Room Temperature

Unless you’re planning to eat your banana bread many days after making it, leaving it at room temperature is totally fine. It can stay fresh for up to four days this way—just remember to put it inside a plastic container with a closed lid so it wouldn’t go soggy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jovial (@jovialfoods)

Refrigerator

You can extend the shelf life of your banana bread for at least a week by putting it inside your fridge. It’s extremely important to wrap it with plastic wrap as tightly as you can so it wouldn’t go dry before you have a chance to eat it.

Freezer

If you made a huge amount of banana bread or simply want to save it for later, you can always place it inside your freezer. It can stay fresh for up to three months, but it’s also recommended to use plastic wrap to help it keep its moisture.

The post Best Ways to Make Sure Your Banana Bread Stays Fresh for Longer appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

But did you know that you can actually make delicious vegan “fried chicken” at home, and it’s not even that hard? It tastes great on its own, dipped into vegan mayo, or as part of a fried “chicken” sandwich with some pickles and lettuce. However you want to eat it, here’s how to make our favorite vegan fried “chicken.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethany | LikkleVeganTings (@likklevegantings)

Ingredients

• Oyster mushrooms
• Vegetable oil
• Vegetable-based milk (soy, almond, oat – whatever you prefer!)
• Lemon juice
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Sugar
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

First, get the oil heating on the stove. Fill up a saucepan with a few inches of vegetable oil. Your goal is to get the oil up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a cooking thermometer to keep track. Then, you’ll want to get the oyster mushrooms clean by brushing the dirt off of them.

Next, get your dredging ingredients ready. In one bowl, combine your wet ingredients (the plant milk and lemon juice). In another, combine the dry ingredients.

Once the oil is hot enough, you’re ready to cook! Dip each oyster mushroom into the wet ingredient bowl and then the dry ingredient bowl, tossing to coat with the mixture. Then, carefully place them in the hot oil a few at a time, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each mushroom for two to four minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Let them cool down on a paper towel before serving.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aartofcooking (@aartofcooking)

The post This Vegan Fried Chicken Recipe is Shockingly Easy appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of any dried chiles 
• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 3 or 4 cloves of peeled garlic
• 1 teaspoon of  kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Put the chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 minutes.
2. In a dry pan, toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds on low heat until they’re fragrant. 
3. Put the spices in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle. 
4. Strain the chilies but save the water in a separate bowl. 
5. Take the stem and seeds out of the chilies and put them into a food processor with the spices, garlic, and salt. 
6. Run the food processor and drizzle in olive oil until a paste forms. If it seems too thick, add in the reserved water. 
7. Taste it, season it more if necessary and then pour it into a jar and cover with a little more olive oil.
8. Use for up to a month, but make sure you top it with extra olive oil every time you take from it!

The post Try This Homemade Harissa Paste and Let Your Tastebuds Go Wild appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 1/4 cups of chilled and cubed unsalted butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, and flour.
2. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter on high for about 3 minutes. If it’s not fluffy, don’t worry about it!
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
4. Turn the speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients.
5. Split the dough into two and form into disks. Wrap and chill for 2 hours.
6. Take the disks out one at a time, leave them out for 5 minutes to come to room temperature, and lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Dust the top with a bit more flour and roll out until 1/4 inch thick.
8. Flour your cookie cutter so it doesn’t stick, cut out shapes, and put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake at 325 F for 12-16 minutes, rotating the trays halfway.
10. Cool on wire racks and enjoy!

The post This Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe is Essential appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/4 cup of flour
• Pepper to taste

Recipe

1. If your ricotta isn’t drained, do so with a colander and cheese-cloth to make sure there isn’t too much excess liquid in the batter.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the salt and pepper. Use a microplane or zester to zest the lemon and mix that as well.
3. Taste the ricotta to see about seasoning. If it’s a little on the salty side, don’t worry because the eggs and flour will dilute that.
4. Then, add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Don’t be afraid that you’ll overmix it, you really want the eggs combined.
5. Then, pour in the flour and mix until a dough forms. Leave for 10-15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate more before cooking.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Then, use a regular spoon to scoop out the dough so they’re not too big or too small.
7. Drop into the water and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they rise to the top.
8. Serve with cooked veggies, chicken, or however you like!

The post The Ricotta Dumplings Will Blow You Away appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of parsnips
• 1 pound of carrots
• 28 oz of broth
• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of chopped leeks
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat up a little bit of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. Add in the leeks once the oil is hot. If you don’t mind making this non-vegan, you can also add in some butter for flavor.
3. Cook the leeks until they’re soft.
4. While they cook, chop up the parsnips and carrots into rounds that are roughly the same size. This will allow them to cook at the same rate.
5. Add in the carrots and parsnips into the pot, along with all the liquids, and bring to a boil.
6. Bring the pot down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
7. Blend the soup with a stand or hand blender until smooth.
8. Taste the soup to check for seasonings, and add as much pepper and salt as necessary.
9. Serve right away or keep in the freezer for the perfect winter lunch!

The post Try This Creamy Parsnip Soup This Winter! appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• One medium potato
• One medium sweet potato
• 2 carrots
• One parsnip
• One small red onion
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped rosemary and sage each
• A disk of pie dough
• Flour for sprinkling
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Start by washing and cleaning all the vegetables, except the onions. Then, slice them all into 1/2 inch rounds.
2. Toss them in a big bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake at 400 F for 30-35 minutes.
3. While that’s cooking, combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat, swirling not stirring to make an amber caramel. Then, turn off the heat, stir in the vinegar and a little salt, and pour it on the bottom of a pie pan and make sure it covers everything. Sprinkle the herbs on top.
4. Put the veggies on top of the caramel to make layers without gaps.
5. Sprinkle some flour on a surface, roll out to 12 inches in diameter, and cover the vegetables with the dough and prick with a fork to release the steam.
6. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, then cook for 20 more minutes at 350 F.
7. Cool, flip it over onto a plate, and enjoy!

The post Prepare to Have Your Socks Knocked Off by This Root Veggie Tarte Tatin appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 6 oz of chopped bittersweet chocolate

Instructions:

1. Take half a cup of butter and melt it over low heat, stirring often, until it turns a light brown color. Transfer that into a bowl, cut up the rest of the butter, and add that in as well.
2. While the butter is melting, whisk together in a medium-sized bowl the flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. Once the butter is melted, add in the brown and white sugar and whisk.
4. Crack in the eggs and egg yolks and whisk for another 30 seconds, add in the vanilla, and whisk again.
5. Pour in the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until it’s well combined, then add in the chocolate.
6. If the dough still looks too runny, leave it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
7. Then, take an ice cream scooper and scoop them out onto parchment-lined baking sheets. The dough should be able to hold its shapes even though it’s softer than normal dough.
8. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.
9. Cool on baking sheets and enjoy!

The post If You Need a Simple, No Nonesense Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, This is It appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Cheeses

When you pick the cheeses for your cheeseboard, keep in mind that you should have somewhat of a safe option that you know everyone will like, such as cheddar. But, once you have that, you can go with more adventurous cheese like goat cheese, sheep’s milk cheese, or whatever you like.

Fruits

It’s always nice to have some sort of fruit on a cheeseboard because everything else is usually very salty, so the fruit brings some relief to it. You can stick with the classic selection of grapes, or use seasonal berries, or citrus!

Meats

If you aren’t vegetarian, it’s fun to add in some charcuterie or dried meats to the board as well. When you pick your meat, go for things that have different levels of spiciness, texture, and taste. If you’re going to use something like prosciutto, make sure you fold them up so guests can easily take it instead of clumsily taking a long piece of meat.

The post Create the Most Impressive Cheese Board With This Guide appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of masa harina
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of warm water

Instructions

1. Whisk the masa harina and the salt together in a big bowl.
2. Add in one cup of the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon
3. Carefully add in more of the water until it turns into a dough. Mind you, you might not need all of the 1/2 cup of water.
4. Knead the dough so it forms a ball. Then, take out golf ball-sized chunks from it round it into a ball.
5. Place a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap onto a tortilla press or onto the countertop.
6. Put the ball on top and then another piece of whatever material you used.
7. Flatten the ball with the press or a baking sheet so it’s thin but keeping its shape.
8. Over medium or medium-high heat, heat up a pan. Cook the tortilla on one side for 10-15 seconds, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until brown spots show up.
9. Repeat this, cool, and then put them in an airtight container in the fridge.

The post Corn Tortillas are Unbelievably Delicious and Easy to Make at Home! appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Room Temperature

Unless you’re planning to eat your banana bread many days after making it, leaving it at room temperature is totally fine. It can stay fresh for up to four days this way—just remember to put it inside a plastic container with a closed lid so it wouldn’t go soggy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jovial (@jovialfoods)

Refrigerator

You can extend the shelf life of your banana bread for at least a week by putting it inside your fridge. It’s extremely important to wrap it with plastic wrap as tightly as you can so it wouldn’t go dry before you have a chance to eat it.

Freezer

If you made a huge amount of banana bread or simply want to save it for later, you can always place it inside your freezer. It can stay fresh for up to three months, but it’s also recommended to use plastic wrap to help it keep its moisture.

The post Best Ways to Make Sure Your Banana Bread Stays Fresh for Longer appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

But did you know that you can actually make delicious vegan “fried chicken” at home, and it’s not even that hard? It tastes great on its own, dipped into vegan mayo, or as part of a fried “chicken” sandwich with some pickles and lettuce. However you want to eat it, here’s how to make our favorite vegan fried “chicken.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethany | LikkleVeganTings (@likklevegantings)

Ingredients

• Oyster mushrooms
• Vegetable oil
• Vegetable-based milk (soy, almond, oat – whatever you prefer!)
• Lemon juice
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Sugar
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

First, get the oil heating on the stove. Fill up a saucepan with a few inches of vegetable oil. Your goal is to get the oil up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a cooking thermometer to keep track. Then, you’ll want to get the oyster mushrooms clean by brushing the dirt off of them.

Next, get your dredging ingredients ready. In one bowl, combine your wet ingredients (the plant milk and lemon juice). In another, combine the dry ingredients.

Once the oil is hot enough, you’re ready to cook! Dip each oyster mushroom into the wet ingredient bowl and then the dry ingredient bowl, tossing to coat with the mixture. Then, carefully place them in the hot oil a few at a time, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each mushroom for two to four minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Let them cool down on a paper towel before serving.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aartofcooking (@aartofcooking)

The post This Vegan Fried Chicken Recipe is Shockingly Easy appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of any dried chiles 
• 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 3 or 4 cloves of peeled garlic
• 1 teaspoon of  kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Put the chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 minutes.
2. In a dry pan, toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin seeds on low heat until they’re fragrant. 
3. Put the spices in a spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle. 
4. Strain the chilies but save the water in a separate bowl. 
5. Take the stem and seeds out of the chilies and put them into a food processor with the spices, garlic, and salt. 
6. Run the food processor and drizzle in olive oil until a paste forms. If it seems too thick, add in the reserved water. 
7. Taste it, season it more if necessary and then pour it into a jar and cover with a little more olive oil.
8. Use for up to a month, but make sure you top it with extra olive oil every time you take from it!

The post Try This Homemade Harissa Paste and Let Your Tastebuds Go Wild appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 1/4 cups of chilled and cubed unsalted butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, and flour.
2. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter on high for about 3 minutes. If it’s not fluffy, don’t worry about it!
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
4. Turn the speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients.
5. Split the dough into two and form into disks. Wrap and chill for 2 hours.
6. Take the disks out one at a time, leave them out for 5 minutes to come to room temperature, and lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Dust the top with a bit more flour and roll out until 1/4 inch thick.
8. Flour your cookie cutter so it doesn’t stick, cut out shapes, and put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake at 325 F for 12-16 minutes, rotating the trays halfway.
10. Cool on wire racks and enjoy!

The post This Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe is Essential appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/4 cup of flour
• Pepper to taste

Recipe

1. If your ricotta isn’t drained, do so with a colander and cheese-cloth to make sure there isn’t too much excess liquid in the batter.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the salt and pepper. Use a microplane or zester to zest the lemon and mix that as well.
3. Taste the ricotta to see about seasoning. If it’s a little on the salty side, don’t worry because the eggs and flour will dilute that.
4. Then, add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Don’t be afraid that you’ll overmix it, you really want the eggs combined.
5. Then, pour in the flour and mix until a dough forms. Leave for 10-15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate more before cooking.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Then, use a regular spoon to scoop out the dough so they’re not too big or too small.
7. Drop into the water and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they rise to the top.
8. Serve with cooked veggies, chicken, or however you like!

The post The Ricotta Dumplings Will Blow You Away appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of parsnips
• 1 pound of carrots
• 28 oz of broth
• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of chopped leeks
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat up a little bit of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. Add in the leeks once the oil is hot. If you don’t mind making this non-vegan, you can also add in some butter for flavor.
3. Cook the leeks until they’re soft.
4. While they cook, chop up the parsnips and carrots into rounds that are roughly the same size. This will allow them to cook at the same rate.
5. Add in the carrots and parsnips into the pot, along with all the liquids, and bring to a boil.
6. Bring the pot down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
7. Blend the soup with a stand or hand blender until smooth.
8. Taste the soup to check for seasonings, and add as much pepper and salt as necessary.
9. Serve right away or keep in the freezer for the perfect winter lunch!

The post Try This Creamy Parsnip Soup This Winter! appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• One medium potato
• One medium sweet potato
• 2 carrots
• One parsnip
• One small red onion
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped rosemary and sage each
• A disk of pie dough
• Flour for sprinkling
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Start by washing and cleaning all the vegetables, except the onions. Then, slice them all into 1/2 inch rounds.
2. Toss them in a big bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake at 400 F for 30-35 minutes.
3. While that’s cooking, combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat, swirling not stirring to make an amber caramel. Then, turn off the heat, stir in the vinegar and a little salt, and pour it on the bottom of a pie pan and make sure it covers everything. Sprinkle the herbs on top.
4. Put the veggies on top of the caramel to make layers without gaps.
5. Sprinkle some flour on a surface, roll out to 12 inches in diameter, and cover the vegetables with the dough and prick with a fork to release the steam.
6. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, then cook for 20 more minutes at 350 F.
7. Cool, flip it over onto a plate, and enjoy!

The post Prepare to Have Your Socks Knocked Off by This Root Veggie Tarte Tatin appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 6 oz of chopped bittersweet chocolate

Instructions:

1. Take half a cup of butter and melt it over low heat, stirring often, until it turns a light brown color. Transfer that into a bowl, cut up the rest of the butter, and add that in as well.
2. While the butter is melting, whisk together in a medium-sized bowl the flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. Once the butter is melted, add in the brown and white sugar and whisk.
4. Crack in the eggs and egg yolks and whisk for another 30 seconds, add in the vanilla, and whisk again.
5. Pour in the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until it’s well combined, then add in the chocolate.
6. If the dough still looks too runny, leave it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
7. Then, take an ice cream scooper and scoop them out onto parchment-lined baking sheets. The dough should be able to hold its shapes even though it’s softer than normal dough.
8. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.
9. Cool on baking sheets and enjoy!

The post If You Need a Simple, No Nonesense Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, This is It appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Cheeses

When you pick the cheeses for your cheeseboard, keep in mind that you should have somewhat of a safe option that you know everyone will like, such as cheddar. But, once you have that, you can go with more adventurous cheese like goat cheese, sheep’s milk cheese, or whatever you like.

Fruits

It’s always nice to have some sort of fruit on a cheeseboard because everything else is usually very salty, so the fruit brings some relief to it. You can stick with the classic selection of grapes, or use seasonal berries, or citrus!

Meats

If you aren’t vegetarian, it’s fun to add in some charcuterie or dried meats to the board as well. When you pick your meat, go for things that have different levels of spiciness, texture, and taste. If you’re going to use something like prosciutto, make sure you fold them up so guests can easily take it instead of clumsily taking a long piece of meat.

The post Create the Most Impressive Cheese Board With This Guide appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of masa harina
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of warm water

Instructions

1. Whisk the masa harina and the salt together in a big bowl.
2. Add in one cup of the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon
3. Carefully add in more of the water until it turns into a dough. Mind you, you might not need all of the 1/2 cup of water.
4. Knead the dough so it forms a ball. Then, take out golf ball-sized chunks from it round it into a ball.
5. Place a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap onto a tortilla press or onto the countertop.
6. Put the ball on top and then another piece of whatever material you used.
7. Flatten the ball with the press or a baking sheet so it’s thin but keeping its shape.
8. Over medium or medium-high heat, heat up a pan. Cook the tortilla on one side for 10-15 seconds, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until brown spots show up.
9. Repeat this, cool, and then put them in an airtight container in the fridge.

The post Corn Tortillas are Unbelievably Delicious and Easy to Make at Home! appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.