Pan de muerto

I adapted this recipe  for bakers in the US and it worked out really well for me.

Makes 24 mini or 3 large breads.

Ingredients

Wet:

3/4 C + 1 tb cinnamon tea plus plant milk (to make the tea, boil water with whole cinnamon sticks-use canela mexicana or ceylon cinnamon, not cassia-add star anise, blessing seeds, and whole allspice to taste)

1/2 C aquafaba

4 tb orange blossom water

2/3 C margarine and/or shortening

Dry:

1 packet of yeast

2 pinches of salt

1/2 C + 1 tb sugar (turbinado, Zulka, or grated pilonsillo)

4 3/4 C AP or bread flour

Ground ceylon or mexican cinnamon to taste

Extra shortening to coat pans and tops; cinnamon sugar for dusting

Instructions:

Bloom yeast in warm tea/milk mixture.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Using a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or hand mixer, cream butter and sugar, then add aquafaba.

Combine well, then add yeast mixture and orange blossom water.

Switch to a dough hook or spoon, then add dry mix 1 C at a time.  

When the dough ball comes together, machine or hand knead until you get windowpane.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and proof until doubled.

Punch down the dough, then form shapes as desired or use molds.  

Cover and proof for 1 hour.

Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes, depending on their size.  They should be crisp on the bottom and golden on top.  

Leave them in the pans on the stovetop to cool for 30 minutes.

Un-mold, bathe in butter, and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  

Notes:

You can use whichever flavors you prefer. I don't like cloves, so I use allspice.  Some people use ground spices instead of making the tea, but I like the cinnamon to be more subtle than the orange blossom water.  You could also use orange juice and zest of you don't like orange blossom water.  Sometimes sesame seeds or blessing seeds are used to top the finished bread.  

I used molds with details for half my dough.  They baked at the same time as the large shape and I lost the detail by covering them in cinnamon/sugar.

Make an extra test piece to check on doneness at 20 minutes. My breads passed the toothpick test at 20 minutes, but weren't done until 58 minutes total in the oven.  

I Bought a Zoodle Maker

I made this lovely dish with it:

1 large zucchini per person

1/4 C uncooked rice per person (basmati or jasmine pair well)

1 tb peanut butter per person

Soy sauce to taste

Sriracha to taste
(You can add ginger, lemongrass, Thai basil, or whatever flavors you like most)

Cilantro for garnish

Steam the rice according to the package's instructions. Zoodle the zucchini and set aside. Add PB, soy sauce, and sriracha (and any extras) to a sauté pan and blend together. When the mixture comes to a simmer, add the zoodles and stir to soften them. When it looks done, it is. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro leaves. 

I'm guessing the Zoodler would take well to carrots, mole, curry, or even sweet and sour sauce. If you're on the IC Diet, omit the sriracha and soy, try my Asian sauce from this blog post, and sub cilantro with greens you can tolerate.

Rice Cereal Marshmallow Treats

This is how I make them:

2 bags of Dandies Marshmallows
1 box of puffed rice cereal
1 stick of Earth Balance
1-2 tb of Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste
Cooking spray

Spray your container/Disney with cooking spray. Melt the Earth Balance buttery stick in a soup pot over a medium flame.  When just melted, add the vanilla and stir.  Now the marshmallows!!! And stir, stir, stir!!  When they are as melted as possible, without being burned, add the cereal, turn off the flame, and fold the heck out of it to make sure all the rice is covered in mallow goodness. Scoop into your container(s) and pat until even.  Chill, cut, and serve.

Cocoa PB Puff Cereal Treats

Ooey-gooey deliciousness!!

3/4-1 stick of Earth Balance

1 box of Whole Foods cocoa peanut butter puffs cereal

2 bags of Dandies marshmallows (the minis melt faster)

1/4 C Sunspire chocolate chips

2-4 heaping tb of PB & Co Smooth Operator (or chunky would work well too)

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and pour cereal out into a gigantic bowl, sprinkling chocolate chips on top. Melt margarine in a sauce pot, then add mallows, stirring constantly. When the mallow margarine mix is melted, pour over the cereal/chocolate chip mix. Quickly melt the PB in the same pot, stirring constantly, then pour over the mallow mix.  Fold everything together until the fragrance of PB and chocolate make you nutty. Put the mix into the casserole dish and pat it down. Chill until set, turn out onto a cutting board, and slice into bars. You can put it back into your casserole dish, arrange the bars on a platter, or wrap each bar in parchment.  Warning:  your hands will get chocolatey and your mouth will be happy.

Fideo

This is how I make it:

1 section of fideo nido (wrapped around itself, as opposed to fideo corto, which is cut)

1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 2 C of water (or 2 C vegetable broth)

1 small can of tomato sauce

Chik'n style seitan

Water

Canola or corn oil

Salt and pepper

(You can add a little garlic if you like-I don't usually, but sometimes I add a can of diced tomatoes)

First, you must fry the fideo. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of your soup pot (a tb or two) and keep the fideo moving. It burns quickly.  When the pasta is golden and toasted, add the tomato sauce and cover.  That sauce will spit at you like an angry cobra. Make sure to shake the pot by the handle (like when you make popcorn) to keep the sauce from burning. When it turns orange-y and smells yummy, add the broth, pepper, seitan, and garlic if you choose to add it. Add water up to an inch from the top of your pot and bring to a boil. Give it a good stir, then reduce to a simmer. When the fideo is tender, it's ready to season and serve. I like eating fideo with golden, dark yellow corn tortillas. 

I've had it with limes and/or mayonnaise added as condiments (no clue about the Reason why people use mayo, but it does taste good). This doesn't keep well because the noodles absorb the broth, but it still tastes good the next day, so I'm advising you to make small batches. And the best part is that it only costs a few dollars to make a pot that serves four people.

Rice and Beans

Rice:

2 C long grain rice

4 C water

1 6 partly can tomato sauce

Minced garlic to taste

2 tb canola oil

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a soup pot and toast the rice, stirring frequently. When the rice is toasted, add the garlic. Next, add water that has been mixed with tomato sauce and pepper. Cover and allow to simmer, reducing the flame to the lowest level. DO NOT TOUCH IT until the rice is tender--it should look like little Xs. Let it stand covered for 5 minutes, then add salt to taste. You can garnish it with green peas and cilantro sprigs. 

Rice is a fickle mistress and it takes practice to make this well. Be patient. It's worth it 

Beans:

For a Party-->

A massive can or large pot of cooked pinto beans

Canola oil

Jalapeños (whole, fresh-roasted or pickled)

(If you use fresh beans, make them with garlic and herbs. Bay leaf and epazote work best.  If you use canned beans, you may choose to rinse them to reduce the sodium, sugar, and unpleasant bloating stuff.)

Heat oil in a large soup pot, then add the beans with some of their liquid.  When the start to simmer, use a smasher to crush about half of them. Add the jalapeños and simmer until they thicken. If you don't like them too spicy, remove the jalapeños. 

For Lunch With the Girls-->

2 tb coconut oil

2 regular (or one medium can) vegetarian retried beans (or smashed beans you made from scratch)

Daiya Mozzarella Shreds to taste (or your fave brand)

Water

Heat the coconut oil in a pot, then add the beans, breaking them down any large pieces. Add enough water to soften the beans into a smooth consistency. When the start to bubble, add the Daiya and stir to encourage melting. Remove from heat and serve. This reheats and freezes well. 

Roasted Potatoes

1 lb of waxy skinned potatoes (red, yukon, white, etc.), cut into small pieces

4 cups of large mushrooms (your choice of variety), sliced

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2-1 bunch fresh parsley (curly or flat), chopped

Olive oil

Salt, pepper, paprika optional

Put the chopped potatoes, mushroom, parsley, and garlic into a mixing bowl.  Add olive oil to coat the mixture, then sprinkle in the seasoning.  Mix well with your hands or your favorite utensils.  

Bake at 450º on a sheet pan or casserole dish covered in parchment until the potatoes are both fork tender and covered in roasty golden goodness.  Stir while baking a few times to keep the veggies from sticking.  This particular batch took about an hour to bake, but the time will vary with your oven and the size of your potatoes.

Make sure to transfer to a serving bowl or container shortly after you take them out of the oven so that you can soak your dish.  Roasting juices are hard to clean off after they've dried.  Also, these are unlikely to burn as long as you keep an eye on them after they start to roast.