Welcome to 2012!

We welcomed 2012 this morning with Cranberry and Vegan Ricotta crepes!  Sorry to let my Gluten Free Vegan followers down :(   Holidays are my time to break the rules and for some reason I feel like we were way more indulgent than we normally are over the holidays.  I remember saying while making Christmas dinner that I couldn't wait for the holidays be be over so I could fast!  I'm certain it was because we have been eating too much cooked food and not enough raw.  Anyhow, this was our last "Hurrah" for indulgent vegan food.  Tomorrow we get back on track :)



The recipe for this was really simple and I took some shortcuts to make it even simpler!  First of all, no one should be intimidated with the idea of making crepes.  They are easy to make!  You just need to follow two simple rules. 

1. You need a very hot non-stick pan and you need to coat it well with oil. 
2. Make the batter in a blender and then put the entire blender container in the freezer to make the batter really cold before you use it.  But not too long in the freezer, only 10-15 minutes.


Cranberry Sauce
1- 12oz bag of raw cranberries
1 cup water
1/2-3/4 cup organic sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Boil the water and sugar and put the washed cranberries into the pot.  Bring back up to a boil and stir waiting for the cranberries to pop and become soft.  Takes 10-15 minutes.  I gave this task to my oldest while I made the ricotta and the batter :)

Cashew Ricotta (slightly modified version from Isa Moscowitz's "Veganomicon")
1 container of firm Organic Tofu
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Agave nectar

Toss the cashews, lemon juice and agave in the blender and then toss the tofu in and blend until smooth.

Whole Wheat Crepes (From Isa Moskowitz's book, "Vegan Brunch")
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 tbsp Tapioca Flour
1 tsp salt (I omitted this)
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used only one)
2 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend. Blend for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the blender once, until everything is smooth. The batter will be very thin. Refrigerate batter for one hour. (That's where I cheated and stuck it in the freezer!)

Preheat a crepe pan or large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. The pan is ready when a few drops of water flicked onto it sizzle. Lightly spray the pay with oil.

Ladle about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter (use the bigger amount for the bigger pan) in the center of the pan. Lift the pan off the burner and tilt in a circular motion so that the batter spreads in a thin layer across the bottom.

Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, the center is bubbling, and the edges are lightly browned and crinkly and are pulling away from the sides of the pan, usually 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Gently run a spatuala under the crepe to loosen, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crepes.