Nut Butter Universe Blog Tour

I'm today's stop on the blog tour for Robin Robertson's Nut Butter Universe. When I was offered the chance to review this book, I knew I'd love it before it even made it to my mailbox. Why? Because I LOVE NUT BUTTER! Like more than pretty much anything else, except for ramen noodles and vegan cheese pizza, of course.

Anyway, every single recipe in this book calls for nut butter. But before you go thinkin' that it's expensive to cook these dishes (cause honey, cashew butter and walnut butter ain't cheap), you should know that Robin includes instructions for making your own low-cost nut butters at home. All you need are nuts (any kind), a little oil (optional), and a trusty food processor. Of course, if you're a millionaire and don't have time to make your own, the storebought kind will work in these recipes too.

Before this book came along, I typically enjoyed my nut butter on toast or atop my oatmeal. But Nut Butter Universe opens up a world of possibilities for using nut butter in all kinds of ways. Use almond butter in Sweet Potato and Red Bean Stew, or use Brazil nut butter in Stuffed Squash with Brazil Nuts and Pistachios.

A walnut butter dressing is the perfect topping for Waldorf Salad, and what would Indonesian Gado-Gado be without peanut butter. Put a spin on the traditional PB&J by making the Peach-Almond Butter Quesadilla (almond butter, tortillas, and peach jam).

For dessert, macadamia nut butter is stuffed inside wonton wrappers for Coconut-Macadamia Wonton Cups with Fresh Mango. For something simple and traditional, try the Too-Easy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge. Robin even shares fellow vegan cookbook goddess Bryanna Clark Grogan's recipe for Chocolate Double-Nut Clusters (made with a nut butter of your choice).

So what did I try? Well, the company that offered me the book to review gave me a choice of six or so recipes to choose from that I would be allowed to share the recipes for. Out of those, I couldn't resist trying this Artichoke Walnut-Butter Bisque:

Homemade walnut butter is cooked and blended with blanched baby artichokes (from the freezer section). Then it's topped with chopped marinated artichokes and roasted walnuts. I'd have never thought to combine artichokes and walnuts, but somehow it works very well. This warm and creamy soup really hit the spot on this cold, cold February day.

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Artichoke-Walnut Butter Bisque
Walnut butter adds buttery rich counterpoint to the artichokes in this elegant soup. Frozen artichoke hearts are used because they are superior in flavor to canned, and they don’t have the expense or labor of fresh ones.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
3 cups vegetable broth

Salt

1/3 cup walnut butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped or thinly sliced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives, or garnish

2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts, for garnish

Directions:


In a large pot, heat the oil or water over medium heat. Add the shallots, cover, and cook until softened. Uncover and stir in the artichoke hearts, broth, and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the artichokes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.


Stir in the walnut butter, lemon juice, and cayenne. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot, or transfer the soup to a high-speed blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and puree. Return the soup to the pot. Stir in the almond milk, then taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary, adding more salt if needed. Simmer the soup over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes.


Ladle into 4 bowls, top with the marinated artichokes, then sprinkle with the chives and walnuts, and serve hot.


Serves 4


From Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. ©2013 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.

Lil' Shuga

About a month ago, I received a sample bottle of Lil' Shuga natural sweetener to review, but I'm a little behind on review posts. So I'm just now getting around to reviewing it.

When the folks from Hey Shuga! emailed me, I'd never heard of their organic cane sugar and stevia sweetener. But I knew that with a name like "Lil' Shuga," it had to be awesome. I mean, come on, how adorable is that? If this glass bottle had cheeks, I'd just want to pinch 'em.

Yes, that is a picture of the Dalai Lama on my desk at work. It's actually a shot of His Holiness laughing after he jiggled my lip ring at a media event in Memphis a few years back (You can see the full picture here. I'm on the other side).

Anyway, as I mentioned, Lil' Shuga is made with a blend of organic cane sugar and stevia. That stevia helps cut the calories, so there's only 10 calories in a 1/2 teaspoon. That's about the same as a teaspoon of agave or sugar. But since it's twice as sweet as agave or sugar, you can get by with using 1/2 a teaspoon where you'd typically use one whole teaspoon.

But how does it taste? I first tried a little 1/2 teaspoon in my peppermint tea. I don't like hot tea unless it has some sweetener, and this was perfect. I've never been a huge fan of straight stevia. Even though its natural, it seems to have a chemical taste to me. But Lil' Shuga doesn't have that overpowering stevia taste. In fact, it tastes a lot of honey!

You can use this stuff in baking or for glazes and such. But I've mostly been using my Lil' Shuga in tea and hot cacao. It's a perfect way to cut down on the calories in your morning cup. But I've also found that it makes a fantastic pancake syrup.

Stuff I Ate

With the Keep On Crunkin' campaign over, I've got lots of food pics backed up, so this post will be dedicated to stuff I ate over the past week. Admittedly, I did have some frozen Tofurky vegan pizza and a few freezer meals over the week since I didn't feel pressured to cook by blogging obligations.

But I did get busy in the kitchen a few times. Some time around Valentine's Day, I made this Beer Cheese Soup from Betty Goes Vegan:

Wow! Just wow, wow, wow! When I was a kid, Campbell's condensed cheese soup in a can was my very favorite food. Of course, it didn't have beer in it. But this soup combines that childhood favorite with the tanginess of a nice lager (I used Brooklyn Lager). The cheesy part is melted Daiya. Lots and lots of melted Daiya, like two whole cups worth.

I also sampled my first vegan Butterfinger bar last week! Imagine Vegan Cafe sells Go Max Go candy bars, and they just started carrying this Thumbs Up Bar, the vegan version of a Butterfinger. It reminded me of a chocolate-covered Chick-o-Stick (Mama, if you're reading this, yes, I'll buy you one to try ... my mama LOVES Chick-o-Sticks):

For breakfast last week, I had Savory Oatmeal Porridge from JL Goes Vegan:

I prefer my oats savory instead of sweet, and this bowl really hit the spot. Oats are cooked with pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, amaranth, nooch, veggie broth, and almond milk. She gives instructions for cooking the oats in a rice cooker, but my rice cooker makes me nervous. I don't trust cooking appliances that I can't open during cooking because I fear things will burn. So I cooked this on the stovetop instead. The recipe adapted really well.

On Sunday afternoon, our vegetarian club — Food Awareness — gathered at member Vaughan's house for a film screening of Tom Shadyac's documentary I Am. It's about how we're all connected to the earth and each other. You know, hippie stuff.

Diane brought this amazing vegan Mexican Layer Dip:

It has Daiya cheese, Tofutti cream cheese mixed with vegan sour cream, black olives, refried beans, salsa, and lettuce. I ate a TON of this! But I tried my best to save room for dinner. Vaughan made a healthy pot of Red Lentils with Carrots:

He also made a barley dish, a buckwheat dish, kale, and collards. And member Pat made a yummy butternut squash and rice dish:

I brought dessert, but I'm saving that picture for a future post. It was from Chloe's Vegan Desserts, which I'll be reviewing very soon.

Keep On Crunkin': The Winners

The 7-day Keep On Crunkin' challenge is over! I was overwhelmed by the response on social media. Your tweets, Facebook tags, Pinterest pics, and Instagrams brightened my day every day this past week! I love you all!

And for anyone who cares, we're keeping that Keep On Crunkin' Pinterest group board up forever, so feel free to post any Cookin' Crunk dishes you make there in the future. I'd love to see them!

Tonight's post will be quick. I just wanted to announce the winners from each day's giveaways. Each entry was assigned a number every day, and winners were chosen using random.org's number generator.

Day One:
We had two winners on Day One, since there was an extra credit giveaway. Holly Gruver won a cookbook on Twitter!

And April Novak (a fellow Memphian!) won the Cookin' Crunk apron giveaway on Pinterest. Here's what she posted in response to requests for "crunked" recipes. One of April's favorite Southern recipes is homemade biscuits and "sausage" gravy.

By April Novak

Day Two:
Jess Fenech won the Facebook giveaway for a cookbook. She tagged a friend and asked if she could go Vegan Crunk from Australia. Of course you can!!

Day Three:
Amanda Renee won the Twitter giveaway for a cookbook. She said her favorite vegan food is a toss-up between fried okra and biscuits and gravy. Me too!

Day Four:
Marti Miller Hall, better known as Tofu Mom, won the cookbook giveaway. I asked people to post pictures of my favorite Southern pantry staples on Pinterest and Instagram. Here's what Tofu Mom posted!

By Tofu Mom

Day Five:
Bernadette Session won the giveaway for an apron. I asked people to post pictures of dishes they'd cooked using liquid smoke. She posted this delicious-looking New Year's Day dish — collards and tomatoes seasoned with liquid smoke with hopping jean and spoon bread. Yum!!

By Bernadette Session

Day Six:
EffYeah Apryl won the Twitter apron giveaway. She tweeted that she'd like to use my Memphis-style BBQ sauce in vegan lentil sloppy joes or in vegan meatloaf.

Day Seven:
To Be Announced! Stephanie of Vegan Mainstream and I will be picking a winner this afternoon. I'll update this post when we have one.

I can't thank y'all enough for crunkin' with me! Y'all are the BESTEST!!!!

Keep On Crunkin': Don't Be Afraid To Fry!

This is the seventh in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

There's a big oil-free vegan diet craze going on right now. And that's all fine and good if you're trying to lose weight or make some radical health change because you've spent most of your life eating a Standard American Diet.

But if the above doesn't apply to you, don't be afraid to fry every once in awhile. Deep-fried food may not be the healthiest thing you can eat, but a serving of fried okra or a plate of French fries won't kill you. In fact, it'll probably make you feel pretty happy. You see, fried foods may not be beneficial for the body, but they do wonders for the soul.

Don't eat fried foods daily. Hell, don't even eat them once a week. Twice a month, maybe. Once a month, even better. But treat yourself every once in awhile. I'm no Paula Deen. Most of my recipes are fairly healthy. I use whole wheat pastry flour and unrefined evaporated cane juice. I call for low-sodium soy sauce and canned tomatoes. I offer baked alternatives to the majority of the few fried recipes in the cookbook.

But to keep things fun, I have included a handful of fried recipes in Cookin' Crunk. Today, on the last day of my challenge, I'm sharing pictures of those fried dishes. At the end, I'll include my recipe for deep-fried squash.

Southern Fried Tofu Chicken Biscuit

Country Fried Tempeh Steak with Soymilk Gravy

Fried Cucumbers (try them with my homemade Country Buttermilk Ranch!)

Curried Sweet Potato Fries

Fried Summer Squash

Alright, the recipe is coming right up! And even though summer squash isn't totally in season yet, you can find squash year-round at the grocery store. Or you can hold on to this recipe until the farmer's market stocks squash in the next couple of months.

Today's social media giveaway action: Post a Facebook status about your favorite thing to fry and tag @Vegan Crunk. We'll choose a winner for a cookbook later this evening. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST.
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Fried Squash
Yields 6 to 8 servings

1 cup unsweetened soymilk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons dried parsley
3 cups canola oil
4 medium summer squash, sliced into thin medallions
Sea salt, to taste

Combine the soymilk and apple cider vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the soymilk to curdle.

Combine the flour, onion powder, pepper, salt, and parsley in a medium mixing bowl.

Heat the oil in medium-sized saucepan for about 5 to 7 minutes. Check to ensure the oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny drop of water into the hot oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. If is doesn’t, give the oil a few more minutes to heat.

When the oil is ready, dip one slice of squash into the soymilk mixture and then into flour mixture. Carefully drop the slice into the oil by holding just above the surface. Dropping the squash from too high above the saucepan may cause the hot oil to splatter and burn you.

Bubbles should immediately form around the first squash slice. If they do not, give the oil a few more minutes.

Repeat the coating process with the rest of the squash slices, carefully dropping each one into the oil as you go. Fit in as many coated squash slices as you can. You’ll likely have to cook the squash in 2 or 3 batches.

Fry slices for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the squash from the oil using a metal slotted spoon. Place each batch of fried squash on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Salt to taste.

Keep On Crunkin': Vegan BBQ!

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

Memphis, where I live, is the self-proclaimed BBQ Capital of the World. I know Kansas City will try to make that claim too. And probably some place in Texas will as well. But Memphians aren't having that. Every year, the Memphis In May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest is held just blocks from my downtown office, and BBQ masters travel from across the globe to compete.

Problem is, thousands (maybe millions) of pigs die every year so Memphians can get their 'cue fix. And remember what we talked about yesterday? Yes, pigs are freakin' adorable, folks. Don't eat them. You don't have to!

What makes BBQ so special isn't the meat. The secret is in the sauce. A tangy-sweet Memphis-style sauce can liven up any meal, and dead animals just aren't necessary. Today, I'm going to share my BBQ sauce recipe from Cookin' Crunk and show you a few fun ways to use it! Below are pictures of all the recipes from Cookin' Crunk that utilize my special sauce.

BBQ Black-Eyed Pea Burger 

BBQ Seitan Salad

BBQ Tempeh Pizza

You might recognize this BBQ Tempeh & Carrot Sandwich from the blog header.

BBQ Spaghetti (with tofu!)

Whew. That's a lot of BBQ! There's also a Dry Rub BBQ Seitan Rib recipe in my book, but dry rub preparations don't call for a sauce, so I didn't include that picture here. Now about that sauce recipe I promised you. I'm including at the end, but read on to find out how to win today's Cookin' Crunk apron giveaway.

Today's social media giveaway action: Tweet about what you'd like to do with my sauce (yes, I know that sounds dirty, but you know what I mean). Let me know how you plan to use my homemade Memphis Style BBQ Sauce on Twitter and use the hashtag #keeponcrunkin. We'll randomly select a winner at the end of the day. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST.

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Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce
Yields 1 cup

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir together the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, molasses, soy sauce, Liquid Smoke, onion powder, ground mustard, and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to cool and store in the refrigerator. Barbecue sauce will keep several weeks

Keep On Crunkin': Life Without Bacon Fat

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

Yes, there is life without bacon fat. Of course, all my vegan readers already know that. But I do have some omni readers who enjoy a good vegan meal but also can't seem to let go of that smoky, greasy bacon. Today, I'm gonna share my not-so-dirty little secret for achieving that bacon flavor without harming any cute little pigs (because pigs are truly adorable, people).

How can anyone eat something so CUTE?!

When I gave up meat in 1994, I'll admit that I had the hardest time parting with bacon (and roast beef). When I was really little, I would ask my family to pick the fat off of their bacon (or any other meat) so I could eat it. That was my favorite part. Of course, that was long before I understood what bacon was. Shortly after making the meat-animal connection, I could no longer stomach the fat or the lean.

That being said, I still — even 18 years later —love the flavor of bacon. But it's not the meat I crave. It's the smokiness, the greasiness. Enter my favorite condiment (well, favorite right after sriracha ... let's be honest), Liquid Smoke.

Liquid Smoke imparts that magical smoky flavor into vegan food without the bacon. I've heard some folks question its naturalness, but it's simply made by pushing smoke through a tube from a combustion chamber filled with wood chips. Basically, it's the flavor of wood. Sounds natural enough for me.

You can add Liquid Smoke to BBQ sauce, tofu marinade (to make smoked tofu without a smoker), cashew cheese (for smoked cheese), homemade Worcestershire sauce, to okra and tomatoes, to soups, chilis, on a veggie burger. The possibilities are endless.

To really master both the smokiness and fattiness factor that bacon imparts, add a touch of olive oil to your recipe as well. Not just when you saute, but drizzle some oil over the final product. Just a tad. Let's not get crazy.

To give you an example of what I mean, I'm sharing the recipe for Mess O' Greens with Turnips from Cookin' Crunk. This is based on my Granny's slow-simmered greens and it is to die for! If you don't have turnips on hand, the dish is still tasty using just greens.

Today's social media giveaway action: Make a recipe (this one or your own) with Liquid Smoke, snap a picture, and put it on the Keep On Crunkin' Pinterest board (you'll have to request permission if you haven't already...instructions for that are in the link). OR post it on Instagram and use the hashtag #keeponcrunkin. If you have an old pic of something you've made with Liquid Smoke in the past, that counts too. We'll select a winner later tonight for a Cookin' Crunk apron. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Also, just so you know, the winner of Day Three's Twitter contest was Amanda Renee! Congrats!

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Mess O’ Greens with Turnips
Yields 2 to 4 servings

1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh collard, turnip, or mustard greens, stems removed and torn into small pieces
2 small turnips, peeled and diced
Hot sauce, to taste

Stir together the vegetable broth, sugar, olive oil, Liquid Smoke, salt, and pepper in a large soup pot with a lid.

Add the torn greens and turnips. Bring the pot to medium heat. Cover and simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes or until greens lose their bitter flavor and turnips are very tender.

Season with plenty of hot sauce.

Keep On Crunkin': The Southern Vegan Pantry

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

At its heart, Southern food is really just comfort food. No matter where you grew up, you've no doubt had biscuits and gravy or tofu fried chicken or a heaping bowl of steamy macaroni and vegan cheese. You can make traditional Southern fare with some of the same common pantry staples you would use for, say, Midwestern cooking or New England dishes.

But there are a few items that you can use to make dishes uniquely Southern. Here's my list. As part of the Keep On Crunkin' challenge, I'll be "challenging" my readers to go out and buy something on this list if you don't already stock it in your pantry. Try something new!

1. Liquid Smoke
If I had to name one thing that should be in every Southern pantry, that would be Liquid Smoke. Southern cooks are known for sneaking bacon fat into just about everything, and that's because it adds a smoky flavor. But ain't no need for that! A drop or two of Liquid Smoke is all you need, folks. (Tomorrow, I'll be posting an ode to this lovely condiment, and I'll include my favorite recipe that uses Liquid Smoke).

2. Sorghum Syrup
Often confused with molasses, sorghum is uniquely Southern and it's not molasses. It's made from the sweet sorghum plant, while molasses is a by-product of the sugar cane industry. Both are packed with minerals and they can be switched out for one another in a pinch. But sorghum has a lighter flavor than molasses. It's perfect for drizzlin' over hot buttered biscuits. Hot damn.

Here's my Sweet Sorghum Cake from Cookin' Crunk

3. Cajun Seasoning
Every brand is different, but this seasoning salt is typically made with a mix of garlic and onion powders, celery seed, dry mustard, black pepper, and maybe a touch of cayenne. I prefer Tony Chachere's, and I sprinkle it over everything.

My Red Beans & Quinoa from Cookin' Crunk is loaded with Cajun seasoning!

4. Pecans
Pecans are native to the South, and you'll find little old men in pickup trucks selling big ole bags of pecans when they're in season. And that's not just a rural side-of-the-road phenom. I even see pecan farmers peddling their product at busy Memphis intersections. Eat them plain, add them to pies, toss some in a sweet bread, or chop and use as a coating for baked tofu or seitan.

The Dark Chocolate Tipsy Pecan Pie from Cookin' Crunk is LOADED with pecans! And booze!

There's a full Southern pantry section in my cookbook, Cookin' Crunk. But the above-mentioned items are my top faves.

Today's social media giveaway action: Have one or several of these items in your pantry? Take a picture and add it to the Keep On Crunkin' group board on Pinterest! (If you need access to the board, click here and email Vegan Mainstream). OR, if you don't do Pinterest, you can also get your name in the hat by adding a photo of one of these ingredients to Instagram using the hashtag #keeponcrunkin.

We'll combine the entries from Pinterest and Instagram and randomly select a winner later this evening for either a cookbook from those who pinned their item. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST.

In case you're wondering, day two's cookbook winner (from the Facebook contest) was Jess Feneeh! Congrats Jess!

Keep On Crunkin': My 5 Fave Southern Foods

This is the third in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron! All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

Like folks from anywhere else, Southern folks eat just about everything. We love spaghetti and cheatballs, tofu stir-fries, and masala dosa. But just like with the people who connect with those dishes through their individual cultures and family blood lines, we Southern folks tend to feel some primal sense of comfort when we chow down on collard greens, butter beans, and sweet, syrupy pecan pie (and that's pronounced pah-con, thank you very much ... no pee-cans around these parts).

Now you can't really go into a most soul food joints around here and order vegan food (unless you're at Deja Vu in Memphis or Soul Vegetarian in Atlanta). Traditional soul fare is seasoned with ham hocks and bacon fat. Gross! But that's exactly where Cookin' Crunk comes in — classic country cookin' without the nasty old animal products. Tonight, I'll tell you about five of my favorite vegan soul food dishes, and I'll include a recipe at the end.

1. Soup Beans
"Soup beans" is just fancy Southern speak for beans with a lot of seasoned broth (you know, for soppin' up with your cornbread). Any old bean will work, but my favorite soups are made with creamy, soft Great Northern Beans (which now that I think about it, sounds pretty un-Southern, but whatevs). My White Bean & Collard Green Soup from Cookin' Crunk is seasoned with a broth of tomatoes, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and ground ginger and nutmeg.

2. Fried Squash
You knew something fried just had to make this list, right? Although I try to eat healthy-ish whenever possible, my soul NEEDS fried food sometimes. And nothing beats a thinly sliced piece of yellow summer squash, breaded and fried and lightly salted. If you're feeling frisky, you can make your own Fried Squash from Cookin' Crunk.

3. Cornbread
This one is another "duh," but it simply has to be on the list! One cannot have soup beans (or chili or stew or anything in bowl) without crumbly, sweet cornbread. Now they say (whoever "they" is) that Southern style cornbread is sugar-less, but I grew up eating slightly sweet cornbread. So my recipe for Jalapeno-Corn Cornbread from Cookin' Crunk might a little on the Yankee side, but that's okay.

4. Dumplins
When you're eating those steamed pockets of cabbage and carrot in an Asian restaurant, they're called "dumplings" with a "g." But when you're eating the tender biscuity strips of soft boiled dough mixed with vegan chicken and veggies, those are "dumplins." My mom actually makes the best vegan dumplins in the world, and I used her recipe to create my own version for my cookbook. My Seitan & Dumplins recipe from Cookin' Crunk takes a little more time to prepare than most of my recipes. But damn are these comforting on a cold winter day.

5. Mississippi Mud Cookies
I believe the rest of the world refers to these as "chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no-bakes." But where I live, on the muddy banks of the Mississippi, we named these after the very dirt that sustains our crops. I'm certain, however, that these cookies taste much better than actual Mississippi mud.

I could really go on all day about my favorite Southern foods, but I'll spare you a novel-long post. I do want to know what YOUR favorite Southern foods are though, which brings me to today's social media action for a chance to win a cookbook.

Today's Giveway Action: Tell the world (or at least your friends) about your favorite Southern food on Twitter and use the hashtag #keeponcrunkin. We'll randomly select a winner for a cookbook from those who have tweeted later this evening. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. CST.

If case you're wondering who has won giveaways from day one, that would be Holly Gruver, who won the cookbook Twitter giveaway, and April Novak, who won the Pinterest apron giveaway!! Congrats!!

Now, for that recipe I promised. Try your own hand at Mississippi Mud Cookies.

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Mississippi Mud Cookies
Yields about 30 cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line two large cookie sheets with waxed paper.

Stir together the sugar, soymilk, peanut butter, margarine, and cocoa powder in a large saucepan. Turn on medium heat and bring to a boil.

Once the mixture begins boiling, set a timer for 1 1/2 minutes. Allow to the mixture boil undisturbed (do not stir) until the timer goes off. Turn off heat and stir in oats and vanilla extract.

Scoop tablespoons of cookie batter onto the waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Allow cookies to cool. The cookies will be soft at first, but they should set within a few hours.

Note: When it’s extremely humid outside (as it often is during Southern summers), these cookies may not set up properly. If that happens, never fear. Just eat ‘em with a spoon!

Keep On Crunkin': Vegan Life in the Dirty Mid-South

This is the second in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, another BPC cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

As vegans, the number one question we get asked is "Where do you get your protein?" followed closely by "How can you live without cheese?" But as a Southern vegan, I hear another question even more often — "How hard is it to be vegan in the land of fried chicken and BBQ?"

My answer: "It's not hard at all!" I'm lucky that I live in a city — Memphis — with three totally vegan restaurants (and a fourth vegan restaurant, a drive-through, called Loveshack, opening soon!). Plus, numerous Memphis restaurants have vegan selections or even separate vegan menus (see my dining guide for more on Memphis vegan options).

But Memphis hasn't always been so vegan-friendly. When I gave up dairy and eggs in 2004, there were no vegan restaurants and only a handful of places that had decent options (Taco Bell and Subway were, like, my best friends back then). So I had to learn to cook for myself.

Now, if you've read Cookin' Crunk, you might remember that I grew up in my mama and Granny's kitchens. A love of the culinary arts was instilled in me early on. But cooking vegan food was a whole new animal (Is that a vegan-appropriate phrase? Oh well). I learned some basics for substituting vegan cheese and how to bake without eggs. I learned how to make my Granny's coconut cake. My mama and I figured out how to veganize her famous Thanksgiving dressin' (both the pie and the dressin' recipes are in my book!).

Suddenly, life as a vegan in the Dirty South wasn't so hard after all. And I think that just goes to show that, no matter where you live in the U.S., going vegan can be easy. As long as you have access to beans, tofu, grains, veggies, and fruits, the switch won't be too hard. I know many of you are already vegan, so such encouragement isn't necessary. But for those readers who aren't vegan, well, I'd like to invite you on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge too!

Part of the challenge is cooking along with me. So I'll be sharing some recipes from my book a few times this week. Below is one those recipes that I learned to veganize before Memphis was the vegan-embracing city that it is today. This is a variation on the Yella' Cake recipe in my cookbook. But first, a few actions for the day!

Today's cookbook giveaway action: Encourage someone to take the Vegan Crunk Challenge with you!! Tag them in a Facebook post and be sure and tag @Vegan Crunk (so I can count your entry) as well. Later this evening, we'll randomly select a winner for a cookbook — either Cookin' Crunk, Artisan Vegan Cheese, Vegan for the Holidays, Raw Food Made Easy, or Enlightened Eating — from those people who have tagged me. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Coconut Icebox Cake
Yields one two-layer cake (about 16 servings)
Believe it or not, this coconut-covered yellow cake tastes better and becomes moister after a night of refrigeration. Of course, you don’t have to wait to dig in, but if you can tame your coconut cravings for a few hours, it’s certainly worth the wait.

Cake
Non-stick cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup soy margarine
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
1 cup soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
1 12-ounce container vegan sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and turmeric in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Beat together the sugar and the margarine using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer. Add the yogurt, soymilk, and vanilla and continue to beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two alternating batches, beating each time until just combined. Do not overmix. A few little lumps are okay.

Spread the half the batter into one cake pan and the other half into the other cake pan. Place into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake pans to cool for about 15 minutes. Then carefully turn each pan upside down on top of a wire cooling rack. Gently the pat the bottom of the pan to loosen the cake. If necessary, you may need to run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen the sides from the pan. Once the cakes are removed, allow them to cool completely on the wire racks.

To make the frosting, stir together vegan sour cream, sugar, and coconut in a medium mixing bowl.

When the cakes have cooled, place one cake right-side-up on a serving plate. If the top is rounded, you may need to scrape part of the cake off with a knife to make a flat surface. Spread about 1/4th of the frosting on the top of that cake.

Place the other cake right-side-up on top of the bottom layer. Spread the rest of the frosting on top of the cake and around the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Keep On Crunkin': What "Crunk" Means to Me

This is the first in a series of blog posts for my cookbook's social media campaign, cleverly titled "Keep On Crunkin'." My publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream have joined forces for this seven-day promotion filled with giveaways, contests, etc. I'm inviting you to get crunk with me! Every day, I'll share recipes, giveaways, and tips, and there will be a social media action that you can take on the 7-day Vegan Crunk Challenge for a chance to win a copy of my cookbook, other vegan cookbooks from BPC, or a Cookin' Crunk apron!

All taking the challenge means is that you'll read along and cook along with me. If you don't have my cookbook yet, pick one up! You can even buy one right here on my site using the Paypal button on the right side of the blog.

To kick off the "Keep On Crunkin'" campaign, I thought it'd be helpful to share with y'all just what "crunk" means to me. Or hell, just what "crunk" means at all. Since my book has come out in September, I've heard "What does crunk mean?" about as often as most vegans hear the ubiquitous "Where do you get your protein?" question.

Memphis folks know what crunk means. The Dirty South knows what crunk means. But for everyone else, here's a fun crunk tutorial.

Here's the official Merriam-Webster definition (yes, "crunk" is in the dictionary!):

A style of Southern rap music featuring repetitive chants and rapid dance rhythms

And that scratches the surface. It is, indeed, a style of rap music that originated in Memphis (think Triple 6 Mafia). But crunk is so much more. It's about passion. It's about excitement. It's about getting wild and crazy. When a party gets crunk, well, that's where you want to be.

I love a good ole crunk party, but I also manage to keep it pretty crunk up in my kitchen. I get excited about Southern soul food. I'm passionate about peas (black-eyed ones, of course). I'm wild about watermelon. I get crunk over cornbread and collard greens. I infuse soul and love and fun into everything I cook. It's like a party in my pantry every day.

And like so many good Southern women (and men!), I got my fervor for cookin' from my mama and my granny. I grew up watching them delicately layer casseroles and pull together pies like nobody's business. Over the next seven days, I'll be sharing a few recipes and Southern kitchen tricks, many of which I learned from those ladies. Just for fun (and inspiration), here are a few of my favorite dishes from Cookin' Crunk.

Country Fried Tempeh Steak with Soymilk Gravy

BBQ Black-eyed Pea Burger 

Veggie Lovers Cornbread Pizza

Old Fashioned Coconut Pie

Speaking of crunk, my pal Tami of Vegan Appetite has "crunked" one of her own recipes to help me get the word out about this campaign. Basically, that just means she put a Southern spin on her dish. What'd she make? Tofu Scramble with Tomato Thyme Gravy, y'all!!! And she posted the recipe for her mouth-watering gravy. You can find pics and the recipe on her blog.

Now on to the giveaway. Each day of this 7-day blitz will include an action you can take for a chance to win a Cookin' Crunk cookbook, another BPC vegan cookbook, or a Cookin' Crunk apron. If you already have my book, no worries. We're also giving away copies of Artisan Vegan Cheese, Raw Food Made Easy, Enlightened Eating, and Vegan for the Holidays!

Today's action: Let everyone know that you are taking the Vegan Crunk Challenge! Post "I'm going Vegan Crunk For 7 Days!" on Twitter and use the hashtag #keeponcrunkin. I'll randomly select a winner for a cookbook at the end of the day. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST.

I'll be swapping out the social media networks throughout the week. Some days with Twitter, some with Facebook, and some with Pinterest. That gives everyone who uses most social media a chance to win. But if you use Pinterest and plan to use it for some of the actions later this week (including one today, see below), there is one teensy thing I'll need you to do. Vegan Mainstream set up a group board for Keep On Crunkin'. To join, just click here and follow the directions at the top. It will instruct you to email Vegan Mainstream, and they'll get you approved, pronto. No need to do this if you don't plan to try some of the Pinterest giveaways later this week, but if you want to join in, it'll only take a second.

Extra credit: For a chance to win a Cookin' Crunk apron, you can post any recipe that you've made from Cookin' Crunk in the past or "crunk" your own recipe (just put a Southern spin on it ... there's no right or wrong way to get crunk) and put a picture on the group Pinterest board. We'll have two giveaways today! You can enter both!

And now, in case you need a little crunk musical inspiration, here's one of my favorite aristo-crunk videos from Memphis rappers Lord T & Eloise:



Or for something a little more traditional, here's some classic Triple 6 Mafia:

Crunk Fundraiser Dinner

First things first, I need to announce the winner of the Thrive book giveaway. That would be Audrey of Just Audrey! Congrats.

On Friday night, Gen Q, Memphis' club for college-age LGBT kids, held a fundraiser dinner so they could raise money for an upcoming trip to "Advancing Equality on the Hill" in Nashville. "Advancing Equality on the Hill" is an annual day of LGBT advocacy at the Tennessee state capital. Members of the Tennessee Equality Project meet with politicians and talk about bills that benefit LGBT rights, as well as those that take away rights or are harmful to their goal of equality for all.

To my surprise, Gen Q member Kal informed me last weekend that they would be making all the food for the dinner from my cookbook! The Mom Corps, a group of Gen Q members' moms, cooked several dishes from my book to serve that night at the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.

Of course, I just HAD to attend the dinner! I've never had someone else serve me my own recipes. The moms did a fantastic job! Everything tasted just like I'd made it, and, honestly, I think they made things taste even better than when I make them at home.

Here's what was on the menu. First, we had Bread and Olive Oil (not from the book):

The entrees were a choice of Spaghetti with Raid-the-Garden Marinara Sauce from Cookin' Crunk:

Or Red Beans and Quinoa:

I had both! Every got a platter of Spaghetti Squash with Tofu and Tomatoes as a side dish:

My very meaty friend Andy really liked this. He said he might even make it home sometime.

The moms made three desserts from my book — Coconut Icebox Cake, Mandarin Orange Cobbler, and Peanut Butter and Banana "Elvis" Cupcakes:

I swear the frosting on that cupcake was way better than any frosting I've ever made. So creamy and peanutty.

Anyway, I was honored to have Gen Q serve my recipes at their dinner. They made $200 for their trip!

On a related note, I'm launching a social media campaign — called Keep On Crunkin' — this week for Cookin' Crunk with the help of my publisher, Book Publishing Company, and Vegan Mainstream. Beginning Tuesday, I'll be posting a series of seven blog posts related to my cookbook (and most have recipes!). Each one will have a "social media action" that you can take on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest for a chance to win a copy of my book or another BPC cookbook or a (gasp!) Cookin' Crunk apron (I don't even have one yet, but I can't wait to get my own!).

Valentine's Day Giveaway!!

Wow! I've been gettin' a lot of love on the internetz this Valentine's Day! Annie and Dan Shannon featured me (and my omni bf Paul) in their Vegans On Valentine's round-up, and Amber of Generation Cake interviewed me for her "Wild Women" series (cause I'm TOTALLY wild and cray!).

Now I want to give y'all some love. You see, yesterday I received the BESTEST package in the mail! It was the prize pack that I won from the Thrive Forward website during my January cleanse. Each day of the cleanse, I shared Thrive videos on Twitter for a chance to win. And I won!! I got lots of awesome stuff, but there was one item that I already have! So at the end of this post, I'll be giving it away to one lucky reader.

But first, check out this haul! They sent me four giant tubs of Vega!! I was most excited about this. I became a little addicted to Vega smoothies during the cleanse, but the stuff is a little out of my price range. These containers should last me about 7 months if I did my math right (I drink 3 Vega smoothies each week):

I also received a 24-pack of CoCos Pure coconut water, another addiction I took away from my cleanse:

And that's not all! Check out this sweet Full Circle Kitchen Composter! I've never had a composter, but I've always wanted one. I can't wait to start throwing veggie scraps and coffee grounds and cat hair in this!

And I also received a Full Circle glass lemon water bottle (it has a juicer on top for squeezing your lemon in!!), a Zon resistance band, a Thrive Fitness workout DVD (with workouts led by Brendan!), and a copy of Thrive (the book):

But I already have Thrive (the book). That's how I got inspired to do the January cleanse. So I'll mail that copy to one lucky reader. Just leave me a comment about your favorite way to workout. I'll randomly select a winner on Sunday evening. Please include an email address if there's no other way to contact you included in your comment (like if your commenting profile doesn't link back to a page with an email or a blog).

Happy Valentine's Day! Now, Paul and I are off to the "Must Love Cats" Internet Cat Video Festival at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, followed by a weekend V-Day dinner at Ciao Bella.

Raw Soup and Good Bread

Two reviews tonight, one post.

During my Thrive Forward cleanse in January, I received a copy of Raw Food for Dummies by Cherie Soria and Dan Ladermann to review. And although all the recipes in the book meet Thrive standards, I wanted to be a total nerd on my cleanse and only make Brendan Brazier's recipes. So I didn't get around to trying anything from the book until this week.

I went with this Creamy Red Bell Pepper-Chipotle Soup:

It's a blended soup made with soaked cashews, red bell pepper, chipotle pepper, chopped tomatoes, miso, nutritional yeast, and a lot of spices. The cashews gave the soup a creamy quality similar to that of a soup made with almond milk or soy milk. I added the avocados just for fun. Avocados are SO MUCH FUN!

Anyway, this soup was delicious. And plenty of other recipes look equally yummy. There's a Massaged Kale Salad with raisins and cashew mayo, a homemade Sweet Almond Butter, Zucchini-Pepper Wraps, and Corn Tortillas (made with raw corn in a dehydrator!!!!).

Like most books in the Dummies cookbook series, this one is about one-third info on raw food and two-thirds recipes. The info section is pretty useful. There's an ode to the Vitamix, a guide on growing a "kitchen garden," a section on fasting, and sample menus for 31 days of raw eating.

About those sample menus: They actually account for leftovers! The menus suggest eating the same meal every other day, so you don't waste. I always hate how sample menus in most books don't account for leftovers. Also, the menus include food prep instructions for the next day's meals, so you can be prepared. And the menus are more high raw, so they include some cooked grains and steamed veggies. I can't say enough awesome things about these sample menus!!

But I need to say some awesome stuff about my other review product — Ezekiel 4:9 Flax Bread. Food for Life sent me two loaves to test out, and I couldn't be more thrilled with them. One of the long-term adjustments I'm making post-cleanse is to stick with sprouted grain breads as often as possible. That doesn't mean I won't eat some white bread in a restaurant or even a whole grain baguette at home. But when I'm making sandwiches, burgers, burritos, or toast, it'll be sprouted grain for me.

I've tried the flax bread on Tofurky sandwiches and spread with some awesome vegan cashew cheese that I'll be posting about very soon. But when I had the raw bell pepper soup above, I had a slice of Avocado Toast with Hot Sauce on Sprouted Flax Toast:

The taste is very similar to that of the regular Ezekiel 4:9 bread, but it's loaded with omega-rich flax seed. I'm always looking for new ways to work more flax in!