Today is the LAST day for Vegan Month of Food and I believe it was very successful! Even though I did not get a chance to read close to 800 blogs I did get introduced to MANY new blogs. I have added them to bloglines for easier reading so I am looking forward continuing reading them.
I do not know about anyone else, but I do not plan on NOT blogging any less than I have because it has been inspiring to keep creating new dishes and working on new recipes featured by other bloggers. Why stop now? I know that others feel the same so stay tuned for continuous posts here!
November hit another point for me in my life. When the holidays usually come around I seem to focus on family. Well, duh, you might say, but I am talking about family no longer living or family not living near. When I got married I knew I was preparing to go on a journey with my husband and I have been REALLY happy sharing an adventure together. I guess what I am saying that I did not realize HOW much would change.
Somehow I imagined things being a little different. I did not grow up in a big family. It always was just 4 of us and then it was 3, which meant that one side of the family no longer existed for us. Can I be any more vague? Well, noone said divorce was easy but when my parents split, it continued splitting the divide between my father’s family (Chileans) with my mother and my sister and I. It meant no more family gatherings and no more laughter. That was the hardest thing for me. I enjoyed them but it could not be helped no matter how much I even tried. (Believe me, I tried, and with repercussions)
Anyway, I did not mean for this post to have any low points, I just meant to explain the reasons for certain recipes. During this month I have felt inspired to cook in memory of my Chilean grandmother. Even though she did not teach me many of her recipes I remember the flavors and the dishes.
One of the things we did often was have tea time like the British do. On Sunday evenings my grandmother would make Chilean biscuits and serve them with deli, cheese, homemade caramel, pate’, and black tea with milk. This past weekend I felt like making them and introducing them to Ryan.
The biscuits require a bit of rising and kneading but when they are ready they bake quickly and are perfect for consuming. Ryan loved them and expressed that this recipe was a keeper. Looks like I will be keeping on a tradition. 😀
These biscuits are completely vegan using all-vegetable shortening with no trans fats. (I use Spectrum) You then slice them in half and spread a bit of Earth Balance and your choice of preserves. Mine have always been peach or apricot preserves when it comes to these biscuits. I then enjoyed it with 2 cups of warm Earl Grey Tea with a bit of almond milk. A perfect weekend night meal.
You know what ended up being great about the leftovers? You can toast them and eat them for breakfast or make a quick dinner to make vegan pizzas. This is what I did on Sunday evening. This girl has learned to keep the creativity going. Ryan looked up from his reading and said, “I smell something I like. Pizza!” H e was right. Here it is with a bit of marinara, Tofurky sausage and Daiya cheese. Delicious!
Pan Amasado {Chilean Biscuits}
original recipe on Family Cookbook Project
makes 10 biscuits
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup shortening, softened
1 1/2 packages yeast
Mix flour and salt for 15 seconds and scrape walls of bowl. Add softened shortening and knead slowly for one minute
Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cups of warm water (110º F or 45º C) and add it to the bowl. Knead for another two minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Adjust water or flour, as necessary
Allow the dough to rest and rise in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour in a warm place (85º F) until it doubles in volume.
Preheat oven to 375º F. Punch down and knead dough until soft and smooth. Form small rolls about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch tall. Place on a non-stick baking sheet, prick tops with fork, and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Bake rolls about 20 minutes
