a delectable vegan carrot cake

This is by far the best vegan carrot cake recipe out there. The original recipe can be found at: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6516.0 They give a delicious "cream cheese" icing recipe as well. I did make some alterations, however, and the results were splendid. My (Southern) parents simply couldn't get enough of this carrot cake. I made the following changes:

• The original recipe calls for 1 cup vegetable oil. Pretty much any time a cake or other recipe calls for this much oil, I put about 1/3 the amount. It just isn't necessary to put more than about 1/3 cup oil, especially when making any kind of cake containing fruits or vegetables (like pumpkin). This carrot cake is very moist without the excess oil, especially since you are using carrots, pineapple, and coconut. I put 1/3 c. of oil, and then when mixing the batter I added just a little more oil -- a tsp. or so at a time -- until the right cake batter consistency was reached. The second time I made the cake I didn't add more oil, but instead mixed in some pineapple juice leftover from draining the crushed pineapple in order to get a good cake batter consistency. This made for a great cake as well. This is certainly much preferable to adding 2/3 cup more vegetable oil.
• The recipe calls for coconut. I used frozen shredded coconut (from the local Indian store). This is much better than what you get in the regular grocery store because it is frozen fresh and contains no added sugar.
• I probably put a few more ounces of crushed pineapple than what is calls for. More pineapple is always better!
• Add about a cup of chopped walnuts at the end.

I wanted to take a picture of the whole cake, but most of it was devoured before I could get the camera. This cake is AWESOME. Try this out on your non-vegan friends. They are likely to convert to veganism immediately with the first bite.

Chick'n and Dumplings

I just made the best vegan chick'n and dumplings, and I'm convinced that any Southerner would love them -- and maintain they are the "real" deal. I found the recipe on the following blog:

http://veganchicksrock.blogspot.com/2007/10/vegan-chicken-and-dumplings.html

I did make some minor changes, such as dissolving about 3 TBS corn starch in some reserved broth and then adding that to make it thicker (before adding the dumplings). Also, I used this brand of vegetarian stock called "Better than Boullion", and the flavor is "No Chicken Base". However, it is quite salty so keep that in mind. You may want to use 5 tsp, instead of 6, to make the 6 cups of broth it calls for. Also, I added about 1/2 c. of onions when sauteeing the carrots and garlic. Overall, this recipe is EXCELLENT. Enjoy!!!

The final product. Delicious!

Behold, the Vegan Angel Biscuit.

Attempting to veganize most biscuit recipes usually results in nothing more than glorified hockey pucks. This is the veganized version of my great aunt Eunice's and grandmother June's Angel biscuit recipe. Angel biscuits are called as such because they are light and heavenly, and the veganized version is no disappointment. After many years of experimentation, I have FINALLY discovered a Southern biscuit recipe that can be successfully veganized, and they are DELICIOUS!!! They are excellent right out of the oven, so I recommend keeping them on a pan in the fridge (covered in plastic wrap) if you want to make them ahead of time. They cook quickly. This recipe makes a LOT: I'd say about 25-30, depending on how big you cut them. Good luck and enjoy!

5 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 c. vegetable shortening (all vegetable, non-hydrogenated variety from Whole Foods, SPECTRUM, is great.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tsps. baking powder
4 TBS sugar
2 packs yeast (dissolved in small amount of lukewarm water with 1/2 - 1/4 tsp sugar; let it sit for a few minutes so it starts bubbling)
2 cups "buttermilk" (make vegan buttermilk by addiing 1-2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to plain soy milk; it will start to curdle after a few minutes and will be ready to use)

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add shortening and mix until texture is like course meal. Then add "buttermilk" and yeast mixture, mixing continuously. Mix well, just until combined into a nice dough (but don't knead it). Cover bowl with towel and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in bulk. Punch down, cover with a little vegetable oil and sprinkle with some flour. Place dough on a floured surface and press or roll out into a large circle and cut with a biscuit cutter. Roll it out thicker if you want thick biscuits (1/2 "). To make biscuits fluffy and tall, place them next to each other (touching) on the greased baking pan or in a biscuit pan. Bake at 450F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy with some vegan butter!

Behold, the best vegan biscuit out there.

for Southern vegans (and their sympathizers)

I've been meaning to start a vegan cooking blog for a while now, and I've finally sat down to do it. I feel like vegan cooking needs more soul food and Southern comfort food recipes. My main obsession over the years has been trying to perfect the vegan biscuit, and a recent success on this front has prompted me to start this blog. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!