Veggie Punk Kitchen

Vegetarian cooking to a punk soundtrack.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine

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Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a splash of raspberry vinaigrette with some toasted macadamia nuts on top make this dish sinfully delightful.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is a great dish to serve at a romantic dinner for two. Go full out and cook it together naked! Lol, just watch out for the boiling water. Pop open the champagne and cut up some strawberries to go on the side. Whipped cream can also be utilised. (wink wink nudge nudge say no more).

I used Pappardelles Dark Chocolate Linguine & Alessi Vinegar Balsamic Raspberry. Trader Joe’s has the Alessi in a 3 pack that includes a chocolate and a ginger. Either one of those could be used for this recipe.

If you are put off by vinegar, I suggest giving the Alessi another try. This rich aged balsamic vinegar is bursting with the natural flavor of fresh, ripe raspberries. A perfect mixture of sweet and tart. Quite frankly, this vinegar is so good I want to drink it right out of the bottle! The aroma alone is enough to make me want to guzzle it down. I use it on all kinds of salads, for marinades, & for adding to roasted root vegetables.

I’ve seen recipes that use skim milk, but for the love of all that is holy, use a whole unhomogenized milk.  Milk may do a body good, but homogenized tastes icky (to me at least). When you buy homogenized milk, you’re buying a whole food that isn’t whole — it’s had it’s fat removed, evened out, and injected back into it in an amount less than what appears in nature. For the most part I use unsweetened coconut soy milk. I’ve tried almond and cashew milk which I find a bit odd.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is pretty fast and simple to put together. There is plenty of room to get creative with it. I paint when I can and the creative force that drives art can be applied to culinary endeavors.

In the realm of philosophy there is much debate as to the importance of food as an art form. Questions arise in defining art, the nature of an artwork and whether or not food can be considered art. The answers to these questions are complex and relate to human emotion. Food is an important part of everyday life and the emotional role that it plays in informing our reactions to what we eat makes it essential to consider food art just as we would art that is evaluated with any of the other senses.

There are two necessary components to art. The first is human emotion; it is in fact the basis of why art exists. Food ties closely into art because of the close cultural connections that we make with what we eat. The feelings of nostalgia, security, closeness, and comfort brought about by a meal are sufficient to make food art so long as it meets the second criterion which is intent. There must be some attention to detail in the preparation. This ties into the definition of art, if the preparation is not an expression by the preparer but is simply incidental the basic criteria for art is not met. So can food be considered art? If it meets these criteria, yes.

 

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Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine
Author: 
Recipe type: pasta
Cuisine: dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 8 Oz. chocolate linguine
  • 1½ cups light coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ Tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon agave nectar
  • ½ cup macadamia nuts - chopped
  • Drizzle generously raspberry balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, bring water to boil, add pasta, cook 10 - 12 minutes or until done
  2. Combine ½ cup of coconut milk & arrowroot powder in saucepan
  3. Stir until smooth
  4. Add cocoa, nectar, sugar, cinnamon, and .remaining milk
  5. Cook one minute or until sauce has thickened
  6. In a dry pan toast macadamia nuts - about 3 minutes - turn often
  7. Add butter to pasta then stir in the sauce
  8. Top with nuts and vinaigrette

Decadent Dark Chocolate Linguine is exactly like it sounds. Cinnamon & sugar & a sweet indulgence of the taste buds. Perfect noms for Netflix & chill.

Cooking tunes – Redd Cross : Born Innocent.  CH3: Fear of Life.  Rodney on the ROQ: Volume 1. Rodney on the ROQ: Volume 2.

 Writing tunes – Melvins : Ozma. Melt-Banana: Fetch

 

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins

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Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are one of my few incursions into baking territory so far. I was a little intimidated by all the fabulous dessert oriented blogs out there. I went a little overboard with the toppings on this. Toasted coconut, chopped pistachios, berries, and chocolate mint leaves from my garden.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Earth Balance has some great products that I use frequently:

Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Sticks – I used these for this recipe.

Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Mac and Cheese – This really satisfies my mac n cheese cravings.

Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter (crunchy) – Just yum!

  • I’m not getting anything from Earth Balance this, I just dig their products.

K.I.S.S. stands for keep it simple stupid. I need to heed that acronym in the kitchen. I probably could have scaled back on the party on muffin top. Maybe blending the coconut, berries, and mint into the batter. While I really, REALLY liked the frosting, you can make these without it if you’re avoiding added sugar/calories. I made a double batch of the frosting so I could use it on other things.

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Can we talk about flavor? As I spend more time cooking (and tasting) my palate is slowly becoming more acclimated to various flavors and more sharply refined. Things I used to enjoy no longer appeal to me and things that I thought I didn’t like are now some of my favorites.

When we were in grade school, many of us learned that there were four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Now there’s a new taste to learn and it’s called umami (pronounced “oo-mommy”). Actually, while the term is new to us, it’s not new to the Japanese, who have used the term to describe the “fifth taste” since the early 1900s. What exactly is the umami taste? Well, there’s no English word that’s synonymous with umami, however it’s most often described as a savory or meaty taste.

Salty, umami, sour, bitter, and sweet are my personal order of preferred flavors. That explains my lack of dessert cooking. Most sweet things are overwhelming to my taste buds. I’m not a fan of chocolate. horror of horrors right? I know.  I usually pass on most cake or pie offered to me.

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Blueberry Lemon & Pistachio Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ Cups oat flour
  • 1 Cup shelled roasted pistachios (pistachios without the shells)
  • 1 Tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ Tsp. salt
  • ¼ Cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • ½ Cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery sticks
  • ⅔ Cup sugar
  • 1 Tsp. almond extract
  • ½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • ¾ Cup fresh blueberries
  • For the vegan lemon buttercream
  • ½ Cup Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery stick
  • 1 Cup organic powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • For garnish: 2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios
  • 2 Tbsp. toasted coconut flakes
  • Fresh chocolate mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a cupcake pan with liners and spray the inside of the liners with cooking spray.
  3. Add pistachios to a food processor or blender
  4. Process until pistachios are finely ground.
  5. Transfer to a large bowl and add in oat flour, baking soda and salt.
  6. Whisk together to combine.
  7. In a separate large bowl, mix together lemon juice, almond milk, melted butter, sugar, almond extract, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch until well combined.
  8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  9. Gently fold in blueberries.
  10. Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling ⅔ of the way full.
  11. Bake for 23-27 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  12. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
  13. Remove muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to cool
  14. Let muffins cool completely (at least 1 hour),
  15. Make the frosting:
  16. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest together until fluffy
  17. Toast coconut in dry pan for 3 - 4 minutes. toss often
  18. Frost the cupcakes however you like and garnish with coconut, pistachios and extra blueberries,

Blueberry Lemon Pistachio Muffins are densely packed with fruity delight, and they are vegan and delicious. With or without frosting, they are a great dessert.

Cooking tunes: Concrete Blonde – The Essential. Veruca Salt – American Thighs.  L7 – Smell the Magic. The Donnas – Gold Medal.

Grrl power!

Writing tunes:  The Distillers – Sing Sing Death House. X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents. Bikini Kill – The Singles. Babes in Toyland – Fontanelle.

Berry Swirl Cheesecake

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Berry Swirl Cheesecake is a pretty participant at any get together for family or friends. You may end up keeping it for yourself though, it’s that delicious.

Berry Swirl Cheesecake is a pretty participant at any get together for family or friends. You may end up keeping it for yourself though, it's that delicious.Berry Swirl Cheesecake is kind of a work of art. I had as much fun twirling my knife through the batter as I do when I’m wielding a paintbrush at a canvas. I tried to do those elegant squiggles you see in cups of cappuccino, but ended up with more of a culinary tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat.

I know that there are a gazillion cheesecake recipes out there, but I’ve wanted to make one for awhile now, so I’ll add this to the pile. I will make a vegan version at some point too. I try to choose vegetarian recipes that can be easily converted to vegan without sacrificing flavor. Desserts are harder to do that with for me. So milky & eggy. They  come out completely different with plant based milk and egg replacers. I read somewhere that a recipe that calls for more than 2 eggs will not turn out the same if you’re using egg substitutes.

Berry Swirl Cheesecake is a pretty participant at any get together for family or friends. You may end up keeping it for yourself though, it's that delicious.Earth Balance has baking sticks that could be substituted, but any solid margarine that isn’t whipped would be fine. The regular tubs can be airy & have too much moisture. just knead the graham cracker mixture until it holds together well. Add a smidge more butter as needed.

For a lower fat version, you could use Neuchâtel cheese, which is 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese. It will make the recipe more a New York style cheesecake, but hey, nothing wrong with that, right?

I have seen a springform pan but I have never used one before. I have a ton of those silicone baking pans though. I went to a Target and grabbed one of the last ones they had that was not dented. KitchenAid were the only line that had one available.

I don’t bake desserts that often to be honest. I prefer spicy or salty to sweet for the most part.  I occasionally have cravings though, so I decided to make the Berry Swirl Cheesecake.

I love blackberries though, so now I want to do more desserts. I’m rather fond of blueberries too. The berries on top of the cheesecake were plucked from my garden. So fresh and juicy. I’m waiting impatiently for my dwarf lemon and lime trees to fruit so I can add them to recipes.

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Berry Swirl Cheesecake
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh blackberries
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 Tsp. arrowroot powder
  • 1 Tbsp. cold water
  • CRUST:
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • FILLING:
  • 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice/zest.
  2. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the berries are softened.
  3. Combine arrowroot powder and water until smooth; stir into the berry mixture.
  4. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
  5. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature.
  6. Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth.
  7. Strain in fine mesh strainer to remove blackberry seeds.
  8. Set aside.
  9. For crust, in a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; stir in the butter.
  10. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
  11. Place pan on a baking sheet.
  12. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
  13. Cool on a wire rack.
  14. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  15. Beat in the sour cream, flour and vanilla.
  16. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.
  17. Pour filling over crust.
  18. Drizzle with blueberry mixture; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
  19. Return pan to baking sheet.
  20. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until center is almost set.
  21. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
  22. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
  23. Refrigerate overnight.
  24. Refrigerate leftovers.

Berry Swirl Cheesecake is a pretty participant at any get together for family or friends. You may end up keeping it for yourself though, it's that delicious.

Cooking tunes – Adolescents – full album – Adolescents, Agent Orange – Living in Darkness

Writing tunes – Minor Threat – Complete Discography, Misfits – American Psycho

Blackberry Basil Empanadas

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Blackberry Basil Empanadas are a  sweet-tooths dream. Flaky pie crust wrapped around a creamy, fruity center.

Blackberry Basil Empanadas are a sweet-tooths dream. Flaky pie crust wrapped around a creamy, fruity center.Blackberry Basil Empanadas were an experiment in unusual flavor combinations. I like how this one turned out. I also got to use some herbs from my kitchen garden. The chocolate mint smells great and adds hints of sweetness to the berries while the basil is a subtle contrast.

Here are some other unique flavor combinations that sound exciting to me:

  • Asian pear & cracked black pepper
  • Blood orange & cardamom
  • Figs & fennel
  • Raspberry & thyme
  • Strawberry & coriander
  • Watermelon & pineapple mint

I know I just posted savory empanadas, but I was dying to try these. As this blog moves along, you’ll see more too, trust. Hand pies are the bomb, whatever the filling. Do you have a personal favorite? Let me know, and I’ll definitely give them a shot at some point.

To save a little time, I used the 2 pack of the Pillsbury pie crust and just used a cookie cutter to make the rounds. I have heard mention of an empanada maker, but I’ve yet to spot one. One of those would be handy. Especially if you’re making a sizable batch.

For my vegan friends: You can substitute vegan cream cheese and a flax egg as well as your own vegan version of the dough. I sometimes use this pretty simple recipe and put it into the refrigerator to set:

  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cold coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons applesauce
  • 1/4 cup ice water, plus extra if needed
  1. Add the flour, salt, and coconut sugar to a large bowl. Using a fork, cut the coconut oil into the flour. Mix in the applesauce.
  2. Begin to add the water in slowly, just until the dough comes together.
  3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
  4. Once chilled, remove from fridge and let warm up on the counter for 30 minutes.

Enjoy the Blackberry Basil Empanadas warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate baked empanadas for up to a few days. Reheat in a toaster oven or bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Added bonus! I used the excess liquid from draining the berries/sugar to make blackberry mint lemonade. I just added sweet mint leaves and 2 cans of Spindrift lemon seltzer, and a squeeze of lime. It’s pretty sweet, so add more water if needed.

Blackberry Basil Empanadas are a sweet-tooths dream. Flaky pie crust wrapped around a creamy, fruity center.

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Blackberry Basil Empanadas
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg. Pillsbury pie crusts (they come in 2 rolls per package)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 pkg. blackberries
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • ½ cup cream cheese (or soy cream cheese).
  • 2 Tbsp. sweet basil - fresh, chopped fine, keep some bits aside for garnish
  • 1 Tbsp. chocolate mint leaves - chopped fine
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg white (or flax egg)
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan add water and sugar over low heat
  2. Sugar melts quickly so stir continually until dissolved. 5 mins.
  3. Combine the berries and melted sugar in a saucepan
  4. Add lime zest, lime juice, herbs, & salt
  5. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
  6. Remove most of the liquid with strainer over bowl and set bowl aside
  7. Coarsely mash berries with potato masher
  8. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until thickened for at least two hours
  9. Mix herbs with cream cheese, fold in berries
  10. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
  11. On lightly floured surface, roll dough ⅛ inch thick.
  12. Use round cookie cutter or cup to cut out 3 to 4 inch circles
  13. Add a small amount of mixture to the center of circle
  14. Wet the outer edge of circle with water using fingertip
  15. Fold in half, pressing edges together
  16. Seal off the edges by pressing down with a fork
  17. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  18. Brush each empanada with an egg white wash using pastry brush or fingers
  19. Puncture two slits on the top of each empanada with a knife .
  20. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper
  21. Place them on the cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden
  22. For added sweetness, sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon & sugar
  23. Place on baking rack to cool

Blackberry Basil Empanadas are a sweet-tooths dream. Flaky pie crust wrapped around a creamy, fruity center.