Food Photography for Bloggers

So this isn't a recipe but instead about an article I found on taking great photographs of food. My very first post included a photograph from the website I took the recipe from, after that post though I made the decision to only include photos I've taken of my personal results with the recipes. My next photo (chocolate raspberry cupcakes) was one of pure last-minute convenience taken with a cell phone, not the best way to inspire someone to get into the kitchen. So from here on out I will make more of an effort to bring you more mouth-watering pictures of some, hopefully, great tasting vegan treats. And if you're like me and love both food and photography be sure to check this article out for some helpful advice on successfully combine these two interests.
You can also check out Kathy Patalsky's food photography website for some great inspiration.

Rice Pudding

So to switch things up a bit and take a little break from all the baking, I've decided my next recipe to try is going to be some rice pudding. This recipe comes from the Lunch Box Bunch (you can find in my blog list as Healthy. Happy. Life.). It looks easy and delicious.

Cinna-CoCo-Nilla Rice Pudding
vegan, simple'n sweet!

1 cup organic brown rice,
*short or long grain will work. I like short.
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*or other non-dairy creamy beverage
1/3 cup agave or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
optional: 3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, fine

To make:
I make my rice pudding by cooking the rice first,
then slowly adding the additional liquid (non-dairy milk) and seasonings on medium heat.
First, add the rice, water, salt and butter to a pan.
Bring it to a bowl over high heat.
Cover with lid, reduce heat to low.
Simmer rice for an additional 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Next, turn heat to medium and stirring constantly, add all the coconut milk until it has been sufficiently absorbed. Be sure to uncover lid so that steam can cook off the rice.
Next fold in the vanilla extract, cinnamon and agave or maple syrup.
Cover with lid and allow to sit for ten minutes.
Serve warm or store in fridge to serve cold.
*Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and a drizzle of agave syrup on top before serving.

carrot cake- take one

So I attempted to take a non-vegan carrot cake recipe and made a few substitutions to try and make a great vegan product. Some egg replacer instead of eggs, some toffuti non-cream cheese instead of real cream cheese, and some smart balance light instead of butter. Sometimes this works, this time however it did not. The cake was not inedible, but it certainly was not something you'd bring to the family picnic. For this reason I will not even post the recipe and instead I will just call this attempt number one and keep searching for a great carrot cake recipe that is already vegan and give this another go at some other time.

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

So I tried melissa's chocolate cake recipe, but I changed things up a bit. I didn't use the optional vegan chocolate chips and instead of making it a cake I made it into one dozen cupcakes. Also after filling each cupcake 2/3 full with the mix I added a dollop of raspberry preserve. When the cupcakes rise the preserve stays in the middle and makes a nice filling. Also since adding a filling I chose not to do a heavy frosting and just dusted the tops with confectioner sugar instead. The cake recipe did make a nice fluffy chocolate cupcake but even with the raspberry filling I found it a bit bland. Next time I try the recipe perhaps I'll add the optional chocolate chips and see if that makes it a bit sweeter.

let the baking begin!

I've been vegetarian and vegan for off and on for many years. I love that I feel healthier, have more energy, and it gets me in the kitchen more and out of the fast food drive-thru. I never really felt like I was missing out when I'd pass up a big juicy steak at the family dinner table but when dessert time came around I definitely felt like something was missing. So I've decided to start this blog as personal quest to find some truly delicious vegan treats. Nothing that tastes like tofu, or has a hint of wheat-grass, or "is 1/8th the calories of a real cake!!!" Just some good old-fashioned baking...only with out the eggs and dairy.

My first recipe to try comes from Melissa Ray Davis's website



Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

9 to 16 servings, depending on how you cut it
Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 cup natural, vegan unbleached sugar*
* 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
* 5 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 cup cold water
* optional: 2/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

* Make sure that the sugar you use is unbleached sugar or sugar that is bleached in a vegan bleaching process (bleached sugar is often made in a process that uses animal bones).
Preparation instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. It is important to mix the ingredients in the right order to get the correct texture. First, combine the unbleached all-purpose flour, unbleached sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well (a fork seems to work best for this).

3. When the dry ingredients are well mixed, stir in the vanilla, distilled white vinegar, and canola oil.

4. Pour the water over the mixture and stir well.

5. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (preferably insulated) with vegetable shortening or margarine and scoop the batter into it. Spread it to make sure it is level and fills in the corners.

6. If you want to add the vegan chocolate chips, sprinkle them over the top of the batter, so that they are resting evenly across the top.

7. Bake for 40 minutes and check if it is done (it may need a little more time). Baking times will vary. It is ready when it no longer wiggles when you shake it and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least an hour, then you can either serve it straight from the pan or carefully loosen it from the sides and upend it onto a serving tray and apply vegan frosting. Enjoy!

Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.