Sweet & Easy Vegan is my kind of cookbook. I’ve been eating a dairy-free, egg-free diet for years, and at the time when I first started out on my vegan adventure, I was sure that cheese would be the thing I missed the most. Not so! As it turned out, I found myself craving traditional desserts more than anything else. Luckily I quickly discovered that vegan treats can be just as delicious— especially homemade vegan treats. I’ve since spent many a day in my kitchen experimenting with making vegan versions of my favorite desserts and baked goods, which can be rewarding when it works (sweet success!), but frustrating when it doesn’t (what a waste of time and ingredients!). That’s why I love Sweet & Easy Vegan—author Robin Asbell has already done that work for you, so you can jump right in and bake delectable vegan treats with confidence. When our friends at Chronicle Books offered us a copy to review, we knew that we just had to do a giveaway so we could share this gem with you.

In the book, Asbell offers over 80 sweet vegan recipes including cookies, cakes, tarts, fruit desserts, muffins and more. The author has also written a thorough introduction that covers the basics of vegan baking, discusses the benefits of whole grain flours and natural sweeteners, and includes a glossary of vegan baking ingredients. Sidebars sprinkled throughout the book give helpful tips on topics such as whole wheat pie crusts, alternative flours, and fair trade chocolate.

All this knowledge makes Sweet & Easy Vegan a great book for someone who is new to vegan cooking, but the appeal isn’t limited to beginners, or even to vegans for that matter. Anyone with a sweet tooth will appreciate the recipes here, which range from classics like yellow cake to more unusual treats like Lemon Pine Nut Cookies, and from decadent desserts like Chocolate Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting to lighter fare like Summer Fruits in Vanilla Syrup. And who wouldn’t love a book with an entire chapter devoted to “Sweet Breakfast Treats”?

We hope you’ll enjoy this cookbook as much as we do. To get your mouth watering, here is a sample recipe from Sweet & Easy Vegan.

Coconut, Almond and Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is something about the texture of coconut in a cookie; the way it stays moist and chewy is irresistible. The addition of chocolate and almonds makes for a triple temptation that will call to you from the cookie jar.

Makes about 8 big cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp nondairy milk, plus more as needed
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• ½ cup/60 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/65 g whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼  tsp salt
• ½ cup/120 ml canola oil
• ½ cup/100 g granular palm sugar, palm sugar paste, or Sucanat
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 cup/90 g unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• ½ cup/55 g sliced almonds
• ½ cup/85 g vegan chocolate chip

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.

In a cup or small bowl, whisk the 2 tbsp nondairy milk and the flaxseeds together and let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine both flours, the nutritional yeast (if using), baking soda, and salt and whisk until well mixed.

In a food processor, combine the canola oil and sugar and process until smooth. Add the almond extract and pulse to combine. Add the flaxseed mixture and process until thoroughly combined. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the coconut, almonds and chocolate chips. If the dough is too crumbly to hold together, knead in up to 2 tbsp more nondairy milk.

Scoop a ¼ cup/60-ml portion of dough (oiling the measuring cup makes it easier to remove the dough) and form it into a ball. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 2 in/5 cm of space between them. Using wet palms, flatten slightly to a thickness of just over ½ in/12mm.

Bake for about 16 minutes, until the cookies are quite golden around the edges, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for about 1 week.

Would you like to win a copy of Sweet & Easy Vegan? To enter the contest, comment on this post and tell us who you would bake treats for if you win this cookbook. Would you make vegan sweets for your kids, your friends, your sweetheart—or maybe just for yourself? To help you get started with these yummy recipes, we’ll also send the winner a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, a package of Sliced Almonds, and a package of Shredded Coconut.  We’ll pick a winner from those of you who enter by 11:59 pm on 8/23. Good luck!

Robin Asbell, chef and author of Big Vegan and Sweet & Easy Vegan, will be teaching a class next month at the Bob’s Red Mill Cooking School in Milwaukie, Oregon! Get details on the class, “Healthy Baking with Robin Asbell,” and registration information here.

We are so pleased to announce that Laurie Figone won first place in Spar for the Spurtle 2 on Friday. All three of the contenders delivered delicious and beautiful dishes and I think the judges had their work cut out for them. Ultimately, the panel of celebrity judges selected Figone’s recipe as the winner based on taste, creativity and overall presentation. The judges – New York Times “Recipe for Health” columnist Martha Rose Shulman; food journalist, best-selling author and former Iron Chef America judge Kim Sunée; and Whole Living magazine Executive Editor Jocelyn Zuckerman – said the decision was a tough one, but that Figone’s dish really shined.

“Wow, winning a competition like this is truly a dream come true for me!” said an emotional Figone following the competition. “I am just so excited to go to Scotland and compete in the World Porridge Championship on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill, and I thank Bob and everyone at the company for the opportunity.”

We wish Laurie the best of luck in the coming months as she prepares to take her dish to the international stage at the 19th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Championship in October. Below is her winning recipe (watch her video here). From here, she plans to create a tomato coulis to top this dish and will begin honing her traditional porridge skills. We’ll share the tomato coulis when we get it, but for now, enjoy! [Note: This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using our Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats.]

Italian Pinhead Torta

My recipe for ‘Italian Pinhead Torta’ is reminiscent of a torta my Mother-in-Law used to make with white rice, eggs, oregano and Parmesan cheese.

By substituting Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (or ‘pinheads’ as they are commonly called) for the rice, my torta now has an incredible texture that I love!!  I have also added fresh zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes for a hint of sweetness, mushrooms for their earthiness, fresh oregano to awaken your taste buds and Parmesan cheese to bring it all together!!

Mangia!!

• 1 oz. dried Portabella mushrooms, rehydrated in 1-½ cups boiling water for 10 minutes (reserving the liquid to soak the oats in).  After soaking; drain, squeeze dry and dice mushrooms.
• 1-½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (also known as pinhead oats) soaked in reserved mushroom liquid for 10 minutes.
• 6 Tbsp Butter, divided
• 1 cup diced Onion
• 1 cup coarsely shredded Zucchini
• ½ cup diced Sun Dried Tomatoes in olive oil, drained
• 6 Eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup chopped fresh Oregano
• 1 tsp Garlic Salt with Parsley
• 1 cup dried Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Parmesano Reggiano for garnish

1.  Heat 2 TBSP. butter in an 11 inch non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Sauté onion.
2. While onion is sautéing, heat 2 TBSP. butter in a 10 inch saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add soaked steel cut oats and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes or until remaining liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Once onion has become translucent; add the following to the pan:  mushrooms, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes and steel cut oats; mix well.  Remove from heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl; beat eggs and then add garlic salt, oregano and parmesan cheese.  Mix well and then stir in steel cut oat mixture.
5.  Return 11 inch frying pan to medium to medium-high heat and add remaining 2 TBSP. butter.  When butter has melted, immediately pour in steel cut oat mixture and place a tight fitting lid on your pan.  Cook covered for 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove lid and remove pan from heat; invert onto a serving plate.  Immediately top with freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano.
6. Slice and serve.

Cook Time:  15 minutes

Servings:  12

Laurie Figone

Petaluma, CA

www.CookingWithLaurieFigone.com

Have you been following the Summer Olympics? We’ve really enjoyed watching the events and rooting for our favorite athletes—in fact, we’re a bit sad that the games are almost over. Delectable recipes always cheer us up, though, and this British cookbook from our friends at Ryland, Peters & Small is not only full of tasty treats, it’s also fun way to commemorate the London Olympics.

Ryland, Peters & Small is a book publisher dedicated to capturing, “in words and pictures, those elements of life that give the greatest pleasure: sharing the perfect meal with friends, baking a batch of cookies with your children on a lazy Saturday and a home that makes you happy every time you open the front door.” When they reached out to us with this new book from their line, we loved it and thought you would, too—so we’re going to give away a copy!

Classic Artisan Baking by Julian Day compiles recipes for the most popular baked goods from Meg Rivers Artisan Bakery, a renowned British bake shop. Artful photos of delicious desserts fill the book, which is divided into sections for cakes, cookies, bars, breads and tarts. Each section is introduced with photos of English manors, farmhouses and countryside, setting a mood that perfectly complements the recipes—classic and crisp with a touch of rustic charm. Though there is definitely an emphasis on traditional English confections (tiffin, parkin, treacle tart and Banbury cakes, to name just a few), you’ll also find recipes for classic tarts and cookies from France and Italy, as well as solid renditions of universal favorites including brownies, carrot cake and banana bread. The difficulty level ranges from quite easy to rather challenging, and there are goodies for almost any occasion, whether you’re looking for an everyday snack like hearty muesli bars or a Christmas pudding for a special holiday meal. One thing we especially appreciate about this book is that the author helpfully provides American measurements and oven temperatures, so you don’t have to worry about converting from grams or Celsius.

Here’s a sample recipe to give you a taste of what Classic Artisan Baking has to offer.

Lavender Loaf

Lavender has been used for centuries as a flavoring for food, and it takes just a tiny amount to transform this simple cake into a delicately flavored delight, perfect for summer eating.

• 1 stick plus 2 Tbsp Butter, soft
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• grated zest of 1 Lemon
• 3 Tbsp ground Almonds
• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup Self-Rising Flour*
• 3 tsp dried Lavender flowers

1-lb loaf pan lined with loaf-pan liner

Serves about 8

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the lemon zest, ground almonds and flours and beat to a smooth batter. Finally, add the lavender and stir through.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, spread level and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This cake is best eaten on the day of baking, but will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 2 months.

Tip: If using homegrown lavender, be sure to wash it thoroughly and dry it in the oven on low heat. Alternatively, you can buy dried lavender online at www.thefrenchybee.com.

*To make your own self-rising flour, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.

Want to win a copy of Classic Artisan Baking? To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post telling us which kind of baked good is your favorite to make with Bob’s Red Mill products. Cake, cookies, brownies, bread? We want to know! We’ll pick a winner from those of you who comment by 11:59 pm on 8/16. In addition to this wonderful book, the winner of the giveaway will receive a package of our Organic White Flour and a bag of Baking Powder, so you’ll be ready to try out a classic artisan recipe right away. 

We hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as we do. We only have one copy to give away, but if you aren’t the lucky winner and you’d like to get one for yourself, it is available for purchase on the Ryland, Peters & Small website.

Recipe and photos copyright Ryland Peters & Small $24.95; www.rylandpeters.com

Photography by Steve Painter 

If you’re in the Portland area on Friday, come out and join us for the 2nd Annual Spar for the Spurtle Cook-off. Festivities begin at 2 pm on Friday, August 10th and wrap up around 3 pm. We’ll have a talented local bagpiper and celebrity judges including Kim Sunée, author of A Trail of Crumbs; Jocelyn Zuckerman, Executive Editor of Whole Living Magazine; and Martha Rose Shulman from The New York Times. Our three finalists will compete to see who will travel to Scotland this October to compete in the 19th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

If you missed who our finalists are, we chose Lanie Smith with her Paradise Porridge Potstickers, Kerri Willoughby with her Raspberry Oatmeal Dumplings and Laurie Figone with her Italian Pinhead Torta. Check out their videos here.

Come on down to our Whole Grain Store, have lunch on the patio and join in the fun at 2 pm on Friday. We hope to see you!

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie OR 97222
503-607-6455

The judges had their work cut out for them this year. With over 92 entries in Spar for the Spurtle, narrowing it down to just three finalists meant watching a lot of videos! There was a lot of discussion about whether the dish could really be done in 30 minutes and whether the ingredients chosen would be something that could be procured in Scotland. After all, the winner of Spar for the Spurtle will have to take their dish to an international arena for the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship and, as we learned in 2010, some ingredients are not available in Scotland.

I think the judges chose well with these three winners. If it were up to me, I’d fly everyone out and have a big spurtle party. There were so many creative videos and so many delicious dishes! We’ll be working to get recipes for each video and put them up on our site soon. Without further ado, here are our finalists. Congratulations to the three finalists and our most sincere thanks to everyone who entered and voted!

Paradise Porridge Potstickers from Lanie Smith, The Vintage Cook

Raspberry Oatmeal Dumplings from Kerri Willoughby

Italian Pinhead Torta from Laurie Figone

Learning to Bake Allergen-Free by Colette Martin is a crash course in baking without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy or nuts. This book is a packed with tips and tricks for making delicious baked goods without allergens and without compromising taste and texture. What I love about this book is the educational piece- this isn’t just a recipe book. You learn why eggs are important to recipes, then you learn how to substitute them and why you might choose one substitute over another in different applications. As anyone with food allergies or dietary restrictions can attest, one substitution solution rarely works for all recipes. Martin teaches you about the different gluten free flours available and how to mix your own flour blends or choose a premade mix that will work for your needs.

No cookbook would be complete without mouth-watering recipes and gorgeous photography, however. Martin delivers on both fronts with recipes for a variety of baked goods from flat breads and yeast-risen breads to cookie and tarts. Mixed throughout each recipe section are additional crash courses in things that pertain to those particular recipes- different sweetening options, how to proof yeast, the simple way to decorate a cake, etc.

This book is a great resource for those who want to know more about allergen-free baking. It’s not a simple cookbook, but more akin to a text book with wonderful explanations for why you should chose one ingredient over another and how to perfect (or simply fix) a certain type of dough.

{Giveaway}

The kind folks over at The Experiment Publishing sent us a copy of this book to giveaway to one lucky reader. To sweeten the deal, we’re adding in some essential ingredients for getting started with this book. In addition to this lovely book, we’re adding a package of our Gluten Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, a package of our Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and a package of our Gluten Free Xanthan Gum.  This would be a great thing to win if you like baking and make for a wonderful gift for someone just getting started.

To enter: Leave a comment here on the blog and tell me what your biggest challenge has been living with food allergies or diet restrictions (if you don’t have a food allergy yourself, tell me about someone you know and a challenge you’ve faced with cooking for or eating with them). We’ll pick a winner from all those who comment by 11:59 pm on 8/1/12.

Congratulations to Donna Barney!!

Mixed Berry Crumble

During the summer, fresh berries are plentiful in the Northeast; if you live near a pick-your-own farm, this is the time to stock up on berries. I freeze what I can’t use in the summer for winter pies. It really doesn’t matter which berries you choose to mix in this crumble—any combination of soft berries (e.g., blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries), or even a single berry, will do. Serve this with your favorite dairy-free ice cream.

The beauty of a crumble is that is can be served in a bowl—no need to worry about a pie crust breaking before it reaches the plate. It’s just easy and suitable for kids of all ages.

{ Makes 8 to 12 servings }

• 5 cups Mixed Berries (see tip)
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• ¼ cup Corn Starch
• ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
• ¾ cup Gluten-Free Quick-Cooking Oats
• 4 Tbsp (½ stick) Earth Balance Natural
• Shortening, cold

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the fruit and lime juice, by hand.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and corn starch. Sprinkle it over the fruit mixture and toss to coat the fruit. Set it aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar and oats. Break up any lumps of brown sugar.
5. Cut the shortening into tablespoon-sized pieces. Use a pastry cutter or pastry fork to cut the shortening into the oat mixture.
6. Spread the fruit mixture evenly in the baking dish.
7. Sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the fruit. Use the flat side of a spoon to lightly pack the topping.
8. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling around the edges.

Tips

• If you are using strawberries, be sure to remove the stems and chop them (in half or thirds) so they are about the same size as the rest of your berries.
• If fresh berries are not available you may use frozen (unsweetened) berries. Thaw and drain them before using.
• This is best warm. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat for 30 seconds in a microwave.

Recipe from Learning to Bake Allergen-Free: A Crash Course for Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts, copyright © Colette Martin, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.

The almost two months that we’ve had this competition running have flown by and the doors close on Spar for the Spurtle this Sunday night (7/22). That means you still have time to think of an idea and film your 3 minute-or-less video this weekend. I’ve been asking folks around the mill what they would enter if they could and many of us truly don’t know. It’s no easy task to come up with one of these ideas, so we’ve made a great little inspiration board on Pinterest to spark your creativity. In the meantime, entries are rolling in and here are some of my favorites from the last couple of days. As another reminder, I have no say in who gets to come to Portland.

Summer Savory Porridge from Anne of Apron Strings- this one has cheddar, chives, tomatoes AND bacon!

Creamy Eggnog Oatmeal from Jonathan (I love his enthusiasm!)

Finally, this video deserves some serious props. I don’t know who entered it, but they really went above and beyond on the video portion (plus, I happen to fancy rum balls).

The Spar for the Spurtle arbiters have graciously extended the deadline for entry into the contest to Sunday, July 22nd. That gives you a full extra weekend to whip up your entry. We’ve been getting some great entries, but it’s still anyone’s game. As a reminder, there are a lot of great prizes floating around for this competition. We’ll select three winners from all of the videos and fly them to Portland where they’ll compete in a live cook-off for our celebrity judges. Not only is that a trip to Portland, but three nights’ accommodations in beautiful downtown Portland (where you can visit iconic places like Powell’s City of Books and enjoy the plethora of food carts), a gift bag from Bob’s Red Mill that will contain a slew of goodies plus some lovely olive oils from our friends at California Olive Ranch, $100 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card and $100 towards cooking supplies. Not to mention that you’ll get a behind-the-scenes tour of Bob’s Red Mill from Bob himself!

On top of all of this, the grand prize winner will be flown to Scotland with a guest for an all-expenses paid trip to Carrbridge to compete at the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Championship. This trip includes round-trip airfare for two, two nights’ accommodations in Edinburgh, three nights’ accommodations in Carrbridge at the lovely Fairwinds Hotel, rail transportation to the Scottish Highlands and $2500 cash.

To inspire you, here are some of our recent entries. There are so many great videos, it was hard to pick just three to feature here.

Cherry Almond Porridge from Rachel Kimbrow, one of the 2011 Spar for the Spurtle finalists.

Tuscan Oats with Basil and Prosciutto from Jamie Brown Miller

Poppy Seed Raisin Oatcakes with Ginger Spiced Pears from Darlene

We’ve had quite a slew of entries in Spar for the Spurtle come in since last week and I wanted to highlight some that are really fun. We’re not playing favorites and just because I pick these to feature does not mean they will win, in fact, I have no say in who will get flown to Portland. I just thought they were unique and the recipes sound delicious. We’ve received more savory dishes this year than sweet and I love that. I think it’s great that folks are thinking outside of the box with Steel Cut Oats.

Before we get to videos, I want to list off the winners from our giveaway. These folks were selected at random and will each receive a set of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats and a spurtle. Thanks for voting and helping the judges see who you think should win. You still have 7 days to enter Spar for the Spurtle and throw your hat in the ring to win a trip to Scotland for two and $2500.

Our winners are: Athena, Mardell, Tanya, Ray and Renata. I’ll get in touch today to get your shipping info. Congratulations and thanks for playing!

I really liked this recipe from Maiah for Espresso Chip Pancakes. It’s creative and sounds delicious.

This recipe from Shawn Christopher of The Gluten Free Spouse uses steel cut oats to make hors d’oeuvres. I had to giggle at his creative solution when his video started running long.

Finally, this one just strikes my fancy with its savory flavors and use of salmon. This is Oat-kayu Porridge with Mirin Glazed Salmon from Bob (not THAT Bob).

Check out the rest of the innovative creations at www.sparforthespurtle.com and help us pick round one winners by voting.

We’ve been getting some great entries over the last two weeks in our Spar for the Spurtle competition. Here are some that we think show a flair for creativity. Don’t forget, you can still enter the competition until 7/20 and throw your hat into the ring to win $2500 cash plus a trip for two to Scotland. If you visit SparfortheSpurtle.com you can see that it doesn’t take much to make a video. You’re not being judged on the quality of the video, but on the recipe, so don’t be shy- break out that smart phone and show us what you’ve got!

We love this fun take on the traditional Scotch Egg.

A finalist in the 2011 Spar for the Spurtle, Jim Schafer shares his take on S’mores.

It’s true, a good healthy breakfast will make your children more productive, although maybe not THIS productive. This video had us giggling at the end!

{Giveaway}

We want to share some spurtle love with you! We’re giving away a gift set containing a package of Steel Cut Oats and a Bob’s Red Mill Spurtle to five lucky winners. How to enter? Head over to www.SpartfortheSpurtle.com and vote for your favorite video. You can vote for as many as you like. Then, come back here and let me know in the comments that you voted. That’s it! I’ll pick five lucky winners at random from all who enter by 11:59 pm on 7/12/12.