Dairy-free, egg-free dumplings

So one of the charms of Southern cooking is the good ol' chicken 'n' dumplings. Unfortunately, the dumplings I grew up eating involve milk and possibly egg. So how could I share this delight with my wife?

Enter ... dairy-free, egg-free chicken and dumplings.

3 1/2 C chicken broth
2 C water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved length-wise

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a saucepan. Add chicken and poach at a simmer until just cooked through (approx. 6-8 minutes). Transfer chicken breast with a slotted spoon to a side bowl. reserve 3 1/2 C liquid.

3/4 C non-dairy milk (we use unsweetened almond milk)
1 t vinegar
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 C margarine or non-dairy butter (we use Earth Balance)

Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside.

In a bowl, combined the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the margarine until crumbly. Add the milk and vinegar and stir until just combined.

Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the simmering broth. Cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Slice chicken and add to soup. Cook for 1-2 additional minutes to warm through the chicken.

Vegan pan-fried cornbread - a not-so-oldie

1 1/2 C non-dairy milk
2 t lemon juice
1 2/3 C flour
1 C cornmeal
4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 jalapeno pepper diced
1 C corn
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey

pre-heat oven to 375. Place lightly-greased 10" skillet in oven.

In small bowl, mix together milk and lemon juice. Set aside.

In separate large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and diced pepper.

In blender, puree corn, oil, and honey until smooth and well-combined. Add the milk and lemon juice, the slowly add the puree to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Pour the batter into the skillet, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. I used the toothpick test (when it comes out clean).

Cashew sour cream - an oldie but goodie.

1 C raw cashews (raw, unsalted)
1/4 t salt
1-2 t apple cider vinegar
1 small lemon, juice of

This is an easy one.

Soak the cashews in water overnight. Drain afterward.

Place the cashews, 1/4 C cold water, salt, vinegar, and lemon juice into a blender or food processor.

Puree for 3-4 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Can be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to a week.

My current experiment - non-dairy chicken tikka masala

Most of my recipe experiments are driven by my wife - she can't eat dairy or egg. However, most recipes that exclude dairy and egg go all the way over to vegan, and we just can't have that. We like our steak, our chicken, and ... well, ok, I'm the one who likes pork.

So my current experiment is going to be trying the following recipe - as always, I'll start with the theoretical recipe, and then proceed to improv my way to make it tastier. I might even remember to write down the changes this time ...

Douglas' Non-Dairy Tikka Masala

1 C cashew cream (or, as my inner 12-year-old calls it, "nut cream"; and then I laugh and laugh)
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, large, white, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t ginger, minced or grated
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped (include juice)
1 1/2 T garam masala
1 1/2 t pure chili powder
1/2 t cayenne
1/4 C cashews, ground

For the nut cream:
1/2 C raw unsalted cashews
1 T honey

For the cashew cream:
Soak cashews in water overnight to soften them. Rinse and puree in blender along with 1 T honey. Add water to fill to 1 C.

For the sauce:
Sautee onions, garlic and ginger in hot oil until fragrant and transparent, about 8 minutes. Add garam masala, chili powder and cayenne and sautee an additional two minutes. Add chopped tomatoes along with their juices, partially cover and cook until sauce is thickened - about 20 minutes.

Add cashew cream and ground cashews, cook an additional 10 minutes to thicken.

Serve over rice and chicken.