Really Simple Vegan Cream Cheese Icing

I got a little worked up about the amount of soy and processed foods I was giving my kids as part of a vegan diet this summer, but was freaked out by coconut oil and was just against anything “fake”. Then a good kick in the pants reminded me that everything in moderation is OK. In fact its even good (seriously, think about it) and this cream cheese icing (delicious and totally fake) was born. Whomever decided Icing should be made healthy needs to be shot. Icing is good. Icing is decadent. Icing should be nothing but delicious. this one is. The other beauty of simplicity is that it allows time for more important things, like finding 2 minutes to care for yourself, something as moms we often forget to do.

Happy Birthday to Me, a cake we can all enjoy. I am always happy when no one, including myself, feels left out of a celebration. I really love cream cheese icing, (and cheesecake) and the veganized versions of these things aren’t always quite what I was hoping for. I am so happy to be able to share this ridiculously simple cream cheese icing.

Vegan Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegan butter ( I use earth balance)
one container (8 oz) vegan cream cheese (I used Toffuti, its the only one we like)
1.5 cups of icing sugar (or more, taste/texture)

to add complexity feel free to flavour with citrus (orange zest and a tbsp of juice or lemon zest and 2 tsp lemon juice)

Method:
Using an electric mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together, add icing sugar (best done in small amounts at a time and citrus if using and mix until smooth. refrigerate until you need to use it it keeps about 5 days in the fridge. It can also be frozen, but it does change the texture slightly.

Smother on cakes, cookies, or eat with a spoon. ( more disclosure, this is what happened to the leftover after icing my birthday cupcakes) probably fantastic as a dip for your fruit.

Stroganoff

My mom will hate me for saying this, but I hated all beef dishes growing up, not because I hated beef per-say but because she couldn’t cook it. (our dog refused to eat leftover meatballs) I only realized this as an adult. So every once in a while I try my hand at a recipe that as a child made me nauseous.

This week it was a Beef Stroganoff, but since we do not eat beef, it was Tofu Stroganoff, inspired by Isa Chandra’s Tofu Mushroom Stroganoff which looked just so delicious but way too complicated for my mood that day I set out to modify the recipe to meet my tastes, and my kitchen. Its still a little complex but less time consuming and fewer dishes to wash than using cashews to make a truly creamy sauce and I am not a cream sauce kind of girl, I love fresh tomato sauces and that is why this has very little in way of creamy ingredients and is instead has luscious fresh tomatoes.

This is a photo-less post unfortunately until the next time I make it because its been a mad house around here.

Tofu Stroganoff

Serves: 4                     Prep time: 10 min                              cook time: 30min

Ingredients:

350g of pasta (ideally a broad noodle, or something like fusilli)
1 package extra firm tofu in thin strips
a total of 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp of salt
4 large cloves minced garlic
2 portabello mushrooms cut in half then thinly sliced
1/2 pkg (about 130g) cremini mushrooms (white mushrooms ok too)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2 large italian tomatoes or 3 small, diced
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk substitute (or milk) – I suggest soy
2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or 1 tbsp cornstarch)

Method:

cook pasta according to package

in large frying pan heat 1 tbsp oil over medium and add tofu, toss occasionally until tofu takes on some colour. Sometimes I find a spatula helps flip the strips to keep one side only from browning.  cover and set aside.
If you only have one pan you can transfer the tofu to a dish and reuse the same pan. (this also means you can likely use less oil for next step)

Add remaining oil to frying pan and saute onion and garlic until onion is transparent.
add mushrooms and thyme and continue cooking until mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Add the fresh tomatoes, white wine, salt and pepper. Reduce wine over high heat (about 5 min) before returning heat to medium.

while the wine reduces, in a small bowl, mix arrowroot starch with a few tbsp of the milk substitute until smooth, add rest of milk and the vegetable broth and mix well.

add the broth/milk mixture to the pan and stir well, cook until sauce thickens, adjust salt, pepper and thyme as needed add tofu. mix well, lower heat to low, put pasta pot back on burner and mix the sauce into it.

Serve!

This keeps well in the fridge, but I don’t think I would attempt to freeze it.

Also feel free to take on my rule for cooking with wine:

When cooking with wine it is completely acceptable even if you are alone to enjoy a glass as well.

I am looking forward to experimenting slowly with recipes that I couldn’t get into as a kid that maybe now I will like with a veg twist. If you have a favourite let me know!!!!