Vegan or Vegetarian
Plant-based (sometimes referred to as vegan) and vegetarian diets have been around a long time, but there has been an international resurgence of interest in this eating style. Vegetarian diets have transitioned from being a fairly obscure lifestyle choice to a very common and thriving community of those choosing to forgo meat and animal products in their diet. Vegetarian diets may still include dairy products and eggs while a plant-based diet strictly avoids all foods of animal origin.There’s a variety of reasons a person may choose to follow a vegetarian diet. For some, it’s simply a matter of taste and a lack of desire to eat animal products. For others, it’s a matter of conscience and concern for the environment. For many, they choose to eat a vegetarian-style diet because they are looking to see improvements in their health and hope to avoid chronic diseases.
A well-planned vegetarian diet can be just as satisfying and delicious as an omnivorous template. With just a little advance care and attention, all nutritional needs can be easily met.
Before You Begin
[accordion id = "2709"]
Plant-based baking requires a little experimentation, but a well-stocked pantry and some innovative recipes can open doors to create amazing baked products. Because vegetarian diets are gaining in popularity, there are tons of wonderful and delicious recipes popping up everywhere. The sky’s the limit when it comes to delicious vegetarian meals. Let’s get cooking!
Don't forget to check your weekly ad or the latest digital coupons for extra savings on the ingredients!
Plant-Based Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from the blog Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
To make the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, any variety, sifted if lumpy
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups coffee (or water)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or white vinegar
To make the glaze:
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey (for shine)
A pinch or two of flaky sea salt
Directions
Make cake:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with a fitted round of parchment paper and coat the bottoms and sides with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and olive oil, and whisk to combine. Add coffee and vinegar and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs (but not wet or loose batter). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut around it with a knife to ensure it is loosened and flip it out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Make glaze:
- Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, olive oil, corn syrup, and salt in a medium bowl and microwave to melt, in 15 to 30 second increments, stirring between each until just melted. Whisk until smooth. Pour over completely cooled cake and use spatula to gently nudge it down the sides.
Cake keeps:
- At room temperature for 2 to 3 days and up to a week in the fridge.