Vegan Sweet Potato Quesadillas [Menu]

I've gotten rid of nearly all my magazine subscriptions. We used to hear monthly (bi-monthly?) from several throughout the year. I still love Saveur and Lucky Peach, National Geographic still has a warm place in Matt's heart (my parents generously offer it to him every year and he gladly takes it), and I really do enjoy a good In Style. However, while trying to rid myself of clutter in our abode, I've unsubscribed to nearly every periodical that comes through our door... All except for one: Vegetarian Times. I don't know what it is about this publication, but I suppose it's because I love the articles, it's fairly cheap, and I don't feel bad keeping it around because I actually read it on time!

A while ago, Carol and I were looking for something to make. It needed to be vegetarian (me) and cheesy (her), and it had to be fairly fast. Well, the recipe we found didn't put dinner on the table instantaneously, but we were pleased with what we found in the back of a small, pillowy-covered book, aptly named "Vegetarian Recipes." No mystery with that one!

So you'll imagine my surprise to see it fully rehashed in Vegetarian Times in the April / May 2014 issues. Not that I'm complaining! I'm not sure who thought of it first, but I'm glad someone did. I've made it three times now, and it's not failed me yet. Even my wonderful, supportive Matt, happy to try a veggie recipe or two but largely carnivorous, gave them his seal of approval! So if you're having trouble finding one meal for everyone at the table (don't you hate making multiple dishes), this one might be worth a shot. All you need to do is look at this very candid shot of Matt after trying the first bite! Aren't candids the best? I think he was saying, "oh wow! That's actually really good!" 
I'll take it! 

Recipe Ahead!

Vegan Chocolate Cake [Menu]

I've gone through my spells of veganism. The longest one being a year or so of time, last year's only a few months. Now a days, I'm a pescetarian. That's basically a fancy way to say a lacto-ovo vegetarian with the occasional carnivorous indulgence (of the aquatic variety).  I've never done this out of a dietary concern. It's always been for weight loss or ethical/environmental reasons. I've never had any extreme allergies. Lemons sometimes tickle my throat, and I don't feel awesome after eating a ton of oats. Ultimately, though, these are minor annoyances and, certainly, nothing I've concerned myself over.
That can't be said for my friend Katie, however. When Katie officially joined the clan this past year by marrying Tk, one of my oldest childhood companions (who was pictured in our old, tiny apartment from the very first post on The Powdered Plum), she brought an interesting situation to the table. Extremely lactose intolerant. Allergic to peanuts. But not at all picky and very sweet and willing to try things - even if they make her sick. Now, that's a gal worth fixing something special for, wouldn't you say? 


I started keeping almond milk on hand (and found I actually somewhat prefer it in baking), and I decided to try out this vegan cake recipe for Carol and Matt's joint birthday party since Katie would be among our guests. (It should be noted that Matt helped by making the non-vegan cake for the party. He is a sweet, well-meaning gentleman.) I went through a ton of recipes before I found one that sounded in the least bit promising. I don't have a lot of experience making anything more than vegan-friendly cookies, and chocolate cake has a tendency to be dry without dietary restrictions applied. I know full-well there are a myriad of fantastic, successful vegan recipes out there whose ingredients can put eggs and milk to shame, but it took a while before pinning down the right one. I do believe, however, it has been accomplished.


This chocolate cake is moist and delicious, and the orange glaze is absolutely perfect. I have a go-to non-vegan chocolate cake recipe that's hard to beat on flavor, but you can't win over the extreme ease (and low cost) of this option. I'd really put them on the same level, to be honest. Plus, this one doesn't take five hours to assemble! 
If you like the combination of orange and chocolate, definitely go for this particular icing recipe. It hardens just enough to add a nice mouth-feel and is sweet enough to perfect the flavor of the cake. However, if oranges aren't your thing or you're not sure you want to have an entire cake of it, by all means, adapt it to your preferences. As long as the amounts are the same, it'll turn out just fine (and you can always experiment to see what works for you.)

Recipe Ahead!