Here's my new recipe for vegan croissants, using Earth Balance margarine instead of butter. I also used half whole wheat flour to add a touch of nutrition to what otherwise is merely a handy margarine-to-mouth conveyance system. I sliced them in half and filled them with vegan ham deli slices and a slice of Tofutti vegan cheddar, for classic ham-and-cheese croissants. More blanched green beans are in the lunch box today, along with some beautiful fresh organic strawberries. Shmoo picked out the fabric for this Egyptian hieroglyphic cloth napkin; he's fascinated with mummies and all things Egyptian lately.Verdict: There is nothing like the smell of hot, baking croissants wafting through the kitchen, and the taste of one fresh from the oven. Go make some! 5 stars.
64 comments:
Wow, I get to make the first comment! I love your blog, almost as much as I love strawberry season!
I love your blog too! I just found it the other day and I am highly entertained. I'm not a vegan, I don't even really like veggies but reading this makes me wish I wasn't a consumer of everthing animal! I wish I could be a vegan! I think I could convert if you were to prepare my lunches as well!
I enjoy giving a little extras in my lunch such as you with your Egyptian hieroglyphic cloth napkin. Such a a special and unique treat will ensure a happy school kid. But as my family said 20+ years ago, where's the beef?
mmmm, your blog always makes me so hungry. keep fighting the good fight.
Those look lovely and sound yummy! I'm so happy strawberries are coming back into season, as well as avocados.
Your crossiants are gorgeous!! I'm going to check out the recipe.
This is enough to make me hungry!
The croissants look awesome! Thanks for posting the recipe.
I love the theme napkin- that just gave me an idea for my kiddos' laptop lunchboxes.
Jennifer, when would the new cookbook be out?
Thought I'd share what I had for lunch today -- Peanut butter & crackers, Bean/veggie burrito (store-bought, not homemade), a pear, Silk blueberry soy yogurt for dessert.
Are the vegan deli slices and stuff still as processed as like salami and other sandwich meats?
Vegan CROISSANTS? Madam, I am ready to make you my wife.
oh my gosh. vegan croissants! i've been missing croissants for years. thank you thank you thank you so much!!! i'm making them tomorrow.
I remember YEARS ago, I was watching this segment on The Today Show and these bakers were making all kinds of breads and whatnot. I saw them making croissants and they were wrapping this dough around a sheet of butter that must have been about two feet by four feet and about four inches thick!! My mouth FLEW open at how much fat must be in each one! I rarely ate them after that. These look darn good and I am willing to bet they aren't a heart attack waiting to happen! I am definately gonna try them but I doubt they will be as pretty as the ones in the pic! Coroissant bowties anyone?
Wow Vegan Croissants,You're the best. And a new Recipe!!!
I wanted to ask you if you have seen the new Reynolds Kitchen Fun Shapes Baking Cups. I bought some the other day and made some of the Corn Bread you mention some time ago and they turned out real cute, Best of all I am recycling them. So they wash out real easy if you are gentle. Great way to add a heart to your kids lunch.
How wonderful! I can't wait to try these. I think I'll make some and put dark chocolate squares in them...oooh pain au chocolate! Thanks Jennifershmoo.
Boys in my third grade classroom always seems to be in an Egyptian/Mummy phase. I think it is the mind of an eight year old to like all things mummy...oh, and the Titanic. Sense a death/disaster theme? LOL
This looks wonderful! I could go for a chocolate or fruity croissant (I'm not a fake-meat/dairy person) but you have a lovely presentation going on here once again.
I like the Egyptian hieroglyphics too.
I can't believe you made vegan croissants! Today on my way to work I was thinking, why doesn't anyone make vegan croissants and now I have a recipe. Perfect timing! I love your site and check it everyday. Then I go home and tell my husband what little Shmoo had for lunch! You have inspired me to include more veggie sides in my lunch. Thanks Jennifer!
Mmmmm!! Those strawberries look SO good! And the croissants... I love this lunch! =)
Egyptian napkins? Shmoo is super cool. :-)
Lunch looks GREAT, as usual! I was wondering if you happen to have Linda Haynes' The Vegetarian Lunchbasket? It's not exclusively vegan, but I think you could easily veganize just about everything in it. I've had that book for several years and just made some "golden tofu nuggets" the past couple of days to put in my daughter's lunch- they are actually quite tasty at room temperature or cold. They are fried (yikes!), but it's hard to feel too bad about tofu with nutitional yeast breading!
Take care!
Vegan croissants - that's great! I can't wait for organic strawberries to get going again... I've seen some at our markets, but WAY too expensive, maybe another month or so (hopefully)!!
I just bought a little lunchbox that has compartments like Shmoo's at Target for only $3.99. Lunchbox wanna-be's out there, now is your chance!
Can I plug my new lunchbox blog up here? Do you mind, Jennifer? http://www.xanga.com/taleia_and_company
I haven't had a croissant in 15 years! They are a smidge labor intensive but I bet they are worth it! Thanks for the recipe! Let us know if you try freezing them (before or after baking) then I could have them fresh more often... Or I could eat them all in a weekend, or I guess I could share....
Hey Cool! I made vegan croissants a while back... I just used the Joy of Cooking recipe and used Earth Balance instead of butter. I did find that I had to put the dough in the freezer from time to time... since the EB can be so much softer than traditional butter. They came out delicious and amazing!!! But, I must say, seeing all that margarine in there really did hamper my ability to enjoy them so open-heartedly. I am always hoping someone else will make them... so I can remain "ignorant" and enjoy them! :) Way to go!
Love the napkin! And vegan croissants! I haven't had them in years. Thanks for the idea!
oooo croissants....Thanks! Those sure do look good!
personal question:
are you well off? i ask becuase you seem to buy a lot of more pricey foods (ie. veg. ham/bacon, organic strawberries, healthy candies, etc).
thanks.
What a personal question Teresa! I can't speak for Jennifershmoo, but I think that buying those kind of foods is a matter of personal choice/sacrifice really---I'm not "well off" but I budget for healthy food/organic food because I like it/is better for us. We cut back in other areas so we can enjoy good/healthy food!
WOW. Thank you.
wow. those straberries look ready to pop out of their container! they're hugeeee!
I think that Wendy Thomas is the troll of the day. Good grief. Dave Thomas is the founder of Wendy's fast food restaurants. How easy to deduce could that be?
VEGAN croissants? You soooo rock. I am so grateful you're here. I have been missing croissants for ages. I cant' wait to try this.
As for the mummies...have you looked up a book called -Smelly History-? There are several devoted to various historical periods, and one of them is Smelly Mummies...my son adored that book. AND it helped him out on a history report. Just don't get your nose too close to it...it's a scratch and sniff book and it goes into hygiene of the period and everything. :D
I am just so enjoying your blog and I wish I had your great ideas and energy to make them happen. You are inspiring me. My boys are excited just for me to order the lunch box system! It will be fun to fill them with all your great idea. Thank you!
Strawberries look lovely. I'll bet that there will be some at our Farmers' Market this weekend. Yum. And our Coop had gorgeous artichokes when I popped in this morning. I love the first artichokes of the season. Probably not practical for Shmoo and school.
Thank you for sharing.
We love artichokes, too! We eat them at dinner and make a huge mess. The best part is shmoo just likes the leaves and won't eat the "icky heart". So I volunteer to eat his myself! :-)
Mmm, what an awesome looking lunch! The croissants are beautiful! And the strawberries! Wow.
>>those straberries look ready to pop out of their container! they're hugeeee!
Yeah, I ended up squishing that top one a bit getting the lid closed!
beautifully shaped crossaints...!
~Amy
Pain au Chocolat is one of few foods around here that I would love to try but can't. I've been meaning to work up the motivation to make my own for a while now. These look fantastic. Thanks for the croissant recipe!
Here's what I do sometimes: buy squares of puff pastry (here they have nonhydrogenated frozen puff pastry at the grocery store.. it's almost always vegan, though, even in the states. the squares are 6"x6" or so), defrost a bit, put some veggie ham and vegan cheese on one side, fold over, pinch closed, and bake at 400-ish for 20 minutes-ish. It's a simple veganization of a Dutch 'broodje ham en kaas,' or filled sandwich. You can also fill them with seasoned tofu or seitan.. you even see these at fast food places and health food stores.
Our laptop lunches yesterday:
- Hummus and apple wrap (with spicy mustard)
- fresh strawberries
- tortilla chips with salsa
- wild berry soygurt (me) or macadamia nut white chocolate chip cookies (husband)
- orange calcium chew
- plus husband got an apple pie lara bar and a vegi-deli fake meat stick to snack on because he had 7 straight hours of class and errands to run afterwards. Tuesday is his 'no lunch break, needs nonmessy foods that can be eaten fast during class breaks' day.
Great looking lunch as usual! You are inspiring me! BTW, does anyone know if calcium stearate is an animal product? Thanks
I used to snarfup croissants until I found they had about a million calories apiece :-(
Not everybody can cut back so easily, but even though this is a luxury, it is pretty good looking.
Love the napkin! maybe lil shmoo wont throw them away now that he gets to choose the decoration?? have you ever tried attaching it to something like silverware or the box itself? heh, perhaps that's a little extreme...but maybe it could work? napkin on a string? ;oD
I think the price of things is more then the immediate price. That is to say, when someone buys something cheap at Walmart's, they are usually supporting Chinese and other industries which often abuse their workers and cause terrible pollution - rivers of toxins and terrible air. Not to mention how Walmart's itself treats its workers. What does that do to Shmoo and his kids? The whole planet is on the verge of a devastating change with sea level 25 feet higher, constant bad storms, declining food suppies, etc., because this generation says that costs too much and doesn't look at the real costs. Once you do the latter, buying right becomes a no-brainer.
Plus, as has been pointed out before, if you go to farmer's markets, etc. you can pay less and support local agriculture which you will surely need once gas starts to run out and becomes $50 a gallon. Not to mention compare the price of a pound of rice vs a pound of meat.
I have been checking your site daily for about a month now. I've always been intrigued with those who are vegan or vegetarian. I grew up HATING most vegetables except for peas, beans and carrots. Now, at 28, I LOVE them! Can't believe it took me so long. I have a 5yr old son who is just like I was. Loves carbs and dairy. However, due to a dairy sensitivity we do soy milk and alternatives for the most part. Thankfully my two other daughters love most of their veggies (except broccoli LOL!).
Anyway, I am enjoying your blog so much and it has really inspired me to provide more healthy options in my kids foods. THANK YOU so much!!
I do have a question though. My 2nd daughter does not like nuts, therefore she won't eat peanut butter. Can you suggest some other ways to get high protein healthy snacks into her diet? She is very thin, but eats very healthy for the most part.
THanks!
brandy
Brandy,
I don't give my 2-year old vegan twins peanut butter, they eat cashew or almond butter instead. Very nutritious, in fact, more nutritous than peanut butter and full of protein. If you're looking for other healthy fats, try avocados and flaxseed oil mixed into salad, soup (right before serving), veggies, smoothies etc.
Sue
www.vegantwins.com
My 17 month old isn't a big fan of nuts either. However we give her beans, tofu and avocados a lot. If you check my blog, by clicking on my name, you'll see a lot of recipes we eat and my daughter's reaction to them.
Love it, but Croissants are always so greasy! :)
I bet these are better. I never eat them anymore since I have been on a more serious healthy diet.
R2K
you are way too cute. your son is giong to grow up realizing just how loved he was. wish you were my mom.
i'm 24 and i'm still fascinated by mummies and ancient egyptian culture!
The croissants are georgeous! Your son is soooo lucky that you take such great care fixing his lunches :-)
Once every six weeks, I get up at 4:45 AM so that I can get to my 6 AM hair appointment. As a reward for this kind of discipline (read: insanity), I would stop at the French bakery that is conveniently located on my route from the hair salon to my workplace and treat myself to a large croissant or pain chocolat and juice. Since becoming vegan, I have of course abandoned that croissant habit (but not the insane hair appointment time). This morning was one of my hair appointment days, and I was sorely missing my croissant when I dragged myself in to work. Lo and behold, I come to Vegan Lunchbox and find that you have posted not only a vegan croissant recipe, but one that includes whole wheat! You, madame, are my hero! I will be making these this weekend for sure!
Hey! I'm an omni and love your blog. Keep up the good work.
Jennifer, you've really outdone yourself this time!!! Fannie is an amazing resource, and you're so smart to use her for croissants! Those are gorgeous and I am famished right now . . . if only you took internet orders and they could be delivered in 5 minutes across the nation. *sigh* I'm assuming that you used whole wheat pastry flour, right? And did you add any gluten flour to get them to rise higher, or are they that stately on their own?
Love love love them. yum!!!!
Do you think you might have one more space in your family for another child? An older child, say around 32-ish? You're so creative...truly inspiring!
Bisous,
Ms. Glaze
Wonderful!! I got my Peta magazine today and your blog was mentioned in it! Congratulations.
I sent a link of your blog to my brother and he said "some moms.... got it goin on." :)
When my mom and dad were 20, in college and married with a baby, my grandmother gave my mom some wonderful advice. She said, "You'll need to skimp and save but NEVER skimp on food. If you are eating well, you are living well no matter how poor you really are." My parents are now in there 60's and will probably outlive me they are so healthy.
I cannot wait to make these. I think Earth Balance is a dream come true. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jennifer,
These look great! Which vegan ham are you using? I'd love to try a good one.
Thanks.
Hi Amy,
These look yummy. My sister-in-law makes a mean flourless chocolate cake for passover. Our contribution is always the matzo lasagna - about the only think hubby cooks now (and only once a year!)
Hi Jennifer
Apologies for my last post. I'm really not sure how that happened (wrong blog).
I love to buy at farmer's markets, and buy healthy produce, but in some places it's not always possible, especially on a very tight student budget. I eat very little meat because of the price, and live mostly off veggies, pasta, and rice. Here in a very small Northern Ontario city there is no farmer's market, and only one bulk food store that sells mostly spices and wine-making products. There is one great health food store, but because of the low market-base the prices are astronomical. However, in spring and summer when local and Canadian products come in to season I gorge!
Oh and also ordering on the internet can be hard because it's very expensive to ship across the border, and you're often hit with a customs cost once it gets to the door. Once I get back to a bigger city though I'm going back to my greater-veggie ways!
Looking great as usual! I really miss crossiants. I'll definitely be trying this one! I think these will make excellent appetizers for a graduation party I'm throwing in May too!
"Margarine to Mouth conveyance system" that's so awesome, I think I need to make some of those! Thanks for the recipe.
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