To anyone who still hasn’t tried any of the myriad chicken alternatives on the market now, I must ask: What are you, chicken? Ten years ago, I would have understood the trepidation. They were more frequently referred to as “mock meats,” which was fitting, considering they generally made a mockery of vegan trying to win over dubious omnivores. Old school plant proteins certainly have their place, but to compete with the hyper-realistic options now readily available, it’s time to embrace the other, other, OTHER white meat.

The best thing about these hot new chicks, aside from the complete lack of cholesterol, death, and cruelty, of course, is the fact that they work seamlessly in any preexisting recipes you may have held dear. No need to give up those favorites, or even modify them beyond them! Anyone could go vegan by simply opting for different brands the next time they go shopping.

As a seasoned herbivore, sometimes I need to stand back and marvel at the selection sometimes. In many cases, I’m trying dishes for the first time at the ripe old age of thirty-something, simply because there hasn’t been a means for easy replication before. In other cases, greater accessibly lends itself to further experimentation, because there’s nothing to risk here. If it doesn’t turn out, there’s no big loss.

Such is the case with chicken salad. No, I never had chicken salad before going vegan. I was raised to believe that mayonnaise was the Devil’s condiment, and adding fruit to a savory dish was purely verboten. Nope, nothing about that odd mixture of gloppy white meat slopped between two slices of bread appealed to me, so I wasn’t exactly clamoring to recreate it.

Honestly, its a good thing it took me so long to warm to the concept. Only with age and experience can I fully appreciate the subtle nuances and intricacies that make it a perennial staple in so many households. It’s all about balance, harmonizing textures and tastes that contrast and compliment, elevating the everyday into something worth eating on repeat. Everyone has their own formula, tweaked to suit individual preferences, so at long last, this one is mine. I hope you personalize it in turn, allowing the classic to live on, without any animal ingredients involved.

Yield: Makes 3 - 4 Servings

Meatless Chicken Salad

Taking the classic chicken salad and perfecting the balance between sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy, herbaceous and well-seasoned, you'd never know this version is completely vegan.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Shredded Meatless Chicken, Rehydrated Soy Curls, or Chopped Seitan
• 1/2 Cup Toasted Walnuts, Roughly Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Raisins
• 1 Stalk Celery, Diced
• 1 - 2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
• 1/2 Cup Vegan Mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste

Instructions

1. Place the meatless chicken in a large bowl along with the walnuts, raisins, celery, scallions, parsley, and dill. Toss to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. Transfer into the large bowl and stir well, to coat.
3. Once thoroughly combined, serve immediately or chill until ready to eat. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  COLMANS Original English Mustard, 3.53 Ounce
• 
  Sweet Earth, Chik N Strips Plant Based Mindful, 8 Ounce
• 
  Best Foods Vegan Mayonnaise Jar Made with Non GMO Sourced Ingredients, No Artificial Flavors or Colors, No Cholesterol, Gluten Free, 1 gallon

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 473Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 894mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 28g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

The post No Harm, No Fowl appeared first on BitterSweet.

I had a very good reason for making this, in fact, the very best reason, the only reason I ever really want to cook anything on busy weeks with no other gravitas-adding forces at play: I wanted it. Last week I had an intense craving for the kind of salsa you get in a jar, that we went through buckets of when I was in college, the kind of salsa that you’d get on a table at a Mexican restaurant that may or may not sell margaritas in caucus-stem glasses and I wondered why I didn’t have a go-to recipe for making it at home. Isn’t that, like, my purpose here? Isn’t that what I do here, week after week for nearly 15 years, share recipes I hope will become your go-tos as much as they’ve become mine? Where was my seasonless* salsa recipe?

Read more »

Vegan gluten-free 100% millet sandwich bread is the new white bread! This fine-textured, crusty loaf has a toasty, mild-corn flavor that goes with everything (and makes a superior piece of toast). Easy to make, it is also oil-free, sugar-free, xanthan gum-free, yeast-free and perfectly delicious.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Millet Bread (no other flours!)

Interested in making easy, gluten-free, vegan white bread? ♡

You are in luck, because today I am sharing my millet sandwich bread, a simple-to-assemble, healthy, delectable “white” bread made with 100% millet flour (no other flours or starches). Really and truly!

Regardless of whether you are brand new to gluten-free bread-baking, or just looking for a healthy, everyday gluten-free bread recipe to add to your repertoire, I highly recommend giving this delicious bread a try.

Alright friends, let’s make some easy, gluten-free bread together!

Recipe Benefits

First, allow me to say a few words about humble, frugal, and fabulous millet. Millet is a high-fiber ancient grain with a low-glycemic index (i.e., no sugar spike after eating). Further, it is high in B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and magnesium. I love that it has a mild flavor and that it is very inexpensive, too--perfect for making many loaves of everyday bread like this!

Millet flour is often used in combination with other flours for gluten-free baking, but my bread uses millet alone (no other flours or starches). The bread is all of the following, and more:

• Gluten-free
• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free}
• Yeast-free
• Xanthan gum-free
• Oil-free
• Sugar-free
• Nut-free
• High in fiber (3.9 g per slice)
• Minimal ingredients
• Easy

Ingredients for 100% Millet Sandwich Bread

Gluten-free bread shouldn't require a laundry list of ingredients. You will only need the following to make this loaf:

• Millet flour
• Whole psyllium husks (not psyllium powder)
• Baking powder 
• Baking soda
• Salt (always optional/adjustable)
• Water
• Cider vinegar

Tip: Grind Your Own Flour

If you have a high-speed blender, or a small electric coffee grinder, you can grind your own flour from whole millet in little time.

High speed blenders will turn millet into millet flour in about a minute. If using a coffee grinder, you will need to grind about 1/4 cup at a time (it goes quickly). Place any extra flour in an airtight bag or container and freeze until next time.

Alas, food processors do not work for grinding whole millet into fine flour (I've tried, and tried again). The tiny millet grains are hard (and tenacious!), making it difficult to get anything finer than a coarse meal after 10 minutes of grinding.

Vinegar Options

Any other vinegar--light or dark--can be used in place of the cider vinegar. If you do not have vinegar, or do not use it for dietary reasons, substitute an equal amount of lemon or lime juice.

How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Millet Bread

Making this bread is easy. Let's do this!

Step One: Mix the Dry Ingredients. 

Whisk the millet flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl until blended. 

Step Two: Combine the Wet Ingredients and Psyllium.

Whisk the water, vinegar, and psyllium husk in a medium mixing bowl. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes to thicken. The psyllium mixture sets into a loose, pale gel almost immediately (similar to flax and chia gels, but less sticky than the former).

Step Three: Stir to Combine

Add the psyllium mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine the wet and the dry. I find that a rubber spatula, wooden spoon, or clean hands work best. The dough will be thick, but will come together easily. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the dough is completely blended.

Roughly shape the dough into a cohesive ball or general mass while it is still in the bowl.

Step Four: Shape the Dough.

Wash any excess dough off of your hands. With still moist hands, shape the dough ball into a loaf shape to fit a 9x5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan.  Place the loaf in the pan (sprayed, greased, or lined with parchment paper). Smooth the top and gently press into shape, rounding the corners and sides.

Step Five: Bake the Bread.

Bake the bread in a preheated 325F (160C) oven for 90 minutes until risen (it has a significant rise!), and the surface of the bread appears golden brown, dry, and crusty. The bread will also sound hollow when tapped.

Let the bread cool, in the pan, on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and cool the loaf completely on a cooling rack.

Now that's a fine-looking loaf of bread!

Slice it Thick or Thin

 This is a sturdy bread with minimal crumbs, which translates to bread that can be sliced as thick or thin as you desire. 

What is the Texture & Taste?

First, texture: This is a fine-textured, firm bread with a distinctive crust. It is similar to a firm, white (all-purpose flour) white sandwich bread. Toasting the bread results in crisp, crunchy, hearty slices. 

Taste: The flavor of the bread is mild and toasty, with a subtle flavor akin to corn. I LOVE it toasted, topped with melting vegan butter and a thick slather of jam. It is excellent for sandwiches, too. I recommend slicing it thin for sandwiches given it is such a filling bread.

Have fun spreading this with everything from nut butter to hummus to jam, and don't forget about dunking it into soups and stews (it holds up with aplomb). 

FAQ

Can I use different flours (in place of the millet flour)?

I do not recommend it. The proportion of wet and dry ingredients, as well as the quantity of psyllium husk, is particular to the millet flour.

Good news! I have tested two variations--one with buckwheat flour, the other with oat flour-- so that you do not have to experiment! They are equally easy and delicious:

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Sandwich Bread {vegan, no yeast}

Vegan Gluten-Free Oat Sandwich Bread {oil-free, yeast-free}

Can I Use Something Other than Whole Psyllium Husks?

Alas, no, it must be whole psyllium husks. Other gelling agents, such as flaxseed meal or chia seeds, will not work as direct substitutes (they might work, but it would involve some experimenting to determine their efficacy).

I also do not recommend psyllium powder. It can work as a substitute for the whole husks in some recipes, but not with this bread.

Happy baking! Let me know if you give this a try :).

More Vegan Gluten-Free Millet Recipes to Try

• Flourless Millet Oat Bread {vegan, GF, 5 ingredients}
• Carrot Cake Millet Breakfast Bars 
• Flourless Apple Millet Muffins
• Millet Apricot Energy Bars
• Vegan Millet Kale Quiches {GF, high protein}
• Strawberry Puffed Millet Bars {Vegan, Nut-Free, GF}
• Millet Pilaf with Dried Cranberries {gluten-free & vegan}

[tasty-recipe id="22815"]

 

Tres Leches Cake is a classic dessert with origins in Latin America. The “Tres Leches” refers to the three milks that are used to make the cake.

Tres Leches Cake is also known as “pan tres leches,” which means “three milks bread.” It’s a light, spongy cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk.

Where did the idea of “soaked cake” come from?

Liquid soaked cakes probably began in medieval times. Think of rum cake, tiramisu and trifles, which have been popular across Europe for quite some time. The Tres Leches Cake is most popular in Central and South America, North America and a few other areas of the world.

How to make Tres Leches Cake:

Beat sugar and egg yolks together until fluffy. Then add milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Separately, beat egg whites to soft peaks, adding in cream of tartar and then sugar. Egg whites are then folded in to the egg mixture, and this creates the batter for the cake. The batter is scraped into a 9×13-inch pan and baked anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes (depending on your oven). The texture should be firm, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

Once cool, poke the top of your cake all over with a fork. This is going to allow the milk syrup to sink into the middle of the cake. The milk syrup is a simple mix of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and rum. Pour it over the top of your cake, and let the cake absorb the milk syrup.

Can you leave rum out of the recipe?

Yes!  If you do not wish to cook with alcohol, just leave out the rum and maybe add a little extra vanilla extract.

Once absorbed, dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.

If prepared properly, Tres Leches Cake will have a moist texture to it, but it should not be soggy. The three milks soak into the spongy cake. Technically, my recipe has four milks in the recipe since there is regular milk in the batter too. It’s a lightly sweetened cake that is fabulous topped with whipped cream and a side of berries, and it tastes even better on the second day. Enjoy!

The post Tres Leches Cake appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

This coconut margarita recipe is the cocktail you didn’t know you were missing! It’s zingy and creamy, pairing lime and tequila with coconut.

Here’s a drink that’s creamy, cool, refreshing and an absolute must for any margarita lover: this Coconut Margarita recipe! After trying 30+ margarita variations, this one rose to the top because it’s not like any other margarita variation you’ve tried! Tropical coconut pairs perfectly with the zing of lime and bite of tequila. The best part? The toasted coconut drink rim gives you a crunchy, tropical infusion to each sip. We love all our margarita recipes, but this one…this one is special.

Ingredients in a coconut margarita

The margarita was invented in Mexico in the 1930’s, and today remains one of the most popular classic cocktails of all time. The Classic Margarita has just 3 ingredients: tequila, triple sec and lime juice. For the coconut spin, add cremHere are the ingredients you’ll need for a raspberry margarita:

• Tequila
• Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
• Lime juice
• Cream of coconut (not coconut cream)
• Sweetened shredded coconut, for the rim

Buy cream of coconut, not coconut cream

The most important thing about this coconut margarita is making sure to buy the right coconut product. Buy cream of coconut, not coconut cream! A good rule of thumb? Opt for the squeeze bottle, not the can. Here’s more about what to know:

• Cream of coconut is a sweetened syrup used for cocktails. It’s made with coconut cream and sugar. It’s sold in handy squeeze bottles to make it easy to add to drinks. Cream of coconut is easy to find online or at your local liquor store. A popular brand is Coco Real.
• Coconut cream is unsweetened! It’s thick with a strong coconut flavor and sold in cans next to the coconut milk. Coconut cream is made from chilling coconut milk and then skimming off the layer of cream that floats to the top.

Want help using up the cream of coconut bottle? Try the Piña Colada, Painkiller or Bushwacker.

What if you accidentally buy coconut cream?

You can save your coconut margarita if you buy the wrong one. Here’s what to do: Use 1/2 ounce coconut cream and 1/2 ounce simple syrup in place of the 1 ounces cream of coconut.

How to make a toasted coconut rim!

The best part of this coconut margarita recipe? The toasted coconut rim! Drink rims are not just fun visually: they add a textural element and pop of flavor to each sip. Here’s what to know about making this drink rim:

• Toast the coconut. Here’s how to toast coconut — we used the stovetop instructions which takes just a few minutes. Just make sure to keep an eye on it: coconut can go from raw to burned in a flash!
• Use the cream of coconut to adhere the coconut. Alex had a stroke of genius with this drink: he used the cream of coconut to stick the coconut to the glass. It works like a charm!
• Dip the rim in cream of coconut, then a plate of toasted coconut. You’ll just want the outer edge of the glass to be covered. It takes a little time, but it’s worth it for the flavor!

Make a coconut margarita pitcher (8 servings)

Serving a crowd? Mix up a coconut margarita pitcher instead! A pitcher is more efficient because it makes 8 servings in just 5 minutes! Here’s what to mix:

• 2 cups tequila
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 cup cream of coconut
• 3 handfuls ice

Throw them in a pitcher, mix, and enjoy! Let us know what you think of this tasty drink in the comments below.

More unique margarita recipes

• Go for another pink margarita, the Hibiscus Margarita
• Try the Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita for a cool and spicy twist
• Opt for a Hennessy Margarita with fancy Cognac
• Mix up an ocean-colored Blue Margarita

When to serve a coconut margarita

The coconut margarita is creamy and impressive! It works as a:

• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Summer drink
• Cinco de Mayo drink
• Late night drinks drink
• Guys or girls night drink
• Cocktail hour drink

Print

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes