Vegan Tiramisu Pudding Cups

 

I made these vegan tiramisu pudding cups and really liked them! I got some very small servings, though, and I wouldn’t hesitate to double the recipe next time. What I would say is that you definitely need to soak the cashews overnight (not just boil them), so I am writing that below.

For the strong brewed coffee
1 Tbsp instant coffee
1 Tbsp hot water

For the pudding
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/3 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp strong brewed coffee (from the previous step
1 pinch sea salt

For the ganache
1/3 cup finely chopped vegan dark chocolate (I used 42 g)
1/3 cup canned full-fat coconut milk

Prepare the strong coffee by adding instant coffee and hot water to a mug and stirring until dissolved.

To a high-speed blender, add the soaked and drained cashews and other remaining ingredients for the pudding (coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, strong brewed coffee, and salt). Blend until creamy and smooth. If needed, add more coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time to encourage blending (I didn’t need it), but avoid adding too much — you want the pudding to be thick.

Divide the pudding between serving glasses (shallow, wide dessert glasses are best) – you will only be adding about 3 or 4 tablespoons per glass. It’s rich! Set in the refrigerator to chill.

Meanwhile, add the finely chopped dark chocolate to a medium mixing bowl. To a separate glass mixing bowl, add coconut milk and microwave until hot but not boiling (alternatively, heat in a saucepan on the stovetop until very hot). Pour the coconut milk directly over the chopped chocolate. Do not stir. Cover with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil to encourage it to melt. Let the chocolate sit, covered, for 5 minutes to melt.

After 5 minutes, uncover then whisk to combine. The mixture should be entirely melted and smooth. If it’s not, heat in the microwave in 20- to 30-second increments until it is entirely smooth and no chunks remain. (Alternatively, set your glass or ceramic mixing bowl over a double boiler on the stovetop to melt – that is my preferred method).

Remove the pudding glasses from the refrigerator and add a thin layer of ganache on top of each (about 1 tablespoon per glass), spreading with a spoon until smooth.

Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes, until the pudding is chilled and the ganache is semi-firm to the touch. To chill faster, you can set in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. Optionally, make it even prettier by adding cocoa powder to a fine mesh strainer and shaking gently over the dishes to add a light dusting.

Enjoy chilled for best texture/flavor! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Vanilla Funfetti Pancakes

I got this recipe from the blog Chez Catey Lou. The original recipe had a sort of garnish (hallway between a sauce and a frosting) made with Greek yogurt and honey, but I omitted it (my kids don’t like yogurt, and they can’t taste it in the pancakes, but there’s no way they would go for a topping!). Note that you can change the color of the sprinkles for the season (like pink and red for Valentine’s Day, red and green for Christmas, etc.). I didn’t have the sprinkles called for, but I made it work. This yields about 6 pancakes.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ cup lactose-free Greek yogurt
½ cup lactose-free milk
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup sprinkles (the oblong/jimmy kind, not the tiny dot/non-pareil kind)

Preheat a griddle pan or large frying pan over medium low heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg, oil, and vanilla until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.

Divide the batter into two bowls and gently mix half the sprinkles into the first bowl. (This is so that the sprinkles don’t bleed too much into the batter, and honestly, I didn’t bother with this step – I just mixed all the sprinkles in all the batter.)

Lightly and carefully grease your pan.

Spoon the batter into four places on the griddle pan. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Flip and cook for 1 - 2 minutes on the other side. Remove pancakes to a wire rack.

Stir the rest of the sprinkles into the remaining batter, and repeat cooking process.

Chili à la courge

 

Ce n’est pas encore l’automne au Texas. En fait, on n’a pas vraiment d’automne au Texas ! Mais pour ceux et celles qui veulent un plat réconfortant, voici une idée de Coup de Pouce. (Ou plutôt, deux : je n’ai pas de photo à vous montrer, mais si vous mangez du porc, je recommande leur filet de porc à l’oignon rouge.) Là, je vous présente une recette végétalienne, un chili à la courge. Servi nature, c’est comme un ragoût, et je recommande de ne pas négliger les accompagnements (crème sure sans lactose, fromage râpé, avocat, coriandre, etc.).

5 tasses de bouillon de légumes à teneur réduite en sel (ou +, au goût)
1 ¾ tasse de protéine végétale texturée
3 c. à soupe d’huile d'olive
1 oignon ciselé
2 carottes, pelées, en petits dés
3 branches de céleris, en petits dés
2 gousses d’ail, hachées
3 c. à soupe d’assaisonnement au chili
1 ½ tasse de purée de citrouille
1 tasse de sauce tomate
1 ½ tasse de courge butternut, en petits cubes
1 boîte de haricot blanc, rincés et égouttés
sel et poivre
crème sure sans lactose et coriandre fraîche, pour garnir (facultatif)
croustilles de maïs, pour le service (facultatif)

Verser 2 tasses de bouillon dans un bol, puis ajouter la protéine végétale texturée. Laisser reposer 5 minutes. Égoutter et réserver. Dans une grande casserole, chauffer 1 c. à soupe d'huile à feu moyen-élevé. Faire revenir la PVT de 2 à 3 minutes, puis réserver dans une assiette.

Chauffer le reste de l'huile puis faire revenir l'oignon, les carottes, le céleri et l'ail 2 minutes. Ajouter l'assaisonnement au chili, le reste du bouillon, la purée de citrouille, la sauce tomate, la courge et les haricots. Saler et poivrer, puis mélanger.

Porter à ébullition, puis réduire le feu à moyen et cuire 13 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que les légumes soient tendres, en remuant régulièrement. Ajouter la PVT réservée, mélanger et chauffer 2 minutes de plus. Ajouter un peu de bouillon si nécessaire, au goût. Garnir de crème sure et de coriandre, puis servir avec des croustilles de maïs, si désiré.