Sunday, January 3, 2010

Angel Biscuits / Yeast Biscuits

Yeast Biscuits

Everyone has their own preferences for biscuits and apparently, my preference are angel / yeast biscuits.

I had been looking for a good biscuit recipe that wasn't dry and crumbly, but light and fluffy — not just for me, but also for the Mr. since that is what he grew up with. I remember bookmarking a few that used yeast but didn't get around to making them until yesterday because I finally got a pastry cutter.

The biscuits are only slightly more involved than regular biscuits, but they're worth it. The result is like a cross between a biscuit and a roll. All the taste of a biscuit with a more tender texture and no crumbling.

I used this recipe and substituted with soy milk and vinegar to replace the buttermilk. Give it a go!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year (and late Festivus dinner photos)

Seitan "Ham"      Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
           Seitan "Ham" with Onion & Garlic Chutney                                              Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

Balsamic Glazed Portobellos      Homemade Bread
              Balsamic Glazed Portobello Mushrooms                                                               Freshly Baked Bread

Happy New Year! 2009 sucked on so many levels for a lot of people so I am really hoping that 2010 will be better for everyone.

Now on to the food. The Mr. and I had a couple friends over for a Festivus dinner on the 26th. I really didn't manage to get enough photos and the seitan was taken the next day. It's hard to take photos when you've got guests waiting!

Here was the full menu:
  • seitan "ham" with a pineapple chipotle glaze
  • roasted cauliflower & broccoli
  • mashed potatoes (not shown)
  • mushroom gravy (not shown)
  • green bean casserole (not shown)
  • thyme scented onion and roasted garlic chutney
  • balsamic glazed portobello mushrooms
  • freshly baked bread
The seitan "ham" was modified from Bryanna's recipe and the glaze was modified from a Recipezaar recipe (warning, the original recipe is NOT vegan). Aside from those two, everything was my own recipe/concoction. The glaze was amazing with the "ham" and the onion chutney was a perfect accompaniment.

I thought everything turned out well and I hope our friends enjoyed the meal as much as I enjoyed cooking it! I think I'm done with holiday menus until Easter. Next dinner I think I'll do a cuisine that is generally not vegan friendly like Thai or Vietnamese or Korean.

In the meantime, Happy New Year!

P.S. If you're not already vegan, go vegan and stay vegan!