Office Cake-Bake

My company had a cake-bake last week. The theme was Discovery Channel and affiliate networks (i.e. Animal Planet, Planet Green, etc..)


Top Left: my cake entry was called Meerkat Manor Chocolate-Mint Cake with green coconut grass.













While the other cakes were not vegan, they were so creative and beautiful that I just had to post them. Especially love the Animal Planet Globe. Too cute!

Water Chestnut Lettuce Wraps

1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped button mushrooms
(8oz can) 1 cup minced water chestnuts
2/4 cup crushed cashews
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp lime juice
2 1/2 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 TB canola oil

Dipping Sauce recommendations: Hoisin sauce; Plum sauce; Peanut sauce. Make your own or use store-bought. Check the international section of your grocery store.

Use a wok of frying pan. Heat oil and fry minced garlic until golden. Add remaining chopped ingredients and seasons. Stir fry for 8 minutes. Add spoonful to lettuce leaf, wrap & dip. Boston lettuce seems to work best for holding in the mixture.

Mock Salisbury Steak Cutlets

Mock Salisbury Steak Cutlets drizzled w/mushroom sauce, serve w/mash potatoes and peas. The theme here is "JUST ADD WATER"

Peas = boil in water

Mash Potatoes = boil in water, then mash w/salt, black pepper, soy milk & soy butter.

Mock Salisbury Steak Cutlets = I used Vegetarian Nature's Burger (created by Fantastic World Foods). Can be found in organic section of most markets. It's supposed to be used to make veggie burgers, but I shaped them into cutlets. It's a dry powder mix. Follow directions on box: Just add boiled water, shape and fry in 1 TB oil.

Mushroom Sauce = Mushroom Sauce (by Simply Organic). Again, just add water. Simmer and serve.

Tahini Salad

This is sort of a cross between a Fattoush and Greek Salad. For extra dressing, simply double the ingredients.

For Salad:
6 Roma -a.k.a.- Plum Tomatoes (chop into medium chunks)
3 Cucumbers (chop into medium chunks)
1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
1 Cup Fresh Parsley (chopped)
1 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives
15 oz Can of Chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

For Tahini Dressing:
1 Lemon
1/4 Cup Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)
1/4 Cup Water (plus 2 TB water)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)

You can use a "Garlic Press" to crush the garlic cloves. I didn't have this tool on hand, so I chopped the garlic and used the bottom of a drinking glass to crush them in a bowl. Mix the tahini, water, salt, crushed garlic and squeezed lemon juice until smooth. Toss salad ingredients and dressing into large salad bowl.