Cabbage with Tomatoes and (Vegan) Sour Cream

My sweetie and I just celebrated our 3rd anniversary.  We went to Maharaja indian restaurant on the east side of Madison.  It's one of our favorites and I'd recommend it to anyone, especially fellow vegetarians because they have so many dishes to choose from.  Would you believe Brent and I can still settle on the same one?  Not only are we both vegetarians (also the reason we were set up) but we can pick the same dish out of a list of 15.  This time we skipped the argument over who gets to order what and just ordered two dishes to split.  Yum!!
We also did a good job this year picking presents.  I got him a Manchester United t-shirt that he seems pleased with and he got me a new kitchen bible: Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."
I love cookbooks and I love even more that this one is geared towards our particular diet.  It's going to get the primo counter real estate once occupied by my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  I can't get rid of that one because it is a staple, but since it's from an ex, it may go into the cupboard.
The first thing I tried from the new cookbook was Cabbage with Tomatoes and Sour Cream.  Don't know why, but I've been on a cabbage kick lately.  Probably because it's winter in Wisconsin and I can't get my hands on much else.

Cabbage with Tomatoes and (Vegan) Sour Cream
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 cups shredded cabbage, preferably Savoy (about 1 small head)
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes (or canned tomatoes; I used whole peeled and mashed them)
1 tbsp cumin seeds or caraway
1/2 cup sour cream or vegan sour cream (I used a bit less)

Directions:
1. Put the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When it melts, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and raise the heat a bit. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the cabbage cooks without browning, until it softens, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add the tomatoes, with the seeds if you're using them, and cook over lively heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes saucy but thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Lower the heat to a minimum, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the sour cream and cook for another couple minutes, stirring; serve hot.

Notes:
- I served this over mashed purple potatoes because it's what we had in the cupboard.  It would also be good over pasta.
-I added about 1/2 tsp yellow mustard because I think it brings out the tomato flavor.

Quick Ganache Truffles

Sorry for a slow down on the posting front.  My life has been taken over by two adorable but neurotic poodles that I am dogsitting.  Between them and scholarship applications, I haven't hardly been in the kitchen.  This is probably while I'm a little neurotic myself right now.
Luckily, there is a cure.  Chocolate!  And, given that this has been a week where most of the food in the fridge almost or completely went bad before we had time to make anything, I'm glad that this recipe used up leftovers.

Ingredients for ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet baker’s chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon Irish Whiskey

Directions for ganache truffles:
1. Refrigerate ganache until it has hardened.
2. Spoon ganache into your hands, rolling quickly to form a ball.
3. Roll the ball of ganache in cocoa powder, nuts, sugar, or coconut as desired.
4. Place balls back into the fridge to set.

Notes:
- This is a great use for left over ganache.  These truffles are very soft, even when chilled.  You can also coat them in melted chocolate to make them have a shell.

Savory Rosemary Cheese Spritz Crackers

In my quest to find savory recipes to make, I found this one.  I love it because it takes you through the motions of baking but won't leave you with an aching sweet tooth!

Clovers in honor of St. Patty's Day!

Savory Rosemary Cheese Spritz Crackers

Source: Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 large egg yolk

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoons fine salt

Pinch freshly ground nutmeg 

Special Equipment: Cookie press

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.

2. Beat the butter and lemon zest with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly beat in the egg yolk and cream. OR: mix by hand like I do.

3. Whisk the flour, pecorino, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, sugar, rosemary, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. 4. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture while mixing slowly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed to make a slightly sticky dough.

5. Fill the cookie press with the dough. Assemble the press with the desired disk shape (see cook's note), and press cookies onto ungreased baking sheets. Leave about one inch between cookies. 

6. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and refrigerate cookies for 20 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

8. Bake cookies, rotating pan halfway through, until golden, the cheese browns a bit, and the cookies smell nutty, about 20 to 25 minutes. Briefly cool the crackers on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool. Serve or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 month.

Cook's Notes (from Foodnetwork.com): These freeze beautifully. Press the cookies out into desired shapes on cookie sheets and freeze. Transfer frozen crackers to a plastic bag, seal, and keep frozen for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, lay out frozen crackers on cookie trays and bake from frozen for 25 minutes.

Some disk shapes work better than others. Since this is savory cracker, we liked the cutters that result in a cracker shape cookie, like the ribbon, clover. Stars and and snowflakes work, too. 

My notes: 

- My crackers foamed with butter in the oven.  If this happens to you, make sure to be careful when turning the tray and removing them from the oven because they will slide around.  I put them on a cooling rack topped off with a paper grocery bag and paper towels to absorb some grease.

- I made these with the intention of sharing them on St. Patty's Day, but they were so good we ate all of them.  That's a lot of butter!

- I used only Pecorino cheese for simplicity's sake and they were delicious!

Here you can see my system for grease removal. 

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Happy St. Patty's Day!
I made these cupcakes for a coworker and they were amazing.  However, they aren't vegan.  Technically, they aren't even vegetarian since apparently Guinness is processed with enzymes from fish or something along those lines.  Luckily, these are loaded with alcohol so as a vegetarian you can be excused for your poor judgment, right?
Enjoy!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Source: Smitten Kitchen via With Sprinkles on Top
Yield: 22-24 cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 tea. salt in large bowl to blend.
4. In another bowl, beat eggs and sour cream together with an electric mixer or by hand.
5. Add the stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.
6. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed or by hand. Using a rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
7. Fill the lined cupcake pans 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake 17 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.

Ingredients for ganache filling: (I recommend doubling)
4 oz. bittersweet baker’s chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon Irish Whiskey

Directions for filling:
1. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute and then stir until smooth. This should sufficiently melt the chocolate- if not, put over a double boiler.
3. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
4. Let the ganache cool and thicken. Stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, using a knife, cut out 1-inch circles in the cupcakes. Remove the centers of the cake, going about 2/3 of the way down into the cupcake.
6. Put the ganache in a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Nobody has to know if they aren't perfect, unless you blog about it!

Ingredients for frosting: (I doubled but you can get away without)
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey’s

Directions for frosting: - This is the hardest part to do by hand but it can be done!
1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer or by hand.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar.
3. Add the desired amount of Bailey’s (or milk, if you don’t like Baileys) to the frosting to make it a little creamier.
4. Ice the cupcakes and decorate.  I used a piping bag because it is fun!

Notes:
- I made these over the course of a few days since there are so many steps!
- Baileys is going in all of my frosting from here on out- wow!
- If you don't have a mixer, be prepared for a workout!  It will help to have the butter at room temperature, not just slightly softened.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Because you can always eat more chocolate and peanut butter: Vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies

On Saturday, I posted some vegan chocolate peanut butter pancakes that I made.  Later that day, I was still craving chocolate and peanut butter, as well as the shelf space being taken up by our 3 jars of peanut butter (long story).  This is why I made the pancakes in the first place.  We have no shelf space, so the chocolate chips had been hanging out in plain sight all week and I couldn't take it anymore.  I had to eat them.
I used the ruse of making dinner (eggless tofu salad and endives with oranges) to cover the cookie making, which my sweetie may have objected to given the copious amounts of sweets we always have at home.
These cookies are vegan, which makes them easy to make with ingredients you have on hand!

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: "The Joy of Vegan Baking" Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (a book that I would very much like to own!)
Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg replacement (I used 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 Tbsp hot water.  Mix and set aside 10 minutes)
 1 1/4 cups sugar (brown is best)
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky!)
1/2 Earth Balance vegan butter or equivalent
3 Tbsp nondairy milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips or peanuts (or both! I used chunky pb so I just added chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
3. Prepare your egg replacement if necessary.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
5. In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter, sugar, peanut butter, nondairy milk and vanilla by hand or with a mixer.  (Guess which I did since my mixer exploded...twice.)
6. Add the egg replacement and combine.
7. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until just combined.  If adding any extras, add them now.
8. Spoon 1 1/2 inch drops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Using a wet fork, press the tines twice into the cookies to slightly flatten them.
9. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until edges are set and cookies are slightly brown.

Notes:
-These cookies aren't chewy, but are still delicious days later.

Vegan Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I have very fond memories of waking up on the weekends to pancakes made by my dad.  When we were little he'd even make us Mickey Mouse pancakes.  I realized recently that I've never really perfected my own pancakes, so I've been trying out different recipes on the weekends.  It's a good way to get my sweetie to wake up by 1 pm or to grab a bit of his attention before I lose him to Manchester United or FC Barcelona for the rest of the afternoon.  Basically, I just use whatever we have in the cupboards and fridge, be it nuts, fruit, or in this case peanut butter and chocolate.

Absolutely love the way the chocolate is oozing out of the top pancake. Mmm!

Vegan Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Source: Me!
Yields about twelve 3 inch pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp agave syrup (could use maple)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Trader Joe's all-natural no salt chunky peanut butter)
1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Mix flour, flax, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together agave, peanut butter, and milk.
3. Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add chocolate chips.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto a large non-stick pan or griddle on medium heat.  Use the back of the measuring cup to spread batter out if it is too thick.  These pancakes won't get as many bubbles on top as you usually see, so you'll have to check them to see if they are ready to flip by lifting an edge and judging the color.

Colcannon (In honor of St. Patrick's Day)

When I was eight years old, I became Irish when my dad and step-mom married.  Her family is part Irish and celebrates like they are ALL Irish.  Okay, okay, I know that didn't really make me Irish, but if there is one thing I've learned about being Irish, it's that a little bit can go a L-O-N-G way.
As a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with St. Patrick's Day.  On the one hand, I loved any excuse to celebrate and wear something weird to school.  On the other, I hated corned beef and cabbage.  While my views on cabbage have changed (thanks to all my German Minnesotan friends), my views on corned beef have not.

Here is a variation of an Irish dish we can all love:

Colcannon with Breaded Tofu
by Me

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh kale, washed and torn up with tough stems removed
2 large russet potatoes, cleaned, mostly peeled, and cubed
10 oz shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (or less if you aren't brave), chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
1 tbsp vegan cream cheese
1 tbsp vegan butter spread
1/2 of 7 oz pkg of firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp bread crumbs
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Steam potato cubes until they are fully cooked.  I use a steam basket inside a covered pot.  Test them by trying to mash with a fork- if it works, they are done.  Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle agave syrup over tofu in a bowl and toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle flour, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs over the tofu and toss to coat.

4. In a large pan over medium heat, saute mushrooms in olive oil.  After a couple of minutes, add tofu.  If necessary, remove mushrooms from pan and set aside or simply push them to one side of the pan.  Flip tofu until it is golden brown on all sides.
5. Meanwhile, steam kale about 5 minutes or until it is slightly wilted and bright green. Then, add kale to tofu and mushrooms, add garlic and toss to combine.  Saute for a few minutes until tofu and mushrooms are cooked and everything is hot. 
6. Put the potatoes into a pot.  Mash them with a wooden spoon, fork, or potato masher.  Add milk, vegan cream cheese and butter, and mash and mix until combined.
6. Serve tofu and vegetable mixture over the mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

 Notes:
-You can make this whole recipe with 2 dishes if you are savvy.  I steamed the potatoes, changed the water, steamed the kale, removed the water, added the potatoes back in for mashing, and used a frying pan for everything else!
-Use your preferred type of kale or cabbage, and change up the mushrooms and potatoes for what's available.  I am going to try it with purple potatoes once farmer's market starts up again.
-I roughly peeled my potatoes so that they would still have some skin.  Russets have gritty, thick skin that isn't super edible (if you use other potatoes you can always leave all the skin on) but the skin contains so many nutrients I had to leave some on.

Dirty mashed potatoes

Here is everybody in the pan before tossing.

Vegan Thin Mints

This past weekend I made vegan thin mints.  Every year, Brent and I buy 2 boxes of girl scout cookies from coworkers and it's always the same: one box of thin mints (which go directly into the freezer) and one box of caramel delights.  

Since it's not girl scout season and we love mint and chocolate, I made these vegan versions.  I stumbled upon the recipe on Chef Chloe's site found here.

I also used this recipe as an excuse to go to the Vanilla Bean finally- a baker's best friend store in Madison, Wisconsin.  I actually restrained my impulses and only bought the cookie cutters I was hunting for.  The recipe was actually for sliced cookies, but I couldn't resist putting my rolling pin to use and giving my thin mints delicate scalloped edges. 

The process was tricky but the results were tasty.  See my notes that follow.

Vegan Thin Mint Cookies
Adapted from Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies by Chef Chloe


Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup vegan margarine
3 tablespoons nondairy milk (I use almond, rice, or soy)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1/4 teaspoon chocolate extract

For coating:

4 cups dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoon vegan margarine
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions for cookies:

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until combined. 

2. Add margarine, milk, vanilla, and mint extract. Pulse a few times until mixture comes together. 

3.Transfer mixture to a large bowl and knead with your hands in the bowl for one minute.  Divide the dough into 3 balls and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. 

5. Remove dough 1 ball at a time from the refrigerator.  Roll the dough on a floured work surface to desired thickness, I'd suggest a little less than 1/4 inch thick, turning dough and using flour to keep it from sticking.  Use your cookie cutter of choice to cut out cookies.  

6. Place cookies on prepared trays, about 1 inch apart and bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely.

Directions for coating:

1. Melt 3/4 of chocolate chips and margarine over a double boiler.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 chips, stirring until melted.

2. Stir in the mint extract and mix until smooth. 

3. Dip completely cooled cookies into the chocolate and remove with a fork, gently scrapping off excess chocolate using the side of the bowl. Or, spread a thin layer of the chocolate on top of the cookies. Place cookies on a parchment-lined plate or tray and refrigerate until chocolate coating sets. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes:

- I am accustomed to rolling out Christmas cookies super thin, so I made my cookies a bit to thin for my own taste.  

- Don't be afraid to use a lot of flour when rolling the dough out as it is very sticky.

- Next time I would add more mint flavor as it was a bit subtle for me.

-The vegan margarine I used (Smart Balance Light) must have too much water in it because it caused the chocolate coating to seize up when I mixed it in.  Luckily, I had more chocolate chips to mix in and this fixed the problem... sort of.  It was still a little thick.

-Coating the cookies is messy and mine didn't turn out as pretty as I envisioned them, but they were delicious despite all of that.

A New Friend

My kitchen is easily the most well stocked room in the house.  As any cooking and baking enthusiast can attest, I will always have a wish list of kitchen gear- there will always be more things I could use!  But, I'm also a believer in minimalism, especially when I move almost every year and see no end to this in the foreseeable future thanks to graduate school.  So, I say "no" to a lot of kitchen items I want, because as much as I might want to cook or bake with it, I don't want to haul it across the country with me in September.  I do make exceptions; here is one of those:

I have been using my cell phone as a kitchen timer, which only results in my phone routinely being covered in flour and mess.  Not a good idea.
Then I saw him at Bed Bath and Beyond and it was love at first sight.  He's no good for timely things exactly or for anything under 5 minutes, but he's going to be a staple in my kitchen wherever I go.  He joins my pig salt and pepper shakers from NYC, my pig candy dish from my dorm mate my freshman year at college, and my giant pig clock handmade by my engineer brother.  Someday Brent and I may need his and hers kitchens, as mine is being overrun by pink friendly livestock.

Vegetarian Pot Pie Recipe w/ Vegan Option

This was originally posted on my Facebook.  I made a vegetarian version of this twice because 1) I impulse bought all butter puff pastry at Trader Joe's and 2) My Grandma Miller gave me an extra pie crust at Thanksgiving.

The funny thing is that I hated pot pie growing up.  I remember being very young and my dad feeding us frozen individual chicken pot pies.  I'd eat a few of the veggies out, then eat the crust and the flour-y sauce out from around the rest.  I definitely didn't eat the chicken chunks. (I did eat chicken at the time, but this chicken was dark meat and gross). I probably got in trouble for being so picky, but they were just awful.  I also believed that pies should always be sweet.  Needless to say, I've come a long way!

It could be made vegan very easily, as the contents of my pie were all vegan.  I haven't made a vegan crust for it yet and thus can't share a recipe, but the beauty of a pot pie is that you can just about make it any way you want to.  Try topping it with your favorite vegan scone, biscuit, or pastry recipe.  View my favorite vegan scone recipe here. Or, check out the natural foods freezer section at your local co-op or natural foods market.  I usually don't like taking short cuts because I enjoy the process, but this recipe is enough process without making your own crust!

This was the pie dough version. 

Vegetarian Pot Pie
Adapted from Aida Mollenkamp's Recipe on Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegan butter
2 leeks- rinsed clean and coarsely chopped
½ medium yellow onion- finely chopped
2 medium carrots- finely chopped
5 cups of mushrooms (I use crimini and shitake)
2 cups of potatoes- steamed until almost tender, chopped (I used tiny baby potatoes from Trader Joe’s that don’t need to be sliced or chopped, but do need to be pre-cooked or steamed)
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup non dairy milk
¾ cup vegetable or mushroom stock
¼ cup white wine (or just use more stock)
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup chopped chives
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp vinegar (I use balsamic)
1 large egg yolk for egg wash OR non-dairy milk for wash
1 sheet of puff pastry or pie crust OR vegan replacement recipe or ready made dough

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
 2. Melt the 3 tbsp of vegan butter in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or other 3-4 quart pot.
When it foams, add leeks, onions and carrots.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring rarely, until the mushrooms have shrunken a bit, about 6 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook 2 minutes.  Carefully add the broth, wine, and non dairy milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
 4. Remove from heat and stir in peas, herbs, and vinegar.  Season to taste.  Spoon filling into a deep pie plate or other deep 8x8 or 9x9 dish.
5. Whisk the egg yolk together with 2 tsp of water and a pinch of salt.  Or, mix a few tablespoons of non dairy milk with a pinch of salt.
 6. Cut the thawed pie or pastry dough to fit over the baking dish.  Place the dough over the filling and tuck in the edges.  Brush the dough with the egg wash and cut slits into the top of the dough to vent.  You can place the dish on a baking pan if it makes it easier to transfer to the oven.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or longer, until the crust is golden brown.  Let the pie sit a few minutes before serving.

Notes:

-This recipe is very forgiving.  Use whatever vegetables you have on hand and/or like.  Some suggestions include using some fennel in place of some of the leeks, or edamame instead of the peas to add more protein.  -Trader Joe's sells all butter puff pastry during the fall and winter for $4.99.
-This recipe feeds 2-3 people, which is perfect for Brent and I.  It could also be made in individual portions if you use 2 smaller oven safe dishes or bowls.
- I apologize for lack of a good picture- I made this before I'd even thought to start blogging my food and actually just took the picture above for my own future reference.  That's weird but hey, I needed a hobby and use for my new computer and camera.

Vegan Spinach Dip

Pretty much everything in Trader Joe's qualifies as "a guilty pleasure" for me.  "Why guilty?" You ask.  "Isn't almost everything there all natural and inexpensive?" You say. 
Well folks, everything there is a guilty pleasure for me because I buy too much and eat too much from that store!!  I can fill a cart at Trader Joe's and go there weekly, but rarely leave with items I need... just snacks, treats, and lots of wine.
One of our favorite dips to totally binge on from Trader Joe's is their Spinach Dip. 

Today I made vegan version that is surprisingly delicious (I'm still surprised when something vegan is tasty; give me time!).

The carrots and tomatoes add just enough color and crunch.

  

Vegan Spinach Dip
Source: Me!

Ingredients:
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt (or you could try vegan sour cream)
2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (room temp. for easy mixing)
4 scallions, chopped
3-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
2 baby carrots, finely chopped
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped

Directions:
1. Use a fork to "fluff" and separate spinach in a medium size bowl.
2. Mix spinach with all of the rest of the ingredients.
3. Cover and chill to let flavors blend 1 hour.

"Cheesy" Vegan Sundried Tomato Spread

Almost every vegan will tell you that the hardest thing to replicate is cheese.  Almost everyone in Wisconsin will tell you that they'd rather die than give up cheese- including me.  Hence my struggles!

The truth is, nothing can match cheese in all of its gloriousness.  First of all, in Wisconsin we are blessed to have access to thousands of available artisanal cheeses from here and all over the world and almost all of them are fantastic.  Second, nothing will taste like cheese, look like cheese, AND melt like cheese, but some things can do one or two of these things.  

Here is one of those things:

"Cheesy" Vegan Sundried Tomato Spread

Source: Your Vegan Mom

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cashew pieces (I could only find raw cashews at The Willy St. Co-op)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
scant 3/4 cup plain soy yogurt (or 1 6-oz. container) (I found at The Willy St. Co-op)
1 clove garlic
about 6 small sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:
1. In the bowl of your food processor, grind the cashews finely.  
2. Add the other ingredients, reserving a couple pieces of the tomato, and process until smooth.  
3. Add the rest of the tomato and process again to leave some identifying chewy red bits.   

4. You can serve right away, or chill first.  This spread will thicken up in the fridge. 

Yum!