Gluten-Free Vegan/Allergy-Friendly Banana Bread

Adapted from http://ethicaldeal.com/blog/2013/01/gluten-free-vegan-banana-bread/ 

Ingredients:
2 cups of gluten-free flour (your preference)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (olive, canola or a blend)
2/3 cup of maple syrup
2/3 cup of rice milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 overripe bananas
½ cup of (raw) dairy-and-nut-free dark chocolate chips
Vegan (milk- and soy-free) margarine or shortening for greasing

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease and flour a standard loaf pan or a small square or round cake pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
4. In another mixing bowl, mash the bananas and other wet ingredients together. Slowly add the dry ingredients while stirring until well combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour the batter into the pan (I like to sprinkle a few chips over the top, too – have fun with it).
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until it springs back when you lightly touch it, or when a skewer or a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. If your cake is browning on the top too much but not cooked in the middle, lower the oven temperature a little and cover with a piece of baking paper or tinfoil.

Vegan Baked Sprinkle Donuts and Glaze

Adapted from Chef Chloe's recipe on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbeUJUMxbFs These look great, looking forward to trying them. 

Baked Sprinkle Donuts
Makes 12 donuts

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup rice milk
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla or Chocolate Glaze (recipe to follow)
Optional toppings: Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, shredded coconut, mini nut-and-dairy-free chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease two donut pans.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk nondairy milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together quickly until just combined. Do not over mix. Using a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut, pipe batter into the prepared donut pans and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Prepare glaze (recipes below).
Remove the pan from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before unmolding.

Chocolate Glaze
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (nut and dairy-free)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice milk
½ cup powdered sugar

In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips and nondairy milk together. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before glazing so that the glaze thickens and any powdered sugar clumps dissolve.

Old-Fashioned Glaze 
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons rice milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and nondairy milk until smooth.

To assemble donuts: Dip each donut into the glaze, covering the top. Twist the donut as you remove it from the glaze to give it a nice finish and prevent dripping. Immediately sprinkle the topping onto the glaze and let set.

Cocoa powder

Very disappointed that Fry's cocoa now all carry a new "may contain milk" warning on the label (some of the formats used to be ok - they did make good efforts to communicate the new warning).  Means we have to go exploring for a replacement product for a staple in the kitchen.

Found Selection Brand at Metro, UPC 5974988721, with no such warning.

Called their customer care agent at 1866-595-5554 (open M-F 0830-1630) option 4 customer care, option 8 speak to an agent.  Listed allergies ("All of that?" he asked, rather incredulously).  After a few moments on hold, came back with:

• peanuts, treenuts: not in product, line, nor facility (good!)
• milk/dairy: not in product or line, but is in facility (unsure)
• soy, eggs and shellfish: not in product or line (good enough)
• gelatin, kiwi and legumes: checking with vendor (appreciate effort to call back).

update: there is no gelatin or kiwi in the facility, but there are legumes on the line.

Becel Vegan Buttercream Icing

Many thanks to http://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/vegan-buttercream-icing-recipe

for providing a simpler alternative to the other buttercream icing recipe we have been using.  We haven't tried it yet, and look forward to any feedback.

 

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Vegan Buttercream Icing

Author: Karlynn Johnston

Prep time:  5 mins

 

Simply the best tasting vegan buttercream icing. You have to use the exact brand of vegan margarine I suggest. Be prepared to impress!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Becel Vegan Margarine
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla
• 4 cups of icing sugar
• 1-3 tsp of rice milk

Instructions

1. Using a stand mixer or hand beaters, whip the margarine until fluffy.
2. Slowly add in the icing sugar until it’s combined well.
3. Add in your vanilla,
4. At this point, check your consistency. Margarine isn’t as dense as butter, so my amount of rice milk is very small. Is your icing nice and whippy at this point? Try maybe a slight teaspoon of rice milk. I chose rice milk because it’s virtually tasteless, allowing the vanilla to flavor the icing instead. I would not use soy because of the after taste you can get with it.
5. Once you are happy with the consistency, place in the refrigerator until you are going to decorate.

Chocolate Coffee Icing

This recipe makes 12 good size portions.
Adapted from supermarketguru

Chocolate Coffee Frosting ingredients

1 pound confectioner’s sugar (aka icing or powdered sugar)
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling coffee, strong
6 tablespoons butterFAT (BECEL VEGAN MARGARINE OR SHORTENING), softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa and the sugar.
Add the boiling coffee and melted butterFAT, then add the vanilla extract.
Beat until smooth and thick enough to spread.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/asian-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe/index.html Total Time: 22 min Prep: 15 min Cook: 7 min Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Un soupçon de (1-2 c à thé)
    aged Italian vinegar (1tsp) + agave nectar (2tsp) ---  ( to replace soy sauce)
    garlic powder (less than 1 tsp) or 1 clove garlic, minced
    1 teaspoon sesame oil
    0.5 tsp tablespoons minced fresh ginger or jarred
    1 tsp rice vinegar
    chicken broth
    Canola oil
    boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast, cut crosswise into thin strips
    4 cups chopped Chinese vegetables (Baby bok choy, celery, onion) or Napa cabbage
    (if not for Lucas: 1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese chile paste and
    1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and
    6 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias)

1 (5-ounce) package rice noodles or chow mein noodles, prepared according to packing directions

Directions

Heat oil - add onions until transparent: Low heat
Add chicken broth and all other ingredients, except chicken - Let simmer 5 -10 minutes
Add chicken to heat up in soup.
Pour over prepared Chinese noodles. (Garnish with cilantro and scallions.)

vegan Mac Un-Cheese

trying this recipe from:
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/_vegan-Mac-Un_cheese_-Recipezaar?servings=4

1 lb pasta 2 cups vanilla-flavored soymilk or rice milk 2 tablespoons soy margarine 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (such as vegenaise or nayonaise) (optional) 1 cup nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground sage 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook pasta and drain. In a large bowl, combine pasta and all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and enjoy. For variety, mix in one cup of steamed vegetables, such as broccoli or peas. Vegan Mayo is optional, but recommended for creamier meal. Notes: clumpy, warmed it up in microwave. still seems very runny, added 1tsp egg replacer (would've used cornstarch if I could find some)