Native Foods Blog

Chef Tanya's Food for Fall is Food for All!

Native Foods Cafe is Chef-Crafted and Chef Tanya certainly is a crafty lady!  Because she is constantly experimenting in the kitchen and crafting up new culinary delights, it is only natural that the Native Foods Café Menu evolves seasonally to present her culinary masterpieces for everyone to enjoy!  With the start of each new season, the weather starts to change, and so do the colors at the farmer’s market.  Chef Tanya really wants each new menu to introduce something NEW to everyone, some new vegetables, roots, grains, legumes.  For the Fall Menu, Chef Tanya is making sure to please everyone’s palate by introducing some AMAZING new dishes and also revamping some customer favorites. 

Chef Tanya is introducing several NEW menu items on her Fall Menu.  First off the Nuevo Native Nachos are out of this world!  Homemade tortilla chips with black beans, Native Taco Meat, homemade Native Cashew Cheese, Chipotle Crema, Salsa Fresca and Guacamole.  Chef Tanya reformulated the taco meat out of her Native Seitan with the perfect blend of Mexican seasonings.  Unbelievable!

 

 
You can order cup of the Native Chili, which now features Chef Tanya's homemade Native Seitan, as a perfect appetizer on a chilly fall day or make a meal out of it with a Bowl.  Fresh tomatoes, herbs and spices blended with our homemade Native Chili Meat and white beans and topped with Native Cheese and red onion.  Served with our famous cornbread.  The newest member to thesalad family is the Broccoli Curry Crunch Salad.  Sweet, savory, salty, crunchy…. This salad has got it all!  A bed of crisp romaine tossed with fresh apples and citrus vinaigrette and topped with a curried mixture of homemade seitan, crunchy broccoli, cashews and cranberries.  Is your mouth watering yet?

   
 

One of Chef Tanya’s favorites is Verdi’s Roasted Veggie Pizza: an organic wheat artisan crust topped with herbed ricotta, sweet roasted fennel, plump pear tomatoes, peppers, red onions, roasted garlic and balsamic glaze.  Oh my goodness!  

 
 

The section of the menu entitled Chef Tanya’s Seasonal Selections is a force to be reckoned with!  Chef Tanya crafted a monumental new veggie burger out of organic beans and quinoa, the gold of the Incas! Chef Tanya’s Original Wasabi Bean Burger is served on a whole grain bun with wasabi mayo, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato slices, and fresh cucumber.  

 
 

Next up is the Classic Deli Reuben:  perfectly marinated Native Seitan shaved thin and piled high on warm grilled Rye with tangy Native Horseradish Cheese, mom’s original sauerkraut and creamy Russian dressing.  Get ready folks!  This just may be the most perfect Reuben EVER.  Scratch that.  THIS IS the most perfect Reuben EVER!  I heart you Classic Deli Reuben.

 
 

And don’t worry; when you are ready to get your sizzle on, there is the Chimichurri Fajita Platter!  Chef Tanya sears her Mexican Seitan with sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes, in a homemade chimichurri sauce.  She serves it with organic corn tortillas, brown rice, black beans, sliced avocado, sour cream and pico de gallo.  Holy guacamole!  That is a whole lotta bang for your buck.

 
 

So hurry in to your nearest Native Foods Cafe!  Bring your friends and family and order one of each.  And don't forget to bring a doggie bag home for your furry family members holding down the fort!

Buttafly Jonez Homemade Vegan Body Butters!

By Kaharra Harbour

Guest Blogger, Native Foods Regular!

 

Peace, I'm Buttafly Jonez. I want y’all to know about the love and dedication that goes into each and every single jar and container of Buttafly Jonez Body and Hair products. I began creating body butter to start in 2006. I used to go to places like Bath and Body Works all the time and realized that my skin was becoming irritated by all the chemicals that they put into their sprays and lotions. My skin never healed, the dry skin was just covered up. I began to seek natural products and found that I was breaking my bank account just to have healthier skin, and all it really was.. was "thick lotion" and not real body BUTTER. I began going to farmer's markets and different fairs and found butters that were just "ok" and decided to start making my own. 6 formulas and 4 years later.. I have the purrrfect, paraben free (preservative) Phalate free (hormone) all natural body butter using no mineral oils or petroleum jellies (which just sit on top of your skin and never gets absorbed and is a bi product of crude oil.. eeewww) and are Animal Friendly.

 

I use it absolutely everyday... and my skin no longer gets ashy, or dry patches if I do not apply it. Buttafly Jonez Co. body products have actually healed mine, and my customers, family, and friends’ skin from irritations, and has made a natural glow on our skin. God gave me the formula to Buttafly Jonez Body products. He is the inspiration to my life and to my business. I feel like God wants everyone to have healthy skin, nails, and hair. Main Ingredients that I use in my products are Coco, Shea, Mango, Apricot Kernel, Coconut butters and OIive oils. These are VERY expensive and high quality products. Luckily, this is my hobby, so my goal is to spread more love and healing than gain of profit on my products.

 
 

Everyday life experiences are the inspirations for my products. For example, friends and family will tell me what they want and I will create it. My good girlfriend Dionne, who is also an authorized seller of the products wanted some butter for her face, so I created a successful face line for sufferers of Acne and for gentle faces. Another time, Dionne and I met Holladay at Native Foods Café in Westwood. We were in the middle of handling business and Dionne called Holladay over to smell some Buttafly Jonez Body Butter. Holladay said that it smelled really good and went on to describe her signature fragrances that she likes to blend. The blend of Patchouli, Coconut and Lime sounded awesome so I asked her if I can create a similar scent and call it “Holladay”. She agreed and it is the featured fragrance for September on our website www.buttaflyjonez.com. I also make Dred Jewelz for our wonderful Dread Lock wearers out there.

 
 By the way, Dionne enjoyed the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger with a side of steamed organic Kale. I had the Portobello and Sausage Burger with Cheddar and a side of Native Fries. That was Dionne’s first night there, and man did she enjoy it. She’s not a Vegan and was absolutely raving about the Native Foods Café. Dionne ended up ordering dessert and an extra dish to take home in our cute little Native Foods tote bags. What a wonderful night that was. Thanks for reading.

You can find Kaharra's fabulous body butters at the link below.  Thanks Kaharra!

http://www.buttaflyjonez.com/

30 Years of PETA!

^{So this weekend some of us Native Foods tribe members are getting’ all gussied up to attend PETA’s 30th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards.  Pretty exciting, huh?  We are uber excited!  We love PETA here at Native Foods Cafe. Ingrid Newkirk, one of the founders and President of PETA, is an amazing lady.  To learn more about her and her life’s work, be sure to check out her documentary I Am An Animal http://features.peta.org/HBOIAmAnAnimal/index.asp.} 

^{PETA describes the upcoming Gala as a “once-in-a-lifetime event to celebrate 30 years of cutting-edge campaigns that have brought about monumental change for animals.”  And it got me to thinking about PETA, and its wide array of tactics employed to effect a change in the world and prevent animal suffering.}

^{Most people tend to associate PETA with outlandish, aggressive tactics like covering their naked bodies in fake blood and charging into the nearest Hermes boutique to protest the latest line of fur-trimmed leather jackets and handbags.  Well, sure they have been known to stage a few fake blood covered coup d’etats on certain designers, but come on now, can you blame them?  Most people don’t know that PETA has come up with some very unique and off-the-wall PR campaigns to spread their message without all the shock and gore.  Let’s just take a step back a moment and take a look at some of these quirky campaigns.} 

^{They campaigned to change fish into “sea kittens” so they would be more appealing to the public.}

 Those sea kittens are cute!!!

^{PETA publicly asked The Pet Shop Boys to change their name to The Rescue Shelter Boys in order to bring more awareness to the grotesque puppy mill scene that supplies most pet stores.} 

 This may be my favorite PETA request!  It never hurts to ask.  "Always On My Mind" makes a an apropos soundtrack to shelter animals as well!  Well played PETA!

^{They announced plans to release George Clooney’s Sweat-Flavored Tofu.}

 
 
 It is weird, but catchy; and anything to draw attention to the dismal plight of thousands of animals is cool by me.

^{In early 2010, PETA made offer to Macomb County Jail in Michigan to replace its broken freezer if the jail agrees to place the inmates on a vegan diet for one year.  Genius! http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/01/should_macomb_county_jail_go_v.html}

   Veggies in Jail?
 

 They are hurting for money over there at the Macomb County lock-up, so this could be a very practical solution!

^{Overall, PETA does an extraordinary amount of wonderful for animals everywhere.  In 2009, PETA spared more than 4 million animals from being maimed and killed in laboratories all over the world.} 

Ingrid Newkirk highlights some of the most victorious moments of 2009:

“Our vital work to hold factory farmers legally accountable for cruelty to animals led to some new "firsts": the first convictions for abusing factory-farmed pigs in Iowa (the top pig-raising state in the country), the first felony cruelty-to-animals charges in the U.S. for abusing factory-farmed birds, the first conviction of farm workers in the U.S. for abusing factory-farmed turkeys, and the strongest penalty ever levied in U.S. history for cruelty to animals raised for food!”

http://features.peta.org/AnnualReview/

Go PETA!  Congratulations! And keep on keepin’ on!  We can change the world together!

What is CSA? Beyond just cool?

Well, we love this program at Native Foods Café!   Here’s the deal:  You basically buy a share (or a ½ share) of an organic farm and VOILA!, every Monday you stop by Native Foods Café in Palm Springs and pick up your box of fresh picked goodies.

 

We do add this warning:   If you don’t like surprises, this is not for you!   If you think you’ll get heirloom tomatoes and exotic fruit each week, not!

 

But if you’re the adventurous sort, this is a blast!   I opened my first box and just stared and thought “WHAT are all these green things”?   Happily they included recipes and my family of 4 had fresh NEW produce that I would have never thought to experiment with.   It’s fun to do with kids…we got a 30 inch cucumber that looked like a snake that made us all laugh and ate it right out of the box.

 

Enjoy!

Andrea McGinty

Native Foods Café

 

 

 

CSA:  Community Supported Agriculture

• WHAT'S IN THIS WEEK’S BOX?  

Swiss Chard, Red onions, Beets, Tomatillos, Leeks, Grapefruit, Oranges, Cherry Tomatoes, Potato's, Cucumbers, Okra, Spaghetti Squash, Watermelon and Melons

 

Hi - We are Juany and Phil Noble, and operate Sage
Mountain Farms - at 40630 Sage Road in Aguanga,
California, about 20 miles east of Temecula. We are Certified
Organic growers, and are registered with the Riverside
County and State of California Departments of Agriculture.
We belong to an organization called Willing Workers on
Organic Farms (WWOOF), and as a result host people from
around the country and the world that come to share their
experiences, to learn, and to work on our farm.  

All of our fruits and vegetables are grown on our family farm
using our sparkling clean natural well water and healthy
organic processes.  At our high desert property, we also use
pure organic guidelines to raise steers, chickens, pigs and
goats, so that we can enjoy farming in the wilderness - away
from all conventional type farms – and practice and maintain
a sustainable lifestyle.

The country fever hit us in early 2000, so we left the city life
behind – initially so our son could practice his motocross
racing.  Our farm has grown from our original 5 acres and a
small garden, to over 20 acres of Certified Organic Farm,
and our son Justin is a key part of our distribution operations.

We supply Whole Foods and other healthy food stores,
several restaurants and hotels - including the Glen Ivy
Resort. Our Heirloom Tomatoes, Sage Candy Onions, and
other high quality organic fruits and vegetables are helping
us to become one of the most well-known and popular farms
in the valley.

What made you decide to go Vegan???? The Winners….

from our contest on Facebook!    Congrats to Doug Novak, Tamara Aguilar and Kaharra Harbour….they each won a $10 Gift Card to Native Foods Café…HURRAY!

(Stay tuned for the next contest)

Kaharra :

Read the book "Skinny Bitch" and couldn’t eat any animal products the next day. it talked in graphic detail about what does on it slaughter houses and how bad meat in itself is for your body. i've always had problems with dairy and eggs... i... finally accepted it and stopped eating it. I feel sooo much better and happier. increased mood, decrease of appetite, faster metabolism, no sluggish feeling after eating more decadent foods, and a good conscience about sparing God's animals. I feel in my heart that He's proud that I'm sticking up for His creations. :)

Doug:

 When i was a young boy my father would buy a calf and a man that worked for him had a farm and would raise the calf to maturity and then the cow would be slaughtered and we would have meat for a a few months. (this was back in the 1950's). ...The same time I had a horse and the horse was on the same ranch as the calf being raised. i knew the calf was our family's so I became attached to the calf and it became like my pet. It was happy to see me when i came to the ranch and I would take it with me when I rode my horse. When it became time for the cow to be slaughtered after being fattened up, I told my Dad that i loved the cow and please do not kill it. He of course did not have it killed and we got rid of the freezer in the garage and my father never bought another calf. I immediately stopped eating all meat because i saw the link between what is on the dinner table and a live animal. I started to go to other ranches and saw the suffering and the death of animal agriculture and became a full fledged vegan. I also visited dairies and saw the inhumane way cows are treated and it made me very sad. I went on a crusade to learn and educate other people to switch to a plant base diet. I befriended Paul Bragg as he owned a heath food store in LA and also Adelle Davis as she was a nutritionist in LA too and they became my gurus. I am 64 years old and have never been to the doctor and feel like I am 24 years old. I am an avid vegan and animal rights activists as well as an environmentalist as I see the devastation the meat and dairy industry is causing to the environment. I have been a long time customer of Native and have met Tanya many times and I am inspired by the great example that she is establishing. The cuisine at Native is superior to any vegan restaurant i have ever been at. The consistency of healthful choices and preparation is amazing and Tanya's integrity and philosophy on the environment and veganism is very admirable. Thank you Tanya and the entire staff at all of the Native Foods.

  

Tamara:

I went veg in college after I killed a snail and felt incredibly guilty.  Less than a year later, I was at my Tia's house eating a breakfast of beans, platanos, and queso fresco when my uncle asked me, "Why are you eating cheese when you don't eat cow? Cheese is from the cow." So I said, "You're right," and have been vegan ever since. That was ten years ago =)

 

Animal Samaritans

 

On the first Tuesday of each month at Native Foods Café, we celebrate Native Days.   You probably know what we’re passionate about…food, the environment, kids and ANIMALS!   So we invite animal shelter volunteers to join us on this day to tell us a little bit about their organizations.   Tom Snyder and his crew will be in Palm Desert on October 5…

 

By Tom Snyder
Guest Blogger, Native Foods Café

 

 

1.  Please tell us a little about your Organization and why you’re involved

Animal Samaritans, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 1978, is committed to reducing animal homelessness, neglect, and the euthanasia of adoptable animals. We do this by providing quality and affordable veterinary services, including spaying & neutering, to pet owners of all incomes. We also run a no-kill animal shelter, and offer several outreach programs to our community free of charge. These programs include our humane education program, which features a state accredited curriculum, and teaches future pet owners responsible pet ownership, animal safety, dog bite prevention, and respect for all living creatures. Our Animal Assisted Therapy program pairs therapy dogs and cats with disabled children, residents of nursing homes, and local hospital patients, while our Animal Assisted Activities program provides canine visits to the incarcerated youth of Juvenile Hall.  And finally our Pet Foster Care program gives unwanted dogs and cats a fighting chance when we do not have the space or resources to house them at our shelter.

 

 

2. Give us a few facts about your animals (origin, why good pets, etc)

The animals at our shelter come from local public shelters who cannot find homes for them, as well as pet owners who, for whatever reason, must give up their four-legged family members.  Our shelter is relatively small, and accordingly we house only cats and small dogs (under twenty pounds). We do, however, shelter large breed puppies and foster among volunteers and staff large and small breed animals alike. We do not always select the most beautiful or highest pedigree animals—we take those who need us, who without us would not survive.  Prior to accepting an animal for adoption, they are screened for aggression and given a health examination.  All our animals our

 

3. Rescues

 

Tub Club kittens

Rhona Linsell, a Pet Adoptions counselor for Animal Samaritans since 2001, arrived for work in the early morning to find a blue, medium-sized tub sealed shut with packing tape. At first she heard nothing. However, once she pried open the top she knew it had animals; inside the tub were 15 kittens. According to Rhona, the smallest ones weren’t moving. “There were no air holes for these little guys,” explained Linsell. “Thankfully the weather was cool [that] morning. Had it been your typical summer morning in the desert, they might not have made it.” Immediately, the vet staff at Animal Samaritans went to work to revive and save the abandoned infants. After nursing them back to health, the “Tub Club” kittens were de-wormed, weighed and examined for general health. The kittens appeared to be born from three different cats, and ranged in age from 4 to 7 weeks. There were orange and white tabbies, grey tabbies, calico mixes, and several combinations of all three. The five youngest kittens were fostered by Animal Samaritans’ staff and volunteers until they could live on their own at the Animal Samaritans shelter. Over the course of the next two months, only one did not survive; Animal Samaritans found loving homes for the other fourteen.

 

Duro the Dog

Volunteers from Animal Samaritans SPCA and Save-A-Pet animal shelter in Desert Hot Springs visited the impoverished Duroville Trailer Park in Thermal to provide tenants with free vet services for their pets. As a result, more than 200 dogs were de-ticked and vaccinated against rabies, distemper, canine hepatitis, parainfluenza, and the fatal parvovirus.  Shortly before the day ended, a pitbull-labrador mix sheepishly approached Animal Samaritan’s Outreach Coordinator, Michelle Hodge, and nuzzled his tick-infested fur against her leg for a pet. “He had open wounds on his head and ears, and flies were all over him,” said Hodge, “and still he was waging his tail.”  Considering the dog had no license, microchip, or collar, Hodge took the dog back to Animal Samaritans to get him cleaned up, have him temperament tested, and if possible find him a home.  The dog was terrified of tile floors, and appeared to have never lived indoors before.  Hodge quickly house broke the two-year old Duro and continued to foster him until he met his forever family at our annual Walk for the Animals event in March 2010

 

4. Please give us a Wish List of 5 items you are badly in need of so we can let our guests know

1. Underwriters for our Pet Transport Program

2. Underwriters for our Duroville spay/neuter project

3. Used vehicle for our Humane Education program

4. Blankets

5. Cat food    

 

5. What sort of volunteers do you need and what would they do? 

·     Spanish-speaking volunteers needed!

·     Shelter Volunteers:  Needed to walk dogs, cuddle cats, clean cages, staff front desk and assist potential pet adopters.

·     Pet Transport Program Volunteers: Needed to assist pet owners with off-site registration and collect payment for spay/neuter; drive our Pet Transport Vehicle.

·     Clinic Volunteers: Needed to greet and assist pet owners in our clinic lobby

 

 

http://www.animalsamaritans.org/

 

 

Oh Mama! Italian Breakfast Pizza (vegan)

A Recipe for the weekend......

Enjoy!

Chef Tanya Petrovna

Native Foods Cafe

 

  1 ea. pizza dough

  1-2 Tbsp.   olive oil or roasted garlic oil

  1 ea. tomato, chopped

  2 ea. large basil leaves, chiffonade

  1 ea. garlic clove, minced

  ¼ tsp.   sea salt

  pinch black pepper

  1/4 cup marinara

  1 recipe    Tofu Scrambler*

  2 cups   vegan sausage, ground or crumbled

  1 cup steamed kale, chopped

  ¼ cup basil Pesto*

1.    Pre-heat oven to 400°.

2.    Roll out pizza dough and brush top with oil.

3.    Put on cookie sheet or on pizza stone and place in oven.

4.    Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

5.    Remove and let cool while you prep other ingredients.

6.    In a small bowl mix chopped tomato with basil, garlic salt and pepper.

7.    Spread marinara all over crust lightly leaving ¼ border.

8.    Top marinara in the following order:

  a.  Tofu Scrambler    b. Vegan sausage   c.  Chopped steamed kale

  d.  Fresh tomato/basil mixture

9.    Drizzle pesto over top in a zig zag fashion.

10.   Put back in 400° oven  for 10 minutes.

Optional-Top with a vegan mozzarella, but there are a lot of flavors going on and richness with the pesto so it’s not really necessary, but it’s brunch so have fun and do what you want!!!

 

Tofu Scrambler

½ cup chopped onion

½ ea. red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp.   olive oil

1 lb. medium or firm Chinese-style

  tofu (not silken)

½  tsp.   sea salt

¼ tsp.    black pepper

¼ tsp.    turmeric

1.   Heat oil in skillet and sauté onions

and bell pepper until onions are transparent and lightly browned.

2.   Crumble in tofu and stir.

3.   Add salt, pepper and turmeric and sauté another 2-3 minutes.

*Basil Pesto

Makes 1 cup.

1  cup basil leaves, lightly packed

¾ cup olive oil

½ cup toasted pine nuts

2 ea.     garlic cloves

3/4 tsp.  sea salt

Puree all ingredients in blender.

*Tofu Scrambler    adapted from the Native Foods Café    restaurant cookbook

 

SOONER than later?

So we were THINKING about opening in Oklahoma City and now after reading this we HAVE TO!

How can we not let them try our best selling, water saving burger named after all those Oklahomians! The Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger is coming to a street corner near you "sooner" than later.

 

Native Foods Cafe:  The Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger

 

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will be posing nude behind a banner downtown Wednesday to urge Oklahomans to go green and cut water usage.

PETA said their two beauties will be "showering" behind a banner that reads "Clean Your Conscience: Go Vegan! 1 lb. of Meat Equals 6 Months of Showers" at the corner of N. Broadway Avenue and W. Main Street around noon Wednesday.

 

PETA said the group is urging Oklahomans to go vegan because it cuts down on water usage. According to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Oklahoma's water use is already greater than its water supply.

"It's impossible to 'go green' without going vegan," said PETA beauty Lauren Stroyeck in a press release. "Just by changing their diets, concerned people can help protect the Earth, their own health, and countless animals."

--
Eat Peace,

Tanya Petrovna
Executive Chef/Founder
Native Foods Cafe

5 Tips for Healthy Eating and a few recipes!

By Chef Tanya Petrovna
Native Foods Cafe
Vegan Recipes

Ideas for Recipes

 
 

VEGAN COCONUT LIME CAKE

That’s Right… It’s Vegan!

By Ryan Takakawa, Guest Blogger
Native Foods Cafe....great guest!

Growing up, my love Susan had little interest in cooking or baking.  Neither of us was a foodie by any stretch.  But when our love of animals finally nudged us to follow our hearts and become vegetarians, it changed our lives in more ways than we could have imagined.  Going vegetarian led us to become more aware of our food and how it’s prepared.  And much to our surprise, we learned how to cook, and discovered that cooking was fun!  And interesting!  And vegetarian food tasted really, really good!  We’d never appreciated or enjoyed food more.

We wondered why we hadn’t known about this sooner.  And we realized it’s because vegetarians and true foodies knew this, but non-vegetarians needed to hear it, too!  We had even met grown adults who wouldn’t even put food in their mouths if they were told it was vegetarian or vegan.

So we thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow do our small part for the animals, by helping to show that vegan food could taste just as good as non-vegan?  What better way than a head-to-head competition?  Susan’s first thought was for us to hire an experienced cook to create a good vegan recipe to enter and win a contest.  Then I told her, hey, why don’t you just do it?

So she did a bunch of research, read a lot of books, made a lot of really bad pies, and finally a consistently good one, and entered it into a local Apple Pie contest.  Not some vegan or health-food category, mind you.  Just Apple Pie.  And guess what?  She got 2^nd place! The presenter even made a point of saying it was vegan.  I think the crowd gasped.  I know I did.  I mean, I know my love is capable of anything she puts her mind to, but it really wasn’t that long ago that her cooking reputation was primarily based on setting a bagel on fire in the break room at her office.

Encouraged by that 2^nd place finish, she decided to enter some items in the 2009 Orange County Fair.  Again, there weren’t any separate vegan categories or anything – just head-to-head with the non-vegan stuff.  She was hoping for maybe just one ribbon.  She got FIVE.  Including a 1^st place for her Vegan Apple Pie (a tweaked version of the one that started it all), and a 1^st place and Division Win for her Vegan Sundried Tomato Cornbread Muffins.  At the award ceremony, when they announced her Division ribbon, the crowd gasped again when the announcer said it was vegan.  Maybe it was just because the photo of it looked so good on the video monitor.  And then to her surprise and delight, people (including some who had previously refused to try vegan food) started to get curious, and asked to taste the things she made.

For the 2010 OC Fair, she was energized, but also a little nervous.  What if 2009 was a fluke?  She started thinking about it months in advance, preparing recipes, making test batches.  Me, dutifully eating the early rejects and giving my unbiased feedback.  Finally, everything was ready.

In the first week of competitions, her Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies got a 3rd place.  And her Vegan Vanilla Bean Almond Brittle got a 2^nd.  Soon after that, an Honorable Mention for her Vegan Apple Tart with Almond Frangipane Filling and a 1^st place for her Vegan Chevre Tartlette.  Next, another 1^st place (plus a special Judges Award), this time for her Vegan Hawaiian-Asian Party Mix, and a 2^nd for her Ginger-Soy Lime Tofu Cutlets over Cashew Rice Salad.  Plus her Vegan Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies got an Honorable Mention.

But the biggest thrill by far, was when we went to the Fair and saw the big blue ribbon sitting next to her Vegan Coconut Lime Cake in the display case.  BEST OF SHOW!  Of ALL baked goods!  She was in such disbelief that she stood outside the hall and sent me back in (twice) to make sure that the ribbon was really for her cake, and not the one next to it.  She actually didn’t even tell anyone until the Fair was over, and she had the ribbon in her hand.  She just couldn’t believe it.  A vegan cake won Best of Show!

I can’t tell you how proud I am of her.  But she doesn’t do it because she’s competitive.  Anyone who knows Susan knows how uncomfortable she is with a lot of attention.  She’d never enter any competitions if it weren’t for her love of animals.  And when she learned that embracing vegan food not only helps animals, but reduces worldwide human suffering and starvation as well, that further strengthened her resolve to help spread the word that vegan food can be decadent and delicious.  She hopes that when people hear that vegan food is winning awards against non-vegan competition, it may help inspire them to move a bit closer toward more compassionate choices about the food they eat.

1:  Vegan Coconut Lime Cake.  BEST OF SHOW (!), 2010 OC Fair, Baked Goods.

 

2:  Vegan Coconut Lime Cake ribbons.

 

3:  Ginger-Soy Lime Tofu Cutlets over Cashew Rice Salad.  2^nd Place, 2010 OC Fair International Foods Festival, Entrée.

4:  Sun-Dried Tomato Vegan Chevre Tartlette with Caramelized Shallots.  1^st Place, 2010 OC Fair “Art of the Tart” Competition, Savory.

 

5:  Vegan Apple Tart with Almond Frangipane Filling and Loquat Glaze.  Honorable Mention, 2010 OC Fair "Art of the Tart" Competition, Single-crust Sweet.

 

6:  Vegan Hawaiian-Asian Style Party Mix.  1st place plus Special Judges Award, 2010 OC Fair, International Foods Festival, Appetizer.

 

Additional photos posted on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/33272033@N02/sets/

 

 

 

 

VEGAN COCONUT LIME CAKE

Yield:  One 2-layer 9” round cake

Submitted by: Susan Asato, Division 486, Class 01

_________________________________________________________________________

Cake

12 oz. (by weight)     All-purpose flour (about 2-1/3 cups)

5 oz. (by weight)   Coconut powder (about 1 cup)

1 tbsp    Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

½ tsp     Salt

4 oz. (by weight)   Coconut oil (about 1/2 cup)

8 oz. (by weight)   Light coconut milk (about 1 cup)

8 oz. (by weight)   Unsweetened soy milk (about 1 cup)

12 oz. (by weight)     Sugar, non-bone char processed (about 1-1/2 cups)

3 tsp Lime zest, microplaned (about 2 limes)

4 oz. (by weight)   Lime juice, freshly squeezed (1/2 cup, about 4 to 5 limes)

2 tsp Vanilla extract

2 tsp Coconut extract

Frosting

3 oz. (by weight)   Earth Balance brand vegan butter (6 tbsp or 3/4 stick)

3 oz. (by weight)   Earth Balance brand vegan shortening (6 tbsp or 3/4 stick)

24 oz. (by weight)     Powdered sugar, non-bone char processed (about 4-1/2 cups)

3 tbsp    Light coconut milk

3 to 6 tbsp     Lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 to 3 limes)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

pinch    Salt

Garnishes

2 tbsp or as desired   Unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

as desired Fresh lime slice(s)

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1.   Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease two 9” round cake pans and wrap in moistened “bake-even” strips for even rising.

2.   Whisk together flour, coconut powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

3.   Place coconut oil in a medium saucepot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes and whisk until melted.  Remove from heat, then add coconut milk, soy milk, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and coconut extract and whisk until well incorporated.  If bits of coconut oil start to solidify again, place saucepan on back stove over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes and whisk until smooth.

4.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir by hand just until incorporated.  Do not over mix.

5.   Divide batter evenly between the two lightly greased pans.  Bake at 350°F for about 28 to 34 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6.   Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

7.   For frosting, beat vegan butter and vegan shortening in a stand mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar, coconut milk, and 3 tbsp of the lime juice.  Add additional lime juice until desired consistency, then beat at medium high speed for 10 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.  Add vanilla extract and salt and beat another 1 to 2 minutes or until incorporated.  Frost cooled cake, then garnish with coconut flakes and lime slices as desired.

    © Copyright 2010 Susan Asato