Tuesday 25 October 2011

Cookbook Challenge Day X

Just like yesterday I picked the cookbooks for the challenge out of a hat and Nick chose the recipes, unlike yesterday I had to do the cooking myself! His first pick of the day, Apple-Pie Crumb Cake Muffins, came from Vegan With A Vengeance. This is one of my oldest & most loved cookbooks and I was excited to be cooking a new recipe from it.

These muffins have grated apple, chunks of apple and apple cider for triple-apple-awesomeness! The only problem was that I realised after starting to make the recipe that it included apple cider, you don't get apple cider in the UK... well, Strongbow's technically made from apples but I don't think that counts! If I'd had some apple juice in the house I'd have subbed that but a quick look in the fridge told me we only had orange so I used soya milk. This is why you're meant to read the recipe all the way through before starting it isn't it?!

These muffins are perfect for autumn. I used in season British Cox's apples and I don't think my soya milk sub caused any damage. The sugary crumb topping gives these muffins that perfect muffin top crunch and the surprise chunks of apple inside are reminiscent of the inside of an apple pie. Perfect.

The second recipe of the day was meant to be the Blackberry Skillet Pie from Vegan Diner but sadly the ridiculous price of blackberries meant that this one wasn't going to happen, I picked again and Nick decided on the Cocoa-Nut Quick Bread from 500 Vegan Recipes.

This sweet loaf is full of cocoa and coconut and the coconut is blended to make a powder, as you can see from the photo I didn't quite get that bit right! This loaf's really chocolattey and has a delicious crisp top. I think I'm going to make Nick take the rest of it to work tomorrow so that I don't eat it all!

The final recipe of the day is from Yellow Rose Recipes, Nick was so impressed with the taco meat recipe we used on Sunday that he picked another of the authors TVP based recipes, Sloppy Joannas. We had some homemade burger buns from Vegan Diner in the freezer so this was a really quick easy meal.

We've never had Sloppy Joes (or Joannas) before but we'll definitely be making these again. Sloppy Joe's are really, really good, like a sloppy burger... I guess that's the point!

11 comments:

  1. The sloppy Joes look really tasty. I made the apple muffins for the first time the other week too. I didn't have cider and used apple juice and they were nice. I have had them made by a friend with alcoholic cider in before though and it does give a different but still lovely taste and I remember them coming out much darker. Just got a reply from Lidl about the prosecco. They said they don't list on a lot of products as they often change suppliers but if I write to them (by post) stating the product name then they will chase it with the individual supplier so I'll have a go at that.

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  2. I often start a recipe only to find I've misread it or missed an ingredient but it's too late because I've already started, oops! Your muffins look great, I haven't made them so I might try them out this weekend. And the sloppy Joes look yummo too!

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  3. I love those muffins! I think the closest thing here to US apple cider is cloudy apple juice - that's what I use for anything calling for apple cider. And at least you didn't accidentally pick a recipe that needed apple butter!
    I also love the Sloppy Joannas. They're the best vegan sloppy joes I've ever had.

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  4. I love sloppy joes! Such a cheap meal too.

    The loaf looks great, cocoa and coconut - yum!

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  5. We don't get apple cider here, either. I am always slightly confused about what to use instead, it seems to just be a variation on apple juice according to the internet? I just always think that it must be something magical because it is called cider. But not the bubbly alcoholic kind that we can get. ;)

    I have made quite a few sloppy joe recipes, but not the YRR one. I just bought that book when I was in the US, so I should get on that!

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  6. You stamina is so impressive! I am just gonna be able to hit 20 posts for the month, and then I am calling it. I am wiped out!

    xo
    kittee

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  7. Oh man. That Cocoa-Nut loaf looks splendid! Send me over a slice, will ya?

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  8. Apple-awesomeness in those muffins is right!
    I just Wiki'd apple cider 'cos I thought you were going bonkers for saying you can't get it in the UK, now I think the rest of the world are bonkers for naming an unalcoholic drink as cider!! There should be laws against that.
    <:-)

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  9. ooh I have 500 Vegan Recipes, I need to make that loaf.

    I've never had sloppy joes/joannas either, I keep meaning to make the lentil ones in VCon.

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  10. i love sloppy joe type sammies. they are made to be messy and we eat our open-faced (and i like mine with yellow mustard & pickles). so yum!

    you know, even when i read through a recipe i still forget stuff or think i have something i don't. glad the muffins turned out to be tasty and the cocoa-nut quick bread is awesome, Jojo! i think it looks crazy tasty, my friend!

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