11 Ways to Use Blackstrap Molasses

As we delve from cinnamon-infused autumn recipes to gingerbread and chocolate mint creations for the holidays, I was inspired by The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, to share ideas how to use blackstrap molasses. I have talked about blackstrap molasses before. With its inherent bitterness, it is also a sweetener packed with calcium, iron and potassium. You cannot substitute it directly for typical molasses unless it is used in small amounts or you offset its bitterness with other sweeteners. Here are some suggestions:

1. Baked Beans

I have two recipes for baked beans which include blackstrap molasses. One is a stovetop version that includes apple to sweeten the sauce and the other is a slow-cooked Nova Scotian style baked beans.  Angela has also shared maple baked lentils with blackstrap molasses as well as a Pumpkin Maple Baked Bean Cornbread Casserole. Tara created these beautiful Slow-Cooked Cider Beans.

2. Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Skip the beans and just make your own barbecue sauce. This is a South Carolina-style barbecue sauce with a mustard/vinegar tang with a touch of blackstrap molasses reminiscent of barbecue. This is also a fabulous Smoky Apple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce. See also Gena’s Tempeh Kebabs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Bianca’s Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce. Gena also uses a simple barbecue marinade for her raw barbecue zucchini chips.

3. Salad Dressing

Turn your sauce into a dressing. This Blackstrap Molasses and Balsamic Dressing sounds interesting.

4. Gingerbread cookies

This photo is of my Brown Sugar Cardamom Snickerdoodles and doesn’t use blackstrap molasses, so I urge you to check out gingerbread cookies that use blackstrap molasses: Sarah B’s Healthy Holiday Gingerbread Cookies, Kathy’s Ginger Snappy Crinkle Cookies, Angela’s Chewy Molasses Spelt Cookies, Dreena’s Gingery Cookies and Claryn’s Vegan Molasses Cookies. Other cookies to try include Claryn’s Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dreena’s Raisinet Cookies and Leanne’s Gingerbread Quinoa Breakfast Cookies.

5. No-Bake Snacks/Cookies

Instead of turning on your oven, try a quick-and-easy no-bake snack. Try Gena’s Raisin Almond Balls, Davida’s Raw Gingerbread Cookies and Angela’s Pumpkin and Gingerbread Snack Bars.

6. Pumpkin Pie

Gena’s pie is more photogenic than mine but her recipe uses blackstrap molasses.

7. Muffins/Cakes/Loaves

For those that prefer muffins, Emma shared these Double Ginger Chocolate Chunk Muffins and these Full Meal Muffins are filled with fruits and vegetables. Dreena also has a Chocolate Gem Gingerbread Loaf, Joy shared a Gluten-Free Gingerbread Bundt Cake with a Pumpkin Filling and Elsa’s Spiced Applesauce Cake with a Buttercream Frosting.

8. Smoothies

Infuse a gingerbread flavour into your next smoothie. See Angela’s Iron Woman Gingerbread Smoothie or Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, McKel’s Gingerbread Molasses Smoothie and Brittany’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie.

9. Dessert Puddings

A bit of a thicker smoothie, here is a Pumpkin Gingerbread Pudding.

10. Breakfast Oats

Feel free to add blackstrap molasses to your morning oats. Here I added it along with pumpkin for a Pumpkin Gingerbread Overnight Oats breakfast. You could also consider adding it to your bittersweet granola or your next batch of gingerbread almond butter.

11. Accent to savoury meals

Dreena really loves to add blackstrap molasses to her dishes. Here she used it in her No-Fu Love Loaf and Walnut Pecan Balls. JL also added it to her Cinnamon-Ginger Seitan.

The Vegetarian Flavor Bible does not list blackstrap molasses separately but includes suggestions such as molasses + garlic + ginger + orange; molasses + chili pepper flakes + ginger; and molasses + ginger + lemon.

What did I forget? How do you like to use blackstrap molasses? Bonus points if you have ever finished a bottle. 😉

PS. Do not forget to leave a message for your chance to win one of three copies of The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.

PPS. I am sharing this with Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Vegetarian Flavor Bible Review & Giveaway

As you know, I love cookbooks and this is one of my first non-cookbook reviews that I am super excited to tell you about. Granted, it may not be a cookbook but it is still all about the food: The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.

Does the name sound familiar to you? Karen Page also wrote the classic (original) The Flavor Bible. Both books describe the flavour of various food ingredients including basic preparation methods and tips and then has itemized lists of food pairings. In the The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, she tackles vegetarian combinations.

Sounds weird? Let me explain by example, because truly this is a magnificent compendium for anyone interested in being creative in the kitchen or simply eating good food. Below is a screenshot from the Amazon preview. Whereas The Flavor Bible had 5 pages dedicated to all the beans (notably black beans, cannellini, fava, flageolet, green beans, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, red, white) plus another page for chickpeas, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible has 15 pages for all the beans (in addition to the above, it also includes adzuki beans, anasazi, cranberry/borlotti, fermented black beans, gigante, french green beans, long beans, mung beans, soy beans/edamame) and chickpeas have almost 2 pages now. This is a veritable treasure trove. More common suggestions are capitalized, italicized or bolded.

I also really like the suggested flavour affinities, which are basically mini recipe suggestions. This is what she suggests for black beans:

Obviously, I jumped right into the meatpotatoes of the book, but there is also nice introduction to the importance of consuming a variety of foods, especially of the plant-based variety. For those new to vegetarianism or veganism, she also has tips on how to craft great meals. Have cravings for meat or fish? She has you covered:

Speaking of capers, if you ever needed proof of her authority in flavour, take note of this. Under capers, her tip: Rinse, or soak for up to 24 hours before using to quiet their flavor. Consider crisping for a minute or two in very hot oil before using them to garnish salads. Um, YES!! That was my latest cooking revelation, too. Crispy capers are marvelous! I need to read through this to uncover more gems.

Lastly, to quote her again: If you master a single recipe, you’ll learn how to cook a single dish. If you master the dynamics of flavor, you can make anything taste better.

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to giveaway the cookbook to three readers living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the book, please leave a comment below telling me about your favourite vegetarian ingredient and its flavour affinity (ie., what you like to pair it with). The winner will be selected at random on December 5, 2014. Good luck!

Thug Kitchen’s Pumpkin Chili

Thug Kitchen is probably the most controversial vegan cookbook. Penned by the authors of the similarly named blog, I never followed it because I did not find their language amusing. OK, sometimes it made me smile and I like how it tries to show how simple and easy homemade food can be, and yes, it is all vegan. I will admit that I was curious about their cookbook, but instead of tracking it down, I hunted for online recipes. This was the first I made and really liked it.

I am no stranger to pumpkin chili (previous version here). I don’t know why but pumpkin puree works seamlessly in chili to create a silky broth. Both version were great but I found this one lighter in flavour since it used canned tomatoes instead of tomato paste and this one had the perfect amount of heat. Furthermore, this one was a bean-centric chili and I cooked up some of Rancho Gordo’s bayo chocolate beans. I was really enticed to use them with a name like that! Turns out it is called chocolate based on their colour, not their flavour. When Rob bought them, he was told they had the consistency of fudge. Not so true, but they have a lovely firmness that lended well to this chili. Small red kidney beans would also work well here.

While I made the chili, Rob made the arepas. What a wonderful weekend meal. Enjoy!

PS. If you are interested in being way more amused with a recipe than when I write them, definitely check out the original version here. Possibly the funniest disclaimer ever: If you try to make this chili with pumpkin pie filling, don’t complain about how f*cked up it tastes. You did that dumb sh*t yourself.

I am sharing this with Souper Sundays and  Bookmarked Recipes.

Mediterranean Chickpeas Braised with Brussels Sprouts, Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Turns out our furnace problems were solved with a new thermostat. Thank goodness it was such an easy fix. It will be a bit warmer over the next few days which is perfect for us. It will melt the snow and allow us to rake all the leaves we had neglected earlier before winter resumes again later in the week.

Hearty winter fare is back into my kitchen for good and this was a delicious side, and could definitely work if you are looking for a something different for a holiday meal. Brussels sprouts are braised with chickpeas, kale and sun-dried tomatoes along with Italian-inspired seasonings. I thought this was excellent. Highly recommended.

What are you planning to serve for Thanksgiving?

I am sharing this with this month’s Eat Your Greens and Cook Your Books.

Caramelized Leek and Flageolet Bean Salad

So, how are you faring with the first blast of winter?

Turns out my furnace was not up to the increased stress and stopped working. Twice. For the past two nights, we have woken up to a fairly frigid home. At least we have warm blankets, so you don’t really notice until you escape for breakfast.

It reminded me of the time we were in Houston, in May during the first heat wave. It was at that time we noticed our air conditioner was broken. Eventually our home was a few degrees shy of the sweltering outside and we knew we had to contact our landlord. Accessing the air conditioner was another challenge, as it was difficult to find a safe ladder to span 4 storeys and jockey around the lightning and rain.

This time, I keep telling myself: at least we’re not in Buffalo. Did you catch the video of the snow blanket being lifting from the lake?

I thought, perhaps my salad days were over, too. But this is a delightful salad warm or cold. A bunch of leeks are caramelized and added to creamy flageolet beans and coated in a simple lemon-mustard sauce.

Another winner from Gena!

I am sharing this with Souper Sundays and  Bookmarked Recipes.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Curry

And like that, winter arrived. The snow dropped in full force and actually stuck around a bit.

I had a few short weeks for biking. My broken leg meant I was not fit for biking earlier this fall but it was nice while it lasted.

And what is better during the cold weather than a warm bowl of curry?

To keep things simple in the kitchen, I have resorted to remaking some favourites and making twice as much.

Most of my favourites have already been shared  (Tamarind Lentils, Bengali Cauliflower Dal, Creamy Broccoli Dal, and Root Veggie Curry), so it does not surprise me to share yet another easy, delicious and healthy curry. This is one I first discovered while testing/eating through Gena’s fabulous cookbook and has become a staple ever since. Having blog worthy photos also helps keep me more speedy in the kitchen.

So, please, grab yourself a huge sweet potato and make a double batch. It freezes well should you want to save it until a colder day.

I am sharing this with Souper Sundays.

Chocolate Tahini Macaroons

I see there are a lot of other coconut lovers. This quick and easy dessert is for you!

I have made raw macaroons before (raw chocolate macaroons previously, and non-traditional but lovely raw apple cinnamon macaroons), but they both used the dehydrator, which does not make them quick to make and makes them a tad unapproachable for the masses.

Thus, I was intrigued when I spotted this recipe for quick and easy raw macaroons… and also because they used tahini as the binder. Almond butter would also likely be fabulous but it was nice to switch things up a bit. The nut butter was thick enough that these macaroons held together nicely after a short chill in the fridge.

Simple and tasty, Rob declared that these could be used to woo him. Lucky for him, we’re already smitten with each other. (The wedding bells will be in a few short months!)

I am sharing this with No Waste Food Challenge.

Moroccan Cauliflower Rice and Date Salad & The Complete Coconut Cookbook Giveaway

Hey guys,

See below for the giveaway but I am super excited to tell you about Camilla’s latest cookbook, The Complete Coconut Cookbook. Do not let the title mislead you. Yes, this is a cookbook which includes recipes for all things coconut – coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut sugar, dried coconut and coconut flour. However, it is also entirely plant-based vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and nut-free. Because there are easy substitutes for the oil and sugar, this is a rather comprehensive vegan cookbook.

The recipes span breakfast (Banana Flapjacks, Coconut Yogurt), Beverages (Mango Carrot Coconut Smoothie, Coconut Nog), Breads and Muffins (Coconut Flax Tortillas, Vanilla Coconut Baked Doughnuts), Salads (Coconut Waldorf Salad, Shredded Beet, Coconut and Sesame Salad), Soups/Stews/Chilis (Cantaloupe Coconut Soup with Basil Syrup, Persian Coconut Soup with Split Peas, Chickpeas and Herbs), Main Dishes (Coconut Squash Pizza, Coconut Za’atar Kale, Tempeh and “Rice”), Side Dishes (Quick Sauteed Kale, Coconut Cauliflower Puree), Cookies/Cakes (Chocolate Avocado Cookies, No-Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies) and Pies/Puddings/Other Desserts (Coconut Cream Pie,  Caribbean Sweet Potato Pie).

Woah, that is only a portion of the 200 recipes.

Although I am not entirely sure why someone would make a cookbook that was vegan, GF and nut-free, it certainly required Camilla to be quite innovative in the kitchen. For her baking recipes, a combination of coconut flour, psyllium, chickpea flour and potato starch are used. I tried the apple coconut cookies, although they tasted more like muffins but were delicious (soft and moist). I was hoping the chocolate cherry biscotti might be a bit more crispy, although unfortunately it softened in my air-tight container overnight. I see these as interesting starting points for those who are seeking non-traditional baked goods.

However, as I showcased here, there are plenty of delicious savoury options, too. I loved, loved, loved the cabbage soup with cilantro.

This was also a fun spin on a vegetable salad: cauliflower is riced and tossed with Moroccan spices, dates and cilantro. The savoury spices (cumin and cardamom – although I think cinnamon would have been better) worked well with the sweet dates. My only complaint was that I picked a big head of cauliflower, so I needed more dressing. No fault of the author, as I guess there are truly puny cauliflowers out there.

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to share the recipe AND giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the cookbook, please leave a comment below telling me your favourite way to eat coconut. The winner will be selected at random on November 23, 2014. Good luck!

Other recipes spotted elsewhere:

Acorn Squash with Coconut Chickpea Stuffing
Carrot Cupcakes with Whipped Lemon Coconut Cream
Coconut Biscotti
Coconut Pancakes
Gingered Carrot and Coconut Soup
Very Vanilla Cupcakes

I am sharing this with Souper Sundays, Family Foodies, and Simple and In Season.

Baba’s Traditional Ukrainian Pierogies

This post is almost 5 years in the making. Before there were tamale and mustard tasting parties, pierogi parties have been a long tradition.  One reason I became interested in cooking and blogging was to learn and share our family recipes. Hand’s down, my most popular post is How to Make Authentic German Apfelstrudel and I photographed this almost 5 years ago, wanting share our family’s favourite Ukrainian food: perogies.

This is how my family makes perogies. They are not vegan although my Dad said he might try Isa’s vegan recipe next time. I did not know I could be competitive about perogies until I was invited to a perogie party when I first met Rob. As his family is Polish, he was obviously making them differently (most notably his family uses cheese and uses butter and a special pierogi flour). I am partial to our methods and simple recipe and encourage you to follow along.

First you boil your potatoes:

Fry your bacon. Remove and drain.

Fry your onions.

Mash the potatoes with the bacon and onions. The filling can be then set aside until needed.

The dough is a simple combination of flour, eggs, a dash of oil and water. My Dad is adamant that we must roll out each pierogi dough individually, because that was how Baba did it. Rob’s technique is to roll out the entire dough and use a metal can (as a cookie cutter) for identical shapes.

In any case, we rolled them out until very thin.

And it is ok if they are not perfectly symmetrical

Put a bit of the potato mixture inside the dough

Then add some more and centre it.

Stretch the dough so it you can pull it overtop the pierogi.

Pinch the tops so it stays shut.

Work your way on one half

Until it is sealed on one side, then seal the second half.

Then go over it again to make sure it is completely sealed (exploded perogies are no good)

As you make them, place them on a towel and cover with another damp towel so they do not dry out.

When you get going, you will make a lot. This is what we had made during the second day.

Fresh perogies are best boiled and served simply with sour cream.

You can freeze them after boiling them.

If you prefer videos, this one is pretty good although slightly different than our technique.

If nothing else, I hope you like the photos of my Dad’s fingers making the perogies. I like the lighting and detail and feel it captures a lot of character.

Are there any family recipes you truly cherish?

Pasta Arrabiata with Chickpeas and Zucchini Noodles

Feel like you missed autumn? Summer went straight into winter? Time flies, and sometimes I feel like I missed the peak season for certain fruits and vegetables. I keep missing peach season although we had a few this year. I also missed prime tomato time, perhaps because I was distracted by summer exams. In any case, have no fear. Canned tomatoes are possibly the best way to make sure you have flavourful tomatoes.

Oddly enough, I first encountered Arrabiata sauce while travelling in South Africa. It was a premade sauce that I added to a can of lentils with delicious results. A bit spicy, a lot tomatoey, it worked well with the hearty lentils. However, by the time I returned to Canada, I figured a pasta sauce deserved some pasta.

I made a huge batch of Ricki’s Arrabiata sauce and used it in two non-traditional ways: paired with soba noodles and also paired with zucchini noodles with chickpeas and nutritional yeast. I liked both versions although the zucchini noodles remind me more of the summer than soba noodles.

Next time, I think I will puree the sauce and add a bunch of lentils. Topped with nutritional yeast, it was a great meal, too.

I am sharing this with Pasta Please and Bookmarked Recipes.

Sweet Potato Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Coconut Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Even for me, this recipe seems a bit long and bothersome. However, I implore to try it out.

Let’s break this recipe down so it is not too daunting. Thankfully, even the sweet potato coconut mash topping could stand-alone on a Thanksgiving spread.

First, start with roasting your sweet potatoes. I honestly would have double next time. I would not judge you if the potatoes never made it to the shepherd’s pie.

I started with my favourite recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Low and Slow) which coaxes and highlights their natural sweetness. I made them the night before so this recipe would work fabulously with leftover roasted sweet potatoes, too. Despite roasting 3 big potatoes, I wanted more volume. I ran out of drinkable non-dairy milks so I grabbed a can of lite coconut milk. Just a touch whipped into the spuds created a silky sweet puree. Inspired by Candle Cafe’s Paradise Casserole’s mash, I added some miso as well. You could stop right here with a delicious side.

Let’s pretend you still want to make the whole shepherd’s pie, though. I used a mix of beans, which along with carrot, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes had a nice texture. Balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast added a nice depth and if you have red wine, that would work well here, too. I used a pressure cooker for my lentils, overcooking them slightly, but this was a great way to use them. I also slightly overcooked my butter beans (pressure cooker equilibration issues) but the butter beans were a fantastic counterfoil to the smaller bits. They don’t call them butter beans for nothing. Rancho Gordo’s Florida butter beans were silky smooth, almost like butter! 😛

I tried to have a good sweet potato-mash to filling ratio, with a decent height with the mash. I chose a smaller but high casserole dish, as opposed to a 9×13″ pan. I think it worked out really well. The sweet potato mash makes this a less traditional shepherd’s pie but since it is vegan, can I really claim any authenticity?

I am sharing this with Bookmarked Recipes and My Legume Love Affair.

Cinnamon Almond Freezer Fudge

You may have noticed my recipes becoming simpler. I am spending less time in the kitchen. Life is busy.

Case in point: A few weeks ago, I was so excited to leave work before it was dark.  (This was before the time change). I routinely leave work pretty late.

I texted Rob the good news: I would beat him home.

I plotted what I would do with my extra time. Plotted what I would cook up for dinner. Perhaps an easy tofu scramble.

However, as I walked onto our street, I slipped my hand into my bag looking for my keys. A second time. After a frantic search, I realized I must have forgotten them inside our home. (Of note, we have a very weird lock on our door – it locks automatically as soon as the door closes). I texted Rob that I was heading to the neighbourhood resto, for a warm supper, and to keep myself warm as I waited for him to return home. Sure enough, once I made it home, a couple hours later, my keys were right next to the front door. And it was now positively dark outside.

One reason I am not stressing about my meals is that I know I have a stash of treats in the freezer. These are everything you could possibly want in a snack: quick and easy, tasty and healthy. Furthermore, the simplicity of the recipe lets you taste the finished product by the ingredient list alone. Roasted almond butter mixed with a touch of coconut oil (it gives it a nice mouth feel) along with a touch of maple syrup for sweetness and cinnamon. Because, cinnamon is in all good things. Place the mixture into the freezer and take each one out whenever you have a hankering for a snackering.

Of course, the race is to see whether there will be enough snacks left by the weekend to take photos. Although, I would not be sad to make another batch.

I am sharing this with Random Recipes and Dead Easy Desserts.

Indian-Inspired Roasted Cauliflower & Quinoa Salad

As I write this, it is snowing outside.

Not that it will last and stay on the ground, but it definitely marks the beginning of fall. The leaves and temperatures have both fallen.

I walked to the Saturday farmer’s market this morning and they had finally moved it indoors. With everyone crammed into a smaller place, it was cramped and crowded but I still walked away with my stash of apples. Earlier, Rob and I tried to go apple picking where we had gone a few years ago. Turns out that the farm was subsequently sold and the DIY apple picking was no more. Since the farmer’s market is so close to our home, we didn’t pursue it further this year.

While we typically eat the apples as snacks and in our morning oats, this time, I added it to a savoury autumn salad. Roasted cauliflower is combined with quinoa with Indian-inspired flavours such as roasted coconut with a touch of sweetness from the apple and raisins.  I then drizzled my favourite curried maple tahini dressing, which I usually reserved for my chickpea and carrot salad with excellent results. I needed to double the dressing since this salad was so voluminous.

Did you see snow, too?

I am sharing this with No Croutons Required, ExtraVeg, Vegetable Palette, Virtual Vegan Potluck and Souper Sundays.