Recipe 33 - Sweet Agave Easter "Vham".

So, let's talk about this for a moment.   For some reason everyone wants to run to that said 'honey'd ham' store and buy themselves pounds full of this
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That used to look like this:

Until it was reduced to this (and other horrifying images I'll make us do without):

To make the gluttonous stuff we call 'ham' from it's backside.
People, it's a cold cold world.

But guess what?   It doesn't have to be!!!

Let's step back in time, shall we?  To Easter 2011 at the Hoffman estate - (aka ex girlfriend's family) and see just how well-recieved a VEGAN easter ham was!

Let's start with the numbers on this baby:


Original Honey'd Ham                                         Sweet Agave Easter Vham
    Per Serving                                                            Per Serving
Calories 125                                                                       90
Total Fat 5.0 g                                                                     0
Cholesterol 55mg                                                                 0
Sodium 1020mg                                                                 400
Total Carbohydrate 2g                                                           5
Dietary Fiber 0 g                                                                  1
Protein         18g                                                                 16
WWpts -   3                                                                         3

So in the WW world these two match.  Let's see how well the cruetly free ham matches up to it's evil counterpart.  (yeah I said evil).

I started with everyone's favorite - the prep of the seitan, which is the 'meat' of the 'ham'.   This is actually quite easy.. it's when you have to pull it apart to make it look like a burger is when it's a pain in the 'ham'.
(I even made crosswise marks on it!)

Once that was prepared, I simmered a yummy blend of tomatoes and spices in a pot and put that pretty non piggie into it and let it simmer - for quite some time.   Seitan takes to flavor much easier when it's boiling in the flavor rather than just soaking.

When it was time to take it out - i let it dry and concocted my sweet agave mix to drizzle on top of it to harden and crystallize (not as much) but much like honey would do in air.



Voila, finished 'ham'.

And it's good cold and hot!
So - now you know I liked it... but it was a little harder to convince the Hoffmans that they wanted some.  (why are you meat eaters so hard to convince?)

I had two victims, plus two,  (that makes four - thank you for learning me on counting, preschool).   Three were not extremely willing, but took a bite and were pleasantly surprised.  (These were avid meat eaters - the type that say to a vegan "well, where do you get your protien?!!")   The 'plus one' was the ex.. and she's not really one to mince words if she doesn't like things (she doesn't like alot of things - one of those things was me.) But she actually liked this.   I gave her the leftovers - it was gone in a week thanks to her and her step momma.

So, I like to consider this veganization (although a year old) a successful one, and one that warrants doing again for a holiday - or heck, just if you're craving a ham sandwich!

I saved a piggie!
Maybe several..
may all of your days consist of saving piggies too!
cuz - look:

                                                            OMG!


Ok, next week I'm back in the kitchen. 
Dippin
Dippin
Diiiipppin for the cause.



Music enjoyed while cooking:
(I'm sure it was subsonic 58k)

Current Craving:
A warm curling buddy


Current Motivation:
Saving piggies, one meal at a time!
                                                  

Nobunny Does Easter like the SheriBury Bunny - Recipe 32 - SheriBury (Cadbury) Creme Eggs

So,
I worked on this dillegently on Saturday night.   I had a full week behind me!
(We're talkin', I ripped up carpet, pulled up flooring, went on a prom dress mission, moved furniture, and on top of this did a workout each day) and finally I'd had a chance to somewhat relax.

You'll be surprised to know I was multi-tasking during this veganization too.  While making vegan hot 'wings' for the girlfriend and I to enjoy for dinner.   Most of the time as I was tempering and filling cavities with chocolate I was hearing about the fancy new I-phone and what it does.  
(Ok, Jen, I'm going to admit, I wasn't really listening all that hard. ;)  )   Regardless, I tempered, I filled, I painted, and I froze.  Painted, froze. 

That was actually the hard part.
I care not for tempering chocolate and hoping it fills correctly.  It's a pain.  But thanks to a few tricks I learned along the way, it worked like a charm the way I did it this time.

Next came the filling.   As I was hearing about "face time", I started on the 'egg white'. While Jen was in attempt to make "face time", I continued on to the 'yolk'.   "Face time" didn't happen.  Lol.  But the frozen chocolate was ready for the filling, so - there it went.   Whites, yolk, and back in teh freezers...

At this point I am slicing celery and handing it, and vegan ranch dip to girlfriend so she can find something to do with her mouth besides talk of the I-phone.  (j/k).

Then it was time to coat the finished product with chocolate... mmmm
This was easier than I thought.  

--Back in the freezer--

I start to fry tempeh and cover it with hot sauce for dinner.

We eat.

I begin to be nervous because the last attempt at candy making 101 - I failed somewhat miserably getting candy out of their molds.

I take a deep breath and turn the mold over - expecting to be slamming it over on the table - and VOILA, they pop out like nothin!
I was happy.

Then - I shared one with the girl and -woowwee zowee!  Yummifization!  (She doesn't even like candy but loved this, so I made sure the Easter bunny put two in her basket the next day.)

Elena milked this egg for a long time!

Last night, I took them to their rightful victims.  Elena stole creme from her mom's egg.  Her mom said she wasn't going to finish hers - (but she did).   Her daddy almost lost his by not catching the text bff sent him about going to the store to get me popcorn.. but he didn't lose it, cuz I have a heart and he loved his just as much as everyone else!

All in all, another one I'll have to do again.  Everyone loved them, as well as I!  I put three down all on my own!

Yum - The SheriBunny did good.

So, this weekend, I'm going to stick with an Easter/Spring theme.  I'm not veganizing this weekend, because I'm trying to lower my veganizations due to financial constraints.  However, I'm going to revisit a veganization I did last Easter, so stay tuned - if you're a 'misser of ham' (Or one of my veggie faves, WHAM), you'll not want to miss this one!

I'll fill you in soon!



Music enjoyed while veganizing:
Pandora - 'Sheri's Shoobop'

Current Craving:
Pretty much everything under the sun right now.


Current Motivation:
Doing something I don't really wanna

Recipe 32 - What's Easter Without The Bunny?

So, I said I'd be back, and I meant it.  However, I'm going to be 'back' in a different way after this one.   What I mean is, if I've made a promise to someone that they're going to get something I'm planning, I'm going to deliver.. and deliver this one I will.

However, after this, I'm doing something a little different.  I'll still be veganizing, but due to $ issues, I'll be peppering in things I've already made here and there to add to the numerical stuff on my recipe book.   Anyway -- I'll get to that next week, for this week:

Behold - the veganization of the Cadbury Creme Egg.

Look at that, full of (god knows what).. and 'milk' chocolate.

Is this going to be easy or what?


It will be - as long as I've got my freezer panties on.  :P

Let's ask the Easter bunny for some pointers - because we all know chicks can't lay these eggs.. (but this chick is about to make em!)

Numbers Please!!



Cadbury Creme Egg                 SheriBury "Vream" egg.

Calories 170                                                 110
Total Fat 6.0 g                                               2.3
Cholesterol 3.5mg                                            0
Sodium 25mg                                                10
Total Carbohydrate 28.0 g                                6
Dietary Fiber 1 g                                            1.4
Protein 2.0 g                                                   2
WWpts -   5                                                   1


Yeah, no kiddin' here.

Let's get this partay started... (and because I'm late, you'll know the partay started already.)  
Watch out for midweek - to see what my victims thought! 



Music Enjoyed While Blogging:
Nada, Zilch

Current Craving
VegInkies!

Current Motivation
Getting back on track