Six Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake

I don't know if this really only takes six minutes, but it is fast. I also don't remember where I got it from. The Moosewood cookbook? Maybe. For best results, make a few hours ahead or the night before, store in the fridge. I don't have a recipe for my frosting, I just wing it, so use your favorite chocolate frosting recipe.

Also makes amazing cupcakes!

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1/3 C cocoa *
1 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp if using dutch cocoa)

1/2 tsp salt

1 C sugar

1/2 C vegetable or canola oil

1 C cold water

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp vinegar (white or acv)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil an 8x8 baking dish. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil and water, mix. Then add vanilla and vinegar and mix until just incorporated. Pour into pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

*Dutch is best. It has a deeper, more intense chocolate aroma and flavor. I get mine from an Amish community, but it's not labeled as 'dutch' there.

Here is a picture of the recipe being enjoyed on Pixie's 4th birthday. I topped it with a very rich chocolate frosting and pink pig sprinkles!

Strawberry Trifle

I don't have a picture of this, because I made it up for a friend's family last minute. They asked for the recipe, so here it is, exactly the way I did it.

2 boxes sugar-free vanilla pudding mix (can totally use whatever pudding you like; I used sugar-free because of diabetes. These boxes were from Aldi, if anyone would like the specifics. You can use homemade pudding, too. You'll need about 4-5 cups, depending on how much pudding. My family would probably prefer about 10, hee, hee)

1 (7 oz, I think, the smaller one) carton whipped topping (also from Aldi)

3 1/2 c. 1% milk  (You could probably use 2% or whole and make it 4 cups; I knew it would be thicker being 1% if I cut back on the milk a little. I didn't want the finished product to be too runny.)

1 angel food cake (loaf)

1-2 lbs of strawberries (depending on how much you like strawberries, I used a little over one carton)

Mix the pudding mixes with the milk according to directions. When set, gently fold in the whipped topping. Tear the angel food cake into thinner pieces, and divide into three equal amounts. Slice the strawberries.

In a large glass bowl or trifle bowl, put down a layer of angel food cake. Top with a layer of strawberries, then a layer of pudding/whipped topping mix. Repeat two more times, saving enough pudding mixture to spread on the top, then decorate with a layer of sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until serving.

Down Home Country Chicken Fried Seitan

For anyone that knows me, country style cookin' is not my style at all! However, having a husband who is celebrating one year of being a complete vegetarian this month (after eating mostly vegetarian food for 4 years), and who loves all things gravy, I decided to surprise him and make this for lunch today.

I pretty much got the most-awesome-wife award. :)

Scott said he thought he'd never eat chicken fried steak again. Which I thought was quite the compliment in itself. Even though I don't know what he's missing. 

This is what it looked like right out of the frying pan. The only thing I did differently was use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. They were pretty darn big cutlets. You could either smash them out thinner, or I think I'll go with 8 instead of 5 cutlets next time. Especially if they will be put on a sandwich.

Added some homemade mashed potatoes, collard greens, and white country gravy. 

Definitely a comfort food, especially for those who have gone vegetarian/vegan in the recent past. 

The seitan you get after it's boiled is probably the best flavored boiled seitan I've had. For sure something I can make and use for stir fry, soups, curries, pot pies, etc. Seitan freezes well too!
Find the recipe here!