I have been waiting for an occasion to make a big layer cake. I'm not that great of a baker and after a few failed attempts, I still feel the desire to get it right one of these times with the perfect cake and frosting recipes. I want it to be understated and beautiful and decadent. Like Tara's cakes. I am attempting her recipe next in hopes of a cake like that. So, what does one do mid-week when you want cake but maybe not a triple layer situation? Cupcakes, of course. Cupcakes on an ordinary Wednesday made me think of small victories - of little things that are going right, like finishing taxes and friends with a new healthy baby and picking a paint color for the nursery... reasons to celebrate with cake that may not be a birthday. You can always find people to help you eat cake.

I pulled this cupcake recipe from the new Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon that is packed with a great collection of vegan recipes. It is a lovely resource for those on a vegan diet or otherwise just trying to eat less meat and dairy and more produce. Because it was what I had, I substituted dutch processed cocoa for the natural stuff here. I know, I know. I altered the baking soda/powder and things got funky and I don't recommend doing that. Do as I say, not as I do. I am writing the recipe as published, with natural cocoa. If you want to use dutch, find another recipe, the acid v. alkaline ratio doesn't work with it here. The frosting is not so vegan, but I always prefer mascarpone based frostings over buttercream (vegan or otherwise) and I was the one who would be consuming most of these so there you have it :) To weekday cake!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH COCOA MASCARPONE FROSTING // Makes 10-12

Cupcake recipe barely adapted from Oh She Glows Cookbook

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup natural cane sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

8 ounces mascarpone
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. milk, as needed
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pint strawberries, cleaned, stemmed and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350'.

In a mixing bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar. Let them sit for a few minutes (this creates a vegan buttermilk). Add the vanilla, sugar and coconut oil and stir to mix.

In another bowl, sift together both flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine. If the coconut oil gets chunky because it got cold, use a mixer or whisk to break it up (Angela suggests an electric mixer but I was afraid it would make the cake tough).

Grease a muffin tin or line it with liners. Fill the vessels 3/4 full for 10 cakes, 1/2 full for 12. Bake on the middle rack for 21-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. With a hand or stand mixer, combine the butter, mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and milk and mix until smooth - adding a tiny splash of milk as needed to thin the frosting. When the cakes are cool, frost them and top with a bundle of fresh strawberries.

Print This Recipe

Entrée

AVOCADO SANDWICH WITH GREEN HARISSA

Sara Forte · March 20, 2014

Avacado Sandwich with Green Harissa . Sprouted Kitchen

"For whatever it's worth: It's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over."

- Eric Roth, Benjamin Button (a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

I've been writing emails with one of my longest-time friends about the hamster wheel of worry and fear and how it can hold us in its grip. Her being a new mom, myself about to be one, and the fresh batch of angst that comes along with a little life dependent on you and doing things "right."

I love this quote, T, made me think of you. May we be women of confidence and faith - that we fearlessly enjoy the ride relieved we don't control the universe. xo

AVOCADO SANDWICH WITH GREEN HARISSA // Makes 2

Green Harissa recipe adapted from Ashley Rodriguez for Food + Wine

Hugh isn't huge into mint, so while Ashley calls for 1 cup each mint and cilantro, I cut the mint yield with half parsley and it worked great. Not too minty while still offering some of it's fresh flavor. Seed the jalepenos depending on your heat tolerance - I took out about half the seeds and thought this had the perfect amount of spice. Click on the link for her original recipe where she tosses it with noodles, shrimp and feta. Sounds great.

I went for a straight harissa spread, while we mixed Hugh's with 2:1 harissa to organic mayo ratio and it was delicious. Possibly preferred. If you are one for high-quality mayo, creamy greek yogurt or even a dairy-free cream cheese, the harissa is perfect for a sammy when it has this creamy factor going on as well. Add roasted chicken, quick seared tofu, a fried egg...really you could expand from here a million ways.

/green harissa/
1 clove garlic
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup parsley
2 jalepenos, stemmed and seeded to your heat preference
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. each cumin, ground fennel seed, sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 whole grain rolls or 4 pieces bread of choice
1 large, ripe avocado
2 leaves romaine lettuce
1 small bulb fennel, sliced super thin

In a food processor, add the garlic, cilantro, mint, parsley, jalepenos, lemon juice, cumin, fennel, salt and pulse to combine. With the motor going, drizzle in the olive oil until blended but still a little rough. Transfer to a container and set aside.

Toast your bread. Mash up the avocado with a pinch of salt. Spread a few spoonfuls of harissa on one side of the bread and mash half the avocado into the other side of the bread. Layer a piece of romaine and a handful of thin sliced fennel and close up your sammy to enjoy or pack for an adventure.

Print This Recipe

Side, Fall, Entrée, Winter

CAULIFLOWER + BROWN RICE GRATIN

Sara Forte · March 12, 2014

I've said for years now that I hate moving and after the past few weeks I can confidently say I still stand by that sentiment. I know there are certain crazy people who like finding new places for things and the boxes and fresh starts but I am not that kind of crazy person. I am a different kind of crazy person - the kind that figuratively looses her shit when things are out of control and messy and expensive and in flux. It probably doesn't help anyone that I am pregnant and extra emotional so the tears seemed to sit right behind my eye lids at the ready for a quick breakdown. My beloved husband... My parents would praise him when I would call upset that the gray paint looked too blue (so tragic!), they wouldn't entertain my over-reacting, just a "God bless that Hugh." It didn't change the gray, but I started to catch on that I was the only one who was taking things like the size of a rug or the density of curtain fabric so seriously.

Hugh showed me a few photos he shot of my belly a few weeks ago and I got shuffled back into perspective. In short, he said "I'm afraid you're missing all the good things in front of you because you are so concerned with the house looking a certain way." He's right and I am. I mean, I was, because I am trying to calm down starting today. We will create a beautiful home in its time. These sorts of projects take months and years, not a couple weeks. I've been throwing meals together but in an effort to get back to work on both the blog and book, I actually cooked cooked - as in not just scrambled eggs or grilled cheese. I oiled the cutting boards and Hugh and his dad fiddled with the oven to get it up and running again. It was today, cooking and working in this new kitchen, that both of us said it felt like our home. I threw together a strawberry-lemon breakfast cake and we danced when familiar songs came on Pandora and I felt a little less crazy. I was reminded that it's the comfortable rituals and familiar idiosyncrasies of the days and the people you spend them with that make a place feel like home, not the paint color or ideal curtains. My usual answer when people ask why I like to cook is because I like to serve people in this small way, but I also love that it is a cozy skill - a skill that can warm your own heart when you need it to.

I had a gigantic head of cauliflower from my recent CSA basket and went the warm and cheesy route because I wanted the kitchen to smell delicious and the 30 week-old person in my belly likes warm and cheesy things. A well charred tray of garlicky-roasted cauliflower is my tried and true, but folding the florets and brown rice in with some milk and cheese offered a pseudo mac n cheese situation. I think you could add in some chopped spinach for greenery or mix in a dollop of horseradish to give it a kick. Either way, it's vegetable comfort food and it was just what we needed.

CAULIFLOWER + BROWN RICE GRATIN // Serves 4

Recipe adapted and mashed up from Smitten Kitchen and Naturally Ella

I know someone will ask about making this gluten free and with a little searching it seems you can substitute cornstarch in the roux. I haven't tried it, but it sounds to me like it would work. I think this would also look adorable in individual ramekins or gratin dishes. Those would likely cook in under 20 minutes.

2 lbs. cauliflower
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 of a red onion, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt and pepper, more as needed
2 Tbsp. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for topping
3/4 cup shredded gruyere, plus more for topping
fresh chopped, parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400' and grease an 8x8 pan.

Cut up the cauliflower into small chunks. Steam for 5-7 minutes until softened. Combine the cauliflower and brown rice in a mixing bowl and set aside (I ripped up any larger cauli pieces at this point).

In a saucepan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Saute until softened. Add the flour and cook another minute. Slowly start adding the milk, continuing to stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and let the roux thicken. Add the nutmeg, cayenne and Italian herbs. Stir in the parmesan and gruyere until just melted in. Pour the warm cheese mixture (it will be pretty thick) over the cauli and rice, add another few pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into your baking dish and sprinkle the top with another handful of grated gruyere, parmesan and fresh ground pepper. Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until the edges start to bubble. Turn the heat up to 500' and cook another 6-10 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove and let it cool for a few minutes.

Sprinkle the top with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.

Print This Recipe

SPROUTED KITCHEN COOKBOOKS

cooking club