Nana-politan Ice Cream Parfaits | plantcrush x Beets by Brooke

Who else gets excited when they can sneak veggies into their desserts? I like to make healthy choices most of the time, but I’m also not opposed to treats, like this nana-politan ice cream parfait I whipped up with my friend Brooklynne (@beetsbybrooke)!We got together to create a Galentine’s Day menu featuring beets! We made a divine heart beet pizza and salad for the main meal, and for dessert, we decided to go crazy and put beets in our banana ice cream too! Beets have a lovely sweetness that is truly marvelous. #beetcrush Continue reading →

One-Apple Galette

February 17, 2014November 26, 20143 Comments

I am all about gorgeous desserts that are simple to make. This past weekend, I embarked on my first galette-making adventure.

Galettes look so beautiful, I was afraid it would be a difficult process, but it was easier than pie, honestly. I only used one apple!

For less effort than a pie, I got a flaky, light and tasty fruit pastry that looks amazing. I think I will always choose this over a pie.

There was some waiting time and apple peeling involved, so you’ll need a pinch of patience, but really, I’d much rather peel one apple for a galette, than five or six for a pie.

While the dough is chilling, you can chill too…read a book or take a nap! I prepared my dough around midnight, so I just went to sleep and let it chill overnight.

Easy One-Apple Galette

(makes 6 servings)

I had some coconut caramel sauce on hand, so I used that to sweeten the galette before baking it. It made the galette pretty decadent. Traditionally, sugar is sprinkled on top, but I also think maple syrup or agave could also be used. I also want to try making this with whole wheat pastry flour, and maybe coconut oil, in the future.

Total time: ~1.5 hours

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 pinch sea salt
1 t organic sugar
1/2 cup chilled non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
3 T ice water
ground cinnamon
sweetener of your choice (organic sugar, maple syrup, sucanat, or coconut caramel)
1 apple, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
Lemon juice, about 1 teaspoon

Method:

Mix the all purpose flour, sea salt, and sugar in a food processor.
Cut the non-dairy butter into the flour mixture using a fork.
Process in the food processor until you get a coarse, crumbly mixture. Clumps are fine here.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and add the ice water. Use your hands to mix the flour mixture and water together. Roughly roll the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Place the dough in the fridge and let it chill for at least 30 minutes. I let mine sit overnight. This dough can also be made two days ahead.
Take the dough out of the fridge, let it soften a little so it’s easier to work with—this took about 5-10 minutes for me.
On a floured surface, gently roll out the dough in a circle, about 1/8” thick. Place it on a baking tray or pan (I used a glass pie pan).
Sprinkle cinnamon on the dough and arrange the apple slices to your liking in the middle of the rolled out dough—leave about 1 1/2 inches at the edges of the dough. Squeeze some lemon juice on the apple slices.
Fold all the edges of the dough towards the center—for tips, check out this post from Food 52.
Place the galette in the fridge and let it chill for at least 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Take the galette out of the fridge and drizzle your sweetener of choice over the apple slices–to your taste. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and put a few dots of nondairy on top, if you want.
Brush the crust with some nondairy milk or melted nondairy butter.
Lower the oven’s heat to 350 degrees F and bake the galette for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Bon appétit! This crust can also be used with different fillings, like berries or sliced pears. I hope you enjoy it! If you make this please let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below!

Crispy Low-Fat Apple Galette (plantbasedhealth.com)
Rustic Peach Galette (chefchloe.com)
Potato and Leek Galette (thekitchn.com)

Veggie Victories at UTA

November 16, 2013July 25, 20154 Comments

Vegan brownies at UT Arlington! This is a big deal for UTA vegans. Yes, they are real.

Last week, my friend tipped me off about these vegan brownies on campus, so I decided to have lunch at UTA’s Connection Cafe.

I was excited to find Thai coconut curry noodles in the international line, with a clear “vegan” label. Also, I have since learned that any desserts placed at the vegetarian line will be vegan from now on. Yay!

While there is always room for improvement, I have been previously impressed with the increased availability of vegan options at UTA, thanks to the Vegan Club‘s work with Student Congress and the cooking staff’s cooperation and hospitality. A vegan line has been in place for about a year, but this semester it changed to a vegetarian line. Some vegetarian dishes are veganizeable if students ask for no cheese. Vegan desserts, plus a completely vegan entree in a non-vegan line, were not going to on my list of expectations for a while, but I was pleasantly surprised during this visit.

It’s exciting to have an increase in vegan options all around, even if it doesn’t seem like a lot, it means a great deal to students who rely on the meal plans.

While UTA is surely improving, UNT’s vegan dining hall is a truly dream come true–UTA’s Vegan Club and I paid them a visit recently, to meet up with UNT’s vegan group. It was a worthwhile trek for good company and good food. We were met with more than enough vegan options to choose from, including fresh focaccia bread sandwiches, tostadas, soft serve ice cream and adorable tapioca pudding shots.

It was heavenly, and my first time having tapioca pudding! Special thanks to Ken Botts, the special projects manager for UNT’s Dining Services, for welcoming us so warmly, and for giving us advice on how to improve vegan options at UTA!

For those who may not know, the vegan cafeteria at UNT inspired UTA students to push for more vegan options on our own campus. We probably won’t have an all vegan cafeteria at UTA, but we appreciate the progress and we are grateful for the cooking staff’s efforts here.

What vegan things have you tried at UTA’s Connection Cafe? Have you been to UNT’s vegan cafeteria? If so, what elements would you like UTA to incorporate from UNT’s practices? Please share your experiences with me below, and feel free to contact UTA’s Dining Services to let them know what you think.