Schrodinger's Kittie

There’s a lot to be said for comfort food; and, the deep South knows all about comfort food. One comfort food in particular is Biscuits and Gravy.

Biscuits and Gravy

Generally chock full of cholesterol and other heart stopping properties – not to mention…milk. Since my allergy was discovered, I have been having to get all sorts of creative with alternatives. One thing I did not want, though, was to have to stop providing my husband with the comfort foods he so loves.

Thankfully, I have a husband that is willing to play guinea pig for me as I work my way through modifying recipes to make them fit my new eating style. While this does not turn out tasting exactly like the original, it is close enough to bring that comfort that comes with a rich, totally bad for you, gotta have it anyway Southern home cooked meal. Here is my take on that old standby “Biscuits and Gravy” – vegan style.

Biscuits:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
⅓ cup Earth Balance® *
1 cup regular soy milk**
2 tbsp white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, pour the soy milk and add the white vinegar. Stir and let sit.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the Earth Balance® until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Be sure that the Earth Balance® is very cold when starting this or it will get way too runny on you. Stop and refridgerate as necessary.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixter and slowly mix in the soymilk until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Flour your working surface and knead the dough about 10-15 times or so. Keeping dough chilled as much as possible.
6. Roll dough out to one inch thick and cut biscuits with a large cutter, cup or glass dipped in flour.
7. Roll and cut until all the dough is used.
8. Put the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet, or use a silicon insert.
9. Bake until golden brown – about 15 minutes.

Gravy:

Ingredients:

⅔ cup vegetable stock***
⅓ cup soy milk**
4 tbsp Earth Balance®*
3.5 tbsp all-purpose, unbleached flour
Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
TVP Sausage Crumbles****

1. Melt the Earth Balance® in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Slowly whisk in the flour.
3. Once the flour is mixed thoroughly and a slight paste as formed, slowly whisk in the vegetable broth.
4. Next, mix in the soy milk and allow to simmer.
5. Continue to stir while the gravy thickens.
6. While thickening, add the black pepper and TVP.
7. When the gravy reaches the desired thickness, remove from heat and pour over the biscuits.
8. Serve while piping hot.

^{* butter or shortening can be used.
** whole milk can be used – if you want to go with buttermilk, you may need to use up to 1.5 cups – just keep an eye on the consistency.  You want it tacky and just pulling away from the sides.
*** chicken stock can be used.
**** Mike likes the Turkey Sausage Crumbles and so when I make this up, I separate the gravy at the end and mix his up with the Turkey (or do whole turkey sausage patties for him) and mine with the TVP. Works like a charm.}

I’ve been wanting to make a couple of deserts with kumquat – why? Because I absolutely love the tart, orange flavor of these little fruits. I also have been trying to find ways to make chocolate treats for myself that don’t involve milk. Welcome to my latest experiment gone right…At least, according to Shannon at The 74 Candy Store here in Ortega Oaks. Since Mike’s in Mazatlán for the next little bit, I subjected her to the dubious position of “Kittie’s Guinea Pig”. She and her helper today (Brianna) seemed to find it quite acceptable. I absolutely love it. The tang of the filling with the sweet, rich flavor of the cake and ganache come together to give a wonderful balance of flavors without being over powering.

The Cake:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp low sodium salt
1 ½ tsp white vinegar
1 ½ cup Vanilla Soy Milk
½ cup room temperature vegan margarine*
¾ cup Splenda (regular sugar can be used if you prefer)
2 eggs (egg substitute works just as well)
1 tsp vanilla (not vanilla extract)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate squares**
¼ cup powdered, pure cocoa (Theobroma cacao)***
1 cup cocoa nibs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare cupcake pans by coating them with margarine and then lightly dusting with flour. You do not want to skip this step.  If your batter sits for any length of time, your cake will be flatter than a floor rug.
3. In a small bowl mix together the soy milk and vinegar and let sit. This thickens the soy milk and will not be tasted in the final cake.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (except for Splenda).
5. In a large bowl, mix together the margarine, vanilla and Splenda.
6. Beat the eggs into the margarine mixture.
7. Mix in ½ the soymilk.
8. Mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time.
9. Mix in the rest of the soymilk until well combined.
10. Melt the chocolate over low heat – do not allow it to boil or simmer.
11. Mix the melted chocolate into the cake batter.
12. Beat on high for two minutes.
13. Put the batter into each cup so they are about ¾ the way full.
14. Bake for roughly 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
15. Place the little cakes on a cooling rack while you make the filling.

Filling:

Ingredients:
2 pounds of kumquats (enough to make 2 cups of juice)
2 cups of raspberries
¼ cup Splenda
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp spiced rum

Directions:
1. Cut each kumquat in half and squeeze the juice into a cup until 2 cups of juice are obtained.
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the juice, raspberries, splenda and spiced rum.
3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water until a thick liquid is made.
4. Mix the cornstarch liquid into the saucepan until the filling thickens.
5. Take a little cake from the cooling rack and cut in half.
6. Put a layer of the filling on the bottom half of the little cake and then put the top back on.
7. Sit aside to continue to cool while making the ganache.

Ganache:

Ingredients:
9 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup French vanilla soy cream
1 tablespoon spice rum

Directions:
1. In a small sauce pan, heat the soy cream; but, do not let it boil. Stir occasionally.
2. Place the chocolate pieces into the cream. Stir constantly to ensure the chocolate does not burn.
3. Add the spiced rum and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
4. Let cool and then pour over each individual cake.
5. Use a spatula to smooth the ganache over the cake top and down the sides.

Notes:
_{*Earth Balance is my preferred margarine – be sure to check for whey or ‘milk solids’ as most margarines include them (whey, lactose, casein and caseinate are such ingredients to look out for).}

**Most chocolate you will find will have milk and/or milk solids in them. Read the ingredients carefully. I used Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Squares.

***I buy my powdered, pure cocoa online at Rose Mountain Herbs.

When Mike and I were in Mazatlán this last Christmas, Paco’s mother-in-law made the most amazing bean soup. I managed to get her to give me her recipe – done in the old-fashioned way of literally just listing the ingredients and letting the cook figure out the ratios/amounts. My favorite way of getting a recipe. The other day, I was in the mood to try it out; but, I was not in the mood to drive the half hour to the local Mexi-mart to get the ingredients that are truly, purely Mexican. So, I decided to scour the local grocers for American equivalents and see if I could not manage to find the actual Mexican ingredients if possible. I got home and 25 minutes later had a tasty approximation of Marta’s amazing soup. It’s not exactly the same; but, it’s just as good. I hope you enjoy it as much as Mike and I. Sorry that there is no photo – but, our camera is still not available.

Frijole Caldo

Ingredients
1 16 oz can White Beans
1 16 oz can Pinto Beans
1 16oz can Mayocoba Beans
1 7 oz can Herdez Salsa Casera (Rotel can be substituted)
1 12oz Pork Chorizo
1 link Aidells Cajun Style Andouille
7 oz Ham Steak
32 oz Chicken Broth
1 small sweet onion

Directions

1. Empty beans and salsa casera into a large pot (do not drain).
2. Dice ham steak and put in the pot with the beans.
3. Slice the andouille and put in the post with the beans and ham.
4. Turn the heat on medium-low under the pot.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the pot.
6. Cut the end of the chorizo off and push the contents into the pot. Push down below the surface. Let the soup come to a boil and stir occasionally.
7. While the soup heats, dice the onion and sautee it until it gets slightly carmelized.
8. Put the onion in the pot and continue to stir occasionally.
9. Once the chorizo has broken apart the soup is finished.

Serve hot with tortillas.
Optionally, shredded cheddar is a great addition to this soup when served.

Makes ~8 servings.
It takes roughly 30 minutes total to make this soup.