Vegan Caramel Apples

I know. I am on a caramel kick. I can't help it. It's Halloween time and it just sounds sooo good. I went looking for a great caramel apple recipe that did not include dairy. Hard to find my friends. This one sounds really excellent though. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Here is the link: Vegan Caramel Apples

Microwave Caramel Corn

And the winner is........... Amy!!!!!! Thank you Amy and to all of you who entered the Cowgirls and Cupcakes second big giveaway. Amy will receive a bounty of Halloween crafties plus an awesome apron made by Kim. Amy, please send us your address and we will get your prize out to you! Kim and I will be having another giveaway next month as we gear up for the big turkey day so be sure to keep reading.

I was so excited to receive this recipe from my good friend Tammy. She always has such fantastic ideas for cooking and crafts. I know that this will be a good one. And caramel corn always reminds me of Halloween!

Microwave Caramel Corn (Yippeee!)

Pop approximately 1 cup corn in brown paper grocery bag in microwave for approximately 2.5 minutes. Be sure to remove any unpopped kernels.

Then in a 2 qt. microwave safe dish put:

1/4 c. white corn syrup

1 c. brown sugar

1 stick butter or dairy-free margarine (great for dairy allergies or vegans)

1/2 tsp salt

Bring to boil in microwave on high. Boil for 2 min. then add 1/2 tsp baking soda and stir well. Pour over popped corn in bag and shake well.Return bag of corn mixture to microwave and cook on high 1 1/2 min. Shake well & turn bag over. Microwave another 1 1/2 min.Shake well again May microwave a 3rd time for 1 1/2 min. if needed. I usually do only 30-60 sec. the 3rd time. Pour on wax paper & let cool . Store in airtight container.

Ratatouille - Like the Movie

Bet you didn't think that this was a real dish....but it is, and I am going to share it with you. Now, if you haven't seen the movie yet, it is a definite must-see. It's one that the whole family will enjoy. This wonderful recipe was also out of my slow cooker recipe book from Southern Living. They have such great dishes. Get our your slow cooker (don't roll your eyes, I love these things) because here it is:

Ratatouille - Like the Movie

1 (1 pound) eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 medium zucchini, sliced (about 4 cups)

2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup capers

Place eggplant in a colander over a sink. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over eggplant; toss well. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Pat dry with paper towels.

Layer half each of onion, eggplant, bell pepper strips, zucchini, and tomatoes in a 6 quart electric slow cooker. Combine remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, tomato paste, olive oil, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl; stir well. Spoon half of oil mixture over vegetable mixture. Repeat layering of vegetables, ending with oil mixture.

Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting six hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chopped basil and capers. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

Dairy Free Smashed Tatoes

Hey, hey it's Deb. Wanted to continue on Kim's potato crusade with another fabulous rendition of mashed potatoes, or as my girls call them, "smashed tatoes." These are as equally easy as regular mashed potatoes, I just use a few different ingredients since the Scout is allergic to dairy. These are one of her favorites things to eat.

I do have to tell a quick funny story before we start.

I jumped on the bandwagon of hiding pureed vegetables in my youngest daughter's food because she basically will just gravitate towards fruit and starches. I grabbed some cauliflower and pureed it up and stuck it in these mashed potatoes. I thought I was being sneaky. You should have seen the Scout's face when she took a bite. She said, "Mom, these don't taste very good,"and promptly spit them out. I had to laugh. I must have added a little too much cauliflower. It does work, you just have to add in enough as to not ruin the taste of the potatoes and still get the vitamins in there.

Dairy Free Smashed Tatoes

3 large baking potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup of soy milk (this is going to vary depending on how big your potatoes are and how creamy you want to make them)

2 tablespoons of dairy-free margarine (again this is going to vary depending on the size)

dash of salt

dash of pepper

* Some secretly pureed cauliflower if you want to feel like your pulling the wool over your family's eyes. Ha Ha. About 1/4 cup of pureed cauliflower.

I have to say that my measurements are not very accurate with this. I usually boil a huge batch of potatoes (it usually takes about 25 to 30 minutes for a big batch to boil) and then pull out a small bowl for the Scout. After I have the small bowl full, I grab her soy milk and add in a splash and then a couple of tablespoons of her dairy free margarine (I use Nucoa). I add a dash of salt and pepper and whip them up really well and..... voila, dairy-free smashed tatoes. Now that you have the basic ingredients, play around with it till you find the right consistency that you and the family enjoy. I find that I experiment with cooking now a lot more especially with dishes like these where you are substituting this and that. You can even keep up Kim's tradition of cheesy dairy free smashed tatoes and add a little vegan cheese to these and vegan sour cream. Tofutti makes an excellent one!

Vegan Spinach Dip

It's Deb. Here is another great recipe for all you vegans and vegetarians out there as well as our friends that suffer from milk/egg allergies. This is another recipe from our friend Monica over at Puppybird.

Vegan Spinach Dip

1 package (10oz) organic frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container (16oz) Tofutti Better than Sour Cream
1 cup Veganaise (vegan mayonnaise) *(I don't know where she finds this, but I am going to have to go on a little recognisance mission to find this goodness in a bottle)
1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 organic green onions, chopped

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Dairy Free/Egg Free French Toast

Our little Scout loves to be able to eat the same foods that we eat, and I always try to make an effort to cook the same thing for us as a family. The Scout as you may know by now, is highly allergic to milk and eggs. This is a little experiment that I came up with on my own, and she really likes it.

Dairy Free/Egg Free French Toast

Dairy Free Wheat Bread - I like wheat because it's healthier. I love Sara Lee products because they are so great with their labeling and also make quite a bit of their products without milk. Read your labels people!

1/2 - 1 whole banana

soy milk or vanilla soy milk- no measurements available. I just eye it.

1 tablespoon of dairy free margarine - I use Nucoa.

Topping: Cinnamon; dairy free maple syrup; powdered sugar

Grab out your food processor or blender. Slice up the banana and throw it into the processor along with a little bit of the soy milk. You will have to experiment with this to find the right consistency. Puree away until the bananas and soy milk are well combined. You are looking for a close consistency of regular french toast batter that is made with eggs and milk. Keep trying until you get it close. If you don't have a food processor or a blender, you can use a fork or a mixer. Once that is done, put the tablespoon of margarine on your grill pan or fry pan and melt it. Dip your pieces of bread into mixture and onto the pan. Keep an eye on your bread, you don't want to burn it. Pull it off, sprinkle some cinnamon, dairy-free maple syrup or powdered sugar and dig in.

Easy Dairy Free Frosting

Hey, it's Deb. Just wanted to pop by and give you an easy dairy free frosting recipe for your cakes. I have been on the hunt forever for a dairy free frosting that tastes good, and with a little experimentation and some fancy substitution, here is one that I think you or your little one might enjoy! This is the birthday cake that I made for my daughter's birthday. We are cupcake crazy around here - Yeehaw!

Easy Dairy Free Frosting

1 box of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of soy milk or vanilla soy milk depending on how sweet you want it

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 stick of dairy free margarine (I love Nucoa. My daughter Scout loves the taste of it. It's dairy free and usually the cheapest margarine at the grocery store, wahoo!)

Beat with mixer for about 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. If you want it thinner make sure to add a little more soy milk. It is enough to frost one 8 inch layer cake.

If you want chocolate add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and beat an extra minute.

*Allergy Tip: One important piece of advice that I have learned when shopping for your allergy free items is: Not To Assume Anything. Always read labels! Even if you have bought the product 1,000 times and just know it has nothing in it that you are allergic to. Do yourself a favor and read it 1,001. Products frequently have ingredient changes and will really come to surprise you sometimes. I have had this happen on more then one occasion and it is never a pleasant surprise. So be sure to always read your labels!

Vegan Cheesecake

This recipe was sent to us from Monica at Puppybird. If you have not checked out Puppybird yet, please do. "Puppy Bird offers one-of-a-kind fashions for hip and compassionate individuals."
http://www.puppybird.com/

Vegan Cheesecake

3pkgs of Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese"

1 cup sweetener (i.e. sugar)

Juice of 1 lemon

1Tbsp. vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients well. Pour/spoon into a ready made or home made graham cracker crust.
*(the ready made Keebler graham cracker crusts sold at any major super market are vegan - no kidding)

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees until top starts to brown. Cool and refrigerate until completely cold.

(An interesting side note about the creator of this recipe. He is a former hunter and primate researcher turned vegan and animal rights advocate. The 1987 film "Project X" starring Mathew Broderick and Helen Hunt was based upon experiments he was involved in before denouncing such experiments and going public with the information.)

Thank you Monica for sending us several vegan recipes. We will be posting all of them on Cowgirls and Cupcakes over the next few weeks. So many people are choosing to eat vegan as well as vegetarian these days that it is nice to have some great recipes. I also love getting vegan recipes for my youngest daughter Scout. She is highly allergic to milk and eggs and vegan recipes are fantastic for her to chow down on.

http://www.puppybird.com/