]]>If this Coconut Bacon seems familiar to you, it’s because I featured it as a part of my Maple Bacon Poutine back in July. Because this “bacon” is so flavourful, delicious, and versatile, I have decided to give it its own post.
This coconut bacon requires simple ingredients, is quick to make, has the crispy texture of a slice of bacon, is smoky and salty, and is filled with Kindness! It hits all the notes!
Sometimes people don’t know where to find liquid smoke. Typically I have found it in the grocery store aisle near the BBQ sauces or Worcestershire sauces. There are lots of different kinds and flavours of liquid smoke – it might take a few different varieties to choose one you like. With liquid smoke, a little goes a LONG way so expect the bottle you buy to last a lifetime!
This coconut bacon is fantastic as a topping on a sandwich or burger, sprinkled on salads or perogies, or anywhere else you need that smoky, crispy, salty punch of flavour. Because of the powerful flavours in the sauce, this loses about 99% of its coconutty flavour, so don’t worry about that coming through. What always amazes me is that it really has the texture of a crisp slice of bacon down pat.
How do you make Coconut Bacon?
First you get your ingredients together.
Stir them together in a small bowl and pour the sauce over the coconut.
Gently stir until the coconut is well coated and most/all of the sauce is absorbed.
Turn the seasoned coconut onto a baking sheet fitted with a silicone baking mat (or parchment). Spread the coconut out in as thin a layer as possible.
Bake at 325’F for about 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven, coconut, conditions, etc). VERY IMPORTANT: Stir every 5minutes and watch closely. This goes from not ready to burned to a crisp VERY quickly.
Once it’s the colour of bacon, no better way to describe this really, remove the pan from the oven. The coconut will quickly crisp up as it cools.
Store in an airtight container in the cupboard. If your bacon loses its crispiness, you can simply return it to the oven for a minute or two to crisp it back up.
This will last a couple weeks in the cupboard (if it lasts that long!).
In a small bowl, combine the syrup, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and smoked paprika.
Pour this over the coconut in a medium bowl.
Arrange the seasoned coconut in a THIN layer on a baking sheet fitted with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Bake 15-25 minutes CHECKING AND STIRRING every 5 minutes! Be sure to stir very well each time. Bring the coconut at the edges to the middle and vice versa.
This is done when the coconut has browned to the colour of cooked bacon. It will NOT be crispy while hot in the oven.
Remove from the oven, the coconut will quickly crisp as it cools.
If you want it saltier, sprinkle with a dash of salt once the coconut is out of the oven and is still hot. Give it a quick stir.
If you decide to make this recipe, please RATE/COMMENT below! Thanks
]]>https://kindnesskitchen.ca/coconut-bacon/feed/01057Vegan Ricotta made with Almonds and Tofu
https://kindnesskitchen.ca/vegan-ricotta/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vegan-ricotta
https://kindnesskitchen.ca/vegan-ricotta/#commentsMon, 24 Jul 2017 03:36:44 +0000http://kindnesskitchen.ca/?p=928Here it is. I featured this ricotta as a part of my recipe for poutine, but as promised, here is my versatile vegan ricotta recipe. This ricotta is soft, creamy, slightly sweet, super versatile, great on its own or in a recipe, and super quick and easy to make. I eat this vegan ricotta all […]
]]>Here it is. I featured this ricotta as a part of my recipe for poutine, but as promised, here is my versatile vegan ricotta recipe. This ricotta is soft, creamy, slightly sweet, super versatile, great on its own or in a recipe, and super quick and easy to make.
I eat this vegan ricotta all the time. It’s great on toast and bagels, stirred into pasta, as a layer of lasagna or perogy casserole, in a wrap, dolloped on roasted veggies, or anywhere you would use a savoury application of ricotta. This particular recipe is not suited to sweet ricotta applications due to the garlic, however if you omit the garlic I would bet you could use it in a sweet application. I intend to experiment with this soon, so stay tuned for that (cannoli anyone?! :o).
**UPDATE** I have added the instructions in the recipe below for how to use this recipe for sweet applications (like my incredibly decadent vegan cannolis)!
As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about all kinds of vegan ricotta applications to try. Pesto and ricotta rigatoni, spinach and ricotta canneloni, ricotta and avocado toast with balsamic drizzle, ricotta on crackers… oh man, I have to wipe the drool off my keyboard!
For this ricotta I use a combination of almonds and tofu. I find the almonds contribute to that bit of sweetness you are used to from a traditional ricotta. The tofu helps with the softness (as well as affordability, it really helps stretch out the almonds to make more cheese).
How to make this cheezy delight:
To make this, first you take 1 cup of raw or blanched almonds and soak them for 3 hours or overnight.
Then drain the almonds. If using raw almonds, like I did, you will have to peel them. FEAR NOT, this is not hard! Once the almonds have soaked you just squeeze the nut and the skin pops right off. I was a skeptic, but it’s true. I watched 2 short youtube videos while I peeled my almonds, it only took about 10 minutes!
Next, you assemble the rest of your ingredients. Miso, yogurt, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tofu, and garlic. If you don’t have non-dairy yogurt or sour cream you can use just a bit of unsweetened non-dairy milk in its place, start with half the amount in case it gets too thin. The yogurt simply helps give the cheese a cheesy tanginess.
Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and blitz away. Blend until it is the grainy texture of ricotta cheese. Taste. Add more lemon juice for tartness, salt for saltiness, olive oil for rich mouth-feel, or yogurt for tang.
Store in the fridge. This should keep for about 2 weeks covered in the fridge
Vegan Ricotta made with Almonds and Tofu (Sweet or Savoury versions)
This ricotta is ultra versatile. Below are the ingredients for either the sweet or savoury versions of this ricotta. Choose the best version for your purposes.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Soaking time 3 hourshours
Total Time 3 hourshours5 minutesminutes
Servings 2cups
Ingredients
SAVOURY Ricotta
1cupsoaked peeled almondssoaked 3 hours or overnight
4ozextra firm tofunot silken
1clovegarlic
7tspolive oil(3 tbsp + 1 tsp)
1tbsplemon juice
1tbspnutritional yeast
1tspmiso
1/2tspsalt
3tbspnon-dairy yogurt or sour cream
SWEET Ricotta (for dessert-type applications)
4 ozextra firm tofunot silken
7tspcanola oil (or another neutral oil)(3 tbsp + 1 tsp)
1tbsplemon juice
1 tbspnutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3tbspnon-dairy yogurt or sour cream
2 tbsppowdered sugar
1 tspvanillaoptional
Instructions
Soak the almonds in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. If not already peeled, you must peel the almonds after they are soaked. This is easy, the soaked almonds slip right out of their skins.
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until it is the texture of traditional ricotta.
Notes
-If you want your ricotta to be runnier/creamier then just add a bit more of the yogurt or a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk.
If you make this recipe, please rate/commentbelow. Thanks!
Also be sure to tag @kindnesskitchen1 or #kindnesskitchen1 on Instagram if you make and photograph my recipes! I love to see it when you make my food
]]>https://kindnesskitchen.ca/vegan-ricotta/feed/6928TECHNIQUE: Cashew Cream
https://kindnesskitchen.ca/cashew-cream/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cashew-cream
https://kindnesskitchen.ca/cashew-cream/#commentsWed, 29 Mar 2017 17:21:16 +0000http://kindnesskitchen.ca/?p=345Here’s a new technique! This is super easy, delicious, and nutritious – no wonder it’s a mainstay of kind eating, no animals were harmed in the making of this cream! Today I’ll show you how to make cashew cream. This is a base recipe you can adapt to suit your needs. You can use it […]
]]>Here’s a new technique! This is super easy, delicious, and nutritious – no wonder it’s a mainstay of kind eating, no animals were harmed in the making of this cream!
Today I’ll show you how to make cashew cream. This is a base recipe you can adapt to suit your needs. You can use it in place of sour cream as a topping on things like perogies and potatoes, you can change the seasonings to make a dip for veggies, you can toss pasta in it along with other herbs and spices, the sky’s the limit here.
This is simply a basic technique, from here tweak it to suit your needs. Also, depending on your ingredients, you may find your results vary – but no matter what happens, it will still be super yummy!
Look at that cashew-y creaminess!
You’ll see people post photos of totally smooth cashew cream. I don’t know how they get that. I have a Blendtec blender and a Cuisinart food processor and I can’t get that texture. I’ve tried soaking the cashews for 2 days and still no luck. Don’t beat yourself up if yours has a bit of graininess, it’s not dairy cream – it’s cashew cream! That is just a property of what you made!
1/2cupwater OR unsweetened neutral tasting plant milkyou may need up to 3/4 cup depending on your cashews
1tbsplemon juice
1tbspapple cider vinegar
1/2tspsalt
Instructions
Drain and rinse the cashews - very important to discard the soaking water!
In a high speed blender or food processor add the cashews, milk/water, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
Blend until smooth. If too thick, add more milk 1 tbsp at a time. *NOTE* This will thicken in the fridge.
Taste. Add salt or lemon juice if necessary.
Store in fridge for up to 5 days.
*be creative! Add herbs and spices to make a veggie or pizza crust dip, add some garlic and nutritional yeast to make a kind of alfredo sauce for noodles (or zoodles)...
I have made this with water and with plant milk, honestly - both ways are just fine!
Notes
*be creative! Add herbs and spices to make a veggie or pizza crust dip, add some garlic and nutritional yeast to make a kind of alfredo sauce for noodles (or zoodles)...I have made this with water and with plant milk, honestly - both ways are just fine!If you want a runner cream that you can drizzle or stir into a sauce, then add more liquid. As written, it's more like a thick sour cream type consistency.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below! Thanks!
]]>https://kindnesskitchen.ca/cashew-cream/feed/1345Technique: Quick Roasted Veggies
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https://kindnesskitchen.ca/quick-roasted-veggies/#commentsThu, 23 Mar 2017 18:53:06 +0000http://kindnesskitchen.ca/?p=269This is kind of a non-recipe but is a technique. I love roasted veggies, I like how they get a bit brown on the edges but are still moist and flavourful. All they really need is a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Sometimes I add other seasonings too, but it’s really not […]
]]>This is kind of a non-recipe but is a technique. I love roasted veggies, I like how they get a bit brown on the edges but are still moist and flavourful. All they really need is a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Sometimes I add other seasonings too, but it’s really not necessary.
Today I took a craving for veggies, but raw veggies are a bit…. boring and steamed veggies can just be sad and soggy. Oven roasted veggies are it! However, this was also intended to be my lunch today so they had to be quick. I don’t want to sit in front of the oven waiting for them to roast “slow and low”.
Enter:
My lunch!
First, I looked in my fridge to see what veggies I had. I had a couple of small zucchinis (you know, the little ones from Costco), I had some sad looking tomatoes that were on their last legs, and a half a bag of frozen broccoli.
So I sliced the zucchini into 1/4″-ish rounds and I halved the tomatoes (if yours are larger you may want to quarter them). I arranged the frozen broccoli, halved tomatoes, and sliced zucchini onto a baking sheet. Honestly, the sheet should have been bigger for the amount of veggies I was roasting, but I was using my toaster oven, so whatever. It worked.
Next, I drizzled olive oil (about 3 tbsp) over all the veggies and seasoned them all with salt and pepper. You can stop here with the seasoning if you like. They’ll be delish. I didn’t. I added a bit of garlic powder and nutritional yeast to the broccoli and some Italian seasoning to the tomatoes.
Next, I threw the veggies into the toasted oven at 425’F. I kept an eye on them and turned the veggies after about 10 mins and added a bit more salt and pepper.
After about 10 more minutes I decided they were soft enough to call done (I was also starving by this point so I needed my lunch!).
Look how roasty-juicy those tomatoes are!
VOILA! 20 min roasted vegetables! These are good on their own, tossed with pasta, on a sandwich, or any way you like!
I ate mine with a generous sprinkling of almond “Parmesan” (recipe forthcoming)
Cut your vegetables in to approximately bite sized pieces (1"-ish). This is not a science.
Try to have vegetables that are likely to cook in similar amounts of time on the same pan. A potato will take WAY longer to roast than a tomato. "watery" vegetables cook faster than "starchy" ones.
Arrange the veggies on your baking tray and drizzle with oil (be generous, a lot of it will end up on the pan). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and desired seasonings. Toss a bit to coat (doesn't matter if it's perfect).
Put in oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
Flip/toss veggies and add a bit more oil if necessary and salt and pepper.
** Note ** Don't flip tomatoes, try to keep them skin-side down or else all their guts will fall out all over the pan and just be a burned wet mess.
Roast about 10 minutes more. Checking for desired brown-ness and doneness. Serve when they are as cooked as you like.
Serve alone, over pasta, in a sandwich, or any way you like to eat roasted veggies.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below! Thanks!