These cupcakes are delightful; such a surprise with a delicate floral flavour topped with a creamy, dreamy frosting that’s not unlike a peanut butter one – except I think tahini makes a much nicer buttercream than peanut butter could ever dream of. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to all of what makes these great, so they’re for guests only. Rosewater is an incredible flavour, but like all floral desserts, restraint is needed with it or you enter soap territory pretty quickly.

Rosewater Cupcakes
Makes 16 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: ~1 hour

1/2 cup silken tofu, firm or extra firm
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rosewater
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour (gluten-free mix is here, please use brown rice flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

Rosewater syrup

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon rosewater

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with liners. In a blender, blend silken tofu, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and rose water until smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the non-dairy margarine and mix until it resembles sand, no clumps of margarine should remain. Add the blended tofu mixture and combine. Add the final 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, mix on low until just combined and then turn the speed up to high for about 2 minutes. The batter should be completely smooth. Scoop into prepared muffin tin, filling each 2/3 of the way up. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops spring back at your light touch. While the cupcakes are cooking, prepare the syrup. In small sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the rosewater and set aside to cool. Once the cupcake are done, remove from the oven, poke the tops several times with a toothpick and pour about a teaspoon of rosewater syrup over the still hot cupcakes. Let cool part way on baking racks, remove from tins, place on baking racks and finish cooling completely before frosting.

Halva Frosting

1/4 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1/2 cup tahini
3 – 4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rosewater
Non-dairy milk, if needed
Crushed and whole pistachios, for decorating

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the margarine and tahini until lighter in colour and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Slowly add about half a cup of powdered sugar, the vanilla and rosewater and beat to combine. Add the remaining powdered sugar in small amount, beating to combine well and monitoring until you get the buttercream texture you like. Add non-dairy milk to thin, or more powdered sugar to thicken, as you like. An extra tablespoon or two of tahini never hurt anyone, either. Top with pistachios, both whole and crushed.

As an aside, we’re currently starting our first garden! We have a large deck as a part of our second floor apartment above a commercial space and we’re so excited to have the chance to try to grow some of our own food! We have four types of heirloom tomatoes: Pink Brandywine, Roman Speckled, Tiny Tim and Chadwick Cherries, as well as Jamaican hot peppers, Chinese Five Colour hot peppers, mini bell peppers, sage and basil. There’s some cilantro started for an indoor herb garden, as it doesn’t like to be transplanted. We have plans for lots more, but we won’t start those from seed. Hopefully we’ll have something more to show you in a month or two!

Roasted Beet Risotto
Serves four
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: ~1 hour 15 minutes

3 red beets, with greens
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, green and white parts
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
Pinch of dried thyme
1 1/2 cups arborio rice, or other short grain rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
~1 1/2 litres warm vegetarian chicken stock
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon non-dairy margarine

Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the greens and stalks from the beets and quarter them. Make a foil packet for the beets, drizzling with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the beets have started to soften. Allow to cool enough to handle, peel and dice. Finely chop the beet greens; discard the stems.  In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sautee until they are soft. Add the garlic, thyme and rice and stir so all the rice is coated in oil. Sautee for an additional minute, but make sure no browning happens. Add the wine and stir until it has all been absorbed by the rice. Add the diced beets and a ladle full of warm stock and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue adding stock, by the ladle full, until the rice has expanded and is soft but still toothsome. You may not need all the stock. Add the beets greens, a final ladle of stock and stir until absorbed. Remove from the heat, add the nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice and the non-dairy margarine, stir and let sit to settle for ten minutes. Serve immediately after. Save any leftovers to make arancini, as it’s the only way to eat leftover risotto.

I used fresh tomatoes and blanched them to make them easy to peel, but canned would work just as well. It may end up needing a little more simmering time, as there will be extra liquid. It’s not a really thick stew, as it you’d serve it over rice generally, so you could add a thickener in there if you’d prefer. And feel free to add more, or different, veggies as you feel comfortable; it’s very flexible. The second time we ate it, I added some soy chunks while reheating, which were lovely.

Trinidadian Curry Powder
Adapted from here and with the help of my most beloved Auntie
Makes ~ 3/4 cup
Total time: 15 minutes

1/4 cup cinnamon bark or sticks
1/4 cup whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (menthi)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon white poppyseeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
8 star anise pods
6 green cardamom pods
3 tablespoons ginger powder
1/4 cup turmeric

In a heavy bottomed skillet, over medium heat, toast all the spices except the ginger and turmeric until they become fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can handle them. Using a spice grinder, or all your strength and a mortar and pestle, grind until smooth. Run everything through a sieve and make a second pass at the large chunks left. Store in an air-tight container, in a cool, dark place.

Pumpkin Tofu Stew
Serves 8
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes

1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup canola oil, or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup garlic-ginger paste
8 medium Roma tomatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons Trinidadian curry powder, or more to taste
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 cans 440 ml (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
1/2 litre (2 cups) vegetarian chicken stock
2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into small cubes
~1 1/2 cups chickpeas
2 large potatoes, roughly chopped
1 head of swiss chard, stems included, roughly chopped
10 okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

After you’ve cubed the tofu, salt it generously. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and brown on each side of the cube.  Set aside when fully browned. In the meantime, add the other half of the oil to a large pot. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the onions and cumin seeds. Sautee until the cumin seeds become fragrant. Add the celery, carrot and garlic-ginger paste and stir to combine. Heat for another couple of minutes, stirring often to make sure the garlic-ginger paste does not burn. Add the peeled tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, coconut milk and chicken stock and taste for seasoning. Add the browned tofu, pumpkin, chickpeas and potatoes and bring to a full boil, stirring to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Once it has boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for about a half an hour, stirring occasionally. Test the potatoes for doneness and once they are tender, add the Swiss chard and okra and taste for seasoning again. Simmer until the greens are wilted and the okra is soft. You can simmer as long as you like, and longer is always better with a stew, but as soon as the vegetables are cooked it is ready for you to eat. Serve with rice, dhalpuri, salad or whatever you’d like, really.

I have dozens of completed and not yet published recipes. I have thousands of unused photos and tens of thousands of ideas floating around my head, but this is the one I’m choosing to come back with. Everyone here loves lavender in food. It’s so special, but so easy to go overboard on. This cake, so small and pretty, is easy, moist and so, so pretty. There’s a just hint of what-is-that in the background, which is the ideal culinary use of lavender. I used cara cara oranges, which have a wonderful pink hue and a lovely sweetness, but naval oranges would work just fine. I candied a few slices in my lavender-thyme syrup, if you’d like to try the same it made a gorgeous and delicious topping.

Orange and Lavender Syrup Loaf Cake
Makes 1 loaf 
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess

1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon boxed egg replacer +1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Syrup
Juice of half an orange
1/4 cup lavender thyme syrup (recipe follows)

Candied Orange Slices
1/2 orange, cut in very thin half moon slices
Enough lavender syrup to cover

Glaze
~ 1 cup powdered sugar
~ 2 tablespoons lavender-thyme syrup

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line a loaf tin (25 cm x 13 x 7) with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the non-dairy margarine and sugar. Add the zest and cream for an additional minute. Mix the egg replacer, water and milk together and add to the creamed mixture. Using a whisk, or whisk attachment, combine until well mixed (it will not look smooth like if you were to add eggs).  There will be a curdled look to the mixture and that is all right. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt until smooth. Pour into prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 45 minutes total. Check its colour about 20 minutes in and cover with foil once it is golden so your crust doesn’t overbake.

While baking, prepare the syrup. When you remove the cake from the oven, poke holes throughout the top with a fork. Pour the syrup over immediately. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on a rack.

For the candied oranges, lay them flat in a small heavy-bottomed skillet and cover with syrup. Over medium low heat, gently simmer them for about ten minutes, watching carefully not to burn the syrup. Turn over several times. Take out of the skillet, place flat on wax paper, pour the syrup over top and let cool completely.

To make the glaze, in a small mixing bowl, add small amounts of the syrup to the powdered sugar until a thick glaze has formed. Spread over loaf cake once it has cooled. Top with fresh thyme leaves and candied orange slices, if desired.

Lavender-Thyme Syrup
Adapted from here
Makes ~1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dried, food-grade lavender flowers
4 to 8 springs of fresh thyme

In a small pot, bring water and granulated sugar to a full boil, stirring to dissolve all the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the lavender flowers and thyme spring and cover with the lid. Allow to steep for about an hour. Strain the syrup, using a fine mesh sieve. Store syrup, covered, in the fridge for up to three days. Excellent mixed with some club soda, as a delicate lavender soda.

Festive Vegan Cheese Ball
Serves 8
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 8 hours

225 g (8 oz) non-dairy cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup non-dairy cheese shreds, any mild flavour you like
1/4 cup non-dairy sour cream
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tablespoons dried chives, or 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder, such as Colman’s
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Plastic wrap

Using a food processor, combine the non-dairy cream cheese, non-dairy cheese shreds, non-dairy sour cream, nutritional yeast, chives, mustard powder, onion and garlic powder, cayenne, lemon juice and salt until smooth.  Scoop the mixture out onto a large square of plastic wrap and cover. Shape into a rough ball, cover with a second square of plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least overnight. When ready to serve, mix the pumpkin seeds and cranberries together on a large plate and roll the chilled cheese ball, gently pressing into the seeds and dried fruit, until all of the cheeseball is covered in the mixture. Wrap again to chill until ready to serve. Works well with crudite, crackers, bread or apple slices.

Vanilla Mint Funfetti Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes, mostly chilling time

1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1 cup icing sugar, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (For a Gluten-Free one; use brown rice flour for the rice portion)
3/4 cup sprinkles, your choice, or more to achieve the colour you like

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the non-dairy margarine, icing sugar and the non-dairy milk. This will not all mix together, but don’t worry it will in the end. Add the peppermint extract, vanilla and salt and mix again. Finally, add the flour and sprinkles and mix until it comes together (it will be very wet and sticky). Wrap in plastic film, form into a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or overnight). When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Generously dust a surface with icing sugar and roll out cookie dough, sprinkling with more icing sugar as needed, until it is not tacky and it is easy to work with. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick, cut into desired shapes and lay flat on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes,  or until the sides have just started to brown. The smaller the shapes, the faster it will cook. Remove from oven, let sit on baking sheet for an additional 3 or 4 minutes, before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely.

There’s something about this salad that says “autumn”, isn’t there? Lemon confit, for the uninitiated is a French method of preserving lemons in salt. It’s zippy, salty and unbelievably complex! The preserved citrus combined with the deep, earthy flavour of the roasted beets, carrots and garlic is the perfect pairing; each balancing and elevating the other to a new level. We’re serving this alongside a more traditional vegan Thanksgiving spread this year, but we’ve also had it with mock duck and risotto – a gorgeous side to a truly special and fantastic meal.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad
Serves 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 medium red beets, tops trimmed and chopped to the same size as the carrots
1 head garlic, cloves removed from peel
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or other oil for roasting
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 large pita bread, toasted and chopped into small pieces, substitute 2 cups cooked chick peas
Lemon confit, for the top of the salad
Flat leaf parsley, for the top of the salad

Preheat oven to 400 F. Using foil, combine all ingredients and seal. Place foil packet on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the carrots and garlic have started to go golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool enough so you can handle it. Add the carrots to a serving bowl. Using your finger, remove the peels from the beets and add them to the bowl with the carrots, along with the pita bread. Set aside the half the garlic for use in the dressing and toss the other half in the salad bowl.

Lemon Confit Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 preserved lemon, diced
~ 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1/2 head of roasted garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients together and whisk until well mixed. Set aside until ready to use.

Assembly

Add the dressing to the bowl full of roasted vegetables and pita bread and toss to combine. Top with thinly sliced lemon confit and parsley, to taste.

Une salade aux allures automnales ! Le citron confit se marie ici aux saveurs terreuses et aux arômes profondes de la betterave, de la carotte, et de l’ail rôtis. Ces derniers contribuent à rehausser et à équilibrer l’ensemble tout en permettant à chacun de jouer la vedette de ce parfait trio.  Cette année nous ajoutons ce plat à un menu traditionnel d’Action de Grâce végétalien. Nous l’avons également présenté avec un risotto au simili canard – un somptueux plat d’accompagnement et un repas exceptionnel.

Salade de betterave et carotte rôties 
Portions : 8
Temps de préparation : 15 minutes
Temps total : 1 heure

4 carottes moyennes, pelée et coupées grossièrement
4 betteraves rouges moyennes, parées et coupées tel les carottes
1 bulbe d’ail, les gousses séparées et pelées
1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive extra vierge, ou autre pour rôtir
1/4 c. à thé de sel
poivre fraîchement moulu, au goût
1 grand pain pita, grillé et coupé et petit morceau (utilisé un pain pita sans gluten, si voulu)
citron confit, pour garnir la salade
persil plat, pour garnir la salade

Préchauffé le four à 400°F. Combiner tous les ingrédient et bien envelopper dans un papier d’aluminium. Placer sur une plaque de cuisson et rôtir pendant 40 minutes, jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient tendres et carottes et ail soient dorés. Retirer du four et laisser refroidir avant de manipuler. Ajouter les carottes à un bol de service. Peler à la main les betteraves et ajouter au bol avec le pain pita. Mettre de côté la moitié de l’ail (pour la vinaigrette) et ajouter l’autre moitié au bol.

Vinaigrette au citron confit

1/3 tasse d’huile d’olive extra vierge
1/4 tasse jus de citron fraîchement pressé
1 poivron rouge rôti, coupé en dés
1 citron confit, coupé en dés
~ 2 c. à soupe de persil plat, haché finement
1/2 bulbe de gousses d’ail rôties, en purée
1/2 c. à table de paprika doux
1/2 c. à thé de cumin
1/2 c. à thé de coriandre
poivre fraîchement moulu, au goût

Dans un petit bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients à l’aide d’un fouet. Mettre de côté.

Assemblage

Ajouter la vinaigrette au bol contenant les légumes et le pain pita et remuer pour mélanger. Garnir de fines tranches de citron confit et de persil, au goût.

Look at that pizza; it covers almost everything good there is in life. You want to make this, trust me. I don’t feel like I need to say anything more – you already know you should be eating this right now. If you’re nervous about cooking eggplant, let me direct you here (x) for my best tips on choosing and cooking delicious eggplant. Eggplant is thirsty, generously drizzle with olive oil until it doesn’t look dry anymore for the best results.

Ratatouille Pizza
Makes 4 small pizzas
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

4 pitas, use gluten-free if needed
1 bulb garlic, roasted
~3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Italian eggplant, sliced thin into half moons
1 small green zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small yellow zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
6 Roma tomatoes, halved 
Generous pinch dried thyme
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
1/2 small red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small orange pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small green pepper, sliced thin
1/4 cup tomato sauce, your favourite
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Cut the top end of the garlic bulb off. Place in a small roasting dish, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Slice and salt the eggplant, zucchini and onion. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange eggplant, zucchini and halved Roma tomatoes (seed side up) in a single layer. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and drizzle with olive oil (paying special attention to the eggplant). Roast for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and just started to brown. Remove from oven and let cool enough for you to handle them. Cut the roasted Roma tomatoes in half. Reduce heat in oven to 350 F. Heat tomato sauce in a small sauce pan and add the roasted garlic, mashing that into the sauce. Spread sauce evenly over the 4 pita crusts.  Arrange roasted vegetables, red onion and peppers in a single, slightly overlapping layer over pizza crusts, paying as much or as little attention as you like to order. Place prepared pitas on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crusts are crispy and the vegetables are soft. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle it and the parsley on top of the pizza before serving. Eat at any temperature.

Making your own preserves is a feeling unlike any other. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you love cooking and have an afternoon to spare, get yourself some jars, a big pot, fruit and try it out. Here (x) are the things you will need and some basics of canning. It’s easy, but it’s also serious business. Take sterilizing seriously (here is some information on that) and enjoy the rest of the process. Store in a dark place and use within a year, which means a jar or two is the perfect holiday gift (yes, it’s swiftly on its way and I’m very happy about it).

Pear, Bourbon and Vanilla Bean Jam
Makes 6 half pint jars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: about 60 minutes, mostly waiting for the water canner to boil

4 cups ripe pears, chopped fine or mashed
1 package dry pectin
1 tablespoon bourbon
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped

Wash and dry jars, rings and sealing discs. Place mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside; heat sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and lids hot until ready to use. In a large heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, mix the pears, pectin and bourbon and bring to a boil, stirring often. Next add the sugars and vanilla beans (insides and pods) and stir. Bring to a full rolling boil (which means that even when stirred it continues to bubble). Boil for one full minute. Remove from heat and take out the vanilla bean pods. Remove jars from water canner, ladle hot jam in them, measure your headspace, wipe rims and apply hot sealing disc. Screw rings only to fingertip tight and then place the jars back onto the rack in the water canner. Lower into water, making sure it is covered by at least an inch, cover and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for ten minutes, turn off heat and then let sit for another five in the water. Remove, place on a flat surface and leave untouched for twenty-four hours. At that time, test the seals and store in a dark, cool, place. Use within one year.

Dried lentils cook quickly, so I don’t recommend buying the much more expensive canned lentils. High in fibre, iron and protein, they fill you up and keep you strong! They also have such a unique savoury flavour – it doesn’t take all that much to make them delicious!

Valeria’s Lentil Soup
Makes 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
1 small onion, any colour, peeled and diced
1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, sliced thin
Large handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, any colour, diced
1 large tomato, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mustard, brown or yellow
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari, if you’re looking for gluten-free)
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 large potato, diced (substitute 1 green plantain, diced)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 to 2 litres water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse lentils and place in a large pot with enough water to cover. In a skillet, over medium high heat, combine the red onion, green onion, cilantro, bell pepper, tomato and garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sautee until they begin to sweat, add the mustard, soy sauce and thyme and stir to combine. Cook until all the vegetables are soft and the contents are sauce like. Add the sauce, potatoes and carrots to the pot with the lentils. Turn the heat to medium high, bring to boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, adding more water as needed, until the lentils, potatoes and carrots are tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Serve hot, with rice or alone.