin recipe in Vegan Brunch.

What Would Memorial Day Weekend Be Without BBQ?

So before I became a vegan, but after I stopped being vegetarian, I fell in love with a Southern-style BBQ sandwich known as the “Pig n’ Slaw.” But since I will no longer be enjoying pig with my slaw, I needed a veganized version of that sandwich. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Seitan Burnt-Ends Slaw Sandwich. It is real, and it is UNBELIEVABLE.

Seitan Burnt-Ends Slaw Sandwich (serves 8):

• Use the Bob’s Red Mill recipe for seitan
• Use the Cool Slaw recipe from Appetite for Reduction
• Make your own buns (I do!) or buy some vegan ones (easier!)
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce. I recommend THE SAUCE. This sauce will change your life. Forever. If this stuff isn’t actually vegan, I sorta don’t want to know.

That’s it! Now, heat up your cast iron skillet with some cooking spray over medium-high heat. Take your seitan and cut it into bite-sized strips. Place the seitan in the skillet. If your pan is on the smallish side, you may need to cook the seitan in two batches. If the seitan is sticking really bad, spray it again, or deglaze the pan with veggie broth or tomato juice. When the seitan is nicely browned, turn off the heat and pour as much sauce as you like into the pan. I like my BBQ really saucy, but if you just like a thin, non-messy coating, go right ahead. Now just pile on the coleslaw to make a delicious sandwich!

This was so incredibly easy for something that turned out amazing. I’ve had really good luck with this seitan cooking technique, it takes away some of the rubberiness of the wheat meat. I could eat this every day, but I shouldn’t–I really shouldn’t.

I made a berry cobbler for dessert, but it didn’t turn out like I would have liked–a little doughy and not as sweet as it should be. I’ll work on it some more and pass the recipe along then. But for now, I leave you with a sweet photo!

Berry Muffins

I’m going to be honest here: I totally deviated from the recipe in Vegan Brunch, because I didn’t have soy yogurt. It’s just not something I keep in the house, because I rarely, rarely use it. Also, I’m still involved in my quest to rid myself of white whole wheat flour (blech), so I used it instead of the all-purpose. What emerged is the muffin you see before you, slightly darker, slightly flatter, still delicious.

 Mmmm…Earth Balance. I don’t like to bake with you (though I will), but I do like to spread your buttery goodness on things. This muffin was obviously not as cute and fluffy as it should be, but the blackberries and blueberries made up for the lack of beauty.

Once again, I would like to express my appreciation for the crumb of vegan muffins. SO MUCH BETTER than your average muffin. I don’t know how it’s possible. But it seems difficult to not have these come out delicious, even when you make substitutions.

Here is my altered recipe:

Not-Bakery-Style Berry Muffins (makes 6)

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup + 1 T sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 T not-milk
• 2 T orange juice
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup berries

Basically, follow the directions from Vegan Brunch: 375 oven, grease the muffin cups. Mix all the dry ingredients, then all the wet in a separate bowl. Add the wet to the dry, and mix VERY GENTLY. Then, fold in the berries. It’s okay if the mixture looks a little floury. That’s how you want it. Bake for 25 mins, and check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the muffin. Sometimes you’ll get berry residue on it, but check for raw dough. If it’s dry, take it out! Nothing tastes worse than an over cooked hockey-puck muffin.