pumpkin donuts

2 c unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a separate bowl:

1 c coconut or almond milk
1/4 c melted butter
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Fill a 12" skillet with 1" coconut oil. Heat oil to 350 and begin forming your doughnut shapes remembering to keep your hands flour-ed because the dough is sticky!

2. Drop donuts into oil making sure they do not touch the donuts on either side. If making traditional donut shapes, add a dash of water to help the circle connect.

3. Fry for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

4. While donuts are frying, you can mix the filling:

1 part pumpkin butter
1 part fresh pumpkin or sweet or cream cheese

Mix well and add to a pastry bag

5. Once you remove the donuts from the heat, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Immediately fill with filling mixture by inserting the pastry bag tip a little bit more than halfway into the donut hole or by filling the traditional circular donut's open center.

6. Enjoy warm!

VEGAN APPLE FRITTERS.

I remember being a little girl and going to the flea market with my grandmother to buy socks. Our snack stop was always the booth with the freshly fried apple fritters. Apple fritters are the first and most memorable food I remember sharing with my Grandmother, and since she has been on my mind a lot lately, when I saw all of the apples at the farmer's market this morning, I knew it was the perfect treat to make. 

They were surprisingly very easy to make, except for regulating the oil temperature, quick and very delicious!

This was my first time deep drying with coconut oil and I LOVED it! The coconut didn't influence my flavors at all, it fried cleanly, and was easy to regulate. If the oil seemed to be getting too hot on the low heat, I simply took it off of the burner for a few minutes so it could cool down, but continue cooking, and then returned the pan to the heat.

I iced them with a simple powdered sugar glaze. Enjoy!!

Apple Fritters yields 8 medium sized fritters.

Fritter:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup natural sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 eggs worth of ener-G egg replacer (3tsp egg replacer, 4tbsp warm water)
• 1 cup chopped apple
• Coconut Oil for frying

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• almond milk as needed, 1/4c-ish?
• dash of vanilla bourbon extract (or just plain vanilla)
• dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon. 

2. Mix egg replacer in small dish and add milk, then transfer to bowl with dry ingredients. 

3. Fold in apple. 

4. Pour oil into skillet so that it is approximately 1 1/2 deep.  Heat oil on high until 375, then lower in order to regulate the heat.    

5. Carefully add dough to oil in desired size of fritters.  Cook until brown, about 2 minutes, then flip.  Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned. 

6. Transfer briefly to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then transfer to cooling rack. 

7. Make glaze by stirring milk and powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together in a small bowl with a whisk.  Drizzle over apple fritters. 

8. Wait approximately 3 minutes for glaze to harden, then flip fritters and drizzle glaze over the other side.  Best served warm.

YUM YUM YUM!

A FOOD UPDATE!

OH MY!

I haven't posted food or recipe in AGES!! Life has been super hectic, and we found out that we are expecting!! So on top of trying to wrangle in a new homestead, preferably a cute little house with some land in one of the most expensive counties in the country, living between two cities and starting a new job, I have not had much time to cook AND blog!

This is just a recipe for a simple baked tofu sandwich and a kale and broccoli saute inspired by Cate from Cate's World Kitchen !

I officially move to the DC area on Friday (where the Hubster has already been living for 2 months!) so updates will be sporadic and probably sparse until the beginning of September, but then I should be back on my feet and cooking up a storm! Even though I have not been cooking much, I have been collecting new cookbooks and recipes to make once I am settled, so stay tuned!

Baked Tofu:

1/2 block of Extra Firm Tofu

Simply marinade the tofu. I put the tofu into a tupperware container, and covered it half way with the dressing. Then put it in the refrigerator for a few hours, flipped it over and let it sit for a while longer. Then I put it in the freezer (I actually left it there for about three days because I was too busy to cook), when I was ready to cook it, I put it on the counter to defrost for a few hours then baked it at 400 degrees in my little toaster oven for 20-30 minutes. 

Before baking it, I poured the left over dressing from the marinade over it. I did not flip the tofu while it was baking, but you could. 

I served it on toasted whole grain mutli oat bread with mixed greens, tomatoes and fresh ground mustard. 

The tofu was super chewy and delicious. 

Steamed Kale and Broccoli Salad with Garbanzo Beans

This was inspired by this recipe, but I was super starving and did not have all of the ingredients, so I improvised. I was very happy with the results, but I am still excited to try the real thing (because they are rather different!) The coconut oil and cinnamon were fantastic compliments. Enjoy!

2tbsp coconut oil

2 handfuls of chopped kale

1 handful broccoli crowns

1/2-1 can garbanzo beans

1 medium onion, dinced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

cinnamon

salt and pepper

1/4 c water

1. Saute the onion and garlic and broccoli in the coconut oil until tender.

2. Add the kale and garbanzo beans. Fold Together.

3. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and water and cover to steam until kale is a vibrant green and broccoli is the desired tenderness. 

products of the week

jungle products coconut oil is my absolute, favorite new kitchen ingredient. 

the TJs soy chorizo and corn salsa made delicious tacos. the corn salsa was really sweet and crispy.

the Maranatha PB is one of my favorite no stir, natural peanut butters.