Organic – Page 13 – morestomach

fresh cranberry scones – vegan

Published on December 23, 2015December 31, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach4 Comments

quickly, before the season is over,
and in time for xmas morn,
make these scones.
studded with tart cranberries
punched with the sting of ginger
tempered with the subtlety of orange zest
sweetened with sugar
it’s perfect with the morning coffee
or afternoon tea

here’s to wishing you and yours a
peaceful season,
happy holidays from me + dw.

fresh cranberry scones – vegan
makes 12 scones

*note: i’ve made these with organic and conventional cranberries. i’ve used 1 package of ocean spray which was 12oz, and i’ve used organic which came in a 6 oz package. it made no difference in the end result, though the batch with the lesser amount was less tart. basically, use as little as 6 oz, or as much as 12 oz. how’s that for not exact science baking?

1 package fresh cranberries, minimum 6oz, max 12oz
1/3 cup brown sugar, not packed
2 1/4 cups AP flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 2 organic oranges
1/4 chopped candied ginger
10 TBL chilled coconut oil, cut into small pieces
1/3 soy/almond milk (though, i’ve made with lactose free milk and kefir before)

preheat oven 350ºF and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

in food processor, pulse the cranberries with the brown sugar and orange zest. go for chunky. put in large mixing bowl, set aside.

in food processor, pulse the AP flower, baking powder and salt. add in the coconut oil and pulse until pea-sized crumbles appear.

mix the flour mixture with the cranberries in the mixing bowl. add the milk and stir until it just comes together.

dust counter with a bit of flour, dump dough onto it. form a disk/thick circle. cut into quarters, and within those quarters cut 3 wedges.

carefully transfer wedges on prepared baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through.

the edges and bottom will darken a smidge, but the interior will be tender and crumbly.

serve warm, as is, or drizzled with icing (you can make a quick icing slurry of 2 tsp the milk used + enough powdered sugar to get a thickened but drizzly consistency, anywhere from 10-15 TBL)

BAM!

1 year ago: cranberry swirl mini-loaves – vegan
2 years ago: minty snow cake – lactose free

Chocolate Espresso Dacquoise – lactose free

Published on December 16, 2015January 15, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach4 Comments

did you watch the Great British Bake Off
earlier in the season?
are you watching the american dessert version now?
did you make your husband stream the recent british season?

i did/am doing all three.
then i re-watch an old season on netflix,
as well as a myriad of cooking/food shows
(as well THE BLACKLIST which befuddles me cus
i both hate it and love it)

this particular fancy concoction was
created on both the GBBO and America’s Test Kitchen.
obviously it had to be made.

nuria cried before and during the making
i cried before, but only because dw
gifted me a much desired gift,
this year has been so overfull with goodness
i can’t even begin to list them out.
instead, let’s have cake.

Chocolate Espresso Dacquoise – lactose free
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

meringue
3/4 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 TBL cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

coco-cream
3/4 cup lactose free half/half
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBL water
1 1/2 TBL instant espresso powder
1 cup refined coconut oil, soft, but not liquid

ganache
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup lactose free half/half
2 tsp honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
12 whole hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted

for meringue:
preheat oven to 250F. using pencil, draw 4 6″ circles on parchment paper. grease baking sheet and place parchment on it, ink side down.

in a food processor, whiz the almonds, hazelnuts, cornstarch and salt until finely ground. add 1/2 cup of sugar and pulse to combine. set aside.

in a stand mixer with whisk, whip the egg whites + cream of tarter until it’s foamy. increase speed and whip until soft, and while the mixer still running, add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form.

carefully fold the nut mixture into egg whites in two batches.

with offset spatula, spread the meringue evenly onto the prepared circles on parchment, stay within the lines.

bake for 1 1/2 hours, turn off oven and cool for another 1 1/2 hours. do not open oven at any time. remove from oven and cool to room temp.

for coco-cream:
in a small sauce pan heat up half/half until barely simmering. in a bowl whisk the yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until incorporated and smooth. remove half/half from heat, and while whisking constantly add a ladle-full of hot liquid into the yolk mixture to temper. keep whisking until liquid is incorporated. pour the tempered yolk-milk into the saucepan and return to heat, all the while whisking continuously, until mixture has thicked into pudding. transfer the pastry cream to bowl, cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

*when making the rest of the coco-cream, take the pastry cream out of the fridge and allow to get to room temp*

stir together the water + espresso powder, set aside.

in a stand mixer with paddle, beat the coconut oil until smooth, add the pastry cream in 2-3 batches. last add the espresso mixture and continue to beat until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl down often.

for ganache:
place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl. warm up half/half and honey to simmer in small saucepan. Pour mixture over chocolate and allow to stand for 1 minute. stir mixture until smooth, set aside and it’ll cool slightly and thicken.

to assemble:

place 3 circles on wire rack. using an off set spatula spread ganache evenly over surface of each meringue (aim for a thin layer, you’re not using all of the ganache). refridgerate until ganache is firm, about 10-15 minutes. set aside remaining gananche.

with off set spatura, on the remaining circle spread about 1/2 cup of coco-cream. place on wire rack. invert 1 ganache coated meringue, placing it on top of the buttercream and press down. repeat with remaining meringues, spreading the meringues with 1/2 cup of coco-cream and topping another inverted ganache coated meringue. with remaining coco-cream spread all over the cake, sides and top. it doesn’t have to be pretty.. refrigerate until coco-cream is firm, about 2-3 hours.

when ready, warm up the leftover ganache over barely simmer water, stirring often until the mixture is fluid but not hot. with the coco-creamed cake on wire rack, pour ganache over the top and with off set spatula spread the ganache over the top of the cake, you’re aiming for an even, thin layer and letting the excess flow down the side. spread the ganache over sides in thin layer.

garnish the top layer with hazelnuts and for the sides, gently press the almonds onto the side. chill on wire rack, uncovered, for at least a few hours, or overnight. transfer to platter or stand.

slice and serve.
BAM!

previous year: gingerbread cake
2 years ago: peppermint chocolate ice cream

a beautiful love – vegan carrot cake

Published on November 18, 2015November 20, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach17 Comments

for rc + dh.

with rc by her side (as well as a legion of ardent angel friends), dh is facing a battle with grace, humility and aplomb. to read more & help if you can, go here.

videos courtesy of mandy frye and john carnahan, and used with permission

doubled vegan carrot cake + cream cheese frosting
almond paste succulents and carrots, free-handed by my kitchen wench slash new living arrangement roommate nuria, but inspired by: cake central.

730 days later: anniversary

Published on September 28, 2015September 27, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach13 Comments

photo courtesy of luke eshleman & used with permission

darling love,
let’s always eat cake!

730 days down, infinity to go.

6″ double chocolate cake
adapted from movita beaucoup

*note: i have a tendency to bake my cakes under, i like the fudge like consistency. however, for icing/frosting/decoration purposes baking the cake till done or just slightly over is best, as it will make the cake sturdier. for real, do as i say, not as i do.

Yields one 2 layer, 6″ cake

1 cup AP flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup strong black coffee, cool
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 teaspoon chocolate extract

preheat oven to 350°F. grease + line two 6″ baking pans with parchment paper.

in a bowl add all the dry ingredients except the sugar, whisk to combine.

in a large mixing bowl, mix together the coffee, sugar, sunflower oil and chocolate extract until combined. add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

divvy up the batter evenly between the two baking pans.

bake for 18-22 minutes (aim for the full 22 minutes). cool for a few minutes, then remove from pans, remove parchment paper, and cool completely on a wire rack.

chocolate frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
healthy punch of salt
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature (i used Tofutti vegan cream cheese)

Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa and salt and set aside.

in a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy.

add in the dry ingredients in increments, beating on low, until smooth and no lumps remain

BAM!

one year ago: chocolate tahini cake with rosemary infused buttercream

chả trứng thịt hấp – vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf

Published on September 2, 2015September 9, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach3 Comments

by all counts we’ve had a good summer:
vacation
nephews!
on a national level: one love
the heat this week has made us turn on the AC uh-gain
and made me secretly relieved for the inevitable return of autumn
which means i will be forced to hit the kitchen
and cook again
taking advantage of the bay’s haul
i grabbed a half pound container of crab
and made something comforting
something so easy
something that’ll ease me back into the comforting rhythms of the kitchen

chả trứng thịt hấp – vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf
*note: the way my dad sent me the recipe it was all a bunch of words with guesses on measurements. i’ve made this a few times and the measurements below are what i generally stick with. i use 5 ramekins (like, individual creme brulee dishes) and 1 double sized ramekin, as shown in the picture, so the steam time is slightly abbreviated and done in batches. using a bamboo steamer is ideal but i use a steamer insert in a regular big pot, which works perfectly for me. alternatively, you can do it bain marie style in the oven, 350F for same amount of time, just make sure you cover with foil.

1 lb lean ground pork
8 oz crab meat, i bought from Whole Foods, but in a typical vietnamese household they use canned with liquid drained & discarded
1-2 cups worth of vermicelli noodles that’s been softened by submerging it in hot water for 15 minutes, rough chopped
2 good sized pieces of black fungi, submerged in hot water and then julienned
3 stalks of scallions/green onions, diced
4 eggs, reserving 2 yolks
3 TBL fish sauce, we use red boat
2 TBL sugar

in a mixing bowl, mix the ground pork, eggs, fungi, vermicelli noodles, fish sauce and sugar. seriously it’s like meatloaf, don’t over do it but make sure everything is well incorporated.
gently fold in the crab meat. don’t break the lumps up tooooooo much, but you want it to be nice mash up.
in a heat proof bowl or dish, smear a smidge of oil along the bottom and along the sides.
put the meat mixture into the prepared bowl or dish and steam for about 20-25 minutes.
top with scattered chili and spread a layer over the surface of the bowl or dish and steam for an additional 2-3 minutes.

(this is just for looks) serve with white rice and cukes, or between bread, sandwich style…
BAM!