Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (55 page)

3.
Add the chickpea flour to make a roux and cook lightly so just blended.

4.
Alternate adding the mushroom stock and soymilk ¼ cup at a time. Add the soy sauce after the first addition of each. After each addition stir well and allow the gravy to thicken slightly before adding the next quantity. After all the liquid is added, cook at a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.

5.
Add the nutritional yeast just prior to serving; do not boil.

6.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper if desired.

Croutons

N
OT REALLY A
recipe, more of a general how-to guide, this will have you creating yummy croutons out of leftover or nearly stale bread in no time. There are no set quantities; you need to play it by ear a little, depending on how you like your croutons. I like mine a little chewy, not completely crisp, so I may use a little more oil and cook for a shorter length of time than maybe you would. Play around until you get the right balance for you. Use on soups, salads, pasta, or as a nice crunchy predinner snack.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Leftover bread, at least a day old, not completely hard and stale but getting that way
 

Olive oil

Herbs as desired

Minced garlic as desired

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Cut the bread into uniform cubes (I like mine about ½ inch). Discard any hard crusts.

3.
On a rimmed baking pan large enough to fit the bread in a single layer, toss the cubes with the oil and the herbs and garlic as desired. Start with less oil than you think you need and add more if necessary. All the cubes should be lightly coated with oil, but not enough so that they soak it up.

4.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and crisp, checking and tossing every 10 minutes to ensure they don’t burn so they can be removed from the oven as they reach your preferred level of crispness.

5.
Allow to cool on the pan.

6.
When completely cool use or store in an airtight container.

Chees-y Crackers

in the Dry Chees-y Mix

T
HESE ARE A
little pungent, so good for eating by themselves or with soup or pasta. Not saying they aren’t good topped with things, too, but you have to match the toppings carefully. I like a slice of tomato, plain. The dough is a little soft but rolls out well. Before rolling out the dough, be sure to cover the board with flour. If you don’t want to use a cutter, slice into squares or even into strips and twist into chees-y straws.

Makes about 32 crackers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dry Chees-y Mix (
page 51
)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon black salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper
 

2 tablespoons grated vegan cheese, optional
 

¼ cup vegan margarine

2 tablespoons vegan shortening
 

5 to 6 tablespoons soymilk

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.
In a large bowl sift together the flour through the pepper.

3.
Stir in the cheese, if using.

4.
Using a pastry cutter or two knives held together, cut in the margarine and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

5.
Make a well in the center and add 5 tablespoons of the soymilk. Mix to form a stiff dough. If more liquid is required, add more soymilk 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together when pressed.

6.
Press the dough into a ball, then on a lightly floured board, roll to a thickness of about
¹
/
₈
inch (or as thin as you can). Using a 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out the crackers and place 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps for more crackers.

7.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

8.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to complete cooling. Store in a covered container.

Spelt Crackers

L
IGHT, CRISP, AND
neutral-tasting (besides a lovely nutty quality), these are perfect, go-with-anything crackers. If you want to pretty them up prior to baking, feel free to sprinkle with a few seeds, herbs, or even finely chopped nuts. Serve with soup, as a predinner nibble, or even alongside a thick stew.

Makes about 30 crackers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

1½ cups spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning mix, store-bought or homemade (
page 52
)

¹
/
₈
teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
 

¼ cup canola oil

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

3 to 5 tablespoons vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.
In a large bowl sift together the flour through the cayenne.

3.
Make a well in the center and add the oils and stock. Mix to form a stiff dough. If more liquid is required, add stock 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together when pressed.

4.
Press the dough into a ball, then on a lightly floured board, roll to a thickness of about
¹
/
₈
inch or as thin as you can. Using a 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out the crackers and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Re-roll scraps for more crackers.

5.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.

6.
Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to complete cooling. When cool store in a covered container.

Cheese and Chives Scones

I
N
QUICK AND EASY VEGAN BAKE SALE
I have a Cheesy Scone recipe that doesn’t use a vegan cheese substitute, but since then I have been playing with cheese scones that do contain vegan cheese (usually Daiya, but anything goes), and this is the result. I love these with the chives (fresh and freeze-dried both work perfectly), but for a change I often make the dill variation, which is also super. Great served with soup, but they also hold up well with stews and are even good smothered in gravy like biscuits.

Makes 8 scones
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper
 

½ cup grated vegan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or freeze-dried chives

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
 

2 tablespoons vegan margarine

2 tablespoons vegan shortening
 

1 cup soymilk

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

2.
Sift the flour through the pepper into a large bowl.

3.
Stir in the cheese through the nutritional yeast.

4.
Using the tips of your fingers, a pastry cutter, or two knives held together, rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Make a well.

5.
Stir the milk into the well; with your hands knead lightly to bring the dough together.

6.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape into rough balls, then flatten into 1½-inch-high discs.

7.
Place on the prepared sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned.

8.
Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

VARIATION:

CHEESE AND DILL SCONES

Replace the chives with 1 teaspoon dried dill.

Cornbread Scones