Tamarind Ketchup and BBQ Sauce

On Wednesday, May 22nd, Mike and I taught our first vegan cooking class since we moved to the Pearl Brewery!  We are neighbors to the Culinary Institute of America, and were able to rent out one of their beautiful kitchen classrooms to cook in... it was amazing!!  The kitchen was so fancy. We did a Summer BBQ theme, so I whipped up these two sauces that I consider a summer essential. 

TAMARIND KETCHUP

1/2 cup white onion chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups tomato paste

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

5 TBSP agave

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBSP tamarind puree

1/3 tsp cayenne

Chop onion and garlic into small chunks.  Heat a sauté pan, and use half of your olive oil to sauté onion and garlic.  Sauté for one minute, turn ht down to a simmer, then add tomato paste and stir continuously.  Slowly add the rest of your ingredients while stirring over low heat for approximately 5 minutes.  Once all ingredients have been incorporated and the ketchup has thickened up, remove from heat.  Let ketchup cool before pouring it into a blender or food processor and blend on high.  Remove from processor and serve right away.  Or, place in air tight container and refrigerate for up to one week.

BBQ SAUCE

2 cups Tamarind Ketchup

1/3 cup Molasses

1/2 tsp. Cloves

2 TBSP Lemon juice

3 TBSP Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos

2 TBSP Agave nectar

1 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend on high.  Remove and serve right away.

5th Annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale started in 2009. Every year, a week in April is designated, and groups and individuals host vegan bake sales in their towns to benefit a charity of their choice. Participants sign up at www.veganbakesale.org and promote their cause and ideas thru vegan yumminess. I am proud to say I have participated every year since it began, and have seen it grow in enormous amounts. This year, over 150 bake sales took place, and ours was the best one yet. At Green, we donate $1 from every dessert sold at both locations, and this year raised $649 dollars for the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Boerne, TX. If you live in the area and are unfamiliar with WRR, please take a second to check out their website at www.wildlife-rescue.org. I think you will be impressed with the amount of animals they help and provide care for. They also have a wonderful thrift store called the Squirrel's Nest on the Main drag in The center of Boerne. Please donate to them if you are getting rid of anything, and shop there when you're in town!!

Our menu at Green at Pearl was ginormous, and everything was made by Mia, Midge, and I. Thanks to our BFF Snickerdoodle for helping us too!!!


Cinnamon Rolls
Candy Bar Cupcakes
Banana Split Cupcakes
Hostess Who? Cupcakes
Banana Almond Cupcakes
Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Gluten Free Sno Ball Cupcakes
Chocolate Chip Pecan Brownies
Graham Cracker Pecan Cookies
Gluten Free Twinkies
Almond Pecan Chocolate Macaroons
Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Apple Cream Tart
Chocolate Cream Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
Cherry Berry Pie
Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Whoopie Pies
And, we sold recipe zines, as well as cruelty free cupcake and piggy buttons we made!

The menu at Green at Alon was eclectic too!! Kristen and KD baked there.

Gluten Free Pom Pom Cupcakes
Gluten Free Blueberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Gluten Free German Chocolate Cupcakes
Virgin Margarita Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Hostess Who? Cupcakes
Chocolate and Pecan Brownies
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten Free Almond Pecan Macaroons
Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Thank you to everyone that came to support!!!

Www.veganbakesale.org

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten free cookies rule. They are just as easy to make as regular cookies, and even though this recipe is for classic chocolate chip ones, you can easily fold in oatmeal, pecans, peanuts, coconut, or whatever else your heart desires. I use pumpkin purée to add to the soft texture, and it helps keep your cookies light, not dense.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
1/2 TBSP Xanthan Gum
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 cup ground Flaxseed
1/2 cup cold Earth Balance Vegan Margarine
3/4 granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
5 TBSP. Pumpkin Puree
1 TBSP. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup vegan, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips


Pre heat oven to 350°.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, preferably a deep one, combine cold margarine, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin.. Use a your hands or a hand mixer to cream together all ingredients and stop when there are no more lumps of margarine. In a seperate bowl, sift together your gluten free flour, Xanthan gum, baking powder, flaxseed, and salt. Pour 3/4 of your flour mixture into your creamed margarine mixture and use your hands to combine and create a dough. Add the last of your flour mixture and finish combining dough should be moist and sticky. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and use a small ice cream scoop to portion out your cookies. Flatten them with your hand to be 1/4 inch thick and set them an inch apart from each other. Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on the size you've made them. They should be golden around the edges when ready to be removed from the oven. Let them cool at least 5 minutes so they settle into their shape and firm up. ENJOY.