Temptress Treats now @ Harvest Coffee & Cafe

The Vegan Temptress is now cooking for the new Harvest Coffee & Café in Shelbyville! Every day for lunch you will find soups (like 3 Bean Chili and Curry Quinoa Vegetable), salads (like Citrus Quinoa and Southwestern Grain), special featured items (such as Jackfruit Salad Rolls or Stuffed Tomatoes), and desserts (brownies, cupcakes, and more). Breakfast items include Muffins, Energy Bars, and Oatmeal. Plenty of delicious vegan, and gluten-free yummies to choose from! Harvest serves up Sunergos Coffee and offers soy & almond milk!

Harvest Coffee & Café
524 Main Street
Shelbyville, KY
Mon - Thur, 7am - 6pm
Fri - Sat, 7am - 9pm

Facebook.com/HarvestCoffeeCafe

Recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Now hold on a minute - don't be skeptical because this is cauliflower. I know, you don't really love cauliflower. And you're assuming anything covered in buffalo sauce can't quite be considered a health food, so why even try it? Trust me on this, the final product doesn't taste like cauliflower, it simply tastes delicious!

I had these babies in a restaurant a year ago, and they've been on my mind since. They're baked, not fried, and you could easily use gluten-free flour if you'd like. My favorite vegan ranch dressing to dip these in is Follow Your Heart. Organicville makes one too, or you can whip up your own.

Makes about 4 Servings:

Cauliflower ~ 1 Head
Flour ~ 1 Cup - All-Purpose or Gluten-Free
Garlic Powder ~ 2 Tsp
Dried Onion ~ 1 Tsp
Salt ~ 1/4 Tsp
Soymilk ~ 1 Cup
Buffalo Wing Sauce ~ 1 Cup
Margarine ~ 1 Tbsp

Preheat your oven to 450°. Chop up the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Combine the flour, garlic powder, dried onion, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the soymilk. Coat each piece of cauliflower in the batter and place in a baking dish. A 9x13 should just barely suffice. Bake for 18 minutes. Melt the margarine and mix in with buffalo sauce. Brush on or pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Bake for an additional 8 minutes. You can broil these for 3 to 5 minutes to get them a little crispy on the outside but it's not necessary. Enjoy!

Fun Facts about Cauliflower:
Cauliflower contains vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3(niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), and B9 (folic acid). It also contains vitamins C and K, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, and potassium. So go ahead, have seconds!

Louisville Restaurant Review: Against the Grain

Upon moving back to KY and checking out the new vegan grub online, I was most excited about AtG. Why? Well... it's a brewery, so, there's beer. And on the menu: "BBQ Vegan Wings" and a "Kentucky Fried Chiquen" Sandwich. I assume most folks don't think "vegan" when they hear beer & wings, but I wanted to skip into the building at Slugger Field in downtown Lou. Mom and I were having a ladies night Friday though, and I didn't want to embarrass her. Against the Grain was our stop before hitting the Palace Theater for the Alfred Hitchcock Series that's playing every weekend this month. Rear Window was showing Friday, and we both loved it.

Back to the vegan noms - I loved the atmosphere at AtG. Nice outdoor seating right on Main Street. The bar area had a small stage where a band had started to play shortly before we left, and there was a small dining room that was quiet enough to chat. I had the "Bitter as Appropriate" beer and really enjoyed it. Just enough hops without overpowering the other flavors. We started with the vegan wings. The seitan was nice & crispy on the outside, and coated in a BBQ sauce with just the right amount of heat. The wings come with honey, and there was not a vegan option for dipping. I was a little surprised, but fortunately they were delicious enough on their own (and not too spicy) to need anything else. But come on, AtG - I will make and deliver vegan ranch dressing for you!

Truth be told, I really wanted that vegan chicken sandwich. But Mom and I decided to split an entrée and I felt it only right to let her share in the decision making. She chose the tacos, with a side of fries. I asked about the vegan option for the tacos and our server said it was seitan. Now, before I tell you what happened next, let's make something clear. It was obvious at this point that we were not meat-eaters. We ordered vegan wings, I asked for vegan dipping sauce, and I asked for the vegan option in the tacos. We received two tacos that were topped in pickled veggies. I was holding my taco, about to take a big bite when my mom said, "Are you sure that's not meat?" My first thought was that my mom was commenting on how meaty the seitan appeared. But I put the taco back on my plate and moved the veggies to the side, and there it was, a big hunk of pinkish-greyish pork. I was stunned. Strike one. Any ethical vegan, and most anyone that knows me, understands how big of a deal this is. Had I taken that bite and then realized it was pork, that would have been my last visit to AtG, after speaking to the manager and leaving. Fortunately my mom caught the mistake. I respectfully and politely pointed out the problem to the server. She did not apologize. She actually appeared annoyed that she had to take the plate back. Strike two. I'm easy-going. A genuine apology would have more than sufficed. When she brought the tacos back, now with seitan, we did receive a quick apology with a comment along the lines of "I hope you can enjoy it now" that did not seem sincere in the least.

Fortunately, the tacos were delicious. The seitan was cooked a little differently than the wings, and in a different, sweeter BBQ sauce. The tacos come with cilantro rice, but we substituted fries. My mom enjoyed the fries, but they were too salty and overly seasoned for my taste.

Overall:
The vegan wings and tacos were fantastic. Big portions, good prices. I loved the atmosphere too. Everyone that greeted us was extremely polite, other than our server who, while not blatantly rude, seemed a bit disingenuous. I will forgive the taco mistake, but I won't trust them in future. I will feel like I need to triple check everything they serve. But... I will be back for that vegan chicken sandwich, and more beer. Oh, and AtG - vegan ranch dressing pretty please with a cherry on top?

Against the Grain is located at 401 E. Main Street in Louisville

taking this show on the road

The Vegan Temptress is currently on the move and offering cooking classes in Louisville, KY & surrounding areas!

coconut white chocolate cookies

Am I the only one that hangs on to a special ingredient for months because I don't want to waste it? Something hard to find or expensive. I did it with white truffle oil first. I wanted to save it for something amazing. I had truffle fries at a restaurant and finally tried them at home and now I'm hooked. I made them for dinner the past two nights in a row. And truffle oil on popcorn? So good! But back to these cookies. I bought vegan white chocolate chips (these babies) months ago and, even though I had 4 bags, I wanted to come up with something really good, so they have been just hanging out in the cabinet wondering when they would finally be enjoyed. Today was the day. I present to you - moist, chewy, coconut white chocolate cookies!

Makes about 2 dozen small cookies:

Gluten-Free Flour ~ 2 Cups - I use Bob's Red Mill
Xanthan Gum ~ 1/2 Tsp - You can find this at almost any grocery store in the organic/healthy section
Baking Powder ~ 2 Tsp
Salt ~ 1/2 Tsp
Coconut Oil ~ 1/2 Cup - At room temperature
Brown Sugar ~ 1/2 Cup
Pure Cane Sugar ~ 1/2 Cup
Soy Milk ~ 1/4 Cup - Coconut Milk would be a great option as well
The Vegg ~ 1 Tsp - Optional
Vanilla or Coconut Extract ~ 1 Tsp
Shredded Coconut ~ 1/2 Cup
White Chocolate Chips ~ 1/2 Cup

Preheat your oven to 350. Mix the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Oh, by the way, these are gluten-free! If you want to use wheat flour leave out the xanthan gum. But really, I've only made them using the ingredients above so no promises if you stray from the tour! If you plan on doing a decent amount of gluten-free baking, xanthan gum is worth the purchase. If not, you can buy a small amount, instead of a bag, in the bulk section of most natural markets.

Mix the soy milk and the Vegg in a small bowl and set aside. The coconut oil should be at room temperature. If you refrigerate it, it may be too firm to use. Melt it and let it firm back up to room temperature on its own. You can most definitely use vegan butter or even shortening instead of the coconut oil here. But if you don't own any coconut oil, you need to buy some anyway. It's the best oil to fry/sauté your food. Use a mixer to cream the coconut oil and sugar. Add The Vegg mixture and vanilla and mix again. Slowly add the flour in increments. Fold in the white chocolate chips and coconut.

Roll into small balls and place an inch or so apart on your cookie sheet. I like bite-size cookies, which will make about 2 dozen. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. When the edges just barely start to turn brown they're done. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing. They should still be too soft to pick up anyway, but they'll firm up as the cool.

I'm feeling generous, so here are some fabulous cookie tips for you...

When it comes to any kind of cookies, if you want them chewy remember that brown sugar actually holds more liquid than white. Also, shortening or coconut oil doesn't spread as much as butter or margarine while baking, creating a thicker, chewier cookie. Chilling the dough, which I wasn't patient enough to do in this case, solidifies the fat so the cookies hold their shape in the oven.

miso soup

I am without question one of those folks whose mood is affected by the weather. It has been dreary, cold, and rainy for days, and my mood is starting to mimic it all. Some warm comfort food is most definitely in order.

The first time I was offered miso soup, years ago, I passed. Without even tasting it. Crazy. How closed-minded is that? I think the cloudy broth and seaweed made me nervous. But now? It's true love. It's in my top 10 favorite meals. No, scratch that. TOP 5. I recently decided to try making it myself and the results were fantastic.

Trust me, it's much easier to make than you'd expect! This makes 6 good-size servings. The noodles are completely optional. Basic miso soup is amazing on its own. Additions like noodles or mushrooms will simply make it heartier.

3 Cups Veggie Stock ~ you can sub water
3 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Miso ~ soybean paste
1 Package of Soft Tofu ~ 14oz is standard
Nori ~ Dried Seaweed - I used approx. 6 sheets, but the sizes vary so you'll have to estimate
Cellophane Noodles ~ approx. 1/2 small package, reconstituted
Scallions

First, drain and slice the tofu into small squares. Some recipes suggest silken tofu, but I believe it's too soft (like thick yogurt) for this. Cut the dried seaweed into squares (approx. 1"). Dice the scallions. I wouldn't make miso soup without fresh scallions. Bring the water and vegetable stock to a boil. Add the miso and whisk until dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, reconstitute the cellophane noodles. Also called Chinese vermicelli, glass noodles, or mung bean noodles. To reconstitute, add the dry noodles to cold water, boil until al dente.

Add the tofu to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the seaweed and noodles. A little salt may be desired. Top with fresh scallions and devour!

You'll find miso near the tofu at your local grocery store.

Nori is dried seaweed. You'll find this in the ethnic or Asian section of your grocery store. Trust me, it's there!

gluten-free vanilla cupcakes

These cupcakes were a hit on the first try! Which is a very good thing, because if I don't like a new recipe for baked goods, I just pitch the whole thing and start over on another day. I much prefer the creativity of cooking over the science of baking, but sometimes I need cupcakes. Who doesn't, occasionally, need a cupcake? I'm in love with these. They are perfectly moist without even thinking about sticking to the cupcake wrapper. And this time, vanilla is not boring. I'm so ecstatic with my first attempt at gluten-free cupcakes that I want to share my creation with you. Well the recipe anyway, you have to put in the work yourself. But trust me, it's worth your time.

Makes 16 addictive vanilla, vegan, gluten-free, flavorful cuppycakes:

Gluten-Free Flour ~ 2 Cups - I love Bob's Red Mill, you can find it anywhere!
Baking Powder ~ 1 Tsp
Baking Soda ~ 1/2 Tsp
Salt ~ 1/4 Tsp
Soy Milk ~ 1/2 Cup
Water ~ 1/2 Cup
The Vegg ~ 1 Tsp
Vinegar ~ 1 Tbsp - I used white, but apple cider would probably work just as well
Sugar ~ 1 Cup - Hey, I didn't say they were healthy
Canola Oil ~ 1/3 Cup
Vanilla ~ 1 Tbsp - If your milk is vanilla, you could cut this back to 1 tsp

Preheat the oven to 350 and line your cupcake pan with your favorite wrappers. I always save my lighter-colored wrappers for vanilla (or any pale color) cupcakes so the design on the wrapper will actually show through. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium size bowl. In a large bowl, whip the water, milk, and Vegg powder with an electric beater. Add the vinegar and stir, and allow it to sit for a minute or two. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour and whip it all together and taste-test (with a spoon, not your finger - you're sharing these). Distribute the batter into the cupcake pan. They should be 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. I had enough batter for 16 cupcakes, and an extra spoonful to eat. Bake for 18 minutes, exactly. Don't screw this up and open the oven early (they'll sink!), or cook them too long and lose that moisture.

Mix up your favorite frosting while they are baking. I used a vanilla buttercream. Equal parts margarine & shortening, and enough sifted powder sugar to firm it up. You can add a little milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency.

The Vegg: This might just be the secret, special ingredient that makes these cupcakes so grand. I'm not responsible if you leave it out. Check out my recipe below for Veggs Benedict, and buy The Vegg here. Oh, and PS - I'm not getting a commission, I promise. It's just my current obsession.