Veganomicon coconut lemon bundt cake

I had about 10 lemons that needed to be used in the next week, so I was looking for recipes that call for lemons...lots of them. I went to my textbook-o-vegan Veganomicon and found a recipe for coconut lemon bundt cake. I think I used 4-5 lemons in this recipe for the juice and zest. This cake was the perfect accompaniment to a viewing of the new episode of True Blood. Everyone had seconds, it was that good. Next time, I might do a nice lemon glaze over it, instead of powdered sugar. It was moist, flavorful and looks pretty in a cake dome!

Veganomicon Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 C granulated sugar (I used raw sugar)
2/3 C canola oil
1 (14-oz) can coconut milk
1/4 C soy milk
1/4 C lemon juice
3 Tbs lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 C shredded unsweetened coconut
A few tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8 or 10″ Bundt pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, oil, coconut milk, soy milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients in batches, mixing well after each addition.

Stir to combine. Pour batter into the Bundt pan.

Bake 1 hour or until a knife inserted through the cake comes out clean.


Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then place a cutting board over the cake pan, gently flip over and release the cake from the pan. Let cool completely.

Once cooled, sift a sprinkling of the confectioners’ sugar over the tip.

Slice, serve and enjoy!

Veganomicon recipe: Vegan ceasar salad (topped with chile cornmeal-crusted tofu)

I am so excited to be finding amazing vegan salad dressing recipes. I've always loved caesar salad, but I've never made my own dressing at home. Vegonomicon has a great recipe for caesar dressing. It's so good that I think I'll need to make a batch of it every week!
Caesar dressing
1/3 cup slivered or sliced blanched almonds
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 pound silken tofu (also called soft-don't use vacuum-packed variety)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon capers
4 teaspoons caper brine (I didn't have this, so I used 4 teaspoons vegetable broth)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
salt

Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly, Empty the ground almonds into an airtight container that you'll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, tofu and oil in the food processor or blender until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar and mustard powder, and pulse until blended. Adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. Pour into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum 30 minutes, optimally 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

I filled a bowl with romaine lettuce and some mixed greens and put a small amount of the dressing on top and tossed the salad. I topped with leftover chile cornmeal-crusted tofu. What a divine combination!

The caesar salad is wonderful tossed with Gardein seven grain crispy tenders.

Veganomicon vegan recipe review: Chile cornmeal-crusted tofu po' boy

I was so excited to try my first recipe from the vegan cookbook Veganomicon. I gathered up ingredients for the chile cornmeal-crusted tofu po' boy recipe. I've never had a non-vegan po' boy, so I didn't really know what to expect. This recipe is amazing. I liked the tofu leftovers more than the po' boys because it went was the perfect compliment to another Vegonomicon recipe; ceasar salad.

Chile Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu Po' Boy
Serves 4
1 recipe chile cornmeal-crusted tofu (recipe below)
1 recipe creamy coleslaw (recipe below)
Sandwich pickles (I left out)
Chipotle mayo (just veganeise with chipotle powder to your taste preference)
Buns, rolls or bread (we used wheat kaiser rolls)

Chile cornmeal-crusted tofu
Corn or vegetable oil for frying (we broiled, so you don't need frying oil, but an oil spritzer)
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 cup soy or rice milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Slice the tofu widthwise into eight slices, then cut each of those slices in half diagonally-from the upper left corner to the lower right corner-so that you have 16 long triangles. Set aside.
Combine the soymilk and cornstarch in a wide shallow bowl. mix vigorously with a fork until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved. In another bowl, toss together the cornmeal, spices, lime zest and salt.
Broiling directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place the coated tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray with oil until lightly coated. Flip over and spray the other side. Bake for 12 minutes on each side.
(I broiled, but here are the frying directions:)
heat about 1/4" of oil in a large skillet, preferable cast iron, over medium heat. To test if the oil is ready, sprinkle in a pinch of batter. When the battler sizzles and bubbles form rapidly around it, you're good to go. Dip each individual tofu slice in the soy milk mixture. Drop it in the cornmeal with your dry hand and use your other hand to dredge it in the mixture, so that it's coated on all sides. Transfer the tofu to the skillet in tow batches so as to not crowd the pan. Fry tofu for 3 minutes on one side, use tongs to flip over each piece, and fry for 2 more minutes. Drain the fried tofu on a clean paper bag or paper towels.

Creamy Coleslaw
3/4 cup slaw dressing (recipe below)
3 cups finely shredded purple or white cabbage (or combination of both)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded finely
Pinch of dried dill (optional)

Slaw Dressing
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain soy yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of white pepper, or to taste
Pinch of mustard powder, or to taste

Prepare the recipes of the components. Spread mayo on the bottom halves of the bread and place the tofu, then the coleslaw, then the pickles on the bread, close the sammiches, slice in half on the diagonal, and serve.