As with most breads, they require some proofing time (1 hour) so a little advance preparation is required. In our family, you could make them in the morning and the dozen would be gone before dinner.

I posted the fact I had made these and received numerous requests via Facebook and emails to share this recipe.

Sweet Potato Buns
From “The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet” by Joni Marie Newman

1 large sweet potato(yam), peeled and cubed
14g (1/2 oz) active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water
56g (1/4 cup) non dairy butter, plus extra for brushing, I use Becel vegan margarine
235 ml (1 cup) soymilk, I use almond milk
42g (2 tbsp) agave nectar
500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more as required
5ml (1 tsp) salt

1. Boil the sweet potato in a pot of salted water until soft , about 20 minutes.
2. Combine the yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes(until doubled in size).
3. Drain and mash the sweet potato, adding the butter, milk and agave until smooth.
4. In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.
5. Add the yeast to the flour and stir.
6. Add the sweet potato mash and combine. Use a spatula at first and them switch to hands.
7. Knead the dough 8-10 minutes, adding flour as needed to get a soft, pliable dough ball.
8. Place back in the large bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour.***
9. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. And line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mat (very handy kitchen tool!!).
10. Punch down the dough, knead for 2 minutes, adding flour if too sticky.
11. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls and flatten slightly.
12. Place 6 per baking sheet, bake 12-15 minutes, remove, brush with melted butter and bake for 5 more minutes.
13. Enjoy.

*** I find I get great results by turning on my ‘Keep warm’ element on the stove, spray a large bowl with vegetable spray, place the dough ball inside, spray the top of the ball and cover the bowl with cling wrap and place on the element. After about 10 minutes turn off the element. The dough will rise in about 30 minutes.

There is a fair bit of sugar in this recipe and I am going to experiment with it and try substituting agave or another sweetener but for now I will suffer with the sugar.

I would also like to try experimenting with other nuts like almonds or even peanuts instead of the cashews. The quantities in this recipe leaves you with extra cashew cream and not quite enough avocado mixture. I tend to increase the avocado mixture part.

Making this recipe reminds me of when my mother baked cookies and us kids got to lick the batter spoon. The extra cashew cream does not get wasted as I always find a spoon in the empty bowl.

Perhaps the reason I have extra cashew cream and not enough avocado mixture may be the glasses I am using. What ever glass you put it in, it tastes incredible. Here are two ways I have made it and I also made a dozen as sort of an amuse bouche in small plastic wine glasses. These pictures are minus the extra pistachios and mint leaves.

Creamy Lime-Pistachio Parfaits from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson

Ingredients:
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, divided
1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
2 ripe Haas avocados, pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup firm silken tofu, drained
3 tablespoons fresh organic lime juice
fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Grind 1/2 cup of the pistachios and all the cashews in a high-speed blender.
2. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the soymilk, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Blend. Pour into a small bowl.
3. Blend the avocados, tofu, half cup sugar, lime juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, until smooth.
4. Crush the remaining 1/2 cup of pistachios in a mortar and pestle.
5. Spoon a layer of crushed pistachios into the bottom of four parfait glasses.
6. Add a layer of the avocado mixture, followed by a layer of pistachio cream, followed by another layer of the avocado mixture.
7. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to several hours.
8. When ready to serve top with the remaining pistachios and garnish with mint leaves.

You know how you think you know someone…. Oh wait that’s from Dirty Dancing, one of my all time fave movies. What I meant to say was you think you know what the best recipe in a cookbook is and then you try something quite by accident and Voila! Eureka! I have found it! (Of course she now has a new book in the works I just might have to change this post to say  this was our favourite but now…) I really want to be one of the testers for her new book. If it is like this book, I can make and love every recipe in it. She is talking about having the testing done by January but I know could test all her dishes in a lot shorter time then that. I make at *least* one per day if not two or three. Anyway on with the post.

We found a new favourite vegan dish. I could eat this once or twice a week for a meal and have the leftovers for some breakfasts and lunches. I have always loved Shepherd’s Pie especially as a kid growing up but Belle is not a fan of it at all. Sometimes during our "takeout and frozen food only era" I would buy frozen Shepherd’s Pie and Sean and I would eat it, Hayley would have some but not much and of course Belle would not touch it. She says it is the ground beef ‘feeling/taste’ she doesn’t like, just give her steak instead.

Well I saw this recipe in Vegan Planet and thought, I will make this for myself and make a stir-fry for everyone else cause I know they wouldn’t like it (Sean is away at university). I told Belle and she said well maybe I will like it since it doesn’t have ground beef and Hayley said she would try it. Off we go.

While I was cooking Belle said the aromas were incredible and she was dying to try this. After she tried it she gave me the rest of hers and she had leftovers from the night before. Her complaint? It tasted too much like Shepherd’s Pie! Is that a complaint or a compliment? Hayley says it is her new favourite dish (that along with the vegan lasagna), and like I said earlier, I could eat this every day. I used Robin’s "Mashed Potatoes and Company" recipe for the topping as she suggests and it was fantastic. Of course I made a few changes but I am sure, right out of the book it would be great. I did find the cooking time for the mashed potatoes and company was too short considering the size she asked it to be cut up to but with the aid of an immersion blender I fixed that. The second time I made it I cut everything up a lot smaller (1/2" dice) and it was a lot better and shorter cooking time as well but I still used the blender because I really like that smooth, silky texture to my mashed potatoes.

Try this for yourself and let me know what you think. Start  the mashed potatoes first and while they are boiling prep the filling. Since you are baking the pie, the potatoes do not have to be hot. This is it!

Ultimate Shepherd’s Pie
adapted from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium onions chopped
2 large carrots grated **
2 cups white mushrooms chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp organic soy sauce (use Gluten Free soy sauce and the meal is GF as well)
1 cup organic vegetable stock
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
3 frozen veggie burgers, thawed and chopped (about 300g)
2/3 cup peas (frozen, canned or fresh)
2/3 cup corn (frozen, canned or fresh)
1/4 cup ground walnuts
3-4 cups mashed potatoes (Mashed Potatoes and Company recipe follows)
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

Mashed Potatoes and Company
adapted from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced **
1 medium yam/sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced or 1 parsnip and 1 1/2 cups diced celeriac root **
8 cloves of garlic, pressed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Topping:

1. Place the potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and celery root and garlic in a large pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Cook for  20 minutes or until they are soft. (test with a fork)
3. Drain and place them back into the pot.
4. Mash the vegetables or use an immersion blender (my choice) and mash/blend until smooth
5. If they are dry add EVOO or soy milk a little at a time. I never need to add anything. **
6. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and carrot and cook until tender (10 minutes).
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, stock, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the cornstarch(and water) and simmer about 2 minutes to thicken.
6. Add the chopped burgers, peas, corn and walnuts, stir to combine and remove from the heat.
7. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
8. Prepare a 2-3 qt baking dish with vegetable spray.
9. Pour the vegetable mixture into the dish and top with the potato mixture, spreading it to the edges and making it nice and thick.
10. Top with a sprinkling of paprika and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove and serve.

Espresso Chip Oatmeal Cookies
from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

(about 2 dozen cookies)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (soy milk)
1/2 cup canola (vegetable oil)
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (fine sea salt)

1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats (Minute oats)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (vegan compound chocolate chips)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
4. Sift in the flour and add the next 5 ingredients and mix until smooth.
5. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir until everything is moist and combined.
6. Place large tablespoons of dough 2" apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake for 14 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Enjoy.

I remember as a child and even as a young teen having shortbread and ginger cordial (non-alcoholic) at Christmas and especially New Year. My mom’s mom was Scottish and New Year was almost the most important day of the year, next to Robbie Burns day that is. She loved the shortbread and cordial. It was our family tradition.

My brother has the recipe for the cordial and I know he sent it to me a while ago but I can’t seem to find it. I really need to get it before New Years and make it in honour of my late grandmother(Granny). You don’t need to wait until New Years, make this now and again at New Years!

Old Fashioned Pie-Plate Shortbread
From Vegan Cookies – Invade your cookie jar by Isa Chandra-Moskowitz &  Terry Hope Romero

1 cup Vegan Margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups All-Purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
extra sugar for sprinkling on top (1 tsp)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease or vegetable spray a 10" shallow baking dish
3. In a large bowl combine the margarine and sugar, using an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and mix this in again for about 1 minute.
5. Sift together the flour and cornstarch.
6. Add 1/2 the flour mixture to the margarine with a spatula then use mixer to combine.
7. Add the rest of the flour mixture and use the mixer to combine to a crumbly dough. (about 1-2 minutes).
8. Using the spatula put the dough into the prepared baking dish and using your fingers, press the dough into the pan and spread it out.
9. Using a fork poke holes (about half way through the dough) throughout the surface in any design or pattern you like.
10. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes.
11. Remove to a cutting board, sprinkle with sugar if desired (I don’t) and let cool 15 minutes.
12. Slice and let cool an additional 30 minutes before removing from the pan. (My family is usually doing the slicing and eating right away, but try to let it cool).
13. Enjoy.

Curried Vegetables with Tofu
adapted from 125 Best Vegan Recipes by Maxine Effenson Chuck & Beth Gurney

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, roughly chopped (about 1"x1/2")
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped (about 1"x1/2")
4 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp turmeric
2 cups broccoli florets (organic preferred)
2 cups cauliflower florets (organic preferred)
3 organic carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
1 2/3 cups vegetable stock (organic preferred)
1 19oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
14 oz extra firm tofu, drained and cubed to bite-size pieces  (organic preferred)
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tsp raw cane sugar, such as Demerara
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and cook until softened.
2. Add the pepper, curry powder, ginger and turmeric and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and vegetable stock. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes (until vegetables are soft).
5. Add the chickpeas and tofu, increase the heat and bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the coconut milk and sugar. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes.
8. Serve over rice

To make this Gluten-Free, use tamari or gluten free soy sauce and if you can not find GF mushroom soy sauce, replace it with GF soy sauce.

Vegetarian Sticky Rice Pockets
Gourmet Vegetarian by Jane Price

(makes 20 pockets)

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
6 scallions, chopped
1 large (14 oz) Asian eggplant, cubed
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
3 small red chilies, seeded and chopped
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
4 cups glutinous rice, washed and drained
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
20  Bamboo Leaves or 4 or 5 very large bamboo leaves cut into 8" squares

1. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until browning.
2. Add the water chestnuts, mushroom soy sauce, chilies, sugar and cilantro. Take off the heat and let cool.
3. Bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet or saucepan, add the rice and stir until all the rise is coated with the oil (1-2 minutes).
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and start adding the water 1/2 cup at a time and stir constantly until the water is absorbed into the rice and add more water.
6. Continue until all the water has been absorbed. (30-40 minutes). Add the soy sauce and pepper.
7. Fold one end of the bamboo leaf diagonally to form a cone, hold with one hand add 2 tbsp rice then 1 tbsp filling and finally 1 tbsp rice.
8. Fold the other end of the leaf over to hold in the filling and tie it up with kitchen twine. Repeat with other leaves.
9. Fill a large pot or wok with water and bring to a simmer. Place a steamer over top and add a single layer of pockets.
10. Add another steamer basket on top (if you have) add a single layer of pockets and place the lid on top.
11. Steam for 1 1/2 hours (adding water to the wok as required.
12. Repeat this process with remaining pockets if any.

** Do not eat the bamboo leaf, untie and open up and only eat the rice and filling.