"whole grain vegan baking" blog tour + giveway

Let's Bake!

Welcome to the kick-off of "Whole Grain Vegan Baking" Blog Tour!

This newly released cookbook by Celine Steen, of Have Cake Will Travel, and Tamasin Noyes, of Vegan Appetite, is the end-all for vegan baking. Or should I say, the beginning of healthy, vegan baking.

The ladies have come on the heels of their previous cookbook "Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!" and have written a glorious baking book utilizing only whole grains. There is not a speck of white flour or white sugar in the whole book and, what is really the best part, every recipe is delectable! 

Now you can enjoy desserts, snacks, breads, and breakfast treats, and know you are only fueling your body with wholesome ingredients. 

There are 100 kick-butt recipes of goodness in the book. I tested for this book last year and was floored by what they came up with. 

Take a look: 

Souper Bread Bowls

Bagard

Strawberry Sweet Biscuits

Breakfast Pie Pastries

Chipotle and Corn Spelt Muffins

Whole Grain Wonder Crackers

Kicked-Up Chocolate Cookies

Pesto Knots

There are so many wonderful recipes in this book, but this last one was my family's favorite, and believe me, it is hard to pick a "best" one! The Pesto Knots were savory, basil-y, garlicky packages of delight. In fact, Fair Winds Press has granted permission to post this recipe for you, which makes me happy!

Before I do that, I'd like to cover the quality of the book. If you have VSSD!, then you know Fair Winds Press produces a well-made, quality book. I like that. And I love the pictures of the baked goods in there! Celine has done it again with breath-taking photos. 

To wrap things up, it really is not hard to decide: if you want healthy, delicious, vegan baked goods which utilize wholesome, whole grains, your search stops right here. 

Since you've taken the time to read all the above and drool all over your computer, how about entering the contest to win your very own copy of "Whole Grain Vegan Baking?" 

It's really simple; leave a comment and check back May 25th to see if you are the winner. In addition, check out the other blogs in the tour for more recipes and chances to win.

 (Blog Tour dates and sites are posted on both Tami's and Celine's blogs.)

And now for the sneak-peek recipe:

Pesto Knots

1/4 cup (60 ml) lukewarm wate

1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

105 g (3/4 cup) whole spelt flour, divided

33 g (packed 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) fresh basil leaves, divided

1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened plain vegan milk, more as needed

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, divided

9 g (1 tablespoon) pine nuts

8 g (1 tablespoon) nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon (15 ml) ume plum vinegar

5 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1 teaspoon white miso paste

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

120 g (1 cup) white whole wheat flour, more as needed

Nonstick cooking spray

Stir together the water, maple syrup, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. Mix in 35 g (1/4 cup) of the spelt flour. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Combine 30 g (3/4 cup) of the basil, milk, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the oil, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, vinegar, 3 cloves of the garlic, miso, salt, and pepper in a small blender. Process until completely smooth. Pour into the yeast mixture and add the remaining 70 g (1/2 cup) whole spelt flour and the whole wheat flour. Knead for 5 minutes to form a smooth and cohesive dough. Add an extra 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk or (8 g) white whole wheat flour if needed to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. It should not be sticky. Alternatively, the dough may be kneaded by hand on a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball.

Lightly coat a medium-size bowl with cooking spray and put the dough in the bowl, turning it over so the oiled side is facing up. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 hours.

Combine the remaining 2 cloves garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a small bowl.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Deflate the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch (30 cm) rope. Tie a knot close to the center of the dough, tuck under the ends, and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).

Remove the kitchen towel and bake the dough for 13 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms sound hollow when tapped with your knuckles.

Use a spoon to drizzle the garlic oil on the knots. Mince the remaining 3 g (1 tablespoon) basil and sprinkle over the rolls.

Yield: 8 knots

stuffed cabbage + "grills gone vegan" winner

RECIPE UPDATE: this dish has been tested and revised and will be featured in the upcoming cookbook "Everyday Vegan Eats," by Zsu Dever.

I am so excited about this recipe! 

My dad used to cook this dish almost every single day for over twenty years at the restaurant. Although I had seen it being prepared many times, unfortunately, I paid little attention to the nuances of the recipe. It took many years and many trials to finally be able to replicate this dish to fit my remembrance. 

Stuffed Cabbage can be made two different ways. First is Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage using sauerkraut and the other is the Jewish way, with sweet tomato sauce. The latter is what I clearly remembered. The filling in stuffed cabbage is typically of ground beef and rice. Replacing the ground beef with a ground vegetarian protein is relatively a simple matter, however, it is too easy to create a dry, pale version of the original. 

To combat the dry filling of ground vegetable protein and rice, I decided to use arborio rice in lieu of the regular white rice. The arborio rice, once cooked risotto-style, becomes creamy, adding much needed moisture and a binding quality to the filling. This worked beautifully! We loved it! The tomato sauce is a very easy three-ingredient mixture. My dad, I am sure, would be proud.

The Stuffed Cabbage needs to cook for quite a while to ensure that the leaves are tender. A slow cooker comes in handy for this purpose, otherwise simmering it on the stove until tender is good enough.

Now, for the contest winner:

"Grills Gone Vegan," by Tamasin Noyes goes to...

Comment Number 3...Nichole.

 Please contact me in the next few days to claim your prize. 

veganaide (at) yahoo (dot) com

Congratulations!

Return for another cookbook giveaway in a few days as I kick-off

 "Whole Grain Vegan Baking" Blog Tour. 

This was another cookbook I tested for and Tami Noyes and Celine Steen want me to give away a copy. I will also give you a sneak peak at a recipe from the book. 

Come back on the 14th for your chance to win!