Vegan Challah

 

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This lightly sweet, rich bread is traditionally made with egg yolks and features a beautiful braid and a golden egg-wash crust. This vegan challah is made using aquafaba in the loaf and an aquafaba wash to finish it off.

Author: Zsu Dever

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

Dough

• ¾ cup warm water (not hotter than 110°F)
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
• 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
• 6 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
• 5¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 pinches turmeric
• ½ cup aquafaba (see Note)

Aquafaba Wash

• ¼ cup aquafaba (see Note)
• ½ teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

Instructions

1. Dough: Combine the water, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, and yeast in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to proof. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of the maple syrup and oil.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and turmeric in a separate medium bowl and set aside.
3. Add the aquafaba to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and use a whisk to beat the aquafaba until light and frothy, about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and about 4 cups of the flour mixture. Knead the dough in the stand mixer or using a large wooden spoon. Mix well and add the rest of the flour mixture as needed to create a firm dough; try adding most, or all, of the flour mixture. Knead the dough for 10 minutes to develop the gluten. The dough should be smooth and push back when poked.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Deflate the dough and let it rise again until doubled, about another hour. Divide the dough in two and divide each half into three, four, or six pieces, depending on how you would like to braid the dough. Keep the pieces covered until ready to use.
5. Roll each portion of dough into a 12-inch long, tapered rope. Braid half the ropes into a challah loaf. Set the braided dough on a baking sheet, repeat the process with the other half of the ropes, and cover each loaf with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
6. Aquafaba Wash: Combine the aquafaba and arrowroot or cornstarch in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until thickened. Cool slightly before use. (For a sweeter, slightly sticky wash, combine 3 tablespoons aquafaba with 1 tablespoon maple syrup; no need to heat the maple syrup mixture before use.) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Brush the aquafaba wash all over the bread and bake for 10 minutes. Brush the bread with the wash again, continue to bake for 20 to 25 more minutes, and check the bread for doneness. If the bread is browning too quickly, tent it with foil or continue to bake it upside down. Tap on the bottom of the bread; if it sounds hollow, it is probably ready. Cool before serving.

Notes

Note: Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by ⅓. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

From Aquafaba, copyright © 2016 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission.

3.5.3226

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Classic Vegan Waffles

 

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Author: Zsu Dever

Yield: 10 to 12 (3 x 3-inch) waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated organic sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup nondairy milk
• ½ cup aquafaba (see Note)
• ¼ cup canola or other neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk or sift to distribute the ingredients equally.
2. Combine the milk, aquafaba, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix well. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk gently into a smooth batter. Set the batter aside to hydrate while the waffle iron heats up.
3. Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and add the required amount of batter to the hot iron (usually about 1 cup of batter). Cook until the desired doneness is reached and transfer the waffles to a wire rack. The waffles will become crisp in about 30 seconds. Serve hot.

Notes

Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by ⅓. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.


From Aquafaba, copyright © 2016 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission.

3.5.3226

The post Classic Vegan Waffles appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Chile Relleno Quiche

 

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Author: Zsu Dever

Yield: 1 (9-inch) quiche

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw cashew pieces
• ¾ cup plain unsweetened nondairy yogurt
• 4 medium poblano chiles
• ¾ cup aquafaba (see Note)
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, just melted and at room temperature
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon oat flour (45 grams)
• 5 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (9-inch) vegan pie crust, par-baked for 12 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the cashews and yogurt in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. If using a standard blender, allow the nuts to hydrate for 10 minutes and blend again until smooth. Set aside.
2. Roast the poblanos directly over the flame of your burner or roast them in a cast iron pan. Cook until blackened and charred all over. Transfer the poblanos to a bowl, cover the bowl with a plate, and set aside to steam for 15 minutes. Peel the chiles (do not wash them) and remove the stems and seeds. Chop them into ½-inch cubes and set aside. You should have about 1½ cups.
3. Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk, vigorously whip the aquafaba for 10 seconds. Using the balloon whip attachment, whip the aquafaba on medium power for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip for 11 to 13 minutes, or until it forms stiff peaks. Add the oil to the meringue in a very slow, steady stream, pouring it down the side of the bowl. This should take about 1 minute.
4. Combine the oat flour, nutritional yeast, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix well. Add the nut mixture and mix well with a whisk. Transfer about one-half of the meringue to the oat mixture and fold with a spatula to incorporate. Transfer the rest of the meringue to the tempered batter and fold until the batter is well mixed and the meringue is deflated, adding the chopped poblanos toward the end of the folding process. Pour the batter into the par-baked pie crust and bake for 40 minutes. Increase the heat to 425°F and continue to bake until the top is golden, about 5 minutes. Chill the quiche overnight in the refrigerator to firm up.

Notes

Note: Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by ⅓. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

From Aquafaba, copyright © 2016 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission.

3.5.3226

The post Aquafaba Chile Relleno Vegan Quiche appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Vegan Latkes

 

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Author: Zsu Dever

Yield: 14-16 latkes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• ½ medium onion
• ¼ cup aquafaba (see Note)
• ¼ cup potato starch, optional
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, optional
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• High-heat oil, for frying, such as canola or peanut

Instructions

1. Peel the potatoes and shred them using either a food processor with the shredding blade or a box grater. Place them on a kitchen towel, fold up the edges, twist the towel around the potatoes, and squeeze out all the water that you can. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Shred the onion and add it to the potatoes. Add the aquafaba, starch, parsley (if using), salt, baking powder, and black pepper. Mix very well.
2. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two or three kernels of popping corn and heat the oil until the corn pops; this is an indicator that your oil is hot enough. Remove and discard the popped corn.
3. Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, place 3 to 4 portions of the potato mixture in the hot oil and cook them until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Do not press down on the latkes. Flip the latkes and continue to cook another 2 minutes. Drain them on paper towels and serve as soon as possible. Make sure to give the potatoes a stir before measuring, and do not crowd the skillet or your latkes will not be crispy.

Notes

Note: Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by ⅓. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

From Aquafaba, copyright © 2016 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission.

3.5.3226

The post Zsu Dever’s Vegan Latkes appeared first on Chic Vegan.

While I followed along with my fellow bloggers’ aquafaba hits and misses, I quietly sat the frenzy out, sure that I would make a giant bean-flavored mess if I tried to cook with it. But now Zsu Dever has written an entire cookbook devoted to aquafaba, making it easy to cook with the magical liquid, and I no longer have any excuses.

Zsu starts her book, aptly titled Aquafaba, with an aquabafa primer, explaining exactly what it is and how to use it. Aquafaba can be tricky to work with, but Zsu’s tips will help. The recipes in Aquafaba range from basics such as vegan butter and mayonnaise to eggy classics like crepes and quiches. You’ll find recipes for baked goods that usually rely on eggs to give them a little fluff, such as muffins, sugar cookies, pancakes, and waffles. Items that have been difficult for vegans to make until now are included, such as marshmallows, marshmallow fluff, macarons, and meringues are also included. Aquafaba contains both sweet and savory recipes, so if you have a hankering for vegan meatballs or kebabs, Zsu’s got you covered. She’s even included recipes for chickpeas, so that you’re freezer isn’t overflowing with beans after draining off the liquid.

I decided to start my foray into aquafaba cooking with Meringue Cookies, not because Zsu says it’s a good recipe to start with, but because I have such fond memories of Meringue Cookies from my childhood. My mom was never much of a cook. Everything came from a box, bag, or can, including baked goods, but for some reason, she had a yellow plastic file box full of recipe cards. I think it was from Betty Crocker, and I’m guessing it was a gift. Every month, more cards came, and they were filed in the box. I would spend hours looking through the cards, picking out dishes that I wanted to try in the future. I don’t think any of there recipes were ever made, with the exception of the Meringue Cookies. I had so much fun making them, and I remember how they had a soft crunch on the outside but were light and fluffy on the inside. It’s possible we only made them once, but they left a big impression on me. I don’t think I’ve had a Meringue Cookie since I was very small. Until now. Thanks to the magic of aquafaba, vegan meringue isn’t too difficult to achieve.

I wasn’t sure what would happen when I started making Meringue Cookies. I’ve heard people say that aquafaba can be fickle, and that they had difficulties making meringue – it never formed peaks, it melted, etc. I added the aquafaba and cream of tartar, which acts as a stabilizer, to the bowl of my stand mixer and followed Zsu’s directions. I was amazed to see that it started forming peaks exactly when she said it would. Within minutes, bean liquid had turned to a white pillowy fluff. I had visions of perfectly piping Meringue Cookies into pretty shapes, but I had difficulty with the piping bag, simply because the meringue was so fluffy. So I spooned blobs of it onto the baking sheet instead.

My first attempt at Meringue Cookies didn’t turn out to well. They were flat, brown, and hollow. My oven tends to bake just about everything faster than the recipe says it will, despite the thermometer I placed inside that says it’s always the correct temperature. I decided to give it another try, whipping the aquafaba longer and baking for a shorter period of time. The resulting cookies were a little more beige in color than I was expecting, but they were light, pillowy, and delicious. Success! Since they say that the third time is a charm, I decided to try again. This time I was able to get it the merge into a pipping bag, and the cookies baked up into little cloud-like puffs of perfection. These are the cookies I remember from my childhood.

My second foray into cooking with aqufaba wasn’t as tricky as the first. After baking Vegan Meringues, I made Lemon Poppy Seed muffins, which were light and fluffy, and oh-so-tasty. I made mini muffins thinking they’d last longer than their full-sized counterpart, but that only works if you don’t eat three at a time!

Since I was starting to get the hang of this aqufaba thing, I decided to make the Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Quiche. This was slightly tricky, because the aquafaba needs to be whipped into stiff peaks, and then folded in to the quiche mixture until it deflates. By this point I felt like an aquafaba pro, and I didn’t have any problems with it. It baked up light,  fluffy and delicious.

Because I’m a sucker for homemade cheese recipes, I also made the Country-Style Aged Sharp Cheese. This recipe is a breeze to make, but it takes some time to “age” in a dehydrator. Rather than making Zsu’s aquafaba yogurt, I used store-bought, which I think slowed the aging process even further. Once it was finally firm and ready to eat, it was indeed sharp and cheesy – and pretty tasty, too!

If you want to enjoy some of the eggy dishes from your pre-vegan days or if you just want to experiment with a new ingredient, Aquafaba is the book for you!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

The lemon is subtle if you use only the zest, so if you love it with more of a lemon punch, add the optional extract.

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup aquafaba (see Note)
• 1/3 cup canola or other neutral oil
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated organic sugar
• 1 cup nondairy milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract, optional
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from approximately 2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons coarse or raw sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-well regular-size muffin tin with paper cups or spray the wells with oil. Set the tin aside.
2. Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.
3. Place a separate medium bowl on a folded kitchen towel. Add the aquafaba and, using a large whisk, whisk it until it is frothy, about 1 minute. Add the oil slowly while whisking to emulsify. Add the sugar in the same way. Add the milk, vanilla, lemon extract (if using), and zest and whisk well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and, using a wooden spoon, mix the batter until almost no more flour is visible. Lumps are fine; do not overmix.
5. Fill the wells about three-quarters full with the batter and sprinkle the coarse sugar on top. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the muffin in the middle well comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool the muffins on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing them from the tin. Cool the muffins completely before storing in airtight containers, where they will keep for a few days.

Note: Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

Recipe from Aquafaba, copyright © 2016 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission.

Review reprinted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen.

We have a copy of Aquafaba for one lucky winner. Follow the instructions below to enter. U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends at midnight on October 31st. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins from Aquafaba by Zsu Dever appeared first on Chic Vegan.

Guys, I’m obsessed with Kittee’s New Orleans Style Beans. They’re seriously my favorite way to eat pinto beans right now, and I have been making these vegan cornbread muffins to go with it. They’re quick to make, simple, and make a nice, easy meal with your favorite beans or chili to go with.

More aquafaba goodness: All About Aquafaba, Sesame Tofu, Vegan Squash Patties

I’ve always preferred cornbread with stuff in it, but if you like yours straight up, you can definitely leave the chives and corn pieces out of this recipe. I’ve made these vegan cornbread muffins with and without the stuff, and they’re good both ways.

The other thing that I love about this recipe is that Darrol loves to make it with me! He’s finally starting to enjoy cooking with me, and these vegan cornbread muffins are a good one for a helpful toddler. He helps me scoop and pour ingredients and we hold the mixer together.

And, of course, his favorite part is licking the beaters and the bowl. The first time we made these, I knew they’d be a family favorite when he ate all of the batter from the beaters, then asked if he could have the bowl, too.

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