Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Whipped Coconut Cream

While the yankees are getting snowed in, we're enjoying some pretty balmy weather down here in Tennessee. Still, I like to put on my fuzzy socks and snuggle up with a warm mug of hot cocoa. The smell of warm milk and chocolate really evokes wonderful memories for me. Once that smell reached me, there was no way I was going to school. Memphis had gotten an inch of snow, and the whole city had shut down!
My little nugget is not quite school age yet, or even chocolate drinking age, and papa bear still has to go to work, so it is not quite the picturesque, family in front of the fire, kind of day I imagined. But, I have a pot full of molten chocolate, so I can't really complain.
This is the kinda belly warming drink that could remedy frostbite. It is so thick, and creamy and richly chocolatey. It is just down right sinful. Speaking of sinful, this would be really good with a little kick of Bailey's. Is Bailey's vegan? Please, sweet Lord, let Bailey's be vegan.

I guess it kinda goes without saying that if you want good hot cocoa, you gotta use good chocolate. But, I think I need to reiterate that, because there seems to be a growing problem in our country that people are using POWDERED HOT CHOCOLATE MIXES. No.....just, no. This is not amateur hour. It is time to put your big girl panties on, go out and get you a scary looking knife ( I like these, you can even get one in pink!), and chop you up some good, dark chocolate.

Because I don't play around, we're doubling down on chocolate. I use the organic, dutch cocoa powder from Trader Joe's. Hershey's is good, just try not to mess with Nestle. As far as milk substitutes go, I prefer to use coconut milk cause its so thick and creamy, but a cashew milk would do nicely, too.

Can't have hot cocoa without whipped cream! Vegan whipped cream is so easy, and you feel a helluva lot less guilty licking the bowl. All it is is coconut cream, which you can find in most grocery stores in the international foods aisle. I prefer to use the Trader Joe's extra thick version. Simply put the can in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, and scoop out all the cream. There's maybe about a tablespoon of coconut water at the bottom, and we don't want that for our whipped cream, but go ahead and save it for your morning smoothie! Waste not, want not! Remember y'all, fat in food is not the same as fat in the body. Coconut cream is filled with lauric acid, which is great for our immune systems, and the cream even has anti-carcinogenic properties. A healthy indulgence every once in a while is great for your health!

Can we just talk about how gorgeous and silky this hot cocoa is? The texture reminds me of Willy Wonka's chocolate lake. Pure heaven.

Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Whipped Coconut Cream

Author: The Porkless Peg Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the cocoa

• 4 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups chopped vegan dark chocolate
• 1 cup cocoa powder

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

• 1 can full fat coconut cream
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan on medium low heat, slowly heat coconut milk, chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder.
2. Stir constantly until blended. Turn heat down to lowest it will go.
3. In a mixing bowl scoop out coconut cream, and add powdered sugar and vanilla.
4. Blend with hand mixer until fluffy and combined.
5. You can chill cream mixture in the fridge for it to stiffen up a bit, but it tastes just as fine straight from the bowl.
6. Ladle chocolate mixture into mug, and top with as much cream as you desire!

Curried Chickpea Salad

In the South, a salad is a bunch of stuff you find in your kitchen, covered in mayonnaise. So let's just take a minute and praise our sweet Lord for that. We got potato salad, carrot salad, ham salad, chicken salad, fruit salad, the list goes on. Its probably even longer than Bubba's. Making a salad in this style is the perfect way to use up leftovers, and have lunch for a whole week. Usually they are not exactly nutritious, what, being loaded up with mayonnaise and everything, but my vegan take on this classic is as light as they come. Packed full of protein, and bursting with peanuts, this salad is sure to give you enough energy to make it through the car pool loop (or the seventh circle of hell, as I like to call it).

As I said, this recipe is great for leftovers. I usually use the inside pieces of celery, the ones I never deem fit enough to make it into my pasta sauce. I've also always got half an onion hiding in a zip loc in the fridge somewhere. Everything else in the salad is truly customizable. I've made it with carrots, cashews, pistachios, golden raisins, and craisins. Today, I've got plain old raisins and some lightly salted peanuts, cause thats what I had lurking in the pantry. I do prefer to add the juice from a lime. I think it blends well with the somewhat Southeast Asian flavors, and it adds a freshness to something you could possibly be munchin on for a couple days, if it lasts that long of course.

THE BEST VEGAN MAYO! The folks over at Hampton Creek are wonderful people, and they are doing big things for the food industry. Their website states, "Hampton Creek is a company dedicated to making it easy for good people to do the right thing. Whether you're a hip college student or a single mom raising two kids, everyone should be able to eat delicious food that's healthier, sustainable, and affordable." You can even buy Just Mayo at the Dollar Tree! And no, Hampton Creek doesn't sponsor me, or anything like that, I just think they are a bunch of really good people making it easier for everyone to make better choices for themselves and the planet. What could be better than that? This is by far my mayo of choice when I veganize my family's recipes, this salad included!

After I've tossed my mayo and chickpeas, I add about a tablespoon of organic curry powder, and a big ole pinch of turmeric. Turmeric purportedly has a whole host of health benefits, from clearing up brown spots to preventing breast cancer. So eat up! These spices give the salad just the most beautiful golden color as well.

I really could eat this all day, every day! I like it on top of warm, toasty bread, tossed with orzo or quinoa, a scoop atop of gorgeous, green salad, I would eat it off a dirt floor. I hope y'all love this one, it really is one of my favorites!

Curried Chickpea Salad

Author: The Porkless Peg Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

• 2 15 oz cans rinsed and drained chickpeas
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup raisins
• Juice from one lime
• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1tsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
• 1 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop and dice red onion and celery
2. Thoroughly rinse and drain chickpeas
3. Add chickpeas and mayo to large bowl and lightly toss
4. Add in veggies, raisins, and peanuts, tossing enough to coat.
5. Mix in lime juice, curry and turmeric, honey or agave, and sriracha if you like it spicy
6. Add salt to taste, and enjoy for up to five days!

Chick-fil-A Style Tofu

Aaah, Chick-fil-A, one of the "classy" fast food establishments, second only to Back Yard Burger. In middle school, my best friend's mother would order us PLATTERS of their chicken nuggets every friday night. And we ate it. All. When news of the franchise opening up on Charlotte broke, my friends and I stayed up 'til the crack of dawn to get our paws on a chicken biscuit. 

These days I can't quite stomach the thought of what goes on behind the scenes at Chick-fil-A, so I'll stick to my homemade, veganized version. These are great for the Superbowl, parties, or when you just want some of that good fried chicken. They take no time to whip up, and only a few simple steps to throw together.

First thing my brother told me when I said I was thinking of recreating fried chicken was, "You're gonna marinate that in pickle juice, right?" Of course. The secret to that super moist, slightly briny flavor of that signature chicken is dill pickle juice! I press my tofu between two paper towels to get any excess moisture out, cube into bite size pieces, then throw it in a tupperware with pickle juice and poultry seasoning.

I decided last minute to throw in about a teaspoon of paprika, just so the tofu could have some good color and a little kick.

The next secret to recreating that addictive chicken is the batter. Chik-fil-A chicken has that little note of sweetness with every bite and it comes from sugar in the batter. Two tablespoons should do it, you don't want your nuggets to taste like they're in a funnel cake from the county fair.

I deep fried mine in peanut oil 'til they were nice and crispy and golden brown. Man, are these suckers good. They did not stick around for long!

To serve, I quickly chopped up a couple potatoes and threw them in the fryer. Also, you can't have Chic-fil-A tofu without some vegan "honey" mustard!

Chik-fil-A Style Tofu

Author: The Porkless Peg Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
• 2 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 cups peanut oil, or enough to cover the nuggets completely in your pan

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Press excess moisture out of tofu, then cube into bite size pieces
2. Place in tupperware along with pickle juice and poultry seasoning. Let marinate for at least and hour, best if done overnight.
3. When ready to fry, mix flour, sugar, and pepper in a shallow bowl
4. Dredge tofu, making sure pieces are heavily coated
5. Fry in fry daddy or cast iron skillet on medium high heat until nuggets are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

            I can't imagine a meal without cornbread. How some people eat plain, old rolls is beyond me. There ain't nothin better in this world than sopping up potlikker with a big ole hunk of cornbread. Coolin off chili with some cheesy, crunchy goodness and letting a corn muffin soak up all the cream in in chickn n' dumplings are some of life's greatest pleasures. Cornbread is a southern staple. Some like it sweet, some like it spicy, but we always like it. I prefer a cheesy, spicy variety myself. Done in a flash, this cornbread doesn't last on the table for long!

As always, thoroughly mix your dry ingredients before adding the wet. Martha White cornmeal is a MUST. A good southern girl always has a bag in her pantry!

Slowly stir in your wet, until just combined. I've used a combination of almond milk, melted earth balance, and apple sauce. The apple sauce replaces the traditional eggs and sugar found in cornbread, lending the cornbread dense and moist, with just the faintest hint of sweetness. I prefer to throw in a handful each of pickled jalapeños and vegan cheddar cheese.

Family secret time: the secret to PERFECT cornbread is placing your oiled pan in the oven while it preheats. This step is CRUCIAL to perfect cornbread, with a crunchy crust and a moist middle. Pour your batter in quickly, and top with vegan cheese and a touch more oil. Pop that sucker back in the oven for about twenty minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Perfectly crispy, fried crust with an ooey, gooey, cheesy middle.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Author: The Porkless Peg Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
• 1 cup vegan cheddar cheese (such as Daiya)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and place oiled cast iron skillet or cake tin in.
2. Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl, incorporate fully.
3. In separate bowl, combine apple sauce, milk, and melted earth balance. 
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in wet. Mix until combined. A couple of lumps are ok. Throw in jalapeños and vegan cheddar cheese.
5. Pour into hot pan, and top with more vegan cheese and a touch of oil. Bake for twenty minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Coca-Cola Chili

         The Mid-South has two seasons: can't stand it, gotta whip your clothes off as soon as you come home, fry an egg on your forehead hot, and a bleak, grey, "Winter". I swear, I haven't seen the sun in nine days. It was about time to bring some heat back into my life. Thank goodness for this chili! Sweet and spicy enough to make your lips burn, this chili is just what the doctor ordered. I love the kinda dish that's easy as pie to make, smells so dang good everyone thinks you're Julia Child, and so filling and satisfying that you've gotta unbutton your pants after a bowl. A guaranteed crowd pleaser, this Coca-Cola chili is so heavenly you might find yourself ladling it over french fries at three in the morning. Not that I would know anything about that.

Time to assemble the troops. This may seem like an overwhelming amount of ingredients, but all you gotta do to them is throw 'em in a big ole stock pot. I'm making a double batch, cause I like to freeze half. This chili is perfect for cheese fries, chili dogs, tofu scramble, Mexican pizza, on top of veggie burgers, a whole host of different goodies. As far as replacing the ground beef found in traditional chili, I do recommend the Gardein brand. I have found I gotta work with it a little bit though, hence my addition of Liquid Smoke and Bragg's Liquid Amino's. Of course, you could leave it out entirely and just double up on beans.

The only real prep work involved is rinsing and draining your beans, and dicing your veggies.

Optional ingredient for my heat seekers: chocolate habanero! This added such a rich, deep, hotter than hot spice. I'm a spicy food fiend, but this is not for the faint of heart! You could replace with something milder, like jalepenos, or nothing at all if you prefer.

Sweat all your veggies while singing The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang. Necessary to sweating veggies properly.

Pour in all the liquid ingredients, give it a good stir, turn the heat down, pop a lid on it, and relax for a couple hours. Or, you know, vacuum, do laundry, run after your ten month old, scream on the phone with Comcast. Whatever floats your boat.

Serve it piping hot, when you can no longer wait on it any longer. Top it with a myriad of things, green onions, vegan sour cream and cheese, avocados, corn chips, anything! BUT I personally think it is crucial to always have some cornbread with chili.

Coca-Cola Chili

Author: The Porkless Peg

Serves: 16-20

INGREDIENTS

• 2  15 oz cans rinsed and drained kidney beans
• 2 15 oz cans rinsed and drained pinto beans
• 1 package beefless grounds (Gardein for example)
• 1 large sweeet onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 habanero
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 12 oz can plum tomatos
• 1 10 oz can rotel
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
• 2 tsp Liquid Smoke
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp steak seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 16 oz Mexican Coca-Cola

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sweat onions, peppers, and garlic on medium high heat in a large stock pot until soft.
2. Add in beefless grounds, beans, and dry seasonings.
3. Add plum tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, and all other wet ingredients. Give it a good stir, cover, and turn the heat to low.
4. Cook on low for two and a half hours, stirring every so often. Use wooden spoon to break up plum tomatoes.
5. Before serving, fish out bay leaves.
6. Ladle into bowls, topping with vegan sour cream and cheese, avocados, corn chips, or corn bread.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

               First snow of the year this morning! I know most of y'all would be running for the hot cocoa and chili, but there is just something about baking that really warms my soul. Baking carrot cakes especially. The way the spice cake smells as it bakes, creeping into every crevice of your home, hugging you in cinnamon, and enveloping you in warmth, is enough to send me up a wall!

                I've veganized this recipe from one of my Grandma's old recipe cards, a tried and true family favorite. To replace the original six eggs (yes, SIX eggs!), I have used apple sauce, upping the fiber content, and adding natural sweetness. You could maybe even tell yourself that these are healthy enough for breakfast! Licking the spoon was all it took to convince me, so I proceeded to stuff my face with seven.

Nothing quite as pretty as fresh, organic carrots!

I usually always have homemade apple sauce and pineapple puree on hand,
 cause they're some of my lil piglets favorites,
but store bought should work fine.

The spices are key to me for a perfect carrot cake. I prefer a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to give the cupcake a surprisingly spicy bite.

I threw some chopped walnuts in with the carrots, and the rest of the wet ingredients, but this tastes great with pecans, raisins, or nothing at all! I've made this with many different variations, and all have turned out as tasty as the next.

Gently fold in the dry batter with the wet, going in batches. I pour half the dry in, mix until it is incorporated, then repeat. Try not to overwork the batter.

Pairing these cupcakes with my classic "cream cheese" frosting is HIGHLY recommended. The sharp taste of the frosting really cuts the sweetness of the cupcake. I usually tend to garnish with pistachios, dried cranberries, or toasted coconut. All are as beautiful as they are delicious!

Well Butter My Biscuit

         My family is what you would call "Old Memphis". Being such, one must adhere to certain southern niceties. Namely, always having something to offer your guests.  My choice? These warm, flaky "buttermilk" biscuits. What could be better than offering your guests a plate stacked sky high with warm, buttery biscuits and a nice, cold pitcher of perfectly sweetened iced tea?!
       

First things first, we have to replace the buttermilk when veganizing Southern style biscuits. An easy trick is to just add any acid to your favorite non-dairy milk. I've mixed one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of almond milk, but you could use lemon or white vinegar as well. Let this chill in the fridge to curdle, while you work on your dry ingredients.

I like to sift my flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, but this is a completely unnecessary step. I do think it adds a certain fluffiness to the biscuit, but honestly I like doing this because it reminds me of chilly mornings baking biscuits with my Mama. Sifting flour was second only to licking the spoon!

Make sure when pinching your vegan butter in, and adding your "buttermilk" that everything is COLD. This is crucial to biscuit making.  When the biscuits are baking, the butter evaporates, and this is what causes the biscuits to have that perfect, flaky texture.

Pat, never roll, your biscuit dough out about an inch thick. I'm lucky enough to have my great, great, grandmothers biscuit cutter, but any old cup should do the trick!

Well butter my buns, and call me a biscuit!