{ CREAMY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP }

Pre-baked

Post-baked (along with notcho sauce and coconut almond chocolate sauce (recipe coming soon)

This is incredible! The original recipe is here at 86lemons.com.

3/4 c. plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
3/4 c. raw cashews (unsoaked)
3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
2 T. nutritional yeast
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. ground mustard
ground black pepper to taste

2 handfuls fresh spinach
2 cans artichokes in water, drained & rinsed

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Blend first ingredients until very creamy.
• Add spinach and blend until chunky.
• Add one can of artichokes and blend until chunky.
• Add second can of artichokes and blend just to incorporate, leaving big chunks.
• Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish or equivalent. (I baked mine in a quart jar to serve at tonight's Relief Society fondue fest.)
• Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

I'm serving it with whole wheat & flax baguettes (recipe to be posted soon), but it would be delicious on crackers or pretty much anything.

{BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP}

This super healthy soup is so easy, and my whole family loves it! You can't beat that on a cold winter day!

1 medium to large butternut squash *
2 large leeks (white part) or 1/2 c. onion
 4 t. minced peeled fresh ginger *
4 c. vegetable broth

1/2 c. cashews (preferably soaked overnight and then rinsed well)
about 1c. water or milk (should equal one cup after blended with cashews)

1 1/2 t. salt

toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
cilantro (optional)

*Costco sells pre-cut butternut squash in 2 lb. containers.  1 container works perfectly for this recipe and cuts prep time by a ton!
* We go light on the ginger (about half that amount) because my kids like it a little milder.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Bake chopped butternut squash for about 35 min. until slightly tender
• Saute onion and ginger in 1/2 c. water until onion is soft
• Add squash
• Add vegetable broth
• Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes
• Blend the cashews and water/milk, set aside
• Puree squash until smooth
• Return to the pot and stir in salt and cashew cream
• Heat through
• Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with cilantro and pumpkin seeds (optional)

This recipe was passed on through my aunts family friend, but I'm not sure of the name or origin so I will check and give credit where it's due!

{GRAIN FREE PB CHOCO CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BITES}

Since I have a sweet tooth and am always on the prowl for 

healthier versions of my favorite desserts, I have tried A LOT

of chickpea dessert recipes.  I have liked some of them, not so

much others, but I have found a winner.  In my opinion, this

one is hands down the best.  It's over on Texanerin Baking.

Here's the link to the original, but I'll also list the recipe below.

Recipe by: Erin D. | Texanerin Baking
Category: Cookies
Yields: fourteen 1 1/2" cookie dough balls
Prep Time: 8 min • Cook Time: 10 min • Total Time: 18 min

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 ^*cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel ¹
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter ²
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (commenters have used agave with success!) 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder ³
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.
2. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
3. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Notes:

1. My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
2. Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
3. If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

*I used almost a whole 15.5 oz can (just minus the handful that I ate) of garbanzo beans.

**We actually like these better not cooked.  The dough is fab by itself, but the best

way to eat it is in a little bowl, warmed up slightly in the microwave so

the chocolate just barely starts to melt (only about 10 seconds).  So Tasty!  Even 

my non dessert eater loves these!

{ GINGERBREAD PANCAKES }

I added a few spices to this recipe to make these yummy gingerbread pancakes.  Put some applesauce and a little coconut cream (or soy ice cream if you don't have coconut to make cream like I did this morning) on top and it's almost like eating this tasty cake.

1 1/4 cup pancake mix

1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves 
2 Tbsp. molasses 

soy milk

Mix pancake mix, spices, molasses, and as much milk as you like to make the batter the consistency you prefer.

Top pancakes with applesauce (and coconut cream or ice cream if you like).

{ CHIPOTLE CAULIFLOWER CORN CHOWDER }

This soup is adapted from this recipe-- I changed a few amounts and added some spices.  It is delicious!

1/2 small white onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, small diced
1 large carrot, small diced
2 stalks celery, small diced
1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into 1/2 inch florets
4 small red potatoes, small diced
½ Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce (canned), chopped  (use more or less depending on how spicy you want it)*
4 c. water
1 T. vegetable base bouillon
2 t. salt
1 t. Mrs. Dash or Spike seasoning
1 smidgen stevia
2 c. corn kernels fresh or frozen
1/2 c. soymilk

• In a large pot, sauté onion until translucent. 
• Add the sweet potatoes, carrots and celery and sauté for a minute or so.
• Add the cauliflower, red potatoes and chipotle and sauté for another minute.
• Add the bouillon broth, salt, Mrs. Dash, stevia, and the rest of the water, stir to mix well. Cover and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the soy milk and corn and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
• Puree 2/3 or more of the soup in a blender and return to the pot, stir to mix well.
  
  

*Because I only use such a small portion of the can, I freeze the rest of peppers on a tray and then transfer them to a ziploc bag once frozen.  They last forever this way.


I usually serve this with freshly baked artisan bread.  Maybe I'll get to posting that recipe soon.

{ WHOLE WHEAT VEGAN NOG BISCOTTI }

This is adapted from Oh She Glows, here. Very tasty dipped in vegan eggnog! (These are not a health food.)

3/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted
2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. sucanat
1/2 T. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
scant 1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. pureed prunes
1/2 c. + 1 1/2 T. vegan eggnog
1 t. vanilla

{ GLAZE }

1 c. powdered evaporated cane juice
2 T. vegan eggnog
1/2 t. nutmeg
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 325. Toast pecans for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool.
• Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.
• Add wet to dry and mix with a spoon until it starts to come together.
• Use your hands to mix it completely, just until all the flour is mixed in. Don't overmix.
• Divide dough in half and place on prepared baking sheet.
• With the palm of your hand, press down each half to flatten.
• Cover with parchment and roll each half into a rectangle, about 6x10, and 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
• Score the logs with a knife and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven, reduce heat to 325, and cool for 5 minutes.
• Slice along score lines (3/4-1 inch strips).
• Gently flip piece onto one side and bake at 325 for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven, flip, and bake another 5 minutes. Repeat once or twice more until they reach your desired crispyness.
• Cool completely and store in a glass container.
• To prepare glaze, whisk all ingredients together. Place into a baggie, snip the tip, and "pipe" over the sides of the biscotti.

{ CREAMY RICE AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE }

Ok. This casserole is my very favorite dish right now! This is a Lucy creation, based off of the layered rice and chicken casserole of days past. (What do you want to call it, Lucy? We can change the title.) Sisters, seriously, if you want to take a bite of our childhood, make this! It's amazing!

1 1/2 c. brown rice, uncooked (about 4 c. cooked)

1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I used shitake)

1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, pressed, cubed and marinated in 1/2 c. vegan veggie broth 4 hrs or overnight (I used 1 t. Better than Bullion No Chicken + 1/2 c. water)

1 c. water
1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
2/3 c. cashews
3/4 c. nutritional yeast
4 T. cornstarch
2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. curry powder
2 t. miso
1 1/2 t. veggie base (1 t. Better than Bullion)

1 c. French fried onion rings (optional)

optional garnish: green onions

• Cook rice.
• Saute mushrooms until just starting to release mushroom juice.
• Drain marinated tofu, spread on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 for 35 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Blend water through veggie base until very smooth.
• Spread cooked rice in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover with baked tofu. Then mushrooms.
• Pour sauce mixture over the casserole.
• Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven, top with French fried onions, and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Serve, garnished with green onions.

This picture is 1/2 the recipe in an 8x8 dish. (Half of us like mushrooms; half do not.)

{ PUMPKIN CAROB CHIP MUFFINS }

These are adapted from this recipe. I cut way back on the honey by adding dates, subbed some prunes for some of the applesauce, used flax instead of egg replacer, and subbed carob chips for chocolate chips. They turned out great!

Whisk together and set aside:

1/4 c. ground flax seed
1/2 c. water

Blend:

1 1/4 c. water
about 1/3 c. prunes
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. dates (loosely packed)
1 can pumpkin

Combine:

2 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1 T. baking powder
1 T. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt

3/4 c. vegan carob (or chocolate) chips

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Whisk 1/2 c. water and flax and set aside.
• Put 1 1/4 c. water in blender. Add prunes until water rises to 1 1/2 c. (about 1/3 c. loosely packed prunes). (If you already have pureed prunes, use 1 c. of that and reduce water to 1/2 c.)
• Add remaining wet ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Pour blended mixture into mixing bowl or electric mixer.
• Add flax "eggs" and mix well.
• Combine dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.
• Fold in carob chips.
• Fill 24 muffin tins 3/4 full.
• Bake for 16-20 minutes (Mine took 17).

{ WHOLE FOODS and GLUTEN FREE }

Back in April, I finally made the commitment to myself to start eating (even) better, to get back on track exercising, and to lose all of my leftover baby weight. Inspired by my sisters, I made a checklist and set some goals. What it turned into for me was eating a primarily whole foods diet, avoiding processed foods, including processed grains (whole wheat bread, etc.), added oils, and sugar. I realized after a few weeks of doing this that it also meant my diet was essentially gluten free. (I did eat some wheat berries in a salad and for breakfast once.)

I've had so many people say it's close to impossible to eat vegan and gluten free. Now I can say I've done it, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. (And I've lost 20 lbs and have almost met my end goals.)

At the beginning, I took some pictures of some of the fun meal conversions I did to replace processed grains with whole foods. I thought I'd share:
Mike found me a great deal on a spiral cutter. I made a lot of zucchini noodles.

When my family had roasted garlic brocolli pizza, I had all the toppings with zucchini noodles. Delicious!!

Beanburgers with all the fixings on lettuce. Amazing!

I replaced the noodles in this frog-eye salad with millet. So good!

This zucchini lasagna was out of this world! I actually liked it better than with whole wheat lasagna noodles. I sliced the zucchini ahead of time and salted it to make it sweat. Then rinsed and dried, so it didn't turn to mush in the lasagna. Loved it! (It's this recipe, with tofu ricotta instead of the tofu and toffuti cream cheese.)

This was one of my very favorites: barbecue pizza toppings over brown rice.

Alfredo and peas over zucchini noodles.

When my family had pancakes, hashbrowns, and field roast sausage, I subbed in pan seared mushrooms.

My portion of mac and cheez had cauliflower instead of whole wheat noodles.

I stopped taking pictures after the first few weeks, but I've had a lot of fun getting creative with my whole foods.

Here are some other recipes that work great:

• basil pasta sauce over brocolli and/or cauliflower
• sloppy jo lettuce wraps
• mango salsa over hashbrowns instead of corn waffles

I've learned not only is it possible to be vegan and gluten free, but I actually enjoy more variety than before. I guess my point is, if you're scared of a vegan diet because you also have a gluten intolerance (or soy, or really any other food), it's possible and can be fun to get what you need eating a whole foods, plant based diet.

{ MEXICAN CHOWDER }

This is my adaptation of this Forks Over Knives recipe. Easy and delicious!

3/4 c. sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 T. chili powder
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. cumin

2 c. water
1/3 c. almonds
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
2 T. ketchup
1 T. miso
1/2 t. salt
juice from 1/2 lime

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 c. frozen corn)

Garnishes:
chopped cilantro
green onions
corn chips
lime wedges
pepper
avocado

• Saute onions and garlic until translucent.
• Add red bell pepper and spices and saute a few more minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend water through lime juice until very smooth.
• Pour sauce over onions and peppers.
• Add beans and corn and stir to combine.
• Heat through.
• Serve with any or all of the garnishes.

{ ROASTED CAULIFLOWER }

I got this from Vegan Dad. I like this so much, I eat an entire head of cauliflower for lunch!

1 cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. coriander
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garam masala (recipe below)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/16 t. pepper
juice from 1/4 lemon

• Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put cauliflower in a large bowl.
• Combine spices in small bowl and sprinkle over cauliflower. Toss to coat. (I put the lid on the bowl and shake it.)
• Spread out on baking sheet.
• Loosely cover with a piece of foil. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Drizzle lemon juice and serve.

{ GARAM MASALA }

1 T. cumin

1/2 T. coriander

1/2 T. cardamom

1/2 T. pepper

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. nutmeg

{ SMASHED POTATOES }

These potatoes are amazingly good!!! And so easy! I think Christine found them on pinterest? There's not really a recipe, per se, but we all like them enough that we've made shakers of the spice mix.

red, purple, fingerling, or other fun potatoes

smashed potato seasoning:
2x paprika
1x salt
1x garlic powder
1x onion powder
1/2 to 1x pepper

• Cut potatoes into fingerling sized pieces (little smaller than a golf ball).
• Boil or steam potatoes until tender. You can steam them in a pressure cooker: low pressure, 5 minutes, quick release.
• Drain potatoes and spread onto sprayed cookie sheet.
• Smash potatoes with potato masher.
• Coat generously with seasoning mix.
• Broil on top rack for 10-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
• Flip potatoes and broil for another 5-15 minutes. We like them really crispy and sometimes take out the crispy ones and leave the rest in for more time.

{ TOFU FETA CHEEZ }

Mom found this somewhere (?) and uses it in a delicious tomato salad I hope to post soon. We also love it on crackers!

1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu (refrigerated kind), pressed
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. mellow miso
1 1/2 T. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder

For Salad:

• Cube pressed tofu.
• Blend other ingredients.
• Marinate tofu in sauce at least 8 hours before adding to salad.

For Crackers:

• Process miso, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder until smooth.
• Crumble pressed tofu into processor.
• Pulse, slowly adding water, until desired consistancy. I like a small cottage cheese consistancy.
• Allow to marinate in fridge for at least 8 hours. I like it best after 3 or 4 days.

{ LETTUCE WRAPS }

I did it. Finally. These aren't quite PF Changs, but they're pretty good.

I mostly followed this recipe, with a few changes. Neither Mike nor I liked the suggested recipe for spicy sauce. We just drizzled a little soy sauce on top.

{ BAKED TOFU }

1 package firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1 t. rice vinegar
1 t. honey
1 t. orange juice concentrate
3 T. water
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 T. Chinese chili sauce

• Cut pressed tofu into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Combine marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag.
• Add tofu and allow to marinate for a couple hours or overnight.
• Spread tofu on parchment paper on baking sheet.
• Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, stirring/flipping once.

{ COOKING SAUCE }

1 T. sesame seeds or 1/2 T. tahini (1 t. sesame oil)

3 T. water

1 t. orange juice concentrate

1 T. soy sauce

1/8 to 1/4 t. vanilla

1 t. rice vinegar

1/2 T. Chinese chili sauce

1 t. miso

1/2 t. mollases

1/8 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 drop stevia (1 t. sugar)

2 t. cornstarch

• Process sesame seeds into fine powder/tahini.
• Add remaining ingredients and process/blend until smooth.
• Set aside.

{ TOFU MIXTURE }

1 t. fresh minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 c. minced red onion

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 can water chestnuts, diced

• Saute ginger, garlic, and red onion for 2 minutes.
• Add green onions and water chestnuts and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Add cooking sauce and stir until thick (happens very fast).
• Add baked tofu and combine.
• Serve rolled in lettuce leaves, drizzled with soy sauce.

{ THAI FRIED QUINOA }

This is another one from Peas and Thankyou. Kind of a fried rice idea, and very good.

A few changes I make:

• We like it best without the soy sauce.
• I use the skimmed coconut milk leftover from when I make coconut cream.
• I cook the quinoa in the pressure cooker: high pressure, 5 minutes, natural release.
• I use this tofu scramble recipe.

Enjoy!

{ WATCH THIS! }

{ CAVEMAN COOKIES }

These are from Mama Pea. Yum!

1 1/2 c. almonds, processed into flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 drop stevia
2/3 c. sunflowers, processed into butter
2 T. ground flax + 1/4 c. water
1/3 c. honey
1/4 t. maple flavor
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 c. vegan chocolate or carob chips

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Process almonds into flour/meal.
• Combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and stevia in a bowl.
• Combine flax and water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Process sunflowers into butter.
• Add flax mixture and other wet ingredients to processor and cream together with sunflower butter.
• Pour wet mixture into dry and mix well.
• Fold in chocolate or carob chips.
• Drop onto baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

{ BLACK BEAN CRUMBLE TACO "MEAT"}

I think Christine was the first to try this one. Adapted from this recipe, it's great on taco salad, tostadas, or anywhere you'd normally use taco meat.

2 cloves garlic
2 cans black beans (2 1/2 c.), drained and rinsed
1/4 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. cornmeal
1 T. chili powder
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Process all ingredients in food processor until they stick together and form a paste.
• Spread/crumble mixture onto a sprayed cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and chop up with a spatula or spoon.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes more.
• Chop/crumble again.
• Bake for 3-5 minutes more.

I like it even more mixed with this ground walnut meat. Make the walnut meat and add it to the beans for the last 5 minutes of baking time.

{ POTATO SALAD }

This recipe is adapted from Cathy Fisher's recipe on Straight-up Food, one of my new favorite sites.

5 medium red potatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 avocado, diced

1/2 c. non-dairy milk (I used almond)

3 T. sesame seeds
2 T. walnuts
2 T. cashews
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. prepared mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. salt


1-2 T. chopped fresh dill (1 t. dried)
2 T. dill relish

• Steam or boil potatoes until tender but not falling apart. (I used my pressure cooker, low pressure, 1 minutes, but when the pressure floater thing popped up, I set the timer for 45 seconds and then turned it off and released the pressure.)
• Rinse under cold water and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine potatoes, red onion, celery, and avocado.
• Blend milk through salt until creamy and smooth. Stir in dill and resish.
• Pour dressing over salad and mix.
• Chill before serving.

{ FROZEN RAW KEY LIME PIE }

As tasty as it looks! I can't remember how I came across this recipe, but it will definitely be a repeat at our house. The original zesty macadamia nut crust recipe is here, and the raw key lime pudding here. The only changes I made were to cut out the coconut oil/butter in both.

{ ZESTY MACADAMIA NUT PIE CRUST }

3/4 c. macadamia nuts (raw, unsalted, soaked for 6 hours, drained)
3/4 c. walnuts
3/4 c. pecans
1/2 c. dates (I packed mine in, but the crust was pretty moist, so you wouldn't have to.)
1 t. lime zest (zest from 1 lime)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut

• Process all ingredients, except coconut, in a food processor until moist and sticking together.
• Spread coconut in bottom of spring-form or pie pan.
• Crumble crust evenly on top of coconut; then press firmly into bottom of pan. (You might have to wet your hands to do this; the crust is sticky.)
• Chill crust while making filling.

{ KEY LIME PUDDING }

3 medium avocados

1 ripe banana

3/4 c. fresh or frozen mango pieces

1 c. fresh lime juice (5-10 limes, depending on size)

1 t. lime zest (zest from 1 lime)

1/2 c. honey or agave nectar (I used agave)

1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut (coconut oil in original recipe)

1/4 of fresh vanilla bean or 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. salt

• Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
• Pour/spoon filling into chilled crust.
• Freeze. (I froze mine for a couple hours uncovered before covering with saran wrap and foil.)
• Remove from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving time.
• Top with coconut cream and lime zest. Wow!

{ CARROT MANGO POPSICLES }

These are from Radiant Health Inner Wealth. We love them!

If you don't have popsicle forms, be creative. I used 2-oz. milk bottles.

{ EASY TOMATO SOUP }

This soup was Elna's idea? Mom's? Someone's brilliant idea! It's so easy and so good! We had it today topped with these kale chips. Delish!

1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. raw cashews

• Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and warm. (If you don't have a high-speed blender, you can warm it on the stove after it's blended.)

Makes 2 servings.

{ SUN-DRIED TOMATO KALE CHIPS }

This recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

My kids love these! They take a while to cook/dehydrate in the oven, and they are done in stages. When my kids hear me checking them, they come running and beg for the done chips as I take them out. A batch rarely lasts into a second day. (That means the 4 of us are eating 2 bunches of kale in 1 day!)

2 large bunches kale
1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 3/4 c. water at least 1 hr. (reserve water)
1/4 c. raw cashews, soaked at least 1 hr.
3/4 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (1/2 can)
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 c. fresh basil (2 T. dried)
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
3/4 t. salt

• In 2 separate bowls, soak tomatoes and cashews for at least 1 hour. After soaking, reserve the tomato water; drain and rinse the cashews.
• Wash kale leaves and tear into peaces, discarding the stems. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner or pat dry with a towel. Place greens in a large bowl; set aside.
• Combine all ingredients, except tomato water, in a food processor. Process until smooth, gradually adding tomato water.
• Pour sauce over the kale and use your hands to massage sauce into leaves.
• If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate for about 12 hours at 105-110F.
• If you, like me, do not have a dehydrator, spread kale leaves in a single layer on parchment paper on baking sheets and bake at the lowest temperature your oven will do. (Mine is 170F.) After 2 hours, check the chips, remove any that are done (and eat them), and rotate your baking sheets. If your oven is like mine, a few will be done after 2 hours. Then I start checking every hour. Some chips take up to 5 hours to completely dehydrate.

If you want to skip the dehydrating completely, this also makes a really good kale salad!!

{ NOT-CHO CHEEZ }

Adapted from yummly.com.

1 c. water
1/2 c. non-dairy milk
1/2 c. raw cashews
6 oz. pimientos
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 t. salt
1 drop stevia (optional)
4 oz. diced green chilis

• Blend all ingredients except chilis until very smooth.
• Cook in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick.
• Add chilis and serve.

(This sauce is great with these homemade tortilla chips.)

{ TOFU DIPPERS }

Thank you, Mama Pea, for these! They are a favorite around here! (I use sucanat instead of brown sugar.)

We have them with this curry dipping sauce, also from peasandthankyou.com. (I replace the oil with undrained white beans.)

{ ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS }

This is really good hummus! It's one of Angela's, of Oh She Glows. Here's the link to the recipe and instructions on how to roast peppers.

(I skip the olive oil and add 1/4 t. paprika. If, like me, you don't have tahini, process 1/3 c. unhulled sesame seeds before adding other ingredients.)

{ RAW CINNAMON ROLLS }

These are one of our favorite snacks. They're straight from Tess Challis, of Radiant Health Inner Wealth. Here's the link!

(She says these store in the refrigerator for several weeks. Ours never last more than 10 minutes!)

{ RAW RASPBERRY DREAMCAKE }

Lucy shared this one with me. I've made it a few times for special occasions, but just haven't gotten around to posting about it. It's seriously AMAZING!!

The original recipe is here, at My New Roots. I just added more dates to the crust, and added a smidgeon of salt to the filling.

{ CRUST }

1/2 c. raw almonds
3/4 c. soft medjool dates
1/4 t. salt


{ FILLING }

1 1/2 c. raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours (overnight is best)
juice of 2 lemons
seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean
1/3 c. raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 c. honey or agave nectar
1 smidgeon salt
1 c. raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

• Process crust ingredients in a food processor until they start to hold together.
• Scoop mixture into a 7 to 9-inch spring-form or pie pan.
• Press firmly and evenly into bottom of pan.
• Blend filling ingredients, except for raspberries, in a high-speed blender until very smooth.
• Pour/spoon about 2/3 of the filling onto crust and spread with a spatula.
• Add raspberries to remaining filling and blend again until smooth.
• Pour/spoon remaining filling onto the while layer.
• Place cake in freezer until solid.
• Fifteen minutes before serving, remove from freezer. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices.
• Enjoy. Lick your plate clean.

{ MEATLESS LOAF - REVISED }

I've made this recipe several times, tweaking it a bit here and there each time. I think I'm done tweaking and have a pretty-close-to-perfect version. We love it. Here's what I do now:

1 c. water
1/4 c. corn meal
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes
1 t. canned green chilis
1/2 t. cumin
2 to 4 T. fresh cilantro (2 t. dried)
1/2 T. tomato paste
2 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 c. onions, chopped
2 T. fresh parsley
1 t. sesame seeds
2 T. water + 1 T. ground flax seeds
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. flour
1 c. walnuts
1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice (1/2 c. uncooked), or 1 1/4 c. Spanish rice


3 T. ketchup
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. unsweetened applesauce

• Prepare brown rice or spanish rice.
• Make polenta by boiling 1 c. water in small saucepan. Whisk in corn meal and turn heat to low. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until water is absorbed and it's the consistency of thick cream of wheat cereal.
• Process polenta in food processor with sundried tomatoes through pepper. Set aside.
• Saute onions and parsley in a medium saucepan until soft and translucent. Only add water if necessary.
• Meanwhile, whisk flax and 2 T. water and allow to sit 5 minutes.
• Whisk lemon juice and flour into flax mixture.
• When onions are soft, add sesame seeds.
• Turn off the heat and add the flax/lemon juice/flour mixture. Mix well.
• Add polenta mixture from processor. Mix well.
• Process walnuts until they're the consistency of ground beef. Don't over process.
• Add walnuts and rice to the polenta/onion mixture. Mix well to combine.
• Spoon mixture into a bread pan and smooth top.
• Combine ketchup, balsamic, and applesauce. Spoon sauce onto loaf and smooth top.
• Bake loaf, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour. Turn off heat and leave loaf in oven until serving. (I've had the best texture when I start cooking mine 2 hours before serving time: bake at 350 for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and leave it in for another hour.)
• Serve with ketchup or more balsamic sauce.

{ MILLET FRUIT SALAD }

This is a knock-off of frog-eye salad, without the white noodles, cream, and sugar. We love it!

1 c uncooked millet, rinsed
2 c water


1 to 2 oranges, chopped (or canned mandarins, drained)
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained and juice reserved
1 can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
1 lb. grapes, halved

1 3/4 c. pineapple juice

1 T. lime juice (or lemon)

2 T. sucanat

1 dash stevia

1/2 t. salt

2 T. ground flax seeds
3 T. water

1/4 c. pineapple juice
2 T. whole wheat flour

solid cream from 1 can coconut milk, chilled 2-4 hours
1 t. vanilla
1 T. corn starch
1/4 c. agave nectar (or other sweetener)

• Chill coconut milk in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
• Cook millet. I used a pressure cooker: high pressure, 7 minutes, natural release. Allow to cool.
• Chop fruit and drain pineapple, reserving the juice (should be about 2 c. juice).
• Combine 1 3/4 c. pineapple juice, lime juice, sucanat, stevia, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, whisk together flax and water and allow to sit 5 minutes.
• Whisk together 1/4 c. pineapple juice and flour.
• When juice in saucepan is boiling, whisk together the flax and flour mixtures, then whisk into saucepan.
• Continue to cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, until thickened into syrup.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. (I put mine in the fridge.)
• Make coconut cream by opening the bottom of the can to drain liquid. Scrape solid cream into a bowl and, using electric handmixer, whip cream with vanilla, corn starch and agave until whipped cream consistancy. (If you use powdered evaporated cane juice, the cream is more stiff than with agave or other liquid sweetener.)
• When everything has cooled to room temperature, combine millet, fruit, syrup, and cream in a large bowl. Chill before serving. 

{ CREAMY GREEN ENCHILADAS }

Thanks, Elna and Lucy, for this one! They made it up, and it's delicious! (So good, I forgot to take a picture.)

1/2 c. onion, diced
3 c. potatoes, cubed
1/2 t. minced garlic (1 clove)
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. frozen white corn

1 c. water
1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
2/3 c. cashews
3/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 T. lime juice
1 to 1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. miso
1 1/2 t. veggie bullion or powder
4 oz. can diced green chilis, divided in half

1/2 to 1 1/2 c. salsa verde (green salsa of your choice)

corn or whole wheat tortillas

• Saute onions and garlic.
• Boil or steam potatoes until barely tender. Add to onions and saute until brown and slightly crisp.
• Add beans and corn, mix well and remove from heat. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Prepare sauce by blending water through 1/2 chilis until very smooth and creamy.
• Add remaining chilis to sauce and stir.
• Pour 1 c. cream sauce into veggie/bean mix to make it saucier.
• Pour 1-2 c. cream sauce onto bottom of 9x13 baking pan.*
• Fill tortillas with veggie/bean mixture and place in pan.
• Cover with remaining sauce and as much green salsa as you like.
• Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes. (Or covered 10 minutes, uncovered 10-15 minutes.)

*We're still an 8x8 (not a 9x13) family, so I did a layered enchilada casserole in an 8x8 baking dish:

• Pour 1/2 c. cream into bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.
• Spread 3 corn tortillas (1 torn in half).
• Layer 1/2 bean mixture.
• Pour 1/4 c. cream over mixture.
• Spread 3 corn tortillas.
• Remaining bean mixture.
• 1/4 c. cream.
• 3 more corn tortillas.
• 1/2 c. salsa verde.
• 1 c. cream sauce.
• Bake covered 10 minutes, uncovered 15 minutes.

We used the remaining sauce to pour over our individual servings, and the cilantro lime rice we had with it, but you could just use half the sauce in the enchiladas and freeze the other half for next time.

{ CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP }

When we were at Joanne's a couple weeks ago, she made a delicious cauliflower soup inspired by this recipe, minus the half and half and sour cream. I, in turn, was inspired, bought a cauliflower last week, and came up with this recipe, with veganized cream/sour cream. We all loved it!

4 c. water + 1 T. Better-than-Bullion No Chicken broth, divided (or 4 c. whatever vegetable broth you like)
3/4 c. onion, diced (1/2 onion)
1 1/2 c. carrots, diced (4 medium carrots)
1 c. celery, diced (2 stalks celery)
1 c. sweet red pepper, diced (1/2 red pepper)
3 T. whole wheat flour
1 cauliflower head, roughly chopped
2 T. dried parsley (1/4 c. fresh)
1 bay leaf

1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk
6 oz. soft silken tofu (1/2 box)
1/2 c. raw cashews
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. lime juice
1 t. salt

• Saute onions in 1/2 c. broth.
• Add carrots, celery, and sweet red pepper. Saute for a few more minutes.
• Whisk 3 T. flour into 1/2 c. broth and add to sauteing vegetables. Combine and stir until broth has thickened and evenly coats veggies (happens very quickly).
• Add cauliflower and parsley and saute for another few minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking/burning.
• Add remaining 3 c. broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer 15 minutes, or until veggies are desired tenderness.
• Meanwhile, blend non-dairy milk through salt until very creamy (and warm if you have a high-speed blender).
• When veggies are tender, turn off heat and add cream.
• Let soup sit, covered, for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, to allow flavors to blend.

{ CHILI BEANS }

We like chili beans at our house, but I was tired of using the canned variety. This is what I came up with; they're really good. The kids love them plain, and they are great for chili cheez fries, or any other recipe calling for chili beans.

1 lb pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
4 c. water
1 14-oz. can tomato sauce
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1-2 T. chili powder
1/2 T. paprika
1/2 T. salt
1 smidgeon stevia

I cook mine in an electric pressure cooker:

• Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker.
• Cook on high pressure for 55 minutes, natural release.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, just do whatever bean/liquid ratio you would normally do (you want it pretty saucy), soak the beans if that's what you normally do, and follow your regular cooking instructions. 

{ STICKY TOFFEE PECAN PUDDING CAKE }

And yet another from Miss Angela of Oh She Glows. Altered slightly for a little less fat, and oh so delicious!

{ The Cake }

3/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted and divided

1 1/2 c. pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 1/2 c. almond milk
1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 c. wonderslim (prune puree)
1/2 c. sucanat

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

• Preheat oven to 325. Toast pecans for 8 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a medium pot, bring almond milk to a low boil. Add chopped dates and reduce heat to low.
• Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and add baking soda. It will froth a bit.
• In a large bowl, whisk together prunes and sucanat. Add almond milk and date mixture and stir.
• In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients, including 1/2 c. pecans.
• Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir until just combined.
• Spoon/pour mixture into lightly greased 8x8 pan or 9-inch pie dish.
• Bake at 375 for 25-28 minutes, or until cake springs back when you touch it.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Using a toothpick or fork, poke several (100) holes in the cake.

{ The Toffee Sauce }

1/4 c. + 2 T. honey, or other liquid sweetener

1/4 c. + 2 T. sucanat

2 T. Earth Balance

1 T. vanilla extract

1 T. almond milk

1 pinch salt

• About 10 minutes before the cake is done, whisk together sauce ingredients in a pot (use the same one).
• Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to low, and heat for about 5 minutes while standing over the pot, watching and whisking. Remove from heat.
• Pour 2/3 sauce over holey cake and smooth out with a spoon.
• Serve cake warm, topped with more sauce and toasted pecans. Serve with vegan ice-cream!

{ TART CHERRY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES }

This is another gem from Oh She Glows. So good!

1 c. walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
1 c. dried tart cherries*
2 T. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1 pkg. (1 1/2 c.) vegan chocolate chips
3/4 c. full-fat coconut milk (cream from the top of the can)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. almond extract
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
12 drops red/pink food coloring

• Preheat oven to 325. Toast chopped walnuts for 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, soak cherries for about 10 minutes. Drain and process with 2 T. agave. Process until finely chopped. Set aside.
• In medium pot, heat chocolate chips over low heat, stirring as necessary, until mostly melted.
• Add coconut milk and stir well.
• Add walnuts, cherry mixture, almond extract, and salt. Adjust salt and sweetener to taste.
• Spoon mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to the fridge for another 20 minutes, until chocolate is firm and workable.
• In a small bowl, mix coconut and food coloring until pink.
• When truffle mixture is firm enough to handle, wet your hands slightly, and roll chocolate into small balls, rewetting hands as necessary. (It's very sticky.)
• Roll balls in coconut. Mine made 27 balls.
• Store in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge. (They get very soft at room temperature.)

*I only had 2/3 c. cherries, so I added 1/3 c. dates. Worked great. I'll probably do 1/2 and 1/2 next time.

{ PUMPKIN MOLASSES COOKIES }

I haven't posted in forever, and I have a bunch of recipes photographed and ready to post, but life has been insanely busy. Someday . . . .

But, these pumpkin molasses cookes, inspired by Mama Pea's pumpkin molasses cookie dough balls, were SOOO good. And, 'tis the season for pumpkin, so I couldn't put off posting this one. I was a bit skeptical at first, because I love our ginger snaps so much, but these are seriously good!

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. ginger
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt

1/3 c. pureed prunes
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sucanat
1/4 c. molasses

1/4 c. evaporated cane juice, for rolling

• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Cream together wet ingredients and sucanat, using an electric or stand mixer.
• Gradually add dry ingredients to wet. Mix until a dough comes together.
• Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Roll dough into balls and roll in evaporated cane juice.
• Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
• Flatten them into rounds or leave as balls (like Mama Pea).
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool on baking sheet.

Note: These, of course, are delicious with some coconut cream!

{RAW CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH} and {BLIZZARD}

Warning:  Do not make this if you love chocolate chip cookie dough and you are trying to lose weight.  There are mostly healthy ingredients, but they are NOT low fat.  So if you feel like eating the whole batch, you have been warned and do not blame me. 

I found this recipe here.  It's really perfect as it is, so I'll just list the recipe like she has it.  We have a ton of frozen bananas right now, so I was looking for something new to do with them besides smoothies and the normal soft serve ice cream.  This blizzard looked pretty good, and it opened up a whole new world with the cookie dough that was made to be eaten, not cooked!

{COOKIE DOUGH BALLS}
yield: 1 cup packed cookie dough
1/2 c. unsalted raw cashews
1/4 c. oats
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 T. natural cane sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3-4 T. pure maple syrup (or a bit more if dough is dry)
1/4 c. chocolate chips (vegan)

• Put cashews and oats in a food processor.
• process until it forms a fine crumble
• add salt, sugar, and flour and process a few seconds more
• add in the maple syrup and vanilla and process until combined
• add chocolate chips and stir by hand, or process
• form into balls and store in the freezer

{BLIZZARD}
yield: 2 servings
3 frozen bananas, cut into 1 inch chunks 
splash of non dairy milk, if needed
2 T. cookie dough

• put frozen bananas in processor
• process until smooth, adding small amounts of milk if necessary
• add cookie dough and process until combined
• stir in desired amount of mini cookie dough balls
• put in a glass and serve with a spoon

*I did the nutrition profile for just the cookie dough part- obviously it will be healthier if you mix it with the bananas!  The cookie dough is 43% fat, 48% carbs, 9% protein.  Each 2 T. serving has 8 g. fat, 2 g. fiber, 4g. protein.