The Gateau Chateau is proud to announce the opening of it's newest endeavor,
The Bark and Briars Bakery and Earthly Delights. At Bark & Briars, we are a strictly vegan, and health conscious kitchen, designed to cater to fat kids trying to lose a few pounds, and their Gluten Free spouses.
In honor of our Grand Opening, Amy & I traveled all the way to South America, to investigate the Andes mountains (aka Mitchell Ave. Kroger)and discover the secret behind their wonderful mints. Without any luck finding them, we decided to invent our own.

Homemade Peppermint Patties
Melted Semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
1/2 C. Mint "butter"cream icing ---- recipe to follow, in Mint Chocolate Cake

Place melted chocolate in icing/pastry bag.
Using half of the chocolate, make small flat discs of chocolate on aluminum foil.
refrigerate until hardened.
In another icing bag use 1/2 c.Mint Buttercream Icing. Pipe into center of chocolate discs.
Using the remaining half of the melted chocolate, cover icing so that chocolate covers icing filling.
Freeze until firm.



Mint Chocolate Cake aka Andes Mint Cake, Thin Mint Cake
1 box Hodgson Mills Gluten Free Chocolate Cake mix.
(any vegan chocolate cake recipe will work. We have found that when baking gluten free, nothing compares to Hodgson Mills cake mixes)
---- Ignore directions on Box----
1/2 c. softened Earth Balance vegan butter
1/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. SO Delicious Chocolate Mint Coconut Milk
3 TBS. Golden Flax Meal
9 TBS. Water
1 TBS. Pure Peppermint Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease two 8 inch round cake pans with canola oil & cocoa powder.
Mix Flaxmeal & Water till smooth & set aside

Blend Cake Mix, Earth Balance, Canola Oil, Coconut Milk, and Peppermint together with electric mixer until incorporated.
Add Flax mixture (consistency, will be similar to egg whites)

Batter will be thick like brownie batter.

Pour evenly into two 8 inch cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Mint "Butter"Cream Icing.
1 tub Tofutti non dairy cream cheese
3/4 c. Earth Balance
3-4 c. powdered sugar- use your best judgement
2 TBS. Pure Peppermint Extract
5 drops green food coloring (for that real Andes mint feel)

Blend Tofutti & Earth Balance together until smooth.
Add Powdered sugar, a little at a time until smooth.
Add in Peppermint Extract & food coloring until well incorporated.

Reserve 1/2 c. for Peppermint Patties.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. pkg semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
3-4 TBS. So Delicious Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk
1 to 2 tsp. Pure Peppermint Extract.
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler. Gradually whisk in coconut milk.
Mixture will get curdly, but as you whisk, the heating will make it shiny & smooth.
Add Peppermint to taste.

Cake Assembly:
After removing cake from oven, let cool 10 minutes in pan.
Remove cakes from pans & let cool completely on cooling racks.

Once cakes are cool. Spread Mint Buttercream Icing between layers.
Place top layer, on cake.
Freeze 30 minutes.
Meanwhile let Ganache cool, a bit.
Remove cake from freezer and ice the surface of cake ,as you normally would, with the Ganache.
Garnish with homemade peppermint patties.

Daddy-O Dawg's Ticket to Ride on the Vegan Train

After many years, of his wife nagging the big bad Daddy-O Dawg, to hop on the Vegan Train, all it took was one YouTube video of Hot Chick Jenna Marbles talking about her vegan diet, to convince him to get his boarding pass.
So thrilled with her husband's change of thought on the whole subject, Amy came up with an inventive creation for tonight's dinner.

Empanada del Pastor----- (That would be Shepherd's Pie, with a vegan, gluten- free take on the matter)
2 TBS. Oil
1 yellow bell pepper- finely diced
1 red bell pepper- finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper- minced, including seeds
1 onion- finely diced
kernels from 3 ears of fresh corn, or 1 can organic corn, drained
2 cans black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic minced
3 TBS ground Cumin
1 TBS black pepper
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
salt to taste

6 C. Prepared Polenta

In a skillet Saute peppers, onions, and fresh corn in oil on medium heat
Add Beans and tomatoes,garlic,cumin, and black pepper, raise temperature to medium high and cook till all liquid is gone.
add salt to flavor.
Remove from heat, stir in cilantro.
Pour into 3 quart Casserole dish.
Smooth out surface of bean mixture.
Top with prepared polenta, smooth polenta with back of spoon.
Broil on Low, 4-5 minutes, till top crisps, and just begins to brown

To Prepare Polenta:
Bring 6 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 4 TBS Earth Balance (vegan margarine) to a boil.
Add 2 cups yellow corn meal.
Whisk, reduce heat to low, whisking occasionally until thick.
Approx. 5-8 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I'd imagine that on Plymouth Rock, that the availability of milk, butter, and all that good flavorful stuff was scarce, at the time the Mayflower crash landed there. Therefore, I will venture further to imagine that veganism was a way of life for early colonists, and they didn't even have a coined term for it. They were just surviving. Granted, trapping, and hunting have always been the sport of many on the wild frontier, but game was not necessarily the easiest thing to come by, and pioneers most likely relied on vegetation as their sustenance. Of course, I'm talking through my rear end, so you can tell me to shut whenever.
However, in honor of the feast of Thanksgiving, we have come up with a few delicious meals that include no milk, no cheese, no eggs, no meat, yet are all still trademarks of the Holiday.

Cornbread with Jalapenos & Corn
1 1/4 c. Yellow Corn Meal
3/4 c. Unbleached white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 TBS. sugar---- organic vegan sugar
1 TBS. ground flax seed mixed with 3 TBS Water (let sit 10 minutes)
1 can Organic whole Sweet Corn - do not drain
4 TBS. melted pure vegetable shortening
3 oz. diced jalepenos

Preheat over to 425 degrees.
Sift together flour,baking powder, salt, and sugar.
add corn meal, flax seed-water mixture, and can of corn.
stir in shortening, stir in jalepenos.
Bake in well greased 8" by 8" pan for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cranberry Dressing
12 oz. Fresh whole Cranberries-rinse and remove any stems, and slimy ones
1 c. sugar ---- vegan, organic
1 c. water
1/2 TBS orange zest
1/2 TBS juice from orange
In medium saucepan, bring to boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
Chill overnight.
stir in orange zest & juice.
Serve chilled

Baked Mashed Potatoes
4 large baked potatoes
Vegetable Broth
Salt

Remove skins from 4 baked potatoes.
Mash the potatoes
add Vegetable broth to desired consistency.
Add salt to desired flavor.
For other flavoring, add minced garlic, parsley, vegan margarine (Earth Balance) or whatever you wish.
Place in oven safe container and reheat to desired temperature.

Brussell Sprouts with Hazel Nuts.
1 medium sized red onion- chopped
2 TBS. Grapeseed or Olive Oil---- I much prefer the flavor of grapeseed oil when cooking
4 cloves garlic- minced
3 lbs. Fresh Brussell Sprouts- halved and stems removed
1/2 c. chopped Hazelnuts

In a skillet, carmelize red onions in oil, on medium high heat.
add garlic and brussell sprouts.
Sear Brussell Sprouts, and cook till tender.
toss in Hazelnuts.
Serve.

Vegan Lasagna Part Deux

Apparently the controversial vegan-ness of Fritos Corn Chips has inspired us to make a fresh new batch of Rinotta (see recipe 3/9/2011) and create a new and updated version of Lasagna, since we are trying to avoid the "corny-ness" of the subject of the world reknowned junk food.
As in the original Lasagna recipe from 3/19/2011, we will still use a gluten free approach to the delicious recipe, we are just going to switch up some ingredients for a new flavor.

1 box gluten free rice lasagna
1 25 oz jar organic spaghetti sauce
6 frozen whole home grown tomatoes. thawed, drained, & cut in quarters. (large chunks)
(if you don't have home grown, you can use a 28 oz can of whole organic tomatoes)
2 cups sliced baby portabellas (aka creminis)
1 5 oz. package fresh organic baby spinach leaves
2 parts Rinotta

Par Boil lasagna noodles until slightly softened (approx 3 min)
(gluten free noodles will fall into pieces, if not cafeful)
----regular wheat noodles do not need to be pre cooked.

Saute mushrooms in olive oil & salt & pepper till slightly tender.

In a 9" by 13" lasagna pan, spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan.
Combine remaining sauce with tomatoes.
Spread 1 layer of noodles in pan.
Spread 1 layer of rinotta on noodles.
spread 1/2 pkg layer mushrooms over rinotta.
Spread 1/2 pkg layer spinach over mushrooms.
Spread 1 layer Spaghetti sauce over spinach.
Repeat, 1 layer noodles, 1 layer rinotta. 1 layer mushrooms, 1 layer spinach, 1 layer sauce.
Top off with 1 layer of noodles, and remaining sauce.
Cover with aluminum bake at 375 degrees for 1/2 hour.
remove foil. bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Fat Kids On A Diet

After a reality check at 6:30 this morning at our Annual Wellness Check Up, Amy and I decided that it's time to get back in shape, and what better way to do it, than to get rid of all of the wonderful foods that we enjoy a little way too much, so good bye Meat, Cheese, Milk, Eggs, Ice Cream & all that yummy stuff. Broccoli and Rice can be just as wonderful!!! (at least, we're going to psych ourselves into believing that)
Which leads me to our first recipe, tonight's dinner!
Amy found a recipe on VeganYumYum.com, since she didn't copy it, she went from memory, so you get Amy's interpretation of someone else's idea.

Teriyaki Orange Seitan and Brocolli
Saute 1 package Seitan in a tsp. of olive oil or water, so it does not stick to the pan. When lightly browned, move to a bowl.
Sear 1 bunch broccoli florettes on high heat, when they start to color, turn them. reduce heat to low.
add 5 sliced portabellos , 2 tbs. Tamari, 2 tbs. Teriyaki, either homemade or jarred. 2 tbs. orange juice, and 2 crushed dried red peppers.
Cover and steam till broccoli is tender crisp, but still bright green.
When broccoli is cooked, return seitan to pan, add same amounts of tamari, teriyaki, and orange juice. Stir till seitan is heated through.
Serve on Basmati Rice.

Thighs, Legs, and Breasts!!!

This is the start of our Annual Fried Chicken Treasure Trail Ladies & Gents.
We begin every year by going to WWW.THINKINGCHICKEN.COM.
A website that was started by good ol' Delhisian, Carl Heilmann. John & Dave's dad, and Edith's husband.
It is a very informative website, and lots of fun to read.
Will Corson, Karaoke DJ Extraordinaire, introduced me to the Fried Chicken Festivals of South Eastern Indiana about two years ago, and it has become our summer Sunday tradition ever since.
We invite you to come along and join us on our quest to find the "World's Best Fried Chicken", or just to follow along on our blog, to hear our CRITIQUES and ACCLAIMS, as the weeks go by!

Marinated Salad (Everything But The Kitchen Sink)

After spending the weekend in Florida, eating lots of French Fries (since, that is the only "vegan" thing that most restaurants serve), Amy was feeling the need for something colorful and crunchy. She decided to use all of the vegetables in her house and concoct this fanciful dish.

1 large cucumber diced
1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 bunch green onions sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pkg cremini mushrooms sliced
2 champagne or honey mangoes diced
2 avocados diced
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries
1/2 cup roasted pepitas (those are the insides of the pumpkin seeds)
1 cup organic dairy free poppy seed dressing
Blend. Chill.
Serve

Or you can add any array of vegetables you'd like.